Saturday, June 21, 2014

Day 2 of Summer Lovin' Blog Hop

Welcome back! I trust your Saturday is going well and finds you in fine spirits. Just a quick reminder...there are two contests you can enter through this hop. Details at the end of this post. 

First, I want to share a little fun about one of my newest releases. The title is Temptation Released, and it's part of Totally Bound's Jolly Rogered collection. Right now it's only available through TB, but they have something wonderful at their site: Instant Gratification. What is this? Simple. It's one-click shopping with PayPal. You see a book you like on the TB site, click the one-click to pay button, and that's it. You can choose the format you want and begin reading right away. No more messy shopping carts or long check-outs. Easy at it's best! And, you can instantly gratifiy yourself with Temptation Released right here

A little bit of how this story came to be...

I've always loved historical romance. Still do. I wasn't one who read the contemporary stories. No, from the time I was a teenager, I could not get enough of romance from times past. I loved the Regency time period, the wild west with cowboys and Indians. and I especially loved a great pirate tale. 

When TB announced they were putting together a pirate collection, I jumped at the chance. Now my story is not as long as the historicals I typically read, and the erotic content is much, much higher, but writing about a sexy pirate captain and a determined young woman was a highlight for me. Read on for more...

of the Jolly Rogered Collection
by Ayla Ruse

Publisher: Totally Bound
Novella
20K
Historical erotic romance, bondage. BDSM

"When is a pirate not a pirate? When he refuses to ravish a perfectly willing captive.” 
– Lady Elise Clifton


Raphael de la Torres, the pirate captain El Angel, is notorious for kidnapping travelers to the colonies. He leads a rewarding life, and one that cleverly covers his true purpose—getting close to the cousin who betrayed him.


Raphael’s latest capture, the beautiful Lady Elise Clifton, is the one person whose ransom will give him an edge. Simple plans are rarely simple, however. He must deliver her untouched in order to have his revenge, but Lady Elise is desire untapped, and more than ready for the taking. His every effort to frighten and push her away only excites her and tests his limits of control.


Lady Elise is desperate to get out of an unwanted engagement. She will do anything to avoid being under another man’s control, even seduce a pirate to ensure her ruin. To her mind, once the Captain ravishes her—as all notorious pirates do—she will be free. Her plans would be perfect if the Captain would cooperate, but no matter how hard she tries, the sexy Spaniard refuses to take her to his bed.  

With the currents stirring up between the two, will the sweet taste of revenge shift to a deeper passion, and will the control Elise is running away form be exactly what she needs? 


Excerpt: 
“It is so blasted hot,” Lady Elise Clifton complained. She’d stripped down to her chemise and was pacing the cramped cabin, praying for a cool wind to slip through the tiny porthole.


“You could go up on deck, you know,” stated her companion, Brianna. “There’s wind there.”


“I know, but I have to make sure I’m packed. You go on ahead if you want.”


“I might. I’ve watched you go through this bag every day for the past week.” Brianna upended the cloth satchel and repacked it, naming each item as she did so. “Look, you have a pair of slippers, a day dress, a corset with your money sewn in, the breeches and shirt I stole from my brother for you, a brush and ribbons. Same as yesterday. Same as the day before. Nothing’s changed. Besides, if we are attacked, I’m sure the pirates won’t be gentleman like and ask for your luggage.”


“You’re probably right, but if I’m to go through with this—”


If we’re attacked, that is.”


“Yes, if we’re attacked, then I want to be ready. I’ll not begin my new life empty handed and shy.”


“Like there ever was a shy bone in your body,” Brianna mumbled.


Elise heard and chuckled. “You know me well. And you do know what you’re to do if a pirate comes for us, right?”


“Do exactly what he says.”


“You sure you’ll be all right?”


“Elise, I’m here, aren’t I? I could have stayed in London, but I’m the one you’ve confided in all these past months. I couldn’t let you do this alone.”


Brianna’s brother, Elise had discovered several months ago, was a sailor in the British Navy, and he’d often write to Brianna with tales of the pirates they’d captured or those who had run away. When Elise’s father had determined she move to the colonies, Elise had paid closer attention and latched onto the tales, yearning to live the life of a pirate, a life full of independence.


“I’m this close,” she said, pinching her fingers nearly together, “to having the freedom I want, Brianna.”


“Well, your idea of freedom and mine are two different things. I still say we should have switched places. You could’ve been me and I would’ve assumed your identity. No one on this ship knew us when we boarded and surely no one will know us in the colonies. ”


“And you know I wanted to, but my uncle would recognize the falseness in an instant. I told you that my father sent him a portrait of me barely a year past.”


