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WHAT'S NEW?
I'M NOT A MANNEQUIN
R.B. O’Brien’s highly anticipated fifth collection of poetry comes with a fitting title, because there is nothing plastic or fake or synthetic about the art of being human. You’ll find no forced rhymes or antiquated strict forms here, just a simple beauty in the complex emotions of the unexpected--and sometimes expected--moments we live, one at a time and all at once. This collection reminds us that we are all “Leaves at Midnight,” on “Swallowtail Wings,” even “Across Snowfields,” best traveled “Bare and Naked,” and anything—ANYTHING—but mannequins covered in the clothes that won’t fit us.
From sensuality to love to romance to nature and death, O’Brien shows us our human spirit in verse, like looking into a mirror that sometimes makes us smile, and other times, makes us cry; that sometimes shines light on our best features, and other times, begs for the sun to salve the scars of our darkness; that sometimes makes us a child again, and other times, allows us to revel in the sensual intricacies of being an adult; and that never sometimes, but only always, shows us that truth lies in embracing every part of all of it: A world where poetry with soul exists.
From sensuality to love to romance to nature and death, O’Brien shows us our human spirit in verse, like looking into a mirror that sometimes makes us smile, and other times, makes us cry; that sometimes shines light on our best features, and other times, begs for the sun to salve the scars of our darkness; that sometimes makes us a child again, and other times, allows us to revel in the sensual intricacies of being an adult; and that never sometimes, but only always, shows us that truth lies in embracing every part of all of it: A world where poetry with soul exists.
Snow Falls in Winter
“Be gentle with my emotions. I’m a poet you know. And I don’t see how heavily the cold snow weighs down the tree branches…” R.B. O’Brien
To a poet, the world speaks in images only ink can capture. Every thought, every breath, every lover’s sigh in love making, every sad moment, every doubt or fear, every time we fall in or out of love, every sound or sight in nature—little birds’ feet tap dancing or striking sunsets in clouds of smog or the too-hot sun or the loud crashing of the sea or the bright moon in a dark sky or leaves falling from a tree like unsent letters or the silence of a midnight walk in the city or every poetic love story that ends, or barren birch branches that expose peoples’ secrets and oaks in spring filled with the budding of new secrets—creates a thread of words like the thread one might use to sew a garment we still see so much life in.
Poetry is a way to see not only a perfect beautiful, but to see the beauty in the broken, in the cyclicality of death and rebirth. It’s healing. It’s cathartic. It’s taking all the pieces to, somehow, make us whole, even if ephemeral, even if only until our ink must pour onto the pages again, even in the inevitable decay of flowers or sound of hymnal dirges, even in the beautiful blue bruises of January. And even-- as snow falls in winter.
To a poet, the world speaks in images only ink can capture. Every thought, every breath, every lover’s sigh in love making, every sad moment, every doubt or fear, every time we fall in or out of love, every sound or sight in nature—little birds’ feet tap dancing or striking sunsets in clouds of smog or the too-hot sun or the loud crashing of the sea or the bright moon in a dark sky or leaves falling from a tree like unsent letters or the silence of a midnight walk in the city or every poetic love story that ends, or barren birch branches that expose peoples’ secrets and oaks in spring filled with the budding of new secrets—creates a thread of words like the thread one might use to sew a garment we still see so much life in.
Poetry is a way to see not only a perfect beautiful, but to see the beauty in the broken, in the cyclicality of death and rebirth. It’s healing. It’s cathartic. It’s taking all the pieces to, somehow, make us whole, even if ephemeral, even if only until our ink must pour onto the pages again, even in the inevitable decay of flowers or sound of hymnal dirges, even in the beautiful blue bruises of January. And even-- as snow falls in winter.
Érotique: An Erotic Romance Boxed Set Collection
Smart, erotic fiction, R.B. O'Brien brings you her most popular erotic romances full of twists, angst, and emotional push and pull, and houses them under one roof in the collection: érotique.
érotique is for avid dark romance readers who like their heat level high without lowering their expectations for solid plots and poetic writing. Each story features intensely wild and emotionally unavailable men who meet the one woman who just might be able to tame them, maybe even save them from themselves and their own self destruction. It is filled with beautifully forbidden fairytales, juxtaposed with the stark realism of human imperfection, where light and dark meet to achieve the final climax of happily ever after. And it won't be easy to get there. Nothing worthwhile is.
Dark and, at times, taboo, the collection contains alpha males who think they are too damaged for love, often behaving deliciously dastardly because of it, but who, slowly, learn that love does really possess the capability to conquer all. The brooding, mercurial leading men who like their control come to realize: It is the women, even as they love to submit, who truly wield the power in the dynamic.
érotique is a collection of fiction for those who want the freedom to safely explore the darker sides of their sexuality without feeling guilty about it. It is a celebration of acceptance for the many shades of dark and light and needs and desires within us all. And sometimes, we must suffocate first to breath; hurt before we know happiness; and struggle to be free.
Embrace the érotique in you. Jouir!
***Featured in this discounted boxed set collection are the previously published books still available separately through Amazon: Imogen: A Dark Romantic Thriller; Thorne: Rose's Dark Contract (Book 1); Edge of Torment: A BDSM Love Story; and Reindeer Games.
érotique is for avid dark romance readers who like their heat level high without lowering their expectations for solid plots and poetic writing. Each story features intensely wild and emotionally unavailable men who meet the one woman who just might be able to tame them, maybe even save them from themselves and their own self destruction. It is filled with beautifully forbidden fairytales, juxtaposed with the stark realism of human imperfection, where light and dark meet to achieve the final climax of happily ever after. And it won't be easy to get there. Nothing worthwhile is.
Dark and, at times, taboo, the collection contains alpha males who think they are too damaged for love, often behaving deliciously dastardly because of it, but who, slowly, learn that love does really possess the capability to conquer all. The brooding, mercurial leading men who like their control come to realize: It is the women, even as they love to submit, who truly wield the power in the dynamic.
érotique is a collection of fiction for those who want the freedom to safely explore the darker sides of their sexuality without feeling guilty about it. It is a celebration of acceptance for the many shades of dark and light and needs and desires within us all. And sometimes, we must suffocate first to breath; hurt before we know happiness; and struggle to be free.
Embrace the érotique in you. Jouir!
***Featured in this discounted boxed set collection are the previously published books still available separately through Amazon: Imogen: A Dark Romantic Thriller; Thorne: Rose's Dark Contract (Book 1); Edge of Torment: A BDSM Love Story; and Reindeer Games.
SOLANDIS
A POETRY COLLECTION. ONE BOOK. THREE COLLECTIONS.
A POETRY COLLECTION. ONE BOOK. THREE COLLECTIONS.
The human condition is a delicate flower...
SAVE MONEY with this BUNDLED SET collection! Three poetry and prose collections in one book. What's Inside: RUIN MY LIPSTICK: A Poetry Collection: Poetry that takes the ordinary to the extraordinary, one verse at a time. Emotive. Romantic. Erotic. And everything in between. Poetry is what my soul bleeds when I'm not looking... 5 STAR REVIEWS for Ruin My Lipstick: "Ruin My Lipstick is a work of art." "Exquisite, raw emotion." "...have never been so moved so completely by poetry." "Makes you think and feel with every word." "It truly touches the soul." "A poet of great power." ALMOST POETRY: From the author who brought you the highly received poetry collection, Ruin My Lipstick, comes something not quite like anything you’ve seen before. This artistically, intricately woven compilation brings you the poet’s musings, doodles, and sketches, and puts pages of her own personally inked journal into your own hands. Intimate, vulnerable, and raw-- the r’s that look like scribbles or the i’s not fully dotted or the t’s not quite crossed-- these moments from the poet’s life will make you sigh, laugh out loud, shake your head in the affirmative, and look at love and nature and everything else you see and experience in the world around you through a new lens. It’s as much a visual feast for the eyes as it is for the thrum, flutter, and beat of the heart. After all, writing is simply the stringing together of the best words in the best possible order. And sometimes, it’s almost poetry. PRAISE FOR ALMOST POETRY: "Poetry needn’t always be long to grab hold of your mind and heart… its vibrancy can be found inside the shortest of poetic lines and verse." "I am convinced R.B. does in fact bleed poetry." "R.B. O'Brien makes you feel with every word written." "...powerful writing exploring all things." "This is how poetry should be." A RED, RED ROSE: A Collection of Dark Poetry and Prose: It is often in the dark that we can see... And sometimes, you must look at what isn't said, as much as what is, to see it. R.B. O'Brien's latest collection of dark poetry and prose isn't your Robert Burns song about "luve." No. It's not that kind of a red, red rose. It's the kind that makes you think of a darker shade of red, perhaps the color of blood coursing just below the surface of your skin or through your veins, struggling to pump that blood to your heart. A rose littered with thorns to prick and cut into your darker psyche. The kind of rose to escape the pretty gardens and butterflies and yellow suns filling a canvas with only light. No. This red, red rose is the stuff only twisted fairy tales are made of. |
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As nuanced and textured as you may be used to from O'Brien, you've never seen her quite like this before. From bright-lit graves to black crosses on white churches, from mortal skulls to immortal ghosts, from sweet revenge to soured greed, and from love worth dying for (literally) to death most lively, turn off the lights and read only by candlelight. Who knows what you may see...
You might just see yourself.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID about A Red, Red Rose:
"Deliciously sexy darkness!"
"...will touch your soul."
"Soulfully twisted...
"A RED, RED ROSE is a beautifully rich, powerful, and feminine statement....to overcome what pains us and to face our fears head on to find our light."
Enjoy your collection today!
You might just see yourself.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID about A Red, Red Rose:
"Deliciously sexy darkness!"
"...will touch your soul."
"Soulfully twisted...
"A RED, RED ROSE is a beautifully rich, powerful, and feminine statement....to overcome what pains us and to face our fears head on to find our light."
Enjoy your collection today!
NEW ADULT FICTION
He was a master at playing the strings of her heart.
But her heart had its own songs to sing. First impressions are not always what they seem. Tatted bad boy Colton grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, the complete opposite of sheltered rich girl Lauren. But forced together in the same class--she, a talented musical theatre major; he, an aspiring musician--they can’t fight their unlikely attraction, an attraction that leaves them both shattered. Their lives, so seemingly different, prove that hardships, loss, and heartbreak know no social class, and dreams-- can come at a cost. What are they willing to give up for love? |
Young love is like the first time one sees a shooting star; i t’s bright and magical. But not all stars can be seen through the rain. When Julietta and Max fall in love one romantic and lustful summer, etching their forever promises into the big oak under a night sky, neither could predict what the stars had in store for their future. Will their love last beyond the rain? |
STEAMY BDSM ROMANCE
At the EDGE of pleasure often lies a little pain…
EDGE OF TORMENT
THE FULL SERIES
At the edge of pleasure often lies a little pain...
He didn’t think he was capable of love; she thought she had everything she ever needed. But when former ballet dancer and entrepreneur Annabelle Smith and environmentalist Michael Black meet, they are thrust into a headlong relationship that may devastate them both.
Falling almost too fast for this enigmatic, controlling man, Annabelle is both excited and terrified by the fine line Michael walks between his dark and light side, as he introduces her to a world of games, bondage, and punishments. And to her surprise, she likes her submission. She likes the control he wields. And he cannot have it any other way. He likes to bring Annabelle to the edge, and she likes the edge he brings her to. Pleasure has never felt so good.
But can Michael fully let go of his trust issues and fall in love? Or will his past leave Annabelle on the EDGE of TORMENT?
At the edge of pleasure often lies a little pain...
He didn’t think he was capable of love; she thought she had everything she ever needed. But when former ballet dancer and entrepreneur Annabelle Smith and environmentalist Michael Black meet, they are thrust into a headlong relationship that may devastate them both.
Falling almost too fast for this enigmatic, controlling man, Annabelle is both excited and terrified by the fine line Michael walks between his dark and light side, as he introduces her to a world of games, bondage, and punishments. And to her surprise, she likes her submission. She likes the control he wields. And he cannot have it any other way. He likes to bring Annabelle to the edge, and she likes the edge he brings her to. Pleasure has never felt so good.
But can Michael fully let go of his trust issues and fall in love? Or will his past leave Annabelle on the EDGE of TORMENT?
EDGE OF TORMENT (BOOK I)Begin the angsty and emotional story of Annabelle and Michael as they meet in an elevator and ascend to a tumultuous climax that will leave you on the edge and begging for more...
Part I of EDGE of TORMENT follows the tale of two flawed and unfulfilled lovers, trying to find and accept their darker needs. Annabelle didn't realize she had them; and Michael needs to learn how to balance his dark cravings with more shards of light. What ensues are misunderstandings, trust issues, and an awakening where torment was never so pleasurable. The is the first installment of the Edge of Torment: A BDSM Love Story Full Series. The entire story, including this book, can be found in one collection. The epilogue is Reindeer Games. |
REINDEER GAMES THE EPILOGUE
Christmas is a time for presents. But presents need to be earned... “Now pay attention. I will only tell you the rules once.” Annabelle was no stranger to games with Michael. She liked his games. Even when she lost, she somehow won. When Michael buys Annabelle some gifts for Christmas, a game of denial ensues on Christmas Eve. Can Annabelle submit and follow directions? Or will she be left on the edge, without an end in sight? Romantic, fun, and sexy, the wait for Christmas to come has never seemed so long. |
DARK ROMANCE
CAPTURED (BOOK ONE)
This dark romance series follows the story of Imogen, who is captured and taken prisoner by the enemy on her wedding night as their war spoils. Imogen is chosen by a high-ranking official, Erik, to serve him in every way. Controlling and compassionate at once, Erik warns her that in order to remain as safe as possible, he must learn her, her body, and instruct her on how to obey him, for her own good. But Imogen struggles to understand her new and confusing feelings, and Erik's enigmatic warnings of her fate leave her afraid and vulnerable. With a knock on the door after the loss of her innocence, Imogen ponders just what her ominous future holds... “Captured” is the first installment in the Imogen series. |
FULL SERIES
He was her enemy. She was his war spoils. He promised to try to keep her safe, but could he keep her safe from falling in love with the very man she should despise? Imogen: A Dark Romantic Thriller is a story full of twists, where two flawed people are thrust into a dystopian world by no choice of their own. Captured and taken prisoner by the enemy on her wedding night, Imogen must find strength to survive her frightening new existence where her fate and safety hang in the balance daily. One false move could have dire consequences. As the lines of good and evil become blurred, Imogen struggles between hopes of freedom with that of her growing love for the man she should hate. He very well may have captured her heart, but has she captured his? Or will she discover she doesn’t know who this man is at all? |
STEAMY SUSPENSE ROMANCE
THORNE: ROSE'S DARK CONTRACTShow me the steep and thorny way to heaven…the primrose path—Shakespeare
William Thorne is a powerful man with dark needs and a troubled past who doesn’t have the time nor the desire for romantic relationships or notions. Through meticulous planning and iron-clad contracts, Thorne has managed to maintain a modicum of balance, control, and happiness by employing personal assistants to aid him in all aspects of his professional and personal life. Sex with no strings attached. Obedience without questions. An arrangement of mutual benefit. No mess. No love. No expectations. Nothing beyond a signed contract. But when Thorne meets recent music grad, Victoria Rose, the shy and beautiful down-on-her-luck waitress, obsession replaces his carefully constructed thinking. He becomes so fixated on having her, without a full understanding of who she is, that he rushes her contract, making mistake after mistake before the ink even dries. His once neat and controlled existence becomes blurred and smudged. Can the mistakes he makes be erased from Rose’s dark contract? Or will the damage leave an indelible mark that nobody could have seen coming? |
THORNE: ROSE'S DARK SECRET“You will always be a monster - there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you.” ― Julie Kagawa, The Eternity Cure
The angsty story of the beautiful and submissive Rose and the dominant and sadistic Thorne continues in this second installment as William Thorne convinces himself to move on from this seemingly doomed relationship. He fights his urge to be with Rose at every turn and is determined to put her behind him in search of a new personal assistant to fulfill his every salacious need. Obsessed with confessing the secrets of his own marred past, William desperately grasps for the balance that once kept him grounded. He yearns for the controlled way of life that satisfied him professionally, personally, and sexually long before the arrival of Rose. But when an unforeseeable event occurs, everything William Thorne has vowed to do is again thrown into disharmony. Rose and William teeter precariously to amend their dark secrets. Will they continue to stumble and fall or can the light of love show them both happiness? |
THORNE: ROSE'S DARK AWAKENING“In the small hours
we are unadorned our psyche naked in death no more veiled intuition we know who we truly are.” ~Sebastian Nox At last, the highly-anticipated conclusion to William and Rose’s story is here! When William Thorne meets the unassuming but beautiful Rose (Victoria) Wellington, he begins to unmask the true man he has buried for years under hired personal assistants and obsessive work behavior fighting the tobacco industry. But after another tragedy shakes him, all his demons resurface, awakened with ferocity. This time, he will leave Rose behind to protect her, and he will embrace the William that has kept him stable all these years. With a confession about to go public in seeking atonement for his past deeds, deeds that very likely will land him in prison, William marvels at his Rose’s growth personally but saddens as she moves on in her love life and her career without him. He, too, tries to move on by hiring a beautiful, submissive personal assistant to fulfill all his salacious needs. Each time he sees Rose, his fight to stay away from the beauty becomes unbearable, but his impending future leaves little to change it. |
POETRY
Almost Poetry
Writing is simply the stringing together of the best words in the best possible order. And sometimes, it’s almost poetry.
From the author who brought you the highly received poetry collection, Ruin My Lipstick, comes something not quite like anything you’ve seen before. This artistically, intricately woven compilation brings you the poet’s musings, doodles, and sketches, and puts pages of her own personally inked journal into your own hands.
Intimate, vulnerable, and raw-- the r’s that look like scribbles or the i’s not fully dotted or the t’s not quite crossed-- these moments from the poet’s life will make you sigh, laugh out loud, shake your head in the affirmative, and look at love and nature and everything else you see and experience in the world around you through a new lens. It’s as much a visual feast for the eyes as it is for the thrum, flutter, and beat of the heart.
After all, writing is simply the stringing together of the best words in the best possible order. And sometimes, it’s almost poetry.
Intimate, vulnerable, and raw-- the r’s that look like scribbles or the i’s not fully dotted or the t’s not quite crossed-- these moments from the poet’s life will make you sigh, laugh out loud, shake your head in the affirmative, and look at love and nature and everything else you see and experience in the world around you through a new lens. It’s as much a visual feast for the eyes as it is for the thrum, flutter, and beat of the heart.
After all, writing is simply the stringing together of the best words in the best possible order. And sometimes, it’s almost poetry.
A RED, RED ROSE
A GOTHIC COLLECTION OF FLASH FICTION
AND POETRY
A GOTHIC COLLECTION OF FLASH FICTION
AND POETRY
It is often in the dark that we can see...
And sometimes, you must look at what isn't said, as much as what is, to see it. R.B. O'Brien's latest collection of dark poetry and prose isn't your Robert Burns song about "luve." No. It's not that kind of a red, red rose. It's the kind that makes you think of a darker shade of red, perhaps the color of blood coursing just below the surface of your skin or through your veins, struggling to pump that blood to your heart. A rose littered with thorns to prick and cut into your darker psyche. The kind of rose to escape the pretty gardens and butterflies and yellow suns filling a canvas with only light. No. This red, red rose is the stuff only twisted fairy tales are made of. As nuanced and textured as you may be used to from O'Brien, you've never seen her quite like this before. From bright-lit graves to black crosses on white churches, from mortal skulls to immortal ghosts, from sweet revenge to soured greed, and from love worth dying for (literally) to death most lively, turn off the lights and read only by candlelight. Who knows what you may see...You might just see yourself. |