Cover Stories from the Dark Side with Ashe Barker
Welcome to Friends on Fridays! Today I’m welcoming Ashe Barker, author of the Darkest Trilogy. Take it away Ashe…
It’s fantastic to be here. Thank you, Normandie, for agreeing to host me today and let me share some of my random thoughts about The Dark Side. And I’m especially excited to be here as the third book in the trilogy, Darkest, is on general release today. *Gleeful shivers
The first book, Darkening, emerged in print just a couple of weeks ago, and that was brilliant too. All this, and a fabulous new look for Totally Bound Publishing whose new website went live this week – it’s enough to have anyone reaching for the smelling salts!
Right, but enough of fanning myself, now down to serious talk. Covers.
‘Never judge a book by its cover’. Good advice, probably, but always a sentiment that puzzled me somewhat. After all, what else are you supposed to do with a book cover? It’s there to help sell the book, right? You’re meant to do a bit of judging, surely?
A recent review of Darkening (5 stars, did I mention that – *more gleeful shivering) specifically mentions the cover.
“…an overdone cover can make or break a book. I like a cover that’s simple and this one rocked it for me. Its clean lines and elegance is what initially drew me to wanting to read Darkening in the first place. Shadows and a violin…simple perfection.”
That was the idea, that’s what I wanted to get across, and I’m so pleased that it worked. As authors we get some input into the cover, but it’s largely down to the graphics team to interpret the brief. The team at Totally Bound absolutely rock, and Emmy over there has done a fabulous job for all three books. The Dark Side covers feature musical instruments as Eva is an accomplished musician. The violin, the guitar and the piano all appear in the books as well as on the front covers, and are an essential part of the story.
Which of us hasn’t sat on a train, our nose stuck in a smutty paperback, bending the cover inwards to stop the little old lady across the table knowing what you’re reading? Oh, just me? Yeah, right. … I know, I know, we all have kindles these days. Even so, there’ll be no outraging of unsuspecting little old ladies for me, and the ones who like smut can always read the book.
I wanted The Dark Side to look sensual, seductive, but not overtly erotic. I like to think the plain, unfussy design does that, and the sleek lines of the violin especially are both evocative and classy. I love it, I love all my covers. I have them plastered over my kitchen wall. And the Totally Bound makeover unveiled this week just makes them lovelier still as the new branding is both sensual and feminine, light and fun-filled.
Ah yes, image is everything. And please do feel free to judge my books by their covers.
Blurb
The Dark Side trilogy, charts the sensual journey of academic musician Eva Byrne as she struggles to overcome painful shyness, sexual inhibition, and personal tragedy. Lonely, unsophisticated, fragile, and desperately seeking love and approval, Eva is easy prey for sensual and experienced Nathan Darke.
He wants her submission, and he knows how to go about getting it. Eva is quickly caught up by the whirlwind of his effortless seduction, though she has her own reasons for agreeing to join him in his world of pain and pleasure, on The Dark Side.
Inexplicably fascinated and at the same time totally frustrated by his new submissive, Nathan is increasingly drawn to her as she opens up in his hands and he realises there is much, much more to his latest playmate than he ever could have imagined.
The Dark Side charts the turbulent relationship between Eva and Nathan as their mutual fascination builds. They both discover what surrender truly means as together they explore the fragile bonds of desire, trust, risk and reward, and the destructive power of betrayal.
Excerpt:
Here’s a sneak preview, a sensual scene from Darkest – enjoy.
Satisfied at last that I am obedient, accepting, he turns away, pulling a chair out from the table and sits on it. He beckons me to him, and with a soundless gesture indicates that I am to lie across his knees. I step forward to stand beside him, my hands on his leg as I carefully lean forward, positioning myself. When I am comfortable I let my weight rest on him, my head hanging down nearly to the floor. He strokes my back softly, running his fingers down my spine, and I shiver. He repeats the action, this time sliding his hand down over my buttocks, under my panties. He massages the rounded, fleshy cheeks of my bum, sliding his fingers between them to caress my sensitive slick folds. I moan, unable to contain my mounting pleasure.
“How many strokes do you need, Eva?” His voice is curt, harsh despite his gentle, arousing fingers. I am momentarily confused by his deliberate choice of words. What sort of ‘strokes’ does he mean?
The sharp, stinging slap on my bum settles that question. I squeal.
