Yee Haa. It's some hot cowboy sneak preview action on SatSpanks

 It's about time for another release and along with it comes a few SatSpanks sneak previews.

A year in the making (okay, yeah, I worked on a few other projects in between) but I at long last head back to Laramie, Wyoming, 1878 and the Silverbend Ranch to see what the Jackson clan is up to.  

This is Heath Jackson story, but his brother Aaron and his sassy bride play a secondary roll, as well as Luke, Letty and Henry.


In this snippet, we start at the beginning, with Heath having a very inappropriate fantasy, in a less than ideal place, about a mysterious stranger who turns out not to be such a mystery at all.  In fact, she keeps popping into his life, landing in the middle of one fix after another, and getting under his skin.  

But he resists:  she's too young, too innocent and a family friend.  She's also too damn hot for his own piece of mind.  

What's a hardworking cowboy to do?  

Now for a little snippet of Jackson's Justice  

(Proposed title, what do you think?) 

Without benefit of the skirt and whatever fripperies she wore beneath, he envisioned her curvy body bent over one of the benches…

Naked, with her bare bottom upraised, she trembled ever so slightly in anticipation. Stretching forward, she reached toward the bench seat, her breasts swaying freely, the glorious mass of her Titian hair tumbling over her shoulders and onto the cushions, spreading out like a fan.

Her toes pointed downward, straining toward the floor, but it was just out of reach.  As she balanced precariously, she provided him with teasing glimpses of the sweet treasure that lay between her thighs, the glistening pink flesh framed by a perfect thatch of red-gold curls.

She whimpered, breathless and eager for that first touch, for the fervent kiss of his hard palm on her rounded behind. 

Ever gracious, he didn't make her wait.  

Stay tuned to my blog or FB page for updates.  If you haven't read the first in the series, you don't have to, but you'll be glad you did.  I'm certain. 

Buy on Amazon

Maddie's Amazon Author's Page

Thanks for dropping by the blog hop today.  There's plenty more spanking fun to be found. Best get hopping.

Megan Michaels Takes the Plunge into Self-Pub on Wicked Wanton Wednesday

To self-publish, offer a book for pre-order, join Kindle Unlimited or not...  Decisions, decisions!  What's an author to do?  I turned to Megan Michaels who is wading into self publishing as we speak to find out.    

First, lets take a look at the finished product.  A brand new erotic story available for sale on 12/3.  

Finding Submission

Blurb: 

Preston Harrison is the picture of the gentleman Southern lawyer,  as handsome and affable, as he was strict and precise. His ordered professional life suited him and his temperament, not a thing out of place, not an event unplanned. But he was more than a lawyer though -- he was also a Dom, and he made sure his personal life and professional life never intersected. Never that is until his world is turned upside down by one Avery Beauchamp, a stubborn, adorable, and way too sassy pocket Venus.

Being the only daughter of a respected Judge should’ve set Avery up for a life of ease, of privilege. But Avery had a habit of not doing anything she should -- she only did the things she wanted. Marching to the beat of her own (very smart-mouthed) drummer had always served the headstrong girl well… until the day she ran afoul of a little thing called the law.

A strict southern lawyer and a color-outside-the-lines misdemeanor offender should have been like oil and water. But when a Judge’s daughter finds herself on the wrong side of the law, she’s presented with a choice: a fine and possible jail time, or an alternative sentence. Preston -- against his better judgment -- finds himself agreeing to the rather unique sentence for the wayward girl: house arrest for Avery.

There was one problem for Avery though: the house where she would serve her sentence wasn’t hers -- it was Preston’s. Worse, as she learns what working for the strict Preston Harrison really means -- and how deep her own repressed desires might go -- she fears that she might lose more than her freedom to the devastatingly handsome Dom. She might lose her heart too.

Note: This BDSM erotic romance includes the following acts or themes: bare bottom spanking and other corporal punishment, D/s, explicit sexuality, anal play, and BDSM activity including kitty/pet play. If these acts or themes might be offensive to you, please do not buy this book.

Megan is in the author's corner with some added insight from Trent Evans who helped her navigate the self publishing maze.  

There's a lot to cover, so let's get to it.

MT:  I understand that Finding Submission is a self published title.  Can you tell us a little behind your decision to branch out on your own?

MM: Self-publishing is something I think every author thinks about, but the nervousness of plunging in prevents us. We think: who will do my edits, formatting, cover, publishing, and, the most frightening, who will do my blurb?  The prospect of making more money is always a lure.   In addition, it is exciting to think about doing something like this on your own — or assisted, as I’m doing.  

When Trent Evans offered to assist me with the process of self-publishing, I leapt at the opportunity.  His goal is to assist and teach the process.  He wants to give the authors the opportunity to self publish on their own, or pay for assistance if it is more convenient for them. To that end, he’s offering everything from just some “handholding” while learning the process, up to handling all aspects of the self-publishing process.  I chose to have him have the all inclusive self-publishing package.  LOL  I am terrible at editing, so I definitely needed the complete editing process—line editing, copy editing, and content editing.   I also asked him to do the blurb, help me with the cover process and assist/teach me how to do the self-publishing on Amazon.  

MT:  Wow, that's a lot to take in already.  Talk me through it.  You’ve written your book, now what?  With a publisher, you upload, hit submit and wait.  What was your process and how long did it take?

MM:  Since Trent has been my beta for two of my three books, the editing was the same for me.  On his part, he went deeper into it, checking for plot holes, conflicts, inconsistencies, etc.   It has been five weeks in total since I submitted until preorder on Amazon, which is today!  He has two cover artists that he uses (and has a list of several).  The process was amazing and I was involved completely.  

Choosing the color scheme, matching the pictures to the characters, font, etc.   It was exciting to be so involved, and I’m just tickled with the end product.  I feel the cover speaks to the genre and evokes a BDSM and Erotica look.   Trent has explained the pros and cons of most things (not that I’ve understood most of them LOL) but I’m learning quickly.  

We were going to do Pre-Order on Amazon but the rules had changed for uploading and we missed it.  But, Finding Submission will be released on December 3rd on Kindle Unlimited exclusively for 90 days, then we’ll move out to other venues after the 90 days (Blushing, Kobo B&N, ARe, Smashwords, Exciticia

We had chosen to do Pre-Order and the benefits of it are:   As stated earlier, we had originally thought we would do the Pre-Order, but the upload deadline had changed and we missed it.  Next time!!  But here are the reasons for doing Pre-Order:   Trent:   The value of pre-orders on Amazon is a controversial one, and there are definite pros and cons to it, at least as Zon has it currently configured. We talked this over and determined that the pros outweigh the cons by a comfortable margin. I’ll list them below:

Pros:

1. The ability to collect “impulse buys” – especially when conducting pre-release/marketing activity – many of those buyers you may never see again otherwise. Readers forget, I’m a voracious reader myself, and I read metric shit-tons of books – but I’ll bet I’ve forgot to buy even more. There wasn’t a pre-order link anywhere when I stumbled across that awesome teaser/blurb/cover reveal/character interview – so I often just forget about it. I’m sure I’m far from alone in thatJ To me, as an author, capturing these impulse buys is the number one reason to do pre-orders.

2. Also-bought lists fill in before the book is even released, which means that once the book is published, Zon’s algos likely will start pushing the book internally faster. It’s possible – though there is not confirmation of this – that Zon begins pushing pre-orders internally before the book is even published.

3.  Though it doesn’t apply for this particular book (since it’s a stand-alone), pre-orders are potentially very powerful in increasing read through to subsequent books in a series. Imagine you’ve just read a kick-ass book, you’re out of batteries, but you want MOAR! How many readers, seeing that pre-order link in the back of that book for the next installment of that kick-ass series wouldn’t click that pre-order with a quickness? I say quite a few WILL – which is why having that pre-order link there to get that ultimate of impulse purchases is potentially huge. It’s a no-brainer for increasing read-through rates.

Cons:

1. There’s really only one, and on the surface, it appears to be a big one – but I’ll explain why looks are very deceiving here. The biggest objection to the preorder set-up on Zon is that while the pre-orders accumulate and and are dumped into your KDP dashboard as sales the day before your book goes live, the effect on ranking is more or less real time, meaning that as each pre-order is logged by Zon, it affects your bestseller ranking accordingly. Many people think this attenuates your opening day “juice” where theoretically those pre-orders might have been sales recorded on the first day of a book’s publication. If you look closely though, you;ll see that this is really no longer a problem.

