Genre:Short Stories
Synopsis:
Five grown women. Five different cities. Five hot stories. One grand conspiracy.
Allie, a young widow, plays games with her very secret love in the backyard at night.
Nichole -- after a divorce -- realizes she’s suddenly become a rock groupie once again.
Kristi, the yoga CEO, rekindles with Julio as they fight for the return of her kidnapped son.
Ashley must either have hot, satisfying sex or face sudden death by a rare illness.
Jeanette the CIA chief is keeping an eye on all of them -- when she’s not in bondage.
Through constant erotic adventures and dangerous thrills, they’re all gradually being pulled into a plot full of government spies, Mexican drug cartels, defrocked priests, rock bands and big money.
It’s all building up to a shocking climax. Join in with the sounds of Dangerous Harmony.
Excerpt:
From “Rocky Point”, the third chapter in Dangerous Harmony: Prelude:
“I never thought I’d see you back here,” he said.
“I’ve been back a few times over the years,” said Kristi.
“But you never looked me up until now.”
“My life’s different.” A hint of tenderness crept into her voice–as though she wondered what she could still recapture from those wild days.
“Mine’s about the same,” said Julio, laughing. His hands were folded behind his head.
“I believe it,” said Kristi with a smile.
“I haven’t changed much. Still just a hustler.”
“Like you always were,” said Kristi. She knew he was still a hustler in more ways than he ever would admit to her right then, but she didn’t care. That was Julio.
“Yeah, more or less,” he said with a shrug.
“I hustle yoga pants now,” said Kristi with a little sardonic smile.
“Like these?” said Julio, allowing his hand to stroke her thigh.
“Yes .” Kristi smiled. She wondered if she should give in so willingly when her son’s life hung in the balance.
She thought to herself that really, there was always a price to be paid. And Julio was helping her find her son. There was only a little conflict in her mind that she had to deliberately set aside–something about how it wasn’t really a price if she had been willing to grant it to him all along.
“What do they call these?” he asked, gently stroking the fabric of the tight pants covering her hips, allowing the tips of his fingers to linger near her waistline.
She smiled at this amusing opportunity to go into her sales pitch. “Well, I’m glad you asked. These are the RaRaRadish SuperLeggara tights. They’re available in a variety of colors. They wick moisture away for a cooling effect, and they’re odor-resistant. Did you want a pair for yourself?”
“Well, Sirenita,” said Julio with a familiar, wry curl to his lips, “I don’t remember that odor thing being such a problem with you, but maybe, you know, that that you’re older and …” He laughed.
“Oh fuck you, please. You’re the one with the fucking smelly feet! Your feet probably still stink like death.”
“My feet smell fine, Sirenita! Here, smell them.” He acted like he was going to lift his foot to her nose.
“Fuck you, you fucking cholo…” She pushed his foot away, but in grabbing his ankle, something happened.
She rolled to face him. Their lips met. Her hand raced down his muscled chest. His hand covered her hip, then moved to her ass, sensuously squeezing her. She shuffled in closer to him, inhaling his scent, tasting his tongue. His hand traced a line up her side, lifting her tank top and revealing her breasts and pink nipples. He drew her close to him, panting as their tongues intertwined for the first time in fourteen years.
Author Interview:
Can you describe your book in one sentence?
I sure can try. How about: “Dangerous Harmony is a cleverly intertwining combination of five separate erotic storylines all written to make your brain and various other parts of your body tingle.” Does that work? :-)
What makes your book so different from all the books out there?
Most of the erotica I’ve read has done a very good job of describing sex, and sometimes even does a decent job of developing character. But I’m into plot. I’m a plot person. I want the story to go somewhere and take me with it. And just like on a good vacation, I want to do something sexually adventuresome along the way. So when I started writing the individual stories, it occurred to me that it could be very cool and exciting to combine them into a single big storyline. It’s almost like a conspiracy work in that way. And I think that’s unusual in the genre.
Tell us about your writing process.
I start with a whisp of an idea. The first story to be written -- the first “part” if we’re going to go with the musical theme -- was the Allie story: The typical suburban mom having an atypical affair in her backyard after the kids get put to bed. From that grain of an idea, I do a synopsis. I write out a very rough description of what the story is about, as though I were describing it as a finishe product. Then I do an outline. I do them the same way now as I did them in 4th grade--separate stanzas for each “act”. Then I race to get a rough draft down on screen. I try not to stop until it’s finished. Once I have a first draft I have something to work with. Then the rewrites start, then the serious editing, then the proofreading and formatting. It’s fun but also exhausting.
How did you bring life to your characters?
Every character in the book is based on someone I’ve met, known, loved, and maybe even sometimes hated. I’m writing a blog entry on how difficult it is to write “strong” female characters that don’t all seem alike. I think of the women in the book, Nichole is strong in a different way than Kristi, who is different from Ashley. Allie the suburbanite will need to show her own strength in a different way. It’s important that each one be based on a distinct real-life model, and that all show flaws and weaknesses first, before their strengths. That’s how I tend to see people. When I meet someone new I look for the “flaws” not because I want to put them down, but because that’s how I know they are human. It’s much more interesting than being invincible all the time.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Yes, since I was about nine years old or so. I studied it in college. I took a detour through the corporate world for about twenty years before I decided I had seen enough. Now, I’m living my dream.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I remember my mother giving me a copy of “Delta of the Venus” by Anais Nin when I was about 18 or so. I’d say Anais is my great influence in the erotica world, though I can’t claim to equal her talent. My other influences include Faulkner, Walker Percy, and Phillip Roth.
Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad -
I am always very happy to get any review at all, even very negative ones. The only thing I care about is that my work get read. There are millions of words written each year with the best of intentions that will never be read by more than one or two people. If you buy my book and hate it, please share! Please tell me and the world why it was a horrible waste of time and money. I’ll try to do better next time if I can. I am just pleased as punch that you have me a few hours of your time and some space in your brain for a while. I know there’s a lot of competition for both. Good reviews are nice, too--of course.
How do you feel about your life as a writer now? Do you regret any past decisions you’ve made?
I am happy to wake up every morning to the sound of chickens somewhere outside, roll over, pick up my laptop, and go to “work”. It’s a wonderful life. My only regret is not writing constantly over the 20 years I was a prisoner in the world of cubes. I might not have left earlier, but I would have more of a back catalog by now.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write every day. Even if just a little. Don’t get blocked. If you run into a wall on one story, start another. Just keep writing. Most of your waking hours should be spent writing, rewriting, or reading. Also, have fun with what you do. If it wasn’t fun to write, it likely won’t be fun to read.
About the Author:
DM Cobray grew up in the wilds of southern Arizona: home of rattlesnakes, coyotes, cowboys, beautiful vistas, and vineyards. After a long career plying the halls of money and power, DM now brings you thrillers full of torrid action. DM lives on small ranch with kids, chickens, goats, and a dog or two.
My Review:
Dangerous Harmony is unique in that it reads like a series of short stories, but it seems clear that all these stories are related somehow. Perhaps all these people know each other, or somehow interconnected? It is clear that there’s more than meets the eye regarding everyone who lives in this community. Each person has their own dark secrets, which Cobray explores in depth throughout this series. By putting each story together, we get a well-rounded view of what’s going on in this community. Cobray gracefully switches between the perspectives of each character in order to create an action packed series of erotic tales. The connection between each story only begins to come into focus towards the end, promising more from this author.
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