Interview With Quin Ripley
I sat down (virtually) with Quin Ripley for a short interview. Quin Ripley’s latest release is Seeding ERO-5, a SciFi Romance!
Cynthia Sax: Where is Seeding ERO-5 set?
Quin Ripley: This story is set on a world far from Earth, believed to be barren. It’s called ERO-5, but the terraforming team calls it Eros. This world is humanity’s hope for a new home, since Earth is overcrowded. But Eros isn’t barren. Something lives deep in the depths of its oceans that the team couldn’t detect and somehow the presence of these creatures affects Taisia and the rest of the terraforming crew in a very strange way—it makes them lusty. Very, very lusty.
Cynthia Sax: Does a character in Seeding ERO-5 have a secret?
Quin Ripley: Taisia has a secret. She went to the beach to clear her head and to get some desperately needed sleep, but something happens while she’s sleeping that she can’t explain. She has an intense sexual experience but she can’t believe it could possibly be real. She’s a scientist. So she decides it must have been a dream and that there are other reasons for the evidence she sees around her on the beach. Eventually, it happens again and she’s forced to confront her fears and share what she’s learned with the rest of the crew.
Cynthia Sax: How does Seeding ERO-5 start?
Quin Ripley: This story starts with a dream flashback to Taisia’s life in an orbital hab high above Earth, before she left on the long journey to ERO-5. It’s a steamy zero-gravity lesbian love scene. When Taisia startles awake, those loving moments with her ex in her previous life are a stark contrast to the tableau unfolding among her colleagues in the temporary shelter on ERO-5. Something on this strange new planet is affecting all of them, ramping up their sex drive to the point that it is nearly uncontrollable.
Cynthia Sax: Is Seeding ERO-5 part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Quin Ripley: This is a stand alone story with potential to turn into a series if the interest is there. There are lots of things I could write about in this story universe and involving these characters. I’d love to turn it into a series, if that’s what my readers want.
Thank you, Quin Ripley, for joining us today!
Quin Ripley’s Website: http://www.quinripley.com
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Taisia’s sex drive is out of control.
The shy botanist is many lightyears from home, serving on the most ambitious terraforming project ever undertaken by humanity. But she’s helpless to resist her flaming desires and fears the project may fail.
Rob is the ERO-5 team leader. Recently divorced, he works hard and plays harder. He’s long had his eye on his team’s quiet botanist.
They knew the work on the sterile planet would be backbreaking, but they didn’t expect the collective libido of the team to shoot into the stratosphere. Every night their lust takes over, testing the limits of their self-control.
And perhaps ERO-5 isn’t as barren as they’d thought.
Taisia is the key to keeping the project on track and discovering the secrets of the intense pleasure on ERO-5.
Disclaimer: Seeding ERO-5 contains explicit sex, polyamorous sex, lesbian and gay sex, gonzo sex, and sexy tentacles.
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Seeding-ERO-5-Quin-Ripley-ebook/dp/B015JBTV54
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015JBTV54?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Topics: Author Interviews | Comments Off on Interview With Quin Ripley
Interview With N.J. Walters
I sat down (virtually) with N.J. Walters, one of my favorite people in the world, for a short interview. As regular readers know, I’m addicted to her Salvation Pack series. Today, she’ll be talking about Wolf from the Past, book 4 in this awesome Paranormal/Werewolf romance series!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Gator Rollins so howlingly hot? See what I did there? (grins)
N.J. Walters: Gator Rollins is one tattooed, badass werewolf. He’s extremely protective of his pack and will do anything to keep them from harm. His laidback, witty personality hides a will of titanium. He’s tough and he’s loyal. He also loves to cook and whips up mouthwatering meals in the kitchen. It’s just another way for him to take care of the people he loves. It’s doesn’t get much sexier than that. And when he finally has a chance to claim the woman he wants, he uses every skill in his arsenal to make her his own.
Cynthia Sax: How does Wolf from the Past start?
N.J. Walters: When Wolf from the Past begins, Gator is lying naked on a rock enjoying the sunshine. He’s taking a short break from patrolling pack land. They’re all still on edge because of recent attacks from their former pack. He’s determined to keep his friends and their mates safe from harm. As he’s on his way back home to make lunch, he hears a car approaching. When he goes to check it out, he comes face-to-face with a ghost from the past.
I’ve known ever since I wrote book two in the series that the past and present would collide in Gator’s story. There’s a lot more to him than even his friends know. Gator has been carrying a secret around for years. He loved a woman years ago but never told her. Then she was mated and it was too late for him to claim her as his own. He never thought he’d ever get a second chance.
Cynthia Sax: You had me at ‘lying naked.’ Does someone in your story have a secret? What is it?
