Showing posts with label 99 cents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 99 cents. Show all posts

Monday, February 5, 2018

An Excerpt from Disputed Boundaries by Regina Kammer #HistoricalRomance #bisexual #polyamory


Part of the Naughty Spice: Naughty is the New Nice! anthology by bestselling authors writing as The Naughty Literati!


Pre-order Now at 99¢! Today only!
Price goes up to $2.99 on February 6, 2018


Find it here:




Blurb:
Garrison life along the disputed Canadian-U.S. border is so uneventful Royal Marine Braxton Thorne mostly just fools around with his fiancée Tilda. But when American adventurer Gideon Roberts provokes unexpected desires, Braxton finds himself in a war over the boundaries of his heart.

Excerpt:
Copyright © Regina Kammer, 2016

Royal Marine garrison, San Juan Island, 1 December 1869

There is an aching in my heart which I barely understand. An emptiness, a void made more bleak by winter’s burgeoning desolation.

It began when Gideon left.

A man…there have been times when a man has incited a spark of passion within. Always have I buried that desire, restraining the urge to act upon it. To do so is essential. Society finds love between two men aberrant.

But Gideon has affected me in a new and exciting way. I could not restrain myself.

And I do not regret it.

Our attachment is an unlikely one: I a soldier for the crown, he a free-spirited American adventurer. He was here merely visiting. I would not be here if it were not for this “war”—although the epithet is unwarranted. Since the occupation of this island began, there has been little antagonism. It is a border dispute, not a philosophical battle between our two nations. We British are cordial to the Americans and vice versa. At times, this good rapport develops into genuine friendship.

Yet, to form such a deep connection as Gideon and I have is extraordinary.

And for this yearning for his company to burn inside me is exceptional. Never before has the absence of a man caused such a hunger.

But what if Tilda were to find out? Would she doubt I love her as well?


Braxton Thorne rested his pen next to the inkwell and stared at the words drying on the open page of his journal.

Good God. What if Tilda found out? She had bemoaned his spending time with Gideon to the detriment of spending time with her. Might she suspect something unnatural fed upon him driving his need to be with the American?

Would she report him to his commanding officer for immorality?

No. Surely Tilda understood the flush of excitement with a new friendship. And she had been there the day they met…


About the Author

Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, Loose Id, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.

Subscribe to Kammerotica News
Keep up with Regina on her website
Follow her on Twitter @Kammerotica
Or on Pinterest
Like her on Facebook
Connect with her on Goodreads
See what’s new on her Amazon Author Page
Follow her on Bookbub

Friday, December 22, 2017

Getting Naughty Pre-order Special #99cents #ContemporaryRomance #BoxedSet


Now available to pre-order for 99¢ before the price increases on release day, January 23rd

Getting Naughty: Twenty Tantalizing Tales 
includes Twenty Contemporary Romance Stories from bestselling authors writing as The Naughty Literati!

Grab this steamy collection for only 99¢ at all retailers:


ALICE’S SHEIKH ~ Suz deMello
A virginal English noblewoman finds herself under the complete control of an autocratic sheikh—an unexpectedly sexy one, who will do whatever he must to have her.

STEP BENEFITS: CINDERELLA SCANDAL ~ Nicole Austin
It was a onetime indulgence—a random encounter between strangers. A good girl’s dirty little secret with her bad boy stepbrother. Anything else is forbidden. Or is it?

BUYING ADAM ~ Marianne Stephens
Under false pretenses, Jessica wins Adam at a Charity Bachelor auction. Secret desires for each other ignite into passionate lovemaking. Will the truth divide them?

THE LOCH NESS MONSTER, ROMEO, AND JULIO ~ Berengaria Brown
Fraser Campbell and Cameron MacDonald are sent to Glasgow on business. Cam’s determined to see the Loch Ness monster. Fraser just wants Cam.

CHASING FLAVORGASMS ~ Francesca Hawley
When food blogger Taylor Simmons writes a scathing review of his restaurant, John “Doc” Holliday challenges her to return so he can give her the flavorgasm she’s been chasing her entire life.

