Rach's E-Newsletter

Oh, bloggerverse, how I have missed thee. You'll all understand though that I was busy writing you all my next book. Marietta Hotels: An Engagement in Paris whose official release date is June 4! It's been hard work, this book, and I can't wait to share it with you.

I also have lots of other news, some free exclusive excerpts/deleted scenes from previous books, and other exclusive material just for YOU! This e-newsletter will also include the exclusive cover reveal of An Engagement in Paris.

How will I do this? You ask. Well, I'll tell you. I'm putting together a Spring e-newsletter which will be out in May filled with fun springy things and sexy stuff. I have a lovely list of readers to send the e-newsletter to, and if you'd like to be added to the list, just leave a comment with your e-mail address! That's easy, right?

~ Rach

A Visit with #Erotic #Romance #Author Raven McAllan!

Happy Friday, everyone!  Today I'm very proud to welcome author Raven McAllan. Her erotic romances include historical, contemporary and paranormal genres. She's also written contributions to a number of anthologies. She's published by Nobel Romance, Breathless Press and Evernight Publishing. Here's her bio in her own words:

Raven lives in Scotland, along with her husband and their two cats—their children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in her books.

She is used to sharing her life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge.

A lover of reading, she appreciates the history inside a book, and the chance to peek into the lives of those from years ago. Raven admits that she enjoys the research for her books almost as much as the writing; so much so, that sometimes she realizes she's strayed way past the information she needs to know, and not a paragraph has been added to her WIP. 

Raven's kindly agreed to answer five nosy questions today, so let's get started!

1.      Hi, Raven! Thanks so much for being here today! You describe your home country, Scotland, as the "Land of Mists, Mountains and midges". The first two I understand. But what, pray tell, is a midge?                                     

A midge is a nasty speck of black devilment. The Scottish equivalent of a mosquito without the 'whine'. And they bite, bring me up in an itchy red lump that lasts for ages. They come out more at sunset and near water, especially on the west coast. So we have these lovely long summer evenings (well allegedly it's summer, I often wonder) and if you sit out you cover yourself from head to toe. Then you put the midge eating machine on and light citronella candles. Oh and cover your wine!

(Click here if you want to see a picture of a midge. Yuck!)

2.      Your Regency era ménage romance A Rose Between The Thornes features Rose, who's in her thirties. What made you decide to write about a more mature heroine rather than a young miss?

                                                                                                               

I think once you're older there's a lot more about you. I love the fact an older heroine has lived a bit, and has more of a past! She's less likely to be namby-pamby, especially in a Regency work.

3.      Your recent Will You Dance Miss Laurence? is a contemporary BDSM themed romance. Why did you decide to make the hero of this story a shibari master?                    

The intricacy of knots in any form fascinates me, even though I never got past a reef knot for my brownie tie, and a round turn and two half hitches to secure the dinghy. But I'm just the mouthpiece. I'm a pantster, totally character lead. Ryan told me that was what he was, and there was no changing him. Do I sound daft? I did once try to mold a character to my way of thinking. That M/s has never been finished.

4.      Whenever I think of Scotland, I immediately think of the poet Robert Burns. Are there any Scottish writers who you particularly enjoy?                                                              

Where to start. There is a plethora of brilliant Scottish writers. Compton McKenzie, (old gentle humor) Gerald Hammond, Bill Knox, Ian Rankin,(crime)  Phillip Paris, (just check him out) Maggie Craig, Marguerite Kaye (Romance) …I could go on and on… And so many are just not well known. I read most things except horror and sci-fi.

5.      I'll definitely have to check those authors out. Now what's next for Raven McAllan? Please tell us all about it!

       I had decided to slow down. I had slowed down. Hahahahah. So Rian's Return was out on 12^th-- that’s two short stories about 4 guys, NOT a foursome, lol. The Wager, a Regency romance is out on 23^Rd and I have Impulse, book one in the Isola Dei Sogni series, a contemporary paranormal romance out on 2^nd May. Oh and also in May, Cecilia's Claim. This is part of a Regency series I'm writing with Lee Brazil called Behind Closed Doors, all about The Brigstock family. Each book can be read as a stand alone, but the family is central. Then book two in the Dance Studio series is due in May as well… that's called Dance To A Different Beat. (Book one was Will You Dance Miss Laurence?) I think that's it until A Matter Of Faith (Regency) in June or July. I never ever thought that I'd be so lucky to have so much published, or to be able to switch era's and sub genres. Epublishing has really given people the chance to explore just what they can write, I'd hate to have to chose!    

Wow, Raven, slow down! Way to make some of us feel like slugs, lol! Best of luck with all your upcoming work and thanks so much for spending time with us today!

Blurb for Will You Dance Miss Laurence?

Dance Studio, 1

Dancing lessons were supposed to be fun, but who ever heard of attending them without your knickers on?

Shibari Master Ryan is intrigued by Ava, so when his cousin asks a favor, he is only too happy to help Ava out of the rut she says she is in.

Will her past allow her to enjoy his bondage, or will true submission prove a step too much?

Amazon link          Evernight Link

Visit Raven's website! 

Visit Raven's Amazon page! 

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines

Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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Titillating Tuesday with Danica

First, it's my birthday. Yay! Survived another year. Second, my novella, Blade Dance, enjoyed a good review from Night Owl Reviews, one of my favorite places.
 
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Chris-reviews-Blade-Dance-by-Danica-St-Como

To celebrate both occurrences, here is another excerpt from Blade Dance, my ménage a trois novella with a serial murderer lurking in the shadows.

At this point, Wallis's men have returned to her from their job as crime scene investigators, after she's been sitting home impeded by a leg cast and unable to join them. They've just finished a bout of rockin' hot "welcome home, glad to see ya" sex, including a new kink which hadn't been successful in the past. Then . . . .

~ * ~* ~ * ~

Wallis didn’t need to wait too long before the meds began to work. She pulled herself up, propped against a mound of pillows, her casted leg resting in relative comfort.

 

She sighed a happy sigh as she gazed lazily at both men. “Oh, wow. That would be so freakin’ hot.”

Michael gave her a quirky look. “I’m not following. What would be so hot?”

“The two of you, making out.”

He rose from the chaise. “You’re kidding, right? Do either of us act gay?”

The meds were really kicking in, so Wallis grinned. “No, not gay, you homophobic sonofabitch. Two guys, enjoying each other. Think about it. I certainly take pleasure in what you do to me, right? And you enjoy doing things to me. Why not to each other?”

Austin returned from the bathroom, where he’d dumped the washcloths and towels. “Okay, I heard the tail end of the conversation. From the sound of things, I should probably know the beginning, as well.”

“I was merely suggesting that maybe my cowboy and my growly Gallo-bear would enjoy having a serious make-out session with each other.”

That stopped Austin, cold. “I beg your pardon?” He glanced at Michael, who shrugged.

“Don’t look at me. It sure as shit wasn’t my idea, buddy. You talk to her. Or, better yet, talk to the meds. I think she’s gone cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs.”

“Wallis, have you lost your grip? I think Michael is right. You need to lay off the pain pills.”

“Not at all, I’m feelin’ better by the minute. I’m just saying. I totally get off on everything you guys do to me, right? Right. So, what’s to stop you from getting off with each other? I have sex loads of times with one of you while the other watches, right? Why can’t I watch the two of you? It only seems fair.”

The men looked at each other in disbelief at the direction the discussion was taking.

 

Austin found his voice first. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “Oh, yeah. The more I think about the two of you gettin’ it on, the hotter I get.”

Austin shook his head. “I think the meds are definitely doing a number on her brain.”

Michael continued to stare at her as if she’d gone totally ‘round the freakin’ pipe, which made her giggle.

“And what would you be doing during this masculine frolic, dare I ask?”

She slowly spread her thighs, rested her cast on a pillow, and covered her freshly shaved mound with her hand. She pulled her blushing labia apart with two fingers, exposing her still-sensitive clitoris.

“I guess I’d be obliged to amuse myself.”

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Danica St. Como

www.danicastcomo.com

 

www.decadentpublishing.com, www.amazon,com,

and all major booksellers.

 

An Accidental Kiss and #Romance with #Author Dawn Douglas!

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm very proud to introduce our guest today, author Dawn Douglas. Her romance An Accidental Kiss is making its debut with The Wild Rose Press. Dawn has very kindly agreed to let me ask her five nosy questions. So let's get started!

1.       Welcome, Dawn! Your romance An Accidental Kiss features characters who are well past their twenties. What is it about love between mature characters that appeals to you?

I am 51 years old and so find it quite easy to identify with the characters in An Accidental Kiss. I crafted this story for The Wild Rose Press’ Last Rose of Summer line and it seemed very natural for me to be telling a story about a couple who really didn’t rate their chances of finding love very highly. It’s fantastic falling in love at any age, of course, but when you’re getting a little older I think it’s easier to appreciate all the qualities in your mate and to understand that this really is quite a rare and precious thing that’s come along.

2.       Your Amazon author page says that you were raised in England. What brought you to the U.S. and particularly to Colorado, where you now live?

       I came here 22 years ago to get married. That didn’t work out so well, but I’m still here, loving the mountains, my three kids who still live at home and my writing life.

Dawn with her friends Rudy and Emily!

3.          Before you began writing romances, you wrote for the confessions market. What got you into writing confessions and do you think it helped prepare you for romance writing? 

As a stay-at-home mom of 3 small children, I was desperate for some income of my own. I’d just had a manuscript very swiftly rejected by Harlequin when I found an online article about writing confessions. I scooped up a copy of True Story at my local grocery store, put pen to paper and didn’t look back for the next 6 years. Writing those stories gave me some experience in developing a plot within a limited number of words, coming up with ideas at short notice, and meeting deadlines for seasonal stories. It was tremendous fun and gave me the confidence I needed to start writing other kinds of stories for different markets.    

4.       That is really fascinating. It sounds like that writing for that market really helped you hone your skills as a writer. Another one of your interests is photography. How long have you been doing it and what kind of subjects do photograph?

 I am more of a wannabe photographer than anything else! I don’t have any fancy or complicated equipment, just a digital camera that I love snapping pictures of my surroundings with – having said that, I am quite proud of some of my pictures even though I’m sure they’re probably quite amateurish!

One of Dawn's lovely photographs.

5.       Writing can be stressful, and it's great that you have another interest you enjoy. Can you share more about An Accidental Kiss and do you have any other stories we can look forward to?

 I really smiled a lot as I wrote An Accidental Kiss. It tells the story of a single parent, Marcy Garrett, and Frank Anderson, a successful writer of westerns. Although I didn’t plan it, several characters popped up and helped me tell the story and wanted to have their say. There’s Justine, Marcy’s sassy teen daughter, and Marcy’s mom and dad. Kath and Herb, who have never given up on marrying off their daughter. And Frank has a sister who arranges blind dates for him over the Internet. Humor is something that tries to find its way into everything I write. Even though the characters may have experienced great loss and tragedy, just as in real life, there are those ‘you have to laugh or you’ll cry’ moments. I’m currently working on a novel set during WWII, which is almost complete. I’ve smiled a lot writing this, too!

Blurb for An Accidental Kiss:

Single mom Marcy Garrett yearns for a soul mate but finds it difficult to trust people. The victim of several blind dates gone horribly wrong, she reluctantly agrees to yet another, with a well-known author.

Western writer Frank Anderson isn't looking for love. Since his wife died six years ago, all he wants is to be left alone with his solitary plans for the future. To make his sister happy, he agrees to meet Marcy, but he has every intention of telling her he's not interested in a relationship.

After a surprisingly enjoyable evening, fate intervenes as they say goodbye. Can one unplanned kiss on a magical snowy night melt Frank's lonely heart and overcome Marcy's doubts?

Excerpt:

As she shoved open the heavy, dragon-guarded double doors of the Jade Wok, Marcy glanced nervously around the lobby. She wasn’t nervous, exactly. Somehow, from their brief conversation, she felt absolutely sure that Frank Anderson wasn’t the kind of man who stood women up. She was nervous about what might happen after he did turn up.

A waiter looked at her and raised both brows in question.

“I’m waiting for someone, he should be here any minute,” she began, and as if on cue, the doors behind her opened, letting in a rush of chilly night air.

Marcy turned and her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t so much that he was good-looking, his features were too rough and irregular for that – it was more a matter of his presence, his height, the grave intensity of his dark blue gaze. He gave a slight nod in her direction. He had thick, ruffled graying hair and he ran his hands through it as if annoyed.

“Marcy Garrett?”

For a moment, Marcy was too flummoxed to even know her own name. Then she managed to nod dumbly.

“You must be Frank,” she blurted, inwardly cringing at how stupid she sounded.

He didn’t bother to dignify her words with a response. They were shown to a table and handed menus. He glanced around.

“It’s nice in here, isn’t it?” Marcy gabbled. “The decor is very restrained for a Chinese restaurant – of course all the dragons and what have you are fun – but the food is really something special, and the service is great. I always come here on my birthday. They have a take-out menu, too.” Shut up, shut up, she thought, and felt herself flush bright red.

Buy An Accidental Kiss from Amazon!

Thanks so much for being here today, Dawn. It's been delightful. Much success with your new release and your future writing!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines

Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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#LGBT #Romance His Kind of Woman To Be a Spring Fling from Loose Id!

Happy Friday, everyone! 

I have some exciting news to share! My novella His Kind of Woman is going to be a Spring Fling from Loose Id! I just received the official word on Saturday. It was a delightful Easter present!

Spring Flings are shorter offerings that will appear FREE on the Loose Id site. Hey, you can't get a better bargain than that! Some awesome authors are taking part in this promotion and I am thrilled to be among them. 

But I still need to tell you about His Kind of Woman. It is loosely connected to Uncollared, as it features Venetia Varrano, who was a supporting character in that novel.  A couple of other familiar characters from that book make cameo appearances, as well.

Here's the blurb (which may be subject to change):

When Roy Girard went looking for Victor Varrano, he never expected a woman to answer the door. He soon discovers that "Victor" is now Venetia. Roy's startled, but even more surprised by his attraction to her. As they spend time together, Roy starts to worry. Though he knows her secret, she does not know his: that he is the brother of the person who made her life hell years ago.

I've been wanting to write a story for Venetia even before I finished writing Uncollared. At first I had a completely different hero in mind for her, but Roy came along and just wouldn't go away. I hope readers become as fond of him as I did.

This story touches on the lingering effects of bullying, particularly of gay and trans youth. But more than anything it's a love story of two people who at first glance have little in common. 

I'll keep you posted about His Kind of Woman's release date!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com

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