Friday 22 December 2017

Christmas activities 2017

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES

Even before the Christmas hols start I seem to have been busy with tons of Christmas activities!

I had a lovely visit to Lincoln Christmas market in early December (I like to go to a different Christmas market every year and this one was supposed to be the largest in Europe) – although it was HEAVING with people! But what a lot of stalls! And I didn’t get to do it all as we ran out of time (and energy). Of course, we might have got around all the remaining stalls if we hadn’t spent an hour in the pub (having a belated lunch!).

Talking of eating, I’ve had about four or five lunches with friends to swap presents/cards and wish each other Merry Christmas.
 
Last week I went to the Christmas carol concert in York Minster. I always love going to this (but warning – do wear several, and I mean SEVERAL, layers of clothes and/or take a blanket if you intend going as it is freezing in this building which is the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps). It is a splendid building and, besides which, I love singing Christmas carols.

It's no surprise, therefore, to know I also attended a carol concert at work. I always feel sorry for those standing near me as I am somewhat tone deaf but that doesn’t stop me belting out the songs.

In addition to Lincoln, I’ve been to York and Leeds Christmas markets because I live/work there! Leeds is rather small (and can be boring because it’s the same stalls in the same places every year but York gets bigger and bigger every year and thankfully they have extended the length of time because it used to be shoulder to shoulder shuffle around the stalls).



For the first year there was a special display of lights and other things in the Museum Gardens in York (where the ruined Abbey is). Slightly overpriced I thought, but certainly splendid particularly the hologram display on the walls of the Abbey in amongst various other art installations and lots and lots of trees lit up with lights.



I adore learning about Christmas customs of the past and have been doing Advent walks for people I work with (a 30 minute walk with some origins of Christmas customs thrown in). This is something I have done for a few years but for the first time I did it slightly differently for a friend in York last weekend when I did it chronologically – a Christmas Customs Through the Ages tour (and have plans to do it again for another friend).




Went to an exhibition of Medieval Christmases (although I pretty much knew everything they said!).


And so, I am winding down now for a rest over the holidays!


Have a great Christmas.


Friday 15 December 2017

Wicked Weekends

WICKED WEEKENDS


Title of book: Silent Knight/Sleepless Knight (duet) – THIS IS A RE-RELEASE

Name of author: Gale Stanley

Genre: Gay Romance, Multiple Partners, Holiday

Length of book: 145 pages

Sexual orientation: MM

Blurb:

Silent Knight
Paul Stanton thought he had it all, a great job, a beautiful condo and a stable relationship with his boss, but when his lover dumps him for another man, Paul is forced to rethink his life. Rather than spend the holidays alone in San Francisco he visits his childhood home in rural Pennsylvania. But only a few days with his family is enough to convince Paul that you can’t go home again.

Paul leaves for the airport in the midst of a snowstorm. Stranded in the woods, a chance meeting with a hunter is his only option for survival. Paul knows the type, a backwoods bigot just like the men he grew up with, but what choice does he have? A few days with the hunter convinces Paul there’s more to Andy Reynolds than meets the eye. But is it enough to bind two men who have nothing in common except their sex?

Sleepless Knight
Andy and Paul are totally committed to each other, but when the two-year itch infects their relationship, Paul becomes distant and refuses to talk about it. Andy arranges a much needed vacation, but on the way home they pick up a hitchhiker who’s willing to trade sex for a roof over his head. Andy will do anything to make Paul happy, even if it means bringing another man into their bed. But is a threesome really the answer? Or will it drive them further apart?


Buy links:





Title of book: Second Go-Round, Elite Escorts #2

Name of author: Lynn Burke

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, Suspense *Warning: Exhibition, spanking, anal sex, sex toys

Length of book: 96 pages

Sexual orientation: MF

Blurb:

Christine Gemberling doesn’t enjoy breaking hearts, but she has yet to find a man who knows how to handle the package between his legs well enough to satisfy her needs. No man has held her interest beyond a second date—much less her love. Until one sultry night with an Elite Escort rocks her world like never before.

Professional escort Jarod Zimmerman has a strict code when working with clients—no emotional attachments. But the beer-drinking, football loving Christine and her curves push beyond his control, until the guarded playboy finds himself craving another go-round with the only woman intriguing enough to make him break his own code.

