Random Thoughts From An Erotic Romance Writer

Just A Reminder

2010-12-21T14:08:00.002-05:00

Pretty much all my blogging is done on my website these days. As much as I love playing on blogger, it's much easier to consolidate.

So please join me at http://elizagayle.net/blog

Visit The DAMM Blog Party!

2010-10-04T07:39:00.002-05:00

The 4th Annual DAMM blog party is underway. I was able to create a brand new site for this years party so please come and visit the new party site and get into all things paranormal and halloween.

The guest list is growing longer and there will be all kinds chances to win a ton of great prizes.

If you like all things that go bump in the night, or if Halloween is one of your favorite holidays, then you don't want to miss this event!

http://elizagayle.net/thedammblog

Happy Monday!

Eliza

CONTEST and a New Release

2010-09-22T11:14:00.002-05:00

This is a cross post from my website blog where most of my new content but for some reason I can't get the website blog to feed to goodreads so I am cross posting so no one misses out on a chance to win.

So Slave To Pleasure released last week while I was gone to convention and this is honestly the first chance I've had to write about it. Bad, Bad Me!

So... I'm going to have a contest as a belated celebration. There will be three separate prizes to win including a $25 gift certificate to either All Romance eBooks or Amazon, an autographed print copy of Lucas from the Black Cougar series, and a free download copy of any book in my backlist. See details below.

Living in exile with her mother, Nissa a half human half fae, trains with the hope to one day become a hunter. When she goes into her first sexual heat six years too soon, she is kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder at the slave auction. Unwilling to give up her freedom for slavery, even if it is to two rugged and virile hunters, she takes desperate steps to escape.

She should have known she couldn’t outrun the inevitable.

Roane and Erik have shared everything in life and plan for Nissa to be no exception. The steely innocence they recognize in her matches up to everything they’ve been looking for. Purchasing her at auction should have sealed the deal, but neither of them bargained on her ruthless determination or the secret she harbored.

Forced to face her weakness, Nissa agrees to a bargain. Seven days and nights of total submission, no questions asked and freedom is hers. Nissa is certain in the end she will want to leave and Roane and Erik are certain she wont.

Read an Excerpt
Buy at Amazon
Buy at All Romance eBooks

It's been a while since I have had a new release and I didn't love that long dry spell. But somehow everything got weighted to the beginning of the year and the end of the year. So when the opportunity arose to try something new, I decided to go for it and self publish this story.

If you've read Dragon's Fate or Taken by Tarot, you'll recognize the world and even a few of the characters. If you haven't read those, no worries, Slave to Pleasure is a stand alone story that works fine without reading the others.

If I ever believed that self publishing was easy (I really didn't), boy would I have been wrong. It's a lot of work. I'm not one to ever be sloppy (hello, I'm a Virgo) or do something half ass so I went through a professional editor and proofreader. I went to a really good cover artist for the cover and spent hours getting everything else just right.

Oh and I should probably warn you that my fae are not the nice sweet people as often portrayed on television. They do what they want, when they want and with who they want. Rules are made to be broken for them and you can count on a REALLY hot book.

If you buy a copy I hope you'll go back after you've read it and leave a review. Reviews often help push someone undecided to give it a try. And you're always welcome to email me, I love hearing from readers. :)

Now for the contest:

I need your help to get the word out! It's easy to enter the contest and more than one on the list gets you extra entries.

1) Write a review and send me the link so I can verify
2) Post about the book on your blog (send me the link)
3) Talk up the story on a reader’s loop (forward me the email)
4) Tweet or post something on your Facebook (send me the link)

**Contest runs through Sunday and I will choose three random winners and post them on Monday**

What I'm Writing Now - Unedited

2010-07-31T14:56:00.004-05:00

This is a tiny taste of a new contemporary story that I am writing at this very moment. This is not edited, will likely get smoothed and changed, but I thought I'd share a bit of a scene I am having fun with.

“Since you brought in the signed contract I’m not going to ask again if you’re sure. You’ll simply follow the instructions either of us give.” Chase didn’t let up with the pictures and other than stand there and wait she didn’t know what else to do.

“Relax, don’t tense up. No one is going to hurt you. Much.”

Murphy snickered from the couch behind her at Chase’s last comment. She thought she knew exactly how things would go but now she wasn’t so sure.

“Lose the skirt and blouse.”

Compelled to move, Eve reached behind her and grasped the hook at the waistband of her skirt.

“Allow me.” Murphy breathed into her ear. He’d silently moved from the couch and now brushed her hand aside. Deft fingers finessed the hook open and slid the zipper down. Warm hands caressed her bare waist, sweeping the fabric down her hips and thighs. Cool air rushed across her lace-covered sex, causing Eve to gasp at the sudden sensation.

Murphy kept silent while he worked, although this close he had to know exactly how aroused she was. She stepped gingerly from her skirt so as not to lose her balance. Even with practice, four inch heels were treacherous.

Automatically her hands went to the tiny buttons of her blouse.

Murphy grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “I will do it.” The hardened tone of his voice sent shivers racing up and down her spine. He cupped her chin and brought her gaze to his. “Eyes on me sexy.”

Oh lord, he was beautiful.

With eyes the color of deep dark chocolate staring into her it was all Eve could do not to moan in ecstasy. The heated look he gave her melted her insides as he unhooked one button at a time until her shirt lie open, his fingers brushing the roundness of her stomach. Nervous currents of electricity zapped through her with every new touch. She desperately wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and hide from the momentary embarrassment of the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on touching her. Her.

Murphy stepped close to push the offending shirt from her shoulders. Heat enveloped her, warmed her through. It took every ounce of willpower not to reach for him, to pull him close and rub all over him. He smelled so fucking good. A little like sex and a lot like wild man. Maybe it was the persona she’d built around him. But as far as she could tell he lived up to every bad boy, sex starved fantasy she’d included him in.

Suddenly, the heat was gone and Murphy stood back so Chase could take more pictures. The camera clicked continuously and she swore he had to have photographed every blessed inch of her body when he finally stopped and brought the camera to his side.

“Why are you here, Eve?”

“To prove to myself that even curves are erotic.”

Chase’s eyes narrowed. “Bullshit.”

Eve blinked. Shocked by the harsh word. “It’s true.” She dug her teeth into her bottom lip for a second, waiting for him to say something else. Instead they both stared her down and she had a sudden need to crawl out of her own skin.

“What? What more do you want from me?”

A rough laugh rumbled from Chase and Murphy turned away. “I want you to tell me everything. By the time we’re through I'll know all of your secrets. Are you ready for that?”

She nodded. Half sick with worry.

“What’s your biggest fantasy?”

Eve sighed. That was easy. “To be tied up and ravished.” She had to look away.

“But it’s not that simple, is it?”

Upcoming eBooks I need to read!

2010-07-13T15:59:00.003-05:00

I see a lot of chatter around the net on what traditional published books are coming out and the readers who are anxiously waiting for them. And while I do read a mix of traditional and small press eBooks, I find that I read a lot more small press. So I thought I'd share a few of those books that are coming out that I am crazy anxious to read.

In no particular order:

Deep in the Woods by Annabel Joseph - After reading Comfort Object, I looked her up and found this coming soon that sounds great.

Something New by Cameron Dane

A Little White Lie by MacKenzie McKade

There are probably a lot more that I am missing but I find that not all small press publishers are really good at telling me what is Coming Soon. Hopefully I will catch the new releases on Twitter or at All Romance when they hit there.

Have a good one!

Eliza

5 Stars & A Top Pick for Dirty Deeds!

2010-07-10T11:40:00.004-05:00

Thank you very much to Delenn at Night Owl Romance for reviewing Dirty Deeds!

Here is what she had to say:

“Dirty Deeds” takes the reader on a trip to the wild side. No humans allowed, it's all about the demon political structure and the power shifts that occur when bargains made are unfulfilled.

Dirty Deeds was just that! Hot, Steamy, spicy and just down right erotic.

Poor Melody sold her soul to the demon Harold and now for almost three months she has missed her soul stealing quota and now she is under the gun to make good on her bargain or suffer the consequences.

What a sexually charged romp into the life of the demon Melody. Desired by both men and women, Melody can have her pick, except the man that rejected her so many years ago. Ms. Gayle really crafted one of the most seductive female demons I have read about. The character of Melody just oozed sexuality and confidence. Her descriptive proses of Melody’s heightened sexual responses were off the chart. Melody just radiated a predatory sexuality and awareness that leaped of the page.

Oh Drake was just what the doctor ordered; the epitome of masculinity, forcefully dominate, yet caring. His dialog was crisp and commanding that brooked no arguments, each and every nuance and gesture written for the character truly personified dominant male, touch at you own risk.

This was an exciting novella that just screamed with sexuality. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading additional pieces of work form the Ms. Gayle.

You can see the review on the Night Owl site HERE

Squeee! New Contracts!

2010-07-08T11:31:00.003-05:00

I've got three new books coming out later this year and I've blogged all about them on my website blog. Come and check out the details and let me know what you think.

Hint: This picture has been a big inspiration for at least one of them. :)

Eliza

Been Under The Weather

2010-05-18T21:53:00.003-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you probably already know this but I've been a bit under the weather with some sort of crazy cold that has turned into the crud. It's kind of like being on a roller coaster because I have my ups and downs with it especially at night. I keep thinking if I could sleep through the night I'd probably feel a whole better.

Anyways...

I've been feeling bad for ignoring the blogs so thought I would check in and say hello. I need to pick some winners for some contests I had going on and I need to mail some prizes for some other recent winners.

On the writing front, I'm not really focused on anything specific this week other than the Storyboarding class I am taking from author Shayla Black. Shayla is one of my favorite authors to read and I've heard a lot about her storyboarding class. So when the opportunity came up and I happened to finally not be under a massive deadline, I signed up.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter where we are in our writing career there is always more to learn. There is always a need to keep working on craft. I've got several new projects brewing so I'm ready to challenge myself to try something new. I'm tossing around more shapeshifters, a new contemporary series, my super secret project and even a little steampunk.

I've also got three submissions out to publishers and a query to perfect on my full length BDSM novel that is bursting to get in the hands of publishers.

Which all means I better get over this cold so I can get back to work full steam. Right after I watch Glee. lol

Have a great week,

Eliza

P.S. In case you were wondering. The book I'm reading at the moment is Belonging To Them by Brynn Paulin. You can always follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading. I keep it updated whenever I pick up a new book.

Win A Book And Get Hooked!

2010-05-13T19:17:00.003-05:00

Looking to find a new series to read? How about 30? Moira Rogers is hosting their 3rd Get Hooked on a Series contest and you can win.

With 30 different series to choose from, I guarantee you can find something you'll love. Check out the link at the end of this post for all the details and find your next series.

http://www.moirarogers.com/gethooked3

Whipped Cream Reviews gives Fire & Desire 5 Cherries!

2010-05-12T08:02:00.003-05:00

"Eliza Gayle writes a very sensual story bringing the reader into her world and keeping hold until the very end. Quick paced and well written this story sizzles right off the pages..."

Welcome back to Purgatory!

Ruby has come to terms with her fire fetish as a fire inspector and a part-time bartender at the fetish club Purgatory. As part of the staff she can experiment with her desires without worrying about going too far or too deep into a scene she is certain she doesn't belong in. But there's one Dom in town who makes her burn for things she wishes she didn't and his ability to take control of those around him goes against what she needs.

Zane made sure he was on the roster at Purgatory for charity night with the assurance that Ruby would be on duty. He's respected her wishes as long as he could but tonight while his fire burns bright he'll take possession of the willful beauty who has captured his heart.

Review:

Ruby has become a bartender at the fetish club called Purgatory to help her deal with her own fetish for fire.

Knowing that she is safe with all the members of the club, Ruby feels welcome and free enough to indulge in her fire fetish.

She is always in control and only one person can make her lose that control: Zane. He is the Dom of her dreams; only he knows what it feels like to love the fire as much as she does. Will she let him in past her defenses or will she build those walls even higher?

This book is part of a series about the people associated with the fetish club Purgatory. Although it is nice to revisit with the members of Purgatory this book can be read as a stand-alone. I loved reading this story and was caught up from the very first page. Eliza Gayle writes a very sensual story bringing the reader into her world and keeping hold until the very end. Quick paced and well written this story sizzles right off the pages.

I enjoyed the interaction between Zane and Ruby. Zane truly cares for Ruby and shows her it is okay to let go. The bond of trust that develops between Zane and Ruby was wonderful to see. I loved watching her finally let go and enjoy herself without any thought to her past or to her fears. Ruby is a strong-willed woman who needs to let her guard down and Zane is a strong Alpha male that knows what he wants and goes after it. This was an interesting look at a different kind of fetish that I have never looked into before.

If you enjoy your stories hot and on the edge this is the book for you. I know I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series myself.

To Buy Fire & Desire Now: Phaze Books | All Romance eBooks | Amazon | Bookstrand | Smashwords | Fictionwise

Haven't been to Purgatory yet? Leave a comment and I will draw a winner on Friday afternoon to win a free digital copy of Rope Dreams, the first in the series.

**All digital book prizes are given using the wonderful gifting option courtesy of All Romance eBooks**

Reading, Writing and a Free eBook

2010-04-10T09:46:00.003-05:00

Now that I sort of feel like I've recovered from my work trip, I should get back to the business of blog writing.

I've been letting stress get to me lately and I think everything has suffered for it. The blogs, the writing, pretty much everything. Plus the kids were home this week for spring break and that definitely threw my schedule off despite them not being a pain at all. :)

Of course Lora Leigh's latest book, Lion's Heat came out last week so all I really wanted to do was read every chance I got. The book was fantastic and I highly recommend it. Although if you've never read one of her Breed books I wouldn't suggest you start there. Go back to the beginning, it's well worth it.

I've now moved on to Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast. I love the fae. Love them! I write them too, although its been a while since I published one. Hopefully that will change soon since I have a fae manuscript sitting at a publisher waiting to see if they like it.

The downfall to reading someone else's fae story? Now my half written fae urban fantasy is calling my name. Unfortunately all I can do is scribble down notes to appease the characters because I have a project to do list that must get completed first before I can go wandering off into new story land. lol

My writing mojo has not been at it's normal level for weeks now, yet this wolf story must get done soon. Even though its been hard to write I still make myself write at least a little each day to push through. But to say a little, I really mean a little. A few hundred words little. I did however push through a tough scene last night and am hoping this weekend things will get back to normal.

April is a crazy busy month. The 4th purgatory book, Fire & Desire came out a couple of weeks ago so I am busy promoting that.

Kane, the second in the black cougar series comes out in *gasp* two and a half weeks. I am so anxious to hear from readers about this one. I love the shifters.

At the same time, Dirty Deeds releases from Loose Id. If you like sexy demons into BDSM with your adventurous reading then you will love this one.

On top of that, I will most likely be attending the RT Booklovers convention at the end of the month. I can't wait to revisit old friends and hang out with readers. Going
to be lots of fun.

One last thing... Today only, April 10th. My first Pentacles of Magick book is available for free download at All Romance eBooks as part of their 21 days of series promotion for Earth Day.

Happy Saturday!

Eliza

A Reading Update

2010-03-24T23:46:00.003-05:00

We still have a week to go in March and I've already completed my Menage month commitment. In fact I'm quite pleased with how much I've been reading lately. Especially from my very very long TBR pile.

Here are the menage books I read:

Tempt Me Twice by Eden Bradley
Rules of Attraction by India Masters
Truce of Trust by Lisabet Sarai
Stay With Me by Maya Banks
Amber Eyes by Maya Banks

Only slightly off track from what I'd planned but 5 nonetheless. And I have at least two more on the list for my trip to the beach next week.

I also read Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep and wow did I love this book. I don't read a lot of first person Urban Fantasy but after all the glowing recommendations I couldn't resist. Now I can't wait for the next book and am so glad it comes out soon.

I've moved on to a contemporary as I like to mix things up and I've been wanting to try Beth Kery for a while.

On the writing front I finished edits on two books this past weekend and last week finished a new contemporary bdsm short and have submitted it to a publisher. Cross your fingers for me. :)

I'm back to the wolf book this week and am about two-thirds done. Definitely hoping to get this one done within the next couple of week.

What are you reading today? Have you read a book this month that I REALLY should read? I'd love to hear about it.

Eliza

Happy Saturday!

2010-03-20T09:14:00.002-05:00

If you've landed here today looking for the Saturday Snippet, you'll find it at my website blog here. Today's theme is family and I've posted an excerpt from my Pentacles of Magick series.

I've been a busy bee lately with lots of writing and now editing. I received two sets of edits on two different books yesterday so as soon as I get through that I'll be back to post an updating on my reading this month. Somehow I've managed to make it through a bunch of books. I already met the menage challenge and am now reading Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep and loving it.

So have a great weekend and wish me luck and hope that I'll be surfacing again soon. lol

Eliza

March Menage Month - I'm Playing!

2010-03-03T18:04:00.003-05:00

I came across a new book challenge over at The Moonlight to Twilight blog and in my renewed efforts to put a dent in my current TBR pile, I've decided I want to join in some of these cool reader challenges.

So...

I scanned through what was already on my iTouch and picked out 4 titles to commit to but I actually want to read five but I'm leaving a slot open for me to buy something new because there is always something new I want to buy. :)

Here's the list:

Tempt Me Twice by Eden Bradley

Rules of Attraction by India Masters

Truce of Trust by Lisabet Sarai

Make Mine Midnight by Annemarie McKenna

And a fifth to be determined later.

I'm looking forward to a new reading challenge and some great reads.

Happy reading!

Eliza

What Was I Thinking??

2010-02-22T23:30:00.004-05:00

Thursday, February 18th

Crazy writer someone says: "Hey, there's this really cool call for short hot romance but it has to be turned in on Monday. I bet we could do this."

Me: Oh no she just threw down the gauntlet. Did she really use the word bet?

Crazy writer someone: "Seriously it's only 6-10k. You can whip that out in no time flat.

Me: Uh huh

Crazy writer someone: "Come on, you plot tomorrow and we write it this weekend."

Me: I've got no plot, no ideas, nuthing.

Crazy writer someone: Ignores me.

My head fell into my hands and a groan slipped from my mouth. Nah, can't do it. Don't have time.

Friday, February 19th

Crazy writer someone mysteriously reappears. "Okay let's write."

Me: (still with no plot by the way) "Okay."

Saturday, February 20th

The day dawns bright and somehow late friday I managed to find an idea and summarize a short plot. I must write between 6-10k in two days. Which by the way is a weeks worth of word count. I write 1200 words a day 6 days a week.

The writing commences and at the end of day 1 I have 4000 words and I look around a little worried. I'm at 4k and I've barely delved into the "little" plot. Uh oh.

Sunday, February 21st

Another beautiful sunny weekend day and I start writing. Sunday is for the sexoring so the pace is slooooow. This first intimate (i.e. dirty) scene ends up 4000 words and its almost midnight. My brain is fried and I'm sexored out. I'm at 8k, I'm within the range of the special call, too bad I'm only half way through the "little" plot.

Now it's monday and instead of a story heading out the door I have another WIP to add to the work in progress section of the blog. In case you're curious I have tentatively titled this one Bottoms Up and its a hot little spanking story.

The moral of the story? Who the hell knows, I'm tired. lol

10 Things I Love About Dean - In Video

2010-02-13T22:44:00.005-05:00

It's Dean Day in bloglandia and we are a celebrating. We'll be chatting about Dean on twitter and on bunches of blogs. You can follow me on twitter @elizagaylebooks or follow the blog trail at the bottom of this post for more great Dean!

Happy Dean Day!

1. He made me laugh hysterically when he screamed like a girl.

2. He sure knows how to break the ice...and make me laugh.

3. Dean is a hero in every sense of the word.

4. Dean is not perfect but honors family above all else.

5. Dean is Hot Stuff!

6. Dean is Batman.

7. Dean has the coolest car EVAR! (my first car was a classic Impala)

8. Dean thinks Bon Jovi rocks! (see the above video)

9. Did I mention how much he loves his Daddy?

10. Dean-isms - Six Degress of Heaven Bacon!

Participants of the Dean Day Blog Tour:

Pixiedust @ http://ponderingpixiedust.blogspot.com/

Bellie7 aka Bells http://hangingwithbells.blogspot.com/

Fallon Blake http://fallonblake.blogspot.com

Sagi @ http://sagis-randomness.blogspot.com

Stacy @ http://www.trelainastarblazer.blogspot.com/

Leontine @ http://www.leontine1976.blogspot.com

Janna @ http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/

Bronwyn Green @ http://bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com

Donna Grant @ http://donnagrant.com

Eliza Gayle @ http://elizagayle.blogspot.com/

JoJo @ http://jojosbookcorner.blogspot.com

Sayuri @ http://www.damnheart.com

ggs_closet@ http://www.gigisconsignmentcloset.blogspot.com

Savory Tv @ http://www.savory.tv

Veronica H @ http://fantasygirlreviews.blogspot.com/

Forget V-Day. Tomorrow is Dean Day!

2010-02-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

If you follow my TV Tuesday on my website blog, you know I'm a huge Supernatural fan. Not only that but I am a total Dean girl. How could I not be? So cute, awesome wit, fab taste in music and I LURVE his car!

So when a group of bloggers on Twitter announced they were celebrating Dean Day on Valentines day I jumped on that bandwagon as quickly as I could. There will be a full day of Deanisms all over the net and I hope you'll come by, share a few laughs, drool a little and leave lots of comments. I haven't figured out what yet but I will definitely be giving away a prize worthy of a fangirl.

So come back tomorrow and check out the tour!

Special thanks to Pixiedust for making our gorgeous Dean button!

Participants of the Dean Day Blog Tour:

Pixiedust @ http://ponderingpixiedust.blogspot.com/

Bellie7 aka Bells http://hangingwithbells.blogspot.com/

Fallon Blake http://fallonblake.blogspot.com

Sagi @ http://sagis-randomness.blogspot.com

Stacy @ http://www.trelainastarblazer.blogspot.com/

Leontine @ http://www.leontine1976.blogspot.com

Janna @ http://erotromreader.blogspot.com/

Bronwyn Green @ http://bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com

Donna Grant @ http://donnagrant.com

Eliza Gayle @ http://elizagayle.blogspot.com/

JoJo @ http://jojosbookcorner.blogspot.com

Sayuri @ http://www.damnheart.com

ggs_closet@ http://www.gigisconsignmentcloset.blogspot.com

Savory Tv @ http://www.savory.tv

Veronica H @ http://fantasygirlreviews.blogspot.com/

A HAWT NEW COVER!!

2010-02-07T18:43:00.002-05:00

Now that the 4th Purgatory story is blurbed up and turned in, I can finally show you all the cover. I love the hotness!

Here is the blurb:

Welcome back to Purgatory!

Ruby has come to terms with her fire fetish as a fire inspector and a part-time bartender at the fetish club Purgatory. As part of the staff she can experiment with her desires without worrying about going to far or too deep into a scene she is certain she doesn't belong in. But there's one Dom in town who makes her burn for things she wishes she didn't and his ability to take control of those around him goes against what she needs.

Zane made sure he was on the roster at Purgatory for charity night with the assurance that Ruby would be on duty. He's respected her wishes as long as he could but tonight while his fire burns bright he'll take possession of the willful beauty who has captured his heart.

LUCAS IS NOW AVAILABLE!!!

2010-02-05T13:41:00.003-05:00

I know it came out a couple of days ago and I'm just now getting around to the blog, but I did announce it on Twitter and Facebook on Wednesday. (busy busy week)

I am so thrilled that LUCAS is here in eBook. (It will be available in Trade Paperback in March)

LUCAS: A Black Cougar Novel
Phaze Books
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60659-980-8
Genre: Paranormal shape-shifter erotic romance
Book 1 in a series
Available to purchase at Phaze Books, All Romance eBooks, Bookstrand, Smashwords, with fictionwise, Amazon Kindle and MBAM to follow soon.

Summary:

Kira MacDonald is in trouble. Plagued by false visions and erotic dreams of a man she’s never met, she fears losing both her psychic powers and her sanity. The cure? Finding and bonding with her mate. The stubborn red-haired warrior might not want one, but fate has other plans, plans that include her rescuing Lucas Gunn.

As the Guardian of his shape-shifting clan, Lucas Gunn lived a quiet, solitary life. Until he was kidnapped, examined, and tortured. Now imprisoned, his only tie to the outside world is the memory of his dreams and the passionate woman who appears nightly in them. He thought she was nothing more than a vision. Then she came for him.

An uneasy alliance, a mating call that won’t be denied, rituals that must be honored, and unrelenting enemies who will stop at nothing to get what they want. It all comes together in the first of Eliza Gayle’s sensational Black Cougar Series. Passion and Pride. Duty and Danger. In the end, there’s really only one choice…for Lucas.

I will be in several places this month celebrating if you'd like to stop by and chat (or perhaps win a prize)

I'm going to update the website this weekend so you'll be able to see a list which will include Smexy Books, LoveRomancePassion, JoJo's Book Corner and more. This Sunday I will be at author Jeanne St. James' blog.

I hope to see you around the net!

Eliza

FREE Book Sunday!

2010-01-31T15:50:00.004-05:00

There is a huge 50% off sale going on at ARe today where if you use the code being offered at the Smart Bitches Trashy Books blog this weekend.

To make the deal even sweeter than 50% of all eBooks sitewide, one of my publishers, Phaze Books, is offering 11 free eBooks through midnight tonight. Including one of mine.

Pentacles of Magick: The Bonding is the first book in my Pentacles of Magick series and will be free at All Romance or OmniLit until midnight tonight.

Here's the blurb:

Four male witches. Two Sets of twins. Born with a dark curse. Unlimited power bequeathed to the four when used together. A seductive power that over time will destroy their souls. To fight the prophecy they are forced to live separately to save themselves.

When a Tarot Historian shows up with stolen family cards and a theory of balance, all hell breaks loose as Graelen and Rena race to uncover the clues that will break the curse.

In addition to the first book free, you can get the rest of the series as part of the 50% off sale if you hurry and hit All Romance before midnight.

Have a great Sunday.

Eliza

Get a SUGAR RUSH with Lissa Matthews

2010-01-26T17:52:00.003-05:00

No one combines the sweets with the spicy quite as well as Lissa Matthews and she proves it with today's Hot New Release from Loose Id.

Congrats Lissa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sugar Rush by Lissa Matthews

Graham Hall is twenty-six and has a dream job as a travel writer. He's come to Colorado for work and a little personal down time. With his article done and the six-month lease up on the small cabin in the valley, he's stayed around until his next assignment. In a downtown Denver bar, Graham meets Edward and after a short conversation agrees to a blind date with Edward's business partner, Jane. After all, what could it hurt?

Jane is completely oblivious to the machinations of Edward and Graham and shows up at Graham's cabin to deliver a box of handmade chocolate truffles. From the minute Graham opens the door, Jane falls head over heels in lust. A plus size, mid-thirties woman, Jane isn't sure what Cowboy Surfer, as she's dubbed him, sees in her or why he's so tenacious in his pursuit and tries throwing him off at every turn.

The inability to say continue saying 'No' leads to hot, scorching sex and a lot of follow-up phone calls opening Jane's eyes to the realization that maybe life doesn’t have to revolve around chocolate truffles, but rather around a delicious, well traveled younger man.

Buy Now

EXCERPT

“I’m going to kill him.” It would be quick and painless too. He wouldn’t know what hit him.

First though, she had to make it to the little cabin in the valley and deliver the truffles. And what the hell was Edward, her business partner, thinking anyway? Accepting an order -- a small, one-box order at that -- for someone way out here in the middle of nowhere? It was bad enough that it had snowed last night, but even worse was the fact she hated driving north through the mountains in winter. For that alone, Edward deserved to die.

What in the name of all that was warm and cozy was she doing here?

Edward usually made all the deliveries. He loved meeting their customers, loved to gab more than any woman Jane had ever met, and he always used it as an excuse to go shopping in some boutique he swore he’d never heard of before. Of course there were no boutiques where she was presently. There was nothing up here at all: only trees and mountains and snow. Lots and lots of snow.

A stop sign. Great. “What the hell do I do now?” She pressed ever so gently on the brake pedal and slowed to a stop. “This is why I live in the city,” she muttered. She could either walk or take public transportation. When it came to driving in the mountains, she drove like a little old lady: very slowly and very cautiously.

The bright red of the sign stood out like a beacon among the white snow and brown trees covering the landscape. She pulled out the written directions from the side pocket of her purse on the seat beside her. “‘At stop sign, turn right. Go a quarter of a mile to next stop sign, take a left. Follow road to cabin.’ Should be easy enough.”

In truth, Jane loved the mountains. In spring and fall, especially with the rich colors, but even in winter they were gorgeous. The changing of the seasons seemed so effortless. She wished life’s changes were as effortless. Especially where romance and men were concerned.

Ten more minutes, and she was driving down the winding trail leading to the cabin. The snow on the wood-lined drive was packed in, and she was grateful. Driving over a patch of ice would not be good right now. She might have a very boring life but wrapping her vehicle around a tree was something that really wouldn’t improve things.

She pulled up and parked next to a nice black truck, brand-new from the looks of it, and one that she’d need a stepladder to climb into.

Jane put the small SUV in park and turned off the engine. After a quick glance in the rearview mirror to check her makeup and hair, she grabbed the box of truffles and got out. Hopefully, she could get back home before the streets started to ice over. She’d also like a few answers from Edward about why she was out delivering one and only one little four-truffle box so far from the city in the dead of winter, along with why he’d insisted she dress like a pink marshmallow in heels. He might be gay, but he knew absolutely nothing about heels and snow, but he’d been so earnest about her dressing a certain way that she’d found herself bundled up and out the door before she’d even realized how absurd her outfit was.

She stepped carefully, one foot in front of the other, not wanting to completely embarrass herself while she teetered precariously up the snow-covered walkway to their customer’s front door. Did she look as comical as she imagined?

Yes, Edward was going to die for this. So help him, he’d better have DVR'd her television shows or his death would be slow and painful rather than the quick, painless way she’d been envisioning.

Lost in plotting the demise of her business partner, she slipped on a patch of ice masked as soft, powdery snow. She righted herself as she started to topple over and was able to recover her balance but not before her heart skidded to a halt in her chest. “Shit.”

Standing still, she took a couple of deep breaths and glanced around. “Right, Jane. Who the hell is going to be around to witness your clumsiness in the middle of freakin’ nowhere?” Well, unless the customer had seen it, and then she’d be completely mortified.

“Nothing to do about it now,” she muttered, again putting one foot in front of the other.

* * * * *

“What the…?” Graham stood with his arms braced against the window frame and watched the wobbling woman outside on his front walk. Dressed from head to toe in pink and white fluff, she carried a pink box with a dark brown bow and was wearing the most absurd shoes.

Snow had fallen the previous night, and the drive up the mountains would have been a little tricky. She looked like a ski bunny, albeit a rather curvy one. He didn’t do ski bunnies. Much as he liked outdoorsy, adventurous women, something about the winter resort crowd had never appealed to him. He preferred privacy and solitary mountain escapes with roaring fires.

She stepped onto the porch and lowered the hood of her jacket. Her hair was a rich, dark brown wavy mass that stopped at her shoulders, and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. She was muttering something between barely moving lips, then pasted on a dazzling smile, shook her head, and knocked on the door.

Graham opened it, swung it wide, and grinned down at her. “My oh my.” He let his gaze travel leisurely from the top of her tousled mane to her pointed toes. She was a delectable, pink confection, crazy-ass footwear and all. From her mumbling on the porch and her scrunched-up face to the moment she shook it off and gave his door the most beautiful smile, his cock had stirred in his jeans and he’d had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Oh. Wow. I, ummm…I have a delivery for…” She fumbled in her coat pocket then pulled out a card, stealing small glances up at him as her cheeks reddened further. He would bet his next paycheck it wasn’t from the cold this time. “For a Mr. Graham Hall. Are you him?”

He gave it an exaggerated thought. “If I wasn’t, I would certainly lie and say I was.” She frowned. He grinned. “What are you delivering?”

“Huh? Oh. Ummm, candy. Truffles, to be exact.”

She couldn’t stop staring at him. Did she like what she saw? He sure as hell did. “I didn’t order any truffles.”

“You didn’t?”

“Nope. I don’t even remember the last time I ate candy.”

Her frown deepened, and her brows furrowed. It was all he could do to keep from pulling her against him so he could taste those pouty lips. She was adorable. “I’m sorry for the mistake, Mr. Hall.”

“Quite all right. Would you like to come in and warm up for a bit? I can make some coffee or hot chocolate. I might even have some marshmallows around here.”

“I…uh, no, thank you. I should get back to town and see about clearing this up. I am so, so sorry for bothering you.”

She wasn’t looking at him any longer. “You didn’t. Bother me, that is, and I really must insist that you come in and get warm. Your feet have got to be cold in those…those shoes.” He grimaced as he said the word and took her by the arm, ushering her inside before she could say no again. Besides, it was damn cold out there, and he was glad to have the door closed.

She eased her arm out of his grip then backed up against the door. “Really, this isn’t necessary. My car has a very good heater and…wait, what’s wrong with my shoes?” she asked, looking down and wiggling her toes, lifting her feet off the ground one by one as if trying to see what he found so distasteful.

“They’re nothing but two pieces of leather, a couple of strings, and a spike.” And would be much better suited to digging into my ass while you were on your back.

Entwined by Fate by S.A. Price

2010-01-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

Today we have a guest post from author Stella Price. One half of the dynamic duo of S.A. Price.

On January 19th, Entwined by Fate the first in a innovative and sexy new series from S.A.Price releases. This series breaks the accepted boundaries on what is familiar in the shifter genre, by having Ophidians, or weresnakes as a focus.

Thirty females of the Ophidian race have gone missing, most from the transient nest of Las Vegas, a rogue and unofficial nest run by the Saint, John Merrick. Believed to be dead by every Archon in the states, Merrick leads a quiet and unassuming life, saving those of his race that are lost and need it most. It's a solitary existence, one that he hates every day. He yearns for his mate, the woman he left over a decade before, and the woman who thinks him dead to this day.

When Elise Rizdon gets the official invitation to the Archon meeting in Ohio by the leader of a new Midwestern nest, she never expected to see the love of her life at the woman's side, a man she was told was dead and buried. She lost him once upon a time, and she never fully recovered. Focusing on the issues, and not the man that has always made her body burn is not going to be easy. A disturbing event is on the horizon, one that threatens all Ophidian's and their way of life. In order to survive they will have to work together, give up old grudges and take chances on the things that matter most. Love, life and the continuation of their race.

And the reviews have been amazing!

S.A. Price has written a winner! The taut plot line and the constant danger lurking at every corner increase the tension as the reader anxiously turns the pages. S.A. Price does a marvelous job at integrating subplots and smoothly fitting all of the pieces together. The secondary romances developing within the plot line make the happily-ever-after all the more satisfying. Brilliant!
~Recommended Read, Ck2s Kwips and Kritiques

“Move over werewolf’s there’s a new game in town!”
~ Smokin Hot Books

“It kept me captivated …I just had to know what was going to happen next!”
~Books, Books and More Books

"A sexy were species that really pushes the envelope! Who knew snakes could be so hot-blooded!?"
~Jennifer Armintrout, best selling author of the Blood Ties series

Interested? Check out why this book is getting such amazing feedback, and help us prove that weresnakes are sssexy and that scales could definitely be the new fur for you shifter readers!

JOIN THE REVOLUTION! You can read an excerpt here and you can buy the E book from All Romance E books and the print from Amazon.

Have you been to Purgatory yet?

2010-01-06T16:58:00.004-05:00

If not, here's a handbasket and a few tips. :)

1. You can read them in any order. While it is a series with the stories centered around a club called Purgatory, there is no multi-book story arc. These are hot short stories that stand all on their own. Although I do have some characters return here and there so you get to learn more about them.

2. You must go to Purgatory with an open mind. It is a club after all that caters to every kind of Fetish.

3. Consider setting a glass of ice water next to where you read because these stories are HAWT.

4. There is no dress code in Purgatory so you can wear as little or as much as you want. Although you might want to consider your neighbors if they're a little nosy.

5. While in Purgatory you might be asked to try something new. Just go with the flow. There are no regrets in Purgatory.

6. Purgatory isn't Las Vegas so what happens there doesn't have to stay there. So feel free to tell your friends if you had a good time. :)

There's actually been a lot going on with this series lately, and I haven't had a lot of time to gather the info until now.

Two days before Christmas I learned that Rope Dreams, had been nominated for a CAPA by the reviewers at The Romance Studio in the BDSM category. It was a wonderful surprise and the perfect present!

In case you missed the 5 heart review given by TRS that led to the nomination here it is.

"In this story; Katie is a woman with dreams. She wants to do something, but is afraid to do, and being ridiculed. I'll let you read the story to find out what happens.

I loved this story. Once I opened the file and began reading, I found myself unable to stop until I reached those two magic words: The End. Ms. Gayle has made her characters three-dimensional, turned them into real people, and I found myself identifying with Katie in many ways. It seemed as though I was there, alongside Katie; seeing what she was seeing, and feeling everything with her. I wanted to be there, in Purgatory; and wanted to experience all of the sensations with her.

Not only would I be willing to read this story again, I intend to do so, several times. This is one of those books that will forever stay in the "To Be Read" file. As a matter of fact, I actually read it three time before I wrote this review. I intend to recommend this book to many of my friends, and when I do so, I will be quite vocal about just how much I liked it."
Alyna Couture, The Romance Studio

And thanks to you readers (thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you) this series has been a best seller at my publisher Phaze Books through several months in 2009 including all three books being on the best seller list for December 2009.

This series has been so much fun to write and I've loved each and every one of the characters. And in case you were wondering, yes there will be a 4th. I am currently wrapping up Fire and Desire, which will be releasing in late March. You are going to LOVE Zane.

As for what happens in Purgatory after that, well, we'll both have to wait and see. In the meantime I'm headed to several conventions this year (you can see the schedule on the home page of my website here.) And i've been giving some thought to promotional materials. I still very much love my "Embrace Your Inner Bad Girl" stickers and plan to make more but I need something new every year and I'm contemplating a few special edition T-Shirts.

What would you think of a t-shirt with the slogan "Meet me in Purgatory" on the front and the back could say "I'll bring the handbasket."

Too silly?

If you'd like to read more about the Purgatory series, see the covers, read excerpts you can find all of that on the bookshelf page of my website here.

Take care,

Eliza

T.V. Tuesday

2010-01-05T21:49:00.001-05:00

Crosspost from my website blog.

Like the rest of you we are still suffering through nothing to watch on TV. I'm not big into reruns and I'd rather read a book or write a little more on my WIP. But once I've torn myself away from any work activity I do like to watch some Television with the family.

So Hulu or Netflix Instant Play to the rescue.

After whipping through 3 seasons of Friday Night Lights in about 10 days, (yeah I liked it way more than I thought I would) the DH and I have moved on to Farscape.

Not sure why we never gave this a try when it was originally on TV because we watch a lot of Sci Fi television. We are five episodes into the first season and i'm not completely hooked yet but I am very interested and grateful to have something new to me to watch.

Tonight though a new Netflix movie arrived and I'm planning to watch the Sandra Bullock comedy, All About Steve.

What about you? How are you faring through the barren wasteland that is rerun television still lingering from the holidays?

Eliza

Books, Books and More Books

2010-01-04T11:11:00.005-05:00

I'm over at the Kiss and Tell blog today talking about books. My favorites from 2009 as well as the first 10 I'll be reading in 2010. I really want to hear about your favs from 09 so please, head on over and leave me a comment.

The Countdown Has Begun!

2010-01-02T22:22:00.003-05:00

This is a repost from my website blog at http://elizagayle.net/blog

February 1st is the big day! The long awaited rearrival of Lucas followed by Kane in April and Malcolm in June. I hope you’re looking forward to the black cougar trilogy as much as I am.

Please help spread the word and feel free to grab the countdown widget in the left sidebar by clicking on the share button on the bottom.

Happy New Year!

Eliza

Naughty November Winners!

2009-12-18T17:14:00.002-05:00

Man this post is so late I wanna cry. With some technical difficulties and deadlines I sometimes can't help wonder where my brain went. LOL

My forgetfulness however is your HUGE gain. I am posting twice as many prizes than I'd planned which means twice as many winners!

So here we go!

1. Andrea - Has won a paperback copy of the Equinox anthology from Ellora's Cave and a paperback copy of Sex Magic by Jennifer Dunne along with some fun swag.

2. Cathy M - Has won a paperback copy of Artistically Bound by Alessia Brio and Will Belegon, a paperback copy of Road Trip to Passion anthology from Ellora's Cave, a 2010 ARe HOT men calendar and some fun swag.

3. Sherry has won a paperback copy of Whispers in the Dark by Denise P. Jefferies, a paperback copy of Leading Her to Heaven by Kayleigh Jamison, a 2010 ARe Hot men calendar and some fun swag.

4. Armenia has won a paperback copy of Roped Heat by Vonna Harper, a 2010 Hot men calendar and some fun swag.

5. SandDanx has won a paperback copy of Making Chase by Lauren Dane, a 2010 Hot Men calendar and some fun swag.

6. Mitz has won a paperback copy of Phaze Fantasies III anthology from Phaze which includes a tale by me!

7. S7anna has won an ecopy of Touch Me, Tease Me, Whip Me by Eliza Gayle :)

8. Monica has won an ecopy of Charming Lucy by Lissa Matthews. I'll be using the new gifting program at All Romance eBooks to award this. I am very excited by this.

I hope you all enjoyed this month of excerpts as much as I did. My iTouch is loaded and i'll be enjoying these steamy reads all winter long!

If you are a winner please contact me at elizagayleauthor at gmail dot com with your snail mail address or email address for eBook winners.

Thanks so much and happy holidays!.

Eliza

Naughty #13 - Prodigal Slave by Roxy Harte

2009-11-30T19:20:00.003-05:00

Prodigal Slave by Roxy Harte

Book Summary:

Recently divorced paralegal extraordinaire and soccer mom, Charlotte Sullivan, has a secret past life that has just returned to haunt her in the form of a red bustier that arrives perfectly gift wrapped in time for her birthday. With it is a summons from her once Master Francois Rene de Hart, “Come to me.”

With her twin teenage daughters in Europe for the summer with her parents, she finds herself with the perfect opportunity to relive her youth with a man she once loved, but can her heart survive the temptation of the man a second time around? Pure lust awaits a mere train ride away but does she dare make the journey she fears may break more than her heart this second time around?

Added surprise awaits when she meets her Master’s lover Pierre-Louis and discovers she can only be truly reunited with her Master if she learns to love the other man.

Naughty Excerpt:

“Come on, Charlotte. I’ll drive you home.”
“No.” I turn to face him then, seeing what I hadn’t noticed before: the barest edge of my collar, peeking out of his slacks pocket.

“My name is Cassiopeia. I belong to Master François Rene de Hart. See? I wear his mark upon my hip.” I pivot and wiggle one hip, hoping I sound as seductive as I know I did so long ago. Turning back around I catch his appreciative glance before he shutters away any emotion that might have peeked through. Stalking toward him, I state the facts. “I have been a very bad, bad girl. And now it is time to face my punishment, not as a bratty girl that has to be forced, but as a grown woman who knows what she wants…and what she needs.”

I am close enough to touch his cheek and do so with the edge of the cane, lifting his chin with the notched end. “The problem is I am not sure my Master can handle a grown woman, the last time I saw him I was still a girl, easily managed, easily led.”

His grinding jaw does little to hide the glint of humor escaping his eyes.

“I need punished, Master.” Okay, I admit that was said way too sarcastically. I can’t help myself.

“I am your Master, Oui?”

Oh yeah. Definitely hit my mark.

“Yes, Frankie. You are my Master.”

His fingers snake into my hair and he pulls me into a painful kiss, reclaiming what was his, raping my mouth with his teeth and tongue. My scalp screams under the pressure. I taste blood. A second later I feel leather cinching around my throat. Blessed leather. My collar.

I am yours, Master, I am yours.

“On your knees, Cassiopeia, hands in front, forehead down.”

Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. God, this is going to hurt.

“Lift your ass, bitch. It hasn’t been that long. Do I have to re-teach you everything?”

The first strike draws a wide welt, just as I knew it would. I can’t see it but pain shoots through my flesh, nerve endings screaming from twat to tit and I know it will leave a mark. My knees shake.

“Have you missed me Cassiopeia?”

“Yes, Master.”

I want him inside, reclaiming all of me, but it will take nineteen more strikes, one for each year I’ve been away before he stops. He runs his finger along the welt he made. “This is going to leave a beautiful mark, Cassiopeia.”

“Yes-s,” I hiss.

“You used to like it very much when I marked you,” he comments.

“Yes-s.” The anticipation of the next strike is killing me; I feel that I am growing wet with need and he is toying with that need.

He taps my ass and thighs lightly with the cane. None were as devastating as the first. These are shadowy taps meant to keep me on edge, waiting for the next hard one. “Oh God,” I moan. “I can’t take this.”

“But you will take this and more for me, wont you, Cassiopeia?”

I wiggle my ass, wanting the punishment to be completed. Nineteen welts for me to count, nineteen more welts that will turn to dark purple bruises. And over the next week, every time I sit, it will be with some discomfort…discomfort that will remind me that I am his.

I imagine myself going to work on Monday; pulling my pantyhose over these marks, hiding them beneath a knee length skirt, and sitting behind my desk. No one else will know but as I cross and uncross my legs, as I fidget in my seat, trying to get comfortable, I will be thinking of Master and grow wetter and wetter with need.

The cane swats against my thigh, making me jump and squeak with both surprise and pain. He admonishes me, “Pay attention, Cassiopeia. This is punishment for leaving, oui?”

“Yes-s.”

“Yet you are enjoying it too much I think.”

“No,” I lie.

Another swat falls and another. A third in rapid succession, making me gasp. “The truth now?”

“Yes, Master, I am enjoying it too much.”

Four more lightning quick swats that make me jerk, my ass cheeks clenching tight. I swear, “Fuck!” making him laugh. He says, “Now it is starting to feel like punishment?” The cane falls four more times before I can answer. He asks, “How many has that been, Cassiopeia?”

“Thirteen,” I say through gritted teeth.

He rubs his hand over my ass and thighs. “This is so very nice. Do you feel the welts when I rub my hand over them?”

“Yes-s.”

“These are going to leave beautiful marks; they are showing up already.”

I wish I could see them.

“Do you remember that you used to stand in front of the mirror for hours, looking at the marks I’d leave on you?”

“I enjoyed having your mark on my body.”

