Sunday, April 29, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - Apr. 29 - Deadly Enchantment


This material is Not Safe For Work. If you’re not over 18, please explore elsewhere.

Welcome to my 6SS where I hope to provide you with tiny little tidbits of the most sexy and sensuous moments in my books. Just 6 sentences, that I intend to build from my Horny Hump Day 3 sentence feature. The books might be already published, works-in-progress, or even sentences from other sexy books I think you’ll like.  Of course, I will properly attribute all works, even mine.

My current post for 6SS, is from my 2nd book, Deadly EnchantmentA shape-shifting wizard romance published by New Concepts Publishing, Deadly Enchantment concerns a young psychic woman facing off with the dark wizard of Ravenscroft, who she is convinced has brutally slaughtered her sister in a fit of jealousy on their wedding night.

In this segment, Serena Cunningham and Dominic Westcroft have taken shelter in a vacant cottage from a magical and malevolent storm cast by Dominic's brother, Terrence.  When they are able to deflect the charged lightening with a kiss, they realize by coming together their magic is far stronger and more resilient than Terrence's web of evil ever could be.  So, Dominic prepares to make love to Serena, fully understanding his claiming her virginity will result in consequences that will change both their lives forever. 


* * * * *

                Her eyes fluttered shut, and Serena let out a soft moan of desire.
            “That’s it,” Dominic urged, pressing his lips lightly to her ear.  His hand moved lower, and Serena’s hips surged upward to meet his touch.  He stroked her, lightly at first in a way that had her reaching for something elusive.  Then his touch firmed and Serena arched her back as she cried out in pleasure.  The room seemed to shimmer as her body pulsed with tiny shocks of delight.
* * * * *

M/F, Shape shifting wizards in Victorian England.

Read the first three chapters at: Deadly Enchantment

Buy the book at NCPAmazon or Barnes & Noble.

I hope you enjoyed this nibble. Your comments are encouraged. Please stop by the Six Sentence Sunday site to get a peek at the offerings the other authors for 6SS.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Frisky Friday - BDSM - What is Submission?

Back in 2006, Kim DeBron wrote an excellent article entitled "Introduction to Submission," which I would like to share with you here.  At least certain parts of it.  I'll also provide a link, so you can read the article yourself if you have the time and the inclination to do so.

First, for me, Dominance and submission is primarily about the control of one person over the life of another.  The dominant person, or the top, is the one in charge.  Solely for simplification reasons, in this article I will refer to all Dominants as "He," and all submissives as "she," even though this grouping is only one of several possible combinations.

 The submissive in the relationship makes a conscious decision to give up control to her partner, the Dominant, or a Top.

In her article, Kim states, "Dominance and submission is a power exchange between two consenting adults. It is about the control within the dynamics of that relationship, whether it be a full time 24/7 relationship, or a casual meeting, or a part time arrangement.
Choosing to be submissive means to allow someone else to control your body and behavior within the preset limits you and that particular person, i.e. the Dominant, have agreed on.  
Submission is not a sign of weakness, some of the most successful and strongest people are true submissives."

What submission is not about is kinky sex with dungeons, whips and chains, although those things can and do play a part in the lifestyle, if both parties consent to their use.  Most submissives view their submission as choice of the heart, and a wonderful gift to the Dominant.  Others view it as an absolute necessity for their happiness and well-being.  But no matter how a woman regards her submission, she should never enter into it lightly, even in a casual situation like at a party or a gathering.

Kim continues by adding, "A submissive does whatever her Dominant requires of her, within the boundaries already agreed upon by both parties in the relationship.  She serves Him in whatever manner He wishes, for His pleasure and His comfort."

Casual and long-term arrangements often have different goals.  Casual relationships are more likely to be solely for play, with or without sex.  In long-term arrangements, the degree of submission is deeper; the Dominant may wish to determine what the submissive wears, how she does her hair, where she sleeps and even what she can or cannot eat.  "Long term relationships are more likely to include sexual service, but that is not always the case. There are D/s relationships where sex is not a factor at all."

