Tag Archives: blog tours

The Marriage of Music and Story – With a Special Guest!

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Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be hosting the lovely Delilah Night today, whose newest novella, Capturing the Moment, is now available with Totally Bound. And, I’m honored not only to be featuring an excerpt of Delilah’s words—but to be hosting a contest. That’s right…I said contest!

Before it’s time to play, please read on to find out some of Delilah’s inspiration involving the merging of music and story. It’s good stuff!

Take it away, Delilah!

The Marriage of Music and Story

Thank you for the opportunity, Jade. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over the past year, and I’m eagerly awaiting your novel! I hope you and your readers enjoy this look at the making of my novella, Capturing the Moment. Please stick around for the giveaway!

***

Music was one of my earliest loves. I remember the excitement of buying Madonna’s True Blue on cassette at the age of seven in 1986. I’d sing True Blue, Where’s the Party, La Isla Bonita and the rest as I swung back and forth on the swings in my local park. Thirty years later, I still know all the words to every song on that tape.

I joined my school’s chorus in sixth grade, and despite switching schools a number of times, music was the constant in my life. When I started a new school, my first (sometimes only) friends were ones I made in chorus, band, show choir, acapella chorus, or pep band.

Music is such a constant that I almost always write with my earbuds in. Sometimes I have specialized playlists for stories, but for the most part, I shuffle through music from every genre.

Capturing the Moment began with a moment—Meg turning to see that RJ has showed up, unwanted, at the ancient temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and anger flooding her body. Why? What was their history?

I was fumbling my way through variations on the opening chapters of the story when the song Teardrops on My Guitar by Taylor Swift began to play.

Teardrops on my guitar pic

That lyric unlocked the story for me.

The story became so much easier to write after that (at least the first draft). I wrote the story of what happens after that moment in Cambodia. As I did, I also wrote the story of what had happened in the years before. I learned that Meg and RJ had been engaged, but that the engagement had been called off, and realized that they’d have to deal with their past if they were to have a chance at a future. However, my realization didn’t mean that my characters wanted to deal with their past.

Angkor Wat with Monks

Exclusive Excerpt

(Context—RJ has asked Meg to spend the day with him. She’s always been susceptible to his dimples.)

Meg took several deep breaths. “Ground rules.”

“Do tell.”

“Rule Number One is no sex.”

He smirked. “You’re awfully obsessed by the idea of having sex with me, Megan.”

Her clit swelled in response.

You have no idea.

“No sex,” she repeated.

“I’ll cry manly tears into my pillow tonight, but fine. No sex.” He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. They were big, beautiful hands graced with dexterous fingers. Twelve years of piano lessons had given RJ magic hands. Meg remembered, vividly, what they felt like on her body.

“Secondly, I don’t want to talk about the break-up. This is about not ruining my one day in Siem Reap. Not ‘Let’s talk about our feelings.’”

“At least let me apolo—”

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

“You win. I won’t bring it up,” he said, obviously frustrated.

“Third, you carry everything. I might as well get a free pack mule out of this.”

“Sure.” He picked up her equipment and she could read the relief on his face.

“Finally, Rule Number Four is that we follow my agenda. No hijacking my game plan.”

“I’ve been here a few days already. I can indulge you”—his eyes took a long, lingering inventory of her body—“in any manner you see fit.”

capturingthemoment_800

You never forget your first love…

Meg and RJ were passionately in love. But that was six years and a broken engagement ago.

Meg has only one day in Siem Reap, Cambodia, before she must leave for her sister’s wedding in Bali. She fulfills her dream of taking a photograph of the sun rising behind Angkor Wat, one of the oldest temples in the world. But her joy is short-lived when she turns around to see RJ standing behind her.

RJ threw himself into work after Meg ended their relationship. He’s built a successful business, but it’s a hollow victory. He’s come to Siem Reap to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving. But first he has to convince her to spend the day with him.

Meg is as physically attracted to RJ as she ever was. Maybe the secret to finally getting over him is a one day only, no strings attached fling.

Can RJ win Meg back, or will she love him and leave him?

Capturing the Moment is now on sale exclusively at Totally Bound through April 26

Also available for Pre-Order at:
About Delilah Night…

After 30 years of snowy New England winters, Delilah Night moved to steamy southeast Asia. While she doesn’t miss shovelling snow, she does miss shopping for bargains at Target.

In 2014, Delilah visited Cambodia for the first time and fell in love with Siem Reap. Many of her misadventures from that vacation (including the one with the monkey) made their way into this story.

Connect with Delilah on her blog (delilahnight.com), Twitter, or Facebook.

Contest—Win a free copy of Capturing the Moment!

What song has spoken to you when writing a story? Leave a comment and I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, April 13, 2016. Don’t forget to leave your email so I can contact you.

 

Cover of Holding My Breath

Peek Into the Mind of a Casanova—Quinn from Holding My Breath is Here!

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It’s official—all the hot people come to my site.

How do I know? Because today I have a very special guest—and he’s sexy. Plus, he’s a good speaker. He dresses well. He’s clever. And…well, he’s all sorts of things, really, but what you need to know is that many, many women pay good money for the pleasure of his company.

Here’s a brief introduction:HMBbanner04

Uh-huh. That’s right—I’d like you to meet Quinn! This professional Casanova thrives in A.M. Hartnett’s most recent book, Holding My Breath, and today I asked if I might be able to book some time with Quinn (free of charge) to ask him a few questions.

Lucky you, he said yes. And as if his answers weren’t delightful enough, I’ve also got a sexy blurb and excerpt for you. So, please read on and enjoy your introduction to the super sexy Quinn…

Hello Quinn. I’m so glad you joined me. And I have to say, um, wow. You have a definitive look, and it’s smokin’. How did you create your “style”?

Simple and classic is what I’m going for. For all the trends that have come and gone, women still get wet when they see a man in a well-cut suit. They like playing with the cufflinks and the lapels, and they like watching it come apart a piece at a time — the tie comes loose and the top button undone, the jacket slung on the back of a chair and the shirt-sleeves rolled up. A woman loves seeing a $3000 suit tossed aside for fucking as much as a man likes to see a $3000 dress on the floor next to the bed.

Good point. Speaking of things to see…women love scars, and your knuckles have certainly been marked. Care to share more about that set of scars?

Would you believe I used to be trailer trash? Up until I turned 18, I was a nasty little shit. I used my fists to get what I wanted, and once I had it I used my fists to keep it. It landed me in hot water and I was forced to learn that I couldn’t always have what I want, when I wanted it. It helps now that I have the money. Anyway, I’ve learned that the scars are a nice addition to the total package. They show that I’m not just pretending to be a bad boy, that at some point in my life I was a bad boy.

Let’s be real—women are hiring you, but when they see you, they melt. How does that feel for you?

Honestly, why would I want to be someone’s dildo? There’s more money in selling the entire fantasy. I can be anything a woman wants. All she has to do is pay her money up front.

Oh, Quinn. So matter-of-fact. I love that about you. But…tell us about the first time you saw Molly. What was your instant reaction to her?

It wasn’t like a kick in the gut or love at first sight. I was sitting in the bar at the hotel when I saw an attractive woman pass by. I paid her a bit of attention, then went on with my business. The next time I saw her, the same. So on and so forth. She’s a knock-out and I wanted to fuck her. That’s it.

What about when you discovered Molly had “hired” you to kick you out of the hotel? What did you think upon entering the room?

It took me a few minutes to figure out where I knew her from, so when I entered the room I figured I was just meeting another client. Normally I meet them in the bar, but she rejected this, so on first sight I figured this was a married woman who didn’t want to be seen out with another man. Then I realized it was the front desk manager I’d been eyeballing. My first reaction after that was mixed. I was equal parts “oh goody, now I get to play with that” and “oh fuck, she’s about to tell me to piss off.”

