BDSM

A Review of Michael Dalton’s “Spider”

May 15, 2016 by scarletdarkwood

Spider by Michael Dalton

I don’t normally review books. I’ll only do it in rare circumstances, usually when I want to share an author I really like, one I took the chance on reading when I have a TBR list that’s a mile high. I was intrigued by the title and the description of this book, thus I even went so far as to pre-order it on Amazon–another thing I rarely do.

An ex operative with a score to settle, his past was dark, gritty, and filled with dirty business. The women he targeted and encountered were dissatisfied with their supposed lot in life, willing to take the plunge when opportunity presented itself, no matter how strange it might have seemed.
Spider is the first book I’ve read by Michael Dalton, and I was never more impressed. I must say that I’ve never read so smooth an author. I never once got confused about who the characters were, and was able to keep track of them all with ease. The chapter transitions were smooth and logical; I didn’t have to go back and re-read to re-orient myself. The prose was clear and contained just enough information to set the scene and characters and pull me in. No extra fluff anywhere.

The erotica in this book was enough to make it fit nicely into the genre, and blended well into the story. The author seemed to have a good handle on BDSM and some of the philosophies behind it. Total trust, surrendering that makes you truly free. There was a good balance of story with erotic elements. Nothing was overdone or lacking.

This is not a sweet story, nor does it contain cheesy dialogue and silly actions that I sometimes find in books of this nature.
What I found interesting is that the author left an enticing trail of treats, pulling me in one nibble at a time, until I realized that I was halfway through the book and still didn’t have a handle on just what the big picture or the goal was. What’s more interesting is that it didn’t matter. I knew enough chapter by chapter that I wanted to keep reading to find out. Everything made sense.

The twist at the end was amazing and all in all I enjoyed how everything came together in one seamless action and chapter at a time.
Character development was concise and smooth. I knew just enough about each one so I could appreciate their past and subsequent behavior. I never grew bored and looked forward to each read until I reached the end. If you’re looking for a story that’s dark, mysterious, descriptive, and alluring, Spider will not disappoint. Purchase Book.

Pleasure House Is Published!

September 16, 2012 by scarletdarkwood

Pleasure House

Pleasure House is now published! Whew, that feels good! After nearly a year of hard work, I finally did it. I completed my first novel.

This story contains fun scenes with edge play thrown into the bargain. Pleasure House is a unique, steamy erotica novel where Rose, the main character, is suddenly hauled off to the local asylum because her parents disapprove of her erotomania. Though her parents mean well, they unwittingly send her off to a place where her tendencies are welcome and even rewarded. In this BDSM story, Rose makes several new acquaintances who introduce her to not only traditional pleasures of the flesh, but edge play as well. Loaded with some unusual scenes you may not find elsewhere, this novel will entertain you with a carnal, raunchy funfest loaded with sexy activities!

This Is Erotically Insane!

August 12, 2012 by scarletdarkwood

I happen to have an interest in insane asylums. Don’t ask me why; I just do. They seem to hold a creepy sense of allure, and let’s face it, we all feel pulled into the history and stories of what happened in these places, even though we’re painfully aware of the horrors and brutality that went on. But what amazes me most, is the history of these supposed sanctuaries, was the treatment of women during the times before they had rights.

Though the asylum was supposed to serve as a safe haven for the mentally ill or for those who broke down from the stresses of life, many chose to use the asylum as a drop-off for unwanted family members. Women were especially hit hard in this arena. If a spouse, father, brother, or any male with power, wanted rid himself of a female relation for any reason, they simply could get a witness and declare the lady insane. Sometimes the local sheriff came to the house and “arrested” her, while other women were dropped off and abandoned. Any woman who asserted her independence, defied her spouse, or explored her sexuality ran the risk of being hauled off, never to see their family or friends again.

Life in the asylum was no holiday, with the poor soul being constantly surrounded by noise, filth, served spoiled food at mealtimes, and abused by sadistic staff. So why on earth would I want to write an erotica novel with an asylum as the setting? BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOWCASE A STARK CONTRAST. I wanted to take a theme (woman gets dumped off at local asylum) and present to the reader a whole new world where the happenings and the people were completely different. Writing allows an author to present to the reader “what could be.” I wanted to do this in my novel, Pleasure House.

I wanted to turn what was normally a horrid place into a safe and beautiful place where the characters were treated well and learned something in the process, though anyone who reads this novel will agree that The House’s teaching methods are rather strange, to say the least!

Because the setting is an asylum, I also wanted to focus on some of the more kinky aspects of BDSM, those activities where novices fear to tread, and where the brave and seasoned reign triumphant when it comes to bodily bliss.

Because some of the activities I chose to represent require training and mindfulness when it comes to safety and infection control, the hospital setting of the asylum makes the characters and their goings-on even more apropos.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of compare/contrast during the writing of this book, and I wanted to create an erotica novel that’s a little different from what’ s out there now. I’m not trying to dishonor those who were in asylums. I just simply wanted to take an opportunity to explore this world with a sordid past and see what I could create if I presented it with a slightly different–naughty–twist!

Dominance and Submission: Reader Critiques

August 2, 2012 by scarletdarkwood

Let’s talk about dominance and submission, and no, I don’t mean in BDSM play, either. There are all kinds of situations where you can experience being in charge–or not. One situation where you definitely do not feel in charge is when you submit your work to readers who critique what you’ve written. I admit, I’ve been somewhat lucky. I got a professional article published on my first submission. When I was writing my first novel, most readers who critiqued my work responded in the affirmative, liking what they heard/read. But that doesn’t mean my work stood alone, written to perfection, the first time around. Oh, no! Each critique person had their own perspective on what needed to happen or what needed a tweak. Now, I must admit that I’m not too attached to what I write because of this one thing: I LIKE THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING–PERIOD! That being said, I found that listening to my beta readers and editors only made me a stronger writer. Did I follow every piece of advice? Not always. If I believed the suggestion changed the story too much or wouldn’t make my tale or characters better, then I held my ground. On the whole, much of the suggestions I received did, in fact, make the story better. Incorporating the re-writes added more depth to the whole picture I was trying to present to the reader.

The sad part is, I find many writers don’t really care to hear feedback. They’re so in love with their stuff, they can’t be objective. That’s too bad, and for the reasons I mentioned earlier. But the truth is, I want someone to tell me how to improve, especially if they enjoyed my story and might purchase more of my work. I personally believe that my writing is for me first, but it definitely must be created for my audience too. So I’ve learned to submit myself to the pleasure-pain of reader critiques, because the beauty of the experience is feeling writer’s orgasm: strong waves of pleasure and deep satisfaction in knowing I’ve created a much stronger piece of work, suitable and more enjoyable for my audience. The last thing I desire is to feel the lash of disapproval from those who read my stories simply because I didn’t take the time to make my characters, plot, and overall writing the best they could be. And and let’s face it, we all know the whip-wielding reviewers on Amazon can bring you to your knees!

Spider by Michael Dalton

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