Isabelle Drake's Blog, page 53

Cowboy for Hire, out now

Blurb:
Anxious for adventure and the chance to prove she’s not the spoiled socialite her friends and family believe her to be, Victoria Marana buys The Circle Cat ranch, rolls up her sleeves, and begins the repairs that will turn the ramshackle place into the best dude ranch in Arizona. One thing she didn’t plan on was a dark, down-on-his-luck cowboy smashing into her barn. But when he does, she turns the problem into an opportunity. Armed with limited experience, but a lot of determination, Victoria sets out to get what she wants from the wandering cowboy.

The last thing Lang Thompson wants is to get tangled up with a woman. Especially one who’s used to getting what she wants when she wants it. He knows what rich girls like her expect and he isn’t interested in playing games. But he’s no match for Victoria’s hardworking determination and sexy brand of innocence.
Excerpt:
Lang Thompson eased his foot off the worthless brake pedal and waited for the red Arizona dust to clear. A board swung above the cab of his truck, once, twice, three times. The rusty nail holding it gave up the fight and the weathered two-by-four smacked across the hood with a weary thump.One more dent wasn’t going to matter.
He pushed back his beat-up Stetson, mumbling a string of words that in his childhood would’ve earned him an afternoon in the milk house. He didn’t need this.
Outside his window a hairy, black Australian shepherd barked and waved its tail.
“You don’t need to tell me, I see the mess.”
For a split second he considered backing out and leaving. The way the place looked, the owner probably wouldn’t even notice the new gaping hole.
No, he didn’t want any unfinished business hanging over his head when he hit the highway again to head south, away from the miserable memories he’d left behind. There was that and the fact that his conscience had an unfortunate way of popping up at the worst times.
He glanced down at the animal now sitting among the rubble that used to be the side of a barn. A tired, seen-better-days barn but a barn nonetheless.
For the sake of his furry witness, he held back another string of words unfit for delicate ears as he shoved the door open and stepped out. He leaned against the truck and yanked his hat down to block out the afternoon sun. The owner had to be around somewhere.
“I guess I should’ve hung a no parking sign there.”
Lang turned to the shapely outline in the shadows. His bad luck kept getting worse. A woman. He didn’t want to shoot the breeze with a bored rancher’s wife.
“If you’ll tell me where to find your husband, I’ll straighten this out with him.”
As she moved into the sunshine Lang tried to convince himself he didn’t see her thick blonde hair or clear, blue eyes. He didn’t notice the way the way her breasts strained against that plain white t-shirt tucked neatly into her faded jeans, either. And that bolt of physical awareness that shot straight to his cock? It didn’t exist.
A blindingly bright smile spilt across her sun-kissed face. “I can’t do that.”
No, those sweet lips didn’t really have an effect on him either. But just to be sure, he stepped away as she came closer. “Do what?”
Raising her hand to shield her eyes from the desert sun, she glanced over her shoulder toward the mess. “Did you plow into my barn because you suffer from memory loss?”
Lang turned toward his truck. He had indeed plowed into the barn. Her barn.“Your barn?”
She nodded, then reached down to rub the dog’s ears, giving him the perfect opportunity to look down her shirt. Was that a white bra with pink lace trim?
Damn he loved lace.
Forcing his gaze back to her face, he asked, “You don’t have a husband I can talk things over with?”
Sunlight blinked off the golden strands of her hair as she shook her head and scratched under the animal’s chin. Her silence didn’t make sense. Why wasn’t she pissed? “Look, ma’am, I’m really sorry—”
While waving her hands to cut him off, she moved closer, her sexy, long legs making short work of the distance. “You don’t need to explain right now.”
Judging from the tilt of her head and the welcome in her eyes, he was missing some piece of a puzzle.
But what?
He stamped out his curiosity. He only wanted to take care of business, then get back on the road and find that ranch for sale his cousin Cole had badgered him into looking over. With that out of the way, he’d get back to his real goal, which was putting as much distance between the remnants of his old life and himself as possible. He tugged his gaze away from her all-too-easy-on-the-eyes face, glanced around but soon found himself looking her way again. “Where am I anyway?”
