Wednesday, October 30, 2013

NEW BOOK: Victorian Restraint 2: Sapphic Shackles

ON SMASHWORDS: [HERE]
Eighteen-year-old Daisy Ivers is a new student at Mistress Wicket's Finishing School for Young Ladies, where the harshest discipline is taught to nubile girls via the strictest and most inventive methods. With the luscious Molly Jones and a bevy of gorgeous students by her side, will Daisy learn her lessons or have to be taught personally by her cruel Mistress again ... and again ... and again 

Extended description

This 5,400+ word erotic story is for mature readers only and features F/f BDSM in a group Victorian era setting. Part of the Victorian Restraint series.

Excerpt:

Molly laughed sweetly. "Don't worry, you can call me Molly. We all go by first names here, except when Mistress is about. You simply do what she tells you to." Molly linked her arm through Daisy's and walked her to the grand entrance to the hall. "And then," she whispered." You'd better do everything Mistress says. But you'll learn that soon enough, I’m sure."

Daisy couldn't help but wonder what Molly meant, but she was already inside the door. Here the other young ladies of the academy were waiting in two rows of three, each giving her a little friendly nod as she walked inside. With a lump in her throat, Daisy nodded back.

They seemed friendly enough and all was well until she came to the end of the row, where Mistress Wicket was waiting for her.

Daisy gasped at the sight of the academy's headmistress. Mistress Wicket was tall and whippet slim in head-to-toe black, her aristocratic features very beautiful, but very cold. Her hair was jet black as was the riding crop she held in her delicate hand, her long, lovely fingers wrapped tightly around its sturdy handle.

She tapped the crop against her palm as Daisy walked up to her on trembling legs. "How do you do, Miss Wicket? My name is Daisy."


#ebook, #erotica, #lesbian, #orgy, #femdom, #bondage, #bdsm, #Victorian BDSM, #historical erotica, 

Monday, October 21, 2013

Kobogeddon: Winning A Pointless Battle and Losing the War

As many of you know, the online book retailer Kobo, due to some offensive content in a small percentage of their self-published ebook catalog that dripped over into one of their stodgy (and frankly, half-dead distributors, WHSmith) decided to throw the baby out with the bath water and dump every single self-published ebook in their catalog regardless of content until further notice.

Wow.  Overreact much, Kobo?

Now while this is really inconvenient and upsetting to authors who post to Kobo (and even worse, those who have good sales there, although that is a small, select group as most authors I know haven't sold a blessed thing at Kobo, ever) this is a much, much worse thing for Kobo itself.

First of all, self-published works fuel up to 30% of ebook sales.  That's a full ONE-THIRD of their business. In this day and age of blindingly fast entertainment, where the written word in book form seems almost quaint and obsolete, this is an astonishing number, especially considering the stranglehold the Big Publishing Houses have held over the general market for the past 150 years where they got away with making all book retailers dance to their tune, or else.

Secondly, self-publishing is a constant and nearly inexhaustible stream of potentially profitable content, which is equal to projected revenue, the kind that makes stock prices go up.  No longer are online retailers beholden to the Big Publishers for their favors, price fixing, marketing demands ... as long as those 'freebies' (which are exactly what self-published book are to retailers, market ready works they don't even have to prove their bonafides to get ) keep coming, they are golden.

To a store owner, getting quality product you can sell on consignment without any risk to you is like winning the lottery. Yes, we can argue about quality, but I maintain that the ratio of good reads to crap in self-publishing is roughly on par with Big Boys books, maybe slightly less polished, but not always. I should never see a typo in a Big Pub book considering the armies of editors they hire but they are there a' plenty along with a host of other issues.

In fact, self-publishing is such a big potential -- and actual -- money maker, the online retailers have fallen over themselves to encourage you to write and give them product to sell. (Barnes and Noble even has a text box where you can write your masterpiece and post it, theoretically, all in one day.) All it costs them is a little bandwidth and if you don't sell, they don't lose a cent.

But if your self-published works do sell and sell well? Oh boy, it's like chocolate cake and diamond necklace rain to an online retailer, my friends.

Even back in the day, Kobo wanted your self-pubb'd content and wanted it badly.  They didn't have silly things like adult filters that you could toggle on and off (like Smashwords has had since, oh I dunno, 2009?) nor did they care if you posted wild sexy dirties of forbidden nature on their site.  Heck, they even had a 'Taboo' category for which I'll assume wasn't meant just for books about cannibals.

Kobo wanted your so-called filth, they craved your filth and yet, when they got caught by a couple of bored losers who needed content for their own online rag  and Twitter and decided to trumpet Kobo as a filth merchant -- ignoring the huge percentage of non-erotic self-pubbers that used the site -- Kobo's management panicked like a twelve year old caught with a copy of "Double D Boobfest" under their bed. Instead of just chucking the magazine away and saying, oops, yeah that's a little over the top, sorry we'll delete that one ...

They burnt down the entire house instead.  Nice one, Kobo.

So a lot of authors got temporarily hosed and got their freedom of expression kicked in the blurb. And yeah, that sucks.

But think about it. It might be a temporary and annoying setback for authors, but what happens to Kobo after this debacle?  Self-publishers have long memories and hold even longer grudges.  Why on earth would they now trust a company that uses a scorched earth policy on their hard work at the slightest hint of criticism, even criticisms that don't apply to their genres?  Why would writers give free and very profitable content to such a company, a place that's proved itself untrustworthy, disloyal to their partners and willing only to be a distributor when the cashing in is convenient and non-problematic?

Why should we ever trust Kobo again?  We don't need to, there are plenty of other online retailers who'd love our work, erotica and all, to sell.  What makes Kobo standout as an ebook retailer anymore, except for the fact that they'll throw you and everything you love under the bus at the slightest provocation.

Giving Kobo your future content, even if it doesn't sell, is like handing them a marketing bullet point they don't deserve.  They need us a lot more than we need them and making them painfully aware of this fact will  be a priority for me, and probably for a lot of other authors from this day forward.

Kobo may have won the battle against the content they once loved and wanted, but standing among the ashes of their self-publishing catalog is going to be the most hollow victory they've ever known.  Guaranteed.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Victorian Restraint: Innocence Bound NOW UP FOR SALE!

My latest book is up on [Amazon] & [Smashwords]

Curvy Charlotte Havenworth never thought she'd be married, let alone wooed and proposed to by the handsome and fabulously rich Lord Meath. She accepts his offer of marriage along with his warning that he is a man of 'strange habits and peculiarities' ... all of which she'll discover on her wedding night. This 5,000+ word story features a curvaceous and chaste bride learning loving restraint.

A BBW Victorian virgin bondage and spanking story.

Excerpt:

Of all the times Charlotte, now Lady Meath, had imagined her wedding night, it had never been like this.

Bound to her new lord's huge bed, her arms stretched above her head and tied with soft rope to each bedpost, the same as her legs, spread wide, attached at the ankles to the unyielding brass. Her mouth was cleaved with a thick bit of white silk, now soaked with her spittle and her large breasts heaved beneath the restraint of a tight satin corset she wore at her Lord's request.

The room was silent and lit only with candles. A dim golden glow flickered throughout the sumptuous room, soft with down and silks and bright with gold brocade, the finest red velvet resplendent everywhere. Charlotte's eyes had to adjust to take in everything, even as she struggled to 'lie still like a good girl' as her new husband had asked.

ENJOY and let me know what you thought!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Who Else Works on Covers When They Should be Writing?

