Patricia Green's Blog, page 8

The Book Gourmet – What You Don’t Know

First Course – The Amuse Bouche

Raven’s Cry (The Darkness Series, Book 3) (by Breanna Hayse) — Raven’s hunger to submit grows to the point of obsession. Don’t miss this dark BDSM novel.

His Winter Princess (by Adaline Raine) — Can Clay and Audra find a relationship or will his make-believe princess walk away?

Second Course – The Appetizer



Do you like box sets? Because I’ve come across one you won’t want to miss. Renee Rose has recently come out with a single-author anthology of three novellas, historical spanking romances. All together, it’s nearly 250 pages of yummy, sexy medieval romances, in the imitable style of Renee Rose. For $4.99, you can’t beat the price, nor will you find highter quality spanking romances anywhere. The set is called Medieval Discipline: A Medieval Romance Collection. Don’t miss these wonderful books – make them an early Christmas present for yourself.

Third Course – The Entrée

As you know by now, Surface: Sonata’s Moon Book One is now available at your favorite ebook retailers. What you might not realize is that it’s the first half of an ongoing story (well, duh, you can kind of tell that it goes on because it’s “book one”), but what’s significant about it is the “Surface” part of the title.

The book is about some twenty-somethings, living in the not-too-distant future, where a terrible war is plaguing the planet. It’s the North American Union (basically Canada, the US, and Mexico, but governed all by one body) versus the Assian Alliance (several Asian countries, tied together under one ruler). The war escalates to an awful nuclear precipice. The people in the story are losing friends and their whole way of life to this war.

In the meantime, drugs have become legal for those over the age of majority, and “free love” has cycled back in place – I’ve seen cycles in history, and I’m sure you have, too. People pair off rather easily and it’s socially acceptable, generally speaking. However, our heroine, Sonata McLir, has held herself apart, primarily from bad experiences in school, but also because she’s been very busy studying and hasn’t spent time socializing. When she finally breaks out of her shell, she finds herself with Charles Howell, a man who isn’t good for her. Charles’ best friend, Mikhail Andropov is attracted to Sonata, but he takes a hands-off approach because of his friend’s “claim” on the woman. However, Mikhail is troubled by what he sees Charles doing, manipulating Sonata to become jaded and submissive beyond what her natural tendencies seem to be. Charles hurts her, and Mikhail can’t stand that. He steps in when a good opportunity arises, and soon Sonata finds she’s lost her freedom for a weekend to Mikhail. She’d intended to spend that time with Charles, and now that hope is gone. And all because of Mikhail’s interference.

You have to wonder if this new twist on the Sonata/Charles/Mikhail triangle will lead to happiness for someone, and misery for someone else. But that’s what I want you to wonder! You’ll find out in book one. But there’s still the war to consider.

That’s where book two comes in. There’s an underground shelter, a place where this collection of friends can wait out the worst of things. But how will this close confinement affect these people? And who will end up with Sonata at the end of the sojourn underground? Or, more accurately, who will Sonata love when it all comes down to survival?

This is a serial set, meaning you’ll want to read both books. Book one ends on a good note (for the most part), but book two takes up where book one leaves off. It’s not like a series where the books are made to stand alone. I think you’ll find the ending of book one upbeat and hopeful, but you might wonder if these people will actually survive and thrive in their new world. Each book is full-length, over 60,000 words long.

So that’s what you didn’t know: there’s more after book one.

You can get book one, Surface, here. And read an extended excerpt, there. Try it. You’ll like it.

Fourth Course – The Dessert

The Book Gourmet will be on hiatus for the next three weeks as I celebrate my twentieth wedding anniversary by going on vacation with my husband to Las Vegas. We’ll be there for the holiday season, staying at the Venetian Hotel. We’ve stayed there before and really love the all-suite hotel, its amenities, and the services we can get without leaving the property. There are lots of restaurants shared by the Venetian and its sister property the Palazzo, and entertainment venues, nightclubs, and places to meet interesting people, including a very nice poker room for Hubby. We’ll see a few shows there and at other resorts, and soak up the atmosphere. Some Los Angeles friends will be coming to visit us while we’re there, and that will be fun. We’ve never spent the holidays in Las Vegas before, so in many ways, this will be a whole new experience for us, though (being from Los Angeles) we’ve both been to Vegas many, many times.

