Blurring the Lines Between Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance by Cassandra Chandler

BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN

SCIENCE FICTION AND

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Guest post by Cassandra Chandler

The line between Science Fiction and Fantasy is often a blurry one. As someone who writes Science Fiction, Paranormal, and Urban Fantasy Romance, I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring this in my Cygnian 7 series. While these books are absolutely Sci-fi Romance, they contain aspects of the Paranormal as well. The Cygnians have soulmates that they seek throughout their life—the single sentient who holds the other half of their soul. Until the soulmates meet, they always feel as if something is missing.

When I sat down to write their books, I knew that the Cygnians were facing an extinction-level threat from an imbalance in their population. I had an idea for the science behind why so many more males have been born than females over the past few centuries, but I had no idea about the mechanism for how soulmates worked in these sentients or how Cygnian soulmates were being born on Earth.

In the Cygnian 7 series, I get to delve into the origins of the soulmates’ spiritual journeys, going so far as to showing you what the Cygnian afterlife is like in the third novel, Lar: A Scifi Alien Warriors Romance, and introducing you to their goddess. It’s been fascinating to discover more about the Cygnians and their soulmates as I write their stories, and so much fun to explore the boundaries between what should be explained through Science Fiction and what needs to be left in the Paranormal realm of the unknowable. It’s also a great way to mess with my characters. 

In Dorn: A Scifi Alien Warriors Romance, Amy isn’t even sure she believes in souls, let alone soulmates. The pull she feels toward Dorn is irresistible, but since she’s someone who needs to have rational, scientific explanations, she balks at giving in to their connection (plus, she thinks he abducted her, and is not okay with that, no matter how gorgeous he is). It was so fun to explore that aspect of her character and watch how it manifested in her reactions toward Dorn—and how he tried to handle it.

The Cygnians and I, as well as my readers, have so much more to learn about this aspect of their existence, and it’s going to tie in with much bigger storylines going forward. I’m thrilled to continue their adventure and see where these new stories take us.

ENJOY AN EXCERPT FROM DORN:

He smirked as he focused on the electric arcs of pleasure firing along his spine plates, knowing that, as his soulmate, she had to be feeling something similar. If what the other warriors in his prism had told him was true, focusing on the sensation would amplify what she was experiencing, adding his pleasure to her own. She gasped, brown eyes widening and lush lips parting. Her cheeks and neck flushed and her heart accelerated, his dual, discordant beats quickening in an attempt to match hers.

She shook her head and said, “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” He took another step forward and this time she didn’t retreat.

“Stop putting your alien pheromone whammy on me.”

“‘Alien pheromone whammy?’ I have no idea what that is.”

“Bullshit,” she said. “If you didn’t know what I’m talking about, you wouldn’t look so smug.”

His grin broadened. Nothing slipped past his soulmate.

“How did you know I can’t swim?” he asked.

“Lucky guess. You’re deflecting.”

“Deflecting. That’s an interesting word.” He nodded, overplaying his pondering. “It implies warding something off. Turning away an attack.” He stepped closer again, till he could almost feel her heat. Leaning in a bit, he said, “Are we sparring, Amy?”

Her eyes narrowed further. 

DORN

A SCIFI ALIEN WARRIORS ROMANCE

BY CASSANDRA CHANDLER

Amy Myers has dedicated herself to learning everything she needs to become a field agent and protect people. Martial arts, weapons training, strategy, whatever it takes. She will achieve her objective, despite her family’s objections. Discovering that her entire planet needs to be protected from hostile aliens after she’s nearly killed during an abduction attempt changes her plans—especially when the giant blue alien who took her from Earth claims her as his soulmate.

Before he even met Amy, Dorn nearly lost his newly found soulmate in a brutal attack by the Tau Centauran Assembly. When he touched her broken body, he realized she was his. Their bond should draw her to him like the pull of a gravity well, but she’s convinced that he and his fellow Cygnian Warriors have abducted her and her sisters and were behind the attack that nearly cost her life.

Dorn knows the true enemy hasn’t stopped his deadly pursuit of the Myers sisters. The malevolent shape-shifting alien chasing them is still out there, and he will do whatever is necessary to obtain his new target—Amy. Can Dorn convince Amy that they are meant to be together or will he lose her forever?

AVAILABLE FROM:

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ABOUT CASSANDRA CHANDLER:

USA Today Bestselling author Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her enthralling Science Fiction Romances and darkly evocative Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or dark, her stories will introduce you to characters you’ll fall in love with and worlds you long to explore.

