Must-read romances: 'Tempest,' 'Twisted Vows of Seduction,' 'Total Eclipse'

Join me every week as I share a few shout-outs on romance author goings-on, related events and recommended reads.

It's erotica with a touch of suspense and drama!

Catching up with Shakir Rashaan and his latest release, Tempest …

Michelle: What three to four things/people are you thankful for and would do the happy dance of appreciation for?

Shakir: That's easy:

First is my Beloved, the second is a combination of my son and daughter, and the third is a combination of my parents and my sister. They have been the ability for me to stay grinding and continue to move forward. Everyone has to have a base to launch from … those are mine.

Michelle: Why is Atlanta such a great setting for your series (Chronicles of the Nubian Underworld)?

Shakir: Atlanta is a vibrant and uniquely busy locale. With all of the transplants that come to call the A "home," it gives it an international and all-encompassing feel. It's not New York, or Los Angeles, but there's a reason why things happen down here a lot of the time.

And, of course, the main reason is that I'm an ATLien (shout-out to OutKast) … I'm going to write about home base, period.

Michelle: Outside of research on BDSM, what other research did you have to do for Tempest?

Shakir: I did extensive research on the zoning laws and purchasing of the actual island like I had the money to do it. The island that is featured in Tempest actually exists (including the purchase price). Everything else, from the furniture and toys and apparatus, to the setup of the island, to the logistics of getting everyone to and from the island, that took a lot of work to bring to fruition.

Michelle: What would you like the buzz to be for Tempest?

Shakir: The buzz I would like to be about Tempest is for readers to be so hyped about the newest installment that they can't help but tell friends, tell associates and co-workers … I want the storm to SURGE! Considering that I plan to extend the series beyond Tempest, I want the buzz to swarm through as many circles as can be had. My series is still one of the most unique in the erotica market, and the fact that I throw a lot of suspense and intrigue into the fray, it keeps people engaged, trust me. LOL!

Michelle: What philosophies or cultures do you like to intertwine in this series and with any other works?

Shakir: Everyone who's ever followed me or read any of my books knows that I'm steeped deeply inside the Egyptian culture and polyamorous philosophy. Those are the cultures and philosophies that are nearest and dearest to me. Yes, I do play with monogamy to a degree in my story lines, but that doesn't last too long. LOL!

Michelle: What is your pet peeve(s) for books with BDSM themes?

Shakir: OMG, where do I start? (Warning: I may get on my soapbox.)

From the romanticized phrase, "submission is a gift," and, "if you want my submission, you will earn it," it has me scratching my head wondering, "who in the hell is really in control here?" D/s and M/s relationships, by design, are unequal, not egalitarian, which is how a lot of fiction has been reading lately. (Disclaimer: This is coming from Shakir, the reader, so, don't think I'm bashing other authors with this perverse mind-set that I'm ticked because I'm not getting as much attention or sales, m'kay? I actually DO the things I write about!)

BDSM romances and the authors that write them are almost counterproductive when it comes to how BDSM relationships actually ARE within the real-time communities. To let BDSM romances tell it, every Dominant is like Christian Grey, or Damien Cross, and, seriously speaking, those dudes would get laughed out of the circles that I move in with the quickness.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some DAMN good ones out there, but unfortunately, the "machine" drowns those voices out with more marketable material, otherwise, I believe they would get more attention and acclaim (Annabel Joseph, Tymber Dalton, Cherise Sinclair, and my man Sascha Illyvich come to my immediate mind, and even my lifestyle "niece," Areya K. Branxton-Chase, has come into her own with the way she's depicted a more "realistic" BDSM relationship).

Michelle: Is every detail planned before writing your stories? Or do you have a skeletal outline and then go with the creative flow?

Shakir: I'm very much a hybrid when it comes to doing one over the other. I do one as a complement to the other. There are writing days where I need to do a ton of detail (especially in certain aspects of my story lines), and there are days when I can let my creative voice run wild and free.

Michelle: I saw that you facilitate writing workshops. Any scheduled between now and next year?

Shakir: I'm definitely going to be back for the writer's track at Frolicon in the spring (Easter weekend), and I'm plotting to get to DragonCon in the fall during Labor Day weekend to teach some classes there, too. If all goes according to plan, I'll be holding a workshop and class at the National Book Club Conference that Curtis Bunn hosts in Atlanta yearly, and there will be some other places I'm planning to go, but they are usually revolving around the BDSM and Leather lifestyles, where I can enjoy being "Pharaoh."

Michelle: If you could pick one of your books for a movie, which one would you pick? Your casting choices?

Shakir: Here's where it gets really FUN! In my secret FB group, we actually played this question out among the readers and fans of the series. We came up with Idris Elba as Ramesses, LisaRaye McCoy as Neferterri, Lynn Whitfield as Mistress Sinsual, Sanaa Lathan as shamise, Keri Washington as sajira, and Jesse Williams as amani. Djimon Honsou was cast as Ramesses's mentor, Amenhotep, and there were a lot of hotly contested ideas for the other fringe characters, too.

Michelle: What's next for you, as a writer?

Shakir: I'm in negotiations with my publisher to complete my Nubian Underworld series (I'm planning four more books to end the series), so I'm focusing efforts on getting that done hopefully before year's end. In the meantime, I have my mystery series coming out in 2015, the Kink, P.I. series, with the first installment, Obsession, coming out on June 16. I'm also working with my agent to get some new material out under my other pseudonym, P.K. Rashaan. P.K. will be working through the Young Adult and contemporary romance genres, because Shakir is fully immersed in all things erotica, of course. With any luck and with His grace and favor, I'll have a LOT of new material coming out for the foreseeable future.

Michelle: Do you have any social media links or fan links you'd like to share?