That meeting was so good. So good… As was the first time you give Molly your name. It’s…well, people will have to read it, but let’s just say that moment is pretty damn hot. You totally got off on playing that power card, didn’t you? And that’s a lot of Molly’s attraction to you—what comes out of your mouth. Were you born this clever and sexy, or what?

My grandfather, who was one of those people who only spoke when it was necessary, mostly raised me. When he spoke there was a sort of music to it. He had a deep voice and a thick Newfoundland accent. Listening to him was like listening to Shakespeare, if that makes sense. I think I developed what’s been called a “silver tongue” from him, but I talk a lot more. I never shut up, probably because in Pa’s house I was the only one doing the talking most of the time. I like to talk.

And I like dirty talk, obviously. With Molly, it was more of a case of talking to tangle her up a little so I could do the unravelling. When I finally gave her my name — and as you’ve mentioned, I made a little production of it — was the beginning of me loosening the knots I’d made.

*Leans forward.* You say you’re able to “unlock” a woman. Tell us more about that. When did you first discover you had this ability? How did you hone it?

In another time I might have been the perfect scam artist. I can read people. I’m really good at reading people. I can use silence to work out what they want, and then fill in the holes by talking around them. I pay attention. I test out different tones. I throw out little nibbles, one at a time, until the women I’m with has had her fill. It’s different with every woman — Molly, for instance, will gorge herself on what I dish out and it’ll sometimes get away from me.

What is it about Molly that’s different from your normal clients and that’s drawing you in? You almost seem bewildered by how much you instantly like her—almost. What about her is drawing such a reaction out of you?

I’ll admit it, Molly had me twisted around her little finger the second she opened her mouth. She tells me she was a little nerved up when I walked in, but I didn’t get any of that. She played my game right from the start but kept up with me. She wasn’t taking any crap, that much was clear from the start, but there was a calm and softness about her that had quite the effect on me. I just wanted to sit back and negotiate with her. I remember thinking that this was a little like foreplay.

That’s another thing I liked about Molly. She didn’t look down at me. It would have been easy to just have security have a word with me but she treated me with respect, and when I made my case about sticking around until New Year, she listened.

And what was your reaction when Molly called you up to a hotel room—for the second time?

Another confession — I was worried she wouldn’t, so I blew out a sigh of relief when I got that text. I don’t become infatuated that often, but I couldn’t get her out of my head for the rest of the evening. The next day, thinking about meeting her again, I could barely concentrate. She made me ticklish.

Aww. All right, so you are threatening to quit your gig at 36. Why 36? Why not 40? What’s special about 18 years?

I started doing this when I was eighteen, so basically I had been doing this half my life. That seems long enough, don’t you think?

Fair enough. Say, if you could go back to 18-year-old you, what would you tell him?

I don’t think I’d tell him anything. It might knock some sense into his head and change things. Up until recently, I could make a list a mile long of things I’d change about the last eighteen years, but now I think I’m good. It took me longer than most to get where I need to be and I needed all the highs and the lows.

And good you are, Quinn. Thank you so much for joining us.

*

There you have it, everyone! Quinn is a delight of a man in this dirty new book from A.M. Hartnett. Holding My Breath is available on Amazon right now, and you can find out more in the blurb and excerpt below!

Read the blurb:

“It’s a skill not every man possesses, and it can’t be taught. That’s why I’m good at what I do.”

For half his life Quinn has been making his living as a professional Casanova. Challenged by Molly to take his business elsewhere, he strikes a bargain with her: give him until New Year’s Eve and she’ll never see him again, and in the meantime he’ll make it worth her while.

As their arrangement becomes a passionate affair, there’s no denying that Molly’s been waiting for him to come into her life for a very long time. She never imagined that a man like Quinn would be the one.

Cover of Holding My Breath

Read an excerpt: 

Her phone rang just before noon, as she was pushing through the back door with her arms loaded with groceries.

