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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Ice Fairy review!

This made my day!




Review of Ice Fairy, by Stephanie L Danielson...given by Headstall

If you are looking for excellent male/male romance, I highly recommend this book. The writing is superb and the flow of the story takes you on a wonderful journey of conflict, resolution and love. Our heroes are a most unlikely pair...the big,brawny hockey player and the smaller, power packed figure skater who manage to break down barriers and show us that when two people want it, love will find a way. This is truly a sweet, well-crafted story with just the right amount of tension and drama to keeper the reader engaged throughout. I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with this story or the wonderful characters.
Headstall




Monday, May 26, 2014

Crazy Town


LOL...I love that suggestion; humor gets us all through the day sometimes.

Life is a little odd right now; I became unemployed three weeks ago and have been looking for a new gig ever since. The market here in STL is tough!!! But I hope to find something soon or start to price out cardboard boxes to make a shack from.

But as always, there is good news! Boy kitty, Jack, is doing so much better. Six months ago it seemed like he was just a breath away from leaving us for the great big catnip buffet in the sky. Luckily, that is not true at all anymore. His back paws are not bugging him anymore so he can jump and clamor up the steps again and play! His insulin shots are not his favorite, we hate giving them to him too; but they have helped save his far too young life. (He's only 10).

So, we feel very blessed to still have our little guy around and our little girl too, who is 14 and as rowdy as ever. Daytime you cannot tell; but nighttime she's as rambunctious as ever.

Other than that; I've left school and have decided to punt accounting entirely. Writing is my love, not numbers. I've also gotten back to drawing and painting too. I'll take some pics sometime of my old works vs the new...all I'm asking is for you to please be kind. It's been decades since I've created anything of the sort...

Writing isn't coming easy nowadays; despite dozens of wip's...but I think once I know I have an income again, I'll feel safer and able to stop worrying.

And on that note...on this Memorial Day and remembering my family members who served our country and thanking them for their contributions to help keep us free.

Cheers!

Steph

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Welcome my guest blogger today: Dakota Trace!



You’re Sticking What…Where?
While most of you may know me as an author of erotic romance in a variety of genres, some may not be aware that I’m also an avid reader. (Not a shocker huh?)  I love to read and review in my spare time and one of my favorite genres to do this for is m/m and BDSM.  So recently I downloaded a couple of books by J.A Rock and Lisa Henry, from their The BOY series. This series appealed to me because of its darker, even edgier feel to it.  As I was reading, imagine my surprise when I ran across Derek using urethral sounds on Lane, his submissive. 
Don’t know what that is?  According to Wikipedia:
Urethral sounding is the medical use of probes called sounds to increase the inner diameter of the urethra and to locate obstructions in it. Sounds are also used to stretch the urethra in order to receive genital piercing.
Okay…we’re talking a medical instrument here? This shouldn’t be a total surprise. The naughty nurse and patient fantasy is probably one of the biggest role play fantasies around.  So in essence what Derek was using a slender stainless steel rod inside of Lane’s dick to stimulate and pleasure his sub. 
Of course being the curious kitty that I am, I wanted to actually see what they looked like. The book had been pretty good about describing the usage and precautions of using them, (sanitize with rubbing alcohol, use plenty of good lube and of course take it slow…lol)   but I actually wanted to see what one looked like.  *grins* And Google is such a wonderful thing!  After a few hits and misses my screen was flooded with all kinds of images from the bizarre – that looks weird to ouch – you’re planning on putting that where?  
There is a wide variety of sounds that range from straight to curved ones. There are even specialty ones that are ribbed, beaded or have a bulbous head on them.  It amazes me what someone might insert in such a sensitive area.

Straight Sounds (Hegar Sounds): don’t let the name fool you.  These sounds are not completely straight. They normally are about 8 inches in length and go from 1/16th to 5/8th inches.  I will admit these look a bit more intimidating to me than the curved ones. Especially the 5/8th one.  This particular set comes with 8 sounds…each one having a different size at each end.




