Breathless Press Guest Author-Shirin Dubbin/Contest

 

Contest Announcement is at end of post.

Little Things Please A Lot
By Shirin Dubbin

We tend describe a lover’s touch passionately—usually with fiery words. Ever notice that?  Interludes with our sweeties are: scorching, blazing, flaming, on fire, ablaze; they singe us to our toes; they burn off our clothes. M’m M’m. Yet despite these myriad steamy encounters the little things our lover’s do for us linger longest in our memories.

We remember the gestures: the impromptu backrub. We revel in the considerations: the dishes washed even though it’s our turn to clean the kitchen. We fall in love because of surprise tickets to see our favorite singer. Or the time they grabbed our hand and made the leap with us—into the lake, a fray, or over to another country, it didn’t matter because our fingers were threaded with theirs. Funny how none of these acts evoke imagery of flame and yet these memories brand themselves on us with more permanence then any tryst.

While writing our erotic paranormal romance novella, DUSK TAKES DAWN, Celia Sweet and I found the little things our hero did endeared him to us most. Dusk is an alpha male—and a fierce one—yet he finds loving ways to let Dawn, our heroine, know she is prime in his life.

Here’s an excerpt:

Best of all, once they’d moved in together he’d started recording himself reading aloud from whatever book she was engrossed in. Nothing compared to curling up on her favorite chaise and watching him read chapter after chapter to her, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose, giving him the look of some great fanged scholar. A half-naked, blue-gray gargoyle in spectacles, his wings folded neatly behind him, was about as comical as a grizzly in an ascot.

And the cover blurb:

Paranormal peacekeepers, Dawn Maza, the witch with a capital ‘B’, and Duskan Entreri, one helluva beast, are partners and lovers… Actually, they are in love. They’re not lovers yet. Stone separates them, making her a statue at night while he turns to granite by day, and the two have never consummated their love. Instead, they communicate via video and voice mail. That travesty will change tonight.

Under the advisement of a crone—who may or may not have ulterior motives—the pair must freeze time for a single chance at igniting the All Hallows sky with the fires of their passion.

Dusk and Dawn are up for the task. Halloween is about to get sexy.

Although they’ve yet to physically be together, have never touched, Dusk and Dawn find surprising little ways to express their love. So when they finally do touch it’s more than hot. It’s explosive!

Do you have memories of special little gestures you’d like to share? 

One commenter will win a copy of DUSK TAKES DAWN, emailed to them on release day. It’s just a small gesture from us to let readers know you’re appreciated.

~Shirin and Celia

More on the authors: Celia, although naughty, is a luddite (sad) but Shirin is always ready to chat. Catch up with Shirin and maybe Celia too on the web at www.fan-fatale.com, on Twitter, and Facebook

Breathless Press Author Liz Crowe

Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why?

I write contemporary, erotic fiction.  Real people doing real jobs, finding themselves in situations where they are simply drawn to someone else, whether it’s a co-worker, a colleague in their industry, or someone they’ve just met in some sort of highly charged atmosphere.  No vampires, werewolves, fairies, or other magical creatures--it’s not that I don’t enjoy reading that if it’s done right.  Sunny’s series about a supernatural race of people dominated by women who rule their kingdoms by having hot sex with the men who work for them is sheer bloody genius.  But not something that I think I could create.

What comes first for you when you sit down to write a book? Plot or Characters?

I think everything I’ve done or am working on is completely character driven.  My characters are typically in high-stress jobs--either as entrepreneurs driven to succeed or else, are Type A personalities trying to be all things to all people, whose stories tend to write themselves once I open up a page.  I use my own experience as a former highly successful Realtor and now micro brewery owner to guide the situations my characters find themselves in--for example, I’m writing a holiday themed story, collaborating with a fellow brewery owner using our experiences at various alcohol-fueled events that we find ourselves in.  It’s called “XXXmas Ale” which is the name of an actual ale he will brew for me using the exact elements I allude to in the story.   Brewers are fascinating people and those of us who employ them or deal with them daily find ourselves in all sorts of funny situations or plots, based on our own personalities, or characters.

