The Interview: Alessia Brio
June 30, 2008 by Melissa · 12 Comments
Alessia, thanks for the taking the time to answer my questions! I know the readers are going to LOVE them.
1.What drew you to writing romance?
Um, well… nothing. I landed in the romance genre because that’s where the publishing industry currently herds the royalties-based erotic fiction. The draw, as you put it, was toward the erotic elements—the transformative power of sex, the way it brings out the best (and the worst) in people, the way it challenges our absolutes. Sex is not only titillating, it’s absolutely fascinating. Every sexual act carries a complete story arc in microcosm. The relationship is changed by the experience and the emotional distance between the characters either increases or decreases. Individual changes, often profound, take place as well. Sex is a crucible for character development. So, while some of my work may indeed qualify as “romance” by the prevailing genre definitions, I never set out to write romance. I set out to tell a story.
2. Tell me about the first Coming Together and how it came together.
The first volume of Coming Together was self-published in late spring of 2005—just a couple weeks before I got “the call” from Phaze. In fact, the two events are somewhat related.
About 5 years ago, I started searching for erotic fiction online, and I wound up at a site called Literotica and began to post my early scribblings there. It’s a huge site, and the quality is… diverse (to put it diplomatically). However, there are some very talented authors in its ranks. After about a year, I discovered that those who were serious about writing good erotica tended to congregate in the forums, particularly a section called the Authors’ Hangout.
I made the Authors’ Hangout my online home. I was still just a hobbyist, though, with no aspirations beyond that site’s contests, and the word “ebook” wasn’t even in my vocabulary at that time. As I got to know some of the other authors and poets and illustrators, we began to discuss options for getting a broader audience for our work.
For a short story writer, publication options—at least in print—are sporadic and limited and certainly not an adequate source of income. So, we discussed the possibility of bundling our stories into anthologies. When talk turned to money, we realized that splitting the proceeds 15-20 ways was never going to result in a lucrative income. Someone—and it may’ve even been me, I don’t recall—suggested donating the revenues to charity, and Coming Together was born. Many of the original participants are still involved with the project. I’m both humbled by and proud of its growth.
It was in the process of gathering all the stories for that first volume into a manuscript that it dawned on me: I could do the same with all of my short stories & poetry. That’s how fine flickering hungers became a book. I submitted it to Phaze thinking that, at the very least, I’d get a professional opinion on my writing. A couple weeks later, I had a contract, and that resulted in an EPPIE Award winning publication.
3. Is there a way you pick the theme for each one? Do you do it, does Phaze?
At first, we picked one charity: the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The first volume was published in conjunction with a Free Speech contest on Literotica, and it seemed fitting to have our erotic fiction benefitting an organization that fights to preserve our ability to freely express ourselves via the Internet. Volumes 2 and 3 also benefit EFF. They were all initially self-published through Café Press but now have homes as ebooks with Charles River Press. When their contracts expire in early 2009, I’ll be adding the ebooks to Selena Kitt’s eXcessica collaborative and self-publishing the print volumes through Amazon’s Create Space.
It wasn’t until Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast that we produced a themed volume. All the stories and poetry in the Special Hurricane Relief edition involve storms. It benefits the American Red Cross.
Themes and causes for the rest of the volumes have a variety of sources. Kat Lively suggested Coming Together: For the Cure, our Susan G. Komen benefit, and it was the first volume to result from an open submission call. It was a 2008 EPPIE Award finalist, a Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick, and the winner of the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Erotica category (and a finalist in the Anthology category).
Other suggestions have come from readers and fellow authors. Coming Together is not housed solely at Phaze. We have self-published print books, ebooks with Charles River Press and eXcessica, and will soon have an exclusive title with All Romance eBooks.
4. Does each theme have something to do with the charity you give to?
In later volumes, yes. I do try to tie the overall theme to the cause. For example, Coming Together: In the Kitchen (a cookbook for which submissions are still open!) will appropriately benefit a charity for the hungry.
The most recent release, Coming Together: With Pride, doesn’t really have a theme beyond diversity. I think that’s appropriate, though, since HIV/AIDS affects everyone.
Coming Together: Under Fire-(4 Stars from Romantic Times) contains fire-themed stories and poetry. The upcoming interracial volume, Coming Together: At Last, which will benefit Amenesty Interational, has a theme of hope & freedom.
5. You are planning on making Coming Together a non-profit charity all by itself. What are you hoping to do with it? Will it only include books, or are there other ways you are planning on raising money?
Yeah, I filed the registration a couple weeks ago and am now slogging through the development of Articles of Association and Bylaws. We have seated a Board of Directors and as soon as all the requisite documents are on file with the state, we’ll be tackling the application for IRS tax exemption. Coming Together is now officially a “nonprofit voluntary association.”
While collections of erotic fiction and poetry will remain Coming Together’s primary fundraising product, I do hope to branch out into other forms of creative expression: photography, audio books, graphic arts, painting, etc.
We’ll also be doing some single-author compilations. There’s a book of Lefty McGee’s incredible poetry in the works entitled Coming Together: Pondering the Indelible and a collection of erotic short stories by the prolific Laurence Doyen entitled Coming Together: For Her. I can wait to put these on the market! The ebooks will be released through eXcessica and the print through Amazon’s Create Space.
6. How do you go about picking the stories for the anthologies?
It’s all about balance. The quality of the submissions is VERY high. Almost everything I receive is publishable, in my opinion. So, my task is to select material that fits the theme and is well-balanced in length, point-of-view, sexuality, and tone with the rest of the book. I strive for diversity in each collection. In fact, “Celebrate the diversity of desire!” is a new promo slogan we’ve adopted.
7. Do you have the next theme and charity picked out?
There are several volumes still open for submissions:
Coming Together: At Last closes on July 31st. It will benefit Amnesty International and consist of interracial stories with a theme of hope & freedom.
Coming Together: Against the Odds closes on December 31st. It will benefit Autism Speaks” and consist of mystery-themed erotic fiction.
Coming Together: Al Fresco closes on January 31st. It will be released on Earth Day 2009 exclusively in ebook from All Romance Ebooks and will benefit Conservation Intertional. Its theme is sex in the great outdoors.
Coming Together: In the Kitchen is a cookbook. It will benefit Action Against Hunger.
I’m in the process of working with a popular toy store to develop a branded benefit sex toy to be sold in conjunction with Coming Together: By Hand, which will contain stories about masturbation and benefit a sex-positive charity (TBA). Submissions won’t open for this one until we hammer out the details. I’m targeting a release during National Masturbation Month (May), but whether that’s 2009 or 2010 remains to be seen. Promotion for this volume will also be tied to the toy review blog, Toys for Tarts, which also fundraises for Coming Together through affiliate sales. (Authors are welcome to submit product reviews for posting, and I’ll happily include a reciprocal link.)
Coming Together: Pondering the Indelible is Lefty McGee’s poetry, and it will benefit a literacy charity (TBA).
Coming Together: For Her, Laurence Doyen’s collection, will benefit NOW.
Beyond that, I’m open to suggestions.
8. What do you, Alessia, have coming up in the next few months in terms of releases?
I have so little time to write “my stuff” these days. Pity, ’cause I’ve been told it’s quite good. *grin*
Let’s see. I just had a short-short story released (last week) in the Surrender: Tales of Erotic Submission print anthology from Phaze. In September, I’ll have a story in Rachel Kramer Bussel’s Tasting Him anthology. (It’s already available to pre-order from Amazon.) In October, my & Will’s e-novellas, “Double Header” & “Spring Training” will be released as a print compilation entitled Squeeze Play from Phaze. And, I’ll have a story entitled “Double Decker” included in the lesbian print anthology, Sapphistocated, from Phaze in early 2009. Of course, I intend to have contributions in each of the multi-author Coming Together volumes as well.
