1-800-DOM-help Trailer

Check out this fabulous video designed by Del Dryden...

The Best One Night Stand Ever

The Magic

The magic begins with the appearance of the business card. Sleek black print on a pristine white background—unassuming in its appearance. Those brave enough to call the number will begin a journey that will explore their greatest desires. 

Once the call is made, the Operator goes to work. Somehow he knows just what every caller needs, always able to find the answer the caller seeks.

Callers may be directed to Unfettered, a new club in town, one nobody has heard of. It provides a safe haven for all who enter. Members are free to explore their every desire...even those they weren't aware of. Little do they know Unfettered will disappear once those yearnings have eased.

Submissives who don't know how to handle their Dominants. Masters looking for the perfect sub. People who need just a little push to admit vanilla isn't their favorite flavor. The card finds them all.

And once you dial 1-800-DOM-help anything can happen.

~~~

Today, we want to celebrate with Christine d'Abo. Her Commanding Acquistions is the second in this new series from Ellora's Cave. 

Simon is a Dom who has become jaded, tired of the local scene. With his bookstore failing and personal life nonexistent, he’s looking for something different. The arrival of the mysterious 1-800-DOM-help business card gives Simon a chance for a change. The Operator directs him to Unfettered, a hot new BDSM club where Simon hopes to find a distraction for the evening. What he gets is a sexy sub offering himself up for a night of no-holds-barred sex, who then disappears with the dawn.

When the business consultant Simon hires turns out to be his mysterious sub, he knows he’s found a chance at happiness. But happiness comes at a price.

Check out this excerpt.

Buy the book today.

Lots to share!

First, Needing Harte, the first book in the multi-author 1-800-DOM-help series has received its first review! Carole at Rainbow Reviews had this to say: "Read it for the rich characterization, and look for more from this author."

Check out the whole review here!

Next, we've received the cover for All Tied Up, our contribution to the Merry Kinkmas collection to be released December 13th!

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the cover designed by the fabulous Darrell King...

Did I mention that this particular story is about an adventurous young couple and an evening spent with a Kinbaku master? No? Well, here's the blurb:

Wendy Banning has a kinky fantasy...she wants to be tied up. Not just spread-eagle in bed, but with rope all over and around her body. She shares that with her lover Peter Barrett who arranges a sesion with local Kinbaku Master, James Darling.

The learn that having sex at someone else's direction while All Tied Up is more than hot. Can they repeat their experience? Do they want to without Master Darling? James would like to show them so much more. However when the couple makes a mistake while playing on their own, can Master Darling forgive them?

Last, but CERTAINLY not least, we've chosen the winner of our Tote Bag FULL (and I do mean FULL) of RomantiCon goodies (and a couple of Marilu Mann's books! LOL): SHEILA - send us an email - marilu2mann@gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll get that in the mail to you ASAP!

We're looking forward to more reviews on Needing Harte, the release of All Tied Up, and whatever else comes our way...

RomantiCon Day 4

Sunday brought the final day of workshops and fun, not to mention the Book Fair that was open to the public...

The Cougar Challenge authors sponsored a Courgarlicious workshp while Ashlyn Chase & Raelene Gorlinsky challenged authors to come up with original and fitting (while still pronouncable) names. Then it was Fiction Feud and Sex Toys for the Budget-minded Vixen...You MIGHT be totally surprised by what your local discount department store or dollar store can provide...

The final event for the conference was the Crazy Hat/Pizza/Bingo party. Jason, Angelo & Rodney were the BINGO callers and passed out the great prizes including author baskets.

Rodney in his crazy hat...

The 1-800-DOM-help authors (missing a few who weren't at RomantiCon)

These are the last photos from this year's RomantiCon - if you're at all interested, I'm SURE they'll be doing it again! Keep checking the EC website for information and consider joining the fun next year!

RomantiCon Day 3

Saturday brought about Author Mania - a chance to sit and talk to the EC Authors, ask about their current releases, find out about new ones, etc.,

Cai & Dottie - a loyal EC reader who was also at last year's conference.

