Broken

That's how I've been feeling for two days. More on that later.

TGIF! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Whet Your Appetite Wednesday - ER Pierce

Blurb:

Cordelia Kelly is running from her past and her destiny. She is a dual-natured empath – meaning she is receptive to the emotional aura, positive and negative, of those around her. Cordelia struggles to create harmony between the light and dark sides of her existence. She's also an elemental, but her inherent powers are slowly manifesting with age and time. The scales of good versus evil are tilting in the wrong the direction.

Will she succumb or evolve to fulfill her destiny?

Sol Winterborn is not your typical hero, if anything he’s an anti-hero. Moral indecision riddle his path to redemption, but the undeniable truth he holds onto is his search for his lighthouse – his soul mate. When fate throws Cordelia in his path, he's unprepared but can't stay away. Her siren call sings a song he can't ignore. He sees in her a kindred spirit, and possibly the one he’s searched long nights to find. Will Cordelia be the key to unlock his heart?

When his own dark past catches up with him, will he risk his life for love?

BIO:

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first story when I was in seventh grade--A first person account of an entire summer. I went through a massive teen angst poetry phase, and I have notebooks and binders filled with prose.

Over a year ago, Ceithin and Aurelia showed up in my head. They yapped incessantly, demanding I sit and tell their story. After a month or two of being woken up with harsh whispers, I started writing. They haven't stopped, and in fact, brought friends. Now my head is filled with stories, scenes, snippets and crazy people.

Cue Law and Order music here: dun, dun.

These are their stories.

I write with emotion, occasionally a temper and I let my words flow free. I dabble in paranormal, contemporary romance, erotic fiction and darker urban fantasy.

Oh, and hey... I'm a Virgo.

Review Highlights:

"The author has done one hell of a job in bringing the characters to life,
Cordelia/Delia the empath who struggles to maintain the good while keeping
the evil from surfacing and gaining control. You can envision the steel walls being
constructed to keep her safe, to prevent the darkness from consuming her."  - Lorraine

"Duality is a great read. The chemistry with Cordelia and Sol is magical. Cordelia and her inner struggles with herself being good or evil are almost as real as most people's struggles in daily life. ER makes them believable. I was really pulled into this book right from the start. Sol seems to be the most caring of men when it comes to Cordelia. He wants to help her with her struggles and also make her stronger" - Jennifer

" I must try to not over sell this but this book was AMAZING!!! I was captivated from the very first page and could not stop reading! I took this story with me to work, while cooking dinner, I even read during some of my favorite television shows!

The chemistry and passion between Cordelia and Sol is breath taking and leaves you wanting to know more about these two. They define what a soulmate is.

The internal struggle in Cordelia with both her light and dark sides is a struggle I think almost every human faces at least once in their life. I find myself relating very much with her in this area.

This is an Urban Fantasy but it's so much more. This is a story that definitely needs to be read. I recommend this book to everyone who is into not only urban fantasy but romance as well."  - Author Jinni James

"She wages an internal battle within herself to balance her light and dark emotions. Dark emotions appeal to her wanton, feral nature while light emotions bolster the good person she wants to become. It's more than a good versus evil story. It's a inner-conflict to achieve a balance, because life is about choices and balance. She has to learn to accept herself, all of herself - her strengths as well as her flaws and weaknesses. Isn't this something we must all learn to do?" - Author Will Laforge


Buy Links for Duality -

http://www.amazon.com/Duality-ebook/dp/B00CH5BELK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duality-ebook/dp/B00CH5BELK

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/311283

Excerpt:

“Cordelia.” My name slithered across time and reverberated in my skull.
I stopped walking and fear clamored up my spine. Someone called my name—in my mind. A discrete glance up and down the street showed no one who looked out of place. I took a second to get my bearings and listen to the wind while fastening my mental cloak up and around my head. There would be no psychic attacks on me tonight. I’d started to build the steel walls and harden my auric armor when a flash of red caught my eye across the street, and that’s when the stench hit me.
A foul odor seethed just below the surface. Currents of dark magic black as midnight licked the air and swirled around me the way killer bees attack. I’d been in its presence before, this nameless miasma of violence that hovers over all preternatural predators. Creatures who wield this type of dark magic are vigilant. They’re always waiting, primed and ready for the signal to lash out, to hurt—to kill anything or anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way.
I turned and watched, oddly fascinated by the ethereal creature stalking the night like she owned the world, her red dress billowing out behind her like blood blowing in the wind. She halted even with me, both of us on different sides of the street, but the air screamed at me to run. Run and don’t look back.
“Cordelia Kelly, I challenge you.”

--
Author ~ ER Pierce

ER Pierce Website
Personal Facebook Profile
FaceBook Author Page
Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page

Paranormal Erotic Romance  ~ Fractured Moon (Steel #1) Released March 2, 2012. Available on Amazon and All Romance Ebooks

Erotic Contemporaries ~ Finding Time (Marriage #1) Released April 2, 2012 Available on Amazon

The New Hot Lunch Series ~ Eating Out (Hot Lunch #1) Released September 25, 2012 

Winners

Yes, I have a hard time choosing one winner...so I asked random.org for two! :o)

Marie Rose Dufour and Lisa Carlisle are my winners. I'll be contacting you both.

Thanks to all who participated.

Wet and Wild Blog Hop

http://www.skyewarren.com/hop/

Thanks for dropping by. I'm giving away a print copy of my book Ignite the Flames to one lucky commentor who resides in the U.S. if a winner outside of the U.S is chosen I'll be happy to provide a $10 gift card for Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Rules? Simple leave a comment with your email address so we can contact you if you win here or the big prize!

Interview with Shira Anthony

How did you start your writing career?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid, although I never finished more than a short story until about five years ago.  My first original story was a smutty pirate romance (heterosexual) that I wrote to see if I really could write explicit sex.  It’s an X-rated Harlequin style romance.  Romantic, but explicit.  But what really got me hooked?  When a good friend and fellow author (my Prelude co-author, the lovely Venona Keyes) suggested we write an MM story together.  That was it:  I started writing gay romances exclusively and have never looked back!

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

I have a few, but hands down one of the two main characters in my brand new release, Prelude, is my absolute favorite.  David Somers is the fictional conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  He’s the heir to a Wall Street investment company and is fabulously rich.  On the surface, he’s sophisticated and poised.  A world-class musician.  Underneath it all, though, he’s a total mess.  He’s insecure and afraid to take a chance at a relationship even when he knows violinist Alex Bishop is a “keeper.”  It was so much fun writing David’s slightly stilted way of speaking and the way he navigates fancy donors’ parties, and then showing the reader what he’s really like underneath the polished veneer.  Fortunately, Alex is sharp enough to figure David out.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I’ve traveled all of the United States and Europe.  I lived in France when I was a kid (I write about those experiences through my Blue Notes Series characters).  I’ve also been to a good portion of the Caribbean (I got my open water scuba certification last year).  But I’ve never been to the Far East.  I find Japanese and Chinese culture amazing, and I love exotic foods.  I would love to spend a few months traveling around Asia and exploring.  Maybe even take a trip across China, like Rob Gifford describes in his book, China Road. 

Does travel play in the writing of your books?

Yes.  Definitely!  My classical music series, Blue Notes, features musicians who travel the world over in their careers.  Each book is set in a different city.  The original book in the series, Blue Notes, was inspired by one of my trips to Paris (my favorite city).  It features a former musician turned lawyer who runs away from his cheating fiancée to find himself in Paris.  The second book in the series, The Melody Thief, is set in Milan, Italy.  With each story, I try to incorporate what I know about the city so that the location is a bit like a character of its own.

Tell us about your current release.

Prelude is the fourth book in the Blue Notes Series of classical music themed gay romances from Dreamspinner Press.  Each of the Blue Notes books is a standalone novel, and the novels can be read in any order.  Secondary characters in one book may become main characters in another, and all the characters inhabit the same “universe” of musicians.

