A Quickie With....Sandra Bunino

 

What exactly is “BDSM-lite”? I mean BDSM is BDSM, right? Actually, there are so many degrees of this sexual preference, you can be practicing it and not even know it! Let’s start with the basics. BDSM is an acronym combining the practices of bondage and discipline (B/D), dominance and submission (D/s), and sadism and masochism (S&M) (that last one sounds scary, doesn’t it?). There are a couple of fundamental constants with any BDSM activity. First, play must be safe, sane, and consensual (SSC), and second, a deep level of trust is imperative between the parties involved.

Think of BDSM like the game of trust you played as a kid. Remember when you stood in front of your friend and leaned backward? If he/she wasn’t there, you would’ve toppled over and made a complete fool or yourself. How did you feel before you purposely fell backward? Scared...excited...trusting? Sure, you wouldn’t fall backwards unless you were pretty damn sure that person would catch you. You trusted them implicitly. Same goes for BDSM. One person (the “sub” or the “bottom”) gives themselves over to the other (the “dom” or the “top”) without question.

So how is BDSM-lite different from hard core BDSM? Everyone’s definitions are unique but I like to think the “lite” version takes certain hard core elements and focuses on erotic sexy play rather than the discipline and pain infliction. The scene is playful, not serious. Take restraints for example. They can be in the form of a fluffy pair of handcuffs, the dom’s belt tied around the sub’s wrists behind her back, silky sashes tied to the headboard, velcro ankle restraints, or simply the dom pinning his sub’s hands over her head against the wall. Once restrained, they sub is at the dom’s mercy and just like in the childhood game, she must trust the dom to ensure she receives pleasure without getting hurt. The dom has the responsibility and pleasure of total access to the subs body to kiss, lick and tease her to his hearts content. Sexy, right?

Curious about BDSM lite? Check out my new series, The Satin Rose Experience (SRE). The introduction is the lead story in the Keyboards and Kink Anthology. Mia’s Submission (The Satin Rose Experience, book 1) continues Mia and Asher’s love story. Then meet Brooke, Ty and Jackson in Brooke’s Wish (available November 2nd).

Mia's Submission: Amazon UK I Amazon US

Brooke's Wish: Amazon UK I Amazon US

Contact Sandra:

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page / Twitter @sandrabunino

Following is sexy! 

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Blog Tour Guest Post: Jeremy de Quidt

It is my pleasure to have Jeremy de Quidt on the blog today. Check out his amazing guest post and links to his books below

Halloween Party Guest List.

My first worry was whether it should be a fancy dress party or ‘come as you are’? Fancy dress might just be a bit of a problem as the chances of having one guest come dressed up as another can’t be overlooked. Then there’s the question of food - vampires/blood, werewolves/raw meat - I decided in the end to go with pizza. There are a variety of toppings, it’s easy to heat up, you don’t need cutlery and clearing up won’t be that much of a problem. But by far the biggest worry for me of the evening will be getting to the end of it alive. 

So, I’ve gone for a ‘come as you are’, Halloween pizza party. The costumes aren’t really going to be needed if you think about it. 

First on my guest list is a little old lady with a sack. You find them in the stories of the Brothers Grimm, usually sitting at the side of a road through a forest, and they always mean trouble - you never want to offend one, but you won’t know whether to ask/not to ask what she has in her sack, or offer to help/not help her carry it. The one thing that is certain is that they take offence really easily, and when they do the consequences are usually not worth finding out about, but that sack is a bonus - it will be very useful when it comes to clearing up the paper plates and cups at the end. 

What seems so obvious a choice amongst the guest list that it really is a no brainer, are Bram Stoker’s Dracula and as a couple, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and his monster. But they aren’t actually that simple for me. Firstly, it’s Dracula for goodness sake! At some point in the evening he’s going to sink his teeth into my neck. I won’t even see it coming. One minute we’ll be chatting over a triangle of pizza and the next everything will be eldritch mist and the world of the undead. I suppose I could wear a wreath of garlic, but that’s hardly welcoming and more of an issue for me is that I’m actually allergic to it (no, really I am - it trebles my heart rate and makes me throw up.) 

Then, Dr Frankenstein and his monster haven’t been getting on too well of late - it’s not all high five's and air kisses, and frankly the monster hasn’t been looking that well. But I suppose that if I’m going to wear the garlic, I need to have at least one, perhaps two, qualified medical Doctors on hand, so I’ll be sure to invite Robert Loius Stevenson’s Dr. Jeykll as well. But even then I’m not so certain that’s a good idea - he’s been drinking a lot lately and has made a very unpleasant friend who sometimes accepts invitations on his behalf.

