Update: The winner of Elle’s swag pack is…Judy Ree!

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SEAL’S Honor by Elle James (also writing as Myla Jackson)

Comment for a chance to win this prize!

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Navy SEALs jeopardize their lives and hearts in a battle-torn land when they vie for the love of one sexy Night Stalker helicopter pilot

Reed Tucker doesn’t believe in commitment, not when you’re a SEAL deployed in dangerous situations that could lead to death or dismemberment. Until he tangles the sheets with one hot pilot, Delaney O’Connell. His phobia against commitment is challenged when his best friend asks Delaney O’Connell to marry him and she doesn’t say no.

As a helicopter pilot for the 160^th Night Stalkers, Delaney O’Connell knows the risks of loving a SEAL. She’s ferried her share of soldiers and frogmen into and out of danger. All she asks is that Tuck own up to his love for her. When he allows his friend to ask her to marry him without staking his own claim, she’s hurt and disappointed. When his friend loses an arm in battle, she can’t refuse his hand in marriage, not when he’s sacrificed so much for his country. In love with one man, about to marry another, she’s torn. Caught in a triangle of his own making, Tuck can’t dishonor his friend by stealing his fiancé. Tuck and Delaney must come to grips with the happiness they owe themselves and the happiness of their friend who has given so much of himself.

