Title: Seductive Shadows
Author: Marni Mann
Genre: Erotica/Contemporary
Romance
Publisher:
Booktrope (http://booktrope.com/) |
Charlie is a passionate, sensually-inspired art student, desperately
seeking an escape from the abusive past that haunts her and a tragic accident
that emptied her heart. Scarred and unable to love, her yearning for physical
pleasure leads her into a tantalizing, dangerous world of power and seduction.
The anonymity of the deal offers security; the money brings financial freedom
and the madam is the mother figure she longs for.
But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she
meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send
a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way.
He stimulates Charlie’s art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins
to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating
connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering
everything she thought to be true.
Provocative, intoxicating and erotic, Seductive Shadows is the unforgettable
tale of a young woman’s self-discovery as she learns to forgive, to love and be
loved, and to find redemption amidst a remarkable journey that will captivate
your mind and stimulate your soul.
This book is for mature audiences. It contains explicit language and sexual
content.
But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way. He stimulates Charlie’s art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering everything she thought to be true.
Provocative, intoxicating and erotic, Seductive Shadows is the unforgettable tale of a young woman’s self-discovery as she learns to forgive, to love and be loved, and to find redemption amidst a remarkable journey that will captivate your mind and stimulate your soul.
This book is for mature audiences. It contains explicit language and sexual content.
Excerpt from Seductive Shadows:
He dipped his head, his lips stopping just above my
earlobe. His fingers traced the skin below my jaw. I expected words to come out
of his mouth, but instead it was a tiny moan. And then a breeze of cold air as
he moved over to the bed. He sat on the edge, hands resting on the mattress, after
he unknotted his tie.
“Come to me.”
I stepped past the pole and around the end of the bed.
His commands and the way he expected to be obeyed enticed me. They weren’t
cruel or threatening. His voice, his words, his whole persona was deliberate
and inviting. The need from my other sexual partners had often been a turn off,
but Jay’s tone was just the opposite.
“Slowly,” he said.
With my chin pointed down, hair falling over my
cheeks, I looked up at him as though he were my master. If this was the role I
needed to take on for tonight to impress Victoria and make her proud, I was
ready to abide. Our eyes met, and his breath quickened. I bit my bottom lip and
took a step forward. My toes danced over a broken slab of mirror, pausing for
several seconds, and I took another. Landing just a foot from his lap, my
fingers caressed the buttons of his shirt, and when I got to the bottom, I
started back up.
“Take it off,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
I pushed his top button through the hole.
“No,” he said quickly. “Yours.”
Buy The Book & Preorder the Sequel!
Interview with Marni Mann:
Writing
1. What’s a typical day like in the life of Marni
Mann?
2. Who or what inspired you to become a
writer?
It was an emotion that lived inside my
chest - it still does - and it trickled down my arm, to my hand, and released
through my fingers. When I was younger, the emotion only dulled when I held a
pen. Now it’s satisfied when my fingers are resting on a keyboard. It’s very
difficult to describe the feeling, but writing has just always felt right.
3. Do you remember the first thing you ever
wrote?
I believe I was five or six and it was a
book about the dog I wanted. I even drew my own pictures. I can’t say my
drawing has improved since then, but my writing definitely has. ;)
4. Is there any particular author or book that
influenced you in any way, either growing up or as an adult?
Because every author has such a unique
voice, I’m constantly inspired and influenced by their creations. There are
authors I’ve been reading for most of my life - like Stephen King - and some I
just found last month. I’m honestly a huge fan of the written word and I’m
willing to read just about anything.
5. Where do you get your ideas from? Do they
come to you or are they inspired by true events?
My books always start with the main
character and all of my protagonists have come to me in dreams. Some of my
books have been inspired by true events or have been triggered by certain
images that I found and others have just come to me.
6. Do you work with an outline or just write?
I use an outline. It’s never too detailed,
but it highlights the major points I need to hit. The filler between each point
is completely organic.
7. Do you ever experience writer’s block? If
so, how do you get out of the funk?
I have and it’s horrific. I reread the
notes that readers have sent to me - I save every single one of them, even
direct messages, emails, and social media shout outs - and I use their words as
fuel.
8. What part of the writing process is the
hardest for you, whether it’s first draft, rewriting or editing?
Editing is the most difficult step in the
process because it’s lengthy, extremely detailed, and it’s when every point and
thought needs to seamlessly blend together.
9.
Do you
listen to music while writing? If so, what do you listen to?
Music is a necessity. It has to be playing
super loud, too, and it’s usually something a bit dark with heavy beats like
dubstep or Swedish House Mafia. Something that gets me moving in my chair, but
also triggers creativity.
Seductive Shadows
10. What inspired Seductive Shadows?
I was inspired by several images: the masks
from Eyes Wide Shut, a mirrored
floor, a few pieces of art, and the different emotional and physical layers of
sex. The challenge was finding a way to weave these all together.
11. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to
write and why? Hardest?
My favorite scene was the first kiss
between Cameron and Charlie. It had been building for such a long time that the
embrace was just a powerful moment to write. The hardest was the scenes between
Charlie and her mother. They had such a broken relationship and her mom was
just a horrible person. Emotional darkness can be really challenging to write
because those moments are extra sensitive and extremely personal.
12. Which of your characters would you like to
meet in person and why? What would you say to that person?
I’d like to meet Cameron because he’s
absolutely beautiful and who doesn’t want to admire that kind of hotness in
person? I also believe he needs a good listener and he could benefit from a
heavy emotional purge and that’s exactly what I would tell him.
13. What has been the toughest criticism you’ve
been given as an author?
Someone once said that I didn’t give one of
my books my full effort and I didn’t try hard enough. As authors, we have to
understand that not everyone is going to like the stories we create, our
characters, our voice, or even us as people. That’s life and the difference of
opinion and we’re all entitled to form our own. But when I take on a project,
the project completely owns me in every aspect and I put everything I have into
my work.
14. What has been the best compliment?
It’s hard to pick a best because I’m just
so honored that readers take the time to contact me, that they’re willing to
share their emotions, how the book affected them, and what they loved about it.
All compliments are truly cherished.
15. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring
writers?
Write as much as you can. Every writer has
his or her own unique voice and it’s impossible to find that voice unless you
experiment. My other piece of advice is read everything you can get your hands
on because behind every great writer is a great reader.
About Marni Mann:
A
New Englander at heart, Marni Mann, now a Floridian is inspired by the sandy
beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. She taps a mainstream appeal and
shakes worldwide taboos, taking her readers on a dark and breathtaking journey.
When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate,
traveling, reading, or walking her four-legged children.
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