Jodi Redford, who I first met on Twitter and who writes fun paranormal romances (Pufferfish! You'll have to read her books to understand. :P), is my guest today. Jodi is a lot of fun and gets quite crazy on Twitter. I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing four of her books and was delighted when Jodi agreed to join me here today. Jodi wrote a post about her experience with menages in romances and also has an excerpt from The Naughty List" to share with us and a copy to give of her new book, "The Naughty List" to give away to one lucky commenter.
At the ripe age of seven, Jodi Redford penned her first epic, complete with stick figure illustrations. Sadly, her drawing skills haven’t improved much, but her love of fantasy worlds never went away. These days she writes about fairies, ghosts, and other supernatural creatures, only with considerably more heat.
She has won numerous contests, including The Golden Pen and Launching a Star. When not writing or working the day job, she enjoys gardening and way too many reality television shows.
Currently residing in Michigan with her husband and menagerie of pets, she is a member of RWA national and Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America.
She loves to hear from readers. You can email her at jodiredford@jodiredford.com and visit her online at www.jodiredford.com.
She has won numerous contests, including The Golden Pen and Launching a Star. When not writing or working the day job, she enjoys gardening and way too many reality television shows.
Currently residing in Michigan with her husband and menagerie of pets, she is a member of RWA national and Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America.
She loves to hear from readers. You can email her at jodiredford@jodiredford.com and visit her online at www.jodiredford.com.
BOOK BLURB (from author website):
Makin’ a list, and rocking it…twice.
Perpetual good girl Lacey McGuire has two Christmas wish lists. One suitable for public consumption…and a private one that’s too hot to handle. Right at the top: wild, wicked fantasies about her best buddies and business partners Ryan Hollister and Bram Colton.
Besides the fact they’re both poster boys for Hunks ’R’ Us, they’ve been there for her through thick, thin and the heartbreak of a cheating fiancé. So what if her boys will never know they star in her sexiest daydreams? In her fantasy world, her heart will never get trampled again.
Warning: This book contains a wickedly hot M/F/M ménage that will heat up the holidays. Friends steaming things up in a hot tub. Bondage and blindfolds. Sexy shenanigans at a Christmas tree lot. And maybe even a glimpse of Santa…in a Speedo.
By JODI REDFORD
ASIN: B005F0WR88 ISBN: 978-1-60928-626-2
Published by: SAMHAIN
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, EROTICA, CONTEMPORARY
Format: Print, ebook
Length: 145 pages, 310 KB
Release Date: NOVEMBER 29, 2011
Website: www.jodiredford.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#%21/jodiredford
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1786728222
Website: www.jodiredford.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#%21/jodiredford
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1786728222
Thanks Jodi, for visiting today!
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EXCERPT
"Lacey, we need to talk."
Her heart sank as Ry’s tense demand spun in her mind.
They’d read the email. She couldn’t fool herself into believing otherwise. Just like she couldn’t fool herself into thinking she’d get out of the conversation waiting for her on the other side of the bathroom door. Sucking in a deep, fortifying breath, she pushed away from the wall and prepared to face her best friends.
Two men who now—without a question of a doubt—knew she wanted a kinky threesome.
Yeah, this wouldn’t be awkward. At all.
The desire to race back inside the restroom stall and have a mental breakdown—or throw up—was overwhelming. Somehow she found the fortitude to take a shaky step toward the door. Then another. You can do this, damn it. She stepped out into the back hallway. The restaurant was eerily quiet. It was easy to pretend that she was the only one in the entire building.
If only.
Shoving her hands into her coat pockets to hide their trembling, she walked into the main bar area. Ry and Bram hadn’t moved an inch from their posts. They both watched her as she approached, their expressions unreadable. That, more than anything, disturbed her. She’d half hoped Bram would be grinning and cracking lewd comments about how she’d pulled the world’s biggest prank on them.
Prank…
Wait, maybe that’s how she could get out of this—by convincing them it’d merely been a bad joke. It was a long shot, considering the incredibly personal stuff she’d included on the list, but maybe they’d take pity on her and let it go.
She offered the guys a tentative smile. “Sorry about that. You know us women and our tiny bladders.” She winced at her overly cheery tone. Why am I talking about bladders? Trying not to feel like the biggest moron on the planet, she cleared her throat. “Anyway, you wanted to speak to me about something?”
Ry stared at her for a long moment, his eyes dark and intense. She couldn’t remember ever having been under the full power of his focus like that. It took every ounce of her willpower not to shiver. Or duck and hide behind the bar. “Why didn’t you tell us, Lace?”
