Guest Author Lucy Felthouse - Turning The Innocent Into Something Dirty

Lately, one of my favorite sub-genres are menage books. Stately Pleasures is one of my favorite reads from 2014, and today Lucy Felthouse is visiting More Books Than Livros to keep the heat high around here.

Welcome Lucy!

Turning The Innocent Into Something Dirty by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985)

Today, I’d like to talk about turning the innocent into something dirty—a skill I’ve had for many years, but one that’s been exacerbated greatly since I started writing erotica and erotic romance. Now, I can turn pretty much anything, any person, situation, place or item into something smutty. I haven’t yet decided whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

When it came to writing my first novel, however, it was definitely a good thing. Because I set my book, Stately Pleasures, in a stately home. Nothing erotic about a stately home, you might think. I beg to differ. I’ve been fascinated by this type of place for years, about what could go on behind those closed doors, those shut-off rooms and so on. The rooms the huge houses have that mostly, normal people don’t have in their homes. There’s lots and lots of scope for my fertile imagination. That, coupled with my skill for turning innocent things into dirty things, made for an interesting writing experience.

Here are a few examples. You wouldn’t think the following items or places were particularly erotic, would you?

Pestle, carpet beater, wooden ruler (okay, that one you can probably guess already), dining room chair, library ladder, trestle table, maze... the list goes on. But when you add a dirty mind and two gorgeous male characters, also with very dirty minds, then you can start to piece the puzzle together. A pestle, for example, is phallic—need I say any more? A carpet beater can be used to beat something other than carpets...  you get the picture.

As I said, I can’t quite decide whether my increasingly smutty imagination is a good thing or a bad thing, particularly when I end up visiting places, coming up with ideas and giggling to myself at the most inappropriate times. On the other hand, when those ideas transform into words on a page and eventually actual stories, well, that’s awesome. So I guess I’ll continue allowing my dirty mind to pervert innocent items for now. It’s kinda fun.

Happy Reading!

Lucy x

contemporary romance, erotica, menage M/F/M
copy provided by the author in return of an honest review

Summary

Alice is excited about her dream job, but timing was not in her favor. She ended up being "blackmailed" by her boss into a little trick situation. Will it be so bad to accept the challenge in favor of career advancement?

characters 4 stars

All three major characters are easy to understand, relate and love.
What was missing was a bridge to connect with them. There is not much character development beyond their sexual journey, so I believe there is still room to play with them in a future book.
I could say that Alice got a bit of TSTL moment there as she believed her job situation, but maybe I'm being TSTL because who would have say no to 2 hot guys with kinky minds being single and available? lol

plot 3.5 stars

This is a fast-paced book, very easy to follow that offers readers exactly what it promises: a hot well developed erotic book.
The story plot was very predictable, but the sex scenes were nothing at all.
Each new challenge the characters encountered was different from the other. The book also offered the perfect growth of intensity on the sex scenes. (view spoiler) The sexual discovery journey was very believable, where the real life situation may be a bit unrealistic. :)
I did finish this book feeling like I would love to read another book with them.

heat 5 stars
It was hot hot hot! Yes, cold-shower hot! The scenes were original, the description was amazing, really almost like a DIY kind of thing, which made them even more believable. Panty-wetter hot!

freshness 4 stars
The story build was very predictable, but their sexual stories were not. IMO, this book was all about the sexual journey, so I think I read a lot of original stuff here.

Impressions and opinion

I have a very clear idea for my reads about the difference between erotic romance and erotica.
IMO and for my reviews, I classify erotic romance as a love story with a bit or a lot of smut,in which the building of a relationship is the most important part of the plot, and where HEA is a must.
I view erotica as sexual encounters that may or may not involve love. The emotions of the couple is not the focus of the plot, but the sexual journey of at least one of the characters. It may have HEA, it may have emotions, and it may have love, but it's not a foregone conclusion.

Stately Pleasures it's a well crafted erotica read, that gave a romantic soul like myself a special present, by giving me a good HEA at the end.

I enjoy the fact that even though Alice new sexual awareness was the main focus, I get to see equality in a relationship of three partners.

