Thursday, May 30, 2013

Special Guest and Important Message - Author Chat Friday

This, the fifth Friday of May, is a special Author Chat. I'm delighted to welcome special guest Angelica Dawson to The Naughty Pages with a very special message, a very important message for everyone; not just those who live the Naughty life. 

Trust and BDSM

Jocelyn, the protagonist of Kitten, was a victim of gang rape. That event is never described in detail, but  rather in bursts and flashes of memory. After the revelation, she is still handled roughly by men in the  book, however, none of them rape her.

A line in BDSM, that is often drawn with smudging, is consent. She has given herself to me so I can do  whatever I want with her. It’s a scary thought. It puts women back into a position they held years ago  where they were victims of men, unable to stand up for themselves with any expectation of being respected in her wishes. 

Done properly, a Master knows his partner’s limits and may press them but not pass them. It isn’t fair  to take someone’s trust and betray it before they can have a chance to say no. Jocelyn comes to trust  Will despite his violent nature and degrading language. It is made apparent to her that it is a game. He  can say anything without really meaning it. He spreads his violence out, letting punishments be titillating  instead of painful. Most importantly, when helping her move beyond her rape fears, he moves slowly. 

He lets her know up front where it is headed and what she will do, “All of your holes can take me,” but  he goes slow, using first fingers, then smaller men, and finally himself. 

Jocelyn informs the vampires on her first encounter that she isn’t interested in rape play. She say, “I  might be willing to be hurt, but I won’t be raped again.” This is a perfect instance of not establishing the  trust and ground rules up front. Terrance, her first partner in Blue Moon House, isn’t playing hard, he  isn’t going for broke, but even so, he discovers where her limits are and what is out of bounds. 

I don’t claim my book is an excellent primer on BDSM. I know it’s not. However, I do hope to faithfully  respect the wishes of my characters and portray a safe environment. There is another scene where  Jocelyn thinks perhaps she has misplaced her trust and the thought is echoed by one of the vampires. 

“You cannot truly be a part of this house unless you trust your master. We have no place for you  otherwise.”

To completely surrender to another requires trust. I hate to think of that trust being betrayed by  someone who selfishly seeks their own pleasure and assumes they know what is best for their partner. 

Communication is the key to any relationship, and the reason why the vampires reveal themselves  immediately after such trust is established. They are in as much danger as their partners. If they are  discovered they risk being hunted and killed. The stakes for them are easily as high as the human  partners who surrender to their bites as well as canes, paddles, chains and any other implements used  to combine pain and pleasure. 

Trust is the bottom line in Blue Moon House, and Kitten is no exception.

Angelica Dawson is the author of Blue Moon House, a vampire BDSM story, and its prequels. She’s  no stranger to blood sucking hoards, but in her day job as an environmental consultant, they tend  to be black flies and mosquitoes rather than vampires. She is constantly sharing flashfiction on her blog and can also be found on twitter  and Facebook. Her books, including the newly released Kitten, can be purchased from her publisher, Amazon and All Romance Ebooks.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Mid week Promo with May McQueen

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Promo Monday with Susan Child's More Than Friends

They were best friends… Unfortunately. 

When her sleazy ex cheated on her, Alice turned to her best friend Zack for support. Her head tells her never to love again, but in the arms of Zack, her heart has other ideas. 
And so does Zack. 
How can he tell her how much he wants her, when one night of passion could destroy the friendship of a lifetime?

EXCERPT:
Sitting under the Coogee sunshine, Zack Sky waited for his best friend Alice to arrive at the café. He took in the noisy bustle of the waiters and waitresses running from the kitchen to their designated tables allowed bursts of heavenly aromas to waft through the air. He looked at his watch and felt butterflies dance in his belly; it was nearly time for Alice to arrive for their regular Friday lunch. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands, Zack winced at the burn and sting from his sleep-deprived eyes. He straightened his shoulders, determination set.
Despite her telling him five years ago that they could only be friends, that she wanted nothing to change between them, he was going to make her break through her emotionally crippling fear that whoever she chose to love would cheat on her like her father had done to her mother. Finally, Alice would realise that he loved her, had loved her since their first year of high school. Would love her forever.


When Susan was in high school, she never really liked to read, but when she was a child she did. Go figure. It wasn't until after she graduated that she caught the reading bug. Susan had to go to a book store to sell off her text books and a particular book caught her eye. This book stood out from the other second-hand books because it had a pink cover. It was only a couple of dollars, so she thought, "Why not?" But she couldn't quite bring herself to read her bargain book. It had a pink cover!
Then, after it tormented her for three weeks, she finally picked it up and... could not put it down. Susan finished it in two days!
After Google-ing the author and found that she'd written a heap of books for Harlequin Mills & Boon as well as Single Titles. So of course Susan had to buy all her other books! And when she realised that there were other Mills & Boon authors out there, she just had to search out their books, too. And she loved them!
Susan got a ton of inspiration from those books. But the most important thing she realized was that she wanted to write those books, too. She wanted to be a Paranormal author! Because let's face it, who doesn't like things that go bump in the night?