Instead of doing The Book Gourmet while I’m there, I thought I’d share some pictures and tidbits from our vacation. Something a little more personal than the usual. I hope you enjoy our travels with us.

Until then, happy holidays, and a bright, healthy and happy new year to you.

Book Number 34

Hello, friends. I can hardly believe it. Surface: Sonata’s Moon – Book One is my thirty-fourth published book. It’s stunning to realize that I’ve been at this part-time since 1993, and full-time since 2010, and have come so far. Most of my published books and short stories have come during this full-time period. All have been romances of one sort or another, but they range the romance gamut from spanking romance, to straight romance, to BDSM romance. And they include all kinds of genres from contemporary, to historical, to sci-fi. It seems to me, that if you’re a romance lover, you can find something I’ve written and find it satisfying.

A moment to talk about quality. I want you to know that I strive, above all, to produce quality books. You won’t find lots of typos, word abuse, poor grammar, or spelling problems with my books. It is a troubling matter that there are so many writers out there who slap a cover on an unedited book and call it “done.” While I appreciate the notion that anyone now has access to methods to publish their books, I’m not 100% certain it’s a good thing. But who would we designate as the gatekeeper? Therein lies the rub. If a writer doesn’t go through a publisher, there is no gatekeeper and it’s up to that author to take the steps to make sure their book is a quality product. Those steps are expensive and many self-published writers can’t afford it.

And then we get into the realm of pricing. I am not comfortable with the proliferation of self-published books offered free or for 99 cents. Why? Because I think it gives readers the mistaken but natural impression that books take nothing to produce. That’s definitely not true. It takes many hours, a lot of creativity, and hard work to produce a good book, and yes, money. I don’t believe in gouging readers for ebooks over $4.99, but when you consider all the costs of creating a good book, and factor in the national minimum wage, $4.99 is a darn good price. My books average $3.99.

That being said, many readers don’t care about the quality of the books they’re reading. They want reading material for as cheap as they can get it, and only later do they consider the source. I can understand that. I don’t like to spend more than I have to for the books I read. Occasionally, you get a gem for a short-term sale price, and although it’s rare, it’s mighty nice. We must share our special finds (no matter their price) with our friends. Word of mouth spreads a good book faster than a megaphone at the circus.

Surface: Sonata’s Moon – Book One is, as I said, my thirty-fourth book. The thirty-fifth, Sanctuary: Sonata’s Moon – Book Two will be published in early 2016 (it’s already written). Who knows what 2016 will bring, but I promise you, it will be sexy, romantic, and something you’ll want to read twice. If you’d like to read an extended excerpt of Surface, you will find it on my website, here.

Thank you for following along with me as I walk down this path. I can’t imagine having done anything else with the last five years. It is my job to entertain you, and I take it seriously. I hope you can tell from my books.

Come back tomorrow for The Book Gourmet, wherein I’ll feature some great books and some tidbits about what’s up with me. Ta-ta for now!

Guest: Elaine Raco Chase Takes Us to Dangerous Places

One of the most generous and talented authors I know is Elaine Raco Chase. Her talent stands out from the crowd because she’s clever, she’s witty, and she knows how to pack in the romance and excitement with every sentence. I love her books. Her latest release is Dangerous Places (A Roman Cantrell – Nikki Holden Mystery Book 1). I snapped this book up on its first day and gobbled it down, enjoying every moment of reading pleasure.

About Dangerous Places:

Limited time: 99 Cents

The 7 deadly sins have never been so deadly – or so much fun!

Meet – Nikki Holden – investigative reporter with more enemies than friends – and her friends are very shady! she may know 140 characters but social media is not her venue. As an investigative print journalist she’s on the trail of one stunning story at Pleasure Island.

And she doesn’t mind using her pick-pocket talents or a well-aimed champagne cork or even a pair of 38’s (tits not guns!) Oh, and she has a police record.

Meet Roman Cantrell – ex-army ranger, who couldn’t stop fighting, went off the grid for a while taking up causes, then came back to the US to start an international security firm.

Black Ops Mercenary who now runs an international Private Investigation-Security Company.