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Guest: Patricia Kiyono - Gateways to the Paranormal

Paranormal Romantics is happy to welcome Patricia Kiyono today. She's here to tell us about an anthology that paranormal romance fans are sure to enjoy.

Patricia Kiyono

Thank you so much for the opportunity to tell your readers about Gateways to the Paranormal. I am so honored to be included in this collection of paranormal romance stories, collected and published by Dingbat Publishing.

 Growing up, I learned about Japanese fables and legends, called monogatari, from books that my aunts sent us from my mother’s home country. I spent hours reading about fascinating mythical creatures, so different from the fairy tales American children learn. When I learned about Dingbat’s callout for paranormal romance stories, I knew I wanted to base it on a monotatari, but which one? I did some research and discovered one that hadn’t been included in my earlier reading, about Tsukogomami, or “tool spirits.” According to legend, once an object becomes one hundred years old, it develops a soul, can move around, and talk. Most often they get into mischief, especially if they feel they’ve been neglected or unused. There are manga books about umbrellas and articles of clothing, but for my story I decided on a 100-year-old tea set inherited by a young graduate student in Michigan. The tea set is happy to be taken out of storage, and sets about finding a suitable partner for her. Monogatari Mischief is a short novella, so I hope you’ll enjoy this as well as the other stories in the book.

Here are the fourteen stories included in the book:

The Ghostess and Mister Muir by J. L. Salter: With one haunting, Levi Muir is entranced with a beautiful ghostess. His colleague Lucy tries to convince him the supernatural is real and not to be taken lightly. She’s willing to fight for his heart, because no self-respecting Southern girl takes second place to a ghost.

Blood Defiance by April Kelly Jones: Lavender’s pre-med. studies are interrupted by a whispered voice in her head, But how can a stranger know her so intimately, and why does he want her to go hunting supernatural things with him?

My Guardian Demon by Kayla Krafts: Getting rid of a wraith shouldn’t have been an issue. But the wraith left a trace of… something in his victim, a homeless man, and now, Cecelia and Zozo worry he’s changing into something they’ll have to hunt. And who would have thought he’d clean up that nice?

Monogatari Mischief by Patricia Kiyono: Mindy Granger loves her grandmother’s tea set, but the cups seem to always be lost, and it’s driving her crazy. Maybe it’s not such a good thing when she meets her handsome next-door neighbor, even though she thinks the tea set likes him.

The Weatherboy by Lori Lapekes: Life turns stormy when Reed Darby, a sixteen-year-old aspiring meteorologist, taps into a bizarre website called Misfit Books. But once a lightning bolt creates a chunk of glass that helps him control the weather and win his girl, things really go haywire.

Ghosted by Jerri Drennen: Camila is helping a friend research the man who wrote the old letters they found in an antique desk. What they find is a handsome ghost who can’t move on, stuck in the house where he died. Can Camila help set Charles Asper free without losing her heart?

Welcome to the Hotel Fatewell… in California by Charles A. Salter: Brad is fighting a messy divorce, and it’s not looking good. But when a visitation with his daughter Carly turns into a nightmare out of an old Eagles song, he knows they’ll only survive with the assistance of the beautiful woman he can hear but not see… the woman he’s always loved, who vanished so many years ago.

Arachne's Tapestry by Kay Springsteen: Author John Mason cannot seem to start his sixth book. That is, until he meets an inspiring new friend with eight legs and a love of weaving webs. Suddenly he's got all kinds of ideas. Trouble is, what he writes is starting to come true.

Pillow Talk by Ruth J. Hartman: What happens when a tooth fairy falls in love with her dentist? The dental community may never be the same!

Love’s Fortune by Nicole Zoltan: Elizabeth needs a job, but being a fortune-teller for a traveling circus seems iffy.

Cian and Arin by Felicia Rogers: Beginning: Cian Conn hates hiding what he really is—a gray gryphon destined to protect the helpless—but the grays’ ancient rules of secrecy force him to live under cover. When a new sect of gryphons arise, declaring their independence, Cian longs for the same freedom, but he’s leery of risking such change. For their feathers have turned black, and so have their souls.

Frozen Flowers Fallen by Sara Westill: In a country obsessed with genetically inherited gifts, Bella Fenwick is no one special. Then a handsome Ruthenian walks into her life, a wolf at his side. He won’t let Bella hide behind her desk and discredit the evidence she’s discovered that could help him find a murderer.

