Teaser Tuesday

So...I'd planned a righteous rant for today. Problem is, I'm still too angry and it came through in the words. No one needs that kind of negative energy from me. So, I'm holding off until I have a little more distance and then I'll still post about the most important parts of it. 

Instead, today we're going to celebrate! Gaming for Keeps comes out Monday!!! 
(EEP! *panicked muppet flail*)

Ahem. 

So yeah. I'm nerv-cited, heavy on the nerv. Which sounds a little like nerd which is kind of close to geek, so... how about this geektastic excerpt and I'm going to go flail in the privacy of my bedroom.

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He waved the bartender over but a girl slid onto the stool next to Cal and the bartender stopped for her first. Typical.

“What is the strongest decent-tasting vodka drink you know how to make?” Penelope? Her voice startled him and his fingers slipped in the condensation on his mug. Only his quick reflexes kept the beer from sloshing all over him.

She turned his way. Same dark brown waves—this time done up with leaves pinning them to her hea —same button nose, same sensual golden-brown eyes. Somehow good fortune had decided to shine on him for the moment and brought her to his side again.

Penelope leaned on the bar and pursed her lips as she looked at him. Her gaze didn’t rake over him like other women’s—she stayed fixed on his eyes like she could pin him in his seat. He’d never felt so happy to be trapped. “For a minute there, I figured you had on some ridiculous gauntlets or something, but I guess you just have butterfingers.” She winked, breaking the spell she’d cast on him. “Cursed by a sorcerer with a flair for the ridiculous?”

His lips twitched into what felt like a very non-broody non-dark-elf smile, and he fought his way back to seriousness. “Unlikely. I would have killed him before the incantation left his lips. I rather think it was shock at the way in which you so boldly invaded the space I’d clearly defined as my own. Few would have the nerve to attempt such a maneuver.”

“Yes, well, not so long ago I sent a human aggressor into the fetal position with nothing more than a single move of hand-to-hand combat. I’m feeling rather full of myself right now. Pardon me if I don’t consider a dark elf who can’t decide between a scowl and a smile to be much of a threat.”

Oh, he already liked her a lot more than was wise. “I think I’ll choose to alternate between the two in order to keep you on your toes.”

“And here I thought you wanted to drive me off.”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged, noting the way her eyes lingered on his shoulders. “Or maybe I was just waiting for someone brave enough to stick around.” The bartender returned with her drink—something crimson and steaming. She’d said vodka, so he shouldn’t react to it too badly after the beer. The bartender set the glass down, and Cal tipped his head toward it. “I’ll take one as well, and put them both on my tab.”

The bartender was gone before Penelope managed to get a word out. Her mouth snapped shut a second later. She held up her glass, stared deep into the contents for a moment, then turned and met his gaze. “I appreciate the drink, but I hope you aren’t expecting anything for it.”

Huh? “Only the pleasure of your maddening company for as long as it takes you to drink it.”

She regarded him over the top of the glass, something like a challenge dancing in the depths of her eyes. The glass slowly tipped up, her lips molding against it, and she kept tipping. Her throat worked as the liquid poured through it. When she placed the glass back on the bar, it was empty. She ran her tongue along her lip, catching the drops of red that lingered. “And now?”

If she was this much of a spitfire all the time, he was doomed—in the very best way possible. Assuming she liked him, too...and that she didn’t have a boyfriend. He’d deal with the latter issue if and when it came up because, at the moment, she wasn’t acting like a woman with a man waiting for her.

He jerked his head to the side in a half-assed shrug—two could play her game. “And now you either walk away, let me buy you another drink, or stick around to talk just because you find me charming. Your choice.” He took a sip from his own glass and turned to examine the bottles lining the far side of the bar. And watch her in the mirror behind them.

Her lips curled up and then she pressed them together in a way that was simultaneously innocent and sexy as hell. “If I let you buy me another one I’ll have to drink it much slower. You could be stuck talking to me for hours. Positive you don’t want to take your chances with someone that’s more of a sure thing?”

This was so much better than a stalker-ific phone call could have ever turned out.

Cal tilted his head toward her and forced himself to frown when all he wanted to do was completely break character and grin like an idiot. “I don’t know about that.” He waved at the bartender and pointed at her empty glass when he finally got the man’s attention. “Seems like you just confirmed you are most definitely a sure thing as far as conversation goes.”

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So there's a little taste-test of Cal and Pen. If you want more (and I hope you do) there are all sorts of things you can do!

Join the release day party on Facebook 

Add Gaming for Keeps to your Goodreads shelf

(It might be other places too, but I know you can) Pre-Order from 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes 

Books-a-million

Kobo

AND the official blog tour starts tomorrow! So be sure to keep an eye out for all of that <3

Tuesday Teases: Leslie Soule

We have a very special guest this week. Fellow Decadent Publishing author Leslie Soule is here, but she isn't here to talk about her own upcoming novel, Fallenwood. Instead, she's dedicating this day and much of her time to promoting another work, one that touched her life greatly. I hope you'll join her on this journey into The Temple of the Heart.

A Simple, Sacred Life

I wanted to write about my stepfather's novel The Temple of the Heart, but I didn't know where to begin. So I decided that the best route would be to take on something huge, something we all have to deal with, like the meaning of life. What is all this for? There are many answers out there. Everyone must find their own. I can only say what life means to me. To me, it is a sacred personal spiritual journey. I did not always think so.

The universe must know that I enjoy theatrical drama, because it sent me an epiphany in a most dramatic fashion. I was walking down a street in San Francisco, fooling myself into false contentment with a lifestyle that was ultimately unfulfilling. The sky was cloudy. I had arrived before daybreak and found myself walking down a steep hill. All of a sudden, the sun came up over the clouds and struck me with the force of the divine. It was the sort of thing I thought only happened in novel or movies - or maybe to the really fortunate. It was the first and only epiphany I have ever had in my life.

I have come to realize that the media, and society in general, teaches us some very harmful philosophies. Fashion magazines and television ads show young women in their formative years that they are not good enough. We are taught to measure success by wealth in America, and we neglect our souls, caught up in the struggle as capitalism leeches our humanity. Last night I was in the martial arts studio, reflecting on the psychological challenges of begin a female martial artist, of wondering how people will see me (overly agressive? weird?) because I too have been programmed over the years in ways that I struggle to comprehend. My reawakening of spirit has seemed a long time coming.

