Happy holidays to you all!

All I want for Christmas...

Is Christmas shopping as crazy for you as it is for me? I wish I was one of those wonderfully organized people who have everything sorted out by the end of November. But no, every year I am totally surprised that it's already mid-December and Christmas is coming. Oh. My. God. Need to buy presents. Now!

Panic usually sets in sometime around 10 December, because my loved ones are spread out all around the world and there's no way I could go and visit them all. So cards and gifts need to be sent off at least two weeks before Christmas to have even the slightest chance to reach their destination before New Years Eve.

Also, my family and friends never really say what they would like for Christmas. This is nice, on the one hand, because I get to surprise them and scary, on the other, because I get to obsess over what they might like, what they will probably already have and if I'm actually any good at choosing gifts.

Following two disastrously wrong choices (long story but let me tell you, I'm still cringing at the thought of the rash she got from last year's organic bath oil) I decided I'd better ask one of my best friends what she would like for Christmas this year. This resulted in an attack of the giggles on the phone (I'm glad she at least can see my failures as a source for amusement). When she could speak again, she informed me that my inability to choose appropriate gifts for her was a riot (thanks a million, dearie) and that this year she would make it easy for me by giving me a hint. I should have known that this would lead to even more trouble, but there I was actually delighted for a moment.

Until she said: "Sex toys." And there was a slight pause, in which I tried to wrap my head around the idea of giving one of my best friends, a newly divorced mother of two, a sex toy for Christmas. Images of ball-gags, double dildos, floggers and anal beads flashed madly through my mind. I almost choked at the thought of giving her nipple clamps. Not because there's anything wrong with nipple clamps. I just can't imagine her sitting under the tree with a smart 5-year-old and a very inquisitive toddler on Christmas morning unwrapping a pair of those, or an anatomically correct dildo, or ... Well, you get the image, I guess.

Needless to say, I tried to talk her out of it. She insisted. And here I am, contemplating what to buy her. I'm assuming that it should be something she could use either on her own or with a partner. And whatever it is, it shouldn't be too obvious. Because, you know, the kids will certainly unearth it at some point ant then this is what happens and your wonderful offspring begins to suspect you capable of ghastly deeds...

So, sexy, one-woman, not too obvious sex toys. Suggestions any one? These are the candidates I'm considering at the moment:

Too obvious? Too ridiculous?
What about this one?

I personally adore this one, but I'm not the one who'd have to explain the concept of the ball-gag to a 5-year-old...

So, what do you think? Which one should I buy? Or would you choose something else entirely? Help!

Oh, and speaking of Christmas prezzies. My fabulous publishers Total-E-Bound have a Christmas contest going and you can win a Kindle!

I'll be Hitting the Hot Spot on the 19th. Drop by, if you like.

Subspace Anthology - Out today

Here it is - all new and shiny with my name (and a few more famous ones) on the cover:

Get your copy at Total-E-Bound. Right now. Go ahead. You know, you want it.
(Just trying out my psychic powers on you - is it working already?).

Sunday snog special: Excerpt from "The Accidental Sub"

Today's Sunday snog comes from my brandnew story "The Accidental Sub". In fact, it is so brandnew that it will not be released until tomorrow! "The Accidental Sub" is in TEB's Subspace anthology - with five other hot stories. Here's the blurb - and don't forget to have a look at the sneak preview below.

And here's your Sunday snog special hot sneak preview excerpt:

