The Steam Room

The Steam Room is proud to welcome Savanna Kougar!

Ever have a yen to know more about Hellhounds, Hades and the Underworld, beyond the myth that is? How about real witches, those with the powers most of us think don’t exist? Ah, but they do. Magick is on the rise at this time, and I explore this new emergence in KANDY APPLE AND HER HELLHOUNDS.

[Ménage Amour: EroticParanormal Ménage Romance, M/F/M, shape-shifters]

Kandace doesn’t know why she’s a real witch. Despite her powers, she can’t find her biological parents. When the Tuxedo Twins tempt her with knowledge about her heritage at a charity event, Kandace agrees to dance with the mysterious Supernaturals. Unexpectedly, they are threatened by the omnipresent evil she’s been warned about in her dreams. To keep from being enslaved, Kandace brings forth her greater magick. But, to save her homeworld, she needs her Hellhounds.

Zolivar and Zindale, two of Hades’s most mission-accomplished Hellhounds, see a witch sliding down the bannister after her heist of a painting. Spellbound, they know they’ve found just the right Kandy Apple to lick for Halloween. With every passion, Zin and Zol woo their chosen witch. Will their Triad mate stay once she learns they can’t fall in love like humans? Or will she return to her homeworld?

BuyLink: http://bookstrand.com/kandy-apple-and-her-hellhounds

WebsiteLink: http://savannakougar.com &http://shapeshifterseductions.blogspot.com

Excerpt:

Determined to ignore the heebie-jeebies, she gave her hair a toss. Kandace knew they weren’t fully human. What they were, she hadn’t discovered, so far. She stayed out of their social orbit and kept her distance.

Oh, she’d made discreet inquiries, all right. However, whoever she gabbed with would end up smirking, then give her that knowing look. Yeah, right, she wanted to jump the twins’ Remington Steele-elegant bones.

Okay, true, the old TV show, starring Pierce Brosnan, remained one of her guilty pleasures.

Kandace dipped her tongue tip in her drink, scooping out a taste. Maybe if she knew what freakin’ dimension, planet, whatever, the Alien Tuxedo Twins hailed from she’d be interested in one of them. Maybe.

The only reason she inquired about the women in their lives was so she could politely interrogate them. However, Zol and Zin, as they were known, had been exceptionally discreet in their conquests. It’d been like pulling hen’s teeth with slick pliers—still, Kandace had gathered five names.

She’d made it a priority to speak with those women. Not one of them revealed anything of any consequence, and the dreamy smiles on their faces had quickly become too annoying.

Evenwhen she’d performed a gentle exploration of the women’s minds—nothing, except the sound of satisfied moans. Whoever the two peas in a pod were, they had the ability to keep an individual’s memory shielded, or some power she didn’t comprehend.

As Kandace admitted to whoever asked, she considered Zol and Zin to be living works of art. Whenever she caught sight of them at various artists’ events, a swoony thrill always raced her heart. Yep, fantastic to look at and admire, but that’s all.

Now, though, she had a whole new problem, other than keeping herself safe from the roaming security teams. The Alien Tuxedo Twins had been able to see her, despite her invisibility shield.

True, they didn’t seem overly eager to make her aware they knew about her witchy ability. Still, who the hell were they? What were they?

And did she need to be afraid of them?

To that end, Kandace sauntered ever closer.

“Might as well face the bad guys, if they are, and get it over with.” She whispered the words against the rim of her glass. Taking a sip, Kandace decided against an exploratory thought-form.

If they could see past her magic, they could probably stop her psi search of their minds, and would know she was onto their paranormal abilities. Kandace strolled before some artist’s attempt to fuse Picasso’s style with the voluptuous fantasy art of Boris Vallejo. Blinking several times, she stared at the horror of high strangeness.

The twin wearing the evening suit sidled next to her as if he merely examined the painting.

“Definitely not my cup of artistic tea,” she commented. “What do you think?”

“I think I’d rather get to know a spooky little girl like you.”

Kandace jumped inside, startled by his bold come-on. “Spooky. Isn’t that a song lyric?”

From the corner of her eye, she watched the other twin join them. Uh-oh, she’d just become the filling for a man sandwich. At least, they appeared to be men, given those high-rise bulges they both sported.

For her?

Certainly, they smelled like real men. Despite the expensive cologne that clung subtly to both of them, their virility slammed into her nostrils and reminded her a bit of her uncle’s Rottweiler dogs.

Damn! No wonder some women fell in a drooling heap at their well-shod feet.

Kandace tipped up a large swallow of her drink. Her throat had suddenly become a desert, and her traitorous hormones began to beg.

Okay, she was a witch. She could handle this. Whatever this exactly was.

“Yes, it is a song lyric. Shall I sing the tune for you?”

Mr. Evening Suit asked in the smoothest yet sexiest voice she’d heard since Cary Grant. Kandace knew because her sister had watched all of the suave actor’smovies during her girlhood crush on him.

Intrigued by what he would actually do, Kandace flirtatiously angled her shoulders toward him. “Please.”

“In the cool of the evening,” he crooned, “when everything is getting kind of groovy, I call you up and ask you if you want to go and see a movie.”  

Geez and tease her, Mr. Evening Suit’s sun-bronzed features were classically handsome, even more so, up this close and personal. Kandace avoided looking at his slightly wavy dark hair, perfectly groomed, of course. She had a thing when it came to a man’s hair. She wanted to wildly run her fingers through and not stop.

“First you say no,” the other twin sang, smooth as velvet, “you've got some plans for the night, and then you stop, and say, all right.”  

Kandace did make a tactical error, though. She met his gaze, instantly losing herself in his coffee-colored eyes, illumined by flame. So it appeared.

“Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you,” they sang in stereo.

Feeling halfway seduced, Kandace saluted with her glass. “That’s good. But a girl can only take so much from a pair of womanizers like you.”

“Womanizer?” the Tuxedo Twin inquired. “Do you mean as in a libertine or wolf?”

“Exactly. Quaint reference, libertine. You two aren’t time travelers, are you?” Kandace hoped her voice sounded lighthearted, joking. It was hard to tell, given their mighty testosterone effect on her.

For a brief moment, they glanced at each other, easy to do since they towered above her. Tiny golden vibrations emanated from their foreheads and Kandace wondered exactly how telepathic they were.

“We’re not time travelers by common definition,” the evening suit twin answered.

“But, you do travel through time,” Kandace persisted. Why not? If they knew about her, why shouldn’t she know about them?

She took a nervous sip, but hardly tasted her drink.

Again, the twins trained their gazes on each other for a bare instant.

“We have. However, not by our own power, little witch.” Mr. Tuxedo’s sexy croon had her shifting toward him.

“Witch.You say that as if you believe I am an actual witch.”

Probably not smart, calling them out so soon, especially when I’m sandwiched between them. And just how did they time travel? Kandace frowned mentally.

