Blog Tour, Excerpt, and Giveaway: The Big Book of Submission

Title:The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Genre: Erotica, BDSM
Release date: July 15th, 2014
Publisher: Cleis Press
Length: Paperback, 364 pages
Source: Rachel & Cleis Press


Book Description via Goodreads:

Submission takes many forms in this collection of 69 short stories, from straining in bondage to taking a spanking, being put on display, and beyond. By turns bratty and worshipful, these submissives will go to great lengths to fulfill their naughtiest fantasies and are rewarded splendidly by their masters and mistresses. A student returns to show his former teacher who’s really in charge, a photo shoot becomes an opportunity for erotic games, and a man revels in his wife’s past as a former dominatrix. These brats, masochists, and hungry-for-sensation subs go above and beyond for the ones they adore, pushing themselves to new limits while their devious dominants put them through their paces. Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, these short stories sizzle with the tension of erotic power play, commands followed, and service willingly performed.

Excerpt:

From Lariat by Michelle Augello-Page

I couldn't move. Pain flashed through my body. The stretch in my arms and legs were severe. He didn't touch me. He just looked at me. His face was sensuous and cruel as he circled me. I was helpless, at his mercy. He could do anything he wanted to me. He had me knotted tightly and bound, completely exposed to him.

"Do you really want this? This is how it is with me."

He walked around the bed, holding a crop, never taking his eyes off me. The lashes from the crop stung my skin. He was hurting me. I wanted him to hold me. I wanted him to touch me. Tears sprang to my eyes. Waves of sensation rippled across my skin. Then the lashes felt like little bites, sharp kisses. I realized that he was already touching me. Intensely. I realized that he was already holding me, more securely than I had ever been held in my adult life.

"Yes," I said through my tears. "This is what I've always wanted."

He freed me, released the ropes binding me, then gathered me into his arms as I cried. "You are mine," he said softly, keeping me bound in his close embrace. Then he kissed my tears, pressed his body against my body, and encircled me with his ruthless and protective love.

Buy it now on Amazon:

Review:

★★★★★

Four and a half stars.

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It has gotten to the point in my erotica reading career that when I see Rachel Kramer Bussel's name in my email inbox, I quiver in anticipation like a kid on Christmas, eager to unwrap whatever she has next. I was so excited when Rachel and Cleis Press sent me a copy of this book (in exchange for an honest review of course), and I ate it up right away. Why this particular title, you may ask? Well, I identify as a submissive. Ever the bratty little narcissist, I was enamored with the idea of a book of erotica short stories celebrating me!

This anthology is a thick book consisting of 69 hand-plucked kinky tales that all deal with submissives. However, that is the only trait they share. This book has stories and relationship pairings to suit every level of desire and each sexual orientation. There are softer stories, and there are ones that made me wince in the best kind of sympathy pains (I've been there, fictional submissives. I feel your pain). There are stories that contain heterosexual couples, lesbian couples, male/male pairings, and combinations of the bunch. Whether your fantasy is leather, ropes, voyeurism, Femdom.... You like it? The Big Book of Submission has a story waiting for you.

The Big Book of Submission is one of the best erotica collections that I have had the wicked pleasure of enjoying. I'm not going to go into a break down of each of the 69 stories, but I will say that "Sunday in the Art Gallery with George" by Elizabeth Coldwell and "Dear Sir" by Kay Jaybee deserve a special shout out. Coldwell's story is about a bratty submissive who gets punished when she cannot behave herself at an art gallery, and Jaybee's story is written as a letter from a 40 year old submissive to her Dominant, expressing herself beautifully about her feelings about an escapade the two (and a guest) had had.

If I didn't enjoy a short story as much as another, it was simply because I either wasn't feeling the point of view, or it was written about something that is not my particular fetish. I can't win them all.

Another great thing about this collection is that these short stories are not related at all, other than the central theme. This means that you can stop reading at whatever point you'd like. You can jump around and skip stories, because they are each independent. This is great for when you just want a quickie read, say in between classes (like myself).

And though this has absolutely no reflection on the writing inside, I adore the cover of this book. Look at it! Yum.

I would recommend this anthology to anyone who is interested or turned on by BDSM relationships. The heat level is sizzling and the variety of tales is wide. Obviously, this book deals with sex and BDSM themes, so if those types of things bother you, than this is NOT the book for you. Thanks again to Rachel & Cleis Press for my copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Follow the rest of the blog tour for more teasers and fun by clicking here.

Giveaway:

Rules:
-This giveaway will run from August 26th to September 2nd, 2014
-This giveaway is US ONLY
-This giveaway is open to those 18+
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Slave Girl by Lisa Cach

Title: Slave Girl (1,001 Erotic Nights #1)
Author: Lisa Cach
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: July 28th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Pocket Star



★★

Two stars.