It was Quinn. She knew it by the ringtone she had set a few days earlier: The Tragically Hip’s ‘Fireworks’. The lively tune was muffled in the pocket of her anorak, but she could hear the words in her head. He’d cooked her dinner one night, and when she told him she’d never heard the song he put it on repeat and told her about how he’d once dragged himself, barely lucid with the flu, to their concert when he was in his early twenties.

Not caring about whether she cracked her eggs or squashed her bread, Molly tossed the black fabric bags onto the counter and dug into her pocket for the phone.

‘Hey there,’ she answered.

‘It’s Saturday, isn’t it?’

‘A question like that just goes to show you’re not a man who works the nine-to-five, otherwise you’d know it in your bones that it was Saturday.’

‘Words cannot express how horny I was when I woke up a little while ago. I’m sitting here in my empty apartment with my hard-on in my hand thinking about how much better I’d feel if it was in your mouth.’

Molly shivered as she unzipped her coat. ‘And this call is to ask for assistance with this problem?’

A low laugh tickled in her ear. ‘I know exactly what you’re doing right now. You’re biting your lip and squeezing your legs together.’

‘Oh, you think you’re so smart,’ she replied, but he was right. Even over the phone he made her feel as though he was right behind her, lips close to her ear, what little space between them electric.

She was sure that if he were there with her, he’d already be undressing her. It made her wet just thinking about it.

‘I want you to drop what you’re doing and meet me in the park. I want to bring you to my place.’ He sucked in a quick breath, and then let out a low moan. ‘I’ve got one hell of a view from my sofa, and I want to make it better by putting you on your knees in front of me.’

Once she hung up, Molly felt electric. The commute was the same one she took to work and she could have been at his place in just over half an hour, but she had the sense that this was going to be an occasion, and she wanted to dress the part. She wanted to be a bombshell for him, for herself, and so she slipped into a black bra and thong set and accentuated it with a matching belt and stocking set. She covered it all up with a green bateau dress, then tucked herself back into her anorak.

Luckily, they were going through a mild spell and the wait by Lake Ontario didn’t leave her with pins and needles in her nearly bare thighs and ass. He appeared on the boardwalk, jogging towards her in navy-blue track pants with white stripes and a grey T-shirt patched with sweat stains.

For a moment he didn’t see her, which gave her the luxury of getting over the shock of viewing him in this element. She didn’t get to see it that often. When he came in from a run while at her place he bolted right to the shower and emerged brand new. The most she got was a blur.

The dirty sneakers and the reddish hair curling around the edges were such a far cry from the spit and polish of his trade. There was Quinn the smooth, the heartthrob women paid to spend a few hours with, and then there was Quinn who lounged, rumpled and gorgeous, in the bed she had slept alone in for so long.

She liked this incarnation, and rose to meet him. As his attention fell on her, he slowed down to a trot.

‘You must be frozen,’ she said as he slowed, a smile forming on his lips, and leaned into him when he was close enough. ‘What happened to your hard-on?’

‘I had a brief chat with my dick and told him if he was patient, he’d have something better than my hand to contend with.’ He slipped his arm around her, and she parted her lips for him, but he quickly pushed her away. ‘I stink, and I don’t want to sweat all over you – yet.’ He took her hand. ‘I’ll shower, and unless I come up with something better, I’m going to spread you out on my dining-room table and fuck you half-dressed.’

She glanced around to see if anyone had heard, and was strangely disappointed to discover that no one had. Other joggers, some alone and some in pairs, ran past them on the path, oblivious to the sexual negotiations that had opened up. The moment was so significant to her that it was almost insulting that no one noticed the earth shift a little under their feet.

**

Mmm hmm…that’s Quinn for you. Wow. You can find out more about all books in the Carried Away series right here. Don’t miss out on this series, it’s hot!

XX,
Jade

“I always look forward to what A.M. Hartnett is going to say next. This is the truth. Whether in an email, a blog post, on Twitter, or in one of her erotic stories, I am always curious to see what Hartnett will come up with. She’s got me on the edge of my seat (in more ways than one).” – Alison Tyler, author Dark Secret Love.