You can buy your copy of More Than Friends at Amazon

And you can also check out what Susan has in store for readers soon on her site.Her Twitter and Facebook links can also be found on her site. 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Just wanted to say thank you...

Now, I know, it's Monday. It's supposed to be a promo post. Don't worry, it will be posted in the coming days, hopefully, and having read the book myself, I can tell you know it is well worth the wait. I'm tempted to read it again, actually, except that Persephone is screaming at me to try to finish the story. 
Instead, today, I'm going to post something specifically for you readers out there. Many of you may have heard of recent events of authors (one in particular) behaving badly. Now, the blog post that is in question was pulled, and the author said that it was taken in the wrong light. (For those who don't actually know what I'm talking about, here is your chance to read about it, I won't post it here.) Having read that, I'm disinclined to agree, but *throws hands up* maybe I'm personally being a little sensitive, because I believe you can still make art and make money, and that erotica is still art. However, it's hard to see how the tweets were taken in the wrong light. Of course, being the internet, despite the tweets now being pulled, someone got a screenshot of it. Once on the internet, always on the internet. (A screen shot is posted on this "Goodreads motherf*****s" review). 
Anyway, that is enough about the actual post. Suffice to say it has outraged many readers and authors alike, with many blog posts publicly naming and shaming, floods of bad reviews and comments on Goodreads and Amazon, and now a few more authors now quietly having their say, including me. Many of us now feel that we should let you readers know that there are so many more authors out there who DO appreciate your support, and DO NOT think that you're too stupid to understand our art. 
Let me talk about that last one in particular. Two points I'd like to make; 1. Art truly is in the eye of the beholder. So not everyone will get a piece of art, and not everyone will understand it in the same way. That does not mean that those who don't "get it" are stupid; it just means they are not the audience for it. 2. Erotica IS a form of art to many; just because one person sees it as selling out, doesn't make it true. An incredibly large portion of the current market is made up of erotica/romance. That is just what the readers want now. Writing to that market doesn't make anyone a sell out. Many of us enjoy writing "trash", just as many of you readers enjoy reading "trash." Writing to that market makes an author a smart business person. Simple as that. And it is still art for those who truly enjoy the genre. 
Back to the topic; What I really want this post to be about is you, the reader. This is a little something I've posted on Goodreads in response to a few of the vocal readers who were clearly, and justifiably upset by the transgressions of a certain author... 

To all you readers, I feel ashamed that there are authors out there like this. When I heard about the rant (got to read it thanks to a few of the other authors who nabbed it before it was pulled), I just had to laugh in shame and shake my head. One of the worst things an author can do is trash talk her readers. I've only just made my debut back in January, only just got my first two not-so-shiny reviews last month... and shrugged it off. Because not everyone is THE audience for every book. And from what I've seen, UF isn't the way to go if you're only after huge sales; not right now. Going with the flow of the market isn't selling out, and low sales does not mean readers are too stupid. To think that, let alone state it on the internet of all places, is just asking for an axe to one's career. 
So, once more, I'm sorry that there are authors out there like this. But know that there are so many more who do appreciate even those who don't enjoy our books, because your reviews can help us improve future books, and really, any sale is a plus because it means our work is worth something. So thank you, to those who buy books, THANK YOU! 

Still number 5 at NNP thanks to you!

And I mean it. I truly to thank you for your support to date, and your support in the future. Don't let one bad apple ruin things. So many authors do appreciate you, and without you, we'd be writing for just ourselves; so many of us wouldn't be writing at all. So please, don't give up on all authors. There are so many more good apples out there!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Author Chat Friday with Karenna Colcroft


Something New
It’s time for my second monthly post here, and I have a new release to talk about. I’ll warn you, this will happen more months than not. I write a lot, and it seems like pretty much every month, I have at least  one release. But I promise to try not to be all advertisey (is that a word?) I’ll actually talk about things  related to the books.

This month’s release, In His Shirt, was a new experience for me writing-wise. I’ve been writing  heterosexual romance for Ellora’s Cave for a couple of years now, but in my writing life I’ve been moving  away from heterosexual stuff to doing more male/male. I seem to be better at writing the male/male  stuff, and it’s more in my comfort zone. I didn’t want to just plunge in with M/M for Ellora’s Cave,  though, so I decided to try writing a male/male/female ménage, that is, a threesome in which the men  are sexually involved with each other as well as with the woman.

