This week, please join me in welcoming multi-published Canadian author, Dawne Dominique!
I would like to thank Jon for having all of us Gremlin authors as guests on his blog. He and I met in our writing forum, and I was immediately drawn to his writing. He’s a very talented author, and a wonderful friend as well – thank you, Jon.
Okay, a little bit about myself:
For those who don’t know me, my name is Dawné Dominique, and I’m a managing editor for loveyoudivine, a cover artist for four publishers, and a published author myself in the genres of erotic romance, paranormal and fantasy. I’ve worn many hats throughout my life: I was a paralegal for seventeen years before resigning to pursue my lifelong passion of being writer; I’m a mother to a beautiful twenty-seven year old daughter, and a wife to the same tall, dark and handsome man for almost thirty years. I love anything chocolate, and I could eat pizza morning, noon and night (and I confess, I have done so).
My first published novel was Ridley’s Rival, a modern-day western released through loveyoudivine, and is included in a print anthology called Cowboys available at:
www.loveyoudivine.com – and – www.amazon.com
Gremlins, An Anthology is a different type of novel. Now, I know a lot of people have read the title and scratched their heads. Let me clarify here that this book is not about erotic gremlins, but rather their human counterparts. Almost every genre is represented: horror, dark and classical fantasy, comedy, and paranormal (vampire).
When S.D. Grady first approached me to write a “gremlin” tale, I was a little confused. I couldn’t think of one thing erotic or romantic about those little creatures, and when I made a joke about a gremlin being a vibrator, a story began brewing inside my brain. Yes — that space between my ears is a scary place to be. Thus, Bonamy & Clyde was born.
Bonamy Parker is borderline OCD. Her need to be in absolute control is evident in her ultimate bitch approach in everything she does both in her personal and professional life. When little things begin to go wrong with her appliances, like her precious espresso machine, she assumes it’s a faulty kitchen gadget. When her vibrator begins acting up, she passes it off as a bad batch of batteries, not knowing that a little gremlin is to blame.
Clyde Barrow has just recently moved to Seattle from Vancouver. He doesn’t know a lot of people in the city, but the beautiful neighbor who lives next door has him drooling. When he finally gets the nerve to talk to her, Bonamy shoots him down in flames leaving him singed and confused.
Dipuc is a mischievous gremlin matchmaker with a very unique power, which he is not allowed to use — at least, not quite yet. Although born to be evil, there is a flaw of goodness in Dipuc – and that imperfection gets him cast him out of Danté’s Abyss, but another higher power takes him in.
Typical of any gremlin, anything electrical draws Dipuc like a bee to honey. When he begins to have some fun with both Bonamy and Clyde’s electrical appliances in an effort to bring them together, he’s forgotten that using his unique magic during a thunderstorm can cause absolute havoc. Fleeing their respective apartments, Bonamy and Clyde come together and discover they both have been experiencing the same troubles. From there… Well, you’ll just have to read to find out more.
The reviews I’ve received have all commented on one thing — the strong comedic aspects of the novel. I wanted to write something that would give readers some chuckles, as well as having to take a cold shower.
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=608
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Bonamyandclyde.html
Excerpt from Bonamy & Clyde:
From the fiery depths of Dante’s Abyss, high domain of all malice and evil, the tiny, insufferable minion roused into existence. He flexed shoulders covered in newly birthed flesh of yellow-green, soft and pliable like lavied gold. Claws extended, scratching at the womb, testing its strength, its resistance. Cognizance came slow, but with it, understanding. Mischief ruled him, yes, but corruptness, the true unwavering evil that governed his kind was absent.
Mannerch the Maker sensed the imminent flaw. Sneering in contempt, he snarled at the bundle of waste lying near his cloven feet. “Your purpose is tainted.” Crimson eyes glowed with the licking flames of his dominion.
“So be it,” the gremlin murmured, waiting for the inevitable. A curved talon brushed across the viscous wall of the cocooned sanctuary that held him. A small tear caught the tip of a claw, and hope flared hotter than the bowels of perdition whence he came.
Light ricocheted inside his cell, pulsing with a heat so unlike the flames he’d been born into. Howls of frustration erupted from Mannerch, but soon, those cries faded to nothingness. The gremlin cowered, shielding sensitive eyes against the stark effulgence of his incubator. When a new voice spoke, the creature’s shivers subsided, and a cadence of love and understanding enfolded the cold, fragile body.
“All creatures deserve a chance at life. It is what you do with that life which is important. Devil’s minion, I name you Dipuc. Go forth and wreak your mischievous havoc, but so shall you serve my side.”
Good and evil collided then, a kaleidoscope of life, death and something in between. Thus, Dipuc the Gremlin transcended to the world of humankind–created in hell, but guided by the hand of another.
(Pssst…spell Dipuc backwards)
** Recently released
Blurb:
Amy Radcliff took the job as a paid escort for Cream of the Crop Escort Service to help pay off her accumulating student loans. In her final year of corporate law, they need to be paid off—and soon. After a girlfriend tells her how much money she can make as a paid escort, Amy jumps at the opportunity. Faced with her first client, who is drop-dead gorgeous, and rich, Amy begins to realize that perhaps she’s not cut out for the job…or is she? Available at: www.loveyoudivine.com
Excerpt from Amy:
At the request of the client, she wore a fitted black suit jacket and matching skirt with a modest hemline a few inches above slender, shapely knees. Red stiletto heels, no nylons, and a matching handbag added a risqué touch to the apparel, but still kept it professional looking. Flaxen-streaked hair twisted tight into a French bun made her feel awkward, but whatever the client requested, Patrice’s girls delivered. Amy thought she looked more like an uptight executive secretary than a paid escort, and she was thankful for the guise. No one in the hotel could have suspected what she was there to do.
Taking a deep breath, and running a tongue over lips that sported just a hint of color, she knocked on the hotel door.
“Come in,” a sonorous male voice called out.
Amy’s heart beat like a bongo drum. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she waited for the click of a lock before gripping the door handle with sweaty palms and entering.
Thick, brocade drapes covered a large wall-to-wall window across from the entrance.
She squinted in the dimness, her eyes slowly adjusting to the diffused gloom. On her right, a large sunken sitting room displayed an expensive settee and a bar. Large oriental vases filled with freshly cut flowers stood scattered around the room. It smelled like heaven, and little bit of her fear disappeared. Any man that liked fresh bouquets couldn’t be all that bad, right? Movement on her left caught her eye. She stared at the entryway leading into a massive bedroom—and the silhouette of a tall man leaning against the doorframe.
Amy gulped down a gasp. He stood shrouded in shadow, but it wasn’t fright that made her heart beat faster. Her first thought was why this guy would ever need an escort service. He was the most handsome man she’d ever seen, and oddly familiar, as well.
Short, ebony hair layered in soft wisps rested against the nape of a thick, tanned neck. His unbuttoned, white silk shirt revealed a broad, hairless chest and washboard stomach. Black silk lounging pants hung from strong, muscular hips. He was dressed for an evening indoors. So much for dinner, she griped. I should have grabbed something to eat on my way here.
Unable to think of something clever to say, she stood in the foyer, gripping her purse tighter, trying not to gawk.
“I’m not what you expected, I see,” he murmured with a shrug. The deep voice carried a proper, lilting English accent with a cadence that caused goosebumps to rush up and down her spine.
Amy realized too late that her mouth hung open. Trying to gather her wits and look professional, she shook her head and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. I’m…I’m kinda new to this and—”
“Well, that makes two of us.” He paused, and the heat of his stare nailed her to the spot. “As you can see, I’m not really dressed for dinner. I’d rather stay in this evening. The hotel is full of people I’d rather not see. I can order us some dinner, if you wish.” An ebony brow quirked.
Confused, she tried not to blush at the ease in which he read her mind. Is terror written all over my face? He smiled then and the brilliance of his white, even teeth glowed in the darkness of the room. The small gesture eased a little of her discomfort, but only just a tiny bit.
From the distance between them, she could see eyes that were a brilliant blue, a nose regal and Greek-like, and a strong, rugged jaw finished the picture. He looked more like a poster boy for a men’s fashion magazine than a client. Bemused, Amy tried to figure out why she was here. She’d always assumed the men who used escort services were pudgy, married and rich, preferring to have discreet affairs with beautiful women who kept their secrets safe. Why would someone like him have to pay for a woman’s attention?
What I’m working on now:
I have several novels on the go, but I’ve recently returned to a fantasy novel called Tears of San*Ferath (after placing it on the backburner for almost two years). It’s classic fantasy about a strange illness that wipes out all the mage’ic and mage’cial creatures of Allanoria, but 500 years pass before the actual story begins. This is adult fantasy which encompasses dragons, evil battling good, a little naughtiness, and of course…mage’ic. I hope to finish this one in the next month or so.
Eden’s Hell is a different twist of the story of Adam and Lillith, his first wife, and the origin of vampires. I hope to have this novel finished by early next years.
Physical Therapy is a dark, mystery/stalker tale that delves into the underworld of BDSM and sexual therapy.
Well, that’s about all for me, folks. I had a lot of fun sharing my writing with you, and hope to be here again. Thank you so very much for having me, Jon. {{HUGS}}
If you would like to know more about me, please visit me at:
http://dawnedominique.blogspot.com/
Looking for an experienced cover artist? Check out my portfolio:
http://dawnedominique.sampasite.com/
Live, Love and Laugh
