The distractions are afoul

This Wednesday finds me loving that the sun is shining it’s warm enough to be outside with just a sweater and my coffee is only half cold.

But these edits are kicking my butt, so I’m not around much-ish and my KDP dashboard shows 0 reads on Five Days to Be Mine. It’s fine. It’s fine.

Because I’m kind of in a Mercy brain, I’m sharing a snippet from Sold to Her Enemy. This book has been wild to write, this collab amazing to be apart of. It’s out in June and I hope you like it!

In this scene, Mckenna realizes that it’s Adrian who won her at the Club Lust Auction. She has a history with him.

 

“Obey, Mckenna. Don’t talk back to me. I don’t care if you don’t have other shoes. I’m not taking the chance of  you stabbing me with your pointy heel.”
I bite my lip hard, my hand pressing to my cheek.
I glare at him because I hadn’t thought of stabbing him with my stiletto.

“You tried to ruin my reputation. I am not taking chances.”
With a comment to a journalist, I might have made life hard for Adrian. But it doesn’t compare to how impossible he made my life when he took everything my father built away from my mother and I.

 Excerpt from Sold to Her Enemy by Mercy Denton Pre-Order here

 

 

A praise kink is more than a “good girl”

It’s Friday and it’s not snowing and those are definitely wins!

In Flame For A Weekend, Dax and Gardenia finally give into the attraction that’s sizzled between them. This is a novella where the FMC is exploring age play, submission and a power exchange dynamic. It’s also where in a 35k novella, “Good girl” is said 35 times. Because the character Dax, loves to give out praise.  But a praise kink is more than “good girl.”

From Bad Girls Bible, “Praise kink, which is sometimes known as “affirmation play” or a good girl kink, involves the dominant or top showering their submissive/bottom partner with compliments, kind words, and other sorts of praise. Now, praise kink doesn’t just mean including praise. After all, that’s a common component of most power exchange relationships or kinky scenes. So if you have this kink or want to include it as an activity, it’s the focus of your interactions.” [https://badgirlsbible.com/praise-kink] 

Dax heaps the compliments on Gardenia because he likes how she reacts like:

“Gardenia, your breasts look beautiful in that top.” Dax smiled, coming forward to greet her. “I’m so pleased you decided to spend the weekend with me.”
I love how my shirt looks on you, by the way. Your body is gorgeous.”
She flushed at his compliment. “I don’t think… I’m always too….”

And

“And you were so gorgeous as your eyes closed and you clutched my shirt, and the orgasm spiraled through your body.”

When I was writing Flame For A Weekend, I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to explore praise kink beyond just the good girl. For a little novella, this book was actually a turning point for me as I realized that I love writing instant love romance and I started to have a hankering to play with softer, tender Doms that eventually led to Mercy.

In Five Days to Be Mine, “good girl” is said 56 times. Is this too much? I don’t think so, considering that Evan is a pleasure Dom and not only is he a pleasure Dom, he is a Dom that thrives on taking care of his partner.

In Flame For Two, “good girl” is only said 7 times and only once by Xander. Xander isn’t the type of Dom to give praise away like candy.

 

But “good girl” has become so popular as a reader requested praise kink it’s almost a whole sub-genre but it also has to fit the character.

My mutual on Instagram, Stacy Jane, wrote a post where she talks about “good girl” having to fit the character. I love what she says here:

“Once the praise kink hit mainstream, everyone was squeezing it in somehow. And while it absolutely works in the right scenes, it should never be forced to work in others. When any kind of tropes or things like this become overused, they can easily slip into the “parody” realm of things.” [https://www.instagram.com/p/C4zRq8lr6hm/]

The line between “real life” and fiction is always one I’m aware of and even though I write about private operatives and take lots of liberties in a fictionalized way, I shudder at kink becoming a parody in my work.

