Welcome, welcome, welcome! I’m honored and tickled from my head  down to my painted pink toes to play hostess to this very talented writer, who I now call my friend, Inara LaVey.  Before we get started, may I offer anyone a cocktail? I have wine available too (see picture of Inara to the left). Now don’t be shy, you know what they say, “It’s Five O’ Clock somewhere!” Oh, and it’s Friday too! Even better. 

 For those of you that don’t know her, here’s a little background information:

Inara LaVey is the erotica-writing nom de plume of a San Francisco mystery writer and former B-movie actress who has lived many of the experiences she writes about in her sensuous fiction.  She has traveled throughout Europe, and worked in the uncharted wilds of Hollywood as a screenwriter, a script doctor, an award-winning documentary producer, a stunt woman (her background is in theatrical sword-fighting), and actress in more than one cult classic. Her many friends know she can always be tempted by bad movies or good wine, preferably combined. When she is not hard at work writing or preparing for the coming zombie apocalypse, she can be found doting on her cats or sword fighting with her Irish lover.

Inara is currently working on a second novel for Ravenous Romance called, CHAMPAGNE, and here’s a sip of the bubbly:

Jeanette Wilson is an American girl on the trip of a lifetime to the wine regions of France. Unfortunately, she’s trapped with her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend Darryl, a self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, self-styled wine expert bent on swirling, sniffing, sipping, swishing, chewing, swallowing and occasionally spitting his way through the wineries of France.  Between his endless lectures and insufferable putdowns, her insignificant other is quickly turning her dream vacation into a nightmare. But things change for Jeanette once they come to the zenith of their French road-trip, the Champagne house of Chateau Roux-Dubois….Soon Jeanette finds herself caught up in a ménage a trios with the Roux-Dubois, both intent on teaching her many things…  Stay tuned for this exciting book coming to Ravenous Romance soon -

“Hello, fellow Ravenous Romance author. and blog tour hostess, Neve Black!  Thank you so much for hosting me and the other ten of the Ornery Eleven Ravenous Romance authors here today!  This is actually my third cyber book tour, but the first I’ve ever done with more than one other author.  It’s been great except for Margery keeps stealing my chocolate and SOME of them snore on the bus between stops (you know who you are).” Inara LaVey.

Today’s blog tour question is:

Do you believe in happily ever after?

Inara LaVey: It depends on what one means by ‘happily ever after.’  If we’re talking about a person falling in love at a very young age with their ideal (at the time) mate and then living in romantic bliss for the rest of their lives…not so much.  I’ve always been interested in the stories that talk about what happens a few years after Cinderella and Prince Charming get hitched and the pheromones have had a chance to settle down a little.  Relationships take work no matter how powerful the attraction is between two people when love and lust first hit them.  A lot of people can’t deal with the disillusionment that sets in when the glitter dust washes away, they’re not having sex every hour on the hour, and what they used to find so adorable about their partners starts to irritate them instead.   

That being said, I do believe people - and couples– have the potential to be happy together if they accept the fact there will be arguments and they resolve to work on their communication skills.  It used to drive me crazy when I read romance novels back in the ’80s and the hero and heroine would spend most of the book arguing.  I’d think ‘well, one decent conversation would solve all their problems!’ But I guess it would have made for some very short books.  A lot of it’s attitude and appreciating what you’ve got without always wanting something or someone else.  The grass is always greener syndrome.  And then again, people change, sometimes creating irreconcilable differences.  I DO believe in Happily for Now, which, as a character in my book RIPPING THE BODICE says, is all we can really ask for.    

Neve Black: Well, my idealistic and romantic side does, but life and love is a lot work. Sometimes characters, like people aren’t cut out for the long haul.  

Jamaica Layne:  Absolutely!  You can’t write romance/erotic romance if you don’t! 

Savannah Chase: Yes I do. I think we all have a happily ever after. Some of us find that person who gives us just that and others sometimes don’t. I’m a hopeless romantic and I believe we all have a soul mate out there. 

Lisa Lane:  Nothing is “ever after.”  Happiness and despair are both inevitable, and they take varying turns throughout the various chapters in our lives.  Although all books must end, those endings are merely the beginnings of the rest of their characters’ lives…. 

Elle Amery: As a divorced, single woman who’s quite content not being in a relationship, I still believe in the happily ever after. All I have to do is watch my happily-married parents, the happily-married parents of my friends, and my happily-married friends (straight or gay) and know that happily ever after indeed exists. It exists. It absolutely exists. 

Sèphera Girón: I’m not sure I believe in it for real people but it’s nice to try.  

Isabel Roman: Yes. Who wants to walk away from a book all annoyed and screaming at the cover?  

Angela Cameron: I do, with the right person. Happiness is something that many people don’t understand. It’s not about perfection, but contentment. Things may be horribly wrong in life, but with the right partner, that sharp edge is missing. We can live in the harbor of that one person and survive life’s adventures. 

C. Margery Kempe: No. Life is complicated and always changing. There are no guarantees and it takes work to maintain relationships of all kinds, not just lovers. It’s human nature to be lazy and fall into habits, so unhappy endings are far more likely. 

EM Lynley:  love the idea that it’s possible, though I have to admit that I haven’t seen as many examples in real life as I’d like. With love as in most things, our expectations sometimes make us think we want something different from what we really want and we only discover it too late. In my writing, though, I definitely subscribe to happily ever after every time!

Finally, here’s a sexy excerpt of Inara’s first novel with Ravenous Romance, Ripping the Bodice -

If Connor hadn’t been laughing so hard, he would have paid more attention to the way Cassandra’s eyes narrowed.  As it was he was totally taken by surprise when Cassandra grabbed one of the huge bath sheets off the rack by the tub and wrapped it around herself as she rose out of the tub.  A few random chuckles still escaped him when she carefully and deliberately stepped out onto the bathmat, head cocked to one side as she stared at him with a sudden and eerie calm.  She smiled and took a step forward. The smile that should have tipped Connor off.  It was the kind of smile he’d seen on people right before they landed the first punch in a pub brawl.  As it was, he was still chuckling as she landed a sharp, efficient kick on his shin before he even registered the movement.“Jaysus! Why the hell did ya do that?”“I told you to leave.”  She kicked him again.“Ow!” Amazing how much a bare foot could hurt. 

Even still, Connor couldn’t resist what came out next. “I must say, Cassandra, this is a side of you I haven’t seen yet. Shades of Sweet, Simple Savage.” Connor dodged the next kick and retreated from the bathroom, but the next one nailed him square in the shin.   He stumbled over the doorjamb and his own feet with unaccustomed clumsiness, sprawling on the plush carpet.  Cassandra pursued him, a sudsy, towel-clad fury.  Connor couldn’t help it; he started laughing again as the ridiculousness of the situation hit him. He regretted his poor impulse control almost immediately.  Cassandra landed a well-aimed kick to his inner right thigh, uncomfortably close to his — how would her books put it? – his manly staff.  Ah now, and there went the laughter again…
“Now, Cassandra, can’t we discuss this like civilized people?” Connor wriggled away from Cassandra’s avenging foot, trying unsuccessfully to stop laughing.
“I’m not a civilized person, Connor.  I’m sweet–” Kick “—simple—” Kick “—savage!” 

Luckily for Connor, his attacker was hampered from using her full strength by the necessity of keeping the bath sheet wrapped round her body.  Still, when her last kick came arcing towards his head, he decided enough was enough and blocked the incoming foot.  Cassandra made the strategic error of trying to kick with her other foot, losing her balance as a result.  She fell on top of Connor, landing on him with a thud that knocked the wind out of him.  It didn’t stop Cassandra.  Clutching the towel to her with one hand, she mercilessly went after him with the other, hitting him on his chest, arms and shoulders with more enthusiasm than affect.

