Review: THE SIREN by Tiffany Reisz

The Siren
by Tiffany Reisz
Publisher: Harlequin/Mira
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Series: The Original Sinners, #1
Source: NetGalley

Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book...if it ever sees the light of day.

Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.

Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him...or returning to his bed?

Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

The Siren is the first book in The Original Sinners series. It’s a continuation of Nora’s (Eleanor) story from, Seven Day Loan. I liked Nora from that first story of her as a young submissive woman loaned out to her Master’s friend. But in The Siren ten years have passed and Eleanor has left her Dominant lover and is a successful author of erotica. She is no longer a submissive but has become one of the top Dominants of New York’s underground BDSM scene. 

Her current work in progress is a more personal book that she is hoping will break her out into the mainstream. She is to work with Zach Easton, a British editor who is known to be difficult and hardnosed. At first he balks at working with her but after two face to face meeting with Nora, he’s all in. He agrees to give her six weeks to re-write her book to his exacting standards. Zach has his own demons. He struggles to put a broken marriage behind him while trying to look forward to a new job in Los Angeles. Through the course of writing and editing the new book and a brief affair, Nora may help Zach make his way back to his estranged wife. 

Nora Sutherland is a complex character. She’s a woman who is comfortable in her skin and does whatever it takes to get what she wants. I loved her ballsy take-charge attitude. And her sex scenes with several different characters were lush and decadent. I definitely have a huge girl crush on Mistress Nora. 

“Zach this isn’t a game, you know. I don’t just write it. I live it. I’m a Domme, a female Dominant. There aren’t a lot of us around. Most Dominants are men. Technically I’m a Switch since I can top and bottom, but if I show up on your doorstep, get ready to say ouch. I’m not good at it-I’m amazing at it. So good at it that I’m as famous down here for my skills with a whip as I am in the straight world for my skills with a pen.”  ~ Nora

 The Siren is the first book in a planned series. I suspect that some of the secondary characters in this book will eventually get their own stories. Wesley Railey is Nora’s nineteen year old intern. It’s rumored that he is her live in lover. Their relationship is complicated and endearing. 

Griffin Fiske is a wild and sarcastic kinkster who we meet at the 8^th Circle kink club. I think he will prove to be a fun and entertaining character. 

Kingsley Edge is the figurehead and king of New York’s underground kink scene. He helps Nora navigate her life after she breaks ties with her Dominant. Kingsley trains her in the art of domination and helps her to become the top Domme. He’s mysterious and sexy and I am looking forward to his story. 

Then there’s the infamous and omniscient Søren. He’s known Nora since she was a teenager and groomed her to be his submissive. He’s the ultimate sadist and the top Dominant within the kink community. His profession is a shocking contrast to his unflinching love of kink.  While I enjoyed Nora’s interactions with Zach and the rest of the characters, I got really excited when Søren entered the story. I love a big bad sadist. Søren and Nora’s love affair is epic and I can’t wait to read more about it. 

Tiffany Reisz has written an incredible story with clever, witty dialogue and multi-faceted characters. With the main characters being an author and an editor, the reader gets a fantastic bird’s eye view into the creative and analytical processes of creating a novel. The plot is intricate and engaging and I enjoyed everything about it.  The eroticism in this book is really intense but if you like your stories complex, dark and dirty then you will not be disappointed with The Siren.
4.5 Dragons

Character Interview: THE LAST GIRL by Kitty Thomas

Hello everyone. Today we have a special guest here at the blog.  I’m interviewing Christian from The Last Girl by Kitty Thomas.

Hi Christian. Thanks for agreeing to this interview. First let me say that you’re a really sexy guy in a dark twisted sort of way. But you’re kind of a scary character to interact with so please forgive my nerves. And please don’t bite me (unless you’re offering a happy ending with that bite)!

Christian: Unfortunately my bite has no happy ending.

AsianCocoa: So, let’s start off with a few basic questions about your life:

How old are you?

Christian: 782. I’m a scorpio.

AC: Have you ever been married?

Christian:  No.

AC: Do you have any children?

Christian: I’ve turned two women, but it ended badly both times.

AC: How were you made vampire? How old were you when it happened and was it against your will?

