Tell
us a little bit about your newest release.
Palace
of Scoundrels is the second book in my Two Thrones series and a
sequel to Empress of Storms. Which was supposed to be a standalone,
except that so many people asked, “Where’s the sequel” that I
decided to go ahead and write one. Now I have a third book in mind as
well as two novellas, one of which was entirely inspired by Rory
McCann. Whee!
I was definitely delighted when I saw there was a sequel! I can understand people begging for more. Was
there any part of this story you found particularly tough to write?
If so, why?
It’s
fairly intricate from a political point of view. Politics tend to
make my teeth itch so delving into the political game powering the
plot took a fair amount of effort.
Is
there any part of this story you absolutely love, and why?
The
banter. I love writing good banter, and I love using it to show how
Matthias and Danaë have not only remained in love, but grown
comfortable with each other over the months.
Do
you have a favourite genre to write in?
Science
fiction erotic romance. So yeah, this is something of a departure.
I bet! And on that note then, are
there any genres you haven't tried yet that you really want to?
I’m
currently taking a crack at straight historical romance. I’ve done
historical stories before, but always with speculative fiction
elements. My current WIP is set in Weimar Republic-era Berlin, so
doing all the research for that was fascinating.
Oh yeah, I love reading historical biographies, but I've not yet had the nerve to try writing historical fiction. Good luck! Who
are your biggest influences – they don't have to just be literary
ones!
Literary
— Sir Terry Pratchett, Kage Baker, and Madeleine L’engle. For
reader interaction, it’s Jeffrey Combs — he’s long been one of
my favorite actors, and back in 2009 I got the chance to meet him and
speak with him for a half hour. He was utterly charming, gracious,
and put me at my ease, and that’s what I try to give back to anyone
who interacts with me.
If
you could have dinner with any three writers, living or dead, who
would they be?
Sir Terry (he was a personal friend and I miss him), Lewis Carroll, and
Lois McMaster Bujold. Man, that would make for some interesting
dinner conversation.
Are
there any books you can just read over and over again and never get
sick of?
The
Outlander series, Kage Baker’s Company series, the Vorkosigan
series, Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series. Can you guess that
I like series?
If
you could recommend any book (beside your own) to everyone reading
this, what would it be?
Damon
Suede’s Hot Head. Just an absolutely perfect book.
The tough question now. Tea
or coffee?
Neither
— I don’t like hot drinks.
Shocking revelation from Nicola M Cameron! You read it here first. Apart
from writing, what are your great passions in life?
Making
stuff (the maker gene is strong in my family), my delightfully wacky
husband, and environmentalism.
What
else are you working on right now? What's up next from you?
I’m
currently finishing up a MMF historical erotic romance titled Behind
the Iron Cross that’s set in the aforementioned Weimar
Republic-era Berlin. After that I have a dubcon erotic romance titled
Do No Harm, and after THAT is going to be a straight-out sex
comedy set in the court of Louis XIV called The Chevalier. So,
yeah, I pretty much have the rest of 2016 and the beginning of 2017
mapped out.
So now you know a bit more about Nicola, let's take a look at PALACE OF SCOUNDRELS!
Spring
has sprung in the island kingdom of Hellas, and with it come thoughts of young
love and fruitful fields. But with no signs of an occupant for the royal
nursery, Queen Danaë is starting to worry about her own fertility. Her concerns
aren’t helped by the arrival of the legendarily conniving Dowager Queen Atilia
of Illium–or the woman’s handsome grandson Prince Marcus, on the run after
being accused of poisoning his older brother.
In
the neighboring kingdom of Ypres, Danaë’s royal husband Matthias is dealing
with dangerous family politics and a wolfish duke who has kidnapped a young
noblewoman for immoral purposes. Or has he? Can Matthias ward off the threat of
civil war, outwit his relatives, and deal with a charming rival in his wife’s
own palace?
Buy Links
And read on for an excerpt!
Matthias
pulled Danaë into his lap, squeezing her close. She felt his chest rumble in
rueful laughter. “Only you could fall into the ocean, be rescued by pirates,
and wind up haring off with them on a treasure hunt.”
“Oddly
enough, Father said much the same thing,” she admitted. “But it turned into a
wonderful adventure. I even got my favorite tiara out of it, the silver one
with the large pearl.” She’d also earned the unswerving loyalty of Captain
Jason Constantinedes and his crew, who now served as her personal spy network outside
of Hellas. After brief consideration she decided not to mention the days she
had spent as Jason’s willing lover. It was in the past, and she didn’t want
Matthias harboring a grudge against Jason if the captain ever had cause to come
to Hellaspont. “They brought me back home with a wealth of knowledge about
piracy on the high seas. Which is why I know I don’t want to be a pirate
queen.”
“Thank
the gods for that,” Matthias muttered, kissing her hair. “You’re rapacious
enough as it is.”
She
turned so that she could nuzzle under his ear, licking the salty skin there. “I
never heard you complain before.”
“I’m not
complaining now, little bird, merely observing.”
She
hummed, catching his earlobe between her teeth and nibbling on it. “Rapacious,”
she whispered after she let it go. “I like the sound of that.” His breath
caught as she traced spirals on his skin with the tip of her tongue. She could
smell clean sweat, male musk, and something distinctly Matthias underneath it
all. “Would you like me to show you how rapacious I can be?” she teased.
“Another
night, perhaps,” She heard a promise in his voice. “Tonight, milady, I plan on
doing the boarding.”
His arms
tightened around her and he got up with a soft grunt, carrying her to the bed
and dropping her onto the silk coverlet. She bounced with a giggle and rose up
on her elbows, watching avidly as he pulled off his shirt and breeches. Regular
riding and sparring matches with his guard had kept him muscled and firm, and
she could spend hours running her fingers over the curves and dips of his body,
particularly his broad, furred chest. The flickering light from candle and
fireplace transformed the hair there into gold and amber sparks, trailing down
his carved abdomen before spreading into a darker nest of curls around his
rising cock. She rubbed her thighs together, feeling the delicious ache that
always grew between them when he stripped like this for her.
He cupped
himself, squeezing the shaft hard enough to make the sheathed head bulge.
“Still want a statue of me?” he asked, with the cheerful arrogance of a man who
knew he was desired.
She
licked her lips. “More than ever.”
He
glanced down at his swelling flesh and grinned. “You can’t scare me, you know.
I’ve seen the kind of statuary you have in Hellas. I doubt anyone would bat an
eyelash at it.”
“Bat an
eyelash, no. Be violently jealous of me, yes.” It was her turn to tease, and
she took her time unfastening the brooches that held up her gown. She slid the
delicate fabric over one breast, then the other, letting it caress her
hardening nipples. The sensation made her shiver. Cupping one breast, she
rolled the peak between her fingers, imagining his hot, wet mouth around it.
“The question is, what will your future subjects think when they see the statue
of me?”
Matthias
put a knee on the mattress. The movement made the furred sac between his legs
swing a bit, and she reached out to cradle it, enjoying how he shivered at her
touch. “The women will weep from envy, and the men will all fall in love with
you,” he murmured, his voice rough and needy. “And none of them will ever have
you.”
“No, they
won’t,” she breathed, letting him push her onto her back. The ache between her
hips grew, turning into a slow, sweet throb. “Only you, my love.
BIO
Nicola Cameron is
an expatriate Chicagoan who has lived in England, Canada, Holland, and Sweden,
and keeps a confusing amalgamation of languages in her head as a result.
Currently located in the clavicle of Texas, she has finally mastered the proper
use of "y'all," much to her Chicago family's dismay.
Despite a healthy
interest in sex since puberty, it wasn't until 2012 that Nicola decided to try
writing about it. As it turned out, the skills she picked up during her SF
writing career transferred rather nicely to erotic romance. When not writing,
she wrangles cats, smooches her husband, makes dolls of dubious and
questionable identity, and thanks almighty Cthulhu that she doesn’t have to
work for a major telecommunications company any more (because there’s BDSM, and
then there’s just plain torture...).
Thanks so much for having me on today, Naomi!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
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