Francesca Hawley's Blog, page 6
April 12, 2015
Celebrate National Library Week
This week is National Library Week. I get so frustrated when I hear politicians say things like "With the internet, we don't need libraries anymore." We need libraries now more than ever. Not only because libraries house the books we want to read and use for research but also because librarians are super at helping a person find their next read or discover information about a topic they're researching. Google is great but it isn't a resource for everything.
Many web sites are skewed toward or against one viewpoint or another. Without someone (like a librarian) to help you evaluate web sites, you might get caught using inaccurate information. This is important for students, but it's just as important for an author. If you write an historical novel, for example, using a web site with little authority behind it caught come back to bite you in the behind. Your readers might nail you, or reviewers familiar with that time period might catch you out. Utilizing a library and help from librarians can get you accurate information with a decent level of authority behind it. By authority I mean, a book that's written by an expert in the field. Not just some dude or dudette who may or may not have done research themselves.
So this week, visit your local library. Thank a librarian.
And remember, we do need libraries!
April 10, 2015
Hanky Spanky Play List
In Hanky Spanky, the hero, Andy Larson, is a Minnesota sugar beet farmer who is a sensual Dom. My heroine, Karen Eckberg, has had a crush on Andy since high school, but now that she's moved back to her home town it's time for Karen and Andy to get to know each other and develop a hot Dom/sub relationship.
While I wrote this story, music helped me to set the mood depending on which scene I was writing. The song that inspired the title and the fun of the story was Hanky Panky sung by Madonna.
Karen has always found farmer Andy sexy and so one of the songs that fits the sexy relationship between Andy and Karen is the fun song She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy sung by Kenny Chesney.
And of course the story is about BDSM and features a club that Andy and Karen meet face to face in for the first time. Up to that point, Karen doesn't realize her online Sir is Andy. But at the club, I'm sure Rihanna's S&M would be playing in the main room.
At one point, Andy and Karen dance to Father Figure by George Michael. It's a sexy moment in their first evening together.
And this is a love song that fits the way Andy feels about Karen. She isn't convinced of her beauty but to Andy, she's a stunner.
And finally, I can see Karen perform this dance for Andy in a sexy epilogue to this story. One of my favorite scenes from 9 1/2 Weeks was this one - You Can Leave Your Hat On by Joe Cocker.
I love these songs and they fit Hanky Spanky really well. It made writing the story a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the insight into my writing process. Thanks! Francesca Hawley
Buy Links
Click here for Kindle release
Click here for print release
February 28, 2015
New Release Cover Reveal...HANKY SPANKY!!!!
I've been working on a new release for a year now and I'm finally ready to go live with my new cover. The design is by the uber talented Dar Albert. If you're interested in hiring a wonderful cover artist, you can find her at: http://www.wickedsmartdesigns.com/
Hanky Spanky is a contemporary BDSM erotic romance with a BBW heroine. I had a lot of fun writing this book and I hope my readers enjoy this story.
But fair warning...this book is as hot as a habanero!
The release date is March 9, 2015. I'll post buy links very soon for my first solo Indie release.
BLURB:
Karen Eckberg has spent months in front of a webcam, writhing and moaning, dutifully performing to Master Lars’ voiced commands. She’s sexually alive for the first time in her life but when her perfect Dom turns out to be none-other than her high school crush “Aw Shucks” Andy Larson, life takes an even more sensual turn than she’d ever expected.
Karen is everything Andy Larson has ever wanted in a sub, achingly responsive and eager to please her Master in every way. Unfortunately, their red-hot affair both in and out of the dungeon draws unwanted attention from his possessive ex-wife fueling Andy’s protective streak.
And now there's no safe word that can protect Karen from a woman scorned.
EXCERPT:
Oh, God. It was Andy. “Nothing. Just girl talk. Did you need something?” Damn him, he always managed to move so quietly. She hoped he hadn’t heard anything important…or incriminating.
“Yes, I need something.”
She looked up into his smiling blue eyes, clenching her toes to hide any other reaction to him. His eyes were uncharacteristically intense. She didn’t think he was capable of looking at anything but his sugar beet fields like that.
“Well? What do you need?”
“You.”
Karen sat up, her jaw dropping open. “What?”
“I want to dance.”
Why did she have to feel disappointed? She should know better by now. He’d never shown one iota of interest before, so she shouldn’t hope for anything now.
“No one’s stopping you, Andy,” she raised her brows and waved him onto the floor, using sarcasm as a weapon and a defense.
His eyes darkened and his lips tightened. “I meant, would you dance with me?”
“Me?” Shit. Her voice sounded breathy and excited and it had always been like this for her. Her belly dropped and filled with butterflies. She’d always wanted him and maybe she always would, but she had her Sir to think of now. She cleared her throat, determined to sound in command. “You want to dance with me?”
He just nodded and held out his hand. His very large, long fingered, work callused hand. God, she loved his hands. Her nipples tightened so painfully she wanted to cuss.
“Yes, you.”
“Go on, Karen. He won’t leave until you do.” Hannah grinned. “You’re one stubborn Swede, Andy.”
