It was while working with my editor's
corrections and suggestions for "Gates of the Garden: Book Two"
that this subject for the book's blog tour came to me. Now first
things first, my editor is writer too, but she writes in a very
different genre from mine- in fact, she's currently working on a
Victorian horror story. So I had my beta reader on an IM program as I
was going over the edits and I'd say to her [even though my BR
doesn't write erotic fiction either, I trusted her to give a nuanced
opinion], "Is she saying this because she doesn't understand
BDSM erotica?" Some things, like penis size for one, I disagreed
with my editor on and my BR supported my disagreement.
Talking about setting was a more subtle
thing though. In "Out of the Night: Book One," we have a
Manhattan coffeehouse and The Queen's Manhattan loft, before we move
to his mansion out in the Catskill Mountain region of New York. The
reader gets to enjoy things like the big circular bed in the loft
that grabs a reaction from Vala, a description of the mansion as Vala
looks on it as they pull up the driveway.
Yes, I'll admit it- I have floor plans
of the mansion that I've never planned to put in a published book,
probably not even in a blog post. They help me keep track of what
room is beside which other room etc- The Queen does have a mansion
with two-storied wings, three of them, a servants' wing, and tons of
other stuff. The thing was however, my editor wanted details like
carpet colors. Now as Vala is crawling after The Queen to cross the
great room to get to the play wing, how likely do you think it is
that she's going to notice the carpet color? As you walk through your
living room on the way to your bedroom, how much attention do you pay
to the color of your drapes?
I'm working in book four now- "The
Beginning of Knowledge: Book Four"- and I'm debating the formal
dining room chairs. There's no sex, no active BDSM, but would you
ponder if I mentioned a specific type of chair? :D
But here's two snippets of Vala crossing
the great room from "Gates of the Garden: Book Two":
A scene interrupted and
The Queen hurries his girls to a formal dinner- that he ordered.
The
gonging of the grandfather clock in the great room rang through the
first floor seven times.
"Oops.
I guess I lost track of time. Let us go to dinner. The three of you
are obviously excused from punishment for lateness." The Queen
turned towards the great room. "The three of you will crawl
behind me."
Prisca,
Adan, and Vala moved to follow The Queen. The four of them crossed
the great room; he strolled, throwing a smile over his shoulder as
the girls struggled to keep up with him.
The
Queen strode into the dining room. "Please excuse my lateness."
With
Vala speaking first, this snippet shows Adan and Vala responding to
The Queen's order to Adan- "Take Vala to Iona [in her room]."
At
the landing, she sat back on her heels and asked, "So I'm
wondering, how much house will we be crossing or is that a question
you shouldn't answer?"
"I
don't think there's any reason I shouldn't." Adan sighed as Vala
got back on all fours. "Let's hurry."
The
girls hurried across dark brown carpet.
Adan
said, "We just crossed the main playroom. Next we'll cross the
great room, with all that furniture for you to crawl around. Finally
we'll cross The Queen's bedroom to the stairs that'll take us up to
slave quarters."
Vala
giggled. "The slave quarters?"
"Well,
that's what we all tend to call our rooms. They're much more than
just bedrooms." Adan put her hand on top of Vala's head.
"Remember that the furniture gets moved around in here. You
always want to be careful if possible, figure out how to still talk
to those around you while being mindful of your surroundings."
"Thanks."
Vala crawled left around the armchair. "But are we really going
to cross The Queen's bedroom?"
Adan
laughed. "You may not have noticed, but going through his room
is the only way to get to the slave quarters."
BLURB:
Vala is very comfortable in her new life, her new name. She's hopelessly in love, with The Queen, with Iona, with life. She's learning about BDSM and knows The Queen has many surprises, lessons planned for her. She's looking forward to ceremony day...
The Queen considers, stresses, ponders. Sometimes he goes to Simon for help, especially since Tommy messed up so bad. He's considering things in the long term as he watches Vala blossom into what he wants her to be...
Things are settling down and they aren't for the rest of the stable. Tommy did so mess things up, but at least there's Vala's training to entertain, to occupy the stable as The Queen uses them in the ways he needs. Abrecan, Orlee, and Gaelan struggle to come to terms with what one decision did to their lives in the stable...
Please come along with Joelle on this journey, shared with the readers in serial fashion. A multitude of "Happily-ever-afters" are waiting with the completion of book 9.
Author's Note: This novel is meant for open-minded adults. Activities described include a wide range of BDSM and sexual activities, some of which are male/male, male/female, group sex, consensual slavery, oral/anal/vaginal intercourse, bondage. The story also covers some sensitive topics in characters' back stories, such as drug abuse, childhood abuse, religious abuse.
Buy links:
Buy links:
print edition: still to come
Smashwords- multiple formats- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/417778 . First 20% available as a free sample.
Amazon/Kindle edition
http://www.amazon.com/Gates-Garden-Book-Valas-Story-ebook/dp/B00MYP1AG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408802117&sr=1-1&keywords=Gates+of+the+Garden%3A+Book+Two
Barnes and Noble/Nook edition
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gates-of-the-garden-joelle-casteel/1120186938?ean=2940150565302
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