Stop 1: Meet Kallypso Masters and her Rescue Me Series
Welcome to the kick-off of one wild and crazy two-day blog tour. Thanks for having me, Book Bellas. And thanks for taking time to join me here, readers! To those who have been reading my Rescue Me series already, thank you for your patience as I work on the continuation on the journeys of some amazing characters who are so dear to my heart! Somebody’s Angel (Rescue Me #5) will be released in December (before Christmas is the best I can predict—it’s in the second of three rounds of edits now). But soon!
What to Expect in the “How it Began” Blog Tour
This 15-stop “How it Began” blog tour is intended not only to refresh the memories of those who have read the series already (but don’t have time for a full reread)—but also to pique the interest of those who haven’t started or gotten caught up with the first books yet. Because Somebody’s Angel focuses on the major issues facing Marc and Angelina (which I wasn’t able to dig out of Marc until I was writing Nobody’s Perfect, the last book released in the series). The man holds his secrets close to the vest. So this tour will focus on scenes with one or both of them throughout the first four books, but I’ll try to just pique the interest of readers without giving spoilers. I hate spoilers—but it’s okay to tease every now and again. *wink*
At each stop on the blog tour, I’ll offer you some familiar scenes (sexy, emotional, and/or funny—and, yes, I can do all three in a single snippet). But I’ll also share some insights into the scene’s inspiration, research, etc. Oh, and each stop will include a giveaway of a book in the series (including the upcoming release, if you’ve got them all already) and some cool swag. So be sure to enter at EACH stop!
And, yes, there WILL be a quiz at the end of the tour! You’ll be asked to answer 15 questions based on what you’ve read at the 15 stops (don’t worry, I’ll give you a few days to catch up and get your entries in). Starting on Black Friday (Nov. 29) at my Ahh, Kallypso…the stories you tell blog, where I’ll be doing a cover reveal for Somebody’s Angel, I’ll give you the chance to read the questions and get your answers into the Rafflecopter for the chance to win a brand new NOOK GlowLight e-reader! The winner will be drawn from all entries with the most correct answers (hopefully lots with all 15!). You’ll need to type in the answers to those trivia questions per Rafflecopter instructions on my blog Nov. 29. All entries must be submitted electronically in the Rafflecopter by 12 midnight Nov. 30 (central time). And the contest is open internationally, as are all of my giveaways. We just may have to get creative if the e-reader (already purchased) doesn’t translate to another country!
Who is Kallypso Masters and Why Should I Read her Books?
Glad you asked! I’m Kallypso Masters, but all of my friends call me Kally—and my readers are very much considered to be my friends. (Just ask some of them! I have even started giving “Kally’s friend” buttons to the ones I meet face to face, starting at Authors After Dark this past August. But I count many of my Facebook friends as true friends, too. Some have been with me since before my first book released!)
My Rescue Me series started with the intention of being an erotic romance series with hot, kinky Marines, but these characters soon revealed to me how much more there is to them than hot bodies and an interest in kinky sex. My brand is “Dominant men and the women who bring them to their knees.” All of the first heroes introduced in the series (Adam, Damián, Marc, and Luke) are wounded in some way by their pasts, and it will take some very special women to rescue them and help them to heal. (And Mistress Grant isn’t too thrilled with my motto, but I’ll deal with her dominance later in the series—probably 2015.) But the heroines in my story also sometimes harbor horrific wounds of their own, and yet they are strong, resilient, and willing to stop at nothing to get their heroes to get their heads out of their asses and to see that they’re perfect for each other. (Okay, in Savannah’s case, Damián was the one who had to ease her along slowly—very slowly—but for very good reason.)
The main focus of the Introduction, Masters at Arms, is to show how three men from very different backgrounds and with different views of the BDSM world could reach a turning point in his life that would lead them to a point in time that would forever change their lives and forge a bond between them that would never be broken. It’s a novel told in five vignettes, but trust me that even though it seems random and separate in the beginning, it will all tie together by the end of the introduction.
What readers seem to love best is that these and other characters continue to recur throughout each other’s books as they continue their journeys toward healing, because I’m a firm believer that Happily Ever After is just the beginning. You’ll see them continue to grow and heal throughout the series, so don’t expect me to tie up all the loose ends of their stories in a single novel. They very much should be read in order for full understanding and enjoyment of the stories of these very intertwined lives.
Now I don’t want to downplay the importance of BDSM (bondage, domination/submission, discipline, sadomasochism) elements in my books. I am a believer that BDSM is a wonderful tool for healing many types of hurts. (And, yes, I know that it’s also just fun to get freaky—but this is a series that will always have some kind of message about the healing powers of BDSM.) So, while there will be some hot kink that’s purely to titillate the senses, and sometimes even “vanilla” sex that will do the same, sometimes the kink is solely there to provide healing for characters in amazing ways.
My books have been described as a “gateway to BDSM series,” because they attract a more mainstream audience that may or may not have read a single realistic BDSM story before. (Oh, the misconceptions about BDSM put out in some books!) Many of these readers have gone on after Rescue Me to find other realistic BDSM books within the erotic romance subgenre. Better yet, some have made discoveries about themselves that have led them to grab their spouses and partners to explore their own kinky natures and experiment a bit in the lifestyle. I always love hearing from readers about how surprised—and pleased—their partners are with my books. They write, “I loved your books and so did my husband—and he didn’t even read them!”
To earn the respect of those already active in the lifestyle, and to keep my scenes Safe, Sane, and Consensual, I consult with a number of people who live the lifestyle. I even have on my editorial team a submissive who lives the Dom/sub dynamic 24/7. I’m not ashamed of revising a scene if something I’ve done has created an unsafe situation for a character. I did this with Nobody’s Perfect mere weeks after it was released. (Always a good idea to ask for updates of my books because if I even find typos, I’m going to want to upload new ones! Most recent updates are dated late July 2013 for all four singles. And the first two books were tweaked in my new combo release, to be discussed below.)
I also strive to research well my Marine and other military facts. I have a number of experts, including Top Griz, a retired Marine Master Sergeant, and since I met him in May, Jack, a wounded warrior currently serving as a Marine Master Sergeant, both of whom are helping me get my stories right. On the way to Camp Pendleton for a private tour, MSgt. Jack told me I needed to “go wild” with Damián, a fellow amputee. I plan to do that very thing! Countless of military spouses and non-active military personnel have provided insights, as well. I’m grateful to them all for their service—to our nation and to me!
Kally Loves Having Readers Join Her on this Journey
As those who follow me on Facebook know, I involve readers in the process of writing and story telling, as well. I’ll pose questions to them or will post updates as to my progress, thought processes, oh and, yes, the occasional tease. I have a timeline profile (you must send a message along with a friend request to claim one of the remaining 300 spots!), an author page you can follow on Facebook and even a series discussion group with 2700+ members there solely there to discuss this series. (To join the discussion group, send a friend request to Karla Montague. She’ll add you to the group. Don’t be upset when she de-friends you after that. She’s strictly there to provide a portal to the group, which is where all the discussion takes place.)
I love meeting readers face to face, too (perhaps too much!). So if you are near any of my appearances (see my Website for a list), stop by and say hello! You don’t have to buy a book—I’m happy to sign swag or e-reader covers or just give hugs and have photos taken! When I’m traveling, sometimes I just announce on Facebook that I want to have dinner with readers and then see who shows up. One Army veteran drove 7 hours and had to stay overnight just because she wanted to have brunch with me one weekend. She holds the record for coming the furthest to dine with me (so far)!
Free and Almost Free Books Available in the Rescue Me Series
For those wanting a free glimpse into the Rescue Me world, you can get started with the FREE introduction, Masters at Arms. This book introduces six characters who will go on to have happily ever after Romances shared about them. (Adam & Karla, Damián & Savannah, Marc, and in a small part here but with more to come later, Grant.)
But because I don’t want you to stop there, I’ve just released a new combination e-book download of the first TWO books in the series—Masters at Arms & Nobody’s Angel—for only 99 cents! You save $3 off the cost of purchasing Nobody’s Angel as a single. Nobody’s Angel introduces you to Angelina and shows her exploration into the world of BDSM, but Marc remained so closed off still in this book, it won’t be until the December release, Somebody’s Angel, that readers will come full circle with this couple. The paperback version of Masters at Arms & Nobody’s Angel is 467 pages long, so this is a bargain at 99 cents! You’ll find buy links to all of my books, which currently are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, Apple, and Smashwords, at my Ahh, Kallypso…the stories you tell blog page.
Here also are the direct links to this new title at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Giveaway Time! Free eBook in the Rescue Me Series!
At each of the 15 stops, I’ll be gifting one randomly chosen reader a copy of a book in the Rescue Me Series (a $4.99 value), chosen from Nobody’s Hero, Nobody’s Perfect, or the soon-to-be-released Somebody’s Angel. Fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance(s) to win! As with all of my giveaways, this is open internationally. And we’ll also send through the mail some cool swag items, including this red Ka-thunk! pen, hand fan, a Masters Brat button, and other cool stuff!
Next Stop!
Your next stop in this blog tour will be at Shh, Mommy’s in the Bathroom.,.Reading You also can get links to all of the blogs at my own Ahh, Kallypso…the stories you tell blog. By Friday, we’ll be sure to update with the direct links to each of the entries so you can follow easily and start gathering those answers to the 15 trivia questions!
