The Steam Room

Ménage à Do or Don’t?

Why do you think people are so fascinated by the idea of a ménage relationship?

Ménage à trois!  The very word can cause any number of reactions.  Giggling, blushing, raised brows, arousal, outrage.  So, why do so many people fantasize such a controversial subject?

Do you dream about four hands caressing your body?  If you close your eyes can you imagine two mouths, two tongues worshiping you?

Ménage à trois literally means “household of three.”  I wanted to find out why this phrase drew so many readers to buy books so I questioned one hundred readers through Survey Monkey.  The results were pretty conclusive.  67% said they were fascinated by the “forbidden” aspect of a ménage relationship. 

*****

Personally, it is the idea of having more hands on me to heighten the senses. More attention. Being in a relationship where I am the one who has to be in charge most of the time, I would so love to just be able to lay back and have someone else worry about me and what I get from the experience, and not have to worry about being unfulfilled at the end.

*****

Because it's something they want to participate in, but it's unheard of or can't find them. I'd love to go to some of the towns that I read about and find 2 people to love that would love and treat me like they do in the book. Loved and secured.

*****

Because it is considered 'forbidden' in today's society. It is also, I believe, the ultimate in sexual fulfillment for women as we are so often disappointed...if you know what I mean! We have more than one erogenous zone and more hands, mouths, tongues and cocks means more than one area is receiving pleasure at the same time.

*****

I’m guilty of the same fantasies.  When I started writing “Table for Three” I rolled every fantasy I ever had into the story.  I was an older woman who’d survived an abusive first marriage who dreamed of starting over and finding young love again.  From this, I developed “Cass Abernathy.”

Table for Three         Buy and/or Read an Excerpt

Cass Abernathy is forty-three and she's getting a second chance at life, and maybe even love. She's finally divorced, after years of abuse, when she learns an unknown uncle in Oregon has left her his estate, and more importantly, his house. Filled with hope for her future and excited to have a place of her own, Cass heads west not knowing what she'll find.

What she finds are hot and sexy twin brothers intent on making her a part of their lives. It's too bad they're so much younger because they bring out feelings she's never had before.

Meanwhile, there's someone else interested in Cass' inheritance, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure he wins.

Will Cass overcome her fears and open her heart to the two men who love her, and will she discover the truth about her inheritance before it's too late?

I’m happy to say I’ve lived a lot of my fantasies now, even though it was late in life.  I will say I never experienced twin brothers, but I am happily living with my husband who is a decade younger than me.  Even that little bit of departure from normal can get some people in a snit.  Why are some people so threatened by alternative lifestyle relationships?  What is it they fear?

I have a friend who openly lives in a ménage F/M/F relationship.  She’s not bisexual; she merely “shares” her husband with another woman.  They live in the same house, sleep in the same bed, and raise their children side-by-side.  I asked her once why she would share the love of her life.  Since she’s not involved in a romantic relationship with the other woman, what would the advantages be?  She said, “Our house is always full of love.  Even if two of us are having problems, our children always have a parent they can turn to for love and guidance.  I never worry if anything should happen to me because I know my girls will always have a mother.”

I, for one, can’t imagine a life with that much inner peace.  I asked her if jealousy had ever been a problem.  She said, “In the beginning, we’d get our panties in a wad if one of us got a better birthday or Christmas gift. <she laughed>  Then, David wised up and started getting us similar, if not identical things for special occasions.  <she shrugged, and then sighed>  I really don’t think it’d be a problem now.  Everybody feels how much we love each other so nobody would ever get their feelings hurt.”  When I asked her what she could possibly find to fantasize about since she was living so many other people’s idea of a perfect life.  She grinned and said, “Having a house with four bathrooms!”

My friend is living in a relationship with one man and another woman.  The other side of the coin gives us relationships with two men and one woman.  In the survey I did, people seemed to think this type of relationship was more scandalous, and yet 68% of the hundred readers said this was the type of ménage they most liked to read.

My fantasies always ran to having two men making love to me.  The thought of all those hands and lips made me crazy.  Then, I read my first M/M romance and suddenly began to fantasize about two men making love to me, and to each other at the same time.  In all the books I’d read up to this point, the men never touched, they concentrated all their energies on the woman.  And believe me, when you have three people in a bed, making love, it’s not easy to keep the men from touching!

I bought my first M/M/F ménage about six months before I wrote the sequel to “Table for Three.”  I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a ménage story that didn’t have any restrictions about the love scenes.  “Catch Her When She Falls” was born.

Catch Her When She Falls           Buy and/or Read an Excerpt

Serena Dammler is recovering from a savage beating and needs protection. Cowboys and lovers Marc Weller and Tony Estabon are taking jobs as bounty-hunters, and their newest assignment is to capture her attacker and return him to Texas. They take one look at Serena’s fragile beauty and decide she’d be the perfect third to their family.

Serena’s always dreamed of catching herself a rich man, and she’d do just about anything to make that dream come true. She’s not going to allow herself to fall in love with her two cowboy protectors, no matter how sexy they are.

Marc and Tony want Serena as their third, but they want her love to be real and not based on their bank accounts. So what will it hurt if they take her to a little cabin on their ranch and pretend to be simple cowboys?

I was a little nervous writing my first M/M scenes, and quite frankly, had no idea what I was doing.  I did a lot of reading, and even consulted a writer I consider to be one of the tops in M/M writing.  Stormy Glenn read my passages and gave me some invaluable advice in making my love scenes more realistic.

“Catch Her When She Falls” turned out to be my best seller as of this date.  Yet, when I surveyed the hundred readers, 100% of them stated they’d prefer reading M/F/M ménages over M/M/F!  What does that tell you?  It tells me that some people will never be comfortable admitting what type of romance novel turns them on.

Do I yearn for a ménage lifestyle?  No, I’m happy with my young husband.  I don’t think society is ready for people living in open ménage relationships, yet.  I do think the day will come when you’ll be able to find the perfect Hallmark Card for congratulating the union of a ménage couple.

Check out Missy's Website at  www.missymartine.com

Life-changing moments are sometimes big events and sometimes nothing we notice at the time.  They can be a serious medical event or the same old thing that happens every day.  Whether it creeps up on you or smacks you upside the head, everybody experiences things that make them sit up and take notice of life.  We take stock and re-evaluate. We figure out what life we want and grab hold of it. Some people take up knitting or a sport. Romantics turn to reading and writing romance novels.

Please welcome Missy Martine and Jillian Chantal as theytalk about how writing romance helps them combat stress.

 Missy Martine

I write romance because reading romance novels helped me through one of the worst times of my life. Up until 2002, I was a workaholic happily devoting twelve to fourteen hours a day to my new business.  I’d retired from nursing and opened my own medical billing service.  The business was flourishing and so was I.  Everything seemed perfect and then tragedy struck.  My entire life came to ascreeching halt when I suffered a series of small strokes.  Overnight I went from a secure, on top-of-the-world businesswoman to someone who couldn’t communicate and needed help to dress herself.  My life was a nightmare of doctors, physical therapy and no romance.

Up until then I’d not been much of a reader.  There was never time in my busy schedule.  After the strokes I had nothing but time, and reading became an escape for me.  I read my first ménage romance about six months into my recovery and it completely changed my life and gave me hope thatI might have a second chance at love.  It put romance back into my heart, and from there, back into my marriage.  One book led to another and before I knew it, I’d read over two hundred books in one year. When I started writing, it seemed only natural that I’d want to write something that might affect another person the same way.  Today it gives me great pleasure to think that my books might bring a little romance into some lonely person’s life.

www.missymartine.com

Missy Martine's complete bibliography

Jillian Chantal

There are two reasons I write romance. The first one is thatI have a high stress day job. It’s sometimes a real downer and I find that the quest to make a “happily ever after” for my characters operates as a way to pull myself off the ceiling when I have a bad day in the trenches. It takes away the stress and relaxes me. The second reason, and the best part of writing romance, is that I can make the male characters say whatever I want. I work in a male dominated field and I live with a spouse and two sons. It’s a fun thing to be able to write a male character that I can mold. Not that I want a Stepford husband and kids but, man, sometimes, my dialogue is better than what they come out with.  Seriously, I love the romance genre and the Happily Ever After aspect, and the best byproduct of writing romance? Being a part of the community of writers in this genre- they are all awesome and so supportive! 

http://jillianchantal.wordpress.com/

Solo Honeymoon link

So, Readers, what kind of stresses does reading romance help you to overcome? Leave a comment below. At the end of the week, I'll choose one lucky commenter to win their choice of one of my novels, including my upcoming mainstream contemporary romance, Crimes of the Heart.

Check back tomorrow for Magical Journeys Friday, February 11: Melissa Bradley, LauraTolomei, KR Bailey

The Steam Room Welcomes Popular Siren Author Missy Martine!

TSR: Tell us about Changing Their Wolfen Heritage.

Missy: “Changing Their Wolfen Heritage” is part 3 of the saga of the Wind River Pack.  In book 1, Discovering Her Wolfen Heritage, we met all the principle characters.  The Alpha Remus and hisbrothers, Latan and Ethan descended from a proud, wolf-shifter family.  Remus was blessed in that he met his life-mate when she was just a child. Years later, when she’s grown into a beautiful, young woman they’re reunited.  Unfortunately, she doesn’t know she descended from wolves.  Maddie and her brother Michael were lied to their entire lives.  Now, they must find a way to accept their heritage or lose their chances at love forever. Maddie is the first of the siblings to find out the truth about what they are.

Book 2, Denying His Wolfen Heritage, is about Michael’s struggle to accept the truth and his search for his own inner wolf so he can mate with the love of his life.

Book 3, Changing Their Wolfen Heritage, brings you the story of Remus’s brothers, Latan and Ethan.  Headstrong and somewhat rebellious, they’re breaking tradition by falling in love with the same shifter.  And if their battle to win their love isn’t hard enough, the book brings to a climax a battle with a formidable enemy first introduced in book 1.  An enemy wants to capture the wolves and use them for his own mercenary reasons.  It’s a chilling conclusion for the members of the Wind River Pack.

TSR: Where do you see the series going from here?  I know you called it a trilogy, but Brett Farve keeps announcing his retirement…

Missy: Yes, well the best laid plans… I did mean for this to be the end, but some things aren’t meant to die.  There is a book coming next year titled Screams on the Mountain that will pick up a very obscure, secondary character from Changing Their Wolfen Heritage.  It will have the character’s life before he met Kitania in book 3 of the Wolfen Heritage Trilogy.  I’m also in the planning stages for A Wolfen Heritage Christmas for next year, and possibly a couple of books from some characters I can’t mention here from Changing Their Wolfen Heritage.” To mention them now would give away a final surprise in the book.

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

Missy: My heroes must be dominating, somewhat controlling, both sexually and in everyday life. I like them to be outdoorsy, and not white-collar workers.  My heroines can be anything from frail and mousey, to strong and fierce in life, but they all have to have a tender, under-nourished romantic life.  I don’t mean they’re all virgins, but they’ve definitely been given the short end of the stick in the romance department before they met my heroes.  I like them to be overwhelmed with the passion these guys can show them.

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

Missy: I love ménage stories, and most especially shape-shifter ménage stories.  Some of my favorite authors include Leah Brooke, Stormy Glenn, Tymber Dalton, Annmarie McKenna, Carol Lynne, Maya Banks and Lauren Dane.  And believe me, that’s a very abbreviated list.  Some of my favorite novels have been Colter’s Woman, Desire for Three, Blackmailed, Safe Harbor, and The Dom’s Dungeon.  Again, I could go on and on, but these are so much loved I actually have print copies along with my downloads.

TSR: I have to go back to something you previously mentioned.  I’m a huge Buffy the VampireSlayer/Angel fan.  You said, “His continual fight for the goodness in humanity while sacrificing his own chances at love always appealed to me.”  Why?

Missy: I always considered him to be the ultimate tragic hero.  He wanted nothing but love and could never let himself go for fear of reverting to his predatory state and killing his lover.  Then, when he finally allowed himself to love Cordelia they were torn apart by the “Powers that Be.”  This kind of tragic character is what romantic paranormal fiction thrives on. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched,  and wanted to re-write the episode where they finally say she’s dead and she leaves to follow her own destiny.  I’m such a softie I cry every time I see it.

TSR:  …whichleads me to the next question.  Would you ever write a story about witches and magic, considering that you’re a Charmed fan?

Missy: I’ve actually tired to come up with a storyline involving witches but haven’t had anything seem “right” to me.  I have books in the outline stages now with magic involved, but not with witches. It’s more like an inherent magical gift. They can’t create spells or turn anybody into toads, but they do have certain magical abilities.  But that willbe late in the coming year.

TSR: Have you focused on any of those WIPs yet, or have you been too knee-deep in edits?

Missy: By the end of this coming week I will have turned into my publisher the sequel to Table for Three titled Catch Her When She Falls.  I’ve also finished a magical, paranormal love story called The Magic in Her Gift.  I also buckled down and finished the research and completed outlines for Space Bride, My Chameleon Loves, WereScrooged, and Nurses to Go– All these outlines are now complete and just waiting for me to sit down at the computer.

Thanks again for inviting me back and letting me tell the readers about my latest book.  I hope some of you will drop by my website and sign my guestbook.  To one of the people leaving comments by 8 pm Tuesday, Nov 30, I’m giving away a pdf copy of book 2 of my trilogy, Denying His WolfenHeritage so make sure you leave your email addresses.

Important Links:

Buy Link:   http://www.bookstrand.com/changing-their-wolfen-heritage

Website Link:  http://www.missymartine.com/fr_home.cfm

TheSteam Room welcomes best-selling Siren author Missy Martine!

TSR: How didyou conceive the idea for the Wolfen Heritage series?

