​I can now report that pushing the ‘Publish’ button is both a terrifying and exhilarating experience for a first-time indie writer. It's an action I delayed through fear for such a long time. But now it’s done and I'm wondering why I was so hesitant.
I won't lie and say that Gods of Fire hit the market hot and flew off the e-shelves like a rocket. It didn't. For a solid 48 hours I sat at a single sale. I knew who bought it and I love her for it (and no, it wasn't my Mum). A week later, sales aren't meteoric, but a steady trickle of people have paid over their money and purchased my book.
MY BOOK.
​I still love those words. I love being able to tell people how they can buy my book. It's thrilling!
I know I haven't done the launch quite right. I didn't do a proper cover reveal, I didn't set up pre-orders, I didn't send out advance reader copies for reviews on launch, and my marketing plan consists of scribbled notes on a piece of paper that is drifting around my desk somewhere. To make matters more interesting, I launched in a week when my calendar was full of pre-Xmas social events, leaving me little time to write up material for my lovely author friends who'd offered to host me on their blogs.
I've tried not to become a one-dimensional social media publicity machine. Instead, I'm drip feeding my “buy my book" plugs in and around my usual tweets and updates, and advertising on promotional pages and feeds one at a time, rather than flooding them all at once.
I've ordered some postcards with the cover and buy link on one side and the blurb and my bio on the back. I intent to drop them around the cafes, restaurants and shops I frequent. I'm also planning to send press releases to a few of the local newspapers, not sure how successful that'll be, but no harm trying!
I'm not driven by best-seller lists, what I want is to find my readership and achieve steady sales to people who will come back for more.
I'm sure I've made some standard rookie mistakes, but I've published my book and am building my confidence and gaining experience, so I do it better for the next one. This is my marathon, not my sprint.
But...if like 1000 of you decide to buy Gods of Fire tomorrow, read it and leave a review, then I'll be delirious with joy!

I’ve been thinking about the role of the antagonist in stories. A super quick search of the interwebs revealed four main types of antagonist: Evil, Opposing, Superior and Internal (honestly, I’m sure there are other classifications, but this serves my need for now). They’re all interesting and worthy of deeper consideration, but it’s the evil antagonist who is most relevant to where my musings have been taking me.
The evil antagonist is the one who is evil for the sake of being evil. This character may have a back-story that gives them some excuse, but generally it’s not critical to understand their why. All that matters is how they satisfy their greed, hunger for power and uncompromising drive to achieve their nefarious goal at any cost, and how they torment the hero of the story along the way.
Often, we feel nothing but hatred for this character, they represent the worst traits of humanity distilled and concentrated for effect. No-one feels empathy with the likes of Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, Sauron in Lord of the Rings, Darth Sidious in Star Wars, or Doctor Smith in the revamped Lost in Space. They have no redeeming features.
But there is another kind of evil antagonist—the trickster. They’re usually a secondary antagonist to some greater evil, either facilitating the main antagonist, or confounding the hero for their own means. Yes, they’re evil, but they have moments of vulnerability that fool not only the hero, but us as well, into empathy. We can almost see ourselves in their place, even if just for a moment.
My favourite examples of the trickster are The Master/Missy from Doctor Who, Loki in all his incarnations, Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes and, most recently, Ms Wardwell (otherwise known as Lilith or Madam Satan) who was the sole reason I watched the entire first season of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in one sitting!
Of all the antagonists I adore tricksters above all others! What I love most about these characters is their intelligence and wit. So, it’s really no surprise that I’m incorporating one into my current work in progress (known for now as ‘The Japanese Story’). My trickster is a white fox who acts as a messenger between humans and Gods. He’s a fun character to write and I hope I do him justice as his role develops.
 

