Your Body. Your Voice. Your Choice.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the upcoming presidential election.  This is supposed to be the year of the woman.  Our issues.  Our voices.  And while in the past, many politicians have pandered to us as a collective group, this year really is about us.

And it doesn’t matter your position.

It doesn’t matter if you are socially liberal or conservative. 

It doesn’t matter if you are religious, atheist or agnostic.

If you are a woman, this year you have to consider your choices.  And you have to remember that you have a voice.  And even more importantly, you must embrace the rights that you have to choose.  Rights that you didn’t have as a woman not so long ago.

I think my stance on a woman’s body is perfectly clear.  I’m beyond certain that Rush Limbaugh would call me a slut for choosing to utilize birth control.  And while that enrages me, it also empowers me.  I am also certain that there are members of the right wing who believe the ignorant things that Todd Akin spewed about rape and the female body.  And to be honest, those of the ones that scare me the most. 

I won’t say that I think that Paul Ryan believes what Todd Akin believes.  I will however say that his track record supports the idea that he might.  And might isn’t something I’m willing to ignore.

The thing is – your body is yours to do with as you choose.  As a woman (or a man), it is completely within your right to be as sexually active as you want.  It is also within your right to choose to abstain.  However, in today’s society, abstinence is really just an impossible hope carried over from Sunday School. 

It is not reality.

And electing someone who would take away your right to protect yourself and choose when or if you should have children is ridiculous.  It’s something that seems pulled directly from the pages of a dystopian novel that takes place in some far off, ridiculously distant future.

Only you know what?

It’s not that far off.

These are actual issues that we are discussing right now.

So, please…use your voice.  Use your right to choose – to stand up and speak.

NO!  I will not stand for that!  I will not sit by and allow other people to make choices that have everything to do with me and my body.  Nothing is more personal than that.

Think about the women before you who fought for the rights that we have been given.  Remember that we haven’t always had the choice to do as we please and voice our opinions and beliefs.  Voting is a privilege.  And as a woman, you deserve to be heard.

So, I encourage you to read about the men who would be elected to govern your country.  Learn about who they are and what they have and would stand for.  Make and educated choice, but please, please, please CHOOSE!

If you’re not registered to vote, REGISTER.

http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic

And if you’re already registered, VOTE!

Review: Bound Temptations

I had a difficult time with this book. 

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I can't comment on Tempt Me in this compilation, as I didn’t read it. I did read Beg Me, however. And it left a bad taste in my mouth.

The plot was beyond ridiculous. And not to mention how disturbing it was. I don’t mind BDSM. It’s not my favorite, but if it’s written well, and I like the story, I can get on board. But Beg Me was simply terrible. 

I’m certain that others will disagree, and obviously people liked this book enough for it to be republished in a compilation. But it just wasn’t for me.

1 Star

Review: Rough Edges

I will say that the last half of this book made up for the first (completely terrible) half. This is erotica. No one needs to read phone sex three times.

I almost flounced while I was reading with my friend Laura, but in the end, I was glad I stuck it out.

Worth the read if you like a little angst with your sex.

Sabbatical Banner by @jaimearkin

Review: Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan

I was fortunate enough to receive and ARC of Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan.  Based on the premise, I was looking forward to reading this story.  Having grown up in a very small town in Appalachia much like Sycamore Falls, I was excited to see how she described such a unique place. 

I was not disappointed.

I have read a lot of stories that take place in the south.  Some authors try to make the characters feel more genuine by writing their dialect (and dialogue) in a way that they feel is honest.  And few succeed.  Sydney Logan not only succeeds, but she writes them in a way that makes it seem effortless.  Her characters speak in a way that is true to the region, and all their interactions never feel forced or obnoxious.

Our heroine is Sarah who is returning to Sycamore Falls from Memphis.  She is coping with something traumatic, and while we don’t exactly know what it is in the beginning, little by little, her story is revealed.  She meets our hero, Lucas – a man who has come to Sycamore Falls in attempt to get away from something in his past as well.

I loved reading the progression of their relationship.  It flowed in a way that felt truly real.  And Lucas is one of those heroes that melts your heart in the smallest ways.  His care and concern for Sarah was what won me over completely.  He was exactly what she needed when she needed it.

What I loved most about the romance in this story was the lack of contrived and manufactured drama.  While Sarah and Lucas are falling in love, they are faced with something that tests them, both as individuals and a new couple.  Sycamore Falls is a small town in the Bible Belt.  And with that, comes small-minded people who have a limited view of the world outside their hometown.  And their prejudices are exposed in different ways – from their opinions on pre-marital sex to their feelings on homosexuality.

Which brings us to the real issue in this book.

Matt, a student of both Lucas and Sarah, admits to Sarah that he is gay.  And the news also becomes public knowledge.  And from there, he is bullied and ostracized for his sexuality.  Not only by his peers, but also by the adults in this small community.  I can’t lie and say that this part wasn’t heart wrenching to read, but I can say that I feel like it was written honestly, considering the region of the country in which this story takes place.