Although it was pathetic and ridiculous, she decided to play dumb. “Tell you what?”
Of course Ry wouldn’t let her off that easy. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. Your threesome fantasy.”
She forced a laugh. “Oh. That. I thought you guys would get a chuckle over it. I only wish I could have seen your faces when you read the email.” Not that she’d needed to be there. It wasn’t exactly difficult to conjure twin expressions of stupefied shock.
Actually, the shock she could handle. It was the inevitable pity concerning her delusional fantasy land that had her stomach in knots.
Bram sidled up next to Ry. A frown marred his features. “It was a…joke?”
“Well, duh. Of course.” She rolled her eyes for good measure. “I can’t believe you both fell for it.”
For a brief moment she swore Bram looked disappointed. Ry, on the other hand, just leveled her with his patented let’s-cut-through-the-bullshit stare. “It wasn’t a joke. I know it and you know it.”
“Don’t be silly. Do you think I’d tell you all of that embarrassing stuff if it was real?”
The rugged planes of Ry’s face softened, but the heat in his gaze didn’t abate. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I—I didn’t say I was embarrassed.” Oh crap. Yes, she did. She really needed to learn how to choose her damn words better. She cleared her throat, figuring it was past time for a fast recovery. “Why would I be embarrassed over a joke?”
“Because it isn’t one. But judging from how flustered you’re acting, I’d say it’s a safe bet you didn’t intend for Bram and me to ever know about any of it. And that’s really unfair of you, Lace.”
The accusation in Ry’s stare was almost unbearable. A thick ball of shame wedged in her throat. She’d always been brutally honest with him and Bram before, hadn’t hidden anything from either of them up until now. But there were some things you didn’t go blabbing to your business partners, for God’s sake—like the desire to be tied up and blindfolded for a night of raunchy sex. “C-could we just forget any of this happened?”
“It’s too late for that, Lace. You can’t expect us to pretend we don’t know. To not wonder.” Ry stepped closer, his gaze drifting to her mouth. Hunger burned in his eyes.
Her heart thumped in response. She’d imagined that particular look on his face countless times, never believing she’d see it in actuality. This had to be a dream. Or another of her fantasies. The last part of his statement registered and she blinked. “W-wonder? About what?”
“You. Us.” His knuckles brushed the underside of her jaw, tipping it ever so slightly upwards as his head descended. “This.” The husky word feathered her lips, a prelude to the lush pressure of his mouth upon hers.
Her heart sank as Ry’s tense demand spun in her mind.
They’d read the email. She couldn’t fool herself into believing otherwise. Just like she couldn’t fool herself into thinking she’d get out of the conversation waiting for her on the other side of the bathroom door. Sucking in a deep, fortifying breath, she pushed away from the wall and prepared to face her best friends.
Two men who now—without a question of a doubt—knew she wanted a kinky threesome.
Yeah, this wouldn’t be awkward. At all.
The desire to race back inside the restroom stall and have a mental breakdown—or throw up—was overwhelming. Somehow she found the fortitude to take a shaky step toward the door. Then another. You can do this, damn it. She stepped out into the back hallway. The restaurant was eerily quiet. It was easy to pretend that she was the only one in the entire building.
If only.
Shoving her hands into her coat pockets to hide their trembling, she walked into the main bar area. Ry and Bram hadn’t moved an inch from their posts. They both watched her as she approached, their expressions unreadable. That, more than anything, disturbed her. She’d half hoped Bram would be grinning and cracking lewd comments about how she’d pulled the world’s biggest prank on them.
Prank…
Wait, maybe that’s how she could get out of this—by convincing them it’d merely been a bad joke. It was a long shot, considering the incredibly personal stuff she’d included on the list, but maybe they’d take pity on her and let it go.
She offered the guys a tentative smile. “Sorry about that. You know us women and our tiny bladders.” She winced at her overly cheery tone. Why am I talking about bladders? Trying not to feel like the biggest moron on the planet, she cleared her throat. “Anyway, you wanted to speak to me about something?”
Ry stared at her for a long moment, his eyes dark and intense. She couldn’t remember ever having been under the full power of his focus like that. It took every ounce of her willpower not to shiver. Or duck and hide behind the bar. “Why didn’t you tell us, Lace?”
Although it was pathetic and ridiculous, she decided to play dumb. “Tell you what?”
Of course Ry wouldn’t let her off that easy. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. Your threesome fantasy.”
