Friday, December 30, 2016

New Release - Lydia's Penance!

Lydia's Penance is now released!





When her home situation becomes unlivable, Lydia hopes to escape through a marriage and her qualifications for her new husband are not long. She's not looking for love, passion, or even fidelity but just a man who won't abuse her. When she overhears the Duke of Manchester declare to his brother that he doesn't care who he weds, it seems like her prayers are answered. The Duke is powerful enough to protect her, has a reputation as a good and honorable man, and doesn't care who he marries. Unfortunately she's a too-old bluestocking with nothing to tempt a duke into wedding her, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

When Isaac finds himself trapped into marriage with a grey-eyed beauty who used underhanded and dishonorable means to secure his hand, at first he's not quite sure what to think. His new wife is a study in contradictions and, even worse, she's keeping secrets. His carefully controlled world is making less and less sense, and his duchess is spending more time over his lap - in a distinctly un-fun manner - than he would like. 

Lydia wasn't looking for love, but the more she comes to know her husband, the more her own feelings grow for him.

Isaac could never trust a woman who trapped him, but what if she had good reasons for doing so? What if, despite her secrets, he fell in love with her?

This book is 101k words, contains a trapped alpha male, a distressed and desperate young lady, quite a few spankings, and the creative use of ginger. Heat level - incendiary.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Live Q&A + Lydia's Penance Update!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!  I know I did!  It was over FAR too quickly, but one upside to that is we're THAT much closer to Lydia's Penance release!!! WOOT!!!!  I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this one... it's a little bit different from the previous books, a little bit more leaning BDSM-y than the previous books, and I really enjoyed playing around with the "trapping a man into marriage" trope.

I'm always reading these Victorian romance novels books where the "bad guy" woman tries to trap a man into marriage, and he always manages to escape and I just couldn't help thinking, "What if he didn't escape?  What if the plan succeeded?"  I also really disliked how it's always the "bad guy" who makes the attempt too.  Way more fun to try and make it the heroine doing the trapping!!! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  So yeah.  Super excited to see how everyone enjoys Lydia's Penance!

It's currently on pre-order for the special $2.99 price till the end of this week on both Amazon and Smashwords, so if you have some gift cards to spend, grab it now before the price goes up after release this weekend... at least, that's what I would do.  If you want to wait till next week, that's cool with me too, it's actually better for me =P  But, you know, trying to give my loyal readers a jump start discount!

So something fun I'm doing - I've had people request 'release parties' and things like that and I'm not really sure I'm there yet, but for the new year and since Lydia's Penance will have just released, I'm going to do a live Q&A on my Facebook page on January 2nd, 4pm US EST.

I will be answering questions live, as people type them, as well as answering some questions people have sent in prior to the Q&A, and the video will be up after the Q&A is over too, for people to watch if they can't make it for the live part =)

All you have to do is like my page on Facebook and you'll be able to see the event - https://www.facebook.com/Golden-Angel-1376950342579975/


And you can RSVP to the official event page for a reminder! - https://www.facebook.com/events/652937851555445/


If it goes well, I'll do more in the future!!! I won't lie, I'm pretty bad at the whole marketing thing, but I'm trying to get better.  I think part of it is, I never really meant to do this... it started out as free stories on Lit and then eventually turned into a whole big unexpected thing.

Speaking of free stories on Lit - Taken by the Viking is still going strong!  I'm having fun writing Trish and Jordan's POV.  I like seeing the rest of the Earth compound, discovering more about Jordan, and seeing Trish slowly giving in... fairly dark romance, considering the circumstances, but it's still enjoyable to me.  A different kind of challenge, esp since I've gotta balance the non-con with knowing they end up together in the end!  It's lots of fun =D

Okay, I'm going to end this here because I'm tempted to start babbling on about Lydia's Penance before anyone's even had the chance to read it!!! ACK!

Monday, December 12, 2016

Now Available for Pre-order! - Lydia's Penance

Lydia's Penance is now up for pre-order!!! That's right, I'm declaring that I'm GOING to have it finished and released on December 30, 2016 lol.

I figure that's a good release date so that people who don't have extra money before the holidays (like me!) will hopefully get gift cards to spend during them and will be able to jump on the special $2.99 pre-order price before the price goes up to $3.99 when it's released!

Pre-order is only available on Amazon; Barnes & Noble and Smashwords readers will have a special $2.99 price for the first week after release before the price goes up =)



When her home situation becomes unlivable, Lydia hopes to escape through a marriage and her qualifications for her new husband are not long. She's not looking for love, passion, or even fidelity but just a man who won't abuse her. When she overhears the Duke of Manchester declare to his brother that he doesn't care who he weds, it seems like her prayers are answered. The Duke is powerful enough to protect her, has a reputation as a good and honorable man, and doesn't care who he marries. Unfortunately she's a too-old bluestocking with nothing to tempt a duke into wedding her, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

When Isaac finds himself trapped into marriage with a grey-eyed beauty who used underhanded and dishonorable means to secure his hand, at first he's not quite sure what to think. His new wife is a study in contradictions and, even worse, she's keeping secrets. His carefully controlled world is making less and less sense, and his duchess is spending more time over his lap - in a distinctly un-fun manner - than he would like. 

Lydia wasn't looking for love, but the more she comes to know her husband, the more her own feelings grow for him.

Isaac could never trust a woman who trapped him, but what if she had good reasons for doing so? What if, despite her secrets, he fell in love with her?


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Teaser! - Lydia's Penance

Well I'm more than halfway through Lydia's Penance (whoo-hoo!) and hoping to get it out by the end of this month (definitely the beginning of next month at the latest) so here's a teaser!!!!:

Did debutantes use a collective brain? Isaac wondered.  It didn't seem as though a single one of them could converse about anything interesting or useful.  As if he wanted to know about who Lady March's latest lover was or discuss which color would be the most in-fashion next Season.  Hell, he didn't know which color was in fashion this season.  The milk-and-water misses all blended together in a pastel blur; he truly couldn't even remember which was which after talking to them.  They might have different physical attributes, but their personalities might as well have been copies of each other.  Very bland copies of each other.  Any spark of individuality was quickly smothered by the eagle eye of a debutante's watchful Mama. 
And he was supposed to choose one of these women to be his Duchess?
There might be some intelligence somewhere among them, although he'd be hard pressed to discern which had any.  One of them, a delightful but far-too-young, young lady had told him to seek out her elder sister when he tried to engage her in a more intellectual conversation.  She claimed she'd learned everything she knew from the elder... Feeling almost desperate, Isaac had requested an introduction, but, alas, the paragon was not to be found.  
It was a sad state of affairs when the most interesting conversationalist he could find was just barely out of the schoolroom.  Isaac had found himself wondering if she were even truly old enough to debut.  While her company was certainly the most enjoyable (even Arabella didn't seem to dislike her, despite still doing her best to chase the young miss away, as she had all the others), he couldn't countenance the idea of marrying one so young.  Other men did it, but whenever he looked to his own sister and thought of her marrying a man with such an age difference, he shuddered.
Yet he'd told Benedict that he would make his decision by tomorrow. 
Unable to think too much about the rest of his life, leg-shackled to a chit who only cared for fashion and malicious gossip, Isaac had a drink.  
And then another.
And then another.
"You might want to slow down on those, old chap, or none of these young ladies will want to be your bride," Benedict murmured to him, clapping him on the shoulder.  No longer hiding in the ferns, Isaac was still lurking on the side of the room, practically glaring at everyone who dared approach him.  Only his brother and his sister, accompanied by the irrepressible Countess of Spencer, had dared say a word to him in the past half hour.  As soon as he was drunk enough that the thought of marriage no longer bothered him, he would quit the evening and stumble to his room.
Isaac scowled.  "It might be the only way I could stomach any of them as a bride."
"Well at least you're talking sense now," his sister said, popping up on the other side of him and nearly making him jump in surprise.  When Arabella wanted to, she could be quite nimble and silent.  Too bad she didn't often want to.  "I've been doing my best to meet the offerings, and so far I haven't met one of which I would approve."
Ah, no wonder Arabella was chasing off the debs.  Isaac rolled his eyes.  If his sister seriously thought he was going to allow her to help him choose a bride... he could just imagine what kind of wife she would pick for him.  Either someone completely submissive so that she could run roughshod over the poor woman, or someone just like her.  Impetuous and wild, and willing to join her in her escapades.
Absolutely not.
Although, so far he didn't think any of the women he'd met here would have a chance of keeping Arabella in line, which was one of his goals for marrying.  
"Where's the Countess?" he asked his sister.  The two of them were quite good friends and, as a married woman, the Countess was supposed to be keeping an eye on Arabella.  Arabella's own chaperone, their rather elderly Great-Aunt Ida, was already in bed.  After a debacle in London when Arabella had helped a friend attempt to elope with a fortune-hunter, Isaac had written to Aunt Ida, as their only living, older, female relative, hoping she could recommend someone as a chaperone for Arabella.  To his dismay, she'd come herself.  Although as sharp as ever when she was awake, she was also quite elderly now and became fatigued rather easily.  She insisted that she would soon adjust to the hours they kept and wouldn't allow him to hire a companion (whom he hoped would also serve as a chaperone when Aunt Ida was indisposed), saying she only needed her maid Winnie.  Winnie was a widow in her sixties, and unfortunately her station made her completely unsuited to be a chaperone. 
So he was stuck relying on the help of friends and his brother to control Arabella.  Unfortunately at this house party, the only friend also in residence whom he trusted to keep an eye on Arabella was the Earl of Spencer.  He was quite reliable usually - and as a reformed rake knew all of the tricks - but his wife could be even more of a handful than Arabella, and the two of them together could be more trouble than it was worth.  The Countess wasn't any older than his sister and to say that she had a liberal view of what constituted keeping Arabella out of trouble was overstating the case.
"She wasn't feeling well," Arabella said with particular emphasis, far too cheerfully, her dark eyes sparkling.  "Nearly fainted actually.  Lord Spencer stepped right in and swept her off to bed."  She sighed happily.  "Quite romantic really.  The ton could use more men like him."
Ha.  As if Isaac would have allowed the Earl within ten feet of Arabella before he was married.  Not that he'd had a reputation for seducing innocents, but still, he would not have been acceptable company.  His sister would do better to focus on the young gentlemen that he did allow to approach her, rather than mooning over the rogues and rakes that he and Benedict kept far away.
"Is she ah..."  Benedict stumbled slightly, unable to find a genteel way to ask the question.  
"With child?  No, I don't believe so," Arabella said, giggling a little as she put her hand over her mouth.  "We ah, may have indulged in too much champagne.  And the punch.  The Earl was a bit irate."  
Isaac exchanged a look with his brother as they both realized that Arabella was more than a bit tipsy.  She obviously had a higher tolerance for alcohol than Cynthia did, although that wasn't a surprise.  Both he and Benedict knew that she snuck into the liquor cabinet at home whenever she wanted to.  So far neither of them had actually caught her at it though.  
"Lovely," he said dryly.  Then chuckled a little.  If Arabella thought the Earl's actions were romantic, she might change her tune after talking to Cynthia tomorrow.  Isaac was well aware that quite a few of his married friends spanked their wives, and Wesley, Earl of Spencer, was among the most vocal about it. Even claimed his wife often sought out trouble if he let her go for too long without one.  Isaac wasn't sure he believed that... but he wasn't sure he didn't either.
That brought his thoughts right back around to romance and wives, and his own looming self-imposed deadline, which made his mood darken immediately.  Signaling to one of the footman, he took another glass of whiskey, downing it, before Benedict shoved him back out onto the dance floor with yet another twitted miss. 
He imbibed more than evening than he had in months.  It was the only thing that made the evening bearable.  To call himself well-lubricated... well... truthfully he was sauced.  The last thing he remembered before stumbling up to bed and passing out was a pretty grey-eyed thing offering him one last glass.  Although he'd always been able to hold his liquor quite well, that last shot of whiskey set him spinning almost from the very start.  
He woke up to a pounding headache, a woman's shrill screams, and a soft, warm body tucked in next to him.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Thankful for YOU, dear readers!

I can't believe that it's been more than three years since I first started writing for Amazon and I now write for three different distributors, have readers entering contests to win a free copy of my book, and am writing under two different pennames because I needed to diversify because I've written so much!

I'm also extremely thankful for having such wonderful readers, who are so enthusiastic about interacting with me, encouraging me, and writing reviews for me!  It was the highlight of my day today when I checked on my newest release, Hebe: Little Amaya and saw that two people had already left reviews, unasked!!!!

In my personal life, this year has been up and down, which has occasionally made for stress when it comes to my writing deadlines, but doing the actual writing and seeing people's responses has been nothing but pure pleasure.  It has definitely made my life this year easier, especially when things are getting me down, to be able to go on facebook, my blog, or anywhere else, say what's going on, and receive such understanding and support from everyone.

