The Love Weavers: April 2017

Sunday, 30 April 2017

In search of pornography by Seelie Kay (AO post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog, scroll down.

In search of pornography

by Seelie Kay**

You may have noticed that more than one book published by eXtasy Books involves characters who engage in sex. Not a big shocker for many, but unfortunately, it is disturbing for some. Certain people have, for example, advised me that my books would be much better without the sex.

“Your characters are strong, the stories interesting, why do you have to put in all that sex?” they say. “That’s not erotica, that’s porn!”

Aha! When will people learn not to toss about words that are in fact legal terms in front of a lawyer?

Yes, I write about lawyers, love, and kink. My short stories involve lawyers who participate in (mostly) loving relationships that may involve erotic play. My books are not about brother-sister relationships, nor do they pretend to be. My books are about relationships that involve consenting adults who happen to occasionally…wait for it…have sex, make love, hit the sheets, and/or do the doody. And sometimes, in pursuit of sexual satisfaction, one partner may tie the other up, affix a nipple clamp, or apply a hand to the buttocks. Just because that may shock you does not make it porn.

As a lawyer, I can tell you that in the United States, the definition of porn has long been a subject of rather heated discussions among the legal community and in the courts. In fact, its very definition remains somewhat vague and confused. For example, in a 1964 case, Jacobellis v. Ohio, the nine-member U. S. Supreme Court was somewhat befuddled by what should be considered obscene and therefore, speech not protected by the First Amendment. The court offered four different majority opinions, none of which were joined by more than two justices. There were also two dissenting opinions.

In that case, Justic Potter Stewart’s opinion in support of the majority concurred that the

the U.S. Constitution protected all obscenity except hard-core pornography. Justice Stewart also wrote, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it….”

No court opinion since that time has further clarified the definition of hard core pornography and as a result, the definition and state laws regulating obscenity remain a conspicuous muddle of vagary.

Dictionaries also fail to clarify the matter. One dictionary defines erotica as “literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire” while also stating that pornography is “the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal.” Hmmm, get the difference? I certainly don’t. Yet I would continue to argue that they are not the same.

From my perspective, erotica is the portrayal of sensual, sometimes loving, relationships that may or may not include sex. Pornography is sex for sex’s sake. It has no purpose other than to portray a sexual act. In addition, I would argue that the use of the term sexual arousal as the end goal in dictionary definitions is somewhat disingenuous, because what causes sexual arousal in some may not result in arousal for others. As proof, look no further than the multiple genres and heat levels offered by eXtasy Books. Each one attracts a difference audience.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with my definitions, in fact, I encourage others to put forth their own. I suspect porn is truly in the eyes of the beholder. However, while it is appropriate to agree to disagree, playing the blaming/shaming game is not. Lack of agreement is not about right or wrong, it is about failure to agree. Let’s face it, we each think we know porn when we see it and that’s why even the highest court in America can’t define it.

In the end, tolerance of ideas different from your own is what makes a civilized society. Your erotica may not be my erotica, but I will protect your right to embrace or avoid it.

**Seelie Kay is the author of Kinky Briefs and the soon-to-be-released Kinky Briefs, Too and The Garage Dweller. For more information on Seelie, visit http://www.extasybooks.com/seelie-kay/ or www.seeliekay.com.

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety.

The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.
Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. These will have a big G at the top. (G)Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Saturday, 29 April 2017

What do Heroes Wear? (AO Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.

There's an old proverb that states that clothes maketh man. This can mean all sorts of things, but in this case, I'm taking it to mean that what a man wears on the cover of a book (and in between the covers for that matter) helps readers form an impression of what sort of person he is.

"Wait," you might say. "He's the hero. That's what sort of man he is." True, but heroes come in so many different styles. Your action hero might well show up in a pair of jeans and a tight singlet top. He might be streaked with oil, mud, or blood. Okay, so that's Bruce from Die Hard. In passing, Bruce Willis has an interesting face for a hero. It's a blunt everyman face, but surprisingly expressive. No one does pained or about-to-quip quite like Bruce.

Now, consider putting an action hero in a kilt (with or without a shirt) and streak him with mud, blood and woad. Ri-i-i-ght. That's probably Mel from Braveheart. But still, you see what I mean.

Put your hero in knee breeches and a coat pinched in at the waist, and he's likely to have a rapier. Now he'll be streaked with blood and possibly powder from someone's wig.

Dress him all in black. How about a Zorro cape? Give him a sheriff's hat and a six-shot. How about a bluey on his back and a hat decorated with corks? Er- what? Somehow that last image doesn't cut it for an action hero. Why not? Well, because that's the clothing of an depression-era Australian swagman. Tough he probably is, but his toughness is that of endurance and wanderlust, with a touch of "don't-fence-me-in." He's not an action hero, but that doesn't mean he's not somebody's cup of tea.

What if you put your man in a beautifully cut suit? He's more likely to be at home in the boardroom than out there getting streaked with mud, blood or...I dunno. Maybe the ink off a contract?

Of course, if you're looking for more romantic action, there's a high chance your man will be out of his shirt at some point (probably on the cover). He might still be wearing jeans, or a kilt, but what if he's in ragged cut-offs? Or overalls?

Just for fun, I popped over to eXtasy Books and checked out what some of the heroes are wearing on the current crop of new books. The first one, A Demon's Heart, has one bloke in a black leather jacket and another one in a white loose tee-shirt. The next book, Fur and a Badge, stars black pants and a light chain around the neck. Rough Trade has a guy in a hoodie. Yep, a hoodie. The man in Royal Consort has black leather-look pants, a kind of half jacket and some extra leather and hardware. Trill to Me Sweetly has a young man in a brown pullover, leather jacket and scarf (and a snowy background, so he'd need to wrap up warmly) and Rediscovering Himself has a wholesome-looking guy in a blue checked shirt. It's buttoned up, but you can see the edge of a blue tee-shirt underneath.

So, what do these garments tell us about the heroes in these stories? I'm betting you can tell the action men at a glance, though maybe the scarf and check guys have a few secrets that might surprise. There's an unusual animal standing behind Check-shirt's shoulder.

Over to you, readers. What clothing you want to see on the hero of the next book you read? Let us know, do. Oh, and pop over to look at some of those covers. Pretend you are someone who judges a book by its cover. Which one tempts you to read?

ABOUT THE BLOG

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers.

These will have a big G at the top. (G)

Some are in between.

These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)

Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.

These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Review - Flirting with the Ferret by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus (A.O post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.

The first adjective that comes to mind when you consider M/M, GLBT, shifter stories probably isn't "sweet" or "tender" but hey- why not? In this short-short story attached to the Kinky Kritters series, Amani and Nero deal with the fall out from events in Book 2. The story stands well alone, as it's briefly explained that Nero, the ferret of the title and Amani, a lion shifter, met during traumatic circumstances and though they're now together working at the Kinky Kritters bar, there are still some shadows to lift. Just how the dominant and straight-forward Nero approaches this is the heart of the story and it's a lovely exposition of putting the needs of someone else before ones own. Yes, it's Adults Only, but it's a feel-good story. I'm not privy (yet) to how the shifting part works as the men remain in human shape throughout this short, but I'm sure the authors manage that with grace and humour.

Flirting with the Ferret is a new release from eXtasy Books. To read it, and to check out the rest of the series, trot along to THIS LINK.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers.

These will have a big G at the top. (G)

Some are in between.

These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)

Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.

These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Saturday, 22 April 2017

Wish-Matching 101 - So you want a pixie man? (PG13 Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.

In the world of Lark Westerly's Fairy in the Bed series (eXtasy Books 2016 -) love and marriage can happen in all sorts of ways. There's your basic boy meets girl version... but many of the characters in the series are wish-matched. Fairies of all types may wish quite deliberately to bring them the desired match, but when humans get in on the game, things get interesting. This series on Wish-Matching 101 shows you, the human, how to go about things to find a fairy partner. In these posts, over here refers to the mundane human world while over there is the fairy world.