Jon woke slowly. He had the strange feeling that someone was breathing into his face. He wrinkled his nose and his bed shook with tiny tremors. He frowned. Had the mattress just giggled? Jon shook his head slightly and opened his eyes. He realised that he was still half lying on Catherine’s soft, warm body, and that she was staring at him with her large green eyes and smiling. She had a lovely smile, Jon thought, his head still a little fuzzy with sleep.
“You will probably want to punish me,” Catherine whispered. “I know that, but maybe we could talk first?”
Jon nodded. Talking sounded like a good idea. He still had no idea what had just happened.
Catherine smiled again, and Jon suddenly wanted to kiss that lovely mouth. He leaned a little closer, and she widened her eyes in anticipation. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, then his mouth closed over hers in a sensual kiss. Oh boy, would they have something to talk about, he thought, before his tongue invaded her warm, inviting mouth to tangle with hers, and he got very much distracted.
Catherine tasted delicious, her breath a little tangy from the hot and sour dim sum sauce she had eaten. He pushed his tongue into her mouth again and again in imitation of their earlier lovemaking. When had he last kissed a woman this passionately? He couldn’t remember.
He stroked his hands over her body, caressing her breasts, her waist, then her hips. She responded eagerly to his touch, arching her body and pressing herself against him. He realised that her hands were still tied over her head. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he reached up to free her wrists.

Want more? "The Accidental Sub" is in TEB's brandnew Subspace anthology, available at TEB from November 14th.

Want more Sunday snogs? Drop by Victoria Blisses site and pucker up for more smooches and snogs.

Release date is drawing near!

When I looked at the calendar this morning it suddenly struck me: just one more week (or seven days or 10,080 minutes, I'm not doing seconds, because I'm not THAT desperate ... yet) until the the release of TEB's brandnew Subspace Anthology, which means (drumroll in the background) only one week (seven days, 10,080 minutes...) until my story "The Accidental Sub" will be out. I don't know about you, but for me seeing one of my stories published is always a great event. It is totally thrilling, but it also scares me to death. What if nobody likes it? What if I get a bad review - or, maybe even worse - no reviews at all?
That's why I'll be trembling in my boots for the rest of the week. Trembling with a combination of fear and anticipation. Wait, that doesn't sound that scary ... Okay, I'll be over here in my little writer's corner waiting for (the) release.
Feel free to drop by and tease me ... er ... leave a comment, I meant.

Happy Halloween!

Yes, it's that time of the year again. Halloween has come around and I'm still pondering costumes. I recently acquired a black skirt and a corset (no, not the one at the top of this page but an underbust one in simple black satin) which, worn over a long-sleeved blouse, would make an excellent Mortitia Adams costume. But then, I'd have to buy a whig because I don't have the hair to go with it... Or I could wear my favourite summer skirt with a white blouse and lots of bangles and a  head cloth and be a fortune teller. Ah, decisions, decisions. There's also the option to put on ripped jeans and a dirty T-shirt and some spooky make-up. Zombies are all the rage at the moment, after all. Only somehow, I don't find them particularly appealing... 

What are you doing for Halloween? Make jack o'lanterns? Dress up in a cool costume? Have a party? Take the kids trick-or-treating? 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Soooo excited!

Do you ever count the days until a certain event? I'm sure everyone does that as a kid waiting for their birthday or Christmas. But as a grown up? Somehow along the way we seem to lose the ability to get THAT excited about anything.

Well, let me tell you, waiting for the publication of my second story with TEB "The Accidental Sub" has me counting the days (18 days! 18 days! not counting today, though, so maybe 19?) and bouncing up and down with excitement. The coolest thing about it? I'm going to be in the Subspace Anthology with Sierra Cartwright (wow!), Desiree Holt (oooh!) and Jan Irving (yay!) as well as Elizabeth Coldwell and Justine Elyot. Soooo excited!

Right. Before this gets any more embarrassing with me leaving puddles on the floor or starting to drool...

It's that time of the month again...

I'll be Hitting the Hot Spot tomorrow, writing about my problem with sudden bouts of (inappropriate) inspiration during my evil day job. Drop by tomorrow and read more!

I'll be back here soon with more on my next release "The Accidental Sub", which will come out on 14 November. So, stay tuned!

Hitting the Hot-Spot

I'll be Hitting the Hot-Spot at TEB tomorrow (the 19th). I'm blogging about body parts and the weird names we use for them.

Drop by and leave a comment!

Guest blog - Tanith Davenport: The Hand He Dealt

NEW IN PRINT: 

The Hand He Dealt

by Tanith Davenport

ISBN: 978-0-85715-570-2

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Publisher: Total-e-Bound

Book Description:

Nobody can beat Astra Scott in playing the hand she’s dealt.