Thank you all so much for being such wonderful fans and for keeping me going throughout the year!  I do love writing so much, but having a great audience is like making regular ice cream into a hot fudge sundae =)

I hope everyone in the US has a great holiday weekend and everyone outside of the US has a great weekend!!!!

Friday, November 11, 2016

New Dark Angel Release: Hebe - Little Amaya

I have another new release!

This one is only available on Amazon so that it can be read through Kindle Unlimited and is under my Dark Angel penname =)  It's the second book in the Planets Apart series and my first attempt at age-play!  I had a LOT of fun writing it and I hope you all enjoy reading it.  Let me know what you think!



Amaya has always felt deprived of a real childhood. Her parents were more interested in social status and their business than anything else, and she and her siblings were expected to fall in line. From watching her friends, Amaya knows her childhood wasn't normal and so when she reads about the prison planet Hebe where nonviolent criminals can choose to be sent, she's immediately interested. Hebe sounds like exactly what she wants - she can have a second childhood and still all the fun, sexy parts of being an adult.

Unfortunately for Amaya, she didn't read the fine print, and her new Papa and Nanny are much stricter than she ever imagined they would be. 

This book is approx. 45k words and contains spankings, age-play, lots of sex, paddling, caning, enemas, one stubborn little girl and one hot, alpha man with a soft spot.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Contest Winner & Stuff

Congratulations to Barbara Evans who won the drawing!  I put all the names of everyone who left me a review and sent me a request to be entered into a random picking generator... I think I'm going to start doing this more often, because it's a nice way to be able to give back a little to the people who write me reviews =)  I super appreciate the reviews any time... they really do make a big difference for any author, even if it's just a short line or two.

I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying Bound to the Past!  I had a lot of fun writing it and trying to do something different with the whole "couple with bad breakup in the past get back together" story line.  And trying to do something different with Andrew's man-whoriness.  lol.

Right now I'm on the last chapter of my next Dark Angel book, the second book in the Planets Apart series, and that should be out later this month.  YAY!

Then I'll be diving straight into Lydia's Penance.  I'd really like to finish it and have it out before Christmas, but that might be asking a lot.  If not, it'll be out in January.

I'm still just super behind on everything... *sigh*  Trying hard to catch up though.

I'm working on about three other things behind the scenes too.  UGH.  At some point I'm going to need to slow down... I'm just not sure when.  LOL.  Really, I just need to get some things finished so that I can focus better.  Right now I'm all scattered.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Review Contest!

Thank you everyone who is reading Bound to the Past!  I hope you're enjoying it =)

This book, instead of just encouraging reviews, I'm offering incentive too!

I'm going to do a drawing on November 1 for a free copy of your choice - the next Stronghold book or the next Bridal Discipline book.

If you can't get Bound to the Past yet or aren't sure you'll be able to finish it or review it in time for the contest, you can post a new review for ANY of my books.  However, you are entered twice into the contest if post the review for Bound to the Past =)  No it doesn't have to be a glowing review, critical reviews are also welcome!

Once your review is posted, just email me at goldeniangel@gmail.com or comment on this blog post and let me know what name your review is under and what platform it's on (Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc.) - and what book you reviewed - and I'll put your name in the contest!

So you have until November 1 to get your review in and I'll be doing the drawing that evening =)

Good luck and THANK YOU!

Friday, October 14, 2016

New Release - Bound to the Past

That's right!  Bound to the Past is finally released on all platforms!!!

It's going to be $2.99 for this first week since I didn't manage to get it up for pre-order and then the price will jump to $3.99 on October 21 so get it now!


Kate came back into Andrew's life like a blast from the past - a past that he thought he'd gotten over, but the effects of which he'd never quite managed to escape.  They were young, they were in love, and he lost control for one instant, and that instant changed the course of their lives.

Now he wants to make things right and put the past behind him, but in order to do that he needs closure and Kate's the only one who can give it to him.  Of course, once they start spending more time together in the present, it starts to become clear that maybe he's not quite as ready to put their past away entirely.

Ever since her return to Maryland, Kate hasn't been sure how to feel about her ex-boyfriend.  She hated who he became while she was gone, but she can see him starting to change again and she likes the man that he's become over the past few months.  He's different, but the same, and when she agrees to scene with him again, she decides she's not going to close herself off to the possibility of reconciliation.

However, the incident that shattered their past is now threatening their future together, making it harder for them to move forward from where they were.  They have to decide whether or not they're going to try get their happily-ever-after, and if so, they're going to have to do what they didn't do before and fight for each other.


This is part of the Stronghold series and can be read on its own, although is more satisfying when read as part of the series.  The book is approximately 87k words and includes BDSM, whipping, spanking, kinky sex, alpha males, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.



Thursday, September 15, 2016

Bound to the Past Cover Reveal!

So, sadly, RaineyCloud9 is no longer able to do my covers (sending her good thoughts for a speedy recovery and well wishes in life!), but I do have a cover reveal for Bound to the Past!  She did some of the work on it and then it was finished by photoarenaa on fiverr.com.


Sooooo good news and bad news.

The bad news:  I'm going out of town next week.  Hubby and I will have been married for 5 years on the 24th and we're going to Vegas and Phoenix!  However, I was really hoping to have Bound finished before we left so that I could let the beta readers have at it, come home, do the editing, and have it out by the 30th.  While my writing pace HAS picked up substantially, I don't think I'm going to be done before we go.  I will be bringing my laptop with me, but I'm not sure how much downtime I"ll have for writing, considering.  I might be finishing up editing, etc. the first week of October rather than the last week of September =/

The good news:  My writing pace has picked up substantially.  I'm just finished another chapter and I'm more than halfway through the book.  I'm also REALLY happy with the story.  I love what's going on with Andrew and Kate and giving them their HEA has been both difficult and incredibly satisfying.  Writing a "break up and get back together years later" story has been challenging, but I'm having so much fun with it.

That's where I'm at right now.  I think therapy is helping a lot.  I'm getting back on track on a lot of things in my life, including writing.  I wish I'd gone back to my therapist earlier, but we can only really go forward from here.  I feel much more myself though and happy to be back, although definitely feeling the deadline pressure!!! Trying to get as much writing done as I can before I leave next Wednesday.  If anyone's flying to Vegas that day, check the laptop of the women around you, maybe you can get a sneak peek of the story as I'm writing it! hahahahahaha

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

All the Pretty Things

I'm in the mood to ramble a bit!

My bestie got engaged over the holiday weekend.  SO happy for her.  It's kind of fun because I based a lot of Kate on her and Andrew has slowly become more and more like her fiance, so that's just enjoyable.  Even though they don't have the relationship that Kate and Andrew do, a lot of personality points are the same.

I went to my first therapy appointment in four years last night and all I can think is that I really wish I'd done that sooner.  I haven't been feeling like myself for a while.  There's just all these outside stresses that have been slowly piling on and I've been feeling more and more overwhelmed... and I deal with it by distracting myself and having fun, but I'm also off-center.  Which also means I haven't been getting as much writing done as I might like.  I've been doing a LOT of reading though.  Escapism at its best.

If anyone likes mysteries and romance, but doesn't care about the erotic parts, Amanda M. Lee has a new book in her Avery Shaw series out, and it's DELIGHTFUL.  I love almost everything she writes (I'm not a huge fan of Covenant College, but everything else is so much yes).  Eventually I'd love to write some first person mystery stuff.  I actually have a book (paranormal mystery in first person) that I wrote ages ago before I start publishing on amazon, but I want to makes some changes to it and I want to finish up the Stronghold series first.  Trying to do one thing at a time.  It's not always easy.

Speaking of not doing one thing at a time, I have a new story up on Literotica called Full Obedience.  It was a reader request that I really enjoyed writing.  A little bit out of my comfort zone, because I don't write often about people getting it on outside of their relationship, but it was kind of fun to do a bit of hot-wife BDSM stuff.  And it was nice to get something up on Lit again, that's not part of a series.  I've been struggling with writing in general lately, but hoping to change that!  I really do feel a LOT better after my therapy appointment, even though we didn't get to talk about everything I wanted to talk about, but just knowing that I'm going back again next week is super helpful.

I'm hoping to be able to kick it into high gear for Bound to the Past.  I'd really like to finish it before the end of this month, which will be a bit hard because hubby and I are going to Sin City for our 5 year wedding anniversary (WOOT VEGAS!), but I'm going to try!

I'm just behind behind behind... *sigh*  On everything.  Working on getting back on top of things.  I sent another chapter for Bound to the beta readers last night and my goal is to get another one to them by tomorrow.  If I can do every other day, that would be FANTASTIC.  Or even every day.  We'll have to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep trying to write some stuff for Lit when I have brain blocks.  It does help me to get out of my head sometimes.  Cleansing of the mental palate if you will.

I've got a cover reveal coming for Bound soon =)  Unfortunately RaineyCloud9 is no longer able to do my covers, which makes me INCREDIBLY sad and I will miss her.  This will be my first cover without her.  So far I haven't decided on a permanent replacement, but I am mostly happy with the new cover... probably gonna try someone else for the next cover though.  Fussy me.  It's just hard to replace perfection!

Anyway.  I hope everyone's doing well!  I'm trying to get back to my old self, which includes updating the blog and other social media more often with what's going on.  So next week - cover reveal!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Bound to the Past Teaser

I asked on Facebook whether people wanted the first Bound to the Past teaser to be from the past or from the present, and 99% said past.  I wasn't that surprised LOL.  

I had hoped to have the book out by now, but I've fallen very behind on pretty much everything in life ever since my grandfather passed away.  Some of it's trouble with motivation, some of it is that I fell behind and then with every new thing that I need to do, I end up falling even further behind.  Kind of sucks.  The good news is that I found my old therapist still practicing and am setting up an appointment for next week.  Lately I feel like I'm kind of in a fog most of the time and I need to get out of it and get back into really being me and getting the things done that I want to get done.  The other good news is that I'm somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way finished with Bound to the Past and I'm pretty sure I'll have it out by the end of September - although I will not be putting it up for pre-order, because I'm too far behind.  Going back to the old way of doing things until I can catch up!

I did manage to finish a story for Literotica yesterday, so keep an eye out for a new story by me in the next few days on there.  To demonstrate how foggy I am - I can't remember what I ended up calling it, but I do think it's one of the better stories I've put up on the site recently.  

Anyway.  What you really want - teaser.  Unedited.

Enjoy.


Prologue
"Yes, yes, yes, please, more!"
She arched her back, thrusting out her shoulders and her bottom as the whip fell.  Each time it landed, pain slashed through her, followed quickly by a pleasurable high that sent her soaring.  Her pussy throbbed around the vibrator inside of it, set on low, tormenting her with its minimal stimulation.  That torment only added to the arousal pulsing through her.
The whip slashed upwards, across her buttocks, and she shuddered with the sheer, sinful pleasure of it.  She felt like she was lost in an erotic haze, a head space that she only reached during a thorough whipping.  The pain was addictive, explosive, mingling with rising ecstasy.  She relished it even as it burned and stung her nerve endings.  
"More... please... harder..."
Pain sliced, agony flared across her shoulders.  Yes.
"Please..."
"Jesus Christ, Kathy!"  
Hands fumbled around her, a panicked voice, her limbs suddenly coming from from the wooden St. Andrew's Cross she was bound to.  
"No!"  She clung to the wood, not willing to relinquish the moment, not wanting to return yet - her craving hadn't been satisfied, her need not fulfilled.  They couldn't stop now!
"I'm sorry, Kathy, I'm so sorry...  Jesus Christ, you're bleeding."
Andy's panic finally registered in her brain, followed by his words.  Bleeding?  She was bleeding?  There was liquid running down her back.  Her blood?  The fog in her mind turned to glass and shattered, sending her crashing back to reality.  The endorphins that had protected her suddenly weren't enough.  The pain was agonizing - a single cut across her shoulders that did more than burn. 
She whimpered, clinging to her boyfriend's strong arms as he helped her down from the cross, her legs unable to support her.  The couch suddenly loomed in front of her and he helped her down on it, on her stomach.
Bleeding?
"Fuck, fuck, fuck..."  Andy's sheer dismay and horror made her want to shrivel in on herself.  "I shouldn't have... not this hard.  This was too hard, Kathy, we shouldn't have... fuck..."
Humiliation seared her, making her shrink in further as she felt his gentle hands pressing something soft against her back, in an effort to stop the bleeding.  She asked for it.  Wanted it.  But... Andy thought it was wrong.  The bleeding bothered her a little, but she'd wanted that pain... needed it.  She'd needed more.  She felt so empty inside now, aching from the lack of satisfaction and from his disapproval.  
"I'm sorry... I'm going to - just stay here."
His panic didn't detract from the dominance in his voice, the expectation that she would follow his command.  And she did, feeling lost and confused, grateful for the order that allowed her to remain in place, trying to understand what was wrong with her that she could be bleeding and still not feel complete.
Andy came back, it seemed only moments later to her fuzzy brain.  Something cold pressed against the burning slash on her back, making her squeal. 
"Sorry, sunshine, I'm so sorry... Fuck, I can't believe I did this."
The pain in his voice made her heart hurt.  She reached out, blinking as she tried to focus on him.  Coffee colored skin, black hair, eyes so dark brown they looked black.  Filled with worry and guilt.
"Shhh, it's okay, I told you to, I wanted you to."  She patted his leg, trying to comfort him.
"You can't have wanted this... fuck, this is just wrong.  It's sick.  I made you bleed."
Wrong.  She was wrong.  Sick.  Because she had wanted it.  Wouldn't have called a stop to it.  The pain had been so delicious, made her feel so euphoric.  She wouldn't have stopped  him even if she'd realized she was bleeding.  She'd wanted more.  Heaven help her she still did.  
There was something wrong with her.  
She whimpered.
"Sorry, sunshine, I'm sorry, fuck... I think we need to take you to the hospital."
"No!  No hospital!"  They would have to explain how she'd been hurt.  They would call her in case of emergency number.  They'd tell her parents what she and Andrew were doing.  No, no, no, no...
"You're not thinking straight, Kathy, you were in subspace and now you're dropping-"
"No, promise me, no hospital!  I won't go, I won't!" She started to thrash, and he pressed his hand down on her lower back. 
"Okay, okay... stop moving, no hospital... fuck."

