Monthly Archives: September 2011

Shannon McKenna’s Winners and Movies

So today, I wanted to write a post. In actuality, I wanted to write a bunch of book reviews, if you’d believe that. In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you guys even care about reviews? Would you have any interest in reading reviews? I’m asking because… well there’s no point in me writing them if you’re not interested in them, right? I could just… babble. Endlessly.

Hah. I really don’t mean that as a threat. Promise.

Then, I was going to discuss all the movies/shows I’ve been watching. O_o Freudian slip? I typed “shoes” out first. I do watch those and covet. Anyway… life is still kicking my butt. Although I did meet with someone who was supposed to be an insurance adjuster today but isn’t? Whatever. As long as my car is fixed properly. The rest I just don’t want to talk about.

What you care about, however, is the winners! Courtesy of randomizer.org, they are Mary G, donnas, and Bella @ BeguileThySorrow. Mary you get Blood and Fire. Donna and Bella, you each get a copy of Fade to Midnight. Please email me (there’s a contact form) and send me your address so we can get the book out to you.

Lastly, something for me! Finally! 😀 Got any suggestions for movies? I like getting them from my local library. I’ll watch pretty much anything, although I don’t really go for horrors. I don’t watch many at all, actually, so any recommendation is good. Although newer will probably be easier. Thanks!

How’s everyone’s week going?

And remember to check the blog for other wonderful giveaways from authors… and you know what? Why the heck not. Someone who comments on this post will get a LoveSwept e-book download from Random House. (So I guess you can/should also tell me if you read ebooks or not!) Oh – and check if you were a winner from the Social Media for Social Good post. Everyone needs to contact me by Saturday!

Jeannie Lin’s Winner

From her guest post is… JohnD! If you missed it, it’s worth checking out. Very interesting and I think gives some great background on her newest book The Dragon and the Pearl. John, please email Jeannie Lin at … O_o jeannie_lin@yahoo.com (sorry, the yahoo address threw me for a second.)

If you didn’t win this time… worry not – there are more chances to come, and some current ones as well!

The ever fabulous Shannon McKenna is giving away three books, and Alisha Rai is giving away an e-copy of her upcoming release as well! Believe me – you’ll be happy with any of these books. And they’re hot!

Teaser Tuesday Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai

Today we have Alisha Rai sharing a spicy excerpt with us of her upcoming Samhain release, Hot as Hades. She wrote Glutton for Pleasure, which is one of my favorite hot re-reads. Warning – this exclusive excerpt is naughty. Alisha said it’s firmly in x-rated territory. (No pun intended, right? ;))

I was lucky enough to read an (early?) version of this story, and I have to say you are in for a treat. Admittedly I am a huge classical mythology geek. Rest assured – if you know about Greek mythology you know there are some potential squick factors here – Alisha deals with them nicely so it makes sense, and isn’t creepy. In fact I really like how she addresses the issue and makes it go away. (I’m talking about all those potentially incestuous relationships…)  This book will be available October 11, 2011. (The same day Immortals is out in theaters! It’s just meant to be!)

Ensnaring the ultimate bad boy has its risks
and its rewards.

It’s not easy being Hades. Constantly guarding his world against other meddling and ambitious deities is stressful work. So when a naked goddess falls directly into his lap, along with the news that he has to shelter her for the indefinite future, he is less than thrilled. Particularly since he can’t help but lust after the beautiful female.

The Underworld isn’t the first place Persephone would pick for a vacation—who in their right mind would choose a dark palace over sunshine and flowers? Yet from Hades’s first touch, the dark, sexy ruler fascinates her and has her thinking a fling might be just the thing to while away her confinement.

But trust each other? Not a chance. Until the day comes that Persephone must leave
and they realize that trusting each other is the only way they’ll ever meet again.

Warning: Contains an arrogant god, a stubborn goddess, horny deity nookie and enough supernatural friction to set the Underworld on fire.

Persephone preceded him into his office. He shut the door loudly. The click of the lock made her jump. He liked it when she was a little unsure. The hint of vulnerability appealed to him, particularly when she was doing her lady-of-the-manor act the rest of the time.

