Cyber Monday Only!

Everything just turned spectacular in my book purchasing world!  All Romance has a 50% rebate for today only ... buy an ebook and get 50% back, so cool!

Visit my author page and see all the fantastic deals to be had ... make a cuppa tea, get a couple of cookies, and get shopping :-)

The Keeper by Tilly Greene is out now and FREE! http://bit.ly/HLMSCY

The Keeper by Tilly Greene

Paranormal Erotica + Pleasure/Pain and Exhibitionism

Thora, an elfin woman, has a plan to get her creativity back on track and it involves Mother Nature. To be happy and content, she needs to re-establish their connection and then her artistic energy will once again flow with ease, putting her back in her happy place. Driving home she passes through Fortunes Forest and stops for a walk, only she ends up with so much more. She never expected communing with Mother Nature would turn into a delightfully thorny interlude with a stranger she discovers is also a keeper.

Pleasurable pain changes her needs and dreams, but what about the stranger who takes her?

Excerpt

Thora, a normally strong-willed independent elfin woman, feared her heart would burst from her chest. Already the organ pumped faster and harder than it ever had before. The situation she found herself in had changed for the worse. All she could hear was the speedy hammering of the muscle in her chest.

Shifting from one foot to the other immediately brought more pain, clouding her mind to everything but what happened to her body. The very real terror she experienced now felt unlike anything she’d ever encountered before, and she wasn’t sure she’d survive. Tears filled with hurt and frustration formed in her eyes, and threatened to spill at any moment. Mentally she chastised herself for taking the detour through the forest instead heading straight home. The view from her car window had been beautiful, soothing, and seemed to invite her to spend more time in the tranquil space.

Unfortunately for her, all the beauty had turned into a nightmare—a living, breathing, intoxicating nightmare.

* * * *

The day had started out normally. Work, work, and—oh yes—more work. Being a secretary in a major elfin corporation involved in projects across the planets could be interesting, but not that day. No, it had been filled with annoying phone calls and tedious paperwork. Breakfast had been a banana sliced over a bowl of granola and wheat germ, and a cucumber and beet salad at her desk for lunch. Neither offered much excitement, but they had given her energy to get on with things.

By the end of her time behind the desk, she needed to relax and find a peaceful place where her imagination and dreams could flourish, and only after that happened could she enjoy the weekend. Those two days belonged to her and she had planned to spend them locked in her true passion—painting. With that aspiration in mind, she was thankful one of the ways home led past Fortunes Forest. When she spotted a layby, she pulled over, stepped onto the pebbled verge, and walked in search of inspiration.

What made her current predicament so horrible was that she’d found a brief glimpse of her little personal spot of heaven, and then it was gone.

A few minutes ago she’d traipsed across a velvet soft, mossy hillock, thinking about how it felt—as if she walked on cool clouds. Ancient limbs, heavy with foliage, waved gently overhead. They whistled softly in the breeze and allowed small trickles of sunlight to drip through their boughs, lighting her way.

Everything had been lovely, idyllic, and yet it turned even more beautiful the moment she stepped into a clearing with an enticing, crisp little pond at its center. In less than a second, she stripped down to her skin and dipped beneath its smooth surface. There was nothing wrong with skinny dipping other than it played into a feeling of being naughty, she was an elfin adult and elfin’s were all sorts of wicked. Once her body finished fleshing out, her ears had found their final form, and she thought they had a delightful shape.

If only she could run a finger along them, she’d surely calm down and find a way out of this mess.

Celebrate Whiskey Creek Press's 9th birthday with 9 books for .99!

I am so very happy to say Happy 9th Birthday to Whiskey Creek Press!

In honor of the day they've put 9 books on sale for .99 cents...cool...and Call Me Lucifer is one of them!  Double Cool!  If you haven't read this paranormal erotic romance + bondage and D/s, then head over to their bookshelves and pick it up along with many other gems.

Here's a snippet to tempt you further...it's Lucifer, tempatation is going to happen :-)

Call Me Lucifer
published by Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

He is much more than the horrific job title and now he needs to prove it to her!

Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, works hard dishing out punishments and asks for little in return, until now. He's been waiting an eternity for a woman who would bring out his gentle side, his need to love and be loved in return. He’d started to wonder if she even existed but at last he’s found her, in a courtroom arguing for a tougher sentence.

After his first introduction to Nia Adams, a sexy petite firebrand, he spends all his time on the surface at her side. They have a serious relationship and he’s sure the emotion bouncing between them is love. Then she lies to him about how she feels.

While difficult to hear, the lie opens a door. It gives him the only chance he’ll ever have to show her who the man behind the horrific job title really is. And he takes it with both hands.
 
 
Excerpt
 
After a few more minutes of trying to calm her roaring thoughts, Nia started to release a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Only it caught in the back of her throat as a deep voice resonated along the hallway.

“Ms. Adams, the door is now open. Come.”

Nia sat perfectly still, unblinking and unable to move from the seat she’d only a few seconds before had been so eager to escape. Each word he spoke seeped straight through her body, settling to a slow and steady pulsating thump in her pussy. It was the wickedest reaction she’d ever had to a man speaking to her.

How was she supposed to conduct herself in a calm and professional manner, when the mere sound of his voice sent her lust spilling from her? She never wanted to meet the owner face-to-face. There was no doubt such a meeting would surely lead to her downfall. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t at her side that day. Somehow she knew he was the person she was supposed to see.

Looking down the passageway, Nia noticed the previously closed door at the end stood ajar.

“Now.” The single word reeked of power as it blasted down the hallway, from the room beyond the opened door, and through her body.

Dang! The trouble she was in had suddenly taken an unexpected turn and she couldn’t see a way around it. She stood up quickly and turned to walk toward the office, only her feet wouldn’t move. Bracing a hand on the wall to help steady herself, she placed the other over her nervous stomach, and took a deep breath.

She followed it up with another one, thankfully steadier than the last.

Before she could take her first step, the voice growled more deeply than the first time, and her knees trembled. The man was angry, but the sound of his voice turned her on, and tempted her passionate nature to come out and play. Maybe he was an old, ugly troll, with a great voice. Somehow she doubted it, but she’d use whatever helped her get through the meeting.

“You don’t want to upset me, Ms. Adams.”

Muttering to herself about how impatience was not a virtue, she followed it up with how typical of a man to demand rather than request. It was the pep talk she’d needed to get herself moving and she took a step forward with her usual in charge style.

“I can hear what you’re saying.”

Raising a hand to cover her mouth, she gasped, stunned at his ability to see and hear everything she did.

Who was this man and why had she been summoned? She was a good person who didn’t lie, cheat, or steal, and had never hurt a soul. In fact, every single day she did her best at work, finding justice for those who needed it. Surely doing good was the right thing to do.