Without my stepfather's spiritual guidance from the age of nineteen on, my young adult years were subject to the unholy influences of a very misguided world. Grief made things immeasurably harder as I struggled for identity and inner peace. My kind stepfather was Richard Albert Anderson, a man of many talents. He was - at various times throughout his life - a Navy man, an art teacher, a state worker, and a Buddhist monk. But beyond his personal background, he was a shining, noble soul - one of those brilliant shooting stars that blazed across the sky and faded all too soon.

He wrote The Temple of the Heart, a semi-autobiographical tale about leaving the monastery to pursue life in all its richness and glory. In dealing with this crazy world, reading it reminds me of my spirit, of the strength of noble compassion and trying your best. Reading his work reminds me not to neglect my soul.

My stepfather's manuscript is now available from Decadent Publishing, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the American Diabetes Association.

Excerpt:

When Joseph Banquo saw that girl come through the gate, it was the end of his life in the monastery.

He had seen her years before in a more innocent time and silently had cast his furtive glance. Now she appeared again. Dressed in a sky-blue sari, she stood by the water on a trellised landing, absorbed in her thoughts. Joseph found himself absorbed in her. Smiling coquettishly, she turned to walk away upon catching his stare and it seemed as if Divine Mother Beauty herself had taken human form. If only he could talk to her, but he was too shy, too hung-up with austerity and discipline, rules and monkish restraint.

What delusion is this? It was a burning desire but seemed so much more, and he wouldn’t admit the power of the physical over the spiritual.

She was forbidden, woman oh woman, but he had begun to notice the female form once more, to not turn his eyes away, to see the languid curve of the supple spine. And the outrush of thoughts after two youthful celibate years had caused him to lose his edge—the wisdom and discrimination that protects the monk. In making progress, in overcoming his strong sexuality, he had relaxed, thinking he had won and that was the end because he found that he no longer had the desire to fight.


Buy from Decadent
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Tuesday Teases: Danielle LaPaglia

You are in for a special treat today, but only if you are 18 or over. Got that? Adults ONLY, so all you dirty-minded teenagers, move along.

Anyway, Danielle LaPaglia, one of my fellow Rebels from writing group is honoring us not only with the pleasure of her beautiful company, but also with an excerpt from her erotic story Should Have Said No. Danielle is a master of flash fiction, specializing in horror, and her series on the seven deadly sins isn't to be missed. She participates in Friday Flash every week, and this Friday is being kind enough to allow me to post a piece of flash that will be recognizable to anyone who has read Of Course I Try (those of you who wanted more Max, he'll be there). Please check out her flash fiction on her blog and follow her on Twitter. She's funny and brilliant, and a little scary sometimes (but only in the best way). Without further ado, here is her excerpt from Should Have Said No.

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REMINDER! NO ONE UNDER 18 PERMITTED BEYOND THIS POINT!

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Should Have Said No – Excerpt – by Danielle La Paglia

It was painfully clear that she wasn’t getting back to sleep so she tossed the blanket aside and went to wash her face. Her long hair pulled back in a low-ponytail, she slipped on her sports bra, shorts and running shoes. The beach was only two blocks down; a morning run was just the thing to clear her mind. She chugged a half a Gatorade from the fridge, stretched and headed out the door, not bothering to leave a note.

The street was quiet, the air cool against her skin, but the run would warm her in no time. A wide sidewalk stretched between multi-million dollar homes and the open beach. She turned South, toward Balboa, and took off. Later in the day this same stretch would be crammed with bicycles and roller-bladers, but for now she was alone. A few surfers waited in the water, but the beach was deserted. Pale light edged brighter between the homes on her left, turning the sky a beautiful pale blue as it pushed back the twilight.

A light sweat broke across her skin, cooled by the breeze coming off the ocean. She ran, not thinking about the man from the bar last night, or her heart-broken friend passed out in her room. She concentrated on the rhythm of each step slapping against the sidewalk, each breath passing in and out. Everything faded, the houses on her left, the ocean on her right; it was her and the pavement and nothing else. Forty minutes later, she was standing beneath a stream of hot water. It poured over her skin the way his gaze had the night before. She closed her eyes and saw him again, standing confident and gorgeous before her. Instead of reaching for the chair, this time he reached for her. His fingertips trailed across her skin.

Mimicking her vision, she smoothed her hand across her body, up her arm, across her shoulder and down to cup one breast. Despite the heat of the shower, her nipple was a hard bud. She rolled it between her finger and thumb, teasing it. Her other hand trailed lower, gliding across her stomach and down between her legs. She parted them slightly, allowing better access for her finger to slip between the soft folds.

Her breath caught. She squeezed her nipple almost to the point of pain, and drove her finger inside, imagining it was him, the beautiful stranger from the bar. She could almost feel his breath on her neck, his cheek against hers. Her movements became more rapid, urgent with the need to climax. It built inside; she slid her finger up, circling her clit again and again. A white heat burst between her legs, flooding through her core and into her limbs. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

The sensation ebbed; her muscles relaxed and she gave a final stroke, sending a last jolt through her nerves. One hand on the wall, she leaned into the spray. It poured down her scalp, caressing her tingling flesh before disappearing in the drain.

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Danielle is an urban fantasy junkie whose favorite fix comes from the likes of Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Patricia Briggs. She writes horror of every kind: ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and even monsters of the human variety. She is a member of Kelley Armstrong’s online writing group and participates in #fridayflash on Twitter where she posts weekly flash fiction on her blog. She is completing edits on her first novel, The Watchers, and is hard at work outlining her next urban fantasy project. Danielle is also the last Jedi warrior to study under the nearly extinct Scotnadian Yoda.

Tuesday Teases with Wicked Little Pixie

I have a lot of love for book bloggers—like mad love. You see, I love to read but at the best of times the only way I could keep up with people like them would be to give up the rest of my life (no family, no writing, no sleep…fortunately I can eat and read at the same time).  So I have massive respect for people who take the time to read and let people know what they did and didn't like about a book.

Over the past few months, I've gotten to know some of these wonderful people via the magic of Twitter, and I'm luck enough to have one of my favorites here today. I hope everyone will make Natasha, aka Wicked Little Pixie, feel welcome. If you don't, I give her free rein to beat you with her snark-stick.



Hey Nat! Welcome to Ramblings and Romance. I'm pretty sure anyone reading knows what you do, but could you give us some rough estimates of how much you read in a given month? (include a comment on DNFs if you are so inclined)

This is the first year I’ve actually kept track of how much I read, as of almost the end of October I’ve read 155 books. (http://wickedlilpixie.com/2010-reading-challenge/ )  I read fast if the book draws me in, so some months I read a lot faster and some months are slower. That is not including the DNF’s I’ve “read” this year. Let me tell you, DNF’s are really hard for me. I feel guilty when I can’t finish a book believe it or not. I know how much work goes into writing a book, but I can’t help personal preference.