Kim goes on to describe the different types of submissives that exist:


The analogy she uses is submission is like drinking a glass of water

"The sexual submissive, who is also sometimes described as the immediate submissive, might have water only when she eats curry. She doesn't do it for itself really, she drinks it because it makes the curry taste better, cleanses the mouth, cuts the fire, makes her able to eat more. She wouldn't think of drinking water without the curry.  Her needs are filled by the consequences of her submission, in other words the sexual satisfaction or gratification she feels from submitting to a Dominant. Sometimes her submission serves as a release from her guilty feelings that she likes D/s activities, sometimes she  simply craves the endorphin rush.  However, once her desire to submit has passed, she feels no need to continue being submissive.

"The psychological submissive drinks water because she likes it.  Sure, she will drink it with curry, but she’ll also drink it with roast beef, with sandwiches, and she’ll even drink it without food at all, because she likes the taste, the way it flows down her throat, the cleansing feel.  She gets her reward from the physical act of submission, and can often have masochistic tendencies, which push her toward liking harder play than most. This submissive is into it for the pain and humiliation and often sees D/s as a punishment, which gives her the release she craves.
Quite often a psychological submissive is only a part time player, having another life, and keeping both sides of her life separate from each other.

"The natural or slave submissive is a woman living in a hot climate.  She has to drink water, because nothing else will satisfy her thirst.  She can and will occasionally even try wine, beer, or sweet drinks, but when push comes to shove, she must have clean water.  Other drinks might allay her thirst for a bit, but when the heat is very fierce, water is the only solution.  This submissive is also known as the true submissive and usually has slavish tendencies. Her submission goes way beyond the sexual side of things and is more a part of her intrinsic personality. Her deep need is to relinquish control and please the Dominant in all ways, and her fulfillment is the very act of submission in all forms".

People can learn to act submissively, "this is called role-playing or bottoming, where a person, who may not be submissive all the time, will act in a submissive manner to a particular Dominant, for an agreed amount of time in a play session."  This is something the sexual and psychological submissive are more likely to do, since being submissive may not come naturally to them.


Since the natural submissive tends to behave more as a slave, Kim next provides an explanation of the differences between being a submissive and a slave.

"Submission is not slaveryAll slaves are submissive, but not all submissives are slaves.
In basic terms, a submissive has some rights and choices in the relationship between herself and the Dominant or Master she is submitting to. She has a right to be heard and a right to say no, and is often allowed to make small decisions for herself. Of course, all of these things are at the discretion of the Dominant, so even when her voice is heard, her opinion may not change the outcome.
The other important point to note is that a submissive usually has a safe word.
A submissive does not necessarily live with her Master.  Theirs can be a casual relationship, a permanent arrangement done on a part time basis, or a 24/7 live in situation. A submissive can be owned and collared to one Dominant, or can simply be one who chooses to submit to someone at a given time.

A slave does not have rights or choices – except for the one, which is to walk away.
She gives up all rights when she agrees to be a slave. A slave cannot say no, a slave cannot make decisions unless told to, and a slave only has a safe word if her Master allows it.
A slave is usually owned and collared, and though she does not have to live with her Master, that is most often the case."

In her article, Kim goes on to discuss how submissives should behave in public, relate with each other and react with other Dominants than their own.  It is interesting information given from the point of view of a natural submissive who considers herself a slave.  I encourage you to click the URL below and read the article if this information is of interest to you.  In short, her idea of dominance and submission meshes very nicely with my own.  I do not consider myself a natural submissive, but I agree with all of her assessments.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Horny Hump Day - Apr. 25 - Deadly Enchantment



This material is Not Safe For Work. If you’re not over 18, please explore elsewhere.

Welcome to Horny Hump Day, a regular Wednesday feature! In this blog loop, we hope to provide you with tiny little tidbits of the most sexy and sensuous moments in our books. Just 3 sentences. The books might be already published, works-in-progress, or even classic literature we think you’ll like.

