"Most welcome, bondage, for thou art a way, I think, to
liberty."
- William Shakespeare
Hey everyone! I’m M.A. Church and
I’m here to talk about my latest release, Wrapped
in Leather. It’s the first in the Wrapped Up series. Wrapped in Leather is about two men exploring a relationship
involving their love of leather, BDSM. One of the things Toshi has to answer
for himself is: What is a submissive?
A submissive is a person who makes
a conscious choice to give up some or all control of their life to another
person—a Dominant or a Top. Dominance
and submission is about a power exchange between two consenting adults. It is
about the control within the dynamics of that relationship, whether it be a
full time 24/7 relationship, or a casual meeting, or a part time arrangement.
Choosing to be submissive means to
allow someone else to control your body and behavior within the preset limits
you and that particular person, i.e. the Dominant, have agreed upon. Submission
is not a sign of weakness; some of the most successful and strongest people are
true submissives.
Submission is not about
passiveness, it is not about being a doormat—most
submissives are intelligent and well-balanced people just fulfilling their
basic desires to submit and to give up control. Submission is not about kinky
sex and whips and chains—though those
things can and do play a part in our lifestyle, it is much deeper than just
that, and comes from the heart. Submission is a choice, and a wonderful gift to
the Dominant—it should never be
entered into lightly, even in a casual situation at a party or gathering.
~Photo courtesy of Gregory Anton http://rav-photography.com
Many thanks to the model, Ben. J
Blurb:
To celebrate his decision to take the next step with his boyfriend Ian,
Toshi Baylor plans a romantic evening at their favorite steak house. Toshi
starts the special weekend with a bang by surprising Ian at home with lunch.
There’s a bang all right, but it’s between Ian and another guy.
Jase Taylor’s auto repair shop and the BDSM club, Wrapped Up, keep him busy while he waits for Mr. Right, instead of Mr. Right Now. He’s a Dom, but playing with the club’s submissives isn’t providing the usual stress release. After a day from hell, he deserves a good meal at his favorite steak house.
Toshi and Jase find a mix-up with their reservations: a table for Baylor, not Taylor. When Toshi invites Jase to dine with him, they discover a mutual affection for leather and a shared belief that trust must be earned.
Before they can explore their common interests, Toshi suffers a series of attacks by vandals. Jase’s protective instincts kick in, but both wonder if it can lead to anything permanent.
Jase Taylor’s auto repair shop and the BDSM club, Wrapped Up, keep him busy while he waits for Mr. Right, instead of Mr. Right Now. He’s a Dom, but playing with the club’s submissives isn’t providing the usual stress release. After a day from hell, he deserves a good meal at his favorite steak house.
Toshi and Jase find a mix-up with their reservations: a table for Baylor, not Taylor. When Toshi invites Jase to dine with him, they discover a mutual affection for leather and a shared belief that trust must be earned.
Before they can explore their common interests, Toshi suffers a series of attacks by vandals. Jase’s protective instincts kick in, but both wonder if it can lead to anything permanent.
Excerpt:
Jase
placed his hand on Toshi’s arm, halting the smaller man. “Okay, as I was
saying… Why not meet me sometime at the gym? You wouldn’t have to work out
alone then, and neither would I.”
Toshi
stopped hunting his car keys and looked up at Jase. “Really? I’d like that.”
Jase
held his helmet under his arm. He really didn’t want Toshi to leave without
knowing when he’d see him again or having some way to contact him. That alone
surprised him, but he didn’t question the impulse, just went with it.
“Tell
you what, let’s exchange numbers and I’ll call you… well, hell.” Jase wasn’t
letting Toshi go without knowing something. “Why don’t you meet me tomorrow at
three? We can work out.”
Toshi
fiddled with his keys. “I, ah, yeah. That sounds good. Three it is. Just go
easy on me, man. It’s been two weeks, at least, since I worked out.”
Jase
zipped his leather jacket, debating how to answer, then threw caution to the
wind. Better to see how Toshi would react now than later. “Going easy isn’t in
my vocabulary. That’s not who I am. I push—that’s what I do. But I won’t push
you any harder than what you… need.”
Toshi’s
mouth opened slightly. “Oh. I, ah… I, oh. Three, right? Yes, I’ll be there.”
There
was no mistaking the look of lust that flashed in Toshi’s eyes, and Jase felt
himself respond. “Give me your phone.” After Jase programmed his number, he
handed the cell back to Toshi. “Dress in street clothes and bring whatever you
work out in. After we’re done, we can shower there, then grab something to eat
or… whatever. And Toshi, I enjoyed tonight. Very much. Call me if you can’t
make it.”
Jase
put on his helmet and his leather gloves. He noticed the way Toshi eyed the
leather he wore—that was promising—before he flipped the visor down. He looked
at Toshi—both of them standing there, staring at each other. He made a point of
glancing down at the front of Toshi’s pants, to where a nice bulge showed,
before walking away.
Just as
he started the bike, he saw Toshi hurry to his car. Jase pulled out and passed
in front of Toshi’s car. He stopped, one foot on the road to balance himself.
Toshi was just sitting there,
doing nothing. Jase’s grin was hidden behind the visor. It looked like he had
Toshi’s attention. He lifted his hand, making the motion of starting a vehicle.
When Toshi’s car started, he nodded and drove off, very satisfied with what
he’d seen so far.
He
glanced in his rear view mirror as headlights turned in the opposite direction.
He’d bet Toshi was a submissive but had no real training. That need was there,
though. He’d seen glimpses of it during dinner and at dessert. It had been a
while since he'd played with anyone who wasn’t in the lifestyle, but Toshi
showed promise. If he wasn’t very much mistaken, they shared a common interest…
leather.
Release date: January 3rd
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Author bio:
M.A. Church lives in the southern
United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is
married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies
are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football,
racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.
But her most beloved hobby is
reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library.
Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her
into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was
the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she
would write a book.
By sheer chance she stumbled across
a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and
she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching,
she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.
M.A.'s links:
Twitter @nomoretears00
Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...
The Harvest FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/theharvest00