Excerpt #1  Tuck lurked in the hallway outside the ladies room, waiting for her to emerge. When Delaney stepped out, he snagged her arm and pulled her into the shadows at the end of the hall and into his tight embrace. At first stiff, as soon as she realized who it was, she semi-melted into him, her body fitting perfectly against his. “Damn it, Tuck, you scared the crap out of me.” She batted his arm and stared up at him, her brow twisted into a tight frown. “You can’t go around grabbing me.” He grinned. “Kiss me.” “No.” “Then I’ll have to kiss you.” “What part of no—” Almost a full foot taller than the petite, perfectly packaged helicopter pilot, Tuck bent to close the distance, sealing her mouth with his and effectively cutting off her argument. Loving the feel of her warm, full lips against his, he clamped his arms around her, lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist and spun her until her back was against the wall. He deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue past her teeth, whipping down the length of hers in a long sexy slide. For a full fifteen seconds, she resisted, her hands pressing against his chest. Then her fingers curled into his shirt and she was kissing him back. Not gently, but like she’d gone without food for a week and was hungry for him, her mouth working over his, devouring him. God, she tasted so good, like peaches and rum. Sweet, tangy and devilishly intoxicating. When he broke for air, she leaned her head to the side. “I swore I wouldn’t do this again.” “Why?” Tuck trailed kisses down the line of her exposed neck. Tuck paused at the base of her throat where her pulse thrummed like the patter of machinegun bullets, fast, furious and adrenaline-pumping. He liked it when he made her excited. “Whatever this is between us has to end,” she insisted, even as her thighs tightened around his hips. “Why now?” Tuck slid his hand down her arm, skimming the side of her breast. The nipple beneath her T-shirt puckered temptingly. His cock hardened in response. Where she’d been all hesitant to start something physical with him, in the end, she’d flown at him like she couldn’t get enough of him. He thought once would be enough with Delaney. Once had lasted all night and through not two but three orgasms. She’d come so readily, she had to have been denying herself for a very long time.   Excerpt #2  When she emerged from the shower tent, wearing her flip flops and carrying her boots and uniform, a  shadow slipped up beside her. Before she could throw her boots at him, he slipped an arm around her waist, crushing her back against his front and clamping a hand over her mouth. “Shh. It’s me, Tuck.” He dropped his hand from her mouth and turned her to face him. “Damn it, Tuck. You can’t go around scaring a girl to death all the time.” “You were so deep in thought, I’d have startled you either way. At least this way I get to hold you in my arms for a moment.” He wore a tank top, gym shorts and tennis shoes. “How’d you find me?” “I pulled a few strings.” He bent to sweep her lips with his. “Are you mad?” “I don’t want anyone getting the idea we’re fraternizing.” He eased her into the deeper shadows between a tent and a Quonset hut made of sturdy metal. “How’s this?” She raised her arms, pressed her body into his, her damp towel, T-shirt and flight suit dangling down his back. “Better.” All he had to do was part her robe and… Tuck slid his hand up the back of her thigh and beneath the edge of her robe, cupping her naked bottom. She’d gone to the shower with only her robe and what she’d been wearing, so flustered by her talk with Lindsay, she’d forgotten clean underwear and her pajamas. Now she was glad she had. Excerpt #3 His chest tightened and before long, he had a hard time regulating his breathing. Finally, he slowed, turned and ran the opposite direction. He’d jog in the heat of the day rather than watch Ringer woo his girl. Instead, he ran sprints near the volleyball nets until he couldn’t stand it a moment longer. After a while, he walked back toward his quarters, the long way. The path that would take him back by Delaney’s tent. When he realized what he was doing, he almost turned around and headed back for more sprints. Until he saw Delaney step out of the shower tent wearing clean shorts, a T-shirt and carrying her robe, towel and toiletries in hand. That robe was the clincher. Tuck’s groin tightened on sight at how beautiful she’d been wearing it last night in the moonlight. And how naked, soft, warm and wet she’d been beneath. He sped up, determined to catch her. What he’d say when he did, he didn’t know. Tuck only knew he had to say something. This deal with Ringer was eating at him and somehow it had to stop. Before he reached her, Ringer jumped out from another path, carrying a giant  teddy bear with a big red bow tied around its neck. Delaney ground to a halt and laughed. Tuck’s gut knotted at the sound. Even her laugh was sexy. Damn. She accepted the teddy bear, hugging it close and burying her nose in the soft fake fur. Where in hell had Ringer gotten a teddy bear in the desert? Wherever he’d acquired it, Delaney was enjoying it more than Tuck liked. She leaned around the bear in her arms her lips puckered, aiming for Ringer’s cheek. Ringer turned at the last second and her kiss meant for his cheek landed square on his lips. The asshole grinned, captured Delaney’s cheeks between his palms and kissed her again. “I knew you’d taste that sweet. And that’s just the beginning.” Tuck’s fists balled and he lunged forward. Before he’d taken two steps, Delaney was shaking her head. “Cory, I don’t—” Ringer pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t decide anything. I’m not done yet. Be watching.” Ringer left before Delaney could complete her sentence. Damn. Surely she’d been about to tell him to take a hike. After kissing her like that, she should have slapped him. Unless… Tuck stopped still in his tracks. Was it possible she could fall for Ringer? After last night? Delaney stared down at the bear. “I can’t take you to the shower.” She turned toward her tent, her gaze finding Tuck standing like a lunk in the middle of the path. Her smile immediately turned downward on the corners. She marched toward the tent, passing him with barely a glance. “What are you doing here, Tuck?” “You kissed him.” “So?” She stopped in the doorway. “Why did you let him kiss  you again?” “Why does it matter to you?” She hugged the bear closer, like a shield between her and him. Tuck wanted to rip the damned bear from her arms and tear it to shreds. “You don’t love him.” “I could learn to love him. At least he cares enough about me to share his feelings.” “Is that what you want?” He gripped her arms, the fuzz of the bear’s fake fur burning against his skin. “You want me to share my feelings? I’ll share. I’m pissed as hell.” “I don’t see why?” “You know damn well why.” “I know that you aren’t into commitment. I know from your track record that you’ve pushed away every women you’ve ever let closer than a one night stand. ” “I didn’t care about them.” “And you care about me?” “Yes.” “Enough to say three simple words?” “What words?” “Oh, forget it. We have nothing left to say. I’m done.” She ducked into her tent and closed the door behind her. “We’re not done until I say we’re done,” Tuck practically shouted, making the group of soldiers in uniform passing by at that moment turn and stare. “What are you looking at?” “Man, you need to turn down the volume. Some people are still asleep,” a staff sergeant said. Tuck wanted to tell the staff sergeant to shove it, but thought better of it. He outranked him and therefore had to set the example. And he wasn’t doing a good job of it. Which made him even madder. About the Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over seventy stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she’s published with Harlequin, Samhain, Elloras’ Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories. Learn more about Elle James at www.ellejames.com Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter Or visit her alter-ego Myla Jackson at mylajackson.com Website| Blog | Facebook| Twitter | Newsletter

