Character Interview
Ivan Ershov

Introduce yourself. What book are you from? Are you the hero, heroine, villain?
My name is Ivan Ershov and among other things I am the head of a multi-billion dollar real estate business that I built from the ground up in Moscow, Russia. I would like to think that I’m the hero of ‘Ivan’s Captive Submissive’, but I believe that some will see me as the villain. It all depends on how you view the world. I am not an easy man, I never claimed to be, but when I love a woman I love her with all of my heart.
Who is the love of your life?
Ahh, my Gia. What did I first notice about her? It would have to be her big, brown eyes. She was standing on the stage at the Submissive’s Wish charity auction, so brave despite her obvious fear. Of course I am a man and I noticed her beautiful body and exotic looks, but it was her eyes that captured me. She is such an interesting mix of submission and spirit and when I look at her I see my future.

What’s your greatest fear?
I have no fear, and if I do I destroy it.

What’s your motto in life?
Veni, vidi, vici- I came, I saw, I conquered.

How do the other characters in your book view you?
It depends on who you ask. To some I am a cold, heartless bastard who is bent on world domination. To others I am a loyal friend, an honorable man, and in the case of my Gia, the love of her life.

What is the kinkiest thing you’ve ever done?
That is an interesting question, but I would think it depends on what your idea of kinky is. I am not a man to spread tales of my bed partners, but I will say that with Gia I have no limits. I will do everything and anything she desires to bring her pleasure, and my woman has a very, very, kinky imagination.

Will we be seeing you in future books?
Of course. Do not think my story ends with ‘Ivan’s Captive Submissive’. My friends and I are very close, and very loyal, so as the tale of our lives will of course involve all of us.

What makes you happy?
My Gia. She is my joy.

What makes you mad?
Anyone who threatens my family or those I love. Though I do not get made, I destroy them.

Blurb:
When Gia Lopez signs up for the Submissive’s Wish Charity Auction she has no idea that she’s about to be bought by a Russian Dom who will do anything to make her fantasies come true. Including staging an elaborate kidnapping that Gia believes is real. Ivan is instantly drawn to Gia and he wants to be the best Master she’s ever had. As he spends time with Gia he begins to have intense feelings for the strong, independent, and sexy American woman. He’s only won a week of her service but wishes to keep her forever.

Unaware of Ivan’s true feelings, Gia fights her growing emotional attachment to him. All she wants is to settle down with a nice Dom in the United States, continue her career, and live a normal life. However, Ivan sets a plan into motion that will push Gia to all of her limits and take her on a global journey of self-discovery, extreme pleasure, and love.

Warning: Contains Erotic Spanking, Subspace, f/f situations, a devastatingly sexy Dom who knows what he wants, and a submissive who just might be ready to give him what he needs.

Excerpt:
Gia Lopez stood in a staging area for the submissive auction with a line of women covered in sheer black robes. Her long, light brown hair was twisted back into an intricate braid that was a work of art, but she desperately wished she’d gotten plastic surgery to take care of her big nose before agreeing to this. The other women who were going to be sold off with her were beautiful, each perfect and lovely in their own way.
She felt like a sparrow surrounded by peacocks.
While Gia had enough of a sense of self-worth to admit she was cute with her dimples and big brown eyes, she’d never be breathtaking like the auburn haired sex-bomb submissive next to her. Gia had a slender figure from her daily jogging, but with her small breasts she felt like a boy when compared with the curvy light auburn haired submissive.
Why couldn’t Gia have gone after someone who wasn’t a pinup girl?
A tall, blonde Domme, Mistress Alice, walked down the line of submissives. They were gathered in what looked like parlor with all the furniture moved out. Elegant watercolors still graced the walls and a tasteful chandelier graced the room in a golden light. The door to the room where the auction would take place was currently closed but, from her orientation earlier, Gia knew that on the other side, there was a curtained off area to hide them from the audience, and the stage where she would be sold to the highest bidder.
Mistress Alice paused now and again to point out something she wanted changed with a submissive’s hair or makeup and took a moment to speak with each woman. Up at the front of the line, a few men in brown leather loin cloths presented a nice visual treat as they were oiled up by a trio of giggling submissives.
Mistress Alice stopped before Gia and looked her over from head to toe. When she spotted the gold barbells piercing Gia’s nipples through the sheer cloth of the gown, she smiled. “Lovely touch against your nicely tanned skin. The gold works much better than silver.”
“Thank you, Mistress Alice.” Gia curtsied as she’d been trained and Mistress Alice’s gaze warmed.
The Domme tilted her head and studied Gia’s face. “You’re Mistress Viola and Master Mark’s girl from South Carolina, Gia.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Mistress Viola and Master Mark were my trainers.”
“Lovely couple. I met them once at a Domme convention in Las Vegas. They told me to keep an eye on you, that you have quite a temper and are very high spirited.”
Gia flushed and dropped her gaze. “I’m working on that, Mistress Alice.”
“Well don’t work on it too hard.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Some of us like a submissive with fire in their veins. We like the challenge and the constant battle for your submission.”
Gia started as the other woman gently bit her earlobe before leaning back. “Am I understood?”
A soft rush of desire went through Gia and she licked her lower lip. “Yes, Mistress.”
The desire unfurled gently in her belly as she relived her training and how she owed her trainers a debt she could never repay. It had been a unique experience to work with Mistress Viola and Master Mark. Together they’d helped her start her transformation into the kind of submissive she yearned to be. They’d also given her glorious orgasms that swept the world away and left her existing as a being of pure pleasure. Not only did they train her physically, they also helped her learn how to love herself just the way she was.
Mistress Viola was a plump, curvy, delicious armful of woman. By today’s standards she was considered overweight, but back in the 1950’s she would have been considered stunning. Gia had yet to see a man who didn’t gravitate to Mistress Viola in a room, no matter how many other women were there. The fact that her husband, the more traditionally handsome Master Mark, loved her beyond reason helped more than anything else to make Gia believe that maybe there was a man out there that could love her just as she was and give her the confidence to fully be the woman she wanted to be.
Beautiful, elegant, and loved.
Well, she wasn’t loved yet, but she would be. She had faith her Master was out there, looking for her. The thought of him being out there tonight, maybe waiting for her in the audience, sent an ache of longing through her. The practical part of her mind scoffed at the idea of soul mates and fate, but the romantic side of her nature insisted anything was possible.
A petite mahogany-skinned woman who reminded Gia of a pixie came up to Mistress Alice and knelt at her feet. “Mistress, Master Martin wishes me to inform you we have fifteen minutes until we begin.”
Mistress Alice nodded. “Thank you, Tilly.” She smiled at Gia, “Have fun, sweet girl. Whoever gets you is going to have their hands full.”
“Thank you, Mistress.” Gia bent into a graceful curtsey.
The pair went farther down the line and Gia tried to slow her breathing. The redhead in front of Gia turned around and gave Gia a dazzling smile. “First time?”
“Yes. Is it painfully obvious?”
“Yep. First timers are pretty easy to spot. You’re the only ones who aren’t excited. My name is Iris.”
“Gia. Nice to meet you.” Gia smiled and smoothed her hands against the sheer robe. “I take it by your lack of panic attacks you’ve done this before?”
“Oh, yes. This is my third time.” Iris gave a dreamy smile. “After the first auction, I was bought by a lovely Dominant couple. At the second auction, I met my husband, who is also my Master.”
Gia tilted her head in confusion. As far as she knew, this auction was for single, uncollared submissives. “If you have a Master, why are you doing this again?”
The woman laughed and fingered her collar. “Because he wants to win me all over again.”
Gia couldn’t help a small stab of envy. “That’s very romantic.”
A chime sounded three times. All of the submissives turned towards the sound, and the redhead leaned over to whisper into Gia’s ear, “Don’t freak out. Whoever you end up with is going to be one of the best Masters in the world. If you click, great. If you don’t, then you will, at the very least, come away from the experience as a better submissive. Besides, all of the Masters have your fantasies available to them, and only a Master or Mistress interested in fulfilling your fantasies will bid on you.”
Gia laced her fingers together, trying to keep her anxiety at bay. She didn’t want to start shaking like a scared puppy. “That’s what worries me.” She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Iris. “I shared a bottle of wine with my girlfriend before I filled my form out, and I’m afraid the fantasies I submitted are a little more…frank. Let’s just say I was super honest about what my deepest, darkest fantasies are. Like, embarrassingly honest. When I read what I had already submitted the next morning, I couldn’t look myself in the mirror for the rest of the day without feeling like a pervert.”
Iris giggled. “Oh, that does sound interesting. Care to share what one of those fantasies were?”
A stern man’s voice range out over the crowd. “Ladies, eyes on me.”

Author bio:
With over thirty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her wonderful husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young age she’s been fascinated by myths and fairytales, and the romance that often was the center of the story. As Ann grew older and her hormones kicked in, she discovered trashy romance novels. Great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

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