Astra Scott likes to live life to the full. A sorority girl and Gaming Management student, she spends her days studying and practising guitar, and her nights partying or working at the Fountain Casino, where she has an internship as part of her final semester. The only blot on her landscape is Ash Drake, her best friend Sasha’s boyfriend. Arrogant, physical and blond, Ash has never forgiven Astra for her rejection months earlier and enjoys annoying her at every turn.

But when Astra’s boyfriend Harry reveals a shocking secret, Astra responds in the only way she can think of: by finding a way to take on a more attractive, masculine role in the relationship. Her experimentation with sex toys finds a surprising outlet in Sasha, but when Ash discovers their secret and wants to get involved, Astra finds herself torn between dislike and desire…and as their undercover relationship grows, Astra finds herself falling in love, a path she feels can only end in heartbreak. For Ash may be the only man whose own fantasies are a match for hers, but can she knowingly steal his affections from her best friend?

Reader Advisory: This book contains one scene of pegging/strap-on penetration and scenes of ménage and FF intimacy.

 Ebook link

 Print Link 

Excerpt

A third red-backed card flipped over on the green baize. The ten of hearts.

“Twenty-four. Bust.”

With a scowl, the man pushed his chips to the centre of the table and got up to leave.

“Too bad,” Astra called after him. “Have a good night.”

It was four in the morning and the casino was closing. Around the room, the croupiers were clearing their tables and preparing to leave. Astra’s table was the first one closed—as the lights began to snap off she was already halfway to the door.

She passed another croupier, an attractive blonde, just unhooking her coat, her forehead smeared with blood, and she paused.

“Hey, Becky? What happened to you?”

The girl scowled. “Some jerk threw a glass at me. Think he just lost the expense account.”

“Ugh. Men.” Astra could taste the bitterness in her words. “They’re all pricks.”

The cold air hit her like a wall of ice. The skies were still pitch-dark. The night was clear, starlit, the edges of the full moon sharp. Streetlamps spilled pools of light across the sidewalk as Astra started the long walk home.

Thank God she didn’t have an early lecture.

Across the street, shouts and raucous laughter filled the air as the door of a neon-fronted bar opened and a group of twenty-something men fell out. Astra’s stomach twisted as a painful image forced its way into her mind.

Are you out tonight?

She dropped her head, fighting against the picture that haunted her. Oh God, she was beginning to hate this walk home. The surrounding dark engulfed her like a wave, weakening her, dragging her down.

Every time you do this, I lose another part of you, something I’m afraid to forget.

Her feet knew the way home as well as her mind did.

I can’t remember the scent of your hair.

It was amazing how quickly the sidewalk was passing.

I can’t remember the feeling of your breath on my neck.

It really wasn’t such a long walk after all.

She broke into a run, one hand over her face, tears choking her. Astra stumbled up the main road through the campus and into the Omega Zeta sorority house. She dashed up the stairs to the first floor, dived into the bathroom and locked herself in a cubicle.

It was stupid to feel this way. Stupid. But the aching feeling of loss was rarely absent these days.

She had only herself to blame. She had been too intelligent, too arrogant, to believe she could lose herself in the intense gaze of a pair of blue eyes. Too clever to recognise her own weakness in the face of a cheeky smile.

Fuck. The door had opened. She wiped her face and stepped out of the cubicle, her carefully-crafted neutral expression dissolving when she saw the girl turning away from her reflection.

“Sash.”

“Astra?” Sasha looked her up and down in concern. “Are you okay? What’s…”

“Don’t ask.”

Sasha nodded slowly and turned back to the mirror with an assumed casualness.

“Oh—by the way. News.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“It’s Ash.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“He knows.”

Astra caught herself in the middle of a third “Oh yeah?” and stepped behind Sasha. Their eyes met in the mirror.

“What?”

“Ash knows.”

Astra leant back against the row of sinks and ran her hand through her hair in shock.

“Ash… Fuck.”

