Here Be News

Jeffe Kennedy's Petal and Thorns has a new cover!

A BDSM take on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale, this award-winning novella tells this story:

Petals & Thorns

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In exchange for her father’s life, Amarantha agrees to marry the dreadful Beast and be his wife for seven days. Though the Beast cannot take Amarantha’s virginity unless she begs him to, he can and does take her in every other way. From the moment they are alone together, the Beast relentlessly strips Amarantha of all her resistance.            

If Amarantha can resist her cloaked and terrifying husband, she gains his entire fortune and will be allowed to return to her family and a normal life. But the Beast seduces her at every turn, exposing, binding, tormenting, and pleasuring Amarantha until she no longer knows her own deepest desires. Increasingly desperate to break the curse that chains his humanity, the Beast drives Amarantha past every boundary. But her desire for a normal life may jeopardize the love that will save them both.

Also, Jeffe Kennedy's upcoming release, The Talon of the Hawk, garnered a Top Pick review from RT Book Reviews!

The third book in her Twelve Kingdoms series elicited this response:

“The saga of The Twelve Kingdoms returns in grand style! It takes a great deal of trust for Ursula to accept that Harlan is interested in her as a woman; his position as a mercenary means he’s skilled at playing courtly games. She’s always possessed a physical strength, so it’s beautiful to watch her accept her own personal power, as a woman and as a daughter of Salena, even when her stubbornness gives you fits. Harlan is her perfect match because his talent at observation allows him to see beyond the tough warrior image she employs to avoid showing her feelings. This is a complex world full of danger, subterfuge and secrets with empowering female characters who are not afraid to fight for their future.”

– RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars Top Pick

More Epic Fantasy
Veronica Scott's most recent column for USA Today Happily Ever After focused on the epic fantasy romance genre. Jeffe Kennedy and Eleri Stone of HBM were among the interviewees on what the appeal of epic FR is for authors and readers, as well as sharing recommendations for more reading. Other authors featured in the article include Grace Draven and Dana Marton.

You can find the article here:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/04/23/veronica-scott-fantasy-romance-wilson-draven-raby/26187833/

(Veronica is also a Here Be Magic author.)

Win-A-Book Wednesday with...Jane Kindred!

Jane Kindred

Jane Kindred is the author of The House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy, the Demons of Elysium series, and The Devil’s Garden. Born in Billings, Montana, she spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.

You can find Jane on her Twitter account and Facebook page—both of which are aptly named “janekindred"—and on her website, www.janekindred.com.

Master of the Game*

Master of the Game, available August 5 from Samhain Publishing, is the third and final book in the Demons of Elysium series: a blend of m/m BDSM erotic romance and epic fantasy with a paranormal contemporary twist. This is your chance to win an Advance Copy!

Here's what people are saying about Demons:

“A spicy erotic fantasy that submerges the reader into a tempestuous relationship that speaks of dark desires and wicked delights. Kindred tucks her burgeoning romance inside an intriguing story filled with deception and betrayal as luscious angels and demons all vie for the ultimate prize. Drenched in a decadent haze of pleasure, pain, discipline and punishment, Kindred’s voice captures readers, leaving them panting for more.” ★★★★  — RT Book Reviews

“This world is freaking awesome. ... Once I thought I had a hold on where Kindred was going with this story it would take another turn. I was glued to the pages of this book till the very end.” 4.25 stars — Crissy, Joyfully Jay

“What a seductive, devilishly delicious tale... Steamy, solid entertainment!” ★★★★★ — Rainbow Book Reviews

“The second installment in Kindred's wickedly erotic, BDSM-based Demons of Elysium series immerses the reader in the dark and tempestuous relationship of Belphagor and his fire demon lover. Pain and pleasure vie for dominance as Kindred takes their relationship to a new level—a level that will make or break the fragile love that exists between them. Kindred does a splendid job of balancing the decadent romance with an engaging conflict filled with lust, lies and revelations.” ★★★★ — RT Book Reviews

*Note: If new to the series, winner of the giveaway has the option to receive Book 1 (Prince of Tricks) instead.

Love is the ultimate game changer…and this time it’s winner take all.

 

Now that his lover is back in his arms, Belphagor is taking his own sweet time to say the words Vasily longs to hear: “You’re my boy.” And savoring the sweet torture of driving the firespirit into a frenzy of unfulfilled need.

As the undisputed master of Heaven’s gaming tables, Belphagor never plays unless he’s certain of winning. But this time, political machinations send the game—and Vasily—tumbling to the brink of even his formidable control.

Vasily can’t deny enjoying their delightfully edgy play—until the airspirit auctions him off for a night to the one demon with a gift for taking things too far. Seductive Silk, tight-lipped about the end of his relationship with the sweet submissive Phaleg, may also be involved with a new faction threatening the pregnant queen of Heaven.

