Halloween promotion: Keeping It Up.

 

Happy October, everyone! It is Halloween month, and that means it is time to read about sexy vampires and shifters. Since I gave away Vamping It Up, the first in the Auntie Vamp series (here's the giveaway, if you didn't nab yours), this letter is about the sequel, Keeping It Up.

Holly Barros has grown in confidence and influence since her ex-fiancé dumped her five years ago. She is ready to take over her great-aunt’s position on the International Paranormal Council. She’s got influence, she’s got the ideas, and her lover/bodyguard, former Marine Lincoln Jones, has the moves to keep her safe.

Is Lincoln capable of keeping up the good work guarding Holly’s body?

Glamorous vampire Celeste Barros has never been afraid of risks, but she has played it safe in love for centuries. Now she is ready to retire from high-stakes international politics. Perhaps a new, more leisurely lifestyle could bring a new, fresh perspective on love. Young historian Grayson Brown is interested in more than a frolic with the much older woman.

Could Grayson be capable of Keeping It Up for Celeste?

 

Also, if you like hard copies, I am having a "Scratch and Dent" Sale over at my web site! If you don't care about my first attempts at getting fonts right, or a slightly crimped cover, come on over and get books at a deep discount. Enter the code MESSY IS BEAUTIFUL and get 30% off of Keeping It Up. This sale only only lasts a week (until October 12th).

P.S. If you are interested in other scratch and dent books, just wait. I'll be having them on sale only for my newsletter people in later weeks in the month!

Buy Links:
My Web Site
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Apple Books

Behind the Character: Aunt Celeste from Keeping It Up

 

Celeste Barros was inspired by two amazing women: Auntie Mame and Mae West. Who better than a sexually liberated, intelligent, independent, fashionable, and powerful woman to teach not just Holly Barros, but me how to be fabulous and fearless?

Celeste is everything I ever wanted to become when I was a young woman and she is everything I wanted in someone who could show me the way to be fabulous and fearless!

Women need mentor figures to show us how to become what we want. Role models light the path to our dreams, dammit, I wanted Holly to have the best one ever. Someone who knew love and heartbreak as well as how to make herself heard AND someone who had the platform to make the world a better place.

My question for Celeste was, what were *her* struggles and wounds? In Keeping It Up, we learn how the early death of her beloved husband scarred Celeste. She had been able to create a wonderful life for herself afterward, full of love and intellectual pursuits. Like many women, though, Celeste had trouble receiving. She had become so skilled at giving and giving that she had forgotten to be vulnerable.

Which is why I was thrilled to discover who she really needed: Grayson Browne.

---

Celeste is (much) older than Grayson. Do you like reading May/December stories? Let me know so I can write more of them!

 

 

Where to buy
My Web Store
Amazon 
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple

Behind the Character: Holly Barros from Keeping It Up

Sometimes, people ask me, "Where do you get your characters from?" Naturally, my first instinct is to say, "Why, from under the sofa cushions, of course!" Which makes me look like a jerk and nobody comes away happy. Rather than give in to my over-the-top Dad Joke impulses, I wanted to write a newsletter series about where characters come from.

The first character I want to talk about it Holly, from Vamping It Up and Keeping It Up. I really identify with Holly, because in my youth, I also made a man the center of my life, wearing what he liked and doing what he thought was fun (hint - it wasn't fun for me). I wanted to write a story about a woman discovering who she really was without him. Women's power is one of my favorite themes in my writing, and I come back to it frequently. I was desperate to write a story about a woman learning to love herself.

It took me a while to get to know Holly. I knew she was going to be of Latin descent (part Portuguese, part Central American). I wrote and wrote, trying to find a way to show that her parents loved her, but also wanted her to take the safe path in life. We deserve to choose our own adventures instead of having them chosen for us.

We also deserve to believe in ourselves and to use our voices about what matters to us. Holly needed to find her voice. And she sure was shy about telling me who she wanted to be. I got very excited when I realized that her secret desire was to go into politics. Women are woefully underrepresented in politics and that shy Holly wanted to break out of her cocoon and step onto the world stage made me so happy!

I also wanted her to have the world's greatest mentor to teach her confidence. Enter Holly Barros and Aunt Celeste.
 (To be continued....)

