Wednesday, July 29, 2015

You can teach an old dog...

I received the 4Play manuscript back from Ekatarina Sayanova, Editor-in-Chief of Red Quill Editing last Wednesday.  I am slowly working through her edits in an effort to absorb and retain as much as possible of the knowledge she is imparting.  It is my goal to not only end up with a better MS, but also to learn from my mistakes and avoid repeating them!  I am grateful she includes resource links that explain her corrections.

Here's a link to concise information regarding progressive verb tenses (something I'm not sue I ever knew.)  I would not bet the farm I won't get this wrong again.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/progressive.htm

My memory and I argued over "was" and "were" quite a few times while I was working on this piece.  My memory claims a junior high teacher told us when the phrase begins with "if", you should use "were".  Several times I could not make myself do it, if for no other reason than it sounded just plain wrong.  Turns out it is not a hard and fast rule and here's how to determine which to use
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/subjunctive-verbs

Stay tuned, more lessons to come


More about 4Play

The previously published story "Interview with The Mistress" will be re-released with the title "Interview with Mistress A."  I want to be very clear in the blurb to let prospective readers know that although the manuscript has been revised and content added, it's not a new story.

It's my favorite of the four stories, primarily because it's based on actual events and brings back fond memories of old friends.  It's the only one containing BDSM and f/f pairing in the collection and sold more copies than the other three combined.  I enjoy writing and reading D/s tales and plan to write more of Aleksandra's story in the future.

Excerpt from "Interview with Mistress A."


     She stomped over and stood in front of me, hands on hips, her brilliant green eyes flashing. “What about me?” she demanded.

     “What about you?” I wasn’t sure what she was asking.

     “If I were a client of yours, would you be tempted to break your rules?”

     As stunned as I was, I knew she wouldn’t be asking that question if she wanted my answer to be no. Moving quickly, I stood and spun her around and pulled her arms behind her back. Holding both her wrists in my left hand, I wrapped my right arm around the front of her body, keeping her motionless. I leaned down and spoke softly into her ear. “Of course I would. You are sexy, funny and smart, and I already care for you, but you are not my client. And you are not a submissive.”

     I could feel her breathing accelerate, her body tremble, and then she whispered, “How do we know?”

     I released her and turned her back around to face me. She was truly serious about this and having her body so close to mine had placed us on a path I found I wished to continue down. “Let’s find out then, shall we?”

      I felt myself slipping automatically into my familiar role. “Listen carefully. Go into your bedroom; pull the covers from the bed. Gather five long scarves and place them on the foot of the bed. Strip and kneel in the center of the bed facing the door with your eyes closed. Do not open them or speak until I give permission. Understand?” She nodded, eyes wide and a slight smile playing around the sides of her mouth. “Go quickly and show me you are capable of following instructions.” Starting out with a session barely off the vanilla scale seemed wise. If it turned out she wasn’t into it, I wanted to find out before doing anything hardcore.

     Her apartment was not large, so I could easily hear her movements as she hustled to obey my orders. I fixed myself a drink and wondered which of us was more excited. 
     Sounds coming from the bedroom ceased, and I went to see how well she had done. Comforter and top sheet removed, check. A pile of scarves waiting for my use, check. Vanessa kneeling, her golden skin glowing in the soft light of the bedside lamps. I’d seen her body before in the gym shower, but now I could take the opportunity to really look at her. What I saw was a lot of gorgeous in a tiny package. Reaching across the bed, I tipped her head downward and then tapped her knees. “Head bowed, back arched, legs apart. Submission 101.” Taking one of the scarves, I wrapped it around her head, blindfolding her. “Since we have no existing knowledge of your limits, we will learn as we go. If you are unsure, but wish to continue more slowly, say ‘yellow light’. If you want everything to stop and end the scene, say ‘red light’. Understand?” She nodded, remembering she had not yet been given permission to speak. “Good girl. You will answer this next question. Will I find a vibrator in your nightstand?” Her cheeks flushed, and a barely audible “yes” squeaked out. “Yes, ma’am or yes, Mistress is an acceptable response.

     “Yes, Mistress,” she replied with a little more confidence.

       She had a high-quality vibrator, which came as no surprise. In all things, Nessa had excellent taste. I switched it on and off, checking the battery strength; we were good to go. I ordered her to lie on her back with her arms and legs outstretched, and she immediately complied. I remember wondering if maybe there was truly some submissiveness in her…or if she was just getting into the role-play.



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