Monday 31 October 2011

FREE Podcast







Fancy a steamy read to spice up your Monday? Here is a free story about Mr and Mrs Darcy's wedding night. You can choose between podcast or book, just click on the cover below, and if you do take thirty minutes to listen/read my story, be sure to let me know what you think.

Lily x

Sunday 30 October 2011

Sunday Snog - Ménage a Music

Happy Sunday Snog everyone - here is a kiss from the final book in my Mattress Music series. You've met Nina and Ian in Mattress Music, and Jenny and Robbie in Mirror Music, now let me introduce the very lucky Sylvia who gets not just one hot rockstar but two! Tim and Dean Coltrane, guitarist and drummer in The Manic Machines.



Blurb

Most women would think themselves eternally lucky to have a hot, sinfully sexy rock star giving them the serious come-on—so imagine how I felt to find not one but two giving me the eye! Phew! I was turning somersaults.

But of course this led to a massive and, quite honestly, unenviable dilemma. How the heck do you choose between two rock gods who want nothing more than to give you pleasure of the extremely intense variety?

Lucky for me these global superstars were brothers who knew just how to share the same toy—sorry, I mean woman. That left me free to take a break from managing the band and let their experienced, talented hands manage me.

* * * * *

Snog - taken from the beginning of the book when Sylvia realizes she has a dilemma.

Dean took the glass of wine from my hand then cupped my elbow as I stood.
“Get yourselves out there.” I tried to use my most stern voice and narrowed my eyes fiercely.
“Yes Miss,” Dean said, and before I knew it his lips had brushed mine, the merest of touches. But it left a hint of the softness of his mouth and the delicious flavor of him that matched his woodsy male scent.
I caught my breath as he threw a cheeky grin upward. Following his gaze, I saw he held a sprig of mistletoe above my head. “Got you,” he said with a wink. Then he turned and headed out the door after Robbie and Ian.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Tim said, reaching out and tucking a strand of my new hairdo behind my ear. “We won’t be long.” He ducked his head and before I knew it he too was kissing me. But his kiss was longer, harder, and his tongue peeped into my mouth.
My heart fluttered, my knees weakened. What was happening? But before I could respond, he too was gone. I faltered on my heels and pulled in a shaky breath.
“Hey, you okay, Sylvia?” Nina asked from her chair, her eyes wide.
“Er, yeah.” I touched my tingling lips. “I think so.”
“Looks like you’ve got two admirers,” Jenny said with a grin, helping herself to another glass of mulled wine. “And a decision to make.”

Have a wonderful Sunday and if you check out my Mattress Music series be sure to swing by and let me know what you think of those sinfully sexy guys and the girls who capture their hearts.

Lily x

Friday 28 October 2011

Out and about!

Join me today at Hitting the Hot Spot where I am chatting about that lovely past time of kissing.


And don't forget The Romance Studio is holding their fantastic Spookapalooza event. There is a whole heap of blogs from tons of authors and loads of giveaways.


Hope to see you there.


Lily x

Monday 24 October 2011

Please welcome JoAnne Kenrick




Today I am thrilled to have fellow author JoAnne Kenrick visiting my blog and chatting about her new novel Rock You Like A Hurricane, an 80's rock romance set in Australia.

Phew, its hot stuff, so take it away JoAnne, I can't wait to hear all about your writing process and inspiration...

Puberty Blues, 80s, and the best beach in New South Wales


In Rock You Like A Hurricane, I had to not only develop two friends with very difference characters who lived in Australia, I also had to get to grips with Aussie and 80s slang. Sure, I'd spent two some years living in New South Wales. But I had no idea with the whole Hunk'O'Spunk was a trend back then, or what else might have been common speech. It didn't matter how many episodes of Neighbours I watched to catch up with my Aussie lingo, it wasn't going to clue me in with Australia in the 80s.



Adele is a gobby lifesaver, and I'd already decided she would work at Cronulla Beach because it was my most favorite beach in NSW that I've had the pleasure of body surfing at. I had to write it in somehow. And Sadie, the main character in Rock You Like A Hurricane, is stubborn and a bit of a snob. It made sense to base her work place in Darling Harbour because the whole area just struck me as upmarket and somewhere you would find an exclusive five star hotel complete with a concert hall. And it was just a stones throw away from Sydney Harbour bridge...where Sadie and Ryker have fun with public displays of indecency.

With the story finished, I was near tearing my hair out trying to get the Aussie slang just right when I landed upon a research treasure; an Aussie cult movie that was set in Cronulla Beach...and the 80s! OH MY. Birthdays and Christmases all at once. And it is about two girl friends.






That film is called Puberty Blues and had everything I needed to 80s up my little Aussie Rock story. And thanks to all my Aussie friends who answered a multitude of emails asking for confirmation on words and phrases. YOU GUYS ARE DA BOMB.






Puberty Blues put Cronulla Beach on the map, internationally, when it was released in 1981.  The book was written by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, and actually centered around younger characters; for legal reasons they changed their age from 13 to 16 for the movie. The darker scenes were also edited out to soften the effect, and a lot of crude surfer slang was removed. The book caused quite a controversy when it released...as did the movie even though it was a lot 'cleaner'. And notice the 18+ rating. Although this book/movie is about teenagers, it's definately not FOR teenagers.


Buylinks: BOOK MOVIE






Rock You Like A Hurricane, Sirenic #1
It's 1989 and Ryker Conall, American rock star and heartbreaker, is looking all kinds of Bon Jovi hot. He’s back in Australia and staying in the exclusive Darling Harbour Hotel where Sadie Fox works. His plans include more than rocking it down under. He also wants to rekindle what he had with Sadie back in ‘85. But wanting and getting are two different things.

Sadie’s objective is to get through the week without getting under Ryker. Getting over him was hard the first time around. She’s not sure she could do it a second. Just one week, that’s all, then she’s home free.

When a hurricane moves in, they have to wait it out. It might be a big hotel, but Sadie can’t hide from Ryker forever. It’s not long before Sadie is backed into a corner. A corner she is not sure she wants to get out of.


Bio

JoAnne Kenrick, an ex-Ghost Tour Guide turned Romance Author, is a Welsh lass who has lived in various countries around the world. She now calls North Carolina her home, where she lives with her husband, two children and a lazy cat. When they aren't demanding her attention, she can most likely be found watching a vampire movie, reading or baking up a British favorite in her N.C. kitchen. That is, when she isn't writing or chatting up a storm on social networking sites. www.joannekenrick.com



Thanks so much for stopping by JoAnne, and all the best with Rock You Like A Hurricane 

Lily x

Sunday 23 October 2011

Sunday Snog - Mirror Music

Hi everyone who enjoys their Sunday Snog - this week, as promised, I have a snog for you taken from the second book in my Mattress Music series - Mirror Music.(If you're wondering about the title, you have to wait until they get into the bedroom!)




Blurb

As Robbie Harding belts out hit song Jenny to a packed Wembley Stadium, my heart tears, my mind fudges and my insides heat to a lusty, pulsing boiling point.

Why me more than the other 90,000 screaming fans?

Because I’m Jenny—he’s singing about me.

The guy is sex on legs with a voice to match and has starred in all my hot dreams since the day boys became interesting. For three precious years, it was more than hot dreams. Turns out he wants me back in his life and his bed. How can I resist?

So with lots of naked, sweaty and downright dirty time to make up for, I wield my backstage pass, hunt him down and refuse to be starstruck by the boy next door. Seems Robbie agrees, as he insists on tuning in to my needs and rediscovering our rhythm before we even reach a bedroom.


SNOG - taken from when Jenny and Robbie are in the back of the Limo after the concert...

I looked across at him. There were small lines at the corners of his eyes that hadn’t been there the last time I’d seen him. “Whose home?”
“Mine.” He grinned and reached for my knotted hand. “And it’s Sunday tomorrow, Jenny, so unless you work in a 24/7 laboratory then I very much doubt you have to be there early.”
My gut clenched. My hastily spun lie had been ridiculously weak. I stared out the window again and let his warm, smooth hand stroke over mine. It was so familiar—his touch. It was Robbie. But it wasn’t my Robbie. He was something else, someone different. “And when we get to yours?” I asked. “Then what?”
“We talk, about us.”
I turned to him. “We were finished a long time ago. I don’t understand where all this has come from. The song and the tickets.”
He reached forward and hit a small black button. A solid screen slid silently up between us and the driver, sealing us in privacy. “I miss you,” he said with a shrug. “And I couldn’t go on living without finding out if you missed me too.”
I’d missed him since the day we’d separated. I missed him so much there were times when I wondered if the ache would ever go away. It was why no one special had ever broken their way into my life or heart since the split. It was why I’d thrown myself headfirst into my research. “I missed you too,” I confessed quietly, searching the depths of his eyes. They were the same as they’d always been. They hadn’t changed over the years. A ring of brown circled the green iris and flecks of gold sat at their depths.
He slid across the seat. His shadowed face was so close now. His lips a whisper away from mine. Suddenly he was my Robbie again, there was nothing different about him at all. I swallowed tightly and remembered the flavor of his tongue, the feel of his hair tangled in my fingers and the texture of his flesh rubbing against mine when we were sweaty and naked. How could I still want him after he’d hurt me so much? After all this time apart? It didn’t make sense, but the deeply carnal desires building in me were so powerful, so demanding, it was bowling me over and taking control of my every thought and emotion.
“Do you remember how we used to be so damn good together?” he asked in a breathy whisper, leaning in closer still. “Before I went and fucked it all up.”
I stared into his hypnotizing eyes.
“Maybe I should remind you,” he murmured. He dipped his head and sealed his lips against mine, soft and gentle and oh so sexy. Once again a rush of memories flooded my mind, images of him kissing me at the school gate, the disco in the town hall, the tent at the end of his garden.
He probed past my teeth and into my mouth, caressing and searching. Our tongues tangled. The kiss heated up and a hot, desperate tug pulled at my abdomen and between my thighs. Robbie was kissing me. Was this real or would I open my eyes and be hot, flustered and alone with another tremor vibrating deep in my belly?
His hands caught my face, his fingertips slotted into my hair. I opened my eyes. Robbie was still there, he was real.
Suddenly I was consumed by a great tidal wave of lust. It was desperate, burning me alive, taking absolute possession of me. Grasping for his shoulders, I sank my tongue into his mouth with ten times more force than he’d kissed me. I had to have him. I had to have him now. Hell to the consequences, I would grab what I could while I had the chance.
His mouth responded with the same urgency I felt and he tightened his grip on my head. I fed off his taste and his tongue, sating a need that had been simmering unquenched for too long.
“Jenny, oh god, Jenny, I want you, I need you,” he groaned. His breaths were coming hard and fast. “And I can’t wait another damn second for you.”
“So don’t,” I half said, half growled as I pressed him back against the seat with my body. Rising and straddling his thighs, a hard, wonderfully familiar thickness greeted me as I sat down on his lap.
He gasped. “Oh god, are you sure?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure.”



Have a wonderful Sunday and I hope you get a snog of your own. Next week there will be a lip smacking excerpt from the last in this series Ménage a Music.

Lily x

Friday 21 October 2011

Exciting News

I am thrilled to have just signed a contract with Ellora's Cave for a full length novel titled Stockholm Surrender. If any of you have read Stockholm Seduction, one of my FREE short stories, you will already know the characters!




I hadn't intended to do anything more with this sexy couple but after checking out the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon there was one overwhelming complaint - it just wasn't long enough! So, I got Penny and her bad-ass kidnapper chatting to me again and the result is Stockholm Surrender, a roller-coaster ride of lust and desperation which spans continents and picks up from the cliffhanger I left it on.


The cover should be available very soon so I'll post it here for you to check out. And if you want to read Stockholm Seduction, which is the prologue to the novel, click on the cover above.


Have a wonderful day.


Lily x

Thursday 20 October 2011

Phantom Touch

Check out Cindy Jacks awesome new Ellora's Cave release.





Erika leads a quiet life—at least in the real world. But her alter-ego, Little Lottie, is a singer at a local club and engages in a wild online romance. For months she’s been communicating with a mysterious man, known only to her as the Phantom.

Her lover contacts her via texts, emails and instant messages. When he offers to fulfill her desires in real life, she can’t refuse. The only condition to meeting for their sizzling assignations—he wears a mask to hide his true identity. Despite his reluctance to reveal himself to Erika, he tears down her inhibitions and unleashes her suppressed passions, taking possession of her body and soul.

Erika may have finally found the one man who can sate her every longing…if only he would show her the man behind the mask.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

The Pet Shop by K D Grace



Check out the newest erotic novel by best-selling author K D Grace.

Blurb 

In appreciation for a job well done, STELLA JAMES 's boss sends her a pet – a human pet. The mischievous TINO comes straight from THE PET SHOP complete with a collar, a leash, and an erection. Stella soon discovers the pleasure of keeping Pets, especially this one, is extremely addicting.
Obsessed with Tino and with the reclusive philanthropist, VINCENT EVANSTON, who looks like Tino, but couldn’t be more different, Stella is drawn into the secret world of The Pet Shop. As her animal lust awakens, Stella must walk the thin line that separates the business of pleasure from the more dangerous business of the heart or suffer the consequences.

Excerpt

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS," O'Kelly said, nearly dropping the phone. "You can't really mean to give Stella James Tino for the whole weekend. Wouldn't a nice gift voucher from Selfridges be more appropriate?"

The Boss offered her a tolerant chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Didn't she tell you she thought an occasional shag wasn't too much to ask for doing such a demanding job?"

"Yes, but she was joking. I'm sure she never expected–"
"Well, she's right. It isn't too much to ask, is it? She's a very dedicated employee, and we've always done our best to reward dedicated employees, especially one with such promise, one that we have such plans for."

"Yes but–"

"Hasn't she met and surpassed our expectations since she's joined Strigida, and didn't we both agree she's exactly what we're looking for?"

"Yes, but–"

"She's not in a relationship, right?"

She rolled her eyes and glanced down at her watch. He was on a roll. Nothing for it now but to hear him out.

"No relationship, no family. Stella can afford to live in London because she has no life outside of work, all factors we took into account when we hired her. There's no arguing she doesn't have time for sex." He paused long enough for a quick breath. "Sorry to say that's the way of the world these days. All work and no play. Very sad. Very sad indeed."

"Yes, sir. It is sad, but, sir, Tino?"

"Yes. Tino."

"OK, maybe for a couple of hours, maybe. But surely not for the whole weekend."

"Yes, for the whole weekend, O'Kelly, from Friday night till Sunday evening. Every last second of it."

O"Kelly rubbed her forehead impatiently then rolled her shoulders to loosen the knots, which she could always count on the Boss to tighten. "It's not that the woman doesn't deserve a weekend of blow-your-brains-out sex. God knows she does, but ..."

"But what, O'Kelly? Get to the point."

O"Kelly squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. She found the whole thing a bit embarrassing, actually. "Well, sir, she's just so ..."

"So what?"

"She's just so tight laced, so prim and proper. I don't know – all business. I can't help but wonder if we've made a mistake, and even if we haven't, a weekend with Tino is just so hardcore at this stage, don't you think?" She straightened in her chair and brushed her skirt free of the few remaining crumbs from the sandwich she had wolfed for lunch. "I can't picture her being the kind who could appreciate or even be able to handle a weekend with Tino."

"Prim and proper? Really? You just told me she was joking about the company providing sex as a fringe benefit for its overworked employees. Doesn't sound very prim and proper to me. In fact she sounds like exactly the woman we've been looking for."

Bio 

K D Grace was born with a writing obsession. It got worse once she actually learned HOW to write. There's no treatment for it. It's progressive and chronic and quite often interferes with normal, everyday functioning. She might actually be concerned if it wasn't so damned much fun most of the time.
K D's erotic romance novels, The Initiation of Ms Holly and The Pet Shop, both published by Xcite Books, are available from all good paperback and eBook retailers.
Her erotica has been published with Xcite Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and Scarlet Magazine.

Find out more about K D Grace on her website, http://kdgrace.co.uk. She's also on Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday 18 October 2011

4 1/2 stars for Slap Shot



Slap Shot, the third in my Hot Ice series has just received a great review from Sensual Reads - here is what the reviewer had to say...


NHL player Rick “Ramrod”  Lewis has finally met his match when it comes to event coordinator Dana Wilcox.  Instantly attracted to her, Rick can’t help himself from wanting to get to know her better, even though she adamantly tells him she is not wanting to date…anyone!  But a heated moment has them both about ready to combust if they don’t succumb to the desire they create together.
Dana has lived life hard and fast, but two years ago she received her wake up call and is reinventing herself, now as a successful business owner she only wants to focus on her work.  Everything about Rick has her itching to let the bad girl come out to play, but she is afraid if Rick truly knew her past he would not want anything to do with her.   Can she take a chance on him or regret it for the rest of her life.
Third in the Hot Ice series.  I thought this was a fantastic addition to the series, I liked that Dana was not perfect, she had issues that were real and left her vulnerable to being hurt.  Rick is rugged and knows what he wants, but at times he is like a big teddy bear you just want to cuddle.    Wonderful book to put your feet up with and relax for the day.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Sunday Snog - Mattress Music

This week's Sunday Snog is taken from Mattress Music. This is a scene in the Bug House at London Zoo when the secretive Ian is trying to find out what really rocks Nina's boat.






His hand slipped from my cheek and rested around my neck. I was sure he could feel my heart beating wildly beneath my skin. “And have you found it yet?” he murmured. “Love, that is.”
“No. Well, maybe once, several years ago, but we separated on good terms, it was a mutual breakup, we’d grown out of each other. There were few tears on either side.”
“And no one since?”
“Not that I would use the ‘L’ word for, no.”
Ian grinned suddenly, as if I’d just told him some fabulous piece of news. “Oh, you are such a sweet little challenge, Nina.” His lips were just a whisper from mine. “Such an irresistible challenge.”
“What do you mean?” I dragged in his hot scent, lingering leather and musk. I could taste him in the air between us, a delicious blend of all my favorite erotic flavors.
“A challenge to please in the bedroom and, even better, a challenge to capture the heart of. Now I’ve been your dragon, I hope I can redeem myself and be your knight in shining armor.” His lips pressed on mine and his confident tongue darted into my mouth. I couldn’t resist, I curled my hands over his shoulders, squeezed my fingers into the soft cotton and pulled my body up against his. He had such a wonderful way with words.
He groaned deep in his throat and intensified the kiss. Our teeth touched briefly, our hats knocked and my head began to spin. All I could think of was the way he was holding me, as if he would never let me go. His words rang in my ears—he wanted to please me and capture my heart. Could I let myself fall in love after all this time? Could I be with just one person instead of constantly being on the prowl? Something inside me was telling me maybe I could—with Ian.
His hands roamed my body, squeezing my butt through my jeans and stroking up my spine. I let myself fall forward and felt his growing erection press through his jeans against my stomach. He moaned into my mouth as I squirmed against his length, then he sent a hand up inside my t-shirt, cupped my breast through my satin bra and tweaked my nipple to a hard point.
Blood pulsed between my thighs and I braced my knees to stay upright. I wanted him, now. I wanted him inside me again so badly I thought I might actually combust. It was already hot in the bug house, but we were cranking the temperature to the boiling point.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” Ian murmured as he kissed across my cheek to my ear. “No idea how much this means.”
“Oh, I think I can tell,” I said, squeezing my hand between our bodies and pressing my palm against the strain in his jeans.
His breath caught in his throat, he stopped kissing me, pulled his head back and looked into my eyes. “But why do you want me?” he asked, his voice tight as a violin string.
“What?” I asked, treating him to another long, firm stroke through his denim.
His whole body tensed. “I need to know,” he said, frowning. “What do you see in me?”
“What, apart from your wit, humor and constant need to analyze?” I asked, massaging his cock. A naughty little voice on my shoulder was telling me to undo his fly and go down on him right here. There didn’t seem to be anyone around—perhaps we’d get away with it.
“Yes.” He sounded as if he were struggling to control his breathing, a muscle jumped in his cheek. “Apart from wit, humor and constant analysis, what else do you see?”
“Mmm…” I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I popped open the top button of his fly. “There is, of course, your charming smile, cute butt and…”
“What,” he said louder. “And what?”
I raised my brows as if deliberating my answer.
“Goddamn it, Nina, stop playing with me.” He grabbed both my wrists and clamped them to his chest.
“But-but I thought you were enjoying it.” I frowned up at him.
“Fuck, of course I was…am…” He screwed up his face. “Nina, stop playing with my head. What else attracted you to me? I need to know, now.” 


Oh, yum, I completely fell for Ian as I wrote this story, but don't forget about his 'mates', Robbie, Dean and Tim. There are three books in this series and I will do a snog from each one over the next three weeks.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Lily x

Friday 14 October 2011

Thursday 13 October 2011


Okay, I'll admit his apartment is a bit ropey - but I could hang out there for a little while!


Lily x

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Drea Becraft

Today I am thrilled to have Drea Becraft visiting my blog. She has a great new novel out on 17th October called Timing is Everything and today she is sharing Dimitri with us as well as a wonderful excerpt. Take it away Drea...




Timing Is Everything


Mandy only wanted one thing in life–to have a family. With no other options available to her, Mandy seeks out to adopt a child to call her own. Then a favor for a friend turns her world upside down and inside out.

Dmitri is on a mission to expand his business, but when his ex drops their baby on his doorstep for him to raise, Dmitri’s plans start to venture into unknown territory. If it weren’t for Mandy, his whole world would be in shambles.

Both Mandy and Dmitri have their own crosses to bear but Dmitri can’t imagine life without her. In a situation neither of them planned on, can they get past their differences and find happiness together?

* * * * *

Hi Lily, hi everyone, here is a look into one of my characters minds. I would love to introduce you to Dmitri.

Hello Dmitri and welcome.  How is Lynn?

Getting bigger by the minute I can hardly believe she grows so quick.  But I guess that happens when you spend your life happy and in love.

I know how that one goes.  So how is life treating you these days?

GREAT! Better now that I have finally found a woman who treats me great and I can’t wait to get home to.

Describe your perfect woman will you please?

Loving, compassionate, and hardworking.  Being good on the eyes isn’t bad either but I am all about the person inside and not out.

How did you and Mandy meet?

By a total chance of fate but I can’t imagine my life without her in it.

Does the fact the age difference between the yourself and Mandy bother you?

Its never been an issue for me.  Mandy is sexy as sin and will always be. I have to admit it took me awhile to convince her the age thing was an issue but I think she finally believes me.

Are there more children in your future?

Oh yeah. I hope many more…okay not many maybe a few.  I sure won’t mind making them.

Do you think Kisha will be back?

I don’t know but I hope not.  I know Lynn is going to have questions but the woman is in no way shape or form a good role model for my child.

If you could make one wish for the future what would it be?

To live a long happy life with my family and friends. 

Do you have anything else to add?

Thank you for having me! 



Excerpt:

            “I have eight hours before we leave.
            It takes at least an hour to get there, add in the cavity search you have to go through, and baggage check and youre going to be lucky if you make it on time if you leave right now. As if on cue the buzzer arming the front doors went off as Tim's face filled the small screen in the corner of Sasha's desk.  Looks like hubby's here so time to go.
            If you need anything you'll call me, right?
            Not unless there isn't other option.
            You can call me anytime. At the door Sasha entered her pin number into the key pad and pushed the door open slightly.
            Its your honeymoon. Go have fun and dont worry about work. Everything's under control. Making a shooing motion with her arms, Mandy smiled at Tim as he opened the door and stuck his head in giving her a wink.
             You heard the woman, it's our honeymoon.  Besides, I plan on keeping you too busy to even remember your name, let alone  who you work for. Kissing his wife on the cheek before grabbing her hand, Mandy watched as the two left the office without another word.
            Despite her anger over the wedding she should've been at, Mandy really did like Tim.  The love he showed for her friend was one she envied and hoped some man would share with her one day.  Until then she'd watch the love those two shared and be as happy as she could for them both.
            Hours later Mandy sat at her computer when the buzzer filled the office.  Turning to look into the monitor, the site of a lady with a carrier filled the screen.  Pushing the button to allow her to enter, the cries of a baby filled the office before either mother or child entered the space.  Once inside Mandy was struck by the site of the woman as the door closed behind her.
            Can I help you? Raising up from behind the desk, Mandy looked down at the baby covered in a pink blanket.
            Yeah, I'm here to drop this off.
            Sure, I can take that envelope for you. Holding out her hand for the envelope in the womans hand, Mandy waited patiently for it to be handed over.
            Not the envelope you twit, the baby. Lifting the carrier up onto the counter, the woman set the envelope on the desk beside it.
            Excuse me? Did you just say the baby?

 Thanks so much for sharing Drea, and wishing you lots of success with your new book.

Lily x

Tuesday 11 October 2011

J R Loveless

Today I am chatting sexy military boys with J R Loveless.


Come over and say hi and while you are there check out her awesome new release Chasing Seth.



Veterinarian Seth Davies comes to Senaka, Wyoming, looking for peace and anonymity, trying to escape his past. He’s always been a target for trouble and pain, and Seth has had more than his share of both. Kasey Whitedove takes one look at Seth and assumes the worst. No white man could love animals the way the mostly Cheyenne population expects, and Kasey makes Seth’s first days in Senaka more than unpleasant.

Then an accident puts Kasey in the uncomfortable position of eating crow—and helplessly desiring Seth—despite the danger of Kasey’s life as a werewolf and Seth’s stressful secrets. Chasing Seth down and keeping him safe from his past has just become Kasey's most important job.


Lily x

Monday 10 October 2011

Please welcome Maxim Jakubowski

Maxim Jakubowski is here to share the gossip on his fantastic new novel Ekaterina and the Night.


I have just finished reading Ekaterina and the Night. It is a wonderfully rich tale full of sumptuous scenes and a realism that is enhanced by Maxim's delicious attention to detail. I highly recommend picking yourself up a copy.
Over to Maxim - 


GOODBYE MONTANA, HELLO EKATERINA

A decade or so ago, I wrote a novella which I titled THE STATE OF MONTANA over the course of a 2 week break in the Maldives. If that sounds like the perfect waste of a holiday, it wasn't altogether the case. I had promised my then (trusting) publishers a new short novel and somehow the deadline got dangerously close, so I felt that writing the book away from home and all its daily distractions might help. The fact that the book's cover had already been designed and printed before I had even written a single word of the book was incentive enough.

We were on a small island, which you could walk around in under half an hour at the most, there was no TV in our hut or internet connection, just what the doctor ordered! I have always been in the habit of rising early and find working in total isolation from the rest of the household, and outside life, often does the trick. So for the duration of the holiday I would rise at 6 in the morning, work until 10, skip breakfast as I usually do, then join my wife on the beach for a few hours, lunch in the island's communal building, and then devote a further few hours to the book while everyone was having a siesta (it was much too hot to spend too much time outside right then), then beach and swim again in the emerald waters swarming with fish, followed by dinner, and another 2 hours at the keyboard before bed. Most of the other tourists staying on the island during that particular fortnight were German and I knew I had little in common with the majority of them and have never been much of a socialiser anyway.

I completed the book in the departure lounge at the airport, and did all the revisions during the 11 hour flight back to London. I have spent most of my life as a publishing editor and edit as I go along and seldom require second drafts. And met my deadline.

The book appeared to the customary resounding silence erotic novels used to in those days, and promptly sold to France, which was a consolation. It's the story of a married woman in the throes of wanderlust (but then, most of my characters are) who meets men for anonymous sex and then abandons herself to the murky world of internet chat rooms. The short novel does not actually take place in Montana; 'Montana' just happens to be Adrienne's handle when she ventures online. Even though it had not been my principal intention when I had initially thought of the story, in the white heat of my Maldives race against time, the story became a sort of curious variation on STORY ON O set on the internet, leading to a somewhat apocalyptic and soul-revealing section set in New York before turning round full cycle on itself in a seductive post-modern fashion. It's still a book I have much affection for, particularly its female character.

A few weeks prior to the publication of the American edition, the book received a favourable review in either KIRKUS or PUBLISHERS WEEKLY underlining the strength of the eponymous female heroine and, within days, I was getting calls from Los Angeles from production companies enthusiastically enquiring about the film rights, not that any of the callers had yet even read the book and realised it was, in truth, nigh unfilmable, unless it was made as a porno movie. As it was, I was already in negotiation with a French producer representing a well-known French female art film director, who had made a small offer for the rights. I knew the director's films and although she was undoubtedly an expert in the erotic, her treatments were always so cold and intellectual and at the very opposite of my own, that I was surprised by her interest. But, hey, being adapted to the big screen doesn't happen every day! I informed my American callers of the European situation, which only served to make them more eager to sign up the property. To cut a long story short, one of them out of the blue made an offer I just could not refuse and acquired the book's rights, amazingly offering 25 times more than the French had. I later learned this was on behalf of a famous A-list actress, who had just featured, with her then husband, in a lavish big budget art movie which dabbled in the erotic (and in which her sublime backside is liberally on show in the opening sequence...). Maybe she thought this was the time to do something even more daring and my book caught her eye? At any rate, I signed on the dotted line and promptly cashed the obscene check before anyone on the West Coast could change their mind.

Several years went by, during which the novel sold in a variety of other countries where it invariably appeared with a 'Soon to be a Major Movie' strapline. Then I get a phone call from L.A. advising me that the actress in question had decided, having now had her first biological child (her previous ones were adopted), that she would no more accept doing nudity in her movies. Therefore, THE STATE OF MONTANA was no longer to be made as a movie (without nudity, it would have in the best of cases been unlikely to last more than 5 minutes...) and would I be interested in buying the rights back? Needless to say, I decided to keep the money in the bank and leave the project in development hell. Goodbye MONTANA.

As a result of all this, the book has proven to be the most popular and renumerative of my writing career to date. And not a month goes by, inveterate movie fan that I am, that I don't see scenes of the film unfolding inside my head, with N.K. in glorious states of undress and nude close-up... But life goes on, and I kept on alternating writing thrillers and erotic novels, but always at the back of my mind was the thought that THE STATE OF MONTANA deserved a sequel of sorts, not so much using the characters again (as they were now in eternal bondage to a Hollywood contract anyway), another necessarily short book exploring a submissive woman's character and life trajectory, a subject that has fascinated me for years and which I will never tire of examining.

Having, with I WAS WAITING FOR YOU, finally exhausted, for now, the possible adventures of my popular hitwoman cum stripper Cornelia, I knew my next book should be somewhat different and devoid of thriller elements. And, one morning, Ekaterina made her appearance in my murky imagination. She is Italian, despite the name (her parents loved Russian operas...) and the book traces her sexual life over a number of years. It was written over an intensive 2 month period, again in a form of white heat and in my mind, this is the second half of the dyptich I began with MONTANA. Again, it is the portrait of a woman struggling with sex and relationships, and the way the two elements affect her life ; well, to be correct, mainly a liaison with an older man, so while MONTANA was my take on STORY OF O, EKATERINA could in a way be seen as my hommage to LOLITA. But I think there's more to the book than that: there's an important supernatural aspect to it (can't tell you too much about this here without spoiling the fun), there is the magic of Venice in winter, there is love and heartbreak, death and a lot of sex. But then that was a given, wasn't it? And even though an author is the worst possible judge of his own writing, I really think that Ekaterina will become one of my favourite characters. I fell in love with her while the book developed on my inner screen, going in all sorts of directions I hadn't planned, surprising me, shocking me, delighting me.

So, when you open the pages of EKATERINA AND THE NIGHT for the first time, say hello to her for me, will you please?

*****
About the book -  

Lolita meets Story of O, another memorable tale of love, sex and feelings from ‘the King of the erotic thriller’

When Ekaterina meets Alexander a shockingly sexy but tender romance develops.

She is a young Italian trainee journalist, who dreams of wild sexual adventures. He is the older Englishman who she believes can fulfill her fantasies. When Ekaterina is sent to interview the ageing writer Alexander in London, she is blinded by his charm and experience. 

Their relationship explodes in a sensual orgy, which defies society’s acceptance.

When a mysterious angel of death who calls herself Emma enters their lives, Ekaterina and Alexander know their days together are numbered.

A shocking climax set in Venice in winter brings the three protagonists together.

A tale of sex and tenderness that ranks alongside Jakubowski classic The State of Montana.


*****
About Maxim

MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI worked for many years in book publishing as an editor (including titles by William Golding, Peter Ackroyd, Oliver Stone, Michael Moorcock, Peter Ustinov, Jim Thompson, David Goodis, Paul Ableman, Sophie Grigson, Marc Behm, Cornell Woolrich, etc...) and launched the Murder One Bookshop, which he owned and ran for over 20 years. He now writes, edits and translates full-time in London.

*****


COMMENT TO WIN!

Courtesy of Xcite Books, three lucky winners can get their hands on a copy of Ekaterina and the Night in their choice of paperback or digital format. (International entries welcome)

Simply leave a comment on this post to win. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in the tour, because the more comments you make, the more chance you have of winning!

Go here to see the blog tour schedule.

PLEASE leave your email address in the body of the comment. No email address = no entry. Winners will be drawn and contacted on the week ending 11th November 2011.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Lily x