“You are.” They spoke as one, freaking her out and tingling her spine. It felt likea tray of ice cubes slid down it.

~~~

TSR: Tell us about Kandy Apple and Her Hellhounds.

Savanna: My witch heroine, Kandace, showed up one day with a sassy and spirited spark in her eye. Plus, she let me know right off she adored using made-up words like ‘fabtastic’, and loved making up new words herself.

My love affair with witches began with Samantha from the original TV series, Bewitched. Oh yes, I coveted her powers. After all, what fun-excitement that would be! A snap of your fingers and your room is clean, the chores done. A twitch of your nose and there’s the dress of your dreams.

You could right every wrong. Help others. Oh, the power was a heady fantasy.

However, more than her witchly magick, I simply adored who the character, Samantha, was as a woman -- the exception being whenever she cowtowed to her husband, typical for that time period.

And,yes, I even learned how to twitch my nose. Of course, not nearly as wonderfully as the actress, Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the beautiful real witch.

To be honest, despite all the Halloween ad hype I grew up with as a kid in the fifties -- where witches were portrayed as ugly evil creatures, often covered by warts because they handled frogs -- ya know what, I never bought into that view of witches.

I thought it was kinda ridiculous. Silly, even boring. No, some part of me never did believe or get on board with that horror-spooky, broomstick ride. The only witch who ever spooked me as a kid  was the Wicked Witch of the West in the “Wizard of Oz”.

Once the ‘beautiful witch’ arrived on the cultural scene... then when I learned about witches as women of the craft -- women who performed magickal rituals in accordance with nature to bring about a desired result -- well, I tingled. I resonated. And, I knew.

In that deep still part of me I knew, and that’s what rang true.

So, of course, it became irresistible -- the urge to write my own real witch heroine, my Kandy Apple. Yes, that’s her nickname, especially around Halloween. She adores wearing red, and has a riotous mane of red hair.

Each year the vibes of Halloween seep inside me more deeply, and under this spell, I  wrote my witch and hellhound erotic romance.

TSR: What inspires the shape-shifting characters you create?

Savanna: It’s the wild animal in me. I was born to run wild, which I did as often as Ic ould as kid, even though it was frowned upon by so-called society at that time.

Also, I’ve always had this strong affinity for animals, this deep love. No, it isn’t that icky-cooey, pets-can-do-no-wrong, humans-are-bad type of love that seems to be the fad now.

I respect animals. I strive to truly understand them -- their needs, their desires. There’s nothing better than stroking them, being able to give them a hug, and wrap my heart around them.

I’ve had a ‘few’ absolutely amazing experiences communicating with wild animals.Even though Animal Communicators are out of the closet, and doing a booming business these days... still, this gets into woo-woo land for some people. However, I’ll share.

Years ago, I was visiting my sis when she lived close to Washington DC. We spent one day at the zoo, and there was this huge, gorgeous, South American buzzard. He was all by himself inside his enormous enclosure, and perched high on a limb. Mentally, I asked him if he would please fly for me because I wanted to see his wingspan, his beauty as he flew. Well, lo and behold, he launched himself and magnificently winged through his enclosure. Of course, I thanked him profusely.

Another time I asked a pair of quarreling Macaws to kiss and makeup. I have photos of them doing just that moments later. Talk about an adorable sight.

And, I can’t leave out my dolphin story. I’ve never gotten to swim with them. But, when I was visiting San Francisco, my boyfriend at the time and I, went to the Aquarium. There was a beautiful little girl bottle-nose dolphin inside one ofthe tanks, along with lots of other sea creatures. She stayed in the back, so I mentally asked her swim close, in front of me, because she was so beautiful. By gosh, she did several times, and paused once to gaze at me. I could have kissed her.

These days, I also have shamanic experiences with wild animals. I live on what I call the tame prairie on about twenty acres. It’s just farmland and pasture all around me. Cows are my closest neighbors. So, there’s an abundance of wild critters around -- one reason I love being here.

And, sometimes, I really think the critters show up because they want to star as a shapeshifter in one of the flash scenes I write regularly. Like the giant-sized box turtle I accidentally threw a bucket of gray water on. Yes, SHE --according to the internet info I found -- had her flash fiction scene, and her character is ongoing.

Ic an’t leave out Zol and Zin, my hellhound heroes. While wolves are one of my favorite animals, there is a wonderful abundance of werewolf and wolf shifter romances already available for readers. Yes, I have several wolf shifter WIPs,and do I ever want to finish, then publish them.

However, what better for Halloween than hellhounds?

So, when Zin and Zol showed up as fiery ferocious beasts from the bowels of hell --so the myth goes -- and, also presented their human selves as gentlemen in the style of Cary Grant and Pierce Brosnan in the TV series in Remington Steele-- yes, I fell in love, and knew they were the perfect heroes for Kandace.

TSR: What is your idea of the perfect flaw and why?

Savanna: Now there’s a question I never thought of. The perfect flaw... hmmm. I don’t think in terms of flaws, truthfully, for my heroines and heroes.

I do think in terms of their natural strengths and weaknesses... the trials and tribulations they’ve been through... their personal history/herstory... and what their motivations are.

I ask: Heart, body, mind, soul -- what drives them in life? What doesn’t?

Whenever I ask myself ‘why do they act the way they do?’ Usually, my characters will answer, and I find out more of their backstory. I will say that since many of my heroines and heroes aren’t strictly human, their way of thinking and being, their way of acting is often different than what might be expected by readers.  So, there’s fair warning.

TSR: What are five things you want to do before you die and why?

Savanna: Wow, there are thousands. Hmmm... let me think of five. At this point in my life, I’d love to become as self-sufficient as possible, and get off the grid totally. I’ve always had this yen to be free in that way, and with the infrastructure not being taken care of these days... yeah, that would be a dream come true.

As far as fun, since I love dancing, I’d go for belly dancing lessons, dirty dancing lessons. I’d learn any style of dancing available, and also go dancing.

Sailing between the Greek Islands. [obvious why]

Sailing between the Virgin Islands. Again. To me it is heaven on Earth.

Atlantis has been a siren song in my soul ever since I learned about the antediluvian land. I’d love to go deep-sea diving where the structures of the Atlantean civilization still are. There are sites all over. One is off the coast ofJapan. Another site is off the coast of India, and also off the coast of Cuba.The Greek island of Santorini is likely a remnant of the Atlantean civilization, and would just be an exquisite place to visit.

TSR: What do you do to relax or decompress?

Savanna: Relax? Decompress? What’s that? Okay, since my health hasn’t been up to par for several years now, I have to rest, and try to get enough sleep.

Often I gaze out my favorite west-facing window. Nature is a balm to my soul. Seeing the sky, watching the birds fly and flit and feed... that does wonders for me. Just yesterday, one of our golden eagles swooped upward, winging toward the treetops in a way I’d never seen before. It was magnificent.

I have a fantastic scenic view in every direction on the tame prairie, and the sunsets are so beautiful I feel nourished at an emotional and soul level.

Of course, music is a great decompressor and mood changer. My taste is eclectic, so I enjoy about style of music there is.

TSR: You run two blogs. Can you tell us a little about them?

Savanna:I have my own personal blog, Kougar Kisses, where I post about every day. It has my books on the sidebar, and I have a feature called Authoress news and mews for info about what I’m up to as an author. I also include anything I come across that is helpful to other authors/aspiring authors.

I share the Shape Shifter Seductions blog with four exceptionally creative erotic romance authors ~ Serena Shay, Pat Cunningham, Rebecca Gillan and Solara. Through that magical-muse writers have, the five of us have created a fictional town taken over by a Werewolf pack. Serena Shay wrote the first flash that started it all, and now Talbot’s Peak, Montana is a haven for shifters, humans, and for paranormal beings of every type and stripe.  We have tons o’ fun posting flash scenes about every week.

Here’s one I wrote recently.

Predators Meet Prey ~ The Rabbit Trickster 

Standing before her bedroom’s full length mirror, Karly peered over her shoulder at her large fluffy white bunny tail. She gave her butt a shimmy-shake, appreciating how the realistic puff wiggled invitingly. She also took several long moments to appreciate how her trim athletic figure looked in her version of a Playboy Bunny costume. That is, what she could throw together at the last minute from lingerie shops, and the small costume boutique in Talbot’s Peak proper.

After a wicked little smile at herself, Karly strutted in her black stilettos across the floor and reached for her witch’s black velvet cape. With a flick of her wrists, she swirled it, draping it around her shoulders.

She gave her gently waving, sable-colored hair a toss, freeing it from beneath the cape before she grabbed her evening bag. Being a black coyote shapeshifter, the color was a close match to her coat.

Satisfiedher rabbit ears remained secure, Karly grinned, anticipating her trickster prank. After all, every now and then her perverse nature needed to assert itself.

“Predators Meet Prey, Hunters Moon Costume Party, here I come,” she murmured, moving down the winding staircase toward her brother.

Per the party rules, Kevin had made his shifter side obvious with a faux coyote tail and ears. He’d attired himself in the swashbuckling style of a Musketeer, complete with a rapier dangling at his side. To her sisterly eye, his handsomeness couldn’t be, and wouldn’t be denied.

Waiting by the front door of their parents’ well-to-do, newly constructed home, he jerked it open impatiently. “I should never have let you con me into this. You and that fox-sly tongue of yours.”  Kevin scowled at her as if she’d just caused him to lose a plump pheasant dinner.

Holding the door, the reluctant gentleman, he growled, “We’re going to be late. Late as in I don’t want Reba shaking her fluffy tail for any other predator.”

“Oh, geta grip, cavalier stud. We won’t be late. Not with the way you drive. Lead foota nd all.” Karly passed beneath his arm, smirking a smile up at him -- somec ombo of sibling irritation and her deep fondness for him.

With a soft snarl, Kevin followed her to his low-slung, expensive sports car, parked nearby on their circular drive. “Just remember, we don’t know each other.”

“Oh, don’t get your butt fur in a matted wad,” Karly sang, once she gripped the passenger side handle. “We don’t look like each other, and we’re new in town.”

***

Having politely fended off several men who wanted a piece of her bunny tail -- two wolves, a fox and a damn fine mountain lion -- Karly took a sip of her Flirtini. Keenly aware she had several, hard-panting admirers, Karly rolled her hips as she sauntered toward the spacious dance floor.

True, when she’d first arrived at the Pleasure Club, Dante, the werewolf obviously in charge, despite his low-key presence, had given her the once over as if he suspected she wasn’t playing by the rules. His intense gaze had raked her but good, and Karly held her breath for several moments. However, after a quick upturn of his lips, he’d looked away, attending to another matter.

So far, her little trickster game had been highly amusing, in a twisted, predator-mind bending way. Also, it’d proven entertaining to note the different approaches, the different come-ons predators used when flirting with the prey shapeshifters they wanted to jump, hump and bippity-bop bump to the lusty heights of orgasmic pleasure.

And, if it was one thing Karly enjoyed, it was learning for the sake of learning itself. Simply because it suited her, she taught online college courses --Animals in Myth and Legend. 

On the far side of the dance floor, an excellent samba ensemble played both recognizable tunes and their original music. The quality surprised her, given Karly hadn’t expected this level of sophistication in the backwater Montana town.

All about survival these days, her parents had decided on making the move to Talbot’s Peak while they could easily do so. Karly hadn’t protested too vigorously, given she realized a change was needed in her life. And, here it was.

And, yes, there it was. Twins by the nearly identical look of the two coyote shifters, who were costumed as Native American Skinwalkers. Holy damn, the two bronze-skinned, gorgeously sculpted men with shoulder-length dark hair, eyed her like a hunting prize.

Karly continued across the room at a leisurely pace. When they locked their gazes on her, both of them, she moved in their general direction, swaying in time to the samba music.

Only... why couldn’t she scent them? Karly had masked her own canine smell. Before she could think of how to sniff them, they suddenly darted toward her, striding powerfully, silently.

Karly froze in her tracks, an unusual reaction for her.

***  

Dirk angled around the woman shapeshifter he and his brother had decided belonged to them for the rest of the evening, and long into the night. With her sleek, yet luscious curves displayed to perfection by her Playboy Bunny costume... her long shapely legs begging for their caresses... her onion-round ass their loins ached to feel as they took turns mounting her... her pert breasts shaped for their hands and the roaming pleasure of their lips...

Deke roved his gaze over the woman’s refined lovely face first... then he stared at the shining beauty of her dark, red-burnished hair. Her wary gaze, the golden yellow glow deep within her black-as-midnight eyes gave her away now. His shaman senses hadn’t lied, despite the fact that he and Dirk hadn’t been able to determine her species scent.

She was coyote. Coyote shifting woman.

Stepping toward her, Deke took her drink and set it to the side. He captured strands of her hair, letting the heavy silkiness slip through his fingers. “Beautiful trickster, you are caught.”

“You are caught,” Dirk echoed, as he gently trapped her against his body from behind.

“Caught?” she burst out breathlessly, then made a move to escape them.

Deke pressed himself against her, halting her steps. He watched as his brother stroked his hands down her arms, and held her lightly. Feather-soft, Deke slid the back of his finger beneath her chin. “What’s your name, coyote woman?”

“Rabbit,” she accused instead. “You two are rabbits.”

“Hare, actually.” Dirk teased his nose down a strand of her hair until his lips brushed the rim of her ear. Her breath jerked inward, and her eyelids fell shut in pleasure. “Even though, we are called jackrabbits,” he rasped into the shell of her delicate human ear.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Deke cautioned in a joking tone. He touched his fingertip to thec enter of her full lips.

Her gaze flew to his, vulnerable yet wild and fierce with warning. “Why not?”

“For us, deception is often a matter of survival.”  Dirk cupped her shoulders, and caressed.

“Why is that?” she snapped with coyote haughtiness, even as her body became molten against Deke.

Dirk pressed closer, and she gasped a tiny whimper.

“Shamans have many enemies in these times,” Deke answered. Threading his fingers in her hair, he tenderly slipped his thumbpads along her lovely, lovely cheekbones.

“As your kind does,” Dirk added. “Dance with me, coyote woman.”

“Skinwalkers,” she murmured only for their hearing, even as she moved to turn toward Dirk.

Deke watched her, felt her flow into his brother’s embrace. Already her hips undulated to the Samba’s sensual beat. “You are caught. Tell us your name,” he gently ruled.

“I don’t know your names,” she protested, her voice husky with her rising heat. “Rabbits,” she uttered. “Hares,” she corrected herself.  “I am caught by Jackrabbits. It should be the other way around.”

“Didn’t you know?”  Dirk crooned to her, as his hands swept over his hips, then her sweet-riding ass. “Rabbits, Hares are the original tricksters.”

“So, it was decreed by the Goddess many, many moons ago.” Deke lightly gripped her thighs, and stroked upward. His palms claimed the full swell of her ass before he tugged her fake tail. Briefly.

Like the sassy woman coyote she was, their captured trickster shook her rabbit tail for him. Deke rumbled a carnal growl.

“Karly,” she announced in a queen bitch’s tone. “My name is Karly.”

