Why Did I Choose the BDSM Genre?
Why did I choose the BDSM genre? Well, mainstream romance is a very crowded field. It seems that thousands of new books come out weekly. Frankly, I enjoyed the drama and sexiness of the BDSM stories I originally read and wanted to see if I could write one of my own. I was amazed at how the words flowed. Since then I have studied this interesting subculture, gone to several BDSM writers’ conventions, watched live demonstrations, and read extensively. There is still a lot to learn. These books are fiction, and before trying any of the activities depicted, you should study the literature available. As always, Safe, Sane and Consensual rules.
Why did I start my latest series, The Wilton Park Grand Hotel Series, which is Male/male BDSM – Manlove? Well, why not? I wanted to branch out in my storytelling. I wondered if a hetero woman could write those stories and decided with great trepidation to give the first one a try. One of my fellow Siren writers, Bellann Summer, gave me a lot of help and pointers and read my first M/m manuscript (Alex’s Sacrifice) for which I am very grateful. I was delighted to find I had no problem writing in this genre. People are people, love is love, sex is sex (except for the mechanical differences, LOL), and relationships are relationships. As always, despite the hot sex, you have to have a good story. I hope you will give one of these a try even if you never thought they would be for you. They may give you a different perspective on alternative lifestyles. One of my gay friends paid me the best compliment. We were talking about my latest M/m book at his hair salon (which appears in Ricky’s Dilemma), and he turned to a friend of his and said “She gets us! She really gets us.” I was thrilled.
Another thrill was when a reader told a friend of mine who had introduced her to my books to thank me for writing them, that they had helped revitalize her twenty-year marriage that had gotten stale. Now she and her husband are texting and hurrying home from work. What a thrill –to know you made a difference in someone’s life. And they say it’s just “romance.”