Christian: I was drunk when I was turned and woke in a ditch an hour before sunrise after the requisite three days. I assume it was against my will since I was too inebriated to recall the event. I don’t know who turned me and I never saw him or her again. I was 27.

AC: What period of time has been your favorite to live in?

Christian: The roaring twenties.

AC: What do you think about the women of the 21^st century?

Christian: I think they worry too much about looking weak compared to the male of the species. I’m not sure what that’s about.

AC: You waited 70 years to take a new human pet. You discovered Juliette when she was only thirteen. Can you tell me what it was about Juliette that was so appealing? 

Christian: I couldn’t hypnotize her. I don’t like puppets for pets and especially with my age it is harder and harder to find a human who can resist my thrall. I could still read her mind, of course, but I couldn’t put my own suggestions in her head. I found that intriguing.

AC: There’s a really terrifying scene in your dungeon that shocked and scared the hell out of me. I know how Juliette was feeling throughout but what were you thinking and feeling during that moment with Juliette?

Christian: I can’t remember it. I’m sorry. I was too lost in the haze.

AC:  I know you own quite a bit of business real estate in Tampa including a boutique and a couple of clubs. I want to know some details about your BDSM club. What’s the wildest thing that you’ve seen or participated in?

Christian: I’m so jaded now that I’m not sure what you humans would think of as wild, though there have been some animals involved in some things. I assume that would be the most horrific/taboo thing to you humans that’s ever occurred in my club.

AC: Do you enjoy being a sadistic vampire? Do you ever wish you were less evil?

Christian: Sadistic implies enjoyment so, I suppose the question was answered before you asked it. Let’s just say I don’t enjoy that I lose far too many pets to my sadism and leave it at that. And I’m not evil. I’m evil from your perspective but humans are food. Do you eat meat? Are you evil because of it? It’s my nature to feed on and kill humans and it’s my nature to play with my food. I won’t apologize for that nature and don’t expect you to apologize for yours. I don’t consider it evil, but I wish I didn’t have to kill them. I don’t want my pets to die.

AC: Do you believe in love and happily ever after?

Christian: Of course I believe in love. Do you believe in sunshine or rain? But happily ever after? With me? No. For human beings with other human beings? Yes.

Now for a few easy questions.

Boxers or briefs?  Neither

Vodka or tequila shots? Maker’s Mark (so, neither.)

Virgins or whores? *chuckles* Oh you know the answer to that one. Virgins.

What’s your favorite:

Song?  It’s nothing you’ve heard before.

Book?  The Count of Monte Cristo. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Dumas once. I prevented Nadine from killing him, so that piece of literature wouldn’t be here without my intervention. I like to think of that book as his thank you to me for saving his life.

Sexual position?  Doggie

Body part on a woman?  Wherever the best artery is.

Is Juliette your last girl?  :-) What do you think?

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Christian.

No problem.

The Last Girl
by Kitty Thomas
Publisher: Burlesque Press
Release Date: February 12, 2012

Six years ago strangers broke into Juliette’s house; she was home alone and only thirteen. She kept her eyes closed, praying that if she didn’t see anything, she wouldn’t be killed. No one harmed her. In fact, one of the thieves protected her. Now Juliette’s dreams are haunted by him.

Christian has waited to take her, resisting the urge each night. It always ends badly with human pets. They’re too fragile. The longer he can wait, the better, because the moment he takes her, the clock on her life starts ticking down.

Then she’ll be gone forever.

Warning: This book is meant for a mature audience and contains master/slave, group sexual activity, sadomasochism, girl-on-girl, oral and anal play, exhibitionism, blood play, edge play, as well as one other thing I’m not warning you about because it would be a spoiler... but it’s not a big taboo. 

Excerpt

The Last Girl excerpt used with permission, copyright 2012 Kitty Thomas

I feel absurd being a nineteen-year-old virgin, a fossil from another time. Part of me is just glad to do the deed and get the fucking thing over. I feel like I’ve got a white V emblazoned on me, or as if I give off some type of scent. I don’t like the idea that something that should be private feels as if it’s somehow being broadcast.

I open the door a little bleary-eyed, my hair still mussed from oversleeping.

“Did I wake you?” 

He’s got this stupid grin on his face. And flowers. I want to smack him. I know this is all because I’ve decided to give in and put out after three months of dating. I feel like I should love him if I’m going to do this.

