Sunday Quickie

Ever had a hot man walk into your place of work and realised the two of you are going to be working together very closely? This week’s quickie sets up just that scenario. It’s from Something Within Him, my contribution to the Total-e-bound Cougars And Cubs collection, released tomorrow as a standalone story.

Magazine editor Kate Mellanby has rather reluctantly agreed to take on Stephen as an intern, on the recommendation of her best friend. The last student she offered work experience to turned out to to be cocky and difficult to deal with. Stephen is anything but:

“Kate? Nice to meet you. I’m Stephen.”

I stopped in my tracks. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn’t this. Now, I’m no believer in love at first sight. You can’t really love someone until you’ve taken the time to learn all their little foibles, their likes and dislikes, the habits you can learn to live with and those which will, given enough time, drive you quietly insane. Lust is a different matter. Lust has no subtlety, no need for getting to know someone. It just grabs hold of your pussy and gives it a good, hard squeeze. And that’s exactly how I felt as I looked at Stephen.

Six foot tall and sturdily built. Dirty-blond hair, blue eyes, the merest hint of stubble on his chin and a smile that hit me right between the legs. How had I managed to completely avoid discovering the existence of this gorgeous young man? As he took my hand in his, I made a mental note never again to delete Suzanna’s e-mails without reading them properly.

So what happens when Kate finds herself taking Stephen on a press trip to Amsterdam, a city where the erotic is part of the everyday experience and two people can give in to the temptation to indulge all their deepest sexual desires, irrespective of the age difference between them? Something Within Him is available from Total-e-bound. It’s one of my personal favourite stories, because who doesn’t love the chance to unleash their inner cougar?

Win A Copy Of Cougars And Cubs

I’m giving away a copy of the Total-e-bound Cougars And Cubs anthology at Lucy Felthouse’s fab Erotica For All site, where you’ll also find profiles, interviews and free reads from a host of top erotic fiction authors. It couldn’t be easier to enter – all you have to do is go to the competition details, which you’ll find here, and leave a comment.  I’ll be drawing a lucky winner at random, who’ll get a PDF copy of the book, featuring six hot cougar tales from the likes of Mia Watts and Imari Jade, as well as my good self. But you’ll have to hurry – I’ll be picking the winner on October 26th. Good luck!

Loving Those Cougars

We got another fabulous review for the Cougars And Cubs anthology at the Two Lips Reviews site, where it got a five-lips rating. Their reviewer, Tina, said she ‘loved the chemistry, love and daring of the characters’ and commented on my story,  Something Within Him, that ‘I even needed to take a break with this one and get some ice it was so hot’. High praise indeed! Check out the full review here…

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day Six

Well, this week of hot cougar action has just flown by! The last author to share her secrets is Ashley Ladd, Ashley has written numerous titles for Total-e-bound, including Carnal Lust, Sticky Wicket, Welcome To Paradise, Best Mates and Doggy Style.

How To Be A Cougar

Are you tired of men your age and older who have let themselves go? Who complain about their aches and pains? Who expect to be coddled? Who are married to the TV? Meanwhile, there’s a wealth of beautiful younger men in your orbit who are so buff they make your panties wet? They work out at the gym. They participate in fun activities. They’re on the go, living life…njust like you are. Obviously the younger, active men are much better mates than the couch potato.

1)  Be confident. Confidence is the sexiest attribute a person can have. It’s the number one reason younger men like to date older women.

2)  Be independent. This is the number two reason younger men like to date older women.

3) Don’t be a drama queen.

4) Be a gorgeous, sophisticated animal. Stay in shape. Go to the gym. Walk an hour a night. Eat well. Take good care of yourself.

5) Put yourself together. Men look at the total package. Wear makeup. Style your hair nicely. Dress nicely. They’re much more likely to look at the sum, not single out your beautiful eyes or nice smile if the rest is frumpy or trashy.

6) Be sexually savvy.

7) Be energetic.

8) Pounce. Be sleek, strong, sexy, and in control. Flirt. Give the younger man confidence to be with you.

9) Don’t give the younger man your daughter’s phone number. Give him yours!

10) Talk a good game. Keep the conversation happy, light, and positive. Many younger men like older women because they aren’t vapid like their younger counterparts. Older women have maturity, grace, and experience. They like themselves. They can hold an interesting conversation.

11) Be fun. If you don’t enjoy being around a couch potato, neither will your younger man. Go line dancing. Play tennis. Ride bicycles. Be active in clubs and community events. Go to the beach.

12)   Have no shame. Don’t listen to naysayers. It’s survival of the fittest.     

 In a recent survey by the AARP, 34% of older women are dating younger men. This is women age forrty and older dating younger men, usually at least ten years younger. Also, a recent survey by Cosmo found that 30% of men are willing to date older women.

Find out more about Ashley at ashleyladd.blogspot.com

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day Five

Here’s KS Augustin to tell us a bit about her story in the Cougars And Cubs anthology, Singapore Sizzle.

I haven’t been writing romance for very long at all. It’s only been three years (April 2007) since my first erotic sf romance was published. But I’ve learnt a lot in those short years. Lots about writing, but lots about genres as well. And, in that time, I’ve started to notice the emergence of romance heroes who are not your standard, Western, pale-skinned man. Of course, Harlequin have always had the Greek shipping magnate and the Arab prince but what I mean are heroes from more far-flung areas, like Central Europe and Asia. And suddenly, when the call came for contributions to a Cougars and Cubs anthology from Total-E-Bound, the time seemed right to introduce Adrian Pereira, a Portuguese Eurasian from Singapore, to a much wider audience.

Eurasians have a couple of things going for them. Because they don’t belong to any one major ethnic group, they’re regarded as being neutral players in south-east Asia. During colonial times, the British often hired them as government administrators and teachers. Also, they’re usually quite attractive, due to the mix of European and Asian genes that course through their bodies, and many parents still like to classify their children as “Eurasian” due to the aesthetic appeal such a label conjures up. (If all that sounds a bit weird, remember that we’re talking about a different part of the world here. This is how it is in south-east Asia.)

So, to have a bored divorced woman looking for adventure in Singapore, and finding it with a young, handsome Portuguese Eurasian, doesn’t require much imagination at all.

Sophie Woodward, the heroine of the story, is a smart, accomplished woman finding her own path in Singapore after her divorced husband goes back to the UK. Singapore is a vibrant city, but Sophie feels an emptiness that the glitz of living in such a metropolis can’t satisfy. When a well-meaning matchmaker, George Chua, sets her up to attend a swanky masquerade ball, Sophie decides to take her courage in her hands and attend, with the idea of spending a no-strings-attached night with some handsome buck. But when the man she’s chosen wants more, what is she to do?

During edits, the anthology editor, Liz Delisi, and I discussed some of matchmaker George Chua’s vocal mannerisms. I enjoyed writing George because I know so many locals like him – cheerful, nosey, well-meaning yet sometimes insensitive with their good intentions. I cringed along with Sophie when she discovered she was the dinnertime topic of conversation between George and his family, an admission George made happily and openly! Although some of the patois is non-grammatical, I wanted to retain it because that’s the rhythm of the region and if anyone has visited Singapore and reads the story, I hope they’ll get a smile from George Chua.

I also hope readers will like the steady humour and smooth-skinned sexiness of Adrian Pereira. I could well imagine being tempted by someone like him, and I hope you are too!

* If you can’t think of any Eurasians off the top of your head, how about Keanu Reeves or Dean Cain?

Singapore Sizzle by KS Augustin

Sophie Woodward is English, divorced, living in Singapore…and bored, bored, Bored! But is she ready for handsome, exotic, young Adrian Pereira?

Sophie Woodward moved to Singapore with her banker husband, Tim. But that was years ago. When they got divorced, Tim moved back to the UK and Sophie decided to craft a new life in the modern Asian metropolis.

The problem is, things haven’t turned out the way she hoped. Although she has a rewarding career, she’s restless, wondering if this is as good as life gets.

Cajoled into attending a masquerade ball for charity, Sophie meets a charming stranger and spends the night with him in hot, steamy sex. The problem comes when he wants to see more of her, and Sophie has to confront her own insecurities. After all, she’s almost ten years his senior! Is there any hope for a relationship between them? Or was the sizzle a mere flash in the pan?

KS “Kaz” Augustin is a Malaysian-born writer of romance, science-fiction and permutations of the two. You can find her website at www.ksaugustin.com and she blogs at blog.ksaugustin.com

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day Four

Before I let today’s guest take centre stage, Cougars And Cubs has received a five-diva review from the Dark Diva site. Diva Deb makes it a recommended read, calling it ‘red hot sexy’ and ‘too much fun not to read again’. You can see the full review here.

Right, now over to Mia Watts, author of Melting Melinda, for her unique take on the older woman/younger man pairing…

Okay, so I’m probably out of order or something but for those of you who know me, that’s to be expected. I think I’m supposed to tell you a little about me and then a little about my story and possibly a little about the whole “cougar/cub” thing. I can do that. Sometimes I actually stay on task so I’ll give it a go.

Howdy, I’m Mia. I usually write guy on guy erotic romances but occasionally take the dive into guy on gal or, um, gal on guy. (That would be my intro. One down, two to go) This anthology is about the wonders of experienced women with younger men. Now, I’m not talking sluts. I’m talking about LIFE experience. ‘Cause honeys, some of these young men know what they’re doing! I’m just sayin’. You can’t tell me that if a younger man (whether a couple of years to a couple of, um, more years) hit on you and made you feel like the sexiest creature to walk the Earth, you wouldn’t at least be curious about how he intends to follow through. Nope, you can’t because I won’t believe you. Liar.

(That was part two. See? I can do this!) My story is about an older woman and a younger man. *cheesy grin* Surprised, aren’t you? I mean, such a theme in a cougar anthology has your head spinning doesn’t it?

Heh.

Oh, you want a little more insight?

She’s a woman who is very close to her best friend. Though she’s a bit younger than her friend, they have known each other for years. The catch is, her friend has this son. This HAWT son whom she’s tried to overlook, but younger son isn’t having it. He’s in his thirties so he knows what he wants and isn’t into games. An innocent hug turns into a whole lot more than she bargained for.

Anyway, the anthology is out now at Total-E-Bound.com. Here’s a week’s worth of fantastic authors bringing you hot sex. Could there be anything better than that? NO! Go buy your book. Do it now. It’s good Karma. For all I know, a cluster of hunky young men will show up at your door begging you to let them please you.

*blink* *blink*

Seriously.

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day Three

Today, I welcome Catherine Chernow to the (Really) Naughty Corner. She’s the author of Total-e-bound’s Diary Of A Mad Escort, and she lives and writes on Long Island’s ‘Gold Coast’. Take it away, Catherine.

From a Cub’s Point of View…

Jake Conroy stopped by to chat recently.  He’s the handsome, drop-dead sexy, hero from Lucky In Love, my story in the  Cougars And Cubs erotic romance anthology, available for sale from Total-e-bound Publishing beginning May 10^th. 

Jake’s an alpha male, the kind of hero I adore writing about.  He fits the ‘alpha male’ profile, where a guy’s got to be strong, sexy, smart, protective and focused solely on the heroine.  While Jake’s all of that, he’s got a little twist to his character, because he’s younger than Maddie Summers, the heroine.

I’m not surprised Jake’s got what it takes to go after his heart’s desire, but I wanted to see things from his point of view as a younger male hero. 

While we chatted together (lucky me!), Jake gave some candid answers to my very personal questions…

Q:  Jake, what did you think when you first saw Maddie?

A:  I felt sucker-punched, right in the gut.  Maddie is different from the type of woman I’m used to.

He sits back, stretching his long legs out in front of him.  On the surface, Jake is relaxed, composed, but I sense a coiled tension in him, like anticipation.  Maybe its because he can’t wait to see his Madz again. 

Q:  In what way?  I mean, what kind of woman have you been with so far?

A:  A woman who is my age. 

A corner of Jake’s sensual mouth lifts.  He gives me one of his killer smiles.  No wonder Maddie is wild about him! 

Q:  So, you usually date or have relationships with women your age.  How old are you?

A:  Thirty-five.

Hmmm…

Q:  And Maddie is how old?

 He leans forward, resting his tanned, muscular arms on the table in front of him.  Reaching for his coffee mug, he sips slowly.  Watching the play of muscles in his  gorgeous forearms and seeing how the corded muscles on his neck contract when he drinks that coffee, I now understand Maddie’s attraction for him. 

Then, he answers…

A:  Maddie is fabulously fifty.

Now, it’s my turn to smile.  Wow, he’s got it bad for her. 

Q:  Why fabulous?

A:  She’s more mature than the women I’m used to…

I roll my eyes.   

Q:  That’s a given, considering her age. 

A:  I’m talking about what’s in here.

Jake lifts his large hand.  Using his palm, he pats his heart. 

Q:  You mean something else entirely?

A:  Correct.  She’s got more inside her, more depth of character, simply because she’s experienced more.

Q:  Like what, for instance?

A:  Life’s ups and downs.  She’s had to learn to roll with lots of stuff, things that make you stronger.

Q:  And younger women, or women your age, don’t?

A:  Maybe because the women I’ve know who are my age are totally focused on themselves and what they want.

Q:  You can’t blame age for that entirely, maybe it’s the person.

He gets a thoughtful look on his face, like he’s remembering something painful, for his face is drawn in tight lines.

A:  All I know is, Maddie is patient and kind – she’s forgiving, too.  I’m always in a hurry, striving to get to the next goal, the next part of my life.  Maddie’s there already.  It’s like she balances me. 

Q:  That’s what you sought then, balance in your life?

Again, he appears thoughtful.

A:  I can’t say it’s what I went looking for.  When I moved from California to Long Island, I left behind some painful memories.  I sought change.

His grin widens.  He continues his answer…

…and it came in the form of Maddie.

Okay, so now I’m dying to know…

Q:  So how is making love with an older woman?

His smile turns rueful.

A:  I never kiss and tell.

Damn! 

I pinch my thumb and index finger together, lifting them both in the air…

Q:  Just a little hint, maybe?  Please?

His voice drops an octave.  It sounds positively sexy and wicked.

A:  I can tell you that it gave me great pleasure to give Maddie everything she wants in bed, no matter how kinky.

Okay, so now my entire body is flushed…

Q:  Great!  Now I need a cold shower.

He chuckles.  The sound is warm and rich, like smooth honey poured from a jar. 

A:  Ah.  Yes.  The shower.  My favorite place to make love with my Madz.

I close my notepad because I suddenly can’t write.  My fingers are shaking.

He’s grinning again.  The wretch!  No wonder Maddie is head over heels about Jake.

But I wonder, can they truly make it work with the difference in their ages? 

Q:  Do you think society accepts your relationship?

A:  You’ll have to read Lucky In Love to find out.

Q:  Maddie is one lucky lady.

A:  I’m the lucky one. 

After Jake left, I was in a great mood for the rest of the day.  I hope he and Maddie can make a go of it.  Read my story, Lucky In Love, to find out, and all the other super hot stories in Total-e-bound’s Cougar And Cub Anthology.  You’ll find them all right here…

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day Two

Are You Experienced?

 Waiting on a tube station platform the other evening, I saw a huge poster advertising Courteney Cox’s new TV show, Cougar Town, which has just started airing in the UK on the Living Channel. Featuring a shot of Courteney straddling a chair provocatively, it bore the slogan “No Experience Necessary”. It made me smile, because experience is one of the themes running through my story in the Cougars And Cubs anthology, Something Within Him.

I originally started writing it when another publisher was looking for cougar-themed stories. At the time, a cute young man I knew had started on a journalism course, and friends were teasing me that I should offer him work experience – even though his degree was in sports writing and I edited a magazine dealing with sex and human relationships ­– just to have him brightening up the office! Out of the jokes came the idea for a story in which a woman whose policy was not to accept interns was forced to take one on as a favour to her best friend, only to find herself deeply attracted to him. The story ended up being sidelined because of work deadlines, but when the call for Cougars And Cubs came out, I had the time to work on it again. By the time I’d finished it, it had become one of my favourite things I’ve written.

I couldn’t resist setting some of the action in Amsterdam, a city I really love. The place has a unique mixture of the blatantly erotic (the red light area, where cougar Kate and her young lover, Stephen go shopping for adult toys) and the romantic (the canalside hotel where they finally act on the sexual attraction they feel for each other), and a beautifully relaxed vibe which actively encourages you to do nothing but take it easy and enjoy yourself. As the story unfolds, Kate has the opportunity to give Stephen the benefit of her experience, both in a work setting and in bed, but he also turns up with a few tricks of his own. Out of their everyday environment, they have the opportunity to explore the dominant and submissive sides of their personalities and play some deliciously naughty games together.