“Come,” he barked down the hall. Startled, she jumped and started to make her way to the door. The only sound she heard was the solid clicking her heels made as she strode across the marble floor. Because she heard only it, Nia focused on each step she took. She wanted to ensure her footsteps didn’t sound hurried or hesitant, merely confident, sure of where she was going. It was something she could control in the nightmare she found herself in, so she’d take it.

She made it to the end of what felt like an endless length of hallway, paused for a stabilizing breath before stepping through the opened door. Deciding not to be intimidated anymore, Nia nudged the door open further, entered the room, and found it not at all threatening like she’d expected. In fact, it looked how she thought a cozy traditional library to look. It was dark, but there were two magnificent fireplaces on either side of the large yet still intimate feeling room, each with a roaring fire blazing inside. They brought heat and also seemed to supply the only light for the room. She couldn’t see any windows and no other door except the one she’d entered through.

In the flickering firelight, she looked at an imposing Napoleon styled desk with a massive chair resting behind it, facing away from her.

“Shut the door.”

Nia jumped at the seductive tone. For a moment she’d forgotten what had brought her into the room. She needed to get a hold of herself. It was the voice’s fault for sending her thoughts spiraling into unwanted territory. This was definitely not the time or place to think about sex.

Casting her gaze around the room again, she reminded herself that she was not there for her enjoyment, despite her imagination trying to take over. For a second she thought if there were comfortable over-sized couches resting before the fireplaces, she’d be begging for time alone to immerse herself in the greatness of the room. It would’ve been purely rapturous, but there weren’t any, and she was there for a different reason.

Turning around, she shut the door with a quiet snick, only to jump back when the lock shot to with a solid click. Abruptly, she spun around to face the desk, ready to voice her displeasure over how she’d been treated thus far, when the sexy voice growled again. The pulse returned to her pussy with a vengeance.

“Sit down, Ms. Adams.”

A finger appeared from the side of chair, nonchalantly pointing at the chair she assumed was for guests. Wanting to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible, she held back her temper, and moved to sit just as she’d been outside. A rigidly straight back, knees and ankles locked together, feet flat on the floor, and her hands clasped in her lap. She was ready for whatever happened next.

©Tilly Greene, 2010

Today you can Buy Call Me Lucifer for .99 from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

Valentines Day a big day for Zeus, a big day of no sex!

Zeus, King of the gods, God of the Sky and Thunder, knows he has a pretty good existence, except for when it comes to Valentine's Day. For some unknown reason, this was the one day out of the 365 that his desires are ignored by all. With unfulfilled desire pushing him closer to being dangerously angry, he's ready to demand answers from the Moirae when a woman from his past comes to the throne room.

Suddenly, the day of hearts and love isn't looking so bad. Or is it? Leda is someone he wronged in the past and wouldn't blame her if she denied him again, but he cares for her, deeply.

He is ready to do whatever it takes to have her again, but will she forgive his past mistakes?

Excerpt

“Feeling lonely?”

The two words were whispered so quietly, he wasn’t sure he actually heard them or if it was a culmination of what he had been thinking pushed the idea into his head. Casting a quick look around the cavernous room revealed no one else was there, but neither did he consider himself lonesome. Usually whenever he was in this room, he was surrounded by a crowd of people, many who were looking for something from him. The one good thing about being alone was that it rarely happened and it allowed him to think about what he wanted to reflect further upon, not what others put in front of him.

Relaxing back against the back of his throne, he took another drink from his cup and closed his eyes to savor the peace and quiet.

Except for his dislike of this particular day, his life was actually pretty good. There was nothing he lacked, although there were mistakes he’d made in the past, a few he wished he could go back and do over again.

“No women for the God of the Universe on Valentine’s Day?”

“Who is there?” A mere mortal couldn’t survive the wrath of his voice, much less the glare in his eyes as he stood up and searched the corners of the room. Whoever was out there had invaded his private time and he wouldn’t allow that to go unpunished. “Show yourself immediately or I’ll—”

“You’ll what?”

From behind the last column at the far end of the room stepped a delicate figure in a bright blue short chiton. Because of the lighting and distance between them, he couldn’t see the woman well enough to identify her by name, but he was able to see enough for his cock to stiffen between his legs.

“Who are you?” Now that he knew it was a beautiful woman, Zeus asked for help in identifying his visitor. Already he was turning away from intimidation and looking toward seduction. Hopefully The Fates would be too busy working on another string to see how his was changing.

“You know who I am, lover.”

“Lover? We’ve been together before?”

“Yes, we have.” The woman stopped moving and bowed to him. Instead of the usual gold rope twining around and through her dark brown hair, there was something white and fluttered in the light breeze. The more he saw of her, the more intrigued he was to discover everything.

“Don’t you remember me, Zeus?”

©Tilly Greene, 2009

"Together Again?", the second installment in the Mythological Messes Redux series, is available at All Romance eBook [ARe] and Amazon.

Tilly Greene and the Perfect Gift is a Book

Art and fashion are two things that give me great pleasure, especially when the artist puts them together and produces pieces that are outside a traditional form. This year two books came out that explore this unique mixture and I think are perfect to inspire that creative person you know and need to get a gift for them.

Pulp Fashion by Isabelle de Borchgrave is an artist who took well-known older paintings by masters and brought the fashion to life in paper and Savage Beauty shows the fashion by the late Alexander McQueen that was considered art. Both of these are the books from shows that were recently in museums and do a wonderful job of putting the reader close to being there in front of the pieces.

It's all about embracing and celebrating an individuals imagination.  By the way, I've dabbled in the reimagining a classic before.  They are currently 5 stories in the Mythological Messes Redux series.  I twist and turn Greek myths and characters until they have a more substantial storyline than ancient authors gave them.  The latest is:

Tied Up For Love by Tilly Greene
Paranormal Erotic Romance + Bondage

2011 AAD Book Award in BDSM short story nominee

Filla is a nymph used to the raucous ways of a Dionysian festival and allows a handsome newcomer, Marsyas, to strip her down for a passionate interlude while tied to a tree. After time spent alone, together, she knows little about him beyond the physical. However, her feelings for him are growing until he brings her back for the next festival, and suddenly she's not sure of anything.

Love is found in the most unlikely places, but will it last?

Buy from All Romance and Amazon

Mythological Messes Redux Series
Hephaestus Lays Down the Law
Together Again?
Double Punch
Cyra's Cyclopes
Tied Up For Love

Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
www.tillygreene.com

Facebook│Twitter│Hot Thoughts Blog│ARe Cafe



REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Tilly Greene and the Perfect Gift is a Book

It's finally happened!  Finally!  For years I've been reading ebooks and proclaiming to all who asked about the true glories that can be found with the format, but couldn't wholeheartedly recommend a device - couldn't until now that is :-)

Back in April the cutie jumped the paperback ship for convenience and ease of purchase with a Kindle 3G + WiFi and has never looked back until this little hiccup - the Kindle Fire.  While he prefers to read his ebooks on his original device, the Fire is more diverse in what it can do.  I, on the other hand, prefer to read on the Fire so will be taking it on our next trip instead of the iPod Touch I've been using.  Don't get me wrong, I still love my Touch, but the screen on the Fire is a much much better size for reading and a bit of internet.