Prelude is the story of David Somers, who appears in all the other Blue Notes novels.  David is a superstar conductor who underneath the smooth exterior is lonely and unhappy.  David hears music in everything he experiences, and always dreamed of being a composer.  But he can’t seem to translate the music in his head onto paper.  When David meets crossover violinist Alex Bishop, David hears amazing music.  Alex is warm and outgoing where David is aloof and insecure.  But underneath it all, the two men have far more in common, and through their music, they connect in a way David never thought possible.

Prelude was written with my good friend, Venona Keyes, and was published by Dreamspinner Press on May 6^th.

Tell us about your next release.

My next release is a “and now for something completely different” kind of story!  Stealing the Wind, the first book in the Mermen of Ea series (also from Dreamspinner Press), will be released in August or September of this year.  Unlike the Blue Notes Series, the Mermen series is a sequel series, meant to be read in order.  The books in the series are more plot-driven/adventure stories than my Blue Notes romances.  Fantasy/supernatural genre and set in the Age of Sail in an Earthlike place. 

Stealing the Wind is the story of Taren Laxley, an orphan who is sold into indentured servitude when he’s a baby.  He grows up learning to rig the great sailing ships that sail into the harbor and dreams of going to sea.  When he’s kidnapped by pirates, he finally realizes his dream.  Later, he is taken captive aboard the Phantom and meets its captain, Ian Dunaidh.  Taren is surprised to discover that Ian and his crew are not human—they are Ea, mermen shifters who can transform and live beneath the waves.  More surprising is that Taren learns he, too, is Ea.

Stealing the Wind is a bit sexier than my contemporary romances.  It features a ménage (MMM) sexual initiation and a bit of dubcon at the beginning, although it is strictly a MM pairing.  It also gave me the chance to imagine what merman sex might be like.  But that’s a story for another day!

Does your significant other read your stuff?

Sometimes he does.  He’s a pretty busy man, so it’s been hard for him to keep up with my books.  He is instrumental in helping me with my characterizations, though.  He’s got great insight into human behavior and he’s helped me develop many of my favorite characters.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I do!  I have a circle of wonderful authors who also write for Dreamspinner Press who I beta read for and who beta read for me.  They’re tough, but they’re wonderful.  I rely on them for substantive help, and they do put me through my paces!  I also have a wonderful senior editor I work with at Dreamspinner who is a gem.  I have no doubt my books are successful because of my editor and my beta readers.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Just that I’m so thrilled that my books connect with my readers.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it’s been to know that there are readers waiting for the next book in my Blue Notes Series, and that they have come to love my characters as much as I loved writing them.  I have the best readers!  I really do. 

Blurb for Prelude:  World-renowned conductor David Somers never wanted the investment firm he inherited from his domineering grandfather. He only wanted to be a composer. But no matter how he struggles, David can’t translate the music in his head into notes on paper.

When a guest violinist at the Chicago Symphony falls ill, David meets Alex Bishop, a last-minute substitute. Alex’s fame and outrageous tattoos fail to move David. Then Alex puts bow to string, and David hears the brilliance of Alex’s soul.

David has sworn off relationships, believing he will eventually drive away those he loves, or that he'll lose them as he lost his wife and parents. But Alex is outgoing, relaxed, and congenial—everything David is not—and soon makes dents in the armor around David's heart. David begins to dream of Alex, wonderful dreams full of music. Becoming a composer suddenly feels attainable.

David’s fragile ego, worn away by years of his grandfather’s disdain, makes losing control difficult. When David’s structured world comes crashing down, his fledgling relationship with Alex is the first casualty. Still, David hears Alex’s music, haunting and beautiful. David wants to love Alex, but first he must find the strength to acknowledge himself.

***************

Bio:  In her last incarnation, Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 35’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Shira’s Blue Notes Series of classical music themed gay romances was named one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Word’s “Best Series of 2012,” and The Melody Thief was named one of the “Best Novels in a Series of 2012.” The Melody Thief also received an honorable mention, “One Perfect Score” at the 2012 Rainbow Awards.