Connor didn’t wait for one of Cassandra’s punches to do any damage. Grabbing the attacking hand, he rolled over on top of her and pinned her wrist to the floor next to her head. “I am going to kill you!”  Cassandra kicked furiously, but Connor easily trapped her legs under his.  The bottom edge of the towel tangled between their legs; only Cassandra’s death grip on the top kept it from being dragged off of her entirely. One surprisingly full breast was nearly uncovered, only the tip of the nipple still under the edge of the towel.  Both long legs were fully exposed, as was a good swatch of her stomach and right hip. The cloth still covered the cleft between her legs, but her modesty was in definite danger of being totally compromised if there was much more movement from either of them.Connor became aware of this at the same time he registered just how good Cassandra’s damp, scented body felt as she wriggled underneath him. This dual awareness trigged another involuntary response, this one physiological and, under the circumstances, about as poorly timed as…as…Connor’s brain failed to supply a decent simile, all of the blood having rushed elsewhere.  The timing was shite, that’s all there was to it.  He needed to extricate himself before Cassandra became aware of his rapidly growing erection.  And yet…all of his more primal instincts told him to stay exactly where he was. “Let me up!” Cassandra bucked her hips, trying to throw him off her.  This only served to expose a few more inches of her skin and make him even harder. Connor tried his best to ignore the imperative throbbing of his cock and handle things rationally.  “Are ya going to hit me again if I do?” 

Cassandra growled, not quite snapping her teeth, but close enough to tell Connor he’d risk losing a limb if he let go of her right then.  Besides…he didn’t want to.   His attention focused on her mouth.  Her lips were naturally blush colored, delightfully – and naturally – full and lush.  He fought the overwhelming temptation to taste them. 
This was not what he’d expected when he volunteered to come fetch the errant Ms. Devon. Connor had had his fair share of lovers, but he couldn’t remember the last time a woman’s body had just felt so right beneath his. He had a regular conundrum here; if he got up, Cassandra would see his erection.  She’d have to unless she was blind.  If he stayed there…well, as it was, it was hard (no pun intended) to believe she wasn’t aware of the effect she was having on his body, but the only thing he saw in her furious green eyes was…well…fury.  Obviously some calming words were needed.“You need to be calming down now.”Right.  That was original.
           
      “I’ll calm down when you. Let. Me. Up!” A determined yank freed the hand he’d pinned and she thwacked him on the chin before he could stop her.
The blow did little more than sting, but it was enough to tip Connor’s control over the edge.  Giving a low growl, he gave into temptation and covered her mouth with his.

Primal instincts, one.  Common sense, zero.  

*                                                   *                                              *

When Connor kissed me, I gave an outraged squeal — which was immediately smothered by his lips — and tried to push him away with the hand still holding onto my towel, now trapped between our bodies.  He didn’t budge other than to deepen the intensity of the kiss, which had already taken me completely by surprise.  His lips were warm against mine, agile and sensual.

He didn’t attack with his tongue, like some men I’d dated.  You know, jamming it down the throat as if distance down the esophagus equaled passion.  Nor did he employ the lizard method. Flick, flick, flick in the mouth, with less genuine passion than an iguana would use when mating.   No, Connor was as agile with his lips, teeth and tongue as he was with words, and as clever.  But definitely not as irritating.   No, not irritating at all. 

I mean, yes, I wanted to kill him.  But the heat of battle was rapidly transmuting into a different kind of heat in my stomach and groin and I found myself pressing my body against his with an insistence that matched that of his…of his…

        Oh. My. God. 

 I doubt Connor had a gun in his pocket, so that meant he was just happy to see me.  I mean, REALLY happy.  Impressively happy.  All men should be so happy.

I froze beneath him, withdrew my tongue from Connor’s mouth where it had been happily playing with his, and tried not to move a muscle.  I was hyper aware of the pulsing between my legs. I was warm and wet and it wasn’t from the bath.  I had to stifle the urge to arch myself against Connor’s erection, to tear away the towel covering my loins and the jeans covering his penis, and feel him thrust inside me.

            Then I’d kill him.

“Remember to leave a comment; it automatically enters you to win a print or electronic copy of Ripping the Bodice, your choice!  We’ll also be giving away three $5.00 gift certificates for Ravenous Romance on three random stops.  You won’t know which ones until the tour is over, so visit as many as you can!  And if you leave a comment on every stop in the Ravenou Romance Ornery Eleven BBT, you’re eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Ravenous Romance!    

Thanks so much for stopping by and thank you, Neve, for hosting us!  Please visit Night Owl Romance tomorrow, May 2nd, for our final stop and announcement of who wins the grand prize of a $25 gift certificate to Ravenous Romance! ” Inara.  

Cheers
Neve Black