Interview: R.G. Alexander about Bone Daddy, New Orleans & POSSESS ME

Book Blurb
POSSESS ME releases August 3rd, and is available for pre-order at Amazon now!

"Sultry days in the Big Easy get a lot steamier with three novellas wrapped around the legend of a voodoo spirit who can fulfill every darkest fantasy. All of these dovetailing stories are fun, hot and romantic." ~ 4 Stars --RT Book Reviews/cover

In the Big Easy, there's a legend women long for: a sexual voodoo spirit who can fulfill their darkest fantasies. And in these three steaming-hot novellas, he helps two New Orleans couples achieve the ultimate satisfaction... and may even find it himself.

In Release Me, Allegra heads down to New Orleans to heal her wounds, but she never expects to lose her heart to such a quiet, troubled man as Rousseau. She's even less prepared for the scorching, sexual spirit within him-and what he can do to her...

In Reclaim Me, Ben has loved Michelle as long as he can remember. But his beautiful artist has a way of running away from life-and what the pair could be. Leave it to the infamous spirit to help Ben prove to Michelle where she belongs: in his embrace...

In Redeem Me, it's All Saints' Day, the one day the voodoo spirit can walk the world in the flesh. When he bumps into Bethany, she might just be the reincarnation of a girl he once loved. Passion ignites, but can the couple overcome past mistakes and have a real chance at love?

http://www.rgalexander.com/
http://www.smutketeers.com/

Hi R.G. Alexander, welcome at the Beefcake Club House, I thought it might be a good setting for us to talk about your erotic anthology; POSSESS ME. You want anything to drink, or nibble on? Aidan will wait on you personally today :)

Thank you! It’s great to be here. Aidan huh? Sounds good to me. ;)

Q: First of all, let’s get more acquainted. When is your favorite time to write, what do you have at arm’s length from your computer? Do you have a favorite food (group) while writing? Are you a structured writer who needs to outline the whole story or one that just starts from an idea and goes from there? Do you do character profiling? Do you still have an evil daytime job? In short, can you give us the 411?

Okay, let me take those one at a time. I am at the computer most of the day-but I’m a slow starter. I usually get my best work done in the afternoon.

~I do have a desk, but mostly I write on my laptop at our giant coffee table. There’s a notepad and pen nearby, pieces of envelopes where I’ve scribbled ideas and notes, an early copy of Possess Me that I occasionally ogle, and of course, my phone in case someone wants to distract me or I need to brainstorm with my cp :) I’m also facing a mirror that reflects a black and white collage of me and the Smutketeers-a group of amazingly dirty writers and my dear, dear friends.

~Coffee…is that a food group?

~I’m a total pantser. I have an idea, sometimes I’ll even dream about a whole scene, but I honestly have no clue where the characters will take it. I’m not sure where we’re going until I’m halfway through with the story. And sometimes even then I’m surprised how it turns out. I will spend a lot of time with certain characters though-so I do a bit of profiling. Sometimes I’ll give them their own theme song or do a kind of interview where I’m figuring out what they want, and what they need to grow through the story.

But mostly I just try and go with the flow. :)

~ A few years ago I got an idea for a story; Lifting the Veil, currently available with Ellora’s Cave. I was telling my husband about it, and complaining about my day job, and he challenged me to stay at home and give it a shot. His absolute faith that I could do it put me in front of the computer…and I haven’t stopped since.

Q: Possess Me exists out of three novella’s, does it have an overall story arc that finds a conclusion in the third novella or is this the opening to a series?

It is a completely intertwined story arc, and while the main story is concluded at the end-neither my editor nor I wanted to leave the world completely behind-which is why I’ve been contracted to write a sequel titled Tempt Me about the brother from the second novella, which should be out in 2011. As for what comes next, who knows?

Q: Did you have a instant love for a character and who gave you hard time?

Honestly? I love all of them. My heroines; the scarred but spunky Allegra, the tough appearing, vulnerable and amazingly powerful Michelle, and Bethany—my book smart agoraphobic with past life issues and a courage that surprises even her. I loved The Mamas-Benjamin Adair and Michelle Toussaint’s mothers-VERY different women bonded together by their abilities and their love for their children.

And of course I’m in love with all my heroes. Celestin is tortured and sexy, the wickedly humorous and unflinchingly loyal Benjamin Adair, and of course, Bone Daddy. He surprised me, I wasn’t expecting him. But he kept insisting he was more than a plot device, that he deserved love too. Deserved to be seen. In the end, he is the star of the entire anthology. And I couldn’t be happier.

Q: What do you think is essential for an erotic story to also work romantically?

The simplest answer is no sex for sex’s sake alone. There has to be chemistry outside of the bedroom (or alley, or phone booth or wherever you end up). The characters, the same as any other genre of romance, are what make the stories romantic. Oh, and I love my happy endings just as much as the next girl. :)

Q: Can you lift the veil a bit about who this voodoo spirit is. How did you come up with this concept and did it take a lot of research to incorporate the voodoo religion?

Who Bone Daddy really is would be telling *wink *. By all accounts he is a sexual being, a Loa who will grant you your heart’s desire, for a price.

A funny story from an old friend about a place with my Loa’s name gave me the idea. I couldn’t stop thinking about that name. It was too delicious. And for some reason it reminded me of New Orleans. The first story popped into my head fully formed, and I had to write it. I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams I’d write a story with voodoo-or for that matter-a spirit that had a penchant for matchmaking and overstaying his welcome. But I’ve learned to stop being surprised.

As far as my research, I found, along with Allegra, that voodoo is more than what is so often depicted. Its history is rich and fascinating, and like most other belief systems, it has a light side as well as a dark.

Q: Did you encounter difficulties to have your female characters fall in love with the man, while he is possessed by a voodoo spirit?

For a second I was worried that I might, I mean it sounds a little strange right? But I didn’t. It just worked. There was no doubt who Allegra’s hero was. Celestin isn’t a zombie, isn’t the exorcist, he’s just a man who got a raw deal. And Bone Daddy is, well, not your everyday “rider”. He’s a sexy, randy imp with a heart far softer than he’d like to admit, and abilities that are…inspiring. ;)

Honestly its one of my favorite stories I’ve written to date. I’m a little in love with that Loa.

Q: New Orleans equals…?

Magic. History. Sensuality. The macabre mixed with the miraculous. It’s so uniquely itself it could never be confused with another place. The same could be said about the people.

Q: Now, forgive me for being shallow but the cover hussy wants to talk cover candy for a moment. How do I get to meet this cover model, do you know his name and does he represent the voodoo spirit of the novella’s? Or is he actually the voodoo spirit pretending to be a cover model? And of course we would also like to know what your first thought was looking at the cover of POSSESS ME.

As soon as you find out let me know. Haha. I think Bone Daddy is possessing him, he has his eyes. ;) I imagine that man is what you would get if you mixed Celestin, Ben Adair and Bone Daddy together. He certainly is fun to look at, isn’t he?

Q: How do you like your book boyfriends? Blond, dark? Blue eyes, dark eyes? Alpha or beta?

Do I have to choose? I love them all. Especially if that blond hair makes you want to muss it up, those dark eyes look at you with passion, or that beta suddenly decides he’s found something worth going alpha for. :)

If you could give us a juicy quote from Possess Me we wouldn’t object to that…at all! :)

She’d heard the talk. Noticed that the morning crowd at the café was mostly made up of women. And those women would speak in loud, giggling whispers about him as they walked by her table. They would say he knew the right words to heal, that his touch could melt even the coldest heart. And sex with him? Sex with him was a blessing from Marie Laveau herself. According to them, he was the love doctor of the Big Easy.

Bone Daddy.

That’s what they called him. A walking, talking well-hung pleasure factory who, with a few easy orgasms, could bring you whatever your heart desired. Your boyfriend would propose, your boss would give you a raise. Rumor had it he could even heal your scars, inside and out. If you satisfied his lust.

Thank you for joining the Smutty Researchers At Play, I loved having you over and talk about your book POSSESS ME!

Thank you again-I really enjoyed it.

