Milk And Cookies And Handcuffs - SMP Blog Tour

Happy New Year! Welcome to BRB, sweeties. To help me kick off 2013, author Erik Moore is here from Storm Moon Press, and he's brought along the SMP Blog Tour. After you read his interview and a naughty excerpt from his newest release, there's a GIVEAWAY! So make sure to read the instructions and click on the links for more information! You might win!

Tell us about yourself, Erik.

I'm a male, mid-30s, bisexual, polyamorous switch with impulse control issues and delusions of adequacy. I'm also a tremendous geek.

Where and/or how do you find the greatest inspiration?

Thus far, my greatest inspirations have come from a desire to see more characters like myself in fiction. So many times, I've read or seen stories where the conflict could have been resolved in minutes if bisexuality or polyamory were on the table, and it's frustrated me again and again to see those aspects of my identity scrubbed out of popular media.

What made you chose to write contemporary BDSM literature in particular? And, is there any other genre you'd like to write? And, if so, why?

I don't approach my fiction as "erotic literature", separate from any other genre considerations. I write in multiple genres―contemporary, sci-fi, urban fantasy, etc―and introduce erotic elements into those stories when appropriate. I don't consider myself setting out to write erotica; I simply choose not to ignore that device when it fits.

What's the hardest part of a novel for you to write: beginning, middle or end? Why?

The middle. I usually have a very strong sense of how to get things moving, and a very clear picture of how I want things to end, but getting from A to B quite often gets muddled. This is a major reason why I've concentrated on shorter fiction for now: the path from beginning to end is much shorter.

Has your own life influenced your novels? If so, how?

Very much so. As I said above, finding characters like myself in popular media is rare, and it's my own attempts to fill that void that brought me into writing in the first place. So I am always looking to incorporate aspects of my own life and journey into my writing in the hopes that there are other people like me out there looking for these same kinds of characters.

Writing sex/romantic scenes can be a challenge for some authors. Do you find it difficult? If yes, how do you compensate? If no, where do you draw your inspiration?

Like any other part of writing, they can be a challenge for me sometimes, but other times, I can get into a good flow, and it practically writes itself. In difficult situations, I stick to writing sex that turns me on, and it generally finds an audience who feels the same way.

Do you use a certain formula to write the sensual parts? Do you prefer the sex to be open and bold? Or left to the imagination?

I try very hard to avoid using some kind of formula. Sex―even between the same two people―is a unique experience each time, and I try to bring that into my writing. Keeping with the narrative voice of the rest of the story is also important so that the scene doesn't feel out of place. The same applies to how explicit the scene is and what language style I choose to use. I always want to make sure that the story shifts seamlessly into and out of the sensual elements, so that is always a consideration in how I write.

Who is your favourite character, which you've created? And, why?

So far, my favorite character is Susan Runningwind from To Pierce the Sky. She's an older character, which is rare enough in romantic fiction, and a very strong, no-nonsense woman with little time for games and bullshit. But for all that, she's still very unsure of herself and her sexuality, having been isolated for her entire adult life. So there's a real disparity inside her, and I really enjoyed working through that with her.

Tell us about your newest release.

My current release is called "A Sub's Gift". It deals with a young man named Kyle who is the live-in submissive to a dominant pair, Ryan and Amber, and the upheaval he feels when Ryan and Amber want to introduce a second submissive into their family. It is a short story co-authored with S.L. Armstrong and included in the Storm Moon Press anthology Milk and Cookies and Handcuffs. The anthology deals with BDSM with the backdrop of winter holidays. What I particularly love about this collection is that, in addition to S.L. and my bisexual story, there are also gay, lesbian, heterosexual, and trans* offerings that really embrace the diversity and inclusiveness that I've felt in the BDSM community.

Just for fun–

What is your favourite colour?

I'm a fan of dark blues.

Which do you prefer a great hero or a great villain?

A great villain. Evil is much more complicated than good, with much more room for nuance and development.

What is your favourite movie? And, why?

So hard to narrow it down to one movie! If I absolutely had to pick one, I think Serenity edges things out just because of the way it seamlessly blends genres, which is something that I strive to do in my writing as well.

If you could be anyone in the world who would it be? And, why?

This is a dangerous question. It's easy to look at someone from the outside and think you want to have their life, but you can't see what's going on inside, what kind of troubles and strife they have to deal with. So on a long-term basis, I can't think that I'd want to be anyone other than who I am. If we're talking about just being someone else for a day, though? I'd go with Brad Pitt, since it's the only way I'd ever be able to bang Angelina Jolie.

Where do you see your writing career in the next five to ten years?

I don't ever expect to be able to write full-time, partly because I enjoy my day job, and partly because I choose not to write "mainstream" fiction and instead focus on niche areas like BDSM or QUILTBAG themes and characters. However, I would like to get to the point where I can put out 2-3 short stories or novellas each year and a full-length novel maybe every other year.