Do you "cast" your characters using pictures or actors to help inspire you when you're writing?  Sort of.  I have several “beer crushes” on some successful and attractive brewery founders that I’ve used as mental fodder but it’s a kind of inside baseball thing I won’t bore you with (although I got to meet ALL of them this weekend at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver--I’m still flying high from that I can tell you).   The longer project I have in editing now has been completely cast since I’ve been living with this particular set of characters so long I couldn’t help but cast the no-doubt inevitable blockbuster movie--it helps when all my beta readers tell me that the way I write lends itself to a visual style--they could see it as a movie, in other words.

How long does it take you to finish a book from start to finish?  I started my Long novel series (or as I think about it The Big Ass Project) last summer and am on a fourth revision.   My short stories tend to take one or two sittings, or about five hours to create.  Then of course once they are accepted, there is that little “editing” thing that takes over.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

The Rookie is the story of two people who are successful in their jobs as beer sales rep and brewery owner whose worlds collide when he finagles his way into her life, hoping to watch her sales finesse in action.  She of course thinks he’s some lame rookie on a “ride along” sales day.  He’s not, and proves it in more ways than one.  I have gone on “ride alongs” that had potential, and my imagination just takes over.

How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author? Do you read your own reviews?

I’m up to three reviews, 2 glowing one lukewarm.  Ask me that later.

What are you working on now? Anything you want to tell us about?

Of course, I’m constantly in some state of development on what I like to think of as my character map.  The Big Ass Project is about Realtors in a small mid western town, connected to the people in the Brewing Passion Series that starts with The Rookie.  If you think about it as one long project that’s fine, but I’ve broken it up into two.  “Floor Time” (a phrase that refers to the time all Realtors are required to spend “on call” in their office) is a series of three novella-sized books.  It spans about 15 years.  “The Tap Room” (the name for a space that is like a bar, connected to a brewery, where typically only the beers brewed on site are served along with simple snacks) is a serialized novel that currently resides on one of my websites (www.aabedwench.blogspot.com).  The Brewing Passion series for Breathless Press are the “missing chapters” of that series.  

What books are currently on your nightstand/bedside? Anything coming you are dying to read?

The new Jonathan Franzen book which I can’t wait to open once I’m done with the Audrey Niffenegger novel “Her Fearful Symmetry”.  I also keep a copy of “Brewing up a Business” by Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Brewing (and my major beer crush) on hand, for....inspiration.  And I always have one my favorite erotic authors around, Cat Grant, or Shayla Black and am always “studying” my genre for better ways to express the most intimate act we participate as humans.  Some of the crap out there is embarrassingly bad, but you gotta know what’s really bad so as not to repeat it.

If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why? Well, yeah, the first one!  The Rookie.  Then check out the rest of the story “The Tap Room” on my blog.  Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?

 Gee, I never quite thought about a famous person whose laundry I’d like to fold but I guess I’d be delighted to clean the toilets that belonged to Colette or maybe Virginia Wolfe.  But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I don’t do laundry or clean toilets so I’d be fairly useless.  Now if I got to pick a famous person to clean for me--well that would be obvious:  I’d love to see Frank Sinatra folding my underwear and providing other servant-like services.

What so you see for the future of publishing and e-books?

It IS the future, pure and simple.  I have been arguing with my significant other for years about it, resisting it on principle (“I WANT to hold a book, dammit, not a computer”) but my recent epiphany came in my local Borders store when I stood with an armload of books, and found myself staring at the e reader display.  I felt sort of silly with what seemed like a big pile of anachronism in my arms.  As if I were holding onto my Polaroid camera hoping that it, or the 8 track tape would make a comeback if I wanted it badly enough--so I bought one and on my first out of town trip have absolutely loved it.  As an e-published author it seems ridiculous to think otherwise--but don’t try and pry this turntable out of my arms--I will listen to my records until my last breath!

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?  I will use the characters most well known to my current readers and followers:  “Erin Brady” (yes she has her own Facebook fan site) is the female owner of a brewery, with two male partners and a male brewer employee.  She moves in a man’s world, fights its battles daily, has a collapsed marriage because of her commitment to it and struggles to make sense of her emotional life while simultaneously attempting to be a successful business owner.  Frankly I love/hate/fear/pity her all at once.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her/it/him when she/he/it refuses to inspire you?  My muse is tall, dark and handsome and always brings an excellent bottle of Amarone and a great Pandora station with him when he shows up so I deal with his absences by trying to run my micro brewery and get my own Tap Room open and am so thrilled to see his handsome face when he peeks around the corner, I will just drop what I’m doing and write, and drink and listen to music while he rubs my feet.

