Did you ever want to just shake things up?

“I aim to misbehave.”

                  Captain Malcolm Reynolds

One of my favorite quotes from SERENITY the Joss Whedon movie that wrapped up the loose-ends left dangling when people of limited vision cancelled his television show FIREFLY. Celebrating the idea of a band of independent-minded citizens that challenged an authoritarian government who cared nothing about individual freedoms, sort of seems fitting this month. I know, I’m a day late for the real party but I celebrated by having a FIREFLY/SERENITY marathonJ.

I get a kick out of people who challenge authority or simply the status quo. I like characters that push the envelope and aren’t afraid to explore the question “what if”. About a year ago, I looked at some of my erotic romance stories and as much as I still loved them all, I thought it might be time to push the envelope and delve into a subject that might challenge me and inspire something new and different.  

Nope, I didn’t stray into the BDSM realm, I leave that for authors who have taken the time to research and understand the practice. I have a wonderful critique partner, Francesca Hawley. She explains whatever I don’t understand but alas, my muse has not supplied me with any BDSM story ideas. I will however, keep you posted. With her, I never know what to expect.

I thought that D/s was where she was going when she suggested BEND OVER, COWBOY. How was my audience going to react to a hero who was willing to let his girlfriend use a strap-on to fulfill one of her fantasies?

My muse had the audacity to flip her feather boa at me before she told me to suck it up. Then she dared me to write the story without straying into the realm of D/s. Did I mention she knows how to push my buttons?

I have to tell you that before this story was released I was a little worried about my readers. They were used to an entirely different kind of story. I didn't need to worry. Apparently, readers thought any man who loved his girl-friend and was up for a little experimentation was their kind of hero. 

As a reader, have you ever been tempted to read something outside your comfort zone? As an author, has any subject outside your comfort zone tempted you to write a story? Leave me a comment and as part of my ongoing celebration of the month, I’ll award someone one of my back list titles.

An Excerpt From: BEND OVER, COWBOY

Copyright © PARIS BRANDON, 2012

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Whether he was wearing jeans and a denim shirt or the tailored tuxedo that covered his lanky frame tonight, from the top of his wavy, pitch-black hair to the tips of his custom-made, size-thirteen, hand-tooled leather cowboy boots, Tyler “Tall” Garrett was the sexiest man Kitty Jones had ever come across.

She’d “bought” the rodeo cowboy two years ago at Marcy Pennington’s Auction for the Arts benefit. It had been lust at first sight and it had taken every penny in her checking account to outbid Livy Winthrop. But damn. The man’s smile could light up a room and it didn’t hurt that he was four inches taller than her five-foot-ten. He was one of the few men around whom she didn’t dwarf when she wore her favorite stiletto heels.

She could still call up the memory of the sparkle that had lit his baby blues that first time, when the gallery lights over the temporary catwalk weren’t shining in his eyes and he could put a face to her voice. The dinner date she’d purchased had turned into breakfast and before the month was out she was pretty much staying at his ranch outside of Fort Worth every weekend.

She got wet every time she thought about sex with Tall Garrett. She got even wetter when she thought about bending her very tough, pleasure-seeking cowboy over and riding him until he screamed for mercy. Less mercy than he might need at the moment, cornered by Livy Winthrop and her herd of dutiful sorority sisters.

She’d bet money that the clueless woman had asked him once again what size his feet were while her little clique tittered. Any minute now she and Tall would be wishing everyone happy Valentine’s Day and ducking out for some real fun. As much as she loved the gallery owner who’d thrown so much business her way, Marcy’s party had become more about tradition for them than a social obligation and she couldn’t wait for their private festivities to begin.

And that would be as soon as Tall flipped a coin to decide which one of them would be rewarded with the fantasy of their choice. All she had to do was win. He finally broke away from the group and as he strode toward her his scowl was something to behold. “I need me a longneck beer and a woman who knows how to behave herself in public,” he announced as he sidled up to her.

“Poor baby, all I have is this,” she said, holding up her champagne flute. “And don’t you dare ask me to snag you one of those imported frou-frou beers that Marcy serves because I don’t like wrapping my tongue around the names and having waiters look down their pointy little noses at me,” she grumbled good-naturedly and smiled when he stepped closer.

His gaze latched on to the top half of her bare breasts. The other half was held up by a glittery silver swathe of some space-age material that was supposed to be as sturdy as chain mail. “I like that dress,” he drawled and stayed focused on her very generous cleavage, peeking out of the scooped neckline of her slinky gown.

“Grabs your attention, does it?” she asked, not bothering to suppress her grin. Hell, she wore her gowns low so he would look. The test was if he brought his gaze back up to hers and was polite enough to look properly appreciative. Which he always did. No woman wanted to be under appreciated, whether she wore a training bra or needed miracle support for her double-Ds.

He was looking around but no one was paying them any mind and she grinned full-out because he’d moved slightly to block her from view. “Uh…yeah.”

“This woman who knows how to behave herself in public—would you want her to do that in private, too?” she asked sweetly.

“You plan on misbehavin’ anytime soon?” he asked, sounding hopeful as hell. His sexy grin made her want to drag him into the nearest dark corner and rub up against him like a cat but she’d just caught Livy’s confused what-the-hell-does-he-see-in-your-big-butt glare.

For someone as astute as the beautiful marketing executive usually was about business, she didn’t have a clue about personal relationships. Livy, with her lithe little cheerleader body and her surgically perfect profile, was a trophy hunter and she couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around the fact that Tall didn’t have any interest in being part of her collection.

Bless her heart.

Kitty had had about all this party she could politely stand and she could tell Tall was getting itchy when he reached into his pants pocket. “I think it’s time for our annual coin toss,” he suggested, pulling out what she knew to be the same quarter he’d used the first time they’d cut and run from Marcy’s annual to-do.

She knew because he kept it on the dresser in his bedroom. “Toss away, cowboy. I call heads,” she said sweetly and watched him flip the coin into the air, catch it and slap it down on the back of his hand.

His lips twitched after he lifted his palm and she knew she’d won again. “You are the luckiest woman alive.”

“Don’t I know it,” she bragged and couldn’t resist winking at him. She’d been flirting with the idea of how this night was going to end since last summer’s Fourth of July impromptu photo shoot when she’d posed him naked except for his chaps and boots. And that raggedy-ass cowboy hat that was almost as battered as he was after surviving riding bulls and anything else he could get his hands on during his ten-year stint on the rodeo circuit.

She smiled and he looked wary, but as usual, very eager. “Are you going to tell me what I’m in for or are you just going to smile all night and make me guess?”

She leaned in close and breathed in the sharp tang of his cologne that reminded her of crisp, dry leaves, earthy moss and sun-warmed leather. “I want to take you to bed and not let you out for days. I want to tie you up and watch your face while I take you every way you can imagine and some I hope you haven’t even thought about yet…

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt! Don’t forget to leave a comment and until next month,

Happy Reading!

Paris Brandon

http://parisbrandon.com

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Head Over Heels-5 Hearts, The Romance Studio

Assassin’s Kiss-4 Stars Romantic Times Book Review