Writing to beat the band

Recently I’ve been on a hot tear. The work in question, however, is nonfiction – my dissertation. This is something that absolutely needs to get done, so I don’t begrudge writing on the dissertation, but it also has me thinking. In fact, it has me thinking about writing my dissertation with an eye toward publishing it as a non-fiction book.

I’ve toyed with the idea before, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. The topic is interesting, and even my dissertation chair (an exacting man who keeps praise close to his chest) says my dissertation style is “good and easy to read.” This is a key consideration when contemplating turning a dissertation into a work of non-fiction for the mass market.

That’s the key. I really, really think this has the potential to be one of those “everyone is talking about it” kind of non-fiction politico books. You know, the ones that sell a zillion copies and hit best seller lists? Those.

Why? Well, not to tip my hand too much, but my writing style for non-fiction is accessible and the topic of the dissertation is ridiculously timely and important.

The key, I think, is going to be timing. For career reasons, I would want to aim for about five to seven years out for publication. Given how long it takes things to get through the pipeline, and the fact that for this book an agent is a must-have commodity, I’ll probably start querying it in about two years. I may change my mind on that, but I think that’s about right.

But it all hinges on finishing the darned thing.

And, by the way – do you read nonfiction? I do, obviously. Not only for the dissertation, but for pleasure as well. I’m currently on a science kick – reading a lot of Stephen Hawking, but also Kary Mullis’ Dancing Naked in the Mind Field – which is fantastic [sorry, I can't find an e version. If anyone does, let me know].

Let’s Talk About Something Hot

Like Las Vegas in August. On $100/day or less (shared between two people).

I’m a Las Vegas virgin but that cherry’s going to be popped in 4 weeks. Thus far, I’ve purchased my Cirque du Soleil Zumanity tickets (could I really not go to Vegas without seeing that show? I’ve been dying to do it - we won’t count it in part of the $100/day budget). And…that’s my only scheduled bit of entertainment.

My husband wants to visit the pinball museum (we’re exciting people, I know) but other than that (and any plans my in-laws might have), no plans.

I’m told everything is free in Vegas (except the shows and the buffets), but is that actually true? Will I have to hit the nearest Wal-Mart upon arrival and stock my hotel room with bottled water, Pop Tarts and Cheez-Its to keep myself in budget?

Bring forth your desert wisdom and advise me on finances, cheap entertainment and eats, and souvenir shops I just can’t miss. And give it to me straight: will we come crawling home with totally empty pockets?

Thursday Thirteen – Lessons from my Brief Stint at Conference

So, I made possibly the briefest foray into the RWA Conference allowable – assuming you actually are doing more than just the public signing. I arrived Wednesday afternoon, did the signing event, had drinks/dinner with Romance Divas, stayed the night with the ever so generous (and gorgeous!) Genevieve, had breakfast with Emily, did Rogue Digital, and got the heck out of Dodge. I was there, all told, 18 hours from arrival at conference site to departure from conference site.

But I learned a lot. And I will now share my garnered wisdom with you. Aren’t you lucky?

1. The Literacy Signing is a madhouse. Do not wear new shoes. No, really. Do not wear new shoes. And go late. Not really late, just enough that the first mad rush is past.

2. And while we’re on the subject of the Literacy Signing, let me take a moment to talk strategy. Do not go grabbing books off the tables willy-nilly. There are like a million authors there. By the end of your smash and grab, you could be looking at a serious dent in the deficit of a small nation. Instead, walk the room once. Then go back to get what you want. Okay, yes, there is a possibility that the author will sell out in the time it takes you to walk the room. Given that, if there are only five books on the table, you can go ahead and grab one.

3. Talk to the authors. No, they don’t bite. And you can learn interesting things. Like which bar they’ll be at later.

4. You can talk to anyone at the bar. Even BIG NAMES. The bar is the great social equalizer.

5. Romance Divas evidently don’t RSVP. Twenty four my butt. Did you know that RD can overrun the back of a restaurant? Well, we can. But the food was great. Nice job, Amanda Brice!

