The tricks and treats of changing titles

Today, my book Master Class released. I'm really excited about it, but I thought you guys might like to a little behind-the-scenes look at some of the things that go on before a book is published.

Loose Id put out their holiday submissions call in August (they have to do it that far in advance to have the books ready by December) and I decided to write another story for it. Last year I wrote Caught, which was successful beyond my wildest dreams, and I wanted to try my hand at BDSM again.

I sent in a proposal, and Loose Id contracted the book. *whoa* That was the first time I'd ever had a book accepted on proposal. Very cool, but also very pressure-filled. So then, in ten days I wrote the 45k first draft. It was crazy. This book was literally pulled out of me. That had never happened before either.

As I was writing, I knew one of the major themes of the book was how Ryan discovers BDSM and how much he enjoys it. The title "Awakening" came to me and I thought it was perfect. In late August I turned Awakening in at around 47k.

My editor emailed me a few weeks later and said, "We're all set, but we need to change the title." Uh-oh. I've had titles changed a few times - every author has, but what to change it to? I loved Awakening! But another Loose Id book about a year ago had a similar title, so I had to give it up.

I turned to my critique partners, and between Annabeth Albert and I, we came up with Master Class. Ryan is a college professor, so "class" seemed appropriate, and of course he's a new Dom. His sub doesn't call him Master, but Sir Class doesn't quite have the same ring. Plus, there's an actual thing in college called a Master Class, so that fit too. We suggested it to Loose Id, they loved it, and Master Class was born!

Here's the blurb and an excerpt from Master Class:


Ryan Tomasi feels like a failure. His marriage is officially over; the ink dried on the divorce decree. His friend Jack introduces him to BDSM and he agrees to attend a Halloween party at a club. A submissive approaches him, offering herself, and how can he refuse the kneeling beauty? They do a whirlwind scene and Ryan is addicted—both to dominance and to her.

Lisette Rinaldo is returning to the BDSM club for the first time since ending a bad relationship with her former master. She spots Ryan and is taken by the combination of self-assurance and nervousness the man displays as he takes in his surroundings. And after he gives her an incredible re-introduction to the lifestyle, she knows she needs to see the man again.

Ryan and Lisette explore each other and the lifestyle, but what started out as playtime quickly evolves into something more. The problem? Ryan isn’t ready to get serious again and Lisette doesn’t want to fall in love with a guy who can’t give all of himself to her. Both of them are going to have to break out of the bonds holding them back from happiness.