~~~~~~

 I offer a free flashread about every week at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS ~http/shapeshifterseductions.blogspot.com ~

These are the other blogs I belong to:

HAPPILYEVER AFTER ~ http://happilyeverafterauthors2.blogspot.com

LINDSAY’SROMANTICS ~ http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com

RomanceWriter’s Behaving Badly ~ http://romancewritersbehavingbadly.blogspot.com

TITLEMAGIC ~ http://titlemagic.blogspot.com

Siren-BookStrandAuthors’ Blog ~ http://sirenbookstrand.blogspot.com

~~~~~~

TSR: If you cook, do crafty stuff, or have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

Savanna: These days I find my time for hobbies is severely limited. Since I do most of the cooking I sometimes come up with my own recipes. Some of them, like my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, end up in one of the flash scenes I write for my heroines and heroes. Their love stories continue after the happily ever after, and I love revisiting them.

Whenever I do get a bit of time I love to draw with felt tip colored pins. Two of my horse drawings are included in my book cover art. I also enjoy crafting with fabric paints, and use them to decorate old lightbulbs so they look like Christmas decorations. If my life had taken other turns I might have been an artist.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Savanna: That is such a good and complicated question right now. For various reasons, I came to a crossroads in my career after Kandy Apple and Her Hellhounds was released. Yes, I am working on the sequel to my western menage, BRANDED BY THE TEXANS, titled: Throw Caution to the Texas Winds. I also have a super-wolf shapeshifter novella about half finished that takes place in our ShapeShifter Seductions’ town of Talbot’s Peak. 

However, the world of ebooks is changing at a phenomenal rate, and I’ve been looking at different options, and deciding on which direction I want to go -- just where I might want to dip a toe in. In the meantime, I asked for and received my author rights back for RED LIONESS TAMED and BLACK CAT BEAUTY.

Given it’s sometimes difficult to find a good publisher who wants to republish books, I’ve been learning about Indie publishing -- no easy task since I’m tech-challenged. My first thought was to offer some of the erotic romance short stories I’ve written. As it turns out, to do that well will take a whole lot of effort and time, and for me the learning curve has been steep. So, right now, I have no idea how long it will take. Darn it.

Currently, I’m in the process of reading through Red Lioness. Since I no longer have to be concerned about word count, I’ve been adding to the story, making it a richer, more in-depth read. The plan is to Indie publish, but that could change. Everything is in flux for me, my WIPS, and my books -- which has been driving me nuts!

All I can say is stay tuned. Because I’m working really hard to get more books out there.

Greetings, Michele and lovers of steam and thrill. I’m happy to be here at the Steam Room today. Thank you for having me again. If my name is new to you, I write gritty, high-action Paranormal/Sci-Fi Romance for BookStrand Publishing, and I’m very excited to give you a sneak peek of my upcoming release, Gangbusters. This is the third book in my angels & demons/futuristic romance series, I-Marshal Stories. I invite you to explore the series on my web site. Where do the mortals fit in the war between Light and Darkness?

Blurb:

            Daniel Tierney and his fellow I-Marshals take down the organizations producing the most dangerous substance in the Alliance. But reporter Faith Vedder turns up at the worst times, including Danny’s near-assassination. He’s had enough of her interference and requires her source of information.

            Faith won’t tell him anything that compromises her Pulitzer-worthy story, not even under the magic of hot attraction. She doesn’t know she’s surrounded by fallen angels at war. Danny’s not finished making demands. She doesn’t understand until a giant, snorting, winged monster slobbers down her back, threatening to flay her.

            The gangbusters can’t delay in their mission to shut down gangs until Danny learns the new criminal kingpin of their world is a man who once held Faith’s heart. In the guise of a gangland executioner named Heretic, Danny will destroy him. Even if it destroys Faith.

            Angels are watching. Demons are plotting. Faith is the key.

Here’s the first bite of Gangbusters:

“Stand over here, in the candlelight.”

Faith went to the spot where Danny pointed, and she stood in her Pulitzer gown for his inspection. He gained his feet, produced a thornless red vine rose from the side table, and he twisted it around the dress strap, then he returned to the bed and took in the sight of her. A rose was a gift of love, not a gift of acquaintance or friendship. The flowery fragrance enhanced her longing for him. The candlelight silvered his gray sight in a tactile way, but she always did feel his eyes when they were fixed on her.

“Do you like the gown?” she couldn’t help asking. His concentrated attention through overlong salt-and-pepper bangs caused her nipples to rise and brush against the soft cloth, quickening her for his capture.

“Very much. You look stunning in the dress, Faith,” his baritone voice murmured. His lips pressed together, revealing the tension it gave him. “The threads of the lace shimmer in the flame glow.”

Oh… Soft, flickering light seemed to cling to him instead of illuminating much else in the room. His breathing livened. His study of her lasted so long, she began to shy from his devoted gaze. “Have you had enough yet?”

“No. You aren’t enforcing a time limit, are you?”

She broke into an embarrassed smile, and his sly gaze said he enjoyed his torture of her.

“I’m divided. I want you to eat, but I want to take that dress off you.”

“Some people think they have problems.”

Rising from the bed again, he collected the covered plate and eating utensil, and set them in her hands held out before her. Then he removed the cover to present a dish in the meatball family, brown sauce variety, and unrecognized vegetable-looking things. His smile bordering on the diabolical, he loaded the utensil and put it to her mouth. Her sharp eye on him, she accepted a flavor she’d never encountered before, savory, mysterious, delectable. So was Danny.

Stalking, he roved around until he was behind her, and he leaned and pressed his nose to her exposed neck, inhaling her freshly bathed scent as she chewed and swallowed. His draw of air sent a cool slide of breeze over her low-cut bodice, propelling a deeper tingle through her body. The act carried such an animal-feel to it. The alpha-male predator had brought his chosen a meal...and he savored his upcoming reward for that.

Having already been beneath him, arrested and detained by him, she chewed quicker. Was she sweating yet? She soon would be. Oh, gawd, she already throbbed, her body programmed now and eager for his possession. Did he know he owned her? She bet he knew.

His hair danced over her bare shoulder.  “You smell like delicious dinner.”

Every word he uttered with that deep voice was verbal chocolate, making her ache all the more for him. “You always have an invitation to feast upon me, Danny.”

She felt his lips thin into another secret smile against the sensitive flesh as he pressed sizzling kisses up her neck to her ear.  “Every night I’ll figure out a way to put you in my bed.”

Should she tell him how easy that will be?

Weakened, she scooped up a forkful of dinner and fed him over her shoulder. He groaned his approval, and he sent his big hands to span and stroke her figure in the silky gown, a sensuous experience that blotted out everything for the moment but his contact and body heat. She would memorize a list of the things that made him groan. Hearing it launched cascades of thrill through her. His exploration slipped downward from behind her and onto her belly, pressing her against his long, hard physique and sliding downward to the heat between her thighs. She almost dropped the plate.

Mm…Danny and good food together. That was total pleasure.

“Dinner’s very good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Again, he commandeered the fork, scooped up a bite,and sent it to her mouth. As she chewed, he placed a sucking kiss below her ear. Then she forgot to chew, taken by the fantastic shower of ecstasy he inflicted, and she had to remind herself again to chew. His breath on her body enticed her to a new level of want.

Another bite administered, he drew the zipper of the dress all the way down her back. His radiating warmth traveled over her newly exposed flesh, banishing any chill from the room. Another bite of meatball delivered to her mouth, and he lightly drew his fingertips down her bare back, as though he savored the sexy moment. She swayed under the spell he cast. Another bite, and he slipped his hands into the dress, around her, and cupped her breasts.

“Oh…” she muttered, and the rough surfaces of his palms and fingers abrading her tender flesh played with her nipples, stoking the fire.

“Take another bite..” His whispers rushed lightning through her body..

Hands slid from her dress, and she turned to watch him pull his T-shirt from his torso, all iron-worked muscle, pale flesh, a thin scatter of body hair she wished to feel scrubbed against her.  Again. His thick, salt-and-pepper hair skimmed broad shoulders as his silvery sight never left her.  Before they’d made love in shadows and in silhouette, and she hadn’t seen him wholly nude.  Just shirtless, he was beautiful, blessed with a holy kind of glamor that activated her soul.

Oh…

He fed her another bite of dinner, then he released the clip holding back her freshly dried hair, and his long, tapered fingers caught her tumbling tresses. Stirred to a corrupt snicker, he took in the scent of her hair as though it told him everything about her, as if it fed every hungry part of him.

“How can your T-shirt say you’re faster than light when you’re so torturously slow with me?”

“I know, the longer I take with you, the more you’ll moan in my ear.  And I like that a lot. It’s a triumph to feel you under my power, Faith.”

That just made her moan.

He took the empty plate from her hand and set it aside on the table, then he put her in his arms. Her hands went to his broad back ending in a V at his waist, sinew rolling like ocean waves over his big frame with his every action. Her fingertips tingled touching him. He’d said he wouldn’t let her go to Max’s without making love to her. The intent in Danny’s eye revealed his plot to ruin her freshly bathed scent.

Another shift of air made her conscious of the perspiration rising to her flesh just from being near his oven of a body, made worse by teasing caresses. “Are you enjoying the moment of marking me for the demons to detect?”

“Enormously. I’ll kick them in their heads if they touch you.” His demon-slaying grin gave away his entertainment. She knew he meant for Max to get that message, as well, though Danny didn’t need to send it. Max wasn’t a demon in disguise.

“This is like unwrapping the most fun present.”

She loved being explored by him, adored it, and she noticed each lithe movement of his heavenly warrior-body, marveled at how well he’d been put together for hunting criminals and hellish merchants of misery.  She’d never discourage him from doing that  duty. Those monsters better run and hide.

Danny wasn’t a monster. Was he? The only way to find out was to get as close to him as possible. She wanted to be in his mind, under his skin. She didn’t want secrets between them.

She reached for his jeans and unbuttoned them, feeling him hard beneath the metal teeth of the zipper. He pushed the jeans to the floor for the unwelcome interference they were. Her mouth went dry at the unveiled sight of him, worthy of an artist’s sketch, all muscle, brains, instinct, skill, action. And an abundance of heat.

Danny was better than perfect. He was physically superior.

But what was he on the inside? She’d need to get inside him to find out. She wanted to know who he really was. The progeny of an angel, the breed of a demon. She recalled her brief study of the heavenly races. If Danny turned out to be more angel, what would that mean? Angels did many benevolent things, but they also struck down populations with disease, disaster, and genocide. A single angel wielded the power to destroy cities, cause famine, flood a planet. Angels were heaven’s hit men.

***

Look out for Gangbusters, coming in November, just when you thought the monsters were gone for another year.

Buy Link: http://wwwBookStrand.com/gangbusters

Consider pre-ordering so you won’t forget. I mean, what if they run out? :-)

Website Link: Discover hot, peril-packed excerpts, watch a mysterious book trailer: http://www.michelehart.com/b28-book.htm   Write the first review!

TSR: Tell us about Gangbusters..

