I have been in awe of
Sommer Marden since about forever, though I think we started writing erotica and erotic romance at the same time, she quickly become one of my main inspirations. Her voice was so beautifully casual and complex, like talking to your best friend in a rom-com without all the fakeness and a twist of angst. It made little bits of my soul bounce up and down whenever I picked up one of her books. So, in honor of my writing crush, I figured I'd pay tribute to some of my favorite books. In no particular order. Let's do this bitch.
1.
We Kill Dead Things
Poppy thinks her life is weird working the food court at Parktowne mall, until in one brief moment of creeper killing, things change forever. Now she's a freelance zombie exterminator along with her long lusted after co-worker Garrity (her not-so-secret crush), a somewhat lusted after bad boy Cahill, and pretty gay boy Noah.
When the four are hired to do a ballsy zombie clean up at St. Peter's Hospital, Poppy finds out just what's more scary than creepers: The Evoluminaries, a zealot cult who think zombies are part of God's chosen, who happen to end up thinking Poppy might make a mighty good zombie incubator. She finds herself finally sleeping with Garrity, being hunted by a crazy preacher man and stumbling over the fact that Cahill and Noah have become lovers somewhere in the chaos. And that's all on the job.
Just another day in the life when you kill dead things...
2.
Base Nature
When Garrett Gustafson breaks from his pack, it’s all about distance. He doesn’t expect to meet a long-tortured woman or someone he wants so bad his teeth damn near ache. He most definitely doesn’t expect to meet a woman he’d even consider changing. Changing is frowned upon and dangerous. But Liv McCoy not only captures his heart, she tempts him. Tempts him to take her, to change her and even to love her.Liv McCoy has been the weak one all her life. All she wants is a little power. When Garrett shows up she feels an unspeakable pull. Not just to give herself over to him in bed, but to offer all of herself—heart, body and soul. Garrett can give her power. She just needs to convince him that she can handle the change. And his love.
3.
Restless Spirit
"I believe you can look at someone—maybe one someone in your whole life—and feel this instant connection. A zap like lightning."
When Tuesday Cane inherits a cozy lake house, she's not expecting to find love as part of her legacy. But how can she choose between Adrian, the loyal and über-sexy handyman she's known for years; the charming and wealthy Reed Green, a former TV star; and the mysterious Shepard Moore, an ex cage fighter?
The only way to know for sure is to try them all...
Surrounded by so many interesting men and erotic temptations, Tuesday as no intention of committing. But deep down she longs for that special, soul-deep connection. Only, which man can entice this restless spirit into finally settling down?
4.
Lost in You
Trapped inside a luxury mall during a violent storm, small town girl, Clover Brite, is thrust into the arms of international playboy Dorian Martin. Lightning strikes inside the building as well as outside…
Clover is the site manager for the renovation of the Baltimore Rotunda and first meets the owner, Dorian, when the 'storm of the century' traps the two of them inside the luxury mall. Upscale stores surround them and all are available at the end of Dorian's keyring, and though money doesn't impress her much, they begin to fall for each other.
Too aware of the differences between them and struggling with angst from her childhood, Clover flees back to her small town world. Dorian follows in hot pursuit. But will Clover realise that what happened that stormy night could lead to a future?
5.
Big Bad
Lust according to Ruby:
You read those books where they explain it all away. They make it fine with rationalization. But what if I just want to? What if that's my whole reason? My life is not a romance novel. I don’t need justification. I’m a grown woman who knows what she wants.
I want Ellis. And I want Tyler.
And I won’t apologize...
What’s worse than wanting both your best friend who’s a vampire and the just-back-in-town alpha werewolf you find yourself fixated on? Finding out that the werewolf in question wants you, too. But he isn’t too keen on the sharing part.
Oh, and by the way, you’re his dead mate.
Okay, okay, dead is harsh—reincarnated.
What’s worse than that? Realizing that you believe the whole crazy tale of reincarnation. Because it seems to be true.
And yet you still want them both—together. Vampire and werewolf and you in the middle. Stuck between two predators who want you and only you. To complicate it all, you find out that you can have it. With your new/old mate’s blessing. But just one time before he claims you as his.
Are you brave enough to take it? That one shot?
Well...Are you?
6.
Boys Next Door
Never in her hottest dreams did Farrell McGee expect a move to Tower Terrace to be such an erotic roller coaster ride. Indulge in another hot story from Mischief.
‘Good luck getting your key. I’m the middle house across the road should you need anything. At all,’ he said. The tone, the words, the accent on the anything. Oh god, he was one of those men. Men who had tons of self assurance and sexual prowess and total faith in their bedroom abilities. Those men were dangerous.’
Starting over at twenty eight, Farrell McGee discovers sleepy Tower Terrace teeming with handsome men. Well, maybe not teeming, but three heart-stopping men do live across the road from her.
Despite feeling she's fallen backwards into a fairytale, complete with a big stone tower, a local legend and missing love letters, it becomes clear that all three of her neighbours have a sensual grip on her. She's powerless to choose just one, and just as powerless to get them out of her head or her bed. Deke, the devilish good boy who's superb at being bad. Coop, so often annoying in his gruffness, but oh so dominant where it counts. And Stephen the pretty, sweet, slightly submissive one. Her sex life has never been so good and her heart never so torn. She needs to choose one man, when she's not ready to give up any of them. But deep down she knows who she wants.
7.
Allure
May’s been lusting after Chase Campbell forever. Her brain goes dirty instantly with this man. Just controlling the urge to knock him down and climb aboard is a struggle. So when he shows up for their first date and May realizes she’s ovulating and is about to become a sexual booby trap, she panics.See, Chase doesn’t know she’s a shifter. Yet. She hasn’t quite gotten to that part. So now all she has to do is this—go on the date, not look directly at him, not touch him, no kissing, no hugging. Tada! Easy.Until he touches her. Then touches her some more. And then she touches him and… Well, this isn’t going to be easy at all. Damn.
8.
Wanderlust
Really Blake is floundering through a life that doesn't make her happy. She realizes the humor in the poor little rich girl scenario, but it doesn't make it any less true. She's married to the man her father picked and having mindless affairs to punish them all. Really thinks Johnny Rose will be one more affair in that vein. Big, brawny, shaved bald and bad-ass, he's just what she's craving. Until he puts her in her place--right off the bat. Then Really's intrigued. But once he gets her in his bed...then Really's hooked. What follows is a road trip, east coast to west, and an amazing amount of self discovery, sexual and otherwise, along the way.
9.
The Best of Sommer Marsden
Xcite have brought together no fewer than twenty-seven of her very best works (representing superb value for money). From light and comedic to edgy and intense this fine collection of hand picked ‘dirty’ runs through the entire gamut of erotic fiction. Stories which include a supernatural ménage, a captivating Dom who takes control of a crowded house party, and a husband encouraging his wife to take advantage of a girl’s crush. Excellent! Jade Magazine Book Reviews
From edgy and intense, to light and comedic, this collection of over twenty hand-picked dirty tales runs the gamut of erotic fiction.
Stories include a supernatural spurred ménage, a captivating Dom who takes control at a crowded house party, an irresistible alpha who makes recycling kind to the body and the planet. A husband encouraging his wife to take advantage of a girl crush and a woman who can’t help but lose herself between two of her two best friends in a night of passion. A curvaceous woman gets stuck in her boot—that’s right, just one—before an important interview with a handsome applicant and a public spanking makes a young woman reconsider the disposable nature of her rebound guy.
Find out why Sommer Marsden’s been called “…one of the top storytellers in the erotica genre” (Violet Blue), “Unapologetic” (Alison Tyler) and “…the whirling dervish of erotica” (Craig J. Sorensen). It’s all right here in this collection. All you have to do is step inside.
10.
Long Lost
What's a girl to do once she's gotten her wolf? Spend Christmas in the belly of the beasts...or at least their Town. Ruby's loving her new life until a single phone call makes her knees go weak, bringing the near past back into her cozy present. Seems an old evil has returned in a brand new nasty package to take another swipe at Ruby. Ellis isn't about to let that happen, and neither are her friends, but Ruby discovers she will be the only one who can really do what needs to be done. And it turns out there are things at stake she never imagined. Things she's willing to die for.
I've had the amazing honor and pleasure of being slapped together between the pages with Sommer over the years and I cherish every instance with a little squee. I take my fangirling seriously, okay?
So, if you do nothing else today,
buy one of her books. Review one of her books. Pet one of her books. Or, ya know,...I don't have an appropriate consequence, but do it, damn it! Do it now! She has been a pivotal part of helping my career whether it be offering me a helping hand or releasing another book which inspired me to write another one, even when I wanted to quit. She deserves a little pay it forward.
What's the moral here? Sommer, she wins at life.
