Cate Ellink's Blog, page 52

Phallic Friday - remote vibrators

Oh, now this! This sets everything in me thinking. What a story this could make! Must do it.

You can read it here.

It's the We-vibe 4 with an iphone app that allows remote access. OMG! Can you imagine?

You could be at a work meeting, and your partner could start the vibrator. How about driving? Sitting at the movies? How that would make extra intrigue in your day and relationship!!

In many Dom/sub relationships, the Dom asks the sub to do something sexual through the day that only they will know about (eg wear no underwear, carry Ben Wa balls, have phone sex in their office) and it adds such spice to the relationship. It builds trust, it excites both partners, it's arousal all day.

Now imagine that arousal becoming actual vibration? Imagine it becoming a full on sexual experience that you have little control over?

Do you think you could handle it? I think my heroine might be in for some fun!

Wildlife Wednesday - African Wild Dog

The African Wild Dogs aren't my favourite zoo animal but I learned some things that made me respect them more than I have.

They work together, with a female leader, and they're all about endurance. They don't drag and kill, but run an animal to exhaustion before killing and feeding. They do this as a pack, with groups of members taking turns at the chase. How nifty is that?

Each dog has individual markings, even if they all look speckled to me :) The dominant female is the breeder of the group, and she chooses who she mates with. Pups are cared for by all, and adults will let the pups feed first on a kill, and will also regurgitate food for pups who remain in the den.

They have a dominance structure re feeding, where the weakest may miss out. At the zoo, they feed strategically so that on some days the pack feeds as a pack where the strongest get most/all of the feed. On a couple of days a week, food is thrown to individuals to ensure everyone receives some food. Kind of a nifty way to keep the pack alive!

When we slept over at the zoo, I'm sure I heard these guys howling in the night. They were kind of cool to hear, I went back to sleep smiling!

Deep Diving made a list!

I had an email from a friend this morning saying, "Deep Diving is #6 in contemporary romance on Kobo...". Lisa's been my writing buddy for a long time, so I had no reason to doubt her... but #6? On a list? Was she serious?

So I went to see and sure enough, it wasn't an April Fool's joke. Here's the proof in case it goes away!


Why is it important?
I've seen people rave about making lists before and I didn't understand the significance of it.

It is significant.

By some strange quirk of fate, your book is liked by people and they're buying it (which I hope translates into reading and enjoying it). And that's important to me.

Sure I write for my own sanity and enjoyment, but it's the ultimate accolade for someone else to enjoy it too.

And Deep Diving is a book of my heart. It was written as a tribute to men who've been my heroes. Because they inspired the hero in this story, Cooper Sterling, I want readers to love him, respond well to him, and see him as a great hero. I want them to love my hero and see the great traits that I've admired in the real life men.

I want them to like Sam too because she has to be good enough for my hero. She has to be smart, fun, loveable, sporty and enough of a challenge to keep these men on their toes. She has to earn Cooper's love and keep it.

The only way I know if people love my book is if they tell me, or if it sells well, which must mean people like it or the sound of it.

I don't tell authors that I like their book unless I know them. I feel uncomfortable starting up a dialogue with a stranger. So I understand why readers don't let you know they like your story. Making a list is the closest thing to having a bunch of people say they liked your story. And that's why it's important to me.

THANK YOU Kobo readers, and all other readers too :) You've made my day!

Sunday Story - erotic books in the library

Many many years ago, I went to the library in search of a book a friend recommended. I looked up the catalogue and found that the book was "in stack". Having no idea what that meant, I had to ask. I was a bit scared about asking, given the title, but in a moment of bravery I went and did it anyway. The Marquis de Sade's Philosophy in the Bedroom was mine for the next fortnight...and the librarian blushed as she handed it to me (although I may have been redder than she was by then!).

Since then, I've bought most of my erotic reading - not only because of the embarrassment factor, but because the library held very little. It had 2 of deSade's books at the time, and I was hooked, so I needed more.

Anyway, moving to a smaller town meant even less chance of erotic books in the library, or bookshops. So out of town purchases became my thing.

Then I moved again, but by now e-books had burst open the erotic scene and I've a plethora of reading so I haven't been looking in the library for erotic choices.

Anyway, today I went in for a classic, for my book club reading - a Gabriel Garcia Marquez book. There was a disagreement over whether we'd chosen Love in the Time of Cholera or A Hundred Years of Solitude. So I thought I'd see which I could get out of the library. I've read Cholera before, but it was a long time ago. Neither was there... but there was one called Memories of My Melancholy Whores. I've never heard of it, and no idea what it's like, but it jumped into my hands and I bought it home.

Then when I turned to leave the bookshelf, another book caught my eye. The Penguin Book of Erotic Stories By Women. It has stories spanning a hundred years, with authors such as Isabel Allende, Gertrude Stein, Simone de Beauvoir. So it also jumped into my hands.

Then I did the checkout thing and my slip has "whores" and "erotic" on it. I think I might frame it. It's the most fun I've had in the library for years. I must go and look for more erotic titles! Then maybe they might put in my magnets, or bookmarks!

Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives LANA

From the hottest writers in Australia comes a scintillating new series. Enter the world of Sydney’s elite, and find out what goes on behind the doors of the most exclusive addresses in the country…
 
Meet the Housewives of Sydney. They are wealthy, elegant, poised, and constantly in the public eye. But what goes on behind closed doors, in the private homes and parties where the cameras and paparazzi aren’t welcome? Delve into the most personal details of their relationships, their friendships and their lives. The only question is: can you handle the heat?
Lana lives her life by her own rules – and she has very few. What she wants, she goes for, and she very rarely fails. So when a young, handsome waiter at her favourite restaurant catches her eye, she has no hesitation in asking him to escort her home. But one night of passion opens up exciting new possibilities, and a chance for Lana to enact one of her deepest, most elicit fantasies. 

Today is the online launch of this series. Each book will be released fortnightly, starting the 6th November with Rhian Cahill's Virginina. Lana will be out next, on the 20th November 2014, but before then you'll be able to get lots of information...

Starting with the Escapades Blog. Check it out here: http://escapepublishingblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/reveal-secret-confessions-sydney-housewives/

There's a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheHousewivesLounge/

If you'd like to join in the discussion, use the hashtag #Sydneywives on all posts.


A Little About Lana
Lana is one of the older members of the Diamond Dinner Club. She's an actress, made famous in a soapie, but she's worked hard to earn her fame. Now she's where she wants to be, she can indulge in her passions, one of which is young men...or toy boys as others so rudely refer to them. For Lana, they're never a toy. She loves the passion of young men, and how quickly they can undress.

A Little About Me
This project was exhilarating but challenging. Exhilarating because I'd worked with most of these writers once before and I learnt so much from them. I was thrilled to be involved in another project. Challenging because I'm one of the 'babies' on the group in terms of writing, plus I'd never written anyone like Lana before.

I loved this project and I hope you'll love Lana.

Lana: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857992000

Wildlife Wednesday - Meerkats

Meerkats have become everyone's favourite since that TV show, Meerkat Manor, gave them a household name. There are heaps of meerkat videos on youtube and other sites. They seem to have a cult following!

At the Western Plains Zoo recently, we had an out-of-hours tour where one stop was the Meerkats. I was fascinated to learn some of the more obscure things about them.

In a pack, there is a dominant female, and usually she is the breeding female but other females can also breed (it seems entirely dependent on the nature of the dominant female). Gestation is for 77 days and 2-5 pups are born.

Meerkats are a 'tribe' and have a territory to defend. They mark out their territory like other animals. Unlike other animals, they post a sentry at all times. The sentry scrambles to the highest point in their territory and keeps guard. They make calls to let the 'tribe' know how things are looking.

There may be more than one sentry at sometimes, but there is always one. Although, the keepers at the zoo said on rare occasions, they 'tribe' get so excited by food they may rush down to eat and then realise there is no sentry and one of the meerkats will scramble quickly into place. The keeper wasn't sure how the sentries were decided or if there was retribution for failure :)

Meerkats have a great sense of sight. At Dubbo Zoo, the sentry will call for birds flying past...but also for planes and some of those are quite high up and difficult to see.

As my memory is not the best, I checked most of the information here.

Sunday Story - a revamp

I'm thinking that my blog needs a bit of a revamp.

I've been blahing away to myself and you guys for a while now on the same topics each week. I'm not really drawing in any new people...and I know that's my fault. I wasn't really focused on drawing attention to my ramblings, but I think I may have to do that now.

Every man and his dog has visitors come to their blog - and I don't. Visitors bring their friends along to comment...and this is something I need to do to find new audiences.

Cate Ellink's been a bit too quiet for a bit too long.

So... I'm going to start opening up the blog a bit more and try a few different things.

Wildlife Wednesday: I like doing this bit because it's fun. But I think I need to focus on the sex aspect - which I drift away from because I get caught up with the animal and the 'story'.

Phallic Friday: I need this to be a bit more hard-hitting, not my ramblings so much as some well investigated and thought-through pieces.

Sunday Story: A perfect spot for guest authors of the erotic variety.

Now, if I put more of an effort into these blogs, I'm not sure I can manage them every week. So I might do what I can, which may be more ad hoc than regimented.Although, I'm scared they might fade into oblivion if I don't keep to a routine!

So maybe I'll do good ones, and okay ones, mix them up a bit. Promo the well-researched ones, and keep the ramblings for my regular followers.

November is the launch of the Housewives, so I might get some Housewifely blogs happening to get me started. Let's see how I go!

Does that sound like a plan of attack? Or am I off in pixie-land?

Phallic Friday - talking about sex

I've been thinking a lot about how we talk about sex ('we', being me, my friends and family, and society). I've been thinking about it ever since I started this column. I felt I needed to be more candid about sex, more accepting about what I write, and more 'adult' in dealing with topics that aren't so comfortably discussed in mainstream conversations.

I was at a family do recently with extended family members of the generation ahead of me (so they're all late 60s to late 70s). I'm fairly sure that Dad has shared with them what I write 'erotic romance' but no one has ever discussed this with him, nor with me.

My family are conservative, religious Catholics. You'd say middle class, city people for the most. All in the group this day were in long-term, death-do-us part marriages, although one brother is divorced. In my generation there have been divorces, children born out of wedlock, affairs, drug-use, mental illness, abuse from spouse/partner and other such things. So I don't see the adults as sheltered because they've all had to deal with the fallout from these events...and they've discussed these issues amongst themselves.

Yet...my writing is spoken of in general terms, never specifics. For example, "I have a friend who needs help with writing, will you help her?" Never, "Do you have any books published?"

These people make smutty jokes, use sexual innuendo, and laugh about sex. Yet we can't have a conversation about what I write. Why is this?

I brought up my writing a few times (for the first time) and called it 'a little raunchy' but still no follow up conversation or question about me - just how I can help a friend, or how I could help them find something Australian to read in print!

I'd like to ask them directly why we can hedge around sex as a topic, but never discuss it as we do other things (like Church, kids, community, family)...but I feel I need to tread softly so as not to ostracise them completely. It's taken 4 years to get someone to acknowledge that I write...better not scare them by being too direct!

Is sex a topic you're comfortable discussing with friends or family? Or is it just too personal?

Wildlife Wednesday - Galapagos Tortoise

Galapagos Tortoise and my DadAnother zoo animal today - the Galapagos Tortoise. At the display, there was a 'poster' with breeding information...and I had to take the photo for my post. Hope you can read it when you get to the end!

The Australian Reptile Park web page has some good information which you can read here.

The Galapagos Tortoise can weigh up to 180 kg, with a shell that can be over a metre in length. They come from the Galapagos Islands (funny that, hey?) and each island has its own subspecies. They eat any green vegetable.

Galapagos TortoiseBreeding occurs between January and June, and mating occurs when a male overpowers a female and immobilises them with their weight. The female lays 2-20 tennis-ball-sized eggs, which incubate for between 4 and 8 months. Young hatch between November and April.

Galapagos Tortoise ToenailsThe Taronga Zoo website has some more information. Galapagos Tortoises are the largest tortoises in the world. An estimated 200 000 tortoises were eaten in the past by sailors, whalers and pirates. Less than 20 000 remain. Western Plains Zoo achieved the first hatchling, as part of the national breeding program, in March 2011. (I have a really blurry photo of the baby through glass. It's only the size of a small dinner plate).

Oh, now the Taronga Zoo website has much better mating details. I'll copy it here:

"Courting has been said to begin with the male ramming the female with the front of his shell and nipping her exposed legs until she draws them in, immobilizing herself. However our keepers have also observed that copulation can occur by the female elevating the back end of her shell and stretching her cloaca open and positioned towards him. Our female tortoise has even been observed to help the male with his aim, guiding him with her back feet."

That's a little more romantic than the earlier info about the female being squashed beneath his weight!!

They are slow moving animals, with a speed of 0.25 km/hr...but we saw them moving in for feeding and there was a bit of speed on then!

Galapagos Tortoise Breeding

Sunday Story - more reading!

More reading joy this week. It seems I can't read when I'm editing...I can when I write, just not when I'm fixing up my story! Which is interesting to discover - one of my CPs is the opposite.

Anyway, this week I read two stories that are very different but both have a historical component to the story...and in each case, the historical component really drew me in.

Luna Tango by Alli Sinclair
Alli was on the conference team committee with me a few years ago. She's bright, bubbly and fun. Her heroine, Dani, sometimes reminded me of Alli and sometimes sounded like her too!

Set in Argentina, Dani is there to do a story on the history of Tango and investigate her mother, who deserted her as a child for the Tango. Carlos is a retired Tango dancer who knew her mother, so Dani requests his help to write the story, hoping she'll learn something about her mother.

As the story unravels, Dani is caught by the Tango, a mystery and Carlos.

This is a gorgeous read. I really enjoyed it and I'm no dancer!! I'm looking forward to the next book.



Moonlight Plains by Barbara Hannay
Barbara Hannay's third single title book, is set in Townsville in the modern day, as well as delving into Townsville in WWII.

For me, WWII Townsville and the love of Kitty and Ed was the winner. Although, Sally and Luke's romance was front and centre of the story, I think the poignancy of the wartime romance and the continuation of their love for each other through many years, even apart, was just beautiful.

Kitty and Ed had a short but passionate affair during the war. Circumstances forced them apart, and they each led full and happy lives without the other...but both still 'held a torch' for the missing half of their heart...and for me, that was beautiful and beautifully portrayed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse into WWII and the problems it posed for the city of Townsville. I've read a bit about the war on the NSW south coast, and it was quite similar.

Barbara Hannay has a gift for weaving a beautiful story in lush landscapes and this one doesn't fail.


Let's see what the next week holds...I'm writing, so I should get some more reading done!