Wicked is as Wicked Does

WICKED IS AS WICKED DOES

 

Wicked Wants is the theme for several planned new releases. Think demons, angels, vampires and witches where the supernatural tangle with the mortals in tales of love, lust, sex and violence. The first novella in the series is Love Voodoo (previously released in the Come Undone box set). Look for the devilish W logo on covers to indicate that it's a Wicked Wants story.

 

LOVE VOODOO (A Wicked Wants Novella)

 

After a chance tarot card reading in a New Orleans voodoo shop, vampire Luca is intrigued by Collette, an alluring woman with an uncanny intuition. Getting intimately involved with a human is the last thing Luca has in mind, but Collette wins his trust and their friendship grows into something deeper. When Luca’s clan learns that he has asked Collette to perform a spell to bind his psychotic sire, a deadly chain of events unravels that will change their lives.

 

Available now on Amazon: : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CO27BZI

 

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Vikings Fans, Rise Up!

RISE OF THE NORTHMEN brings forth five stunning tales of sex, love, violence and triumph. From Vikings to Krakens to Berserkers to Valkyries, there is something for anyone who is a fan of Norse mythology and the mighty Northmen of days gone by.

This heart-stopping erotic anthology featuring Saranna DeWylde, Paul Goat Allen, Mark Henry, Annice Sands and me is available now!

To whet your appetite, here’s an excerpt from my novella, Mark of the Raven:

Kára stood outside Loki’s door with her hand poised in front of the bronze knocker ring. A bear made of metal was befitting someone who so often acted like an animal. A battle took place in her mind. Was virginity really so important? It was just a biological thing. If Loki would trade her Gram’s life for her virtue, would it not be worth the sacrifice?

The door opened and it startled her. Loki tilted his head to the side. “Change of heart, Kára?”

She leaned forward. “I need to speak with you.”

He stepped back and allowed her to enter. He was dressed casually in cotton pants and no shirt. She avoided staring at his broad chest. It was a curse that all the gods were so beautiful. He closed the door before crossing the room in bare feet.

A shiny gold pitcher of mead sat on the table before the fire. Loki poured some into a matching chalice and offered it to her.

Normally, she would decline but not that night. She took a sip of the amber colored liquid. The honeyed notes were obvious but it was stronger than what was served with their communal meals.

Loki poured another chalice for himself and leaned his butt against the table. The muscles in his abdomen flexed. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a proposition for you.” Kára looked away from his torso and up at the giant eye carved into the stone wall above the fireplace. There were things in Valhalla that she had never imagined in her mortal life. She had not seen such riches even after a successful plunder.

He laughed. “You are propositioning me? The moon is full and the gods must be crazy this night.”

Kára took a deep pull on the mead and cleared her throat. “I have remained a virgin here.”

“I know. Much to my displeasure.” Loki sipped from the chalice but kept his eyes on her.

“What if I were to offer my virtue to you?”

He raised an eyebrow and his mouth twitched. “You mentioned a proposition. What are you asking in return?”

“I would ask that a life be spared.”

He sat his chalice on the table and came to stand before her. “Please do not tell me you have fallen in love with a mortal. It is so cliché.”

“Not exactly. I have been in love with him from before, when I too was a mortal. But I have learned he has been chosen for the Hall of the Slain.”

“So that we are clear, you are asking that I spare him in exchange for your sexual acquiescence?”

She nodded and downed the rest of the mead. The sweet alcohol heated up her insides and gave her some much needed courage.

Loki took her by the hand and pulled her to the table. He set her chalice next to his and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, snaking his fingers up into her hair.

It had been so long since someone had touched their lips to hers. His tongue was warm and tasted of the mead they’d just shared. She put her hands on his shoulders and stepped closer to him. He gripped her hair and slid his other hand up her rib cage until his thumb rested at the curve of the bottom of her breast. The slight stroke of that spot instantly hardened her nipples. As much as she didn’t want to be turned on by him, she was.

He deepened the kiss and sucked her tongue. With two steps he backed her up against the table and picked her up to sit on the edge. Using the width of his hips, he forced her legs apart and stood between them.

The heat of his body penetrated her skirt and warmed her inner thighs. He eased her onto her back and coaxed her legs up around his hips.

So this is how it will be, she thought. My virtue surrendered atop a wooden table to the god of chaos, no less. His erection pressed hot and hard against her. She closed her eyes.

His hand slipped under her skirt and slowly inched up the outside of her thigh until he gripped her naked hip.

“Mmm. By the light of the gods you are beautiful.” He gently swept his lips over her cheek.

To read more, pick up your copy today!

Amazon: amzn.to/1QhbOK3

B&N: http://bit.ly/1iRsSHV

iBooks: http://bit.ly/20Kc4Vm

Come Undone



Once upon a time in the 80s there was a band, whose members stole the hearts of many a young girl. With their guyliner, unique fashion and music that struck through the heart, Duran Duran changed how we hear and see music. Today nine hot romance authors bring you stories inspired by their music. Come Undone is up for preorder and includes my novella, Love Voodoo!  Your get nine novellas, over 600 pages, all for only $0.99.

Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011P3OM2W

New Moon on Monday by Kim Carmichael
Though she tries to experience the world through her poetry, Luna Morrow caves to conformity rather than allowing her creativity to soar.
Pampered and passionate, fashion designer Owen “Blake” Blakeney knows he found his muse when he spots a gorgeous, alternative waitress at the Club New Moon.
After a wanton tryst, Luna disappears, leaving Blake following a trail of clues to find her. With his sights set, he sets out on a quest to locate his mystery girl and convince her to walk in his fashion show. He never expected her to walk into his heart.

Ordinary World by Solera Winters
After a chance encounter at a coffee shop, an accident leaves employment agent Tessa Toussaint in a coma, while techie Yancy Howard finds his dreams filled with this fascinating woman. As the clock ticks on Tessa’s condition, Yancy falls deeper for the woman in his dreams.

Hungry Like the Wolf by Louisa Bacio
Janie never imagined her deepest fantasies coming true. She’d been flirting with the hot DJ at an ’80s club, but taking the interaction to another level seemed impossible. Until she runs into Tyler, her high school boyfriend, on the dance floor, and he makes all the right moves.

Click Here to Order Now

Before the Rain by Kerry Adrienne
The war is over, but the rain continues, day and night. The rebel faction, Verity, enlists Maddox to safely guide Allana, an assassin, out of the city. No problem. He’ll escort her, get paid, and return to his life. But the more he learns about the mysterious and beautiful assassin, the more something about her intrigues him and compels him to learn more. With the world falling apart around them, they’ll have to decide if they can trust each other despite the deceptions and lies they face. If they can’t, they’ll die.

Wild Boys by C. Margery Kempe
It’s the end of the world and Digger’s trapped in a prison with some very wild boys. He loves the charismatic Joey, but he’s too busy fighting to be leader to notice. What are the odds they’ll all kill one another before they can escape?

Love Voodoo by Alyssa Breck
After a chance tarot card reading in a New Orleans voodoo shop, vampire Luca is intrigued by Collette, an alluring woman with an uncanny intuition. Getting intimately involved with a human is the last thing Luca has in mind, but Collette wins his trust and their friendship grows into something deeper. When Luca’s clan learns that he has asked Collette to perform a spell to bind his psychotic sire, a deadly chain of events unravels that will change their lives.

Union of the Snake by KC Burn
After his fellow human colonists were virtually enslaved by the Hilruda, Zerek, smuggler extraordinaire, made pissing off the alien oppressors both a career and a calling. When Essian, a sexy clan leader of the planet’s third species, needs Zerek’s help to fulfill a prophecy, the temptation of taking down the Hilruda is too good to pass up. Falling for Essian is not part of the plan.

Girls on Film by Linnea Alexis
After years of trying to break into mainstream movies, adult film actress Sophie Greene lands a role in a major motion picture. But not everyone is celebrating her good fortune. Her lover, Greg Vega, wants her to quit films entirely. And when a stalker emerges and begins sabotaging her career move, things get downright dangerous.

Rio by Sabrina Sol
When workaholic CFO Chase Simon is forced into taking a tropical island vacation, he sure as hell doesn’t expect to enjoy it. But when he finds out that he’ll be spending the next seven days with Rio, a sexy celebrity dancer from his past, his doubts begin to fade. Will life in the real world ever be the same for Chase again after discovering paradise.

My Five Cents on Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey is a hot button issue whether you love or hate it. My initial disclaimer is that beyond downloading the sample of the first book on Amazon, I haven’t read the Fifty Shades books nor have I seen the movie and I have no desire to. Honestly, Christian Grey sounds like a monumental douchebag and Anastasia Steele has the personality of a wet dishrag. I won’t even touch on the issue that these stories are essentially adaptations of the Twilight books (that’s Stephenie Meyer’s fight, not mine). Overall, I’m not a fan of E.L. James.

That being said, I do identify with something that is happening to her. She’s being vilified for writing a fiction story. I haven’t seen anywhere that she claims to be an expert on BDSM or that she set out to write a self-help book or an academic piece on relationships. She writes FICTION. Part of writing fiction is implementing creative license, stretching the imagination and pushing boundaries. It’s about an escape from reality.

As an author, I’ve been slammed for being “socially irresponsible” in my books because my characters have unprotected sex. In that vein, as fiction writers, I don’t feel that it is my, or Ms. James’, responsibility to provide lifestyle advice to readers. Would I take a rock star home and fuck him without a condom like my character did in Unraveled? Absolutely not. But never once, in my fantasies, does some hot guy stop and pull out a condom before he does the deed. Again, it’s fiction and my target audience are adults that I’d like to assume are smart enough to know that fantasy and reality are two different things.

From what I’ve heard, the relationship depicted in FSoG is not a healthy one, not one I’d like to see my daughter or son in. People seem to be afraid that this one series will make our daughters victims and turn our sons into predators. Really? I’m more disturbed that society seems to think that popular fiction is responsible for who our children turn out to be than the dysfunctional relationship James depicts in her book.

In my Bad Blood Empire series, I write a vampire character who has rough sex with his human girlfriend. He bites her and holds her down. She knows he struggles with wanting to kill her and she loves and chooses to stay with him despite the danger. She’s even excited by the possibility that he might hurt her. Does this make me a bad person and an irresponsible writer?

I enjoyed American Psycho and found Christian Bale’s portrayal of Patrick Bateman enticing. Does this make me sick?

I’ve played the Grand Theft Auto video game with my kids. Does this make me a bad parent?

The answer to all these questions is a resounding NO and here’s why: I write fiction and trust that my readers are smart enough to recognize that fucking a rock star without a condom is a bad idea but it’s fun to read. I can be turned on by a hot psycho without thinking it’s okay to really kill people. I can play a violent video game with my teenagers because I’ve raised them with strong moral compasses. They don’t shoot cops or beat up hookers because of a video game depiction of same. Likewise, I don’t expect my daughter will find an abusive relationship appealing because she watched FSoG and my son won’t be a domineering prick because Christian Grey is popular.

Be responsible for yourself. Teach your children right from wrong. Instill confidence and foster self esteem in your girls and compassion and respect in your boys. If you hated FSoG, by all means don’t be afraid to say so. If you loved it, go right ahead and sing its praises.  

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge supporter of freedom: Freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of choice. E.L. James is free to write what she pleases. The masses are free to speak out about the content of her books. YOU are free to choose whether or not you read these books or see the movie. The fear I have is not that people are okay with romanticizing abusive relationships but that the opponents of these books encourage censorship and censorship, in any form, is more fucked up than Christian Grey’s butt drawer.

Branded by Sin Will be Here Next Week

So, Branded by Sin, the first book in my Bad Blood Empire series, will be released by Ellora’s Cave on July 16, 2014. SQUEEE! Sit down and prepare to be amazed. 

*DRUM ROLL* 

Look at that cover! I tip my hat to the art department at EC, they’ve outdone themselves with this one. I’m beyond pleased. Seeing something I dreamed up in my mind come to life is surreal to say the least. Is it okay to say I’m in lust with my own vampire? Of course, it is, and I am. Who doesn’t love a hot bloodsucker?

Branded by Sin

  Bad Blood Empire, Book One

Sean Black’s penchant for sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll turns deadly when Christy, his occasional bed partner, takes their sexual shenanigans one step too far. There’s blood. Lots of blood. And the next time Sean wakes up, there’s even more on his hands—but not his own. Turns out Christy is a vampire, and the newly turned Sean is forced to watch her execution at the hands of her own mate, Giacomo Francelli.

Thus began Sean’s initiation into the Bad Blood Empire.

Twenty years later, Sean is comfortable with life as a BBE member, hunting bad paranormals and dating Lila, a sweet human who provides enough sex to kill an average man. But his cozy life is turned upside down when Giacomo becomes an assassin’s target. Lila gets caught in the crossfire, trusts are betrayed, loyalties tested…your basic all-hell-breaking-loose scenario. When the dust settles, the BBE issues an ultimatum for Lila. And that’s when Sean’s real troubles begin…

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

 

Writing Sean has been a labor of love. He’s been in development for a few years and it wasn’t until last year that I was finally able to start telling his story.  Or should I say that he started telling me his story and I transcribed it. Yes, I really do hear voices in my head (other crazy writers will understand this). *wink wink*

The Bad Blood Empire series is contracted by Ellora’s Cave for three books. The first two, Branded by Sin and Broken by Fate, are completed. I’m currently tapping away at the keyboard to finish book three, Bound by Blood. Will there be more? I’m not sure. But Sean is a chatty bastard, so I’m going to say there probably will be.

I’ve had a busy year. Touched by a Demon, a dark-themed erotic short story, has also been contracted by Ellora's Cave and is currently in editing. 

My rock star novella, Unraveled, will release on August 4, 2014, in the Girls Night Out bundle with fellow authors Saranna DeWylde, Beth Williamson and Tielle St. Clare. I’m super excited to be featured alongside these very talented ladies

Projects in progress include some very cool collaborations. I've teamed up with my friend and colleague, Carrie Clevenger (writing as Annice Sands), to write a fun book that features a rodeo beauty queen, an alien cowboy and glowing body parts. I see that look on your face. Haha. I confess that I’ve been a bad influence on Carrie. But it’s so bad that it’s good, if you know what I mean. I suspect the two of us will get some raised eyebrows from people over this story. *snickers* For now, we’re affectionately calling it our “ugly baby.”
I'm also in the preliminary development stages of a warrior series with my friend and fellow author, Saranna DeWylde. Oh, and there may be some Duran Duran fanfic with the wonderful Louisa Bacio and a host of other authors. My writing schedule is pretty much full until next year. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to work with some amazingly talented writers.

Moving right along. I’ll be a featured author at Authors After Dark in Charlotte, North Carolina, August 5-10, 2014. I’ll also be a featured author at the Austin Author Affair in Austin, Texas in April 2015. If you’re so inclined, come out and see me at these events. I’ll be signing books and giving away some cool swag.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I’m up to. Until next time…

Cover Reveal and Some Things About Writing

Giving Up The Ghost

After discovering an old Ouija board in the attic of her home, Kylie McAllister unwittingly opens a cosmic door to an incubus who pretends to be the dead husband she’s desperately struggling to let go of. She falls deep under the entity’s spell of delicious sex and malevolent obsession while he gradually drains her life to fortify his own. By the time she realizes he’s an imposter, she’s powerless to stop him.

Ryan La Croix has no intention of settling down with anyone, let alone his best friend’s widow but he finds himself falling fast when he’s placed in a position to protect her. With the help of a kind voodoo practitioner and a young psychic, Ryan and Kylie wage a battle for her life that seems impossible to win. 

If you’re a writer, you know there’s nothing more exciting than seeing cover art for your story. It’s like a magic trick. You write this story and then it comes to life in a picture. I had a head start with this because it was previously published but in hindsight I realized it needed some redoing. It’s currently in the hands of a capable editor and I hope to release it in March of this year. 

Behold the cover that was designed by my friend and fellow author, Saranna DeWylde. It's completely fabulous. *LOVES* Now that you’re dazzled with the pretty, I’m going to say a few things about the craft of writing.

I struggle with staying focused. For me, one of the curses of being creative and imaginative is that my mind runs constantly, jumping from one idea to another and then out the window to a bird perched in a tree in the yard then back to looking into my empty mug and wondering who drank my coffee. Before I know it, I’ve lost an hour or two. Then I spend another ten minutes sulking about the time I wasted (which wastes more time). My brain works in cycles like that, very weird and counterproductive cycles.

I’m not above using gimmicks to keep myself in check either. Recently, I went back to using Write or Die. This works by setting a goal consisting of a word count and time frame and, once you start, if you lag and stop typing the screen fades to red like the elevator doors in the Overlook Hotel opening up and gushing blood all over your words. (Yes, The Shining is one of my all time favorite books and provides me with life guidance and reference). Then a terrible alarm screeches like the hounds of hell are approaching. I will write like the wind to keep this from happening. It may sound silly but these things work for me. I clearly need to be threatened with artificial malevolence while being chained to my office chair to get things done. Now don’t get me wrong, I love writing and crafting stories but I get lazy and tired and it’s easier for me to write when I’m hyper-focused and being chased by imaginary demons wielding hot pitchforks. Also, fear spikes my adrenaline which makes for some awesome storytelling.

Writing is about finding what works for you, finding your thumbprint and it’s different for everyone. If you’re struggling to stay motivated or meet goals, reward or punish yourself accordingly. In my twisted mind, a punishment can be a reward and vice versa.

One last thing, never discount the power of a kind word or a pat on the back. A little encouragement goes a long way. That being said, let me say thank you to some people who’ve helped me immensely with my writing: Carrie Clevenger, Amy Lee Burgess, Colum McKnight, Charlote Hodge, April Gutierrez and Nerine Dorman. Whether you know or not, I couldn’t do it without you guys. <3