A Sexy Pen Pal

Available HERE

By Ann Mayburn

I remember way back in the day in the 7^th grade when we were all set up with Pen Pals from Brazil. At first I was all excited, imagining this exotic mystery person telling me about their daily life in Rio, day dreaming about said pen pal being this hot teenage guy who’d woo me with his letters and I’d eventually move down to Brazil with him and live happily ever after. My pen pal turned out to be a chick who was way more interested in fashion than I was but we talked about nail polish for a couple letters before things petered out.

Those daydreams about having a hot pen pal were some of the inspiration for Seducing Helena. Except in Helena’s case, her pen pal is a hot guy, in this case an uber hot Marine, who does want his happily ever after with her, except for one small thing. She’s hidden the fact that she’s really a super model from him. All her life Helena has been judged on her looks and when she has the opportunity for a guy to like her for who she really is, and not just her pretty face, she finds that she can’t resist being not quite honest with him and pretends to be a photographer’s assistant instead of telling Seth the truth, that she’s one of the world’s most desired women.

When Seth’s time in the Marine’s comes to an end he’s eager to see the woman that’s written him every day without fail, always lifting his spirits and slowly stealing his heart. She’s everything he’s ever wanted in a woman but he can’t understand why she’ll never send him a picture even though he’s promised that no matter what she looks like, he likes her. They make plans to see each other after Seth gets out and Helena’s faced with the fact that her lies may have doomed what could be her chance at real happiness with a good guy. If you’d like to find out what happens with Helena and Seth, I’ll give you a hint-it has a happily ever after ending with lots of hot smexy time, check out Seducing Helena. I hope you enjoy it and as always, thank  you for giving me the chance to entertain you.

Blurb: Supermodel Helena Flores didn’t plan to fall in love with her Marine pen pal, but he’s funny, kind, and so hot she can’t resist. Determined to see if Seth will like her for the woman she is on the inside, she pretends her job in the fashion industry is behind the camera rather than in front of it.

Seth Morgan fell in love with Helena’s words and mind. When he finds out she’s a girl who can have any man she wants, he wonders what she could possibly see in him. But this Marine is determined and plans to seduce her so thoroughly, until all she can see is him and their picture-perfect love. 

Succubus

by Ann Mayburn

Suc·cu·bus

   [suhk-yuh-buhs] noun, plural suc·cu·bi  [-bahy]

1. a demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep. Compare incubus ( def. 1 ) .

2. any demon or evil spirit.

3. a strumpet or prostitute. 

Succubus
			A lady temptress and the counterpart to an Incubus. She is thought to seek sexual intercourse with sleeping men. The succubus (as well as Incubus) were thought to be fallen angels, looking for revenge. Demons, witches and deformed children were the supposed outcome of intercourse with a succubus (incubus).

One of my favorite demons to play with in my books has to be a succubus. She is the epitome of all that is erotic and dangerous about women, but as much of a prisoner of her lust as the men she seduces. Depending upon who is telling the story she can either be a vengeful spirit bent on destruction, or a sympathetic figure that is trapped in an endless cycle of need.

I can’t help but think that stories of the succubus were yet another way to demonize any woman who sought her own sexual pleasure. Any woman who wants more than two pumps and a squirt in the dark must be possessed by an evil sperm sucking demon! We all know only women possessed by the devil would be interested in sexual satisfaction. ;)

 And I have a feeling that this was also a frequent excuse used by cheating men. No, honey, I didn’t have the milkmaid in bed with me! It twaz that evil succubus draining my seed to make more demon children. I was helpless against her infernal powers. 

In ‘Princess of Lust’ we meet the queen of the succubus and she is far more than meets the eye. A strong, powerful character in her own right, she has a key role to play in Natalia’s present and future. I really don’t want to say anymore without giving away too much, but suffice to say the demoness has much to teach Natalia…and her men. 