So, while technically not a book, I think it is the perfect gift for a big book reader.  Honestly, if this device had come out before our big trip, I would have bought one for my sister as an early Christmas pressie - instead I had to watch her buy English language paperbacks at almost $30/each as she ran out of reading material!

Speaking of wickedness...

Good, Bad and Kinky [2 in 1] by Tilly Greene
Paranormal Erotic Romance + Bondage and D/s

Whether in Heaven, Hell or on Earth, everyone wants to be loved, and some enjoy kinky twists added into the mix.

Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, works hard handing out fitting punishments, but he’s ready for a change. Nia Adams is a sexy petite firebrand and his girlfriend. They are in love, but she lies to him about how she feels. While difficult to hear, the lie opens a door to their having a future together, but first she must go to Hell. (Call Me Lucifer)

Ann Miller was murdered as a toddler and ended up in Heaven. She’s happy with her existence, but everything changes once she earns her Guardian Angel wings. With them fluttering happily around her, she discovers what being in love feels like and wants more. Ann is given the chance to really live, but there are conditions attached and they aren’t simple. (My Angel)

Buy from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid and Amazon

Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
www.tillygreene.com

Facebook│Twitter│Hot Thoughts Blog│ARe Cafe



REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Tied Up For Love by Tilly Greene

Tied Up For Love by Tilly Greene
Tease Publishing
Paranormal Erotic Romance + Bondage

Available at ARe

Filla is a nymph used to the raucous ways of a Dionysian festival and allows a handsome newcomer, Marsyas, to strip her down for a passionate interlude while tied to a tree. After time spent alone, together, she knows little about him beyond the physical. However, her feelings for him are growing until he brings her back for the next festival, and suddenly she's not sure of anything.

Love is found in the most unlikely places, but will it last?

Excerpt

Ecstatic madness swirled around the clearing as Dionysus, god of wine and theater, skipped and danced through revelers with his mighty thyrsus in hand. Honey rained from the fennel stick and pine cone top onto random attendees, encouraging their passions to the surface, and ultimately to mate with whomever or whatever was closest. He whipped them further into a frenzied mindset and pushed them deeper into satisfying their lust for flesh. There were only two ways the frantic celebrants could shake loose the need infiltrating their minds and bodies, either through sex or violence.

Filla was a nymph, devotee of the god’s. Thankfully she’d never experienced the desire to tear another living being apart. She hadn’t been a follower for as many years as some, she wasn’t that old, but had been around long enough to discover a few of the secrets surrounding Dionysus and how he was worshipped. The disciples who were comfortable focusing on the wine and theater aspects saw little else, not the bad side of their favored divinity, and not his strong links to both life and death. Powerful and well supported, he was an immortal that shouldn’t ever be crossed.

As far as she was concerned devotion to the patron deity of agriculture and all the good he freely offered the community she chose to live within didn’t mean she had to compromise the standards she chose to live by. To both celebrate the final step in bringing the collective wine to fruition and to make it through an event in one piece, mentally and physically, would only be accomplished if she kept her distance from the people she knew to be unstable. The negative aspects of honoring the god weren’t enough to deny the sexual cravings that held her captive when it was festival time. Previous encounters had been gratifying, even fulfilling, but she’d had a taste of something better. Someone that made her happy and dreams appear possible, and he was at her side.

Marsyas.

They walked through the clearing, past a group of wild maenads eager for the sacrifice to start. She had her arm around his sleek warm waist and smiled feeling his around her shoulders, holding her close. They’d physically connected at the previous event and hadn’t spent a moment apart since. A Dionysian festival was not the place to find love, but their time since, spent at his place overlooking the sea had been filled with her feelings for him growing deeper, more complex. She wouldn’t label them love, there were too many unknowns to be discovered, too many questions to be answered, barriers in both of them to be knocked down, although her heart remained open for him to fill.

She’d always considered herself an adventurous woman when it came to embracing what life offered, but he’d shown her how much she’d been missing by giving her mind, body and soul over to the devotion of another. The past few months had been enlightening and full of pleasure, and she hadn’t wanted it to end. Happiness had wiped all thought of attending the big spring festival from her mind. She’d been caught off guard when he mentioned bringing her back to the temple in time for the celebration. The move left her with questions, doubts really.

Had he lost interest in her? In them and where they might have been headed? The attentive care he continued to treat her with didn’t support the concern, but sometimes actions hid the truth.  Filla knew she should ask him what was going on, but they were headed toward their special place, at least she thought it was special, and didn’t want to break the mood.

A startlingly loud yell broke into her thoughts and she looked around to see where the sound had come from. There were plenty of people shouting their fun, groaning their pleasure, but the cry had sounded like one of terror, and then she found the source.

Not too far from the tree where they’d culminated their relationship was a man stretched across a long stone who held his ass cheeks open for a centaur who stood between his legs. While she watched, he was slowly fed a long thin cock, and the yell turned into a moan. The man appeared to be enthralled by the others possession of his backside and she felt her body react to that discovery.

“You’re remembering when I first took your delicate sweet ass, aren’t you honey.”
Copyright © 2011 Tilly Greene

Buy ebook at All Romance [ARe]

Remember Marsyas...

...the hero of "Tied Up For Love"?

No?  Let me remind you of a few things.  Marsyas is the latest Ancient Greek mythological figure to be treated to a fresh ending, actually fresh start would be more apt, but then again, that is what the Mythological Messes Redux series is all about

The man is actually an ipotane, a mythical creature from before satyrs and centaurs. I might have shown you before, but I'm going to do it again because this is a stunning piece.  To the right is a picture from the Getty Collection of a remnant that also happens to be one of my all time favorite pieces of art.

He isn't big, less than 20", and the artist added horns which the real Marsyas didn't have, however, the man is very sexy as sin and I came to that conclusion long before I knew his sad tale.

To make this Friday even better than a normal TGIF, you can pick up "Tied Up For Love" ebook now at All Romance [ARe]!  SURPRISE!

Mythological Messes Redux Series
Hephaestus Lays Down the Law, LIP Vol. 1
Together Again?
Double Punch
Cyra's Cyclopes, LIP Vol. 3
Tied Up For Love, LIP Vol. 4 - OUT NOW!

Tilly Greene
WARNING!  Red hot romances ahead!
http://www.tillygreene.com/

Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe

Allow me to introduce you to...

...the hero of Tied Up For Love, to be released on April 15.

I just realized that I've told you Marsyas is the latest Ancient Greek mythological figure to be treated to a fresh ending, actually fresh start would be more apt, but then again, that is what the Mythological Messes Redux series is all about, however, I haven't shown you the man himself.

