THE PLEDGE by Laura Tolomei
Virtus Saga Book 5
At the end of the road, only one promise–to be as one
whilst remaining three.If this love you can’t do without is another aspect of power, it’s also the most volatile one, never stable, always uncontrollable. It can turn to hate quicker than white Virt becoming black. Virtus
While love and passion rise, enemies and misunderstandings become stronger. While resolves strengthen, the world and its nightmares stand in the way until one thing, and one alone, will save them–the pledge.
And to those who never thought Ylianor would make it in Duncan and Chris's hearts, at least not the way she made it in their bed, here's news for you:
“Princess, for you I have two words alone—thank you.” He uttered them softly. “Thank you for being in my head, in my heart, in my spirit, my life. Thank you for the constant sharing. Thank you for the love and for having believed in it far more than I ever did. Thank you for having waited for me to come round to how immensely I love you. Thank you for putting up with my…insufferable lover, as you call him.” His wide grin took them both in. “Mostly, thank you for always being there as your own woman, never a submissive slave. You are our master, the one who teaches and gives us new strength every time your spirit breathes on us. You are our deep-rotted core, the one without whom we wouldn’t exist or be where we are today. You have made all this possible, so again I can only thank you. I…no…” He glanced at Chris and received a silent go ahead. “We can’t live without you.”
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Meet Laura Tolomei.
If you really want to know, I was born in 1965 in Rome, Italy, but soon started my travelling career. At the age of five, my parents took me to Lagos, Nigeria, where I grew up free and hot like I've never been since. I loved it there and still think of it with nostalgia. Anyway, it was also where I learned English.
After my African experience, I was ready to tackle the US. I lived in Atlanta, GA, five teen-age years, attending the Crestwood High School, where I started my writing career by publishing a short story Nostalgia on the Crestwood Journal. Very thrilled about discovering my new talent, I went ahead during college, writing for the Emory University journal The Phoenix. Three articles mark my first-and last-steps in journalism, "The peace Corps", "WAMM, Women Against Military Madness," and "Lesbism".
After my American experience, I moved back to Rome, but still kept living from time to time abroad, spending several months in Mumbay India, a country I always felt very close to me in more ways than one.
Today, I write both in Italian and English, mostly fiction of various genres, from fantasy erotica, to mysteries up to plain ordinary life stories.
In English, I write erotica in various genres, mostly fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal, sometimes trespassing into contemporary. Feel free to look over my current and future projects by clicking here.
WEBSITE *** BLOG *** TWITTER *** FACEBOOK *** GOODREADS *** MYSPACE
WIN - Leave Laura a question today at her Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for a copy of the 4th book in her Virtus Saga Series - THE LEADER! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are today's winner - good luck!
You have been all over the world, where do you like to visit the most and why?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on release!
susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com
Happy Release Day Laura!! And super congrats on your new release!
ReplyDeleteFor those familiar with your Virtus Saga, can you tell us a bit about it and how the books fit together. And tell us how many books you have planned for this series.
Are there any other writings in the works?
I know it must be very late on your side of the world, but I know you'll be by when you can. Have a wonderful release day, do something special for yourself - you deserve it! And here's to THE PLEDGE being your biggest seller yet!
OOOH I loved the first three of the Virtus Saga - must go and get that one on my wishlist immediately :D
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan
ReplyDeleteI like to visit any place NEW! Don’t like going back to places I already seen. I’m always thirsty for novelties, in places as much as in people. Thanks for stopping by!
Laura
Hi DeNita, thank you for having me here today at your wonderful parties! I know I'm going to have sooooo much fun, and it's already started LOL.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your first question and make it understandable, I'll tell you about the Virtus Saga in a separate post, so readers can get the info strai
ght up.
As for my upcoming works, I have completed Virtus #6, The Heat and am now working on #7 The Tracer. I'm really accelerating now 'cause I can't wait to let readers have the complete saga, once and for all!