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

What Rude Waitstaff?

Ok seriously... HUGE pet peeve of mine when I'm reading a book - the rude waitress who completely ignores the heroine, heavily flirts with the hero who (somehow) is completely oblivious, and is occasionally outright nasty to the heroine.

No.  JUST NO.

First of all, I've never seen this happen.  Ever.  I spent years working in the restaurant industry.  I have friends who still work in the restaurant industry.  I have never seen / heard of this happening.  I've never talked to anyone to whom this has happened or even seen anything on Facebook about this happening... so why the heck does it happen in like, every other romance novel?  As if this is somehow common?

A server might flirt, if they think that the person they're flirting with is single, but no one is going to jeopardize their tip money just because someone is hot.  Tip money is INCOME.  Servers don't make that much.  Income is important.  Insulting a chick who is out with a hot guy is not as important as rent, food, utilities, etc.  Not even to the younger servers who are still living with their parents or going to school.  They are working for a reason, and it's not just for fun.  Jeopardizing that, especially by being awful enough that a manager should really be called over, is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Also, as an aside, if you're ever out with someone, and the server DOES completely ignore you and act like a total jerk, and your date "doesn't notice," ditch the date.  Because they should notice if you're being completely ignored or if the server is being rude to you.

But it won't happen.  Because it doesn't happen.

Do you have any idea how many hot men I served every day in the restaurant?  Plenty of whom were single and wanted my number?

Besides which, TIP MONEY.  No one's going to jeopardize their income to flirt with a dude, who will probably then leave a shitty tip because you've been rude to his girlfriend.  Or sister.  Or friend.  Or whatever.

It's one of the stupidest romance tropes and it drives me nuts.

On to my own writing... Bound to the Past is going slowly but surely.  Real life has settled a bit and so I have more time to write.  Yay!  =)  I'm really enjoying Kate and Andrew and getting into both their past and their present.  They're fascinating to me, especially because they really did both get over each other and yet they're still connected and have all this past history, and new feelings for each other.  So much is the same and yet different.

It's fun =)

So that's what's going on with me now... ranting and writing WOOT!

Thursday, July 21, 2016

UGH Stupid Block

I haven't written a blog in a while, but I have writer's block right now so I figured I'd try to break through it on here... ramble a little, see if anything sparks.

Currently working on Bound to the Past, the next book in the Stronghold series, aka Andrew and Kate's story, aka my first ever exes getting back together story.

It's hard.

Not because the characters are hard.  Nope.  They're great.  Love them.  Know exactly what I want to do with them.  Fleshing it out... hard.

The prologue flowed soooooo easily.  I've been waiting so long to write that scene!  Well, series of scenes.  It's a bit difficult because I've dropped so many hints about what went down between them, but my vision of what happened between them has changed drastically since I first started writing the series.

I knew what I didn't want.

I didn't want this to be a "one person is to blame for everything" kind of breakup.  I didn't want there to be any stupid miscommunications or misunderstandings or people not talking to each other because they're too prideful (aka don't actually care enough).  I didn't want this to be a case where someone is clearly in the wrong - even if it appears that way initially.

I didn't want a book where both of them have been in love with each other for years and can't find anyone else.  Nope.  Just a heads up, if you're hoping for a "I've never loved anyone like you and never will again" type of book, this isn't it.  Both of them have moved on and gotten over each other, although Andrew's never quite gotten over his issues surrounding their breakup.  Kate's done a better job with that, but she's still got some baggage too.  This isn't going to be a reconnecting, "we're going to fix things now because we could have never loved anyone but each other."  Mostly because I don't believe in that.  I've been in love with two men in my life, passionately and desperately, fortunately at different times.  One of those relationships worked out, but the first one didn't.  And for a long time, I believed the whole "I'll never love anyone like I loved him" and "you never get over your first love" thing.  I mean, no I won't love anyone like I loved him and thank goodness for that, because it wasn't super healthy and I wouldn't want my relationships to be the same.  Since he was my first love and I am definitely over him (you couldn't pay me to get back together with him, but I do enjoy running into him at mutual friends' gatherings and knowing that he's doing well and is happy), I know that it's possible.

I didn't want a book about love lasting over time when there's no connection between the two characters.  Sure, nostalgia lasts, caring lasts, but real love?  With no communication and no longer knowing the person?  Yeah, that's not realistic.  Not when the timeline is years.

I wanted a book about falling in love a second time with the same person.  The same person, but a person who has changed.  Who has grown.  It's not the same relationship.  I wanted roadblocks where there were none before, I wanted struggling to understand the changes their partner has gone through.  New issues, new relationship, same people.

The prologue and the first couple of chapters were so easy.  The just floooowed.  Now I'm to Andrew and Kate trying to scene at Stronghold again and I'm hitting a few roadblocks myself.  Not sure why.  Haven't even gotten them to the private room yet.  But it's like, I write a few paragraphs and then I just... *brain fizzle*

So I'll step away and work on something else for a bit.  Mostly another title for Dark Angel.  But even there, I write maybe 2 or 3 times as much as I do for Andrew and Kate and then... *brain fizzle*

So I'll take a break, start reading something, and then my brain starts working over time and I start figuring out all these things that I'm going to write for Andrew and Kate if I can just get past this ONE DAMN SCENE.

