Bromances, Frenemies, Romances and Just Good Friends: The Lure of Non-Romantic Partners and Storylines in Fiction

When people interview me, a standard question is “What do you do when you’re not writing?” Sometimes they even say “besides reading” so I can’t answer with that. My answer is always, even if they don’t nix the reading option, is “I watch TV.”

I watch a lot of TV—some is with my husband and daughter, but I watch a tonnage on my own. When I get stuck writing or have simply been at the computer too long, I whip out my phone or laptop, queue up a streaming service and  gorge. I watch just about any genre, though I really love shows far-removed from my novels: ones with police procedure, policial intrigue, legal issues or spies. Right now I’m binging on Covert Affairs, though I have Castle on backup from a Marie Sexton recommendation. I inhaled the entire series of Medium one winter in the span of a month—a real feat, as that show has nine seasons.

Two of my favorite shows though are Suits and White Collar, and I’m totally there because of the chemistry between the male leads. I write gay romance, and it’s not a big reach to imagine I’m slashing Peter and Neal or Mike and Harvey. The truth is, though, I’m not, and it’s for the same reason I’m a little nervous about the romance blooming in season 4 of Covert Affairs and why every time they give Abbie and Ichabod an intimate moment on Sleepy Hollow I dig my fingernails into my armchair to still my nerves. It’s not that I wouldn’t love a gay twist in Suits or don’t want Abbie to have a romance, but more that I love the shows’ tension, and if the main characters get together, that tension changes.

It’s one of the hardest things to wrangle as a romance author: giving the reader lots of euphoric moments, kisses and tangles of limbs but also the tension of will it really work out? Once the romantic leads are hooked up, there can still be tension, but it gets harder to spin.

As a viewer, I love seeing characters get together, but we all know once they hook up they’re liable either to turn boring or broken apart. In the past romances have tanked shows—hello, Moonlighting—and I know from whispers that when I start Castle, the romance’s eventual resolution makes the show shaky for some. I wish there could be a continuing romance in a show without it being boring—though I’d rather have a romance turn boring than the writers to turn the characters sour. I had to bail on Scandal because I had no one to root for, and the bad guys won too often. I really need that HEA, that sense that at least in fiction, everything will be okay.

Sometimes I wonder though if romance in story is changing all around, though. Maybe that romance in Covert Affairs will bloom and fade and the relationships will survive—after all, it’s never been the focus of the show, only a sidebar. Maybe they’ll find a way to make them stable together romantically and keep the interest going.

Romance novels have already done this: I couldn’t possibly list all the series with romantic through-lines where the resolution takes upwards of seven books to complete and the story remains engaging and satisfying, the characters still good at heart.

Maybe the answer is that the way we tell romantic stories are evolving. I’m living proof of that: ten years ago the few LGBT romances that existed were largely off in a separate pool, and today we’ve settled in all over, even at New York romance imprints. Someday not too far away there will be a gay romance storyline in a legal TV drama. So why wouldn’t romance and relationships and the way we tell those stories evolve in other ways too?

Because what’s a romance but a beautiful exploration of two people coming together? Whether they barely kiss on the page or engage in intense BDSM on-screen, at its backbone romance is about connection and partnering. It’s the part I love to write, why my series, which all contain new guys getting together at the core, bring back old heroes as integral supporting characters. I love writing romantic tension and romantic resolution, but I love just as much those shopping scenes and kitchen adventures and arguments in the hotel lobby.

So here’s to relationships and the continuing evolution of how they present: man and woman, two men, two women, sweet or sexy, fiery or friendly, romantic or platonic. I’ll keep reading, watching, and writing them. And I’d put a lot of money down that no matter how the presentation changes, none of us will ever get tired of them.

****

Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren’t enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and ten-year-old daughter. Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality. Find out more about Heidi, including her social networks, and most recent/upcoming releases, at www.heidicullinan.com.

Thank you Delilah for having me guest post for you again! I absolutely love Delilah’s blog, reading all the unique posts, and meeting new readers!

On Tuesday, I had the honor of hosting my first Facebook launch party in honor of my debut novel titled Spirit Released, book 1 in the Whisper Cove Series (blurb below). Faith and Jake live in Whisper Cove, a small coastal town, and must overcome many challenges to be together. Their story is one of hope and the power to change.

Helping me to celebrate were nine other authors and hundreds of readers! As a writer, I’m sometimes introverted and reclusive when I’m deep in a story. But meeting and interacting with readers is invigorating. This morning, I’m still excited about the interaction and response to questions asked during the party. You can get a glimpse of party happenings here: Facebook Party

As an author, the benefits of Facebook, sharing a story and characters that I’ve spent half a year with, is amazing. Yes, these parties often lure with swag, but it’s the connections made prior and during that resonate true. Learning about a writer can often be discovered by reading their work.

As a reader, what benefit do you see in attending Facebook or blog parties? Have you ever begun a reader/author relationship through social media? How has the relationship changed your life? Please share.

A copy of Spirit Released will be given to one lucky commenter.

Wishing you peace and love, Cyndi Faria

Spirit Released is available now at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1i9KOvu
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1nlK3l0
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/RLkugD
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1gQX7Y7
iTunes: Coming Soon!
Book Format: Coming Soon!

<<Back Cover Blurb>>

In the seaside town of Whisper Cove, a centuries’ old curse tests true love…

On her wedding day, Faith Cabrillo prepares to confess a desperate secret to her fiancé, Jake Mitchell—she’s cursed with both the ability of speaking to the dead…and never fulfilling the promise of true love. Before the truth is revealed, Jake’s life is endangered and Faith sacrifices herself to save him.

Grief-stricken, Jake refuses to accept Faith’s comatose state. His innovative research keeps Faith alive, yet he’s faced with his biggest challenge when Faith’s spirit appears with a warning that his life is still in danger. Because Jake’s a man of medicine, he denies his Faith truly exists on two planes. Until he talks to her. And holds her. And begins to hope that he’s wrong.

Will Jake’s devotion and Faith’s body and soul be forged by love’s healing power in time to stop a killer before the curse again claims Faith …this time forever?

Stay connected:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CyndiFariaAuthor
Website: http://cyndifaria.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cyndifaria
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cyndi-Faria/e/B00BEV8JYS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

About the Author:
If you love a tale with courageous heroes and heroines, where their unconditional love for each other gives them strength to defeat their inner demons, award winning author Cyndi Faria invites you to enter the pages of her romances and find happily ever after.

Cyndi Faria is an engineer turned romance writer whose craving for structure is satisfied by plotting heartwarming romances with a dash of American folklore.

On and off her sexy romance pages, this California country girl isn’t afraid to dirty her hands fighting for the underdog and caretaking rescued pets. Find her helping fellow writers and leading readers to happily ever after at www.cyndifaria.com

For the last three weeks, I’ve had to do something I haven’t done in years.  Five days a week, I sit on a commuter train for two hours in each direction, heading down from Rural Paradise to Big Dirty City. Two hours each way. Plus driving to the station time, parking the car time, running under the underpass time, running back under the underpass because I realize I left the lights on time. Friends are rather horrified at how long my day has become.  Certainly there are downsides.  The local pizza shop has done rather too well out of us.  I’ve forgotten what the house looks like in daylight.  It’s costing a stonking lot of money in train fares.

But, there are upsides, the biggest of which is writing time.

My favorite place to write has always been when I’m moving.  Planes are the best.  Nifty little fold down desk in front of you, inspirational view, and someone coming by every hour offering free drinks.

Trains come a close second though.  No desk, unfortunately no drinks unless I sneak a cup of coffee on with me, and the free wifi only lasts long enough to scroll through my emails and see that access to my website is still banned under Queensland Rail’s T&C “no adult websites”.

I’m rather amazed at how productive I can be.  On my 2 hour journey, I generally get a solid 1.5 hours of writing time each way before the train gets too crowded, and I can’t type comfortably.  That’s 3 hours uninterrupted writing time a day.  Or about 5000 words on a good day, when I’ve planned out my work.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot more than I used to get written a day.

Right now, I’m working on a story for my own current call for submissions: a lesbian erotica collection with the theme of “Forbidden Fruit”.  You can see the CFS at http://www.cheyenneblue.com/#/archives/556 (Writers! Wander over, take a look! I’d love for you to submit!).  I’ve finished and submitted another couple of stories, written blog posts (including this one), I’m working on a novella, which for me is a shift, as for the last 14 years I’ve written short stories.

You can see some of my recent work in these anthologies:

“Perk of the Job” in XOXO Sweet and Sexy Romance edited by Kristina Wright (Cleis Press). A hotly romantic story of a veterinary nurse and her Staffy dog, both of whom have a crush on Mel’s boss. Written on a plane between Denver and Montreal.

“Cowboy Downtime” in “Cowboy Heat” edited by Delilah Devlin (Cleis Press) – Cowboys relax at a polocrosse game in the Australian outback.  He plays defence; she plays attack.  Who will come out the winner?  Written in the car on the Bruce Highway, Queensland.

“My Name is Bond” My upcoming story in “Bossy” edited by Harper Bliss:  A radiologist plays doctor to the real doctor at a radiology clinic.  This hot and loving story was written on Queensland Rail.

And of course, there’s this endless source of entertainment when writing on the train:

Laptop: $450

Commuter pass: $120

The look on the face of the woman next to me as I write “He buried his face in her wet $&*#*!!!*”

Thank you, Delilah, for kindly hosting me on your blog.

Cheyenne Blue has been peddling her erotic short stories for the last 14 years and has over 90 short stories in various anthologies.  See her work in “Best Women’s Erotica”, “Best Lesbian Erotica”, “Cowboy Heat”, “Cowboy Lust” and many many more.  She lives by the beach in Queensland Australia, and writes on planes, trains and automobiles.

Cheyenne Blue

________________________

Erotica by Cheyenne Blue
http://www.cheyenneblue.com
Twitter: @iamcheyenneblue
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3338016.Cheyenne_Blue

Everyone has an opinion, right? And everyone has the right and freedom to share that opinion. Absolutely.

But that doesn’t mean I have to let that opinion affect me. And thankfully I’m very lucky in letting other people’s judgments roll off my back.

I care what some people think of me and my writing. The people that “get it” and “get me”.  Not the people that are shocked, appalled, and offended by it. No matter how great it is they’re still going to be offended, appalled, and shocked by it. It happens.

Trust me, I know what I write isn’t for everyone. ***GRINS***

I don’t like sci-fi…who knew? That doesn’t make me a bad person. So, me writing, reading, and devouring Erotica, ménage, same sex, medical fetish, like Orgasm University that just released, and a whole host of other taboo topics doesn’t make me anymore of a bad person.

I’m gonna tell you guys a little secret. Come a bit closer to the screen so I can whisper it to you…

I like tattoos. *GASP*

And piercings. *The horror*

And a WHOLE LOTTA KINK!!! (If you’re feeling woozy this may not be the blog post for you.) *smiles*

I like life, and love and respect and family and singing and crochet and laying out on a sunny beach slathered in SPF 5000 so I don’t burn.

All of these things make me…me.

And I’m proud of the me I have become. I’m still growing and changing and exploring everything the word has to offer, and feel blessed for each day I get to continue my journey.

For those of you this strikes a chord with – MWAH & HIGH F***ING FIVE!

For those of you that turn your nose up at it and wrinkle your face….please refer to sentence two above.

The best advice I’ve ever been given. “Find the real you and NEVER settle for anything less.” I live by this sentence. Every day, every hour.

I think if more people did, instead of being judgmental and hateful, the world would be a better place.

My two cents.

Now it’s your turn. Want to win a free e-copy of Orgasm University? Let me know what you think.

Do you care what people think?

Victoria’s been called frigid by every boyfriend she’s ever had. Having never gotten off during sex with even one of them probably has something to do with it. But none of them knew how broken she really is. She not only hasn’t gotten off having sex, she’s never orgasmed…ever.

Then she sees an interdepartmental memo for a university study that claims it can help with her little problem. Once she signs her name on the dotted line, Dr. Hotlidge, finds all the right buttons to push.

He’s been looking for the perfect subject for his grant study, but something’s been missing from each of the women he’s questioned so far. Everything changes when Jane Smith #129 steps into his exam room.

It’s supposed to be anonymous, clinical research and nothing more. But when he finds her inner submissive hiding just below the surface, they both find more than they bargained for.

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links:
Orgasm University on Ellora’s Cave

The other books in the Members Only Series can be found here…
Together In Cyn
Haleigh’s Ink
A Very Menage Christmas
Duke’s Valentine

Jennifer Kacey is a wife, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – http://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

When I wrote Clear As Day, the first book in my River series, I used a real location for the setting that I had loved visiting and that was very vivid to me, Lake Mohave.  In fact, I had written pages of setting description as an exercise featuring the summer heat and cool waters of Lake Mohave before Kay and Nate ever appeared in that first scene and the little story was born that would eventually grow into Clear As Day. The other stories I have in the works for my River series also grew out of that scenic desert setting.

My new release, Summertime Dream, also began with a setting, but in a very different way. I’ve never been to Falk’s Bend. The town and Falk House can’t be found on any map outside of my imagination. Originally, I planned to write a short story around a Fourth of July picnic, something very sentimental and traditional, and a story that had absolutely nothing to do with Lake Mohave or my River series. I didn’t even know in which state I was building my fictional town. I simply had in mind a very green, steamy hot July 4^th day at a picnic ground in a town park.

This time, there was no wandering off into pages of simple setting. The viewpoint of the heroine that would be Margie was already in the scene, frustrated and yearning for change, yet loving her small town traditions. Then my hero walked into the scene and I discovered that he was in town because he’d unexpectedly inherited a house. At that stage, my hero and I both were thinking some sort of old, but ordinary house.

Ordinary was not the word for the house my imagination concocted: a grandly decrepit old white elephant of a mansion. After the real locations I used in Clear As Day, drafting away in a fictional setting was unsettling. A confusing feeling, considering all the world building I’ve been doing for my fantasy stories, where crafting fictional places was perfectly normal. Stuck on the need for “realness” I began to research. Looking for visuals of the house led me to the lovely old Second Empire style Heck-Anderson house in Raleigh, South Carolina, which is very close to the house I first imagined.

From that point on, the details of Falk’s Bend became easier. My fictional town of Falk’s Bend and the Olsson family’s restaurant were partially inspired by my Swedish heritage. I’d love to live in a quiet small town someday (but my “city-mouse” husband isn’t too keen on this idea). I finally settled my little town in the state of Missouri because of its many rivers, a great location for a hero with a hobby of fishing, and because its rural areas and history felt so opposite of Christopher’s life in Los Angeles.  Also, while most Swedish emigrants settled in the upper Midwest, Missouri felt like a place where Christopher’s enterprising ancestor might choose to build a community and his fortunes.

I’ve always loved antiques and I had fun “decorating” the Falk house. The antique books Margie finds in the library are all real books I own, as is some of the other bric-a-brac found in the Falk house. Christopher’s rocking chair and little table are in my living room. I ended up having a wonderful time writing the settings in Summertime Dream, and the house became almost as much a character in the story as my hero and heroine.

If you are a writer, how do you go about choosing a setting for your stories? If you are a reader, do you prefer settings that you could actually visit or places of the imagination?

The Fourth of July is over, but for these summer lovers the fireworks have just begun.

An unexpected inheritance brings business consultant Christopher Gordon from Los Angeles to quaint Falk’s Bend. He’s carved a week from his demanding schedule to list his great-grandparents’ house for sale and explore his roots. However, disturbing family secrets and the sweet temptation of writer Margie Olsson derail his plans, challenging him to seize the elusive dream missing from his hectic life— love.

A recent brush with death shook Margie’s life, but not her dreams and she’s ready to move forward. Only, standing up to her loving, over-protective family isn’t easy. Helping Christopher explore the derelict mansion and unravel his grandmother’s mysterious past should be a harmless fun taste of independence. But when her experimental summer fling ignites into unexpected love, how can her small town dreams work with his big city life?

Christopher removed the padlock and chain from the driveway gate and swung the gate open, only to have the rickety picket panel break off in his hands. He shook his head and dropped the wreckage aside on the grass. “One more item for the to-repair list.”

After slowly navigating the lumpy, buckled driveway to park alongside the house, he pulled a heavy-duty flashlight from the back seat. “The power’s not on yet, maybe tomorrow. Mrs. Dodd lent this to me.”

She tippy-toed after him up the side porch steps, careful to avoid putting the high heels of her sandals through the old wood. “We’re not wearing the best exploring clothes.” She smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. Both of them were dressed more for church or a dinner date.

He regarded her from beside the boarded front door, his steady gaze pausing on her mouth before flinching upward. “You look great. Really pretty in that peach color.” A flush rose in his cheeks, and he focused on sorting through the neatly labeled ring of keys.

Her own cheeks burned. Was he also remembering those kisses yesterday? “Thanks.”

Christopher removed the padlock and swung open both panels, revealing the screen doors and the original ornamented and leaded glass double entry doors, both curving into a graceful peaked arch like a church door.

“Oh, all the glass is safe. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Christopher nodded as he fit an old-fashioned key into the ornate brass lock. He gripped the doorknob and took a deep breath. “Ready?”

The hinges whined and creaked as he pushed the door inward. Daylight wedged into the short entry vestibule, revealing another doorway formed by elegant leaded glass sidelights and transom, and faded across the hardwood floor into the gloomy grand entry hall. Disturbed dust floated through the sunlight.

Christopher flicked on the flashlight and stepped into the once-majestic hall. Margie followed, nose wrinkling at the musty stale air. He swung the light upward, revealing an elaborate lamp fixture hanging from a plaster medallion, the crystal pendants festooned with spider webs. “Our very own haunted house, huh?”

Come fall in love at the river:

Summertime Dream is available at:

Amazon.com (Print and Kindle): http://amzn.com/B00HJDS3E6

The Wild Rose Press (Print and ebook):
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5517

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summertime-dream-babette-james/1119073773?ean=2940149283262

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-summertimedream-1468219-149.html

About the Author:

Babette James writes sweetly scorching contemporary romance and loves reading nail-biting tales with a satisfying happily ever after. When not dreaming up stories, she enjoys playing with new bread recipes and dabbling with paints. As a teacher, she loves encouraging new readers and writers as they discover their growing abilities. Her class cheers when it’s time for their spelling test! Born in New Jersey and raised in Southern California, she’s had a life-long love of the desert and going down the shore. Babette lives in New Jersey with her wonderfully patient husband and extremely spoiled cats.

You can find Babette at:
Website: http://babettejames.com/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ltvyP
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BabetteJames
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/babette.james
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BabetteJamesAuthor
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B007KDJWV8
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/babettejames
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/babettejames/
Photo: Heck-Andrews House by Mark Turner

syn·es·the·sia also syn·aes·the·sia (sĭn′ĭs-thē′zhə)

1. A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color.

2. A sensation felt in one part of the body as a result of stimulus applied to another, as in referred pain.

3. The description of one kind of sense impression by using words that normally describe another.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

It probably sounds odd to say that an erotic romance heroine was inspired in part by my mother, but there’s a bit of my mother in Jen, the heroine of Out of Control. Not Jen’s romantic arc and certainly not her sex life. (I know my mother had a sex life. I’m here, after all. We both prefer to leave it at that.) But like my character Jen, my mother has synesthesia. Sounds have colors. Colors evoke physical sensations. Music affects her more strongly than it does many people because it’s a whole-body experience, involving not just hearing, but sight and touch—she feels it on her skin. I decided that this so-called disorder (which doesn’t sound much like a disorder to me, though I’m sure it could interfere with your life in extreme cases) would be an interesting trait for a character, especially an artist like Jen. It also becomes a source of conflict with her hero Drake, a mathematician, who literally can’t see the world through her eyes because her way of perceiving things is so atypical. Never having known another way of experiencing the world, Jen doesn’t think of synesthesia as a disorder. In fact, she uses it to her advantage. Since numbers have colors in her world (something one of my girlfriends experiences, and uses in her work as an engineer), her financial records and business plan are a sea of color. Makes sense to her, if not to anyone else.

The more I learn about how the human brain functions, the more I realize that while there is an objective reality “out there,” we all filter it through our senses and brain in a different way. In some cases, the differences are extreme and have the potential to interfere with one’s life, a true sensory or neurological disorder. But how do we know what someone else is truly experiencing when they see something “green” or listen to music? Makes life interesting.

And because the human brain is elastic, we can often compensate for serious sensory and neurological handicaps in fascinating ways. A blind friend shared a humor piece about “dealing with sighted people” and helping them deal with their limitations. While it makes fun of well-intentioned but frustrating efforts to “help” someone who might not need it, it also underscores something that’s obvious from watching my friend in action: blind people perceive the world in a full, rich way even though they can’t see. In fact, a blind person may pick up on things that sighted people miss because they’re overwhelmed by visual clues.

That realization is partly why one of my upcoming books has a blind heroine. But that’s a story for another day.

He’s got her tied up, but she’s got him out of control.

Glass artist Jen Kessler has hit the jackpot—a cheap apartment in a charming Victorian house, complete with a sexy, intense, buttoned-down landlord…who may or may not have a riding crop in his bedroom.

She’s not looking for a lover, but when her innocent, impulsive hug sparks kisses as hot a molten glass, it leads to bondage, spankings, and more naughtiness that, up to now, she had only tasted.

His new tenant may have wild, dyed hair and an unconventional job, but Cornell math professor Drake Matthews admires the work ethic that got her out of debt. Then he’s stunned at how quickly she destroys decades of his carefully cultivated self-control.

Soon their sexual and emotional passions push them to the edge—and beyond. But it’s not all good, dirty fun. As Drake takes more and more control of Jen in the bedroom, her deeply ingrained independent streak pushes back. And it’ll take more than a shared penchant for ropes, paddling, and coffee to overcome pasts that could unravel their relationship before it begins.

Warning: Contains kinky sex, molten glass, geeky higher mathematics, family secrets, and irresponsible consumption of coffee.

Excerpt:

Drake laid one hand on the back of her neck. “Be still.” His voice was deep, calm, soothing. He stroked the nape of her neck as if he petted a beloved but jumpy pet. Something melted inside her, like glass would melt in a furnace, and she went limp across his lap.

“Good girl,” he whispered. “Surrender to the sensation. Surrender to me.” Still stroking her hair, he spanked her again.

Jen dimly though it may have been even harder than the other times. But the sting didn’t feel like pain. It felt like a gift, a gift Drake was giving to her, and that at the same time she was giving to him. Which made no sense, but the thought was the clear spring green of truth. She accepted it just like she accepted the pain and pleasure, the gentle hand on her head and the hard one smacking an ass that felt as red as her thoughts.

She was molten. She was soft and pooling, ready to be molded and shaped—another one of those nonsensical thoughts colored like truth. She wanted to squirm, try to rub herself to orgasm against the coarseness of denim and the hard muscles underneath. Wanted to push back and beg for more. Wanted. Wanted. But at the same time, she just wanted to see what Drake would do next. So far, she had no complaints, though it was hardly how she would have anticipated things going their first time together.

Hoped, maybe; anticipated, no.

The blows were coming faster now but felt lighter. Was that real or was that just because her clit and pussy were throbbing more than her butt was, making it impossible to think of pain as pain?

Colors exploded behind her eyelids, swirling together in impossible ways. She clung to the colors as best she could, some dim part of her knowing she could reproduce the effect, maybe even the surreal spangling, in glass if she could remember how it looked.

Then Drake let his fingers trail between her throbbing butt cheeks to stroke her pussy.

The colors exploded into fireworks of hues she saw only in dreams, and she exploded with them. No way could she capture those colors. She didn’t think she could see them again unless she was coming, and orgasms and hot glass would be a dangerous combination.

Though with Drake’s hand on the back of her neck, maybe she’d be safe, as safe as she felt now to let go with a cry and soar among the colors.

Samhain / Amazon  / Amazon UK / B&N / Kobo

*~*~*~*~*

Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but hot paranormals and BDSM-spiced contemporaries are her favorites. Find her at www.teresanoelleroberts.com, on Facebook or on Twitter, where she hangs out as @TeresNoeRoberts.

And aren’t you glad for it?

The release of SEALs of Summer marks my third time participating in a military themed boxed set. And it’s the third and last story in my Adventure Girls series. Each of my hapless travel agents finds her own true love in the midst of danger. I have three more SEAL projects coming, and I’m struggling to find a way to link them. Any ideas? Seriously. 🙂

Anyway, here’s my latest release. I hope you’ll give the set a try. How can you lose buying 10 stories for just $.99? And if you read the book, how about posting a review? You’d be doing a good deed—helping out the authors and other readers!

Military Super-bundle of TEN novels and novellas by New York Times, USA Today and award-winning bestselling authors.

IT TAKES A SEAL, An Adventure Girls, Inc. story by USA Today Bestselling author Delilah Devlin: A travel agent visiting friends in the Bahamas is stranded on a desert island with a sexy ex-SEAL after their private pleasure cruise is interrupted by men who mistake her lover for a reclusive billionaire.

SEAL OF MY HEART by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Sharon Hamilton: Kate Livingstone’s engagement is at risk the instant she sets eyes on the handsome elite warrior sitting next to her on a plane trip to visit her sister. Navy SEAL Tyler Gray had thought he knew what he wanted in life, until he meets Kate and their obvious attraction for each other sparks something deep in his soul. What starts out as innocent letters between friends turns out to be much more. Can someone fall in love deeply just with words and letters exchanged, or is this just a pleasant fantasy that will ruin their lives forever?

SMOKING HOT by National Bestselling Author Anne Marsh: When an ambush kills his teammate, Navy SEAL Tye Callahan vows to spend the summer in Strong, California, fighting fires with the smoke jumper team and looking out for Katie Lawson, his teammate’s fiancée. Now, as the summer heats up, they must decide if the chemistry burning between them might just be their second chance at living their own lives… together.

THE NAVY SEAL’s E-MAIL ORDER BRIDE by National Bestselling author Cora Seton: If Mason Hall, Navy SEAL, can’t find a wife and get her pregnant–and convince his three brothers to marry, too–before the year is up, he’ll have to forfeit the ranch his family has prized for over a hundred years. Who knew one city girl and three wayward brothers could put up such a fight?

FALL OUT by National Bestselling Author Zoe York: Drew Castle is a Navy SEAL with a bad case of indifference. Until Annie Martin shows up on his doorstep, scared out of her mind, and all of a sudden, keeping her safe becomes the most important mission of his life. And this time, he’s on his own.

CLOSE QUARTERS by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Roxie Rivera: Getting tangled up in Jamie Pearson’s latest hot mess–or her sheets–is the very last thing Navy SEAL Leland Gates needs, but in close quarters like these, there’s no denying the white-hot passion blazing between them.

KILLING HONOR by International Bestselling author S.M. Butler: Returning home after a disastrous extended deployment, Navy SEAL Brody Battles struggles with nightmares and government secrets building a wall between him and his wife, Devyn, especially when a security breach compromises his identity. While they’re adjusting to being a family again, an old enemy waits in the shadows, salivating for the sweet taste of revenge.

COMING IN HOT by Award-winning author Kimberley Troutte: For Navy SEAL Mack Riley, rescuing a family in Colombian jungles isn’t as hard as seeing the admiral’s daughter again, but since Jenna is joining the hostage rescue team, his orders are to protect her. In the heat of battle, love breaches their defenses just as missiles lock onto their coordinates …can they save the family and get out alive?

A SEAL’s SONG by Golden Heart Finalist author Jennifer Lowery: Navy SEAL Jack Taggart’s plans to catch some much-needed downtime between deployments are demolished when he risks everything to rescue beautiful wedding singer, Darci O’Shea, from a band of thieves. Will the battle between their inner demons be the hardest one to fight, or will they find rescue in each other’s arms?

SEALS’s EMBRACE by USA Today Bestselling author Elle James: Injured Navy SEAL and the critical care nurse he’s attempting to woo join forces to stop a terrorist attack.

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