Boom!


Brianna screamed. “What was that?”


Elise turned to the sound and rushed to the window. “Damn, I can’t see from here. It sounded like a cannon.”


Another shot rang out and Elise spun around. “I bet we’re being attacked,” she said excitedly. “It’s time.”


Elise caught Brianna’s wide-eyed stare and laughed. “Don’t look so aghast. You know this has been my dream for months. With any luck, by nightfall I’ll be onboard the pirate’s ship and, if things continue my way, I’ll be debauched, lying in the captain’s bed and free from marriage.”


“You’re crazy, you know that,” Brianna said, a tremor in her voice. “Remember my brother writing about how violent pirates can be? And smelly? And ugly? You could wind up dead in the pirate’s bed.”


“Enough,” Elise stated with finality. “I’ll take my chances. Besides, I don’t care what he looks like, I can close my eyes. I can breathe through my mouth if he smells, and as for violence,” she turned to the cot she’d slept on for weeks and picked up the red velvet dress she’d secretly ordered and held it up to her chest, “I believe your brother also said pirates like women. A lot. Why would he want to hurt her if she’s willing?”


“But you will get hurt,” Brianna said earnestly. Shouts could be heard now from the upper deck. “Don’t do this, please. I went along with this foolishness because you’re my friend. I prayed we’d make the crossing without issue. I never imagined we’d really be attacked.”


“Brianna, settle down. Everything will be fine. Now help me into this dress. I must look scandalous.”


Elise felt for Brianna. She didn’t want to put her friend into an uncomfortable position, but she was sure everything would work out. She’d read all about what men liked from women in that naughty book she’d discovered on the top shelf of her father’s library a year ago. At first horrified, she’d taken to studying the strange words and even stranger pictures, and after hearing sordid whispers that being captured by pirates could mean the ruin of a woman, Elise had become obsessed. Now that she knew about sex, and what ruination involved, and that pirates were so handy to do the deed, all it would take would be one kidnapping and she’d be free from the fiancĂ© her father and uncle had betrothed her to.  


“There,” Brianna announced, helping Elise tug the sleeve over her shoulder.


“How does it look?” Elise turned in a slow circle.


“Like you’re a courtesan.”


“Perfect. But…oh, damn. The chemise shows.”


“What? You don’t have time to worry about that now.”


Elise glanced up. Brianna was visibly shaking. Putting aside her concerns, she took a moment to pull Brianna into a hug. “I promise it’ll be okay. I don’t know how, but I do. Trust me?”


Brianna squeezed back, snuffled into a dainty handkerchief and nodded. “I know there’s nothing we can do now, but I’m so scared.”


“Honestly, me too. But we can’t let them know that. I believe if we can stand our ground, we’ll make it through whatever comes our way.”


Brianna inhaled deeply and pulled away. “You’re right, of course. I’ll be fine. The attack simply took me by surprise.”


“Good.”


The friends stared at each other for precious moments, then a loud thud from above stirred them into action.


“Now, let’s get me out of this dress so I can take off my chemise. This shouldn’t take but a minute.”


“We don’t have time.”

 
“Pshaw. There’s fighting going on. We both have heard that men love to fight. It’ll be ages before anyone comes to find us. Besides, doing this will keep your mind off of what’s going on up there.”


Elise had requested the dress be made so she could put it on without assistance, but she wanted to keep Brianna occupied. As well as herself. If she sat down and wrung her hands in wait of what would happen over the next several minutes, she’d scream.


Brianna helped remove the gown and had just finished helping Elise pull off the chemise when the cabin door burst open. Brianna screamed and Elise gulped, standing frozen in place, naked, with her arms above her head.

****************
Pick up your copy of Temptation Released while it's hot!

Okay, now to the *contests*! (I say as I rub my hands together gleefully)

One is mine--comment on any of my posts that run during the hop (Fri-Mon), once per day, and you'll be entered for a chance to win an ebook from my backlist. Your choice! Winner will be contacted and announced on my blog on Tuesday the 24th. Oh, and don't forget to leave an email so I can contact you should you win. :)

The second contest is sponsored by the Summer Lovin' Blog Hop. Massive (IMO) gift certificates are up for grabs. To enter this contest, simply enter through the Rafflecopter below. One entry period for this contest. Visit here for more details...and to visit all the other great blogs that are a part of this hop. There's chances to win at many stops!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  
Thanks for visiting me and I'll see you back here, bright and early tomorrow! 
Ayla 



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