Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Men for Hire anthology

The ‘Men for Hire’ anthology has now been released.



Here is an excerpt from my story in the anthology Marital Duties which sets the scene…

“Men for Hire agency, Gemma speaking. How may I help you?”
“May I speak to Jennifer, please?”
“I’m afraid she is out on urgent business at the moment. Can I assist in any way?”
He made a face. If her plan was to get him to talk to her, it wasn’t working.
“Umm. My name is Mr. Fletcher. I’ve just seen your email.”
“What email is that?” There was a pause as Gemma clearly checked her computer to ascertain which job he referred to. “Oh, yes. The one I sent first thing this morning.” The assistant seemed to be struggling not to laugh and Rob became even more convinced that he was the butt of their joke and wasn’t best pleased after the day he’d had.
About to snap at the girl to tell his wife that he’d talk to her when they got home, he didn’t get a chance to say anything when Gemma continued with a giggle. “Your wife must be very lonely to have requested our services.”
Rob was taken aback.
Your wife … our services?
“It’s not often we get requests of this sort and usually we turn them down.”
He was even more confused.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“She must have given the form to the owner of the firm directly. I’m afraid I didn’t see or speak to your wife—Mrs. Fletcher. But I saw her job request form on Jennifer’s desk this morning before she arrived and so I typed it up and sent it to you.”
Comprehension dawned and Rob started to relax, sitting back in his chair, a slight smile on his face. He guessed that Jennifer had completed the form for her own satisfaction, not intending it to be seen by anyone else. It now made perfect sense.
Rob started to chuckle, then something else occurred to him. Why didn’t Jennifer phone me after she had discovered the form had been emailed? Or maybe the ‘business’ she was attending to was more urgent than he thought.
“I was rather hoping Jennifer—Ms. Archer—would be in touch to give me more details about what the job entails. Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“Oh, Mr. Fletcher. I’m afraid she’s been dealing with an emergency at a client’s house.”
“Never mind. I’ll talk to her later.”
Gemma giggled. “But isn’t it obvious, Mr. Fletcher?”
Rob straightened up in his chair. “I beg your pardon?”
“What the job entails. Your wife clearly wants—oh, I’m not allowed to say. Well, let’s call it ‘husbandly duties’—the sort that a man agrees to when he gets married.”
“You mean, sex.” He wasn’t afraid to say.
He got a burst of loud girlish laughter in his ear, held the phone away for a moment, and wondered how Jennifer could stand her.
“Yes, but I don’t know why we took this job. We’re not an escort agency.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “For heaven’s sake, don’t tell anyone.”
Rob raised his eyebrows. “So, Gemma, what do you suggest I do?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, someone has just come through the door. Do phone again. I’m dying to know how this job turns out.”
Dropping the receiver back on the handset, Rob sighed. “I’ll bet you’re curious, little madam.” He would have to have words with Jennifer about her latest assistant. In the meantime, what was he going to do about the ridiculous job his wife had requested he undertake? He was annoyed that her silly little assistant was now party to the fact that they hardly ever had sex. Not that she seemed to be aware that Jennifer was ‘Mrs. Fletcher.’
He rested his elbows on the desk as he considered this—and how to get his own back on his wife. His eyes alighted on the remaining biscuits and that gave him an idea.
Okay, my love. I’m going to play you at your own game. I’ll do ‘husbandly tasks’ for you—just not the sort you think.



Monday, 28 September 2015

Female First interview



Female First website are featuring the ‘Men for Hire’ anthology authors at the moment. They asked us to talk about our inspiration for our individual stories in the anthology. It is really quite interesting.




I discovered Tina had an experience with an awful cable guy – so she tried to envisage her perfect ‘man for hire’ for her story Got Muscle? Michelle Roth is a feminist… but is her heroine in Calculated Risk one, too? And Bella Settarra used real life experience for her story Menage at Mealtime – no, not the menage part, the bird in the chimney bit! LOL.



As for me, I loved changing the sterotypes making the heroine the one running a business and being good at DIY while the hero is in the ‘caring’ profession and prefers doing cooking and gardening in my story Marital Duties.



Friday, 25 September 2015

Men for Hire is out!

The 'Men for Hire' anthology is out today!



It is available at various distributors.

If you are on Facebook do come and join our book launch party from 7-11pm UK time. There will be contests, excerpts, info, funny info and lots of eye candy!


Wednesday, 23 September 2015

Character profiles

It’s time for some character profiles! These are from my story (Marital Duties) in the ‘Men for Hire’ anthology:




Name – Rob Fletcher

Book – Marital Duties in Men for Hire anthology

Love interest – Jennifer Archer (wife)

Age – 34

Hair/eyes – Dark hair, brown eyes

Height/weight – Tall but lean

Looks – Handsome (naturally!)

Other – Works as a doctor in a London hospital. Hopeless at DIY (usually)


Name – Jennifer Archer

Book – Marital Duties in Men for Hire anthology

Love interest – Rob Fletcher (husband)

Age – 32

Hair/eyes – Long chestnut brown hair/blue eyes

Height/weight – Average, good figure

Looks – Attractive (naturally!)

Other – Owns the ‘Men for Hire’ firm.



Blurb:

Delighted her ‘Men for Hire’ business was doing so well, Jennifer wasn’t expecting several of her clients to fall in love with her employees. At least they were getting sex. She was married and didn’t even get that most basic of husbandly tasks.

An idea came to her, and she amusingly completed an employee request form asking for her husband to do his marital duties.

