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Archive for May, 2017



Lisabet Sarai: Careful What You Wish For (Contest–Three Winners!)
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017

I’ve been publishing romance and erotica for more than fifteen years, but I’ve never had anything like a “best seller”. I shouldn’t complain—I have loyal readers and receive lots of five star reviews—but commercial success has eluded me.

I’m not alone. The majority of my author peers are in the same boat. We slave away at our computers, pouring our passions onto the page. We devote scarce cash and scarcer time to the uncomfortable task of blowing our own horns. We blog, tweet, facebook (is that a verb?), run tours and giveaways, make guest appearances (like this one), all in the hope that readers will notice us and buy our books.

Sometimes it feels like a pretty thankless effort. I’m willing to bet that most of my colleagues have fantasized about being the next FSOG. TV appearances. Movie deals. Parties with the elite. And of course cash, lots of cash, enough to pay the bills with plenty left over for luxuries. I’m certainly guilty of this sort of day dreaming. It’s a heady vision.

Rationality returns after a few minutes. I’d never want to give up my day job. If I were famous, I’d probably be forced to. Plus, given the heat level in my work, I’m not sure I want the whole world to know who I really am. Best selling authors have to be seen, and there’s some comfort in being invisible.

Still, fame and fortune sparkle, seemingly just out of reach, whenever I release a new book. And I can’t help wonder what it would be like if those fantasies came true.

Those imaginings were the genesis of my new BDSM erotic romance, Damned If You Do. My heroine writes fabulously kinky romance novels, but for the most part labors in obscurity. Then one afternoon, a mysterious stranger offers her the success of which she dreams.

He keeps his part of the bargain. As her sales soar and her star rises, though, she discovers the down side of getting what you thought was your heart’s desire.

Here’s the blurb and an exclusive excerpt for you to enjoy.

Sometimes romance can be hell

Wendy Dennison is tired of being a starving author. The royalties from her critically acclaimed romance novels barely pay her bills. Her devoted agent Daniel Rochester may be smart and sexy, but he can’t get her the sales she needs. Then a charismatic stranger appears at her coffee shop table, promising her fame and commercial success, as well as the chance to live out her dreams of erotic submission. But at what cost?

Nothing you can’t afford to lose, my dear.

Seduced by the enigmatic Mister B, she signs his infernal contract. He becomes both her Master and her coach, managing her suddenly flourishing career as well as encouraging her lusts. Under her mentor’s nefarious influence, she surrenders to temptation and has sex with Daniel. The casual encounter turns serious when she discovers her mild mannered agent has a dominant side. As the clock ticks down to her blockbuster release and Mister B prepares to claim her soul, Wendy must choose either celebrity and wealth, or obscurity and true love.

Exclusive Excerpt (Rated R)

“Gwen, my dear! What are you doing out here?”

Mister B didn’t come from inside. She would have heard the party noise as he opened the door. He simply appeared beside her, as he had that first day in the coffee shop.

He wore a tuxedo with a purple brocade cummerbund, and shiny black shoes with pointed toes. His tourmaline eyes gleamed in the semi-darkness. When he strode closer to settle an arm around her shoulders, his movements had a taut, ferocious energy, like the tread of a panther. Despite her tiredness, arousal flickered through her, curling into a glowing knot in her pelvis.

“Too many people in there,” she replied, extricating herself from his companionable embrace. “And I’ve drunk too much as well. I wish I were at home, away from all this.”

“I’m afraid I can’t grant you that wish, not tonight. We have business to attend to—as I’m quite certain you recall.” His chuckle sent a chill down her spine. “You wanted fame, my dear. This sort of public performance is part of the price. However, I should think you’d find some consolation in your bank balance.”

He stepped behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her buttocks toward his lean hips. He was hard. He was always hard. Wendy cursed her traitorous body as excitement flooded her pussy. She was like Pavlov’s dog, salivating in response to a meaningless stimulus.

He rubbed his erection against her satin-sheathed buttocks. She struggled not to squirm. Honestly, she didn’t want to encourage him. But then, what she wanted hardly mattered.

“So tonight…you’re going to take my soul?” she murmured as he sucked and nipped at the tender skin of her neck, just above his diamond-studded gift.

“Don’t think about that part, my sweet. Focus on the pleasure.”  One of his hands crept up to cradle her breast. The other raised her skirt.  He hooked the elastic of her lacy panties and dragged them down to bare her rear cheeks.

“No, don’t…” She struggled in his clutches as he exposed her. “Please, not here!” A finger slid down her rear crevice and tickled her sphincter. “No—wait…!”

“I’m going to consummate our agreement in the most appropriate manner, my dear. With my cock splitting your tight ass.”

“No!” Somehow she found the strength to wrench herself from his grip. She backed away, into the corner where the rail made a right angle. “Get away from me!”

Mister B put his hands on his hips and shook his head, his expression one of wounded disbelief. “I’m surprised at you. After all we’ve been through together, you reject me? Do you really want to give it all up? The adoring fans? The five star reviews? The fat advances and the hefty royalties?”

“Um…no, no, that’s not what I’m saying…”  Panic swept through her. To lose everything she’d worked for?  Unthinkable.

~~~

Get your own copy of Damned If You Do at your favorite bookseller:

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0727RZ39B/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0727RZ39B/
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damned-if-you-do-lisabet-sarai/1126292735?ean=2940157395711Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/th/en/ebook/damned-if-you-do-10
Excessica: https://goo.gl/dZN3dr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35009284-damned-if-you-do

And leave a comment on this blog, with your email, for a chance at one of three $10 gift certificates or three copies of my five star BDSM romance The Gazillionaire and the Virgin. For more ways to win, check out my release day post, here:
http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2017/04/out-today-damned-if-you-do-bdsm-pnr.html

About Me

LISABET SARAI occasionally tackles other genres, but BDSM will always be her first love. Every one of her nine novels includes some element of power exchange, while her D/s short stories range from mildly kinky to intensely perverse.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website, along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance , she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads and finally, on Twitter.

Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Hey, that song reminds me of… (Contest)
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017

So, I was listening to one of my favorite bands the other day on my iPod while I was doing some online research (er, I was surfing photo sites for bookcover hotties–tough job, I know). Anways… Train’s song “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” was playing, which always makes me smile because the video is so damn funny (David Hasselhoff makes an appearance, so yeah, guilty pleasure, I’m always there). I had to watch the video.

Then YouTube showed a list of Train songs, and I had to click on a nice feel-good tune called “Play That Song”.  It struck me while I listened that my fingers knew that tune. Eons ago, I played piano, and that tune was one of the first I ever played. So, I Googled. Listen first to Train’s song. You’re here already so I know you don’t have anything better to do… 🙂

Sure enough, the song that sounds like Train’s “Play That Song” is Hoagy Carmichael’s “Heart and Soul” (I think it’s from the 40’s—and no, I’m not that old, but my piano teacher was!). Listen for a minute and you’ll see. And no, Train didn’t lift it. They scooped that tune and gave it new life. Now, another Train song is on my “Happy Songs” list…

I know I’ve asked this question before, but for a chance to win a small Amazon gift card, have you heard any tunes lately that made you happy?

Cecilia Dominic: Meet Edward Bailey, the hero of Eros Element
Monday, May 1st, 2017

Thank you so much for having me today, Delilah! I often have other authors send their characters to my couch for interviews, so I decided to do one today for Edward Bailey, the hero of Eros Element, the novel that I’m re-releasing today. It was originally published by Samhain Publishing in 2015. I’ve often wanted to sit and talk to Edward, or try to, so I decided to write a vignette rather than doing an interview.

Let’s pretend it’s 1870 in the alternate Aether Psychics universe, and I’m in a little university town in England. Across the pond the Civil War has raged on for almost ten years, and coal supplies are running short. Several scientists have unsuccessfully attempted to harness the power of the mysterious substance aether.

I’ve just made tea and am about to sit down with the latest journal to see what those crazy neuroticists – doctors who study and treat those with disorders of the mind – in Vienna have been up to when I hear a commotion in the waiting room.

“But he doesn’t have an appointment,” my office manager says, “and the doctor is busy.”

“It doesn’t matter, this is an emergency,” says a male voice. A deep, resonant male voice I recognize as belonging to Johann Bledsoe, the concertmaster for our town’s orchestra. His confidence – and the escapades it leads him into – are legendary, so I wonder what he could want with a neuroticist.

I hear another male voice, this one more of a tenor, “That’s all right, Johann. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

Bledsoe argues, “You’re about to head on an expedition to god knows where, and you still time your water closet trips to the minute – I apologize, Miss. You know that’s not going to work.”

Intrigued, I emerge. “I’ll see the young man.” They both turn to me. The one in question matches Bledsoe in height, although his build is more slender, and he has the beginnings of the shoulder slump seen in academics. His dark hair contrasts with Bledsoe’s blond locks, and his face is more narrow, although his eyes look familiar. Ah, the cornflower blue eyes the Bailey family is known for. This must be Edward, the brilliant younger brother of the Duke.

“Hello,” I say. “I’m Doctor Dominic. What can I do for you?”

“Oh,” Bledsoe says. “I’d heard Doctor Dominic was a man.” I can see the hesitation at my appearance warring with the concern for his friend in his eyes.

“You may be thinking of my father.” And then I try a gamble to see if I can engage Professor Bailey. “He is a scientist of some renown. People often assume it’s he when they hear the professional title.”

“Right,” Bledsoe says. He’s gripping Professor Bailey’s arm. “Come, Edward, let’s go talk to the nice doctor.”

They follow me to my office and both sit on the couch once I settle in my chair. Bledsoe leans back, one ankle across the other knee, and the professor sits rigidly.

I fold my hands in my lap. “Tell me what brings you here today.”

“I don’t know why I’m here,” Professor Bailey says. “I haven’t had any problems since seven years ago, when I decided to order my life according to scientific principles.”

“Can you give me an example?” I ask, hoping he won’t tell me about bathroom habits.

“Yes, I can.” He jerks his head at his friend as if to say, so there. “I keep a strict schedule. I eat the same things at the same time every day, and, well, it works.”

“I see. And your routine is about to be disrupted.”

“Yes,” Bledsoe says, leaning out of his relaxed posture. “We’re going on an expedition. I can’t tell you any more details, but Professor Bailey’s preferences will not be accommodated.”

“What prompted you to adopt these principles to your life?” I ask the professor.

He turns to his friend with a sigh. “Do I really have to go through this?”

“Yes, if you want to prove to her you’re as sane as you claim.”

“Fine,” the professor huffs. “A woman mistook me for my brother, and when she found out I’m the spare, not the heir, she dumped me.”

“Do you still have feelings for this woman?”

“No. But the incident demonstrated how people are messy and unpredictable, so I make the rest of my life neat and orderly.”

Obviously this is the only time I’ll see him, so I dispense some advice, although I typically prefer to wait until later sessions to do so.

“But as you’ve seen, life isn’t always going to cooperate with your efforts to make it orderly. I would recommend you face what you fear the most. And if that’s having your heart broken, then you may want to start with talking to women.”

I suspect he won’t have much of a chance to do so on an expedition, but his friend claps him on the back.

“Oh, this will be perfect, Edward. You can chat up that nice archaeologist Iris McTavish.”

I raise my eyebrows at the notion of a female archaeologist and mentally applaud her accomplishment at breaking through the male barriers of academia.

The professor stands. “You’re both being ridiculous. She’s so…”

“Pretty?” Bledsoe asks and rises, as do I.

“You leave her alone,” the professor says. “She’s not one of your actresses.”

I turn my head to hide my amusement. The professor may already be further on his way to attraction to this Iris McTavish than he realizes.

We say our goodbyes, and I assure Maestro Bledsoe that it will all work out. But as they leave, I have a little chill down my spine, like that of foreboding, and I suspect their adventure will not be as safe and orderly as the professor would like.

About Eros Element

The scientific method:  Love doesn’t obey it. Secrets skew the results.

After a dishonest woman broke his heart, renowned aetherist Edward Bailey buried the pieces under a strict routine built on solid, scientific predictability. Any deviation doesn’t just bother him—it short circuits his carefully cultivated balance.

A routine faculty meeting unexpectedly presents a twin challenge to his comfort zone. Not only does the beautiful Iris McTavish appear in her famous archeologist father’s place, Edward is forced to accompany her on an undercover expedition to find an element that will harness the power of aether.

Iris is determined to prove her worth as a scholar and scientist, and save the financially ruined house of McTavish without accepting an unwanted marriage proposal. But keeping her secret is difficult when she’s faced with Edward’s compelling gaze and unrelenting logic.

Amid clockwork spy devices, threats from a mysterious society who’ll stop at nothing to conceal their secrets, and plots from a guild bent on stealing them, Edward and Iris’s attraction sparks and gains momentum. But betrayal awaits them on the road from Paris to Rome—and the revolutionary discovery they seek could grind their hearts to pieces.

Warning: Contains a brilliant professor with a white-knuckle case of anxiety, a woman with an ahead-of-her-time spirit of adventure, real and made-up history, and a Grand Tour that serves up murder plots and secret temples along with wine, tea, and cream puffs. You may wish to pack your shovel along with your silks.

Grab your copy for 99 cents – this re-release sale is only for a limited time.

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Eros-Element-Aether-Psychics-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y541YKZ/
iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eros-element/id1227033062?mt=11&uo=4
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eros-element-cecilia-dominic/1121969555?ean=2940157191306
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/eros-element-1
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cecilia_Dominic_Eros_Element?id=7SKrDgAAQBAJ

About Cecilia

Author Cecilia Dominic, became a clinical psychologist because she’s fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn’t stop making stuff up. By day, she helps people cure their insomnia in her private practice. By night, she writes fiction that keeps her readers turning pages past bedtime. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, but she prefers to be called versatile, not conflicted. Cecilia has been published in short and novel-length fiction as well as full-length nonfiction, and currently writes steampunk, urban fantasy, and chick lit. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she’s been told, is a good number of each.

You can find her at:
Web page:  www.ceciliadominic.com
Wine blog:  www.randomoenophile.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/CeciliaDominicAuthor
Twitter: @CeciliaDominic
Newsletter list (sign up for a free short story): http://eepurl.com/bjz2yf