Manly Musings: If you like 'Grey,' then you'll really like …
Welcome back to my blog corner, Manly Musings! I'm Shakir Rashaan (of course, no one else can be me LOL), and I'm a male erotic romance and mystery author for Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster. Join me every other Friday as I give you a MANLY perspective on some of the hottest books, TV shows and movies that are upcoming or already out.
With this edition, I decided to give you a MAN's perspective on the new Grey by E.L. James, while giving you my picks of books that I highly recommend that you get for the man in your life, sort of an "instead of Grey" list.
Let's begin, shall we?
Unless you've been hiding out in Siberia, you've heard about the recent release of Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey// as told by Christian Grey, which is basically the retelling of the trilogy from the perspective of Christian Grey. In light of that, I felt the need to recommend other books that have a different flair when it comes to the world of dominance and submission.
The Game Maker Series by Kresley Cole
About book one, The Professional (courtesy of Gallery Books):
Meet the Professional.
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr "The Siberian" Sevastyan's loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss's long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Aleksandr will do anything to possess her as well--on his own wicked terms.
He makes the rules.
Grad student Natalie Porter has barely recovered from her first encounter with the dark and breathtaking Siberian when he whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures.
In the game of obsession, two players are better than one.
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy's reach, Aleksandr spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-rich in Paris, the two lovers tempt each other's boundaries to discover whether their darkest--and most forbidden — fantasies really can come true...
The other book in the series is The Master.
Why I picked this series: I saw this series and it has H-O-T written all over it! Mafia bosses, subtle dominance and submission aspects within the pages, what more can any man ask for?
The SBC Fighters Series by Lori Foster
About book one, Causing Havoc (courtesy of Berkley):
Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight belt was hard.
Other books in the series:
Simon Says, book two
Hard to Handle, book three
My Man Michael, book four
Back in Black, book five
Man's Best Friend, book six, novella included in Tails of Love anthology
Why I picked this series: What man doesn't get into mixed martial arts? This one is a slightly older series, but it's definitely liable to get your man's juices flowing, which is a win for you, ladies!
Masters of the Shadowlands Series by Cherise Sinclair
About Club Shadowlands, book one (VanScoy Publishing Group):
Her car disabled during a tropical storm, Jessica Randall discovers the isolated house where she's sheltering is a private bondage club. At first shocked, she soon becomes aroused watching the interactions between the Doms and their subs. But she's a professional woman — an accountant — and surely isn't a submissive ... is she?
Master Z hasn't been so attracted to a woman in years. But the little sub who has wandered into his club intrigues him. She's intelligent. Reserved. Conservative. After he discovers her interest in BDSM, he can't resist tying her up and unleashing the passion she hides within.
Other books in the series:
Dark Citadel, book two
Breaking Free, book three
Lean on Me, book four
Make Me, Sir, book five
To Command and Collar, book six
This Is Who I Am, book seven
If Only, book eight
Show Me Baby, book nine, novella in 1001 Dark Nights Collection
Servicing the Target, book 10
Why I picked this series: Honestly, I can't find a series that has such a draw from a dominance and submission aspect than this series. The man in your life won't be derided for reading a "romance" because there are so many sexy aspects to it that he won't care! This is a long series, so this is more for those who don't mind a lengthy story line. (Bonus: Book one, Club Shadowlands, is free at the moment.)
And there you have it! I'll see you in a couple of weeks when I give you my thoughts and opinion on one of the summer's blockbusters, Magic Mike XXL!
Shakir Rashaan lives in suburban Atlanta with his wife and two children. His catalog includes the Nubian Underworld series and the upcoming Kink, P.I. Series. He is also developing projects under the pen name P.K. Rashaan. You can see more of him at www.ShakirRashaan.com or you can connect with him on Facebook and Twitter (@shakirrashaan).