Keeping her guessing was a fun game, so instead of rushing to get her naked, he went to his desk and sat in his chair. He took his time making himself comfortable before crooking his finger at her in a way that he was certain would raise her blood pressure.

She didn’t love orders, his Persephone. Indeed, her eyes narrowed, and he waited for her to snort at his imperious, silent command.

But a small smile curved her lips, and she sashayed over to stand in front of him, her dress rippling and briefly defining her legs.

He raised a brow. “You’re in the mood to obey me?”

“I suppose so.”

“Why?”

Her smile grew wider. “Because you want me to disobey you.”

Fuck, but she could read him like a book, and he didn’t like that. He was so contrary, he wanted to reward her earlier kind words and actions by proving her wrong, proving that he was no saint. His dominant, autocratic side stretched out of slumber, not that it ever rested for long. “Take off your dress. With your hands,” he added, so she wouldn’t simply dematerialize it.

She raised her hands to the buttons that ran along the front of the dress. Pearl buttons on a pale pink dress—it was his fantasy, his secret kink, innocence on the verge of being despoiled.

The little V of skin at her throat widened as she released each button, showing him that glorious unblemished flesh. Every time he saw that skin, his selfish, territorial nature made him want to mark it, to claim it as his. He had to forcibly remind himself that Persephone and her skin’s presence in his life was strictly temporary.

A snarl sounded, and he realized by her startled expression that it came from him. She would leave him sooner or later.

But for now
now, she was his. Focus on this moment.

And there was so much to focus on, particularly when she shrugged the dress off her shoulders, surprising him with the lacy white corset she wore underneath. The garment propped up her breasts, her nipples peeking out from the lace like confections on a cupcake. It was sensory overload, the erotic snatches of her body almost too much to take in at once. Corset. No panties. Garters. A combination of silken flesh and material.

He realized he had been staring at her without speaking when she shifted her weight. “Touch yourself,” he ordered.

A flush spread over her exposed breasts. “Where?”

Anywhere. Everywhere. “Your tits. Play with them.” He deliberately used the cruder word, wanting to shock her into refusing him, perverse bastard that he was.

She didn’t refuse him, though, simply cupped those gloriously full mounds. Her fingers worked the hard nipples, her head falling back with a small moan as she massaged them.

His cock grew harder, pressing against the weight of his trousers, but he knew if he allowed himself release, it would be over before it began. Her legs spread wider as she toyed with her breasts. One delicate hand started to trail down her body to the open lips of her pussy.

Hades allowed her to get as far as her lower belly before he spoke. “Stop.”

She didn’t listen, her fingers tangling in her pubic hair.

“Persephone. Stop.”

She jerked and stared at him, confused and primed for release.

“Come here.” Hades swore the heady scent of sun and flowers clung to her skin, wafting under his nose as she walked closer to him. “Turn around.”

She hesitated but turned when he made a twirling gesture. Her ass was full and round, bare but framed by the garter and corset. It made an enticing picture.

Paying no attention to her jump of surprise, he palmed a cheek and roughly massaged the flesh. “I love your ass,” he murmured. “I love your whole body. It’s like it was made for me. Only for me.”

It took him a second to realize the import of what he’d bleated aloud. Growling in frustration at himself, he grabbed her hips and spun her around. She teetered, steadying after she grasped his forearms for balance.

“Take me out,” he demanded. He spread his legs to give her room to work the buttons on his trousers, which were stretched tight over the bulge of his erection. The slightly bent-over position she was in made her tits hang down like ripe fruit. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and licked the top of those mounds, finding them delicious as usual. She stiffened, her hands stopping their work. He released his hold on the chair’s arms to cradle her breasts and bring them to his mouth. He knew what pleased her. She always liked it when he sucked hard, lashing at the nipple with his tongue, so he did that now, bringing a high-pitched cry from her mouth.

“Don’t stop,” he drew away to tell her. “Take me out. Play with me.”

She trembled. He loved it when he made her shake with need. It made him feel ten feet tall. “I can’t concentrate,” she said.

He released her, giving no heed to her pitiful whimper. “Then I’ll stop distracting you.”

“Jerk.”

The word lacked heat, and he grinned. He’d come to read her body well, and he knew she needed him badly. “On your knees, female. Maybe that will help you focus.”

She shot him a mock-glare. Her fingers resumed their mission as she sank to the subservient position. He had to grit his teeth as those delicate fingers touched and rubbed him through the leather. When she finally managed to get the fly open, his cock almost ran out to greet her, pushing into her hands. The blessed feel of her warm palm over him made him want to shout for joy and pump into her hand for as long as necessary to get him off.

“Persephone
” He shoved his hips up, groaning as her hand slipped up the shaft and back down, the better to feel that softness all around him.

“What order would you like to give me now, Lord Hades?”

He slit his eyes at her mocking emphasis on Lord. Impertinent baggage. “Make me come.”

Her hand jacked him again, and he spread his legs wider, an invitation to continue. Idly, as if she wasn’t kneeling at his feet in a scandalous corset and playing with his naked cock, she tilted her head. “With my hands? Or my mouth?”

He swallowed, the thought of Persephone’s lips wrapped around his cock filling his head. He had a particular fondness for blowjobs but had rarely been able to find anyone who was willing to bestow that favor. Because he was bigger and more powerful than most females, he always had the distasteful impression that he was forcing his partner.

However, if Persephone chose to grace him with her mouth


He said nothing, and she smiled. “I do remember you saying something about drinking your come.”

His cock jerked at the memory, the dirty words he’d roughly muttered while lost in a haze of sexual need. Without any warning, she licked the vein running along the side of his cock. He gasped, and his hands flew to her shoulders, the little lick punching into his stomach.

“I guess you like this,” he half-heard her say. Unable to care if her tone held the proper amount of respect for him, he threaded his hands through her hair.

“More,” he said, aware that he was pleading.

So – what’d you think? Ms. Rai is definitely a tease, isn’t she?

Have you read anything by Alisha Rai before? Will you give Hot as Hades a try? One lucky commenter will win an e-ARC of Hot as Hades in the format of his/her choice!

Social Media for Social Good (SMSG) 11 Winners

Hi Everyone – I know I said I’d post this on ~August 30. Sorry. I know I should have gotten that done, but we weren’t quite done with the drive yet. It went a bit longer, but we also raised more money, so I think that’s fine. Then, my computer kinda broke, car accidents, hospitalizations, illness, death of a family friend and so on and so forth so… it’s been a bit nutty.

What on earth am I talking about? Remember the charity drive? A Humanitarian Crisis: What We Can Do To Help and that there were prizes?

My apologies for the month long delay. Anyway, here are the winners! Because there were so many prizes, I’ll list the person/group giving the prize, and the winners. To make it easier and cut down on confusion, I also included the link to the comment so you can see if that’s you or not.

  • Christine Bell – Francesca and kiersten, please let me know which 5 of Christine’s books you’d like and in what e-format
  • Susanna Fraser – Brandi E. please email me which book you’d like and in what e-format
  • Nadia Lee – Rose
  • Dee Tenorio – jk – please tell me which of Dee’s series you’d like and in what e-format
  • Anne Holly – Sami
  • Courtney Milan – Her winner was chosen on her blog. Thank you so much, Courtney! xoxo
  • Jill Sorenson – Karen
  • Toni Anderson –  wendy nygaard and Bailey Stewart please let me know which of Toni’s books you’d like and in what e-format
  • Sarah Morgan – LynnD
  • Jeanette Murray – Nat
  • St. Martin’s Press Authors Gift Basket – Jane
  • Nikki Duncan – Janet please let me know if you’d like the Sensory Ops books in print or digital; Mary Ann you get an ARC of Tangled in Tulle
  • Shiloh Walker – aliciaeflores1 please let me know what e-format you’d like the Grimm books to be in

You can use the contact form and I’ll forward your information on. I think that’ll make it easier since it’s been awhile. Please get back to me by Saturday, October 1, 2011. Eastern time. (If you don’t get your information to me in time, sorry, but you forfeit your prize.) And in case you were wondering? All the winners were chosen randomly.

And um… if you said you’d donate but haven’t yet, please please do so? If you’re in the US, here’s the matching gift appeal link. Thanks! (If you didn’t before but decide to now, that’s fantastic too! And if you’d like to let me know the amount so I can add it to our total that’d rock too!)

Winners Galore!

Okay, so I know I should have posted the winner to Carly Phillip’s guest post a while ago – sorry. As you know everything has been crazy. However I finally got my computer issues fixed! It’s awesome! I’m actually not used to having everything functioning properly it’s been so long! Anyway, courtesy of randomizer.org the winner is Cassandra Carr. Please send me your contact info so we can get your prize out to you!

Next, Ashley March had a great guest post, and she shared adorable baby pictures! (I’m counting both girls as babies.) She used randomizer.org and chose willaful as her winner, and has emailed her. Ms. March as you see, is a very hands on guest. Thanks!

For Lorelie Brown’s Teaser Tuesday excerpt… the lucky winner of Catch Me is Vanessa N! You can email her at lorelielong@gmail.com to get your e-book!

Remember my craptacular week last week? Sadly this one wasn’t so much better. On Sunday, my mom got two calls – a family friend was in the hospital and not doing well, and my uncle was in the hospital in critical care. On Monday, I was the victim of a “hit and skip” which I guess is the new cop lingo. Luckily that was resolved on Wednesday, after my trip to the kickass local PD. Xoxo, boys in blue! On Thursday we found out the family friend passed away. My uncle, however, should be more stable and in a regular hospital wing. So that’s good. Anyway – what you care about… the winners!

Randomizer.org tells me they are Lynne Silver, Melanie Carrico (@Kissablysweet1), and Karen C. Just use the contact form at the top please!

I *might* add to this post to have Jeannie Lin’s winner – she’s at a wedding today, so we’ll see how she wants that to go, so stay tuned!

And… everyone – if you’re supposed to contact me to claim your prize, please do so by October 1, 2011 at the latest. Otherwise, I’m sorry but you’re going to forfeit your prize.

Lastly, if you didn’t win this time, no worries! There’s still a giveaway open for Shannon McKenna books, and the wonderful Ms. McKenna is even answering questions and comments! (And as always, there will be more giveaways in the future.)

Sandi’s Post: Slumps?

I wonder how many people out there have suffered from the dreaded reading slump.  I know it’s not something that readers like to think about let alone even encounter!  I have been in a reading slump that has come and gone all of 2011.

I recently suffered some computer issues that unfortunately made me lose my list of reads for 2011, but I promise it wasn’t a long list!  I know that there were some excellent reads on it because I read all of the new Virgin River Series books by Robyn Carr, and all of the new Chesapeake Shores books from Sherryl Woods.   I’m also sure that there was a book or two that I didn’t enjoy as much, but without the actual list I have no memory!

Fortunately August brought me a slew of great reading, and I think I can say I’m out of the slump, and won’t be going back.  However, I do know that one should never say never!

Now, I wonder how many of you actually suffer from a reading slump periodically.  What do you do to get yourself through the worst of it?  How often might you find yourself in a slump?

Super Awesome Special Guest: SHANNON MCKENNA!

Uh… so you can tell I’m kinda excited about this, yes? I had the chance to meet Shannon this past June in NYC and it was definitely a highlight of my trip. When I found out she was going to be there, and Joy had her on our schedule, and then found out I’d be arriving later and would miss her I sent Joy numerous emails in all caps with lots of punctuation asking for a re-schedule. Which actually didn’t work out either because of the hotel+NYPD fiasco… but everything else and goodness prevailed because we got to hang out with her twice. Whee!

On Blood and Fire

Hello, and thank you so much, Lime, for inviting me onto your site to hold forth about my book!

I’m so excited about this one. It’s very dear to my heart, since it was a book that took me completely by surprise. Bruno just sprang out of nowhere in the first chapter of Fade to Midnight. At first, I didn’t consider him as a hero. He didn’t behave like a classic McKenna hero. He talked too much, he was too bouncy, he was a clown, he was hot tempered, on a hair- trigger, etc. etc. The kind of guy who would be a good foil for a studly and stoic McKenna hero. Like, say, Kev.

