Greetings all, and welcome to Day Six of the Anchored Release Party Blog Tour! Today I want to take you inside the world of Anchored, an alternate universe so very like our own but for one critical difference: slavery is deeply enmeshed in the fabric of modern society.

Below the blurb, you’ll find ten classified ads that may have run in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal of the Anchored world. Odds are they will disturb you. Possibly upset you. Maybe even make you laugh. But the business of buying and selling lives is booming in the Belonging Universe, and our heroes are caught smack dab in the middle of it all.

From the Back Cover

Network news anchor Daniel Halstrom is at the top of his field, but being at the bottom of the social ladder—being a slave—makes that hard to enjoy. Especially when NewWorld Media, the company who’s owned him since childhood, decides to lease him on evenings and weekends to boost their flagging profits.

Daniel’s not stupid; he knows there’s only one reason a man would pay so much for what little free time he has, and it’s got nothing to do with his knowledge of current events. But he’s never been made to serve like that before, and he fears he won’t survive the experience with his sanity intact. 

He finds himself in the home of Carl Whitman, a talk show host whose words fail him time and again when it comes to ordering Daniel to bed. Daniel knows what Carl wants, but it seems as if Carl isn’t willing to take it, and Daniel’s not willing to give it freely. His recalcitrance costs him dearly, but with patience and some hard-won understanding, love just might flourish where once there’d been only fear and pain. Can Carl become the anchor in Daniel’s turbulent life, or will he end up the weight that sinks his slave for good?   

(WARNING: This book contains potentially triggering subject matter, including a violent on-screen rape. Please take heed.)

From Craigslist, Perhaps?

A Rare Jewel

Female, age 18. 5’6, 112 lbs, long chestnut hair, green eyes, perfect health, sterilized. Born & Companion trained at Elkwood Academy. Specialties: music (vocals, piano, flute), bellydancing, gourmet cookery, couples massage. Never rented, only one owner since Elkwood. Full photo set avail w/credit check, inc. nudes. $600,000 firm. 

Hardworking Farmhand

Male, age 26, 5’9, 160 lbs, lean & strong, nearsighted but otherwise perfect health. 20 yrs farm experience, can plant & pick, break horses. Run & repairs all farm machinery as well as any mechanic. $165K OBO.

Tireless Mother’s Helper

Female, age 41. Perfect health. Nannied our four children 20 yrs. Cooks, cleans, does laundry & shopping, WONDERFUL w/children of all ages. Literate, good w/numbers, speaks French. Can be trusted w/valuables & money. Use as MH or maid and/or lease as babysitter or tutor. Asking $140,000.

Nurse Practitioner

Female, age 35. Licensed pediatric NP, MS from U Penn (Ivy league!), clinical @ CHOP. Primary care provider @ my practice for 7 yrs. At least 30 good years ahead of her! Would love to keep, but I’m retiring. Don’t let this one get away! $425K OBO.

General Purpose Worker

Male, age 21. Strong, healthy, obedient, hard worker. Currently a waiter @ Star Diner. Prior work in warehouse, loading/unloading. Can read, write, do basic math. Yours for only $109,000.

A Bargain for the Right Master

Male, age 15, sold in at age 13 w/bankrupt mother. Some behavioral issues, but perfect health, strong body, pretty face—could make a great Companion in a few years. Needs taming, but can be yours for pennies on the dollar: asking only $99,000!

Perfect for Your Darker Desires

Male, age 24, 5’11, 170 lbs of lean muscle. Blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin that reddens well. Companion trained at Nevada Arts. Good w/men, women, couples, large groups. Specialties inc. dancing, tumbling, classical literature, art history, drawing/painting. Impeccably obedient. Suffers beautifully. Photos avail. w/credit check. Truly a gem among gems—don’t let him get away! Taking offers from $395K and up.

Sherriff’s Auction – Temporary Term

Male, age 48, 5’8, 190 lbs. Certified CPA. White-collar conviction, serving 8 yrs; full term for sale. Contact for full background & health info. Bids start at $40K.

Sherriff’s Auction – Life Term

Male, age 27, 6’1, 175 lbs. Three-strikes non-violent offender. Past drug problem, but good health now. Associates degree in business administration. Very attractive, good Companion potential despite age. Full history avail. w/credit check. Bids start at $60K.

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Find something you like? No? Well, don’t worry; there’s a whole world full of possibilities in Anchored: Belonging Book I, available now at Noble Romance Publishing.

Find something you want to discuss? Excellent! Two lucky commenters will be walking away with prizes at the end of the day! One will be selected to win an ebook copy of Counterpoint: Book I of Song of the Fallen, courtesy of Guiltless Pleasure Publishing, -or- an ebook copy of Sublime: Collected Shorts (winner’s choice). A second commenter will be selected to win a swag package of promo goodies like autographed cover flats, magnets, bookmarks, maybe even a hat, t-shirt, mousepad, or calendar with cover art from Anchored and my previous books.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour, and be sure to stop in at my blog on January 23 for a chance to win your share of almost $100 in prizes, including free autographed books, free ebooks, and even gift certificates to the Noble Romance store!

• Yesterday’s tour stops: Reader Q&A, Part I at author Alan Chin’s, and Reader Q&A, Part II at author Marie Sexton’s.
• Today’s other tour stop: A review of Anchored by author Bryl Tyne.
• Tomorrow’s tour stops: Secondary character interviews (Tim, Jane, Dave, and Eric Foster all speak their minds!), plus a review of Anchored, at Amara’s Place. Also Reader Q&A Part III at author Rick Reed’s.

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Rachel is an M/M erotic romance author and a freelance writer and editor. She originally dipped her toes into cable news and book publishing, decided the water was cold and smelled kinda funny, and moved on to help would-be authors polish and publish, write for websites and magazines, and ghostwrite nonfiction.

Her first novel, an M/M fantasy erotic romance titled Counterpoint: Book One of Song of the Fallen, released in August 2010 with Guiltless Pleasure Publishing. Her second novel, an M/M alternate-history erotic romance titled Anchored: Belonging Book One, released January 17 with Noble Romance Publishing. Her third, Crescendo: Book II of Song of the Fallen, will release in the fall of 2011. In between, Rachel is writing shorts and novellas, including the M/M BDSM collection Sublime: Collected Shorts, and a not-yet-released cyberpunk novella titled Break and Enter, co-written with Aleksandr Voinov.

You can find Rachel tweeting as RachelHaimowitz, chatting in the Goodreads forums, and blogging at Rachel-Haimowitz.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from folks, so feel free to drop her a line anytime at metarachel (at) gmail (dot) com.