So, without any further ado, let me introduce you to the real ipotane, Marsyas. To the right is a picture from the Getty Collection of a remnant that also happens to be one of my all time favorite pieces of art.

He isn't big, less than 20", and the artist added horns which the real Marsyas didn't have, however, the man is very sexy as sin and I came to that conclusion long before I knew his sad tale.

Location! Location! Location!

Yeah, Marsyas is finished, and I thought I'd share that the story takes place in Ancient Greece.

Thinking back to the four previous stories in the Mythological Messes Redux series, only one [Double Punch takes place largely in San Francisco] has a footing in contemporary times.  Mount Olympus, various temples, residential dwellings, settings out amongst nature and a forge are where most of the important things take place in this series.

A great deal of information is known about what life was during this time and the scenery is also fairly well established, which offers a good base to write a story based in this period.  The series is founded in giving mythological characters a second chance at a new ending and I think from the offer through to the outcome needs to be plausible.  The most difficult part in writing this series is when I needed to take a known site and manipulate it enough to suit the story, without creating something that wouldn't be possible during that period.

Yes, I love a challenge, and you'll have to check out Marsyas when it's released to see how it all turns out.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 26!

Lions' Pride by Teresa Noelle Roberts
Buy eBook from Samhain Publishing
Pre-Order/Buy Paperback from Amazon - July 6 2010
Erotic Paranormal Romance/Menage

To save the one they love, they’re going in with spells blazing…

Duals and Donovan: The Different, Book 1

Elissa Donovan is a real green witch—when she and her lion-shapeshifter husband have sex, the blazing heat is recycled to warm their house. Now her beloved Jude has been kidnapped by a shadowy government agency, and the last place she can turn for help is her high-powered family, who considers her magic mediocre.

When Rafe Benedict gets Elissa’s call for muscle to back up her magic, he risks his law enforcement career to answer. He’s spent a lifetime hiding his Dual ability, but something about Elissa and Jude’s magic awakens the cougar within him.

Tempting, bronzed Rafe is the perfect fuse for Elissa’s sex-fueled magic. Danger lies in breaking her vows; joining with anyone other than her true mate could not only send her marriage up in flames, it could burn out her powers in a last, all-or-nothing explosion. But Jude is worth the risk. And for Rafe, potential heartbreak is nothing next to the chance to help the two people he’s coming to love.

First, though, Rafe needs a crash course in Cougar…

Warning: This title contains evil fae, guys with guns, shadowy government conspiracies, a snarky ghost, and smoking-hot, three-way sex.


EXCERPT
For a little setting, Jude has been captured by the bad guys and shot up
with a dangerous experimental drug that's affecting the bond between his human and lion sides. Elissa's managed to pull them all into the spirit world so she can heal his damaged spirit--via sex magic.

Elissa's lips tasted of green and cinnamon, of life itself burgeoning, and his cock swelled in response. But there was an undertaste, one hauntingly familiar but not right.

Pine and forest smells, like the air around them, amber and male feline musk. For all it didn’t belong around his woman, let alone on his woman’s lips, it went straight to his cock and balls, adding to his desire. He ached sweetly for things he hadn’t known, had barely dared to imagine.

A hand gripped his shoulder, large and heated and firm. Not a threat, but a gift, he sensed. The scent of sage, already on the wind, already on Elissa, grew stronger.

Reluctantly, he turned from Elissa.

Into Rafe’s waiting arms.

Rafe stood, fully human, naked as Jude himself. He was shorter than Jude, but strong, muscled. Perfect copper abs tapered to narrow hips and a cock Jude felt hard against him, but didn’t dare to look at.

Instead, he met the other man’s eyes and saw the cougar, tawny and alert and curious, in the same spot where the human-seeming Rafe stood. The lion responded as he would to a beautiful lioness, or to the lioness the lion perceived Elissa to be despite her human body.

All kinds of questions rambled through his head, too many to ask.

“We’ve found you,” Elissa said. She pressed against him, her arms around his waist, her breasts soft against his back. “We’re going to get you out, my heart. No matter what.”

“Elissa…” He tried to turn, to look into her eyes, to tell her not to risk herself. That he’d be fine—even though he had no idea how he would be, poisoned and imprisoned and in the kind of pain that would eventually break his mind.

Rafe had left his hand resting on Jude’s shoulder as if it was the most natural thing on earth. He placed the other over Elissa’s on Jude’s hip, so his fingertips brushed Jude’s skin, the sensitive low belly, perilously near Jude’s swollen dick.

His cock felt huge, treelike. On fire with need. Wrong, yet so right. Elissa’s cunt was its natural home, but he felt an equal pull toward Rafe’s lush mouth and firm, elegant ass.

The air throbbed with the smell of herbs and pears and pine and fur, of male and female musk. Jude closed his eyes, trying to shut out some of the stimuli, but this was a dream and the sight of Rafe, of Elissa, of the two of them touching him and each other, burned through his eyelids.

“Rafe, what are you doing in my dream?” Jude finally stammered. He’d meant it to sound accusing, but it came out plaintive and eager, as if he’d been yearning for Rafe to be there for so long he’d given up hope.

“This,” Rafe said, and reached up to kiss him.

Buy eBook from Samhain Publishing
Pre-Order/Buy Paperback from Amazon - July 6 2010

Teresa Noelle Roberts Website│Blog│Facebook


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 23!

Sex is a major part of the erotic romance genre, it also happens to be a prevelent activity in Ancient Greek mythology, and I put the two together for the Mythological Messes Redux series. Recently I had a reader ask me how I decided who had what kind of sex and it wasn't something I'd ever really thought about. The simple answer would be that the characters tell me what they want to do in the sack and, to a certain extent, that's true, although I generally know who will do what before the characters are fully developed as their sexual proclivity is part of their personalities.

Let me back up and clarify something. Our discussion had started with us talking about the unconventional, non-vanilla [BDSM and Ménages] sex I sometimes write and how they should have a unique page on my website [I've since taken their advice and done this :-)]. So, back to that question, how I decide who has what type of sex, specifically when it came to the Ancient Greek mythological characters. While the gods, goddesses and immortals were all sexually active, that was generally as far as it went, but would they have stretched the repertoire in the boudoir if the opportunity had been presented?

Let's see, shall we?


Hephaestus, god of the Forge, was hated, mistreated and ridiculed by his stepmother [Hera is just as often considered his mother], but he was a good man. He worked hard making important special items for the other Olympians. Things like thunderbolts for Zeus and Hermes' winged hat and shoes. Heph may find it necessary to walk with an aid, a stick, but the work he did meant he was totally buff. The god was big, with well defined muscles and handsome [at least I like to think so]. Wouldn't it be logical for a man who is physically challenged and yet quite comfortable with manipulating steel to be turned on by binding his lover for his focused attention?