So... you're a woman (or maybe not?) and you'd like a pixie man. Here are the instructions to make that wish-match happen.

What you'll get if this works out

Pixie men are in the normal human range for size. Pure pixies have clear olive skin and handsome regular features. They usually have eyes in the green-hazel range. They have black or brown hair and look solemn most of the time, but have quite devastating smiles. They are highly susceptible to the colour green.

Pixies are sexy, devoted and playful and can be impulsive. They have a strong sense of duty and responsibility, and will treat you well. They will give you freedom to be yourself as long as they feel secure. They will always be aware of your feelings and will give you what they think you want, or need.

Things to be aware of

Pixie men can use pixie dust to make you forget things, or to attract you. Most of them won’t do it without your implied permission, or to help you, but if you annoy one by being wilfully obstructive he may dust you to get things moving. They can be talkative.

Downsides

Don’t ever cross a pixie. They’re not vengeful but they will be so hurt they may be unable to function. They pine if feeling unloved.

They get embarrassed easily and may blush. This is inconvenient for them as they tend to turn green with strong emotion. Try to avoid embarrassing a pixie man in public.

They have excellent hearing, so don’t speak out of turn near them.

They may get caught up in someone else’s affairs and if they feel responsible they will keep trying to help.

They can be single-minded in their pursuit of servicing your wish. The direct approach may embarrass you, but if you tell them to back off they will.

Where to find them over here and over there

Over there, you'll probably find pixies somewhere near the forest. They may be wearing traditional garb of tights, soft shoes and tunics, or else dressed in normal jeans and shirts.

Over here, you'll pixie men working in service industries, mechanics, repair people, healers. They enjoy cooking and are good at it.

How to attract that pixie

Attract a pixie man by making a wish that implies you want help or a personal service and you want it now. Be imperative rather than requesting and be specific. Wear green. Lots of green. Be unencumbered, romantically speaking. A pixie man won't encroach on someone he regards as bespoken and may be annoyed with you for trying it on.

What to expect

Be open and ready for a passionate loving relationship that will last. Pixies are not susceptible to human disease, to you won't catch anything.

Warning; don’t wish near a pixie without due consideration. If you wish for something and then reject it or them they may suffer a horribly painful condition until you sort things out for them. If you have compromised a pixie man, undo your wish or make a new one to override it.

If you just want a fling, word your wish carefully.

If you intend to have multiple partners, stay clear of pixies. They don't want to share.

They’re almost always straight, so if you're a male looking for a male, better look elsewhere.

Future prospects

If you wish-match with a pixie man, you will probably end up living with him and/or married to him. He will be faithful, loving and passionate and a good father to any children you have. (Oh yes, you will be perfectly compatible.) Your half-pixie sons may show a slight green tint in their teens if they get emotional. They may have the pixie conjuring ability (which they don’t regard as magic) so don't be surprised if they change their clothes in an instant or suddenly have a blanket if they're feeling cold. If one child does have this ability, they will all have it. They will be very healthy children, earnest, sweet-natured and helpful. Get their father to have the talk with them early so they know how to protect themselves from getting hurt. They should probably spend a fair bit of time over there in their teens to find out where they fit best. They’ll play equally well with humans and fay children, but will have to learn the social differences to avoid unexpected consequences. They’ll probably have a lot of tree-folk friends, because they offer uncomplicated affection which is balm to the intense pixie nature.

Pixie Misses, as the girl-children are termed) are much easier to raise. They’re happy children, healthy and attractive. They have a much more pragmatic approach than their brothers, and a great appetite for life. They will be popular so be prepared for a houseful of friends if you produce a pixie miss.

Notable pixie characters in Fairy in the Bed series

Peckerdale Grene is a pure pixie who appears in Green Balls as a main character and as a major character in the upcoming (as of April 2017) Pen and Ink. Peck lives largely over here and works as a mechanic for Ike's Motor Services. You can't wish-match with Peck, because he's taken and his human girlfriend Chloe is not about to share any more than he is.

