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Yearly Archives: 2014

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Promo – Intergalactic Heat, by Jessica E. Subject

Posted on August 3, 2014 - 12:00 am by 1

My fellow Decadent Publishing author and sci-fi romance enthusiast Jessica E. Subject is celebrating the release of a compilation of some of her 1Night Stand stories! I’m thrilled to be able to share an exciting excerpt over here (not to mention excited about the release itself) – be sure to check it out!


INTERGALACTIC HEAT

a
collection of 1Night Stand stories

by Jessica E. Subject
A date on a space
station? Alien lovers? Madame Evangeline, owner of the exclusive 1Night Stand
dating service is known to be magical in fulfilling the ideal dates of her
clients, but she’s outdone herself this time, bring together beings from Earth
and beyond. As long as applicants are willing to let go of their pasts and open
their hearts and minds, she will find their perfect match, whether they be a
former sci-fi television star, a nurse, an employee of the Space Service, a
former Marine, or even an extraterrestrial. Because everyone in the universe
deserves a happily ever after…
169 pages
Contains: Beneath the
Starry Sky, Celestial Seduction, Unknown Futures, Satin Sheets in Space, and
Sudden Breakaway
Genres: Science Fiction
Romance, Contemporary Romance, Lesbian Romance, Menage Romance, Military
Romance, Interracial Romance, Erotic Romance
Available FREE in for your
Kindle!
July 31, 2014 to August 4, 2014
Also available in PRINT
from:

  


Excerpt
from Unknown Futures – F/F Science Fiction Erotic Romance

“Let’s hit the dance floor.” The drinks could wait. She wouldn’t let her
guest out of her sight again.

The music thrummed, filling her to the core, preventing her from
standing still. She found a spot with just enough room for the two of them. No
one else mattered. With each hit of the bass, she moved her feet, her hips, her
hands. She let the beat control her body and her heart.

Although others might be watching, her attention remained on Jewel. Each
movement, a planned seduction. She couldn’t let her go without trying. When the
next song began, Jewel finally relaxed. She moved to the music.

And V moved closer. She slid her hand from Jewel’s waist, down, then
back up, swaying in front of her. Only an inch between them. She couldn’t get
enough. Her Earth scent became intoxicating.

Beat after beat, song after song, she kept her hands on the sexy woman.
She claimed her, telling everyone else to stay away. She wanted to savor her
precious body. Maybe she could make her forget about her date.

She pulled Jewel even closer, her sensitive nipples pressed against the
woman she desired. Holding her with both hands, grinding against her to the
music. Her heart raced with hunger. I want to take her on the floor. Right
here. Right now.

But the song changed. The beat slowed, indicating last call. The club
would close soon.

Most of the patrons had left. Only those hoping to hook up remained. She
stepped back. Jewel would have to make the first move. V could never force
herself on anyone.

When Jewel took her hands and placed them back on her body, she couldn’t
help but smile. Perhaps the evening would end the way she wanted.

Jewel pressed against her, her head resting on her shoulder, swaying to
the decelerated beat. “I don’t want this night to end.”

Their dancing became deliberate, a sensuous and intimate rhythm. “It
doesn’t have to.”

Jewel stopped and looked up at her. “You…you’re interested?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re the most beautiful creature in the space
station.”

Somehow, she had to make her see. She brushed her thumb across her lips,
wanting to touch more, her entire luscious body. Taking a deep breath, V
steadied herself. If this were to go any further, Jewel needed to show her own
intentions. As warm moisture pooled between her thighs, V schooled herself to
patience.

“Are you sure you’re not my date?”

Shit! That damn date, the only
wedge between them. “No, but I wish I was.”

“I wish you were, too.” Jewel stood on the tips of her toes and claimed
her mouth.

V pulled her closer until the bit of space between them had been filled.
Excited by the warm, curvaceous body pressed against her taut nipples, she fed
from the sweetness of Jewel’s mouth, drawing out each delicious sweep. But she
wanted more. She wanted all of her.

That Time Sting Contributed to My Sexual Awakening

Posted on July 26, 2014 - 12:31 am by 2

I just got back from being on vacation for a week. I had both the work and the personal laptops with me, neither came out that often and I am FINE with that. Also, I did not write a single word, and I am fine with that, too. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about writing and characters and romance, and whatnot.