General info:

Author bio/photo
R.G. Alexander writes erotic romance for Berkley Heat, Samhain Publishing, and Ellora's Cave. She has lived all over the United States, studied archaeology and mythology, been a nurse and a vocalist, and now, a writer. She is happily married to a talented chef who is her best friend, her research assistant, and the love of her life.

****Giveaway****

R.G Alexander has been so genorous to offer one commenter a ten dollar amazon gift card *woohoo* 

The rules for each giveaway:

 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.

Review: The discovery of a great M/M series -> Marquesate & Vashtan - Soldiers

Buy in print
website Marquesate & Vashtan

Free download of PDF format
SOLDIERS
MERCENARIES
VETERANS

Special Forces - Soldiers
by Marquesate & Vashtan
Publisher: Pocketboek, 559 pages

Genre: M/M erotic romance
Book #1 in Special Forces series
Main Characters: Vadim Petrovich Krasnorada, Dan McFadyen
Book Origin: Personal e-Library

Cover Summary:Special Forces is an epic work of military gay erotic fiction, which is available for free. The Director's Cut of Special Forces can be downloaded from Aleksandr Voinov's website HERE

The three cycles Soldiers, Mercenaries, and Veterans were written between April 2006 and November 2008 and have 70 chapters in total, comprising around one million words (the equivalent of around 15 full-sized novels). It is only suitable for an adult audience.

This is the epic story of a Soviet Spetsnaz soldier and a Scottish SAS soldier. Vadim Krasnorada and Dan McFadyen are two enemies who meet in the line of duty during the early days of the Soviet Union's last war in Afghanistan. Behind enemy lines respect and finally love grow...but that's only the official version.

The reality of these two men is dark, brutal, fuelled by aggression and insane lust. Steeped in pain and killing, these Special Forces soldiers meet in 1980. Their intense hatred caused by rape, revenge and torture turns into fucked-up lust and years of secret encounters in the dangerous labyrinth of Kabul and the Afghan mountains. Time, despair and desolation smoothe down the sharpness of hatred, its venom drained with each physical encounter; lust helps to form an understanding that only two men of the same kind can share.

This novel spans across over twenty-five years of their lives. It's harsh and violent, but life is cruel and they just do what they need to survive.

Special Forces is available in both the "original version" published between 2006 and 2008, and an edited version ("Vashtan's Preferred Text").

My review: Quote: The war had kept them together; peace was tearing them apart.

When I stumbled on to information about this book and series I knew it wasn’t going to be a run-of-the-mill Special Ops series. It was going to be real, it was going to be raw and it was going to be intense. Three things I have no objections against but I never would’ve guessed how it was all going to affect me. At the beginning my curiosity was triggered, it was war in Afghanistan and there was little joy to be found. There a Sovjet Captian named Vadim Krasnorada accidentally crossed paths with a Scottish SAS staff sergeant named Dan McFayden. There meeting was rooted in anger, violence and blood. An experience that forever changed the lives of these two men.

While the war in Afghanistan was quite a setting for a forbidden relationship to develop on it didn’t play the kind of detailed roll I thought it would. I thought it would be more political scheming and battles but instead the attention was on Vadim and Dan’s life as a Sovjet soldier and a SAS sergeant, portraying the dread and dreary of army life altered with their missions. But mostly I read about how their relationship developed from enemies, from attacker and victim, in to a relationship that had me in tears by the end of this story.

Vadim and Dan cross paths in Kabul and I must say that their introduction to each other is one of a rapist and his victim. Stark in its horror but it irrevocably fused the destinies of these two men like nothing else would. Now for some this may be hard to swallow but from that brutal moment their interaction, the back and forth display of strength, dominance, masculinity and vulnerability is a mesmerizing cadence within the story. Along the way Vadim and Dan are stripped bare of any pretence in who they are, what they feel and what they need. I was completely living each moment with them; when they go rock bottom, desperately hungering for human contact, or having a rare moment of shared joy, it created a connection that goes soul deep. Marquesate & Vashtan really took me inside their protags mind and heart giving me an in-depth understanding of what made them tick. The acts of hate are entwined with the demands of need and from there the frail connection of love grew. A love that is breathing with the darker side of emotions and a down-to-earth kind of humor.

Both Vadim and Dan emanate such a raw life force, at the beginning of SOLDIERS I didn’t even think I could like either one of them but I started to slowly fall for their power-play, for the sharp-edged dialogues interchange with inner monologues of conflicting emotions. Nothing Vadim and Dan do or say is void of their life force, that sheer will to live life knowing it could be over in a minute or the next turn of the road. Even when the war deals them soul numbing blows they pull each other through. This is what grabbed me the most, to witness a bond steeped in all the good and the bad, and see that bond weld the hearts of two strong men.

Next to the unfolding relationship the eroticism is roughly forty percent of this story, when death is all around you, sex is one of the things to do to feel alive. Vadim and Dan discover and explore all the boundaries of their carnal desires. It is voiced in the brutal and dominating encounters to the soothing and comforting side of sex. It never felt out of place for me, it made these two men all the more real. Gave their character and relationship development a truth that swept me away. The story completely center around Vadim and Dan life’s and their trials and tribulations. The secondary characters are simply passing by and they are all there to flesh out the lives of the main men. The only two supporting characters who actually stuck out and have a more prominent role is the owner of the teahouse and Ambassador Margaret de Vilde, Baroness de Vilde.

There was also action to be found but it was almost always in a situation where Vadim or Dan would be involved, never the larger picture of the Afghanistan war and this gave it a very personal feel to it. The only thing that bothered me is half way through the story it felt like it became about missions and sex hitting the repeat button. I don’t know if the writing style somehow contributed to the repetitive feel of missions and sex but it made me feel like it appealed to my stamina as a reader to continue.

Still, I continued because by that time I was so invested in Vadim and Dan as two separate men but also as a couple that I had to find out how this story would end. This lag in the story didn’t last very long though and by the last third of SOLDIERS it picked up in pace, hard choices needed to be made and suddenly the unraveling story threads were mind boggling. By the end I was in tears. I had lived, loved, hated and feared alongside these men, and though I knew this was only part one of their story, the cliff hanger caught my heart in my throat. Reading those final pages I realized the superb set-up Marquesate and Vashtan managed to dish out for their main protags and that the term ‘epic love’ was going to be justified.

SOLDIERS is a stunning portrayal of a love between two men who will dig in to your heart and never let you go. Realistic, gritty and raw are all applicable words to describe this story but so is friendship, love and loyalty. It blends in to a unique M/M story of magnitude! 

4.5 stars

Quote an encounter between Dan and Vadim:
They. Undefined. Was he one of them now? Couldn't give a flying fuck.
Breathed sharply, pushed down, tried to suck while moving, just to get more of that mind-blowing sensation but was as goddamned unskilled as a virginal bint.
Vadim’s left hand formed a fist, wanted to grab a handful of that dark hair and pull him closer, force him to take more, but there were enough inches of steel between his legs to convince him that patience had to be a virtue. Heat, wet heat, no tongue moving, no hand to speed him along, no fucking leverage, but an enemy sucking him. Because he wanted. His head spun, worse than with the sensation alone, the fact it was the same man who had beaten him up, cut his back open, punched him in the face, had tried everything to kill him. Could kill him right now.
He tried to remain still, hips hardly moving, didn’t dare with the edge of steel too fucking close to things he valued. Not enough friction, not enough control. It would be a struggle to come. As much as he wanted to, seeing those lips around his cock, seeing that face so close, so fucking vulnerable, intense, the man was always so incredibly intense, fighting, hating, and even more so when lusting.
It drove him slowly insane, every motion, just a fraction away from enough, but that fraction kept him on the other side. Not a fucking chance. He was breathing harshly, muscles tensing, knotting up, thighs, stomach, guts, arse, back, and sweating, building up the pressure like this was torture, and the other clearly didn’t know what to do with it, how to trigger. Dan grew frustrated. Knowing he wanted this, but needed more, had to achieve something, not knowing what nor how, neither bothering with the why.
Not a man to give up, not ever, no way back, no running away. He couldn't just fuck off and try to forget he'd ever done this thing … that thing on his knees with that cock between his lips. That monstrous 'thing' that would follow him forever because he'd want it again. And again and forever more, because it was so goddamned intense and insane, bone-deep addictive.

