Enter to win an eBook copy of Surrounded by Woods! Ends 3/15/2013 / Plus get details on how to enter Mandy's $100 GC giveaway. Ends end of March.
First off, I want to thank the peeps at Night Owl Reviews for giving me the reins today. This is a big day for me, one I’ve wait months for. Um, let’s hope I don’t screw it up. ;-) And in the vein of bribery, if you keep reading, there’s info on a big contest I’m doing and free reads. Valentine’s Day is coming up, so it’s my mental chocolate for you.
Okay, now that we have that outta the way, who all thinks it’s sexy as hell when men take charge in the bedroom? C’mon…show of hands? Ah, yes, the internet masses wave eagerly. And that’s a big ditto for me. In fact, I’ve blogged in the past on some specifics, like why we love heroes that claim their mates by biting, because let’s face it, that’s incredibly hot. We have vamp and shifter stories galore where teeth—and fangs—play an intricate role. And there’s no doubt that we (readers and authors) love them. But then I got to thinking about it on a broader level. Before we even get to the biting, we must travel through the being-pinned-down-and-submitting phase. Which begs the question why do we like heroes to embrace their controlling side? I mean, we have women’s lib and all that. Does it make us less of a woman (or man for those m/m readers) if we like a man to exert himself in a manner that screams alpha male?
Me thinks not. Reading is a means to escape everyday lives. Just because we like reading about men ranging anywhere from being strong and protecting to oozing testosterone in the triple-X manner, doesn’t mean we’d allow men to just walk all over us. On the contrary. I think allowing a man the honor of exerting himself over us is a very powerful thing, not unlike the power exchange in BDSM relationships, where in reality, it’s the submissive that holds all the cards. Sure, some readers don’t want to read the really kinky stuff, but on an elemental level, the concept is still the same. Men get to be all manly because we let them. Plain and simple.
In real life, some of us may not have a man that’ll hold his woman (or man) down and show her who’s boss in the bed, or maybe there’s some who don’t want the reality of it, but either way that’s where books come in. We get to live vicariously though the heroines we read about, and we love it. And who knows… maybe it gives those of us who don’t have that in real life, but want it, the courage to seek it out with our partners.
As for me, I can’t get enough of it when I read. So that’s why I write my heroes that way, too. From paranormal to contemporary, there isn’t a romance subgenre where alpha males can’t shine. And what a ride this has been for me. In a little over two years, I’ve gone from shopping my manuscripts to being a multi-published, award-winner, bestselling author. *bows at the applause*
And now for the bribery part. If you’ve never read a book by me, you can download the first book in my Woods Family series, SURROUNDED BY WOODS, for free on Amazon for a limited time only. I also have the bonus prequel, SURROUNDED BY DEATH, for free, which will remain that way indefinitely. To help celebrate the latest release in my Woods Family series, SURROUNDED BY SECRETS, I have a contest going on now through the end of March where one winner will receive a $100 gift card. Just “like” me on Facebook to get to the contest info.
Okay, that is all. Happy reading… and if you want a man to hold you down and take you, then ask… or just tease the hell out of him until he can’t stand it anymore… and happy sexing.
FREE ON AMAZON (AND BARNES AND NOBLE)
More in the Series
eBook Giveaway for Surrounded by Woods
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* Make mention of this in your comment for extra entry / (Important: Full Contest Entry Rules) - Updated NOR Contest Passport required for entry.
Click here for the $100 GC giveaway
Mandy Harbin is the author of several books across multiple romance genres that range from contemporary to paranormal erotic romance. Her books include the award winning Darkest Sin, an erotic romantic suspense and first in the new Darkest series. Mandy also continues to work on her Possession series, which explores BDSM elements with Digital Possession being the series starter, and the ever popular Woods Family series, which began with the bestseller Surrounded by Woods. She lives in a small Arkansas town with her family.
