BDSM Backlist - Chains of Desire

Acting as decoy for her princess, Hanna is captured to become a rival king’s sex slave. Chained in a spaceship, bound for a planet that deals in sex, she fears she’ll never be free. But then a sexy guard gives her hope as he makes her body soar with pleasure, even while bound in chains.

An escapee from the tranium mines, Jarrod signed onto the slave ship to make a quick getaway. The beautiful captive calls to the dominant beast in him and though it is forbidden to touch the king’s property, he can’t resist showing her the erotic ways of Master and slave, of pain and pleasure and strict obedience.

Everyone knows Masters never keep their slaves for long and they’re not allowed to fall in love. But it’s not long before Jarrod changes Hanna’s chains of bondage into chains of desire. Can they make it work against all odds?


Chains of Desire was my first full-length BDSM erotic romance. In developing the futuristic world where the story is set, I was able to develop some unique products and societal rules that I could use in my story. I have always wanted to write another couple stories in the world of Vanya and Noria. I hope as I have more time to write in 2013, that I'll take that world back out and finish the series.

Until then, here's an excerpt from Chains of Desire, which is still available from Ellora's Cave.

When he met her fearful gaze, she looked away. He cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. “You are a slave now. You must accept that. Your life will never be the same again. You are a slave.”

“No!” Her voice was soft now, barely a whisper.

He dropped his hand. “Have they told you anything?” She shook her head. Of course not. As a slave, she didn’t have the right to know a damn thing.

Her expression was still wary as she stared at him. After all, why should she expect him to tell her the truth? Jarrod understood that. Understood that she’d never trust again. But she deserved to know her fate.

“We are headed to the planet Noria. Have you heard of it?”

She shook her head slowly.

There was no good way to say it, so Jarrod stated it as plainly as possible. “You are to be the personal sex slave of King Barrus of Noria.” She gasped and backed away from him. The damn chains clattered again and he fought for self-control. “The other women will be sold to private buyers or to public brothels. There is a great market for sex slaves on Noria. Your women will bring a healthy price.” And he’d get a share of that money too.

She lunged toward him again. “You had no right to take us from our home. We are not property to be bought and sold. Not animals to be chained —” Her voice broke, but she jerked her chin up and glared at him. Unshed tears glittered in her eyes.

He let his gaze lazily sweep across her body, so she wouldn’t see how her words affected him. He’d stopped feeling guilty long ago for what he’d had to do to survive. He couldn’t help her escape her fate, even if he wanted to. All he could do was help her to survive.

“I hear you attacked the last guard. That’s why you’re chained up like an animal.” He shook his head. “Not a good idea, Princess.” No point in telling her now that most sex slaves wore cuffs and collars and chains for the rest of their days.


Chains of Desire is available both as a download and in print.

Natasha
Plaything - Paolo's Playhouse #4
Silken Canvas - coming Dec 25th
www.natashamoore.com

Good Girl Heroines

This weeks we're talking about our favorite heroines here at Fierce Romance. It's not easy for me to come up with a favorite. I love all my heroines, from the submissive jewelry designer in Bound by Design to the futuristic sex slave in Chains of Desire to the customer service phone rep in See Me. I love them all. But if I had to pick my favorite type of heroine, I'd have to pick the good girl.

I've written several good girl heroines. Sarah Austin in The Ride of Her Life. Julie Brightman in Dark Angel. Annie Shane in Bad to the Bone.



Annie is the perfect example of the good girl heroine. She'd never done anything wrong, took care of her sick mother, put her head down and worked her job no matter what, got dumped by a guy who called her boring. She decided that being a good girl had gotten her nowhere and decides to make all her decisions based on the question, "What would a bad girl do?" Of course, she runs into a bad boy who tries to keep her out of trouble, all the while falling in love with her, and the fun starts there.

I have to admit that my love for the good girl rises from the fact that I was a good growing up. So I love giving good girls their own adventures. And sexy heroes who love them just the way they are.

How about you? Do you enjoy reading about good girls and bad boys??

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Falling In Love

This week's theme at Fierce Romance is love and romance. After all, this is the week leading up to Valentine's Day. And all of us here love to talk about love and romance, it's probably our favorite topic. At least it's mine, and therein lies the problem. How to pick just one topic, something specific enough to not overwhelm one little blog post.

Then I remembered a statistic I read about romance readers. I wish I could remember where I read it, I'd give credit where it's due, but the fact was that one of the most important parts of a romance, to the reader, is the moment when the hero or heroine realize they've fallen in love. It struck a chord when I read that, because I totally agree. As readers we want to experience that emotional moment of actually falling in love. It's wonderful, right? It's uplifting, isn't it?

Well, I was actually suprised when I scanned some of my stories to post examples. In most of these moments, the character is not exactly happy about falling in love.


This is from my first novel with Samhain, The Ride of Her Life:

Oh, no. She clamped her hand over her mouth before the cry could escape. How had this happened?

Not the lovemaking. She knew perfectly well how that had happened. And it had been wonderful. Everything she’d dreamed of and more. But this situation hadn’t ended up the way she’d planned. She’d been naïve enough to believe if she had one or two memorable nights of sex with Dean, she could go back to Buffalo a happy woman.

But now, the memories weren’t enough. A few nights weren’t enough.

She wanted more. She wanted Dean. She wanted happily ever after.

Sarah angrily brushed away the tears that slipped from her eyes. What was wrong with her? She knew better. She knew what she couldn’t have. But it obviously didn’t matter.

She had fallen in love with Dean.

Stupid. How could she be so stupid? Falling in love with him was the last thing she wanted to do. She thought she knew what she had been getting into. She thought she had her emotions under control.

Now she looked down at the man sleeping beside her and knew she would go back to Buffalo with a broken heart.


And from one of my Red Sage Secrets novellas from Vol 24, Bad to the Bone:

Insatiable. That was a word Annie never thought would apply to her. She couldn’t get enough of sex with Luke. Would it always be this way? Well, of course, it wouldn’t because he wouldn’t always be with her. Someday, in the very near future, she would have to do without Luke, without sex with Luke. What would she do then?

Just like driving another car just wouldn’t be the same, neither would being with any of the other bad boys out there.

And now he wanted to fulfill a fantasy she’d forgotten she even mentioned. But he remembered, the shit. He was supposed to be a bad boy. He wasn’t supposed to make her fall for him.

It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with the first bad boy she found.


And even when I found an example when the character wasn't sorry he'd fallen in love, there's still a conflict to overcome, which is the second lesson I think we need to take away from this. This is from my Ellora's Cave novel, Chains of Desire:

He’d been so stupid to underestimate his little slave. Didn’t he already know how strong and brave she was? She could take on anyone. Even his archenemy. She didn’t need him to protect her.

And he knew in that moment that he loved Hanna. What he felt for her was so much more than the mere devotion of a Master and his slave. How could he have ever doubted it? He loved her and now he might never get the chance to tell her.

The moment when the hero or heroine realizes they've fallen in love usually isn't the happily ever after moment we crave. It's a moment we all want to read, but that doesn't mean all the problems have been solved. In fact, it often means some of those problems are just beginning. And I've found there are usually two of those moments in every book because it is seldom that both characters realize they love the other at the same time.

What about you? Would you feel let down if you couldn't experience the falling-in-love moment? I know I would.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

To Tell the Truth

No one likes a liar. Yet, keeping secrets or not telling the "whole" truth is a well known way of creating or sustaining conflict in a story. Often the reader is aware that one character isn't being truthful to the other and they know that the trainwreck is coming when the truth is revealed.

If it's not done right, this device might seemed contrived, if it's well-motivated, I think it can work really well. After all, are we all totally truthful to each other in real life? It's often easier to avoid conflict by avoiding the whole truth, perhaps telling one of those "little white lies" or maybe just leaving out the uncomfortable part of the story.

I admit to using this device in several of my stories.



In my Red Sage novella, Dark Angel, Julie doesn't tell Rafe the "whole" truth about why she sought him out to find out what happened the night her sister died. But then, Rafe, avoids telling her the truth of the events of that night for most of the story.



In my Ellora's Cave novel, Chains of Desire, Hannah lies about who she is - as a decoy for her princess, she must. But Jarrod lets her think he's something he's not as well.



In my Samhain contemporary romance, The Ride of Her Life, Sarah is not entirely truthful with Dean when she talks him into giving her a ride across the country on his Harley. But then again, Dean isn't entirely truthful with Sarah either, about what he's doing with his life now. Both of them avoid telling the truth, but when it comes out, they might as well have outright lied.

Sarah took another swallow, then cleared her throat. She looked up at him with those big eyes, took a deep breath and blurted, “Take me with you.”

Dean wasn’t sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. “What?”

“You’re leaving for Los Angeles in the morning, right?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From Jennifer Krusick’s son. I want to go with you.”

“Sarah, I don’t understand. If you want to go to California, you can drive there yourself. You don’t want to ride on my bike.”

“Yes, I do. Anyway, my car died this morning.”

“Take a plane. It’s a lot quicker too.”

“I don’t want quicker. I want interesting. I want exciting.”

Heaven help him. Sarah Austin wanted excitement. “By the time we get to L.A. on my bike, your whole vacation will be gone.”

“I have a lot of vacation time saved up.”

“This is crazy.”

She laughed, but it wasn’t a light, happy sound. “I know. Please take me to L.A.”

He frowned. There was desperation in her face, in her voice, and he didn’t understand it. “Why do you want to go to California?”

She took a step closer to him. He could smell a light, flowery scent, probably from her hair. The shiny strands looked so soft he almost reached out to touch them before he caught himself and pulled his hand back. He stepped away before he could try it again.

“It doesn’t matter why I want to go,” she said, determination rising in her voice. “I’ll pay for everything. All the gas. The food. The lodging. Everything.”

“Sarah?” He stepped closer again, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He must have been allergic to that scent she wore because he felt a little dizzy, a little off-center around her. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Some emotion he couldn’t identify flashed in her eyes. “If you won’t take me, I’ll hitchhike.”

“Be serious.”

“I’m perfectly serious.”

“Sarah, be sensible about this.”

She started to shake and her face turned as red as it had this morning, but Dean could tell the difference between embarrassment and anger. This time he’d ticked her off royally.

But damn if she didn’t look fine. This was not the meek and mild little Sarah he remembered sitting on her front porch with her nose in a book. This Sarah was vibrant and alive. Her eyes sparkled. Her skin glowed.

He wanted to know more about her. What had she been doing all these years? What was going on with her now?

He wanted to give in to the crazy urge to pull her into his arms and discover what her body felt like beneath the baggy clothes. He wanted to kiss her and find out what her passion tasted like.

As he entertained his lustful thoughts, he saw Sarah pull herself together. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, she relaxed her clenched fists. She stared at him through narrowed eyes and set the root beer bottle on the coffee table.

“Thanks, anyway.”

I've noticed in each of these examples, both of my characters have not been entirely truthful with the other and I think this is important, especially in the reader's mind. If only one of the characters was lying, there may be lots of negative reactions. But if neither one of them is being truthful, it tends to balance things out.

So do you like stories where the characters keep the truth from each other?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Recapping the Romances

My last release was November 1, 2009. That was five months ago. Besides the print release of Binding Ties this summer, I have no other releases scheduled. After a couple years of multiple releases, it feels so strange to not be working around and planning for release days.

Of course, I have submissions I'm waiting to hear on or ready to be sent out and I'm working on my first single title length manuscript. I thought today I'd just do a little recap of my recent releases. So enjoy the covers and read a few nice things reviewers have had to say.




The Better to Eat You With was my most recent release from Red Sage Presents. A twisted take on little Red Riding Hood, I've been very pleased with its reception.
It received a great review from Dark Divas Review:
"...you can’t help but fall in love with Wolfe, the same way grandma does. Two thumbs up to Ms. Moore for providing us with a smart, sexy, scorching hot, erotic fairy tale that’s nothing like what your grandmother use to read at bedtime. Or…maybe it is. I would definitely recommend The Better to Eat You With to my friends.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by AJ!"




Bound by Design was released by Samhain Publishing in September. This novella will be part of the print anthology Binding Ties which, as I mentioned above, will be released this summer. It got 5 Lips from Victoria at Two Lips Review:

"Have a tall, cool drink handy because once you start Natasha Moore’s Bound By Design, you will surely need it! Ms. Moore sure packs a lot of heat into this novella... Bound By Design is a sexy novella that will have you squirming in your seat as you furiously flip its pages while two wounded souls find BDSM bliss in each others’ arms."



Two Lips Review also gave a great review for Chains of Desire, a novel from Ellora's Cave that is available both as a download and in print.
"After finishing Ms. Moore’s Chains of Desire, you’ll want to book your own trip to a faraway galaxy in search of your own lustful Doms and their magical cream which takes all the hurts away!"



I also had another print release from Ellora's Cave in 2009. The anthology Sapphire Sizzle includes my story, Lia's Warrior. Lia's Warrior received a great review from Alternative-Read.com:
"I like the structuring in this one, the ideas and questions that a strong, simple, smart man brought forth to those "in power", with the courage to fight for who and what he believed in. And let's not forget that sweet, but steel encased in velvet woman who finally decided what was truly important- seeking truth before blindly believing (oh, yeah... and love of course)."

I hope I'll have news of more upcoming releases soon. Until then, check out any of these hot, emotional stories. Or stop by my website to see all my available releases.

Have a great week!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Looking Back at 2009

So in this last week of the old year, I find myself, as always, looking back on the 12 months. I try to be honest with myself and see if I accomplished what I'd hoped to with 365 days of my life. Like always, I find that I probably didn't always make the best use of my time. I should have written more. I should have exercised more. I should have eaten better. Should have been more patient. Should have been a better person.

Yeah, all those "should haves" can really weigh you down.

But then I remind myself of the good things that happened in the past year. The great, unexpected things. Bound by Design was chosen as one of three novellas to be included in Samhain's Binding Ties anthology.


Chains of Desire was released as a download by Ellora's Cave in May and came out in print in September.


My Sapphire jewel novella, Lia's Warrior came out in an Ellora's Cave anthology, Sapphire Sizzle. (And I just found out we received 4 Stars from Romantic Times - the review will be included in the February issue of RT Book Reviews.)


The Ride of Her Life won the New England Reader's Choice Award for best short contemporary in 2009.


Sunrise (included in Jewels of the Nile II)won the Passionate Plume for best erotic novella this year as well.



And the cover for The Better to Eat You With won the weekly Cover Clash at Embrace the Shadows.


I've been blessed with a lot of great reviews, including this new one at Fresh Fiction for Dark Angel which was released by Red Sage last January.



I made a lot of new friends this year in the writing community. I've done my best to keep in contact with old friends too. And the notes I've received from readers always make my day, letting me know I must be doing something right. While I rarely find the time to update them, I'm now on Facebook and Twitter, as well as MySpace.

And since The Better To Eat You With won a weekly Cover Clash, it is up for the 2009 Ultimate Clash at Embrace the Shadows. There are only a few days left to vote, so if you haven't already done so, I'd love your vote. The artist, Kanaxa, did an awesome job on this cover and will win an award as well if we win. You can check it out here.