I must admit that my views on this particular subject are far more liberal and accepting than the views expressed in this book.  I believe that homosexuality isn’t a choice.  You don’t choose who you fall in love with any more than you can choose the race to which you’re born.  And even though I grew up in a place similar to world the author describes, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by parents who taught me that people are different and that’s okay.  And most importantly, that acceptance and love are the most important things in the world.

I also live in a reality where gay marriage is still a dividing issue, and hateful and violent bullying is a very real problem for so many people who are deemed different than the societal norm.   And while it’s hard for me to admit, the kind of persecution that Matt experiences in this book is a very true and accurate portrayal of what actually happens in society.

It’s sad.

It’s painful.

But it’s also honest.

This book had a little bit of everything.  I swooned, I cried, I was angry, but at the heart of the story, I also fell in love with the two main characters.  And at the end of the day, that’s why I read. 

New Story Teaser: Adult Book Store

She could see the building up ahead.  In the bright light of the afternoon, the white paint looked dingy…dirty.  Just like what she imagined was inside.  Her heart rate sped.  She clenched her thighs together as she heard the word in her head.

Dirty.

Bella wanted to be dirty.

But she wasn’t.

The light ahead was yellow.  She knew that she could make it through if she sped up.  Instead, she released her foot from the gas.  The car slowed and then stopped.  And she looked to her left.  Adult Bookstore.  Open 24 Hours.  Specifically, Edward’s Bookstore.  There were no windows on the building.  No way to see what was inside.  She wanted to know.  She was desperate to find out.

Review: Consent to Love

I have a rule.

If I finish a book, I won’t give it less than two stars.

So, Consent to Love gets two stars.

I didn’t love this book.  Actually, that’s a lie.  I loved it because it was so supremely awful that almost everything about it made me laugh.

Meet our hero, Kane. Or Howahkan, his birth name.  He is a Native American who lives on a reservation outside of small town New Mexico.  He is drawn to our heroine, Ana.  She is a small town barmaid who is twenty-four and only has two sexual experiences to her credit.  Really.  Two.

In spite of feeling drawn to her, Kane feels like they have no possible chance for a relationship because of the prejudices Ana would face for being with a Native American.  Still, he wants her, so he proposes a weekend of nothing but sex with him on the reservation.

Sounds legit, right?

There were a lot of problems with this book.

First of all, the dialogue was terrible.  Seriously, it was awkward and unrealistic.  No one talks like this in real life.  And it didn’t even make sense half the time.

Example: “Have you ever thought you wanted something, but in truth, it was more of a dream or fantasy of how you imagined it would be?”

The answer to that question is, “No.”  Or better yet, “What are you asking me?  I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

Other examples:

“I’m perfectly fine with us being together for sex benefits.”

“Do you know how much your dark nipples teased me all day long?”

“I feel like I’ve been twirling in a circle since meeting you, and any moment I’m going to fall down.” (It’s okay if you’re singing Ring around the Rosie.  I was.)

And my personal favorite:

After Kane pushed her away because they had no future, he comes to her two weeks later and says: “You have no idea how many nights I’ve lain in bed wishing your hands were touching me.”

Now, I know that Ana is supposed to be a small town girl (living in a lonely world), but I’m fairly certain she can count to fourteen.  It’s been two weeks!  Not two years.

Not to be outdone by the dialogue, the narration was equally painful.

Examples:

“He ran his hand over his bare chest, imagining the way her hardened nipples would skim his skin.”

“She found herself wanting to tear off the material, to expose her breasts and let the breeze tickle her skin.”

“The way his body moved up and down with the horse spoke volumes of the prowess he had with horses.”

Yes, you actually just read that sentence.

And then…there’s this:

“The pressure in his jeans grew, and not wanting to go back inside and waste his pleasure on himself, he headed toward the stables…”

GTFO!

If that doesn’t bring to mind disturbing images of his prowess with horses, nothing will.

And now we get to the sex.  Because really, that’s why we all read erotica, no?

There was one scene in which a naked Ana sits on a saddle (that Kane made for her) and she rides it while sucking his cock.  It should also be noted that she’s so into the riding and the sucking, she’s dimly aware of him coming in her throat.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m ALWAYS aware of that, okay?

And finally, there was this:

“I want to kneel behind you as you stick your ass up in the air and let me spray come over your tight hole.”

It should also be noted that this was the moment my reading partner, Laura, flounced.  She has only flounced a book with me one other time.

And just a couple of other things:

1.)    Cocks do not smell like sandalwood.  Not unless you are dipping them in men’s fragrance.

2.)    Creaming pussies squick me out.  If your pussy is creaming, you need to see a doctor.

3.)    No man should ever attempt to (even partially) stick his dick in a woman’s ass using only the lubrication from her pussy.

So, there you have it.  Read at your own risk.  Though, I freely admit that I was entertained by the sheer awfulness of this book.