31 Days of Steamy Mocha: Jeanie and Jayha's Viva la Revolution!

Here we are, the final day of our month long celebration. We figured we'd go out with BANG! And nothing says Ka-POW like Jeanie Johnson and Jayha Leigh.

To send us on our way, they've given us a great big REVOLUTION. Check. It. OUT! These fireworks are going to explode!!

Blurb: Andoni “M.O.C.H.A.” Serranías was the type of man who begged someone to beat the ever-loving shit out of him…or hump his face off. Since the day she met him, Revolution couldn’t figure out which desire called to her more. Of course, she said that while masturbating to both fantasies equally. It wasn’t until later that she decided to have her cake and eat it too: she was going to hump M.O.C.H.A.’s face off and then kill him.

Revolution Buckland had no idea that she was going to be his wife…and have his babies, which is exactly why Andoni didn’t tell her. The voluptuous woman had a mean right cross and penchant for making off with jets, which meant there was a good chance she could kill him and dump his body someplace where it’d never be found. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to bait her at every turn, but he couldn’t help it, because an angry Revolution was a beautiful sight indeed.

While ducking her barbs and blows, all he could think was, “Vive la Revolution!”

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Purchase link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vivalarevolution-895180-340.html

Thank you to all of our participants, authors, and supports during our anniversary celebration. You truly made it fun and definitely steamy...

Nicole Kurtz

Why I love Steampunk

Valjeanne Jeffers is an editor and author. Below she discusses the definition of steampunk and why you should be reading it. If you want to try a steampunk title, Mocha Memoirs Press recommends, MOSES: THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIET TUBMAN by Balogun.
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(reblogged from The State of Black Science Fiction 2012)
I love fantasy. I know fantasy/SF is pretty popular these days, but I fell in love long before the genre became the “flyest kid at the school.” There’s just something wonderful about escaping into a world (whether through reading or writing) that’s so different from everyday mundane reality― a reality of responsibilities and bills― into a dimension where you still have the same crap to deal with. . . but now you can became a creature with preternatural strength. How cool is that? It gives you a decided edge over everyday reality, or at the very least makes it more interesting.

I wrote my first novel, Immortal, with these thoughts in mind. The beginning of Immortal was the story of a young woman, Karla, living on the planet Tundra. Karla has ordinary, everyday struggles. But she has a little―no a big―edge. Immortal weaves a tale of portals. Time travel. Werewolves. Daemons. By the time Immortal III is thrown into the mix, vampires have joined the plot. Tell me, what’s not to love? Fantasy also lends itself incredibly well to “what if?” scenarios. As in: what if there was no racism? What if there was no poverty? What if folks came together and decided to change the world. . .?

For those of you who haven’t guessed it yet, I also like to mix genres. In fact, that’s the other thing I love so much about fantasy; it blends so easily with other genres, like horror and science fiction. But if fantasy is my first love, I’d have to say steampunk is my second.

From the outrageous clothing. . . bustles, corsets and knickers, to the outrageous machinery. . . airships, steam-trains, muskets. This is a genre I just can’t stay away from. Steampunk is a glorious mixture of other fantasy/SF genres. And the settings and plots reflect this― plots set in the post-civil war. Victorian England. Post-Apocalyptic America. Or a futuristic world, as in my steampunk story: The Switch. Steampunk, like any other fantasy subgenre is also anybody’s game when it comes to “what if?” plots, settings and costumes. Which of course is why I’m so head over heels in love with it.

My Name is Janet Eckford

By: Janet Eckford

I was asked to write on my life as a creator of titillating prose and really had to think about what I wanted to say. I’m sure all you highbrow connoisseurs of the written word are rolling your eyes at what you assume will possibly be a lengthy diatribe on the finer merits of the Romance Genre. Well, this isn’t that because I’m not that person, I write Erotic Romance for God’s sake. I want it fast, fun and good for everybody at the end. Instead what I’m going to do is open up about two of my favorite subjects, sex and death. I could go into a lengthy introduction into what I’m going to discuss and draw out some
witty comparisons of sex and death, but I’m not. I’m all about just getting to the good parts because sometimes in life, foreplay can be a bit overrated.

