Tethered by Pippa Jay

An Unexpected Christmas Present Called Inspiration

Hi, I’m Pippa Jay, author of scifi and the supernatural with a romantic soul. Inspiration can be a wonderful thing, but can hit at the most inconvenient times. You know, like just as you’re going to sleep, or in the middle of the night. When you don’t have a single thing to hand to write with, except perhaps the kids crayons and a napkin. I’ve even written down story notes with my eyeliner because I literally had nothing else to hand. Getting a mobile phone meant I would often end up sending several texts to myself because an idea hit when I was out and about, and now I thank technology daily for my wonderful smartphone that even made it possible for me to compose a 17K novella while away on holiday. ^-^

There are certain days I’m not supposed to be writing. Weekends are designated family time, and we have a (reasonably) strict no technology rule. Of course, we don’t always stick to it (psst, don’t tell my husband!). I shouldn’t have been writing on holiday, but since we were sitting on the beach and the kids were playing, I think I got away with it!

But Christmas 2011, inspiration decided to play a mean trick on me. As hubs was busy cooking Christmas dinner and the kids sorted through the presents they’d opened, muse saddled me with the irresistible urge to start writing a far future adventure story with a succubus-like assassin. Argh! Throughout the day, I took whatever few moments I figured I could get away with to sneak upstairs and scribble notes (it being back in the days when I still hand wrote a lot). Pretending to fetch things from bedrooms, change a top, go to the bathroom, bring down presents or take some to put away. Whatever else, at least I earned stuffing my face with Christmas dinner after all those trips up and down the stairs all day! And my family never guessed.

Somehow I managed to get about five thousand words down that day. That one day of the year when I really shouldn’t have been working. The result of that inconvenient flash of inspiration was my scifi romance Tethered, born on Christmas Day. I guess maybe it was muse’s present to me. Fortunately, muse has never been that cruel to me since.

What was the most inconvenient time or place that you ever got inspired?

Blurb:

She can kill with a kiss. But can assassin Tyree also heal one man’s grief, and bring peace to a galaxy threatened by war?

For Tyree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something she was trained for. It’s the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone—one of many in Refuge—she’s about to learn her secluded lifestyle, and that of all her kind, is under threat by a race capable of neutralizing their special talents to leave them defenseless.

For Zander D’joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the fearsome Tier-vane or risk a conflict that could only end one way.

Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a perilous deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out Terrans and Inc-Su alike. But there’s more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love growing between them save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?

Buy links:

Breathless Press - http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=6&products_id=597

Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/455540

Bookstrand – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tethered-1562948-343.html

All Romance ebooks - http://www.bookstrand.com/tethered-0

Amazon - http://mybook.to/Tethered

Print coming 24th March - watch for pre-order at Breathless Press! Add it to your Goodreads TBR here – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22085149-tethered

Sign up to my no-spam newsletter to get updated on the latest releases, giveaways and special offers. Exclusive snippets and stories coming soon! http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk/p/newsletter-signup.html

Bio:

After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of subgenres from scifi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3^rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2^nd place).

You can stalk her at her website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pippa-Jay-Adventures-in-Scifi/114058821953752

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/pippajaygreen/

Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/101080630877126516448/posts

Wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/user/PippaJay

Amazon page - http://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Jay/e/B0080QVWEE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406376408&sr=8-1

The Fallen Series: Tiffany Aaron

Book One in the Fallen series.
In a search for a serial killer, a fallen angel and a Detroit crime boss find themselves engaging in an erotic dance of love and lust.


In punishment for rebelling against God, Celeste is banished from Heaven. She has spent centuries on earth trying to keep mortals safe from those of her brethren. As an Enforcer, she still does what she can to protect the innocents from the evil in the world.

Adam Montgomery lives on the wrong side of the tracks in Detroit as the head of a crime syndicate. He’s crawled his way to the top, and nothing will keep him from getting what he wants. And what he wants is Celeste.

Yet as they try to track down a serial killer who’s more than human, Celeste and Adam discover they are in danger of losing more than their lives. They could lose their hearts to each other, but is their trust enough to survive Celeste’s secret?

Review:

This book started out great but faltered a little in some of the things Celeste's character does. Her interaction as a succubus (and fallen angel) with a crime boss in order to track a mentally ill fallen angel comes with a price. She is willing to pay, but some things don't come cheap. When you fall in love for real, there can be consequences in Heaven and Hell. 