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I got this book because I love two things featured in it: sex and Rome. I'm a Classics minor, and I have an obsession with things that are in any way Greek or Roman in nature. Plus an erotica on top of it? Sign me up. Unfortunately, I didn't like this nearly as much as I wanted to.

That beings said, it did have some high points going for it in some aspects. I really, really like the concept of this book. A man has been training his slave for years, getting her ready so that he can take her virginity. Only, she gives it to someone else against his orders, someone not even of the same side in politics. I really liked the world Cach created as well. The outfits were well described, as were the people and the places around them. It was really easy to place yourself in the story.

But then things got a bit worse.

This is partially to do with me. If the anatomical words in an erotica don't make it a steamier story, than it is hard for me to get into it. Such was the case with Slave Girl. The fact that the girl's nether-regions (I am purposely being clean here, folks) were referred to as a "cunny" just really rubbed me wrong. It made it hard for me not to laugh, which effectively killed the sexual vibe the author wanted. Sexual, but not romantic. Granted, this is a novella serial, so feelings may develop later, but if you're looking for immediate romance with your sex, this isn't the read for you.

I was also kind of off put by the melding of Greek and Roman. While I know that their myths are interchangable (simply speaking of course) and that the two cultures influenced each other, hearing both Greek and Roman myths/names just kind of took me a back a bit and made me go "Wait..."

I was bored for the first half of this book, but I pushed on. My love of Rome made me do it. But then, about halfway in, too much started to happen at once. It got really sexual and political and conniving out of nowhere, and it became rushed and a bit hard to follow.

I mentioned that the word "cunny" killed my sexy feelings towards this book. Well, that was furthered later on in the book. I don't want to give too many spoilers on details, but she has a trick to restore her "bits" so that she feels like a virgin again, and it involves animal organs and blood. I like my sex without that in it, please. I get that it's probably historically accurate, but that does not make it not kill the mood.

While this novella did have some good parts, I couldn't get past some of my issues. Some of them may be solved in the next installment, but I won't be reading on to find out. This is an erotica, so it does of course contain sex. If word choice isn't an issue for you, maybe you'll like it better than I did. Thanks to Netgalley and Pocket Star for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Excerpt, Review, & Giveaway: Twisted edited by Alison Tyler

Hello my lovelies! I'm really super excited for my post for you all today. Cleis Press was awesome enough to host a giveaway with me for the new bondage anthology Twisted: Bondage with an Edge edited by Alison Tyler. Each short story features a steamy scene of, you guessed it, bondage, but each author approaches the topic in very different but equally arousing ways. As if a giveaway wasn't enough, I have the very extra special treat of an excerpt from the book!

This excerpt is from a story entitled "Sylvia’s Transgression” by Tamsin Flowers.

Sneak Peek:

“If you’re going to be noisy, you know what will happen?”
“Yes, Sir,” I whispered.
“Do you want to be gagged?”
“No, Sir.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, Sir. I won’t be noisy.”
He slapped me sharply on the butt with a flat palm as if to
test my resolve, but I was biting my lip and stayed quiet.
“Good girl.”
I heard him pacing round the bed.
“Let’s get this over with.”
I lay wondering what sort of punishment he had in mind. Then his arm swooped under my waist and he pushed a bolster cushion in underneath me, drawing my legs up slightly and raising my arse a foot or so above the bed. I knew what that meant; with the spreader pulling my legs wide, my butthole and labia were fully exposed and vulnerable to whatever pain he devised for them. I shut my eyes and chewed on my tongue, determined not to cry.
He must have been aware of my distress because then I felt his hand gently stroking my arse and down the back of one thigh.
“Don’t be frightened, sweet girl,” he whispered in my ear. “You know I’ve got to do this for your own good. You know you’ll feel much better when it’s over.”
“What will you use?” I managed to say, finishing with a slight sob.
“No, no, no. Nothing given away beforehand.”
He moved silently in the darkening room and as the light faded, I felt as if I was losing myself, sliding into a deep pit from which I would never be able to claw free. All I could hear was his breathing, deeper and heavier than when he’d first come in. He was getting ready to punish me now, psyching himself up, deciding what he would use, how many times he would strike and how hard.
He opened the cupboard where he kept his toys and I heard him rifling through his collection: whips, crops, paddles, belts, a flogger…. He’d been collecting them for years and he’d tried them all out on me. I knew exactly how much pain each would cause and as I wondered which one he would pick, a dull, grinding ache of need made itself felt in my clit and my cunt and my arse. I breathed deeply; I was starting to sweat now with the anticipation. I wanted it to start, but I wanted to wait like this on the brink forever. I longed to hear the whoosh of air and feel the first the blow but I was scared, frightened of the pain, frightened of his anger and of his desire. I pressed my forehead into the bed as time seemed to stand still and all sensation was lost apart from the throb of longing that pulsed from my cunt through to my chest.
Then I heard it. The thin, high-pitched whine of his bamboo riding crop. Instantaneously, I felt it too; a shard of pain that seared through my left buttock and up to the base of my throat. I gasped, and then I wretched as the after-burn kicked in. I fought for breath, desperate to regain my equilibrium before the next inevitable blow. This was one of his favorites; a harsh bestower of pain, of bright red welts that stayed for longer than any others in a sharply delineated pattern.
“Look at you, you’re so wet for it,” he whispered near my ear and at that moment I became aware of hot juice that was dripping from my cunt and running down the inside of my thigh.
Swoosh!

My Review

Title: Twisted: Bondage With an Edge
Editor: Alison Tyler
Format: Paperback, 244 pages
Pub. Date: February 18th 2014
Source: Cleis Press
Purchase: Amazon

★★★★

Four chained & begging stars.

Twisted is an anthology of BDSM erotica that offers a story for every kink and every fantasy. Whether you're into girl on girl, chains, voyeurism, and lord knows what in between, Alison Tyler has included a steamy tale in this collection to scratch your itch. Even the cover draws you in, making this book one that tempts you from cover to cover. Of course, as is sure to happen with every anthology or collection, I did enjoy some stories more than others. I'll highlight briefly my top three, in no particular order, in the lines below.

One of the short stories within Twisted is called "The Customer's Waiting" written by Giselle Renarde. This escapade features two lovely ladies, a boring night at work, and a few cable ties. Add in some sexual tension and some great attention to after care and you've got a sizzling story that will leave you hot and bothered.

The next of my picks is "Bondage Blogging" by Meadow Parker. A huge fan of a husband and wife duo's bondage blog gets the chance of a lifetime when she gets an email from the couple saying that they'll be in town if she wants to get dinner. She never suspected that she'd get a very special BDSM experience that is not available online. As a blogger, this one struck me a biiiiiit personally in a great way. Maybe I should follow more naughty blogs!

My final pick is entitled "Rope Drought" and is written by Teresa Noelle Roberts. When the land finally gets some much needed rain, Zeke and Ellie decide to take a walk to get wet- in more ways than one- out on their farm. The descriptions in this one are particularly lovely, and it made me wish I didn't have such a high population of people and neighbors nearby.

From farms to offices, homes to camp there's a fantasy for everyone. Though these three are the ones that stood out to me, each story is worth reading for different reasons. Each author brings a unique set of characters, kink, and voice to make each one arousing, making you want to read more and more. Another plus of this book is that because the stories are only related by theme, bondage, you can stop and start reading with ease. Fans of BDSM erotica, or even erotica in general, will not be left disappointed by this collection.

Thank you so much to Cleis Press for giving me a copy of Twisted in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Now, here's your chance to win a copy of Twisted!
The Rules:
-This giveaway will run from March 28th to April 4th, 2014.
-This giveaway is open to those 18+ and is USA ONLY.
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Serving Him

Title: Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Authors: Various
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: April 9th 2013
Source: Editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel

★★★★

Four stars.

Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission is an erotica anthology in which each teasing little story features bottoms who are eager to serve and strong, male Doms who are happy to boss. Serving Him contains 22 stories that feature a variety of kinks and desires that will be sure to satisfy anyone's lustful hunger.

Rachel Kramer Bussel has a great skill for piecing together stories in an anthology that are radically different and yet all stick to a central theme. It's no wonder that so many people gobble these anthologies up, myself included. Though all of the stories follow the same general theme, they never grow boring or redundant.

For me personally, three stories stood out more than the others:

Coffee Break by Kristina Wright tells the tale of a no-nonsense Dom who coaxes his sub into trusting his instruction and into being a bit naughty in the bathroom of a coffee shop. A steamy note, an unlocked door, and delicious writing? Yes please. A double shot of that.

I Always Do by Kiki Delovely is a story that circles around a baby girl style relationship and perfectly narrates the needs, pride, and satisfaction that comes from pleasing your partner in a relationship. I rarely find well written stories on this topic, so this one definitely popped for me.

Pinky by Kissa Starling follows a sub who rebelliously changes her hair color without permission from her Dom and must face the punishments. This particular story contains surprise menage, which was very steamy in its writing and had an overall warm tone throughout.

Of course, I did enjoy some stories more than others. In some instances, that fact was due to a personal issue with the view point of the writing. But mostly, it just happened that those stories that I didn't like involved a kink that I don't have. You can't win 'em all.

