Monday 29 September 2014

Going Commando

Going commando!

A writer friend recently emailed to say she’d had to leave home in a rush for a medical emergency in the family and consequently forgot to pack any knickers! She only had the ones she stood up in and was having to go out to buy some more.

Now, whilst that is an excellent opportunity to get some nice new underwear, I laughingly advised her to go commando. I love it myself.

If I am wearing a skirt or dress for the day job (which involves a commute on bus and train of about 80 minutes) there is always the element of danger that the skirt may ride up as I am sitting, or blow up if it is windy outside. It makes me feel wicked and decadent. (I have yet to try walking over an air vent aka Marilyn Monroe, although she was wearing underwear ….)



If I am wearing trousers the element of naughtiness is lost – but this is regained if I am wearing my soft cords. The feeling of this material against my nether regions is decidedly shameless!

My friend’s comment after trying it out was that she felt liberated!

For me going commando is not just about dropping my knickers but flinging off the bra, too. I feel I can breathe better, don’t have any annoying wires or straps digging in…. AND I have a much posture. My shoulders go back and do the work of holding up the boobs that they were meant to do.

However, I do realise that not everyone is in a position to do that. I am size C cup and can cope.

Unfortunately I can’t get away with going braless at the day job. Not that I am flopping around, but the nipples show through my tops and as I am in a reception area, we have too many visitors coming past! Having said that sometimes the nipples show despite the bra *sigh*

But I have certain dresses or tops that have enough material in them that I can get away with it… *evil grin*

Go on …. try it.

Jen


Friday 26 September 2014

Weekend reading

This week’s reading includes werewolves, vampires and culinary students!


Title of book:  My Werewolf Boyfriend

Name of author:  Elizabeth Monvey

Genre: Paranormal/Gay/short story

Description of main characters:

Aaron Nicolini, 26, Italian, brown hair, brown eyes.  Tall and muscular, works in an Italian Deli.

Anthony “Tony” Lykes, 29, bear man type, black hair, brown eyes, 6’4” works in construction so big muscular guy.

Setting: Delaware

Length: Romance on the Go, about 35 pages

Blurb:

Aaron and Tony’s relationship is going strong after almost a year, except for once a month when Tony has to return home to check on his uncle. Aaron feels slighted because he’s never included, so he decides to take matters into his own hands and follow Tony.

What's hot?: Tony and Aaron’s love.  There are some steamy scenes!





Title of book: Scar Tissue - Dominion book 2
 
Name of author: Evie Jayne

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Description of main characters:

Hero: Caden James, vampire, mid to late 2o's in appearance, roughly a century old. 6'5”, Mahogany brown hair, Indigo eyes.

Heroine: Parry O'Morrigan, beanne sidhe huntress. Appears in her early to mid twenties, but is over 6 centuries old. Short black curls and pointed ears, black eyes.

Setting: An undisclosed city

Length: Full length Novel
Blurb:

Caden James is a rare subspecies of vampire. That’s bad enough, but it’s only going to get worse. The 2nd maturation is almost upon him, when he will fall into the Dark Dominion. Unless he can find the female fated to save his soul.

What's hot in your story?: Cade voluntarily submits to Parry. He's not tied up, but he's not allowed to touch her. Psychological bondage.





Title of book: In the Raw
 
Name of author: Nikka Michaels, Eileen Griffin

Genre: M/M, Contemporary Romance

Description of main characters:

Jamie, 22, 6ft tall, blond hair, blue eyes

Ethan, 22, 6 ft tall, messy black hair, green eyes

Setting: Culinary school

Length: 85,000 Words

Blurb: James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years. When Ethan struggles, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.  Even though Ethan is secretly hot for Jamie, he doesn't want help.

But Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan's been missing.

What's hot?: Competitors to lovers.