I made Pinterest boards for Vamping It Up and Keeping It Up!
Live Like Celeste
Vamping It Up
Keeping It Up

 

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Have you read Vamping It Up or Keeping It Up? Can you tell me what you liked about the books? What do you want to see more of in light-hearted erotica? Authors loooooooooooooove feedback. :)

Thank you!

Linda Mercury's Naughty Notes

My book, Linda Mercury's Naughty Notes, is live, too! You can buy it at these following retailers!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Rakuten Kobo

Apple Books

24 Symbols

Vivlio

What do you get when you combine years of erotic writing? Linda Mercury's Naughty Notes, Volume One. 

 

In this collection of mostly heterosexual short fiction, the stories range from the cold lakes of Minnesota, to young lust, to the obligatory visit to the principal's office. Sit back and enjoy the best in one-handed reading.

A portion of my proceeds from this book will be donated to Black Lives Matter. Because the real world needs to be sexy and joyous, too.

Pinterest Love.

I love my Pinterest boards. I use them for brainstorming on my books and for general inspiration. Here are a few of my boards and their pins.

Live Like Celeste
My friend Babs and I came up with this board one day when we decided we wished we could be Celeste Barros from Vamping It Up and Keeping It Up. Celeste is brave, bold, and super-stylish. Here are a few outfits we thought she would wear.

This is what she wears in Keeping It Up to meet her new lover.

Some Alexander McQueen.

Keeping It Up
Who doesn't love doing research? And who doesn't love doing research on a location for sexy good times?  This is the library at Vilnius University in Lithuania. 
 

Where I imagined Holly and Linc getting it on.

Curse of the Spider Woman 
I'll be honest. I based Jordan Tasos, the hunky ex-lover of my main character Rachel Havelock on Jeremy Renner. 

Can you blame me?

And this is Rachel.

 

Keeping It Up!

Have you read Keeping It Up, the sequel to Vamping It Up? And did you know I have Pinterest boards dedicated to all things Holly and Celeste?

https://www.pinterest.com/babsdallen/live-like-celeste/
and
https://www.pinterest.com/lindamercury/keeping-it-up/

And buy the book here: Amazon.com 

 Revisit Holly and Celeste Barros and their erotic adventures in this new book! Here's a section of Chapter One.

Keeping It Up by Linda Mercury 

“It has been said that politics is the art of the possible. In reality, it is the art of service to many and the survival of that service.”

The Letters of Henry de Seville y Barros, 1850-1916.

Chapter One

Valentine’s Day

Holly Barros loved Valentine’s Day. The hearts. The flowers.

The emphasis on oral sex.

“Get on my face.” Lincoln S. Jones, her head of security, clasped her thighs and rolled the two of them over, settling her pussy right on his face. The sturdy oak table in the Vilnius University Library in Lithuania creaked underneath them, but held firm.

Holly giggled, actually giggled, until his smart mouth latched onto her clitoris. She gasped. Linc dug his fingers into her butt cheeks, guiding her where he wanted her to be.

“Delicious,” he moaned around her hood.

The vibrations sizzled her overwhelmed nerve endings. “Harder.” She pushed down on him, forcing his mouth deeper into her wet folds.

Like a good former Marine, he obeyed her order with enthusiasm and determination. His tongue flicked over her flesh faster than a vibrator. She had no idea how he could move so fast, but she loved it. Holly rode the crest, nearing her orgasm. He snaked a hand between them and shoved two fingers into her sheath. She needed it. She needed it so bad she could barely breathe. She just couldn’t. Quite. Get there.

Her brain wouldn’t let go of the rapid-fire questions the Paranormal Council had thrown at her all week.

“Ms. Barros, in North America, paranormals and humans have a much more contentious relationship than in the rest of the world. What are you going to do to increase peaceable relations between the supernatural minority and the mortal majority?”

Holly bit her lip. Perhaps she should have put more emphasis on the already- increasing numbers of co-operative ventures in primary and secondary schools, the rise of mixed species pre-schools, and how she opened talks between the paranormal and the human sports leagues. Truly integrated professional sports were a ways in the future, but….

Sensing her distraction, Linc slapped her ass with his big hand. The crack of skin on skin shoved her back into her body. She gasped. The erotic smell of paper and ink brought her over.

She came hard, her vagina wrenching on his fingers as if she wanted to rip them off and keep them inside of her. The scream poured out of her throat and echoed off the domed blue ceiling.

Panting, she bent over, resting her weight on her hands and knees. Linc kissed the sides of her thighs, tickling and teasing her through the aftershocks. His six-foot, five inches long body rested on the table beneath her.

“Oh, sweetie,” Holly sighed. “Thank you so much.”

“Trust me. My pleasure.” He wiggled his way between her legs until he could grind his half-hard cock on her. He’d already removed the used condom. “Feel better?”

Tremors zinged through her shoulders, making her arms wobble. “Yeah. I can do this now.”

“Cool.” Linc kissed her with moist lips. She sucked on his lower lip, catching a taste of her own musk. “Recess is over. Back to the meat grinder, babe.”

 

The Auntie Vamp series has a new release!

Celeste and her naughty historian

I have released the sequel to Vamping It Up: Everyone, please welcome back Celeste and Holly in Keeping It Up!

Back in Vamping It Up, Holly Barros gained confidence, lovers, and her life's work. Her aunt, Celeste Barros, taught the young woman the ways to self-power.

Five years later, Holly is on the edge of being confirmed as the North American representative of the Supernatural Council.
She's has grown in confidence and influence since her ex-fiancé dumped her five years ago. She is ready to take over her great-aunt’s position on the International Paranormal Council. She’s got influence, she’s got the ideas, and her lover/bodyguard, former Marine Lincoln Jones, has the moves to keep her safe.

Is Lincoln capable of keeping up the good work guarding Holly’s body?

Glamorous vampire Celeste Barros has never been afraid of risks, but she has played it safe in love for centuries. Now she is ready to retire from high-stakes international politics. Perhaps a new, more leisurely lifestyle could bring a new, fresh perspective on love. Young historian Grayson Brown is interested in more than a frolic with the much older woman.

Could Grayson be capable of Keeping It Up for Celeste?

Steaming up your spring.

I have a saucy sequel to Vamping It Up in Mind, but it's still not quite right. Until I get it figured out, I think I'll tease you with some parts of it.

****

      Holly Barros loved Valentine’s Day. The hearts. The flowers. 
       The emphasis on oral sex.
       “Sit on my face and tell me that you love me.” Lincoln S. Jones, her head of security, clasped her thighs and rolled them over, settling her pussy right on his face. The sturdy table in the Vilnius University Library in Lithuania creaked underneath them, but held firm,
  Holly giggled, actually giggled, until his smart mouth latched onto her clitoris. She gasped and pinched her own nipples. Linc dug his fingers into her butt cheeks guiding her where he wanted her to be.
    

“Delicious,” he moaned around her hood. The vibrations sizzled her overwhelmed nerve endings.

“Harder.” She pushed down on him, forcing his mouth deeper into her wet folds.

       Like a good former Marine, he obeyed her order with enthusiasm and determination. His tongue flicked over her flesh faster than a vibrator. She had no idea how he could move so fast, but she loved it. Holly rode the crest, nearing her orgasm. He snaked a hand between them and shoved two fingers into her sheath. She needed it. She needed so bad she could barely breathe. 

Quotes and snippets from Vamping It Up

Every so often, I like revisiting my books and choosing lines that I particularly like. Here are some from Vamping It Up.

Holly Barros hated her sex drive.

***

She would be a good girl. Like right now.

A good girl wouldn’t purse her lips in fascination at the muscles in another man’s shoulders as he dug a phone out of his back pocket. His enormous hand dwarfed the device. Wide, sensual fingers danced over the glass surface.

Big hands, big cock, Blaine’s werewolf cousins used to whisper when they watched soccer games and compared the players. He would have to have a horse dick to fit those broad hands. Her throat dried.

 ***

His outstretched hand was cool and dry as he helped her up from the couch. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her to his bedroom. “We have the time. I’m sure we can do it more than once. Math majors are fun that way.”

More than once? Wow.

“I’m not orgasmic,” she warned.

“I’m not goal oriented,” he replied.

***

Someone knocked on the door.

“Locksmith,” a voice called from the hallway.

“Coming,” Steven called back.

“No shit,” the locksmith yelled. “The whole building knows that.”

Steven laughed. She giggled, surprisingly proud of herself. Blaine could bite her. This is what really good sex was all about.

 ***

 Celeste’s hand left the camera frame and re-emerged with a full martini glass, complete with lemon twist. “My dear. There are no cures for a broken heart. But the best bandages are copious amounts of champagne, ridiculously expensive shoes, and a procession of nubile men.”