A.M. Hartnett began writing erotica upon receiving what, at the time, she considered very bad advice from a career counselor. Since 2006, her short stories have appeared on the web and in various anthologies, including Kristina Wright’s Best Erotic Romance series and Rachel Kramer Bussel’s Curvy Girls.

Find out more about A.M. Hartnett at http://www.thebewilderedwriter.com.

Cover of Kristina Lloyd's Undone

Kristina Lloyd’s Undone Tour is Here!

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Sometimes, there are authors who take you on twists and turns you don’t anticipate. For me, Kristina Lloyd is one such author. Clever and dazzling, Kristina writes intelligent erotica—as in, she doesn’t do the expected, the cookie cutter, or the mundane. She does real, she does hard, and she does damn sexy. The first book I read of hers was Thrill Seeker, and I had a lot of similar things to say about her writing when I reviewed that book and got hooked in for more.

Today she’s here to tell us all about her new book, Undone. I’m delighted to have been able to ask her all sorts of questions about the book as well her personal interests, and now I get to share the interview with you. So, please read on to hear from the talented and lovely Kristina Lloyd!

Picture of Undone Blog Tour Logo

Hi Kristina! Thank you so much for joining us. I am so excited about Undone! It sounds positively divine. I’d like to start by asking some questions about the book. Tell us about your inspiration for the main character, Lana.

Somewhat prosaically, she was inspired by a friend of a remote friend on Facebook. I’m terribly nosy, as are most writers, and something about this woman caught my eye. When I checked out her profile, I found an intriguing and beautiful woman who looked to have an effortlessly great life. She didn’t have the conventional trappings of domestic bliss and wealth but instead owned a hip shop in London, had loads of friends, a couple of kids, excellent taste in clothes and so on. And I wondered what went on under the surface? If someone like that felt they were unraveling within, would their success and well-constructed lifestyle enable them to conceal it from those around them? And if so, for how long? When would the cracks start to show?

Nice. You always go so much deeper, which is what I love about your work! Speaking of, the plot of this book is classic dark, transgressive, edgy KL style: a naughty threesome goes horribly awry. (Or does it?) Where did you come up with this idea?

I had an idea to start with a dead body at a party and developed the storyline from there. I should stress: nobody dies during the threesome!

Phew! 🙂 So, without giving away too much, will you tell us a little about how this threesome sparks? One was a customer in the bar, right? What about the other man? And how did they end up jumping on this hot fantasy adventure?

Basically, Lana asks the two guys if they’d be up for it! She’s no shy, retiring violet. They’re at a weekend house party in the country. She’s briefly met Sol, and thinks he’s cute, and the other guy, Misha, the one who ends up dead, is a regular at her bar. She’s attracted to Sol, but he’s playing it cool, and Misha is hanging out with them that evening. Lana asks, “So what’s a girl got to go to get laid around here?” I wanted to establish her as someone who has ownership of her sexuality and is able to direct her desires accordingly. The men are surprised but they’re both kinky and open-minded, and so the three of them head off to the bedroom.

“Ownership of her sexuality”—this pleases me. As does Lana’s apparent vintage handcuff collection! Um, more deets on that, please. (Bonus if you have pics.)

Haha! Lana buys a cocktail bar and starts a vintage handcuff collection after getting divorced. I have a whole post about cuffs over at The Kinky Brits on Friday. And yes, there will be pics!

*Grins.* All right, can you tell us your favorite character to write in this story and why?

Oh, that’s a tricky one! The story is very much focused on Lana and Sol. They’re both quite complex characters, and there’s more to them than meets the eye. Probably Sol. I loved writing the part where we get to the heart of him.

If you could take any of them out to hang in Lana’s bar, who would you pick?

I’d happily drink a few tequilas with Sol. And the rest.

Speaking of the bar…what’s Lana’s drink of choice?

Martini. Her taste is for elegant classics.

Now, I know you’ve expressed some worry over the spoiler potential of this book. Did you want to say anything more on that here? 