Author Bio:

Tanith Davenport began writing at the age of sixteen as a way of utilizing her ability to drift into daydreams at any hour of the day or night. Her interests range between rock music and modern cinema to medieval literature and classical singing. She loves to travel and dreams of one day taking a driving tour of the United States, preferably in a classic 1950s pink Cadillac Eldorado.

“The Hand He Dealt” is Tanith’s debut novel and was released by Total-e-Bound Publishing on 13 June 2011. 

www.tanithdavenport.blogspot.com

 

 

Let's make some noise!?

I've always been fascinated by steampunk. The intricate workings of the machinery, and the concept of using heavy mechanics rather than printed circuits make it seem like a more honest, more accessible kind of technology to me. And, I must admit, the sheer beauty of the old materials makes me want to touch them and run my hands along smooth metal and shiny glass surfaces.

So, being an erotic romance writer, I thought I'd try my hand at writing an erotic romance story with steampunk elements. The writing is going more or less smoothly. I've got a plot, a couple of characters and they are ready to experiment. One of them is a collector of steampunk machinery. Of course his extensive collection includes a steampunk fucking machine. My female character is turned on by the sight of it. The raw power of the thing, the idea of being fucked mechanically while being watched by her lover makes her go all hot and bothered. Things get steamy quickly (pun intended). They decide to try out the fucking machine and …

BANG CLANK CLANK CLANK BANG CLANK CLANK CLANK BANG CLANK!!!!

Do you see my problem?

Any kind of steampunk machinery would be loud! Very loud! The steam engine would make clanking and puffing noises and the cogs and wheels and push rods and whatever other metal parts would make a lot of noise too. There would also be steam, but that could be dealt with by installing chimneys. But what to do about the noise? I don't know about you, but I would probably be turned off by the noise. Like a bad vibrator turning you off as soon as you turn it on, you know?

So, what to do now? I'm contemplating several ways out of this fix at the moment and you'll certainly hear more about them in the near future. But I'd love to hear your ideas on the subject. So, please leave comments!

Newsflash

My story HOT BUTTERED STRUMPET has been reviewed by Tanith Davenport in TEB's August Newsletter. Lovely Review, thanks a lot, Tanith!

Plus, I've been Hitting the Hot Spot on 19 August. Check out my blog entry on Antici ... pation!

Looking forward to ...

... my first hot spot blog entry. Yay! I made it onto my wonderful publisher TEB's blog Hitting the Hot Spot, where I will be blogging on the 19th. I haven't chosen the topic yet, although I have a few ideas. I thought it should be something juicy (starting with a bang, you know?) but still classy. Neither too long and wordy, nor to short, so it would leave people satisfied but wanting more. Ah, decisions, decisions.
There are also the pictures to consider. Some of my fellow authors post their favourite male hotties. Hm, not a bad idea. But my tastes are a little ... let's say ... different. What if what I liked didn't appeal to anyone else? For example I thoroughly enjoyed Lily's post on spanking - especially the last picture which looks like Elvis. But that topic has been covered. There are other forms of play, of course...
Now you're probably wondering what I mean by 'different'. Hm, maybe I'll show you sometime. Anyways, drop by Hitting the Hot Spot this Friday and see for yourself what my twisted mind will come up with. Or, is there anything you would like me to blog about? Leave a comment and tell me!

I just grew two inches ...

... which is quite a feat as I am a tall girl already. Well, not unreasonably tall (for a man that is) but tall nevertheless. Tall enough that little old ladies constantly ask me for help at the supermarket if they want something from the top shelf. And now even taller.
Oh, right, you probably want to know why I grew two inches. Well, it's because, because, because (drummroll) I just (holding my breath and whispering) signed the contract for my next story! Yay! And it's not just any old contract, either. No, no no! I am going to be in an anthology. And not just any old anthology but a really cool one with the wonderful Desiree Holt, whose stories are so hot, you would probably be able to fry a whole English breakfast on them. And with Sierra Cartwright (gasp!) and with three other wonderful authors - Jan Irving, Justine Elyot and Elizabeth Coldwell.
I'm so excited I will probably not be able to go to sleep tonight. And proud. So proud and excited in fact, that I will have to stop this post here before I embarrass myself (and everyone else) by babbling on and on.
More about the new story to come soon!