EXCERPT:
“What the fuck is an acceptable costume to wear to a Halloween party at a BDSM club?” Ryan Tomasi muttered aloud to himself. He did that a lot these days, since he lived alone after his recent divorce. “Sheesh.”
From his Internet research, he knew people who practiced BDSM—the term “practice” cracked him up every time—already dressed in some pretty outrageous outfits. Between the leather daddies and the pony play, as well as the other strange getups he’d seen online, Ryan wasn’t sure what to think. Full-body latex encasement? He shuddered.
But one thing was clear. He couldn’t keep fucking random women and feel good about it or himself. The whole mess had started after Ryan’s now ex-wife had blindsided him with divorce papers about a year ago, saying she didn’t love him anymore. The fact he’d loved her and had wanted to work on the marriage apparently wasn’t good enough, and Ryan found himself living in a rented house with nothing but his recliner and a futon to sleep on. Over the past year, he’d done what he could to rebuild his life, and now it was time to take the next step.
Ryan needed to find someone for more than a one-night stand and, it seemed, someone who wanted to submit to him, since he’d found he really liked some of this BDSM stuff, especially the dominating side. He felt like a fool on the bar scene, and he really wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of guy, though that had been his MO lately. He’d never even known there was a whole formal “thing” like BDSM until his friend Jack, a fellow professor at the college where Ryan taught English literature, had asked one day, while Ryan was lamenting his pathetic sex life, if he’d ever engaged in any BDSM activities. Ryan had been taken aback, to say the least. He’d thought that kind of thing was limited to porn. Real people didn’t get kinky like that, did they? Hell, he’d gotten married at twenty-two and had been with his ex-wife for almost fifteen years. It appeared he didn’t know shit about sex—kinky sex scene in particular.
Ryan had been shocked when Jack offered to let Ryan see what his submissive, Callie, and Jack did in some of their “scenes” so that Ryan could get a feel for what domination was all about. Jack didn’t allow any actual intercourse or other sexual contact between him and Callie when they got together, which Ryan totally understood, so there was a little bit missing from what he wanted to experience after reading how great the sex could be.
But just watching the way Jack dealt with Callie, and then having the opportunity to try a bunch of things out himself during subsequent play sessions with the two of them, had given Ryan a light at the end of what had been a very dark tunnel since the ex had walked out on him. He believed he’d finally found what he was looking for; what he’d been missing his entire life. The high from a woman submitting to him was the most natural, yet most powerful thing he’d ever felt, and Callie wasn’t even his submissive. What would that feel like?
Shaking out of his reverie, Ryan decided reinforcements were in order and called Jack. “Hey, man.”
“What’s up?”
“Am I interrupting anything?” He was almost afraid to ask.
Jack laughed. “If you’re asking me if Callie is tied up somewhere waiting for me to fuck her six ways to Sunday, no, you’re not interrupting anything. That’s later.”
“TMI, dude, TMI. Anyway, I need help.”
“You need a lot more than help.”
“Yeah, yeah. Seriously, I need to know what a Dom should wear to this Halloween party.”
“Uh, clothes? Usually only the submissives are naked.”
“Are you going to help or not? You’re the one who said I should go to this.” Ryan knew Jack was just messing with him, but as this Halloween party was his “coming out” of sorts as a Dom, he didn’t want to make a fool of himself.
“All right. I’ll take pity on you. What types of costumes are you looking at? What will make you feel comfortable?”
Ryan snorted. “Not sure anything can do that. I’m nervous as hell.”
“Remember, a Dom needs to portray an air of confidence. If you don’t, no sub is going to trust you enough to play with you.”
“I know. And by the time I get there, I’m sure I’ll be a lot calmer. I’ve been pretty good when I’ve played with Callie, haven’t I?”
Ryan could practically see the smirk on Jack’s face.
“Yeah, but I was there too. She knows better than to disobey me and that I would keep the play safe. Goes back to that trust issue. Plus, you didn’t have any sexual contact or anything that might’ve freaked you out. Speaking of that, you got your medical test results, right?”
“Yeah. Sent them to the club the other day.”
“Good. They won’t let you in unless you can prove you’re clean. Now, back to the costume. How about something easy like a police officer or a soldier? Some take-charge type of thing would be fitting.”
“Oh, I like the idea of a soldier.” Soldiers were powerful, respected—everything Ryan thought a Dom should project. It was the perfect costume to convey the image he wanted during his first public play. Ryan quickly typed that into the search engine of the costume store. “Awesome. They have a pretty cool one.”
“See how simple it is, once you’re not freaking out? I know this is all new and a little scary for you, but remember, kinksters are people too.”
“Yeah, yeah. You guys are going to be there, right?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t let you go into the big, bad world of BDSM all by yourself. Also, I’m your sponsor, so you can’t get in without me anyway this first time.”
“Okay, cool. See you then. And thanks for talking me off the ledge.”
“Anytime.”
Jack hung up, and Ryan looked over the costume specs. It had a camouflage shirt and pants, along with a set of dog tags. He had black boots already for when he did stuff around the house. Though he wasn’t imposing by any means at five-nine and one-eighty, he wasn’t tiny either. Hopefully the costume would make him look like a bit of a badass. He flexed his bicep. Maybe allow him to show off the muscles he was just starting to develop with regular workouts at the gym over the past several months.
* * * *
On Halloween night Ryan dressed in his costume and drove to the club. Jack and Callie were waiting just inside the doors, and when Jack saw him approach, he spoke to the bouncer, who waved Ryan through without a word. Jack was clad as Zorro, and Callie’s dress, if you could call it that, was liberally scored with slashes. It looked more like a bunch of black bandages than anything else, and Ryan wondered how long Jack would allow her to remain clothed. If he knew Jack—and he felt he did after playing with him several times and spending hours talking to him about BDSM and a whole host of other topics—not long.
He wasn’t sure what was appropriate to say to Callie, so he forced his gaze away from her and greeted Jack, who grinned.
“You can tell her she looks hot. It’s not like you’ve never seen her naked.”
Ryan smiled, relaxing. He pivoted back to her. “You look hot, Callie.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Shall we?”