“Be quiet or I’ll have to gag you. We don’t want you waking up the household, now, do we? Now, how many strokes?” He slaps me again, hard. I muffle my squeals with my hands. “I… I don’t know—” I manage to get out before his hand lands on my bottom again and I can’t help but start to wriggle. His arm is firm across my back—I’m going nowhere. Not that I want to.
“I think twenty strokes should see you fine. With the paddle. But first, I intend to warm you up a little with my hand. Is that okay, Eva?”
His gentle, matter-of-fact voice is deceptive. I know I can manage his hand—he’s spanked me before and it’s been wonderful. But the paddle? That’s an unknown quantity. I begin to quake. What have I let myself in for?
“Eva, answer me. And remember your safe words.” I do remember. And I remember how beautifully he took care of me last night, when I got into trouble, was struggling. I relax, feel myself go limp across his knees again.
“Yes, twenty will be fine.” My voice is quiet, but strong now. I’m ready.
“Pull your panties down when you’re ready.” His voice is gentle now and I concentrate on breathing slowly, steadily, as he taught me last night to control my panic. I reach behind me and slide my panties down across my hips to my knees. He leans down to remove them fully, and I realise this is because they were preventing my thighs from parting. He clearly has plans, and I think I’m going to approve of those plans.
I brace myself for the first blow to fall, but instead I feel a strange scratching, first across my shoulders then moving down my back. It’s the vampire glove. Ah, this is new. I know those spikes are sharp and I have to lie still to avoid being cut. The scratching continues, tugging at my sensitised skin, down to my buttocks. I sigh in lazy pleasure as he gently but rhythmically squeezes the smooth flesh, kneading it with his harsh, spiky palms. The feeling is exquisite, the tingle of danger lending a dark edge to the rich, comfortable warmth of the sensuous massage.
I am floating on a sea of sensation, drifting, and taken completely, cruelly unawares as out of nowhere his hand strikes my bottom hard. The glove off now, he lands another stinging blow. Christ, he’s really going for it this time. I bite my lip as the blows continue, each one building on the ones before it, the pain radiating outwards. My tender cheeks are on fire and I am jerking under each blow, trying to relax into the pain. I manage to remain silent, my fist pressed against my mouth. I count the strokes, ten, then fifteen. My eyes are closed tight, and despite my attempts to absorb and ride the pain I feel the tears building. I can’t bear it if he doesn’t stop soon, doesn’t let up soon.
And suddenly he has stopped. I lie still, gasping for air, shaking. His hand is gentle now, soothing over my abused buttocks. He eases my thighs apart and uses the hand that had been across my back holding me firmly in place to part the delicate folds between my legs. I’m wet, swollen and sensitive, ready for him. He reaches for me with his other hand, then into me, his finger sliding inside, first one, then two. Then three. He finger-fucks me hard, and I moan as the first tingle of orgasm grips me. I’m grasping his ankles as the tension builds, spreading my thighs wide to let him touch me, reach me, pleasure me.
As my orgasm approaches the point of no return he slows, withdraws his clever, wicked fingers. I wriggle, trying to recapture that exhilarating friction, that pressure I desperately need. He holds me still.
“Close your legs, Eva.” The quiet command is firm, unrelenting. I know he doesn’t intend to let me come. Not now. Maybe not ever. I grind my teeth in frustration.
“Please, Nathan, I need you to…”
“Twenty strokes. Brace yourself, Eva.”
Buy Links:
Ashe’s books are available from most distributors
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Barnes and Noble All Romance Totally Bound Sony Kobo
About the Author
Until 2010 Ashe was a director of a regeneration company in Leeds, in the UK, before becoming convinced there must be more to life. She left to work as an independent consultant, and still does some of that though most of her time is now spent writing, as at last she’s been able to realise her dream of writing erotic romance herself. Ashe has been an avid reader of women’s fiction for many years, and still loves reading historical and contemporary romances – the hotter the better. But now she has a good excuse for her guilty pleasure – research.
Ashe usually draws on settings and anecdotes from her own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to her plots and characters, but her stories of love, challenge, resilience and compassion are the conjurings of her own lurid and decidedly smutty imagination.
When not writing – which is not very often – her time is divided between her role as resident taxi driver for her teenage daughter and friends, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, rabbits, tortoises. And a cockatiel. Ashe is a rural parish councillor, and she’s passionate about evolving rural traditions and values to suit twenty first century lifestyles.
Ashe has just completed her third trilogy in the Black Combe ‘family’ as well as a novella and a short story. All are due for release over the next few months.
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