Curved Sounds: are usually up to twelve inches in length and are curved on either end.  These are best used with beginners and from various articles I’ve read, are not the most comfortable if the penis is erect.  They usually come in sets and range from 1/8th of inch to 9/16th of inch.



Bulbous Sounds: this particular set of sounds looks like something right out of a torture film.  With a large bulbous head on each sound, this kind of sound appeals to those who have fetishes for older medical versions of this instrument.  (these were originally used to measure the size of a woman’s cervix.)


So there you have it. You can claim you learned something new today. And while I may be bit on the kinky side, well maybe more than little… *winks* if I happened upon two guys using these on each other…well I’d stop and watch. 

*information and pictures of individual sounds came from: http://www.fiftyshadesofdesire.com/

Author Bio:
Dakota is a simple Midwest girl, who found her passion in storytelling at a young age. She wrote her first novel her freshman year on an old electric IBM typewriter. Now writing in several different genres from erotic romance and BDSM to m/m and paranormal, she is a published author with multiple books under her belt. When she isn’t writing, she’s a devoted band mom and a loving wife.  More information about Dakota and her work can be found on www.dakotatrace.net.

Friday, February 21, 2014

A Little Bit of Naughty: Book Spotlight: S.L. Danielson

A Little Bit of Naughty: Book Spotlight: S.L. Danielson: Today I have the pleasure of spotlighting SL Danielson's newest book. Ice Fairy.   With the Olympics in full swing righ ow, i'd...

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Please welcome visiting author Erin O' Quinn!






VINTAGE CONDOMS

Erin OQuinn



Historians of such esoteric subjects agree that condoms were first used for prevention of pregnancy, and by wealthy men only. That makes sense, since women were naturally held to the task of avoiding impregnation, and only wealthy men might wish to keep their seed from being spread outside the marriage bed.

Early condoms, perhaps worn first in ancient China, were apparently small devices that covered the glans only, made from oiled silk paper or lamb intestines. Later, in Japan, they were made of tortoise shell or animal horn. Ouch . . . not for the wearer, but for the receiver!

When a particularly deadly strain of syphilis broke out in Europe in the late 15th century, condoms began to be developed to stop the spread of this disease. One treatise describes linen sheaths soaked in chemicals and allowed to dry. These devices, which covered the glans only, were tied on with a ribbon, giving a whole new meaning to the words babys bonnet.
 





After 1500, penis protection became much more widespread throughout Europe. They were called condoms gradually, starting in the mid-1600s; and they might be made of animal intestines and bladders, or of linen. Heres an interesting note from Wikipedia: 

In the late 15th century, Dutch traders introduced condoms made from fine leather to Japan. Unlike the horn condoms used previously, these leather condoms covered the entire penis.

The notorious philanderer Cassanova was proud of his assurance caps, and was reported to have given demonstrations by blowing into them, proudly showing their lack of holes (see photo).



In spite of oppositionmainly from the clergycondoms, once developed, multiplied quickly. According to Wiki, they were sold at pubs, barbershops, chemist shops, open-air markets, and at the theater throughout Europe and Russia. Once they spread to America, land of invention and individuality, condoms became more and more sophisticated.
 

Skipping ahead a bit, I want to discuss the use of condoms in my Gaslight Mysteries novels. In the first novel HEART TO HART, Michael slips a clumsy latex condom out of his dresser drawer. It seems that, since the mid 1800s and Charles Goodyears discovery of processing natural rubber, condoms could be made of stretched rubber, wrapped around the penis and held in place with a rubber ring. These early condoms were thick as a bicycle inner tube. One imagines that while one partner might enjoy the enlargement, the other might suffer the indignity of feeling nothing at all.

Anyway, by the time Michael was seducing Simon, condoms began to be made from latex, rubber suspended in water rather than in gasoline or benzene. These protective devices were stronger, thinner, and had a shelf life up to five years.


