Chit Chat and All That! is back, with Kiki Howell and Kim Faulks talking about Strengthening Paranormal Stories

Chit Chat and All That!

Authors: Kiki Howell and Kim Faulks

Subject: Strengthening Paranormal Stories

Kiki Howell:

Hey Kim, I know we both write paranormal stories and I was wondering what writing conventions or plot devices you use to strengthen your stories? And, does sex play a factor in the strength of the plot or not? Inquiring minds want to know…

Kim Faulks:

I don't plot at all. I get an image in my head of the character, the overall feel, and I just start writing. If I plot things out they don't sound as exciting as what it would have if I’d just typed. My stories always seem to work out. My characters reflect my mood or troubles at the time, and I usually sit and write as much as I can in that first instance to get the feel of the story for when I come back to it later on.

For me plot is about conflict. As I tend to write a lot of series, the conflict for me is over the entire series and the subplot for each story always moves toward the overall plot/issue for my main character. You need to ask yourself questions: What does my character need to achieve by the end of the series? What does he/she need to experience/do to achieve this? Sometimes the mere fact of the character experiencing a dramatic point in the story can move the story dramatically towards this point, as I say, it's all about conflict.

Erotica is not a big thing in my stories. I usually have more sexual tension and romance with my characters. The sex scenes are probably a little more detailed than the mainstream novels you get. 

Kiki Howell

Well, there are plotters and there are pansters. I think as authors we do what works for us to make our story the best it can be.  I do some of both depending on the story. I don't think it affects the strength of the story at all, as I've read some very powerful stories by authors I know who never plot, and vice versa.

So, sounds like you build the strength of the story with your conflict. How do you think conflict differs or can be amplified by having paranormal characters verses just mere mortals?

Kim Faulks:

Paranormal characters carry their own special issues depending on the creature involved. The conflict between the Paranormal and the Human element is where the story is. It doesn't have to be the romantic/erotic conflict either. It can be an internal conflict of the character themselves. In one of my stories Abandoned, the conflict is the race for my main character Eve to have her baby and escape the violent vampire that wants her dead. This story is filled with conflict. The conflict is the fight for survival for a mother and her baby. So even though there is the paranormal issues involved when writing Paranormal stories, the real conflict for me is the human element as I find that humans are the more complex creatures.

Kiki Howell

Hmmm, I'm not sure I agree there, I mean on who is the more complex creature. Each of my paranormal creatures, say vampires, werewolves, even ghosts, are all part human or have been human. The conflict, if this is where the strength of the story lies, is in the vampire trying to mesh his nature to kill and retain his humanity, or the ghost trying to gain back some semblance of humanity. With witches, trying to live among humans, as they’re still human, but their conflict comes in finding how far they allow their differences to go in controlling the world they live in. I think it is always the paranormal element, the way they are different in this world that adds conflict and thus added to the story.

But, besides conflict, I also think setting has a lot to do with the strength of a paranormal story. Heavy, mystical, descriptions, draw the reader into an other worldly place, tugging at their imagination. And, while my stories have been criticized for being hard to read and too descriptive for the erotic genre, I won't change. Call it literary paranormal erotic romance, but I like it real and I like it deep and dark. I like to feel I'm there, somewhere in life that is impossible to be. Plus, I like to expand upon the mundane with magic or super strength or blood lust or any other element of the paranormal world I happen to be dealing with.

Any other ways you add strength to your paranormal tales besides conflict or description?

Kim Faulks:

I guess it depends on the characters and the storyline for what part my Paranormal creature play on how detached with their humanity they are. I don't necessarily classify witches as a Paranormal. I see they have Paranormal elements, but overall they are still human. 

I guess the only other thing I can think of is the characters themselves, they basically run the story and dictate how much Paranormal elements are required to 'make them work' as a character. You can have a characters simple and quiet but it only takes a name, or a trait that will strengthen any story. Take Vlad in the Nighthuntress stories by Jeanine Frost. It is his name alone that strengthens his character and therefore the story. It's all about using what you know combined with what triggers the most response in a reader.

Kiki Howell:

I write both paranormal witch (which you are right are completely human, but still set apart as they can make it storm with a few words or shoot fire from their fingertips), but also reality based witches as well, so you are right, it definitely depends on the writers intent. 

Names, that is a good one. Sometimes it just takes forever to get just the right one, and I've had names change too as the story progresses.

Well, it was so great chatting with you today. I love to see how other authors not only approach writing, but how they see different aspects of writing too. I love to learn from others, and am learning and growing and plotting less these days and loving it. You've inspired me! Can't wait to read your stories.

About The Authors

Kim Faulks

A Paranormal writer who loves nothing more than to seduce my readers into a gripping tale of Vampires, Were's and Witches.

http://kimfaulks.wordpress.com/

Kiki Howell 

~where love is a mystical thing~ 

 http://www.kikihowell.com 

http://www.facebook.com/kikihowell

http://twitter.com/KikiHowell

http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com

Stay tuned for next week's exciting and fun Chit Chat and All That! Monday 14th November with Casey-Lyne Johnson/Benjamin Russell, where they will be discussing:                                 

 "Can you tell your partner what you really want in the bedroom? Porn - pros and cons of watching it."

What Happened To My Submission? The Chance You Take When You Don't Follow Directions

Recently I had cause to realize just how many people can do themselves & others a disservice when ignoring or not following directions in the world of publishing & submissions.  When writers don't research the publisher they are submitting to and don't ensure their submission is a perfect match to the guidelines of what has been requested.

As you all know Naughty Nights Press has recently had several calls for submissions on several short story anthologies in addition to open calls for novels, novellas, novelettes and while a good percentage of writers will follow the specifications of the call to the letter, there are a few who don't.  
What these people perhaps may not realize is that the few moments it takes to properly format the work and submit it according to the publisher's requested criteria, can be the make or break for them as to whether the submission even gets looked at or simply deleted.
Now, I can honestly say that on rare occasions, even recently, I've let a few minor things slip by in our submissions and luckily for the author they had gotten most of the other criteria correct or the work wouldn't even have been viewed.
A writer's attention to detail when submitting a work can tell a publisher so many things about them long before the work is ever opened.

I'd like to draw your attention to a few key points to consider when making your next submission.


SUBJECT LINE of the email:  a publisher uses this to quickly define what anthology or call the submission is intended for.  Failure to properly identify the subject line of your email can and will guarantee you a couple things: Either it gets sent to a folder called Unsolicited Submissions which already hold hundreds of other manuscripts that may or may not ever be seen or it gets outright sent to the trash.


BODY OF EMAIL:  Different publishers will ask for different things here and these things can change frequently depending on the calls.  Some want a detailed query of the submission, identifying info relating to the author, book/story synopsis, marketing plans, bio and other information.  
Some publishers want this info only in the first page of the manuscript.  Some, like NNP, want it in the body of the email AND on the first page of the manuscript.  
Others may still ask for other variations of the info & where it should appear and really it all depends on the pub.  Paying attention to this can also determine where your work ends up.  
Without a clear synopsis and other info in the body, at NNP we likely won't even read the work as it's time consuming to download and open files.  Time most pubs, like NNP, just can't afford.


PERSONAL INFO & BIO:  Your one shot to sell yourself, not your book.  Include all pertinent information requested & make sure the bio toots your horn.  If you've accomplishments, whatever they may be, mention them.  If you've self-published online at free sites, mention you've self-published online but leave off the free sites bit.  It only brings you down.  
A well thought out and well written Bio will make your confidence in yourself, your ability, shine through. 
Oh and my advice, NEVER mention you are not published. Don't lie of course, just omit unless asked directly.  Nothing screams insecurity and lack of confidence then a writer who whines about not being published.  Putting your work on display at a few free sites shows you've tested the waters, likely received feedback, and are confident enough to feel your work ought to be out there and available to readers.  Sometimes it's quite a good way to establish a reader base & followers as well. (a big plus to most potential publishers when you bring a client base with you)
 Any good house is going to know pretty soon whether you are or published or not anyway. We DO research you.
And on that note, never claim you've published where you haven't or obtained some credit/award you've not.  We will find out and I can't tell you how fast it will discredit you.
Not only with one pub either, editors share, owners talk and if you screw one pub over or embellish where you should not, you will get caught.  Then you might as well pack up your pencils because finding a publisher to accept your work after you've lied...yeah good luck.
Publishers may run separate entities but what one knows, they all know or will know.  Remember that.  It's majorly important to your career as a writer.


LENGTH OF SYNOPSIS: A synopsis is a very important key to your book.  It's likely the first thing any publisher sees that is going to speak for or against possible acceptance.  A poorly written synopsis can make a great book look like it's not so great and the publisher won't  waste their time continuing on to read the actual manuscript.
Don't do yourself a disservice, write a stunning synopsis, utilizing every possible word in the count or length requested to do so.  Make sure it contains all the info it should.  Character development points, conflicts & resolutions, plot outlines, etc, etc, etc. THIS is the first place you really sell your work.  Make it count.  
Most publishers will request a minimum of a half page, single spaced.  They WANT details.  Don't write a hundred words (except where requested) and call it a day or you'll be subbing to the next twenty publishers and getting the same results in no time flat.


FORMATTING THE WORK: Publishing houses generally have specific guidelines they've asked to have your submission follow for multiple reasons.  The least of these is readability, but the highest is compatibility with programs they use or email browsers.  Most houses will detail out what format the submission must be in, whether it be an attachment as a .doc, .rtf, and on very rare occasions .docx, and if you sub under a format not accepted/requested or (*gasps*) put your story in the body of the email, you take your chances if it will be read or not.  
Additionally, with ebooks being the primary acceptances these days, there are specifications of format the editors & formatters must comply to.  There are reasons behind what you are asked to do.  We don't have time to copy & paste things or convert to correct formats.
If a work requires multiple changes to make it suitable for formatting & conversions etc, it can and probably will be rejected or deleted.  It's to time consuming to entirely reformat an 80k book. Pay attention to the formatting request. You can save yourself an auto rejection on that basis at least.  
We are a hard assed bunch, we know.


THE WORK:  Most publishers want to see a perfectly spelled, perfectly punctuated, grammar compliant, flowing work with perfect sentence structure that has been formatted & edited so it's literally publish ready.  Slap it with a wicked, equally perfect cover and up it goes.  Yup, that IS what we want.
However, it's not usually what we are going to get. My advice, do the damn best you can to make it as close to perfect in every way before you send it to every publisher you intend to sub to.  Have it read by a friend, beta readers, edited professionally (where possible), read it aloud in front of friends as you will note more potential areas of concern or error when you hear it with appropriate expression & passion.  You'll know just how many intakes of breath should go into a paragraph and if you're turning blue and gasping between those periods, then break it up!  Commas, two sentences instead of one.  It can make all the difference.
Have an editing rule, my personal one is no less then three, and stick to it.  Who cares if you have to edit it ten times to get it the way you want it. Isn't it worth it?  No one can say their first draft is perfect.  That's why it's called a FIRST DRAFT!  Never submit a work you don't like, are not extremely happy with and proud of accomplishing or others won't like it either.  If it's not as perfect as you think it can be, don't submit it until it is.  There will always be other calls, more chances, different publishers looking for exactly what you've created.


So, now that I've gone my typical long-winded self, if you've ever submitted a work to a publisher but didn't hear anything back other then the auto-reply, one or more of the above is likely the reason.
However, if you're sure you've done everything as per the publishers request, then it could be possible that your submission never made it through the Internet Gremlins.  Your work made a delicious breakfast I'm sure. 

And that brings me to one more important point...

FOLLOW UP:  Make a note of the specific publisher's criteria on waiting times.  If you follow up too soon you look pushy or impatient and will not endear the pub to you. We are all busy. We expect respect. 
Trust me when I say far too many people are already emailing us (with questions already answered on the publisher's webpages in the Q&A or FAQ section) to bother us with premature requests on your submission.  We all know no one cares for premature right! *evil grin* (collective groans heard from the audience) 
It takes time to respond to all these email inquiries and questions.  Time that would be better spent actually reading your submission don't you think? You'd be amazed just how much time truly is wasted answering unnecessary emails.
Now, if the maximum waiting period since your submission has come & gone and you've still heard nothing, you're positive you've perfected all the other above criteria, and you seriously are worried the Internet Gremlins were chewing away, then by all means write a quick note, detailing the story name, intended submission call and the date it was sent, expressing your concerns.  Don't be rude or demanding, be respectful & patient.  Remember, a publisher may still hold your submission in hand and a nasty email could very well be the deciding factor between your submission and another on the table regardless of how good it may be.  It DOES happen.  Publishers don't like to work with individuals they believe won't represent the company with the utmost professionalism and a rude letter is perceived as a personality trait.
Yes, publishers are busy. We are human and we too can miss a deadline due to unforeseen events, illness or whatever.  Most good houses will try to ensure everyone receives a response, even if it's only an update, but those too can get munched by those pesky Gremlins!  Damn, and we thought snail mail was bad. Lol
My personal advice if it's not a specific call, wait two weeks over the consideration time noted on the website, then send your short note of inquiry.
If is a specific deadline, like for an anthology, write a note the next day but be prepared for the probability that the works for inclusion have already been chosen.  
You might be surprised though as the publisher very well could come back with a note of apology and information on consideration in another anthology your story just happens to fit into.

Anyway, I'm very sure you're sick of hearing from this publisher by now so I'll leave you with the thoughts above and mastering the perfection of your own submissions.

Wishing you all the best of luck in everything you do.  May the words flow freely from your mind to your fingertips & may your plot lines, sentence structure, conflict, resolution, characters, world building, HEA's & all forms of editing come out perfect the first time!



Post Note: (you'll notice this is not a new post, page or email)

I've made a few intentional errors in some places above just to make things fun.  (cause it's what I live to do) So, to the brave soul who wants to take a stab & re-write my entire message in a clearer, better understood manner without an inkling of an error or a small hint of doubt in clarity as to my intended message, go for it.  I might just have a sweet surprise for you at the end.  But beware, things are not always as they seem and some invitations can leave you gasping for breath.

Have a truly marvelous week my friends. I am off to consider holiday themed submissions!  *rubs hands together at the prospect of all the excitement so many naughty stories is sure to bring*

Summer Daniels - Summer's Journey Vol 1 & Vol 2 - Help an Indie author out on a social experiment!

From Summer Daniels re: Summer's Journey Vol 1 & Vol 2 & A Social Experiment.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WE0X2E?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1

In order to keep the momentum going as the ranking slips, I am going to give away 10 copies of Volume Two, or 5 copies of Volume One and 5 of Volume Two.

Just email me at summerdaniels71@gmail.com and I will send you a copy, counting towards both the ranking and the 100 sale plateau!

Please consider doing a review as that is truly a help for #indie authors.

Thank you to everyone who has commented, shared, tweeted, read, etc. Your support of this effort is very much appreciated!

**********************************
Volume Two got as high as an Amazon Rank of 7,833 late last night!!

Please keep the forward momentum going and share, post, tweet, etc.

Help me take this #viral and support a great charity!

http://www.firstbook.org/

******************************************
Who would like to help me with a #socialmediaexperiment ...?

I would like to see if it is possible to take an indie author 99 cent ebook - #erotica no less, and make it climb Amazon's charts to where it gets noticed.

http://amzn.to/nrMLAJ

For every 100 sales of this 99 cent ebook from now until the end of November (100 sales = $35 in royalties), I will donate $20 to First Book - a charity organization that promotes giving free books to children.

According to their website - the majority of low income families do not have a single book for their children. That is really a startling statistic to me. Help me put books in the hands of the children. (just not my books - they are for adults only!)

Invest 99 cents and get something HOT to read. Buy a few copies and send them to others to read. Help me take this #viral by sharing, tweeting, posting, etc.

If you have a twitter account - please tweet the following:

------------------------------------
PLS RT - Summer's Journey - For every 100 sales -@sexysassysummer will donate $20 to First Book charity for kids. http://amzn.to/nrMLAJ
------------------------------------

Let's see how high we can take a simple erotica ebook up Amazon's charts!

Obviously this benefits me as well - as sales climb, my books get noticed. I make no excuses for that part, my books are getting great reviews and I will do whatever I can to help promote them - but I like the idea of giving something back as well.

Thank you for your consideration!

****************************

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b005we0x2e?ie=utf8&force-full-site=1 in

www.amazon.com

Congratulations to the 3 lucky winners from The Romance Studio Party...

"Congratulations to Shadow Kohler for winning a copy of Danvers Asylum by Chrystian Marrero, Eva Perez for winning a copy of Don’t Call Me Baby by Elizabeth Black and Colleen Conkin for winning a copy of The Cabin by Nathanial Bosch.
 

The question asked was "What does NNP specialize in?"

The answer was "specializing in bringing our readers the intoxicating world of steamy erotica and the pleasures of the paranormal."
Winners and books were selected by using random.org

Your .pdf copy of selected e-books, have been emailed to the addresses you provided.

Thank you for your participation in the Naughty Nights Press contests!
Enjoy!

Yours,
The Naughty Nights Press (NNP) Team"

Come party with NNP over at The Romance Studio, you know you want to!

Naughty Nights Press is partying today over at 

The Romance Studio, 

so if you want to come and chat with some of the authors, enter a 

competition or two to win some hot erotic or horror e-books then 

head on over to http://theromancestudio.com/party/ 

Author's will be on the site at all hours of the day depending on 

what time zone they are in and will be linking up some fantastic 

blog posts they have written in the past that will intrigue and tease you.

Naughty Nights Press will be holding a competition and 

there will be 3 lucky winners.

Each winner will win either a copy of 

Danvers Asylum by Chrystian Marrero 

or a copy of 

Don't Call Me Baby by Elizabeth Black 

or a copy of 

The Cabin by Nathanial Bosch.

Question will be going up soon, so don't miss out on 

your chance and the winner will be announced on 6th of November.

So what are you waiting for, come on over and party hardy with the NNP Family!

Writing Outside The Box by Kiki Howell

Yes, this is me with my computer in a box, a moment that I’ve been teased about many times, and lives on in print. I wanted to be outside in the spring when the sun came out, a rare event sometimes in the northeastern part of the US. And, I’d read about these black boxes you could buy to shield your computer from the sun so you could see the screen. The box was my experiement, and my family was mortified someone might see! LOL Sorry, off topic right at the beginning, but when I chose my title, I had to use the pic!

“Good art is art that allows you to enter it from a variety of angles and to emerge with a variety of views.” ~Mary Schmich

I take this approach with all of my writing. I’m all about different angles and various views. Whether I’m writing about contemporary life or historical, I feel the need to shake things up, alter contemporary life or history. How do I do this? Well, I combine genres, write not only a romance that is a contemporary or historical story, but one that is also a paranormal romance and an erotic romance with a touch of romantic suspense. Of course, who knows what else I will throw in there along the way. Just tried my hand at my first steampunk ;)

It is all about the troubles for me when I am setting up a plot, so I look at the setting and figure out what situations or issues a hero or heroine could find herself in, romantic entanglements, paranormal issues, problems with the law, you name it. This comes first. The possibilities here are so endless too, always more story ideas than time to write them. So, I create the storyline in what-ifs. What if she was forced away from the man she loved? What if her powers were increased or she just suddenly discovered them? What if she met a man like no other, one with otherworldly traits? What if there was a threat of black magic as well? What exactly would she do, how far would she go to be with the man she loves? I don’t make it any easier on my heroine to find love than I do for her to get find a cab in modern day New York City or to get into her corset in Regency England.

 These questions often , of course, lead to a bit of research. Of course, then I take myself out of my comfort zones. I push the limits of my imagination as I answer each of those questions. I see the settings and the situations, play with each of their limitations. I imagine the scenes, all the possibilities my mind can conjure up. I add in a spell or two often to make things tougher or easier, or throw in another paranormal creature, though I’m partial to witches. I have recently though really gotten into mixing the paranormal creatures together to see how their different worlds, myths, make it easier or harder to live together.

With all my paranormal elements in place, my touches of suspense set just right, I add in those love scenes fraught with paranormal elements as well. Writing paranormal sex is fun, but often also a struggle.  Yes, it is nice to let the paranormal aspects: spells, super strength and speed make the sex otherworldly, but the challenge becomes describing it! I mean I’ve had great sex, but to date not with any paranormal creatures! LOL So experience is out, it is life plus imagination all the way here! What I do have is that fight with that angel and devil who sit on my shoulders as I write, battling about whether any reader will buy it, not as in purchase it, but believe it! LOL

Look for stories written outside of the box coming to NNP in 2012:

Love, Creativity & Magick, A Steampunk Valentine's Day Tale (Feb 2012)

The Vampire’s Witch, At War in the Willows Series, Book One (March 2012)

The Vampire’s Wolf, At War in the Willows Series, Book Two (July 2012)

The Vampire’s Human, At War in the Willows Series, Book Three (November 2012)

Plus many more in NNP Anthologies!

Just Released:

“Midnight Showing” in the multi-author NNP anthology, A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve available now on Amazon, Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks

Okay, last picture, me just after having taken my first ever book in print out of the box it was shipped in! Did I carry this box thing too far? Well, sorry, that’s just me, I like to carry things too far especially in the paranormal, fictional realms :) Plus, just a warning, don't Google words like sexy and box together to find images - the options were frightening or the girls are plastic *giggles* 

Kiki Howell

~where love is a mystical thing~

www.kikihowell.com

GIVEAWAY Pledge Drive for Abby Hayes, New Author, Kickstarter Program - 3 DAYS ONLY!

Naughty Nights Press has been informed that one of our new writers, Abby Hayes, is lacking in the pledges she needs to meet her Kickstarter goal.
So we’ve decided to help.

As a new business we can’t offer a financial backing to an author, but what we can do is offer incentives to those that make a pledge of as little as $5 to support Abby.

For many $5 is simply a cappuccino at the nearest Starbucks. To Abby Hayes, who is trying to kickstart her writing career, $5 could make all the difference.
So please, give up that coffee just for today and help this incredibly talented young lady make a dream come true!

Even $1 can make a difference to Abby's cause, so if you can't afford the $5 pledge but still want to help, then do it. Give that $1 pledge!

For more information on Abby’s Kickstarter pledge drive, please visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1715155828/abby-hayes-erotic-author

So, to kick off our own incentives, and hopefully encourage everyone to send in a pledge, we have come up with some FREE offerings to those who meet certain pledge levels.

If you pledge the following amount in the next three days, you will receive your choice of the following .pdf copy of an ebook for FREE!

All you have to do is email Tessa Wanton at tessawanton@live.co.uk with your proof of pledge, dated between November 3 and November 7 at midnight, to Abby’s Kickstart program and the book you choose in your pledge level. It’s so easy and you are supporting a good cause.

The ebooks will be given to those who pledge even if the final amount is not met; so really, what have you got to lose. It’s a WIN/WIN situation for all!

$5 - The Training Of Tess by Tessa Wanton OR The Cabin by Nathanial Bosch
$10 - Raging Shadows by Cassandre Dayne OR Danvers Asylum by Chrystian Marrero
$15 - Don’t Call Me Baby by Elizabeth Black OR Red Fire - Surrender by Cassandre Dayne

$25 or more - A coupon code will be sent to you for a free download from Smashwords, in any format, for Abby’s Finding Paradise release for Christmas! PLUS you can choose ANY one of the other books above in .pdf format! That will give you TWO free books!

We only have 12 days left to help Abby meet her goal so please, go pledge now!

To all those who have already pledged or shared in this pledge drive, on behalf of Abby Hayes and Naughty Nights Press, Thank you for supporting an incredible upcoming author!

All pledges must be in by Wednesday November 16, 12:01 am EST.

To see more information or to purchase on any of the books to be awarded, please click on thier coresponding links



The Training Of Tess by Tessa Wanton





The Cabin by Nathanial Bosch





Raging Shadows by Cassandre Dayne



Danvers Asylum by Chrystian Marrero





Don't Call Me Baby by Elizabeth Black



Red Fire - Surrender by Cassandre Dayne




And for a taste of what is to come with Abby's Finding Paradise in December, here is a short snyopsis & excerpt. We know you will agree this is one fantastic writer!

Synopsis:
Days before her high school reunion, Kelly reconnects on Facebook with childhood friend, Nevaeh—a woman who, rumor has it, has lived a life straight out of some erotic novel. And, Kelly has a lot of erotica on her ereader! Ménages, slave fantasies, strangers and BDSM are all included in the stories Nevaeh has to share.

This sexy, world traveler incites Kelly to forge a friendship unlike any she’s ever had before. She never knew a shopping trip could be so educational, especially in an adult store. With her head spinning and her panties damp, Kelly embarks on a crusade to reignite the passion her and her husband, Nate, once had with a few new toys and other surprises. When he surprises her by being a more than willing participant, she decides to test a few boundaries, push a few limits...

Kelly becomes determined to find out if her old neighbor is right, if paradise can be found within your own four walls with the man you married. But, what happens when Kelly’s husband finds out about all of her time spent with Nevaeh? What will happen when Nevaeh’s husband, Hayden, comes into town for the reunion? Will her marriage be in trouble, or will things go further than Kelly ever dreamed they could go?

Warnings: This story contains graphic language and sexual situations including: f/f, m/m/f , m/f/f, and m/f/m/f parings that include gay, lesbian, ménage and partner sharing along with: mild BDSM, capture and slave fantasies, stranger fantasies and a few sex toys.


