Author Interviews

Author's Interview

Thanks to Rainbow Book Reviews for showcasing His Rules, a new anthology out from Pride Publishing. We have all six authors here to tell you a little about their story in the anthology!

Buylink: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/his-rules

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Blog Post: Established versus New Couple By Sean Michael
When I saw the call for the His Rules anthology, I knew immediately that I was going to have to write a story with a couple that had been together for a while, or who had a history together at any rate. For an intense, pushing the envelope BDSM scene, I felt there had to be more trust between the couple than would be found in a scene performed by two new to each other men.

Sure, I could have done a formal scene in a club, with a master and a boy who didn’t know each other at all, but I wanted the love and emotion to be there as well, and deep love at that. For me it’s important that the scene is an extension of the men performing it, that their love is a player within the scene.

So I went with an already established couple who were deep into the BDSM lifestyle, and who had broken up over a mistake. It allowed me to work with strong emotions, and to have the plot of will they get back together again or Is it over, too. That way it didn’t take as much time for set up and for establishing the emotional bond and trust, and I could focus on the scene itself.

I believe Time Out has all the elements I wanted because I went with an already established couple instead of a pair who hadn’t met yet.

Blurb for Time Out
A few months ago Chaz safeworded during a scene, just because he was feeling neglected and bitchy. Val was understandably upset that his sub lied and the two of them split up. Now it’s months later and Val is miserable to be around, so his friend sends him to cottage country to his private house there to vacation and get over himself. At least that’s what Val thinks is happening. In reality, Chaz has also been lured to the lake house and is waiting there so they can hopefully get back together.

Despite his shock at finding Chaz at the lake-house, Val decides to do a scene. Will it be the last scene they share or will they find a way to move past what happened?

About Sean Michael
Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

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Blog Post: Strict Consequences by Morticia Knight
When I was asked to contribute to the His Rules anthology, I immediately had a picture in my head of a seemingly nerdish, cold fish of an English Lit professor. Garson wears black horn-rimmed glasses, takes everything quite seriously, and keeps to himself. He’s also as sexy as hell, but he’s completely oblivious of that fact.

I really wanted to play with the ‘sexy librarian’ character type. When Garson goes to Strict Consequences, his BDSM club, he typically plays for an hour a week with his favorite Dom, Jarvis. What Garson doesn’t know, is that Jarvis sees the wanton underneath the carefully controlled and non-social sub. It’s become Jarvis’ mission to set Garson free so that they can be together the way Jarvis wishes.

It was a lot of fun to play with a character who goes against type. Garson is wild and dirty, craves a ton of pain, but restricts all of his interactions – including the sexual – between him and the Doms. His list of limits are legendary. Garson epitomizes the truism that the sub holds all the power. However, he not only holds it, he makes damn sure every Dom knows it. Unlocking Garson’s heart to set him free to love will be quite a difficult task for Jarvis, but in his mind, Garson is worth whatever it takes.

Oh, and I have an Easter egg in this one too. For those of you following the Kiss of Leather series, Strict Consequences is Gavin’s good friend Jordan’s club.

Blurb for Strict Consequences
One proposition, one night. Could it be the beginning of a forever after for a Master and sub?

Garson teaches poetry and literature at the local college, but what he does on his own time is much different. His need for pain and dominance is strong, but his fear of letting go is stronger. He won’t let any Dom touch him sexually, and his other hard limits are even more extreme. But lately, his one hour a week sessions haven’t been satisfying him anywhere near enough.

Jarvis finds the bookish and reserved Garson captivating. His love of extreme pain is thrilling. But there’s also a hedonistic wanton hiding beneath the surface of the detached sub, and Jarvis aches to be the one who sets him free. After waiting for a year to crack Garson’s carefully controlled surface, Jarvis conceives of a plan.

Garson knows he shouldn’t give in to Jarvis’ proposition that they spend an evening getting to know each other, but the reward of unlimited time in Jarvis’ dungeon is much too tempting. Or is it actually Jarvis who’s the most tempting thing of all?

About Morticia Knight
Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

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Blog Post: Tagging Mackenzie by L.M. Somerton
I’ve always been fascinated by the secretive world of graffiti artists and the efforts they go to placing their art. Sometimes on the train travelling to London, I’ve wondered how on earth they get to some of the spots they do without getting themselves killed. The urge to get noticed, albeit anonymously, was what inspired the character of Kenzie. There was a fascinating dichotomy between his secret persona as a graffiti artist and his need for the Dom he crushes on to notice him. I thought there was a nice sense of irony in using one to achieve the other.

What constitutes art to one person may not be the same for someone else. It’s only since the advent of artists like Banksy that graffiti has moved towards legitimacy. The BDSM world can also have that hint of mystery, of the underground, known only to the select few. If all forms of art can be brought out into the open and appreciated for what they are, maybe one day the same will apply to alternative lifestyles.

Blurb for Tagging Mackenzie
Achieving a Dom’s undivided attention can have unpredictable consequences.

Steele Denton’s business doing custom paint jobs for fast bikes is booming. He’s in demand and has a reputation for being a perfectionist. Tattooed and intimidating, Steele is also in demand as a Dom at his local BDSM club, Chain of Thorns. He requires perfect submission from any sub he deigns to play with.

Mackenzie Soames is desperate for Steele to notice him, but he might as well be invisible. He has no idea how to get invited into the VIP members’ area that Steele rarely strays from, so he concocts a plan to get Steele’s attention. Kenzie is a talented graffiti artist with a secret identity, known only by his tag, a pair of handcuffs. He spray-paints a BDSM scene on a wall at the side of Steele’s workshop, hoping Steele will see the security footage and track him down. However, Steele is working late and catches him in the act.

Steele recognizes Kenzie from the club and demands twenty-four hours of sexual slavery as penance for the graffiti. Kenzie has no choice but to agree and soon discovers that being Steele’s sub will either make him or break him.

About L.M. Somerton
Lucinda lives in a small village in the English countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, cows and sheep. She started writing to fill time between jobs and is now firmly and unashamedly addicted.

She loves the English weather, especially the rain, and adores a thunderstorm. She loves good food, warm company and a crackling fire. She's fascinated by the psychology of relationships, especially between men, and her stories contain some subtle (and some not so subtle) leanings towards BDSM.

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Blog Post: Bad Idea by Lily Harlem
Bad Idea is an MC story about forbidden love. I’ve had a Sons of Anarchy obsession over the winter and pretty much started on season one and brought myself up to date. So when thinking of characters for Bad Idea, it was hard-as-nails bikers who lived life in the fast lane, fought hard and loved hard that was the first thing to come to mind.

I created Roughneck Riders, a rough and tough club who don’t tolerate gays in their midst. What they don’t know is their macho leader, Heavy, is in love with Junk, a handsome probie who is more than willing to submit.

Generally when I write GBLT stories the characters sexual orientation isn’t much or it’s a minor issue (though Dark Warrior is also a tale of forbidden love) but in Bad Idea, discovery could be fatal, or at the very least mean leaving the club and running out of state. So the tension is high, Heavy and Junk are putting it all on the line, risking everything when they get together.

But isn’t that what love and passion is all about? Taking that chance no matter what the consequences. When that urge, that need is just too strong to ignore. I certainly think so, which is why I really enjoyed writing Bad Idea and I hope you enjoy reading it too.

Blurb for Bad Idea
Bad ideas can sometimes be the best!

Roughneck Riders are not an MC club you mess with, least of all their rough and tough gang leader Heavy. But Heavy has a secret that has to be kept, no matter what—his heart belongs to a man. It shouldn’t. He’s supposed to be into women, like the other guys in the club. Junk is just too cute to resist, though. Add in his delectable body, his sweet submission and his willingness to accept Heavy’s sadism, and the couple are a perfect match.

Junk’s a probie, proving his worth to the club and demonstrating his mechanical know-how. He’s lived on the edge for a long time, flitting from one place to the next. But now that he’s settling in as a Roughneck, life is looking up. Not least because he’s in love—soul-eating, cock-thickening, obsessive love. He can’t tell anyone about his desire for Heavy, but what he can do is push his lover’s buttons, all day, in full view of everyone, until he’s damned sure the night will bring a whole host of sinful delights and wicked punishments that will leave him marked, bruised and, most of all, wholly satisfied.

About Lily Harlem
Lily Harlem lives in the UK with a workaholic hunk and a crazy cat. With a desk overlooking rolling hills her over active imagination has been allowed to run wild and free and she revels in using the written word as an outlet for her creativity.

Lily's stories are made up of colourful characters exploring their sexuality and sensuality in a safe, consensual way. With the bedroom door left wide open the reader can hang on for the ride and Lily hopes by reading sensual romance people will be brave enough to try something new themselves? After all, life's too short to be anything other than fully satisfied. Sign up to her newsletter to get a free ebook.

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Blog Post: Entering the World of BDSM by Samantha Cayto
Everyone practicing BDSM has to enter that world through the help of a mentor to navigate those sometimes tricky waters. Some young people are fortunate to have mentors right at home. Others of us find people in the community who are willing to pay it forward. But there are always going to be those, submissives in particular, who might have to risk going it alone.

As the parent of a gay child, I’ve always had a soft spot for those children who are not accepted by their parents. I can’t even conceive of kicking your child out of the house for being gay, disowning them, leaving them to fend for themselves. Those gay teens are at great risk for being preyed upon.

In Safeword, I explored these two situations. A teenage submissive would be at particular risk for being victimized by those who claim to practice BSDM, but are really predators. Carter has finally escaped his horrible parents, only to end up the victim of such a man. I had to create a classic hero to help him. Damien is that alpha male–mysterious, protective, and ultimately a man you can depend on.

Blurb for Safeword
A dangerous game turns into unexpected pleasure…

Carter’s dream of running from his abusive family into the arms of the perfect Dom has been shattered. Virtually enslaved by a vicious arms dealer, he has to submit to any man his master gives him to.

Undercover agent Damien Crow is close to putting away the arms dealer he’s been hunting for years. All he has to do to gain the man’s trust is ‘play’ with the pretty boy with the frightened eyes and alluring corset piercing down his back. Being straight and not a practicing Dom, he has doubts he can pull off the effort. One look at his playmate changes his mind. The stakes are high, and he must put on a good show.

At first, Carter assumes Damien is just another brutal Dom to survive. But the big, brooding man reignites his passion and gives him something Carter hasn’t had in years—a safeword. It might be his last chance to enjoy being a sub and he embraces the role no matter what the consequences.

About Samantha Cayto
Samantha Cayto is a Boston-area native who practices as a business lawyer by day while writing erotic romance at night—the steamier the better. She likes to push the envelope when it comes to writing about passion and is delighted other women agree that guy-on-guy sex is the hottest ever.

She lives a typical suburban life with her husband, three kids and three dogs. Her children don't understand why they can't read what she writes, but her husband is always willing to lend her a hand—and anything else—when she needs to choreograph a scene.

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Blog Post: Earning his Leathers by S.Dora
That’s when the fun starts…

I’ll be blunt about it. BDSM in all its variations is not my cup of Lady Grey. I know, great way to sell an anthology that’s all about S&M.

So why write about it? And not for the first time too. Looking at my BDSM themed stories one element becomes obvious, namely that of the dominant and his doubts. In my short story, Earning His Leathers, Connor knows, and accepts, what he wants, but he also wonders how he can keep things safe and sane beyond the mere physical.

Since I’m not part of the kink community, I accept it’s not my role to educate people. As a writer, however, I am interested in the perhaps uneasy questions. Or, as Connor himself states in a conversation with his mentor, who provokes him by saying BDSM is just a bit of fun, “That is true, until you catch yourself looking at your submissive with disdain because you ordered him to lick your boots and he does it without protest. You manipulate your slave into accepting treatment he doesn’t want, telling yourself you’re only helping him to reach a higher high.”

Earning His Leathers isn’t of the mindless fun variety. But, honestly? That’s when the fun starts for me.

Blurb for Earning His Leathers
Call him old-fashioned, but Connor believes a Dom should earn his leathers.

Connor Lee is very much into both men and BDSM. He already knows he’s a Dominant within the game of sex and power. He just wants to become a damn good Master. When he gets the opportunity to become part of an exclusive group of men who share his philosophy, he’s willing to submit to their rites of passage.

His appointed tutor isn’t Connor’s cup of double espresso by any stretch of the imagination. Stone Carver is dark, tall, muscled and he has the face of a man who has seen one fight too many. Stone notices Connor’s hesitation and sends him away to find someone to have fun with, and to return when he has made up his mind.

Connor meets Jesse, who is everything he has ever dreamed of, and he wants nothing more than to stay with the sweet—potential—submissive. He decides, however, to meet the challenge of submitting to Sir Stone, promising to return to Jesse after he has earned his leathers.

During one long day of pain, pleasure and a smidgeon of humiliation, Sir Stone teaches Connor more than he had bargained for. But has he learned enough to be the Dominant Jesse deserves?

About S.Dora
In no particular order: woman, writer, in a relationship with my wife since 1981 (though we had to wait until 2001 until we could actually get married), mother of two grown sons, owner of cats (I can pretend, can’t I?), reader and a lot more.

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