Confession #1Sex
Okay, I write Erotic Romance so a confession about sex should be a given, right? Well wrong, so get your mind out of the gutter you naughty little minx and pay attention. I may write about sex, I even talk about it quite a bit, in public, often loudly, but when someone asks me how much sex is in one of my stories I freeze. I liken it to when you are discussing sexual partners with someone and they ask, “So how many people have you been with?” I have these conversations fairly regularly and not because I’m cruising for sexual partners, but because I talk about sex quite a bit, in public, often loudly, more often than not in a bar. It’s like an occupational hazard of being me, and each time I struggle with what to say.

Firstly, because I’m not sleeping with the person and a number is only appropriate when cross checking for possible STDs. Secondly, there really is no right answer to this. “Shit, well…um quite a bit,” or “Shit, well…um not that many,” either way you’re screwed (yeah I’m going to use cheap attempts at double entendre through this whole thing, remember, I write Erotic Romance) because this is your perception of the event. In the end I always give a cheeky smile and just say enough.

What I’ve found when conversing with fans (yeah that’s right, I got some) is enough just doesn’t cut it and I’ve got all this performance anxiety when I write now. Do I need another penetration scene because having the hero go down on the heroine may not just cut it? Damn, what is another way I can describe someone getting fingered because I did that twenty pages back and I don’t want it to seem like I’m getting lazy. I get so wound up that I sometimes think I should just write “sweet” romance where the fade to black is enough for most. Yet, as with most obstacles I face in life I gird my loins and get right
back into the thick of things (okay I guess that was a pretty over the top metaphor, even for me). Sex is sex and at some point I’m going to give just enough for the right person and those that feel that I’ve got too much or too little, well, they can get it elsewhere.

Confession #2Death

I really like killing people. Not literally of course because that would be crazy…snort…and I have this lovely little master’s degree that has taught me all about crazy. Granted when I was a little girl I would lure Black Widow spiders out of their hiding place in my parents garage, drop them in old motor oil and set them on fire, which totally sounds like future serial killer stuff, but what kept me firmly on the other side of not crazy was puppies and kittens. Not dissecting and burying them in my parents backyard, because that would be crazy, no, their fuzzy little bellies and cute little baby yawns…gah…when they try not to fall asleep and do anyway, so cute, just so freaking cute. Setting spiders on fire, plus loving puppies and kittens, equals possibly demented but definitely not crazy. But I digress.

Back to the topic at hand, killing people. Killing people is hard to work into an Erotic Romance though, because people really want hot sex, minimal death and happy endings, but I really think I could make it good for them. Isn’t there something sexy about the macabre? There is the titillation (snort) that comes with coasting along the very edge of danger and wondering if you will pull yourself back in time.

Now imagine if that edge is pumping a six gage full of lead into a particularly nasty villain and having celebratory sex in their racy sports car you and the (insert hero/heroine of choice) confiscated as you fled the scene of the crime. There would be black leather and…oh yeah a sword. Someone has to have a sword and…um…did I say black leather already? Anyhoo, take my word for it; killing people can be really sexy and if you give me a chance I know you’ll like it.

If you are at all intrigued by my ramblings and what to see what proper editing and someone to tell me, “Um, I think that is too much” looks like, check out my work at Mocha Memoirs Press. There is definately sex and though I haven’t killed anyone yet, just give me time…in a literary way because putting in writing an attempt to harm someone in real life would be crazy and…snort…I’m so not crazy.

What is Steampunk?

Valjeanne Jeffers is an editor and author. Below she discusses the definition of steampunk and why you should be reading it. If you want to try a steampunk title, Mocha Memoirs Press recommends, MOSES: THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIET TUBMAN by Balogun.
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What is Steampunk?

This is the definition of Steampunk, as defined by wikipedia: “Steampunk is a genre which came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. It involves a setting where steam power is widely used—whether in an alternate history such as Victorian era Britain or “Wild West”-era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time —that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art…”
So that’s the textbook definition of steampunk; sort of. It didn’t just come into being—it’s been around for a while. Think Adam Ant. Sherlock Holmes. And the movie Time After Time (based on H.G. Well’s The Time Machine).