The first and most important reason why I think this supposed “con” is actually not a big deal is that opening day launches mean, well, much, much less than they used to due to tweaks in Zon algorithms. I think of this algo tweak as the BookBub Killer (even though it really won’t kill BookBub at all). What I mean by that is that in the past, authors would line up as much promo as they could for that opening day in hopes of skyrocketing their book’s sales upward (notice how I didn’t say “ranking” – more on that later). This huge sudden surge in sales would be such that Zon’s algos would notice it, and (hopefully) start pushing the book internally.

This technique used to work very,very well, and services like BookBub arose to take advantage of it. However, Zon eventually got wise to this, and adjusted their algos sometime last year such that those one or two day “spikes” in sales were essentially ignored for purposes of determining whether or not the algos would take hold of a book and start aggressively pushing the book internally, largely in the form of improved 'also boughts', also bought placement, and targeted e-mail campaigns to Zon customers (we all get those e-mails from time to time, don’t we?).

The other reason why I don’t think this is “con” of pre-orders, is that I think rankings (as in bestseller ranking, the one we see on a book’s listing page), are a symptom of sales, NOT the cause of sales. A lot, and I mean a LOT, of writers seems to think ranking begets more sales, which begets better ranking. But I believe they’ve got it exactly backward.

I do not think Zon’s internal algorithms look ONLY at ranking to determine if Zon will begin pushing a book more aggressively internally. I believe that there is a whole panoply of metrics Zon’s algos probably use to determine what books it will give more “juice” to, and bestseller ranking, if it’s even factored in at all, likely gets very minor weighting.

Some of you will be calling bullshit right about now, but hang with me here. What reason would Zon have to make some arbitrary ranking threshold the reason its algos take hold of a book and give it a big push? Answer – they have none, because if it were that simple, it would be easy to game. What’s more, if bestseller ranking really was the determining factor in the algos conferring a push to a book, what is the upside of Zon advertising said ranking to anyone able to access Amazon.com? Again, zeroJ

It’s the same bitter lesson Google learned the hard way when they, early on, told everyone how it determined pagerank for websites; the entire SEO industry sprang up overnight, and gamed pagerank to DEATH. Zon learned from that fiasco, and I am confident in saying Zon has zero reason to give people such critical data in determining how it pushes this book or that.

In short, bestseller ranking tells us a book’s sales volume over time in relation to all the other books, and to a lesser extent, its sales velocity… and that’s about it.

Now, this is my opinion, and nobody really knows how Zon’s evil little algos make their determinations, but based upon what I’ve observed in the past three years, numerous anecdotal reports and analyses, and what logic would indicate, I think this is very plausible. This outta start a few discussions, no? 

We have chosen KU: 

Trent: After talking it over for quite some time, we’ve decided to open with KU first for two reasons. The first is that it’s now fairly obvious that Zon is giving increased visibility to KU titles. No, there is no hard evidence of this (there never is when trying to divine how Zon works), but the circumstantial evidence for this -- as well as logic -- indicates it’s likely occurring. Since the first 90 days are the most important for sales at the most important retailer, it makes business sense to open in KU first and take advantage of whatever additional horsepower having the book in KU affords.

The second reason is a more minor one – it’s simply easier logistically to go wider after KU than it is to take a book down from existing retailers and then go exclusive with Zon for a KU run. Additionally, starting with KU, then going wide is less confusing to readers.

There is a serious problem with KU, one that gets worse with each passing month, and that’s the declining payout per borrow. Oct (the latest available borrow data) pegs the per borrow amount at $1.33. IMO, there is no reason to expect it won’t go even lower, until Zon sees enough authors pull their books out to materially affect the selection available to readers subscribed to the KU service. Nobody knows when (or if) that might occur.