It was also the opening of the SWAG zone where folks could get "goodies" to take home - Marilu Mann's giveaway was a tiny bottle of Tabasco (TM) with some author info on it - the good folks at Tabasco were a true joy to work with! We also had some postcards with info about new and current releases for folks to take home.

Marilu's SWAG (flash kind of distorted the picture)

Before, during and after that there were workshops aplenty! The popular "Act it out (take two)" where Publisher Raelene Gorlinsky talked about some impossible/improbable love scenes authors have submitted and they're (sort of) acted out by those in attendance (PS - watch out for J. Hali Steele, she's got a WICKED left!), then Reader Focus Groups on Cover Appeal, Title Talk, Edge of Erotica (Kink & Fetish), Recipes for Success, more workshops on Memorable Sex Scenes, Black to Basics: Blurbs/Building Sexual Tension (Yes, that's Black, not Back since Jaid Black taught that workshop!), Body Speak, Ask the Editors/The Newest News and Screenwriting Tools for Building a Novel.

Saturday night brought the 10th Anniversary Celebration for Ellora's Cave. There was a great routine by the Cavemen (let's talk about those gorgeous guys in black leather pants and platform boots!!), moving talks by Patty Marks and Jaid Black, and awards followed by dinner and dancing and even MORE fun!

Yes, there are pictures, and Yes, Marilu Mann won an award! One of the 2010 Superstar Awards - the certificate says "Witches, Demons, Shifters and Doms, Oh My! for most versatile use of types of heros".

Cai with the trophy & certificate

The Cavemen doing their routine Saturday night

Let the dancing begin...Rodney insisted on a "Soul Train" line - it was hysterical
Cai & Ann Hinnenkamp

RomantiCon Day 2

Morning started out great! Workshops on Promo, GMC, Worldbuilding, Characterization, CSI for writers, Protecting your Assets, Top 10 Things Hollywood gets wrong, Research, Cover Art and Collaborating & Co-authoring.

Then it was time for the Roaring 20's Party - Flappers, Gangsters, Molls and more...The joint was definitely jumping - and that was before the Cavemen took the stage to entertain the crowd! Some of the tables had a "reserved for a special guest" note on them, and you guessed it, those were for the Cavemen. :) We had the pleasure of sitting with Lorenzo tonight - he's fabulous!

After dinner it was time to put on our dancing shoes and hit the slot machines with the "play" money provided by EC - everyone got raffle tickets and if you hit it big on the slots, you got even more raffle tickets...what could you win? Well...how about a Sony e-reader, a B&N e-reader, a digital camera, a video camera, a Kindle and a Netbook! Yes, those were the prizes handed out tonight by EC - emceed by none other than Jaid Black, the woman who started it all.

Now, what you really want to see...some photos from today!

Some folks dressed for the party...

Cai & Lynn LaFleur

Caitlin Miller

Cai & Christine D'Abo

And WHY were we all standing in line?

That's easy...waiting to have our pictures made with the Cavemen!

Party Time!!

The Charleston Dance Contest...with a little incentive from the Cavemen...(Lena Matthews is in red here - she wound up being the winner...Awesome moves! :) )

Lorenzo

Keaneau

RomantiCon Day 1

Though I know some people had problems getting here, my trip went very smoothly! Met up with the lovely Regina Carlysle at the airport and we chatted before our flight out of DFW to Cleveland.

The trip to the hotel also went very smoothly, and again the staff at EC and here at the hotel have done an AMAZING job of preparing everything for our arrival! We got an awesome conference bag, a great badge holder, TWO calendars, another nifty conference booklet with all the handouts in it along with a place for collecting signatures.

The Meet-&-Greet was tonight - and of course, what would this party be without the EC Cavemen?

Some photos here - will try to update tomorrow with more...

Thanks & Enjoy...

Lorenzo & Cai - Lorenzo was on the cover of Sapphire Tease

Joysann from Publisher's Weekly winning a prize -

yes, win a prize, get a hug/kiss from a Caveman! :)

VJ Devereaux, Lorenzo & Cai

VJ & the Cavemen - sounds like a rock band doesn it?