N.J. Walters: Sylvie LaForge Dubois has been deceiving her family for years. She had to fake her own death in order to escape her brutal ex. Now that he’s dead, she’s decided it’s finally safe enough to come out of hiding and face her brother and cousins. She’s tired of hiding and very lonely. Wolves aren’t meant to live alone but to be a part of a pack. She never dreams she’ll be forced to confront her feelings for Gator. Sylvie believed that after her forced mating she’d never be attracted to any man. She never counted on Gator.
Cynthia Sax: We know Wolf from the Past is part of a series. Tell me you’ll be writing more. Please!
N.J. Walters: I find it difficult, if not impossible, to write anything but series. I get involved in a world and the characters and don’t want to leave. I’d originally planned on five books for the Salvation Pack series. I’m currently finishing up work on book nine.
Book five—Wolf on the Hunt is due out in early January 2016.
Woot! More wolves! Thank you, N.J. Walters, for joining us today!
N.J. Walters’s Website: http://www.njwalters.com
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Playing dead is easy. Living is hard.
Salvation Pack, Book 4
Sylvie LaForge Dubois knew coming back from the dead wouldn’t be easy, but facing her brother and his friends is harder than she imagined. The way Gator Rollins watches her every move makes her decidedly uneasy and excited.
After surviving a forced mating to the abusive Andre Dubois, having a rugged, dangerous werewolf like Gator sniffing around her is scary and thrilling at the same time. She never imagined she’d want another man, but her bone-deep attraction to Gator is too strong to fight.
Gator never got a chance to tell Sylvie he loved her before she was mated with another and, well, died. Now that she’s back, there’s nothing he won’t do to protect her.
Once word gets out, Sylvie’s former pack will be coming for her. No one leaves the Louisiana pack, especially not a female werewolf. But Gator’s determined that this time he won’t let anyone or anything get between him and Sylvie, even if she can’t decide if his touch makes her want to jump his bones…or run for the hills.
Buy Now:
At Samhain Publishing: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5595/wolf-from-the-past
On Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/qyhb9u3
On Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/q3b4flh
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wolffromthepast-1857904-140.html
On Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/neb74t9
On Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/nlf3vv5
On Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/nnrbanc
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue, one of my good buddies, for a short interview. Tina Donahue has contributed Tropic of Pleasure, a yummy BDSM ménage story, to the 11 Alpha Doms box set!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Hud and Ryder so freakin’ sexy?
Tina Donahue: In addition to being sinfully hot, Hud and Ryder are also good men, commanding yet tender, playful, and oh-so-protective of Cara. The kind of guys a woman can be vulnerable with because they will never hurt her. Recently, I reread Story of O. Ugh. For any woman to allow such abuse in the hopes that a guy will want her is insane. Hud and Ryder have always loved Cara, but for reasons explained in the novella, were unable to pursue her until now.
Cynthia Sax: How does Tropic of Pleasure start?
Tina Donahue: Hud and Ryder own a Palm Beach construction firm for high-end clients. Cara’s one of the architects. As the story opens, she’s asked for a meeting with them. Ryder and Hud believe it’s to discuss her recent design. Um…no. Cara’s wanted these guys ever since she was a teenager, ten long years ago. Knowing they’re into BDSM and threesomes, she calls them on it at the meeting, telling them she wants to be their sub. After that, all bets are off.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Tropic of Pleasure set?
Tina Donahue: The bulk of the story takes place on a private Caribbean island where Cara, Hud, and Ryder explore their most decadent desires. Nothing forbidden. Nothing held back. The steamy days and sultry nights, along with the tropical setting adds to the allure.
Cynthia Sax: What advice would you give new writers?
Tina Donahue: Write because you have to. You need to do so as much as breathing. If you’re in this business for any other reason, you won’t last. No matter how horrible things get – and they will – don’t give up. Keep writing, reading, and perfecting your craft. You’re not in competition with other writers. You’re in competition with yourself. Stay true to your voice. Don’t imitate.
Cynthia Sax: So true. A bestselling writer told me, at the beginning of my career, “If you can do anything else, do it. Because this business is hard and, if you have another option, you’ll quit before you become successful.” (hugs Tina) Thank you for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com
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11 ALPHA DOMS TO ROCK YOUR WORLD
From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors and more!
Are you ready for 11 alphas that will make you sigh, make your toes curl, and make your panties wet? You won’t be disappointed! We have military, ménage, contemporary, and a dash of paranormal romance that will send you right over the edge.
Jump into the action and suspense and find out now how these alphas take care of their women!
Blurb (for Tropic of Pleasure):
The one woman they shouldn’t want. Two Doms she can’t resist. A sizzling weekend beyond their wildest desires.
Bondage, submission, punishment, oh my. Cara’s wanted Hud and Ryder forever. They’re Alpha to the core and love a wicked good time, which has her ready to sign up for their brand of BDSM.
Although Ryder and Hud haven’t been immune to Cara’s charms, they don’t have a death wish—her billionaire daddy is a major investor in their high-end construction firm. When she insists it’s no problem and offers to be their sub, visions of blindfolds, collars and her sweet surrender dance in their heads, along with the longing they’ve fought.
Oh baby. The battle’s just begun during a smoking-hot weekend on a private island.
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://goo.gl/TZ09sE
On Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/11-alpha-doms-desiree-holt/1122597331
On iBooks: https://goo.gl/Qu71ml
On Kobo: https://goo.gl/TfQiiV
Topics: Author Interviews | 4 Comments »
Interview With Sabine Priestley
I sat down (virtually) with Sabine Priestley for a short interview. Sabine Priestley’s latest release is Rebellion Alien Attachments Book 2, a wonderful Science Fiction Romance!
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about Rebellion Alien Attachments Book 2?
Sabine Priestley: I love writing about undeniable bonds. Something that is commanding, compelling and inevitable. Add to that the conflict these two characters have with each other and it’s perfect. They both have serious reasons for fighting the bond. She’s the enemy and he’s a killer. They are both right. And both so very wrong.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Rebellion Alien Attachments Book 2?
Sabine Priestley: “Have any interesting dreams lately, Red?”
“Don’t call me Red. I’m just here to find out what this means.” She lied. She knew the second she entered the room what it meant. He was the one. Her psi-mate. A cold blooded killer.
I love this interplay because it speaks volumes about what’s going on. How horrible would to be to finally find your psi-mate (not everyone does) only to discover he’s a killer?
The story was really fun to write. Their conflict is clear from day one. She belonged to the Sandarian military and they are responsible for killing Ty’s parents when he was a child. He sat in a class room and watched it happen. She, on the other hand saw Ty kill an unarmed Curzan official.
All this is going on, but they are psi-mates. That kind of compulsion to be together, the unimaginable pleasure that only a mate can bring, they can’t stop. It’s horribly wicked. Poor guys.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Rebellion Alien Attachments Book 2?
Sabine Priestley: Virtually everything I write has a dream seed. Rebellion’s was the gut wrenching reality that my mate was evil. It was a dark scene someplace and he stood in front of me. Stunningly gorgeous. I desperately wanted him. Needed him. But he was evil. It well and truly sucked. As authors we live to torture our characters so it was perfect.
Cynthia Sax: What’s your favorite technology or element in Rebellion Alien Attachments Book 2 that you wish you had?
Sabine Priestley: There’s so much I wish we had. Gravity Modulators for one. They provide gravity when in space and regulates it on planets. Think sitting in a speeding car, dodging left and right but you’re unaffected by it.
On/Off planet Vectors. These are channels created devoid of gravity with stable atmosphere. Think how far we’d be now if we didn’t have to ride massive controlled explosions to get into space.
Sim rooms. Holy crap, yes please. I want one to create my own worlds in. Wouldn’t mind shooting a few things either.
And, of course, I wish I had psi and all that went with it.
Thank you, Sabine Priestley, for joining us today!
Sabine Priestley’s Website: http://www.SabinePriestley.com
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Ria Montori is no stranger to kicking ass. Though petite in size, she packs a punch as a former Sandarian military officer who currently serves the Cavacent clan on a strange planet called Earth. She has no interest in seeking her one psi-mate who could bring her unparalleled pleasure through a sensual, otherworldly bond. She has no time for a lover of any kind. So why is she lured in by the beguiling Curzan native who just killed a government official?
Ty Sordina hates Ria’s kind. The Sandarians murdered his parents while he watched and enslaved his people. Driven by revenge, he vows that nothing and no one will stand in his way. Especially not a feisty redhead who challenges his every instinct and calls to his psi like no other.
But war is coming. And the two must succumb to temptation for only the power of their completed bond can defeat and destroy the enemy. But only if they surrender…
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Rebellion-Alien-Attachments-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00SED1K1I
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Renee Rose
I sat down (virtually) with Renee Rose for a short interview. Renee Rose’s latest release is The Hand of Vengeance, a SciFi Romance!
Renee Rose: Hi Cynthia! I’m so excited to be here on your site because, well, I want to be you when I grow up!
Cynthia Sax: What? I’m supposed to grow up? No one told me that. Okay, if we’re doing a serious interview (grins)… What makes Blade sexy?
Renee Rose: Blade Vengeance is a dominant male on a planet where gender roles have reverted to primitive levels. He expects complete obedience from females and isn’t afraid to administer discipline when he deems it necessary.
Cynthia Sax: What excites you most about The Hand of Vengeance?
Renee Rose: This is my first sci-fi! I had the scenario in my head of the dominant protector trekking through the wilderness with a woman who doesn’t know what she’s doing (I guess it’s Romancing the Stone–lol!) but I couldn’t quite figure out how to make it work in modern day times, so I realized I needed to create a new world, where a hot hero could take a woman in hand…
Cynthia Sax: How does The Hand of Vengeance start?
