Loving Day Blog Hop

 Happy Loving Day!!! Today celebrates the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Loving vs. Virginia that struck down anti-miscegenation laws. We salute Mildred and Richard Loving who stood together in the face of adversity not because they wanted to make a statement, or piss people off but because they loved each other and wanted the right to be recognized as man and wife in the eyes of the law. 

My first crush was a kid name Tom Kennedy in kindergarten. He was adorable, with his big brown eyes and gap-toothed grin and freckles all over his face. He reminded me of Elliot from ET, and I followed him around like a love sick puppy. It never occurred to me that it wrong for me to have these feelings. I was five years old but I was in love, that is until Tom decided to share his graham crackers with Melissa Whitfield instead of me.   Crush terminated.  But that set me on a long string of crushes, some White, some Black, some Latino, some Indian. As long as the guy was cute, it didn’t matter to me.

Today I’m married to my best friend. We’ve been together for almost thirteen years, married for nearly ten. We have a gorgeous little girl who stole my heart the minute I set eyes on her. Me and hubby argue like cats and dogs some times, but we love even harder. We’re just like every other couple who have our ups and downs, thankfully the ups outweigh the downs  We have fun together, we laugh and cry together. And he may be white and I’m black, and our daughter biracial  but we’re still a family not because love is colorblind but because love is Omnipotent.

Book 2 of the Dated, Mated & Wed series.

Tana works hard but plays even harder—in and out of bed. But most men can’t keep up with her. After lamenting her recent sexual misadventures to her roommate, she wonders if she’ll ever find a man who can satisfy her insatiable sexual needs.

Xander is an incubus used to taking what he wants, whenever he wants. But he’s in a huge bind. Unless he finds a suitable mate to impregnate, his life force will burn out. When all else fails, he allows himself to be convinced to seek the services of Eternal Mates. He’s sure no human woman can be his match. Until he meets Tana, anyway! Lust-filled dreams may just lead to an otherworldly connection of a permanent nature.

http://www.ellorascave.com/dated-and-sated.html

A broken spirit…

Having suffered through an emotionally abusive childhood, self-doubt constantly plagued the shy and reserved Noelle Greene. When she finds herself at a crossroads in her life, entering into a relationship is the last thing on her mind…until she meets James. She soon finds herself in over her head when James makes an offer not of love, but of convenience.

A fractured soul…

James Rothschild has one goal in life:  to be powerful enough to overshadow his shameful past. In order to achieve his goal he clawed his way to the top of the business world, associated with all the right people, and dated women with impeccable pedigree. When he meets Noelle, she’s just what he’s looking for…in a mistress.

Noelle is consumed by James’ commanding presence, and immediately falls for him. Though she’s willing to give him whatever he wants, will James realize Noelle is exactly what he needs before it’s too late?

Amazon

Barnes and Nobel

Thank you for hosting me today. I’m excited to discuss what makes good heroines and my recent release, Rose, Exposed, a multicultural historical erotic romance set in the 1930s.

What Makes a Good I/R | Multicultural Heroine?

When Plucking the Pearl came out, I received a lot of reader feedback. As with most books, there are people who love it and others who don’t. I read each comment and tried to learn from it, especially since I’m new to the I/R genre. When I worked on my latest release, Rose, Exposed, I even revisited the feedback to make sure I addressed everything I should.

One reader really got my attention because she saw Pearl as a Mary Sue heroine — too perfect with green eyes and a privileged background. Uh-oh, I thought. If she didn’t like Pearl, she’s really not going to like Rose, my latest heroine who struggles with her biracial identity. I chose to give these heroines different backgrounds to make them stand out and not fit into the community so easily. This created the drama and conflict I wanted.

Why didn’t I write about Sadie, the reader asked? At that point, I had to laugh because I’ve been planning to tell Sadie’s story as the third book in the series for a long time.

What makes a good I/R | multicultural heroine? I’m not talking about the general stuff that applies to all heroines, such as likeability and not being too stupid to live, but genre-specific traits. I got a little help from the ladies at the Café au Lait Book Club. Strength ranks high as well as taking pride in who she is and where she comes from. Thank you all!

Because my series takes place in the 1930s, I think my heroines need to be especially strong to face the challenge of having an interracial relationship in a society that isn’t as open as it is today. Having a career was tougher for women then too. That’s why I gave each woman a calling. Pearl plays the piano, Rose paints, and Sadie — well, I’m keeping her new talent a secret for now.

Keep the feedback coming. I thank that one reader for really opening my eyes and making me a better writer. I hope she reads my latest release and Sadie’s story when it comes out.

Rose, Exposed

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Release Date: 27 March 2013
eBook ISBN #: 978-14199-45205
Buy eBook:
Stay tuned for reviews and more:

Video/trailer:
(I love creating trailers for all my books!)

Blurb
When Leroy Johnson gets promoted at the new oyster plant on Pearl Point, all he cares about is working hard. When he meets the flirtatious artist Rose Wainwright, however, nothing matters except getting her to the altar and into bed. Healing from a recent loss, he’s not about to let her go too.

Because Rose’s strict, social-climbing father doesn’t approve of dark-skinned Leroy, they court in secret anyplace they can find. Although Leroy’s raw passion can convince her to do almost anything, why can’t he understand she needs freedom, not marriage?
Her father wants her to be white, but Leroy wants her to be black. Playing both sides of the fence leaves this young biracial beauty exposed in more ways than one.

Excerpt (explicit)
Rose, Exposed – Copyright © AFTON LOCKE, 2013 – All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

“You’re so…dark,” she exclaimed. Instead of the disdain he expected, he heard fascination.

Come on, lady. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a colored man before.

“Yes, I’m dark,” he agreed as he politely removed her hand, “which is why it’s not a good idea for us to sit alone together in this car. Someone might come along and jump to the wrong conclusion.”

A conclusion that could get him beat up or worse with the Klan close by on Oyster Island.

But before he could stop her, she clasped both sides of his face and pressed her sweet mouth to his. Aw, hell. A man only had so much self-control, and she’d just shattered his. Unable to stop himself, he plundered her delicate mouth. Her lips reminded him of rose petals, and he sucked the sweetness out of them as if he were a bee. The more he tasted, the more he wanted.

She opened, giving him access to her even sweeter tongue. His penis strained, hard and now wet, against his undershorts. Hell, even his balls must be twice their normal size. Taking a big breath, he pulled away from her.

“We can’t do this. You’re white.”

She looked down at her upturned palms. “Then I really do look white?”

Leroy frowned. “Aren’t you?”

For the first time, her smile disappeared, making him shiver in his wet clothes. “The truth is, I don’t know what I am. I suppose that’s why I took this foolish drive.”

She must be biracial then, he realized, and not forbidden after all. The thought made him want to dance on the hood of the car. She still looked white, though. If he didn’t have the time to court a girl his own color, he sure didn’t have any for a complicated one like this.

“Kiss me again,” she demanded.

Without waiting for him to answer, she locked her hot, damp mouth on his again and tugged hard on his shoulders. Before he knew it, he was on top of her on the front seat. He wished her dress weren’t so thin when two round breasts pushed against his chest and long, slender legs shifted restlessly under his. Dizzy with the scent of rain and her, he froze.

At that moment, nothing mattered except finding out if her cunt was as sweet and yielding as her mouth. He didn’t care if the entire Klan showed up, knocked on the window and caught him thrusting between her legs on this slippery leather seat. It had been too damn long since he’d had a woman. He needed to stop this while he still could.

“Do you know what you’re asking for?” Lust had turned his voice into a husky croak.

She laughed and touched his face again. “I don’t know. What am I asking for?”

This girl was crazier than he’d first thought. What if someone less honorable than himself had stopped instead? She could’ve been raped.

“A whole lot of trouble.” He sat up. “Look, this is not the time or the place. Now let’s get you home.”

The sooner he could be rid of her—before she derailed him from his job, family, and everything else that mattered—the better.

WIPs Coming Soon

Rose, Exposed is the sequel to Plucking the Pearl, an interracial historical erotic romance.
http://www.aftonlocke.com/pearl.html
I have two more books planned for the Oyster Harbor series. Next up for romance are Sadie and Henry.

In addition to interracial/multicultural historicals, I also plan to keep writing erotic contemporaries.
Can an older woman find love with a hot male stripper? My current WIP, Two Hours to Entice, will answer that question.

Where readers can find me

I will be attending EC’s RomantiCon Oct 10-13, 2013 in Canton, Ohio
Don’t miss the book signing on Oct 13th.
I’m also hosting a Fabulous Fusion workshop with Koko Brown and Eve Vaughn to celebrate interracial erotic romance for EC’s Fusion line.

