Lost in Light ...

Writing and Using Italics

Tilly Slaton — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:16:41 +0000

Italics refers to the slanted type style used in writing. Writers use italics to serve a purpose, such as to emphasize a word or to reference bibliographic material. But while there are many instances when italics should be used in writing, there are also times when it’s better to avoid italics. Knowing the following five dos and don’ts of this important tool can help strengthen a piece of writing and make it look more professional.

When to Use Italics

Do use italics when citing or referring to certain works and sources. Names of the following should appear in italics: books, magazines, journals, pamphlets, newspapers (but not the, as in the Washington Post), TV programs (but not specific episodes), modes of transportation (ships, planes, trains, etc., but not their modifiers) movies, paintings, plays, long poems and musical pieces, websites, blogs, albums, and compact discs.
Do use italics for writing letters as letters, words as words, and sounds as sounds. Note the proper use of italics in this sentence: The letter a and the word betray rhyme. Sounds reproduced as sounds, such as brrr and aaah, should also be italicized.
Do use italics for unfamiliar foreign words or phrases used within a sentence. But if the foreign word or phrase is repeated throughout the text, it need be italicized only the first time it appears. This rule does not include common foreign words that have become anglicized, such as ad hoc, cliché, et al., etc., laissez-faire, per diem, and raison d’etre. Further, don’t italicize entire sentences or passages that appear in another language or proper foreign nouns (unless they should be italicized according to Rule 1 above.)
Do use italics for introducing key terms. When introducing key terms to be discussed in a paper or report, the terms should be italicized, but only when first introduced. After that, they can appear in roman.
Do use italics to show emphasis. This is especially helpful if the sentence is confusing without the use of italics. Still, some authorities disagree with the usage of italics for emphasis in any context. Rosalie Maggio, author of How to Say It (Prentice Hall Press, 2002), says “Don’t do this; italics cannot replace the hard work of good writing.” Most style books, however, say it’s okay to use italics for emphasis, as long as it’s done sparingly. If inserting italics into quoted material for emphasis, be sure to let the reader know you put the italics there by including (italics added), placed after the quoted material.

When Not to Use Italics

Don’t use italics when they’re already used in a sentence for a different purpose and when quotation marks will suffice. For example, a sentence containing a foreign word followed by its English translation should feature the foreign word in italics and the English word in quotation marks (i.e., She always says poulet for the word “chicken.”) But when a common foreign word is used in the same sentence as an unfamiliar foreign word, both should appear in italics for the purpose of consistency.
Don’t use italics when referring to scholastic letter grades. Letter grades, unlike letters used as letters noted above, should not be italicized: I got an A in English this semester.
Don’t use italics for a character’s thoughts. Many fiction writers are confused about whether to put a character’s thoughts in italics. The short answer is no, it’s distracting and unnecessary. Usually, it’s clear that the character is thinking, not talking, by the writer’s choice of words: He thought, Why should I care? A story written in the first voice doesn’t need thoughts set in italics since the reader knows the thoughts belong to the narrator. But for dream sequences and flashbacks, some fiction writers prefer using italics to differentiate the scene from the main story.
Don’t use italics for block quotations (long quotations of more than 100 words or two or more paragraphs). Instead, indent the quotation and set it in smaller roman type.
Don’t use italics to make your writing more decorative. Like fancy fonts, writing that appears in italics looks unprofessional and is more tedious to read. Stick with simple, basic roman type.

Punctuation with Italics

What about punctuation that appears after an italicized word or phrase? The rules for punctuation and italics are a little confusing. The traditional method, and the one explained in the classic style book Words into Type (Prentice Hall, 1974), states that “commas, colons, and semicolons are set in the typeface (italic or bold) of the preceding word. Quotation marks, exclamation points, question marks, and parentheses are set according to the overall context of the sentence.”

While the current Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press, 2010) acknowledges this traditional method, Chicago suggests that it be used, if at all, for print publications only. The better rule, according to Chicago and other more recent style manuals, is to put punctuation marks in the same font as the main text unless the punctuation belongs with the italicized word, such as a book title ending in an exclamation point.

Italics are an important tool for writers. Get to know the rules for using and avoiding them – and make your writing clearer and more professional.

Sources:

Maggio, Rosalie, How to Say It Style Guide, Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press, 2002.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Ed.), New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2009.

Skillin, Marjorie J., et. al., Words into Type (3rd Ed.), Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974.

The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Thurman, Susan, The Everything Grammar and Style Book, Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 2002.
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Filed under: Misc Random Posts

Grammar Lesson … Dangling Modifiers

Tilly Slaton — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:25:56 +0000

“Looking out across the ocean, a dolphin jumped out of the water.”

What is wrong with this sentence?

Perhaps you understand that the author was looking out over the ocean and that the author saw a dolphin jump out of the water. But the way that this sentence is structured, it seems as if the dolphin looked out across the ocean. Oops!

This type of sentence error is called a dangling modifier. According to Purdue University’s English website, OWL, “A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence. A modifier describes, clarifies, or gives more detail about a concept.” Dangling modifiers can create confusion in sentences, so it is important that students identify them and understand how to correct them.

To correct a dangling modifier, you must insert the word that is not clearly stated. In the case of the above-mentioned sentence, the word that is not clearly stated is the author. To correct the sentence, the author must be included.

“Looking out across the ocean, a dolphin jumped out of the water.”

BECOMES

“While I was looking out across the ocean, a dolphin jumped out of the water.”

Much better! Try another one:

Feeling dizzy, the coach told her to sit down.

In this case, the player (in the sentence, “her”, is not stated in the dangling modifier. She needs to be mentioned.

Because she was feeling dizzy, the coach told her to sit down.

Can you fix these dangling modifiers?

1. Piled up in the sink, I knew the dishes were going to take forever to clean.

___________________________________________________________

2. While walking, a car almost hit me.

___________________________________________________________

3. Standing in the sun, the heat felt good.

___________________________________________________________

4. Smiling and laughing, the photographer took the family’s photo.

___________________________________________________________

5. Running to the soccer goal, the wet grass made her slip and fall.

___________________________________________________________

6. While typing my paper, the computer froze.

___________________________________________________________

7. Upon entering the office, the electricity went out.

___________________________________________________________

8. Chasing my dog, she looked so happy!

___________________________________________________________

9. Taking a deep breath, I watched her jump in the water.

___________________________________________________________

10. After reading his paper, he got an A from the teacher.

___________________________________________________________

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Filed under: Misc Random Posts

Passive and Active Voices

Tilly Slaton — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:38:40 +0000

Passive and Active Voices

Verbs are also said to be either active (The executive committee approved the new policy) or passive (The new policy was approved by the executive committee) in voice. In the active voice, the subject and verb relationship is straightforward: the subject is a be-er or a do-er and the verb moves the sentence along. In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is neither a do-er or a be-er, but is acted upon by some other agent or by something unnamed (The new policy was approved). Computerized grammar checkers can pick out a passive voice construction from miles away and ask you to revise it to a more active construction. There is nothing inherently wrong with the passive voice, but if you can say the same thing in the active mode, do so (see exceptions below). Your text will have more pizzazz as a result, since passive verb constructions tend to lie about in their pajamas and avoid actual work.

We find an overabundance of the passive voice in sentences created by self-protective business interests, magniloquent educators, and bombastic military writers (who must get weary of this accusation), who use the passive voice to avoid responsibility for actions taken. Thus “Cigarette ads were designed to appeal especially to children” places the burden on the ads — as opposed to “We designed the cigarette ads to appeal especially to children,” in which “we” accepts responsibility. At a White House press briefing we might hear that “The President was advised that certain members of Congress were being audited” rather than “The Head of the Internal Revenue service advised the President that her agency was auditing certain members of Congress” because the passive construction avoids responsibility for advising and for auditing. One further caution about the passive voice: we should not mix active and passive constructions in the same sentence: “The executive committee approved the new policy, and the calendar for next year’s meetings was revised” should be recast as “The executive committee approved the new policy and revised the calendar for next year’s meeting.”

Take the quiz (below) as an exercise in recognizing and changing passive verbs.

The passive voice does exist for a reason, however, and its presence is not always to be despised. The passive is particularly useful (even recommended) in two situations:

When it is more important to draw our attention to the person or thing acted upon: The unidentified victim was apparently struck during the early morning hours.
When the actor in the situation is not important: The aurora borealis can be observed in the early morning hours.

The passive voice is especially helpful (and even regarded as mandatory) in scientific or technical writing or lab reports, where the actor is not really important but the process or principle being described is of ultimate importance. Instead of writing “I poured 20 cc of acid into the beaker,” we would write “Twenty cc of acid is/was poured into the beaker.” The passive voice is also useful when describing, say, a mechanical process in which the details of process are much more important than anyone’s taking responsibility for the action: “The first coat of primer paint is applied immediately after the acid rinse.”

We use the passive voice to good effect in a paragraph in which we wish to shift emphasis from what was the object in a first sentence to what becomes the subject in subsequent sentences.

The executive committee approved an entirely new policy for dealing with academic suspension and withdrawal. The policy had been written by a subcommittee on student behavior. If students withdraw from course work before suspension can take effect, the policy states, a mark of “IW” . . . .

The paragraph is clearly about this new policy so it is appropriate that policy move from being the object in the first sentence to being the subject of the second sentence. The passive voice allows for this transition.†

Passive Verb Formation

The passive forms of a verb are created by combining a form of the “to be verb” with the past participle of the main verb. Other helping verbs are also sometimes present: “The measure could have been killed in committee.” The passive can be used, also, in various tenses. Let’s take a look at the passive forms of “design.”

A sentence cast in the passive voice will not always include an agent of the action. For instance if a gorilla crushes a tin can, we could say “The tin can was crushed by the gorilla.” But a perfectly good sentence would leave out the gorilla: “The tin can was crushed.” Also, when an active sentence with an indirect object is recast in the passive, the indirect object can take on the role of subject in the passive sentence:

Only transitive verbs (those that take objects) can be transformed into passive constructions. Furthermore, active sentences containing certain verbs cannot be transformed into passive structures. To have is the most important of these verbs. We can say “He has a new car,” but we cannot say “A new car is had by him.” We can say “Josefina lacked finesse,” but we cannot say “Finesse was lacked.” Here is a brief list of such verbs*:

Verbals in Passive Structures

Verbals or verb forms can also take on features of the passive voice. An infinitive phrase in the passive voice, for instance, can perform various functions within a sentence (just like the active forms of the infinitive).

Subject: To be elected by my peers is a great honor.
Object: That child really likes to be read to by her mother.
Modifier: Grasso was the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.

The same is true of passive gerunds.

Subject: Being elected by my peers was a great thrill.
Object: I really don’t like being lectured to by my boss.
Object of preposition: I am so tired of being lectured to by my boss.

With passive participles, part of the passive construction is often omitted, the result being a simple modifying participial phrase.

[~~Having been~~] designed for off-road performance, the Pathseeker does not always behave well on paved highways.

Credit to Guide to Grammar and Writing for the information in this post!!

Filed under: Misc Random Posts

REVIEW: Hard Eight – A Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich

Tilly Slaton — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:33:18 +0000

I don’t like being repetitious, but the books only get better from here on out.

Stephanie Plum.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time rolling on the ground with men who think a stiffy represents personal growth. The rolling around has nothing to do with my sex life. The rolling around is what happens when a bust goes crapola and there’s a last ditch effort to hog-tie a big, dumb bad guy possessing a congenitally defective frontal lobe.

Stephanie and Lula make a wonderful team. They met in book one. Stephanie was just beginning her journey as a bounty hunter and Lula was still working the street corners as a ‘ho.

Stephanie will usually deal with fear in her usual manner; doughnuts, fried crispy chicken or frozen cookie dough. This makes Lula the perfect teammate. She can eat the store and still have the smiling energy to go shopping.

In the first book of this series, One for the Money, both Stephanie and Lula suffer an insane amount of fear and physically traumatic and unimaginably paralyzing defeat. Bad guy, Benito, was a sexual sadist. A sociopath with limitless amount of perseverance when it comes to stalking and hunting down the women he chooses to play with.

After book One for the Money, everything has been more or less a giggling ride with Lula and Stephanie. In this book, Hard Eight, memories crash through them, and they are reminded of the terrible things they survived.

“I know who you are, too. You’re one of Benito’s whores. How did it feel to spend time with Benito? Did you enjoy it? Did you feel privileged? Did you learn anything?”

“I don’t feel so good,” Lula said. And she fainted dead away, crashing into Kloughn, taking him down with her.

Bad guy and super asshole, Abruzzi shows his ugly face in Hard Eight. One of the reasons book one really got to me, was reading about what Stephanie and Lula endured. To be utterly brutalized, raped and sliced apart and left for dead, this book really has its moments that I do not enjoy. Unfortunately, sometimes when you want the laughter, you must be reminded of the bad times as well. Perhaps that is what makes you appreciate the funny moments even more.

Stephanie suffers sadistic pranks in this book by a man who has only begun to toy with her. Of course, you have your usual assholes in Evanovich’s books, but this one is a little different. The madness that drives Abruzzi is throat clenching and unbearable.

I turned my head to look, and a spider the size of a dinner plate jumped at me.

“Eeeeyow! Holy shit! HOLY SHIT!” I sideswiped a parked car, took the curb, and came to a stop on a patch of lawn.

From being attacked by killer rabbits, to finding themselves in a babysitting situation, Lula never disappoints.

“Listen to me, you punk-ass loser, you don’t want to call me no Aunt Jemima or I’m gonna give you Aunt Jemima in the face with this fry pan. Only thing stopping me is I don’t want to k-i-l-l you in front of the b-r-a-t-s.”

Dealing with Morelli during an off on-again-off-again relationship, and Ranger’s smooth sexy yumminess, Stephanie is faced with a dilemma. On one had, Morelli was a man she loved but whom didn’t want to marry her. The feeling was mutual. And on the other hand, Ranger pushes himself against her body and life, leaving her toes tingling and thoughts rumbling through erotic dreams and nipple-teasing hard ons.

One of the coolest pages in this book explains the rules of Stephanie’s house. I have similar rules, they just aren’t followed.

I hung up and retreated to the living room. If you sat in front of the television in my parents’ house, you weren’t expected to talk. Even if asked a direct question, the viewer had the discretion of feigning hearing loss. Those were the rules.

Hah!

I love it.

This book slams you through the past and really leaves your chest hurting, a weight that seems to crush down on you. There are certain things an individual reader will react to. I don’t like to read about women being brutalized. It upsets me.

I recommend this book to all mature adults. Moderate violence and mild to moderate sexual content. (Yay! You’ll see .. woo hoo!) Sensitive content and some morally suggestive moments, but other than that, this book has my two thumbs up!

Now it’s time for To the Nines!

Happy reading!

Filed under: Personal Posts

REVIEW: Kissing Sin – A Riley Jenson Guardian series novel # 2 by Keri Arthur

Tilly Slaton — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:57:13 +0000

Kissing Sin is a story about a sexually confident and provocative woman who is half werewolf half vampire. Filled with some serious love and sexual triangles, Kissing Sin is the second book in the Riley Jenson Guardian series by Keri Arthur.

A fairly comparable series to Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake; Vampire Hunter… Arthur has left me smiling and never wanting or unsatisfied.

Anita Blake is a .. well we won’t go *there* … Basically she struggles with a paranormal curse that forces her to screw and eat the orgasms and passion from others in her life. She constantly struggles with her ever so adorable whoreness and forever aching … pussy. (I almost don’t want to use that word in a review haha .. but it’s fitting.)

Instead of the constant struggle that Anita faces when it comes to her sexual needs, RILEY JENSON … Is a werewolf who needs “the dance” of the moon and sex is as vital as air to humans or blood to vampires. Basically, we get a lot of fkn loving, endless orgasms and interesting love triangles without all the boo fkn hoo regret that we have to suffer in the Blake series.

Instead of having the second novel in this series consist of a completely different story, or allowing it to jump ahead too far on a timeline, it smoothly picks up and continues where Full Moon Rising left off. Instead of a brutal cliffhanger that makes you want to rip the author’s head off, Full Moon Rising offers a climactic ending with a large amount of mystery to look forward to.

Finding herself abused, raped and violated and without memory … a gory body ripped to shreds beside her .. covered in blood .. Riley has no idea where she is or how she got there. All she knows is that some funky looking creatures are hunting her and they’re faster than anything else she has ever encountered. Isn’t that always the case?

In her attempts to evade and hide from said monsters, she finds herself in a horse barn with a bunch of studly horse shifters. A Horse shifter .. studly .. get it? How funny .. Her interactions with Kade .. the handsome horseshifter, is intriguing and I want more!

Do I get more? Hell yes I do What happens then? Well … Quinn gets PISSED!

Working with her team of guardians, they continue to search for the labs that are kidnapping, breeding and “milking” its occupants, she is led into the realization that she can no longer trust her mates, and those who she has feelings for .. can “go to hell” …

I’ll leave it at that…NO SPOILERS for YOU!

This is a MUST READ .. BUT .. In order not to find yourself sitting there with that .. ‘wtf? huh?’ look on your face .. And to have a better appreciate for the characters and relationships in this series, I HIGHLY ADVISE you read this series sequentially!

I recommend this book to mature adults only…Totally rockin awesome strong sexual content .. AWESOME violence dripping from oozing brains and spider eaten penis? WHOA! Fantastic book and I enjoyed ever word of it!

~happy reading you silly monkies! <3

Filed under: Personal Posts

Deadly Sin of Writing #5–P.O.V. Prostitution

Tilly Slaton — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:51:24 +0000

Deadly Sin of Writing #5–P.O.V. Prostitution.

Filed under: Personal Posts

Because of you …

Tilly Slaton — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:24:09 +0000

It’s been awhile …

So much has come to pass, I am unsure where to start … let alone which incident is prevalent to this boo fkn hoo post that has increasingly become more inevitable. obviously.. For here it is.

I am an attractive 36 year old woman. I am a recently divorced woman with a beautifully eccentric daughter. She is in kindergarten, and is learning to read. Since I have an entire wall filled with bookshelves that are filled with a fantastic collection of loved authors as well as many collectibles.

We live in a small apartment. It isn’t much, but it is ours. Our home is filled with warm, wood furniture that once blessed my grandparent’s home. I have a kitten named Serenity Angel and a cat named Pumpkin Face. I must admit, they drive me insane at times, but I cannot imagine walking in my home and not be greeted by my lovelies.

Sometimes, money gets so tight that I feel defeated and wonder if I will be forced to pack our things and move to Texas. My family is in Texas, so this shouldn’t be such a sad thought. I am currently wobbling on my own two feet, and I am trying so very hard to maintain balance, but it is hard. At times I stare at my bookshelves and wonder how much money I could get for my collection. One bookshelf alone, I am confident that I will get at least $800. One single book will grant me at least $400. But as I find myself in that position, I shake my head and think .. HELL NO. In the end … I fear that I will have to do what is needed to be done to survive on my own. What a price .. A price I am willing to pay if it is what is best for myself and my daughter.

My current GPA is 4.0, and I await the acceptance letter from the college I hope to attend. I have jumped through many hoops for this college, and I am confident that my efforts will not be in vain. I want to continue down the path to receive my doctorate in psychology. That’s my goal. Why?

I was diagnosed as Bipolar 1 a very long time ago. I am lucky to be one of many who knows deep down inside that the medication is needed. Unfortunately, as most people and loved ones know .. at least those who have given half a shit to research Bipolar 1 .. medication will not cure what I have .. it will not remove the symptoms .. It will most definitely remove the mania and depression … But it does keep the self-destructive nature at bay .. For that, I am thankful.

At this time, I am suffering from irrational ruminating thoughts. I am a smart woman, and my unquiet mind is often restless and twisting puzzle pieces around until they fit into place. But god damn it … I hate it when pieces connect and it breaks my heart. I don’t trust easily. I don’t love easily. I don’t forgive. Ever. I will hold a grudge until my death and for that fact alone … I am sad. I want to be the better person, and I want to put mistakes in the past. I can’t. I can’t stop these thoughts, and all I want to do is appreciate what I have at this moment and set aside the bitterness of the betrayed feeling that I am plagued with.

I tell myself .. Stop thinking, stop thinking, stop thinking.

I have a boyfriend who does not deserve me. He doesn’t deserve my mood swings, my thoughts or the baggage that I come with. He makes me feel so beautiful and loved. But, mistakes were made. And that alone is crushing me inside to the point to where I want to take a deep, shaking breath and wonder what is best for my family. Perhaps I am being irrational … Indeed I am upset and sad and *insert violin music* crying.

This song is quite appropriate.

Because of you ..

Not too long ago, I had a conversation about … “Who are you?”

I am me. I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a student. I am a published author.

But, who am I?

I am a sad woman who is spinning out of control while trying to maintain a soft, sweet smile so that my loved ones will not worry too much. I hold things in … I explode. I smile … and then I sob. Did I mention that I “am” Bipolar 1?

I function rather well, and my daughter affected …more or less … by my disorder. I maintain .. more or less .. a healthy relationship with her. I do my job … I love her, I clothe her, I feed her and I hold her when she’s scared. I give her all of the things she deserves.

*sings* And now I cry in the middle of the night for the same damn thing … Because of you …

Others believe that I should be extremely careful with my personal posts. I am, indeed, in the spot light so to speak. My fans are my sweet lovelies, and I am advised to maintain a professional and appropriate persona with my audience. But, you know what I think about that? This is my blog. This is my life. I have no intention of hiding behind a mask for the benefit of others. This is me. I am who I am. It is what it is.

One thing I can promise you and more importantly .. myself … I am real, and at no point whatsoever will my integrity waver for the benefit of others or fame.

Take me as I am … I’m worth it.

Because of you …

Now … with all of that said … I leave you to go drink a beer and write. Hmm. Beer and wings or Mexican?

Man, I’m sad. Man, that backpack is going to be heavy. I just don’t give a shit.

Happy reading, my lovelies.

Pardon typos … I’m headed out the door o.O

Filed under: Personal Posts

Unleashed Desire – Racks, Riding Crops and Orgams.. Oh my!

Tilly Slaton — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:08:08 +0000

Madison watched the woman’s face. She let her gaze slide over her body as she tried to make sense of what the woman was feeling and whether or not the men were abusing her. After taking care of Elise, there was no way in hell she was going to stand by and allow another woman to be brutalized. Just as she thought to force Dorian away from her, the woman arched her body again. Her wrists and ankles were held against the rack, forcing her to use her back muscles.

The woman had the most incredible orgasm Madison had ever seen. It seemed to last forever. The woman’s lips were parted in a sensual manner as she tried to catch her breath. Unaware of the woman being released from her restraints, Madison forced herself to focus on what was happening. Stephen stood near the woman and gently held her wrists together as the Dom grasped her hips and slid her toward him.

As Stephen leaned forward, he sweetly sucked her lower lip into his mouth. As soon as his tongue touched hers, the Dom thrust forward into her sheath until his balls slapped against her ass. The pounding was relentless. One man fucked her pussy as the other man deepened his kiss and reached down to rub his fingers over her swollen clit. The grunts from the Dom were earthshattering.

The man’s cock pummeled her pussy in a merciless assault. The moans coming from the woman’s mouth were enticing. He grabbed her hips harder and quickened his thrusts. He pulled out his cock and stroked himself as he came with a righteous fury. His hot semen spewed onto her stomach. Her screams deafening as they climaxed together in beautiful release.

Madison’s whole body burned and throbbed just thinking of what it would feel like to have a man take her that way.

The sound that escaped the woman’s lips shot through Madison’s body. Her knees felt weak and she swayed a bit, the pressure between her thighs so intense that she lost control of her body. The reaction was furious. Dorian immediately slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her head fell backward as her whole body seized, surrendering to his.

Dorian leaned down and bit her neck hard, taking her skin into his mouth and running his tongue over the sensitive area. At the same time, his hand fell to her skirt and cupped her pussy. Grabbing ahold of her clit, he rubbed it between his fingers. Tugging slightly, increasing the pressure. Pinching and pulling, he seemed relentless. The pleasure peaked. A screaming alarm went through her body as she realized she needed to come, to be given merciful release from this torturous bombardment of ecstasy.

Twisting and circling her clit faster, he pinched her harder before he slid a finger through her velvet folds. He pulled them apart before pushing two fingers into her and quickly stroking the most wonderful spot inside of her body.

The orgasm that shocked Madison all the way to her toes exploded out of her body. She had little control over what was happening, her leg lifting upward toward Dorian’s hips, wanting to be closer to him, needing for him to fill her. She pressed herself harder against his hand, riding out the orgasm, wanting him deeper inside of her.

Time seemed to stop. There was no one around, except for the two of them. Her body was still convulsing with pleasure. When would it end? Madison was aware of his hands on her body, the sensations pounding through her core as he continued to apply pressure to her sensitive bud, coaxing every spurt of desire from her.

The lips on her neck, the tongue that swirled over her stinging skin were incredible. Slowly, not wanting the moment to end quite yet, she lowered her leg. Her short breaths escaped her lungs. The lust pounded in her head, pushing out all logical thinking.

Raising her eyes, Madison gazed up to Dorian’s face. His expression was filled with hunger. There was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her as badly as she did him. Suddenly it occurred to her that the others had fallen silent around them.

Madison dared not take her gaze from Dorian. She knew without even looking that they had everyone’s attention. Even the Dom and submissive had fallen quiet. Dorian’s face filled with approval and pride. He was pleased with her reaction, even though it frightened her.

Dorian laughed. He was relishing in what the evening offered him. This beautiful woman standing next to him had no idea of the world he invited her to. She put complete trust in him, and she barely knew him. Some would assume she needed to think more before placing herself in inescapable situations, but he knew better. She was exquisite. When he looked into her eyes, he could see her mind working. He could tell her brain was taking in and processing all of the details around them.

Forcing her eyes away from him, Madison glanced around the room, her eyes brushing over the others that were watching her intently. As some looked upon her with wonder, others watched her with envious, hungry eyes. Stephen intrigued her. His caramel-brown eyes filled with delight, he stood there next to the woman with swollen lips from his kisses.

Madison felt the silence pushing down on her. Dorian slid his fingers into hers and brought them to his mouth. His lips were soft and hot, his eyes boring into hers with molten desire. He lifted her arm up above her head and twirled her around until her back pressed against his chest.

With a triumphant smile, Dorian looked at his friends. “I would like to introduce you to Madison.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss into the nape of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

The Dom stepped forward and smiled at her. “Good evening, Madison. My name is Nathaniel.” He held his hand out behind him and waited for the woman to take it. She stepped forward, her knees obviously weak. “This is Tina.” He looked behind him as Stephen joined the group.

“Hello, my dear. My name is Stephen and may I just say…you are exquisite. Deliciously lovely.” He bowed before her, never taking his eyes from hers. Holding his gaze, she found herself drawn to him. He was not boldly attractive like Dorian, but he was gracious and sexy. Madison found herself holding her breath, one moment hoping he would say more and the next hoping to escape the room and those occupying it.

“Umm…hi.” Madison was horrified at her lack of grace, but what more could a girl do after having a mind-blowing orgasm in front of a group of strangers? Her heart was pounding and she felt the panic begin to smolder.

Filed under: Unleashed Desire

Impetuous by Nicole Morgan

Tilly Slaton — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:13:20 +0000

Impetuous by Nicole Morgan

Word count: 31,979

4/5 Stars

Heat Level: SCORCHING

Impetuous gives the reader a fun and faced paced ride through an intense and somewhat contact character progression of Beck and Jennifer.

Answering Jennifer’s ad for employment, Beck wander’s into Jennifer’s hotel and comes face to face with a pistol stubborn woman who is trying to maintain the hotel without a maintenance crew. After a slippery mishap, Beck shocks her with his blunt and humorous line:

Beck – “Well, sugar. You know, normally I like to spend a little time getting to know someone better I get horizontal with them, but since you’re so forceful, I might just make an exception for you.”

After the embarrassing first meeting, Beck confronts Jennifer in her office. His blatant observation on the lack of competence of Jennifer as a repair person offends her, and she refuses his employment.