Her delicate eyebrows knotted together and her shoulders dropped. “You didn’t come about the ad for work?”
“Work?” He shook his head. “No. I was trying to turn around, get back on the freeway.”
Her kissable pink lips curved weakly, the glimmer in her eyes faded but didn’t go out completely. 
“You’re at The Circle Cat Ranch.”
“And where is that?”
“Cactus Junction.” She dipped her head the other way and a few tempting strands of silken hair slipped over her shoulder. “You do know what state you’re in?”
Arizona. Only a couple of hours from the Mexican border.
Her gaze circled his face, considering, then dropped lower, assessing. He straightened, planting his legs wide enough to place the bulge in his pants front and center. If she insisted on getting a good look at him, he might as well give her a view worth the effort.
As though she realized she was rudely looking him over like he was a colt on the auction block, she brought her attention back to his face and tried to cover her actions with a smile as she spoke. “You look like you could use a drink. I know I could.” She brushed past him without waiting for a reply. 
“Come on up to the house and have some lemonade.”
That place his cousin was so hot for them to buy was in Cactus Junction. At least he didn’t have much farther to go.
Not that he wanted to buy a place and start all over but Cole had cajoled him until he’d agreed to at least look it over. A promise is a promise. Even to a cousin like Cole.
The woman’s hips swayed invitingly as she strode toward the house. Each determined stride called to some better left unspoken part of him.
He grumbled and tore his gaze away. He’d written complicated entanglements with women off. For good.
The screen door smacked shut after she disappeared inside.
Why did it seem like the last shred of control he had over his life was slipping away? The hot wave of lust pooling in his gut shouted a warning, telling him to forget his so-called integrity and take the chance that once he got on the road he wouldn’t need brakes any time soon. He could always coast to a stop.

He groaned. All those hours in the milk house taught him more than to mind his tongue. He had to stick around and settle the issue at hand. That ranch for sale wasn’t going anywhere. With a quick glance down to be sure he wasn’t wearing any of his fast food breakfast on his shirt, Lang headed after the woman and the dog.~~~Get your copy on Kindle and other outlets.

Blurb:Anxious for adventure and the chance to prove she’s...

Blurb:
Anxious for adventure and the chance to prove she’s not the spoiled socialite her friends and family believe her to be, Victoria Moore buys The Circle Cat ranch, rolls up her sleeves, and begins the repairs that will turn the ramshackle place into the best dude ranch in Arizona. One thing she didn’t plan on was a dark, down-on-his-luck cowboy smashing into her barn. But when he does, she turns the problem into an opportunity. Armed with limited experience, but a lot of determination, Victoria sets out to get what she wants from the wandering cowboy.

The last thing Lang Thompson wants is to get tangled up with a woman. Especially one who’s used to getting what she wants when she wants it. He knows what rich girls like her expect and he isn’t interested in playing games. But he’s no match for Victoria’s hardworking determination and sexy brand of innocence.
Excerpt:
Lang Thompson eased his foot off the worthless brake pedal and waited for the red Arizona dust to clear. A board swung above the cab of his truck, once, twice, three times. The rusty nail holding it gave up the fight and the weathered two-by-four smacked across the hood with a weary thump.One more dent wasn’t going to matter.
He pushed back his beat-up Stetson, mumbling a string of words that in his childhood would’ve earned him an afternoon in the milk house. He didn’t need this.
Outside his window a hairy, black Australian shepherd barked and waved its tail.
“You don’t need to tell me, I see the mess.”
For a split second he considered backing out and leaving. The way the place looked, the owner probably wouldn’t even notice the new gaping hole.
No, he didn’t want any unfinished business hanging over his head when he hit the highway again to head south, away from the miserable memories he’d left behind. There was that and the fact that his conscience had an unfortunate way of popping up at the worst times.
He glanced down at the animal now sitting among the rubble that used to be the side of a barn. A tired, seen-better-days barn but a barn nonetheless.
For the sake of his furry witness, he held back another string of words unfit for delicate ears as he shoved the door open and stepped out. He leaned against the truck and yanked his hat down to block out the afternoon sun. The owner had to be around somewhere.