For this Follow Friday, check out Stacy Jane’s Rain in the Wastelands on Kindle Vella here and her standalone novel, Saving Gypsy

 

Saving Gypsy Stacy Jane

 

Gypsy Jones moved from New Orleans to Chicago in search of life’s next adventure. What she ended up with instead was a boring and lonely life. Stuck in an office job she hates and living in a tiny apartment she can barely afford, her life is far from what she dreamt it would be. Now, wherever she goes, she envisions the stars aligning and putting her on the path to her soulmate.
None fit the bill until Xander Larson. Gypsy is quick to fall for his charms and desperate enough for companionship to give into her lust for him just minutes after they meet. It’s not until Gypsy is in an afterglow that Xander tells her his name, revealing himself to be a man wanted by the FBI for domestic terrorism. By the time she learns his true identity, she’s already addicted to him and in complete denial he could ever be the monster she’s heard him described as.
Special Agent King Renzo is the FBI agent heading the Larson investigation. When footage of the wanted man is brought to his attention, he’s surprised to see Larson seduce a woman within mere minutes. He’s seen enough cases of women falling for the wrong man to know he needs to get her away from the terrorist before Larson destroys her. The only thing he didn’t expect was just how hard and fast he would fall.
Stand Alone novel with a happy ending.
Trigger warnings: violence and one brief rape scene.

Monday Musing: Hello April!

Happy April!
So for sure, the snow is over? Right? RIGHT? I need to believe that I am not going to see that white stuff for at least half a year.

*leave me in my bubble*

This month: A cover reveal and a new pre-order for Mercy’s next book! Bonus content coming for Five Days to be Mine.

For Raleigh: Finishing off Ares and Josie’s story! Plotting out the first book of the next series!

 

Another new cover … She’s a damsel in distress and doesn’t know it…

Flame For You, the first book in the Bandit Brothers Series, came out in March 2022.

That’s wild! I can’t believe it’s been two years, and I can’t believe all the books that have followed since.

I’m so, so grateful to be doing this indie author thing.

A post came across my feed, from a mom wanting to desperately write and not being able to find the time. That pulled hard on my heartstrings because I remember being absolutely desperate to write, feeling like it was never, ever going to happen …  those blank pages and all the clamoring for your attention are both hard things to get through, no question.

But I hope it happens for you. I hope you find a way to section off time, make it important enough, matter enough that you’re at peace with carving out that time and when you do, you have energy to face that first blank page and I hope the words flow for you.

And then tell me about it when it does. I want to cheer you on.

***

If you haven’t seen it, here is Flame For You’s new cover! I still love Quinn and Simone.

new cover for Flame For You

 

 

 

OMG! ARC Readers

(I’m Returning to a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday blogging schedule and still updating the site for mobile. Thanks for being patient!)

 

Sign–up for an ARC, with the amount of discourse that is going around! Yikes.

What do readers owe us? Nothing. Nada.

We get to write the books; we don’t get to dictate how readers respond to those books.

Would I love all 5-star reviews? Sure. But what I want more than that is to connect to readers. I love it when a reader slides into my DM’s telling me that they wish Xander was their Dom. Okay, that makes me have a moment of panic and say, “No! Nooo.” And sometimes, when a reader tells me that one of the Bandit Brothers Books, is their first intro to BDSM, it makes me question my life choices… but…

I appreciate it all the same.

I get to write the books. I don’t get to tell readers what to do with them or how to write reviews, or if they can tag me or not tag me. Do I want to be tagged in one-star reviews? No…not really. Some of them make me laugh….because you have to laugh.

But I don’t wanna tell readers how they should be reading – even ARC readers, with three asterisks***

If you’re a past ARC reader of mine, thank you! You are amazing. My books are better because of ARC readers catching things like my vegetarian character eating bacon, wonky formatting, and three different spellings of Chantal.

I don’t have any expectation other than you’ll read the book and post a review.

I’ve started asking ARC Readers if they want a release day graphic to share because readers have asked me but I clearly say that it is not a requirement.

Here’s my *** for my ARC Readers:

* Don’t be a pirate. I know you would never pirate it, but it happens and I feel like it’s a CYA I have to have on the form

* If you are going to give it less than 2 stars, please reach out before you post your review. I ask this for two reasons: a) It gives me a chance to fix something that needs to be fixed before publication, if it’s something technical b) It gives me a heads-up that this book isn’t landing the way I wanted it to. That’s me asking you to reach out, not me telling you not to post the review. Why do I ask this?
Ah, because of a huge formatting error Flame For Two had this past year when I added an updated file, fixing minor things (backmatter) and I put it into a service, hoping to boost the book. It’s my bestselling book in the series. But I suddenly got all these reviews back talking about grammar. I had beta readers re-read it, I begged peers to re-read it, I broke my rule and questioned friends who I know had read the book and they all said, it’s fine. We were all looking for grammar errors in the original file, not checking the updated, new file I had sent into this review service (sighs – this plan totally backfired, I lost sales). In an effort to prevent this error – which is a known sideloading error through BookFunnel from happening, I now put in that clause on my ARC Form, with the words, “I promise not to freak on your head.” And it worked! That error was caught in Flame For Foe and fixed before publication.

I know that ARC’s are supposed to be the version, the cleanest, error free version and I strive for that but I’m doing this without a cook or a nanny and the tiniest of budgets.

*Have read at least one of my books & posted a book review before joining my ARC Team, anywhere. That’s a new * I added this year for the Bandit Brothers Series. I want you on my team and this is me, trying to cut down on readers who sign up on a whim – I want you here, if you want to be here.

I appreciate my ARC Readers so very much! They’ve kept me writing this year when I have felt burnt out. They slide into my DM’s and check in on me and tell me they’re waiting for the next book and that makes me feel so writerly I wanna squish you.

Thanks for reading!

The one about the bodyguard and brat.

Why am I re-doing the covers?

I know some readers loved the OG flame covers but I’m trying to get into more promotions and wanted all the covers to match. Updated paperbacks are coming. When I went in to update the front page on Flame For Chance today, I read. And kept reading and kind of loved it.

What’s not to love about a brat who kind of , not really, knows what she wants?

cringe for sasha

Follow Friday: These covers? Gorgeous

I had Friday’s post all set, but critters got into one of the major transmitters, and we have a power outage.

#truestory

This Friday brought a weather change, that prompted a migraine the size of Venus and … words got down but it’s like slogging through mud.

Let’s go old school for a moment here and do Follow Friday because when I saw the new covers from M Kay Noir, they stopped my scroll.

I know what I’m going to  be reading this weekend! Check them out! 

 

M Kay Noir novels

Take It Thursday: A refresh for these two Doms

The Bandit Brothers Series is coming to an end, and I am sure, very, very sure, that this is the last cover refresh these books get.

I mean, never say never, but I am very, very sure,

The plan is to get the paperbacks up to current covers by the summer!

Flame For Two by Raleigh Damson

 

Here’s a teaser from Flame For Two

Her hands immediately went to Logan’s waistband, and her trembling fingers unzipped his jeans. “I can’t wait to see how you suck him,” Xander said, his hand over her shoulder. Her skin grew heated from his words.

“I can’t wait to feel your hot mouth on my cock, kitten,” Logan said, his hands on her cheeks, brushing her arms. Harper glided her hand around his long, thick cock, the skin soft, and her fingers barely able to circle it.

“What are you waiting for angel?” Xander asked, from behind her.

Harper needed no more encouragement. His cock slid right into her mouth. His male musk assaulted her, making her moan low in her throat. Logan played with her hair as she licked and sucked, drawing his length into her mouth as much as she could.

“Take all of him, angel. See how he likes that? You look so beautiful sucking his cock,” Xander said, his hand on her back. God, this made her feel so desirable, somehow. Logan’s fingers danced along her throat, under her jaw.

“That’s it, kitten. Your hot mouth feels like heaven.” Logan’s low tone made her whimper.

“Don’t forget his balls, angel. Reach out and fondle them, give them a lick after you’re done dragging that pretty tongue of yours from his tip to his root.” Xander’s instructions urged her on as if she was a matchstick he had lit. She was wet and needy again, longing for cock to fill her, as she licked and lapped Logan’s full heavy testicles. Her mouth covered the tip of his glistening penis and Logan threw his head back.

“See how his muscles bunch for you as you lick? He wants you. He’s restraining himself.” Xander’s warm hand on the small of her back kept her grounded to him as she floated away, a heady mix of longing, desire and power coursing through her. She hummed around his cock, trying to take him deeper and deeper, so deep he bumped the back of her throat.

Read Flame For Two For Free in Kobo Plus 

When your keyboard is cold but the words are hot …

If you need me, I’m huddled over my keyboard like some Dickens character. I’d volunteer that I’m wrapped in two blankets, but that sounds dramatic and unbelievable if you’re in a place where it’s actually Spring.
Spring has not sprung here, and the wind is coming through the walls of this old house. Honestly, at this point, my only goal is to move to a warmer climate—I’m not even joking.

But words have to get down. I’m wrapping up the Shared World book, and you know how I said that I was nervous about Five Days to Be Mine? Ha! That’s nothing to how I feel about this book. I don’t want to let the other authors that I’m in the Shared World down, and I’m so excited to read these stories!

When I signed on to be a part of this collaboration, Mercy hadn’t even been created yet. Part of what brought on the new pen name was realizing that the Shared World book was going to be in KU, and I wanted to respect my mostly Wide readership. So, I thought a new pen name would solve that issue.

Except? Mercy is more branded than I thought. When you pick up a Mercy book, it’s going to be low-angst, characters that are older, low stakes, and tender Doms.

In Sold to Her Enemy, the FMC is 29 – which is okay. Holly in Five Days of Christmas Spice is 29, but the MC is angry at her; it’s an enemy to lovers, and it’s a little more gritty than the other Mercy books. The last 30% the MC is showing the FMC his softer side. He’s forgiven her for what was a miscommunication – it’s resolved fairly quickly so I don’t think it’s the full angst of a miscommunication trope but okay, it is but there had to be some kind of misunderstanding. And there is a 3rd act break-up with lots of groveling.

Ugh. I thought of creating another pen name and putting Sold to Her Enemy under that moniker, but I have both Mercy and Raleigh readers who have pre-ordered this book (thank you), and, um, as long as I keep trying to make it clear to readers that this book is different from the other Mercy books? You know, when I started this indie author thing my mantra was, “I’m doing all of this very badly and that’s okay” and almost three years later, I feel exactly the same way.

 

Here’s a teaser for Sold to Her Enemy. These characters have been so dynamic and fun to write and this world is a completely different than one I’ve written in before. It’s my first book in an American setting 🙂

 

Sold to her enemy cover

“No, not on the seat. Kneel on the floorboards.”
She does, shuffling against the passenger seat. I climb in, unzipping my fly as I do, taking down my pants.
I slip into the backseat.
“Put your mouth on my dick. But do not suck me or use your tongue. I better not feel teeth. You are nothing more than a cockwarmer.”

 

When you’re sold to your enemy… can you become their lover?

MCKENNA

My fall from the elite wasn’t my fault – it was orchestrated by one man.
I’m determined not to let his actions affect my future. I need to get back to my dreams and create a better life for my mother and me…the kind of life we’re used to living.
The auction at Club Lust is the perfect opportunity. I’ll do anything for money, even if it means sharing my body with a perfect stranger.
When I’m sold to my enemy, I have to give him what he demands: my submission.
I may once have had feelings for Adrian McIntyre, but we’re not kids anymore, and no matter how he sends my pulse racing, I won’t forget he’s the one who destroyed the life I had.

ADRIAN

McKenna Moran always thought she was too good for me, never giving me a chance.
When I saw that she was in the auction at Club Lust, I knew I had to win her. Taking my revenge on her body is going to be so sweet.
This weekend is going to be one she never forgets if I can keep from giving into the old feelings I once had for her and remind myself that this woman is my enemy no matter how good her body feels against mine.

Pre-Order Here