This post for HHD is from my 2nd book, Deadly Enchantment. A shape-shifting wizard romance published by New Concepts Publishing, Deadly Enchantment concerns a young psychic woman facing off with the dark wizard of Ravenscroft, who she is convinced has brutally slaughtered her sister in a fit of jealousy on their wedding night.


In this segment, Serena Cunningham and Dominic Westcroft have taken shelter in a vacant cottage from a magical and malevolent storm cast by Dominic's brother, Terrence.  When they are able to deflect the charged lightening with a kiss, they realize by coming together their magic is far stronger and more resilient than Terrence's web of evil ever could be.  So, Dominic prepares to make love to Serena, fully understanding his claiming her virginity will result in consequences that will change both their lives forever. 



* * * * *
He stroked her, lightly at first, in a way that had her reaching for something elusive.  Then his touch firmed and Serena arched her back and cried out in pleasure.  The room seemed to shimmer as her body pulsed with tiny shocks of delight.
* * * * *

M/F, Shape shifting wizards in Victorian England.

Read the first three chapters at: Deadly Enchantment

Buy the book at NCPAmazon or Barnes & Noble.

I hope you enjoyed this nibble. Your comments are encouraged. Please stop by the Horny Hump Day site and hop around to the authors’ sites, and you'll never look at Wednesday the same way. 

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - Apr. 22 - Mortal Illusions


This material is Not Safe For Work. If you’re not over 18, please explore elsewhere.

Welcome to my 6SS where I hope to provide you with tiny little tidbits of the most sexy and sensuous moments in my books. Just 6 sentences, that I intend to build from my Horny Hump Day 3 sentence feature. The books might be already published, works-in-progress, or even sentences from other sexy books I think you’ll like.  Of course, I will properly attribute all works, even mine.


My current post for 6SS, is from my 1st book, Mortal Illusions. A vampire romance published by New Concepts Publishing, Mortal Illusions is currently the first in a projected series of 3 books.  Its sequel, Fatal Desire, is currently under production.


In this segment, Claire Daniels has just witnessed a threatened whipping of a female in Germaine St. Justine's group, followed by a duel between Germaine and a member of his council over the right to punish her.  Though Germaine won, Claire is far from reassured. When he insists on walking her back from his private club to her apartment in New York City, she begins demanding answers from him in a way that is drawing attention, as well as Germaine's displeasure.  Claire, who no longer cares if they draw a crowd of spectators, asks about another woman Germaine's council saw fit to punish.
* * * * * 
                “Is that feather duster you keep around for recalcitrant women so painful she would consider it torture?”
                “No...the whip smarts, but it leaves no welts, nor does it break the skin.  It is meant to humiliate more than hurt.  The punishment was supposed to be public, but even that was waived when Sybil pleaded for a closed session.  I am confident she was given every consideration due her.”
                “How kind of you.  What did you do, offer her a blindfold, a pillow and a Kleenex?”          
* * * * *
As you may be able to tell, Claire views whipping as barbaric, and would go down fighting if Germaine ever attempted to publicly humiliate her in that fashion.

M/F, Contemporary vampire romance in a society based on D/s.

Read the first three chapters at: Mortal Illusions
Buy the book at NCPAmazon or Barnes & Noble.

I hope you enjoyed this nibble. Your comments are encouraged. Please stop by the Six Sentence Sunday site to get a peek at the offerings the other authors for 6SS.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Frisky Friday - Has spanking truly gone mainstream?


The following Newsweek article by Katie Roiphe posted in the Daily Beast proposes that with the recent success of Fifty Shades, spanking has indeed gone mainstream. And they say the reason is because Christian Grey, "who is extremely solicitous and apologetic for a sadist (always asking Anastasia Steele about every minute gradation of her feelings, and bringing her all kinds of creams and lotions to soothe her after spanking her) is, in other words, the easiest difficult man of all time."