6. Online acquaintances translate easily into real life at a conference. No weird awkwardness or anything.

7. Parking is a pain in the butt. Do not plan on driving anywhere. And take small bills for tipping valets and hotel staff. Amazing how much service improves after a buck.

8. Spend some time learning the hotel layout BEFORE workshops start. I can’t tell you how many people had no idea where they were going.

9. Bring boxes to ship back your schwag. You will not want to take it on the plane (Heaven forbid!), so shipping it home seems the best option. If you can’t bring boxes, you’ll want to procure some. There’s a LOT of schwag.

10. Organization is your friend. Know where you are supposed to be, how to get there, and what you’ll need once you are there. Notebooks for workshops, schwag for events, bags for carrying schwag. Believe me when I tell you that not being prepared is not fun.

11. Alone time: you need it. Okay. I was there 18 hours. And I wanted alone time. I was so glad to be in my car, all by myself, on the way home. Build in some alone time while you’re at conference. Your mental health will thank you.

12. Holy Crap there are a lot of hot bitches at these conventions.  Hot bitches in fabulous dresses. It’s enough to make me contemplate switching teams. And some people who need a clue. Yes, you really should wear a bra with that dress. No, really. If your boobs naturally hang like socks stuffed with tennis balls (and let’s face it, it’s likely that all of us will be in the same boat eventually), you need a bra in that dress with the plunging neckline and no structural support. I should not need to tell you this.

13. Take a first aid kit. No, I’m not kidding. The odds on you getting blisters are not in your favor. And if you don’t have it, you will DEFINITELY need it. So take one – just one of the travel ones with antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and bandaids, maybe some gauze pads and stuff. I don’t mean you need to be able to outfit a field hospital here, just deal with paper cuts, blisters and sunburn.

There you are. My wisdom, distilled for you.

What lessons did you take from Conference? Or, if you didn’t go, which lessons above are good info for you?

More on the Rogue Digital Workshop, Mostly Impressions

Elise did a fantastic job of recapping the RDW agenda while I was running around like a maniac at conference. I’m not going to presume to correct or modify or direct-comment on her notes because they are (as usual) more thorough than mine, and in comparison mine note the same points she noted. However, as the post topic indicates, I’m all all over with my impressions. And irrelevant-to-my-commentary photos of the event. (The photo quality is all Elise, just fyi. )

First: I almost skipped the workshop. I know about e-publishing. I am e-published. I know how to research e-publishers and I’m pretty easy-going with the rights to my work; giving up a 75 year copyright on a short story SO not the end of the world to me, and not a point I’m interested in arguing. I know what I’m losing and what I’m keeping (more or less). Bottom line: I wouldn’t have been missing much by skipping it and sleeping half an hour late…right?

Um, wrong.

I’m not sure how I’ve missed this realization before now, but the RDW finally yanked the string on a lightbulb for me and holy shit, DIGITAL PUBLISHING IS MORE THAN E-PUBLISHING. Honestly, it had never registered. Digital publishing is way beyond Hardshell Wordfactory or Ellora’s Cave, beyond eHarlequin and TextNovel. No longer is the issue whether to standardize e-book formats or even the pros and cons of DRM. Instead, the issue is World Digital Rights (even the phrase sounds huge) and Google Book Settlement (and Registry, and wow, what a ballsy idea) and where does the umbrella of digital publishing stop? Are audiobooks digital publishing? iTunes downloads? Will, ten years from now, authors interested in digital publishing have to submit their work directly to Amazon.com’s own corporate team of editors?

