Guest Blog: Lila Munro

Living on the Edge by Lila Munro

First I want to thank Lucy for hosting me today. It’s a joy and pleasure to be here, and I’d just like to say what a terrific site! This is the first stop on my tour and what a great place to begin. I look forward to hanging out today and chatting it up with the readers and fans via comments. 🙂

In case you’ve not guessed yet, I do write it naughty and although my work doesn’t fit neatly into the outlined definition of pure erotica, it most certainly contains very erotic elements. In fact, I do believe Assumed Master, Book Four Identity Series, covers every base possible. It wasn’t planned that way, it just happened. I don’t purposely plant sex scenes to enhance the work, somehow they just fall into place naturally and help drive my story to…completion? Let me give a brief rundown of all the bases, as it were…Assumed Master entails BDSM, ménage, m/m, m/f, and hints at what’s coming in Book Five, Assumed Calling—fantasy and role playing. Whew! I think I got it all. And, as I said, none of this was contrived, it just seemed to find its way in at the appropriate times and places. So, just who is it in these books that’s living on the edge?

Julie Marie Hayden Chelsea Stevens-Seidler. That’s who. I know right? Her name’s a mouthful and a source of contention believe me. J Julie made her first appearance in Book Three, Assumed Identity, a very confused young woman who knew she needed more from life, specifically in the sex department, but had no idea what that thing was until she meets Master Mason. The man that takes her to the edge and back. She is the character that drove me to research edge play and although these practices are far beyond what I’d ever try, they fascinate me. (I have a degree in sociology, lots of sub-cultures fascinate me.) Her story continues in my current release, Assumed Master, as she finds herself left in the care of her bi-sexual friend Dante who’s married to her gay best friend. Confused yet? She is, too…

So, what is edge play? According to The Online Dictionary (who knew you’d find it there!) edge play is defined as: a subjective term for types of sexual play that are considered to be pushing on the edge of the traditional safe, sane and consensual creed.

A subjective term, meaning its open to interpretation and perception. One man’s fear is another man’s kink type thing. As a result of this subjectivity, it’s really hard to nail down where the line actually lies. However, after some amount of research, which I’ll get to because Lucy was also curious as to the particulars of mine, I decided where Julie’s line in the sand was. For her, edge play involved forced (though consensual) fantasies. In other words, Mason would catch her unexpectedly and scare the hell out of her and this turned her on immensely. Scare her how? A stranger in the house late at night, the lights go out, he catches her…you can see where this is going I’m sure. Julie is an adrenaline junky and it takes quite a bit to get her going. For her it was the guided fear, but players in the real world consider things such as fire play and blood play to be past the line of sanity and therefore edgy. Personally, I agree with that assessment. Fire play is a dangerous sport and not to be taken lightly or practiced by anyone unseasoned or untrained. The same for blood play. Where does my personal line in the sand lie? I’d have to say extreme pain. Ever seen a whipping? Whew, scary stuff! I don’t believe I have the fortitude for it that’s for certain.

Are you getting any ideas about the particulars of my research by this point? J Assumptions, assumptions. Although there’s an unwritten rule you never reveal your sources for a variety of reason, I can say this much. I have a few very good friends who are card carrying members of this nation. Personal interviews and observation goes a long way. My curiosity was piqued some eighteen months ago when I was penning Book One in this series, Identity Crisis, and through my friends I met a few more people and yes, I’ve seen everything I choose to write about. I’ve held the instruments my characters use. If I didn’t I wouldn’t write it. Knowing how something feels in your hands is eye-opening and gives you some idea as to how to describe its power. Cat-o-nine feels much different in your palm than a small leather flogger. Different crops carry different weight depending on length and width of the head. Paddles come in all shapes and sizes. Rope feels much different along one’s skin than say fur lined leather. And there are a variety of ropes available. It’s too crucial to get the lifestyle correct. Not only for the sake of the reader but for the integrity of my friends. Too often this life is displayed in a bad light and facts are wrong along with the added danger of someone actually trying something they read. So even when I portrayed the edge, I always did my best to maintain the rules of safe, sane and consensual. I do write realmantica after all…Keeping it real, romantic, and erotic.

Thanks again for having me over today, Lucy!

Lila Munro~~

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We may be born to the lifestyle…

Julie Stevens and Dante Larson always knew their tastes were a bit more eccentric than those of the average person, but acknowledgement of their chosen paths came at different times. While their lives have run parallel for the last twenty years, destiny always came knocking at the wrong time. Julie was a closeted edge player and before Dante could pull her free of her fears, Mason came along and dragged her kicking and screaming from her self-inflicted darkness, leaving Dante wanting. Although Dante’s been in love with Julie since the day he first laid eyes on her, he’s happily married to Blake. But the tides are turning.

But Lady Fate dictates how it should be lived…

Still mourning the death of the only Master she’s ever known, Julie finds herself forced to live with the one man she’s been terrified of for years, Dante. While she has to admit something between them feels right, just as many things feel very, very wrong, starting with the fact he’s married to her gay best friend. Before she even has time to sort out her current predicament, another man catches Julie’s attention. But after losing her mother, her sister, and her husband, can Julie come to grips with the fact that Keegan McKettrick jumps out of perfectly good helicopters for a living, rescue diving for the Coast Guard? And where exactly does that leave Dante, who knows for sure he needs a woman to complete his unconventional marriage? Quite frankly, he’s tired of waiting.

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Excerpt:

“What is it?” Julie whispered, her heart pounding.

Drake cleared his throat again, took a staggered breath, and began to read.

“My dearest, angel. I’ve asked Drake to read this to you as I knew it would be a very hard thing for anyone to do. Dante and Blake are with you at my request as these instructions involve them as well. I’m so sorry I left you alone. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, but karma and fate had a different plan and I was powerless to stop it. But I’m not powerless to play a part in your future. When you gave yourself to me, you willingly gave me the power to make your decisions for you, although I only did so in cases where what was best for you was against what you thought was right. It never happened often as I never wanted you to lose yourself or your voice. You were always so pleasing to me in that way. I’ll never forget your confusion as to why some subs would purposely displease their Master. It made me so proud to know I had a rare gem in you, a sub that would give so freely and willingly of herself. Angel, what I’m about to do will go against all your instincts, but make no mistake. This is one of the rare times I’m setting my foot down and doing what I know is best for you regardless what you might think.”

Drake stopped and wiped the sweat off his brow, glancing at the three of them.

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Lila Munro currently resides on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and their two four-legged kids. She’s a military wife with an empty nest and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance that spans everything from the sensual to BDSM and ménage. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, Salvation, Three for Keeps, the Force Recon series, the Slower Lower series, and the Identity series. She’s a member in good standing of RWA and Passionate Ink. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2012. And has a brand new line scheduled for winter 2012-13.

Ms. Munro loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com

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COMMENT TO WIN!

Lila will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/03/virtual-book-tour-assumed-master-by.html