With the hope of starting a trend of having more substantive posts about D/s and erotica, I’ve decided to have guest bloggers. As my first, I’m delighted to introduce you to C. P. Foster, an author I met on the Absolute Write forum. I haven’t read Foster’s books, but I enjoyed reading her blog posts tagged with “BDSM”.
BDSM and Bodice-rippers
by C.P. Foster
Back in the 1980s I read a bunch of romance novels by authors like Bertrice Small, Rosemary Rogers, Roberta Gellis, Katherine Woodwiss, and others. It wasn’t until years later when I got into BDSM that I realized why I loved these books. They were full of BDSM themes. Dominance, submission, bondage, slavery, discipline, sadism, masochism, you name it. Pirates or Sultans captured beautiful women and forced them to have sex (which the women thoroughly enjoyed). Dominant males swept women off their feet. Castle servants serviced visiting knights. No wonder I ate that stuff up like candy.
My first two books, Dark Studies, and the recently released Secret Studies, follow the example of those earlier writers. They are full of BDSM themes, but not in a modern BDSM context. There are no play parties or clubs, no structured Dom/sub relationships, no toy bags full of floggers, whips, and nipple clamps. But there is dominance and submission. Pain and pleasure. Endorphins galore. And blood play, of the vampire variety. (If you want to read more of my thoughts on vampires as mainstream blood play, check out this blog post: http://cpfosterauthor.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/the-bdsm-of-vampires/.)
Books like these are, obviously, fantasy. Modern BDSM springs from these kinds of fantasies, but has been “civilized,” so to speak, with rules and safe words. As necessary as those rules are, they sometimes dilute the underlying desire. That’s why I find myself going back to those old bodice-rippers, where I can completely submerge myself in the make-believe without worrying about negotiations, safe sex, dungeon monitors, or other mundane concerns. It’s a safe way to enjoy the forbidden, unsafe pleasures.
Secret Studies (Arcaneology Book 2)
C. P. Foster
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Warnings: Contains BDSM elements and dubious consent
Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
If she could only stop running, she could start living…
With a million-dollar bounty on her head, Angie Clark has been hiding under the noses of her enemies for nearly a decade. But trying to prevent a war between humans and vampires has landed her in trouble—again. A vampire monarch bent on revenge has taken out a new contract on her, and Angie knows that if she’s caught, her enemies will torture her until she begs for death. Mired in violence and death, keeping her secrets becomes more important than ever. And as her life unravels bit by bit, she fears she’ll have to leave behind everyone and everything that matters to her and run.
But when Steffen Scott puts his life on the line in order to protect her, she can no longer deny her feelings for him. As the threat of war looms over humanity once again, it could mean the annihilation of both species, and Angie must decide whether to keep running or to turn and fight. And maybe find out what she and Steffen could become.
EXCERPT:
She went to him, and let him draw her onto his lap. He angled her so her legs dangled to one side while her back rested against his broad chest. His skin felt cool, but not as cold as before.
“Did you intend to tease me by leaving that lovely throat bare?” he murmured into her ear.
“Don’t you like it?”
His growl vibrated over her. “I’ve thought of little else since the moment I arrived. May I taste you now?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
With a gentle touch, he took the single curl that tickled the side of her neck and tucked it behind her ear. Grace closed her eyes as he settled his mouth over her vein. His fangs extended, thin as those of a snake, and pricked the soft skin. She held her breath.
He curved one arm around her waist an instant before he struck. Pain flickered for only a second, then a lush wave of pleasure overtook her, and she moaned aloud. His arm tightened while his other hand stroked up to cover her breast. He squeezed. Found the stiffening nipple and pinched. Grace arched with desire as he caressed his way to her thighs and edged them apart. The suction of his drinking, the quiet sounds he made, the way his body grew warmer with each passing second, all of the sensations engulfed her.
He eased her skirt up and nudged her panties aside so he could graze his fingertips over her moist lower lips. She tensed from head to toe as he traced a slick path to her bud and began to stroke. Her racing heart pumped blood into his mouth. Pleasure built, and when she came, he sucked harder to drink in her ecstasy.
To celebrate the release of Secret Studies, book two in the Arcaneology series, I am hosting a give-away for the next week. Entering is simple:
1) come to my Facebook author home page
2) hit like, if you haven’t already
3) leave a comment
That’s it! On Monday the 2nd of September I’ll put all of the names into a virtual hat and give away the prizes. What are the prizes? Glad you asked!
Prize #1: A digital copy (your choice of format) of both books in the Arcaneology Series (Dark Studies and Secret Studies).
Prizes #2 and #3: A digital copy of Secret Studies, plus a vial-of-blood necklace and a bookmark.
Prize #4, 5, and 6: A copy of Dark Studies, plus a blank-book journal and a bookmark.
You can find pictures of the prizes in my album. Come on over and enter today!
Bio:
C. P. Foster is a writer of urban fantasy, romance, and erotica. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Cuddles the caliby kitten, and a cat named Tom that is no longer actually a tom. She doubts he appreciates the irony.
Links for C. P. Foster:
Blog: http://cpfosterauthor.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-C-P-Foster-Aphrodites-Writer/287293758037990
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CPFoster1
Dilo Keith: Erotic Dominance and Submission 
Hi CP,
I agree with your take on the “safe” way to enjoy the forbidden but I think what most people really have in their minds is not BDSM per se but ravishment.
The ravisher is intent, focused on getting what they want. Having their way but bringing pleasure at the same time. It is guilt free for the receiver. The attitude is that if the person doesn’t have a choice, then they are not contaminated by what society deems dirty or inappropriate and they are then free to take secret enjoyment from whatever occurs.
One of my favorite examples of this is from the story Royal Seduction. In reality the price rapes the woman but he didn’t hurt her and it was therefore titillating instead of horryifying to the reader.
While ravishment falls well within the D/s side of BDSM, the required negotiations of Safe, Sane, Consensual mean all parties must not only make their needs known but accept resposibility for their actions.
In my opinion BDSM is so often regimented and strictly ruled because it is a much more hardcore take. People can be and are injured; by choice or otherwise. Of course BDSM is like pizza and to an extent, it is what you make of it
Though I read mostly homoerotica these days, I completely agree that it would be exciting to see more stories with strong, unapologetic ravishment.
Sassy
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Good points, Sassy. When I first discussed this with CPF, she used the phrase “BDSM elements” and made it clear to me that it was not the same as “BDSM” as most of us understand and practice it. I thought it was a perspective worth sharing here. Ravishment is not what appeals to me personally, except as a bit of spice in a more structured lifestyle, but the attraction makes sense. With the growing popularity of BDSM in fiction, whether as themes/elements or as a more integral aspect of relationships, I’ve become more interested in understanding the diverse styles and perspectives.
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Absolutely. There is a flavor for everyone, even vanilla. 🙂
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