Renee Rose: My story starts in an old schoolhouse which is being used as a medical camp for Jeselians injured in the recent earthquake. The heroine, surgeon Lara Simmons, is operating on a patient when the lights go out. At first she thinks it’s a normal power outage, but she soon realizes they are under siege by rebel troops who are there to kidnap her.
Cynthia Sax: What causes problems between Lara and Blade?
Renee Rose: The conflict between the hero and heroine is that of civilized vs. savage. The heroine comes from Earth, where there’s hardly a difference between woman and men anymore, and where there’s no wilderness left for exploring. The hero’s people have been enslaved to work in diamond mines on a completely undeveloped planet. He is accustomed to violence, hard work, and living from the land.
Additional conflict comes from the hero’s heart being shuttered, as a result of losing his sister to violence when he was a slave. He has vowed vengeance for her death, and his life from that point had been single-pointedly focused on that goal. Lara must coax his heart open again if they are to have a relationship.
The final conflict is Lara’s own conflict with submission. As a modern woman from Earth, she finds Blade’s discipline demeaning and sexist, yet her body responds to it. As she comes to crave his mastery, she must admit her own leanings as a submissive.
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Renee Rose, for joining us today!
Renee Rose’s Website: http://www.reneeroseromance.com
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The Hand of Vengeance
On a humanitarian mission to the war-torn planet Jesel, Dr. Lara Simmons is used to dealing with lack of supplies, power outages and the constant earthquakes that afflict the planet. But when she’s captured by the rebels who need her to perform a life-saving surgery, she finds herself in a situation her medical training didn’t prepare her for.
When the airship is blown out of the sky, she ends up in the Jeselian wilderness with no one to rely on but Blade Vengeance, an enormous tattooed rebel warrior. Dominant and unyielding, he doesn’t hesitate to take her in hand when she disobeys the rules he lays out for her. Yet she soon learns he also knows how to deliver pleasure–with a passion she’s never before experienced.
Blade finds the doctor from Earth sexy as hell, especially when she’s giving him attitude, but once he delivers her to headquarters, he tries to pull back from her allure. Known for single-handedly starting the revolution and freeing many of his people, his life is one of hardship, slavery and war. Going soft on a woman isn’t part of his plan, especially with the final strike of the revolution so close. But when he sends Lara back to Earth to keep her safe during the upcoming battle, he inadvertently delivers her into enemy hands. Can he find and save her from the revolution he caused?
Publishers Note: This story contains spanking and explicit sex scenes, including anal penetration. If such subject matter offends, do not buy this book.
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Vengeance-Renee-Rose-ebook/dp/B016AWUW5E
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-handof-vengeance-renee-rose/1122760440
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Shona Husk And Cover Reveal
I sat down (virtually) with Shona Husk for a short interview. Shona Husk is revealing her cover for Desire To Fall!
Cynthia Sax: Where does Desire To Fall take place?
Shona Husk: Desire to Fall takes place on an alien world where the women have wings and the men don’t. I got to create a society that is nothing like ours and yet still similar in that people want to connect with other people. Love is universal. For me the question was how would these people live now…how did they evolve? What does their city look like, what technology do they have that we don’t and vice versa. Because no society is perfect, what are their crimes? The book has an urban feel to it and there’s a lot of political tension because of the city-state is demolishing an area known for crime and redeveloping it. As you can imagine there are factions that don’t like that.
Cynthia Sax: What is one aspect that makes these couples right for each other?
Shona Husk: The couples in this story need to complement each other and they need to be able to work together and independently. In any romance it’s about how the relationship works for them. Is everybody getting what they need and want (which aren’t always the same thing). With four people involved there was a lot of hearts on the line!
Cynthia Sax: What creates problems between these couples?
Shona Husk: Society is split because the men can’t fly, so it’s a world where homosexual relationships are normal and not everyone risks breeding. To even get pregnant the women need male blood, so getting together is dangerous. This way I was able to also make ménages the usual bond for breeding. If dating one person is hard, dating a couple is even harder. The guys are already married, the women are dating and they have their own issues and it all gets very tangled in the middle.
Cynthia Sax: Is Desire To Fall part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Shona Husk: Yes! I have book 2 written, tentatively called Desire to Fly, and I have plotted book 3, Desire to Burn. The redevelopment of the area is the link between each story, but while Desire to Fall takes place in the nice part of the city Desire to Fly happens in the world of crime where male blood and clipped women are trafficked. These stories are dark and sexy.
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Shona Husk, for joining us today!
Shona Husk’s Website: http://www.shonahusk.com/
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Add Desire To Fall To Goodreads:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26702524-desire-to-fall
Topics: Author Interviews, Cover Reveal | Comments Off on Interview With Shona Husk And Cover Reveal
Interview With Cara Bristol
I sat down (virtually) with Cara Bristol for a short interview. Cara Bristol’s Terran is one of my all time fave SciFi erotic romances. Her latest release is Stranded with the Cyborg, a Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance, with YES, a cyborg hero! Woot!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Brock, your hero, so very lickable?
