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Guest Post—REASONABLE DOUBTS—Cara Bristol
Today I have the lovely Cara Bristol visiting. Even her dominant alpha heroes would have to admit, Cara is definitely in charge when it comes to Domestic Discipline romance! Spanking and tenderness go hand-in-hand in Cara’s books. If you haven’t read her yet, I absolutely recommend you do!
REASONABLE DOUBTS, Book 5 in Cara’s highly popular Rod and Cane Society series released a few weeks ago.To celebrate, Cara is treating us to an excerpt from REASONABLE DOUBTS, along with her thoughts on something very important to any good story—chemisty.
Take it away, Cara…
The chemistry of relationships
By Cara Bristol
Some define chemistry as a “spark.” I think of it as “glue” that bonds two people together until they can get to know each other in a deeper way and discover if true compatibility exists. At least initially, chemistry is a temporary, albeit powerful attractant.
I didn’t marry until I was 33 years old. Between the ages of 18 and 33, I dated a lot, but most ended at the first date because of a lack of chemistry. With only one exception , all dates in which I had chemistry resulted in long term relationships—and one in marriage.
When you meet someone with who you have chemistry, there is physical awareness, of course, but also a rapport, comfort instead of awkwardness, and an ease of communication, all of which build and begin to solidify a relationship. Chemistry is usually instantaneous—although not always.
(When I first saw the man who would become my husband, my exact thoughts were, “that’s the kind of guy I could go for.” And then I talked to him, and the actual attraction to him grew quickly. Our first date was the most comfortable first date I’ve even been on.)
Chemistry can develop over time. People can begin as platonic friends, but then start “noticing” the other person. But for chemistry to work, i.e. bond two people, it must be mutual. It’s not always.
(I believe there is a chemistry to platonic friendships as well. We have many acquaintances, but far fewer friends. Some people we automatically “click” with and others we don’t. The one’s we click with become our friends while the others remain acquaintances).
Chemistry is so powerful, it can lead people to make bad decisions such as get involved with individuals who are wrong for them, remain in a bad relationships, or cheat on spouses, break up families, and destroy a good marriages. (There are other reasons for infidelity of course, but I think a common one is that chemistry may wane in a marriage, and then a spouse develops chemistry with someone else).
In Reasonable Doubts, widow Liz Davenport thinks she knows what she wants when she starts to date again. She wants a man like her late husband: an older, experienced disciplinarian. But chemistry draws her to Grant Davis. He’s not older. He’s no more experienced than she is, and he’s never spanked a woman in his life. Against her rational judgment, she gets involved with him.
How do you think chemistry affects a relationship?
Reasonable Doubts Blurb
Widow Liz Davenport assumes when she begins to date, her new man will be like her late husband–a member of the Rod and Cane Society and an experienced disciplinarian who can provide her with loving guidance she requires to feel grounded and secure. So why is she attracted to Grant Davis, an ex-Naval JAG officer who works for her nemesis and has never spanked a woman in his life?
Events in his recent past have forced Grant to take stock of his life and try some new things. But spank a woman? He’s never considered that before, but with Liz’s coaching he’s willing to try.
But when the past collides with the present, will he be able to step up and become the disciplinarian Liz needs?
Reasonable Doubts excerpt
“Let’s go.” Grant swatted her ass. A wave of longing rolled through her like thunder traveling across an open plain. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and swayed. More. Please more.
But there wouldn’t be more, because Grant wasn’t that way.
Why couldn’t he be a gentleman and a spanker? Was she foolish to start a relationship with a man who could give only half of what she needed? She’d never settled before. But at the idea of walking away from Grant, a little pang shot through her.
But maybe that ache afforded reason enough to call it quits—get out now before she became more attracted, more attached. She needed a man with the confidence to take her in hand and provide what she needed without her having to ask. A head of household who provided stability, structure, and discipline. A mother-may-I guy would not fit the bill.
Grant was a nice man. A good man. They had no commitments, but eventually she would meet someone who could provide everything she needed, and she would move on. It wasn’t right to use him to stave off the loneliness or to scratch an itch. He deserved better.
“Hey…are you okay?” Grant settled a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she realized a long moment had passed since she’d agreed to leave.
Dating did not get easier when you got older. If anything, it got more complicated. She took a deep breath and turned. She didn’t want to disappoint him, to hurt him. She liked him. Enjoyed his company, his conversation, his laugh.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t do this.”
“If you’re not ready, we don’t have to. I understand,” he said.
He didn’t understand. She would not be ready, ever. Not with him. But the words to mark paid to their fledgling relationship refused to leave her lips. Why did he have to be so nice? Attractive. Sexy. Damn him!
“Why don’t we go have some tea and dessert?” he suggested.
“All right,” she agreed, because she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to take her home.
She slipped out of his sports coat and felt an instant loss of warmth. “Thank you.” She returned it, giving back more than his jacket.
“Are you sure? It’s still chilly in here.”
The only thing she was sure about was how confused she was. “I’m good. Thank you.”
Grant shrugged into his jacket, and they exited the gallery. Misery thickened Liz’s throat, but she held her head high as they strolled down the corridor. They avoided the crowded elevator for the empty stairwell. Liz started to descend the steps, but Grant stopped her on the landing. He lightly gripped her upper arms.
“Listen,” he said. “I’m attracted to you, and I want to sleep with you. But it has to be right. You were married a long time, and this is a big step. We’ll take it at your pace. I’m sorry if I came on too strong.”
He brushed his thumb over her face, and Liz realized she was crying. Her face heated with mortification.
“Hey….” He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, and she hid her face against his neck. He chuckled, a sound of such tenderness, Liz cried harder. “Sweetheart?” Grant rocked her. “Tell me why you’re so upset.”
Because she wanted to sleep with him, but she needed him to spank her. Because her emotions were stronger than she’d thought. She craved discipline, but she desired it from him. Grant had wrapped himself around her heart the way his arms fit so snuggly around her shoulders. “B-because…I don’t know. Because I’m crazy.”
“I like crazy women.”
“Nobody likes crazy women.”
“I like you.”
“Then you’re crazy.”
“See? We’re perfect for each other.”
She smiled through her tears. A measure of heartache receded, but confusion still reigned. “I’m a basket case.”
“I like baskets.”
Laughter snorted out her nose. She thumped his chest with her fist. “You’re too nice to me.” You don’t make it easy.
Or maybe she complicated the situation. She and Grant had connected. Perhaps she should get out of her own way and let nature run its course. Stop analyzing and go with the flow. Counselor, counsel thyself. Many friends had sought her advice, used her as a sounding board to work through relationship woes. She could read people and had an instinct for who would be good together. How many couples had she matched up over the years? Dozens, probably. But her life was a mess. A turmoil of conflicted emotion.
Fix me a spanking, won’t you, darling?
Some people drank to calm their nerves. Others exercised or meditated. She’d been spanked. So many times, after a grueling day at work, Otis had taken one glance at her and taken her in hand.
Spank me, Grant.
“Can I reconsider?” she asked.
“Reconsider?” he raised his eyebrows.
“I’d like to sleep with you. Tonight,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that. I can wait,” he said, but a lopsided, hopeful smile slid across his face.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to wait.”
As if he feared she might change her mind again, he hustled her down the stairs.
REASONABLE DOUBTS is available now:
Amazon • Amazon UK • Amazon AU • Amazon CA • B&N • All Romance
Connect with Cara Bristol online
Prizes, Prizes!
How would you like to become card-carrying member of the Rod and Cane Society? To receive a membership card, leave a comment for Cara about Reasonable Doubts or this blog AND your email address in the body of your comment. Cara will contact you to arrange to send you a membership card. This is not a drawing. Everyone who posts a comment with an email address can receive a card—as long as supplies last. In addition, by commenting on this blog and leaving an email address, you’ll be entered into a drawing for Rod and Cane coffee mug.
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Author Cara Bristol Talks About “Breeder”
Today, I have the lovely and talented Cara Bristol visiting. Cara is the author of the successful “Rod & Cane Society” domestic discipline series, published by Loose-Id. She also has standalone paranormal and contemporary erotic romances in her ever-growing backlist.
Ms. Bristol’s newest release is BREEDER, a sci-fi erotic romance. Let me say upfront, I’m not much of a science-fiction reader. That said, I knew from the first snippet Cara posted from BREEDER, that I had to read it. The premise hooked me immediately. As did the tone of the story. And the hero. I read BREEDER last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great writing, great world building, riveting characters and story. You can read my 5-star review here. Add it to your TBR list, then bump it to the top.
Gorgeous cover, isn’t it?
Before we get to the Q & A, I need to say Congratulations! BREEDER is currently ranked #5 in the science-fiction romance category on Amazon! Woohoo! Now, without further delay, welcome back, Cara!
Karla Doyle: You’ve written contemporary and paranormal, why did you decide to write a science fiction erotic romance?
Cara Bristol: First, thank you so much for having me today. You’ve always been hugely supportive! I chose science fiction because the story couldn’t be told any other way. The spark of the idea for Breeder—and I want to be clear it was the spark and not the actual story because that changed—was of a society in which the law made women sexual slaves. (Sexy fantasy, horrific reality). Although many countries today still treat women as chattel, nowhere on this planet in this day and age does the law sell women into slavery (that I know of anyway). So Breeder had to be science fiction.
Karla: How did the story deviate from your original concept?
Cara: There IS sex in the story, but Breeder evolved from a sexual slavery fantasy to a story about changing values and perceptions. Imagine if everything you were taught about the world, your core beliefs, was wrong. Planet Parseon is a truly a “man’s world.” Men rule and women have no power or value other than as “breeders”. Men partner with other men for sex and companionship. To consort with a woman for pleasure is to debase one’s self. Hero Dak, one of the highest rulers of his planet and the living embodiment of the law deeming women worthless, purchases a breeder to produce his progeny. Mating is supposed to be a dispassionate, perfunctory act, but he falls in love. His love for his breeder jeopardizes their lives, his rule, and the political stability of the entire planet.
Karla: You’re known for your spanking romances, the Rod and Cane Society domestic discipline series. I already know the answer to this, of course, but is there spanking in Breeder?
Cara: Yes, there is a domestic discipline element to this story and spanking occurs, but I wouldn’t categorize Breeder as a spanking romance, because the story isn’t about a naughty woman being spanked—it’s about a man and woman struggling against incredible odds to be together. I took some risks in this story by writing about DD spanking and actual hardcore violence in the same story. I trust readers to discern the difference. Parseon is a world ruled by violent men, and what happens reflects that “reality.”
Karla: How does the novel reflect your view of the world?
Cara: This is my wild ass theory: whether a result of genetics, culture, or a combination of both, men and woman think and act differently. In general—of course there are exceptions—men are aggressive and competitive. Women are passive, submissive. Historically, men have been the drivers, the innovators, the explorers with sometimes positive, but often destructive results. Women have been the builders of relationships, the keepers of the home, the glue that holds the world together as men charge full steam ahead. Women provide a mitigating, civilizing influence. Imagine a society in which men have no connection to family or home—where they have nothing personal at risk. That’s the world of Parseon. In Breeder, I remove the female influence and give a glimpse of what the world might be like if men ruled unchecked.
Karla: Interesting. So…it’s a feminist story?
Cara: Exactly. But that story is told between the lines. The main story of Breeder is the romance between hero Dak and heroine Omra.
Karla: What things inspired or influenced you in writing this book?
Cara: Oh gosh. Besides my beliefs about the differences between men and women, I drew inspiration from so many things: the “grayness” of communism such as the stark cement blocks that pass for housing in the former Soviet Union and the drabness of the Mao suit; genocide by the Nazis; the bellicosity of Star Trek Klingons; historical beliefs about women’s abilities (the “weaker sex”); and the relationship between language and control in George Orwell’s 1984. In Parseon, there is no word for love. That’s not a coincidence.
Karla: Breeder has a dystopian feel. Is that intentional?
Cara: I can’t deny the story has a bleak, dark side, but I believe hope, joy, and love override it. Against all odds, love prevails.
Karla: What do you hope readers will get out of this book?
Cara: I want my readers to feel. I hope they will gasp in shock, hate the villains, and love the hero and heroine. I want them to fume in anger, cry with sadness, and smile with happiness. And I hope they say, “Damn, I’ve never read a book like this. I wish there was another one.”
Karla: Will there be another one?
Cara: Yes. Breeder will be a series. I have not decided whether it will be three books or five. My initial thought was a trilogy, because I have two other stories in mind, but my Loose Id editor asked if there would be five books because there are five Alphas of Parseon. Duh. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Karla: It does! I look forward to reading more about Parseon and its Alphas. Besides future Breeder books, what’s next for Cara Bristol?
Cara: I am writing the fifth Rod and Cane Society novel, which I hope to submit in December or January. In February 2014, LazyDay will release Milestones, a domestic discipline anthology with seven stories by seven authors. It’s a follow-up to Coming to Terms. I’m also under contract for a sooper seekrit domestic discipline project with another group of authors. Thanks again, Karla, for having me!
Karla: It was my pleasure!
Breeder Blurb
To secure his legacy, Commander Dak, a ruling Alpha of planet Parseon, purchases Omra, a breeder slave. He intends to impregnate her, produce a son, and hand her off to his anointed beta partner. As Dak and Omra discover a sexual bliss banned by law, he begins to question Protocol-sanctioned male domination, causing him to jeopardize his command and endanger the life of the woman he has come to love.
Breeder explores the concepts of gender roles and social prohibitions against deviant behavior. It includes graphic M/F and some M/M sexual content and domestic discipline.
Buy now from:
Amazon • Loose-Id • All Romance
Visit Cara online:
Author Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon Page
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Wife on the Lam – Interview With Author Cara Bristol
Today I’m happy to welcome back Cara Bristol, author of the successful Rod and Cane series, and much more, including WIFE ON THE LAM, a novella included in the newly released anthology, COMING TO TERMS.
Buy Now from Amazon • Barnes & Noble
Blurb: Wife on the Lam
After two kids, three moves, and the normal ups and downs of a twenty-two year domestic discipline marriage, Janelle wants to celebrate their wedding anniversary with a luxury vacation. But despite subtle hints like leaving a copy of the Cabana Resort brochure with the Couples’ Getaway Package circled in red on her husband’s golf magazine, Brent misses all the clues. Worse, he schedules a business trip on their anniversary! Though her bottom might pay for it later, Janelle decides to take her luxury vacation anyway. Leaving a note and a casserole, she flies off to the resort. She’s going to celebrate, with or without him.
If anything proves that he’s slacked off on his duties as head of household, this stunt of Janelle’s does. Brent had booked the Diamond Package at the Cabana Resort to surprise her and planned to present her with the tickets when she took him to airport for his “business trip.” She’s ruined the surprise, but he’s not going to let her ruin their anniversary. It’s time to take his errant wife in hand and get their marriage back on track.
Blurb: Coming to Terms
Summer means more than fun and sun, rest and relaxation. For the couples in Coming to Terms, vacation presents a chance to connect, and work through important issues in their domestic discipline relationships. From endeavoring to define DD to missing a DD partner to balancing erotic spanking and disciplinary spanking, these stand-alone stories penned by seven authors of spanking fiction cover a broad spectrum of issues commonly encountered in loving DD relationships. Will the obstacles prove too difficult to overcome? Or will each couple emerge from vacation with their relationships revitalized and stronger than ever?
Cara’s Website ◊ Twitter ◊ Facebook ◊ Goodreads
Hi, Cara! Congratulations on all your new releases—you’ve been busy! WIFE ON THE LAM is a cute story, I enjoyed reading it. One of the things I like about your Domestic Discipline stories is how that element doesn’t overpower the story, it’s more organic.
Cara Bristol: Thank you, Karla. All good fiction begins and ends with the story and the characters. Spanking represents only one element of the characters’ relationship. It’s like sex. A “story” that is all sex is porn. A “story” that is all spanking is spanking porn. I write spanking romance. The anthology itself focuses on couples in existing domestic discipline relationships who take a vacation to reconnect with their partners.
I chuckled when I read the blurb for WIFE ON THE LAM. I think the premise of the heroine acting out because she feels taken for granted will resonate with many readers. I think we’ve all had days where we wanted to pack a bag and escape for a few days!
Cara: So much fiction focuses on dysfunction or major problems, because that creates conflict, which creates story. I wanted to show a couple in love who hit a bump in their otherwise happy, committed marriage. Even though Brent and Janelle are pissed off at each other, they still love each other very much, and I tried to show that in the little things that they do. As you know from reading it, there’s a twist in the story. Once readers realize what’s happening, I hope they take a second a look at the actions of the characters. The details in this story matter a great deal.
I know you enjoy traveling. Was ‘Cabana Resort’, the setting of WIFE ON THE LAM, based on somewhere you’ve visited? And, if you could plan a romantic anniversary trip for you and your hubby to anywhere in the world, where would you love to go?
Cara: My husband and I have traveled a lot, and Cabana Resort is a composite of many places we’ve visited including Tahiti (where we went on our honeymoon) and many places in the Caribbean. The things that Janelle does on her solo vacation, I have done: the boating, the snorkeling, the horseback riding. Once I even made the same mistake she did on her horseback ride! For our next “big trip” my husband and I would like to take a European river cruise.
WIFE ON THE LAM is part of a Domestic Discipline anthology. Can you tell us more about your story and the anthology—how it came about, etc.?
Cara: A group of LazyDay Publishing authors pitched an anthology idea centered around existing couples in domestic discipline relationships who take a vacation to reconnect and get their relationships back on track. I wasn’t a LazyDay author, but I was invited to participate. I loved the idea of joining these other authors – all of whom I knew and had worked with on other projects – but I turned down the offer at first. I had two other writing projects with the same deadline, and didn’t think I could manage another one. But I was offered a second chance, and I decided to do whatever it took to make it work. The blurb came to me in the shower, and I wrote the story from the blurb. I wanted WIFE ON THE LAM to be humorous, but also real.
WIFE ON THE LAM is a short novella, around 12k words. Was it difficult to write short after a string of longer books? Do you have a preference or natural “sweet zone” as far as the length of story you like to write?
Cara: I have two “sweet zones” – 40K (about 160 pages) and 10-15K. My vampire romance, A Scent of Longing, released by Decadent Publishing is around the latter length. Some authors find it challenging to write “short,” but I love it. My background is in journalism, so I’m used to writing concise pieces.
As I said earlier, you’ve been busy lately. In addition to WIFE ON THE LAM, DESTINY’S CHANCE, a reincarnation romance with erotic spanking, released May 14th, and DISCIPLINARY MEASURES, the fourth book of your Rod and Cane series released May 21st. So awesome, congratulations on all of them! What are you working on now, and what do you have planned for the near-ish future?
♦ Oh, and a side note — DISCIPLINARY MEASURES is currently FREE from Loose Id until May 26th. Go grab a copy! ♦
Cara: I should be writing the fifth Rod and Cane book, which is Liz Davenport’s story (the attorney in Body Politics who sent her feminist friend off on a blind date with a man who spanks), but I got an idea for a science fiction erotic romance (with spanking, of course!) that wouldn’t leave me alone. It is so hard to not write what is knocking around in your head – especially when the other story has cooled AND you lost your notes. I can’t find the notebook that contained my ideas for Rod and Cane 5. Argh! I am slowly re-plotting Rod and Cane 5.
Oh no! I hope you find that notebook! But I agree, it is hard to ignore a story when it’s demanding to be written. 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by today. Before you go, can you give us a little sample from WIFE ON THE LAM?
Cara: Here’s the opening scene in the book. Janelle is mad at her husband and is flying to a tropical resort to take a vacation without him. The Texan in this scene plays an important role in the story:
An excerpt from WIFE ON THE LAM, by Cara Bristol
“That bull gored me like a shish kebob. Meanest, orneriest critter I ever laid eyes on.”
“Was that why you left the rodeo?”
No, no, please don’t encourage him. Pressed against the airplane window, her eyelids shuttered tight, Janelle Gibb feigned sleep and prayed for the Texan to choke on a peanut. The man had begun talking the moment he’d squeezed his linebacker form into the middle seat minutes before take-off in Florida, and hadn’t taken a breath since. Weren’t cowboys supposed to be taciturn?
She had learned more than she ever cared to about driving, branding, and inoculating cattle, the details spelled out slower than molasses ran on a cold day. Unfortunately, the man on the aisle seemed fascinated and when the cowboy wound down, he’d rev him up again with a question.
‘Mornin’, ma’am.’ When he’d first boarded, the Texan had tried to engage her in conversation, but after he’d ma’amed her, she’d brushed him off with an insincere smile and a fake yawn, and curled up against the window, ostensibly to snooze.
Ma’am? The cowboy had to be her age, probably a few years older, although she couldn’t tell for sure because of his sunglasses. Light sensitivity caused by an eye infection. She’d gotten details on that too.
Would a ma’am wear a thong bikini like the one she had tucked in her suitcase? She looked pretty damn good for a woman who, in five days, would celebrate her twenty-second wedding anniversary.
Alone.
She sniffed back tears of self-pity. With the plane’s engines humming in her right ear and the cowboy droning in her left, she’d had plenty of opportunity to consider what she’d done.
Screwed up. Big time. She’d been so hurt by Brent’s cluelessness she hadn’t thought her actions through to the logical conclusion — how alone she’d feel flying off to an island paradise by herself, how mad her husband would be when he found her note stuck to the fridge by a magnet.
Made you a casserole for dinner. Bake at 375 for 45 min. I went on vacation. See you when you get back from your business trip. Love, Janelle.
She’d been so furious, she’d hesitated whether to add the “love” part. Warm fuzzies had been absent when she scribbled the note. As a regional sales manager with a new territory, Brent had been away on business almost more than he’d been home during the past year. They’d always reserved their anniversary as a special day, and she had hoped they could spend quiet time alone to reconnect. For months, she’d dropped numerous hints she’d like to vacation at the Cabana Resort at Isla Island for their anniversary, even left the brochure on top of his golf magazine with the “couples’ getaway package” circled in red. She’d done everything except smack him over the head with the booklet.
“Looks like they have a nice golf course,” he’d commented, and then said nothing more. She’d wondered if maybe he hadn’t planned to surprise her, but he dashed those hopes by announcing he had an out-of-town sales conference during their anniversary.
“We’ll do something after I get back,” he’d promised. And then he had shrugged. Shrugged! At that moment, she decided she would go the resort, with or without him.
“Besides it’s not like it’s a milestone, like twenty or twenty-five.” He had added insult to injury.
Definitely not like twenty. For that he’d given her a beautiful anniversary ring that she wore on her left hand next to her wedding set. She twisted the multiple bands on her finger, then remembered she was supposed to be asleep. Had her loquacious seatmate noticed? She cracked an eyelid.
“Did you have a good nap little lady?” the Texan drawled.
