erotica

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.

We’ll Have The Usual, Thank You!

April 17, 2016 by scarletdarkwood

Yes, you will. There’s no doubt about it. You’ll have the usual and nothing but the usual, forever and ever, amen. Most of you may not know this, but in my retail store I try to carry unusual items, unique and not the run-of-the-mill merchandise that other stores carry. I mean, I want to be different so people will have a reason to come in and shop with me. I want to be competitive. Guess what sells? Go on. Don’t be shy. *Jeopardy music playing* The usual!! Ta-da! And there you have it. The usual.

Seriously. We sell more of the usual than anything else. We sell what you can buy in other stores and can get in other places and on line. When we buy, my spouse makes sure we ask our vendors, “What’s the top 100 items you sell?” We want those things. Like it or not, there’s something to be said for that. That’s why it’s called the top 100 sellers. They don’t call it that for giggles and grins.

What on earth does this have to do with books? C’mon, Scarlet. You write books. What’s your point? Guess what? “The usual” sells well for books too. Yes, they do. The Billionaire-Biker-Alpha-Male tropes. There a zillions of them, and more coming, mind you. They’re being cranked out as we speak. Oh, look. I see one now …

When I published my first book four years ago (OMG, it’s been FOUR years ago? It seems like last year!), I really didn’t know much about the erotica genre. I don’t practice the things I included in my books (Oh, yeah, I wrote a collection), so I had to do research so I could minimize sounding like an “idjut.”

When I started my first book (uh, oh—that’s actually the one I’m trying to finish now. Don’t ask), the one I published first, I had a dream. I had a dream to create something wild, unusual, extremely different and not the run-of-the-mill tropes you find out there today. I wanted to write a book with a different twist and one that contained at least the elements of a theme that would really turn readers on. Did I succeed?

Meh, some like it. Some don’t. What’s the surprise, then? Of course there will be those who enjoy what you write, and then there are those who simply don’t cop to it. True, dat. And for those of you who don’t like my approach to kink or my erotica collection, I don’t hate you for it, either. Am I disappointed? Aw, yes. Of course I am. It means I fell short of my goal.

It’s been four long years, and though I created a Facebook author page, created the blog, and a year ago created a Google+ account (I just started participating more in Twitter a few months ago), I didn’t do much more marketing. I surely didn’t put my books in a Blog Tour or pay for advertising. It was when Booktrope picked up the collection that I did more, and also started lightly asking for reviews—mainly picking one or two bloggers at a time. I still have a list I haven’t gone through.

The four years have given me some time to possibly grow a thicker skin, but I still get bummed when someone doesn’t like the work. I still shake my head when someone doesn’t cop to what I write. One author told me that he wished there were more readers who liked works that deviate from the cookie-cutter romance novels, but the market is what it is.

True, dat—again, dammit! I like writing for the joy of it most times, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to make a little money at it, or have some validation that what I produce is good. The real truth: I simply do not like writing tropes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll write one someday. Maybe I just released one. Heck, I don’t know. But cookie-cutter is simply not for me. If you find my work something you just can’t get into, then too bad. For both of us, really. You didn’t find a new author you like, and I didn’t find a reader who’s a fan.

Does it shake things up for me? It does a little at times, and here’s why. It’s just another teaching lesson that the erotic genre is so diverse, it’s difficult for me to keep up with it. I’ve also learned from Goodreads that “Dark Erotica” doesn’t mean my work fits beautifully into that category. I thought it would have been a match made in heaven, but I clearly missed the mark on that notion. Try some different groups? Yeah, I guess I could do that. Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

Here’s the real truth about my Pleasure House Tales: there are three more books I’d planned on writing for that collection, and now I’m questioning if it would even be worth it. Why write them if people already have issues with the ones currently out there? And the issues being the fact that these books are not the tropes currently available and not an approach to subject matter that’s popular. I’d thought about trying to join book signing events for this collection, but now I’m seriously reconsidering it. I just don’t think this collection fits in.

