Shira Anthony's Blog - Posts Tagged "smut"

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

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...

Welcome everyone to the When Sparks Fly Fourth of July Blog Hop! I'm one of a whole slew of romance writers participating in the hop that begins July 4th and ends on Monday, July 8th. You can find a listing of all the participants by clicking here or on the hop graphic to the left. Everyone has giveaways going for the hop, so be sure to comment on my blog and on the other blogs to be entered to win!

For my part, I'm offering up winner's choice of an ebook of one of my Dreamspinner Press releases or some Blue Notes Series swag (a collection of a Blue Notes t-shirt with the cover of your choice, pens, a mousepad, and some other Blue Notes goodies). All you need to do to enter is to comment on this post! I'll draw a winner after midnight on July 8th!

Of course, if you're talking romance, "sparks" usually take the form of sexual tension or just sex. Fireworks of a different variety than those you might watch with the 1812 Overture playing in the background. Much as I love fireworks, I prefer the sexual kind. So I'm sharing a bit of fireworks from my upcoming Dreamspinner Press release, Stealing the Wind . And believe me, this one's a scorcher--a long excerpt of an MMM threesome from the beginning of the story (although the story itself is an MM pairing).

Stealing the Wind is an adventure on the high seas with of pirates and merman shifters, as is the first in a series of mermen shifter novels (Mermen of Ea Series). This scene takes place after Taren, a young slave, is kidnapped by pirates and finds himself aboard the Sea Witch. The captain offers Taren his freedom in exchange for three years aboard the ship and in the captain and his first mate's bed. Taren, who is powerfully attracted to the captain, quickly agrees.

You can read the excerpt here. Keep an eye out for the book, which will be released on August 12th by Dreamspinner Press. Happy Fourth of July! Don't forget to comment to be entered into the drawing! -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.

Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind.

Chapter Two of my sexy, serialized MM romance, Who Rules the King's Heart , is now up on my website! You can find the story here. Every month, I'll post a chapter. Want to read the new chapter before it's posted? Subscribers to my monthly newsletter get the first peek at it a week earlier than everyone else. You can sign up here.

Blurb: Mikail, King of Shaeron, has a secret: he’s in love with Nathaneel, his longtime friend and captain of his royal guard. When a demon creature who calls himself Samael and looks very much like Nathaneel appears to Mikail, the King and the demon become lovers. The only problem? Samael is Nathaneel’s demon half, but Nathaneel knows nothing of Samael’s existence. What will happen when Nathaneel learns the truth of his alter ego? And who, demon or man, will rule the King’s heart?

WARNING: NSFW. Contains adult themes and explicit sexual situations. The main pairing is MM, but there are some MMM scenes.

I had to laugh when I saw a post the other day on a blog site with the cover of Stealing the Wind , a snarky comment about a "boob grab" (and what's wrong with that, may I ask?) and the author was wondering how mermen have sex (she didn't quite put it that bluntly, but hey, it's a valid question, right?). Which, of course, inspired me to write about it. Because if you want to know how I see mermen having sex, you'll find out in Stealing the Wind. But I'll give you a little taste of it first.

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 form. 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 other quesitons.

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 dolphins as my "template" for the beast half of my mermen.

In "Stealing the Wind," Taren 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. Taren discovers his dual nature after he's taken prisoner aboard the merfolk ship, Phantom, and her captain (Ian 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 "manly" plumbing is 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 Ian would say, for the internet. Did you know there are tons of dolphin sex vids? No joke. Apparently dolphin are very sexual (not particularly monogamous, unlike my two mermen) and tend to "perform" at aquariums (to the delight of children and the mortification of their parents!). Here's a link to one of the vids I watched. You'll see some of the behavior reproduced in the excerpt.

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 way 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.

So what follows is an excerpt from Stealing the Wind. Definitely NSFW, 18+. Enjoy! And if you haven't heard already, Stealing the Wind is up on the Dreamspinner Press website for preorder! -Shira

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Burb:

Mermen of Ea: Book One

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.

Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind.

******

Excerpt from Chapter 16

WARNING: NSFW, 18+ only please!

Here's the link: Mermen sex excerpt