Nicole Gestalt - Valves and Vixens

Today, I have Nicole Gestalt with me, on her blog tour sharing news of her latest publication as editor, Valves & Vixens, a collection of steampunk erotica. So, welcome Nicole, and over to you:

Valves & Vixens

Today I wanted to give a little sneak peek into each of the stories within Valves & Vixens.

Coming Aboard the Greatest of the Great Ships by Jim Lee

The three of them strolled the grounds unhurriedly - not touching but engaged in good, quiet small talk. They discussed the Great Ship, current news and the lush vegetation around them. Personal items came up next, though in a nature and unforced manner all around.

With delight, Cassandra realised that she truly liked - not just admired or felt dutifully grateful to, but actually and honestly liked both of these respected and - she finally admitted it to herself - profoundly, exotically desirable individuals.

The three of them stopped as one near one of the garden’s outer walls.

Cassandra stood between the men - now not merely fabled Engineers to her, but vividly distinct persons that she wished to share something wonderful with.

At random, she turned her head to the left. She raised a hand, lightly caressed the older man’s neck.

The Waiting Future by Crysta K. Coburn

As we re-approached the house, Nakamura crowed, “Oh-ho! Fukui is lucky today! Is that not Miss Yuki walking there?”

We altered our direction to join Mr. Itoh’s daughter and her young maid. She turned when she heard us, and I was struck dumb. I had not noticed when her back was to us, for she held a paper parasol over one shoulder, that Miss Yuki was entirely white. Her delicate flesh was pale as the moon, and her hair the whitest I had ever seen, while her eyes sparkled blue like the clear summer’s sky. She was like a Japanese porcelain doll. It was no wonder she had been named after snow.

The Musica by J. T. Seate

The room was lit by both candle and gaslight. Jonathan’s eyes nearly popped at the sight of a young woman holding a bow that swept ever so gently over the strings of her cello - a bass member of the violin family an octave below a viola. She had chosen to play in a most uninhibited fashion - in the nude. Without clothing, the cello seemed a part of her, providing an aesthetic appeal. She possessed a naked prettiness that set her above mere sensuality. After the shock of the delightful sight, Jonathan dissected the image one portion at a time and realised he was moved by more than the artistic aspect of the scene.

Boson's Mate by Nikko Lee

Beckett used his mech hand to open the door. His obsidian fingers convulsed before finally releasing the wheel. The tremors were getting worse. It wouldn’t be long before he wouldn’t be able to open his hand at all.

As soon as Beckett closed the door behind them, Boson’s mouth captured Beckett’s. Boson was halfway to undressing Beckett before Beckett caught up to him. The boy was eager; that wasn’t something Beckett was used to with the men he paid for. The stiffness of Boson’s erection burnt against Beckett’s thigh even as his own member began to swell.

Les Lettres Dangereuses by V. C.

As I was cleaning Lady Olivia’s room, I discovered a diary. It was made of tough dark brown leather and embellished with brass, copper, and silver gears from watch parts. I knew I shouldn’t have even been touching it. In the end my curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn’t help but open it and read what stories laid inside of it. In her first diary entry, dated 29 August 1847, she wrote.....

Dr Williams Discovery – The Curious Truth by Zak Jane Keir

Roger Williams lay in his bed, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with images of Lady Isidore; her perfect features, the glowing red of her hair, cropped fashionably short - and the cold fury in her eyes when she spoke of her great-aunt. He was aware that his grandfather, the inventor of Williams Carnality-Pulsation technology, had employed a Miss O’Brien as his assistant.

On Gossamer Wings by Blair Erotica

When the party finally broke up she still wasn’t sleepy and decided to walk the deck, enjoying the dark night and watch the moon, which had just begun its rise. The only lights were soft ones in the rigging and the stars bright in the sky. She walked through that muted dark and listened to the sensual pulsing hiss of the ocean slipping along the hull.

“It’s a nice night to be at sea,” a voice said and she turned slightly startled to see Captain Stanley.

“It is. Quite lovely.”

One Cheek or Two? By Regina Kammer

Miss Bennett! I need you in the laboratory at once!”

Delia looked up from steadying the convex glass cover of the massive clockwork while Sebastian screwed in a side bolt, a little flutter of excitement tickling just below her belly upon hearing her name. Professor Edward Ockham’s baritone was like a siren song to her heart. She was powerless before it.

Except if she let go of the glass it would surely smash into bits.