But when I was done with Kev’s book, and everything was all sewed up, Bruno swaggered on up, and cockily demanded his own story. He was cute enough for hero material, he assured me. He had the muscles, the dimples, the brains, the charisma, the sexual ability. He could kick ass as well as any flipping McCloud. Hell, he was a direct descendant of one of the biggest Italian mafia crime clans on the eastern seaboard, even though he was raised by tight-assed old Uncle Tony, who went straight decades before. Bruno wanted to flatten his own bad guys, damn it. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted his own sexy heroine, his own happily ever after.

Give it to me now. That’s what he said. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. And Blood and Fire came into being.

I’m only half kidding. I am grateful to be bullied by my characters about all the gritty details, the timelines, the plot points. It’s that much less agonizing decision making that I have to engage in! Bruno made the hard decisions before I even started writing. All I had to do was take what he gave me, and build a book with it.

The heart of the story is a memory of Bruno’s recounted in Fade to Midnight. Bruno is in the hospital, staring down at Kev’s unconscious body. He remembers when he was twelve, right after he’d come to live with gruff old Uncle Tony at the diner in Portland, right after his mother’s violent death at the hands of her boyfriend Rudy, the ruthless mafia goon. Rudy and two of his thugs had come to the diner while Bruno was there with Kev, ostensibly to kidnap and silence Bruno before he could testify at Rudy’s trial. But when Bruno is attacked, the speechless and brain damaged and apparently harmless Kev suddenly transformed into a crazy fighting machine. He flattens the three bad guys in seconds, whap, bam, saving Bruno’s life, and earning his devotion forever. And then there was that bit about Rudy ripping Bruno’s mother’s gold necklace, his last keepsake of her, off his throat. What was that about? I didn’t have a clue. I just wrote the thing. Whatever.

I almost cut that scene, because I was so shockingly over word count at the time for Fade to Midnight. It was fully twice as long as the manuscript was supposed to be. I was madly cutting everything that did not obviously advance the plot. And this did not. It revealed character, of course, but not a principle character. It was advancing the plot of another book! Bruno’s book!

That was the seed that took root and grew into Bruno’s story. It went all these crazy places that I never expected before it was through. To the end of writing it, I continued to be surprised as  hell by the things that were happening. It was fun. When it wasn’t hell on earth. Oh, shut up, Shannon. I promised myself I would not whine about how hard and scary writing is. Nobody wants to hear it. Besides, I did this to myself, by deciding not to become a librarian or a computer programmer or a teacher. I made my bed, now I’ll just type in it.

Another good thing about Blood and Fire is that it gave me an opportunity to finish something important that I had begun in Fade to Midnight–the reunion of Kev with is long-lost brothers. A scene fraught with danger. All that pent up emotion, grief and anger and guilt. A minefield, and in FADE TO MIDNIGHT, there was no time or space to either let the bombs explode or carefully defuse them, one by one. The characters were too busy getting blown up and shot at and torched and shot up with needles full of junk or assailed by mind-controlling zombie masters. Stuff like that. No down time for involved, emotionally charged conversations, explanations, ‘issues.’ It was very painful, leaving those beloved McCloud boys like that, all in limbo with each other, still as tense and confused as hell and tied in knots by their unresolved feelings. I considered writing the scene that would resolve it, and then I abandoned the idea. Too easy, I thought. Too soon. Not those guys. They’re not like that. They’re armored with titanium, emotionally speaking. They’re rigidly controlled, they’re tragically, terminally macho. I make no apologies for them. They’re just plain difficult. Ask any of their heroines. Raised and homeschooled in the deep wilderness by a paranoid schizophrenic nutcase survivalist sniper whose mottos were “lack of vigilance will get you killed” and “do the hard thing.” That big tender moment was just going to have to wait. I wouldn’t write it until I felt it. Because I know these guys.

But I cannot even tell you how much flak I caught for that decision! Most of the readers who reviewed or wrote me were just perplexed and disappointed that I left those big issues unresolved, but many others were genuinely angry and felt cheated. I felt bad that they felt bad, but I also chose to take the intensity as a kind of back-handed compliment (might as well, don’t you think?) If a reader cares enough to actually get mad at me for not doing right by a character that she cares about, a character who she believes deserves better, then I am definitely doing something right. Not everything, maybe . . . but something!

But I will announce to you right now that in Blood and Fire, they get their moment! And it is so quintessentially McCloud. Right down to the pouring rain, the open grave, the mud, the ice, the moldering skeletons . . . and I’ll stop it right now. Don’t want to spoil.