Shira can be found on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: http://www.shiraanthony.com
E-mail: shiraanthony@hotmail.com

*************

Excerpt from Prelude

Chapter Two

Chicago, Present Day

David Somers had a headache.  He’d hoped it would pass, but it had only gotten worse in the past fifteen minutes.  He waited stage left as the orchestra finished tuning. 

Deep breath.  Focus.

The concertmaster sat back down—the signal for David to walk onto the stage of Orchestra Hall.  His hall.  His orchestra.  He breathed in slowly before walking onto the stage, his expression schooled, utterly focused.  The Armani tux he wore was perfectly pressed, his posture faultless, and his stride confident.  The orchestra stood as he entered.  The hall, filled to capacity, rang with polite applause. 

But David’s disinterested poise was merely a sham—he was irritated to the extreme.  Only his strong sense of duty had brought him back to the stage tonight for the second half of the program.  That, and the potential sponsors of his modern music series whom he knew sat in the center box seats—the box that had been owned by Somers Investments for more than sixty years.

He glanced stage-left to where the soloist waited to make his entrance.  David had seen him for the first time only moments before, and he'd been left with the distinct impression of a street thug.  Tattoos, indeed.  There was no place for such a thing in the refined world of classical music.  True, the soloist had worn the traditional tails of an artist making a solo appearance with the Chicago Symphony, one of the finest symphony orchestras in the world.  But that was de rigueur, expected of him, regardless of his personal tastes.  No, it had been the telltale ink visible at the other man’s throat as he buttoned up his shirt that had taken David by surprise.

"Lastislav Voitavich is ill," his personal assistant, James Roland, had told him as he arrived at the back entrance to Symphony Center that afternoon, "but we've managed to find a replacement."

David hadn’t been concerned.  Such last-minute substitutions were rare, but not unheard of.  He knew there were plenty of violinists who would give their eyeteeth to take the stage under his baton and with such a prestigious orchestra.  There were few conductors on the classical music scene with his reputation, let alone as young as he.

"Has the replacement performed the piece before?"

"Of course, Maestro," James assured him. “Several times, I’m told.”

"That will be sufficient."  It would be just that—sufficient—nothing more and nothing less.  That was the way of all last-minute substitutions.  The evening would not be a memorable one, but David would make sure that his audience did not leave disappointed.  The orchestra’s performance would, at least, be outstanding.

"There is one thing you should know, though," James added in a quavering voice.  It meant little that they’d worked together for nearly five years; David had never been an easy man to please.  But then, one didn’t get a reputation like his by having lax standards.  David was a perfectionist and proud of it.

He glared at James—he didn’t appreciate being troubled with such nonsense before a performance—he needed time to prepare, to focus on the music, and review the score.  "What do you wish to tell me?"

"Th… the… the soloist… he… ah—"

"I don’t care who he is, as long as he can play the Sibelius."  David ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"He… he can, of course.” Beads of sweat appeared on James’s forehead.

Five minutes before he’d taken the stage for the second half of the concert, when he read through the bio James had handed him, David realized what a mistake he’d made by not pressing the issue further.   It’s a concert.  Nothing more.  There will be time to kowtow in apology to the board tomorrow, if need be.  He detested kowtowing, but he also knew he did it quite well.

David rarely made any sort of public speech, let alone an announcement in the middle of a concert.  He despised public speaking, but there was nothing to do for it—the substitution had been too eleventh-hour to print something to add into the programs.

“Good evening,” he began with a practiced smile.  “There has been a slight change in tonight’s program. Our featured soloist, Lastislav Voitavich, has taken ill.”   There were murmurs from the audience, so David waited until the hall was silent before continuing, “Alexander Bishop has graciously agreed to perform the Sibelius.”  Instead of voicing their disappointment, the audience applauded with surprising enthusiasm.  “Thank you.” David was unsure what to make of the response.   He nodded toward the wings.  There was renewed applause as the violinist took to the stage. 

