Please help me welcome Heather Long to the blog today! Can't wait to hear all about her new release.
Without further ado......
Tell us a little
about yourself.
I’m a mother, a pet owner and a student of life. I studied
journalism, psychology and business in school and I have degrees in two out of
three of those subjects. I write because I can’t not write and every book is a
passionate love affair for me and every time I type “the end” it’s a
bittersweet moment.
Did you always want
to be an author?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve always
loved books and I was always telling my own version of stories. Initially I
wanted to write comic books, DC Comics specifically and I even pitched to an
editor in New York and developed a potential working relationship. Alas, that
came to naught, so I continued on, but I never stopped writing. When my
daughter was born, I went from having a lot of free time to almost none and that
was the last kickstart I needed to finish a full manuscript.
Five years of practicing, writing, re-writing my fiction
while working as a freelance writer continued to grow my craft. From 2006 to
2008, it was all about the rejection letter. Then in late 2008, I received my
first acceptance and now here I am four years and 18 books later with nearly
ten due out total this year. It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t trade any of
it. The challenges actually made me a better writer.
WOW! Kuddos!
What is your favorite
part of being a writer/author?
Writing is my favorite part about being a writer and I mean
that literally. I’ve always loved to read, but writing lets me immerse myself
deep in this world that is unfolding while you are writing is just amazing to
me.
Tell us a little
about your book.
Jacob’s Trial is the second book in the series that began
with Cassandra’s Dilemma. Jacob
Book, one of the two men Cassandra is in love with is also a Wizard. In this
world, Wizards are the product of liaisons between Fae males and human females.
Cassandra’s choice to help the Fae out themselves to the world has changed
Jacob’s life. To keep the woman he loves safe, he has to build a true alliance
with the Elf Helcyon, and stand against his own kind as they come after Cassie.
As much as I enjoyed writing Cassandra’s Dilemma, it was exciting to see this
story come to fruition as these three delved deeper into what it their
commitment to a triad means.
Blurb:
[Ménage Amour: Erotic Fantasy Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, elves, light bondage, HEA]
New alliances are threatened…
Wizard Jacob, Fae Helcyon, and their paramour Cassandra have set up a household together. Jacob and Helcyon have accepted the other in Cassie's life, but they must work to realize that they need each other too in order to become a true trio.
Dark pacts are revealed…
The Fae are trending worldwide, but the arrival of many dangerous beings, old foes, and new friends bring about charges of treason for Jacob and a new danger for Cassie. Intrigue closes in on all sides as factions jockey for power on the divided Wizard Council.
One legacy may unite them…
Helcyon and Jacob are determined to keep the woman they love safe, but danger lurks at every turn and the old ways threaten their future.
A Siren Erotic Romance
STORY EXCERPT
Helcyon’s sword flashed through the air, slicing toward Jacob’s throat only to be caught between his hands. Jacob was both a Homeland Security Agent and Wizard. A vibrating hum ripped through the room. Cassie stared at them both with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“Are you out of your mind?” They were currently occupying the mansion’s solarium. Morning sunshine poured in the broad windows, warming every surface.
“No,” Jacob said slowly, giving a push with his hands to send the blade back to the Elf. “You need to learn to defend yourself.”
Cassie pointed a long painted nail first at Jacob and then at Helcyon. “No.”
“Cassandra.” Helcyon’s voice carried the patience of the ages, his stance relaxed. “The Wizard is correct. Self-defense is vital to your survival.”
“And I’m still not learning how to use a sword.” She wrinkled her nose at both of them, nibbled on a cruller, and pointedly returned her attention to the digital tablet in her lap. In the week since their announcement went live on every major news network, the shit had literally hit the fan about the Fae. Appointment calls poured in from late-night television, daytime television, newspapers, and Congress. She’d expected them all, even the calls from congressional leaders. She simply hadn’t imagined they’d come all at once.
“Cassie.” Jacob stalked toward her, and she barely managed to wrap her fingers around the tablet before he tried to tug it away. “This is important.”
“Yes.” She yanked the tablet back to her chest, wrapping her arms securely around it. “It is important. I don’t have an assistant to field these calls. I need to review every single one.”
Her heart spasmed on the word “assistant.” Billy had been dead for two weeks.
Two.
It seemed impossible that in less than two weeks she’d gone from footloose media consultant to coveted Fae-human liaison. More impossible that she’d gone from overworked professional woman to up to her eyeballs with two of the most gorgeous and loving men she’d ever met. Well, when they weren’t arguing. She glared up at Jacob, meeting his hot, demanding stare with steel.
Typically she wore contacts to cover up her previously green, now supernaturally colored eyes. A byproduct of a blinding spell, her men wanted the hue disguised whenever she was in public. They cited safety, security, and simplicity. It wasn’t a point she felt the need to argue. At home, she skipped the contacts, so she knew he was staring into her gold eyes the same way she watched the gold flecks in his liquid brown eyes warm to flinty points. Behind him, Helcyon sighed.
The sound dragged her attention to the Elf. He and Jacob were so alike and yet so wildly different. Helcyon was the dark to Jacob’s light in looks. Silky, midnight-black hair poured down his back, and warm, mysterious forest-green eyes softened whenever his gaze touched her face.
Her heart squeezed. They were amazing. Both of them.
“Dammit, Cassie.” Jacob’s fist came down on the arm of the chair, and she pursed her lips, bracing for the argument that always erupted when she fought back against the total obedience he demanded. She understood his need to protect her, a need that just seemed to escalate after they captured Michael. He was still pissed that the Glashtyn, the Fae vehicle he traveled in, chose to aid her and demonstrated remarkable affection toward her. Affection she used to run away from the warring pair just a week earlier.
Blowing out a breath, she tilted her head. “Jacob, be reasonable. I need to do my job.”
“This is me being reasonable. I haven’t turned that annoying thing to ash.” He pointed at her tablet. “And your job includes you staying alive, which means you need to increase your knowledge of self-defense.”
“For all those times you two plan on leaving me alone?” She pretended to ignore Helcyon’s faint smile. The Elf was so much more patient than Jacob, but in the hours before the press conference, they’d informed her that they were willing to stay with her…both of them. A thought that sent heat skittering through her blood and thrummed pleasure against every pulse point.
No one fell in love in seven days, and she’d done it twice. A week later, she knew she loved them, every stubborn, argumentative inch. They both wanted her to choose, but they were willing to share her body, her heart, and her defense.
The defense part was getting on her nerves.
What was your favorite part of the book?
Jacob’s Trial had a lot of great moments for me, I think my favorite is when the guys have to watch Jude teach Cassie how to shield herself. The camaraderie between the two was very visceral and seeing Cassie stand up for herself was a heck of a lot fun. She was a hard heroine in some ways because she wasn’t a kickass heroine who could hold her own in a fight--she was brilliant and talented, but she actually needed protection and they needed her to be able to last those four or five precious seconds it could take for them to get to her.
Rate your story in terms steaminess?
Siren gave it a sextreme rating which is pretty racy, I think I pushed some of my own personal limits with this one, and again with the third book which is due out later this month.
Heather has gifted us with two excerpts and I'm using both! I love excerpts and this second one is SMOK'IN! The second excerpt is rated *adult* and is at the bottom of the post.
When did you start
writing and when did you finish your first book?
My very first book was written at the age of 9, and it took
me about a week to write. I’ve gotten more complex, but I’m still pretty fast.
Where do you get your
inspiration?
I get my inspiration everywhere. It can be a line of
dialogue in a television show, a joke shared between friends or just something
I see while driving my car. Everything has a meaning to me and everything has a
story.
Do you plot and
outline or do you just write?
Plotter or Pantser?
I’ve done both and these days I’m somewhere in between. I
always have a rough outline in mind when I start, I know the major events that
have to happen and then I let the story unfold - sometimes that means deviating
from the original plan, but eventually it works out.
Can you tell us a
little about the process of getting your first book published?
My very first book published was actually a novella. I’d
written it years ago, played with it, tweaked it and submitted it. When I
received the offer letter to publish it, I had a mini panic attack. Funnily enough, that feeling -- hasn’t
changed and I’ve gotten the offer letter more than a few times.
What book have you
most recently released?
This has been a really busy summer for me. Jacob’s Trial
came out in the beginning of June and it was swiftly followed by books four and
five in my Always a Marine series and then The Taming of the Thief which is the
second book in my Fortunate Buddha series.
Do you have another
book in the works?
Always. I’ve
been extremely fortunate this month, I have several releases coming out and I
am always hard at work on the next one.
What advice would you
give new authors? What have you
learned about the business?
Don’t give up. Ever. Keep writing. All the time. Take
classes and learn. But write like you mean it. Write for yourself. For me,
writing is a lot like working out, the more you do, the stronger you become.
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers.
Pizza or hamburger? Pizza.
Beer, Wine, or mixed
drink? Beer.
If you could
spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be? Would you write or
read there, or do something else?
Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France. I’d like to just
experience the area, explore it, take notes and let a story come to life there.
(Character Questions)
What were your first impressions of each other?
Helcyon: She is
a beautiful, enchanting woman. He is a pain in the ass.
Cassandra: Helcyon is fascinating, powerful--compelling. I couldn’t keep my
eyes off him. Jacob is stubborn, grumpy and engaging. I couldn’t get my mind
off him either.
Jacob: She’s
gorgeous, smart, and far too engaged with the Fae. He’s a pain in the ass.
What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?
Helcyon: She believes in a better way and makes us believe
as well. Jacob’s loyal, steadfast
and--trustworthy.
Cassandra:
Helcyon’s lived longer than I can imagine, he’s very forgiving and
understanding and patient. Oh my God he’s patient. Jacob is combustible, a force of nature and so stubborn. He
wants his way and he will make you fight to hold onto yourself.
Jacob: Cassandra’s faith in everyone--Fae, human,
Wizard--it’s incomparable. She makes me think the world can be a better
place. Helcyon’s--he’s okay for a
Fae--fine dammit, he’s better than okay. He’s the only one I trust.