“Yah. That’s what I am all right,” he replied in a lilting faux-Swedish accent.
“Right. Let’s get it over with then.” Karen stood and took his warm hand, reluctantly.
Not only did her belly fill with butterflies as he led her to the dance floor, but now her pussy dampened. It wasn’t fair. She shouldn’t have to fight her lifelong attraction to the favorite son of the town’s founding family on the night before she met her new Sir in person.
She didn’t want a reminder of her past and completely futile infatuation, but here he stood in all his glory. Andy was the image of the All American boy. Well, the Scandinavian version anyway. Short, wheat blonde hair, sky blue eyes and a ready smile. They stopped on the dance floor and stared at each other.
“Well, come here then,” he grumbled, pulling her into his arms and gazing into her eyes. His deep voice turned her on, damn him.
She tried to maintain a physical distance between them as they started to rotate in time to a slow song. Being the strong, silent type, he didn’t say anything else, yet the silence wasn’t awkward. Karen liked that he listened more than he talked. That he was cautious—as though he measured his words for the impact they had. But he always seemed self-effacing because he had a tendency to dip his head when he was thinking. But seemed was the operative word. His actions disarmed people, made them think he wasn’t all that smart, but she knew different.
“Well, aren’t you going to put your arms around me too, Karen?”
She blinked and lifted her arms to his broad, muscled shoulders. Unfortunately for her libido, as her breasts pressed firmly to his hard chest her tender nipples chafed against her bra leaving them peaked – taut and needy. He tried to pull her closer, but Karen drew back, trying to ease the torture to her nipples. She was so primed for tomorrow night. So ready for her Sir’s pleasure, and her own, that stimulation of any kind almost hurt.
Andy stroked the small of her back and Karen gasped. His lightest touch went right to her clit, making it throb. Why did she have to want him as much as she had in high school? Andy had been the football captain and an all-around star athlete. Not only that, he had dated then married the most popular girl, Debbie Markham, the head cheerleader. The surprise was the divorce five years later.
One day they were together, the next Andy graduated college and came home alone leaving Debbie in the cities. When they split, Karen heard speculation that Andy was gay, but if there was one thing Karen was sure about, it was that Andy Larson was as straight as one of his rows of sugar beets.
Andy leaned closer and she tried to back off again. His breath smelled good…hadn’t he been drinking a beer earlier? She hated the smell of beer, but somehow he managed to smell good anyway. He tugged her against him as the slow song continued to play. His hands cradled her waist, yet she could feel the power in his touch. His thigh slid between hers, rubbing her pussy with every step he took as they slowly turned in a circle on the crowded dance floor.
Her breath caught in her throat and she closed her eyes. The pressure of his thigh drove her crazy and she wanted to thrust against him. He dragged her closer and his hand slid from the middle of her back down the slope to rest at the top of her ass. His hold was firm; commanding.
Where did that come from? She had to stop. Sir Lars would kill her if she came, and she was getting damn close. Sir. She had to think about him. Save her orgasms for him. He was what she wanted in a man.
His Fetlife profile showed a hard bodied, tan man with a flogger in his hand but the photo showed only his bare chest and broad shoulders. Tantalizing her imagination.
After they started chatting online she'd asked to see his face but no matter how often she asked to see what he looked like, he refused. When she consented to turn on her web cam, she asked to see him too, but he said he didn’t have a web cam for his computer. It didn’t matter because his commands set her on fire.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Andy murmured, his breath brushing her ear as he leaned close.
Karen shivered. She imagined Andy would sound like that when he was in bed with a woman and the thought tightened her pussy on an imaginary cock she wished was buried inside her. Sir’s cock. That’s right. Not Andy’s. Never Andy’s.
“Just stuff.”
“Stuff? What kind of stuff? You can tell me, we’ve known each other forever.”
She leaned away from him to look up into his eyes. “We may have known each other since high school, Andy. But you don’t really know me at all.”
“Don’t I?” He purred and his arm tightened again.
Karen found herself cradled against his body. Touching from head to foot. Riding his muscular thigh. Karen struggled to back away but he was stronger than she was and his forceful grip turned her on even more than she already was. Every time he took a step toward her, his leg prodded her pussy. She tried to fight her reaction. Regulate her breathing, but it didn’t help. Nothing did.
Hanky Spanky is a contemporary BDSM erotic romance with a BBW heroine. I had a lot of fun writing this book and I hope my readers enjoy this story.
But fair warning...this book is as hot as a habanero!
The release date is March 9, 2015. I'll post buy links very soon for my first solo Indie release.
BLURB:
Karen Eckberg has spent months in front of a webcam, writhing and moaning, dutifully performing to Master Lars’ voiced commands. She’s sexually alive for the first time in her life but when her perfect Dom turns out to be none-other than her high school crush “Aw Shucks” Andy Larson, life takes an even more sensual turn than she’d ever expected.
Karen is everything Andy Larson has ever wanted in a sub, achingly responsive and eager to please her Master in every way. Unfortunately, their red-hot affair both in and out of the dungeon draws unwanted attention from his possessive ex-wife fueling Andy’s protective streak.
And now there's no safe word that can protect Karen from a woman scorned.
EXCERPT:
Oh, God. It was Andy. “Nothing. Just girl talk. Did you need something?” Damn him, he always managed to move so quietly. She hoped he hadn’t heard anything important…or incriminating.
“Yes, I need something.”
She looked up into his smiling blue eyes, clenching her toes to hide any other reaction to him. His eyes were uncharacteristically intense. She didn’t think he was capable of looking at anything but his sugar beet fields like that.
“Well? What do you need?”
“You.”
Karen sat up, her jaw dropping open. “What?”
“I want to dance.”
Why did she have to feel disappointed? She should know better by now. He’d never shown one iota of interest before, so she shouldn’t hope for anything now.
“No one’s stopping you, Andy,” she raised her brows and waved him onto the floor, using sarcasm as a weapon and a defense.
His eyes darkened and his lips tightened. “I meant, would you dance with me?”
“Me?” Shit. Her voice sounded breathy and excited and it had always been like this for her. Her belly dropped and filled with butterflies. She’d always wanted him and maybe she always would, but she had her Sir to think of now. She cleared her throat, determined to sound in command. “You want to dance with me?”
He just nodded and held out his hand. His very large, long fingered, work callused hand. God, she loved his hands. Her nipples tightened so painfully she wanted to cuss.
“Yes, you.”
“Go on, Karen. He won’t leave until you do.” Hannah grinned. “You’re one stubborn Swede, Andy.”
“Yah. That’s what I am all right,” he replied in a lilting faux-Swedish accent.
“Right. Let’s get it over with then.” Karen stood and took his warm hand, reluctantly.
Not only did her belly fill with butterflies as he led her to the dance floor, but now her pussy dampened. It wasn’t fair. She shouldn’t have to fight her lifelong attraction to the favorite son of the town’s founding family on the night before she met her new Sir in person.
She didn’t want a reminder of her past and completely futile infatuation, but here he stood in all his glory. Andy was the image of the All American boy. Well, the Scandinavian version anyway. Short, wheat blonde hair, sky blue eyes and a ready smile. They stopped on the dance floor and stared at each other.
“Well, come here then,” he grumbled, pulling her into his arms and gazing into her eyes. His deep voice turned her on, damn him.
She tried to maintain a physical distance between them as they started to rotate in time to a slow song. Being the strong, silent type, he didn’t say anything else, yet the silence wasn’t awkward. Karen liked that he listened more than he talked. That he was cautious—as though he measured his words for the impact they had. But he always seemed self-effacing because he had a tendency to dip his head when he was thinking. But seemed was the operative word. His actions disarmed people, made them think he wasn’t all that smart, but she knew different.
“Well, aren’t you going to put your arms around me too, Karen?”
She blinked and lifted her arms to his broad, muscled shoulders. Unfortunately for her libido, as her breasts pressed firmly to his hard chest her tender nipples chafed against her bra leaving them peaked – taut and needy. He tried to pull her closer, but Karen drew back, trying to ease the torture to her nipples. She was so primed for tomorrow night. So ready for her Sir’s pleasure, and her own, that stimulation of any kind almost hurt.
Andy stroked the small of her back and Karen gasped. His lightest touch went right to her clit, making it throb. Why did she have to want him as much as she had in high school? Andy had been the football captain and an all-around star athlete. Not only that, he had dated then married the most popular girl, Debbie Markham, the head cheerleader. The surprise was the divorce five years later.
One day they were together, the next Andy graduated college and came home alone leaving Debbie in the cities. When they split, Karen heard speculation that Andy was gay, but if there was one thing Karen was sure about, it was that Andy Larson was as straight as one of his rows of sugar beets.
Andy leaned closer and she tried to back off again. His breath smelled good…hadn’t he been drinking a beer earlier? She hated the smell of beer, but somehow he managed to smell good anyway. He tugged her against him as the slow song continued to play. His hands cradled her waist, yet she could feel the power in his touch. His thigh slid between hers, rubbing her pussy with every step he took as they slowly turned in a circle on the crowded dance floor.
Her breath caught in her throat and she closed her eyes. The pressure of his thigh drove her crazy and she wanted to thrust against him. He dragged her closer and his hand slid from the middle of her back down the slope to rest at the top of her ass. His hold was firm; commanding.
Where did that come from? She had to stop. Sir Lars would kill her if she came, and she was getting damn close. Sir. She had to think about him. Save her orgasms for him. He was what she wanted in a man.
His Fetlife profile showed a hard bodied, tan man with a flogger in his hand but the photo showed only his bare chest and broad shoulders. Tantalizing her imagination.
After they started chatting online she'd asked to see his face but no matter how often she asked to see what he looked like, he refused. When she consented to turn on her web cam, she asked to see him too, but he said he didn’t have a web cam for his computer. It didn’t matter because his commands set her on fire.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Andy murmured, his breath brushing her ear as he leaned close.
