Because I just couldn’t decide on Monday…
Beautiful Man
The ropes ain’t bad, either…
Oh Holy Fuck!
Just got the new cover for Longfellow Seduced, which should be released from Ellora’s Cave late this summer or early fall, I think/hope, and it’s SMOKIN’!!!!!!
I keep getting stuck on the curve of his spine going into his ass. And the cut of his hip. Oh. My. God. Angelo is a beautiful, beautiful man (and a total sweetheart), but the sheer hotness of this cover took even me by surprise. There’s a guitar. And a kilt. And the curve of his spine going into his ass. And the cut of his hip… There is *nothing* about this cover that I don’t like!!!
Thank You Seneca!
Thursday Things – sweet, sweet kisses
One of the things I miss most about being NOT single is kissing. Just hours of cuddling and making out until you feel like you can’t catch your breath, and you really don’t want to because that would mean you have to stop kissing for at least long enough to drag in some oxygen. Of course, the catch is you need to be with someone who is a GOOD kisser. Now, I haven’t kissed a cadre of boys, but I’ve only experienced one or two spectacular kissers, which is a tragedy, in my opinion. One was in high school (go figure) and that was because all we were doing was kissing, so we got pretty darned good at it. The other was a relationship that coulda-shoulda-woulda lasted if we’d met maybe a year later when we were both a tad bit more mentally stable. Man, we spent the entire Super Bowl making out one year. And it wasn’t meant to lead to anything else, and that made it even sweeter – to go home with that ache and anticipation of next time… So, this week’s Thursday Things is Kisses:
And then there’s that moment just before the kiss… Sigh…
And neck kissing…
And, of course, the kissing afterwords that just says thanks for being fantastic and making me feel so damned good.
Yeah. I miss kissing.
Monday ManCandy…
So, I’ve spent hours and hours and HOURS typing isbn’s into Powells used books and Amazon trying desperately to thin the literally hundreds (likely 1000+) of books living in my parents’ basement. I’ve had some success – yay me – more than our “buck a bag” at the garage sale Saturday. (Can you say dehydration and nasty sun-headache? I knew you could!) So, I’m posting a guy I think of as “Mr. Steampunk-Meets-Sexy-Librarian-Kinda.” He’s definitely pretty and, to me at least, rather intriguing… Enjoy!
A little side note: I *attempted* to post this two Monday’s ago, but couldn’t for the life of me find the image. Which was the very first saved pic in my “Coffee and Porn” folder. Don’t bother asking what my malfunction was – at this point even *I* couldn’t say! So, after much searching, I found the following “book” picture, which is equally hot, if a little less naked… So enjoy a double dose of hot, LITERATE, sexy men!
I would SO spend a sleepy Sunday afternoon with him, a pot of coffee, and my Nook. (Not to mention some nookie…)
Clarence Clemons
I’m a child of the 80’s. My first and most enduring musical loves are folks like Bryan Adams, Van Halen (the DLR version, thank you), RATT, and the king of ’em all, The Boss.
What made Bruce Springsteen “The Boss” and not just another blue-collar bard, though, was his back-up band. The hot, slightly crazed Gypsy dude (Steven Van Zandt?), the lovely Patti Scialfa (who’s been credited with the demise of Springsteen’s puzzling marriage to model/actress Julianne Phillips – whom I will always remember in that awful lifeguard movie with a white streak of zinc on her nose…), and the towering presence of the soulful Clarence Clemons on the saxophone.
I can’t imagine Bruce without Clarence – and I don’t want to. It’s the soundtrack of my youth, and I like it just as it is.
After Clemons death last night, Springsteen released the following statement – a fitting eulogy from one artist to another:
“Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly 40 years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”
Amazing Thursday Things – SELF & What is “Leather”?
Last weekend I had the rather unexpected opportunity to go to the Southeast Leather Fest in Atlanta, Georgia (actually in Decatur, but close enough).
Oh. My. God.
I learned so much! I learned I’m not as vanilla as I always assumed I was – but then, really, who is? I learned there are some things that are hot as FUCK to see, but that I’d never want to try. I learned there are some things I might want to try that never would have occurred to me…
The classes were fantastic, and completely justified my calling this a research trip. From “Strong, independent… submissive?”, where I got to sit in a room with a group of some of the most empowered women I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, who just happen to be submissives, to Master Dex’s Whip Intensive which I only went to the end of so I could see “Dancing With the Whip” which was so hot I might have left the room with some blisters, to “Pervatbales: BDSM on a Budget”, I learned things both practical and whimsical, and generally was engaged, amused and intrigued.
I got offers to play which, for some reason, stunned me. Really, really shocked me. I was told more than once (more than twice, even) that I’d be really fun to play with, and I swear to God my jaw is still dragging the floor at that one.
I went with the oh-so-fabulous Joey W. Hill – LOVE her!!!! – and had to laugh, like almost until I had to pee, when people asked which of us is the top. Apparently neither of us put off a particularly Dominant vibe. And then, when we explained we were there as friends, and it was more a research trip than anything else, the speculative looks started. And, like I said, the offers started, too. My favorite comment? As we were leaving a “Sir” said “There were straight girls here? How come no one told me there were straight girls here??”
I met some amazing people – Master Tom and his slave Linda, who is like a human Valium. Seriously. Every time I got within 5 feet of the woman I felt myself relax. And Master Tom? One of the kindest, most generous people I’ve met anywhere, ever, period. Then there was TenderDom, the wax play guru, and his “partner in crime” the Naughty Knitter. What a genuinely good man – “reformed rakes” usually are, though. His website was my primary source researching Velvet Memories (coming this summer from Liquid Silver Books and Violet Summers – a m/m wax play Scene from Velvet Ice story), and if wax play tweaks your radar even the tiniest bit, you absolutely MUST check out his work (www.BDSMwaxplay.com). He’s an absolute artist. And another generous soul, who has not only dedicated himself to giving back to the community, but graciously took the time to talk with me, to share personal stories and to give me a “tour” of his portfolio, explaining the significance of many of his designs. When you check out his page be sure to play “where’s Waldo” and look for his initials – like any artist he signs his work!
“Accidental art” broke out everywhere – the performance art of whip dancing, TenderDom’s gorgeous creations, the intricate beauty of the rope-work Blaze did in his Bedroom Bondage for Dummies workshop – it seemed everywhere I looked I was seeing something beautiful, bizarre, haunting…
There was an amazing, fun, fantastic couple from one of the Carolina’s – I think North, but my brain was swelling with so much info I can’t say for sure – who I just plain got a crush on. Mr. Hot Southern Dom (I won’t use his name, since I didn’t ask ahead of time and don’t know how public they are), is one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever met. His smile radiates pure joy (and enough naughtiness to make my little heart palpitate. Or maybe that was just my reaction to getting to repeatedly grope his sculpted, granite hard ebony chest. Yeah, it’s purple prose, but it fits. Whew! His submissive, a gorgeous blonde as fair as he is dark (and the contrast is breathtaking, Oh. My. God.), has that delightful smile with the little nose wrinkle, and just radiates warmth. The love between them was so tangible I felt like I could reach out and touch it.
And that was the case for many of the couples I met. Yeah there were intense scenes, and complicated, convoluted relationships, but God. I’ve never seen so much open, honest affection. And the relationships – for the most part, the ones I witnessed anyway – seemed so healthy. These are people who, because of the lifestyle they’ve chosen, have to be honest and transparent with each other in a way that I think many “vanilla” couples aren’t.
In one of my conversations with Master Tom, who took me under his wing when he saw me floundering a bit, I likened the D/s-Master/slave-whatever the hell you want to label it relationship to any healthy relationship. Some couples bowl. Some ballroom dance. Some practice the leather lifestyle. Any relationship needs the same things to stay healthy and fresh, and mystique and pre-conceived notions aside, at the core these are relationships. Some are romantic, some are partnerships between like-minded people who have mutual respect and interests, but all are just fundamentally relationships. Some are dysfunctional, I’m sure there were some there that were abusive (happily I didn’t witness anything like that; I DID note that there were a lot of people – primarily female submissives – who had come to a healthy D/s relationship after being in an abusive or exploitive “vanilla” relationship, which is heartbreaking because I just KNOW their submissive, giving spirits were being taken advantage of), but many – most that I experienced – were just flat out beautiful.
Monday ManCandy – Tuesday Edition!
Okay, it’s not the picture I’d planned on (can’t find the damned thing!), so today’s two-fer-tuesday! Look for more – MUCH more on Thursday (probably won’t get a Wednesday Whine this week – I know all three of you who read this will be crushed!), when I share my SELF experiences! Don’t know what SELF is? Check it out!
Now for the Candy:
‘K, you may notice a theme here… Hmmmm. Wonder why…?
Oh yes, indeed. VJ’s brain is about to explode with ideas and images!
More Thursday!!
Longfellow Seduced
Yay for “Violet”! Today I sent in the contract for the re-imagined Ellora’s Cave publication of Longfellow Seduced! In honor of this oh-so-highly anticipated event, I’m going to share some of my inspirational pictures of Magnus Crowe. Mags originated, for Sierra, while listening to “Simple Man” by Shinedown. The lead singer, Brent Smith, came to embody him in both our minds –
This isn’t the actual band line-up anymore, but the beautiful man with the long, flowing hair (far left) is Silas.
Then, of course, there’s the whole “Sexy Scot” thing –
One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE pictures!!!!
Oh, God. The butt cleavage…
VJ Summers Writes SMUT! 
