A Private Girl in a Public World

By Naomi Bellina

Hello everyone! I'm delighted to be with you today. A big hug to Lisabet for hosting me and for patiently working with my schedule. We're all so busy! It's a challenge to get everything done. Work, family, the daily chores of life eat up the hours in a day. For us authors and anyone else who has their own business, there's far too little time to do the actual job we love to do, let alone the marketing that is required these days.

If I'd known how much self-promotion was involved with being a writer, I would have run, screaming, in the opposite direction of my keyboard. Holy cow, how am I supposed to do all this? I'm told I should have a blog that I post to regularly, post on other blogs, on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Yahoo groups and other social media sites. Since it's bad manners to post and run, interaction is also required at each spot. Now, I love talking to people with similar interests and I really do enjoy virtual conversation, but at the end of some ass-kicking work days, I'm often talked out. I just want to bury my nose in a book and lose myself. Some days I don't feel like being civil, much less social. Time constraints also limit how much chatting I can do. Since my EDJ does not involve proximity to a computer, I can't fire off a quick sentence or two throughout the day.

Another aspect I struggle with is how much of me to reveal. I'm a private person and disclose the intimacies of my life with very few people. Now, however, I'm expected to bare my soul for all to see. This practice is at odds with my comfort level, but I realize social media is about, well, being social. On Facebook, I recently shared the sorrow of a virtual friend over the death of her dog. Having recently lost my beloved cat, I could understand her grief and help to ease her pain. When my father and my cat died within a few months of each other, the outpouring of love and sympathy I received warmed my heart. I was happy to have my virtual friends and glad I overcame my shyness and shared a little piece of my life.

So, what's a private girl to do in this very public world? It's been a challenge to come up with a solution but I've finally found comfortable ways to interact in the various virtual environments.

1. Facebook - This is my favorite place to hang out. I believe we all need more humor in our lives, so I look for funny posts, save them, and share throughout the week. If I have an event going on, I post that also. I use the scheduling feature which makes posting easy. Since I write under a pen name, I keep my writing and personal FB separate. My family would strongly disapprove and some of my work clients would run screaming in horror if they knew about my 'other' self.

2. Twitter - This is the media I've found the most difficult to use, but I finally read a tip that makes sense to me. I gather news stories about romance and love and post those links. I retweet my buddies and other interesting tweets and then every so often, I promote my books in what I consider a non-annoying fashion.

3. Pinterest - I love this one since I'm such a visual person but have not yet had time to get too involved with it. An avenue to pursue in the near future.

4. Blogs - For my own blog I started Tuesday Treats, where each week I post about something that makes me happy. This is where I share the most personal bits of my life. I enjoy putting up pictures I've taken, hoping they will reveal a little about my charming personality to my readers without boring them. I occasionally have guests at my place and post on other blogs. I do love being invited to visit!

So, I'm gradually learning to overcome my shyness and work with this strange new concept called social media. Wish me luck and if you have similar feelings about sharing your life, I'd love to hear them.

Now, about my latest book, Into the Magic. In this excerpt, my heroine, Star, is giving in to her desires. She's been shy most of her life but since finding out she has magical powers, she's gained confidence and is less hesitant about going after what she wants.

Thank you for reading my post and a big *mwah* to Lisabet for having me today.

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Into the Magic
Book two in the The Adventures of Star Lite Series

Good and evil, love and lust. Add magic to the mix and watch the sparks fly.

Star Lite exercises her emerging magical talents to search for Adam, the seductive stranger who captivated her heart during an extraordinary adventure. Her every sense tells her they are meant to be together, yet he has disappeared. Certain he's in danger, she tracks him down and they meet in Las Vegas, where emotions flare and flames ignite.

But Adam must complete a mysterious mission and sends her away. She uses the time waiting for Adam to study with Tristan, a passionate magician with secrets of his own. As Star’s powers are unlocked, she questions the rulings of the authoritarians who control magic.

Against Tristan and Adam’s warnings, a premonition moves her to go back to Vegas. There, a new facet of her power puts her life in peril. For protection, Tristan, Adam and Star engage in a sizzling ménage ritual. Join Star as she opens her heart and soul to love, and continues her journey into the magic.





Excerpt

Damn, he looked fine sitting there in the glow of the candle. She took another sip of wine, and her previous convictions about Adam faded. All she could think of was the incredibly sexy man across from her. Her pulse pounded and moisture formed between her legs, but her conscience nudged her, reminding her that a sexual encounter with Tristan would be trouble. It could end their working relationship and cause problems with Adam.

So what? I’ll get a new teacher. Adam isn’t here. He sent me away and hasn’t contacted me. Right now, I want a lover.

“I really don’t know that much about you. We’re always concentrating on lessons when you’re here. Tell me something you like to do in your free time.” Star struggled to keep her voice steady.

“Well, I like to kayak, I like to cook, and garden. Now, tell me something you like to do, when you’re not visiting other worlds.”

“Come here and sit next to me. We can watch the fireworks out of the window.”

Tristan hesitated a moment. Heat rose in her body, and the desire to touch him was overpowering. She poured more wine into her glass and drank. Something loose and wild raged through her, a voracious demon that demanded to be fed. The atmosphere in the room was charged, like the air before a thunderstorm. Her pulse raced, her breathing quickened. She crossed her legs as waves of pleasure throbbed low in her core. She was certain Tristan could sense her excitement, yet still he moved with care, coming to sit on the end of the couch.

“Frankly, I’ve been a stick in the mud for the past two years. I haven’t been doing anything much, reading and watching television. Ever since I got back from Porrima, though, I’ve been thinking about some things I want to do. Like this.”

Star scooted over and kissed Tristan. Only their lips touched, gently, and as soon as they connected, she was lost. An explosion of colour filled her mind. Her heart raced. He held perfectly still, at first, then put both hands on her cheeks and angled his head to deepen the kiss. The colours swirled into pulsating patterns.

Pulling away, Tristan leant back and looked at Star, breathing hard.

“Are you sure this is what you want? It could make our study time awkward.”

“I know, but it could make it fun. It could open up new avenues of exploration. Didn’t I see a chapter in that book of yours about sexual power?”

“Sex can add to the power of magic, but it can also distract the user.”

“Okay, I’m ready to get distracted.”

Star slowly pulled her blouse off, and smiled as she saw Tristan’s pupils dilate, hearing his sharp intake of breath. She stood and removed her skirt, then held out her hand to him.

“Your turn.”

Tristan rose and, unable to wait any longer, Star began to unbutton his shirt. He grabbed her hands and put them to her side.

“Wait.”

The cool breeze from the air conditioner, along with her growing excitement, hardened her nipples into points that poked through her thin bra. Tristan cupped one breast and ran a thumb across the hard peak. Star gasped and shivered. She wanted to take him right there. On the couch, the floor, the kitchen table. Desire burned through her like a flame.

With a growl, she pulled his shirt out of his pants and ripped it apart, sending buttons flying. She started to unfasten his pants, but again he pushed her hands away and quickly did it himself, sliding them to the floor then stepping out of them. He sat on the couch, shoved the coffee table away with his foot, and took hold of her hips. Looking up at her with eyes gone dark with desire, he brought her in close and buried his face between her legs. He slid her lace panties to the side, and his tongue probed her lips, lightly at first, then harder, licking the slick folds inside and out.

With one finger, he began to caress her clit, stroking it lightly, rhythmically.

The sound of the booming fireworks matched her pounding pulse. Heat like she’d never felt before ran through her veins and set her soul on fire. What was this? Not the slow, simmering burn she’d felt when she and Adam held their bodies together. This was something riotous, something unsettling. Her nerve endings danced, like the sparklers they’d lit at the party.

Tristan’s fingers dug into her flesh. His tongue dived deeper, and he took her swollen bud into his mouth and sucked. She moaned deep in her throat and arched her pelvis into his face. She had to take him, now. The desire to ride him, to push him on his back and straddle him, to fuck him for hours, was overwhelming. Panting, she wiped a thin line of sweat from her brow.

Something was wrong. This feeling, this deep lust, it was dark, wicked, consuming her. If they went any further, she would fall into an abyss of shadows. Though her body vibrated with need, she knew this was not how it should feel.

With a strangled cry, Star pushed Tristan away and took a step back.

“Stop.”

“Stop?” Tristan looked up, his voice thick with arousal.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“What the hell?” Tristan stood abruptly. “Don’t play with me. You’re the one who started this.”

“I know, but I changed my mind. I want you to go now.”

Star put her hands on her hips, aware of her nearly naked state.

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Naomi Bellina
Adventurous erotic romance to tickle your fancy and unleash your libido
http://www.naomibellina.com/
http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBellinaAuthor
https://twitter.com/#!/TheGoddessNaomi

 

Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical calico cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to romance because her characters insist on canoodling, and falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting?

Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com. Visit her website at http://www.naomibellina.com/ and chat on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBellinaAuthor

Her motto:  Never pass up the opportunity to have an adventure!

Buy Links for Into the Magic:

Amazon
Total-E-Bound
All Romance