Where can readers find you on the ‘net for more information on you, your books and other fun stuff?  I have 2 websites.  For those of you who want more info on my beer life,

www.a2beerwench.com chronicles my progression from marketing expert and completely green beer drinker to my place now as marketing expert, not so green beer consumer and explainer (thanks to my brewer and business partner) and completely evolved Ann Arbor Beer Wench.  Here is where you’ll get the full story on my beer crush that culminated with a fateful moment in Denver this weekend!

The other, naughtier stuff (including the serialized novel The Tap Room) is at:

www.aabedwench.blogspot.com

I’m all over the place otherwise too:

TheBeer Wench on Facebook (with Erin Brady as a fan page).

beerwencha2 on Twitter.

Find, Friend and Follow me.  I’m pretty entertaining.

Excerpt of The Rookie:

 

She was the pro here. He was the annoying sales rep rookie. Time to start taking her role and showing him his.

When the passenger door opened, she pressed her lips together and flipped the visor back in place. As Trent eased himself back into her car, she resolved to ignore his intense sexual energy and concentrate on work. They were behind by at least half a day for most of her domestic accounts, although he had more than made up for her Michigan beer sales goals in just one morning. She smiled with renewed composure and looked over at him.

  As she opened her mouth to tell him about the brilliant new schedule she had just devised, Trent grasped the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. He eased her lips open with his tongue.

Lisa closed her eyes and gave into the incredible sensation of sharing a kiss, not merely receiving one. His touch was firm—no wasted energy or sloppiness. She moaned and closed her eyes, giving into the need that had been pulsing through her all day long—since she'd first laid eyes on him.

  

His large callused hands cradled her face as he increased the pressure of his lips. Her hands gripped tighter around the steering wheel as if letting go would imply losing control. When he pulled away, Lisa resisted the urge to whimper and beg him to kiss her again.

 

“Look at me, Lisa,” he demanded. She opened her eyes and met his stare. “I’m not done with you yet,” he said, his voice low and husky with desire. His finger traced the outline of her mouth. The tip of her tongue darted out to make contact. His slow, almost lazy smile nearly sent her over the edge, and her brain actually began to formulate ways to get him alone and not in full view of the busy parking lot. All logical thoughts about beer sales evaporated.

 

His eyes held her captive. She wanted his mouth back—to feel the firm pressure of his tongue, taste his addicting masculinity. Never in her entire life had she ever experienced such a sexual connection to a guy—a complete stranger to her just this morning. The moment seemed to last for hours.

 

“Let’s go.” He suddenly let go and settled back in his seat and looked at her. “Got more selling to do, don’t we?”

 

Lisa stared at him, open-mouthed. She clenched the steering wheel, again; body burning, erect nipples pressed nearly painfully against her bra. It was as if he wasn’t even affected by their amazing and intense kiss. Her eyes narrowed in irritation. She sighed, then started the motor. He was right--they had sales to make, dammit.

http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/the-rookie.html

Breathless Press Author Janie Franz

Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why?
I’ve been a successful freelance journalist for the past ten years, but I’ve been writing all of my life. However, it wasn’t until December of last year, that I actually had any fiction published, and that was the debut of The Bowdancer, the first book in The Bowdancer Saga. This series of books are in the fantasy romance genre but have broader themes than just whether Jan-nell, my main character, finds love. I enjoy fantasy because it allows me to create my own cultures with their own rules, lifeways, music, songs, dances, foods, spiritualities, and healing practices.

What comes first for you when you sit down to write a book? Plot or Characters?
Usually, it’s characters, but I might have an idea about where I wanted a story to go.

Do you "cast" your characters using pictures or actors to help inspire you when you're writing?
Not really. The characters, all except one, were fashioned as they appeared in the landscape I had created. The one exception was a hunter in the third book, Warrior Women, that will be out in November. I was trying to create different looks for the six master hunters and trackfinders of the sisterhood, and I drew upon a woman musician I had met and interviewed many years ago. She had a most unusual hair style and the way she moved on stage was much like the cat-like grace of Bekar, the hunter, that I created.

How long does it take you to finish a book from start to finish?
The Bowdancer, a novella, was written several years ago and had been tweaked over time. The second book, The Wayfarer’s Road, which is a longer novella, was written early this year and it took me about a month. The third book, Warrior Women, is longer but it took about the same amount of time. The Lost Song Trilogy, which are three full-length novels took me about three months to write and another month to tweak. (It is now being read by another publisher for their print house.)

Excerpt from The Wayfairer's Road-

http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/romance/fantasy/the-wayfarer-s-road-bowdancer-book-2.html

Jan-nell strained her ears to hear in the darkened barn. The rain had stopped sometime during their late-night meal so all she heard was the dripping from the trees. The horses snorted and stamped their hooves but did not seem to sense anything amiss. Yet, there was something moving outside, a shuffling in the wetness, and then—there—muffled voices and some shushing like Jan-nell had seen village children do before attempting some innocent prank. If indeed this were such a prank, it would definitely not be innocent.

Khrin had obviously heard the noises too, and shot Jan-nell a questioning look, tinged with something like fear. When Jan-nell bent to blow out the candle and reached for her staff, he stayed her hand, putting his finger to his lips and began to fumble with his cloak and tunic. Before she could figure out what he was doing, he had flung off his tunic, opened his linen shirt, and grabbed her right hand to place on his hairless chest. She tried to jerk her hand away, but he held it fast, whispering in her ear, "Trust me." Then he blew the candle out.

Just then, the latch on the stable door was lifted and the door swung open. A shaft of lantern light spilled over the backs of the horses. Razlo and another man, both well into their cups, entered and came around the first horse’s tail. Their lantern light fell on Khrin who lounged with a bent knee, looking annoyed at the men, as he caressed Jan-nell’s hand on his bare chest.

"That light is frightfully bright, gentlemen," Khrin announced.

Razlo’s drunken companion squinted beady eyes at Jan-nell and Khrin. "Ye be right, innkeeper. She be a whore." He twisted his head toward Razlo. "When be our chance?"

"I am not a whore!" Jan-nell shouted, trying to pull her hand away from Khrin, and attempting to stand.

Khrin jerked her back down. "That is true," Khrin said quietly. "She is no whore."

The beady-eyed fellow cackled. "Then she be giving it away."

"No," Khrin countered. "She has not given anything away." He held up the coin Jan-nell had given him for the meat pies. "She paid me."

This time Razlo sputtered. "Whores! The both of you! Get out of my barn!" The shout unsettled the horses and they started stamping about the stable, making Razlo and his guest step clear of the animals near the door.

Jan-nell glared at Khrin and stood. Then she addressed the two men. "And I am sure your intentions were very pure. Were you coming to bring us an extra blanket or perhaps some scraps from your kitchen?" She harrumphed as she woke Mira-nell. "We have to go now, sweeting."

 "Be gone and take that child abomination with you!" Razlo bellowed, startling one of the animals, causing it to whinny and rear. It pulled at its rope tether, nearly pinning Razlo and his lantern against the wall. The beady-eyed guest fled outside, and Razlo escaped to stand at the open door, supervising their evacuation.

Breathless Press Author Shiela Stewart

 

Cheaters Never Prosper

 

We’ve all heard the quote and are very familiar with it. In our youth, we’ve been told never to cheat, that cheating will only lead to trouble. Yet so many ignore the warning and have gone on to do just that. There has been a lot of talk about cheaters in the news these days. The most famous cheater is Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods led a second life that no one seemed to know about, including his wife. He slept with, some reports say, as many as thirty women during his marriage. And his wife had no clue.

What makes a person cheat? Is it in their blood? How do cheaters do it, keep their married life in order while behind the scenes they’re flirting and having sex with others? What is it that causes them to stray from their vows and take on a lover? So many people have wondered this. Spouses have blamed themselves saying, “They should have seen the signs” “If they had been a better lover, their spouse wouldn’t have cheated on them” But is it the fault of the victim, or that of the cheater?

So many times the cheater begs for forgiveness and promises never to do it again. Should they be forgiven? Could you forgive your spouse if you found out they cheated on you? If you forgave, would you constantly be questioning if the meeting they went to was really a meeting or were they seeing their lover? Would it matter if you’d been married a month, year, ten years? Would it matter if there was only one lover, or many?

