The Road to Sacred is Paved by the Profane

By Pauline Allan (Guest Blogger)

Many people ask me what was the inspiration for my new release, Gilded Lily. The story was built on a complex foundation of pain, growth, and fulfillment. My personal life shaped the words, bringing three people together to share the heartache of having what is just out of their reach. As I moved to redeem myself, my characters journeyed through the pages making this book my cathartic event.

Gilded Lily is set in the heart of Louisiana. Baton Rouge was inspired by a fisherman. I was sitting in a bar off Bourbon Street in New Orleans when a man asked where I was from. I told him and he said he was from the red stick. I quirked my brow. In his Nawlins' draw he said, "Baton Rouge, the red stick." The setting was cemented into my brain and the story progressed.

Tony's character is an intense, broken man. His "voice" was inspired by a song. "Colorblind" by Counting Crows hypnotized my emotions and embedded the melody of his life into my psyche. When I found a photo of the model Marco Dapper I knew I had found Tony.

Adam was a soldier I met in New Orleans. He was between tours in Afghanistan and struggling to find his peace in the civilian world. His eyes were shrouded in pain while his smile told me he longed for something he would never find. Adam too had a song. "Broken Bridge" by Daughter Darling.

That brings me to Lily. My dear submissive found her way onto the pages through the ghosts of my past. I left my grandmother's funeral and locked myself in my makeshift office for three months. I grieved through the sound of my fingers clicking on my typewriter. Yes, a typewriter. Several years before the concept for this story developed, I had visited a BDSM club and studied the participants. I knew how I felt and quickly realized it wasn't a mirror image of the people there. I knew the blackness that came with pain. I knew the loneliness of rejection. I knew the desperate need for discipline. I was a religious studies major in college and the concept of the sacred versus the profane always fascinated me. I threaded that theme through Lily's story. Her profane desires were redeemed because she is a woman. Sacred. Her song, "Tear in Your Hand" by Tori Amos pulled Lily's story through my heart.

My experiences are delicately laced through the story of three people winding along their paths as their journeys progress. Much like myself, redemption is needed, acceptance is elusive, and desperation lurks for these three characters who were gracious enough to live for a moment in my life.

Blurb

Adam's ferocious sexual appetite for submission has left him frustrated and alone. He turns to the photo in his wallet. The woman's full lips smile with laughter. The yellow sundress hugs her soft curves. The beautiful muse. His elusive flower.

Lily has a dark secret. A submissive without a Dominant, her life had derailed with grief, solitude, and rejection. Until a mysterious stranger's erotic education led to unfathomable pleasure.

Tony knew Lily's training would be his last attempt to escape the void in his life. An experienced Dom with the very nature of his control shaken, he has to run. There's one last responsibility to take care of before he can leave.

Lily, his once timid sub, is testing her boundaries and craves more. A love he can never give.

Tragedy leads Adam to Lily's plantation in Louisiana. While packing his brother's belongings, Tony offers the one precious thing Adam could never deny. The submission of his elusive flower.

The clock is ticking. Tony wants freedom. Adam demands total submission. Lily must choose. Does she cling to the safety of Tony's commands or risk the rejection of Adam's love?

Either way, a submissive's trust is a fragile thing. Once broken...it's lost forever.

Excerpt

“See, you can't hit in the same place twice,” Tony said as Adam listened carefully to Tony’s detailed instructions. Tony pointed to the dark pink marks he’d just made. “And never on the front of her body; she doesn’t like that.”

Adam nodded, accepting the instruction. Both men were kneeling on the bed, watching Lily as she squirmed underneath their inspection. Tony, naked, and Adam, with his cock still hard, methodically discussed Lily’s marks.

“And you have to snap it. Let the leather do the work, not your heavy hand,” Tony said as he flicked his wrist and smacked the lash on her left buttock. “Check her. You’ll see this gets her wetter than anything. She craves it. Truth be told, I trained her to accept what she needs, and in her own subtle way, she taught me how to give her what she most desires. “

Adam slid his hand between Lily’s spread thighs and rubbed the soft flesh covering her clit. She rolled her hips and murmured her approval into the pillow. He explored the depth of her slick core, then looked over at Tony and smiled. The way Lily’s body responded so readily amazed him. She was a beacon of senses, acting on instinct and waiting to be pleased. The last thing he wanted to do was harm the one woman he believed could heal his soul. This—the taming of his beast—was something only Lily could do. If this was what pleased her, then he would do whatever it took to show her he was ready for the challenge of bringing her pure pleasure.

Lucky for him, they had the same desire. He wanted to dominate every aspect of her body, teach her to find power in her submissiveness and find happiness in his arms. He vowed at that moment to keep her safe. He would wield the belt, the thin strips of the flogger, or the whisper of a feather to bring her strength in knowing that she was owned. She was safe to explore her desires without fear of judgment.

He had to give her at least that. She brought him peace in her touch and compassion in her submission. He would never be able to repay that debt. He had to be diligent when opening himself up to her desires. Whipping was not a punishment, but an act of caring. Binding was not a force of power, but a way for her to find release in the safety of knowing she was wanted. With every part of his being, he wanted to bring her the things she cherished most.

Adam took another breath and watched as the end of the belt licked the gentle curve of her lower back. He had begun to run his fingertips along the pink flesh when Tony pulled his hand away.

“Stop—you don’t want her to come.”

About the Author

Pauline Allan is a woman on a mission. Curvy girls of the world unite! She writes erotic romance for the ordinary woman who fantasizes about extraordinary possibilities. Pauline strives to make every reader feel sexy and desired by the time she turns to the last page. The Midwest is home, but her heart stays tethered to New Orleans where she travels three times a year to recharge her creative muse. She is amazed that she gets to wake up every morning next to her hero and go to bed each night listening to her two little boys argue over who gets to put the hamster to bed. When not writing, Pauline enjoys listening to music and watching Mad Men. She has a writing room that she considers a sacred space. A place draped with velvet tapestries and colorful masquerade masks. A place where forbidden fantasies come to play.

Buy Links

http://www.loose-id.com/gilded-lily.html

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-gildedlily-1220170-147.html