Sexy snippet – gorgeously erotic writing by Elsa Holland

January 25, 2016March 27, 2016 ~ Josie Baker ~ 5 Comments

I just have to tell you about one of the most beautifully written, erotic books I’ve had the pleasure to read (and I’ve read A LOT of books). I love to immerse myself in sensual writing AND I love historical fiction so I was thrilled to come across ‘The Veiled Heart’ by Elsa Holland.

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Set in Victorian London, Miriam is happily widowed after being damaged by marriage to a sadistic ‘gentleman’ and the failure of her peers to recognise or acknowledge his abuse. Miriam is no delicate, shrinking flower though, and is determined to use her freedom as a widow and her privileged position in society to help improve the lot of women on the street.

While purchasing sheaths in a plan to educate London’s prostitutes about sexual health, Miriam’s alter ego, Lily, crosses the path of a man who awakens her dormant sexual urges and challenges her vow to remain independent. Sparks fly as she gives in to her lust for Max – who she believes is a mechanic and safely below her station – while she struggles against becoming the possession of any man, even one who melts her with his passion.

And here’s the sexy snippet, as promised (making love in a carriage sounds like fun)… Continue reading →

An introduction to BDSM

January 4, 2016 ~ Josie Baker ~ Leave a comment

Well, my next adventure of curiosity is not where I intended to go, but I’m so glad I did!

It came about from a book promotion I was sent – a book that had received some great ‘couldn’t put this book down’ reviews. There were also a couple of reviews from readers who obviously knew more about the subject than I did, who said there was too much explanation, that it read more like a ‘why and how’ manual. Perfect, I thought, I’ve never even had the faintest BDSM experience (and hadn’t ever thought I was missing anything until I read ‘With This Collar’ by Sierra Cartwright).

I admit to being curious, as I am with any form of pleasure, sexual or otherwise, so I didn’t hesitate to pick up the book when I came across it. My curiosity was well rewarded.

Firstly. I have to admit, I haven’t read 50 shades so although I’ve heard it’s repetitive and doesn’t appeal to people in the scene, I can’t compare it to my experience with ‘With This Collar’. To me, it sounds authentic, although with any romance, both main characters seem too good to be true and too well suited to be randomly thrown together.

Some of the reviews said the opening wedding scene was not believable – well, I loved it and wanted to believe it because I would have loved to have been Julia. Dropped into the deep end of her old friend’s BDSM lifestyle, taken in hand and shown the ropes by the gorgeous Dom, Marcus.

Yes, there’s lots of talk and explanation, but to the curious and uninitiated like me, it was just perfect. With a great mix of sexual tension and satisfaction to keep you turning the pages. Problem is now I’m squirming to explore. But where do I find a gorgeous Dom like Marcus??

When is naughty still nice?

January 4, 2016January 4, 2016 ~ Josie Baker ~ 2 Comments

I hope you all received a warm welcome from the new year and 2016 has treated you well so far.

My job as a graphic designer becomes very demanding at the close of each year and I admit to suffering a touch of burnout. I’ve spent the time since Christmas quietly re-energising: lots of sleeping; reconnecting with nature & myself; cooking & eating. I’ve read some beautiful fiction (The Lake House by Kate Morton and Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase), found the inspiration to do some writing of my own and spent many hours exploring gorgeous images on Pinterest.

There are some very talented artists and photographers sharing their images and I became addicted to collecting my favourites and following the trails from one alluring image to another. I found some of them titillating, a reflection of my latest foray into mild BDSM in fiction (prompted by Sierra Cartwright’s ‘With this Collar’ which also lead me to try my hand at writing a Dominatrix character in a novelette called ‘Mistress’ to be released on Amazon in the coming weeks).

Some images I found a little too naughty for my comfort. I guess the line between naughty-but-nice and shocking is dependant on the viewer, their sex, cultural background and his or her personal experiences. And maybe we become jaded or blasé over time.

I’d love to hear if you think my collection is on the nice side of naughty. I do…

Images sourced on Pinterest.