My guest today is a fellow Scottish author… please welcome her to Clair’s Clan. Thank you very much for answering my questions, Raven. Here she is presenting her book “Dance ot a Different Beat.”
1 Will you tell us a little about yourself. I live in Scotland, along with my husband and our two cats—our children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in my books.
I’m used to sharing my life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge.
My very understanding, and long-suffering DH, is used to his questions unanswered, the dust bunnies greeting him as he walks through the door, and rescuing burned offerings from the Aga. (And passing me a glass of wine as I type furiously.)
Please include a picture if you wish. (see attached doc)
2. Why did you start to write?
When I was at primary school, but at senior school ‘stories’ were frowned upon. It’s only recently I’ve revived my love of story telling.
3 Have you always longed to write a book or was there a trigger?
It’s always been there. I had a couple of truly awful M/S knocked back, and I put my ideas on hold. Then my daughter and her friends as teens pestered me for a story, and that got me thinking. I was off work sick with time on my hands, and began to write seriously.
4 What sort of books do you write?
Romance of varying heat and sub genres. From Regency to the present day. Erotic and sweet, paranormal, mystery… I love it.
5 How autobiographical are your stories? Well I think there’s a little bit of me in all of them, but they aren’t autobiographical.
6 Somewhere I’ve visited or lived
Have you a favourite setting for your stories?
6. Which author or authors have influenced you and why?
I found this difficult to answer, because there are so many, it depends on where and what I’m writing. Paul Theroux… his descriptions in Riding The Iron Rooster are brilliant, and I knew some of the places. Doreen Tovey, funny and entertaining. Miss Read ditto. Robyn Donald, who gave me the desire to visit New Zealand due to her descriptions of the country. Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse. He was my Latin teacher.
7. If you could have only one book, which one would it be and why? Um…H E Bates The Darling Buds of May. Because every time I read it I see something I’ve missed.
8. How do you get yourself in the mood for writing?
Chocolate
9. What is the strangest place you have written in?
On more than one hotel bathroom floor. DH snoring away in the bedroom, me wide awake and with an idea that HAS to be written immediately.
10. Have you ever experienced ‘writer’s block’ and how did you cope with it?
Not really, I’ve always got something in my murky mind.
11. Where do you live? Tell us what you like about your town or city? I live in the country on the edge of a forest. Close enough to walk to the village, far enough out not to be bothered with the goings on if I don’t want to.
12. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you choose and why? Knysna South Africa or Shaldon Devon. I love to see and hear the sea.
13. What is your pet hate? Liars and rudeness.
14. Which fictional character do you wish you’d created? Inspector Morse
Quickies….
1. A place you have always wanted to visit. Langkawi
2. Favourite meal. Seafood
3. Best place to take a first time date. Somewhere you feel comfortable.
4. Most memorable moment in your life. Birth of my children…Oh and standing on the top of The Great Wall Of China.
5. Most embarrassing moment. Oh no, you’re not getting that out of me.
6. Favourite room in your house. My study.
7. A TV programme you never miss. There isn’t one, I’m no big TV watcher
8. A real person living or dead you wish you could meet. Golda Meir, she was some woman.
9. Superstitious? ME? crosses fingers, walks around the ladder, spits three times at the magpie and throws the salt over shoulder. Whatever gave you that idea?
10. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Haha sore point, Usually, though not necessarily on Feb 14th…
Dance to a Different Beat is my latest novella form Evernight Publishing.
Jane has a decision to make. Meet Sean and face her demons, or hide. Can she allow herself to let go enough to give this experienced Dom the submission he demands?
Jane has always made her own way in life, and the thought of giving up that control has scared her away once.
Sean is determined to show her that true submission is a joy, and not something to be feared. He is not prepared to lose her again.
As they face her fears, can they reach their full potential, or will those demons just prove too much to conquer?
Excerpt
A thong. And no curls escaping around the sides. He couldn’t stop himself sliding his finger under the lacy edge. She didn’t bat his hand away as he expected. With a sigh that made pre cum gather at the head of his cock and had him checking it wasn’t playing peek a boo over his waistband, Jane moved to rest her head on his shoulders.
“That’s no toddler step, that’s a strictly forbidden teenage one.”
“You on top?” If she thought that then there really was no hope.
“No you moron, your fingers. You’re revving me so fast I’ve missed the first two gears.” She paused and the wicked twinkle in her eyes made him itch to turn her over his lap and use his favorite paddle on her enticing ass cheeks. “And do we really want to go into reverse ‘cos we’ve missed the shift?”
Put like that, no they didn’t.
He didn’t answer but moved his questing finger further under the silk until his nail scraped the soft edge of her nether lips. “I think we can miss a few gears, you’re ready, receptive, and know damn well how to put the brakes on and stop. Do you remember your safe words, Jane? Should we start from there?”
In answer she wriggled on his finger, and her breath came in pants. Her eyes were cloudy and a soft sheen of perspiration was visible on her skin. At any other time the sight would have him stripped and ready for action in the blink of an eye.
“Just do it.”
“Safe word.” His tone was harsh, something wasn’t quite right. “Safe words or I stop, Jane. This is a two way exchange, no way is the onus all on me.”
Her eyes cleared and she stopped moving. She shuddered and lifted her arm to stroke his cheek with her fingers. “Oh shit.”
Sean dipped his head. “That’s one way of putting it. What the fuck was going on then?” He didn’t move his hand away from her pussy, and to her credit she didn’t try to make him do anything else.
“You’re a mass of bloody contradictions, Jane. I don’t know where I am with you. You want to take it slowly then you want me to take you. You’re scared but you’re telling me to ignore you. So not going to happen. So.” He pinched her clit firmly enough for her to jump and try to move away. He kept the pressure on the soft skin hard enough to stop her. “Either you tell me what’s going on in your messed up mind or that’s it. Experiment over, never to be repeated. It’s up to you. I can get someone else to sub for me when I want. Will you get a Dom you want?”
A distant clock chimed the hour, and somewhere a siren screamed. Neither impinged on his mind to any degree. He concentrated on Jane who was a stiff as a board.
“Jane, look at me.” He deliberately injected a note of command into his voice. “You have ten minutes to explain or that’s it. We both have places to go and people to see.” Would it work?
Buy links
Dance to a Different Beat…Buy links
Evernight Publishing http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dance-to-a-different-beat-by-raven-mcallan
Amazon http://authl.it/B00CNYPZWE
http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-to-a-different-beat-mf
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dancetoadifferentbeat-1190951-147.html
nosy links…
http://www.ravenmcallan.com
http:/ /www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/rmcallan (my page)
https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan (author page)
https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan
Great Interview