Going Back To My Roots

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

What better date than the first of January to start a new adventure?

Back in March 2015  — OMG, that’s almost three years ago —  my first novel was published by Totally Bound Publishing.

Unlike my subsequent titles, Little Rainbows was an MF romance.

When an experienced Dom loses his drive, can an old flame reignite his fire?

When Jason and Heather first meet they are young and sure they are wrong for each other. As a result they spend a summer admiring each other from a safe distance.

Twenty years later Heather is coming out of mourning, having lost her husband and Dom eighteen months earlier. Jason, now the owner of an exclusive sex resort on the west coast of Ireland, struggles with the loss of his desire to dominate.

Jason’s resort is about to celebrate its first anniversary and party planner Heather has been hired to create the perfect celebration. Their reunion comes as a big surprise to both of them.

Old and familiar attraction, battles with new and conflicting emotions as Jason and Heather work together to organize the ultimate BDSM event.

Overcoming the issues between them isn’t the only obstacle Jason and Heather face. In the background lurks a threat both to Heather’s independence and Jason’s livelihood. 

One of the secondary couples in this book has been begging me to tell their full story almost from the start, and one or two readers have since informed me that they’d love to know more about Hector and Amber. It took me a while, but I have, at long last, managed to commit their story to paper (or should that be screen?).

It is with pride and about a million butterflies doing summersaults in my stomach that I can now announce the launch of All or Nothing, a full-length prequel to Little Rainbows, the first Blowhole novel as published by and available from Totally Bound Publishing.

Designed by Brigham Vaughn

All or Nothing takes place about three years before the events in Little Rainbows. I think and hope that I’ve written the story in such a way that it can be read and enjoyed whether or not you’re familiar with the earlier publication.

If she’s not good enough to have all of him, she’d rather have none.

When an experienced Dom intercedes during an open night at a BDSM club, it is the beginning of change for both him and the beautiful young woman who has no idea what she was about to get herself into. Hector Kelly isn’t convinced he’s doing the right thing: Amber Sommerville is too young for him, for one thing. Or maybe it’s his own fears that keep him from fully investing in the developing relationship.

Amber may have come to BDSM through a love of fictional dominant men and submissive women, but now that her eyes have been opened, she wants to explore her own desires and submissive nature‒and Hector is the man to show her the way. But when she realizes he’s been holding back, Amber sets him an ultimatum: commit fully, or she walks.

If Hector wants to hang on to the woman who has taken over his heart, he’ll have to reassess his preconceived notions.

From today, All or Nothing will be published in instalments on Wattpad where it can be read for free. My intention is to stick to a weekly posting schedule.

The introduction and first chapter can be found here: All or Nothing.

I can’t wait to hear what you think about Amber and Hector’s story. 

Ps: For those who worry that I’ve now abandoned the MM genre, allow me to reassure you. Later in 2018 I’ll be publishing a new gay romance and while I am working on yet another book in the Blowhole Series, that story will once again feature two men as the main characters.

LITTLE RAINBOWS available for early download

Title: Little Rainbows

Author: Helena Stone

Pairing: MF

Genre: BDSM, Contemporary

General Release Date: 20^th March

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing

ISBN: 9781784304584

Available on Early Download on the 20^th Feb

Heat Rating: Burning

Book Length: Super Novel

Blurb for Little Rainbows:

When Jason Hudson and Heather Staunton first meet they are young and sure they are wrong for each other. As a result they spend a summer admiring each other from a safe distance.

Twenty years later Heather is coming out of mourning, having lost her husband and Dom eighteen months earlier. Jason, now the owner of an exclusive sex resort on the west coast of Ireland, struggles with the loss of his desire to dominate.

Jason’s resort is about to celebrate its first anniversary and party planner Heather has been hired to create the perfect celebration. Their reunion comes as a big surprise to both of them.

Old and familiar attraction, battles with new and conflicting emotions as Jason and Heather work together to organize the ultimate BDSM event. Overcoming the issues between them isn’t the only obstacle Jason and Heather face. In the background lurks a threat both to Heather’s independence and Jason’s livelihood.

Excerpt:

The lighthouse was only a few miles away, on one of the most western points of Ireland. As he’d hoped, they were on their own. Not many people ventured this far. Taking a blanket from the boot of his car, and with his arm once again around her, he walked Heather as close to the edge of the cliff as he dared.

“Let’s sit here and enjoy the view.”

Jason spread the blanket on the grass. His heart skipped a beat when Heather sat down close beside him. Nothing could convince him she hadn’t meant for their legs to touch.

“This place is amazing.”

A smile as bright as the sun shining down on them lit up Heather’s face. The setting was perfect. A calm and warm day, blue skies and hardly any wind, and yet the ocean appeared wild. They were alone, the peace and quiet only interrupted by the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. Just him, Heather and the sea, again.

 “Remember the last time it was just us and the sea, Heather?”

“In Wexford? Yes, I do. That was different though.”

His mind travelled back. He couldn’t remember why, but Heather and he had been alone that day. The walk on the beach had been delightful, as had lying down in the sand for a rest. They’d had no intention of falling asleep, but the combination of warm sunshine and soft sand had been too much for both of them. When they’d woken up, they’d found themselves on a sandbank of sorts, surrounded by water. Not in any danger of ending up in the sea, thankfully, but with no way back to the rest of the beach without getting soaked. They’d sat there together for hours, looking at the sea, talking and, eventually, kissing.

“That kiss.” Heather paused. “Those hours with you in the middle of the sea… It was the only time during that summer I thought I might have made a mistake when I decided not to pursue you.” She smiled. “I didn’t believe I could give Moira competition when it came to you, but that afternoon I thought maybe I should have tried.”

“I know. I felt the same.” And he could still kick himself that he’d been too much of a coward to just drop Moira and hang on to Heather. “It felt right when I kissed you. Felt right in a way it never did with Moira.”

Jason looked at Heather and saw in her eyes the same hunger he knew had to be shining out of his.

He moved closer, giving her plenty of time to stop him or pull away. She didn’t. Just as slowly she moved closer to him. Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip, her gaze jumped from his mouth to his eyes and back again, but she didn’t try to prevent what was about to happen.

Mouth against mouth. Soft lips moving over his, finding every corner of his mouth. A small sigh and her lips were caressing his again. Her hand touched his cheek, stroking as her lips continued their investigation of his mouth.

“Jason.” His name was a breath against his lips, her slightly opened mouth an invitation. No hurry, no rush, no force. Just lips stroking lips, tongues finding each other, touching, teasing, playing.

Without removing his mouth from Heather’s, Jason pushed her until she was flat on her back. Leaning over her, he pulled away and drank in her beautiful features—her face relaxed, her eyes open and smiling at him, her lips parted. He traced his fingers over her skin, her lips, her ears. So soft. She pushed her face into his hand, searching for his touch, asking him for more. He needed to taste her again. His mouth on hers, her tongue against his. His hand in her hair, on her face. Her hand on his neck. This was perfect, it was too much and it wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted more.

“Jason?”

He heard the confusion in her voice when he abruptly pulled back. “Shhh, beautiful. It’s all good. I want you more than I should.”

“Yes.” She panted rather than spoke the word.

“But not here, not right now. I don’t want to rush this. We’re not making the same mistake twice.” He hesitated. “When I do get you naked, I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder.”

Author info:

Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.

The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.

Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.

Helena Stone can be found in the following places:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenasHeat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helena.stone.735

Website: http://helenastone.blogspot.ie/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/helenastone735/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13258932.Helena_Stone

Email: helenastoneauthor@gmail.com

Buy link:

Totally Bound: https://www.totallybound.com/little-rainbows

Shit Just Got Real

As I wrote in an earlier post, my first solo novel will be released by Totally Bound on February 20^th. Although I had received the cover, blurb and other promotional material from the publisher, the idea of actually being published remained abstract in my mind. As of today I can no longer deny the reality of it though. A quick visit to Totally Bounds’ ‘coming soon’ page showed me the following:

(Yes, that's me third row from the bottom on the left)

Excited doesn’t begin to describe it; there is quite a bit of ‘scared’ mixed in with the feeling.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day I also received an email informing me that print copies of Little Rainbows will be released on March 20^th, the same date on which the e-book will go on general release. Given that I hadn’t realised the book would be available in anything besides e-book format you can imagine the squealing sounds reverberating through my house this morning. I guess it betrays my age, but I’m not ashamed to say that print copies made the whole idea of being a published author that much more real for me. 

COVERS

Who would have thought I’d find myself announcing not one but two upcoming book releases?

On February 20^th, Little Rainbows will become available on Totally Bounds’ website.

When Jason and Heather first meet they are young and sure they are wrong for each other. As a result they spend a summer admiring each other from a safe distance.

Twenty years later Heather is coming out of mourning, having lost her husband and Dom eighteen months earlier. Jason, now the owner of an exclusive sex resort on the west coast of Ireland, struggles with the loss of his desire to dominate.

Jason’s resort is about to celebrate its first anniversary and party planner Heather has been hired to create the perfect celebration. Their reunion comes as a big surprise to both of them.

Old and familiar attraction, battles with new and conflicting emotions as Jason and Heather work together to organize the ultimate BDSM event. Overcoming the issues between them isn’t the only obstacle Jason and Heather face. In the background lurks a threat both to Heather’s independence and Jason’s livelihood.

Little Rainbows will go on general release through all E-book retailers on March 20^th.

In the meantime, on March 11^th, Dreamspinner Press will release Strangers in the Night, the novella I co-wrote with Jaycee Edward.

When Army veteran, Slade, stumbles upon an isolated cottage on a cold, dark, night, the young man finds more than just the shelter he’s seeking.

Former club Dominant Callum is surprised to find a handsome stranger knocking at his door but invites him in despite his reservations. A nightmare reveals Slade’s deep-seated emotional issues, and Callum knows he needs to get creative if he’s going to help Slade leave the past behind.

Neither man is prepared for the feelings Slade’s introduction into the world of BDSM will unleash, and thirty-six hours will either be enough to bind them, or they will remain forever strangers in the night.