Shan is a pixie miss who lives largely over there but who comes over here at times. She's a childhood friend of Peck's. She's a lovely girl, and currently un-matched. She's mentioned in Green Balls.

Si Bakewell is a trace-pixie, reinforced. He has pixie ancestry, but lived mostly as a human over here for twenty years. In college, he went out into the Tasmanian bush and made a wish. The outcome of that led to his pixie genes being reinforced so he's now quite powerful. He works as a new-age healer. You can't wish-match with Si, either. He'll be happy to give you a hug and fix your low spirits, but he's deeply matched with his half-fay wife Skye with whom he's been for thirty years and counting. Si appears in Honey and the Harvest Hob (due May 26 2017) and the upcoming Pen and Ink.

Quotes by and about pixies from the series

“Fix-it pixies like to fix things, so I wanted to fix something.” (Peck Grene to Pen Swan – Pen and Ink)

“And yes, I heard every paint-stripping syllable. Pixies have good hearing.” (Peck Grene to Pen Swan – Pen and Ink)

“Pixies are usually far too talkative.” (Duffy Inkersoll to Pen Swan – Pen and Ink)

“Everyone likes pixies. They’re not far from elves and elf men are reckoned among the most appealing to human women.” He sighed. “I’m just envious, I suppose. As long as a woman can accommodate a little greenery in a man, pixies are in clover." (Duffy Inkersoll to Pen Swan – Pen and Ink)

“Pixiehood is a state of mind.”) Duffy Inkersoll to Pen Swan – Pen and Ink)

“I think you need one of your own kind, my friend. Shall I send you a pixie miss?” (Oash the sylvan to Peck Grene – Green Balls)

“Back off, pervert! I’ve got pepper spray!”

“I think that’s illegal here. By the way, I’m not a pervert. I’m a fairy. My manifestation is fix-it pixie, if you want the detail.”

(Chloe Fraser and Peck Grene at their unfortunate first meeting - Green Balls.)

Alternatives

If the full pixie experience sounds too intense to you, you might be interested in the following selections.

Trace pixies- men with pixie ancestry. They are loving and passionate but less intense. Their colouring will be less obvious and they may not show greening at all. They will want to help people, but even if focussed on someone else temporarily, they will keep their hearthfire love for you.

Leprechauns aka leppies- Leprechaun men are a little less human in appearance, and will talk at you in an Irish brogue. They’ll probably know your family tree back more generations than you do, and may set out to charm you with a little horse-shoe magic. They like green and have a slight green tint to their skin. That’s not embarrassment, it’s just them. Much less likely to live over here, so if you want one, you may have to ask a friendly fairy to take you through a gateway. Be aware you'll have considerable competition from the tree maids and leprechaun colleens.

Elves - Similar to pixies but less intense. They can get a bit over-enthusiastic, but they’ll make you laugh. Sweet-natured. If you can live with slightly pointed ears and a lot of fast talking, you might find an elf very much to your taste. Several of them live over here and work in retail and service industries.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers.

These will have a big G at the top. (G)

Some are in between.

These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)

Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.

These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Friday, 21 April 2017

How Should Heroines Look? (PG 13 post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog, scroll down.

Every so often, I see a social media item talking about Disney Princesses and Princes, or maybe Barbie Dolls, and musing on how they would look if they were realistically proportioned. There's also talk about body shaming... making perfectly normal men and women (often young ones) feel as if they somehow don't make the grade. Romance, including erotic romance, has elements of fantasy, and these often extend to the way our characters appear. Some of the romance is fantasy, with main characters being shifters, elves, or characters from the distant past, the far future or a different reality.
And yet, we the writers care for our readers as well as our characters. We want you to fall in love with our characters and delight in their HEA or HFN. We want you to find them beautiful, but they aren't Disney Princesses and they aren't Barbie dolls. So- how do we approach the question of how our characters should look?

For this post, I'm thinking of heroines. Do heroines have to be beautiful? Yes. But before you react to that, consider the caveat. Heroines are beautiful because they have the spirit to conjure beauty from inside. The heroine of Pen and Ink, Lark Westerly's latest story in the Fairy in the Bed series, is forty-two years old. She is of moderate height, and her figure is spare. She is an illustrator; a widow of three years' standing. She's not unhappy, but is used to flying under the radar.

