Monday 29 May 2017

Chelsea Flower Show 2017

Every year Chelsea Flower Show comes on the TV and I say, "Damn. I meant to go this year."




Well - no more! Because I remembered in time to book tickets this year and I've been!




And to top it, the weather was fantastic and setting gorgeous (the Royal Hospital Chelsea) - lovely grounds, well organised, lots to see, good entertainment when you are not looking at stands, and lots of food outlets.

















So, here is a selection of my pics. I didn't take ones of all the gardens because many didn't appeal to me - particularly if they have modern or abstract features or buildings, although I made an exception for this because of the 'wolves' as my latest book is about wolf shifters.






I freely admit that 'Chocolate box' was invented with me in mind! LOL Those with cottage features or natural features and I'm in love - and I'm pleased to say there were several including my favourite - The Yorkshire Garden - see below with the boat in it and the ruined abbey structure (I know I live in Yorkshire but I wasn't biased, really!).











One friend commented that there seemed to be a blue theme. There WAS quite a lot with blue - or it could just be that those attracted me the most. Here are more I loved:




































On the downside, I wasn't prepared for the crush of people - and I get claustrophobic in crowds so it was quite unbearable at times - I think I even knocked down one old lady when I had a panic attack and had to get away from the crush - apologies to the old lady.


Also, I was really really surprised not to see more stands selling plants (I had a long list of ones I wanted to buy and came away with just two packets of seeds). Instead, there were millions of stands selling every other type of thing for your garden - furniture, tools, equipment, ornaments plus others I couldn't see a link - such as clothing and toiletries. I did, though, love this structure for the garden which had a spiral outside staircase to the upstairs - if only I had the money!



Did I enjoy it? Definitely, despite the crowds. Will I go again - no, because of the crowds, and also it was extremely expensive.

But at least I can tick it off my bucket list and I got to enjoy the lovely St James Park on the way back to Kings Cross station.






Friday 26 May 2017

Wicked Weekends

WICKED WEEKENDS


Title: Blood of Angels


Author: Amber Morgan

Genre: Paranormal romance

Sexual Orientation: m/f

Length: 13,484 words

What's hot?: a fallen angel discovering the pleasures of the flesh for the first time

Blurb:

Thea Clayton knows her life isn’t normal. But even she wasn’t prepared for an angel to fall through her roof.

Turiel gave up his place in Heaven to experience true sensations for the first time in his immortal life. He didn’t realize that meant pain as well as pleasure.

Thea isn’t the only person who knows Turiel has fallen. The blood of angels is a precious thing. And some people will do anything to steal it.

Buy links:






Title of book: Catching Faete (Beyond The Veil, Book 4)

Names of authors: Elena Kincaid, Maia Dylan & Sarah Marsh

Genre: Ménage paranormal romance

Length of book: 13,080

Sexual orientation: MFM

Blurb:

They say that when one door closes another shall open, but when Erica made her choice to stop a madman, she couldn’t have imagined the price that she would have to pay. The future she’d risked everything for had just changed forever.

The existence of the Dark Fae and their Goddess comes as a shock, but the fates had one more surprise in store for Erica and her mates in the form of orphaned twin babies who steal their hearts, but these children are not like the Fae Erica is familiar with. They come with powers that she and her husbands know nothing about. Dark Fae council will watch over them to decide if they are capable of raising the twins, making Ben, Erica and Leo feel the pressure of having their every move scrutinized.

When the twin’s dark powers begin to emerge, will one Fae Queen and two warrior shifters have what it takes to navigate the uncertain waters of parenting? …and will the Dark Fae council decide to let them try?


Buy links:





Title of books: Finding Fulfillment (Found by Fate 3) and Third Wheel (Elite Escorts #1) 

Name of author: Lynn Burke

Genre: Erotic Romance/BDSM

Type of book: Novella

Sexual orientation: MF/MFM

Blurb for Finding Fulfillment:

Jade Matthews may be young, but she knows what she wants in a man--someone mature and kinky, a man who shares her deepest desires to have her pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen and submissively compliant in the bedroom.

Archer Brennan aches to unleash his dark side on the too-young grocery bagger, with her pert pony tail and glossy lips that makes him yearn for a taste. With an ex-wife and a messy divorce threatening to destroy his pursuit of happiness, he binds himself to one rule--hands-off Jade's tight body until his divorce settlement is final.

A submissive must obey her Dom, but some rules were meant to be broken, and when one misstep threatens the dominant lawyer's life, will Jade defy Archer's hand-off decree or lose the only man capable of fulfilling all of her dreams?



Blurb for Third Wheel:

Carpenter by day, man whore extraordinaire by night, Reid Sullivan lives every man's dream. But Elite Escort's hottest third wheel longs for something more than casual sex with clients.

Jessica Lindy's testimony helped put her ex-husband behind bars, but she can't escape his vows of revenge. A jaded single mom, she guards her heart and daughter's life against any man.

One fateful night with Reid, the temptation for Jessica to allow another man into their lives becomes too hard to resist. But when her past collides with the present, loves--and love-- will be lost unless Jessica learns how to lower her defenses. Can the professional escort convince the wary young mom that he can be a different sort of third wheel--the one she can trust?


Buy links for Finding Fulfillment:


Buy links for Third Wheel:

Monday 22 May 2017

Excerpt for 'To Claim a Mate'

Here is an excerpt from my latest book ‘To Claim a Mate’



The scent hit Cole the moment he walked into the club. It wasn’t the usual smells of sweat, lust, and sex common in these venues. No, something tantalizing and provocative, instead.
And it appealed to the wolf inside him.
He shook his head as his instinct started telling him the scent was something special. No, it couldn’t be… Narrowing his eyes in the dark haze of the entrance, Cole let his vision focus into hunting mode, trying to weed out human from wolf, for it was the smell of his own kind he sensed. He found it hard as the Wolfsbane pill he’d swallowed worked quickly. Contrary to popular myth, Wolfsbane did not kill a shifter. Although intensely toxic to humans, it did keep the animal in him at bay.
It was extremely unusual for him to find another wolf in the city, let alone at the club. And, yet, it was more than that. Some primal instinct called to him.
This was the scent of a mate. Somehow it didn’t matter it wasn’t female. It was his soulmate.
Cole’s heart started beating quicker in anticipation, and he strode forward, drawn deeper into the club.
Andy was still there, though. Notwithstanding his augmented animal senses, Cole had almost forgotten about him. The club’s owner got right to the point—diplomacy the least of his attributes. “I think it’s time you contracted a new sub, man. It’s been, what, six months since your last full-time guy?”
The club owner was right. Cole had only ‘played’ with unattached subs lately having little desire for the effort a contracted sub meant—the last one had got too close to finding out Cole’s inner animal. Now his brain—or his wolf—yelled there was only one contract for him. His mate’s.
But where was he?
Cole needed to get away from Andy and track down the alluring aroma. “Sounds good. I’ll take a turn around the rooms and see if I can track down any likely partner.” In more ways than one.
Annoyingly, Andy followed him into the next room. The club was split into several sections for those wanting to experience different activities—one just had chains hanging from the ceiling and a wall of whips. Only one couple at a time took turns there as this gave the Master space to wield a long-tailed implement like a bullwhip without hitting anyone else. To protect any viewers, transparent screens closed it off.
The couple in residence were a long-time Master and slave.
“Ahh. Those two,” said Andy with a sigh. “Great to watch. Jordan will never part with Keiron, though.”
Cole had a fondness for a whip, although Dominance was his forte. He could use the whips, or, indeed, other tools, in any number of ways including drawing erections from the subs and getting them to wait for their climax. It was similar to making a beta wolf await his attention.
They walked through another room with padded benches and a wall of paddles. Cole glanced around the room, but he knew the person he wanted wasn’t there.
Andy grabbed his arm as he started to walk on. Cole nearly snarled. The scent was preventing the Wolfsbane working and he had to work hard to hold his animal in check.
“Not so quick. Now Christian over there, is looking for a new Master.”
Irritated by the break in his quest, Cole looked in the direction Andy indicated. He had seen this tall blond before. Not his type at all. Human or otherwise, he preferred them small and dark haired.
“Nope. Not interested.”
Moving on, Cole was drawn into a room which had a cross in each corner of the room with plenty of space to wield the equipment. The walls were covered with floggers of varying types, although nothing stopped a Dominant using an implement from another section.
Cole halted. He’s here.
The scent was at its strongest, practically dragging him toward a slender man in his late twenties, with brown hair the color of hazelnuts. The sub was in the process of being tied face up against a cross on the far side. His chest was bare and sleek, and he wore skin-tight jeans.
The Dom wanted to rip the man’s clothes off and devour him on the spot. So intent was he on reaching his prey, he nearly missed the Master who had finished tying the submissive and came around to inspect the restraints, standing directly between Cole and the object of his hunt.
Stopping in his tracks, Cole’s hackles began to rise. A possessive instinct rose in him to fight off his rival. Except there were rules in BDSM and it didn’t include tearing out the throat of another Master.
Andy caught up with him and saw him staring. “Who have you found? Oh, this is Master Dirk. Jared is the sub he is playing with.”
Cole took a moment to calm his inner wolf, unclenching his fists before he triggered his claws. His voice was raspy as he asked, “Are they new? I don’t recall seeing either of them here before.” Actually, he couldn’t care less about this new Master. He only had eyes for Jared.
He didn’t hear Andy’s answer, because, at that moment, he caught the gaze of the bound man. Tangible electricity crossed the room and hit Cole like a silver bullet, slamming into his heart, nearly causing him to change into his wolf in front of everyone. It took everything he knew about Dominance to keep hold of his human side and push down his animal half.
Meanwhile, the submissive’s eyes opened wide in shock, and he bit his lip. Cole’s keen wolf eyesight could detect Jared’s fierce trembling, as he tightly gripped the ropes that held him. Cole willed him to hold on and not transform in front of everyone as the two shared a look of instant attraction, desperate need, and the desire to have sex.
And yet it was more than that. So much more—an inner knowledge, assurance one has finally found one’s other half, and didn’t even know one was looking.
Taking a deep breath, Cole narrowed his eyes as he gazed on Jared, drinking in the beautiful sight before him.
He gave a slight smile of acknowledgment.

Oh yes, this is my mate. And woe betide anyone who comes between us.

Friday 19 May 2017

Character Profiles for 'To Claim a Mate'

CHARACTER PROFILES FOR ‘TO CLAIM A MATE’




Name – Cole Linley

Book – To Claim a Mate

Love interest – Jared Gray

Age – mid-late 30s

Hair/eyes – short, spiky blond hair/ ice blue eyes

Height/weight – Tall (6ft) and rangy but at the same time fit.

Looks – Gorgeous, rugged. Deep sensuous sultry commanding voice.

Other – Dominant and Alpha wolf. Owns real estate agency.



Name – Jared Gray

Book – To Claim a Mate

Love interest – Cole Linley

Age – 29

Hair/eyes – Dark brown hair colour of hazelnuts/Forest green eyes

Height/weight – 5ft 6in. Very fit – uses the gym regularly

Looks – Beautiful

Other – Submissive. New to BDSM. Collared by Master Dirk. Works as a lawyer.



Blurb:

Cross the threshold of Balls & Chains, into a world where humans and shifters dominate and submit alike.

Cole Linley is a gay wolf-shifter. In order to appease the Alpha within, he has taken up the BDSM lifestyle and become very experienced. This placates his wolf to a certain extent, but his dearest wish is to find a mate—male, of course. Except, the question is, how to find one in a city surrounded by humans where other wolf-shifters are rare.
Then, one night, he enters Balls & Chains, a BDSM club he frequents, and immediately senses another of his kind. And not only that, it is the scent of a potential mate, Jared Gray. There is only one problem—Jared is collared by another Master.
Jared’s relationship shows all the signs of an abusive relationship. Can Cole get him away from the other Dom and show Jared the delights of BDSM when done properly and what it means to be a beta wolf to Cole’s Alpha?

Reader Advisory: The submissive in this Gay Paranormal Romance doesn’t realize he is in an abusive relationship until he meets his true Master.


Buy links:





Monday 15 May 2017

Writers' experiences of writing gay/shifter or BDSM stories

The eighth in my series on writers’ experiences of writing gay, shifter or BDSM stories is from Leandra Vane talking about her experiences of writing gay BDSM.


My muse was feeling generous one day and she dropped a character right into my lap. Nate Fuller: part time bartender, part time novelist – long hair, torn jeans, ink lines from tattoos running down his forearms.

I was in love.

But I soon found out Nate was also kinky as fuck – of course my muse would throw that in. Nate is a submissive, likes impact play and bondage, and he needed me to invent someone to tie him up… fast.

My mind began to conjure up another character – brown eyes, a well-fitted suit, a shy but certain smile. James is a librarian with a secret – and that secret includes his affinity for wanting to tie people up.

I was surprised and a little aggravated at my muse. A M/M pairing? In all my short stories and longer length erotic romance works up until this point, I had never written a strictly M/M pairing. I had done F/F, M/F and a few M/F/M or F/F/M stories. As a reader, I really enjoy reading M/M pairings so I’ve always wanted to write one. But I always worried about being able to write the minds, bodies, and sexualities of the two male characters in the pairing. I was used to having a female POV to fall back on, filling in observations from my own femme life.

I hesitated to the point I almost didn’t begin the story. But my muse simply would not let that be. I started drabbling and what I thought would be a short story grew into a novel length BDSM romance entitled “Booked”.

As the story and characters developed, I found there were a lot of topics I wanted to explore as a writer that kept the integrity and authenticity of my characters intact. One particular topic was invisible disability.
I am a disabled writer and including the experience of disability in my stories is important to me.

I was born with a birth defect that caused nerve damage. About ten years ago, I met a man who had the same kind of nerve damage as me. Of course, we talked about sex. I found it interesting that we both experienced our sexualities in similar ways. For example, we both lack sensation in erogenous zones, so other places on our bodies we can feel have become sensitive to erotic touch.

We both also have orgasms and the way he described feeling his orgasm is very similar to what I feel in my body during orgasm.

I honestly don’t know if other people experience orgasm and sexuality the way we do. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with other people with our disability about sex. But I thought it was really interesting that two people who grew up in two different countries with different sexual desires shared such a similar experience when it came to The Big O. I kept this in mind when I started writing my first M/M story.

In “Booked,” Nate has a similar type of nerve damage as I do. Though he can move his body, some fine motor skills are impaired and he can’t feel over half of his body. The way he has dealt with his body and his sexuality in the past plays into the theme of secrecy in the book. Since I have both visible and invisible aspects to my disability, having a character that could hide his disability gave me a lot to work with regarding secrecy, trust, and communication.

I have always wanted to capture in erotic fiction what sex and kink feels like in a body with nerve damage. This book and these characters have helped me do that.

Because, like Nate, I am kinky as fuck. Playing with pain and sensation in BDSM has been central to enjoying my sexuality, unlocking pleasure in my body, and helping me discover things about my body I would not learn in other ways.

I hope that my story brings representation to a lot of identities – fetishists, disability in kink, and bisexuality, among other things. I drew on my experiences as a sexually fluid bisexual, a fetishist, and a person with nerve damage to bring my characters to life. But I let them do the rest.

Nate and James took hold of their own story, and in many ways I was just along for the ride. But I’m thrilled with where it has brought me. I hope readers feel the same way and find they connect to the characters in a way that is unique and meaningful.

“Booked” is due for release late May 2017. Below is the book’s summary:



Nate Fuller looks like a typical artist: Part-time novelist, part-time bartender, and dedicated volunteer at the public library. But beneath the surface, Nate keeps many secrets. Nerve damage has left him without feeling in most of his body. He has a thing for being tied up. And the interlibrary loan librarian Charlotte is his BDSM Domme.

Between his body and his kinks, Nate has always had a difficult time with romance. But when he meets the new assistant library director James Albright, things in that department quickly heat up. Unfortunately, James has never been exposed to BDSM beyond the erotica section and Nate has always been more comfortable lying about his body and his sexuality. But James has a secret of his own and clues begin to appear behind the detective crime novels he reads every night.

Armed with handcuffs and a thrill for the chase, Nate sets out to uncover their dream power dynamic – and true love.

My Social Media:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/leandra_vane (@Leandra_Vane)

Many thanks for taking part in this series, Leandra. If you wanted to read the others in the series:
Jennifer Denys (intro post) click here
Samantha Winston click here
Jules Dixon click here
Amara Lebel click here
Evelise Archer click here
Jennifer Denys click here
Peyton Clarke click here

This series is to inspire people to write for my Balls & Chains series – a gay shifter series set in a BDSM club. If you are interested full details can found on Luminosity’s website. The first book in the series ‘To Claim a Mate’ came out on 12 May.


Friday 12 May 2017

WICKED WEEKENDS

WICKED WEEKENDS

‘To Claim a Mate’ is out TODAY! This is the first novella I have written in two years. No particular reason; I have just been writing short stories for anthologies or had ideas for shorter stories for individual release during that time.

My new book is a gay (MM), wolf shifter, BDSM story and is the first in the ‘Balls & Chains’ series that I am co-ordinating. This is an open submission series, eg, anyone can submit at any time. Stories come to me to check they are publishable and fit within the criteria (eg, 50% of the story must be set in the ‘Balls & Chains’ gay BDSM club and it must have a shifter of some sort – no, not hamsters! Wolves, bears, cats etc).




Here is the blurb for ‘To Claim a Mate’:

Cross the threshold of Balls & Chains, into a world where humans and shifters dominate and submit alike.

Cole Linley is a gay wolf-shifter. In order to appease the Alpha within, he has taken up the BDSM lifestyle and become very experienced. This placates his wolf to a certain extent, but his dearest wish is to find a mate—male, of course. Except, the question is, how to find one in a city surrounded by humans where other wolf-shifters are rare.
Then, one night, he enters Balls & Chains, a BDSM club he frequents, and immediately senses another of his kind. And not only that, it is the scent of a potential mate, Jared Gray. There is only one problem—Jared is collared by another Master.
Jared’s relationship shows all the signs of an abusive relationship. Can Cole get him away from the other Dom and show Jared the delights of BDSM when done properly and what it means to be a beta wolf to Cole’s Alpha?

Reader Advisory: The submissive in this Gay Paranormal Romance doesn’t realize he is in an abusive relationship until he meets his true Master.

Buy links:






Also my lovely friend, Kryssie Fortune has a book out - Claimed by the Vampire, Seduced by the Werewolf


Here is the blurb:

After seven centuries, Elias, a former Spartan turned vampire, finds his eternal bride.

Seth, Elias’s werewolf half-brother, scents his mate.

Vampire and werewolf loathe each other. The only thing they agree on is that Tempest is their mate--and they’re not sharing.

A prophecy will force Tempest, a twenty-first-century witch, to choose between them. As the half-brothers vie to win her heart, they teach her about spanking, the way pain heightens pleasure, and the joy of multiple orgasms.

A vampire can’t survive without his fated bride. A werewolf dies if he loses his mate. Their future rests in Tempest’s hands. Which one will she choose?
Note: While loosely linked to the Scattered Siblings series, this book may be read as a standalone story

Buy links

Loose id                 https://app.bitly.com/BebnjNZnvC8/bitlinks/2pFyQ5Z

Amazon USA             http://amzn.to/2pLmmK4

Amazon UK               http://amzn.to/2pd1Hvt

Kobo                     http://bit.ly/2qBMdl5

Barnes and Noble     http://bit.ly/2q36rI5