Wednesday 23 October 2013

"Deception and Denial" has been published



Hello again!

I’m pleased to announce (finally) that my editor has cleared Deception and Denial for publication.  It’s based on an amalgam of three real-life events that have appeared in newspapers over the years - I brought the stories together into a single plot.  I don’t want to give too much away here, but this is the outline and a short extract to whet your appetite:

Adults only: some explicit sex scenes render this story unsuitable for people under 18 years of age.
When Mike and Ruth suddenly find their nest empty, with their sons at college, their life changes. Ruth has a secret that she's keeping from Mike; if he finds out, it could ruin their marriage.  He has a well-paid position in a local firm but, when his boss decides to retire, a string of events lead to Mike having to keep a secret from his wife.  Ruth knows she has to confess her secret to Mike... but how will he react?  Is there a way to save their relationship?  Will the cost be too high if Ruth were to know about his secret?

SAMPLE EXTRACT:

Mike cast his mind back to the days when he and Polly were in the first throes of young love.  Although they had lacked the maturity that would come with the passing of time, they had felt truly committed to their relationship and – although they had never discussed getting engaged or considered the enormity of a lifetime together – everyone in their circle of friends had assumed that they were going to get married.  They were so natural together, they had said.

He had felt terrible when he lost Polly.  But, as soon as Ruth’s pregnancy had been confirmed, his family – and Ruth’s parents – had agreed that it was the right thing to do.  Mike had always been brought up ‘to do the right thing’ and he felt that he didn’t have any choice in the matter; fate had cruelly intervened and an alternative future had been decided for him.

Ruth and Mike had seemed quite happy together, once the children had come along.  She had her own projects to occupy her mind, once released from the chores of being a full-time mother, and Mike had steeped himself in his career and had risen by degrees in the firm.  But he had never forgotten Polly.  He couldn’t get her out of his mind; throughout their marriage, when he was making love to Ruth, he had been holding Polly’s body in his imagination.

The next morning, memories of the extraordinary offer made to him the previous evening had jolted him awake.  He felt unnerved; it was impossible for him to lie still next to Ruth.  He sat up on the side of the bed, staring out of the window, while she slept on. 

*     *     *

This is currently available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.  You'll be able to purchase it through Apple and Barnes & Noble as soon as an ISBN number can be allocated... and this is out of my hands.  Here are the links:

Best,

Rachel

email:  rc@rachelcray.com
Twitter:  @RachelCray1

Tuesday 8 October 2013

A new story: A Face from the Past

Hello, everyone!

My latest story - A Face from the Past - has just been published.  This is the ninth title I've written in the series "Law Firm Love", and I hope you enjoy it.  Here's an outline of the story:


When Carolann joins a law firm as a secretary, she doesn't realise there's a guy there with whom she used to work in a previous firm... and who is an old flame.  But he has a new girlfriend now - a jealous woman who warns her off when she discovers her past.  Carolann's not interested in rekindling the relationship until she moves to his department... and she changes her mind.  To complicate things, a young lawyer makes a move to win her affections; when it all goes wrong, there are fireworks - in the office and in the bedroom.... someone is going to get hurt.

And here's a specimen to whet your appetite - please note that this work contains adult themes (including non-violent BDSM) which render this book unsuitable for people under 18 years of age.  It is an erotic romance novella, over 24,000 words long.


     He turned round.  His erection was pushing forward.
     I looked up at him and smiled.  I may have licked my lips.
     “Seduce me,” he whispered.  “Please.”
     I knelt before him and pulled down his zip.  It didn’t take me long to fish inside to draw out his dick; the pink head seemed so inviting, and the little pee-hole at the end glistened in hope of some relief for what might follow. 
     Putting it in my mouth, I rolled it around in my tongue; it continued to grow and very soon it became uncomfortably hard.  I pulled away, and began to massage the shaft.  He was sighing softly; I looked up and saw his face screwed up, his eyes squeezed tight.  I was enjoying his ecstasy, and I delighted in giving him this pleasure, for I had never masturbated a virgin man before.
     I heard a loud grunt and felt his cock pulsate with excitement.  He was about to release his seed at me.  I looked down at my clothes.  Shit! I thought.  I was wearing a sweater; I should have worn an open-necked blouse, or something to have revealed my cleavage.  I wanted him to come over my breasts.  But it was too late.
     Steering his cock to one side, so he wouldn’t come over my sweater, I gave him another couple of strokes.
     “No!” he called.  “Let me, please!”  He pushed my hand away and held his dick in his hand as he ejaculated over the carpet in front of him.
     I didn’t get up; I watched intently as his semen continued to drip down.  I was tempted to catch it in my hand, but he had insisted he needed full control himself.
     There was a silence while he composed himself.  He tucked his cock back inside, and looked down at me.  “I’m sorry,” he said.  “It wasn’t meant to be like this.  I wanted it to be... special.  I’ve ruined it.”
     “No, you haven’t,” I replied, trying to reassure him.  I reached my feet.  “These things happen all the time.”
     He looked at me.  “I think you’d better leave, Carolann.  I’ve disgraced myself.  Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
     “Of course I won’t.  But why...?”
     “Go now, please.  We won’t talk of this again.”

--------------

This time next week, I hope to announce the completion of my next title, Deception and Denial.
I've been struggling with my conscience in the writing of this story - for reasons which I shall explain in my next blog.  Watch this space!

Best wishes,Rachel

email : rachel (at) rc (dot) com
Twitter: @RachelCray1

Friday 4 October 2013

Dan's Party

Back in 2011, I wrote a trio of books (not a trilogy, exactly) around a fictitious olde worlde village in England called Maybourne. They were erotic romances, entitled A Close Match, Village Accounts and Kate's Return. I had an idea to write a longer string on stories in this series, but my Muse - bless her! - decided that I should produce other stuff.

I'd like to return to write more about the kinky goings-on in Maybourne one day soon; I wrote a couple of chapters for a fourth in the series, but it opened with a fight at Paula's wedding reception - and there were so many characters involved that I was worried that any reader who was new to the series would get hopelessly confused. Maybe I'll revisit the story and see if we can improve it.  Anyway, I decided instead to turn my attention to Dan's stag party (bachelor party in the U.S.).  I wrote a short story which was offered as a freebie... but it had a mixed reception, and I withdrew it after a few months. Here's why.

One major part of the plot involved an amateur stripper entertaining a bunch of young guys who were hopelessly drunk. I wasn't happy with my initial draft - for those of you who don't know, I've been on this planet quite a long time and seen a lot of things, but I'd never been in a roomful of men watching a stripper.  So I was out of my depth when describing everything and it all came out too "girlie". I asked a male friend (not a relation, I hasten to add!) to have a look at it and suggest some revisions. When it was finally published, some people reacted very positively to it and I had some good reviews.

But one influential reviewer, noted for her incisive perception, wrote something on the lines of "If I didn't know better, I'd say this was written by a guy, and not by Rachel Cray". I didn't want my readers to start thinking that I was routinely getting a ghost writer in to write all my work and then claim the credit entirely for myself, so I pulled it. As a result of this, I shall never ask anyone to rewrite my stuff for me. Certainly my editor can suggest changes to me, but I'll rewrite them all myself.

I'm offering this story - Dan's Party - to you on this site today. Here's the outline, short and simple : Tony is to be best man at Dan's wedding to Paula, and hires Samantha as a stripper at Dan's drinks party. There's a surprise waiting for Samantha....

And whilst I have your attention, I am just putting the finishing touches to my next story, A Face from the Past, which I hope to have published next week.

Thank you all for your continued support,
Best wishes,
Rachel