Then there's the twins who aren't really twins, Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri [Sons of Zeus]. Brought up as brothers, they were very close and as grown men, became even better friends. They thought and acted as one. Both men were great horsemen, renowned hunters and the best of boxers who often sought to right a wrong - the brothers protected those who needed it most. On such a mission, Castor [mortal] lay dying when Pollux gave up his immortality to spend eternity with his brother, not completely dead, but existing as the Gemini constellation. Doesn't it make sense that these two men would fall in love with the same woman?


And then there's the feared, one-eyed Cyclopes monsters, they could never have a lover, could they? Agres, Steropes and Brontes have existed forever, are firmly set in their ways and see no reason to change. Humans are annoying and it's fine with them that cower in fear of the brothers. Work keeps them busy and it takes a great deal of attention to keep from sucumbing to their unique personifications. However, their job also happens to shape their bodies into delightfully strong forms, and the one eye, surrounded by long lashes, is gorgeous, especially when focused on a specific woman. Never believing love would never be theirs, it's believeable that these three outcasts would share the one who holds their hearts wants, right?

Bondage and ménages fit these three scenearios, the characters personalities, and could actually have happened if happiness for all had been the goal of the myths, only it wasn't. Lessons were definitely learned from those ancients texts, but in the 21st century, everyone - including the physically challenged, the might as well be dead, and the feared - is entitled to their happy ever after. Right? Of course they are! How they go about finding their pleasure is how the lovers express their deep emotions for each other and if that means tying them down or sharing them with another, so be it.

By the way, tags/labels denoting sub-genres are hints for a reader of what's in a book, and they're important, although there are problems.  Most publishers set a limit for labels and that means there could be problems for readers who don't want to read specific sub-genres.  Also, definition of the tags/labels differ, which adds further complications to picking out a book that suits a reader.  And then, on top of all that, there's the fact that no two authors write sub-genres in the same way.  My advice is twofold.  First, when it comes to sub-genres [mc, bdsm, menage, rubenesque, etc.] be adventurous, and set aside the "I don't read...".  And then I suggest knowing the authors and how they write.  Do this by visiting their websites, blogs, tweet them a query, because you might be missing a great book because of the "I don't read..." limits.

So, that said, for me, when it comes to BDSM and D/s, I don't include pain or humiliation in my books/ebooks - just pleasureable fun and games that all the characters involved want.  And, when it comes to menages, what can I say other than they are not orgies, they fit.

Other books of mine where BDSM and Ménages take place:
Come, Sweet Creature [bondage and D/s]
Extreme Speed, Total Control [one scene ménage a trois]
An Invitation to the World: Russia and New Zealand [D/s and ménage a trois]
The Leather Bride [bondage]
Zandia [bondage and exhibitionism]
Taming Marie Antoinette [bondage, D/s and ménage a trois]
Ride 'em [bondage, D/s and ménage]
The Gilded Cage [bondage and D/s]
Highland Heat [bondage]
Call Me Lucifer [bondage and D/s]
My Angel [bondage]

and...

Mythological Messes Redux series by Tilly Greene
Hephaestus Lays Down the Law [bondage] - (ebook) ARe│Fictionwise and (paperback) Amazon│BN│your local independent bookshop
Together Again? - ARe
Double Punch [ménage a trois] - (ebook) ARe│Fictionwise and (paperback) Amazon│BN
Cyra's Cyclopes [ménage] - ARe│Fictionwise

Tilly Greene Website│Blog│Facebook│Twitter

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY TODAY
Tell me if you think mythological figures would have practiced kinky sex if it had been around back then and you're entered to win a gift certificate to All Romance eBooks [ARe]!


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 18!

Do Me Good by Adele Dubois
Buy eBook from Ellora's Cave
Paranormal Erotic Romance

Penny throws her hot but worthless mooch of a boyfriend out on her front lawn with his clothes, and vows never again to be a bum magnet. Exhausted by overwork and mountainous debt, Penny pleads for divine intervention.

Gunnar, a rebellious Nordic warrior cast into servitude by an angry god to learn humility, answers. While Penny sleeps, the celestial arrives to houseclean, but she awakens and confronts him. The handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a passionate, forbidden sexual encounter.

Dark forces seeking vengeance for Gunnar’s past misdeeds mark Penny as a target. To protect his lover, Gunnar tests immortality in a death battle using a god’s magical sword. But the strength of Penny’s love and their lusty connection might be what saves them both.

Excerpt

He smoothed the hair at her temple and then rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name “Goo-nar”.

A coarse brand of the sun, surrounded by a circle on the back of his hand, and covering the areas between his thumb, index knuckle and wrist caught her eye. His hand looked muscular and powerful beneath her gaze.

She touched the scarred skin with the tips of her fingers while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid four kisses against its perimeter before pressing a fifth to the emblem inside.

A low tremor vibrated across her lips as they touched the ancient symbol on the white, extended hand. The brand grew warm and then hot on her mouth, though it did not burn. Her lips tingled and her body hummed with the pleasant sensations. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat and then licked the center with the tip of her tongue in a tiny swirl before lifting her head.

His gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected as he released her hair and leaned away.

“Have I offended you? I’m sorry.” She searched his face for clues as to what to do next. Behind his shocked expression she found desire and longing and something completely unexpected.

Thankfulness.

Penny waited for his reply without letting go of his disfigured hand. She could tell his next words didn’t come easily.

“Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”

She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck to bring his face closer to hers. “I am Penelope. And if you are from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’ve come.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman, barely scraping by.

“Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.” His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint.

Their gazes locked and held, assessing, appraising.

Searching.

Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of deep blue water speckled with light that pulled her in and down. Down. Her breathing slowed as the sound of her heartbeat intensified in her ears and the inside of her mouth moistened. She licked her lips and became intensely aware of every nerve ending shimmering along her body. Her muscles tensed as if waiting for something unexpected to happen.

As if meeting a Nordic Light Elf in the flesh wasn’t amazing enough.

Just when she wondered how his mouth would taste, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. An explosion of kinetic energy shot vibrations through her body that prickled every fiber and muscle, held her taut and then released, leaving her breathless.

The Mythology Behind The Story DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois

I grew up in a household filled with drama--and I mean that in the most literal sense. Ours was a family steeped in theatre, art, and creative writing. We were voracious readers, too, and curled up in the family room with our books in the evenings. I was one of those kids who read with a flashlight under the covers when bedtime came too early.

You might think a family of artists would be disorganized and untidy, but our house was neat as a pin. Every night my mother would remind us to put our things away, saying, “The elves and fairies won’t clean our house for us.” That bit of training stayed with me the rest of my life.

The last time I warned my own kids, “the elves and fairies won’t clean for us,” the story concept for DO ME GOOD popped into my head. What if the elves really did help? What if they completed chores in the middle of the night? And what if they were handsome and sexy and…available?