The current borrow rate is of course much less than a writer might see when self-publishing a novel at $4.99 (you’d expect a net of about $3.49 per sale, before delivery fee), and on the surface makes KU look like a very bad deal for novelists. However, each writer has to judge whether the increased visibility one gains from having the novel in KY outweighs what is, in effect, a rather large cut in profit (this assumes, of course, that borrows do to a large extent, cannibalize sales – which is itself a controversial position). I won’t open that can o’ worms here though J

Bottom line for us is that we do feel that the increase in visibility does outweigh the potential cannibalization of Zon sales, and foregoing the few sales we might see at other retailers. That said, it’s a very close run thing – if the borrow rate drops down near $1.00, it ceases to make any sense whatsoever to put novels into KU.

MT:  Scary, intimidating, overwhelming...  These are the emotions I feel when just thinking about going it alone.  What were you feeling as you went through the process? 

MM:  Well, if I was truly alone, I would have been petrified.  But Trent has been very supportive and truly spends a lot of time teaching and explaining the process to me.   Many days there are too many words LOL.  It takes a while to ingest the process and everything that goes with it.   I have had my days where I have been very nervous, but I then remind myself of all the benefits of doing it this way—venturing out into something new (is always a plus), learning a new skill, more money, and satisfaction of being independent. 

I was so excited seeing my new cover, I can’t even describe it.  I just kept looking at it over and over and over.   There was a definite satisfaction in being involved with every step of the process.  And I’m sure I’ll be excited next week when it hits Amazon.  

MT: What have been the biggest pros and cons in the whole process?

MM: The pro to me has been the involvement in the process and learning a new skill.   As well as knowing that I will reap a financial benefit.   The cons would be the nervousness of trying something new and the newness of KU.   There is still an unknown factor with KU but from what I’ve been reading out there, it seems like it’s the new wave and the way to go – for now J. 

MT:  There has been a lot of discussion in social media and the blogs of late about changes in the ebook industry, including difficulties with self publishing and also the recent crack down on erotic content including titles, cover art, and the scary Amazon dungeon.  How have you been affected and what do you see as the future impact on authors?

MM:  Amazon seems to be cracking down on anything that they feel is questionable, but they refuse to let people know what falls into that category—it seems that side boob, “O” mouth, butt crack, breeder, slave, etc are of issue.   I personally haven’t had anything that went to the dungeon, but have watched close friends suffer from this.   When we were making this cover, I specifically said I didn’t want too much skin or side boob or butt. Amazon keeps tightening the reins and I see them continuing to lock out sub genre after sub genre.  

MT:  You answered most of my Kindle Unlimited questions earlier, but there still seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the whole KU experience.  does that make you anxious moving forward?   

MM:  As I said earlier we are going to publish my book with Kindle Unlimited.  There is still a lot not known about it, so that’s nerve-wracking.  But it seems that they are doing their best to lure authors and readers into it.   KU definitely gives authors a wider range of exposure to new readers and even if they only read 10% we get a percentage.  In addition, there are financial incentives for authors who do well in the rankings and sales.   It is my hope that the lack of sales in Blushing, Kobo, ARe, B&N, etc., it will be made up with the increased exposure through KU. 

Feel free to contact Trent Evans for questions about the assisted self-publishing services he is offering at:  Trentevansletters@gmail.com

MT:  This was a lot of serious, technical, business info to take in.  I don't know if I feel better or worse <wink>

 How about we finish up with some fun stuff:

Tell me 5 fun facts about yourself that would surprise us if we knew, sexy or mundane is up to you…

MM:  I have been practicing D/s with my husband and although I don’t consider myself a meek submissive, I am enjoying being a sassy submissive.  LOL

I have three dogs that I love to dress up for the holidays.  Read:  torture.

I had my first pedicure and manicure when I was 40, and I’m totally addicted to getting them done.

I’m ridiculously afraid of spiders, I mean scream like a little girl and throw anything that is in reach or in my hand at it to kill it.  Screaming the whole time.  And I will not stop, until there is a dead body. 

I coordinated, decorated, gathered dozens of volunteers, dressed up, and busted my ass for Breakfast with Santa and Holiday Lane (shopping area) for my kids’ elementary school for six years!!