Jack gestured toward the door at the end of the short hall, and Ryan could hear a bass beat pounding from the other side. He nodded, swallowing thickly. Ryan needn’t have worried, though. As soon as he stepped into the room and looked around, his nerves settled.
I’m home.
The people around him were engaged in all manner of things, but even a cursory glance at the various scenes playing out before him made him finally feel like he was normal. He wasn’t a freak for wanting sex and control like this, despite what his ex-wife had said when he’d suggested some pretty mild stuff to spice up their sex life.
“What do you think?” his friend shouted over the music.
“It’s fucking perfect.” Ryan couldn’t have kept that note of awe out of his voice even if he’d tried.
Jack laughed. “I figured you’d say that. I’ll give you a tour, but we need to do one thing first.”
“What’s that?”
“Lose the shirt. You’ll look way more Dom-ish without it.”
“Dom-ish?” Callie repeated with a chuckle.
“You behave before I decide to leash you,” Jack threatened. “Or maybe we can give Ryan here some more practice with that paddle you hate so much.”
She looked down. “Whatever would please you, Master.”
“Seeing your beautiful ass bright red and ready to be fucked would please me greatly, but we need to babysit Ryan for a bit longer before we can play.”
Ryan pulled off his shirt and stuffed it into his brand-new toy bag. Who would’ve thought a duffel bag he got at an academic conference would come in handy to hold the instruments of pain and pleasure he’d spent a small fortune on?
He followed Jack through the club as the other man pointed out the public play area, the theme rooms, and the staircase to the private rooms upstairs. Then they all went to the bar, which served no alcohol so as to keep the clubgoers sober for play, as Jack explained in answer to Ryan’s puzzled question. They procured soft drinks—drinks were included in the price of the membership—and found a comfy couch that was close enough to the public play area that Ryan had a good view of several scenes taking place. Jack and Ryan sat, and Callie settled on a cushion in front of her Dom.
“That girl,” Jack said, pointing to a submissive tied to a St. Andrew’s cross as a man whipped her from thighs to shoulders, “is a hard-core masochist. As you can see, she’s not wearing a collar, so she’s not owned, but stay away from her. Until you get more comfortable with impact play, all you’ll do is frustrate both of you.”
Ryan nodded, forcing himself not to wince as the man laid another welt on her ass.
“That one,” his friend continued with a jerk of his head at another submissive, “is a horrible topper-from-the-bottom. She’s definitely not a good fit for you as a beginner. I’m not really sure why any Dom would play with her. It would drive me batty to have a sub questioning my every order.”
Jack dismissed a few more for one reason or another as they sipped their beverages. There weren’t a ton of subs running around without collars, and Ryan was beginning to believe none of them would pass Jack’s muster.
“She’s a pretty one,” Jack remarked, and Ryan followed his gaze. He nearly swallowed his can of soda pop whole. Pretty didn’t begin to describe the woman. She was a few inches shorter than him, from what he could tell in his current position, and had enough meat on her bones to be curvy. If he was going to be tying a woman up and fucking the hell out of her, he wanted to be sure her ribs wouldn’t crack at the slightest provocation.
Her long brown hair was piled on top of her head, leaving the slim column of her neck exposed. Ryan loved to nibble on women’s necks, and if he had this one restrained, he’d happily spend hours torturing her in that spot. She was wearing what looked like a harem girl outfit, with a jeweled bra and flouncy, gauzy pants. From the looks of things, Ryan was pretty sure she was naked underneath them.
Jack had been speaking with Callie but straightened up. “Callie said her name is Lisette, and she’s an experienced submissive who hasn’t been to the club as far as Callie knows since her split with her Dom a while back. She’s not owned, as you can see from the fact she’s not collared. The lack of a collar doesn’t always mean a sub is not owned, but at open parties like this, all owned submissives must be collared. As you know,” he continued with a grin in Callie’s direction, “some of us can be possessive bastards, and it cuts down on potential problems.”
“Makes sense,” Ryan murmured. His friend’s eyes suddenly widened a little in anticipation, and Ryan turned in the direction of his gaze.
“Hey, do you mind if we go take advantage of that spanking bench? At these parties, equipment doesn’t stay empty long.”
“No, go ahead.”
Jack helped Callie up and landed a hard swat on her ass. “Go get it for us, pet. I’ll be right over.” He turned to Ryan. “Feel free to watch us or anyone else. We should be back within a half hour or so. Callie’s been naughty lately and needs a good dose of the belt.”
Winking, he walked away, and Ryan laughed. Before Jack had agreed to bring Ryan here for public play, he’d insisted on several private sessions at the house he and Callie shared, so Ryan knew Callie’s favorite implement was the belt. He doubted she would be too upset if Jack used it tonight.
A completely naked woman, save for a collar, came by and took their empty soda cans. Ryan gave her a small smile but kept his attention focused on the scenes unfolding around him. Jack was busy tying Callie to the spanking bench, and the masochistic woman was still being whipped—Ryan couldn’t hold back his wince this time at a particularly hard strike—and a male submissive was going to town on his Mistress’s pussy like he was mining for gold. Turning away from them, he saw a female submissive strapped to what Jack had called a bondage table with cane marks decorating her ass in perfectly spaced lines and her Dom’s dick in her mouth. He’d never tried caning, but it looked interesting, if a little scary. Hell, almost everything looked interesting right now.
Ryan continued to watch as Jack bared Callie’s ass and started out lightly flicking the belt across it. He’d explained to Ryan how important it was to warm the bottom up by bringing the blood to the surface to prevent bruising, and Ryan had spent long hours in the past couple of weeks practicing with a pillow and the strap he’d ordered along with the other stuff Jack had said he’d need to be able to play. The club had a nice selection of implements lined up on the walls of the public play area, but Jack had recommended he get used to his own so he didn’t make a mistake and hurt a submissive.
He was just about to rise and make his way back to the bar when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The submissive Callie had called Lisette knelt directly in front of him, a bottle of water laid on her upturned palms. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

Copyright 2012, Cassandra Carr

Buy link: http://www.loose-id.com/master-class.html

My links:
Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cassandra_carr

A Good Dom/Domme

I recently participated in the Hot in Handcuffs blog hop and the question I posed in my blog post was what sort of Dom/Domme do you like? Overwhelmingly the responses were one who is confident, strong, powerful, in control, kind, caring and sensitive. I think the Doms I write about in my books have those characteristics and they are certainly personality traits I like in a Dom but the responses started me thinking. Are the traits contradictory? If I want all those characteristics plus more in my Dom am I expecting too much? Do Doms with those traits only exist in novels?

Luckily, I'm continuing to be a BDSM social butterfly, getting out and about and meeting lots of new people. So, I decided to do a little observation at a party I went to on the weekend. You’ll be happy to know that Doms with those traits do exist in real life. I’m also sure you won’t be surprised when I say that there are also Doms who don’t have those traits. I had a discussion with the sub I travelled to the party with and we compared notes on Doms we’d been involved with over the years. The stories we shared could have ended in a list titled ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’.

What the discussion reinforced for me was, when I’m ready to find a new Dom, I need to have a perfectly clear idea of exactly what I want. I’ve always had a vague idea but I think I need to be more specific on certain aspects. So yes, I want the characteristics stated above but what else do I need to look for? 

At the party a lovely Dom pointed out to there are other things, apart from personality traits, which I need to consider when considering a new Dom. Some of the things I knew, others I hadn’t thought of before. He pointed out a few lifestyle practices that, in his opinion, a good Dom would do when interacting with someone he viewed as a prospective sub. Here’s what he imparted.

 A good Dom will:

·         Always have a discussion about limits, what a sub likes/dislikes in the way of play and lifestyle practices.

·         Build trust with a sub by getting to know them over a period of time prior to asking them to engage in play.

·         Have absolutely no problem with a prospective sub asking for names of other subs as references so you can clarify what he is like as a Dom.

·         Be happy to answer any questions you ask, no matter what they are. His answers will be direct, not vauge or delayed as if he's trying to think up an answer because you've put him on the spot or trying to hide something.

·         Will start off slowly once they engage in play to continue to build trust and get to know the subs responses prior to proceeding to heavy play sessions.

·         Be communicative, not only explaining their own expectations but also ensuring yours are voiced and listened to as well.

His advice on what to do if a Dom doesn’t do these things was, take it as a warning sign and walk away as the person is probably a player who has no idea what their doing.

So what do you think, what else apart from personality traits would you look for in a Dom/Domme? What action/act would be something that would send up a warning flag for you?

Being a Sub Doesn’t Have To Be a Pain In The Butt

Post by Jan Graham

I often have discussions with friends and other people I meet about BDSM. It just seems to be a topic that comes up around me, especially now with some many people knowing about Fifty Shades. There are two statements that reoccur in many of the conversations. ‘I could never be a sub because I’m not into pain.’ and ‘I could never let a man hit me.’  

 Admittedly a lot of erotic romance does highlight painful pleasure and activities such as spanking. I include those in my novels as well, but the fact remains there are a lot of lifestyle practices that don’t include pain or impact play. For the sake of this post I’m sticking to D/s relationships as SM definitely falls into the pain category. In simple terms, Dominance and submission is about a consensual power exchange. How the exchange manifests is up to the individuals involved. Just like some subs don’t like painful activities, not all Doms like inflicting pain. Punishment doesn’t have to be corporal is D/s relationships and neither do sexual activities.

 

Acts that some people consider a little kinky are in fact based in D/s practices. Being bound, whether it is with a scarf or fluffy handcuffs and tied to a bed or having your body tied with rope in a shibari technique is an act of bondage.  It’s also an act of submission, giving control of your body and what happens next to a dominant partner. And what happens next doesn’t have to include, as some of my friends refer to it, being hit.

Sensation play with the use of feather ticklers, a pinwheel run lightly over sensitive areas of the body, the use of hot and cold substances like wax or ice cubes, being blindfolded and fed by your Dom all require trust and are forms of submission. If anything, these activities are far from painful and can be quite erotic. A Dom and sub engaging in orgasm control (i.e. a sub being denied orgasm, told when to orgasm or being made to orgasm repeatedly) is a popular practice in a lot of D/s relationships and can be achieved without inflicting pain.

 When it comes to discipline most people’s minds immediately go to spanking or other acts of corporal punishment. I like to explain the use of non corporal discipline in a D/s relationship as being similar to how a parent might punish a child without smacking them. The possibilities are endless. A Dom may command his sub to sit in the corner or on a punishment stool. Deny them something they particularly enjoy or require them to do something they don’t enjoy.

 

BDSM doesn’t have to be a pain in the butt and that’s something I like about Dominance and submission, the flexibility of it. There is something for almost everyone. It’s a lifestyle that’s as individual as all of us, whether you’re into pain or not.    

 

For those of you who’d like a titillating example of this form of D/s relationship some are included in my novel, Playing Jax. The books Dom, Steve takes great delight in resisting spanking Rhia, his prospective sub. Instead he engages in erotic acts of dominance to introduce her into the BDSM lifestyle before moving onto the more traditional spanking/impact activities. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below.

Excerpt from Playing Jax by Jan Graham.

 

Steve opened the wooden box and pulled out a razor, filling her with a sense of trepidation. She’d expected a disposable razor like she’d bought to use on her legs and underarms. The old- fashioned cutthroat razor looked like new. The steel caught the light as he unfolded it from the handle to reveal the blade.

“I inherited it from my grandfather.” Rhia gulped nervously, her eyes fixed on the shiny blade. “I will never do anything to endanger you, Rhia. Do you believe me when I say that?” He stroked her curls and tenderly ran his fingers along either side of her pussy lips.

Rhia’s heart pounded, a fragment of fear edging at her mind. She started into his eyes and glanced toward the blade and back again. “I believe you and I trust you. I was just expecting something plastic.”

He chuckled as he bent forward. He kissed her curls lovingly and whispered see you again soon against her mound. She closed her eyes as the razor moved between her legs. He trimmed away the excess hair, the blade never coming near her skin. She opened her eyes when warm water trickled over her sex as he moistened the remaining hair. The water soothed her skin, even as the heat of arousal began to build inside her. He applied the soapy lather to her skin using an old-fashioned shaving brush. Rhia moaned as his fingers moved gently over the area. The impersonal brush discarded, he massaged along the crest of her sex, fingers sliding along either side of her lips.

“You are so beautiful, baby, and so responsive, even to the gentlest of my touches. My cock is pounding in my jeans as I do this for you. It’s so damn hard.”

She watched him wipe his fingers clean of soap and once again pick up the razor. The skin pulled taught beneath his fingers and a shiver thrilled her spine as he removed the first of the hair. He shaved her effortlessly, like he’d done it a million times before.

She began to ache for him, moisture building between her lips. Her nipples peaked beneath her bra, and her breath became shallow as unfamiliar sensations flowed over her. She responded to everything he was doing, the water warming her skin, the creaminess of the soap against her flesh, the tickle of the brush, and then the coolness of the blade as it stroked over her.

“Oh my god, this is so…so…I don’t know what it is. It’s—”

“Erotic,” the word came softly from his lips.

“Erotic,” Rhia breathed the word and the blade of the razor once again slid over her taught skin. She heard the light scraping sound and wanted to sigh. “I don’t understand what’s happening. All you’re doing is shaving me.”

“I’m doing more than that, sweetness.” He kissed her inner thigh. She couldn’t hold back the groan that indicated her overwhelming arousal. “I am tending to your needs. I’m touching your sex. When you look down at me you see me watching the most intimate part of you. Your body’s reacting to the combined memory of what we’ve shared together, my possession of this part of you. The way I’ve stroked you with my fingers, my tongue, and my cock and the pleasure you experience from those acts.”

Rhia felt like she might come just hearing his words. His deep, husky voice sounded so sensual and when he gazed up from between her thighs, his eyes, filled with heated lust, sparkled the deepest shade of blue sapphire. Her pussy clenched at the sight of him. Warm water on the soft washcloth eased away the residual lather that tainted her skin. He cupped her now-naked mound, stroked across her, his long fingers easing between her lips.  

Purchase Playing Jax 

Also available from Amazon and B&N.

Getting my Domme On

People often ask me why I’m a sub and how I came to that realization. I find it hard to answer because, as with many people in alternate lifestyles, it’s just something I knew from a young age. I don’t want to go into nature/nurture debates or discussions about influences from my past affecting my desire to submit. Those things may or may not play a part, but for me submission is something I desire, need and love. It’s at the core of my being, an inherent part of who I am and I embrace it. Still, there were times when I use to wonder what it would be like on the other side of the spanking bench. I eventually got my answer and it confirmed one thing. Despite being able to look the part and act the part if I need to, getting my Domme on is not something I enjoy.

Around eight years ago a male submissive friend and I both went through a divorce at the same time. We spent many nights crying on each others shoulders, drinking, chatting and generally doing the things a jilted lover does when getting over a breakup…you know the sort of thing…bitching about our ex’s and plotting revenge.

After a little while it became clear that Lee (his name has been changed to protect the guilty), wasn’t handling not being disciplined on a regular basis. He’d tell me how bad he’d been, point out examples of his neglect to clean his apartment and numerous other tasks he’d been responsible for that, in the past, if neglected, saw him punished by his Mistress. In an attempt to help Lee out I eventually agreed to try and get in touch with my inner Domme.

I started out slow. Lee loved being berated, called names and generally being told he was a very, very, bad boy. So that seemed the easiest thing to do for him while he helped me learn how to use the cane and a few other impact toys he liked. I did things like demanding he clean his filthy bathroom before I use it. It wasn’t filthy but he didn’t seem to care that I told him it was. The first time I said it I watch his eyes light up with excitement, and I’ve never seen a man move so quickly to grab cleaning products, get on his knees and begin scrubbing a toilet. Come to think of it, I’d never seen a man clean a toilet until Lee did it. I’d also never heard anyone moan in ecstasy as they did housework and finish the job with an erection pushing at the front of their shorts before.

Image purchased from
DreamstimeStock Photography

My idea of this being the easiest thing to do for him turned out not to be true. I had to force myself to, in my mind, be nasty to him. To treat him like he was not up to par with the things he did. I wanted to say things like “let me help you,” and “I’m sorry I made a mistake, the bathroom’s not dirty, and you take care of the place wonderfully.” Of course that wasn’t going to help him. He wanted the demeaning criticism, so I did it, and felt like a bitch every time I did.

I reached a point where I knew I was as confident with the cane as I’d ever get and, as Lee kept telling me, there’s no better way to learn than practice on the real thing. So dressed in short black skirt, thigh high stockings, heels high enough to break my neck if I tripped over, a tight white shirt and fitted black blazer I walked down the drive to Lee’s apartment for our first ‘real’ play session. We both had catholic school backgrounds and Lee freely admitted that he liked being a naughty school boy, punished for his bad behavior by a domineering head mistress. We’d prearranged the session. One evening, on a night of my choosing I was to text him and say, ‘You’ve been a bad boy today. Stay in class until I get there.’ He would then set up the equipment and sit quietly waiting for me to arrive at his place.  I checked my hair, the bun was still firmly in place and I straightened my glasses as I opened the door. Lee sat near an old fashioned school desk, the cane and his much loved authentic catholic school spanking paddle lay across the front of the desk. There was a larger adult sized chair in front of the school desk which sat next to a large chalkboard on an easel. 

I took a deep breath. I could do this, Lee needed this, he was a friend and I was helping him. The fact I was so nervous that I trembled needed to be ignored. My mind raced and all I really wanted to do was sit next to him at the desk, dressed in my naughty school girl uniform and have someone else do the disciplining. It wasn’t going to happen because the disciplinarian for the night was me. Shit, where was my inner Domme.

After a severe verbal chastising, while Lee wrote on the chalk board twenty five times ‘I must not play with my penis unless commanded to do so by my Mistress’, the corporal punishment began. Lee bared his ass and lay across my lap for his paddling, then received his caning while bent over the school desk and finally received four strikes of the cane to his hands for messy writing on the chalk board. I was tentative at first, I kept checking in to make sure he was ok, his request to go harder with the corporal punishment made me more nervous than I already was. As the welts and marks began to appear on his flamed red ass, I had to force myself to continue with the scene. Once we finished Lee was all praise and appeared genuinely surprised when I burst into tears.

The whole thing had been a huge learning experience. I loved the scene set up but, in the role of Mistress, I knew I was on the wrong side of the desk. The sound of the cane and paddle against flesh made me tingle, but I wanted to feel the sting, not just hear the whoosh and smack. I loved the look of the marks on his ass but I wanted them on mine. I understood the euphoric release Lee so clearly experienced but I hated inflicting pain on my friend in order for him to experience that.

Throughout the scene I kept trying to get in touch with my inner Domme, sure that she was there somewhere and just needed the right set of circumstances to step up to the plate. That wasn’t the case because, as a result of helping Lee out, I realized a very important thing. I don’t have an inner Domme.

I am a submissive, and I’m proud to admit it.   

Excerpt from Playing Jax – An example of why subs not trained in using impact toys should be wary of offering to help a friend.

 “Damn it, Angel, just cane me so I can see if I like it.” Rhia thrust a cane into Angel’s hand and bent over the large vault where Meg was once again sitting. “Here, hold my hands in case it hurts.”

“I expect it will hurt. Not that you’ll feel it properly through those jeans. The denim will dull the blow. You need to take your jeans off,” Meg instructed.
“She’s right, but it’s better to leave them on, so I don’t mark you,” Angel advised.
Rhia stared between the two women as they discussed the pros and cons of denim or no denim. She made the decision for herself and for them.
“We’ll compromise. Jeans off, panties on.” Rhia lowered her jeans so they rested at her thighs and once again positioned herself holding onto her sister’s hand.
Angel moved behind her. Rhia braced herself only to feel a few light taps of the cane against her bottom. “Don’t just pat me, Angel. Let me have it, don’t hold back.”
She braced herself for the hit.
“Daniel always does this tapping before he canes me. It builds my anticipation and gets me all horny,” Angel stated.
“Well, the only thing it’s building in me is annoyance. Now cane me, darn it.”
Rhia fell to her knees, pulling Meg forward on the bench and nearly toppling her off. It was lucky that the rooms were soundproof because the scream that exploded from Rhia’s mouth was so loud Meg and Angel reached to cover their ears. Tears ran down Rhia’s face and she gasped for breath. How did a scream that loud come out of her when she had no air left in her lungs?
“Oh God, I’m so sorry, but you said don’t hold back.” Angel was next to her. Rhia had seen her drop the cane on the ground as she’d crumbled to the floor. “Let me see if there’s a mark.”
Rhia rolled over and eased her panties down so the two women could inspect her cheek. Their combined gasps told her she had a mark. Her sister’s actions confirmed it was a bad one.
“Shit, I’ll go get ice.” Meg ran from the room.
“What’s it look like?” She nearly didn’t want to ask, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. “Well, there’s a welt about an inch wide, no wait…it’s getting wider. It’s bright red, and it’s darkening around the edges, so you’ll have a bruise. No, wait…you have a bruise, and it will probably get a lot darker.” Angel gently touched the mark on Rhia’s ass, causing Rhia to flinch. Who knew Angel could hit so hard?
To make matters worse, Meg came bursting back into the room, followed by the Incredible Hulk. He insisted on inspecting the injury. The embarrassment of having a stranger look at her bare bottom was almost too much to bear. He didn’t touch her, thank goodness but when the flash went off, she almost wanted to cry. The pain was nothing compared to the humiliation she experienced. She had to leave her name and other details, as did Angel in case there were repercussions for the club.
She lay on the floor pressing the bag of ice onto her left cheek. If Angel could hit that hard, imagine what Steve would do. It wasn’t the least bit arousing, not like when Steve pinched her nipples. Maybe Angel hadn’t done it correctly.

For purchase links or to read more about my books click here

Let Me Introduce Myself...

Hi, I’m Nichelle Gregory and I like BDSM.

*smiles*

It has taken me years to get to the point where I feel comfortable enough to make such an admission. I’ve always been drawn to the stories where the heroine is either forced to submit or does so willingly as passion overrules and takes over. I’ve always loved the books where the hero got a little rough with the sassy damsel in protest.

I found I turned the pages faster when clothes and panties were wrenched off...when the heroine fought against her desires until she was forced to face them.

Forget the kind words...the sweet nothings whispered in the ear...

Give me a hero who talks dirty and fucks hard and I’ll turn those pages faster than you can say ‘nipple chains’.

Not all of my stories contain BDSM elements. I do enjoy reading and writing romance without it, but I’m no longer timid or afraid to admit I like BDSM.

Doll is my first published D/s erotic romance and this story will always be special to me because it marks a turning point in my life as an author...an author no longer afraid to explore and pen BDSM tales! Look for more sizzlin' hot D/s tales from me soon!

For now, I leave you with an excerpt from Doll.

Enjoy and it's nice to 'meet' you!

___________________________________

Blurb: She's only allowed to say, 'yes' and 'please'...

Rena Venoy has finally become a sex doll. For the next forty-eight hours, giving and receiving pleasure is her only purpose, fulfilling sexual fantasies her primary goal. That's until she sets her heart on becoming Raiden's one and only doll. To get her wish, he must bestow the ultimate honour she seeks and claim her as his. When she breaks a rule, Rena is devastated. Will Raiden chose her after all?

Excerpt:

"Congratulations, Rena. You've graduated, earning the coveted title of sex doll in a remarkably short span of time. You've been a delight to teach."

Rena bowed her head. "Thank you, Mistress Belle." She met the blue gaze fixed on her and blushed as feelings of pride and excitement rushed through her.

"Although this may seem redundant, it's still necessary for me to go over the rules. You do understand you will not be physically harmed at any time during your forty-eight-hour session?" She tapped a lacquered fingernail against her full ruby lips.

"Yes." Rena swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to the strawberry-hued nipples in full display as the half-naked blonde wrote on her clipboard. She admired everything about the woman's effortless sensual poise. A sliver of anticipation and nervousness skittered down her spine as she stiffened her own posture beneath the blonde's hard scrutiny.

"You understand the use of your safe word?" She pivoted in golden stilettos and walked back to her desk.

"Yes." Rena's gaze dipped to the glimpses of Mistress Belle's rounded, naked ass visible beneath the black latex micro-mini skirt hugging her hips. The woman's confidence and beauty took her breath away.

"You understand if you choose to use your safe word all activities cease and you will be free to go?" She lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow as she turned around.

Rena shifted her weight in her three-inch stilettos. "I understand." But I don't intend to use it. Her heart hammered in her chest at the unknown possibilities of what such 'activities' she'd be taking part in she'd be tempted to change her mind about.

"Finally, you understand the only words you'll be allowed to say are 'yes' and 'please'."

Rena nodded.

"You must verbalise your agreement, Ms Venoy."

"I agree."

Mistress Belle placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "Good. Take off your robe."

This is it, my last moment to walk away…

A moment passed as both women studied the other.

This was her gift to herself. She wasn't backing out now.

© Nichelle Gregory 2012 

* * * * 

Doll is available now with Total E-Bound Publishing!

Wanna read a little more? 

Click here for another HAWT sneak peek!

~~~~~

Author Bio:

Nichelle Gregory has been in love with books and writing since middle school. A lover of the arts, she enjoys anything that embraces the creative nature within us all. Bringing believable characters to life that thrill and excite her readers is a challenge that continues to push Nichelle. She loves creating stories involving super sexy alpha heroes with divine heroines in magical, exotic, and fantastic scenarios. 

So, gone on . . . Indulge your secret fetishes and desires with one of her simply sexy stories! 

~ I love connecting with readers, so don't be a stranger!

Visit my website http://www.simplysexystories.com 

Blog: http://www.simplysexystories.blogspot.com

Find me on: http://www.twitter.com/nichellegregory

And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nichellegregory