Star of Wonder by J. Gunnar Grey: Kennie needs something to believe in and he’s sucked in when a beautiful stranger gives him a chance to escape his cynical, disappointing reality. But danger haunts Niviane’s world and Kennie can’t remain happily oblivious for long.

Garden of the Lost by D. J. Donaldson: A shocking event sends Conrad on a crazy quest that rocks his small town, uncovers its deepest secrets, and shows him there’s a lot about life—and death—he hasn’t understood.

 

Gateways to the Paranormal is available at Amazon.

 

Patricia’s Bio:

During her first career, Patricia Kiyono taught elementary school music, computer classes, elementary classrooms, and junior high social studies. She now teaches music education at the university level.

She lives in southwest Michigan, USA, not far from her children and grandchildren. Current interests, aside from writing, include sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, and making music. A love of travel and an interest in faraway people inspires her to create stories about different cultures.

Feline Heroine

Today I'm celebrating the release of a new Urban Fantasy, NIGHTMARE INK, written by my friend and critique partner, Marcella Burnard. Please give her a warm welcome for her guest post!

Hatshepsut wants you to know that she is the model for the cat in my Urban Fantasy novel NIGHTMARE INK. Isa, the heroine of the book, has a cat, Ikylla, and a dog, Gus. I introduced Gus and the real life inspiration for him yesterday. Today, it’s Ikylla and Hatshepsut’s turn. 

Hatshepsut is my real life, youngest feline. She lives aboard our sailboat with me, my husband, and two other cats. She is the queen, and she has very specific notions about how she is to be treated. Adoration is fine, thank you, so long as you aren’t too forward and obtain her permission to touch the sacred fur, first. However, your veneration and offerings of cheese are preferred.

Ikylla is meant to be a long haired version of Hatshepsut. Same regal bearing, same ‘you will worship me’ attitude, even if she lives in an apartment rather than on a boat. She’s also forced to share her living arrangement with a dog, an indignity that Hatshepsut has been spared. If only because I’m allergic to dogs and my heroine, Isa, is not. This may make NIGHTMARE INK a bit of pet ownership wish fulfillment. 

Writing Ikylla was easy, easier than writing the dog, Gus. My parents had cats before they had kids, so I grew up having to learn cat language. My folks insisted. They were spectacularly, and rightly, unsympathetic when I’d come crying to them because one of the cats scratched me. “What’d you do to the cat to deserve that?” I might have whined, “Nothing!” but I always slunk away because we all knew that our cats didn’t lash out for no reason and that meant I had earned my results. It made me motivated to learn how to read every twitch of whisker, ear, and tail if I wanted the cats to like me and still play with me. (They were great playmates with wicked senses of Siamese humor. I was invested in making myself likeable.)

The result, I think, is a stronger sense of Ikylla’s body language in Isa’s story. The cat speaks volumes more than the dog simply because I have a much stronger grounding in feline behavior. Funny. I’d always wanted to be bilingual. It hadn’t occurred to me that, after a fashion, I might be. I understand cat. Not that I speak it all that well, according to my three. They consider me a particularly dense kitten. Until they want to eat. Then I’m the light of their lives.

I didn’t want the animals in NIGHTMARE INK to be ornamental. I wanted them to be characters in their own right. They have roles to play in the story. No spoilers, but there is a scene where Ikylla goes hunting. That, too, is based on Hatshepsut, who is a great hunter. In her own mind. She prides herself on bringing me freaking huge spiders. We live in Western Washington. Dangerous spiders are thin on the ground in these parts, but Hatshepsut is so proud to bring European Brown Spiders (2” leg span! Yay!) to drop before me so that I may praise her prowess. O_o I will say that Ikylla’s prey is significantly more dangerous and challenging, but the last time Hatshepsut brought in a spider at 5am and dropped it on my bed? It’s possible I levitated straight out of sound sleep to get away. I could hear that spider crawling up the bed clothes. Shudder.

What about you? What stories do you have about your animals that you’d work into a book? Would your pets sue for defamation? Could you buy them off with a few pieces of cheddar the way I’ll be able to do with Hatshepsut?

NIGHTMARE INK is available in E-format

With the needle of a tattoo gun, Isa Romanchzyk has the power to create and destroy. In her shop Nightmare Ink, Isa helps those in need by binding the powers embedded in their Live Ink—the magical tattoos that can enhance the life of the wearer, or end it.  But binding tattoos has earned Isa the contempt of her fellow artists—including her former lover Daniel.

When a friend comes to the shop with a tattoo on the verge of killing him, Isa can’t turn him away. For the first time in years, she works Live Ink into someone’s skin—something she swore she’d never do again. But breaking her vow soon becomes the least of her problems.

Isa is horrified to discover her friend’s body in the shop, but the real nightmare begins when she’s abducted and inked against her will.  Now, as she seeks retribution from the man who betrayed her, Isa must figure out how to bind her Living Tattoo before it consumes her completely…

*** 

Marcella Burnard graduated from Cornish College of the Arts with a degree in acting. She writes science fiction romance for Berkley Sensation. Her first book, Enemy Within won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award for Best Futuristic of 2010. The second book in the series, Enemy Games, released on May 3, 2011. An erotica novella, Enemy Mine, set in the same world as the novels was released as an e-special edition by Berkley in April 2012. Emissary, a sword and sorcery short story released in the two volume Thunder on the Battlefield Anthology in the second half of 2013. Nightmare Ink, an Urban Fantasy novel from Intermix available April 15, 2014

When Myth Becomes Reality - Guest Post by Layna Pimentel

When Myth Becomes a Reality

Imagine for a moment you’re a child, opening your first book of mythology, and falling in love with the images of beautiful gods and goddesses. Every heroic tale has you fascinated, and engrossed with all the love and riches. But the punishments the gods delivered, terrified you. Take, for example, the story about the Prometheus’ stealing the secret of fire and giving it to mankind. I mean, the image of the Titan being bound to a stake, and have his regenerating liver eaten out by an eagle daily is disgusting.

It’s these first experiences that I had with Greek mythology, which has become a bit of an obsession for me. If there’s a movie, book, or article written on the subject, you better believe I’ll be buying, reading, or watching it. J

Myth became a reality for me when I started to write about one of the nine muses. Melpomene, for whatever random reason called to me, and with her being the Muse of Tragedy, I thought it fitting to pair her with a military figure. Toss in some embellishments, fictional characters, and combine it with a contemporary setting, 

and you’ve got yourself A Gift From Fate.

Do you have a favorite mythical creature or deity? I’d love to hear from you.

But first, here’s a blurb and excerpt of my latest release. Enjoy!

BLURB

After colliding with a stunning vision in white, retired Staff Sergeant Brent Daniels offers to drive the beautiful stranger to a hotel for the night, but instead discovers he’s with one very lost creature. He’s bewitched by her sinful curves, her dark and mesmerizing eyes, and the pull at his soul with each minute passing. Nevertheless, he can’t shake the feeling she’s hiding something.

Melpomene, daughter of Zeus, finds her handsome rescuer resembles the man who has continuously haunted her dreams. Before long, she’s in his arms, wanting more. Knowing their days are numbered, desperation leads her to reach out for help by an unlikely ally.

Just how far will these two lovers go, and what will they sacrifice to be together?

EXCERPT

“My name is Melp—Mel Pomene.” She’d nearly given herself away. Zeus, her father, would have heard had she whispered her name. Her father. Heavens, he’d turn the mortal realm upside down if he suspected she was here. And right now, she desired nothing more than to stay a little longer. With any lucky, I’ll return before he notices.

“Well, Mel, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Your last name is rather unusual. I assume you’re not from these parts?”

His question silenced any thoughts drifting through her mind at that moment. A new kind of tension rose within her. She couldn’t disclose her origins or who she was. Guilt settled in her stomach for leaving her sisters behind, but she wasn’t given a choice. The Fates dropped her here, only mentioning an experience for three days…provided Zeus didn’t find out. Only the Gods knew what he’d do if he found her cavorting around without a proper escort.

“Earth to Mel? Are you all right?”

“Yes, I am. I’m just thinking of home, which is Greece. I’ve come to the United States for an adventure, it would seem.”

He chuckled before she’d finished speaking.

“What is so amusing?”

“The mere mention of seeking adventure after getting lost is rather comical, nothing else, sweetheart.” He removed his right hand from the wheel and petted her knee. The warmth of his hand stirred an unfamiliar emotion within. This was the man from her dream. Those hands had touched parts of her body no mortal would have dared, and here she sat, wishing he’d do more than pat her.