God I need a life.

Oh my God, that number is even bigger than I would have imagined, and you do interviews too. Don't you have a day job? How do you find time for it all?

Interviews take a lot more time in my case then it takes to write a review. I think it’s a must to research the author before the interview, god knows I wouldn’t want to answer the same questions 100 times. I try to make each interview unique for the author and if I “know” the author, I can usually get away with some snark back and forth which I love. Those really have been my favorite interviews, where I can get a rapport with an author & it’s not just standard or strained.

As for time, I got laid off months back, so this has been a way to keep my brain going while I decide where I want to go next career wise. I always thought I was going to end up in Forensics, after 3 years of college my brain said no thanks & I drifted for awhile in a few different careers. Now I finally know what I want to do with my life. *queue choir music singing Hallelujah*

Er...sorry about the lay off but Woohoo for knowing what you want to do with your life. So does that mean I shouldn't pester you about reviewing everything I have coming out over the next few months?

Not unless you want me to snark you in public ;) Lay off lady. LAY OFF!

Speaking of authors (because this question isn't about giving me ways to annoy you…nope, not at all), what are some things authors do that really irritate you as a reviewer?

I do have a few requirements before I even agree. First, my biggest pet peeve is when an author sends me a blind email without asking if I’d like to review the book. You’d be surprised how many times I get an email that’s an obvious mass email & they don’t register me as a person, more like a machine. Drives me insane, please just say Hello my name is, it takes two seconds to look on my site and find my name!

My other issue is when an author goes to my site, gets my email address, but doesn’t read what books I don’t review. Sorry, Historical Erotica just isn’t for me. And if you want the book reviewed in a certain period of time, say so when I ask and not constantly send me emails to see if I’ve read it yet! UGH.

Another thing that has been bothering me lately is the lack of line between personal life & author on Twitter. I’ve noticed some authors think its okay to rant & go uber personal all over social media. Some things I just don’t want to know, especially sexual things *shudder* Okay, I just scared myself all over again. I’ve seen way too much on Twitter I tell you, WAY TOO MUCH! My virginal eyes, they burn.

Okay, okay, no more talk of what melts in your mouth and not in your hands then. Anyway...With as busy as you are, it's got to be overwhelming sometimes. What can authors do to make it easier on you?

Don’t be demanding, it takes time for us bloggers to read a book & review it. We all have lives outside of blogging, family, friends, careers, health concerns, family concerns, bills, just real life issues that sometimes take up time. Most of us don’t make a dime doing this & while “free” books are great, a lot of time & effort is needed to do a review.

So patience is needed, but also be friendly! I love when I get an email from an author who I’ve never spoken to who says thank you for reviewing their book; it makes me feel like I am doing something other then talking to myself.

And god forbid, if I never reply to an email or my brain dumps & I forget to review your book…an email saying “hey, did you forget about me?” is fine, just don’t yell at me please. My TBR pile is trying to kill me in my sleep, while my email is trying to blind me during the day. I’m human, I forget sometimes.

Make a wish for the next book to come through your door. What would it be like?

Right now I am obsessed with Vicki Pettersson’s Zodiac Series. If someone’s written something similar, I’d cry tears of joy. I’m really on a darker UF kick, but I am always up for something snarky that makes me laugh.

Believe me, if I had one, I'd send it your way. Well, no I guess I wouldn't because you just told me not to. *sigh* There's just no pleasing you, is there?

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Speed Round (Because I couldn’t let you get away without doing this. If you could only pick one of the following, which would it be?)

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Booze or Food? Food (or coffee..mmm coffee)

Cursing or Reading? Reading whilst cursing?

Sex or Violence? Sex or I’d become violent.

Snark or Sleep? I’ve been told I snark in my sleep.

Spaz or Me? (Wait! No. Don't answer that one :P) A Spaz (Pam) & Seleste sandwich?

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Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

Umm. Love, peace & hair grease? Sorry, I’m having a weird Soul Train remixed in Pixie’s head moment. My brain is a weird place.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I promise next time I'm in Toronto, you are tops on my list of people to visit (and I will keep stalking you on Twitter in the meantime) :)

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For those of you who want to follow Natasha, and you know you do, she can be found at the Wicked Little Pixie blog, on Facebook, and Twitter. She's awesomely snarktastic and a whole lot of fun to be around.

Tuesday Teases: Ellen Keener

This week for Tuesday Teases we have new Decadent Publishing author, Ellen Keener. Her novel, Blood Moon, was released earlier this month and features shifters--one of my faves!



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Fugitive shifter, Aria Legreve, is always on the run. With her own life at risk, she helps a badly beaten shifter to his Pack, knowing the danger her meddling entails. Hoping to use her status as an Outcast and be set free, her world changes when she meets head on with no other than her Mate—who is dead.

Alpha Lukas MacLeod has been searching for his wife for the past year, until Aria walks straight into his lair. Fate intervenes and gives them a second chance. Caught up in an intricate web of lies and prophecies in the making for generations, Aria and Lukas must discover a way to balance the darkness in their world, but will their love be strong enough to save their pack and each other?

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Welcome to Ramblings and Romance, can you tell us a little about your path to publication.

Let's see... I don't know that it was a path so much as a stumble and faceplant. Lol. I have been writing as long as I can remember, but only seriously started working on it about three years ago. I started Blood Moon more times than I care to remember, but I finished it about two years ago, and finished it. I became part of a great critique group, but ended up leaving adult novels for a while and went to YA. In the meantime, I had Blood Moon sitting around and decided to give it a shot. Decadent accepted it, and the rest is history!

Funny  how things we put on a shelf can catch an editor's eyes. So what did they see when they read it? Give me one of your favorite lines/passages from Blood Moon

Oh man, a tough one. I like the part where she sees him again the first time, and I also like this passage:



Shaking off his hand, she rose. He pushed away from the table, and she waved him back to his seat. Two could play this game. She leaned over the table to pick up his plate, subtly pressing her upper arms against her sides and exposing her generous cleavage to his gaze. The shirt she wore already had a scoop neck. Bent over, she knew he could see all the way down to her lacy bra. Lifting his plate, she tilted it just enough that his fork slid off.