 ***

She wanted a life filled with pleasure. The big joys, too, like the epiphanies of generosity, not just bodily sensations such as food and drink and scent, but the sensuality of intellectual stimulation.

How many times had she come back from a challenging lecture on the politics of the emergence of the parallel court system ready to jump Blaine?

Cerebral pursuits turned her on.The corners of her mouth curved in delicious remembrance of Steven’s talented and curious body. Bliss and carnality and hedonism all conjoining with mental inspiration.

***

Being CEO of BarrosCorp was a difficult, demanding job. The long hours, endless travel, and the relentless pounding against the glass ceiling left Holly with certain needs. Animalistic, carnal, raw needs. Needs that were about to be met.

 ***

“And I see something that fits our vacation mood,” Celeste smiled. She beckoned to someone behind Holly. A perfectly ripped young man in a Roman gladiator outfit approached them, a golden tray of small bites on his shoulder. He stopped in front of the two women.
“Fruit, ladies? Chocolates, perhaps?”
“Some of us embrace the power of ‘and’.” Celeste said.

New book!

As you know, I have a new book out! Vamping It Up, an erotic coming-of-age novella was released on October 25th. This is my fourth book, and the first I've self-published. And I am so stoked. :)

How about another teaser snippet?

She stretched and yawned. What adventure could happen next?“

Good morning,” a half-asleep masculine voice greeted her from the hallway. Holly opened her mouth to say hello, but her jaw stayed open.

A half-asleep Dante was a mostly-naked Dante. Oh, last night, he’d looked mighty fine in a pair of black trousers and a half-unbuttoned white linen shirt. In the morning light, though, he wore a pair of red boxer briefs cut high on the thigh and the crotch cupped his package.

She swallowed. Dante had no worries in the cock-size department. Her nipples rose against the satin.

To buy:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Available both in e-book and print.

Vamping It Up: Are you ready?

Vamping It Up will be released on Friday, October 24th, 2014 - Just in time for your Halloween reading needs!

To whet your appetite, here is what happens after Holly decides to free herself from her ex's mindset.

***

“Hey, what did that door ever do to you?” Her neighbor, Steven Dearborne, spoke from his doorway. The only time Blaine met Steven, her former fiancée claimed the other man was a horn dog. “Don’t talk to him. He wants to fuck you. A guy doesn’t smile at a girl unless he wants to fuck her.” She had believed Blaine’s assessment. After all, her ex-fiancé was older and more experienced. Hindsight told her his order revealed more about Blaine than about Steven. As a result of her blind trust, she knew very little about Steven.

He was a graduate student in math, shaved his head, and wasn’t with his noisy girlfriend any more. Today, his bald scalp gleamed with perspiration.

Unlike slender, hairless Blaine, Steven’s auburn chest hair decorated a broad barrel chest set with heavy muscles. He would have been right at home in one of those old pirate movies with strong men chained to the oars. Holly gazed at his chest. His pectoral muscles rose from his sternum in a graceful arch. His belly wasn’t a cobbled eight pack, but it was flat and tight, belying the stereotype of the sedentary math major. His reddish body hair was fine and pettable, like the softest fur.

Under that thin coat, his muscles moved with a supple enticement, drawing her attention to the line from his navel to his crotch. Holly glanced down, expecting to see the ubiquitous cargo shorts all men wore around campus. Instead, Steven wore a black and tan sarong decorated with enormous, frolicking geckos. His lax genitalia pressed against the thin cotton. He hooked his thumb under the waistband of his sarong and fanned his fingers.

Steven was framing his wedding tackle. Steven was uncircumcised and dressed to the right. Well, hello, Steven.

Vamping It Up Cover reveal!

Do you want to see the cover for my new novella? I said, DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE COVER FOR MY NEW NOVELLA????
 
Well, since you insist. ;)
****

When half-vampire Holly Barros’s fiancé dumps her via text, she knows she’s gotta do something new with her life. Her glamorous great-aunt, vampire Celeste Barros, states that the girl needs a vacation, and how!

Celeste flies Holly from Seattle to Las Vegas, where she discovers the real meaning of Sin City. The Strip is full of sexy men, eager to tempt and please the broken-hearted young woman. 

Can Holly find out who she wants to be, vampire or human, in the midst of the whirl of Nevada? She’s willing and ready to find out!

 

***

Holly will be released on the world soon!