Thursday, December 12, 2013

Under Holly’s Stockings

Thank you for hosting me today. I’m excited to talk about a perplexing holiday gift I once gave, and my latest release, Under Holly’s Stockings, a holiday erotic romance.

What IS It?

Have you ever started opening a gift and thought “I wonder what this is”? Or, even worse, completely unwrapped it and still wondered? It’s hard to thank someone for something you can’t even identify. I opened a gift once that was packed in a Mr. Coffee box. My stomach sank as I peeled off the paper because I don’t drink coffee. To my delight, it turned out to be something more useful.

Last year, my mother included a banana stand on her wish list. On Amazon I found a big, elaborate thing that looked as if it was made of wrought iron. It even included a bowl for fruit. Even though it took a lot of paper, the easiest way to wrap it was in the gigantic box it came in.

When my mother saw the box, her jaw fell to the floor. It was probably the biggest gift she’d ever seen. “Good grief!” she exclaimed. The look on her face made my grandmother laugh. When she finally opened it, it was clear from her expression she still had no idea what it was. By the time she said, “What the hell is this?” my grandmother was in hysterics with laughter. I had to tell her what it was and that she’d asked for it. When she finally figured it out, she loved it.

In my story, Michael knows Holly is a beautiful package, but until he gets under her stockings, he doesn’t really know what he’s going to get. Of course, anticipation is at least half the fun! Will he like the gift when he unwraps it?

Have you ever received a gift you had trouble identifying?

Publisher:  Ellora's Cave Publishing
Release Date:  11 December 2013
eBook ISBN #:  978-14199-49340
Stay tuned for reviews and more: http://www.aftonlocke.com/holly.html

Blurb
After being stood up at the altar last Christmas, Michael dreads the holiday. When a woman wearing sexy red stockings on the subway propositions him with a day of sex, seems there’s no time like the present to get back into the spirit of the season!

Having just lost her mother, Holly will do anything to avoid being alone on Christmas. But when Michael arrives, nothing goes as planned. Despite the joy of exploring each other’s bodies with all the holiday trimmings, her emotions get in the way.

When Michael realizes the way to get under Holly’s stockings is through her heart, he’ll have to put the ghosts of his Christmas past to rest.

Excerpt (explicit)
Copyright © AFTON LOCKE, 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

When a westbound metro train on the orange line came to a screeching stop in Rosslyn, Virginia, Michael Tyler hurried inside and grabbed a seat near the window. Thank God there’s no music in here, he thought as he placed his briefcase by his feet on the orange carpet. If he heard one more tired Christmas song, he swore he’d be ill.

Everywhere around him people rattled shopping bags. Women chattered about the gifts they’d bought for their kids, or what they planned to cook for Christmas dinner. Year after year, it was the same old thing. Wasn’t anyone else tired of it by now?

Michael loosened his tie with relief when the doors closed and the train glided into motion. The sooner he got home, the sooner he could get this rotten holiday over with.

At the next stop, he blinked with surprise when a tall girl fell into the seat next to him. It was a miracle she didn’t drop all of her bags in the process. Who in their right mind did all their shopping on Christmas Eve? If he had decided to celebrate this holiday, he would have shopped online at least a month early.

“Hi! Merry Christmas!” she announced with sickening cheer.

Disgust rolled through his stomach. Why hadn’t he put his briefcase on the seat? Without looking at her, he returned the greeting in a tone of voice that warned her to mind her own business.

He noticed she had long, black hair and kissable lips coated with shiny, red lipstick. Her short, wool coat fit snugly, hinting at high, perky breasts.

Look away, damn it! But no, he had to torture himself with the reminder he hadn’t been with a woman in over a year. Her plaid skirt was so short he could hardly see it. What he did see were a pair of long, shapely legs encased in bright-red stockings. Lust, long dormant, kindled to life in his groin.

Maybe this was his Christmas gift. He could jack off in his condo tonight while he fantasized about those legs. After all, she was a complete stranger and looked nothing like Marcie…

He stared out the window, counting the lights passing by in the dark tunnel as the train pulled into the next stop, revealing an arched, honeycomb ceiling. The woman fussed with her bags, rattling them until Michael thought his head would explode.

A small, glittery Christmas ball rolled out of one of her bags, making a soft thunking sound on the carpeted floor.

“Whoops!”

The innocence of her voice aroused him more than a hand on his cock. He reminded himself she probably had a husband and five kids waiting at home. Doing his gentlemanly duty, he bent to pick up the ball for her.

At the moment, the train lurched into motion, causing him to fall across those warm, scarlet legs.

His nose filled with subtle feminine musk. Was it the soap she might have rubbed on her long legs this morning while she shaved them? Or was it the sweet aroma of her cunt, tucked inside that short skirt—a gift for him to open?

Hard and throbbing, his cock surged inside his trousers while he scrambled off her. He longed to spread those long legs and unroll the red stockings, inch by inch, down her legs. Instead, he allowed his palm to brush the back of one shapely calf.

With sweat coating his brow, he slumped against his seat. He definitely needed to jack off tonight. Repeatedly.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Uh, did you manage to grab the ball?”

Her brown eyes glinted with mischief at his words and then saddened. “It rolled away.”

Her face, on the verge of crumpling, reminded him of a child who had just learned there was no Santa. Probably the same way his face had looked last year during the worst Christmas ever.

As if the lust weren’t enough to deal with, his chest swelled with something else. Protectiveness. For some reason, he experienced the sudden urge to turn the train car upside down to find her Christmas ball.

His stop wasn’t far away. He’d never see her again. Instead of the relief he expected, he felt regret.

“Looks like you have big holiday plans,” he found himself saying.

A brave smile battled with the sadness on her face as she nodded. “I’m going all out this year. It’s probably silly because I’ll be alone.”

He blinked with surprise. “You? Alone? I mean, that’s not so bad. I’ll be alone too…working.”

It was a half truth. He didn’t have to work tomorrow, but he’d brought home plenty of paperwork to get him through the day.

She glanced out the window as the train stopped again. “Oh! My stop is next. I have a proposition for you.”

Great. She must be a call girl. He might be horny right now but he wasn’t that horny.

With a trembling hand, she brushed back a long, silky lock of hair. “I don’t want to spend Christmas alone. Will you come to my apartment and celebrate the day with me?”

Indecision seized Michael’s throat. “I-I don’t even know you.”

She clasped his forearm. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Coming Soon


Entrance to Ecstasy, my paranormal print anthology, will release from Ellora’s Cave on 24 December 2013.






~~~

Stripper With Spice is coming soon from Ellora’s Cave.

Getting back on her feet after unemployment, Janice Sullivan, a financial analyst, treats herself to an erotic romance convention. Winning a two-hour fantasy date with Carlos Aguilar, a young Mexican-American stripper, she decides to have a one-time fantasy fling.

When Carlos entices her back to the bedroom—and a few public places—for more sizzling sex, he unleashes her passions, including a secret desire to be a chef. Janice learns there’s more to this heartthrob than a hot body, but job security comes first.

To convince her he’s more than a fantasy, he teaches her trust with his body. But when that trust is finally tested to the limit, will she cling to safety or take a chance on a whole new life?

~~~

I’m excited to be part of the Tall, Dark and Alpha boxed set that will release in March 2014.

He makes your heart pound and melts your resistance away. He promises you a world of passion and you find it impossible to resist his dark charm. When he catches your eye across the room, you know he means business. He could be an executive, cop, shape shifter, or a bad boy looking for a little fun. Once he has you in his sights, you can't get away—and after one sizzling night in his arms, you won't want to. He’s Tall, Dark and Alpha. The alpha male is the ultimate indulgence…the richest dark chocolate…and we’re offering him to you in abundance. 

Delve into the sensual worlds of award-winning authors: Randi Alexander, Koko Brown, Sam Cheever, Delaney Diamond, Eve Langlais, Afton Locke, Dawn Montgomery, Farrah Rochon, Paige Tyler, and Eve Vaughn. Immerse yourself in the alpha male experience.

Where readers can find me




Newsletter - The Love Chronicle: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thelovechronicle/


Contest
This post is part of the Under Holly’s Stockings Blog Tour
The grand prize for the tour is a surprise pack of holiday stocking stuffers (U.S. shipping address only). 
To be eligible, COMMENT on this post. The comment should include a memory about a holiday gift you gave or received -- preferably related to the gift described in this post.
The tour winner will be announced at http://www.aftonlocke.com/HollyTour.html on December 16th.

What’s in YOUR stocking?

5 comments:

Afton Locke said...

Thanks for having me here today!

Dalton Diaz said...

Anytime! Wowza, that's a hot cover and excerpt. Go, Afton!

Mai said...

Hey Afton, great excerpt and very exciting works to come heehee. I once went & bought my then boyfriend a suit & tie just so I could surprise him latter that night with a his & her strip tease *cough cough* and show :-D
You're a new to me author & I will look for more of your work.

Afton Locke said...

Sounds like a great gift, Mai. Hope the show went well!

Jennifer Mathis said...

nope i cant say that i have ever went naughty present . Great Post

meandi09@yahoo.com