In His Shirt was just released a week ago, so I haven’t gotten much feedback on it yet other than a 3.5  star review in which the reviewer said the story wasn’t long enough. I don’t know what readers are  going to think of the MMF aspect. Some readers of male/male romance get irked if a woman is included  in the mix; some readers of heterosexual romance are squicked out by guy-on-guy action. But at the end  of the day, I have to write the stories I want to write (and read) and hope for the best, and that’s what  I’ve done with this. 

In His Shirt is available from Ellora’s Cave. Here’s the  blurb and a short excerpt:

Marielle has had a thing for her friend Rory since they met, but has never acted on it. The morning after  Rory and his roommate Wayne save Marielle from a jerk at a club and bring her back to their place to  sleep it off, Marielle decides it’s time to let Rory know how much she wants him. She doesn’t expect  Wayne to walk in and join them—and she definitely doesn’t expect to discover Rory and Wayne have a  sexual relationship—and they want to make Marielle a permanent part of it.

EXCERPT:

The guys lived in a secure building which meant Marielle had to buzz to be let in. Her only moment of  hesitation came when she held her finger over the buzzer. Should I really do this now? Maybe they need  a little more time to get over me being a bitch about this. Maybe they don’t even want to see me.

She refused to let those thoughts stop her for long. She pressed the button.

Wayne responded almost immediately through the speaker. “Hello?”

“It’s me.” Marielle paused. “Marielle.”

“Did you forget something?” He sounded guarded.

“Yeah, I forgot to tell you something.”

He didn’t answer for several seconds, long enough for Marielle to wonder if he would reply at all. Then  the buzzer sounded and the door clicked.

She opened the door quickly and went up to the men’s apartment. Wayne already had their door open  though he stood in the opening as if blocking her from entering. “Didn’t you say everything you needed  to?”

“No.” Marielle took a deep breath. “First of all I need to say I’m sorry. Second, can I come in, please?”

“It depends on what you’re sorry for.” Wayne glanced over his shoulder. “Rory’s in his room. Asked me  to leave him alone after you stomped out of here. You really hurt him.”

“That’s what I’m sorry for.” Marielle’s heart ached. She’d known she had hurt the men. Hearing  someone else say she had was worse. “Please, Wayne. Let me in to apologize to him, at least. I wasn’t  exactly expecting you guys to ask me something like that and I acted like a jackass because I didn’t know  what else to say. I need to talk to both of you if you can forgive me enough to let me in.”

“This better be worth it.” Wayne stepped aside.

Marielle entered the apartment and he closed the door behind her. “It will be,” she said. “Come to  Rory’s room with me?”

“Yeah.”

He led her to Rory’s bedroom door and knocked. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“I don’t want to see anyone,” Rory said.

“Yeah you do.” Marielle turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Rory sat up quickly and stared at her. “What are you doing back here? Thought you needed time to  think.”

“I had enough time and some advice from a friend.” Marielle paused. She had an entire speech planned  but seeing the mingling of sadness and anger in Rory’s expression, she knew she needed something  more obvious than words.

Rory had told her to give back his shirt when she’d come to a decision. The best way to let him know  she’d had enough time was to do exactly that. She whipped off the shirt and approached the bed in her  bra and jeans. “Here. I need to give this back to you.”

His eyes widened. “You’re giving me…?”

“A yes.” She knelt on the bed beside him. “For one month, at least. I need to see if I can really handle it.  But yes, I want to be with you.” She looked back at Wayne. “Both of you.”

Monday, May 13, 2013

Promo Monday Interview with Erzabet Bishop!

I'd like to welcome a new face to The Naughty Pages, Erzabet Bishop! A wonderful lady who has recently joined the Naughty Nights Press family, as well! She's here talking about two of her books, Beltane Fires and Smut by the Sea Volume 2 (in which she makes an appearance)


Good morning, Erzabet, and a very warm welcome to The Naughty Pages. I’m thrilled to have you here today to discuss your writing. Great to see a new face here.
~So tell me, what specifically do you write?

I write erotica under my pen name Erzabet Bishop, but under my real name I primarily write horror and YA. My erotica ranges from BDSM, f/f, m/f, erotic horror (zombies), pagan and paranormal.
I do so love pagan and paranormal!!

~What type of writer are you; do you plot it out or, like myself, are you a pantser?
I kind of work in the middle.  After trying it both ways, I have discovered that for me it is good to have a road map that leads me to where I am going with the story, but it also lets me grow the story as an organic creation. Too much plotting squashes my creative juices.

~Why did you first take up the pen, so to speak?
I have been writing off and on since grade school. Erotica has always been an interest and after reading  50 Shades last year, I felt inspired to give it a go myself. I have been more than pleased with my progress thus far.