“I guess I should’ve hung a no parking sign there.”
Lang turned to the shapely outline in the shadows. His bad luck kept getting worse. A woman. He didn’t want to shoot the breeze with a bored rancher’s wife.
“If you’ll tell me where to find your husband, I’ll straighten this out with him.”
As she moved into the sunshine Lang tried to convince himself he didn’t see her thick blonde hair or clear, blue eyes. He didn’t notice the way the way her breasts strained against that plain white t-shirt tucked neatly into her faded jeans, either. And that bolt of physical awareness that shot straight to his cock? It didn’t exist.
A blindingly bright smile spilt across her sun-kissed face. “I can’t do that.”
No, those sweet lips didn’t really have an effect on him either. But just to be sure, he stepped away as she came closer. “Do what?”
Raising her hand to shield her eyes from the desert sun, she glanced over her shoulder toward the mess. “Did you plow into my barn because you suffer from memory loss?”
Lang turned toward his truck. He had indeed plowed into the barn. Her barn.“Your barn?”
She nodded, then reached down to rub the dog’s ears, giving him the perfect opportunity to look down her shirt. Was that a white bra with pink lace trim?
Damn he loved lace.
Forcing his gaze back to her face, he asked, “You don’t have a husband I can talk things over with?”
Sunlight blinked off the golden strands of her hair as she shook her head and scratched under the animal’s chin. Her silence didn’t make sense. Why wasn’t she pissed? “Look, ma’am, I’m really sorry—”
While waving her hands to cut him off, she moved closer, her sexy, long legs making short work of the distance. “You don’t need to explain right now.”
Judging from the tilt of her head and the welcome in her eyes, he was missing some piece of a puzzle.
But what?
He stamped out his curiosity. He only wanted to take care of business, then get back on the road and find that ranch for sale his cousin Cole had badgered him into looking over. With that out of the way, he’d get back to his real goal, which was putting as much distance between the remnants of his old life and himself as possible. He tugged his gaze away from her all-too-easy-on-the-eyes face, glanced around but soon found himself looking her way again. “Where am I anyway?”
Her delicate eyebrows knotted together and her shoulders dropped. “You didn’t come about the ad for work?”
“Work?” He shook his head. “No. I was trying to turn around, get back on the freeway.”
Her kissable pink lips curved weakly, the glimmer in her eyes faded but didn’t go out completely. 
“You’re at The Circle Cat Ranch.”
“And where is that?”
“Cactus Junction.” She dipped her head the other way and a few tempting strands of silken hair slipped over her shoulder. “You do know what state you’re in?”
Arizona. Only a couple of hours from the Mexican border.
Her gaze circled his face, considering, then dropped lower, assessing. He straightened, planting his legs wide enough to place the bulge in his pants front and center. If she insisted on getting a good look at him, he might as well give her a view worth the effort.
As though she realized she was rudely looking him over like he was a colt on the auction block, she brought her attention back to his face and tried to cover her actions with a smile as she spoke. “You look like you could use a drink. I know I could.” She brushed past him without waiting for a reply. 
“Come on up to the house and have some lemonade.”
That place his cousin was so hot for them to buy was in Cactus Junction. At least he didn’t have much farther to go.
Not that he wanted to buy a place and start all over but Cole had cajoled him until he’d agreed to at least look it over. A promise is a promise. Even to a cousin like Cole.
The woman’s hips swayed invitingly as she strode toward the house. Each determined stride called to some better left unspoken part of him.
He grumbled and tore his gaze away. He’d written complicated entanglements with women off. For good.
The screen door smacked shut after she disappeared inside.
Why did it seem like the last shred of control he had over his life was slipping away? The hot wave of lust pooling in his gut shouted a warning, telling him to forget his so-called integrity and take the chance that once he got on the road he wouldn’t need brakes any time soon. He could always coast to a stop.
He groaned. All those hours in the milk house taught him more than to mind his tongue. He had to stick around and settle the issue at hand. That ranch for sale wasn’t going anywhere. With a quick glance down to be sure he wasn’t wearing any of his fast food breakfast on his shirt, Lang headed after the woman and the dog.~~~
Get your copy on Kindle and other outlets.