With her defenses stronger than his favorite football team, it will take more than Jarod’s talents in bed to change her stance on relationships. He’ll have to sacrifice his heart when the unexpected circumstance thrown their way threatens to rip them apart forever.


Buy links:






Friday 8 December 2017

Wicked Weekends

My Wicked Weekends today is all from one author, the fabulous Janine Ashbless.

The Prison of the Angels

by Janine Ashbless


The Prison of the Angels, the final novel in the Book of the Watchers trilogy, and the story of a young woman who releases a fallen angel from centuries of imprisonment, is now available from Sinful Press.

“When there’s war in Heaven, on which side will you stand?”

Genres: Hot M/F/M Romance, Thriller, Supernatural

Pages:  388

Blurb:

I thought I was a good girl. I thought that no matter what others did for my sake, I could stay innocent. I thought that as long as I acted out of love, I’d be blameless.

I was wrong, wasn’t I?

Milja Petak’s world has fallen apart.

Her lover, the fallen angel Azazel, has cast her aside in rage and disgust. The other contender for her heart, the Catholic priest Egan Kansky, was surrendered back into the hands of the shadowy Vatican organization, Vidimus, after sustaining life-threatening injuries.

She has killed and she has betrayed. She is alone, homeless, and at the end of her tether - torn apart by guilt and the love she has lost. But neither Heaven nor its terrifying representatives on Earth have finished with Milja. Both of her lovers need her in order to further their very different plans, and both passionately need her, though they may try to deny it.

Milja is once again forced into a series of choices as she uncovers the secrets Heaven has been guarding for centuries. But this time it is not just her heart at stake, or even the fate of a fallen angel.

This time, the choices she make will change everything.

This time it’s the End of the World.

Praise for this series:


“An absolute must-read.”
Rose Caraway, The Sexy Librarian

“Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, only much better written and with much more sexiness involved.”
—Clitical

"Damn, if Dostoevsky wrote smolderingly hot erotica about fallen angels, he’d be Janine Ashbless."
Samantha MacLeod

“The first two books of this series are smart, sexy, literate, gripping, and moving. I can’t wait for the third.”
Jaqueline Brocker

“Oh it's incredible. I love this series and the final book is a masterpiece.”
—Anna Sky, Sexy Little Pages

Bio:

Janine Ashbless is a writer of fantasy erotica and steamy romantic adventure – and that’s “fantasy” in the sense of swords ‘n’ sandals, contemporary paranormal, fairytale, and stories based on mythology and folklore.  She likes to write about magic and mystery, dangerous power dynamics, borderline terror, and the not-quite-human
.
Janine has been seeing her books in print ever since 2000, and her novels and single-author collections now run into double figures. She’s also had numerous short stories published by Black Lace, Nexus, Cleis Press, Ravenous Romance, Harlequin Spice, Storm Moon, Xcite, Mischief Books, and Ellora’s Cave among others. She is co-editor of the nerd erotica anthology Geek Love.
Her work has been described as: "hardcore and literate" (Madeline Moore) and "vivid and tempestuous and dangerous, and bursting with sacrifice, death and love."   (Portia Da Costa)


Excerpt:

I was bootless and naked, almost knee-deep in a drift. I still had my panties in my right hand, but they seemed purposeless so I tossed them away with an uncomprehending laugh, starlight fizzling against my bare flesh. I shook out my hands and lifted my arms to the moon, feeling its glare lap me like a cold tongue. Every particle of my flesh was filled with its glow.

My hair unwound itself from its braid and spread out on the air, a dark cloud.

“Milja?” It was Egan’s voice, all resonance flattened by the snow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just fine! Over here! Look at the aurora!”

He waded into sight between the small trees, looking around himself in confusion; up at the laden branches, down at his hands. “I can see every flake,” he said wonderingly. “I could see where you danced in the snow.” He finally caught sight of me properly. “Ah.”

I came to him through the snow, feeling the squeak of its compression beneath my bare soles. He was muffled up in all his outdoor gear, and I recognized my discarded clothes in his gloved hand.

“You’re not cold then?” he said faintly.

“I’m hot,” I giggled, pulling the garments out of his hand and dropping them aside, then catching his gloves and drawing them off to discard too. I put his hands on my waist so that he could share my body-heat; they felt cool to me.

“I can count your eyelashes,” he whispered. His pupils were hugely dilated, making his eyes look black and empty.

“I’m impressed,” I laughed, drawing his hand up to cup my bare breast, where it belonged. “My eyes aren’t even down there.”

He made a valiant effort to lift his gaze back to my face, but failed. He seemed hypnotized by the sight of my naked body, by the in-curve of my waist and the swell of my breasts. “Oh God. That mead was spiked. There was something in it—I don’t know what.”

“Angel blood.” I quivered as his fingertips found my erect nipple. “It’s made with blood.”

“What’s it doing to us?”

“Don’t worry.” I stretched up to brush my face against his, and the press of my body forced him to move his hands around to my back and my ass, skin gliding over skin, testing the slopes and curves like they were snow mounds he dare not deface. “Just enjoy.”

He made a broken noise in his throat, but his hands were everywhere.
I brushed my cheek against his, teasing his lips with the promise of my own. His frozen breath had formed a crust of rime on his stubbled jaw and I kissed it away.


“Milja.” The word was thick with desire. “Don’t.”

Monday 4 December 2017

Balls & Chains series

BALLS & CHAINS SERIES



The second in the Balls & Chains series was out last Friday. Here is a recap:

Welcome to Balls & Chains, a BDSM Club for gay men. Cross the threshold and see the worlds of humans and shifters collide as these alphas dominate, and betas submit.


Balls & Chains is an open series for Luminosity Publishing. Anyone can submit a story which comes to me as Series Coordinator.

The setting is a BDSM club for gay men called Balls & Chains (50% of the story must be in this club) and shifters also attend this club surreptitiously (so the club is mostly frequented by Humans who don’t know about shifters who keep their animal selves secret). It can be any dominant shifter (eg, Wolf, Bear, Lion etc). At least one of the main characters has to be a shifter. Word count 20-80k.


Book one: To Claim a Mate by Jennifer Denys

Cole Linley is a gay wolf-shifter. In order to appease the Alpha within, he has taken up the BDSM lifestyle and become very experienced. This placates his wolf to a certain extent, but his dearest wish is to find a mate—male, of course. Except, the question is, how to find one in a city surrounded by humans where other wolf-shifters are rare.
Then, one night, he enters Balls & Chains, a BDSM club he frequents, and immediately senses another of his kind. And not only that, it is the scent of a potential mate, Jared Gray. There is only one problem—Jared is collared by another Master.
Jared’s relationship shows all the signs of an abusive relationship. Can Cole get him away from the other Dom and show Jared the delights of BDSM when done properly and what it means to be a beta wolf to Cole’s Alpha?

Buy Links:







Book two: Taming the Alpha by Amara Lebel

Past sins have forced Cadeon Rosseau into isolation, his pack turning against him and casting him out. Self-hatred and mutilation made him the male he is today. An alpha in his own right, he prowls the rooms at Balls & Chains in search of the one who will either save him from himself or break him completely. Jaded and alone, he finds it difficult to pull away from the self-made hell which has become his life, until a new submissive garners his attention…

Curiosity and a need for adventure lured Blake Copeland to the doors of the famous gay BDSM club. He craved distraction from his monotonous life and had been assured that he would find it there. Little did he know exactly how true that statement would be. Not only did Blake find what he was looking for, but he also left with a slightly unhinged mate in tow…

Will these two lone wolves find the strength to battle the obstacles in their path and build a future?

Full details including world building for the club and for wolf shifters (first two books were wolf shifters) can be found on Luminosity’s website – but if you decide to write another about another shifter species then you can make up your own world building which will be added to the database on the website. Here is the link: http://luminositypublishing.com/submission-calls/

Feel free, though, to email me any queries: Jennifer.denys@yahoo.com


Friday 1 December 2017

Wicked Weekends

WICKED WEEKENDS


Title of book: Taming the Alpha (Balls & Chains #2)

Name of author: Amara Lebel

Genre: BDSM, Wolf Shifter

Length of book: 114 pages

Sexual orientation: MM

Blurb:

Welcome to Balls & Chains, a BDSM Club for gay men. Cross the threshold and see the worlds of humans and shifters collide as these alphas dominate, and betas submit.

Past sins have forced Cadeon Rosseau into isolation, his pack turning against him and casting him out. Self-hatred and mutilation made him the male he is today. An alpha in his own right, he prowls the rooms at Balls & Chains in search of the one who will either save him from himself or break him completely. Jaded and alone, he finds it difficult to pull away from the self-made hell which has become his life, until a new submissive garners his attention…

Curiosity and a need for adventure lured Blake Copeland to the doors of the famous gay BDSM club. He craved distraction from his monotonous life and had been assured that he would find it there. Little did he know exactly how true that statement would be. Not only did Blake find what he was looking for, but he also left with a slightly unhinged mate in tow…

Will these two lone wolves find the strength to battle the obstacles in their path and build a future?

Buy links:



NB – do come along to Amara’s Facebook party 1 December https://www.facebook.com/events/1887659684895447/





Title of book: Falling for Lukas (Hard Impact #1)

Name of author: Tatum Throne

Genre: Paranormal

Length of book: 29k

Sexual orientation: MM

Blurb:

When the leader of the Fallen must marry, he chooses a human male. Will Lukas marry Kane or will he run?

Detective Lukas Steele works with the Kenton Police Department. One evening he’s kidnapped and taken to an arena to fight for his life while vampires watch. When he’s saved by another vampire, he quickly discovers that his rescue comes at a price.

Kane is the leader of the Fallen, a race of vampires who are fallen angels. Backed into a corner, he needs to marry if he is to stay among the human world. When he saves Lukas from the arena, he’s determined to win him over and marry him.

As Lukas’s world collides with Kane’s, he discovers that he must do everything in his power to protect Kane and the vampires of his world. Falling hard for Kane wasn’t what he planned on doing, but can he really leave his life behind and marry a vampire?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of vampires having hot sex with humans. This book contains M/M sex!







Title of book: Naughty Christmas Wishes. (This book was published a couple of years ago)

Name of author: Jennifer Denys

Genre: Paranormal

Length of book: short story

Sexual orientation: Menage – MFMMM

Blurb:

Be careful what you wish for…

You should be careful what you wish for… Fay is a Christmas fairy who has been with the same family for many years and gets her kicks watching the mother and father have sex on the sofa—although she despairs about their lack of variety. But this year she is replaced by a shiny new angel.

Depressed at being discarded, and no one with whom to spend Christmas, Fay goes to a paranormal bar on Christmas Eve and sees four handsome (and young!) elves who have just finished their duties for that year. She makes a wish they all ignore how old she is and is delighted when her wish gets granted. So she makes more wishes—naughty wicked ones!
Find out if they all come true!

Reader Advisory: How do four elves go into one fairy? This book contains the saucy answer.

Buy link:



Monday 27 November 2017

Balls & Chains series - author interview

BALLS & CHAINS SERIES – AUTHOR INTERVIEW


I am delighted to welcome the lovely Amara Lebel who has written a story for the ‘Balls & Chains’ series of which I am the series editor (and book 1 ‘To Claim a Mate’ was one of my stories).

Welcome, Amara. Please tell us about yourself…


"I am not Perverted. I am a Depraved Sensualist. There is a difference!"

My name is Amara Lebel, and I am an Erotic Romance and ManLove author. I come from a small town in Northern Ireland called Derry, where I now live with my handsome (French) hubby and gorgeous family. I'm a full-time mum of three, and believe me when I say they keep me busy. I spend my days chasing after my lil darlings, my nights lost in Yaoi, and thanks to my amazing husband I spend my weekends writing up a storm.

A huge fan of all things male, I can honestly raise both hands and say that I have an unhealthy addiction to all things M/M. I watch, read and drool over everything to do with gay couples. Yes, I am a little perverted, yet in a good way. It’s where I get my inspiration from, and I am not ashamed to say it. I also have a vast Yaoi collection which I devour religiously - for those of you not in the know Yaoi, and/or Shounen-ai, is MM anime and manga, ranging from Light to Hard core. There are so many genres within this genre alone that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

I have always had a love for erotica, gay romance in particular. Kallysten is my favourite author of MM erotic romance. I adore her characters, the worlds she created, and the relationships she built within them. She was a huge influence in my decision to write, and of course the genre I chose. Kally was the one who opened my eyes to world of MM romance, and now I am truly obsessed.

