Author Interview with Rachell Nichole

Good morning readers,

I found some great interview questions, some of which I think I've answered before when I was interviewed, but several answers have changed, and I got some new questions. I thought I'd give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my head! BEWARE. Actually, you should all probably run screaming from the room right now....



Oh, still here? Well, aren't you the brave one. Well, here it goes. A (sort of self-)interview with me!

·         What project are you currently working on? 

I’m currently on a bit of a writing hiatus. But my WIP is Adirondack Avalanche, a sequel to Break Through the Ice which focuses on Lexi “Lex” an actress trying to change her image, who gets snowed in with Clark, a man dedicated to helping underprivileged youth who can’t stand the prima donna prissiness of an actress.

·         What is your favorite snack?

POPCORN! I have a rampant popcorn addiction, and my (almost) husband and I have a legit homemade popcorn popper machine.

·         I have heard from numerous authors that chocolate is the staple of their diet. Is it in yours?

Of course it is. I’m a woman, aren’t I? As favorites go, I LOVE brownies. And other forms of chocolate like that as well as regular chocolate bars like Twix.

·         Will electronic readers ever take the place of the humble paperback?

Maybe in 50 years. But not just yet.

·         If you could be one of your characters – Who would you be?  And why?

I really love damaged characters and ones with really big flaws. So I’m not sure I could be any of them, because I know what all of their issues are. But I wouldn’t mind Layla Morgan’s life. She was the heroine of An Affair Across Times Square. A lawyer with a large trust fund and a true wild side. I could live that life. I love to argue, so trying cases would be right up my alley. In fact, in my day job, I work at a law firm. ;-p

·         Who or what influences you when you write?

EVERYTHING. Any book that I’m reading when I write a book can influence the way I see the book and also the writing style. I’ve found myself coming up with new spinoff ideas from the books I’ve been reading through the course of the creation of the new novel. And sometimes if I start a new book in the middle of writing a manuscript, I have to go back and fix consistency issues because I started writing a character one way and then switched halfway through.

·         When you have writer’s block how do you break free?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe in getting it done. I’ve had really piss poor word counts this year, but as I’ve been working two new jobs in addition to my author job, and planning a wedding (which is TWO weeks away), I haven’t had a lot of dedication to my writing this year. It’s been the longest hiatus since I started publishing in 2012, but that will be one of my new focuses as soon as the honeymoon is over.

·         Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven’t yet?

I want to write an erotic romance that is also a murder mystery. I don’t know as if anyone has ever blended those genres before, but I’d really like to. I’ve never written mystery before, so I think that would be really challenging. Honestly, I want to write everything! If only there were enough hours in the day.

·         What is your favorite movie of all time?  The one where you can watch it and still get affected at the same spots each and every time?

Drop Dead Fred. I love it. I just watched it again the other night for the millionth time. It’s hysterical. And sweet. And just wonderful. “What a pile of shit.” – makes me laugh out loud every time, and it’s in the first two minutes of the movie.

·         Who would you want to be tied to for 24hours?

Vin Diesel – no contest! He’s incredible. I’ve been in love with him for years. Could we go with fuzzy leopard-print handcuffs though?

·         What is your favorite way to relax after a hard day working and writing?

Reading. I love to read, even when I’ve been surrounded by words all day.

·         What is the one era you would love to go visit and why?

The 20’s. I know it’s really idealized by modern culture, and I’m sure it wasn’t really the way we all idolize it, but I would adore experiencing it for myself.

·         Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yes. Maybe. Lust at first site, absolutely. Love… maybe a special kind of love. Like the initial oh, my God moment where you can picture yourself in a big white dress staring into their eyes at the end of the aisle. But the deeper friendship connection that I think we need to sustain love… not so much. That has to come later and be built on memories, on experiences, kindness, support, life. I will say that I fell and fell hard and fast for my future husband, but it wasn’t quite love at first site.

·         Have you ever been nervous over reader reaction when a new book comes out?

