New Fiction?

I found the following author through one of the strangest Amazon searches I could ever imagine.  I went there looking for a book of Fair Isle glove and mitten patterns.  I was also directed to--erotica from a woman named Louisa Burton, who writes a series known as The Hidden Grotto.  If I can find out what Fair Isle (or, more specifically, fingerless) gloves have to do with BDSM and Victorian-era erotica, y'all will be the first to know.  Right now, I only have samples, but I'll let you know what I think.

Vampires in Devil Town, D/s, and Another Fiction Review

Since I couldn't get into White Power and I can't stay awake through The Communist Manifesto yet, I decided to divert myself with one of my favorite genres of fiction--horror.  I downloaded Vampires in Devil Town as a freebie from Amazon, but only started reading it the other day.  Now that school is getting ready to start back up, I can't get into anything too terribly interesting, plot-wise, as I no longer have the luxury of staying up until the wee morning hours reading.  In fact, I should have STOPPED engaging in this sort of activity back around July 16 or 17, right before I went back to work, but oh well, hind-sight is always 20/20 and all that.

Anyway--this has, thus far, become a riveting little horror read, and yes, there are even some elements of forced D/s.  Case in point--when the main character, Rachel, is kidnapped and thrown into the back of a van by Bones and Rain, Bones makes many references to dominance, smacking her around, and calling her a "little bitch" to "show her her place".  Why is this forced?  No consent on poor Rachel's end.  In fact, Rachel and Rain conspire to get away from Bones, which they do in a shockingly quick manner.  I'm also about to begin the chapter in which Rain will tell Rachel about "the last time" Bones did something to a victim of him, as well as find out why Bones likes to cut women's nipples off, keep them for a while until they start to rot and stink, and maybe even why he wants to "play" with his victims.  Is Bones truly Dominant?  I think not.  He's too lazy to chase them through the woods, and he relies too much on violence and not enough on actually protecting Rain or anyone else other than himself.  This is another vanilla example of what Those People think D/s and BDSM really is.  Pissed off about this?  Yup.  Good and angry about it?  Not quite.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've a bit more reading to do.  ;)

Fiction and D/s/BDSM

My apologies for the lateness of this post, I have been slightly under the weather. . . the cold, wet, hideously grey weather.  Brothers and Sisters on the East Coast of the US, boy howdy do I feel y'all's pain. . . mostly in my back, knees, and ankles, but it's pain, nonetheless.

Since my acquisition of a Kindle this past Christmas, I have been perusing and downloading several samples of fictional works that I have been led to believe are reflective of the D/s and BDSM lifestyle.  But I must say--if this is the best of the best, then I've really got my work cut out for me.  Oh my. . .

Here's what I've downloaded thus far, and been able to read just based on the samples:

High Heels in the Library S. J. Barellstalk

Dominatrix of FemDom Hell (Book 1 of a trilogy) S. J. Barellstalk

Domme by Default Tymber Dalton

The Reluctant Dom Tymber Dalton

The Melinoe Project D. L. King

I also managed to download a sample of a couple of anthologies, but haven't quite made it that far yet.

I humbly request that if any of my readers know of works of fiction they would like to suggest, please forward them.  Also--I'm curious. . . don't get me wrong, Readers, sex is all fine nice and wonderful when it comes to this sort of lifestyle, but I am curious. . . romance.  Anyone like to be romanced?  Or is my inner girl showing too much?  Please advise at your earliest convenience.

Personally, I find a man willing to submit to me, and to serve me and assist me in any way, shape or form, to be one of the most romantic gestures a man could ever make.  Flowers, candy, jewelry, nifty-gifties. . . yeah, yeah, yeah, nothing sets the alarm bells off like material goods out of the blue, for no apparent reason.  However. . . if a man greets me after a long day at work with a glass of white wine, a warm cup of tea with apples and cinnamon and honey, and who literally sweeps me off my feet into a nice warm blanket or bath, that's all I need to be truly happy.  And to think, I haven't even gotten to the nudity yet!

Maybe I should write a book. . .  

What I Just Finished Reading. . . Some Thoughts.

