Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgivukkah! - Stuffing, and other adventures.

Well, for the first time since 1888, these two holidays (which do seem to revolve around fatty/oily foods) have coincided. And it'll be roughly 78,000 years (according to the people hosting the Macy's parade) until it happens again! Wow! That is impressive.

Today I've made stuffing from scratch for the first time. I might have had some help from my hubby and my fantastic MIL. Yes, I have been blessed with an awesome MIL. We will also be having creamed onions, which I've never heard of before, using pearl onions. No doubt I will enjoy this (as I'm a fan of onions). Still, getting my hands all messy, breaking up bread, the enticing scents of sage and thyme...it was a lot of fun!

These two holidays are pretty special to me. Chanukah is all about miracles, being able to keep going long beyond what you envisioned possible. Thanksgiving is about being thankful for all the good things in your life.

So, today I'm thankful for food with lots of butter and herbs and yummy goodness! And for having food at all this year. There have been years in my life where food on the table was in question. And other years where our food went way beyond what we thought it would. Both have helped me to have an appreciation for those times when food is plentiful.

I'm also thankful for a muse who keeps me inspired with awesome story ideas, a life full of love and friendship, and a toy bag full of fun things to play with after dark!

And, of course, getting annoying music stuck in my husband's head. It's a special form of torture. Oops?

I wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving, and a wonderful Chanukah if you celebrate it!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thanksgiving Thoughts - 5 Kinky Things

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm crafting a mish-mosh of things that I'm thankful for, and perhaps even an explanation why! It's sort of grade-school essay meets sexy-times. I'll be posting more this week about the holiday, but these things came to mind, and I thought I'd share them!

The 5 Kinky Things I'm Grateful For: 

1. Paddles - They are thuddy, come in all shapes and sizes and materials, and are incredibly inspiring when it comes to stories! Also, they are a very nice reward. Or punishment, if one happens to have thumbtacks embedded in it. Thankfully, I've never been that bad.

2. Rope - Because being tied up is bliss. Going inside of yourself, going beyond the boundaries of flesh into something spiritual is amazing. Also, the stuff can smell really good, if you use hemp or jute (and accidentally left it in a bag with a packet of Big Red gum).

3. Pillows - You wouldn't think pillows would be kinky objects, but hold on a sec! Kneeling can be a pain in the knees without one. I mean, even with carpeting! "Sorry Master, can we hurry the blowjob along so I can get off my knees?" Yes, I see that going over very well. Plus, it can make a very nice present from Dom to sub, presenting her with her very own pillow for kneeling/sitting on the floor near him. It's a great way to get into a headspace.

4. Leather - Not just for kinky stuff! I will huff leather jackets and boots and pants and vests and purses...the scent is intoxicating. But also for cuffs, collars, and blindfolds...they are sturdy and comfortable when padded.

5. Floggers - In their many guises, they can be soft, sensuous toys, or intense, painful toys. Both kinds have their merits, and I've had the pleasure of experiencing both. Made of rope, leather, suede, and Fruit-by-the-Foot, they are an awesome addition to any toybag. (And edible, in the case of Fruit-by-the-Foot floggers!)

So guys, those are mine! What are some of the kinky things you love?

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Feeding the Beast: Cover & Release Date!

I am very excited to announce that on December 15, 2013, my lesbian werewolf ménage Feeding the Beast will be released from Amber Quill Press!

What is Feeding the Beast about, you might ask? Well, here's the blurb!

Naomi has always been one of the most submissive members of her pack. It is for that reason that she has received the honor of becoming the Stigma, a rank higher than any she could have expected, but one that requires a certain spirit in the one who serves. Marked by Eric, the Master of her pack, Naomi will serve through sex, blood, and the utter willingness to submit.

Jewel is the Mistress of the pack. Mated to Eric, she is now bound for months without being able to shift forms. Her inner-wolf must be given an outlet in order to maintain harmony in the pack. The Stigma feeds her beast, her soul, and tames what is otherwise untamable. Jewel must come together with Naomi in a partnership that requires no boundaries for her trapped wolf.