Rob was stunned when he received the form mistakenly sent out by Jennifer’s assistant. Well, if his lovely wife wanted him to perform his duties, he would undertake them. Only, it wouldn’t be what she was asking for….



Monday, 21 September 2015

Friday, 18 September 2015

The Romance Reviews









Yay! Both 'Kink After Dinner' and 'BDSM Weekend' are competing in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards - Winter 2015 and have got through to the Nomination Round








In the Nomination Round a book has to garner at least 50 nominations within the time period in order to qualify for the next and final round. The nomination will start on September 11 and end on September 30.





I'd welcome any nominations for my books. (You need to register if you don't already have an account - it's free - and then you can vote!)

To vote for Kink After Dinner:


To vote for BDSM Weekend:


Thank you

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Men for Hire anthology - story blurbs 2

Here are the remaining two blurbs in the forthcoming Men for Hire anthology due out on 25 September:




Calculated Risk by Michelle Roth

Stella Whitman has inherited her mother's country home. When she finds it in utter disrepair, her cousin suggests that she call Men for Hire in search of a handy man. When he arrives, She's somewhat shocked to find that his deep brown eyes and rugged good looks are giving her some very inappropriate thoughts.

Despite his instant attraction to Stella, Ian Starling has convinced himself that they need to keep things strictly professional. He's been burnt before and has vowed never again. It becomes increasingly more difficult as he gets to know her, though. Then one rainy night changes everything...


Marital Duties by Jennifer Denys

Delighted her ‘Men for Hire’ business was doing so well, Jennifer wasn’t expecting several of her clients to fall in love with her employees. At least they were getting sex. She was married and didn’t even get that most basic of husbandly tasks.

An idea came to her, and she amusingly completed an employee request form asking for her husband to do his marital duties.


Rob was stunned when he received the form mistakenly sent out by Jennifer’s assistant. Well, if his lovely wife wanted him to perform his duties, he would undertake them. Only, it wouldn’t be what she was asking for…. 

Monday, 14 September 2015

Men for Hire anthology - story blurbs 1

Men for Hire anthology



Here are the blurbs for the first two stories in this anthology:

Got Muscle? By Tina Donahue

It’s so nice to have a hunk around the house…

As a recent transplant from New York, Bree’s certain her company transferred her to the London office because she wasn’t model-thin like the American staff. To rectify that, she’s bought a home gym. Now all she needs is someone to put the bloody thing together so she can sweat herself into a micro mini.

David has muscle to spare. Tall, dark, and sinfully handsome, he’s doing odd jobs until he gets his start-up off the ground. As far as David’s concerned, Bree’s lush curves don’t need improving, just a man who can appreciate them. He’ll definitely give her all the exercise she needs.


Ménage at Mealtime by Bella Settarra

Naomi Powell nervously prepares for a dinner party where she hopes to secure her a lucrative deal with a new publisher. Her ex, Richard, is also attending with his new girlfriend, Naomi’s best friend, Paula.

When Naomi hears a bird stuck in her chimney she urgently calls ‘Men for Hire’ for help. Two gorgeous guys, Aaron and James, come to her rescue. Not only do they solve her chimney problem, they woo her guests and give Naomi the time of her life – ménage-style!

However, when Richard announces that he wants Naomi back will she follow convention or follow her heart?


Look out for blurb for the remaining two stories on Wednesday.

Wednesday, 9 September 2015

Men for Hire anthology - interview with the authors

The Men for Hire anthology is out on 25 September. J




There are four stories from Tina Donahue, Bella Settarra, Michelle Roth and myself.

Here are some questions the four anthology authors answered over the last few months:


This is Luminosity’s first anthology. Have you had any short stories accepted in an anthology before and tell us the title of your story in the Men for Hire anthology.

I’ve done a number of anthologies for Kensington and indie. My title is Got Muscle? A play on the ads for milk in the United States that always end with Got Milk? (Tina Donahue)


The ‘Men for Hire’ anthology has a specific theme. That of a firm in London run by Jennifer Archer offering ‘men for hire’ to do any job from dog walking, house sitting, DIY, chauffeuring, etc…. How did you find this theme easy (or hard) to work with?

At first it was hard as there were so many occupations I could come up with, but the idea of chimney sweeps came to me when a bird got stuck in my chimney. I liked that it was a little more unusual, although the problem of having a bird fluttering around your chimney when you’re a woman on your own is a very real one. (Bella Settarra)


Although Luminosity Publishing is based in the UK, we have authors from several different countries in this anthology. Which country are you from (and name of county/state). Did you grow up there?

Let's see. I'm from all over the place. I was born in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. I moved to the US mainland as a child. I spent thirty years in Florida then moved to Los Angeles. This past winter we packed up our things and moved back east. I'm currently living in Ontario, Canada. (Michelle Roth)

The stories in the anthology are all between 8-12,000 words. What is good (or hard) about writing a short story?

The great thing about writing a short story is that it is finished so quickly! This was the quickest one I have ever written. J The hard part is being selective about what you write – you cannot show the whole journey of a romance in a short story. Instead you have to write an episode from that journey. In all of my short stories I have chosen to write about people who already know each other so that makes it easier. (Jennifer Denys)



More info on each story to come over the next week.

Monday, 7 September 2015

4th Anniversary

Yay! It's my 4th Anniversary since becoming an author. Thanks to everyone who have bought my books over the last four years, or followed me or befriended me on various sites. I've done an interesting infographic. 🎉🎊😊









Wednesday, 2 September 2015

Marital Duties

The 'Men for Hire' anthology will be out this month (on 25 September)!

I have a story in this anthology entitled 'Marital Duties'. Here is the blurb for my story: