Denyse Bridger stops by to talk about...

Threesomed and more...

Readers always seem to be shocked when I tell them that I often avoid the sex scenes in my books until I absolutely have to deal with them. I guess the fact that my latest releases have been “ménage” stories probably leads many to think I’m not being entirely honest about this aversion. Believe me, no one is more surprised than I am by the recent turn of events. Two of the books are currently in the top ten best-sellers for the publisher who contracted them, and the third one is with my editor at Ellora’s Cave. Apart from the trio of lovers in these stories, when I wrote Stolen Rapture, I discovered one of my vampires was a dominant, and my heroine was waking to her submissive nature, so that was another new element for me. I have no idea if I’ll explore the BDSM angle further, but I never expected to touch it in the first place, so I no longer rule out any possibility.

In truth, I can’t really say that I’m wildly enamored of this kind of story, but it’s certainly been fun to flirt with the genre, and I might very well get back to it, if in small ways, for future stories. I like mixing genres as most of my readers know, so taking ménage, as requested by the publisher for their anniversary print release, (Threesomed, from New Dawning Book Fair and Amazon), then adding in a paranormal element with my sexy vampires–it was, I admit, a lot of fun! I had never really considered writing ménage tales, I’m primarily a “boy meets girl” writer, and the challenge is to make it fresh and interesting. Surprisingly, the current release has already inspired a number of requests for a further story, and it just might happen, even I don’t know the answer to that one just now.

So, I hope you’ll enjoy this teaser for Stolen Rapture... And, many thanks, Nicole, for having me here as your guest.

Drop by and check out my newest interview at TRS, as well:

http://theromancestudio.com/blue/features/bridgerblue1211.php

First review of Stolen Rapture - FIVE FANGS!!

http://nyareviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/stolen-rapture-by-denyse-bridger.html

 

Genres: Erotic/vampire/ménage/mild BDSM 

Publisher: New Dawning International Book Fair: PURCHASE LINK 

ARe Romance: PURCHASE LINK

When work brings Deluna Jordan face to face with a man who knows her better than she knows herself, she soon discovers he shares everything with his boss, including lovers…and a thirst for blood…and she is about to become the lucky recipient of all their desires…

Excerpt:

Rahve knew the instant Cord and his playmate arrived. He turned and even with a room between them, he could smell sex. He snorted silently. So Cord had fucked her already tonight. That explained the limousine service. His eyes swept over the woman, cataloging the elegant dress, the voluptuous curves that were just a little too rounded for current fashion, and the sparkling hazel eyes that were still a little dazed from orgasm.

He went to join them.

"Nice of you to show up," he said to Cord.

"Screw you," Cord snapped, then laughed. "This," he turned to the woman at his side, "is Deluna Jordan. Baby, this is my partner—"

"Boss."

"Partner," he repeated, ignoring Rahve's correction, "Rahve Falcon."

"It's lovely to meet you, Mr. Falcon," Deluna said, offering her hand. He took it and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing the backs of them very softly. She stared in surprise.

"Rahve," he requested. "Cord's told me a lot about you. It's nice to put a face to the name. Welcome to my home, and thank you for coming to the party."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cord hasn't told me a lot about you," she replied.

"I'm not surprised," Rahve answered. Falcon was genuinely amused. Cord watched him with thinly veiled suspicion. "Would you like a drink?"

"Thank you, that would be lovely."

Rahve was being summoned from the other side of the room and his dark eyes flickered with annoyance that was easily read. He excused himself and on his way to the agitated woman waving less than discreetly to him, he stopped and directed one of the waiters to bring her a glass of champagne.

"Be careful around him," Cord advised. "He's interested in you."

She stared at him, eyebrow raised. "You can tell that from hello, can you?"

"I've known Rahve a lot of years, baby," he said, tone ominous. "He enjoys dangerous games."

"And you don't?" There was ice in her voice, making the words caustic in tone.

Cord's blue and green gaze was hard when he met hers, and she shivered.

"You like my games," he stated. "Rahve plays by different rules."

She shrugged with false indifference and strolled into the crowd, fully aware of Cord's eyes watching every move she made. The night was going to be a long one. The thought had barely passed into her awareness when she felt someone staring at her, the look almost a tangible touch that brushed her spine and made her entire body tingle.

There are things Cord should have told you. Rahve's voice was inside her head somehow and she looked around, trying to locate him in the large crowd. Chills that had nothing to do with the actual temperature make her quiver. She closed her eyes, her equilibrium gone as the room faded to grey shadows. Her last thought was that she'd never fainted in her life, and this was not the time to start.

Adult Excerpt:

"So, what is it this woman does again?" Rahve asked with little real interest, but considerable amusement. Cord had been distracted for a week or more, since Rahve had sent him to the Grayson show. Cord glared at him and he laughed at the irritation in the other man's expression. Rahve shrugged and turned his attention back to the figures in front of him.

"We need to come up with something truly spectacular for the new line," Rahve murmured as he rapidly read the accounting figures, his agile brain processing numbers as quickly as the machine in front of him.

"Are you worried?"

Rahve's smile was sardonic. "Are you?"

"I want to design something for Deluna's next show."

Rahve sat back in his chair and eyed the younger man. "Tell me about her."

It wasn't a request and they both knew it.

"Why don't you come with me and you can judge for yourself?" Challenge hung between them for a few minutes, then Rahve shrugged and rose from his seat. Cord was startled for about a heartbeat of time. He stood and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "Have dinner with us."

Rahve's smile was contemptuous. "She doesn't know what you are, does she?"

"She knows everything she needs to know."

Scornful laughter lit Rahve's predatory eyes. "I haven't met a human yet who is that accepting of us, so I'll assume she doesn't know it's her blood you're lusting after more than her cunt."

"Stay away from her," Cord warned, "I'll tell her when I want her to know."

"You invited me to dinner," Rahve reminded him, laughter in his tone, "so let's go."

"I've changed my mind."

Rahve ignored his remark.

"What are you going to do if she falls for me?" Rahve asked as they headed for the parking garage under the Falcon's Flight office building.

"Kill your ass," Cord quipped. It was an old game, one he hated. Over the years, he'd lost more than one woman to Rahve's charm and power.

"Address?" Rahve asked when he'd stopped laughing.

Cord gave it to him and while he watched Rahve walk to his Ferrari, he wondered if Deluna would fall for him. Falcon had a remarkable effect on women, and she wasn't likely to be any more immune than most others. Rahve was an impressive male, six foot three, dark blond hair that was cut neat and stylish. He was built like a Roman statue, and he had more money than god…yeah, women loved him. For all kinds of reasons. A shadow whispered across his soul, an almost tangible harbinger of foreboding that made his teeth grind. Cord didn't like the vulnerability of fear, and he hated it even more when it was born in jealousy. Deluna hadn't even met Rahve and he was already worrying about her reaction to his boss....

Denysé

Denysé Bridger

WEBSITE: http://www.denysebridger.com

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Tour Ryder 2012 – The Author of ULTIMATE JUSTICE, Ryder Islington

Developing The Story Behind The Book

When I started writing for publication over ten years ago, I had no idea of the difference between a story and a novel. A story can ramble and turn and have no real destination. It doesn’t have to fit into a word count or page limit. It may not have a beginning, a middle and an end.

I usually start crafting a novel by developing the story first. When I began earnest work on my debut novel, Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery, I knew what I wanted to accomplish, but not how to accomplish it. I knew I had a good story, but giving it a plot, structure, word count, suspense, mystery, and well-rounded characters meant really working on one piece of the problem at a time.

When it started, I had one person in first person POV and the rest in third person POV. As time passed, the person who maintained the first person POV changed. I couldn’t really decide what the novel was about. Was it about the FBI agent? Or the relationships between the characters? Or the crime itself? The lead character changed. I knew how the story would begin and end. I had no idea how to fill the middle with anything other than mud.

Plotting is my weakest skill. I worked on characters, then wrote a couple of chapters, then tried to plot a little, then wrote a little more. The first draft was a real ugly duckling. The plot had huge holes. The timing was way off. Character description changed with no explanation, except that I’d forgotten eye color, or age. But I knew that deep inside that really bad writing was a good novel and a really good story.

My ‘What ifs’ included love and hate, good and evil, flawed and flat out crazy. All those books I’d written before, you know, the ones under the bed, were nothing compared to this. I read books, read articles, talked to authors I admire, and kept trying to increase my skill to a level that would do the novel justice. I think I learned fifty new skills before I finally managed to stumble upon a process that half-way works for me.

My cast of characters increased drastically, and I kept thinking that no editor would buy a newbie’s debut novel if it had too many POV characters, or the plot was too complicated. But I couldn’t help myself. Each character serves a purpose, and I handle POV pretty well. I can’t write an uncomplicated plot. Every character has his or her own story, life, plans and problems. And each character is affected by the actions of the others.

This particular story came from a mixture of my own experiences, including a run in with a serial killer, my education and employment in law and law enforcement, and people I’ve known.

What if a drug-addicted FBI agent had to deal with an old flame while trying to solve three sets of crimes? What if the criminal was very young—a child? What if each character had to face obstacles like prejudice, sexism, drug addiction, abuse, neglect, grief, or some other major ongoing issue to deal with while trying to do their jobs, or not get caught doing something? So the story began chronologically, years before the novel. The story began with the relationships between all the characters. Once each character was fully defined, and set against each other, the plot fell into place, the sagging middle had liposuction, and with a little guidance by a wonderful editor, the end was perfect.

✧✧✧✧✧

Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery is receiving rave reviews from readers. http://www.ll-publications.com/ultimatejustice.html

The small town of Raven Bayou, Louisiana explodes as old money meets racial tension, and tortured children turn the table on abusive men. FBI Special Agent Trey Fontaine returns home to find the town turned upside down with mutilated bodies. Working with local homicide detectives, Trey is determined to get to the  truth. A believer in empirical evidence, Trey ignores his instincts until he stares into the face of the impossible, and has to choose between what he wants to believe and the ugly truth.

 A graduate of the University of California and former officer for a large sheriff’s department, RYDER ISLINGTON is now retired and doing what she loves: reading, writing, and gardening. She lives in Louisiana with her family, including a very large English Chocolate Lab, a very small Chinese pug, and a houseful of demanding cats. 

She can be contacted at RyderIslington@yahoo.com 

or visit her blog at http://ryderislington.wordpress.com

Stop by ll-publications for a full schedule of Ryder's blog tour HERE

Courtney Breazile's - Immortal Council Series Book #6

By : Courtney Breazile  | Other books by Courtney Breazile

Published by: Extasy Books

ISBN # :978-1-55487-912-0

Heat Level :

Direct buy link: Extasy Books

Blurb:

Ever is a half-witch, half-Animal Elf who was raised in the human world. As if that didn’t give her enough issues, she is part of a prophecy that has everyone after her and her convinced she is destined to be a weapon for the wrong side. 

Selene is a witch who never wanted to be leader of a coven, but after being thrown into the position, she is looking for a way to escape. When Ever contacts Selene through astral projection and asks for her help in escaping Vincent, Selene jumps on the chance. She becomes obsessed with the beautiful woman who appears to her and would do anything to have her. 

Saving her from Vincent is only the beginning. Neither willing to give control of any kind to the other, they clash at every turn and their exploding passion isn't enough to keep them together. 

Is their obsession enough to bring them together before Vincent takes back what he claims is his?

Excerpt:

She was determined to make it out of here alive and knew she would be more powerful for what he was teaching her. It was what he wasn't teaching her that worried her, the secrets she saw in his eyes when he thought she wasn't paying attention. As if he knew more about what she was than she did. Sometimes she didn't think she wanted to know.

Vincent was an ancient Animal Elf and his knowledge of the Animal Elf side of her power was great. Her witch half he didn't know much about, but he loved it, and was extremely happy when she demonstrated it. He was training her to be his weapon against his sister, Payton, and her own mother, Lillian. She didn't fully understand it, but she knew she didn't want to be on his team. 

“You are quiet this eve, is everything well with you?”

“Oh yes, I‟m just tired from all our work is all,” Ever lied.

“Well why don‟t you head off to bed, I‟m going off the island after dinner anyway. I have meetings with some possible allies.”

“Oh,” Ever tried not to sound too interested by this, but her heart was suddenly beating wildly. He hadn't left the island since bringing her here, not to her knowledge anyhow. This could prove to be a very good thing.

Vincent‟s face changed just the slightest bit, but it was enough to know he was suspicious. She wanted to kick herself, but the shock of his departure was just too much and not being a full Animal Elf, she didn't have the insane control over her emotions that he did. It didn't help that her witch half was extremely emotional. Most days, she wavered from one extreme to the other.

“Blaze will be near if you have need of anything while I‟m away,” Vincent said with clear warning.

Ever pulled on that space inside of her where her Animal Elf instincts were held and blanked her look. “Lovely, now I think I will go rest.” She stood smoothly and left the room without another word, but she felt both their gazes on her as she went.

She managed to hold it together until she reached her room. With a quick probe of her Animal Elf senses, she found no animals about to spy for Vincent, something she was constantly afraid of. She hopped onto her bed excitedly and clasped her hands. She had an opportunity this night and she was not going to waste it. She knew what she could do with so little time and opportunity, something she had wanted to try for a while now.

Ever waited until she was sure Vincent had flashed off the island, a little trick he had conveniently refused to show her how to accomplish. Then she laid back, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to find her mother or perhaps Wraith and she was going to help them find her.

She pushed out her witch senses, projecting herself into the universe, and felt around. She called for them, but there was no response. Frustrated, she pushed farther into the universe from deeper within herself. This had to work, she had been thinking about it for so long, planning it. This is what had made it easier to sit around and pretend. Ever took a breath, concentrated on feeling the universe and pushed her frustrations and fears down.

She felt something then, a powerful pull. Ever threw herself at it, not caring who it would take her to. If the universe was answering her call for help, then it had to be where she needed to go. A split second later, she was stunned to find herself looking at the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

Too bewildered to make a move of contact, Ever just stared at her. She was asleep, her black shoulder length hair perfectly framing her pale face. She was without covers and her small tank and panties showed off an amazing body that had Ever‟s instantly reacting. Her thoughts immediately went to how it would feel to press herself against those curves, to bury her face between those thighs. She groaned slightly as need filled her.

Ever reached out a hand and concentrated on solidifying her astral projection. Her fingers brushed the woman‟s soft hair and her fingertips tingled. “I must have you,” Ever whispered. Instant obsession filled her, as if her entire life had been leading her to this woman and now that she had seen her face, she would never be happy until she possessed her.

Visit Courtney's website

 

Margay Leah Justice joins me today...

Whenever I discuss my latest book, Sloane Wolf, people often ask me, Why Wolves? And I have to say, why not? Wolves are fantastic creatures that mate for life and are truly faithful to their mates (from what I’ve read), and we humans could learn a lot from them.

As it pertains to my book, however, it was rather serendipitous that I ended up writing about wolves. I didn’t intentionally set out to do so, but a series of events conspired to make it happen. The first event came in the form of a book that was ultimately made into a movie that got me to thinking – and anybody who knows me can tell you that when I get to thinking, things begin to happen…in a writing sense that is! I can turn the smallest nugget of an idea into a story, if motivated enough to do so, and that is how this story started out, as just a nugget. So there I was, inspired by this other book/movie enough that certain scenes kept kicking up in my head (ahem, fight scene), but content just to imagine it in my head.

Until event number two happened. That would be a contest that an electronic publishing company was running with the theme of – you guessed it – wolves. And so I thought, why not? I had some interesting scenes kicking around in my head, the contest was for a novella length story, so I had enough to accomplish that. And with the help of event number three – discovering an article about gray wolves returning to Massachusetts after a100-plus year absence – a true story began to formulate with legends of wolves and why they “reappeared” in the state after such a long absence. Wow, I thought, this was really going to be something, if I could get it all together in time.

Trouble was, once I started writing, I just kept on writing and I over-shot the word count. One thing I forgot when I set out to enter this contest: I have never been able to write short. I keep trying, but I usually have so much to say, it doesn’t conform well to short stories or novellas. Not wanting to cut anything to fit the guidelines, I simply finished the book for me. And by the time I was finished with it, I knew that I had to try to get it published anyway, I felt that strong about it. And after several fits and starts, I finally found the right publisher for it in Muse it Up Publishing.

So there you have it. The serendipitous events that led to the birth of Sloane Wolf.

Margay's Blog  |  MoonlightLace Blog

Margay's MySpace  |  Margay's Twitter  |  Margay's Facebook

 

Buy Links:

Muse It Up Publishing  |  Amazon 

EXCERPT

Shiloh nearly leapt off the sill as his hand touched her knee. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to remain seated and appear undaunted by the gesture. “I am…much better now…thank you,” she said, becoming more unnerved by the presence of his hand by the minute. Oh, this was not good, not good at all. The longer it remained there, the stronger her impulse to bolt became. Oh, no…

What was it about this man that rattled her so and with so little effort on his part? Sharing the same air with him was enough to send her pulses to the moon—and her mind somewhere else, something new for her. Being this attracted to a man was beyond her realm of experience. She didn’t know what to do with it—or about it. Should she do anything? Should she pretend indifference? And why wasn’t he so deeply affected? It wasn’t fair.

Still confused, she gave him a weak smile, intent on backing up her previous claim with the gesture. She feared it failed miserably. When Micah returned her smile and lifted his hand from her knee, she felt precisely one second of relief before he shook her world again by caressing her face in parting. She stumbled

back against the frame of the window, her lips parting on a startled breath as a lightning bolt shot through her at his touch. Something flickered in his eyes at her reaction—pain, perhaps—and he retracted his hand, balling it into a fist as he turned away from her, preparing to depart.

In an instant, she realized her mistake. Along with it came the knowledge she couldn’t let him go away angry or upset. After everything he and his family had done for her, she owed him that much. She grabbed him by the shirtfront to stop him, and a shock of awareness shot from her hand directly into his heart, just beneath it. She could see it in the gaze he leveled on her then, could hear it in his breath trapped within his lungs, feel it in the missed beat of his heart. But then, all sense abandoned her, and her heart skipped a beat as he held her hand firmly to his chest with one of his own and lifted the other to her head, anchoring it against the window frame. Slowly, his eyes never straying from hers, he leaned across the space separating them. His lips brushed hers, like a whisper, before he withdrew, tilted his head to the side, and advanced again. This time the kiss was fuller, penetrating her every defense, both physical and emotional, but still not long enough for her. He retreated once again after a fraction of time and hovered before her, scarcely an inch away. Watching her. Waiting.

Her heart beating a frantic tempo now, Shiloh abandoned all of her reservations and her good sense to swoop in for a more vigorous kiss. So vigorous, in fact, she knocked him off his perch through the open window. Only quick reflexes honed to perfection at the Institute prevented her from tumbling after him.

Bracing herself against the sill, she leaned out the window as far as she was able and watched his descent from the slanted roof to the ground below. She lost sight of him the moment he slid beyond the reach of the light from her window. But then she heard him land with a thud —and a howl—on the ground in front of the back porch when he failed to catch himself on the roof edge. She clasped a hand over her mouth to silence her reaction and waited. When he didn’t rouse right away, panic shot through her and she leaned out another few inches.

“Micah? Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he answered after a few moments, appearing beyond the overhang of the roof as if to prove it to her. “Nothing hurt but what’s left of my pride.”
 

Relief coursed through her at his statement, and she allowed herself the laugh she’d literally held back before. Her mirth was cut short, however, by his next words.

“Hey, Shiloh! We’ve got to stop falling for each other like this.”
 

His laughter followed her as she ducked back into the room. She could still hear it even after she closed the window, though not as well. Oh, Lord. She rested against the cool pane of glass and touched her still-tingling lips with shaky fingers. Was she? Falling for him? Was that what this crazy-mad feeling inside of her was? 

The question plagued her long into the night.

Day 4 with M.S. Spencer...

Triptych

If you’re not satisfied yet, try my latest romance, Triptych, a tale of lost artworks, jealousy, sex, larceny and genius set high on the cliffs over the Potomac River.

Published November 2011 by Secret CravingsPublishing

eBook, 65,000 words, ISBN: 978-1-61885-064-5  

Contemporary romantic suspense, M/F, 3 flames

            Miranda Cabot lost all interest in love after her husband Edward crashed into the Potomac River rocks called the Three Sisters. Her sister Honor likewise prefers her tower and her writing.  Not so the third sister Sybil, who longs for romance with a dashing Frenchman.  She advertises for said hero on Craig’s List and is rewarded with the Chevalier du Bon Arnaque, who comes to Washington from Strasbourg on unidentified business.

            Miranda and Honor believe the Chevalier is a crook and ask their neighbors Dieter Heiliger and his grandson Corey, to act as chaperones. With three beautiful, strong-willed women in a house filled with three handsome, virile men, the inevitable result is an intricate web of jealousy, sex, and intrigue. Who will end up with whom, and will the Three Sisters take another life as the legend calls for?

Buy Links:  

Secret Cravings Publishing | All Romance eBooks | Amazon | Bookstrand

Read my 5-star review for Triptych here: Toni Sweeney's Blog

Places you can find Meredith: 

Website | Facebook Author Page | Blog | Twitter 

Meredith's Author Pages:

Amazon AuthorPage  |  All Romance EBooks Author Page  |  Romance Reviews

 Now sit back and take a breather while you wait for

Artful Dodging: The Torpedo Factory Murders

Murders, misdirection, mistrust, misfits, and miscreants—needlepoint artist Milo Everhart has her hands full. Can love blossom amidst it all?

Don’t worry, I’ll give you a heads up!