I’m a very visual person and appreciate good art.
Famous artists feature in my ancestry and many of my immediate family paint and draw well. I don’t!
While I have some skill at technical drawing anything requiring a free hand and colour is beyond me. I can compose a visually attractive photo—but it has to stand on its own as, to my eternal chagrin, I’ve never mastered the art of Photoshop, Gimp or any other image manipulating software.
Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I have a particular eye for imagery. I know what works and what doesn’t and have ruffled feathers in the past when it came to the cover designs for a series of anthologies I was involved with.
With all that in mind, today I went ahead and tried to make a cover for my upcoming novel ‘Gods of Fire’. This was a bad, terrible, not at all good idea, because:

• I have a VERY clear idea of what I want the cover to look like
• I don’t have any images that are remotely close to what I want, nor can I find any
• I thought I could learn Canva in a morning
• I can’t even find a font I like

All I’ve managed to achieve is to make myself frustrated and grumpy.
This is clearly an aspect of self-publishing that I need to leave to the professionals, just like I did with the editing (shout out to Bowlerfern in that department). So, I’m now waiting for a few book cover artist/designers to get back to me.
Back to writing for me.

For over a year I’ve been sending the manuscript of my first complete novel, “Gods of Fire”, out to agents seeking representation. To say that it has not been a success is a wild understatement. Yet, I remain convinced I’ve written a good story that will appeal to readers who love both fantasy and erotica.

So, I’ve launched myself into the unknown, but thankfully well-charted, waters of the self-publication process.

A complete novice, my first step was to send out a call to my writerly colleagues on Facebook and Twitter. This resulted in a mixed bag of responses, most of them encouraging and many with some great advice on how to get started. I also spent at least a day poking around the internet, looking for resources and recommendations for success.

The two main pieces of advice that have popped up over and over again are:

1. Get a professional editor to work on your manuscript;
2. Your cover is critical, and again professional help is highly recommended.

I patted myself on the back for already having ticked off number one, and I’m chasing up a cover artist to help me with number two.

My next challenge was to convert my Word document into the right format for a book. Again, two main recommendations emerged, Vellum and Draft2Digital. Vellum is for Mac users, which I am not, so the decision was easy. It took me a day of trial and error, formatting my manuscript and testing the different options in Draft2Digital to get a look I’m happy with.

Within the space of just a couple of days, I’d gone from terrified and completely ignorant, to sufficiently confident in my ability to create a product and get it into the market. But of course, that’s just the beginning of the process.

So watch this space!

​The first book I ever bought by myself was The Enchanted Forest, a story of fairies, elves, goblins and witches, written by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and her husband Grenbry Outhwaite. I bought it at a jumble sale and it was already old. The pages fragile and the cover barely attached. Even at that age I recognised it as something very precious. It still resides on my bookshelf, and despite many readings remains in much the same state as when I first picked it up.
Not only was the story appealing to a young girl, but it was filled with the most beautiful pictures, one of which caught my imagination and held it for many years.
It was a coloured plate entitled ‘The Witch’s Sister on her Black Bat’.
When I began to write the novella Rose Moon, this was the image that set the opening scene. This was the witch who I imagined as my Midnight.
                                ***
Bakke carried his mistress through the summer night’s sky with fluid ease. Midnight threw back her head and laughed, face luminous with the pure joy of anticipation. They had waited so very long for this time to arrive and had just one more day to mark.
Her nipples puckered at the mere thought of it. She allowed her fingers to graze against them through the sheerest layer of white chiffon. It would be so easy to slide her fingers between her thighs and stroke herself into delight, but an orgasm now would weaken her magic, and her sisters would be furious with her.
With a soft sigh of frustration, she flung her arms wide and allowed the movement of the warm air to caress her form. The silver-shot fabric of her diaphanous slip fluttered across her body, dipping and swirling with the slow even beat of the bat’s wings. Raven curls tumbled in a flurry around her pale face.
Half a dozen smaller bats flitted overhead, accompanying their witch on her quest.
“Look, my darlings. See how my moon casts its silver trail on the water below us to guide our way? It won’t be long now, we’re almost there.”
Bakke swooped low over the clumps of bulrushes bordering the edge of the waterway and headed into the depths of the forest. His sinuous flight path through the maze of broad tree trunks tilted upwards to match the rise of the ground beneath them. They flew in darkness until the trees thinned to allow a glimmer of silvery moonlight, then they burst once more into open space. Midnight, Bakke and the bat familiars circled higher until they hovered above the tor that protruded with phallic insolence from the clearing in the surrounding forest.
                                                       ***
A sweet and gentle start, but trust me…the tale gets much darker and mayhem, death and destruction soon follow!
Once again, I’ve teamed up with three other authors, under the expert guidance of Devi Ansevi, to put together a steaming hot addition to the PNRLust Anthologies.
Lust in Summer: Paranormal Erotic Anthology Vol. 7 is available on Amazon for your reading pleasure. Please indulge!