“Oui,” he taps the cane gently against the welts, making my legs quiver. He strikes, making me gasp and jerk. He says, “That one was hard.” He strikes again. Again. Again. Again. Again. That felt like the punishment he intended. He kneels beside me, turning my face to look into his. “You will not leave me again.”

I am panting…pain, need, desire, doubt…all of it mixed up and rolled into one nameless emotion. My ass and thighs are on fire as his hands smooth over them. I want to promise him that I will stay, that I will not leave but I have others to think about. This isn’t just about me. I can’t allow myself to be the selfish hedonist I was before.

“How can we ever make this work?” I beg, wanting him to make me believe that we can. “I’m a paralegal. I’m a mother.”

“Do you want to make this work?”

I nod, closing my eyes, because I want it so badly that my raw need brings the sob from my chest that the caning did not. His lips close over mine, promising me without words.

He stands, leaving me kneeling on my hands and knees I watch him undress. He is older, we both are, and his age is reflected in a softening in his limbs, the black hair covering his chest is now peppered with gray, a slight paunch to his middle…but to my eyes, he is even more handsome, more sexy than he ever was in his prime. I watch him open a condom foil, then unroll the protection over his length. He is secure in his body, standing before me strong and sure of his sexuality. My lips curve into a soft smile, realizing that time has changed so little.

When he moves behind me, I arch my back, pushing my hips toward him, begging with primal body language. I need you.

Feeling his strong erection as a caress against my welted thigh, I wiggle my hips. Take me. Now!

He leans over me, kissing me gently over the back of my neck and shoulders. His gentleness makes me cry because I have tried so hard over the years to not miss him, to not reminisce about what I shared with him. I loved him so and even the slightest thought of him brought such longing ache and I could bear hurting for him. I refuse to even consider the consequences of this night or even consider that I might still love this man.

“Please, Frankie.” I beg, pushing my hips back.

“Please, Frankie?” He asks.

“Please, Master.”

He rewards me with a thrust. I gasp. Remembering. John was not well endowed and for my naiveté I once though Frankie was average. Frankie is anything but…

His thrusts are forceful, rough, rape-like on the concrete floor, but my welt covered ass cheeks welcome the brute honesty of his need. His hand wraps around my middle and his fingers find my clit easily. He remembers my body so well…and I’ve forgotten so much. I used to cum this way for him…I always came for him. I don’t cum as he holds me tight and I know that he is holding back his own release, waiting for me. I sob, “Please cum inside of me. Please.”

“Not yet,” he says.

I scream with frustration, my body responding to the pleasure but refusing to climax. He continues to thrust into me, whispering into my ear in French. I only understand half of what he says, but it is not the words that matter. His voice teases through me, stroking to life all of the forgotten memories I had locked away. He makes me cry. So much time has been lost; time I dare not regret but instead mourn for. He whispers against my ear, “Welcome home, Cassiopeia, maison bienvenue,” just before his orgasm explodes inside me.

Buy now

Naughty #12 - Breaking Free by Cherise Sinclair

2009-11-29T15:39:00.002-05:00

Breaking Free by Cherise Sinclair

Book Summary:

A sadistic husband left Beth scarred, inside and out. Only at the Shadowlands BDSM club does she feel like a woman. But her fears limit her to Doms who won’t overwhelm her -- the very ones who cannot arouse her. The Master of the Shadowlands gives her an ultimatum: accept the Dom he assigns or lose her membership. The last thing Beth wants is a ruthless, powerful Dom, but that’s just what she gets.

Asked to take on a problem sub, Nolan sees the problem -- although truly submissive, the little redhead is too scared to relinquish control…and her Doms have let her get away with it. That will change right now.

As Master Nolan takes Beth under command, compelling her submission, she’s terrified, but the experienced Dom brings her pleasure, not pain. His only demand is that she never lie to him. Under his capable hands, her body comes alive, and she begins to heal. As he pushes her limits, she learns to trust…and then to love. And she realizes he is beginning to care for her in return.

But now her cruel husband has found her, and Master Nolan has discovered she’s been lying and lying and lying.

Naughty Excerpt:

“I believe we had an agreement, and you deliberately found someone else to top you. I am angry both about the broken agreement and, even more, that you didn’t have the courtesy to speak to me first.”

Her head dropped, her hands twining together on her lap. “You’re right. What I did was rude.”

“Why, sugar? Tell me why.” Cupping her chin in his hand, he forced her to meet his gaze.

Beth didn’t want to look at him, wanted to look anywhere but at him, but he didn’t let her move. “I thought I’d be okay, that the block was gone.”

“That doesn’t explain why you wanted to change Doms.”

“I was scared,” she managed. “You scare me. I can’t think when you touch me, and I have no control, and it’s too much like what happened…before.”

“You trusted him, and he betrayed you. Now you aren’t sure if you can trust anyone.”

That he could understand so well was a gift she didn’t deserve.

His thumb stroked her cheek gently. “Little rabbit, I can understand your worries. And we, you and I, will work through them. But I cannot condone how you avoided talking to me.”

He was going to hurt her. She knew it and didn’t know if she could take it. He wouldn’t be like the Dom earlier. The pain from being paddled had been intense, but this muscular man could do so, so much worse.

“I’ll try to…” She felt her lips quiver, firmed them immediately, and closed her eyes so he wouldn’t see the tears. Crying only made punishments worse.

“Look at me, sugar.” She lifted her eyes, and he wiped away the tear that spilled over. “I could tell you what I do and don’t do, but you wouldn’t believe a word I said. So let’s get this over with.” Still sitting, he pushed her to her feet. “Strip.”

She glanced at the spanking station and saw a Dom fastening his sub onto the bench. “But someone is already—”

“The only words that leave your mouth are, ‘Yes, Sir.’ Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir.” She’d never stripped in the bar itself, only in a scene area. This felt all wrong. Totally humiliating even if the eyes on her were the same ones that would watch a scene. But it was playacting there, not real. Out here was real.

Master Nolan didn’t speak. Only his fingers tapping the arm of the couch showed that his patience might be limited.

She pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything and peeled off her dress, pathetically glad she hadn’t worn underwear. And there she stood, naked except for the thin black cuffs around her wrists.

His eyes ran up and down her body, and her breasts pebbled under his warm gaze. How could he rouse her with a look when others couldn’t with hands and mouths and cocks?

“You have a nice little body,” he said after far too long a pause. He rose and held out his hand. “Come then.”

Adding to her confusion, he led her away from the stations along the wall. At the end of the long oval bar, he stopped. “Cullen, I have a decoration for your bar. And can you spare a towel?”

The bartender barked out a laugh and tossed him a clean towel. “The scenery here has been boring. Go ahead.”

Bar decoration? Beth’s eyes widened, and her stomach clenched. She took a step back. He wouldn’t.

Flipping the towel open on the bar top, Master Nolan picked her up and set her on the bar.

“Sir. No, this—”

He shot her a cold look, and she bit back further protests, although more and more welled up inside her as she became aware of people watching, of their grins and murmured comments. Her cheeks flushed hot.

Sir stepped back and considered her for a moment. “Close, but not quite right. I’ve always liked the silhouettes on truckers’ mud flaps. Lean back onto your hands.” Setting a hand between her breasts, he pushed her back until her weight was on her arms.

Her breasts jutted upward, and he ran a hand over them. A jolt, then embarrassment ran through her at his casual touch. He treated her like a toy.

“Nolan, I prefer that my decorations face me,” Cullen yelled from down the bar.

Sir grunted. “Well, that’s reasonable. I wouldn’t want to annoy the bartender.” Lifting her slightly, he spun her around. Now her legs, rather than dangling off the end of the bar, lay on the bar top. He bent her knees and set her feet widely apart, exposing her pussy to every person sitting at the bar. She closed her eyes, and a tremor ran through her. She’d almost, almost rather have been whipped.

Master Raoul walked by, slowing to look at her, then Nolan. “I don’t suppose you’re serving appetizers, are you?”

“Sorry. I missed supper, so I’m going to keep this little dish for myself.”

Beth sighed in relief, then choked when Sir lowered his head to suck on the breast closest to him. She started to sit up, and he turned his head, just enough to look at her, his lips an inch from her breast, his breath warm on her wet nipple. “Do not move at all. Not one inch.”

Her fingers curled as she stilled. She kept her body stiff and unmoving as he licked her nipple and circled it with his tongue. Each stroke of his wet tongue sent sensation scorching through her, and moisture trickled down the folds of her pussy. Oh, God.

“Need your second beer, Nolan?” Cullen called as he concocted a drink.

Sir lifted his head. “That would go down well.” He turned and leaned against the bar, his elbow resting lightly on her hip. Almost carelessly, he stroked her inner thigh as he started talking to the man next to him.

The man said he was a fairly new club member… He’d joined with his wife… Beth lost track of the conversation as Sir’s warm hand moved over her leg, her waist, fingering the tender crease where her thigh met her hip.

Despite being naked, she felt as if heat waves were rising from her skin. When Sir laid his hand on the inside of her thigh and brushed his knuckles against the curls of her pussy, all Beth could do was close her eyes. Don’t move. Don’t move.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Nolan.”

Beth opened her eyes to see the man shake hands with Sir. The man glanced at Beth and the position of Sir’s hand. His face colored slightly before he hurried off.

Beth knew her face was probably just as red. Sir glanced back at her, his eyes crinkling. His fingers brushed against the swollen lips of her pussy, yanking her attention to his touch as if he’d pulled her on a leash. As his knuckles trailed back and forth, he watched her struggles to stay still, to breathe normally.

Cullen arrived with Sir’s beer. “Here you go, Nolan. Sorry about the wait.”

“No problem.” Sir took the beer from Cullen and then looked at Beth. His lips curved into the faintest of smiles, and she tensed. What was he—

He splashed some beer onto her breasts. She jerked as the icy liquid hit. Her nipples tightened into hard buds.

Arms resting on the bar, Master Nolan slowly licked the drops away, laving her nipples until she almost whimpered. His tongue followed the trail of cold beer to where it pooled in her belly button. He lapped it up like a dog. After a minute, he returned to lick one nipple lightly, then he bit down gently, repeating it over and over until fire shot from her breast to her clit, until she had to lock her teeth over a moan. Then he switched to the other breast.

“Nolan, I’ve been hoping you’d be here.”

Sir straightened as a hefty Domme in biker clothes walked over. A short, voluptuous sub in a tight latex dress with breast and pussy cutouts trailed behind her

“Good to see you, Olivia.” As he turned to talk with the woman, his big hand closed firmly over Beth’s ankle. The Domme gave Beth an amused look, then ignored her as she asked Sir about remodeling her house to add a dungeon room.

All Sir’s attention appeared to be on Olivia, except his hand kept inching higher up Beth’s leg. His fingers traced little circles on her inner thigh, spiraling ever higher until he touched her pussy. Even then, he never looked at her, just moved enough to rest his forearm on her lower stomach. His fingers dangled right over her pussy. His dark bronze arm was a startling contrast to her pale skin, his hand so wide it covered her mound completely.

“How close are your neighbors?” he asked the Domme, even as his fingers curled, stroking through Beth’s betrayingly wet folds. Slowly, unpredictably, his fingers caressed her opening, then spread the dampness over her clit. Sensation sizzled through her nerves. Her folds and clit swelled, feeling too tight as if the skin couldn’t contain the blood rushing to the area.

He touched her clit again, rubbed briefly, and then dipped into her opening.

Her breath strangled in her throat. She tried to ignore what he was doing, tried to stop the need rising within her. Dammit, why now? Any other Dom and she’d have been fine, not even slightly aroused.

This Dom… He didn’t seem to care about her response, wasn’t even looking at her. His wet finger traced over the sensitive edge between her clit and its hood, stroking it, over and over. Pressure built within her, the exquisite sensations bringing her almost to the peak. Almost. His conversation with the Domme buzzed in her ears, only the slide of his fingers was real. If he’d just touch her… She bit her lips. Her hips tilted only the slightest amount.

He slapped her thigh. The sharp sting stabbed through her like an electric current. “Stay still, sub.”

The Domme laughed, thanked him for his advice, and strolled away. Her sub gave Beth a sympathetic look before following.

Sir turned, his dark eyes cool as his gaze ran over Beth. She held perfectly still, tried to control her breathing, pleading with her eyes, Let me down, let me down.

He took a sip of his beer, another, started to set the bottle down, and stopped. He studied her again…and then he poured his cold beer right onto her overheated, sensitive clit. She gasped audibly, her legs jerking upward.

“Don’t move, sub.” She received another stinging slap onto her thigh that somehow only increased her need.

Her whole body was shaking now, her clit throbbing with need. Yet she was horrified when he lifted the leg closest to him and set her ankle onto his shoulder. He wouldn’t… No, no, no!

* * * * *

Buy it now

Naughty #11 - Simple Need by Lissa Matthews

2009-11-25T17:56:00.003-05:00

Simple Need by Lissa Matthews

Book Summary:

Vinter is not your typical businessman. Tattoos, piercings and not a suit and tie in sight. One-third owner of a bar and a tattoo parlor along with being a bassist in a band, Vinter comes and goes as he pleases. He likes his beer cold, his music hard and his women scorching hot. Until he’s knocked off his game by a suburban doll he can’t stop wanting.

Elise needs a change. In men. The buttoned-up businessmen she’s been dating leave a lot to be desired—in romance, in respect and most definitely in sex. A recent text message from her now ex-lover drives Elise into a popular bar on the outside of town, where she meets one of its owners. He’s just the kind of man she’s never had and definitely the kind she’s always fantasized about. Big, bad and oh so naughty.

Unexpected tenderness. Unimaginable lust. Being dumped has never felt so damn good.

Naughty Excerpt:

Tension floated off his body in waves. His cock was rock-hard beneath his jeans too. He was angry and he wanted sex. Lust spiked through her, settling between her legs. The delicious waffles, forgotten. “Vinter.”

She said his name softly and he turned his head. Purposely, she lifted her fork over one breast and let the syrup drip down on her flesh. “Fuck me.”

It was the first time she’d been so bold without him coaxing her into it and he took the offering without hesitation. “Spread your legs, and hook your feet into the bottom rungs.”

He wanted her spread wide and it was exhilarating, freeing. And then he dropped to his knees and buried his face against her pussy. Lips and teeth and tongue all conspired to drive her insane from the moment he touched her. He lifted her legs over his shoulders, then pulled her ass toward him, fully latching on to her cunt lips. He sucked and nipped and licked.

When he lifted his head, his mouth was glistening with her juices. “Lick that syrup off your tit. Let me see your tongue on your skin, on your nipple.”

Oh man. The way the word tit rolled off his tongue, so smooth, so naughty had her sex tingling in need. This was something else she hadn’t done before.

“Do it. Show me the naughtiness in you. Give me everything, Elise.”

She did. She so wanted to show him what he wanted, what he was asking. She so wanted to give him everything he spoke of and then some. She lifted her breast in her hand and lowered her head, her tongue snaking out, licking at the stickiness. It was sweet, but with his eyes burning hot, it was sweeter in more ways than one.

She took her nipple between her teeth and pulled on it, tugged on it, drew it into her mouth and suckled. Arousal slid down low through her belly and flooded her wide-open pussy and she wiggled.

“Oh yeah, baby. That’s beautiful. Now, don’t let go of it until I say.”

With her mouth full, she couldn’t answer in any way other than to nod her head. Her nipple pebbled, firmed, and when she teased it, she moaned in pleasure.

“Bite down on it. Yeah, just like that. So sexy. Damn girl, you’re bad. I love it.”

He slowly lowered his gaze back to her sex. His teeth captured her clit and he worried it between them as she worried her nipple between her teeth. The double-teaming of pleasure zones was overwhelming.

He held her in place with his hands on her thighs and she writhed against his mouth, seeking more pressure. The harder he ate at her, the harder she bit and tugged and laved on her nipple.

Erotic. Hot. That’s what it was, two mouths working on her, pushing her toward an orgasm. It was even hotter that one of the mouths was her own. She lowered her gaze downward and found him watching her. They kept their eyes locked on each other even as she began to rock her hips. It felt so good, so torturous. Her other hand went to her other breast and her fingers plucked at the nipple. She issued a moan that he mirrored when his gaze shifted between her teasing play.

And the teasing was too much. She squealed and bucked on the barstool, grateful for the bar at her back. Her breathing became shallow and her hips and ass and stomach moved in an undulating motion until she tensed, feeling the release flow between his mouth below and hers above, and it was like an invisible thread that ran between her nipples and her clit. The thread was pulled tight, then it was let go, and pleasure flooded her. She let go of her nipple when the wave crashed over her and she gasped for air. It was all she could do not to slide right off the stool, grateful again that her legs were anchored.

Her clit throbbed in pleasure and pain between his teeth until the pain and sensitivity began to take over. She pushed at his head and he lifted away, only to drop her legs and pull her down to the ground with him. She was straddling his thighs and he held her poised over his cock.

“Say it now, Elise. Condom? Your choice. But make it quick, baby.”

Shit. He said he was clean, said he would take the test first thing to prove it. Double devils worked her mind, one against the other. Should she or shouldn’t she? Fuck. She peered down at him, her gut answering her. Again. She’d given him her trust from the moment she met him. She impaled herself on his cock, slow and steady, feeling each barbell rake against her ultrasensitive skin. They stretched her in a different way, her flesh accommodating them, zings of pleasure filling her.

His mouth claimed hers and she didn’t care anymore when he’d done it. The taste and musky scent of her pussy assaulted her. It was intoxicating and she devoured him, sucking on his tongue, making him groan.

With his arms wrapped around her, he shifted them around until he could lay her back on the floor. Then his cock pistoned inside her, thrusting, fucking. He pushed in, pulled out, then pushed in again. He wasn’t slow or gentle with her. No, he was hard and unrelenting, forcing her to focus only on him.

His arms pressed into the ground on either side of her head and he lifted himself up, looking down on her. Oh yeah, he was so fucking beautiful. The colors of his tattoos stood out brightly, more so than previously in the post-haze of her orgasm. She loved to look at him. She loved fucking him.

His eyes once again connected with hers and he stiffened, a primal look on his face with his lips pulled back over his teeth. He looked animalistic, dangerous as he came.
“Oh yeah. So good. So goddamned good,” he ground out.

And it was. It was the best sex she’d ever had. Well, that wasn’t true. The sex with him earlier had been the best as well. So had the dry humping outside the bar last night.

He leaned down and kissed her softly as he pulled out. Fingers dipped between her legs, swirling in the mess of their cream, and then those same fingers were at her mouth. She opened eagerly and sucked down every drop of saltiness. He kept it up for a few minutes, scooping juices and feeding them to her, all the time smiling at her. They tasted fabulous together.

“Want more?”

“Yes.”

Vinter sat back on his haunches and pulled her to her knees, then pulled her head down to his semi-hard cock. “Clean me.”

It was another new thing for her and one she found she immediately loved. There was a submissiveness in the act that, although she’d never considered herself to be submissive, it was something she would love to learn about. She’d heard about it, one of the girls she worked with was into dominance and submission, sometimes telling Elise about her explorations in the alternative lifestyle, and deep down in the dark places of her soul, she was curious. And this, being on her knees, sucking on the cock that had just fucked her, seemed to her a good place to begin. Her tongue was gentle as she licked him. Her mouth was gentle as well when she took him inside to suckle him lightly but with purpose. Her tongue wrapped around each of his piercings, making sure she didn’t miss anything. She tugged at the ring through the head, drawing another moan from him. His piercings turned her on. They’d just fucked and she wanted him again because he turned her on—piercings, tats, come-and-get-me looks.

She dropped her head to his sac and licked at the remaining traces of their fucking. He petted her hair as she worshipped between his legs.

When he dragged her up for a kiss, she knew she was lost. She wanted more and more and more. They shared the taste and last silky drops from this round of sex and she didn’t doubt that they’d be going at it again as soon as he recovered.

Buy Now

Naughty #10 Bad Kitty by Debra Glass

2009-11-24T09:26:00.004-05:00

Bad Kitty by Debra Glass

Book Summary:

Bram Barclay is the scandal of London society, sought out by the ladies of the ton who enjoy his taboo lifestyle of pleasurable punishments and unspoken desires. That’s why he cannot comprehend why innocent Lady Katrina Hartford has disguised herself as Kitty Hartley to take a position as a maid at his estate. But when he attempts to ferret out her secret, he discovers her to be a most willing servant, indeed.

No one knows scathing social columnist, Alistair Allenby, is Kitty’s nom de plume—or that she is writing an article to expose Bram Barclay. But as Kitty submits to sensual spankings and Bram’s collection of torturous toys, she discovers she is also surrendering her heart.

Naughty Excerpt:

His devilish chuckle infuriated Kitty but she keep her eyes down while her mind raced at what he might do next. She was in over her head and she realized it. Common sense told her that as soon as she got out of this room, she should leave this place and forget she had ever come here.

“Now, are you going to answer my question or am I going to have to coax it out of you?” Bram asked, dragging her back to the present.

“Question?” What had he asked her again?

“Your thatch,” he ground out.

Kitty’s breath caught. “I’m not sure, Master,” she muttered. She was not about to confirm it was, in fact, the same color. What did he take her for? The same sort of licentious libertine as himself?

“Then let’s have a look at it.”

Her gaze swiveled to his. He could not be serious.

Oh, but he was.

This close, she could see that his eyes were the color of polished silver. This close, she could smell the scent of him, of his masculinity tangled with something spicy and clean. His hair was the blue-black of a raven’s wing and one dimple played on his otherwise chiseled cheek. A combination of chills and perspiration trickled down her spine.

“Draw up your chemise, Kitty,” he said, his voice low and husky like the rough nap of velvet brushed backward.

Everything Kitty had ever been taught about propriety and being a lady simmered beneath her frightened surface but still her hands were already clenching the flimsy fabric, pulling it up, higher and higher.

Cool air brushed her stocking-clad legs and the tops of her thighs, which were bare. Underneath she wore short cotton drawers, the only barrier preventing him from seeing her femininity.

“Remove your chemise, Kitty.” It was a command.

Something deep inside her clenched in anticipation as she drew the fabric up and over her head. Instinctively she attempted to cover her bare breasts with her chemise but Bram took it, tossed it across the room and caught her hands in his before she could move.

Kitty could hardly swallow as his eyes drank in the sight of her breasts, of her diamond-hard nipples. She held her breath, afraid of the slightest movement.
His hands were hot as coals on her wrists and she wondered what that same heat would feel like if he cupped her breasts or if he tugged on her nipples the way he had the duchess’s.

“Do not cover yourself,” he said as he released her.

A surge of something akin to disappointment swept through her at the sudden absence of his touch.

“Now,” he said. “Take down your drawers.”

Kitty’s heart ran wild as she tugged the drawstring that held up her cotton drawers. She even felt as if her pulse were beating in the crevice between her legs but the thought of exposing herself to this rake suddenly became unthinkable. How dare he ask her, a supposed maid in his service, to represent herself to him this way!
“No,” she said with authority.

He laughed and Kitty’s cheeks burned with shame and anger. She clenched her fists to keep from slapping the grin right off his face. This was enough. She had no business here. She started to dip to retrieve her clothes but he caught her and, before she could cry out, he had her bent over his desk.

His knee pushed between hers, prodding her legs apart as he easily held both her wrists in one hand and pinned them behind her back.

Kitty bucked until a resounding slap landed on her buttock. Shock immobilized her. Heat radiated through her bottom and, as the sting subsided, something else replaced it.