MY WISH COME TRUE ~ Tina Donahue
Baby, it’s hot inside… For Laurel, Christmas so sucks. She’s out of a job, money, and luck until her neighbor, Scott, plays Santa. This tall, dark, and sexy hunk delivers sweet decadence and holiday magic that makes being bad oh-so-good.

THE LAKE BY MOONLIGHT ~ Katherine Kingston
Julie Forrester returns to Lake Como in Italy to evaluate some paintings for a former professor—and to re-evaluate her relationship with the man.

NAUGHTY BALLS ~ Suz deMello
Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. (M/F)

STEP BENEFITS: DIRTY PRINCESS ~ Nicole Austin
I’m sure there’s a rule in the friend code that makes lusting after your bestie forbidden. But if giving in to this off-the-charts chemistry is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

BACK IN YOUR ARMS ~ Marianne Stephens
Liz blames Brian’s family for the loss of her family’s inn. Seeking revenge, she contracts Brian to restore it. Will rekindled love spark between them?

CHOCOLATE-COATED REUNION ~ Berengaria Brown
Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.

SILENT SKY ~ Regina Kammer
I watched in horror as the twin towers collapsed, trying to remember if I’d told Scott I loved him before he left for New York.

HOT BUNS ~ Marianne Stephens
Angela offers to pay Vinnie to use his bakery ovens until hers are delivered. For financial reasons, he agrees. Being near her threatens his determination never to forgive her betrayal. When the truth surfaces, both must share the blame. Can smoldering love between them flame into passion once again?

THE RIDE OF HER LIFE ~ Tina Donahue
Maddy’s so desperate for fun, she’s signed up for speed dating. Ew. Before she can ditch the event, Ben, her sexy driver, arrives. After one sinfully hot kiss, they’re breaking all the rules, and then some, on a sensuous spring night.

FIREWORKS AT THE LAKE ~ Berengaria Brown
Andrew didn’t want to spend the Fourth of July long weekend with the people from the office so he goes to Lake Superior instead. There he sees Luke, a blond Viking who arouses every craving for love and lust inside him. But can he overcome his low self-esteem from when Rory rejected his love and open his heart to another man?

STEP BENEFITS: ROYAL BRAT ~ Nicole Austin
Loving two men—my stepbrothers—got me exiled to a foreign country. Without them I’m lost and alone, cast adrift on turbulent seas without a compass or rudder. In order to finally be together we’ll have to navigate a course through the landmine-infested waters of my traumatic past.

SAVING SOPHIA ~ Suz deMello
 “It doesn’t matter” is cynical Sophie Fortune’s motto. Then her best friend is killed and Sophie herself is attacked. Can Detective Inspector Nick Wendell keep her safe and heal her heart?

WINDOW DISPLAY ~ Regina Kammer
The apartment in Zurich was supposed to be the perfect disruption-free place to finish my dissertation. Trouble is, my room came with a very distracting view.

DEAR SANTA…I WANT A MAN FOR CHRISTMAS ~ Marianne Stephens
Frustrated with untrustworthy men, Melissa orders a man doll. When delivery guy, Nick, shows up, she has second thoughts about how to satisfy her needs.

FIST ME ~ Berengaria Brown
Maeve nearly fell off her barstool when sexy Taryn asked her to fist her. But is it the right thing to do?

*All titles have been previously published in Naughty Literati anthologies.*




Sunday, July 3, 2016

Imperial Warriors #99cents #HistoricalRomance #NewRelease by Regina Kammer

Romans! Vikings!

Two quick historical romance reads to get you hot and bothered!

Imperial Warriors: Two Scorching Tales of the Roman Empire is my latest release and it's on sale for only 99 cents!

This mini-anthology includes previously published stories now available together for the first time. "The Promise of Memory" was published in Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors, and "Protecting Her" was published in Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance. It's my very first anthology of my own stories.

To celebrate my new release, I'm keeping the price to only 99¢ through August! For this fabulously low price you get not only two scorching historical erotic romances, you get an introduction chock full of history plus a mini-bibliography, and an enticing excerpt from my historical erotica epic, Hadrian and Sabina: A Love Story.

All buy links!

The mini-anthology is only available as an ebook (it's too short to be a paperback) and I've gone wide with distribution. All buy links are below:
Amazon USA
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada
Amazon Australia
All Romance eBooks
Barnes & Noble/Nook
iBooks (iTunes)
Kobo
Inktera/Page Foundry

The sexy blurb!

Ancient Warriors...
Muscles flexing under sun-burnished skin as thick arms wield swords, battle axes, or bow and arrow. Brawny, fierce, and intensely loyal to their cause, king, or god. Alpha heroes romanticized through the lens of history.

...of the Roman Empire
Legions marching under the banner of Rome for centuries, conquering the Mediterranean and beyond, from Britannia in the West to Anatolia in the East.

Imperial Warriors: Two Scorching Tales of the Roman Empire offers two scorchingly erotic tales of romance between alpha warriors and the women who are inexorably drawn to them. Each story is set during a different time and place in the Roman Empire: Trajanic Rome and Byzantine Constantinople.

The Promise of Memory
A slave in Rome’s imperial palace finds freedom in her fantasies of a knight in Trajan’s guard—a warrior who evokes memories of a long lost love.

Protecting Her
A Byzantine noblewoman seeking refuge in a monastery loses her heart to an invader when Constantinople is sacked by the Viking Rus.

The sexy cover!



Don't you just love the cover? The model also appears on the covers of The General’s Wife: An American Revolutionary Tale and the 2013 edition of The Pleasure Device.

Happy reading!

About the Author

Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.

Keep up with Regina on her website
Subscribe to her newsletter Kammerotica News
Read her blog
Follow her on Twitter @Kammerotica
Like her on Facebook
Connect with her on Goodreads
See what’s new on her Amazon Author Page

Sunday, April 3, 2016

The Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles by Regina Kammer

Naughty Lovers: Love Is In The Air includes the third installment of my Steampunk erotic romance series, the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles. The series focuses on the polyamorous – and bisexual – relationship amongst Professor Edward Ockham, his new assistant Delia Bennett, and laboratory Special Assistant Sebastian Broadchurch, in an alternate-history version of 1879 Newcastle, England.

“Swing Follies” in Naughty Lovers further explores the relationship between Edward and Delia, plus throws in a touch of romantic intrigue with a bit of backstory. Oh, and there’s a hint of a possible future relationship for perennial bad boy Sebastian.

The story is a stand-alone (I’m pretty sure of that) novelette. But in case you’ve not read Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 1 or 2, here’s the rundown and location of each of the independently published stories:


One Cheek Or Two? (Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 1)


Teaser: In an imagined Newcastle, an inventor and his new assistant discover mutual desire while testing a spanking machine.

Blurb: Professor Edward Ockham is trying not to let his attraction for his new assistant Delia get in the way of testing his latest invention, a spanking machine for a girls’ school. Delia hadn’t expected the genius behind Newcastle’s Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory to be so damned handsome. Both turn to bad boy Sebastian and his curious gadgets for release of pent-up desires. Will they ever find passion in each other’s arms?

Appears in: Valves & Vixens: Steampunk Erotica, published by House of Erotica.



Delia’s Heartthrob (Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 2)


Teaser: Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?

Blurb: The stress of looming deadlines threatens to thwart Valentine’s Day plans for Professor Edward Ockham and his assistant — and lover — Delia Bennett. Compounding the tension, Edward insists the two maintain scientific restraint once the workday begins at the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory. But testing erotic machines with a professional demeanor proves to be quite challenging for Edward — and terribly frustrating for Delia. Something’s got to give. Will Edward ever find the inspiration to melt his icy reserve?

Appears in: Naughty Hearts: Eleven Naughty Romance Stories, published by The Naughty Literati. Only 99¢!



Swing Follies (Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 3)


Teaser: Blimey. Delia’s besotted. With Edward. But when an old flame from Edward’s revolutionary past swings by and steams up the laboratory, has Delia missed her chance at love?

Blurb: It’s Springtime and passions are flaring at the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory. As Delia musters courage to tell Edward she loves him, the gorgeous Professor Euphronia Cogswell, Edward’s comrade — and lover — during Newcastle’s Third-Wave Industrial Revolution, comes calling and takes far too much interest in Edward’s latest erotic device. Meanwhile, in Newcastle’s foggy Roman Quarter...has the notorious Sebastian Broadchurch lost his bad-boy edginess? He’s distracted and subdued. Could there be a special mandrake in his life?

Appears in: Naughty Lovers: Love Is In The Air, published by The Naughty Literati. Only 99¢!


I love writing this series and I hope you enjoy reading it!


About the Author

Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.

Keep up with Regina on her website
Follow her on Twitter @Kammerotica
Like her on Facebook
Connect with her on Goodreads
See what’s new on her Amazon Author Page

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Victorian erotic romance re-release sale! by Regina Kammer

Good news! The rights for two of the books in my Victorian erotic romance series, The Harwell Heirs, reverted back to me this month. I went ahead and re-published them with gorgeous new covers. Plus, for the first time, these titles are available in paperback!

To celebrate, I'm having a sale! All ebook editions -- epub and Kindle -- are available for only 99¢! So grab your copies now!

Below are blurbs and buy links. I am so excited!

The Pleasure Device (Harwell Heirs Book 1)

The Pleasure Device cover

In Victorian London of 1879, a new device for the treatment of hysteria has just arrived from France. Dr. Julius Christopher plans to use the invention for his own salacious scheme. Can Dr. Nicholas Ramsay prevent his beloved, the virginal debutante Helena Phillips, from being the next patient?

The Doctor and The Debutante
Nicholas Ramsay, renouncing his aristocratic heritage and dark past, has chosen a career as a doctor. He arrives in London ready to embark upon his practice and find a suitable wife. Helena Phillips, born into scandal and disgrace, is making her London debut. To atone for the circumstances of her birth, she must find a titled husband—no less than an earl will do.

A Dangerous Passion
Nicholas and Helena’s chance encounter during the Season leads to a dangerous attraction—and forbidden explorations. A taste of passion leaves Helena longing for more, and her lovesick wretchedness is confused for hysteria, a mysterious ailment afflicting many Victorian women.

A Devious Scheme
Dr. Julius Christopher’s new electro-mechanical vibrating machine for the treatment of hysteria is the perfect device to test his radical theory of female sexuality. To fully explore his hypothesis, he requires a virgin and seeks to ensnare Helena for his experiment.

Can He Save Her?
Nicholas is determined to rescue Helena from the clutches of Dr. Christopher. But to prove he is worthy of Helena’s hand, Nicholas must reconcile with his past, embrace his future, and show her pleasure is more profound when coupled with love.

Purchase ebook: Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, iBooks, All Romance eBooks (has an excerpt!), Inktera/Page Foundry
Purchase paperback: CreateSpace, Amazon USA, Barnes & Noble

Disobedience By Design (Harwell Heirs Book 2)

Disobedience By Design cover

In 1860, the railways of Victorian England transport American stevedore Joseph Phillips to the lush countryside of Lincolnshire…and into the arms of Lady Sophia Harwell. But Sophia is betrothed to a violent villain who wants only two things: her virginity and her dowry. Can Joseph save his beloved without scandalizing upper-class British society?

The Lady…
Lady Sophia Harwell has just been presented to Society—and its eligible bachelors—and is quite unimpressed. Her parents are encouraging the suit of the Duke of Royston, a man older than her father! Yet free-spirited Sophia is smitten with Joseph, her brother’s handsome American business partner, a man who introduces her to sensual delights beyond the bounds of propriety and the dictates of her social standing.

…And The Laborer
Joseph Phillips is out of his depth amongst the British aristocracy trying to secure investors for his American railroad enterprise. To make matters worse, he can’t keep his hands off his business partner’s sister. Sophia is far out of his league and expected to marry a duke. But when the duke reveals his villainy, Joseph decides some risks are worth taking, and, to protect Sophia, he embarks upon a partnership of an entirely unexpected nature.

