Book Spotlight ~ The Wathcman by Arla Dahl #historical #erotica

“The Watchman (Immoral Virtue

Book 3)”

by

Arla Dahl

Published:

November 20, 2015

Genre:

Historical Erotica

Blurb:

Evil is found when evil is sought.

“For when those in authority neglect to reprove sin, then very

often the good are punished with the wicked.” – Heinrick Kramer, 1486, The

Malleus Maleficarum  

For yielding to the proud tears of an accused witch, The

Watchman’s soul may have been blackened by evil. To prove himself unmarked, his

body free of the witch’s branding, he must stand naked before all and submit to

the governor’s thorough and shameful examination.

Though Giles Scott would resist the governor’s practiced and

patient touch, only complete abandon might prove his innocence. And since the

witch cannot feel, only Giles’ arousal can spare his neck from the noose. And

so, he surrenders.

Yet screams from another chamber – perhaps pained, perhaps

pleasured – awaken memories from Giles’ dark, torturous past, and the

governor’s touch no longer teases but stings…much like the punishing bite of a

whip against the flesh of THE

WATCHMAN.

From the Author:

THE WATCHMAN, Book 3 in the Immoral

Virtue Trilogy is a dark erotic twist of an already twisted period in American

History, the Salem witch trials. Due to its explicit sexual nature, with forced

consent, M/m, M/f/f and other BDSM concepts, THE WATCHMAN is intended for

audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

What

readers are saying…

“Fifty Shades-meets-Shakespeare in this eloquent, erotic tale.”

– Debra Druzy, Contemporary Romance Author

“A well-crafted, wickedly erotic romp through witch trial hysteria. Arla Dahl

will whet your appetite for more.”  –- Candy Caine, author of contemporary

interracial erotica

“The Watchman was so hot and satisfying, the perfect conclusion to this

trilogy.”  – Chloe and Sabine’s Smart Mouth Smut

“Erotic and immensely satisfying.” — D.B.Shuster, author of the Neurotica

Series

Come help celebrate multi-published, bestselling author Arla Dahl’s latest addition to her “Immoral Virtue” series, “Watchman”  Thursday, February 4th, 7-9 PM EST. Prizes, games, chats, the unveiling of secrets, and various and sundry shenanigans await!!

Join

Don’t miss out on books 1 and 2 of this sizzling series!

“The Mark (Immoral Virtue)”

Blurb:

Be this a witch?

In 1600’s New England, it was decreed thus:

“Whoever lies with the beast will bear a mark that is insensible and in their

most secret parts, and may be located only through diligent and careful

search.”

Accused of witchcraft, Abigail Prescott must strip for the

masses and submit to the Governor’s inspection. She is ill-prepared for this

shameful, grueling probe as it permits him to see and test her every inch and

every hollow.

Governor Jameson Foster has examined many before, but Abigail

enchants him like no other. Before he succumbs to her sweet charms, he must

uncover the dark truth of this bewitching.

Should she feel his prodding and respond to his touch, her

innocence will be proven. And this night he will claim her. Should she resist,

fail to cry out in pain or in pleasure, then all will know she is a witch who

bears The Mark.

“I defy you not to squirm and moan right along with Abigail as

you read The Mark. Rejoice, erotic-fiction fans. Arla Dahl has arrived!”

–best-selling author, Pam McKenna

From the Author:

THE MARK, Book 1 in the Immoral Virtue Trilogy is a highly erotic,

non-romantic tale of sexual awakening and abandon, of the duty to submit vs.

the desire to resist. Due to its explicit sexual nature, with elements of BDSM

and dubious consent, THE MARK is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads          Amazon

“The Accused (Immoral Virtue

Book 2)”

Blurb:

There is no shame in pleasure.

“Wherefore for the sake of fulfilling their lusts (women)

consort even with devils.” -Heinrich Kramer, 1486 “Malleus Maleficarum” (The

Hammer of Witches)

To clear their names and save their souls the accused are

stripped and bound before all as they await their governor’s examination.

At the governor’s direction, Abigail Prescott, herself accused

as a witch a mere hour past, will help test the women’s responses, for a witch

marked by the devil cannot feel, no matter how gently caressed, no matter how

deeply probed. Under the governor’s scrutiny Abigail is to thoroughly examine

their naked flesh for the black mark of the beast.

But the prideful Elizabeth Hobbs withdraws consent. And her fate

is sealed. Taken deep into the forest by the watchman, she will remain naked

and open to the elements to await her punishment.

Stirred by her proud tears, the watchman touches her. Soothes

her. But when a man succumbs to a witch’s charms, he too stands among THE ACCUSED.

“Explosively erotic with unexpected twists and surprises that

keep the pages turning.” – 2013 RITA Finalist, Pamela Hearon

From the Author:

THE ACCUSED, Book 2 in the Immoral Virtue Trilogy continues the highly

erotic, non-romantic, tale of resistance and of submission. Due to its explicit

sexual nature, with elements of BDSM and dubious consent, THE ACCUSED is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads          Amazon

About the Author

Arla Dahl is a lover and avid reader of all things sexy and

suspenseful. She gets her inspiration from daily headlines, and is often

surprised by how today’s issues mirror those from the distant past. 

When Arla’s

muse goes stealth, she spends her time trying recipes from exotic locales, with

rich flavors and provocative scents that tempt and tease and satisfy.

A New Yorker, born and bred, Arla is forever fascinated by the

varied cultures of her city. Beyond the rich diversity, the close and heady

feel of a moody late night jazz club is her favorite part of living in the Big

Apple.

In her current work, the Immoral Virtue trilogy, which is set

during the witch hysteria of the 17th Century, Arla twists an already twisted

history into a daring erotic work of passion and pleasure.

Follow

Arla around the ‘Net!

|  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Google+  |  Blog 

|  Website  | Goodreads |

 “The Watchman” (Immoral Virtue series) by Arla

Dahl

Tour schedule

Feb. 1 – Nesie’s Place - https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/book-blitz-the-watchman-immoral-virtue-book-3/

Feb. 2 - Dark Paranormal Romance Series - http://darkparanormalromanceseries.com/?p=425

Feb. 3 – Ocean 2 Ocean Book Promotions - http://o2obookpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/02/new-release-party-and-book-tour.html

Feb. 4 – Facebook Party - https://www.facebook.com/events/1623365141261190/

Feb. 5 – Tory Richards

–

http://www.toryrichards.com

Feb. 6 – Jacklynn Loves Reading -  http://www.jacklynnlovesreading.blogspot.com

Feb. 7 – Pam Ace Eve’s Book Blog - https://pamaceeve.wordpress.com/

Feb. 8 – Romanceaholics - http://www.romanceaholicblog.com

Feb. 9 – Musings Of An Independent Artist – http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com

Feb. 10 – The Fine Print Book Blog - https://thefineprintsr.wordpress.com/

Feb. 11 – Paranormal Magic and Mischief - https://dabeko77.wordpress.com/

Feb. 12 – Nadene’s Totally Addicted To Reading - http://totallyaddictedtoreading.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html

Tricia Schneider – http://www.triciaschneider.com

Feb. 13 – A Writer’s Mind - http://www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com/

Feb. 14 –Jami

Gray

- https://jamigray.com/

Ocean 2 Ocean Book Promotions – http://www.o2obookpromotions.blogspot.com

#BookReview: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle #mystery #Sherlock

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the debut of literature's most famous sleuth, a dead man is discovered in a bloodstained room in Brixton. The only clues are a wedding ring, a gold watch, a pocket edition of Boccaccio's Decameron, and a word scrawled in blood on the wall. With this investigation begins the partnership of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Their search for the murderer uncovers a story of love and revenge-and heralds a franchise of detective mysteries starring the formidable Holmes.

My Review:

This is my second time reading this book. I started reading Sherlock Holmes over a decade ago and I was completely smitten. I got hooked by the characters, the storylines, the incredible detail and the author's voice. And since watching the BBC Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, I've been wanting go back and explore the literary works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once again.

A Study in Scarlet is the first of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works and introduces us to the main characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Watson, returning to London after his time away at war and nursing a wounded leg, he finds lodgings with a man going by the name of Sherlock Holmes. As he learns about his new roommate, he discovers that Mr. Holmes is a consulting detective, the one and only of his kind. He finds the man is a complex study of humankind. He was as ignorant as he was brilliant. Knowledgeable of numerous subjects as well as knowing very little about others. And yet, he can clearly see the smallest detail in a scene that many others overlook. This ability is displayed when Scotland Yard consults Sherlock on a case that has them stumped. Dr. Watson comes along and witnesses the extraordinary ability of Sherlock as he is put to the test to identify the curious murder of a man.

I won't go into details of the investigation since I know I'll unwillingly include spoilers and this is a story that is best read without knowing what happens at the end. Well, other than the fact that Sherlock solves the mystery. But the journey to that discovery is an entertaining one.

Although I enjoyed reading this book immensely to re-discover the origins of two of my favorite characters, I must admit the section concerning Utah and Mr. John Ferrier and his daughter, Lucy, was a bit dull at first. Not until close to the end of that section when the action increased. I muddled through because I knew it would get better. For some reason, I didn't remember that part from the first time I read this book.

Other than that, the writing was interesting, full of details and gorgeous Victorian language. The mystery was puzzling and it was a joy to read how Watson portrayed Holmes. I would recommend this book to any mystery fan.




View all my reviews

Searching for a Spell #8Sunday #wewriwa #excerpt

The Weekend Writing Warriors hosts a group of writers who share excerpts of their published works or works-in-progress every Sunday for reader's enjoyment. Be sure to check out the other writers in this group. You might find the next great read to talk about!

My excerpt this week comes from my novel, The Witch's Kiss. In this chapter, Sage Merriweather and Marianne Grey, have just discovered from a stranger about the possibility of a spell that might help Marianne's spirit return to her body.


Excerpt:

For months Sage searched, reading every spell book he could get his hands on, asking every witch, sorcerer, enchantress, druid and shaman he could find. He even had a vampire and a werewolf assist him in the search.

Yet they found nothing. Not a reference to any sort of spell, not a mention in any book or legend.

Nothing.

Until this man literally yanked the carriage out from beneath their feet, reveals a powder and suddenly all is well.

Marianne…flesh and blood. This Gentleman is the hero.

And Sage is still the fire-breathing monster.

The irony in the situation shook him, so much so he didn’t realize until that moment how much it mattered.

If you'd like to read more, check out The Witch's Kiss, available in print or ebook at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. 

Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead. Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.

Thanks for reading!

~Tricia

#BookReview: Post-War Dreams by Brenda Whiteside

Post-War Dreams by Brenda Whiteside

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

World War II has ended and the soldiers are coming home. After years of following her crop worker father, motherless Claire Flanagan is also coming home. If she can keep her father in one place long enough, she plans to follow her dreams to Hollywood. Until she meets Benjamin.

Benjamin Russell has been working since he was fifteen to support his mother and siblings. What he most wants in life is to own a construction business and take care of the family his father abandoned. The last thing he expects is to fall for his younger sister’s best friend.

Life, however, throws cruel twists and turns into the path of romance. And when an unrequited love seeks revenge against Claire, and Benjamin learns his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, will lost dreams of a future together be the only thing they have left?

Kindle Edition, 296 pages

Published October 14th 2015 by The Wild Rose Press, Inc

My Review:

Since I'm avidly interested in the WWII era, I eagerly began reading this story that takes place shortly after the war. It's the coming of age story of Claire Flanagan who lives with her Da and dreams of life as a Hollywood movie star. Her Da moves frequently from place to place in search of jobs. She ends up in a small American town where she becomes close friends with a girl named Pauline. She spends much time with Pauline and her family, enjoying the experiences of a large family, something she's never known. When she meets Pauline's brother, Benjamin, she realizes that he is a different sort of man than the other boys she's known so far. She's drawn to him and the story of their time together, as well as the complications of their relationship is what I really liked about this story. I'm all about the romance!

I enjoyed reading Post-war Dreams. It was filled with enough historical details to allow the reader to feel what it was like to live during that time period, but not in an overwhelming way. There were choice words a descriptions that really set the tone and mood for this story. The scene of the family dancing in their living room was fun to read since it was getting a glimpse at what people during this time did for entertainment. I suppose it must've reminded me of something my grandmother might have done with her family and I found it quite charming.

Also, I very much enjoyed the first person POV for Claire and the third person POV for Benjamin. I liked getting inside Claire's head to her intimate thoughts which allowed the reader to see and feel Claire's growth from a young girl into a woman. I'll admit, first person POV is probably my favorite when reading for enjoyment.

The only difficulty I had while reading this story was that midway my Kindle broke and I had to wait to several weeks to get a new one to finish it. Yes, I know there are Kindle apps for the computer, but I don't like reading for pleasure on my computer. It's more annoying for me since I can't cuddle up with my computer on the sofa.



View all my reviews

Buy this book:

The Wild Rose Press

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Time for a Change #IWSG

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Visit others in this group here or find the hashtag #IWSG on Twitter.

This is my first post in the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I discovered this blog hop about a year ago and while I read many of the posts I've never written one of my own.

Time for a change.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm beyond insecure. Okay, well, maybe only my close friends know it. I don't advertise it. Except today! Ha! Seriously, I know I'm not the only one and that's okay.

Writers, as well as other artists, are known to be self-conscious and insecure, doubting their abilities.

I'm included in a great group of people!

Here we are in the first month of a brand new year! Hello, 2016! I'm always eager for these new starts. I want to try new things, accomplish the goals that I strive for and continue my resolutions. The trouble is that there are many times when I start something but I don't finish it. NaNoWriMo is counted among them. And I get easily discouraged by this.

And for some reason, I neglect to remember those times that I have finished stories. Many stories. So why should I be discouraged because I can't finish 50,000 words in one month?

For the beginning of 2016, I've made goals and resolutions. I have plans that I wish to accomplish. My fear is that I'll stop. That the motivation that stirs me along the first few days might dwindle.





So, for the start of the new year, I'm giving myself a total of 100,000 words to write. And I have the whole year to do it. It's not a race. I can finish it anytime I want. And not only that, but I'm including all words written in this goal, as in words written for journal entries and blog posts as well as any articles or stories that I write.

There have been too many days where I haven't written a word. Not a single word. Too many days that have gone by and I tell myself that I'll get that word count in and double tomorrow. But with those extra words stacked against me, its like climbing a steep mountain with heavy gear weighing me down. I'm not inclined to do it.

Sometimes I'm so easily discouraged.

Also, I'm not focusing on word count for my stories. I'm going to write it until the story gets done, not until the word count is reached. That way, I'm focusing on how much time I'm spending on my stories, whether its brainstorming, writing or editing. I'm doing something to move forward.

And if I include all of my writing to reach that 100,000 words, then I don't have the word count goal hovering over me.

It's been six days and I've written every day. Just the act of writing, no matter the content, feels good.

Tricia

The Witch and the Ghost #8Sunday #excerpt

I've joined again with the Weekend Writing Warriors to offer a short excerpt.

This week's excerpt comes from my newest release, The Witch's Kiss, where Sage Merriweather (a witch) is preparing for an argument from Marianne Grey (a ghost).

When she stood before him, he braced himself for her anger, scorn and ire. No doubt the scathing words about to exit her mouth would cut him to the quick. He’d been the target of Marianne’s wrath numerous times in the past, but never when he deserved it as mightily as he did in this moment. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emerged. The blood drained from her face, no easy feat for an incorporeal being. Fearing she suffered from some manner of ghostly apoplexy, he tried to reach out to her, only just remembering he could not touch her moments before his hand sliced through her arm. His skin shivered where he made contact with her phantom being.

His actions managed to snap her out of whatever condition had struck her, for she quickly looked up. Only then did he realize she did not see him, but some object beyond his shoulder in the ballroom. 

“Marianne?”

Please be sure to check out the other blogs participating in this Sunday event. Also check out #8Sunday on Twitter to find more great excerpts!

 

Blurb for The Witch's Kiss:

Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead. Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.

Click here for more information and links to buy.

New Year, New Goals #writinggoals

Happy New Year, dear readers!

It's that time of year again. Time to look back at the old year to see what worked and what didn’t and re-evaluate for the new year. I'm the type of person who likes to set goals, but often things run amok and sometimes I don't complete them. Not all the time, but I'll admit to some time.

This is sort of what happened in 2015.

I had a list of goals and I did well during the first few months. Then my son was born in April and my life again turned upside down. This time with the added stress of some health issues that sprang up over the summer. My mind was not on writing. Also, I had some technical difficulty with my blog. So much so, that I was prepared to close this one and open a new one since I couldn't figure out why it wasn't posting. That, hopefully, has been resolved.

Not only that, but my social calendar quickly filled with events for my children in 2015. They are very sociable and eager to join groups and events, so as their mother I'm obliged to encourage and assist them. Plus, I have to drive them!

I'm hoping this year will turn out differently. I'm keeping a positive mindset. I'm all about juggling my family and my life and making things work, but I'm eager to jump back into my writing world. Writing is my passion. I love it! And I want to make a prosperous career out of it. As in, I'd like to be able to promise my husband that I'll contribute to paying some of the bills for the house and our family so he doesn't have to keep working overtime just to make ends meet.

Even though I had some major life events occurring this year, I did manage to get two stories written and sent to my editor and publisher. I'm working on re-writes for one and waiting to see if they'd like to contract for the other. And I have additions to the lists of possible future books. My idea file is overflowing!

Also, February marked the release of my 4th Merriweather Witches book, The Witch's Kiss. This one

is my favorite so far and I was excited to share it with my readers!

• With that said, I'm not going to give myself a list of projects to complete as I did last year. I'm just going to focus on writing every day, whether it's for a story, an article or blog post, or even an entry in my personal journal. As long as I'm writing, getting words down on paper or text, I'm using my brain and exercising those creative muscles. I'll be happy with that. My goal is a page a day. I'm going easy on myself since some of my health issues are not yet resolved and my son is still waking up multiple times during the night, so there are days when I feel like a zombie. I usually write 1,000-2,000 words a day, on those days that I'm writing. I'd like to see 100,000 words by the end of the year. I even downloaded a beautiful word tracker program to keep count.

• I want to complete the many unfinished projects I have hanging around the house. Such as scanning in the family photos into the computer and labeling them, finishing the baby records and journals I have for my kids, and working on the genealogy projects that I do in my spare time. And maybe some of those unfinished craft projects. I have a doll house that needs decorating, too.

• My husband bought an electric guitar for me as a gift this year. I used to play guitar many years ago. This year, I want to relearn those songs I've forgotten and teach myself some new songs as well. I have a very musical family with both musicians and singers. My grandmother sang on the radio back in the day and always lamented over not pursuing her music career. My great-grandfather and my uncle played the guitar in different bands. My brother plays guitar, too. I even married into music. My husband is a bass player and singer with an album to his name. And now my eldest son is learning to play the trombone. So, I feel compelled to plunge myself back into the music world. And as I'm always practicing singing, my husband and I are talking about recording a duet. That is exciting!
  

• Last, but not least, I want to become more fluent in the German language. I've become rusty over the years of disuse, so I want to practice reading and speaking it daily. I have a few novels written in German that I've been putting aside thinking it too complicated for me, but why should I not challenge myself? I'm not going to become fluent waiting to save up money to buy the Rosetta Stone (although that would be a nice addition to my language collection). Others have learned without the benefit of such programs and I have many books on the subject. I have no excuse. So, I'll practice a new word a day to ease myself back into the language. Over the next few weeks, I'd like to intensify that, but I'm starting out slow.

So there's my list of goals. What about you? Do you have any resolutions that you'd like to share?

Tricia