Cara Bristol: Brock is a cyborg who works for a covert operations force. He’s like James Bond, but doesn’t need gadgets—his special abilities are hardwired into his brain and physique. Cyborgs are the ultimate dominant, macho alpha heroes. They kick some serious ass. They’re rough, tough, and strong. But very smart too. In a lot of sci-fi romances, the hero is an alien, which can be difficult for some readers to fall in love with (what’s not to love about horned blued-skinned aliens with two…ahem). Cyborgs are human, but with some mechanical and computerized parts. They are uber alphas, but when they fall for the heroine, they fall hard.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Stranded with the Cyborg?
Cara Bristol: When Brock and Penelope are walking through the Intergalactic Shuttle Port, she’s mugged—her bag is stolen by an Arcanian. Brock catches the thief. This little scene takes place:
Pia ran up and grabbed his arm. “Stop, you’re going to kill him.”
Brock’s nanocytes transmitted to his brain exactly how much pressure he was applying. “No, but I’ll make him hurt real bad.”
I love it. He is so matter-of-fact! But leaping to her defense shows that even though he doesn’t want to protect her, he will. His sense of duty is that strong. He doesn’t like Penelope at this point in the story, but he’ll go to mat for her.
Cynthia Sax: How does Stranded with the Cyborg start?
Cara Bristol: Hero Brock, a cyberoperative, was about to take a much-needed vacation at a sex resort, when he’s called back to work. He’s informed his new mission is to protect the Terran ambassador while she attends an interplanetary summit meeting. The catch? The ambassador is his old nemesis who lobbed false allegations against him and derailed his former career. He is not at all happy to be assigned to her. The scene sets up the tension between the two of them.
Cynthia Sax: Is Stranded with the Cyborg part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Cara Bristol: Stranded with the Cyborg is book one of the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series. I haven’t decided how many I’ll write (three, four, five?). Each book will focus on a different cyborg hero who works for the covert Cyber Operations force. Book two, which I’ve tentatively titled Mated with the Cyborg, will be published January 5, 2016. The individual novellas will be written to be read as stand-alones, but they will be linked by reappearing secondary characters, the Cy-Ops organization, and locations. For instance, the Darius 4 pleasure resort, which is mentioned in Stranded with the Cyborg, becomes one of the main settings in Mated with the Cyborg.
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Cara Bristol, for joining us today!
Cara Bristol’s Website: http://www.carabristol.com
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Penelope Aaron, the former Terran president’s daughter, regrets how she got Agent Brock Mann booted from the security force. But now that she’s an interplanetary ambassador about to embark on her first diplomatic mission, she still doesn’t want him tagging along. Especially since he seems to be stronger, faster, more muscled, and sexier than she remembers. And pretending to be her husband? This mission couldn’t get more impossible!
Ten years ago Penelope Isabella Aaron had been a pain in Brock Mann’s you-know-what. Much has changed in a decade: “PIA” as he code-named her, has grown up and is about to attend her first Alliance of Planets summit conference, and Brock has been transformed into a cyborg after a near-fatal attack. Now a secret agent with Cyber Operations, a covert paramilitary organization, Brock gets called in, not when the going gets tough, but when the going gets impossible. So when he’s unexpectedly assigned to escort Penelope to the summit meeting, he balks at babysitting a prissy ambassador. But after a terrorist bombing, a crash landing on a hostile planet, and a growing attraction to his protectee, Operation: PIA may become his most impossible assignment yet.
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NJUGT2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
On Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015NJUGT2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Lexi Post And Contest!
I sat down (virtually) with Lexi Post for a short interview. Lexi Post’s latest release is Masque, a wonderful Paranormal Erotic Romance. She’s also giving away a Venetian mask to one lucky Taste Of Cyn reader!
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Masque?
Lexi Post: I love this question because I write erotic romance inspired by the classics. The classic story that inspired Masque was Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death.” I had a university student turn in a paper on this story and since I hadn’t read it in a long time, I decided to re-read it before grading the paper. I’m so glad I did!
As I read about the 7 colored rooms that Poe created in his “Abbey” and about the partying that went on there, I knew I had to use the story and make each room a Pleasure Room. But I still needed a hero because the main character in Poe’s story was Prince Prospero who was a selfish man, and the only other clear character was Death, Red Death to be exact, and everyone died at the end. So I decided that the masked figure of the Red Death was really Synn MacAllistair, a friend of the Prince, who just wanted to scare him in to doing what was right, but it all went wrong. Unbeknownst to Synn, he was a carrier of the Red Death. So then I decided to keep 73 ghosts and added a modern day heroine who buys the haunted abbey and soon finds herself caught up in Synn 😉
Cynthia Sax: Where is Masque set?
Lexi Post:
The story is set in Nova Scotia on Cape Breton as I love that place and thought it the perfect place for a 160 year old Abbey. Ashton Abbey is named that to hide what really goes on inside, which is the Masque that occurs after midnight. That’s when the 7 colored rooms – the parlor, the concert room, the library, the billiard room, the tea room, the game room and the smoking room – change into different sexual Pleasure Rooms. The way the rooms are lit is by braziers behind colored windows (Poe’s idea). The Abbey has secret passageways for the servants, dual grand staircases and is four stories tall, complete with crenellated wall walk. It even has a small chapel, numerous courtyards, a pond, and of course, a graveyard with a headstone for every resident ghost. I can’t say what each room turns in to after midnight, but I guarantee it is very sexy 😉
Cynthia Sax: What causes problems between Rena and Synn?
Lexi Post: Rena Mills buys the Abbey for a song because it’s haunted. She plans to add electricity and hot running water and open up a haunted Bed and Breakfast. She is driven to prove that she can be successful on her own without the help of her family or ex-fiancé.
Synn blames himself for the death of every person in the abbey. He is determined to help the ghosts cross over to the other side. He’s spent over 150 years trying to make that happen but nothing has worked. When Rena arrives, he believes if he can get her to complete each Pleasure Room in exact order that the grandfather clock (another Poe item) will start working again and the ghosts will rest in peace. So obviously, he can’t tell Rena his plan because if he’s successful, her enterprise fails.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing erotic romance?
Lexi Post: What I like about writing erotic romance is that the reader isn’t left wondering how that intimate relationship develops. She gets to see it develop. Sometimes the sex is intense, sometimes it’s loving, sometimes kinky, sometimes the couple laughs and sometimes they end up fighting. The sex is all part of the relationship and the reader sees how it brings them closer together or causes problems.
I don’t write erotica, though I do enjoy reading it. I write erotic romance and as my agent says, I write erotic romance with a “whole lot of story.” Because my romances are inspired by classic literature, it also allows me to follow where the chosen classic leads me. In some cases it’s down a paranormal path, like Masque. But other times it might be a contemporary cowboy romance or straight contemporary. Believe it or not, Emily Dickinson’s poems inspired my Sci-fi series that takes place on the planet Eden where all the hunky mean walk around naked. There are so many classics I absolutely love, that I can’t type fast enough. I guess that’s one of the drawbacks of having taught literature, I just have too much inspiration J
Cynthia Sax: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Lexi Post:October is my annual Venetian mask giveaway month and I’ve picked a beauty for Cynthia’s blog because Cynthia is such a beauty herself. So be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win this mask made in Italy and hand decorated.
Cynthia Sax: Awww… you’re a sweetie. (big hugs) I love you so much, Lexi, and thank you for joining us today!
Lexi Post’s Website: http://www.lexipostbooks.com/
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Rena Mills plans to turn an abandoned abbey into a haunted bed-and-breakfast to prove she can be successful without her ex-fiancé. What she finds inside is Synn MacAllistair, the distinguished, self-proclaimed Ghost Keeper. Her dreams soon fill with sexual cravings for him. But are they dreams?
Synn, born in 1828, is determined to free the souls of the resident spirits, blaming himself for bringing the Red Death that killed them. When Rena steps into the old Pleasure Palace, he’s sure he can take her through the after-midnight Pleasure Rooms and stoke her passion to complete the Masque so the souls can cross over. Her innocent fire makes him crave more, but it’s far too late for him.
As Rena begins her erotic journey, her heart becomes more involved with every sensual caress until she discovers by completing the Masque she would lose her ghosts. Synn’s betrayal wars with her compassion for her ghostly friends. Torn, she must make a choice between her financial security and freeing seventy-three trapped souls. Either way, she could lose her Synn.
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0157E67Z0
On Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1QEgdTR
On iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1038734956
On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/masque-9
Topics: Author Interviews | 5 Comments »
Interview With Sam Cheever
I sat down (virtually) with Sam Cheever for a short interview. Sam Cheever’s latest release is Bedeviled & Beguiled, an awesome SciFi Paranormal!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Dialle so freakin’ sexy?
Sam Cheever: Dialle is the ultimate bad boy. He’s dark and dangerous and constantly fighting his devilish nature. But since the heroine is part devil too, when they’re naughty, they’re very naughty!
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Bedeviled & Beguiled?
Sam Cheever: Demon King Abrine says to Astra:
“somehow I expected someone a little more…shall we say, imposing?”
And she responds:
“Me too. I’m always a little surprised when I look in a mirror. I feel so much bigger and meaner to myself.”
I get a kick out of this because it’s the perfect representation of small woman syndrome. LOL I resemble that statement! Like Astra, I’m not nearly as big as my ’tude.
Cynthia Sax: How does Bedeviled & Beguiled start?
Sam Cheever: Astra Q Phelps runs the universe’s only demon exterminating company. So it made sense to me to start there. In the opening scene, Astra’s doing a training exercise with her partner, Emo. Emo is a halfling like she is, but unlike Astra, he was cursed in his youth to look like the traditional representation of a devil, red and scaly with horns. Here’s a bit of that scene:
I mentally cursed myself and forced my mind back to the present. My mind always wanders during training. Especially when my training partner is Emo, my longtime partner and fellow perfectionist in thuggery. Like me, Emo takes our little training sessions very seriously. Unlike me however, Emo doesn’t have any trouble concentrating on what he’s doing. I have a lot of trouble concentrating unless my life is in peril. Which certainly happens often enough, since I make my living hunting devils and demons.
Closing off my wayward thoughts, I cocked my head and tried to focus all of my energies into sensing Emo in the pitch-black space. I heard tiny pattering feet to the left, skittering along the wall that stretched across my back. My head swiveled just in time to spot the shimmering red aura of a large, black rat that was returning to his den with a tiny chunk of bread. I watched him closely to make sure he didn’t even think about coming my way.
I really hate rats.
When the rat was safely tucked into his little rat shack in the wall, I made a conscious effort to refocus my attention to the task at hand. I took a deep breath, tilted my head back and expanded my nostrils to scent Emo, but he was apparently using his masking power and I couldn’t get a fix on him.
Unfortunately, I did get a pretty good whiff of the Chinese takeout place on the corner up the street and I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t eaten any lunch and it was well past dinnertime. I closed my eyes and took a deep cleansing breath, shaking my head in an effort to regain my concentration. I focused on sensitizing my power to overcome the block Emo was apparently using. My power slid around the room, searching, but not finding my skulking partner. I clutched the object I held in my hand a little more tightly as my nose began to tingle and the skin on my back started to crawl.
I suddenly realized there was something standing just behind me. I jerked my head around but it was too late. A big, leathery paw with long, sharp claws clamped itself around my upper arm and tore me off my feet.
Angry with myself that I’d allowed him to sneak up on me, I used the momentum of his attack to turn my body so that I faced the wall. Then I pushed my feet into the wall and launched myself backward, flipping over his head and landing on the balls of my feet a short distance behind him. He turned with a snarl and dove toward my legs, tackling me to the ground and covering me with his thick, solid body. The wind left me in a rush but I managed to jam my knee deeply into the spot between his legs where he would least like me to wedge my bony limb. He growled as I connected with something squishy and heavy and one of his club-like arms jerked toward the ceiling and started to come down toward my head. It stopped in mid-air as I pushed the object I held in my hand into the middle of his chest. The object gave off burning sparks as it hit his leathery skin. He yelped and sprang off me.
Gasping to refill my lungs, I tucked my feet beneath my butt and launched myself off the floor. As soon as my toes hit the floor again, I pushed off and sprang toward the retreating devil. I hit him hard, knocking him back against the wall and holding him there with the cross. It began to vibrate in my hand and give off tiny, stinging, electric shocks that I forced myself to ignore.
Emo went completely still, as only his kind can do, and stopped breathing. The only sound in the lightless space came from my panting breath in his ear.
“You give?”
Emo gave a slight nod and slowly dropped his arms in surrender. I reluctantly lowered the cross, knowing all too well that devils weren’t to be trusted. Even if they were part angel.
I moved across the room on the balls of my feet, stepping sideways so I could keep an eye on his aura. When I’d managed to put about twenty feet between us, his icy, blue aura suddenly flickered and disappeared and I felt a whoosh of hot air as he moved, with a speed I hadn’t known he possessed, to a spot somewhere behind me. I turned to meet him head on, but he was faster. He hit me with a full body block that dropped us to the floor with me on the bottom, knocking all of the wind out of my lungs and sending us both skittering across the floor. I ended up with my head just inches from the rat hole and, like a reluctant gawker at a particularly grizzly air bus accident, I tipped my head back to see if the rat was anywhere near. To my vast chagrin, I came eyeball to eyeball with the disgusting thing. It opened its pointed, disease ridden mouth and hissed at me, lunging toward my face as if it would attack.
I screamed and leaped to my feet, dislodging a hilarious devil and jumping around like a moron as I convulsed in hysterical disgust. I did the revulsion dance across the room until there was a lot of space between me and that twitchy nosed, red-eyed attack rodent.
Emo lay in a giggling puddle on the floor as I commanded lights on full and returned the cross I’d used against him to my pocket. He finally wound down and, taking a deep breath, reached up to rub the spot on his scaled chest where the cross had rested. My sparring partner climbed heavily to his feet. “Damn, Astra. You promised me you wouldn’t use the platinum cross anymore. That sonofabitch hurts like hell!”
Forgetting my near death experience with the rat for a moment, I narrowed my eyes at him and grinned. “You would know.”