​I’ve recently been involved in negotiations and discussions over the design of a book cover. During the discussions, it became clear that almost everyone involved had a different expectation of what the cover should look like and what that would mean.
So, I ask the question—What’s in a Cover?
Because I’m a very visual person, I look for an attractive, interesting, or quirky cover. It must have artistic merit, I like imagery that leads the eye from the title across the page to the author, or the other way around. I like space and a sense of movement. Imagery should address the content, but sometimes words and patterns are all I need. In that case, the fonts should be interesting and unique, and the placement of the title and authorship used to the same effect as imagery, to lead the eye.
Unless I’m looking for a specific author or title, then it’s the cover that determines whether I bother to pick a book up and look inside to see what it’s about (Yes, I’m describing my process with a physical book because that’s where my heart lies, but it equally applies to clicking on an ebook on a screen).
The cover is very important when I’m looking for a new read. If I don’t like the cover, I don’t pick up, or click on, the book. No sale!
The different will leap out at me, anything that is unusual or unexpected will grab my attention.
So, in my recent discussions, I was surprised to learn of the belief that people won’t buy a book if the cover doesn’t match their expectations for the genre. The perception was that the reading audience did not seek uniqueness, but sought sameness in design. This revelation hurt my heart. It also made me wonder whether the approach of uniformity limited sales to a portion of the potential market. Maybe it doesn’t matter, because those that want their books to look the same form the most lucrative corner of the market? I have no idea.
I, of course, understand that a cover for a physical book won’t always work in an online environment—where the size of the thumbnail images results in the loss of fine detail and finesse. The sheer quantity of books available in electronic format exacerbates this. Anyone can self-publish, some of it is wonderful, much of it not! So surely, in the sea of books available to readers, a well-designed and unique cover becomes even more important?
The other issue that arose was specific to erotic fiction, where the favoured ‘look’ is a torso, or two (I was directed to the top selling erotic fiction on Amazon, you should go there too!). There was much discussion on whether the model on the cover should be a single man, a single woman or a couple. In many ways, this depends on the perceived audience and the contents of the publication, but even here we diverged in our views. My view is that women readers want to see a woman on the cover—someone they can identify with. Almost everyone else in the debate thought the opposite. For me, unless the title of the book gives a clear indication otherwise, a single man on the cover indicates that the material inside is aimed at gay men. Maybe I’m just weird?
Despite not getting my way on almost every aspect I was concerned about, it was an interesting discussion and clearly gave me a lot to think about (hence this blog!).
I fully concede that this is an area I’m new to, and I’m quite likely wrong in many of my views. Hell! I’m sure there’s an entire field of research that I’ve been too lazy to investigate that would answer all of my questions! But I’d really rather hear from you!
How important is the cover in your book choices? And what makes a great cover? I’d be really interested in your thoughts.

What a treat!

​This week I'm thrilled to showcase The Russian Bride, the latest offering from the gorgeous Juliette Banks (sometimes known as Rachel de Vine).