I just finished reading a novel that I never dreamed in a million years I would download and read in nearly one sitting, let alone purchase and know that I owned.  And as soon as I'm able, I'll probably make this an annual re-read, much like I do with various other favorites.

The novel in question is The Coldest Winter Ever, by Sister Souljah.  It was suggested to me by my friend Josh.

What does a novel set in Brooklyn focused on crime, poverty, and incarceration written by a former hip-hop artist and community activist have to do with dominance, submission, and BDSM?  Well, ok, there's some freaky sex in it, and Winter does make a sex movie while on a date, but that's beside the point, and furthermore, the freaky sex and aforementioned tape have nothing to do with D/s or BDSM.

The characters in this novel are dealing with their own servitude--to drugs, to the cops, to the streets.  But it isn't servitude that they CHOOSE to participate in.  Some do, but most don't.  At least, as long as the money's rolling in.  And oh, how the money rolls in this novel!

But it's how Sister Souljah inserts herself as a character into this novel, and what she has to say about women, that impresses me the most.  OK, there are other things that impressed me too--no typographical errors, completely believable situations and action, raw dialog, a storyline that makes no apologies and pulls no punches, prose so tight it could make diamonds--but the following quote, delivered by Sister Souljah herself to a group of incarcerated women in an HIV wing, was what really got me to thinking:

"But really, we women don't have to do anything to be beautiful.  It's a gift from God, the Woman is.  Every right decision brings us blessings.  Every wrong decision brings us pain.  And then, when times get hard, our struggle and our pain shows on our faces and our bodies.  When people see our pain and weakness in our face, they say, 'She used to be fine, she used to be this, she used to be that.'  When men feel our beauty has faded we become shocked at how well they ignore us and forget us.  We'll do anything to get their attention, money, love.  Can I suck your dick?  Can I do anything?  Can I, can I?  What is a community without you, the mothers?. . . If we plan well, we will be in control of our lives instead of being controlled for the rest of our lives."


I included the entire quote because I feel it doesn't just apply to "vanilla" folk.  It's those first 2 sentences that really did it for me.  It's also the last sentence--about planning, being in control rather than being controlled--that also struck a chord within me, and got me to thinking.

Now, much of the plot line really is directed more through action, and I have a feeling that Sister Souljah may not be all that familiar with Our World of D/s and BDSM.  Completely ok, I dig that.  But that is one of the more beautiful quotes from the story.  I especially liked that she stated that Woman is a gift from God.  I believe that more women need to find and get into deep, intimate contact with their inner Domme.  Now granted, there's a lot that's out of control in this world, and especially within this novel.  The ones who do control everything seem to be the men--the dealers, Santiaga, Bullet, the bodyguards for the rappers, and yes, of course, the cops who are on some local gangster's "protection payroll" for the neighborhood.  It is when Sister Souljah herself shows up, proves that she has control of any given situation, and shows true, feminine strength that is the shining light in this book.  She only apologizes when she needs to.  She is honest.  She puts up with absolutely no bullshit and she handles herself with grace and dignity.  I just wish her main character in her novel, Winter, could have handled herself the same way.

I also know many women who are a lot like Winter--shallow, demanding, and thinking the world owes them and some man can work for them to give them these things, rather than going out and doing it for themselves.  The women in this novel have men at their feet--but at what price?  Sure, Santiaga buys his wife whatever she wants--hell, she doesn't just ask, she demands it.  but it's her demanding attitude that becomes her undoing as Santiaga gets sloppy and begins losing control.  But it's the false idea that she controls him--with hot sex, insane demands, and greed--rather than the other way around.  When Santiaga the drug kingpin goes to jail on federal charges, The Feds take everything--the house, the car, the nice neighborhood on Long Island, and even what cash was in the family's safe.  Because Santiaga made his money through other people's servitude through addiction, everything the family had--wasn't even theirs to begin with, according to the US Marshals.  Winter tries to give the illusion that she's in control behind the scenes, but it's really her man controlling her.  When she's arrested on accomplice to conspiracy charges, the real criminals get away scot-free.  But she was there, with her name on the credit card that rented the car where the cops found the guns and drugs when she got into a street fight, and it was her ass they locked up.

So--who controls you, and do you give this freedom willingly?

This is a definite must-read, if you're so inclined.  Enjoy!