MT:  What fun!  First of all, sassy submissive usually equals sore butt so my follow up question is do you have to stand up to tackle the "shit-ton" of books that you read???  Do tell?  LOL

Second, I can forgive you arachnophobia but not dressing your poor pets into frou-frou outfits, puhleez, Megan.  Where is Dr. Doolittle when we need him so they can tell you how they really feel about that.  haha 

Informative interview Megan and Trent, thanks so much.  Come back, Megan, when you have buy links and bring a hot excerpt to share.  Can I pencil you in for 12/3?  LOL

  

An Exclusive Interview with a Dominant on Wicked Wanton Wednesday

Have you ever wanted to get into the head of a dominant man, root around and see what makes him tick?  Today is your chance.  In this exclusive interview with James Collier, co-author and inspiration for "I am a Dominant" with Maggie Carpenter, we do exactly that.  

Take a rare peek into the mind of a Dominant

“I spank for pleasure, and I spank for punishment. The choice is yours.”

~James Collier

James Collier is a London based Dominant, and in this rare, unapologetic exposé, James opens up his life and shares his feelings, his perspective, and even a sampling from his “Directives And Things To Remember,” a list given the women who choose to surrender to his skilled, sensuous hands.

A man who loves Keats as much as The Rolling Stones, James is a disciplinarian and is quick to punish, as his tale of a public spanking makes abundantly clear, but he is also as romantic as he is strict, and he shares stories that will touch your heart.

Journey with James as he spanks with gusto, makes love with passion, and gives us a glimpse into the life of an old-fashioned but modern-day Dominant.

I was, and have remained throughout my life, a shoe buff.  At the time I could ill-afford the expense of exquisitely handmade footwear, but I had indulged my passion a few months before.  Using the fine, soft leather sole on her backside was immensely appealing, and gripping it firmly, I slid it over her white, virgin cheek.

“You’re using your shoe?” she quivered.

“Indeed! Overspending is one thing, but allowing yourself to be at the mercy of a strange man is something else entirely, and deserves to be dealt with.”

“But-”

“But nothing.  You know I’m right.”

“Yes, Sir, you are right, I’ve just never been spanked with anything other than a hand.”

“Perhaps that’s your problem. Perhaps your discipline hasn’t been adequate, but I’m not interested in participating in anything you’re not completely comfortable with. Should I let you up?”

I had sounded so much older and more experienced than my years, and where it came from I had no clue.

She groaned and squirmed, battling with the question, and I sat, waiting patiently, continuing to slide the sole of my beautiful footwear over her waiting cheek. 

It was a delicious moment of perverse pleasure; my cock was screaming for attention, her scarlet cheek and its milky-white twin were nestled side-by-side, and I knew her desperation to avoid the shoe was just as fierce as my craving to slap it down.

“No, Sir, I...uh...don’t want to get up,” she finally squeaked.

Her desire for the hard discipline sent a new wave of excitement through my loins, and raising the shoe just a few inches from its target, I flicked it down. I heard the stifled cry, and knew it must have held a keen bite. I delivered three more fast swats, and she kicked out her legs, hissing between her teeth. Not wanting to be cruel, and having no idea just how much the shoe leather burned, I decided to offer just a few more before stopping.

       

“Am I making my point?” I asked, pausing to give her a moment to catch her breath and allow the pain to be fully absorbed.

“Yes, oh, yes, yes,” she panted. “You’re right, you’re right, it’s a really stupid thing to do.”

“Good, I’m glad we’re on the same page.  Three more, then one on each side where you sit.”

The shoe spanked it’s triple a tad slower than the previous three, then delivered two more on the sensitive crease where her thighs met her seat.  She threw back her head, then her hand, and I allowed her spread fingers to rest on her newly scorched skin.

“Oh, Sir, Sir,” she bleated, “I’m dreadfully sorry, I don’t even know you, but you’ve made such an impression.”

I closed my eyes, feeling the divine satisfaction, but it was only a minute or two; my cock needed attention. I looked around the room, trying to decide where and how to ravage her, and as if reading my mind she squirmed her head around for a second time.

“Please, Sir, please will you have sex with me?”

Have sex with me?  It was such a polite request, and it brought a wide smile to my lips.

Buy Now on Amazon 

Maddie's Intimate 

Authors Corner

I  jumped at the opportunity to do this interview because how often do we get to crawl around inside a dominant's head.  A million and one questions came to mind, but I had to limit it to a reasonable few.  

Without further I ado, I present James Collier... 

He is the Dominant.

Thank you James, and of course, a big thanks to Maggie for making this possible.  First question...