Website:

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Newsletter-The Love Chronicles:

Goodreads:

Café au Lait Book Club:

This post is part of the official Rose, Exposed Blog Tour (3/26 – 4/09).
The grand prize for the tour is vintage-style rose earrings for pierced ears (U.S. shipping address only).
To be eligible, COMMENT on this post. Comment should include the historical time period and geographical setting (when and where) you’d most like to see in a romance.
The tour winner will be announced at http://www.aftonlocke.com/RoseExposedTour.html on April 11th.

While Fifty Shades of Grey has already had it’s 15 minutes of fame, some would say we have E.L. James to thank for making BDSM a well-known sexual lifestyle and for giving it a little more of a positive connotation. Although people actually involved in the lifestyle disagree, saying her portrayal was inaccurate, it hasn’t stopped thousands of women from flocking to their nearest Adam and Eve or hardware store to pick up the perfect accompaniment to their night of bondage and discipline. In fact, adult novelty stores saw an overall 50% raise in sales last year and toys like ben wa balls saw up to a 400% increase.

Psychologists hypothesize that the sudden interest in BDSM is due to the breaking of the “glass ceiling,” saying that women now need a place to relinquish their control and BDSM is the perfect way to do that. I don’t think they are entirely wrong, but BDSM has been around for centuries, long before the glass ceiling came down, and women and men have enjoyed it for just as long. It has more to do with power, trust and building a connection with your dom, master or partner–however you would like to refer to them or rather, however they want you to refer to them. It’s about giving yourself up entirely to someone and trusting them to take care of you and give you the pleasure that you both want and need. There’s something very freeing about that and I think Fifty Shades was able to show that to a lot of women (a
nd men).

With that said, what erotic romance focused on BDSM turn you on to it? Are you offended or intrigued by it? Why do you think that is? I think we all have our own reasons, maybe it’s something from our past, maybe we do like giving up the power, maybe it’s just something new we’ve never tried before? Whatever the reason, if it works, it works, if not, then try something else. There are plenty of fetishes for a reason.

If you’ve been thinking about trying BDSM, be sure to do your research. Fifty Shades can be a decent introduction, but it doesn’t really get into the nitty gritty. Be sure to communicate with your partner about what you do and don’t want, what your safe word is going to be and the parameters of your relationship. Above all else, you just want to make sure you and your relationship is protected, so don’t go in blindly. Begin to experiment and keep an open mind once you feel like you have a decent grasp on it all. And don’t be afraid to include props in your play like scarves, handcuffs, candles, sex toys and even books–reading erotic romance to each other would be a great way to get it started.

An Urban Fairytale Novel.

After devoting ten years to caring for her grandmother, Zora Calloway is ready for the next stage of her life—until a series of frightening phone calls reminds her of an abusive ex who might still have it in for her. At least she has someplace to run and a job waiting for her when she gets there.

But a near-fatal collision with a huge black bear on a dark, storm-swept road changes everything. She wakes up in a secluded cabin, confronted by her rescuer: a naked hunk in the form of Logan Lamere. An explosive attraction leads her straight into his arms…then she learns they are not alone.

Bear-shifter cousins Heath, Gavin and Logan Lamere had lost faith in finding their mate until Zora comes crashing into their lives. With one glance, they know she’s the one they’ve been waiting for.

Zora is stunned at how easily she succumbs to the temptation to stay for a short while. But the men have forever in mind—if they can persuade their Goldilocks to accept three bears as her mates. And keep her safe from a danger that blindsides them all.
Product Warnings

Three sexy shifters, one willing woman—the bed is just right….and so is the table…the wall…the woods… If you thought it was really all about the porridge, go to the back of the class

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/laid-bear-p-6970.html

Description

Hayden Sinclair has it all: a job she loves, supportive friends and a drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. She should be happy—and she should say yes when Luc proposes marriage. But one thing stands in her way: Sawyer Underwood, her impossibly sexy ex, who disappeared almost a year ago.

When Sawyer returns, he has one goal in mind: to win Hayden back, and away from his long-hated rival, Luc. Sawyer’s willing to do anything it takes, and he’ll use all his powers of persuasion to convince Hayden that he’s the man for her—especially in the bedroom. But Luc’s not willing to give Hayden up without a fight!

As the two men battle for Hayden’s affections, she is torn between them. If only they could reach a compromise—then maybe she wouldn’t have to choose…

Buy Now

Have you really wanted to see a movie but never got around to it for various reasons and finally when you find the time to sit down and watch it you get the disappointment of your life? That’s how I felt about Inglorious Basterds. This movie sucked ass. How the hell are you going to name a movie after a group of men who are barely in the movie.