I’m not trying to be hair-raising scary or anything, and I’m certainly not a Chicken Little shrieking about the sky, but I do marvel at the broad-strokes picture of change from 2001 (when e-books first came to my attention) and now, less than ten years later. In 2001–hell, even last week–the hue and cry was about how e-books are going to take over print books. That prediction aside (and not giving my opinion on the prediction), the point was focused on e-books. Not on digital publishing. E-books? Pretty easy to understand and grasp, even for the old lady who stood in front of me in line at the St. Martin’s Press book-signing Saturday and, upon overhearing me say something about e-books to another curious line-buddy, cried out, “I have an e-book!” and flapped her hands around in mime of opening her Sony Reader.

So: Digital publishing. Mighty big and complex shit. Glue yourself to Angela James, Sarah Wendell, Kassia Kroszer, Jane Litte and any other name mentioned by these ladies because they are the holders of all knowledge. Or your connection to the people who have the knowledge. Me? I’m still sitting here with my jaw hanging open, marveling at how tiny e-publishing is in the shadow of digital publishing.

Second (now that I’ve reduced you to a shivering, sky-watching wreck of nerves): Bob at Books On Board? Made of Awesome. A direct quote, about buying e-books: “I don’t even care if you buy from Books on Board, as long as you’re buying e-books.” Good man, that Bob.

I’m looking forward to the day corporate publishers will show up at RWA National Conference book signings and hand out stick drives pre-loaded with digital titles in addition to the stacks (and stacks and stacks) of print books. The day might be getting closer, given that the RWA Conference registration package included a stick drive with a couple of digital titles. Small steps lead to bigger steps. Just look at e-books versus digital publishing.

Market Updates from RWA 09

I didn’t attend all the spotlight-on sessions but I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for a recap by agent Laura Bradford. Much of this is about the publisher’s stance on eroticism / heat level (want of or no want of):

Avon: Still acquiring for RED. No set # of books. if they see something they love they will publish it. Heat: hetero couples, sensual not erotic (think Kensington Brava rather than Aphrodisia). Not crazy about single author anthologies (our own sq77 recently contracted one though so take w/ grain of salt).

Bantam: Mo main erotica line. Not necessarily looking for erotica. “Fresh voices, unique stories.” Will take ero if it grabs them. Restructuring with Ballantine. Have a lot of paranormal. Looking for straight contemp and sweet romance. 2-3 romance titles/month. Very very very sexy historicals are doing well.

Berkely Heat: Looking for more threesomes and moresomes. Contemp doing better. 2-3 books/month. Open to single author anthologies, m/m okay but better if a woman is involved somewhere.

NAL Heat: 1 book/month trade paper. More paranormal. Vamp, shifters, darker themes. Think Angela Knight instead of Mary Janice Davison. Romance hook, romance focus.

Dorchester: Leah H wants really really hot romance. No menage, heavy bondage, m/m. Hottest = Jade Lee, Jennifer Ashley. Push the envelope. Really want fantasy romance.

Grand Central: doesn’t say never, but only has one erotic author right now (Lilli Feisty)

HQN: more really really really sexy titles. Victoriah Dahl, sassy, edgy, sexual fearlessness and take charge heroines. No anal, no threesomes, not fond of the female c-word.

Spice: 12 books/year, might increase. Would like to add paranormal to the list but being extremely picky. 85-100k. Not crazy about S/A anthology.

Aphrodisia: All sub-genres. Paranormal: something more than vamp/shapeshifter. Hotter the better. What can’t be found in traditional romance. Beyond 1 woman/1 man. S/A antho OK.

Brava: 3 titles/mo. S/a Antho ok but want to know you can do a single title. If unsure of heat, they will pass to Aphrodisia.

Pocket: Not actively acquiring erotica/erotic romance right now. Look for more pocket/EC titles. Want super sexy, hetero only. Want sweet contemp women’s fic.

St. Martin’s: No specific erotic line, but pretty much anything not illegal is OK (m/m ok)

Black Lace: Closing.

RWA ‘09 (My First Time)

The day-by-day summary:

Tuesday

Arrived late. First face I recognized belonged to Shelli Stevens. Met lots of Divas, too many wonderful women to list. Took some pictures, had a beer, went off to get some sleep with Teresa D’Amario.

(Did I say sleep? Yeah, about that…)

Wednesday

I seriously don’t even remember Wait–great, fun lunch with Divas, followed by my volunteer experience at the literacy signing (so glad I had MG Braden beside me–she kept rescuing my strapless bra, plus she is awesome). Diva drinks, followed by time in the bar with people, the most special of whom was the lovely and talented Elise Logan (yay!).

Thursday

Up bright and early with slightly more sleep behind me. Breakfast with Elise followed by the Rogue Digital Workshop, a luncheon with Linda Howard speaking–she is an amazing, funny speaker. Shared a table with Kate Pearce, Victoria Janssen, Meagan Hatfield, Shelli Stevens, Loribelle Hunt, MK Mancos and more). Kate is wonderful, Victoria fantastic, I heart Kat, and it was very cool to meet Meagan. Afterward, I attended a workshop given by Anne Stuart, whose children I now wish to bear. The Passionate Ink chapter party (I have lots of market updates-remind me) preceded the eHarlequin pajama party, which I attended with Victoria J. Cheap chocolate, bad wine and good conversation led to not-bad sleep – which I really needed.

Friday

The toilet exploded to start the day. Workshops had become low priority–I’d been disappointed by everything excepting the Anne Stuart awesomeness. I attended the Berkely publisher party as Jennifer Haymore’s date (Jennifer is awesome), met Holly Root, Deirdre Knight, Maya Banks, others whose faces I’ll remember but whose names I won’t recall til 3 a.m. one Sunday five years from now. Then I popped over to the Harlequin party, had a Harvey Walbanger, danced to Bon Jovi on stage and took lots of pictures.

Saturday

Eden Bradley’s erotica workshop set off the fire alarms and sexy firemen descended upon the hotel. I rode an elevator with Diane Pershing. Jeannie Lin won her Golden Heart category (yay!) but I missed the end of the conference because mental health necessitated a quick getaway and I ran home to my husband.

I also counted my loot. And took a picture:

Handbook of the Galaxy: 2

Rogue Digital Workshop

Emily and I went to the Rogue Digital workshop this morning. I’m going to post my transcribed notes here, but I also want to give my impressions. Emily has pictures and probably her own and differing impressions. So here’s my take.

First, let me thank the organizers of this workshop and those who participated. The workshop was sponsored (schwag, room rental, etc.) by Books on Board, Red Sage Publishing, Quartet Press, Samhain Publishing, and Smart Bitches, LLC.

A special and warm and toasty awesomeness mention goes to Bob of Books on Board, who not only provided rockin’ door prizes, but also pushed the boundaries of sheer awesome-tude with his attitude. Not only was he gracious and warm, he was also genuinely invested in the future of e-books in general, not just at Books On Board. So… special recognition to Bob!

Overall, it was an interesting mix of information, some very general, some very specific, and almost all of it useful. Lauren Dane and Maya Banks were gracious and generous in opening up their experiences to the group, and all the presenters were well-prepared. Kassia Krozser of Quartet Press talked about contracts and some things to be concerned about with regards to contracts and digital rights. Jane Litte of Dear Author talked about the Google Book settlement. Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books talked about the comparative cost of self-publishing a print book versus an e-book, Angela James of Samhain Publishing talked about the e-book business model and myths regarding digital publishing. Jane came back to put questions to Lauren and Maya.  There was good schwag, and the tenor of the workshop was informative and instructive. I’m glad I went. Even if it was at 8:30am.

These notes are intended as helpful information, and any mistakes in my listening or transcription are totally on me. So, here are the notes (bear with me, they are extensive):

Kassia Krozser talked about contracts

Territorial rights are now a real concern. With digital publishing, limited territorial rights can rob the author and publisher of sales; digital media readers are very impulse-driven, if they can’t buy it right now, they’ll move on to something they can buy. Since the point of sale is instantaneous, lack of rights in a market may lose that sale

Release pattern is a matter of significant debate. Some argue that a staggered release (traditionally, hard cover, trade paper, mass market paper; more recently, where do digital editions fit in this release schedule?); others argue for simultaneous release. This goes back to that immediate gratification digital readers are seeking

Digital publishing may be moving away from royalties on cover price toward royalties on net.  This is particularly the case as more content is sold on discounted sites like Amazon or other distributors. If the publisher has to pay royalties on cover price, but is only making a fraction of that from the discounter, it significantly impacts ability to put out books.

As an author, it’s key to make sure your royalty structure is as beneficial to you as is reasonable – since you obviously want your publisher to stay in business, you need to be cognizant of the business climate. [jane interjects question: how do you protect yourself as an author while still reflecting the real-world concerns of distribution costs? K responds you need to be aggressive in asserting all publication rights, shopping them around if necessary, perhaps disconnecting print and digital rights]

Possible trend toward chunked content [definition note: chunked content is selling book piecemeal – in a way similar to itunes selling songs as well as full albums, consumers would be able to buy individual portions of a work, say a single poem or essay, or only one author’s work out of an anthology]

Subscription and serial content. This is currently experimental, but Kassia thinks it’s definitely coming.

Authors should consider all possible compensation, not just monetary. Publicity is also compensation.

DRM – Kassia indicates that while it is not totally evil, it’s probably not the best tool to accomplish the goal.

Reversion of rights – this is a big issue with older print runs and the possibility of new digital options opening up for content. As an author, be sure your contract language is very clear (and favorable!) with regards to what constitutes “out of print” and when your rights revert back to you.

Jane Litte talked about the Google Book settlement.

Still in approval stage

DoJ is looking at monopoly ramifications, particularly pertaining to “orphan” books (those for which the copyright holder is unknown or cannot be found)

Most fiction writers come under “commercially available” and “in print” categories

Anything printed prior to 2009 is subject to the settlement UNLESS YOU OPT OUT. This is not an opt-in settlement. The assumption is that you agree to these terms unless you specifically opt out.

Terms: 63% of revenue generated is paid to the Registry set up by the settlement.

The Registry consists  of two representatives for author, two for publisher, but no language on how these representatives are chosen, or what recourse is available if “rights-holders” are unhappy with representatives’ performance.

Registry keeps an “administrative fee” out of the revenue deposited to registry. That fee is not spelled out by the settlement.

Registry then pays the revenue out to the publisher “regularly.” There is no designated schedule for payment of these revenues, this schedule is set by Registry.

If there is a conflict between rights-holders, the matter goes to arbitration with an arbitrator designated by Google and the Registry.  Conflicts between publishers have recourse to the court system, but under the settlement, authors do not have recourse to the court system.

The settlement does not do a good job of addressing reversion of rights or situations with multiple rights-holder (anthologies, for example)

If there are conflicting instructions regarding content from multiple rights-holders, the one which is most restrictive trumps.

If you want to know how the settlement might affect you and/or your works, don’t ask your publisher. Since they are a stakeholder, their answer will reflect their understanding of their best interest. You should ask your agent or an appropriate lawyer.

In addition to the specified revenue streams, Google has made mention of other possible revenue streams for content, including subscription services and print-on-demand services.

It is imperative that the author consider how the settlement may affect him/her and decide whether it is in his/her best interest to remain in the settlement or opt out.

Sarah Wendell – costs associated with print and digital self publishing

Shared illustrative numbers from an author who self-published a book in both print and digital formats. Here are the numbers:

Print: costs included time, formatting, editing, cover art, ISBN, typesetting costs, print copies. Total cost, not including distribution costs or marketing/promo/etc. $5538.50.

E-book: costs included time, formatting, editing, cover art, ISBN, ebook formatting software. Total cost, not including distribution costs or marketing/promo/etc.: $3821.42.

Point: self publishing e-books is nearly as expensive as self-publishing print books.

Angela James talked about the e-publishing model.

The model for digital publishing has been around since the early 1990s, and hinges on no advance, but a higher royalty rate.

Digital publishing has some good content, but because it is easy to set up a digital publisher – all you need is a website and content – there is a “crapload of crapalacious” stuff out there, too.

When digital publishing started, the market was very limited, so the possibility of earning out an advance was nearly non-existent. This led to the development of the model of large royalties on cover price instead of an advance.

Because e-pubs are not constrained by the need to earn out advances, the publisher can take more risks on content and explore more niche markets. This allows digital publishers to be ahead of trends instead of behind them (paranormal, m/m, ménage, for example)

Digital publishers still need to pay back the costs of the book, but the royalty model allows more flexibility in doing so.

Big misconception is that digital publishers have huge profit margins.

35-40% of cover price goes to the author.

40-75% goes to distributors (assuming publisher is using distribution sites other than their own website. Note that this puts the total over 100% already. However, because publishers can negotiate downward on the distribution costs, Angela assumes 40% for purposes of this exercise)

Editors (in e-pubs, editor pay is often royalty based) get another 5%

Flat costs associated with the book: copy editor, cover art, formatting, marketing, promotional costs, business overhead.

Angela estimates the average e-book for her makes about 5% profit. That is, for every $1 made by selling books, Samhain pockets around 5 cents on average.

Why shouldn’t epubs do advances? Because instituting advances means that in order to assure profit, epubs would have to eliminate risk, which means that they would revert to, essentially, the NY paper pub model.

Because epublishers put out so many books, how do you know when you are cannibalizing sales? Angela says careful scheduling is key  and that the sticking point would be when you don’t have break-out authors anymore. If you are so saturated in your market that no author can break out of the pack, then you are probably cannibalizing your sales.

Jane with Lauren and Maya

Jane: How long before you earn enough that you would be PAN eligible?

Lauren: Usually in the first month. Definitely by the second month.

Maya:  The same, the first two months. The first day is the most sales, then it drops off after that.

J:  Have any of your single title digital releases sold more than your advances from NY publishers?

L: Almost all of them.

M: Almost all of them. The e-books have certainly outsold advances from earlier NY contracts

J: Do you still make money on your backlist in digital publications?

M: I love Kindle. Yes, the backlist plateaus, but Kindle will often give you a spike in sales.

D: Yes, I’m still making nice money off my backlist. The backlist spikes when there’s a new release.

J: Do digital backlists sell better than print backlists?

L: I can’t make a comparison because I don’t have the numbers.

M: I can’t tell monthly numbers because of how print is reported, but the ebooks are very steady, but the print books have sold more.

J: Both of you continue to publish in digital even though you are in print. Why?

M: I like monthly checks. If I contract an e-book, it’s published within 6 months and I start getting paid right away. There’s also a lot of cross-over buyers. My e-pubs have definitely helped sales of my NY books.

L: The money and the immediate feedback of knowing how you are doing. E-publishing allows me to write the book I want to write, a lot more flexible. NY is more writing to market. [side note: Angie notes that she still R’s Lauren’s stuff]. I value my readers and like to follow up, too.

Questions:

Q: How do you get your rights back?

L: Think about what you will and will not sign away, think about what is important to you and what you are willing to negotiate in the contract.

Sarah: You are taking on the role of your own business advocate, so you have to be cognizant of that. “If you don’t like it, don’t do it.”

Q: What were the four types of revenue in the Google Books settlement?

A)    advertising B) commercial/retail sales C) institutional subscriptions and D) per page print fees.

Q: What is a huge red flag about epublishers?  If they won’t negotiate the contract, is that a red flag?

Angie: Some things in the contract should be negotiable, but not everything in the contract will be negotiable.

Sarah: she and Candy renegotiated world digital rights after the book was published, so never too late to ask

Bob: Romance loses sales because of lack of worldwide digital rights. Be sure you have them.

Jane: many publications aren’t willing to negotiate modification of worldwide digital rights language, and how can the author exploit that? Also, at what point does the balance shift to digital publishing as an attractive option for authors?

Margueritte Labbe: some red flags for me are spelling errors in the contract, bad formatting. Be sure to ask questions of other authors published with that publisher, and trust your instincts.

Q: [from twitter!] How do you get crossover readers?

M:  Mainly from a good website and by talking to readers.

D:  The publisher site, promotion and marketing. “You are your own best promotion.”

Q: At what point do you consider an e-book to be successful?

Angie: 750-1000 copies, but it varies. More copies needed for shorter books.

A pair of contracts

June/July brought great news for both Elise and I!

Later this year, look for a new sexy novella by Elise from Freya’s Bower and by me from Ellora’s Cave.

Excerpt Monday

More Excerpt Monday!

This excerpt is from my fantasy/futuristic WIP. I’m currently just calling it by the MC’s name, Hannah.

*****

Yuen Li knelt beside her.  “Open your legs for me,” he directed in a low voice.  “I will arouse you a bit first to ease my way, then I will run my fingers over your opening to test your maidenhood.”

Hesitantly, she let her legs fall open.  Her thigh muscles relaxed, freed of the restrictive pose she’d been holding.  Relief eased tension from her spine as Yuen Li’s warm palm slid over her thigh.

He eased his hand between her legs.  Shock whipped through her.  Though she’d known what he intended, it was still a struggle to keep her thighs open and allow his intimate exploration.

Gently, he parted the bare, pillowy lips of her womanhood before sliding a finger over her still-dewed flesh to open the delicate inner folds.  Pleasure hummed through her, the earlier attentions of the bathing girls preparing the way for the eunuch’s ministrations.  Feather light touches teased the opening to her body as he tested her readiness.  The tip of his middle finger eased into her, running along the rim of the opening.

Shock combined with a thrill of pleasure at the first sensation of near-penetration.  Hannah fought competing urges to slam her legs together and to push her hips forward.  She bit her lip to hold back a whimper as he drew his fingers back to slide over her dampened flesh.  The urge to recapture that finger, to deepen the penetration, surprised her.

Yuen Li leaned into her, pressing his lips to the juncture of her neck and shoulder.  His open mouth dragged along the tendon, setting off sparks of arousal.  Her nipples hardened painfully and she felt him smile against her skin.  She knew from the heat rising in her cheeks she was blushing.

Eyes drifting shut, Hannah listened to the other virgins.  Panicked whimpers, luxurious sighs, low moans filled the room.  The sounds added another layer of sensuality to her arousal.

He pressed his finger back into her, a little deeper this time.  Slowly, he rocked his finger in and out, a soft rhythm that moved him across the resistant flesh at her entrance.

Hannah’s breath sighed out as he eased her open and pressed the heel of his palm to her clitoris.  Heat rushed through her and she felt the slickness that suddenly eased his way.

“Ah,” he said softly, sliding his hand free.  “I am so pleased with you.”

Her eyes flew open as he straightened away from her.  Oddly bereft without his touch, it took Hannah a moment to regain her sense of place.  She shifted in the chair, abruptly aware of her exposure.

“No, don’t close your legs, shaila,” he murmured.

****

Check out other writers participating in Excerpt Monday:

Dara Soren, Paranormal (PG)

Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG13)

Crista McHugh, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)

Leigh Royals, Historical Romance (PG 13)

Inez Kelley, Romantic Comedy (R)

Alina Morgan, Urban Fantasy (R)

Evie Byrne, Medieval Paranormal Romance (NC 17)

Kim Knox, Erotic SF Romance (NC17)