From bondage in the cabin, to erotic moonlit hunts through the woods, Jewel and Naomi take each other on a journey through the nights of the full moon. When the nights come to an end, Jewel has to decide whether Naomi is the best choice for feeding the beast within.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A (rather large) obsession with manlove

I love manlove in my fiction.

There. I said it. I'm sort of addicted to it. I have to have some of it at least every few days, or else. If it includes BDSM I'm even happier! I mean, what's better than a bunch of kinky men getting it on?

There is something very elemental in stories that have two men (or more!) involved, getting to know each other, and falling in love. And the sex is really awesome too. All that masculinity coming together is just delicious. I also like that there's more of a rough, push-pull aspect than what I see in traditional M/F fiction.

So, where did my obsession begin?

I became interested in fanfiction when I was younger, and my pairings of choice tended to be two men. Yaoi (for the sexy stuff), shonen-ai (for the romance), slash (for the non-anime), it was all men, all the time, and I was hooked right away. I liked some het fanfiction, but my heart was always with the boys.

Then I got older, and e-books came around. E-books that were longer, plottier, and sometimes more adventurous than the fanfiction I could find. Plus, then I got to know new characters, in interesting situations, which kept me involved in the story.

With my fanfiction writing, I wrote M/M, or M/M/F, exclusively. I find it kind of interesting that in my original writing, I've been led by characters in the direction of F/F, and F/F/M. It's a turnaround, but it's definitely been interesting! I have lots of fun with the women in my head. Wait...that sounded wrong... Anyway, I'm determined to get some manlove in my original stories, and that some kinky, hunky characters will make themselves known to me one of these fine days.

What about you guys? Is gay fiction a genre you enjoy? If so, who or what first hooked you in?

Monday, November 11, 2013

Momentum, meet illness

I'm a wicked bad procrastinator. I admit it freely, and I really try to guard against it. I make plans, give myself goals, and attempt to meet them. It helps when I have momentum though, when the ball is rolling and I can just roll with it.

I recently decided to put my nose to the grindstone in a serious way, especially now that I finished work on my degree and have moved to a new, shiny locale. I was getting back into the swing of things, my creative juices flowing, kinky ideas floating through my head, and I was super excited!

Then it hit. I got sick, and for the last week (and some change) have been attempting to crawl back to feeling human, and having a working brain. It's really hard to write when your brain isn't working!

I'm back now (mostly), and this interruption has not dulled my excitement for the stories that are ready to be told! Lady of the Pack will continue to roll right along, and I look forward to Feeding the Beast coming out later this year!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Multiple partners in romance

I'm reading a lot of stories where the HEA involves more than two partners.  And I have to say, I really enjoy it! My life has been such that I've been able to experience a few different relationship dynamics, from polyamory to where I am now, which is monogamy with options. It's just as much fun for me to read stories where three find happiness, or four, as with two living happily together.

My stories tend to involve multiple partners, but thus far haven't had as much of a polyamorous bent until Feeding the Beast. I'm fascinated with all sorts of relationship shape dynamics, from polyamory to swinging to monogamy. I like to explore how my characters can make it work when there is more than one person to work things out with, whether they are sexual play partners that stay for a night or two, or romantic partners that join the family. When more than two are involved, even one night of pleasure can change the dynamic, the emotions, the interactions. Heck, changing up the relationship dynamic between two people for one night can change things too! People are complicated.

These dynamics can flow very easily into the Lifestyle and/or kinky aspects of my stories, but they are separate. For me, the Lifestyle is an internal growth experienced through external measure. Being kinky doesn't predispose someone towards multiple partners, anymore than being vanilla predisposes someone towards monogamy. People are different, unique, and will form unique relationships that suit them over the courses of their lives.

So, my questions for you guys are: what is your favorite relationship style to read about, and why? Or do you have more than one favorite? The alluring twosome? The tantalizing threesome? Or even the provocative  foursome?

Let me know! I'd love to hear all the details!