~Did you always know you would write? Or are you a newbie to the craft?
I have always dabbled at writing and have been working on two YA stories for a few years now.  It was frustrating for me as I kept trying to focus on plotting programs and not on the work I was trying to accomplish. Finding ERWA (Erotic Readers and Writers Association) and their anthology calls was what really spurred me forward. Taking the time to craft short stories has helped me grow as a writer, both in experience and in staying power.

~You write specific genres, do you find them enjoyable to read as well?
Yes. I read all over the place. I am surrounded by books day and night. In my day job, I am a bookstore manager and find my inspiration all around me.
Oh my goodness, that sounds fantastic!

~As a writer, who is an idol of yours?
Anyone who can be a writer full time and not have to balance a day job is my hero. It is my dream to one day be able to do the same.

~So who is your favourite author to read?
I have a list of authors I love…it is hard not to breathe books day in and out and not have that.
Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Alison Tyler, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Maggie Stefvater, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Lauren DeStefano, Red Phoenix, Cari  Silverwood, Lucy Felthouse…I could write for hours.
A few familiar names in that list. 

~Are there any shoutouts you’d like to make?
Yes. ERWA is a wonderful source for those who are testing the waters and finding their path as a writer. Their anthology call list in invaluable.

Excerpt from Salted Caramel Kink (Kink-E Magazine)
The fiery trail of the flogger had just left my reddened ass when Mistress Leone approached, loosening my bonds from the St. Andrews cross.
"Excellent, Lisette. You have earned your reward. Now, I want you to go into the kitchen and await my instruction."
"Yes, Mistress." I nodded, still feeling the sting.
The kitchen was down the hall from Mistress's playroom and I walked, unmindful of my nakedness. I knelt at the edge of the island, on the mat that had been placed there for my benefit.
Mrs. Robinsky bustled at the stove with her usual efficiency. "Good afternoon, Lisette. Happy birthday, my dear." Her eyes twinkled as mine quickly rose from the floor and met hers.
"Thank you Mrs. R." I smiled. My time here was the one day of the week where things flowed the way I needed them to.
I heard the sound of Mistress's boots approaching."Ah, Lisette. I want you to meet Andrea. She will be joining us as a special guest for today."
My eyes snapped up in distress. Had I done something to upset my Mistress that she needed to find another sub? My heart beat wild in my chest and I had to struggle to maintain my submissive stance and breathe.
"Yes, Ma'am." I nodded, noting the lovely red haired girl standing nude next to my Mistress. A hot pang of jealousy burst through me.
"You may stand, Lisette."
I stood.

Now, to let Erza talk for a little bit.

Thank you for having me on the blog today! I am here talking about my two newest releases, Smut by the Sea Volume 2 and EPS: Beltane Fires.
Light hearted, sexy fun by the sea is the theme of this erotic anthology, edited by Victoria Blisse and Lucy Felthouse.
From the sun soaked bays of Australia to the rainy coastal towns of England, Smut by the Sea has it all. Whatever your interpretation of naughty seaside fun, there’s something nestling between the covers for you. Surfer boys, sea creatures, pirates and the fairground abound in this exciting collection of stories from erotica’s finest authors.
Smut by the Sea: Volume 2 contains tales from Victoria Blisse, Bel Anderson, Tilly Hunter, Cass Peterson, Rachel Randall, Delyth Angharad, Giselle Renarde, T. C. Mill, Tamsin Flowers, Erzabet Bishop, Lucy Felthouse, Tenille Brown, Kate Britton, Annabeth Leong and Jillian Boyd.
Smut by the Sea Volume 2 is a project I fell in love with right from the start. I had read the first book and as soon as I knew there was going to be a sequel, I put my nose to the grindstone and thought about ways that the sea made me happy. Every single story in the first antho really was like going on a vacation and I felt refreshed after I read it, so I wanted to give that same experience to the reader when I worked on my story. Mermaids, the ocean, girls with long red hair and sand squishing between my toes are some of the things I thought about. What are some of the things you like about the beach?
Excerpt from Cerulean by Erzabet Bishop: Rated R/ f/f content
“Hello neighbour.”
I turned around and there was Allyse, a shimmering robe loosely draped around her, barely secured with the tie. The fluttering of the breeze loosened it and I felt my mouth go dry as the covering slipped and I caught a peek of an erect nipple before she adjusted it back in place.
“Hi yourself.” A blush was creeping up my neck and I struggled not to let on how she was affecting me.
“I was wondering what you were doing for lunch.” Allyse tossed her red hair and the sun flashed in her cerulean eyes.
Oh wow.



The second release I wanted to talk about is Beltane Fires. It is the first in a series of short books that focuses on pagan holiday traditions. This one talks about Beltane, a holiday that is usually celebrated on May 1st. It is a time of love, laughter and some pretty sexy moments. Think Ren-fest with some very frisky fun going on behind the scenes.  (It is also my birthday!)
In my story, Ceri has just had a bad breakup and goes with her friends to a Beltane festival to try and shake the blues. After being annoyed that every single person is there as a couple, she goes for a walk in the woods and finds herself in the hands of a very capable and hunky forest god.

Excerpt: Beltane Fires by Erzabet Bishop/ Rated XXX
"Good eve, little witch." The man moved toward her, his shoulders wide and solid as molded bronze. He carried himself with a commanding air of self-importance and her inner core began to liquefy. Already molten from the ministrations of the nymphs, she was aching to feel his touch. Tall, handsome, with a beautifully proportioned body, he was completely naked. His hair was a mass of brown curls and a crown of antlers graced his brow. A forest lord coming to claim her on a wild Beltane night. Desire shivered through her, and Ceri felt her nipples pebble with lust.
"Good evening." Ceri struggled to look him in the face when her eyes kept traveling down toward his now erect cock. His dark eyes were framed by a handsomely square face and his lips turned up with amusement as if he could read the inner turmoil of her mind.
"This a wild night to walk these woods alone, fair one." He moved purposefully closer and his rigid member bobbled as he walked. Ceri felt her mouth go dry. Her eyes met his in startled surprise as his warm hand brushed her cheek and trailed down the edge of her left breast, cupping it in his palm. How had he gotten here so fast?
"You are mine." Reflected light glimmered over his face with molten radiance as he stepped in and his lips claimed hers.
Here is the information for my book tour:

The following blog hosts  have been kind enough to have Erzabet Bishop on their sites, celebrating the release of her new book–Beltane Fires, in the Naughty Nights Press (NNP) The Erotic Pagan Series.
The tour is being held between April 29th and May 10th and is a whirlwind of guest posts, interviews, excerpts and book information.es–Beltane Fires.
Please click on the links below to follow the tour and read about this amazing new release.
Monday April 29th
Amber Skyze - Guest Post
Joelle Castell – Book Release Info
Naomi Shaw – Excerpt

Tuesday April 30th
Amber Skyze - Excerpt

Wednesday May 1st
NNP blog – Guest Post
Joelle Castell - Book Release Info

Thursday May 2nd
Blood, Lust and Erotica – Book Release Info

Friday 3rd May
BDSM Book Reviews – Guest Post
Sexy Reads - Character Interview
The Divas of Desire - Excerpt Interview

Monday 6th May
Joelle Castell - Book Release Info

Tuesday 7th May

Wednesday 8th May
Joelle Castell - Book Release Info

Thursday 9th May
 Blood, Lust and Erotica – Author Interview

Friday May 10th

I hope you enjoy the excerpts of both books.  Look for me on my social media links and stay tuned for more releases coming soon!
Now for some fun!
A little bit of this or that:
1. Crawfish boil or society party
Bring me to a beach side boil any time! Just make sure you have plenty of ice cold tea, crawfish and some fresh corn on the cob.
2. Ren-fest or spank fest?
Both please!
3. Classics or erotica?
I love both, especially when they are brought together.
4. Salad or sushi?
Salad.  *shudders*
5. Ice cream or frozen yogurt?
Ice cream. By the gallon. (please)

About the author:
Erzabet Bishop has been crafting stories since she could first pound keys on her parent’s old typewriter. She has only just learned that it is a whole lot more fun writing naughty books. She is a contributing author to Milk & Cookies & Handcuffs, a holiday kink anthology, Smut by the Sea Volume 2, Hell Whore Volume 2 (coming this summer), Dirty Little Numbers (coming soon) Kink-E magazine, Coming Together: Girl on Girl and Coming Together: Hungry for Love. She is the author of the Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores.
Follow her reviews and posts on Twitter @erzabetbishop.
Links:




Thursday, May 9, 2013

Author Chat Friday: Even more Questions Authors Can't Stand!

Yes, that's right, I'm back for another week, with another three questions authors can't stand being asked. This week's three doozies come from the lovely Maggie Nash, a fellow Australian author. So, let's discuss these questions, shall we?