All the time – but it’s usually before the book comes out. My mom beta reads almost all of my titles before they come out. I’m always nervous about her reaction. Her last beta read of To Sir came back with “Liz isn’t damaged enough… fix her.” And she was right, of course.

·         How much does reader response mean to you over your books?

A ton. I’m a people-pleaser at heart. I love to hear from readers that they enjoyed the book or that they took something away from it, whatever that may be.

·         What is the nicest thing a reviewer has ever said about one of your books?

Not a reviewer – but a fan said that my book kept them up until 4 a.m. even though they had to go to work the following day.

The Bias Against Romance, and Acting Like a Professional

When I started writing romance two years ago, I had an idea of what I was getting into. After all, romance is famous for nothing so much as being "formulaic," "easy to write," and "just about sex." True, romance specifically requires a happy ending--or at least a happy-for-now, so in that sense, many people consider it predictable. After all, if you know the main characters are going to get together in the end, what's the point? As I was writing, however, I realized that in romance, it isn't the destination that's important but the journey, and that journey took me to some fascinating places. I noted on a friend and editor's Facebook post about a similar topic that for this trilogy I've had to research, among other things, Russian culture and language, bipolar II disorder, what happens when a skate blade completely severs a tendon, the NHL Players' Association's collective bargaining agreement, the process for investigating an alleged sexual assault in New York State, and bronchoalveolar carcinoma. (So tell me again that romance doesn't require any research?) 

What I did not anticipate is how deeply the horror community misunderstands and despises romance--and as someone who has spent most of her career writing horror, this enrages me. I would expect the horror community of all people to understand what it's like to be disparaged and disrespected. Horror in any form is frequently dismissed altogether because of its associations with violence, its critics not taking into account the wealth of psychological and "quiet" horror that balance out the more extreme variations. When I see horror writers doing the same thing to romance, when the extent of their knowledge is revealed to be thirty-year-old Mills & Boon paperbacks, I'm reminded of insecure playground bullies who make others feel bad in order to boost their own self-confidence. It's sad and more importantly, it's unprofessional. In the past few months, I've seen a horror writer refer to romance as "mindless," and I've come across this gem in a horror publisher's guidelines: "Dark Fantasy/Supernatural Romance – Yuck." I fully expect a publisher to list the genres they don't accept. What I don't expect from an alleged professional is their opinion on that genre, rendered in so juvenile a way. (Not to mention that dark fantasy and "supernatural" romance are not the same thing.)

Listen--I was one of those people who used to deride romance and tout myself as superior because I didn't read or write that crap. Then I met a bunch of awesome romance writers. I learned. I grew--which is the most important thing you can keep doing as a writer. I discovered that I wanted to write it, that I loved writing it, and that I put more time, effort, and research into The Firebird Trilogy than anything I've written thus far. But one thing I cannot conceive of doing is to publicly insult an entire genre and by extension all the people working in it.  

If you don't like a genre, that's your prerogative. No one likes everything. But if you're going to conduct yourself as a professional, it would behoove you to educate yourself and act like one. It's a tough business, and we're all in this together. Let's give each other some support. 

--Jenn

Falcon's Way by @nonaraines #Contemporary #99cents

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm so glad to be here today to share the news of my latest release, Falcon's Way, which is one of  stories in The Charmed Bracelet: Love Stories Linked Through Time. I'm sharing the anthology with four other amazing authors: Lara Archer, Leela Lou Dahlin, and A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder. I'm so thrilled to be among them.

Let me tell you a bit about Falcon's Way:

Trust no one. Barrett Gilmore survives by that creed. She learned it the hard way.

The hard times are mostly behind her now. She no longer goes hungry. She has a job and a decent place to live. And if she's not really happy, at least she's at peace.

Until Michael Falco storms into her life. Sure, she's grateful he intervened when that street kid attacked her, but she never asked him to play the hero in the rest of her life. She doesn't need rescuing.

But still he pursues her.  Barrett knows there's an angle. A man with his wealth and high lifestyle could only want one thing from a woman like her. And she's not for sale. She doesn't trust him, but worse, she doesn't trust herself around him.