What are your plans for the near future?
Helcyon: Protect Cassandra.
Jacob: Protect Cassandra.
Cassandra: Take care of them and keep building bridges.
I think I see a theme developing! LOL! Thanks for sharing.
Alright everyone. Heather has a question for you.
Could you choose between what you’ve always known for an uncertain future if you loved someone?
Be sure to answer the question and leave your email in a comment for a chance to win a copy of CASSANDRA'S DILEMMA and JACOB'S TRIAL.
Also you can visit and follow Heather@
ADULT
EXCERPT
Her gaze dipped to the silken ropes in
his hands. “What are those for?”
“Control.” He circled the bed, drawing
the ties across his palms. “Put your hands up to the headboard.”
Her teeth dragged against her lower
lip. He hardened at the action. His cock jerked as he recalled the feeling of
her mouth wrapping around him, pulling him deep into her throat, and the greedy
way she swallowed every drop of seed. Exhaling slowly, he reasserted his
control. Her lip biting was her tell. He always knew that her mind worked
through the possibilities when she worried that soft, lush lower lip.
He waited, drinking in the shift of her
hips and the roll of her bottom against the bed. Excitement beat in her pulse,
flooding her body with the fire he longed to bury himself into, stoking that
furnace until it consumed them both. But she needed control, and here, in this
bedroom, she would learn how to take that power by submitting to the need for
it.
Lips pursing, Cassandra raised her arms
and pushed her hands against the slats of his headboard. He allowed another
smile, this one warm with approval. Moving swiftly, he wrapped the silken ties
around her wrists before threading them through the slats. Firm and secure but
not tight enough to be painful. Cassandra watched him wordlessly, the tempest
of her desire banked against the curiosity he could sense shimmering the air
around her.
But she said nothing, and he paused to
slant his mouth across hers, a long, wet kiss that invited her tongue to duel.
She murmured a groan against his mouth, and Helcyon dragged his lips away,
containing the need to devour her.
She growled, and he slid his hands down
her sides to pinch her round bottom, enjoying the buck of her hips. “Lesson
number one, if you want something, you have to be able to reach for it.”
Her mouth opened, aggravation warring
with desire for a foothold in her expression. She tugged her arms, but they
remained bound to the headboard. Feathering his hand over her hip, he traced
the fine line curving her abandon, barely brushing across the soft,
autumn-kissed curls at the juncture of her thighs.
“If I am supposed to reach for it, why
did you tie me up?” The words were husky with emotion.
He stroked his hand down her left
thigh, exploring the contour of the muscle flexing beneath his caress. “You
think your enemies will be fair with you. That they will give you quarter. But
why should they?”
Sweeping his hand up the inside of her
thigh, he pressed her legs apart, smiling at the dewy flesh and swollen clit.
She pushed up against his hands, trying to lift her hips. Feeling how slick it
was with need, he grazed his fingertips lightly across the scorching heat of
her pussy, never quite touching the soft flesh.
He chuckled at the wordless snarl of
demand, combing the curls of her pussy with his thumb, dipping it down to warm
the air above her clit but not quite touching it. “Why should they concede to
you anything you want if you can’t take it?”
Steeling himself against the throb of
blood pulsing through his cock, he stretched out, slanting his body against
hers and indulging himself in a long, slow rub along her naked, quivering
flesh. Every muscle in her body clenched and his protested the denial, but he
watched her fevered expression. Her lips twitched, opening and closing as
though she couldn’t find the words.
Her nipples speared against his chest,
their turgid points pebbled to such hardness that the rub of his shirt incited
them. He nibbled a path along her upraised bicep, enjoying the spicy musk of
her want perfuming the air. Bracing his feet he stroked the length of
his cock against her pussy. His pants constricted against
his cock and his balls drew up, the pain so close to the edge of bliss
that it took every ounce of his control to keep him from sinking home into the
sexy little furnace.
The whisper of fabric rasped against
her and Cassandra thrashed, but he couldn’t quite reach her clit. The barrier
of clothing prevented it, and he lavished his attention across her shoulders,
circling her breasts and teasing the desperate nipples flushed dark
red with need.
“Lesson number two.” The words
clogged in his throat, but he pushed them out, fighting the urge to take one
perfectly rosy nipple in his mouth to suckle. He longed to slide down her body
and suck that hot little clit into his mouth until she came and he could lick
her clean and begin again.
But he focused on the lesson at
hand. “You must change the rules if you want to take control
back.”
“How?” The wail of sound peaked.
He could almost feel her heart slamming against her ribs. He
turned his head against her, listening to the wild cadence kickboxing inside
her chest.
“Remove the barriers you don’t want to
be there…focus…take from me what you want.” Fisting his hands into the
comforter, he ground himself against her pussy,
his cock desperate to be free. Desire threatened to completely shred
his control, but he shackled the lust. Cassandra needed him, and if he could
walk through fire for her, he could suffer the brutal pinch of his
balls’ impending explosion.
YUM! Thanks for sharing, Heather, and thank you so much for being my guest today!