But while I’m making the list, maybe I should include a very old friend from Russian folk tale, Baba Yaga. She has the most interesting teeth and would be very good at eating up any unwanted scraps (or guests) that were left at the end.

And I make no apologies for my final guest of the moment – he’s of my own creation. I shall invite Valter, the little coachman from The Toymaker. After all someone will have to cut up the pizza, and Valter does carry a knife sharp as any razor.

There will be others, I’m sure of it. They won’t miss a good party, not on Halloween. And do you know what? I think they’re going to be the really scary ones. Like nightmares they’ll come even though they haven’t been invited.

So, make sure your doors are shut because when they’ve done at my house, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if they didn’t come tap tapping at your windows as well. Just be certain that you don’t let them in.

Happy Halloween

Thank You Jeremy! So many amazing characters and Dracula would be on my guest list aswell!
 

The Toymaker: Amazon UK I Amazon US

The Feathered Man: Amazon UK I Amazon US 

 

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Guest Post by Liz Rettig: Kelly Ann’s Top Dating Tips: What Not to Do.

Today on the blog we have Kelly Ann, the main character from Liz Rettig's Diary Series books. Kelly Ann is giving us some dating tips on what not to do. Hope You All Enjoy!!

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Guest Post: Marissa Meyer

The Sinister Side of Fairy Tales: Three of My Favorites

By Marissa Meyer

When I was a kid, maybe eight or nine years old, I was given a little book of fairy tales. Among them was “The Little Mermaid,” and I read it anticipating the perfect happy ending I’d come to expect from Disney.

Well, anyone who’s read Hans Christian Andersen’s version of “The Little Mermaid” knows where this story is going. There is no happy ending, at least, not one that involves kissing and wedding vows. And yet, this alternate, “true” version fascinated me. I wanted to know what other tricks Disney had pulled.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a peppy Disney movie as much as the next girl, but to this day, my favorite fairy tales tend to be the ones with secrets. The ones with dark symbolism and gory twists that have largely been forgotten in popular culture. And as I read and learned more about them, eventually taking a fairy tale literature course in college, their allure continued to grow.

“Cinderella,” which my first novel, Cinder, is based on, ranks among these, due to the horrific revenge inflicted upon the ugly stepsisters. First, when the prince comes calling with his glass slipper, the stepmother insists that her daughters mutilate themselves with a kitchen knife—one cutting off her heel and the other her toes—in order to fit the shoe. Then later, after the true bride (Cinderella) has been discovered and they’re all on their way to the wedding ceremony, a couple birds swoop down and peck out the sisters’ eyes, payment for their cruelty.

“Sleeping Beauty” is another favorite. This was a tale that I studied quite a bit in that fairy tale lit class, as it had been my favorite as a teenager, and I was stunned to discover that it’s rife with symbolism of sexual maturity. (Such as the needle drawing first blood… think about it.) But even weirder than that are the old, old versions of the tale—even pre-Grimm Brothers. In some of these old versions, the prince doesn’t awaken Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, but rather sleeps with and impregnates her. She doesn’t awaken until nine months later when her newborn twins are breastfeeding. Seriously bizarre, right?

And then there’s “Little Red Riding Hood,” which has, of all things, hints of cannibalism about it. In some early versions, after killing the grandmother, the wolf puts her blood in a wine decanter and some of her flesh in the pantry. When Little Red shows up complaining of thirst and hunger… well, you can guess what he offers her. And she accepts. Eww.

The fairy tale genre is riddled with examples just like this. Maybe it’s peculiar that these morbid twists on the tales have for so long held my curiosity, but to me it’s like being let in on a secret that’s been forgotten over hundreds of years, painted over with sparkles and glitter and happily ever afters.

I like a happy ending. I do. But I always want to know the sinister layers lurking beneath it, too.

Marissa Meyer is the author of Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles. Follow her on Twitter (@marissa_meyer) or become a fan at facebook.com/lunarchronicles and facebook.com/marissameyerauthor.

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Theresa Meyers Spotlight + Guest Post + Giveaway

Title: Shadowlander
Series: Shadow Sisters, Book 1
Author: Theresa Meyers
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Length: Novella
Launch Date: November 2011
ISBN: 978‐1‐937044‐50‐3

About the Book

Four sisters, three rules to live by, one big problem.

O’Connell Family Rule #1: Don’t let the Fae know you see them.
O’Connell Family Rule #2: Don’t talk to the Fae.
O’Connell Family Rule #3: Never, ever follow them.

Most people only believe what they can see. GiVed with the ability to see the deep, dark fae of Shadowland, Catherine Rowan Mary O’Connell would prefer not to. When the fae abduct her friend Maya, Cate breaks the sacred O’Connell Family Rules and sets a trap for the handsome fae who haunts her every step.

Rook, High Court Advisor to the Shadow King, has been following Cate since she was sixteen. When Cate reveals herself as one of the fabled “Seers”, Rook is stunned—she is one of the few that can permanently open the gates between their worlds. If he turns her over to the Shadow King, his court will rule the human realm.

Cate knows she has precious li`le Rme to find Maya. By midnight, the glamour of Mid‐Summer’s Eve will fade, leaving her trapped forever in the Shadowland, but Maya’s abductor won’t give up the woman he’s mesmerized easily.

The midnight hour is almost at hand. Cate must choose: her freedom or her destiny.

About the Author

Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!.

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Guest Post

Happy to be here at Totally Bookalicious! I don’t know about you, but I’m counting down to the days. There always seem to much to do and not enough month when it comes to December. And I’m not sure why that surprises me when really, it’s the same way every year.

But even in the midst of chaos, we can find those little moments of peace. You know the ones I’m talking about, when we curl up with a good book, a fuzzy warm blanket, and something hot to drink. Now I know you’re probably partial to your hot cocoa packet, but let me say, really, nothing beats homemade hot chocolate! (And yes, I’m a bit of a chocolate addict.) All the yummy without the guilt. Bonus! You’re getting antioxidants too! Here’s my recipe to share with you:

Heavenly Perfect Sugar-free Amaretto Hot Chocolate

1 Tbsp. Splenda

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp. Cocoa powder

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

Dash of salt

Mix the splenda, cocoa and salt in a mug. Heat the milk in a separate container for 1 to 2 minutes in microwave until hot. Mix milk into cocoa mixture. Stir. Add in extracts. Stir and enjoy!

Now my characters in my new Shadow Sisters series from Entangled, the O’Connell sisters, would probably omit the almond extract and have theirs with a few shakes of cinnamon, just like they do their coffee. If you want,  you can also make it plain (just keep the vanilla extract because that does make a difference) or with sugar (sub the Splenda with 2 Tbsp. of sugar). However you like it best is up to you – just like your books! May your holidays be filled with fun, friends, laughter and lots of lovely reading.

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Giveaway

Entangled Pub have kindly offered one lucky person an ebook copy of the book.

Worldwide 

Closes: 21st Dec

All you  have to do is fill out form below :)

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Blog Tour: Rayka Mennen Guest Post + Giveaway

Today it's our pleasure to Introduce Rayka Mennan. She is provided us with a wonderful guest post. And Entangled Publishing have very kindly offer an ebook of the authors book to giveaway to one of our followers. :)

Thanks for hosting me here at Totally Bookalicious. Destiny and Siobhan, I’ve enjoyed your debates on the various books covers you feature. Speaking of covers, I love both of mine so much, I even had t shirts made. When I saw the cover for Enchanted Destiny, I was so charmed. The cover artist had captured my image of Kat, my heroine, perfectly. And we hadn’t even discussed it. She had read the book though. So when she emailed me the cover to the sequel, Enchanted Desire, I was almost afraid to look. Could she do it a second time? Voila! She sure did. The image fits Gina, the heroine, to a T. The funny thing is, Heather bought that graphic after just hearing about the book. I hadn’t finished it and she hadn’t read it. 

I read a funny article the other day about a romance novel cover where the artist had forgotten to take off an arm, leaving us with the famous three-armed heroine. Ack! And have you ever read a book and looked back at the cover and thought…seriously? Someone thought that blonde looked just like the brown-haired heroine? Me too. I know ultimately, the writing is what makes the book. But I have browsed the shelves and not picked up a book because I didn’t like the cover. Now with the e-readers, that might be less of an issue for me. I spend less time browsing the book. I look it up, scroll down to read the reviews and buy with one click. 

So what’s the best cover you’ve ever seen? The best match between the main characters and what’s on the cover? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Cheers, Rayka 

www.RaykaMennen.com  

raykamennen@gmail.com 

About the Book

 

Title: Enchanted Destiny (Enchanted Destiny, #1)

Author: Rayka Mennen

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: Novella

Launch Date: October 2011

ISBN: 978-1-937044-42-8

Buy the Book

Amazon Kindle: UK I US

Barnes & Noble 

Destiny’s never looked so good…

Kat never believed she’d fall victim to her family’s stories about destined soul mates—she makes her own fate, thank you very much. When she walks by a construction site and admires the same sexy architect for the zillionth time in a week, the last thing she expects is to be slammed by a vision of his death.

Which activates the spell that will change their lives forever.

