New 'Heartache' anthology out from eXcessica; sale at Melange Books

I'm pleased to announce the eXcessica Publishing's semi-annual erotica anthology is out, and once again it contains an Erin O'Riordan. This original, never-before published story is called "The Witch's Tale." It has a witch - and werewolves! The anthology's title, and theme, is Heartache.

A snippet of "The Witch's Tale:"

...At the darkest hour of the night, all the wolves seemed to go away. Except one. His howling kept me awake. I went to my window and looked; it was a big brown male with honey-colored eyes.
I went to the door and opened it. "Come in, Milos," I said.

The big wolf trotted in and lay on the rug in front of my fireplace, whining. I brought him the remains of the bread I’d eaten for dinner (unlike the wolves, I ate no meat). He ate the bread. I sat beside him and stroked his fur until he fell asleep.

I fell asleep stroking the wolf. I awoke to find the fire had died out, and I was lying on the floor with only a naked, sleeping Milos to keep me warm.

"I was lonely," he said when he woke up. "I am alone in my den now. You were always kind to me and my people."

"You’re welcome to visit," I said, staring hard at the pattern on the rug and trying not to see his well-muscled body.

"I want to stay," he said.

"I don’t think you should," I said, drawing my conclusions about his intentions. "Milos, you’ll find another mate. One of your own people. A woman who can give you children that are like you."

"I know," he said. "But it will be many seasons before another single female becomes mature. I can’t wait that long. I got too used to Svjetlana, and then the babies, lying beside me. I won’t stay forever. Only let me stay for a few nights."

He lifted my chin so that I stared into his honey-colored eyes. They were both innocent and wild, sad and hopeful. I wanted to comfort him, especially after all the times I failed to help him. Still touching my face, he brought his lips to mine.

The gesture stunned me; in truth, it was my first kiss. I’d devoted so much of my life to aiding the sick and injured on this strange isle, I’d neglected finding a mate of my own. Milos, however, seemed to know exactly what he was doing. His thumb stroked my cheek as he kissed me, his tongue begging entrance into my mouth. The effect of his naked body, so near to me and so affectionate, was dizzying. I wasn’t thinking straight; it was as if I’d swallowed one of my medicines. Milos wanted more…and so did I. I parted my lips.

The official blurb: "Erotic, romantic, poignant and wistful, this anthology collection from Excessica authors will thrill you, touch you, and stay with you. These stories dare to explore the pleasure and pain of a lover gone, the one that got away, the forbidden affair, a true love existing on borrowed time. These are tales of passionate affairs that cannot last, but they are exquisite gems while they do, and like the star that burns brightest, these stories burn fast, dazzle and smolder in the memory."



Heartache is my 6th anthology with eXcessica. I also wrote stories in:

Divine Matches



Happy Endings



Love Bound



Strange Love



Wonder



Sale at Melange Books: For the month of January, take 10% off every e-book at Melange Books, in honor of the publisher's first anniversary! That includes books by Erin O'Riordan: the crime thriller The Smell of Gas and the Hearts of Tomorrow anthology, which contains my take on the French fairy tale of Melusine.

To get the e-book discount, use the promo code 4P096350 at check-out.

Buy This Book: Strange Love

The latest special anthology from eXcessica Publishing is titled Strange Love, and you can get it now for $3.99.

The Official Blurb: This world is full of the strange and unusual, from shapeshifters to anthropomorphic characters to genies to robots - check out these stories of unconventional love from the authors at Excessica! Strange never seemed so hot before!

Stories by Morgan Sierra, Elliott Mabeuse, D.B. Story, Wynter O’Reilly, Sam Kepfield, Amicus, Annette Gisby, Erin O’Riordan, Bekki Lynn, Jennifer Campbell, Saskia Walker, Sommer Marsden, M.E. Hydra, Madeleine Drake, and Kiera Thomas.

My contribution is "Angels Would Fall," a brand-new paranormal M/M erotic romance never previously published. Well, sort of male/male; one of the lovers is an angel. It begins thus:

"The angel moved through the garden, disguised as the wind. Father Diego Alba, knelt on a bright green pad in front of the peas, concentrating on the weeding. He noticed the fragrance from the delicately pink blossoms, but paid little mind to the breeze carrying its scent, even as the breeze ruffled Diego’s dark auburn hair.