Admittedly, there are times I wish I’d just written Pleasure House and stopped and moved on to other books. I learned something else: I somehow created a world that people who do enjoy the books made clear: they love The House, and they want the stories to take place there. Some even mentioned they’d like more books with other characters and ones focusing on some of the original characters.

The thing potential readers need to know about the Pleasure House Tales is that they are erotica novels. Though these books have romance elements, they’re not sweet, soulful reads, usually. Pleasure House honestly has a more “Victorian” feel to it, and the purpose of that book was to introduce a reader to the world of The House and to accompany the main character on a journey of sexual awakening. The other books have not only some of the original characters, but new ones as well. This collection tells the different stories of the patients (admits) of The House, what they experienced there. There are different kink elements, and medical play is a big part of that too. Some scenes hit you from out of the blue unexpectedly. For some it will be seen as abuse, others will see it as a score, that you surprised them when nothing much usually surprises them (in a good way).

Maybe I’ll write those three remaining books someday; maybe I won’t. I’m just not sure. Maybe I’m just a little tired right now and need to take writing a little bit slower to re-group. Finish up the current book (the original first novel) I’m working on. The bottom line: The Pleasure House Tales are not your normal read, and the scenes will surprise you. If you’re wanting to deviate from the norm, take a break from the popular market reads and try on something different for size, these books might work for you. For those who are wanting the usual reads, please move on. There’s nothing to see here.

Interview With Author & Screen Aficionado Bryn Tilly

October 26, 2015 by scarletdarkwood

That’s the beauty of writing. You get to meet fun and interesting people you’d not have met otherwise. That’s how I met fellow author, Bryn Tilly. When our two imprints mingled for the sake of a good book loaded with enticing stories, magic happened, and a book was born bearing the best writing a person could sink their teeth into.

They say that it’s every writer’s dream to see their book made into a movie, and yes, I fantasize too. Bryn , one of the authors of The Animal, just happens to dabble in film, cinematography, and screenplays. His blog focuses on the avant garde, those films that are not necessarily mainstream, but leave a viewer enthralled long after the movie is over. His curated gallery features vivid plotlines of different genres, and I was more than pleased to learn that he has a soft spot for erotica.

His portrayal of erotic films go beyond mere lust and romp, but dig deeply into the human psyche, honoring the base animal nature within ourselves to the beautifully perverse. His choices in erotic films stimulates the brain and leaves you wanting more. Without further ado, let’s learn what Bryn thinks of erotic themes in cinema:

Scarlet Darkwood puts Bryn Tilly on the spot.

SD: Since your background is cinema, your website features movies of all kinds. They say an author’s biggest dream is to see their book made into a movie. What type of books absolutely DO NOT translate well into movies?

BT: There are no definitive rules as to what works and what doesn’t. There are novels with narratives that feature an ongoing internal monologue, or predominantly deal with intellectual ideas and abstractions, rather than conversational dialogue and action, that don’t translate to cinema well at all. Occasionally there are surprises, like director and co-screenwriter Mary Harron managing to wrestle Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho into an even sharper satire than the novel. But in terms of novels that haven’t worked, I single out Perfume by Patrick Suskind. His novel should never have been attempted. The intense descriptive passages of the olfactory sense at work could never translate to the screen, and that elaborate orgy, and a very disturbing act of cannibalism, just did not make for mainstream movie appeal. While we’re on the subject, at this stage they are safe, but I hope no one ever attempts to adapt Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude or Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves.

SD: It’s clear you are open to erotic themes. Your “Deep Trash” section on your blog is highly erotic and leaves little to the imagination. Many of the movies you highlight feature erotic themes. What is it about the erotic element that fascinates you?

BT: To use a distracting and amusing analogy; it’s like the difference between the pictorials in Hustler magazine and the ones in Penthouse, back in the day. Hustler always shot in cheap studios, were garishly over-lit, and had average-looking girls with too much makeup (or none at all), whereas Penthouse was shot in lush locations, with atmospheric lighting, and featured very foxy, voluptuous women, as opposed to Playboy’s innocent girl-next-door.

Erotic is not just about the sex act, it’s about the surrounds, and the mind-set. It’s about the exotic allure, the naughty tease, the provocative suggestion, the wicked promise, and then the delivery done with a charged sensuality, a slap of mischief, perhaps a bruise of perversity … and, in my books, not a Brazilian in sight!

SD: If you were to create an erotic movie, what would be some of your plot lines that would give Walerian Borowczyk’s The Beast a run for its money?

BT: Untamed, about a widowed man who has temporarily gone off-grid and encounters an attractive, but feral woman in the mountains and finds himself in a very primal relationship with her, no dialogue, just body language and wild, animalistic sex. He tries to introduce her to his civilised world, but she panics and escapes. The man abandons his commitments, and searches for the woman. Eventually he finds her, and chooses to give up his former life to live with her in the wild.

SD: Is there a close link between horror and eroticism? What are those elements and why?

BT: Sex and death. As the French call the orgasm, la petite morte, “little death”. In fiction and in cinema a heightened sensuality and threat of the dark nightmarish unknown provoke a similar genuine excitement, think Anne Rice’s novel The Vampire Lestat, or Paul Schrader’s remake of Cat People.

SD: In your opinion why do many men include raping a woman as part of their crime? Why not just take her purse or her jewelry and be gone?

BT: That’s a tough question to try and answer! Rape is more about power than sex. But it is the power to humiliate, and to recklessly harness what they think is masculinity. It must be a testosterone aberration; otherwise more women would rape men.

SD: Some of the movies you showcase mention rape. Why do you think women have rape fantasies, and do men have them?

BT: There is rough consensual sex, and there is BDSM, but if there is no safe word, and the word “No” or “Stop” is not adhered to, then it becomes rape. Crossing this line presents itself as a kind of fantasy danger realm. Within the safe confines of the fantasy no one gets hurt, but there is the thrill of that ever-present danger, the lack of control, the lack of defence. To be honest I don’t know if other men have rape fantasies, as I’ve never discussed it, and whether women discuss them with other women, I’m none the wiser. I’ve included rape in some of my fiction, but I don’t perceive it as a personal fantasy.

SD: I had the experience of witnessing a man who had some mental issues, and when he became overwhelmingly angry and began expressing this, part of his behavior included masturbatory acts. Does intense fear or anger arouse men sexually? (This isn’t an issue of a man using power, but reacting to a situation that didn’t go his way or finding himself in an unpleasant situation).

BT: I’m sure it arouses some men. But I have no idea what percentage. I enjoy watching horror movies, but they don’t arouse me. I find watching the good ones in the cinema can be thrilling and exhilarating, but there’s a distinct difference. And as a contrast, witnessing violence and rage in reality is very confronting for me.

SD: You’re considering creating a novel from a screenplay you’ve written—about a succubus. Many erotic authors feature these mythological and folkloric creatures. What is it about them that allures you or inspires you to use them as characters in your work?

BT: I’m fascinated by the concept of a sex demon, a powerful nightmare creature like a vampire that sucks the life force from people through the act of sex, but rather than tackle the male version – an incubus – I wanted to tell a story about a female one. I’m also interested in fusing the succubus element with the mythology of Lilith, the woman who preceded Eve in the Garden of Eden, but was cast out by Adam, because she refused to lie under him during intercourse.

SD: How does American cinema and European differ, and why did some or many of the movies you feature on your blog not make it into mainstream?

BT: I’ve always got my eyes peeled for something with a transgressive edge, something that pushes boundaries. Arguably, Euro cinema has been more adventurous than American cinema, frequently more risqué, and often plain darker. That’s not to say there aren’t great American films that push the envelope, in fact many of my favourites were American movies from the 70s, arguably the most interesting and adventurous decade in the history of cinema. The movies that interest me are those of a darker hue, especially noir and horror, but actually, in the last decade horror movies have become part of mainstream cinema, especially with Hollywood’s focus on PG-13.

SD: What is your ultimate dream?

BT: I intend to become a successful screenwriter of genre movies, and perhaps an occasional novelist and director.

Thank you, Bryn! What a wonderful interview. Definitely insightful. You can visit Bryn’s blog and learn more about his interests and what makes him tick. Definitely check out his Deep Trash section and learn about some of the most unique erotic movies around.

Cult Projections

More about Bryn Tilly, the man from Down Under:

Bryn was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. He began writing creatively at an early age, mostly science fiction and fantasy. During puberty and into his early adolescence he penned dozens of cartoon strips, mostly sci-fi, horror, and violent adventure stories. In his late teens and early twenties he began dabbling in long form prose and short film screenplays. In 1993 he joined a local newspaper as the resident film reviewer and has been a published film critic ever since, currently with his site cultprojections.com. Apart from working as a writer, Bryn has also been a professional DJ since 1993. He has been based in Sydney, Australia in 1997. A few years ago he returned to prose and wrote a gruesome haunted house story. In the last year he has written two more short stories and directed a short film, all of them pushing the fabric of nightmares, real and supernatural. All three short stories are to be published by Booktrope. Bryn is feeling a novel brewing. But for the immediate future he is off to Spain to support a short horror film he made, which is in competition at the Sitges Film Festival. Bryn may be a little longer in the tooth but he has found his calling.

A Fun Romp Through Different Genres

August 4, 2014 by scarletdarkwood

Not too long ago, I saw a Meme about how certain music genres would characterize a sentence in their different varieties: Country, Pop, Metal, and a few others I can’t remember. So I decided this exercise wasn’t just for musicians, but writers could do it to. I took it upon myself to give this a shot and use the same sentence that was the kick-off point in the meme. Here goes, and hope you enjoy!

Sentence: I saw a flower

Romance: The cerise-petaled flower fluttered in the wind, hoping desperately to catch the attention of the handsome cattail standing nearby. She’d had her eye on him for quite some time, and the sight of his strong brown frame always left her breathless.

Erotica: Rose opened herself to the warm, brilliant sun above, smiling shyly as she uncloaked her golden center, offering herself to the brilliant orb in the sky. Sun’s eyes gazed down, flickering with lust as his warm finger rays reached down, tenderly stroking over the tight bundle of pistils and stamens. The shivery pleasure radiated down through her stem and out of the roots that tethered her in place.

Horror: The purple Iris smiled her most seductive smile, one so diabolical that no human could resist touching her. She knew she was the death flower, as did the inky black raven who perched on the branch above her. He loved nothing better than a view of a victim, shrieking with pain, as they fell to their death upon touching the moist purple petals.

Steampunk: Abigail donned her goggles, gloves, and cap, and hopped into her new flying machine, a rather odd-looking, flower-shaped contraption resembling a daisy, outfitted with a bulbed compartment for a pilot and rider. The petal-like propellers, operated by steam, whirled round and round at a dizzying speed, sending the plane zipping through the air. Though she was a young lady, Grandfather would be so proud of her flying skills.

Sci/Fi: The battle between the Tiger Lillies and Pussy Willows raged on. A deep blanket of pollen covered the sky, choking anything that dared to breathe. The Tiger Lillies shot off rounds of bullets from their pistils and stamens, only to be answered by the horrendous bombs strategically launched by the cunning Pussy Willows. The after math would be terrible, with the carnage of dead flowers and buds all over the field.

Fantasy: Morning Glory flared her purple cape around her and glared at the sky. No more would Thunder and Lightning bully her with their streaks of terrible light and monstrous sounds. She pulled her leaves tighter together to hide the vial containing the secret light, it’s name so sacred it couldn’t be uttered aloud. She’d show them. A few simple magic words, and she’d open the vial.

Paranormal Romance: Destiny’s Last Chance Is Published!

July 7, 2014 by scarletdarkwood

I said I’d do it, didn’t I? I said I’d be venturing into other genres, and I did it, true to my word! Here is my paranormal romance. Many of you have the introduction to my writing in the way of Erotica, but I’m so much more than that. I do have another Erotica novel planned, as well as other books for the Pleasure House Collection. But I had to do this paranormal romance, Destiny’s Last Chance, because it’s a story near and dear to my heart. Like most authors, there are always elements of their own truth that they incorporate into their stories, and my new book is no different, of course. It is a work of fiction, and so many of the events NEVER took place in real life. I had to step back and wonder, what if . . .?

I love ghost stories, and this one is such a novel. There are elements of the occult and metaphysical as well. And, yes, there are sex scenes, though they’re much more tamed down. My editor said he felt they were as erotic as my other novels. However, there’s no graphic language or detailed information–more implied, I should say. Everything was tastefully done. I had to work hard to keep up three different plotlines, trying desperately to weave them together, hold them up, and finally resolve them. That was a little tricky for me, because in my previous novels, I really didn’t have to do that. The stories simply were not written that way nor were they intended to have multiple plotlines.

But Destiny changed that for me. I needed it to make the “what if?” story interesting. I love this book, and I enjoyed every minute of writing it. It’s full of great characters, snappy dialogue and has a nice dose of suspense to it. As an opening teaser, here’s an excerpt:

“Like I’ve said before, choices, choices. One has to make them, like it or not.”

“I hear you, Irene.” Kit glanced up at her friend. “No doubt you told your friend that, too, right?”

“I think I’ve said things like that more than once to people. Maybe it’s me being egotistical, but I wish they would listen to me sometimes.”

Nodding, Kit stared out the window while Irene sat back to let their conversation digest. Kit wanted nothing more than to slip out into the night and dissolve in the air. Knowing her friend as well as she did, being sneaky or unkind was never Irene’s intention. For all her outspoken tendencies, this lady always kept loyalty and trust in the forefront. Lately, however, her inner knowing had left Kit more on edge, and the gentle confrontations kept her emotions on their toes. But there was a question that burned in Kit’s mind, and maybe Irene could help again. Since the shop didn’t seem to have many patrons tonight, this time seemed as good as any to get some answers.

Turning back to her friend, Kit blurted out, “I’ve been wondering about this, and since we’re on the subject of boyfriends and amorous co-workers, maybe your sixth sense can help me with this question.”

“Go on, I’m all ears.” Irene perked up.

“Sometimes I wonder if Steven really loves me or not. I want to know where he stands concerning us.”

“Fair enough, and I have just the thing that can help answer some of these questions.” Irene slipped her purse from the back of her chair and spent a few moments rustling through the contents until she pulled out a black velvet drawstring bag. “I always carry this with me. It’s not bulky like tarot cards, and it’s definitely smaller than a Ouija board.” She opened the bag and pulled out a pendulum. The clear quartz point dangled from the end of a silver chain.

Kit smiled. “You do come prepared, don’t you?”

“Always!” Irene grinned back. “But before we begin, I need to calibrate this thing just to make sure it’s working okay.” She dangled the point, holding the piece a few inches off the table.”

“You mean a pendulum can actually malfunction?” Kit grinned and shook her head. “I wouldn’t have imagined something like that breaking down.”

Irene gave her the look of a teacher lecturing before a group of students. “If the energy isn’t right, they can refuse to move, and you won’t get any answers during the current session. You’ll have to wait for another time and try again.”

“I see. I don’t want to wait until another time, so here’s to hoping we’re in luck, I guess.”

“I’m going to ask it a simple yes or no question. When it moves clockwise, that means yes, and when it moves counterclockwise, that means no.” Irene straightened up and focused her eyes on the pendulum. “Is Kit here with me tonight?” She repeated the question in a soft voice. Within seconds, the pendulum began moving. As Irene repeated the question some more, the point began swinging in a clockwise direction. “Stop . . . neutral . . . neutral . . . new question. Is snow green?” The pendulum slowly shuddered to a stop, and as Irene repeated the question, the pendulum began swinging in a counterclockwise direction.

Kit, stunned by what she saw, remained silent, not daring to break the mood by saying something silly.

Irene smiled up a Kit. “Terrific. Looks like we’re in business tonight. So what’s the question, my dear girl?”

Pushing her latte aside, Kit straightened up in her chair and leaned toward Irene. “I want to know if Steven truly loves me.”

“Very well, we’ll ask. She dangled the pendulum in front of her once again, holding the chain at the end. “Does Steven love Kit?” Within seconds, the quartz point began to swing a little, gathering momentum the more Irene asked the same question. The pendulum moved in a clear clockwise direction, thus answering the question in the affirmative.

Wide-eyed, Kit glanced from the pendulum to her friend. “Wow, that was something. And you think it’s accurate?”

“I’m the one holding this, and don’t forget I have a subconscious mind too. But you’re also providing energy, as you tap into the deeper, unseen wisdom you have.” Irene gazed directly at Kit. “You have your answer to this question. Do you have another one?”

“Yes, I do have one more. Is there a future between Steven and myself?”

Irene steadied the pendulum and asked the question. “Will Steven and Kit be together in the future?”

The coffee shop grew quieter than usual, with the clatter of dishes and coffee grinding coming to a halt. Remaining customers had dwindled down to around two, and they’d been sitting for a while with their eyes transfixed to computer screens. Kit and Irene remained on task, immersed in their own world, the one of seekers. After a few times of asking the same question, the pendulum began to shimmy. These movements turned into tiny convulsions on the end of the chain. Both ladies stared in amazed silence. In an unexpected turn of events, the quartz drop split in two parts, followed in rapid succession by the chain breaking. The pendulum fell to a heap of disconnected, useless parts on the table between the two ladies.

“Holy shit! What just happened?” Kit shrank back in her chair.

Irene sat blinking at the destroyed pendulum, shaking her head. “Oh, dear. I’m not sure what just happened. I’ve never had that sort of thing go down like this before.” She turned her eyes up to her friend. “That pendulum was not about to give us any answers, and quite frankly, I’m not sure why. Apparently the spirit world wants to keep that answer under wraps for right now.” She shifted in her seat. “This whole thing has me baffled, and a little nervous. Let’s talk about something else, like the gala.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Kit moved to take another sip of her latte.

Irene picked up the broken pendulum and dropped the parts back in the black bag. “I am getting excited about this. Oh, and I’m already thinking about some of the auction items I want to bid on. What about you? Have you thought about something you’d like?”

“Mmm, yeah. I saw some fun stuff. I still haven’t gotten the rest of my outfit together . . .”

The two friends spent the remainder of their time making small talk. When they’d finished, Irene walked back to her car and drove home. Disturbed by the events she’d just experienced with Irene, Kit walked by Celestial Temptation Gallery, desperate to see Steven more than ever.

Pleasure House Got A New Makeover And Is Now Available In Print!

December 26, 2013 by scarletdarkwood

Pleasure House Print CreateSpace eStore

Pleasure House Print Amazon

Pretty, huh!! I love this new cover! I decided to see if readers would like Pleasure House in print version. I have to say, the book is pretty sharp to look at when you hold it in your hands. You can purchase a copy by clicking on the link above. If you can’t purchase from the CreateSpace eStore, you can also purchase on Amazon. If you like erotica and like it graphic and in-your-face, this is a story for you. If you like erotic romance, I’d suggest Master of The House or Mistress Of The House for more romantic tales. I will say this, Pleasure House does have a HEA to it, so just remember that if you’re toying with the idea of purchasing this book!