Lia Slater

Hello!

As you're probably able to tell, I am interrupting First Sale Friday to bring you the lowdown on an awesome book by an awesome person.

Please welcome my friend and critique partner, Lia Slater!

Hi Monica! Thanks for inviting me over and letting me talk about my latest release, WereSlave. It’s an erotic paranormal romance, the first story in a werewolf series. And it’s available now from Ellora’s Cave.

Blurb:

As the Queen of Paqualette, Nayla is forbidden to have a husband or a human lover. Her life is a lonely and disciplined existence, so when she’s given the opportunity to choose a Were from her dungeon as her sex slave, she takes a chance. Werewolves, she knows, are nothing but senseless monsters, but after the one she selects to be her WereSlave turns out to be more of a man than she’s ever known, she must question her beliefs.

As the alpha leader, Mace is responsible for his pack. He’ll do anything to keep them alive, even give into the Queen’s sexual demands. But not unless he’s in control. Turning his enticing captor into the submissive is the only way to show her he’s more man than she realizes. Falling in love is out of the question, but so is leaving her behind.

Excerpt:

Nayla shoved at his chest again but, of course, he wouldn’t budge. He was solid steel. More than a man, he was a Were. A fact that surprisingly heated her insides. He was strong. Unrelenting. Powerful. Demanding. Untamable. And hers.

But would she allow herself to be tamed by him?

Never.

He grabbed her wrists and kept her from repeating the action, which infuriated her even more. How dare he try to confine her?

“Let me go right this instant, Mace Quinton.”

“Not until we have this little argument settled,” he said through gritted teeth. His bold blue eyes glinted with determination.

“There’s nothing to settle.” She jerked her hands in an attempt to escape but it was ineffective. He held her tight.

“Stop fighting me, Nayla. I want you and you will be mine. Outside your castle walls. Outside your country’s watchful eyes. You will give in to me.” He moved on top of her and wedged himself between her thighs.

Though her heart and body wanted to concede, her temper rose. She wouldn’t be forced to do anything. She squirmed and kicked and nearly pulled her hands free.

“Stop.” He readjusted his grip on her wrists and pinned them to the ground above her head. “Stop, Nayla.” His voice softened as well as his expression. “I don’t wish to fight you. You’re weak from the trek and I’m deeply sorry for that. But this battle must end.”

“I didn’t start—”

“Nayla, love,” he whispered in her ear so sweetly, she had to take in a breath.

“I’m listening.”

“Let me have you. Please.”

Her heart drummed a beat so loud it reached her head. He was right. She was too tired to fight. And a large part of her didn’t want to anymore.

Not when his warm lips pressed against her neck. Not when his tongue licked her thumping pulse. Certainly not when the weight of his cock sat solidly against her pussy, making her body react. Wetness pooled between her thighs and her nerves tingled with anticipation.

One glance around the cave assured her no one could see them from the outside. They had their privacy, their own hideaway. There was no one to witness her submission. No one to see the Queen yielding to her WereSlave.

This is a GREAT book peeps. GO BUY IT!!!

Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8042-wereslave.aspx

Man Meet Tuesday: Men with Accents

So this is a day late and I apologize for that. I've been sick for two days and I'm only now feeling better. I've decided to celebrate my recent wellness with some hot man meat. Specifically a month of men with accents.

I've gotten into this show "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" and there are two really hot dudes that I want to share with you. The first you may remember from "The Tudors."

CALLUM BLUE

Alas, I couldn't find any good pics of him shirtless but his face more than makes up for it.

ENJOY!!!

First Sale Friday: Wren Boudreau

Welcome to another installment of First Sale Friday. Today, Harmless Smut is pleased to welcome Wren Boudreau. Wren is a fellow Loose Id author that I met on the boards and begged to have on the blog.

HS: First of all, thanks for visiting Harmless Smut!

WB: THANKS for having me!!!!

HS: First of all, how long have you been writing?

WB: I guess I've been writing on and off since I was a kid. In terms of writing, um, professionally, "Ice Cream on the Side" is my very first book.

HS: LOVE that title! What attracted you to writing romance?

WB: I discovered m/m three years ago or so. Kind of stumbled upon it and wow - I was hooked immediately. Something about the dynamics of two men in a relationship really spoke to me as a reader, and I devoured a lot of books. I experienced the wonderful spectrum of quality that exists in these books. Periodically I’d say to myself, “Hey, I could do better than this.” (Then I’d read something by Josh Lanyon, or Jordan Castillo Price, or JL Langley, and I’d say, “Nah. It’s not that easy. I’ll just keep reading.”)

Then in late 2008 I stumbled across a contest a publisher was having. I literally wrote the book in a month’s time (my own private nanowrimo). Every entry was supposed to get editorial feedback, which I thought was great, since I didn’t have any beta readers or critique partners and lord knew I couldn’t ask my rl friends to review because holy crap the book has man on man sex in it! I just looked at it as a chance to see if I could write something others might want to read.

Well, I never heard back from the publisher, except for the automated we-got-your-document response. So I wallowed in bitterness and anger for a while then segued into self-pity and finally acceptance that I probably suck as a writer. A few months later, don’t know what possessed me, but I opened up the story file and re-read my book and thought, “This needs a lotta work. But it isn’t too awful.” So I revised. And sent the synopsis and three chapters to one of my favorite publishers, Loose Id.

Lo and behold! They wanted to see the whole dang thing! And after they read it, well, wonder of wonders, they wanted to publish it. And, la, here it is!

HS: That's awesome. I also got my big break from a contest. Loose Id rocks! How many manuscripts had you completed before you sold?

WB: Just the one. Neat-o, huh?

HS: That's flippin' amazing! Double congrats! Tell us about the day (the minute, the second) you received "The Call" (or email). What was your initial reaction?

WB: I’d been waiting…and waiting…a couple of emails back and forth with the editor I was working with at Loose Id gave me the sense that I would hear from management soon. One part of me felt pretty confident, because the editor had thought it good enough to send on up the ladder. Another part of me felt very unsure and kept coming up with little pep talks: It’ll be okay, maybe you’ll get some insights into what needs to change. There are other publishers to try. If you get rejected it’s not you personally they’re rejecting. Et cetera.

My husband and I were off on a cruise! So I had my laptop with me (‘cause y’know I had to be able to keep in touch with my college-age son in case of emergency, right?) and sure enough, while cruising off the coast of the U.K. I received the email that said “Welcome to Loose Id!” I read that a couple times to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Then I did the “hey guess what” thing with my husband. Did the happy dance. Smiled a lot.

HS: That's a great story! What did you do to celebrate after?

WB: We went to dinner at the nicest restaurant on the ship - the one where you have to pay extra. Had Asti Spumante (my fav) and talked about how cool it was that my book was going to be published.

HS: Nice way to celebrate. Anyone whom you wanted to rub their nose in it?

WB: Oh, it sounds so petty, but yeah, that first publishing company that never followed up. I got over that quickly, though.

HS: Success will do that for you! Tell us about your current release.

WB: “Ice Cream on the Side” was released on Dec. 8. It’s on the Loose Id website: http://www.loose-id.com/Ice-Cream-on-the-Side.aspx

Blurb:

Dylan Forest is really pretty happy. He’s a successful architect, lives in a great little town, and has good friends. More than ten years ago, Dylan’s first boyfriend betrayed him. Since then he’s learned to appreciate men briefly and intensely, with no lingering complications. But Dylan finds himself wanting something more with Michael Gilmore, the new art teacher in town.

Michael moved to Raven Pass to get away after a bad break-up. He just wants to teach and he’s got an exhibit of his own work coming up. He doesn’t expect to find himself attracted to anyone just yet. He has to give up his fear so he can explore a possible relationship with Dylan.

The guys manage to get past their insecurities and into bed, where they find out just how compatible they are. Before their romance gains momentum, however, life gets complicated. An old dead body and a new murder are both connected to Dylan’s love life, and it appears that Michael will be next.

What’s going on? And can Dylan and Michael stop it before it stops them?

Excerpt:

The pile from the backpack was an interesting assortment of things: tins of charcoals and pastels, pencils of different sizes, crumpled papers, an orange, several sketch pads, an iPod, headphones, tubes of acrylics, a six-inch wooden manikin, and a notebook computer.

The whole thing reminded me of Mary Poppins’s carpetbag. “If I stuck my arm in your backpack, would I pull up a hat rack?”

He didn’t bat an eye. “No, but you might get a floor lamp.”

Michael used the computer to make notes and write an outline of our plan. His fingers flew over the keyboard. When I tried to think, my eyes were drawn to his hands, and thoughts of architecture were replaced with thoughts of what those hands would feel like… I had to get up and move around the room in order to speak coherent sentences.

Eventually, my stomach pointed out that I hadn’t eaten yet by growling loud enough to be heard in New Jersey. Michael stopped typing and tilted his head to listen.

“Sorry,” I said. “Snack time?”

“Good idea.” He closed the laptop, set it off to the side, and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. My mouth watered when his stretch exposed a strip of skin at the bottom of his shirt. I turned rapidly toward the fridge and stuck my head in, hoping the cold would wash all the way to my cock.

“Do you feel like veggies and dip, or chips and salsa?” I yelled from the bowels of my Amana.

“Definitely chips and salsa.” His voice sounded from right next to me, and I nearly gave myself a concussion when I jumped. My scowl was lost on him; he only grinned at me when I straightened up. I handed him the salsa, and he poured it in a bowl while I dumped the chips into a basket. We each grabbed another beer and returned to the table, sitting at the far end away from the mass of papers strewn about. Michael turned his chair to face out toward the deck. Our conversation turned from our project to other topics.

I discovered, among other things, that he was originally from western Pennsylvania, had two sisters and a brother, graduated from my alma mater -- Penn State -- with a major in art education and a minor in graphic design, and at twenty-six, was six years younger than me. He learned that I was born not far from right here, my mother died when I was ten, my favorite thing to do was design buildings and landscapes, and gardening was a stress-relieving hobby.

I was just about to ask him about the kind of music he liked when I noticed a glop of salsa at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve got some, um, salsa, there.” I tried to point without pointing, to, you know, be polite.

“Where?” He rubbed at the wrong side of his mouth.

“No, the other side.”

He wiped a spot on his cheek. “Did I get it?”

“Here,” I said and scooped the offending sauce off with my thumb, which somehow then ended up in his mouth.

I watched with fascination as he sucked gently, pulling the digit in, swirling his tongue around it, his eyes closed as if this were the best thing he’d ever tasted. My other fingers rested on his face, feeling the suction through his cheek. He pulled back and opened his eyes; I got lost in them for a minute. When I moved my hand to the back of his neck and drew him to me, he gave no resistance. Our lips met, flavored with salt and salsa. We shared a series of little kisses, tasting each other gently.

He had turned his chair around, and we sat facing each other. His hands rested on my biceps, and my hands slid to his chest -- where they noticed that Michael did have more interesting piercings.

The soft little kisses grew stronger. The more I had, the more I wanted.

Without moving his lips away, Michael said, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I met you.”

“So kiss me,” I mumbled back.

I caught his tongue with mine and sucked on it, a hopeful foreshadowing of events to follow. He pulled on my bottom lip with his teeth. The frenzy meter ratcheted up, our lips and tongues exploring, probing, claiming. I felt his hand in my hair, and my own hand twisted his shirt. Breathing became a secondary need, behind tasting. When air proved to be necessary, we slid back into short, small kisses. It didn’t take long for me to feel refreshed, and I plunged back into kissing him deeply, rolling my tongue across and under his teeth. He groaned when I held his face between my palms and bit lightly at his lips. He tried to take back control, but I couldn’t get enough of tasting him.

His tug on my hair pulled me away enough to look in his eyes. “Dylan,” he whispered.

“Shh,” I said. “A moment.” We were still, just breathing, and I could feel the reverberation of each kiss.

He gave me that moment; then he leaned back. “Wow.” His hands slipped away from my shoulders as he stood up. He walked to the sliding glass door and leaned against the jamb, staring out across the hills. This did not seem like a good sign to me. I didn’t know if I should follow or back away. I opted for the middle road, stood up but stayed near my chair.

He turned toward me.

“I…that was…” He shook his head. “I’ve never been kissed like that.”

“That makes two of us. Why are you over there?”

He looked out the window again. “I’m overwhelmed. This wasn’t what I expected.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Neither. Both. I’m not sure.” He crossed the room to where his belongings were piled. “I have to go… I need to think.”

“Michael, no. I want you to stay.” This time I did follow him, stopping just within reach.
He threw his things into the backpack. I grabbed his hands to hold them still. “Listen. I maybe didn’t do this right. I moved too fast.” He stared up at me, waiting. “I like you, and I don’t want to screw this up.” I thought about the different men I’d been with and how everything with them happened so fast because there was so little time for it. I realized I was walking new ground, here. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

He clenched my hands. “No…don’t…I think I scared myself. You remember I told you about the relationship I’d been in?”

I nodded.

“When I left, I promised myself that I would not jump into another one. I can’t do things part way.” He let go of me, and his pacing emphasized the words he spoke quietly. “Tim -- my ex -- and I, we were together almost a year, and I completely misread him. I was so excited about our being together -- I was looking at houses and furniture, but he was looking at other men. Our arguments left me realizing that I expected too much -- made too many big plans. Tim said some cruel things to me, but he made me think about not only ours, but other relationships I’d been in. I leap too quickly. I can’t trust myself.” He stopped moving, shrugged, and gave a little unhappy laugh. “My mom used to tell me I was too passionate about, well, everything. My brother used to tell me I was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.”

He suddenly looked so very young. I felt like a lecher. I wanted to rewind back to where we were building a friendship. Before I could say anything, he continued.

“I thought I’d learned my lesson, but you were so unexpected. And it threw me.”

I’ve been called a lot of things, but “unexpected” was a new one. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

His pacing brought him to the opposite side of the table. He leaned on it. “I never expected that I would find anyone like you in this place. You’re smart. Funny. Kind. Gorgeous. I’ve been thinking about that kiss for so long, I was sure the reality would never live up to the fantasy. I was wrong. It was better.”

I stood speechless. No one had ever said anything like that to me. I replayed his words in my head a few times so I wouldn’t forget them.

A sigh came from deep in his chest as he shoved his belongings into his bag. “It scares the shit out of me.” He zipped up the backpack and headed to the front door.

I tried to shake off the fog that was swirling around my head and stopped him with my hand on his arm. “Wait. Can’t we work through this together?”

“I just need a little time. I don’t want to go into anything blinded by my fantasies. And I don’t want to ruin something with exploding baggage before it begins.” A look of fear passed over his face. “Oh, God, have I ruined it already?”

I was too flummoxed to answer anything with conviction. “No, no, you haven’t ruined it. I think we both have baggage we need to unpack.”

Michael gave me a shaky smile and reached up to kiss me on the cheek. As he opened the door and stepped out, he said, “I will call you. I know that sounds stupid, but I promise I will.”

Before I could think of anything else to say, he was gone.

HS: Whew! Excuse me for a sec...

I'm back! Tell me you're working on something now!

WB: I’m in the very, very beginning stages of a new m/m romance. It may have shape-shifters of the wolfy kind. A tortured alpha male, a sweet beta boy. I don’t want to say more because I have learned that what you start out with may not be what you end up with!

HS: Wolves? I'm in! Any advice for the "Soon to be Published"?

WB: Read. A lot. Get a sense of what you like and what you don’t like. Read reviews of books in the genre you’re going to write in. Notice the differences of opinion between reviewers and hone in on the constructive criticisms they offer. I never really thought too much about why I liked or didn’t like a book until I started reading reviews. The really good reviewers give valid, well-thought-out reasons for their opinions, which made me look closer at the books I was reading and gave me new insights. Start writing. I am a first-class procrastinator, which is why it took a contest to get me moving - that provided the deadline I needed. So if you need one of those, make something up! Just write.