He keeps popping into her life at the most inconvenient times.

And he knows too much about her past.

He also knows she’s not capable of good behavior!

Is he looking for the person she’s …kidnapped?

Or is he looking for a more one-on-one connection?

One thing for sure –

They’re both heading into murderously Dangerous Places.

Each is a stand-alone explicit mystery/thriller with continuing characters.

And here’s a sexy excerpt (rated R for innuendo):

“Say…wait a sec…are you… Hey! You’re going out.”

She laughed more at his hangdog expression than at his flustered accusation. “Very good, Cantrell.”

“What about us? Coffee?” He grinned, “Verbal intercourse?”

Her fingers closed around the doorknob. “Be honest, Cantrell, would you have answered my questions with anything other than ‘no comment’?”

“No comment.”

“Ring around the mulberry bush is not the way I start my days.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Roman gave her his best leer. “You’re a clever woman. I’ll bet you have all sorts of interesting ploys that would wear me down and make me talk.”

“Then you’d moan no comment.” She reached out to pat his cheek. “Now, don’t take it so hard. Go back to the kitchen, sprinkle a little salt on your peter, and calm down.”

Nikki suddenly looked distressed. “Oh…I am so sorry…let me apologize for that rude comment. I mean…according to all those TV ads, fifty percent of men over forty have that…” her voice dropped to a whisper, “erectile dysfunction problem. So you probably don’t need the salt. But, latest medical findings are reporting that in a pinch, three cups of coffee a day can help…” she winked, “perk things up.” She wiggled her fingers.

“Hey, wait a minute.” But she moved too fast and Roman found himself locked in. His fist punched the door as he shouted, “This is not good for my ego. And I am not forty yet!” He glanced down at the bulge that pressed hard against the zipper on his slacks. “And I sure as hell don’t need a little blue pill when you’re around, Nikki Holden.”

He sighed, a rueful smile twisted his lips. “What the hell! I broke in. I can break out.” Just to be perverse, he did return to the kitchen, drank the entire pot of coffee, and ate the last two pieces of pepperoni in her refrigerator.

Besides, he knew where she was headed – he’d read the text that had been sent to her cell phone.

You can buy Dangerous Places at all these retailers:

http://amzn.to/1GMuPAF       Amazon US

http://ow.ly/U0CyY                 Amazon UK

http://ow.ly/U0DoN                 Amazon Canada

http://ow.ly/U0Edn                  Amazon Australia

http://ow.ly/U0BuB       Nook

http://ow.ly/U0BPL       Kobo

http://ow.ly/U0C6A       iTunes

http://ow.ly/U4a4x          All Romance

ow.ly/UJ1m5      Smashwords

About Elaine, from her Amazon Author page:

If you like sassy, laugh out loud, contemporary romances – some more explicit than others – you have found the right author!

Reviewers have called them: “cat & mouse” – “slow burn” – “hot and steamy” – “highly addicting” – “solid characters & lots of humor” – “amazing reads!”

I call them fun! My heroines are NOT: thin, petite, clueless or submissive. They are strong women who aren’t looking for a man – until the right one comes along!

And those men! Tough-guy, alpha males who don’t know what hit them! But do know they want MORE!

Whether you read my erotic romantic comedies (updated eBooks), my updated ‘steamy’ romantic eBooks, or my classic eBooks – remember there’s never an expiration date on Romance!

See all of Elaine’s many books on her page here.

The Book Gourmet — Party Mix

First Course – The Amuse Bouche

The Girl from Christmas (by Georgia St. Claire) — Lisa’s rescuer is a handsome, somewhat loopy, Italian man waving a sword.

Claiming His Human Wife (by Sue Lyndon) — Can Edwin the Crigon get his mortal wife home safe?

Second Course – The Appetizer

My congratulations go out to my colleagues who have been nominated for the 2016 Golden Flogger Awards, sponsored by BDSM Writers Con. Some of those nominated are: Katherine Deane (for 2 books), Cara Bristol, Maggie Ryan & Laurel Jane, Maddie Taylor, and Darling Adams. I wish each of them the best of luck. If you readers have other authors (spanking fiction, BDSM of various flavors) you’d like to see nominated, you can go here to do so. The books nominated must be published in 2015.

Third Course – The Entrée

I’m coming closer to making a work plan for my 2016. It includes teaching through the mentoring program at Savvy Authors. Teaching is something I find very rewarding. I love being in contact with authors who want a little input from someone who’s been-there-done-that. Since I’ve been in this business since 1993, I’ve pretty much seen it all. As well, I have regular material to impart pertaining to the industry and writing composition. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.

I will also be working on some short stories. I have no plan to publish them through the usual channels, but I’ve been wanting to work on them, regardless of the way they fit (or don’t fit) into the standard niches. I might publish them to my website, but I haven’t made a decision yet. These will be casual projects without deadlines.

So far, that’s my 2016 plan: light but fun. I’ll be tinkering with it through the end of 2015.

Fourth Course – The Dessert

I got a look at the cover art for Surface (Sonata’s Moon Book One). It’s amazing, with a red/gold theme and a gorgeous cover model that looks just like my Sonata. I can’t reveal it to you; I’m going to surprise you when the book is published. I’m told that will be “this week” sometime. Decadent Publishing is being very mysterious.

Following, is another tidbit from inside the book. In this segment, Sonata has inadvertently ingested a legal hallucinogen (times are different in the next century). She’s pretty loopy, but agrees to go upstairs with Mikhail, who is determined to put her to bed where she can sleep off the drug. Although he’s a bit lustful after her, he’s an honorable guy and wouldn’t take advantage of her like that. She’s his best friend Charles’s girl, which definitely influences his behavior. Here’s a part of their conversation before he tucks her in.

“…If you don’t want to be a virgin anymore, I know Charles would love to relieve your condition. And he’d only be the first in line to offer.” And if Charles is foolish enough to decline, I would happily take his place.

“But he’s so experienced. And almost ten years older.” She licked her lips, and Mikhail had to shake himself mentally. “I just know he’d laugh at me if I told him.” Her eyes lit with sudden eagerness. “Would you tell him for me?”

Mikhail’s jaw dropped. “No. That’s up to you. But if you want my advice….”

Sonata bobbed her head several times.

“Tell him before you agree to share with him. He’ll be gentler with you and teach you what you ought to know.”

The turn of this conversation was so odd Mikhail suppressed a laugh. After this, he’d be the last man to claim any understanding of women. It made no sense this sweet little virgin would be so interested in a jaded cynic like Charles.

“I guess you’re right.” She beamed and giggled. “You’re pretty nice, you know. For a man I mean. Most of them would have tried to…well, you know. That’s why I haven’t taken any drugs before. I need to be cleverer than they are.”

“I’ll bet you do. But, though you may think I’ve forgotten the fact, I am a man, and I believe there may be a woman waiting for me downstairs. So, unless you’ve decided to get cured right here and now, I’m going to go. Why don’t you just lie down like a good girl and let the Cerepause wear off.” It was a command, not a question.

You’ll laugh out loud at what happens next, but that will have to wait until the book is in your hands.

 

Guest: Katherine Deane Shares Wren’s Redemption

I’ve known Katherine Deane for a couple of years now, and her upbeat nature and passion for everything in her life–from family, to crafts, to writing–sparkles with every word out of her mouth (or from her pen). With this book, Wren’s Redemption, Katherine takes us into the world of gymnastics, where a fall from grace is only an incriminating photo away. I hope you’ll read the following spotlight for this wonderful book. I know that if you do, you’ll want to get yourself a copy.

Katherine wrote this introduction:

Thanks so much for having me over today, Trish! I am very excited about this new book. Wren’s Redemption isn’t only about a gymnast who lost her way, or a coach who will do anything to help her succeed. It’s also about reconnecting, trusting again, finding love, and finally, forgiveness.

Jonathan has beaten himself up for years, after watching Wren’s fall from grace. And now she is adding to the drama with a very difficult dismount. Neither one is prepared for the outcome.

Here’s the back cover description:

Nineteen-year-old gymnast Wren Montgomery was America’s golden girl, but then it all came crashing down. As far as the media is concerned, it was a devastating ankle injury which began her downward spiral, but in her heart Wren knows better. The truth is that things started going wrong the day her beloved coach Jonathan Reilly not only rejected her romantic advances, but actually spanked her bare bottom as if she were a silly little girl when she tried to hide her heartbreak behind an angry outburst.

Now at twenty-two, after one poor decision after another Wren has become the “bad girl” of the gymnastics world. Desperate to break out of her slump and with nowhere else to turn, she decides to accept help from the best coach she ever had… the same man who spurned and then spanked her years ago.

Jonathan watched Wren’s fall from grace, and he fell with her. He still blames himself for leaving the team—and more importantly, leaving her—and now that he has the chance to help his little rebel get back on track, he isn’t going to let it slip through his fingers. This time he’ll be there for her no matter what, both when she needs a loving embrace and when she needs a firm hand applied to her bare bottom. Most important of all, if she still wants him to be more than just her coach, this time he won’t let anything keep him from claiming what is his.

Publisher’s Note: Wren’s Redemption is an erotic romance novel that includes spankings, sexual scenes, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

And here’s an exciting excerpt:

Goddamnit, she was going to try an F dismount. Jonathan released the anxious breath he held as she twirled over the top bar, preparing for the difficult dismount. He could see it in her determined eyes, as if the flash of defiance she had scathed him with right before she started, wasn’t enough. He crept out of her peripheral vision and stood to the side of the bar. He would give her the space she needed. He’d catch her if she fell. And damn it to hell, he was going to blister her ass after the meet was over.

Gripping the top bar firmly, her form was aggressive with each rotation and release. Two more, baby, don’t miss the bar. Tighten your core. Come on. Her final swing forward wasn’t enough to get her the momentum she needed for the difficult dismount. He was going to have to work on her lower body and core strength later. After he paddled her bottom redder than the advertisement for home grown apples hanging loosely in the rafters.

Swinging a little too erratically, she released the bar and flipped backwards.

She was supposed to twist 720 degrees on her axis and keep her legs bent for a full tuck until she landed. But she wasn’t in control as she released. Shit. Her legs untucked and her arms flailed wildly as her body hurtled right toward the judges table and the wide eyed competitors awaiting their turn.

He froze. For two seconds, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move. He could do nothing but stand there, petrified, as the small blur of purple flashed right in front of him.

To buy Wren’s Redemption, head over to Amazon.

A bit about Katherine:

Katherine Deane is a multi-published, top 100 romance and BDSM author and romantic at heart. While she enjoys her life as a stay at home mom, married to the man of her dreams, she also loves fantasizing. She reads and writes in many different genres, but her favorites are: spanking romance, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. She blogs about her life as an everyday woman (and closet Spanko), and about her career as a published author.

You can catch up with her at:

http://katherindeane.wordpress.com

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The Book Gourmet — Inspiration

First Course – The Amuse Bouche

The Unbraiding of Anna Brown (by Amelia Smarts) The gentle ways Anna witnessed from the cowboy were buried with his wife.

Disciplining Demi (by Ivy Killian) Love at first sight exists for those who walk along the shores of Dolphin Island.

Second Course – The Appetizer

One of the most inspirational authors for me as I was beginning to write spanking romance was Carolyn Faulkner. Her stories were highly entertaining, engaging, sexy, and they took me to a new realm: spanking romance. I doubt I would have traveled down the route I took without her prodigious example. In fact, when I first wrote for Blushing Books, I had the temerity to say that someday, “I’d like to be as prolific as Carolyn Faulkner.” That was a pretty cocky statement, but I’ve been working toward that goal over the course of the last five years. (Before that, I was working a full-time job and wrote when I had a chance, so produced books quite slowly.)

Carolyn has a new book out, called Sinful. It’s the story of a woman who is raised in a strict, religious household. Her every move is defined by her parents’ interpretation of faith. She leaves, but the past still lingers within her. As she’s working on this, she meets a man who becomes her world. The only problem is that he’s strict, too. At the same time, that strictness isn’t the same as what she grew up in—instead it’s sexy and in some ways, empowering. The question is, will his stern behavior trigger her need to get away, or will the love he shows her be enough to let her be herself and give her submission freely?

Third Course – The Entrée

My Vacation in Rio: Romantek has had a number of five star reviews, thus far. Here’s a quote from one (it’s a long-ish review) that really made my day.

