CONFLICT OF DESIRE is Released

Romance readers are used to steamy love stories on their e-readers, but this Valentine's Day many of them are getting it in audio form, too. E-publishing imprint Steam Books is emailing them a romantic gift in the form of an iTunes download: Mariah Carey's latest love song, "You're Mine (Eternal)", the publisher announced Thursday.

Readers who have signed up to the Steam Books mailing list, dubbed "Team Steam", will receive an email containing a link to download the song from the iTunes online store. Emails are being sent in batches starting Valentine's Day and throughout the weekend.

"We wanted to do something for Valentine's Day that was unique," explained representative Scott Kessinger. "Something that was special and something that you might not expect, but at the same time is perfectly in tune with the themes of romance and sensuality that the Steam Books brand represents. A popular love song on Valentine's Day weekend fit the bill splendidly."

Demographics play a large part in the choice of gift, as well. "Multicultural and interracial themes are very popular with our readers," says Kessinger. "Mariah Carey has advocated a positive image of multicultural, biracial and interracial relationships throughout her career, in both song and in-person, and that made her a perfect choice for our campaign."

However, the publisher wants to set the record straight: "There's no deal in place. This isn't about us officially endorsing Mariah Carey or her record company or vice-versa. We just think it's an appropriate thank-you to our readers on Valentine's Day."

Steam Books launched in 2012 and quickly found a niche in the ebook space with its brand of inexpensive short-form stories and novelettes. Their catalog of over 200 titles has sold in the tens of thousands in countries worldwide and is available at popular retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Readers can join the "Team Steam" newsletter mailing list by signing up through the publisher's website at steam-books.com or JoinTeamSteam.com.