The book has a couple of twists. Sooner or later someone will reveal them in a review. I’m just hoping to stave off that moment for as long as possible so readers can enjoy the book as it’s meant to be enjoyed.

That’s fair—and I promise to keep my lips sealed! Okay, next I have a huge question for you, but… your work often showcases a woman with “darker” wants than what’s considered “normal” and/or “acceptable” in most erotic romance—thank you for always doing that. There seem to be the walls confining the genre, and then there is you punching your awesomely intelligent fist through them. How does it feel to write women who have realistic interests that contradict the expectation?

Thank you! I’m not the only writer doing this, thank God, and I think it’s important we keep on doing it, keep challenging the current notion that softcore romance typifies female desire. I write a lot about women who get off on humiliation, degradation, forced submission, rough sex and shame. I think these are valid kinks but it’s not an easy sell. I think most people, even if they’re not into BDSM, can appreciate why someone might enjoy handcuffs or a spanking; less so the psychological aspects.

Excellent points, and I 100% agree. Keep working your magic, Kristina! Now it’s time to move on to some more personal questions. I would describe your stories as erotic thrillers—did you always write erotica, or did you start in the thriller genre (or some other genre) first?

I started in erotica. I’ve dabbled in horror, and I’d love to try my hand at writing a suspense thriller one day.

So are you a plotter or do you fly wild when you write?

I plot, in part because I’m accustomed to presenting my publisher with a synopsis to secure a commission. I invariably deviate from the plot but don’t go wildly off track. I’m usually writing the opening scenes as I plot, and that’s the nearest I get to free fall.

Tell us about your writing process. Where do you do it? Do you work on one project at a time, or many?

My process changes with my personal circumstances. Undone was mainly written around a day job, at weekends, on early mornings and evenings. I write better in the morning when I’m still a little doozy, and before my head has been overtaken by more ordered thought processes. I’d sometimes get up at 5am to work on Undone. I find evenings are better for editing. I’m always at my desk and I work in silence. No cafes or music for me. Ideally, I’d work on single projects. I prefer to immerse myself in a story rather than juggle several.

What’s your favorite genre to read, and what are you reading now?

I’m currently hooked on female-penned suspense thrillers. I’ve just devoured Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret and next up is Elizabeth Haynes’ Revenge of the Tide.

I used to devour those myself—I was an Erica Spindler fiend! But back to your thrilling and sexy book—say Lana makes you a drink. What’s your pick?

Margarita! It’s my fave, and I know she’d make a great one. Sharp, sour and salty. Yum.

And last but not least—the inescapable question when you’re hanging with me—what’s your favorite candy?

I don’t do sweet stuff! Can I have a bag of salted cashews instead? Or can I lick fresh sweat from a hot, naked man? I’m quite partial to salt. And to hot, naked men.

Ha! Well, there you have it, folks! The wonderfully talented and brilliant Kristina Lloyd! I’m so happy she joined us today to talk about her interests as well as her delicious new book, Undone. Thanks, Kristina!

Want to know more about Undone?

Here’s the blurb:

When Lana Greenwood attends a glamorous house party she finds herself tempted into a ménage à trois. But the morning after brings more than just regrets over fulfilling a fantasy one night stand. One of the men she’s spent the night with is discovered dead in the swimming pool. Accident, suicide or murder, no one is sure and Lana doesn’t know where to turn. Can she trust Sol, the other man, an ex-New Yorker with a dirty smile and a deep desire to continue their kinky game?

Buy it at:

Amazon UK paperback :: Amazon UK Kindle :: Amazon US Kindle :: Amazon CA paperback :: Amazon CA Kindle

Don’t miss out, everyone! I’ve got this one already on my nightstand, teasing and taunting me to dig right in. It’s going to be so good!

Thanks for joining us!

XX,
Jade

Kristina Lloyd writes erotic fiction about sexually submissive women who like it on the dark, dirty and dangerous side. Her novels are published by Black Lace and her short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies, including several ‘best of’ collection, in both the UK and US. She lives in Brighton, England.