January 2014 – Behind Closed Doors

Author #Spotlight is on @PiperPunches and Her #Debut Release The Waiting Room

Welcome to the Behind Closed Doors Author Spotlight feature. Today I’m excited to welcome back Piper Punches to finish out a tour of my blogs. Her debut novel The Waiting Room released a few short months ago has already garnered over a dozen FIVE STAR reviews on Amazon and I’m sure will end up with many more. Instead of me going on and on about her, how about I let the guest of honor tell her own story. ~Tammy

As a writer I am often asked the question, “How do you come up with your stories?” That is a loaded question and one that often requires an answer longer than the person asking planned on sticking around to hear. But, what did they expect? I am a novelist after all; not a skilled Haiku writer. Trying to contain the thoughts that flutter through my mind like money in a wind tunnel to a mere three lines and 17 syllables would be impossible and cruel.

The truth is that there are a plethora of things in life than inspire me to write. A song on the radio, political commentary that makes me stop and scratch my head, even watching my daughters playing together can fuel a creative spark. But, if I were to pick one thing that inspires me the most it would be human connection; that thin, invisible fiber that seems too weak to possibly connect one person to another, but does so without snapping and without asking for permission.

My debut novel, The Waiting Room, is a book about that human connection. It explores the innards of humanness because I am constantly spellbound by the reasons that people make the choices they do. By the time you read this post, I will have celebrated my 37^th birthday. That’s not many years by a long shot as I hope to have many, many more (did I mentioned I am immortal – not delusional, just immortal – insert the wink emoticon here). However, over the course of the past 37 years I have been confronted with pain and sadness caused by choices I made in life as well as by choices those that I loved made. These choices have defined me in ways both good and bad. Sometimes the shrapnel from these choices that still resides in me makes it difficult to move past the past. This is when I find myself inspired the most. I put my pen to the paper (okay, my fingers on the keyboard) and write to find a way to understand.

In The Waiting Room, the characters of Charlotte, Harold, and Sylvie each have made choices in their lives that have defined them and prevented them from moving past their pasts. Some readers may wonder why I chose to entitle this novel, The Waiting Room, especially since the theme of the book is not wholly medical related. I have never addressed the reason behind the title, but I would love to share my insight with you today.

When we can’t move past the past and learn to forgive those around us or even ourselves we are in an Earthly purgatory, so to speak. We are stagnant and still. The characters in The Waiting Room find themselves in this motionless state, allowing life to happen to them as they continue to hold onto pain. As sad and depressing as this may sound, I want you, the reader, to know that The Waiting Room is not a story about despair and regret. It is a story about forgiveness, moving on, and hope.

Writing this novel was an amazing experience. I am continually amazed at the reviews and comments I receive from readers after they have read, The Waiting Room. I hope that you will consider reading The Waiting Room, too, and letting me know if you were inspired to move past whatever is holding you back from living your life to the fullest. You can read the first thirteen lines of The Waiting Room by clicking here or by requesting a sample on Amazon.com.

About the Author

Piper Punches lives in the far west suburbs of St. Louis with her husband and two daughters. The Waiting Room is her debut novel. Piper is excited to connect with her readers and encourages everyone to stop by her website and say hello. In the meantime, she is currently working on her second novel, 60 Days, which will be available April 2014 and a short novella, Missing Girl, available January 2014.

CONNECT WITH PIPER PUNCHES

http://www.piperpunches.com

http://www.facebook.com/piperpunches

http://www.twitter.com/piperpunches

http://www.goodreads.com/piperpunches

#FridayFantasy: @dochappycamper Invites You to Spice Up Your Sex Life With a Bit of #BDSM

If you’ve ever been curious by kink or bondage, you’re not alone. With the mainstream popularity of books like Fifty Shades of Grey and the introduction of kinky characters on television programs such as CSI, more and more average Joes and Janes are beginning to explore the world of kink and bondage. BDSM isn’t simply a new trend to follow, however, because it can be a great way to explore your fantasies and heat things up in the bedroom and in your relationship.

Whether you’ve been toying with the idea of incorporating BDSM in your relationship or recently became intrigued in kink, adding a bit of bondage can provide much needed intensity and passion to your partnership. This inevitably can make you feel closer to your partner(s). Although it can be intimidating , BDSM exploration can be an exciting adventure with a little communication, honesty, and an open mind. Here are a few tips on how to gently integrate this erotic practice into your relationship.