*sigh*

Stupid brain.

Okay, my fingers are feeling a little more interested in working now that I've vented a bit and gotten kind of in the mood for writing.  Let's see if I can't get more than just a couple paragraphs done!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

New Release - Gabrielle's Discipline!

It's up!  It's here!  Enjoy!




To escape the scandal of trying to elope with an unworthy man, Gabrielle finds herself married to the man she loves - a charming rake and her guardian's best friend, Mr. Felix Hood. He's the third son of a Viscount, he's darkly handsome, and he's in love with her stepmother. Or so she thinks. 

Felix Hood had been fighting the urge to be leg shackled ever since he met Gabrielle Astley, but once her honor was at stake, he knew he'd rather die then allow her to marry someone else. He's not a perfect man, and he has no experience with being in a relationship, but he's determined to make his marriage work, even if he has to spank his fiery bride daily to do so. 

They retreat to the countryside immediately following their wedding, where Felix hopes to strengthen their relationship before they return to London for the end of the Season. To his delight, Gabrielle turns out to be everything he'd hoped in private - he's submissive, passionate, and responds beautifully to even his darkest desires. But what will happen when they return to London Society? 

Gabrielle is determined to replace her stepmother in Felix's affections. She's been through a multitude of changes in her life, none of which have ended particularly happily for her, but she has to make one last try - because, after all, she's married to him for better or worse, till death do them part. To her surprise, once they're alone, he seems to return her regard and she blossoms under his discipline and care... but will he still feel the same when he's faced with Cordelia, Gabrielle's stepmother again? 

Step into a world of alpha males, spankings, very steamy situations, and domestic discipline. Gabrielle's Discipline is approximately 90k words and is a standalone within a series, complete with a HEA for the couple. 

Gabrielle and Felix's story began in Philip's Rules and was further explored in Undisciplined, however it is not necessary to read either book to enjoy this one (although it is encouraged for a deeper understanding of the characters).

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Pre-Order Now! - Gabrielle's Discipline



Yay!  Gabrielle's Discipline is now available for Pre-order on Amazon =)  It will release on June 25 everywhere.  After release, the price will go up to $3.99.  On Smashwords and Barnes & Noble it will be $2.99 for the first week and then go up after that (since I can't do pre-orders there).  Basically I'm trying to keep the price the same for my loyal fans who follow my social media and so are the first to know when a new book comes out, even though I'm increasing the prices of my books this year.  So pre-order and get a deal!

I'm super excited to finally be able to share this book with you... Gabrielle has been one of the hardest characters to write.  First because she was so mean.  Then because I discovered she was so sad.  And then because she's very moody lol.  I had a lot of fun with her in the end though, and I especially enjoyed Felix becoming exasperated along with me at all her mood swings and antics.  Although, sometimes I felt like kicking him too.  He's possibly one of the most clueless alpha males I've ever had the pleasure of writing, and I do feel like that's a good thing.  He's very real to me, in large part because he struggles with the relationship and Gabrielle.  My alpha males aren't perfect and I love them for that, because they're willing to admit it and keep trying to become better.

I'm knee deep in editing right now to get the final draft submitted by the deadline, and really looking forward to this one coming out!


Monday, May 23, 2016

Rolling rolling rolling

keep them doggies rolling...

rawhide...

Yeah, don't know why that's stuck in my head.  Maybe because things are rolling along pretty well here =)

ANYWAY.  Just wanted to do a little update-poo.

I am finally feeling 100% like myself again.  Still missing my grandfather but I'm past the worst of my grief and, well, I never want to stop missing him so that's okay.

I'm hard at work on Gabrielle's Discipline and I'm 90% sure that it will be out for pre-order by the end of May! YAY!  So I'm only going to be about 15 days behind where I wanted to be and that's pretty good.

Gabrielle is... well, let's just say I've never had a character make me cry so much.  I didn't mean for her to be so sad.  I keep having to remind myself that she's also still pretty selfish, not very nice, and doesn't have to act out the way that she does... but at the same time I just want to hug the crap out of her!  I cried all through the scene I wrote on Friday (looking forward to sending that to the beta readers tonight lol).  Of course, I'm a little more emotional lately anyway, but still.

RaineyCloud9 has done a gorgeous promo for me and I should have a cover reveal later this week!



I'm going to try to get another story done for Lit this month.  I'm trying to get at least one done a month.  None of what I'm writing there is going to be very plot heavy for a while though... things are too heavy in book world lol.  I need the Lit stories to be nice and light by contrast so that my brain doesn't explode ;)

And once I'm finally done with Gabrielle's Discipline, I'll be moving back to Stronghold for Andrew and Kate's story in Bound to the Past.  Which... is also going to be kind of emotional.  WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?! lol.  I'm really looking forward to it though.  This will be my first chance at second chance love!  Which, I usually don't enjoy books about second chance love all that much, so this is my challenge... writing one that I like lol.  I'm looking forward to getting back into Stronghold, as much fun as I've had in the Bridal Discipline world for a bit.

For those keeping track at home, Stronghold only has a few more books left!  Bound to the Past, Stripping the Sub, Tempting the Domme, and Hardcore Vanilla ;)  After that, I do have a novella quartet that I want to write in that world, but I don't know if I'm going to jump right into them or not.  As much as I love writing series, it does limit me on what I can write and I'd like to try writing in a different genre for a bit!  Maybe something in space...

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Gabrielle's Discipline Teaser

So, I was aiming to get Gabrielle's Discipline completed and up for pre-order by May 15... however, my grandfather passed away last week and I pretty much spent the entire week grieving and with family, doing all the things that are done.  I'm getting back into the swing of writing now, but obviously I'm a week behind where I thought I would be at this point.  I'm still aiming to have it up for pre-order by the end of this month.