Beer, pretzels and big ideas

We tossed around some classic romance themes: second chances, workplace, holidays, fantasies—and finally settled on mistaken identity. The idea of wanting to be someone else for a day, a week, or for however long, appealed to us because, well, we understood that. The grass is always greener, and all that. Of course, our character’s thought so too, but after only a few pages, they realize we have some consequences for them. There are happy endings all around as well.
We settled down to the writing, got together for write-ins and planning (cover, editing, promotion, formatting) and now, we have the anthology!


NAUGHTY LESSONS, by Isabelle Drake, from the MISTAKEN: LITTLE LIES, BIG LOVE
Blurb
Motivational speaker and personal improvement expert Jaya Vinar is out of control--or so people keep telling her. When her boss pairs her with a handsome personal consultant, things get even more out of control. She wants to scare him off, he wants her in his bed. Only one can win. And neither one is exactly who they’re pretending to be.
Sometimes wild, and rocky, starts lead to even wilder, and happier, endings.
Excerpt
Jaya paused outside the hotel room, staring at the number 726, posted on the right side of the dark brown door. The late-night crowd had gone to bed hours ago, leaving the hall empty and the row of rooms quiet. With the elevator only yards away, a few steps was all it would take to head back to her own room and forget the whole thing.
She wasn’t going to walk away. She wanted this. Wanted him.
After several heavy beats, the door swung open and he was there. Despite the late hour, he wore a navy suit. He even had on the tie. The bright white shirt collar cut against his skin, emphasizing the rough, late-night stubble. No smile, no hello. He just stepped back and motioned for her to come in. 
The heat of his body caressed her as she passed him in the small hallway. She heard him follow her as she moved into the room, felt him behind her when she stopped. The intensity of his presence was so intense, so piercing; it was painful.
What a magnificent pain it was.
His suite was larger than hers, with a sitting room separate from the bedroom. A floor-to-ceiling window offered a view of the glittering city. There was a balcony with two padded chairs and a low glass-topped table. She could tell by the arrangement of the room they wouldn’t be spending time out there, enjoying the view or the crisp night air.
She moved forward a step and set her fingertips on the single chair placed in front of the couch. The chair was centered in front of the couch, its back to the window.
Jaya moved in, feeling the heels of her pumps sink silently into the plush carpeting. She felt the hem of her dress brush the back of her thighs and the tug of her garters on her inner thighs.
“I see you followed the instructions on the dress. Are you wearing everything I sent?”
Thinking about the box that’d been delivered to her room an hour ago, she nodded. She’d followed the instructions on the card, putting everything on slowly, savoring the moment. Simply touching the intricate pink lace bra and matching garter belt had made her shiver with anticipation.
“I can tell by the look on your face, you are uncertain.” He came around, stood beside her and touched her elbow. “You don’t have to trust me. You just have to do what I say.”
Heat skittered up her arm, worked across her breasts, making them swell and become heavy. 
Following all of his instructions had been one of the requirements on the note. By coming to his room, she had agreed to do the other—follow his commands without question.
With a slow, deliberate gesture, Connor pointed to a chair. “For now, I’ll accept obedience. The trust will come next time.”
Next time?~~~~Get your copy now!
~~~~

Mistress of the Undead~~out October 25

MISTRESS OF THE UNDEAD
out October 25 from Riverdale Avenue Books




Blurb:The city of Boston is infected with zombies, roaming the streets and seeking human flesh—not to eat but to use as sexual servants. Mattie, one of the tribe, wants out. She’ll do anything, manipulate, cheat, lie, to get what she needs to break free from the sex cult.

Hayden Thomas, tabloid reporter and wonderkid, knows first hand how cruel and consuming Mattie can be. Book smart, a good writer, and willing to do anything to get the story that will take his career to the next level, he’s made some depraved enemies.  
In a city that thrives on scandal and conspiracy, nothing is coincidence.  Beware: once you’re in, you’re in. 

