Okay before we get to the interview and review of Intimate Desires, I just want to welcome you to a new feature on Harlie’s Books: Erotic Weekends. I know, I said that I wasn’t going to review erotic anymore on the blog but I succumbed to peer pressure (LOL), seems like some of my readers still want me to review them and feature them. When I say erotic, I’m not talking spicy. I’m talking menage, BDSM, anywaysomes and anything else associated with erotic. 😉
First up is a doozy. Its got the cougar or younger man/older woman, menage (without the usual crap like jealous, awkwardness, etc.), voyeurism, a woman who likes it a big rough and a hero that is completely swoon worthy. So without further ado…
Intimate Desires
Stephanie is almost forty and her life hasn’t turned out the way she planned. That doesn’t mean she’s ready to give up and wallow in her misfortunes. She has fantasies, wild fantasies and she decides it’s time to make them come true. Lucky for Stephanie, she has four hot tenants that are anxious to satisfy her needs.
It was supposed to be one night of pleasure. Mark soon realizes he can’t get enough of his landlord, Stephanie. He doesn’t care about their age difference, or what others will say. Mark will do whatever it takes to make her see they are meant to be regardless of the obstacles that lay ahead. He will fight for her because that’s what you do… you fight for the one you love.
*This novella contains explicit sexual encounters, which include ménage and group sex. 18 and over only.
Welcome! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.
I’m Celeste Carrara and I am an erotic romance author. Two years ago I took a chance and self published my first book Give Me Forever, a paranormal erotic romance. It is the first in my series, Paranormal City, and I have been on an amazing journey since I hit the “publish” button! Writing and music are my passion and I feel so blessed to be able to be a full time writer. My husband and our two children are so supportive and I am very lucky to have them by my side. My office is filled with so many pieces of paper with new ideas jotted on them, I have enough material for many more books and I can’t wait to bring them to my readers.
Is Intimate Desires a single title, or part of a series?
Intimate Desires is a single title and my first erotic contemporary romance. I’ve only published my paranormal erotic romance books, so I’m really excited to give my readers something new.
What were your inspirations for the story?
There were a lot of inspirations for this story. It first started with my visit to my sisters’ college town. The location, the hot young guys… easy inspirations 😉 I have also always wanted to write a story where the female main character was closer to my age. It’s great fun writing about younger women, but I wanted to show that just because a woman is older, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have wild fantasies she wants to fulfill. It also doesn’t mean that she can’t. Age is just a number! Music always influences my writing and I listened to a lot of songs by the band Arctic Monkey’s while writing this story. My characters are also a big influence. This started as a short story and my characters took over and demanded I give them the story they deserved. This seems to happen often 😉
Please share your setting for Intimate Desires. Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?
Intimate Desires is set in an upstate N.Y. college town. I have a sister who is in her senior year in college up there and I fell in love with the town when I first saw it. It has that Americana small town feel and I just love that! In winter it is just beautiful with all the snow. I knew I had to work that into my story somehow and I did. When I’m up there I can see my main characters, Stephanie and Mark, sitting on her front porch of her beautiful Victorian home.
When did the writing bug first bite?
The writing bug started when I was about twelve or thirteen years old. I had my first boyfriend (I know, I started young). I was in love and he was a real jerk. We would fight all the time and break up and get back together. I remember after one of our fights being so upset and needing a way to purge my feelings and I grabbed a pen and just started writing. Poetry came naturally and I wrote poems for a really long time before I ever tried writing a novel.
Who are your favorite authors, book/series?
My favorite authors are Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, Maya Banks, and J R Ward. Paranormal romance is my first love and I think J R, Gena, and Kresley are the best at their craft. Maya knows how to write the sexiest scenes and her book Be With Me is one of my favorite books. If I have to pick a favorite series, it’s Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole.
If you could have an author roundtable discussion with any authors, who would you invite?
I would have Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole. They are friends and seem to have such fun together I would love to hang out with them! Then I would love to get advice on how they weave their stories so well with so many characters and plot lines. They are amazing!
Do you have any hobbies or special things you like to do in your spare time?
I have two kids so my life totally revolves around them! lol Most of my free time is spent writing. Music is a big influence for me and very important in my life. Luckily my husband, kids and sister share my taste in music and we love to go to concerts together. I try to at least see four big shows a year and sprinkle in some small venue shows here and there. There is no better feeling than singing along to your favorite songs with a room full of fans.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve heard or seen?
I live in N.Y. and everyday I see strange things, but one sticks out because it happened recently. I saw a man walking down the street with a cat on his head. It wasn’t on his shoulder, and it wasn’t a little cat. It was a large black cat propped on the top of his head. It’s amazing that the cat sat up there and didn’t fall off! I love where I live, you never know what you’re going to see!
Intimate Desires Buy Links:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5ITR20
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intimate-desires-celeste-carrara/1118947676?ean=2940149164165
AllRomanceEbooks:
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-intimatedesires-1450376-340.html
Kobo:
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/intimate-desires
I honestly don’t know where to start with this review. I’ve been out of the erotic reviewing game for almost a year so I knew going in that it would be different, feel different from the reviews that I typically write now. Whew! Not only did I need a cigarette, but a fan was in order, too.
Ms. Carrara didn’t disappoint with the hotness factor in Mark and Stephanie’s story. I’m not sure there wasn’t anything that these two wouldn’t do (no worries, no BDSM) but a menage, you bet. In fact the story has M/F/M with voyeurism in it. That’s what starts off their journey towards acceptance and love. Oh yes, between 4 guys and one girl…only one guy doesn’t full on participate but his role is pivotal in the scene and damn…that was one hawt scene.
Mark, Steve, Kenny and Brent are Stephanie’s boarders in her old Victorian house. All of them are immediately attracted to her but in different ways. It was interesting listening to their conversations of her and what they wanted from her. Mark wanted everything, Kenny & Steve just wanted a one timer and Brent…I know that Ms. Carrara has GOT to write his story next. *wink wink* He was the third in the menage aspect but I felt like he wanted a bit more and had more to give. And yes, these guys actually talked about the session before they actually did it with Stephanie. From lube, to condoms, to how the guys were going to participate…they talked it out so the weirdness factor wouldn’t creep up. There was no jealousy, awkwardness, you know, the usual crap that happens in a menage. This story is ultimately about Mark and Stephanie. The menage scenes…well, you just have to read them. While hot, I still felt like Brent was holding back.
The age issue came up for Stephanie and really hit home when she met Mark’s mother. The scenes were handled extremely well and Mark’s grandmother was a hoot. 😉 You have to fight for the ones you love and sometimes letting go is the hardest part. While the book has lots of sex and fun times in it there is a message. I know, right? You have to love yourself first and find out what makes you happy. If loving someone younger than you makes you happy, go for it. Who cares what other people think. Its your life, not their’s.
Stephanie’s journey to self acceptance wasn’t easy for her. With Mark’s help and really Brent, Kenny and Steve, too, she found it. Woot! There were bumps, sure but Ms. Carrara has written a beautiful love story about two people who shouldn’t have even met, much less fall in love. I just hope that Brent finds what he is looking for and should be as happy as Mark and Stephanie.
**warning: anal, M/F/M, group sex, voyeurism, M/F**
I hope that I didn’t make an idiot out of myself with the review. Its been awhile for me. I have a guest reviewer too and her first review is up tomorrow. Woot!
Author Bio
Celeste Carrara grew up in New York City where she spent her days exploring all of its amazing treasures. Her writing started as a teen when she turned her heartache into poetry. From then on, she found a love for reading romance novels as well as books in other genres such as paranormal, mystery, poetry, thrillers and more. Celeste never dreamed that one day she would be lucky enough to become a full-time writer.
After having a dream that she couldn’t get out of her head, Celeste decided to put that story on paper. She was amazed at how fast her pen flew with the help of her characters leading the way. The result was book one in her Paranormal City series, Give Me Forever. A paranormal erotic romance based in her favorite city, New York.
Celeste has been on an amazing journey and has self published four additional books in her series. Recently, she tried her hand on new genres that produced two novellas, an erotic romance and a new adult contemporary romance. She spends her days writing in her office in her home in New York that she shares with her husband, and their two children. She has no plans on stopping and is currently working on the next novel in her Paranormal City series.
Website: www.celestecarrara.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/celestecarrara
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celeste-Carrara/140567152736785
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CelesteCarrara/e/B00823C5ZA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/celeste-carrara
AllRomanceEbooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Celeste+Carrara
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5833147.Celeste_Carrara