Firstly, I chose Bellweather Rhapsody, by Kate Racculia, for my vacation reading. You can read my more elaborate review here (and really, I could have rambled on even more about it), but the short version is that if 1) you were a band geek in high school and/or 2) you’ve ever feared your passion and talent destroying you, I believe you will enjoy this book. I couldn’t put it down, and like I said in my review, it spoke to me.

On a vaguely-relevant note* (this is all going to tie together coherently, I promise, just bear with me), those of us on vacation attended an a capella concert last night. I sat with my husband, my parents, my mom’s cousin, and his wife and it was a great show. This particular group is based out of a popular vacation spot and they always have ten college-aged guys performing. Mom, Cousin’s Wife, and I played the role of the dirty old women and half-joked about which ones we wanted to take home with us as we ogled. In Bellweather Rhapsody, one character even comments that a capella groups are how the non-jocks get laid in college, and, well, it’s a pretty astute observation.

Lest you think us total perverts, one of the things we discussed was how some of the members of the group were more naturally outgoing and charismatic than others. Some could work the crowd as soon as they entered the room, while others took some time to warm up. Regardless, as soon as they started singing (they all took turns singing lead), that’s when the magic happened for every single one of them.

I remembered the first time I saw this group perform, when I was younger than the performers and not yet a Dirty Old Woman. Same situation – some guys hamming it up, while others took more of a backseat and blended into the background. There was this one guy who seemed the quietest, most reserved out of the group. He wore glasses back before it was the hipster’s accessory of choice and didn’t quite have the chiseled lifeguard’s physique of some of his colleagues. Though he smiled and laughed with the others, he didn’t say much throughout the show.

And then. It was his turn to sing lead, and he sang Sting’s “Fields of Gold”. This happened about 15-16 years ago, and I can still see it so vividly in my head. The look on his face as he sang this beautiful song that I’d already liked, how he made his transformation into someone who commanded the attention of the entire room with his magnetic power…teenaged me melted into a puddle of goo right there. Dirty Old Woman me looked around the room last night and saw others having a similar experience. Mr. Landen even commented on all the younger groupies melting into those puddles, though he used slightly cruder language. And when one extremely talented young man took center stage and let loose, Cousin’s Wife leaned over to me and breathed “…Shit.”

So what does this have to do with writing? As a romance author, I frequently wind up engaged in discussions on how to make heroes sexy, how to get them to sizzle on a page. As I learned a decade and a half ago and was reminded of last night, nothing is sexier than someone doing what he/she loves. At the concert and in the book I just read, the passion of choice was music, but really, just about anything could work. And passion in one area can easily translate into passion in another area, keeping the sparks flying. Even in a non-romance setting, shouldn’t we all dig deep to find what makes our characters tick, what gives them that inimitable drive, what flips that switch to make them exciting and captivating?

*Hahaha, “note”, IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE THE POST IS ABOUT MUSIC. Oh ho ho, see what I did there.

The Fall of the Midnight Scorpions – It’s Official!

Posted on July 11, 2014 - 6:40 pm by 3

After a couple miscommunications and some other snafus which are boring so I won’t elaborate, I’m thrilled to announce that I received the acceptance/contracts for The Fall of the Midnight Scorpions, the sequel to Disintegration! I don’t have an official release date yet, but I do have some fun stuff planned for the time leading up to it. Stay tuned for said fun, and in the meantime, here’s the blurb:

A year has passed since Ro Bernard escaped from the Midnight Scorpions, a clandestine group of mercenaries that exists in the outside world as little more than myths and rumors. Though haunted by the reprehensible acts she committed and witnessed as a member of the organization, her primary focus is keeping a roof over her head and food on her plate. A chance encounter leads her to Karin Cassels, whose son died in the Scorpions’ underground laboratory. While sharing details about her son’s research, Ro reveals the most disturbing information she has on the group. Their leader, scientist Dane Zedek, has been integrating cybernetic parts with human soldiers in the hopes of building himself a lethal army that will help him achieve even greater political power.
 
The women hatch a plan to take down the Midnight Scorpions with two ultimate goals: kill Zedek, and rescue Callum, Ro’s lover who was the first of the scientist’s experimental hybrids. For additional assistance, Dr. Cassels directs Ro to Reggie Quinn, a drifter who is no stranger to odd jobs and risky situations. Reggie agrees to join the cause in exchange for a percentage of whatever they loot from the Scorpions’ base.
 
They embark on an adventure throughout three warring countries to assemble their team and gather the necessary materials for their schemes. Along the way, Ro tries to fight her growing attraction to Reggie, especially as reminders of her unhappy past keep resurfacing. Love and redemption wait for her at the end of her mission to defeat the Midnight Scorpions…assuming she makes it out alive.

Oh, Right, I Have a Blog, Don’t I

Posted on July 5, 2014 - 3:51 pm by 3

Eeesh, I’ve neglected this thing lately. Truth be told, I just don’t have a lot to blog about. I’m still in submissions limbo: one manuscript has to be revised and resubmitted, while there was a perfect storm of miscommunication with another that I think is all hammered out now, but I’m still playing the waiting game there. Ah, the glamorous life of a writer, right? 😉

I’m still taking a mini-break from writing, though I knocked out a quick Dragon Age 2 fanfic (BECAUSE I CAN) and have plans for two more short fanfics. I’ve got some original ideas bouncing around in my head, but I haven’t decided what my next major project is going to be yet. I’ve come across some interesting submission calls for anthologies and I have solid plans for one of them, but I haven’t figured out my writing life beyond that point.

Work got crazy for a while, as it tends to do, and I felt like I was drowning for about a week. That stress has passed for now, but between that and the summer/holiday, I’ve just been chilling out for a bit and regrouping. I shouldn’t ignore this blog, though, and I’ll make more of an effort to keep it updated. Who knows, maybe next time I’ll even have something interesting to say!

We Were On a Break!

Posted on June 4, 2014 - 11:48 pm by 2

I’m still taking a little breather from writing, and yes, still playing games. I finished the main part of Dragon Age: Origins, finished DA: Awakenings tonight, and I have one more DLC to go. I’ll probably play through a couple more of the origin stories, but I don’t know how many times I’ll replay the entire shebang.

Now that I’m (mostly) finished, I stand by my opinion from the last post, which is that while the game is a lot of fun to play and has its good qualities, I am not completely in love with it. The main game actually got pretty good near the end (more on that in a bit) and some of the characters did grow on me a little more. Awakenings started off pretty well and there were some pretty cool sections, but truth be told, I thought it fizzled out a bit at the end.

Okay, now to tie it back in to storytelling, as this is my writing blog. When working on The Fall of the Midnight Scorpions, I had a conversation with friends about foreshadowing. Specifically, in that book, I wondered if it would come across as if I were foreshadowing events that wound up not happening and whether that’s a good or bad thing. There were two things that really surprised me in DAO.

Before I go any further, I’ll point out that when it comes to foreshadowing and/or picking up on hints, I’m really hit or miss. For example, it really annoyed my mom when she told me to watch The Sixth Sense and I figured out the twist right away. On the flip side **SPOILER ALERT FOR DRAGON AGE 2**, I did not see Anders blowing up the Chantry in DA2 coming AT ALL, and in retrospect, it seems so freaking obvious.

So onto the two surprising plot points from DAO. I really, honestly thought that the death of one of the characters (one of the ones I really liked, actually) was being heavily foreshadowed throughout the entire game. I was expecting a touching scene where she finally dies…and then it never came. On the one hand, I was just as glad not to lose a character I liked, but on the other, I was anticipating that moving, cathartic experience. (See: character deaths in Mass Effect 3). And then that made me wonder why I thought her eventual death seemed so obvious and how I could have been so far off. Interesting.

Right near the end there’s a twist which I won’t describe in detail because it would take too long, and for me, that one came out of nowhere. And DAMN, it was a good one. Just about on par with that aforementioned spoiler. I was really impressed by how it totally took me by surprise while still being coherent with the rest of the story. Some twists feel cheap and overly dramatic (and I’m sure there are some who would put this plot event in that category), but I had a completely enjoyable “OH SHIT!” moment.

So I still haven’t come to a definitive conclusion on foreshadowing, how to do it properly, and what the right amount of it is. At least my opinions on the games stay strong.

This Post is Totally About Writing

Posted on May 26, 2014 - 2:32 pm by 2

Haha, no it isn’t. It’s about video games. But I’ll bring it around to storytelling, I promise.

So I’m taking my little writing break. I read some books I wanted to read, and I’ve finally embarked on playing Dragon Age: Origins. From what I’ve heard from friends and the internet in general is that Origins and Dragon Age 2 (which I loved) are different enough in style that whichever you play first, you’ll like that one better.

Truth be told, I’m not finding them to be THAT different style-wise and gameplay-wise. Then again, I heard a lot of people complained about the changes in battle controls between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, and I found them virtually identical. As I don’t consider myself a hardcore gamer, maybe there’s just some nuance there that’s above my head. Either way, I’m getting by, and after spending a year making my way through the ME series, returning to the DA universe was a pleasant change of pace. Also, in DA, the screenshot function exists!

This is what my butt looks like when I stab an ogre in the eye.

I’m not done with the game yet (my rough estimate has me around halfway to two thirds through, not including the extra content), so I reserve the right to change my mind, of course. Right now, I think it’s a great game, highly entertaining and difficult to put down. That said, I don’t totally love it yet, and I’ve been trying to put my finger on why.

The universe is as detailed and complex as one would expect to find in a Bioware game, and I always have to marvel at the sheer amount of effort that went into worldbuilding. Also, there are a lot of innovative things going on with the plot that I really enjoyed. One section involves navigating through a dream-like world and having to shapeshift into different forms to complete the maze of puzzles, and while it was pretty trippy a la Alice in Wonderland, I thought that part was fantastic. Then there’s a forest that has werewolves and sentient trees (most of which try to attack you). Currently, I’m exploring the dwarf kingdoms.

This tree asked a favor of me. Also, it only speaks in rhyme.

I’ve realized, though, that where the game is falling short for me is the characters, unfortunately. I’m not saying that they’re bad or poorly-conceived. They’re just not really doing anything for me. I LOVED the companions in DA2 (LOVED), some right off the bat and some with time. For example, I was kind of meh on Aveline for a while, but by the end of my first playthrough (and in subsequent playthroughs), I really grew to appreciate her. And while I spend 99% of the time wanting to slap Merrill across her stupid naive face, she’s still got some great lines. (And wanting to slap someone is some form of emotional attachment, right?) The DAO cast isn’t inspiring strong feelings in me either way. Most of them are just kind of…there.

And then there’s the romance. When a friend of mine played the game a while ago, she told me that she wasn’t really crazy about any of the romance options and she just went with the most obvious choice. I’ve wound up doing the same. It’s cute and there are some sweet and funny dialogue exchanges, but again, I’m just not feeling the passion there (unlike with Anders my DA2 boyfriend 😉 ).

You think I’m pretty? Eh, good enough.

In tying this into the writing process (aha! I told you I’d get there!), what it really boils down to is that characters can really make or break a story. You can have the most fantastic plot in a rich tapestry of a universe, but unless you have a fabulous cast to act it out, there’s going to be a little something missing. Obviously this is subjective, and I know everyone has their own preferences in whatever media entertains them. But even as I think of my favorite books that are classified as more plot-driven than character-driven, they still have those complex characters to shape the story.

The number of times I used the word “character” in the above paragraph should indicate just how important they are. Crucial, even!

Promo – A Different Class, by Leigh Ellwood

Posted on May 12, 2014 - 9:00 am by 1

 
I’m thrilled to host fellow Decadent author Leigh Ellwood today as she presents her first 1Night Stand Story. I don’t know if going to your high school reunion counts as journeying to another world or traveling in time, but I know when I went to my *coughcoughmumble*th reunion a couple years ago, it was definitely an…interesting experience. Anyhoo, I’ll turn things over to Leigh!

I am thrilled to be part of the Decadent family! The idea for A Different Class came about after an invitation arrived for an upcoming high school reunion. I asked myself what might happen if somebody felt reluctant to attend because of bad experiences and memories, and how one night arranged by Madame Eve changes everything.
 
Right now I am halfway into the follow-up to this story, another hot M/M. I hope you’ll pick up A Different Class, and if you enjoy it drop me a line on Twitter at @LeighEllwood.

Blurb:
FDR High Class of 2004 graduate, Glenn Carson contacts fellow alumni to get a list of who will be attending the upcoming festivities. One call to a disgruntled former student leaves him shaken—apparently, not everyone is looking forward to the reunion. Hoping to ease his frustration, he contacts the 1Night Stand service for a relaxing and passionate encounter.
 
Known as “Mumbles” to former classmates, Rod Maloney would prefer to focus on the present and his successful business. However, past tragedies continue to haunt him, so he requests Madame Eve find him a man to show him a hot time and help him forget his troubles.
 
Will their one night together lead to a reunion after all?

Buy Links:
Amazon  B&N  Decadent Goodreads

Excerpt:
“Mr. Maloney? I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
 
“Who is calling?”
 
The voice—deep and rich, anything but a mumble—intimidated him. Maybe the guy had been a jock, a several-foot-wide football player who helped the school win the championship senior year. He hadn’t attended many games and had skipped homecoming. “Um….” Right, we’re planning a reunion here. “I’m representing the reunion committee of the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School Class of 2004. You can probably guess our big tenth is coming up—”
 
“You know what? I’m going to save you the sales pitch,” Mumbles Maloney said. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a shit. It’s taken me a long time to get past all the crap I put up with in high school, and if you think I’m going to show up at some rented ballroom all smiles as though the hell you assholes you put me through never happened, forget it.”
 
What? The man’s anger surged through him and sped up his heartbeat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
 
“F*** you, f*** FDR High, and f*** every last piece-of-shit homophobe in that backwater town. I hope you all get cancer.”
 
Click.
 
Beth burst back into the room, waving a thick tome with a scaly blue cover. “Found it,” she chirped.
 
“Never mind.” Glenn pushed away from his workspace. Mumbles Maloney’s palpable rage lingered in the quiet of the small office, invoking a sense of doom in an otherwise dull place. He doubted he’d forget the voice for a long while. The man had pent-up issues with his former schoolmates, no doubt, yet for all the vitriol burning through the airwaves and sizzling in the veins, Mumbles had sounded…well….
 
Sexy.

About the Author: I am Leigh Ellwood. I write smutty stories about people who like getting naked and having sex. Some have more sex than others, some have sex with people of the same gender, some have sex with more than one person, and still others have sex with toys and things that require the use of batteries. My stories range from a few thousand words to well past 70k. My books are available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, Kobo, and ARe. 

Author Links:
Website
Blog
Facebook 

A Strange Feeling

Posted on May 9, 2014 - 10:12 pm by 2

I finished up and submitted my most recent project (more on that another time; regardless of how confident I feel, I’m always afraid of jinxing myself), meaning I have no WIPs going right now. As the post title says, it’s a strange feeling: I always feel like I should be writing something, but at the same time, it’s good to take a break every now and then to recharge the batteries.

I’ve owned Dragon Age: Origins (“owned” as in “paid money for”) for almost a year and a half now, and I’ve only played a couple minutes of it. That has to change, especially since DA3 comes out this fall. The list of books I want to read never grows any shorter, so I have plans to tackle some of that as well. And, of course, there’s always the day job, and we’re getting started on remodeling our bathrooms in the House of Landen, and I have to squeeze knitting in there somewhere, etc.

On the flip side, my writer brain never ever ever ever ever ever ever stops running. It’s a hamster on a wheel (especially when I’m trying to fall asleep). Just as the reading list never gets shorter, the list of stories I want to write is always expanding. I remember talking to one of my friends and fellow knitters in college, and the two of us agreed that there’s no way we’ll live long enough to knit everything we want to knit. The same goes for reading and writing.

I’ll still be updating here (hopefully with good news!) while I take a little breather, but if you’ll excuse me, there are some dragons that need my attention….

Another Point of View

Posted on April 28, 2014 - 6:54 pm by 2

(Second Skin is still available a while longer for just 99 cents on Amazon, don’t miss out!)

I needed a mini-vacation, so I snuck away from Thursday to Sunday. I was able to relax for a bit, eat some good food, read a book, and I even managed to write a reasonable number of words. (It was a “no men allowed” weekend with my mother, and I am not at a point in my life where I can write smutty things on my computer while she is in the room. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever reach that point in my life. At least she went to bed earlier than I did.)

I’m writing another novella for the 1Night Stand series, and I’m super excited about this one. I won’t give away all the details just yet, but I will say: Damn. I fucking love this fucking story. As of right now, Disintegration has the honor of being referred to as my “masterpiece”, but this book might overtake it.

One of the reasons I’ve been writing up a storm is that I’m trying something new – the book is written in first-person present tense POV. I’ve done little projects using that technique before (like my story in The Big Book of Orgasm), but this is my first major undertaking in the first person.

It’s not without its challenges. Firstly, I need to establish a voice that is not my own (so something other than snark and adverbs, I guess), because I am not the character and vice versa. Secondly, I have to find a way to describe things that sounds natural and doesn’t slip into too much of a narration. Finally, I’ve arrived at the sex scenes. Those first two issues I mentioned? Multiply them by a hundred while writing those.

That said, I’ve realized while writing that there’s no way this story could have been told any other way. It’s an emotional, poignant journey for both leads, and really digging around inside their heads is the most effective way to get that across, I think. I’ll also admit to torturing my characters a little bit before they find love and their satisfying happy ending. And no matter what point of view is used, we can all breathe a sigh of relief at that point, right?

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