WHERE TO BUY

www.secretcravingspublishing.com

www.amazon.com

www.allromanceebooks.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.bookstrand.com

WHAT AM I WORKING ON NEXT

I’m working on the second installment of my Pleasure Garden Follies series, and something super sexy, I hope to announce soon. Make sure to stop by my site for latest updates.

BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.

Layna is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and is a monthly contributor at 69 Shades of Smut. For updates on her upcoming releases, or to leave her a comment, you can find at:

www.laynapimentel.com | Twitter | Facebook | Google+

Join us for a special edition of BACHELORETTE!

Welcome today to my special guest, Piper Denna, whose characters from her recent menage release, Victoria's Secret Wish will be battling it out for Victoria's heart today. Let's get to know our bachelors:


Bachelor #1 (not really a bachelor) BRETT (36-year-old Brett Grant is married to Victoria West and co-owns Fantasies, Inc, which focuses on fulfilling adult fantasies, both at their Wyoming resort and the cruise ship they’re launching tomorrow. Brett is wearing pressed black slacks, an emerald dress shirt, and black silk tie. His dark hair is smooth and neat, and he sits perfectly still, one leg crossed over the other, patiently waiting. When he receives a text, he reads it, smirks, and replies, then loosens his tie a bit.)



Bachelor #2: DAVID (23-year old David won gold in last summer’s Olympics in 3 swimming events. He’s wearing a snug white t-shirt with the Nike logo, blue basketball shorts, and a pair of new neon-green Nikes. His dark blond hair is mussed and gelled, his blue eyes scan the room as he fidgets, and finally takes out his iPhone to play a game while he waits.)


VICTORIA: What is your idea of a romantic evening?

BRETT: Dinner in, prepared together (I keep trying to convince Vic to wear her apron with nothing under—her hair down), couples massage, and a funny movie in bed.

DAVID: I don’t get to date much, since I’m usually busy training—6 hours a day in the pool, 2-3 hours on weights, and at least 9 hours of sleep doesn’t leave a lot of time for socializing. The last time I dated much was my early high school years. But I’d come up with some surprise…a picnic or drive where we could watch the sunset maybe.


VICTORIA: What would make the perfect date?

BRETT: Erm. The romantic evening described above? Or anything Vic would like, so long as she leaves her hair down.

DAVID: A fun evening spent with somebody who wanted to be with David Roman the person, not David Roman the gold medalist.


VICTORIA: You're stranded on an island, what three things would you wish you had?

BRETT: Assuming we’ve plenty of food and water? Victoria, buckets of sunscreen, and a nice blanket.

DAVID: Unlimited food, and unlimited fresh drinking water, and a snorkel set. **grins, showing great teeth**


VICTORIA: If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

BRETT: World peace, feed the starving children, and—oh, wait. That’s an answer I saw on a recent beauty pageant, right?
So, let’s see:
1.    To see Vic’s wildest fantasy fulfilled (she won’t allow me to reveal what it is, but at least she’s finally confessed it to me)
2.    For our businesses to run themselves so we’d have more time together, alone
3.    For Vic to never, ever put her hair up again.

DAVID:
1.    I’d take back getting caught out drinking last year at the Olympics.
2.    An instant college degree, without having to give up swimming.
3.    Somebody to come home to.


VICTORIA: If I was having a bad day, what would you do to cheer me up?

BRETT: Vic did get a rather hearty laugh the time I attempted a strip-tease…

DAVID: I can impersonate any character from The Big Bang Theory…


VICTORIA: You need to cancel your weekend plans because of rain, what do you do instead?

BRETT: Thank Christ. We’d probably intended to go for a horseback ride, and now I’ve a good excuse to avoid it. (Vic’s horse is a bloody menace!) Now we can stay in, maybe watch a movie, or try out one of the new sets we’ve yet to try at the resort.

DAVID: ** scratches head ** That’s a toughie. Guess I’ve never had my plans cancelled because of rain, since my plans are mostly inside, with a pool. I’m on the road so much for competition and miss most of the blockbuster movies. So I’d probably hit the nearest theater and take in a movie.


VICTORIA: On my list for the perfect man is loyalty. What do you look for in a woman?

BRETT: Endless legs, fair skin, that incorrigible auburn hair (left down, please!), emerald eyes, cool exterior, flaming core… my Victoria. No substitutions, please.

DAVID: Body confidence. Discretion. And nice feet.


VICTORIA: How do you impress a date's parents or friends?

BRETT: I’ve not been allowed to meet Vic’s family yet, but her friends are mine as well. Still, I’d say the best way to impress anyone who loves a woman would be to treat her like gold.

DAVID: Date? Do other guys have time for those? Cheap way out would be to bring my gold medals…


VICTORIA: What have you always wanted to do but haven't yet?

BRETT: Erm. That would be Vic’s fantasy, I suppose…she made sure to fulfill mine prior to our marriage, actually.

DAVID: Be stranded on a desert island. **grins again** Chillax. Just take some time and unwind. Hoping this upcoming cruise will be the ticket.


VICTORIA:  Describe the worst/weirdest date you have ever been on.

BRETT: We did have a rather weird date last year when that bugger Rafe Wyndham seemed to think he was still dating Vic, and crashed a dinner party we attended. Before that? Back in my University days, I had a flat one night while out on a date. No spare whatsoever. We had to call her flatmate for a ride. I felt a complete ass for it.

DAVID: Once in high school I took my new girlfriend out to the local steak house. Her parents were seated at the next table…and she wasn’t allowed to be dating yet. Awkward!


Victoria, what do you think of your bachelors?

VICTORIA:

God, Brett has such a one-track mind. He’s got a total hair fetish and no shame about discussing it. Leave it to him—perv!—to make my fantasy his first of three wishes. He has no idea the participation my wish would require of him. But hey. I love him more than…anything. He’s mine, he’s sexy, and he knows all the right buttons to push at all the right times. Definitely a keeper.

And David? Talk about a big hunk of hesitant burnin’ love! The guy has no idea how hot he is (Hello, shoulders! Nice to see you again, Gold Medal Glutes.) or how appealing all that fresh-faced honesty can be. Even though he’s trying hard to project the traditional, good-boy image, my professional instinct tells me he’s dying to take a walk on the wild-side. And who better to be his tour guides than Brett and me? After all, we’ve watched enough fantasies unfold, we should be able to figure this out…right?

Victoria's Secret Wish

Book 2 of Fantasies, Inc: Victoria’s Secret Wish

Maybe three isn't always a crowd.

“Erotica’s Sweethearts”, Brett and Victoria Grant, are launching the Fantasies, Inc. Aphrodite--a cruiseliner dedicated to carnal pleasures. Since the voyage is all about fantasies coming true, Brett is determined to see Victoria realize her own wildest dream: being pleasured by two men at once.

Victoria can hardly keep her eyes--or hands--off gold medal swimmer David Roman when he boards the Aphrodite. And when Brett propositions David, she can’t say no. But Brett doesn’t know the extent of her fantasy. She wants him as into her other guy as she is. Will his adventurous spirit stretch that far?

David knows it’s a bad idea to get in the middle of the Grants’ marriage. He doesn’t have a kinky bone in his body--or so he thought before this trip--but the romps keep getting wilder and he keeps imagining more. And he really likes them both...as much in bed as out. If the paparazzi discover he’s involved with such a high-profile couple, his career is over. Is he willing to risk everything to continue?

WARNING: Adult sensuality and language, ménage a la two men bent on arousing their woman beyond all control, voyeurism, foot and hair fetish scenes, same sex situations, betrayal, and industrial espionage.

 
EXCERPT:

“Why are you nervous? Is it because you’re seeing me, or because you’re seeing a therapist?”

“Therapist.” As Britt had pointed out, seeing Serena Weiss would be less intimidating than any other therapist. After all, they’d watched from the AV room as Serena’s fantasy had been recorded. Having seen a woman go wild like that made her quite easy to approach. Aside from the therapist issue, anyway.

Serena leaned forward and took Victoria’s hands in her own. “If I might make a suggestion?”

“Mmm?”

“While you’re on this break from trying to conceive, give yourself a hall pass. Do some wild, sexy stuff. Nothing can kill the fun of sex like making it a means to a baby. Besides, one day you’ll be prego, and then a mom. And let me tell ya, that living-in-the-moment business doesn’t happen much for us mommies.”

Wild, sexy stuff. Like what? Britt’s idea of sharing her with another man on the cruise? Now she was probably blushing. “Um. Yeah. Even though I arrange all those fantasies, I’m pretty straightlaced.”

“Something tells me there’s a vixen inside you, just waiting to get out. Give her a spin. Trust me, your man will love it.”


BIO:

Romance is sexy. And often funny, and sometimes tangled up with suspense. Let’s face it: all sorts of things get mixed up with romance in real life.

