Today, my good friend and regular lunch partner had dropped by to talk about her latest book - Her Rogue Viking.
Tag Lines
- Will she submit to the fierce Rogue Viking who has abducted her and enslaved her people?
- He has her body. Will she give him her heart?
First, a quick word from Ashe.
I have always been fascinated by Vikings. Strong, sexy warriors, ruthless, dominant and determined – what’s not to like? It was only a matter of time before I wove a story around these fierce raiders who rampaged through Scotland and England for over three centuries, eventually settling and leaving their indelible mark on our history.
A Viking raid was indeed a ferocious affair. They relied on what would nowadays probably be termed ‘shock and awe’ swooping in from the sea on their fast dragon ships to attack with vicious and deadly effect. The Nordic raiders would be gone almost as swiftly as they arrived, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The modern equivalent would be a helicopter attack on a sleepy rural village by SWAT teams armed with automatic weapons– the local people would hardly know what hit them.
I have employed a certain amount of poetic license, but I was determined to recreate the Viking era to the best of my ability – their homes, their clothing, what they ate, how they lived. I hope readers will be as entranced as I am by these creative and charismatic raiders, and perhaps forgive them their more outrageous little foibles.
- Author Interview
- So, tell us a
bit more about Ulfric. He’s a stern and sexy Viking chief, with a twitchy
palm, but what else is there to know?
Well, I think you just about covered the basics there. Ulfric has a strong sense of family loyalty but that is tested sorely in this book. He has a difficult choice to make, but he is a man who doesn’t shirk his duty and ultimately he will do what he thinks is right for those he loves – whether they like it or not.2 Why do you enjoy writing historical fiction?History was my favourite lesson at school, though some periods are more fascinating to me than others. I always preferred the medieval or even earlier times, though the Victorians were an interesting bunch too. But the Viking era is my current favourite and Her Rogue Viking is the first in a series the three linked novels set among these Nordic warriors and the sassy Celts who bring them to their knees.In many ways life was simpler in the past, if a lot more brutal, and of course some of the moral issues we would have to deal with in a contemporary setting don’t apply. Inequality was the norm. Women were expected to obey – or else. A spanking author can have a field day.3 Do you see writing as a career?Yes. I try to be fairly ordered about it. I like to be at my desk (well, more accurately the kitchen table) laptop fired up and coffee to hand, by nine in the morning and I tend to write for most of the day then. There are also a lot of related tasks to keep on top of, mainly to do with promo or research, or keeping in touch with readers and other authors. It’s definitely a full-time job for me.4 Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?I think it was always there, though I only started writing properly about three years ago. I have always tended to plot stories in my head though, often when sitting in traffic jams on my daily commute. I now work at home so all that time spent inhaling exhaust fumes is finally paying off.5 If you could have been told one thing that you weren't told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard?I was given lots of advice as a teenager, much of it unsolicited and not especially good. I think we all have to make our own mistakes, but hopefully I haven’t made the same mistake to many times. That would be sad.Looking back, I think the most important thing I picked up along the way was that we all have choices, all the time. We’re entitled to choose our own way in life, but we should also be ready to own and accept the consequences of our decisions.Someone once invited me to cast my mind forward to a time perhaps sixty years from now when I’ll be long-gone and my daughter (currently eighteen) is herself entering old age. Imagine she’s talking to her grandchildren, telling them about me. What would I like her to be saying? My actions now, today, will dictate what those obituaries might be so don’t leave it until later to be the sort of person you want to be remembered as.6 What would you do if you were the last person on this earth?Turn out the lights. - So, tell us a
bit more about Ulfric. He’s a stern and sexy Viking chief, with a twitchy
palm, but what else is there to know?
Blurb
Though Fiona puts up a brave fight when her village is raided by Vikings, she ends up being carried off over the broad shoulders of Ulfric Freysson, the leader of the Norsemen. The stern, ruggedly handsome warrior quickly makes it clear that she belongs to him now, and her best efforts to escape merely earn Fiona a painful, humiliating switching on her bare bottom.