One thing I loved about this book was the story line. It was great. The back story was well thought out and the characters were good. On only a couple of occasions there was an issue with suspension of disbelief that detracted from the story (at the beginning when Celeste lets Adam touch her-it didn't fit the scenario) but overall, I enjoyed the story so much I immediately started reading the second one.

4/5

Amazon

Book Two:

When the rebellion in Heaven occurred, God banished those angels who stood against him. They’ve lived on Earth for centuries, doing all they could to survive without going insane. Some continue to protect mortals at all costs, while others just want to blend into the world around them.

The Fallen struggle to find balance between the desire for what they lost and the love they stand to gain if they stay on Earth.

Sometimes the biggest gamble can turn out to be the best bet.


William Bradford is a Fallen angel and a professional gambler, living in Reno while trying to keep the people who visit there safe from his insane brethren. Something’s lurking in the shadows of the city, and William needs all his power to find the truth.

Abigail Hanson deals blackjack, but she hates gamblers, and William Bradford happens to be one of the best. She doesn’t understand why she’s attracted to him, and why she’s willing to overlook his profession.

There’s more to William than Abby could ever guess, but when danger comes calling for her, she’s glad he’s around to keep her safe.

Review: 

The story line for this book was just as good as the first one, but the point where William tells Abby what he is was a little too neat. Any normal girl would have freaked and this one didn't. The story backtracks and tries to cover for it, but that needed to happen at the first conversation to make it stick a little better.

The dream scenes were smokin hot and I loved them. It paved the way for Abby to lust after William so he could keep her safe from the demons chasing her through a rabid customer at the casino where she works. Great action, hot sex scenes and more celestial chess playing made this a good read. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

3/5

Amazon

Wild West Succubus: The Blog Tour

Wild West Succubus

Lila Shaw

Erotic Romance with a Splash of Humor

Blurb:

A woman damned…

Priscilla Goodnight, a widow in the harsh Kansas frontier, has a cattle ranch to run. She can’t afford to reveal any cracks in her tough exterior or indulge in sexual liaisons with her ranch hands. But a hungry succubus can only exercise so much self-restraint, making discretion, disguise and memory-wiping her top managerial skills.

The mysterious stranger who knows her darkest secret…

Priscilla doesn't remember hiring the man with the wily smile and the flannel voice. At all. Men as physically appealing as Hugo Desmond rarely escape her bed, let alone her memory. And how is he able to move so fast, yet nobody notices but her?

Is she his target, his mission or his bait?

Hugo is a gargoyle—a specially-trained executioner—sent to purge the west of evil. With succubi falling squarely in demon territory, Priscilla has every reason to fear him … yet she can't stay away. Hugo says he needs her help and wants to save her soul. But is redemption possible for a woman as wicked as Priscilla, or will love thaw her heart just enough for Hugo to crush it?

Buy Links: 

Liquid Silver Books:  http://www.lsbooks.com/wild-west-succubus-p821.php

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EN8PVMC

All Romance eBooks:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wildwestsuccubus-1269563-340.html

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wild-west-succubus

iBookstore / iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wild-west-succubus/id687553562?mt=11

Excerpt:

A few of the men are laughing and eating breakfast, but as soon as I walk in, they grow silent … mostly.

“Morning, Miss Priscilla. Did you sleep well?” Fred asks, his last words ending with a snicker.

Most of the other men snicker too, all but Hugo, that is. He probably doesn’t know the rest well enough to be privy to their secrets.

Jesse slaps Gray on the back and Gray grins. Speaking through a mouth full of half-chewed biscuits, Gray says, “I slept like a titty baby myself.”

The others snort back their laughter. Hugo’s forehead furrows as he glances around the table.

I sigh. I don’t know why I expected better from Gray. But little boys must be taught their lessons, and the first one is don’t fuck with a succubus who holds your soul in hock.

After giving each man a smile in turn, I close my eyes and yank on Gray’s tether. He keels over and falls face first into the puddle of gravy on his plate.

“What the … Gray?” Jesse lifts Gray’s face from the plate and shoves him back against his chair, wide-eyed but unseeing. Mr. Yao’s savory sauce drips in long slimy strings from Gray’s nose. “Gray?” Jesse slaps Gray on the face a few times.

