I’d like to offer an excerpt from before the “Morning After” of Guardian of the Onyx Empire:

“Ye comin’, stick?” Gray called over his shoulder, seemingly unafraid of what likely hid in the shadows.

He had to be the stupidest dwarf of them all. This was a trick. “There’s no one here to buy your awful trophies. Wizards don’t leave survivors.”

“They do when they lose,” a stranger’s voice sounded from the shadows. Deep and masculine in perfect elven tongue, it resonated down her spine.

Every muscle in her body went rigid. Oh no. Lizeria spun about, expecting a ball of wizard fire to hurtle from the darkened recesses of the ruins.

Instead of a testosterone-laden wizard, a human’s well-proportioned silhouette stepped out from the dark. Fiery light outlined flashes of his perfect form as he approached, cloak billowing from his broad shoulders.

A human couldn’t hurt her. Yet the need to run away and pee pushed on her bladder. She couldn’t lift her feet. At the same time, warmth spread from her chest in the most exhilarating way.

What the hell was wrong with her? This wasn’t a blind date. Earth, were her eyes glowing? Heat pooled there, enough to emit faint beams of amber light. Only lust or rage lit elves’ and hybrids’ eyes.

He stopped before her and towered nearly half a foot above, unusually tall for a human. In the dim light, shadows fell into the hollows beneath his elven-like cheekbones. His broad forehead and strong profile also seemed elven. But pointed ears didn’t poke out from the dark waves that jutted out at all angles. Elven hair shouldn’t curl or tangle. Would it be inappropriate to run her fingers through it, just to straighten it? Or to squeeze his nicely muscled body? Thicker than an elf, yet slighter than a wizard—just right.

Dark brown and captivating, his eyes met hers. Desire and bewilderment shone clearly through them, unguarded and beautiful.

Was he the one who defeated the wizards? Oh she hoped so. “Hybrid,” Lizeria breathed and quickly flushed. Not all mixed elves accepted that term.

“What makes you think that?” A hidden grin formed as tiny creases at the corners of his eyes and a deep dimple on his right cheek.

She shouldn’t want to touch his thin lips, to force them all the way up and open. She didn’t know this man. Lizeria tried to read his thoughts but his mind didn’t seem to exist. She couldn’t even find the mind shields that had hummed so loudly only seconds ago.

Maybe she just needed sleep. She wasn’t thinking straight.

“I’m Alexander, by the way.” He held out his hand to her but Gray shook it.

Meddling dwarf.

“Gray,” he rumbled. He straightened as if to seem taller on Bessie’s back. “Where be the shop to trade me goods?”

Alexander pointed to an intact building further up the street. Close-up, his cloak appeared red, the favored color of magic races. A circular serpent pin held it to his white tunic. The thin fabric rippled around the ball of his shoulder and thick bulge of his biceps. Nice. But the way his arm moved didn’t seem right. Elves, thousands of years old, moved with that grace.

“You’re ancient,” Lizeria stated bluntly. He had to be the one who defeated the wizards here. Her lungs filled with a bubbly sensation. Maybe she could convince him to help her.

His grin revealed itself. It started as a small, thin curve, before spreading into a glow on his tanned face. His dimple lengthened to line up with the deep groove of his neck. “That doesn’t mean I’m hybrid. I could just be a bizarre human.”

“Your accent’s too perfect.” Like everything else.

“Beautiful women bring out perfection in me.” He winked and stepped closer. His musky, masculine scent wafted to her with the heat of his body. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She feared she’d choke on her own saliva but managed to swallow. Oh she wanted to press up against him and kiss that divot at the center of his neck. “Lizeria.” Did that come out too breathy? She moved to shake his hand like Gray had but Alexander turned her palm up.

He kissed the heel of her hand and then her wrist. The soft give of his lips teased her with barely there suction. His breath fell heavy and hot on her skin. Much warmer than elves. He was probably warmer in other places too.
Uncover more at Ellora’s Cave.

View the trailer at www.VanessaGilfoy.com

For those of you who woke up beside someone, did you smile with contentment and squeeze your lover tight, or did you think, “OMG!  What have I done?”  If it’s the second, you’re an erotic romance heroine after chapter two.

After a passionate night, a heroine should feel thrilled, right?  Only if the sexual tension is gone and you’ve reached the happily-ever-after ending.  Romance is all about the chase, and overcoming what stands between the hero and heroine so they can be together.

If while sneaking out this morning, your sleeping beauty gave chase, he’s your hero.  Enjoy the adventure.

Those of you who woke up all happy and wanting more, fear not.  You too are a romance heroine, but one who’s achieved her happily-ever-after.  Now you get to have your cake and eat it too.

So what type of romance heroine are you today?
Later today, I’ll post an excerpt of a heroine at the beginning of her adventure.

This is from chapter 2 of a tale between an ex-love slave and the new elven empress.

Excerpt of Guardian of the Onyx Empire by Vanessa N. Gilfoy

She didn’t wake when the door closed behind him, nor to his bare feet on the brick floor. He stopped on the red rug before her chair, tense and aching. His biceps twitched with anticipation. It had been too long. His pulse seemed to echo in his head too loud.

But somehow, her dreams clamored past, into his thoughts. She toyed with fantasies of what she’d do if she had him alone. The strongest image was that of him tense with orgasm.

Earth. Plush wool softened the thud of his knees as he knelt.

She wasn’t the innocent the dwarf imagined her to be. Pebbles of guilt chipped from the rock in Alexander’s gut. She knew what to expect, partly.

But he’d show her so much more. Mmm, where to begin her lessons?

Her legs. Long and curved. Nearly bare, except for the play of shadow and moonlight. Delicate knees pressed together atop the seat, feet kissing her pert bottom. The hem of her dress rode up just beneath, almost enough to see how much she wanted him. The smooth skin of her supple thighs called to his palms. He wanted to slip his fingers beneath that dress, to her warm center. But he shouldn’t yet.

Not ’til she chose him.

He prayed he could hold out. Twenty years out of practice.

She muttered in her sleep, “Will you?”

“I’ll give you everything you want and more.”

Her fingers spread wide and clawed at the chair arms. Her black lashes fluttered up just before she recoiled. Her heels dug into the edge of the seat and gave him a full view of her….

But the want to touch scurried away when she silently screeched for help. Her gaze darted to the door, toward escape.

S**t. That dwarf had poisoned her head. “Don’t fear me, love.” Alexander turned up his palms and sat back on his haunches to seem harmless. His erection suddenly made him feel monstrous. But her perfume held it rigid, out of his control. He shifted but couldn’t hide his erection.

Her eyes glistened and widened like a rabbit’s when cornered by a predator. Her lips barely moved when she asked, “Why can’t I read you?”
 

That’s why she sat here instead of running. To steal the locations of the blackstones from his head while he slept, as if that were possible.
 

He’d already offered them to her but she didn’t believe him. Damn that dwarf. If only the bastard had taken the money.
 

Lizeria’s plans scattered in an orchestra of thoughts, with fear as the percussion. She’d have seemed schizophrenic, except the melodies sometimes crossed and linked up. Strange. Unique. Entirely confusing.
 

He couldn’t focus on any one. Her heaving breasts stole his gaze. Each gasp pushed her soft flesh against the laces of her dress and deepened the shadowy cleft where he wanted to run his tongue. He could taste her sweet perfume already. Lilies and roses concentrated to their purest form. The scent saturated his senses and engorged his cock to its painful limits.

She squeezed her thighs together and squirmed deeper into the chair.
 

Damn it. He must seem like a depraved pervert. He dropped part of his mind shields to show he wanted more than sex, that he wouldn’t hurt her.
 

Lizeria’s mind slipped into his. Nothing ever felt better. Only her slick sex could possibly match the sensation of her in his head. She was like silk caressing his every thought. Oh yes. He tried to pull her in deeper.
 

But she clung to the surface, where his cravings burned.
 

Her own body arched, breasts firm and lifted. Nipples hard, ready for his fingers. A heavenly moan rose from her pale lips. Just enough room for his tongue.
 

The sight made his heart quicken. Hers tumbled in time with his.
 

He slithered his fingers over her knees and thumbed the sensitive spot between. So smooth.
 

She shivered and her knees knocked against his thumb.
 

“Better?”
 

 Uncover more at Ellora’s Cave.
View the trailer at www.VanessaGilfoy.com

Do you remember the first time a boy held your hand?  His larger fingers pushed so gently between yours.  That soft pressure sent shivers of excitement up your arm and into your chest.  You could hardly breathe.

Now, we look back and think of hand-holding as so innocent.  But is it?

This Valentines day, lightly caress someone’s palm and the pale flesh between his fingers, then tell me hands aren’t an erogenous zone.  When you kiss, lick, and suck on his digits, all of a sudden hands don’t seem so innocent a place to start.

The face, however, is my favorite.  Who doesn’t like to feel warm hands on her cheeks, and fingertips on her mouth?

So many other forgotten erogenous zones await and you don’t even have to slip out of that little black dress.  Exposed, innocent flesh beneath his hands can make you gasp.

For clues, take a look at what women wore during more frigid times.  They hid their arms and legs as if to shield society from sexy images.  Arms – sexy?

Don’t believe me?  Ask him to touch the sensitive underside of your wrist and kiss the inside of your elbow.  At your quickened breath, his hands will continue up your arms to caress your shoulders.  You’ll feel so unbelievably sexy.

And legs.  Come on.  A leg man will tell you that legs are definitely an erogenous zone that should not be overlooked.  Ankles and knees are incredibly sensitive especially where the skin is softest, such as behind the knee and in the little divot of the ankle.  He doesn’t even have to go beneath the hemline to make you moan.

The tootsies may make some people nervous, but plenty of nerves end there.  So pumice, moisturize, and pedicure those tootsies for a massage that could start your V-day off on the right foot.