As for the time frame, right now it's around 9 PM, so not too late. I'll be here all night, let's say for sure until 1 AM my time, but if I don't get all the answers in tonight, I'll be sure to log in tomorrow morning, my time LOL
Laura
VIRTUS SAGA - Part 1
ReplyDeleteIt’s an ambitious and complex work spanning time and space on the planet Sendar where Prince Duncan Caldwell, his lover Lord Christopher Templeton and his woman Ylianor Meyer are the only ones who can shed light on the mysterious device controlling their world and their lives. Mostly, It’s about relationships, people, trust, love, friendship, discovery, truth, power, life and death. And last, but certainly not least, it’s about sex and its power not just to create connections, but also to defuse aggressive impulses.
The story begins in Book 1 The Sex with Duncan lost while returning home from a neighboring town. Before night falls though, he finds shelter in Ylianor’s rundown shack. The beautiful woman has a very familiar air, but for the life of him, he cannot remember who she is or resist the attraction he feels, despite his aristocratic tastes. So he offers her a job at Black Rose, his family’s estate, only to discover she’s the daughter of his father’s mistress. And his lover, Chris, isn’t too happy about her either, being fiercely determined to hold on to his prince against the hated rival he had already driven away from his lover’s side. But since life has the strange habit of surprising people, the lovers will be forced to take her along with them on a journey that will test their limits, particularly in Book 2 The Game where they’ll have to play masters or slaves in a vortex of sexual commands and passionate submissions. And even if with Duncan, Chris and Ylianor it’s easy to guess who will play what, the far reaching consequences of their game will change their lives, and that of their world, forever. Then in Book 3 The Festival everything comes together, the responsibilities and the relationships finally falling into place thanks to their new awareness of what their world is all about. And if the secret is to be as one whilst still remaining three…well, it’s something they’ll have to explore further in Book 4 The Leader, released Feb. 1 2012, and The Pledge released today, Sept. 1, with more exciting developments, twists and turns in and out of bed.
The Concept
The planet Sendar is controlled by a mechanical device as part of a vast social experiment. This sophisticated mechanism channels people's aggression into sex, which in turn guarantees their feudal society knows no violence.
The World
Sex, sex and more sex without limits or boundaries—not in numbers, not in gender, whether it’s the phase, the pledge or the heat—such is Sendar’s very foundation, an apparently peaceful planet, without the usual pestilences associated with mankind, wars, hunger, violence. But is it really so?
The pyramid
Three-sided like the three lovers full of power and explosive feelings, Virtus controls Sendar in ways they have yet to discover and if they can, change.
The story
Unknown to most, powerful forces dominate Sendar’s feudal-like society, the ability to wield destructive energy so strong in some people, it’s threatening to devastate their world. But to reach a new balance you have to learn, grow, blend with the world from which you come, then go beyond it before the world collapses into chaos. And that’s what Duncan, Chris and Ylianor must learn to do if sex, power, magic, passion and jealousy won’t stand in their way.
VIRTUS SAGA - Part 2
ReplyDeleteThe Books
One thing I must say is that if you pick up and read from any point on, things aren’t going to make much sense. The Virtus Saga should be read in the same order as the books, otherwise you might lose a lot of the storyline and of what’s going on. This is not a serial. It’s a series, where each book follows the other in a sequenced order. So to get the most from the Virtus Saga, start from Book 1 and work your way up!
Book 1 The Sex – available
Book 2 The Game – available
Book 3 The Festival – available
Book 4 The Leader – available
Book 5 The Pledge – available
Book 6 The Heat – coming later 2012
Book 7 The Keeper – coming 2013
Upcoming releases
The Heat, Virtus Saga #6 - Over the gossip, over the passion, over the sex, over any possible explanation…because of the pledge, the heat will overwhelm them, in and out of the Hall, in and out of bed.
The Keeper, Virtus Saga #7 - Alone, Prince Duncan Caldwell stands. The future on his shoulders, he has to connect the dots and to pick up the pieces of broken love, before the new edition of the Game. So will he succeed in reconnecting with both his soul-mates, in time.
The Characters
Lost while returning home, Duncan Caldwell, only son and heir of Prince Charles Caldwell, finds shelter in Ylianor Meyer’s rundown shack. The beautiful woman has a very familiar air, but for the life of him, he cannot remember who she is or resist the attraction he feels, despite his aristocratic tastes. So he offers her a job as Black Rose’s stable keeper, only to find out she’s the daughter of his father’s mistress. But will this stop the fatal pull drawing him to her bed?
Lord Christopher Templeton is fiercely in love with Duncan Caldwell, a love started before either was old enough to know what love is, which continues until Duncan decides it’s time for him to find a woman. But Chris is determined to hold on to his prince no matter what it takes, even if he has to face the hated rival he had already driven away from his lover’s side, once, so long ago.
Ylianor Meyer has been in love with Duncan Caldwell since the very beginning, growing up with him on the green hills and cliffs of Black Rose. Banned by Prince Charles’s mate, she hasn’t seen Duncan for over 10 years, but when he walks in her rundown shack, she knows she still loves him as passionately as when she was merely nine-years-old. So she follows him, no matter what the consequences, no matter what his despicable lover will do to drive her away…again.
Lord Arthur Fairchild, leader of the High Council, knows time is slipping away from his grasp and Sendar will be condemned if his hero doesn’t come forth soon. So he summons him—not just him, but also the ones he’s connected to by lifetimes of bonding love and feelings so strong they’ve transcended time and space. And the uncontrollable power, the Virt, the energy running wild on Sendar only complicate matters.
Hi, Ilona,
ReplyDeletethanks soooo much for stopping by! Yeah, once read the first, it's kind of hard not to remain hooked LOL
Laura
Wow! Up to 5 already. Boy do I have some catching up to do. I only have the first two.
ReplyDeleteMy wish list got away from me this year.
carolcobun(at)yahoo.com
Yep, the books are piling up...
DeleteThanks for being here,
Laura
Hi, I was curious if you gather information or get ideas for your stories as you travel?
ReplyDeleteHi, great question.
DeleteYeah, I do get some ideas from my travels, though I wouldn't go as far as saying as I gather information. Mostly, the places I visit leave me sensations that often result in ideas for books. But let me make a few examples.
The first that comes to mind is my book Spying the Alcove, set in an archeological Sicialian site that I visited about 7 years back. The place was so incredible, so full of history, so amazing both for the setting and the history, and of an uncomparable beauty that it stayed with me until I developed a story around it.
To stay on the Virtus Saga, here, too, I discovered one of its most sacred places, the Nephis Valley, in Jordan, during my trip of 6 years ago. The canyon that takes my hero to the valley is the access to Petra. The place is so famous also Spielberg used it for the last of his Indiana Jones's movies, and I totally understand why! It's more than suggestive. It's kind of spiritual in a way, and since I did it also at night, it became mystical. And just BTW, Nephis means soul in the Arabic language, so everything kind of fit into the Virtus Saga as though it was meant for it LOL
Thanks for stopping by, Laura
Hello Laura, best wishes on your release day and best of luck with your new book.
ReplyDeleteI personally love to read books in a series, especially when I find a new to me series that already has several books in it, so I don't have to wait too long to read the next one :)
Do the books have to be read in order? And I'm not a huge fan of m/m but I do love menage. How much m/m is in the book. I don't mind some, as I'm just starting to dip my toe in that genre.
Thanks, Sharon!
DeleteYes, I know what you mean about having more books to a series, so you can get to read them in sequence and without waiting forever between one book and the other. It's also the reason I'm working hard to get to the last book, partly to free my mind of these characters that have become more familiar than my family, mostly to offer my readers a complete tale.
In any case, this series is to be read in the books' order, if you want to understand everything. The main characters are always the same--Prince Duncan Caldwell, Lord Christopher Templeton and Ylianor Meyer--with plenty of secondary characters that inhabit Sendar's planet. Unfortunately, the story has a very decisive MM focus, which turns into MMF as Ylianor becomes closer to Duncan and Chris, but to be fair, it takes them 5 books to get to a decent ménage. But for sure, you'll find a lot of MM erotica.
Laura
I adore m/m, and from there I got into reading menages. I was wondering, do you approach a menage differently than you do m/m or m/f when you write?
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Mmmm...interesting question...no, can't say I do, probably because I usually don't write straight MM, except in rare cases. My characters are never so clear-cut that they have rigid sexual orientations. My characters are willing to take the extra step toward exploring sex in all its varieties, and if they aren't at the beginning of a book, you can bet they'll have grown so much, that by the end of the story they'll have tried everything. It's the reason I choose to write erotica, 'cause it gives me the opportunity to show how people can grow and learn to widen their horizon and trascend prejudices and social conventions. So to me, it's all a matter of choice, my characters' mostly, regarding who they choose to sleep with, and that's why I don't treat the MM genre any differently from the MMF or the MF one.
DeleteLaura
Congratulations on the book! What are your plans for this weekend?
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Weekend is almost over here in Rome, and it's been such an awful weather, cold and rain for the first time since June, that all I wanted to do was stay home and celebrate my release with the party and all. So it was a wonderful weekend!!!!
DeleteLaura
Congrats on the new release!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a specific number of books planned, or an ending already in mind for the series?
June
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Oh, yeah, I got an ending planned. It took me years to figure out what it would be, and I mean 6 years. I also have a set number of books planned, and I'm right on schedule on that. Only thing I'm not sure about is whether the book I'm working on right now, which is the 7th will be divided in two, in which case I'll have a Book 7 and a Book 8, or whether I'll keep it in one book alone. A lot depends on how long it's going to be, so it's something I'll decide once it's finished. Other than that, everything is pretty much set.
DeleteLaura
Congrats on the release. I am always interested in the reading habits of authors themselves. Do you read/enjoy the genre that you write in? What is your favorite genre?
ReplyDeleteGabrielle
meingee@yahoo.com
To be honest, I had never read an erotic book in my life, with the exception of Histoire d'O. And always to be honest, I had never read a horror book in my life, with no exceptions here, 'cause they terrorize me, much like the movies. Yet ironically, I am currently a writer in both genres, and it's still a mystery to me why I should end up writing in two genres I had never read before. People who have read my books tell me my erotism and horror are nothing like the kind most authors write, so maybe that explains it. Let's say I took those genres and made them mine, so to speak, giving them my personality so to speak.
DeleteAs to my favorite genre, I'd have to go with fantasy, which I love but only if written by women. I think we have the more imaginative approach to world building, more than men who tend to have a scientifical approach to it. So it's no surprise my saga should be a fantasy one, given my preference LOL
Laura
Congratulations on the new release! Wow..Can't wait to read your book!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Love the excerpts. If you have to cast your heroes and heroine for a movie, who would you choose?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
tamsyn5(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congrats you have a winner some man love mixed with a woman so sexy. Lol
ReplyDeleterasco630@yahoo.com
Congrats on your new release. Do your characters ever disturb your sleep? Do they talk to you and say what they want?
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate with Laura! And Laura is feeling particularly generous and picking THREE WINNERS because she really liked their questions! June M., Tamsyn and Gabrielle be on the look out for an email from Laura with a copy of THE LEADER attached - ENJOY!
ReplyDeleteHi, Laura, just stopped by to say Hi and tell you i am totally excited about the release of your new book. Your e-mail appeared in my box yesterday....ummm better late than never, right? I wanted to stop by and show support for one on my fave authors.
ReplyDeleteJan
Catch you on the flipside, Laura.
Dispone di una splendida giornata, Laura!