Goodreads Book Giveaway
My Body-His
by Blakely Bennett
Giveaway ends February 17, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
My Body-His Book Giveaway on Goodreads.com
Reply
Tag Archives: My Body trilogy
An Epiphany
After the book signing last week, I had an epiphany. It sort of runs along the lines of expectations but goes a bit deeper I think. I will do my best to try to elegantly share my thoughts with you.
I believe that all of my stress or strife over life is self-imposed. I’m not referring to tragic world events or when some you really care about is ill. I’m talking about the daily bump-ups against life. I realized that my reactions are solely based on how I think things should be or how I would like them to go against what actually is. I’m not referring to the now popular adage of “Be Here Now” or even “Living in the Moment”. For me, distraction is highly underrated and should be used often. Fantasizing is not being in the moment and it’s how I create and write. What I’m addressing is about getting next to “what is” and in that place I can find the grace. Life is an adventure and we can fight it all along the way or find a way to enjoy the ride.
I realized that I am more go-with-the-flow than I originally gave myself credit for, or maybe I have just recently moved into a different frame of mind.
How does this impact my writing? Glad you asked. 🙂 There were times when I was writing My Body-His where the story went into a completely different direction than I thought it would and I actually panicked a few times telling my husband I needed to scrap and rewrite. I never did and what I think happened is that it offered the story unpredictability because even I didn’t predict it. These days, I follow where my characters take me without the stress because it’s their story after all.
My husband wrote a book many years ago called Evolving Paradigms which spoke of the limiting effects that takes place when you get locked into a particular paradigm and cease to grow. The pertinent part of the book for this blog has to do with the premise that we function during the course of our lives in three ways: as reactors, responders, and initiators. We are born as reactors and during that phase we have no control over how we respond to situations or stimulus. As we grow and mature, we still react, but we can pause long enough to choose how we would like to respond. Ultimately the goal would be to evolve into initiators who are controlled less by their reactions and a need to respond by releasing the struggle that goes with wanting to have control over the uncontrollable.
Luke, in My Body-His and My Body-His (Marcello), must maintain control of his life at all times and Jane, although she does try to please him, is not a natural submissive and is ultimately a force in Luke’s life that he cannot control. Because of Luke’s upbringing, which you find out more about in the second book of the My Body Trilogy, his need for complete obedience becomes his own downfall.
For me however, getting next to “what is” and letting go of how I think it should be or go really frees me to enjoy the rollercoaster of life and sway with the ebb and flow. The humorous part for me is that I can’t change “what is” by sheer will and holding onto the false image of how things should be is just unnecessary conflict I create within my life.
I don’t mean to imply I am cured from getting miffed over life circumstances sometimes, however I think I have found a new ease with the dance.
Love to read your thoughts on this realization of mine and how you cope with life’s twists and turns. Please comment.
Warm hugs,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His (book one) for sale on Amazon here.
Find My Body-His Marcello (book two) for pre-sale on Amazon here.
BDSM Bedtime Stories – Audio excerpt from My Body-His (Marcello)
I’m happy to share an audio excerpt from the second novel of the My Body Trilogy, My Body-His (Marcello). It’s a hot and sexy f/f scene for your audio pleasure. A huge thanks to BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme for making the recording.
Adult content: Must be 18 or older.
Please comment and let me know what you think and like on youtube.
Thanks and warm hugs,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His Marcello (book two) for pre-sale on Amazon here.
My Very First Book Signing
Another long standing dream came true January 12, 2013 at the book launch for My Body-His, the first book in the My Body Trilogy. Every now and again in life, reality turns out to be better than the imagination. Surrounded by the support of many of our friends and new people to meet, I learned yet again that being an author is what I want to do and what I love.
My only real worry about the event was that people were not going to show. I would be left standing around twiddling my thumbs and as a last resort I would have to stand outside hauling people into Uppercase Bookshop to have people to read to. However, what really happened at 6:30 pm on Saturday night with the temperature hovering around twenty-four degrees, a packed Snohomish where parking is difficult to find and a flu epidemic, was that so many people showed in support of my dream that I had to lean against the rail on top step and project my voice down to the people standing on the first floor.
I didn’t feel particularly nervous as I thanked everyone for coming but as soon as I started reading from My Body-His my adrenaline shot up so high, it took me a few minutes to regain my equilibrium.
I so enjoyed signing books and looking up to see a line of people waiting their turn. I had all my catchy phrases ready in my head but used none of them. I ended up personalizing each book I signed.
My girlfriend Melissa suggested that a bunch of people meet up before the book signing and that was a great idea. I felt so relax surrounded by friends ahead of time. I plan to do that again for my next book signing.
Make sure to check back for future signing events that will be coming in March to launch the second book of the trilogy, My Body-His (Marcello).
Thanks again to Uppercase Bookshop, Catherine Treadgold and Jennifer McCord from FannyPress, and my husband whose ongoing support through the whole process is invaluable to me. And a special shout out to everyone who came to the event.