Cynthia Sax: Is Bedeviled & Beguiled a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Sam Cheever: This is a series I received my rights back on several months ago. I’m in the process of re-editing and re-releasing them right now. Currently the first 3 of the 6 books are available on Amazon and I’m working on number 4. They should all be available by the end of the year. I’m also working on a book of fun Christmas short stories based in this world. I anticipate releasing the book for sale in November. Will I write more in this series? I’m definitely open to the idea. I’ll wait to see if there’s reader demand for more books.
Thank you, Sam Cheever, for joining us today!
Sam Cheever’s Website: http://www.samcheever.com/
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Astra Q Phelps is on the side of the good guys in the war between good and evil. Unfortunately for her, the bad guys have been making inroads on her soul. And when a particularly dark and sexy dark worlder fixes his heated gaze on Astra, the lighter side of her nature quickly finds itself kicked to the curb by her slut-monkey side. But Astra doesn’t have time to deal with her love life. She’s in the middle of a war between two dark factions…a war that just might mean the end of the human population…and it seems the fate of the world rests uneasily on her shoulders. It’s a lot of pressure to put on one feisty halfling…but Astra Q Phelps is definitely…erm…certainly…ahh…possibly up to the challenge.
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145TLCN0
On Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Bedeviled-Beguiled-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B0145TLCN0
On Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bedeviled-Beguiled-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B0145TLCN0
On Amazon.au: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0145TLCN0
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Aurora Russell
I sat down (virtually) with Aurora Russell for a short interview. Aurora Russell’s latest release is Bear Your Fangs, a sexy paranormal!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Randulf so freakin’ sexy?
Aurora Russell: First, I know I’m biased, but I think that Randulf is particularly sexy because he’s a tall, strong Viking werebear vampire. Beyond that, though, he’s honorable, compassionate, and cares deeply. So, he’s a warrior who’s delicious to look at and does a great job protecting Eva, but he’s soft on the inside. While he hopes they can be mates, and he wants to do everything he can to make that happen, including a good amount of scorching love-making, what he wants above everything else is Eva’s safety and happiness. The combination is pretty irresistible.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Bear Your Fangs?
Aurora Russell: It’s too hard to choose just one favorite line, but I think one of my favorite exchanges between Eva and Randulf is this one, which is actually relatively early in the story:
“Is it always like it was between us?” Eva asked. “I mean, the pleasure? Is it always that good when you, um, drink from someone?”
Randulf groaned and shuddered, pulling her closer again, and leaning over so she could feel the warmth of his breath on her ear and in her hair. “It has never been even a fraction of that good with anyone else, little Eva,” he whispered in her ear, and Eva trembled, feeling his voice like a thousand tiny fingers brushing and caressing her skin.”
I think it shows the depth of passion and emotion between them, and also Randulf’s honesty. He’s old-fashioned, and you can tell that in his phrasing, but he isn’t afraid to express how much their first time making love to each other meant to him. And, of course, Eva is blown away by how good everything is with him, too. I think this really captures the immediate intimacy and passion that they have – with explosive chemistry!
Cynthia Sax: How does Bear Your Fangs start?
Aurora Russell: Bear Your Fangs starts with Eva, alone in a cabin in the remote woods of Maine, hearing a loud noise, which turns out to be an enormous and crazed werewolf who attacks her. Then, Randulf charges out of the forest, in his bear form, and saves her. It’s a very exciting opening scene, chock full of suspense, danger, and a hero who is then wounded and needs help after the battle. The setting is definitely important because two of the main characters are part of a shapeshifting vampire race called the melange, so they are most comfortable in a place that isn’t populated. The dark and dangerous beauty of the forest is something that continues to be an important theme in the rest of the story.
Cynthia Sax: Is Bear Your Fangs part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Aurora Russell: Bear Your Fangs is the first in the series of the Melange. The second book Ursa Major Hottie, should be completed soon. There will be at least four books in this series, and possibly more. Definitely be on the lookout for more wickedly sexy shapeshifting vampire heroes in the near future!
Thank you, Aurora Russell, for joining us today!
Aurora Russell’s Website: https://aurorarussellauthor.wordpress.com/
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When Eva rents a cabin in the woods to reassess her life after a painful breakup, she hears rumors of disappearing hikers. Despite the stories, she resolves to stay awhile. Until she sees a crazed-looking giant wolf outside her window—with a hiker’s leg in his mouth. Things get even stranger when an enormous bear fights off the wolf—and then turns into a gorgeous man.
Randulf is a shapeshifting vampire charged with tracking down the rogue werewolf and executing him before he can kill more humans. But he’s wounded in the fight, and only two things can help him heal quickly enough to save both him and Eva from a second attack: sex and human blood. Eva is happy to oblige—over and over again.
Reader Advisory: This story has graphic sexual language and scenes—no closed bedroom doors (or other rooms) here!
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Your-Fangs-Aurora-Russell-ebook/dp/B01593TR8S
On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/bear-your-fangs
On Ellora’s Cave: https://www.ellorascave.com/product/bear-your-fangs/
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