Guestblog - A guide into the smut by @Ferishia

Hello all *waves* I’m Ferishia!

My lovely twitter friend Leontine has invited me here to her blog to tell you which books I think should be on your smut book reading list. Not sure where she got the idea that I know stuff about smut book reading *sneaks looks at both kindles full of smut titles and several piles of paperback smut books*, but I’m gonna run with it. lol This is my list of books and/or authors not to miss if you are just starting to get into smut book reading. Or if you are already reading smut books, this will give you some heads up on some books and/or authors that may not be in your TBR pile(s). 

Prepping myself to write this, I hunkered down with a glass of sparkling wine, cued up my ‘Sexual Chocolate’ playlist on my iPod, then started browsing through my GoodRead bookshelves to figure out what books to recommend from the many, many, many (many, many, MANY) piles of smut books from both physical and electronic TBR lists. GoodRead says I have about 322 books that I’ve labeled “erotica”. *blinks in amazement* So, after several browses through my shelves, I came up with these smut recs.

One Note: Almost all of my picks are paranormal romance heavy. What can I say? Vampires, demons, alpha werewolves and shifter stories are hawt! Well, the ones I read are. Lol I’ll try to toss a few ‘regular’ smex reads in the mix, but don’t hold me to that.

First up is Meljean Brook. Now, I know what you sayin’. Meljean Brook writes smex? Well, it’s kinda lite smex. Her Demon Moon was the very FIRST book I read in the PNR genre and forever cemented my love for it. So, I must give her props because of that. Demon Moon is part of The Guardian series (it is book 2, but I read this book before I knew it was a series).

Quote that sucked me in firmly:
“Her sex pressed against him. She couldn’t mistake the ecstasy that shook him. He could feel the heat of her, the wet was his own. Good God. She’d made him come in his pants. And she’d done it with a single kiss.” Demon Moon, pg. 57

Now, there are more provocative, *cough* quotes with those naughty words for body parts, but this is the one quote that made me want to read more of this series. There are six books and four novellas in PNR anthologies.

Another author’s work to add your TBR list is Emma Holly. My introduction to Emma was through her book Demon’s Fire. I was rec’d her name for good smexy PNR, and checked this one out of the library. Talking about H.A.W.T! I think I read it about *cough three times cough* before I returned it (late) to the library, then promptly went out and purchased my own copy (and read it two more times, lol) along with the others in this series (also read several times, each). This is book six in her Tale of the Demon World series. Also add the book Fairyville to your list as well as it is another piece of smexyliciousness. Yes, it is about fairies, I’m not gonna lie, but it’s hot fairy smut. Lol A bit of warning with this book. There is some man-on-man loving action as well as male-female-male ménage-a-trios, and, yeah… just read it. Lol Also, there is a short novella titled And Then There Were Four that is like an extra epilogue to Fairyville. Yes, foursome consisting of four males and one female! It’s not to be missed! Trust me on that. Lol You might also like her PNR Midnight series, which starts with the first book, which is actually a novella in the anthology Fantasy (I would also recommend the Fantasy PNR anthology. There are a few other smexy stories in it from other authors you may or may not know.), then on to the second book in the series Catching Midnight. There are quite a few books and novellas in this series. I’m still making my way through it.

Emma does have quite a few non-PNR books that those of you not really into PNR might enjoy as well (see, I have read some non-PNR, but only because of the smut. Lol). Velvet Glove (features some light to mild BDSM) and All U Can Eat are both non PNR. They both have a ménage scene or two. For those who are into historical smut, you might try her Beyond Duet series (two books), which starts with Beyond Innocence. There are a lot more of her books that I really need to pull out of my piles to read. So much smut, so little time. *sighs* lol

Now, I picked up A Storm of Passion by Terri Brisbin on a whim. I’m not normally into historical romances (although, I’m quickly changing my stance on that, because yeah, I found they have much smut! Lol), but the front cover was interesting and I thought the back cover blurb sounded good. Plus there was bit of PNR in it. I was pleasantly surprised at the smexy smut in these pages, especially since I didn’t have to wait for it. By the third chapter, it was on like popcorn! Lol This is the first book I’ve read from this author, but after reading it, I decided I need to look into more of her writing.

I picked up Allyson James’s http://www.allysonjames.com/index.html Mortal Temptations because I liked the way the cover looked and the back blurb wasn’t too bad either. O.M.G. Talk about SCORE! Yeah, this one I really surprised that I liked. But one word, if you are looking for something with an actual plot, *snickers* (fyi, plot and smut do not necessarily go together), then you will be disappointed in this one. There is a little of everything in this book. There is some male-female, man-on-man, ménage and a hinted at man-on-man threesome. YUMMO! lol There are only two books in this series so far. The second book, Mortal Seductions is in my TBR pile waiting to make my acquaintance. Lol

One author whose book should DEFINITELY be in your TBR pile is Joey W. Hill http://www.storywitch.com/. Love, love LOVE her Vampire Queen’s Servant series. I kept seeing her books in at the bookstore I frequented, but yeah it was one of those $15 books. Now sometimes, depending on my mood, I’ll take a chance and splurge on book even if I’m not familiar with the author (and then pray to teh smut Goddess that it has lots of smex and doesn’t suck). I don’t spurge on new-to-me authors a lot though. That’s a lot of money to invest in an author you don’t know about and that you may, or may not like. So, I did the next best thing and went to the library to see if they had a copy of her book that I could sample. I found the first book in the series, The Vampire Queen’s Servant, at the library. I got about four chapters in and then decided I needed to own it. I went right out and purchased my own copy the next day (and read it twice). Talk about smut! It’s different take on the vampire story, as all the lead vampire characters are women (yay, girl powah! Lol) I’ve read the first three and have not been disappointed yet. I have the fourth book waiting in one of my TBR piles for me.

Last month, I read a book from one of Joey’s other PNR series. A Mermaid’s Kiss was a little different for me since it was about mermaids and angels, and I usually stick to vamps, weres, and shifters. But I had faith in Joey and she did not disappoint me. A Mermaid’s Kiss is a part of her Daughters of Arianne series. So far there are three books and I have all of them. I plan to read the second book, A Witch’s Beauty, sometime next month. Joey W. Hill also has several non-PNR series. I’ve been rec’d her Nature of Desire series, which I hope to get to sometime soon.

There you have it folks. This is quality smut I’m recommending here, so I KNOW you’ll find something to your liking. Lol I have a whole LOT (lots and lots) of other smutty recs I could give you, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with decisions. If you want some more smut recs or know of some smut in particular you think I should be in my TBR pile, don’t hesitate to hit me up on twitter @FERISHIA. :)

****Giveaway****

Emma Holly will send a copy of Demon’s Fire and Ferishia will send a copy of Kresley Cole’s Pleasure’s Of A Dark Prince to one commenter.

The rules for each giveaway:
 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.

Guestreview by Janna: Lorelei James - Raising Kane

~Go to Janna's blog~
When Leontine asked me to write a guest review for her Smutty Researchers at Play event I did a little happy dance! I feel like Leontine and I are smut-sisters-in-crime and I adore her and her fabulous ideas! She liked me to do one of my High Five, Low Five reviews about the latest installment of Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series because she knows how much I love this series about hot and sexy cowboys! So, here it goes.

Lorelei James
Raising Kane
Samhain Publishing - June, 2010 - 232 pages - ISBN 9781609280635

Series: Rough Riders series, book #9
Although this is the ninth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. Part of the extensive McKay clan does make an appearance, but their role is secondary to Kane’s and Ginger’s love story. For a better understanding of where Kane is coming from though, reading a few of the previous books is recommended, especially the book in which he’s introduced, Tied Up, Tied Down.

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Cowboys, Rope play, Sexual dominance, Parenthood

~~~~~
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
~~~~~
This is one of my High 5, Low 5 reviews. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head or raise my brows in a less admiring way.

Raising Kane is the ninth book of Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series and features another one of the hot McKay brothers and cousins: Kane. He’s the twin brother of Kade, who starred in book #4 Tied Up, Tied Down and who is one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. Kane always was sort of Kade’s evil twin, giving the McKay men their bad boy image. But the death of one of their cousins has changed him and now he’s let his wild hair down.

Kane’s love interest, Ginger, also has quite some history, although this is the first time in the series we learn about that. So when she and Kane get together they both have some issues to overcome. But how perfect can two people be for each other? Really, it's hard not to love this independent woman and her sexy cowboy!

The Back Blurb:

She surrendered the reins. Now he’s raising the stakes

When a patch of ice sends attorney Ginger Paulson head-over-high-heels down a flight of stairs, she has no one to care for her young son and her invalid father. Until lethally sexy Kane McKay shows up at the hospital, determined to prove his cowboy chivalry. Past experience has inoculated her against take-charge men, but even Ginger isn’t immune to Kane’s invasive charm and Built Ford Tough body.
For two years rancher Kane McKay has followed the Little Buddies mentoring program’s cardinal rule—hands off his Little Buddy Hayden’s mama. But one look at Ginger’s bruised body and Kane is through watching the stubborn woman take care of everyone but herself. The feisty, curvy redhead needs his help, and he’ll give her the hands-on type whether she likes it or not.
After Kane throws out doctor’s orders and issues his own demands—her full sexual submission—Ginger realizes Kane’s caring nature extends beyond just fulfilling her physical needs.
Can the former hell-raiser convince the gun-shy single mom to look beyond his past…toward a shared future?

Warning: Contains one sweet and hot hunk of cowboy manflesh who uses every sexual trick in the book to render a sassy fast-talking attorney speechless and puts a new twist on the term “binding” arbitration.

High 5

• Very erotic read!
Let’s start with the smut, after all I’m a ‘smutty researcher’ here. ;) If you’ve never read one of Lorelei James’ books before you’re definitely missing out on some of the very best smutty love scenes in the genre of erotic romance! As many books as Ms James has written yet, the sex scenes never become repetitive and are always scorching hot. Plus she knows perfectly how to convince me of the beauty of a dominant male in the bedroom (not that I need much convincing *ahum*). Her McKay men all have a sexual controlling nature, Kane is no exception, and that makes for super hot scenes that scorch your panties in a blink of an eye! But the appeal of it all is, that these erotic scenes all have a natural feel to them. They fit in the story smoothly without the book becoming an accumulation of one hot scene after the other for the sake of being erotic. No, the love scenes do each play a role in the relationship development. So, we get the best of two worlds.

• Strong, amiable main characters
Both Ginger and Kane are characters you can’t help but love. Ginger is a strong, independent woman who takes care of her invalid father and young son without ever being selfish. She does have some difficulties to trust a man and surrender to her feelings for Kane, but never to a point that her doubts become annoying. Kane is almost too good to be true. He’s hot for Ginger but acts completely selfless to win her trust and out of respect for her and her son and father. And Ginger does notice this:

“Kane’s consideration brought a lump to Ginger’s throat. This man was so much…more than she’d ever imagined. Sexy. Thoughtful. Sweet.”

To be honest, at this point I couldn’t help but think that his behavior was a little bit too perfect! Good thing he became more demanding and less selfless in the bedroom shortly after that ;). Also, he showed some insecurities, although not too openly, about being less smart and sophisticated than Ginger, he being a cowboy, she an attorney. These tiny things saved him from becoming boringly perfect or perfectly boring ;).
A strong characteristic of Ginger’s and Kane’s relationship was imo the fact that they were friends before lovers (thanks to the Little Buddy program that brought Kane and Gingers son Hayden together). Plus, both protags are in their thirties and leading a ‘mature’ life, and they have to deal with daily little burdens. Somehow this makes their love story very natural and their relationship to develop like a real one would.

• Great writing
Ms James’ writing is flowing and her words are easily evoking the images she wants us to see. I often felt as if the characters were there in the room with me and I could feel what they felt and join in the action any minute, *grin*, like in the next scene:

“Kane’s moist lips teased her ear and followed her jawline. A delicious slow, warm shudder worked through her entire body. He brushed his mouth across hers. Once. Then he eased back slightly to gauge her reaction.
Unconsciously, Ginger licked her lips.
A half growl rumbled from his chest and Kane captured her mouth and he kissed her.
Man, had he ever kissed her. A tongue-plundering, lip-gliding, hot, wet and conquering kiss. She figured she’d have a real screaming orgasm if she kept kissing Kane McKay, so she kept her lips locked on his. Lord, his kisses alone made her dizzy with desire. Drunk on his wicked sensuality.
The kiss ebbed and flowed, relaxed and intensified, and seemed to go on forever, but not nearly long enough.”

Another strong characteristic are the dialogues, which are a pleasure to read. Not only because they are quick and funny but vibrant as well. This made the interaction between the H/h very appealing.

• Subtle humor
I enjoy Lorelei James’ sense of humor which is already present in the naughty and double-meaning titles of the Rough Riders books. The title ‘Raising Kane’ makes you think of ‘raising hell’ but also of the biblical brothers Abel and Cain, which adds a slightly more serious note to it.
While telling her stories, sometimes the way Ms James phrases things makes me chuckle, sometimes other parts make me laugh out loud, like this one (which refers to Kane changing his name to Buck in book #4):

“The great experiment with changing his name to something completely different from his twin brother’s had lasted until the night he’d picked up a brunette in a bar outside of Gillette. Her continual cries of “Fuck me, Buck” and “Buck me, Buck” and “Suck me, Buck” were enough to make him ditch the name altogether—not that it’d really caught on.”

The laughs and chuckles always come unexpectedly; it never feels like the author tries to be funny to all cost, which brings the best smiles.

• Rich, real secondary cast
One of the strong features of this whole series, even when you read one of the books as a standalone, is the extensive cast of secondary characters. None of the couples are isolated from their surroundings, but always have strong supporting characters in their lives. In Raising Kane there’s not only the McKay family which we can follow throughout the series, but also new characters, like Ginger’s dad and son, Hayden, and they all feel like real people. Although the presence of the kid sometimes causes some interruptions of the sexy scenes - which is never something I’m too thrilled about - I must admit that his and Kane’s relationship was very endearing and sweet.


Low 5
I’m going to keep these short, because they really were only tiny niggles.

• Lack of angst
I like my romances a wee bit more intense. This ninth installment of the series was nearly angst free, which made it a much lighter read than the other books. It could’ve used some sort of misunderstanding or emotional drama perhaps.

• Goatees and oral scenes don’t match
I hardly swoon over men with permanent facial hair, although I can appreciate a five o’clock scruff very much. Kane has a goatee, which is fine when I’m not reminded too often of it. But it kept turning up, especially in some oral scenes and in relation to juices getting caught in it. Meh.

• Too tough?
I like my heroines to be tough and independent, and I loved Ginger for that, but at one point I wondered if she could really be that tough. Very shortly after she’s recovered from an injured shoulder, Kane ties her hands behind her back for quite a long time, without her uttering a single complaint, not during the scene nor afterwards.

• More please!
I regretted it when the story was over, maybe because I was expecting a plot twist or some sort of explosive climax in the story arc. But that probably wouldn’t have done this couple any justice, given their quiet, solid relationship building. I still would’ve liked to read a little bit more about them.

• Unfinished second storyline
There was another storyline in which Kane’s cousin Brandt takes the lead. He’s in love with his brother’s widow Jessie but she only sees him as a brother. It’s not the first time Ms James adds a second storyline to one of her books, for example I really enjoyed Carter’s in book #2, but this time it’s not a completed storyline, although it looked like it was going to be at first. It’s more of a set up for a next book in the series, while it takes up pretty much space. We were left hanging and therefore these parts felt out of place.


Those were my five highs and five lows. I really enjoyed Raising Kane! It’s a highly erotic and heartwarming love story with great main characters. Although I missed some emotional drama and would’ve liked one or two heartbreaking moments, this was still a fabulous installment in the Rough Riders series. It had great dialogues, wonderful writing, loveable protags and excellent sexual tension. It’s a sexy and sweet romance that had me purring while I was reading it. And now I’m jonesing for the next book, Cowgirls Don’t Cry, that will be released in November. Yippeeh!


Link luvin'

Lorelei James' weblog and website
Lorelei James on Facebook
Lorelei James on Goodreads
Buy the ebook at My bookstore and More or at Amazon
Read an excerpt here

****Giveaway****
A choice in an e-copy title of Lorelei James' Rough Rider series.

The rules for each giveaway:

 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.

Guestblog: A yaoi lesson with Kris

Today I have a funky, funny and smutty guest blogger for you all to meet who is going to give you a YAOI lesson. A what? A YAOI lesson. I didn't know of its existence either until I read on of Kris' blogposts. You can find her place at Kris 'n' Good Books & follow her on Twitter, where she talk about all random things and books. I'm a lurker at her place but often have a ball reading her thoughts or opinions :) So when I wanted more peeps to know about YAOI I knocked on the "pearly gates" of Kris' and she answered with the following:

A yaoi lesson with Kris

Hello class. My name is Miss Kris and I’ll be your substitute smutty teacher. Today, it is my privilege and honour to introduce you all to the ‘yaoi’ genre in 8 simple lessons. And, no, there won’t be a test because that sounds too much like hard work for me all involved.

Very basically, yaoi refers to Japanese manga and anime that focuses on ‘boy’s love’ and is written and drawn by women for women.

That’s right. It’s primarily for we pervy girls:

Because of this, it is sometimes accused of being overly romanticised and unrealistic. What. Ever. But if that’s not your thing – this would be Lesson 1 – go try ‘Bara’, which is the form created by and for gay men.

Lesson 2 – Unless it hasn’t quite smacked you across the back of the head yet, yaoi is all about boys falling in love, lust, etc with other boys. If your girly bits haven’t woken up to the fact this is a HOT HOT HOT genre then you might want to give it a miss.

Lesson 3 – For those of you who don’t know, manga and anime are the Japanese versions of comics and cartoons respectively. Although translated, the manga are printed in the Japanese form, which is read back to front, from right to left. It might take you a little while to get used to it, but once you have, especially if you like comics and graphic novels, the sky’s the limit!

Lesson 4 – So, you realise the whole manga thing means that you get drawn pictures, right. Of everything. *waggles eyebrows* Yep, everything. Some yaoi are more explicit than others but what’s the point of that. Still, if you are insane think it will squick you out, I’d suggest trying one of the more PG series such as Junjo Romantica.

Lesson 5 – Yaoi can be quite trope-y. This is normally something I can take or leave in general fiction, but, surprisingly, doesn’t bother me as much in yaoi. This, of course, has nothing to do with me being distracted by pictures of pretty boys fucking each other:

*ahem*

Anyhoo, commonly the yaoi relationship involves the seme (the attacker/ the seducer/ the top) and the uke (the receiver/ the innocent/ the bottom). To use language most of us who read PNR are familiar with; the seme tends to be the alpha and the uke the omega. This power dynamic is also reflected in the way the characters are drawn – the seme generally looking the more masculine of the two.

Lesson 6 – You may have noticed I’ve talked about ‘boys’ a lot in this post? This is because there is quite a lot of yaoi featuring pubescent guys. This can be off putting for some – a friend told me it was too much like fantasising about her son’s friends *eek!* - however, like everything, there are exceptions to this. One of these being the terrific Haru wo Daite Ita (Embracing Love) about two actors in their 20s and 30s who fall in love with each other.

Lesson 7 – ‘No, no, no, no, no, no...’ Whether it be ‘no, stop, I’m not into boys’ (ie but kissing/being sucked off is okay), ‘no, stop, it hurts’ (ie anal sex), ‘no, stop, it’s making me feel funny (ie he’s going to cum), get used to it. Let me make clear, though, that most of this type of thing falls under the banners of dub con/strong seduction or the uke protesting too much. I’ve only ever come across a couple which have made me very uncomfortable because I felt it was rape. Most just make me roll my eyes.

Lesson 8 – It’s back to Lesson 1. I won’t fib to you – yaoi can definitely be an education in suspending disbelief. These are women drawing and writing it after all and among other things some of these ladies can have fucking weird, err, interesting ideas about what gay sex is like, including self-lubing arses and copious amounts of cum. O_o Yeah.

So, even though I’m sure some smart arse will tell me I’ve left something out, that’s Miss Kris’ lesson in yaoi in a very basic, broad nutshell.

I suppose I’m meant to give you a few of my faves as well? Okay, my top 3: The Crimson Spell which is a high fantasy series by Ayano Yamane; Totally Captivated actually manwha (Korean manga) and yakuza themed; and, for western-based yaoi fiction, Jet Mykles’ awesome Heaven Sent series.

Oh, and btw:

Here endeth the lesson.
 




****Giveaway****

All comment are entries or extra entries for the $30,- dollar gift certificate so you can research your own kind of smut :)

The rules for each giveaway:
 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.

Guestblog: Hunk challenge...Cecile is in the house YAY

Today I have the one and only Ms. Smutty Hussy in my realm. I met her last year when she reviewed books from certain Satyr brothers and the minute I landed in her Lair I knew I would be right at home :) Ever since I'm a frequent flyer to her place and we have had a ball...or at least...that's what I think *wink* So when this feature popped in to my head I knew I had to give Cecile a challenge *insert wicked laughter* Here's how she met, conquered and nailed that challenge....

The floor is all yours hon!

A few weeks ago, Leontine threw the gauntlet down to her smutty sistahs.
What was that challenge you ask.
She was pondering a marathon of "Smutty Researcher At Play" at her place
and she wanted her smutty sistahs to come out and play with her...
Okay, that does not sound right...
Oh you know what I mean...
Now if you know me even the slightest bit ~
yeah I am a proud smutty hussy, but....
the second most important thing is....
if you issue me a challenge ~ I will rise to that challenge!!
And if who I am is boggling your mind...
It is I, Cecile Smutty Hussy from
All I Want And More blog
Leontine asked me to be a part of this challenge.
She knows I can not say no ~ especially to a fellow sistah!
So, ladies allow me to play with you today!
When Leontine gave me the job of researching...

I figured I needed to have the perfect back drop.
I started thumbing through my world map to see where I would want to go....
And for some reason Greece popped into my mind.
So, I started doing a little “Research” and found this cute little villa... Tilos.
So... off on the Smutty Hussy jet I went.
((What... we are an organization after all... we have to have our own personal planes!))
I stepped off the plane and it was absolutely gorgeous!!!!

(((( This picture is from Le Nostre Ville Esclusive. ))))

I was greeted by some wonderful people and they showed me around....
I was prepared for all the beauty that was going to surround me...
Just not Maxmilian.

Oh My Gosh...
You want to talk about drop dead gorgeous.
I knew in that instance that he was my research...
I mean...
He was my Man... I mean.. oh hell.. He was mine!

Oh yeah, Leontine knows me ohhh sooo welll.... So for my job...
I will give you guys all the juicy deets from my **cough** research!

So here I am with my job at hand **or in his hands or my hands on him**
She knows me all to well.... My **cough** research assignment is...

Come on Maximilian, don’t be shy.
You know you were NOT shy those few weeks we were...
**Umfph... **
**Cecile gets nudged in the ribs and slides Max a dirty look**
Okay... okay... come on...
** a grumble can be heard in the back ground**

Ladies meet Maximilian
He is from Tilos, Greece...
Oh yeah ladies, I have a Greek God on my hands
**waggles eyebrows**
Let me just fill you in on this man...
Maximilian stands at a wonderful six foot one inch
every inch is wonderfully sculptured to a tee
**believe me, I know**
He has that thick gorgeous dark chocolate hair
you will want to run your hands in all day and grab all night.
His eyes are the colors of the midnight sky...
deep and dark you want to get lost in them.
His lips... oh gawd
soft and pliable
yet demanding and asserting,
full and luscious
and yet always ready to give.
His hands,
there are a million ways I can express those hands...
Firm, hard
Soft and gentle
Rough and callused a but
they know hard work
but they know how to play delicate
There are some things I have to leave something to your imagination...
hee hee...
Well...

**Cecile turns to look at Max and he is blushing like crazy**
He love to play
In all sorts of ways
Wicked, wanton, naughty and nice
He is a charmer
*oh yeah, he will get your panties off if he wants*
He is man who knows what he wants
When he wants it and
How to take what he wants
He loves to offer variety
Ties, ropes, handcuffs, floggers, crops, paddles
Pink, purple, glass, vibrating...
Just to name a few
And....
His smile has been known to cause a few heat advisories

He is not all work and no play
His work is hard
His play is harder
On the job, he is dedicated
Off the job, he is even more dedicated.
His mission in life
"To be the pleasure before she goes to bed"

At least that is what he tells me before we go to bed every night
**big grins**
Nighty night!!!

Remember... Keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!

Beware! Rave review ahead: Joey W Hill - The Mark Of A Vampire Queen

purchase
author website


Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 5, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425219321
ISBN-13: 978-0425219324

Genre; Erotic/BDSM Paranormal Romance
Book II of the Vampire Queen series
Main Characters: Jacob & Lady Elyssa Amaterasu Yamato Wentworth
Book Origin: Personal Library

Cover Summary:
When he becomes Lady Lyssa’s full servant, Jacob crosses the threshold into a darker relationship with her than he’s known before. His time as a vampire hunter certainly hadn’t prepared him to embrace a world where humans are sexual commodities, but he adapted. Now he finds the integrity of his soul challenged as he serves his Mistress’s needs as fully as he services her desires.

The vampire world believes human servants are inferior, a vital source for their varying appetites. Jacob knows a human servant is far more than that. His Mistress needs a warrior, a friend and a lover. A man who will serve her in all ways, even if he has to betray the priceless treasure of her love.

My Review: This novel is the sequel to The Vampire Queens Servant and as such this review can contain mild spoilers. Just so your warned! Right from the get-go I have to say that THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN is a very character and romance driven story, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a plot, there was, it just played second violin. The torch of Jacob and Lyssa’s love burns bright which translated in sexual desires and feelings running so deep, it left a permanent mark on both main protagonists. The love unfolds itself on a backdrop where a vampire society is internally vying for control and this presents danger for Lady Elyssa Amaterasu Yamato Wentworth, the last vampire queen of the Far East Clan.

Joey W Hill immediately sets an emotionally fraught tone with a past life memory between Lyssa and Jacob, in which he was a knight, and it irrevocable drew me in. From there I felt flairs of pending danger but it was the deepening, the exploring of Jacob and Lyssa’s love that took the main stage. I slowly savored the growing bond and I got intimately acquainted with all they felt, wanted and needed. These two fascinating characters dueled with each other on every level; emotionally and physically, as with the heart and the soul. They challenged each other which translated in dynamic dialogues and along with an erotic force sizzling between them they were without a doubt each other’s match.

Since this is the sequel I got to know Jacob and Lyssa on an even more intimate level. The devotion of Jacob to Lyssa is moving – it doesn’t make him a lesser or weaker man – oh no, far from it! He is a man ingrained with valor, strength, chivalry and honor, but it is all encompassed by a matching arrogance and Alpha attitude. He is a hero that can drive you nuts but has you loving every minute of it, just because he cares so deeply for those in his heart.

Now Lyssa remains a captivating leading lady, she has a feral side to her, she is after all the last Vampire Queen and knows how her world works. Still, as the story progresses I got to witness more and more of her depth in the heart and soul. The intensity and extend in the way she cares, how she deems to shows that is something that I never would’ve expected reading in TVQS. She became one of those strong heroines that impresses profoundly, not by her physical strength or her Amazon attitude, but by the strength of her heart and her compassion.

Next to the courting, the issues that arise between Jacob and Lyssa and present danger, there is also a scorching passion blazing between them. It could go form gentle loving to a male/female power clash and it was all spiced up with a bit of variation to explore the sexual appetite. I loved it, it never bored me to feel the hunger emanating between Jacob and Lyssa, and that is not where it ended. As the plot gained more attention the council gathering became a plateau of inhibitive eroticism that was very arousing. It varied from a bit of M/M to group sexing and the use of certain toys wasn’t shied from either.

Of course there are mind games to be played, these vampires crave power and leave no chance unused to gain it. The vampire culture fascinated me with their rules, customs and rituals. I think Joey W Hill has created a great foundation for her world building and I’m eager to explore this culture further! The first half was very romance and character driven and the second half deepened on this and added a few plot twists that were hinted at in TVQS and the first half of this story. I will not go in to detail, that is for each to find out but for me the second half of the story was a perfect balance of character, romance and plot development.

I feel like I can go on and on about the awesomeness of this series, perhaps it’s just me, that this author knows how to find my hot buttons and keeps pushing it over and over again. I feel like a fan girl squeeing about characters who will never be forgotten and how their stories keep affecting me so. The only thing I want to add is that the secondary cast of characters equally piqued my interest. I met Jacob’s brother Gideon and their shared erotic moment with Lyssa was uber sensual. Gideon is a male who demands, period. I can’t wait to find out more about this tormented vampire hunter. Next to him vampire Mason also triggered my interest and Lady Daniella from Australia with her servant Devlin are also characters I hope to meet again later in the series.

THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN is an erotic romance of sheer excellence and I can understand the need for another story of Lyssa and Jacob. Their story is concluded but who doesn’t want more from such stellar characters? I feel like I’ve just been floored by a grand romance and have a hard time touching back to reality. A poignant story, that through the prose of Joey W Hill, delivered an epic romance between a vampire queen and a human servant which will deliver a thrill-ride of a read!

4,5 stars

Quote Jacob to Gideon:
“So love is all about meeting your terms, is it?” Idiot, stubborn, hardheaded jackass. You used to sing me when I had a nightmare. You used to smile. Gideon turned farther away, hunching a shoulder, but to Jacob’s surprise, he responded, his voice low and gruff. “I’m past loving anyone, Jacob. I just can’t handle it anymore. This is probably just the way it’s meant to be.” The desolation in Gideon’s tone was as cold as death, and Jacob wondered if the analogy was uneasily close to the reality of his brother’s life.

Quote Lyssa:
She’d left him a note, on the opposite side of the bed. “I made sure your brother took some breakfast with him. He thanked me for my hospitality and said if I ever hurt you he’d stake me out in the sunlight and happily watch me burn. I kissed him goodbye until his toes curled and he couldn’t walk without embarrassing himself. Maybe we should invite him to join us for Christmas.”

Quote Jacob [I feel this quote really give a good definition of who Lyssa is]:
He looked at her and saw the vampire queen, a warrioress. A cruel tyrant, a gentle nurse. A girl. A cold, haughty bitch, a generous and loving woman. A woman who loved fiercely. She’d stayed by a husband who’d been lost to violent madness. She shielded Thomas with her own life and risked all the power she was now trying to protect, all for the benefit of other.

****Giveaway****

Your comment on my review of The Mark Of A Vampire Queen enter's you in a giveaway where the winner can choose a book from Joey W Hill's backlist *woohoo*

See my blogpost; My first time reading Joey W Hill for more contest details.

My first time reading Joey W Hill + Giveaway

It’s morning and I’m sitting here in front of my pc, cup of decaf coffee ready and…my mind not. When I thought of the title I was sure as shit of myself that I would dish up a column-ish story about my first time with a novel from Joey W Hill. I’m actively searching my brains memory files as we speak so I can tell you how I got entangled in the backlist of this author. *sips on coffee*

*3 minutes later…silence is becoming annoying*

*looks at shelves hoping the covers triggers my memory*

*a choir of angels rise and sing HALLELUJAH!*

Of course, A MERMAID’S KISS *duh* *que Cecline Dion with; It’s all coming back to my nooooooooow*

It was the summer of 2009 and ROOB received some promo bookmarks from an author named; Joey W Hill. As always I fired up google and let it hook me up with all sorts of links. I ended up on her site, I strolled along and whoops there it was…an author firmly bleeping on my radar. JWH’s Daughters of Arianne lured to me like a siren to a sailor and I wanted…greedily wanted. But I have a love/hate affair going on with Trade paperbacks, I love the format, I hate the pricing, so I had to wait. Can I tell you guys I’m not a patient woman. Though my name is Leontine and I’m part Leo of Zodiac sign, I’m not a laid back person when it comes to the books I want. Oh no, I’m roaring my needs.

So I don’t know what happened, perhaps the stars aligned or dame faith worked her devious magic but Cecile from ALL I WANT AND MORE held a contest with A MERMAID’S KISS as a prize. I was ready to make a sacrificial offer when the contest ended and not long after I received an e-mail with the words; You’ve won a book at my place…come get A Mermaid’s Kiss. Can I say I had an orgasmic feel of elation? In no time I was the proud owner of my copy of A Mermaid’s Kiss and in September I read it. You want to know how hard and fast I fell for Joey W Hill’s imagination? Go here to read my review of A MERMAID’S KISS.

Now I don’t glom often and I temporarily overcame my hate for Trade paperbacks to buy & pre-order all the books from the Daughter’s of Arianne & the Vampire Queen series. This author pushes all my buttons with lyrical prose, well fleshed out characters, quirky humor, great sexing and a romance that begins with a spark and ends with a freaking blazing inferno, rockin’ my romance world with high scores on my rating scale.

She even gave me two female protags that ended up in my hall of fame. I’m normally not an easy gal to be wow-ed with female characters but Mina from A Witch’s Beauty ( 5 stars *thud* sooo good!!) and vampire queen Lady Elyssa Amaterasu Yamato Wentworth are females I would love to call BFF’s. They combine darkness with light and add quirky humor to it in the mean time, I love how they handle men and their life. 

Since my first time was almost a back-to-back read of A Mermaid’s Kiss & A Witch’s Beauty they will always have that extra glow….cause, it was my first time after all *smiles* For the Smutty Researchers At Play I read THE MARK OF A VAMPIRE QUEEN (review will be posted tomorrow) and again this is a series that completely has me in its grip. To Lyssa; I know you and I had to take a long moment for me to understand the depth of your heart and soul but you amazed me in TMoaVQ! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. To Jacob; You had me at hello and ‘Ta gra agam ort’ as the hero of heroes you are*content sigh*. And to Gideon; I’m counting the days until we meet again and though I know a HEA is going to happen with another I wished I met you sooner. Because I know in my heart of hearts I was secretly the one for you *grin*

Okay, mushy fangirl lovey-dovey things aside, I have to share the cover hussy side of me as well. No, no, if you're at my place you have to "endure" the hardship of looking at pics like these! I was in the Walhalla of covers when I googled images on JWH’s books and I just had to share my favorite one till now with you all:

- Enters state of cover bliss –

Now with Joey W Hill’s permission I copied a small excerpt from her site, which is loaded with book info – excerpts and links ;) Here read a bit about the scorching connection Lyssa and Jacob share…fan and ice cubes are available!

The Mark of the Vampire Queen

Erotic/BDSM Paranormal Romance

© Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Background – this chapter occurs in the aftermath of an unpleasant encounter with Lyssa’s enemy, the vampire Carnal, and his young human servant, Melinda. No real spoilers here, never fear – we all know Carnal is a lowlife!

Jacob thought he’d be worn out and simply seek oblivion. Instead he took his Mistress again and again, using them both hard. The world might treat the idea with crass vulgarity, but in the darkness, with despair closing in, a man found sacred sanctuary in the wet heat of a woman’s pussy. His woman’s.

Exhaustion finally took some of the pain, leaving it vibrating discordantly off of the waves of the last orgasm, but it wasn’t enough. He pulled out only to give him the ability to maneuver his mouth down her throat toward the sweet taste of her nipples, the valley between her breasts. When his hand slid between her thighs, she opened to him, let his fingers slide into the channel he’d already soaked with his fluids and her own. Her breath whispered out in a quiet sigh of pleasure.

Perhaps Carnal should not have spoken so hastily about inferior mortal stamina. Her thoughts drifted through his mind, her pleasure with him spurring his efforts.

And do vampires value stamina in bed over other attributes? When he thrust his cock into her again, her tender tissues took him slowly, her hips tilting up as he slid his arm under her waist, his palm spreading out between her shoulder blades to bring her to his mouth, nip at her sternum. Tease the flesh of her breasts with his beard.

Like size, it’s what they do with it that matters. For the man…or vampire…who doesn’t know what he’s doing, stamina can become never-ending…torment. When she moaned, he relished the sound fiercely, deepening his penetration, knowing as her nails curled into his back and her cunt muscles tightened that he would make her come again. And again. Her climaxes, her screams would drive the memories back, let him fall into a sleep where they could not follow and strangle him.

“What about the man who knows what he’s doing and has stamina?” He nudged into her hair and bit her ear, moving to the tender skin below. Need pulsed like blood hunger beneath the thin veil of his teasing.

She drew his lips insistently back to hers.

“That man I might just have to keep forever.”

He fell into exhausted sleep, still deep inside her. She’d had her arms twined around his shoulders as he rested in the cradle of her thighs, pressing her into the mattress. When he woke that way several hours later, she surprised him further by staving off her dawn slumber with creative use of his morning erection, bringing them both to peak again.

****Giveaway****

Joey W Hill has generously offered a copy from her backlist to one commenter *woohoo*

The rules for each giveaway:
 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.

Q: Now which first time, regarding books, do you want to share with me *grin*

Guestblog: Smokinhotbooks Approves of the Following Smutty Characters

K.C. from Smokinhotbooks is one of the smutty chica’s I love to hang out with. She has humor, she has sass and always has the 411 on smutty books. So I asked her to come over and talk some smutty characters for you and all I can say is, let’s make some cocktails and nibble on some chocolate covered….erm, anything *grin*

Smokinhotbooks Approves of the Following Smutty Characters

Stop! Minimize your Amazon and Goodreads windows people. I repeat, back away from your TBR pile ‘cause Smokinhotbooks is here to HELP with your smut. That’s right. Below you will find a list of the following characters that are ensured to make your toes curl.

Piercings/Tattoos

Anyone care for a little mannery or body art? Well, then kindly step over to our 'Bad Men Booth', where you are sure to find any and all roguish man-beauty of the hard-ass kind, including sexy tattoos and piercings. Smokinhotbooks says there's nothing like a man with a tramp stamp and some nipple rings to make a girl stick out her ladies, do a little come hither shimmy and say, "I'll take one of those".

All the men from Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld books are sure to have sexy body art. A great two-fer is Gideon from Darkest Lie, he has piecing and tattoos - I'm purring already.

Not into the man jewelry or body art? Well, here at Smokinhotbooks we have a little something for everyone. For those who like their men a little rough around the edges, then our Alpha hot studs are your guys. These are your take-charge bodice rippers that are sure to make your eyes cross and your heart race.

Vikings

Jaid Black's Viking series offers some hot underground Viking warriors that like to kidnap lonely women and do naughty things to them. If you are in the mood for some erotic-naughtiness and men that have the ‘fireman carry’ down to a fine art you can’t miss out on Vikings.

Alpha Demons and Werewolves

Kresely Cole has some of the best alpha's hotties out there and the Demon Brothers of Woede, otherwise known as Cadeon and Rystrom are guaranteed PD's(That's pantry droppers to the uninitiated). These tricksie demons are not afraid of women with a little spirit and thus makes me want them even more.

Kiss of the Demon King

Dark Desires After Dusk

Larissa Ione’s Demonica Series – psst they need lovin’ to survive (insert ecstasy eye roll here)

Desire Unchained

Pleasure Unbound

Passion Unleashed

Ecstasy Unveiled

The Lykaes- Kresely Cole

Another favorite of mine are the Bowen and Lachlain. These delicious beasties are assured to light your fire.

A Hunger Like No Other

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night.

Alpha + growling + maybe a little biting perhaps…?

Shelly Laurenston's Magnus Pack and Pride Stories

Finally the cream of the crop, the guys that have it all ta-dah

Bones, he's charming, he's gorgeous and is a practically a sex god. Need we say more. (Night Huntresses series by Jeaniene Frost)

Barron from Karen Marie Monings Fever series. This guy is a trooper I tell ya. In order to save Mac from being a pri-ya he kindly offers to ‘help’ her by sexin’ it out of her. That’s my kind of medicine.

Xoxoxxo

Smokinhotbooks

What are your favorite smutty characters?

****Smutty character giveaway****

Gena Showalter has been so generous to give one lucky commenter a copy of The Darkest Lie. (US only)

Kresley Cole has offered a signed copy from her backlist along with signed cover flats from her upcoming release; Demon From The Dark.

The rules for each giveaway:
 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information. 

Researching the smut: Kitty Thomas COMFORT FOOD + GC Giveaway

Today I had a column planned on me and my smut habits but something intervened with that plan, or should I say, a story intervened ;) I love the side of reading where a story unexpectedly grabs you by all of your heartstrings and broadens your horizon. Where it dares you to look at emotional attachment/love from a different angle and come to realize it fits the main characters to a tee, that this is what makes them happy.

An unexpected read made me research a different erotic lifestyle. So instead of a lighthearted column about me rambling on my smut habits, I give you my review of a novel that was an above and beyond experience and a five-stars-story on my reading Richter scale.

Kitty Thomas – Comfort Food
author website
Published: Mar. 21, 2010
Category: Fiction » Erotica » Literary Erotica
Words: 52396 (approximate)
Language: English
!!!!At Smashword it's free with code SW100!!!! (Offer good thru Jul. 31, 2010)

Ebook Description
Emily Vargas has been taken captive. As part of his conditioning methods, her captor refuses to speak to her, knowing how much she craves human contact. Told in the first person from Emily's perspective, Comfort Food explores what happens when all expectations of pleasure and pain are turned upside down, as whips become comfort and chicken soup becomes punishment.

Parental Rating:
This book contains content that may not be suitable for young readers 17 and under.

Tags
bdsm, bdsm erotica, dark erotic fiction, dark erotica, erotic suspense, erotic thriller, erotica, literary erotica, masochism, masterslave, punishment, sadism, sadomasochism.

Note: Before I give you my review I just wanted to give some kudos to Cecile, her review of Comfort Food was one that triggered me to buy this story and all I can say is; Thank you Cecile!

My Review: COMFORT FOOD was a story that I received, read, and it conquered me with such a powerful story I’m left awe-struck. This is in no way, shape or form a mainstream erotica and a one-of-a-kind story I feel will fascinate many avid readers of this genre. I can warn you of all the things that might throw you out of your comfort zone; yes this is a story with the Master/slave trope. Yes there is no traditional romance. Yes there are actions and decisions that challenge the very moral foundation of our society. And yes, this erotic story has a darker, gritty tone that will push the envelope. Don’t let this hold you back though, let it challenge you instead! Kitty Thomas gave me an emotionally stellar read where both Master and Emily Vargas are mesmerizing characters and their synergy struck a very elemental cord with me. For the life of me I couldn’t put this book down, all I wanted was to continue delving in the psyche of both the Master and Emily. I wanted to know what made them tick, why they chose certain actions or made certain decisions and gradually I witnessed the blooming of something more, something that was so elemental, undeniable and real, I was left stunned by the end.

Emily Vargas is on the top of the world in her career as an author of self-help books. She is an attractive, confident and self-sufficient woman of her time who lives her life according to her rules. She never thought it possible for someone to kidnap her, she never let her drinks unattended, and still, she finds herself in a situation where she is confronted with a darker part of herself. Emily’s dynamic world came to a halt and suddenly was narrowed down to only one person – him…Master.

The male opponent of Emily, who never receives any other name then Master, is very detailed and meticulous in his actions. Though the interaction comes from Emily his presence is such a force within the story told. Without little to none dialogue coming from him or POV given by the author his personality is very well fleshed out. Expression of body language, the look in his eyes or simple gestures were all the communicative skills he needed to make himself understood.

Comfort Food revolves around two characters in an extraordinary situation. Because the author keeps it very close to Master and Emily there is lots of room for the unraveling of personality characteristics, one on one interaction or lack thereof, and allowing the reader to really come to understand how their relationship dynamics work. The intensity of the story needed nothing more and I was wholeheartedly succumbed to witnessing the reasoning clash with the emotions. In this Kitty Thomas really let me understand Emily. As a woman I related myself to her and I really needed to understand how a captive could fall for her captor? First of all I think the flashback to Emily’s past was a very strategic move to explain an essential issue for me. Second, Emily has a major in Psychology so she understood on a basic level where certain behavior was coming from. If she would act out there would be ramifications, period. And third, the Master. I think I got enough point of view from him to know his state of mind and emotions and two-third into the story there was a revelation that convinced me of the great characterization abilities of this author, suddenly things were understood that made me raise my eyebrow in question before.

The eroticism is in some ways explicit but not graphic and tastefully written to allow the imagination to work as well. At first I was afraid Emily’s fear would remain the trigger for her obedience but it slowly evolved in to something else, something deeper that conveyed the steep emotions behind the erotic actions. When you strip away everything else, at the core Comfort Food is about a Master conditioning his slave. I absorbed COMFORT FOOD, immersed myself in the growing attachment between these two intriguing personalities. Emotions poured out of me while reading. I cried, I felt joy, I rooted for Emily and her inner strength and I was relieved when Master showed a more personal side to himself. As this story is told it’s portrayed not to judge but to expand the horizon. This is no mushy love story but the connection forged between Master and Emily is one that’s tested, tried and overcoming personal boundaries to release inner fears and accept your most inner desires. Which ultimately is setting them both free to be…

The depth of the erotic ministrations, the fundamental interaction and the psychological working of a Master and his slave is showcasing a stark but intrinsic love that impressively goes against type! I can’t emphasize enough how beautiful and honestly this story is written! I love it when an author delivers a thought-provoking story that challenges me to look beyond what I know. I love it when an author introduces characters who make me believe in their kind of happily ever after. I can’t get enough of authors who deliver a story that triggers all of my emotions. Only two other authors in the Erotica genre had this specific effect on me; Joey W Hill and Diana Hunter with Secret Submission, now I can add Kitty Thomas to this small but very cherished group.

The ending broke my heart and healed it almost simultaneously and with closing this novel I know without a shadow of a doubt I will never forget either Master or Emily! COMFORT FOOD is an invitation to explore a different kind of Erotic story and I hope many of you dare to accept it! I know I have read a story that will definitely end up in my top 20 of 2010.

5 stars

Quote:
If I'd learned anything over the weeks of my captivity, it was that obedience equaled reward, and disobedience equaled punishment. He never lashed out in anger. He was always in control, both of me and of himself. It made me put faith in him that ultimately, if I followed the rules, he wouldn't harm or kill me. Masturbation wasn't allowed for any reason. Sexual pleasure would come from him and him alone. He mentioned the erotica. He wanted me to read it, at least one book a week, but I wasn't allowed to touch myself. If I did, I would be punished. Punishment was as I thought and as he'd confirmed earlier with only a look. I would be sent to the cell for any infractions.

****Research the smut Giveaway****
A $30,-(thirty dollars) giftcertificate, so you can research your own smut, to any online e-bookstore where I can pay with the options available to me.

The rules for each giveaway:
 You can assume each giveaway is international unless states otherwise. Author’s have been extremely generous but even their generosity has limits sometimes!
 Every [meaningful] comment you make on a blogpost with a giveaway attached will be an entry to that particular giveaway. So if you make 3 comments, you will be entered 3 times.
 I will announce all winners to each giveaway on August 4th, you are personally responsible for contacting me with your snail mail or e-mail information.