Interesting thought.  The article goes on to ask, "Why have masses of women brought the book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list before it even hit the stores? Most likely it’s the happy convergence of the superficial transgression with comfortable archetypes, the blushing virgin and the whips. To a certain, I guess, rather large, population, it has a semipornographic glamour, a dangerous frisson of boundary crossing, but at the same time is delivering reassuringly safe, old-fashioned romantic roles. Reading Fifty Shades of Grey is no more risqué or rebellious or disturbing than, say, shopping for a pair of black boots or an arty asymmetrical dress at Barneys."  Hmm.


Let's see.  Because the book offers a tantalizing glimpse into sadomasochism using safe, old-fashioned romantic roles, the women of the world are eating it up in the millions.  I hadn't thought of it quite that way, but it is possible.  I guess it's the same reason why people like me enjoy riding roller coasters.  You get the rush that comes with an element of danger in a totally controlled and safe environment.  You get off the coaster feeling braver for the experience.  You flirted with death and survived.  But did you?  Did you really flirt with death?  No.  Not anymore than reading Fifty Shades gives you true insight into the world of BDSM.  It doesn't.  I knew that, but I still enjoyed the story, despite the book's many faults.


So, what about spanking?  Since Christian Grey is so solicitous of Ana after he's spanked her, which isn't an entirely bad thing in my opinion even if it is unrealistic, does that mean it's okay for women to purchase gray silk ties for their husbands and ask for a little domestic discipline in the bedroom? An over the knee, bare butt spanking, just like Ana received from Christian?  Sure.  Why not?  But don't be surprised, ladies, if he just rolls over and falls asleep afterwards.  Even E.L. James's husband would remark, "Oh, it's going to be one of those nights again," whenever she asked him to help her with a bit of home research.  So, reality and fantasy don't often play well together.  Not even in the romance-publishing world.


 For many years now, NY publishers did not want heroes spanking heroines for fun or punishment in the novels they published.  When Judith McNaught's "Whitney My Love" was republished, the original spanking scene in the book was "tamed down" considerably.  But even in the original version, the scene was pure punishment with no sexual undertones.  The hero did hold Whitney afterwards, and comfort her.  He may have even kissed her, but I don't think he did since he was so angry, and he was not a man who got over his anger easily.  She was fully dressed and the instrument he used was the same riding crop she'd hit his horse with.  No sex resulted from the punishment though there was a deeper understanding between the two characters afterwards.


As it is, I don't think a bare butt OTK spanking was permitted in mass paperback novels back then (1985).  And even now, you'll only find those scenes in books that cater specifically to readers who enjoy spankings given for punishment and/or sexual enjoyment.  The question is, with the success of Fifty Shades of Grey will that change?  I certainly hope so, since each of my heroes tends to take the love of his life over his knee now and then.  Not because he enjoys hurting and/or humiliating her, but because he feels spankings are more productive and better for the relationship than arguments.  After a spanking, which his lady must always consent to first for it not to be abuse, there is only love, forgiveness and lots of kisses and reassurance.  No hard feelings, no resentment remains.  There is sunshine after the rain, and sometimes there's even passionate lovemaking afterwards.



So keep your eye on the bookshelves of your favorite internet or brick and mortar book store, spanking romance lovers, to see what comes down the publishing pike next.  There may be a new era dawning, and we'll have E.L. James to thank.


The following links provide more information on the topic.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Horny Hump Day - Apr. 18 - Mortal Illusions


This material is Not Safe For Work. If you’re not over 18, please explore elsewhere.

Welcome to Horny Hump Day, a regular Wednesday feature! In this blog loop, we hope to provide you with tiny little tidbits of the most sexy and sensuous moments in our books. Just 3 sentences. The books might be already published, works-in-progress, or even classic literature we think you’ll like.


This post for HHD is from my 1st book, Mortal Illusions. A vampire romance published by New Concepts Publishing, Mortal Illusions is currently the first in a series of 3 books.  Its sequel, Fatal Desire, is currently under production.




