New Release: PANDORA'S HOPE

Captain Nora Bradley, fiancé and First Officer Robert Smith, and crew have developed quite the reputation: their current tactical officer is an astral clone of the one they started with; a race of shape-shifting aliens currently travels the stars as an impostor “Pandora’s Hope”; and everyone is still recovering from the embarrassing and life-changing ship-wide orgy caused by their bout with the “space flu.” Worst of all, though, is that the more Nora tries to plan their wedding, the more Robert gets cold feet....

Now that the ship is back on mission, with a glorified babysitter from Space-Corp on its way, it seems that the ship-wide fun might be forced to an end—but first impressions always prove wrong on Pandora’s Hope, and the new addition to their crew, “Quality Control Officer” Patrice Jocar, might have more in common with her new peers than they think. In this second installment of the Lust in Space series, the crew of Pandora’s Hope explores more exotic intergalactic regions, picking up the most unlikely of refugees and encountering new alien species—while their wild and sexy antics continue. Will Nora and Robert’s relationship survive another excursion into deep space, or will the experience tear them apart for good?

EXCERPT:

Nora and Robert sat together in a soft candlelit glow, enjoying a makeshift picnic on the floor of her room. They shared a bottle of sparkling cider, sipping the tart, bubbly beverage from champagne flutes. Intoxicated not by their drink, but by the presence of one another, they enjoyed the quiet calm of the moment and the feel of their bodies relaxing close together. She wore a revealing red teddy, and Robert couldn’t take his eyes off her supple body.

“You are beautiful,” he said, admiring her.

She finished her glass, then set it aside.

They moved together, kissing passionately. Her body ached for him, and a rush of excitement raced through her as his hands moved to explore every inch of her. He lifted her into his arms, his lips caressing her neck as he moved her to the bed, slowly shedding his clothes.

She closed her eyes, lying back as he began to kiss her body. His lips trailed along the seam of her teddy, then he slid away the lacy material and sampled her with his tongue. She brought her knees up, her body tensing as he teased and tasted her. She let out a light moan, hungry for more, running her fingers through his hair and coaxing him on.

He looked up at her, his hands searching her body. He found her breasts and began to fondle them, breathing heavily against her in his excitement. He built her slowly, his tongue going deep, caressing her gently with broad and eager sweeps, shifting to her clit with soft kisses and driving arcs. As her body tensed, moving toward climax, he teased her with a sudden reprieve, moving instead to caress her thighs with his warm, wet lips.

“I need to feel you inside me!” she whispered, desperate for the release.

An electric rush coursed through her, sending her heart racing and her body breathless as he climbed over her, his lips moving to her breast, then trail¬ing up to her neck. His naked body was hot and ready, his hard erection brushing against her, and she wrapped her legs around him as he moved to enter her. She guided him in, pulling him close, a mix of calm and excitement hitting her as she thrust against him, bringing their bodies together with a satisfied moan. They rocked together, building slowly but eagerly, the feel of their union intensifying as her body went tight and her nails dug into his back.

He began to thrust harder, allowing once again for her pleasure to build. She shifted her body to take him even deeper, and the fire between them began to grow as he hit a spot that caused them both to tense and shake. She anchored her feet behind his back, driving him in even harder. Her body writhed as the release came, and she cried out, each thrust building on the ecstasy of the last.

He held deep inside her, moaning as she continued to thrust her hips. He tensed, and the rapture returned once more as he climaxed, then they both went still, breathless and exhausted.

He pulled away, and then immediately collapsed at her side. “You’re amazing,” he said.

She smiled, feeling warm and relaxed as she lay across the soft picnic blanket. She turned to him and their eyes met. “I’m amazing?”

“Very.”

She breathed deeply, taking in his rich scent as he moved closer to steal another quick kiss.

He wrapped an arm around her and gave a contented sigh.

“I’ve been thinking about the wedding,” she said.

“What about it?” he asked.

“Well....” She paused. “It wouldn’t be too far out of our way for us to make a detour to Haslim space. We could bump up the date, stop through on our way to rendezvous with your new back-up first officer, then pick up our mission from there.”

He nodded, although she could tell he had his reservations. “We could do that.”

“But?” she asked.

“That wouldn’t give us much time to plan,” he said.

She shrugged. “It’s just a thought.”

He nodded the same reserved nod as he had a moment ago. “We’ll think about it.”

Suxie’s voice suddenly crackled over the intercom. “Captain, this is Officer Kasri. We have a situation on the bridge.”

Read more at http://www.ravenousromance.com/fantastica/pandora-s-hope.php

Watch the new trailer:

Release Party Contest!

Pandora's Hope is set for release Thursday, July 29, and to celebrate I've invited the crew to help me give away a $20.00 gift certificate.

Please allow me to introduce you all to Pandora’s Hope veterans Captain Nora Bradley, First Officer Robert Smith, Tactical Officer Suxie Kasri, Navigator Geoffrey Stanton, and all three Locaru—Jim, Buzz, and Bee—as well as two new crewmembers, Quality Control Officer Patrice Jocar and Phoebe the android.

Captain Bradley: It is a pleasure!

New Sensuality: My first question is for anyone who wants to take it. Tell your audience what you think about the public reading about your (sometimes very kinky) sexcapades. Are you ever afraid that people might misidentify you as porn?

Officer Kasri: I’ll take this one. I think it’s important, firstly, to establish that we’re all about the sci-fi. We’re space explorers, and as such—

Navigator Stanton: [interrupting] We do all like to explore more than just space, though!

Captain Bradley: Can we edit this?

First Officer Smith: Leave it in—it’s very candid.

Officer Kasri: The point is that we might be open about our sexual misadventures, but we also happen to be one of the most highly talked about ships in the region: we won the Battle at Omega; we have officers who have invented amazing new uses to our best pieces of technology, we’ve mapped previously uncharted regions of space, and we’ve identified numerous new alien life forms.

New Sensuality: Officer Kasri, what has been your favorite adventure so far on Pandora’s Hope?

Officer Kasri: I would have to say that I most enjoyed encountering the Star Eaters. They were by far the most fascinating—

Captain Bradley: [interrupting] They don’t know about the Star Eaters yet.

Locaru Jim: We be allowed to talk about the new adventures yet?”

Phoebe: Does that mean I don’t get a turn to talk?

New Sensuality: Well, I don’t want any spoilers, but if you want to share a few minor details, we’d love to know.

Phoebe: I join the crew!

First Officer Smith: [under his breath] You do a hell of a lot more than that.

Officer Kasri: [under her breath] To put it mildly.

New Sensuality: I sense some slight hostility, here.

Captain Bradley: They need to get over it.

First Officer Smith: You try being put in a giant habitat by a bunch of solder-brained tin cans, and then you can tell me to get over it.

Phoebe: And a very high-grade solder, at that!

New Sensuality: Let’s shift gears and tell readers a little about our fiancées’ wedding plans. I hear you’ve been talking about exchanging your vows in beautiful Haslim space.

Captain Bradley: You heard right—although Robert gets cold feet and completely freaks me out.

First Officer Smith: At least you don’t get drunk over it, this time.

Captain Bradley: [shrugs] Live and learn.

Locaru Jim: I build the best Locaru adaption yet! People gonna love what I make for Leah!

New Sensuality: Do you feel that the crew works any more cohesively on its second mission?

Captain Bradley: Definitely. I think it takes being with a crew for at least a few good, straight months before you really know how to work with them. We all have our different ways of dealing with a given issue, and that’s something that even as captain I have to respect.

First Officer Smith: I agree.

Navigator Stanton: You also have to factor in the little bit about us being in deep, uncharted space, and how that in itself can take some getting used to.

New Sensuality: Very true, I’m sure.

Officer Jocar: [speaks with dual vocal cords] If I may, I would just like to say how glad I am to be a part of this crew. Space-Corp has these people all wrong. I thought I was jumping into the fire when I accepted the position of Pandora’s Hopes’ new “Quality Control Officer.” Really, Corporate is looking for one good reason to demote Captain Bradley, as the reports from her last mission were quite startling. How differently things can look on file....

New Sensuality: I would like to move on to some questions from our readers, and the contest I’m holding for those who would like to know more about the crew of Pandora’s Hope.

Stop by anytime this week to ask the crew your questions or leave comments. Make sure to leave some way for me to contact you, should you win. One random entrant will win their choice of either a $20.00 Amazon or Ravenous Romance gift certificate. Good luck—and thanks for stopping by!

Review: BLOOD AND SEX: MICHAEL by Angela Cameron

Detective Victoria Tyler is investigating Collins Bay’s new serial killer, one of the city’s vampires. Since they have marked her as a human to be killed or conquered, Tori knows that Michael is her only hope for survival. But she hasn’t spoken to him since the night she tried to kill him....

Blood and Sex, Vol. 1: Michael is a fun, sexy take on the vampire genre. Angela Cameron’s writing style is creative and confident, and reads like a smart mesh of Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, with strong leads, great character dynamics, and fantastic chemistry.

I had difficulty with some of the character motivations, the heavy use of Italian terms lost me a few times, and I had a hard time keeping up with the many supporting characters. With that said, I really enjoyed the story, and I thought the main characters and dialogue were top-notch. Moreover, the romantic, sensual, and erotic elements to this book are phenomenal and tastefully executed, and I recommend it to all who enjoy a quick, fun read.


Warnings: Story contains light BDSM elements.

Blood and Sex: Michael is available through Ravenous Romance, Amazon, and your local bookstore.

Please Welcome Guest Blogger Angela Cameron!

It is my honor today to have author Angela Cameron here as my guest. Angela is the creative force behind the highly rated erotic vampire series, BLOOD AND SEX. You can read my review of the first book in the series, MICHAEL, here.

What struck me most with Ms. Cameron's writing was her ability to execute the use of BDSM (bondage/submission) so eloquently. The New Sensuality, is all about tasteful, artful erotica, and so I present to you Angela Cameron on writing tasteful, artful BDSM.

