Tag: Mercy Denton

The whole length

Well, it’s not the white stuff falling but rain and I’ll take it. Like I said over on Mercy’s instagram, I have a to-do list as long as a monster’s c*ck and by now I’ve drank that first cup of coffee and the next one sat cold.

On today’s agenda is reading through the final edit of Five Nights of Yes, Ma’am, the next Mercy Denton book, book three in the Sinful Delights Series. You can pre-order it here and if you want to be the first to  read it, join the ARC team here.

What’s required to be on my ARC Team?

Read the book, review the book. Don’t steal it!

That’s it.

I don’t care how large your following is because sometimes, size doesn’t matter. Matters when it comes to that to-do list however and I need to keep going.

Hoping your Monday is filled with all the caffeine you need!

 

An HEA With A Disability

“It’s simply an accident of birth that I’m not even more important.”- Hyacinth Bucket [Keeping Up Appearances] 

 

This snowy Monday morning, I’m thinking about the accident of birth. About taking chances, even so. Keep going when the chips are down, that kind of thing.

For no reason at all.

This week, with the release of Flame For Keeps, I’m doing something I never thought I’d do.

At one point, I never thought this book would get into the hands of readers and I might have screamed into the void.

When expectations don’t meet reality, it can take a bit to get over it and get on with it and with the release of Flame For Foe, that’s what happened. Readers had asked me for a book about Quinn’s little sister ever since she first appeared in Flame For Two. So I expected the release to go well.

It didn’t.

I got my first ever hate mail about a fictional character. A neurodiverse character, who acted like a neurodiverse human didn’t find the warm reception I thought she would. But I love that book and the readers who love Flame For Foe love it and I write for readers who want my books about power exchange relationships with messy characters and spicy times (my unofficial tagline).

But Flame For Keeps was drafted. If readers didn’t like Flame For Foe…how were they going to react to a book with a disabled FMC? I didn’t have my armor patched up well enough to find out and I needed a break from from the Bandit Brothers world, so I paused all projects though I did go back in and lightly edit a few books and I think there was a cover change in there…

So I launched a pen name and released three books before I went back to the Bandit Brothers world. Because Ares deserves a HEA and Josie has been one of those side characters ever since the series started and their story wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Change her…so she doesn’t have a disability.” went through my mind but I couldn’t. Didn’t want to.

Throughout those cameo appearance Josie shows up with mobility aids…except for in Flame For Foe and she as an internal as to why that is…so to change her from being a disabled character to not just because I was a scaredy cat over it? I couldn’t do it.

Besides, there’s a part of me that needs this character with her disability to be in this series and I kind of love her.

But I never thought I would write a character that shares things in common with myself, in this way.

For over a decade I have written about disability and kink in other places before becoming a romance writer, but this felt too raw, too personal. In writing Josie, I had to separate fact from fiction My own lived experiences from my character’s and in doing so, brought me to confront how inexplicably background, socioeconomic status, molds one’s experience of being disabled.

This might be the book that caused the most self-reflection yet and it was hard to write through it at times.

But Josie gets her HEA, the Bandit Brothers Series has another book and I’m going to keep on writing, despite everything. Many thanks to the readers who have waited for this book and have kept me writing.

flame for keeps

 

When she likes it like that…

Sold To Her Enemy: A Night To Remember Auction is the latest Mercy Denton book and when I knew this was going to be an enemies to lovers romance, I wanted readers to buy in.

I didn’t want the characters to immediately like each other after one encounter.

I wanted the angst to be high.

The dislike to be strong. The hate vibes on both side to crackle – because that’s the kind of enemies to lovers I like to read.

And when I was thinking of adding the kink element, the power exchange to this book, I wanted something that was inherently unbalanced to drive what the FMC could be raging against but also…something she liked…done by someone she hates.

She likes it. Hate the fact that he’s the one doing it.

Even by him…she can’t help how her body responds.

During the interview Mckenna had prior to the night of the auction, she checked “yes” to humiliation, degradation and objectification.

She likes those kinks.

And maybe, the fact that a woman, who is in her late 20’s knows what satisfies her sexually does irk some readers?

Or maybe it’s because she chose things that are on the hard limit list of many?

Even if it rubs the line of dub-con she consented to those acts.

The fact that its Adrian, the man who destroyed the life she had, that is engaging in these acts, still doesn’t mean she needs to be saved.

Doesn’t mean he’s a bully.

Doesn’t mean she can’t handle it.

I know that this book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – and that’s okay! – but for those who love these kinks and this trope? I hope you’ve enjoyed Mckenna and Adrian’s story.

A bookbubreview

Hello September!

 

A ballpoint pen drawing of a pin up girl

Ah, the heatscape of the summer is nearly behind us and if you’re celebrating back to school, I hope it goes smoothly for you and Happy Tuesday to the rest of us.

This month I am going to do everything I can to get Josie and Ares off to beta readers and if the timing is on my side, maybe a Bandit Brothers surprise. I want to get back to Mercy’s Domme book so badly that it’s acting like my carrot to get through these edits.

I can’t wait to share these books with you! Readers keep me writing and I am so grateful.

This week in my newsletter, look out for a new bonus scene featuring Mulberry and Nick from Flame True. If you haven’t read Flame True, like all the Bandit Brothers books, it can be read in Kobo Plus for free here.

