E is for Experiences

If there’s one thing that truly defines how I live, it’s new experiences.

I am the person who keeps Red Letter Days, Experience Days, Groupon and LivingSocial running. Anything new, major or minor, I’m in there. New restaurant? Love it. I’ll be there trying the weirdest dish on the menu. New place to visit? Absolutely – I’ve got a list stretching from Pendle Hill to the Great Wall of China, although I expect crossing the Pennines will be a lot more likely than crossing the Pacific.

I’ve been up in a Virgin hot air balloon. I’ve bungee-jumped over the Thames. I’ve been on two track days to drive a Lambourghini and an Ariel Atom.

My favourite one, though, was probably the camel ride.

Camels are adorable – and despite what I had heard, these ones didn’t bite, spit, stink or kick. Although my friend, who accompanied me, was terrified that one was going to kick his car.

My next plan is to learn how to shoot. Not because I intend to carry a gun, I might add – I just would like to have a try on a clay pigeon range.

So what would you do, if you could?

D is for Dreams

One of the standard questions I am asked in interviews is “Where do you get the ideas for your stories?” There are a lot of answers I could give, but the first one I ever gave was “From my dreams.”

I tend to dream extremely vividly. Most of them make very little sense in the morning, as I often discovered when I woke up and wrote one down in the middle of the night only to find scribbled garbage come daylight. However, on occasion some dreams, or parts of dreams, have been the inspiration for some great story ideas.

The vividness is a particular help. Rather than imagining the emotions involved in a situation, a dream gives me the chance to live through it. It also means that any weird aspects – of which there are usually many – seem completely normal in context, so if I decide to use any of them in my writing there’s no small voice in my head saying “Nah, too off the wall.” And so far nobody else has said that to me, so I can’t be doing too badly… right?

But, you know, sometimes I really envy people who just lie down at night, sleep straight through and remember nothing. It would save me trying to figure out where that dream about crashing a helicopter into a pylon came from.

C is for Clandestine Classics

Total-e-Bound Publishing were my first publisher and my primary writing home, and I wouldn't consider myself a loyal member of their author list if I didn't mention their Clandestine Classics line. However, since I've already described it here previously, I'll move on to say why it's such a good thing - this time from the point of view of someone who has read every release in the line so far.


I love to read new books, and I especially love to read classics. But it's sometimes easy to forget that there are many, many more writers than Jane Austen and the Brontes. When the first wave of Clandestine Classics came out, there were the usual suspects - Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, all of which I found equally good with their sexy additions. And then, much to my delight, there were novels I had never even thought of reading before.


Which ones, you ask? How about Dracula? Tarzan of the Apes? Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? A Princess of Mars? And let's not forget the re-vamped Sherlock Holmes, which introduced me to a whole collection of stories I only wish I had discovered sooner.


So, when invited, I started work on my own Clandestine Classic. Sadly, though I have signed a contract, I can't tell you which one it is yet. But I will do so soon - and I thank all concerned for giving me the chance to write it.

B is for Book Signings

As a writer, the thought of doing a book signing has always terrified me.

For one thing, I fit the stereotype of the introverted author pretty well. The idea of sitting in the middle of a bookshop, behind a desk, trying to attract people to come over and buy my book so I can sign it, is foreign to everything in my nature. I'm quite happy for people to just click on a link at Amazon, honestly. I'm getting better, because we can't get away with hiding behind our screens anymore, but I will never be an in-your-face marketer no matter how hard I try.

For another, the horror stories I hear from other writers make me cringe. It takes me back to high school. Not only am I forcing myself out there, but people are walking past ignoring me! Or, worse, giving me the wrong sort of attention. In these cheerful reminiscence sessions, writer friends have reported being asked what they write before being told "Oh yeah, I don't like those", told off for being too expensive, mistaken for someone else and then hearing "Oh... damn" or, on one memorable occasion, being asked where the toilets are. Having heard far too often that as an erotic romance writer I am a filthy slut, the last thing I want is to sit in the equivalent of the stocks to be insulted. Or mistaken for E. L. James.

Of course, since I'm primarily in ebooks at the moment, this hasn't been an issue so far. But we do have one method of signing now - Authorgraph. I signed up early on and wrestled gamely with the mouse to create a signature that bore some resemblance to my own, in the hope that somebody somewhere might want one.