I run my hands self-consciously through my hair.

“You look great,” he says, holding out the flowers.

No I don’t. I know it. He knows it. He’s just so happy to be getting laid tonight that he’s seeing me through horny-guy glasses. I’m still too sleepy to be annoyed.

I put the flowers in a glass of water and slip some flip flops on. It’s Southern Florida. Flip flops are a year-round joy here. 

He’s got something romantic planned at the beach. Black cloth goes over my eyes as we get out of the car—a blindfold. I almost panic, but then I realize if I make a fuss, it will invite questions I can never answer. So I smile shakily and allow him to lead me down to the beach. My flip flops are still in the car. I breathe slowly in and out, listening to the waves crash against the shore, inhaling the crisp, salty scent of the sea, feeling the instability of sand collapsing beneath my feet. 

“Don’t move. I’ll be right back. I’ve got to get a couple of things.”

I try not to be in that dark closet. I try, but I can’t help it. I’m there again, my eyes squeezed tightly shut, silently begging not to be found, not to be killed. A hand is on my arm again, leading me away and I come out of the fog, remembering I’m here with Devon. Everything’s okay.

“Where are we going?”

“Shhh”

My heart starts to hammer faster in my chest. Then it pounds and vibrates in my head. My entire being is one rapidly thudding heartbeat with no slowdown in sight. Something is wrong here, but I can’t make myself remove the cloth from my eyes.

You’re being ridiculous. It’s just Devon. He has a surprise. 

I find myself in the passenger seat of a car. It’s not Devon’s car. I just know. Even blindfolded I know. This is the point where I should rip the scrap of fabric off and run. There is no evidence this person has a weapon, and he or she hasn’t spoken to me yet. But before my hands can move to the blindfold, the driver’s side door is shut and the car has started.

It’s so fast, I assume there must be more than one person involved. Tears gather and absorb into the thick cloth covering my eyes. Terror freezes me, keeping me from taking off the blindfold, from trying to leap out of the car that’s moving too fast now anyway. I’m suddenly thirteen again. The dream is real, and I believe that if I don’t see them, they won’t kill me. 

I’m silent and they are silent. The only sound is the wheels scraping against the rough road and the occasional bump. My tears are coming harder now. Why can’t I fight back? Scream? Beg? Try to escape? Just take the fucking blindfold off! But I can’t do it. I may as well be tied up because I’m so scared I don’t know what to do or what to think.

A little while passes and the car stops. Again, too fast for me to react, my door is open and someone is helping me out. How many are there?

I cringe away but find my feet moving in the direction I’m being led. “Don’t hurt me. Please.”

Then I feel stupid. What if it’s Devon? What if this is part of some stupid frat thing he’s gotten himself into? It would be just like him to combine my deflowering with a secret frat party or something.

I expect someone to start giggling or say I’m a spaz, but fingers gently grasps my wrist, lifting my hand. I feel the planes of his face as he guides me to see him. I shake my head in disbelief. 

No.

I was good. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t tell anyone anything. This can’t happen. I did what I was supposed to do. But it’s him. It’s my nightmare.

“I missed you, Juliette.”

Christian.

Author Bio - 

Kitty Thomas writes dark literary fiction that explores power dynamics and sexuality (back in the olden days people called it erotica). This work is fiction and meant for an adult audience. The author does not endorse or condone any of the behavior carried out by characters in her stories.

Her work is not “erotic romance”. Often on some level it is about love and/or obsession. Often the couple in some way ends up “together”, but the work should not be expected to follow the conventions of any type of genre romance, erotic or otherwise. If you are looking for genre romance (erotic or otherwise), please read a different author. Erotic romance is “more explicit romance”. This is something different.

Inspiration for Kitty’s work comes from many sources including Story of O, Nine and a Half Weeks, and the work of Claudia D. Christian.

The Last Girl Trailer
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This is where you can find Kitty.

Blog/Website
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Don’t forget to subscribe to Kitty’s newsletter by sending an email to kittythomas29@gmail.com with the word Subscribe in the subject line, Kitty runs amazing contests for her followers!

You can find dates for The Last Girl Tour by clicking on the banner. 

My review of The Last Girl can be found here.