But for some reason it’s wildly popular today, in fiction and in film. Why? I have my theories. One of which is that when something’s hot, opportunists tend to jump on board and squeeze that something like a lemon. But a less cynical reason (after all that’s not why I love the genre, or my fellow BSFS writers) is that steampunk is an island of fantasy— of escape— within our technological, very stressful 21th century. Just like every other type of speculative fiction. And a way of making one’s own personal statement.

Someone on a steampunk blog, described it as “poorly defined.” Really? Seriously? How about open to experimentation and imagination. Just like every other SF sub-genre. None of them is rigid. None are set in stone.

When it comes to steampunk, just like horror, SF, fantasy… there’s no wrong way to do it. The writer just needs to make sure he or she includes steampunk elements, make your rules, and write a story that will knock the reader out of their socks. I’d also humbly suggest asking yourself what does steampunk mean to you?
For me it symbolizes freedom. Groovy, funky freedom. Freedom from repression and/or an attempt to free oneself.

I’ll post a couple of excerpts and I’ll invite everyone to do the same. Along with a simple answer to this question: what does steampunk mean to you?

Immortal IV: Collision of Worlds“You called me ‘Karla.’ Why? That’s not my name. I’m Sonya. Where did you come from?”
His eyes searched her face. “I don’t know.”

Karla… The name was like a caress. It reminded him of a song—the words forgotten, but the melody etched upon his heart.

Joseph tore his eyes away from her and scanned the bedroom. To his right was a high bed with a canopy. A wardrobe sat beside it. Across from him, stood a vanity table and mirror. Filigreed lamps were arranged here and there about the room.

The furniture spoke to him of antiquity—of an older, bygone age. Yet above the vanity hung a triangular clock, full of visible cogs and dials and encased in metal. It was ticking loudly.

The Copper man looked behind him, at the tall mirror encased in a delicately carved frame.
“I think…I think I came from inside your mirror.”

Her eyes shot to the glass, and a curious mixture of fear and longing played over her face.

“From my mirror?” He nodded. “Ho-how did you do that?”

How indeed? “I’m not sure.”

The Switch II: ClockworkGoing below ground was more than leaving the upper city. It was like entering another world. Skylights were carved into the metal, for natural light, to keep under city dwellers from going blind.

Yet it was always gloomy, and the steam used to power their machinery created a perpetual fog. All refuse was recycled through pipes attached to brick walls along the alleyways that carried the waste farther below. The smell clung to the under dwellers skin and clothing.

Yet for all this, the underground had it charms. Cobblestone lanes adorned by streetlights ran the length of the under city. Wooden shops and flats overlaid with brass lined the avenues. In the distance, a clock tower chimed.
The people were known for their outrageous gear. As part of their rebellion, they refused to dress like those who oppressed them.

As the fugitives reached the street, a steam-powered auto puttered along the stones, its motor clearly visible in front. On the left a couple strolled past, the man dressed in knickers and stockings; the woman in a form-fitting dress with a bustle and pill box hat.

To their right, an old man carrying a walking stick stood before a haberdashery. He had a salt-and-pepper, handlebar mustache; and wore a red jacket with tails, and pants with suspenders.

Behind them came the running steps of the constables.

The old man stepped in front of the fugitives, as if to block their path, and tapped the stones with his stick.
The stones slid back, revealing a steam-powered elevator; it rose to the street…

Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers 2012 all rights reserved.

What Does Intimacy Mean to You?

Mocha Memoirs Press Author,  Shiree McCarver, is a bestselling author of interracial erotic romance. Surfice to say she knows a thing or two about intimacy. In this blog post, the successful Shiree, wants to her from you.


You can also read Shiree's Beauty & the Geek: Zola's Magic Touch, and see firsthand how her charcters become intimate and more.
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"Be open and honest with your partner and ask them. If you can't talk about any and everything with your lover, then who can you talk to? Why are you allowing this person open access to the most personable part of you?"

Dictionary def: in·ti·macy - the condition of being intimate. An instant of being intimate.

Okay so I go and look up intimate...

Dictionary def: in·ti·mate - marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.

