However--I will be away from my computer most of Friday and Saturday so I might not jump into the discussion as much as usual. My apologies, particularly to Jade Carey since this I certainly feel like I am being a bit rude to her and her lovely book.
So, enough about me. Let's talk about Marissa and Keaton. And spanking.
1. What did you think about Marissa's reaction to being spanked by Keaton? And his threats to take her over his knee?
2. What are your thoughts on the spanking Marissa receives for swimming alone? Was it too harsh? Did Keaton over-react? If he did over-react, was his explanation enough to excuse it? Or was this punishment deserved because of the risk to Marissa's safety?
Can't wait to hear what you all have to say.
Being spanked for jeopardizing one's safety is a common theme in spanking books because it's way for the hero and the heroine to both come out looking good. One of the challenges of DD is how to make both characters sympathetic. If the heroine does something really bad that deserves a spanking -- readers don't like her. If the hero spanks her for insignificant transgressions, readers don't like him. With a safety issue spanking, it allows him to demonstrate that he cares for her and the spanking is for her own good.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about Jade's story is that Keaton spanked Marissa for swimming alone out of fear that arose from a tragic incident in his childhood. I would have liked to have seen a little more of his fear and vulnerability.
Hi, Cara, and Yes, I agree. At first things start out playful between them, and Marissa is clearly turned on by Keaton's dominance. He brings things to a new level when they go away together and they have that scene out doors. When he spanks her for real the first time (NOT for swimming alone), she is stunned. By the time he catches her swimming alone, after being very clear on how he feels, she isn't too surprised anymore.
ReplyDeleteI definitely could have delved a bit deeper into his vulnerability, and how that childhood trauma affected him. I didn't want to take up too much space with it, however, because it doesn't really define him. I also concentrated more on the erotic aspects of their relationship. She's not the type of woman who is going to allow him to discipline her too often, but the sexy stuff? She's all about that.
And, thanks, Celeste...and no worries. Grateful to be here.
As readers we always bring our own worldviews to what we read, and for that reason I don't always take kindly to the alpha male figure so beloved by many readers and writers. That makes scenes like these difficult for me to read. I have to do a bit of mental sorting as I read to not respond out of my own ideas of what is appropriate.
ReplyDeleteBut what I like about this scene is that it happens organically. It's not as if they sit down and draw up a plan for how they will address things. It simply happens, and they deal with it. Right or wrong, it's the reaction at the time and then they both make sense of Keaton's reaction. That's my favorite part about Jade's books.
Thanks, Ana...and for the record, I'm not a fan of The Plan. In R/L I would and could never be the one to sit down and agree to a set of rules and punishments, then wait patiently until he develops a cool enough head to come in and deal with me. We are what we know and, right or wrong, I grew up with a hot-tempered father who planned NOTHING. So those quick, angry trips over the knee are what my heroines have in store for them. It's the part of non-con that pisses people off, but I like it. It feels 'real'. In one review for TLAW, the reviewer mentioned Keaton's 'reaction' at the lake...I think she called it a 'freak-out', and it bothered her (the reviewer). I say, hey, freak-outs are real. We have them sometimes. His, as we learn, has something to do with an incident in his childhood. For him this was a safety issue, and in my writing I generally use that and not much else as an offense that will get the heroine spanked because, as Cara put it so perfectly, both look good in the end. And, to me (not sure how everyone else feels) it is the 'care and feeding' toward her in that spanking that turns me on--and my heroines, too. That you (the collective you) will answer to him for carelessness where safety is concerned is hot, and it feels, again, REAL to me. Keepin it real.
ReplyDeleteI think there is also a big difference between a loving "freak out" and a "just because you pissed me off" freak out. Keaton was afraid for Marissa, and it brought up the trauma from his past.
ReplyDeleteYes, he over-reacted.
But he still did it out of love.
I felt his pain, because this scene was so realistic.
And in real life, people make mistakes. The good ones will apologize for it later, and try to move on.
I don't like scenes where the Alpha male swears or gets angry, and then can't control himself- and all because of an argument or something silly.
But the swimming scene was about his projected fear and his pts from his past.
So I was alright with it.
I much prefer his other spankings, though.
Yes, the first time they make love Keaton spanks her, playfully. She realizes then that she really likes it, and reacts further whenever he threatens her. The scene at the cabin, tho, really brings them out as spankos. I enjoyed writing that scene because Marissa had to let go, and it wasn't easy for her to do.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate, Jade.
ReplyDeleteControl is a very difficult thing to relinquish.
It took a lot of trust for both of them to do these sessions.
:)
The scene down by the lake and later in the shower I think showed Keaton's frustration, at her seeming carelessness and his inability to let go of the past. It is also where he asks for her submission to him. It's a pivotal moment for them.
ReplyDeleteThe scene at the end, swimming-related, was more, 'Hey, you know how I feel about this, so...' and (I felt) he was a bit more controlled.
Are we going to talk about the beach scene at the end?
ReplyDeleteOMG, Jade, wow!!!!!
We certainly can...:)
ReplyDelete