If Michael has his way, he'll show her how to do more than merely survive—he'll show her how to live.

And here's an excerpt: 

"How's your arm feeling?" he asked, watching her alertly, as though to pick up on any discomfort.

She was stuck with him, at least through lunch. No reason not to have a civil conversation. "Not bad. I'm just glad to know it's nothing serious."

"We'll stop at the pharmacy on the way home and fill that prescription," he told her.

"Wonder how much that'll run me." She didn't see the point in paying good money for something that was probably just fancy aspirin.

"I'll handle it." Falco's voice was firm.

Damn it, he was doing it again. Had she asked him to pay for the prescription? "Is that what you do? Handle things? Make decisions for people and expect them to just fall into line?"

She hadn't expected a response, but he seemed to seriously consider the question. "In my line of work I'm used to making decisions."

"Your line of work." She remembered the card the big man gave her last night. "Falco Ventures. What's that?"

"We're venture capitalists. We look for small businesses and start-ups to invest in."

"Falco. Is that Italian?"

"Yes."

She recalled something else about the card—its logo. A large bird with its wings spread. "Falcon? Is that what it means?"

"Falcon or hawk, yes."

Perfect. Barrett had caught a nature show on falcons once. They looked so majestic and lonely, circling the sky in solitary flight as they scanned the ground for their next meal. Falco watched her sharply now with hooded eyes, the way that bird of prey might watch a mouse.

             Well, he'd find out she was no mouse.

*****

I  hope you enjoyed that little snippet! I more exciting news--the complete anthology is available for only 99 cents for a very limited time! 

You can find it at any one of these retailers:

Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01IFYI3PG

AllRomance ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thecharmedbracelet-2076558-166.html

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-charmed-bracelet-lara-archer/1124100052

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-charmed-bracelet

iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-charmed-bracelet/id1134573972?mt=11 

Thanks so much, friends, and have a wonderful week!

Nona Raines

Website--Facebook--Twitter--Newsletter

Now available: my newest releases, No Promises and the Not the Hot Chick series

The Quest for Erotic

There’s nothing more annoying than a know-it-all. Am I right? Worse, once again the truism of “those who can’t write, critique” is proved. Yeah, I’m a long-term reviewer and, thus, I have an opinion. About everything. “It’s what I do.”

Worse, I’m o-so-confident in myself that I put my beliefs to action and I put my hands to a keyboard to write erotic romance. I’d love to say that it was an easy thing to do, with all the history I’ve had in the romance genre, but it wasn’t. Romance itself demands a deep sense of authenticity, erotic more so.

One can talk about something, maybe even build a scene around something, but unless one is actively inside that something—now or in the past—then the reader will recognize that. Worse, they will not forgive it. No, that’s not specific to romance itself, but this hard line in the sand is often proven in the romance genre.

I remember reading a book in the 80s where the protagonists were “on the bridge to Catalina Island and…” There is no bridge. Read that again. There is NO BRIDGE TO CATALINA ISLAND. Just a nauseating two-hour boat trip that I endured twice a summer, every bloody summer, because my mother dragged me on the boats for the hellish yearly July 4^th trip—this is not a therapy session. 

Anyway, as you can see I *still* remember that gaffe and, no, I don’t forgive it. But back to EroRom and the tacit contract of authenticity between reader and author.  It was that very thing that gave me pause when my (then) publisher invited me to write m/m romance. Of course I said, “Yes,” but my mental answer was, “But, I don’t have the equipment for that.” Yes, EroRom demands authenticity and not to make too fine a point on that topic, I know what it’s like to desire a someone. More, (I’ll say it) I know what it is to touch and by touched by a guy I’m attracted to.

As for the “male specific” bits of authenticity—and, yes, there is a huge difference between the male mind and the female mind—I find authenticity from what’s authentic. A guy. My buddy Brian, in fact. (So very often he sighs when faced with a question, but he’s never let me down.)

Reviews: “Such an authentic voice!”

Me: “Yeah, my guy friends give input. I’m not gonna lie.”

But then, it was a question of “do I have a character for this?” As it happens, I did. My Jeremy, bless his (fictional) heart, had threaded through my first two books based in Portland, OR. (I see a coltish awkwardness in retrospect, but learning in the public’s eye is—imho—pretty much the story of all genre authors.) So, Jeremy, a bearded and balding, chubby and 50ish dude. I wanted him to be a heel, to use a wrestling term, but he fought back.

He pushed at me, telling me he was gay and closeted. How could that be a romance hero? I thought it was me. Maybe this craft wasn’t for me? Was I doomed to only review? Then I signed up for a teaching module at Seton Hill’s WPF program, and this one was on the topic of LGBTQ romances.

(Shout out to Annie Harris!) In that module I heard an off-hand comment about how there was next to no romance characters that were less than physically perfect. You’ve seen them.  John De Bare-Chested. Joe Chisel Chest. Laura of the Perfect Bosom and Flowing Locks. The idea of writing of an imperfect character was gently addressed by Annie. Basically “why not?”

I heard Annie and I heard Jeremy, and Butterball was born, now in the hands of Loose ID publishing. (To this day, it remains my bestseller. A chubby closeted gay man is my bestseller. What were the odds of that?)

~  Michelle

Setting the (Writing) Mood with Music

The human brain responds to music in a way it does with no other sound, even language. Given music's tie to dance, which was originally intended to create an intense, pleasurable sense of intoxication and release, it's no wonder so much of our music centers on love and sex and that dancing often leads to sexytime. Here's how to harness the power of music for your next writing session.

Many people prefer to write in silence or with the TV on. Because I was a DJ once upon a time and can't imagine writing without music, I challenge you to spend a little time creating a playlist, whether it's through Spotify, YouTube, iTunes--whatever your preference is. This may seem time-consuming, but it can be a lot of fun and a great way to discover new music. Center it around a general theme or your current project. I write in several genres, so I have playlists for vampires, werewolves, fantasy, even the apocalypse! I also put one together specifically for Firebird, and now I can't hear those songs without picturing the scene to which they correspond. (You can check it out here.) For me, this is part of the discovery process. I've gotten tons of ideas from song lyrics; even the mood of a song can inspire me and lead to something I hadn't thought of previously. It can influence my characters as well. Alex's musical preferences largely arose because of the genres that dominate the Firebird playlist.

The trick is to avoid music you might sing along to, because before you know it, you'll be typing the lyrics. Video game soundtracks and dark ambient have become my go-to for this reason. This is where writing my first drafts in longhand also helps--I'm more conscious of what I'm writing and less likely to transcribe my favorite song into my book. :) But don't start writing right away. Just listen for a few minutes. Let the music speak to you and let your mind wander. How do you feel? What are you thinking about? Does the song remind you of one of your characters, and in what way?

Writing something sexy and don't know where to begin with your playlist? Try the Angels: Chill Trance Essentials series or the Sexual Chillout and Sensual Trance series for starters. Typing in "erotic chill out" brings up some nice results as well. YouTube playlists are especially fun because they lead you to a wealth of other songs and artists--and hopefully, to the sexiest scenes you've ever written!

--Jenn--

Not tonight, honey, I have a headache: 5 Things that Kill the Mood

If you're here and reading this, then, like all of us, you like to fling open the bedroom door and get your fictional freak on. Welcome! You're in good company ;-) As both an avid reader and writer of erotic romance, I've read a lot of sex scenes. Some of them had me dragging my husband upstairs or running to take a cold shower. Others left me shaking my head. I've even been known to laugh out loud at times (which I'm positive was not the authors intention). 

So, I've wondered, what is it about certain sex scenes that don't do it for me? What do those authors do that kill the mood? Here are my top five things that will make me roll over and cry headache... 