Here she is with her friend Skye, who is happily married to Si and who is making Pen a dress to wear at an upcoming job. Ryl is Skye's other friend whom Pen hardly knows.

Pen looked at the three of them in the mirror. She was in tired underwear while they were fully dressed; Skye in earth tones and Ryl in crimson and black, but that wasn’t the only contrast. She was several years their junior, but they looked ripe and fulfilled. She looked starved. She’d never been plump even during her marriage, but now she was a widow and she looked like one. “I’d better get dressed.”

Over the next few days, all sorts of things happen to Pen, some good, some bad and all unsettling. Venturing out in the wake of these, she encounters Noel, an old friend of her husband, who unexpectedly invites her for coffee.

“Thanks for saying yes. Most attractive women are unavailable, or not interested in ordinary blokes,” he continued.

Pen gazed at him. “Are you saying I’m an attractive woman, Noel? Not to be ungrateful, but I’ve just got over the flu.”

“You do look a bit thin, but there’s something about you. I can’t think why I never noticed you before.” He put down the spoon and reached for her hand.

Noel is not the man for Pen, but he does notice the beauty of spirit that was always there.

Later, when Pen has been found by the person destined to love her, she has gained confidence, and is secure in her appeal. She is still of moderate height and still in no way voluptuous but she has come into her own. She's strong enough to tell the large and territorial male who loves her that he has to allow her to make her own decisions and remain her own person. In this final excerpt, Si, her friend Skye's husband, has called to see if all is well.

Pen considered getting up, but then just pulled her shirt down, rolled over and leaned on her elbows. The next few minutes should be fun.

The door opened with considerable vigour and Duffy’s voice said, “Yes?”

“Bloody hell!” Si’s voice said. “Pen’s landed a stealth cat.”

“And you’re a pixie. What’s your point?”

“You don’t like pixies?”

Silence. “I’m thinking,” Duffy said in a menacing voice.

Pen decided it was time to intervene. “Duffy, let Si come in.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Do I have to?”

“Yes.” She got to her feet and tucked herself in.

He shrugged and stepped aside. Si came in. His face lit up with unholy glee when he spotted Pen. He opened his arms.

“No.” Duffy narrowed his eyes to indigo slits.

“Yes,” Pen said gently. If she was going to keep Duffy around, and she was, there were going to have to be some ground rules. She stepped forward into Si’s arms, and hugged him with affection.

Si fell back and blinked at her. “Well, the come-hither is still going strong, but before your very large stealth cat decides to knock me into the middle of next week, I must add it’s now funnelling in one direction, heading straight for him. I hope he has plenty of stamina.”

So, there is Pen, an ordinary woman. She doesn't look like the popular concept of a romantic heroine, but happiness renders her desirable. And she's not alone. Some of Lark's heroines are obviously beautiful. Take Flori, a plus-sized florist who becomes Pen's bridesmaid and who attracts the immediate attention of the two best men. These two, friends of Duffy, just love curves.

Here's Hamish, one of the best men, explaining his point of view.

“Aye, well. You can't blame us for staring at you, Flori. You’re just what I would have wished for.”

“I’m plus-size.”

“What do you think I am?”

“You thought Pen was beautiful.”

“So she is, but she's beautiful with happiness.

So, over to you, the reader. How does your idea romance heroine look? Do you like clear and present beauty, or do you prefer an everywoman rendered beautiful in her hero's eyes? Let us know in the comments.

Fairy in the Bed series at the publisher. Pen and Ink will be out later in 2017.

Lark Westerly's home page

ABOUT THE BLOG

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers.

These will have a big G at the top. (G)

Some are in between.

These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)

Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.

These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Thursday, 20 April 2017

About Our Blog (G)

Top piece (to copy and paste)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog, scroll down.

CONTENT

Tail piece (to copy and paste)

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety.
The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers.
These will have a big G at the top. (G)
Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.
These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.