Cover Reveal: Surrender To Me (Book 2 in the Surrender Trilogy)

You'll find an excerpt with the spicy RomCom The Italian Apartment, which will be a free download for five days (Dec 10th-14th). Enjoy a sexy holiday read and a glimpse of what's next for Penny and Carter.

Happy Holidays!

The Italian Apartment - excerpt

The Italian Apartment is a short story, romantic comedy with a spicy twist. The lesbian dating site didn't work out so well for Hope, but at least she made a friend. A friend she still has a crush on. A friend who wants her to come live with her in Italy...

Close quarters, under the circumstances, can make for awkward moments:

Excerpt:

Melinda didn’t come home for dinner. Hope scolded herself for alternately worrying and feeling offended. They hadn’t planned anything together for tonight, as they rarely did lately, so she had no reason to pout. They weren’t joined at the hip, right? The reason they still shared an apartment was the good deal Adriana had gotten them, saving money, which had turned out great. A few months ago, they had talked about going to Greece for a week during the fall, or stay in the country, visit Rome, or Florence, or even Sicily.

Lately, they didn’t even make it to the beach anymore. That had to change, Hope decided. If Melinda could introduce her to the local lesbian scene, that would at least be something they could do together.

She sat outside on the roof terrace, making her plans by the moonlight with a bottle of fruity white wine. Maybe Melinda would change her mind once she realized Hope was serious, had always been serious about her the only way she knew how. After all, it was kind of rude to reject someone because of their lack of experience, wasn’t it? She wasn’t applying for a job. She wanted to be close to someone again, and the advice of someone who did this so effortlessly, couldn’t harm.

Hope’s determination and confidence had increased greatly, but when she stood, empty bottle in hand, her surroundings were spinning for a moment. Oh Lord. This was not good. She hoped she’d make it into her room and down the stairs without any accident, because she really wanted to talk to Melinda tonight. It felt kind of urgent. Tomorrow, she might have a hangover and rethink her approach…no. Hope shook her head and winced. Seize the moment. She’d get downstairs and see if Melinda was home, wait for her otherwise.

After nearly falling down the stairs twice, she made it to the lower level. The apartment was dark, and at first Hope thought she was still alone, until she heard the soft moan. Whispered words followed.

The blood shot to her face. Oh no. It looked like she wouldn’t get a chance to have that conversation with Melinda after all, because her roommate was otherwise occupied, busy…

This story is free for Kindle Unlimited, and with it comes a sneak peek of Surrender To Me, the 2nd book in the Surrender Trilogy (coming Valentine's Day 2016).

Every billionaire has a trilogy...

...why not Carter Forbes?

I don't think it means dissing when I say there are some elements in most contemporary erotic romances that simply don't work for lesbian readers. It's not like we don't read guy/girl romance or watch it in the movies ever...but we also want something that is ours.

I always felt that in the phenomenon, one series and then the many that followed, we were left out a bit. I, too, wanted to read about boundless luxury and mysterious, powerful love interests...I just didn't want the latter to be a guy, because at the end of the day, that just doesn't do it for me - and I wanted to explore the difference gender might make when a person has become used to lots of privilege. A woman who made it in the cutthroat business world still would have experienced female socialization. Would it make a difference? In what way?

Will the other woman fall at her feet, because she's helpless in the face of a powerful, seductive person?

These were the questions I wanted to explore in Surrender Your Heart, and like with every other billionaire trilogy, the story wasn't over after the first story of Penny and Carter. Surrender To Me and Surrender Forever were born, and these books will further explore their relationship and the obstacles that arise when these two women walk in each other's world.

For sure, this is not everyone's type of read. If you're interested to give it a try, you can start with an excerpt here:

 

Penny and Carter travel for business and pleasure in Surrender To Me, coming February 2016

99cts Sale for Surrender Your Heart!

Now's a good time to surrender:

Surrender Your Heart is currently on sale for 99cts, for a limited time (ends October 2nd).

