Eliza Gayle's Blog, page 16

Fear Is Sexy

Come and visit me at the Lover's Scare Contest at Bianca Sommerland's blog and see if you agree. It looks like there are lots of prizes and great excerpts to read and vote on!

Saturday Snippet: Workplace

Today's Saturday theme is workplace and I've chosen a snippet from Midnight Playground. One of the things I loved about this book is that it takes place in an erotic photo studio. Chase, one of the heroes in this book, photographs all levels of eroticism from simple lingeries shoots all the way to hardcore bondage and S&M.

The following scene is a lead up to Eve's first shoot as a plus sized model for Chase and Murphy. She is transitioning from receptionist to model and is hoping it leads to much much more. To say she's in a little over her head might be an understatement.

As often happens when I post an excerpt, this is NSFW.

Excerpt from Midnight Playground:

Precisely at nine a.m. sharp, Eve swiped her employee card through the security pad on the back door of the building that housed the photo studio. Both Chase?s and Murphy?s cars were already in the parking lot. She?d carefully chosen one of the most conservative business suits she owned, along with the most outrageous pair of four-inch heels she possessed.

Underneath said outfit was a completely different story. After the first few weeks of working at Altered Ego, she?d begun to change how she dressed underneath her plain skirts and blouses. She?d been determined to feel sexy despite her size and ordered all new lingerie. On days she felt particularly scandalous, she would wear no panties underneath her skirt and a thin lace bra that did little to hide her hard nipples poking underneath.

Today was not one of those days.

She?d picked matching black lace panties and bra. Chase had given her no indication of when the shoot would begin if she accepted, so she'd decided to come prepared just in case. At the front entrance, she grasped the handle on the frosted glass door and pulled it open. Eve half expected Chase and Murphy to be standing in the lobby waiting for her. Instead the hum of the aquarium in the corner greeted her along with the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

Mmm. A super shot of caffeine sounded like the perfect way to start her day. No messages sat on her desk, and everything remained exactly as she?d left it the afternoon before. Eve dropped her bag and the folder on her desk and headed in the direction of the small kitchen. She hadn't gotten three feet away when the intercom buzzed.

"Eve, did you bring the Smith folder with you this morning?" The tone of Chase?s question told her nothing. She wasn't surprised. He probably excelled at card games with that damned poker face of his.

She rushed as fast as she could on four-inch heels back to her desk, depressed the intercom button, and spoke. "Yes, sir, it's here on my desk."

"Could you please bring it in?"

"Of course." Oh boy, here we go. He hadn?t even let her get her morning coffee before she had to face him with her answer. Eve scooped up the folder and headed for Chase?s office. No doubt he and Murphy would be waiting and Chase would have told him everything about their conversation from the night before.

Outside his door, she plastered on her hopeful smile and entered his space. Chase didn't look up from his computer, nor did he greet her in any way. She waited a few seconds, unsure how to proceed.

"I've got the file here for you. I—"

"Good." He interrupted. "Just leave it there in my box."

Shocked by his disinterest, Eve dropped the file, turned, and walked out the door. After everything she'd put herself through in anticipation of seeing him this morning, the letdown of being summarily dismissed crippled her.

Coffee forgotten, she fell into her chair and stared at her computer screen. Why hadn't he said anything? He didn't even ask if she'd signed the agreement. And where the hell was Murphy? She?d already noticed that his office was empty this morning and had assumed he?d be waiting with Chase. She poked her head over the partition and stared in the direction of the studio. Sure enough the door was closed tight and the busy light was on. She leafed through the appointment book to see what was scheduled, only to find they had nothing until eleven o?clock this morning.

So why then was Murphy shut in the studio and Chase sitting in his office staring at the screen? She had half a mind to head into the dressing room and take a peek, but the chance of getting caught was too great. Certainly her boss would not be pleased if he discovered her spying on a session.

Hours passed as Eve went about her morning routine. Answering calls and sorting through e-mails as well as what was delivered by the mailman. Every time Eve moved, the lace of her bra rubbed across her nipples until they'd gone beyond sensitive to wildly aroused. Constant images of Chase and Murphy surrounding her flooded her mind. Simply every move, every thought kept her continuously on edge until she thought she'd go mad.

She'd glance at the clock and squirm endlessly in her chair, the wait excruciating. She'd expected Chase to give her a hard time this morning, to try and talk her out of the job. Them ignoring her had never crossed her mind. It served as a stark reminder that this was simply a job. Not a date. Not a love affair. A job that she?d signed a contract to do.

Still, her panties stayed wet and her budded tips brushing against fabric made it difficult for her not to moan. Not exactly the kind of professional behavior they probably expected. Sweat dotted her forehead as she crossed and uncrossed her legs.

Fuck.

If it wasn't her nipples, it was her clit. Eve inhaled a slow, steady breath and sat completely still. If she could slow her pulse, she could certainly get things back under control. This kind of wanton behavior was not her. She picked up the bottle of water on her desk and with shaky hands brought it to her lips. Cool water splashed down her throat. She wished she could dump it over her head. Maybe then she'd stop thinking about being touched. Or imagining what Chase looked like underneath his clothing.

Not once in all of her spying had he so much as removed a shirt. Didn?t stop her from noticing the way the muscles moved and bunched the cloth as he worked, though. God, what the hell was wrong with her?

Eve gave up trying to slow her breathing and gulped for much-needed air instead. Perspiration trailed down her spine and into the edge of her skirt. If they didn?t say something soon, she?d have to go to the restroom and get herself off. Whatever it took to take the edge off. Why wait? So far nothing had happened and she owed them nothing. Chase and his fucking computer could take a flying leap for keeping her at bay like this. Making her wonder what he planned to do.

She smoothed down the edge of her skirt and straightened her spine. Five minutes in the bathroom was all she needed. Maybe less. Screw Chase and the horse he rode in on. She didn?t need this bullshit. She fucking needed relief. A few seconds later, only three feet lay between her and relief as she headed for the restroom.

"Come into the studio," Chase commanded from the doorway.

Midnight Playground is available now and look for the next in this new series, Power Play in November!

For more snippety goodness be sure to follow the trail:

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Mandy M Roth

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

Alison Kent

HelenKay Dimon

Shelli Stevens

Lauren Dane

Lacey Savage

TJ Michaels

Shiloh Walker

Sex And Magick

I am currently writing a new witch book and its led me to do some research on the internet. Man, do I heart Google.

One of the resources I found is a site called sexandmagic.com While I'm not using anything from the site for this book I found some very interesting spells and I thought I'd share one for spicing up your love life.

TO MAKE YOUR MAN MORE PASSIONATE IN BED

Write his name on a red phallus candle, stroke it 9 times with musk oil, and then  pass it through the smoke of musk incense. Light the candle once a day, letting it burn 1/2 an inch each time. When the candle is finished, wrap it in a piece of red satin and keep it under your bed for one month.

 

Just one of the fun and interesting things I often come across in the name of research.

Happy Monday and don't forget to visit THE DAMM BLOG.

Eliza

Six Sunday

Wow It's October. This year is flying by but I can't say I mind October. It's one of my favorite months. Cooler weather, falling leaves, and Halloween! I adore all things paranormal this month. In celebration of this first weekend in October, I am taking today off and will hopefully be decorating the house and yard.

For this week's Six Sunday we continue through my WIP, Dark Magic Desire. So let's lick off the month of Halloween with something appropriate.

Here is my inspiration for this scene:

Excerpt:

Devlin scented evil. Its putrid odor burned his nostrils as he breathed in the last of the available air inside his death chamber buried six feet under the earth. Muffled sounds from above him sharply reminded him that his friends and fans were waiting for him to complete his latest death-defying stunt. He'd been enjoying the anticipation of their upcoming panic when they'd wonder if he'd failed and was going to die. Until that rotting flesh odor had penetrated his senses. Now he was stuck here for at least another two minutes while something else lurked among the helpless humans.

For more fun six be sure to head over to the Six Sunday website and see many more authors participating.

Saturday Snippet: Author's Choice

For today's Saturday Snippet theme of Author's Choice I've decided to pull out something from Bottoms Up. This hot little novella is a reunion story, one of my very favorite things to write.

And speaking of hot… I'm embarking on some new material. Now that the edits have been wrapped on my next contemporary release, Power Play, on Monday I'll be starting work on two new projects. A menage novella and a new shapeshifter story. Stay tuned.

A little setup: Jenn has been caught snooping through Riley's house where she came across an indepth book about BDSM.

Excerpt: (It's a good thing it's Saturday because this excerpt is NSFW)

"I've read some of that book before," she admitted.

Riley smiled wide. "Have you now?" He stared at her questioningly. "Well, considering you haven't run from me screaming, I'd say you're more than interested. So…you're here and I'm here and we have two days before you have to leave, so let's have some fun and see where it goes. But before you agree, understand that I will command you, I will ask you to do things that are outside of your comfort zone and I will give you more pleasure than you can imagine. If you say yes, then you agree to trust that, no matter what I ask, I will keep you safe."

"The only thing I'm scared of is walking away without taking a chance," she whispered.