In this segment, Claire Daniels has just witnessed a threatened whipping of a female in Germaine St. Justine's group, followed by a duel between Germaine and a member of his council over the right to punish her.  Though Germaine won, Claire is far from reassured. When he insists on walking her back from his private club to her apartment in New York City, she begins demanding answers from him in a way that is drawing attention, as well as Germaine's displeasure.  Claire, who no longer cares if they draw a crowd of spectators, asks about another woman Germaine's council saw fit to punish. “So, what did you do, whip her with that feather duster you keep around for recalcitrant women?”

* * * * * 

                “Lower your voice,” he warned quietly.  When she merely glared at him, he admitted, “The council did sentence Sybill to ten lashes of the feather whip, but I neither judged her nor carried out the sentence.”
                Although Claire lowered her voice, she did not attempt to disguise her revulsion. 
* * * * *
As you may be able to tell, Claire views whipping as barbaric, and would go down fighting if Germaine ever attempted to publicly humiliate her in that fashion.


M/F, Contemporary vampire romance in a society based on D/s.

Read the first three chapters at: Mortal Illusions

Buy the book at NCPAmazon or Barnes & Noble.

Thanks so much for joining us in Horny Hump Day.  I hope you enjoyed this nibble enough to check out the other author's fine offerings at the Horny Hump Day blog site.  It gives the details of how to sign up for next week if you’d like to play along with us. 

Y'all come back here next Wednesday, too.  You hear?  After all, what better way is there to spend a Hump Day than with some fun loving authors? 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Three Hunky Heroes Available for an Easy Pick-up

Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop


So, who doesn't love a hunky hero?  They can come in all forms, shapes and sizes as long as they make us want them, in every way.  Not all of my heroes are buff men with six pack abs.  In fact, most aren't.  They are alpha, dominant and incredibly bossy at times, but they can also be sexy as hell.  They aren't cruel or sadistic, although they are clearly capable of inflicting pain when the need arises.  They are men of authority who have the capacity to care deeply, but don't give their heart easily.  And when they fall in love, it is forever, which makes them extremely hunky guys indeed in my mind.





In Mortal Illusions, we have an urbane, slightly aloof but committed vampire who has loved and lost so many times, he refuses to give his heart again.








In Deadly Enchantment, we have a shape-shifting wizard who fears the beast inside him possesses a blood-lust that threatens the woman he loves.








In Arrested by Love, we have a simple cop who is determined to protect the alluringly sexy yet innocent and naive socialite he has adored since she was a child, yet steadfastly resists from claiming as his own.





Different men for different tastes, but all available to go home with a willing woman for the next few days.  If one of the above heroes intrigues you enough to want to slip in bed with him, leave a comment below explaining which one you want, and why, but please only pick one (they are monogamous after all).  And don't forget to leave your e-mail address, so I can get in touch if you win.

If you want to know more about any of the guys, click the title link and read the first three chapters also available on my web site.  And after you've made your choice and left your comment, click one of the links below to learn about one of the other hunky heroes who want to go home with you.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - Apr. 15 - Arrested by Love



This material is Not Safe For Work. If you’re not over 18, please explore elsewhere.

Welcome to my 6SS where I hope to provide you with tiny little tidbits of the most sexy and sensuous moments in my books. Just 6 sentences, that I intend to build from my Horny Hump Day 3 sentence feature. The books might be already published, works-in-progress, or even sentences from other sexy books I think you’ll like.  Of course, I will properly attribute all works, even mine.


My post for this Wednesday is from my 3rd book, Arrested by Love. An erotic spanking novel published by Blushing Books.



In this scene, Kyle has just told Tiffany, who's still pretty innocent about sexual matters, about backdoor play.  She doesn't believe him at first, so now he wants to show her.

* * * * *

...They'd just made love so there was nothing between them as they lay on their sides, face-to-face on Kyle's bed. And because neither of them wore clothing, Tiffany was also quick to notice that Kyle was quickly growing erect again.  Leaning forward to give her a kiss, he reached behind her.
      Tiffany immediately stiffened and drew back. "No, Kyle." However, the hand she was most worried about remained stationed at the upper crease of her buttocks.
* * * * *

M/F, Sexy spankings in rural Connecticut.