Jake is a single dad with a singular focus—create a stable life for him and his son. His ex-wife cured him of any desire to fall in love, but when an intriguing woman saves him from what should’ve been a deadly accident, he can’t shake his fascination. Too bad she’s crazy, claiming she’s a witch and that they’re soul mates—not exactly the “stable life” he had in mind.

Kat’s destiny comes with a deadline. If they don’t fall in love by her twenty-fifth birthday—a mere three weeks away—Jake will never find the peace he seeks and Kat will lose her magic forever.

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Ebook Giveaway!

International

Ends 14th Oct
Must Leave a blog comment answering the author question

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Guest Post: Author Andrea Buginsky

I have enjoyed writing all my life, but didn’t consider turning it into my profession until college. I grew up with heart disease, and had planned on going into the medical field to work with other children growing up with heart disease; but I wasn’t doing well in some of the courses required for my program. So, I had to reconsider my career goals. My sister said, “You love writing; why not do that?” And that’s when it hit me: she was absolutely right. I switched my goal to becoming a journalist. 

After earning my BA in Mass Communications-Journalism, I began working as a freelance writer from home. Over the last few years I’ve written web copy for several different web sites, including Associated Content, Gather.com, and Daily Glow. I also decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a book. My first attempt was an adult romance novel, but I could never seem to complete it, no matter how often I tried. Then I decided I wanted to write for children, and tried, unsuccessfully, to write a series of short stories. When that didn’t work either, I knew it was time to return to the drawing board. 

Then, one day, I was watching the movie “The Seeker: The Darkness Rises” on TV, and thought to myself, “That’s what I want to write: a fantasy for children.” At the time, I was playing a role playing game with some of my friends and family. I had the idea to use our characters and write my own story with them, creating a world I could call my own that they would live on and be sent on a quest to save. “The Chosen” was born from that idea, and four years later, it is my first published children’s book, available in both e-format and paperback. And people are buying it! They’re reading it, and enjoying it! It’s getting some great reviews, such as “a refreshingly different read” (Creativity Corner), “a cute read” (Lost for Words), and “a quick and rather fun read” (Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile).  That’s the best reward I could receive. 

After “The Chosen” was published, I decided to continue writing stories with those characters, and turn it into a series. I’ve recently submitted book two to Solstice. I’m also currently working on book three. I love working on the books, coming up with different adventures for The Chosen to go on, continuing to save their world from the chaos that seems to happen on it, and meeting new people. What I’m hoping to accomplish is to have kids looking forward to the next book of “The Chosen” series to be released, like they did when J.K. Rowling was writing “Harry Potter,” or Rick Riordan was writing “Percy Jackson.” I want my books to be available in bookstores for children of all ages everywhere to be introduced to and enjoy reading. 

I would also like to see some other books I have in mind become realities. One is another fantasy novel I started working on a few years ago about a girl who discovers that the legend of King Arthur, Camelot, and Avalon are real, and she is a part of it all. I’ve also been working on an autobiography about growing up with heart disease called “My Open Heart.” I’m hoping it will be a book that adolescents who are growing up with heart disease, or other chronic illnesses, as well as their parents, can read and see that someone in their situation survived the ordeals they’re currently facing. I’d love to be an advocate for them. 

Now that my hard work has paid off, and I’m at last a published author, I’m learning a harsh reality that writers have been learning for years: the work does not end when the book is published. In fact, I’m beginning to think that’s when the real work begins. The writing is hard, tedious, and often frustrating; but it’s also fun and rewarding. But once your book is published and available to readers, you also have to market it. That’s tough. Suddenly, you have to learn how to market your book, to let readers know it’s available. And you have to keep marketing it so that readers will find out about you and your book, find it, and read it. Word of mouth is not enough. You have to get out there and get your name in the limelight, whether it is in public or, thanks to technology, over the Internet. Since my book has been published, I have created my website with a blog, signed up for a Twitter account, which I never thought I’d do, and added an author page to Facebook.  It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m enjoying it. 

Writing is something that allows us to delve into other worlds, and create things the way we want them to be. If you’re interested in writing, or are starting to write yourself, just go with the flow. Write what you want to write, and not what others think you should be writing. Reach for the stars, and make your dreams come true. 

I’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions, thoughts, or comments, you can reach me through:  

My Website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

You can also leave a comment about “The Chosen” on Amazon or Solstice Publishing. 

The Chosen, available from Solstice Publishing: 

Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling.  When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to detroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she’s a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma.  Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures?  Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction?  Only time will tell

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Thank so you much Andrea for the wonderful guest post and thank you for taking the take to be part of the blog. :)

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