Michele H.: Investigative journalist Faith Vedder is chasing black-market cartels to earn her Pulitzer. Zeroing in on a pharmaceutical corporation distributing a new product designed to make crime undetectable, she’s captured by a dangerous gangland hit man who appears—at first—to be a cop in deep cover.  But Danny Tierney is not like any law enforcement officer she’s ever encountered. He has peril-appeal, a dark and disturbed past, and a body count that keeps rising. He compels her to react to his predator-lure. Just when she falls into his steamy embrace, she figures out Danny’s idea of a good day at the office involves making demons scream. And his friends are just as strange. Faith knows what’s coming when the man who’d once broken her heart rises to a criminal throne…and contacts her. A massive racketeering case becomes a battle between the Fallen and Nephilim demon hunters. Whoever walks away with Faith wins this war. Turns out, Danny’s the jealous type. Who knew?

TSR: You’ve written several myth romances. Did you read a lot of myth as a child?

 Michele H.: One of the first things I remember reading was all the Greek myth in my elementary school library, and I never got my fill. I’ve spent decades studying world myth, first biblical myth, then more ancient Mesopotamian and more modern European mythology.

I came into writing myth romance by serendipity. Originally, I was a sci-fi/fantasy writer when I wrote an angel romance for a friend who loved angels. Then I was invited into an anthology to write a story for Thalia, the muse of comedy. A couple of years later, I have an angels &demons/sci-fi romance trilogy. Just like that, sort of.  :-) I’ve a few more planned along with other ideas unrelated. It hasn’t been a planned strategy to write myth romance, but more of a tide that’s swept me there. I’m having the best time writing them. I hadn’t realized fifteen years ago when I was reading Babylonian demi-god myth that I could craft a romance from it.

TSR: Something for the angel fans. Tell us about the angels you chose for the I-Marshal Stories.

Michele H.: I didn’t want to use the Big Three: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. They are mentioned because they do play big roles in many of the angel myths. There are hundreds of named angels. I wanted to use angels most people weren’t familiar with. I chose Dokiel, an angel of judgment, for Vigilant. Most people aren’t familiar with him, but if you’ve seen the movie Excalibur, you’ve heard Morgana call upon Dokiel in her spell-cast. In Gangbusters, Metatron makes a couple of appearances. Mostly unknown these days, Metatron was such an important angel, he had over a hundred names. To us, he sounds like a new Transformer. :-) The next few stories will have lesser known angels, as well. I hope it entices readers to look into the angel myths. They’re as fun as the more famous Greco-Roman mythologies. They are a kind of super-hero…with the Maker’s agenda.

TSR: What are some of your guilty pleasures?

Michele H.: I have some serious chocolate and peanut butter issues, both separately and together.  I’m dealing with it.  I’m onthe wagon now. It’s horrible, really really horrible..  :-) In fact, I might fall off the wagon before I’m done with this interview.  All I can think about is the Halloween candy on sale at the grocery store only a tiny, little, eensy-weensy, mere block up the road. I wouldn’t be too surprised if the manager stopped me at the door and told me my family forbids my entrance.

TSR: What kinds of stories do you like to read? Any favorite authors or novels?

Michele H.: I love all speculative fiction. I love the fantastic, the bizarre, the extreme.  Not to live it myself, but to watch. Favorite authors. Angela Knight,  Jennifer Estep, Katie MacAlister.

TSR: What are some of the things you want to do before you die?

Michele H.: My bucket list. I haven’t stopped to think about it until now. I’ve done so many strange things, I don’t really think of the next thing to do. I know it’s going to come to me.

I want to contribute to world peace. I want to maintain my weight for the next forty years, tested by the contents of my grocer’s candy aisle. I want to learn how to survive in a snowy environment. I want to sell one more book. (What could it hurt?)

TSR: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Michele H.: If I’m not writing, I’m studying. Born with World Book Encyclopedia in my blood. My grandmother had been a WB salesperson. No doubt programming at an early age was involved. I’m so grateful for the Internet. My notebook comp weighs less on my lap than the entire set of World Book. I move from one project to another, learning something new. It’s difficult to take me away from it. It’s my favorite thing to do.

TSR: Do you have any advice for new writers?

Michele H.: Yes, but not about writing, more about career and skills. As you dream and prepare for publication, do yourself a huge favor and learn art programs, book trailer software, HTML. Along the way, learn to build your own web site. Why? On the other side of the contract, you’ll learn much of the cost and work of promoting your book is on your shoulders. What you cannot produce yourself will cost you money. There is a lot to pay for. Another great reason to do it all yourself is the total control. You decide what the bookmarks look like and you make them in your own timing. You can also make changes without annoying another human being and without breaking the bank. I learned art and HTML programs along the way, and am glad I did. I would have made a second person scream with corrections. Building your own promotions is another artistic outlet that feels wonderful.  There’s no better feeling than a reader or author seeing and admiring your creations and asking you who did them, and you being able to say, I did that. It’s like hearing your children are beautiful.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Michele H.: I’m break-neck busy during scary season. I invite you to follow my monsters and me! No torches, please. My hair will explode.

-On October 22nd, I’ll be at the St. Pete Times Festival of Reading. I’m very excited about that.

-On Oct 23rd, I’ll be throwing down excerpts at  the Creatures of the Night celebration at LoveRomances Cafe. That’s going to be a great show.

-Oct 29th, Halloween weekend, I’ll be at the Halloween Bash at The Long and The Short of It, LASR to you die-hard Romance fans. Another great monster show.

-Gangbusters comes out in November. Hours of tense adventure with big and handsome heavenly warriors for you.

 -On November 10th, it’s The 2011 Fall For Romance One-Day Event. Come chat with me and fine authors writing the stories you want to read. We’re giving away  e-books and other great stuff. Let’s talk about paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy, your favorite monster, the next great invention. Bring a cool subject with you or you can borrow one of mine.

-Then, I’m off to a secret adventure with an old friend. This is the only place a Torch is allowed. A little inside joke there. December should be filled with writing the next I-Marshal story, and rest, I hope. It’s been an action-packed year, ending in a sprint.

Thanks, everyone at The Steam Room, for spending a few minutes with me. I wish you a safe and exciting Halloween season. Investigate me. www.ILoveShape-Shifters.com.

Check out my book trailers: http://www.MicheleHart.com/booktrailers.htm.

Wishing romance and thrills,

Michele Hart

Gangbusters– Coming November 2011.

In the end, it’s either you or the demon that comes for you.

The Steam Room welcomes author Jan Springer!

After several years as a caregiver to her ill father, Jan Springer has now returned to full time writing once again. Jan thanks her readers for their wonderful patience, support and advice during her trying times. She’s also pleased to announce a new series called “The Desperadoes” releasing from Siren BookStrand and she plans on continuing her several series at Ellora’s Cave as well as expanding her stories to other publishers.

Blurb:

A fiery eruption of solar flares disintegrates most of Earth’s human population, frying electrical grids around the world and thrusting everyone into a cold, harsh land where only the strong survive.

Forced to become a pleasure girl in order to survive, Teyla Sutton reluctantly agrees to service dangerous desperado Logan Leigh and his two friends. White-hot pleasure becomes addictive beneath Logan’s tender touches and his hard, muscular body. What Teyla never expected was to fall in love. Logan knows he shouldn’t allow the Pleasure Girl into his heart, but he also knows it’s too late because she’s already there.

Soon three desperadoes are whisking Teyla away on an exquisite journey into her hottest dreams and forbidden desires. When she learns they are members of the notorious Durango Gang, can she allow them into her life, or will she send them away forever?

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-pleasure-girl

Website Link: http://www.janspringer.com

Buy Pleasure Girl for your Kindle

See the rest of Jan's books at Amazon

Excerpt:

“I do anal, oral and vaginal. Condoms are a must. No kissing on the mouth,” she said trying hard to keep the huskiness out of her voice. God, just talking sex with this guy was kind of exciting.

"Bondage. I want to do some bondage on you, plus you’ll have to accept three men doing you at the same time or there's no deal."

Three men at the same time! She’d never done that before.

Before she could mount a protest, he held up a hand.

"We want access to all of you, whenever we want for tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night. You'll get half your money up front. The other half at the end of the second night. You'll wear no bra while we are here. You’ll dress the way I want you to dress. The first night is just us then tomorrow and tomorrow night will be the four of us. The next morning we’ll be gone. Is that acceptable to you?"

Teyla couldn't believe how warm her cheeks had gotten at what he’d said or how nervous she’d become too.

She'd never agree to bondage. They could tie her up and slit her throat or torture her and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself.

"No bondage. No pain," she said firmly

"No pain, and only your wrists bound. Your legs will be free."

“Yeah, like that'll help me if I need to fight you off."

"You'll be too busy fighting the pleasure. Mrs. Sutton."

She blinked at the sultry way his deep gravelly whispered through her.

His smile dropped into a serious frown. “Mrs. Sutton, if I wanted to harm you, I would have done it early this morning when I first saw you hanging up your laundry."

"Maybe you need an audience,” she replied, tartly, feeling spooked at the thought he’d been lurking around here all day watching her and she hadn’t even noticed.

"I enjoy watching a woman get fucked and I enjoy an audience when I'm taking a woman.”

He certainly got to the point, didn't he?

If Liz sent him to her then Teyla would have to trust he wouldn’t hurt her. She just wished Liz could have come herself with the guy and made the introduction. She shook away those thoughts. She was acting like a child. This would simply be a business transaction. No emotions. Just like all her other clients.

"We’ll see,” she said and she noticed the heat flare again in his brown eyes.  She’d expected an argument but he was pleased with her answer.

TSR: Tell us about The Pleasure Girl.

Jan: I really enjoyed writing The Pleasure Girl – Book 1 in my Desperadoes Series. The series is a post-catastrophe erotic romance and Teyla Sutton is one of hundreds of thousands of people who survive the solar flares that disintegrate people and knock out electrical grids world-wide. She’s lost her husband, her unborn baby and the rest of her family. The story picks up a few years after the solar flares. The weather has gotten colder due to the interruption of the magnetic layer around Earth and Teyla is struggling to make ends meet with a solar powered greenhouse. She has become desperate and in order to survive she’s a part-time Pleasure Girl, entertaining men in her secluded farmhouse. She doesn’t like what she has to do – that is until Desperado Logan Leigh shows up seeking her sexual services for himself and his two friends, who will show up a day later. Logan is the first man to put Teyla’s pleasure before his own and his tender yet rough lovemaking has her hooked on the guy from their first night together.

But Logan is a fugitive, a bank robber with the Durango Gang. The members of the gang are wanted by those people they rob. The last thing Logan wants to do is fall in love with any woman. He’s in pain from the loss of loved ones due to the solar flares, but realizes too late that he’s lost his heart to this lonely widow living in a valley in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. When his two friends show up, they take Teyla on a scorching sexual journey she’ll never forget.

TSR: How do you develop your characters?

Jan: For the most part I pick a hot picture of a movie star or TV actor and I draw my physical description from that picture. The character’s personality depends on what type of story I am writing. But usually I have a plot in place before I entertain how my characters will look and act. I guess you could say I am a plot-oriented writer.

TSR: Describe the perfect hero.

Jan: A hero for me is a guy who loves his partner unconditionally. He has to be confident, possess a sense of humor, is caring about others, and is sensitive.

TSR: What was the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you?

Jan: A guy brought me gorgeous red roses on our first date. That was nice of him.

TSR: What inspired The Desperadoes series?

Jan: A year ago I saw an article online about what might happen if the sun’s solar flares went crazy. Word has it electrical grids could get fried world-wide from exploding solar flares. That got me to thinking about this really neat movie I saw when I was a teenager, about solar flares and people with certain genes disintegrating because of the flares. So I put the two scenarios together. I also have been dying to write westerns, but I figured that would be too much research, so I decided that with the above two scenarios; solar flares could put Earth into a western lawless type of life where only the strong survive. And that’s how my series “The Desperadoes” was born.

TSR: If you cook, do crafty stuff, or have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

Jan: I love to bake. I also love to do vegetable preserves and make jams. Painting ceramics is a passion of mine and another hobby is keeping a couple of vegetable gardens going during the summer.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Jan: I’m very excited (and also sad) about completing my Heroes at Heart series (Ellora’s Cave). Currently I’m working on the final book “Captive Heroes”, which should be completed by mid-October 2011. The ending of this series is so intriguing. I hope the readers will be both pleased and pumped at how the series ends. Then I’m back to work on my other series.  The Desperadoes (Siren BookStrand), The Outlaw Lovers (Ellora’s Cave), and other ones that are currently ongoing. So, it looks like I am back in action and I hope to bring more exciting stories to my readers. Thanks so much for having me at The Steam Room!

When I first discovered The Steam Room, I immediately became enthralled. What a wonderful atmosphere and location for exploring the erotic. Thanks so much for having me here, and I’m looking forward to chatting about my erotic paranormal The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome.

Why don’t you slip into something comfortable, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and sip on a cool drink, and let’s get it on!

Blurb:

Haunted by paranormal abilities that she can’t control, and plagued by nightmares about a demon that seeks her soul, Lily Anima travels to New Orleans in search of salvation.

In the French Quarter, Lily dives into the paranormal world and enlists the help of an unlikely couple: a vampire, Lawrence Justice, and a werewolf, Trevor Pack.

As the trio encounters ghosts, voodoo and unspeakable evil, will Trevor and Lawrence be able to help Lily turn her powers into a gift rather than a curse? And when Lily discovers that she needs to lose her virginity in order to embrace her powers and get the demon off her back, will the twosome be able to survive as a threesome?

Buy Link: http://www.ravenousromance.com/fantastica/the-vampire-the-witch-and-the-werewolf-a-new-orleans-threesome.php?keyword=louisa+bacio

Kindle Buy Link for The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf

Website Link(s): http://www.louisabacio.com

http://louisabacio.blogspot.com

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqf1x58P6zE

Excerpt:

“And the whole ‘can’t have sex thing?’” Lily asked jumping to the heart of the matter. Coming up on thirty and still a virgin. She felt like a bad imitation of an old maid. There was a time in her life when she wanted to wait for the “right” person, but lately she’d begun to feel desperate.  When it simply wouldn’t happen, she felt like she would give it up to just about anybody—but she did have her standards, no doubt.

Now? Now she was old enough to realize that it all mattered. Her heart was at stake, not just her body. Thinking about getting horizontally physical, and being in such a close proximity to Lawrence cranked up her hormones. She pulled at the neckline of her turtleneck. Either the temperature had skyrocketed recently, or she was even worse off—and hard up—than she liked to admit.

“Still working on that issue, too. It seems connected to the other powers situation,” Law said, “and I don’t totally understand it.”

He stopped looking at the notes in his hands, and turned his attention to Lily. As his eyes caressed her, she felt her nipples perk up, as if her body knew something was about to happen that her mind wasn’t necessarily privy to. Dampness settled between her legs, letting her know that physically she was more than ready for a lover. Perhaps, Lawrence acted as a key. Maybe she needed a non-human lover. Maybe something about her body connected to his on another level that neither of them knew about. And where did that leave Trevor?

Within an instant, she saw Law’s pupils dilateand his interest level rise. Just as quickly, he looked away, and the feeling dissipated. Either she had been imagining the connection, or he’d squashed it for some reason. She wished that she could read him, and his feelings. She strained to pick up on something, but if it had been there, he’d blocked her.

Louisa: I think my glasses are starting to go up in here. Let me clean up a little bit, and then we can delve into some of these killer questions.

TSR: Tell us about The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf.

Louisa: Pure sexiness exists within the paranormal realm. With the Twilight frenzy, so many people chose between Team Edward vs.Team Jacob (personally, I have a Wolf Pack T-shirt). There’s this dichotomy between the long-living, intelligent vampire, and the passionate (hot) werewolf. In The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome, the question that comes up is, why choose?

TSR: Who is your favorite character (yours or someone else’s) of all time?

Louisa: Tough question. Currently, it has to be Eric Northman – as portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard – on True Blood. The character is complex – evil but wants love. He does things that others would consider bad, but the morality, for him, doesn’t exist. Plus, Skarsgard is a helluva lot of man to love. (My husband is 6’4”. I like a tall man.)

TSR: What’s your favorite movie and why?

Louisa: For someone who teaches film studies, I’m almost ashamed to say Grease. Yet, I also know that I’m not the only one that adores the simple love story, the “bad” teenagers and the addicting soundtrack.

TSR: You’ve written several F/F and M/F novels. What inspired you to try ménage?

Louisa: Love knows no bounds. I enjoy reading ménage– the thought of multiple partners pleasing each other is stimulating, and ultimately, I don’t think that we’re only here to love only one person. If a love doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I don’t think that means a person has “missed” their chance at love.

TSR: I see Anne Rice (A.N. Roquelaure) snagged you with her Sleeping Beauty series.  What other sources of inspiration do you have for writing erotica?

Louisa: Sources for inspiration … you mean like my uber-sexy, Air Force hubby who knows how to fix things with his hands? Or the musicians and athletes I’ve dated? Inspiration comes from life and imagination, and that blur between the two.

I enjoy watching people, and capturing that joy of relationships. I also think I’m a good study of people and how they interact. 

TSR: What’s one thing you really, really want to do and why?

Louisa: Hmmm… I really enjoy traveling, but I don’t think I travel “well.” I’m not one of those people who can physically go-go-go, and I’ve learned that as I’ve gotten wiser (older). Two “wish-list” spots are touring the New England states and Greece. In 2012, my husband and I are planning on doing the trip through New England, and we’ll see how many I get to see: Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire …

As for Greece, I’m torn with the current economic crisis. As an English major – bachelor’s and master’s degree – it’s an absolute must for me … some day.

TSR: If you cook, do crafty stuff, or have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

Louisa: Cooking actually relaxes me. I’ve always said that if I wasn’t a writer, I’d be a chef. There’s nothing better than making a huge pot of spaghetti sauce on a Sunday, inviting family and friends and then enjoying a long meal with plenty of wine!

And while I wouldn’t call myself a ghost hunter, I’ve been on a few organized events and the results definitely intrigued!

TSR: What’s next for you?

Louisa: The paranormal world within New Orleans once again captured my muse. I’m in the midst of the sequel to The Vampire, the Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome. Titled Chains of Silver, the book focuses on the werewolf’s sister Silver, who was adopted at birth, and we also continue with the storyline of our original threesome. 

Personally, I’ll be at the GayRomLit Retreat in NewOrleans in October, where I’m sure I’ll uncover some additional inspiration.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to visit The Steam Room. You’ve been such a kind host, and hospitality has been wonderful! Watch out for those things that go bump in the night (and in The Steam Room)!

The Steam Room Welcomes author Ryssa Edwards!

Ryssa Edwards is a writer who lives just outside Dallas, where the summers are hot, the land is flat, and air-conditioning is a writer’s best friend. Ryssa has plunged into paranormal romance in the last year or so, bringing to life bad boy angels and assassin werewolves. Her newest release, Hunter Angel: Midnight Gamble is the third novella in her Immortal Pleasures series. The release date is September 24th.

Blurb for Hunter Angel: Midnight Gamble

Azriel is a Hunter angel. His status is Unforgiven. In the mortal realm, he is a relentless Hunter who rids the world of angelic beings who have broken their vows.

Until he met Zane, Azriel's life was a long eternity without hope. But, now that he's met Zane, he wants more, he wants to have something he never thought he'd have: love.

But for an Unforgiven Hunter, there's only one way to have a mate: he must earn his way out of his Unforgiven status. Azriel's instincts lead him to a battle that will be the ultimate midnight gamble, winner takes all. But will he win? Or will he lose Zane forever?

Buy Link for Hunter Angel: Midnight Gamble: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/hunter-angel-midnight-gamble-p-598

Website Link: http://www.ryssaedwards.net/blog/

Ryssa’s blog (It’s a Romance Thing . . . ) features a weekly blog story.  Her newest blog story is “Assassin’s Heart: ABlack Rock Story.” Stop by her blog every Wednesday for a new chapter.

Excerpt:

Azriel moved through thecity wrapped in night rhythms of jabbering tourists, glaring neon, and streets clogged with slow traffic. The Renegade was awake. All Azriel had to do was find him and dispatch his screaming headless body. The Council would understand.

His black on black eyes traced the night, looking for the Renegade's trail. Azriel had tracked him to the city, then lost him. The crowds made a meaty hunting ground for a newly escaped Renegade. He would be trolling the night, searching out new allies, new lairs, new minions.

About twenty blocks ahead, near an alley, a faint light shimmered like white bone through muddy water. Azriel eased through the mortals around him, carefully avoiding their touch. If he brushed against them and they felt the Hunter urge rising in him, it would frighten them. Their fear would draw the Renegade the way dead flesh drew carrion. Azriel had too much on the line to risk that. His left hand itched for his sword. A moment was all he'd need.

Brilliant white light intruded into his dark intentions for the Renegade, and with it came alien thoughts, strange ideas. Should he consider mercy? Was there any creature unworthy of forgiveness? Azriel gritted his teeth and said, "Get your healing ways out of my head, Raphael."

"And allow you to bring trouble upon yourself?" a quiet voice said beside him.

Raphael, Archangel of Healing, appeared beside him, materializing onto the sidewalk as if he belonged there. In patched jeans faded almost to white and a denim shirt that had seen better days around World War II, Raphael was inches shorter, but tough and wiry. Azriel could never escape the feeling that in a fight, they would be equally matched. "Whatever trouble I get into is my business," he said.

"Is that so?" Raphael's face took on a puzzled expression. "I thought it was Michael's concern as well."

Raphael might go around the world healing mortals and doing whatever miracles he did from those statues, but with his own kind he was as ruthless as any warrior Azriel had ever gone up against. He stopped and leaned against a wall between a closed coffee shop and an open newsstand storefront, the kind that sold magazines married men hid deep in the closet.

