Seven Places to Revisit -- #SaturdaySeven #Travel #Giveaway

Travel has always been one of my passions, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of the world. Of course, like many people, I still have a bucket list of destinations I haven’t yet visited—a list far longer than seven items!

At the same time, certain places call me back. In some cases, I didn’t get enough time to fully experience the location. In other cases, I’m so deeply in love with the place that, even though I’ve been there many times, I want to return.

You might not be surprised to learn that quite a few of these places have found their way into my stories. I guess what’s surprising is that I haven’t used all of them for settings. At least not yet!

1. Prague

Prague is the atmospheric, history-steeped capitol of the Czech Republic. With its massive castle overlooking the Voltava River, cobbled town squares and centuries-old bridges, magnificent cathedrals and narrow alleys, the city whisks you back in time. Meanwhile, it’s also a mecca for art, both traditional and avant garde, and music, especially classical. I only visited for a few days, decades ago, but during that period I went to two concerts (Vivaldi and Monteverdi) plus saw a performance of Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte”, in the same elaborately decorated opera house where it was performed more than two hundred years ago.

The city left an indelible impression on my imagination. My first published short story (“Glass House”) is set there, as is my paranormal tale “Prey”. Somehow I’ve never made it back. But I will.

2. Marrakesh

My very first overseas travel experience included a week-long bus tour of Morocco, as part of a longer trip to Spain. This was right after I graduated from university. Alas, the exoticism of the country was a bit wasted on me. Not that I didn’t appreciate the sights and the culture, but I found everything on that trip amazing and new.

In Marrakesh, my traveling companion and I explored the markets in the old souks and went to a night club featuring a belly dancing floor show. I remember the thrill of using my high school French to communicate with another customer sitting next to me. I really was in a foreign country!

Morocco hasn’t yet shown up in any of my books. I need to go back and refresh my memories.

3. Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand

Railay is a peninsula on the western Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. Cut off from the mainland by craggy hills, Railay feels like an island. It is accessible only by boat.

I’ve seen many astoundingly beautiful places in my life. Railay has to be one of the most exquisite. The deep turquoise ocean nestles in the embrace of soaring limestone capes. Verdant palms shade the white sand. With only a dozen or so resorts and guesthouses, the peninsula is rarely crowded, though its precipitous cliffs make it one of the top rock climbing destinations in Southeast Asia.

I’ve visited Railay twice, once just for the day, once for a weekend. Since then I’ve recommended it to everyone who wants to see the best beach in Thailand. I know I’ll go back before too long.

4. Gloucester, Massachusetts

Although I now live in Asia, I spent much of my life in lovely, blustery New England. The old fishing port of Gloucester, on Cape Ann north of Boston, is one of my favorite New England destinations. For years my husband and I had a tradition of spending our mid-June wedding anniversary there, in a motel with an ocean view. Hence I strongly associate Gloucester with romance.

The geography of the city is delightfully complex, with several harbors and beaches that have very different atmospheres. Two hundred years ago, Gloucester Harbor sheltered the clipper ships returning from the Far East, full of treasures. Museums in the town bring that history to life. Gloucester also offers amazing seafood, as well as art galleries, book stores, and the chance to go whale watching.

If you’d like to get a sense for the place, pick up a copy of my lesbian paranormal romance, The Witches of Gloucester. Any reader will immediately grasp how much I love the place.

5. Bruges, Belgium

Photo by Hans Hillewaert, Wikipedia

My husband and I spent one magic night in Bruges, a city frozen in time. Starting from the 12^th century, Bruges was an important commercial center for all of Europe. Canals crisscross the historic central city, lined with warehouses and the homes of wealthy merchants. Wonderfully preserved medieval buildings surround the market square, where traders used to set up their stalls.

At night, the ancient buildings are illuminated, giving the whole place a fairy tale atmosphere. I remember the sight left me breathless. We left on an early morning train, without much time for exploring. I’ve wanted to return ever since.

6. San Francisco

I’ve never lived in San Francisco, but I’ve probably set more of my tales there than anywhere else, including my BDSM romance Her Secret Ingredient and my dystopic MM sci fi novel Quarantine. Many important events in my personal life unfolded in the City by the Bay. I can’t think of the place without a sense of excitement.

The gaily-painted Victorian houses—the artsy cafes of Noe Valley—the sweeping grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge—the view from Twin Peaks—San Francisco would be a gorgeous place even without the emotional overtones. I haven’t been there for more than five years, but the place lives in my memory. I know I will go back.