Something delicious that seemed to prick that throbbing between her legs, making it more acute, almost painful.

Part of her was humiliated beyond belief and another part of her yearned for him to do it again.

Buy Link

Naughty #9 Touch Me, Tease Me, Whip Me by Eliza Gayle

2009-11-19T21:15:00.002-05:00

Touch Me, Tease Me, Whip Me by Eliza Gayle

Book Summary

Welcome back to Purgatory!

Recovering from a bad relationship, Walker comes to Purgatory looking for a place to call home. While he enjoys the casual play, he yearns to make a connection with a submissive for the long-term. The second he lays eyes on beautiful, mysterious Cass at the flogging station, his mind is made up.

Cass enjoys the sense of anonymity Purgatory gives her, and despite her determination to live by her rules she is unable to resist Walker. Can Cass overcome her personal demons to give in completely to the Dom who has her heart, and a mighty strong whip, in his hands?

Naughty Excerpt

“Why don’t we go somewhere and get a cup of coffee, we can talk about it.”

Her head jerked up, a wild look in her eyes.

“You can’t say that to me!” The panic welled in her voice.

Walker raised his hands in surrender. “Okay no coffee then.”

“No, not that.” Moisture pooled in her eyes. “You can’t tell a woman like me that she is the most delectable thing you’ve ever seen. It’s just not right.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because it’s bullshit and we both know it.”

Now he was getting mad. What the fuck?

He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her against him. “Let’s get something straight right now. I never, and I mean never, say something I don’t mean. Life is too fucking short to pretend to be something you’re not or to blow smoke up someone’s ass with a lie or a half-truth. So if I tell you something you can damn well count on me meaning every word.”

“But—but—”

The confused look in her eyes did him in. Whatever idiot had left her had shaken her confidence. Something he never wanted to see in a submissive, but the fight in her gave him hope.

“You were perfect tonight. It took every ounce of my restraint not to pull you down and bend you over the bench and have my way. Which would have been balls deep inside you with your pussy clenching around me in ecstasy.”

Her breath hitched, a strangled little moan coming out. A sexy sound that pulled at his gut and stroked over his balls. Her eyes blazed hot when he threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her back so her throat and neck were open to him. The rich black strands brushed his hand like the finest silk and even in the dim light of the alley he watched her gaze darken with more than a hint of arousal.

She turned him on in ways he hadn’t been in a long time. His lustful imagination ran wild as he envisioned her in his personal dungeon, naked and ready to serve with that very look in her eyes. Desire and desperation.

Unable to resist, he pressed his lips to her shoulder, opening his mouth to allow his teeth to scrape against the flesh. When the heat of his tongue licked across her skin, she jerked into his arms. God, she tasted so fucking good.

He nipped at her neck, absorbing the vibration of her low moan.

“Please,” she whispered.

Logical thought began to evaporate as he pushed his thigh between her legs, forcing her to spread for him. God help him, he wanted to see her come again and he couldn’t wait. Her hips tilted to meet his moves, pushing the mound of her sex against him. She didn’t act like a woman afraid or one who wanted him to stop. No, her fingers dug into his jacket so hard, he was certain had it not been for the thick layers, she’d be shredding his skin.

He sucked at her flesh until red streaks appeared, marking her as his. She might carry the welts from her flogging by another man, but these spots she’d see every time she glanced in a mirror for the next couple of days and remember whose mouth had taken possession.

“You should’ve gone home, Cass.”

Her head shook violently. “No, this—please I need this.”

Walker covered her lips, stroking his tongue into the eager cavern. The exotic taste of a woman in need exploded in his head. Her tongue met his as they curled together, tormenting him with her easy acceptance of his every move. He wanted to gentle his actions, not go too fast and scare her away. There would be time to explore the darker side of things when they knew each other better.

Then she bit him.

Walker reared his head back without loosening his grip on her hair. Her eyes shone like twin pools of molten lava and, unless he missed his mark, a mocking dare sparkled there as well. His control snapped and his hand jerked her head back, his free hand wrapping around her slender neck. With little thought to anything but conquering the woman in his arms, his lips slammed over hers.

Every one of his brain cells fried together to burn him alive. Hips bucked, pressing leather against silk, rubbing his dick across her clit. He wanted her bad, to the point his groin and balls ached with it. Her hands scraped at his thigh before he felt them move to lift her skirt, giving him access to the soft cushion of her pussy underneath. He needed to stop. This was no place for lust, especially the out of control variety.

The knowledge anyone could turn the corner and catch them did little to dissuade him with the warm moisture of her flooded cunt soaking onto his pants. Tempting him. Torturing him.

“Oh, God, Walker! More. Please. Please. Don’t. stop.” Her cries washed over him, tugging hard at what shred of self-control he still had.

“Not here. Not like this.” She deserved so much more.

“Please. I need you now.”

Buy Now

Naughty #8 - The Beauty of Surrender by Eden Bradley

2009-11-17T14:16:00.003-05:00

The Beauty of Surrender by Eden Bradley

Book Summary:

Shibari…The ancient art of erotic restraint…Its finely-knotted ropes are a turn-on, a sexual experience… and for some, an absolute necessity…

Serving the Master: Desmond and Ava

At a San Francisco sex club called Pinnacle, Ava Gregory seeks something she cannot quite describe. But of one thing she is certain: the moments when feels her most beautiful and complete are when she is tightly restrained in the Shibari ropes. At Pinnacle, she’s paired with a master: Desmond Hale, who thrives on control… But something surprising happens when Desmond binds Ava’s willing body and takes her to the edge of ecstasy. And now, the two are taking their relationship out of the shadows of the club, sharing secrets unleashed and bodies unbound…

Soothing the Beast: Marina and James

An art dealer and Shibari master, Marina has never hesitated to dominate anyone. Until she meets James, a dark, gorgeous, towering journalist who’s survived horrors around the world. James confesses that submission is the only way to clear his troubled mind, but Marina is instantly overwhelmed by his strength and magnetism. To share the pleasures of bondage, something must change between them. When it does, it will come with an explosion of unexpected pleasure—and a relationship that neither could have ever have imagined…

Naughty Excerpt:

She turned and started emptying the net bags onto the bed. Rope fell in lengths of white, black, blue, red. She gathered a few pieces in her hands, gestured with her chin to one of the wide, square wood columns. He didn’t say a word, just went to the column, stood with his back against one side, his legs spread just a bit, as though he were in military pose. His eyes were dark, flashing, his jaw set. As she drew closer she could see his pulse jumping in his neck.

She ran a length of rope through her hands, just to get the feel of it, as she often did. Her palms were damp. She wiped them on her skirt, one at a time, saw James’s gaze flicker to the motion of her hands. Then she had the rope between her fingers, a long length in stark black.

She moved in, watched him flinch with some small satisfaction that was like a sexual surge in her veins, hot, stinging.

“Back up,” she told him. “Right against the post.”

He did as she asked, and she stepped closer, until she could feel the heat coming off his body even through her clothes. And that scent which was purely him, carried to her on the waves of heat.

She breathed him in, shivered, leaned forward and brushed a kiss across his cheek. He trembled, just the smallest tremor moving over his skin, but he held his position. When she moved back, she could taste him on her lips. Her sex swelled, heated.

More.

Oh, yes. She planned to have more. But she had to bind him first.

Have to...

Reaching around the column, she took one of his wrists and drew it behind him, then the other. She started there, wrapping his wrists in a simple noose knot, then she began an uncomplicated criss-cross pattern on his body. She was too anxious simply to have him bound to take the time for the delicate, complex series of knots required for true Shibari. No, with him she realized it was the symbol that was important, rather than the ritual. He didn’t need the slow build up. Not tonight. He needed to be tied down. To have something to fight against. Something other than the demons in his head that tortured him so terribly.

Moving around his body, she let the ropes lead her, all the while watching his breath quicken, his nipples peaking into two dusky points, his cock hardening even more, going dark at the head. And she felt perfectly in tune with him, every surge of desire as though it were reflected in her own body, a mirror of his need. Or perhaps his was a mirror of her own; she couldn’t tell.

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the rope sliding beneath her hands, and under the ropes, his silken skin, the taut pull of muscle as he clenched and unclenched when she touched him. Oh, it was too good, to see his response. Even better to look into his eyes and find he was slipping into subspace. But not that quiet, sleepy kind of space so many others went into. No, with James it was all edge, intensity.

When he was bound tightly to the post, she stroked a fingertip over his shoulder. He flinched hard, and she leaned in, her mouth right next to his ear.

“What is it, James? Can you tell me?”

“I just...it fucking frightens me, how much I want you.”

Her breath went right out of her lungs, her sex going wet, pulsing. And she pushed her body into his side, just falling into him. Her breasts were crushed against his arm, her hips against his flank.

“Jesus, James.”

He groaned, but didn’t say anything else. She pressed harder, moved her body so that her nipples were up against his arm. They were so damn hard, they hurt. And she wanted to feel his skin against them.

Oh, yes...

She stepped back just enough to take off her sweater, her bra, leaving her in her tight pencil skirt, her opaque tights, her high-heeled black boots. She saw him turn his head, blink hard, his cock jumping. She pressed back in until the tips of her breasts brushed against the ropes, then, shifting, she could feel his skin between the ropes.

Oh, yes...

A sharp intake of breath from him, then his mouth was on hers. His lips were so damn warm and sweet with whiskey, still. And his tongue went right in, claiming her even though he was tied to the post, nearly immobilized. But she was suddenly under his command as much as he was under hers. Or perhaps she had been from the start. She couldn’t think about it, couldn’t figure it out. She didn’t care, for once. She just wanted to taste him, to luxuriate in the silky glide of his tongue over hers, the feel of his plush lips, sucking her into him. She pressed her body closer, his heart beating against hers, a wild hammer thundering from his chest, into hers, and back again.

Her legs were going weak. She reached out, steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders. And her hips arched into his, until his cock was at the apex of her thighs, begging to be let in.

Yes, have to have him, to feel him there...

She pulled back.

“James...”

“Kiss me, Marina.”

“I will. But James...”

“Now.”
“Tell me first. Tell me you’re mine.” She felt half-crazed, totally out of control. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was she was asking for.

His voice was low, gritty. “Yes, yours. But you’re mine just as much.”

She nodded. It was true.

“I need to fuck you, Marina.”

A stab of lust, sweet and low in her belly. “Yes.”

“But I will fuck you, Marina.” It came out as a growl.

“Yes...”

She didn’t care about being in control now. She wasn’t thinking about any of that; that wasn’t why she sank to her knees and took the tip of his cock into her mouth. But to hear him groan, that was what made sense to her now. To taste his swollen flesh, the pearly drop of pre-come warm on her tongue. She felt him fight the ropes, give in after a moment and his body go slack as she lowered her head and swallowed him as deeply as she could, her throat opening to take him in.

She slid back, swirled her tongue over the head of his cock before taking him into her throat once more. He was panting now, writhing the tiniest bit, as much as the tight ropes would allow. And she felt a surge of power, but it was different from what she usually felt when she was topping someone. No, this was all about the power of being purely female. The power of bringing him pleasure. And it was heady, potent.

But she needed more. She needed him.

She let his cock slip from her mouth and rose to her feet. His face was all hard planes, but his mouth was soft, almost bruised-looking. And his eyes were blazing, golden.

She reached out and touched her fingertips to his lips, and he sucked them in, sucked hard, hurting her just a little. She drew her hand back, stood watching him for several moments.

“James. I’m taking you out of the ropes.”

“Yes,” he hissed. “God damn it, yes.”

She did it quickly, and in moments the ropes fell at his feet, and he was charging at her, all pure male, in a rage of desire. He was on her so quickly she didn’t have time to think about it. He stripped her skirt off, her tights, ripping holes in them as he tore them from her body. Then her boots, her panties, which were soaking wet. He paused, held them in his hand, brushed them across his lips, making her shiver all over. Then he tossed them aside and gripped her arms, backing her onto the bed.

His hands were hard and hurting on her arms as he pushed her down. And she went down without a word as he bent his head to take one nipple into his mouth. He sucked, grazed the tip with his teeth, and she was moaning, panting, immediately, pleasure shooting through her body. She was writhing beneath him. His hands went to her breasts, pushing them together, kneading the tender flesh, and she arched into him.

Every touch was hard, commanding, exquisite. She didn’t want it any other way. She tried to wrap one leg around his waist, but he pushed her harder into the mattress, sliding his hands up until he had her wrists pinned above her head.

“Don’t move, Marina,” he said. “You are mine right now. Say it.”

“Yes. I’m yours, James.”

Had she ever said that to anyone else? Didn’t matter.

“Kiss me, James. Fuck me. Please.”

Buy Now

Mid Month Winners

2009-11-16T10:39:00.002-05:00

Two winners have been drawn so far and they are listed below. Winners please contact me at eliza at elizagayle dot net as soon as you can to claim your prizes. Any prizes not claimed within ten days will be redrawn.

Andrea was our first winner for a paperback copy of Roped Heat by Vonna Harper and an All Romance 2010 Celebrating male beauty calendar.

Rasha was our second winner for a paperback copy of Artistically Bound by Alessia Brio and Will Belegon and an All Romance 2010 Celebrating male beauty calendar.

In case you wondering about the male beauty calendar. What that really means is half naked mens calendar. wink. wink. nudge. nudge.

Keep commenting as there are more prizes to give away including that fur flogger I mentioned last week.

Next naughty excerpt coming later this afternoon.

Eliza

Naughty #7 - Pink Buttercream Frosting by Lissa Matthews

2009-11-13T16:27:00.002-05:00

Pink Buttercream Frosting by Lissa Matthews

Book Summary

Desire: Blend sinful with sweet. Whip to perfection. Don’t forget to lick the spoon…

Aidn Greer is a much-sought-after Dominant in the BDSM lifestyle with an unusual problem. He hasn’t owned a submissive in more years than he cares to think about. He’s bored with unchallenging women, yet mentoring other Doms and training subs has left him cold as well. He’s craving something other than plain old vanilla—a taste of something sinfully sweet that, for once, he can really sink his teeth into.

Professional cake baker Bailey Harris wasted ten years bored to tears with her marriage, enduring a job she hated, and harboring a secret desire for something passionate, fulfilling and dark. Then she found it…in the world of BDSM. Exploring on her own brought the kind of mind-opening experiences that led her to declare her independence—and exposed a yearning to find the one Dom for whom she’s willing to kneel. Permanently.

When Aidn and Bailey meet, it’s fire and ice. Sugar and spice. And an experience that satisfies every detail of both their fantasies. Almost. While the big, beautiful sub is everything Aidn wanted, her fierce independent streak could be more of a challenge than he bargained for…

Naughty Excerpt:

Bailey glanced around. What the hell just happened? Didn’t he say he had to stop running? She walked out of the room and down the hall to what must be his bedroom. Dark wood furniture sparsely populated the large room. A four-poster bed stood front and center and images floated through her mind of being bound to all corners, of a whip stripping the clothes from her body, of Aidn’s cock sinking into her ass as his hands rubbed at the marks left behind.

She mentally nudged herself out of the daydream. The shower was running in the adjoining bathroom and she went in. She stilled when she opened the shower door. He stood under the spray of water like some ancient God rising from the sea. He was every wet dream she’d ever had, hotter than any Hollywood actor or rock star. The lust crush was turning into so much more. He was the devil, wicked and unholy.

“Bailey, close the door. I’ll be out in a minute and then we can talk.”

“No, dammit. We’re going to talk now.” With that said, and in spite of his stunned look, she bullied her way into the shower stall with him, closing the door firmly behind her. It wasn’t a very submissive move, but… Her thoughts were only of him, of pleasing him, and something was keeping him from letting her in, even though he demanded that she open up to him.

“There’s not enough room in here for the both of us.”

“Then you shouldn’t have walked away.” He sighed and looked a little miserable. Should she give him the time and space he wanted? Nah. “Why did you run? Why do you always run?”

“It’s too personal, this thing between us.”

“Oh. Hmm…and?”

“This isn’t easy for me. I’m not used to it.”

“No, that’s no excuse, Aidn. I can’t keep doing this. I want you, I want to be trained and owned. I’ve wanted it ever since I found the lifestyle and it’s why I had to leave my husband. It’s what I crave and dream about, that submission, giving up control, being on my knees. I’ve been through emotional hell since you walked out that one afternoon. One afternoon is all it took for me to know I want this with you. I know I probably shouldn’t have been so bothered by it, even told myself not to fall, but…” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Best laid plans and all that.”

“It was wrong of me. I get it.”

“You get it? Good. Then help me get it. You want me, then you don’t want me… You drag me out of a club, making a public spectacle of us both. You bring me here, show me your toys, fuck me, give me a pretty speech about not running anymore and then what do you do? You run.”

“I never wanted another submissive, Bailey. I never again wanted the responsibility, the attachment, the goddamned vulnerability. With you, I can’t say that anymore, though. I can’t say I don’t want it because I do. I want you in ways I can’t even begin to describe or imagine without it stopping the breath in my body. It scares the fuckin’ shit out of me.”

“You want me? Like that? As yours?”

“Yes.”

She watched as he tilted his head back and let the water slide down over his face. She didn’t know what to say. And while she wasn’t sure exactly what to do in a situation where the man of your dreams just admits, albeit reluctantly, how much he wants you, she stepped back against the shower wall and knelt on the tiles. Clasping her hands together behind her back, she used her tongue to draw his cock between her lips and inside her mouth. He might be fighting his want of her, but he wouldn’t be able to say she didn’t try to show him through obedience and selfless acts of pleasure that she was worth it, worth being vulnerable for. With the flat of her tongue, she licked around the head and down the length of him, thrilled when he started to grow hard.
One of his hands touched the top of her head and her lashes lifted to find his eyes fixed on her face. He pressed her tight against him, his balls rubbing against her chin, the crown of his cock filling the back of her mouth.

“Oh, Bailey girl,” he murmured.

His eyes closed then, but she didn’t look away. She watched the play of emotions on his face; the way his lips tightened when she used her teeth lightly, the way his eyes squeezed and his brows knit together when she slid her mouth off him and swallowed him whole again.

He was right. Her submission was a part of her. Nothing that she could turn off, nothing that she could run from. She needed it. It was why she went to the club. It was why she went to private play parties. She hungered for it, to be near it, to be part of it, to be who she was meant to be.

Her husband had never understood, had never tried to. Her friends thought it was fun and kinky. But, Aidn? Aidn got it. Aidn got what it was like to need it with every fiber of your being. Aidn understood what it meant to hold the very life and trust of a girl in the palm of his hand and God, she yearned to be that girl.

Her tongue wrapped around him and she slid her lips to the tip of his cock and suckled before working her way back down to the base and settling there, working her throat against the tight, sensitive skin.

“Stop. C’mon, Bailey.”

Bailey shook her head without letting go. His plea for her to stop only served to make her more determined. He needed to know, he needed to believe she was worth the effort of his dominance, worth the responsibility. He needed to know he could trust her with the small, ritualistic things like her kneeling with his cock in her mouth and his come down her throat. If she could show him her trust with the basics of sexual submission and service, surely he could learn to trust her with his faith and his heart.

She had no idea where the confidence came from, the determination, the audacity and contradiction to defy him when all she really wanted was to surrender to him. She’d never fought for a man before, but Aidn was special and there was no way she was going to give him up that easily. Even if it meant she had to fight him for him.
He fisted his fingers in her hair and held her head still as he pulled his cock from her mouth. “Aidn, please. Please, let me.”

“You want it?” he ground out.

“Yes, sir.”

“Open your mouth.”

He let go of her head with one hand and wrapped it around his cock. She watched him stroke it in short, steady bursts. His come hit her chin, then her tongue. He brought her mouth toward him and slid the head between her lips, his hand still pumping semen from it.

For the second time that night, he emptied himself inside her. She swallowed. It was hot and thick and smooth going down. It wasn’t bitter or sweet, it was just… Aidn. When the last drop was swallowed, she licked him clean until he was once again soft. When she was done, she unclasped her hands and he helped her to stand. He wiped her chin with his fingers and fed the sticky remnants to her before kissing her forcefully; a hard, bruising kiss of lips, tongue and teeth.

It was the hottest kiss she’d ever shared with a man. No one had ever kissed her after they’d come down her throat, and it turned her on far more than she expected it would. He wasn’t afraid of it, wasn’t scared of the taste of his own pleasure. When he lifted his mouth from hers, he reached back and turned the water off. They got out and toweled off in silence.

Naked and cold, she wrapped a towel around her body only to have it taken from her and tossed on the floor.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

Take her home? Did she really have a choice? Looking into his eyes, she had her answer. Yes, she did have a choice. He would take her home and let her go. “No.”

“If you stay…”

“Yes.”

Fire lit his eyes and his lips quirked. Bailey nibbled her bottom lip afraid of having spoken too soon, being too eager and aggressive with her response.

“On your hands and knees then, sweet sub girl, and crawl to the side of the bed.”

“Wha—?”

“You heard me. Now.”

She hesitated for just a second, and then dropped to her knees, lowering her hands in front of her. Embarrassment edged the chill from her skin, and she crawled, trying not to imagine what she must look like from behind. She’d never crawled naked before, never had the…pleasure. Yes, that’s what it was. She found pleasure in it. The notion surprised her and she smiled, almost giddy with the realization that she’d wanted this and was now getting it. She wanted submission, wanted dominance, and she was getting it. And him, she was getting Aidn.

Buy Now

Naughty #6 - Marked For Pleasure by Jennifer Leeland

2009-11-12T16:52:00.003-05:00

Marked For Pleasure by Jennifer Leeland

Book Summary

She’s followed him through the remote corners of space.

One of the few survivors of a sickness that claimed her colony, Rhea Tucker blames one man for the death of her family. For two years, she has stalked Conner Mitchum, learning everything she can looking for an opportunity to kill him. To trap him, she becomes a sexual submissive, changes her identity and gets a luxurious suite on The Star of Pleasure.

He is searching for the most elusive murderers in the galaxy.

Undercover and searching for a group of killers, Conner is close to his end goal. But a female submissive catches him off guard and he’s forced to save her life as assassins attack him. They plunge into space with enemies at their heels. To protect Rhea, Conner completes his planet’s mating ritual which marks them both and creates a bond he never intended to survive long enough to enjoy.

Naughty Excerpt:

“I have what you need.”

It was like he'd plucked her darkest fear and met it alongside her. She'd known, looking up at him, that he'd be on the journey with her, and it was going to be bitter and beautiful. What she hadn't counted on was her response to Conner. His touch, his smell, the feel of his cock in her mouth, the burn of his hand on her ass, all sent her spinning into another orbit. Her mind thought he was a mercenary bad boy responsible for the deaths of many. Her body didn't give a shit.

His hands were gentle as he lifted her off his lap and set her on the floor. She was now on all fours, and her orgasm still shattered through her, her skin tingling from his touch. He wasn't done. While she was still shuddering, he obtained a flogger from a bag on the floor. Oh Jesus, how did he know? It was her favorite kind, with knots on the ends of soft leather strands. It added a thudding sensation after the sting of the thin leather hit her skin. She shook and opened her mouth to say her safe word. But then she'd never have a chance. All this would be for nothing.

But what would be left of her?

No session had ever been like this—intense, sexually charged, and frightening. She felt the energy between the two of them surging. Something about Conner sucked her in. He was a talented Dom; that's all it was. It couldn't be anything else.

Her thoughts scattered as he struck her burning ass with the flogger. The blessed sting sent electricity straight to her pussy. She bit her lip to contain her cries. He kept up a rhythmic pattern that sent her body into overdrive. Oh God, she didn't know if she could hold back. Her hips thrust forward of their own volition. Her pussy throbbed, her breasts tingled, and her skin was on fire.

Harder and harder, he tested her. Her mind blanked, her soul emptied, pain and pleasure blending into a swirl of sensation. The edge no longer mattered as much as continuing to reach it. He kept her there, hanging near the precipice, never slipping over it.

Then the blows from the flogging stopped, and his hands clenched on her hips. His cock slammed into her, and her pussy contracted around him eagerly. God, he felt so good. She thrust back, only wanting him harder, deeper. He obliged her and slid in and out of her with hard blows that sent her flying over the edge.

She rode the crest of the wave, shouting, “Oh God, oh God!” What could be more than this? She was empty, and he filled her. She begged, he gave. She was alone, he was there.

And then he came inside her.

Like fireworks touched off by a match, his release sent her plummeting into another convulsion. His answering shout rang in her ears, and she squeezed him, wrung every last drop of magic from him.

For a few heartbeats, she reveled in the feel of his cock still buried deep within her. And then reality splashed over her like a cold shower.

What the fuck was wrong with her?

Icy now where she'd been warm, she kept her head lowered to hide her shame. And she was ashamed. To submit so willingly, so easily, to the man who—but that was what she'd planned.

She just hadn't planned to enjoy it.

Buy Now

Naughty #5 - Ruby's Rules by Lisabet Sarai

2009-11-11T14:48:00.003-05:00

Book Summary

Ruby Maxwell Chen, the beautiful and ruthless CEO of a huge British business empire, is used to getting her way. When she encounters American entrepreneur Rick Martell, though, she wonders if she hasn't finally met her match.

From the trendy clubs of London to the Hollywood Hills, Ruby and Rick compete for ownership of a strategic factory in Malaysia. Neither has any qualms about using sexual wiles to smooth the path to success.

Neither anticipates that their mutual attraction will turn into something more intense and difficult to control.

Naughty Excerpt

Excerpt from Ruby's Rules, by Lisabet Sarai

Eternal Press, 2007

"What do you think, Ruby?,” asks Margaret. “What next?”

I look around the room, at the nautilus machine, the stationary bicycle and the rowing machine. That reminds me of Raoul, so I look elsewhere. The weight bench is nicely padded, with sturdy steel racks at one end for holding barbells. I gesture toward the piece of apparatus. Margaret, apparently understanding my intentions, nods.

"Come here, Rick,” she says to the naked figure standing in the bathroom doorway. His unruly hair clings damply to his head. His brown eyes are huge. For a moment I think that he will refuse, but instead, he walks over and sinks to his knees in front of Margaret’s leather clad-form.

"Good boy,” she purrs. “Kiss my boots.” His enthusiasm as he does so reawakens my envy. “Now, my cunt. Just a little kiss now. Respectful.”

Rick rises and delicately places his pursed lips against Margaret’s lower ones, which protrude juicily from her pubic curls.

"Enough. Now Ruby.”

He shuffles over on his knees and bends his mouth to my shoe, then raises himself and addresses my sex. I can feel his hot breath, blowing into my cleft. I bloom and open in response. His tongue flicks out and stabs at my clit, and my entire body shimmers briefly, like a mirage.

How dare he? I grab his chin roughly, lift his eyes toward mine. “Did I give you permission to do that?” I can still feel the echoes of pleasure coursing through me.

"No, Mistress,” he replies softly, but there’s a glint in his eye of mischief and knowledge. “I couldn’t help it.”

"We will teach you to control yourself,” says Margaret. “Onto the weight bench, now. On your hands and knees.” When he complies, Margaret positions him so that his arms are parallel to the vertical supports of the weight rack. “The cuffs won’t really work here. It’s a good thing you brought the rope, Ruby.”

She and I work together to bind our victim to the bench. She wraps the rope several times around each ankle, adding knots to keep the loops from tightening, then runs the long end of the cord under the bench and across both calves. I use two shorter pieces to tie each wrist to the weight rack. “Can you move?” asks Margaret when we’re done.

Rick wriggles a bit. His erect penis bobs comically. “Not really, Mistress.”

“Are the ropes too tight?” He shakes his head. “If your hands or feet start to get numb, you must let us know. Understand?” He nods again.

"Good. Now, let’s see...” She retrieves the nipple clamps from the pile of toys and hands them to me. “Would you do the honors?”

They’re simple spring-loaded clips, quite stiff. I hold them up for Rick to see. He swallows hard but says nothing. “You like?” He’s silent. To reach his nipples, which are facing the bench, I must crouch down beside him. I bring my lips close to his ear. “Margaret tells me that you were quite interested in the clothespins she used on Luna.” He actually blushes!

I reach underneath his body and capture the closer nipple between my thumb and forefinger. “Your nipples are as erect as your cock, Rick. You can’t pretend.” I pinch, hard, using my nails. He gasps, but still says nothing. Holding one clamp open, I let the jaws press against the sensitive skin on either side of the nipple. For long moments, I simply hold this position, allowing the suspense to build. I’m breathing hard. A drop of my own wetness trails down my inner thigh.

"Take a deep breath,” I say finally, and allow the jaws to close. Rick sucks in his breath, squeezes his eyes shut. The weight attached to the clamp hangs straight down, increasing the tension.

"Now the other...” I apply the other clamp quickly, before he knows what’s happening. He moans softly.

"Painful? Don’t speak, just nod or shake your head.” He nods. “Can you bear it?” He nods again. “Of course, if it gets to be too much to bear, you should let us know. But I know that you don’t want to disappoint Margaret and me, do you?” He shakes his head emphatically. “After all the times you disappointed us before...”

I glance over at Margaret. She smiles and nods, encouraging me to proceed. Taking the flogger from around my neck, I trail the leather tails across Rick’s tanned back. “You remember this little toy, I’m sure. I didn’t realize at the time why you found it so fascinating.” I raise my arm and swipe his arse smartly.

"Ow!”

"I told you to be silent. Surely you can obey such a simple request?” He nods. I lash him again. Scarlet welts rise in the wake of my blow. He does not exclaim again, though he jerks reflexively in response to each of my strokes.

He’s open, willingly accepting my lashing. I can sense the beat of his heart, can see it in the distended veins of his penis. Energy flows between us as I dance around him, targeting unmarked flesh each time I whisk the flogger through the air and bring it down on his poor bound body.

Buy Now

Naughty #4 - Retreat by Mari Carr

2009-11-09T17:58:00.005-05:00

Retreat by Mari Carr

Book Summary

Jon Walker and Night Thomas lived their childhood in a cult. They embraced the lifestyle, and it was there that they were trained as BDSM Masters. Only when the cult was infiltrated by undercover agent Reilly did the boys learn of the cult’s seedy underside, and help to destroy it.

Nearly fifteen years later, Jon’s job as a high school teacher—and his lust for the school’s gorgeous secretary, Carly—bring him close to the normal life he’s always craved. Just when that life is within his grasp, Reilly returns. An incarnation of the cult has resurfaced with Jon’s evil mother at the helm, and Reilly wants Jon and Night to go undercover to stop Cassandra Walker once and for all.

Shocked by his mother’s return and his BDSM past come back to haunt him, Jon is terrified of Carly discovering his dark secrets. Including the darkest of all—his complex relationship with Night, and his unrelenting urge to share Carly with his best friend.

Reader Advisory: This book contains unforgettable scenes of ménage sex.

Naughty Excerpt

“Eat, Carly. There’s nothing else we can do about the retreat center tonight and besides, there’s your punishment to discuss.”

Night glanced sharply at Jon. He knew his friend had consented to the possibility of sharing her, but he didn’t expect him to forge ahead so soon. Surely they needed to ease her into the idea. Give her time to get to know him better.

Clearly, she was shocked by Jon’s words as well. “Punishment?” she whispered.

“Surely you didn’t think I was going to let your actions go unpunished? Carly, you placed yourself in harm’s way today. Granted you didn’t realize it at the time, but you didn’t call me. You didn’t tell me where you were going and I intend to make sure that you never do forget to do that again.”

Her face flushed and Night saw her gaze dart quickly to him. No doubt, she was uncomfortable with Jon discussing such a thing in front of him.

Night turned to shoot a warning look at Jon, but one look convinced him his friend’s intentions had changed.

He wasn’t going to share her. He was going to scare her away.

Reilly planned to use her in this mission and apparently Jon decided to take her out of the equation completely. By attempting to push her into a ménage, he fully expected her to run as fast and as far from all of them as possible. Anger pulsed through his blood at the thought of Jon intimidating her in such a away—until he looked at his friend more closely. Jon’s hands were trembling slightly and his face was chalk-white. Night could see what this decision was costing him. Jon was sacrificing his love and his hope for a future with Carly in order to protect her and keep her safe.

Jon’s gaze lifted to meet his and he could see his plea for understanding.

“Jon?” she whispered.

Anxious to ease her discomfort, he reached across the table and took her ice-cold hand in his. “Hey Beauty. Remember my promise. I won’t let him hurt you. At least not more than you deserve.”

Her hand jerked in his and he tightened his grip. He swallowed heavily. He would play his part.

She licked her lips and squirmed in her chair, looking beautifully confused. Night had to stifle the grin as he felt a slight trembling in her hand. If he was reading her body language correctly, she wasn’t afraid of their words—she was aroused.

Buy Now

Naughty #3 - Rodeo Heat by Desiree Holt

2009-11-06T17:10:00.003-05:00

Rodeo Heat by Desiree Holt

Book Summary:

It could have been the animalistic heat of the rodeo, or the pin with special powers that the old woman had all but forced her to buy.

But whatever it was, within seconds of meeting rodeo rider Ben Lovell, Grace Delany safe world crumbled in a voluptuous explosion of lust. Every night was something new. From the handcuffs to the intriguing sex toys to the taking of her virgin ass, , Grace gave in to it all, relishing her body’s. As Ben Lowell led her from one earth-shattering climax to another, as her body softened and opened to him, her juices lubricating the way, all she could do was hang on for dear life and follow his lead.

But when it was over, could she really walk away from the man who had taken her on an outrageous journey of sexual self-discovery where there were no limits or boundaries?

Naughty Excerpt:

“Oh my god,” she gasped, reaching for his head to pull it close.

He lifted his head and circled her wrists with his fingers. “It’s much better when you know you can’t touch me,” he told her. “When you’re spread out like a feast before me and I can take my time.” He lowered his voice. “You like it when I restrain you, don’t you, Grace?”

She nodded, wordless. She did like everything he did to her. Why had she acted so stupidly the other night?

“I like seeing you helpless, open to my mouth and hands and cock. Does that frighten you, Grace? Is that what made you run away?”

She shook her head and finally the words rushed from her lips. “Honestly? All of it scared me, Ben. The whole scene. But hiding from it hasn’t helped. I discovered I really love it all. I want it all. With you. Can you imagine what a shock that is to me? I like being wild with you.”

His chuckle was low and warm. “Tonight you will get it all, darlin’. Every bit and then some.” Reaching into the nightstand drawer, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs lined with pink fleece. “I bought these the other day when I had high hopes for the evening. Before you stood me up.” A grin played at the corners of his mouth.

“M-Maybe you should punish me for being bad,” she ventured, knowing the desire in his eyes was reflected in her own, yet still shocked at her boldness.

His laugh was full and rich. “Oh, I think I’ll have to do that. But all in its own good time.”

He threaded the handcuffs through one of the spindles on the headboard, then locked them around her wrists. His eyes ate her body like a starving man with a glimpse of a bountiful feast. Very slowly he slid her panties down her hips, over her ankles and tossed them to the floor. One warm palm covered her naked pussy.

“Two days and you need shaving again.” His voice was husky with need. “If I didn’t have other plans for tonight I’d do it right now but we’ll put it on the schedule. I love it when there’s nothing here between my tongue and your skin.”

He knelt between her thighs and ran both large hands over her body, shaping the hills of her breasts, the swell of her tummy, dipping into the creases where thigh and hip joined. His eyes followed the path of his hands, as if memorizing every inch of her.

Grace knew somehow tonight was different from the first time. From all the other times. There was an erotic charge in the air, making everything more…intense, filling her with a desire to hold every minute captive. To savor the delicious taste and feel of him. This was more than just hot, raw sex. This was like falling into a hot pool of sensuality. Of eroticism. And never being able to climb out. She was getting in way over her head again and knew she couldn’t do a thing about it. Or wanted to.

He stroked another strawberry across first one nipple, then the other and it was like the feathery touch of brushes against her pebbled tips. The wet heat of his mouth as he licked every drop of the chocolate confection sent lightning bolts of heat stabbing through her directly to her cunt. She wanted to squeeze her thighs together to compress the increased fluttering in the walls of her vagina but his body between her legs kept them wide apart.

Ben took his time, sharing the berries with her before painting the chocolate on the hard tips of her breasts. He was right about the helplessness, except this time it felt different. As if by submitting to him she was actually the one in control.

Whoa! What was that all about?

Buy Now

Naughty #2 - Her Master's Gift by Dena Celeste

2009-11-05T19:33:00.002-05:00

Her Master's Gift by Dena Celeste

Book Summary

Now that Katie's been collared, she's settling quickly into life with her master, Sam. But she thinks she's ready to expand her experiences and he's quick to help. In fact, Sam has a special gift planned that is sure to delight her, if only she can gather the courage to move beyond the past and accept it without regrets.

Naughty Excerpt

Pleasure spread through her as the flogger thudded against her back, leaving only a slight sting behind that melted into tingling warmth. Her wrists were still tied together as she held them behind her neck, and her ankles were connected to a spreader bar. Bent over a table, medium-height for comfort, Katie felt vulnerable. Exposed. Air wafted against her pussy and the wetness there made it an even more intense, torturous experience.

She moaned as the flogger hit her one last time. Those attending this ceremony-turned-play-party were alternately chatting, eating and playing with her body in specific, Master-approved ways, like stroking her hair and giving her sweet kisses.

Katie wriggled in her bonds, rubbing her hard nipples against the table. Her whole back tingled now, and she absolutely loved it. She blinked her eyes open. She’d met Sam at a similar party for her friend, Nancy. Katie had been horribly intimidated by the experienced dom. Katie smiled at the memory. Anyone who’d been there was probably more experienced than she’d been. She also recalled how Sam had sought her out and coaxed her from the shadows by the wall she’d attached herself to as she watched everyone else.

The party here was low-key, and most people were focused on her. They would continue to be until her scene was over, and by then she would be drunk on subspace, that special place that submitting so deeply brought her to.

“It’s time for something new, little one,” Sam told her. His voice was like honey flowing over her, soothing her once again, so it came as a surprise when something thin and supple tapped her ass.

Time for the cane.

She’d requested it earlier, when he asked her for three components to her scene. Rope was the first one she’d mentioned, then the flogger since she didn’t think they used it enough. It was when she’d asked for the cane that he seemed surprised, even though they’d bought a beautifully crafted rattan cane for future use.

“Are you sure?” he’d asked, a concerned look on his face. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

Katie had felt like kneeling at his feet, begging. But during negotiation they were near equals, and she knew how important it was that she clearly expressed her need—and it was a need—and just how much it meant to her to receive what she asked for.

“You’ve been preparing me. I already like some pain, like when you bite me, and pinch me, and grab me up with your fingers digging into me. And the whip has helped me get acquainted with stinging pain. I want to see what I can take. I want to know if I can take this for you, and for me. I want to know how far I can go.” Katie had paused and taken another breath. “It’d be the perfect end to the day. Please?”

The cane tapped her again and brought her back from the memories. Was she ready for this? Really ready? The nervous flutters in her belly made her question it, but her body’s reaction to those nerves, to the prospect of taking on this new sensation, left no question. She was dripping wet.

Buy Now

Naughty #1 - Bend Me Over by Sierra Cartwright

2009-11-04T13:21:00.003-05:00

Bend Me Over by Sierra Cartwright

Book summary:

Tall, dark, handsome, and oh-so dangerous.

That's Trace Romero, Aimee's new bodyguard. Aimee has no desire to share her home with anyone, especially a Hawkeye operative who invades her space and thoroughly dominates her.

If it were up to him, Trace would be in a South American jungle, mixing it up with bad guys instead of playing bodyguard to the uptight college professor who makes him anything but welcome. But when he finds a stash of her BDSM novels, protecting the professor’s body suddenly gets more interesting.

Aimee would send him on his way, if her sister weren’t so concerned about the break in at her house, and if she hadn’t threatened protective custody. But protective custody might have been slightly less overwhelming than Trace demanding her complete capitulation, mind and body, and more -- her total trust. But that trust may be the only thing standing between her and a madman determined to kill her.

Excerpt:

She opened her eyes to see him looking at her intently. “Touch me?” she asked, the words more a plea than she’d intended them to be. She had wanted to sound forceful, perhaps a bit demanding, and certainly competent and in control, like she always was. But standing in front of Trace, she was none of those things. She was a woman who wanted this man’s hands on her half-naked body. “Touch me, Trace.”

“Offer yourself to me,” he reminded her. “Beg me.”

She noticed the bulge at his crotch. He was as turned on as she was. That knowledge was heady and all she needed. Rather than succumbing to embarrassment like she ordinarily would, she kept her gaze focused below his belt and as she cupped her breasts in her palms. Quietly she said, “I want you to suck on my nipples.”

“Look at me.”

The words, in the silence, were a whiplash.

She looked up and kept her gaze focused on his face. Drawing a steadying breath, she softly said, “Please, Trace, suck on my nipples. I need…”

He waited in that patient, maddening way of his.

“I need your touch. I want to feel your hands on me. I want your mouth on my breasts, your tongue on my nipples.” She lifted her breasts a bit. “Please, Trace.” And she did want it, need it, need him.

His motions deliberate, he unfolded his arms. Her legs felt weak as nerve suddenly deserted her. Then he was there, his arms around her, supporting her, one palm pressed against the palm of her back, the other cradling her nape.

He lowered his head to capture a nipple between his tongue and top teeth. Then he sucked, hard.

Her knees buckled.

He caught her, sweeping her from the ground and carrying her down the hallway to her bedroom.

“Please,” she whispered.

“I haven’t even started with you yet,” he promised.

He placed her on the bed while he put his pistol on the nightstand. She was so caught up with what he was doing that she didn’t even protest the gun being in her bedroom. Her arms fell to her sides as she surrendered to him. He sucked her right nipple while he pinched the other between his thumb and forefinger. She arched her back, asking for more.

“Keep still,” he told her.

“Keep still?” Had he lost his mind? Because she was definitely losing hers. She’d never experienced anything like this, exquisite and painful, creating a demand from the inside out.

“Part of your lessons,” he said, returning to her nipple and torturing it relentlessly.

She’d taken the first steps, she realized, and he was exerting his will more powerfully. He’d force her to be an active participant. Already she was learning there was nothing passive about being involved with him.

She began to squirm. Heat flooded her body. She wanted more. More pressure. More intensity. She wanted to orgasm.

“Distract yourself,” he said. “Think about something else, anything else other than how your body is responding to what I’m doing. Think about the fact I want you to keep still. Think about pleasing me.”

“I…”

“Can,” he told her. “You can. You’re a runner. Breathe. Use the same techniques you use there.”

“But --”

“Breathe.” He suckled, gently at first, then with unyielding force.

She squirmed. She was coming undone. He couldn’t possibly have any idea what he was asking of her, demanding of her. He’d assigned her a task, and she was doomed to failure. Staying still was nearly impossible with the way he tormented her. She’d never realized how sensitive her nipples were, never knew she could get so totally turned on from breast play.

She tried to follow his instructions.

When the only thing she could think of was how much she wanted to come, she forced her thoughts to her project and looming deadline. She met his gaze, saw the slight smile that toyed with his lips before he moved that skilful mouth to the tip of her other breast.

She wanted to do what he said, she realized, wanted to please him, wanted to see him smile at her.

He moved one of his hands between her legs. Helplessly, shamelessly, she ground her crotch against him, wishing she’d taken off her shorts, and he responded, pushing his thumb against her swollen clit. When she could no longer breathe in a controlled way, she settled for panting. Hearing his instructions echoing in her mind, she tried to fight the orgasm. She tried to hold it back, tried to keep still.

He moved to her other nipple and bit. She cried out.

The orgasm caught her. In a powerful wave, it crashed into her, over her.

She moved faster and faster against him, riding the wave of the climax, her pussy clenching.

He kept doing what he was doing as she ground it out, damn near achieving a second orgasm.

She was shattered. Complete. Overwhelmed. He continued to hold her in his strong arms, offering support and whispering soft, reassuring sounds.

Seconds later, when her breathing had returned to normal and her brain regained its functionality, she realized he was lying beside her. She placed her head on his chest and said, “That never happens quite so fast.”

“You’re as responsive as I hoped.” He kissed her forehead.

She’d always believed there was something wrong with her. When she’d been at MIT, her roommates had talked about their experiences, and she didn’t have much to share in return. She slept with few men, achieved the big O with even fewer. It seemed her friends enjoyed sex a whole lot more than she did. But now she was wondering if she’d just been with the wrong men.

“How are you feeling?”

“Satisfied.” She wanted to wrap her arms around herself. “I’d love to curl up and drift off to sleep for a few minutes.” Even better, she wanted him to hold her as she dozed. And when she awoke, maybe they could do it all over again.

After only a minute, maybe two, she lifted her head off his chest, not entirely sure she was comfortable with the intimacy. She wasn’t the kind of woman who relied on men, who turned to them for comfort. Self-sufficient, and independent, she needed no one. She ignored the little whisper inside that said it might be nice to allow someone to get close, might be nice to share the load, might be nice to have someone to hold onto, at least sometimes.

She met his gaze. Was it possible to get lost in the depths of his eyes?

A small smile played at the corners of his mouth, until he said, “You were disobedient.”

That got her attention.

“You didn’t have permission to come, sub.”

“But…” She needed permission to orgasm?

“I told you to distract yourself, to think about anything but the way I was pleasuring. I told you to keep still, to concentrate on pleasing me.” He paused, maybe to let his words sink in. “This time, I’m feeling generous. I’ll let you choose your own punishment.”

Sleepiness was banished. Nerves dried her mouth. “You want me to choose my own punishment? For orgasming without permission?”

His gaze returned to the collection of books on the bottom shelf. “I think you know exactly what I’m asking of you.”

Erotic fear churned inside her.

This man would never let her off the hook. Secretly, she didn’t want him to.

She had already started to trust him. Her sister had handpicked him, and the older Inamorata would kick his ass from Colorado to Colombia if he hurt her, and the long arm of Hawkeye would hunt him down wherever he tried to hide. Despite those realizations, terror made her freeze in place.

“But I will tell you this. No matter what punishment you choose, it will start with you being totally naked,” he said.

While he was still dressed. Suddenly she knew that was part of it. He was stripping her defenses, one by one, starting with her ponytail, continuing with her sports bra, and now with the rest of her clothing. She saw the power in it. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

“Now.”

Buy Now

It's November - Bring on the Naughty!

2009-11-03T23:18:00.003-05:00

After a fun month of paranormal goodies going on it's time to switch gears. The third story in my Purgatory series comes out this month so a focus on the naughty seemed like a great idea.

I know a lot of people are busy writing in NaNo this month so to keep it easy as well as exciting we've decided to post some of our naughtiest excerpts to tempt and tease you with.

