happy motivation

Aww, I got the best review for Starting Over yesterday: "The story was cute and the development between the 2 characters superb.Although just recalled why I'm not a fan of novella's, they always leave me wanting more....."

Couldn't stop smiling after I read it. I've been working hard on the longer version of this story (it keeps getting longer, lol), so this is great motivation to finish it and get it out there.

Review: Something Sweet by Megan Derr

Don't have a lot to say about this except to note that I couldn't stop saying "awwwww" throughout the story. It's been a while since I've come across a story I liked that much. I especially love that it's light on the sexy stuff, but I was still glued to the proverbial page. Adorable story and so sweet it gave me a toothache.

Did I mention it's free?

Review: Magic University: The Poet and the Prophecy

(If this is too long for some of you to read, I'm giving the book a hearty recommendation.)

I want to read it again.

I knew before I got to the end of The Poet and the Prophecy that my first reaction to what promised to be a stellar end to the series would be the desire to read the entire thing again. That was how I felt at the end of The Incubus and the Angel. As soon as I'd gotten enough clues to make wild guesses about what would happen, I had to go back to the beginning of the first book and reread the series. As I'd suspected, there were more hints of what was to come—significant relationships, life events, symbolism—than I'd anticipated when I'd raced through the first two books. I anticipate discovering and marveling at new details when I give the last book a second, more careful read through.

The Poet and the Prophecy finds Kyle at the beginning of his senior year, at a kind of crossroads. He begins doubting his beliefs about the prophecy he translated, how the end will manifest itself and how it can be stopped, when it comes to that. The structure of the magical world is falling apart around him and Kyle feels at once responsible to help those who are struggling and guilt for bringing his beliefs into light. At the heart of his questions is this: Is his translation borne from his magical ability to discern meaning from the original poem or a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Kyle soon finds out there are no easy answers. When it comes to magic, everything he has learned is in question, including the stability of the strongest spells in existence. When it comes to love, and the power it has to heal and ultimately fulfill the prophecy, the one person he wants to believe is the other half of his whole can hardly be a room with him, let alone consider anything more than a nodding acquaintance.

Spoilers from here on out.

What I enjoyed most about this story (and there many things) was the progression of Kyle's relationship with Frost. After all of the emotional and physical upheaval the two experienced from the second book forward, it was nice to read about them having honest conversations about their feelings, their wants and needs. Kyle, as always, was willing to play sacrificial lamb (or perhaps white knight is more appropriate) to give Frost everything he needed to feel comfortable. Whether that meant going without sexual satisfaction or making himself vulnerable to whatever spell Frost wanted to perform, Kyle was willing to make that sacrifice out of love for Frost and guilt for having changed him irrevocably. The changes in their relationship were so touching, and Frost's emotional changes handled so delicately, I found myself rereading passages. Seeing the two of them learning to trust each other and grow closer in spite of the issues between them felt real and was beautiful to read.

Kyle's vulnerability is on display more so in this book than the last, with Frost there to witness, and be touched by it, almost every day. A steadfast show of unconditional love was the only way the ice queen was able to break out of her protective cage and the two could come together. One passage in particular was the most memorable exchange for me, where Kyle expresses his feelings and why Frost is so important to him:

"Whether you count it as twice, or six times, or whatever, I know that doesn't give me the right to talk to you or even look at you if you don't want me to," he began. "And maybe it didn't mean anything to you or it only meant bad things to you, but for me, it was some of the most significant interaction I've ever had with another human being. Not just the best sex, that doesn't even describe it, and not the strongest magic I've experienced either. Making love with you changed me, Frost. That doesn't mean you owe me anything. But it does mean I wish you could acknowledge it. And that you can't ask me to forget it."

There was a moment where it looked to Kyle like Frost was holding in tears. Where her face went completely still except for the way she breathed.

"Neither of us has been the same since," Kyle added hurriedly. "And I know... I know you want to go back to the way you were before. But I don't. I can't. I'm different now. Even if I never get to see you again or speak to you again, painful as that would be, I wouldn't trade it for going back. It's like I wasn't really alive until you. And I thank you for that. I wish... I just wish you could acknowledge that. That even if it was horrible, or nothing, to you, that it was something for me. You're always going to be important to me."

Frost sat back. "You have plenty of other lovers," she said. "Surely one will supersede me soon." "That's not what I'm saying." Kyle shook his head, though he had a feeling Frost was arguing for the sake of arguing. "You'll always be the one that changed me."

Who wouldn't fall in love with Kyle after that?

As far as the prophecy goes, I'm not sure how I expected that to play out. There were certainly a number of possibilities at the end of the third book and, as with all times when humans try to meddle with destiny, the actions of the characters led to the prophecy being fulfilled, not prevented. Master Brandish in particular surprised me in her hopes for preventing or altering the course of the prophecy. Every measure she or Dean Bell took ended up leading to the course of events Kyle experiences at Veritas which makes one wonder what would've happened had they not interfered.

Kyle's relationship with Alex has always fascinated me. We don't see as much of Alex in this book but, as with The Incubus and the Angel, his few appearances are important to Kyle's understanding of his personal path and the support of those around him. At times I feel like Alex is the voice of the author herself, telling Kyle everything he needs to know to reach his ultimate goal, while also allowing him to question the paths he could take and the very real possibility of failure.

I know I've been going on for a while, so I'm going to stop now. I just have to add that it's rare for me to read a book that I feel is perfect – in execution, characterization and story development. Everything from the setting to the interaction with secondary characters served to flesh out the story and merge this world seamlessly with our own. This is one of the small handful of books for which I cannot name a flaw. Every question I had was answered, the writing was fantastic and I felt this book was a satisfying and thrilling conclusion to a brilliantly written series. I know my bias is obvious here, but the first book in this series is the first I'd read from Cecilia Tan and the last assures that I will be a fan for life.

Review - Magic University Book One: The Siren and the Sword

I am dreadfully late in reviewing this story for two reasons. The first, I bought it and the sequel together and I rushed to read both of them in about 31ish hours. The second, I wasn't sure I could put what I thought about it into words. I'm going to try now.

I think it has to be said, there are characters in this book that remind me of specific Harry Potter characters. As the story (and series) progresses, that similarity lessens as I get to know these characters in their own right. That development can be said about no one more than Timothy Frost. I find him to be the most complex and fascinating character - he varies from ascerbic to intriguing and mysterious in the first book and further in the following two. I guess that's strange given that he is not the main character, but the most well-written secondary characters sometimes take on a life of their own.

I'm drawn to all of the major players in different ways: Master Brandish and Dean Bell, about whom a colorful and slowly revealed mystery is woven, Alex Kimble, whose relationship with Kyle takes on so many dimensions, it would be both apropos and an understatement to merely refer to it as a "friendship" and main character Kyle Wadworth himself, who embodies the sometimes sweet hero complex and innocence I liked in Harry Potter while employing a maturity the boy wizard had to grow into.

There are quite a number of other rich characters in this series (in fact, I would be hard-pressed to find one that didn't interest me in some way), but what I find most refreshing about this book and its characters is that we as readers are immediately aware of a correlation between a popular series of children's books, but it never feels as if this is merely an adult Harry Potter with sex. The story is told in a way I felt was unique - and, frankly, hard to part from when doing little necessary things like going to work and sleep - there are fantastic moments of humor, romance and drama and most of all, the main character is easily relatable. Another great comparison to the Harry Potter series: upon rereading, I find little details that make the story that much richer, things I may have glossed over as less than important during the first read. In other words, a book that only gets better with repeat reads.

I would love to describe the plot and how I became immersed in it in detail. In fact, I reworded the beginning of this review several times trying to figure out how to summarize it without giving too much away. On my second read, I decided talking in circles around the plot would be more a disservice than a selling point. Finding out what's going as it unfolds is one of the best reasons to get into this series. The best way I can describe it is this: Upon visiting Harvard for an interview, Kyle stumbles upon Veritas, the school for magic users hidden on Harvard's campus. While struggling with his newfound ability, Kyle learns of the existence of a siren and makes it his mission to help capture and control the creature before it can hurt any more students.

This story is about more than any one of Kyle's accomplishments. There's a bigger picture here, more tightly drawn and suspenseful than one book could contain. At the risk of saying what I fear is too little, I hope anyone who enjoys a great ongoing mystery imbued with fantasy, erotica, love and drama opts to read this and the rest of the books in the Magic University series.

PrettySexyShinyToy aka ohaidere Kobo!

Mm. New Kobo arrived yesterday. Less than 24 hours later, I have several impressions of the device and the overall buying experience.

Borders customer service leaves something to be desired. I had initially cancelled my order (I'm in the process of moving and prefer to pay the movers than spend $160 dollars) and gotten a confirmation email. Two days later, I got an email saying they'd shipped it. *sigh* Oh well. Nothing I can do. It did arrive earlier than it was supposed to (July 2nd). My first thought was that the packaging was adorable. From the outside, it looks like a hardcover book. Inside, the first thing that greets you is the screen informing you of the easy set-up. Shortly after this is where everything takes a detour.

Yes, charging is easy. (It arrives already charged.) Programming the date and time into it is mega easy. Everything else seems to be a pain in the ass. I don't know if it's because I don't usually buy all the fun tech stuff everyone else has been getting the past few years, but I swear this seems harder than it's supposed to be. And there are no instructions.

For example, when I tried to figure out how to move all the books from my computer onto the ereader, I looked at both the user manual and help guide on the device. The instructions I got were to drag and drop files onto it. No instructions on where (like a folder) or if there's a button I need to push or something I need to run from the borders app. Basically, nothing that tells me how to get it to show up on the device. The website and forum were likewise unhelpful. My particular issue: I dragged and dropped 77 ebooks - 2 showed up when I unplugged it from my laptop, 1 of the 2 was locked (thank you, Adobe Digital Editions), and the other wouldn't even open to tell me the file was protected. *sigh*


Over the next four and a half hours, I synched my kobo with Adobe DE, deleted and re-added all of my ebooks (it still only shows those first two, but the amount of available disk space did go down both times), got turned around in that repetitive and uninformative user guide (which is a separate section from the help file - neither says a great deal more than the website) and was informed at the Kobo forum that there'd be a firmware update sometime soonish (I think it was promised before I even got mine) that would fix the major issues.

Like not being able to delete the 100 books that are preloaded. I assume I will also be able to do things the user guide says I can do now, like removing books from my "currently reading" list using the borders desktop app or read the books I have on my computer (legal downloads, most of them) on my kobo without having to sync it and update the library every ten minutes (not that it ever worked).

Pros:

I love the design. The size, color, button accessibility, font size and overall look are perfect for me. I may have to get a cover. I'm scared I'll do something wicked to the screen (which pictures do not do justice).

It is fantastically easy to organize and sort books that are on it. Especially since it'll let me pick up where I left off and browse through chapters easily. I may end up reliving my high school days, reading three to six books at a time.

Cons:

All of the options that should be available aren't working just right yet: being able to upload (and read) epub and pdf files I already have, being able to sync the kobo with the borders app and have the library on the device reflect what is on it accurately and a help section that...helps.

But hey, there's a hidden game. Thanks to ralphmercer for pointing out the video poker to me this morning. To find: Press Menu, Select Help, Press Menu again, Select Help again. At least this will keep me occupied until I get back to my to be read list.

My recommendation? Get it when they fix the issues. Great for the money, still a little buggy fresh off the shelf.

Review: The Sweet Spot by Kayla Perrin

Once again, I think I'm at a point where I'll read anything an author writes. After reading Getting Even and Say You Need Me last year (see the beauty of libraries?), I didn't hesitate to buy this book when I spotted it a few months ago. I'm so glad I didn't. This was a fantastic read for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the masterful use of description, characterization and suspense.

Zoë is an imperfect heroine. Which I think makes me like her more. Hell, I can definitely identify with her better than some of the svelte supermodels who happen to look gorgeous when they get out of bed, have fabulous wardrobes they found at the vintage store and shoe collections worth more than some island country's GDP. Okay, she's not ugly and she does have a strong liking for Starbucks and designer clothes/shoes, most of which she can scarcely afford, but I guess her slightly insane personality balances it all out. I was half-convinced Kahari might take out a restraining order before all was said and done.

Speaking of Kahari, he is kind of perfect. Like tall, gorgeous, loves kids, appears to be the nicest guy ever perfect. Of course, he's attracted a crazy stalker. Zoë, being slightly misguided, sees this as an opportunity to jumpstart her struggling career as a sportscaster. Okay, that's not quite how it happened. More like her tongue outran her brain (which was only dealing with half a plan), all hell broke loose and the next thing I know, she's stalking Kahari herself. Fun, right?

Ha. I think Kayla might say I'm misstating this stuff, but I swear, I thought Zoë had lost her ever-loving mind at some point. Strangely, that was part of the draw of the book. Insane, but realisitic in the way that some women seem to get in their own way when it comes to relationships. I was dying to find out how Zoë would get her man (in a way that didn't feel rushed and was realistic in context) if she kept doing all these little things that drove him nuts. That's why I ended up reading half the book in one go - I refused to go to sleep yesterday until I finished it. It took until after 4AM, but it was totally worth it.

