Ho Ho Ho! Huge Holiday Sale!

Supplies are limited so go to our sale page now!

12 Days of Christmas EC Style

A big thanks to EC fan Cindy W-S for her interpretation of The Twelve Days of Christmas and a very merry Christmas to everyone from Caveman Angelo, our founder Jaid Black and everyone at EC!

On the First Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me

A Caveman just for me

On the Second Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On the Third Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
3 erotic fun nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Fourth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and

A Caveman just for me

On The Fifith Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and

A Caveman just for me

On The Sixth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Seventh Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
7 men of passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Eighth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
8 crazy knights
7 men of passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Ninth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
9 Masters' bondage
8 crazy knights
7 men of passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Tenth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
10 lords of pleasure
9 Masters' bondage
8 crazy knights
7 Men of Passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Eleventh Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
11 years with Jaid
10 lords of pleasure
9 Masters' bondage
8 crazy knights
7 men of passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas Ellora's Cave gave me
12 Breathless stories
11 years with Jaid
10 lords of pleasure
9 Masters' bondage
8 crazy knights
7 men of passion
6 seductive Vikings
5 best seller awards
4 days of Romanticon
3 erotic nights
2 male slaves and
A Caveman just for me

History of Ellora's Cave

Ellora's Cave Books Now Available in ePub Format!

Fabulous Enhancements to EC webstore!


* ePub format is here! *
You can now purchase all EC ebooks in ePub format direct from the Ellora's Cave website, at lower prices than elsewhere. ePub is the preferred format for most of the current e-reader devices, including the Barnes&Noble nook, Sony Reader, iPad, and Kobo.

* Ebook files will now download with the book title as the file name.*
This saves you a step in renaming the files after download.

* Download your ebook purchases whenever you want, as many times as you want, and in any and all formats! *
And it’s retroactive for all books purchased on our current webstore. If the book is listed in your Order History within your webstore account, the link stays active permanently, and will allow download in any of the formats. Bought a new reader and need a different format than you originally purchased? Just go to the link in Order History and select the format you want. Lost your ebooks or had a hard drive crash? Download them again whenever needed. Basically, you’ve got an online bookshelf of all books purchased from us.

We will be adding even more new and exciting features to our webstore in the coming months.

Grand Prize Winner!!

A big congratulations to Linda, who won the grand prize in our 10th anniversary contest. She answered our question, "How has Ellora's Cave improved your sex life?" Her answer was short, sweet and to the point:

Reading EC books has given me several ways to get busy on the pool table! Once we were so busy that we did not take the cover off. Now we got a heavy-duty cover! Lol!

Linda wins a netbook computer, which we will load up with some ebooks that might well have her shopping for heavy-duty tablecloths, rugs, car seat covers, desk blotters and who knows what else!

10th Anniversary Contest Grand Prize Round

After seven weeks of wonderful, sweet, hot, inspiring entries in our How Has Ellora's Cave Improved Your Sex Life? contest, it's finally time for the Grand Prize Round! All the entrants in this round have already won free ebooks in an earlier round, so this is the cream of the crop! Winner of this round receives a netbook computer, so please make sure you vote for your favorite in the panel to the right.

This contest has truly inspired our authors and staff because all of the things entrants wrote showed us that we are doing more than simply entertaining readers; we are helping them to rekindle the romance in their lives and to embrace their own sexuality. So from everyone at EC to all the fantastic people who entered this contest, thank you!!

Linda
Reading EC books has given me several ways to get busy on the pool table! Once we were so busy that we did not take the cover off. Now we got a heavy-duty cover! Lol!

Laura
Ellora's Cave opened up a brand new world for me, and one which I want to live in forever. When you are 56 and have been married for 39 years you tend to get in a rut. I married my high school sweetheart and hate to admit it, but he was the first man I slept with (on my wedding night) as well as the only man I slept with in my life! He is the most wonderful man in the world, my best friend and still the sexiest man I have ever seen. Throughout the years and five children, we pretty much fell into a comfortable routine. I grew up while we were married and as I became older (although probably not wiser), I began to have these fantasies about him. He was in the military for 25 years and when he was deployed I would take out my books (which I kind of hid in a box in the closet) and enter the land of exotic fantasy. I think I actually almost devoured them! Since my husband knew I had only been with him, I could not figure out how to tell him about some of my fantasies without having him wonder where in the heck I had come up with them.

I decided to bring my books out of the closet and place them on my bedside table. The first time he saw them he glanced at them but did not say anything. I, in turn, probably turned about 20 shades of red. I waited for a few nights and then I mumbled to him about how some of these sex scenes did not seem possible. He mumbled back something like "it seems like it might be possible." It was only a few days later that he suggested (this time he had the red face) that just to "appease" my curiosity, we could try a few of the scenes I was talking about. That's all I needed and I was off!! It did not take long before we both felt like two kids in a candy store and how sweet it all was! Ellora's Cave gave me the courage and ideas about how to make our marriage so much fun and so very, very exciting!!

Kitianne
I've always found myself to be a little reserved in the bedroom; well more like timid . I always had a VERY bold and erotic imagination; however, when it came down to making love I get reserved and unsure how to act out my fantasies. I guess I was afraid how my partner would view me. In my mind I'm a sexually adventurous dirty girl. In reality I'm a shy but lovely woman. I love to read romance and erotica and imagine I'm the leading lady. I know sad right? After reading a few of your ebooks I was soooooooo turned on that I attacked my husband that night! I was super aggressive and I initiated the lovemaking. Boy was my husband SHOCKED!

After putting him to sleep, several hours later, I really took a moment to reevaluate myself and realized that I am a sexy vixen. I'm a very passionate person but it took your website to reveal my true self.

The love scenes are so passionate and sometimes down right dirty that you can't help but get turned on. I have to commend the authors who contribute to such a wonderful site. I have forwarded the web address to my friends so they can see for themselves.

Again I have to give my heartfelt thanks for reviving my sex life. Sometimes we as women become so engrossed with being perfect mothers and wives we forget about ourselves and what we need to be happy. I'm happy and I have got my sexy back! Much Love.

Lisa
Life is all about choices. My husband and I have been together for 20 years, married for 17. One night when we were very young, I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to find him absent from the bed. I walked into the living room to find him in the act of pleasuring himself on the couch. He saw me, I saw him, and I promptly walked right back into the bedroom. I sat on the bed and thought, well I can be offended and have him be embarrassed, or I can trust him like no one else. So, I went out, sat beside him on the couch and said, "How would you like to know me better than anybody? … I do THAT too."

It was the best reaction I could have had. I showed him my secret toy. He was so relieved and excited. As time went on, children came, and my libido has gotten stronger and more demanding.

When I hit the big 4-0, I discovered Ellora's Cave. The stories I read gave me new ideas and helped us improve techniques. We even ordered a new toy! We have better sex now than ever and a lot more of it! The variety of genres on EC has helped me decide what I truly want in the bedroom and has given me a medium in which to communicate these desires to my wonderful husband. He has DEFINITELY been game!:)

I'm so glad I decided to be as open and honest with my mate. I even hesitated before telling him I was reading erotic stories. I chose to take the chance that he would judge me or not approve. I should have known that he would return the same unconditional love and understanding I showed him all those years ago. We have both been reaping the rewards! Thank you EC and all the fabulous authors. I have even corresponded with a few, they are great ladies and even encourage me to share my "stories". Don't know if I'm ready for that, but EC cave has a fan for life in me!!

