Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Visiting Today and talking about Villains!

Hello! Today I'm visiting the lovely Aurelia T Evans on her blog, 
Valse Gothique, 
and talking about villains. 
*Cue evil laughter...

The link will be live later today, so drop by for a spell and share your own thoughts about your favorite villains.



Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Rebate on Erotic Romance titles!

Thank God it's Tuesday! 

What a great way to get through another grueling week.

Why? Look here...


All Romance eBooks is having a fantastic 30% Rebate on select titles 

--the ones with the pretty crown next to them--

 (further details are available at the ARe checkout)


And guess what?

ALL OF MY STORIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS REBATE


Including the brand new ones that just released this month!

{see Temptation Released and Fever Hitch}

Check it out and fill up those shopping carts!

 

Link:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Ayla+Ruse

 



Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Too yummy recipe

Hi! Today I'm over at J Rose Allister's place, 
chatting up a mouth-watering recipe for Rum Cake. 

to get the delicious details click on the link below. 

I'll see you there! 

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Chatting up submissions

Today I'm sipping hot coffee and visiting the ARe crew at their cafe blog. I'll be talking about submission calls from publishers. 

Join me and let me know your thoughts...do submission calls light up your eyes, or cause you stress? 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Pirate Party over at Facebook!


Woo-hoo! Mark your calendars for July 15 -- tomorrow!

Do you love pirates? Historicals? Hot, sexy...everything? Determined women and even more determined men? A little bondage or spankings thrown in perhaps? 

If you answered yes to these questions, you'll love the new Jolly Rogered collection from Totally Bound. Me, Ashe Barker, Meg Harding and Wendi Zwaduk have brand new pirate stories in this collection and we're celebrating our releases tomorrow over at Facebook.

All day long on Tuesday (July 15) we'll have games, facts, quotes, tidbits about ourselves and fun stuff about our pirates. You do not want to miss this. Along the way we'll have prizes like key chains and historical paperbacks and even a pirate bracelet will be up for grabs. Best of all, one lucky person will win all 4 Jolly Rogered ebooks!

You do not want to miss the non-stop party fun. However, because facebook is funny about this, you'll have to ask for an invite. Simply let me know you want onboard, and I'll send one your way (via facebook).  Arrggh!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Contest and Pirate Love!



Just a quick note that I'm over at The Romance Studio Party Site today. I'm posting and passing out nibbles and chatting up one of my latest releases, Temptation Released


To sweeten the pot...
(in other words, to get you to stop by *grin*)

Comments on my posts 
(comments only on my TRS party site posts today, NOT here) 
will earn you a chance to win a  

$10 gift certificate to amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com

One winner will be chosen and announced Sunday 
on my blog and on the TRS party site.

Here's the link: 
I'll see you there!

Ayla

Friday, July 11, 2014

*Release Day* of Temptation Released!



* Release Day * Release Day * Release Day * Release Day * 


I feel like throwing confetti. Today is the official day my Jolly Rogered story, Temptation Released, is available everywhere. Yay! That's right. Amazon, All Romance eBooks...you name it. It's out there. 


This week me and the other three authors in the Jolly Rogered collection have been hopping around each others sites with interviews with our heroes. In case you weren't able to catch it elsewhere, I've included it here today for your enjoyment. Pull up your seat, grab a mug of grog (I've spiced it so it's extra yummy-ha!), and enjoy this interview with Captain Raphael de la Torres--otherwise known as El Angel. Then check the links below to go right to the store you want to pick up your copy of Temptation Released, and enjoy a weekend with a pirate.

Earlier, I snuck under Captain Raphael’s defenses (otherwise known as El Angel) and wormed my way onto his ship to talk about what it’s like being a pirate. He’s the hero of Temptation Released, available now from Totally Bound (the um, book is available. Captain Raphael is already taken. Sorry.). There’s no doubt that he’s sexy, and I’m ever grateful he allowed me to sit with him instead of hauling me off when he found me poking around in the galley. 


After the interview however, when I asked why he kept a smug smile in place throughout, all he would say was that the chair I sat in, brought back interesting memories of his Lady Elise. Hmmm...that captain...he does have the devil in his eyes and I’m a mix of grateful and jealous that I’m not that dear, sweet woman who captured his heart.



Me: Hello Captain Raphael. Thank you for agreeing to sit with me.

El Angel: Sit with you? (he chuckles low). Was it not you who barged her way onto my ship?


Me: Um, well...let’s move one. You did agree to answer a few questions. The first I want to know is what did you do before you took up piracy? Why did you decided on the new career move?


El Angel: My past isn’t pretty. It was hard and cruel. Mi padre died shortly after I was born and mi madre’s sister had run off to be with an English prig. They wanted nothing to do with us so it was survival at all costs. Piracy was a natural detour with a bonus—this presented me with a way to seek out my black hearted cousin. (He turns his head for a moment. I don’t press for more).