Things that made me love this book (contains spoilers):

- Zoë getting rid of her dickish boyfriend.
- A heroine who kept me guessing through most of the book.
- Speaking of ^^, a delightful amount of suspense.
- The pacing of their romance. It wasn't an instant we're-madly-in-love-after-meeting-twice kind of thing, and their attraction to each other (in spite of the circumstances) felt real.
- In spite of the drama, there are some parts of the story that are so funny, I didn't want to put it down to work (which is how I ended up staying up so late to finish).

There are plenty of other factors that made me love this book, but it would turn into a summary of the story. Yes, I loved it that much. Yes, you should go buy it today. Click on the book cover at the top of this post to visit the author's website and read the first chapter.

Review: Shorts by J.M. Snyder

Mm. Girls like boys who like boys. Personally, I also enjoy reading about boys who like boys doing all the fun things they can together. After I read one novel, J.M. Snyder quickly became one of my favorite gay erotic writers. I've finally gotten around to reading a book of her short stories, purchased around the time Amazon decided that being gay wasn't profitable, and I wrote a little something about each story as I read it. Thank goodness for the save draft feature!

Normally I like to read stories with a little more prose and less sex, but as J.M. wrote in the introduction, sometimes you just need to kick back and have a little fun. That's not to say that some of these don't have substantive story lines, just that the main event is usually the center of attention.

Joy Ride - Okay, I have to admit to finding something about a man on a roaring motorcycle sexy. I'm not sure if the image of strong machinery roaring between a man's legs is fully realized when picturing a skinny guy on a Kawasaki. My reaction was the same as Mack's - intrigued, but there was something missing from that ultra-masculine image that did nothing for my libido. Then I got further into the story and started picturing Brad in his tight red biker shorts, bending over a bike with a look that begged to be answered - I'm thinking this story would make one hell of a movie. And I'm volunteering to direct. With a sexy premise, a teasing younger man and just enough action to get the blood pumping, this story is a hot must-read. Did I mention you can download the e-book for free?

A Little Something for Santa - I will admit to submitting to childish giggling as I read this one. The thought of anyone having pseudo-sexual thoughts about Santa seems so wrong it just has to be right on some level. After all, isn't fantasy supposed to be dirty fun? This story doesn't disappoint. Patrick was the perfect tease (my favorite type of guy), Santa was...well, you'll have to read the story. My favorite line: when Santa says, "I know what you're thinking, Patrick." I almost choked on my laughter and had to put the book down for a second. If Santa could read people's minds like that, a lot more of us would be on the naughty list. But, as the story illustrates, sometimes being naughty for Santa is just the way to be a very good boy.

Poolside - Fun. I have to say there's something about a guy who thinks he's completely heterosexual discovering a new side of himself with just the right motivation. I'm writing a similar story now. While I was reading, I kept shouting at Kevin not to fight it because it would feel good. Heh. One guess on whether he listened to me. ;-)

Pony Play - Like the main character, Drew, I've never really been into anything S&M related. (Okay, I have a few friends who would disagree, but that's another discussion.) So, I completely sympathized with his reluctance to get into a rather interesting weekend diversion - doing a little dress-up and becoming someone's pony. Of course, there is something intriguing about the idea - my mind kept giving me visions of Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, wiedling a riding crop and riding naked - but I was still a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this story.

Escape - Love this one. I developed a liking for erotic scifi after reading a few books in the genre last year. This story did not disappoint. It was short, sweet and gave me a strange craving for an erotic group scenario involving hot clones. Hm. Maybe I should suggest that to the author. Who knows, maybe she hasn't considered that.

Best Friends - Another fun scenario I've written - two friends acting on an attraction for the first time. It was beautifully written and so compelling I was almost late to work because I couldn't put the story down until I'd completed it. I'm kind of hoping to go through her catalogue and find she's updated this story with a sequel or written the novel length equivalent.

One of Us - Love, love, LOVE this story. I don't think I can say enough about it without giving half the plot away, which would be a shame. Everyone must buy the book for this story alone. This is one of several stories where J.M.'s powers of description are given remarkable voice. The scenery felt almost alive, the characters rich and the execution of the story left me disappointed when it ended. I really hope, no I insist that this one be written as a longer story. If for no other reason than to explore the scenario (which I can't reveal because it's a spoiler) as a story encompassing the entire town. It's a brilliant piece and I can't wait to finish the book so I can come back and reread it.

Threesome - Okay, there was lots more giggling and superfast reading as I went through this one. I feel silly because I can't find another word, but HOT seems to fit this one perfectly. I especially love the last paragraph or so because it put such a vivid image of the characters in my mind.

Easily Addicted - Another fun story with an unexpected ending. I identified with the main character a lot in finding that sometimes being attracted to someone, and the strength of that attraction can take you by surprise.

Hooking Up - See, there are few things that scare me and the idea of being photographed is one of them. Of course, if I were behind the camera...mm. And that's part of the appeal of this story. Imagining two people getting hot and heavy in front of the lens and being able to look back on those pics later. Then, of course, you wonder if this was based on a true story and the author has some links she could share. ;-) The other appealing thing about this is her amazing attention to detail. I love reading stories with vivid imagery and this one fits the bill.

Devilish Good Time - J.M. is great at a number of things. I have to believe she knows that fantasy/horror is one of them. I'm not going to go into too many details, but let me just say the hot boy interaction was not the only thing that kept me turning the page. The suspense was terrific.

Battle of the Bands - A great short with a surprising ending. Speaking of short - it was far too short! I felt like I was being teased. In a good way, of course, but I really wanted to read more of the interaction between the main characters. Can I beg a sequel?

Office Visit - Wow. :-p Ever heard strange noises at your doctor's office and wondered what they could be from? Wonder no more. I guess I'm bad because if I heard anything like what was going on here, I'd be tempted to open the door and watch. But that's a story for another day, isn't it?

The New Client - Instant movie material. And I'm volunteering to direct. There's a beautiful, textured feel to this that makes it memorable. I suppose it's obvious that I loved this story, and there isn't much more to add. The descriptions were great, the characters interesting and some of what happened (or how it happened) kept me guessing. A very enjoyable read.

Overall I did love the book, though I'm sure that's obvious by now. I guess my only complaint is that I felt some of them were too short - a sign of my own greed more than a shortcoming with the writing. The entire book is a steal for $14.50 in paperback and is available for $4.99 as an e-book from a number of sites. Also, several of the stories are available as single titles. Just click the title for purchase information.

Total Eclipse

I may not have the soul of a poet, but I can appreciate the passion inherent in the people who do. I admit, I haven't seen anything of David Thewlis outside of the Harry Potter movies, so this movie was something of a learning experience for me. Never let it be said that I have nothing to learn about the breadth of an actor's abilities.

The first thing I have to say is: wow. Not because I got to see both Thewlis and DiCaprio naked from a few interesting angles, but because I didn't expect the relationship (and especially the love scenes) to come across as realistic. Okay, ignore that this is a woman talking about two men coming together. I swear, I'm not referencing my porn collection. I've seen a few movies where the dramatic parts seem real, but when it comes to intimacy, it feels like two actors reading well-rehearsed lines and nothing more. There's a different feel to any movie when the actors on screen can make you forget they're just going by a script and make you believe they are the people they're portraying.

The story is a little choppy (taken from letters of the real men involved), but the play of emotions and the back-and-forth conflict of their relationship held a realism I haven't seen in a movie in a long while. This movie reminded me why I was such a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s. Thewlis has gained a new level of my respect as an actor. I now know I've missed out by not seeing more of his movies.

Four Delightful Divas for Plaything!

Chris Washington endured a turbulent childhood with his parents sending him mixed messages about religion and sexuality. As an adult Chris has achieved fame and fortune but has yet to truly find his sexual balance as a man.

Until he meets, Desiree.

The one night Chris spends with Desiree is everything he's ever desired and some things he never imagined. Relinquishing control to this stranger is something he never thought of doing. As the night proceeds both Chris and Desiree take turns relinquishing control leading to a pivotal and highly sensual love scene.

Plaything is a blazingly erotic short story that will definitely keep you turning pages. However, the connection between Chris' deprived sexual nature and his upbringing was quickly lost after the first few pages. This made it difficult to really relate to Chris and the lifestyle he'd chosen for himself. Desiree's character was a complete mystery. There was no rhyme or reason for her appearance or disappearance from Chris' life. But as one night stands go, Sara Winters has penned a winner.

4 Delightful Divas

http://darkdivareviews.webs.com/erotic.htm

Love them for reviewing my novella. Thanks guys!

Review: Rendezvous in Rio

Rendezvous in Rio by L. Rosario

For six months, Elena and Rodrigo have carried on a love affair via modern technology. The time has come for them to take things one step further, and for this, they must be face to face...



The first thing I have to say is, this story is HOT. From the premise to the execution, the story of two strangers meeting for what is presumed to be a hot first-time encounter does not fail to please. Blending vivid description with sensual tension-filled suspense made for a short story I could not put down and didn't want to end. Elena, I think, embodies what every woman would go through meeting a lover for the first time - fear of acceptance, anxiousness to find her feelings reciprocated, and desires aching to be fulfilled. Rodrigo represents the perfect fantasy lover - understanding, passionate and gorgeous, easily seducing the nervous Elena into fulfilling both of their fantasies not long after their first meeting.

L. Rosario has a gift for creating a beautifully sensual scene without graphic language or making one feel as if the story took a back seat to sex. Without hesitation, I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a highly sensual short read. A definite 5 out of 5.

Get Rendezvous in Rio free here.

An Attack of Ego

I am feeling dirty today. No, not in a good way.

I got a review for one of my stories and it was so-so.

I suppose I should suck it up and either act like it doesn't matter or take the criticism and use it to my advantage, but I don't feel like it. I feel like going to the local liquory (yes, that's a new word), investing in a little pre-mixed Cuervo margarita and using bad language to describe whoever doesn't like my writing.

I have mixed feelings about this review.

Part of me feels like I should be grateful that someone reviewed it. After all, I've sold several copies online and no one has returned to the site to post their comments on it. Though, I can't blame them, I rarely do that myself. Unless it's something I'm giving 5 stars or it was a horrible waste of time, I don't often feel a compulsion to tell other people what I think of a story. I suppose I should also feel flattered that the owner of the site reviewed it since she doesn't review stories very often.

But, I'm kind of offended. Not because I can't take criticism. I can. After a few deep breaths and a long analyzation of the exact wording of the comments. I take it and either agree or disagree. I see the points of the reviewer (whether I agree or not) and I try to store up the useful info for next time. But, it's fucking hard. I want everyone to like everything I do. I want them to glow about it. I want them to tell me it was one of the best things they've ever read and they can't wait to buy everything I've got in print.

'Tis not the case.

What makes it worse for me is that I posted an early version of this story elsewhere (before I decided to publish it). The people there loved it, but that may be because 1. they know me and at the time I was posting stories there frequently and 2. they are more personally invested in the story because the main character is based on someone they like. Regardless of the amount of praise the story received, at the time I was just happy it wasn't being completely ignored.

Which brings me to my ego dilemma. I try to tell myself I don't like or want false praise, nor do I solicit it. I genuinely want readers to like what I'm putting out there or tell me their concerns if they're unhappy with it. But, it's hard to take when someone sees something you don't. I disagree with the reviewer on several technical points, but I know her comments were subjective. I shouldn't be upset because it doesn't appear to be personal. (Though I do wonder why the second book I submitted was never reviewed. Was the first really that bad?) I want to take the words of the former readers over this one reviewer because most of them liked it (and I've also got the word of another reviewer who enjoyed it). I want to believe my writing has improved in the 2 years since I wrote that story. I want to think that nothing "fell short" in the execution department and that this writer simply didn't like my storyline. (I am tempted to only quote the positive parts of the review. Is that dishonest?)

*sigh* I also want an M&Ms M-azing bar right now. Or two.

TCM Reviews Takes On Plaything

I've gotten a new review for my erotic novella Plaything. Check it out! You can also visit IBA's lulu.com store and read the preview of the story.

Reviewed by Jasmina Vallombrosa


Chris Washington, one of the world’s hottest celebrities, is busy recalling the exact moment of when his curiosity and desire for S&M began. While he is definitely aware that he is the current sex symbol and fantasy of millions of adoring fans, he is a bit weary at exploring their dedication as the last thing he needs is to be is highlighted in the gossip columns. So, with these thoughts, and taking an innocent trip from the glorious sun of Southern California to the misty London fog across the world, fate ends up answering all of his questions.

From a chance encounter at a local café, his mind and thoughts are captured by the beautiful Desiree. With luscious long hair and mischievous eyes, she has a crazy way of lighting his body and mind on fire. As she takes him into the fantasy world of S&M, he quickly finds out that while the dog collar may be his accessory of choice, his lady lust is the perfect mistress.

With the joys of dominance and subservient sexual foreplay drifting through the plot, I really enjoyed this short yet very sweet story. While the plot kept me flipping the pages and on the edge of my seat, the steamy and tantalizing love scenes certainly raised my pulses. I loved the way Ms. Winters intertwined romance and sex all into one delicious read; one doesn’t need dessert!