In the next Gaslight Mystery SPARRING WITH SHADOWS, Michael slyly leaves a package for his flatmate. Its a condom made of thin animal bladder, the latest in American-made protection, thin enough and pliable enough to ensure the mans pleasure as well as the other obvious benefits.


Many of the photos that follow are taken from the following website: http://www.ep.tc/condom-envelopes/ a gallery of images assembled by Ethan Persoff, http://www.ep.tc
Thanks, Ethan. I borrow them with gratitude

Just a note: The U.S.-manufactured Sheik and Ramses brands were well established by 1882.  Trojans, also developed in America, were popular then as now.
 


Paper packaging was, and remains, a popular dispensary for condoms.

In the source listed above, Ethan Persoff notes:

The very interesting book Remember your rubbers! (Collectible Condom Containers) by Elliott, Goehring and OBrien published by Schiffer Publishing Co., strangely does not show any of the examples offered here on eBay by us. Does this mean these are rarer than their tin counterparts?

The book also states the following on paper packaging:

Interestingly enough, both the oldest and newest rubber packages are envelopes. India rubbers, latex rubbers and animal membrane prophylactics are found in envelopes. Most hold one dozen rubbers lying flat, though a few can be found with one quarter dozen. Genuine Liquid Latex rubbers came packaged with four (rolled) to an envelope and wrapped in cellophane. Rarer are envelopes with a single rubber in the package…”








Thanks for your interest in vintage condoms. And speaking of that, here is an excerpt from my novel SPARRING WITH SHADOWS, when sly Michael has left an morning gift for his first-time lover Simon.


Excerpt from Chapter 9 of  SPARRING WITH SHADOWS


Simon Hart, a life-long virgin, has just been maneuvered into an anal penetration by his accomplished flat-mate Michael. First he seeks a bath. And then he stands looking down at the bed where the act occurred.


Simon stood in the small claw-footed bathtub, watching the water fill, realizing this room was the only one where he could truly be alone. Even his own bedchamber was now the stalking ground of his new roomer, a circumstance he himself had allowed to exist.
He settled into the water, letting his sticky groin become immersed in the cleansing warmth. He could lavish only about ten minutes here before the next roomer would no doubt beat on the door, demanding his turn on the toilet or in the cast iron tub.
He let his head fall back and his shoulders relax. His mouth, too, moved in an inchoate smile, remembering his astonishing climax. Michael. His conniving, experienced, constantly aroused flat-mate had maneuvered him into an act of anal intercourse.
From that moment, there could be no question as to whether Simon was a practicing omi-palone. Michael had caused him to enter a realm that set him forever after in a special niche. He had just entered the world of homosexual men. Until a while ago, Simon could still fool himself into thinking Michael had taken him by force. From now on, the conniving bastard seemed to be saying, Simon was the sodomite.
He wondered how hed explain that to the melancholy-eyed God he sometimes prayed to. …

~  ~  ~


Following are the Amazon links to the Gaslight Mysteries by Erin OQuinn. (Nineteen 5* reviews, gay romcom mystery-action/adventure.) By the time book number three came out, the men had abandoned the condoms in favor of more spontaneous methods

When two men join forces to solve a murder in 1923 Ireland, they begin to investigate private affairsand none more private than their own.

HEART TO HART The best-seller which started it all, a murder mystery wherein the larger-than-life Michael McCree lets his heart decide his fate; and the surly, angry Simon Hart tries to rid himself of a would-be lover.  http://amzn.to/12gBwlL



SPARRING WITH SHADOWS The second of the Gaslight Mysteries, wherein a man confronts his own sexuality, a determined admirer, and an arch-criminal.  http://amzn.to/14QXtqW





TO THE BONE The capstone of the trilogy, wherein a pesky new agent burrows close as a tick, keeping the men from exploring a series of crimes, and from their own always-edgy relationship.  http://amzn.to/1bEXep2