Giveaway and Guest Post by the Sandra Bunino

Location, location, location!

Three of the most important words in real estate also apply to writing. While some authors subscribe to the notion of ambiguity regarding the location of their stories so readers can form their own opinion as to exactly where the story takes place, the actual location is as important as the main characters in my books.

                                                   

Why? Locations are sexy. They set the tone without having to describe the setting in great detail. Allow me to show you...

What do you think of when you picture New York City?

Bustling, Cosmopolitan, Imposing, Intense, Energized

These five adjectives describe my BDSM-lite series, The Satin Rose Experience (SRE), perfectly! SRE is an elite members-only BDSM club in the heart of Manhattan. The club contains ten uniquely themed suites, each with its own story to tell. Sexy-as-Sin Dom Asher Cane heads the SRE operations. He has everything except what he craves, the sub-curious Mia Lavender.

Here’s a snippet from MIA’S SUBMISSION (SRE, Book 1)...

            Suite Five couldn’t have been any more different from the warmth and luxury of Suite Eight where Asher fulfilled a fantasy she’d only dreamed about before last night. After she was blindfolded, he’d secured her wrists and ankles with silky restraints. Warmth flooded her pussy when she recalled the slow tracings of the riding crop over her sensitive skin. Mia sensed her first real training session would be a different experience. She shivered as her gaze darted around the small windowless room, settling on the large, black-framed bed dominating the suite. A simple, stark white quilt covered the bed. The half dozen fluffy pillows lining the black wooden headboard were the only indication of luxury. Two small side tables with matching lamps flanked the bed. A floor-to-ceiling armoire completed the set. The only color in the room was another red envelope taped to one of many mirrors on the pale eggshell walls. She peeled the envelope from the largest mirror; her name was written neatly on the front.

            She slid her index finger under the flap to break the seal and unfolded the page.

            Mia,

            Welcome to training.

            You’ll find clothing hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Wear your hair in a tight bun at the nape of your neck. You have thirty minutes to get prepared. Stand in the far corner facing the wall and do not move or speak until you hear further direction from me.

            Asher

            PS ~ Don’t forget our safe word.

Okay, let’s travel south to...South Beach, Miami, Florida

Hot, Sultry, Sexy, Hurricanes, Get-Away

South Beach is the setting for the first half of my new release, Marooned with the Millionaire. Jason and Stephanie are “marooned” in a boutique style hotel during a fierce Miami storm. It was the perfect setting for this scene...

            Stephanie sipped her martini while glancing over to the window. The storm showed no signs of letting up. In fact, it seemed to grow even more fierce. As if on cue, a violent crack of thunder ripped through the lounge as the rain angrily batted at the window. Carlos poured her yet another martini and she lost count of how many times he’d refilled her glass. Was this the third or the fourth? She knew one thing for sure: Jason Royce was sexy as hell. The way his blue eyes sparkled, as the candlelight flickered shadows against his tanned features, rocked her to her core.

            Stealing a glance at his strong, muscular build beneath his sports jacket caused her breath to catch in her throat. Until today, she hadn’t thought of another man this way, not since before she was married. As if in a trance, she couldn’t break her stare. However, she quickly became aware of his smile. He watched her drink him in, which made her blush and turn her head in embarrassment.

            Jason moved closer and spoke slowly in his silky voice. “I wonder if you might dance with me.”

            “I’d like that.” Whoa. What the hell am I doing?

            He led her to the dance floor illuminated only with candlelight and the occasional flash of lightning. Placing one hand in his and the other on his back, their bodies started out a respectable distance apart. Before long, Jason’s warmth drew her in, and she couldn’t ignore the electricity forming between them. Tentatively, she stepped closer and lightly rested her head against his neck. Jason took this as a cue to guide her hand up and over his shoulder. Suddenly, his strong hands urgently pulled her against his rock hard body. The force of his embrace awakened a passion that lay dormant inside her until now. Stephanie couldn’t fight the fire building within her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling his musky scent while caressing his neck with her fingertips. Her face grazed up the side of his neck, stopping at his jawbone. Jason’s touch seared her skin as his fingertips skimmed up her side to her neck and came to rest on her chin. With his thumb and finger, he guided her face upward and she opened her eyes. His smoldering gaze burned a trail down her body. Uncomfortable with the intensity of his stare, she looked away.