 Relating to or indicative of one's deepest nature: intimate prayers. Essential; innermost: the intimate structure of matter. Marked by informality and privacy: an intimate nightclub. Very personal; private: an intimate letter. Of or involved in a sexual relationship. A close friend or confidant.

Huh? You notice how they used the word to explain the word? Tell me, how is that an explanation? They also say "of or involved in a sexual relationship,” yet they list close acquaintance, association, or familiarity.

Honestly do any of those provoke intimacy in you? I mean, I might desire sex with a close acquaintance, association or familiarity, but it doesn't mean I would tell them my most intimate secrets and desires and if I can't do that, I wouldn't waste time sexing them when I can safely pleasure myself without the risk. In my opinion, if someone is in my bed as my chosen lover, I FEEL that I can trust to tell them how I FEEL without them being hurt, angry or upset. Even if they are a bad lover?

Hey, it's not an insult and I'm not insulted by the fact that being a bad lover means I'm admitting I'm not an expert at making love or maybe I just don't have the experience in "making love" as to having sex. Oh yes, there is a difference and for those that just have "good sex" and never experience the other...you are still an inexperienced virgin...just one with skills. If you find having sex an easy thing to do, then you need to know the differences. Sex without emotions or feelings is EASY to jump into, with even strangers, acquaintances or friends.

However, sex with emotions is very hard to do because now you have this urge for more. More everything……more time together, more laughter, more sharing, more tears, more of a commitment and more stability; most of all, more talking.

If you wondering if a woman loves you, then notice how much she talks to you. She chatters more when her emotions are involved and men intend to be more intent in what you have to say because he wants to know everything about you when his emotions are involved.

No they still aren't that talkative ladies, so stop hounding them to give as much as they get. You will know when he sets aside the cell phone, computer, playing with the X-Box, or watching television to actually spend time with you/listen to you, it’s his way of being a mutual chatterbox.

Now Sex and Intimacy...
For me an orgasm is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s my body's way of reminding me that regardless of what is going on around me, today was intended that I live a life of love, laughter and pleasure without fear of the one I share this moment with. If you fear telling the person in your bed the truth, they shouldn't be in your bed sharing in that gift because it's like being given a present you have no use for nor want. We all know what
happens to those presents don't we?

Pleasure can often be abused, because like anything else it can be used to temporarily fulfill the emptiness that plagues when you lack a loving intimate relationship. I wonder how many people are honest about how lonely they feel after sex with the person they are with or how sad it feels when you have feelings but when the sex is over, your partner all of a sudden has something to do, has somewhere to be, or bluntly reminds
YOU that you have something to do or somewhere else to be. How many of you have been in a situation where all of a sudden someone that couldn't get enough of you just moments ago can't get rid of you fast enough when it's time for everything that should be GOOD and fulfilling is about to begin?

I mean, have we truly forgotten how intimate sex is? I admit I enjoy watching porn but it doesn't mean I want to live my life that way. I understand how people have itches that need to be scratched and for some any scratch from anyone or thing will do so I'm not judging. But don't fool yourself by pretending there is no difference between good sex and sex that is good because you are intimate and in love with that person.

There is a HUGE difference.

When you love a person, you talk to them in those most intimate ways about the most intimate things because that is what love is all about. Take advantage of the pillow talk. A lot can be covered during the times of soft touches and adoring kisses. So many people have a routine to lovemaking. Strip, a little oral, a little tit sucking, crotch rubbing and then stick it in and go and guess what? Not one word is spoken. There
is no intimacy in that; you might as well have picked up Joe Blow or Susie Slow for the night. At least they will talk dirty and pretend like you are rocking the hell out of their world.

There is a time for quick loving but it has to balance with the times that you lie down on the pillows naked, turned face to face while holding hands or hands touching while you talk to each other. Use this time to notice the smiles that are sometimes rare during these stressful times. Really listen……not only to their voice, but also what your lover is actually saying. Let them know you are listening, not because you feel you have to, but
because you actually find joy in being able to share the moment and because of the fact that they trust you enough to talk to you at all.

Intimacy to me? It's everything that is before, after and during sex.

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