Friday Feature & Giveaway: The Ingredients of Bliss by Lisabet Sarai

Today I’m delighted to be able to introduce you to Harry Sanborne, one of the protagonists in my new erotic romance, The Ingredients of Bliss. Harry is the producer for the popular French cooking show, Toutes les Saveurs Francaises. In the prequel to the new novel, my short story Her Secret Ingredient, Harry saves the heroine Emily Wong from a career disaster. In the new book, though, their roles are reversed.

But maybe Harry should tell you about this himself.

 Lisabet Sarai: Hi, Harry! Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions? My readers always want to know about the hero.

 Harry Sanborne: Not at all. Though I’m hardly the hero type. It was Emily who rescued me, don’t forget.

 LS: True, but you’re the dominant in the relationship. Though you didn’t reveal your interest in BDSM to her at first, did you?

 HS: Guess you might say I had my own secret. (chuckles) Seriously, though, I didn’t want to frighten Emily away. From the first time I saw her, sparring with Etienne Duvalier in the test kitchen, I knew she was something special. Smart, strong, competent and stubborn. An incredible cook. And beautiful, of course, with a sort of unconscious sexual appeal that I at least found irresistible. I didn’t need that aphrodisiac, that’s for sure!

After we became lovers, I felt pretty certain she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. She’s so focused on her career, though, that I didn’t push things. I was happy to be with her under any terms.

 LS: When you finally let your Dom side show, though, she reacted positively, right?

 HS: You might say that. (grins) It was bit of a shock for her to realize she enjoyed being on the bottom, but as is always the case with Emily, she – um – adapted quickly.

LS: I’m sure your skill as a top had something to do with that.

HS: It has nothing to do with skill, not really. It’s the emotional connection that counts. I love her and she knows it, feels it instinctively, no matter tightly I tie her up or how hard I whip her. She knows that I’ll take care of her. She trusts me. I’m honored by that trust.

 LS: What about her relationship with Etienne? Did you feel threatened by that?

 HS: You may find this hard to believe, but not at all. First of all, I’m not the jealous type. I knew Emily loved me, before she realized it herself. And I don’t believe that love is limited, that what you give to one person reduces the amount you have available to share with others.

Second, I was intrigued and yes, turned on, by her dominant side. I’m a pretty kinky guy! Anyway, I encouraged her to top Etienne just to see how she’d react, what she’d learn about herself.

Finally, I really like Etienne. Sometimes he acts like he has a stick up his ass but having worked with him for nearly three years, I knew he was a decent fellow with a good heart. And it seemed that, like me, he might have lost that heart to our Emily.

 LS: So you were willing to share her.

 HS: I just gave her a nudge. You know it’s true what they say, that the sub ultimately has control. I could tell the idea of having Etienne as her slave made her hot. That made me hot. I “ordered” her to act in a way that would fulfill her fantasies – and Etienne’s too, as it happens.

LS: And your own?

HS: Okay, okay… I won’t deny it. But ultimately, for me, it’s all about Emily. Sounds sappy, I know, but my number one priority is making her happy.