Starting tomorrow we'll be bringing you the hottest of the hot from a fantastic line up of authors. All participants are listed in the left side bar with links to their website so you can learn more.

I can't wait to read all of your comments with each new excerpt and look forward to picking a random commenter or three at the end of the month for a great selection of free books.

Have fun!

Eliza

BIG Blog post of winners!

2009-11-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Now that halloween is over its time for me to take down the decorations and get ready for the next celebration. Which is closer than I expected. In fact I highly recommend checking back tomorrow. But only if you like naughty books because November is all about the naughty. :)

But first...

There are prizes to be given out. Some of the list below is already posted within the blog posts but since I haven't heard from all winners I gathered it all up in one place. So here goes.

Tracey D won an ebook copy of The Wicked Flame by Stephanie Atkins

Dawn won the ebook copy of Some Like It Haunted by Moira Rogers

Suzette won the soft sided cooler with books and swag from the Authors After Dark conference.

RK Charron won the signed by all seven authors copy of the Love's Immortal Pantheon anthology plus swag from the pantheon party.

Jami won the goody bag from Jacqueline Frank and copy of Alexandra Ivy's paperback I gave away on the decorating post.

Karin won the $10 Loose Id gift certificate compliments of author Ava Rose Johnson

And the grand prize winner of a BIG box of paranormal books is PATSY!

Winners, if you haven't already, please contact me at eliza at elizagayle dot net so we can get your prizes out to you.

Thanks everyone and stay tuned!

Happy Monday.

Eliza

Haunted Houses with Stephanie Adkins!

2009-10-28T15:46:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm so happy to be guest blogging here today. Since Halloween is only a few days away, I decided to do my post about real haunted houses. Maybe some of you have visited them. Everyone that leaves a comment will entered in a drawing for a chance to win a copy of my new paranormal release from Cobblestone Press called The Wicked Flame. I look forward to reading your comments!

Happy Halloween!

1. Monmouth Plantation (Natchez, MS ~ I've been to this one!) ~ Being brave and courageous in life, the ghost of previous owner General John A. Quitman would boldly stomp around the hallways and areas around the inside of the mansion at all hours of the day. On occasion, current guests have been treated to a late night inspection by the good general himself, checking up on his visitors to his home, perhaps trying to help the owners keep an eye on the visitors to Monmouth Plantation. A patron in room 30 awoke to see the ghost of General Quitman, dressed in his blue, pre-Civil War military uniform walking toward his bed, his boots making a clicking sound on the room's brick floor. Satisfied with the guest, the ghost disappeared.

2. The King's Tavern (Natchez, MS - I've been here too!) ~ During the 1930's, renovations were done to shore up the building. While repairing the chimney/fireplace in the main room of the tavern, three mummified bodies of one girl and two men were found. One of them is believed to be Madeline (the previous owners 16 year old mistress). The murder weapon, a dagger, was found in another fireplace in another room. Many theories abound as to who the two men are, from slaves to boatmen. Known occurences: Shadowy forms have been seen passing right through the stairways. The fireplace where the bodies were found would emit heat as if it had been burning wood, although it isn't used by the living to do so. The mischievous ghost of the murdered mistress, known as Madeline, haunts the building. A women's footprints can be seen on freshly mopped floors. An apparition of a young woman has appeared in front of patrons and staff. Madeline likes to play jokes on the staff and visitors. She likes to knock jars off shelves, and pours water onto the floors. She likes to make the chairs rock that are hanging on the wall. Hard to open doors will suddenly open by themselves. When a staff member calls her name, the door shuts again by itself. She likes to turn faucets and lights on and off.

3. Brucemore Mansion (Cedar Rapids, IA) ~ Known occurences: 1. A groaning presence has been heard and felt in the library. 2. Various objects have been moved around the library without any help from the living. 3. Disembodied laughing has been heard, but its location is hard to pin down, and a glowing apparition has been seen in the library by witnesses.

4. Belmont Mansion (Nashville, TN) ~ The full apparition of previous owner Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, attired in a 1800's style, antebellum gown, has been seen by the security guards, students and museum staff floating around many parts of the villa. The living have come face to face with the ghost of Adelicia. It was reported that a woman was walking down a hallway one evening during an event, and who should she see face to face but the apparition of Adelicia, dressed in a elegant evening gown. It was reported that Adelicia appeared as a full, solid form and told a museum guide that the furniture in one of the bedrooms was not arranged correctly.

5. Destrehan Manor (Destrehan, LA) ~ Known occurences: 1. Disembodied voices have been heard by staff and visitors. 2. Staff have had odd experiences with the resident ghosts. 3. Tourists taking pictures are surprised to see apparitions, orbs and mists in their photos that weren't there when the original photograph was taken. The staff has put such photos on display for all to see when amazed tourists send these pictures to them. 4. A white, misty form has been seen sitting in its favorite chair, crossing the driveway and peering out a second floor window. 5. A rocking horse in one of the upstairs rooms, would rock back and forth vigorously by itself, freaking out the workers restoring the rooms. The rocking horse was finally removed from the room. 6. An apparition of a woman has been seen standing on the back staircase.

6. T'Freres House and Garconniere (Lafayette, LA) ~ The ghost of a previous owner known as Amelie has been seen by the living throughout the house, and walking on the garden paths, wearing a rose-colored dress. She likes to turn the lights on and off, and she opens and closes doors as she goes about her business. She also rattles the pots in the pantry, to let them know she is there. She gets a little agitated when the owners discuss her, and has been known to turn on the burglar alarm. She also becomes upset when changes are made in the home. If anyone plays hymns on the piano, she has been known to splatter wax on the piano, as her way to comment on the church's decree of her death as being a suicide. Evidence points to Amelie's kind heart and thoughtfulness though. Past owners report that Amelie helped their child with his homework, nursed the living through illness and even woke up the family when a fire broke out in the house, saving them all.

7. Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie, LA) ~ The ghost of a slender, young woman with long dark hair (thought to be either previous owner Josephine Pile Roman or her daughter Louise) has been seen throughout the mansion. She has been seen walking up on the widow's walkway, and hanging out in various rooms. In the master bedroom, a tourist inadvertently caught her image on a picture, much to his surprise! She also rides her horse around the estate grounds. The benign ghost of Josephine Stewart ~ It seems she can't quite leave her beloved home. After a private event, the personnel closed Oak Alley for the evening. Imagine their surprise when they noticed the lamp in the lavender room was on, illuminating the room. They then saw a shadowy figure of a woman glide across the room and stopped to look at them from her room lookout. The apparition of Josephine Stewart has been seen sitting on a bed in her favorite lavender room.

7. Morris Jumel Mansion (Manhattan, NY) ~ An enthusiastic, history-loving, children's teacher, who had bounded up the stairs to the top floor, eager to see the mansion from top to bottom, fainted in fright when confronted by the ghost of a revolutionary soldier, who had stepped out of a painting. This soldier was seen on another occasion by another teacher as well. Also, another teacher with a heart condition had a fatal heart attack after seeing an apparition.

8. Robert E. Lee Mansion (Alexandria, VA) ~ The giggling little voice of a four year old ghost has been heard all over the house. His presence is most often felt in the downstairs hall, right underneath the second floor landing. This little fellow still enjoys playing jokes on the living. Ringing the doorbell, moving objects around, and dropping snowflakes on visitors on at least two occasions has happened. More recently, residents of the neighborhood have seen the apparition of the little boy playing with this black dog in the backyard. In recent years, witnesses have seen the ghosts of two little girls as well.

9. Kenmore Plantation (Fredericksburg, VA) ~ The ghost of Colonel Fielding Lewis is still residing at Kenmore. His apparition, dressed in 1776 era clothing, has been seen sitting in an upstairs room, at a desk, intensely studying his papers. His strong presence is felt in the downstairs hall as well. The living hear steady heavy footsteps pacing back and forth. Door knobs turn all by themselves.

10. Morgan House (Lexington, KY) ~ The ghost of previous owner John Wesley Hunt has been seen walking down the halls of The Hunt Morgan House, going about his business. The ghost of Hunt's nurse maid, Mammy Bouviette James, had been known to appear to very sick children and sing to them, stroking their heads, years after she had died. Even if the sick child died, the parents were comforted that 'Aunt Betty' was still on the job, and would take care of their little ones even in heaven. Her apparition is still seen on the third floor nursery room and the hallways of the house.

11. Pirate's House Restaurant (Savannah, GA) ~ The ghost of a scar-faced, apparition of a rough privateer, who was a bit of a party animal in life, called Captain Flint by the living has made himself at home on the second floor and the basement. His apparition has been seen upstairs in the rooms, and roaming around the basement area, near the walled-off tunnel. A strong unseen presence has been felt on the stairs between the first and second floor. An apparition of a surly male apparition, dressed like a 18th or early 19th century sea man has been seen. This bullying presence has walked through the kitchen and gave a menacingly glare to the cook before strolling out. In one of the dining rooms, the chairs and place settings are always rearranged during the night after the restaurant closes for the evening.

Come visit me at: http://www.stephanieadkins.com

Moira Rogers - Paranormal Style

2009-10-27T11:43:00.002-05:00

Hi, everyone! Thanks for joining us today on the DAMM blog as we talk about our new release (among other things), and thanks to Eliza for having us!

As a paranormal author, this is one of the most exciting times of year. Even readers who normally eschew paranormal books might delve into them right about now to enjoy rare tales of shapeshifters and witches and vampires.

Bree and I just love that stuff any time of year, so it's no wonder we write it. And, for us, there's a big delineation between the types of paranormal romance we write--whether the world of the paranormal is hidden or well-known. And we just so happen to have two October releases which illustrate each.

In our Red Rock Pass series, werewolves and witches operate below the radar, with most humans unaware of the existence of either. If something--or someone--goes wrong, it's up to the other supernaturals to take care of it.

That self-policing formed the basis of our plot arc for these books. We started with a corrupt alpha, one who gave no thought to the needs of his people. His only goal is to get what he wants, when he wants it, and he doesn't care who he has to hurt. How do you deal with that when you can't simply call the police?

If you're Dylan Gennaro, the hero of Sanctuary's Price, you take your best friend and you run to safety.

Bree likes to call Dylan the underdog of the series, and in a lot of ways it's true. He isn't the baddest alpha wolf around, but he's fascinating simply because he has done some of the baddest, most dangerous stuff in the series. He's a hero in every sense of the word, and we're so proud and happy to have given him a heroine of his very own to help him deal with the challenges he faces in his world.

On the flip side of the equation, we have our Carnal Powers series, set in Mystic Valley, Texas, hotbed of supernatural activity. The paranormal is very much out there, and it has affected everything. The FBI investigates violence against supernaturals as hate crime. A few hundred bucks can get you anything you ever wanted--via an hour with the right psychic or wizard. And admitting you enjoy ghost hunting isn't the sort of thing that could earn you strange looks at a dinner party.

Nope, it's an academic pursuit, one Reed and Sara, our hero and heroine from Some Like it Haunted, take very seriously. Their competitiveness is legendary, just like the university prize they both seek to win--the grant is negligible, but the chance to spend Halloween night in a notorious haunted estate is irresistible.

As a medium who can easily see and communicate with ghosts, Reed may have the edge, but Sara is driven, and has never let her own lack of supernatural ability stand in her way. If she could just stop picturing Reed naked, she knows she'd kick his ass. Academically, of course.

For me and Bree, each setup has its challenges and rewards. I personally find it easier to write scenarios where the paranormal is still a matter of the occult, but I'm far more interested in the changes wrought in a society aware of its existence. The really important question, though, is...which do you prefer to read?

Comment here with your answer, and we'll pick someone to receive a copy of Some Like it Haunted!

Live Tweets from Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend

2009-10-24T09:32:00.004-05:00

If you're curious about what's going on at the Authors After Dark Paranormal conference in NY this weekend be sure to check out my Twitter and/or Facebook page. I had some trouble last night with getting a cell phone signal so couldn't live tweet but today I seem to be doing okay so i'm tweeting about the event as it happens.

I'm about to head to the Elemental panel where we will be discussing all things witchy and I will discuss my Pentacles of Magick series. (I'm going to sit next to Joey W. Hill and see if some of her genius rubs off on me. lol)

After lunch I will also be on the demon panel so this should be lots of fun.

Here's the links to Twitter and Facebook if you want to follow along.

http://www.twitter.com/elizagaylebooks

http://www.facebook.com/elizagayle

Other authors that are tweeting from AAD include @leighellwood @cat_johnson and @tillygreene

Besides the great Pantheon package RKCharron won the other day, I am also gathering a soft sided cooler full of AAD goodies and will select a winner when I get back. All you have to do is comment here to win!

Off to get some much needed caffeine!

Eliza

Why We Want Monsters In Our Bed, Not Under It

2009-10-22T14:51:00.001-05:00

As little girls we dread the dark and fear the monsters under our beds. Then we grow up and find ourselves wishing they were in them.

Today there are plenty of sexy shapeshifters, demons, and other dark antiheroes living on women’s bookshelves and providing fodder for their fantasies. However, the dynamics that make these fringe creatures so attractive seem to be most clearly defined and celebrated by the biggest bad of them all—the vampire.

Modern creatures of the night may be rooted in classic mythology and vampire lore, but they’re different, they have to be. In order for authors to set themselves apart in the genre, they must take liberties. They must create something fresh and unique, while at the same time retaining the familiar. That’s the balance that keeps old fans of the genre coming back and attracting new ones.

The tremendously successful Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer is a prime example. Other interpretations include Bram Stoker’s traditional one depicted with cape, Laurel K. Hamilton’s lace and leather-clad version, Charlaine Harris’ down-home vamp with his southern charm and pressed khakis, and my personal favorite, Joss Whedon’s duster-wearing slayer-loving Spike.

So why do we swoon over Dracula, Jean-Claude, Bill, Spike, and Edward?

First let’s cover the obvious. Vampires are immortal. That means they get to stay young and drop-dead (no pun intended) gorgeous forever. Although their youthful appearance is preserved, they become wise as a result of the passage of time and through a collection of worldly experience. Talk about an intensely winning combination.

Then there’s the other really compelling paradox, vulnerable but dangerous. In most scenarios, the vampire was once a human who became an unwilling victim. Relegated to an existence not of their choosing, the vampire has to avoid discovery, sunlight, and the pointy end of a stake while searching for and procuring sustenance. We feel just a little bit sorry for them, even if they are evil, blood-sucking fiends. Now it gets a little weird.

Vampires require blood to survive. Humans are a readily available source of blood. Vampires need us. We like to be needed. We know we’re taking a huge risk and that in the end the vampire is probably going to lose control and bite us, right? Maybe even kill us? Yes! And that’s actually some of the appeal.

It’s not so much that we want to die or be bitten, it’s that we like to be afraid. Fear causes the release of endorphins in the brain, a natural opiate. Endorphins are also released during orgasm. So let’s take this one step further and assume for a minute that the bite is sexual, the encounter erotically charged. Our vampire is getting hotter by the minute, isn’t he?

Now let’s kick it up one more notch and talk about reformation and transformation. This is the idea that our big bad vampire is capable of changing his big bad ways and that suddenly he wants to. Why? Because of you. Your love has saved and transformed him. And what can your vampire give you in return? Only eternity together.

What an intoxicating happily-ever-after.

Samantha Sommersby is the author of the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. Sam
happily spends her days immersed in the world of the Forbidden, a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, where magic is possible, and where love still conquers all. To learn more about Sam’s books or to sign up for her monthly newsletter visit http://www.samanthasommersby.com.

Love's Immortal Pantheon: WINNER!

2009-10-22T09:02:00.003-05:00

I posted a contest a few days ago for an autographed copy of Love's Immortal Pantheon and some swag from the Pantheon mini event from the Author's After Dark Paranormal conference this weekend.

And the winner is...

RK Charron

Please contact me at elizagayleauthor at gmail dot com with your snail mail addresss and as soon as I return from the event on Monday I will mail it out to you.

Also i'd like to remind you to please check back and see if you have won. I often end up with unclaimed prizes which makes me sad. So if I haven't heard from you within 10 days after the winner announcement I will pick another winner. I hope you understand. :)

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you'll keep coming back for more.

Eliza

Today's Guest: Belinda McBride talks about Werewolves

2009-10-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

Wow, it’s nearly Halloween!

Well, to preface things, I want to thank Eliza for inviting me to blog today. I swore that I was taking October completely off to focus on prepping for a writing blitz in November. That meant no promo, no blogs…yeah, right. I’m an addict.

When I initially decided to enter the erotic romance field, it was my intention to focus on fantasy and sci fi. There were two genres that I would not touch: Vampires and Werewolves. I felt that there were already so many excellent authors in those fields, that I’d have little to contribute.

But then I had an epiphany. I breed and show Siberian Huskies, which are a very wolf-like breed of dog, in both appearance and behavior. And I seem to be the local go-to person when a suspected wolf hybrid comes into the animal shelter. I’ve worked with wolves and hybrids in sanctuaries and on movies sets.

Come on…how could I not write shifter books? Particularly Werewolves? (and yes, I’m working on a vampire story right now! LOL! )

My new release is Sex and Chocolate: Toxic, which is now available at Changeling Press:

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1244

BLURB:

There are three things that Dr. Briony Theale loves. Her job as a veterinarian, a good bar of rich, dark chocolate, and Rico, the new ranger in charge of the Wildlife Rescue center. When a casual dinner with the mysterious Rico turns surprisingly intimate, Briony realizes that she might just have a chance with him after all, if only she could lose a few pounds. It's the ultimate sacrifice, but Briony goes cold turkey, and swears off chocolate forever.

Rico Montgomery fell hard for Briony the first time he set eyes on the curvy little doctor. Her brown hair and cocoa skin trigger cravings that he can barely control, and her fragrance is like the sweetest, richest chocolate he's ever scented in his life. That's a bad thing for Rico, because to a werewolf like him, chocolate is literally a toxin.

Rico can't live with it, and Briony can't live without it. And when a certain wandering wolf finds a bag of chocolate in the Dumpster near Briony's clinic, these two will find just how toxic love can be.

You can also check out my other shifter stories:

Belle Starr

Last Call Europe: Siberian Husky

Soul Keeper

And for other information about my books, social networks, and upcoming releases, please visit my website at http://www.belindamcbride.com

National Chocolate Cupcake Day, Halloween Style.

2009-10-18T23:55:00.003-05:00

Yep today was National Chocolate Cupcake Day and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make cupcakes for the family.

But this close to halloween plain chocolate cupcakes just didn't seem good enough. So behold the yummy goodness I enjoyed creating today.

I bet you're wondering why there's an odd ball pink one in there. Well, you'll have to keep an eye out on my website blog at http://www.elizagayle.net/blog for the special pink cupcake challenge i'm participating in to help celebrate my friend Lissa Matthews book release of Pink Buttercream Frosting on Tuesday! (hint: i'll probably be blogging about that on Tuesday. ;)

nom nom nom

Since i'm leaving on Friday for the Authors After Dark Paranormal weekend in Suffern, NY i'm going to give away a signed copy of one of the books i'll be promoting.

Love's Immortal Pantheon anthology by Dagmar Avery, Cat Johnson, Tilly Greene, Kayleigh Jamison, Eliza Gayle, Selena Illyria and Diana DeRicci. Many of the authors will be in attendance so it will be signed by most of the authors and will come with a nice goody bag of swag from the event. All you have to do is leave a comment by midnight Friday to win!

Mischief, second chances and fantastic liaisons, watch out, the immortals are on the prowl with desire ruling them. Their lusts are unrivaled and their promises of forever ring through the ages. Enjoy seven glimpses into the lives of seven very wild and randy gods and goddesses.

We've got guest authors visiting us Monday and Thursday this week so don't miss out! Check back often.

Have a good one,

Eliza

Another Winner!

2009-10-17T22:03:00.002-05:00

We're doing great with the prizes so far but there are still lots and lots more to go so I hope more of you will come back and comment.

The Winner from Wednesday night is... JAMI!

Congrats Jami, if you'll send me your snail mail address to eliza at elizagayle dot net, I will get your very cool prize pack out to you.

I think i'll dig through the vault some more in the morning and see what else I can give away.

Tomorrow is National Chocolate Cupcake day and i'm baking up some halloween goodies.

Take care, Eliza

Decorating...Halloween Style

2009-10-14T22:26:00.004-05:00

After a brief stint with sick kids this week, i've redonned my party hat and have halloween once again on the brain. In fact, here in the Carolinas we are experiencing cold and dreary weather. Perfect for getting in the halloween mood.

Here at Casa de Gayle we go all out when it comes to decorating for my favorite holiday. Full graveyard out front, lots of monsters and creatures of the night and the downstairs of our house is transformed into a green glowing bat cave. (and if I had my way, i'd put the red light in the pool and float a few bodies)

On halloween night all you have to do is add fog and strobe lights into the mix and we're all set. lol

Many of the kids in our neighborhood are a little nervous walking up to our house for trick or treating. But alas they are well rewarded because I only give out the good chocolate and lots of it. lol

This year my daughter wants me to set up a haunted house for her and her friends to go through. My mom did that one year. Set it up in our garage. She dressed as a witch and turned out all the lights except for a strobe and had us kids reaching into the grossest feeling crap i've ever felt. It was great.

Now it's mine turn to get creative.

The funny twist in all this is...despite how much I love it, I scare super easy and i'm afraid of the dark. When we go through the haunted houses at Scarowinds (local theme parks halloween nights) i'm absolutely terrified and practically glued to my husbands back.

Thinking of decorating, if you need an easy and inexpensive way to get a slightly spooky feel. Go for the spider webs.

Now its way past time for me to get to some prizes. I have a small prize pack to be given away to a commentor to this post. (I would love to hear if you decorate or not.)

Prize pack includes:

A goody bag from Jacqueline Frank that includes a very cool Shadowdwellers shot glass, brass book mark, and an amazing book cover for your mass market sized paperbacks. (it velcros closed, has built in bookmark ribbon and even a zippered pouch.)

I'm also including a copy of Alexandra Ivy's Darkness Revealed paperback, and a trade sized paranormal sampler featuring Shannon K. Butcher, Emma Holly, Alyssa Day, Nalini Singh, Christina Dodd and Jessica Anderson.

You have until midnight tomorrow to get your comments in.

Eliza

Paranormal Confessions

2009-10-09T11:50:00.003-05:00

We have a guest today. Yay!!! Woot!!!

Welcome Lissa Matthews, fellow author and great friend, to the party.

First of all, let me say thanks to Eliza for inviting me to her DAMM blog party this year! I am excited to be here, especially since my very first paranormal erotic romance is available today from Ellora’s Cave! More about that later though…

But now, I have a confession to make. Please don’t go telling everyone… I have not ever been a big fan of the paranormal or Halloween. There, I’ve said it. It probably has something to do with my conservative, relatively Christian upbringing, honestly though, who knows. It might have something to do with gore and how so many people love it. Then again, it might have something to do with the haunted house I visited with some friends as a child and it was completely dark inside. We had to feel our way around and let me tell you, I touched slimy, wiggling things that I am not sure what they were and I don’t want to ever know.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to change. Slowly. The process has been slow. And I mainly blame Eliza for it. Being a paranormal author and friend of mine, I have read her Pentacles series, her shifters and those led me to reading other paranormal books: vampires, demons, etc… I’m coming around to liking some of them. I do still like a bit of reality with my reading, but every once in a while a hot, yummy vampire will catch my eye and I willingly give into his temptation.

All of this led this to my foray into trying a paranormal book myself. I didn’t think too hard about it or I’d have talked myself out of it! I simply concocted a small idea and laughed at myself, said, “Yeah, right” and started writing. Thus, the sex demons and sex angels of my world were created. Uh huh. I said sex angels. Just keep reading and you’ll come upon the blurb.

I still don’t get all hyped up about Halloween. I don’t go to parties or throw them. I don’t really decorate the inside or outside of my house (not compared to some people). If it were Christmas time, I’d be considered ‘Bah Humbug’ and maybe there is such a saying for Halloween, too. I do have a few things that I take out and this year I bought lights. I have a thing for strands of lights. I’d have them up all year if I could, simply change them out with the seasons. Somehow, I think my neighbors might not appreciate it nor would the HOA.

The strand of lights are multi- and have green, orange, and purple. They are the coolest lights. I also got a strand of candy corn lights which I haven’t decided where to put them yet. There’s the candy corn scented candle, the handmade ceramic ghost, the handmade canvas treat bags, and the Starbuck’s Halloween mug and travel cup. That’s is the extent of my decorations. Pathetic, I know.
I do have a real live solid black with green eyes cat. Does that count as authentic Halloween decoration? Grins…

I would like to thank Eliza again for allowing me to come visit with all of you, to have a drink, and to oogle her bartender.

And now, for a small bit of promo. My Ellora’s Cave ebook title is The Demon is an Angel and I will be giving away a copy of it to a random reader that comments on the DAMM blog today.

Blurb:

When ex-government assassin Delan is kidnapped by Riko, a sex demon, he’s taken care of and sexually serviced in any manner he desires by Riko’s personal sex slaves. And while not one to bemoan his good fortune, Delan is a man of action and in need of a mission. He’s about to be given one by the name of Angel.

Riko’s half-sister Angel is just that, an angel. Not just any kind of angel though, she’s a hybrid being—sex demon and sex angel. And she’s in need of being tamed. Barred by Riko from having sex with her fellow sex demons, she’s forced to suffer the inadequate fumbling of humans, both male and female.

When Delan and Angel meet, sparks fly. She’s defiant and he’s determined, but the lust and hunger hit them both between the eyes and below the belt. Sex is hard and hot, a little kinky and a whole lot naughty. But Delan needs to find something more than sex to rein her in, or she’ll destroy it all.

Are you curious? I hope so…

Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need a refill on my drink. *whistles innocently and sashays toward the bar*

~lissa
http://www.lissamatthews.com

Winner from Monday!

2009-10-07T09:06:00.002-05:00

Using the random generator at random.org we have a winner!

Commenter Karin congratulations!

Please email me at elizagayleauthor at gmail dot com with your email address and I will forward your information to Ava.

Stay tuned for more paranormal craziness from me and a new guest on Friday with a brand spanking new Ellora's Cave release.

Eliza

What is it about the paranormal?

2009-10-05T14:24:00.002-05:00

What is it about the paranormal? I don't know about you, but nothing spices up a story like a dose of magic, a flash of fangs or a little bit of fur. Werewolves, vampires, witches and fairies - I'm a fan of them all. And that's why my paranormal series with Loose Id contains so many of 'em.

Paranormal is sexy. And that's the understatement of the century. The dark brooding vampire is one of my favorites. Remember Angel from Buffy? Yum. And True Blood has gotta be the hottest thing on TV right now, all because of the very hot vamp played by Stephen Moyer.

Right now I'm on a werewolf kick. Werewolves, yum. They're just so darn bad. Even when they're good, they're bad. Possessive, a little bit arrogant, and always the bearer of very large sexual organs. *wink*. In my latest release from Loose Id, The Wolves' Submissive, two werewolf brothers have the difficult task of training Abigail, their stubborn princess, to become their submissive. Expect tension, handcuffs and a whole lot of sex as emotions and desires run wild.

Here's the blurb:

Six moons have passed since Abigail was mated with the Alphas of Drayzlake, yet she is still as human as ever. Though Caine and Stavros satisfy her every sexual craving, rocking her between their bodies every night until she comes apart in their arms, her desperation to become a wolf remains. But while Stavros is more than willing to turn her, Caine needs a lot more convincing and she soon finds out why.

Caine and Stavros still can't believe how lucky they are to have Abigail in their bed and Stavros can't wait to make her one of them. Caine, on the other hand, swears to resist. To become a wolf, Abigail must first learn to be their submissive and Caine is certain his dominant desires will cause her pain.

As the tension mounts between the three, their ménage threatens to fall to pieces. Determined to save the relationship which she has come to cherish, Abigail sets out to prove she is the perfect submissive. If she can make Caine and Stavros see she's ready to be theirs in every way they desire, then maybe they'll finally have the happy ever after they've spent so much time fighting for.

To pick up a copy of The Wolves' Submissive or read an excerpt, visit http://www.loose-id.com/prod-The_Wolves__Submissive-1019.aspx. Or to read the beginnings of this menage relationship, check out Beauty and the Beasts at http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Beauty_and_the_Beasts-792.aspx.

And for a chance to win a 10 dollar gift certificate for Loose Id, tell me what you like about paranormal romances. You can leave an answer in the comments and Eliza can pick a winner tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8pm EST.

Good luck!

Ava

www.avarosejohnson.com

Zombieland!

2009-10-02T17:59:00.003-05:00

Are zombies the new black in the paranormal world? Or would that be the new red? lol Either way zombies are taking over and popping up everywhere.

I don't quite get the zombies in romance fiction yet but maybe once I read some i'll get it. Can't wait to see what fan favorite Bianca D'Arc is going to do with zombies when her new book comes out Half Past Dead with Zoe Archer.

I think of zombie erotic romance and all I am wondering is uhh...how do we deal with the parts that fall off. lol (zombie erotic romance. say that without try to laugh)

Seriously though, I'm sure it can be incorporated and I need to get to reading and get my mind out of the gore.

Maybe those of you out there reading this post would kindly tell me about your favorite zombie books. I love reading recommendations.

I do love me some zombies especially of the movie variety. Can anyone say Shaun of the Dead? Resident Evil? Oh yeah, i'm all about a good zombie move.

Que entrance music...

That's right Zombieland is out today and I cannot wait to see it. Zombies, Woody Harrelson, Blood and Comedy? Yeah I am soooo there.

Here's the trailer just in case you never turn on the TV and have missed it or if like me you can't get enough of it.

"Hey Devlin, pass the popcorn."

Anyone with me? Heading to the theater this weekend to see it? We'll have to meet back her next week and discuss it.

This weekend i'll be working on posting the big prize list for the month but keep in mind that every comment you make gets you closer to winning. So please speak up and tell me what you think!

Happy Friday!

Eliza

Welcom to the DAMM Blog Party

2009-10-01T15:29:00.001-05:00

It's October and it's that time again. I know we normally do this on myspace and I hated to move it but there are too many limitations over there that keep me from doing what I really want to and I wouldn't want blog readers to fear we were sending them off to a bad site every time they clicked on one of our guest authors links.

So here we be. :)

I have many things planned for you and I can't wait. It's going to be a lot of fun. We have several guest authors planned and i'm adding more as I type. You can see the full list in the left side bar as well as click to their websites and check them out. Each one will be chatting up their favorite paranormal subject this month as well as dishing about their new books.

Besides the normal music, videos and food and drink recipes, we'll be handing out prizes every chance we get. So you'll definitely want to check back often. The more you comment the more chances you have to win.

I've got prize packs to give away, eBooks galore and a huge stack of paranormal print books i'm dying to send you.

Let me introduce you to the sexy bartender whose ready and willing to take your orders. His name is Devlin. Isn't he yummy?

I think tomorrow i'll kick us off with a post about Zombies. Trust me we are going to have lots of fun.

See you tomorrow!

Eliza

Snippet Saturday has moved!

2009-09-05T08:15:00.003-05:00

My blog posts are now being posted on my new website blog at http://www.elizagayle.net/blog/

Hope to see you over there!

Eliza

Snippet Saturday - Outtakes

2009-06-13T10:24:00.003-05:00

Snippet Saturday is running late because I did something this morning I don't usually do. I slept late. *gasp*

With my husband off to India this month my sleep and work schedule have drifted to stranger and looong hours.Not to mention now that school is out I don't have to get up at 6am anymore. Woohoo!

Okay this week is all about outtakes and/or deleted scenes. I've been pretty fortunate in that I haven't had to cut a lot of scenes. I tend to be adding during editing instead. But there have been a few scenes that have hit the floor because they didn't seem to work. The first time was actually on my second published book and it was because my editor deemed a sex scene anatomically impossible. Aw c'mon. I seriously wished I could find two men and a woman who'd be willing to try it although I will admit that one of those men would have to be pretty well endowed. LOL

But that's not the scene I am posting today. I already wrote a blog about that one way back when and even posted it in a hidden spot on my website. hehehe Sometimes it pays off to read author blogs.

The two scenes I am going to share are very short and from LUCAS the first black cougar novel. My editor felt I had too many POV's and that they didn't do enough for the book so they had to go. I would have liked to expand them but deferred to my editor's judgement on what was best here. It's their job to help you make your book better and you have to trust them on that.

So like I said, very short but not so sweet because these are in Lara's POV, who is one of the villains in this story. Although we haven't seen the last of her yet.

This first scene is right after a fight scene between Lucas, Keira and Lara and would have been the first glimpse into Lara's head. Oh and please remember these are unedited and i'm certain they needed work.

Deleted scene #1

Watching the car scream out of the parking lot like a demon on fire, Lara smiled to herself. So, Lucas has himself a bitch. Interesting. I have finally figured out how to crack him. Seeing his bitch in danger easily provoked his anger and his transformation. Now there is some news that ought to earn me a nice reward from that bastard Malcolm. The thought of any reward from him made her pussy throb and immediately begin to cream. Playing this game with him had turned out to be even more fun than she’d imagined. Should she capture Lucas next time? Or better yet, why not go for the bitch? Oh yeah, lots of potential with her. If I didn’t know better, I would swear she had seen me standing here, waiting for them. When she was almost on top of me, she suddenly freaked and began searching the area for something. Interesting…very Interesting.
Oh well, eventually I’ll have to deal with Malcolm. But in the meantime dragging this out, chasing the prey, disobeying Malcolm is pure sensual torture for us both.

So this next scene is later in the book after Lara has managed to wreak all kinds of havoc. She thinks her plans for revenge are coming together but here the reader gets a glimpse of just how much revenge can twist a person. Again unedited and would have needed some work. And it's a little dirty so reader beware.

Deleted excerpt #2

Lara laughed as she prepared her sleeping bag for the night. Remembering the vision she had shared with Kira, she couldn’t help but be amused by the other woman’s break with reality. She’d hardly had to say a word or even conjure a spell to frighten her. It had really been far too easy. When plotting her revenge against the Gunn Clan she hadn’t factored in the appearance of this woman. Lucky for her it had worked out perfectly. Lucas was inexplicably drawn to Kira and it had been amazingly easy to use her against him.

Now Kira was on her way to the local sheriff to say God knew what, and Lucas had abandoned his search for her due to his alpha male misguided anger and stupidity. This was all way too much fun. Pretty soon everyone would be suffering and she would finally be free to live her life without feeling the recriminations of a prejudiced clan. Her mother and her would finally be vindicated for the miserable years they had endured when the clan had turned its back on them.

But first she had to deal with Malcolm. He was on his way to the Dragon in the hopes of recapturing his brother and getting her back in line. What an idiot asshole. Always thought he had to have complete control, when in fact, he had none at all.
I am the master here and he does my bidding.
Sure he is fun to play with but in the end he will pay the steepest revenge price for being such an idiot. Not only will I cause him deep pain but his clan will never forgive him for allowing me entry into their world through him. A warm flow of deep satisfaction overcame her, finally.

Unfortunately when he arrived, she would be forced to endure the charade a little while longer. At least until they had recaptured Lucas and possibly even Kane.
One thing was for sure, those brothers were some fine animal specimens. Sex with Malcolm was exquisite pain and pleasure, something she would miss. She wondered what it would be like to have two or maybe even all three of them at once. Her body tingled at the images those thoughts brought to mind. Hmmm. Maybe she should consider using them a bit longer for her pleasure before finishing them off.

Her rampant sexual thoughts of the Gunn brothers had her body heating up. Her breasts swollen with desire, she laid down on her makeshift bed. Running her fingers across her nipples, a small moan escaped her lips. Her hand continued down her flat belly, reaching for her bald pussy. She was more than ready. As her fingers darted between the plump folds, she quickly found her swollen clit and pinched down hard. She thought of the three of them touching her, stroking her, but the one she’d watch hunt for her, she especially burned hotter for him. Oh yeah, she definitely wasn’t done with the Guardian brothers yet.

Now that you've seen a few scenes that weren't able to make the final cut why not read some more. I find it fascinating to see what didn't work and maybe even why. So follow the links below and read the other fascinating tidbits from the authors participating in Snippet Saturdays.

Cynthia Eden
Victoria Janssen
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Sylvia Day
Vivian Arend
Mark Henry
Shelley Munro
Jaci Burton
Mandy Roth

T.V. Tuesday - What's New This Week

2009-06-02T23:05:00.001-05:00

Another guilty pleasure of mine has it's season premiere this week. That's right Burn Notice will be back on Thursday and my DVR is all set for it.

As much as I like this show I will be honest it's not in my top 5 but I do enjoy it and I love the idea that I get new episodes while the network shows are all on break. It's the perfect summer show complete with Miami scenery and all.

Michael is not only yummy I love the relationship between he and Fiona. Will they or won't they? While we know putting them together is certain death for a television show, the teasing conflict and emotion between them are very telling. And knowing they should be together but wont be reminds me of someone I know. As much as I love an HEA, life is messy and some things just aren't meant to be.

Not to mention i've always had a not so secret fantasy of being a spy. It's cool, hard work, scary, mundane, exciting all rolled into one and they always get the gadgets. I luvs me some gadgets. lol

I could go on about the interesting characterization or the fun plots and fantastic scenery but lets be real for me it's all about the fun. They get to shoot guns, play with toys, blow stuff up, be funny and always get the bad guy. Yep, sounds good to me.

If you've never seen it you can easily catch in on the USA Network on the internet, or on Thursday nights on TV or my favorite...Hulu.

Have a good one!

Eliza

The First Kiss from Rope Dreams

2009-05-30T19:40:00.000-05:00

A group of authors have begun a fun new blog event called Snippet Saturday, where each week the authors post a themed snippet from one of their books and then links to the other authors in the group and their snippets. While I may not be able to participate every Saturday, I will when I can.

A First Kiss

Quinn grasped her wrist and flipped her around to face him.
His amber eyes pierced through her with a heated intensity as he
watched her reactions. “You come here week after week and
stand here looking down at us as we work. Do you think we
don’t notice the longing on your face? The way your body
squirms as we wrap more and more rope around the girls who
ask us to? Why are you torturing yourself? Or should I
say…what are you waiting for?”

She closed her eyes to his questions, searching for an
adequate answer when she knew there was none. How could she
deny the truth? “I admire your work. What’s wrong with that?”
His fingers gently grasped her chin and raised her head back
up, forcing her to look at him. “We see you, Katie, we know
what you need. Why do you hide here?”

She bristled against his words, shame heating her face.
“I’m not hiding, Quinn, I’m just observing. I’m here and I’m
alone, yet no one ever approaches or speaks to me. Which is
fine, but don’t tell me that I’m hiding. What am I supposed to
do? Throw myself at someone?”

A grin split Quinn’s handsome face, revealing the beautiful
smile she loved so much. She always noticed how happy his job
made him and she envied him that feeling. Some ties were more
intense than others as evidenced by the hard lines of his face
when he concentrated or the occasional bulge in his pants when a
willing female turned him on. It was those moments when she
had fleeting thoughts of both him and Leo taking her for their
own. The popular riggers were frequently gossiped about around
Purgatory, and word was they had a great time playing the scene
together but hadn’t taken a submissive of their own for a very
long time.

“You don’t have to get defensive with me, babe. I’m not
sure what’s wrong with the men in this club, letting you spend
all your time alone. Their loss is my gain, though.” He leaned
closer, his lips a breath away from her own. The sharp tang of
citrus filled her nostrils and she imagined he’d just come from a
break where he would have eaten an orange. Did he realize even
the way his hands peeled the skin from an orange could turn a
woman inside out?

Katie sucked in a slow breath, afraid to move. She worried
he would kiss her as much as she worried that he wouldn’t. She
was in a mood tonight, and watching the play stations hadn’t
helped but instead stoked the flames inside her until, now
pressed against one of the men of her nightly dreams, she wanted
nothing more than to submit to his every whim. She ached with
the desire to be touched, to be tied, and to be fucked by Quinn
and Leo.

He edged a little closer, but instead of kissing her like she
expected, he stroked her lips with his tongue. A gentle touch
that was more like a taste than a kiss. He leaned into her until
they were pressed together from hips to breast, and his erection
was unmistakable pushed against her belly and pelvis. His hot
tongue licked at the corner of her mouth and along the seam of
her lips. She opened farther on a soft sigh but he only continued
his exploration.

Her own arousal went off the charts as she rolled her hips
against his. A low growl sounded in his throat and he pulled his
head back from hers. “Careful, Katie. For a girl who professes
to being happy alone, your body is quickly making a liar out of
you.”

If you would like to read more about Rope Dreams, please visit my website at http://www.elizagayle.net

Now be sure to hit all the other authors websites for more fabulous First Kiss Snippets!

Lauren Dane
Cynthia Eden
Vivi Anna
Sylvia Day
Moira Rogers
Mandy Roth
Anya Bast
Viv Arend
Beth Williamson
Elisabeth Naughton
Michelle Pillow
Jaci Burton
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Victoria Janssen
Shelli Stevens
Maggie Robinson
Juliana Stone
Sasha White
Maura Anderson
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
Kelly Maher

T.V. Tuesday!

2009-05-26T13:21:00.002-05:00

Due to my extreme obsession with the Hulu I have decided to make Tuesdays my television theme day. Where I talk about whatever show that suited my current fancy.

On my mind today is the much talked about and upcoming second season of TrueBlood. Gawd I love this show! As you can see to the left over there I have even added the countdown to the first show of the new season.

Can I just tell you what a bullet I dodged on that one? June 14th is the day and nothing and I mean nothing is gonna pry me away from my big screen T.V. at 9 PM that night. Did I also happen to mention that is my wedding anniversary? Oops.

How do I tell the husband that the show that makes him roll his eyes yet he mysteriously doesn't leave his seat, will prevent us from going out to celebrate the big day?

HAHA I don't have to. He is going to be out of the country in a very dark and dangerous place rife with who knows what camping out with his motorcycle buddies while I lounge in HIS chair with my Mango Margarita and the snack du jour.

Seems only fitting right?

So...back to TrueBlood. Did anyone watch the documentary this week with Alan Ball commentating? It was a nice recap of the first season with a few choice nuggets about season two. Although i'm still smarting about him telling me about Lafayette. I haven't read the books yet so I don't know what is coming. I want to read them but can't make up my mind if I want to know what happens on the show in advance.

Now I know there's been a lot of hoopla about vampire Bill but honestly i'm an Eric girl all the way. Like Bill too but Eric is the shit! Might be missing his long hair this season though, we'll see. But the great thing about this show is the whole cast is great. A cast that works well together and fits the storyline will win me over every time.

So come on. Tell me who your favorite character is and stay tuned for more True Blood from me this summer.

NEW Contest - Get Hooked On A New Series!

2009-05-22T21:53:00.003-05:00

What do the fifty books featured in this contest have in common? They're all the first book in a series, and they're all up for grabs in the Moira Rogers second Get Hooked On a New Series contest! (While some of these books are available in print, this contest is for digital copies only.)

The contest couldn't be simpler. Click on the widget in the left sidebar and Browse the books. Click on the covers to read blurbs and excerpts and find out more about the authors. Figure out which books you're dying to read, and then enter the contest! The form provided lists the fifty books up for grabs, and all you need to do to get in on the contest is check the box next to the books you're interested in winning. (You can check as many books as you want, and you'll have a chance of winning more than one. Each book will have its own drawing. However, to prevent abuse, you may only submit the form one time.)

You'll also find a section where you can choose to opt in to receive updates from authors. This is not mandatory, and will not affect your chances of winning. If you don't want e-mail from the authors, don't check the box, and your e-mail information will be discarded after the contest is over.

Once you've filled out the form, you'll find information on how you can share the news about this contest and how you can enter to win a prize package put together by Moira Rogers.

Hurry on over and click the link! It's 50 FREE books!

A new story begins

2009-05-16T22:19:00.002-05:00

I have begun writing an all new story tentatively titled Slave To Pleasure. For those of you who enjoyed Taken By Tarot or Dragon's Fate you will be pleased to know that I have returned to writing faeries with this story. And like Taken By Tarot it is a menage although this one is probably going to be an M/M/F versus the M/F/M.

I've plotted out the entire story, picked out pictures to represent my heroes and heroine and have already written the prologue and part of the first chapter.

And can I just say that the prologue starts off with a bang with a slave auction? Yep fun stuff.

Hopefully in the near future as the story progresses I will get a chance to post an unedited excerpt to give you a taste of what is to come.

Have a great weekend!

Eliza

A Star Trek Confession

2009-05-14T08:45:00.001-05:00

Yes, I must confess. I am more of a geek than I thought. So much for being cool. LOL

I went to see the new Star Trek which was OMG AMAZING. So GOOD that you must drop everything and GO see it NOW! Here's the trailer.

While I knew the movie was coming I wasn't sure I wanted to go to the theater and see it. I was only so so on the original Star Trek series and didn't really come into the Star Trek phenomenon until TNG. LOVED TNG! Really enjoyed Deep Space Nine and a few of the movies but after a while I drifted away from it.

Enter last week and everyone Twittering how insanely good the new Star Trek was and well, I just had to find out for myself. Now I want to go see it over and over again, I want the Star Trek drinking glasses at Burger King (closest BK is 20 minutes away) and I even want the Star Trek flash drive wrist band offered on the back of my Honey Smacks cereal.

ACK! I've regressed back to my geekdom at warp speed!

In fact my husband just called to tell me that he picked up a Captain Kirk glass for me at Burger King today. Squeee! Maybe I should stop now before I embarrass myself. *grins*

One last video from Saturday Night Live!

Have a good one!

Eliza

A Writer Funny

2009-05-13T13:38:00.002-05:00

I'm at the semi end of a book (I say semi because I can't seem to get it to end) that is going to need some major reworking next week and i'm pathetically unmotivated to just end it already. So when I came across this video on a blog (sorry I don't remember which one) it made me laugh so I thought I would share.

Reviews For Rope Dreams

2009-05-12T17:20:00.003-05:00

I've gotten some great reviews in for Rope Dreams and I thought I would share them here.

Alyna from The Romance Studio gives Rope Dreams 5 hearts!!! Here is the full review.

In this story; Katie is a woman with dreams. She wants to do something, but is afraid to do, and being ridiculed. I'll let you read the story to find out what happens.

I loved this story. Once I opened the file and began reading, I found myself unable to stop until I reached those two magic words: The End. Ms. Gayle has made her characters three-dimensional, turned them into real people, and I found myself identifying with Katie in many ways. It seemed as though I was there, alongside Katie; seeing what she was seeing, and feeling everything with her. I wanted to be there, in Purgatory; and wanted to experience all of the sensations with her.