Missy: I had just finished reading “The Wallflower,” in the Halle Puma Series by Dana Marie Bell, and the idea of shapeshifters fascinated me.  There was just something so romantic and erotic about a handsome man who could change into a fierce animal.  My first book, “Table for Three,” had been a success and I was searching for a new idea for a second book.  The challenge of writing paranormal was very appealing.  I’ve always had a soft spot for wolves, and love the state of Wyoming, so my genre and location were easy.  Then a new idea occurred to me.  What if you suddenly found out you had something living inside you, another life force you never knew was there?  That led me to develop the characters of Michael and Maddie, a brother and sister whose grandmother was a full-blooded shapeshifter.  They only had a 25% chance of having wolves of their own.  Once I’d created the characters from both families, it became obvious I’d need more than one book to get everyone’s story told.

TSR: How doyou develop your characters?

Missy: I start my stories with a brief outline that gives me the major characters as well as some of the minor ones.  I use Excel files to create their profiles.  I give them names, physical descriptions, personal histories that include relationships with each other, work history, personality traits and quirks. I do this for each major and minor character, adding as the story unfolds and new characters surface.  By the time I’m finished it’s like they’ve become long-standing personal friends.  It makes it much easier to write dialog because you’re going to know how Caleb, who’s a retired police officer that has no sense of humor, is a slob in his apartment, and drives way too fast would respond to a practical joke from Kathy, who’s a bit of a flake, has a wicked sense of humor, a neat freak and follows every traffic law ever made.  My characters literally take on a life of their own.  Then, when I’m finished, I do a detailed story outline of the entire book.

TSR: Who isyour favorite superhero and why?

Missy: I have to admit that super heroes are not really my thing.  I never watched Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Wonder Woman so I have no basis of comparison.  I did watch a lot of Sci-Fi television and the closest I came to superheroes were the shows “Angel” and “Charmed.”  The sexy vampire, Angel, could always flip my switch with his dark, brooding handsome face.  His continual fight for the goodness in humanity while sacrificing his own chances at love always appealed to me.  The three or four sisters of “Charmed” always made me envious.  They were beautiful, successful, and had all these really cool gifts they used to fight evil.  I always thought it would be great to have magic inside you.  The kind of magic that would allow you to cast spells, move things with your mind and even see the future.

TSR: Angel definitely counts as a superhero.  Whatis the best movie you’ve seen in the past year?

Missy: I’m reluctant to tell you I haven’t been to a movie in over four years.  My health was pretty bad for a long time and didn’t allow for pleasure outings.  Recently I purchased the eight part “LoveComes Softly” series.  I wanted to do a little research of life in the west during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s,and I remembered the movie “Love Comes Softly” was a good example of pioneer life.  I had no idea they’d made it into an eight movie series.  Following the family’s story through several generations was fascinating.

TSR:  What (or who) influences your writing?

Missy: My husband is the biggest influence on my writing.  He not only reads and critiques everything I write, he frequently says things that inspire story ideas forfuture books.  He’s very creative with an active imagination.  Of course, I can’t use every idea he comes up with.  He’sstill trying to get me to write a story about three cats that travel through time.  In one time frame they’re able to shift into humans and fall in love, while other era’s they have to remain cats.  He wants to use our three furry boys as my role models.  That story would be a stretch, even for my vivid imagination.

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

Missy: I love taking photos of wild animals in their natural habitat.  Our favorite vacations involve taking our Jeep to Wyoming and hitting the back trails.  You can frequently find me crawling through the brush to sneak up on antelope, coyote, rabbits and other animals to get my pictures.  I have quite a collection.

I also enjoy travel and together with my husband, I’ve been all over the world.  My passport boasts trips to England (where my husband’s from), Wales, France, Japan, and China.  Since we moved to California two years ago I’ve discovered a love of the ocean and the beach.  There’s nothing that relaxes me more than finding an empty stretch of beach and finding a rock I can sit on and watch the waves rushing in and out.

TSR: What’snext for you?

Missy: I’m continuing on with my writing.  It’s been a great second career for me.  I had to retire from nursing back in 2002 because of health problems and until two years ago I didn’t have any purpose in my life.

Right now I’m finishing up the sequel to “Tablefor Three” titled “Catch Her When She Falls.”  I’m working on a time-travel fantasy series called “Doors Into the Past.”  I have a ménage story coming out soon called “An Officer and Two Gentlemen,” and a ménage paranormal story called “Screams on the Mountain.”  Actually, I could go on and on because I have 15 different outlines ready to go.  I just have to find the time to finish them.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for having me here today, and giving me the chance to tell readers about my work.

Important Links:

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/denying-his-wolfen-heritage

Website Link: www.missymartine.com

The contest: Leave a comment for Missy for your chance to win an eBook copy of Discovering Her Wolfen Heritage.  The drawing is Wednesday at 8 pm EST.  Good luck!