Belphagor couldn’t be less interested in the games angels play, but when angelic and demonic intrigues overlap, he’s drawn in against his will. And forced to break his one inviolable rule: Never gamble what you can’t afford to lose.

Warning: Contains more than a mouthful of m/m ménage, with intense D/s situations featuring intricate rope work, balaklavas, and a flurry of snow.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eliana: Pain and Pleasure

Take an extra 10% off Eliana this week at Loose Id!

While my new book, Eliana, is set in the same world as my previous books (and features a character from Levade), there are no horses in this book. My mare Carrma is somewhat displeased, but I have mollified her by taking her lots of apples.

Thinking back to the inspiration for this book, Eliana whas a character I had created for an ill-fated sequel to my first demon book, Demon's Dance. She was a dominant, no-nonsense kind of woman who knew both how to inflict pain and how to help others heal from it. I didn't want to give her up and started thinking about how she might have gotten involved with the Wardens--a group of men and women dedicated to hunting incubi and aiding their sexually promiscuous offspring. And, more importantly, why and how she became a dominant.

In one way, this book is Eliana's origin story, but  after finishing Levade I realized how Eliana could mesh with Konstantin, one of the characters introduced in that book, and that became an interesting story in itself--how does the son of a crazed Nazi geneticist become a healer as well as a submissive, and what lasting effect will that have on him?

So despite the title, Eliana isn't just about Eliana. There's Kon, and his male dominant, Dane, and all sorts of learning and growing and healing for all three.

Oh, and sex. Did I mention there's lots of sex?

Cover art by the fabulous Anne Cain.

Also--now available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble: Love, lust and Lipizzans. Capriole. In PRINT!!!!

Carrma sez, "Buying my human's books will help her make sure I have enough hay to eat and a warm blankie during freak snowstorms in southern Arizona. Plus you get to read about Lipizzans like me."

Evey Brett

The Magic of Kink

WARNING: This post discusses both sex and kink. 

Don't read it if that sort of thing bothers you. Thanks!

I'm one of the contributing authors to Evernight Publishing's A Vanilla-Free Christmas anthology. Not all the stories are BDSM, but they are all kink of one variety or another. A strange choice for the holidays, you say? Maybe. But maybe not. The holiday season is all about magic whether from a religious or secular perspective. And kink is kind of magical too.

No, it's not for everyone, and I'd even say it's not magical for everyone, but for some people it is. The man who can't attain or maintain an erection normally suddenly discovers that when his woman wears stilettos that show off her pedicure, he doesn't need his little blue pill. The woman who has never had an orgasm until the day she agrees to let her guy tie her up. The stories go on and on. For a lot of people, kink isn't something that's just a fun part of their bedroom play, it's a requirement.

For me, that's one of the more fascinating aspects of kink. That it can often cure what doctors and modern medicine can't. Now, I'm not saying if you or your loved one have a problem you should go buy some rope and dive into shibari. Most people who are into kink have known long before they necessarily try it out. Those are the people who see a cop with handcuffs and the sight causes a sexual reaction (minor or major). The cop and what he or she represents feeds into roleplay kinks as well as Domination/submission. The handcuffs matter in a number of kinks, most notably bondage.

The funny thing about magic... as they say in Once Upon a Time and any number of books: "Magic comes with a price." In this case, there's the simple fact that kinksters are looked down upon by non-kink society (ie--the public). I won't bring up the-books-that-shall-not-be-named, but even their popularity isn't taking hard-core kink mainstream. Also? Kink can't save your marriage. It can, possibly (if both parties are into it), save your sex life, which is kind of the same thing sometimes. But the point is, kink isn't a cure-all.

But it does cure some things, and those things can have a powerful impact on people's lives. So when you find out that CEO of the fortune 500 company likes to have a woman tie him up and walk all over him (literally) in her five-inch heels, cut the guy some slack. That might be the only way he can let go of being in charge all the time. And alternatively, that woman? She's a soccer mom with a lot of bills and a dog that won't stop peeing in the house. Dominating that CEO is how she centers and remembers that she has control over something.

And when you find your significant other trying on your lingerie, let him. Or better yet buy him some of his own. Because everyone needs to feel pretty sometimes. And understanding is its own special kind of magic.

Vanilla-Free Christmas

This Christmas, the best gifts are waiting for those who have been naughty...

And the toys under the tree are not for children. Sexy Santas, naughty elves, and dominant shifters are ready to spread some very kinky Christmas cheer. It's a good thing the ladies in our stories are looking for anything but vanilla.

Be Warned: menage sex, anal sex, sex toys, BDSM, spanking