Gotta go make that chai latte and get back to the words!

 

Pre order flame for keeps by raleigh damson

 

The next book in the auction

5k words down on the book I am not supposed to be writing at the moment is a win that’s going to set me up nicely for the rest of the week. I’m wondering where that warm-sunshiny vibes are, trying to organize my home into something that isn’t a lost box of wonder and finish up a bonus scene for Mara and Evan — it kind of turned into a novella and I might just hit send because it’s fun to give your readers things.

I made chocolate chip cookies. What I like in a chocolate chip cookie is the soft, thin, and chewy kind, but this is elusive and I think out of a hundred tries I manage to get it right twice…but I saw on the clock app this hack where you take the pan out of the oven with two minutes left on the cooking time and smash it with the bottom of a mason jar.

What the hay, the cubs thought it was fun and it kind of gave the desired result but it ended up spreading the chocolate chips out of the batter and ended up with a chocolatey splish splash effect…it was a tasty experiment anyways.

The next book in A Night To Remember Auction is out now! My Soul For Sale by Cassie Lein 

my soul for sale by cassie lein

New Doms and slow progress

I spent this week writing as much as I can on Mercy’s next book. It’s unannounced, there is no pre-order for it yet and I haven’t revealed the title, but I can share that it is Theo and Callie’s story. I gave myself my birthday week to get as much of a start on it as I can before I set it to one side and get back to Ares and Josie. I’m loving these new characters and want to spend more time in their world! And I can’t wait for readers to read this book – it’s the first book I’ve released featuring a male submissive.

Mercy’s next release is Sold to Her Enemy: A Night To Remember Auction out later this month, on the 21st.

My hand is still healing and it’s making typing slow – which is making me a little grumbly because the word count on the somewhat secret male submissive book would be higher if I had my normal speed – and it’s a little achy when it rains which makes me feel like kind of crotchety which isn’t a downside; there is a huge part of me that kind of digs the hedge witch image.

In my emails today, I spotted this great deal from Golden Angel. Grab the Nights at Stronghold: Stronghold Doms Boxset for $0.99. These books are fun and spicy with memorable characters and definitely a great deal!

Golden Angel boxset deal

 

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

 

 

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 

Wish it was longer…

The best part about being an indie author is connecting to readers & having readers who email ASAP when you send out an incorrect link in your newsletter that makes you feel like you have to quit doing this but you somehow manage to take a breath and send out a correction link and it’s oddly kind of making you feel like the editor you mildly dream about being (in some posh setting. It’s a dream, okay? I don’t have those kind of chops. I hate conflict and I’ll avoid it, no matter what. I will not have personal confrontations, thanks).

I know! That was a run on sentence – you can do that in blogging. 

It was a hard morning.

But so thankful for the readers who took the time to let me know! That’s what happens when I try to work on my phone and do too many things at once.

You know what’s also nice? When readers say REALLY nice things about your books.

I had a recent release that kind of flopped. Mercy’s first book did okay! But it’s a first book under a new pen name.

I was so nervous and still kind of am, about Five Days to Be Mine. Because this book means a lot to me. And I wanted readers to love Mara and Evan because I totally fell in love with them.

Look at this review!

This book was so good. I couldn’t put it down. I loved Evan so so much I wish there was a lot of him in the world. I loved how he took care of her, his passion with her, the way he didn’t care about her weight was wo fantastic. Story was awesome. So worth reading. Fantastic HEA. Wish it was longer. [Goodreads Review]

My book? 

You wish it was longer?

My book? 

I’ve thought that same thing about other books? But my book?

For a moment, I thought of writing another book featuring Mara and Evan but that’d throw me off schedule! But I really want to. Bonus scene coming soon.

Thank you for reading!
It keeps me bringing you stories and lets me keep writing through the really awful lows and the red-face moments.

 

 

Take it Tuesday: Two different teasers ….

I might trying to distract myself from tomorrow’s release and it might not be working at all.

For this Tuesday’s Teaser I’m sharing a tease from Five Days to Be Mine (writing as Mercy Denton) that is out in KU tomorrow! This is from a scene where Mara is aware she brushed up against one of Evan’s triggers.
I think having more books with a MC who has a trigger due to their past and how they are working through it with their FMC partner is a good thing and I’m tempted to write more in my books.
You can grab Five Days to Be Mine here 

“Evan…I would never hurt you.” Mara places her hand on my chest.

I take it and bring it to my mouth, kissing the back of her hand. “I know, princess. Now lay back for me and spread those legs.”

She scurries against the headboard and obeys.

“I need to put my face in this needy pussy.” Before she can react, I drop the vibe and the lube on the bed, settle between her thighs and lick her folds.

Her salty taste is bliss and I lick her mercilessly until she’s grabbing at my hair.

 – Five Days to be Mine, Mercy Denton 

And love her or hate her, but Kayleigh Walsh certainly stirs up a reaction and that’s what you want as an author! Okay, I might wish the reaction was a little more favourable at times, but she still remains one of my favourite characters I have written. In this scene, it’s the first time Erik is teaching her about D/s. Flame for Foe is in Kobo Plus and you can grab it here

 

Teaser from flame for foe