Let's Talk Yearning

 

Buy Surrender to Love HERE

By Sascha Illyvich

My latest acceptance for Decadent Publishing isn't actually for the 1NS series, though it started out that way.  I wanted to create a story dealing more with yearning and unresolved love issues, rather than a simple, tired out hookup and I thought the vehicle of Madame Eve provided something unique, given that I think of her more as a lifestyle, than a high end match making service.

The original heroine of that story and all my 1NS tales are in fact based on people I've known or currently have a relationship of sorts with.  At times, depending on the depth of emotion put into those relationships, I yearn for them. 

Funny, I never take flack for said yearning as a man.  In fact, my readers find it rather sweet that I'm willing to bare my emotions for unnamed, yet real people in my books.  Surrender to Love was no exception.  I couldn't write myself into that story, I've already (as many authors do) done that numerous times on accident and found myself scratching my head when I looked back at the story and wondered how that happened.

Yet this woman, Livia, is based on someone very dear to me, whom I yearn for more than she'll ever know; if only to yearn, for a happy ending to her rough life.  I believe she's on the way to claiming her own power but a short story about a male submissive who comes to show her a different side of strength and what that really means couldn't hurt.

I think the line itself encourages a healthy dose of new beginnings, something many of our readers may sympathize with.  That is our goal sometimes as writers, to get out the message of hope, especially in romance.  It's hard, oftentimes a struggle considering what occurs in our real lives, but we persist.  Just from the career standpoint, rejection, frustration, inability to write, difficulty meeting deadlines due to real life, all of those things get in the way of writing truly fantastic stories for readers to enjoy.  Yet we persist, under the hope that some reader will do like many of you, and give us a kudo, a kind word, a thank you or even a dollar for our books, showing us you understand the reader/author contract.

I'd go so far as to say we yearn for each other, because without readers we'd just have writers.  That would be boring don't you think?  HA!

To read Livia's story, pick it up at Decadent Publishing, Amazon or All Romance E-books!

In order to cure the dreaded creative rut she’s in, Livia ends up in Las Vegas by suggestion from her therapist.  Oh and there’s a catch.  Livia has been set up to have a one night stand with a very handsome man who promises her freedom through submission.  Can she surrender to more than just passion?

Inspiration and Crazy Adventures

Buy The Playground HERE

By Sascha Illyvich

When I started my next submission for Decadent Publishing's 1NS line, currently titled "Dark Knight" I knew I needed to work in the obvious elements of a good story, plus the elements of the line to get them to bite. 

The inspiration for my hopeful came from the same place I get all my creative story ideas from.  Yes, personal experience plays a part in all of this.  In my hopeful for Decadent, I modeled the character after all my 1NS heroines, choosing to use someone close to me.  She'll remain nameless but let's say she is well aware of all the hot sex in the story, even going so far as to get the good parts from me and share them with a group of people she KNOWS will buy this story once Decadent contracts it.

You can see my ego knows no bounds, right?

My previous 1NS book Menage Bound, Siddella and Jason actually are based on people too but to be honest, Jason sort of snuck in.  I won't say where I know this swarthy Latino from or what cigars he smokes, but I can say that I pumped him up in size, stature and dominance so the real Jason (if that was his name) and the story Jason (that IS his real name) aren't all that easy to compare.

Buy Menage Bound HERE

All of the stories I've crafted for Decadent have a similar theme and for once it's NOT redemption.  While that does play a part in The Playground it's not the overall theme.  Trust is. 

In all three stories a choice must be made.  Trust myself to try a new thing, or trust that my life will continue to suck if I go about things the way I have been. I've been fascinated by human kind ever since coming to terms with the recent fact that I apparently am not superman, and watching, putting these experiences into stories helps me draw some sort of closure on life, as I'm sure it helps others to understand me . It also serves for the fantasy background of so many readers looking for an escape. 

Buy Surrender to Love HERE

Siddella had to let go and trust Jason and Chase to deliver what they promised they could.  Livia had to trust herself to grow with the help of Bruce, in Surrender to Love.  And of course we've talked about Devon and Shelly's trust issues.