1. The "C" Word -- No, I'm not talking about cum. I'm talking about that nasty four-letter word that's used to describe the female anatomy, or often hurled as the ultimate insult. C-U-N-T. I absolutely hate this word. There's nothing sexy about it, and every single time I encounter it in a book, I physically cringe. Every. Single. Time. Please, please use something else. I beg you. 

2. Paging Dr. Penis -- I read a book once wherein the heroine either thought or said something to the effect of, "I can't wait to feel his penis inside of me." *Insert screeching air brakes sound* Nope. Cue the laughing. I'm sorry, but penis is such a clinical sounding term. If it's in a romance, it had best be used in a medical setting or by a parent having "the talk" with their kid. Seriously, I'd rather read the word "cock" or "dick" a bazillion times.

3. Say What? -- Now, I'm all for dirty talk. In fact, I find sex scenes without dialogue to be boring, and I generally skim read or skip them. But throw in some hawt dirty talk? Woo, now we're talking! However, if the dirty talk reads like it was lifted from a porno script, I'm outta there! Don't allow characters to lose their personalities simply because they've lost their clothing. 

4. No Doesn't Really Mean No, Does It? -- Lack of consent leading up to and during a sex scene will make me stop reading completely. I will put the book down and walk away. And silence does not equal consent. A perfect example... In a recent read, the hero tries to get busy with the heroine while she's at work. The heroine verbally says, "We can't do this here." To me, that's a big fat NO! But the hero, refusing to be swayed, keeps kissing her and tempting her. Eventually, she gets all hot and bothered and then they have mind blowing sex. I mean, is there any other kind? This isn't sexy. This is rape-y, and with the rape culture being what it is in today's society, this not okay. At all. Ever. Period. Full stop. 

5. The Never-ending Erection -- Okay, I get that this is fiction, and if the sex was portrayed realistically, people wouldn't read it. But c'mon! When the hero gets off in the heroine's mouth and then 2.3 seconds later he's rock hard again and pounding away inside of her... Let the eye rolling begin. Unless he's popped a little blue pill, give him a little bit of time to recoup. 

Remember, reading is a personal and subjective activity. What kills it for me might be the thing to get your libido running. So, sound off in the comments. What kills the mood for you? 

~ Lexi ~ 

Diversity in Writing and Publishing

Diversity is a word that is being looked at more and more closely in the writing and publishing world these days. And diversity doesn't always mean what people think it means. Diversity can have everything to do with skin color, and also nothing to do with skin color. Now, you may think that I get to say that, that because my skin is light, I can interpret diversity to mean something other than "non-white." But I would vehemently disagree. This is not me invoking my white privilege, honest. 

I wrote an essay back in college that was published in an introductory text to be read by all incoming freshman for years to come after I graduated, and it was an essay that I was uniquely qualified to write, because of my history. It was an essay on which the premise, there is no such thing as race, was based. Culture exists, culture is a brilliant, amazing diverse thing, but race is a social construct. It's something humanity created to make an "us and them" dichotomy. I know this, because I lived it. I'll give you a bit of a history lesson: my grandmother only dated black men after her third divorce. I had the immense fortune to grow up with six grandparents, three grandmothers, and three grandfathers, though my gram never married Sam, he was my grandfather. At every birthday, at every Thanksgiving and Christmas, etc. It was the most normal, natural thing in the world to me growing up that I had a grandfather who just happened to be a few shades darker than me. 

Now, diversity in writing and publishing does absolutely include voices from other cultures and backgrounds, 100%, but it also means so many other things. I've had the chance through teaching the past few months to do some research into diversity in publishing, both within the romance genre, and from outside of it, and I couldn't be prouder to be in the publishing world than I am right now. 

Looking at the awards, and the accolades, finally being doled out to women who write horror, and self-published authors who write romance, and yes, writers from different ethnicities and backgrounds - all I can think is FINALLY! Finally this industry I love, this industry I want to dedicate my life to is finally taking notice that women can write science fiction and horror, that men can write romance, that readers and publishers alike want diverse voices, authors from all walks of life and backgrounds, all ethnicities and cultures. 