Princess of Lust is the second book in my ‘For the Love of Evil’ trilogy. Because it is a continuing story line you really, really need to read the first book ‘Daughter of Lust’ before losing yourself in the wicked pleasures of ‘Princess of Lust’. Lucky for you I’m giving away a copy of ‘Daughter of Lust’. Simply comment below and tell me what your favorite type of demon is. :D

Meet Decadent Cover Artist Trisha Schmitt!

Cover by Trisha Schmitt

 How did you get your start in Graphic Design?

I have always been the creative type. I love to draw and do pastel landscapes. I am a huge reader, and one of the series I adore is Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed novels. When I joined her fan forum, I was introduced to photoshop. I was hooked!! I started to make banners and little graphics for the peeps on the board. It kind of spiraled into me teaching myself everything I could in Photoshop. From there, I went on to photo-retouching for photographers, which helped hone my skills, but was boring.. So I put my love for books and art together and started pushing to do cover work. Here I am now!

What are your favorite sorts of covers to do?

Hmmm... My favorite.. I really love anything paranormal. They have more creative freedom and are just plain fun! Nothing like a hawt vamp to make my muse sing.

You’re one of our house cover designers. Do you remember the first project you did for Decadent Publishing?

 Ha, ha, well.. Heather kinda fan/stalked me before I did any work with Decadent. (Not in a bad way! I just posted how much I loved her stuff on her FB page. LOL!--Hb)  I do a lot of character fan art for the books I love, and she found me that way. I love know she had rotating wallpapers of my art on her computer. That kind of stuff rocks my world! Then, I believe we were in some sort of chat one night, and I said to Heather, " Hey, why am I not creating covers for you?! " a few weeks later I had my first cover project Another Chance by Rebecca Royce. I love working with the team at Decadent. You all rock! Oh and FYI, Heather can booty dance like nobody's business!

What are a few of your best or favorite Decadent Publishing covers?

I really like Usher's, Inc. that was fun and my first and I think only YA cover!  Daughter of Lust was challenging and creative, too.

What other authors do you design for?

Oh, too many to list! I have done over 136 covers this year alone! I am a workaholic! When I get a project assigned, I have to get it done THEN! Which is getting harder to do. I am working with a few major NYC houses now, and they keep me pretty busy!

Do you have other creative outlets besides designing?

I love to scrapbook. Which I have not done in ages, but I love it. The design composition with scrapbooking actually is the same as cover composition. 

Thanks for having me here! I wish you all the success in the world!!

Ann Mayburn's (Kinky) Playlist

I've always loved dark, moody and powerful music for writing my intense sex scenes. The hard bass, the melody that tugs at your soul and stirs your heart, and the beat that drives your lovers body into your own. Whew, excuse me for a second while I take a cold shower.

For sex scenes with BDSM and D/s elements I always put on Nine Inch Nails. It is utterly, absolutely, perfect for putting me in the mood for a good, hard f...well, you know. ;) We're not talking making love with sighs and cuddles, or sex with a little slap me on the ass and call me Sally. No, I'm talking about the kind of sex that leaves you in a shaking, endorphin filled, sweating heap of satisfaction. The kind of sex that has such a rich spice you can only do it sparingly lest you burn yourself.

Yum.

In my upcoming 1 Night Stand story, Bound for Pleasure, Lara Hernandez has been given the gift of a strong and powerful Alpha male that will be her submissive for the night. Tycen is everything a woman could ever want and more. As a pro-football player he could snap Lara in half without breaking a sweat, but he holds all that magnificent strength in check for her pleasure, devotes himself to submitting to the beautiful Hispanic woman that lights his blood on fire with the wicked BDSM games that she plays so well.

Below is a list of some of the Nine Inch Nails songs I listened to while writing 'Bound for Pleasure'. Provocative, tempting, and on the edge of being dangerous. I hope you enjoy them, and if you're in the mood for a good, hard f...you know, I suggest you put on a Nine Inch Nails song, your kinkiest lingerie, and grab your honey for a mind-blowing romp on the dark and spicy side.

Nine Inch Nails
                      : Closer
                      : Head Like a Hole
                      : Sanctified
                      : Meet your Master (or in this case, Mistress)
                      : Suck
                      : Get Down Make Love
                      : Perfect Drug


On a different note, I would be totally remiss if I didn't urge you to listen to 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails and the remake by Johnny Cash. I personally love this song, and love the Johnny Cash remake of it even more. I know, it sounds really odd to hear that Johnny Cash covered an Industrial song, but good music speaks to people across the generations. Johnny heard this song and it struck a deep, dark chord in his soul. Many people consider Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' as his epithet, and after watching the music video that he starred in and directed of the song I have to agree. At the time he made the video he was in frail health and knew his end was near. Seven months after making the music video he passed away. So grab a tissue before you watch it, this video always makes me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

Getting to Know...

 Ann Mayburn

1. My hair color changes with the season. I'm usually dark brunette in the winter and caramel blond in the summer. With shades of red thrown in there every once in a while. 

2. I used to be big into the Detroit Techno scene 'back in the day'. If you live near Detroit, you must attend the Detroit Electronic Music Festival for people watching on Memorial Day Weekend.

3. I love playing the nickel slot machines. Fifty bucks in nickels lasts forever!

4. I crochet blankets for all the babies in my family. With seven brothers and sisters...that's a lot of babies.

5. I taught myself to crochet via YouTube.

6. I'm short, really short. Like if I go to an elementary school the 6th graders are taller than me short.

7. I want to be Stevie Nicks when I grow up, or Bette Midler. Or just dress like Stevie Nicks and have the big, beautiful brass balls of Bette Midler. 

8. My husband tears up at chick flicks while I groan and roll my eyes.

9. I own and enjoy shooting guns. 

10. My husband owns the guns because it's one of his hobbies. I own guns because I'm getting ready for the zombies. Seriously.

If this didn't scare you away, go visit Ann Mayburn at her website!

One lucky commenter will receive an e-copy of Daughter of Lust, Ann's latest release with Decadent Publishing! 

Our Amazing Cover Art!

by Ann Mayburn

It probably comes as no surprise that authors tend to be artistic in other parts of their lives than just writing. When you have an imagination that is often in overdrive you find yourself drawn to other creative outlets that give your muse a chance to rest and play. I know authors that knit, make D&D miniature models, design their own jewelry, blow glass(which I would love to do) and just about anything else under the sun that allows us to be imaginative.

Myself, I do cross-stitch, crochet, scrapbook, paint(badly), do pottery(well), and about a dozen other things. I can’t walk through a craft store without salivating at all the different projects. So my husband was actually happy that my new hobby didn’t involve filling a grocery cart full of expensive crafting crap. Instead it only cost us a good art program and some stock photos.

You see, I’ve discovered the fantastic world of cover art. Now, I know what you’re thinking, don’t you like...need to know what you’re doing to make a good cover? Uh-no. With stock photos and today’s art programs anyone can make a cover. Don’t believe me? Have you been to the Amazon kindle books section lately?

Decadent was nice enough to let me design my own covers for myself and one of their other authors. I can’t say how much I appreciate this opportunity, and I promise Val is going to sell TONS of books with the hot little cover I made for her. Feast your eyes on this:

Totally sexy, right? Well if that hotty made you tingle, better buckle your seatbelt for this one. I like to write books about real, flawed men and the women that find them sexy. Anyone can have a guy with a six-pack on the cover, I wanted a guy who actually looked like most of the guys I know.

 

But wait, it gets even better! Like hot fetish books that push the boundaries of what’s new and hot? Me too! That’s why I designed the cover below to introduce readers to a sassy new kink.

Okay, if you’re done throwing up in your mouth now. I can offer you a palate cleanser. ;) Take a look below at my real cover art done by real artists. Each of these covers is 10% inspiration from me and 90% talent from my cover artists. These ladies bust their butts to make their authors happy and I really appreciate it. Being a cover artist can be a thankless job, we authors tend to get upset when they aren’t psychic and read our minds about what we want. Or when we’re totally unrealistic and/or have bad taste.(cough) So thanks to the ladies and gents with the talent to give our book a face. We love you more than you’ll ever know.

PS- Yes, they are freak’n awesome. :D

10Q TUESDAY WITH Ann Mayburn

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

One of my goals is to travel to Kazan, Russia someday. My book, Daughter of Lust, is set in Kazan and while researching the city and its history I've fallen in love with it.  From the medieval architecture to the Kazan Kremlin I have a list of places I want to see that's a mile long. Situated on the Volga and Kazanka rivers, the city has long been a vibrant center for trade and culture.

Beyond the physical beauty, the people that are the heart and soul of Kazan are what fascinate me the most. Strong and resilient, they are the result of generations overcoming every hardship imaginable. They are a blend of religions and beliefs, and nowhere is that more evident than the dozens of churches and mosques that live next to each other in peace.  

Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

I use a pen name to keep the hordes of stalkers interested in watching me stare at a computer screen and change diapers while wearing pajamas with my baby food encrusted hair in a ponytail from finding me. ;) Just kidding about the hordes of stalkers part, the rest is sadly true.

I came up with my pen name by doing the old 'what's your porn star name' game. In this case, my middle name and the name of the street I grew up on. What would your porn star/author name be? 

Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?

Does the theme music to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse count?

What is your favorite meal?

My mother is 100% Polish and she always made us delicious golumpkis(stuffed cabbage). I learned the recipe from her, added my own touch, and could live on them. Weird, I know.

What was the scariest moment of your life?

When my third son, Max, was born at 31 weeks and weighed 4 lbs 8 oz. I was absolutely terrified for him, trying to do everything I could to stop my labor. During the day I'd become addicted to those 'having a baby' shows and I knew the tough road he had ahead of him. I have a crystal clear memory of lying on the c-section table and waiting to hear him cry. When there was only silence I looked at my husband in panic and he rushed after the NICU staff into the room next door where they were trying to get him going. After what seemed like an eternity I finally heard a faint cry and I can't even describe my relief. Almost a year later, Max is a happy and BIG baby who is eating us out of house and home. 

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A horse trainer and an archeologist. 

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

My Mom. When I was a typical selfish and naive teenager she was the dumbest person in the world who would never understand me. The older I get the smarter she gets. ;)

How did you start your writing career?

I decided to start writing in June of '10 after the premature birth of my third son. It was a really rough delivery. I lost a great deal of blood and had some touch and go moments. While I was recovering from my c-section, without my baby, I had a lot of time to think. In my morphine pumped induced state, I considered all the things that I'd done and what I still wanted to do.
I'd had A LOT of fun in my life, and marrying my husband and having my children was a joy that I can never fully explain. One thing I'd wanted to do was write a book. I've always been a heavy reader, my husband used to moan at my monthly bills from the bookstore, and I have an over-active imagination. The trouble was focusing my ADD 'Oh look a squirrel, oh look a penny' self to sit down and write.

Basically, I stopped making excuses about why I couldn't do it, and sat down and did it. I found that once I started, I couldn't stop. My muse went into overdrive and I have more ideas than I have hours in the day.

Does your significant other read your stuff?

My husband, bless his heart, is a very slow reader. He's waiting for them to come out on audio.

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

A bear. The sleep of hibernation sounds like nirvana to me. My kids won't sleep past 6 am.

For Better or Worse ~ Decadent Authors in the Spotlight

 



"The tin grin was in. My mom took this picture in 1981 when I was nineteen. I had braces for six years," says Leanne Dyck (author of The Sweater Curse). Leanne offers no explanation for the glasses or the hair, however.





 



 







Rita Hestand - 1960s  "Me, the one is a picture of my hair ratted back in the late 60's, it is sticking out all over, the other is what it looked like when it was combed into a style.  My mother was a hairdresser and took both pics."

Kathleen Gallagher ~ "If I Could Turn Back Time", was released June 1, on my birthday. If Cher could wear the wild hairstyle, so could I. 

 Ann Mayburn ~ late 80's. "Those giant dark glasses, that tough girl glare, I was hell on wheels! Pink and grey 10 speed wheels that is. On a walk...with my grandma and my little brother. Yep...I was a real bad ass."

Valerie Mann ~ 1976, Denver, CO. Dig the groovy beaded headband and sexy hotpants (too bad the picture cut off the view of my legs). My mother made those duds for me - they said "VOTE" all over them. 

My father and I came home and found a wild duck in the yard. Judging from the stranglehold I had on it, it's no wonder it flew away during the night. 

 Clare Dargin - late 90's. That was a meeting for my job a little over ten years ago.  And they were going over from table to table taking pix and I was, oh, I've been here all day... okay... <cheez!> now go away so we can finish and I can go home!!

Maureen O. Betita
~ 1976. "I was 16 and this was my pic from my student body card. Oddly enough, I thought I was fat. Sigh. Man, I loved that shirt! And I often wore it with my light blue bell bottoms, painted with flowers on them... I still own them in my memory box."
















Mahalia Levey ~1993 April just admitted early into the military :)

Sheila Stewart ~ "Do not piss me off!!"

Mari Freeman ~ Mardi Gras Road Trip, New Orleans 1985

Gracen Miller - 1989 ~ Good Lord!!--that hair is atrocious!!!  LOL  And to think I paid for that awful curl job.  *shudders*  Looks more like I stuck my finger in an electric socket.  :-)

  












Jennifer Robins, Age 15
Jennifer always wanted to write even at an early age but couldn't find the needed time until she grew much older. 

 

Deena Remiel ~ A long time ago, in a land far away called Long Island, there lived a girl. There, she shed her sheltered world and came into her own as a college student for four years. This girl was captured in photograph in her second year, 1985. She partied hard, made great friends, and studied well.

                                     

Show and Tell Saturday with Ann Mayburn

Trying to give a title to your book is almost as hard as naming your child. You want it to draw people in. To let them know that there is something amazing waiting for them if they choose to read your book. The title should seduce the reader's imagination and make them want more. A lot to ask from a few little words, huh?

Daughter of Lust is my debut erotic paranormal romance novel with Decadent Publishing. I have to say, the title came to me fairly easily.  I realize the very nature of the word lust brings to mind all kinds of racy images. Lust is a very powerful word, and it often brings to mind sinful and forbidden pleasures. The kind of pleasures and needs that you only whisper about in the dark, glad that your partner can't see your furious blush at even thinking of such things. Or maybe you haven't found the courage yet to speak such words aloud, instead keeping them safely in your mind where they never fail burn your blood.

The leading lady of the novel, Natalia, is trying to deal with the overwhelming power of lust-both blood lust and carnal passions. A peasant living in Kazan, Russia in the 1800's, she's ashamed and confused by her wicked desires. No one she knows ever talks about sex, let alone speaks of their erotic dreams. She believes she's losing her mind as her cravings for blood and lust grow to the breaking point. 

At night, her dreams are filled with the press of skin, the exchange of breath, and soul wrenching need.  Strange passions urge her to force the son of a local mafia lord into submission and the return of a childhood crush arouse the shadowy side of her soul. The demonic side of her essence has been slumbering, but now threatens to awaken fully and take over her life. Natalia is about to learn that demons are very real, and the balance of Heaven and Hell hang on the threads of her love.

I hope that the title of my novel has seduced your imagination. If you would like to read the first chapter of Daughter of Lust, please check out my website at www.annmayburn.com