I’d like to find time to finish four longer works-in-progress: Zane, Snatch, ‘Tude, and (collaboratively with Will Belegon) Missing Pieces, the next book in our Erotique series.
Now for the fun questions:
9. Name three books on your keeper shelf.
In no particular order (out of dozens of keepers),
Marge Piercy’s Three Women
Stephen King’s The Stand
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
10. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
I don’t do guilt. However, I do try to limit my indulgence in the plum and raspberry wines from the local winery. Unrestricted consumption would be detrimental to my bank balance—not to mention my waistline. *wink*
11. If you had to choose between a night in with a pizza and a movie, and a night out on the town, which would you pick and who would you have with you?
Most of the time, I’d opt for the pizza & movie simply because I am an introvert by nature. Crowds are an energy drain to me. I have to be in just the right mood (or have had an ample amount of social lubricant in the form of vanilla vodka) to enjoy such events. Regardless of the venue, though, my company of choice is my writing & life partner, Will Belegon.
12. What is your favorite non-writing activity?
Creatively, it would be doing cover art. In terms of leisure activity, it would be sex. Does sex still count as a non-writing activity for an erotica writer? Hrm…
Author Spotlight: Coming Together with Pride
June 30, 2008 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
One of the things I love about the Coming Together books is that they always feature stories that are related in some way to the charity for that book. The newest book out now is Coming Together with Pride and the proceeds from the book are going to AVERT which is a fantastic charity that deals with the devastation of AIDS.
You can find out all about the Coming Together books at their website, along with future books that Alessia is working on for the series.
And, be sure to check out the blog and myspace page(you know, that is where you can comment to get that extra five dollar GC today) and be sure to friend them.
And now the nitty gritty!
Available formats:
PDF, HTML, Rocket/REB 1100, Mobipocket, and Microsoft Reader
Coming Together: With Pride is the 8th multi-author anthology of erotic fiction in the philanthropic Coming Together series. It is about giving and about sex and about celebrating the diversity of desire. It is simultaneously naughty and wholesome, tender and taboo, raw and refined. In these pages, you can fulfill your wildest fantasies, indulge your primal nature, and embrace a variety of lifestyles. The most delicious part is that you can do it all while helping to heal the devastation of HIV and AIDS. Coming Together is erotic altruism at its finest.
Reviews:
Being Yourself. Acknowledging your desires. Dealing with the loss of a loved one. Releasing pent up frustrations. Excepting what you cannot change. Experiencing the joys of Sex. These were just some of the themes of the eighteen stories that made up the eighth volume of the Coming Together Collection. All the proceeds from the sale of Coming Together - With Pride will be donated to AVERT (avert.org) to help fund HIV/AIDS research and prevention.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Coming Together - With Pride. This collection of stories and poems took me on an emotional roller coaster- joy, pain, arousal, laughter, enlightenment, love, disgust, passion, and submission. Every story was an eye-opener.
These stories were perfect in the way that they complimented each other and fit together in harmony. I highly recommend this book not just because all the proceeds go towards a greatly needed cause but because it was a beautiful collection of stories that I felt came straight from each author’s soul.
Simply Romance Reviews
There are two excerpts, one m/m and one f/f.
Remember, just for commenting on each post today gets your name in the hat each time you do for that GC and make sure to hit up the Myspace page and comment for the five dollar GC!
Author Spotlight: Alessia Brio
June 30, 2008 by Melissa · 14 Comments
Hey, everyone! Today we are featuring the wonderfully talented Alessia Brio. She is not only a writer, but also the editor of the Coming Together books, and today we are going to talk about Coming Together: With Pride along with the history and future of the coming together books.
And, we don’t only have one giveaway today. Alessia is offering up TWO GC’s from Phaze, one ten dollar and one five dollar. What do you have to do? Well, for the ten dollar one, you just have to comment here. For the five dollar one, go to the Coming Together Myspace Page and comment. That’s it, two wonderful ways to win today and all you have to do is comment!