Yes, tomorrow’s the official release date of Uniform Desires, but I think you already know what a great deal it is and about the huge contest the authors are running! So ’nuff said, right?

This post will be quick, because I have words to commit to the page. At the moment, I am flying through Mondo’s story in the Delta Heat series. So far, so good. He’s found the perfect girl—someone dying for his brand of kink—an unschooled subbie ready to be molded if he can teach her the joys of actually submitting heart and soul…

What is the worst first impression you’ve ever made? It could be something that happened in a job interview, a first date, anything. Have fun!

THE ADVENTURE OF DOING AUDIO BOOKS

I’ve just completed the process of creating an audio book through ACX and have to say it was a joy. I stumbled upon just the right actor/singer/musician who had what can only be described as The Voice. But he also turned out to be a great guy to work with. He was patient with me, and clearly “got” my book and the characters.

Accidental SEAL is Book 1 in the SEAL Brotherhood series, so naturally I decided to record that one first. I listened to all the talent in the ACX catalog and found several I liked, and asked to audition. But when I heard them read my excerpt, I didn’t like the outcome. Then when I played JD Hart’s audition, I got chills. I mean, here was my hero speaking back just like I had imagined he’d do.

It was a little daunting hearing a man I had never met read over my sex scenes. I played his recordings softly and then listened to them in bed with headphones, hoping no one else in the house would hear them. Okay, I was a virgin at this. It’s a very personal thing to open up your creative energies to someone you don’t know.

We went back and forth, and I highly recommend when selecting a narrator, you get someone who is not only talented and professional, but with whom you have an easy communication with. We got into a rhythm and in sync so that we were working on the book sort of at the same time, and could work by email.

One thing I learned from this was that I had a lot of characters.  Each character had to have a distinctive voice, and I know this was a challenge for him, but he did it exceptionally well. So, another thing to consider when hiring an ACX Narrator, listen to them read a chapter where there are lots of characters – more than 2 at least. Again, I got lucky. Hired someone who was actually an actor. I could have gotten stuck with someone who couldn’t do this and might have had half the book recorded by the time I figured it out.

One other thing he can do is music. I bought a licensing agreement to play a cut from one of my favorite artists: Two Steps From Hell. I listen to them while I write my SEAL stories. With names like Strength of a 1000, Everlasting, United We Stand, Dark Harbor, Dragon Rider, Ironwing, and my favorite, Everlasting Love how can you not get inspired to write about great heroes who put it all on the line? I mean, my muse wants to get nekkid with all of them.

As I’ve said so many times today, there is absolutely nothing I’d rather be doing than writing military romances. Hope you’ll join me in this thrilling journey.

Book 3 of the series, SEAL Under Covers, is out now.

That left Armando holding the door open to the old beater truck. Damn, but the guy was cool. The happenings in the strip joint hadn’t seemed to ruffle him one bit. He’d have been just as comfortable getting black, blue, and bloody. Gina wondered where he would draw the line.

Do I know where to draw the line? Well, his was personal. Hers was her job. But it was definitely fucked that her ex-boyfriend had to land himself in the middle of her professional world too.

But that’s what kind of a choice you made, Gina. Always making the wrong choices when it came to men. In a way, very much like Mia.

