Sara Brookes's Blog, page 18

It’s no secret I love to read, and write, tortured souls. In Rock Your Soul, not only is my hero, Ryan, tortured by his past, but so is my heroine, Beth. It makes for some rough times for them both.

Beth walked to the center of the room. As she slowly turned in a circle, he leaned a hip against an ominous looking cage. He tapped the button for the sound system set back into the wall behind him. When he turned around, her smile had vanished. Her eyes had gone wide in shock, her face a shade of sickly pale that alarmed him. Fear punched him in the gut, turning his blood to ice water.

He stood, crossing to her with quick strides.

“Beth, look at me.” When she continued to stare at the metal implement he’d just moved away from he shifted to block her view. Her body visibly shook as her eyes glazed over, her hands trembling as she pushed her long hair away from her face. Worried about the state she’d slipped into, he passed his hand lightly over her cheek. Her skin felt so cold and clammy.

He controlled the rage for her former master, pushing it down and away to his very foundation. She didn’t need to deal with his anger at what the bastard had done to her.

“Elisbeth,” he said with more force.

Yesterday you met Rayn, the hero of Rock Your Soul. Today I thought I’d give a glimpse of Beth. While she love music just as much as Ryan, there is something she loves just a wee bit more. And it has Ryan’s clever mind already working…

“A motorcycle?” He walked over to the trailer she’d hitched to the back of the moving truck. His fingers danced over the custom artwork airbrushed onto the gas tank. She usually didn’t like people touching her bike, but there was something about his hands caressing one of her personal items.

She swallowed hard. “Remember I told you about American muscle and my grandfather? It carried to bikes too. He and my grandmother drive cross-country on their motorcycles every summer. When I turned eighteen, he bought me this Triumph, taught me to ride and I’ve been joining their trip ever since.”

Ryan’s fingers tapped against the gleaming handlebar. “She’s gorgeous. Where did you have the artwork done?”

“Station in Nashville did a charity event to raise money for an orphanage hit hard during the flood a few years ago. A local dealership donated the bike and the station owner had her artist friend paint the tank to mark the event. I liked his work so much, I asked him to do my tank.”

“I assume there’s a significance?” One of his eyebrows lifted. “I mean, there has to be an explanation for bloody zombies.”

“What? Girls can’t like zombies? Big Resident Evil gamer back in the nineties.”

He snorted. “Sounds like you and Allison have more in common than just your retro tee-shirt collections. Though from what I understand, yours is more legendary than hers will ever be.” He stepped around the bike, leaning down to her ear. The press of his warm body against hers sent a shiver down her spine. “And the image in my head right now of you draped over the bike, wrists tied to the handles with my rope, is probably something we both have in common.”

I thought I would start out release week for Rock Your Soul by introducing Ryan, one of Patrick Conners close friends and one of the occupants of a room at Sanctuary. Music plays a huge part of his life. At least it once did…

WARNING: Tortured hero ahead.

He stretched his fingers out to warm them up before brushing them over the keys. The crowd settled down and a quiet hush fell over the audience as they waited. It had been a while since he’d been in this place, but the familiarity of it immediately enveloped him.

He started to sing, a stripped down and raw song—the sort he poured his utter soul into. He drew the entire crowd in with his raspy voice. He sang of love and loss, about mistakes and long forgotten memories. But most importantly, he sang about heartbreak. He knew all eyes were on him as his powerful voice sang vocals that tore him apart.

It was cathartic—a cleansing of his soul—and very much overdue.

He’d needed to do this long ago, but had pushed it aside because the time had never been right. Right now, he wasn’t the man everyone saw on stage at one point in his career slinking along in skin tight jeans, a cowboy hat and an open shirt displaying his well-toned body. He wasn’t the same one who belted out songs about sex, drugs and the fucking truck all the country songs seemed to be written about.

His voice cracked on the last note as emotion swamped him. He bowed his head as everything inside him fought to reach the surface. Emotion rolled through the bar as every person in the crowd lifted their glasses high in the air in a silent toast as the last strains of the piano faded.

Today we have Lisa Fox talking about worshiping superheroes. Now this is really, really a topic I can get behind.

~*~

Thanks so much for having me over Sara! I love getting my geek on in public!

I’ve never been much of a comic book reader, but I love superheroes. Insane billionaires, mutants, gods, aliens, men and women thrust into extraordinary circumstances, all larger than life, and all fighting for truth and justice and looking damn sexy while they are doing it.

There are several I’m not that fond of—Spiderman for example doesn’t do much for me— but the ones I love, I love LOTS. I go to the movies, I play the video games, I wear the T-shits. So this post does not go on forever and forever, I’ve chosen my top three heroes to share with you today.

Batman 

Batman is and forever will be my absolute favorite hero. He is dark and tormented and quite possibly insane. He beats the crap out of the bad guys, while solving heinous crimes with his wonder toys and forensic know-how. He had no super powers at all, but he does own a Cryptographer Sequencer. He looks great in black. There is really nothing I don’t love about the Batman. I seriously get chills whenever a new Batman movie or video game comes out. Just seeing his dark vestige anywhere is enough to get me squealing like a crazed fangirl. And his villains are so sick and twisted they whisper wonderfully sweet nothing to my black little heart.

Iron Man 

Iron Man is my kind of man. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist… and alcoholic. I kind of wish the movies touched on that flaw in some way actually. I think that it makes Tony more real and interesting to have that one weakness. It definitely makes him and his life more complex. But even without that subplot, Tony Stark is all flavors of awesome. And Robert Downey Jr. is HOT.

Wolverine 

Ah, the Wolverine. Hugh Jackman buff and surly. That is all.

Who is your favorite superhero?

A few weeks ago, I posted about making your own bookmarks with the promise of also posting about making your own booklets. I got mine done just in time for the RT Convention so there hasn’t been time to work up this post until now. This is by no means a perfect, definitive guide to making excerpt booklets, this is just how I made them work for me. It’s a bit more labor intensive than the bookmarks, but I believe the final cost was around 36 cent a booklet.

Warning, image heavy post ahoy!

First you have to decide what book you’re choosing to promote. For me, since I was going to a large convention, I wanted to maximize the exposure. Plus, I was doing two book signings (an ebook one and a paperback one) and I have quite a few books. So, while I picked all erotic titles, I did go for a mix of contemporary, BDSM, futuristic and menage.

After you’ve chosen the book, you’ll need a cover. Nothing says you can’t make the cover from just a regular sheet of paper, but I wanted to go for something with a little bit of weight and stiffness. Again, like the bookmarks, I designed all the artwork myself using the same template for Vistaprint’s oversized postcards I used for the bookmarks (you can get that template here, but same warning as on the bookmark post, it’s white on white – it can be hard to see…)

Nothing overly complicated here. Just cover, title, series title, blurb, website address, QR code and the addition of the coffee house logo from the story. Just remember to use a setup similar to what you see here with the cover on the right and the blurb (or whatever you choose to put on the back) on the left.

You can design something to go on the inside, but since this was my first attempt, I left the inside blank. Which actually came in handy at the convention because I ended up signing a few for readers who asked (always ask! I’m more than happy to oblige, especially because I made these!!) and I had a clear, heavy weight card to sign on.

Once those are loaded up at Vistaprint, it’s just a matter of waiting for them to arrive at your doorstep. In the meantime, now to get to work on the guts of the booklet. This actually took a few attempts on my part, the first few of which failed horribly. I ended up using Microsoft Publisher after speaking with my local office supply store (handy since I intended to use their services for printing, and this is the program they themselves use).

The other handy thing about this was I could get double the bang for my buck. Since I was making 4.25 x 5.50 booklets, I could set up the files so that two different book’s pages could be printed on one sheet of 8.5 x 11. In the picture below you can see where I have the booklets for Taking Over Me and Rock Your Soul on the same 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.

The trick with the booklets is having an even number of pages. I went for around 1000 word excerpts with gave me 6 pages of text. That left 2 pages (since I was going to 8 pages a booklet) to put intro information (title, name, series name if applicable, ISBN, copyright info and website) on the front page and list my other books on the last page. I fiddled with the font sizes a bit to make sure it was still legible in this smaller format. Just don’t fiddle and make it too small, you don’t want a reader (or perspective reader) trying to squint at the words.

Once I was satisfied with the set up of all the sheets, I carted a ZIP drive up to the office supply store and in around 10 minutes, they had printed (and cut) them all. That speedy convienience right there was worth it IMHO. And at around $30.00 for 150 sheets of paper (remember, two booklets per sheet of paper was only 150 sheets uncut. Once separated  it was 300) and precision cutting them – totally worth the money. Besides, I don’t have a printer with the easy double sided capability without sitting there feeding it. I can’t imagine how many times I would have screwed up the order with that many sheets.

Time for assembly! First order of business. Sort out which innards go with what cover. Remember, you first page is going to be on the right, your last page on the left.

Once that’s sort, it’s time to get out some of your aggression by stapling all those sheets and covers together.

I went for an assembly line type deal, so it was put all the booklets together first. This wasn’t even all of them. Just the first batch I did to get a feel for how long it would take (about an hour from assembly to done for all these you see in the pic below – that’s 50 booklets of each title seen here).

Then it’s time to involve your loved ones. Yup, I enlisted the help of my family for a folding party. Not hard to match up straight edges to make nice, pretty booklets.

This was just the batch I made up for the RT Convention. I still have enough sheets and covers to make up a second batch to take to Ellora’s Cave Romanticon in October for the swag tables and booksigning then.

Unfortunately, I made one very big mistake when it came to the booklets. I didn’t keep any for myself! If you try this and have an tips you’d like to share yourself, let me know – I’m all for ways of saving time and money while still delivering a quality product.

We’re welcoming author Layna Pimentel at Silver Phoenix Labs and she’s talking about how the dark and macabre was her entry into the world of sci-fi and all things geek.

~*~

Thanks for hosting me Sara!

Occasionally I think back to how odd I was, in comparison to other young ladies growing up in my local Portuguese community, and believe me when I say, I was the odd duck out. I didn’t particularly care for Barbie ™, playing dress up, or talking on the phone. I preferred the solitude of staying at home reading, or losing myself in some imaginary world I’ve created. I’d save lives in this world, and travel space in whatever space craft Star Trek ™ inspired at the time. One could say I’ve been blessed with an imagination of sorts; is it any wonder how I became a romance writer? LoL I may have to revisit science fiction down the road.

As I got older, my imagination took flight, and I became interested in things like comic books and role-playing games. There was Tales From The Crypt, and then there was Vampire: The Masquerade. Oh, and I’ve always wanted to collect these, they’re super neat, especially if you aren’t into mainstream pretty dolls. Are you noticing the dark and twisted theme here? I’ve always loved the paranormal and horror aspects that these mediums offered.

But I guess with age, I’ve mellowed out somewhat. Some would say, “Welcome to married life,” but I’m lucky enough to be married to someone who understands and enables my geekiness. These days when I’m in between books, or need to vent or release, I’ll throw in an RPG on the Xbox ™ and go to town. My favorite go to games now, are The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, The Witcher, Alice: The Madness Returns, or Mass Effect. I guess it really all depends on the mood I’m in. All the above-mentioned games IMHO have great world building, and the graphics for all of them are great. Although, my husband would attest that the new BioShock game—Infinite—totally kicks ass, but we’ll see about that.

So what do you do for a release? I’m always on the hunt for a new game to try out, do you have any recommendations?

Please welcome Graylin Fox and her book, Smolder.

~*~

Clinical psychologist Ellie Quinn is starting a brand new job at a hospital in Savannah. She doesn’t expect the amorous attentions of quick-tempered ex-cop Owen Mata and handsome Russian surgeon Dmitri Komarnitskaia. But choosing between the two is soon the least of her worries. When she persuades a battered woman to leave her husband, Ellie finds herself the target of a sinister serial killer, and something about the case is making Owen increasingly unstable. Only with Dmitri does she feel safe, but if she can’t bring her psychological skills to bear to catch the killer, she won’t be the only one in danger.

Excerpt:

The alarm clock woke me up, but it didn’t have a way to remind me I had moved to a new home. So after I bumped into the first two walls, I found the light switch and headed to get cleaned up. After a long, hot shower and a huge mug of coffee, I was off to start my new job. The three-mile drive to the hospital took thirty-five minutes. You can’t call it a rush hour if no one is moving faster than twenty-five miles per hour. The parking deck was nearly empty, so I had plenty of room to pop the trunk and pull out the boxes I needed to take to my office. The offer of help that I barely heard with my head in the trunk registered enough for me to stop and turn around. Oh, my.

Damn, he’s gorgeous.

He stood a few feet away, yet I still had to look up to find his eyes. They were the deep blue of the ocean with gold flecks that made them sparkle even in the dim light of the parking deck. His black hair was smooth and perfectly placed except for one straggler that hung down just over his brow. I wanted to reach up and run my fingers through it. He had broad shoulders and stood confidently as I let my gaze linger over his strong, lean form. His smile indicated that he was enjoying the attention. The hand he held out to me was tipped with perfectly manicured nails. I saw no wedding ring on his left hand and was relieved. My knees were weak from the brief encounter and I wanted to know more about him.

“Thank you,” I replied. “I could use an extra pair of hands. But I’m not quite sure where I’m going just yet. I only know the hallway where my office is located.”

“It is next to mine.”

His sexy Russian accent was beautiful as he spoke softly, almost in a whisper. My body responded with longing I hadn’t felt in a year. I think I swayed toward him as he spoke.

“I’m Dr. Komarnitskaia,” he added.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Ellie Quinn. Psychology.”

We shook hands and his were smooth and strong. I felt breathless and weak-kneed. As someone who talks for a living I’m rarely out of words, but looking into his eyes I had trouble finding air or words and momentarily fumbled for my reply. The last time I’d felt like that had been in high school, when my crush had asked me to move out of the way at the lockers.

“I should warn you, I’ll mangle your last name.”

He smiled and my knees buckled. I leaned back against the car for support. Reaching behind me, I grabbed the edge of the trunk and tried to make it look intentional. His eyes sparkled in a way that told me he’d noticed, but he didn’t mention it.

“You can just call me Dr. K. Everyone does. I’m a critical care surgeon.”

That smile could sell anything.

“Okay, Dr. K it is, then.” I smiled up at him and he winked at me.

With my box in his hands, we left the parking deck and he used his access card to get us through the doctors’ entrance. I have to admit it felt a little cool to use that door. I’m not big on superficial things, but I earned this degree and I’m glad there are perks that go with it.

As he stood waiting for me to go through the door he held, I got a very good look at him. He stood at least six feet tall and his black hair brushed the top of his collar. He was tall, with a straight back, as his short black hair brushed the top of his collar, his hips barely moved. There was an easy grace to his movements. It reminded me of an old karate teacher I’d had, who moved carefully yet made it look casual and unimposing. People in the hallways got out of his way and he made the long walk effortlessly. I had to move fast to keep up with him, so I had to catch my breath when we got to my office door.

My nameplate was already there on the wall. Human resources had given me the keys when I was last there, so I fished them out of my pocket and opened the door. Dr. K turned the lights on, and I was impressed.

A full-sized waiting room with leather furniture, toy boxes for the kids, a flat-screen TV on the wall and a bookcase. It all fit easily within the space. The door at the back was to my private office and I headed that way. The smell of oak hit me when I walked into the room. Bookshelves lined the right wall and a mahogany desk took up one-third of the floor space. The back wall was half-windowed and looked out over a courtyard. The fountain looked as if it hadn’t worked in decades, but it was peaceful. Ivy covered the wide base and stretched up to wind around the three tiers that now sprouted clover instead of water. Birds hovered around the top as if they were waiting for flowers to bloom. I placed my purse on the desk and turned to find Dr. K staring at me from the door.

“Thank you for your help—you can place the box on the desk and I’ll get to it when I get back from orientation.” I smiled at him, the best one I could muster given that my stomach was full of nervous butterflies.

“I’m just to the left on the hallway—feel free to stop by anytime,” he said as he put the box down and headed for the door. “Anytime.”

I watched his tall, sexy form leave the room before I turned to grab a notebook and pen and headed to the conference room for orientation. I don’t know who came up with the concept of orientation, but they should have to pay dearly for it. I could have read the entire manual in an hour, but instead I spent a whole Friday listening to hospital board members blow smoke up our butts about the great work they did, how wonderful they were, and the contributions they’d made to get onto the board. I’m not much for blowing your own horn, so these people made me want to find the pharmacy, and quick.

The lunch was the standard conference sandwich with soggy bread, chewy ham, and stale potato chips. At least there was plenty of coffee to rinse the taste out of my mouth.

The last presenter was a former detective from Atlanta. He was now the head of hospital security. If you built a stereotype for compact and powerful, it would be Security Chief Owen Mata. From where I sat, he looked about five feet ten, dressed casually in slacks and a polo shirt that accentuated his bodybuilder’s form. His blue eyes looked angry when he talked about safety, almost as if he took it personally when people didn’t follow the rules. His light-brown hair was unruly, with curls that poked out each time he ran his hand over his head.

Damn, I need help. 

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Graylin Fox is a multi-published author and poet. She began writing poetry in 1993 with her first poem published in 1995. In 2008, her characters demanded a larger format and she began to expand her talents into the short fiction market.

Decadent Publishing published her short story, Coming Home, in January 2011. In July of 2011 Decadent Publishing released Your Biggest Fan, a psychological thriller. Her series, Summer Fae, began with Contagion in April 2011. This series continued with Bloodlines, a novella in September 2012. The final installment of the series, The Legacy, will be out in 2013.

Her first full length novel, Smolder, about a Hospital Psychologist who finds love while dodging a killer, has a May 9, 2013 release date.

She lives in a marsh off the eastern coast with plants that struggle to survive on her “happy muse” weeks and a tiny cat runs the place. Graylin can be found at GraylinFox.com and contacted at [email protected].   

Find Graylin at her  Website ,  Facebook , or  Twitter .

I’m on tour all week for Her Master’s Collar, sharing behind the scenes info, a fantastic interview, why I write strong heroines, how much the military has been an influence on my life and writing, and how it felt to write my first May/December romance.

There are even exclusive snippets at each stop, plus a chance to enter my contest for a swag pack for Her Master’s Collar (you can even enter each day, at each stop, for more chances to win!)

It’s that time! I’m packing up and heading out to the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in Kansas City May 1 – 5. If you’re there, stop by and see me at the Ebook Expo on Thursday, May 2 from 4 to 6 pm (CST). All of my ebooks will be available for purchase and I’ll be signing cover flats and giving away swag. I’ll also be signing at the Giant Book Fair on Saturday, May 4 from 11am to 2 pm (CST). I’ll be signing paperback copies of Ragged Edge and Natural Lust. It’s totally open to the public and you can check out the list of authors signing here: http://www.rtconvention.com/2013-giant-book-fair Stop by, say hi and pick up some swag! I’ll have a Perfect Shot logo mug and a few Iron Cruisers t-shirts to give away to a few lucky readers.

While I’m gone, Her Master’s Collar will finally release. Yipee! Very excited to get to share this hot little novella finally. Roland and Korene really know how to heat up the pages. How about a snippet?

Her Master’s Collar

Copyright © SARA BROOKES, 2013

All Rights Reserved,

Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.  

“You lost the right to order me around when you uncollared me, Roland.”

“Is that so?” Evidently losing his grasp on his temper as well, he slammed the door and crossed to her with two quick strides. She inhaled sharply when he stepped near, his body pressing hard against hers. He smelled of a damp, chilly autumn breeze swirling through maple, pine and cedar trees.

Christ, she’d missed his scent. It still made her knees weak after all this time. Her body warred with itself, ready to punch him one minute even as her pussy clenched tight at the thought of how mindless he could make her. Memories of what their life together had once been like nearly choked her with their power. Those memories became more pronounced when his thumb slid along her jaw.

His alluring touch reminded her of the excruciating agony he’d caused with his abrupt exit. She used it to fuel her anger instead of the arousal coiling low in her abdomen. She couldn’t afford to give herself over to those emotions and feelings. To the tingling heat building between her legs. To the emotion clenching tightly around her heart.

“I spent years dealing with how you left. I know you intend to leave after this job is done, so don’t make me go through it. Not again.”

I can’t take it.

“So you’re saying you moved on?” His breath skittered across her bare shoulder as his hand shifted to collar the base of her neck. He didn’t tighten his hand because they both knew he didn’t need to. The pressure of his hand spoke volumes. He was in total control.

Lying to him now would only exacerbate matters, as would the truth. Instead, she chose to remain silent. His cobalt eyes flashed as his head dipped. Hot lips pressed against the side of her neck. Blistering and furious need ripped through her, unleashed the second his flesh met hers. She fought against the desire she had to do whatever he asked. Doing so went against everything she had shaped herself into since his departure.

She would not give into him again.

Not this easily.

“Answer me, pet.” His voice dropped low as he spoke the name he’d selected for her when they were in a scene. A seductive blend of the finest cognac and utter sin. The deep tone wrapped around her, cosseting her as if he’d wrapped her in a soft, downy blanket. His hand shifted, tightening on her neck even as his other hand wrapped around her waist to support her when her knees buckled.

She swallowed, his thumb curving up to caress the sensitive skin under her jaw. Her eyes fluttered closed as a low rumble of satisfaction sounded in his chest. The vibration of it shot straight to her core, causing her pussy to go damp. Judging by the erection pushing against her belly, she wasn’t alone in her need. If this kept up, they would eventually destroy each other from the power coursing between their bodies. He wasn’t the first man she’d been attracted to, but he was the first man to send her world spinning in chaos.

And right at this moment, she hated him as much as she loved him.

“No.” The confession slipped out even as she tried to bite it back. “There’s been no one.”

His touch withdrew, giving her a second to mourn the loss before his command swelled over her as though a waved had crashed on shore. “On your knees.”

The unyielding order swept over her like a persistent gale from a hurricane, causing her to drop without thinking. The cold synthetic wood floor pressed against her knees. The discomfort of the position made her feel as if she’d come home. Her gaze focused on an arbitrary point between his shoes and she released a slow breath as everything inside her went silent. The wait for him to speak again was sheer torture. A punishment she would gladly endure for eternity.

“Did you take another Master after I left?”

The level demand in his voice sent a thrill sparking through her, her need to please him coming to the forefront of her mind. “No, Sir.”

“So you’ve let no one master you in ten years?”

“No, Sir.”

“Explain.”

His stern command had her talking before she realized she’d followed his command. “I threw myself into my career to forget about you. About how you made me feel. How you made me ache for everything you ever gave me—and more. The idea of another master holding command over me wasn’t an idea I wanted to entertain. I had no interest because I didn’t want anyone else to put me on my knees like this.”

Only Roland would ever earn the right.

He gave an exasperated sigh before crouching. His knuckle grazed over her cheek in a heartbreakingly gentle caress that awakened every nerve in her body. “I’m disappointed, pet. I instructed you to move on and find someone else.”

There is no one else, you bastard.

She bit her lip to prevent the snide answer from spilling out. For one moment, she wanted to simply relish the sensations he skillfully pulled from her because they’d vanished the second he’d lifted off planet. She needed to thrive again. He was the only one who could reawaken the feelings she’d suppressed for so long.

“Your loyalty is commendable and should be rewarded.” His fingers fit under her jaw to lift her chin. Their gazes met for the first time, allowing her to notice the hurt in his eyes. Leaving her hadn’t come without a cost.

He leaned forward to press his lips against hers, teasing and tasting. She opened for him, feeling his tongue slide unhurriedly into her mouth. He tasted of salt, mint and the jasmine tea he’d had while they’d sat in the lounge. The kiss was slow and drew out the arousal spinning in her core. Everything about him overwhelmed her. Piece by piece, he slowly stripped away her ability to think about anything but following his orders. She was a breath away from abandoning their business arrangement entirely.

Sweat consistent with a blazing fever dotted her flushed skin. She wanted more, and found it increasingly harder to keep a firm handle on reality. It was too easy to give into him and give into the roles they’d slipped into in the blink of an eye.

He continued to kiss her as his finger dragged over the gentle swell of her breasts and dipped under the hem of her camisole. The hard ridge of his fingernail scraped over the tender nub of her nipple, causing her to groan into his mouth. He swallowed the noise, echoing with a low moan of his own.

Heat flooded the space between her legs as her pussy grew damper with each passing second. The atmosphere between their bodies vibrated with need, pulsing from the intensity emitting from both of their bodies. He pulled away, his hand tightening around her neck as he sucked in a deep breath between gritted teeth.

“Korene.” He growled her name, drawing out each syllable so it sounded deliciously filthy. Laser blue flashed as his gaze bored into hers, his hand trembling against her pounding pulse. She pulled in a ragged breath, overwhelmed by the authority and intensity pouring from him.

With a low, guttural growl, he drove his tongue into her mouth as his other hand clenched firmly against her nape to hold her in place. Power surged, flowing into her to give her an anchor she’d missed for the past ten years.

Here, on her knees for him, she was whole and complete again.

I’m pleased to offer up my blog to the charming, very creative Emily Cale (who I get to hang out with next week during the Romantic Times Convention!!) today to tell us about her latest release, which is an interesting concept for a multi-author anthology.

~*~

Don’t worry, both my cats are alive and well. They may not be pleased at the lack of kitty treats available, but they live a pretty comfortable existence. No, today I’m talking about the basic idea behind that saying.

For most of the Love Letters stories, I came up with characters and a plot long before I had a title. My co-authors and I would have worked out who was taking which letter, but we didn’t have exact titles until we were closer to turning them in. The exception for me was for this first volume. When I originally pitched my idea we thought we might have more letters per volume and I’d decided to do F Is for Flirtatious. When we went to four stories and I got assigned the letter C, I had a lot of trouble trying to see my original idea working. So I scrapped it.

Then I started thinking about words that started with C. There are a lot of them, but nothing that sounded sexy. When I hit curiosity, I knew I had it. Let’s be honest, we’re all a little curious about things that go on behind other people’s bedroom doors. It’s why people buy the magazines that have stories that are supposed to tell you all the things your kinky neighbors are doing. I always end up disappointed that my neighbors aren’t really that wild.

If you worked at a BDSM dungeon, then some crazy things are going to be going on. I’m not saying Hilary necessarily opens any closed doors on purpose, but after a while of looking at them, she’s got to be wondering exactly what is behind door number 1.

Opening it sends her into a world that she has only read and wondered about. Of course the thing about knowing is that it only makes you more curious.

Love Letters Volume 1: Obeying Desire

Love Letters Volume 1 contains four hot novellas that will tempt you to submit to desire:

A Is for Assignment by Ginny Glass

Lane Heywood is the last person Cameron Isley wanted as his partner in an undercover investigation at a sex club. But with the sexy psychiatrist masquerading as his Domme, he’ll have to submit to her erotic torment–and try to control his all-too-real lust.

B Is for Bondage by Christina Thacher

When Rachel Cooper begins BDSM lessons, she soon starts fantasizing about her instructor, Marc Thibaud. They’re not supposed to have sex–until one lesson crosses the line…

C Is for Curious by Emily Cale

Mistress Rebecca Greer has had her eye on The Black Rose BDSM club’s shy receptionist, so when Hilary “accidentally” interrupts one of her sessions, Rebecca decides to give her a taste to satisfy her curiosity.

D Is for Detained by Maggie Wells

He was the preacher’s son; her parents owned the local sex shop. Sherry Adams and Tyler Prescott’s attraction was forbidden when they were teenagers, but years later Deputy Tyler takes out his trusty handcuffs to show her just how good they could be together.

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Emily Cale spent the majority of her childhood as a visitor to the worlds of her favorite authors. With encouragement from her English teachers, she put pen to paper and began imagining her own stories. Preferring the fascinating lives of her characters, she majored in creative writing. When not lost in a manuscript or a good book, she enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and playing board games. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and a very spoiled cat.

She loves to connect with her readers. You can find her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.