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claimed-stacey

A novel of erotic discovery and forbidden desire that goes beyond Fifty Shades of Grey.

Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasiesโ€ฆ and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excitedโ€”and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.

Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the Start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a Dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.

CLAIMED is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

Find CLAIMED on Goodreads

Hello Stacey and welcome to Under the Covers. Thank you for visiting us today. For the ones who do not know you, tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks for letting me stop by! Iโ€™m an urban fantasy lover at heart, but I also enjoy losing myself in dark and sensual worlds. I live in southwestern Ontario with my husband, who gave me a happily-ever-after. Together, we have two small children who can always make me smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommyโ€™s books. If Iโ€™m not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find me camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy, Supernatural, True Blood and Lost Girl.

Claimed recently released, can you tell us a little about this novel?ย 

Iโ€™d call Claimed a contemporary romance thatโ€™s set in a BDSM world. I think J. Kenner explains it best

โ€“ โ€œStacey Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its heart.โ€โ€”J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author of Release Me

The story is about a woman who is finding herself and a man who already has his stuff together, but realizes quickly his life is about to be turned upside down. Itโ€™s about an emotional journey of two people searching for happiness. And yes, of course, itโ€™s got hot BDSM sex!

Did you do any kind of research before writing Claimed? If so, care to share?

I did lots of research! The first, I guess, was going to Vegasโ€”which was a total blastโ€”but the city really inspired me to set a book in it. Itโ€™s just so…alive.

With regards to the BDSM, there was a lot of research that went into CLAIMED. Of course, I like to create my own worlds with my own rules, so as the little note in the beginning of the book says, CLUB SIN is really what I created because heck, Iโ€™d love to go there!

Though just because I created a โ€œnewโ€ world didnโ€™t mean I didnโ€™t research BDSM. Personally, I think talking to people is the best kind of research. So, I talk to as many people in the lifestyle as I can and I read a lot of blogs from Doms and submissives. And I also read a lot of tips for doing kink safely. I may create my worlds as I like them, but I try and be as true to the lifestyle as I possibly can.

Presley, the heroine from Claimed, is brave to face her desires and fears. Not many people would be willing to jump and take chances like she did in this book. Do you see a Presley in yourself?
I based Presleyโ€™s character off my best friend. I love her, so I knew so many other people would, too. Sure, I changed some because Presley didnโ€™t want to be exactly like my best friend, but the โ€œcoreโ€ of her personality is that of my best friend. So, Iโ€™d say I see my best friend in Presley, not me so much.

BDSM is very popular topic right now and there seem to be a lot of books out there now. Some are bedroom kink and others are Club Kink how do you feel they differ and why did you choose to go the club kink way?

Truthfully, I donโ€™t think they differ all that much, except maybe the fact that youโ€™re having sex in a public setting. Typically a person who loves kink and a power exchange, itโ€™s a part of who they are, whether theyโ€™re in public or not.

I set CLAIMED in a club for one important reasonโ€”that feeling of family. My friendships are so important to me, so I always try to make that an important part to my stories. Having a core set of friends who help you through life is a must-have for any story I do.

I think of CLUB SIN as more of a play party; a place where really close friends, who all share the same likes, go to explore. But at the center of the club itโ€™s about respect, friendship, and of course, kinky fun!

The character names you have chosen to use are unusual. How do you come up with them?

Itโ€™s really a โ€œfitโ€ thing. I search baby name databases and read…and read…and read until I find a name that stands out for me. Once I have one name, I look for the other, and then I put them together to see how they look. It has to feel right. If it does, then Iโ€™m done. Itโ€™s really that simple. But Iโ€™ll tell youโ€”this process can take hours upon hours to do!

I like unusual names because it makes the characters their own person. For me, giving a typical name is hard. And thatโ€™s probably because I know someone with that name. I just canโ€™t do that. Iโ€™d think of that person the whole time I was writing the story. Just no!

What are your plans for this series? What are your other projects?

Next up in the CLUB SIN series is BARED, which is Aidan and Coraโ€™s story. I admit that this story is shaping up to be probably my most favorite Iโ€™ve ever written. Trust me, I NEVER say that. Donโ€™t want to annoy the characters. But there is something so intense and emotional in these characters. Itโ€™s been an incredibleโ€”soul drainingโ€”experience to write their story.

Iโ€™ve got a couple things on the schedule right now. Next up is BET ON ECSTASY, PACT OF SEDUCTION #3, which comes out on September 24th. Iโ€™m currently editing MAGIC & MAYHEM #2, WITCHES BE DAZZLED, which has a release date of November 18, 2013. Then on January 21st, BARED will be out. So, yes, lots and lots of stories on the go!

If you could describe this book in 5 words for your readers what would it be?

Emotional. Sensual. Hot. Fun. Kinky.

Quick fire questions:
Thongs or briefs? Briefs. A string up my butt, no thank you!
Dominant, submissive or switch? Submissive
Handcuffs or ropes? Ropes
Dirty or clean? Clean
Honey or whipped cream? Honey

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF CLAIMED:
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Stacey is giving awayย readers choice of ebook (excluding Claimed). Tell us in the comments what is the most unusual character name you’ve encountered while reading.

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36 Comments

  1. LOL… *all* of the JR Ward hero names. I sometimes rename them in my head b/c they are so ridiculous. Thanks for sharing!

  2. I cannot think of any off the top of my head but I am sure my answer would be something from a PNR that I have read.

  3. I have only seen it in one book, and her name is Rielle…From Lorelei James’ Gone Counrty. Then again, the Rough Rider Series have several unusual names…Braxton, Tell, Cooper, Gib, Hayden, Kade, Kane, Keely, Poppy, Kyler and Quinn to name a few more.

  4. Brystion in Allison Pang’s A Brush Of Darkness. My mind just couldn’t wrap around it while I was reading, so I kept calling him ‘Bastion’ in my head.

  5. Jagr from Alexandra Ivy in her Guardians of Eternity. But that is just one of many. this is the first on to pop in my mind. I say who doesnt like a fast ride (JAGr)

  6. Some of the characters from George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (ex Daenerys or Jeor).. but I do love when I come across a name where I have to think about how I’m going to pronounce it in my head for the rest of the book….Also, names with apostrophes, who comes up with those!!

  7. I’m recently finish read a book with name heroes was Circenn [Cir-cin], from The Highland series by Karen Marie Moning. His friends call him Cin.

  8. Most recently it was Lachlyn. Normally not an unusual, but the spelling is unusual and the fact that in the book it’s a girls name.

  9. I don’t know if youd call it unusual or not but Im reading a book now and the heroines name is Story Brooks. ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. I agree with the comments about JR Ward’s characters. They usually have very unique names. Recently I read the Jane Yellowrock series. Some of her characters have strange names such as the werecat Kemnebi.

  11. A favorite name I have come across is Mae-June July Augustine from Macy Beckett’s Sultry with a Twist. I laughed out loud at that name.

  12. I have to agree the most unusual names I have come across have come from JR Ward’s BDB Series & there are a few from Larissa Ione’s Demonica series that are pretty unique. Thank you for the chance to win some great work ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Lots of unusual names in the series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE by George RR Martin, but they fit the characters well.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

  14. Max (aka Torment) from the Against the Ropes book by Sarah Castille. I’m currently reading this book now and I must say he definitely is unusual ๐Ÿ˜‰