Where Exactly is the Beginning?

By Nina Pierce (Guest Blogger)

I’ve gutted and redone two houses. I love it! Well, not the gutting part, but the point where the sheet rock is newly primed and the floors are bare. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a bedroom or the kitchen, the possibilities are endless on which way to take the mood and color scheme.

The first time I had a room to decorate I panicked. It was only the bathroom, but still, it felt daunting. I had no idea where to start. The floor? The paint on the walls? The shower curtain and towels? UGH! My head was going to explode with possibilities. I really didn’t know what to do. So I started with the shower curtain. Think about it, besides the fixtures (which were neutral), your curtain sets the tone for the whole bathroom. So I poured through the local bathroom retailers trying to decide a color scheme. Once I’d chosen the curtain everything fell into place from the ceramic tiles to the pictures on the wall.

But every room I’ve redecorated since then seems to have started in a different place. Sometimes it was an area rug I just had to have. In another room it was a picture I knew would display perfectly over the mantle of the fireplace that decided the mood of the room. I once did a whole room around an antique chair. Truth be told, I’m sort of all over the place when it comes to decorating.

And what does this have to do with writing? Everything!

One of the first questions people ask me when they find out I’m a writer is, “How did you come up with that idea?” And I wish I had one answer for them. But my writing (much like my decorating) is just kind of this weird conglomeration of stuff that comes together. I really couldn’t tell you if a particular story started with a dream, a cool picture I saw, a setting I just couldn’t resist or the “What If …” question. My brain just sort of plays with all of the elements until it comes together on the page.

I’m what’s called a “pantser”. That is, I don’t know the full extent of my story or my characters until I’m writing. Then slowly after I’ve written a chapter or two, like painting the walls and laying the floor, my story has a foundation. The quirky details my characters develop, like the knick knacks in a room, (hopefully) pull the whole thing together to make a well rounded story for my readers.

My newest release from Ellora’s Cave, “Maid for Master” (buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-9001-50-maid-for-master.aspx) is one of those stories that had no real beginning. Jon and Claire just sort of showed up in my head along with the hedonistic resort in Key West. What developed was a sexual journey for two friends who actually found their happy-ever-after.

Blurb:

When lust and deception collide, will her complete submission be enough to bind their hearts?

Treat herself to a carnal weekend at the hedonistic retreat, XTC Resorts? That’s not something Claire Calderwood, a three-time loser in the relationship department would ordinarily do. But at forty-one, having a successful cleaning business is no longer enough. She wants a chance to let go of all responsibility, submit to a stranger’s sexual demands and satisfy her darkest fantasies.

Jonathon Brierton has known his best friend’s sister long enough to recognize her submissive nature. He would like nothing more than to have Claire bound naked and at the mercy of his flogger as he teaches her the sensual art of obeying her Master. At thirty-something, he’s a successful real estate developer, owner of a BDSM resort—and hopelessly in love with the older woman.

When Claire follows him to his resort, Jonathon is certain he can keep his identity secret long enough to convince her that being restrained in his stocks is something that will satisfy them both. But lies, deceit and broken hearts may not be so easy to overcome.

Excerpt:

Throwing her shoulders back, Claire forced away the gloomy thoughts and turned her attention back to the dungeon. A man hung face-up by a series of knotted ropes. His arms and legs were stretched wide, exposing his torso and genitals to tempting possibilities. Clamps had earlier been applied to his nipples and inner thighs, and a plug inserted in his rectum. He had remained suspended and blindfolded, only able share the woman’s pleasure and pain through her cries of ecstasy. Now two Doms maneuvered a pulley system, lowering him to waist level. Strong hands stroked over sensitive flesh. His cock and balls, restrained in a tight leather harness, swelled against its bindings, anticipation putting everyone on the edge of their seats.

“Are you enjoying the show?”

A male voice, thick and rich as honeyed molasses shivered down her spine. When Claire attempted to turn, he pressed into her back. His face nestled against her neck so that only a whisper separated his lips from the shell of her ear.

“Don’t turn. Just answer. Are. You. Enjoying. The. Show?”

He spoke softly, each word enunciated clearly. It was such a simple question and delivered with such intensity, Claire could barely fill her lungs. The hard planes of his chest pressed against her. Muscular thighs ran along the back of her legs and against her ass. Gooseflesh rose where his breath caressed her neck. It was all she could do not to lean into the man.

“I… Well… I…”

“Yes. Or. No?”

Power buffeted her but didn’t smother. Rather than drowning, Claire felt swaddled in the absolute security of this man. Her nipples steepled, pressing hard against zippers running along the soft leather cup of her bra. And when she inhaled to speak, the clean scent of soap and fresh air filled her nose. “Yes.”

Award winning author Nina Pierce is finished gutting houses, but will no doubt continue to find interesting situations, pictures and “what if” scenarios to entertain her muse for years to come. You can find all her books on her website (http://www.NinaPierce.com) or follow her happenings on her blog (http://www.NinaPierce.com/blog), twitter (http://www.twitter.com/NinaPierce), or facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Nina.Pierce) .