Shakir: Absolutely! You can actually find all of my social media links on the front page of my website at www.ShakirRashaan.com, and I actually have a media page on my website there also, where you can listen to past interviews and read from previous articles and interviews that feature me. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, I'm everywhere you want to be!

Michelle: Thanks, Shakir. And on that note, let's move on to my recommendation for Tempest.

"Everyone was transported to this oasis, tucked away in the Caribbean, for a week of debauchery, sensual decadence, and unbridled passion and delights of the flesh." — Tempest

That quote pretty much sums up the backdrop for the story. And only the backdrop. There is so much more, as I rub my hands together in glee.

Deceit plays a central role, like one of the characters in this erotic play. The emotional device wreaks havoc during an important milestone for the Kemet-Ka empire. However, the justice served is epic.

Shakir writes these characters with such clarity, along with their goals and motivations that you have to become emotionally vested in the outcome. Solid and consistent delivery of his literary style follows through from The Awakening to Legacy to Tempest. As a result, the story continues to be propelled by these personalities with the successful twist of engaging the readers to cheer them on and peek through the fingers at the visual eroticism.

Thanks to Shakir Rashaan, it's a pleasure to read innovative, well-written literary erotica that lays the groundwork and expectation for the next installment.

Here's the blurb about Tempest:

In this third installment of the ongoing series revolving around an African-American Dominant couple, Ramesses and Neferterri, and their submissives, you'll get a glimpse of Atlanta's Fetish/BDSM community from a true insider and active practitioner, author Shakir Rashaan.

The opening of the latest addition to the Kemet-Ka empire, the Isle ne Bin-bener--the Island of Evil Pleasures--comes with all of the extravagant amenities and devices that anyone with an appetite for exquisite pleasure can imagine.

As Ramesses and Neferterri welcome the resort guests to the island, the first night promises to be filled with debauchery and unique experiences that push the envelope of sexual discovery. Each locale reveals an exciting revelation, culminating in a fetish rendition of the legendary Night of a Thousand Lashes.

Despite the indulgences, no one could possibly see the storm on the horizon...

Twisted Vows of Seduction by N'Tyse

Introduction by Shakir Raashan: N'Tyse is, quite frankly, my writing twin and my literary "wife." From the moment we found each other while involved with the Chocolate Flava 3 project, we've damn near been intertwined (I'm not kidding; at one time on Amazon, you could buy her book and mine as a part of a bundle pack). Her Twisted series is pure unadulterated heat, making you ask the questions of yourself and whether or not you can deal with the answers. Start with Twisted Seduction and move from there. By the time you get to Twisted Entrapment next year, you'll be singing her praises, just as I have been this whole time. Love you, wifey!

Twisted Vows of Seduction started with a gunshot and the pace didn't let up to keep me turning those pages. Riveting voice and style, N'Tyse wrote a story of action and consequences. At every chapter, the suspense and drama intermixed among the colorful cast of characters who popped off the pages to happiness, and sometimes to their demise.

Can't miss adding the accolades for the emotional heat that was packed on. Whoo-whee! N'Tyse adds a good dollop of erotica to flavor the mix, and the final product is a highly enjoyable read.

Here's the blurb (courtesy of Strebor Books):

Still mourning the death of his lover, Denise, Greg Adams conspires to leave his wife. He believes that Denise has come back to him in the form of a woman named Naomi Brooks, and he can't forget her. But there's one problem—his wife is going to honor every line in their wedding vows until death does them part.

Naomi Brooks, a recovering alcoholic, enters into an orchestrated affair to deceive Greg by creating the perfect illusion. Will the plan work or will she find herself a victim in a twisted game?

A long-term torrid affair with her best friend's husband, Jeff, has scarred Nadine Collins for life. Nadine decides she must take a vow of celibacy to cleanse her spirit. While her journey seems impossible, she can see a light at the end of the tunnel. There's only one problem—she's still not over Jeff, now a divorcé living life in the fast lane.

Ménage, an aspiring actress, has her sights set on Hollywood. She will do anything to ensure her rise to the top, including robbing Jeff of all the life insurance money he collected after his wife died. But a blast from the past slows her down. When Jeff comes running to her rescue, it proves to be the perfect setup.

The real twisted games are just beginning.

Total Eclipse by S.K. Hardy

Introduction by Shakir Raashan: I crossed paths with S.K. while she was in the middle of her wildly popular Sin City Heat series. I believe it was Angel's Wrath that drew me into her world, and I haven't left! Angel reminds me of my own leading man, Ramesses, and reading her series feels like parts drama, suspense, urban grit, and a whole lot of sex and sensuality all wrapped up in one damn good series. She has other books in her catalog, but SCH is the signature centerpiece. You won't be disappointed with her writing style, I promise you.

Here's the blurb about Twisted Vows of Seduction (courtesy of Storymasters Publishing):

The latest installment of the Sin City Heat Series finds Darrell Monroe's life in a tailspin that he's not sure he can turn around. Darrell has had his share of difficult times in life, but he never used that as an excuse to throw himself a pity party. He prides himself in evolving from the person he used to be into a man he can be proud to look at in the mirror. Not only is he wildly successful, he loves his wife, Jerra, with everything in him. They've had their share of ups and downs, but the good far outweigh the bad. Just when things finally get on an even keel, he makes a foolish decision that threatens to ruin his marriage and destroy his family. In the midst of that storm, spirals another hit that almost brings him to his knees. Will the tragedy casting an ominous cloud over his once perfect world totally eclipse the life he's worked so hard to build?

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Michelle Monkou writes for Harlequin Kimani, Evernight Publishing and Boroughs Publishing. Her website is michellemonkou.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook.