Pushing Limits with Her Master’s Gift

 By Dena Celeste

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be here. Today I’m going to talk about limits, as it’s something that features heavily in my new release, Her Master’s Gift. Limits are really important in relationships, but especially in BDSM dynamics. There are soft limits and hard limits, one which is allowed to be pushed and the other which is to be absolutely respected.

Soft limits are generally to be worked through. They can be things that scare you a bit, that you just don’t like (but don’t hate), or that you have no interest in but don’t care either way. I know that, for some, anal, flogging, and even whips make that list! The relationship style in Her Master’s Gift is Master/slave, where Sam is the Master, and Katie the slave. His primary role is to protect, but also to guide her and push her to her fullest sensual potential.

One of Katie’s soft limits is being with women, especially dominant women, after a previous experience scarred her. She’s bisexual, and very much appreciates women sexually, but the idea of being at another’s mercy is too much to handle. Well, to handle alone.

Part of what I loved about exploring her character and her journey is that she wasn’t by herself. There were steps she needed to take of her own volition, but the collar she’d earned, the master she belonged to, and her friends in the Lifestyle, all provided support for her to make her way. The community is so important to her story and her growth.

I find BDSM fascinating because trying new things is encouraged. There are lists of things to try, new skills to learn, and passions just waiting to be awakened. Testing the limits, seeing just how far you can push the envelope while still remaining within Safe, Sane, and Consensual boundaries, is part of the thrill. 

Buy Her Master's Gift here:

Amazon || B&N || KOBO || iTunes || GooglePlay || ARe || Smashwords || Coffee Time Romance || BookStrand

Find Dena here: 

Website || Blog || Twitter || Facebook || FB Page || Tumblr 

Perfectly Imperfect: Why I Write the Characters I Write

Available HERE

by J.M. Dabney

When All Else Fails, book 1 in the Sappho’s Kiss Series, released December 5, 2014 was a long time coming. I wrote it over a year ago and finished book 2 quickly thereafter (not yet submitted). Along with the panic that comes with New Releases and the ‘Everyone is going to hate it’ mindset I also look at the other characters I’ve written.

I’ve written LGBT and het characters, I don’t see the difference. You’re writing about two people falling in love and all the trials involved. I simply love writing people finding what they always longed for and hopefully I did them justice.

The type of characters I’m drawn to are insanely varied. Perfection never weighs into the equation of character makeup. I like flaws, scars and quirky attitudes with just the right amount of sarcasm/humor to try to mask the imperfections. When I wrote When All Else Fails it started as a chapter I never knew what to do with. I set it aside for months and the story found new life in what became Sappho’s Kiss Series.

Andrea Slade’s strong and successful, yet has her inferiority issues. Eva Lange embraces her curves, loves each one, but even the most confident have that one or two flaws that drive them insane with self-doubt. Insecurity is human nature and I write about all the non-pretty things.

Fiction is fiction, a place to get lost between the lines of pretty prose and daring drama, but the appeal for me is character driven. A story lives and dies in the WIP folder on whether I love the character involved.

That’s why I love Andrea and Eva, I pulled for them in my own mind and smiled with they smiled. An emotional investment made. Hopefully readers will find the same investment in the characters I easily fell in love with from Chapter 1. Two people finding love where they least expected and the family they always wanted in the fictional Colton, Maine Pride District.

Don’t be shy, come, and join the ladies of Sappho’s Kiss in When All Else Fails. With pride, I share Andrea and Eva with you.

Buy links:  Decadent Publishing || iTunes || Amazon || Kobo

Blurb: 

   Out and proud Andrea Slade carries around doubts soul deep, her family and job have taught her hard lessons about love. When she meets Eva Lange and starts working with the beautiful, curvy woman, she wants things to be different. Although, she settles for being her friend and boss.

   As time passes, Andrea finds it’s not an ideal situation, but she tricks herself into thinking that it’s for the best. That is until the sexy, femme fatale shows up in her office one day in a figure-hugging outfit with plans for seduction.

   Full-figured Eva is in touch with her body, embraces the curves, but part of her looks at successful and gorgeous Andrea and decides friends is better than a failed love affair with the somewhat jaded and commitment-phobic divorce attorney. That is, until she decides to take what she wants.

Despite scars and insecurities, when all else fails, there’s love.

Find the author:  Website || Blog || Facebook || Twitter

Writing Shifters in the F/F Genre

By Elizabeth Morgan

I don't believe there is a difference in formula when writing a heterosexual or GLBT story. I've heard that there aren't many GLBT stories about shifters, which seems crazy.

Can two female or two male shifters work/mate? Of course they can.

Shifters - or your human - romances/relationships are what they are. Relationships are complicated, hard work, and have highs and lows no matter what gender the couple are. Relationships between two men or two women only seem different - in real life and in fiction - because of society and how society acts toward them. At least, that's the opinion I have formed through learning our history, watching the news, and watching and listening to those around me.

Love isn't homophobic, or racist, or prejudice, or anything else you may want to throw in there. It is universal and knows no bounds, which is why I can't really sit here and say something interesting about writing an F/F shifter story. The formula is exactly the same as writing a story with two heterosexuals whether they be shifters or not.

On the Rocks is - and remains to be - the first F/F story I have written, but I hadn't planned for it to be a story with two leading ladies, and even though I wrote the book I never did, and still don't, focus upon the fact that it is an F/F story. The moment the idea popped into my head Meghan and Zenzie stepped forward, and I was cool with that. I never looked at them and thought, "huh, two women?" I just went with them on this little adventure, because it was their story, and I had so much fun writing it.

The inspiration behind the story was actually rather straightforward. I had already written two books - which are part of an ongoing series - featuring Werewolves - which you can read more about on my site: www.e-morgan.com - and since I adore all things paranormal and have a particular soft spot for shifters, I decided I wanted to try something different; something water related. So, I pulled out one of many encyclopaedias' sitting on my bookshelf, flicked through the pages and stopped when I read:

"The Nixie is a freshwater femme fatale amphibian."

Well, it was too much of a delicious statement to ignore. Once I had read the section, and Meghan and Zenzie had stepped forward the story just unfolded before me.

Now, On the Rocks isn't your stereotypical shifter story. When most people hear or read the word "shifter" it does conjure images of fur, fangs, and claws in some shape and variety, and not to mention the "M" word; mates. Shifters are all about soul mates. Those deep, raw, primal connections, which is the side - I believe - to such stories that appeals to us all because - no matter how much you may wish to deny it - we all, on a primal level, want to belong to someone and vice versa. I know I do. I'm not ashamed to say that I want intensity and passion mixed in with respect and tenderness, but I think that reason - the pull you sense between shifters once they find their mates - is the biggest attraction and lure of these particular creatures.

I could go on about such a matter, but I have to bite my tongue and stop there, because On the Rocks isn't actually about two shifters mating. Nor does it feature a shifter you would know a lot about.

(My Urban Fantasy/Erotic Paranormal Romance Series is full of mating issues and other delicious problems between various characters. So, when I started work on OTR I didn't want to write something that heavy and complicated, or rather, that was not how the idea for this story was presented. I wanted to write something fun. So the complexity of relationships is not something you will find in this book.)

On the Rocks is a story about a woman who falls prey to a very different kind of shifter who is just having fun in her own twisted 'n' sexy way. So, if you have a dark sense of humour; are open minded, and like your books hot with a twist, you might very well enjoy this story.

Thanks for joining me today. If you're interested in winning yourself a copy of On the Rocks - no harm in a Christmas present for yourself ;-P - just leave a comment to this post with your answer to this question: What do you like about Shifters/Shifter stories?

Competition will end midnight eastern time on December 4th.

BLURB:

On the Rocks is the hottest club on South Padre Island, and Meghan’s new workplace.

If the warped mermaid uniform isn’t enough, the fact that she can’t stop thinking about the club’s singer, Zenzie, is. Everything about the female gets Meghan hot, but when she finally gets her shot with the temptress, it turns out Zenzie isn’t as perfect, or as human, as Meghan thought.

And now, here's an excerpt for you:

Her warm breath skated down my neck causing a shiver to curl around my spine. She straightened then slid her hands through my hair. My eyelids fluttered at the feel of her fingertips stroking over my temples and along my hairline.

“I saw you watching us.”

I stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Do you like watching?” She retrieved a few items from the vanity table, twisted two sections of my hair, and pushed the hair clips into place. “It’s all right. You can tell me, Meghan.”

My body tightened at the husky way she said my name. The knot between my legs pulsed under her piercing stare. I had no idea how, or even why she managed to get under my skin, but God, I wanted her.

“I’m not a pervert or anything.”

“I know you’re not.” She slid a chain of small red flowers into the black mass of my hair.

“I just heard a noise. I guess my curiosity got the best of me.” I shifted on my seat. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. I liked you watching.”

My nails dug into my knees as her hands moved down my throat. Her skin like satin—her touch, soft. She ran her fingertips over the top of my breasts.

“I would have asked you to join us, if you hadn’t run.” Her gaze caught mine again while she slid her hand inside my skin-tone bra. “Will you run now, or will you do what we both know you want to do?”

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Are || Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Morgan is a multi-published author of urban fantasy, paranormal, erotic horror, f/f, and contemporary; all with a degree of romance, a dose of action and a hit of sarcasm, sizzle or blood, but you can be sure that no matter what the genre, Elizabeth always manages to give a unique and often humorous spin to her stories.

Like her tagline says; A pick ‘n’ mix genre author. “I’m not greedy. I just like variety.”

And that she does, author of erotic ménage horror, Creak, paranormal erotic horror and UK, US & Australian Amazon best seller (Gay/Lesbian, Fiction, Lesbian), On the Rocks, erotic romance, US, UK & Spanish Amazon bestseller (Erotica Short Story) Truth or Dare? And sweet contemporary romance, UK & US Amazon bestseller (British/Drama & Plays) Stepping Stones.

She also has her hand in self-publishing. Look out for more information on her upcoming releases at her website: www.e-morgan.com

Away from the computer, Elizabeth can be found in the garden trying hard not to kill her plants, dancing around her little cottage with the radio on while she cleans, watching movies or good television programmes – Dr Who? Atlantis? The Musketeers? Heck, yes! – Or curled up with her two cats reading a book.

For more information on Elizabeth's work, published and upcoming, head on over to her site:

 Website || Blog || Twitter: @EMorgan2010 || Goodreads || Facebook || Pinterest || 

Blog (Shared with Dianna Hardy)

#YesAllWomenwonder “If I had been born a boy”

Available HERE

“If I had been born a boy, I would have followed in my father’s footsteps and become a tradesman. Because I was a girl, he sold me instead.” –Taliasman

When my mother came of age, she had three options for a career: nurse, teacher, or secretary. She became a teacher and hated it. She told me, “If I’d been a boy, I could have become an accountant, engineer, or physicist. Because I was a girl, I didn’t have choices.”

A generation later, I grew up with my own version of “If I had been born a boy.” As the girl in the family, I was expected to perform household chores, cross my ankles while wearing skirts, baby-sit, and remain sweetly polite at all times. My mother, who had grown up feeling unwanted as a girl, unwittingly carried on the tradition of limiting her own girl-child. “Boys are so much easier, “ she told me when I failed to meet her standards. “He’s a boy,” she explained when I asked why my brother could lounge on the couch watching football while I washed dishes after holiday meals. “It’s different for boys,” she said when privileges and freedom did not cross gender lines.

I fumed. And when I wrote Taliasman, the fairy tale realm offered depths to portray Talia, a young woman ravaged by the society and family that should have nurtured her. Instead of prosaic dish-washing, the daughter of a poor construction worker receives her own messages about gender-based worth. For her, however, the struggle is literal. Sold for not being a boy and stripped of self-worth, she despairs of finding meaning in her life.

Enter Queen Vina, a heavenly ruler who descends to Earth after receiving a talisman from the mysterious storyteller, Nicodemus. She searches for months before finding Talia’s cottage. When she offers a sack full of gold, however, she wins Talia’s body but not her heart. Furious, miserable, and betrayed, Talia locks Vina into a stalemate night after night. Vina offers love, but Talia understands only scorn.

When human trafficking and gender crimes still threaten women and young girls, the story of Talia becomes all the more relevant to our lives today. When wearing a mini-skirt deems women culpable for “illegitimate” rape, we must teach our daughters to value themselves.

If Taliasman makes you cry, I am pleased you care for Vina and Talia. If Taliasman makes you reflect on your own life and embrace the wonderful goodness of being a woman, I have done my job. Thank you for allowing these two women into your life.

Taliasman Buy Links:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon Japan || Amazon Germany || Amazon Australia || Barnes and Noble || All Romance Ebooks || Kobo

Anastasia Vitsky will give a wooden spoon to one random commenter on this post. If you live outside of the United States, she will offer a comparable gift certificate instead.