Talk It Over

Communication is key to any relationship, regardless of how you and your partner interact sexually. When you’re dipping into the world of bondage and kink, however, it’s even more important that you maintain a clear line of communication. Start off by discussing what it means to be in a BDSM relationship. Make sure that you are both on the same page when it comes to understanding the full terms of what this will involve along with which type of acts you’re willing to get test out.

Remember to discuss the different roles and what they mean—along with who is comfortable taking on each role. Do a little research and find out exactly what this lifestyle entails. It’s also crucial that you figure out what your limits are and determine which BDSM activities you’ll incorporate in your sex play and which you’ll leave out. How submissive will you or your partner be? How dominant? Will you indulge in kinky bondage toys like blindfolds, handcuffs, or other restraints? Bottom line, before you even begin your BDSM adventure, make sure you and your mate are on the same page and desire the same kind of kink.

Start off Slowly

Once you and your partner have an understanding of the ground rules for your BDSM relationship, So Feminine suggests easing into bondage by incorporating certain aspects of it into your relationship. Begin by including master/slave roles in your regular sex regimen. Assign names to each other, introduce light restraints like a scarf or neck tie, and gradually introduce a small amount of pain.

This can also mean using the sex toys that may already be part of your play time—or going bigger and rougher. As displayed on Adam and Eve, there’s much more out there than the straightforward dildo you’re already using. It can be replaced with something thicker, longer, or used for other means (anal, oral). Incorporate one of these different devices into your normal sex routine and, if you’re both feeling comfortable, mix it up by switching roles or by making the item the focus of the domination aspect. In other words, whoever holds the dildo is in control.

As you learn what you like and don’t like, you’ll find out if you want to boost the intensity or reduce it–remember, a healthy BDSM relationship is one where the sub is comfortable with the submissive role and the dom feels confident as master. Even if you already have established sexual boundaries, your limits may evolve as you delve deeper into BDSM. Don’t be afraid to explore, but do remember to take your time.

Push the Envelope

As you continue your BDSM adventure, try to include more and more elements of bondage when you play. Begin by investigating what bondage and kink products are out there and how they can enhance your BDSM lifestyle. When you’re ready, invest in a bondage kit for beginners or collect some BDSM essentials. Don’t forget to actively play your BDSM roles through name calling and donning outfits that fit in with the BDSM theme. Test the limits of your new “relationship”, but be respectful of your partner’s personal wishes. Maintain open communication and check in with your him or her throughout your initial bondage encounters. Remember, BDSM should turn you both on and assist in making your relationship better, so don’t go any further if it feels forced and/or isn’t pleasurable.

adameve.com-680

Until next time

~Tammy

Behind Closed Doors With @MtnMoxieGirl Amber Lea Easton’s Reckless Endangerment #romance #suspense #ASMSG

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors! Today is Throwback Thursday and I have a very special treat for you all today. My friend, fellow Siren author and fabulous editor of the Muses anthology is here today to talk about her romantic suspense novel Reckless Endangerment. Technically this one was released in April 2013 so it is a “throwback.” I thought it would be fun to dip back into catalog for today’s post. I’ll just let her take the reigns. Sit back and enjoy!

~Tammy

Behind Closed Doors…I love the name of this blog. What really goes on behind closed doors? Do we really know someone from their appearance and social persona, even if we regularly associate with them? Image is just that, a snapshot of who we are.

In my novel, Reckless Endangerment, Hope Shane appears to the world—and even to those closest to her—to be a badass reporter who needs no one and has more ambition in her little finger than most do in their entire bodies. But she’s more than that. She’s a woman who wants to fight for her marriage, who mourns the loss of too many friends she’s seen killed in a warzone, and who wishes people could see beyond the public persona.

Can you relate to that? Have you ever felt like you were living up to a standard that was exhausting to maintain? Maybe you’re not perfect, but guess what? No one really is. It’s easy to judge by appearances but it’s rarely accurate.

Michael Cedars is decorated war hero who has an image in his mind of who he is supposed to be in life, but all of that is erased when war wounds leave him partially paralyzed. The difference between his new reality and his expectations of himself as a man push him toward the edge. The very image he’d projected to the world no longer serves him and he doesn’t like his options. Yet everyone in his life is tugging at him to do this, be that, look ahead…and all he wants to do is give up.