Warmest hugs,
Blakely Bennett
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His Marcello (book two) for pre-sale on Amazon here.
Happy New Year and 2013 Intentions
I find the New Year to be a great time to reflect on people and events that I’m truly grateful for from 2012 and set my intentions for the coming year.
Let me begin by saying a big thanks to you, my readers, for checking out my blog and for supporting my dreams by purchasing my novels. Without you, my dreams could never become a reality.
I feel incredibly grateful to my husband who pushed me to try again to get My Body-His published in 2012. Having someone supporting you in pursuit of your dreams is invaluable. I’m grateful for Catherine from Fanny Press who saw and sees the value in my writing.
I’m grateful for my daughter who is an exceptional teenager and makes me feel like the best mother in the world and for my two stepdaughters and family that I love so much. I so appreciate my family and close friends for their enthusiasm and support of me chasing my dreams.
I’m hugely grateful to have found a man who encourages me to be me and for loving me all the while. Isn’t that what we are all looking for?
And finally, I’m grateful to myself for taking better care of my body and spirit this year and taking the risk of seeking publishing for my dark erotic novels.
I read an article the other day “Five Things You Can Do Instead of New Year’s Resolution” by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. which suggested that instead of setting your New Year’s resolutions you would serve yourself better by doing these five things:
- Write yourself a letter from your future self, letting you know what accomplishments you made in 2013. Kind of like positive projection from your older self. (We did a dream list instead which was a lot of fun to do.)
- List your favorite moments and accomplishments from 2012. (I like this one a lot. I think it’s too easy to focus on the negative and far more helpful to our overall outlook if we focus on the positive.)
- She goes on to suggest that we should make a list of the five things we are most looking forward to in 2013. (We decided to create a list of intentions.)
- List what you are grateful for. (See above. That was my list from Thanksgiving which is another yearly tradition.)
- Lastly, make a commitment to someone else. She recommends donating your time or money to a cause you care about.
I have set a handful of intentions for the new year and I will share a few of them with you:
- I will continue to take great care of my body and spirit and to increase my fitness while maintaining my current weight. (There is nothing better than exercise to keep me grounded and positive.)
- I will finish My Body-Mine, the third novel in the My Body Trilogy no later than March 1st. I plan to have the first draft done by the end of January but want to have plenty of time to edit and rework as necessary.
- As soon as MBM is finalized, I will help my husband finish, edit and get his novel published. I’m very excited to help him accomplish his dreams as well.
- Find more cool places to hike in the Northwest! Have any suggestions for me?
I would love to hear what you have set for your intentions in the New Year. Please share with us.
Check back next week for my blog called Pussywillow. 😉
Warm hugs and safe partying,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His Marcello (book two) for pre-sale on Amazon here.
Expectations Part Deux
In my first blog on expectations I wrote about positive and negative filters but didn’t address being invested in a particular outcome. I remember a great example of a time when my expectations were sorely tested. One Saturday morning, the only day that week we had to sleep in, we were lying in bed beginning to get amorous but still not quite part of the waking world when the phone rang at 9:00 AM…rude on a Saturday in my not so humble opinion.
This was back when I was doing bookkeeping and there was a meeting set for the morning. I had previously provided them with the reports they had requested but the man on the phone wanted more. So I booted up my computer and shot over more reports. Then, before I could steal back to bed, another call came in asking me financial questions that my brain was not up to speed to answer. Keep in mind this meeting was formed and called at the last minute on a Saturday morning which I was NOT required to attend. Turns out the financial question was a simple one that had I been asked later in the day would have been blatantly apparent but instead, an hour passed until it was resolved. Anger had done its job by that point in waking me up completely.
So what does all of that have to do with expectations? By the time the impromptu phone conference finished, neither my husband nor I were in the head space to head back to bed. Our expectations for our Saturday morning were shot and really affected our mood.
My idealized self is a go-with-the-flow kind of woman but the truth of me is that a very aggravating meeting first thing in the morning messed with my mojo. I’m happy to say we were able to shake it off by that evening and had a wonderful Sunday together but it certainly made me think about how attached I am to my expectations.
To me it felt especially harsh given that Saturdays are MY time with my husband and I hate when other people’s piss poor planning effects my day. The hardest part was being aware of how much it impacted both my husband and me. It did, however, stimulate another blog for me to write so it wasn’t all bad. 😉
I do tend to be flexible about change especially when it’s not interfering with my free time. My husband and daughter have a harder time adjusting to unexpected change and it’s a good thing to know about a person. It makes it easier to understand why someone gets upset when things go in an unexpected direction.
I know I could have chosen not to answer the phone that morning and if I had to do it all over again I probably would have let the call go to voice mail. Next time I will.
I must add the caveat that for people like me, who like surprises, the unexpected can sometimes be very welcomed. Just don’t get me out of bed early when I have other things on my mind!