Gray isn’t home anymore. I slurp the last bits of his soul’s life-force in and breathe deeply as it spreads throughout every inch of my body. I am energized, immortal, powerful, and pissed off.

Hugo skewers me with his gaze, cold and hard. “Are you sure you want to do that? May raise more questions than it solves.”

What the hell is he talking about? Fuck him! Fuck all of them!

One by one, starting with Jesse, I lock gazes with each man around the table. As I ransack their recent memories, their expressions transform from mirth to horror to incoherent. The two newer hands I’ve never had to mind-wipe before—Winston and Jasper—fall asleep. The older hands will slowly regain their wits with what have been called devilishly hideous headaches. If any of them think they can take to their beds sick today, they’re dead wrong.

Hugo watches the entire proceedings, and when I get to him, my last target, he presses his lips into a thin line and resists my trespass into his mind. Those glacial blue eyes of his frost over and then seal shut, expelling me and slamming the door in my face.

How the hell is he able to do that?

With a snap of Hugo’s fingers, all motion, except his and mine, ceases. The clock stops ticking. A napkin casually tossed hovers an inch above the table’s surface. Mouths are frozen mid-word. Arms float rigidly in the air, and eyes stare blankly.

“Think, Pris,” Hugo repeats. His jaw is rigid, and his hands are curled into fists.

I stop trying to force my way inside Hugo’s mind. “Wh-what’s going on?” I wave a hand in front of Fred’s face, nearly threatening to put his eye out, but he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even blink. I shove my chair away from the table and jump to my feet. “What kind of sorcery is this?”

Hugo slowly raises his eyes to mine. In measured words he says, “Give Gray back his soul.”

“I need it.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “You don’t.”

“He deserved what he got!”

“No. He didn’t. All you needed to do was mind-wipe him, just like the others. Sucking him dry is excessive. You don’t have to go that far. Besides that, we’re kinda short-handed. Do you really want to fall behind this time of year? Think about how hard it will be to find a replacement.”

The horror of this man’s cognizance of what I am grips me. “Who are you? What are you?” I take a few steps back, wondering if I should flee.

He lifts his eyes to mine. “I’m someone you should be very afraid of.”

“Afraid? Of you?” I throw my head back and laugh dramatically, just like those ladies on the stage. “Oh, little big man. I’m not afraid of any man.” But I am afraid of this one.

Authors Bio:

Lila Shaw is the pen name for a wee hours author of erotica and erotic romance. She adores writing about strong-willed women and the clever, charming (and well-endowed) men who love them. She believes if you can’t occasionally laugh at human foibles, and especially the physical aspects of love, you’re taking life far too seriously … unless the condom breaks, then you have every right to fret. Lila lives in the Portland, OR area with her family. www.lilashaw.com

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Ten Facts I Learned Researching Wild West Succubus:

One of the reasons I don't often write historicals is because I'm lazy.

There. I said it, confessed my sin.

You're probably slapping your head thinking, "This doesn't seem like a good way to convince me to give your book a shot." I would be thinking that too.

But the reason I share my terrible confession is because I believe if you're going to write a historical, make sure you do your homework.

Be mindful of what you can and can't use or reference in your story--figures of speech, clothing worn, density of the population and distances, flora and fauna indigenous to your setting, events in the world around the characters at that time and what their history books would have said.

That's tough to do, but necessary for anyone attempting a historical. I really wanted to write a western, however, so I rolled up my sleeves and dug in and learned a few facts it the process.

Here are my top ten:

1.                  Kansas is indeed flat and open, but there are also parts that are forested and have rock outcroppings and rivers. Mostly in the north and northeast.

2.                  Mountain lions are extremely rare in modern day Kansas but in the 1800's there were a lot more. Farmers and ranchers decimated the large cat population in the late 1800's, early 1900's.

3.                  No boxers or briefs in 1869 Kansas. Men most likely wore no underwear at all or wore union suits, patented in NY in 1868.

4.                  For women, the tiny waist was in style during the 1860's, but I seriously doubt my heroine, Priscilla, ever wore a corset. If she did, she would not have laced it tightly.

5.                  Kansas became the 34th state in 1861.

6.                  Abilene, Kansas was a popular cattle market and the end point for the Chisholm Trail, which began in Texas and was used between 1867 and 1884.

7.                  Priscilla's last name by marriage is Goodnight, taken from the famous Charles Goodnight of the Goodnight-Loving Trail fame.

8.                  Popular slang during that period included terms like, "Get a wiggle on" for hurry up, and "flannel mouth" for a smooth-talker.

9.                  Bram Stoker's Dracula wasn't written until 1897 so Priscilla would not have heard of the gent, though vampire legends are much older.

10.              Meals on cattle droves most likely consisted of beans seasoned with meat prepared by the cook who rode ahead with the chuck wagon. Vitamin C deficiencies were common and popcorn was a popular treat.

While I would never claim to be an expert on 1869 Kansas, far from it, I hope I added a little authenticity to Wild West Succubus.

Here's more about Wild West Succubus, my paranormal western historical romance with touches of urban fantasy in an anything but urban setting:

***

Review coming soon!

The Tour:

9/9:  Interview - Inside the World of Books

9/10: Spotlight - Bootheel Cotton Patch

9/11:  Guest Blog - Lusty Penguin Reviews 

9/12:  Spotlight - Rose & Beps Blog

9/12:  2nd stop Guest Blog - Literal Hotties

9/13:  Guest Blog/Review - Must Read Faster

9/14:  Interview - Romance with Flavor

9/16:  Spotlight - Indie Authors

9/18:  Review and guest post - Erzabet's Enchantments

9/20:  Review - Harlie's Books

Giveaway:

Win one of five copies of Wild West Succubus. 

Wired In Sin Tour and Giveaway

Blurb:

Victoria is a business owner, a friend and a succubus, the latter being something she despises with her whole heart. As she works to free others like her from the daily need to feed from sexual partners, she stumbles across her mate. Now she’s fighting destiny and the call of his lust, refusing to sate her need on the one male made for her.

Dominick is a technowizard used to living his life his way. When he arrives at a business meeting and senses his mate, he’s intrigued. When she slams walls up around herself and refuses to even look at him, he goes on the prowl. He uses her sex phone business to get her attention, but can he keep her on the line long enough to capture her heart?

Purchase Links:

Ellora’s Cave http://www.ellorascave.com/wired-in-sin.html

Excerpt #2

When she’d finally fallen asleep the night before she’d dreamed of him, of his energy, of his lust. Dreams rarely woke her, but she’d come awake moaning from an orgasm, coated in sweat and still shaking from the release. She didn’t like admitting it, but she craved him and silently agreed with her inner thoughts that perhaps he was someone she wanted to actually get to know.

Reading the note again didn’t help her to decide what she thought of the gift. Nick had obviously had it planned and had worked hard to get it to her without anyone seeing him or who had delivered it to the building.

Victoria, Please accept this token of my appreciation and affection. I hope you find it as beautiful and unique as I find you. All I ask is that you don’t open it until Thursday evening before our next session. Yours lovingly, Nick

She sighed. If she’d been human still she’d have been terrified that the man was stalking her. In the supernatural world, though, stalkers were rare. Beings who lived thousands of years were strange, bestowing gifts and favors on others with no real comprehension of how it looked to a former human. She couldn’t assume that the male who had sent the gift was doing anything other than simply sending her a present. It wasn’t her first and surely wouldn’t be her last. Many of her clients sent tokens of their affection or thanks. The men she took as patrons were rich, some beyond even her comprehension. Money to the supernatural community was a necessity, but more often than not a joke. When you lived for centuries there was no limit to the income you could make.

Review:

This book was a hot read. I have always appreciated a good succubus story and although this one was a slow starter with a bit of back story to work through, I enjoyed it very much. The dreamscape scenes between Victoria and Dominick were hot. It gives new meaning to the suggestion that the mind is the most erotic organ we have. So true, and in this case really true! Victoria takes phone sex and brings it to a level that most guys can only dream about. She infiltrates their mind and lets them actually feel her. At least, they think she does. Her clients are supernatural and they know the stakes. But does she? When Dominick tracks her down and sets up an appointment, a whole lot is on the line. Will Victoria be able to handle the heat or will she run? I won't tell. Just enough to say that this hot number is a great evening read and one you won't want to miss!

4/5

About Lea Barrymire

Lea lives in Western New York with her hubby, three children, and miscellaneous critters. Before the rugrats, she lived a life of adventure, following her husband all over Europe with the US military. She’s slept in a car outside Paris, drove six hours just to see tulips in the Netherlands, and knocked ash from her shoes at Pompeii. Now she spends her time in life’s adventures at soccer games, PTA meetings and school plays.

Lea has loved reading from a very young age, spending many sleepless nights devouring books. Science fiction and paranormal were her favorite genres to read as a teenager, and that love bled into her adult life. She started writing during a bout of insomnia, to fill time, and found it filled a creative void. Now she communes regularly with the characters in her head and tries not to laugh out loud when they say something funny.

When Lea isn’t reading, writing or corralling kids, she enjoys watching movies and sciencey shows, or just kicking back and listening to some music.

Find Lea on her Website – Facebook – Twitter - Blog

Tour long Giveaway: $15 GC to Amazon, B&N or ARe AND Swag pack

Dates: 7/24 thru 8/17/2013

Anya Richards	7/24- Wed
Lea Barrymire	7/24- Wed
Nina's Literary Escape	7/25- Thur
For Whom The Books Toll	7/26- Fri
Lusty Penguin Reviews	7/27- SAT
Tattooed Book Review	7/29- Mon
Cristal Ryder	7/30- Tue
Jayne Kingston	7/31- Wed
For the Love of Bookends	8/3- SAT
My Reading Obsession	8/4- SUN
A.M. Griffin	8/5- Mon
Kick Start Your Heart Romance	8/6- Tue
The Jeep Diva	8/7- Wed
For The Love of Reading	8/12- Mon
Unearthly Musings	8/13- Tue
Close Encounters with the Night Kind	8/14- Wed
book boyfriend reviews	8/15- Thur
deal sharing aunt	8/16- Fri
Erzabet Bishop	8/17- SAT

Legal Information:

- Entering this contest means you have read, understood, and agree with all rules and regulations stated.- Entrants must be 18 or older (or age of majority in your country) to enter and to win.- No purchase necessary.- Void where prohibited.- All stated rules are subject to change without notification or reason given.- Chances of winning vary widely based on the number of entries received.- Prize is as stated. No substitutions or exchanges. Residence of the United States only.

- Contest host/organizer is not responsible to misrepresented/mis-typed email addresses, spam filters, mailer demons, and other internet wackiness that may crop up at the time of winner notification.

- Winners are final.- Contest Starts 00:01EST July 24, 2013 and Ends 12:59EST August 17, 2013 and open to US residence participants ONLY- Winners will be notified via email, twitter, or facebook no later than 12:00EST August 20, 2013 -Respond by date to collect prize is 14 days from notification date.

Succubus Steam: Hot Steampunk from Lila Shaw

From Evernight's Romance on the Go line:

A succubus half-breed, such as Violet, who hobnobs with the highest echelons of Victorian London society, is a bride in a difficult marriage of extremes. Any act that wants of propriety, and she would find herself banished to the wilds of Cornwall where her full-blooded succubus sisters live and thrive. Yet she prefers the company of mortals, even if she must occasionally risk her reputation by engaging in discreet sexual liaisons.

When Violet’s great uncle dies and bequeaths her his laboratory and home, she crafts an artificially intelligent automaton named Adam to sate her carnal needs. Her plan is coming along nicely until an incubus from her past, and the unwitting model for her invention, discovers her secret. Violet has good reason to be wary of losing her heart to Lyle, but perhaps Adam is the key to fulfilling all of her desires.

Amazon

Oh my gosh! This is the hottest steam punk story ever! Having an automaton to give you any kind of pleasure...ummm. Delightful story! As usual Lila Shaw is in top form. This is indeed the best of her Succubus stories to date and I couldn't put it down.

When Violet builds Adam to help her keep her half succubus inclinations under control, she has a wonderful new toy that bears a striking resemblance to Lyle, a very sexy incubus that just might drain her dry if she gave in to his advances. Could Adam be the key to surrendering to her deepest fantasies? Read this one to find out.

menage, m/f, m/f/m and more! 

5/5

For more info on the amazing Lila Shaw, check out her links:

Lila Shaw
Website  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

Seductress: The Blog Tour

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