Plus, look at that cover. I know that's not how you should judge a book, but it's pretty hard not to in this case.

To any fan of male Doms, BDSM, kinks, and general naughtiness- this collection is bound to have at least one story that makes it worth the read. If sex or BDSM and the various topics surrounding them bother you, this isn't for you.

I received this book from the editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel, in exchange for an honest review.

Twice the Pleasure by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Title: Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: April 9th 2013
Source: Rachel Kramer Bussel

★★★★

Four stars.

Twice the Pleasure is an anthology that contains 22 erotic short stories that all, in some way, contain scenes with bisexual women. Though not all of the stories in this collection scratched my particular itch, a majority of the stories proved to be quick, steamy, enjoyable reads.

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+Though I'm not going to critique each and every tale in this book, I'd like to give a tip of the hat to the authors of my three favorites. The first story in my top picks is The Robber Girl by Lori Selke. This story contains sizzling scenes involving the mild use of blood and knives, giving a darker feel. The next story I liked best was Seduction Dance by Dorothy Freed, in which a curious, playful female pet explores her desires for another girl at a BDSM party, at the encouragement of her Master. The BDSM air of this story is one that I seek in adult literature, and I wasn't disappointed. The final story that rounds out the top three is The State by Tahira Iqbal, which contains a sexy female security guard in her undies with a gun- need I say more?

+ A majority of the other works in this collection were solid three stars- enjoyable but ones that will fade from my memory when I read another story.

-The stories that I didn't like (which I'm not naming in particular) each contained flaws that didn't personally rub me the right way. One contained an abundant use of an offensive gay slur which not only has negative connotations but shows lazy writing. Another was written from a perspective using "you", which made it hard to follow. Others still involved kinks that are not my forte, such as bathroom bodily fluids.

Overall, this is an anthology that I would read again, and recommend to other women in the LGBT (though primarily B) spectrum. Whether your thing is historical stories, trans*, crossdressing, BDSM, knife play, voyeurism, or more caring scenes, there is a story in this collection for you. The pros far outweigh the cons. This isn't my first Rachel Kramer Bussel collection and definitely won't be my last. This book fills a much needed hole in erotic fiction by focusing on bisexuality.

If LGBT scenes, kinky sex, or vulgarity aren't your pleasure, don't get this book. If you like a lot of steam in your short stories, with an extra helping of girl-on-girl play, than this book is one not to be missed.

Thank you to Rachel for my copy.

Blink Twice by Anna Piaff

Title: Blink Twice
Author: Anna Piaff
Format: Paperback, 156 pages
Pub. Date: January 7th 2013 by Hipso Media
Source: Hipso Media

★★★★

Four warm caramel filled chocolate stars.

Katharine Pearce doesn't know who she is anymore after going through a rather jagged break up with the man that she once intended on marrying. She moves into a London flat, and meets a mysterious, alluring cast of people that make her nights more interesting. There's the man that she can see in the flat across from her, stirring new fantasies within her searching soul. There's the painting come to life, a beautiful woman who works at a perfumery. Each character pieces together Katharine in a new, bolder, more sexually daring way, and by the time that she returns to the United States, she'll have only a ghostly memory of the tame woman she had once been.

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I am very impressed with this book, my first piece that I've read by the pseudonym-ed "Anna Piaff." I hope that this won't be the last thing I read from her.

+The thing that I love most about this book is the gorgeous attention to detail. Things from paintings on the wall to the displays on store shelves are described in such precision that one could lose themselves in the setting completely. Nothing was overly described, nor was such accuracy and imagery boring. It was almost hypnotizing.

+Part of that hypnotism stems from the seductive tones that follow Katharine's journey from the start of the first page to the very last word. Blink Twice reads like a sexy dessert- tempting, sweet, drizzling, and so warm that you cannot help but to be lured in.

+Blink Twice is written to a man in particular, almost in a letter-like format. I haven't read many books narrated in this format before, and I've got to say that in this particular book, it really worked well with the story that the main character wanted to get across.

The only real critique that I have for this book is that I like my heat a bit more spicy. The erotic scenes within these pages are very tastefully done, but I found them a little too tasteful. It left a lot to the imagination, playing into the mystery motif that underscores the book and highlights the choice of a mask on the cover. But for me personally, I enjoy my erotic rendezvous to be more blunt.

I would recommend this book to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and the various other BDSM romances that FSG inspired. Be warned, this book contains scenes of bondage, voyeurism, and LGBT nature. If any of the aforementioned bother you, or if you don't enjoy slowly sizzling romance, than this may not be for you.

Thank you to the author, Anna Piaff, and Daniel Cohen of Hipso Media for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.