Vamps a go go

Black Lace have accepted the better of my two vampire stories I subbed for the Lust at First Bite anthology. Yay! I'm really pleased, because I love that story. El Alquimista is another of my imagination running wild tales. I guess it has a fair amount in common with Broken Angel, though they're not set in the same world. Anyway, it should be due out around November time.

I would post a vampire pretty to look at, but alas it would be misleading, since the vampire of my story is a pretty unusual looking guy.

What, you want a pic anyway?

Ah, go on then. Suppose it brightens the place up.

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Recently watched: CSI
Currently listening to: Malice Mizer
Currently reading: Return to Me by Julia Templeton.

Spreading the word...

Check out Sensual!I’m helping to spread the word about the newly redesigned website Sensual. If you like your romance novels on the steamy side, you’ll love this site. It’s full of reviews, interviews, excerpts, information on the newest print and ebooks and lots more. You can even win books and other goodies. So check it out. http://sensual.ecataromance.com
Authors, you can spread the word too! If you’d like a chance to win one of 20 Cover Ads and get a shot at a fabulous grand prize (a 3 Pack of their huge billboard ads - a $100 value!) just repost this blurb on your blog or website. Then stop by Sensual and leave a link to your post. All authors are eligible to enter and win so why in the world wouldn’t you? See their site for more information and official rules: sensual.ecataromance.com/?p=688

I’ll see you at Sensual!

Folly

I'm still editing Fortuna.

One day I'll write a book that involves two characters falling in love with each other and that's it. Fortuna is not that book. Everything is hopelessly complicated and there are rather a lot of characters even by my standards. Nothing is simple. One reviewer recently remarked that my books read like regency soap operas, and I can see what prompted that opinion - everyone has their own agenda.

Anyway, this isn't really about Fortuna, which has the reached the point where I think it's complete and utter carp. This is about a nice bit of spooky fun.

Despite the numerous projects I have sitting awaiting my attention, I've decided that the next thing I write is going to be purely for my entertainment. I'm not going to write it with a view to publication, but to amuse myself, and remind myself why I love writing.

It's about two men spending the night together in a haunted building as a dare, and probably involves a hell of a lot of m/m sex (leastways as much as you can reasonably squeeze into something intended as a 20K novella).

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Recently watched: BSG Season 2 finale
Currently listening to: Cast
Currently reading: I'm STILL waiting for something to hook me! Haven't had much luck with the ol' book choices recently. I want something that drags me into its world and the lives of the characters, takes me on an emotional rollercoaster and leaves me gasping for more. Recommendations welcome. NB: I'm very difficult to please.

La Grande Morte

Yay! I've just received another review for Phantasmagoria, this one from RRTerotic.com, who have awarded it with their La Grande Morte label ie a perfect 10.

I'm completely thrilled, and I have to say, pleasantly surprised. Phantasmagoria is not a typical erotic romance, it's a very dark book, so it's nice to know there are people out there who enjoy things a bit gothic.

Here's what the reviewer, Kate Garrabrant has to say:

London, England - 1800

Bella Rushdale lives a decadent lifestyle with her two lovers, the Viscount Lucerne Marlinscar and Vaughan, the Marquis of Pennerley. All three have been lovers for over three years, and they throw caution to the wind, enjoying ferocious lovemaking every chance they can get. Lucerne is the more considerate of the two men. He treats Bella like precious gold, whereas Vaughan is the brooding type and likes it rough. Bella could not ask for anything more. But that is all about to change when Vaughan simply walks away from them both without any reason.

The trio's scandalous relationship has long since gone past the point of everything that is considered to be normal in the eyes of society. Lucerne wants Bella to be his wife but lusts after Vaughan with a passion no man should feel for another. Vaughan is obsessed with Lucerne, the only person he truly loves; even so, he can’t let go of Bella. Bella is caught between the two men, she adores Lucerne, but her soul belongs to Vaughan. She can’t let him go and will chase him to the pits of hell to get him back even if that means sacrificing her relationship with Lucerne in the process.

Weeks go by and neither Bella nor Lucerne knows where Vaughan has gone. Vaughan is tired of the way things are between his lovers and sets a plan into motion where Bella and Lucerne must choose whom they want to be with. He invites them to his family home at Pennerley where he will hold an All Hallows Eve party called a Phantasmagoria. There his guests will experience their darkest fears and desires. He hopes Lucerne will come rushing to him and proclaim his love and, of course, Bella will be right behind him. But Lucerne makes no appearance, only Bella arrives. She’s willing to do anything to make Vaughan love her, even if it means degrading herself.

PHANTASMAGORIA pushes the envelope in so many ways. Madelynne Ellis has written a dark gothic tale where sexual perversions are out in the open and lust and sex is all about power. This may sound like an uncomfortable read, which it may be to some, but I was enthralled and lost in this tale of three people who live for vice but truly do not know what they want or even if they can love one another.

Vaughan may seem to be the villain of the piece, but he is so tortured because his love for Lucerne will never be reciprocated. He knows he can have Bella eating out of the palm of his hand, but he wants what he can’t have, and because of that, he almost ruins himself in the process. Bella is the one woman who understands Vaughan and sacrifices herself. She is willing to do whatever she can to make Vaughan happy just so he will give her a piece of his heart. Seems cruel right? But when you figure out what Vaughan is trying to accomplish, his so-called revenge comes together like pieces in a puzzle. Almost every page is filled with talks of sex and the actual sex acts seem a bit depraved in a way. One such scene where Vaughan enjoys Bella in the kitchen pantry should raise some eyebrows. And when the time for the Phantasmagoria comes, well, everything before is really child’s play.

The other characters besides our threesome are an interesting set. There is Vaughan’s sister, Niamh, who is sweet but has some relationship problems of her own. She’s also Bella’s confidante. Henry is a friend of Bella’s who wouldn’t mind becoming one of her lovers, but he's also a good friend to her as she tries to figure out where she stands with Vaughan. There is the Frenchman, Vicomte de Maresi, who comes across as a pig at first glance but quickly falls for Bella and wants to take her away from the madness that Vaughan has thrust her into.

PHANTASMAGORIA is erotic, tantalizing and one of the best ménage a trois stories I have read in a long time. This story had me hooked from the very first page. Ellis and her skill at writing about taboo topics are really amazing. She really does deserve the La Grande Morte for an erotic gothic that I won’t soon forget.

Live whipping

Thanks to the Diva's live whipping challenges I finished writing Fortuna last night. Okay, so it's not completely finished, there's still plenty of work to be done on it, but the main struggle is over. Next step is the paper edits as I find it much easier to spot inconsistencies etc on paper.

Interview & an excerpt

Phantasmagoria gets it's US release today, which I guess calls for some celebration. Check out the excerpt on Lust Bites, and the interview and review over at The Good, The Bad & the Unread for a bumper chance to win some of my books.

I'm particularly excited about the interview. I believe it's the first proper interview I've given, discounting chat type events.

Okay, now for the progress update.

I'm still working on Fortuna, but I'm happy with that. I'm finally getting towards the end, currently working on the closing chapters. These are the parts of the book I couldn't actually bring myself to write during the first draft. I've a much better handle on them now, and I hope everything is gradually pulling together.

I've also started sketching the opening scene of Darleston's book. I think it's going to be a touch lighter-hearted than I'd originally anticipated and I'm looking forward to working on it. There are a few other projects that need my attention first though. Ah, too many characters, not enough fingers and not enough hours in the day.

Madelynne xxx

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Recently watched: BSG Season 2
Currently listening to: Cradle of Filth
Currently reading: I'm waiting for something to hook me!

Expanding...

I realise I'm not exactly on blogging top form, but I don't feel I have much to say. If you at all pay attention to the sidebars, you've probably noticed that the word count for Fortuna is ever creeping upwards. I've hit 80,000 words and there's still plenty to go. I don't doubt it's going to make 90,000 words, which may result in me having to do some ruthless cutting if anyone decides to buy this particular wonder.

I blame too many plot strands and my typical cast of thousands (all right, not quite that many).

Incidentally, I've realised that's why that contemporary idea I was working on wasn't working. It was too straightforward. I'm just not happy unless everything is hopelessly complicated. This is one of the problems I have with the romance genre and the movement of BL towards erotic romance. It's all too neat. I like loose ends and ambiguity. I don't believe in HEA's, and I absolutely cannot get my head around the heroine's magical hoohah of rakery reform.

I'm going to stop there before this turns into a rant.

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Recently watched: Dr Who & BSG Season 1
Currently listening to: Silence... ah, that's good!
Currently reading: For Her Pleasure by Maya Banks & Dark Prince by Christine Feehan