Hooking his fingers through two belt loops in his jeans, Azriel stared at the sidewalk just to Raphael's left. There wasn't anything else to do. The Archangel outranked him. “This assignment isn’t from Michael,” he muttered.

"I see,” Raphael said, his voice as soft as if he'd asked about feathers shed from a wing. “Your commander hasn’t approved a new Hunt. So the White Council has given you their approval, then?"

"No." Talking to Raphael was like talking to a lawyer. Short answers gave him less to work with.

"And so you're out walking to take the evening air?"

"Yes."

"Very good." Raphael smiled and brought his hands together like a teacher talking to a well behaved class. "Then shall we walk in the park, and enjoy the scents of night blooming flowers together?"

Azriel almost smiled back. He almost said yeah, flowers. That sounds good. Except the park was in the opposite direction of the Renegade's trail. And the smiling Archangel with the diamond-hard blue eyes knew that. Azriel was sure of it. "I don't have to go anywhere with you."

"Then you won't mind if I go with you?" Raphael made the question sound like a command.

"No."

"Splendid." That radiant smile again, the one that could light up the far side of the moon. "Where shall we go first?"

Raphael had worn Azriel's patience paper-thin. "Don't ruin this for me," he said. "He’s a Renegade. If I can bring him down, I have a chance with Zane."

"What you have a chance for," Raphael said, the smile gone as if it had never happened, "is a sentence to wander the Dark Realm eternally."

Azriel repeated the lie he'd been telling himself. "The Council—I'll make them understand."

"The Council has enforced their Law over all beings for eons,” Raphael said.” What possible chance do you think you and Zane have against that?"

Ryssa recently answered a few questions for The Steam Room.

TSR: Tell us about Hunter Angel: Midnight Gamble

Ryssa: Hunter Angel is the story of Azriel, an angel who was fallen, but is now Unforgiven. This is the third novella in my Immortal Pleasures series. It was a real adventure to write. The hardest part of writing this installment was figuring out the relationship between Azriel and Lucifer. I didn’t know if they would be enemies or friends. That uncertainty created a lot of friction in the story as those two characters rubbed up against each other’s personality.  Aeryn is Lucifer’slover and Zane’s best friend. Zane is Azriel’s love interest. This really added to the mix. As the story developed, all three characters made choices that surprised me. The best part of writing this one was watching the love story develop between Zane and Azriel. In their own way, each of them is an orphan, and each is looking for the gamble that will pay off with a happy ending.

TSR: What do you love about writing paranormal romance?

Ryssa: The characters! My first angel was Michael, Archangel of War. He was tough to write because he seemed pretty invulnerable at first.  After Michael, came Lucifer’s story, which turned out to be even harder, because at first he seemed totally cynical, the last creature on Earth (or below it) who you’d expect to fall in love.

Dreaming of a Kiss, my upcoming novel features an assassin, Wulf, who’s never been in love and never faced a fight he couldn’t win.

Paranormal characters seduce me because we all have areas of our lives where we feel vulnerable. We all have a soft spot. When I write about characters that aren’t human, it forces me to question what it means to be human, to be in love, to be threatened with losing the most important personin your life. It makes me ask questions like: Is humanity a species or a way of being, a way of living the lives we’re given?

I don’t know.

But each time I sit down to write my characters, that question lurks in the back of my mind. Chasing after the answers leads me down some seriously dark alleys, and I get to meet interesting people. Some of them share their stories with me.

TSR: What draws you to angels?

Ryssa: This is a tough one. I was introduced to Biblical lore at a very early age. I was too young to know the difference between fairies and angels. They both had wings. They both lived in our world, but invisible, except for when you really, really needed them.

Later, when I learned that angels and fairies weren’t actually cousins which was how I thought of them, it was too late. Angels were already firmly rooted in the fantasy worlds that constantly played through my mind. Writing about angels as an adult is an exploration of fantasy worlds I’ve had for decades. I find myself drawn to angels and their lore again and again. In my current Work in Progress, I’m finding myself merging vampire and angel lore.

The biggest draw to angels is that I feel at home writing them. It doesn’t feel like I’m “creating” characters. It feels like I’m visiting with old friends who never age. And they let me into their world and tell me their stories.

TSR: What is he most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you?

Ryssa: Ummm. . . I didn’t get left behind at the movies? Kidding. When I was in high school, a guy I really liked gave me a rose. It was only one rose, but it was the first flower I’d ever gotten from anyone. He was a real class clown sort and he always made me laugh. He acted like the rose was no big deal, but it was, for both of us. Nothing ever came of it because he moved away that summer. But I’ve never forgotten my first rose. I was fifteen.

TSR: Howdid you get into writing M/M erotica?

Ryssa: It happened by accident. I read a short story that was m/m and thought, I want to try that. And I did. I never turned back. I don’t know why, but in the last few years, no m/f couples put in an appearance in the rolling scroll of stories in my head. I’ve tried writing m/f, but it comes out stilted and flat. Male characters really draw me in.  And since I like incorporating a fair bit of action into my stories, two male leads makes it easier.

TSR: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Ryssa: Between practice writing, story writing, editing, writing a blog, letter writing, and answering emails, I have a whole lot of writing to do. When I’m not writing, I love putting together a jigsaw puzzle while I’m listening to an audio book. Right now I’m going through my Howard Fast phase. He’s the author who created the Conan character.

I’m a big fan of Audible.com. Listening to a reader voice astory gives me a good feel for creating dialogue and narrative with a natural rhythm. Of course, whenever I can, I read. I’ll read almost anything, but my new favorite is becoming the thriller genre. Those writers really know how to write an ending!

Other than that, when it’s not crazy hot here in Dallas, I like going for long walks. I live right next to an historic neighborhood. I love walking by the old homes in the winter. There’s something about them. They have a presence in their wooden columns and broad porches and worn rockers that our brick and glass and steel apartment buildings simply can’t muster.

TSR: If you have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

Ryssa: My biggest hobby is jigsaw puzzles. Putting a jigsaw puzzle together is a lot like writing a story. After hours (or days) of staring, the pieces seem to slide into place by themselves, and you can suddenly see the broader picture emerging. I’ve just finished a puzzle. It’s time to buy another one. I like fantasy-scapes best, but I’m open to suggestions. Any puzzle favorites? Let me know!

TSR: What’s next for you?

Ryssa: Warrior Prince, Sky’s the Limit is my current Novel in Progress. It emerged as a blog story, but Julian and Sky have stayed with me. I’m about 21,000 words into it. Right now, I’m working on character bios. After the bios are done, I’ll get back to writing the novel.

I’m also working on “Light’s Angel”, the fourth novella inmy Immortal Pleasures series. This one will be Raphael’s story.

“Rogue’s Christmas” is a holiday story I’m working on.

In the near future, I’ll be starting work on part two of Dreaming of a Kiss, which will be Vaughn’s story.

I’ve got a lot brewing on the story front! It keeps me out of trouble. Mostly.

Thanks to The Steam Room for having me!

Other Ryssa Edwards novels available on Kindle:

Dark Angel: All the Stars

Warrior Angel: Heart's Desire

Check out Ryssa's Free Read link on my Free Reads page!

The Steam Room Welcomes Pepper Goodrich!

TSR: Tell us about Barbary Coast.

Pepper:  Barbary Coast is a sexy romp--as are all of The Love Genie stories.  I have two more written (but not contracted yet) and several more in the works.

TSR: What’s a Love Genie? What inspired you to have one?

Pepper:  I thought it would be a hoot to have a place to have a spicy sexual encounter without strings--at least that's what the characters think.  So I dreamed up The Love Genie.  When Nicholas Eugene Spanekopolas (hence theGenie part) inherited his aunt's motel in the middle of nowhere in the foothills of the White Mountains, he had no idea what to do with it.  Nick's first impulse was to sell it.  Then, he recalled an incident when he was instantly attracted to a woman he saw on the street but, of course, could do nothing about it.  Now, with a motel to fill, he decided he'd create several rooms decorated to fulfill typical fantasies in a blind date situation. There's a hefty price attached to the weekend and the customers have to fill out a lengthy form.  But as his business progresses, Nick discovers he has a bit of magic in successfully pairing couples.

TSR: What are some traits that your hero/heroine musthave?

Pepper:  My heroines have to be spunky, even if they have some wounds.  I can't do the hand-wringing types. or the I-can't-do-it-myself gals.  A bit of self-reveal here, but I wouldn't know how to write those kind of heroines.  I consider myself a mild risk-taker.

For heros, sexy and tough and sweet.

TSR: Describe your ideal romantic setting.

Pepper:  Somewhere in the mountains beside a running brook with a nice little waterfall.  A rustic cabin overlooking the water and with a view of the mountains.  And a Genie to wait on me.

TSR: What are you up to now?

Pepper:  Right now, I'm keeping busy working on several other Love Genie stories.  And planning another trip to Morocco thisfall. 

TSR: You’re an animal person.  What is your favorite thing about having the little creatures in your life?

Pepper:  I can talk to myself and no one calls the guys at the funny farm to haul me away in a white jacket.  Seriously, though, they're great companionship.  My kids are grown so Ilive on my own.  It would be an empty house if Sassie, Mishka and Gizmo weren't running around, wrestling with each other, or sleeping beside me while I write.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Pepper: I have a Christmas story in the works for the LoveGenie.  It's almost finished and then I'll send it off to my editor at Whispers Publishing.

Important Links:

Buy Link:  http://whispershome.com/erotic/barbary-coast-the-love-genie/

Website Link:  http://peppergoodrich.com/

Kindle Link for Barbary Coast HERE.

The Steam Room is proud to present Rose Anderson.

TSR: Tell us about Dreamscape.

Rose: Dreamscape is being released on Tuesday July 19th, my second novel through Siren-Bookstrand. Years ago, my children and I read a book entitled The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base. This fascinating storyteller/artist described a feast that was stolen before the party goers had the chance to eat it. In page after page he hid all manner of clues pointing to the culprit. It took us three full months of sophisticated puzzling to crack the case! Though not as intense as that children’s book, Dreamscape is a story within a story and is filled with clues that any avid reader or movie goer would notice. I think more than one reader will go hey wait a minute…

In this tale, I introduce readers to Doctor Lanie O’Keefe: a confident, independent woman who’s just bought herself a Mid-Victorian mansion that the locals say is haunted. It certainly looks the part with its overgrown weeds and decades of vandalism.  As the inside needs only minor repairs and major cleaning, Lanie moves in with grand plans to refit the mansion’s old coach house into a free clinic. She’s ecstatic. This is a dream house in the truest sense, for Lanie has been dreaming of the Bowen mansion since she was a child. Little does she realize the local legend is true.

For nearly one hundred and twenty years, the ghost of Doctor Jason Bowen roams his house contemplating the treachery that took his life. Then one day, his brooding thoughts are interrupted by a woman with valise in tow. Not only is she moving into his house, but she’s sleeping in the master bedroom as well – his bedroom. As a gentleman coming from a time of social propriety and impeccable manners, Jason tries to give Lanie space. But it doesn’t take long before he becomes infatuated with his house guest. Once he discovers the electric signature of his ghostly essence can ride her dreams, he follows where her dreams take him and finds himself in his time period as the date of his murder draws near.

TSR: How do you develop your characters?

