Author Naomi Shaw: Guest Post ~ 27 October 2014: Raven McAllan

Please welcome today an extremely talented writer, who is here today to speak about herself and her writing. She is a lovely person, a good friend of mine. So without further ado, give it up for the one and only Raven McAllan

Thanks Naomi. Don't mind me if I ramble a bit. What about? Well, about series, serials and stand alones. Oh and Diomhair.

Which do I write?

Well I write series that can also be read as standalones, as well as standalones that may or may not mention, in a very minor way a character in a series.

I don't personally write serials.

Clear?

As mud I guess.

Sometimes I wonder how I decided just what I chose to write. But then I accept as a pantster, I don't chose my characters do. And if one of them thinks to make a cameo elsewhere, so be it. As long as it’s the same publisher, who am I to argue? I only write the stories.

Anyway, this is me. Hi All, I'm Raven and I live in Scotland. I write erotic romance. Hot men, feisty women and interesting (I hope) scenarios.

It's a well documented fact, that I'm no domestic goddess, and my lovely hubby can now work the Aga a treat, makes a mean curry, pours wine to perfection, and ignored the dust bunnies. "Phew* 

I love to take inspiration from places I visit, and the inspiration for my series Diomhair comes from a castle not that far away from where I live.

It's a ruin, but I imagined it rebuilt and housing a BDSM club. I called it Diomhair, which is Gaelic for secret.

Although there's a thread that runs through all the stories, each can be read as a standalone. They are each about one couple and their journey to a HEA

Here's the series blurb.

Diomhair.

Secret. What's happens there stays there.

It doesn't matter whether you want to learn or teach, be in control or controlled, Diomhair could be the place for you.

The ruined castle deep in the Scottish countryside had been rebuilt into an exclusive, private, BDSM club, where people could learn about and enjoy the lifestyle.

Not everyone approved, and not everyone appreciated it, but for those who did and fit the criteria, it was somewhere to go and be themselves, relax and play.

And if you found love there, your own perfect match, well that could only be a bonus.

For isn't the secret to true love the biggest secret of all?

So far book one, Secrets Shared, and book 2, Secrets Uncovered have been released from www.totallybound.com

Book three, Secrets Remembered is up for preorder from 7^thNovember, so I thought I'd share a wee snippet from there with you.

(oh, and I just typed 'the end' on Secrets Dispatched, book 4 and sent it to the lovely Doris O'Connor to redit (red pen it)

Anyway here's a wee (yes I live in Scotland, and always saw wee, not little) tease and the blurb for you.

Blurb…

What comes first your happiness or your job?

When Ailsa McLagan is sent undercover to investigate possible shady dealings at the private BDSM Club Diomhair she doesn't expect to be confronted by one of the Masters there. Not only does he make her want her to sink to her knees, he seems to see straight through her disguise.

Aidan is instantly attracted to the clueless Sub he stumbles upon. Even though he knows she is hiding her true identity he can't help but push her.

When Ailsa runs after an amazing wax session all seems lost.

When the truth does come out, can they find a true Dom/sub relationship, even though theirs started on a lie?

And a wee tease…

He took her arm and swung her through the doorway after him. “So are we going for wax or knife?”

He was crazy. Surely even a Sir or Dom didn’t pick up random women and ask them that? Then Ailsa remembered he’d said she was late. She didn’t think he meant her as in her Ailsa McLagan, or she hoped he didn’t, else she had slipped into a nightmare. Therefore it must be as she thought and he’d mistaken her for someone else. She’d best go along with it until she could make her getaway.

“Ohh, er, well, you see.” She giggled.Grief, I sound like a right idiot. “I really don’t know. I mean, should I?”

He stopped dead and as he was towing Ailsa along in his wake she bumped into him. All hard muscles and sinews, a body that she’d bet would look great in boardies and not much else.

Down girl. He’s too much everything for you. You need to get away, not stay.

“Oh, I so think you should.” He turned and looked at her face, without releasing his grip on her arm. The voice was smooth, but no one could have mistaken the steely note of authority in it. “After all, why waste the evening, and your money? If you’re worried I’m not Jeff, even he’ll say I’m a better teacher in wax and knife play than he is.”

What? Think here. “Then why was I booked with him?” Hopefully it was a good guess.

“Because I was busy. Now I’m not. Except with you. You have my whole attention.”

That was what she was worried about.

Ailsa studied the guy from under her lashes. “What did you say your name was?” she asked him.

He flicked her chin then held it in one hand to lift her head up. Her neck cranked back as she was forced to gaze upward at an impossible angle.

“Well now, pet, all you need to know is between these walls you call me, Sir.”

The inflexion in his voice, his intense gaze on her, with eyes that seemed to see into her soul, and the slight pressure on her chin made her heartbeat speed up. Go on, admit it, you’re curious. I know but what if I hate it and stuff? Well there’s a get out clause isn’t there? Shout red. That’s what they do in the books. And the Doms try to persuade them different. Oh, sheesh, do I? Don’t I?Ailsa had a mental conversation with herself as she stood in front of the Dom. To agree would help her in more than one way. Both to get out of the castle without having to explain why she was there, and to satisfy her curiosity. If only she knew what his father had to do with it all. Was that someone she needed to check up on? Then she’d need to find out who this man was first.

“So, pet. What’s it to be? Perhaps you want a little of each?” The hold on her chin tightened just enough to sting.

Ailsa swallowed. It was so hard to think when her mind was full of him. “I think maybe wax, Sir.” After all, it was something that made her go all gooey inside when she read about it.

“Yes, wax, please, Sir.” Why did using the salutation sound so natural? His demeanour certainly helped but so did the knowledge of where she was. Little pinpricks of excitement bombarded her, and she metaphorically held her breath until he let go of her chin and nodded.

“Very well, pet. You’re overdressed, but we’ll sort that in a second. Assume the position.” He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at her without blinking. “You can do that?”

It took Ailsa all her concentration not to wriggle. Overdressed? Sort it? Do it?

“Waiting, pet.”

Oh Lordy.She’d been so mesmerised by his look she’d forgotten what he’d asked of her. Now come on, remember the books. Ailsa dropped to her knees, not very gracefully. A slight run in with the car fender when her arms were full of groceries had left her with a swollen and bruised knee. She gasped as the tender skin made contact with the wooden floor.

“What’s wrong?”

“The car fender and I had a coming together and my knee came off worse.”

He frowned.

“First rules, pet. Open and honest. I asked you if you could assume the position. Your response should have been that due to an injury it wasn’t possible. Then we make our own rules.”

Oh shoot, messed up already. I should know that. I’ve read enough books where that’s stressed. She decided there was a dumb blonde moment needed.

“I’m excited, scared, flustered and nervous, Sir,” Ailsa said in a quiet voice. It was true, even if she was overemphasising everything. Never had so many different emotions vied to be uppermost in her. It was as if each one was on a pogo stick in her stomach and bouncing up and down as if their life depended on it. “I wanted to do as you asked, and I didn’t think.”

He put his hands under her arms and helped her to stand up. “I’m glad you wanted that, but you have to remember the rest. How can I be sure what we’re doing is safe, sane and consensual if you aren’t honest? That’s the first thing anyone learns. It worries me that you forgot it.”

She knew the rule. How on earth had she managed to screw up so badly so soon? Ailsa hoped to hell she’d be able to talk her way out of the situation. She didn’t think her boss would be happy if she had to confess how she’d ballsed things up. And as for the rest of the team? The teasing she’d get there wasn’t worth thinking about.

“I know, Sir, I’m sorry, it was an automatic reaction.” She dipped her head and stared at the floor between them. Not only was it respect—she hoped—it also meant he wasn’t staring into her eyes. He seemed to know exactly what was in her mind.

“Good in one way, very bad in another. If I were your Master, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week after that silliness. How long have you been a sub?”

It was just the question she’d hoped he wouldn’t ask.

Buy links for book 1 and 2 are below, book three is still on the coming soon list…

Bk 1, Secrets Shared

Bk 2 Secrets Uncovered