So, dear reader, I ask you this:  Will you trust me to provide you with a brief, yet eloquently steamy love story published by the fine folks at Decadent Publishing?  Each word has been selected for its use in choice cuts of the story, with loving care, hand crafted from me to you via our seamless delivery system?

Freedom Through Submission

Buy The Playground HERE!

By Sascha Illyvich

In all my 1Night Stand stories, the heroine tends to submit, giving of herself to the man in charge with hopes of a higher degree of love.  Since the stories are short, love is a hard bit to portray but I try my best and hopefully have hooked readers into my world, where I have much longer stories awaiting you.

The thing about submission, straight up is that it is NOT a weakness.  Submissive people are far from doormats, we cannot express this ideal enough.  I as a dominant am merely an actor, portraying a God, a figure, an Idol that controls, but the fact is, in this Lifestyle, in my stories, the true power is held by the submissives.

Buy HERE

Yet what is that power given to them by their so called gods?  In Surrender toLove, the outcome is hopefully one where Livia learns to find her own inner power, thus freeing her of her creative block.  She also seeks as an artist to understand the human condition from a powerful position, and from the experience of an oddball in her world.

A male submissive.

That's right, Bruce is the opposite of that poseur, Christian Grey (from 50 Shades infamy) in that he's giving over true power to someone else, while seeking release from his hectic life and past.  Also, unlike Grey, Bruce is a REAL master of his world, hence why he feels comfort in coming to Livia through the 1Night Stand series.   They form a harmony in his education of her on true power, and the scene I chose, having her face the window while only wearing lingerie and being tied to a chair, emphasizes the beginning of trust.  Romance novels are after all, the epitome of the heroine's journey, which is about trust.  When Livia allows this handsome, well dressed man to show her the ropes, literally and figuratively, she is allowing us a glimpse of who she can be, and showing herself what the pinnacle of her life could be.

Enjoy the excerpt, hopefully you'll pick up the story and come begging back for me…er, more.  

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Giving Yourself Over

by Sascha Illyvich

How easily are you tempted?  Are you one who understands the pain/pleasure concept that speakers like Anthony Robbins apply to humanity?  Did you ever stop to think about that in a sexual context? 

Livia, in my 1Night Stand - Surrender to Love hasn't, at least not until her therapist suggests she learn to find control from within.  As an artist, she must learn to look outside her inner world of fear and agoraphobic behavior to find more beauty and inspiration.  The human being can only live vicariously for so long before life becomes boring and routine.  Livia must learn like many of us that through denial, we cause ourselves pain but if we're willing to go the extra mile and push past what seems like pain, we can find immense pleasure.  Trust is the key issue in this story, as is the exploration of true freedom.  Imagine being tied down with only words that would be obeyed.  Being spread open and kissed by your lover as he has you tied down and only your words and responses can control the situation. 

This is the position Livia finds herself in after arranging to meet with someone using 1Night Stand.  But her partner holds a secret too. 

In order to cure the dreaded creative rut she’s in, Livia ends up in Las Vegas by suggestion from her therapist.  Oh and there’s a catch.  Livia ‘s been set up to have a one night stand with a very handsome man who promises her freedom through submission.  Can she surrender to more than just passion? 

I based this story on a real life heroine who is near and dear to my heart.  Her presence made writing the story easier because I merely had to think about being in her shoes.  Online and off, I'm such an enormous presence that sometimes I forget what it's like to be who I used to be.  Shy, far from outgoing and in short, very reclusive.  By my very nature as the Bad Boy of Romance, I place trust where it's needed, have fun as required, and flirt often.  There's usually a large dose of drinking involved to help loosen tensions of meeting new people.

Livia only has a few drinks to start with, and then she goes to bed.  One of the rare times when I wrote a character who didn't drink like I do, modifying the character to meet the needs of the story became a breeze.  The culture shock from Colorado to Las Vegas swam around her head until Bruce stepped into the picture and, just like a larger than life God, offered her a choice.  A very sensual choice.

Just like The Playground, the previous 1Night Stand I wrote, the reader is promised one hell of a sexy read. 

Sascha Illyvich