In the meantime... enjoy an unedited teaser =)

Leaving Dunbury house was much harder than Gabrielle had anticipated.  She'd already said farewell to Arabella after the wedding breakfast, hugging her friendly tightly and exchanging promises to write.  Arabella had mourned the loss of Gabrielle at her side for the Season. 
"Now I'll be trapped with all the ninnies who just want to speak with me in hopes of an introduction to him," she pouted, jerking her head at her brother, the Duke.  The Duke just raised an eyebrow at her and turned back to the Marquess and Cordelia to say something.  "Stodgy bore," Arabella muttered.  She pulled Gabrielle in for another tight hug.  "When you get back, you must tell me all about it.  Perhaps you should take notes so that you don't forget anything important."
Trust Arabella to make her laugh, even at a moment such as this!  Gabrielle clung just as tightly to her friend.
"Maybe it won't be very impressive," Gabrielle murmured back, hiding her real fear, which was that Mr. Hood wouldn't be interested in doing it with her.  Although, from what she'd heard, men didn't need to feel any emotion with the woman they did it with.  Otherwise, they wouldn't go through so many mistresses.  And Mr. Hood was a rake.  He must have done it with countless women.
Which just made her feel sick and sad again.  She really must push past these emotions that bubbled up when it came to him.  
Giggling, Arabella whispered back. "Well then you must tell me all about how disappointing it was."
"What are you two talking about?" The Duke of Manchester's voice was full of suspicion - as well it might be - as he loomed over them.  They broke apart, Gabrielle now giggling as well, a nervous burble of laughter that felt perilously close to hysterics.  Arabella's brother was an imposing figure with his meticulously styled dark brown hair and brooding eyes; every inch of him was pressed, starched, and - as Arabella would say - stodgy.  Although he was certainly handsome enough to be a rake, and had the supreme confidence of one, he lacked the air of danger.  There was something very safe about him, as if he exuded honor from his every pore.
It was a sad joke on him that he was responsible for a high-spirited, mischievous, little imp like Arabella.  While they looked very alike in facial features and coloring, they were nothing alike in temperament or spirit.  Arabella had been an eager accomplice to Gabrielle's romantic misadventures since her come-out, just for the delight of making mischief and so that she could badger Gabrielle for the details at a later date.  She was very cynical about her own suitors and their supposed romantic interest in her.  
"I was just wishing Gabrielle well on her journey," Arabella said, batting her eyes up at her brother in a way that she probably thought made her look innocent.  Gabrielle had discovered very early on that Arabella was a terrible liar.  However, she was stubborn enough to just keep silent about a secret once it was told to her, no matter what dire threats her brother might rain down upon her head.  Arabella shook her brown curls at the Duke.  "You have no faith in me, brother."
"I have no reason to, sister," the Duke said dryly.  His gaze moved to Gabrielle's face and his stern countenance softened.  "Do have a good journey though, Mrs. Hood."
Gabrielle jerked, a kind of shock going through her as she was addressed by her new name for the first time.  
"Oh that does sound strange!"  Walter Hood, her new brother-in-law jostled in to give Gabrielle a buss on the cheek.  She smiled at him, although weakly.  She got along quite well with both of her new brothers-in-law; they were just as charming and handsome as he was, although for some reason they'd never made her heart race like her new husband did.  "Mrs. Hood, my sister-in-law.  Who'd have thought Felix would be the first to tie the knot?" 
"Anyone who's met us knows that I'm the mature one," her Mr. Hood said, stepping up beside Gabrielle and putting his arm around her, tugging her against him.  She looked up at him in a kind of shock; the movement had been strangely akin to one she'd seen the Marquess use on Cordelia when one of his friends was flirting with her. 
He was giving his brother a dark glare, the way Arabella often did when challenging her brother.  Gabrielle had watched the way the sibling relationships worked and she could tell when they were teasing each other and when they were in earnest.  This was teasing but... with an edge that wasn't normally present.  
Perhaps now that she was his wife, he felt possessive of her?
It shouldn't make her feel happy, but it did.  Just a little.  At least he wanted her in some way, considered her to be his, and put a small importance on her person.  That was more than she'd expected.
"It's time we were off," he announced, tugging her towards the front door of Dunbury house where the carriage was waiting outside.  Arabella had been her last - and longest - farewell.  "We have a ways to go today, but we can be there before nightfall if we make good time."
"I sent a runner ahead to inform mother that you're coming," the eldest Mr. Hood said with a grin.  He was the most serious of the three brothers, probably because he was the heir to the Viscountcy, so Gabrielle was unsurprised he'd taken responsibility for such an important chore.  "I wish I could be there to see how you're received."
"I'll just bet you do," Mr. Hood muttered as he escorted Gabrielle out of the door.
She almost balked at the precipice, but there was really nothing to do but allow him to lead her to the carriage and help her in.  For all that she'd hated Dunbury House when she'd first arrived, hated how out of place she'd felt, how alone, now all she wanted to do was turn round and barricade herself behind the door. 
Why hadn't she thought through the wider implications of what might happen if her plan failed?  Although, even when her thoughts had touched on it - during those few times she'd allowed herself to think of failure - she had never imagined that Mr. Hood might put himself forward to save her.  At worst, she thought she'd be dismissed to the countryside, to live out her days in seclusion.  It would mean giving up the excitement and events in London, but she'd quickly found that such things didn't mean as much to her as she'd thought they would.
While she'd enjoyed having suitors, loved the flowers and poems showered upon her, especially appreciated her friendship with Arabella, and had even begun to value her relationship with Cordelia and the Marquess, it had all paled when she'd realized that her suitors were probably more interested in her dowry and connections than in her, and that her... attraction to Mr. Hood was not reciprocated.  The situation had become intolerable when she'd realized that his regard was for Cordelia, and that living in Dunbury House meant being forced to watch him fawn over her stepmother constantly.
And now he was her husband.
Gabrielle's pace slowed as they neared the carriage; she felt as though the air was made of molasses.  Of all the changes her life had gone through, this had to be the most frightening.  Her breath caught in her throat as panic welled.  
Her new husband relinquished her hand to wrap his arm around her waist, driving her inexorably forward.

"It's too late to change your mind," he whispered in her ear, his voice harsh.  Gabrielle blinked back tears that threatened, unable to reply, because she knew that if she tried to speak she'd burst into tears and she certainly wasn't willing to let him see her do that.  "Into the carriage."

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Happy Release Day! - Undisciplined

Hooray!!! So for everyone who wanted to know what was going on between Gabrielle and Felix during Philip's Rules, here is Undisciplined!  You do not need to read the former to enjoy the latter, or to enjoy Gabrielle's Discipline when it comes out.  This is definitely just a bonus book.  But I think it's a fun bonus book and a good one =)  My beta readers enjoyed getting to know Gabrielle better and, seeing things from her side, they all said they felt more sympathetic towards her bad behavior in Philip's Rules.  I had a lot of fun writing it.  I really enjoy Gabrielle and Felix and I'm having a good time writing their story now... I think this little bonus novella adds a lot even if it isn't a necessary read.

I hope everyone enjoys!!! Remember, the nicest thing you can do for an author is to let me know if you enjoyed it by leaving a review! =)

It's currently up on Amazon and Smashwords, and I will let you all know when Barnes & Noble releases as well =)


Gabrielle Astley is quite used to being an afterthought, a burden, a nuisance. As the only child - and a useless female one at that - to a Baron, she was both spoiled materially and neglected emotionally. After her father's death, his third wife and her stepmother is remarried, to the stern and cold Marquess of Dunbury. Since the new Baron wants nothing to do with Gabrielle, the Marquess is her new guardian and Gabrielle finds herself in London, receiving her debut. Despite this turn of events, she can't quite shake her spite of her stepmother, and her attitude lands her into hot water and her first spanking at the hand of her guardian. 

The Marquess seems eager to marry her off, and Gabrielle has no objection to that goal. London has everything she ever wanted - glamour, excitement, and, for some reason, quite a few people actually seem to like and take an interest in her. When the Marquess' best friend, the rakish Felix Hood becomes one of those people, Gabrielle finds herself hoping for more than just a standard ton marriage... until she begins to realize that he's not interested in her for herself, and his interest may actually be in someone close to her. 

Felix Hood had no thoughts of settling down in marriage - as the youngest of three brothers, he should be the last to wed. However, when he meets his best friend Philip's new ward and is tasked with the duty of helping guard her against any unsavory suitors (as well as guarding Philip's new wife from Miss Astley's waspish tongue), he can't help but be entranced by her. She's not the usual milk and water miss that is served up to the gentlemen of the tongue; she's prickly, funny, and has a touch of sadness in her eyes that he longs to discover the cause of so that he may vanquish it. But he's not convinced he's ready for marriage, and his hesitation over formally courting her leads Miss Astley to turn to her other suitors, making him wonder if she's really worth the chase. 

This novella was written at the request of readers who wanted to know what was happening between Felix and Gabrielle during Book 1 of the Bridal Discipline series, however it is not necessary to read Philip's Rules in order to enjoy this novella, nor is it necessary to read this novella in order to enjoy the upcoming Gabrielle's Discipline. It's just a bonus novella for enjoyment and to fulfill reader's curiosity. 

Undisciplined is approximately 30k words and contains hot alpha males, domestic discipline, and steamy sexual situations.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Undisciplined Teaser

Can't wait to share Undisciplined with everyone!!! Only 10 more days till it's out =)  If you haven't gotten the special pre-order price, now's the time!  It's first few days up on Barnes & Noble and Smashwords it will only be 99 cents on those platforms for long-time Angel fans before the price goes up there too =)

In the meantime, here's a little teaser from it...

Her first kiss left Gabrielle breathless.
In part, because she thought she'd never have one.  It was clear that the Marquess wanted her to marry, but at the same time, he'd made it nearly impossible for her to truly be courted.  Gabrielle's every movement was tracked, by him, his cousins, and - of course - Mr. Hood.  Whom she still determinedly thought of as Mr. Hood, now that she’d realized his attempt at closeness by giving her leave to use his Christian name had meant nothing. 
She'd almost been taken in by his apology and his charm until she'd discovered that he was one of her 'guards.'  Of course the Marquess had asked his best friend to keep an eye on her for the Season.  
It had hurt a great deal, because for a very short time, she'd actually thought that Mr. Hood had been interested in her for her.  When she'd realized he wasn't, it had also made clear to her what a little fool she'd been.  So she'd thrown herself into the attentions of her suitors, and she'd been quite taken with Mr. Pressen.
He was blonde and tall, slim instead of muscular, and wrote her the most romantic letters.  They’d been corresponding for two weeks now and he sent her bouquets daily.  He wasn’t the only one whom she received daily bouquets from, but off all her suitors he was also the boldest.  When they danced, he whispered how he longed to kiss her, to touch her.  He excited her with little caresses that no one noticed.  It was wrong of them, she knew, but also terribly exciting.  
Mostly, his obvious interest helped to balm the wound her childish hopes had suffered in regards to Mr. Hood.
So, with the help of Arabella, who was thrilled by the romantic adventure, Gabrielle had snuck away to meet Mr. Pressen alone, away from the ballroom.  They’d been writing back and forth for a while, although he only occasionally approached her in the ballrooms since her guards were ever alert, and she was both flattered and excited by his attentions.  Going into a dark room with him seemed like an utterly romantic adventure.  While she could still hear the sounds of merriment, the library was utterly deserted but for her and Mr. Pressen.
His lips were firm and gentle, his hands cupping her face, one of them sliding to the back of her neck and making her gasp as his fingers trailed over her collarbone.  As she did so, his tongue slid into her mouth, shocking her.  He tasted of brandy and chocolate, and she felt her curiosity grow as his tongue stroked hers.  This was an entirely new world for her.  It wasn’t unpleasant, although she didn’t quite feel the same excitement that she’d expected to.  Since it was her first, of course it wasn’t exciting, but it seemed to be missing a certain… spark.  Perhaps her imagination had gotten away with her.  It was a very nice kiss after all.
The kiss deepened and she moved closer to him, her lips clinging to his as they explored each other's mouths.
When the door slammed open, she nearly bit his tongue.
"Gabrielle!"
"Fe- Mr. Hood!"  She gasped out, her heart pounding with the knowledge that she'd just been caught... and also fury at who had interrupted her first, magical kiss.  The bounder was standing in the doorway, brow furrowed in fury, eyes ablaze, and with an expression she’d never seen before on his face.
"Ah, Hood," Mr. Pressen rumbled, releasing Gabrielle from his hold and giving him a kind of companionable grin.  "Room's taken, as you can see, if you're-"
With a dull roar, Mr. Hood bounded forward, slamming the door shut behind him, looking like the very devil with his black eyes afire.  He slammed his fist into Mr. Pressen's jaw, knocking him down with one blow, and Gabrielle clapped her hands over her mouth to smother her scream.  She was completely shell shocked as Mr. Hood grabbed her arm and dragged her out to the hallway.
“Mr. Hood-
“Not. One. Word.”  It sounded like he was forcing the words out through his teeth.
“Please… Felix-”
“Don’t you dare call me that right now!”
Gabrielle’s lips clamped shut.  Damn him, damn him to hell and back for ruining her night.  Her kiss.  Even worse, she couldn’t help but examine him for signs that perhaps he was jealous… that maybe his anger stemmed from something more than duty… but then he just handed her off to the Marquess with a succinct account of “what he’d found,” which made her roll her eyes, and then he’d followed them to the carriage, but hadn’t gotten in with them.  He didn’t even said goodbye to her, just to the Marquess and Cordelia.
And on top of all that, she already knew she was going to be ending her evening with a spanking.

Bloody hell.