Review Roundup – Safeword: Matte

Safeword: Matte by Candace Blevins
Jennifer at Romance Novel News rated Safeword: Matte a Recommended Read.

Shari at Delighted Reader rated it an A, and said it’s an incredibly honest, refreshing and delightfully painful book.

Rebecca at Guilty Indulgence gave it a 4 out of 5. She liked the fact it shows submission is not a weakness, which spins into a rant about press coverage of Fifty Shades of Grey (which I basically agree with, BTW), and then gets back on topic to say:

The bdsm scenes were original – not the same old, same old – and pushed boundaries. Sam’s inner strength and also her need for connection through submission are the most profound elements that will compel readers to read more by this author.

Safeword: Matte is an honest look into a deliciously erotic world.

Diana at The Forbidden Bookshelft gave it 4½ stars out of 5 and said:

When it comes to S&M love stories, Candace Blevins knows her stuff. Her latest SAFEWORD: MATTE hits *all* the right buttons for my inner masochist. It gives a positive portrayal of a safe, sane and consensual S&M relationship. Yes, there are “loving sadists,” and the book’s hero, Ethan, is a swoon-worthy example.

So far, Safeword: Matte has two five star reviews on Amazon, one five star review at Bookstrand, and after three reviews on Goodreads the average is 4.67.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read Safeword: Matte.

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Buy it at:

Safeword: Matte at Amazon Safeword: Matte at Excessica Safeword: Matte at Barnes and Noblehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/safeword-candace-blevins/1101361790?ean=2940013920316&itm=1&usri=safeword+matte Safeword: Matte at Bookstrand
Safeword: Matte at Smashwords Safeword: Matte at  ARE Safeword: Matte at BooksOnBoardhttp://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=1237800&TITLE=Safeword+Matte&AUTHOR=Candace+Blevins Safeword: Matte at 1 Place for Romance

Safeword: Matte

Safeword Matte_200x300Matte, pronounced mah-tay, is the word used in some forms of martial arts to stop a fight. It’s the Japanese word for stop or wait. Sam (short for Samantha) has made a hobby out of learning the various fighting disciplines, but she also happens to be a sexual submissive. What better safeword than matte?

Sam wants to find someone to submit to who she can’t beat in a fight. She’s tried to make it work with men from the scene who know nothing about fighting, but it doesn’t feel real to her – she needs someone who can truly control her. However, after dating from the fight scene and discovering not all guys like to spank their girlfriends, she’s decided to just back away from the whole dating thing for a while… until Fate decides to step in.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, bondage, and use of toys including crops, clamps, canes, and floggers.

Excerpt:

He released her ankles from her wrists, but left her bound wrist to wrist and ankle to ankle. A rope had been thrown over the beam running over the porch, and he used it to tie her arms over her head, threading it through her cuffs and expertly knotting it. Stepping back, he dried himself while his gaze appraised her from head to toe, but he didn’t say anything. He’d taken the condom off at some point and his cock was semi-hard. Sam’s heart sped when he walked to a side table and picked up a large flogger, and adrenaline sped through her veins when he stepped behind her and out of her sight.

The rope above her didn’t let her stand flat footed — she was up on her toes and knew her calves would be hurting before this was over. The rope had a knot she could grab onto with her hands to take some of her weight, and she knew he’d done that on purpose. She wanted this, wanted to hurt, wanted him to hurt her, wanted him to own her in this way, too. He’d said he was going to flog her until his arms were tired, and that could be a very long time. It was raining harder now, a true downpour, what her grandfather would have called a toad strangler. The wind was blowing and every once in a while she felt a mist from the rain blowing through the screen of the porch. Not enough to wet her, just a warm mist on her front.

The flogger swished through the air a half-second before the leather strands crashed onto her back. He set up a rhythm right away. Swish, crash. Swish, crash. Sometimes it hit flat and the thud of it knocked her forward. Sometimes the tips landed and set her skin on fire in dozens of spots. She knew he was doing it on purpose because he kept it balanced — right flat, left flat. Then a while later — right tips, left tips. Swish, crash. Swish, crash. He spent time on her upper back and on her ass, avoiding her kidneys in between. Her muscles relaxed when the endorphins kicked in and she rode the feelings, going from dealing with the pain, to accepting the pain, to finally craving the pain and wanting the next stroke. Craving it. Needing it.

“Harder. I need more. It’s not enough, Sir. Please.” Her voice didn’t sound the way she was used to hearing it.

He stopped and walked away, then walked back. The next stroke was what she’d asked for, and it was with a different flogger. She felt the knots in this one; felt them hitting her skin and dragging across it, raising welts in their path. It was perfect, exactly what she needed. She moaned in ecstasy, and then she realized he hadn’t hit her hard the first time — he’d been testing to see how she was going to handle this flogger. Now he was putting muscle into it and the pain soaked through her psyche as she gave herself to him.

A thunderclap sounded in the distance and it was perfect, Mother Nature lashing them with rain and thunder, and Ethan lashing her in the midst of it. She grabbed onto the knot above her, raised herself up, and felt the burn in her arms as she relieved a little of the burn in her calves while the flogging went on and on in a perfect rhythm. Swish, crash. Swish, crash. Her back and ass were on fire and her body was like a lit fuse. She needed to come but had no way to do it. Yes, she did. She squeezed her legs together to try to get enough sensation on her clit to get herself off, and still the flogging continued, the knots striking and dragging. Striking and dragging. Swish, crash. Swish, crash.

