Jennifer August

Welcome Erotica Author Sophie Oak

2010-10-26T22:34:00.000-05:00

Please join me in welcoming Siren Publishing author, Sophie Oak.

Sophie's book Three to Ride is available today and on sale at 15% off for 4 weeks only ! Be sure to check it out here.

Sophie, thank you for being here today! Let's get to the good stuff...

JA: What genre do you write and what drew you to it?

SO: I write erotic romance. What drew me in? Well, Jen, that would be the sex. Seriously, I write what I want to read. I want an interesting story with great, hot sex thrown into the mix. I’ve loved romance since I was kid and found a copy of Bertrice Small’s Skye O’Malley stuffed in the china cabinet at the age of thirteen. I read every word and decided that I wanted to be Skye. She was loved well – by many men. Yeah, Bertrice would totally have written a great ménage had the genre been popular in the early eighties.

JA: What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

SO:Sticking to one idea at a time. My brain tends to go about a hundred miles an hour and I can write a story in my head really quickly. Getting it on to paper takes a bit longer and I can be impatient. I’m always wanting to move to the next HEA.

JA:How do you come up with your story ideas?

SO: Sometimes they come out of necessity. That happens a lot in a series. I don’t go into a series knowing exactly what I’m going to do in all of the planned books. Texas Sirens is a perfect example of this. I didn’t even plan on Small Town Siren being a series. The characters kind of took over and suddenly my publisher is asking for a series name. I’m working on book three of my not supposed to be a series and I had to really think out that plot. The reverse is my second series – Nights in Bliss – I had all three stories planned out starting with Three to Ride, moving to Two to Love and ending with One to Keep.

JA: What is the strangest thing you've run across during research?

SO: I write a lot of BDSM books so all I can say is figging.

JA: If you had to spend one million dollars in a 24 hour period, what would you do with it?

SO: First of all – Audi A8. Need I say more? Then I would get in my Audi A8 and drive to Neimans where I would buy a lot of ridiculously expensive shoes and handbags. A quick trip to a travel agency would yield plans to go to England, Scotland, Greece and that place in the Maldives where you get a house in the ocean and a butler. Oh, and charity. Yeah, I would give some to charity.

JA: Who do you read for pleasure?

SO: Cherise Sinclair, Shayla Black, and Kris Cook. And I just finished A Little Harmless Sex by Melissa Schroeder. Loved it. On the mainstream side, I love Linda Howard and Jayne Anne Krentz. Outside of romance, I really love adventure fiction. I love Preston and Child, James Rollins and Matthew Reilly.

JA: How did you come up with your pen name?

SO: Sophie is the name of my childhood pet and I grew up on Oak Street. Yup, it’s my porn name.

And now, how about an excerpt? Better yet, how about an ADULT excerpt from Three to Ride, available today!

Three to Ride
Nights in Bliss, Colorado 1

By: Sophie Oak
Heat Level: SEXTREME
Published By: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc.

AVAILABLE: Wednesday, October 27th
This new release is offered at a 15% discount for four weeks.
[Ménage Amour: Erotic Cowboy Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, bondage]
Rachel Swift is a woman on the run. Max and Rye Harper are just the men to catch her.
A stalker sent Rachel's world reeling. Now she's running for her life, and Bliss, CO, seems like the perfect place to hide. Bliss is a strange little town, filled with artists, nudists, and the occasional conspiracy nut. It's a good place to start over.
Horse trainer Max and Sheriff Rye gave up on their dream of finding one perfect woman to share long ago. Rachel walks in, and they're both in love and fighting their true natures. When Rachel's past catches up with her, all of Bliss is in danger. Can Rachel stand up to the man who took everything? Rachel is done running. It's time for her to get back in the saddle and ride.
A Siren Erotic Romance

ADULT EXCERPT

She nearly protested when she felt one of them leave the bed, but then she heard Rye’s voice and felt his hands on her thighs. “Spread your legs, darlin’.” He growled the command. She felt him slide his shoulders between her splayed legs. “I want access to my pussy.”

Max’s weight was back on the bed. She felt his hands spreading the cheeks of her ass. “I’m going to take out this plug and work some more lube into your ass, baby,” Max said matter-of-factly. “Then, I’m going to fuck you with a bigger plug. I want to make sure you’re ready to take me and Rye there. You understand how we want to fuck you, right?”