What do you enjoy most about BDSM?

James:  My first thought; the exquisite pleasure I give and derive. The feelings are indefinable and indescribable.  I believe the bond in a D/s relationship is like none other. (It is not my intention to impugn the institution of marriage, I have not been married so cannot comment about how it feels).

The trust and connection that exists between a Dominant and his submissive, when the relationship is deep and abiding, is extraordinary; at this point in my life, in addition to what I wrote above, that is what I enjoy the most, the bond, the trust, the connection.

Maddie:  I often ask authors if they are plotters or pantsers (flying by the seat of their pants).  I imagine that could apply to Doms as well.  What are you?  Do you plan a scene methodically, wing it, or is it something in between?

James:  There are two answers here.

 If I’m turning a fantasy into reality, I take great care in making it as close to the desires of my submissive as possible. Small details matter, and I discuss it at length, making sure I have a clear understanding of her vision.

If there is no fantasy involved, then there is no plan, just a vague feeling of what might transpire. I am guided by instinct, by the mood, by my submissive’s responses, so for me, to have a plan is counterintuitive.

Maddie:  Is sexual intercourse/gratification a requirement for you to take pleasure in an SM scene?

James:  No, not at all, though it’s always nice to have dessert.

Maddie:  How would you describe your style as a dominant; strict, sensual, permissive, ect.

James:  I’m a very patient person, but I do not take kindly to having that patience tested. I can be very strict when I deem it necessary, but I am an old-fashioned romantic...roses, chocolates, opening doors, helping with coats, pampering, all of the gallantry that many, both male and female, have attempted to quash over the last 15-20 years.  I don’t see myself as permissive; I have guidelines and I expect them to be followed.  I am also extremely sensual, which goes along with my romantic heart. 

How I am perceived as a Dominant, though, would probably be described differently by the women with whom I’ve been involved. I think we all bend somewhat, to fit within the parameters of a relationship; I believe both men and women do that.

Maddie:  How do you view BDSM as a part of your life? A hobby? A lifestyle? For relaxation? A diversion? An integrated aspect within you?

James:  As I see it, BDSM is a label that describes the activity associated with being a Dominant or a submissive. I am a Dominant, wholly and completely.  I know there are some who can live in a vanilla relationship and deal with it, I am not one of those people. Being a Dominant is who I am, not just what I do.

Maddie:  What are some of your personal limits as a top?

James:  This is a very complex and interesting question, and Maggie and I discussed including an episode that would have addressed this, but it was a bit...unattractive (for lack of a better word).

How to be succinct? Unfortunately there have been submissives who have required more physical punishment than I desired to give. I saw it as abusive.  This is where incompatibility comes in. I try not to judge, but there have been times when I have been presented with a line I would not cross, and in one instance I had serious concerns for the lady in question.

Another way to answer might be this example. I am not an advocate of the cane, which I suppose goes against the stereotype of an English Dominant. I do have one, and have used it on occasion, but three strokes, delivered well, are as many as I believe are necessary.  To me, more is overkill.

To summarize, I will not do anything that I see as crossing the line into abuse, but of course that line is relative.

Maddie:  Aftercare, what are your thoughts about it and what do you get out of it the most?

James:  What an important question. Aftercare. The time of ultimate intimacy (at least, for me.)

I give the submissive whatever her heart, body, soul and mind needs and wants, and I always ask. Whatever she desires, whether it be holding her for an hour, making her a cup of tea (yes, that has been asked of me. After the stroking and hugging, it was served to her in bed with crumpets and honey on a tray), and aftercare lasts long past that hour or two following the episode.

The intensity of the episode (sorry, I don’t like the word scene, it reminds me of the theatre and I don’t see what I do in that light) determines the depth of the aftercare, and it is all about her. 

What do I get out of it? Very big sigh here...the joyful pleasure of showing my submissive that she is treasured, and the reassurance that I have given us both what we need.

Maddie:  There are wannabes, abusers and frankly, some SOB’s out there.  How would you advise a submissive to identify these Dom posers in her search for that special one?

James:  Great question, and an important one, and I appreciate you allowing me to weigh in on this.

First, subs aren’t the only ones who can fall victim to a crazy person. In the book I share an experience I had with a woman who could have caused me a great deal of grief.  Fortunately I got out in time, but only because some friends of mine knew about her and warned me, though I was, at the time, determining how best to extricate myself.

Now, if you would, please just give me a minute while I climb on to my soapbox

Sadly, many (if not most) of the Psycho-Doms (my general term for abuser’s, SOB’s and the like) know how to play on a woman’s emotions, and suck them in with charm, hiding the devil inside until they have her head spinning.

I would advise men and women, vanilla, Dominant or submissive, to do some general reading about narcissists and sociopaths.  There is a ton of information on the web, easy to understand and assimilate.  Most Psycho-Dom’s are either narcissists or sociopaths, sometimes even a narcissistic sociopath. 

Google, “How to spot a narcissist,” then google, “How to spot a sociopath.”  You find similarities, and both are extremely destructive personality types. 

They are incredibly adept at being charming and sensuous, and can mimic emotion as well as any Bafta winning actor, (or in your case, Oscar winning actor) but knowledge is power, and even a small amount of information might help you identify them should they cross your path.

There is a figure being quoted in the US that estimates 25% of the population is narcissistic/sociopathic; that’s 1 in 4. It’s an alarming statistic.  I cannot find a figure in the UK, but I suspect it’s probably similar.  Forewarned is forearmed. Learn the signs and this will not only help you with potential partners, but in your life generally.

I’m climbing off my soapbox now.

To finish, (because the last words are usually the ones most remembered) listen to your instinct.  There are two examples in the book where I didn’t, and suffered the consequences. If you feel something is off, don’t dismiss it because he has such a sparkling personality. If you’re feeling it there’s a reason. Proceed with caution, watch and pay attention.

Maddie:  What was your favorite part of working on the book, is there anything included about which you’re now having second thoughts, and what is your least favorite element (if you have one).

James:  Looking back on one’s life is a double-edge sword. Reviewing the choices made, tragedies, triumphs, and bittersweet memories can bring both delight and a touch of sadness.

 I suppose my favorite part was taking a step back and viewing my growth as both a Dominant and a man, and recalling things I’d forgotten...it was rather like turning the pages of an old photo album discovered in a closet. 

Of concern: there is something I did - a grand gesture - for a very special woman. It was extremely sentimental and since Maggie left most of the decisions up to me, when she pushed for this particular incident to be included I knew she felt it was important.

I was concerned that it was too over the top, that not knowing me the reader might think it out of character for a Dominant. There are two sides to me to be sure, and including the episode highlighted the softer side of me. 

It felt strange when I read it, and still does...a bit.  As I just wrote that it dawned on me; perhaps it feels strange because it was such an profound and personal moment, it’s almost a bit embarrassing, but having said that, I am very proud of it as well, so...

The only thing that bothers me, is that I wouldn’t say, call me on my cell, I would say, ring me on my mobile. I spell certain words differently, behaviour, not behavior, etc, but for reasons Maggie and I discussed, I let these minor items pass.

May I indulge a moment here, and say thank you, Maddie, for allowing me to speak. To respond to these questions has been a truly thought-provoking and interesting experience.  Thank you. 

Maddie:  It was my pleasure James.  As we conclude, I want to wish you and Maggie great success with I am a Dominant.

I feel certain your candid answers will spark my readers interest such that they hop on over to Amazon and 1-click to learn more.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Thank you so much.

Meredith O'Reilly is in the Author Spotlight with Learning to Be Little Again

I'm thrilled to have Meredith O'Reilly returning for an encore appearance that coincides with her new release; Learning to be Little Again.

A new friend, peer and fellow Stormy Night author, Meredith brings a lot of energy and excitement to both her writing and her social media presence.   According to Meredith, she is currently only writing age play stories, however, she is trying to branch out and find another genre of stories to write.  

Although I'm of the belief 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.  I could easily see contemporary spanking romance and possibly a wild spanking western in her future.  What do you say, Meredith?  

We'll have to wait and see, won't we?  In the meantime, we can enjoy her wonderful age play stories and happily she has brought along a sample of...

Learning to be Little Again  

By Meredith O'Reilly 

Twenty four year old Juliana once loved being a little, until the cruelty of the man she had called daddy broke her heart and she decided to never be little again. But when she fails to take care of herself and becomes ill, a worried friend brings her to Dr. Robert O’Connor, claiming that he will understand what she needs. Juliana is embarrassed and nervous, but to her surprise, Robert gives her a teddy bear and tells her a fairy tale to help her relax. Though the exam is intimate and thorough, Juliana feels safe the whole time and hopes afterwards that she’ll see more of the handsome doctor.

From the moment Robert heard about Juliana’s past, he wanted nothing more than to take away her pain and make sure she never has to worry about anyone hurting her again. He is thrilled when he asks her out and she shyly agrees. Though Juliana claims she doesn’t want to be a little anymore, he longs to prove to her that age play with him is nothing to fear. Robert is a patient man, and before long Juliana is calling him “daddy”, playing with her dolls, and coloring. He delights in taking care of her every need, dressing her in footie pajamas, and brushing her hair. Even when Juliana is disobedient and Robert has to put his baby girl over his knee and spank her bare bottom, it is always followed by plenty of loving hugs and cuddles.

Soon Juliana is eating more and sleeping better, and feels healthier than she has in a long time. But when the man who once abused her skips bail and threatens to hurt her if she continues to see her new daddy, she becomes terrified. Will she ever be free to relax in her daddy’s arms, knowing he will keep his little girl safe from everything and love her no matter what?

Publisher’s Note: Learning to be Little Again is a stand-alone sequel to Little Samantha’s Choice. It is an erotic romance novel that contains spankings, age play, medical play, anal play, sexual scenes, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

Excerpt:

Juliana and Robert are at the end of their first date and neither of them want it to end!

“Thank you for a wonderful night,” she said, opening the door.

“You’re welcome. Thank you too.”

“You’re welcome.”

We stood there, like two fools. I didn’t want to leave and I could tell that she didn’t wanted me to leave yet either. So I decided now was as good as time as any to follow my instincts. I gently grabbed her face in my hands and brought my lips down to hers. Her lips were so soft. She tasted like the sweetest thing I’d ever tasted and all I wanted was more. My tongue licked across her bottom lip, and when she hesitantly opened her mouth, my tongue dove in.

I felt her hands slide up into my hair and tighten. This was perfect. I pulled her closer to me, wanting to deepen the kiss.

I wanted to stay like that forever, connected to this beautiful woman, but I knew we couldn’t… tonight. I pulled away, both of us panting for air.

“W-wow,” she whispered, touching her swollen lips. 

Just like that, my pride swelled as I knew I’d been the one to put that look on her face. “Yeah, wow.”

“Do you want to do this again tomorrow?” she blurted and then I watched as her face turned bright red.

I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face. She was just too adorable for her own good. “Absolutely. I’ll be here at six again, if that’s okay with you.”

“That works great for me.”

“Alright. Now I want you to lock this door right after I leave and go straight to bed. You need your sleep, doctor’s orders.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Goodnight, Juliana,” I said, opening the door and stepping out of it.

“Goodnight, Robert,” she said as she closed the door.

I waited to make sure I heard the click of the lock. When I did, I walked to the elevator. As I waited for it, I couldn’t help but think once again how perfect Juliana was for me. She was shy at first, but once I got her to open up, I could tell she was someone who was adventurous and full of life.

Right now, though, she needed a strong hand to guide her in the right direction and to take care of her. I would have no problem with that.

Buy Now on Amazon 

You can contact Meredith from one of these links!

Meredith's blog

Follow Meredith on Twitter

Follow Meredith on Facebook

Meredith's Amazon Author Page

Meredith on Goodreads

A little Thanks!

Hi Maddie! Gosh, it feels like forever ago that I’ve been planning to come on your blog, but one thing or another got in the way of it. Now I’m finally here, that’s what matters. Thank you so much for taking the time to have me on your blog! J

Author Bio

Meredith O’Reilly is a rather new author. She still can’t believe that she has had two stories published. As of right now, she is currently only writing age play stories, however she is trying to branch out and find another genre of stories to write for.

In her spare time, Meredith goes to school, watches a little too much Netflix, and experiments with learning how to cook new things in the kitchen. Mostly she tries to balance her life between school work and author work. That’s a task that is easier said than done, most times.