Shira Anthony's Blog - Posts Tagged "pirates"

At long last, Chapter Four of my free novella, "Stealing the Wind." MM romance, slightly smutty (consider yourself forewarned!), pirate, paranormal shifter story (that's a mouthful!). 18+ only, please. To read, click the link or the picture!

“Stealing the Wind” is the story of Taren of Laxley, an indentured servant who is kidnapped and taken aboard the pirate ship, Sea Witch. Life is far better for Taren aboard the Witch, and he quickly becomes the pirate captain’s favorite slave and a valued member of the Witch’s crew. But will Taren’s fortunes change for the worse when Taren is captured by the mysterious Eoin Dunaidh and his crew? Contains scenes of dubious consent, threesomes, and other content not appropriate for children.

Enjoyed the story so far? Leave me a comment and let me know! As always, I'll be updating again as my editing/writing schedule permits. -Shira

For links to my published stories, click here. You can get more information, including excerpts and buy links by clicking on the "More" to the right of each title.

Another Free Fiction Friday! Chapter Five of "Stealing the Wind," my slightly smutty (okay, very smutty) pirate shifter novella. That stunning photo is of Mikael Kenta, an amazingly beautiful male model and my inspiration for Captain Eoin Dunaidh. Special thanks to Sharita Lira for figuring out who he is and sharing this gorgeous photo!

So without further babbling (I'm a writer - I'm prone to that), I give you Chapter Five. 18+ only, please! Enjoy. -Shira

PS: I have a giveaway up on Goodreads for a paperback copy (autographed if you wish) of "The Melody Thief." Be sure to enter - contest ends right after GayRomLit, on October 19th. Just click here and scroll down the page for contest info and signup!

My first published MM novella, "The Dream of a Thousand Nights," has a forced cheating scenario in it. The Jinn Tamir, under a powerful spell, is forced to submit to his former master, the Jinn Amir. For someone who loves dubcon as much as I do, it just seemed a natural outgrowth of the story. Under normal circumstances, Tamir would never have betrayed the one true love of his life, his beloved Prince Neriah. In fact, Tamir begs Amir not to force him to betray Neriah. And of course, there's a sweet HEA at the end of the story (not a spoiler, since all my stories have HEAs).

So when I got some of the first reader reviews of "Dream," I was totally surprised to see how strongly some readers reacted to what they considered cheating. I was naive. Which got me thinking about cheaters, and whether it's ever acceptable to have a cheating scenario in a romance novel. I don't really think there is an answer.

Readers are all different. They come to a book with their different life experiences, perceptions, needs, and expectations. For me, I think cheating is a very human thing to do. Is it wrong? Damn straight! I've had my own experiences with cheaters and believe me, I was not very forgiving. But do I think cheaters can redeem themselves? Yes. But only through personal growth. Without growth, people don't really change. Without change, cheaters tend to repeat their cheating behavior.

In my upcoming release, "Aria" (Blue Notes Series Book #3, 12/3/12 release), one of the main characters, Aiden Lind, has his heart broken by a cheating boyfriend, Cameron. That experience shapes Aiden's view of relationships and wounds him deeply. It influences his newly-minted relationship with the other main character, Sam Ryan. Does Aiden get back together with his ex? No. But there is redemption to be found for Cam much later (and Cam will, eventually, get his own story and his own HEA).

My good friend and fellow Dreamspinner Press author, E.m. Lynley, has a lively discussion of cheaters on her blog this week. She's also got a few polls to see what people think about cheaters in romance, and what is and is not acceptable behavior in a romance. The answers to the poll questions are fascinating. I highly recommend stopping by and taking a look. Some of the comments from writers and readers are also very interesting.

Have a thought about cheaters? Want to win a copy of "The Dream of a Thousand Nights" and see for yourself how I approached the issue? Leave a comment on my blog and you'll be entered to win an ebook copy of the novella. I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about it! -Shira

Welcome to the Next Big Thing Blog Hop! What a wonderful way to learn about what writers are up to. Please be sure to check out my fellow Next Big Thing bloggers: Rhys Ford, Anne Barwell, E.M. Lynley, Elizabeth Noble, Thea Nishimori, Michael Rupured, Lou Sylvre, Rowena Sudbury, Ana Bosch, Grace Duncan, and Tinnean.

As always, I have multiple WIPs (works in progress) I'm juggling. I thought I'd tell you all about one of my favorite projects, and a bit of a change of genre for me. Stealing the Wind is a gay romance, but instead of my usual contemporary, it's a fantasy/paranormal novel, the first of at least two in a series of stories about pirate shifters. So, here goes with the Q&A:


























What else about your book might interest the reader?

Stealing the Wind is a bit sexier (smuttier?) than my other books. It starts out with a menage, although the HEA/main pairing is strictly a couple. Taren is kidnapped from the tavern where he works as an indentured servant (a slave, really) and taken aboard a pirate ship (these pirates are human). The captain gives him his freedom in return for three years of "servitude" that includes sharing the bed of the captain and first mate. Taren is fascinated and attracted to both men, and some very hot sex ensues! Taren grows to love both Rider and Bastian, not only as lovers, but as men. But when Taren meets Eoin several years later, it's clear that there is something very powerful between them. I won't tell you any more, since that would spoil it, but suffice it to say Taren and Eoin's relationship is written in the stars.

Want to read an excerpt from Stealing the Wind? Click here!

I'm putting the finishing touches on the first draft of "Stealing the Wind" and getting ready to send it on to my wonderful beta readers. I'm already working on the sequel. There's just something about mermen I find particularly appealing (sexy as hell!). That, and Taren and Eoin's story isn't easily told in just one book.

The mermen in "Stealing the Wind" are shape shifters. They exist in two forms: human and merfolk. They can survive indefinitely on land or in the water, but they cannot survive away from water for long periods of time. If merfolk can live indefinitely under the water, then it stands to reason that they can also mate in their merfolk forms. Which led me to the question (because I love sexy stories): how would merman have sex? To answer that question, I had to ask myself a few others.

Question #1: What do mermen look like and how are their bodies (and parts of their bodies) put together? I loved this question, because the answer was that I could do whatever I liked. It's my imagination, right? Of course, I wanted to base my mermen on merfolk lore, and I needed them to have certain "human"...er...attributes. So I started by looking at marine animals, and especially at marine mammals. Whales are a bit too big, so I naturally chose dolphin as my "template" for the beast half of my mermen.

In "Stealing the Wind," Taren of Laxley has known nothing but slavery all his life. He doesn't remember his parents--all he knows is that he was sold as a baby. Boy is he in for a surprise when he learns that when his owners called him "special," they weren't talking about his brain! Taren discovers his dual nature after he's taken prisoner aboard the merfolk ship, Phantom, and her captain (Eoin Dunaidh) shows him what his body has hidden. Suddenly, he is half-man, half-beast, with a powerful tail, a dorsal fin between his shoulders, webbed fingers, and has fins with sharp tines on his hands and wrists. Then he realizes that his plumbing appears to be internal.

Dolphin sex organs are internal (makes sense - don't want them getting all shriveled in the water). They have "folds" - two each. The male penis is hidden inside, so the fold acts as a sheath (similar to dogs). Which led me to question #2.

Question #2: How do mermen have sex? I had no doubt that I wanted the mermen in the story to have sex in their merfolk form, so I needed to figure out what kind of sex organs they have when they transform. "Thank the goddess," as Eoin would say, for the internet. Did you know there are tons of dolphin sex vids? No joke. Apparently dolphin are very sexual (not monogamous) and tend to "perform" at aquariums (to the delight of children and the mortification of their parents!).

I watched several videos to get a sense of how dolphin sex works. They're very playful, nipping and rubbing against each other. And yes, dolphins get erections, exposing the hidden penis for sex. Only problem I saw: dolphin penises are pretty small. Smaller than human penises. Enter my imagination. How about dolphin anatomy, but a human sized penis? No need for foreskins, either, in this form. And what if certain other orifices are a bit more sensitive even, than in humans? (I think I had much too much fun figuring this all out!)

One other logistical question I had to deal with: how do merfolk communicate under the water? The answer? Telepathy or thought-reading. As you'll see, they do make some sounds, but their speech becomes thought when they are in their merfolk form.

Want to see how all this works out on paper? Read down for an excerpt from the mermen sex scene about halfway through the book (not the entire scene, but enough that you'll get the general idea). "Stealing the Wind" is set for tentative publication this summer. I'll be posting sneak peeks at the story from time to time, so stay tuned for more! I welcome your comments and ideas, of course! How did I do? -Shira

PS: Love the amazing art? That's by http://chrisgiz12.deviantart.com/ from DeviantArt!

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Summary: Taren has never known anything but life as a slave, but when he’s kidnapped by the captain of a pirate ship, his lifelong dream of going to sea is realized. The pirate captain offers Taren his freedom in exchange for three years of his life and sexual servitude. Not a bad trade, Taren decides, given that the pleasures he finds in the captain’s bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.

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Want to read the excerpt? Click here: http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3...

Happy weekend! I'm off to our sailboat, Land's Zen, and the Carolina coast tomorrow morning. I thought I'd leave you all with a new excerpt from "Stealing the Wind," the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series, due out this summer from Dreamspinner Press. But before I do, a few quick updates....

First, I hope you all like the updates my wonderful web guru, Angsty G, has made to my website. What's new? Buttons for Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter, as well as progress bars for all my WIPs. You may also notice the new "Series" tab, where you can find all my series listed. Most of the other goodies aren't as obvious, with one major exception: I now have a newsletter! To subscribe, just enter your email address on my home page. Simple, and I promise never to spam you or to send you newsletters more often than once a month.

Next, "Encore," the fifth Blue Notes Series book has been submitted to Dreamspinner Press. If they contract the book, look for a November release date. I'm also working on a Blue Notes novella to be released during the holidays, tentatively entitled, "Symphony in Blue." It will be a sequel to the first four books, and wrap up of Cary/Antonio and Sam/Aiden, but will also include Jules/Jason and David/Alex pairings. Oh, and Massimo, too!

Lastly, I'll be starting a new free serialized story, "Who Rules the King's Heart," in my first newsletter issue. Subscribers to the newsletter will get updates on the story in each issue and a week later, I'll post the updates to the "Free Fiction" tab on my website. So you don't have to subscribe to read the story, but you will get it sooner if you do. "Who Rules the King's Heart" is an MM erotic fantasy story about a king and the half demon/half human he loves.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to sign up for the newsletter if you'd like. To read the excerpt from "Stealing the Wind," go to my website, www.shiraanthony.com. I'm anxiously awaiting the cover art for the novel, and I'll be sharing that as soon as it's finalized, so stay tuned. Enjoy your weekend! -Shira

PS: If anyone knows who the artist is for the lovely artwork, please let me know! I found it on the web and can't find any attribution.

Check out the amazing cover of Into the Wind by cover artist Anne Cain! I think it's stunning. Even better? You can now pre-order your very own copy of the book Dreamspinner Press by clicking here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4975

Don't forget that I'm still running a pre-release giveaway. Up for grabs? Winner's choice of a cool, nautical leather wrap watch, or a signed paperback copy of Stealing the Wind , the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series. US readers only for this one, please. I promise I'll have some goodies for non-US readers in upcoming giveaways, though.

How do you enter? Leave a comment on this blog post and tell me what you like best about the ocean (feel free to let your imaginations run wild!). I'll choose a winner on May 4th from all the entries here.

Into the Wind is the direct sequel to Stealing the Wind, and takes up the story of Ian Dunaidh and Taren Laxley, shape-shifting mermen (Ea). There are a few surprises in this book I hope you'll enjoy, and the book starts off with a bang (literally), as the Phantom is attacked on her way to the Gateway Islands, where the crew hoped to locate the cruel pirate, Odhrán.

Here's the blurb: Since learning of his merman shifter heritage, Taren has begun building a life with Ian Dunaidh among the mainland Ea. But memories of his past life still haunt him, and as the threat of war with the hostile island merfolk looms ever closer, Taren fears he will lose Ian the same way he lost his beloved centuries before. Together they sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the fabled rune stone—a weapon of great power the Ea believe will protect them—and Odhrán, the pirate rumored to possess it.

After humans attack the Phantom, Taren finds himself washed up on an island, faced with a mysterious boy named Brynn who promises to lead him to Odhrán. But Taren isn’t sure if he can trust Brynn, and Odhrán is rumored to enslave Ea to protect his stronghold. Taren will have to put his life on the line to find his way back to Ian and attempt to recover the stone. Even if he does find it, his troubles are far from over: he and Ian are being stalked by an enemy who wants them dead at all costs.

Want to read an excerpt from Chapter One? Click here. So go snag yourself a copy at Dreamspinner Press and don't forget to enter the pre-release drawing by commenting on this post! -Shira

It's release day for the 2nd Mermen of Ea Series book, Into the Wind ! I can't tell you how excited I am to share Taren and Ian's continuing adventure with you! The book is now available for download at Dreamspinner Press and All Romance Ebooks, and should be available on Amazon.com by mid-afternoon. I'll update this post with the Amazon link when I have it.

The Into the Wind Blog Tour starts today, and the Rafflecopter link is now active, so you can start entering by tweeting, liking, and commenting on blog tour posts. Here's the link to the giveaway widget: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba93/

Or enter right here on my blog if your device permits:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Up for grabs? Some really cool gifts, including the grand prize of a stunning unisex Ea pendant, handmade by artist Martin Brodour. Also to be won, a cool Mermen of Ea gift basket that includes an autographed copy of the first book, Stealing the Wind, a great cover art t-shirt, and lots of other fun, nautical themed goodies! For non-US residents, I've got several prizes, including a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate you can use to buy any Dreamspinner books! The contest ends on May 31st at midnight.

Here's a list of blog tour participants:

5/5 Release Day – Smoocher’s Voice (Interview with Shira)

5/6 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words (Ocean Inspiration)

5/8 Mrs. Condits and Friends (Merman Sex 101)

5/9 Tali Spencer’s Brilliant Disguise (Series and Worldbuilding: Recreating the Merman Myth)

5/10 Prism Book Alliance (Character Interview with Ian Dunaidh)

5/13 Joyfully Jay (Character Interview with Taren Laxley)

5/15 Book Suburbia

5/16 Jase’s Atenaeum

Haven't read the first book yet? Now's a great time to start, because you can segue right into book two! Click on the Stealing the Wind book cover to purchase at Dreamspinner Press, or check it out on Amazon.com, AllRomanceEbooks, or your favorite online ebook seller!

Please join me over at Smoocher's Voice today for an interview and more chances to enter the blog tour contest! And have a slippery, hot merman day, everyone! -Shira

 

Just sharing the love... All my books are 30% off through May 17th at the Dreamspinner Press online store! So if you've been waiting to start the Mermen of Ea Series, this is a perfect time to pick up both books for just about what you'd normally pay for one. You can find all my books here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_484

Also happening now, the Into the Wind Blog tour is getting ready to wrap, although the blog tour giveaway will still be active until the end of the month. Here's the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway widget: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba93/

Up for grabs? Some really cool gifts, including the grand prize of a stunning unisex Ea pendant, handmade by artist Martin Brodour. Also to be won, a cool Mermen of Ea gift basket that includes an autographed copy of the first book, Stealing the Wind, a great cover art t-shirt, and lots of other fun, nautical themed goodies! For non-US residents, I've got several prizes, including a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate you can use to buy any Dreamspinner books! The contest ends on May 31st at midnight.

Here's a list of all the great blogs I've been visiting along the way:

5/5 Release Day – Smoocher’s Voice (Interview with Shira)

5/6 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words (Inspiration for the Mermen of Ea Series)

5/8 Mrs. Condits and Friends (Merman Sex 101)

5/9 Tali Spencer’s Brilliant Disguise (Series and Worldbuilding: Recreating the Merman Myth)

5/10 Prism Book Alliance (Character Interview with Ian Dunaidh)

5/13 Joyfully Jay (Character Interview with Taren Laxley)

5/15 Book Suburbia (Tired of Vampires and Werewolves? How About Mermen?)

5/16 Jase’s Atenaeum (TBA)

 

Good luck to everyone entering the giveaways! I'll leave you with an excerpt from the new book at the bottom of this post. Happy reading! -Shira

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Blurb : Since learning of his merman shifter heritage, Taren has begun building a life with Ian Dunaidh among the mainland Ea. But memories of his past life still haunt him, and as the threat of war with the hostile island merfolk looms ever closer, Taren fears he will lose Ian the same way he lost his beloved centuries before. Together they sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the fabled rune stone—a weapon of great power the Ea believe will protect them—and Odhrán, the pirate rumored to possess it.

After humans attack the Phantom, Taren finds himself washed up on an island, faced with a mysterious boy named Brynn who promises to lead him to Odhrán. But Taren isn’t sure if he can trust Brynn, and Odhrán is rumored to enslave Ea to protect his stronghold. Taren will have to put his life on the line to find his way back to Ian and attempt to recover the stone. Even if he does find it, his troubles are far from over: he and Ian are being stalked by an enemy who wants them dead at all costs.

Excerpt from Chapter Two:

TAREN CHASED Ian through the surf, the water flying about him as his bare feet slapped the sand. The warm autumn sun on his shoulders and the salty tang of the water made him smile.

“You’re too slow!” Ian called from halfway across the beach.

Taren laughed and dove into a wave, swam in his human form until he came upon Ian, grabbed him around the ankles, then knocked him into the water. Ian spluttered and transformed, planting his powerful tail. He paused for only an instant, then pivoted and swam against a wave that crested and broke near shore.