They say it takes two to make a marriage. That is very true. Marriage is hard work, but if done properly, is a reward that is much greater than all of the riches in the world. I know, I’ve been married for twenty-five years to an incredible man. We’ve been through tough times, suffered loss, dealt with poverty, mental illness and so much more.  But with all of the pain and heartache in our life, we stuck together, united as one.  What makes us different than Joe and Joanne Smith who have been through similar hard times and have strayed? You tell me.

So what makes a cheater cheat? Ask a cheater and they’ll give you every answer in the book.

 

Seducing the Darkness
Shiela Stewart
www.shielasbooks.ca
Place of purchase: www.breathlesspress.com

 

Blurb:

An outcast by her kind, Trinity Ford has learned to live on her own…not an easy thing to do when you’re a vampire.

Trinity was once a fragile girl. Being taken by a powerful vampire prince changed her. Discovering him in the arms of another woman changed destiny. Alone, she’s learned fast how to be tough, how to survive, and how to protect the people in her city from the evil that lurks in the dark. She was managing just fine, until Basil walked back into her life.

Basil Hawthorn has been the reigning prince of vampires since banishing his father to the Realm of Dark Mystics decades earlier. When a prophetic dream makes him realize Trinity’s life is at risk, he decides the only way to save her is to push her away. Doing so is not easy. Trinity is the only woman he has ever loved, ever will love, and he can’t seem to let her go.

When rumors arise of a plan to raise the King and blot out the sun, both Trinity and Basil know they must do everything to stop it. Even if it means working together. Despite the betrayal and the threat, they find themselves drawn to each other. Love has no boundaries, especially in the face of danger. But will they be able to stop the ritual before it’s too late?

Or will the darkness capture them both?

 

Excerpt:

 

Trinity came to in a dark room that smelled of mold and old dirt. She was familiar with the smell. Often, the older vampires preferred to sleep near damp, musty dirt where there was no light whatsoever and the crisp temperatures kept their bodies cool. She never understood it. The smell of the dirt made her nose burn. But then again, her death had been made by Basil in his bedroom with candles burning and soft music playing and flowers strewn about the room.

She’d never had to live in the cellars like most other vampires chose to.

Shaking that thought away, Trinity focused her eyes on something beyond the darkness. It was handy that vampires could see in the dark.

There was a huge wooden plank, chiseled to a point at the end, rigged to some sort of metal arm that was attached to the ceiling. The point of the plank was painfully jabbing into her chest right over her heart.

This was not a good place for a vampire to be.

It was then she noticed she was as naked as the day she’d been born.

“One wrong move and it is dusty dreams for you.”

Her eyes shifted from the plank to the voice to her left.

As he moved towards her, Trinity simply glared at him. Of all the vampires in the world, she hated Chaos the most. He was a cutthroat vampire that found torture as pleasing as savoring a cold beer on a hot day. “Am I supposed to be terrified now?” she replied with a dry, dismissive tone.

Chaos stepped a little closer. “I would be if I were you.”

“Well, isn’t it fortunate that you’re not me. What's the point to this….ridiculous show of dominance, Chaos?”

“Stop killing my people,” he said with a stern, strong voice.

“Say please.” She bared her teeth at him.

“I wouldn’t be so smug if I were you, Trinity. I do have the upper hand.” Waving his hand, the point of the plank pressed against her skin with a little more force.

“And you know killing me would start the biggest war your kind has ever seen.”

He closed the distance between them. “I don’t intend to kill you, my dear. Just rough you up enough to get my point across.”

“You know, that word keeps coming up. Funny, huh, as I have one stabbing me in the chest right now! All I would have to do is open my mind and call Basil and this would all be over with and you and your kind would be in the fight of your life.”

 “You would call him for help after what he’s done to you?”

That grated. Did everyone know that she’d been made a fool of by Basil? “I didn’t say I was calling him for help. I can get out of this perfectly fine on my own. I thought you might like a visit from your sworn enemy.”

His laughter, a high, squeaky sound rippled in the dark dank room. “Aw, are you still hurt at the fact that he was banging another cunt while he was pretending to love you?”

He wasn’t quite quick enough to stop the wad of saliva she spat at him. Wiping it from his cheek, he snarled at her as he stepped back. “Have at her boys, but do leave her breathing in the end.”

Trinity had a moment to think, “Shit” before the four snarling beasts entered the room, whips ready.

“I’m gonna take great pleasure in having my way with you, sweet thing.”

She’d rip her own arms off to stop him from going any further.

“I bet she tastes great. What do you think, Reggie, should we take a taste?”

“Try and stop me.”

“Go any further and die, pigs.” She squirmed, realizing that she had been drugged enough to dull her strength.

Damn it.

“Ooh, I’m scared.”

“You should be.” The four beasts turned as Basil materialized behind them.

“Shit,” one said as he scurried away from Trinity.

“Good, now the rest of you back off as well, and we won’t have to start anything,” Basil warned, his fangs bared.

“Go away, Basil, I can do this on my own.” Trinity struggled, fighting the ropes holding her in place. It grated on her that he would come to her rescue, even though she knew without his help, she would have been defenseless against the beasts. And he wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t been thinking of him in the first place.

 “Sure you can, my sweet. But a true gentleman, such as myself, couldn’t possibly leave a damsel in distress without aiding in her rescue.”

“Aw, fuck.” Why did he have to talk like that? It always turned her heart to mush.

 “How about you back off?” one of the beasts challenged.

“Don’t be an ass, Mudge. Do you have any idea who this is?” another beast remarked.

“Slime,” the beast denounced, his chin jutting out, his fangs bared.

“There is always one.” Shaking his head, Basil began by simply twirling his index finger and had a dust cloud forming on the ground. “One.”

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” one of the men cried out.

“Fuck that,” another spat, eyes defiant.

“Two.” Basil twirled his hand, creating a vortex of dirt nearly as tall as he.

“Jesus, can’t breathe here.” Trinity coughed, keeping her eyes closed. She hated when he used his powers like this. But creating a tornado was one of his favorite forms of distraction against his enemies. It was a good weapon, providing you weren’t caught in the cross-fire.

“I ain’t budging, buddy,” the beast defied, holding his arm over his mouth, blinking his eyes rapidly as the dirt caked his face.

“Three.” With a loud roar the vortex swept them all up, spinning them endlessly without any effort on Basil’s part.

“Jesus, Basil, enough. I can’t fucking see or breathe.” Trinity hacked, her eyes watering something fierce. She felt the stake as it was pulled back, then her arms and legs being released. She was about to step down from the platform when she felt herself being swept up in his arms. “Put me down.”

“I will when we’re out of here. Get on my back.”

“Forget it.” She shoved him, trying to break his hold.

 “It’s the quickest way out of here, now get on my back.”

Growling, she did as he asked.

As he changed into a silver wolf she straddled his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. He took a running charge and burst through the open doorway and down the corridors, avoiding the vampires charging after them. His feral growl and fanged teeth were enough to have them backing off. Everyone knew perfectly well he could rip into them faster than they could attempt to break away.

The instant Basil made it out of the compound, she tugged on his ear. “This is good, let me off.”

She tugged a little harder when he refused to stop. She huffed as he ran through the front gate and down the road before coming to a stop.

Trinity climbed off his back and wiped the dirt from her burning eyes. “I don’t need your help.”

He turned to her, still in wolf form and bore his pearly white fangs before transforming back into a man. Rolling his neck, Basil turned and swept a sultry look over her body. “Could have fooled me. Here.” He removed his long jacket and held it out to her.

“I don’t want your clothes either,” she snorted, her lip curled.

“Suit yourself. Personally, I like looking at you innothing but your birthday suit.”

“What?” Glancing down, she nearly gasped. She’d forgotten that she was nude. “Give me that.”

She snatched the jacket from Basil and slipped into it. “Are you following me now?”

 “Fuck off, Basil.” Trinity stopped to get her bearings. She had no idea how far from her apartment she was. And the drug was still in her system, disorienting her.

“Keep going straight for the next few blocks, turn left straight for another six, then right, and you should be on your block,” he supplied as he followed at her side. “Or, I could change back into a wolf and give you a ride home.”

She narrowed her eyes at his innuendo. “I like to walk.”

 “Fine, walk. Want to tell me why Chaos’ men had you?”

