Addy:
Hi Cara! It's been a while since we've chatted on my couch. Thank you
for coming over to visit.
I
was curious about what is so different about Reasonable
Doubts?
How does it vary from your other stories?
Cara:
Thank you for having me! Well, in all my spanking romances, the hero
introduces the heroine to spanking. In Reasonable
Doubts, the heroine must approach
the hero and say, hey, I have this need.
Addy:
Oh wow! That has to be a very hard thing to do since she doesn't know
how it is going to be received.
Cara: This is what I wanted to talk about with you since it is different. Many of the M/f relationships I read about is where the male threatens his old-fashioned punishment via his hand or belt and warns the woman what will happen if her unbecoming or dangerous behavior continues.
Cara: This is what I wanted to talk about with you since it is different. Many of the M/f relationships I read about is where the male threatens his old-fashioned punishment via his hand or belt and warns the woman what will happen if her unbecoming or dangerous behavior continues.
While
that set up interests me and I enjoy it, I like the idea of the
female approaching the male, especially one who has never
spanked for discipline, and trusts him enough to tell him what she
needs.
Addy:
**nods** I like that setup as well, but this one ups the trust level
as well. What else did you want for this particular book?
Cara:
I wanted Reasonable Doubts to be sexy, but real. In the
romance genre, it fulfills fantasy to have a dominant male lay
down the law. But I know from my connections in the spanking
community that often the woman introduces spanking to the
relationship. I wanted to show the struggle she faces when has to
open up to a man about her needs. Many women who are into spanking
have married men who are not.
Addy:
Absolutely! More often than not, at least from what I have gathered
just from being in the community the past few years, it is the woman
or the one to be taken in hand that approaches the one who will
discipline.
Cara:
The other reason I paired a spanko woman with a nonspanko man is
because I developed Liz’s character back in Rod and Cane Society
book 1, Unexpected Consequences. She is a lifelong spanko who
was in a long domestic discipline marriage. After she is widowed, the
“logical” choice would be for her to find a man through the Rod
and Cane Society. But they would be a perfect match, and there would
be no conflict, no obstacle, no tension, no story. So I had to
fix Liz up with someone who was unlike her—which was a nonspanko.
Addy:
**laughs** They do say opposites attract! Plus, tension and obstacles
do make for one heck of a story! What else were you thinking about
while putting this book together?
Cara:
So many romance book heroes are over-the-top macho or dominant. In
real life would you want to spend a lifetime with a man who spanked
you any and every time you uttered a cuss word?
Addy:
**shakes her head** No, but I've seen it done, and have done it
myself in stories. But, I wouldn't want that in reality. Especially
since I have quite the colorful vocabulary. **motions for Cara to
continue**
Cara:
Well, yeah. I don’t call that dominant; I call it domineering. I
call it being an asshole. I know women read romance for the escape,
for the fantasy, so I tried to fill that need while keeping it real.
In
Reasonable Doubts, I created man who leads by the strength of
his character and who is dominant in all the right ways: he sets
aside his nervousness and puts his heart on the line to approach Liz,
he leaps to her defense when she is threatened, and he puts his foot
down when he knows she needs it. He’s a romantic fantasy hero a
woman could marry in real life.
Addy:
**swoon** I love when the hero puts his foot down. Is there anything
else you want to share about this book or the series?
Cara:
When I wrote Unexpected Consequences and created the Rod and
Cane Society, I created a cross section of characters who belonged to
the organization. I didn’t know at the time it would turn into a
series. I put Liz “in her 40s” and had her married to man who was
20 years older. Well, that made Otis about 65. That’s okay when
they’re secondary characters, but who is going to read a romance
featuring a 65-year-old hero? **Addy snorts**
Addy:
Yeah, I suppose you're right. I don't think I'd like reading about
depends being lowered to spank. **gives Cara innocent eyes**
Cara:
Grant is younger than Liz by six years. He’s 39, she’s 45. This
was a deliberate, serious marketing decision, and I did a lot of
(age) number crunching.
That’s
why I widowed Liz. I’m pushing it just by having Liz 45, but I
couldn’t change her age, because it’s mentioned in book one.
To
“young it up” I put Grant in his 30s, but still close to Liz’s
age because I also learned through unfortunate experience that while
people say, “oh, cougar, hot,” they don’t mean it. You lose
readers when the woman is much older than the man.
Addy:
Noted! I like the idea of them being close in age but her being a
little bit older. I'm excited to read it!
Thanks
again for coming over, Cara. You're welcome anytime!
Cara:
Thanks Addy!
Reasonable
Doubts Blurb
Widow
Liz Davenport assumes when she begins to date, her new man will be
like her late husband--a member of the Rod and Cane Society and an
experienced disciplinarian who can provide her with loving guidance
she requires to feel grounded and secure. So why is she attracted to
Grant Davis, an ex-Naval JAG officer who works for her nemesis and
has never spanked a woman in his life?
Events
in his recent past have forced Grant to take stock of his life and
try some new things. But spank a woman? He’s never considered that
before, but with Liz’s coaching he’s willing to try.
But
when the past collides with the present, will he be able to step up
and become the disciplinarian Liz needs?
Prizes,
Prizes!
How
would you like to become card-carrying member of the Rod and Cane
Society? To receive a membership card, leave a comment for Cara about
Reasonable Doubts or this blog AND your email address in the
body of your comment. Cara will contact you to arrange to send you a
membership card. This is not a drawing. Everyone who
posts a comment with an email address can receive a card—as long as
supplies last. In addition, by commenting on this blog and leaving an
email address, you’ll be entered into a drawing for Rod and Cane
coffee mug.
Thanks, Addy, for having me here today.
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