She forced a laugh. “Oh. That. I thought you guys would get a chuckle over it. I only wish I could have seen your faces when you read the email.” Not that she’d needed to be there. It wasn’t exactly difficult to conjure twin expressions of stupefied shock.
Actually, the shock she could handle. It was the inevitable pity concerning her delusional fantasy land that had her stomach in knots.
Bram sidled up next to Ry. A frown marred his features. “It was a…joke?”
“Well, duh. Of course.” She rolled her eyes for good measure. “I can’t believe you both fell for it.”
For a brief moment she swore Bram looked disappointed. Ry, on the other hand, just leveled her with his patented let’s-cut-through-the-bullshit stare. “It wasn’t a joke. I know it and you know it.”
“Don’t be silly. Do you think I’d tell you all of that embarrassing stuff if it was real?”
The rugged planes of Ry’s face softened, but the heat in his gaze didn’t abate. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I—I didn’t say I was embarrassed.” Oh crap. Yes, she did. She really needed to learn how to choose her damn words better. She cleared her throat, figuring it was past time for a fast recovery. “Why would I be embarrassed over a joke?”
“Because it isn’t one. But judging from how flustered you’re acting, I’d say it’s a safe bet you didn’t intend for Bram and me to ever know about any of it. And that’s really unfair of you, Lace.”
The accusation in Ry’s stare was almost unbearable. A thick ball of shame wedged in her throat. She’d always been brutally honest with him and Bram before, hadn’t hidden anything from either of them up until now. But there were some things you didn’t go blabbing to your business partners, for God’s sake—like the desire to be tied up and blindfolded for a night of raunchy sex. “C-could we just forget any of this happened?”
“It’s too late for that, Lace. You can’t expect us to pretend we don’t know. To not wonder.” Ry stepped closer, his gaze drifting to her mouth. Hunger burned in his eyes.
Her heart thumped in response. She’d imagined that particular look on his face countless times, never believing she’d see it in actuality. This had to be a dream. Or another of her fantasies. The last part of his statement registered and she blinked. “W-wonder? About what?”
“You. Us.” His knuckles brushed the underside of her jaw, tipping it ever so slightly upwards as his head descended. “This.” The husky word feathered her lips, a prelude to the lush pressure of his mouth upon hers.
Disbelief and pure giddiness combated inside her while one startling thought spun through her brain in a ceaseless loop. RyiskissingmeRyiskissingmeRyis
This can’t be happening. But even as she was trying to assure herself of that, Ry reluctantly broke their kiss and leaned back. Their gazes crashed into each other for a moment before he glanced over her head at Bram. Some unspoken communication passed between the two men. Still dizzy from Ry’s kiss and confused as hell, she craned her neck to look up at Bram. Without warning, his mouth staked its own claim, taking over where Ry’s had left off.
Her senses reeled from the unexpected double whammy. Getting the daylights kissed out of her by Ry was incredible enough, adding Bram to the mix…it was a damn miracle she was still standing upright. As if her body was looking to change that status quo, she swayed, her knees threatening to buckle. Bram freed one hand from her waist and tunneled his fingers through her hair, managing to hold her steady and at the same time tilt her head for better access to her mouth. His tongue was just as insistent as Ry’s and possibly twice as bold.
A gruff, slightly irritated cough issued from Ry. Bram released her, his tongue taking its time to depart her mouth. Dazzled, she licked her lips and attempted to form a coherent thought. “I—I don’t understand. What’s going on here?” She’d been certain they’d be freaked out by the email. Having them all but devour her was the last reaction she’d been expecting, for damn sure.
Bram caressed her hip. “We want to give you that threesome, Lace. Along with everything else on your list.”
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GUEST POST
Thanks, Bea, for having me on your blog today to talk about a favorite—and controversial—topic of mine: threesomes in books.
In the erotic romance world, ménages are undoubtedly a popular pairing. Or I guess that should say multi pairing. It’s become less and less taboo over the past few years, and in many instances, the pairings have expanded beyond the typical threesome to become four, five, six—you name it—someones. Personally, that’s a tad too crowded for me, but I can see how the erotic possibilities are titillating to many readers.
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t an immediate sell on the whole “ménage in a romance” concept when they first flooded the marketplace. I couldn’t fathom how a relationship existing beyond the standard twosome could work, or be romantically satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, I knew there were real life polyamorous relationships out there, but because I didn’t actually know anyone practicing that lifestyle, the dynamics involved were foreign to me. Then I read Lorelie James’ Rough, Raw and Ready, and my virginal ménage blinders were ripped off.
Oh, lordy, were they ripped off. *wipes sweat from brow* Not only was that book so wonderfully hot and sexy, it was loaded with enough damn conflict to keep my stomach churning and my fingers furiously flipping the virtual pages. Just like that, I’d become a ménage convert. Yes, I’ll admit it was the sexiness between the sheets that initially lured me in, but it was the amazing and heartbreaking conflict the characters shared that stamped the seal on my newfound love affair with ménages. It made perfect sense to me now, why these books were vastly appealing. Not only did they fulfill that taboo fantasy of being the complete focus of two (or more) men’s devoted and lusty attention, but if done right, these books were capable of punching you right in the emotional jugular as you suffered along with the characters as they struggled to find a way to make their unconventional relationships work. Because let’s face it, sometimes loving one person can be tough. Try adding another to that equation.
So here’s my challenge to you. If you’ve never read a ménage, think about stepping out of your comfort zone, and give one a try. Just like me, you might be surprised, and a new fan.
In the erotic romance world, ménages are undoubtedly a popular pairing. Or I guess that should say multi pairing. It’s become less and less taboo over the past few years, and in many instances, the pairings have expanded beyond the typical threesome to become four, five, six—you name it—someones. Personally, that’s a tad too crowded for me, but I can see how the erotic possibilities are titillating to many readers.
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t an immediate sell on the whole “ménage in a romance” concept when they first flooded the marketplace. I couldn’t fathom how a relationship existing beyond the standard twosome could work, or be romantically satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, I knew there were real life polyamorous relationships out there, but because I didn’t actually know anyone practicing that lifestyle, the dynamics involved were foreign to me. Then I read Lorelie James’ Rough, Raw and Ready, and my virginal ménage blinders were ripped off.
Oh, lordy, were they ripped off. *wipes sweat from brow* Not only was that book so wonderfully hot and sexy, it was loaded with enough damn conflict to keep my stomach churning and my fingers furiously flipping the virtual pages. Just like that, I’d become a ménage convert. Yes, I’ll admit it was the sexiness between the sheets that initially lured me in, but it was the amazing and heartbreaking conflict the characters shared that stamped the seal on my newfound love affair with ménages. It made perfect sense to me now, why these books were vastly appealing. Not only did they fulfill that taboo fantasy of being the complete focus of two (or more) men’s devoted and lusty attention, but if done right, these books were capable of punching you right in the emotional jugular as you suffered along with the characters as they struggled to find a way to make their unconventional relationships work. Because let’s face it, sometimes loving one person can be tough. Try adding another to that equation.
So here’s my challenge to you. If you’ve never read a ménage, think about stepping out of your comfort zone, and give one a try. Just like me, you might be surprised, and a new fan.
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GIVEAWAY!!!
Jodi is kindly giving away one copy of "The Naughty List", in the digital format of the winners choice, to one lucky commenter. The giveaway is open internationally. Using the rafflecopter widget below, leave a comment with your email address to enter.
Please read my Giveaway Policy.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
That excerpt has me wanting to read the rest! Thanks for the giveaway :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yes I loved the excerpt too :)I have read very little menage up to now,and never more than the 3 ! Maybe that will now change.
ReplyDeleteirgl7(at)bonzo15(dot)plus(dot)com
A very good excerpt. I enjoyed reading it. And, the blog and your honest and forthright prelude to the blurb. Very well written! :)
ReplyDeleteWow what a hot read. I can't imagine 2 guys at once. Sounds very exciting. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI had a taste of contemporary erotica and I didn't like it, but this sounds fun and interesting so I'll give it another go. Thanks for the giveaway! :)
ReplyDeleteI forgot to leave my e-mail. Sorry. Slow moment there.
ReplyDeletehenderkd(at)hotmail(dot)com
Interesting, I wanna read this.
ReplyDeletedarkenf(at)rocketmail(dot)com
That excerpt was great. I want to finish the book now!
ReplyDeleteleyser73 at yahoo dot com
Wowser, I loved it. I'm not big into threesomes, erm reading them...er...well, you get the idea, but that was hot and I'd love to read the rest!
ReplyDeleteErgh, apparently I should not be doing this in the early morning. Forgot email: torymichaels (at) live (dot) com
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great hot read now that winter is here, I could use one.
ReplyDeleteacm05atjuno.com
I've read menage and I agree with Jodi that my blinders were removed with the first one I read. I think it was Lora Leigh.
ReplyDeleteainfinger@comcastDOTnet