(Kevin, Jason & Christian with VJ)

Jason, Christian & Angelo

VJ Devereaux

Cai & Brooks

Brooks & VJ Devereaux

MORE PICS TO FOLLOW TOMORROW, I Promise!!

RELEASE DATE!!

We have a release date for our next project!

Needing Harte is a contemporary M/M BDSM story and is part of the multi-author1-800-DOM-help series.

Though we don't have a cover to share here yet, the notice is up on the Coming Soon page at Ellora's Cave! As soon as we have the cover, we'll post it here.

In the meantime, here's the blurb to whet your appetite:


When a murder leads to wanting a sexy stripper bound and naked in front of him, Harte Donovan has a problem. He can’t let his secret desires ruin his career as a detective. When he’s given a mysterious business card, Harte discovers a side of himself he intends to fully embrace.

Ramey Nichols strips for a living and he's not willing to pretend to be something he’s not. When this sexy submissive meets the closeted cop and unwitting Dom, something has got to give. That something might just be Ramey. Ramey knows what he wants, and more than that, finds himself Needing Harte.

Highway to Hell...or Cai & Arwen's Very Unexcellent Adventure

Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the Highway to Hell...
Lyrics by ACDC

The hero of my latest story is a big fan of ACDC, so I felt it appropriate to start my blog off with those lyrics. In Sex and Trouble, Rosier escapes his boredom with captivity by blasting heavy metal. I knew when I set off to Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention 2010 in Columbus, Ohio, that I wouldn't be playing a lot of heavy metal, though. You see, I am two people - Cai Smith and Arwen Lynch. One of us, Cai, loves the headbangin' stuff while the other, Arwen, is more of a folkie. We compromise on music and both adore audio books.

When we left Fort Worth, Texas at 5:30 AM Monday morning, we fully expected to arrive at the convention hotel by midnight at the latest since both the GPS and Google Maps told us it was a 15.5 hour drive. Little did we know that the Universe had other things in mind for our journey...

We cruised up the highway to Arkansas--pleased with the time we were making and the journey itself--then on through Tennessee and into Kentucky. And that's where the wheels started to fall off. We stopped regularly for gas, potty breaks and to walk around a bit, stretching those traveling kinks out. On one of those stops at some very nice but nameless roadside rest stop, Cai decided to take her contacts out. Her eyes were tired so it was time for glasses.

Unfortunately, one contact decided not to cooperate. Cai scratched her cornea trying to get the darned thing out. Arwen took over the wheel, but drove only until we reached Elizabethtown, KY. We hit the local ER so Cai's eye could be checked out. Sure enough, she'd injured her eye badly enough to need an antibiotic cream. Two and a half hours later, we were back on the road with Cai behind the wheel once again.

We have a great friendship that goes back many years. One of the things we knwow is that Cai is the driver and Arwen is the passenger. Some day we'll tell you the story of how Arwen nearly drove into a mountain when she saw some unusual animals on the side of the road. "Look! Buffalo," is how that story starts. Cai prefers to arrive alive so she drives the bulk when we go on long trips.

If we ever go on a long trip after this highway to hell excursion, that is! So, there we are in the car, plotting our next book and laughing about the ER being the worst part of the trip. OOPS! Never say that where "They" can hear you. In the darkest part of the night, on one of Kentucky's (and possibly the USA's) most dangerous stretches of highway, we hit a pothole the size of a Newfoundland...I kid you not.

BOOM!

The car shakes and shudders like a bronco on speed as Cai curses and guides the car to the narrowest piece of shoulder we've ever seen. She's so close to the guardrail that Arwen can barely squeeze out of the passenger-side door. Eighteen-wheelers are zooming past so fast and so close that the car vibrates violently. We have blown a tire on a hill about 31 miles south of Cincinnati. This is on Highway 41N and we're also on a bridge. Can you say, "perfect horror movie setup?"

We could.

Once Cai managed to stop shaking, we called AAA. This is when we received the worst customer service EVER! The operator manages to make us feel like the worst idiots in the world because we're on a stretch of highway neither of us has ever traveled before and we don't know what exit we passed last or what the next exit coming up might be. I know it's hard to believe that we didn't mark each exit on the highway that neither of us has ever been on before as we passed it, right? This woman expressed nothing but contempt and irritation while by-passing even the smallest bit of sympathy for our nightmarish situation. The fact that we were calling her with this "emergency roadside issue" at nearly 2AM seemed to have escaped her notice entirely.

