Friday 30 November 2012

Hot Winter Nights

UPDATE:  Dec. 5, 2012
And the winner of my prize ($5 Strandbucks to pick up new books at www.bookstrand.com) is...
Belinda G!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by for this blog hop. I'll definitely do it again soon. Plus, you can check out my other features (Sinful Sundays - coming soon; True Confessions Tuesday; Really Random Wednesday; Follow This! Friday; more to come!) and keep up to date on my new releases.
Hope you all have some hot and happy winter nights!
Michelle

Original Post
I'm thrilled to be participating in my first ever blog hop! Hosted by Nicole Morgan, this hop will have you visiting some HOT writers, and getting great ideas on how to keep yourself toasty warm this winter!

For my own contribution, I've included a short, FFM story for you. I hope you like it! Leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win $5 in StrandBucks to be used at www.bookstrand.com! I'll choose the lucky winner on December 5th! Please make sure you leave your Twitter handle or email address so I can contact you!

All comments will also be entered in the GRAND PRIZE draw for a prize pack worth more than $100! The prize pack includes a $50 Amazon gift card, $10 in StrandBucks, plus a package of 11 ebooks guaranteed to warm you up fast!

After you read my story and comment, don't forget to visit all the other participants on the list below! They're all offering great prizes and the more you comment, the more chances you have to win! Happy hopping!

Chalet for Three
a short erotic romance by Michelle Graham

“My fingers are going to fall off!” Liz exclaimed, stamping her feet on the mat outside the cottage door. She opened it and stepped inside, relishing the warm air that enveloped her.

“You need to get better gloves,” Jane told her. “Those ones are far too thin for these long treks.” She closed the door behind them.

Liz wasn’t sorry to be leaving the cold outside. She enjoyed her ski trips with Jane and her husband, Matt, but she really did need to invest in better gear. She pulled off the offending gloves, stuffed them in the pocket of her ski jacket, and began to pull off her boots. Jane did the same nearby.

“Hey, girls!” Matt called from the other room. “I’ve got some soup all ready for you!”

“Your husband is amazing,” Liz said as they made their way to the kitchen. “He may just keep me from dying of hypothermia.”

Matt smiled and swatted her on the butt. “You know I love to help keep you warm, Liz,” he teased. He waved her toward the table, which was set for three. Steam wafted up from the soup bowls and large glasses of wine stood at each place. The three friends settled in to enjoy their lunch.

By the time the sun had faded from the sky outside, three empty wine bottles stood on the kitchen counter. Liz, Jane, and Matt were seated on the floor in front of the fire. Liz was definitely warm now, and her head spun a bit from the alcohol. They were giggling like kids as they played Truth or Dare. It was juvenile, but they were having a blast. Matt had just finished confessing the time he got caught masturbating in the bathroom at a party in high school. The girls collapsed against each other, their laughter ringing through the room.

“Your turn, Liz,” Matt said when they had calmed down a bit. “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Liz replied.

He grinned mischievously at her. Leaning close, he whispered, “Have you ever fucked another girl?”

Liz laughed. “No!”

His eyes darkened, and the laughter faded from Liz’s mouth as she gazed at his deep brown eyes. She didn’t know why, but suddenly her stomach was tightening oddly, and her heart began to beat faster.

“Would you?” he asked.

“Would I what?”

“Would you fuck another girl?” His gaze held hers and he reached out a hand to touch her knee.

A thrill raced through Liz. He had touched her before, in much more overtly sexual ways, but it had never felt like this. What is he doing? She felt hands on her shoulders and turned her head slightly to see Jane right behind her. As she looked at her best friend, her nipples hardened, and her pussy gave a slight spasm. Before she could think about anything else, Jane’s lips were pressed against hers.

Liz didn’t know if it was the wine, or the kiss, but her head was spinning. Jane’s lips were so soft against hers, and she slid her tongue against Liz’s, stroking it slowly. Liz liked men, but something about Jane’s kiss left her gasping, and she realized that perhaps she would fuck another girl. Or maybe it’s just this girl. Jane pushed her gently to the floor and lay on top of her. She moved her lips across Liz’s jaw to her ear and Liz moaned softly when her friend gently licked the curve of her ear and sucked the lobe between her lips. She tentatively placed her arms around Jane’s shoulders, something she had done before, but now it had so much more meaning.

Liz slid a hand down Jane’s back until it cupped her ass. Jane moaned against her neck, sending shivers through Liz’s body. Jane moved one hand up to cup Liz’s breast, squeezing and rubbing her nipple through the shirt.

“Jane,” Liz breathed. “That feels so good!”

Jane lifted her head and Liz stared up into her best friend’s beautiful blue eyes. “Liz, I’ve wanted this for so long,” she said quietly. “I’ve loved you for so long,” she added.

Liz’s eyes widened. “You…love me?”

Matt’s voice beside her head answered. “We both do. And it would make us so happy if we could love you for the rest of our lives.”

Could she love them? Both of them? Liz looked first at Jane, then at Matt, and knew that she already did.



Wednesday 28 November 2012

Really Random Wednesdays

Well, here's me tired again! At least I slept last night. And as I was trying to think up something to put on my blog, I found tons of random thoughts floating around. I know everyone likes to use alliteration in their theme days, like Friday's Frank talk, or Wanton Wednesdays. I'm trying to come up with something clever that hasn't already been done, but I couldn't.

Unless....Read the Title again, but this time pretend you're Elmer Fudd!

Get it?

Okay, I'm tired. I think I said that already but I thought it was hilarious so I'm going to stick with it. For Really Random Wednesdays, I thought I'd just throw some, well, random, ideas down and see what happens. (Did I mention I'm tired? It's the best I can do right now!)

Random thought 1: Why does the word 'blog' get flagged by the spell checker in the Blogger platform? (as do all forms of the word - blog, blogged, blogging, blogger, blogalicious). This one really bugs me! PS - *gasp* they've corrected this problem! Only one of my blog words got flagged. Guess which one?

Random thought 2: What's with the attitude toward erotic things? I'm pretty sure most people love sex. I'm pretty sure I was immaculately conceived though. Why do people care what other people do in the bedroom when it has nothing to do with them?  And why do people assume that writers of erotic romance always do the kinky stuff in their books? Because I'm sure all the women who write M/M have done that before.

Random thought 3: What`s with the word dildo? Seriously. If you're an etymologist I'd love to know. How did people decide that the letters d-i-l-d-o should be put together to make a word that means, "Large penis-shaped object which can be inserted into bodily orifices"? By the way, did you know there's a town in Newfoundland, Canada that is called "Dildo"? Wouldn't that make an interesting series, eh?

Random thought 4: Where the hell are my hat, scarf, and mittens? It's friggin' cold outside!

Tuesday 27 November 2012

With A Little Help From My Friends...

I'm going to keep it brief, because I didn't sleep last night and I'm so exhausted it isn't funny!

To update the situation: The powers that be were pleased with my swift reaction to the 'crisis'. The dust appears to be settling, and with any luck, nothing more will come of anything. Fingers crossed for me!

Starting over isn't easy but I just checked my email for the first time since last night, and it was FLOODED with friends and followers and messages of support. I am overwhelmed and so honoured to be part of such a fantastic group of people at Siren Publishing. Seriously. I'm crying right now. And I am at a loss for words on how to express my gratitude, but I think the Beatles sum it up nicely.

"I get by, with a little help from my friends."

Thank you.

Monday 26 November 2012

Starting Over

Every once in a while, annoying things happen in life. I'm sure you've all had those days. You know, the ones that go from bad to worse? Today was one of those days for me. I started off late for the day job and barely made it on time. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, my boss was pulling me into his office for a chat.

The topic? My erotic romance book. No, not the one being published by Siren Publishing in January, but the one published under another name. Apparently, not all my co-workers are as trustworthy as I thought, and someone felt they needed to bring it to the attention of the boss. I won't give you any more detail except to say that yes, I do have the kind of job where people would get upset to find out that I write "Dirty Fuck Books" (my husband's term).

So I've spent the better part of the day killing off my former alter-ego. And now I am starting over. I try to be an optimistic person. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that even when things seem crappy, there is an opportunity waiting to be found, even if it isn't immediately apparent. Was I upset about this development? You bet. I may find out tomorrow that I'm going to be disciplined. I may even lose my job. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Starting over. This is a fresh canvas. I am now free to recreate myself. How many people get to say that? Everything from the previous identity that I wasn't so keen on? It's gone. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to do that in real life as well.

This little blip has me more determined than ever. It's been a total pain in the ass, with the potential for becoming a colossal pain in the ass. But I won't stop writing. That would mean I thought I was doing something wrong, and I'm not.

Erotic romance is a genre that is a hot commodity. Literally ;) There are people out there who love these books and are always looking for more. An erotic romance is a regular story, except the bedroom door is left wide open. And here's an astonishing fact: people who are in love have sex. GASP! I know many of you will find that shocking but it's true. Is it pornographic? Probably. It's not something you would want the kids, your mother, or the minister to see. But it helps to give us that little bit of fantasy, that titillation (great word, isn't it?) that we all desire.

Contrary to what my boss and other co-workers believe, my books won't hurt anyone. Maybe they just need to get laid more. It's a shame to have to hide a great achievement from everyone in your life. I am proud of what I have accomplished. I just can't tell anyone. Except my future readers.

Thank you for starting over with me.