Anne
Ellora's Cave provides a wonderful spectrum of different romantic stories, ranging from the mildest to the hottest. I do not really have a traditional "sex life" to speak of, and it is kind of unbelievable that a 25-year-old female in this day and age is still a virgin. It is not due to any personal hard-held beliefs, but simply due to how life circumstances have played out for me. I have had my share of longing crushes from afar, but have yet to go on a date or even experience a first kiss. Throughout it all, I have enjoyed the world of romance, more specifically Romantica®. I truly believe that it is these stories that have allowed me to last so long. I have always been a romantic at heart, and therefore am a complete fan of romance.

I discovered Ellora's Cave several years ago through an advertisement in Romantic Times. At the time I was still somewhat conservative about sex and was shy about exploring other stories that were much darker than vanilla. So at first I only looked at the Ellora's Cave stories that seemed "traditional" and "missionary." As time went on I discovered that my curiosity about different types of sex was growing, albeit slowly. New positions were being exposed to me, and I found that I began to enjoy delving into the stories that were steamier and steamier. Ultimately Ellora's Cave developed my imagination and opened my mind to other aspects of sex.

So slowly, but surely, I began to explore the stories on BDSM and spanking. Honestly, at one time I would never think about reading those kinds of stories. But Ellora's Cave introduced classy stories that did not appall me, and it also educated me on BDSM by completely blowing my preconceived notions out of the water. It showed me that there are special relationships between these partners that add a new dimension to the romance. If anything feeling that intimacy makes the romance more engaging and really touches my heart (among other things ;-)).

My sexual exploration and education continue to grow every day. I have begun reading some multiple-partner stories, but mostly M/M/F. Although the majority of my stories are still traditional M/F stories, I am much more open about looking at the different novels offered. And now my imagination is wilder, and my expectations are possibly higher. Even though I do not have a man to share my fantasies with, I can hold on to them and continue to hope that I will meet that special someone to share them with. Ellora’s Cave continues to give me hope that I have every possibility to meet that special person, and in the meantime I can continue to enjoy reading and opening my mind to other sexual possibilities. I look at it this way: When I do meet the one for me I will have a library of fantasies to keep us busy, courtesy of Ellora’s Cave. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for educating me and providing a world that has supported me as well as entertained. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for helping me develop my fantasies as a sexual woman, and I look forward to more wonderful stories to come.

Toi
For you to understand the scope of the change in my life I'll give you a little of my background.

I was raised in a VERY strict, VERY catholic household. You could say that I've had my inhibitions drummed into my head from birth. It was only reinforced when I attended school. Puberty hit me early (10yrs old) and I was blessed with large breasts. Unfortunately the nuns didn't think so, and I was forced to tie them down daily (Ace bandage). It got to the point that as I got older I thought there had to be something wrong with me. I was a bookworm and really a geek (but with a body that could kill, I'm told) but I was ultra shy. That shyness stuck with me. I eventually married and was a virgin until then.

He was very conservative and our sex life was almost obligatory for me. I didn't enjoy sex, and didn't have a clue what an orgasm was but I was sure it was only for the "naughty girls." We divorced after nine years of marriage and by that time I figured the BIG O was a myth. I used books as my escape from everyday life. I already enjoyed romance novels but after my divorce I was really disillusioned with them. So the next time I was in Borders I checked out the other selections. The Ellora's Cave cover picture caught my eye. So I said "what the hell" and picked it up. I didn't even read the back of the book as was my wont (truly adventurous for me).

I got home that night and followed my regular routine; helped my children with homework, prepared supper, bathed kids, prayers and then tucked them in. I even did a couple loads of laundry and cleaned up around the house. I finally settled down, made a pot of tea, turned on some classical music and sat down with my book Double Trouble by A. James.

Wow!!!!!!

That book was like foreplay! For the first time in my life I was aroused and by a book. I'd been married and had three children but I had never felt like I did after reading just a portion of that book. I was an eye-opening experience. I went to work the next day and it was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes and my inhibitions! My imagination was working overtime on a couple of my coworkers who flirted with me constantly. I'd been putting them off, but now the thoughts in my head were anything but off putting...lol. I decided that the book wasn't bad, and decided to go get another one. (I'm a fast reader, 916 words a minute.)

I picked up two that time, with the same results. I thought if they can do it why not me? I was tired of being the "nice" girl, I was lonely and I finally realized that I'm entitled to a life too! So I decided to take a chance and I invited the gentlemen from work to my house for dinner...both of them. My plan was to seduce them. Mind you...I had NO idea what I was doing but with my newfound confidence I was doing it anyway!

I'd sent the kids to their aunt's house for the weekend so that wasn't a concern. I was as ready as I was going to get. I'd prepared dinner. I wore a silky blouse with ample cleavage and it was light enough you couldn't fail to see my nipples, especially as excited and scared as I was. I also wore silk pants that were easy to remove. Like I said, I was going to be naughty if it killed me.

When my doorbell rang, I almost passed out I was so nervous. But surprisingly the evening went well. I thought I'd be uncomfortable but the guys put me at ease...sort of. The constant casual touches were anything but casual. I was on fire. They asked me what brought on the change in attitude? I went to the book shelf and pulled out my Ellora's Cave collection. Ironically, they picked Double Trouble to skim through. By this time I squirming in my chair, my panties were soaked and I was panting. They decided that since that book caused my "transformation" then they were going to act out the sex scenes in the book for me. OH MY GOD!!! (Both men were built like Greek gods!!)

That night turned into an ENTIRE weekend of glorious sex!!!! I finally had my first orgasm, (they took care of that immediately) I have so much more confidence in myself and my abilities. I realize that there was nothing wrong with me to begin with. I just need the right stimulus and boy did I find it...times two! I'll forever be an Ellora fan!

Arlene
After reading all the books from Ellora's Cave I am perpetually in the mood for sex. This was not always the case for me in the past but now I feel like I'm in my 20s. I am however, retirement age. Giggle!!

Countdown to The Big Party

Ellora's Cave Cover models Lisa Gray and CJ Hollenbach took to the streets Thursday to get the word out about the RomantiCon 2010 Book Fair on Sunday, October 10, noon-3pm at Quality Inn & Suites in Richfield, OH. It's the grand finale of The Cave's big convention and the only part that is free and open to the public. What's so special about this year's convention is that it celebrates the 10th anniversary of the little publishing company that no one saw coming.

Dressed as characters from EC's first book, The Empress' New Clothes by Jaid Black, Lisa and CJ were telling people about the fun in store at the book fair, including books, authors, hunky cover models, and great prizes, including ebook readers and computers.

They visited Michael Heaton at the Cleveland Plain Dealer (below).

They also stopped in at weekly alt newspaper The Cleveland Scene and WJW-TV Fox 8.

Look out, Akron, they will be back on the road and invading the Akron Beacon Journal and other spots next week!

10th Anniversary Contest Round 7

A big shout out to Kitianne for winning Round 6 with her inspiring essay about finding her inner sexy vixen! Kitianne wins an Ellora's Cave ebook of her choice and entry into the Grand Prize round to win a netbook computer.

This round is the final one before the Grand Prize round. Use the poll in the right column to vote for the one you like best:

Veronica
Learning new positions makes my hubby squirm! He loves that I can easily switch things up in the bedroom, and that I can take control of the situation. He used to be the one in charge, but now, I am! He loves it when I order him around and tell him what to do to me!!!
Thanks so much!!!

Grace
I've been a die hard fan of your books as well as Lady Jaided for more than three years now and really enjoy the expansion of my sexual horizons.
As a matter of fact I have begun to share said expansion of my imagination as a phone sex operator. All of the different genres help with the differing facets of the acting required of me, helping me to better understand that particular perspective, (at least to the extent that the customer seems to require).
Thank you. Not only do I get to read some really hot writing, I get to do something that I have fun with and earn money doing because your books help me to enjoy being sexual a whole lot more.


Arlene
After reading all the books from Ellora's Cave I am perpetually in the mood for sex. This was not always the case for me in the past but now I feel like I'm in my 20s. I am however, retirement age. Giggle!!

10th Anniversary Contest Round 6

Congratulations to Lisa, who won Round 5 of our How Has Ellora's Cave Improved Your Sex Life? contest with her beautiful essay about choosing to be open with her husband in a way that created more intimacy and better sex. Now it's time to vote on Round 6. Here are the entries:

Kitianne
I've always found myself to be a little reserved in the bedroom; well more like timid . I always had a VERY bold and erotic imagination; however, when it came down to making love I get reserved and unsure how to act out my fantasies. I guess I was afraid how my partner would view me. In my mind I'm a sexually adventurous dirty girl. In reality I'm a shy but lovely woman. I love to read romance and erotica and imagine I'm the leading lady. I know sad right? After reading a few of your ebooks I was soooooooo turned on that I attacked my husband that night! I was super aggressive and I initiated the lovemaking. Boy was my husband SHOCKED!

After putting him to sleep, several hours later, I really took a moment to reevaluate myself and realized that I am a sexy vixen. I'm a very passionate person but it took your website to reveal my true self.

The love scenes are so passionate and sometimes down right dirty that you can't help but get turned on. I have to commend the authors who contribute to such a wonderful site. I have forwarded the web address to my friends so they can see for themselves.

Again I have to give my heartfelt thanks for reviving my sex life. Sometimes we as women become so engrossed with being perfect mothers and wives we forget about ourselves and what we need to be happy. I'm happy and I have got my sexy back! Much Love.

Olga
Ellora's Cave has helped me very much! My sex life has improved a lot as I taught my partner how to please me. Also, we added more positions which made our sex life more interesting. Thank you Ellora's Cave!


Robin
Ellora's Cave erotic romances have helped me to be more open about what I like. And EC romances have helped to me to realize that if we try different things, we might find out we like them ;0)

Delores
Ellora's Cave Romance has improved my sex life, like it's nothing. I get hot and cold and I climax so, so, many times my clit hurts. It hurts in a good way, so don't worry. I love reading the paranormal romance ones the most because it speaks to my hidden fantasies. I love the male dominant thing, because I am dominant. My fiance is dominant with him just being a male, but I am dominant in a very female way. I get crazy, in a good way with the rough sex. I love the primitive action behind it. I am a very passionate person, so it calls to me. All I can say is that you keep bringing the hot books. And Lora Leigh is my favorite author, so keep putting her books online and I promise you, that I will be one of the people collecting her books. And I love the website and I thank you for it!!!!!!!!!!!

You Can Make a Difference: An Request from Jaid Black

Maggie Voglesong is a longtime EC reader with a heart of gold and a generous, courageous spirit that touches everyone she comes into contact with. She is also a woman who, sadly, is living a nightmare most of us can't fathom.

Maggie's beloved husband, Bruce, was diagnosed with Gardner's Syndrome in June of 1980. He lost his fight with this little known genetic disease a few years ago. As if his long, painful illness and resulting death weren't difficult enough to bear, all 4 of Maggie's adult children have since been diagnosed with GS, which they inherited from their father.

Gardener's Syndrome is arguably one of the worst diseases a person can have, genetic or otherwise. In the words of an HIV+ patient, at least with AIDS there is still hope. On the contrary for GS sufferers, very little is known about the disease, even amongst doctors. There is no ongoing research for this vicious illness, though it claims the lives of its victims in a horrific manner. As Maggie told me, "I've been in the fight against this monster since June of 1980, and in all that time, there have been no advances in treatment, nothing done for all those who live with it that has changed; then, as now, the only thing you can do is cut out the diseased parts of the body until you either run out of parts or say 'that's enough'."

A devoted mother, Maggie spends most of her time caring for whichever daughter is in the hospital at any given time. The painful reality that she will most likely outlive her children is a nightmare from which there is no awakening. I first became acquainted with Maggie's story when our customer service department forwarded me a letter of appreciation she took the time to write to EC during one of her many trips to the hospital with Bruce. She thanked EC for its supportive staff and wonderful authors; authors who have helped her and her daughters escape their painful realities through the splendid worlds they've--we've--created.

We might not be able to cure Gardener's Syndrome, but together we can give Maggie and one of her children a much needed vacation from doctors and hospitals. Maggie and her daughter Karen would love more than anything to attend this year's Romanticon in Akron, Ohio, where they can meet their favorite authors and "forget" for a little while. The economy being what it is, however, they simply cannot afford it.

Our goal is to collect $1500.00 to pay for Maggie and Karen's flight, hotel, food, etc. ANY amount of money you can contribute would be appreciated! None of us can save the world singlehandedly, but together we can ease a little bit of pain for two courageous women.

For as little as $5, you help make a big difference. To contribute, go to here.

Sincerely,

Tina Marie Engler (a.k.a. Jaid Black)

10th Anniversary Contest Round Five

Congrats to Anne for winning Round Four of our contest! Anne will receive a free ebook of her choice and her entry will go into the final Grand Prize Round for a chance to win a netbook computer!

Now it's time to vote for the best of the Round Five entries in the right panel.

Louise
Ellora's Cave has showed me the joys of domination, and my love life has improved drastically!

Lisa
Life is all about choices. My husband and I have been together for 20 years, married for 17. One night when we were very young, I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to find him absent from the bed. I walked into the living room to find him in the act of pleasuring himself on the couch. He saw me, I saw him, and I promptly walked right back into the bedroom. I sat on the bed and thought, well I can be offended and have him be embarrassed, or I can trust him like no one else. So, I went out, sat beside him on the couch and said, "How would you like to know me better than anybody? … I do THAT too."

It was the best reaction I could have had. I showed him my secret toy. He was so relieved and excited. As time went on, children came, and my libido has gotten stronger and more demanding.