“… These two together, sizzled with chemistry. I loved the domination and submission, and yum- I really loved the spankings.

But this book wasn’t just great chemistry and well written characters. It also had a tremendous, action packed plot, that kept me reading through the night. I HAD to finish this book, and find out if Serge was going to be all right. …” ~Katherine Deane, Amazon.com.

For the whole review, go here. Thank you, Katherine. Your kind words inspire me to persist. I’m delighted that I could entertain you so well.

Fourth Course – The Dessert

As you know, I’m released from writing for the rest of the year. (Husband-enforced vacation.) But that doesn’t mean I don’t have new books in the works. I just found out yesterday that the first book in the Sonata’s Moon serial set will be out sometime next week. It’s in it’s final round of editing. Decadent Publishing does several editing passes; this book is going to be perfect when they’re done. I’ll share a little snippet with you here.

The stresses of the ongoing war made people restless and eager for some diversion from the horrors. Sex offered a natural outlet for most people, and a relatively safe one, thanks to scientific advances made during the previous century. Unless committed to another person in an exclusive relationship, anyone was available should they desire it so. Cyclical as these things were, Mikhail’s understanding of history suggested another era of “free love,” during his lifetime.

“Hi, Sonata. Where’s Charles?” Mikhail asked, noting the smooth skin of her face and imagining the weight of her breasts in his broad hands. The room seemed a little warm.

“Charles who?” she replied, batting her eyelashes in mock ignorance as she looked up at him. Mikhail smiled. Thank you, Sol. Sonata’s welcome made Mikhail’s breath catch silently.

“Pardon me if I seem nosy, but have you stopped seeing Charles?” Please let the answer be yes, Sol, please.

“Not exactly. He had other plans for tonight, and I wasn’t interested in a threesome.” Her sparkling green eyes told him to drop the subject, and he did so—gratefully.

I hope you’re now wondering where this is going. The book is a full-length romance novel, set in the future during an awful war. People are desperate to make connections, grasping at anything and anyone to find comfort. Sonata and Mikhail each need the solace of a life-changing love. But will they find it with each other, or with someone else?

I’ll keep you posted on a release date, and perhaps I’ll soon have some cover art to share.

Domestic Discipline – The Whys and Wherefores

As I was thinking about writing this article, I realized what a big umbrella the words “domestic discipline” is. It covers all kinds of relationships, from Orthodox to secular, male dominated and female dominated, polyamorous and polygynous. For the sake of clarity, I’ll restrict my comments to the relationship I know best: a male dominated, monogamous, heterosexual household.

The men in this relationship are often called “head of household” or HoH. There are men who take this role easily and naturally, with or without spanking. And there are men who have to be coaxed to take this kind of responsibility on. My husband was a natural and didn’t need coaxing. He would never have considered a relationship where he was not the HoH, and neither would I. So we had that down pat right from the beginning.

Domestic discipline is usually based upon good and bad behavior by the wife or female partner. That doesn’t mean that the husband HoH is perfect, but rather we presume he has the grace to make up for his shortcomings and take the consequences without a physical punishment. Women, in my experience, are sometimes less willing to say the words, “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong.” I don’t know why that would be the case, but as I’ve seen it in action, I can say anecdotally, that it goes like that.

A woman does not have to be “weak” in order to accept her punishment. Strong women learn to take their lickin’ and remain strong for the family. But that strength should never override a HoH’s final say or become a contest of wills. That’s why the relationship has been divided into one Chief and lots of Indians. Someone has to have the final decision, and in a domestic discipline household, that is usually the husband. Both parties agree to it and, presumably, both parties are willing to accept the responsibility that entails.

As naughty as women can be, it is rare when they don’t realize exactly how awful their behavior is. The HoH is likely to give fair warning if punishment is eminent. A little self-control seems in order for the wife, but sometimes, the whole self-control issue is lost in the frustration of the day. Those frustrations have a tendency to build up and lead to true naughtiness. It is a HoH’s responsibility to stop that behavior in a safe and sane way. Thus, spankings, corner time, writing lines, and other harmless but humiliating punishments.

Humiliation is a big component. It is humiliating to be treated like a child — we don’t even treat children like that anymore! Being vulnerable, less than strong, less than at your most upright and righteous position, is humbling. And that humbleness takes a lot of the starch out of the need to act up.

During punishment, a woman is sometimes brought to tears and as the dam bursts, the frustrations of the day, week, month, are released. Catharsis happens with punishment, along with forgiveness. When you know you’ve been “bad” you want your conscience to be cleared so that you don’t feel guilty for that hurt look on your husband’s face, or the irritation in his voice, or the embarrassment of having a messy house if visitors come to call.

Domestic discipline isn’t a panacea for all marital ills, but it can be (and is) an answer to many couples’ troubles. It does help keep some marriages together, the parties happier, and stress lower.

But what if the wife really enjoys being spanked, less for the catharsis and forgiveness, and more from a physical reaction, often erotic? Is she likely to encourage the punishment spankings in order to feed that urge? I hope not. That’s manipulation and deserves a punishment all on its own. When things get to this point, a long conversation is required, as well as a change of punishments. Something less “pleasant” than spanking becomes an answer. Those kinds of punishments vary considerably from one couple to another.

And maybe erotic spankings can stay on the agenda in order to feed that urge, but it needs to be made clear that punishments and playtime are separate. If they cross the line too often, there’s a disconnect between bad behavior and strict discipline versus bad behavior and a spanking reward.

Domestic discipline can be a very effective tool to make a couple closer as they work through their various issues, and can often make a difficult wife less difficult. And we’re all difficult sometime or another.

I live a domestic discipline lifestyle and have for about 20 years. Although I can’t recommend it to everyone, I think for some people it might be the answer to a happier marriage.

The Book Gourmet — Currently Feasting

Hi, everyone! I’m sneaking in a second Thanksgiving. (The second because our Canadian Thanksgiving was in October.) I can do this because I’m an American, even though I live in Canada. But I have to be low key, lest I irritate the natives. So my husband and I took the whole week off from work. It uses his vacation time for something we care about, even though this is not a traveling kind of vacation.

Only one book to recommend today, and I think it’s apropos. It’s called Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever with More Than 400 Easy-to-Make Recipes by Diane Phillips. I’m using it for every course this holiday, except for the dessert (you can’t make saskatoon berry pie in a slow cooker, much as I might want to). I only recently got this book (as a Kindle edition) and I am totally loving everything I’ve tried from it. It also gave me general instructions so I can adapt my own recipes to suit slow cooking. I hate cooking around dinner time, but don’t mind doing it during the day, so this is a godsend for us. I can get the “cooking” done early and have nothing but a ladle to deal with when I’m flagging for the evening meal. I highly recommend this book. Here’s a link. It’s $2.99 right now (which is truly a bargain, you’ll see for yourself), but I don’t know for how long. By the way, I am unaffiliated with this author; I don’t know her; am not her friend on FB (though I wouldn’t mind being her friend); and I have no financial interest in the success or failure of this book. I’m just a happy reader.

The Book Gourmet will be back at its regularly scheduled day and time next week.

I hope you’re having a terrific holiday if you’re in the US, or are having a perfect Thursday if you’re elsewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Guest: Rachel de Vine Shares That Day at the Lake

Hello! My colleague, Rachel de Vine, has a brand new book on the market. It’s called That Day at the Lake. The story sounds so good, I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into it. Rachel writes very well and tells a terrific story with every one of her books. After you read the teaser and excerpt, you’ll want to hurry to pick up your copy as I did.

About That Day at the Lake:

Adriana has adored Luca since his father rescued her from an abusive man in Naples, Italy, when she was just eight years old.  Her one wish when she was growing up was that Luca would fall in love with her and that they would marry.  However, life is never as simple as that.  Luca’s father is a Mafia member, and is killed by a gang member, and the two children are torn apart, seemingly forever.

Some years later they meet again, and Luca is now a successful businessman, but he is also involved in minor criminal activities and has become involved in a BDSM lifestyle as a Dom, and, although he is attracted to Adriana, he is reluctant to involve the shy, sexually inexperienced girl in his world.

Adriana takes matters into her own hands, and visits a BDSM club to try to persuade Luca to see her in a different light.  He capitulates, and some hot, sexy activity takes place between them.  However, just as their relationship is beginning, Luca’s criminal past catches up with him, and he finds himself in trouble with the law, due to a jealous gangster turning on him.  He goes back to Italy to solve his problems, followed by Adriana.  But there they face great danger, with the possibility of not only going to jail, but of losing their lives.

Adriana and Luca have survived their early life traumas, but was this threat one that will prove fatal to them both?  Will fate for once be kind to them and allow them to be reunited once more?  This is a tale of passion and crime, love and despair, which could either bring them both great happiness, or end up in the death of them both.

And here’s a stimulating excerpt:

When we arrived back at my apartment, and she took off her coat, I thought again how amazing she looked.  Now she didn’t even have the protection, albeit miniscule protection, of a pair of panties, given that I had ripped them from her, and my cock hardened again.  She smiled at me.

“I hope you are not going to make me go home in the morning dressed like this.  That really would be a walk of shame.”

I leaned against the back of the couch, my arms crossed, slowly taking in the view before me.

“You know, you really deserve a thorough spanking, going out dressed like that.”

“Well then you had better give me one.  Spank me Luca.”

I know you’ll want to read it, so pick That Day at the Lake up here:

Amazon US    Amazon UK   Amazon Canada   Blushing Books

About Rachel, in her own words:

I live in the UK and I have been writing since I was a child, but I only started publishing seriously when Blushing Books accepted my first book nearly two years ago.  I like to write erotic romances, but I like to combine them with tales of adventure, crime and interesting stories.  Take a look at my website for details of my earlier books, as well as free short stories.

http://racheldevineuk.wix.com/rachel-de-vine

If you leave your e-mail address there, you can be notified whenever a new blog is posted, or a new book is published.

I don’t like to reveal too much about myself and prefer to let my books do the talking for me.  That way I can be whoever the reader wants me to be.  If you buy my book, please take the time to leave a review.  These are very important to writers, and we love to have feedback on our books.

I hope you buy and enjoy my book, and I would like to thank Patricia Green for her generosity in hosting me on her blog.

                                                                                     Rachel de Vine

The Book Gourmet – Book Tidbits from the World of Romance

First Course – The Amuse Bouche

Repeating the Past (by Georgia St. Claire) How will Beth do in such a dangerous town where men outnumber women by 10 to 1?

Rocky Mountain Bride (by Lee Savino) The truth: Carrie’s come to the middle of nowhere to marry a man she’s never met.

Second Course – The Appetizer

‘Tis the time for holiday stories. As you’re preparing for a long holiday weekend, you’re probably stocking up on books for those quiet moments between the mall and the refrigerator. Some colleagues of mine have published a fun collection of holiday books, Unwrapped: Three Holiday Novellas. These are great Victorian and Western holiday stories with dominant men and their feisty women. Bestselling authors, Sue Lyndon, Ava Sinclair, and Vanessa Vale put together some sexy fun with this set. You can get it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, All Romance eBooks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo.

Third Course – The Entrée

As many of you know, I’ve got a new book out this week: My Vacation in Rio: Romantek. Here is its first (5 star) review:

“Filled with action suspense and romance. The plot is well written and keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. This is a great series but can also be read alone.” ~noangel from Amazon.com. Here’s the link to the review page.

I hope you’ll take a look at this erotic, sci-fi, time travel, spanking romance. It takes place primarily in the year 2000 in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. As you might imagine, the turn of the millennium celebration is amazing. I did a lot of research for this one, and every minute of it was fun. Other parts of the book are set in the future, where dreams are virtual reality playgrounds, but sometimes bad guys sneak in and then all hell breaks loose.

You can pick it up at Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Blushing Books.

Fourth Course – The Dessert

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I have a lot of people and events to be thankful for. I’m very fortunate to have a deeply caring husband who won’t let me get away with being naughty, a long list of friends both close and simply friendly, and wonderful daughters who make me proud and hopeful for the future. I live in a wonderful city with a small town atmosphere but cosmopolitan opportunities. There are plenty of things occupying my time, so I’m never bored. Overall, I live a good life. I hope you are equally blessed wherever you are and whatever you do. Thank you to all of you who follow along here and who read my books. You complete my life like the cherry on top of the sundae.

Wishing you a happy holiday.