When are you going to write a real book?
In today's world of technology, the ebook is the fastest way for a reader to get the story they want; they don't even have to leave the house! So why is it that only print is still considered a "real" book? 
Now, don't get me wrong; I still prefer print over digital for reading pleasure. That's just me; I like my books "old school". I love the smell of paper. However, not all stories are long enough to be a stand-alone print story; that is nothing to do with the author, it is just simply the case sometimes. Some stories truly are only short. And in a world where digital publishing is so popular, why must a short story still be only published in an anthology? There is nothing wrong with a short story being publishing as a stand-alone, digital copy. It gets its own attention, its own promotions; it doesn't fight with several other stories in an anthology, it shines by itself. 
So before you ask an author who publishes primarily shorter stories, or publishes only online, ask yourself; why should a short story have to fight for your attention just so you can hold a "real" book in your hands?
I also would like to mention that "real books" are more expensive to produce, with very little of the money ending up in the author's hands because of the price of printing and distributing. It is not the author or publisher denying the reader the chance to read a "real book" these days; it is the distributors and book stores who take most of the profit that are making it too costly for books that aren't already extremely popular to go to print. Zetta Brown has written a fantastic post on just this particular issue on her blog She Writes. I encourage you to check it out to see that it's not all easy for an author and publisher to get a book in to being "real". Authors need their paychecks too!

Oh, you write THOSE books!
Is that a problem? In a world where women are more free to indulge in their sexuality (I'm not saying all women are promiscuous, we're just finally able to be the sexual beings we've always meant to be), it is a shame that people still frown on THOSE books. There is an audience for everything, I've always said. Single women, women in relationships, mothers, working women, all types of women (and even some men!) enjoy these books. So if someone has a problem with THOSE books, then you're obviously not part of the audience authors of THOSE books are writing for; instead of trying to belittle the authors of THOSE books, congratulate them on having an imagination, and stick with the books you enjoy. There are audiences for everything; just because you're not part of all those audiences, doesn't mean that certain subjects shouldn't be written about. 


Do people still read bodice rippers?
Personally, that term makes me cringe. But that's more because it strikes a painful image of a poor, defenceless renaissance style dress being torn to shreds, damaged beyond repair. For other authors, it can seem a derogatory term. 
As I said in answer to the previous question; there is an audience for everything, and just because you aren't part of all those audiences, doesn't mean that, in this case, those audiences don't exist. 
To actually answer the question: yes. Plenty of people do still read "bodice rippers." Just google search "Popular Erotic Romance novels" and you will find multiple Top 10 lists, "Must Read Erotic Novels" lists, and several places that suggest what to read after 50 Shades of Grey. Gone are the days of hiding Mills and Boons books because they were THOSE books; women are now boldly reading these books on the train/bus on the way to work, discussing the books over coffee and lending them to family members. As much as I personally don't like 50 Shades of Grey, I will admit that it has been a considerable help in getting erotica and erotic romance novels out of the "taboo" list, and in to the "socially acceptable" list. Heck, that book is getting a movie! So yes, not only are people still reading 'bodice rippers,' THOSE books are rapidly becoming even more popular and socially acceptable. With Mother's Day in Australia coming up this Sunday, stores are listing 50 Shades of Grey and several other of THOSE books as "Great Ideas for Mum!" in catalogues. So please, don't act puritan and innocent. There are audiences for everything, and just because you aren't part of it, doesn't mean there isn't a call for it. 

I think next month might be my last of the questions, unless readers out there have any to suggest, or any other authors have some to suggest. I have some research to do for one of the questions for the next one, so until then, please think before you ask, because you never know if the question might be something the author could consider offensive or rude! 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Shayla Black Who's Your Wicked Lover Giveaway Hop!!

Wicked Lovers, Book 7
Between two brothers…Xander Santiago spent years living it up as a billionaire playboy. Never given a chance to lead his family business in the boardroom, he became a Master in the bedroom instead. His older brother inherited the company and worked tirelessly to make it an empire. But while the cutthroat corporate espionage took its toll on Javier, nothing was as devastating as the seemingly senseless murder of his wife. It propelled him into a year of punishing rage and guilt…until Xander came to his rescue.
Comes an irresistible woman …Eager to rejuvenate Javier’s life, Xander shanghais him to Louisiana where they meet the beautiful London McLane. After surviving a decade of tragedy and struggle, London is determined to make a fresh start—and these sexy billionaire brothers are more than willing to help. In every way. And London is stunned to find herself open to every heated suggestion…and desperately hoping that her love will heal them.
And inescapable danger …But a killer with a hidden motive is watching, on a single-minded mission to destroy everything the Santiago brothers hold dear, especially London. And as fear and desire collide, every passionate beat of her heart could be her last.
To celebrate the release of Wicked Lovers, Book 7, Shayla is holding a blog hop giveaway over 5 days! Grand prize is a Kindle Fire for one lucky, random commenter, all you have to do is tell us which of the Wicked Lovers is your favourite! If you haven't read any of the series, although it's better if you do, just tell us who your favourite book hero is. 
Not only is there a grand prize, but all the authors participating, myself included, are having giveaways of our own! I'll be giving away a copy of my debut novella, The Wolf in the Neighborhood, book one of Wolf Smitten published through Naughty Nights Press. 
Shayla Black is also holding an ebook signing, all you have to do is follow this link!
To find the other blogs participating, all you have to do is follow below... 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Edit: I suppose I should have added in the cover of the book I'm giving away. I must apologise, I haven't been completely with it, lately, baby brain is seriously sapping my brain power. But here it is; one lucky commenter on The Naughty Pages will win a copy of The Wolf in the Neighborhood!