Her captor’s bold dominance sets Fiona’s passion ablaze, and when he brings her to his bed she cannot help begging for him to claim her completely. As Ulfric begins training her to please him in any way he demands, Fiona finds herself falling in love with her new master, but she soon realizes that there are those among his people who still see her as an enemy. When her life is threatened by a member of his own family, will he stand ready to protect her no matter the cost?
Publisher’s Note: Her Rogue Viking includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
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Excerpt
“Good morning, little Celt. I trust you slept well.”
“What are you doing?” Her voice was breathy, her fear of him already apparent despite her seeming trust as she slept.
“I am exploring. I believe I mentioned this to you already.”
“You promised…” She made to wriggle away but his arm around her waist prevented such awkwardness.
“I said your body was mine to explore, to pleasure, and to punish. I hope the latter will not prove needful this fine morning, but as to the first two…”
“Please… do not…”
“Mine, wench. You will no doubt recall the consequences of disobedience.”
“Why must you continue to threaten me? We both know how this will end. I am not a fool, I know what to expect.”
Ulfric paused, his palm now resting against her exposed buttock. He squeezed gently. “I rather think you have no idea whatsoever what you might expect from me. You do know, now, that disobedience will get you punished…” He squeezed her tender bottom again by way of reminder, “…but submission brings its own rewards also.”
“It is not submission when you offer me no choice. When you threaten to beat me if I do not… do not—”
“We shall see. And I shall not beat you, ever. You will be spanked if you deserve that, but I will do you no harm. For now, I shall be content to settle for a more intimate exploration of the sweet lips I and my men glimpsed yesterday evening when you were so delightfully displayed for us over yonder tree trunk.” He smiled to himself at her anguished whimper but pressed on with his assault on her senses and her emotions. He had no doubt at all that she had hated being bared to them and treated to ten hard strokes of the switch. It had been necessary, and she had found the entire experience painful and humiliating. The wench would never admit to desiring any repetition of it. He had taken that at face value, but the glistening sheen that coated her nether lips as he wielded the switch was not lost on him, nor was her outpouring of vulnerability and need afterwards. His little Fiona had been aroused on some level, and he intended to test that response further now. She could deny it all she liked, but her body would tell him the truth.
She made as though to clamp her thighs together as he slid his fingers around and started to explore the deep crevice between her buttocks.
“No. You will remain open, spread for me.”
“Please…”
“Wider, little Celt.” He tapped her inner thigh, urging her to offer him better access.
“But, your men… They will know, and—”
“I doubt they will be shocked so please do not trouble yourself on that account. In any case, they have their own tasks to attend to. We are, to all intents and purposes, quite alone.”
It was clear that she did not believe him since the little wench lifted her head to gaze about her, then she dropped her chin again to rest on his chest. He found he did not entirely care for her air of dejection and defeat, but he supposed it was to be expected. She was powerless, clearly reluctant, but too afraid to resist his demands.
Perhaps it is too soon?
No. He was her master, she his slave. He would have his way.
More about Ashe Barker
USA Today best-selling author Ashe Barker has been an avid reader of fiction for many years, erotic and other genres. She still loves reading, the hotter the better. But now she has a good excuse for her guilty pleasure – research.
Ashe tends to draw on her own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to her plots and characters. An incident here, a chance remark there, a bizarre event or quirky character, any of these can spark a story idea.
Ashe lives in the North of England, on the edge of the Brontë moors and enjoys the occasional flirtation with pole dancing and drinking Earl Grey tea. When not writing – which is not very often these days - her time is divided between her role as taxi driver for her teenage daughter, and caring for a menagerie of dogs, tortoises. And a very grumpy cockatiel.
At the last count Ashe had over forty titles on general release with publishers on both sides of the Atlantic, and several more in the pipeline. She writes M/f, M/M, and occasionally rings the changes with a little M/M/f. Ashe’s books invariably feature BDSM. She writes explicit stories, always hot, but offering far more than just sizzling sex. Ashe likes to read about complex characters, and to lose herself in compelling plots, so that’s what she writes too.
Ashe has a pile of story ideas still to work through, and keeps thinking of new ones at the most unlikely moments, so you can expect to see a lot more from her.
Ashe loves to hear from readers. Here are her social media links:
Or you can email her direct on ashe.barker1@gmail.com
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