How do you handle unexpected changes when you have expectations of how something will go? Is it easy for you to let it roll off your back or do you have a hard time adjusting? Please share your comments and stories.
Warm hugs,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His Marcello for pre-sale on Amazon here.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I hope all my readers are enjoying this holiday season. I wanted to share with you the wonderful and thoughtful gift my step-daughter and son-in-law made for me. Check out this cool ornament which will now be a yearly tradition on our tree.
I will post my usual weekly blog tomorrow.
Warm hugs,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Love is a Verb
Love has been on my mind a lot lately while working on My Body-Mine, the third book in the My Body Trilogy but also from a real life perspective. In the last two weeks, I have found myself in three different conversations regarding love that I did not initiate. It’s really interesting to hear other people’s perspectives of what love is for them and how it works.
For me, love is an action.
Behavior is more trustworthy than words and words mean nothing when the behavior doesn’t match the affirmation, “I love you!”. I’m sure everyone has heard of or seen a situation where a couple is supposed to be “in love” but one member of the couple is very abusive to the other like with Luke and Jane in My Body-His. To me, words are easy to throw around but it’s what you do that really shows whether or not you love someone.
So, my first conversation was with an old friend from childhood and he stated rather empathically that love is fleeting. I quickly countered that from my experience that is not the case. My husband and I have been together almost 18 years now and for us, our love has grown and evolved over the years. Even when we experienced growing pains, individually or collectively, we have always ended up better and closer on the other side of it. It would be silly for me to dismiss his assumption out of hand because many love relationships are fleeting in our culture. I just know that love doesn’t have to be an ever waning experience. A few of our close friends also have wonderful love relationships, longer than ours, that are totally inspirational. So from our experience, love is alive and well and something that can keep blossoming.
The second conversation had to do with loving and liking someone. My contention is that you can love someone and not like them much at all. A relatively new friend of mine was adamant that if you love someone, you have to like them too. There have been times with my parents, my husband and even with my daughter where I didn’t particularly like them in a given moment or longer but I always loved them. For me you can feel both or either at a given time.
In the third conversation, at a get together this past weekend, one man ask another to share his definition of love. He said that the best definition of love he had heard was that love is an emotion that focuses on the good parts of someone while having blinders to the bad stuff. That was the general gist anyway. I would argue that real love sees all the parts of the person and loves them despite their flaws or even because of them. I shared with them that to me love is a verb, the behaviors that show how you feel about another. Does Luke love Jane? Does he even like her? I would have to say that based on his behavior he has no clue what loving someone really looks like.
So what are the behaviors of love? I’m sitting here and wondering if this is a universal answer or just a Blakely answer. I hope you, my readers, will chime in on this one. For me love is about time, attention, support, and having a positive regard for your partner. Whether it’s a touch on the shoulder in passing, a kiss just before you leave for work, cleaning up the kitchen even though it’s “their” job that night, spooning in bed, making love, working on yourself to be a better partner or parent, offering support when needed…the list really is endless. Those are the actions of love and the real definition to me.
Another facet of romantic love for me is the want to satisfy my partner. I understand that relationships are complicated and that not everyone prioritizes intimacy like we do but I also don’t understand how you can love someone and not care at all if they are satisfied sexually. Many people I know have stopped having sex with their partners or have far less sex than they would like. Just last night we watched the movie called Hope Springs and in that film the couple hadn’t had sex in four years. That is unfathomable to me because making love is the very best part of being in love!
The people I love in my life, friends and family, are people I invest my time and energy in. Love is definitely more than a feeling for me.
Do you see love as an action or an emotion? What do you do to show your love to another?
Warm hugs,
Blakely
Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
Or follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Reviews
It has been interesting for me to read the reviews of My Body-His. The last two reviewers really hated Luke, the main male character. I imagined people would feel more like Bookie Nookie who wrote, “Honestly, Luke is one of those heroes you love to hate and I can’t really decide at the moment if I want him or want to kill him.”
I don’t quite understand the abject hatred of Luke. I see him as a flawed, damaged character and Jane can choose to leave at any time. Of course, I know more of the back story than the rest of the readers that comes to light in My Body-His (Marcello) the second book of the My Body trilogy. I didn’t intend for people to hate him, however I did hope people would feel Jane’s plight and it is clear to me that is happening.
I honestly see more of a love to hate him scenario than a hate to hate him. It will be interesting to hear the views of the men who read the novel (all the reviewers have been female so far). I wonder if men will feel the same way about Luke.
One reviewer didn’t care for Jane either and another said she thought Jane was addicted to the orgasms Luke doled out. I don’t see Jane as addicted to the sex which Luke uses to keep her engaged. She is addicted to his love and approval which he dishes out and then takes away again. That is the addiction for Jane.
Of course the wonderful thing about reading a book is that you get to decide what it all means to you and with that, I will let you all decide for yourself.
Now that the book is out, I would love to know what you think.
Warm hugs,
Blakely