Rose: It’s funny to describe it like this but I’mone of those fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writers. I can only say a character starts as a dot. Imagine the dot in the center of a canvas and the entire painting is done one brush stroke at a time from that center point out. In Hermes Online, I met my heroine Vivienne through a rather painful day in my professional life. I faced something completely out of my control similar to what my character experienced early on in that story. Because it weighed heavily on my soul, I began writing to emotionally purge. That was my dot. Suddenly Vivienne’s name appeared and I learned she felt just like I did but for some reason she was also lonely.  Why was she lonely? I found she had caring friends but looking deeper I discovered her self esteem had been shattered by a cheating boyfriend. She needed to meet a nice guy, someone to cherish her.  Before I knew what was happening S sent her an email and started a connection.

Now S was different. Like Athena being born out ofher father’s skull, he sprang fully formed from my head. The male characters are easier I think. I know what I like and I know what I like to hear a sensually compelling man say.

I was in a conversation recently where it was stated that men written like S aren’t appealing to women, real men are. I disagree. He appealed to me and I’m persnickety at best. I want my heroes to enter a room with such presence that heads turn. I want them to be extraordinary because when I read romance I want to be swept away. Sure they can be human with human frailties and foibles. They can doubt, they can fear, they can get angry or frustrated, they can cry. And when they’re done, I want them to sweep me off my feet and take the stairs two at a time like Rhett Butler did with Scarlet O’Hara. Their humanity makes me love them more. Make them intelligent, witty, compassionate, sweet, sexy and well-spoken, and I don’t just love them. I want them. That’s why I write my men like I do. They’re the romantic notion of men. I don’t want real when I read, I want fantasy. Don’t get me wrong, I love men. Some of my closest, dearest friends are male. But to me real evokes images of beer, belching, and crotch scratching. My heroes may do those things on their own time but in the pages of my books, they have class and a finely honed ability to mentally seduce the discriminating women my readers are. They’re able to because desire begins in the mind. But then that’s just me. I love old Fred Astaire movies.

TSR: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Rose: Believe it or not my outlook on inspiration comes from Robert Frost. He wrote a poem about taking a different path, the path less traveled. I like the path less traveled. I really like offbeat turn-things-on-their-ear scenarios. In HermesOnline there is the unlikely.  In Dreamscape, there is the impossible.

Once you have that initial fact in your head, you find the insurmountable prospect becomes a locked door. The next so many weeks or months trying to make the unlikely likely and the impossible possible is akin to finding the fat ring of keys to try the lock with. I discovered the last key on the ring fits the lock in the last chapter. Funny how that turns out. When all the pieces fall into place, the story works.

When Dan Brown wrote the DaVinci Code, what made the story compelling and got people talking was he had to make it believable by splicing real facts in with his fiction. I found that far more interesting than the story itself. That being said, my story concepts come from life and is built around those kind of facts. I’ve already mentioned the personal impetus behind Hermes Online. Dreamscape came from a conversation with a pen pal. He’s a poet but also a romantic. We were discussing writing technique when I thought of an impossible scenario - Could a ghost find love among the living? I wrote a three paragraph pitch around that thought and suddenly realized I could make it work. Voila Jason Bowen and Lanie O’Keefe were born. My current work in progress sprang fully formed from a writing exercise. I think when it’s done, it’ll be my best path less traveled piece yet because it’s both unlikely and impossible.

May you find this poem by Robert Frost inspiring.

The Road Not Yet Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

TSR: What’s the oddest thing that’s ever happened to you?

Rose:  I’ve had odd things happen that I hesitate to mention for surely someone will walk away thinking I’m a nut. But I’ll share one experience. Some time ago I achieved the Master level of Reiki training. For anyone who hasn’t heard of this Japanese healing art, it’s akin to the laying on of hands. Several years ago, I was invited to participate in a group healing for a stage 3 cancer patient. We knew going in that the best we could possibly offer was a little extra strength for the patient.  As we’re talking stage 3 cancer, the chemo was long past and death was waiting just outside the door. There was a good deal of focused intent that night. There was no real change the first month, the patient slept a little better but was still wasted to skin and bone. Deciding it was time to go home to die, the patient returned to family.  Approximately six months later, we learned a doctor’s visit found no cancer whatsoever. He was flabbergasted. Was it chemo or Reiki? I don’t know, maybe both. We’ve since done three successful group healings along those lines, this one being the most dramatic of the lot, but all of them good so far.  I can only say life energy is an amazing thing.

TSR: How did you get into writing erotica?

Rose:  Friends and family would tell you I am shy to the Nth degree. When one thinks of the definition of wallflower they’d think of me. Years ago we got online through AOL, the only game in town back in the day.  AOL was populated with chat rooms and once I figured out how to use them I would play in the role play rooms where wizards and elves hung out playing Dungeons and Dragons. I never quite got the hang of throwing dice no one across the expanse of the internet could see, but I did like crafting a scene. Through that I found the mIRC. The beauty of it was I could converse with people all around the world and my shyness wasn’t an issue. I was creating a scene for a 1700’s tavern scenario one evening when my husband said I should enter a writing competition. I said, “OK find one and I will.”  He did. It was through Penthouse Magazine and the competition was the Baudelaire Prize. (You should have seen the look I gave him!) I wrote a sensual story, he did the paperwork, and both of us promptly forgot about it. Time passed then one day a sizable check came in the mail telling me I won. Wow, what a head trip. Of course being shy, I kept it to myself.

Fast forward fifteen years and I’m working on my as yet unnamed magnum opus (affectionately referred to here as my MO), what a mind-bending cerebral piece of work that is. Anyway…I was suffering from the worst case of writer’s block. Out of the blue my husband suggested I write a short erotic story. (Hmm, I’m seeing a pattern here) I did and unbelievably the writer’s block ended and it wasn’t a fluke. Every time I’d find myself up against a creative wall, I’d ask for a topic and write something erotic. And it worked every time. I think it has to do with writing the body in motion because I’ve also blasted through an attack of writer’s block by writing a fight scene. I prefer love scenes though. My husband found a place online to post my sizzlers to get feedback. Hermes Online actually came from one of those short stories. It was only four pages long initially, but readers were writing me from the UK of all places and telling me I should expand it and publish. The Muses conspired to throw all manner of hints at me that this was a great way to break into the publishing world. Exactly one year ago this week, I rewrote Hermes Online, wrote a business plan, and researched Siren-Bookstrand. I submitted it last fall and voila. Here I am. Now I guess I’ll have to work on my MO to end the writer’s block for my erotic romances!

TSR: Who is your favorite fictional character (either yours or someone else’s)?

Rose:  My MO has the most incredible family.  By far they are my favorite beings in print. But if there was ever a man to walk off the page and into my life it would haveto be Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie – one James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Mmm mmm mmm. I read the entire Outlander series once a year and then every man for miles around inevitably comes up short for the next two weeks. That’s character building at its best.

TSR: Recipe Time!

Food is such a sensual thing. It nourishes the body and mind in so many ways. I worked at a school years ago where this heavenly dish was offered at a staff party. OMG. The chef made these delightful little creamy hearts swimming in a sea of raspberries. Begging the recipe, I immediately rushed home to make it myself. Believe it or not I’ve only made this twice in 19 years because it’s highly addictive, calorically and added fat dangerous, but oh so good. I hope you try it at least once. I know you’ll lick the beaters. I think I had my face in the bowl!

To Die For Crème de la Crème **

1/2 c. farmer’s cheese

1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2/3 c. heavy cream, very cold

Combine farmer’s cheese, creme fraiche (or sour cream), sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Whisk in heavy cream and whip until your mixture has the texture of whipped cream. This will happen pretty quick. As soon as it looks like thick whipped cream stop or you’ll get lumpy butter chunks in sweet whey.  Refrigerate. If you’d like a prettier presentation, this mixture molds really well but be sure to line molds with cheesecloth. If you chill this a little first, you can blop it onto waxed paper and roll it into a log. Then chill and slice when firm. While that’s firming up, prepare the topping.

4 pints raspberries, rinsed and drained (I suppose any fruit would be good, berries, peaches etc.)

1 c. sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Mash and mix. Unmold, spoon or slice your crème mixture into serving dishes.Top with raspberries.

** Disclaimer: This is so good you’ll have a hard time deciding if you should eat it or rub it all over your body. I take no responsibility for stains thelatter incurs.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Rose:  I have several stories lined up. As I mentioned above, my work in progress involves the wilds of the North woods and a broken promise. Another involves ancient magic on the craggy shores of the Isle of Skye. Both of these are half written but I’m chugging away on the first. I tend to write linearly so I’ll typically walk right into a story. Unfortunately, life can be distracting and I’ll occasionally lose my creative thread. Yes, I’ll find it again. I may have to start at the beginning and reread every word, but chances are I’ll see a more interesting route to take.

I’m considering expanding the pagan ritual that won the Baudelaire Prize contest all those years ago into a full-fledged novel. Beyond that I’ll have to see what my idea books have to say. I keep little notebooks in my purse and when inspiration speaks I write it down. Between the three crammed full notebooks I have at least six more romance stories to consider. All the while my soon to be five-book magnum opus simmers away. I’ve learned so much about editing and tightening my writing now that I’ve experienced the editing process, that I’m sure I’ll be reworking my MO too.

On top of all that, I’m still working on my blog and soon to be launched website. I’ve been journaling every inch of this exciting trip I’m on. I’d like to think readers would find something useful there. That’s about it. Is there such a thing as mental writer’s cramp?

Comment below for a chance to win your choice of either Hermes Online or Dreamscape!

Important Links:

Hermes Online Kindle Link

Buy Link for both Rose Anderson releases: http://www.bookstrand.com/rose-anderson

Website Link: http://calliopeswritingtablet.com

The Steam Room Welcomes Mary Corrales!

TSR: Tell us about Love’s Demon Ways.

Mary: Well, it's a paranormal erotic romance about a half-blood sex demon enslaved by his sexual needs, and a woman who thought a one-night stand was all she'd need to fix her broken heart. Ren and Alexine are a perfect match in many ways, the least of which is the loneliness each carries in their hearts. This story is very erotic, and there is some use of sex toys and public sex involved. The Scorching rating from Siren Bookstrand is well earned.

TSR: How do you develop your characters?

Mary: The characters were actually the easy part as they had an instant connection with one another that even I didn't understand at first. I could barely get them out of bed the first draft of the story. Lol. Ren has a dark side he needs to keep concealed, and his only outlet for relief is his paintings. Alexine is at a place in her life she didn't expect to be; in her thirties and a man she was interested in just got together with someone else. I knew then that she deserved someone extra special. Broken hearts happen to the wisest of us, but if we keep looking long enough we find the right one.