Captain Barnabus by Nicole Gestalt

They looked at one another for a moment silence covering the words they didn't want to think about. It was a subtle shift in the engines and Barnabus remembered how short the time they had together was.

“Whatever the future holds and no matter how far apart we all end up being we need to remember to live in the moment and grab what opportunity we can.” His voice dropped low as he spoke and he leaned forward to her.

Valves & Vixens is available here:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LAD2QKS
Amazon USA: http://amzn.com/B00LAD2QKS
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-valvesvixens-1556820-362.html

And if you visit here: http://www.nicolegestalt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/valves-vixens-give-away.html you can learn all about the great give-away we are doing!

Chocolate V Cheese

So it seems that while we like to fantasise about stuffing our faces full of an endless supply of chocolate, if that was all we could eat the appeal would soon wear off. What we need here is a proper system of rankings. I asked our More Smut for Chocoholics authors:

How would you rate chocolate against a) cheese, b) red wine, c) bacon.

Victoria Blisse: I love my cheese, I have to say but I’m not a bacon fan and I don’t drink wine so it’s down to a fight between cheese and chocolate. Hmmm, not sure I could pick between the two!

Slave Nano: Oh, that’s cruel! Do I have to choose? Can I have a cheese and bacon toastie followed by a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk all washed down with a glass (no, bottle!) of red wine? (TH: No, that's against the rules!)

Anna Sky: Chocolate vs. mature cheddar, baked Brie or Camembert? No contest – CHEESE!

Chocolate vs. red wine? Sorry chocolate, have you not read my Twitter profile?

Chocolate vs. bacon? If it’s really crispy bacon when hungover then bacon otherwise chocolate, you stand a chance!

Jillian Boyd: a) Depending on which kind of cheese. b) I don't drink alcohol any more, so I definitely prefer chocolate. c) I'd say about 50/50 either way. 

Vanessa de Sade: Cheese: no contest

Red wine: never drink the stuff, who cares!

Bacon: oh, that's a hard one, but I think chocolate still wins, but only just!

Lucy Felthouse: Slightly higher

Massively higher – I hate wine!

Probably about the same, providing the bacon is crispy and you’ve cut the fat off.

Wendi Zwaduk: Wow. Tough question. I like cheese, but I’d take chocolate over cheese. Red wine gives me the worst headache, so definitely chocolate over red wine...but bacon. There’s the rub. I’m a bacon girl, too. I think it’s a toss-up between the two. :-)

Aurelia T Evans: I’m not a huge red wine or bacon fan, but cheese is another vice of mine, go figure. I love cheese almost as much as I love chocolate. For different reasons, of course. Cheese can be melted between two slices of grilled bread. Nutella spread is awesome on bagels. Both can be put in fondue pots. But they hit very different emotional strings.

Nicole Gestalt: Cheese – Okay I love cheese, especially the chilli cheese. Now if someone could put together cheese, chocolate and chilli together I would be in heaven!

Red wine – I don't like wine so chocolate wins that one hands down.

Chocolate and bacon....hmmm I think I'd have them together on top of a pancake stack with maple syrup.

Annabeth Leong:I feel guilty for admitting this in this context, but my ratings would be 1) cheese 2) bacon 3) red wine and 4) chocolate.

Tilly Hunter: I think all three win over chocolate. Just.

On Monday, I asked: What is your favourite kind of chocolate and why?
And on Tuesday, I asked: Why did you want to write for More Smut for Chocoholics?
On Wednesday, I asked: How would you cope in a world without chocolate?

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

Chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner...

Maybe a world without chocolate is not your worst nightmare after all. I mean, not everyone’s a chocoholic. So what if you had to give up everything else and live in a world in which all you could eat was chocolate? Let’s see what our More Smut for Chocoholics authors think. And come back tomorrow for the final interview question: How does chocolate rate against a) cheese, b) red wine, c) bacon?

How would you cope in a world in which all you could eat was chocolate?

Victoria Blisse: There’s all kinds of chocolate, so you could probably have quite a varied diet. I’d survive happily!

Slave Nano: I suppose you ought to be careful what you wish for. Is this a King Midas question? Imagine if everything you touched turned to chocolate!

Anna Sky: Ah well. Chocolate doesn’t have to be sweet, there’s lots of ways to eat it. Think venison in chocolate sauce…oh hang on, all I could eat was chocolate? That would make for an unhappy Anna very quickly.

Jillian Boyd: That would be tough, because in the end you'd get so sick of eating chocolate all the time, you'd stop eating all together, which is not at all good. 

Vanessa de Sade: Oh, I'd so love it, but I suspect that I might become a clandestine sneaker of contraband bacon rolls.

Lucy Felthouse: I’m not sure. I think I’d probably miss chips, cheese and meat.

Wendi Zwaduk: I’d definitely have to pace myself. I assume after a while I might get tired of it, but if there’s enough I wonder if I wouldn’t. Hmm. I know I would be a happy girl.

Aurelia T Evans: I don’t think I could handle it. As I get older, I’m more and more fascinated with variety. Even though I like a food routine (that includes chocolate in it, because reasons), I break from that routine every so often and rarely regret it. (There was this one Hawaiian barbecue place, but we will never speak of it again.) I think my appreciation for chocolate would be greatly reduced if it was all I had to eat. It’s more meaningful to me as a treat.

Nicole Gestalt: Well chocolate is good for you! So I think I'd be totally fine although I can imagine trying to come up with creative ways to eat the chocolate!

Annabeth Leong:This would be much harder for me. I'd have to find something bitter and not too sweet, or I'd be loopy from the sugar rush all the time.

Tilly Hunter: That would totally spoil my occasional urges to indulge. I would be seriously craving a slice of hot buttered toast.

On Monday, I asked: What is your favourite kind of chocolate and why?
And on Tuesday, I asked: Why did you want to write for More Smut for Chocoholics?
On Wednesday, I asked: How would you cope in a world without chocolate?

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

A world without chocolate?!

A world without chocolate? Your worst nightmare? Or would you tuck into a slice of Victoria sponge, snarf a custard cream, or opt for the cheeseboard instead? I asked our More Smut for Chocoholics authors what they thought. Tomorrow, I turn the tables and ask them how they’d cope in a world in which all they could eat was chocolate....

How would you cope in a world without chocolate?

Victoria Blisse: I’ve given up chocolate for Lent before now, I think I could cope…just.

Slave Nano: The question you should really pose is – how would other people cope with me if I didn’t have chocolate?

Anna Sky: To be honest, I am more of a savoury girl, so it would be hard but not impossible. If I had to choose to save either chips or chocolate, I’m afraid that chips would win and I’d have to find something else for my breakfast. Of everyone that I’ve ever polled with this question (it’s a drunken pub conversation), I’m the only one not to side with chocolate.

Jillian Boyd: A world... without chocolate? *sobs quietly to herself*

Vanessa de Sade: I wouldn't. Life would not be worth living. Or maybe I could just have more sex! Hmmm…

Lucy Felthouse: I’d be a lot grumpier, for sure. Possibly thinner, though. But I’m sure I’d find something else to eat instead, so maybe not. I have a real sweet tooth! I hope I never have to find out.

Wendi Zwaduk: I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to function. Grin.

Aurelia T Evans: I’d probably eat a lot of glazed doughnuts, but it wouldn’t be the same.

Nicole Gestalt: I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that.

Annabeth Leong: I've heard that this is really going to happen, all too soon! Honestly, much as I love chocolate, I think I'd be all right. It's an indulgence because it isn't actually necessary for life, no matter how much it may seem to be that way. I'd switch to berries and cream, and pray those didn't disappear, too.

Tilly Hunter: As long as I could still have the occasional stroopwafel, I’d probably get by fine most of the time. But every now and again I might turn into something resembling the Incredible Hulk.

On Monday, I asked: What is your favourite kind of chocolate and why?
And on Tuesday, I asked: Why did you want to write for More Smut for Chocoholics?

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

Why would anyone want to write about chocolate and sex?

It's Day Two of my interviews with the More Smut for Chocoholics authors and today they're talking about why they wanted to write for the anthology. Yeah, yeah, I know, why wouldn't you want to? Tomorrow, I'll be turning really mean and asking them how they'd cope in a world without chocolate. Catch up on yesterday's post here.

What made you want to write for More Smut for Chocoholics?

Victoria Blisse: My husband made me. Heh, no, not really. He is one of the editors and he might have reminded me a time or two about the call but I love smut and chocolate so I didn’t need much persuading to get one written.

Slave Nano: Love of chocolate + Pagan Goddess = story. I just couldn’t miss the opportunity of putting Ixcacao, the Aztec Goddess of Chocolate, into a sexy story.

Anna Sky: Chocolate and sex, what could be better?! I had a few ideas but really needed to get a spanking in there, to stay true to my writing form. A friendly dom teasing his girlfriend seemed the perfect way to do it.

Jillian Boyd: I'd missed out on writing for the first Smut for Chocoholics and felt a bit bummed out about it. So when this call came around, I jumped on it and wrote my story.

Vanessa de Sade: The combination of my two passions. Sex and chocolate, with the added bonus of being able to indulge in a voluptuous Victorian setting complete with Rubenesque ladies being very naughty…

Lucy Felthouse: Because I love chocolate—simple as that. I’m definitely a chocoholic!

Wendi Zwaduk: Easy! I love chocolate and adding play to having chocolate equals YUM! Plus I love working with Mitnik and Tilly. They are awesome. (Aww, thanks Wendi.)

Aurelia T Evans: I think playing with chocolate and whipped cream might have been one of my first sexual fantasies. I’m glad I was finally able to use that in one of my stories. In addition, I’m fascinated by fairy tales. “Crumbs” is loosely based on the “Hansel & Gretel” story, because who doesn’t like a gingerbread house full of desserts that they’re compelled to eat?

Nicole Gestalt: I have a story in Smut for Chocoholics and, well, I love chocolate! I'd had the idea for The Competition for a while and was just looking for a reason to get down to writing it, the submission call for More Smut for Chocoholics was the perfect excuse.

Annabeth Leong: I'd written for the original Smut for Chocoholics and had a great time (and loved reading the resulting book)! When I heard there was a follow-up planned, I knew I had to be in on it.

Tilly Hunter: I like to approach a theme like this from unexpected angles (so to speak). So Chocoholics gave me the chance to think about some unusual aspects – like the fact that Aztec women were forbidden from consuming cacao, and, in my other story, the development of a chocolate beer (not so unexpected for anyone who knows me, I guess!).

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

Chocoholic authors share their sweet secrets...

Feeling a bit peckish? How about a couple of squares of deliciously velvety dark chocolate? Or maybe you prefer the melt-in-the-mouth feel of something creamier and packed with sugar? I asked our More Smut for Chocoholics authors what they thought, and the answers made me, well, hungry. Tomorrow, they'll be sharing all about why they wanted to write for the anthology.

What is your favourite kind of chocolate and why?

Victoria Blisse: The chocolate in my hand…no, seriously now. I am a complete sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Oh, they are my sweet, sweet downfall.

Slave Nano: Cadbury’s flake. I love collecting all the bits in the wrapper and shovelling them into my mouth. And they’re so crumbly and sensuous (influenced by TV advertising – me? No!).

Anna Sky: Fairtrade, organic, dark as possible. I let it melt on my tongue, and savour it for as long as possible. Otherwise, I’m a fan of “peanutella” – a crazy concoction of chocolate spread and peanut butter on my toast in the mornings!

Jillian Boyd: Green & Black’s milk chocolate with sea salt. Because it never fails to make me feel better when I'm down in the dumps. 

Vanessa de Sade: The blackest, darkest chocolate there is, as untainted by sugar as possible and potent and deadly.  I prefer pure chocolate but if it must be filled I go for pralines and Gianduja, whole nuts and dried fruits soaked in liqueurs.  (Hotel Chocolat Rum-Soaked Raisins, for example!)

Lucy Felthouse: Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, just because I love the taste. If you want more in depth information than that, I’m afraid you’ll have to ask my taste buds ;)

Wendi Zwaduk: Hmm... This is tough. I’d say either the chocolate from Grandpa’s Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio, Suzin L Chocolates out of Elyria, Ohio. or Daffin’s Chocolates in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Daffin’s was actually my inspiration for the original Smut story, Drizzle Me in Chocolate.

Aurelia T Evans: I am in total love with dark chocolate. It’s my not so secret vice to have three or four of the little wrapped chocolates every day. I also love hot chocolate in wintertime and truffles at Valentine’s Day. Chocolate with hazelnut is also love.

Nicole Gestalt: I go through phases of what chocolate I enjoy. This Christmas just gone I found myself in London and managed to get to Hotel Chocolat and ended up with a large bag of them! After rationing them I'm still left with a few (just).

Annabeth Leong: I like chocolate infused with other things. My favorite things for it to be mixed with are salt, orange, and cardamom.

Tilly Hunter: I actually bought a bag of cacao bean nibs as research for my story, A Steamy Brew. They were truly disgusting. Give me a Cadbury's Dairy Milk any day (preferably every day).

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.