Book One In The Wolf Smitten Series

What do you do when your past comes back to haunt you? 
Could a dark secret revealed by a new lover be something you could overlook just to have him?
What kind of secrets could you learn to live with for true love

Krissy has a hunky new neighbor with a dark secret; Derek is a vet with an interesting past. They hit it off quickly but when Krissy’s abusive ex, James comes to town, Derek shows a side Krissy never could have guessed, but James refuses to give up. 

Can Derek’s secret save them, or will James have his revenge?


Available now from Naughty Nights Press and All Romance eBooks for 25% off, or full price at Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple and Barnes and Noble!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Promo Monday Special Event with Eden Summers!

Coming on May 28th, the first book in the Reckless Beat rock star series.



Book Blurb

He can seduce with a single glance.

Peering down at a sea of fans, rock star, Mitchell Davies can’t deny the innocent beauty of a woman
in the front row. He’ll stop at nothing to get to know her. When a public altercation leaves her weak and defenseless, he takes the opportunity to be her savior.

She’s been sheltered from the world.

Alana Shelton wants to spread her wings and experience life away from her restrictive upbringing.
But she isn’t prepared for a gorgeous stranger to sweep her off her feet while at her most
vulnerable.

Attraction will bring them together, but their pasts will try to tear them apart.
He wants to teach her how to trust, but she’ll show him how to love. In a glamorous world of rock-
and-roll, only time will tell if they’re up for the challenge.

Links

Blind Attraction page on Goodreads

Eden Summers Website

Eden Summers Facebook Page

Twitter

Giveaway

I am giving away three ADVANCED EBOOK COPIES of Blind Attraction. First prize will also receive this
gorgeous beaded purse charm valued at $10 and made by Swagmaster Designs.

***RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HTML CODE*** a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Author Chat Friday: A History Lesson with Alysha Ellis


The Scandals of our Past
“Do you recant your views?” The dean glared at the student who faced him across the desk.

“I stand by every word.” The boy, for at nineteen that’s all he was, stared back, defiance in his dark eyes. “The world is ready for atheism and men like me will help it spread.”

“Not in my college, at my university you won’t.” The dean pointed a finger to the door. “There is no place for you here.”

The student shrugged and strode out. He didn’t look back; he made no plea for clemency. Percy Bysshe Shelley had taken the first steps on a road that even one hundred and ninety eight years later in a far more hardened world, is scandalous.

Within four months he had eloped to Scotland with Harriet, a sixteen year old friend of his sister, not because he loved her but because she loved him and threatened to kill herself because she was so miserable at home.

Not surprisingly the marriage wasn’t entirely happy and Shelley abandoned Harriet and fell in love with Mary Godwin, daughter of the famous feminist and advocate of free love, Mary Wollstonecraft.

Mary Godwin had two half-sisters, Claire and Fanny. Claire had a liaison with Lord Byron.  Fanny fell in love with Shelley. Honestly, I don’t know what he had going for him but it must have been something pretty potent.

Shelley took Mary and Claire with him to Switzerland, where Claire introduced them to Lord Byron. Fanny, in misery at being left at home, killed herself.

In the meantime, Percy’s wife, pregnant now to another man and mistakenly believing he’d left her, killed herself by drowning in the Serpentine River in London.

So why am I telling you all this? Because just recently I had a conversation with a conservative person who claimed that “The moral decay of the twenty-first century” was the forerunner of all sorts of doom and gloom. “Nothing good can come of this,” the woman claimed. Apparently I, and all the erotic romance writers of my ilk were at least partially responsible for all the ills of the world.

I have a few objections to this.

First of all, we didn’t invent sex, we didn’t invent different ways of living or scandalous lifestyles.

BDSM has been around a long time. Open marriages are not new. As many of you know, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries particularly, morality was seen as a middle class virtue. Different rules applied in the upper classes. Appearances mattered far more than behaviours. If you could keep it quiet, you could do what you liked. People like the Godwins, Wollstonecrafts and Shelleys weren’t necessarily behaving all that differently to many others in society, they were just more open about it. Living their lives, not in defiance of the ways other people of the aristocracy behaved, but in defiance of their hypocrisy.

I see the same criticisms being levelled today at people who want to live in situations that differ from the majority of people. There is the obvious, and hopefully diminishing, rejection of homosexuality. It has always existed, but we should reject the hypocrisy that makes us have to hide it or to deny its existence.

