B&D Boogeyman Bollocks

One of the bigger hurdles I've had to overcome in attracting readers to my erotica has been the label 'B&D.' It conjures images of hooded man eaters with nipple clamps and studded paddles for many. And while I find nothing wrong with that (whatever floats your boat, bub), that sort of hardcore action is nowhere near what I like to write or to read.

And I would get dismayed questions like 'how did you get into that?' Well, the interest started at a very young age and by watching shows and films that were in no way kinky. The heroes of my favorite sci-fi show or bad cop show (realistic cop show heroes and real cops don't usually find themselves in such situations) would find themselves bound to a post or a table by the evil big baddie. If I was really lucky, the hero would be shirtless or have their clothing near ripped off. There was always something compelling about those handsome men struggling against their bonds while glaring defiantly at their captors. They managed to still look powerful but they were suddenly vulnerable. And if the captor was a woman, watching her touch the captive beauty would take my breath away. No matter how diminutive the female captor was, she seemed powerful as she petted her gorgeous captive. Throw in thigh high boots like the Romulan Commander was wearing on Original Trek and the tableau has quite an impact on an impressionable ten year old.

My first attempt at writing a romance novel had the pirate hero (pirates are another obsession of mine) trussed up a few times, but never in a sexual context. I hadn't integrated my kink into my writing at that point.

When I first thought of The Gift of Surrender, I wanted to turn the typical romance on its ear by reversing the roles of the couple sexually. I wanted the hero to surrender the role of sexual aggressor to his intended. I wanted to have the reader become enthralled at the prospect of having such a beautiful and powerful command at the utter mercy of the heroine sexually and emotionally. The domination is sensual and never painful. The erotic center of the book is Nikulainen's submission and Sarianna's growing power over his body during the course of the story. Admittedly, this is an unusual way to write romance but I believe that the sweetness of the character's affection for one another combined with the potent erotic imagery will win some converts to this 'forbidden' kink.