The thunder and lightning were getting closer, the rain more ferocious, the warm wind misting her almost constantly now. Swish, crash. Swish, crash. She heard him yell when the thunder roared but didn’t know what he’d yelled. In between the thunder and the wind she could hear herself moaning and groaning as she gasped the humid air in and screamed it out. The pain was exquisite, The burn had turned her back and ass into a large throbbing sex organ, the caress of the flogger making her more and more raw.

She relaxed her hands, let more of her weight go to her calves once again, and then he was behind her, releasing her ankles from each other and lifting her up, sitting her down on his cock and pushing her down onto it, spreading her impossibly wild as he impaled her on his thick, hot, granite cock. She hadn’t expected it, but it was perfect, this primal claiming. She reached for the knot above her hands again, not because she needed to relieve the weight distribution anymore, she just needed something to hold into.

He fucked her like a madman. She came twice, her orgasm undulating through and over and around her as he played her body, his cock going in and out, his hands and gravity controlling where her body was.

Just as another peal of thunder reverberated against the mountain, shaking the house, the floor of the porch, the rope… he came with a roar she felt more than heard, his chest to her back, and she came with him, her orgasm rolling through her body as the thunder had rolled through the sky.

As Sam was coming back to herself, once her orgasm had finally subsided, she felt Ethan reach up and release her cuffs from the rope above her head. He slowly sank to the floor with her in his arms and gently maneuvered her onto her back, leaning over her and kissing her like a man possessed.

 

Buy it at:

Safeword: Matte at Amazon Safeword: Matte at iTunes Safeword: Matte at Barnes and Noblehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/safeword-candace-blevins/1101361790?ean=2940013920316&itm=1&usri=safeword+matte
Safeword: Matte at Smashwords Safeword: Matte at Excessica

What I’m Working On

I have a few irons in the fire — nothing official, but it’s been a while since I updated and it seems a good time to do so.

I’m still blogging over at Kinky Ever After, still writing at night once my kids are in bed, and I have lots and lots of stories in my head that just need to be written.

Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year, and I’m enjoying the cooler weather. I look forward to the leaves beginning to change, even though I know that brings on the winter, which is my least favorite season.

I hope my next update has actual news, but until then, happy reading and kinky dreams.

A Few Updates

Safeword: Mayday is complete and I have it out to a few publishers. My publisher is closed to new submissions for the foreseeable future, so I’m looking for another one. I’m more than halfway through with the book that will follow Safeword: Mayday.

I also had a great idea for a novella yesterday while driving home and I wrote an outline of it last night. I may stop working on the book I’ve been writing long enough to write this short. I don’t usually think in short stories but this one just came to me out of the blue.

I’m still blogging over at Kinky Ever After, today’s post about is about Simultaneous Orgasms. Feel free to drop by and tell us if you think they happen in real life as often as they happen in books. And if not… does that bug you or does it work for you?

Safeword: Inferno will be in the Love Bound anthology, out July 15th. I don’t see any links up for it yet, but I’ll post them when they go live.

Safeword Magazine

Safeword: Rainbow is being featured in this month’s edition of Safeword Magazine.

If you aren’t familiar with this online magazine, that’s okay, neither was I. But now that I am, I’m very impressed with not only the content, but the way they content is presented.  There is music though, so it’s probably not a good idea to go there at work.

There is a section this month about safewords, and they use an excerpt of Safeword: Rainbow in the midst of it. To say I’m flattered would be an understatement.

Safeword: Storm Clouds is reviewed by the Deviant Divas

I would like to thank the Divas at Deviant Divas Erotic Book Reviews for their review of Safeword: Storm Clouds.

Some of the Diva’s liked it more than others – here are a few of the nice things said:

Well now if I had realized vampire stories could be as hot as Candace Blevin’s “Safeword storm clouds” then I would have explored this genre ages ago.

The main characters Kendra and Eric are both believable and sympathetic. I cared about what happened to them and wanted them to sort out their issues and relationship. I wanted them to get their fairytale ending. I even liked the ambiguity of the ending because it may indicate a sequel and I could read more both from this author and about these characters.

Ms Blevin gets to the emotional heart of her characters as they struggle with the notion of submission and the conflict involved when two Dominants try to form a relationship. She also handles the difficulties of cross cultural relationships, in this case Vampire and human, with sensitivity.

Safeword Stormcloud was not the typical bdsm vampire erotica. I was expecting the same clichéé read in previous books. Kendra and Eric are two characters coming from opposite worlds. Both are dominants by nature and clash. This gives the book some meat. I love the conflict of vampire versus human issues and the sensual(hmmuhmm good sex)! Candace Blevin did a remarkable job.

All in all I’m pleased with the review. Of the five reviewers I received three ratings of 4, one rating of 3, and one rating of 2, for a total of three and a half Divas. The person who gave me a 2 appears to not enjoy the whole power exchange thing, and I fully understand someone who doesn’t get into the dynamics of BDSM not being able to enjoy the book or understand the conflict. The BDSM isn’t as intense in Safeword: Storm Clouds as it was in Safeword: Rainbow – but both books are romances that focus on a power exchange relationship.

You can read an excerpt of Safeword: Storm Clouds here, and you can purchase it at the following locations:

  • Excessica
  • Amazon
  • Barnes and Noble
  • 1 Place for Romance
  • Smashwords
  • Fictionwise
  • All Romance eBooks
  • Reduced Price on both Safeword books

    Both Safeword: Rainbow and  Safeword: Storm Clouds are now $3.99 at Amazon and Bookstrand.

    As the publishers figure out the new realities of ebooks versus paper books, I don’t think anyone knows what the pricing models should look like. My publisher makes all pricing decisions, and at this point I’m trusting them to price things where they should be.

    I’m happy to see my books priced a little lower, if that will put them in the hands of more people.