With a little encouragement I eventually put pen to paper and wrote my first ever MM romance, Denial (The Unrequited Trilogy #1), which was published in Sept 2014. Now I take great pride in sharing my erotic stories of forbidden lust and enchanted romance with all of you, my fellow depraved sensualists.

If you would like to know more about myself, or my books, please feel free to get in touch. I will happily answer your questions!


…….


Your Writing

The ‘Balls & Chains’ series has a specific genre and setting – gay shifter stories set in a BDSM club. How did you find these themes easy (or hard) to work with?

When I heard about the Balls & Chains series I thought that it would be a great opportunity to write something new. I have always written gay romance, so I had no issue from this perspective. Yet, to date, my stories have only ever been Contemporary Romance. With ‘Taming the Alpha’, I could branch out and try my hand at not only Paranormal Romance, but with BDSM in greater detail. It was a challenge for me, but one I accepted gladly. Being a fan of PNR it was easy enough to get into the groove of plotting a storyline and writing the wolves, the BDSM, however, I found more difficult. I have some experience with the Lifestyle in real life, so I had very little research to do, I could work from experience. My problems stemmed from writing the BDSM scenes in a way which made them exciting and believable for the readers, yet worded in a way which didn’t offend those in the Lifestyle who may happen to lift my book and give it a read. I think I managed to succeed with Cade and Blake’s story, fingers crossed, huh. 
(And you did extremely well! I had no idea reading it that it was your first time writing a paranormal story! JD)


This is Luminosity’s second book in the ‘Balls & Chains’ series. Have you had any stories accepted in an anthology before?

Yes, back in 2014 I participated in an anthology for Breast Cancer Awareness called Shades of Pink. An author friend of mine, Kallysten, set it up, and is in fact looking for authors to participate in the 2018 anthology as we speak.

The stories included in the anthology were a variety of genre and hotness levels. Yet they all had the same theme – Pink. The anthology sold for a limited time only, and all proceeds went to a cancer research charity.

You can find my short story, Gabriel’s Rose, here on my website as a Free Read:


I also participated in an anthology with my fellow ManLove authors called, Gypsy’s Wolf, a M/M Paranormal Romance. There were 25 of us involved, and we all wrote a chapter each, building the storyline and characters. All proceeds go to charities which tackle homelessness in young LGBTQ people. You can find the book here - http://www.bookstrand.com/gypsys-wolf


Balls & Chains’ are MM stories. What other sexual orientations do you normally write or are you solely an MM writer?

To date most my stories have been M/M, although, as mentioned above, I do have a Free short read which is M/F and I am currently working on a Paranormal Romance which is also M/F. I don’t really know why, but I find it easier to write love between two men than I do with a straight couple or two women. I have a feeling that a majority of my future releases will also be M/M, but at least I will have some variety in there.
(It’s interesting how we are drawn to a particular sexual orientation. I have written MM myself but prefer to include a woman in my stories. JD)



Tell us about the characters in your story (eg, a short paragraph describing them like Matt is 30 and he works as a plumber. He has dark hair, piercing blue eyes and is SOOO sexy).

Cadeon Rosseau is tall, dark and dangerous. Originally from the French Alps, he has a gorgeous French accent. He is tan skinned, with brown hair and black eyes. With his strong jaw and regal nose, the guy is handsome, sinfully so. Alpha of a pack which disowned him, not only is Cade dominant, but he’s also jaded and scarred. At 150 years old, he’s been through a lot, but from the looks of him you wouldn’t think he’s any older than his early thirties. Cade refuses to work, instead living off the fortune he inherited from his now deceased family.

Blake Copeland is Cade’s polar opposite. Fair haired, he has blue eyes, smooth skin, and a light aura. He is kind-hearted and reserved, a true English gentleman. At 300 years old, he is the only remaining wolf of his pack, which was forced into extinction at the hands of the humans. Having no choice but to live among them, Blake forged a career in the medical trade, and is a fully qualified apothecary – or doctor to you and I. Blake is a submissive male, yet get on his wrong side and he will surely bite back.

All in all, these two males are sexy as hell. . .


Please give us the blurb for your story ‘Taming the Alpha’:

Welcome to Balls & Chains, a BDSM Club for gay men. Cross the threshold and see the worlds of humans and shifters collide as these alphas dominate, and betas submit.

Past sins have forced Cadeon Rosseau into isolation, his pack turning against him and casting him out. Self-hatred and mutilation made him the male he is today. An alpha in his own right, he prowls the rooms at Balls & Chains in search of the one who will either save him from himself or break him completely. Jaded and alone, he finds it difficult to pull away from the self-made hell which has become his life, until a new submissive garners his attention…

Curiosity and a need for adventure lured Blake Copeland to the doors of the famous gay BDSM club. He craved distraction from his monotonous life and had been assured that he would find it there. Little did he know exactly how true that statement would be. Not only did Blake find what he was looking for, but he also left with a slightly unhinged mate in tow…

Will these two lone wolves find the strength to battle the obstacles in their path and build a future?




Although Luminosity Publishing is based in the UK, they have published stories from authors from several different countries. Your story is set in the US but has French and English main characters. Can you tell us which country are you from and why choose those countries for your characters?

Well, I am Irish, born and raised in a small town in Northern Ireland, UK.

As for my males – It’s no secret that my lovely husband is French. This being so, I understand the language very well, and have always wanted to put these skills to use in one of my stories. There was never any doubt in my mind that one of my menfolk would be a handsome French man. Hence, Cadeon Rosseau was born!

When I had originally thought up Cadeon, the stubborn fool had been bisexual, and his lover American. Yet over time, as his story unfolded, I finally settled on him being gay with an English lover. Cade demanded it, and no matter what way I tried to change his story, I just couldn’t seem to change that fact.
(Ah! That explains how Cadeon ended up being French. But I love how it was Cade that demanded an English lover! LOL. JD)



About You


When was your first book published and with whom?

My first book, Denial, The Unrequited Trilogy #1, was released in September 2014, and was published by Siren Publishing, Ltd.


Give one thing about yourself that you would like to change?

Hmm. . . there isn’t really much about myself I would like to change, nor my lifestyle. If I were to want anything, it would simply be more hours in the day so I can write more.


Name three people you would like to be shipwrecked with (and why)?

Kallysten – Fangirl #1 here! I would love to meet this lady, and squeee loads, and pick her saucy M/M legend brain!
Chris Hemsworth (as Thor) – Rawwwwwwwr need I say more?
Maria Bilak – I need to spend some time with girlfriend, why not get stranded together on a desert island where we can fangirl over Kally and drool over Thor!


What’s the strangest (bravest, funniest etc) thing you’ve ever done?

It’s a secret. . .
No, I’m kidding. There have been a few milestones in my life that I’ll always remember, for different reasons, some good and others bad. To give you a few examples; I have had several girlfriends. I survived something horrific. I am a qualified Mental Health nurse. I married the one and only man I have ever been with. I am friends with a very famous idol in the book world. I enjoy Role Play. I dabble in the BDSM Lifestyle. I adore Latex. I have been to Australia, Thailand and the Middle East. I have released several M/M books. . .

The most awesome thing I have done, is create my family. My little demons are amazing, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. They are a piece of me, and a piece of their papa. . . our mark on the world.

The bravest thing I have done to date, is win my battle against skin cancer. I was given the all clear in October, and I am beyond pleased. From the time I found the strange mole, right up until the consultant told me the melanoma was all removed, had been the hardest few months of my life. Stress, worry, doubts, body image issues, more stress. . . but I won. So, yay me!! #warriorswearblack
(Well done, you! Getting past cancer is a nightmare but you’ve come out the other side. JD)


Please give links of how fans can find you on the internet/buy your books.


Are you Stalkin’ Me? ‘Cause that would be Awesome!

  


I have had a great time, thank you so much for having me, Jennifer, and thanks to those who have stopped by.     

You are very welcome. It was fabulous interviewing you. Good look with your book and thank you so much for writing for the ‘Balls & Chains’ series.

NB: This series is open to anyone – it is a gay shifter series set in a BDSM club. Full details can be found on Luminosity’s website. http://luminositypublishing.com/submission-calls/