So I blogged about this the other day, but wanted to try and get more perspectives. So sex sells, right? I mean, Aphrodisia books are proof of that
And there’s so many variations on what kind of erotic romances to read. M/M, cowboys, ménage, foursomes, tensomes, bdsm, capture, vanilla erotic…all of the above? The variety of erotic romances to read is across the page.
Well, in case you don’t know, I also write for Samhain Publishing and my newest release, an ebook novella called Four Play, just came out last week (and it’s been #1 at MBAM since last Thursday!) It’s the story of one woman who has to choose between three men…until she realizes maybe she doesn’t have to choose at all! There was something so fun and delicious about writing three different men, and wondering who I’d choose if I was in the heroine’s place.
So I certainly have my favorite themes in erotic, to both read and write. But I want to know what yours is. What type of plot do you tend to gravitate toward to when you’re picking up an erotic/spicy romance to read?
Leave a comment and I’ll draw a name for one person to win a copy of Four Play or any ebook off my backlist.
In the mean time, enjoy the excerpt below!
Shelli
* * *
Duty required she choose one life mate. Her heart wants all three.
Mikayla knew this day was coming. News has come down from the planetary elders—now that she’s twenty-five, the law requires she pick her lifemate. She may be the planetary secretary, but when it comes to trying out potential mates, she’s inexperienced and nervous.
She only needs one man with whom she can trust her life. Luckily she knows three—all friends since childhood. Even if they’re not thrilled to be her potential lifemate, it’s the only way she can get through this process.
Mikayla couldn’t be more wrong about Cedric, Kyle, and Brett. They’re eager, yet resentful about the situation. Each one would kill to claim her, but they’re not too happy about having to risk their friendship to win her love. Yet, one by one, they set out to do just that.
Mikayla is stunned to learn all three men drive her mad with desire—and make her feel cherished. Loved. Choosing one seems impossible, until the one man she doesn’t want forces her hand…
EXCERPT
“That dress looks lovely on you,” Kyle murmured.
She flushed, even knowing he had always been skilled with flattery. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It makes you look taller.”
Mikayla threw back her head and laughed, a habit she was well used to when spending time with Kyle. “You lie. I’m petite at best.”
“Yes, you are, and always have been. It’s no wonder we always had difficulty finding you during our hiding games as a child.”
“Gods, stop it!” she laughed harder and slapped his leg lightly. “You make fun.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kyle grinned and sank down next to her, then leaned back on his elbows, crossing one leg over another. The action drew his shirt taut over his abdomen, highlighting the muscles beneath.
A flutter occurred low in her belly and she bit her lip, shifting her gaze away. What was the matter with her? He was fully clothed and this was hardly the first occasion she’d spent time with him alone.
“Mikayla,” Kyle said softly and caught her hand. “What made you choose us?”
Her cheeks warmed and she shrugged. “Well, basically it was like I said. I suppose I hate the idea of making a strange man my lifemate. I know you three. I adore you and would trust each one of you with my life.” She lifted her gaze and searched his eyes. The unease hit again—was she forcing them into this? She whispered, “Am I being terribly selfish?”
His blue gaze darkened, flickered with heat. “No, kitten. Not selfish at all. Though you’ve put us in one hell of a predicament.”
“Have I? How so?” Her heart skipped and she ran her tongue across her mouth.
Kyle’s gaze dropped to observe the movement.
“Because all three of us would give our souls to possess you,” he said roughly and, with a light tug of his hand, pulled her so that she fell across his chest. He reclined fully onto the blanket and slid his hands up her waist. “To win your love.”
Surprise rushed through her. Truly? They all wanted more than just friendship from her?
Her pulse quickened and she wondered if she should feel guilty for acting so wantonly. But dear Gods it felt wonderful to lie across his hard body like this. Across Kyle. How strange…
“All of you? But Brett didn’t seem happy in the least.”
Kyle laughed. “He’s just infuriated that I was chosen to court you first. The man is more competitive than he likes to let on.” He slid his hand down to her ass, cupping her through the thin cotton. “But fortunately I am too, kitten. Do I have your permission to continue?”
Continue. Oh Gods, she could not even begin to comprehend what that entailed, but she wanted it.
Not trusting her voice, she gave a slight nod.
Triumph flickered in his gaze as he slid one hand up to cradle the back of her head, pulling her mouth down to his. His mouth was entirely too skilled, coaxing her lips apart before his tongue slipped inside.
She met his commanding touch, hesitantly flicking her tongue against his. Heat bloomed in her body as she let her weight rest fully on him. He threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her head, deepening the kiss.
Warmth slid through Mikayla’s body, gathering heavily between her legs. She squirmed against him, needing more than the kiss, but not sure how to ask for it.
But Kyle seemed to know exactly what she needed, because he lifted one leg between her thighs so that she straddled him. His knee wedged against her pussy, sending all kinds of sparks of pleasure through her.
She cried out and lifted her head, bracing her hands on either side of his body, rocking back and forth on his knee in search of that ultimate pleasure.
“You need to slow down, kitten,” he murmured and slid his hands up her ribcage to cup her breasts.
“This is just the beginning.”
Oh Gods! Mikayla closed her eyes. If this was just the beginning of pleasure, then she was in a heap of trouble.
UPDATE: WINNER! Barbara Hansen
Congrats I’ll be in touch
Kate
Good morning all!
Luckily for me, I get the first opportunity to offer one blog commenter a copy of our upcoming anthology “Some Like it Rough”. Susan Lyons, Anne Rainey and I had a great time comparing stories and making sure we didn’t end up writing the same thing. But as you’ll see, all the novellas are very distinct and hot as hell in their own ways.
It’s my first contemporary effort for Aphrodisia, but I’m also scheduled to write a full length contemporary, which will come out in 2011. (I haven’t given up on my ‘Simply’s yet, don’t worry!)
So far we’ve had great reviews for the book as well, including 5 cherries from Whipped Cream Reviews.
Here’s the blurbage:
Some Like It Rough by Kate Pearce
Luke Warner wants to chill out when he cashes in his hectic life in Silicon Valley
and returns to his hometown. But things heat up when he reunites with his best
friends, Julia and Paul, and invites them both to share in a sexual adventure like
they’ve never had before…
Private Eyes by Susan Lyons
Assigned to work undercover as an exotic dancer, straight-laced Haley Croft
discovers the thrill of strutting her stuff. And when she catches sexy PI Ry
Montana checking out her moves, she can’t wait to give him his own private
show…
Cherry on Top by Anne Rainey
When massage therapist Cherry DuBois rubs her oil-slicked hands all over Dante
Ricci’s rock-hard body, red-hot desire courses through her. She longs to lose
control and give herself to the pleasures of sexual submission…
Just comment below to get a chance to win. I’ll announce the winner on this post by Wednesday:)
Have a great day!
I can’t believe 2010 is here. I’m sure I’m not the only one still adjusting. And I feel like this is truly a new year – a chance to start new things. I’ve just finished an erotic novella, which I enjoyed writing, and I have more outlined, but I’m also working on something entirely different and having a blast. There’s nothing like hearing voices in your head and having the opportunity to write them down. What’s even better is when those voices tell you a story you’re anxious to get back to each day. I love that! I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
This is also a year for me to do other things. I’m lining up speaking engagements and book signings because I love that stuff! Many writers are introverts, as are many engineers. For some reason, I’m not, in spite of being both.
I don’t do resolutions at the start of the year, but I’ve made a few non-new year resolutions. I do the best I can to improve/maintain our environment, and I’ve started an exercise routine (important when you spend all day in front of a computer!). I have a few things planned that I’m not ready to talk about yet. But my message here is that life is wonderful, and that you don’t have to wait until the end of this year to start something new. A lot of people out there can use your help.
Tell me, what do you plan to do differently in the near future? What will make you happier?
First, up for your drooling pleasure, the cover for my latest Ellora’s Cave release. Lordy but I love brooding heroes and does this ever qualify. Intriguing and spooky eyes. And the rest of him ain’t bad.
