Liz Everly's Blog, page 100
January 18, 2015
Be the One You’re With: Writing Couples While Single
How far will a man go to get the right gift for the woman he loves? Click to find out.
By Alexa Day
It’s been just under a week since my new short story, “1-800,” was released, and sharing my excitement about the story has naturally led me to think more about the characters and their situations. I’ve been spending an unusual amount of time watching home shopping channels, for example. I can see how people wind up spending hours watching the products parade by.
Yeah, I can see that because I’m one of those people now. Between the jewelry and the kitchen stuff, I’m definitely hooked.
I mentioned on Friday that I enjoyed this opportunity to write romance from the man’s perspective. I’m not sure what makes the male POV so much fun for me, although I’ll admit that I make my heroes’ lives as tough as I can. Maybe as they’re working to enjoy the story’s resolution, I’m enjoying the trouble I put them through.
But “1-800″ presented another interesting challenge: writing the married couple. Okay, Jason and Kate aren’t married just yet. Still, starting the story off within their very committed relationship definitely meant starting in a different way, especially for a single writer.
I got to plug in some of my knowledge from relationships past. Jason’s uncertainty about Kate’s clothing size, for instance, echoed my favorite ex’s annual confusion about my date of birth. But the day-to-day experience of being in Jason’s sort of relationship is mostly foreign territory for me, and it took me a little while to learn that exotic land’s particular customs.
In the end, I learned something important. I learned that the unmarried life suits me. It suits me better than I ever imagined it would. I’m addicted to the freedom of it. I can have as much excitement or stability as I want. I get to act on spur of the moment decisions. And lately, I’m exploring the idea of settling down and finding a place to call my own, where I can build a future of my own.
A single woman has a grand opportunity to fully discover who she is in her own context, to know her truest self before becoming part of a larger unit … or deciding not to do so. I wonder how many of us are taking advantage of that opportunity in the face of society’s push to see us paired off for good. I definitely think living alone for a while makes for better relationships, and I think that’s how things have worked out for Jason, the hero at the center of “1-800.”
He knows who he is. He knows that Kate has made him a better man. And he’s committed to protecting and nurturing the future they might create together.
I had such a good time bringing Jason and Kate to the page. I love reading the two of them together, even as Jason faces the surprising challenges of finding the perfect gift for the perfect woman. And now that Liz Everly has suggested it, I wonder if these two might have a hot wedding story waiting for them in the future.
It’s too soon to say. Right now, I love that their coupled bliss has made my hot single life even better. What else could a writer ask for?
Maybe something from a sexy home shopping channel. Maybe.
Are you following Lady Smut yet? Now’s the time.
January 17, 2015
Sexy Saturday Round-Up
By Liz Everly and the Lady Smut Bloggers
Hello Sexy! How I love the weekend, don’t you? Catching up on reading is always at the top of my to-do list—well, along with a few other things. Wink.
Here’s our list list week. Enjoy!
From Liz:
Feminist moments at the Golden Globes. (Made me wish I’d seen it!)
Blow-job bib, anyone?
From Madeline:
Want to fall in love? Try THIS. Here are The 36 questions you’ll need.
Surviving for better and for worse: More good reasons to get and stay married. (Hmmm.)
Not gay? Reallllllllllllly? “My Husband’s Not Gay” premiere clip about SSA (same sex attraction.)
Wonk-o-mance blog post on “Confessions of a gay submissive sexelf”
From Alexa:
Book Riot’s just starting a conversation about diverse reading.
Also from Book Riot, check out this face-saving guide to frequently mispronounced authors’ names. I knew how to say Stiefvater, but you don’t want to know how badly I’ve been mangling Palahniuk.
If your love life were an erotic novel, which one would it be?