She nodded as she bit her lip against the slight burning sensation. She breathed out as he pulled out the plug. There was a sense of relief, and a strange feeling of disappointment. She’d been so full. Max was rubbing her with the lube, working it into her anus. He rimmed her over and over. It made her eyes water and every nerve a little jittery. It was a very intimate sensation. “One in my pussy, one in my ass.” She’d thought of nothing else for the last week.

“That’s right.” Rye’s warm breath was right over her pussy. It was all she could do not to shove herself onto his face. She felt his tongue reach up to delicately lap at her labia.

“Oh, please, Rye.” She wanted him to fuck her with his tongue. She could feel the flexible plastic head of the plug begin to breach her anus. It was so much bigger than the first one. It was probably still smaller than Max and Rye.

“We’re going to stuff you full of our cocks.” Max was breathing heavily as he slowly pushed the plug into her ass. “When you think you can’t handle any more, baby, that’s when we ride.”

Her head fell forward. The twin sensations of burning pleasure and the delicate feel of Rye gingerly stroking her with his tongue were making her crazy. The jewels on her breasts jangled. It felt like every nerve in her body was being manipulated by them.

“Rye, please,” she pleaded again. The plug was all the way in now. She felt the muscles in her ass working to accommodate the larger plug. Max pulled the plug in and out, fucking her ruthlessly.

“Was there something you wanted, Rachel?”

Rye sounded entirely too calm for her peace of mind. She was nearly senseless with desire. She needed them so much. “You know what I want.”

“Then let me hear you say it.” His breath floated across her pussy like a warm blanket.

“Eat my pussy, Rye.” She gave him the words he wanted. Max slowly pulled the plug out and then carefully began pushing it back in. The pressure was going to kill her. She needed to come.

His tongue just barely touched her clitoris. “What do think I’m doing, darlin’?” He pressed little kisses along her labia.

“Teasing me.” He was going to drive her insane. He was acting like a cat lapping up cream. She needed more than the slow, tantalizing tongue-lashing he was giving her.

She hissed as he very gently bit down on her clit.

Max pulled the plug out of her ass. “Are we going to do this, or are you just going to torture her the rest of the night?”

“It would serve her right,” Rye said. Rachel could feel him smiling against her skin. His tongue ran lightly over her heated flesh.

“You’re torturing me, too,” Max grumbled.

Rye chuckled, and Rachel felt his hands on her hips. “Fine. Sit on my face, baby. I’ll eat your pussy.”

He pulled her down, and Rachel was suddenly on her knees with her butt against Rye’s sculpted chest. Her head fell back as Rye shoved his tongue up her cunt, urging her to move against him. His strong tongue pushed into her pussy. He licked and sucked at her soaking flesh. He fucked deeply into her, his fingers pulling her pussy lips apart so he could get as far inside her as he could go.

Max moved in front of her, watching the scene with hot eyes. He leaned in and kissed her while she ground her pussy against his brother’s mouth, riding his tongue.

“I love these tits,” he breathed into her ear. “Look at how they bounce. So fucking pretty. Let’s see how you like this.” He pulled gently on the nipple clamps. She gasped as the sensation went straight to her pussy.

Rye’s hands parted her as his tongue swiped across her clit. It set off a wave. The heat and pressure started in her pussy, but it bloomed across her skin. Her head fell back as she came. Max milked her nipples, and Rye tortured her clit until she sobbed and came again.

She shook as Max pulled her off his brother’s mouth and rolled across the bed with her. She was still experiencing little aftershocks as Max settled her over him.

“Ride me.” He groaned as he pushed his way into her.

______________________________

That's a hot excerpt, Sophie, can't wait to read the whole thing!

Be sure to check out Sophie's other books:

Small Town Siren

Siren in the City

The perils of research

2010-03-30T17:50:00.002-05:00

So, I'm still diligently working on Ryder & Sophie's story, Keys to Submission. One of the fun elements revolves around a series of hidden keys that the duo must track down. I had a blast figuring out how to create this scavenger hunt. I had a brilliant idea for the placement of one of the keys, but had to do a bit of research to find out if it was even feasible.
Oh boy ...

I found all sorts of information that fascinated me. It was like a choose your own adventure book. One thing led to another and another and another and before I knew it, I'd spent several hours online reading about everything from John the Baptist's head residing in Amiens, France to how the Knights Templar once claimed possession of it. While reading about the Templars, I was fascinated by the tale of the last Templar Grand Master, Jacques De Molay, and the legend surrounding him. Supposedly, as he was burning at the stake, he cursed King Philip (the one responsible for disbanding and ordering the arrests of the Templars) and Pope Clement (the pope who agreed with Philip), swearing they would join him in death within the year. They did.
This re-fueled my interest in another project I'd started years ago about a tenacious girl who breaks curses and a stubborn Duke who happens to be cursed. I pulled it up, re-read it and decided I still liked it. Now, it's back on my TBW (To Be Written) pile! Well, it's in it. I have no idea when I'll get to that one because while I was digging around to see if my curses in that book were viable, I also found myself intently studying some mystical things for another series of Victorian-era books. I'm eager to write those, too. Argh!
So many books and characters!!!
All in all, I spent about 5 hours "researching" (yes, yes, that I should have used writing) but research is an important part of my creative process. It fuels my imagination and helps my muse really take flight.
So, now I'm off to work on Ryder and Sophie. I'd like to get this book to my wonderfully patient and understanding editor sometime in the next month or so!!
And as for that brilliant bit with the key? You'll have to read the book to find out where it ended up! I'll give you a hint, though, it's the third key!
Happy reading,
Jennifer

Catch up - again!

2010-03-01T21:48:00.004-06:00

So, recently I was chastised (rightly so!) for not updating my blog. I mean, for Pete's Sake, the book came out on September 1 and I didn't even mention it here. So, consider this your update. You can roll on over to www.eredsage.com and buy my book today! How cool is that? I'm still so very stoked about it. That's about all the catching up I have for the moment.
On to other random thoughts.

I'm hard at work on the THIRD total overhaul and re-write of Ryder's story, which I have titled Keys to Submission. Thankfully this one seems to be IT. The real deal it. I have agonized over this book trying to find the right storyline, the right heroine, the right everything. Nothing was working and I was ready to tear my hair out. Not to mention hide under a rock since I promised this book to my editor eons ago. And I do mean eons. I hate missing deadlines, even ones I make up myself.
That being said, I was so annoyed with myself that I sat down at lunch one day, drew up a pretty grid, penned in the chapter numbers and wrote some of my favorite words like "Hot sex here" and "First kiss here". A long time ago, some CPs helped me figure out a problem I was having with a book by taking this simple approach: You know what happens in the first chapter (they meet) and you know how it ends (happily ever after). Taking teeny baby steps backwards, how do you get them there?
It worked then and it works now. Traveling from the end to the beginning, I discovered Ryder is one interesting guy. And he's far from shy. In fact... he's rather demanding.
Luckily for him, I found a heroine who is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with him. Believe me, Sophie Turner is one hot pistol with opinions and passions that rival his.
Yeah, I definitely have the "write" story for them this time.

I love it when a plan comes together

2009-07-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

The month of July has been a very busy one for me. Multi-tasking at its best. So far this month, I've written nearly 15000 words on the next book I plan to submit to Red Sage (that's due by July 31). What sucks is that I didn't get to keep all those words Things keep changing because my characters keep surprising me! Only a few more thousand words and it will be done. I hope to have it finished by The 25th, so if you're interested in being a beta reader for me, let know. I will really appreciate it!
While I've been writing that book, I've also been plotting the next two books that will feature characters from Her Dark Master. Tori's brothers - Ryder, the legitimate heir and Wolffe, the bastard. I had hoped to be able to send in Ryder's story at the end of July, but that is not going to happen. C'est la vie. Along with my critique partner Mae, I had a huge breakthrough in both books last night. The energy is humming like crazy and my writing muse is impatiently demanding I write til my fingers bleed. I'm doing all that I can to accommodate her (a good thing since my muse is a Wolfrider who carries a very big sword!)
Also this month is the big RWA National Conference in Washington, DC. I wasn't able to attend this year, but I'm getting updates and pictures from my friends who are there. The big awards ceremony, which is the Oscars of Romance Writing, will be on Saturday and I have several people I'm cheering for! In case you haven't read these authors, get thee to a bookstore fast and pick them up!
Here's who I'm rooting for:
Best Series Category in Romantic Suspense - Diana Duncan with Lethal Attraction (This book was so good I read it twice in one week and each time found something new. It's a total emotion book - laughter, crying, anticipation and some kick-ass action)
Historical Romance - Lisa Kleypas with Seduce me at Sunrise. You can't go wrong with a Kleypas book. So full of tenderness and memorable characters. It's definitely on my keeper shelf.
Regency Historical Romance - Julia Quinn with Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. It's a JQ, need I say more? A great, fun romp with witty dialogue, intense emotion and a whole new set of characters with which you can fall in love and revisit without ever tiring of them.
Romance Novella - Julia London with Snowy Night with a Highlander in the Snowy Night with a Stranger Novella. It's got a tragic Scot mixed with delicious and evocative writing. This is the story that led me to buy every one of Julia's backlist books.
Young Adult Romance - Tina Ferraro with How To Hook A Hottie. This fun story has a single minded heroine who doesn't quit. I loved the trials she went through to realize her goals. A very excellent read!

The big show is on Saturday so good luck to everyone!

P.S. Have you read a good book this year? I hope so! Tell me about some of your favorites.

Movies, Writing & Trailers

2009-07-07T10:19:00.005-05:00

I'm a huge movie fan. Like really, really into movies. I can date it back to my childhood when my parents took me to see Star Wars right before we left for Germany. I was 6. It was magical.
Of course I'd seen movies before then but Jaws doesn't count. My mom didn't know it was a scary movie. Or I begged to see it. One or the other. I was still 6. And we're not even going to discuss how Carol Burnett warped me in relation to Jaws.
Now, as an adult, it's one of my favorite movies, go figure.
I think it was about this time that I began to absorb, if not understand and appreciate, the genius of storytelling. In books on writing, Star Wars is widely held to be one of the penultimate examples of how to do everything right. The perfect Hero's Journey. Reluctance, determination, romance, adventure, action, fulfillment, triumph. And Harrison Ford.
I digress.
Storytelling, in whatever medium, is a tricky art. It's a labor of love and hate (trust me, I have never met an author who hasn't hated their work in progress at some point. The other 1% percent are lying!). It's a long, drawn-out process. Or it's a whirling dervish of thoughts, plots and ideas swirling in your head, determined to get out.
The challenge is to get the words on the page. And most writers I know, are competitive. Even if it's only with those two little words - THE END. I've attended a ton of conferences, seminars and workshops and have heard over and over the idea of "creating a movie in your head" and writing it on the page.
While I love movies, I have discovered I'm not that sort of writer. It's kind of a bummer, too, because you'd think that would make my writing life so much easier. Alas...
I do admit to envying those who can simply close their eyes, start the movie reel and bang it out on the keyboard. Me, I can only sit down, close my eyes and feel the words, then bang them out on the keyboard. I have to get into the zone so the words can flow. I truly do feel each one. There's another saying in writing "If you don't cry, your reader won't cry." The same principle applies to every aspect of the book. If you don't like your characters, chances are no one else will either. Even with proper motivation.
I mean, who would have bought Hannibal Lecter as a scary cannibal if he'd just been hungry?
Which is a great segue into the meeting of the worlds for writing and movies. I don't know about you, but I have long been a fan of trailers/previews. They are my second favorite reason to go to the movies. (I was deeply saddened when movie voice-over guy Don LaFontaine died.) So, when I found out that authors were creating book trailers, I was stoked.
Talk about a way to get visual before you even read the book. And the range is so incredible. Some very simple like mine (free plug for Her Dark Master!) and some totally intricate such as Julia Quinn's for What Happens in London. I loved the trailer and I loved the book. They meshed so well together.
Is this the newest wave of promotion or is it a passing fad? I hope it sticks around. I love to watch them and I love to read them. Peanut butter and chocolate, man!
Anyone else have some favorite trailers or movie stories?

Release date for Her Dark Master

2009-06-29T14:48:00.006-05:00

Okay, I've been horrible about keeping up with this blog, my apologies. I will definitely do better.

Especially now that I have a release date! September 1!! My book Her Dark Master will be available online only at www.eredsage.com. Mark your calendars and download it. I'm hoping it will be a good seller. Tell your friends, shout it from the rooftops.

You should also check out the other offerings at Red Sage. They have fantastic books at awesome prices. I'm so proud to be associated with them!