Wednesday 24 September 2014

Writing a new genre - Sci-fi stories

This is the second in a series of authors talking about their experiences when writing a new genre and my guest this month is the lovely Tatum Throne who had two sci-fi stories out with different publishers within a few weeks of each other.


*waves* Thanks for having me on your blog today! I’m here to share my experience writing a new genre. It was way more exciting than I ever thought it would be.

I started writing my first Sci-Fi a year ago. I honestly made the mistake of mentioning to someone that I was working on a Sci-Fi. They immediately started pre-judging my book, telling me that Sci-Fi fans are very particular and I have to do it right. *snort* That there are rules to follow. *eye roll* That I really shouldn’t write it as I won’t do it right. Excuse me? The only rules I follow when writing a new book are the ones my muse lays out for me. I go where my muse always takes me or he starts fighting me and then all writing comes to a stop. That’s the worst place to be as a writer.

(Just to clarify this was at a writing conference when I pitched my Sci-Fi to an editor - no relation to my current publishers - who immediately cringed when I told her it was Sci-Fi. I was then told that Sci-Fi doesn't sell well. I was taken aback because I didn't realize I was only in the writing business if my work sells well. I didn't realize that they only took authors on who they think their work will do well and make them tons of money. It also made me understand that they're not in the business of truly growing authors. No one hits a home-run their first book out. It takes time to build a following.)

I won’t mention who this editor was as I do respect her experience. Sci-Fi doesn’t sell well at all. I was warned that I was basically wasting my time. Huh? I’m a writer. I never waste my time doing what I love. If I don’t write what my muse orders me to, I can’t let the book go. I have to write it! *sigh* So, here I am with this great story that I’ve been told Sci-Fi romance fans will hate and I’m wasting my time. Wow.

Words have power. I’m glad I didn’t listen to those two who didn’t have my best interest at heart. They were looking at the bottom line. Contact [Titan Year 1] hit ARe’s best sellers list while still on pre-order. It then went on to hit #10 on Amazon under Sci-Fi M/M romance. So, happy I didn’t listen. Where would my book be if I had? Probably sitting at the bottom of my work in progress file.

I love writing Sci-Fi romance. I love writing about really hot sex with aliens. I love the idea that they know about us but are staying away. I get easily caught up in the fantasy of Sci-Fi. I mean…what would you do if they contacted you? I know what I would do.

Contact [Titan Year 1] found a home with Luminosity Publishing and has gone further than I ever wished, dreamed, and planned. I am absolutely thrilled fans are loving this series. I have big plans for it. I’m currently working on book two!

Happy reading!


That was fascinating reading. I was horrified that anyone would tell an author that writing a particular genre is a waste of time! Regardless of how well it sells, with each book we write we develop our writing skills.

I asked her a follow up question, “Knowing that both books came out about the same time and you were editing them one after another, did you find it difficult to jump from one to another bearing in mind they are both sci-fis or did you get confused trying to remember which 'world' you were in? And did you have any tricks to avoid this?"

Her answer was, “With having two Sci-Fi books out about the same time, I had to take copious notes and make detailed character spreadsheets that explained all alien traits. I built two completely different worlds and I want to make sure I stay true to each. It wasn't difficult to keep them separate in my mind but as I build on each series, I don't want to make mistakes."

Thanks, Tatum. That is good advice.

If you want to know more here are the blurbs and buy links for both her stories:

Contact [Titan Year 1]
What would you do if they contacted you?

NASA scientist Cooper Hart is dying. He’s determined to spend his final days hoping to hear a signal from a far away world. When the encryption first comes in, he quickly discovers that this isn’t a prank. They want to meet.

Elian Moten has spent the last four years searching for a life form compatible to his. His world is dying from the lack of ability to reproduce. They need males to repopulate. After researching the planet within the Benidi Region, also known as Earth, he chooses Cooper Hart to bring back to the royal family. He isn’t prepared for the intense attraction he feels for Cooper or the overpowering urge to claim him.

After three months aboard the Titan, Cooper wakes up to discover he isn’t dead. He’s been given a second chance, but he’s not sure if he’s prepared to take it. When he looks at Elian, he only knows how to say yes.

Reader Advisory: Sci-Fi MM erotic romance, containing consensual relationship between human and alien. Light BDSM, spanking.


Deep Salvage [ISA 1]
[Siren Publishing Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Futuristic Sci-Fi
Romance, M/M, spanking, HEA]

Ehren Tovar has just escaped the war towers. To flee off planet, Ehren pretends to be a synthetic life. When he’s sold to Captain Talen Runak, he quickly falls for the warrior. Too bad he has no idea he’s really a human who is using him to get back to Earth.

Talen tries to ignore the intense attraction he has for the synthetic life but can’t. There is something different about him that turns him on. As a Dom, he’s always chosen his submissives wisely. He’s never thought about taking a Syn on before.

Despite covering his tracks, Ehren knows that Talen suspects that there is something different about him. Unable to fight the growing attraction, Ehren knows it won’t be long before the captain discovers he’s human. What will Talen do to him when he finds out he’s really not a Syn?

Will be available on Amazon in a few weeks.


Next month, Bella Settarra is talking about writing Cowboy books.

Monday 22 September 2014

Defining villainous names

Following on from my guest post on Bella Settarra’s blog last week about ‘Defining Erotic Romance’ I had some interesting feedback including one writer who said she used her ex-husband as a villain in one of her stories and thoroughly enjoyed whipping his butt (in the story!).  http://bellasettarrabooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/jennifer-denys-talks-about-erotic.html

And another who said that using bad people we know as our villains was a great way to work off angst.

That made me wonder how many other authors have used the names (or even the characters) of people they hate/dislike/who have made their lives a misery for their villains.

I then found this link to the 50 greatest villains in literature: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3560987/50-greatest-villains-in-literature.html

Looking down the list I see Cruella de Vil is quite high however, it took me years to realize this actually reads ‘cruel devil’!

However, did J K Rowling know someone called ‘Voldemort’? Where did the inventor of Hannibal Lecter come up with that name? Did a ‘Bill Sykes’ do bad things to Dickens?

Some villain names have become so well-known that we use them as descriptive terms like a Svengali meaning ‘someone who manipulates’, Machiavellian meaning ‘someone who schemes maliciously’, Jekyll or Frankenstein – both of whom were doctors who created monsters, to be a Don Juan is to be ‘a womaniser’.

How fabulous it would be to have a villain of mine used in this fashion…. Maybe I need to give more thought to my villains!


Jen  

Friday 19 September 2014

Weekend Reading

Sex in the shower, a threesome on Moone Mountain or in a regency style dungeon? That's what's on offer today.



Title of book: Texas Twang (Bryson Corners #1)
 
Name of author: Paige Warren

Genre: Cowboy/Interracial

Description of main characters:

Drew Benson is over six feet of chocolaty goodness, with bright blue eyes. He’s 32 and has two younger siblings.

Lexie Duvall is a petit, curvy woman with long blonde hair. She’s 27 and an only child.

Setting: The story takes place in Bryson Corners, a small town in Oklahoma not far from the Texas border.

Length: It’s a short novella (Romance on the Go line)

Blurb:

Lexie Duval has always gone after what she wants, and she wants Drew Benson. The tall, sexy mocha cowboy is one hunk of a man she'd love to get her hands on. A rodeo cowboy through and through, she just hopes he can stay on for longer than eight seconds.

What’s hot?: Sex in the shower






Title of book: Ménage on Moone Mountain
 
Name of author: Bella Settarra

Genre: Erotic Romance, Cowboy Romance, M/M/F Ménage

Description of main characters:

Brooke Anderson – calls herself Brooke Adams when she first arrives at Moone.  Pretty face.  Plumpish.  Very soft skin, big blue eyes, long, blonde wavy hair.  Not very self-confident.  About 26 yrs old. 5’5” tall.

Travis Beaumont – Dom – bi-sexual - cowboy, dark, tousled hair to collar, brown eyes, stubble, smells of Giorgio Armani, dazzling smile, grins a lot, optimistic and cheerful.  Slightly hairy chest, southern drawl, very muscular. About 28 yrs old.  6’3” tall.  Runs his own ranch.

Kent Freeman – Dom – bi-sexual - deputy sheriff, blond curly hair to collar, big green eyes, very soft hands, soft to cuddle up to, muscular, large build, clean shaven face and chest. About 29 yrs old.  6’2” tall.

Setting: Moone Mountain in Moone County, Colorado

Length: Approx 65,000 words

Blurb:  While on the run from a violent ex-boyfriend, Brooke finds herself being looked after by Travis and Kent, two gorgeous bi-sexual cowboys.  While her every instinct tells her to keep running, the pull that these guys have on her is so strong that she hesitates – almost costing her her life…

What’s Hot?: Heroine has double penetration with two hot, dominant cowboys – what’s not to love?






Title of Book: First Bite

Name of Author: Tamsin Baker

Genre: MMF Historical, Vampire Erotic Romance

Description of main characters:

Lina is a 400 year old but looks 25. She’s a green eyed, voluptuous vampire with the need to dominate in bed.

Benedict is 31, a Regency gentleman and is tall, dark and handsome.

Antony is older than even Lina, but is closer to 35 in looks. He’s darker, more handsome and built like a Greek God.

Setting: Regency period London

Length: 24,000 words

Blurb: Can two possessive and passionate vampires make a relationship work with the one human they are both destined to love?

What’s hot?: Hot threesome in a regency style dungeon



Wednesday 17 September 2014

Guest post

Defining Erotic Romance

What is erotic romance? Is it erotica or is it romance?

What does MMF mean?

Who is the readership of erotic romances?

What length is a novella?

Why do the heroes have short names (and why aren’t there many older heroines)?


These, and others, are the topics of conversation on my guest post over on the blog of the lovely Bella Settarra today. http://bellasettarrabooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Monday 15 September 2014

Something you never knew about me

Something you never knew about me – I had an older brother, Paddy, who died when I was six (he was 19). Here is a photo of us – it wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with him (LOL) but I frowned in every photo at that age.



One story that my mum told was that I was in a play pen outside with a neighbour’s child who was the same age as me and I was hitting the other child(!).

Mum called out for me to stop. When I refused to stop hitting poor Craig, she came charging out to give me a spanking but Paddy leapt over the railing, grabbed me and we escaped together!! My hero! J

Because I was so young when he died I only have a few memories of him, almost like photo snapshots – including him arriving with an Easter egg (trust me to remember a chocolate related memory!), coming to collect me from school in his car as it was pouring with rain, and laughing with my mum and dad when he was late home from work. At that time he worked in industrial chimneys so we were joking that, “Paddy’s got stuck up the chimney.”


Jen

Friday 12 September 2014

Weekend Reading

This weekend’s reading includes sex with a hot alien, stranded with a daredevil in a remote cottage, and hot Scotsmen in rural Scotland.


Title of book: Contact (Titan Year 1)
 
Name of author: Tatum Throne

Genre: MM/Sci-fi

Description of main characters

Elian Moten - Hair: blond. Eyes: green. Height: 6'5". Weight: 180. Muscular.

Cooper Hart - Hair: black. Eyes: blue. Height: 5'10". Weight: 175. Lean, muscular.

Setting: Puerto Rico and The Titan

Length: 11,775

Blurb:
NASA scientist Cooper Hart is dying and spends his final days hoping to hear a signal from a distant world.

Elian Moten is searching for a compatible life form. His dying world needs males to repopulate. After discovering Earth, he brings Cooper back to the royal family, but is unprepared for the intense attraction or overpowering urge to claim him.

What's hot?: Sex with a hot alien flying through space!





Title of book: Seduced by the Daredevil

Name of author: Jorja Lovett

Description of main characters:

Matt King is six foot four with an athletic build. His close cropped brown hair, piercing blue eyes and dimples make him look like a real life Action Man.

Andrea Bolan is five foot seven, and slim. Her noticeable assets are her long legs and generous cleavage. She has dark, shoulder length hair, brown eyes, a pale complexion and delicate, doll-like features. She's known for being uptight until she meets Matt.

Setting: Modern day Belfast hospital/ Mourne Mountains

Length: 50,000 words

Blurb:

Sparks fly when 'Miss Stuffy Knickers' Andrea Bolan meets her match in daredevil Matt King. There's nothing like a passionate kiss to motivate a girl to jump off a building in the name of charity. With her inhibitions left far behind she begins to see the benefits of no-strings fun.

What's hot? Stranded with a daredevil in a remote country cottage.





Title of book: Double Jackson
 
Name of author: Raven McAllan

Genre: Contemporary/MM/with hint of mystery & skulduggery

Description of main characters:

Jackson (Jack) Carrick. Tall, blue eyes, over six foot with dark overlong hair, and facial stubble more scruffy than designer. Slim build—no man boobs. Hairy chest. Muscular. Mid thirties.

Collum (Coll) Roberts. Tall (around 6ft) Blond hair cut short. Brown eyes. Very little chest hair, Fit, no man boobs. Mid Thirties

Setting: Rural Scotland

Length: 18,300

Blurb:

Jackson Carrick at Tits and Bum Club—gay in more ways than one.
As morning wake up calls go, those damning headlines made for a rude awakening. The renowned actor is a one man guy, thank you very much, so why would a doppelganger set out to discredit him, and more importantly, who is it?

What's hot?: Apart from the sex? Sizzling chemistry.



Wednesday 10 September 2014

Kink After Dinner

Kink After Dinner’ is now out!



It is available at 25% off at Luminosity Publishing until tomorrow!

Alternatively you can also get it at:


Here is an excerpt:

Kink after dinner–8pm
The usual place
Wear the new purple basque—no knickers
Expect some serious (!) paddling
No touching until then
Master
Beth Sheridan quickly glanced up from the note she was reading. She bit her lip as she looked around the breakfast table, fully expecting her family to be staring at her, as her nipples hardened in response to the suggestion in the note.
Both her husband and daughter were at the table with her. Amazingly, no one was looking in her direction, and she breathed shakily in relief. Her daughter was playing some game on her phone and her accountant husband, Tom, was reading his usual Saturday newspaper, half-turned away from her. She glared at the back of his dark head. Here she was planning a secret assignation and he wasn’t taking any interest. Instead, he was engrossed in the financial section of the paper.
Her inclination was to stuff it hurriedly back in her pocket, but that might look suspicious. Not that her family would think she was up to anything untoward. No, her son, Simon—now away at university studying media production—and her eighteen year old daughter, Elin, both thought she was a boring, middle-aged woman of fifty-two married to a boring, middle-aged man of the same age whom she had met at school. She had a very comfortable marriage.
She sighed and slowly folded the note she’d found on the doormat earlier.
“Shopping list, Mum?” Elin looked up from texting, making Beth jump.
More like a naughty list.
Smiling secretively to herself, Beth placed the decadent evidence in the pocket of her apron.
“Hmm. No. An invitation actually.”
Oh, yes. An invitation to sin.
Tom snorted, startling Beth. “Not another one from the neighbours.”
Elin’s chin dropped, her green eyes shining with excitement. “What, the ones who’re swingers?”
Beth was horrified her baby knew about such goings-on. “What exactly do you know about those things, young lady?”
How has she found out?
“Oh God, Mum. Get real.”
“Elin, that’s rude.” Tom frowned at his daughter. Her husband had always been strict with the children, a job she found difficult herself.
Her daughter rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows the Hardings do wicked stuff like that.”
“And what they do is none of your business.” Tom’s voice held a note of stern authority.
Elin shrugged. “Whatever.”
Beth was still worried about exactly what Elin knew. “Alistair and Helen are very nice people. Anyhow, the invitation isn’t from them.” At least, not directly. She hoped that would divert her daughter’s attention.
But Elin just continued. “As if either of you would do anything so cool. You are both stuck-in- the-mud. Never go anywhere. Just work in a boring office or stay home and watch repeats of CSI. You probably can’t remember the last time you had sex.”
She gasped. If only her daughter knew. Beth might work as a personal assistant in a bank, but in her private life, things were anything but routine.
Her very private life.
“Elin!” roared Tom.
Before he got a chance to say anything more, Elin noisily flounced out of the room.
Her husband swore. He glanced over the top of his glasses at his wife and gave her an intense look. “I’ll certainly be glad when she goes off to university and we can have some peace and quiet.”
Beth nodded in reply. Tom loved the kids dearly, as did she, but they were looking forward to having the house to themselves. She could get her toy box out and not have to hide it away—Tom knew about her vibrators.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts Beth missed what Tom was asking. “Hello! Are you listening?”
“Sorry, darling. What did you say?”
“What was the invitation for, anyway?”
Beth was hard-pressed not to smile broadly, as she tried to avoid her husband’s probing eyes. “Just a reunion.”
Tom raised his eyebrows. “Oh, anyone I know?”
She shrugged, pretending nonchalance. “An old friend from school days. Can’t remember if you knew him or not, you were in a different house than me. He’s married these days.”
“Are you going to meet him?”
As she paused, trying to think of an appropriate response, Tom went back to his paper, shaking it to straighten it out, seemingly uninterested in her answer.
Elin came back in the room at that point, and Beth held her tongue. Her daughter hurried to the table, grabbed her phone, and rushed out, furiously texting while totally ignoring her parents.
“Where are you off to?” Tom asked his departing teenager, his head still buried in his newspaper.
“Staying over at Millie’s,” was the passing shot.
Beth shook her head wondering if anyone ever looked at each other anymore. They were almost like a reality television programme showing a normal, middle-class family, married for over two decades, settled, contented, and loving.
Almost.
Tom did look up then to peer over the top of his glasses in the direction Elin had disappeared as he raised his voice, “How long will you be gone?”
Their daughter said something that was almost incoherent before the door slammed.
Her husband sighed, and looked at Beth. “Did you get that, my dear?”
Beth smiled at the long-suffering tone in his voice. “You’ll be pleased to know she is out until tomorrow evening.”
“Good. Peace and quiet at last.”
“I imagine you are going to work on that new model airplane I saw arrived in the post yesterday.”
“Hmm. Maybe. I also have a couple of other things I need to finish first.” Tom loved tinkering around with wood, quite frequently making things from scratch as well as kits he bought on-line. It wasn’t just model planes. He liked toys of all sorts.
Beth stood up to clear the table.
“You didn’t answer the question, my dear.”
As she lifted the teapot, Beth froze. Her hand was shaking and she quickly put the pot down again. “I’ve forgotten what it was.” She stuck her hands in the apron so he didn’t see.
“Are you going to meet your friends?”
She felt herself flush as he looked intently at her with his brown eyes. Her high colour was something that had annoyed her all her life. At least she could put it down to having a hot flush these days. “Possibly. Not sure I’ve got anything to wear.”
Tom was clearly getting bored with the conversation as he looked back at his newspaper once more. “I’m sure you’ll find something in your cavernous wardrobe.”
Despite her husband being deep in his paper, Beth still responded, her tone slightly sarcastic, “Hmm. I seem to recall a purple outfit. I might wear that.”