Click to buy at Amazon. :)
Follow along on the LADY SMUT BOOK OF DARK DESIRES Blog Tour:
19th January: http://www.confessionsofabookwhore.org/
20th January: http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com/
21st January: http://eroticaforall.co.uk
22nd January: http://sslyblog.wordpress.com/
23rd January: http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/
26th January: http://www.kaydeeroyal.blogspot.com/
27th January: http://galestanley.blogspot.com
28th January: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk
29th January: http://areadersreviewblog.com/
30th January: https://alliwantandmorebooks.wordpress.com/
P.S. A Word from Liz: Part 5 in my serial EIGHT LAYS AROUND THE WORLD is now available on Amazon. This installment is set in Mexico. If you haven’t read the first installment, it’s now free on Wattpad and my website.
January 16, 2015
The Guys Have It: What Makes a Man’s Romance?
It’s the thought that counts … but some thoughts count more than others.
By Alexa Day
It’s been a very exciting week! My colleague, C. Margery Kempe, loaned me her blog day so that I could celebrate my new release, “1-800.” It’s a hot little story told from the male POV, about how one man’s search for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift leads him to a sexually explicit home shopping channel. The story’s out today on Amazon, and I’ve enjoyed reading this week’s posts on What Men Want.
I’ve only gotten to visit the male voice intermittently as a romance writer, but I enjoy hanging out on the dude’s side of the book. While it’s certainly a story for both men and women, “1-800″ is supposedly a men’s romance, but what makes a men’s romance a men’s romance?
Is it coarse language? My vision of the erotic romance for men includes a vocabulary that’s more vulgar than my other work — and I definitely like writing coarse sexual language under normal circumstances. I think men are not as inhibited when it comes to talking dirty (and thinking dirtier), but love does have a way of taming even the filthiest tongue. My hero, Jason, isn’t above mental vulgarity, but when he’s with his lady love, Kate, he manages to keep it relatively clean. She inspires him to be his best self.
Click to buy.
I also think men enjoy a little more freedom in the variety of their sexual thoughts. They don’t seem to be working around the same kind of guilt and shame that keep so many women from exploring sexual thoughts and fantasies. To the extent that any of our thoughts is “normal,” I think the range of “normal thoughts” is broader for men than it is for women, as far as society is concerned. But here, again, love changes things. No matter how wild his afternoon of home shopping gets, Jason’s fantasy world revolves around Kate. She’s his reason for watching, and he never forgets it.
There might be less difference than ever between a “regular” erotic romance and its counterpart intended for men. With greater access to a wider variety of work, we’re all able to experiment with the same turn-ons, with no regard for gendered distinctions. I hope we’re on the way to an audience with an equal footing in both genders. That’ll make for an interesting shift, and I look forward to working both sides of the fence.
And now, since you’ve hung out with us this week, here’s a tiny little peek at “1-800.” Enjoy!
The girl in red waved at the camera. “Hi!” she said. “I’m Cassidy.”
Merry widow waved. “And I’m Marissa.”
Then, in unison, they announced, “And this is…The Toy Box!”
The two of them put their arms around each other’s shoulders and tittered like this was going to be the most exciting television show in the world. He put the remote on the table.
“We’d like to welcome you to the Valentine’s edition of the most popular show on the Shop From Home Channel,” said Cassidy.
“But these toys are for grown-up boys and girls,” said Marissa. “So if you’re under eighteen, you need to change the channel.”
They stood there and giggled some more.
Come on, kiddies, he thought. Change the damn channel.
“All right, then,” said Marissa. “Now we’re ready to show you some awesome gifts that are sure to spice up your special day.”
This was probably going to be something lame, like crotchless panties or a cake pan shaped like a dick. But he kept watching. Just to be sure. Until one of those games turned around.
“Why don’t we get this party started with one of our most popular goodies?” asked Marissa. “Cassidy?”
“This is our Little Giant,” Cassidy said. She held up her hand, one finger extended as if she were pointing at the ceiling. She had a little gizmo on her fingertip that looked for all the world like one of those little vibrators. “It’s a great present for a special someone you might like to know a little better.”
“I’ll take some calls while you give us a demo, Cassidy,” said Marissa.
A demo. Like the people in TV Land needed her to show them where the on switch was. Actually, he and Kate had gotten a toy once where the button was hidden in the—
Cassidy had walked to the back of the set, where she tucked her thumbs into the waistband of those festive red panties and pulled them down, bending at her waist and supplying just the right amount of jiggle. Then she hopped up onto a chaise longue and spread her legs, bending them at the knee. Jason felt his mouth drop open.
What the hell channel was this?
For a good time, you can pick up “1-800″ right now. And you can catch up with the rest of the Lady Smut crew on their blog tour. And then you can make sure you’re following us. We keep things pretty exciting over here.
January 15, 2015
What Men Like: BBW
By Madeline Iva
It’s theme week! We’re talking about what men like. So far, over the last two years writing for this blog, I’ve learned that:
1) Men like women who are friendly, confident and open to being approached.
2) Men like to pursue women. Sometimes to their detriment–if they try too hard or look needy.
3) Men like women who are 18 – 21 in person, but they fantasize about MILFS all the time.
4) Men like women for their (fill in the blank here) a) boobs b) ass c) pretty face
That’s all you really need to know. As DH says, “it’s not rocket science.” ; > A lot of men are wired to respond this way. They see what they see and their reptilian brain goes bing! and then they are off to the races.
The other thing I’ve learned in researching posts for this blog is that when it comes to men and women watching porn, men — unlike women — are sexually attracted to BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMEN or BBW. Apparently BBWs can make a man’s brain go bing!
I like this. Why? Because even though curvy women are beat down in the media for being over a size 8, men still like their figures. It’s something men like that’s not disgusting. And WHY do they like curvy women? The answer is just because they just do. Not because society tells them to. Not because they’re being nice. Not because they’re willing to ‘lower their standards’. No, a curvy woman can involuntarily turn them on. Not all men of course, but the ratio seems to be 5 to 1 for a larger sized femme over a skinny-mini.
The point here is–as an online Discover article relates–men like larger women when no one is looking. They like larger women despite society telling them not to. Some speculate the reason men are sexually attracted to bigger women works along the line of “if a little is good then a lot is better”. If men like boobs, hips, & asses, then larger women means bigger breasts, bigger hips, bigger asses. I get it.
I will always love you Chris Pratt, no matter what size you are.
Meanwhile, it’s interesting to note that there is no category for large men in porn that’s directed at women. By large I mean all over. There is most certainly a Big Dick category. But there is no BBM category. There’s a chub category–but that’s for gay men. Again, these are MEN who like or appreciate rounded proportions. (The whole bear/cub thing is different, but I suspect somewhat overlapping.)
If you look on the internet there’s BBW dating. BBW Romance. BBW awards — oh wait, that’s base ball writers. And Big Beautiful Men? Not so much. So who is it being hyper-critical about appearance?
At any rate–3 cheers for what turns men on! Here’s where you can find a long list of BBW romances on Goodreads–complete with books by Delilah Devlin, Charlotte Stein, Mary Jo Putney and others. Which brings up another question — women might not like BBMen, but are they attracted to BBW? Or do they read BBW because they are BBW themselves and identify with the heroine? Hmmmm.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for that nice guy in erotica who wants to please his partner but wanders into a friendly home shopping network selling sex toys — look no further! Our very own Alexa Day’s latest short story 1-800 is available HERE.
Oh, by the way dear Lady Smut readers — We’re on a blog tour this week! As we roam across the world we’ll be delving into the dark temptations of our anthology. Stop by and visit us in the comments section and say ‘hi’. :-)
12th January: http://locglin.blogspot.com/
13th January: http://yougottaread.com
14th January: http://kdgrace.co.uk
15th January: http://www.lovebitessilkties.co.uk/
16th January: http://www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com
January 13, 2015
Getting Bored With Getting Off: Men Who Hate Porn
By We’re celebrating the release this week of Alexa Day’s short story, 1-800, about a guy whose home shopping takes a decidedly erotic turn when he discovers it’s filled with porn. Oh yea! Swipe your card and spank your bishop all in one convenient place. Seems like it would be every guy’s dream, right? In Alexa’s story it certainly is. After all, guys like porn the way kittens like yarn balls – with unabashed gusto.
According to studies, the average man spends 40 minutes a week or 35 hours a year looking at porn. In a lifetime it equates to three months of a man’s life. That’s a lotta porn. We’ve had healthy debates here on Lady Smut about whether or not porn is a good thing. But no matter which side of the argument you fall, there are millions and millions of people who, every day, are happily watching naked strangers getting shagged. Globally, it’s a $97 billion dollar industry. Well, slap me silly! Somewhere along the line, I ended up in the wrong day job. But despite those mega billions numbers, turns out there are some guys who don’t want to beat their meat in front of the computer screen. They even claim – newsflash! – that porn bores them.
Porn – boring? Among the words I’d use to describe it, that’s not what initially springs to mind. Not even in the top 10, to be honest. But for some guys, watching paint dry is more riveting.
In an interesting article on sabotagetimes.com, the writer cited 10 reasons why he’s bored with porn. Some of his objections were not all that surprising. The predictibility of it, seeing the same tropes over and over, a mind-numbing parade of saucy nurses and ding-bat secretaries getting screwed by meathead pizza delivery men and construction workers. He objected to the objectification of women – good on you, dude – and his eyes also glaze over by the lack of build-up. Straight to the bonking is boring even for some guys. But what I found most surprising about his list was the #1 reason, which is … wait for it … gaping a**holes.
Say what?! A wide-open rectum put him on a fast train to dullsville? I find that oddly curious. Putting aside the discussion of porn and the degradation of women – since that’s a topic to fill an entire year’s worth of posts – I could cite plenty of reasons to dislike the money shot being a big ol’ gaping back door. For one thing, it’s not sexy to look at. It’s not just me, is it? I mean, c’mon. If porn’s objective is to arouse, a cavernous keister is about as sexy as a dead slug. In other words, not sexy. For some guys I suppose it drives home their sense of virility, i.e., “look at the damage my Johnson can do!” So in a grudging way I suppose I get why some would want to see that. But to call it boring is puzzling. Gross, maybe. About as hot as ice cubes. But boring?
Luckily for us, Alexa’s fine short story contains no dull tropes, and no gaping back doors. It’s an erotic romance about a guy discovering two sexy women on a home shopping channel and realizing how he can replicate that same sexy fun at home with his fiance. Enjoy!
Oh, by the way dear Lady Smut readers — We’re on a blog tour this week! As we roam across the world we’ll be delving into the dark temptations of our anthology. Stop by and visit us in the comments section and say ‘hi’. :-)
12th January: http://locglin.blogspot.com/
13th January: http://yougottaread.com
14th January: http://kdgrace.co.uk
15th January: http://www.lovebitessilkties.co.uk/
16th January: http://www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com
January 12, 2015
Male Characters and What They Want
By Liz Everly
Oh, what a joy Alexa Day’s “1-800″ is! I read it quickly and found myself giggling and blushing at the same time. In promoting her story this week, we’re considering (very loosely) what men want. I gotta tell you friends I’ve been married for almost 25 years and it seems to me that my husband and I really want the same kinds of things—most of the time. (Not always, of course.)
But I thought it would be fun to look at what my male characters want—and also what Alexa’s male character wants.
He wants to watch football (uninterrupted), to find a Valentine’s Day gift for his sweetie (to please her) and ultimately, he wants what we all want—love. He wants to keep this woman happy. His “voice” throughout the story was so spot-on. I loved this character. Truly, dear readers, this is a fun, hot, little story.
I think, for me, it’s kind of a challenge to find an authentic male voice. I really have to work at it. So this made me think about my male characters. They are all unattached at the beginning of my books. They all want love, ultimately, but some don’t know it, yet.
Take Jackson from “Saffron Nights.” He starts out being a complete manwhore. Then falls in lust, then love with his business partner, quite unexpectedly. He wants her—and he wants to survive this global chase they are on. He’s had a violent past and he really just wants peace and love in his life.