4 out of 16 Bram Stoker winners this year were women, and there were several more women in the running to win in multiple categories. Now, you may say that 1/4 is a piss poor statistic for women in the horror genre, and yes, this is true, but 10 years ago, there was nary a woman even on the docket, and yet, one of the most famous horror authors of all time was a woman. One of the most-used texts that has been made into countless movies and inspired millions of authors, Frankenstein, was written by a woman, a hundred plus years before women writers were really allowed to be a thing. 

Now, when you look at this year's RITA award winners, it's true that they are all women, and that most of them are from "white" backgrounds, but some are not. Moreover, several of the books on the list were self-published. This is a form of diversity in publishing that we don't necessarily talk about all that often - the stigma still associated with self-publishing, as if that was the only option left when the book was deemed undesirable by everyone else - that's just not true. 

Now, I am not saying that we do not need more, many many more, other voices in writing, particularly in genre fiction, because we so do. But I am saying that diversity means a lot of different things, and I for one, see that we are finally moving in the right direction. So, readers, get to demanding more diversity in your reading. Writers, get to writing diversely. Write something unique and unusual for a genre, jump into a genre you "have no business writing in" because we need you to! 

As you may know, I work a lot of diverse characters from different backgrounds into my books. I write about people who are light-skinned and dark, some who have Asian or American Indian backgrounds. I write about straight people and lesbians, and gay or bi-sexual men. Because just because I have light skin and a college education doesn't mean that is the only perspective I can, should, or want to write from. I love writing about different characters from all over the place, and I hope you enjoy reading about them too. 

~ Rach

#TeaserTuesday: Sibling Rivalry by Lexi Lawton

Today's #TeaserTuesday is from one of my current works-in-progress; a contemporary erotic romance called SIBLING RIVALRY. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“You’re not seriously suggesting we have sex.” McKenzie crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up in a tantalizing manner.

Tristan took her arms and moved them away from her chest, his knuckles grazing her hard nipples as he did. Her eyes widened, but he didn’t miss the soft sigh that escaped her lips, or the way she subtly arched toward him. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” He dragged his fingers up the sides of her stomach and over her ribs, causing her skin to erupt in goose bumps.

She licked her lips and inched closer.

He moved his hands along the sides of her breasts and over her nipples, flicking them gently with his thumbs.

“Oh God,” she moaned.

His cock thickened painfully, and he knew then, if he didn’t get her to agree, it was going to be a long, lonely night—And his hand wasn’t going to do it for him this time. He needed to sink into the warmth of her body, to feel her legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her.

“Just sex. Nothing else. Just two people helping each other get off.” He rolled her nipples between his fingers and pinched slightly.

“Oh please.” She rolled her eyes.

When the idea to seduce her had first popped into his mind, he thought it would go a lot smoother than it was. “Okay, then how about this. One kiss.” He held up his index finger. “If it’s weird or awkward or you don’t like it, I’ll go back to my room and leave you alone.”

“And if it’s not weird or awkward?”

“Then we go farther. If you want.”

She paused for a moment then shoved him hard enough to cause him to fall back on the bed. Then she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist, her hands on either side of his head so that she was poised above him. “Just call this what it is. You want to fuck me. Plain and simple.”

“Damn right I do.” He rested his hands on her waist then moved them down to her ass. He gave her cheeks a firm squeeze then held her down on him. The heat of her pussy seeped through his boxers, and his cock jerked in response. “I want to fuck you.” He lifted his hips, driving his erection harder against her. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

She bore down on him, and his stomach clenched. “And if I say no?” she asked.

“If you wanted to say no, you would’ve by now.  You would’ve put your shirt back on and kicked me the hell out of your room. You wouldn’t have straddled me and dangled your tits in my face.” He caressed her ass and spread her cheeks, letting his finger slip lower, teasing her pussy with an almost touch. “Admit it. You want to fuck me just as badly as I want to fuck you.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Like what you've read? Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter for the most up-to-date information. And don't forget to check out TEMPTING TANNER, coming December 2016 from Entangled Embrace. 