If you're 18 or older, you can read the first three chapters at Arrested by Love
Buy the book directly from Blushing Books, Amazon, B&N, or All Romance E-Books.

I hope you enjoyed this nibble. Your comments are encouraged. Please stop by the Six Sentence Sunday site to get a peek at the offerings the other authors for 6SS.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Frisky Friday - BDSM - Who is responsible for setting the limits?


I originally published this article in February, 2012.  In it I had a link to Kitty Stryker's article in "Good Vibrations Magazine."  Unfortunately, this link was causing a warning to come up on my blog because the Good Vibrations site has been flagged for spreading Malware.  I had a very difficult day finding my links and deleting them.  As a result, I deleted this entire post.  Because I feel it's important to share, I'm reposting it today.  I found another posting of Kitty's article on her Safe/Ward site, so I'm providing that link as well as a few others I've found.



There have been several posts going around the BDSM community recently surrounding questions of limits, safe words and abuse.  When is a Dom merely pushing a sub's limits, versus when is he abusing her trust?  A fine line?  Perhaps.  But it's one that needs to be drawn nonetheless.

What drew me to this topic, which is undoubtedly more serious than frisky, was a post made by Sir J on the "Nature of Limits" in his blog: What does it mean to be a Dominant.  It is a very informative post (as are the comments left by several in the community) that states the Dom is the individual responsible for setting the limits in a D/s relationship.  Because if he has them, by extension, the sub will as well. But I'm not sure that is sufficient.  The sub really needs to know her own limits also.  Sir J is not disputing this; in fact he agrees that all subs should have limits.  So, even though the notion that a sub should put aside her own feelings and needs in order to make her Dominant happy sounds ideal, in real life such an attitude can be dangerous as well as subsequently very unhealthy for the submissive.


Kitty Stryker, a former submissive who posted an article titled "I Never Called it Rape" on her blog PurrVersatility, details some of her own experiences where she was either urged into doing things, which she viewed as violating her consent, or subjected to unwanted handling because that was what her Dom desired.  I'm sure Kitty's case is not unique, but what is upsetting about the post is her certainty that the community, in general, is not on the sub's side in such matters.  This, in turn, left her feeling victimized. Instead of knowing she would be supported or provided with much needed resources and comfort, the sub, Kitty in this case, is convinced the community would shun her for complaining when they assume she "volunteered" her body to the Dominant in question by just being with him.


In erotic fiction this is referred to as "dubious consent."  In such situations, women like Kitty deserve protection, and care, not ostracism.  It doesn't matter if the Dom believed his actions were not only appropriate, but desired, he misread his sub.  The mere fact that Kitty felt violated but was afraid to admit it out of fear of being banned if she called out to a dungeon monitor for help, or pegged as a "drama queen" for using her safe word, is not good for the community at large. Because BDSM is intended to push boundaries and limits, those practicing it need to ensure their submissives are not feeling abused.  Note: I said "feeling."  It is the state of mind that matters most here.  A sub should always feel safe even when she's having her limits and boundaries stretched. And a sub who claims she has no limits, especially when the Dom is new to her, should be watched and supervised by the group much more carefully than a sub who openly states her limits.


DannahB said as much in her insightful post on Subtypical in her article, Think, Choose, Submit when she posted, a sub that is willing to engage in play or is extremely submissive immediately upon introduction is a red flag for any knowledgeable Dom.  Yes, the onus is on the sub to know herself and to choose her Dom wisely, but she's human and she can make mistakes.  If she does, shouldn't she be given support rather than censure?  If she intimates her experience was less enjoyable than she desired, shouldn't she be heard and cared for rather than simply dismissed?  I realize such caring and support may only be practical in fiction, but shouldn't it be just as important in real life?  I think it should, but then again, this is just one romance author's opinion.  I now return you to frolic and surf about the web, and wish you a very frisky, but safe, sane and consensual Friday.

Wanted to add a blog article by Kitty Thomas on this subject entitled "Who Has the Power" as well as a few of other blogs that address the subject of abuse in the BDSM community: