Category Archives: Romans

Romancing the Throne, Part 2: The Eunuch’s Submission

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In the opulent palace of Ctesiphon, the capital of ancient Parthia, lives a princess who searches for the stolen throne of her kingdom, the sella regia. She engages the services of a palace eunuch in her quest, a handsome and astute advisor. Over the years, respect and esteem transform into love, love deepens into trust, trust sparks sexual exploration.

Thus is the set up for my two short stories “An Unexpected Discovery”, an erotic romance, and the follow up, “The Eunuch”, a BDSM flash fiction erotica short. In “An Unexpected Discovery” the Parthian princess Roedogune searches for the sella regia with the assistance of Arashis, the eunuch assigned to her by her husband. It’s an erotic romance, so it’s not really giving it away to say Roedogune and Arashis end up together — romance is about the emotional and physical journey since readers already know there will be a happily-ever-after.

Creating a romantic connection between characters is what a romance writer does. And sometimes that writer is given an opportunity to explore the relationship beyond the happily-ever-after, to take a peek into the life of a couple after that first flush of excitement.

Continuing a romance is especially wonderful if the characters are beloved characters, more so if these are characters who almost did not make the page. Continue reading →

New Mini-Anthology 99¢ Sale! Imperial Warriors is out!

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Imperial Warriors: Two Scorching Tales of the Roman Empire is out! This mini-anthology includes previously published stories now available together for the first time. “The Promise of Memory” was published in Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors, and “Protecting Her” was published in Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance. It’s my very first anthology of my own stories, which means it’s really a “collection of short stories” rather than an anthology (which implies several authors). But I’m calling it a mini-anthology because I like that word!

And it’s on sale for only 99¢!

To celebrate my new release, I’m keeping the price to only 99¢ for the month of June! [UPDATE: I’m keeping it at this price through August!] For this fabulously low price you get not only two scorching historical erotic romances, you get an introduction chock full of history plus a mini-bibliography, and an enticing excerpt from my historical erotica epic, Hadrian and Sabina: A Love Story. Continue reading →

Write What You Know: Paranormal Edition

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Hi everyone! I’m over at The Naughty Literati blog today discussing “Hot as Hades”, my story in Naughty Flings. If you don’t want to go over there, the post is below!

Beginning writers are often advised to “write what you know,” that way words and stories and emotions will resound authentically. The general public has glommed on to this aphorism and often conflates “write what you know” with “write your actual lived experience”. Erotica and erotic romance writers especially fall victim to this definition. We get a lot of “heh, heh” “snicker, snicker” at parties and such, because of course we’ve all done every blessed thing our characters have done.

Sigh. Continue reading →

Rewriting the Persephone Myth

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An excerpt from “Hot as Hades,” my story in Naughty Flings: Twelve Naughty Little Romps, is up today on our Naughty Literati blog.

When I was thinking about what to write for Naughty Flings, an anthology with the theme of springtime, the quintessential springtime myth came to mind, i.e., the story of Persephone. I decided to revisit this myth, but to put a new spin on it, which proved pretty easy.

Because I’d put a new spin on the story once before. Continue reading →

Inspiration: The Promise of Memory

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We’re counting down to release day for the Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors anthology. I’m guest posting on our blog today about my Roman-set story, “The Promise of Memory” and what inspired me to write it. You can either read the post below, or read it on the Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors website. The post on the anthology website has an extensive excerpt! Continue reading →

Romans: Hair, the Emperors, and an Exhibition

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I’ve been a Roman nerd since I was a kid. Not a I-know-every-minute-detail-about-them kind of nerd, more of a fascinated dilettante kind of nerd. I’m drawn to Roman culture and history, especially art and the emperors (“I, Claudius” was shown on PBS in my formative years). I did my master’s thesis on Roman mosaics. And I wrote a book on Hadrian.
Continue reading →