            “Stephanie.”

            Her eyes shifted back to meet his gaze as he lowered his mouth and softly brushed his lips against hers, questioning her, awaiting a response. Accepting his invitation, she parted her lips and moaned softly. His lips were soft and enticing. It had been a long time since she was kissed like this. She surrendered her tongue to his and felt desire fill her belly as an overwhelming passion grew by the moment. Breathlessly, she pulled away, embarrassed by her body’s reaction to the kiss. She looked down and pressed her forehead against his chin.

            “I don’t know why I did that. I need to go sit down.”

Last one, pack your bags because we’re going to Vegas, baby! I get excited just thinking about this locale.

Risk, Gamble, Glamour, Money, Opulence

Sin City is the place Jason and Stephanie end up reuniting in Marooned with the Millionaire. One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to watch the music choreographed fountains of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. So of course, I had to include a fountain scene...

            “Are you ready for surprise number one?” Jason asked as the server removed their dinner plates.

            He rose and walked to her side of the table. She closed her eyes as a finger grazed the nape of her neck before he pulled her chair out and took her arm in his. She trembled in response to his sizzling touch on her bare back as he lead her through the doorway to the outside terrace. The maître d handed Jason and Stephanie each a glass of port as they walked onto an outdoor patio that jutted over the edge of the building. A cool breeze blew through her hair but she was instantly warmed by a sip of the rich liquid.

            “It’s beautiful. I’ve seen the fountains at street level before but never this high up,” Stephanie said, walking up to the railing. She couldn’t actually hear the activity on the busy boulevard from their location high above The Strip, but the intensity in the air was evident. She gazed down at the famous fountains of The Castillo Hotel & Casino.

            Jason took the port from her hand and placed the glasses on a nearby table. Stephanie instinctively leaned into the warmth of his palm on the bare small of her back. A sigh escaped her lips as his hand slipped inside the fabric of her dress and ventured lower until his fingertips brushed the top of her ass. The lights on the terrace dimmed and music began to play. A flash of light from the water below signaled a single long spray from the middle of the lake. It multiplied and set off a continuous line of water in the air that moved forward and back with the music. As the water danced in the air, the music’s volume increased. Stephanie placed both hands on the railing. He moved behind her and ran his fingers up the planes of her back and down both of her arms. Continuing his assault of warm kisses down her neck and between her shoulder blades, the tip of his tongue followed the trail back up her neck and stopped at her ear. Stephanie gasped and leaned into his body for support. His arms provided the stability she needed to remain standing.

            “My self-control is giving out,” Jason whispered in her ear as his hand inched upward taking her dress hem along with it. Stephanie felt the evidence of his arousal pressing firmly against her back. She tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

            “Let’s go,” she said with a coy smile.

See what I mean? Location is key! Where are my characters going next? I’m venturing outside of the United States and currently have two works-in-progress set in Paris. I also have a Vegas trip booked, so I think it’s time for Asher to open a second Satin Rose Experience in Sin City. I can’t think of a better location for a posh BDSM club, can you?

Bio:

Sandra Bunino is a numbers crunching business professional by day who stays up past her bedtime thanks to her oh-so-sexy imagination. Who needs sleep, anyway? Sandra is constantly searching for different ways to achieve a heart-pumping, stomach-flipping, breath-catching reaction from her readers.

Her books include Marooned with the Millionaire and The Satin Rose Experience series including Mia’s Submission, Brooke’s Wish and The Submission of a Mafia Princess.

These days, Sandra lives on a wooded mountaintop not far from New York City with her family. She always looks forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at sbunino@gmail.com. As a social media junkie in need of a ten-step program, you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino).

Follow Sandra here:

Website / Email / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page / Twitter @sandrabunino       

Remember, following is sexy!

Thanks for having me on Close Encounters with the Night Kind, Nikki! I’d love your readers to escape to a sexy locale with a great book so I’m giving away one “Reader Escape Package” ($5 Amazon & $5 Starbucks GCs) to a randomly chosen commenter. Just tell me the sexiest location you can think of. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address so we know how to contact you!