Thursday 13 - #21!

On Monday, October 22 the second book in my 'A Passion for Fashion and Bondage', Taming Marie Anotinette, was be released over at Phaze. I'm very excited for this one to come out so thought I'd give you all a couple of things I did to research this erotic romance.

1. The first book, The Leather Bride, was such a blast I was inspired to briefly outline three other stories. This January the cutie had a trip to Paris and I went along - all in the name of research :-)

2. Some time before we left, my mom sent me an article about the best hot chocolate around the world. Ummm, in case you didn't know, I'm totally addicted to a great cup of hot chocolate.

3. From the moment we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport [6 hours late], my personal quest to hunt out the best hot chocolate in the city began.

4. We went to Dalloyau and our host treated us to a tasting of everything from the salt to sweets. Yes, I even tasted the things that lived in water - didn't want to be rude, but the hot chocolate was divine! Oh, and the macaroons, simply lovely!

5. I was there as a corporate wife, but I also planned on doing some first hand research, so became tour guide and took my compatriot around.

6. We took the train out to Versailles. I didn't remember there was a small theater for opera and ballet out there, but it's there and a real gem.

7. We shopped - I bought our host a couple of bottles of wine for he and his wife, the pop-up Blue 2 for his son, and chocolates for the Monthly Scorcher members.

8. During the shopping trek acorss Paris, we visited Laduree for a sweet and hot chocolate - yum!

9. One night we took a boat up and down the Seine and ate a delicious meal - including my first ever Kir Royal, and yes, I had the escargot.

10. Another night our host took us all out to eat at Ma Bourgogne in the Marais section and visited the restrooms.

11. When the cutie was finished working, we took some time for ourselves and spent them, amongst other things, revisiting Notre Dame and then walked to Ile Saint-Louis for a crepe and beer.

12. Going through the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and into Angelina - the shop noted in my mom's list as having the thickest hot chocolate you'll ever taste. Yes, it most certainly did.

13. We also attended an exhibition at the Grand Palais on Egypt's Sunken Treasures.

Are you curious how this all comes together? Well, you'll have to buy a copy of Taming Marie Anotinette to see how each of these plays a part in the story, as well as how the three of them get to a happy ever after end.