She watched Armando standing there, waiting for her. The other car was waiting for her as well.

Never waste an opportunity to make another bad decision. Her roommate in college used to say that every day, while at the same time managing to bed most of the football team and as many of the soccer players as she could get. Gina always waited up for her, just in case she needed a ride or got too drunk. Just like she was now trying to do for Mia. It was the reason she became a cop. Another bad decision? Well, it certainly was something that had been locked and loaded way down inside her soul after she got the call from the police that fateful night. That night when her roommate became someone’s victim and Gina had sat waiting for a call that would never come.

She wondered what would ruffle this man of steel, amazed that he could make choices so quickly as he had just now. Was he ever afraid in his job like she was in hers?

What threshold am I walking through tonight?

She leaned over to look around the SEAL, checking on Mia in the passenger seat of her own car. Of course she would be safe with the little warrior, a guy who would probably die trying to protect her, from what Mia had said. But this one standing in front of her, balancing on one hip, leaning against the door, his muscular arms worthy of any Popeye character, was dangerous.

To her heart.

“Do I have a choice?” she said to him, watching that smirky little smile and sexy eyes making fun of her while her heart did flip-flops. She’d been close to peeing on herself while she sat and watched her ex-boyfriend nearly call out the brother—the SEAL brother of the woman they were working. It had been wrong on so many levels, even the Pope couldn’t dish out enough forgiveness.

“Get in.” It was a command that made her tense, but the smile he flashed afterwards made her panties wet. Suddenly her ankles wobbled and she nearly fell, which would have been totally uncool. And damn, if he didn’t reach out and put a strong, muscled arm around to steady her. He let her go after he gave her one hurried squeeze, just tight enough for her to learn he was aroused.

Another footnote to a perfectly fucked evening. Her mission was nearly blown. Why did she feel guilty for that? They were supposed to be hanging out with the gang by the stage. Well, she couldn’t help it if Sam and the rest of the crew had decided to pull a game change on her. As she slid onto the torn leather seat of the old truck, she smiled at the recollection. It had been damned satisfying, slapping Sam and tossing the drink into his face. She’d stared right back at him when he showed his anger. And she didn’t flinch or cower this time. She was filled with pride. She’d stood up to him, finally!

But now what? On any other evening, getting into a truck with a SEAL would be a no-brainer. Nothing wrong with a night of sex with a hot guy, if that was where he was headed. She wasn’t completely sure, but she wasn’t that rusty that she couldn’t recognize a good, clean come-on. The fact that he was the brother of their party of interest and it was totally forbidden only heightened her anticipation. But decisions like that were never good ones. She had to put a stop to this somehow.

Tell that to my body. She watched him walk around the front of the vehicle and, yes, she squeezed her eyes shut and imagined him naked.

Get a grip, Gina. As much as she hated to admit it, something about the man set her insides on fire. He was all the right kinds of dangerous for her. A hero. Breathtakingly good-looking in that Latin Lover way she loved in men. Shiny black hair worn a little too long. Tanned complexion with just a hint of stubble. Body well-honed and disciplined. He knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. And he loved his sister, which was the biggest heart-snag of all.

He got in the driver seat, slammed the rickety door closed and sighed.

Did all the air just get sucked out of the truck? It seemed like minutes as she watched him blankly stare through the windshield, his face illuminated by the red taillights of Mia’s vehicle, now pulling away in front of them. Those dark eyes with long lashes and succulent, full lips. She shouldn’t have stared so long, but she couldn’t help it.

He tilted his head and turned in her direction. The eyes didn’t lie. He had the fire inside that his sister had, but in all the right places, not the wrong ones, like Mia. She let him appreciate the red fuzzy dress with the scoop neckline. She didn’t care if her chest got blotchy with nerves or if her cheeks flushed. And, of course, her nipples perked right up

“So how is this going to work?” he asked. The words slid out like satin sheets.