Purchase ebook: Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, iBooks, All Romance eBooks (has an excerpt!), Inktera/Page Foundry
Purchase paperback: CreateSpace, Amazon USA, Barnes & Noble

The Harwell Heirs
Victorian aristocracy has very strict rules concerning marital connections and familial obligations. But the Harwell heirs—Helena, Sophia, and Arthur—discover love doesn’t always follow the rules. Scandalous affairs force these scions of society to choose between duty and desire, deference and destiny.
Book 1: The Pleasure Device
Book 2: Disobedience By Design
Book 3: Where Destiny Plays


About the Author

Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.

Keep up with Regina on her website
Follow her on Twitter @Kammerotica
Like her on Facebook
Connect with her on Goodreads
See what’s new on her Amazon Author Page

Monday, August 3, 2015

Inspiration: A Naked Guy in Zurich by Regina Kammer

In my story "Window Display" in Naughty Escapes, the heroine, Laurie, an American Ph.D. student, trots off to Zurich to finish up her dissertation. Instead of the hoped-for peace and quiet, she finds distraction in a totally hot neighbor who doesn’t bother closing the curtains when he’s naked at home.

Many of my Naughty Literati co-authors chose rather exotic locations for their Naughty Vacation Getaway stories. Zurich is generally not considered an "exotic" or even "sexy" location in which to set a romance! Exotic or not, sexy or not, the story is based on a real-life event. Not my life, though. Inspiration came from an unlikely place.

I’ll go back to the beginning.

I became a National Novel Writing Month groupie in 2006 after I did my first NaNoWriMo that November. Writing a novel changed my life. Quite literally, really. I wanted to give back. At the time I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area — NaNoWriMo headquarters — so offered to volunteer for the organization. They probably thought of me as that crazy older lady who is rather awkward around strangers, but whatever. They were (and are) a great bunch and I met a lot of fun, interesting people.

One such person was Lindsey Grant. Lindsey is the sweetest, most gracious young woman I have ever met. She has said this is due to her Southern upbringing, but I think it’s her nature rather than nurture. I would see Lindsey at official NaNoWriMo events, then later at purely social events, and she would blush at the fact I wrote sexy stories.

Lindsey’s husband Pat works for a large tech company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. About three years ago, Pat transferred to the Zurich office of the company. Now Lindsey, like pretty much everyone who worked at NaNoWriMo, is a writer. Once she moved to Switzerland — a country she knew not much about, where they spoke a language she knew even less about — she began to blog about her move and transitioning to life in a foreign country.

I’ve lived abroad before, so I followed Lindsey’s blog about settling in and navigating a foreign country because it was part connecting with a friend and part connecting with my own memories. Lindsey confronted the basics of everyday life including finding housing with the help of a "relocation specialist". The specialist found Lindsey and Pat an apartment with a view. I’ll let Lindsey tell the rest of the story:
There is a window across the street from us, directly opposite our dining table, of all places, that happens to be paned with frosted glass. Alas, this frosted glass is not very frosty. Months ago, when I was getting pleasantly tipsy with our relocation specialist post walk-through, she had her back to this very window while we chatted. At a certain point, I was distracted from what she was saying by a very clear view of a naked man in the apartment opposite. He seemed to be vigorously styling his hair.
"That’s a naked man!" I blurted.
"Where?"
"There!"
"Oh my god, it is! That’s his shower." She turned and walked straight to the window, while I went the opposite direction, toward my own bathroom, blushing furiously.
"You Americans are so prude!" she laughed. "Look, he’s washing his willy. At least he’s clean."
I was dying inside.
Since then, as if by clockwork, Pat and I sit down to eat and the bathroom light comes on, the shower commences, and we get what we now affectionately refer to as, "the show." Poor guy. Poor us! And he’s not the only one on display. Across from our balcony is yet another building with a poorly frosted window through which we saw another neighbor nakedly doing her laundry. I suppose it can’t be helped. They may very well know that their windows, like the emperor's clothing, are doing little to protect their privacy. But I still feel like Rear Window goes Euro. And I just can’t stop blushing.
Anyone who has ever lived in a dense urban setting knows this sort of naked sighting happens all the time. But usually the sighting is not when the naked person is taking a shower. (This makes Zurich sound a lot sexier, doesn't it?)

The second I read that blog post I wrote up some notes for a short story. I even asked Lindsey for permission to use the premise for a sexy story, because Lindsey writes creative non-fiction, not romance (and definitely not erotic stuff).