Karen shivered. She imagined Andy would sound like that when he was in bed with a woman and the thought tightened her pussy on an imaginary cock she wished was buried inside her. Sir’s cock. That’s right. Not Andy’s. Never Andy’s.
“Just stuff.”
“Stuff? What kind of stuff? You can tell me, we’ve known each other forever.”
She leaned away from him to look up into his eyes. “We may have known each other since high school, Andy. But you don’t really know me at all.”
“Don’t I?” He purred and his arm tightened again.
Karen found herself cradled against his body. Touching from head to foot. Riding his muscular thigh. Karen struggled to back away but he was stronger than she was and his forceful grip turned her on even more than she already was. Every time he took a step toward her, his leg prodded her pussy. She tried to fight her reaction. Regulate her breathing, but it didn’t help. Nothing did.
February 1, 2015
Naughty Hearts - Boxed set available on February 1st
The Naughty Literati are at it again. We have a new release of twelve hot Valentine's Day themed short reads.Amazon: http://indi.uno/1BH3Uxu B&N: http://indi.uno/1uNNYHa Kobo: http://indi.uno/1LwR8cYGoogle: http://indi.uno/1EWHmMPiTunes: http://indi.uno/18DSyDw
NAUGHTY BALLS
Suz deMello
Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. (M/F)
LOVE POTION #69
Alexa Silver
When Keith and Jenna accidentally fall under the spell of one of her Valentine’s Day love potions, lust is in the air!
MY VALENTINE LOVERS
Nicole Austin
All I want for Valentine’s Day is to get barbed by a feline shifter and act out a few of the naughty twin fantasies getting me hot and bothered.
VALENTIME
Belle Scarlett
Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865.
DELIA’S HEARTTHROB
Regina Kammer
Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
TWO INTO ONE GOES GREAT
Lynne Connolly
A booker at a top model agency learns she’s anything but ordinary when two sexy photographers point their lenses—and more—at her.
UNDER THE HOOD
Lainey-Jo Charles
How do you choose between an online crush you’ve never met and a secret crush that you have? Maybe you don’t have to…
BUY ME A ROSE
Francesca Hawley
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.
CHOCOLATE-COATED REUNION
Berengaria Brown
Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.
CUPID’S CURIOUS CASE
Marianne Stephens
Alan’s last job as Cupid 84 involves neighbor Amy and a special box of candy. Both secretly desire the other. Can they find true love?
FIFTY SHADES OF VALENTINE’S DAY
Katherine Kingston
Dumped on Valentine’s Day! Melissa only thinks the day can’t get any worse. Until she damages her hot neighbor’s car, and he demands unexpected compensation.
THE REAPER’S VALENTINE
Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Sometimes a Reaper has to do what a Reaper does. It would be wise for a life-mate to remember that!
January 20, 2015
Fat Thoughts from a Fat Chick
I wasn't going to comment on this because I didn't figure the woman needed more publicity, but it
The Fabulous Tess Munsterboth annoyed and saddened me so I'm going to.
So, I have to tell you a deep dark secret about me - I'm a TLC near-addict. Not a total addict - I don't watch Kate + 8 or Honey Boo Boo, but yes, I watch a LOT of their shows. Don't Judge!
So last night, I was watching the end of Sister Wives - yes, I watch that. I find polygamy interesting. Again...don't judge! :-) And right after that was a program called Fat and Back. I thought it might be interesting until I "met" the star of the program.
Most of us fat chicks have probably heard of Katie Hopkins. This is the British woman who goes around being cruel and horrid to varying people that she finds disgusting - like fat people. People either hate her or love her for "telling it like it is." Personally, I don't believe she "tells it like it is." She basically uses a public forum to spout insults to people. Kind of like Ann Coulter.
So anyway, I planned to switch the channel and call it done. I figured this is the kind of person who will learning nothing from what she planned to do. And what DID she plan to do? One of her favorite homilies is that fatties wouldn't be that way if they'd just quit eating and exercised more. That's ALL they have to do. (Editorial comment: HA!) So her plan was to eat an insane amount of food and put on 50+ pounds in three months and then diet and exercise for three months to get back to being her perfect thin self.
Everyone she talked to told her she was nuts - doctors, friends, family, etc. I think she was nuts too. So I wasn't going to watch this - but as I was channel surfing I did find myself returning to the channel to catch a few minutes here and there. At one point, she was whining to her diary camera that mean fat people MADE her do this. Um...no. I'm sure there were fat people that told her to put up or shut up, but she decided to eat 4000 calories a day in order to gain all this weight so she could "prove her point." This woman started out eating 2000 calories a day and didn't gain weight because of genetics and metabolism, so she jumped to the 4000 calories a day. Yes, I did say 4000 calories a day.
Most fat people don't do that. There may be a few people that do, but by and large most fat people are trying to eat less and exercise yet they still find themselves fat at the end of the day/week/month/year. There was one point where I thought she might learn something.
She went to talk to a therapist and the therapist called bullshit on her and explained (rather patiently, I thought) that Katie was emotionally attached to her exercising and didn't she think it was possible that a fat person might be emotionally attached to food? Ding, ding, ding! Therapist is a winner. Katie didn't like that and reluctantly admitted in the vehicle as they were driving home that yes, she could see that if someone had an emotional attachment to food, it might be harder to lose weight.
I thought - OMG - she finally understands. No such luck. Later in the hour, she was back to calling fat people disgusting and repellant. All through the episode it was like one step forward, two steps back.
Today I googled this to see if I could find out whether she managed to lose her weight. There was an interview with her and it was patently obvious she learned little to nothing. She was still talking about the disgusting lazy fat people. It made me think about how she affects the people around her - friends and family - as well as total strangers.
First of all, she has a platform and a certain sort of celebrity so that people listen to her. What comes out of her mouth is pretty much bullying. It's the kind of thing I heard as a teen that made me suicidal. Nope - not being melodramatic. I often considered killing myself because of being fat when I was a teen. I felt bullied because of my size. I hid it. I'm sure that if you ask my high school friends if they thought I was depressed enough that I might kill myself - most would say no. My mom worried about me though and with good reason. So I watch this program and worry that her attitudes are being given credence by people she doesn't know. People like the teen I was who would internalize that kind of crap.
And just for my own curiosity I wonder even more about her and people like her, too. If someone like that has a fat child, do they say, "Mummy doesn't want to look at you because you're disgusting. Lose some weight and then I'll love you again." Would they tell a spouse, "I don't want to touch you because you're ugly. Lose weight and then I'll make love to you again." Would someone like this tell a friend, "I can't be your friend anymore because you won't take care of yourself. If you lose weight, then I'll be your friend again. Otherwise, don't bother me."
What does that say about them? Who would treat a loved one that way? And god, who would WANT the love of someone whose love is so incredibly conditional? Doesn't anyone else find this attitude abusive?
There was a time that I might have been desperate enough to have a life partner that I might have fallen for the abuse. Now, thank god, I'm not like that. Anyone says shit like that to me now and yeah, I'll lose weight. I'll lose THEM because they don't f-ing deserve me.
I hope for the sakes of those around her, fat never enters their lives. I hope they are able to lose the baby weight. I hope if they're related to her, they have her genetic makeup and metabolism. I wish the best for them, because she won't learn. Think of all the awesome people she'll never meet. And why? Because she refuses to judge them by the content of their character, instead she judges them by the size of their body. How very sad.
The Fabulous Tess Munsterboth annoyed and saddened me so I'm going to.So, I have to tell you a deep dark secret about me - I'm a TLC near-addict. Not a total addict - I don't watch Kate + 8 or Honey Boo Boo, but yes, I watch a LOT of their shows. Don't Judge!
So last night, I was watching the end of Sister Wives - yes, I watch that. I find polygamy interesting. Again...don't judge! :-) And right after that was a program called Fat and Back. I thought it might be interesting until I "met" the star of the program.
Most of us fat chicks have probably heard of Katie Hopkins. This is the British woman who goes around being cruel and horrid to varying people that she finds disgusting - like fat people. People either hate her or love her for "telling it like it is." Personally, I don't believe she "tells it like it is." She basically uses a public forum to spout insults to people. Kind of like Ann Coulter.
So anyway, I planned to switch the channel and call it done. I figured this is the kind of person who will learning nothing from what she planned to do. And what DID she plan to do? One of her favorite homilies is that fatties wouldn't be that way if they'd just quit eating and exercised more. That's ALL they have to do. (Editorial comment: HA!) So her plan was to eat an insane amount of food and put on 50+ pounds in three months and then diet and exercise for three months to get back to being her perfect thin self.
Everyone she talked to told her she was nuts - doctors, friends, family, etc. I think she was nuts too. So I wasn't going to watch this - but as I was channel surfing I did find myself returning to the channel to catch a few minutes here and there. At one point, she was whining to her diary camera that mean fat people MADE her do this. Um...no. I'm sure there were fat people that told her to put up or shut up, but she decided to eat 4000 calories a day in order to gain all this weight so she could "prove her point." This woman started out eating 2000 calories a day and didn't gain weight because of genetics and metabolism, so she jumped to the 4000 calories a day. Yes, I did say 4000 calories a day.
Most fat people don't do that. There may be a few people that do, but by and large most fat people are trying to eat less and exercise yet they still find themselves fat at the end of the day/week/month/year. There was one point where I thought she might learn something.
She went to talk to a therapist and the therapist called bullshit on her and explained (rather patiently, I thought) that Katie was emotionally attached to her exercising and didn't she think it was possible that a fat person might be emotionally attached to food? Ding, ding, ding! Therapist is a winner. Katie didn't like that and reluctantly admitted in the vehicle as they were driving home that yes, she could see that if someone had an emotional attachment to food, it might be harder to lose weight.I thought - OMG - she finally understands. No such luck. Later in the hour, she was back to calling fat people disgusting and repellant. All through the episode it was like one step forward, two steps back.
Today I googled this to see if I could find out whether she managed to lose her weight. There was an interview with her and it was patently obvious she learned little to nothing. She was still talking about the disgusting lazy fat people. It made me think about how she affects the people around her - friends and family - as well as total strangers.