TSR: How did you come up with the plot for Love’s Demon Ways?

Mary: The plot went through many developments and storylines as I tried to figure Ren/Vain Glory and Alexine out. Everything actually came together finally when I got the characters out of bed. Lol. I loved the idea of a half blood sex demon, but gave it a twist in that Ren's demonic side (Vain Glory) is his own personality and entity in a way.  Alexine faces some very difficult circumstances when she find this out about Ren, not the least of which ends up being a pissed off Succubus who wants Vain Glory for herself. 

TSR: You have a link on my Free Reads page.  Tell us about The Veil Ball.

Mary: Yes, this is a short sweet story of just a few pages. The Veil Ball is about going after one's most heartfelt desire. Felisa Ramone is looking for the right path in her life after facing some bad choices.  When she gets a coveted invitation to a Halloween event called The Veil Ball, she knows fate might possibly be leading her down a new road in life. But being brave is sometimes easier said than done, which is why fate sends another good sign in the form of sexy, Rodrik.    

TSR: How did you get into writing erotica?

Mary: I started out writing paranormal and futuristic romance. Oddly enough, my characters really started to blossom when I allowed them the freedom to be more sensual and sexual with one another. I guess I just kind of stumbled into my voice as an erotica author…having liked more sex mixed with my romance.

TSR: What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?

Mary: I love reading. I read romances of course, but also books on psychology, war, mythology and sociology. I guess I just find people interesting.  Anyone else enjoy these subjects to read? 

TSR: If you cook or do crafty stuff, please share a favorite recipe or project with the readers.

Mary: I'm a boring cook but I have been getting into crafting lately. I've been doing my own book cover keychains and fridge magnets. They're very pretty. I use the cover of Love's Demon Ways, so they're also very provocative. Lol Just haven't gotten them perfect yet for readers.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Mary: Another book I hope! I always have several works in progress going at once. They are all different stories and storylines, some contemporary and some paranormal, but all erotic. What can I say, I like variety. I'm currently obsessed with writing a sequel to Love's Demon Ways. It's Sindriel's story because that demon is just too badass sexy to resist.  Anyway, it's titled Sin's Way.  Readers can keep up with my WIPs on my website or twitter.   

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/loves-demon-ways

Kindle Link for Love's Demon Ways

Website Link(s): http://www.authormaryc.com  http://twitter.com/MaryCorrales_A1

Michele Hart Returns to The Steam Room

TSR: Tell us about Vigilant.

Michele: Vigilant is the story of a young woman named Yadira who’s suffered an upbringing of loss and poverty, but the one thing she had was the care of a devoted man. And she loses that man on Page 4 when a cop shoots him dead before her eyes. Under threat of lifetime commitment to a hellish prison, she takes the cop to the menwho own her life,  an abusive slaver and an incubus who sees delicious revenge in making her pay for every slight her now-dead guardian had given him. She’d be crushed under her horrific future if the cop treated her like that chattel she was, but Weber is warm, concerned, and fierce in her protection.  His touch and kiss dull the pain for her.

A reader of souls and auras, I-Marshal Weber has spent years working undercover on the black market, and dealing with criminals and demons has made him callous, a bit heartless. But he’s never seen an innocent person pay so dearly as he’s seen Yadira suffer. Nor has he seen any victim is so much danger. She doesn’t know an incubus seeks her for savage revenge on all those who’d underestimated him. She doesn’t believe in angels until one kisses her passionately. She doesn’t believe in demons until one chains her to the I-Marshal’s bed for a big dose of vengeance.

TSR: Who is your favorite character in any of your books?

Michele: Oh, it’s the hero I’m writing now, Danny of Gangbusters. I’m finishing the third I-Marshal story, and I didn’t get to bring out all of Danny’s daredevilry. I’m madly in love with him, and I know it’ll hurt when I finally type The End. Parting being sweet sorrow and that stuff.

TSR: How did you come up with the idea of using angels and demons in a science fiction context?

Michele: I had been writing Sci-Fi when I decided to write a story for my best friend who loves angels. Luminous Nights, the first I-Marshal story, came from that.

TSR: What’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?  (or you for them?)

Michele: In the late eighties, I had a mohawked, punk-rock muse named Torch, and he often did very romantic things. He was slick, and came as close to a romantic hero as any real man could. One day, he made up a treasure hunt for me to find around our small apartment that started with little hearts drawn on each step up to our second-floor home, an extensive andartistic chalk mural drawn at our doorway, several clues and hand-created gifts to find, and the trail ended with rose petals on the bed. I don’t think there was an occasion. He was the inspiration for Jack, the very dangerous hero of Luminous Nights. That’s what Torch was, dangerous in unconventional ways..

TSR: Is there a genre you haven’t tried that you would like to try?

Michele: The first thing I wrote when I had no consciousness of genre was a Romance, so that’s what’s in my heart. Within Romance, I’d like to do a vampire story. I’ve plans for a superhero story, and a half-written alien abduction story and plans for another.  I’ll do anotherContemporary Erotic Suspense, just because it was so fun doing the one I have out now, Looks Are Deceiving. Sci-Fi Romance is just the most fun for me. I love the brain exercise, the research and gadgetry.  Involving angels and demons was a blast for an ancient-religions nut like me. Studying the fallen angels has been cheesecake for my brain. The angels are some of the first superheroes, the first fantasy heroes.

TSR: If youcook or do crafty stuff, please share a favorite recipe or project with the readers.

Michele: When my best friend makes these peanut butter balls, I must eat them all right away. There’s nothing I can do to stop myself. It’s demon possession. So, in honor of our demon sides, here’s her recipe:

Bonnie’s Peanut Butter Bon-Bons

1 box 10x powdered sugar (twice sifted)

1 cup peanut butter (smooth works best)

1 stick butter or margarine

6oz (1/2 bag) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

¼ cup paraffin (wax)

            In a double boiler, combine chocolate and paraffin over a low heat, stirring periodically until they are melted together.

            Melta stick of butter. Combine peanut butter, butter, and sugar until it forms one big ball.

            Using your hands, pinch off balls ½” in size, and drop them into the chocolate. Using a toothpick, remove the chocolate-covered ball and retire it atop wax paper to dry (approx. 15 minutes.)  If the peanut butter ball begins to dry, add a few drops of water and knead the mixture back into proper consistency.

TSR: What’s next for you?

Michele: Gangbusters. I’m finishing the third I-Marshal story. This one has three I-Marshals and dozens of demons, and a criminal industry preparing to unleash boundless crime in the Alliance territories. If that wasn’t bad enough, an angry demon has discovered how to survive destruction. He’s going to destroy the I-Marshals, hunt down two demon-slayers in particular, and he’s going to use a desperate reporter hungry for a Pulitzer to do it. Demons never imagine love will save the worlds when a gangland hit man and a muckraking journalist fall into the sheets.

Important Links:

Buy Link: http://www.BookStrand.com/vigilant

Kindle Buy Link for Vigilant

Website Link: http://www.ILoveShapeShifters.com/

Michele H: Thank you, Steam Room!

In need of an escape from the mundane? How about prison breaks, alien chocolate seduction, super weapons, doomsday devices, explosions, abduction, narrow escapes, murder-defying deceit, and global threats of genocide, all while riding a harrowing roller coaster with a dangerous and sexy man? Crazy fun! Frightening adventure. Come walk another world with me.

Happy adventures to everyone.

Love, Michele Hart

The Steam Room is proud to present Victoria Roder

TSR: Tell us about Bolt Action. 

Victoria: Come on, take a ride with Harley riding, sarcastic Detective Leslie Bolt as she races to conquer her own past and capture the “State Quarter Killer” before her sister is the next victim.  Secrets of the past, murder, mystery, revenge, deception, and sexual tension; Bolt Action offers it all.  Experience Bolt Action.  Check out the book trailer on YouTube.  The music is from the band the “D” Railers.  

Bolt Action Video Trailer

TSR: Tell us about The Dream House: Visions and Nightmares.

Victoria: Recurring dreams of a house Hope Graham's family rented when she was a child, taunt her nights with images of a woman in a bloody nightgown pleading for help.  Dream sequences of children metamorphosing into rats, blood spewing out of windows, and walking across decaying bones, foretell of sins of the past and forewarn of danger in the present.  In an attempt to end the agony of her sleep deprivation, Hope travels to her hometown...only to discover that the truth can be more frightening than a nightmare.

Paperback buy link for The Dream House: Visions and Nightmares

TSR: How do you come up with ideas for your stories? 

Victoria: There are ideas all around for a creative writer.  News headlines, a passing comment someone makes, and personal dreams or nightmares.  The key is blending them into fiction.  The Dream House Visions and Nightmares from Asylett Press developed because of a disturbing recurring dream that I have had since childhood.  The interesting fact is that the dream stopped once I finished the book. 

 My own personal story of adoption was included in the anthology, A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families.  That publication has inspired many people to share their own stories of adoption with me.  Heartfelt tales told through the eyes of parents and also from the children that were adopted.  I am sorry to report I also heard a few troubled stories of adoption, and one comment remained in my thoughts and stalked me.  That sole comment became the disposition for a character in my novel, Bolt Action, from Champagne Books. 

TSR: What are some traits that your hero/heroine must have?

Victoria: My heroine must have flaws and trials from her past that she needs to triumph over.  I enjoy down to earth women with joys and concerns in life.  My characters need a little bit of attitude or vulnerability, and in my writing, Barbie dolls are out and women with a few body issues are in.   

TSR: Who is your favorite character and why?

Victoria: Detective Leslie Bolt is my favorite character.  Like many people she had a troubling childhood, but has worked hard to overcome it and be a productive member of society.  She has a chip on her shoulder and tries to mask her vulnerability. Detective Bolt also has a sarcastic attitude that I find humorous. 

TSR: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Victoria: Camping! I enjoy being outside, taking walks with my dogs, and sitting around thefire.  I sneak my laptop along for the quiet morning time before everyone else gets moving. 

TSR: If you cook or do crafty stuff, please share a favorite recipe or project with the readers. 

Victoria: Honestly, I’m domestically challenged.  For fun, my husband’s family likes to tease me by saying I should bake something for the family dinners.  We all chuckle and I bring the veggie tray as usual.  If I bake, it becomes the doorstop, but I would challenge you to a bow shoot.  We shoot at 3-D targets not live animals.  My “girly” sister was thrilled when I told her my husband got me a diamond for Valentine’s Day.  She didn’t realize it is a brand name of a bow.

TSR: What’s next for you? 

Victoria: I have finished a horror novel entitled TheHaunting of Ingersull Penitentiary.   Checking into the former penitentiary currently named, The Big House Inn is heaven but checking out is hell. 

My children’s chapter book, The Curse of King Ramesses II will be coming soon from Wild Child Publishing. Get ready to ride, because Detective Leslie Bolt is ready for another mystery,and the working title is Bolt Reaction. 

Buy Link: Bolt Action Paperback

Kindle link to purchase Bolt Action

Website Link: www.victoriaroder.com

 I will give away a pdf version of my paranormalromance, The Dream House Visions and Nightmares to someone thatleaves a comment.  The Dream HouseVisions and Nightmares received the highest rating of Best Bookfrom The Long and Short of It Reviews.