I work on covers when I should be writing. This story is almost done, thank goodness. #erotica #bookcover, #writing,


Gay Victorians and Kobo's Horrible Hypocrisy

                                                                                                                                                                   
Book 1 in my Gay Victorian Thieves Series "Thick as Thieves: The Family Jewels" is up at Amazon! It was up at Kobo, but they've decided to purge ALL self-pubbed books to rid themselves of the The Nasty Bad Horrible Icky Erotica. Barnes and Noble is said to be next.  Both my little books are GONE from Kobo.

Holy lily-livered hypocrites, Batman!  Not to mention all the YA, Fantasy, Thriller and Horror writers caught up in the wide, indiscriminate web they've cast.

So many self-published writers (like me) are trying to earn extra income during a world-wide economic slump. Many of them are women (often with families that depend on this extra money), the handicapped, minorities and the working poor. We're not drooling menaces to society, we're PEOPLE trying to put bread on the table, as well as provide some harmless entertainment.  Yeah, that's right ... harmless.

I'm not sure if anyone's told Kobo or WHSmith or the Daily Mail, but fiction is NOT REAL.  It's words on a page and like puppies in a movie, no real person has been hurt or abused during the making of this novel.

It's just another nail in the coffin of freedom for the little people here.  Hopefully, since there is actual good money involved a real self-pub site will emerge, fearless and ready to take in all the money that Kobo and B&N and, possibly Amazon is throwing away in this fit of PR hysteria.  (And thanks Smashwords, for just being you. I hope you emerge as the biggest site ever due to this nonsense.)

Oh, yeah and my new book is here[Amazon]  [Smashwords] [Barnes and Noble (while it lasts)]

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Just a few more days ... Available soon on Amazon!

Until the release of my second book, titled "Thick As Thieves: The Family Jewels".

Summary:  "It's the summer of 1894 and disgraced physician Dr. James Wheeler is arrested for disorderly conduct and tossed in a Scotland Yard cell where he finds himself imprisoned with the sexy and mysterious Robert Dunham, one of London's most notorious jewel thieves. Their passion ignites quickly and the two form a partnership that will take London and the world for all they're worth.  

But will Wheeler regret becoming entangled with this beautiful larcenist or will he end up with just a stolen heart?"

This 10,000 word plus historical M/M romance features danger, adventure and sizzling sex scenes. Part 1 of the upcoming Thick As Thieves series.



Excerpt: To my utter shame I must admit that when the safe door swung open, I was relieved enough almost to faint but I managed to keep to my feet as Dunham reached in and removed a large jewelry case.  He turned to face me, lifted the lid of the case and showed me the spectacular set of jewels within.  Sapphire and diamond  necklace, choker, earrings and bracelet of almost breathtaking beauty, rivaled only by his own face, shining as it was with pride in his accomplishment.

He tipped the priceless gems into a black silk bag he produced from I knew not where and tucked it in the pocket of his frockcoat.

“I propose a celebration, my dear boy.  Are you up for it?” He asked giving that two letter word the most provocative emphasis, even as he once again moved in to my personal space, guiding me backward until my arse was pressed against the hard mahogany of the family dining table.

“You cannot be serious,” I whispered.  My voice was ragged, my blood pounding wildly in a rush through my veins but alas, my distress was not only from terror at being caught and this time, jailed for good or even worse, hung from the gallows.  No, my traitorous body was in complete agreement with Dunham’s outlandish suggestion if the sudden obvious state of my arousal through my trousers wasn’t evidence enough.

He laughed and with surprising strength, hoisted me up far enough to sit on the table and pushed me onto my back in one fluid motion.  “For all my playful talk, I’m rarely unserious as you’ll eventually find out,” he said and began to strip off every stitch of his elegant clothing with a practiced hand.

Friday, October 4, 2013

My First Title is up!

My first title went up today on Smashwords!

Summary: Mariah Wiles is a hard-working executive whose life is about to be turned upside down by an evening encounter with the wild creature of her dreams, a gorgeous man-wolf that isn't what it seems. This sexy adult 4,000 word story features danger, excitement and werewolf love in all its glory.

Check it out here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/364244

And let me know what you think.