“I’m not quite sure I know what you mean,” she heard herself say in response. She made a point to beat the waver from her voice.

“I take you to your place, or to Mia’s?”

“Mia’s.”

“Your car there?”

“No, I took a cab.”

“And so how would you get home?”

“You assume I want to go home. Maybe I’m going to stay over.”

“I don’t see a pajama bag.”

The crease at the side of his mouth dimpled and she watched the tip of his tongue running across his bottom lip. The words “pajama bag” had never sounded so sexy.

She stuck her chin out, looking back at him with heavy-lidded eyes, and whispered, “I don’t wear pajamas.”

Sharon Hamilton
Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
Sharon’s Blog ** Sharon’s Website ** Facebook**Twitter

WHY I LOVE REVIEWS

I learned to read before I went to kindergarten and have always loved books. When I began to write, I knew how to create a memorable story because I had read so many. Every book provides a lesson of its own.

Book clubs are great places to make friends and read books you might not have chosen on your own. I belong to three book clubs and each has it own personality and focus. One group loves mysteries and sci/fi. Another reads women’s fiction, and the third has potluck dinners and selects a lot of nonfiction. If you have never belonged to a book club, you might want to join one or form one with your friends. You’ll be surprised at the different reactions to books. Some people will love a book and call it a favorite while others find it too tedious to finish.

This month, one book club read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. It’s been on the bestseller list for more than a year. It’s told by 16-year-old Hazel Grace who meets 17-year-old Augustus at a cancer support group. It’s a poignant story about life, love and death, important issues at every age. There are sure to be tears when you read it, but it’s also one of the best books I’ve read this year, or ever.

Most of the book club also loved the book, but one woman who is a hospital lab technician said some of the hospital details weren’t accurate, and that spoiled the book for her. We accept everyone’s opinion without asking them to justify it, but she made me wonder what the reviews were for the book on Amazon.

As of today, there are 5,795 reviews posted with the majority being 5 stars. Those who didn’t love the book often thought the teens were not realistic, and yet there were 5 star reviews written by teens. Obviously, not everyone loves the same thing. I once dated a man who ate only vanilla ice cream. Vanilla! When there are so many delicious flavors to try, why would anyone stick with vanilla? We didn’t argue over it, however, because there is no point in arguing over tastes, but I digress.

Many authors are so sensitive they cannot bear to read a poor review of their work. Should I receive one, I study it to learn why the reader didn’t enjoy the story. Many people leave lengthy, detailed reviews to categorize every aspect they found objectionable. Some comments are simply due to taste. Others are helpful if they point out something I should have caught, or could improve in later books. Perhaps I didn’t make motivations clear enough, or show why the heroine’s attitude toward the hero changed over time. Whatever the problem was, I give it a lot of thought and hope each of my books is better than the last. Thank you to all of you who take the time to write thoughtful reviews.

Do you buy books based on the reviews? Or will you buy a favorite author’s new book even if the reviews aren’t entirely positive? What if a friend recommends a book, but it has very few positive reviews? Do you write reviews?

My latest book, FIERCE PASSION is a November 5, 2013 release from Samhain Publishing. It’s the story of Ana Santilan, an haute couture model who has lost the great love of her life, a famed matador. She finds a new love, who comes with serious complications, and a stalker who wants her all to himself. With both passion and danger, it follows the Aragon family introduced in FIERCE LOVE, and FIERCE PRIDE.

I will be happy to give an ebook copy to someone who comments, and I hope you’ll want to write a review of FIERCE PASSION.

Thanks, Delilah, for letting me visit today and talk about my new book, Cougar’s Courage (Duals and Donovans: the Different, Book 3).