I've become a shameless promotion ho, too. I have t-shirts that I made that say ask me about my book. When someone does, I whip out the handy dandy blurb card and give it to them. Just enough to whet the interest, you know.

While we're also talking about this awesome event (can you tell I'm totally stoked?) I also have a cover to show off. It is the most gorgeous thing in the history of ever!

Additionally, I'm wrapping up another book and hope to finish a third by the end of July.

The current WIP (work in progress) is called The Pleasure Principle. It's another super sexy historical set in the Regency era. My heroine is a widow who, despite attending secret sex parties with her husband, knows absolutely nothing about the pleasures to be had with a man. Enter our rakish, rouge hero. He knows all the Principles of Pleasure and he's going to teach her every single one of them.

I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on Her Dark Master. So drop me a line or leave me a comment about it.

Also, friend me on Facebook!

Happy & Hot Reading!
Jennifer

Big doings on Saturday

2009-01-21T14:26:00.003-06:00

This Saturday at my local RWA chapter - Dallas Area Romance Authors - I will receive the coveted 1st Sale White Rose. I'm uber-excited about it!! Look for pictures coming soon. It's such an awesome milestone and I'm glad to be celebrating with my friends - though there will be one sorely missed. Besides being a great friend and cheerleader, Susan Gable, of Erie, PA, is also my critique partner. She keeps me (and my stories) in line! I couldn't have done it without her or my local cp, Mae Harless.

Thanks ladies!!!
P.S. Look for Susan's new book A Kid to the Rescue from Harlequin Superromance on bookshelves in February. This is an incredibly moving, sexy and fun story. No one does emotion better than Susan!

Revisions - DONE!

2009-01-05T22:40:00.000-06:00

Well, at least the first part were. My editor called them global changes and she was right. They were pretty straightforward and definitely strengthened the book. And the next book, too! As I write The Pleasure Principle I am keeping in mind the things that Theresa said to me about Her Dark Master and slowly but surely it's becoming a habit!

My former profession being one dedicated to meeting deadlines, I'm proud to say I sent the revisions in one business day early. Yay me! I want to show the Red Sage Folks that I'm a good bet, able to make deadlines and easy to work with. Hopefully they'll buy more books and I'll make scads of money and will never have to get another 8-5 job again! Hey, one dream came true, why not two??

Happy reading!

Jennifer

Ta-da!!! Revisions

2008-12-17T22:48:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I sold the book on Dec. 3. I received the revision letter from my editor on Dec. 4. The first time I read it, it was awesome. Very little to do, in all actuality.

The second time I read it, I wondered if I was under-estimating what I needed to do.

The third time I didn't really read it, just sort of shuffled it from one place to the other - okay, I admit I re-read the "incredible sex scenes, as good as any we see" part. Did I mention that Red Sage also publishes Angela Knight?!

So, here I was stupefied like I'd been hit by a Harry Potter Wand blast. HOW do I do revisions? What is expected? What if I do it wrong? Am I reading this right?! Help!!!!

Fortunately, I have very supportive critique partners. They talked me down off the ledge.

Tonight, thanks to Mae, I was finally able to sit down and actually organize everything. We created order out of the non-existent chaos. (That would be the chaos I created in my own mind, btw). She reminded me of the great things the editor said about the book, my plot, my characters and that was why they bought the book - because it's strong. It just needs a bit of sprucing up.

So, now I know exactly what I need to do, where I need to focus my energies and am confident I will get it back to Theresa on time.

If not early!

How cool would that be?

Wish me luck!!

Welcome!

2008-12-11T16:42:00.001-06:00

I'm thrilled to announce that I have sold my first book titled Her Dark Master to the Red Sage e-book program. The book will be available online at the Red Sage site in summer of 2009.

The book is an erotic Regency with some twists and turns, along with lots of passion. My heroine, Tori Ashford, is a headstrong young woman who knows exactly what she desires. She defies convention and society to claim what she wants. Matthew Corwin, the sexy Earl of Sussex, is a man who has dark desires and few outlets. Imagine his surprise when he learns the "lady of the evening" he bought for one night of pleasure, is REALLY a lady out of whore's clothing. His retribution promises to be swift and sensual.

I'll have more information for you as I get it, including a super sexy cover! In the meantime, welcome to my new blog.