Yesterday I was pawing through my bookshelf for one on Crater Lake for something I’m working on. My attention was drawn to how many ‘location’ books I have, The Grand Canyon, Denali Park, The Lava Beds of northern California, redwoods, Sanibel Island of Florida, etc. The pile shouldn’t surprise me because a sense of place is vital to me as a writer. Unless I have a strong visual image of where my people (not characters, people) are, they remain somewhat shadowy to me. In short, my people connect with their surroundings, and those surroundings impact their personalities.
I’ve said it before but I don’t do cities. Have only rarely and briefly lived in the suckers. Their aura is foreign to them whereas I’ve always strongly connected with the wilderness. In my opinion, giving my people personal space both allows and forces them to get in touch with themselves. Away from the distractions of civilization, they connect with their souls.
Anywho, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
In that vein, does setting play a role in the fiction you buy and read?
Vonna
www.VonnaHarper.com
I do! As I write this, the rain is pouring down outside my window. OK, that’s Vancouver, BC, and that’s pretty much the story in winter. For me, I prefer this to snow (though snow is definitely prettier!) because when it’s raining the temperature is at least above freezing, and I hate being cold. Here’s a photo of Vancouver, BC in winter. Lovely, eh?
Often, I think that I’d rather do away with winter. Except, then I remember a kids’ book I once read. Did anyone else read the Pookie (the rabbit with wings) books, about all those cute woodland creatures? I loved those books! In one, Pookie Puts The World Right, he makes the mistake of wishing there’d be no winter. Well, of course that totally messes things up, upsetting the whole balance of nature. So, okay, I guess we kind of need winter. I try to remember that, as the rain pours down.
The thing is, I thrive on sunshine and warmth. I inherited that from both my parents, who had the habit of pulling me out of school in winter and driving down to Mexico.
Anyhow, it was this kind of thinking that, once upon a time (as they say in those wonderful kids’ books), led me to the idea for my January release from Berkley Heat, Sex On The Beach. (Yeah, the drink. And yeah, the other kind too – LOL.)
It’s set in Belize. Seriously, wouldn’t you rather be in Belize right now?
That’s exactly what I thought. And what do people do in Belize? A lot of them get married. In winter, tropical places are prime for destination weddings, where the bride and groom invite their family and close friends for a tropical holiday plus a wedding celebration.
That’s the setting for my book. And no, the bride and groom aren’t one of the couples, though they have a subplot and lessons to learn and teach. The book features three different romances.
In “War of the Sexes,” wedding planner Sarah McCann learns that the groom’s best friend, Free Lafontaine, intends to save his pal from the mistake of marriage. It’s an all-out war between the sexes – a war that just might have two winners!
In “Sex With the Proper Stranger,” model Tamiko Sato comes to the wedding as arm-candy for the groom’s deep-in-the-closet uncle, so what’s she to do when resort manager Ric Nuñez proves far too tempting? Is Ric the man who can heal her wounded heart?
In “Sexy Exes,” Giovanna Moncrieff and her ex, James, mix as well as Italian olive oil and English tonic water, so it’s embarrassing – and exciting! – to discover the flame of passion still burns. Is true love possible the second time around?
I had a lovely time escaping to Belize while I wrote that book. I hope readers will enjoy the same kind of mid-winter escape.
So, what I’d like to know today is, how do you feel about winter? If you’re a skier or snowboarder, you probably love it. Personally, I’m a walk-on-the-beacher – in summer, in bare feet! What do you like or hate about winter? If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?
And hey, while we’re at it, what are your favorite kids’ books? As well as Pookie, I’ll put in a plug for the Penelope books, written by one of my local writing friends, Sheri Radford. You can check them out here: http://www.sheriradford.com/ They don’t have rabbits with wings, but they have a spunky little girl heroine with lessons to learn, and some great artwork.
Although I had planned to write about music and the way it inspires me in my writing, recent world events have changed the subject of today’s post. If you have been following world news, (and who hasn’t?) you’ve heard of the quake in Haiti and the massive destruction that has taken place. It’s horrible, terrible. Something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
Sitting here in middle America (New Mexico actually) I am horrified by the destruction. But I am also ashamed.
You see, recently I have been going through a major dissatisfaction and disappointment with my life. In short, nothing has been good enough for me lately. Those of you who know me know I live on the poorer side. A bankruptcy and divorce some years ago knocked me on my butt. I guess you could say I’ve never really recovered financially. Since I didn’t want to pay out rent each month and own nothing, I purchased (well, my dad’s credit did) a small RV. It’s not the best or the nicest looking thing, but it is a place to hang my hat. Lately I’ve been looking at it, thinking how shabby it was and wishing I could swing a newer model (not going to happen any time soon). A recent after Christmas flood did some damage, too, and I’ve been pissed that it can’t be immediately repaired for lack of necessary funds. This leads me to my checking account. Like most writers, I work a day job. And while my paychecks cover the bills, there usually isn’t anything left over for a lot of fun stuff. So I’ve been griping about finding a new job and sending out resumes. I’ve also been bitching about, in not any particular order: my crappy hair, my fat hips, the zits on my face, and a host of other stupid things of no consequence to anybody except me.
I could go on and on, too. I could even make you a list. I want this and I want that. I wish this was better and I think I should have. In short it’s all been about me. My wants. My needs. My general unhappiness with my life.
Then the earthquake hit. And my eyes opened.
The Hatians have lost everything in the blink of an eye, and I do mean everything. These people have no resources to recover. They have no way to put a roof over their heads for shelter and food on the table to feed their families. I do. As shabby as I think my RV is, those people would view it as a palace. It has facilities, hot and cold running water, electricity. It has a kitchen, a working fridge and microwave (the stove is used for storage, LOL). There’s food in the cupboards. As I looked around last night after watching the news, I realized my stuff isn’t so shabby after all. I’ll get a hot shower, something to eat. I’ll sleep in a warm bed with reasonably clean bedding. I’ll even have my dog at my feet and my cats curled around me. In short, I’ll be okay. But those people won’t. Not for a long time. Maybe even never again.
Who could face that? Who would want to?
Needless to say, I’ve taken another look at myself. And you know what? My life ain’t so bad. In fact, it’s pretty okedoke. Things I see as bad have a chance for improvement, if I work a little harder and have a little more patience.
It’s easy to get caught up in our own small woes and wants, take the many small blessing we do have for granted.
If you have it, I am urging you to donate. I’m even putting up the link to the American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
I’m also posting a little song to remind us all that maybe an attitude adjustment every once in awhile will make life a little bit better.
Some of you know that I have a husband and kids, but you may not know about the other half of my family, the furry half. When I first got married, I was fine never having dogs and cats. It never occurred to me either way. My husband grew up around Boxers though. He’s always had a fondness for them. When Kati, my oldest daughter, was born we found our first doggie. I admit we didn’t have the best luck at first, not until we found Luke. He was the best dog ever, so well behaved, great with Kati and very loyal. After Alisha was born, Luke treated her like she was his own baby. If she cried while I changed her diaper, Luke gave me this look like, ‘okay, but hurry, you’re pissing me off’. Truly, he was so protective of her. Whenever she wanted to take a nap, she’d search for Luke, pounce on him and soon the two of them would be fast asleep together.
When we moved to the new house, and more property for the kids and Luke to run, we lost Luke to a car accident. It crushed us for awhile. He will always be remembered with fondness. Sadly I don’t have a picture of Luke to show you.
Later came Buddy. He wasn’t quite the good doggie Luke was, lol. He was very hyper, didn’t housebreak easily and played way too rough with the girls. Or so I thought. Once when Buddy nipped at Alisha, she frowned at him and punched him. Yep, punched him right in the jaw. Luckily, Alisha was too little to do any harm. Buddy just licked her and ran off the other direction. Alisha and Buddy both got a time out for that one. Buddy did learn, but it took us a loooooong while to train him. (I’m still working on Alisha, lol)
Then we thought, ‘gee, maybe we should breed him!’. Along came Betsy. Betsy was the exact opposite of Buddy. She was so smart it was eerie. She’d give me this look and I swear I could read her mind. It was borderline creepy. Betsy became my companion. She slept on her little bed next to my desk while I wrote. She tattled on Buddy if he decided to run off and took extra special care of the girls. We did breed her. Buddy and Betsy ended up having three litters of puppies. We sold them all to Boxer lovers like us, but we kept one. One that sort of slipped inside our hearts when we weren’t looking. We called her Cinnamon. You see why, right?
Cinnamon has been with us for 8 years now. She and Alisha are best buds. They sleep together, eat together, and most of the time she even goes to the park with us when we go hiking. She really loves to hike, or should I say, she loves dragging our sorry butts up the hill. LOL
Cinnamon’s mommy, Betsy, died recently. It wasn’t easy on any of us to lose her. The girls are old enough now to really understand the concept of death and it was really difficult for them to accept. I figure Betsy and Luke are together now, romping around in the big park in the sky.
Now, onto the other half of our furry family. The cats. At first, my husband did NOT want any cats. Then Kati turned 7. She’d been asking for a kitty for something like three years. I finally broke rank and talked to my husband’s mother, sneaky aren’t I? lol Anyway, my mother-in-law was all over that one. She started calling shelters and vets. She found out about a tiny kitten who’d come in to the vet on the engine of a car. Yes, you read that right. She shouldn’t even have lived, yet she did somehow. She had a mangled tail and her eye was messed up. We fell in love instantly.
Sassy came home with us that day and it was the best move we’ve ever made. Kati and Sassy are inseparable. Absolutely inseparable. I’ve never seen such a close bond. Well, the bond Alisha shares with Cinnamon is about the same I think. Anyway, Sassy, rules. She’s the queen and dogs damned well know it. She does as she pleases and they bow to her every wish.
Then along came Mittens. Mittens was a drifter. Like a little flake of snow she drifted right up to our house as Alisha and her cousin Justin were taking down the Christmas tree. She peeked in the front door, meowed and our hearts melted. A little begging and pleading and Dad relented. Mittens can stay. Yay! I’d swear that Mittens knows that it was because of Alisha that she now has a warm cozy home and all the love she could handle because she stays glued to Alisha’s side.
You’d think enough is enough, wouldn’t you. Well, now it’s my turn. Summertime and we’re doing our daily 2 miles up the road, when what do we hear? A kitty. A very small kitty too. She came right up to us and started purring. I picked her up and fell in love. Kati named her Max, after Maximum Ride, the character in the Patterson books. When my husband saw her he shook his head. No! Absolutely not! We aren’t having another animal in this house! Weeeellll, Max is, as you would expect, a part of our crazy family. And she’s the craziest, let me tell ya. Don’t let the sweet face fool you. She’s so bad, I swear every single time I see her I hear that song ‘Bad To The Bone’ in my head. LOL
Now, we’re done. For sure. No more pets. None. Theeeeen Sugar came along. Sickly, starving, sneezing, barely had a meow left when she found us. A vet visit, some antibiotics and Sugar is beginning to look less like road kill and more like a cat.
So even though we have a more than enough to keep me busy, I just had to go and have yet another dog. Meet Nutmeg, the destroyer. LOL She does keep me on my toes!
So, that’s the other half of my family. Yes, we crazy. Would we have it any other way? Definitely not.
Do you have pets? Cats, Dogs, a pet snake, an iguana? C’mon, spill!
First of all, let me say, I really wanted to showcase the cover of my upcoming release entitled….I WANT IT NOW! (yes, all caps and exclamation marks) however, it’s not ready yet. So instead, I thought I’d tell you guys a little more about me.
1. I am a reformed writing vampire. When my child was in high school, I really couldn’t get into writing until after he’d quieted down for the night, usually ten o’clock or after. Then I’d write until one or two in the morning. Now that he’s entered college, my schedule has also changed. I write earlier, get to bed earlier…but here is the funny part. Though I have more time to write, I seem to write less.
2. When I’m not in author mode, I am a veterinarian by profession. I was the Navy wife who humped from city to city with my hubby, curing –and I’m sure at least one disgruntled soul will say killing–man’s best friend and associated species. Amazingly though, I’ve gone from 5 animals crawling all over to the house to one spastic Heinz 57 who refuses to budge across my threshold.
3. I cannot claim the “I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid” title. I am a late comer to the writing world. Now I was an avid reader, devouring at least 5 titles a week, but trying writing….nope. It’s funny how I actually got into writing. Stress made me do it. Unfortunately, my marriage was going south and writing–not journaling–but writing about this sometimes ridiculous ride we call life became my outlet. I showed my work to some people, they showed it to others and before you know it, encouraged, I mailed it to an agent and….Wallah! Here I am.
4. Even though I’ve made more money writing erotica/romantica, my favorite genre is mystery and suspense. I cut my teeth on those Reader’s Digest Condensed books. It was where I first heard of John le Carre (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) and Robert Ludlum (Bourne Identity/Supremacy series), some of my suspense favorites.
5. In my spare time, I am the pianist/organist for my church. I trained classically for 9 years in my youth, competing at the state level, but now I only play for church. While trotting around with my hubby, I didn’t even play at all for 13 years…but when I moved back, they needed a pianist, and I’m not one to back down when a need is obvious…so, I cracked the knuckles, pulled out my exercise notebook (Schubert, I think) and off I rode.
6. And last year at Mardi Gras, I found out there was no “Kink” in my kinky side…anywho, wish I could provide more details but you know what they say, “What happens in Nawlins, stays in Nawlins.”
Maybe you’ve seen the four star review in Romantic Times or the hot Kate Douglas quote on the cover and you’re thinking of purchasing Secrets of Sin when it debuts this month on Januray 26th, well here are five reasons not to buy it. But you still have a chance to win it.
1. If You Want a Perfect Hero
If you are looking for a Mary Poppins Hero – Practically Perfect in Every Way – then Reinier is not the man for you. The boy is charming but he has some serious issues.
2. If You Think Strong Women Can’t Have Weak Moments.
Although Emiline is a very strong woman the girl definitely has her weak moments and bad days but don’t we all.
3. If You Like Things Black and White.
Even in the bright Caribbean sun there is a messy gray. There are no Dudley Do Rights and Snidely Whiplashes here, thank goodness!
4. If You Don’t Believe Love Can Redeem.
Well hell, if you don’t believe that why are you even thinking of reading Romance?
5. If You Only Like Plain Vanilla.
This book is spicy! Vanilla is not spicy. The characters in this book are individualists all and are not afraid to try new and different things in and out of the bedroom. Baskin Robbins couldn’t even keep up.
If you can identify with any of the above statements then please do not buy Secrets of Sin.
But if you’d like to win it instead leave a comment for a chance to win one of two copies of Secrets of Sin!!!
Two winners will be chosen by 6:00pm on 1/12/10. Good Luck!
My debut paperback, BDSM romance Sweet and Dirty, is now on store shelves! This is a first, and it’s tremendously exciting. I’ve gone in to visit the local Barnes & Noble and Powell’s Books, signed some stock, took some pictures, and basically beamed.
It’s a delightful first. But got to admit. I’m not entirely innocent.
In the past I’ve enjoyed the experience of seeing published an anthology of which my short story’s one small part (Kensington’s Hot Blood #13, a paperback containing anti-vampire romantic horror “Care and Feeding”). I’ve also enjoyed the experience of seeing my hardcover contemporary romance, Thrill of the Chase, carried at libraries. Books in Motion has picked up Thrill to create an audio book out of it. That feels awesome.
But this is different. Better. This is the first paperback that’s all me (two long novellas!) and in stores. Libraries are great, but, stores! It’s a first, and a gratifying one.
Sweet and Dirty is all about firsts. In each of its two stories, an innocent woman enters the wicked world of BDSM and is never the same again. Each woman experiences many first times. First caning. First D/s scene. First aftercare. First extreme play. First romantic betrayal. First happily ever after.
Tell me about a first time of yours. Anything that brings a smile to your face when you remember it. I’ll give away a copy of Sweet and Dirty to one winner out of those of you who leave a comment.
w this day was coming. News has come down from the planetary elders—now that she’s twenty-five, the law requires she pick her lifemate. She may be the planetary secretary, but when it comes to trying out potential mates, she’s inexperienced and nervous.
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Unfortunately, my marriage was going south and writing–not journaling–but writing about this sometimes ridiculous ride we call life became my outlet. I showed my work to some people, they showed it to others and before you know it, encouraged, I mailed it to an agent and….Wallah! Here I am.
