Category Archives: Books
In which I am a little frustrated about the lack of literary Dommes
So I was wandering around the intertubes as you do, and I read this piece over at Herosandheartbreakers.com about the top 5 Dommes in kinky romance. One line in particular jumped out at me:
(Linger by Joey W. Hill) was the first BDSM story that I read with a dominant heroine. I was hesitant at first, and I know I’ve heard the same thing from many readers about Linger…they just don’t know if they’re going to enjoy that role reversal.
Really? Because I know I would freaking kill or die to read a good BDSM erotic romance with a Domme. Or even better, a good BDSM erotic romance that didn’t feature a Domme who secretly wants to submit to a man. I can’t tell you how many times I bought a promising-looking novel with a Domme/sub relationship only to find out halfway through that she was just doing it for the money, or she’s “secretly fragile,” or damaged somehow, or she’s in danger and the sub has to protect her, or just needs to meet the right man at which point poof, all her Domme tendencies disappear.
Hear that whooshing noise? That’s my suspension of disbelief disappearing. Yes, there is such a thing as dom drop, and not all Dommes want to be in charge all the time. But that identification doesn’t go away just because you need a break. I understand the appeal of the Dom/sub relationship and why a submissive woman would want to serve a loving, sexy Dom who takes care of all of her needs in return for her service/submission/obedience/etc. I also understand why these stories appeal to so many women who are juggling a career, a home, kids, and a husband, and sometimes just want to hand over the reins and be taken care of for a change. Hoo, boy, I understand that. It’s totally cool, and I fully support such stories and the writers and readers who love them.
But when it comes to me, I want to read about a Domme because that’s what twists my wick. Please God, I just want to read a book where a well-adjusted, happy Domme meets up with a sub and they have great scenes together and she isn’t:
- just doing it for the money
- in some sort of danger that only he can protect her from
- emotionally damaged
- secretly wanting to submit to him
- some sort of general damsel in distress who just happens to wear leather and wield a crop
I’m trying to think of how many stories I’ve found that fit that description, and to be honest the only one I can think of is Shoshanna Evers’ Dominatrix Fantasy trilogy (holla!). And yes, if you can think of more please let me know because I’d love to check them out.
Mind you, there are excellent books with women who are Switches; Tiffany Reisz’s Nora Sutherlin from the Original Sinners series comes to mind, as does Tymber Dalton’s character Tilda in Cardinal’s Rule. Both these characters start out as subs and discover their inner Domme tendencies as the stories progress, and they totally and utterly rock. I just want to see more stories with characters like Nora and Tilda who happen to start off as Dommes and stay Dommes all the way through the story.
So, yeah, if you ever wondered the impetus behind me writing Behind the Iron Cross, now you know. And I can assure you right here and now that Katherine Tracy has no intention of suddenly handing over the reins to Friedrich just because she’s fallen in love with him. They both know what they want, and that’s him tied naked and hard in her bed, ready to submit to his Fräulein.
Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Happy Hump Day! Let’s celebrate it with another wonderful Mid Week Tease, courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino. This week, I’ll be sharing a rather tense teaser from Behind the Iron Cross, my historical MMF romance set in 1923 Berlin. In this snippet, Friedrich is attending a masked ball/orgy at a church-themed nightclub with Kat and Sam and spots General Gerhard Hauptmann, the man who recruited him to spy on them. What he learns next will shock him.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
In the aftermath of World War I, Berlin has become a hotspot of decadent pleasures, and American millionairess Kat Tracy is determined to enjoy each and every one of them with Sam Hellman, her late brother’s lover and her convenient “fiancé.” But when the two of them meet Friedrich von Bader, a former German Army officer turned reluctant prostitute, their wicked games take on a new meaning.
Friedrich glanced into the grotto as they passed, then did a double-take. Inside, dressed in a Roman toga that Caesar himself would envy, was Hauptmann, sitting next to the American businessman. They laughed over drinks, all the while caressing what he could only assume were three whores dressed in flimsy tunics and vaguely Roman hairstyles, all piled curls and wrapped ribbons.
“Come on.” He felt Sam’s hand on his arm, and let himself be tugged away, back to their grotto. Something gnawed at him, something that had first raised its head during that horrible dream about Hauptmann and the Somme.
Sam plopped down next to Kat, managing not to spill a drop of their drinks. “Guess who’s here tonight?”
“Darling, half of Berlin is here tonight,” she said lazily. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”
“You’re right. Guess who’s here tonight whose head you’d really like to see on a pike?”
Her expression dimmed, going cold. “Brayburn?”
“The one and only. Looks like he’s entertaining, too. Some big blond with one of those military mustaches.”
Kat put down her drink. “Going grey at the temples? With a small scar on his right cheek?”
Friedrich went cold at her description of the general. “Yes, that’s the man,” Sam said, puzzled. “You know him?”
“Arthur warned me about him. His name is Gerhard Hauptmann. He was a German army general until he got cashiered for almost beating a corporal to death. According to Arthur, he’s become quite the eminence grise for the Black Arrow. Taught them military tactics for fighting the other gangs, how to rig an ambush, things like that.”
The sensation in Friedrich’s stomach grew, turning into a spiked ball of guilt and recognition. The Black Arrow, the gang that Oskar had worked for. The one that had raped Lilli, that had almost killed Rudi. “How long has he worked for the Black Arrow,” he blurted.
Kat glanced at him, brows coming down. “For well over a year, now, according to Arthur. Brayburn supposedly hired him as a sort of local guide, but Arthur thinks Hauptmann’s been using his gang connections to bully various executives into signing their companies over to Brayburn.”
Friedrich clutched the edge of the tiny table, knuckles white. It took him a moment before he registered the Fräulein’s warm hand covering one of his. “Colonel, what’s wrong? Do you know this man?”
Oskar’s death, Lilli’s assault and his own guilt tangled together on his tongue, colored now with a rising film of purest rage. He nodded once, sucking in a deep breath. “I — I’ll be right back.”
He stood up and lurched out of the grotto, ignoring their questions. Guilt and fury pounded in his head, coloring everything red. He needed to find Hauptmann, strangle the traitorous bastard with his own hands, rip his throat out for what he’d done to Oskar and Lilli, what he’d persuaded Friedrich to do.
Oh, you stupid bastard. You believed him, and you gave him everything he wanted.
As he approached the Brayburn grotto, he could only see the American businessman and his whores lounging on the purple couches there. He turned, pushing through the heaving throng, scanning for his prey. Ahead, he saw a familiar head disappear into a door labeled HERREN.
He followed.
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Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Happy Hump Day! Let’s celebrate it with another wonderful Mid Week Tease, courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino. This week, I’ll be sharing a teaser from Behind the Iron Cross, my historical MMF romance set in 1923 Berlin (which I will hopefully have finished by the end of September, please God).
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
In the aftermath of World War I, Berlin has become a hotspot of decadent pleasures, and American millionairess Kat Tracy is determined to enjoy each and every one of them with Sam Hellman, her late brother’s lover and her convenient “fiancé.” But when the two of them meet Friedrich von Bader, a former German Army officer turned reluctant prostitute, their wicked games take on a new meaning.
“You two look comfortable.”
Friedrich cracked one eye open. The Fräulein stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Sam and him. Her face was in shadow, hiding her expression.
Sam stirred next to him, giving her a sleepy grin. “Oh, hi, sweetheart,” he said. “We met up in town for lunch, and then we came back here. I’m afraid we fell asleep.”
“So I see.” She settled on the end of the mattress, hunching over a bit. “I’m glad some of us had a pleasant day.”
Sam sat up, more alert now. “What’s wrong?”
Those slim shoulders shrugged. “Not the best of days. Schoengraff still won’t talk to us, and we lost Gimmel. Brayburn got to them first.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Unconcerned by his nudity, Sam climbed out of the bedcovers and moved down to the other end of the bed, gently pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry.”
She sighed, resting back against him. “We had the entire deal set up. All we needed were signatures on the partnership papers. And I walked in there this afternoon to see all of them smirking at me, ever so pleased with themselves as they gave me the news. Bastards.”
Friedrich felt out of place, watching the two of them cuddle. He started to get out of bed and Sam glanced back at him. The American shook his head, looking meaningfully at the pillows. Confused, Friedrich sat back, waiting.
Sam turned back to the Fräulein. “Darling, why don’t you shuck out of all this and let us take care of you? We’ll give you a nice, long back rub, then pop you in the tub for a soak while we order dinner. Sound good?”
Another sigh, heavier this time. “I suppose.”
To Friedrich’s surprise, she slipped out of her tailored jacket and blouse without a second thought, tossing them carelessly on the floor with her skirt. Underneath, she wore a cream silk slip that clung to her body in delicious ways, outlining the small, shapely curves of her breasts and hips. With Sam’s encouragement, even this was pulled off and deposited on the floor, leaving her in a bra and flimsy silk knickers.
Friedrich’s mouth went dry. He knew the Fräulein was beautiful, knew it in the same way that the Venus di Milo was beautiful. It was a cool, unattainable beauty, something more to worship than hold in his arms. But now, she was a tired, aggravated woman who simply wanted to stretch out after a long, difficult day and be tended to.
And his cock swelled at the thought. He tugged the bedclothes higher, trying to camouflage his sudden desire. Sam noticed the tenting at his groin and shot him a quick grin as he moved the Fräulein up the bed, encouraging her to stretch out on her stomach. “You relax, sweetheart. Let us take care of you.”
She mumbled something into her pillowed arms, eyes already closed. Friedrich realized they were shadowed, soft smudges of exhaustion visible now in the cupped curve. The desire abated a bit, replaced by an unexpected tenderness. She’s been working so hard. She must be exhausted, poor katze.
He knelt on the bedcovers at her side, looking to Sam for guidance. The American man reached over to the bedside table, picking up the bottle of lotion there. He shook out a good palmful of the creamy liquid, then gestured for Friedrich to hold out his own hand and deposited more lotion in it.
Friedrich followed him, rubbing the lotion between his hands to warm it, then bringing it to the Fräulein’s skin. The men mirrored each other as they worked up and down her spine, rubbing the taut muscles there. Friedrich skirted the band of her bra, but Sam just shook his head and expertly unhooked it, flipping the freed ends to either side. “Better, sweetheart?”
“Mmm.”
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Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease
Happy Hump Day! I’m finishing up the final edits for Breaker Zone in preparation for submission, so I thought I’d use a scene from it as this week’s tease.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
When Dr. Nick Gardiner goes on the run from a psychotic ex and ends up at Olympic Cove, the last thing he expects to find is his friend Ian living with two redheaded demigods and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. As it turns out, the handsome mer and his partner Liam have other plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.
A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in the battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.
###
Liam let Nick’s hands go. They dropped to his sides and his dark head tilted, exposing the long line of muscle and tendon just waiting to be decorated with bite marks and sucking kisses. Oh, their chuisle knew how to lure attention.
But Liam knew how to wait. Instead of putting his mouth to Nick’s offered throat, he whispered, “Now, we’re going to take off your clothes.”
A shiver ran through Nick at that. Liam paused, trying to judge if it had been caused by lust or fear. The reality of the situation came back to him — the last time Nick had played with anyone, his trust had been shattered and his body damaged. They were swimming through jellyfish-laden waters here, and one wrong move could drive their fated mate even further away from them.
He bent close to Nick’s ear again. “If something upsets you, you will tell us immediately, do you understand? We’ll sit down tomorrow and have a long talk about what you can and cannot do, and I swear to you that Aidan and I will respect your limits. But tonight is purely for your pleasure and comfort.”
He heard Nick swallow, and the shivering died down. “Good. Now, take a deep breath.”
Their mate’s ribcage expanded, filling with the air all his kind needed. “Another.” Liam ran his hands over Nick’s shoulders, enjoying the feel of the curved muscle there. “Good. I’m going to take off your shirt.”
Moving with deliberation, he slid all the buttons through their holes, tugging the smooth fabric off and tossing it to the side. He took in a soft breath, admiring Nick’s muscle definition. It wasn’t as pronounced as a mer’s, but his back and shoulders had beautifully delineated hollows and rises that implied strength and agility. Liam’s mouth watered with the sudden urge to bite into one firm shoulder.
Instead, he ran just the pads of his fingertips across Nick’s skin, tracing the outline of his upper body. On the other side Aidan had stepped closer, running his own fingers along Nick’s chest and abs. Their mate made a soft, hungry noise deep in his throat, and Aidan flashed that irresistible smile. “I think you like this, chuisle.”
“Mmm.”
Liam leaned close, nipping Nick’s earlobe again. “Use your words,” he ordered gently.
“Yes, I like this, sir.” The response was soft, almost dreamy.
Liam caught Aidan’s eye, then glanced down meaningfully. At the same time he slid his hands down Nick’s arms, gently ringing his wrists and drawing them behind his back. “You’re still wearing too much.”
“Far too much,” Aidan agreed, sinking to his knees. Liam watched over Nick’s shoulder as the other mer started undoing Nick’s belt, teasingly drawing the leather through the loops, before easing down his zipper. Nick made another noise, deeper this time.
He likes being restrained and controlled. Liam felt his own desire rise, and firmly corralled it. Tonight is for him, to show him he belongs with us.
Nick gasped suddenly, twitching in his grip. Glancing down, Liam saw his other mate planting an open-mouthed kiss at the base of Nick’s hardening cock through his underwear.
“Did I say you could do that, boy?” he asked Aidan, putting a growl into his voice.
The green-eyed mer leaned back, face shadowed in the room’s dim light. “I’m sorry, sir. I couldn’t resist a taste.”
Liam was tempted to correct him, but their focus had to remain on Nick. “I’ll deal with you later,” he rumbled, and saw goosebumps rise on Nick’s skin. The idea obviously appealed. “Hm. Would you like that, chuisle? I could tie you to the headboard and make you watch me punish Aidan. I’d bend him over the end of the bed and turn his ass a lovely red as you watched. Then I’d put him on his hands and knees and fuck him while he looked at you.”
This time both his mates groaned at the image he’d created. “I wouldn’t let him come for a long time,” Liam murmured, enjoyed the sensation of his own cock plumping out and pressing against the fabric of his shorts. “And every time I thrust into him, his mouth would come closer and closer to your cock, almost close enough to suck it. But never quite close enough. And all the time I was fucking him, all you could do is sit there, hard and aching so badly, and watch us.”
Nick’s head dropped back onto his shoulder. “Please, sir,” he whispered.
“Mm. Such a good boy.” He nodded at Aidan, and the other mer finished taking Nick’s trousers down, then his briefs. “If you’re very good and earn it, I may let you come tonight. No promises, though.”
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Well, I’m back (and with good news!)
So there I was, sitting in my hotel room in London (Ramón and I were attending the World Science Fiction Convention, long story) when I decided to get online and check my email. Lo and behold, an acceptance email for my Planet Alpha story appeared!
The current release date is sometime in October, and the acquiring editor decided that Assassin was an appropriate title in honor of my delightfully sarcastic Xyran assassin Zhan. If you’ve been following my Mid Week Teases for this story, you’ll soon be able to read the whole thing. Here’s the blurb I just submitted with my cover art sheet — can’t wait to see what Sour Cherry Designs comes up with for this one.
A routine wilderness patrol goes horribly wrong when Sergeant Deacon Shea and his patrol partner are ambushed by scavengers. After a firefight leaves his partner dead and their vehicle destroyed, Deacon is forced to hike out of the mountains alone. Stumbling across a grounded Alphan shuttle, he thinks he’s found a ride home with the Alphan warrior Taric and his Xyran associate Zhan. The handsome aliens, however, have other plans for Deacon — to make him their mate.
Forced to hide their bond from their respective governments, Taric and Zhan never expected to find their third bondmate on Earth, and definitely not in the middle of an unauthorized mission to stop a vicious Xyran slavemaster. Neither of them can resist the urge to claim Deacon, but will their new mate help them catch their old foe, or turn them over to Earth — and Alphan — justice?
I should have known this was going to happen
Did I mention that I had an absolute ball coming up with the three Olympic Cove graphics on the Merchandise page? Because man, I did. The only problem with designing logos and such is that 1) while it’s a huge amount of fun because I get to dream up advertising graphics for imaginary companies/entities (“Ooh, what can I do for Trickster Technologies? Would the Molly Girl have nose art? Maybe Mayhew Nursery’s slogan could be, ‘Putting a touch of magic in every garden.'”), 2) it takes away from actual writing/editing time. Granted, I don’t have THAT many things I can put up there (yet), but I will have to find some kind of balance between Photoshop and Scrivener.
It doesn’t help that I just petitioned Ramón to go get Assassin’s Creed because it really, really looks like fun. Rod for my own back, I swear.
And of course I also still have to come up with a proper logo for myself. I like the idea of an outline profile of a smiling woman with her chin propped on one hand, and her long curling hair has the outline of a sexy man in it. But that will take some time to do in Illustrator, and I’m supposed to be editing both the Planet Alpha story AND Breaker Zone and getting them off to Evernight before 8/13.
I really need clones. Or a keeper.
Feedback needed for Olympic Cove t-shirt designs
As part of my campaign to promote the Olympic Cove series and provide nifty swag for people, I came up with these mockups for t-shirt designs. Whatcha think?
So, just had my 48th birthday
And it was lovely — Ramón gave me a lingerie shopping spree as my present (woohoo!), and I got tons of birthday wishes all over social media so I was quite the happy camper. Would have been even happier if I’d been at SDCC or RWA14, but I’m going to London this year for Worldcon so I can’t really complain. Plus there’s always next year, right? (Although when a friend of mine at SDCC got an impromptu picture with both Jared Padalecki and a somewhat tiddly Misha Collins, I may have turned a slight shade of chartreuse.)
In writing news, I’m plowing ahead on my Planet Alpha submission and I’ll have a second teaser up tomorrow for MidWeek Tease. Hope nobody minds a big action scene at the end — well, hey, if you kidnap an Alphan warrior’s human bondmate, you have to expect him and his Xyran mate to open a can of alien whoopass on you, right? Fingers crossed that Evernight feels the same way. Once that’s off, I’ll get to work editing Breaker Zone with an eye on submitting it by August 13. After THAT, I go back to work on Behind the Iron Cross so that I can get it making the agent rounds in September. Plus people have been asking for Trickster and Two to Tango sequels.
Arrgh. Why do I have to sleep?
Mid Week Tease: Two to Tango #MWTease #MidWeekTease
Happy Hump Day! With Breaker Zone currently cooling before the editing process, I thought I’d post a teaser from my M/M SF romp Two to Tango, currently available from Evernight Publishing and other purveyors of fine erotic romance. Let’s just say the scene speaks for itself, shall we?
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
Rory Maclellan, aka the Highlander, is one of the most successful interstellar art thieves out there. He’s careful, professional, and plans his heists down to the microsecond. Surprisingly, he also has a conscience. So when he runs into a suicidal museum worker during his latest job, he has no choice but to stun the man and rescue him from certain death.
Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a disastrous dig left his career in tatters. Hungry, broke, and about to be laid off from the only job he’s been able to find in the last three years, he never expected a dashing thief to come along and save his life.
With interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?
###
Minutes later they were upstairs in the family wing, bedroom door closed and locked behind them. Rory was busily stripping Dmitri out of his coat and waistcoat while Dmitri had his fingers carded in Rory’s hair, trying to hold him still as they kissed frenetically.
“Did I mention how fucking sexy you are when you dance?” Rory muttered against his mouth. “I swear to God, I thought I was going to get hard right then and there. Which, by the way, is pretty damned embarrassing in a kilt.”
“It was your idea to tango,” Dmitri said, licking his lower lip before taking it in his teeth and tugging gently. “And you weren’t the only one getting hard.”
“Good.” Rory’s hand snaked down between them, cupping his groin and squeezing gently. Dmitri closed his eyes at the flash of harsh-edged pleasure, thrusting into Rory’s grip. “Because I want you hard, doc. Naked and hard and on your back under me, legs over my shoulders, begging me to fuck you.”
The command sent a zing of pure need through Dmitri. “I thought you liked to bottom.”
“Normally I do. But I’m feeling a little domineering right now, and I really want to fuck you.” Rory eased up, looking absurdly hopeful. “Is that okay?”
“Bozhe moi, yes.”
They tumbled onto the bed together, struggling out of their clothes in between kisses. Dmitri ran a hand up Rory’s thigh and underneath his kilt, cupping his balls and rolling them gently. Rory tipped his head back, making a low, hungry noise.
“Like that?” Dmitri said, amused.
“You know I do.”
“How about this?” He shifted his grip, sliding it up Rory’s thickening shaft until he could run his thumb around the head. There was already a thin slick there, and he wanted to lick it off his thumb. “Yes, you definitely like that,” he crooned.
“Fucking tease,” Rory groaned back. “Let’s see how you like it.”
Dmitri abruptly found himself flipped onto his back with a half-naked and very aroused Scot on top of him. Grinning, Rory tore open his shirt and nipped his way across Dmitri’s pecs, feasting on the tiny, hard nipples. The hot, wet sensation of Rory’s mouth sent darts of pleasure through him, and he moaned in agreement as Rory drifted down, following the trail of dark hair to his waistband.
“Okay, these have got to go,” Rory growled, ripping at his breeches. The tight fabric resisted, and Dmitri finally had to arch upwards, lifting his ass off the bedspread, in order to let Rory pull them off. “No more breeches, dammit.”
“They were your idea, remember?” Dmitri protested, then gasped as Rory’s mouth descended on his naked cock. Heat, wetness, and a velvet tongue slicking across that sensitive spot just under the head made him arch again. “Oh, God. Yes.”
Rory started sucking him in earnest, head bobbing greedily between his thighs to the accompaniment of some truly obscene slurping and suckling sounds. A wet finger slid under his balls, then farther back until it pressed against his rim.
Eyes closed, Dmitri pushed outward and was rewarded with a brief, sweet burn as he was penetrated.
The finger rotated, easing deeper in time with Rory’s deep throating, until it touched something that set off white stars in Dmitri’s vision. He gasped and cursed in Russian, grinding down on the teasing digit.
Rory pulled off, licking his lips. “I found your prostate,” he sang.
“I noticed, dammit,” Dmitri grunted. “More, now.”
“God, I love it when you’re bossy.”
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I declare this book DONE
And that’s it for Breaker Zone! Final length was 104,949 words. Now I let it sit for a week while I work on some woefully overdue projects, then I start wielding the Editorial Machete on July 21st.
And here for your visual delight are two of the most beautiful words in the English language.
Nicola Cameron Writes 