So now, as I look back, I see that 2009 wasn't so bad after all. I'll just have to work on the exercise and eating better and having more patience...

So how was your 2009???

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Great Review for Chains of Desire

In the last couple years I've noticed a decline in the number of on-line reviews I receive for my releases. I realize it's a case of too many books, not enough reviewers. And I know I shouldn't care about reviews anyway...but what can I say. I do care. I always hope the reviewer enjoys the story because she's a reader, first and foremost. And the readers are who I write for.

So I was thrilled to get a great review for my latest Ellora's Cave release, Chains of Desire. Even more thrilling was the personal e-mail from the reviewer, telling me how much she enjoyed my writing. That made it even more special.

You can read the review here.

I've also found out that Chains of Desire will be coming out in print later this year. It should be out in time for me to sign it at the booksigning at Ellora's Cave's first Romanticon this October.

I'm looking forward to meeting readers and other authors. And maybe even a few reviewers. So who else is going to the Romanticon this year??

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Some thoughts on Reviews

I just received my first review for my recent Ellora's Cave release, Chains of Desire from Just Erotic Romance Reviews. It's a pretty darn good one so I thought I'd share it here.

Hanna longs to see space and experience life with a man. She gets that opportunity when she is mistaken for the princess, kidnapped, and sold as a sex slave for a king on Noria, a planet far away and more advanced than her own. The dark, dominant Jarrod is not to touch her while he guards her, but he can’t help but teach Hanna the pleasure given and received while being a sex slave. Will the Master/slave relationship end once they arrive at Noria or will Jarrod find a way to save Hanna and make her his slave?

I was hooked from the first few pages. The characters felt like real people who are likeable and yet complex. Hanna and Jarrod have more in common than one would first expect, which only deepens the connections the two have with one another. Jarrod’s attraction for Hanna begins as a tease, which in turn builds to combustible heat. I liked that Jarrod’s character, while a Dom and a guard on a slave ship, is not hard or uncaring. As readers, we get to see the softer side of a BDSM. The love scenes were intense and included chains, ropes, binding, male/female/male action, spanking, and some inventive activity with berries. I also liked the interracial element to the story. It is subtle and doesn’t define their relationship, but adds an exotic edge to the imagery of the couple. I only wish that the ending elaborated more on the resolution of Hanna and Jarrod’s relationship, but the author has left it open for a sequel and I will definitely read it if there is one. Chains of Desire is nicely written and the characters are deeper than the Master/slave roles they play.

Jessica Black
Just Erotic Romance Reviews


I'm always thrilled when a reviewer "gets it." No more thrilled than when I hear from any reader who likes one of my stories, but since the reviewer's opinion is put out there for anyone to read, I wonder how much the reviewer's opinion affects readers' opinions, and whether or not it could affect them buying my book.

I've had a few reviews that were not-so-hot (and no, I'm not going to post one of them LOL) Reviews that tell me the reviewer didn't really get the story, didn't get into the characters, or understand the story. Some reviewers even get the names wrong or plot points wrong - and those are usually the reviewers that didn't seem to like the story. As the creator of that world, I would love to e-mail the reviewer, point out everything she got wrong, explain those points she didn't get, tell her why she should love my book. But of course, I never do. I've come to learn over the course of more than ten releases, that not everyone is going to think everything I write is brilliant. Hard to believe, but there it is.

So, I wonder... Do you go to review sites and read the reviews each month? Do you happen across them, like reading this blog? Did a review ever make you decide to pick up an author or a book you hadn't heard about before? Did a review ever make you decide not to buy a book you'd planned on buying?

For me, I rarely seek out reviews (except my own, of course) but when I do read them, I'm looking more for story elements or character types than I am what the reviewer's opinion was. I've defintely found new authors by stumbling upon a review, but I don't think a review ever talked me out of buying a book I'd already wanted to buy.

How about you?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com