Kendall Ryan on her first foray into writing BDSM
Kendall Ryan joins us to share how she prepared to write her first BDSM romance, The Gentleman Mentor, arriving Tuesday.
Kendall: This novel is really unique in that it's my first foray into BDSM. Well, I call it BDSM lite, because if you're looking for a hard-core BDSM read with lots of creative implements, this isn't it. It's a romantic and, yes, erotic read, about a Dominant for hire who teaches women the art of seduction and lovemaking.
Our heroine, Brielle, sees an online ad for The Gentleman Mentor, and she's immediately intrigued. He promises discreet, life-changing lessons, and wanting to live life to the fullest, she e-mails him. They make an agreement. Six weeks. Six lessons, and then they'll part ways. But lines begin to blur, and soon the Gentleman Mentor is doing things he's never done with previous clients, and feeling possessive of Brielle.
I knew very little about the world of BDSM, other than what I'd read in a few popular romance novels. I was intrigued, but I knew in order to breathe life into this book, I'd need to challenge myself to go further than a few boundary-pushing sex scenes. Nailing the essence of my male character felt vital to the story. I wanted to capture the true personality of a Dominant — so all of his actions, inner thoughts and dialogue had to fit.
In preparation for writing this story, I reached out to a blogger who runs Shameless Book Club, who in turn connected me with some valuable real-life BDSM resources in the form of a husband and wife Dom/sub, as well as a Domme. They were incredibly helpful, from explaining how a BDSM club works, to reading and critiquing parts of my story, to casting light on how a Dom behaves — which was my favorite part. I learned to make him confident and sure, almost to the point of cockiness. His dialogue is rarely in the form of a question. He gives commands, and direction, while always looking after his partner's well-being.
With this solid foundation in place, I let my imagination run wild, crafting and filling in the scenes that made up this story. It's a story of love and hope with a whole lotta alpha male, and I'm oh so very happy with the final result. It comes out tomorrow (May 5) and is available for preorder everywhere.
About The Gentleman Mentor:
He calls himself the Gentleman Mentor.
Just reading his ad makes me feel more alive than I have in years.
He promises to teach me the art of seduction … and show me the most sinfully erotic pleasures. He's going to help me become the kind of confident, sexy woman men can't ignore.
Six lessons … with the most gorgeous man … who happens to be a Dom.
The only problem … now that I've experienced his brand of delectable domination will anyone else ever compare?
She's a client. That's all.
Or it should be.
But with every lesson, she's becoming more.
The secrets I'm hiding behind the image of the Gentleman Mentor make telling her the truth—and having anything real—impossible.
I'm training her for another man, and that fact guts me every time I think of it.
I know she's not mine … but part of me won't accept that.
Am I willing to risk it all to keep her?
Find out more about Kendall and her books at www.kendallryanbooks.com.