Not only would I be willing to read this story again, I intend to do so, several times. This is one of those books that will forever stay in the "To Be Read" file. As a matter of fact, I actually read it three time before I wrote this review. I intend to recommend this book to many of my friends, and when I do so, I will be quite vocal about just how much I liked it.

Rope Dreams received a 4 Angel review from Heather at Fallen Angel Reviews, with this to say:

"This story sizzles from the first sentence to the last. I desperately wanted Katie to come out of her shell and allow herself to fully submit to the gorgeous Leo and Quinn. The intense passion that lies under that shy exterior is endearing. Eliza Gayle certainly knows her way around the BDSM scene and lends an authenticity to this story with references to subspace and her knowledge of shibari, something that I usually find lacking in a lot of contemporary BDSM stories. Rope Dreams is my first story by this author, and I am really looking forward to reading more from her in the future."

For the full review click here.

And Tiger Lili from Whipped Cream reviews had this to say:

"If you want a steamy read, complete with bondage, a little spanking and to drool over heroes, then look no further than Rope Dreams – Purgatory. I give this short story 4 red-hot cherries. "

To read the entire review click here.

A huge thank you to the reviewers who have made my days brighter with these reviews.

Eliza

Going a little bit crazy!

2009-03-24T07:15:00.001-05:00

I am so behind on my blogging these days but well, right now i'm feeling a touch crazy with so much going on that I hope you will forgive me.

Here's a few things that I have been up to:

Working on revisions for a book that has been delayed indefinitely. I haz contract but no release date so I wait. oh and work.

Just said Goodbye to my mother who came for a 10 day visit at my house (unexpected)

Added two kids to my household (6 year old - seven days a week, 4 month old - weekends only) Not mine, my sisters. I'm helping her out for a few months.

Waiting on a submission. (cross your fingers for me please)

Trying to learn Wordpress. I know this will be worth it, let's just hope I don't pull all my hair out first.

Started the C25k training program. (designed to get you from the couch to running a 5 k in 9 weeks) and there are few muscles in my lower body that don't hurt at the moment. lol

But I will try to be a better blogger and get back to the regular updates and passing of interesting info. smiles

I did post a little book rant over at Kiss and Tell this week if you would like to check that out. http://kissandtellgirls.blogspot.com

Take care,

Eliza

New post up at Just Plain Wicked

2009-02-14T18:19:00.003-05:00

I blogged yesterday about my freakiest Friday the 13th moment. It's kind of funny so I thought you might want to check it out.

http://justplainwicked.blogspot.com

More Photoshop Goodies

2009-02-05T17:26:00.004-05:00

Even though the three day class is over, I am still going through the workshops and learning what I missed. The class covered way more than I could handle in three days.

Here are a few more goodies that I have created. What do you think?

And on a different note...Pentacles of Magick: The Revealing received a new review from Whipped Cream reviews yesterday where it was given The Best Book award.

"The Revealing is the fourth and final book in the Pentacles of Magick series. Each and every book of this series has been astounding."

To read the entire review you can click HERE.

Happy Friday!

Eliza

Goals for February

2009-02-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

Where did January go? seriously...that was fast.

I did not accomplish as much as I wanted to in January. While it wasn't a total bust, I only managed to complete about half my goals. So I have a lot to do this month, I have a book due March 1st so that is the priority and any and all other goals could get pushed aside.

Finish Black Cougar 3 (about 39K to go)

Revise Obsession of Jayde again.

Finish Black Cougar series site (this has been a challenge trying to learn wordpress but I will figure it out)

February newsletter on Valentine's Day

There is a lot more that needs to be done but I have to try and be at least a little reasonable. LOL

Have a good one!

Eliza

It's Tuesday...what are you doing?

2009-02-03T23:25:00.002-05:00

I was over at the Kiss and Tell blog today doing my turn at Trailer Trash Tuesday. Every week we discuss book videos and today was my turn.

Hope you will hop on over there and check them out. http://kissandtellgirls.blogspot.com

Results from Graphic Workshop Day One

2009-01-30T23:47:00.002-05:00

It's been a crazy week and i'm rounding it out with an insane weekend. I'm taking an online graphics workshop from some of today's HOTTEST cover artists in the epublishing world.

After a long night of fiddling with the first lesson, I finally at least got through the lesson and have a picture to share. It's not perfect but i'm pretty proud of it.

Since I have to create all of my own promotional materials such as banners, postcards, bookmarks, etc. I figured it was high time to learn photoshop a whole lot better.

What better way to do it than from the best.

Have a great weekend!

Eliza

Proud Mama Squeee!

2009-01-27T12:19:00.003-05:00

My oldest child is seventeen today. There should be a loud thunk after that statement because i'm not sure whether to be happy or sad. Where has the time gone and where is my baby? lol

All grown up and doing her own thing these days thats where. My daughter is very artistic, like her father, and a couple of weeks ago even had her first Gallery opening. *cries* I'm so proud of her.

Photography seems to be where most of her focus is going these days and I know she is considering what path it can take her on. And since i'm so excited for her I couldn't not blog about her today, her birthday...Seventeen.

Here are some of the highlights of her pictures that are being showcased in a Gallery exhibit until mid April.

Yes, that is her guitar and she plays it well. (she is no fun to play Guitar Hero with. she just makes you look bad)

This picture was pressed in between glass in the middle of the room so it was difficult to get a good picture of it. So in case you can't tell what it is, it is a collection of her movie tickets with the emphasis on Twilight. Yes, she is a teenager and is obsessed with it. But i've seen the movie three times myself so who am I to talk?

And the show piece of her collection...the photograph the Gallery chose to enlarge and showcase...

Of course the white spot on this photo is from my bad photography not hers. It's not easy taking a photo of a photo being lit up by lights at every angle. lol

So Happy Birthday to my baby who I am so proud of.

Instant Meme Ten

2009-01-26T09:03:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the Imagination prompt generator from Paperback Writer because yes I am one of those who says I have nothing to blog about far too often.

Ten Things from the Imagination Prompt Generator
(along with my answers)

What keeps you going?

Diet Dr. Pepper.

Describe each member of your family.

A husband who tolerates me, a couple of girls that often puzzle me, and a big white furry animal who is the neediest dog on the planet.

Did it snow much when you were a child?

Uhm...I'm from Florida so our version of winter was on a rare night when temps might dip below freezing we would leave our sprinklers on in the hopes of creating odd ice sculptures.

Write a letter to someone you appreciate.

Dear Red Robin: Thank you for allowing me and my good friend to take up space in your restaurant for hours when we want to bitch err I mean gossip about the writing industry even on a busy Saturday night. And thank you for Chas too. We really like him. ;)

Do you believe that today can be the ‘first day of the rest of your life?’

Sure, why not?

I remember . . .

Very little these days.

Look at your hands. Why are you grateful for them?

They type fast *g*

If I could trade in my adulthood for a second childhood, I'd...

No thank you. Now if you want me to redo my twenties, i'm so there!

Name five things laying around your computer.

My iTouch, cell phone holder sans cell phone, my to do list, post it notes from my daughter, playing cards, Life Savers

How would you rate your self image?

Not going there today, I haven't had a shower yet.

The things you miss while on vacation...

2009-01-21T00:26:00.003-05:00

The strangest things seem to happen when I go on vacation. I arrived home after two flights and a long day at 11:30 PM and am now going through emails and such to catch up with what I have missed with my limited connectivity while I was gone.

So i've compiled a random list of things that happened while I was gone. Not all are bad, some are good and some are just odd.

What I missed while on vacation:

1. Water pipes in my garage wall busted and flooded my garage.

2. My new release Lucas rose to #5 at Linden Bay Romance and #6 at My Bookstore and More

3. The Inauguration of a new president. (I actually did get to see the ceremony but I missed all the wonderful balls)

4. My daughter caught the Flu

5. The First snow of the season

Vacation Time

2009-01-18T13:04:00.001-05:00

The blog is going to be a little lonely for the next few days. I'm on vacation in Vegas and will return mid next week.

Have a good one!

Eliza

Cougar Time!

2009-01-15T23:54:00.003-05:00

Yep, that's right. The first in the new Black Cougar series has released. The eBook became available this morning at http://www.lindenbayromance.com and the print book will be available later this month.

Here's the blurb:

Kira MacDonald is in trouble. Plagued by false visions and erotic dreams of a man she’s never met, she fears losing both her psychic powers and her sanity. The cure? Finding and bonding with her mate. The stubborn red-haired warrior might not want one, but fate has other plans, plans that include her rescuing Lucas Gunn.

As the Guardian of his shape-shifting clan, Lucas Gunn lived a quiet, solitary life. Until he was kidnapped, examined, and tortured. Now imprisoned, his only tie to the outside world is the memory of his dreams and the passionate woman who appears in them. He thought she was nothing more than a vision. Then she came for him.

An uneasy alliance, a mating call that won’t be denied, rituals that must be honored, and unrelenting enemies who will stop at nothing to get what they want. It all comes together in the first of Eliza Gayle’s sensational Black Cougar Series. Passion and pride. Duty and danger. In the end, there’s really only one choice…for Lucas.

If you'd like to read more I invite you to read the excerpt available at Linden Bay Romance as well as the excerpt at my website.

http://www.lindenbayromance.com

or

http://www.elizagayle.net

Getting Ready For Promotion

2009-01-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

With two new releases this month, these last couple of days have been consumed by the day job and prepping for promotion. What goes into that kind of preparation you might wonder. Here is a list of what I have been doing to prepare for the big day.

Write and submit several guest blogs on various topics
Crafted emails for promotional loops
Prepared a minimum of three excerpts for sharing
Mapped out website updates for the big day. (most of those changes get made on the actual day so buy links are available)
Set up MySpace messages to go out.
Created the monthly newsletter with announcements for the mailing list
Scheduled chat parties
Set up ads to run on MySpace

And that was just the last minute stuff. Earlier in the month, I designed and ordered promotional materials, set up various ads to run on the internet and forgot to redesign the myspace. Oops. *g*

What else have I forgotten? Hmmm. I'm sure i'll figure that out soon.

Have a good one,

Eliza

The Last Line

2009-01-13T22:35:00.002-05:00

I got this from a writing loop that I belong to and it was such fun I couldn't resist reposting it.

It's simple, Just post the last line you typed before you saw this post. WIP, email, day job, blog etc it doesn't matter. And don't explain it or provide context. Just let it be.

For example my last typed line was. "My husband won't go with me and I would hate to go by myself but I need the vibe for the next story."

Out of context a line can provide an opportunity for endless possibilities, so it's important not to qualify if you can. Honestly that's the hard part. lol

So if you're game post the last line you typed no matter what it is or even post your thoughts on other's lines.

New Radio Show To Share

2009-01-12T23:05:00.003-05:00

Loves Immortal: Pantheon

My upcoming Tease Publishing e release, Dark Bond, is coming out this week and will in the next couple of months also be coming out in print in an anthology. Each story is focused around a different God or Goddess and mine is based on the Goddess Nyx, the primordial Goddess of Night.

Tonight on the All Romance eBooks What's Hot In Romance radio show all of the 7 authors of this Pantheon anthology participated in a interview. We had a lot of fun and if you have any interest in Greek Mythology I hope you will check it out.

Simply click the player below to hear the show.

Reviews and Awards

2009-01-11T22:02:00.002-05:00

Every time a new book comes out there is a nervousness that every author goes through. We worry if readers and reviewers are going to like it or if they will not like it and tell everyone they know how much they don't.

So when that first reader feedback comes in or those few precious reviews come back and you find out that they didn't hate it and sometimes they even really liked it a lot. For me that is a huge sigh of relief. Sometimes I cry because it's so touching that yes I did what I set out to do. Entertain someone with a story that I wrote, edited, and promoted. It's a long process that I am grateful that I am able to do. But it's that reader feedback or review that will always serve as my reminder of why it is that I continue to do this on those days when I wonder.

What got me started down this road was a new review I received from Paranormal Romance Reviews for Pentacles of Magick: The Bonding, the first in my Pentacles of Magick series.

"Eliza Gayle has written an absolutely intriguing story, which I could not stop reading. Without giving too much away about these amazing characters, I can say that Graelen is a strong, handsome hunk with a lot of power to hurt, but more willpower to be a good guy. Rena is a strong and extremely intelligent woman, who is as beautiful as she is unique in her abilities."
Melissa, Paranormal Romance Reviews

Thank you Melissa for your wonderful words. If you would like to read the full review you can click HERE

And to further make my day I received notice today that Pentacles of Magick: The Burning, the second in the POM series has finaled in the Fantasm Awards for The Best Paranormal Romance Story. You can see the list of finalists HERE.

Squeee!

Thanks, Eliza

Why I Love Las Vegas!

2009-01-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

In one week I will be jetting to vegas for a brief but oh so fun vacation and I am counting down the days. I used to go to Vegas every year but the last few years I haven't made it so I have lots of new things to see and much to catch up. So with that in mind I give you my 10 favorite things about Sin City.

1. The Fremont Experience - I remember when you could drive down there.

2. $2 Craps tables at The Orleans - I'm not really a big gambler but the last time I was in Vegas my dad taught me where and how to play craps in Vegas. Love it!

3. The Pink Taco restaurant at The Hard Rock Hotel - it's hip and folksy in what is still one of the coolest hotels is vegas. I always have to pick up a supply of flaming eyeball antenna covers from their gift shop. Why a supply? Because every few months people steal them off my car. But if you have a flaming eyeball on the top of your antenna, you can always find your car in a crowded parking lot.

4. Criss Angel - I lurve him.

5. The view from the top of the Stratosphere hotel and casino.

6. The 3 story M&M store with more colors than I could imagine.

7. Touring the themed hotels. No expense is spared in these marvelous creations. Sure sometimes it can seem vulgar or over the top but hell, it is Vegas.

8. Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Since my husband provides shocks for the Richard Petty Driving Experience we get to take the ride alongs on the track. "If you ain't first you're last." Ricky Bobby

9. The Lion habitat at the MGM - I really do love the big kitties

10. People watching. You really do see the wildest things in Vegas

Where in the world is Eliza?

2009-01-08T21:25:00.002-05:00

I've been working hard since mid December finalizing my convention travel plans for 2009. I have a lot on the list. At least five are definite and maybe more if the tax man doesn't hurt me too bad. lol

So here is the list of the definites of where I will be.

Romantic Times Booklovers Convention - Orlando, FL April 22-26

BEA - NYC - May 28-31

Lori Foster Reader Event - June 5-7

DragonCon - Atlanta, GA - Sept 3-6

Authors After Dark - Suffern, NY October 23-25

And the maybe:

RWA - Washington DC - July 15-18

A Post Holiday Funny

2009-01-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

I got this from one of the many yahoo loops I belong to and couldn't not pass it along. This sure fits me this month. Ugh!

Twas The Month After Christmas

Twas the month after Christmas,
and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me,

not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled,

the chocolate I'd taste

At the holiday parties

had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales

there arose such a number!

When I walked to the store

(less a walk than a lumber),

I'd remember the marvellous meals I'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese

And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt

And prepared once again to do battle with dirt...

I said to myself, as I only can,

"You can't spend a winter, disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.

Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished

Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.

I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.

I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore...

But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet.

Mercury Going Retrograde

2009-01-06T22:12:00.003-05:00

on January 11th. Are you ready for it?

When Mercury, the cosmic trickster goes retrograde you can expect communications, travel, appointments, mail and the web to get a little loopy. Mercury rules thinking and perception and is thought to especially affect writers.

Mental clarity is thought to not be as acute during this period so misunderstandings are common and people are urged to be wary of the fine print.

Which for me means the story I was going to start on January 17th I think I will start before the 11th. I will also have to pack extra patience for my trip to Vegas on the 17th and generally consider my calm before reacting to anything out of kilter during this period.

If ever there is a time to practice rolling with the punches this is it. Common advice would be to stay calm, think carefully and double check the facts.

Eliza

Name That Tune...

2009-01-05T23:55:00.001-05:00

Every week on Monday I blog at Kiss and Tell, a group blog I participate in with a wonderful group of romance authors. Anything goes over there and sometimes it gets pretty crazy. *g* Rather than just repost that here, I would very much love for you to visit us there.

You can get there and read my Name That Tune post by clicking http://kissandtellgirls.blogspot.com

Thanks,

Eliza

Are We Done Yet?

2009-01-04T22:33:00.002-05:00

With the holidays I mean...

The kidlets are going back to school tomorrow and getting them to bed tonight was a pill. I can hardly wait for 7 am.

DH still has another week to go of his companies forced unpaid leave, so i'm not quite jumping for joy about getting back to normal. I have a lot to do though so I hope he doesn't mind entertaining himself this week.

I have less than two weeks before I have two new releases on the same day (Jan. 15th) and before I leave for my vacation in Vegas. (Jan. 17th) Lots and lots to accomplish before then.

Today was work on the website day, which went okay but is far from ready for release day. Ack!

So...I hope you're as ready as I am to get back to normal!

Eliza

I've been nominated!

2009-01-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

I got word this week that I had been nominated for an award at Love Romances Cafe for best Paranormal Author of 2008, so imagine my surprise when reading the the public announcements that I was actually nominated in three awards. WOW

To say i'm floored by this feels like a massive understatement. Especially the nomination for Best Vampire Romance of 2008 for the Vampire Oracle: Awaken. Don't get my wrong, I love that book, in fact it's one of my favorites. But since the book came out in October I hadn't received any feedback so this was doubly awesome. *g*

So here are the nominations from the reviewers at Love Romances Cafe:

Best Paranormal Romance author of 2008

Best Vampire Book for Vampire Oracle: Awaken

Best Series: Vampire Oracle (this is a nod for all the oracle authors and the publisher but I was excited to see it)

Eliza

Goals for January

2009-01-02T09:09:00.001-05:00

Have given some thought to just January and what needs to be done so here is a list of goals for this month. Although someone pointed out this was a combination goal and to do list, i'm just calling it goals.

Edit and submit Obsession of Jayde

Write 20k on Black Cougar 3

Write short story before I leave for Vegas mid Jan.

Finish Bourbon Affair free read

Edits on Dark Bond

Create Black Cougar page on website as well as other updates

January newsletter on Jan. 15th

Write up promo plan for Lucas and Dark Bond both coming out Jan. 15th

Well, there it is and now that I have scared myself, I better get started.

Have a good one!

Eliza

Happy New Year and an update!

2009-01-01T22:37:00.002-05:00

Can't believe it's 2009 already. Wow. Did you have a rocking New Years Eve? I'm afraid I would have to disappoint you as I was at home working most of the night, trying to complete my December goals.

So how did I do?

Got the 2nd Black cougar book polished and turned in.
Got the Pantheon anthology story, Dark Bond, turned in.
Got the website updated although it already needs more updates. LOL
Sent out my first newsletter, FINALLY!
Finished the free read, White Cougar Christmas (which is available at lindenbayromance.com or allromanceebooks.com)

What didn't I get done which now has to roll over to January...

Edits and submit Obsession of Jayde. (I start on that tomorrow morning)

Not too bad and now i'm off to think about January goals as well as a few larger writing and personal goals for the whole year. And I need to make a cool little eraseable calendar.

Hope you have a wonderful year and I foresee great things for us all!

Eliza

Loose End December

2008-12-01T08:26:00.002-05:00

That's what I have dubbed December because I am trying to tie up all my loose ends and prepare for a fresh start of writing in January. So i'm making a list and setting some goals for writing. I actually do this every month, but it feels important to get things wrapped up before the end of the year. So here is my list so far for December.

Edit the black cougar book 2 and turn in before the holiday as promised

Write and submit the 10K Pantheon story for the anthology

Finish White Cougar Christmas (a free read. YAY)

Finish edits on Obsession of Jayde and submit

Finish all the website updates and make a pact not to get so far behind on them.

And in a perfect world where I had all the free time in the world, I would like to write the first story in the Fairy Godmother Trilogy.

So there it is, I have put it in writing and made my commitment to loose end December.

Have a good one!

Eliza

A new Pentacles of Magick Ad

2008-11-18T09:11:00.002-05:00

Haven't decided where to put this yet, but I found Sprout fun to play with.

New 3 Book Contract!

2008-11-03T12:47:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to announce that I have just signed a new three book contract with Linden Bay Romance to publish my Black Cougar series in 2009. The books will be available in print and eBook. No release dates have been set yet.

The first book is Lucas and here is the blurb and a peek at the cover.

Blurb:

Kira MacDonald is in trouble. Afflicted with a genetic defect threatening her sanity, her psychic powers are failing and can no longer be controlled alone. Plagued by false visions and erotic dream walking with her future mate, she is running out of time to avoid a death sentence. To reverse the effect of her defect, she must bond with her mate. Too bad she doesn’t want one.

Lucas Gunn lives a quiet, solitary life as the Guardian for his shapeshifting clan until he is kidnapped, examined and tortured. Now his only communication with the outside world occurs in his dreams with an intriguing red head that he can’t stop thinking of.

Through an uneasy alliance, where neither of them trusts the other, they must face Kira’s mating call and the captors who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Can they overcome their struggles between passion and duty to be together? Or will pride and violence separate them forever?

Day one with NANO

2008-11-01T01:19:00.003-05:00

I doubt I will post on NaNo every single day but I was very excited to start and even more amazed that I hit my daily wordcount in just 2 hours. Now if I could just repeat that focus everyday I would have no troubles.

I am writing by 2nd Black Cougar book title Kane which will be approximately 40k and an untitled as of yet story in my Short fairy godmother trilogy.

Wish me luck.

Eliza

1923 / 50000 words. 4% done!

New Cover Squeeeee!!!!!

2008-09-19T09:57:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Kendra at Creations By Kendra, I have a beautiful new cover for my upcoming print compliation of my Pentacles of Magick series with Phaze.

The fourth book in the series, The Healing, releases October 13th with preorders for the print collection starting the same day.

Playlist for The Revealing set in Louisiana

2008-08-05T09:36:00.001-05:00

New Playlist - Just for Fun

2008-07-22T15:01:00.001-05:00

Dragon's Fate has found a home!

2007-05-23T08:41:00.001-05:00

Phaze has accepted my Novelette, Dragon's Fate to be published in the Phaze Fantasies III anthology on June 25th.

For those of you who have read Taken By Tarot, jump up and down and rejoice. LOL You get more Kian and Garon as this is a prequel to Taken By Tarot, taking you back to show you how Kian and Garon's journey began.

Yes, its BDSM themed and it's YML (yummy man love), but more importantly it's the beginning of the love story that continues in Taken By Tarot with Garon, Kian and Faith. I have to write the blurb and finish the edits and then I will post an exclusive blog excerpt.

Take care, Eliza

Heading to RT in Houston

2007-04-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

Well, it's once again time for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. This year in Houston, Texas. A lot has happened for me since my first convention in Daytona last year.

Like I am now a published author. Last year I attended the Beginner's Writers Pre Convention Workshop with Judi McCoy and this year I am published. Wow! I am amazed and lucky. My first book Taken by Tarot came out with Phaze in February and my next one, Submissive Secrets, is scheduled for July also with Phaze.

Over the past 12 months i've made a lot of online friends in the writing community and I am excited about meeting many of them next week as well as seeing friends from last year that I have stayed in touch with.

If you aren't attending RT this year and would like to win a box of RT goodies, be sure to check out my blog on MySpace to sign up. You will love the prize package I am planning.

Eliza