When I hit the big 4-0, I discovered Ellora's Cave. The stories I read gave me new ideas and helped us improve techniques. We even ordered a new toy! We have better sex now than ever and a lot more of it! The variety of genres on EC has helped me decide what I truly want in the bedroom and has given me a medium in which to communicate these desires to my wonderful husband. He has DEFINITELY been game!:)

I'm so glad I decided to be as open and honest with my mate. I even hesitated before telling him I was reading erotic stories. I chose to take the chance that he would judge me or not approve. I should have known that he would return the same unconditional love and understanding I showed him all those years ago. We have both been reaping the rewards! Thank you EC and all the fabulous authors. I have even corresponded with a few, they are great ladies and even encourage me to share my "stories". Don't know if I'm ready for that, but EC cave has a fan for life in me!!

Kurt
I've rediscovered passionate sex. Thanks for this offer.

Ruth
I'm an avid reader of all types of erotica, adore all genres and wish I could try most things out on the old man, I have to confess that as he is disabled and pretty much non-functional, all the wonderful ideas that I read about in your books are pretty much a no go in my case--so I was wondering if maybe just for laughs you could have a contest for those like me on how do all those wonderful erotic books from EC frustrate your love life even more than normal?
Seriously, I appreciate the fact that publishers such as you and others help to keep "sex" alive since we know that typical men know nothing of what true romance is and rely on sex to win us over. Books have become our "manuals" and when they ask "where did you learn that?" we can point it out on a page/s and they know we work to keep it interesting for both of us. Again, thanks for helping us keep the excitement going (even when we can't any more) and reminding ourselves that life doesn't stop when the body does.

10th Anniversary Contest Round Four

We asked readers, "How has Ellora's Cave improved your sex life?" and boy have we gotten some fun answers! Big congrats to Laura, who won Round Three. She gets a free ebook of her choice and goes into the Grand Prize round for a chance to win a netbook computer. Read the ones below and vote in the right hand panel for your favorite. The winner of this round gets a free ebook of his or her choice and goes into the Grand Prize round for a chance to win a netbook computer!

Jennifer
It has taught me all kinds of new positions and interesting bedroom games and tricks!


Ian
It has really helped me get past a few insecurities. I have progressed to the extent now where I can really go balls to the wall. Thanks again and thanks for the contest.

Abbe
This is somewhat roundabout, but Ellora's Cave books improved my sex life by being well written. They aren't embarrassing to read like I had always imagined romance novels to be. I wasn't worried about the sex (Ok, a little. How my hippie parents raised a prude, I will never know) but reading "fluff" has always had a stigma to it. The characters were one-dimensional girl-women without personalities that the reader could insert herself on to. The relationships that came to mind when I saw book covers were always "oh, rescue me" or dysfunctional.

So when I actually did take a chance (aka, ran out of "good" books to read) and borrowed from a friend's bookcase, imagine my surprise when dysfunctional turned out to be a good thing. Sometimes being rescued is interesting! I wasn't expecting originality, a story that I got emotionally invested in, and scenes hot enough that I'd blush and hope nobody saw. The story might change, the heroine may do the rescuing but each novel I read took away more of the "fluff" shame.

I'm still a newbie of the genre but one of the big differences is that by introducing me to a literary genre that I had shunned, EC also helped me accept fantasies that I had thought were silly or embarrassing as well...sexy, and that's definitely an improvement to my sex life.

Anne
Ellora's Cave provides a wonderful spectrum of different romantic stories, ranging from the mildest to the hottest. I do not really have a traditional "sex life" to speak of, and it is kind of unbelievable that a 25-year-old female in this day and age is still a virgin. It is not due to any personal hard-held beliefs, but simply due to how life circumstances have played out for me. I have had my share of longing crushes from afar, but have yet to go on a date or even experience a first kiss. Throughout it all, I have enjoyed the world of romance, more specifically Romantica®. I truly believe that it is these stories that have allowed me to last so long. I have always been a romantic at heart, and therefore am a complete fan of romance.

I discovered Ellora's Cave several years ago through an advertisement in Romantic Times. At the time I was still somewhat conservative about sex and was shy about exploring other stories that were much darker than vanilla. So at first I only looked at the Ellora's Cave stories that seemed "traditional" and "missionary." As time went on I discovered that my curiosity about different types of sex was growing, albeit slowly. New positions were being exposed to me, and I found that I began to enjoy delving into the stories that were steamier and steamier. Ultimately Ellora's Cave developed my imagination and opened my mind to other aspects of sex.

So slowly, but surely, I began to explore the stories on BDSM and spanking. Honestly, at one time I would never think about reading those kinds of stories. But Ellora's Cave introduced classy stories that did not appall me, and it also educated me on BDSM by completely blowing my preconceived notions out of the water. It showed me that there are special relationships between these partners that add a new dimension to the romance. If anything feeling that intimacy makes the romance more engaging and really touches my heart (among other things ;-)).

My sexual exploration and education continue to grow every day. I have begun reading some multiple-partner stories, but mostly M/M/F. Although the majority of my stories are still traditional M/F stories, I am much more open about looking at the different novels offered. And now my imagination is wilder, and my expectations are possibly higher. Even though I do not have a man to share my fantasies with, I can hold on to them and continue to hope that I will meet that special someone to share them with. Ellora’s Cave continues to give me hope that I have every possibility to meet that special person, and in the meantime I can continue to enjoy reading and opening my mind to other sexual possibilities. I look at it this way: When I do meet the one for me I will have a library of fantasies to keep us busy, courtesy of Ellora’s Cave. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for educating me and providing a world that has supported me as well as entertained. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for helping me develop my fantasies as a sexual woman, and I look forward to more wonderful stories to come.

Vote In Round #3

Scroll down below the RomantiCon 2010 story to see the entries in Round #3 of our 10th anniversary contest, "How has Ellora's Cave improved your sex life?" then vote for your favorite entry in the right-hand panel!

Top 10 Reasons to Come to RomantiCon 2010

1. It is literally the Party of the Decade in Romantica publishing. The woman who started it all is throwing a bash to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her first book and the birth of her publishing company. And, sister, the Queen of Steam is doing it up! Saturday night’s party will whisk you away to Trek Mi Q’an, the setting of Jaid Black’s irresistibly sexy, funny and romantic book: The Empress’ New Clothes, which took the internet by storm and launched a publishing revolution. Fierce, gorgeous Trek warriors and beautiful slave girls made of sand will perform for your pleasure. You will dine like royalty and dance the night away in a distant galaxy of wild imagination.

2. You deserve it. You work hard and you should treat yourself like an Empress once in a while. If you don’t, who will?

3. Did we say Party of the Decade? We meant Parties of the Decade. The opening act for the Saturday night Trek Birthday Bash is Friday night’s Roaring Twenties costume ball. Dust off your glad rags, break out the beads and boas, and brush up your Charleston, dollies, we’re gonna party likes it’s 1926! Fun is the password to get you into the EC speakeasy, where you can, drink a little bootleg brew, enjoy a floorshow from the EC Cavemen, take your chances with a one-armed bandit, and cut a rug to your favorite songs.

4. It’s a great value. Registration price and accommodations cost a fraction of other conferences, and we have a special rate for guests and spouses to attend just the parties and dinners. Set in a lovely semi-rural area of Ohio at the height of the brilliant autumn color season, the hotel has great food, service and rooms, and yet is extremely inexpensive compared with the luxury resort hotel prices you’ll pay at other conventions. Plus, there are plenty of inexpensive things nearby for guests and spouses to do, if you choose to bring them.

5. It’s a fun, safe, get-away-from-it-all vacation with loads of things to do and time to hang out with people who share your interests. (And tax-deductible for authors!)

6. Cavemen. Some of our hunkiest and most popular Cavemen cover models will be on-hand all weekend to perform, autograph books and calendars, pose for pictures, and hang out at parties. Need we say more?

7. You’ll meet readers, authors, models, reviewers, editors and other industry professionals in an informal setting and in workshops and focus groups designed to illuminate, entertain, and give you input into the future of our books.

8. You deserve it. You know you do. Think about all the things you do for other people. Now think about the last thing you did for yourself. See?

9. Big Prizes!

10. The Goldilocks Factor. Some conventions are just too big. With so many authors and readers, the lines for everything from food to books are long, and there is little opportunity for the twain to meet. Some conventions are just too small. With too few authors, readers and events, there is not much reason to travel so far and not much excitement when you arrive. RomantiCon is just right. With just the right mix of authors and readers, events and downtime, everyone has the chance to meet everyone else in quiet, conversational settings and raucous parties.

Time is running out to sign up, so if you’ve been on the fence, go ahead and make the leap. Because, most of all, you deserve it. So seize the day and come celebrate with us. to sign up: https://www.jasminejade.com/romanticon/registration.html

10th Anniversary Contest Round Three

Congratulations to Toi for winning Round Two in our 10th anniversary contest "How Has Ellora's Cave Improved Your Sex Life?" She will receive a free ebook of her choice and her entry will go into the final round for a chance at the Grand Prize, a netbook computer!

Here are the Round Three Entries. Be sure to vote for your favorite!

Susan
Reading your hot books makes me very warm all over and puts me in the mood.

G K
It's much more frequent!

Sharon
Dreams are what I love. Hot erotic pleasures, soft sensual fantasies, out of this world rendezvous…

Ellora’s Cave incites that dream. On a cold, lonely day a full-length story of a dark, mysterious stranger holding me close is what I need. On a tiresome, stressful day a Quickie solves the problem. On a day when all seem to be against me, a sexy, bold, dangerous vampire can make me relax.

Many fantasies that I have can never be fulfilled in reality but Ellora’s Cave makes it reality for me. It’s not taboo to dream of aliens in my bed, a knight who happens to have a penchant for blood, or a younger lover who likes the mature curves of my frame. Sometimes I can dream of a new planet altogether. A world where clouds are red, skies are green and my life mate has eyes only for me--ready to take me to pleasures unknown.

These dreams however sometimes make their way into my sex life. How? Often times after reading an Ellora’s Cave erotic novel my breath may shorten, my eyes dilate, my palms sweat, my heart beats faster and my skin feels tingly…Ooooh! The only cure for this is a night in my lover’s arms wrapped tight! These novels lower my inhibitions like fine wine after a nice meal. I can do anything, be anyone that I want. There are no boundaries in my way. What a wonderful feeling!!

Ellora’s Cave gives me dreams. Dreams that make it easier for me to believe in love and happily-ever-afters!!

Laura
Ellora's Cave opened up a brand new world for me, and one which I want to live in forever. When you are 56 and have been married for 39 years you tend to get in a rut. I married my high school sweetheart and hate to admit it, but he was the first man I slept with (on my wedding night) as well as the only man I slept with in my life! He is the most wonderful man in the world, my best friend and still the sexiest man I have ever seen. Throughout the years and five children, we pretty much fell into a comfortable routine. I grew up while we were married and as I became older (although probably not wiser), I began to have these fantasies about him. He was in the military for 25 years and when he was deployed I would take out my books (which I kind of hid in a box in the closet) and enter the land of exotic fantasy. I think I actually almost devoured them! Since my husband knew I had only been with him, I could not figure out how to tell him about some of my fantasies without having him wonder where in the heck I had come up with them.

I decided to bring my books out of the closet and place them on my bedside table. The first time he saw them he glanced at them but did not say anything. I, in turn, probably turned about 20 shades of red. I waited for a few nights and then I mumbled to him about how some of these sex scenes did not seem possible. He mumbled back something like "it seems like it might be possible." It was only a few days later that he suggested (this time he had the red face) that just to "appease" my curiosity, we could try a few of the scenes I was talking about. That's all I needed and I was off!! It did not take long before we both felt like two kids in a candy store and how sweet it all was! Ellora's Cave gave me the courage and ideas about how to make our marriage so much fun and so very, very exciting!!

10th Anniversary Contest Round Two

We received so many wonderful responses to our 10th anniversary contest "How Has Ellora's Cave Improved Your Sex Life?" that we have to run them in batches for voting. So for the next few weeks, we'll post a few at a time and you can vote for the winner in each batch. Then we'll re-run each winner as a semi-finalist for a final voting round. The winner of each round will win a free ebook of her (or his) choice. The grand prize winner will receive a netbook computer!

Congratulations to Linda, who won the first round Readers' Poll with her short and sweet gettin' busy on the pool table entry. She wins a free ebook of her choice and goes on to the finalist round, where she is eligible to win the grand prize, a netbook computer!
Here are the Round Two Entries:

Barbara

I am a stay-at-home mother to two young children, aged 5 & 3. I help run our family business from our home while caring for the children and running the household. My husband works 12-hour days--my time and attention are constantly in demand. The only time I get to myself is a few nights a week when I can take a long soak in the tub and read. I love Romantica®--it helps me to relax and transports me to another place and time, while giving me ideas on how to spend alone time with my husband :) Right now, I am reading The Breeds series by Lora Leigh. The intense attractions, steamy sex scenes and overwhelming love are just what I need at the end of a long day to put me in a relaxed state of mind and give my marriage the attention it deserves.

My attraction to my husband has grown, intensifying our lovemaking and bringing us more pleasure. Being able to relax and think sexy thoughts has improved not only my sex life, but my married life as well.

Erika

My man wants to try everything we read!! Yeah!!

Toi

For you to understand the scope of the change in my life I'll give you a little of my background.

I was raised in a VERY strict, VERY catholic household. You could say that I've had my inhibitions drummed into my head from birth. It was only reinforced when I attended school. Puberty hit me early (10yrs old) and I was blessed with large breasts. Unfortunately the nuns didn't think so, and I was forced to tie them down daily (Ace bandage). It got to the point that as I got older I thought there had to be something wrong with me. I was a bookworm and really a geek (but with a body that could kill, I'm told) but I was ultra shy. That shyness stuck with me. I eventually married and was a virgin until then.

He was very conservative and our sex life was almost obligatory for me. I didn't enjoy sex, and didn't have a clue what an orgasm was but I was sure it was only for the "naughty girls." We divorced after nine years of marriage and by that time I figured the BIG O was a myth. I used books as my escape from everyday life. I already enjoyed romance novels but after my divorce I was really disillusioned with them. So the next time I was in Borders I checked out the other selections. The Ellora's Cave cover picture caught my eye. So I said "what the hell" and picked it up. I didn't even read the back of the book as was my wont (truly adventurous for me).

I got home that night and followed my regular routine; helped my children with homework, prepared supper, bathed kids, prayers and then tucked them in. I even did a couple loads of laundry and cleaned up around the house. I finally settled down, made a pot of tea, turned on some classical music and sat down with my book Double Trouble by A. James.