I would recommend this book to menage readers and to those that love to get a bit of a kinky ride.

Blurb:

Alice Brown has just landed her dream job. Property manager at Davenport Manor, a British stately home. It’s only a nine-month contract to cover maternity leave, but it’s the boost up the career ladder she so desperately needs.

Unfortunately, things don’t get off to the best start, when Alice finds her boss, Jeremy Davenport, in a compromising position. Far from being embarrassed by what’s happened, Jeremy turns things around on Alice and makes her out to be the one in the wrong. So when he and his best friend and head of security, Ethan Hayes, then throw an ultimatum at her, she’s so stunned and confused that she goes along with their indecent proposal.

When the dust settles and Alice has time to think about things, though, she realises that perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing. There are worse things she could be doing to advance her career, after all.

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Excerpt:

Alice took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Repeated the process once more. Then, realising she could sit there all day doing it and not feel any calmer, she forced herself to step out of the car and close and lock the door.

She bent to peer into the wing mirror of the vehicle and checked her hair and make-up. Satisfied, she straightened, then turned on her heel and walked quickly across the driveway to the great house before her nerve failed her.

Davenport Manor was currently open for visitors, so she walked in through the front door and was met by a smiling elderly lady.

‘Can I help you?’ the woman asked kindly.

‘Yes, please.’ Alice twisted her hands together nervously. ‘I’m here to see Mr Davenport. I’m here for an interview for the property manager’s role.’

‘Yes, of course,’ the woman replied, ‘that’s today, isn’t it? Follow me; I’ll take you to Mr Davenport’s office. But just hang on one second.’

She ducked through the doorway into the next room and spoke with her colleague. Alice guessed she was letting her co-worker know she’d be gone for a few minutes. A few seconds later, she was back. ‘OK, follow me, Miss …’

‘Brown,’ Alice said, then fell in behind the other woman as she led her to Mr Davenport’s office, and the interview that could change her life for ever. It was hardly surprising that she was shaking like a leaf.

Alice quickly felt lost as their journey took several twists and turns along dim corridors – their blinds drawn to protect paintings, tapestries, and furniture from the sunlight – and up a flight of stairs. She had a few seconds to worry about finding her way if she was lucky enough to get the job, then, suddenly, her guide stopped outside a door and turned around.

‘Here you go, Miss Brown. Mr Davenport’s office. Good luck with your interview.’

Alice smiled and thanked the elderly woman, then smoothed down her skirt, which also conveniently helped wipe the nervous sweat off her hands. She stood up straight, gave herself a mental pep talk about being more than qualified for the role, and knocked on the door.

‘Enter.’

Alice knew that voice could only belong to Jeremy Davenport. The posh accent, and the fact he’d said “enter” instead of “come in”, screamed money and an upper-class upbringing. Alice was suddenly nervous of her broad Midlands accent and lowly background, despite the fact she’d worked her backside off to get into a decent university in order to gain a Bachelor of Arts degree and then a Master’s degree. No matter what she sounded like, or what her past was, she had all the skills necessary to do the job she was about to be interviewed for.

Suddenly, she realised that she’d left rather a long pause before opening the door, and she turned the handle before the occupants of the room thought they were about to interview some kind of simpleton who couldn’t follow a simple instruction.

Fixing a polite – but hopefully not inane – smile onto her face, Alice stepped into Jeremy Davenport’s office. Her first thought – which certainly did nothing to help her nerves – was good God, he’s hot.

Jeremy sat behind a desk, with a heavily pregnant woman sitting beside it. Alice barely noticed the woman. All she saw was him. A man with cropped dark brown hair, hazel/green eyes, a jawline you could cut bread with, and lips that looked capable of doing incredibly wicked, sexual things to a woman. Or a man. Alice had no idea what his sexuality was, but she found herself hoping he liked women.

She chastised herself. Even if he did like women, he wouldn’t go for someone like her. A Plain Jane, with mousy brown shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, average height and above average weight. Alice had always known she’d never be a supermodel, so she’d worked extra hard academically, and here she was. About to be interviewed for her dream job.

Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9