Natasha, a Russian-born woman living in London, catches the eye of Viktor, a middle-aged Russian gangster. He wants her as his wife, the mother of his son, and his submissive partner in the kinky sex he enjoys at his isolated home near Saint Petersburg. But he doesn’t ask her to accompany him – he just takes what he wants.
Surprisingly, Natasha begins to accept her new life. Is she really a natural submissive, or has Viktor brainwashed her? Viktor is adamant that he will not have sex with her until they are married, but he shows her just how kinky he likes it by taking her to orgies held by his friend, and tells her that this is the type of life she can expect as his wife.
Everything turns sour, however, and on a visit to London, Natasha has to flee for her life – where businessman, James Miller, comes to her aid. Over the course of the next few days, Natasha tells James her story, and as horrified as he is, he cannot deny his attraction to the beautiful young woman. He vows to help her.
Neither of them realize quite how much danger they will be in for defying Viktor, but James is willing to risk everything to rescue her from this man. Can he do it? And does Natasha return his feelings?

Read on for an explicit exerpt...but only if you're old enough!

She was in the library one afternoon, bending over Viktor’s desk, avidly reading a book with illustrated erotic tales, and totally immersed in the work so that she did not hear Viktor come in the room and walk across the carpet towards her. The first she knew of his presence was a hand sliding up the back of her leg and under her dress, towards her bare bottom.
“So, my little English Miss is studying my erotic books, is she?”
Natasha jumped at the sound of his voice and began to stand, but his hand pressed her down again.
“Continue reading, my dear. In fact I’d like you to read aloud, please.”
She began to read, haltingly at first, but then with more confidence. As she did, Viktor lifted her dress up and rested it on her back before running the palm of his hand over her bare bottom and down her thighs. The story was about a woman who was being taken roughly by three men, and each time Natasha said something coarse or erotic, Viktor raised his hand and brought it down sharply on her behind.
Raymond pushed several fingers hard into her cunt, which made her gasp... A hard slap on her buttock was Viktor’s response to her saying those words.
...the two other men grabbed her feet on either side and stretched her wide so Raymond had the fullest access to her cunt...
Another slap, on the other buttock, this time. And so it proceeded. Natasha knew that she was becoming wet from desire, and Viktor saw it too. He bent and spoke gruffly into her ear.
“Reading this excites you, Natasha, you filthy harlot. You’re my little slut, aren’t you?” “Yes, sir,” she whispered, hoarsely. “Continue reading, my little slut, and while you do I am going to finger fuck you. I can hardly wait until our wedding night. You won’t be able to walk for days after that.” As she resumed reading, his fingers began to slide through the liquid now pouring from her slit. He found her clit and began to massage it, while pushing two of his fingers into her hole.
Natasha began to pant and found it hard to form the words.
...the two men holding her ankles knelt down and both grabbed the nipple nearest to them and began to pinch it hard, digging their nails into the soft skin while... “Oh sir, I...”
“Don’t stop, little slut.”...while Raymond rammed four fingers hard into... “Oh, I, please...” “Don’t you dare stop, my little slut.”...Raymond rammed four fingers hard into her cunt.
Natasha could read no more; so close was she to her climax. She began to moan, rotating her hips and pushing them towards Viktor in an effort to get more of his fingers into her. She wanted him so desperately; not just his fingers but his cock, deep inside her, and she wondered if he would lose control and ignore his plan of marrying a virgin. But she forgot all of that as she spiralled into ecstasy once more. She forgot where she was, who she was, and for a moment even, she was the woman in the book who had two men holding her ankles while the third pushed his fingers inside her. 

Buy links:
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH4C3BW
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XH4C3BW
Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XH4C3BW
Amazon Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XH4C3BW

About the author:
This is the third book published by Juliette Banks, but she has also published eight others as Rachel de Vine. Her books, in both names, are all erotic romances, and range from mildly erotic, spanking stories to more explicit, BDSM relationships. In all her stories, however, she likes to include some adventure, and puts her characters through some trying times and problems to overcome before they can expect any chance of a happy conclusion.
 