Alex Bishop.  A rock star masquerading as a classical violinist.  Tattoos and groupies.  He didn't doubt that the man was competent—his assistant was young, not stupid.  Still, David loathed this "new breed" of musician who all too often graced the covers of magazines like Time and, more recently, Rolling Stone.  Tattoos, indeed.  In David’s estimation, the term “crossover artist” was a mere marketing tool, intended to exploit an artist’s good looks and increase sales. 

He signaled for the concertmaster to provide the soloist with an opportunity to tune before turning to face the orchestra, his back to the audience.  The Sibelius Violin Concerto was a challenging but not an overly taxing piece, and he’d rehearsed his orchestra well.   The orchestra will shine, despite any deficit in the quality of the fiddle playing. He raised his baton and did his best to ignore the auburn hair that fell onto the soloist’s shoulders in a tumble. 

Alex Bishop was attractive enough.  Tall and muscular—taller than David himself.  David was surprised he even noticed, but then there was something about Bishop that commanded attention.  Still, in spite of his apparent ease in front of the large crowd and his undeniable stage-presence, David knew Bishop was no more than a pretender to the world of classical music.  All hype and no substance—a creation of Hollywood agents and a second-rate player, no doubt.  He’d heard so-called “crossover” artists perform before, and he hadn’t been impressed.

Bishop glanced over to David, his instrument tucked under his chin.  Their eyes met for a brief moment.  Bishop’s dark brown eyes simmered with passion and focus.  David raised his baton higher, the signal to the orchestra for the downbeat.  One deft flick of the baton later, the orchestra began the first measures of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor.

As a conductor, David had always preferred the less emotional, modern repertoire to the sweeping romanticism of Brahms, Mahler, or Sibelius.  Tonight's program had been a nod to the wealthy patrons who kept the orchestra’s finances in the black.  It was a tedious thing, to be required to accommodate the common musical tastes of his benefactors, but David tolerated it, knowing he'd been able to include a less tonal, more challenging piece of music later in the symphony's performance schedule.  In David’s opinion, the Sibelius concerto was no exception.  He was unmoved by its soaring and plaintive melodies, although he knew that his audience would respond to it with enthusiasm.

David glanced over at Bishop.  Their eyes met again as Bishop began the first few notes of the solo line and the heady tones of his violin filled the concert hall.  With practiced concentration, David returned his focus to the score that sat on the podium in front of him.  He didn't need to read the music to conduct the piece—he had committed every measure to memory—but he sought the distraction. 

Strange.  He’s better than I expected.  Far better, really, although David would hardly admit it to himself.

Bishop finished the opening phrase of the movement with obvious ease.  Again, David found himself taken aback by the intensity of the other man's playing, as well as the natural musicality and the warm tone he was able to coax from the fiddle.  The violin Bishop played was serviceable, but it was no Stradivarius or Guarneri.  Still, David found it remarkable that the instrument sounded nearly as resonant the as finest instruments he had heard through the years.  “A good instrument can make the performer,” his old friend and predecessor, John Fuchs, had once told him.  “But without talent, it is only an instrument.” 

As the evening progressed, Bishop began the second movement: a slow and sensual adagio.  Once more, David found himself transported by the artistry with which Bishop conveyed the depth of the composition, and again David found himself struggling to maintain his focus and not lose himself in the music.  After the third and final movement, the crowd jumped to its feet.  Amidst the enthusiastic applause were resounding calls of "Bravo!" from some of the patrons.  Including, David noted with pleasure, the two men and one woman seated in the Somers’s box.

The audience was satisfied with no fewer than four bows, each time calling back both soloist and conductor to the stage with more cheers and applause.  As they walked back and forth across the stage for each bow, David watched with interest, half-expecting Bishop to react as a rock star might and toss an article of clothing to his adoring fans.  He did nothing of the sort, instead bowing with surprising grace and maintaining the decorum expected from a soloist performing with a world-renowned symphony orchestra.  David noticed that rather than basking in the glow of the audience’s response, Bishop appeared slightly ill at ease with the adulation, although he smiled personably and with genuine appreciation.

After the final bow, David followed Bishop offstage.  He had intended to retreat to his dressing room, but several fans already crowded the wings, blocking the way.  Irritated by the lack of security, David attempted to walk around the gathering crowd by taking a path through the wings instead of directly out to the corridor.  Several orchestra members milled about, clearly anxious to congratulate Bishop on his performance.  Seeing David, they nodded in a formal manner—they had long since learned that the he did not wish to be disturbed after a performance.  David returned each gesture with a curt nod, sidestepping the approaching fans before slipping out the door and into the hallway.

He closed the door behind him and looked up into a pair of dark eyes.  Bishop, it appeared, had also sought to avoid the backstage chaos.  He smiled at David, holding his violin and bow in his right hand.  “Maestro,” he said.  Transferring his instrument to his left hand, he offered his right hand to David.  The casual warmth of the gesture took David aback—he was used to being the one to initiate such contact with the orchestra’s guest artists.

They shook hands in silence.  There was a moment’s hesitation before David withdrew his hand and said, "We appreciate your willingness to fill in at the last minute."

"It was my pleasure," the violinist murmured.  He watched David as if unsure what to make of him.  "I've played the concerto a few times, although never with such a skillful conductor."

David, accustomed to compliments, remained unmoved.  "Thank you."

Bishop shifted inelegantly on his feet.  "Listen," he said, "we're having a little party at my place.  Just a few friends, a couple of beers, that sort of thing.  Nothin' fancy.  Would you like to join us?"

"I appreciate the invitation, but I’m expected at a donors’ party in a few minutes."

"No problem." Bishop smiled and nodded.  "I understand." 

Was that disappointment David saw in the other man’s face?  Unlikely.  He’s relieved.  Besides, can you see yourself at a party with a few friends and a ‘couple of beers’?  He’s just trying to be kind.  Then, realizing that his response had been quite rude, David said, "Perhaps another ti—"  His words were cut short by shouts and giggles as two teenage girls launched themselves at Bishop, nearly knocking his violin from his hand. 

David stepped backward to avoid the onslaught and almost collided with a woman with long blond hair who swooped in to protect Bishop from the girls.  The girlfriend, no doubt.  Time to leave.  He turned and strode quickly down the hallway to his dressing room, closing the door and taking a deep breath on the other side.

Mr. Beckett

Yesterday I posted pics of my dogs...I hadn't planned to post them. In fact, it was meant for a totally different blog, but hey, sh*t happens. lol

So today I will show you Beckett. He's our golden who will chase a ball forever. He comes home from the park unable to breathe, but he'll still hand me the ball. The dog is nuts. He constantly lives up to his breed. Whenever we come home or someone enters the house, he must grab something. It doesn't matter if it's a dish towel, shoe or baby toy - he has to find something. He'll growl playfully and expect you to chase him for whatever he's retrieved. The good thing is he won't chew it. He's my resident PIA, but my cuddle buddy too.

Wherever I sit you'll find him right by my side or under my feet. He's the baby's protector too...only of her food. If Tyler the yellow lab gets too close, Beckett will growl warning us or him. :o)

While the other dogs will protect the door, Beckett will stand or sit in front of me if he feels threatened. This dog has my back. Not sure anyone else in the family can say that.

He's my baby.

Tyler and Jesse

These are two of my boys...Tyler the yellow lab and Jesse the chocolate. I had no hand in naming the dogs. The girls did as they picked them out.
Both are 8 Jesse's the older one by 4 months. Jesse is having trouble getting up in the mornings and when it's time for bed. Hubby runs them down at the park every day, so they get a ton of exercise. I worry about my baby. He's the oldest and seems to be showing some age.
Tyler on the other hand I thought would be gone by now. He didn't have a good start to life. He caught pneumonia at 4 months and they didn't think he'd make it through the night. But I nursed him back to life keeping vigil 24/7. The result of his illness was one bad lung. He's strong as an ox and showing no signs of slowing down.

Beckett on the other hand...he's the energizer bunny. Picture of him coming soon!

