#Free #FridayReads - House of Immortal Pleasures (Part 10)



House of Immortal Pleasures
Copyright © 2010 by Katie Salidas

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial
sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers.


Daphne hummed under her breath. Her body reacted with urgent demands at the touch of his soft lips. Her pulse quickened and flames of need danced through her veins, igniting her blood.
She should stop him. She needed to stop him, but Daphne enjoyed the soft caressing kisses at her neck too much to protest. She just couldn’t bring herself to say the word. . .  stop.
Connor had melted her scarred heart with his sweet words. They reverberated in her head, ‘I want to pretend I am good, and deserving enough, to be here with you.’
Those words worked like black magic, soothing her pain, stirring up wanton feelings she had fought to ignore. He was like Prince Charming in a fairy tale, sweeping her off her feet with promises of a happily ever after.
Ken had never been so kind. He’d never called her a good woman.
Could Connor really mean these things? No one has ever spoken like this to me before. Damn he’s good.
Fire raced through her blood; each kiss from Connor further fanned the flames of desire. The thick rod of his erection pressed into her back as she rested against him. Warmth pulsed between her legs. Moisture slowly soaked through her panties. Daphne’s body cried out for more, making sexual demands in her mind, treacherously overpowering her rational senses. He was seducing her, his touch, his words, and those soft lips.
Oh God! Could it really be as sweet as he had said? Could I really allow another man to be intimate with me again? Is this real or just pure fantasy?
Daphne didn’t know if she cared anymore. There were no answers, only the screaming need of her body. Not even B.O.B., and a full pack of double A’s, could satiate the demands her body was making now. Only the soft caress of lips, skin-to-skin contact, and body heat would satisfy. What she had feared most was beginning to happen. She was giving in.

****

Connor continued to peck gentle kisses on her neck. He enjoyed the jump of her heart and the soft cooing sounds she made in response. He dared to push the limits further by nibbling at her pulse, tempting himself in the process. His body cried out for her and his need for blood whispered, Bite her. His reward was a loud sigh of pleasure. His hand slowly glided up from her lap. Gentle feather-soft touches of his fingertips grazed the soft skin of her neck and partially-exposed chest.
He fidgeted with the buttons on her shirt, undoing them to remove the thin, cloth barrier preventing him from exploring the tender flesh of her soft breasts. Finally unbuttoning her blouse, he snapped open the front clasp of her lacy bra and cupped a swollen breast in his hand.
Need beat at him with unrelenting urgency. He desperately wanted to taste her. He lapped at her neck, his tongue finding the pulsing vein.
Daphne shuddered, letting out a gasp as his teeth sank into her soft flesh. Connor massaged her swollen breasts, working her nipples into hard nubs as he fed slowly from the fountain of her neck.
Her blood was warm and rich; a honey-sweet elixir, tasting every bit as good as he had imagined it would. He savored the flavor as it flooded his mouth. He could have drunk her dry; the thick blood was like liquid ecstasy. He knew better, though. Connor was not a young fledgling anymore. Time had given him better control over his urges. A taste, a sip, was all that he needed to sustain himself. Any more and he might run the risk of making another mistake, like he had with Adrienne.
With a sweep of his tongue, he closed the pinpricks of his fangs, leaving no trace of his indulgence, and kissed the tender flesh of her neck.
Connor released her breasts, sending one hand trailing down to her tight jeans. With a quick jerk, he opened her button-fly and reached down, under her lacy panties, to her warm folds, already wet with desire.
Daphne gasped as his finger found her clit. Her body arched in response, her ass rubbed against his swollen erection, packaged tightly in his jeans. The movement caused a white-hot streak of pleasure to surge through him.
He teased and massaged her breasts with one hand while the other slowly dipped into her wet opening. Pecking kisses just below her ear, he used every available resource to masterfully manipulate her body into a pleasurable frenzy.
She moved and slithered in his lap, responding to his every touch. The friction of her body, writhing against the stiff erection tenting his jeans, was pure erotic sensuality that served to return the pleasure Connor was giving Daphne, right back to him. 

Read More Next Friday!