Excerpt:Sex cult zombies wearing camo shorts soaked with fake blood, mud smeared torn black t-shirts, ripped sequin tube tops and moth-eaten suits off the Goodwill racks packed the halls of the Boston convention center. None of them had it right. These people playing dress up were sexy and hideous, but they were nothing compared to the real things. Hayden Buchanan Thomas, wonder kid and tabloid reporter ought to know. He been fucked, tormented, and used by the best of the sex cult zombie tribe that’d silently invaded the city. The creatures had arrived with the blizzard and taken advantage of the crippling effects of Snomaggedeon. He’d lost his girlfriend to one of them. He’d lost his pride and humanity to another.
But those had been real ones, not these fake ass pretenders crowding the Sunday morning halls of the comic convention. If these cosplay wanna-bes knew the truth, what the so-called sex zombies really did to humans, they wouldn’t be so excited. They’d hit the snow-covered streets, head straight home, get drunk and hope like hell one of the things wouldn’t pick them for their next sexual servant. Hayden took another look around, watching the naïve faces rushing past. Then again, maybe they wouldn’t hide. Maybe they’d want to know firsthand how bad bad really was. After what Hayden had been through the past week, he understood there was no bottom to the pit of human, and inhuman, depravity. The more heinous, in fact, the more likely it was to happen.
A tug on his arm stopped Hayden’s already too slow progress through the slinking mob. “Hello, pet.” That insulting voice, that bitter smell. He knew them as well as he now knew disgust and deep personal shame. Hayden wanted to keep moving, get back to cutting through the crowd as he had been, looking for his boss, but his muscles had already started to quiver. Matthew’s grip was unyielding.
“Surprised to see me? You shouldn’t be. Your articles are making me famous. I’m making all kinds of new friends.” Matthew shoved Hayden sideways until they both collided with a wall. The guy made a point of grinding his crotch against Hayden’s thigh before rolling to his side, locking them both just out of the human flow. His disgusting smirk lingered, his mouth making a game of the forced contact. Hayden jerked his arm, after three tugs he managed to free his arm from the cold grip.
Surprised wasn’t the word Hayden would’ve selected to describe how he felt about being in the clutches of the zombie tribe leader. Shock would have been closer. Terrified, closer still.

Want to Write Sexy? Week long online sex scene writing seminar

Dates: October 8 -October 25, 2018. Cost: $35.00
Would you like to:Create satisfying sex scenes?Examine how  the best sex scenes are structured?Be sure to infuse your sex scenes with emotion?Make sure your sex scenes move the story forward?Are you:Totally new to writing sex scenes?Have some experience but looking for ways to punch your sexy writing up?Searching for an opportunity to brush up your skills?If you’re nodding yes to some or all of these questions, this online course may be for you. Taught by an erotic romance author and college writing professor, this course will be a combination of daily challenges, lessons, scene work-shopping, and instructor feedback.
Of course, all correspondence and submissions can remain anonymous.
Week long online sex scene writing seminar will be taught by me erotic romance author/college writing professor Isabelle Drake.

To sign up, or get more information, email: isabelle@isabelledrake.com.

What's Going on Here: Scene structure analysis

Basic scene structure:
X wants [scene goal] _______because [motivation] ________ but [conflict] ________.
The end result of scene:1.      scene goal is not achieved and situation is worse.2.      scene goal is achieved but new goal is necessary/new problem created.
More complex scene structure:
X wants [scene goal] _______because [motivation] ________ but [conflict] ________. Y wants [scene goal] _______because [motivation] ________ but [conflict] ________.
and
X wants/avoids {internal conflict}_________ from Y because ____________ but __________. Y wants/avoids {internal conflict}_________  from X because ____________ but __________.
^^^ Use the character’s motivation against her/him. Character must be motivated to move forward.    Character believes she/he ‘has control’ but discovers not true during or after.    Character plans to get the better of other but other turns tables (intentionally or not).

consider
X taking ____________ from Y will cause X to _____________.Y taking __________ from X will cause Y to _______________.
^^^ This is what happened after. The consequence, the new conflict.
add ·         Context - location and enveloping action to intensify action.

September Sassy

Tom Cruise: Do we think he's sexy?