Sanj from “Cravings” wants to find his best friends, who are missing. He’s recently come off a bad relationship. But he finds Sasha intriguing and irresistible. He is an Indian man and there are cultural complications. He wants to move beyond all of his family’s expectations, yet keep them happy and show them respect. Yet, he still wants Sasha.
Gray from “Like Honey” is a career guy in Scotland to find drug smugglers. He finds it difficult to have a relationship and work all over the world for Homeland Security. It’s easier to love them and leave them. He wants to keep Jennifer safe—and protect his own heart. But he knows if he ventures into a relationship with her, his life won’t ever be the same. He wants the best of both worlds: career and love.
Will in “Tempting Will McGlashen,” my historical, wants to start fresh in the colonies. It doesn’t help him that his new master’s daughter is so tempting. He wants to keep everybody happy—yet he can’t quite resist Mathilda.
One of things I really like about Alexa’s story is that the two leads are already a couple. The tension is built around something else—not how they meet and work it out. They’ve already worked it out—and are continuing to do so. Wink.
Oh, by the way dear Lady Smut readers — We’re on a blog tour this week! As we roam across the world we’ll be delving into the dark temptations of our anthology. Stop by and visit us in the comments section and say ‘hi’. :)
12th January: http://locglin.blogspot.com/
13th January: http://yougottaread.com
14th January: http://kdgrace.co.uk
15th January: http://www.lovebitessilkties.co.uk/
16th January: http://www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com
The Spring of Genius
by Kiersten Hallie Krum
My drive during last year’s snowpocalypse.
I’ve lived in the Northeast most of my life; I can’t imagine living somewhere with no winter. I love winter, but especially when it snows. As a student on the North Shore of Massachusetts, I’d go out during snowstorms and walk the nature trails on the protected land owned by my undergraduate college. I love the quiet of a snowfall, the sense of peace in its purity. How for a short while, everything appears clean and magical. A world without conflict.
I do not, however, like being cold.
Here in New Jersey, it is damn cold right now. Most of the Northeast and Midwest are deep in a freezing spell. It’s been so cold, I even caved and bought a new winter wool coat (red, of course), despite my annoying tendency to overheat in too many layers.
One good thing about the cold is the excuse it gives for burrowing deep under fleece blankets in voluntary hibernation, either with a furry familiar or your own hot honey. It also tends to generate creativity. As though our minds must dream up warm alternatives to the cold bleakness outside. Winter can drive the letter and the spirit of genius.
If you’re in the market for a steamy story to heat you up, be sure to check out our own Lady Smut blogger, Alexa Day’s, new erotica short story, 1-800, which releases on Friday, January 16th.
In 1-800, a man feels under pressure to make his fiancée’s Valentine’s Day gift as interesting as she believes he is. When he stumbles upon a pornographic home shopping channel on basic cable, he sets out to create the most interesting Valentine’s Day either of them have ever experienced.
Click on image to buy!
Have a fantastic week!
Follow Lady Smut. We’ll keep you warm all year long.
January 10, 2015
Sexy Saturday Round-Up
By Liz Everly and the Lady Smut Bloggers
Hello, Sexy! It’s Sat-ur-day. Sit back and read some of the most fascinating blog posts we could find this week.
From Liz:
Five unexpected things women find sexy.
Feeling positive about sex is not always easy.
What one jilted bride did.
From Elizabeth:
Need some fast cash? Become a stripper in a subarctic mining town.
The age-old question gets some good answers: how do you get sh*t done?
Intercourse? Who needs it! Here’s how to enjoy great sex without “going all the way.”
Sex on a first date? Should you send her a picture of your wang? Sex bloggers answer your burning questions.
The down-low on pleasure balls.
From Madeline:
A man’s life — when he has two penises.
Romance Novels for Feminists has a ‘best of’ list–and it’s awesome!
The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires is on a three-week blog tour. Follow along for more fun!