Taren looked around, trying to sense Ian. During the time they’d spent together at Callaecia, the powerful sensations he shared with Ian had only grown in their intensity. Even though he couldn’t see him, Taren felt Ian’s heart race as he swam, felt his pleasure, heard his lungs fill with water, and knew he was nearby. He didn’t see Ian until he surfaced in a spray of foam, took Taren’s hands, and dragged him down, forcing him to transform as well.

You cheated! Taren wriggled away from Ian and took off for one of the underwater caves near the cliffs. He flicked his tail harder when he sensed the movement of water behind him. Ian was the stronger swimmer, although in the months Taren had lived amongst the Ea at Callaecia, he’d learned to use his Ea body to its greatest advantage.

Ian caught up with Taren a moment later, swimming beneath Taren before encircling his waist with his powerful arms, capturing him in his embrace.

I yield! Taren laughed and allowed Ian to pull him closer. Besides, you’ve long ago captured my heart. He nipped at Ian’s neck, eliciting a low rumble he could feel in his belly more than hear with his ears. Taren still marveled that in his Ea form he could hear so much under the water. He’d asked Ian once why the Ea didn’t choose to spend their lives in this form, so taken was he with the joys of his Ea body and the beauty of the sea. Ian had just shrugged and told him that the Ea viewed their transformation as a gift from the goddess that set them apart from humans, but that they believed they were meant to live on land.

They swam out from land as they held each other, tails beating the water in tandem as they spiraled in a dizzying dance. More than anything, Taren found the Ea mating ritual a beautiful thing. Ian’s Ea body was also beautiful. In this form, Ian’s chest was broad and the muscles of his belly and arms more powerful. As a human, Ian was strong. As an Ea, he possessed strength and surprising grace few others did. Taren loved to watch Ian swim, watch the sinews of his body ripple as he moved his tail, watch his hair twist in the current. More thrilling, perhaps, was the knowledge that Ian was his, that Ian desired him above all others, that Taren held Ian’s heart.

Ian released Taren as they glided over the sand at the bottom. Large schools of silver fish followed the contours of their bodies, calling to mind the shimmer of moon across the waves. Here, many feet below the surface, the pressure of the water created a warm cocoon around Taren and drove the warmth in his chest to his extremities, making his fingers more sensitive.

Taren flicked his tail to propel him around so that he and Ian swam toward each other, arms extended, then moved upward as they laced their fingers together and floated perpendicular to the sea floor. They kissed and their tongues entwined. Ian tasted of the ocean and of the promise of Taren’s new life. Their former incarnations, Treande and Owyn, had been equals in everything. Partners, friends, lovers. Taren both relished and feared the power of his connection to Ian and the unexpected turn of fate that had brought them together, as well as the revelations of their past.

With a grin, Taren spun around so that he faced Ian’s tail. He rotated his arm so that the sharp tines that ran from his fingers to his wrist grazed the slick surface. He’d learned how to retract the barbs so they would not injure; he’d also learned that if used properly, the gentle scrape of the barbs was a sensual treat Ian could not resist.

“Goddess!” Ian shouted in his mind. “Is it your wish to render me completely helpless with lust?”

Taren repressed a chuckle as he continued to stroke Ian’s body. He might not be able to best Ian with his physical prowess, but he knew he held a stronger power over Ian. He relished the thought that he possessed Ian’s heart and soul, for it made his own uncontrollable hunger to be near Ian bearable.

Stealing the Wind, the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series is now available in audiobook format! The timing is perfect, since the final installment in the series, Running with the Wind , will be released on June 8th.

I love the narrator for the series, Michael Stellman. He really brings the characters to life, and I love the great accents he uses for some of the pirates, in particular. His voicing of Taren is perfect--vulnerable and naive. I'm enjoying listening to the complete recording. You can hear an excerpt by clicking here. You'll see a "Listen: Play Sample" link right below the book cover.

Just a reminder that you can pre-order the final book in the series at Dreamspinner Press and AllRomanceEbooks right now. I do promise a hard-won HEA, of course, since I don't write books without HEAs. But that's all I'll say! You can read excerpts from the first two books here on my website, or stay tuned for excerpts from the final book in the series!

The Running with the Wind blog tour starts on June 1st, so stay tuned. The grand prize is a December Diamonds mermen marriage ornament, and there are other fun prizes too! You can find the giveaway here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94912/?

For those of you in Raleigh, North Carolina this weekend, I'll be manning a table with authors Venona Keyes and Jordan Hawk at Animazement. Feel free to stop by! We've got lots of great paperback books for a big discount off retail. Or just say hello and pick up some fun swag! Have a great weekend. -Shira

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Blurb: Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.