Mission Impossible: Fallout, I saw it too. I know many of you did, because those box office figures don’t lie. Apparently, we all loved it too. Lots of action (believable and not) some bombs, bad guys who want to end the world--the usual action stuff. The plot was so straightforward, I had plenty of time to wonder about Tom Cruise…is he sexy?


It didn’t seem to me he was trying to be sexy. Ridiculous with his over the top action, sort of romantic with his lost love, kind of smart with the way he figures things out, and very determined--especially when he was hanging from the cliff, everything looking really, really bad, but he kept trying until he saved everyone. But sexy? I didn’t think so.

It didn’t seem to me ‘they’ were trying to make him appear sexy in Fallout. I liked that. There weren’t any shirtless scenes, no long tough-guy stares. It was only later that I had second thoughts. Maybe he was supposed to be sexy and I just didn’t notice.


I spent about an hour looking through many, many Tom picks. You know what I realized? He always looks the same. Same hair, same smile, same clothes. Even his expressions are pretty much the same.


Even though he looks the same all the time, his career really has been all over the place. He danced in Risky Business, flew planes in Top Gun, disturbed people out in Interview with a Vampire, surprised us in Tropic Thunder, saved the world in the Mission Impossiblefranchise. Maybe that’s his secret, how he’s gotten to be one of the highest paid male actors. Think of him as a Where’s Waldo for the movie biz.


His personal life, same thing. Married and divorced to very different women, jumped on Oprah's couch,  is said to be one of the nicest people ever.

But wait! There's more to show his life is very varied:
At age 14 he enrolled in the seminary, only to drop out at age 15 to become an actor.In 1990, when he married Nicole Kidman, we wore no shoes.1996, he sued German Magazine Bunte for stating he had a zero his sperm count.Ongoing, is huge fan of professional wrestling.Now you're intrigued. Right? You need to know,  what’s next for Tom?
Top Gun 2: Maverick! With Val Kilmer and Jennifer Connelly!
OMG! How excited are you!

Happy July!

Kitten Play 101: Pet Me, Love Me-I'm Your Kitten

Cute furry ears, long beautiful tail, licking from bowls of milk, scratching, biting and being naughty–no, I’m not talking about the little creature you just adopted from the animal shelter. I’m talking about BDSM kitten play.The kitten is the sub, the master or owner the Dom. The kitten acts as you’d imagine: biting, crawling, meowing. The owner cares for the little one by petting and caressing, but also by punishing for misbehavior. What’s the special draw?
Kittens thrive on being cared for, rewarded and punished, but they also thrive on belonging and commitment. The pet and owner participate in a collaring ceremony that binds the two together as well as establishes the boundaries, privileges and responsibilities of the relationship. As with any good relationship, the two care for each other physically as well as emotionally.
As for the boundaries, those are similar to ones outlined in many BDSM relationships, with the addition of elements regarding the pet aspects. How will the kitten be punished for misbehavior? Rewarded for loyalty and affection? What will the owner do to care for it? How obedient and loyal will it be?
Like other BDSM relationships, kitten play is based on trust, attention and equal dependence. Why this particular fantasy? Kittens thrive on being taken care of, nurtured and cherished, while also getting to put themselves in “kitten headspace” and behaving like the pets they are. The lounge, seek affection and get feisty when the mood strikes. Like with pony play and other types of animal play, many says it relieves stress, generates creativity, and gives them a chance to break from their human self and the complications of their daily life.
A while back, I did a post on pony play. Among other things, I offered some reasons why someone would incorporate animal play into their life. The reasons are both sexual and non-sexual, the same applies to kitten play.
Maybe you’re thinking its obvious why a woman who want to be a kitten. Who doesn’t love being taken care of while also getting to lounge around, sleeping and being enigmatic? But what’s the draw for man? Why would he want to be the master of a kitten? I have three words: Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman.You’re intrigued. You need an idea of where to start. Want to know what type of kitten you are? Try this quiz. Alas, it won’t tell you what sort of submissive kitten play personality you may have, but taking the quiz will give you a break from that pile of work on your desk.



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