Excerpt of Finding Paradise


With the full moon illuminating the room, Kelly laid in wait for her husband, literally like a bitch in heat. With a steadfast determination, she prepared herself to pounce on the man. To keep her going, she’d sucked down enough coffee after dinner to make her buzz like she had batteries.
When he came in the room, lust made her eyes practically water. He must’ve noticed, because he stopped mid-stride to smirk at her with one eyebrow raised.
“What’s up with you? You look like the cat that ate the canary - guilty and thrilled with yourself at the same time.”
“I want my husband. Is that so wrong?”
“Ah, no, but I’m a little curious as to why tonight. You haven’t been awake at this hour in years.”
She shrugged, gave him a half smile.
“What did you do today? Watch porn while the kids napped?”
“Better, chatted with an old friend on Facebook again.” Immediately she became cognizant of her mistake in blurting such a thing out. She wasn’t sure how he’d react to his wife being turned on by another woman’s life.
“What? What friend? And, what do you mean again? What the hell is going on, Kelly? What the fuck is going on here while I’m at work?”
“Nate, calm down. It’s a her, for one, and old neighbor. And, I like her. And, she’s lived a life better than any romance novel I’ve ever read. I’d heard rumors, and I begged her to share her stories with me. She is refreshingly open, uninhibited in the telling of her past. We’ve chatted twice, yesterday and today, for about a half hour each.”
“This woman tells you sex stories over the chat on Facebook? What kind of woman is she?”
“Quiet down, or you’ll wake the kids.”
“You’re scaring me. What’s happened to my wife?”
“She’s right here. What’s the difference if I read erotic stories and go to sleep fantasizing, or if I hear a story from a friend and try to seduce, although obviously poorly, my own husband?”
“A whole hell of a lot. Erotic? You read erotic novels?”
“Yes!” she said, putting fists on her hips.
He shook his head. “First I’ve heard of it. Anyway, something’s changed, because those novels, whatever type they are, have never made you so horny that you stayed up for sex.”
Kelly started to cry. “A lot you know. I’ve tried! You come in to bed so late. I’m so tired. And, what the hell is so wrong with a woman deciding it is time to want that part of her relationship back with her husband? Now that I’m a mom, am I supposed to never initiate sex again? Were you going to be happy with that for the rest of our lives? Isn’t it time we got back some part of our sex life?”
“Oh, Kelly, come on. Don’t cry. I’m sorry, but you’ve got to see why I’d be worried. Why didn’t you tell me before now if you wanted me? I miss you too. It’s not you wanting sex; it’s the other woman. I’m worried. I’m jealous. And, I’m not even sure why, damn it.”
“You want me? You miss me?” She sniffed and smiled.
“Want you? Fuck, Kelly, I ache for you. I’m in misery most of the time because we’re not together. But, I knew you were tired. I didn’t want to be another job for you to complete each day like Dan’s wife told him he was.”
“Dan’s wife said that to him?”
“Yeah, he told me at work a few months after Meghan was born to go harder on the basketball court and easier on you.”
“What kind of idiots do you hire? And, man I felt sorry for that slime yesterday when he posted about his workload on Facebook.”
“Facebook again.” He shook his head as if to clear his mind, and then opened his eyes up wide when he was done. “Specifically, I hired Dan to create and manage websites. I didn’t interview any of my employees about their marriages. Dan was trying to be helpful in his own way. But what about this Nevaeh? She chats with you twice, some woman you grew up with, who I’ve never heard you talk about that I can recall, and she’s telling you about sex… with her husband? Is she married? Or, with others?”
“Others, but she tells the same stories to her husband, and they role play to act out their fantasies. Do you have fantasies, Nate?”
“What? Do you have fantasies? Fantasies I don’t know about?”
“I’ve been reading quite a lot at night. I’ve developed some new ones.”
“Really? These erotic books I never heard about again?”
“You’ve never once asked me what I was reading,” she spat.
“You have a point. What are you reading?”
“Erotic romances, stories with the sex spelled out. Currently one about a vampire,” she challenged him.
“Okay. So, fantasies? You plan on sharing sometime?” He crawled on the bed, a smile easing the tight lines of his jaw.
“You want to hear them?”
“Are you kidding me? Of course! But, not now.”
His mouth crushed down over hers. Her heart skipped a beat, and then continued its fast pace from their fight. His tongue pushed between her lips, swept her mouth in militant fashion, dominated.
He fell down over her. “It’s been so long.”
The seam of her nightgown tore from his tug. Not that it was a particularly sexy one, but it didn’t have Oscar the Grouch on it to amuse her son either. Her hands went for his pants, battling the belt with short, hasty movements. Once it opened, she popped off his button yanking on his pants. He helped her free him. His erection poking between her thighs suggested a taste of heaven. No foreplay, yet she was ready for him. He pushed in, and her inner walls trembled at the abrupt change.
Contractions began in seconds. He rode her hard. His eyes shut tight, his mouth fell open and his heart hammered against hers. Her nails dig into the muscles bunching under her fingers. When her stomach tightened, she cried out. Her inner walls clamped down around his hard cock. He stifled the sound with another branding kiss.
“Come with me,” he demanded against her lips.
She let go, felt her body hum as his warm seed filled her. Their bodies slammed against each other, furious, needy. Flames shot from her core to her limbs until she shattered around him.
“I promise you better next time. This time, I just had to have you,” Nate panted.
Tears slipped from her eyes. “I needed to be taken.”
“Tomorrow, will you share your fantasies with me?”
“All you have to do is ask.”
“My god, fantasies,” he said as he lay down beside her, butt to butt. “My erection is already making a reappearance wondering what they could be, I’ll have you know.”
She giggled. “You’ll just have to wait.”
“Wait, as in you’ve another chat session scheduled with Nevaeh tomorrow first?”
Her chest tightened, and her breathing came in hard gasps.
“Actually, she’s flying in tomorrow, early morning from New York for the reunion this weekend. She has to work on her mother’s house first, getting it ready to sell. Her mom died this year. I’m going to ask her to take me shopping this week. I need her expertise on a few of the necessary items for those fantasies.”


Synopsis & Excerpt are the legal copyright of Abby Hayes.
Cover Art by Shane Willis, RAD ACT Photography.
Copyright Naughty Nights Press ©2011
Please do not use, copy or modify any images without the written permission of the artist. Thank you.

Congratulations on the winners of the Bewitching Blog Hop, J from Fetlife and Michael Jordan

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By random drawing, at random.org, You have won a copy of the Naughty Nights Press 


Anthology "A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve!" 

Your .pdf copy of A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve Anthology has been emailed to 


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ON BECOMING A SLAVE

Cassandre Dayne

“I will hurt you. I won’t harm you.” My Dom said to me during one of our conversations. Then he asked me to think about the statement and I do understand what he means. The odd thing is for a few minutes it left me with tingles. I’ve written a lot about the lifestyle of BDSM and I thought as an ending piece I would tell you that I culminated my learning (this doesn’t mean I know enough to engage or make a decision if I wanted to be a part of the lifestyle) but in my needs I met him one day after having spent probably over a hundred hours on line and on the phone. Yes, we met in a very public place and simply shared a conversation but it was even more of an eye opener.

