Funny How It Slipped In by Sascha Illyvich

Bet you thought this was a sex post, hm? Well I'm sure if I wanted to, I could take some of my talent and do just that, caress you with literary lessons of love lost and lone wolves winning, but I'd rather not.  The idea for one bores me, and for two, you're already aware I'm an erotic romance author so that automatically makes me teh sex.

What I'm talking about has to do with the actual writing process.  In a book I'm working on for agent Saraitza Hernandez, both my hero and heroine have the same goal, get to the villain.  My hero's goal is actually to bring him in, her goal is to kill him.

When I realized that issue as part of the conflict in my plotting process I thought, hey?  Didn't I just read that?  I damn sure did.  In Lover Avenged by JR Ward, both John Mathews and Xhex are after Lash, both of whom want to kill him for his being a bad, bad man.  It's funny how that sort of snuck in there as I'm sure I've read that theme before.

Probably in an Angela Knight book or maybe even Christina Dodd.  I'll take that theme one step further.  In Burn Notice, the world of Michael Westen has themes that pop up and while I'm never trying to rip off the show directly, it never ceases to amaze me where my ideas come from.  It only takes a few minutes of playing "what if" with characters I create from hearing song lyrics and BAM, I've got an instant story.

In my latest contemporary romance from Sizzler Editions, I did just that. 

Kandy is a young, free spirit. Not afraid to live life, she pushes her body and soul to the limit, hitting all the loud metal concerts, knocking back drinks with the best of them, and coming home hung over to Ian Richards, the man who has taken her under his wing since she came to live with him after her parents died years ago.

Of course, Ian has a past too. He and his ex-wife parted on friendly enough terms, but he still feels guilty for their breakup. It seems to him that his sexy little roommate, who happens to be nine years younger than him, was a part of their problem. Only, his concern for her seemed fatherly until she comes home one night after a Slipknot concert and decides to seduce him. After all, she's old enough.

For someone her age, she's wise beyond her years, which even Ian can give her, but still. Can Kandy show Ian that in order to grow, he has to get his priorities straight? Can he get out of his head and let go of the past long enough to see just what he has under his nose? Or will he cling to memories of the past failures and remain stuck?

With this idea I pretty much took the basic romance template and put my characters in it.  In my world I'm used to having one friend who is in her early 20s.  I played what if, she were actually like me in youthful aggression, passion and work ethic, but what if she were in love with her older roommate.

Let's see…how did that turn out?  The excerpt of course has a partial answer!

Speeding down I-45 towards Dallas, he didn't know what he was thinking when he let her drive.  It was one thing to say "here, let's take my car," and another to say "Kandy, you drive."

He should have known better.

Taking his car was a better choice, it was brand new.  He took very good care of his new Jaguar, but Kandy just had to test the new fuel injection system on the highway this time of year.  She just had to test the sound system complete with the latest and cleanest speakers on the market.

It wouldn't be so bad if she listened to something calmer than the vocalist from Mudvayne scream.

Of course, maybe she identified.  The vocalist was quite pissed off, but he had to be in his early twenties, right?

Stopping at a truck stop in Centerville, they both got out, stretching their legs.  Kandy was dressed in blue jeans that hugged her well rounded ass and emphasized just how tiny she was, a red velvet jacket that hid her frame.  She wore a tight black top, showing Ian plenty of cleavage.  Her bright red ponytail swung over the curve of her ass.  Complete with two inch boots, she was a knockout!

Ian dressed more conservatively.  Black slacks, a beautiful purple ribbed sweater that Kandy bought him last year for Christmas, and his trusty Bostonians.  Black of course.

Finishing up, Ian met Kandy outside the store and walked with her, arm in arm towards the car.

"I'll drive," Ian looked sternly into Kandy's beautiful eyes.

Kandy pouted, "You don't like my driving?"

"No," Ian's voice was firm.

"Coward." Sticking her tongue out at him made Ian think of things he shouldn't.  This was just a little vacation, right?

"Fine," she retorted to his silence.  But I get to crank up the music still."

Ian sighed heavily.

"Yay!" Kandy jumped up, clapping like a little girl who'd just gotten permission to eat sweets.

They got in the car and immediately, Kandy turned up the stereo.  More Mudvayne.

Ian groaned.

"Oh come on, there's passion behind this band. You know what that is, don't you?"

Ian groaned loudly.  "Yes, I know what passion is."

"Was.  Until," she stopped herself.

Ian was quick to catch her mistake.  "How old are these guys?"

It was too late.  Kandy had drifted into the heavy rhythms of the bass players' slap technique.

They were just outside Dallas when Kandy reached over and put her hand on Ian's thigh.  Twitching, he ignored her, feeling deaf.  She'd switched out Mudvayne for a louder band with a vocalist who vacillated between sounding like an angel, or like he'd swallowed pins for breakfast.

Jerking when her hand inched up his thigh, Ian looked at Kandy, thrashing to the music.  Well, that was a term for it anyway.

Before Ian became fully cognizant, Kandy's hand had managed to find its' way to his crotch.  The warmth of her hand was welcome, but dangerous.

"What are you doing?" he asked when his zipper slid down.

Kandy reached a hand into his pants, threading her fingers through his boxers.

Choking back a groan, Ian managed to keep his eyes on the road.  It had grown considerably darker now.

"What the hell are you doing, Candace?"

"Mmm, don't call me Candace," she purred before freeing his cock.  She began stroking it, her fingers warming and massaging his rigid cock.

"I can't pull over for this nonse–" he couldn't finish the sentence.  Keeping his eyes focused on the road, he realized her warm breath had kissed his cock.

Then her lips fell over him.

"I can't be–oh god Kandy your mouth is so warm…"

Her lips brushed the head of his swollen member, Ian's knees jerked against the gas pedal, sending them within inches of the car in front of them.

The car in front of them honked, flipped Ian off and changed lanes.

Ian peered down, then at the driver who gave him a thumbs up once he glanced over to see Kandy's mouth working him over.

Ian groaned pleasurably.  His body was on fire, his nerves ready to explode in Kandy's mouth, but he maintained control.  If she wasn't careful, they'd wreck.

It started to snow.

"Fucking great!"  Ian choked the words out when she sank his cock completely inside her mouth.

"I know," Kandy replied.  "You taste so damn good," she licked the head of his cock like a lollipop.  Ian grunted, trying to concentrate on the road, but Kandy's tongue snaked around his shaft, sliding up one side and down another.

Clutching the steering wheel, his knuckles had turned white by now, and his thighs ached from his trying to remain in control of his car.

It purred, or at least he thought it did until he slowed the car and saw Kandy, purring against his cock.  The sensation sent shivers racing through him.  Her hot mouth covered him, sliding his cock out of her mouth with a popping sound.

"Kandy," he gritted his teeth together.  Slowing the car, he heard her giggle.

"This is so fun though," she lowered her mouth over his cock, brushing the sensitive skin with her teeth.

The friction of her wet lips against his swollen sex was enough to drive him wild.  "You should stop," he reiterated, "or I'll come in your mouth."

"That's the idea," she licked him again.

Thrusting his hips upwards in an attempt to buck her, he quickly realized that he only added to their pleasure.

She wasn't going to stop.

Ian didn't care right now.  The speed sign passed by too quickly for him to see what the legal limit was, but it didn't matter.  His gray jaguar could outrun any patrol car, but he really didn't want to have matters come to that.

"Kandy," he lowered a hand to her hair, stroking her curls, playing, tangling his fingers in her silky hair.

"Silly pet," she uttered and moved up and down his cock faster and faster, excitement building in him.  His throbbing cock jerked in her mouth once, his control over his body gone. 

Buy Links:  http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-ebook/dp/B000WTFFAY/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307716419&sr=1-16

Guest Author Wendy Ely

One of the most common questions regarding being an author is: Where do you get your ideas for your books? The short, general answer is that I get my ideas everywhere. Life inspires me. Here is the secret about Jesse’s Brother:

In my mid-twenties I was dating two men. While out on a date with one, the other called me. Luckily for me, my date had gone to the bathroom when the other called. Shame on me, I answered the phone. “So what are you doing?” the other guy asked. Believing in being honest, I said, “I’m on a date. I can’t really talk right now.” I hung up the phone just as my date returned to our table. The next morning I received flowers from the guy I hadn’t been out with. The next time my date came over, he noticed the flowers from the other guy and had some sent the following day.

Let me tell you that both of them being really important people in my life. The guy I had been on the actual date with kind of fizzled away while the other one became my best friend. Our friendship lasted years.

During the time I was dating them, I started thinking, “what if…” One thought led to another and Jesse’s Brother was written. No, neither character in Jesse’s Brother was based on the guys. The characters just morphed from my brain. I only took something that was happening to me in real life and twisted it around to make some great fiction!

Jesse’s Brother is free on Kindle from October 11^th through October 15^th. Want a copy? Grab one. I’d also like to hear what you think of the book. http://amzn.com/B009NWWW6G

If you’d like a paperback copy: http://amzn.com/1468069047

Here is where you can find me:

Amazon Author page: http://amzn.com/e/B008SA6TJK

Email: authorwendyely@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Ely/159969607422152

And my blog: www.wendyely.blogspot.com

Blurb: *Reader's Choice award winner!

One woman, two men: a single summer to choose between them. Sacrificing a summer to fix her relationship with her mother and find out what’s troubling her father isn’t so bad...right? Wrong. Or so Samantha learns upon her return to Portland. As if family drama wasn’t bad enough, first comes Noah. Then comes Jesse. Samantha is torn between the way her heart skips a beat each time Noah looks at her, and the way Jesse’s touch make her yearn for more.

Will Samantha be able to choose between the men before their secret crushes her?

Excerpt:

After walking out of his family’s life, he’d avoided relationships of any kind. He’d loosened up a bit, working on the ranch. Martin had become a role model to him, but Noah didn’t want to care about anyone else. Not even Samantha. Now he knew her story and wanted to be in her life. It was terrible to be totally alone and Samantha didn’t deserve to be.

“Damn it!” He threw a bale of hay onto the barn floor. “Why did she have to come here?”

Frances, Samantha’s mother, had shown up in the barn a few days before to give him a subtle warning to stay away from her daughter. He didn’t pay any mind to the idea of Samantha being around the farm and hadn’t even asked any questions about her. He’d shrugged and turned back to his work. He was surprised she hadn’t been more like queen bee Frances, ready to sting anyone within arm’s length. Even though he’d heard stories about her childhood from Martin, he’d never once fathomed the idea that Samantha Johns would indeed be beautiful with those freckled cheeks and dimples. And the added bonus? She was equally sweet.

Samantha’s presence could become a complication in his well maintained life. He didn’t need any extra hurdles. Lord knew he’d had enough of those along the way. Getting involved with someone was complicated enough, but with the boss’s daughter? Probably not a good idea. The fact that Frances hated the very air he breathed made the situation worse.

“I never take the easy road,” he grumbled as he wiped the sweat trickling down his cheek.

What was Samantha doing now? His eyes switched over to the door. It would be nice if she’d come down to the barn.

Kicking and Screaming

I'm going crazy. I just have to do edits. That's all! I'm reading through my book and inputting what I found the first time I went through the hard copy and of course finding new problems and screaming my head off because I'm moving to slowly. *grumble* This makes me grouchy. I think I only have enough love to get me through writing the first draft (and that's only if I go fast) and after that its like pulling teeth. Maybe because in my head I'm done with the book. The only problem is that doesn't mean is publishable. Rewrites required.

*bangs head on the desk* So close, and yet so far! Fifty-nine more pages until it goes to a beta reader... Maybe I should just send what I have done so she can get started.

And...distracted. From this blog post and my writing. Great.

Going to bed now. I'll try again tomorrow.

Guest Post from Kayla Jameth

Cinder has never been limited to the one godmother in his story. He has a few others besides.

The very first of these women, Linda Reilly, is responsible for his conception. She told me about Samhain Publishing's open submission call for fairy tales. At the time all I could think was "Yeah, right! Who would publish anything by me?" However, I conceived a plausible plot for a Cinderfella (m/m take on Cinderella), and it wouldn't let me go.

I actually had to set aside the fanfic slash I was working on to start Cinder's story. I had only written a couple of chapters of my fanfic so I by no means considered myself a writer, much less an author. But I was writing for myself and my friend Sara, so it really was a moot point at that time.

After I finished Cinder's story, I asked Linda and another author, Rebecca Leigh, to read it. Rebecca loved it and wanted me to sub it. And I might have, except I had missed the deadline on the submissions call. So I filed it away and just went on writing one shots for a small group of friends.

Deanna Wadsworth, another m/m romance author (Sensing a theme here?), likewise loved it and pushed me repeatedly to submit it. By this time I had actually published a short story and a novel with Breathless Press, so I finally took her advice.

I revamped the story a little (read applied everything I had learned with subsequent stories) and sent it off to my editor. Linda, Rebecca, and Deanna were right; From the Ashes was accepted!

From the Ashes will be available after the New Year.

Rebecca and Deanna are still writing m/m erotic romance. Linda was forced to give up her writing by some people who refused to see the message in her stories, that love is always right.

So I just want to say "Thank you" to all of Cinder's godmothers.

Blurb:

Cinder never thought that he could rise from the ashes of his life, but an unexpected encounter with a woman claiming to be his fairy godmother may be just what he needs. Finding himself flung into his very own fairy tale, she sends him off to meet his Prince Charming. But was the gown really necessary?

Excerpt:

Cinder glanced around. Paper lanterns floated in the trees, lined the walks, and graced the gazebo near the reflecting pool, giving the grounds a mystical air. Their warm glow caught the dancing jets of the fountain splashing merrily to his right. The musical, crystalline tones carried on the night wind’s breath. He was reminded of the enchanted gardens in the fairy tales his father had read to him when he was a child. What would happen to him if he dared walk there?

Henri led him toward the gazebo. Soon he would find out.

The cool breeze caressed his uncovered neck. Cinder shivered at the ethereal touch. Henri turned to him, the question clear in his eyes, but he didn’t know how to answer. Instead he breathed in the tangible scent of rich earth and flowing water, hoping to calm his bounding heart.

Henri lightly stroked his arm. Cinder’s breath caught at the silky brush of the other man’s fingers. He drew another shaky breath. Henri may have meant to soothe him, instead his touch set Cinder’s wayward body aflame.

They left the last of the courtiers behind as they entered the dim interior of the fanciful pavilion. Vines climbed its intricately carved posts, perfuming the air within. The music and voices of the aristocrats faded away. Only a single intrepid nightingale could be heard over the cheerful babbling of the fountain. Hidden from the rest of the court, an unworldly sense of peace filled him. Was his very own fairy tale about to come true?

Bespelled and bemused, he could feel the magic in every beat of his heart, in every trembling breath he drew.

Once inside the bower, Henri reached to cup Cinder's cheek. Unused to being touched, he nearly flinched away but managed to still, heart pounding, before giving himself away. The older man's thumb slid across his cheekbone and came to rest lightly on his mouth. Why did he want to lean into that caress?

The other man's warm, slightly musky scent filled his nostrils, drowning his senses.

Henri's other hand wrapped around his waist and drew him close while tipping his face upwards. Cinder's breath left him in a rush, stirring the noble’s hair. Henri was all that he could see, his mouth slowly, carefully descending toward Cinder’s. If he allowed this, the other man might discover his deception. He couldn’t risk that, so why then did he ache to feel Henri’s kiss? Their lips brushed, light as thistle down.

Surprisingly, Henri's mouth was soft and warm upon his own. After a moment, Henri's pressed more firmly against his. Something fluttered in his chest, trying to get out.

Cinder didn't think to pull away until he felt Henri's tongue seeking entrance. The hand on his face slipped to his nape and held firm. He froze in shock, not even daring to breathe, as flames rushed through his body. The very beat of his heart betrayed him.

The questing tongue stroked his lips and pushed between them. It slid over his teeth, seeking to enter. When he protested, Henri's tongue swept in and began a lazy, sensuous exploration that left him breathless.

Soon he found himself stroking Henri's tongue with his own. Henri responded to his fledgling attempts by pulling him closer and moaning into his mouth. He had never experienced anything so deeply sensual and erotic. He fed his own needy pleas to the other man one at a time.

Finally they separated slightly, Cinder panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. Was Henri as affected by their kiss as he was? A quick glance confirmed Cinder was not alone in his arousal. Flushed and gasping, Henri gazed at him with eyes full of wonder and something unnamed smoldering in their depths.

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