Review: THE LAST GIRL by Kitty Thomas

The Last Girl
by Kitty Thomas
Publisher: Burlesque Press
Release Date: February 12, 2012
Source: Review copy from Author

Six years ago strangers broke into Juliette’s house; she was home alone and only thirteen. She kept her eyes closed, praying that if she didn’t see anything, she wouldn’t be killed. No one harmed her. In fact, one of the thieves protected her. Now Juliette’s dreams are haunted by him.

Christian has waited to take her, resisting the urge each night. It always ends badly with human pets. They’re too fragile. The longer he can wait, the better, because the moment he takes her, the clock on her life starts ticking down.

Then she’ll be gone forever.

Warning: This book is meant for a mature audience and contains master/slave, group sexual activity, sadomasochism, girl-on-girl, oral and anal play, exhibitionism, blood play, edge play, as well as one other thing I’m not warning you about because it would be a spoiler... but it’s not a big taboo.

I was eagerly awaiting the release of The Last Girl knowing that it would be another incredible read from a favorite author. I was not disappointed as this novel combines my love of vampires and dark erotica marvelously. The Last Girl was the paranormal version of Kitty Thomas’ debut novel, Comfort Food. Both novels contained pre-meditated kidnappings and themes of dubious consent. And both novels had a flawed hero who was evil yet somehow likable at the same time. Christian, like Master from Comfort Food, was definitely swoon-worthy in a dark twisted way.

The beginning of this novel introduces us to Christian, an almost 800 year old vampire. He hasn’t had a human pet for many decades but after meeting Juliette he finds the temptation to take another one too hard to fight. After six years of waiting and plotting, he plucks Juliette from her life of teenage innocence and forces her into an existence of servitude as both his food source and sexual slave.

The Last Girl is written in the present tense from Juliette’s point of view. This style allowed the reader to be present in Juliette’s mind and really feel like they were in the moment and experience all that the heroine was feeling and doing. I felt like the proverbial “fly on the wall” as I got to see their relationship unfold in real time. Juliette was a sensitive but strong character. I really connected with her and wanted so badly for her to survive and things to work out. She may be one of my favorites of Ms. Thomas’ heroines.

Christian is an evil sadist and very unapologetic about it. He’s both honest and blunt about the fact that his blood lust will become so overwhelming that he will eventually kill Juliette. Juliette’s first few weeks with Christian are extremely dark and harrowing. He shows her his wicked vampire side very early on and it is pure evil. He is a cruel master and her fear is like a drug to him. He even tells Juliette that he’s not some fairy tale vampire.

“There is no such thing as a noble or good vampire. I am a predator. You are my prey. When I am finished playing with you, I will kill you. But it will probably be years; it usually is. You have nothing to fear for the foreseeable future. Except pain.” ~ Christian

I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout the story. There were actually some lighter humorous moments in the beginning between the two characters that made me laugh. Then there were horror filled, cringe worthy, “Oh my God, he’s going to kill her” moments. But some readers might also shed some tears as we experience Juliette’s feelings of terror, surrender, acceptance, love, and eventually the overwhelming despair that consumes her. And of course, there were the erotic scenes that got me hot and bothered too. I loved the decadent vampire BDSM club that features hypnotic music and very kinky, sensual scenes between Christian & Juliette and others. It was extremely hot! 

The Last Girl is a brilliant addition to the world of dark erotica. This story is really dark and violent. Read the disclaimer & warning and if you’re still on board then I highly recommend you delve into this incredible novel.

Review: YES, MR. COLLINS by Charlotte DeCorte

Yes, Mr. Collins
by Charlotte DeCorte
DelSin Publishing
Release Date:  November 4, 2011
Series: Natasha and Mr. Collins – Book One

"Take off your clothes, Natasha."

Natasha Reynolds has worked well under her brilliant yet demanding boss, Mr. Collins, for over a year. One night he accuses her of making a mistake and their dynamics take a dark but erotic turn. When Mr. Collins confesses to seeing Natasha as his prey she is forced to admit her submissive side can no longer be completely confined to their working relationship. Just how well will this bunny survive being a wolf’s carnal plaything?

*** This novella contains spanking and light bondage, along with dominance and submission themes. It is meant for adults who enjoy reading about unconventional relationships.***

Natasha Reynolds has been an administrative assistant in the IT department for two years when she is suddenly transferred to work as the assistant to Peter Collins. It seems Mr. Collins is unable to keep an executive assistant around for longer than a few weeks and has refused to accept any more temporary help. Unbeknownst to Natasha he has handpicked her to work for him. After several days of stress induced vomiting, Natasha resolves to get a grip on herself and do whatever she has to do to make this treacherous situation work. Instead of reacting with anxiety over every task given to her, she would stop being afraid and do the work just as perfectly as Mr. Collins did his.

I really enjoyed Natasha’s character. She was a bit feisty and even though she had a healthy respect for her boss she wasn’t a complete doormat. We got to delve into her mind and see both her fears and triumphs. On the other hand, I didn’t like Mr. Peter Collins very much. I thought he was a cold, unemotional jerk who thought he was better than everyone else. He was a very demanding boss that accepted nothing less than perfection from Natasha. But then I began to like Mr. Collins when he finally stopped being Natasha’s difficult boss and became her Dominant lover instead. I thought the scenes in which he got real personal with her and “showed her the way” were intense. Mr. Collins preyed upon Natasha for over a year while patiently weaving the net to finally catch her. The subtle ways he played with her mind was quite masterful. 

Natasha and Mr. Collins’ relationship was definitely not conventional. But none of the relationships in Charlotte DeCorte’s books are. I loved the interactions and the banter between these two characters.  Yes, Mr. Collins was another fascinating look into the psychology of a dark relationship. I really enjoyed this novella and am eagerly waiting to see what happens next with Mr. Collins and Natasha.

Waiting on Wednesday: THE LAST GIRL

THE LAST GIRL

by Kitty Thomas

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Here's the official Book trailer:

There isn't an official blurb yet on The Last Girl but it's a dark erotica novel with vampires in it. Hell yeah! The cover is gorgeous too. I can't wait to read this one.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to showcase the books we can’t wait to get our hands on. What are you all waiting on?

Review: THE KING'S PLEASURE by Kitty Thomas

The King’s Pleasure
by Kitty Thomas
Publisher: Burlesque Press
Release Date: December 17, 2011
Source: Review copy from Author

In the kingdom of Himeros, Abigail is despised for her gypsy heritage. Pushed to the fringes of society, she’s forced to break the law in order to help feed her family. When a castle guard catches her stealing bread, he intends to cut off her hand for the offense.

Niall has just taken the throne and is determined to prove he isn’t a monster like his father. Awakened by the cries of a gypsy, he spares her from the guard’s blade and takes her as his slave instead. When he learns she doesn’t understand the kingdom’s carnal ways, he becomes determined to strip her of all inhibitions until her every desire is in service to the king’s pleasure.

* This book contains master/slave, group sexual activity, mild sadomasochism, oral and anal play, exhibitionism, and voyeurism.*

The King’s Pleasure is the third novella in Kitty Thomas’ erotic fairy tale collection. This novella was my favorite one out of all of them. It pushed every one of my dark, erotic, kinky buttons.

I know I’m in for a sexy treat when opening up a Kitty novel. I almost always love her heroes and this story was no exception. Niall was a dominant & dangerous hero with a soft spot for his slave. Abby was a strong heroine who would endure anything to prove her love and loyalty to her master. 

Living her whole life on the fringes of the kingdom, Abby is ignorant of the hedonistic culture of the King’s court. After deciding to take Abby as his slave, Niall begins to teach her the carnal ways of the Himeros society. She gets indoctrinated into the sexually open culture of the kingdom rather quickly as guests start arriving to court and preparations are made for the weekend feasts and festival. And, oh my! What a wicked, sexy festival! Once night falls, children and citizens not wanting to participate in the evening’s orgies leave and the debauchery begins. The author joked that she must have been on horny drugs when she wrote the scene and I think she was! It’s a very intense erotic scene with lots of dirty explicit activities going on.

Shortly after the festival the story takes a dark turn when seeds of doubt are planted in Niall’s mind regarding Abby’s intentions. The latter half of the novella is a bit alarming and tortuous and my heart went out to Abby. I was so caught up in the emotional whirlwind that I worried about how the story would end. 

This was another amazing story from the beautifully erotic imagination of Kitty Thomas. The King’s Pleasure is highly recommended for every erotica fan who likes their stories a little dark and their boundaries pushed. 

Guest Post & International Giveaway: SHADOWED SOUL by Stacey Kennedy

Huge thanks to AsianCocoa’s Secret Garden for letting me stop by and share my latest release, SHADOWED SOUL. When I first started writing this story I knew one thing—it needed to be far hotter than I’d ever gone with an erotic romance. I wanted it to be one night of hotness that was a true one night stand.

And boy-oh-boy, did the characters give me exactly that. As I wrote each word, I found myself blushing, thinking to myself, “Holy Hannah, these characters are naughty!” Sometimes I have to hold my characters back when writing paranormal romance because too much heat is usually not necessary. But that’s why erotic romance is fun to write. There are no restrictions, and in most cases, the hotter the better.

After I finished writing the story, I submitted it to my publisher and forgot all about it. It wasn’t until the story came up for edits did I have a chance to read it again, and I was shocked that I had written a story that literally burned up the pages. It definitely is the hottest story I’ve written to date and I’m glad I allowed the characters to go where they wanted to…because the story is so steamy that even I needed a fan to cool down!

If this looks like your type of read, leave a comment with your email address to win a copy of SHADOWED SOUL. 

Come find me on Facebook and Twitter. I love to chat!!

Shadowed Soul
by Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: October 5, 2011

u

Four months have passed since Ellie’s heart was broken by her cheating boyfriend, Gerrid. Sick of mourning, she sets out in search of one thing, a man to make her forget. Madame Eve, a matchmaker, arranges for Ellie to meet just the man at Nocturnal Nightclub in Miami. Bryce is not only sexy as sin, but full of mystery. He does things no man should be capable of. Ellie might question his fast speed, cold hands, and even the way he bites at her skin―if he wasn’t so determined to awaken the part of her that’s been buried by lies.

Days have passed since Bryce’s last feeding and his vampire hungers demand to be sated. But feeding is not his only intention. Ellie seeks to be a different woman, to gain power for herself, and Bryce plans to push her to discover it. To show her she can do things she never thought possible and force her to see the strength she yearns for already lives inside of her.

Ellie will have to choose, expose all of herself, or remain hidden in the dark shadows. But Bryce will have to make a choice of his own—let her go or keep Ellie forever?

*m/f, anal, voyeurism, masturbation.

Teaser:

Ellie scanned the dance floor, searching for the man matching the picture Madame Eve had emailed her. Instead, she got a few heated glances from guys she wouldn’t touch on her worst days. So, instead of continuing to search, she lingered taking a seat upon a stool, listening to the bartender and Kenna talk dirty nothings to each other. Why isn’t he here?

After she downed her second Cosmo, goose bumps pimpled on the back of her neck, and she glanced over her shoulder to discover her date standing against the back wall. His gaze focused on one person, her.

Hallelujah!  

“Oooo...my night is looking up,” she exclaimed. 

Kenna didn’t respond, too busy playing googly eyes with the bartender. Ellie jabbed an elbow into her side. She hissed as she rubbed her ribs. “Ow, what?” 

“He’s here. I’m going to dance.” She gestured behind her and grinned to show her intentions.

Kenna peeked over her shoulder before focusing back on Ellie and giving a shit-eating grin. “Have fun.” 

Ellie slid off the stool, keeping her focus on the stranger. His mere presence screamed sex. Much taller than her five-foot-five frame—around six-two—but built like a brick shit house. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, his broad shoulders tempting her and she couldn’t wait to run her hands over them tonight.

Putting a little oomph into her step, she made her way onto the dance floor. The loud techno song washed over her and the vibrations were strong against her feet. Her kinda music—hard and dirty. 

Staying at the edge of the crowd, she found her beat and moved with the rhythm. Twirling, she ran her hands along her torso and did anything and everything to gain his attention.

To all appearances, her plan worked.

He dropped his arms to his side and stepped forward. His sparkling blue eyes, short, fashionably-styled black hair, and chiseled features warmed her right down to her toes. Her heart raced. Her insecurities drifted away. The world around her ceased to exist, leaving only him and her.

Wetness pooled in her panties. His nostrils flared and his heated gaze burned deeper. He approached and as he settled in front of her, he grabbed her lower back and yanked her against his hard body. Her head tilted back and he leaned down, cupped her nape and kissed her. 