Wow!!!!!!

That book was like foreplay! For the first time in my life I was aroused and by a book. I'd been married and had three children but I had never felt like I did after reading just a portion of that book. I was an eye-opening experience. I went to work the next day and it was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes and my inhibitions! My imagination was working overtime on a couple of my coworkers who flirted with me constantly. I'd been putting them off, but now the thoughts in my head were anything but off putting...lol. I decided that the book wasn't bad, and decided to go get another one. (I'm a fast reader, 916 words a minute.)

I picked up two that time, with the same results. I thought if they can do it why not me? I was tired of being the "nice" girl, I was lonely and I finally realized that I'm entitled to a life too! So I decided to take a chance and I invited the gentlemen from work to my house for dinner...both of them. My plan was to seduce them. Mind you...I had NO idea what I was doing but with my newfound confidence I was doing it anyway!

I'd sent the kids to their aunt's house for the weekend so that wasn't a concern. I was as ready as I was going to get. I'd prepared dinner. I wore a silky blouse with ample cleavage and it was light enough you couldn't fail to see my nipples, especially as excited and scared as I was. I also wore silk pants that were easy to remove. Like I said, I was going to be naughty if it killed me.

When my doorbell rang, I almost passed out I was so nervous. But surprisingly the evening went well. I thought I'd be uncomfortable but the guys put me at ease...sort of. The constant casual touches were anything but casual. I was on fire. They asked me what brought on the change in attitude? I went to the book shelf and pulled out my Ellora's Cave collection. Ironically, they picked Double Trouble to skim through. By this time I squirming in my chair, my panties were soaked and I was panting. They decided that since that book caused my "transformation" then they were going to act out the sex scenes in the book for me. OH MY GOD!!! (Both men were built like Greek gods!!)

That night turned into an ENTIRE weekend of glorious sex!!!! I finally had my first orgasm, (they took care of that immediately) I have so much more confidence in myself and my abilities. I realize that there was nothing wrong with me to begin with. I just need the right stimulus and boy did I find it...times two! I'll forever be an Ellora fan!

Melody

Well it has helped me to open up to the passion inside me. I never knew that I have a passionate side until I started reading romance and erotic books. I am the mother of four and a wife of 24 years. But I feel like I just woke up to myself, the real me. I explore the passionate side of me and I enjoy sex (therefore so does my husband). We have enjoyed our sex life more in the last year than ever in my life. If I was a young 20-something, and single, wooooo I could get into all kinds of trouble. See, I told you I am loving it.

10th Anniversary Contest Round One

We received so many wonderful responses to our 10th anniversary contest "How Has Ellora's Cave Improved Your Sex Life?" that we have to run them in batches for voting. So for the next few weeks, we'll post a few at a time and you can vote for the winner in each batch. Then we'll re-run each winner as a semi-finalist for a final voting round. The winner of each round will win a free ebook of her (or his) choice. The grand prize winner will receive a netbook computer!

Here are the Round One Entries:

Linda

Reading EC books has given me several ways to get busy on the pool table! Once we were so busy that we did not take the cover off. Now we got a heavy-duty cover! Lol!


Lisa

Hi! I want to give you a little background information before I tell you how Ellora's Cave has had a tremendous effect on my love life. I have a very hectic, "mommy-can-we-can you-can-they-sleepover" life. My husband retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years, (we have been married for 21 years), we have three active boys…everything from baseball, football games/practice to track practice/events. I work as a teacher's aide at my son's high-school. I spend a lot of my time, sitting around waiting for practice to end, or start. Taxiing my family around from one event to the next, yet I seem to never have time for myself. Confusing isn't it?

I've always loved to read. Anything really but my mother, yes…my mother and I kinda stumbled into reading erotic/romance-type stories when she started chemo last summer. We could sit and talk or read about our favorite characters and who did what to whom. It's great!

I am in an interracial marriage, so of course I wanted to read books that represent my life, my preference if you will. However, I could not find a great variety in popular brick and mortar type book stores in my area. Which led me to the Internet. I stumbled on to Ellora's Cave and I have to say I am hooked! I started reading, "Make It Last" and then "Love Out Loud", and my life has never been the same. I don't just read the Interracial romance books, but it's important to me to have the option. I read the Shape shifter books, and everything in between! My books I must say embarrass my boys when they see them lying around the house, in the van, etc. because of the hot covers. I even hide my books when I have an opportunity to read them at work. LOL My husband likes how the books have kicked up our sex life, and he doesn't want me to stop reading the stories from Ellora's Cave so he purchased my first e-reader. Now I read my Ellora's Cave books everywhere! When someone asks, "What are you reading?" I just say, "Oh it's a romance-type book I got from this site on the Internet." If they are persistent, then I throw out Ellora's Cave. That way, if they really want to know what I'm reading, then they can check out the site for themselves. Who knows, maybe it'll kick up their sex lives a notch, I work with a few women who desperately need it. LOL

I turned 40 last year and it was very hard for me, but the stories from Ellora's Cave, make me feel sexy. Erotic, passionate stories that portray the passion and eroticism that I crave, (and miss) represents us, my husband and I. I know it may sound strange but I dress sexier, added a little sway in my walk, and even my husband reaps the benefits of how these stories make me feel. The stories have given me the courage to visit, and over a period of time given me the nerve to make my first purchase in an adult store. No matter what they say, curiosity did not in any way kill the cat. LOL

I love the ease and eye-catching appeal of the site, I go in, look around, read the excerpts, and make my purchase. Thank you for giving me, and every other woman who needs to escape from the everyday hum-drum life of hurry up and wait, the resources and selection of visually hot sex in black n white. You've made this woman feel special.


Sara

Well there is a lot of room for improvement, let's get that said up front. However in the past I had the most widely varied & wild sex life imaginable, however I ruined that when I got married a dozen years ago! Now in the process of divorcing the son-of-a-beeyuch who screwed everything in cracktown but never his own wife (thank God, really--think of the disease exposure! I don't think they make full-body condoms, do they?) however if it weren't for my imagination, I would not have had sex at all for the last 10 years or so, and in all actuality haven't. Hopefully there is a market out there for bitter, deprived, overweight 40+ women who need companionship, let's say. However, to get back to the topic, EC has given me countless fantasies, from Lora Leigh's breeds & threesomes, to Jaid Black's aliens, etc., to every writer you guys publish! All I can say is, if it weren't for my own imagination & the fuel for it that EC has provided over the last long while, I wouldn't have had a sex life at all!! So thank you from the bottom of my heart, EC!!!!


Rebecca

Elloras Cave erotic romance has improved my sex life by giving me the freedom to relax release all my inhibitions and to try anything and everything with my husband. We have been together for over 24 years and married for 21 years. We are still going strong and our sex life just gets better and better. I was brought up by my parents advising that sex before marriage was a taboo and that sex was for the bedroom only. Sex was not a subject to be talked about with anyone, it was a hidden subject.

People should realize it is ok to have sex before marriage as long as all sexual partners are consensual. Ellora’s Cave has changed my and my husband’s sex life for the better. We are not averse to using toys and our motto now is “If it feels good do it!”

Thanks to Ellora’s Cave and to your wonderful authors.

10th Anniversary Judges' Choice Winner: How Has EC Improved Your Sex Life?

Congratulations to Amy S. for winning the Judges' Choice Award in the write-in portion of Ellora's Cave's 10th anniversary contest! We asked readers to tell us how Ellora's Cave books have improved their sex lives, and boy did we get some fantastic answers!

It was a very difficult choice, but after much wrestling, slapping, pinching and hair-pulling among the judges, the winner has emerged. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did.

In the coming weeks, we will be running the remaining entries for you to vote on, so stay tuned!

How Ellora's Cave Has Improved My Sex Life

by Amy S.

This is actually a very easy question to answer but it takes a little bit of set up to do so. First, my husband and I are (or were) in our late 20s at the time I first started reading EC religiously. We were getting ready to try to start making a baby (yay) and I was very excited about the whole prospect. Nobody actually tells you that when you are trying to make a baby the sex actually becomes really boring and repetitive. You become wrapped up in checking ovulation and the maximum positions for fertilization and you end up dreading bedtime because you are going to have to lie on your back for a certain amount of time that is recommended…blah blah blah....

One thing that EC reminded me was that sex is actually an expression of the passion that you feel for your partner but it can also take reality and turn it into fantasy. The same old routine can REALLY be spiced up with a little dirty talk or spanking during sex and my husband has even enjoyed it when I have read passages out of some of the books to him. Granted he is not too keen on the threesome scenes that include more than one male but, of course, would love for us to try almost everything else that I have read about. So far we have only hedged into the possibilities of what can happen and that makes me love reading these books. It gives me the freedom to know that other women out there have the same fantasies and desires that I have.

EC gave me back my passion for my husband when I had started to take it for granted. I was energized by the raw law scenes that would play out in my head when reading and it made bedtime MUCH more fun. We actually had a very hard time creating the baby we had tried so hard for, and after two unfortunate tragedies we became parents in Feb 09 to a beautiful little girl. I still read EC more now than ever to make sure we keep the spice where it needs to be. I would dread becoming one of those women that says her sex life fades when the kids start showing up and I can see how it can easily happen. so in a nutshell…EC keeps me sane. keep ‘em coming.

Reporting From Muscle Beach

Sometimes my job is so hard! Take yesterday, our nation's day of independence. Everyone celebrating and poor me on the job, slaving over the hot bodies at a Muscle Beach bodybuilding exhibition. I had to elbow my way through throngs of panting women to get a few shots for our dear readers. While in Los Angeles, we met with an actor and former body builder who shall remain unnamed. He told us it is not true that steroids used by bodybuilders reduce the size of certain, ahem, parts of the anatomy. Of course, I don't know if these fellow use such steroids, but if they do, you can judge for yourself the effect on said anatomical bits.

The last two pictures are shots of the house and the beautiful Venice canal where it sits, a mere 5-minute walk from Muscle Beach. Don't you think the company should buy it for me so I can keep you fully informed of events there?

Hear Jaid Black

You can hear Ellora’s Cave founder Jaid Black, cover model CJ Hollenbach and author Jane Rylon Tuesday, 7pm EDT (11pm UTC) June 2 on Blog Talk Radio’s Publishing Insiders show, hosted by Author Marketing Experts. The show is titled "It's Getting Hot in Here -- Erotica Equals Hot Books and Even Hotter Sales."


Here’s what Author Marketing Experts Inc. is saying about the show: “Steamy novels and cover boy hunks have given publishing a much-needed shot in the arm. Learn how the Erotic Romance genre is just exploding. Learn about the skyrocketing sales and the methods erotica authors and publishers use to find their audience. And -- wonder how those handsome hunks end up on the cover? We'll find out how they get there and what it's like to be on the cover of one of the hottest selling books around!”

To listen to the show, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders or call 347-838-9387. They’ll also be live tweeting the show via @bookgal and @paulaatame

This Could Be You!

This lucky lady is Rebecca Pressley with Ellora's Caveman cover model Angelo. She was the high bidder for the expense-paid trip to RomantiCon 2009 we donated last year to Brenda Novak’s auction to benefit juvenile diabetes. Once again, we are donating loads of great things to attract bidders! So treat yourself to something special and do a good deed. Bidding ends May 31!


Expense-Paid Trip to RomantiCon 2010
An expense-paid trip (includes airfare within continental U.S., hotel, meals and conference admission) to RomantiCon 2010, where Ellora’s Cave and Cerridwen Press readers, authors and aspiring authors come together to share their passion for romance novels. Conference takes place October 7-10 in Richfield, Ohio. This year includes a Roaring ‘Twenties theme party and a special celebration of Ellora’s Cave’s 10th anniversary. This item also includes an mp3 player loaded with 10 Ellora’s Cave audiobooks to enjoy on your way to the convention! This is THE ONLY ONE available!!

Tour of Ellora’s Cave, Lunch with the Editors and a Basket of Books
This package includes a tour of Ellora’s Cave headquarters in Akron, OH, lunch with the editors AND a gift basket filled with books!
Please note, this package does not offer travel expenses.
Expiration date on the tour is May 31, 2013. If the highest bidder can not do the tour, we will still send a gift basket filled with books and a gift certificate for lunch on us.

Editorial Manuscript Evaluation
Ellora’s Cave editor will critique of the first 15,000 words of your unpublished romance or erotic romance manuscript.
Submission must be made by October 31st, 2010.
**NOTE: This is not a complete line edit, and it does not guarantee a sale or representation.

Professional Copy/Line Edit
A professional copy/line edit of your entire manuscript (any genre), to be performed by one of their copy editors. This is a great way for an author to make your manuscript as clean as possible before submitting to an agent or editor.
Manuscript must be sent by October 31st, 2010.
**NOTE: Winning this read does not guarantee a sale or representation.

Ellora's Cave Painted the Town Red

By all accounts, Ellora's Cave's Paint the Town Red party at RT BookLovers Convention was a huge success. For a few incriminating photos, check out Editor in Chief Kelli Collins' twitpics here, EC author Samantha Kane's here and Shelli Stevens here. Let me know if you find more, and I'll post links. In the meantime, enjoy some pics below from Samantha Kane, aka @skaneauthor.

 Cavemen are always the main attraction.

(Above) Our fearless leader, CEO Patty Marks, EiC Kelli Collins and  Publisher Raelene Gorlinsky.
(Below) Francesca Hawley waves amid a sea of red partiers, Kristin Daniels looking fab in red satin, Samantha Cayton & Dalton Diaz hanging out, staffer Valeri Plucinski paints M.A. Ellis red.

Good Luck to Passionate Plume Finalists!

Wow, Ellora's Cave authors made an impressive showing as finalists in RWA Passionate Ink Passionate Plume contest!
Congratulations and good luck to them all! If you haven't read these books, you might want to beat the rush and pick them up now.


Contemporary:

Kelly Jamieson - Rigger

Alek likes to tie up women. As a rigger, he’s into the aesthetics of bondage—the pattern of rope against skin, the marks left in tender flesh—but he also likes the high of being in control and, yeah, it turns him on. When Alek needs a model to complete the photographs for his book on rope bondage, he asks his friend Shaela.

Shaela has known Alek since high school, and while she disapproves of his kinky sexual habits, he’s a friend and she agrees to help. She’s not prepared for the experience of being tied up. Being bound and helpless releases her from her everyday problems—her slave-driver boss, her unsatisfying career and her derogatory father. She’s also helplessly aroused.
So is Alek. He sees how Shaela loves being bound, even though she doesn’t want to admit it, and proposes they explore it together. Intrigued but nervous, Shaela agrees. Neither of them expects to learn the things they do about each other—and about themselves. And neither of them expects to fall in love.

Historical:

Debra Glass - Bad Kitty

Bram Barclay is the scandal of London society, sought out by ladies of the ton who enjoy his brand of pleasurable punishments. That’s why he cannot comprehend why innocent Miss Katrina Hartford has disguised herself as Kitty Hartley, taking a position as a maid at his estate. When he attempts to ferret out her secret, he finds her a willing servant, indeed.

No one knows scathing social columnist Alistair Allenby is Kitty’s nom de plume—or that she’s writing an article to expose Bram. But as she submits to his torturous toys, it’s Kitty who is exposed, indulging her unspoken desires to find true freedom, power…and love.
Reader Advisory: While not a true depiction of a BDSM lifestyle, Bad Kitty contains its share of tantalizing taboos. And spankings. Lots and lots of spankings.

Debra Glass - Bought and Paid For

Unable to support herself and her beloved servants, Widow Carrie Hatcher contemplates the unthinkable—offering her services for money. Forced to board wounded Colonel Wesley McEwen in her home, Carrie vows to make the striking Confederate soldier her first “client”.

But Carrie gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to comply with Wesley’s every illicit request for one week. Throughout long, sultry nights, Wesley tutors Carrie in every position, every skill, of her illicit new trade. From dark taboos to pleasurable punishments, Carrie becomes his willing pupil.
Passions inflamed, the couple becomes more scandalously intimate but Carrie realizes she wants to give him far more than just her body. The colonel, however, may be too haunted by his past to risk accepting more than he’s bought and paid for.

Francesca Hawley - Seeking Truth

Baron Eaduin Kempe, a man of intense passions, seeks a healer at a nearby abbey. When the abbess introduces convent-raised Lady Vérité de Sauigni, he knows he’s hellbound for desiring her. He wants to tie her to his bed until she sobs with the pleasure of his touch.

Eaduin offers Vérité marriage in exchange for easing the pain of his dying foster mother. Years ago, Vérité secretly watched Baron Eaduin arouse a lover and has dreamed of his touch ever since. She desires him enough to risk exchanging the imprisonment of convent life for that of marriage. On their wedding night, Eaduin craves dominance and Vérité submits with enthusiasm. Each heated encounter thereafter binds them closer together.
When Vérité’s father accuses her of witchcraft because she won’t use her psychic gift of seeing truth to aid him, she begs Eaduin to kill her so she doesn’t suffer. Instead, Eaduin challenges her father to trial by combat, determined to save the woman who owns both his passion and his heart.

Futuristic/SciFi/Fantasy:

Allyson James - Calder

Book Five, Tales of the Shareem

Calder is Shareem. Genetically created to be the ultimate in sexual pleasure. A level three, he’s mysterious, rough, dangerous. That was before an experiment gone wrong at the DNAmo lab…
Now Calder is something else. He is The Beast. A being women fear even as they beg to be “hunted” in his pleasure palace. And he gives his clients everything they want and more, his sexual skills legendary, his waiting list long…until Katarina.
As a highborn woman, Katarina should shun all Shareem. Yet the compassionate young doctor works in Pas City, one of Bor Narga’s worst slums, voluntarily treating all lower classes. And Shareem are considering the lowest of the low. One taste of Calder, however, and she wants more than sex with The Beast—she wants the love of Calder the man.
Suddenly Calder is feeling emotions he’s never known. But even if he can overcome the pain of his past at DNAmo, an obsessed client could steal away Katarina’s love before he has a chance to return it.

Jory Strong - Fallon Mates: Zoe's Gift

A book in the Fallon Mates series.

One look at the human female who is his match and the mating fever of the Vesti ignites in Miciah, making it impossible for him to deny what he wants. To go to Earth and claim her, he must choose an Amato co-mate. For him there is only one choice, the bisexual Iden. It’ll mean breaking the cultural taboos of the Vesti, but for Zoë, he and Iden will become lovers.
Miciah intends to keep his sexual relationship with Iden a secret as they take Zoë together. Iden has other ideas. What neither of them can know is they’ve starred in Zoë’s dreams for a week, so when they show up in her reality, she welcomes the chance to explore their fantasies—and her own.
Miciah and Iden may have come to Earth to claim a mate, but taking her home with them will change Belizair forever.

Michelle Polaris - Bound Odyssey

The year is 2067 and Earth is self-destructing from environmental cataclysms. A portal to a new world is ripped open and refuge there is Earth’s only hope. Enter Jace, cowboy diplomat, who is preparing for the negotiation of a lifetime. A sexually conflicted alpha male, he hates everything with a cock, especially himself. The last thing Jace expects is to fall in love with both a woman and a man.

His dark history presents the ultimate challenge to Mira and Roman, the sexual Dominant team hired to prepare Jace for the female-dominant culture of the new world. Tragedy has made Mira distrust her Mistress abilities. Survival is her priority, and she resists her deep attraction to Jace’s haunted eyes and sculpted body.
Roman, however, falls hard and fast for Mira and Jace, ready to honor Mira as his Mistress and force Jace to recognize him as Master. Bound in one another’s chains and pushed to the limits of arousal and pain, they must outrun sabotage and conspiracy to find salvation for their bodies, souls and hearts.

Paranormal/Time Travel:

Francesca Hawley - Protect and Defend

Mikaela Laughlin discovers a whole new world, and an entirely new species, when she tours the crime lab to meet Lieutenant Diarmid Redwolf while researching her next book. She’s lusted after “Delicious Diarmid” from afar for a long time, but meeting him sets her body on fire. It doesn’t take long for Mikaela to discover there’s more to Diarmid than meets the eye. He is far more delicious up close than she ever dreamed.

Diarmid has bad guys to catch, but one look at the voluptuous writer has him wanting to catch her instead. His shapeshifter blood recognizes his True Mate and he wants her naked body arching beneath his. Now. But with a cold-blooded serial killer on the loose, Diarmid has one shot at his future and he will not fail. Because this time, the killer wants Mikaela.

Novella:

Jayne Rylon - Phoenix Incantation

Amystia didn’t think anything could be hotter than five-thousand wild years of passion with the most powerful vampire on Earth. Then she and her mate, King Dagan, began a steamy affair with his closest advisor. Threesomes with her two lovers were never supposed to be more than fun but, somehow, both her and Dagan’s feelings have blossomed into something deeper than respect and friendship for Warren.

As they are on the cusp of proposing a more permanent relationship, a terrible accident destroys all plans for the future. Dagan’s life hangs in the balance. In a desperate bid to save him, Amystia and Warren invoke ancient magic through a steamy ritual. If they fail, they’ll all be doomed to eternal darkness. If they succeed, can their eternal love rise from the ashes?