*

Snippet Saturday: "Contractual Obligation"

Saturday, March 30, 2013
I've decided to offer little snippets from my books on Saturdays. I hope you like them. Enjoy! :)

From Contractual Obligation. Setup: Harper and her father are talking about Harper's new hire, Doug. Her father doesn't realize she's hired Doug as a way to get her father off her back about her private life.

--

“So, what do you think of your new guy?”

“He’s nice. I think he’ll work out well.”

“He’s young.”

“I prefer someone young. I’m hoping he’ll want to stay with the company for his entire career so I don’t have to replace him.”

“Nice-looking young man.”

Aaand there it is. She gave him credit, it took him several hours, a long drive, and dinner together before he broached the subject. “He’s my employee, Daddy. Don’t even go there with the matchmaking.”

He held up a hand in surrender. “Of course. My apologies.” He took a sip of his drink. “Besides, knowing how stubborn you are, if I like him you’d refuse to date him just to spite me.”

“Would you like me to pay him to sleep with me?”

“Whoa!” As she’d hoped, that kicked him back into reality. He might want her to settle down, but she knew in the back of his mind he hoped she’d do it immaculately, like the Virgin Mary. “Okay, I surrender. You win.” He shook his head. “You play hardball, honey.”

She smiled. “I learned from the best.”

--


http://www.bookstrand.com/contractual-obligation

Blurb:

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F, with M/M, light BDSM, spanking, sex toys]

Harper’s father has issued her an ultimatum—quit working herself to death and have fun, or he’ll oust her as CEO of their company. She thinks hiring Doug to be her assistant and play her boyfriend is the answer to all her problems, until she finds out about his secret.

Deep in debt from medical bills, Doug’s parents are losing their home. Going to work for Harper is the answer to Doug’s prayers. Yes, it means pretending to be Harper’s boyfriend. That’s a small price to pay. Unfortunately, it also means he has to say good-bye to Tate, his boyfriend and the man he loves.

Tate doesn’t hate Harper when he finds out why Doug went to work for her—and broke up with him. Can he gain Harper’s trust and convince her Doug had good intentions…and that Doug’s contractual obligation can easily become a two-hunk deal?

A Siren Erotic Romance

The sky's not falling, and Amazon doesn't (always) eat their young.

Friday, March 29, 2013
I awoke this morning to various views on Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads, varying in tone from, "Meh," to, "OHMYGODIT'STHEENDOFTHEWORLD!"

And everywhere in between.

I tend more toward the "Meh" end of the spectrum myself. Why?

Shelfari. Oh, and a little site you might have heard of called IMDb.

Yeah, I'll wait while you go over to the IMDb site and scroll all the way down to the bottom to take a look. Go ahead. I'll still be here.

How many of you even knew Amazon owned IMDb? Show of hands. I, for one, didn't.

There are other sites they also own that haven't become Amazon clones. I don't think Amazon is going to screw non-Kindle owners. Will buy links for other retailers disappear from the site? *shrugs* Who knows. But isn't the raison d'etre of Goodreads for people to engage with each other about the books they've read? If you're used to buying directly from your device, you can still look those books up on your device and buy them from your retailer of convenience. If you're like me, with devices of several flavors AND a multi-iPad/iPhone household with various reader apps installed, you might simply buy from a website in whichever format floats your e-boat at the time.

I think, as a few other blogs have touched on, this isn't a "devour at all costs" kind of acquisition. I think, frankly, it's a data acquisition. That it's a convenient *maniacal giggling f*uck you* kind of acquisition in the face of B&N, Kobo (although if they don't turn off the reviews to Kobo, then no harm, no foul), Bookish, and others is probably just a happy bonus for them. In fact, the Goodreads site itself is actually in a way a competitor to Shelfari. Who knows? They might (this is my speculation only) want to put some of that data to use to help boost Shelfari somewhat.

So don't buy into hype from either side of the argument. Take a few moments to read a variety of opinions on the subject, and above all, Don't Panic! :) Just...breathe. I've provided you a handy-dandy list of links on the topic for your perusal. (You're welcome.)



Writing How-To: Using trademarked brands in fiction.

Friday, March 22, 2013
Quick writing primer today on trademarks in fiction. While using song lyrics in your fiction without first obtaining written permission is verbotten, trademarks frequently confuse writers.

What do I mean?

For example, when you refer to the drink, it's Coke, not coke. (Lowercase coke is if you're referring to cocaine.) It's a Dumpster, not a dumpster. It's a Band-Aid, not a band-aid or a bandaid.

How do you find out the proper spelling/capitalization of a product?

In today's internet age, the easiest way is to do a Google search for it. (See what I did there? Because "googling" it is wrong.) Just like you shouldn't xerox something, but you can use a Xerox copier to make a copy.

There are three basic guidelines to safely using a trademarked name in a story:

1) Don't use it as a verb.
2) Write it correctly.
3) Use it in a non-defamatory way.

Otherwise, you need to make something up. No, you don't need to use the trademark or registered symbol for the brand name, and you don't need to have a list in the front of the book stating who owns the trademarks.

Here are a few references on the matter:

Can I Mention Brand Name Products in My Fiction?
Use of Trademark Names in Fiction
Trademark is Not a Verb: Guidelines From a Trademark Lawyer

What's next?

Monday, March 18, 2013
Just a quick Monday update for you. :) On May 3rd, book 1 in my Coffeeshop Coven series, Many Blessings, will be released. *Woot!* It's Mandaline's book. I can't wait to get cracking on book 2, which will be Sachi's story.

But first... those pesky Alpha Lyall wolves decided not only was I going to get book 5 in their series finished right NOW (tentatively titled Out of Smoke and Ashes) but that I would also immediately write book 6 (no working title yet) at the same time. *head/desk*

One of these days, I will accept I'm only along for the ride and that I'm fully at the mercy of the "voices" and the characters. LOL So for those of you who've been patiently waiting for the next book in the series, you'll get two in rapid succession. I'm shooting to have book 5 turned in by the end of this month, and book 6 turned in soon after that.

I'll hopefully have the next Bleacke Shifters book finished and ready for edits soon after that.

So that's what's going on right now in my world for the next two months or so. I have lots of other plans for releases later this year, as long as my characters cooperate. LOL

Riddle Me This (The Walking Dead version)

Sunday, March 17, 2013
Riddle Me This... I suspect I found a plot flaw.

...If according to The Walking Dead (tv show version) from the episode where the guy at the CDC reveals to Rick that everyone is already infected with the virus that turns people into zombies, then shouldn't they be immune to bites from biters?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day! :) (And...YAY... Mercury goes direct tomorrow!!!)



Just...be NICE!

Friday, March 15, 2013
I want to state up front this is NOT a "review rant." This is not a rant about reviewers or reviews. At all.

This is a rant about authors (one particular one, in this case) behaving badly. It's about something that makes me sit back and shake my damn head over how fracking STUPID a person can be.

There was an incident in the past couple of weeks. Didn't happen to me, but I watched it unfold from the 50-yard line, as it were. And I called the perpetrator to the carpet on it. I could have easily kept my nose out of it, but frankly? It REALLY pissed me off on a number of levels. It pissed me off on general principles, and it pissed me off because it went against everything I personally stand for in terms of helping fellow authors out.

A fellow author, and I can't even call the author a close friend because we're more acquaintances, was savaged by another author (who was dumb enough to write the reviews under their own freaking pen name) in a couple of reviews on Goodreads. Now, I'm not talking "I didn't like this book" reviews. I'm talking completely nasty, unprofessional, personal attacks on the author kind of bullshit.

An author from the same house.

Really? REALLY? The only reason it was brought to light was because a READER notified the author about it when the author had privately talked about helping pimp the perp's books.

Are you following me? The writer who'd been savaged had no idea about the reviews. The READER notified the writer that the perp had written the nasty reviews. And they also told the writer that they told ALL of their friends NEVER to buy the perp's books. And they reported to the writer that lots of other readers had "blacklisted" the perp.

So here was a writer, clueless about the reviews, who was going to HELP the perp by pimping them. Because they were a fellow writer at the same house. But because of what the reader told that writer, they called the perp out on the carpet about it.

Now, the writer was classy about it. They didn't name the perp. But it literally took me less than five minutes to figure it out, privately write my friend, and get confirmation that yes, my sleuthing was right. (And my friend wasn't the only writer that had been attacked like that by the perp.)

Only after the perp realized they'd been discovered did they change the reviews (didn't remove them, and yes, the Goodreads time/date stamp reflected when the edits were made) in question. (Fecking moron.) However, by that time, myself and quite a few others had already figured out who the perp was.

And you know what? In my mind, their name is MUD. No, I won't publicly name them. But I'll never buy their books, I'll never pimp them out when they have a new release, I'll never retweet them, I'll never share their Facebook posts, and I'm not the only one.

Folks, here's the harsh reality of this business. For starters, there is NO excuse to get personal in a review, or nasty. You don't attack an author in a review. It's petty, childish, and it shoots yourself in the foot because as in this case, readers won't buy YOUR books. It makes you look like an ass.

If you want to be a PROFESSIONAL author, not just a hobby writer, then dammit, friggin ACT like one. I rarely write reviews anymore. I WILL promote books I like by other authors, and I'll pimp out my fellow authors (regardless of where they're published) if I like them and/or their books. Because that's the NICE thing to do. That's the PROFESSIONAL thing to do.

If you can't look another author in the eye and read to them, in person, your review of their book without feeling like an ass, then cupcake, DON'T WRITE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! If you're absolutely obsessed with writing book reviews, get yourself a different account that can't be traced back to you and knock yourself out.

Here's the even sadder thing--the writer who was attacked has FAR more releases out under several pen names than the perp. And their releases have a MUCH better average rating overall than the perp's books do. In other words, the perp, a fairly newbie writer, was attacking a well-known (in their genre) author with a LARGE, established, LOYAL fan base.

Um, here's your sign, you little snowflake, you. How'd that work for you? Not only do you look like an ass, you look like a jealous, stupid ass.

I know lots of writers who will not write any reviews. I know others who will only leave reviews if they're 4- or 5-star reviews.

If you want to be a book reviewer, then by all means, be a book reviewer. Knock yourself out. But once you decide to put pen to paper and make a name for yourself as a writer, it's time to step aside from the reviews and focus on writing.

I enjoy supporting fellow authors. Because not only am I an author, I'm a reader. And I get just as fangirlie as any of y'all do out there when a favored author responds to an email. I'm human, just like you. I like to encourage newbie authors. There is plenty of room out there for everyone, it's not a zero-sum game. It's not a finite pie. I like helping and supporting people's efforts. I really do. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because I like paying forward the support, encouragement, and mentoring that other authors gave to me when I first started out.

HOWEVER.

If I come across a book I don't like, I don't talk about it. Simple as that.

And remember, there are plenty of books out there who some people might love, but you might not like. That might be more you than the book. Do you really want to risk pissing off a bunch of potential readers who are fans of that other book/author just so you can get your opinion out on the subject? Really? Think about that long and hard.

Just be nice. We learned this in kindergarten. Hell, in pre-school. Just. Be. NICE. No, you don't have to go pimping an author or book you don't like. But to go out of your way to slam a fellow author, especially one far more experienced, well-known, and well-read in the genre than you, is NOT professional, and if you do it enough times, you're going to be feeling it in your bottom line. Because not only do you NOT hurt the author you're slamming, you hurt YOURSELF.

Be. Nice. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. What goes around comes around.

And remember, karma is a real bitch.

Who's in first, or third, or...?

Thursday, March 14, 2013
I was having a discussion with a couple of fellow authors the other day about point-of-view (POV). By that I mean first person (the story is told from the POV of the narrator, as if in their head) versus third person (an omniscient narrator). (I'm not going to discuss second person, because, frankly, that technique jars me and I don't read books told in second.)

I know there are a lot of people who don't like first person POV books, but I'm not one of them. I love first person, because it puts me in the  narrator's head and lets me feel and think from there. It means sometimes, the actions of other characters are seen through that character's filter, so to speak. We don't know the motivations and thoughts behind other characters' actions. We don't know what's coming next. Only what the narrator knows (or thinks they know). And as a writer, sometimes it's fun to settle down in one character's "voice" for a whole book, something that might not be sustainable for a third person POV.

I don't write a lot of first person POV, simply because many of the stories I'm telling, you have to get inside the principle characters' heads and jumping around in first person to do that would be...well, unusual. Not necessarily "bad" because I did that in Domme by Default. Of course, there were only two narrators and the POV switched back and forth by chapter between them.

But, honestly? I don't understand why some people don't like first person. And this is NOT a rant, please understand that. It's just me trying to understand the whys. I get it that it's different strokes and all that, and no problem with that. Is it just a personal preference? I don't like second person, and I also don't like present tense for a book. If I see a book is written in either of those, I'm done. I'll pass. First person present and third person present will not find me a fan. It's just a jarring technique to me, especially if I find "slips" into past tense in the story (there almost always are).

So I can understand that people don't like first person past tense, but I don't understand the why.

What are your preferences for reading (or writing) a book? Or do you have one? Are there POVs and tenses that turn you off and you won't read them regardless who the author is? If you're a writer, do you have a preferred POV you stick with, or do you play around? Sound out in the comments below and let me know what you think.

Review: 5 Stars and Purest Delight rating for "The Denim Dom"

Saturday, March 9, 2013
Received a great review (5 stars and Purest Delight rating) for The Denim Dom from Shadow at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews!

"When author Tymber Dalton gets it right, she can rip your soul from your body and put everything back together again. In The Denim Dom, she gets it right. While it is not quite as emotional as some of her previous efforts, (don’t read The Reluctant Dom without a tissue), you feel for both the heroine and her Dom and really pull for them to have their HEA.... Throughout the book, we are treated to updates on characters from Dalton’s earlier books, including The Reluctant Dom, Domme by Default, Cardinal’s Rule and Safe Harbor. However, you don’t need to have read any of them to appreciate the Denim Dom. One of the more interesting aspects of Dalton’s book is that she lives the lifestyle. And she gives some compelling reasons why people are drawn to it, although ultimately, as she demonstrates in the book, it takes experiencing it to understand it. The book does contain bondage, impact play and Master/slave relationships. Overall, this was an excellent read, well-written and fascinating."

Click here to read the entire review.

Click here to buy The Denim Dom.



Coming Soon: "Many Blessings" (Coffeeshop Coven 1)

Friday, March 8, 2013
No cover yet, but here's the blurb for Many Blessings (Coffeeshop Coven 1), the next book in the Coffeeshop Coven series. It's a mfm menage, and Mandaline's story. Tentative release date is May 3rd.

Blurb:

Mandaline Royce swore off love. She’s happy working for her best friend, Julie, at her New Age shop, Many Blessings. Then her life’s turned upside down by Julie’s tragic death. Julie leaves her everything, including the shop and her dog, but the gaping hole in Mandaline’s heart isn’t one she’s sure will ever heal.

Ellis Fargo and Bradley Sawyer are as close as brothers. Ellis feels his life’s mission is caring for Brad, a former veteran who suffered debilitating injuries. Brad insists their house is haunted. Ellis doesn’t believe in ghosts and thinks the trouble is Brad’s injured brain. He humors Brad by having Mandaline check the house for supernatural issues.

Ellis doesn’t understand the sudden, scorching attraction he has for Mandaline, but he can’t settle for anyone who won’t also put Brad first. Brad thinks Mandaline would be the perfect woman…for them both. Can they help each other heal and turn their various emotional wounds into Many Blessings?

While all the books are standalone and can be read independently of each other, the best reading order for the series is:

  • Out of the Darkness (Coffeeshop Coven prequel)
  • It's a Sweet Life (Coffeeshop Coven prequel)
  • Many Blessings (Coffeeshop Coven 1) - Coming May 3rd!
They're all available (or will be) at my author page on Siren-BookStrand's site:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order. (It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardson, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)

Review: 5 Hearts for "The Denim Dom" from Riverina Romantics!

Woot! The Denim Dom received a 5-Heart review from Riverina Romantics! :) Squee!

"I experienced a wide variety of emotions while reading this book. I laughed, got mad and even teared up a bit. This book has characters that tie-in from Tymber's The Suncoast Society series. You don't have to read them to love this book but I would recommend it because you are emotionally connected to more of the characters that way. I read them and loved seeing how those other relationships were progressing. I had been waiting for Tony's story for a while and it didn't disappoint. I would highly recommend this book." Click here to read the entire review.


You can purchase The Denim Dom and the other books in the Suncoast Society series from SirenBookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton


And the voices speaketh...

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

So, good news first, looks like I have a tentative release date of Friday, May 3rd, for Many Blessings (Coffeeshop Coven 1). That's Mandaline's book. Book 2 (not yet titled or finished) will be Sachi's book.

Aaaand onward...

I'd planned on getting the next book in the Triple Trouble series done and submitted by May, June at the latest.

Well, the characters decided not only were they going to demand attention sooner, they've made it worth my while and are giving me not just the next book in the series, but the one after that as well. LOL

Meaning since I'm at the mercy of "the voices," I've got me some writing to do. LOL Because looks like they will be two big-ass books. Hopefully will have book five done and submitted by the end of this month, and will immediately begin working on book 6.

I know, I know, the cliff-hangers. I'm sorry about those, they aggravate me too, but blame Elain, Ain, Brodey, Cail, Lina, Jan, Rick, Blackie, Callie, Mai, Micah, Jim, Zack, Kael, Lacey, Jocko, Andel... Did I forget anyone? LOL Blame THEM. They're the ones who leave me in a (oh yeah, Liam and Carla lol) fix and leave me hanging as much as they leave you hanging.

When the voices stop talking, they just stop talking. It's a writer thing (and I know there are plenty of you out there nodding right along with me). I'm a pantster, not a plotter. I don't start out with a verbatim outline ready to go when I sit down and write. I usually have mile-markers plot points I want to hit, and maybe even a scene or two already fleshed out. But then it's up to the characters to tell me the story. I sit and, to use Stephen King's (I think it's from him and I'm too tired to consult great god Google at the moment) analogy, excavate the bones from the ground one tiny piece at a time.

It's a lot like that.

So yes, two more Triple Trouble books here in the next few months. I'd planned on finishing up book two of the Bleacke Shifter series, as well as Sachi's story, and the next two Placida Pod books, but the Triple Trouble gang got their acts together a little sooner than I expected.

Damn dominant wolves and dragons, anyway.

If you didn't know, the correct reading order (including the dragon prequels) is as follows:

  1. Boiling Point (Tasty Treats, Vol. 3)
  2. Steam
  3. Fire and Ice
  4. Trouble Comes in Threes
  5. Storm Warning
  6. Three Dog Night
  7. Triple Dog Dare
You can find these and more on my Siren-BookStrand author page at: http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

"It's a Sweet Life" on Amazon and in print.

Monday, March 4, 2013
For those of you who've been waiting, It's a Sweet Life is now available on Amazon and other third-party sites in both e-book format and in print. (Look for book 1 in the series, Many Blessings, from Siren-BookStrand this May!)

You can find my author pages on the Amazon store as both Tymber Dalton
and Lesli Richardson.

It's a Sweet Life on Barnes & Noble
It's a Sweet Life on Kobo

And you can find It's a Sweet Life on Siren-BookStrand, too:


http://www.bookstrand.com/its-a-sweet-life

Blurb:

Libbie Addams has a mortgage on her struggling bakery, no love life, no health insurance…and fibromyalgia. She's worried about making ends meet when two hunks show up to rent her extra apartment. Not only do cousins Ken Dougherty and Charles Stackhouse make her money worries disappear, they offer to help out in their spare time.

They also make her panties damp. Too bad they're gay, but they’re great eye candy.

The men have a secret—they're not gay cousins. They're twin brothers hiding from a vengeful mob boss. Charles is Allan Donohue, a prosecutor with the State Attorney's office in Miami. Benjamin Donohue is the undercover detective who helped break the case wide open. Now they're marked for death.

They hope their ruse can keep them, and Libbie, safe. Because now that they've fallen in love with the delicious baker, they’ll never let her go. But when vengeance comes calling, will they ever get to enjoy their sweet life together?

--

It's a mfm contemporary with just a TINY hint of paranormal elements from secondary characters.The Coffeeshop Coven series will center around Many Blessings, the New Age shop introduced in my book, "Out of the Darkness." Not quite the heavy paranormal of my shifters and vampires, I'm hoping my contemporary fans will also enjoy this series.

If you haven't read "Out of the Darkness" yet, it's my 2010 EPIC winner that also provides some backstory for Many Blessings. You don't have to read it to read "It's a Sweet Life" or the rest of the series, but if you want the full backstory, you might enjoy it:

http://www.bookstrand.com/out-of-the-darkness

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

(It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardson, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)

Adult Excerpt: "The Denim Dom"

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Here's an adult excerpt from The Denim Dom.

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-denim-dom

Blurb:

Who needs leather when you can have denim? A denim Dom, that is.

Shayla Pierce dumped her lying ex and moved to Florida to start a job at a magazine. An assignment to write about BDSM leads her to discover a new world and make a slew of new friends, including the sinfully sexy Tony Daniels. She’s just not sure she can ever trust again.

Tony is used to teaching about BDSM, but he’s never trained a submissive he wasn’t dating before. After losing hope he’ll ever find the perfect submissive for him, Shayla walks into his life and asks him to train her for her series of articles. He knows about her bad break-up and their agreement is supposed to be nothing more than business. But as she raises the ante, he’s finding it harder to keep his heart under lock and key.

Will Shayla stay a hostage to her past, or allow Tony to become her Denim Dom?

--

Story Excerpt:


Tony admitted his curiosity had run overtime after her phone call the night before. Over the phone Shayla sounded more timid than ever, a woman wanting to ask something and apparently afraid to spit it out. He’d found her discomfort amusing and endearing.

Not to mention the sadist in him got a little twist out of it in the bargain.

He knew she’d spent the day before with Leah, Loren, Tilly, and Clarisse. He wouldn’t be nosy and ask what they talked about, but he couldn’t help wondering if her call to him was a result of it.

She laced her hands together in front of her on the table, her eyes trained on them. When she spoke, her voice sounded so soft he had to sit forward to hear her.

“You said you’ve trained submissives before,” she said.

He slowly nodded and folded his arms on the table in front of him. “Yes?”

“And you teach, too? I mean, I know you teach the whip class, but you teach other stuff.”

“Yes?”

“How much do you charge?”

He thought maybe he’d misheard her. “I don’t understand.”

She still wouldn’t look at him. “How much do you charge to train a submissive?”

“I don’t.”

That forced her gaze up to his before it dropped to her hands again. “But I thought you said—”

“When I train a submissive, it’s because myself and the person have reached a mutual agreement to pursue that. That’s personal, not a business transaction. I’ve never charged to train a submissive. I don’t hire myself out to do that. Now, I’ve taught private sessions on technique with rope bondage, whips, that sort of thing. But the relationship between a Dominant and their submissive is a personal one. At least, it is for me. I know there are people out there who claim to make a business out of training submissives and slaves, but I’m not one of them. What I do in my personal life is for pleasure. The only reason I even accept money for my classes is to cover expenses and time, not to make a profit.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. Her hands disappeared from the table into her lap. “Okay. I’m sorry. I misunderstood you.”

He took a chance and dropped his voice. “Shayla, look at me.”

Her eyes fluttered everywhere and anywhere but where he wanted them until she finally met his gaze. He waited until her eyes were steadily focused on him and nowhere else.

“What exactly is it you’re looking for?” he asked in the same soft, even tone.

He didn’t miss the way she swallowed, the way her throat worked, the pulse point clearly visible under her flesh.

I’d love to pull her head back and nibble all the way down her neck.

He forced himself not to budge as his erection painfully sprang to life in his pants.

“I want to go through training as a submissive. To see what it’s like from that side firsthand. I…I think that’s the only way I’m going to really understand all of this for my articles.”

He let her soft words hang in the air for a moment as he tried to process what she’d said. He couldn’t move, couldn’t sit back. The urge to adjust his pants would be too great, and he suspected what she’d just said had taken every ounce of her courage. He didn’t want to make a wrong move and scare her off.

“You want me to train you?”

Her eyes flickered away, but he waited her out. Her hazel gaze eventually returned to his again. “Yes. If you’re interested,” she quickly added. “I mean, I know you’re busy and if you don’t have the time, or don’t want to, it’s okay. I understand and it won’t hurt my feelings.”

Part of him wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. A thick layer of insecurity lay behind her walls, of that he was now certain. She’d been rejected somewhere down the line and had taken a massive hit to her self-esteem as a result. He didn’t know exactly how or why, but he’d seen it plenty of times before in others and recognized it all too well.

Of course, he knew he could be wrong, but he doubted it.

“Is this really just for your story? No other reason?”

She nodded.

“Is any of it for you personally?”

He thought at first she wasn’t going to answer him. Then she softly said, “I don’t know. Maybe.”

He allowed himself to slowly lean back in his seat, his palms flat on his thighs under the table. He studied her, noticing the way her gaze dove away from him, down and to the side again, to the dessert menu propped up at the end of the table by the window.

I’ll have to work on that first. She would have to learn to accept direct eye contact with him, to hold and maintain it no matter how uncomfortable it might feel to her.

He realized what he’d just thought and knew regardless of the outcome, he’d probably already made up his mind the other night when they were talking at the club.

He’d just never thought he’d have a chance to make some of those fantasies come true.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll do it.”

--

Adult Excerpt:

“Is that a spatula, Sir?”

He grinned and held the black object up. “Yep. Good for scraping batter out of bowls, or smacking subbies’ asses.” He stepped in close and hooked a finger through the front D-ring on the collar. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “And as I told you, you can always call red. But I want to give you a little taste of what I have in store for you later tonight, so you have something to look forward to. Any objections?”

She shook her head. “No, Sir.”

His grin did dangerous things to her reserve. “That’s my good girl. Keep that dress up and those feet apart.”

He released her collar and walked around behind her. She flinched again when she felt his hands on the thong’s waistband.

Then she realized he was pulling it down her legs.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together as she felt what little covering she’d had disappear.

He put an arm around her waist to steady her and tapped her right leg. “Step up, pet.”

She lifted her foot and felt him pull the thong off her leg and drop it to the floor, where it puddled around her left ankle. “Foot down, pet.”

She complied.

“Legs apart, like I told you.” This time he nudged her right foot out with his. The boot leather felt warm against the side of her foot through the sandal.

He stepped away again. She heard him move in front of her. “Do you want a blindfold, pet?”

“Yes, Sir.” The words slipped from her lips without even needing to think about them.

“Ah, my poor, bashful pet. I should make you watch this time, but I won’t. I’ll go easy on you.” She heard him walk away. Then he rummaged through his bag, his boot heels making solid sounds on the painted concrete floor as he returned. She felt him slip a soft leather blindfold over her head and buckle it.

“How’s that, pet?”

She nodded. “Good, Sir.”

Even the word “pet” had taken on a new connotation for her. It felt like a new name. She was his pet, his toy, his plaything.

She heard him pick up one of the items he’d left on the floor next to her feet. When the plastic touched the skin of her inner right thigh, she twitched but didn’t draw her legs closed.

“Keep that skirt up, pet,” he said in a low warning tone when she’d let it slip. She yanked it back up again, bunching it in her hands so she could keep her elbows at her sides and not drop the fabric.

He lightly slapped her ass and thighs with the slapper first, just barely enough to be stingy in a pleasant, scratching-an-itch kind of way. After a few minutes of that he switched to the spatula.

He caressed up and down her inner thigh with the spatula, down to her calf, behind her knee, with both the flat side of it and the edge. Then up her thigh, just between her legs where he skipped her clit and pussy altogether and repeated the teasing on her left leg.

“You’re wet, pet. I can smell you.” He sounded amused.

He didn’t chide her for not replying, so she remained silent.

He did that for long minutes, back and forth.

Then the first slap, against her inner right thigh, making her yip in surprise more than pain.

“Legs apart!” he barked. It startled her, and she forced them apart. He started slapping the insides of her thighs with the spatula, up and down, the backs of her legs, her ass. Not as hard as she suspected he could hit, but in a few moments she felt the stinging all over.

He stopped, which shocked her almost as much as when he’d started.

His warm breath blew across her clit. “My poor, wet pet.” He lightly brushed her clit with the spatula.

She froze, which didn’t escape his notice. “Good girl. Hold very still.” He slipped the edge of the spatula back and forth through the folds of her labia and up the seam of her ass, teasing her. She pressed her lips together to try to hold back her whimpers.

It seemed nothing escaped his notice. “Make all the noise you want, pet. It’s just us.”

He dragged the edge of the spatula across her clit. That made her moan and involuntarily thrust her pelvis forward, wanting to maintain contact with it.

“Good girl,” he cooed. “That’s exactly what I want you to do.” He repeated the motion, tormenting her with the spatula, making her clit swell and throb even as her pussy began to dully ache with a cramping need she knew only an orgasm would take care of.

When was the last time I felt like this?

That would be never.

--


Other books from this "world" and characters followed up by this book include:

The Reluctant Dom
Domme by Default
Safe Harbor
Cardinal's Rule

I've dubbed this group of stories "The Suncoast Society" and have several more books planned involving these and other characters.

They're all available at my author page on Siren-BookStrand's site:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order. (It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardson, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)


Release Day! "The Denim Dom" now available.

Friday, March 1, 2013
It's release day for the sequel to The Reluctant Dom and Domme by Default. Yes, The Denim Dom is finally available.

I have to admit a severe case of writer anxiety far worse than normal. I know it's been a couple of years in the works, and honestly? I'm terrified.

As the writer, I'm my own worst critic. I personally am happy with the book, yes. But when I see what a phenomenon The Reluctant Dom has become, how deeply it's resonated with people, well... Yes, I'm nervous.

Tony's story catches people up with Leah and Seth, Sully, Mac, and Clarisse (Safe Harbor), and Tilly, Landry, and Cris (Cardinal's Rule). And I have more books planned for this world (hence why we've grouped them as the Suncoast Society books) with those characters and more making appearances in other books as you get to meet more of the inhabitants.

But Tony's story isn't an ugly, snot-sobbing cry kind of book. It is (I think) pretty funny in a few places. And I'm not ashamed to say there are more than a few scenes ripped from real life from my own personal play sessions (and a few that *cough* I'm afraid to let Sir read for fear of it giving Him ideas... LOL).

And, yes, the orange silicone tasting spoon hurts like a mutherfucker. LOL

So...I really hope you like it. I know that with every book there will be people who don't like it, and I get and accept that. That's not what I'm talking about. I mean the people who loved the other books in this grouping, I hope YOU are happy with the book.

Oh, and any author who says they don't sweat a new release? They're either lying or Stephen-fricking-King. LOL


http://www.bookstrand.com/the-denim-dom

Blurb:

Who needs leather when you can have denim? A denim Dom, that is.

Shayla Pierce dumped her lying ex and moved to Florida to start a job at a magazine. An assignment to write about BDSM leads her to discover a new world and make a slew of new friends, including the sinfully sexy Tony Daniels. She’s just not sure she can ever trust again.

Tony is used to teaching about BDSM, but he’s never trained a submissive he wasn’t dating before. After losing hope he’ll ever find the perfect submissive for him, Shayla walks into his life and asks him to train her for her series of articles. He knows about her bad break-up and their agreement is supposed to be nothing more than business. But as she raises the ante, he’s finding it harder to keep his heart under lock and key.

Will Shayla stay a hostage to her past, or allow Tony to become her Denim Dom?

--

Other books from this "world" and characters followed up by this book include:

The Reluctant Dom
Domme by Default
Safe Harbor
Cardinal's Rule

I've dubbed this group of stories "The Suncoast Society" and have several more books planned involving these and other characters.

They're all available at my author page on Siren-BookStrand's site:

http://www.bookstrand.com/tymber-dalton

You can go to my Siren-BookStrand author page and click on the Notify Me link to get an email from Siren when they update my page and add new books for pre-order. (It's also where you can find all my releases under my various pen names: Tymber Dalton, Lesli Richardson, Tessa Monroe, and Macy Largo.)

And you can find me on the web at:

http://tymberdalton.com
http://twitter.com/TymberDalton
http://facebook.com/tymberdalton
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TymberDalton_updates/
https://plus.google.com/118382222849341409443/