I love world-building. Long before I fell in love with romance novels, I was a fantasy reader, and I loved escaping my little central New York hometown by immersing myself in the lush, vivid exotic worlds of Middle Earth, Pern, Narnia, and more. And of course, since then I’ve become engrossed in many other imaginary worlds. In creating the paranormal Duals and Donovans: the Different series, I looked for inspiration not to the complex mythological realms of  Tolkien and other epic fantasy but to  the nearly real worlds of urban fantasy authors such as Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs, worlds that might pass for ours…for a few pages, before the weirdness hits again.

I didn’t steal their worlds. But I did shamelessly adopt the notion that little touches of reality highlight the oddity of a dangerous world where magic is part of life and beings out of mythology might just end up either eating dinner with you or eating  you for dinner.

Thus Cara, my heroine in Cougar’s Courage, starts out in the very real city of Toronto. She has a smart phone and isn’t thrilled when it doesn’t work in Couguar-Caché, the mysterious village where she ends up. (Turns out her cell phone coverage stops when she left this dimension. Important safety tip: check your contracts for this detail if you’re planning to plane-hop!) Jack is a shape-shifting cougar Dual who’s also a shaman—not exactly the guy next-door— but he attended Queens University, a very real place where my college roommate did her graduate work. The characters miss Tim Horton’s coffee because they can’t get it easily where they are. Cara’s grandfather is a magical powerhouse…who loves old school Saturday morning cartoons and flannel shirts.

But the real-life details, in the long run, don’t matter as much as real-life emotions. Cara and Jack may have powers most of us lack, and may spend a lot of time in an alternate dimension. But they’re people, if not exactly humans. The most important challenge was to keep their path from uneasy allies to a couple looking forward to Happily (and Crazily) Ever After believable.

I think I succeeded. I hope I also succeeded in making even the most bizarre residents of Couguar-Caché emotionally accessible. Even an ancient nature spirit can mourn a lost lover and regret a disastrous relationship with an evil ex. In this case the evil is on a scale beyond “ran up your credit cards and slept with your best friend” or even “beat you up.” More like “wants to destroy everything you hold dear including the land and has the power to do it.” But the pain of loss is universal, as is anger at being duped and regret for bad decisions that come back to haunt you years (or in this case centuries) later.

Let me know if I succeeded in making the bizarre believable!

Series blurb: Welcome to an America where the non-human Different and magically gifted humans live among ordinary people. Witches are both feared and honored, but shape-shifting Duals are treated as second-class citizens. The Agency, a government agency that’s supposed to monitor illegal uses of magic and Different abilities, has developed its own dangerous agenda. But when Duals and witches join forces, the Agency and other bad guys aren’t going to know what hit them.

And neither are the witches and Duals. Witch magic grows from the positive energy of love and sex–and the only thing better than one Dual is two of them! And then there are shamans, who work their chaotic magic to comfort the afflicted and shake up the comfortable. Once shamans get involved, everything gets weirder…and sexier.

Blurb: Toronto cop Cara Many-Winters Mackenzie is still reeling from her fiancé’s murder when her orderly life takes a turn toward the weird, complete with voices in her head and phantom bleeding wounds.

This violent awakening is the rise of her Different gift—a chaotic, Bugs-Bunny-on-crack magic that she must learn to control before it destroys her. There’s only one place to get help: her mother’s ancestral village, and a mentor who seems to have stepped straight out of the smoke of her erotic dreams.

Cougar Dual Jack Long-Claw reluctantly agrees to take Cara under his wing, though he’d much rather take the beautiful city girl into his bed. As he guides her through a crash course in shamanic magic, sparks fly—some sexy, some snarky. But when an ancient enemy attacks the village, they must work together to hone a magical weapon against certain destruction.

Common sense tells them it’s a terrible time to fall in love. Their spirit guides have other ideas. And shamans who don’t listen to their spirit guides are dead shamans…

Warning: Hot shape-shifting feline hero. Strong but shell-shocked heroine. Snarky, meddling spirit guides. And lots and lots of sex: angry sex, crazy sex, magical sex, and just plain sexy sex.

Amazon US/Amazon UK/Kobo /Barnes & Noble Nook/Samhain

Like the sound of this? I’m running a contest on my own website for a chance to win this book and the first book in the series, Lions’ Pride. Commenting here or at my site enters you. Comment here and there, get two entries.

69 stories means 69 treasures in The Big Book of Orgasms

Why are there 69 stories in The Big Book of Orgasms? Well, the first reason is the most obvious, an allusion to the sex position 69. But for me as editor, it’s much deeper than that. The thing I hate most about editing anthologies, which makes me consider quitting every time, is sending rejection letters. I despise it, because I know what it’s like to get them. It’s no fun not to be able to include stories that are wonderfully written but I don’t have room for, or that are too similar to another story.

With The Big Book of Orgasms (and its predecessor, Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex), I had more room to include a wider variety of stories than I normally do. I could include masturbation stories like Tess Danesi’s excellent “Steamy” (read an excerpt HERE and Logan Zachary’s technology and gender-bending tale “Remote Control.” I had space for very short stories, such as “The Park” by Elise Hepner, which is only 249 words, and “Her Lover is a Flame” by Cecilia Tan, which has only 308. It’s pretty amazing to realize how few words an author needs to tell a story that’s erotic and evocative and memorable. All of the stories are only 1,200 words or less, which means you always have time to read one before bed.

It also means there’s room for diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation. There are more male authors than I usually get in my submissions, many of whom, such as David Salcido of Blue Food fame, I’m publishing for the first time in one of my books (side note: I’d love to see more submissions for future anthologies from male authors and authors of any or no gender!). Check out “Baxter’s Boy” by Xan West (who is reading November 6th in San Francisco, see last paragraph) for a wonderful take on gender and desire.

I’m not saying The Big Book of Orgasms has every single type of orgasm a person could possibly have or way of achieving one, because that would be impossible for one book (I think?), but it does have a wide variety, and if it does well, I’d love to do another book like it. I love the creativity and playfulness and passion the authors brought to the stories. Some, like Lady Cheeky, who wrote “The Massage,” have even publicly admitted their stories are true (mine, “I’m on Fire,” is not, though hot wax play does intrigue me). There was room for stories ranging from romantic and sensual to down and dirty (and stories that combine those elements!).

There’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual characters. There’s sex toys aplenty, book lovers, forced orgasms, cross-dressing, bondage, spanking, students and teachers, sex as a headache cure, BDSM, flogging, exhibitionism, voyeurism, ice play, movie theater orgasms, a very tight pair of jeans and so much more. There are easily orgasmic characters and ones for whom orgasm is more of a challenge. And even though orgasm is the organizing principle, these stories are truly about the passion shared by these characters, for their lovers and themselves.

The book is also, if I may brag not humbly at all, a beautiful one. I’m always in awe of the gorgeous covers Cleis Press finds, but I think this one is especially lovely—not too over the top, but gets the point across that this woman is either about to have an orgasm, in the middle of having one or has just finished having one. If you happen to be in San Francisco, please join me and 9 of the contributors for a free reading this Wednesday, November 6tha t 6:30 at Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street at California; details are on Facebook but no RSVP is necessary. If you’re not nearby, please tell someone who is. There will also be a New York City reading January 3rd at reading series Between the Covers at The Museum of Sex. You can keep up with the book on Tumblr, where you’ll find excerpts from all 69 stories and the table of contents and intro and @BigBookofOrgasm on Twitter, and me @raquelita on Twitter. And if you do read the book, I’d love to hear what your favorites are!

I’d like to thank Delilah for offering me a guest spot on her blog so I can talk about my new contemporary romance Leave The Lights On.

One of my favorite things about writing romance is that it gives me the opportunity to explore what happens when people get a second chance with someone they crushed on in the past. In this story Parker and Sophie were childhood friends who, for several reasons, never got together when they were younger. Now that they’re adults they find themselves neighbors once again. Their friendship is instantly rekindled, as are the old feelings of longing. Sophie is a wedding planner and she invites Parker to accompany her to a food show. He’s more than happy to have any excuse to spend more time with Sophie, so he accepts, wondering if it’s a date or if they’re just hanging out. After a day of sampling all sorts of decadent creations offered from the vendors at the expo they stop at one final dessert display where Sophie tempts Parker with a chocolate treat. Here’s an exclusive peek at what happens next…

When love throws you a curve, swing for the fences.

Parker Wood’s dreams of becoming a professional baseball player are shattered when he’s injured in a devastating car crash. After two years in hospitals and physical rehab facilities, he’s ready to move back to his childhood home and take over the family landscaping company. The house and business are his, now that his father has passed.

Sophie Vaughn has suffered through a hellishly public divorce from a husband who couldn’t manage to stay faithful for two months of marriage. Determined not to let her personal drama impact her successful wedding and party planning business, she buys her parents’ old house, hoping the comfort of familiar surroundings will help her heal.

When Parker and Sophie discover they’re neighbors once again, it’s as if time has stood still. Their friendship is quickly rekindled, along with the decade-long crush neither of them ever admitted having. Then the heat between them exposes a long-held secret that threatens to tear them apart…unless they can detach from their painful pasts and move forward—together.

Warning: Contains sultry summer nights, steamy pool-side encounters, and you’ll never look at a jar of peanut butter the same way again.

Excerpt from Leave The Lights On:

Caramel and sea salt flooded his mouth as soon as he bit into the dark chocolate shell. “Jesus. I’ve got to get myself invited to some weddings. This stuff’s amazing.”

Sophie laughed, the shimmery sound sending tingles through Parker’s limbs. “Or you can be extra nice to me, and maybe I’ll bring you home goodie bags from all the ones I go to.”

She grabbed two sample boxes off the table and tucked them into one of the tote bags.

Parker chuckled. “Now there’s officially more food in these bags than in my entire kitchen.”

“That’s just because I haven’t taken you grocery shopping yet. We’ll get your kitchen stocked soon enough.”

“Sounds good.” Anything that involved more time with Sophie sounded good. His gaze was drawn to the saunter of her hips as she made her way through the crowd. Jesus.

“I think we’ve hit every booth. You ready to go?”

“Sure.”

Parker held the door as they left the convention center. As they headed down the street, the sky darkened with deep blue clouds. Thunder rumbled long and deep. “Think we’ll make it to the car before the storm starts?”

No sooner did the words leave his mouth than the sky opened up.

Sophie shrieked, “No. Run.”

They tore down the sidewalk, fat raindrops pelting them faster by the second. One of Sophie’s sandals slipped off, and she started giggling. “Wait, my shoe.”

Parker stopped, slicking his hair back off his face. “Got it?”

“No.” She laughed harder, grabbing Parker’s arm to steady herself as she wiggled her foot back into the shoe. “There.”

Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him, her breath coming fast from laughter, her rain-soaked shirt clinging to her every curve. Parker smoothed her wet hair off her cheek. The feel of her skin, warm and inviting, was too much. He couldn’t wait another second.

His lips touched hers mid-giggle, for just a second. He held his breath, his fingers still woven into her hair, waiting to see if she’d pull away. She hesitated, the sweet scent of her making him dizzy, then her mouth was back on his.

Sophie went up on her toes, leaning in toward him, her lips parting beneath his. She tasted like the chocolate they’d had and red wine they hadn’t, a decadent blend of the richest flavors he’d ever savored. He no longer noticed the rain or heard the thunder—his whole world had condensed into the kiss. The only word his brain could form was Sophie.

* * * * *

Author Info for Karen Stivali:

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. She is a multiple award winning author of contemporary and erotic romances for Ellora’s Cave, Turquoise Morning Press and Samhain Publishing.

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