REVIEW: M.J. Lance's Ligature Marks

She might as well be wearing a dress of the same material as the wallpaper, that girl in your office who hardly ever speaks, that girl who is never wooed, that girl who is passed over for promotion and attention, even though she is very good at her work.  No one ever notices her.

   How does that shrinking violet spend her weekends?  Surely some nights are spent watching cult television programs—she seems to know a lot about Doctor Who.  But how else does she spend her time?  Probably with an apartment full of cats, but who really cares?  She’s boring and uninteresting, right?

   That is the impression we first get of Sarah, the protagonist of M.J. Lance’s short story, Ligature Marks.  And I might have been one of the many who strolled by without ever taking any heed of Sarah, but for Mr. Lance’s well-told tale.

   Mr. Lance’s writing is smoky and rich, and despite the story’s brevity, he manages to verbally saunter through it and take his time in the telling in a way that titillates Sarah, and titillated me, too.

   We first meet Sarah as she waits for a midnight train on a bone-cold night, wearing a short skirt and tee, her plump bottom mottled with bruises.  The mousy secretary has spent her Friday at a Fetish Swinger’s Club, and after enjoying some consensual carnal revels, she is heading home for the night.  Oh, we never really know what goes on inside a quiet girl’s head, do we?

   Sarah never counted on running into the Englishman, whose name we never learn, but whose nature is made perfectly clear.  The Englishman is the most engaging kind of sadist—the knowledgeable kind, with a firm, expert hand.  Sarah learns, and we learn, the difference between playtime in a recreational social club and the nerve crunching edge-play of the real deal.  Speaking from experience, I suspect Sarah will find playtime less satisfying in the future.

  M.J. Lance artfully escorts us through Sarah’s short jaunt, and I found the read well worth the time.  For an atmospheric and entertaining staycay, check out Ligature Marks by M.J. Lance.  I recommend it!  Click here.

PS This is the start of a collection, and the author includes links to contact him.  Much like Sarah, this story might be the start of a special, intimate relationship for all.

REVIEW: C.L. Knight’s new ebook, Naughty Little Rich Girl

   So, I woke up today, this gorgeous Sunday morning, and brewed a pot of coffee.  It was so nice outside, I walked down the driveway in my bare feet and jammies to get the paper.  (Yes, jammies—very erotic, right?  Can you stand it?)  It’s almost too beautiful outside now to be blogging, but I’m taking a moment before my jog to tell you all about a special treat I enjoyed this morning.

   Once back indoors, I put the paper aside—too nice a day to read about the world’s woes—and picked up the new ebook by C.L. Knight, Naughty Little Rich Girl.  It’s a short story about a chauffer who drives for an old millionaire businessman and his young trophy wife.  His fifth wife.

   I love the short story form—the M&Ms of literature.  Ms. Knight delivered on the implied contract of our author/reader relationship.  She delivered so well, in fact, that I crawled back into bed for a little solitary contemplation and internal review.  Yum—thanks Ms. Knight!  (Hey, yesterday was a Saturday night of HGTV and Ben & Jerry’s, so I’m entitled!)

   Zach, the chauffer, is filled with contempt for Tiffany, the trophy wife, but he can’t stop obsessing over her.  It seems Tiffany isn’t even aware of Zach’s existence until they lock eyes in the limo’s rear view mirror while she’s wiping her chin.

   I loved the voyeurism of the chauffer watching what’s going on in the back seat.  And when Zach tries to deal with his desire by hooking up with a blonde stranger in a bar, I identified with it.  I’ve been in that situation—the anonymous girl facing the wall with her shorts down and a stranger behind her—it was very real to me.

   I’ve been in the situation that Zach and Tiffany later find themselves in, too, except my high heels wouldn’t have been digging into Zach’s back.  (Sorry, boys, Chastity likes to kick off her heels before kicking up her heels!)

   So, for verisimilitude and raciness, I recommend this short traipse through C.L. Knight’s imagination.  I would have liked more description of Zach—I was left to do the “heavy lifting” during my solitary contemplation and internal review, but the fact that I was inspired to crawl back under the warm bedcovers is proof that C.L. Knight delivered.  Oh, and I want to rent a limo!

   At the end of the story, Ms. Knight asks if we’d like to see more of Zach and Tiffany, and I, for one, offer up a hearty “Yes, please!”

   To buy C.L. Knight’s new ebook, Naughty Little Rich Girl, click here!

   Ta-ta and MWAH!  Chastity.

REVIEW: Aislynn Archer’s new eBook, Party of Four

Talk about my lucky day!  Wednesday, as part of a Twitter promotion, I received a copy of Aislynn Archer’s new eBook, Party of Four.  Yay!  I hardly ever win ANYTHING!  How great is that?

So, I sat down after dinner and started reading the novella, figuring I would read a chapter or two, and then hit the elliptical before going to the pub for some drinks and, truth be told, some flirting.

Well, I never hit the elliptical, and I was late for the pub, but I still got in my flirting (hi guys <wink>). 

I could not put this story down.

Truth be told, I was only expecting some slap-tickle-gobble fun, which I am always up for.  Aislynn Archer delivers the slap-tickle-gobble fun with panache.  Moreover to my great delight, Aislynn Archer’s Party of Four is comprised of far more than slap-tickle-gobble fun—this is a tale with psychological depth and emotional heft. 

Ms. Archer’s background as a writer of romance pays huge dividends.  It is no mean feat to marry a BDSM story with a credible romance, but Ms. Archer pulls it off.

One would think the Party of Four conceit exists for some forced-bi action (yummy!) and some voluntary-bi action (also hot) and some vigorous tag-team efforts.  Sure, the situation lends itself to all that and more—as testament/confession, while reading my free hand did drift idly southward.  But Ms. Archer is too clever an author to be satisfied with only exploiting that opportunity.  Party of Four seizes the chance to contrast and explore two different dommes, and how their personas influence their playtime styles.  One is a gentle yet forceful coaxer, and one is a lover whose idiom is sadism.  For this exploration alone, the novella is worth the read.

But wait, there’s more!

There is an underlying mystery, of sorts, and a delving into the characters’ psyches.  Who’d have thought one could peer into a domme’s psyche by watching how she wields her whips?  Thankfully, Aislynn Archer did!

Aislynn teases one of her characters into a Joycean epiphany.  Find that in your run-of-the-mill BDSM erotic tale.  I dare ya!  I double dare ya!

I did, however, occasionally get lost and confused during some of the naked gymnastics, but that might be more a reflection on me than Ms. Archer.

Aislynn Archer’s new eBook, Party of Four, is a racy read with depth, and that experience is well worth the price of admission.

And I’m sure the guys at the pub Wednesday night appreciate the electric edge Aislynn Archer gave to my flirting!

I’ll be back soon, guys! <wink> <wink>

To buy Aislynn Archer’s new eBook, Party of Four, click here