For any of you that would say – what was he like? Like any very nice looking sixty-four year old man except he was perhaps more fit and very controlled in his actions. He’s also very good looking and charming and you can tell from the watch he wears and the truck he drives that he has money. That being said he also works hard still in a profession that is a family oriented situation and requires his complete anonymity from the facts of what he truly is – a Master. He laughed when he told me that so many people when they meet him say – you’re not at all like I thought you’d be. So he asks them what they expected, leather and chains? The answer is a resounding yes.

I really respect what he’s taught me. I asked him to tell me IF I decided to become his slave what would it mean and he said first that he was very possessive and wouldn’t want me seeing anyone else. He also stated very clearly that while he enjoys forms of sadism he is no sadist but he worried for me personally since I am very fair skinned that my body would bruise very easily and it would take a significant amount of time to acclimate me into his needs. His needs – as he said – they’re not fair. He sees another slave from time to time that he won’t collar and would consider collaring me. (Keep in mind I’m married – he is well aware of this and this again is hypothetical). But he is also married in a vanilla situation and won’t leave her. His sex drive is very high and stated he can go for hours having his slave pleasure him.

He commented he enjoys being a decent man and one who if we were out would open doors and pull out chairs and say please and thank you but therein is the truth around the lifestyle. It would simply take a tone of voice or a single look and I would know if I crossed the line. He told me he would control my pleasure but if I was giving him all that I could – and he stated clearly that he expects his slaves to follow his directions to the letter and he would teach me how to ask for my needs but that I shouldn’t expect them. I would have a safe word but he hoped that I would in time forgo the need but if he disciplined me that word wouldn’t apply. He told me about his long time slave – a woman sixteen years his junior that he had a relationship for fourteen years until she died of a brain tumor. She was a professional attorney who commanded men every day but she was totally his slave.

I loved the story of how they met on a case and she was the lead attorney (he used to be with the DEA so you can imagine the cases he worked on) and she led the men around in the room like they were drones. She ended up in an elevator with him and made some smart comment and he simply looked at her and said “you can do that with the other men in the room but if you take that tone with me again I’ll put you over my knee and spank your naked bottom” and as you can imagine she was intrigued. They met for a drink and talked and they entered into a relationship. He said only one time did he seriously have to discipline her and I can tell you I had shivers racing down my spine from the words alone. Whew.

He’d mentioned to me on several occasions that he has many talents with regards to sadistic acts and while I asked several times for him to give me an example he refused saying I would shy away immediately from him in fear and that’s not something he would initiate in the beginning of the relationship. The one thing he did say is that during the first few sessions I wouldn’t really even know this was anything other than fairly vanilla because he wanted to get to know my body completely – from likes and pain tolerances to feel, taste and touch. Then he could begin the training.

I won’t go into some details about what he wants as it would probably turn you off but in explaining some terminologies and how he was trained by several masters in Korea he came to not only understand but respect aspects that the Western worlds don’t explain well. For example Golden Showers are used for humiliation here in the US etc most of the time and the act is considered one of the most intimate in other countries. It was truly fascinating the time I spent and the oddest thing about the meeting was the level of complete respect I had when I left the meeting. Am I going to see him again? I’m not sure. If I were single would I enter into something? Not sure as well but he left me with more questions than answers I suppose which means the time of exploration was well worth indulging in my curiosity.

You’ve heard me say this before, in writing erotic romance, I have spent hours and hours researching my craft. I think all good writers do and as you can imagine, learning more about certain erotic arts and activities has been fascinating. There are many aspects of the genre and the flavors can be from fairly vanilla laced with a touch of kink to living the lifestyle. One of the flavors I enjoy writing about is BDSM – I don’t mean simply light spanking and toys that you and your partner order and enjoy. I certainly do have many of those delicious little bits in my books along with ménage, public display and voyeurism but I’m also talking about a practiced art where two or more people consent into entering into a life of pleasure that stretches the boundaries. I think that’s why it was so important to go down this road.

He is very well aware of the fact I write and has offered to continue training me in any aspect I would consider. He believes I have a bent in the direction of being a slave – not a submissive as there is a difference but of course he won’t cross any boundaries given our respective marital situations. I am honored to consider him a friend as odd as that sounds. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning as much as I have and if you consider this lifestyle there are so many things to think about in order to make a decent decision. Please don’t do it lightly.

Kisses xxx

Cassandre

WHERE TO FIND ME

http://www.cassandredayne.com

http://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/

Email: cassandre@cassandredayne.com

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