When she isn’t writing, Juliette likes to travel to exotic places all over the world, and has been doing this since her twenties. But she also loves the beautiful British landscape, and lives in a lovely part of central England. She adores reading, listening to music, and being with her wonderful extended family.
 
Websites for both Juliette Banks and Rachel de Vine
www.racheldevineauthor.com
https://racheldevineauthor.wordpress.com
 
Twitter: 
www.twitter.com/juliettebanksuk
www.twitter.com/racheldevineuk
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettebankstherussianbride/
https://www.facebook.com/juliettebanksauthor/

I'm thrilled to share with you that Emmanuelle de Maupassant (one of my favourite authors) has launched her saucy 1920s romance romp: 'Highland Pursuits’.
 
1920s debutante Lady Ophelia Finchingfield is banished to wildest Scotland to come to her senses, having refused a proposal from the Earl of Woldershire. In the care of her eccentric grandmother, Ophelia is soon caught between rugged widower Hamish and the villainous Comte de Montefiore.
 
She’s ready to play with fire, but will she burn more than her fingers?

'Highland Pursuits' draws inspiration from a short story of the same title Emmanuelle wrote for the charity fundraising anthology Because Beards: all proceeds from the anthology were given to the Movember Foundation.
 
This longer, novella, length offers more scope to explore the wonderful characters' eye-popping shenanigans. Hamish and Ophelia were in Emmanuelle’s dreams for many weeks, as she wrote this story. 

 In celebration of the launch, Emmanuelle is not only offering three signed paperback copies, via Goodreads here, but has her entire catalogue on sale for 99c/99p from March 1st-8th: Baby Love, Scarlet, Cautionary Tales and Gentlemen's Club (as recommended by Stylist Magazine)
 
 What readers are saying
 

• I can’t tell you how much I love this book. It was a true delight to read. The author has captured 1920s Britain wonderfully, and her detail is exquisite. – Rachel De Vine 
• As a comedy of manners, this is exceptionally well done. – Fionna Guillaume 
• Highland Pursuits is a wry, clever, incredibly sexy romp… a completely engrossing, utterly enjoyable read. I can't recommend it highly enough…fabulously fun - Malin James
• The scene was set beautifully… I felt like I went back in time to high society Scotland - Christine of Sweet and Spicy Reads

 
  
Find 'Highland Pursuits' on Goodreads  and for sale on Amazon
 
Pssst…  if you enjoy Highland Pursuits, don’t forget to leave a review. Reviews make books more visible online, bringing new eyes. If you're on Twitter or Facebook, tag Emmanuelle in your review post and she'll say hello (she's sweet like that!). 
 
How to find Emmanuelle on Social Media...
 
Explore Emmanuelle’s website here
Find her on Twitter here
and on Facebook here
sign up for Emmanuelle’s newsletter here 

I’ve never had any trouble finding inspiration for stories, short or long. My novel-under-development was inspired by one of my cheeky dogs from another time in my life. Many short stories find their source in a real-life historical character whose story I reinterpret and twist to suit my strange tastes.
Dreams sometimes provide me with the kernel of an idea. I’ve always had vivid and fantastical dreams and when combined with an over-active imagination my cup of inspiration is often in flood.
Sometimes travel gives me rich pickings. In 2015 I travelled to Japan, a country laden with myths, legends and religious icons, where sexuality is at once repressed and celebrated. I have a wonderful idea for a story involving samurais, gods, white fox messengers and perhaps even water-dragons.
Just this New Year I was in South America, where once again local myths and legends have fuelled my imagination. Tales of Peruvian gods and goddesses, shamanic tales of the mystical powers of the rainforest trees and animals who inhabit them, and idyllic settings have set my imagination on fire once again.
My challenge? How to contain my urge to write them all at once and how to retain the passion for each story.