And what if you accidentally caught one?

To my surprise, with a little research, I discovered that such immortals existed in Norse mythology. These pre-Christian celestials, called Nordic Light Elves, “came from the place between heaven and earth” under the rule of a fertility god. They were “fairer to look upon than the sun” and interacted with both gods and mortals. Their sole purpose was to work for the benefit of humankind.

Though I’m still waiting for the elves and fairies to clean my house, I thought it would be fun to offer the fantasy of capturing a handsome immortal who does chores to romance readers. I hope you enjoy DO ME GOOD.

Watch the Do Me Good Trailer

Buy eBook from Ellora's Cave

Adele Dubois Website │ Blog

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY TODAY
Which of my books is your favorite, and why? Leave a detailed comment to enter a drawing for a copy of the trade paperback DESERT NECTAR by Adele Dubois. (Within the continental USA only, please.)


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 5!

Alex Rising by Dita Parker
Buy eBook from Ellora's Cave
Paranormal Erotic Romance/Menage

Wrote a book, take a look at that mantastic cover, about a wife, a husband and a third, a lover. The catch:  hubby’s dead, he now shares the third’s head, a man who will share the marital bed.

Confused? So was Alex, coming to, feeling used. Tristan had to rewind, speak up and remind a spell saved his life, he wants back with his wife in the body of another, Alex, the lover.

Tragic? No, magic, the New Orleans kind. Two men living as one, a man loving for two. When they head home to NOLA, what will Lin do?

Alex is hot, he is, is he not, ready and willing to show Lin what he’s got. Wrestle Tristan for power, in bed, in the shower, for a shot, a chance with his wife. But sharing, it’s tough, when the going gets tough will sex and seduction be enough? Can three become one, have more than just fun, have a future together, a life?

A paranormal ménage to take on the adage that three is indeed a crowd. It’s my first with EC, (fingers crossed, not my last!) of which I am quite proud.

I’m an author untried? To help you decide, you’ll find deets at EC. They’re not written in rhyme, yes, I know, it’s a crime, but just think how hard that would be.

The book’s name? Alex Rising, and hardly surprising, it’s out from Ellora’s Cave, click here to save dollars.

Should you own a Kindle, look-see. Own a Sony? Me neither. Should you win the reader, here’s the place to be.

To do just that, drop your name in the hat. I wish you luck sublime. Come back every day (June’s a reader’s buffet!), now thank you all for your time.

My next book will be out I’m not sure when, I’ll keep you all posted at Dita’s Den.

Yours truly madly deeply,

Dita Parker


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 2!

Blood Claim: Tainted by Selena Illyria
Buy eBook from Loose Id
Multicultural Vampire Paranormal Erotic Romance

Syrus was seeking revenge. Jessye was just trying to adjust to having a new leader. Their desire burns hot, but the past and stubbornness stands between them.

Syrus will claim Jessye as his consort and gain the revenge for the murder of those he loved. Jessye will submit to him. Like hell, Jessye says. She is no one’s consort. She stands on her own and doesn’t need him. But her hunger for him haunts them both between the hunt for a murderer and political games.

Dark magick and blood, anger and desire will bring them together but also push them apart. Love, lust, need, revenge can all be tainted. Forgiveness and acceptance can heal it all.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content and graphic language.


Excerpt

The moon hung full and luminous in the sky as Jessye and her team hugged the western wall of the property. The mission was simple: capture Lorrie, dead or alive. If alive, she would be tried in the high court for the murder of Syrus and Rysen's family.

But only if she was taken alive. Jessye preferred her dead.

Over the past few months, Lorrie had managed to capture and kill too many of Jessye's people. She glanced at Syrus in front of her. Correction: their people. The last one had been taken from one of Syrus's safe houses.

Anger trembled through her before she could gain control of it. Syrus paused in front of her and looked back at her in question. She shrugged. He shook his head and moved forward.

She crept after him. A shiver of unease traced its chilly fingers up her spine as the seconds slipped by. Syrus paused again, his dark head turning this way and that in the pale moonlight. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but closed it when she saw him give the signal to keep moving. She blew out a relieved breath and crept along until he stopped again.

“Halt! Who's out there?”

She rolled her eyes. Moron. Like someone trying to break in is going to answer. She shook her head and waited. Her grip on the dagger in her right hand tightened. She wanted revenge, but first they needed to get into the compound.

“Jessye, I'm going to send some people on ahead. You're with me.” Syrus's voice slipped into her mind seamlessly, raising goose bumps over her skin. It still made her uncomfortable having this mental connection to him.

The sounds of a scuffle ahead brought her out of her thoughts. A soft groan floated on the air as she and Syrus moved forward.

“Threat's taken care of.” Adrian, Syrus's second in command, shifted from wolf back to man and returned to the group.

Lights flashed on, and for a second, Jessye was blind. A whip cracked, and pain stung the side of her neck.

A woman encased from head to toe in leather appeared before her, a bright red band on her arm signifying she was one of Raphael's guards. She flicked her wrist, and a sharp crack rent the air. Pain burst on Jessye's neck again. Not too far from her, she heard the sounds of Syrus and Adrian fighting off their own attackers.

Jessye growled and took a step forward. She focused her energy into her hands and threw a burst of power at her opponent. Jessye aimed her power at the woman's wrist.

The whip flew from her hand to the ground. It didn't stop her, though; she flicked her wrist again, and a burst of power hit Jessye on the cheek. With a growl, Jessye rushed her and took her down. Jessye got the upper hand and managed to land a few blows to the woman's face. Her rival finally stopped moving.

All around her, the sounds of fighting filled the air. “Fall back. There's too many of them,” Adrian yelled.

A hole opened up in the enemy line, and Syrus rushed through it.

“Shit.” Jessye ran after him. She refused to have him captured or killed because he'd lost his head in the name of revenge.

“God damn it, Syrus. Get back here!” She didn't care if anyone heard her; all she cared about was getting the team back to the safe house alive. Their footsteps rang across the cobblestoned walkway as he ran around the side of the house. She swore, her legs working overtime to catch up. “Get your ass back here, you meathead. You're going to get us killed.”

Either he didn't care or he couldn't hear her, because he ran faster, climbed up the gate, and went over the top. A soft thudtold her he'd landed.

Jessye grumbled as she followed, tired, her energy nearly spent. She looked around for Syrus and found him a few feet away. “The mission is shot. We need to go, now.”

He stopped moving, much to her relief. “Lorrie's in there. I know she is.”

“And we'll come back and drag her out by the hair, but we need to go now. Think of your people. They need you.”

I need you, she added silently.

He turned around, and for a moment hope bloomed inside her. But the feeling was short-lived. A lithe blonde encased in a pearlescent silk sheath came into view. One pale hand held a wicked-looking curved dagger with serrated edges.

Lorrie.