She even told us she could not send someone out if she didn't know where we were. Luckily, Arwen and Cai both have GPS phones. We were able to give her the nearest coordinates. AAA will be receiving a very irate letter about that woman's lack of empathy! But she did manage to send us our knight in a shiny roll-back wrecker, Gene! He was our senior by many years.

Gene towed us down the mountain scolding us about our tires and where we were on the road. You felt like your granddad has just told you off! He was a real sweetheart and our hero. After he put the spare (one of those blasted doughnut tires!) on, he assured us we could make it to Columbus if we only went 60MPH. So we did...

When we reached the convention hotel in Columbus, it was 6:30AM EST Tuesday. We collapsed in our hotel room thanking our personal Higher Powers for seeing us safely there - albeit with a tad more excitement than we might have liked.

Have you ever had a "Highway to Hell" road trip? We'd love to hear YOUR adventures!

And, if you like steamy paranormal romantica, check out our hero Rosier in Sex and Trouble, available digitally from Jasmine Jade Publishing--http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8274-444-sex-and-trouble.aspx His adventure involves being released from captivity by a very nice, albeit newbie, witch!

Where Will You Be In October?

At least one half of Marilu Mann will be at Romanticon in October. It's in Richfield, OH. Will you be there? Convention registration is still open!

Let us know if you will be there. We'd love to meet you and get a picture for the blog!

Sex And Trouble: Video Ad

Lie back and enjoy it!

---

And then buy the book!

Reviews Are In For Sex And Trouble by Marilu Mann

Reviews are starting to come in for Sex And Trouble. From a Dark Diva Recommended Read to 4.5 tombstones at Bitten By Books, reviewers are liking our new world.

Check out what they are saying:
• "Sex galore" Read the full 4 star review at NightOwl Reviews.
• "HOT delicious treat with a touch of magic" "A treat to savor slowly" Read the full 5 Diva & Recommended Read review at Dark Diva Reviews.
• "Will keep you engaged until the very end" Read the full 4.5 Tombstone review at Bitten By Books.
• "Everything I love to read" Read the full 17.5 review at Seriously Reviewed.
  

Sex And Trouble

Marielle has just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who is really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler's-ahem-horns, she has to face the facts. And, he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari's sexier than anyone he's ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. It's simple. They have to unlock her powers, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex...in the next two weeks or he's trapped forever. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Read an excerpt from Sex And Trouble.

Buy the book.

This is a test. Setting up to blog on the go from Romantic Times 2010. Will you be there?

New Logo

Sharing this here - would love to know what you think.
Designed by the amazing Lisa Hunt with text by the equally amazing Kort Kramer!

Sex. Trouble and Tarot

To celebrate the release of book number seven, Arwen of Tarot By Arwen did a reading for the hero of Sex and Trouble by Marilu Mann. What's a demon gotta to do to get a little love?

Go comment here. You'll be in the running to win a $50 gift certificate or a signed copy of Marilu's first two books. NOTE: The contest starts at noon Central.

By the way, for those that don't know, Arwen is half of Marilu Mann.

Sex And Trouble by Marilu Mann:

“Marielle has just learned she’s a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who is really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn’t believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler’s—ahem—horns, she has to face the facts. And, he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari’s sexier than anyone he’s ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream in ecstasy, he’ll just have to deal. It’s simple. They have to unlock her powers, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex…in the next two weeks or he’s trapped forever. What’s a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!”

Buy your copy here!

Join the party tomorrow - April 2!

Marilu Mann is guest blogging at Bitten by Books tomorrow to celebrate the release of Sex and Trouble!

The party starts at Noon (Central time) and runs through Saturday. There are prizes to be won and a really fun character tarot reading for Ros, the Demonae hero of Sex and Trouble.

Here's a link to the invite: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=21888

Hope to see you there...