#Free #FridayReads - House of Immortal Pleasures (Part 9)



House of Immortal Pleasures
Copyright © 2010 by Katie Salidas

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial
sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8


Connor knew the signals; her body relaxed under his attentive hands. She would give in. They always did. His chest puffed with pride as the thick, sweet scent of her pheromones slowly permeated the air. He enjoyed the caramel scent of her arousal, knowing her body would be filling her mind with sexual need. His own body began to tighten, his cock swelled in reaction. She slumped backwards into his chest, giving him an ample view of her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, tiny pebbles, visible through her white cotton top.
She spoke in a sing-song, peaceful voice. “No, I’m nowhere close to getting married.” A small moan escaped as he deepened the pressure again, pressing harder into her tight muscles.
“Such a shame.” He lowered his head, his voice deep as he whispered into her ear, “A man would be a fool to not scoop up a beauty such as yourself.”
He felt the shiver of her reaction to his blatant seductive attempt. A knowing grin crept across his face. “So, why is it that your friends brought you here?” he continued, pretending the conversation was important. He knew she was already melting, turning into putty in his soothing, capable hands.
“They want me to have sex,” she said bluntly.
 “Well.” He laughed. His hand sank lower, down her back. “That is obvious by the location they chose for you. People don’t usually come here for dinner and a movie. Surely you don’t have a problem getting men into your bed.”
Daphne’s head dropped sharply. He felt her muscles tense again. She took a deep breath.
Connor was taken aback by her sudden, unexpected reaction. His heart slammed hard in his chest. “Have I said something wrong?” His voice filled with concern. “I did not mean—”
“No, I’m fine,” Daphne said in a choked, whispering breath.
Connor reached around and guided her chin up so she could turn and look at him. Small tears welled in the corners of her eyes. He studied the deep emerald pools, reaching into her mind to see what could be causing her so much pain. The weight of her emotions hit him: fear, uncertainty, shame, and anger. Like a giant tidal wave of sadness, they crashed into him.
The image of a pale, pudgy, blond man came into view. He was naked and in the throes of passion with a woman who was not Daphne. That scene was the center of her pain. This man must have betrayed Daphne. The intensity of this memory and the flood of anguish he felt could only mean one thing: she’d had the terrible misfortune of walking in on this scene. It all made sense to him now.
Anger filled Connor’s mind as he lived her pain. He sensed the innocence in Daphne’s soul and found himself despising this man who had betrayed her. How could anyone harm such a sweet woman?
He blinked a few times, breaking the mental connection, and calming his inner rage. Focusing back on Daphne’s sad face, after a moment of silence, he spoke solemnly, “Someone has hurt you deeply.” His heart felt heavy, as if breaking for Daphne. “I am so sorry. What can I do to make you feel better?”
Daphne sniffled and wiped away a tear. “I’ll be fine,” she squeaked the words out.
Her face told otherwise. Large, glassy eyes spoke volumes of sadness. She could not hide the gulping breaths she took while fighting back the emotions radiating off her.
An overwhelming sense of compassion filled Connor. He understood now the secret depth of those glistening eyes. This was a woman who had been terribly shamed and heartbroken. And though he could tell time had passed since that terrible day, she still suffered needlessly, unable to let go.
Her tears were proof that she still carried around the terrible weight of leftover, emotional baggage. She needed to let go.
Connor was overcome with a need to take away that pain. To make her feel better. To remove the terrible weight burying her beautiful soul.
And he would do it the only way he could. Connor silently vowed to show her exactly how beautiful, how desirable, and how special she was. He would replace this terrible memory with a new one.
No longer would this be a game of seduction to do his job and make Alexander profit. Just getting through the night and seeing his freedom was no longer the goal. He would use his abilities for a nobler mission and give her the best night of pleasure he could manage.
“I am sorry for bringing up such a painful memory. I do not wish to cause you to relive such suffering.” Connor pulled her close. Her back pressed against his chest. His arms encircled her in an embrace. “Some men are terrible creatures,” he whispered into her ear, “undeserving of such beautiful gifts as the love of a good woman.”
Daphne relaxed into his arms but said nothing.
“You must believe you are a good woman, deserving of a real man,” he said softly. “One who will cherish you and allow you to see the true beauty you possess.”
With his right hand, he stroked her folded arms.
“Oh, you’re good, Connor,” she said with a sigh. “I can see why you got into this business.”
Connor whispered into her ear, “I’m speaking as a man, sitting here with a beautiful woman in his arms, not as a man of the evening. I told you before; we do not have to have sex.” It was a half-truth. He was attracted to her, but he knew she needed to feel the pleasure of sex with a real man, not the beast who broke her heart. “I am content to sit here and talk with you all night. I only ask that you would allow me to hold you in my arms. I want to pretend I am good, and deserving enough to be here with you. You are a special woman.”
She sighed. “Thank you.”
He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. Gently, he pecked a kiss on the knuckle and then returned her hand to her lap.
She adjusted her position, her body relaxing further into his, her head leaning back against his shoulder. Her back pressed against his engorged member, which had been demanding attention since she had arrived in the room. His jeans felt stretched and restrictive, yet he enjoyed the pressure of her body against his own. Connor’s mind wandered to the things he wanted to do with her. He needed to make sure she had the best night of her life. She needed to experience real pleasure to dampen the pain she carried.
Connor knew he would have to test the waters. Start slowly and see how willing she was and what she would be able to handle.
He lowered his head to nuzzle Daphne’s neck. Pausing for a moment, he waited to see if she would react. She sighed but did not attempt to stop him.
He took a long, deep breath, inhaling her feminine scent. She smelled of honey and sweet caramel, mixed with her own natural pheromones. The intoxicating aroma called to him, awakening more than just a sexual need. A hunger in his body needed to be satiated. Sex and blood went hand in hand in the vampire world. To have one without the other was like eating a sumptuous meal and forgetting the dessert. Just the thought of her arousal had him salivating for a small taste.
His lips gently grazed her neck. Her pulse quickened in response and she flushed with goose bumps accompanied by a small gasping breath. He fought back at the urge to sample her blood, and concentrated on testing Daphne’s acceptance of his advance.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he whispered, while pecking softly at her neck. “I’ll stop if you want.”

Read More Next Friday!

#Free #FridayReads - House of Immortal Pleasures (Part 8)



House of Immortal Pleasures
Copyright © 2010 by Katie Salidas

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial
sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers.


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8



A look of pure amusement crossed the vampire’s face. He curled his finger, beckoning her closer.
“Um, look,” Daphne stuttered. “I’ll tell that Alexander guy that you were the best I’ve ever had. Whatever you want me to say. I just can’t do this.”
“How about this?” he said, patting the spot next to him on the bed. “We will just sit here and chat. Nothing will happen … if you don’t want it to.”
Daphne exhaled loudly. “I don’t know.” Her hands dropped from the death grip she’d been holding on her fluttering stomach. She wrung them, nervously. “Look, I don’t even want to be here.” Her eyes darted all over the room, trying to look anywhere except where the sexy vampire sat. The magnetic pull of his eyes was so tempting, but nerves screamed at her to run.
“No one will believe we’ve had sex in the five minutes you’ve been in here.” He leaned back, propping himself on his elbows. “I do have a reputation to maintain.” He winked at her. “If you want you r… story to be legitimate, we will have to spend some time here, together.”
Daphne’s breath hitched in her chest. She stood still, trying to assess the situation and come up with some kind of rebuttal. He was right; she couldn’t just walk out of the room so quickly. No one would believe she had sex with this man and she knew her friends would keep her here until she did something. Would there be any harm in sitting and talking with him? She wondered.
He sat up and held a hand out. “We will just talk.” A sincere-looking smile crossed his face. Daphne wanted to believe him. He was right, though she didn’t want to verbally admit it. There was really no other way out of this and chatting couldn’t hurt.
“Ok, but no funny business,” she said. Bypassing his outstretched hand, Daphne walked around to the other side of the bed, and sat down.

****

Connor enjoyed this little cat-and-mouse game. His body tightened as he heard the calling of her accelerated heartbeat. He watched her breasts heave, threatening to spill out of her flimsy cotton top, as she breathed erratically.
He knew his duty. He was supposed to seduce this woman, just as he’d seduced others in the past. They always protested at first; but he could easily convince them—and had to, if he wanted his freedom.
Connor turned to face her. He chuckled at her stiff posture. She sat rigid on the bed, like a statue. He crossed his legs, leaned his elbows on his knees, and said, “You don’t have to sit so far away. I won’t bite … hard.”
Daphne gasped.
“Okay, okay, bad line.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just trying to break the ice here. You look so tense. Why don’t we start with something simple? My name is Connor, and you are?”
Her name came out more of a squeak than a word. “Daphne.”
“What a beautiful name, Daphne.”
She nodded. Her gaze cast down to the blanket covering the bed as if she were studying the material.
He lowered his voice. “Don’t be so nervous.”
“This wasn’t my idea. No offense to you, but I don’t do this sort of thing.”
He laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard that.”
“No, really.” Daphne’s head snapped up, her eyes locking on his.
 “Oh, I believe you,” he said with a grin. “It’s just that no one likes to admit they’ve paid for … sexual services.”
Daphne appeared like a frightened deer caught in oncoming headlights. Connor stared intently at her, silently peering into her mind. He heard her thoughts like gentle whispers. Sexual services, did he have to talk like that?
He watched as the thoughts formed in her mind: Tongue Lashing. She had read the menu in the downstairs bar and was remembering the description. The thought painted an excited grin across his face. He made a mental note. She secretly desires oral pleasure.
 Her tongue darted out of her mouth to moisten her lower lip. Daphne looked down again, studying the fabric of the bedspread. Her face darkened, turning almost as red as the deep, cherry color of the blankets.
“You’re far too tense. Please try and relax.” He reached out and gently rubbed her shoulders, feeling tense knots under her skin.
She jumped but did not pull away. “I said no funny business.” She sounded angry, but the fact that she did not retreat told him she enjoyed the feeling of his hands. He applied gentle pressure on her tight shoulders.
Connor slipped behind her and leaned in, whispering in her ear, “It’s only a massage. I can stop if you’d like.”
Daphne did not respond so Connor added a little more pressure and continued to knead her tense muscles. “So, since this wasn’t your idea, how did you end up here?” He knew small talk would help disarm her further.
“Friends,” she said in an exhaling breath.
“Is this some kind of bachelorette party thing?” His hands sank lower to work on her back. “One last fling before you’re tied to a man for the rest of your life?” His thumbs rubbed in a circular pattern along her spine. His palms cupped her tiny ribcage, leaving the tips of his fingers to graze the sides of her breasts. 