Everyone struggles. People all have their challenges, but life moves forward sometimes at a faster pace than we can handle. So we plaster on the smile, live up to the image we choose to project, while we figure out exactly who we are and what we’re going to do about it. Fight, surrender, adapt, or mourn? Often it’s all of the above all done behind closed doors.

Blurb of Reckless Endangerment:

Heroes come in many forms–soldiers who fall and rise and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Sometimes heroes fall and take the ones they love down with them. Colonel Michael Cedars and reporter Hope Shane fell in love in a war zone, but then the world blew up, and splintered their lives in two.

Michael Cedars returns home from Afghanistan wounded and unsure where he fits in this ‘new normal’ of civilian life. Unsure if he’ll walk again, he questions his abilities as a man, husband, and father. Accustomed to giving orders, he’s thrown into a world where he doesn’t know the rules anymore and no one is respecting the officer in the room.

Hope isn’t one who gives up easily—not on her marriage and not on the innocent victims of a human trafficking ring she’s investigating. As the danger of her story intensifies, she struggles with her own post-traumatic stress disorder and a husband who resists her love.

Danger intensifies as Hope searches for truth and justice. Everyone she loves is at risk. Will her reckless pursuit of the human trafficking ring jeopardize their lives?

Michael knows she needs him, but doubts his ability to be the hero she still believes him to be. Is he still the man she married or has he become a liability that could get her killed?

Excerpt:

“You’re a selfish bastard.” She shoved her hands through her hair and counted silently to twenty. “Say what you want, I don’t care because I’d rather fight with you than mourn you. I’d rather you hate me than feel nothing.”

“I do hate you.”

Blowing a strand of hair from her face, she grabbed the ouzo bottle, opened it and slammed cabinet doors looking for a glass.

“I know you’re lying,” she said.

“Get the hell out of here,” he yelled.

“Where are your goddamn glasses?” she asked between clenched teeth.

“How would I know? I’ve been here less than six hours.”

“Who needs a glass, right?” She took a long swig of the liquor. The alcohol burned her throat but felt damn good. She took another swig before meeting his gaze.

“Is that how you’re dealing with your guilt? Drinking it away?” he asked.

She held the bottle out toward him. “Want a taste?”

He looked at her through narrowed eyes, muscle working overtime in his jaw.

“C’mon, babe, look at it this way…maybe a taste will kill you,” she said.

For the first time since entering the room, a flicker of humor shot through his eyes. With a shrug, he grabbed the bottle and drank without breaking eye contact.

“I’m still alive,” he said.

“Sorry to disappoint you…again.” Needing to touch him, she reached for the scar that zigzagged across his forehead.

He flinched away from her touch.

“You need to leave. You don’t owe me anything,” he said without looking at her face.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth and studied his bent head before answering. “This isn’t about owing you anything.”

He met her gaze then, annoyance flashing in the brown depths. But there was something else there, too…pain so intense she took a step back.

“What is wrong with you?” he asked. “Just because I’m in this chair doesn’t mean that you can bully me.”

“Am I bullying you?” She grinned at the idea of bullying him. He’d always been the badass Marine with more arrogance than necessary. Her independence clashed with his attitude more often than not, but that had been a good thing. Maybe—just maybe—he’d missed it. “I brought you fast food and alcohol. We even had a fight. I think you like that I’m here. I’m livening things up. You looked pretty bored when I walked in.”

He grabbed her hand before she could snag another fry. He squeezed her fingers so hard she thought her bones would snap. “Look at me. I’m not the man you married. I’m not even a Marine anymore. Look at me.”

She only saw the man she loved who stared back with desperation in his eyes. She saw his hair thicker and longer than she’d ever seen it before and liked it. She saw his teeth sink into his lower lip and wanted them sinking into her skin. She only saw Michael.

“You’re still the sexiest man on the planet,” she said.

“You’re delusional.” He dropped her hand as if the mere touch of her skin sickened him.

“Maybe I am.”

“What are you getting out of this?”

“A headache.”

“I can’t. I’m changed. We’ll never be able to be like we were.” He looked at his legs. “Not like how you remember me anyway. I’m different now.”

“So am I. We’re all different.”

“It’s more than that and you know it. You and me…sex…there will be…expectations.”

“I see, so I should pretend you don’t exist because you feel awkward about sex? You must not think much of me, Colonel.” She bit out his rank between clenched teeth.

“When I see you that’s what I want, are you satisfied now? Right now I would like to throw you up against that counter, rip those jeans from you and fuck you. I remember how we were together. That’s what I want. I can’t do that. Do you hear me? I can’t have what I want and seeing you is torture for me. I can’t have you.”

Silence quaked in the room.

She put both of her hands on his knees, conscious that he couldn’t feel her touch. “You keep talking about what you’ve lost, but you haven’t lost me. Don’t you see that? You may not be a Marine anymore and you may not be able to walk anymore, but you have me. I love you. I need you. Can’t that be enough? And you have your son. What about him? He needs you, too. You haven’t lost him.”

“I wish you hadn’t come here.”

“Too bad, I’m here. Deal with it.” She moved onto his lap and moved her hands over his shoulders. “What’s the problem?”

“Stop this,” he whispered.

“You want me to kiss you. You want to kiss me back.” She could see it in his eyes, the need, the desire, the question. “Is that what you want, Michael?”

“What would that prove?”

“Does it have to prove something? Can’t a kiss be a kiss?”

“No.”

“Typical man.” She leaned within a fraction of his lips. “Don’t you remember high school? Don’t you remember when a kiss meant everything?”

In a sudden move, he grabbed the back of her head and ground his lips against hers. She knew the intensity was meant to shock her so she matched it with her own. She sat on his lap and plunged her tongue into the recesses of his mouth until he moaned. His free hand squeezed her breast through the thin material of her blouse but, instead of hurting, it ignited her blood.

The Michael she knew still lived inside this man. She felt him in the warmth of his mouth, the strength of his hands on her body, the restrained power of his touch.

She couldn’t stop touching him, hands moved through his hair, over his face, along his shoulders. Alive. Here. She fought back a Hallelujah.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://getBook.at/REALEaston

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/Z4F3qj

All Romance Ebooks: http://goo.gl/d7RRSt

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/14lTKrb

Contact information:

http://www.amberleaeaston.com,

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberLeaEaston

and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MtnMoxieGirl

Author Bio:

Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author of both nonfiction and fiction. She spent years working in journalism and advertising with a brief detour into the financial sector. She has three published romantic suspense novels—”Kiss Me Slowly”, “Riptide”, and “Reckless Endangerment”—and a contemporary romance novella, “Anonymity.” Her memoir about surviving the suicide of loved one, “Free Fall”, published in September 2013.

Easton is also an editor and professional speaker. Links to radio interviews can be located on her website, http://amberleaeaston.com, and her videos about romance writing have been showcased internationally on the Writers and Authors television network.

Easton currently lives with her two teenagers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. She gives thanks daily for the view outside her window and healthy children. As long as she’s writing, she considers herself to be simply “a lucky lady liv’n the dream.”

@dochappycamper Is In Need of #Reviews for THE SURRENDER OF JULIA #erotic #bisexual #bdsm #sextoys

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors and Happy New Year! I’ve kicked it off with a bang with the early release of The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). It’s been a whirlwind of activity and I had little time to get ARCs out before the book came out. I’ve sent out some requests for reviews, but I thought I’d make another request this way…the the blogger and reader community. If anyone’s interested in receiving a PDF format advanced reading copy of Julia’s story, please either leave a comment here with your contact information, or send me an email directly to tammydenningsmaggyauthor (at) gmail (dot) come.

Of course the email address is all written out to hopefully prevent the bots from finding my email and filling it with spam. LOL!

I also have ARCs from the first two books in the series to give out in exchange for reviews too. Thank you all for your support and help to get the Now and Forever series out there. I’ve been watching the first two books move up some lists on Goodreads and couldn’t be happier about it. Without you, none of this would be happening so THANK YOU!!!

Here’s a the information, blurb and an excerpt from The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3)

Release Date: December 28, 2013

Publisher: Sassy Vixen Publishing LLC

Heat Level: SEXTREME

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Categories: LGBT, bisexual, BDSM, spanking, Fantasy, redemption, erotic, Paranormal elements

Sexual pairings: M/F and F/F

BLURB

L.A. artist phenom Julia Santos appeared to have it all. After a nearly two year long dry spell, her creativity was at its peak and she had her muse and model Jacob Hartley to thank for it. He brought the fire and raw sexuality back to her sculptures and into her bedroom, and a sense of security that only one other person in her life had ever given her. At last she had found the perfect balance between her professional and private lives, until the day a single call from someone in her past threatened to tear her world apart.

Fearful of losing all she’d worked so hard to accomplish, Julia delved deeper into the hedonistic lifestyle she’d come to rely on to give her an escape from the horrors of her past. Instead of bringing her comfort, her sexual urges lead her down the path of destruction; not only for herself, but those around her. With Jacob fighting for his life after a near fatal motorcycle accident and Julia on the brink of death herself, Fate and her Guardian Angel Daniel intervene and transport her to a safe haven called the Island.

There she’s given a choice: stay on the Island and wait for her next rebirth, or go back and fight to be with the one who has been there for her through every lifetime. Will she take the easy way out and leave all the pain behind, or will she choose the long and hard road reliving the horrors of her childhood in order to have her happily ever after with the Mistress of her dreams?

ADULT F/F EXCERPT

Julia’s ass burned from the paddle and yet she craved more. She knew her Mistress would deliver the appropriate punishment. She always knew what to do for her to give them both the greatest amount of pleasure. “Yes, Mistress.” Julia placed her palms flat on the carpet, curled her fingers inward, and gripped the plush fibers as Carmen worked her with the paddle. A few times the edges of the paddle connected with her cunt sending jolts of pleasure and pain through her body, igniting the passion she hadn’t felt in a long time. This was definitely where she belonged, with her Mistress, her true soul mate.

“You’re going to get to know this paddle well, my sweet, but not all tonight. We’ve plenty of time together and I’ve a lot of instruction planned for you.” Carmen slipped her fingers between Julia’s pussy lips. “So wet for me already, kitten. Do you know how much that pleases me?”

“I’ll do anything to please you.” Julia thrust back toward Carmen as her fingers slid over her clit and then quickly withdrew. “Please don’t stop, Mistress.”

Carmen laughed softly as she rubbed soothing cream with her soft hands over Julia’s thighs and bottom. “Don’t you worry, there’s going to be plenty of time for you to come for me, my love. Since it’s been such a long time, your skin isn’t used to being worked, but it will be.”

Shivers flew up and down Julia’s spine. The combination of the heat from the paddle, the coolness of the cream, and the touch of Carmen’s hands became almost too much to take, and yet it was exactly what she needed and longed for from the very start. She felt a tug on her outer lips as the bell clamps were removed and cream worked into the skin where they’d been for the last few hours. Julia moaned again as Carmen spread her ass cheeks and slipped two fingers into her tight opening, coating her with the cream and stretching her with each feathering stroke.

Carmen picked up the crop with the special latex covered handle and bulb at the tip. It resembled a long, thick cock and was in fact, one of Julia’s favorite toys.

Tonight she would be reacquainted with it. Just the sight of it made her body ache with need. The feel of the dildo sliding between her cheeks, sent a flood of her juices down her inner thighs with nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t hold it back any longer and hoped it wouldn’t displease her Mistress too much. A smile slowly formed on her lips thinking about what would happen next if Carmen followed her usual routine.

The bulb of the handle slowly slid passed the initial resistance to embed deep within her. Julia’s clit throbbed in response to the fullness of the crop buried in her ass, and her hips rocked. She ground her pussy into the ottoman, attempting to give her clit some relief.

Carmen wasn’t going to allow it however. “Kneel up, hands behind your back, kitten.” She helped Julia get up and into position before shoving the crop a little deeper into her. “Now, I’m going to enjoy that hot bath you prepared for me. Keep your hands behind your back, legs apart, and that fake cock right where it is until I tell you otherwise. Are you okay with that or do you need a break, my pet?”

Julia swallowed hard and licked her lips. “I could use a drink of water, Mistress.”

Carmen held a bottle of water with a straw while Julia drained nearly half of it in three gulps.

“Thank you.”

Carmen kissed her forehead and then her lips softly. “I won’t be long and then we’ll start again. I was thinking of our last session after you visited me today. We had such a short time together then, not enough to really see what both of us were made of. But this time, oh honey, this time we are going to be able to let everything and everyone else go.”

Thank you all for visiting. Until next time my peeps!

~Tammy