“Syrus, look out!” She ran toward him and watched in slow motion as Syrus turned around. His face contorted in a mixture of shock and anger. He lunged for the woman and missed, and the blade sank into his side. Syrus tried to reach for her again, only to have her move out of the way.

“I'm going to kill you.” Syrus lifted his arm. A dagger gleamed in the moonlight. He thrust it at her.

Lorrie sidestepped him. “Missed me. Try again, mongrel.”

The dangerous dance happened in flashes of awkward movement. His steps stumbled as she moved with fluid grace out of the way. Syrus tripped and fell to a knee. A cruel smile curved on her lips. The dance slowed down until both parties were standing still: him kneeling, his dagger hand planted on the ground while his arm covered his midsection, and Lorrie standing over him.

Dark red stained his shirt. The blot grew bigger with each movement. Lorrie raised her knife again. The shock wore off. Jessye leaped into action, rushing toward him. Lorrie looked up. A sneer contorted her pretty face. She turned and ran into the darkness. Jessye would have gone after her had Syrus not sunk to the ground, holding his side. Jessye dropped down beside him. Taking him in her arms, she tried to cover the bleeding with her free hand.

“Lorrie… Go after Lorrie.” Syrus struggled to get up.

A quick survey of their surroundings showed that Lorrie had disappeared.

“Shut up and lie still. I'm not leaving you. We'll get her next time. I can't teleport. I don't have enough energy.”

The blood felt hot against her palm. The pungent scent of his liquid life floated through the air and grew thicker with each second. He was losing so much blood that she wondered if he would be able to heal.

She looked around, panicked. Her heart thudded against her chest, and a sense of dread took hold of her. Exposed, in the middle of what appeared to be a driveway, she heard the sounds of a scuffle drift through the night toward her. No help was coming for them.

Sweat soaked her brow and ran in rivulets down her face. Her damp shirt stuck to her like a second skin.

Moving as quickly as she could, she laid Syrus on the ground, shrugged out of her jacket, and wadded it against the wound.

Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind for help. “Don't you dare die on me.” She hit him in the shoulder with her free hand.

He coughed. “If I didn't know any better, I'd think you cared about me. You've done a damn good job of avoiding me these last few months.”

“I don't care about that,” she lied. She looked around, but no one had answered the call. The sounds of battle continued to drift toward her. “You're the leader of our little motley crew of rebels. I refuse to try and lead them without you. I'd just end up killing them all.”

A light breeze brushed her face, and she shivered. Goose bumps broke out over her skin as the sweat cooled.

“I'm not healing.”

“What?”

“I'm not healing, and I feel odd, like fire is lapping through my veins and swirling around my stomach.” He struggled again to sit up. “My heart is pounding so fast.”

His voice sounded hoarse, as if he had been yelling.

No, no, no. It can't be…

Not voicing her worry, she raised her blood-covered hand to her nose. A light, bitter odor wafted to her nostrils. With great trepidation, she flicked her tongue over her palm. A burst of acid washed over her taste buds, chased by a sickening sweetness.

He'd been poisoned.

“I'm dying, aren't I?” he asked softly.

“Not on my watch, meathead. I'm going to get you out of here if it's the last thing I do.” She gathered as much of her energy as she could and focused on teleporting them. Warmth flooded her body and pulsed through her veins. A sense of floating surrounded her. The sensation stopped. The gates they had climbed over came into view. They had moved only a few feet.

A sense of weariness took hold of her. Panting softly, she tried to push back her exhaustion and gather more energy.

“Sassy, you okay?”

She slapped him on the arm. “Stop calling me that, or I'll have to start calling you sugar britches in front of your troops.”

He chuckled. “What else should I call you? Honey seems to be too sweet for such a firecracker like you. How about I start calling you Sparky?”

She winced. “That's even worse than Sassy.”

“Then Sassy it is. Just as long as you don't start calling me sugar britches.” A fit of coughing cut off his laughter.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. He opened his mouth, but she shook her head and put a finger to her lips.

Voices floated toward them. It sounded as if they were arguing.

Her energy still hadn't recovered. She couldn't move them just yet, but she could shield him. “I'm going to get up. Don't move, do you understand? Regardless of what you see me do, don't move.”

“What are you doing?” He struggled but couldn't sit up.

Jessye moved out from under him and laid his head on the ground. “Don't move. I'm too tired to deal with distractions.” She stood up. Her fangs lengthened, and she bit into her palm. Blood welled up fast, and a pang of pain hit her abdomen. Hunger mingled with a gnawing ache that quivered in waves through her body. I need to feed.

With that reminder, she called on her remaining power and focused on what Blyder had taught her about protection magick and blood.

Apprehension dogged her steps as she began to walk in a circle. She made two complete loops, muttering in the old language, and turned her palm downward to let the blood drop to the ground. With each drop that hit the stone, a small beam of light shot upward to the sky. She continued to walk the third circle until Syrus was completely encircled in light.

“Sassy—”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him try to rise. “Stop moving. If you break the beam of light, it will cut you in two. Besides, I don't want to tell Rysen I lost you.” Her head swam, making concentration difficult.

She muttered the last of the incantation and slammed her palm down onto the ground. When she lifted her hand, what remained was not a bloody bite wound, but a perfect pentagram. She straightened up and swayed on her feet.

“What's wrong with you?”

It took a bit more energy than she had to regain her balance.

“Damn it, Sassy. Answer me. By the laws of blood claim, as I have declared you my consort, I order you to tell me what is going on.”

“I'm fine.”

“Liar.”

“Shut up and stay where you are. If you hurt yourself trying to get to me, I swear I'll kill you. You and Rysen need justice for Lorrie killing your family. Don't let stupidity stop you.”

The voices came closer. She reached down and unsheathed a small knife from her boot.

“Jessye, please.”

“It's okay, ma chère. Just us.” Adrian came into view, and her shoulders sagged in relief. Golden eyes flashed at her. Shoulder-length dark brown hair blew in the breeze. Rips in his black outfit showed off peeks of his muscular body. “The house is abandoned. Everyone fled once they saw the bursts of light coming from this direction. They probably thought bad magick was happening, and frankly, so did I. Glad to see it was just you protecting le capitaine. Temar will take down the barrier. You should lean on me, oui? You look about ready to collapse.”

He held out his hand, and she looked down at it.

“It's clean. I promise you. Washed off the blood before we came over.”

“Don't be stubborn, Sassy. Take his hand,” Syrus said. “And once we get back to the compound, and I'm able to see straight, I'm going to spank your ass.”

She whirled around too fast, and the world tilted on its side. She clenched her jaw and glared down at him. “Try it, and you'll be pulling back a stump.”

Syrus's sapphire blue eyes glowed, making her pause. “You'll do as you're told, Consort, and I'll do as I please.”