With a wink he walked out of her office and closed the door, but not before caught the look she gave him. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under with a pleased woman standing on top of his grave. He had definitely regained the upper hand, and that was exactly how he wanted it.

This story quickly progresses to a hot and savory evening in Jennifer’s suite. The delicious descriptive voice that Nicole Morgan provides the reader will undoubtedly leave you throbbing and craving more. Morgan doesn’t disappoint as the long, in-depth sex scene that will leave you smiling. If you appreciate a man who talks to you during sex, Beck’s lines will leave you panting.

Startled back to reality, she looked up at him. Any amount of desire she had for him before was nothing compared to the heat tearing through her core right now. Hot lava was pouring through her veins. Her pussy was throbbing, wanting and needing to be filled with him as juices seeped from inside her and coated her panties.

As the story progresses, the relationship progression becomes more complicated, and both Beck and Jennifer become curious about their feelings and thoughts of uncertainty.

…but there was something about Beck that just made her lose all self-control. His touch was like a magician waving his wand. His kiss was like a succulent aphrodisiac plucked from the Garden of Eden.

I recommend this book to ADULT readers only. Extreme erotica with a twist of sweet plot that only entices the reader further into Morgan’s world of hello-there-baby! world.

Filed under: Reviews

REVIEW: The Lunatic Cafe – An Anita Blake; Vampire Hunter series novel # 4 by Laurell K. Hamilton

Tilly Slaton — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:12:02 +0000

WARNING: This book is twisted and brilliant! Review contains certain details that are upsetting and some sexual reference is used. Thus .. the review will touch on a few details that are disgusting and unacceptable to sensitive and closed minds. If you are either of the above, please do not continue to read this review

I love this book! The Anita Blake series is AWESOME! Unfortunately, there are a few books in this series that just flat-out stink. The Lunatic Cafe is most definitely NOT one of those books.

Filled with skinned and gutted victims, bestial pornographic snuff films, and forced romantic tangles, The Lunatic Cafe is by far one of the most interesting books in the Anita Blake series .. the first half of the series anyways.

I’ve always been a little twisted. Curiously intrigued by things that make others gag. What can I say? I’m a little weird. With that said, keep in mind when you read this book that although left intrigued and wondering .. that is not an implication of preference or justification of lifestyles by others. To each his own I just needed to explain this little bit to avoid confusion and concern by loved ones.

I was so excited to read this book, that I completely forgot to highlight some fun parts for previewing pleasure. I did however, highlight a paragraph from one of the crime scenes. I think it’s totally rockin’ awesome. You may wrinkle your nose and find yourself disgusted. Woo hoo for individualism!

Ragged furrows ran down the right side of his face. One claw had sliced over the eye, spilling blood and thick globs of eyeball down his cheek. The lower jaw was crushed, as if some great hand had grabbed it and squeezed. It made the face look unfinished, only half there. It must have hurt like hell, but it hadn’t killed him. More’s the pity.

The handsome Richard viewed as a monster? The sexy Jean-Claude grasping leverage to hostage intimate moments from Anita?

A sexual-sadist, Raina, an alpha werewolf to the local pack and Richard’s former lover, climbs under Blake’s skin and wiggles around, leaving Blake disgusted with the idea that Richard could ever be involved with such a monster.

Nasty, manipulative witches. Nagas seeking rescue. Shapeshifters missing. This book has a wide range of plots that continually catch you off guard. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, you’re blindsided by something entirely unexpected and delicious.

I recommend this book to curious minds, those pushing lines of moral reality, and those with their feet firmly planted on the ground. There is more to a normal life, and this book covers several aspects of life that are shunned and ignored by a society of manners and a certain set of acceptable sexual standards.

ADULTS ONLY! I highly recommend you store this book away from curious little hands. Although open-minded, I strenuously object to younger minds reading this book. And even so .. here on out .. ANY book from this series.

Filled with beautifully crafted and blood dripping crime scenes, obscenely provocative and perverted sexual content .. The Lunatic Cafe will leave you wondering just how far other people will go to satisfy their needs and desires!

“There are more roads to monsterdom than most people realize.”

Woo hoo! HAPPY READING!!

Filed under: Personal Posts