Light Bondage: The Vanilla Writer’s Guide to Writing Tasteful BDSM

Okay, so maybe it’s not an entire guide, but I wanted to say a few words about writing BDSM for those who aren’t so fetish savvy. Lisa here was kind enough to let me hijack the blog to do so. (Thanks, Lisa!!!)

Those who’ve read the Blood & Sex series know that the sex comes with a little kink. Actually, in some cases it’s probably a lot of kink, but it’s not done in a way that sends fetish virgins running for the literary hills. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of fetish stories, that’s a fine line to walk. Everyone’s version of “extreme” is different, defined by their life experiences.

So how do you know how much is too much?

And for that matter, how do you know what to write to begin with?

Since I can’t fit a complete guide into one blog post, I’ll give you the ten basics.

1-Research Fetishes - Okay, this may be obvious to some, but I had to do a bit of research to have any idea what I was writing about. I started out in an erotica writer’s group where I read the work of those who write fetish material. I learned from some of the top erotica writer’s, by reading their works and asking questions. I joined a private, small group of people who were open and honest about their adventures, even in front of me—the innocent one in the group.:-) Then, I went even further, interviewing a legal prostitute from another country to find out what makes men tick in the bedroom. Even sixteen years of marriage couldn’t give me the wealth of information she did. Most of it wasn’t even about intercourse, which was eye opening for me. She saw a level of honesty from other women’s husbands that many wives never do. Understanding the psychology and personalities behind sexual preferences is key. You wouldn’t want your hero who should obviously be a dom getting spanked, now would you?

2- Learn About BDSM - Take the research a step further by looking into BDSM. If you’re going to be believable, you need to know what you’re talking about. You may not get technical or need half the information, but you still need to see the big picture to understand your characters’ love lives.

To understand the areas fetishes fall in, take a look Encyclopedia Dramarica's The Basics and The Lingo and More

A sprinkling of the appropriate actions, attitudes and gear can make the story more believable.

3-Consider the Character – Use all that information you gathered and apply it to picking the right flavor. Just as the clothes, car, and fighting style make the hero more rounded, so does their sexual preference. Every character in the series has their own preference, dictated by their personality. It goes with their own subconscious needs.

When writing the Blood & Sex series, it was important to consider who they were to know who liked what. For Michael, it’s about being a bit dominant. There’s a power struggle between him and Tori that goes with their both being powerful individuals in their own right. For Jonas, it’s about a bit-o-bondage that goes back to a childhood connection between pain and love.

4 – Take It Slow - Write the sex scene into the story just like you would any other. Don’t push the character (or the reader) into a fetish. If the first scene throws a reader straight into the deep end of the kink pool, they’re likely to panic. Worse yet, they’ll put the book down and walk away. A nice resolution for this is to make one character inexperienced in that area and let them learn as the reader does.

5- Progress Naturally – It has to be natural. For most characters, that means the first time or three might be vanilla sex. Then, as they trust the partner more, they’d introduce the fetish into the mix. It may be just a small bit at first, maybe holding down the arms. The next time, they might introduce furry handcuffs. And, as time goes on, the preference comes out. The revelation of what the character truly wants is usually the last step, when all emotional issues are resolved.

6- Keep It Simple - There doesn’t have to be a lot of complicated words or gear, just the subtle suggestion of something a little more than just straight sex. Describe what’s happening and nothing more. Don’t get caught up in using the right lingo and ruin it all. If you write the scene from the less experienced partner’s point of view, it’s likely to come out best with inexperienced language.

7- Avoid the Extremes - Most vanilla readers can enjoy a little slap and tickle. They probably won’t understand the intricacies of being ball gagged and whipped without a huge setup.

8-Stay in Love – The sex scenes need to be filled with the understanding of love between the lovers. Each time the reach new territory, there should be a new level of intimacy achieved. For some this will spell more love, for others it will bring forward new issues to deal with.

9 - Don’t Overdo It - It’s not overly done. Their entire stories aren’t about their particular flavor of sex, but it’s definitely an important part of their life and their journey. Michael, for example, exudes dominance. But Jonas keeps his bondage locked in the dungeon. Do what makes sense for that character, and remember that even a dominatrix needs a day job and probably teaches Sunday school.

10—Have Fun! – Start with a kink that appeals to you. Just like writing anything else, if you’re disgusted by bondage, don’t go there. It will show.

So, tell us about your favorite characters. What fetishes do they have? Who’s the best author you’ve seen at writing this type of “tasteful” BDSM? Feel free to post examples.

And if you have any questions, post ‘em here for us to discuss.

For more information on Angela Cameron's works, visit her blog.

New Rave Review!

Natasha Brooks writes in the Las Vegas Examiner: "['One Night Stand'] is a delicious read if you are looking for a sample of an interesting erotic horror filled with vampire gore, sex, and a very twisted ending."

You can read the full review here.

The Cerebral Writer: The Light Age

"The Light Age"
Copyright Lisa Lane

Performed live at Espresso Yourself cafe in Ontario, California.
Guitar and backup vocals: Erin Barker
Bass: Steven West

Now on itunes!

Download The Darkness and the Night: Blood and Coffee, The Darkness and the Night II: Cosmic Orgasm, The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness and Lust in Space at the Apple app store!