Coming Tomorrow-Alessia Brio
June 29, 2008 by Melissa · 1 Comment
Make sure to pop by tomorrow to find out all about this week’s featured author, Alessia Brio. She will be here to discuss her later Coming Together project and all sorts of fun stuff, as well as a chance for all of your to win TWO GCs!!!!
It is starts tomorrow morning:)
Still hard at work
June 26, 2008 by Melissa · 2 Comments
And just not around. I apologize but there are still boxes in my house and I am trying to make my daily word count. Also, look on the sidebar to see my upcoming author spotlights, a lot of great authors coming up. But, I must go hide in the hole and write:)
So, just to make it up to you:
and
Anne Rainey Winner
June 25, 2008 by Melissa · 4 Comments
HEY! You guys have been wonderful this week. Anne was the most gracious of author hostesses, and you all were so wonderful sharing your views on such an important subject!
The winner of the GC from Amazon is SANDIE! Sandie, I have given your email to Anne and she should be contacting you soon.
Thanks again to Anne for sharing such a wonderful couple of days with us!
Be sure to come back next Monday when I will feature Alessia Brio as she chats about her newest Coming Together project! There will be two GCs in the running so be sure to come back and play!
.
The Interview: Anne Rainey
June 24, 2008 by Melissa · 9 Comments
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Thanks for having me, Melissa!
1. What drew you to writing romance?
Well, it’s not the typical story. I wasn’t an avid reader as a kid and I haven’t been writing since I was big enough to walk. Truthfully, I was the kid who hated to read. I wanted to play football with my brothers instead, reading bored me to tears. LOL That all changed when I was in my early twenties and stumbled upon my mom’s pile of books. Agatha Christie, Martha Grimes, that sort of thing. I read all the mysteries I could find, then moved over to thrillers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. It wasn’t until I had my first child that I started reading romance, then later decided to try my hand at writing one myself. I don’t mind saying those first few stories were awful! LOL
2. In your latest book, Tasting Candy, you have a character who has been a victim of date rape. How did you research that and what made you think of doing it?
I watch a lot of true crime shows and read a lot of those types of books as well. One night, as I binged on a chocolate bar and channel surfed, I stumbled across a documentary about a woman who was date raped. Her ordeal struck a chord in me. She described how hard it had been to get anyone to take her seriously. Authorities blamed her because she’d agreed to go out with this loser in the first place. Friends and family members looked at her differently. The after effects were just as bad. She talked about never feeling safe, unexpected panic attacks, living in shame. It opened my eyes in a big way. I admired her courage to talk about something so incredibly personal. Rape is a horrible crime that often goes unpunished. Date rape is even harder to prove and women don’t feel comfortable talking about it because they feel partly responsible. I’m of the mind that you can’t fix something by pretending it doesn’t exist. Bringing it out into the open is the only way to change the views of the closed-minded. I hope Tasting Candy opens a few eyes and shows other victims of date rape that they aren’t alone.
3. You write in different subgenres in romance and for many publishers. Is there any time you find it overwhelming? How do you cope with all the different time schedules and due dates?
Right now I’m very overwhelmed! I have three WIPs going at the same time. Ack! Nevertheless, I do keep a schedule and it helps tremendously! I have specific times of day that I write, specific times I edit, and so on. No way could I ever get anything done if I didn’t have a schedule. Then again, it’s summertime and my kids are home, which means I’ve had to alter things a bit. It’s been crazy around here, let me tell you! You see, before I was published the girls were used to having mom all to themselves, now they have to share me with the computer and it drives them crazy. hehe!
4. Name three books on your keeper shelf.
Secrets Volume 9—Red Sage Publishing (smokin’!), Dark Desire–Christine Feehan (tortured hero, yum!), The Real Deal—Lucy Monroe (a delicious, rich hero!).
5. What do you have coming up in the next few months?
Well, as you know Tasting Candy releases through Samhain June 24th . August 6th I’ll have my first vampire romance, A Diamond at Midnight, with The Wild Rose Press. In December I’ll have a novella in the Secrets Volume 25 (print) with Red Sage Publishing. Very exciting!
6. Name your favorite genre to write and your favorite genre to read.
I prefer contemporary romance with lots of steam. That’s what I most enjoy reading and writing. However, I’ve recently discovered that paranormal can be great fun too. Writing A Diamond at Midnight was a thrilling break from the norm. I’ll definitely be doing more!
Now for the fun questions:
7. You have your choice among the following kind of guys: The Joker, The Serious Astute Businessman and The Broody Loner. Which one do you go for and why?
I’ll have to say The Joker. LOL When I first met my husband (19 years ago) it was his silly teasing that hooked me.
8. They are making one of you books into a movie and they are going to allow you to play the heroine. Which book and who would be your hero?
I’d want A Diamond at Midnight (my vampire romance) to be made into a movie. There’s a lot of action and a really great bad guy. The heroine is one tough lady and she’d be fun to play. My hero would be Gerard Butler. He’s hot and I think he’d make a great vamp! LOL
9. What is your favorite non-writing activity?
I love to watch movies, especially suspense or action-adventure. My daughters and I rent and buy a LOT of movies! Spending time with them is always fun, but when we watch a movie we always critique it afterwards and the discussions we have are entertaining.
Make sure to answer the question to get your name in the hat for the $10 GC from AMAZON.com.
Excerpt and Prize Question
June 23, 2008 by Melissa · 29 Comments
Reviews:
TASTING CANDY is decadently delicious! I will admit to a certain fondness for very macho men and Blade definitely fits that bill, but he is also compassionate, frustrating, and of course, a tad unsure of the female mind. These characteristics combined with Candy’s emerging feminine powers make for intriguing reading. –Sarah, Romance Junkies
TASTING CANDY is more than a sexy little romance, it is a story of deep and abiding love that conquers and even heals all. From the title, I expected something fun and perhaps light. What I found was something much more. Bravo to Ms. Rainey for delivering such a beautiful and responsible love story.- Jennifer, Wild On Books
(c) 2008 Anne Rainey, Samhain Publishing
Never in his life had he been accused of being a patient man. Aggressive. Stubborn. Chauvinistic. Intimidating. Yep, all of the above, but never patient. And right now every fiber in his being screamed at him to toss patience to the wolves and get on with it already. Still he held back, suppressed his innate need to control and dominate, and let Candice run the show.
She was such a fiery little thing, he was sure of it, but she would need to strip off her thick layer of fear first. If he rushed her, he’d only risk alarming her. Blade would die before he caused Candice even an ounce of pain.
That didn’t help his gonads one bit. As Candice moaned and wriggled, he was ready to explode. His cock responded to her soft ass with bursts of pulsating excitement. All he could do was sit back and let her play. It was killing him. The best things were worth the wait, he reminded himself for the thousandth time. Nevertheless, that shouldn’t mean they couldn’t move on to the next stage of their torturous activity.
Blade gently released Candice’s mouth, absurdly thrilled when she whimpered her dissatisfaction. “Sweetheart, as much as I love kissing you, I think maybe you’re ready for more.” The heat and desire in her eyes nearly sizzled his mustache. “Will you let me touch you?” he asked with a fair amount of caution. “Only above the clothes…for tonight,” he reminded her. When Candice gave him a breathy, “Yes,” Blade’s cock grew another inch.
Never once straying away from the deep, blue pools of her eyes, Blade rubbed his hands up and down Candice’s back, stroking her taut muscles. She arched for him and he let his hands move around to the front of her. Careful to make sure he stayed on neutral ground, he flattened one palm over her concave belly, delighted when she trembled. She was so small that his hand was able to cover the entire width of her. Christ, she was so fragile, it made him want to protect her from all the evils of the world.
Blade moved his palms slowly upward, ever watchful of signs of panic or fear. When her head fell back and her eyes closed, a wave of tender affection overtook him.
“I’m going to touch your breasts now,” he told her softly. Her whimper urged him on.
His hands spread over the gentle swell of her tits and Blade knew a whole new form of bliss. For a man who thought he’d known everything there was to know about women and sexual gratification, it was humbling and thrilling to find out that a slip of a woman could bring him to new heights of pleasure.
“I like that, Blade,” Candice rasped out.
“Me, too, baby,” Blade assured, as he palmed her. He loved the incoherent sounds she made as he kneaded and fondled. When he took a chance and squeezed her erect nipples between his fingers, she fairly jumped.
“I want you, Candice,” he growled, “so fucking bad.”
Her gaze fastened on the erection straining against the confines of his jeans. “I will keep my word to you, sweetheart,” he reassured her. “Just over the clothes. But I won’t lie to you, either. I want to be buried inside of you, so deep and so tight.” Blade had to swallow hard to get himself under control. “You’ll fit me perfectly, too, I just know you’ll fit me perfectly, baby.”
“Oh, Blade.”
He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes against the need in her voice. It was agony to see her so turned-on, yet unable to do a thing about it. Her next words had his heart racing out of control and made his blood run fast and hot.
“Maybe, we can move under the clothes.”
Blade’s eyes flew open as he tried to comprehend her words. “Under?” Blade asked optimistically.
Candice nodded, and Blade drowned in the deep blue of her eyes.
“Are you sure?” She nodded again, more enthusiastic this time, and he nearly came in his pants.
“Just tell me what you want and it’s yours, Candy. Anything. Christ, everything!” he promised heatedly.
She smiled and, in a voice so soft he had to strain to hear, asked, “Will you take off your shirt? I’d like to see you.”
The delicate pleading drove him wild. He wanted to give her whatever she wanted, but he’d made her a promise. Damn it. “I swore only above the clothes. I don’t want to break that promise, baby,” Blade ground out. Being a man of honor was a nuisance at times.
“I know, and you’ve stuck to your word wonderfully.” Candice’s eyes and smile were tender. “But, I think I’ve waited too long to move on with my life. You’ve helped me to see that.” She touched her hand to his cheek. “I want to know what it’s like to feel passion and I want you to be the one to show me, Blade. Please don’t deny me.”
Hearing her say it, and knowing he wasn’t pushing her into anything, helped him make up his mind. Without further delay, Blade whipped his t-shirt over his head and waited. Her gaze traveled over his chest in a heated caress, turning him on further. “Now, will you take off your shirt, Candy girl?” he asked on a ragged breath. “I’d very much like to see you, too.”
Candice’s eyes grew big. For a suspended moment in time, Blade feared he’d lost her, that he’d gone too far. But then she surprised the hell out of him and whipped her own shirt over her head. She sat straddling his thighs with an unadorned white bra covering her small, pert breasts.
Blade’s mouth watered.
He’d never encountered such genuine innocence. She couldn’t have been more beautiful to him if she were wearing some fancy bit of lace and satin. Never in Blade’s life had he felt more like the pillaging bandit. “I want your bra off,” he pleaded. “Please, let me.”
“Yes, Blade.”
With his hands shaking, Blade reached around and undid the clasp, letting the bra fall to her lap. Candice was a small woman, and so her breasts were, too, but to Blade she was perfect. Round and firm and meant for his hands alone. Her taut nipples were enticing dark-mauve cherries surrounded by sweet, creamy fullness. Blade couldn’t seem to muster the strength to stop his fingers from reaching out and stroking the gentle slopes. She moaned and wiggled, and he had to clamp down on the clawing need to take her. To make her his.
She was even softer than he’d dreamed—and Blade had dreamed about her a hell of a lot. Nevertheless, nothing could compare to being able to touch her sweet perfection in real life. He could sit in her barely-lit living room, touching Candy for hours and not get bored.
Blade smoothed his palms over and under, rubbing and cuddling, relishing her rapid breaths. Thrilling over the way she kept her hands in her lap, fisting them together, as if she wanted to do the same to him but was too shy to ask.
“Touch me,” he demanded. “Put your hands on my chest and feel me with your fingers.”
Very gently, she flattened her delicate hands against him. At first, her fingers shook, but soon she sifted them through his chest hair, playing and stroking.
“Can you feel how fast my heart’s beating?” he asked. “I’m excited, sweetheart. Yours is doing the same thing for me. I can feel you beneath my palm, baby. Seeing you like this, all open and ready, it makes me want to taste you. Will you let me do that?” If he could have just one taste of Candy, then surely he’d die a happy man.
“Yes, I-I think I’d like that, Blade.”
“I swear you’ll love it,” he promised. He bent forward and tasted her for the first time. Holding her in his embrace, he sucked on her beaded nipple, laving it with his tongue, encouraged when Candice’s fingers pulled his hair, holding him firmly against her. Her head fell back and she moaned long and deep.
He lifted away from her slightly, breathing as if he’d run a marathon, and growled, “You taste so fucking good, woman.” Then he moved to the other nipple, giving her what she’d asked for—as much passion as he was capable of giving without self-combusting.
“That feels so incredible,” she cried. “I want…” Candice let the words drift off, as if unable to express the turmoil his mouth created.
Blade lifted his head. “I know the feeling.”
“But I’m not doing anything to you.”
He smiled at her naivety. “Are you kidding? I’m ready to explode here. Believe me, seeing you all hot and anxious is definitely doing something to me.”
She blinked, wide-eyed, and whispered, “Oh.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, Oh.” When she blushed and her smile turned slightly wicked, Blade wondered if maybe Candice was ready for more. “Do you think you could handle the next round?” Her hands came up and covered her breasts. Spellbound, Blade watched her rub them as if trying to quell an ache.
“I do want more. I’m just not sure I’m ready to…go all the way, yet.”
Damn if that “yet” didn’t please him to no end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WOW, I think I am ready for some more! And I am sure y’all are too! So, here is the question for the GC:
Often times, life imitates art. In Tasting Candy I deal a little bit about date rape, which is a very real crime. Do you feel date rape often times goes unpunished?
Anne was generous enough to offer up a TEN DOLLAR GC from AMAZON, so answer away folks! Oh, and be sure to come back tomorrow for the interview and the announcement of the winner!
Author Spotlight: Anne Rainey
June 23, 2008 by Melissa · 2 Comments
I want everyone to welcome Anne Rainey to the author Spotlight this week! She has an exciting backlist of books, but her release from Samhain on June 24 looks to be not only hot, but thought provoking as well.
Just so you know where to find her all over the web, here are a few links:
Website
Blog
Myspace page
Here is a little Blurb
Tasting Candy
Lust was the lure, Candy was the reward.
Walking around with a raging hard-on isn’t Blade Vaughn’s idea of a good time. He’s hungry for sex and there’s only one woman on his menu: Candice Warner. When Blade witnesses the shy beauty go into a panic over a harmless encounter, he’s more determined than ever to prove that sex with him is just the therapy she needs.
Candice is used to being afraid of her own shadow, but when she goes all nutso in front of Blade, she’s beyond mortified. She wants him to see her as an equal, and as a woman. It’s time she got over her past trauma and started living again.
But trust is hard to come by when her only experience with men has left her heart in pieces.
Excerpt and prize question coming right up!
Coming Tomorrow-Anne Rainey
June 22, 2008 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
Join me tomorrow as I feature author Anne Rainey to talk about her upcoming release, Tasting Candy. She’s offering up a 10 dollar GC for the prize:) Come join us for the fun and prizes!