Piper Denna’s stories are not cut-and-dried romance. She wants her characters to deal with issues female readers can relate to: independence and trust, empowerment, inhibitions, an unfaithful partner, motherhood. Sometimes her characters make mistakes and often her “bad guys” are not 100% bad. Mostly she wants to take the reader on an emotional journey to a happy ending…with a few enviable sexual encounters along the way.

When she’s not writing, she edits, raises two teens along with her husband, and has an evil day job.
She enjoys books--or movies--with a comedic twist and hopefully a love story with lots of tension, too.
Sexiest parts of a man in Piper’s opinion? The hands and eyes. Shoulders are nice too, and of course, great pecs are never amiss…

LPI page link:  http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=18

Amazon page link:
http://www.amazon.com/PiperDenna/e/B002BO81WC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1343956757&sr=1-2-ent

Website: http://www.piperdenna.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Piper-Denna/55194578493

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PiperDenna

Clearing Out Some Space

        So this week I’ve decided to really clear out my spaces and do some major cleaning. It’s been a rewarding process so far. I feel lighter as if a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. It’s wonderful clearing out space, getting rid of the clutter and getting things clean and organized. As I go through this process, I feel as if my mind is getting a clean out too. Which is what we need sometimes. We need time to focus on something else, even if it is cleaning, to allow us a break from some of the stresses that we have going on in life. Cleaning may not be punching a bag or doing some exercise to relieve some of that tension that we carry with us on a daily basis but it allows us to take control of something, anything.

         I’ve discovered that while cleaning my environment, I start to feel the stress slip away. I can focus on my writing once the clutter that surrounded me is gone. I don’t feel that press that I usually do when I’m writing. During speed writing, I feel a tension to perform. It can be rewarding, since I’m making progress on my story but at the same time if I don’t make a certain word count I feel disappointed. It’s a see saw, on the one hand I’m proud that I’ve forwarded my story but at the same time it’s not enough. I use to be able to write 5k in a day, 7 days a week. Now I’m lucky if I can get 500 words down.

        And with deadlines it can be an even bigger sense of failure. Celebrating the small things can be great but not when you feel you’re letting yourself down. But with cleaning I feel that weight from my past disappointments and my emotional turmoil disappear. Even with the pain in my back and legs, at the end of the day I’ve decluttered my work area and other places that badly needed cleaning and taken back control. In doing this, I’ve also allowed myself to confront my own sense of accomplishment, but I’ve also cleaned a part of my mind, the creative part of me. Which was badly needed.

       For a few hours, I’m in control. I’m free and I can do no wrong, or let down myself. It’s a wonderful sense of self. Hopefully this will translate into more wordage and a better sense of stability.



 What do you do to declutter your thoughts?

Selena Illyria
Unmask Your Desires. Satiate Your Hungers
www.selenaillyria.com

Guest Post - Kerrianne Coombes

Fellow paranormal author, Kerrianne Coombes is guesting here for me today, celebrating her newest paranormal release!


Sara


~*~

Beauty and the Beast Demon Tales book 1

Action

In Beauty and the Beast there are quite a few action packed scenes. Each one an absolute thrill for me to write. I adore writing the ‘fun’ scenes as I call them. And I wanted to share with you my favourite one.

Cally’s mother is a complete bitch, and I just loved writing her. She is nasty, cold and utterly vicious. I think I smiled the entire time I wrote her scenes. evil laugh I think I have an inner evil queen. ;-) Anyway, in this scene, Cally has finally found her voice and is trying—for the first time ever—to tell her mother what she truly thinks of her…It doesn’t exactly go as planned. ...

Excerpt.

“To whom do you speak with that tone, daughter dear?” The sweet slide to her mother’s voice sent spiders crawling throughout Cally’s blood. Her mother took a slow step in Cally’s direction, and a smile tracked across her painted mouth. “How dare you tell me what to do?”
Cally forced her feet to stay still. Her mind screamed for her to flee, the little terrified girl inside her, begger her to apologize and to back away. But she steeled herself against her mother’s cruel smile and fought the almost uncontrollable urge to cower. This was what she had wanted—a moment alone with her mother—a moment to mete out all of the violence that clogged up her heart. But as she stared at the advancing woman all of her violent plans fell from her mind, leaving her blank and fearful.
“Please don’t make me marry him!” The words tumbled from her mouth. Her heart thudded heavily when she heard herself begging. She took a step back and hated her weakness, so much for forcing herself to stay still.
Her mother smiled, and this time Cally saw genuine enjoyment in her mother’s expression. Cold, hard dread sat suddenly in Cally’s stomach.
“You will do what is good for you, Callindra,” her mother replied. She stopped advancing and flicked her gaze to Cally’s head. The pain from the newly removed horns suddenly returned, making Cally gasp. She raised her hands to her raw scalp and winced as the nerves began to jangle anew. “You will do as I say.” Her mother laughed a cackling sound and Cally knew her mother was using magic to cause her pain. A wind began to swirl within the sealed room, papers flew around, and the curtains framing the window flapped frantically. Cally staggered backwards, still gripped by pain. The hot stabs of agony ripped into her mind, causing Cally’s legs to buckle.
Her mother laughed, throwing her head back, clearly amused by Cally’s distress. “You are an abomination!” she roared over the swirling wind. “You are a worthless runt—a mistake. You have earned me nothing but headache. But now, for once, you will be useful. You will be the perfect tool to get me a larger castle—more lands—more wealth.” The wind suddenly stopped, and silence fell. Cally leant against the oak desk, still clenching her teeth against the agony ripping through her skull. Her breaths sawed from her lungs as the pain stole her control. She gripped the edge of the desk and suppressed the need to cry. This time there was no stopping her mother.

Blurb;

When Princess Callindra of Tempath, wakes up hog-tied and bruised in the bowels of hell, she realizes that her plan to escape her up-coming marriage has gone horribly wrong. Her only hope of escape comes in the form of Brigg, cursed Rain Demon and bitter, human hating bastard. But beggars can’t be choosers.

When Brigg finds himself in possession of a human and a horde of angry demons desperate to get her back, he flees. When he realizes that she is the daughter of the witch that cursed him and his family, he believes that he has finally got the opportunity he has been hoping for. The only thing he must decide now is what is more important to him, the reversal of the curse, or revenge?

Neither one are prepared for the flame that ignites between them. But will the spark be enough to break to the curse that holds them apart

Buy link Secret cravings  http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&products_id=314&zenid=c1a8b12b56329a20e1117c8d6140aa4e

Amazon’ http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Demon-Tales-ebook/dp/B00816NFJ8/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337321093&sr=8-1-fkmr3

You can also find it on Barnes and Noble, AllRomance.

You can find me on twitter; Kerrianne_xx

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kerrianne-Coombes/148877721876528

And on my blog. www.kerriannecoombes.wordpress.com

Sex-less in the City - Linda Poitevin

Sex-less in the City

Right, so given the genre of books written by authors on this blog, I’m thinking this may be a somewhat riské subject. Never one to shy away from controversy, however (actually, that’s completely untrue…I avoid conflict wherever possible!), I thought I’d bring it up regardless…partly because I have a question for you and I think you’re the perfect audience to ask, and partly because you’ll find out sooner or later anyway, lol.

You see, SINS OF THE ANGELS has no sex in it.

Not a single scene.

Not one.

Interestingly, it was supposed to. In fact, when I started writing the story I intended it to be a paranormal romance. But the deeper I got into the characters and the more of the plot I uncovered, the more I realized that the world I was building simply wouldn’t allow Alex and Aramael to make love. My intended paranormal romance had morphed into the beginning of a dark urban fantasy series that is rich in character development, gritty action, and non-stop plot—but it has no sex.

That’s not to say that there’s no sexual tension, however, because there is. In spades. The connection between Alex and Aramael is raw, passionate, and in many ways bigger than either of them. Their feelings for one another just aren’t consummated (at least…not in SINS OF THE ANGELS).

And that brings me to my question. I know sex sells, but I’m curious. How important is it to you when choosing a book? Is the physical act of lovemaking an element you absolutely want, or are you more concerned about the emotional satisfaction that (usually) goes hand-in-hand with that act? If you’re an urban fantasy reader, will you not purchase a book if you know it doesn’t have sex in it? (You can be honest…I have thick skin!) Inquiring minds want to know!

Linda Poitevin is the author of a new urban fantasy series, The Grigori Legacy, from Ace Books. Book one, SINS OF THE ANGELS, will be out September 27/11. Book two, SINS OF THE SON, follows in May 2012. In her other life, Linda is wife, mother, friend, gardener, coffee snob, freelance writer, and zookeeper of too many pets. 


For more information on Linda, visit her website. Click here to read an excerpt from Sins of the Angels. Click here to purchase her novel in ebook or print form.


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Contest runs from today through next Wednesday, October 19th.