The Evolution of the Writer

Sometimes, we write things that surprise us. Catch us off guard and make us do a ton of research because we don't have a clue what our characters have gotten us into. There's been a few instance where I've personally dealt with this and one is with my upcoming release, Hardware.

It deals with a "lighter" side of BDSM. Yes, that's possible. My hero comes from a painful childhood and his need for control to prevent himself from turning out like his father is what drives him to be in control when it comes to sex. Because of that past, he refuses to introduce any sort of pain or hitting with his sexual partners.

While doing my research for that book (turns out I have a friend who is a Master, runs his own dungeon -- yep, those "festish clubs" really do exist and another friend who is a submissive 24/7) I got fed a lot of information. Only some of it I used for this book.

My brain must have been filled with a great deal of information it wanted to process in some form (usually always writing for me) and I set out to work on my next vampire novel and ended up working on another book that deals with some of the concepts I barely scratched the surface of on Hardware. However, this one certainly won't be on the lighter side. One of my male lead characters (it's a menage romance-m/m/f) is a retired Master that used to train Doms/Dommes. There's just no way to do that light, in my eyes. LOL

Five years ago, I would have never dreamed that I would be working on something like this, let alone releasing something like Hardware. Just goes to show--never say never.

Here's the blurb for Hardware and an exclusive excerpt...enjoy!

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Blurb

Women aren’t supposed to be geeks. They aren’t supposed to fix computer networks with expert ease either, but tell that to Allison—the resident computer guru in the small town of Gatlin Falls, Virginia.

Enthralled by watching her work so effortlessly, Patrick agrees to accompany Allison for a night at the movies so he can learn more about her. Even though he’s a perfect gentleman who prides himself on knowing exactly what a woman wants—and when she wants it—he can’t keep away from her.

One scorching kiss in a dark theater changes everything.

Allison quickly learns Patrick’s definition of hardware is vastly different than her own and she allows him guide her on a path where she discovers new heights of passion she’s never imagined before. Taken by the calm she feels when she is around him, she is pulled into a world where there is comfort in wearing a pair of cuffs and sanctuary in accepting a collar.

Warning: Contains a drop-dead gorgeous barista who knows how to give commands and a brilliant girl geek who’s ready to submit to them. Prepare for, custom-made toys that aren't meant for kids, leather in all the right places and a Popsicle that goes far beyond a tasty treat.

Excerpt:

“So when did you figure out this whole…thing?” Her fingers hit the edge of the water glass as she waved her hand with a flourish and scrambled to catch it before water spilled everywhere.

She righted the glass before shoving a hand through her hair in frustration. The thick fall of her hair tumbled around her shoulders as she pulled out the tie that held it back. His fingers itched to run through it. He could almost feel the texture against his palms as he cradled her head while she sucked him dry. His body shivered in anticipation and the nervous energy in his stomach melted away. It was replaced with lust.

If that was the only reaction she experienced after listening to what he asked of a lover in bed, then he was ahead of the game. A potential lover once spit in his face and called him various names he’d never heard before. Inventive names, but needless to say, that talk hadn’t gone well. Nervousness was definitely something he could handle from Allison and decided to soothe her worries. “It’s all right. You can call it what it is.”

“And that is?”

“BDSM.” Her face blanched and he offered a hand across the table. He squeezed in reassurance when she took his hand. “That’s an umbrella word, Allison. A catch-all. Your immediate thoughts are probably not even close to the reality.”

The waiter returned at that moment with their check and Patrick cursed him silently for his lousy timing. He signed the thin slip of paper with a flourish, then stood and took her hand again. She followed with a nod of reassurance. As soon as they were a block away from the restaurant, he swung around and backed her against the wall of bricks of the old building. He fit his fingers against her chin as he tilted her face up. Comforted by the clear resolve in her eyes, he softened his voice to ensure that she was reassured by what he had to say.

“I’m not going to beat you into submission. In fact, I won’t hit you in any way. I’m not particularly into the whole spanking for punishment or pleasure. Regardless, this isn’t about pain or humiliation. It’s also not about making you feel less about yourself or feeling worthless. I don’t discipline. You’re an adult and perfectly capable of making your own choices. The last thing I want to do is have you feel any amount of animosity toward me because I’ve done something you don’t like.”

“That’s very encouraging.” She chewed her lip again and he desperately wanted to kiss her worries away. He saw her blank look and read it as apprehension. She confirmed it a second later. “But if I don’t know what I do and don’t like?”

Her question sent a hot slash of emotion spiraling through him and before he gave into his desire to kiss her, she needed to know she wasn’t in this alone. “Then it’s a journey we shall take together, if you’ll have me.”