HS: Great advice! Now for some fun stuff! Tell us something about you that would surprise us.

WB: I am seriously shy. In my senior year of high school I was in a very small seminar class. Near the end of the year, in the midst of a discussion about our particular personalities, one of my classmates leaned toward me and said, “All this time I thought you were stuck up! And it’s just that you’re shy!” It suddenly was clear to me why I’d had such a hard time making friends. *sigh* I’m not much better at it now, but at least I know what’s going on! And on the interwebz, nobody knows you’re shy…or whatever.

HS: Gotta love the internet! Boxers or briefs on your man?

WB: Why limit oneself?

HS: Good point! Who's your ideal hero?

WB: I’ve always (well, at least since 1977) been partial to Han Solo. I still swoon if I happen to come across the very first Star Wars.

HS: If you could have sex with one celebrity, who would it be?

WB: Hugh Jackman…wait…George Clooney…. Alexander Skarsgard….hold on…Gilles Marini…no..Ryan Reynolds. Oh crap, I’ll have to try them all. I’ll get back to you.

HS: What's the funniest or most interesting line you've ever read in a book or written?

WB: There are a bajillion in Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden books.

Here’s just one, from “Death Masks”:

Susan: “Elevator?”

Harry: “Stairs, if they have them. If someone shoots at us on stairs, we can scream and flail around a lot more."

HS: Good one! Facial hair or no? Chest hair? No hair on any part of the body (your partner, of course, not you)?

WB: Glad you made it clear this wasn’t about me! Not super keen on facial hair, but a closely cropped bit is okay. Some body hair is acceptable, but not furry (unless he’s a shifter and he’s…shifted) because then when you get to the licking part the loose hairs stick to your tongue and then there is that awkward moment where you have to fish hairs out of your mouth or worse yet they get caught in your throat. But long hair (on his head, I mean) trumps all. I am so a sucker for the long-haired boy. *Sigh*

HS: Great answers! Thanks, Wren, for joining us here at Harmless Smut!

What are you waiting for, readers? GO BUY!!

Later Gators!

First Sale Friday: Lilly Cain

Hello and welcome to a new year and a new start to First Sale Friday! I can't think of any better way to begin than with the fabulous Lilly Cain.

Great picture, huh? We met last year at Romantic Times and she is as lovely as her photo.

Her first book, Dark Harmony, dropped last week at Red Sage. Peep the cover!

Awesome!!!

And now, onto the good stuff!

HS: How long have you been writing?

LC: It seems as though I have always been writing. I used to love creative writing in school, even writing papers for my two sisters who seemed to be more interested in math. I’ve been writing romance for 8 years, but you have to throw about 3 of them out during the time I was getting marriage therapy/separation/divorce. You can’t write romance or erotica when all you really want to write about is murder and mayhem. 

HS: Very True. With all that going on, what attracted you to writing romance?

LC: I read a lot of different genres, yet time and again I found romance in each story and began to look for it, and miss it if it wasn’t there – the connection between the hero and heroine. Eventually my reading turned to single title romance and erotic romance and I never turned back, although I still love mystery and science fiction. Since that is what I love to read, that is what I love to write.

HS: I'm always looking for the romance! How many manuscripts had you completed before you sold?

LC: I had completed two full length novels and a novella before I sold my first book, each one at a higher level of heat than the last, until I found my niche in erotic romance.

HS: It's funny how you kind of just fall into it. Tell us about the day (the minute, the second) you got ‘The Call’ (or The Email). What was your initial reaction?

LC: I was on high at my first RT conference. There were so many incredible people to meet! I’d already gotten an offer from Ellora’s Cave for my novella Building Magic, if I completed certain changes. That was pretty exciting! Then I had an appointment with Theresa Stevens of Red Sage and something just clicked. She already had a copy of Building Magic – I had placed in the Chase the Dream Contest and she, along with Raelene Gorlinski at EC had asked for a copy. So she already knew about my writing and something about her, about our conversation (and about the way she was also interested in my full length novel Dark Harmony) made me certain she was the one I wanted to work with. And she wanted to work with me! I knew immediately I would sign the contract she promised to send me – I consider that the moment I sold. Meeting her in person, instead of an email or a phone call was incredibly important to me, worth the entire cost of the conference, the time, the flight, you name it.

HS: That's awesome! I was at that RT with you. You were so excited! What did you do to celebrate afterward?

LC: I was to meet up with several friends – all published authors there to promote or meet agents etc, and I did, telling everyone along the way what had happened! It didn’t matter that I had no idea who these people were, I was too excited to be quiet! That night we had drinks by the pool, a big bunch of us with our feet in the water, sharing bottles of sangria in the warm Florida weather. I was 800 miles from home, so of course I had already called to share the news with my family. I can’t remember what I told them, just a babble of words. LOL

HS: I can't remember what I said either. I'm sure it was nonsensical. Anyone whom you wanted to rub your news in his/her nose?

LC: In a way I would have liked to show off to my ex. He wasn’t exactly supportive in our final year together. But I was past the point where it really mattered anymore. I was more interested in sharing my news with everyone who wanted to celebrate with me!

HS: I love the honesty! Tell us about your current release. (Please include an excerpt!)

LC: My first release is Dark Harmony – the first book in my Dark Seduction Series. It is a dark erotic vampire novel, full length. Here’s a blurb about it:

Running from a lover that has twisted her very nature, Lena Townsend hunts on her own.

Lena has been the object of many desires. Now she is all too aware that being an obsession can be deadly. Her mildly adventurous sexual life reached its pinnacle, and its end, when she met sexually dominant vampire Darien. He stole her life, and used her sensual nature to bend her to his will. In making her his own, he placed her in a position where she must constantly submit to him, yet be dominant to his pack. It’s a conflict that pulls her apart.

In leaving the pack, Lena strives for independence, but her vampire instincts push her to find more – to find a new pack, a new family. Alone, she cannot share what makes her vampire, and she cannot find a lover she can trust enough to reveal her submissive nature.

In her escape Lena discovers a power that could save her – the ability to read and influence emotion. With this talent she might survive the loneliness.

Unfortunately, her old pack wants her back, no matter what.

Richard Heron has given up everything for his daughter since the murder of his wife, but what he misses most is the chance to explore his deeply sensual side once again. Once the owner of a popular S&M club, and its favored dom, he left everything he was to shelter his family. Lena could offer him more than he ever expected, a level of sensuality he never knew existed and a love that could never die, but he must reconcile the danger she brings with his need to shield his family – especially when what killed his wife was certainly not human.

In a flight that leads her thousands of miles from her territory and into the province of a dragon, independence is not what Lena expected. But if she can finally learn to trust, she can find harmony with her submissive and vampiric natures, and join with Richard into a new blend of family – a Dark Harmony.

And to whet your whistles, here’s an excerpt:

London - Spring, 1981

The bar was hopping, full of people, lights, and sound. Helena Townsend sipped her drink and laid it on the bar counter. It had definitely been worth coming out tonight, her last night in London before she returned to her job in the United States. This place is alive. Her nose wrinkled at the tang of pot that hung in the air, and she threaded through the crowd toward the dance floor, a few steps lower than the bar level. The dancers rocked and twisted to the music. She looked out over them, enjoying the scene before she joined in.

From across the floor he watched her. Tall, blond, drop-dead fantastic, he stood apart from the crowd, just as she did. His eyes held hers and a slow sizzle began low in Helena’s belly. She licked suddenly dry lips. He walked toward her through the packed dancers. People shifted aside to let him pass, but she found she couldn’t move.

“I’m Darien. Dance with me.” The pounding music swirled around him like fog, parting for the deep timbre of his voice.

The tune changed from a fast rock beat to something slower, a power ballad. He smiled and she shivered as the heat in her body surged, pooling in her breasts and pussy with a force that made her gasp. He held out his hand and she took it, breathless as he led her to the center of the dance floor. With his long blonde hair and piercing eyes, he looked as though he could be one of the singers, a heavy metal god.

They danced for hours, moving together each time a slower song soared through the heavy air. Helena pressed closer to her dancing partner. Every curve of her body that touched his sent quivers of desire through her. Darien danced slowly. His tall, muscular frame swayed against her, and his hands caressed her back through her thin cotton blouse.

Loving you Sunday Morning floated out from the speakers, encouraging the dancers to cuddle their partners closer. Couples crowded the small dance floor as the persuasive guitars invited the crowd to consider sweet, slow-paced sex. God knew Helena was considering it.

The aroma of spice rose from his skin. She laid her face against his chest to draw his scent deeper into her body. Although she didn’t usually go for blondes, Darien’s height and his velvety bass voice caught her attention as no man had in some time.

The song drew to a close, and he held her, looking down into her face. His eyes were dark, his pupils huge despite the flashing dance lights. His lips held a soft smile.

“Let’s go for a walk.” His deep voice vibrated through her, starting a resonance low in her belly.

She shivered. She never went anywhere with strangers, and this man, Darien, was that. She’d only known him this one night, these few hours of dancing. But, good Lord, he was sexy. And it had been a while since she’d been this turned on. A long while, maybe never. She could admit it to herself. For a long time her fantasies had been better than any man.

“Don’t be afraid, Helena. I simply want to be with you and to taste those full lips.”

“O-kay,” she stuttered. Her voice sounded ridiculously soft against the noise of the guitar solo, but whether he heard her or saw it in her eyes, he immediately began to lead her toward the bar’s side exit. She used to love to come here and dance. It had been months since her mother’s death, and in all that time she hadn’t returned to a bar until tonight. She hadn’t needed the press of people to remind her she was alone in the world now.

Perhaps she’d been avoiding people. Her clothes brushed against the throng of other dancers as they wound through the mass of people crowding the bar. It almost seemed as though they were tugging on her blouse, catching their fingers in the soft ripped edges of her denim skirt. Each touch made her more aware of her growing arousal, her tightly peaked nipples, and the heat that radiated from her pussy. Music roared from the stage, some new raw heavy metal band pumping out sound. The drums pounded a heavy beat that echoed the blood pulsing through her veins.

Finally, they reached the door and pushed past the bouncer. Cool night air slid around her neck and beneath her long black hair. For a moment she hesitated, and then Darien was pulling her to the sidewalk and hailing a cab.

“I thought we were going for a walk,” she said.

He looked back at her, amused. “Helena, you don’t want to do this in an alley, do you?”

Her heart pounded wildly. There was no mistaking what he meant. “Not really.”

The cab ride was swift, most of it lost to his heated kisses. As his tongue thrust into her mouth, she opened her lips for him and let the sensation wash over her. Cascades of sparks danced down her body until they pulsed at her hot clit. When had she become so wanton? She wondered at her behavior even as she allowed his hand to slide up her skirt.

“I never do this sort of thing,” she gasped.

“I know.”

God, the way he smelled, like cloves mixed with saffron and musk. She wriggled closer to him. His fingertips grazed the lips of her pussy. She could have ripped off her clothes then and there, but the cabbie spoke up to tell them they’d arrived.

The local Hilton had never looked so inviting.

“I’ve got a room.” His voice rang deeper than ever, its low peal humming down her spine.

His steps as eager as hers, they dashed to the elevator. The instant the sliding doors closed, he pulled her to him. His long-fingered hands cupped her ass through her skirt and his mouth devoured hers again. She stroked the taut, lean muscle of his back. She couldn’t think. His mouth left hers to kiss and lick a path to her throat, and she groaned aloud with need. He nipped at her neck and the quick pain made her gasp. Desire flooded her senses.

The elevator doors opened with a chime, and they stepped out as one, their bodies pressed as tightly together as possible while still managing to rush toward his room. Helena’s mind was reeling. She staggered off-balance as he let go for a moment to unlock and open the door to his room. Why was she so dizzy? She put a hand to her throat and felt wetness. When she looked down at her hand, she saw blood.

“I’m bleeding.” Her voice caught in disbelief.

He grabbed her arm, wrenching her through the open door and into the dark room. Faster than she thought possible, the door slammed tight and the lock clicked shut.

“I’m bleeding!” she said again, louder, panicked.

“I know.” He pulled her hand to his mouth and licked at the blood on her fingers. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t. The heat of his mouth and the sound of his soft moan froze her in his arms as the room whirled around them.

As his tongue rasped her fingertips, her heart pounded again and not from lust. It was so damn dark in the room, she could barely see a thing. Only a crack of light from the bathroom door and the faint glow from the half-draped window allowed her to glimpse his face. His cold eyes glittered with the tiny amount of light. She felt odd, sick. She tried to pull her arm away, throwing her weight away from him, but he didn’t budge. Her attempts to pull away from his awful licking were useless. His height and strength, so arousing earlier, were terrifying now. Worse, as she scanned the shadowy room for some weapon or way to escape, she caught a movement.

They weren’t alone.

HS: WOW!!! I can't wait to read it!!! When can we get our greedy hands on them?

LC: The first book of my Dark Seduction series, Dark Harmony is available this month as an e-book! However, for one lucky commenter on this post, I will be offering a free e-copy, just share your thoughts to qualify to win!

HS: Damn it! I can't win one. But I am sure that my blog readers will be happy. Thank you. And if we don't win, where can we buy your books?

LC: You can buy my books at www.eRedSage.com. It will also be available for kindles at Amazon, and there will be several other distributors as well over the next few months.

HS: I'm going right now! What are you working on now?

LC: I am currently writing the sequel to Dark Harmony which I have tentatively titled Dark Melody. It is a ménage with two of the characters from book one and a third from the hero’s past. The main concept is still freedom, or our interpretation of it. And it features one red hot dragon shapeshifter. I am going to have to take a little time away from that in a month or so though to begin revision of my novella, Building Magic, the story that got everything started for me. Building Magic is the story of another world – the home world of dragons, as they struggle in a time of civil war. I will be making the story a little longer and opening it up for a sequel or more. The story is complex and needs more time to see everything through.

HS: A dragon? HOTT!!!! That's all I need to know. What advice do you have for ‘Soon To Be Published’ writers (as I like to call them)?

LC: I am sure everyone has heard this advice. WRITE. Finish your story. You can’t sell a story if it isn’t finished. And without practicing writing ‘The End’ a few times, you really won’t know how to complete a book. Beyond that and learning the mechanics of writing, I would suggest two things. One, enter contests, and two, go to conferences. You can learn a lot from both, and make contacts from both. I really believe that meeting someone is incredibly influential, and that nothing is more important than getting your material in front of an editor, thus the contests.

HS: Great advice! Now, tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows (or something very funny or interesting about you or your life).

LC: When I first separated from my ex I found an interesting parallel to our lives. He joined Yoga, I took up Karate. He joined ball room dancing and I took up KobuJutsu – the study of ancient Japanese weaponry, LOL. Hey, we all deal with stress in our own way.

HS: LMAO!!! Boxers or Briefs on your man?

LC: Helllooo boxers! Accessibility, and a variety of textures and patterns. What more could a woman want?

HS:Too true! If you could have sex with one celebrity who would it be?

LC: Wolverine…er I mean Hugh Jackman!!

HS: Thank you so much, Lilly, for visiting the Smut and the great interview!

Now, all you readers or lurkers, POST! Lilly will be choosing one commenter at random to win a copy of her book, Dark Harmony.

Me? I'm off to buy.

Later Gators!

New Year, New Man!

Welcome to 2010! I know you were worried but I am ringing it in the right way. With a man hot enough to make you want to keep that New Year's resolution to be as naughty as possible. Maybe that's just me.

Our man today is Gregory Vincent. He's an actor, model, singer, and get this ladies, a GYMNAST. That's right, our baby can bend!!! That's okay. You can drool. And pick up that other girl off the floor so she can see this...