So all that was two years ago. Then earlier this year, 2015, the Naughty Literati came up with a vacation-themed anthology. I had a great vacation story already written and submitted to another publisher long ago, but had never heard back from the editor. So I contacted the editor and discovered my (really awesome, I have to admit!) story was accepted but publication was delayed until 2016. Which meant I had to write another story.

Luckily, I keep all my notes and snippets of inspiration in a folder on my computer. That’s when the document called "Zurich" jumped out at me, and thus "Window Display" was born!

There’s a whole other plot line in my story, centered around my heroine Laurie and her academic research. Laurie's dissertation is about the Roman empress Sabina who was the wife of Hadrian (emperor 117-138 CE). I chose that subject purposely. During my research for my historical erotic romance novel Hadrian and Sabina: A Love Story, I discovered there was not much known about Sabina. (The reasons for this are spelled out in "Window Display" so I won’t go into it here.) Which meant I had a perfectly good never-before-done dissertation topic for my heroine. Plus, I got to add a touch of history to my contemporary story, which, for a historical romance writer, is always welcome.

My excerpt on the Naughty Literati website is my version of the first glimpse of the neighbor nakedly bathing.

Naughty Escapes is now available in ebook (only 99 cents!) and print. There are 11 wonderful stories from which to choose!

Friday, July 3, 2015

Keeping Sex Between the Covers by Regina Kammer

It's almost July 4th and in the United States we're celebrating Independence Day! I have a special promotion for July. See the end of this post!

I generally write historical erotic romance, although I have also written contemporary, mythological, and Steampunk. But my comfort zone is historicals because I’m a historian and, I suppose, I’ve internally fetishized history to a certain extent.

I’ve written stories that take place in ancient Roman and Victorian England. But my favorite book I've written takes place in New York state and is set in 1777 during the American Revolution.

The General's Wife: An American Revolutionary Tale is an eighteenth-century adventure that’s part erotica (sexual awakening of the heroine) and part romance (a happily-ever-after). Our heroine, Lady Clara Strathmore, encounters three heroes and one villain. Her lady's maid encounters two heroes and the same villain plus half a dozen Hessians. Let's just say there's a whole lot of sexy action along with politics, intrigue, and humor.

It's also an award-nominated novel.

However, the book had a problem. There was a naked lady on the cover of the 2013 edition and Amazon, the world’s foremost retailer of books and ebooks, does not like nudity on covers. So Amazon slapped an Adult Filter on the book making it very difficult for readers to find or “discover” (as the parlance goes).

The General's Wife An American Revolutionary Tale by Regina Kammer front cover I’ve discussed this at length on my blog, so won’t discuss it here. But the end result was: if I ever wanted readers to find the book, I had to change my cover. All the sexy bits had to be between the covers, not on the cover.

There was a bit of a risk involved. There is no guarantee that changing a cover will get that Adult Filter taken down. Amazon’s policies on the matter (actually all their policies on all matters) are mutable, vague, and somewhat random. I’ve heard all sorts of stories about how a glimpse of a woman’s bare back was a no-no for one author, but bound hands and a bit of butt is okay for another. And that sometimes it is the combination of the book blurb and the cover, so if your request for removal of the Adult Filter is denied, you won’t know if it is the cover or the blurb because Amazon won’t tell you.

I wanted to do this right, which meant paying for a new cover, with money I don’t have because no one is buying my book they can’t find! So I took the plunge and got a new cover.

ReginaKammer_TheGeneralsWife400x600

[Isn’t it gorgeous?] I uploaded my new cover and wrote to Amazon asking them to please remove the Adult Filter. A day later I got this reply:
After further review, we have decided to remove the search restrictions so your book will now be found in our general product search results.
I squealed in glee! I was ecstatic! So much so, I’ve put the Kindle edition of The General's Wife on sale for only 99¢! I want everyone to read it! I’m keeping the sale going until the end of July.

If you enjoyed my American Revolution short story in Naughty List, you'll love The General's Wife! It's a fun, frolicking, Revolutionary read!

History has never been sexier.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Tuesday Morning is the Best Time to Arrive in Havana by Suz deMello (#99cents #boxedset #romance)


 
The view along Jose Marti Boulevard's
pedestrian promenade Great place to walk.
I travel as much as I can, not just for inspiration but for engagement. When I'm unhappy, the best way for me to get away from the source of my distress is to leave (duh). Additionally, when I travel, especially to someplace new, I'm deeply engaged in my life and have no mental space for worrying about whatever it was that was bothering me. When I don't know the language, don't know where I'm staying, don't know where I'll eat my next meal, I have a lot more to focus on rather than dwelling on my last unhappy love affair.

And so it was with my latest trip out of the USA. After the president announced plans to open the USA's relationship with Cuba, I decided to travel there ASAP so I could research a story and see Havana before its skyline would be dominated by the Starbucks mermaid and the Golden Arches.

But I really screwed this one up.


At this time, Cuba has no banking relationship with the USA. That means that
I had a lovely time in Cancun,
where my credit card worked just fine.
you have to have money in hand before you leave for Cuba, because your ATM card and credit card won't work there. So I planned to go to Cancun, withdraw a bunch of pesos, fly to Cuba and change them for the local currency. 

Unfortunately, I neglected to tell my bank, so when I started to withdraw money, I got maybe $400 and then...nada. Zip. Zero.

I emailed my bank to no avail.

I tried to phone, but neither my hotel phone nor my cellie would get through (Damn you, Virgin!)

So I landed in Cuba with maybe a quarter of the funds I needed to have a really good time, or even to eat three meals daily.

I told myself that this was a good time to lose weight.

There are hordes of tourists in Havana,
but they're not Americans.
I shared a taxi from the airport into Havana with a couple of Ukrainian dudes and immediately paid the host of my casa particular for the stay. Alex was extremely kind, allowing me the use of his computer so I wouldn't have to pay a hotel at their business center for internet access--I was trying desperately to make sure I'd have enough money for the next phase of my journey, which was Isla Mujeres.

Despite my straitened circumstances, I had a good
time researching my next story, One Hot Havana Night. I couldn't afford taxis, so I walked all over Havana Vieja, the tourist quarter, where I set my story. A friendly expat showed me a lunchroom where I could eat a huge meal for $1-2--so that's where I ate. It was pretty good food--a protein (eggs, chicken or meat) with a little salad, plus rice and beans--typically Cuban meals. I even had enough left over so I could go to a bar and get a drink while listening to the local music every night.

Victor Hugo's home, the inspiration
 for my story's setting
Havana was great, but it's nevertheless a tourist trap. It's just that the tourists aren't Americans. Lots of Europeans, especially Italians, and a number of Japanese.

I learned a lot. Most people seemed pretty contented. As for the economic system, while I heard someone complain that they work really hard for little money, I saw only one or two people who seemed to be badly off. Everyone else looked happy and well-fed, though not obese. I saw many of the famous classic American cars, but I saw a lot of new cars as well--Peugeots and Kias, Hyundais and even Benzes. I just didn't see newer American cars. That's because Cuba isn't isloated at all. It's just that we don't have an economic relationship with them. Other countries have been trading with Cuba quite happily.

Still, I can't say that the place is well run. 
The Castros seem to be good at getting and keeping power, not so hot at using it. Many of the old, beautiful buildings are crumbling, though I must say that they're making an effort to resurrect them. Many streets are dug up as improvements are being made. And this brings me to the title of this post.

So why is Tuesday morning the best time to arrive in Havana?

Because the trash is picked up Monday night, at least in the part of Havana where I stayed. Until then, it's thrown into giant Dumpsters by the locals. As you can imagine, the garbage gets pretty ripe in the tropical heat. 



But Havana smells great on a Tuesday morning.

One Hot Havana Night will be available on July 1 in the Naughty Escapes anthology. Here's what it's about:


Havana, 1958... On the eve of the revolution, journalist Ellie Wheeler dreams of the biggest story of her life. Two hot men make all her dreams come true—even ones she didn’t know she had. (And yes! There's an M/F/M menage!)

Preorder your copy here: http://tinyurl.com/NaughtyEscapes