"It was still early, and the heat of the day was just beginning to bother Diego. He scanned the bed of peas again, making sure he hadn’t left any weeds behind, then swept the pile of pulled weeds into his hands and deposited them on the compost heap. He shook the loose dirt from his hands, then went inside the rectory.

"The angel followed him, first as the warm wind, and then in the intimate fashion to which the angel was accustomed, as the very breath Diego drew.

"Diego went to his small, plain bedroom on the rectory’s second floor and took off his work clothes, placing his gardening clogs at the foot of his bed. He had no masses to say that day, and so he dressed casually, in an off-white guayabera shirt and dark blue slacks. He owned only one other pair of shoes, so the black loafers were a given. He went to the sink and splashed a little water on his face, rubbing the back of his neck to rid himself of the last of the garden soil and sweat that clung to him."

The title was inspired by my all-time favorite Melissa Etheridge song:



(Yep, one of the angels in the video is Bob Harper, the trainer on The Biggest Loser.)

A priest, an angel and a very pure love. Get the book now and find out which other strange tales of love await.

'Divine Matches' is New From eXcessica Publishing!

Perhaps How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson said it best: "No one is hotter than God." It's the ultimate fantasy: a close encounter with a divine being, whose body is perfection, without any human flaws and with incredible power.

Greek, Roman and Norse gods and goddesses make an appearance in this anthology edited by Selena Kitt. Kitt, JM Snyder, JE Taylor, Dakota Trace, Ava Jones, Cherry Lee and others contribute to this e-book; a print version is coming soon, and will be available on Amazon.

Official book blurb: "From Greek to Roman to Norse and everything in between, you will be transported to faraway lands and immersed in the stories of mythical beings and sexy gods and goddesses in this fourteen story eXcessica anthology."

My contribution is "Black Bear Skin." An excerpt:

The last thing he remembered was the sweet hospitality of the woman on the little evergreen island. The way she bathed him. Her touch. Her kiss. The dewy, perfumed smell of her skin. Her final, loving gesture, draping the warm bear skin over his shoulders.

He awoke to something more wonderful than he’d ever prayed for. He lay across a warm bed. The mattress was stuffed with sweet-smelling fresh straw. His injured hand lay under his head. When Bergren pulled it out, he looked at the hand. He smiled, amazed to see that the hand was restored. He wiggled his five fingers.

This must be a dream, Bergren thought. I am dreaming of being in the woman’s cabin, as I lie in the snow.

As if in answer, a female voice giggled. No, it was a chorus of female voices, as pleasant as music. Bergren sat up.

He saw them now. They were tall, taller than men. Their chalk-white skin was flawless. Their golden hair fell down their backs in meticulous braids, not a hair out of its place. Their eyes were blue as jewels. The three women, who must surely have been sisters, were beautiful beyond words.

He saw that one of them carried a sword. Another held a bridle in her hand. At the other end of it stood a horse, larger than any horse Bergren had ever seen. A horse with shining wings of white and silver feathers.

Ah, so this was a dream. He lay in the snow dreaming of the Valkyries, the maidens who carry the souls of dead warriors from the battlefield.

Unless, Bergren thought, the evergreen island was all a dream. Perhaps I lost more than my fingers on the battlefield. Perhaps I am dead after all.

If this was death, he didn’t mind it at all. He was whole and warm, and the warrior-maidens were so lovely.

***

Look for Divine Matches from eXcessica Publishing.

News From Selena Kitt: New Book, Newsletter and Contest!

In honor of the release of Baumgartner Generations: Henry, eXcessica publisher and author Selena Kitt is having an awesome giveaway!

She's also starting a newsletter to notify readers of new releases or contests (and there will be contests for newsletter-subscribers-only as well!) So don't worry, it won't be more weekly email in your box. Just a way to keep up on Selena and what she's up to!

So in order to enter this contest, ALL you have to do is sign up for the newsletter! Easy-peasy!

SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER AND ENTER THE CONTEST

You can also earn EXTRA entries simply by Tweeting, Facebooking, or otherwise Social Networking about this contest! Just link to this blog post and you will earn an EXTRA entry for EVERY TIME you promote it on EVERY platform you can!

Fill out THIS FORM for extra entries every time you promote the contest!

This contest runs from November 15 until December 1, 2010. So you have two full weeks to enter!

Winners will be announced on December 1, 2010 on Selena's blog. YOU CAN WIN ONE OF TWO BIG PRIZES!

1. An autographed copy of every print book in the Baumgartner series so far (including Babysitting the Baumgartners, A Baumgartner Reunion, Baumgartner Generations: Janie and the latest Baumgartner Generations: Henry

OR

2. The Sex Toy Package – a customized pink lady, black case, vortex ribbed Fleshlight (just like the one Henry used in the book!) along with plenty of lube and an autographed copy of Baumgartner Generations: Henry

Add this to your October reading list: Wonder

The latest anthology to feature an original Erin O'Riordan short story has been published this October by eXcessica. It's called Wonder, and it's a collection of short romantic stories. Mine is called "Butterfly Boy," and it's about a woman who falls in love with a man she meets at the park. I won't give away the supernatural twist. Each story has one as well as the steamy erotica content you've come to expect from eXcessica.

Official book blurb: "Whether it’s werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, angels, ghosts or aliens—these are stories with all of those strange and wonderfully sexy creatures that fascinate the human psyche! Come on a spicy, paranormal journey that ventures into titillating realms bound only the imaginations of your favorite eXcessica authors! A dozen stories included in this volume by Wynter O’Reilly, Selena Kitt, D.B. Story, Sommer Marsden, J.M. Snyder, Dakota Trace, Piers Anthony, Roxanne Rhoads, Elise Hepner, Darcy Sweet, Christabel Rouseau and Erin O’Riordan."

An excerpt from "Butterfly Boy:"

As much as I tried to calm myself and focus on the peaceful environs of the garden, every time I closed my eyes I was flooded with violent images of cold-blooded beasts with bared fangs dripping blood. I kept remembering the nightmare I’d had, but my memories were more terrifying than the dream had been. Even as I sat in the lightly shaded garden on a hot summer day, chills wracked my body.

My unpleasant meditations were disrupted when something landed on my toes. I looked down at my sandals and saw my toes were covered over with a bright red flying disc. I looked around, but the thrower was nowhere to be seen.

I heard him before I saw him; he came in through the back gate and up behind me. I turned to see his approach. He wore long, red basketball shorts, a white t-shirt soaked in sweat, and a red headband holding back his heavily gelled, spiky black hair. Though he was dressed like a teen, he was at least my age, twenty-four.

“Hey, have you seen my flying disc?” he asked me. I picked it up and held it up for him to see. “Thanks,” he said as I handed it back to him.

“I didn’t think anyone else was in the garden today,” I said. “I wouldn’t want my meditation to get in the way of your game of catch.”

He snorted slightly, catching the note of sarcasm. “Actually, my friends and I are playing in the park across the street. This one was a wild throw.”

“Wow,” I said. The disc must have flown at least sixty yards. “Nice arm.” He did have nice arms, with thick, toned biceps. The sleeves of his shirt showed them off nicely; I couldn’t help but notice.

He shook his head. “Nah, I didn’t throw it. It was my friend Rick. I’m Jake, by the way.” He tucked the disc under his arm before offering me his hand.

“Lacey Burke,” I said as we shook.

“I’ve seen you around here before,” he said. “You like the Japanese garden, don’t you?”

“It’s my favorite place to meditate.”

“I know what you mean. The park’s my favorite place to kick back and catch some fresh air and sunshine, you know?”

“I’ve never noticed you before,” I said honestly.

He chuckled. “Well, since your focus is kinda scattered at the moment, and your meditation’s kinda ruined, want to play with my friends and me? We’re going to go get burgers in a while.”

I cocked my head. “Are you asking me out, Jake?”

He smiled. He had a nice smile. “I guess so, Lacey. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

***

Please enjoy this fan video I made to Shonen Knife's "Butterfly Boy (F.I. Mix)."