12th January: http://locglin.blogspot.com/
13th January: http://yougottaread.com
14th January: http://kdgrace.co.uk
15th January: http://www.lovebitessilkties.co.uk/
16th January: http://www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com
19th January: http://www.confessionsofabookwhore.org/
20th January: http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com/
21st January: http://eroticaforall.co.uk
22nd January: http://sslyblog.wordpress.com/
23rd January: http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/
26th January: http://www.kaydeeroyal.blogspot.com/
27th January: http://galestanley.blogspot.com
28th January: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk
29th January: http://areadersreviewblog.com/
30th January: https://alliwantandmorebooks.wordpress.com/
January 9, 2015
Flying High
I am on the road again heading west and leaving behind my beloved Scotland and the ones I love here. The semester’s teaching in NY beckons, so I must go. As usual I am short on time so here’s a kilt flashmob:
Follow Lady Smut because we bring you the sexy — and clean windows!
January 8, 2015
Tormented & Tortured: Books You Can’t Forget
By Madeline Iva
Picture me drinking cocktails, lit neon red, crunching on spicy fried green beans &coconut rice (heavenly!) celebrating the anthology launch with two romance buddies. (Haven’t heard about our Lady Smut anthology– where have you been? Check it out HERE.) The talk turns to erotic romance books that were AWFUL–by which it turns out that my friends mean books that are no-holds-barred Dark Erotica. No offense dark erotica folk, you know I love you, kiss-kiss.
By which we usually mean books that are/and/or display misogynistic stuff, full of no-no sex or themes that most erotic rom. publishers won’t touch–but at the same time, we can’t forget. Books that aren’t PC. Books that make the feminist inside you wring her hands, BUT YOU CAN’T FORGET. Why? Why?????
What are they doing so right that makes shaking them off so hard?
For your pleasure, I’ve decided to interrogate these ladies on the dark arts practiced in these books. I’m curious; does it matter how twisted and tiny the hero’s icy heart? Is it a unique pair bond that grips readers by the hair?Will we still follow that romance path through the scary woods full of sex practices that make most of us squeamish? Are we tempted by our heroine being tortured if her man is ultimately tamed? I’ve written about Dark Erotica HERE before, and these books are definitely that. Most of Lady Smut fans aren’t dark erotica readers–so hold on! These book descriptions are like car crashes–you just can’t look away.
Here’s what Adriana Anders had to say:
Because I’m new around here, here’s a little background. First of all, good writing, good sex and a HEA pretty much sum up my happy place. Secondly, I am not a fan of violence.
Which leads me to a book that I couldn’t put down and can’t seem to forget—Heat, by R. Lee Smith is… hmmm, let’s see, what do you call a book that brings two aliens to earth in a life-or-death chase, where the good alien falls in love while the bad one beats, kills, rapes, copulates, fornicates and… falls in love, too? What do you call that book when, by the very end, you’re rooting for both of the aliens to win?
On Goodreads, folks have labeled it as everything from Science Fiction to Horror to Erotica, with a few tagging it as Sociology->Abuse. Whatever its genre, (Dark Erotica probably pegs it best) it was utterly un-putdownable. Much like VC Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic, this book kind of rocked my world. I was fascinated by the way the author dragged me in, against my will. You can’t blame the aliens for their actions, not entirely. They can’t help it that they arrive on earth in the midst of a massive heat wave, which sets off their mating cycle. These poor guys must copulate or they’ll die.
There are scenes (I remember one in particular) that are so utterly degrading, so sexually violent, so painful to read that I nearly gave up. Something, though, kept me going. One of the heroines is kidnapped, raped, beaten, forced to do unspeakable things and, yet, when she eventually sides with her aggressor, it doesn’t feel like Stockholm Syndrome. Oh, no. It feels right, a messed-up sort of justice. Her life goes from bad to worse when she meets her alien, but eventually—and this is the best part—she saves him. And, no matter how upsetting the themes are, the writing is so convincing that, despite wanting the good hero to win, you also want the bastard’s salvation. At least I did.