Enjoy. <3

Excerpt Surrender Your Heart: The library and other temptations

Welcome to another sneak peek into the world of Penny and Carter! If you like what you see, you can find Surrender Your Heart here on Amazon. The next part in the trilogy, Surrender To Me, will be out next February (always a good time for romance). Enjoy! <3

 

 

 

“Why?” I’m starting to feel like a four-year-old, asking all these questions. Underneath it all, there are too many emotions that are all but child-like. I’m not ready to face them.

She lays her hands on me again, on my sides, barely above my hips. There doesn’t seem to be enough air in the room for both of us to breathe.

“What if, after some time, you don’t want to leave?” she asks, her lips almost brushing my cheek. “What if you like it here so much you realize this is what you want?”

“Being your guest?” I find the sarcasm hard to muster for a reason, but…I had someone get your passport. That means we’re not even in the country anymore. No one is going to come looking for me, and she knows it. She arranged for it.

“Being mine,” she says. “Breathe.” Her arms come around me, and it’s a wild tug of war, body and mind. How can I trust her? My body turns out to be a traitor, overriding the instinctual fight/flight reaction. When you can do neither, I’ve learned in class, you play dead. The warmth traveling to various places of my body as she holds me against her tells me without a doubt that I’m very much alive.

“You said I could study.” The words come out in a series of gasps, and it’s not for panicking. If I am, it’s for a different reason. “Show me.”

With regret in her expression, she lets go. “You should put on some clothes then.”

“Why do you care?”

A wry smile curves her lips. “I don’t, but we might run into someone. I don’t want them to get the wrong impression.”

“What is the right impression? What do you want them to think—or me?”

Carter answers my question, this time leaving no doubt as she steps into my personal place again and kisses me, spiraling me even deeper into confusion. Her lips are warm and soft, mine opening to her instinctively, a split-second, before I tear myself away.

She was right. There’s nothing of much worth in my apartment, or my life for that matter. Detours, stories that ended or stalled before they began for real. An uncertain future. Would it be any better if I just give in?

I avoid her gaze as I grab a shirt and pants and slip into a pair of flat sandals. “Okay. I’m ready. Now where’s that library?”

My cheeks are still burning. I need to see this through though—the more I learn about the layout of the house, the better. It will serve me sometime soon.

* * * *

The surprises never end. This time, she leads me deeper into the maze of rooms, and after a few minutes, I give up every hope I could remember the way. In fact if I tried to escape in here, I’d probably get lost and die.

The library is a thing of stunning beauty, something, under normal circumstances, I would have drooled over. Dark wood, floor to ceiling shelves with ladders, a spiral staircase leading to the upper level.

“The sociology section is up to date,” she explains. “There’s some psychology, women’s studies, literature. I know you’re interested in those. There’s a bit of everything. If you’d like some fiction, I can give you an e-reader on which you’ll find classics, contemporary and all kinds of genre fiction. Please understand I can’t allow any internet access.”

I can’t even find a sarcastic comeback, staring in awe at the many shelves going up to the ceiling, some leather-bound collections. This is only the non-fiction section? If I’d known this she wouldn’t have had to go to all this trouble to get me here. Why, a ticket to a private retreat on the beach, complete with a library, I’m there! This is not how it happened. I drank a glass of wine on my couch and woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom.

It’s not romantic.

It’s a crime.

I turn to her, see her watching me with a proud gaze. No doubt it takes someone clever—and crazy rich—to come up with all of this. I’m sure she’s proud of herself, and the way I nearly caved a moment earlier.

“What if I say no to all of this? I mean…It’s great. You have a beautiful home and obviously, lots of money to spend. It’s a dream, but what if it’s not my dream?”

“Give me time,” she says, “I’ll show you.”

The warm inviting tone sends a shiver down my spine. I want to leave this disturbing fantasy, and I don’t. My mind is not my own anymore, and it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.

“Maybe you will.” I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth. Her smile tells me that in her world, maybe is not an option. It’s the world I’m living in now—if I don’t find my way out of this castle. Enchanted or cursed, I have yet to determine.

“It’s been a long day,” Carter amends. “We’ll talk some more tomorrow. You need to rest now.”

What I need is to memorize every step we are taking between this room and “my” bedroom. It might come in handy sometime soon. My lips still tingle.

 

Lesbian erotic romance, fifty-plus shades, none grey...

It's out! Surrender Your Heart, a story I'm thrilled to share with the world. Why a lesbian billionaire romance?

Prior to writing Surrender Your Heart, I read lots of erotic romance, mostly of the straight kind. Why? I was curious as to what caused this genre and one particular trilogy to become a phenomenon, and why there seemed to be two ways to look at it only: Love or hate. My uncommon opinion fell somewhere in the middle, with none of those strong emotions other readers had expressed, though I was intrigued enough to try the works of other erotic romance authors, and came to the same conclusion.

There was something about the power dynamic that attracted me, though when it came to the specifics, for me, there were always elements I didn’t like.

I often felt that the men in question, though often in long-term therapy, didn’t address their control issues enough. Instead, the task of making them “a better man” fell to the woman, and after little negotiating, both partners accepted their respective roles. Take it or leave it. The price seemed a little high even in exchange for all the luxury, and, apparently great sex.

I was drawn to these books because all of them had interesting premises, and I had a hard time finding these particulars in lesbian fiction (maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough, granted, but I haven’t come across many lesbian billionaire leads yet). If I was straight, I might have come up with a story where the roles are reversed, with the woman billionaire and the guy with less money and fewer control issues catching her eye…but I’m not. As much as I enjoyed diving into these stories and learning from them, what I really wanted was a love story between women, with these precarious power imbalances. First of all? Because from where I stand, it’s so much hotter. D’uh.

 

 

The more important point was to explore how gender would change the approach to such a story. A highly successful businesswoman would have had obstacles in her way that weren’t there for the men, and therefore have a different perspective on her actions and their consequences. It would depend on how much aware she was of her privilege.

Some things would stay the same—the younger, less experienced woman crossing path with someone who changes her life completely. Both of them being women would take out much of the patriarchal structures, though they’d still have to address them.

All these musings went into Surrender Your Heart, the story of Penny and Carter. I hope you’re intrigued to take the journey with them, and enjoy.

 

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Surrender-Your-Heart-Raven-Spencer-ebook/dp/B0118DAWUA/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Excerpt: Surrender Your Heart

Surrender Your Heart is now out! Take a peek into the world of Penny and Carter with a couple of excerpts. If you like what you see, you can one-click here. Surrender Your Heart is also available as a free read through Kindle Unlimited/Prime.

 

Excerpt 1:

 

Women want to be courted, cherished, swept off their feet by someone who is crazy about them, obsessed with them. They would do anything for love. That’s what the romance novels say, at least, and for most of my life, I’ve been shaking my head or cracking jokes when the subject came up in our book club.

Lesbian relationships are not like that anyway, I used to argue. We defy the rules of patriarchy, well, as long as you don’t get involved with the occasional self-centered girl. That can happen, but a billionaire lady showering you in gifts and luxury in exchange for kinky games? I don’t think so. If there’s one who’ll pay my tuition until I have my degree, I’ll let her spank me, I used to say, sometimes, when after too many shifts at the café, the exam results didn’t live up to my expectations.

Even Haley and Lara, who eat up these books by the spoonful, saw the humor in that. There’s no guy like that either. They are smart capable women, each in their respective field. Fiction is an escape. I understand that, even if I don’t always agree on the same theme. The gleam in their eyes when talking about their favorite stories was disconcerting to me. It’s not what they, me, or any woman would want, right? It’s not real. It’s not right.

Then it happened to me.

 

 

Excerpt 2:

She brushes her hand over my hair, her eyes never leaving mine, fingertips traveling down my shoulder. It’s odd that she touches me like this, tentative, cautious, as if asking for permission. I don’t think she went to all this trouble thinking she would have to ask. If she wants something, she takes it. I’m the living proof.

“What are you going to wear for the night? Or do you prefer to sleep naked? You can. None of my staff is going to walk in here without permission.”

“It’s not the staff I’m worried about,” I mumble, and she laughs. Damn my crazy kidnapper for having such a sexy laugh. Damn me for being so easy. Stockholm syndrome starts early, apparently.

The romance novels are wrong. This is not what I’ve dreamed of all my life—or is it? Crap. “Can’t you let me go? I swear I’ll forget about all this. I even give you my number…Wait, you have it. Did you clean out my apartment?” I step back and stare at her in disbelief—or maybe that disbelief is directed at myself, because her hand on my arm, moving to my back, felt so good.

“I’m afraid there wasn’t much of worth in it,” Carter says. “I had someone get your passport, and a few papers of course. A few clothes, so anyone who goes in there will buy the timeout for a year. I don’t want the police to come looking for you. As for your question,” she finishes calmly, “the answer is no. I can’t let you go.”

“Why?” I’m starting to feel like a four-year-old, asking all these questions. Underneath it all, there are too many emotions that are all but child-like. I’m not ready to face them.

She lays her hands on me again, on my sides, barely above my hips. There doesn’t seem to be enough air in the room for both of us to breathe.

“What if, after some time, you don’t want to leave?” she asks, her lips almost brushing my cheek. “What if you like it here so much you realize this is what you want?”

“Being your guest?” I find the sarcasm hard to muster for a reason, but…I had someone get your passport. That means we’re not even in the country anymore. No one is going to come looking for me, and she knows it. She arranged for it.

“Being mine,” she says. “Breathe.” Her arms come around me, and it’s a wild tug of war, body and mind. How can I trust her? My body turns out to be a traitor, overriding the instinctual fight/flight reaction. When you can do neither, I’ve learned in class, you play dead. The warmth traveling to various places of my body as she holds me against her tells me without a doubt that I’m very much alive.

“You said I could study.” The words come out in a series of gasps, and it’s not for panicking. If I am, it’s for a different reason. “Show me.”

With regret in her expression, she lets go. “You should put on some clothes then.”

“Why do you care?”

A wry smile curves her lips. “I don’t, but we might run into someone. I don’t want them to get the wrong impression.”

“What is the right impression? What do you want them to think—or me?”

Carter answers my question, this time leaving no doubt as she steps into my personal place again and kisses me, spiraling me even deeper into confusion. Her lips are warm and soft, mine opening to her instinctively, a split-second, before I tear myself away.

 

 

Cover Reveal: Surrender Your Heart

Coming August 1, 2015:

To tell you the truth: I love everything about this cover. The pink (I’m holding on tightly to my lesbian card—yes, lesbians can like pink!), the feminine feel, and the kinky vibe provided for the cuffs clearly not intended for arresting bad guys.

Still, it doesn’t show a lot of skin—a lot is left to the imagination here.

Surrender Your Heart is a love story, but it’s also about two people who have to negotiate the parameters of their relationship.

Out in the real world, their positions are unequal, an imbalance created by money and circumstance. When attraction and intimacy come into play, they have to find a way to rise beyond these inequalities. This will take compromise…and ultimately, surrender.

 

Surrender Your Heart, the story of Penny and Carter, will be out August first, but watch out for an opportunity to pre-order coming soon, and visit the blogs taking part in this cover reveal, organized by Shades Rose Media.

Are you ready to...Surrender?

Only 19 days until the cover reveal of Surrender Your Heart! I can't wait to bring this erotic romance out into the world. The official release date is August 1st.



Penny can’t believe what happened to her: One day she’s studying sociology and paying her tuition with her job at a local café, the next she wakes up in a luxurious house which is the property of a rich and enigmatic woman. Carter Forbes is ready to lay the world at her feet, but what will she expect in return? As she uncovers Carter’s reasons to create this unusual situation, Penny can’t deny the attraction between them. Can she reconcile her desire with her beliefs about herself, or is this passionate affair doomed from the start?

 

Hop Against Homphobia, Bi- and Transphobia

Hi & welcome! I'm thrilled to take part in this year's Hop in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, May 17th. The blog hop and giveaway will run until May 24th. Details and prizes for hoppers are at the end of this post. Let's all join the conversation.

To me, the key to fight homophobia, biphobia and transphobia is representation, and communication. You can’t make your point if you’re not safe, and when you’re not being heard, others will try to define who you are. This is especially important when it comes to crafting laws and passing bills for equal protection, but also in the everyday life.

 This is why I’m thrilled to take part in this event where we come together to name the problem and discuss solutions from various perspectives in the context of storytelling.

Media matters when it comes to creating a safe space for this conversation, so I’m grateful for publishers and reviewers who welcome every letter of LGBTQ, because it takes many stories to build the whole picture.

LGBTQ characters in mainstream media count, because it’s harder to understand what you can’t see or imagine.

 The more, the better.

In my little corner of the LGBTQ book world, I write lesbian erotica and erotic romance. A Perfect Dream, the first in a series about a sensual getaway for women, follows the story of a woman who keeps many secrets and can’t imagine her life any other way, is confronted with the ultimate alternative.

I will give away three e-copies—to enter, you just have to leave a comment here on this post. Please add your contact information (email address). Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you on July 22^nd for the cover reveal of my erotic romance Surrender Your Heart.

 

Love,

Raven

Visit all the blogs participating in the hop, see you around!

Misunderstandings with labels and genres...

Recently, I did a free promotion for An Intimate Case, #5 in the A Perfect Dream series. I call my stories sensual erotica, and the main characters are and will always be women-loving women. There is a bit of mislabeling going on in terms of lesbian romance and erotica. We often see titles that, by the very definition, don’t belong into the lesbian genre (involving straight couples or men). While I don’t want to call the existence of these titles into question (each to their own), it creates a problem for both readers and authors who might not come together as intended (you can choose whether or not this pun was intended).

 In the A Perfect Dream series, all erotic scenes are between women. Period. These are stories about women pushing boundaries. There might be more than two. Depending on which character we visit, it might be ultimately a lesbian romance with the heat cranked up, or a story about a woman who struggles to find and define her identity.

A Perfect Dream is a fictional place where these women can be themselves without society’s scrutiny and slut-shaming, and most important when you label your fiction “lesbian”, they are romantically and intimately involved with women and that’s what they want most.

Regan (An Intimate Case) prefers meeting women within the community of the local bar scene, but investigates at A Perfect Dream as a favor to a friend.

Beatrice (A Perfect Dream) has been hiding in the closet for all of her adult life, but one encounter makes her question the secrets.

Kendall (A Sweet Deal) has to see through the lies told to her by her married lover and her family before she can truly acknowledge that nothing about her, or the women she meets, is evil.

Piper (A Second Chance) has an agreement with her husband which includes no sex between the two of them, ever. She won’t adopt any labels. Lesbian or not, her tastes are out of the ordinary, and therefore, a safe and discreet place like the A Perfect Dream parties is her choice.

Autumn and Jasmine (Off Screen) work for the A Perfect Dream franchise, in a setting we’d wish the porn industry could be like.

Erotica is not everyone’s favorite genre, no matter who the protagonists and their desires are. After reading this blog, A Perfect Dream still might not be for you—that’s okay. What matters to me is that you know what it’s all about. I’ll continue to do free promotions over time and will give you a chance to find out. Meanwhile, you can read all my titles for free via Kindle Unlimited.

 Thank you for trying!