Riley's hand scorched through her blouse as he trailed his fingers up and down her spine with one hand and along the inside of her thigh with the other. Her pulse pounded harder with every passing second until she wanted—no needed—him to kiss her.

"I have missed you, baby girl."

Oh hell, she'd almost forgotten about his favorite nickname for her. This time instead of annoying her, the sentiment melted something inside her.

"Please, Riley, teach me what you like. Show me what pleases you."

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. Lust and determination swirled through his as she waited for what would come next.

"Two days then. I've dreamt for years of what your pussy will taste like or how hot and snug you'd fit around me as I buried myself inside you. Now, the image of you on your knees, skin flushed with desire, begging for more is going to kill me." He scrubbed a hand over his face and breathed deeply. "I'm going to the other room to get something. Take this time to be certain this is what you want, because when I return, I'll expect you in nothing but your bra and panties. You'll stand in the middle of the room with your legs shoulder-width apart and your head bowed with your hands clasped behind your back. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Her pussy creamed more.

"There is no wrong answer here, Jenn. I'll respect your decision either way."

His head lowered and soft lips slid across hers, lightly at first, until a hot tongue

licked at her and coaxed her mouth open. For a second, she thought the floor had fallen away and the earth had tilted on its axis. Her head spun. The kiss stole her breath and wiped away all the fears she might have harbored, leaving her with nothing but hot, pure pleasure.

More. The single word repeated itself in her head over and over. She'd waited for him for so long she could hardly believe he wanted her too. Tongues tangling, her nails digging into his shoulders, she wished they were already naked. Her breasts grew heavy with her spiked lust, and the pulsing in her clit turned to an aching throb.

She soaked up the strength of being in his arms until he pulled away from the kiss.

"Remember your instructions. I'll be back in a few minutes."

For more snippety goodness be sure to follow the trail

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Selena Robins

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Mandy M Roth

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Selena Blake

Vivian Arend

Alison Kent

Beth-Ann Mason

HelenKay Dimon

Shelli Stevens

Lauren Dane

Lacey Savage

TJ Michaels

Shiloh Walker

Guest Post by Selena Blake

I'd like to welcome guest author Selena Blake to the blog. Selena is the author of the exciting shapeshifter series, Stormy Weather. You know how much I love the shifters and Selena's sexy cajun's are a do not miss. Take it away Selena!

The End of an Era

Okay, so it's not as dramatic as it sounds, but I recently saw the release of the fifth and final book of the Stormy Weather series. So to me, it's the end of an era. A bittersweet ending.

It's sort of like when you're graduating high school and everyone is set to go their separate ways. You know that your friends will keep on living their lives but there's a hint of homesickness there too.  Soon you'll be off with new friends, a job, or college and hopefully, if you're lucky, you'll forget all about those sweet (and sour) high school memories…and the crush who got away.

I'm thrilled that all five Deveraux men have met their match. And I'm so excited about how the series ended. So far, my readers have been equally pleased and I'm thankful for that.

Ending a series is not, by any stretch of the imagination, easy. Okay, so there was the thought that "ha, I'll just tie up all these loose ends and readers will adore it." But in reality, ending a series is a much shakier proposition. First, there's the fear that your readers will hate it (no matter what 'it' turns out to be.) Then there's the fear that you'll get the details wrong and questions won't be answered. There's the fear that the story won't measure up to its predecessors. Trust me, there's a whole swimming pool full of fear.

But eventually, I overcame all that and told the story the way it needed to be told, no matter how long it took or how many pages it took. And now, I feel like I'm standing on the shore waving good bye.

But not completely, mind you. I have a Christmas surprise in store for my fans. It's just so hard to let go.

Do you ever get nostalgic for a book series or an author's work? How about a TV show?

 

Want to learn more about Selena and her books? Visit her website at http://www.selena-blake.com

Love Spell Contest Winner

Using random.org I have chosen this week's contest winner for the awesome Love Spell candle.

The winner is:

KAREN

Please send me your snail mail address to elizagayleauthor at gmail dot com and I will mail you the prize.

Remember for the month of October the contests will be done a bit differently.

The DAMM blog starts on October 1st and runs through October 31st. Every comment you make during the month goes towards all the many random goodies I will give away as well as many of the guests will offer their own prizes. You definitely don't want to miss this.

I've got a cauldron full of goodies I've been gathering for a while now. I really LOVE Halloween.

Six Sunday

After a very productive week of releases and other items scratched off the to do list, I am back to work on a witch book I started eons ago, Dark Magic Desire.

I'm running late this week and I've got some edits on Power Play to get to, so I'm just going to get to it.

Here's my six:

Her barely restrained magic circled him, urging him closer. Oh yeah, the high priestess knew exactly what she was doing when she'd sent her only daughter, the woman was cunning. Ruthless when the situation warranted it.

Dark desire squeezed his cock. Marissa was using her magic against him, the forbidden taste of it filled his senses. They must be desperate, because who in that Coven, in their right mind, wanted him?

 

Don't forget! Today is the last day to enter the Love Spell contest. Scroll down to Monday's blog post for the details and the awesome prize.

For more great Sunday sixers visit the Six Sunday page!

Have a great Sunday!

Eliza

Saturday Snippet

Today's theme is memorable moment. So I've chosen to honor two. One of my own and one of my character's.

Almost exactly one year ago I made the decision to self publish a book I loved that according to popular opinion, was a hard sell. You see it's a fae book and I have a serious thing for all things faery and dragon. I started writing in this world back in 2006 and after a long break I was anxious to get back to it. So I wrote Slave to Pleasure and it changed everything.

Within thirty days of release, Slave to Pleasure became an amazon best seller and quickly out sold every other book I've ever written. I was shocked and thrilled all at the same time. For this I owe the many people who have bought and read this book my deepest thanks. You make it much easier for me to sit down at my computer every day and write more.

For the excerpt I have chosen a moment where Nissa learns that having faith makes all the difference in what you can do.

Just believe.

Excerpt:

They had her trapped, but there was still one place to go where they couldn't follow. She glanced to the tree line and judged the distance. She'd probably make it in under thirty seconds. She wouldn't get far before they caught her, but she only needed a few minutes to give it one last try.

A check in the other direction showed Roane and Erik deep in conversation. If she was lucky, she might get twenty seconds on them before they noticed she'd run. She had to try. Magic stirred inside her and she frantically tried to hold it in. If they were paying attention, and she'd bet they were, they'd sense the magic and be on her before she could get her butt off the stool.

Her feet bounced as she contemplated her choices. Go for it and possibly leave here forever, or stay and take her chances with becoming a sex slave. Nissa focused on the group of men once more. Decision made, she dug in her heels and ran. Her bound hands slowed her speed, but she reached the edge of the forest before anyone noticed.

"Nissa!" Someone yelling her name was the last thing she heard before she disappeared into the trees.

Blood roared in her ears as the magic she'd been suppressing uncoiled and broke free. With the loud noises behind her gaining ground, she'd never make it far enough to have even a minute to create a portal.

"She's pulling magic. You'd better grab her quick!"

Nissa dove into the heavy brush several feet from the path, hoping beyond hope they would pass by her. Heavy footsteps pounded into the dirt as half a dozen men ran past her hiding spot without slowing down. On a heavy sigh she let out the breath she'd been holding and started the magical pattern her mother had taught her. Over and over she gathered and pulled and nothing happened. Tears threatened to fall and a cry of anguish tore from her throat. This had to work, damn it. She jerked hard on her power, ripping magic from every cell and fiber she found, desperate for something to happen.

She gasped and stumbled backward when the air around her shimmered and a pathway opened in front of her. Tears streamed down her cheeks at what she'd created. Her mother had been right. All she'd needed was to have a little faith in herself.

Her breath hitched. Her mother. She'd likely never see her again if she went through with taking the path to the other side. But if she stayed, she'd be watched every minute by the ruthless hunters. Not to mention the problem of Cirdan, who would eventually find out about her magic and would do everything in his power to get his hands on her—torture being his favored choice for getting what he wanted.

Nissa's back stiffened and her resolve grew as she pushed herself from the ground and into the portal. Her mother would never forgive her if she didn't fight for her freedom no matter what.

Read more about Slave To Pleasure

For more snippety goodness, be sure to follow the trail:

Anne Rainey

TJ Michaels

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Lauren Dane

Helen Kay Dimon

Vivian Arend

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Jody Wallace

Denise A. Agnew

Beth-Ann Mason

Love Spell Contest

Since the fourth book in the Pentacles of Magick series, Magick Provoked, will be re released this week, I thought it would be fun to offer up a contest prize in theme with the book. Plus it's almost Halloween so this prize will be perfect for October. *grins*

The Love Spell candle is handmade from White Magick Alchemy on Etsy. (yes, I might be addicted to that site)

The candle is deep red and scented with a unique fragrance called Love Spell. With essences used to draw love and attaction, aromas used to bewitch and confuse the opposite sex.

For a chance to win the candle simply leave a comment on this post and then check back next Monday for the winner.

On a side note, if you haven't seen and liked my updated author page on Facebook, be sure to hop over there and check it out. I have started a new exclusive fan zone for FB friends.

Take care,

Eliza