Of course, no relationship where there’s a big age gap between the two partners is ever free of conflict, and I knew I had to explore some of these in the course of the story. Kate initially worries – needlessly, as it turns out – about having to compete with younger women for Stephen’s affections. She and Stephen also have to cope with the negative reaction of Stephen’s best friend, Charlie, who thinks Stephen should really be dating someone of his own age. But love always has the possibility to conquer all, and there are enough real-life cougars in long-standing relationships with hot young cubs to prove that if you overcome those obstacles it really can be happy ever after…

Elizabeth Coldwell worked on Forum magazine for twenty years, and has had stories published by Black Lace, Cleis Press and Xcite Books among many others. Something Within Him in the Cougars And Cubs anthology is her second release with Total-e-bound, her first being The Christmas Box, part of the Christmas Crackers series. Her other big passion apart from writing is Rotherham United, and she lives in London with her partner and two cats, only one of whom thinks walking over her keyboard when she’s typing is a good idea…

Cougar Growls Blog Tour – Day One

Hello everyone, and welcome to the kick off day of the Cougar Growls Blog Tour to celebrate the release of Total E-Bound’s newest anthology Cougars and Cubs (romance between older women and younger men).

Featuring the artistic collaboration of erotica’s hottest authors, Ashley Ladd, K.S. Augustin, Mia Watts, Catherine Chernow, Elizabeth Coldwell and Imari Jade.

First up is Imari Jade, author of Something to be Thankful For. Please introduce yourself and tell the readers something about your story.

Hi everyone, my name is Imari Jade and I hail from Marrero, Louisiana, sister city of New Orleans where I was born and raised. I’ve been writing for a number of years but this is my first release with Total E-Bound and hopefully not my last. I’m divorced, have three sons and six grandchildren and during the day I work as a financial analyst.

I’d like to share my take on an article I just read:

‘Kick Ass’ Cradle Robber: 19-year-old star of Kick Ass is engaged to the 43-year-old director of his last film and she’s pregnant with his child.

I was sitting in the office when I saw the story on the Internet. One of my co-workers is a male in his early to mid forties and the other is a male in his late twenties. Naturally they took the side of the 19-year-old actor while I gave props to the 43-year-old director. So when one of them asked me if I’d date a 19-year-old I answered, ‘Hell yeah.’ (Relax folks, I’m only kidding). My three fantasy dream dates are Tom Welling, Orlando Bloom and Taylor Lautner. All three are gorgeous, sexy and full of stamina. What older woman wouldn’t be tempted when given the choice of them or a man our own age that has to use the little blue pill to entertain us? If a 30-year-old wanted to spend some quality time with me I’d probably jump at the chance as soon as I checked out his medical history, his earning potential and his family background. Nineteen-year-olds are a bit young and inexperienced and we cougars are looking for someone to spend time with. Hell, you can’t take a 19-year-old clubbing, you can’t reference anything before the Nineties, and they don’t share their video games.

Something To Be Thankful For by Imari Jade

Music manager Julianne Richmond life gets turned upside down when her musical prodigy Cameron Justice announces that he is in love with her. Normally she would be flattered but she’s in her forties and he is just a babe which in her book has the making of a bad love song.

Bad boy rocker Cameron Justice has everything… Money, a beautiful mansion, expensive cars, and the lead in an upcoming movie. He is admired by women from all over the world and the envy of men. Spoiled and rotten to a fault, Cameron is used to getting his way. So when he confesses his love to his manager Julianne he naturally thought she would accept. Unfortunately, Julianne turns him down like a hot potato because he is too young for her and bruises his fragile little rock star ego. On one of his wild tirades Cameron packs up his things and leaves Hollywood.

Spurred by the mass hysteria of Cameron’s fans, Julianne hops in a car and drives halfway across the country to bring his psychotic butt home. But once she finds him back in the sleeping little mountain town where he was born, dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a plaid shirt, she discovers maybe having a sexy young blond mountain man might not be a bad thing.

Imari Jade is a multi-genre romance and horror writer, and bit of a humourist. You can contact her through her website or at her Blogspot and MySpace blogs.

Cougars And Cubs is available here.

The Cougars Are Coming!

To celebrate the release of Total-e-bound’s Cougars And Cubs anthology on May 10th – and generate plenty of discussion about hot young men – the Cougar Growls Blog Tour is hitting the Net. It features all the authors whose stories are in the anthology, and you’ll be able to find us on the following blogs on the following days:

May 10, 2010 – Imari Jade
May 11, 2010 – Elizabeth Coldwell
May 12, 2010 – Catherine Chernow
May 13, 2010 – Mia Watts
May 14, 2010 – KS Augustin
May 15, 2010 – Ashley Ladd

Drop in to find out the inspiration behind our stories in the collection, learn more about why the older woman/younger man pairing is more popular than ever, leave a comment about your own experiences or just say hello. And bring a young cutie with you!