Read More Next Friday!

#Free #FridayReads - House of Immortal Pleasures (Part 7)



House of Immortal Pleasures
Copyright © 2010 by Katie Salidas

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial
sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8


Daphne’s nerves had her jumping at the sound of the door closing. The grey haze dissipated as soon as Alexander left. She wasn’t sure what had compelled her to walk upstairs with him. Perhaps she’d had a little too much to drink. Reaching back into her memories, she recalled vehemently refusing to continue this charade her friends had concocted, and then things had gone fuzzy. She’d suddenly found herself here, in this strange room.
Vampires, though out in the public eye, were secretive about their abilities. Daphne had a sneaking suspicion that the rumors of mind control were true.
She couldn’t believe she’d willingly walked into this gaudy room that reeked with the deep musk of sex. Daphne brushed away stray strands of hair from her face, shuddering as a strange feeling came over her. She sensed the creepy weight of unseen eyes on her. Gooseflesh danced across her skin.
She nibbled at her thumbnail as she took in the blood-red room. For all the liquid courage she drank tonight, Daphne didn’t feel very brave. In fact, she felt a bit queasy. Her stomach churned with anticipation of the unknown.
Just get up. Just get up and leave. No one will stop you. She wanted to leave, but she wasn’t sure where she would go.
“I have been expecting you.” A deep, husky, masculine voice crept from a shadowy corner of the room.
Daphne jumped, startled by the voice.
“Tell me what you desire from me. You only have to say the word and I will fulfill all of your fantasies.”
Daphne’s mood lightened. The queasy feeling momentarily subsided, replaced with laughter. Those words sound so cheesy. Like something from a porno.
She remembered some of the movies Ken had forced her to watch. She’d always found the dialogue to be silly and wondered why the characters bothered talking at all.
“Do you find me amusing?” the voice called out to her from the shadows.
She turned left and right, her gaze darting all over the room searching for the owner of the mysterious voice. She noted the darkened corner of the dimly-lit room and tried to focus—to see the man hiding in the shadows. “I’m so sorry.” Heat rose to her face. She hadn’t considered that she might have insulted the speaker. “I didn’t mean to poke fun.”
Eerie silence only served to heighten her sense of embarrassment. Wringing her hands in her lap, she continued to search the room for the owner of the voice.
Daphne’s eyes widened as a large figure stalked out of the corner. Her jaw dropped. He was a sight to behold. Unlike the other vampires, he did not stick to the traditional long flowing hair. His was neatly cropped and slightly spiked on top of his head.
Daphne couldn’t help herself; nerves or not, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She sat dumbfounded, mouth agape and wide-eyed like a cartoon character, as she took in his gorgeous frame.
He wore only a loose-fitting pair of jeans and an odd, thick, metallic collar. Unlike the Fabio look-alikes in the bar, he wasn’t bulging with overly large muscles. His body was toned and athletic with a small dusting of hair across his exposed chest.
Looking up and down his gorgeous body, she paused curiously on the strange metal collar locked tight around the insanely beautiful man’s neck. She wondered if she had somehow been taken into some S&M fantasy room. And that sent another wave of unease down to the churning pit of her stomach. Before she could think of anything to say to break this awkward silence, he smiled at her and took a step closer. His brilliant white fangs appeared prominently, highlighted against the darkness of his wide, open-mouth smile.
Daphne frowned and looked down at the ground; the sight of his fangs unnerved her. A shiver danced down her spine, sending another wave of gooseflesh pimpling her skin. She had never been this close to a vampire. Passing one in the street was one thing; however, being locked in a room with one was a completely different story. “I’m sorry, I just …”
“Tis all right, little one.”
Images of cheesy vampires in long velvet capes flashed through her mind. She giggled again, the tension slowly lessening. His words seemed rehearsed, like he had been handed a script prior to her arrival. She waited for the classic, “I want to suck your blood,” to spill from his mouth next.
 “Any more of this laughing and I shall have to punish you.” His voice took on a menacing tone, but a smile gave away his amusement.
Daphne fell backwards onto the bed in a fit of laughter. “Sorry, I’m not normally like this. It must be the alcohol. I just … you sound so cheesy.”
The vampire chuckled softly, walked to the bed, and sat on the edge.
Daphne jumped up just as his tight butt touched down on the mattress.
“Most women find it sexy,” he said, dropping the Old World flair and rehearsed speech, speaking in a normal, casual tone. “I’m guessing this doesn’t work for you.”
Laughter and the amused smile fell from her face. She tried to gulp back a knot forming in her throat. “Well … um … look, I’m not really into this sort of thing. My friends dragged me here and … uh …” She bit her quivering lip. “Look, can we just say we had sex, charge my friend’s credit card for whatever and I’ll go back downstairs?”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked. His shockingly blue eyes sparkled at her. She found it hard to resist looking into them.
Daphne’s heart sped, pounding against the wall of her chest. She hugged her stomach with trembling hands, praying he would let her leave.

Read More Next Friday!

Let’s talk about Blog Tours




A relatively new method of marketing an author’s book is to do it via online blogs in what is known as a Blog Tour. An author and his/her book are scheduled at a variety of blogs for interviews, book reviews, guest posts, and chapter excerpts. This avoids the author needing to physically travel around the country, yet still provides the opportunity to reach a wide audience.

The single best way to get the word out about your new book is to get it into the hands of people who read and review books publicly. This is where blog touring has taken off.

It combines all the benefits of touring with the ease of online interaction! But how do you set up one of these blog tours?

There are plenty of blog tour companies out there who will take your book and not only get it into the hands of other book reviewers, they’ll also schedule those reviews up into a nice week-to-month tour through associated blogs and social networking sites.

This is a great service to look into.

Hiring a blog tour service can be extremely expensive or cost effective, depending on who you go with. There are some that offer all kinds of bells and whistles: Book reviews, Author Interviews, Book trailer creation, Ad creation, Press Releases, etc.. The sky is really the limit where touring is concerned.
The choice is yours on who you go with, but you have to factor in how much it will cost vs. how much interest it will gain for you and your book.

Let me give you some some things to consider when choosing a blog tour service:
• What blogs are they affiliated with?
Check out their links. They should provide a listing of blogs they regularly work with.
• Do those blogs have a good following?
Most blogs have a “followers” widget on the side where you can see how many people publically follow them. Also look at the comments section and see if people are participating in the blogger’s posts. This will give you an idea of how active members are.
• Do they offer reviews with your tour?
Reviews are the biggest seller in these tours, because people trust their blogger’s opinion. An interview is great to introduce yourself, but a “thumbs up” from a blogger who has read your book can help people decide to take a chance on you and your book.
• Does the blog tour offer giveaways for your book?
People like to win things. If your tour includes giveaways of your book or Amazon gift cards, etc., it will attract more attention.

So, once you have your book ready to publish, why not consider looking in to taking it on tour?

And if you’d like to read more Self-Publishing tips and tricks, check out Go Publish Yourself!



Go Publish Yourself!
Self-Publishing made simple. Get your polished novel ready for Kindle, Nook, or Print in thirty days or less.

Avoid the common stumbling blocks and get on the road to successful self-publishing. This handy dandy guide, filled with insider’s tips and tricks, will unscramble the world of self-publishing into simple, easy-to-follow steps.


What’s in the book?
Common Misconceptions
The Business of Self-Publishing
Basic Costs & Budgeting
Publishing Formats: Epub, Kindle, Smashwords, & Print
Cover Art
Interior Layout
Pricing
Printing and Distribution
Marketing Basics: Platform Building, Book Signings, Blog Tours, etc.

And much more!


Don’t make rookie mistakes. Learn from an insider!
Katie Salidas is an author with several successful self-published titles. Each of her titles was created in the DIY (Do It Yourself) style, without the aid of author service companies. Through trial and error she has gained the knowhow to successfully publish print and ebooks. Go Publish Yourself! has that knowledge assembled into an easy-to-use format, packed with no-nonsense tips and quick and dirty tricks, so you can take your novel to the next level.

So, what are you waiting for? Go Publish Yourself!


About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.