Oh. My. God. Cherise Sinclair is on the blog. If I was gonna go all fangirl on someone...it would be Cherise. But I'm gonna try and play it cool and not squeal at her too much today. <g> If you've been around the blog yall know Cherise gets talked about often and that her Shadowlands (and Mountain Masters) series are two of my favorites and some of my first ever erotica (and definitely first ever BDSM) books. We reviewed My Liege of Dark Haven last month *swoon* if yall'd like to check that out too.
If you're looking to try out the genre she's the place to start. The characters are sexy, the sex is scorching and the relationships will make you do that happy little sigh thing.
So come check out our interview and enter to win some goodies down below! And feel free to leave Cherise some love!
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Good morning Cherise! I swear I'm not gonna go all fangirl squealing. *praying really hard I can pull that off lol* So, lets just jump right in with some questions... if you're ready...
Alright, first off could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into writing?
You’re going to start with the boring stuff first? *Laughing* I’m married, and we’re in the first year of empty nest syndrome, alternating between cheering to have the house to ourselves and mourning since it’s so quiet.
I’ve been writing forever. Yes, I’m one of those obnoxious nerds who actually enjoyed English classes as a child. And as a rugrat, I used to terrify my sisters with made-up stories at bedtime. Being published just means I’ve found a wider audience to entertain (and terrify).
::snort:: We do a good bit of talking about your books here at herding cats but for any of our followers who may have missed it could you tell us a little bit about your newest release My Liege of Dark Haven and the Mountain Masters series?
All right. How the Mountain series started… My first three erotic romances (the Shadowlands series) were set in Tampa. When I started on book #4, it was summer here in California, and the temperature was 110 degrees. I just couldn’t handle writing a book set in steamy Florida—I wanted crisp cold mountain air. So Master of the Mountain was born.
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In the mountains outside Yosemite, two brothers own a wilderness lodge—and since they’re both Dominants, the lodge caters to kinksters of all kinds. In Master of the Mountain, the heroine finds out her boyfriend is a member of a swingers club, and he talks her into a weekend at the lodge. Well, she soon realizes she’s not a swinger…but when Logan finds her hiding away from the swingers, he discovers she’s definitely submissive.
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The two Dark Haven anthologies are spinoffs from the Mountain Masters series and are set in a San Francisco BDSM club. I hadn’t intended any more Dark Havens, but so many readers demanded a story about the owner of the club, that I wrote My Liege of Dark Haven. *well thank the stars b/c it's fabulous! (I think it's my fave so far)*
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Threatened by university cutbacks, Professor Abigail Bern’s only hope is to publish a provocative research paper—soon. Planning to covertly observe behavior in the notorious Dark Haven BDSM club, she takes a receptionist job. When the owner calls upon her to assist in a demonstration, she’s appalled. Then fascinated. Under the unyielding hands of the master known as my Liege, she discovers a need to be more than an observer.
His late wife had been the center of his life, and Xavier Leduc wants no other. But when his new receptionist does her utmost to keep an emotional distance from him, he’s intrigued and digs deeper. She’s adorable. Intriguingly intelligent, beautifully submissive, sweetly vulnerable. He soon realizes her defenses are keeping her on the fringe of her sexuality—and her life. As he draws her into fuller participation, she unconsciously does the same for him. She begins to fill his world.
Ever since the night she met my Liege Xavier, Abby has questioned everything she believes about herself. She’s falling for the stern owner of Dark Haven and thinks he’s beginning to care for her...until the day he learns why she’s in his club.
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Yeah. That's just a damn good book. Really I *love* all your books but oh my they've definitely made me blush a time or two. Have any of the scenes you've written ever made you blush?Well, since Club Shadowlands was written as my own personal fun and fantasy, the whole idea of having it published made me blush. LOL Since then, I’ve gotten much hardier, but I try to put at least one scene in each book that pushes my (and hopefully the readers’) boundaries.
In My Liege, I got to put in a scene with fucking machines. To Command and Collar got pervertables (household items that can be used for other perverted purposes). I love twining together romance and BDSM—the combination seems to reach deeper levels of intimacy than either alone—but if I think about what I’ve actually put down on the page, yep, you can still get me to blush.
LOL Cherise I totally just blushed over that. I'm sitting at our USO Christmas morning working on the post and a family walked by right as I was typing that in and wished me a Merry Christmas. LOL If only they knew what I was typing away on <g> Alright, so you write some deliciously dominant men ::shivers:: I wanna know if they usually cooperate with you or if they pretty much do what they want when it comes to telling their stories?
I wish they’d cooperate! I keep telling myself it’s time to write a story about sweet little, fluffy bunnies, not obstinate Dominants. Example: In To Command & Collar, I’d planned for a secondary character to have a tiny subplot where I could give him a pretty masochist and finish their romance all in that book. See, people had wanted him to have someone to love, and I really didn’t want to write about a sadist, right? But noooo, he had to screw up the plotline, screw up the scene, and mess up the budding relationship. Yeah. So guess what book I’m stuck writing now? Grrr.
Really, most of the time, the Masters are…agreeable. Up until the moment when I get a Dom stare and a ‘No. That’s not going to happen.”
Ack you know, totally honest here, but Sweet Marry, I'm a little nervous about your next one. LOL. You're so gonna push my boundaries there. ::shiver:: Moving on right quick! Your women are pretty interesting too. I love that they seem like real women and aren't rail thin and "perfect". Were they inspired by anyone in particular?
You know, it’s the oddest thing about private BDSM clubs. The women aren’t all meat-market pretty as you usually see in a regular nightclub. In a BDSM club, the women come in all sizes and shapes, and most seem pretty comfortable wearing just their skin. I loved that and I wanted to show that. But all my characters are mixtures of everyone I’ve met—that’s just how writers are. We take a laugh from one person, a body shape from another, certain traits from someone else. Remember when you were little and got that really cool, giant box of crayons? Creating a new character feels like that—so many, many choices to play with.
That's so interesting. I'm such a chicken I don't think I'll ever step foot in a BDSM club so I'm really glad you shared that little bit of info :) Now, if you could spend an entire day with one of your Doms or subbies who would you pick and what would yall do?
Oh, Master Z from the Shadowlands has always been my favorite, and I would undoubtedly let him talk me into a scene in the medical room…like the one Jessica got in Club Shadowlands.
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The noise of people dropped to whispers. Firm, warm fingers closed around her right ankle, and he ordered, “Give me your foot, Jessica. Now.”She heaved in a breath, let him lift one leg and place her right foot into a stirrup. She gritted her teeth when a strap closed around her ankle, pinning her foot to the cold metal. Dammit, her doctor never used straps ‑‑ restraints made it way more nerve-racking.
He grasped her left foot. Drawing her legs apart, he set it in the other stirrup. The air felt shockingly cool against her heated tissues. Another strap over her foot. She was restrained ‑‑ arms, feet. Blind.
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Interesting choice there. Could you tell us 5 fun behind the scenes facts about your Shadowlands and/or Mountain Masters series? (think pop-up video if you remember that show :) )
- When I finished Make Me, Sir, I didn’t know what I’d write for the next book, but so many readers wrote to tell me not to forget that I’d left the heroine’s friend enslaved, that I ended up making her the heroine of the next book (To Command & Collar)
- Most of the villains in my books have the names (not anything else) of my daughter’s ex-boyfriends so that I can hurt them—and preferably kill them off—for making her cry. *that is just so damn awesome Cherise. I LOVE that!*
- The Doms of Dark Haven anthology happened because I dragged Belinda McBride to a BDSM club and we were amazed at how differently we perceived each scene. So she proposed having three stories, all set in a club the same night, and seeing the same scenes and/or the other heroine/hero from the other stories.
- I love adding at least one new kink to each book, but sometimes the characters simply refuse (which is rather appalling, don’t you think? I mean, I am the author. Sheesh). Like in the book I’m writing now, I totally wanted a suspension scene (you know, swinging in the air bondage?). The heroine, Linda, gave me a look (and isn’t she supposed to be submissive, huh?) and said, “Remember how you teach everyone about hard limits? Well, that’s mine.” Seriously, is that fair? *lol I love all the new things you come up with! Can't wait to meet Linda!*
- Three years before I sold Club Shadowlands, during one of those nice alcoholic writer’s convention evenings, I informed my author friends that erotic romance was the one genre that I’d never write. *::snort::*
- While I was writing Master of the Mountain, I called it “Screaming on the Mountain” and that was the concept out of which everything grew. One fantastic outdoor sex scene that had all the swingers hearing the results. Here’s what happened after Logan and Rebecca had a…good…afternoon. *oh damn. yeah that was a good scene!*
— — — — — — — — — —Christopher waggled his wineglass. “What I want to know is who did all that screaming. Damn, it sounded intense.”
“Oh, I know.” Amy fanned herself. “If I'd have figured out where, I'd have gone to join in.”
A chorus of agreement came from the others at the table.
Christopher frowned. “I thought it was you guys. She wasn't with us.”
Frowns appeared around the table. Paul asked, “None of our women had a screaming orgasm this afternoon?”
“Not like that, more's the pity,” Ashley said with a short laugh.
Oh, this wasn't good. Reaching for her wineglass, Rebecca contrived to glance down the table at Logan. He had an elbow on the table, chin in his hand, and his fingers covering his lips. He met her gaze, and amusement glinted in his eyes. And satisfaction. Satisfaction? Had he done that to her on purpose?
She would have to kill him. That's all. He must die.
She leaned back casually and took a sip of wine. And choked as a barrage of eyes turned toward her. From the heat of her face, she'd turned the color of a ripe tomato.
Matt stared, his mouth open so far, she could see his molars. “You? You were screaming like that?”
“Jesus, Matt. I thought you said she was a cold fish.” Christopher eyed her speculatively, and she didn't like the gleam in his eyes. Or the way every man at the table started to look at her, like she'd suddenly turned interesting.
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When you're writing what's the most important thing you want your readers to come away from the experience with?
If God wanted uniformity, there wouldn’t be a kazillion different varieties of flowers, trees, birds, mammals. So accept, enjoy, and hell—celebrate—that you’re unique.
Ooo I like that. Alright how's about a little....Lightning Round....Bwhahahaha!!!!!
- Oddest thing in your purse right now? A mini-tape-recorder so when I’m driving and an idea pops into my head, I don’t try to write down and crash into the semi in the other lane.
- CATS or dogs? Cats! Although I do have a fondness for anything with fur, including were-panthers, werewolves… *yay for the kittehs!*
- Leather or Lace? Leather…unless it’s a ‘rough sex’ night. Lace tears so much more easily. <g>
- Strangest thing you've ever eaten? Squid.
- Favorite place to be? Home in front of the fire with a bottle of wine and my dearheart. *awwws*
- Favorite meal? Pizza.
- Favorite holiday tradition? Sneaking into the living room on Christmas Eve to fill stockings and eat half of Santa’s cookies.
Y’all have been wonderful for having me here today. And thank you for such an intriguing set of questions!
Thanks again for coming by Cherise. You seriously made our day! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and have a fabulous New Year!
We've now been married for many, many years. (And he still looks down my swimsuit tops.)
Nowadays, I live in the west with this obnoxious, beloved husband, two children, and various animals, including three cats who rule the household. I'm a gardener, and I love nurturing small plants until they're big and healthy and productive and ripping defenseless weeds out by the roots when I'm angry. I enjoy thunderstorms, playing Scrabble and Risk and being a soccer mom. My favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch next to the master of my heart, watching the fire, reading, and well if you're reading this book, you obviously know what else happens in front of fires...
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Aahhhh and now it's your turn to squeal because Cherise has goodies for yall!
Two of yall are gonna get your choice of one of Cherise's ebooks!
And another will get a swag pack from her!
And don't forget to add them into the Grand Prize Drawing too ----->