Whet Your Appetite Wednesday

I've gone through my books A-Z or W if you will. ;)  When I start it up again it will have new excerpts or excerpts from WIPs. Maybe I'll have excerpts from other authors. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Wild in Paradise - M/M

Buy Link

Blurb:

Sam has secretly loved Evan for as long as he could remember. Evan can’t see beyond his love for their Ice Cream Shoppe Wild Lickins. To escape his desires for his best friend and business partner, Sam takes off for an overdue vacation. Coral Reef, an all male resort, promises a week of sex, sun and relaxation. It’s the perfect combination to help Sam clear his mind. What it doesn’t prepare Sam for is Jim.

Can a stranger help Sam forget about his lust for Evan? Or is there more to the distraction than meets the eye?

Excerpt:

They rode for a good half hour before coming to a stop near an open expanse of land. From this view, you could see down over the resort. The white sands, the rolling waves, the dazzling colors—it was all spectacular.

After dismounting their horses, Jim wrapped an arm around Sam’s shoulder.

“Incredible isn’t it?”

“It is. I’m in awe.”

“I love it up here. Not that I don’t love it down there, because what’s not to love. But up here, we’re really alone. The only sounds are some exotic birds in the distance maybe an animal or two rustling in the bushes, but aside from that it’s relatively quiet.”

Sam agreed. He hadn’t heard any sounds other than their horses snorting every so often. A butterfly fluttered in front of them.

“Come on. I want to show you something.” Sam allowed Jim to take his hand and lead him off the beaten path. They left the horses behind secured to a tree.

“Where are we going?” Sam asked curiously. The thick brush scraped at his legs as Jim dragged him further and further from the trial.

“Not far. You’re going to love it I swear.”

Jim’s enthusiasm was hard to ignore and Sam didn’t believe he’d lead him astray. Whatever it was Jim definitely loved the idea of sharing it with him. Sam couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted to show him.

They walked out of the dense brush and into an open area. Sam did a double take when he saw the waterfall. The water cascaded a hundred feet into a swimming hole.

“Wow,” he said, standing there mesmerized. “Is it safe to swim?”

Sam didn’t wait for a response. He shed his clothes, ready to jump in and explore this wonderful spectacle.

“I don’t think it matters if I say no. You’re ready to go.” Jim laughed, pointing to Sam’s naked body.

“First one in is a…” Sam dove into the water. He came up refreshed from the cool water. “It’s not as warm as the ocean, but it feels good after being in the hot sun.”

He splashed water towards Jim. “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

Jim shucked off his clothes and did a cannonball into the water. “Oooh, it is a bit colder.” He swam over to Sam. “Maybe you can warm me up?”

Sam’s dick rose at the thought of fucking him. He’d like another go at that tight ass. He also wouldn’t mind feeling Jim’s warm mouth wrapped around his cock again, expertly working magic with that tongue. Oh, this vacation was worth every dime he spent. His only regret was that Evan wasn’t sharing this breathtaking view with him, instead of Jim.

“Do I need to distract you again?” Jim asked, rubbing his member.

“Huh?”

“Your thoughts are on your friend back home. You’re missing him again.”

“Yes,” Sam confessed. “How could you tell?”

“Your eyes. They get this faraway look, one that says you can’t hear a word I’m saying.”

Operation: Second Honeymoon

Today I'm over at Seven Sexy Scribes talking about my new book Operation: Second Honeymoon, coming July 9th from Loose Id

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mom's out there...

Welcome Stephanie Draven

Adult Entertainment in the Roaring Twenties

by

Stephanie Draven

It Stings So Sweet is a novel in three parts--a literary threesome, if you will. And, no question about it, much like the middle part of a threesome, it was the story in the middle that had the most fun. Or, at the very least, it was the most fun to write.

Inspired by legendary silent screen star Clara Bow, I wanted to write a sassy, brassy heroine with a secret her lover could exploit.

Where to turn, but to Hollywood? The Roaring Twenties kicked off the Golden Age of movies. It was a time before television and millions of people went to the movies every week five times or more. There were neighborhood Nickelodeons where couples necked in the back aisles, and luxurious Movie Palaces where the ritzy folks went to rub elbows in style.

This much I knew. What I didn’t know was just how naughty those films could be.