Website Link: http://erikrmoore.wordpress.com/

Milk and Cookies and Handcuffs

Blurb:

Ah, the holidays. Gifts and songs. Tinsel and lights. Whips and chains? That's right. This holiday anthology is all about BDSM, filled with characters who know that sometimes it's Nice to be Naughty. This collection of five stories includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans*, and straight couples (and moresomes) that share a common desire for the kinkier side of sex: sensual bondage, sexual domination, and genuine, loving submission. And what better time to explore this dynamic of giving and receiving than the holidays? 'Tis the season, after all!

In Holidays in Hell, Jonas is an incubus searching for one final soul to finish out his contract, but as a self-styled connoisseur, it has to be the right one. But when he finds the beautiful Holly Pendleton, Jonas is struck by her innocence and puts his own eternal comfort in jeopardy to protect her. Then, shapeshifting Ellis learns from his new master William about the traditions and true meaning of First Day, stories kept from him by his spiteful former master. The day of celebration becomes even sweeter when Ellis opens his presents and receives the Gift of the Familiar -- and then has William try it out on him!

For New Year's Eve, Ebet is afraid she's Pushing the Line by bringing her girlfriend Meg home to meet her family for the first time. Meg is confident things will go fine, but Ebet is a mess, so Meg steals them away and proceeds to give Ebet something else to focus her energy on -- her. Next, all that submissive Jeffrey wants from his mistress Athena is the Gift of Self, for Athena to recognize Jeffrey's true identity as Jessie, a self-described "woman with a penis". Athena is scared and confused at first; she loves her slave-boy, but isn't sure that she can accept this a change this big. Finally, in The Sub's Gift, the submissive Kyle gets an early Christmas present from Ryan and Amber, his Master and Mistress. But when that present turns out to be a sister-slave, Kyle wonders about his place in this new dynamic.

Excerpt:

Kyle couldn't see anything, but he didn't mind. He'd always loved this blindfold. It wasn't flimsy, and it didn't let him peek through the bottom. It fit his face perfectly, which was why Amber had bought it. He could hear her moving around somewhere nearby, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor, perfectly in time with the soft Christmas music coming from the condo's sound system. He wasn't allowed to wear shoes on the floor, but Amber did as she liked. The scent of Amber's favorite perfume mixed with the cinnamon oil on the pinecone wreath, wrapping him in comfort and familiarity.

His knees were beginning to ache from kneeling so long on the floor, and his shoulders were tense from his hands being bound tightly behind him. Usually, he didn't need to be tied up, but the moment Ryan had come at him with the blindfold, he'd been hard, his hands straying. He acknowledged those minor pains, accepted them and drew them into himself. What pleased Amber and Ryan pleased him, and so he reveled in his position, sensing the approval in their eyes without needing to see it.

A hand―Amber's, judging by the long nails and slender fingers―snaked down his chest and pinched his left nipple hard enough to make him gasp. Amber's perfume suddenly filled his nostrils, and Kyle felt her breath against his ear. "Merry Christmas, pet," she whispered, and then immediately bit down on his earlobe.

Kyle hissed and trembled. He began to reply, but another scent invaded his space, a darker musk that could only be Ryan. Knowing what came next, Kyle opened his mouth wider and accepted the length of Ryan's cock as it slid past his lips. He played his tongue across the soft, taut skin, tasting the sweat and the lingering tang of Amber's juices. So, they'd fucked while he was out getting the things for dinner? That explained why they'd been so frisky when he returned and barely let him through the door before pouncing him. Kyle smiled around Ryan's cock, amazed as always at the way their desire for each other translated so easily into a hunger for him.

Ryan's hands fisted in Kyle's hair as he began to mercilessly fuck Kyle's mouth. He buried his cock again and again, so fast and hard and deep that Kyle thought it would be a wonder if he didn't have bruises on his chin from Ryan's balls slamming into it. He took quick breaths when he could, but even so, he was gasping by the time Ryan finally relented. He knew he must look a mess―tears squeezing out from the edges of the blindfold, spittle seeping down his chin, his freckled skin red and blotchy―but when Ryan traced a fingertip down his cheek and whispered, "Pretty boy," he felt beautiful.

Purchase Link:

http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/Milk-And-Cookies-And-Handcuffs.aspx

Publisher Link: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/

Giveaway Opportunity!

This interview is part of 'Storm Moon Press' 3rd Anniversary Blog Tour! Comment on this post or any other post on the blog tour with your e-mail address, and you'll be entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize of receiving 1 FREE e-book each month of 2013 from that month's new releases for a total of 12 free e-books! Runners up will receive a $25 gift certificate to their choice of Amazon or All Romance eBooks. For more details and to find out about our 3rd Anniversary, head over to:

http://www.stormmoonpress.com/blog/

Storm Moon Press' Official Blog.

Thanks for joining us!