How does this relate to romance and erotic fiction?  I love to include these forgotten erogenous zones in my novels.  Before my hot date tonight, I’ll post a taste of a naughty bit from Guardian of the Onyx Empire, a tale of an ex-love slave and an elven empress.  If it’s okay with everyone.

Okay.  Answers: 
 
The first story I ever wrote was for a novella competition in middle school.  I won, but looking back on it now, it blew.  It’s in a dark box somewhere as punishment.  My first serious work, years later, grew to over 700 pages and had zero structure, so it stays hidden in my hard drive.  It was my writing school where I could make mistakes and try out techniques until I figured out what works.  Someday, I’ll rewrite that chunky fantasy for publication, but much shorter.

I usually write in the evening because my head’s clearer then.  (I’m sooo not a morning person.)  To get in the mood, music and coffee are my Pavlovian bells.  My husband is such a sweetie, that he prints and tacks up pictures of my characters for me.  When I describe their personalities, he immediately knows what they look like.  Those pics jumpstart my imagaination.

Quest into the Forbidden started as backstory for that 700 pager of which I do not speak.  I’m neurotic about keeping records of each character’s traits and family history.  Normally, it’s the heroine that speaks to me first, but in this case, it was the plot.  Their unique love story drew me in.

BRB.  I gotta get me some coffee that’s hot, strong, and rich. 

I wanted to share a bit of mental foreplay for Valentines, but my naughty scenes are too graphic.  Instead, here’s a list of the naughty bits you can find in my fantasy and paranormal novels.  Enjoy the sexy scenarios.
 

Masquerade of the Cursed King by Vanessa N. Gilfoy
Rough tease – chp 2
Solo (him) – chp 2
Unconscious plaything – chp 5
Dungeon  (The king chains and pleasures an elven beauty in “punishment”) – chp 5
Masquerade orgy  – chp 4 & 7
Masked and private – chp 10, 12, 15,
Magic induced – chp 14
Dungeon  (She chains and forces him) – chp 19
On his knees isn’t just for begging – chp 24
Human king and elven beauty – all of the above
 

Guardian of the Onyx Empire by Vanessa N. Gilfoy
Seduction of an innocent – chp 1 & 2
Ripped clothing – chp 2
Waking to him – chp 4
Mounted – chp 4
Teacher and student – chp 6 & 8
Ex-love slave and elven empress – all of the above
 

Quest into the Forbidden by Vanessa N. Gilfoy
Under a waterfall – chp 1
Light S&M – chp 3
Snuck into her bedroom; in danger of being caught – chp 5
Public (army watches them) – chp 6
Human king and elven princess – all of the above
 

Healing Wounds by Vanessa N. Gilfoy
Tied and gagged – chp 6
Caught solo – chp 10
Jealous rage – chp 14
She seduces him – chp 16
Vampire – chp 16 & 18

 I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but when I’m book shopping, I-um skim for the naughty bits.  If I find something that makes my face flush with heat, I buy it.  Not that I don’t buy the others.  (I love fantasy and frightening settings, too.)

Hoping your V-Day is all hot and steamy,

So, I created a fantasy world brimming with romance and erotica.  Sex plays such a big part in our lives, why shouldn’t it be a driving force for elves and wizards, too?  My New Pangaea Series offers mouthwatering beings with real desires in a dangerous world of magic.
 

With Valentines around the corner, I can’t help but toy with such racy scenarios of buffed up wizards and sinewy elves.  Oh, the possibilities.  But like everyone else, I’m also hoping for a mind-blowing V-Night that rekindles blazing passion.  Why should it feel different from the first time he touched you?
 

I think the answer is also why we read romance novels and why we want romance in our fantasy – mental foreplay.  We need it, in our books and in our love lives.  The mind is the most erogenous zone and can open the gates to memorable nights of passion.  Yet in comfy relationships, we forget to put effort into the seduction of each other’s minds.  
 

Think of the flirtatious banter, soft whispers, and coy body language that led up to your first night together.  We read romances for that build up.  It makes us all the more satisfied when the heroine gets what she wants from the hero, in the same way that the first night with your lover was so unforgettable.
 

Fantasy romance offers that same satisfaction but with magic in an amazing setting.
 

This Valentines, why not seduce your lover’s mind?  I bookmark the hottest scenarios in fantasy romances and erotica, then read them aloud to my husband at night.  Not only does this get the room all steamy, but he picks up all new ideas and techniques.
 

You could even take this one step further on Valentines, and role-play the scenario.  Dress up the bedroom and play the part to extend the mental foreplay.
 

Pour some wine, and flirt as if he were a total stranger.  You could whisper what you love about his body, smile, then look away, all coy and vulnerable.  If he makes too quick a move, stop him and say in your most sultry voice that you want this to last all night, and to feel like the first time.  That will sooo turn him on.
 

Get his mind all worked up. 
 

Of course, getting all worked up alone can be very fun, too.

Later today, I’ll post a list of my favorite naughty scenarios.