Review: Dominating Vanessa by Audrey Black

A few days ago I ran across a delightful little tale entitled Dominating Vanessa by Audrey Black, an exquisite, light BDSM tale that was truly pleasant to read.  Well written with excellent descriptions, action, and plot, the story revolves around Vanessa, a somewhat newly wed who admittedly finds sex to be a bit dull.  Her husband, finally getting clued in, sets up a surprise scenario for her: forced sex and the thrill of his hands upon her (even after her almost immediate recognition) leaves her wet and ready.  He ties her down and proceeds to see just how much she really likes having control taken away.

Available for free from Smashwords and Barnes & Noble, this is a great appetizer for later fun!

Customer Service - By Felicity Brandon

I’m not a fan of present tense narratives under most circumstances.  The awkwardness of the prose always seems to distract, and yet there are authors who use it with skill and grace.  Suzanne Collins who wrote Hunger Games did it well, using the present tense narrative form to keep the readers in the dark about how the plot ends.  In the erotic world, author Felicity Brandon does it with style, though more from a personal preference than out of the necessity of plot.  Even more incredibly, Felicity Brandon writes from a first person perspective, forcing action, dialog, and even description through the lens of a narrator, and not just an author’s pen.  And she does it well.

Her latest short story, “Customer Service” is pure gold, balancing action, dialog, and description in a sexually tense and fascinating way.  In it, Felicity Brandon introduces us to Polly, a beleaguered waitress dealing with the dreaded customer “Rachel” who wraps her arrogance and bad attitude around herself like a cloak.  Polly discovers a note with Rachel’s phone number on it and a personal message.  Intrigued, Polly calls and finds herself willingly submitting to the dominatrix, whose attitude doesn’t change, even in the privacy of her own home.  The sex is steamy, the descriptions poignant, and the tension builds.

The only critical complaint I can give – is that I wished the story kept going.  Rachel is an amazing character with vibrant colors and an unforgiving attitude that makes me like her, despite her aggressive and haughty behavior.  I almost wish she had offered Polly a job as house maid.  It would have been totally appropriate and I would have loved to read Polly’s reaction to the humiliating uniform and demanding antics of Rachel. 

“Customer Service” is a short, fast read, filled with eroticism and romance that anyone, man or woman, would enjoy.  I heartily recommend this tale and give it a full ten out of ten rating. It's currently priced at 99 cents and I think, despite being a ten minute read, might actually be worth it.

You can pick up a copy of "Customer Service" at Amazon.com.
Visit Felicity's website at  http://fbrandonfiction.wix.com/felicity-brandon-

Follow Felicity Brandon's Twitter: @FelicityBrandon
Or follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicitybrandonerotica

Review: A Great Volume of Trouble by TS Fesseln

Synopsis: Erika Adams has a book that someone else wants, and they will do anything to get it. Unless Erika's captors get distracted.
Storycodes: FM/f; bond; kidnap; trunk; transport; toys; nc; X

This afternoon I had the opportunity to read TS Fesseln's "A Great Volume of Trouble".  I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I was with the tale.  There is a craft to short story telling and it involves much more than merely putting words on a page.  You must create characters, tension, and plot.  You must craft scenes and reach a climax, as well as a resolution. TS Fesseln does all of this is in "A Great Volume of Trouble" and it is a rare thing for me to see such elegance in simplicity.

Erika Adams is a bookseller who has recently acquired the collection of a deceased collector.  Svelte, elegant, and beautiful, she sets aside a certain volume that sparks her interest on title alone. Unfortunately, she doesn't have time to read the intriguing book, instead leaving it on her bedside nightstand.  She never gets the chance to delve into its secrets however, since that afternoon a couple come to the store, looking for that particular book.  They tie her up and demand the volume when it appears she isn't cooperative.

First of all, the sexual tension of this story is particularly well done.  From Erika's initial bondage scene to the finale, everything is not only tasteful, but accordingly placed so that the reader is pulled gently up the slope toward the climax.  Tension building is everything in a short story and clearly the author understands that flooring the accelerator right from the starting line is not always the right thing to do.

The story has three main characters, all of which are well defined.  While the initial introduction into Erika Adams, particularly her description, was rather formulaic and felt more as if I were reading a biography of a model, the story quickly moves into a more personal frame, leaving the reader with vivid images and well formed parameters for Ms. Adams.  The two nefarious villains of the piece; the bald headed Marx and his obviously aliased accomplice Ms. Roberts, are less defined, but still dominating.  Marx is described as a large man, bald, and strong.  Ms. Roberts changes appearance half way through the story, adopting or discarding a disguise.  Regardless, it is easy to envision both antagonists with clarity based upon their actions.

While near to perfect, there were a few instances where I felt there could be some improvement.  There were two distinct tense issues that I felt needed to be corrected and nearing the climax, there were a few sentences that I felt were awkward.  The description of Erika Adams was related, rather than the told or shown.  However, in the grand scheme of things, this story more than earned high marks.

In summary, this beautiful little tale is exactly the kind of story that I like to enjoy.  It is quick, detailed, crammed with sensory input, and well balanced with description, action, and dialog.  The sexual tension shines through and lends itself to making a great story into something that is beautiful and elegant in it's own right.  For me, ten out of ten stars is how I rate "A Great Volume of Trouble, by TS Fesseln.

Read "A Great Volume of Trouble" here, and don't forget to visit the author's blog to see more of what TS Fesseln is up to.