Adrian grabbed her biceps and held her back. “Calm down, chérie,” he whispered against her ear. “He is worried is all. Be still and let this pass. Come let us patch you up, then you can proceed to tear each other apart, oui?”

Fire roared through her veins. Warmth seeped into her body. She could feel her energy supply begin to rise. With the surge of power came the tingling reminder of a need for sex and more blood.

“Fine. Wouldn't want to kill my consort before I've had a chance to teach him some manners.” She pulled out of Adrian's arms, but it wasn't anger that made her walk away. Syrus looked so pale that his skin was almost translucent.

She marched off and joined the rest of their mission party. She rested for a bit, and as her power rose, her body mended itself. A few minutes later, she had enough energy to teleport. “I'm going on ahead.”

Not waiting around for a reply, she traveled with her mind to the compound.
© Selena Illyria, May 2010 [All Rights Reserved]

Blood Claim Series from Loose Id
Prelude
Trapped
Tainted NEW!

Selena Illyria Website│Blog

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY TODAY
Leave a comment and/or query today for Selena Illyria and your entered in a drawing for a gift credit and fabulous promo pack!


REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author’s blog for the day will enter you into the Big Huge Reader Contest for a Pink Sony eReader or one of three boxes packed full of RT Booklovers Convention goodies. Unfortunately, due to the grand prize being an electronic and weight of the other three boxes, this contest is for US residents only.

Big Huge Reader Contest - Day 1!

Good, Bad and Kinky Duet by Tilly Greene
Call Me Lucifer
Buy eBooks from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid│ARe│Amazon│Fictionwise
Paranormal Erotic Romance / Bondage and Light D/s

My Angel
Buy eBooks from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid│ARe│Amazon│Fictionwise
Paranormal Erotic Romance / Bondage

Book settings are very important. So important, the entire story won't work if the locations are wrong, unbelieveable, or too convoluted to grasp.

When I'm setting up a book and thinking about the basic details [who, what, and where], I remember a particular book where the author used a place I knew and made a simple logistical mistake. Ultimately, I was pulled not just from the scene, but the book of which I had been enjoying, and the author. I never picked that author up again and I really liked them. Harsh, but if that mistake is still in my head almost 15 years later, I have a feeling it would be there if I were to pick up their latest.

Why not just make it up? You'd think that would be the answer for contemporary or paranormals, but the problem with creating a location is that an author can get too heavily detailed [gasp, horror :-)] or, even worse, over compensate and not offer enough information so the reader has no idea where everything is taking place.

So what is the ultimate solution?

Do what fits. Sounds simple, but it's actually far from it, and to mix the real with the made up is even more of a challenge, and I loved doing it.

You see, the Good, Bad and Kinky duet is, out of necessity, a mix of actual and created. They are paranormals with locations required by their plots that are well known to readers, Heaven and Hell, except they aren't available for research visits and many readers already have their own images set for them. Tricky to work with in those parameters and to up the [unintentional] difficulty, there comes a time in each story when the action moves to the surface, and suddenly they're contemporaries with actual locations used. The opening chapters of Call Me Lucifer dabble in a LA courtroom, moves to Hell, and then ends in a beach front house in Malibu. My Angel begins in Heaven and then shifts to small village, Knaresborough, in the north of England.

For the real settings, I visited each place, and took pictures and notes. Confession time: I knew them both Malibu and Knaresborough quite well, lived in one of the towns, but things change over time. Because I wanted to put the reader there, tempt them to visit if ever given the opportunity, I didn't want to rely on memory alone. Let me give you an example. In My Angel Tom and Ann walk from town to his home on the river:

"They walked through the police station car park and into the castle yard. There were a few people playing lawn bowling and some others walking around the grounds, taking in the view. A train chugged over the impressive viaduct and, as they started the making their way down the steep hill, she discovered with each step how beautiful the small town nestled in the valley truly was." [© Tilly Greene, May 2010 [All Rights Reserved]]

And this is the picture I took during my research trip:



Well? Did I put you there? Make you want to visit Knaresborough if you were ever in England?

Hang on, I hear you, what about the paranormal places, like Hell. Can a writer do anything to make someone want to visit Hell?  Probably not, but I can give you an idea of what this particular version of Hell is like. Confession time 2: Heaven and Hell were both fun settings to play, probably because I was able to twist things around to suit me and my characters, without doing too much to interfer with the set image a reader may have of both places. For instance, in Call Me Lucifer, there are no shrill screams echoing down the hallways or people being tortured with whips, but because this is a romance, there are elegant fireplaces, large enough for Satan to walk through with fires blazing. Cool. Sorry, sizzle hot :-)

Now it's your turn: How do you like your settings? Real? Created? Heavy on the details or showing the reader nothing but what's happening on the bed?

Other books of mine where I made research visits:
Extreme Speed, Total Control [Paris, France, Laguna Beach, CA., and Edinburgh, Scotland]
An Invitation to the World: India [Mumbai and Chennai, India]
The Leather Bride [NYC, NY.]
Taming Marie Antoinette [Paris, France]
OohRah! [Laguna Beach, CA.]
The Gilded Cage [London and York, England]
Highland Heat [London, England and Inverness to the Isle of Skye, Scotland]
Double Punch [San Francisco, CA.]
And She Scores! [Laguna Beach, CA.]

and...
Call Me Lucifer [Malibu, CA.]
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My Angel [Knaresborough and Leeds, England]
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Tilly Greene Website│Blog│Facebook│Twitter

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My Sexy Signature

Reading the June InStyle magazine, I came across seven pictures with the title Sexy Signatures: a very incomplete history, and it had me thinking what my sexy signature would be. Not for me personally, but in relation to my books.
The seven sexy signatures they offered are:

Lady Godiva - long hair
Bettie Page - blunt bangs
Marilyn Monroe - beauty mark
Sophia Loren - cleavage
Farrah Fawcett - winged hair
Tine Turner - legs
Jennifer Lopez - derriere

Interesting list and I could see what they were focused on.  Each woman and their signature are one. So, what do I write, intentially or not, that is always there?

Body image.

Whether the heroine is skinny, curvy, tall, short, athletic or not, they are all content with their shapes. It's everywhere,women aren't comfortable in their own skin, and often unknowingly pass this displeasure with their body to their daughters, who will likely share it with their daughters. So, with that rotten fruit sitting in my mind, I decided at the onset of writing that my female characters wouldn't be physically perfect and would still be happy.


So, in Ride 'em, Sunny is bone thin and flat chested. Fine, she dresses to enhance what she has, and downplay what she doesn't. Then there's Nia from Call Me Lucifer. She is beyond short, has serious curves, and always wears stiletto's [the higher the better] and will know she's found her man when he looks beyond her bust.

Think about it. A person wears what they want, knows they look good, exudes confidence with every step they take. That's sexy and therefore someone who is comfortable in their skin, no matter what shape, color, or proportion it's in, is sexy.