They said, in the twenties, “Anything Goes.” And there were no movie ratings or restrictions on filmmakers at the time. So just how randy did these films get?

Well, if you were ever under the impression that pornography was a Boogie Nights invention of the 1970s allow me to shatter your illusions as mine were shattered when my research led me to a vintage stag film called Nudist Bar.

I admit to staring agog at one of the few surviving films to have been digitized from that glitzy era.

What I learned--after I recovered from the shock--was that stag films from the Jazz Age were not only explicit, but experimental. Every coupling you can imagine was caught on film, and sometimes it was more than just couples. Threesomes, foursomes, and moresomes, too!

But in spite of the graphic nature of the films there was a sort of charming tenderness to such films utterly lacking in the modern adult entertainment industry. The cheeky winks at the camera, the hand-holding, the courtly behavior of a vintage porn star towards his leading ladies is arrestingly different than what we have come to expect--and somehow seemed far less exploitive than its modern equivalent.

It was, for me, a real eye-opener about the evolution of sexuality in the 19th Century. And it also helped inspire my heroine’s secret. You see, in It Stings So Sweet, glamorous Clara Cartwright starred in just such a film before becoming a Hollywood legend...and is now being blackmailed by the mysterious WWI Flying Ace who gets his hands on the reel.

When she decides to meet the war hero for a private screening, to make sure he isn’t bluffing, the sparks fly! And I think you’ll fall in love with her blackmailer just as hard as she does.

Bio

STEPHANIE DRAVEN is a bestselling, award-winning and RITA-nominated author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Her newest project, IT STINGS SO SWEET is a collection of 1920s historical erotic romances that celebrate sex, women, and the Jazz Age. Her most recent novel with Entangled Publishing, IN BED WITH THE OPPOSITION, is a mix of humor and sex-appeal set against the backdrop of a zany political campaign inspired by the career of Baltimore legend William Donald Schaefer. Both novels are fun departures from her more serious Greek mythology-inspired series for Harlequin's Nocturne line, the debut novel of which was nominated by Romantic Times for Best First Series. The series has earned critical praise for its originality and awareness of social issues and garnered the 2012 SWIRL award for excellence in multi-cultural romance literature as well as the CataRomance's Reviewers Choice Award. Writing historical fiction about Cleopatra’s daughter as Stephanie Dray, she won the Golden Leaf Award for SONG OF THE NILE. Stephanie is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books. StephanieDraven.com

Blurb

They vibrated with incendiary Jazz. They teemed with sexual abandon. The Twenties were roaring and the women–young, open, rebellious, and willing–set the pace and pushed the limits with every man they met…

In the aftermath of a wild, liquor-soaked party, three women from very different social classes are about to live out their forbidden desires.

Society girl, Nora Richardson’s passionate nature has always been a challenge to her ever-patient husband. Now he wants out of the marriage and she has just this one night to win him back. The catch? He wants to punish her for her bad behavior. Nora is offended by her husband’s increasingly depraved demands, but as the night unfolds, she discovers her own true nature and that the line between pain and pleasure is very thin indeed.

Meanwhile, Clara Cartwright, sultry siren of the silent screen, is introduced to a mysterious WWI Flying Ace. If Clara, darling of the scandal sheets, knows anything, it’s men. And she’s known plenty. But none of them push her boundaries like the aviator, who lures her into a ménage with a stranger in a darkened cinema then steals her jaded heart.

Working class girl Sophie O’Brien has more important things on her mind than pleasures of the flesh. But when her playboy boss, the wealthy heir to the Aster family fortune, confronts her with her diary of secret sex fantasies, she could die of shame. To her surprise, he doesn’t fire her; instead, he dares her to re-enact her boldest fantasies and Sophie is utterly seduced.

One party serves as a catalyst of sexual awakening. And in an age when anything goes, three women discover that anything is possible…

Purchase Info

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/It-Stings-Sweet-Stephanie-Draven/dp/0425263185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357253672&sr=8-1&keywords=it+stings+so+sweet

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-stings-so-sweet-stephanie-draven/1111306113