“Oops. Let me get that.” She moved to his side of the table, curling one hand over his thigh to brace herself, leaning over his lap, and wiggling her denim-clad rear end under his nose. Her breast pressed into his inner thigh and she snagged the fork. As she pushed away, her hand “accidentally” grazed the zipper of his jeans. A choked sound passed over her head.

She turned away, smirking, as she noticed the considerable bulge in his jeans and the involuntary twitch of his fingers. Good. Her nipples were stiff through both her bra and shirt. If she was going to be worked up, he should be too. She sauntered across the kitchen and opened the dishwasher, bending over to put the plates in and making sure he got an eyeful.

“Dude, pay up. I totally win.”

She whirled around so fast, her hair snapped across her face. Thaddeus and Lawrence stood in the doorway behind Lukas. Lawrence’s mouth hung open as he slapped a twenty-dollar bill into Thaddeus’ outstretched palm.

“Holy shit, Lukas.” Lawrence cleared his throat and eyed the two of them. “She got any sisters? Cousins? Remote relatives of the female persuasion?”

Her blush started at her collarbones and burned its way to her hairline.

Thaddeus smacked his Alpha’s shoulder. “Why’d you leave that bedroom again?”

Lukas growled, and Thaddeus grinned, raising his hands in surrender. “Hey, we were just coming in for dinner. Totally unintentional.”

“Thaddeus?”

“Yeah, Lukas?”

“Shut up.”

When writing, do you "cast" your characters, if so, who do you envision as your leads?

Actually, at first I write and they are kind of vague. Lukas was actually modeled after a man who is a recurring character in my dreams. Although I can never remember what his face looks like when I wake up. So I frequently substitute Gerard Butler.  lol Aria I cast as Kate Beckingsdale. Thaddeus (I know he's not a lead, but he's my favorite) is Paul Bettany.  :)

Sounds like a stellar cast! Do you have a specific place/time of day you prefer to write, if so why?

I like to write late at night. I'm NOT a morning person, even though I have to be for at least 180 days of the year. But usually I write at night, in my "art room" (junk room) or anytime there's a thunderstorm. Something about them just makes me itch to write.

Night owls unite! Are you more interested in series or stand-alone stories? Why?

I'm selfish. I like series ONLY if all the books are already out. There are a few exceptions, but I get sidetracked easily, and I hate waiting. Part of it is that I get a little bored sometimes if they drag out too long. I've been known to abandon entire TV series for that reason. That being said, my new story is going to be part of a series, because it just works out better. Famous last words and all that.

So since you're working on a series, how far in advance do you plan for your novels?

If you mean, do I have an order I plan to write them, then the answer is no. I ususally (like now) work on two or three at one time. When one starts calling me over the others, I put them to the side and work on that one until its finished or I get stuck.

When you sit down to write, do you have a certain heat level in mind or do you let the characters dictate how hot things get?

Usually the characters do the talking. I haven't actually sat down and written something while thinking about that part, other than maybe when they are going to "have at it," so to speak.

Is there anything you aren't willing to write?

I'm not sure. Probably won't write erotica, because I don't think I'd be good at it. I'm also not good with contemporary. I mean, real life is boring! I want lions and vampires and werewolves, oh my! lol

What are you working on now? Can you give us a little teaser?

Right now I'm working on the first book in a series about a set of brothers Who are called "seals" and are the guardians of the Shards, a powerful but not particularly nice form of power. That's an overly simple explaination. But they all have a Soul Mate they must find in order to be free of their duty and have a real life. And there is lots of magic and demons and mystical creatures for good measure. :)

Sounds great! Now it's time for the Speed Round

Brains or muscles?

Nerd with muscles?

Beer, wine or martini?

There's a specific kind of Eiswine and my brother has promised to buy me a case if I hit the bestseller list. Here's hoping.

Horses or Harleys?

Harleys

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxers

Weres, Vamps or Demons?

OOO hard. *snicker* Weres.

Thank you so much for visiting, Ellen! It was great having you here.

Thanks so much!  I appreciate it!

Readers, you can find Ellen on both Facebook and Twitter, and Blood Moon is available now at Decadent Publishing.

Tuesday Teases: Happy Birthday Skyla!

The wonderful, beautiful Skyla Dawn Cameron (editor at Mundania Press) is celebrating her birthday today. (If you want numbers, talk to her, I'm not spilling.) Instead of asking for gifts though, Skyla is doing things a bit different. As a major animal lover, she's asking you to give a gift to your local animal shelter. In return, she's giving away a bunch of stuff. Click here if you want to know how to enter and what's up for grabs (a digital copy of "Of Course I Try" is part of the mix.)

She also asked that we post our pet adoption stories today. While most of my pets have come from a shelter of some sort or the other, our most recent addition, Zeus, came from an ASPCA adoption event at a local pet store. Like Skyla, if I go into the actual shelter, I want to bring everyone home.

When we adopted Zeus, we already had a senior dog, Bailey. She was kind of an oddball. She loved puppies, but wasn't really fond of other dogs. So when we made the decision to add to the family, she got the deciding vote. Everyone was kind of stuck on the idea of a puppy, and we found a couple at the event we liked (she had turned her nose up at everyone she'd met before this particular adoption). Once we picked her up from home and brought her to the store though, she made it pretty clear she was over the puppy thing. She wanted nothing to do with them. At all.

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Then there was this kind of dopey, goofy German Shepherd mix that had glommed onto us. He was about a year old and neutered but that was really all the information they could give us (the ASPCA had rescued him from a kill shelter in Ohio). The moment he went nose to nose with Bailey, I knew we'd found our guy. Her tail went a mile a minute and her posture was all sorts of relaxed. We took them outside to walk together, and it was like they'd been hanging out for years. Zeus came home with us that day.

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For about a week, there were little power struggles between the dogs. Then they seemed to work it out that Bailey was alpha inside, and Zeus was in charge outside. I remember trainers telling us it didn't work that way, that because Zeus was male, she'd defer to him. Obviously they'd never met our crazy kids.

While Bailey'd reached an age where she was content to lie around and just play in spurts, Zeus was boundless energy. When he wants quiet time, he hides by me, lodging himself under my desk when I'm working or between the couch and coffee table in the evenings. In a lot of ways, he became my shadow.

It wasn't long after Zeus came into our lives that Bailey's health started going. I think she'd been holding out until she knew we'd be taken care of. She had a year with Zeus when things were pretty good, but then she developed heart problem that required a pace maker and a spinal condition that got worse and worse as time progressed. This past February, when her therapy stopped helping, we finally made the decision to let her go.

