December | 2012 | Claire Gillian

Happy new year (Photo credit: Amodiovalerio Verde)

I don’t write reviews. I don’t begrudge other authors that right, but I choose not to for a wide variety of reasons. What I do, however, is pick a top ten list each year and to those books I give five stars at Goodreads

This year my top ten in the chronological order that I read them with a brief blurb about what I loved:

1. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

OK, I read ’em all and really enjoyed all three. So there! My favorite was the second book because in that book, Anna and Christian do a one-eighty in emotional power which ultimately puts them on an even footing and drives their connection into the deepest layers possible. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a series about BDSM or sex, but about an intense emotion attachment between two very dissimilar people. While Anna is more a blank slate / insert your innocent self here character, Christian is the character that made the book a hit with me.

2. White Horse by Alex Adams

What a creepy post-apocalyptic world Alex created. A virus dubbed White Horse has decimated most of the population and those it hasn’t killed, it has mutated into horrific beings. Sounds like a lot of post-apocalyptic stories doesn’t it? The protagonist was what made this one a win for me–she is pregnant on a journey to reunite with the baby’s father. That and the “Before” and “After” storytelling method used.

3. Want by Stephanie Lawton

Want is about forbidden love between a piano prodigy and her much older instructor. Both characters are horribly flawed and the narrator/protagonist is merely a teenager with a history of abuse and neglect. As much as Stephanie made you seethe with anger at Isaac, the nearly thirty piano instructor, he was sinfully charismatic, too. Want is from the New Adult age group of books of which I am a big fan.

4. Theory of Attraction by Delphina Dryden

I adore brainiac heroes who are socially inept. Make him a high-functioning autistic with control issues that translate into some pretty steamy BDSM and I’m a goner.

5. About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

This was a perfect balance of completely amazing writing skill (filled with the right amount of humor and lovely word arrangements) and captivating plot. A buttoned-up Brit falls for a seemingly carefree American. OK, sort of a good boy / bad girl vibe…but only at first. What I loved about the characters was that while they appeared to be polar opposites on the outside on the inside they were kindred spirits.

6. Deep Desires by Charlotte Stein

Another one about a damaged hero (see Theory of Attraction) that I adored. I am a newcomer to the Charlotte Stein fan party but I’m ready to dance on the table. Nobody does first person as thoroughly and exhaustively deep as Charlotte.

7. Bared to You by Sylvia Day

I picked this up for free on my cruise ship this summer and decided to read it to see what all the fuss was about. As far as controlling billionaire stories go, this one ranks up there. The heroine is, if possible, even more flawed than the hero–shades of Wuthering Heights and Liz Taylor / Richard Burton in terms of tempestuous can’t live with him/her, can’t live without him/her.

8. What I Did for a Duke by Julie Ann Long

The most beautiful and drool-worthy period writer I discovered this year thanks to Dear Author and Goodreads (who are breaking my bank with all their excellent recommendations). A hero with an axe to grind chooses an innocent as his victim to do the most comparable harm to the man who cuckholded him…only the heroine is not at all what he expects. I loved watching the hero’s anger and thirst for revenge slowly dry up and turn into a different sort of hunger. Sigh.

9. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

A fantastic debut YA novel that was initially self-published. That underdog start captivated me at first. The hero, Josh picked up and ran away with the rest. I love two wounded souls finding their salve in each other. This also has the best final sentence of any book I think I have ever read, a sentence that those who skip to the end to read will never understand or appreciate without having read all the sentences that precede it.

10. Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas

I almost didn’t choose this one because one theme–the hero’s eight years of taking mistresses during his platonic marriage to the heroine–disturbed me greatly. But, allowing that both parties to that marriage agreed to it at the inception, I looked past it because I don’t think I have ever shed as many tears over a book as I did reading this one. Ever! I’m still a little pissed at the hero, but my empathy for the heroine makes up for it.

Alas with only ten to choose, I had some very close also-rans of:

The Duke’s Tattoo by Miranda Davis
Disarm series by June Gray
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
Seducing the Beast by Jayne Fresina
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
Tempting the Player by J. Lynn
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

And many, many more delightful nuggets from author friends and publishing siblings including: Sandra Bunino, Diane Dooley, L.S. Murphy, and many, many more

Thanks also to those wonderful reviewers who took a chance and read my debut novel and even extended a helping hand to a new author (as well as to my alter ego, Lila Shaw, who also debuted this year): Tasmanian Jill from Goodreads, Julie Ramsey, Erzabet’s Enchantments, Ursula, The To Be Read Pile, Book Wenches, You Gotta Read Reviews, Jeanz Reviews, Jennifer Eaton, Jeep Diva, Guilty Indulgence, Never Ending Stories, Terri Rochenski, R Brennan…and so many other individual reviewers.

Huge, huge, huge thanks to my publishers: J Taylor Publishing and Evernight Publishing who have been amazingly supportive.

Lastly, thank YOU to all my readers who read my books or visited my blogs, whether you left comments or reviews or not. I appreciate any time you gave me. Truly.

Happy New Year!!

Diane Dooley and I have partnered up and are finally jumping on the BDSM bandwagon! We have very spoiled and materialistic children and husbands who want to retire. Our bank accounts, quite frankly, are demanding much higher and more regular royalty deposits.*

Ours is a twist on the BDSM love story so fresh, you’ll want to slap it (or whip it, whip it good!) We hereby present our masterpiece to the world.

*Agents, please use the contact form to make your best offer. We’ll settle for nothing less than a bidding war, so get your duckies in a row. Publishers, please be patient. Our lucky agent will be in touch. Fellow writers, try not to be too jealous.

Tic-Tac: A Love Story

Dominic Masterson took a moment to admire the expensive hotel room, then pushed his wife down on the massive bed covered with one thousand thread count sheets in ecru. “Before we go any further we need a safe word. So I know when to stop.”

Sicilia Plook quirked an over-plucked eyebrow. “How about: stop it, that frickin’ hurts!”

He sighed impatiently. “No. Something sexy. Or symbolic.”

Sicilia sucked thoughtfully on a plump, pillowy, pouty, pink lip. “Okay, how about: stop that, it frickin’ hurts, Hugh Jackman!” She cackled.

His dark eyes surveyed her balefully. “I see I’m going to have to teach you some manners.” He reached into his back pocket on his form-fitting black leather pants and pulled out a comb, a wallet, a container of Tic-Tacs, a feather, some dental floss, a couple of chip clips and a pacifier. “Hang on, hang on… These pants are too tight to be toting this shit around.”

Smack! His hand made contact with his own ass. “I like how that sounds. Do you like how that sounds?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to spank yourself.” Sicilia rolled her eyes, but after a few seconds leaned in to ask, “But…did it feel good?” Those same eyes o’snark dropped to his crotch. The pants he wore were so tight, they’d divided and conquered the family jewels into separate camps.

“It might have if I could feel my ass.” Dominic gave himself another swat. “Nope. It’s gone numb. How’s that bustier feeling?”

Sicilia pressed her hands to her breasts, tugging the corset up, trying to at least cover her nipples. “It’s not shaped the same as me. I wish I hadn’t cheaped out and got the PVC instead of real leather. It’s hotter than the devil’s testicle in a jock strap soaked in Ben-Gay.” She took a shallow breath. “It’s frickin too tight, too.”

Dominic snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “I have the perfect idea for a safeword…”

Sicilia turned away to loosen her corset. “Do tell,” she said, with unfortunate undertones of sarcasm.

Behind her, Dominic dropped to his knees on the expensive carpet, groaned, and grabbed his crotch. “Hospital!”

Sicilia, still fumbling with her laces, emitted a bored groan. “Hospital? Yeah, that’s sexy.” Her fingers grew more frantic and she tore at the corset. “Jesus Christ, help me get out of this thing. I can barely breathe.”

Dominic slumped over, moaning in pain. “I think these leather pants have burst my testicles. Help me, Sicilia! Help me!”

“Oh, for goodness sake!” She crouched at his side and attempted to undo the zipper on his pants, to provide some much needed relief to his nether regions. The zipper, unfortunately, was stuck. Sicilia tugged and tugged, but to no avail. Suddenly, she turned pale, her zipper exertions having pushed her breathing ability to the limit.

She attempted to stand, but it was no use. She collapsed on top of the writhing Dominic, pinning his huevos under the pancakes that used to be her breasts.

“Stop it, that frickin’ hurts,” he groaned.

“Hugh Jackman,” she whispered before she passed out.

* * * * *

Delicia Lushing found them the next morning and, as all good maids do when confronted with a pile of PVC and leather, hastily summoned the manager.

“Not another one,” Guy Manly blurted out upon arriving. “This is the third one this month!” He surveyed the dead bodies with annoyance. “Oh, actually this is new.” He bent and picked up the container of Tic-Tacs. “What in hell were they planning to do with these?”

Delicia tittered. “I bet you could think of something, Mr. Manly.”

Guy smirked at her, before tucking the Tic-Tacs into his pocket. “Meet you in Room 407, once the cops have dealt with …this. I’ll go call them now.” He turned to her before leaving. “Be thinking of a safeword, Delicia. Something Sexy. And symbolic.” He left to the sound of her giggling.

Did you like that? That was just one tale we’ve collaborated on. We have more in our collection. Here’s our overall pitch:

Follow the exploits of two hundred and twenty-six couples and ménages as they immerse themselves into the alluring but murky world of BDSM.

From housewives who trade pool boys and gardeners to firefighters with extra large hoses to the sado-masochistic world of tax auditors–these tales will titillate and tie you up in knots of ecstacy!

That’s right – for the price of a triple shot venti mocha with five pumps of dark and white chocolate, you get two hundred and twenty six stories that plunge moistly into the hearts and souls of BDSM practitioners, stories that will leave you begging for the next…and the next…and the next.

Tic-Tac: A Love Story will take you places you’ve never gone before, and then make you revisit them over and over… Buy it for all your friends! Gush about it at the office water cooler! Write lengthy fan letters to the authors, saying things like: “this book changed my life, and “could you please suggest an awesome safeword.”

Erotica author, Lulu Shaw wails: “The book I’ve been wracking my brain to write my whole life, goddammit, and these two yay-whos…. I’ll be over here, flagellating myself with envy.”

Author of The Illiterate’s Pop Up Book of BDSM Trends and Techniques, Jane Brown screeches: “This is my new go-to book!”

BDSM expert, Lottie O’Payne, says, “So good I named it Book of the Day on my blog, which my friends say is the best blog ever, even though not many people read it.”

Erotica author, Labiosa Sweet, shares “this book is so hot that all my clothes fell off and I accidentally boffed the poor UPS man. Repeatedly.”

Intergalactic troublemaker to the stars, Agent Z. gushes, “What a load of frickin’ rubbish. This is the worst book I ever…You’re paying HOW much for my endorsement? Really? Ahem. I LOVED this book; it’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, and it will probably make you come. The best book in the galaxy, nay, the universe!”

Hope you enjoyed our joint venture as much as we did. 😉

***

Diane Dooley is the author of a hot-off-the-press vanilla book called That Night. She promises no submissives were harmed in the creation of her latest masterpiece. She does, however, hope to tie you down long enough for you to devour her contemporary romance novelette. Diane is also the author of the intergalactic space romances Blue Galaxy, Blue Nebula, and Mako’s Bounty.