So far nobody has. But hey, I can live with being rejected on the internet. I can sit comfortably, wear a dressing gown, and nobody can tell if I stick my tongue out at the screen.

Day One of the A-Z Blog Hop - A is for Alpha Males

I’ve been looking forward to the A-Z Blog Hop for over a month. Now it’s finally here, I’ve decided to start with a topic which, as an erotic romance writer, is close to my heart.

Alpha males.

If there’s one thing we love in the romance field, it’s alpha males. Christian Grey, for instance, has women swooning all over the globe. My favourite character to write was Ash from The Hand He Dealt, a college football player who oozed masculinity. There’s just something about an alpha male that makes romance readers drool.

What is it about them that we love so much? Some of us like muscle and athleticism, but that’s not always necessary – power can also come from personality (back to Christian Grey again). Do we like to feel protected, physically or emotionally? Do we see strength of body or will as something we can tame?

At least these days we aren’t expected to match alpha heroes with weak heroines who need rescuing. Today’s heroines – my favourite ones, anyway – are strong women in their own right. I can’t do with the archetypal too-stupid-to-live ditz who spends all her time falling off her stilettos and expecting a man to make all her decisions for her.

In fact, one of these days I may even write an alpha female. Strong men are fun, but so are strong women.

(Although fetching a man to remove a spider is still allowable. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.)

And, speaking of As, I'd like to give a shout-out and thanks to Arlee Bird for setting up this Hop!

Menage with meaning?

Today I'm promoting the wonderful Victoria Blisse and her new story "Vanilla with Extra Nuts". Enjoy!

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Menage with meaning?

Vanilla with Extra Nuts is the story of three people working out a relationship, it’s not an easy thing and it is especially difficult for Megan as she didn’t realise her boyfriend was Bi and she certainly didn’t know he had a male lover as well as her. The story focuses on the way she works this through, how she decides her love for Adam means she’s willing to be open-minded about the way their relationship works. She was expecting the usual boy meets girl romance but has to work out what to do with the extra man in the equation.

Excerpt

Adam kissed me, cutting off my moans and muffling my gasps. Two tongues invaded me and teased me to the very heights of ecstasy. I was overloaded with the different touches and strokes over my body and I knew in a matter of moments I would explode. Then Simon stopped and I think I whimpered.

“Not yet, love, not yet.” Simon cooed and winked at me as I pouted down at him. “Damn, you and Adam make a fan-fucking-tastic cocktail. I always thought you would. I want to drink from your freshly fucked pussy on a regular basis now. It’s addictive.” I blushed but I smiled too. However, the smile was soon replaced as my jaw dropped. Simon parted Adam’s thighs and placed his juice covered lips around the very hard cock of my boyfriend. I’ve never seen a man give a blowjob before, nope never, so as well as being as hot as hell I found watching Simon’s technique very enlightening.

He used his hands to tease and stroke Adam’s balls almost constantly and he kept up a steady rhythm. I ran a finger through my sticky folds as I watched eagerly and took note. Simon pulled away suddenly and it was Adam’s turn to whimper with disappointment.

“You know I love your cock, baby,” Simon purred, “but right now I want to feel that gorgeous pussy wrapped around my dick. You don’t mind, do you, buddy?”

“No, no, I completely understand. Go ahead man, fuck her. I can see she’s gagging for it.”

My jaw dropped in disbelief at the way Adam just treated me like some kind of possession, but I said nothing because I really did want to be fucked and I was, as he’d said, gagging for it. Simon moved back between my thighs and leaned over to the bedside table. He opened the little drawer and pulled out a condom. Obviously he was used to Adam’s habits and for a minute I felt the old feelings of jealousy and upset overcoming me, but as Simon sat back on his heels, peeled open the packet, and rolled the condom over his thick cock I forgot all that and the lust over took my emotions once again.

Adam pressed his cheek against mine as we both craned our necks to watch Simon’s cock press between my lips. I felt so cherished, so sexy in that moment as one hot guy slipped inside of me and another held me close in his arms. Adam and I both watched enraptured for a few moments as Simon’s cock worked in and out of my slippery cunt. I was on fire, my cheeks and my chest were enflamed with heat. I tingled all over, my skin so sensitive every subtle touch brought me ever closer to orgasm.

Adam kissed me and his hand ran down over my stomach. I closed my eyes and concentrated on his lips on mine. It was such a strange sensation to have one man fuck you and one man kiss you, but it was good and something I wanted to experience again and again. I groaned when his fingers slipped down to my clit. As Simon fucked me Adam rubbed me just how I liked.

Adam’s lips left mine and again we were cheek to cheek watching what happened between my thighs. I found it hard to hold my eyes open, the pleasure grew in intensity and I didn’t want to miss one moment of this amazing experience. But eventually the sensations became too much and the ecstasy shot through me with such power my eyelids rattled shut as a desperate, orgasmic scream ripped from me.

A New Release from Victoria Blisse.

Vanilla with Extra Nuts is a ménage story, featuring two hot guys and one shy and sexy vanilla girl. Here’s the blurb:

She’s just a vanilla girl until she finds her perfect toppings.

Megan is slowly falling in love with Adam until he confesses he's seeing a guy behind her back. She thinks the relationship has been ruined until the night she indulges in a threesome with the man she loves and Simon, his lover.

As much as she enjoys being sandwiched between the two men she's not sure the arrangement can last. So Megan has to decide.

Can she come to terms with sharing the man she adores with his male lover or will she have to say goodbye to her soulmate forever?

Pick up your copy from:

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Vanilla-Extra-Group-Erotica-ebook/dp/B00BI4T13E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1361345944&sr=8-4&tag=sexy00-21

Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanilla-Extra-Group-Erotica-ebook/dp/B00BI4T13E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361345833&sr=8-1&tag=sexy00-21

All Romance Ebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vanillawithextranuts-1076497-144.html?referrer=9d8e54f3ce71ca2554b388837ebb07e6

Victoria Blisse is a Mother, Wife, Christian, Manchester United Fan and Award Winning Erotica Authoress. She is also the editor of several Bigger Briefs collections, and the co-editor of the fabulous Smut Alfresco and Smut in the City and Smut by the Sea Anthologies.

Victoria is also one of the brains behind the fabulous Smut by the Sea Event taking place at Scarborough Library (UK) on the 22nd June 2013. A day dedicated to Erotica with a mini erotic marketplace and lots of Author Readings, Fun Giveaways and Exciting Talks.

She is equally at home behind a laptop or a cooker (She is TEB's Resident "Naked Chef") and she loves to create stories, poems, cakes and biscuits that make people happy. She was born near Manchester, England and her northern English quirkiness shows through in all of her stories.

Passion, love and laughter fill her works, just as they fill her busy life.

You can find often find Victoria procrastinating on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

 

Clandestine Classic acceptance!

It’s been a while since I posted, and it’s great to be finally back with some good news – the Clandestine Classic that I’ve been working on for Total-e-Bound has been accepted! Yay!

For those of you that don’t remember, Total-e-Bound’s first clutch of Clandestine Classic novels were released last year to a wave of publicity, some positive, some less so. In fact, some sites implied that the writers involved were plagiarists, that they were desecrating classic novels, and that they were obviously incapable of getting published under their own steam. All of which was ridiculous, of course. The writers in question were already published multiple times, the novels were out of copyright, and the original authors were credited for their own work. And let’s not forget that for everyone who didn’t want to read the sexual exploits of Heathcliff, Jane Eyre, Mina Harker, the original novels were still available. No damage had been done to them.

And actually, I’ve found that the new line has drawn my attention to novels I previously knew nothing about. While several in the series I had already read, I’ve now been introduced to such works as Dracula, Tarzan of the Apes and the Sherlock Holmes stories, which now have pride of place on my Kindle. Hardly a disaster for literature!

Unfortunately, I’m not able to say yet which novel I’ve been working on, but as soon as I can, I’ll be back here with an update. I’m looking forward to the edits, which are the next stage of the journey. In the meantime I’m working on another short and two novellas, one being a sequel to I Heard Your Voice, which I hope to have finished in a few weeks.

So best to all, and watch this space!