Back Cover Magic

Ever wonder about the process to get the back cover blurb for your favorite novels? I share mine on the FFandP blog. Stop by and leave a comment.

Sex and Trouble

Sex and Trouble has a RELEASE DATE!
Get your copy on APRIL 2 from Ellora's Cave!

Here's the blurb:

Marielle has just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who is really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler's-ahem-horns, she has to fact the facts. And he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari's sexier than anyone he's ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Marie scream in ectasy, he'll just have to deal. It's simple...they have to unlock her powers, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex...in the next two weeks or he's trapped forever. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

And here's the AWESOME cover:

Review & Interview

We got a great review for Changing Focus from Martha Warner. She also contacted us to do an interview. Really like her blog for the combination of personal and professional posts that she shares. Come see what this busy mom of two wanted to know about Marilu Mann! Thanks for leaving a comment as well. Click here to go to Martha's site.

Mark Your Calendars!

Romantic Times BookLovers Convention
Marilu Mann will be there!

Come meet your favorite authors. See some really hot cover models from Ellora's Cave and the Mr. Romance 2010 Competitors. Get lots of free books. Go to the Faery Ball and the Vampire Ball and...

DO NOT MISS the Ellora's Cave 10th Anniversary celebration - help us "PAINT THE TOWN RED!"
Learn more here.

It's all about the BLING, Baby!

Happy Valentine's Day (a little early)! Several EC/CP authors are sendnig out special Valentine's Day greetings with a special "Jewels of Erotica" blog that's cross-posted on several blogs. Visit Michelle Polaris' blog to see all the entries and enter to win a gift certificate to Good Vibrations. Leave a comment here to get some swag from Marilu Mann!

A man's braided silver chain bracelet...an innocent gift one might give to a lover, right? Well, in Sex and Trouble, Marilu Mann's next release, a silver chain bracelet means much more than just a nice piece of jewelry. It's actually a symbol of captivity, and we're not talking a D/s relationship here, people, we're talking binding a demon!

Rosier is a Hedonae, a sex demon. He's been bound to a house and to the earthly plane by a powerful witch, and only another powerful witch can release him. Marielle Greenlea learns, to her dismay, that she's that witch! Why is she unhappy with having a sex demon at her beck and call? Well, wouldn't you be if your last lover said that having sex with you was like having sex with a Popsicle?

Mari must come into her power, accept who she is, and fight to give Ros what he seeks...release--sexual release--and his freedom. Her fight is on more than one level because she has to fight her attraction to Ros and deal with her father's former student-turned-enemy.

Visit Michells Polaris' blog to see ALL the Jewels of Erotica entries and leave a comment there for a chance to win a Good Vibrations Gift Certificate. Leave a comment here for a chance at some swag! And...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

SEX AND TROUBLE

Now that I have your attention! How's this for some interesting fun?

Sex and Trouble

(cover by the fabulous Syneca)

You know it’s going to be a bad day when:
1. Your father dies leaving you a creepy old Victorian home.
2. Your butler isn’t really a butler, but he comes with the house.
3. Your father’s enemies are after everything in the house—including you and the butler!

Meet Marielle Greenlea. She’s just learned that her inheritance involves not just an old house but also a butler who’s says he's a demon. And not just any demon. He’s a Hedonae—or sex demon—who has been bound to the house by her estranged father. Now, not only does Marielle have to deal with her inheritance which includes learning that she's a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is!

Rosier can't believe he's still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who's sexy as sin but unaware of her own appeal. A fledgling witch who doesn't really believe he's a demon. But once she sees his-ahem-horns, she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex. But he wants to go home and if that means making her scream with his name over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it.

Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Popsicle Queen according to her exes, she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms when she’s never had even one? Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy AND have mind-blowing sex? What's a girl to do when an inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy, of course!

We'll let you know when it's released!!

Great start to 2010!

A new book contract!!

Yes, Marilu Mann will have a new release out very soon - not a shifter in sight, but there is a very sexy demon and a witch who doesn't know her own power!

We have a title and will share the cover with you as soon as we get that - look for more info on SEX AND TROUBLE coming soon!!