 
7. Shanghai

I just returned from my first visit to Shanghai. I loved it. As is often the case when I travel on business, my time there was limited to a mere two days. I used that time mostly to walk around, exploring the crowded residential warrens that somehow have survived urban renewal; admiring the art deco department stores and villas, relics from the period when the city was the gateway for Europeans to encounter the Middle Kingdom; marveling at the gleaming skyscrapers that dominate modern Shanghai.

I didn’t have the time to visit any of the museums, or wander through the French Concession quarter, or take a lightning fast elevator to the observation deck on the tallest building in Asia.

Next time.

Meanwhile I’m wondering whether I have enough of a sense of the city, from this short but intense visit, to set the next book of my Asian Adventures series there.

And speaking of Asian Adventures, you could win your choice of books one through four from this series. Just leave me a comment, with your email, telling me about one place like to revisit.

Sneak Peek... The Unlikeable Demon Hunter: Sting (#urbanfantasy #Prague #giveaway @WildeAuthor)

Blurb

50% boobs. 50% sarcasm. 100% new breed of hunter.

After a bumpy start as the only female demon hunter in the top secret Brotherhood of David, Nava Katz heads to Prague for her first undercover mission: unmasking a demon movie star. She'd be all kinds of thrilled if it weren't for the fact that her fellow hunter-with-benefits, Rohan Mitra, has reclaimed his rock star status and assigned Nava the role of groupie.

Rejecting her "be a good girl and follow orders" directive, Nava unleashes an alter ego guaranteed to hook their celebrity target and drive Rohan crazy. No downside-until she finds herself up against Rohan's past, the Brotherhood's antiquated thinking, and her own identity issues, turning her personal life into a bomb that could blow up the entire operation.

Sparkly and deadly; it's a plan.

Excerpt

Looping my fingers into his belt, I jerked his hips to mine. Rohan’s breath caught and when I brushed my lips over the shell curves of his ear, his whole body went tense. “Prove you’re worth it, baby.” Then I pushed him away, stalking off without a look back, mostly sure that he followed.

The second we got inside the empty elevator, Rohan shoved me up against the wall. I groped for the third floor button, leaning into him. He ran his hands feverishly over my body, hot tingles shivering through my breasts like a sexed-up call and answer. The focused hunger in his expression had me craving more, except my rapid breathing wasn’t all from arousal.

Given the barely banked rage evident in the tense bunch of Rohan’s shoulders, the feeling was mutual. Hopefully, he’d show no mercy in orgasm form and not body count, though I couldn’t promise the same right now.

I bit his earlobe, wanting to hurt him.

Rohan shot me a cavalier smile in response. Holy crap. My knees buckled.

The sprint to my room was a blur.

The second the door slammed shut behind us, Rohan edged his face in close to mine, his palm ghosting my cheek in the barest caress that sent slivery shimmers tumbling through me.

I raised my fingers to my mouth, not realizing what I’d done or that I ran them over my lips until Rohan tracked the movement, his eyes glittering dangerously.

His tongue flicked out, wetting his lower lip. He swayed in toward me and–

“No.” Taking his hands in mine, I forced them behind me. Forced him to hold me there, his rings biting into my skin. Forced him to make a decision; play by my rules or go.

About the Author

A global wanderer, hopeless romantic, and total cynic with a broken edit button, Deborah writes urban fantasy to satisfy her love of smexy romances and tales of chicks who kick ass. She is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. “It takes a bad girl to fight evil. Go Wilde.”

Website: www.deborahwilde.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildeauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.wilde1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16189297.Deborah_Wilde

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Unlikeable-Demon-Hunter-Sting-Nava-ebook/dp/B071Y2GHDM

Deborah will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during her tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Snog 246: My first published short story (#prague #erotica #blacklace)

Happy Sunday!

Today I thought I’d share something rare—a kiss from the very first short story I ever published. The excerpt below comes from “Glass House”, which was published in the 2003 Black Lace collection Wicked Words 8. I am amazed to discover the book is still available, at least in ebook form.

This story takes place in Prague. The main character already has two lovers, but she’s tempted by the brash young man she meets in a Czech pub.

When you’re done with my snog, click back to Victoria’s Sunday Snog page for sexy kisses.

~~~

“Let us walk down to the river,” he says, bringing me back to the present. “It is nearly sunset. And there is something that I would like to show you.”

We make our way westward toward the Vltava, in companionable silence. I am struck by the fact that, after all, I do trust Lukaš. For all his swaggering and sexual innuendo, he has treated me with respect. I know how easily he could have taken advantage of me; he probably knows it, too. Somehow, though I have told him nothing, he also senses my conflicts. He knows without being told that I am not free.

Clouds stained by the sunset heap high over the water, which flows gray and smooth like molten lead. Vermilion, ocher, coral, azure: ordinary color names do not apply to these flowing, burning shapes.

Against this multicolored background the spires and towers of Prague Castle on its crag across the river are fairytale silhouettes. For a long time, I simply stare, as the forms merge and change in the dying light. When I finally remember Lukaš, I see he is grinning again, as if he could take credit for this spectacular display.

“Is this what you wanted to show me? It is wonderful!”

“Not exactly. Look across the street.”

The first thing I see is a massive rococo building of yellow stucco, dripping with ornamentation and topped by an onion dome. Then I see the building beside it, and stop short.

It is totally fantastic, whimsical, and bizarre. It began as an ordinary, modern office building, with square windows and a flat roof, facing the river across Smetanova Street. But grafted onto this edifice is a second building, all of glass, shaped like an asymmetric egg timer and leaning at a crazy angle against the staid office block. The sunset colors reflect in its multifaceted façade, so that the building seems to shift and move.

I hardly notice that Lukaš has put his arm around my shoulders. “Do you like it?” he asks, his grin even wider than before. “We call it ‘Fred and Ginger.’”

I laugh, catching the reference immediately. The glass tower’s conical base narrows, like a skirt, up to the “waist”, then fans out again. The whole structure inclines toward the office building, like a dancer leaning on her partner. On the left side, the flared lower edge of the glass completes the illusion, seeming to flow as the dancers swirl away in the opposite direction.

“It is absolutely fabulous. Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” says my smiling young guide with his delightful Czech accent, and then he is kissing me.

He kisses with his whole body. His arms wrap all the way around me. His lean thigh insinuates itself between mine, just as his tongue snakes into my mouth. His hands are on my back, my breasts, my buttocks. I am swallowed up in this hot, wet kiss. The jungle has claimed me. I am sinking in quicksand. He tastes of tobacco and beer, completely delicious.

Just when I think I will stop breathing, he releases me. I am shaking. My sex is throbbing. I am, unbelievably, close to orgasm. From just a kiss. But no one has ever kissed me like that. Not Daniel. Not Rebecca. I am frightened by my reactions.

Lukaš acts casual. “Do you want to go inside? The view from the top floor is very fine.” He stands close, but does not touch me. I ache for another all-consuming kiss. I fear it.

European Encounters

My first international trip, and really my only one without K., was a five week sojourn in Spain. My companion was a dear college friend who just happened to speak fluent Spanish and was an expert on Spanish culture and geography. Like I said, I'm a lucky woman! We had an open air ticket and criss-crossed the country, spending time in Madrid, Malaga, Torremolinos, Cadiz, Toledo, Granada, and Barcelona. We even managed a week-long side trip to Morocco.

That holiday was my only backpacker adventure. Neither B. nor I had much money but at that time Spain was very cheap. We slept in pensions for five dollars a night and shared two dollar carafes of vino tinto. We ate tapas in the cafes and chatted up the local guys. (Well, B. did. I spoke a bit of Spanish but realized before long that I must sound like an idiot because I knew only the present tense and so couldn't express any kind of complex idea at all.) We watched free flamenco and marveled at the Moorish filagree of the Alhambra and Gaudi's surrealistic cathedral.

For a long time, when K. and I had a chance to travel, we headed for Asia. Lately, though, we've been expanding our experience with Europe. We spent a wonderful ten days exploring historic, picturesque Provence. The twelfth century abbey of Thoronet provided me with the setting for one of my most popular stories, “Communion”, which has appeared in five different collections.

On a more recent trip, we visited Vienna, Venice and Trieste, then spent a week traveling down the Adriatic coastline of Croatia. The fortified Renaissance city of Dubrovnik has to be one of the most amazing places I've ever visited. Other European trips during the last decade have seen us in Heidelberg(Germany), Lisbon (Portugal), the Greek island of Rhodes, and Amsterdam (the Netherlands). The only one of these places to appear in my writing so far is Amsterdam. My story “Shades of Red”, in my collection ROUGH CARESS, is set in that city's infamous red light district.

Two very special European locales, for me, are Prague (the Czech Republic) and Instanbul (Turkey). As it happened, we visited both of these cities on the same trip (since we traveled to Turkey via Czech Airlines). Although extremely different, both places offer a thousand years (or more) of history and unique cultures. Surprisingly, I haven't yet written anything set in Turkey. However if you read my vampire story, “Prey” (on my Free Reading page, http://www.lisabetsarai.com/freereads.html), you might get a sense of Prague's mystery.