Whether it’s BDSM, slave/master, polyamory or any one of a myriad of arrangements that are possible between consenting adults, this is not new. We’re just finally being honest and admitting it happens, it has always happened. The more progressive amongst us realise that one person’s relationship need not diminish or impact on another’s.

So that’s my first objection. None of this is a twenty-first century problem, if it’s a problem at all.

My second objection is against the assertion that nothing good can come of this.

Mary Godwin, Percy’s sixteen-year-old wild child lover became Mary Shelley, and Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, an recognised part of the literary canon. It has inspired hundreds of writers, poets and film makers with its exploration of the relationship between man and creator and what it means to be human.
The Shelleys and their friends rejected conventionality, but embraced creativity. Percy Shelley wrote poetry, as did Byron.

 Great minds are not always bound by the rules of others The artist as radical became a pretty well-established concept.

So what has this to do with me? And how did I get into the argument with my conservative critic in the first place?

I wrote two historical, ménage novellas - The Gardener’s Sins and a Boudoir for Three. My critic mailed me with a complaint - such an arrangement would not have happened in the time period I wrote about.

My response? “Rubbish.”

It happened. And the Shelleys prove it. Like all fiction writers I write, not the truth, but a truth. I explore aspects of human nature and while monogamy and one-on-one relationships are certainly touted as the norm, there have always been exceptions and in the case of monogamy, the exceptions are more numerous that we often admit.

So if I want to write historical ménage - I will; secure in the knowledge that what I’m writing probably isn’t even half as scandalous as what actually happened.

Extract From A Boudoir for Three www.total-e-bound.com
The blood-red wine splashed a little, but Christophe’s hand steadied hers and lifted the heavy crystal to her mouth. She took a sip, then a large swallow, needing the added courage. One more gulp and the glass emptied and she held it out for more. A smile briefly curved Armand’s lips and he tilted the bottle.
The second glass disappeared almost as quickly. Angelique’s head felt light but her limbs grew heavy. Christophe’s face, surprisingly close, seemed soft around the edges. “More wine,” she murmured.
Christophe took a sip of his own wine and touched his mouth to hers. She gasped. The instant her mouth flew open, wine, warmed from Christophe’s mouth, trickled in. Her eyes widened. Astonishment held her motionless, then her throat moved and swallowed. Warmth spread throughout her body pooling in hot dampness at the juncture of her thighs.
Without raising his lips from hers, Christophe pushed her back against the padded side-rest of the couch. He lifted her legs and draped them over his thighs. Hands— Armand’s, her dazed mind assumed—unlaced her shoes and slipped them from her feet. She felt strong fingers caress her arches, then slide upwards, lingering briefly at the backs of her knees before inserting themselves under the tied ribbons to deftly slide her stockings down.
Her ruffled skirt and petticoats were pushed up and moist kisses pressed on the, as yet, untouched skin of her thighs. Again she gasped and Christophe’s tongue, flavoured with wine and some sweet musky essence of his own, thrust into her mouth.
Armand, kneeling beside the couch continued his exploration, sliding upwards, his teeth taking small, devastating little bites, until he came to the slit in her silk draws. He probed into the gap. Angelique’s hips surged involuntarily upwards, and Armand’s tongue made a long, leisured journey between her wet, pleated folds.
Christophe broke the connection of their mouths to turn his head to watch. His breath rushed in and out, the rise and fall making Angelique aware of the hard rod pressed against her hip where he leaned over her. When she had been forced to feel the Marquis D’Arly’s cock, revulsion had made her snatch her hand away. Now she lifted one heavy arm and delved into the tiny space between herself and Christophe. She curled her fingers around the rigid cylinder and Christophe’s shuddering breath hitched and restarted with the force of a bellows.
At this sign of her power, a small delicate flower of desire began to unfurl. The hot rasp of Armand’s tongue shocked her to the depths of her soul, but she didn’t want him to stop. Tendrils of excitement wound deep into her brain.
Armand found a hard point she had not even known existed and flicked it with his tongue. Her limbs melted, her thighs dropped apart and pleasure flooded her. He flicked again, over and over with a rapid pulsing rhythm, drawing her tighter and tighter.
Christophe’s hands rubbed her nipples through the dress and his tongue continued its sensual exploration of her mouth. The world shrank to nothing more than this couch and the hot, hard bodies of the two men caressing her into a state of abandon.
Suddenly with the force of embers exploding into red hot shards in the fire, the tension snapped, burning through blood and bone and skin, leaving her gasping, shaken and quivering, seared with pleasure in a way she had never imagined. A misty cloud blurred her vision, and when it cleared she saw Armand nod, his chin and lips glistening, a measuring look in his eyes, as if confirming something to himself.
“Is that it?” she asked. “I am no longer a virgin?” It was easier and more enjoyable than she had been led to believe.