A kiss not meant for strangers―not meant as a sweet hello. No, a promise he would pleasure her and she sang a big thank you, Jesus for bringing him to her. No thoughts. No regrets. Just two sweaty bodies going at it until exhaustion set in.

BUY LINK - http://www.staceykennedy.com/shadowed-soul/

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband. 

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.

Giveaway:

Remember to leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win an Ebook of Shadowed Soul. This giveaway is open internationally.

Entry Deadline is Saturday, October 29^th. Good luck!

Interview & International Giveaway with Kitty Thomas

I'm so excited to have Kitty Thomas join me on AsianCocoa's Secret Garden today! Kitty's new novella Awakening was released in August.

AsianCocoa: Welcome Kitty. It’s a pleasure having you here on the blog today. Please tell us a little about yourself and why you became a writer.

Kitty Thomas: I'm not sure there is a reason I can give on why I became a writer. I think it's one of those innate things for a lot of people. It's sort of like how little kids who kill stray animals become serial killers. People who have stories in their heads all the time and have a tendency to start writing them down, become writers. It's just inevitable.

AC: Your new book Awakening was just released this month. Would you tell us a little about it? Why did you want to write a story with a mermaid heroine?

KT: Awakening is about a mermaid named Nerina (literally means sea nymph in Greek) who swims too close to the shore and gets caught in a fisherman's net. The people on the island eat mermaid fin as a delicacy, but Kyros, the master of the property where she's caught, decides to keep her instead. In the book there is a legend that if a human can awaken a mermaid's sexual desire, the mermaid will turn human and be forever at the mercy of the human's lust. Nerina believes it's a scare tactic to keep merfolk in line. But Kyros believes in it wholeheartedly. Mermaids really have no frame of reference either for love or sex, so Kyros has his work cut out for him. Nerina is afraid that when she can't turn human for him, that he'll have her killed.

I wrote a mermaid story because my cover artist found a great image. She said: "OMG, Kitty you HAVE to write a mermaid story so we can use this image for your cover." Ten minutes later I came back to her and said, "I think I just got an idea for one." So Awakening wouldn't be here without my cover artist. Ironically we ended up using a different cover image than what was originally picked out.

AC: You’ve published 4 other books since your incredible debut novel; Comfort Food was released in October of 2010. How do you get your incredible stories to paper (or computer screen) so quickly? Can you describe your writing process to us?

KT: Most of these ideas in one form or another have been percolating in my brain as fantasies for longer than I can remember. In fact, the novella I just finished, The King's Pleasure, (completing the set of three), is a story like that. It still has to be edited and formatted, but I'm hoping to have it out by sometime in October. The entire opening scene was part of one of my "bedtime stories". I have all these stories in my head that I fall asleep while they play, and a lot of my books start out as those stories. They change a lot from my brain to the page sometimes. So that's part of why it happens so fast. A lot of these stories, the rough draft is already in my head and has been for years. The other part is that I just write a lot and I don't second guess myself. Editing is for second guessing, not writing. So, while all my work is professionally edited, I have more work TO edit much more quickly because I just sit down and do it.

AC: You write mostly dark BDSM erotica. Do you think that BDSM is becoming more main stream? Why or why not?

KT: I honestly don't really class my writing as BDSM erotica. I consider it dark erotica that deals with the psychology of ownership. That might seem like splitting hairs, but BDSM is a consensual practice and what I write isn't about "consent". It's about power and surrender. This isn't to say that no story ever starts or ends with consent or that I won't write anything consensual, but it's about the totality of ownership in a fictional context where such things can be safely explored. I think BDSM is a very different thing. And while I'm sure my work appeals a lot to BDSM practitioners, I'm sure most of them would agree with me that what I'm writing isn't exactly what they're doing. My work may have many BDSM trappings and look similar on the surface, but I don't consider it BDSM.

Re: the mainstreaming of BDSM, I'm not sure but I think what you're really asking is: do I think erotica that pushes more envelopes and takes us out of the Ozzie and Harriet world is becoming more mainstream. And what I mean, of course, is overt power exchange. I'm not really sure if it is or not, but I don't understand the question. I'm not saying I don't comprehend what you've asked me, I just don't understand why BDSM is or ever could be controversial to anyone. Maybe it's just the way my brain is wired but I see dominance and submission games in nearly everything human beings do. And it's been like this throughout history. Human beings are mammals. Most mammalian sexuality is based on hierarchies of dominance and submission. People just get a little more creative about it. But to me a whip or bondage gear isn't the THING itself. The thing is the need of one to submit and the other to dominate. On the surface we all say we want egalitarian relationships. And maybe some people do. But I think what we really mean is that we want fair and caring/loving relationships. Otherwise the majority of women wouldn't be so sexually attracted to dominant badasses and sexually repulsed by men who are "too nice". (Which isn't to say that maledom and femsub is all that is out there or all that's okay, but it represents the social majority and it's what I write. So no judgment on other sexualities is intended in this answer.)

AC: Which character out of all of your novels was the hardest to write about? Who was your favorite and least favorite character?

KT: I'm not sure I can frame it as "which character was the hardest to write about", but I can say which book was the hardest to write, and that's Comfort Food. I opened a vein for that book. Emotionally it drained the fuck out of me. Later I realized it was because it was so personal. I didn't realize until after I'd written it but the whole book was largely a metaphor for how M and I weren't communicating at the time, at least not verbally. It was a rough period in our relationship and Comfort Food was what came out of that.

With favorite and least favorite characters, I'm pretty fickle. My favorite is usually whoever I'm writing about at the time. And least favorite... I don't write characters I don't like. Even villains who I wouldn't like in real life, I like them as characters because of what they contribute to the story. Like Lucas, the villain in Tender Mercies. I loved him as a character because he was just so scary and gave this wonderful contrast for when Asher bought Grace and took her out of that situation. If Lucas hadn't been so awful, it wouldn't have been such a relief to Grace (or readers) when Asher comes along and turns out not to be the monster she feared he would be.

AC: What was the last amazing book that you have read?

KT: Room. I found the book because someone compared Comfort Food to it. Of course Room and Comfort Food are very very different books in a lot of ways, but I can see where the comparison came from.

AC: Other than writing, what other things interest you?

KT: Psychology. How people think and how ultimately predictable we all are. Except crazy people. But even they follow their own bizarre internal logic, so even they can be figured out if you have their secret decoder ring.

AC: Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers? Are there any new projects you’re working on?

KT: Right now I'm in edits for The King's Pleasure. It's about a half-gypsy named Abigail (yes, she was purposely given a non-gypsy name), and a king named Niall. She is caught stealing bread in his castle and rather than allowing his guard to chop off her hand for it, he takes her as his personal slave. The book has a lot of worldbuilding for a novella with regards to their culture and how different it is sexually from ours. They have wholly different conceptions of sexuality and privacy from what we do. The King's Pleasure will round out my 3 novella series and will also be combined into a print anthology, so my readers who still read in print or just like to have my stuff on their shelves, it'll be available in that format. After a lot of 1st person stories, The King's Pleasure is back to 3rd again.

I'm also about halfway through The Last Girl, which is my first full-length novel since Tender Mercies. It's told in first person, present tense by Juliette, the main character. I know a lot of people don't like present tense, and many don't like first person, but I really think it's the only way this particular tale could be told. It makes it very immediate. It's a vampire story, which is fun to do because I love metaphor and vampires are really all about metaphor. I really shouldn't be but I am utterly in love with Christian.

For those who felt my writing has gotten a little tame with Awakening (and I agree that the mermaid story is "kitty-lite"; it's just what that story called for), The King's Pleasure ramps the dirty meter WAY up. (I'm not sure what it is about me and books with the word "pleasure" in the title, but... I go a little crazy.) And The Last Girl is rather dark and in some ways reminiscent of Comfort Food, but still a very different story.

AC: Thank you so much Kitty for  stopping by the blog and answering my questions.

KT: Thanks for having me!

For more information on Kitty Thomas:

Blog: htt://kittythomas.com
Twitter: @kitty_thomas
GoodReads: GoodReads author page

Giveaway Time:

Kitty is giving away an e-copy of her fantastic novella Awakening  (my review) to one lucky winner. Open Internationally.

To Enter:

Leave a comment or question for Kitty with your email address.
Entry deadline: Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 11:59pm (PT)

Winner will be announced and emailed soon after and will have 48 hours to respond.