“I messed with his men. Guess he didn’t like it much.”

“He’ll hear some words from me. No one, no one, takes my woman hostage and—”

She stopped abruptly and in doing so, he slammed into her back, knocking her forward. “What did you just call me?”

“I will not have anyone hurting you, Trinity.”

 “I’m a big girl, Basil, and I can take care of myself just fine.”

“You may think you’re brave and capable of taking care of yourself, but we both know you need me.”

“How dare you. I don’t need your help; I’ve never needed your help.”

“You and I both know that is not true. Where would you be now, my love, had I not come to you and changed your life?”

She refused to answer that because it would prove him right. She would have been alone, broke, and most likely working as a waitress in some dive, barely able to make ends meet. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she snapped at him.

“Because, I love you,” he said simply.

She snorted. “Yeah, you loved me so much that you showed it by banging another woman in our bed.”

Breathless Press Author S. E. Holden

Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why?  My name is S. E. Holden and I'm a brand spankin' new author with Breathless Press. I spent quite a few years stomping around the corporate IT world before reaching escape velocity to pursue my dream of writing full time.  I've been an avid Fantasy reader for a long time so when I committed to writing, I expected elves, dwarves, wizards and dragons to swarm across the page.  Instead, I found the words aligning themselves in stories about contemporary couples dealing with whatever life threw at them. The characters strive to overcome the issue at hand and explore their sexual relationship in the process. 

 My first story, The Presentation, is coming out in November. It's a contemporary erotic romance and part of my Thursday Night series…anything can happen on Thursday Night.  This entire series of short stories is about committed couples overcoming the vagaries of life.  Thursday, to me, is one of those everyman nights, acting as a placeholder between hump day and TGIF. So, when focusing on how everyday couples solve their problems, it made sense to have them resolved on a nondescript Thursday that was simply minding its own business.

 Ultimately, I'm a romantic at heart.  I love to see couples work through challenges to emerge stronger on the other side.  The fact that they have steamy, mind-blowing sex along the way doesn’t hurt either.       

 What comes first for you when you sit down to write a book? Plot or Characters?   When I'm working on a short story, the plot comes first.  I see what needs to happen then fit in the right characters.  For my novel, though, I developed the characters first.  I have to live with these characters for a lot longer than in a short story so I need to make sure they're fleshed out and interesting.  If I don't find them interesting, how will my readers?

 Do you "cast" your characters using pictures or actors to help inspire you when you're writing?  No.  As I create the characters, they take on their own persona, their own look, which is built from scratch. Perhaps in the end they share some common traits with major actors or public figures, but it doesn't start out that way.

 How long does it take you to finish a book from start to finish? I'll let you know when I finish the novel.  The stories vary.  Some take about a week, while others need more time for the plot to come together. I may get an idea in the shower or driving around town, but it needs to percolate and simmer for a while before it resolves enough for me to start writing.     

 

Excerpt from The Presentation:

I don’t see any movement. Are they still breathing? I know this stuff is dry, but come on…something!

A little, neon-green Christmas tree blinked at her from the last row. After the third blink, the words “Merry Xmas” turned red. Oh my God, he came. Her breath caught and she stammered.

She paused to regroup, hiding her distraction behind a pull from her water bottle. The tie was a gag gift she gave Matt last Christmas, but he hadn’t worn it yet. Until now. Seeing him brought the night before in the tub into sharp focus. "Just remember this feeling," he had said as she squirmed in the water under his torturous, yet wonderful ministrations.

She shook her head to clear the images. Once under control again, she continued, "We’ve been watching our corporate expenses very carefully over this time." 

Sheila flushed, unable to ignore the blinking lights off the tie, but it wasn’t embarrassment that tinged her cheeks and prickled her skin. This heat emanated from deep inside—from somewhere only he could reach.

    Here's the blurb for, The Presentation, available on November 19^th from Breathless Press.

Not one for public limelight, Sheila, the new VP of Operations must face her greatest fear: the presentation to her future. Overridden with anxiety and nerves, she could only turn to one person for help—Matt, her husband of eleven years. But his innovative ways pose possible threats to her job. Can she risk endangering her career for the sake of fulfilling her forbidden fantasies?

 Having been in corporate America for many years, I've seen the stress and panic public speaking strikes into the hearts of some presenters regardless of their professional level.  Not only does the presentation impact the presenter, but also the circle of friends and family around them as the impending event draws closer.  In writing this story, I wanted to showcase a way in which a supportive spouse might affect the situation.       

 How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author? Do you read your own reviews?   Being a new author, I'm very curious as to what both reviewers and readers will think of my work.         

What are you working on now? Anything you want to tell us about?  I continue to write new stories for the Thursday Night series.  My second story, Back on Track, will be coming out from Breathless in the not too distant future.

           In addition to the short stories, I'm also working on my first novel.  Being engrossed in reading the high fantasy and paranormal genres for so many years, I had no idea that the worlds of romance and fantasy or paranormal could so closely mesh.  As I started writing erotic romance, I expanded my reading list and found a whole new world of possibilities.  I'm working on a contemporary paranormal romance novel set in and around Tampa, FL.  The writing is in progress, but no end in sight just yet.        

 What books are currently on your nightstand/bedside? Anything coming you are dying to read? I'm reading through J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series after just finishing Terry Brooks' latest Shannara novel, Bearers of the Black Staff.  I'm always anxious for the new Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher books to hit the shelves.

 If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why? This is an easy question since at this time I have a very limited number of titles (one).  Please read The Presentation coming out in November from Breathless Press.

 If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why? Jacques DeMolay, the 23^rd, and last, Grand Master of the Knights Templar.  I've always been fascinated by the ideals espoused by the Templar teachings, whether the flesh and blood knights actually lived by those creeds and vows is another story and has been the subject of many books and even some recent movies.  Regardless, since I'm not a historian nor do I play one on TV, I subscribe to a more romantic view of the Templars in that they embody the essence of the warrior monk.

While being a Templar, or even associated with the Templars, under the leadership of DeMolay in the final days equated to a death sentence, it would have been fascinating to have been a part of the history of that organization and to see that history unfurl.      

 What so you see for the future of publishing and e-books? The e-book market will continue to grow.  I see the global availability of e-books as an easy way to reach more readers than ever before.  In this age of instant gratification, readers can simply download a book or story at the precise moment they are in the mood for it instead of having to wait for delivery or get their pajama-clad butts dressed and out to the bookstore.  With the smaller overhead in publishing e-books, it also gives new authors (like me) a chance to break into the business.

 Most of the traditional publishing houses will need to, if they haven't already, give their consumers the option of paper or digital, providing them the kind of flexible service to which they are quickly growing accustomed.          

     Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?      This is a tough question for me because I don't have a host of characters to choose from as of yet.  Ask me again in a year and I'll have a good answer for you. 

 Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her/it/him when she/he/it refuses to inspire you? Usually we get along very well.  I never know when she'll strike, but I'm always grateful for the visions.  Over the summer, however, she was lazy and easily distracted by the kids being home from school.  We spent more time playing with the kids than writing, but I can't really fault her for that.  How many summers do you really have with your kids where they want to play with you?     

          During the productive, school-year months we spend time playing computer games or some other distracting digital enterprise to not obsess on any given WIP.  A short break to clear the mental palate usually does the trick to outline a plausible solution.  

 Where can readers find you on the ‘net for more information on you, your books and other fun stuff?

Email: seholden@verizon.net

Facebook: Se Holden

Web: www.seholden.com (coming soon)

Twitter: @SEHolden25

Excerpt from The Presentation:

I don’t see any movement. Are they still breathing? I know this stuff is dry, but come on…something!

A little, neon-green Christmas tree blinked at her from the last row. After the third blink, the words “Merry Xmas” turned red. Oh my God, he came. Her breath caught and she stammered.

She paused to regroup, hiding her distraction behind a pull from her water bottle. The tie was a gag gift she gave Matt last Christmas, but he hadn’t worn it yet. Until now. Seeing him brought the night before in the tub into sharp focus. "Just remember this feeling," he had said as she squirmed in the water under his torturous, yet wonderful ministrations.

She shook her head to clear the images. Once under control again, she continued, "We’ve been watching our corporate expenses very carefully over this time." 

Sheila flushed, unable to ignore the blinking lights off the tie, but it wasn’t embarrassment that tinged her cheeks and prickled her skin. This heat emanated from deep inside—from somewhere only he could reach.