First of all, she has a platform and a certain sort of celebrity so that people listen to her. What comes out of her mouth is pretty much bullying. It's the kind of thing I heard as a teen that made me suicidal. Nope - not being melodramatic. I often considered killing myself because of being fat when I was a teen. I felt bullied because of my size. I hid it. I'm sure that if you ask my high school friends if they thought I was depressed enough that I might kill myself - most would say no. My mom worried about me though and with good reason. So I watch this program and worry that her attitudes are being given credence by people she doesn't know. People like the teen I was who would internalize that kind of crap.
And just for my own curiosity I wonder even more about her and people like her, too. If someone like that has a fat child, do they say, "Mummy doesn't want to look at you because you're disgusting. Lose some weight and then I'll love you again." Would they tell a spouse, "I don't want to touch you because you're ugly. Lose weight and then I'll make love to you again." Would someone like this tell a friend, "I can't be your friend anymore because you won't take care of yourself. If you lose weight, then I'll be your friend again. Otherwise, don't bother me."What does that say about them? Who would treat a loved one that way? And god, who would WANT the love of someone whose love is so incredibly conditional? Doesn't anyone else find this attitude abusive?
There was a time that I might have been desperate enough to have a life partner that I might have fallen for the abuse. Now, thank god, I'm not like that. Anyone says shit like that to me now and yeah, I'll lose weight. I'll lose THEM because they don't f-ing deserve me.
I hope for the sakes of those around her, fat never enters their lives. I hope they are able to lose the baby weight. I hope if they're related to her, they have her genetic makeup and metabolism. I wish the best for them, because she won't learn. Think of all the awesome people she'll never meet. And why? Because she refuses to judge them by the content of their character, instead she judges them by the size of their body. How very sad.
January 19, 2015
January 7, 2015
Naughty List - Berengaria Brown
Good Morning everyone and Happy 2015!Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Berengaria Brown to my blog. She's a fellow member of the Naughty Literati and her short story, Jewel’s Ménage Christmas is part of the great boxed set, Naughty List. Get to meet her with a great interview then enjoy a hot M/M story blurb and excerpt!
INTERVIEW
What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a “pantser”?
I’m a mixture. The characters arrive in my head and start talking to me. I don’t begin writing until I have a beginning, and an ending, and several points I want to meet in the middle. The rest of the journey is sheer pantsing. Anything might happen.
How did you come up with the idea for your latest book?
After I finished writing the “Paint Store Boys” series, I kept thinking about Pinky’s gay bar. It just seemed sad that gay men had nowhere they could meet and relax except at Pinky’s. Pinky’s is a great place, but they need more than that. And then Abe decided to build a gay bath house and the “Bath House Boys” series was born.
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
Chocolate. Yum!
What inspired you to write male/male or menage romances?
The characters are very direct. They tell me who and what they want. Some days I just take dictation! Regarding two men and one woman ménages though, if one man kissing and touching you is nice, two men kissing and touching you can only be twice as nice.
What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?
Never give up. Keep reading, keep writing, keep polishing your craft.
In a nod to the Actor’s Studio, what's your favorite curse word and why?
Damn. Or in polite company, dayum. Why? Because saying the f word to the boss might get me terminated, but no one cares when I say day-um.
“Kissing His Man”: The Bath House Boys book 1
BLURB
Frank Ashman’s lover left him seven months, three weeks, four days, two hours and twenty-eight minutes ago. At Pinky’s gay bar the server shows him a brochure featuring the facilities of a new gay bath house that’s just opened in town. There he meets Ralph Sellars. They explore the delights of the bath house together. There are the rainforest showers, the hot tubs, the sauna, the swimming pool, and the restaurant, not to mention the freedom brought by the lack of clothing on the members there. Oh yes, and the bedrooms upstairs, each one complete with a drawer full of toys.
But both Ralph and Frank are burdened with baggage from the past. Can they move on and make a new future together? Or is their relationship doomed to be just sex in the bath house instead of a genuine future together outside in the world?
STORY EXCERPT
Ralph Sellars dumped his jeans, boots, and black wifebeater into the locker, slammed it shut, wrapped the towel he’d been given around his waist, and marched down the hallway to the huge swimming pool area. The ceiling was glass, or something that looked like glass, so the sun shone down on the pool, making it almost appear to be outdoors, except it wasn’t. An outdoor pool would be too cold for his liking at this time of year. He dropped his butt onto one of the chaise longues around the pool and lay back, ready to people-watch for a while. Then he’d swim, maybe try out the sauna, and definitely hang out in the public shower room for a while.
His membership here at the bathhouse was his thirtieth birthday present to himself, and he hoped it’d lead to some hot sex. To his right there were three unoccupied chaise longues, and then two pushed close together. From the looks of the tented towel around one man’s waist, those two men were doing more than just holding hands. He wished them luck. He hoped to get laid today, too. It’d been way too long since he’d had any company other than his own hand. Coming here was the first step in his plans to get out more.
It was just that his fucking boss always seemed to be going through one crisis after another, and he always expected Ralph to save his ass. Well Ralph was getting tired of doing that. He was more interested in fucking a willing man’s ass than pulling his boss’s ass out of yet another fire of the man’s own making. From now on he wasn’t going to answer his cell phone out of hours when his boss called him.
Ralph looked over at several occupied chairs on the other side of the pool, but the men there were just lying back, relaxing, like he was supposed to be doing. No action there. He crossed his arms over his chest staring at the ink on his left arm. He had the full sleeve completed now, and every part of the picture was a symbol that had a special meaning for him.
He ran a finger over the rose that signified the baby sister he’d adored all through his childhood and teenage years. But she’d grown up and become a total bitch, which was why the stem of the rose was covered in sharp thorns. He never would have guessed she’d become an adult who was totally bigoted against gay people.
A splash made him look at the pool again. A slender red-haired man was slicing expertly through the water. He looked like someone who came here every day and swam length after length. But instead he swam only to the end of the pool and got out. He’d left his towel at the other end of the pool, and Ralph had plenty of time to stare at the redhead’s lean but wiry body and taut little ass. Now that was an ass that interested him. Especially since the man seemed not to care about being naked. Ralph liked a bit of exhibitionism with his sex.
The redhead picked up his towel, rubbed his hair and upper body, and then tied it around his waist before walking over to the door that led to the sauna. Ralph climbed off his chair and followed him.
Not being used to saunas, Ralph stayed on the lowest step, working on the idea that hot air rises, so it’d be coolest lower down. The redhead, however, was sitting on the top row, leaning his back against the wooden wall.
“Wasn’t the pool warm enough for you?” he asked, wanting to get to know this interesting man.
“Hell, no. I mean, it’s heated. It’s warm, but I think I’ll like it better after a sauna when I want to cool down. Now this heat, this is delicious. This I like.”
“I do, too. Of course, in another five minutes I might have changed my mind.”
The other man laughed. “Yeah, me, too. I’m Francis, Frank.”
“Ralph. What do you do for a living, Frank?”
“I’m a town planner. What about you?”
For the first time ever he told a stranger what he really did, not the politically correct, politely spun version of his job. “I’m the bogeyman. I expose insurance frauds.”
“I don’t see that makes you the bogeyman. If people weren’t lying and cheating already they wouldn’t have any reason to fear you.”
Ralph laughed. “I think you’re the first person ever to see it that way. Most people think the rules are there to be broken. They see the extremely rich finding ways to avoid paying tax and think insurance premiums mean the money belongs to them and that the comparatively small amounts they steal are fair game. But I don’t chase people for ten cents. I chase them for thousands of dollars. And that includes the wealthy as well.”
Ralph stretched out on the step so he could see Frank’s face better. They began talking about their likes and dislikes, and when the buzzer rang to say their fifteen minutes in the sauna was up, Ralph was really surprised. He didn’t feel too hot, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to stop talking to Frank.
“I suppose we’d better have a swim to cool down,” he said reluctantly.
Frank joined him on the floor of the sauna. “After that, let’s come back here. I was enjoying our time together.”
Ralph gripped the smaller man’s arms and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I was, too.” He stepped back and opened the door. Damn, the man had tasted nice. His lips were soft and sweet and just the tiniest bit sweaty and salty. I want more of him. Tonight.
Buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/kissing-his-man
Berengaria Brown Bio:
Berengaria is an award-winning, best-selling, multi-published author of erotic romance with over one hundred published digital, print and audio books. She writes contemporary, paranormal (magic, ghosts, vampires, fairies, dragons, and werewolves), futuristic, medieval, and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: MMF, MFM, FMMM, FFM, MM, FF, and MF. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.
Berengaria Brown links:
http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
http://berengariabrown.com/
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January 5, 2015
Naughty Hearts - Coming in February
Coming in February
Thirteen Naughty Valentine’s Stories
from Amazon Bestselling Authors
including Contemporary, Dark Fantasy,
Menage, M/M, M/M/F, Paranormal, Sci-Fi,
Shape-shifter, Steampunk and Time Travel
Part of the Naughty Hearts boxed set:
Buy Me a Rose - A shapeshifter romance.
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.
January 1, 2015
December 5, 2014
Naughty List - How The Alien Stole Christmas
Good Morning everyone and Happy Friday! Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Belle Scarlett to my blog. She's a fellow member of the Naughty Literati and her short story, How The Alien Stole Christmas is part of the great boxed set, Naughty List.How did you come up with the idea for your latest book?
The Naughty Literati’s Naughty List started off as a Christmas holiday themed boxed set of stories (then later changed to stories set in winter). I knew I wanted to do a futuristic, sexy love story between a human female and a sexy humanoid alien male so I started riffing on classic Christmas story titles – It’s a Wonderful Alien, that sort of thing – until I came up with How the Alien Stole Christmas. From there, the story told me how it wanted to unfold.
What’s coming up next for you in your writing?
I’m working on several WIPs, as always, but the immediate deadline is for The Naughty Literati’s next box set for Valentine’s Day… this one is a sexy time travel piece called Valentime.
What is your favorite quote and why?
“The Titanic was built by professionals. Noah was an amateur.” First, I love irony and this anonymous quote is full of that. Second, while I think professionalism in any endeavor is important, putting too much stock in one’s own hubris will sink you every time.
What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?
Read voraciously, whatever it is you love to read. And then write them the way you love to read them. That’s the fun part. Next, the bitch part… you have to read a bunch of badly written stuff, too. In my other life I’m a producer and screenplay consultant in Hollywood and, when I was coming up through the development ranks at the studios, I read over 6,000 really bad screenplays in the slush piles that (thankfully!) never made it to film. But in reading the bad stuff I figured out what NOT to do in my own writing, and that was just as valuable to my literary education as reading the classics or best sellers.
In a nod to the Actor’s Studio, what's your favorite curse word and why?
I actually don’t curse all that often. The benefit of that is when I find myself in a position where I have to say, “Fuckity-fuck!” or “What the bloody fuck, y’all?!”, people around me tend to listen up fast.
Short Blurb:
How The Alien Stole Christmas
On board a deep space station Christmas Trent learns her sexy cyber lover, who may not be human, wants to steal her for his own.
Excerpt from How The Alien Stole Christmas by Belle Scarlett
Copyright © Belle Scarlett, 2014
I asked if you understand me, soldier.
Christie needed release, and she needed it now. She gulped some air and started unzipping her flight uniform in anticipation of the next phase of their play.
“Yes, sir. I understand. Please, sir, permission to touch myself?”
The computer was silent for a moment. Then Blitz’s next message unfurled across her vid-screen.
Permission denied.
Christie froze in disbelief, her hand in mid-zip on her flight suit.
What? She glared at his words. Screw that, she thought rebelliously, and seriously considered disobeying a direct order from him for the first time ever.
Blitz seemed to read her mind.
Don’t even think about it, sweetheart. I’ll know if you’re being naughty or nice.
Frustration sizzled through her as she stopped unzipping her suit. Damn her submissive streak. She hadn’t even known she possessed one until she’d encountered Blitzen. As an experienced sexual dominant he had recognized her latent submissive qualities right away, and quickly set about training her in the art of pleasing him during their online play. Now her body wanted to do whatever he told it to do. And that was starting to prove freaking inconvenient.
“Ha. What can you do about it from there? Text me a lump of coal for my stocking?”
Don’t sass me, soldier. You don’t want to find out what I can do about it if you disobey me.
Christie bit her lip. For better or for worse, her sexual satisfaction was now tied to his and she knew it. If he didn’t want her to come, her body would side with him even if her mind was furious at them both.
He was probably just teasing her, as part of the cyber play. Maybe some more sugar would help matters.
“I’m sorry, sir. Please? May I come?”
I like when you beg me, Mistletoe. I grow even harder for you.
“Is that a yes?” She asked hopefully.
Nope. My order stands.
“I can’t believe this!” Blitzen had never seriously forbidden her to climax before.
Believe it. I own your next orgasm. It’s mine. From now on, you will save that delight for me to share, control, and enjoy.
She shivered. He couldn’t be serious. Who knew if they would ever even meet, or when?
“You’re ruthless, you know.”
Yes. And you’re sexy as hell and hard to resist. But I mean it, princess. The next time you climax it will be with your wet pussy tight around my hard cock, squeezing me with every thrust until I come deep inside you.
Christie instantly pictured them together on a large bed in full-on, carnal coitus. Her clit twitched in spasm, yearning to uncork the full orgasm bottled inside her pussy. She could feel her back arch in aroused response.
Damn, this guy was good. He had tuned her fantasies so well over the past two months that she could envision every sexy detail he described exactly as if he was in the room doing it to her.
Okay, okay! I surrender, already,” Christie half groaned, half laughed. She struggled to get her rioting body back under control.
It’s not my fault you have a hair-trigger libido, sweetheart.
She could almost hear his warm, male chuckle in her ear.
“You wouldn’t be able to get me so aroused so fast if your titillating star messages took days instead of seconds over sub-space frequencies,” she grumbled.
Wanna bet?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Belle Scarlett
By day, she’s a mild-mannered story consultant, film producer, and award-winning screenwriter in
Lost Angeles. By night, she assumes her super-secret identity as Belle Scarlett, author of futuristic and paranormal romances with a high sizzle factor. Aiding her in her quest for kick-ass, magical romance and out-of-this-world, passionate-ever-afters are her trusty sidekicks, Tall-Alpha-Blue-Eyed Boyfriend, upon whom her heroes are based, and Evil Feral Cat, upon whom her villains are based.Fun Fact: Belle still owns a (now very battered) copy of the first romance novel that got her hooked on the stuff when she was in the seventh grade – Rightful Possession by Sally Wentworth.
Website: www.bellescarlett.comTwitter: @scarlettwoman1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belle.scarlettGood Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1463246.Belle_ScarlettMySpace: Just kidding!