So to all of you who were left feeling unsatisfied, it was not for lack of caring about the characters on my part! Far from it. It’s because I care too much to railroad them into something important before it could happen naturally, in a way that I could believe in.

I really get excited when the story jerks me around and has its way with me—is that kinky? Should I worry? Oh, never mind. Forget I asked.

Anyhow, I’m blathering on, because Lime indulgently did not impose a word count, which is a dangerous thing to do with me! So I’ll close this with another resounding “thank you” to Lime for sharing space on her lovely blog for my rambling discourse, and to any of you who are kind enough to read this. I hope you enjoy Blood and Fire if it finds its way into your hands.

Happy reading to all this fall—I hope everyone gets lucky with lots of delicious books, and I wish you all scads of the endless enjoyments and riches that only books can bring.

Because Shannon lives overseas, shipping would be a nightmare – but don’t you worry! I’ve coordinated with the terrific Kensington offices, and we’re going to have three lucky winners! Up for grabs are two copies of Fade to Midnight and one lucky person will get the upcoming release Blood and Fire. Let me tell you, I’m crazy jealous. I didn’t get a Blood and Fire ARC in NYC. And I didn’t bother hunting one down because I only read digitally now, but if I had gotten on there I could have gotten it signed! By Shannon! Ahhh. Anyway, Blood and Fire will be out and about on September 27, 2011. You needed to know that. [Oh and yes I know other than the first two the book covers aren’t at all in order of publication. But that’s how I wanted them.]

Guest Post: Jeannie Lin

Hi everyone! Today we have Jeannie Lin guesting with us! She’s got a pretty awesome post, so there’s nothing more I really need to say. Enjoy!

Tang Dynasty Courtesans – High Class Prostitutes?

Since I won this opportunity to guest after a #stalkersong contest, I thought it might be fun to tie the blog in with that theme, but alas—stalker romance, not so sexy!

So instead I tried to think of an 80s song title that would be appropriate. I had already titled one of the blogs “She’s Got the Look” about Tang Dynasty clothing, but “Turning Japanese” hardly fit since we’re in China. Maybe David Bowie’s “China Girl”? Anyway, I digress.

Big ol’ thanks to Limecello for hosting cool contests that let me reminisce about my 80’s addiction as well as giving me a place to post geeky posts about courtesans.

The heroine of The Dragon and the Pearl is a courtesan named Suyin who was selected into the imperial harem as one of the Emperor’s concubines. But what did it mean to be a courtesan in Tang Dynasty China? How could a woman who entertained other men be allowed into the Emperor’s harem? Was Suyin essentially a high-class prostitute?

I think the last question is the juicy one that makes us want to know more about this lifestyle. Courtesans have played an important role in very high powered positions throughout history in both Western and Eastern cultures. In both cases, it’s recognized that their influence and allure extended beyond sex. Courtesans were often highly educated and able to carry on sophisticated conversations with men of power. They were companions and mistresses, not merely sex providers.

Yet there are slight nuances in Chinese culture that put the courtesan in a very fascinating position. In many ways, the Tang Dynasty courtesan held a unique place among the elite of society and she was both more independent and at the same time more beholden than her Western counterparts.

First of all, there were common prostitutes and whores in the Tang Dynasty. There were women who serviced the army or worked in brothels where the primary commodity was sex. Not much was written about their lives so it is unclear whether they were condemned or considered base and immoral. Much of the writing of the Tang Dynasty focused on the elite classes, but it can be assumed in terms of the status of women, prostitutes likely occupied the lowest rung among slaves and servants.

The courtesans were something entirely different. It was a registered profession and there are records of daughters of high-ranking nobleman registering to become courtesans. Similar to geisha in Japan, Tang Dynasty courtesans usually resided in specific entertainment districts and belonged to specific houses which were headed by den mothers or madams, for lack of a better word. These houses were much more than common brothels. Courtesans were often trained from an early age in music, dance, and poetry in these establishments. In return for the room, board, and upbringing, the courtesans would incur an immense amount of debt to their den mothers so the relationship became akin to slavery or common prostitution in the sense that they were expected to earn money for their entertainment houses to pay off this debt and the amount they owed would often ensure that they were bonded for life. On the other hand, courtesans had the right to petition the public courts if they were treated unfairly and could pay off their debt and be free to leave without repercussions.

Courtesans played an essential and often honored roll among high-powered Tang Dynasty society. Courtesans were considered artists. Based on writings and poems about elite courtesans, it seemed that there was more emphasis on their talent and skill as musicians, dancers, and poets than on their physical beauty. Courtesans also played an important role as hostesses and mediators for important meetings between noblemen, officials, and businessmen. Their connections with these influential men as well as with scholars and poets gave them an elevated status in Tang society.

But before the picture gets too rosy—we shouldn’t forget that they were still servants. Courtesans negotiated a very complicated landscape where they had influence outside of domestic circles; an uncommon place for women. They were praised and looked upon with admiration, yet they were still dependent on patrons for their livelihood.

Let’s talk about sex then, the ever lingering question. Were courtesans masters in the sensual and sexual arts? It’s already been mentioned that their sexual role was secondary to their social function. At the same time, they had more sexual freedom and were they to take a lover, the purpose would be definitely be for pleasure rather than duty or procreation, which would certainly add a different spice to things. A courtesan was probably more knowledgeable and experienced than a blushing bride whose first and only experience was with her husband, however it was unlikely that she had numerous bed partners in her career.

A courtesan was a master of courtship rather than sex. It was common and even expected for an elite courtesan to be pursued and courted by many men, but it would be disastrous to her reputation if she were to take more than a few select patrons to bed. A high-ranking courtesan could choose her own lovers where a less privileged one would likely have her lovers chosen for her by her den mother. As for the enamored scholars and noblemen who vied for a courtesan’s attention, there was no shame or dishonor in being held off. Essentially, they were paying for the companionship and the chase, not the conquest. It would be unthinkable for a man to attend a social gathering and immediately expect sex from his hostess.

There were likely two times when an elite courtesan would truly “sell herself”. If she’d entered the life from a very young age, the first time she took a lover would garner a significant payment though there were no records of the elaborate mizuage “virginity auctions” depicted in geisha culture. If she remained in the profession, she was likely hoping to attract a single wealthy and powerful patron to buy out her debt.

Unlike in Western culture, being a professional courtesan didn’t carry a taint of impurity with it. A courtesan could marry without repercussions after she left the profession. This was likely due to the fact that a woman’s status was defined by her husband rather than by her own merit—before we go assuming that the Tang Dynasty was a wholly progressive and liberated time for women. Also the prevailing religions at the time, Buddhism and Taoism, didn’t place any special value upon virginity, so there was no sense of sin around a courtesan who had taken lovers before she was married. At the same time, a woman who was not a courtesan was certainly not free to take on lovers before marrying and most brides were expected to be untouched on their wedding nights.

In the backstory of The Dragon and the Pearl, Ling Suyin is trained in one of these pleasure houses and groomed to be an elite courtesan. In a great triumph, she manages to attract the eye of imperial official who is selecting for the Emperor’s harem. She rises in rank and influence, and becomes his primary or “precious consort”, but upon his death she leaves the court to live in exile.

And that’s when her story really begins.

Comment to win a copy of The Dragon and the Pearl (print or ebook, your choice) and get a glimpse into the world of the Tang Dynasty.

The Dragon and the Pearl is available September 20 from Harlequin Historical and is set in the Tang Dynasty, during a time of court intrigue and a great power struggle between opposing warlords. It’s a follow-up to my 2010 release, Butterfly Swords. A linked short story, The Lady’s Scandalous Night, is available as an ebook release now from Harlequin Historical Undone.

You can visit me at my website: http://www.jeannielin.com or check out The Dragon and the Pearl Launch Celebration for a chance to receive books and other Tang Dynasty themed goodies. I’m also on Twitter as @JeannieLin.

And… okay I couldn’t resist. A Picture of Tang Dynasty courtesans! Kinda! (Well likely, anyway you don’t need or want a “history” lesson from me.)

This [Sad] Week in Review

Well today, we were actually supposed to have a reader guest post from @kaoticbliss on twitter – but I hadn’t heard from her until this morning. It turns out she threw her back out, so, poor thing, no reader post. Did you remember those happen every third Saturday of the month?

Anyway. On Sunday… actually nothing that terrible happened, if I recall correctly. My Brownies lost their game… (The Cleveland Browns, in the battle of Ohio. Not surprising, so that doesn’t count.) Although Sunday did herald the first day of a full week with my parents. If you know anything about that, you’d know that’s enough.

Monday, I broke my toe. It’s not so bad, and I’ve broken a few toes. (No don’t ask.) But it’s still not something fun you know? It was also my first day at “Ghetto School #1” – normally I really like it. I still do, but this year is just so sad. My second class, half the students can’t even spell their names, much less say them. They’re in fourth grade.

Tuesday, this happened.

It’s not my car, so small mercies. And everyone is okay – which is really good. In fact, the airbag didn’t even deploy, and [a] mechanic said normally with this much damage the car is totaled. My car however, was commandeered for the cause.

Wednesday, the Fire Marshall. (Yes everyone is still okay.)

Thursday, I got [even] sicker. Not all that bad, so I consider it a fluke of sorts. I’m also still scared I’ll find out something awful happened that day.

Friday… this.

I don’t want to talk about why that happened. Worse, it was unnecessary. Imagine that square not being there though, and a lot of exposed plumbing. But without a faucet(?) or valve. I missed taking a picture of that though because I took some allergy meds that really knocked me on my ass.

Today, I got really bad news. I’m still sulking about it. I also just got fish gut juice on my hands and feet. At least my Buckeyes play tonight. But… it’s against Miami (of Florida) and considering how they’ve been playing… well I’m worried.

Next week has to be better, right? … Right? I mean… my sinuses can’t constantly be dead and stuff. No more spitting blood at least, yeah? Stupid body.

If you lasted through all this whining? Thank you. You should be rewarded for your perseverance, so I’ll give away three Loveswept ebooks – you’ll get a code from Romance at Random. Tell me how your week went. Or just commiserate with me. I’m not proud.

Guest Review: Risqué Business by HelenKay Dimon

When this book first came out, I was really excited. So excited in fact, that I gave away three copies. One of my winners very kindly agreed to review the book. We felt the same about it. You can tell I’m a big fan of HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary stories.

These are Brandy’s thoughts about the sexy short. (Sorry it took me so long, Brandy!)

Risqué Business by HelenKay Dimon
Contemporary romance novella published by HelenKay Dimon June 2011

Kari Reynolds is a human resources specialist on a short-term assignment at Coleman Engineering. It’s her job to lead workshops but there’s one big problem – the boss, Matt Bradford.

Being near Mr. Tall, Dark and Smoking Hot brings out Kari’s naughty side. One look at him makes her forget what’s appropriate in the workplace, and she’s smart enough to know the heated glances he’s shooting her way have nothing to do with business.

Now all she has to do is convince Matt to ignore her job title and try a little office pleasure


I received a copy of RisquĂ© Business from the lovely Limecello. It was a twitter thing and I was completely stoked to read it. You see I’m a fan of HelenKay Dimon. I enjoy her characters and settings and everything in between.

Risqué Business was no different for me. Up to a point. The story of Kari and Matt gets off to a hot running start. There is tension and heat and I was thrilled when they talked about hitting the sheets and actually did it without someone wavering and needing to be seduced into what they already wanted.

I sped read through until the conflict was thrown in. With a few misplaced words I ended up confused near the end. Some of the emotion Matt was feeling and Kari’s reactions just didn’t work. The introduction of Matt’s cousin Rob didn’t help matters for me since I couldn’t get a handle on his personality in such a short snippet.

Luckily I was able to overcome the slight speed bump and the story ended well. I will admit to going back and re-reading the part that confused me. It still confused me but it didn’t hold me back from the rest of the story like it did the first time.

Grade: B

Ed: I actually hope that Rob gets his own story as well, and have told HelenKay as much. As for the confusing bit Brandy mentioned… that’s something else we both noticed. I think it was a typo or editing miss – not a huge deal, but it did kind of throw me out of the story. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. In fact I read this novella in an hour.

I definitely recommend this story. You can read an excerpt for it here.