#SaturdaySpankings: Rachell Nichole

Welcome to the new Divas of Desire site. We are now 9 authors strong, and ready to kick ass and take names.

Today, I want to share with you an excerpt from a femdomme erotic romance, Belle by Night. Anna is a mild-mannered preschool teacher by day, and a phone sex Domme by night.

He heard a loud whistle followed by a thwack. His pulse spiked. He wanted to ask what the noise was, but he didn’t dare; maybe he didn’t want to know the answer.
“Do you know what that sound is, pet?”
“No, Mistress,” he whispered, his voice almost gone.
“Oh, my sweet, you are innocent, aren’t you?” she taunted.
Since he felt about the farthest thing from it, he didn’t respond.
“When I ask you a question, pet, I expect an answer.” Her voice was hard, punctuated with another loud thwack at the end.

Anna by day, but Belle by night, Annabelle Stevens trades in her classroom ruler for a telephone and leather bustier when the sun goes down. With her heart set on finishing her Master’s degree and opening her own low-cost preschool, she had to earn extra cash somehow. And as a phone sex operator, she makes more than she could working three day jobs. But when day and night collide, Mistress Belle’s favorite caller jeopardizes her normal life, and she has to choose--the dream she’s always wanted, or the secret identity that lets her be the Domme she truly is.

Widower Dean Wellington has one goal in life: to be the best father he can be to his autistic son, Preston. But when he realizes he’s falling far short, he fears he can’t give Preston everything he needs alone. When his search for a wife leads to one disastrous date after another, he finds solace in the unlikeliest of places: a phone sex operator. He knows Mistress Belle can’t be appropriate mother material, but when she orders him to bend his will to hers, he’s lost to the passionate storm she calls forth.

When Dean realizes he’ll never find a better mother for his son than Preston’s teacher Anna, he has to choose between the Mistress that brings out his darkest desires, and giving his son everything he deserves. Little does Dean know that the choice may not be a choice at all.

Need more Belle by Night? Find it here: 

Loose Id: http://bit.ly/1OUtMBl

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Lh26jd

B&N: http://bit.ly/1jwmIxE

ARE: http://bit.ly/1hpjr1z

Need more Spankings? Find them below: 

Thwack!

~Rach

Welcome New Divas!

Many many moons ago (or, you know, four years), two of my fellow Central New York Romance Writer cohorts and I sat down to have a little chat after one of our meetings. The topic, of course, was this grog (group blog) and how we could join forces and send our words into the world of blogging to talk about life, writing, books, and, of course, SEX! Lots and lots of sex.

Because we were all erotic romance authors, Nona, Danica, and I all had a lot to share about writing and sex and writing about sex. We were all about sharing. We posted about book deals and about new releases, we had guest bloggers, and author interviews, and damn if we didn't have a good time reading each other's posts and your comments. And as the years went on, we all got a bit crazier, and ended up posting less and less, and so we have now decided to bring in some more wonderful authors to our Divas family to join in and share on the grog. We will be posting lots more, and about lots of diverse writing, erotic romance, love, sex, and book-related topics! So be sure to stay tuned for lots to come. We'll also likely be hosting some other authors and doing some giveaways and all kinds of stuff!

But, without further ado, Nona, Danica, and I would like to welcome the following Divas!

Jacki King









Michelle King (no relation to Jacki)

Lexi Lawton










Jennifer Loring 












Mary Rogers 

And


B.Leslie Tirell

Some of our authors are in the "pre-publishing" phase, meaning they're just starting out in the erotic romance genre, and not yet published in it, others have published some titles, and still others have published many titles! Together, we have nearly 70 Publications! How amazing is that!?

We are a diverse group and come from lots of different backgrounds and have followed different paths to writing and publishing, and I can't wait to see where we go from here together!

Please join me in welcoming the new Divas.


You can find more about us and our works here: https://divasofdesire.blogspot.com/2016/08/diva-books.html

~Rach