Swooning tips for kick-ass heroines

I recently read a blog post by a fellow author who dislikes weak heroines. Girls with no backbone, wimpering and swooning at the slightest hint of danger, who never take charge and always wait to be saved by a powerful hero. I must say, I sympathize. I have read stories like that too. Stories in which the girl was constantly whining and fainting and getting on everybody's last nerve. I mean, come on! Are we supposed to read this as typical feminine behavior? 
There is much to be said for kick-ass chicks who can hold their own. Strong female characters should have a personality and that includes problem-solving strategies and intelligence too. Otherwise they're just decorative elements like the typical Bond girl used to be, you know, before they were allowed to know martial arts and be agents themselves.
Okay, I'm rambling. The point I was trying to make is: even strong heroines should be allowed their weak moments. Sometimes a girl wants to be saved. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying let's all go back to the 50s and behave like headless chicks or something. But don't you just love to read a story in which an old-fashioned gentleman swoops in at the right moment and offers the desperate heroine a strong arm or a shoulder to cry on - or, come to think of it, any other masculine body part in her support?
I always go all mushy and fuzzy inside when the hero sweeps the heroine off her feet and carries her out of danger / to a strategically placed bit of furniture to kiss her senseless. I love it when he goes all protective and won't let her walk on her own even if she could. Hell, even if she possessed super powers and was able to kill the villain and save the world all by herself it's neverthelss lovely to know that he cares about her and wants to protect her.
What does this say about me? I don't know and I really don't want to analyze the psychological implications of this. I'm just saying, bring on the strong heroes so a girl can swoon a bit once in a while (before she goes back to saving the world single-handedly, that is).

A few safety tips, before you to try this at home:

a) Make sure you are standing in easy catching distance of the hero so he can prop you up BEFORE you actually hit the floor.

b) Do not try to faint quietly! Eighteenth-century men may have had faint detection radar but nowadays you will have to be specific. Make sure you have your hero's full attention (turn off the TV if necessary) then let him know that you are going to faint (you could for example say "Oooh, I think I'm going to faint." Raise one hand to your forehead and let your eyes roll up into your head before you begin to sway on your feet. Then let yourself fall into his arms (make sure you fall towards him, not away from him, so he'll be able to catch you).

c) Make sure there is a comfortable piece of furniture nearby - especially if you're a stronger built like myself. You don't want to give him back pain (that can totally destroy the romantic mood). If he just stands there, holding you upright, not knowing what to do with your senseless body, you might want to suggest (in a very faint voice, of course) that he lower you onto a bed, a sofa or even a chair (as demonstrated here by the divine Sarah Bernhardt). Once you are safely (and seductively) reclining, he can concentrate on reviving you, or kiss you senseless (see above).

In case you were wondering what motivated this post: I am currently working on a contemporary erotic romance story which made me reconsider my approach to heroines. It's easier to write the swooning type in a historical romance (although even there you don't want them to be totally brainless weaklings, right?). By the way, if you want to read more about interesting techniques to revive a swooning heroine, have a look at my story HOT BUTTERED STRUMPET (please note carefully-placed publicity here). But in contemporary romance it would take a little more to make a heroine faint. Like tying her up, flogging her a little and then... Did I mention it's a BDSM story?
More to come.

Have you ever swooned strategically? Do you like swooning heroines or would you rather like to see a swooning hero once in a while? Let me know in the comments!

"Sunday snog"

My fellow TEB author Victoria Blisse has come up with a lovely idea - the Sunday snog. For those other non-British people out there: a snog is a kiss (a long one) or maybe you would call it a smooch? Whatever you call it, the idea is that we are all going to post toe-curling, mind-blowing or just sweet and sexy kiss scenes. If you want to read more more, head over to Victoria Blisse's blog.

So, without further ado and for your enjoyment here's a kiss (and a little more) from HOT BUTTERED STRUMPET:

Annie wondered just what they were going to do to her when Thomas told her to lie down in the middle of the bed, but she soon forgot to worry when six hands and three mouths began to explore her body, pleasuring her with their combined caresses.

Wren, who was kneeling on her left, was kissing her, slowly, thoroughly, running his fingers through her hair and stroking her face almost lovingly. His lips were soft but his kiss was firm and demanding, his tongue expertly exploring her mouth, while Robert was sucking her right nipple, massaging both her breasts and occasionally teasing the other nipple with his fingers. Annie’s eyes drifted closed as their gentle teasing sent ripples of pleasure through her body, straight down to her toes. The fact that she couldn’t see what they were doing intensified the feelings until every fibre of her body seemed to hum with intense pleasure.

Want more? Get your copy of HOT BUTTERED STRUMPET here.



When Wren Delahaye and his brothers take the lush barmaid Annie up to their room at the pub none of them is prepared for the intense sexual encounter the four of them are about to experience. Certainly none of them has ever seen a woman faint from sheer pleasure. But Wren and Annie are even less prepared for the feelings stirring in them.
Can they overcome the difference in social status that separate them and find true love? Will Annie be able to overcome her past and embark on a future with the man of her dreams? Wren is sure that he can convince Annie to become his wife, but he'll have to find her first…


HOT BUTTERED STRUMPET
by Mina Dorian

published by Total-E-Bound
ISBN: 978-0-85715-585-6

Guest blog by Tanith Davenport - In dreams

Today I have the great honor of welcoming my first guest to this blog. The lovely Tanith Davenport is going to tell us a little bit about how she came up with the idea for her first novel "The Hand He Dealt". You can also read a juicy excerpt from the novel below, plus you have the chance to win a copy of "The Hand He Dealt" (see details below). Thanks for stopping by on your book tour, Tanith!

Tanith Davenport: In Dreams 

I've been asked a lot where I got the idea for "The Hand He Dealt". My answer is always that it came from several different ideas combined, which is true - I had "sorority" written in my notebook way ahead of time. But the initial idea, the initial spark?

Nice clichéd answer. It came to me in a dream.

Dreams are invaluable for literary inspiration. Mine tend to be very emotional, very intense. They give me the chance to live through parts of the story, an opportunity not available from thinking and mind-mapping.

And, of course, after dreaming of a passionate threesome sandwiched between a cute blonde girl and a hot blond guy, writing it down is irresistible.

Of course, I don't include every aspect of a dream in a story. For one thing, not all of it will make sense in the cold light of day. For another, sometimes the scene in question has no place in the plot. Oh, how hard I tried to insert that specific threesome sequence into "The Hand He Dealt" - but the plot had developed so much by then that there was no room for it. Fortunately there was plenty of room for two other scenes of equal intensity.

The same stood for the character development of Astra and Harry. I woke up with the idea of a boy who thinks he's gay and his girlfriend who wants to be a man, and after some pruning I had Harry's inner turmoil and Astra's secret urge for masculinity. I also had a hot scene involving Harry that we get to view through his bedroom window - at least I was able to keep that one in!

Now I've been able to release "The Hand He Dealt" to the public and I'm working on two more, which also developed in my sleep, and I hope to be describing their genesis in interviews before too long - that would really be a dream come true.

The Hand He Dealt

by Tanith Davenport

ISBN: 978-0-85715-570-2

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Publisher: Total-e-Bound

Book Description:

Astra Scott likes to live life to the full. A sorority girl and Gaming Management student, she spends her days studying and practicing guitar, and her nights partying or working at the Fountain Casino, where she has an internship as part of her final semester. The only blot on her landscape is Ash Drake, her best friend Sasha’s boyfriend. Arrogant, physical and blond, Ash has never forgiven Astra for her rejection months earlier and enjoys annoying her at every turn.

But when Astra’s boyfriend Harry reveals a shocking secret, Astra responds in the only way she can think of: by finding a way to take on a more attractive, masculine role in the relationship. Her experimentation with sex toys finds a surprising outlet in Sasha, but when Ash discovers their secret and wants to get involved, Astra finds herself torn between dislike and desire… and as their undercover relationship grows, Astra finds herself falling in love, a path she feels can only end in heartbreak.

For Ash may be the only man whose own fantasies are a match for hers, but can she knowingly steal his affections from her best friend?  

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1244 

EXCERPT:

Two hours later, and Astra stood in front of her bedroom mirror, holding in one hand the toy she had bought from Amy’s Delights.

Rubber underwear was laced through her fingers, a small plastic remote control dangling below on the end of a long cord. And attached to the front—

Well.

It was a strap-on.

It was a strap-on dildo.

And it was purple.

A purple length of shiny plastic. A perfect simulacrum of a veined, circumcised penis, five inches long and of a thickness Astra considered average, just the right width to wrap a hand around.

She stared at her reflection for a long time, contemplating the dildo, before slowly drawing it back towards her body, holding it against her stomach.

No.

One foot through the straps, two feet…rubber caught against denim-clad legs, but after a moment’s struggle the strap-on dildo was in place, and Astra’s image stood in front of her, the purple dick jutting out in front like the hilt of a sword.

Slowly she rotated her hips, watching the dildo glide from side to side, before stopping abruptly with a giggle.

Shit. It looks like a fucking light sabre.

Watching herself in the mirror, she closed one hand around its length, giving it a tentative stroke.

Nothing. Unsurprisingly.

She tried it again, this time holding the remote control and flicking the switch. A sudden buzzing, accompanied by a muted vibration through her jeans, made her jolt sharply.

Interesting.

Flipping the switch again, she rocked her hips slowly, her eyes glazing. In her mind formed a picture of Harry’s smooth back and bare buttocks, thighs parting to receive her, Harry’s voice gasping, begging for more, more, please, more…

Oh.

The switch snapped off.

Astra eyed herself coolly, squaring her shoulders, her legs automatically widening into a masculine stance.

Author Bio:

Tanith Davenport began writing at the age of sixteen as a way of utilizing her ability to drift into daydreams at any hour of the day or night. Her interests range between rock music and modern cinema to medieval literature and classical singing. She loves to travel and dreams of one day taking a driving tour of the United States, preferably in a classic 1950s pink Cadillac Eldorado.

“The Hand He Dealt” is Tanith’s debut novel and was released by Total-e-Bound Publishing on 13 June 2011.  

http://tanithdavenport.blogspot.com/

Would you like to win an ecopy of The Hand He Dealt?

 

One copy is being given away tour wide.

 

To enter just leave a comment at one or all of the stops along the tour

 

A winner will be chosen from all the tour stops after the tour ends. The winner will be announced on the Bewitching Book Tours site.

Happy Birthday TEB!

My awesome publishers - Total-E-Bound - are celebrating their birthday on Friday, 8 July. Come and join the party!
Meet fabulous authors and enjoy a 25% discount off all eBooks today only!

Do you like Cinderella stories? Comment and win a copy of 'Hot Buttered Strumpet'!

Do you like Cinderella stories? I know, I do. I've always liked the idea of the nice girl getting the prince (as opposed to the mean, greedy bitches who are only after his money and his title and his steaming hot body... ah, okay, that might have been in the r-rated version of the fairy tale). 
Of course, it's all about being rewarded for being nice, but what I like about it is the unexpected bliss just before the happy ending. That moment when everything turns out right although it seemed as if it would all go wrong. I'm a total sucker for that Ahh-moment, Cinderella's unexpected bliss. I can never get enough of that. In the fairy tale it is usually over all to quickly, with the prince proposing, maybe a short description of the wedding, and then ... fade-out. Hm. 
Of course, as a writer I can make the perfect moment last. So, I decided to write my own Cinderella story. I imagined how the prince (or in my story the hero) would creep up on Cinderella (who is called Annie in my story). She would be sleeping and he would start to wake her, slowly caressing every inch of her body. She would be trembling with anticipation, afraid to open her eyes because, surely, this must be a dream. And then...
But I'm not going to tell you what happens then. You'll have to see for yourself. 'Hot Buttered Strumpet' is out now (WOOOHOOO!) and you can win a copy. So, if you like Cinderella stories (with a lot of extra steam in them), just comment on this blogpost and leave your email address to win a copy. Then you can tell me if I've captured the Ahh-moment.

