I've got style, baby!

Google Alerts just informed me that I've been given a "Stylish Blogger" award by my colleague (and former Beyond Romance guest) J.Rose Allister. Thank you, J.Rose! Please visit her blog at http://jroseallister.blogspot.com to find out more about her recent adventures!

Meanwhile, here's the deal. I'm supposed to tell you all seven things about myself that I've never revealed on the blog. Then, I get to pass the torch, nominating up to fifteen other great bloggers I've recently discovered. Finally, I have to notify them - so they know that it's time to step up to the plate and share their secrets!

With my passion for self-disclosure it's difficult to think of tidbits I haven't yet shared, but here goes:

1. 1. My husband's birthday is the day after mine. Double celebrations!
2. 2. There were so many divorces in my family that I swore I'd never marry. My thirtieth wedding anniversary will be in June!
3. 3. I've been dancing since I was seven years old. Okay, so it gets a bit harder every year, but I'm not giving up yet!
4. 4. My mother, among other occupations, was a professional belly dancer. I was semi-professional.
5. 5. I could live my entire life without chocolate and never miss it. But don't please take away my tuna fish sandwich!
6. 6. I'm definitely a morning person. My husband's a night person. We've compromised at eight AM in order to be able to eat breakfast together. I think that's shamefully late, while he complains that it is obscenely early.
7. 7. My cats understand English. I have lots of evidence to prove this claim. Unfortunately, like most cats, they do not always pay attention, so it's difficult to demonstrate this capability on demand!

As far as turning you on to some other Stylish Bloggers, please check out:

• Bianca Sommerland: Bianca writes sizzling menage erotic romance. As far as she's concerned, the more guys involved, the merrier!
• Devon Rhodes: Devon writes pretty much every genre you can think of. I like a versatile lady!
• Kathleen Bradean: Kathleen is a long time friend. She and I are both contributors to the Erotica Revealed review site and the Oh Get A Grip blog. Kathleen writes both erotica and erotic romance in a wide variety of styles.
• Keta Diablo: Keta's always up to some mischief! Her specialty is M/M BDSM romance.
• Kim Dare: Yet another author of juicy M/M stories with power exchange themes. Kim understands that dominance and submission is about emotion, not toys.

Well, that wasn't too hard! Now it's back to my editing...!

Once again, a hearty thanks to J.Rose Allister, for dragging - um, I mean inviting me into this game!

Review: Gay Friendly by Kim Dare

Gay Friendly

By Kim Dare

Total-E-Bound, 2010

Shy, gorgeous Ellis is eighteen, a recently-out-of-the-closet gay virgin. When his equally gay cousin Harry invites him to share the expenses of a room at a so-called “gay friendly” resort, Ellis figures that it will be an opportunity to make the acquaintance of some other young men who share his orientation. Instead he finds himself being grabbed and fondled by strangers attracted to his boyish good looks. The situation is sufficiently alarming that he starts to wonder whether he might not be as gay as he thought.

Dominant Mitchell Thompson rescues Ellis from the good-natured, drunken attentions of some of the guests and takes the young man under his protection. Although Ellis knows almost nothing about “leather and stuff”, as he puts it, he instinctively craves Mitchell's authority.

Ellis nibbled at his bottom lip until he realised Thompson was frowning his disapproval of the habit. He released his lip from between his teeth. “Sorry...I--” Ellis cut himself off.

“If you have a question, ask it. Half sentences make it sound like you're incapable of complete thoughts.”

“Should I call you sir, too?” Ellis rushed out.

“Would you like to?”

Ellis tilted his head on the side and studied the other man. He was some years older than him, probably in his thirties. With blond hair cut short, he was handsome in a serious sort of way. And, in a way Ellis couldn't define, he looked very much like the kind of man who should be called sir. The ideal held a curious appeal.

“You wouldn't think I was hitting on you if I did?” he checked.

“I believe I'm capable of resisting the inclination.” Thompson's lips twitched as if he was tempted to smile.

“Sir.” Ellis let the word linger in his mouth. It felt nice there. When he met the other man's eyes, Thompson looked amused.

Mitchell does not ask anything from Ellis-- the younger man wears his collar at the hotel only as a sign that no one else should bother him. However, the Dom recognizes the young man's natural submissiveness. Almost without encouragement, Ellis surrenders to his temporary master, allowing the more experienced man to guide him into the worlds of both D/s and gay sex. Although Mitchell originally took Ellis under his wing out of sympathy, by the time their vacation ends he feels a great deal more.

Gay Friendly offers Kim Dare's signature style of homoerotic D/s, focusing on the emotional interactions between the Dom and the sub. She rarely invokes the physical trappings associated with BDSM—spankings, beatings or bondage. There's no overt BDSM activity in this story. Instead, Ms. Dare is mostly interested in trust, obedience, devotion and responsibility. Her sex scenes are intense because of the connection between the characters, not because of the pain or extremity of their activities. Personally I find this take on power dynamics refreshing after reading way too many stories where the authors are obsessed with the physical. Kim Dare understands that D/s can be loving and even gentle while remaining arousing and challenging.

Ms. Dare knows how to get into her characters' heads—and their hearts. If I have any complaint about Gay Friendly, it's simply that the happily-ever-after was too easy. There are no obstacles to Ellis' and Mitchell's love. The fact that Ellis has zero experience with men doesn't seem to matter. This feels rather unrealistic. Of course this is a very short work (less than fifty pages), with little time for complexities or conflicts. Ms. Dare would rather focus, I think, on the developing relationship. But some obstacles might have made the story even more satisfying.

I should mention that Ms. Dare has pledged all royalties from Gay Friendly to the Ty Hafan Children's Hospice (http://www.tyhafan.org/), an organization dedicated to offering comfort, care and support for life-limited children and young people and their whole families. So if you'd like to read a sweet—but nevertheless hot and explicit—M/M BDSM romance and build up some positive karma at the same time, go buy yourself a copy today!