In the end, I’m still not sure if I loved it or not, but I don’t regret reading Heat. Because, along with a wonderfully rocky ride, pushing through to the end brought me that most satisfying holy grail of romances, the best possible reward: a perfect double HEA.
Original Cover. Worst cover ever?
Adriana then shared with me how funny it was that this awful/amazing book got the full treatment from Dear Author—including a review and the quotes below. I almost died laughing.
Dear author review: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-plus-reviews/review-heat-by-r-lee-smith/
Quotes from this review:
“Heat is probably the best independently published book I have read, and one of the best books I have read in a long while. It is also one of the most graphic, and most disturbing books I have read in a long while.”
“PS – Your website is awful and your book covers almost as bad.”
Meanwhile, Elizabeth SaFleur goes down into the depths of erotic romance hell and comes back up reeking of brimstone with two books to talk about:
Sometimes damaged souls worm their way into our psyche, never to be forgotten. “M” in TOPPING FROM BELOW by Laura Reese is one. Ben O’Callahan in HOSTILE TAKEOVER by Joey W. Hill is another. One I’d like to strike from my nightmares, while I hope the other lives in my bones forever.
In TOPPING FROM BELOW, “M” is a sadistic, forty-ish music professor. Journalist Nora Tibbs is convinced he killed her sister. Nora enters in an S/m relationship with “M”, allowing herself to undergo tremendous psychological and physical cruelty at his hands. Her idea is to outsmart him and get him to admit the murder. Instead, she finds a darker side to herself, becoming more and more erotically charged by his practices, which includes being nailed into a coffin, extreme bondage, whipping, and even bestiality.
(Bestiality? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! Sorry readers.)
But even as I cringed as each scene grew harsher and the emotions more intense, I fell a little deeper into this well-written story. Beautifully-developed characters engaged in OMG-activities kept me turning the pages. I simply couldn’t believe what I was reading. At the end, I was so disturbed by the level of “M”’s extreme handling of Nora and his utter lack of remorse, I had to physically leave my house and go take a walk to calm down. I wish I’d never met “M.” Yet I can’t deny this story’s power for eliciting such a strong reaction from me. It felt real. And Ms. Reese’s courage to just “go there” and explore some of society’s most taboo sexual practices, is admirable. I recommend this book to friends who like dark erotica—and who don’t mind sleeping with the lights on afterward. It’s that good. But “M,” please leave my head.
Switch to Ben O’Callahan of HOSTILE TAKEOVER by Joey W. Hill. Corporate attorney and sadist, Ben had a rough beginning in life: foster care, abuse, street living and petty crime. When we meet him, he’s the epitome of success—good job, friends, money. But he’s damaged from his past and his internal life remains a mess. When masochist Marcie sets her sights on him, Ben decides to show her just how wrecked he is. Certain, darker scenes could be alarming to some readers, such as the CNC (consent non-consent) whipping scene or the use of breath play and punishing bondage. But instead of disturbing me, the darkness drew me closer to the characters. For the first time, I understood how and why extreme play can bring people together and cause healing. Marcie’s ability to take Ben’s rough handling feeds her strength and increases her resolve to love him like he’s never experienced. Ben finds his center of gravity in Marcie and accepts he’s worth loving. I rooted for them—especially Ben. In fact, I kinda fell in love with him, damage and all.
Why did these troubled heroes have such a different impact? Perhaps it has to do with their level of self-awareness. Both were unapologetic about themselves, but I understood Ben and his motivations, and so did he. I cheered for him. Still do. “M,” is off the Christmas card list. He remained cruel, unrepentant and disinterested in changing. “M” doesn’t get off easy at the story’s end, but I still want to take a baseball bat to his thick head. On the other hand, his unapologetic stance and confidence in who he was, compelled me to him, like Nora. Dammit.
In the end, “M” raised my anger while Ben touched my heart. I won’t forget (or forgive) “M” but I forgive and love Ben. And I want to love my characters, warts and all.
There you have it, readers. Discuss amongst yourselves in the comments section below. And follow our Lady Smut blog. We won’t take you down into the lower depths very often—unless you beg nicely.