Vegetable Love

There is a beautiful poem by Andrew Marvell (one of the English Metaphysical poets who lived in the 17th century, in case you didn't know). It is called 'To his coy mistress' and I've been in love with it for quite a while so please bear with me, while I rant on about poetry for a moment. The poem is basically a plea to the poet's lady (the coy mistress of the title) to make love to him rather sooner than later, which I think is a brilliant approach. He starts his argument by describing how they could take ages to get together - "had we but world enough and time" and then picks up spead telling the lady: "Let us roll all our strenghts and all / our sweetness up into one ball / and tear our pleasures with rough strife / through the iron gates of life." 

Apart grom the fact that the "rolling into a ball" and the "rough strife" read to me like an early allusion to BDSM (which I'm comparatively sure Marvell didn't intend), the poem also contains the beautiful line: "Our vegetable love should grow, vaster than empires and more slow."

Of course, the image is pretty clear: vegetables grow slowly, so the poem's referring to a love which is given time to develop and grow slowly. Unfortunately my perverted little brain had to take the term 'vegetable love' literally and regale me with images of ... ahem ... people doing it with vegetables. 

Ah, the possibilities of large carrots, zucchini or even (*gasp*) cucumbers! 

Now, there's some pretty hot cucumber action in my story 'Hot Buttered Strumpet' (Attention: reader advisory: This book contains a scene involving the use of a fruit as a sex aid). 

Hm, maybe I have a thing for food sex going right now. Come to think of it, one could probably have a lot of fun with fruit too. Any suggestions for delicious fruit or veggie sex I should write about? Please feel free to share in the comments!

Erotic is...

…teasing. That’s why it’s called a striptease. It doesn’t do to have everything out in the open all at once. If you can see all, that’s just porn. And porn leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s nice to be kept on edge for a while, to savour the moment of anticipation. That’s why I think watching Rita Hayworth remove all of one glove inch by inch in Gilda is more erotic than the whole porn section of the local video store. And also, if you’re kept on the edge for a while, the reward is so much sweeter.

Read more delicious definitions by fellow erotic writers on Amy Valenti's blog.

Keeping your distance

As a writer it is sometimes hard to leave the imaginary world you are creating. I know, this sounds a bit weird. After all, many writers have difficulties getting into that world in the first place. We try all kinds of things from researching online and visiting our settings to wearing period costumes (a writer friend of mind walked around in a corset and crinoline for hours on end while she was writing a period piece a while ago). 

It also seems to be a cliché among erotic romance writers that they've tried it all out before writing it down. You know, all the kinky things their characters get up to. I'm not going to talk shop here, but I also write sex with monsters and I can definitely swear that I've never tried any thing remotely like that. 

What I mean is that, once you've really gotten into a story and the words are just flowing, shaping themselves into characters, scenes and settings, it is really hard to snap back to reality. At those times, I sometimes forget that I have a body in the here and now. I am so immersed in the story that I don't remember to eat or drink or even go to the bathroom. 

With erotic romance stories such an immersed experience can be quite a turn-on. Of course, writing a hot sex scene is also a kind of outlet, which allows you to live out your most deviant and intense fantasies. But then, sometimes a girl also wants to try them out in real life. Ah, well ...

Hot Buttered Strumpet by Mina Dorian

Ooooh!

I’m so excited! My first erotic romance story will come out at the end of June. I had a lot of fun writing it, especially the steamy sex scenes. At some point I had to fan myself because the action was getting so hot. The characters just wouldn’t stop, once I had written them all on the bed together…
Check out the Coming Soon page of my publishers Total-E-Bound for all the deliciously sexy publications to come in the near future and watch out for my story.