Zeus was the glue that kept me strong for my kids. He held me up when I wanted to fall down and cry. Even now, as I'm writing this, he's here with kisses and his goofy doggie smile.



A long time ago, I said I never wanted a male dog.

Of course, back then, I hadn't met Zeus.

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Happy Birthday, Skyla!

Tuesday Teases: Mark Damaroyd

Today we are joined by yet another Decadent author, Mark Damaroyd. Here's the blurb on Pursuit to Paradise:

In the worldwide recession of 2009, Ben Lofthouse plans to rebuild his life on Koh Pimaan, a paradise island in Thailand. Desperate to escape the increasing hostility of the locals who blame him for his failing businesses, and determined to find the beautiful but mysterious Nataya who has disappeared, Ben is plunged into an adventure which may prove fatal.

Surrounded by beautiful women, but relentlessly pursued by a former girlfriend, and stalked by a notorious London gangster, an unexpected romance develops. A new friendship catapults Ben into both increasingly sensual and dangerous situations. With a bevy of beauties at his side, he finds himself drawn into erotic moviemaking at Casa Blanca, a spectacular hillside villa.

Ben's dreams seem destined to become reality. But an amazing piece of news he has received could change his life forever, or bring it to an untimely end...

Hi, Mark, and welcome to Ramblings and Romance.

I’m delighted to be here, Seleste – thanks for the kind invitation.

What made you decide to pick up and move to Thailand?

After holidaying in Thailand a few times, then going to work there, I discovered the lifestyle and laidback attitude suited me fine. I’ve lived in Thailand for some years, including on islands similar to the imaginary Koh Pimaan, in Pursuit to Paradise, which I had to dream up because of the naughty goings-on there. I never came across such amazing antics elsewhere. I’ve endeavoured to convey something of the unique atmosphere, and sights to be found in The Land of Smiles. I hope readers will be able to easily relate, bouncing along happily with characters as they plunge into action. The people of Thailand always smile, in good and bad times they smile even at me and the many thousands of westerners who’ve settled there. It seemed a good idea to tell my story with lots of humour. Before relocating to Thailand, I spent long periods in quaint English villages, similar to those featured in the story. Dramatic differences in climate, lifestyles and attitude provide contrast, changing from scene to scene as a subplot unfolds.

With elephants walking by outside your house, obviously the country is rife with inspiration, what aspects of the land and culture spoke to you most when writing Pursuit to Paradise?

Encounters and relationships involving western men and Thai women have been published in many different guises around the world. I’ve attempted to throw new light on the subject, at the same time highlighting different lifestyles, such as people struggling for financial survival in the remote rice growing regions, to how different city life can be. Then there’s how tourists perceive Thailand when they visit the luxurious mainland resorts and spectacular paradise islands to the south. The well-known slogans, ‘Amazing Thailand’ and ‘Land of Smiles’ are certainly justified.

Can you tell us a little about your path to publication with this piece?

Originally, ‘Pursuit’ happened to be extremely erotic. Comments came back from several would-be publishers, pointing out the strong storyline didn’t need so much graphic detail. After shelving the project for a while, I revised it, cutting out the graphic sex.

The hardest part involved getting the style of English spoken by the characters correct. In, Pursuit to Paradise, There’s a mixture of Thai, American, English, Scandinavian, Indonesian, Australian and others. The heroine – or is she? – from Thailand, mysteriously speaks perfect English – much better than me. Other Thais in the book struggle with it. Then I spent ages researching acceptable English spelling for the few Thai words dotted here and there. Capturing the American, Australian and East London tone proved a challenge too. I hope it comes across okay. The other hard part was, as I mentioned earlier, deciding how much detailed sex needed to be included. The outrageous, quirky romance and humorous adventure is sensual, but graphic sex wasn’t required. I feel sometimes leaving a bit to the readers’ imagination whets the appetite. It slots into heat level 2 category. I’m deeply indebted to my publishers, Decadent Publishing. They helped tremendously in getting it all together.

What was your editorial process like?

One of the biggest problems is the time difference between Thailand and the USA. When you’re up and about, I’m sleeping – apart from a few crossover hours. During the editing process, manuscripts flew back and forth across the time zones. A little confusion occurred about which copy happened to be the most recently edited version. Also, Thailand doesn’t have the most wonderful internet service. Final edits were made by a fantastic editor in Ireland, and we saved a few hours as a result.

I noticed you write full time. Can you tell us a bit about your next project?

Maybe I should explain I’m retired, writing when the mood takes me – which could be full time. If I sell enough copies of ‘Pusuit’ to fund a year in Barbados, I’ll complete my new novel, tentatively called, ‘One-way Ticket to Paradise’, there. It’d focus on the lifestyle, culture, customs and people on that fabulous island. Otherwise – short of winning the lottery – it’ll be set in Thailand. Asked what misconceptions apply about being an author, I replied, ‘getting rich quick, becoming famous overnight and having a glamorous lifestyle.’ If only.

Is there anyplace in particular you like to go for inspiration or to write?

I don’t need wakeup calls in my northern Thailand village. Cocks, ducks and yapping dogs dependably announce the dawn. My wonderful Thai wife turns on my computer, makes the first of endless coffees, and prepares breakfast while I stir, fall out of bed and check to see what’s going on in the big wide world. Depending on my mood and the weather, I sometimes stroll along the quiet lane to the local temple, walk briskly around the beautiful grounds and along the river bank. Chanting monks and clanging gongs never fail to remind me how lucky I am to be in that part of Southeast Asia. Then I attempt to buckle down and knock out a few more pages of the next book. Most days bring distractions – elephants strolling past my house, herds of buffalo munching foliage in the front garden – little things that cause you to look up from the keypad. Bedtime usually comes early, after a stiff drink or two.

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SPEED ROUND

Coffee or tea? Coffee all the time, all day long.

Sweet or spicy? What? The coffee? Coffee not too sweet – sweet and spicy reading is fine.

Boxers or briefs? Briefs. In Thailand they come in amazing patterns and sizes.

Satin or lace? Come on, Seleste, for a guy? I love to see ladies wearing slinky satin and lace.

Fact or fiction? If you want a fact to stand out, spice it with a little fiction.

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Is there anything else you'd like to tell my readers?

It’s not me on the cover of ‘Pursuit’. I’m still getting loads of messages from females seeking relationships on a few of the well-known social network sites. Dara England made a wonderful job of the book cover. Thanks, Dara.

And I want to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed chatting with you, Seleste. It’s been fun. Thanks so much for the opportunity.

Tuesday Teases: PJ Schnyder

My dear friend, PJ Schnyder and I decided to do our interviews with each other a little differently than normal. Instead of sending each other questions where we would have all the time in the world to fill out answers (read: answer "correctly"), we decided to do our interviews live in tandem over instant message. We had a great time, and if you follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed we gave each other a little bit of grief. It's all in good fun though. PJ's novel, HEART'S SENTINEL was released from Decadent Publishing on August 6, here's a little about the story.

Born human, Mackenzie never wanted to be a shapeshifter. After a shifter stalks and brutally Changes her, she runs to the jaguars of River Gap pride for protection from the stalker still searching for her, to come to terms with the attack and learn to control her new, powerful cougar body.

Adam, a River Gap Sentinel, is assigned as her guard and mentor. Well aware of his strength and how new she is the shapeshifter world, he holds himself back from the flames of primal desire she ignites. But, to survive the stalker, they both need to first battle their pasts and learn what it truly means to be the sentinels of each other’s hearts.

Sounds good, doesn't it? And now, onto PJ herself!

Hi, PJ, and welcome to Ramblings and Romance. I know, I know, you've been here before, but that was always as a guest. This time, you're the vict... I mean, star of the show. Yeah, that's it. So what can you tell us about your path to publication with HEART'S SENTINEL? Was this written specifically for Decadent?

*blink* Yah. Don't think I didn't catch the "victim" part of it. >_> Heart's Sentinel was written last year and a submitted to one of the Miss Snark's First Victim Secret Agent Contests. It took first runner up. While the Secret Agent ultimately declined Heart's Sentinel, she provided valuable feedback. I took the manuscript through another revision round, finding great beta readers along the way *wink* (She means me, because we're just tight like that.) When Decadent Publishing opened for submissions, I sent Heart's Sentinel.  Lisa Omstead responded with a request for the full almost immediately.  I was ecstatic when I was offered a contract.



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HEART'S SENTINEL is just the first in your TERRA'S GUARDIANS series. What do you have planned for the human and shifter inhabitants of your world?

The world of Terra's Guardians is post-apocolyptic. Humans and shapeshifters come from a common ancestry prior to the Cataclysmis Wars. They are mutually threatened by mysterious hunters. Each new addition to the Terra's Guardians series will feature a new couple, a new romance. But the threat of the hunters will continue and readers will learn more about the hunters as the stories continue. (Psst... you could add some stuff about Red's Wolf here) The next story in the Terra's Guardians series is Red's Wolf, set to release August 30th with Decadent Publishing. It's a novella with a fairy tale flavor to it and I hope readers will enjoy.

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I know you requested Mr. Romance 2009, Charles Paz, to be on the cover of RED'S WOLF since he looked like Jason, the love interest. Can you tell me what went through your head when you saw he was also on the cover for HEART'S SENTINEL? (Side note: I love asking questions to which I already know the answer. Makes hearing what someone says when it's public all the more interesting :P)

It's true. I confess. The hero of Red's Wolf did look like Charles so when Decadent picked up the novella, I added a little note in the book cover questionnaire requesting him. He's an unsigned, free agent but he was coordinating with Decadent during the kick off and I thought it would be great. Heart's Sentinel had been entered as part of Decadent's submission contest and was awaiting the outcome, so I saw the cover art for Red's Wolf first. I had a *squee* moment when I found Charles on the cover of Red's Wolf. Then the cover art for Heart's Sentinel was sent to me and I had an OMG moment. Yup. I'd won the submission contest for the novel category, including the generous prizes associated. There was a tiny panic moment as I realized I'd need to tweak Adam just a bit to stay consistent with the cover. Overall, I'm delighted with both my covers and I'm told by other authors they've done the same in the past.

You and I had the pleasure to meet Charles at the Romantic Times convention this year. Then, through his own involvement with them, he went and introduced the two of us to Decadent Publishing. Basically, he was fairly instrumental in us signing with them and he's been a topic of discussion between us more than once. Right now, I want the first three words that come to mind when you think of your cover model.



OMG. In fact, Charles was sweet enough to call into my online interview with Franny's BlogTalkRadio (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/frannyarmstrong/2010/07/28/welcome-to-frannys-write-talk-tuesdays-at-9pm) and if you were in the chat room you could see people in the chat room all typing: It's Charles. Then all you saw me type was : OMG

So those are your three words? Oh my God?



Hey, you asked what 3 words came to mind FIRST

Haha fair enough. We'll go back to something writing-related. What are you working on right now? Is it part of the same series or something different entirely?

It's a good thing I'm a multi-tasker because I'm working on several WIPs. I've got a steampunk novella in the works for the holidays as well as the next full novel in the Terra's Guardians series. I've also got a completely new novella out for beta read *stares*. (hey, I told you I would as soon as I had time to breathe)

We've mentioned, and then laughed about, the idea of co-authoring something. But, if you could work with any author on a project, who would it be and why?

Honestly, I love you lots, but the first person on my list would be my little sister. (Um, duh, hence us laughing about the idea of writing together!) The two of us are very different, and yet, the meeting of our minds is a very quirky interaction.  She already helps me round up plot bunnies, but just imagine what an actual manuscript would be like if we co-authored? I write romance, she reads yaoi and a step beyond that, she reads some pretty shocking fan fiction.  I'm thinking the heat level of the book would shoot past my current stories and right into steaming hot. There's no telling where things would go: M/F, F/F, M/M...all of the above? On the other hand, if we did write together, neither of us would ever be able to look our parents in the eye again. And yet, our Uncle Gary would probably find it hysterical.

SPEED ROUND

Boxers or briefs?

Boxer briefs (nice copout) they look best under clothes and are ever so gropable



Great abs or great ass?

I can't have both? LOL. Abs.

Dimples or no dimples? (Smiles, people, just because it comes after the ass question doesn't mean you should leave your mind in the gutter.)

*blink* don't think I've minded one way or the other. Not a bonus point, boys, but not a hit either.

Sex or conversation? (Yes, you may return to the gutter now.)

A little encouragement During sex is hot. (Yet another copout. You disappoint me.)

Muscles or Brains?

Damn. Gotta have both. Sorry, I can't settle for too much of one with a lack of the other. (Dude, seriously? That's four out of five. We need to work on your decisiveness.)

Okay my copout answer friend, anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

Not copout, just truth. I'm picky/greedy that way. Heart's Sentinel is currently available with Decadent Publishing and look for Red's Wolf later in the month.



Awesome. Thanks, PJ, just be aware that the next interview will be held at gunpoint and you will have to choose :P



You can also find PJ online at www.pjschnyder.com





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As a special surprise, PJ and I have teamed up and are going to give one lucky commenter (from all those who comment on either or both blogs) a copy of BOTH our stories. You'll receive one entry for answering PJ's question here, and one for answering my question at PJ's blog. Entries close on Sunday, August 22, then we'll pool all the responses, choose a winner to announce on Tuesday.



What PJ wants to know to enter you in the contest is this: "Which of my WIPs you'd like to see first: steampunk holiday story, the next story in the Terra's Guardians series or the completely different sci-fi romance?"

Tuesday Teases: Robert Roman

When I decided to start doing interviews as one of the Tuesday Teases options, I didn't really know who I would be my first vict… er, guest. The stars aligned and I am really happy to introduce you to fellow Decadent Publishing author, Robert Roman. Since we first talked about doing the interview, I've had the opportunity to chat with him casually a little bit. Let me assure you, if his book is half as funny as he is, it's a must read.  Here's a little bit about his novella, Fae Eye for the Golem Guy, taken from the Decadent website:

Micah Slate has lived centuries, his lonely existence dedicated to the protection of art. Then he meets Ophilia Morgan, a young artist who has transformed herself into a living work of art. Micah thinks she'll never give him a second glance, but she has dark secrets of her own. When a greedy socialite uses Micah's museum as the setting for fraud and destruction, he and Ophilia will be thrown together in a night of mayhem.





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And without further ado, I give you the comedy stylings of Robert Roman (Just kidding ... sort of...)

I love the title. Give me some insight into how you go about selecting a title.

First, THANKS!  Second, it varies for each story, but a big part of it is my love of wordplay.  Beyond that, the title often comes sometime near where I find the 'hook' for the story.  In the case of Fae Eye for the Golem Guy, I was brainstorming with Dana Marie Bell (Author of The Wallflower and many, many, many other stories, Prolific and Talented, she is) about 'makeover' shows, and our favorite name for a makeover show was 'Queer Eye...', and things went from there.  In the case of Road Mage (due out from Decadent August 16th) the title came to me in a flash when I wrote the last line of the story.  Between those two extremes of 'Title and Hook at once' and 'Desperately Seeking Title' is the old stand-by, the Shout Out title.  Fae Eye has a little of that, but a better example (if you know my love of messed up media and anime) is my current submitted work, a Steampunk short Novella titled 'The Strange Fate of Capricious Jones - OR - Genesis of an Iron Angel'.  That one also has an alternate title, something I became enamoured of watching Rocky & Bullwinkle.  Finally, when I do sequels, I try to make sure the title of the sequel has something to do with the title of the original.  The relationship isn't always obvious, but that's because I love combining bad puns, obscure references, and a large vocabulary.

When did you first start writing seriously? And what was your road to publication like?

My first real writing was during NaNoWriMo 2005.  I got some bad writing habits there, but it taught me a lot of good working habits, and I needed those.  Now, I've been writing as far back as I can remember, but it was always 'backstory-for-an-RPG-character' or 'bad anime fanfic'.  At any rate, I wrote the first 50 KWords of XLI during NaNo 2005, sent it around to some friends, and the general response was 'write the rest!'  At that point, I finished the novel, ran it through some beta reading and through Baen's Bar, wherein I got my first taste of a random reader complimenting me.  At that point I was hooked.  I put a solid polish on the thing and submitted it.  I got great feedback from the slush reader, and even got some feedback and a personalized response from the Powers That Be at Baen.  At that point things looked great!  And then they...  stalled.  Publishers, Agents, you name it, for about five years I averaged one 'This is great!  I love it!  It's just not right for me right now.' a month.  Wrote more, got better, submitted more, same response.  I got a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.  By this summer, my SOP (based on a conversation with Michael Swanwick) was 'submit it, assume a glowing rejection in a few months, and get back to writing'.  It kept me from getting depressed, y'see.  Then, this summer, just before the end of the school year, quite out of the blue, my li'l sis PJ tells me 'Submit to Decadent before July!'.  So I do a rewrite and submit on the 30th of June.  Lisa at Decadent, with her usual alacrity, fired back a response within the hour that she liked the idea, and before the day was out had made an offer, 'cause she's just super-cool like that.



What made you decide to tackle comedy along with romance? Are you just naturally a funny guy?

When the mood strikes me, yeah.  Just about everything I write has some humor to it, although at times it's rather dark.  I find a lot of things funny, and some of it translates to things I can show other people are funny.  For example, I once had some friends speechless with laughter talking about linoleum.



Funny thing, your story is the second I've known this past year to feature an Ophelia/Ophilia, and it turns out that Myka's middle name on Warehouse 13 is Ophilia (nice coincidence there in both names LOL). Did you plan to be part of helping the name make a comeback?

Actually, the characters were originally Mike and Phil.  No, still a girl, but a punk / goth girl named Phil.  But everyone has a full name, and during one rewrite I replaced almost all the nicknames with full names and... it worked.



How much research about art did you have to do for the story or did you know a lot about art already?

Let's see...  Phil has six tattoos described in the story, if you count the triptych on thighs and back as one.  Of those six, I knew the name and artist on two of them, knew the artist on one more, and knew the work I was looking for on one more.  The other two I had an idea what I wanted and went looking.  I'd love to say I remembered it all from my College Art History class, but a lot of it came from reading the 2Blowhards blog and stuff I linksurfed to from there.  I wish I could do art, but visual art is...  Let's just say it's Not My Medium.



I see on your website that there's a sequel to Fae Eye for the Golem Guy. Do you know if Decadent plans to publish it as well, and if so, when it might be available?

Lisa has asked about it, so I'm sure she'll at least give it a read.  Hopefully she'll like it.  Right now I've completed about 10 KWords and it's next in my writing queue, so given that I've got three weeks of vacation coming up, I should have it out for beta reading by the end of August.  So, assuming no major interruptions, it could be out as early as late October.



Fae Eye has a heat level of 2, which makes sense since it's a comedy, but do you have any plans for hotter stories? You know, maybe coming to join us on the erotic dark side?

That's an interesting question.  The one thing I've been thus far unable to write is graphic erotic scenes.  I've written erotic scenes, and graphic (violent) scenes, but the one time I tried graphic erotic the response was, if I remember correctly, "YOU BASTARD!  I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO ORGASM!  BASTARD!  DIE IN A FIRE!"  What's real bad is that I had an experienced erotic romance author look at it, and her response was along the lines of 'All the components are there, and they're in the right order.  There's nothing wrong with it, except the effect.  By they way, YOU BASTARD!'"

All that said, I do have one novel (Erin's Story) which is an integral part of the series.  Sex is an integral part of the novel.  So there are plans.  I just need to work that skillset a bit.  Or maybe market the novel as the worlds first literary prophylactic.



Is there anything (other than what the company won't publish) that you will never write?

Not long ago, I met my muses.  There are two of them, and they live in my fevered imagination.  They insisted they be writ down.  I literally got to the point where I could not sleep because the story was prodding me in the back of the brain.  Dana said 'write it out!'.  PJ said 'write it out!'.  The results, starring said muses, lurk in a folder on a thumb drive labelled 'So Wrong'.  In less than 2,000 words, said muses wandered through Blasphemy, Incest, Bestiality, and prose so Purple it ought be used by Behr as a dye.  Sort of the literary equivalent of "The Aristocrats".  By the way, the story is a Literary Erotic Romance with a Heat Level of around 2.  NOTE - I do not mean 'Non-Genre story that contains Romance'.  I mean 'A story about literary genres getting it on'.  I sent it to half a dozen friends who thought I couldn't possibly write something so warped it should be classified as a weapon.  The results:  three keyboards nearly ruined by spit-take laughter, two more recipients who didn't get it and were vaguely offended (the two non-fiction-writers, oddly) and one round of suggested edits.  Because The Peej is unflappable.

Given that THAT abomination crawled out of my brain, I can say with great confidence that there is nothing I WON'T write, including stuff that can't be published.  Some of it I'm not submitting; do I LOOK stupid (don't answer that).  But that doesn't mean I won't write it.

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****Speed Round****

Hot or cold?

Hot



Black, white, or red?

Black



Brunette, blonde, or redhead?

Brunette



Tits, ass or legs?

Ass.  Or Nose.  But mostly Ass.



In the snow or on the beach?

Snow

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Is there anything else you want to share with readers?

For any of the readers who are aspiring writers, I will say this - get good beta readers.  They make all the difference.  If it weren't for Dana, PJ, Anne, Dusty, Jon, Rob, and the Ur-Goth, my writing wouldn't be what it is today.

Also, (blatant plug time!) take a few seconds to check out my novella, Fae Eye for the Golem Guy over at Decadent and be on the lookout for Road Mage on the 16th.

Y'know something odd?  I think when Road Mage comes out it will be the first entry in the 'Mainstream' section of Decadent's catalog.  Cool!

That's great! Thanks for stopping by, Robert, and I wish you the best of luck with all your upcoming releases :)

Introducing Tuesday Teases!

Those weekly updates really weren't doing much for me, so I decided to change up what happens on the first blog post of the week, so welcome to Tuesday Teases! This is kind of a catch-all day of fun stuff: author interviews, polls, teasers from my stories, maybe even some man-candy. I really hope you enjoy the change; I'm definitely excited :)

For this week, I'm going to start simple. A lot of you come to the blog directly from Twitter, or Facebook, or other internet links. Hell, there are even a few of you who pop here all on your own without any linkage from me. All of that is made of win and I love you for it, but it means that you probably aren't hitting the main site for content. And that means you all missed the excerpt I posted from "Of Course I Try".

So I'm going to give it to you here!

WARNING: This excerpt is for mature audiences only (or at least those over 18). If your boss reads over your shoulder, it's probably not safe for work.

[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Max was here just to allow you time to close the window if you're under 18. And because I like to look at him :P"][/caption]

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When I came to his house tonight, I'd come to say goodbye. I remember that, even as his hands cup my breasts, squeezing them tenderly and rolling my nipples between his fingers. By the time Max lowers his head and sucks one tightened bud into his mouth, I can't recall why I wanted to leave.

Candles and patchouli incense burn in the room as my body writhes against sage sheets so soft they feel like silk. They aren't, though. I know his silk sheets—they’re black. The low light and spicy scent play on my senses, intoxicating me until the room disappears.

All I know are his hands and mouth on my body. Rough and soft. Dry and wet. Cool and warm.

His lips cover mine, and I give myself to the kiss as he reaches down and tugs off my panties. I'm wearing the lace ones. I'd come to say goodbye wearing the black lace panties he loves. But by the time they're gone, I don't consider why I'd do something like that because Max's mouth has left mine and traced a line down my abdomen.

I know I should fight this, but I can't. I don't want to. I want Max—for as long as he'll have me.

Rough hands cup my ass as he wedges my legs apart with his shoulders. Then despite, or maybe because of, the little moans that betray me, his lips travel lower, trailing kisses down to the inside of my thigh. His breath tickles as he hovers there, reaching out his tongue to trace a shape on my skin. It's a heart. I don't know how I know, but I'm sure.

"Please, Max—" A little voice in my head screams that I should finish the sentence with "stop", but I don't. I can't.

A deep chuckle vibrates against my clitoris, making a shiver run all the way to my toes. Then his magical tongue caresses the already sensitive nub, and I cry out. He sucks it into his mouth just to the line where pain and pleasure meet—treading it but never crossing over.

I'm helpless beneath him, a prisoner to my body's yearnings. My back arches off the relative safety of the bed, and Max takes full advantage. With the ease of years of practice, his hands slide beneath me, pulling me closer to him as his tongue delves into me.

I can't think anymore. I can only feel. The pressure of his hands on my ass. The silky motion of his tongue inside me. The rough grazing of his teeth.

My hands clutch at the soft, green sheets and ball them in my fists as pleasure rips through me. I've never experienced orgasms like this with anyone else. Only Max. Wave after wave of sensation as my muscles contract around his tongue. It's never stopped moving, never stopped drawing me to my peak.

I cry out his name. The only word that matters. Max.

Soon enough, I can't even feel. Then there is nothing.

When I wake in the morning, everything is hazy. I remember coming over, remember the sex. The incredible, mind-altering sex, but then I'm blank. It isn't the first time.

There's a note on the pillow next to me.

Jocelyn,

I'm glad you came back. You have no idea how much I missed you.

Love forever,

Max

Something clicks in my brain, and I realize it isn't the first time I've read those words either.

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Hope you enjoyed it, and if you want to read the whole thing, it's available for purchase at Decadent Publishing in a variety of digital formats.

Up next week, an interview with fellow Decadent author, Robert Roman. Yes, there will be a man on the premises. Get your questions ready! ;-)