Friday, October 24, 2014

Spanking Stories Book Club: Taming Princess Anna by Sue Lyndon

Please welcome Patricia Green who is here to disucss Taming Princess Anna by Sue Lyndon. 

Taming Princess Anna is a short and simple spanking romance novella by Sue Lyndon. As with Sue's other books, it's well-formed and fun to read. It's totally escapist in nature, which makes it ideal for sitting back with a cup of herbal tea and getting away from all the hubbub of daily life. It's a fairy tale with a happy ending.

In the book, Princess Anna has to escape her father's plans for her, and so runs away. She hides in the enclosed town, but those walls are steep and she's not capable of getting away. Instead, she bides her time, waiting for an elusive opportunity to sneak out.

In comes Bronson. She doesn't know what to make of him at first (he's not the boy she remembers), but he soon proves that he can get her out of her mess, and she takes the chance on him rather than be stuck under the thumb of her mean father.

Therein lies the tale. How Anna and Bronson find their way toward their happy ever after is a lovely romp through the roses, thorns and all.

Questions:
(1)    We all like spanking stories or we wouldn't be here. Under what circumstances do you crave a spanking story that's total escapism versus having prickly reality themes?

(2)    Anna is spoiled but Sue has given her reasons for being not-too-spoiled. When reading about spoiled, willful women, at what point to do you say, "too much brat, not enough depth"? How does this apply to a fairy tale setting?


(3)    In the book, Anna is forced (mostly by circumstances) to marry a commoner (Bronson). We might all remember from recent history, the story of Prince Charles and (his current wife) Camilla – a royal marrying a commoner. If you read the book, do you feel that Anna's concern about losing her royal privilege was justifiable or that she should have given up more easily? Or do you think maybe she gave up too easily, after all? Or maybe her doubts were just right. 


  Get your own copy of Taming Princess Anna. Amazon  Blushing Books 

  Coming up on Spanking Stories Book Club


October 31----The Coach's Discipline by Katherine Deane Discussion by Adaline Raine
November 7---Given To The Savage by Natasha Knight Discussion by Katherine Deane
November 14---Warrior by Cara BristolDiscussion by Sue Lyndon

16 comments:

  1. Can't wait to join in later! I loved this book!
    :)
    TGIF

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting, Celeste, and thank you, Patricia for leading the discussion. This was a fun book to write because it was a fantasy, a fairytale, and I didn't have to worry about following any historical facts (though I think it has a historical/medieval-ish feel). Writing a story like this is total escapism for me, and I like not having to deal with the rules of domestic discipline that you run into with contemporary spanking romances. This is just a world where men are manly and women are supposed to obey them--or get spanked. Great questions! Thanks again and I'll be back later. :)

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    1. You got the tone and feel of the book just right, Sue. It was definitely a fairy tale. Your escapism became ours.

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  3. 1. I think there's a time and place for everything. Sometimes you want realism, but sometimes you don't. There's certainly a place for spanking fairy tales.
    2. Being spoiled offers the perfect excuse for a spanking. Who deserves a spanking more than a spoiled brat?

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    1. It's interesting how many fairy tales we see in the spanking romance sub-genre. Clearly, writers and readers are looking for something to get swept up in sometimes. "Calgon, take me away!" (Oh, now I'm dating myself.)

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    2. I love when spoiled brats are spanked...seriously it shakes the brat out of them for a bit....

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  4. I like "non-realistic" just fine, myself, and I definitely color outside the lines, inside the lines, erase lines, even stab at lines with a sharp knife while screaming 'DIE LINES DIE!'. Ok that's just me. Angst. Good discussion. I agree, sometimes you just want the man to be this man in your spanking fiction, and to hell with coming up with "reasons" for things. Ha! Manly men, doing manly things! And re: CALGON, I totally remember that. I know you're all, "WTF, she's on espresso again, someone pull the plug." But hey, I'm here supporting ya'll. :)

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    1. Sometimes, Sheri, I wish I had your espresso machine. My Keurig just doesn't compare with yours. And stay away from my crayolas. :)

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    2. I'll have some espresso with you, Sheri! Thanks for stopping by:)

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  5. Hi everyone! Thanks for some thought provoking questions, Trish. I think most people who read for pleasure do so to escape for a few hours and I am that way myself. As a writer, I don't strive to change anyone's life, but if they have an enjoyable few hours with one of my books, that makes me happy.

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    1. Thank you for allowing me to guest-host, Celeste. :)

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    2. That's a good way to think about writing, Celeste!

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  6. I love fairy tale stories because the author can basically make up his/her own world and rules. You don't have to stick to a particular convention, or have your characters be politically correct in a fairy tale. As for spoiled brats, I do think they need a reason to act up so we can at least understand, even if we don't agree. Girls who brat, simply because they enjoy bratting, can get tiresome to the point I find myself saying, "here she goes again." So, even in fairy tales, I like characters to have motivations to explain their bad behavior. However, I don't expect too much character depth in a story intended to be a playful romp.

    Depth makes for a more fully rounded person, but also adds a serious element to a story that can be out of place in a light comedy. As for marrying outside your class, in an English historical romance that can be a real conflict, which could make the upper class individual or royal a social pariah. However, the problem with Charles marrying Camilla wasn't because she was a commoner (Diana was considered a commoner even though she was styled as a Lady and the daughter of an earl), it was because Camilla got married, and the Prince of Wales or King is not supposed to marry a divorcee. Same held true for Edward and Wallis Simpson, except she was married and divorced twice, which made her doubly unacceptable, thus he abdicated.

    I haven't read Sue's book yet, so I can't say if Anna's concern was overblown or justified, but as an American I tend to view class as nothing more than a minor obstacle to be overcome in a romance or a fairy tale. Hey Prince Charming (and why are they all named Charming anyway?) had no problems marrying Cinderella. I think his parents were just so happy he wasn't gay that they'd embrace a char woman as their daughter-in-law. Okay, I'm only joking, but if you've seen The Slipper and the Rose, you'd know that Richard Chamberlain played Charming. I'm just sayin'....

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    1. Being able to make up my own rules is another reason I love fairy tale stories (and fantasy, and sci fi) too, Kathryn. Thanks for coming by! :)

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