Me: Okay. Um, let’s see...this is a good one. Pirates are bad lads, we all know that. But what was the naughtiest thing you ever got up to as a boy?


El Angel: Me? I was an angel as a boy and I am an angel as a man. Look at my name. Even my lady will tell you about the delights of heaven I can bestow. Now, you tell me...into what kind of naughtiness can an angel engage? (his gaze is steady and his seductive words sound like a challenge. I am no match for him and scurry to the next question).


Me: Ah, where do you keep your parrot?

El Angel: Lo siento, no parrot for me. I am not one for pets...of the furred and feathered kind that is.


Me: Ooh, here’s one. What’s a swash? And how would you recommend buckling it?

El Angel: (He straightens and speaks like the knowledgeable seafarer that he is). You see, a swash is pretty turbulent. The water, she can be violent and fierce and a wise sailor knows when to steer clear to calmer waters.


Me: So it has nothing to do with piracy? With women?

El Angel: Ah, you play on words. Si, a swash can be similar to a woman. But with turbulent women, sometimes cutting through and immersing yourself is the best course of action. In this case, as I’ve found with my Lady Elise, the buckle has to be secure and tight.


Me: You mean you...? Oh, never mind. Next question. Apart from you, who is the scariest pirate on the high seas?


El Angel: Nearly all of them, truth be told. I don’t think I’m all that scary. My goal, after all, was to exact revenge against one despicable and cowardly cur of a man. If someone got in the way of that, so be it.


Me: In your own words, tell us what your first impression was when you met Lady Elise.

El Angel: Dios mio, she was a temptation such as I have never encountered. And such courage and beauty and defiance. She set my blood to race that afternoon and it hasn’t cooled yet.


Me: If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what three items would you want to take with you?

El Angel: Lady Elise, rope and...a knife. What? We’d have to eat, wouldn’t we?


Me: I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to speak with me captain. One last tidbit. Have you done the Totally Bound Jolly Rogered quiz yet? What was your score?


El Angel: Quiz? What quiz? Oh, you mean test. (he snorts) I have no need of your test. But it amuses my lady so I will no doubt find myself indulging her wishes.


As I am escorted off his ship, I challenge you. Why not give the test a go yourself and see how good you are at knowing your pirate lore? Check out this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YWVMRQC.





*Pirate sightings* 
In celebration of the general release of the Jolly Rogered stories, there will be a Facebook party on July 15. Join me, Meg, Wendi and Ashe as we delve into all things pirate. Click here for your invite. If this doesn't work, just ask me for an invite. Easy! We’ll have fun, games, and a chance to win all four Jolly Rogered ebooks, among other terrific prizes!

Buy Temptation Released today (links will be updated as they appear on the various sites): 

Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Totally Bound
 

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Welcome Jolly Rogered Author Ashe Barker



Getting Up Close and Personal … with Captain Rob Hawke 
Thanks Ayla for inviting me over here today to share a snippet from Right of Salvage, my story in the Jolly Rogered collection. If you want to get your hands on the whole thing – and who wouldn’t fancy getting to grips with the hot and oh-so-sexy Captain Rob Hawke? – you can find him swashing his buckle in the Totally Bound book boutique. The Jolly Rogered collection is available now on early download, and will be on general release from 11 July.
Knowing the sort of hot gossip we all like to keep abreast of, I tracked down Captain Hawke and fired a few finely honed pirate-friendly questions at him. All in the name of research obviously. Here’s what he had to say for himself…
Me: Captain Hawke, thank you for agreeing to chat. I know you must be very busy, doubloons to bury, that sort of thing…
Captain Hawke : Are you taking the piss, Ms Barker?

Me: No, of course not. Perish the thought. I’m just glad to see you.
Captain Hawke: That’s alright then. And, it’s just Rob these days.

Me: Right, thanks. Er, shall we start with a little background? Where do you keep your parrot?
Rob: My what? Do you see a parrot round here, Ms Barker? And I thought I’d warned you about piss-taking.

Me: No parrot?
Rob: Not currently. I did have one once. He shared your passion for living dangerously. He used to squawk ‘Kneel!” in the middle of the night. It all became quite disconcerting for any companion I might have staying. He had to go.

Me: What happened to him?
Rob: I was going to eat him but he flew away. They do that sort of thing.

Me: I see. Sounds like a sensible bird. Now, I’m sure our readers would be interested to know a little bit about your life before you took up piracy. Pirates are bad lads, we all know that. But what was the naughtiest thing you ever got up to as a boy?
Rob: I was a sweet little lad. Very biddable. Mostly. Of course there was that time I was practicing with my father’s broadsword and managed to drop it in the privy. It ended up in the moat outside our castle. I didn’t sit down for a week after that.

Me: A moat. Wow. Moving on, we know what Jane thought of you when you first met. It’s in the story. But what was your first impression of her?
Rob: Ah, a serious question at last. I thought she was absolutely bloody gorgeous. Of course, I’d no intention at first of abducting her, that just sort of happened and I prefer to think of it as a rescue rather than kidnapping. She seemed… vulnerable and I wanted to protect her. I was also pretty keen to get my hands on her bare arse too. I was not disappointed.

Me: What’s Jane’s worst habit? Does she do anything that annoys you?
Rob: She argues. I don’t usually allow that, but Jane does seem to get away with things.

Me: Okay. And what would you say is her finest quality?
Rob: Have I mentioned her arse? That’s pretty fine. Oh, I see that wasn’t what you had in mind. I think I most appreciate her courage, and perhaps her loyalty. Ours has been a dangerous, difficult life and she never complains. Oh, and there is her arse, naturally.

Me: Here’s another serious question. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, what would you say to them?
Rob: Christopher Columbus. That guy had some bottle. I know for sure I’m not going to sail off the end of the earth. He only thought he wouldn’t. Probably.

Me: Do you have any phobias or pet hates?
Rob: Crocodiles. Can’t stand the bloody things

Me: What’s the best place you’ve ever been to, and why did you like it?
Rob: I’ve travelled a lot, seen a lot of fabulous, exotic places, but in my opinion there’s nowhere to compare with England in the winter. Crisp snow, ice skating, a roaring log fire in my father’s great hall. I miss all that.

Me: One final question, if I may? Where’s your preferred place to bury your treasure?
Rob: Ms Barker, are you being suggestive?

Me: No, it’s a serious question.
Rob: Bollocks, it is not. And I refuse to answer it on the grounds that Jane would have my hide. Where I choose to bury my treasure is strictly between me and her.

Me: How gallant. A chivalrous buccaneer. It’s been nice chatting, thank you for agreeing to see me
Rob: My pleasure.

Me: Before you rush off, we’ve been running a little quiz about pirates, to test your knowledge. Would you like to have a try? You could win an ebook.
Rob: A what?

Me: Er, right. Perhaps not.

Captain Rob Hawke might not have much use for an ebook, but if you want to test your knowledge of pirates and enter our prize draw to possibly win all four stories from the Jolly Rogered collection, you can find the quiz here.
Go on, have a go. 
Here’s the blurb for Right of Salvage
He pulled her from the sea, breathed life back into her, and now she belongs to him. By right of salvage.

A passenger on a merchant ship carrying her husband’s cargo between the New world and Portsmouth, Jane Browne is unprepared for the devastating attraction she feels towards the fierce pirate who decides to relieve her husband of his goods. And his wife. Hurled into the sea by her violent husband in an act of spiteful, jealous revenge, Jane is rescued by the handsome pirate captain, who declares that she is now his property.
Jane has no choice but to accompany Captain Rob Hawke. Installed on his ship and in his bed he demands her total obedience and her willing submission. Frightened and alone, Jane nevertheless responds quickly to her pirate rescuer’s delicate seduction, as he draws her effortlessly into his world of pleasure tinged with pain. Having sampled what he can provide, when Rob offers Jane a choice, will she opt to accept her freedom, or remain with Rob as his willing submissive?
When Rob’s past and Jane’s jealous husband catch up with them again, can they find a new future - together?

Buy Links:
You can get your hands on Right of Salvage right now from Totally Bound, and after 11 July it will be in all the usual places: Amazon.co.uk  Amazon.com  Totally Bound  Barnes and Noble  All Romance
And don’t forget to visit the other Jolly Rogered authors and get to know the rest of the swashbuckling heroes from the collection.

Author Bio:
Until 2010 I was a director of a regeneration company in Leeds, in the UK, before becoming convinced there must be more to life. So I left, and at last I’ve been able to realise my dream of writing erotic romance. I’ve been an avid reader of fiction for many years, erotic and other genres, and I still love reading historical and contemporary romances – the hotter the better. But now I have a good excuse for my guilty pleasure – research.

In my own writing I tend to draw on settings and anecdotes from my own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to my plots and characters. An incident here, a chance remark there, a bizarre event or quirky character, any of these can spark a story idea. But ultimately my tales of love, challenge, resilience and compassion are the conjurings of my own lurid and smutty imagination.

When not writing – which is not very often these days - my time is divided between my role as resident taxi driver for my teenage daughter, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, rabbits, tortoises.  And most recently a very grumpy cockatiel.  I’m a rural parish councillor, and I’m passionate about evolving rural traditions and values to suit twenty first century lifestyles.

I write for Totally Bound and now have about a dozen titles on general release, with several more in the pipeline. I have a pile of story ideas still to work through, and keep thinking of new ones at the most unlikely moments, so you can expect to see a lot more from me.

I love to hear from readers. You can find me on my blog, and on the Totally Bound site. I’m on Facebook, and twitter. I’m on Pinterest too, and Goodreads