Hunter Raines - Research for Paradise Found: #1 – BDSM lingo

I’m thrilled to be here at Desert Island Keepers as part of the blog tour for my debut Carina Press release, PARADISE FOUND.

Over the next three days, I’d like to share a bit about the research I had to do for this story. I thought I’d kick off the first post with a topic that may be a little uncomfortable, a bit out of your comfort zone… but a whole lot of fun.

PARADISE FOUND is a gay ménage erotic romance that explores some BDSM themes in depth. I’ve never been the kind of person to shy away from subjects that could be considered taboo, so I embraced the challenge of delving into the BDSM lifestyle and learning as much as I could in order to give the book a believable, realistic, and authentic flavor.

One of the main characters in PARADISE FOUND used to work at a well-known BDSM club. Not only did I need to accurately describe the club, but I also needed to understand the wide variety of people who frequented such a place, and the types of words they used to describe their environment and their actions.

Although Cameron refers to himself as a former ‘dom’ and loves it when people call him ‘Master,’ other words could be used as well: ‘dominant,’ ‘top,’ ‘sir.’ He considers his partners ‘submissives,’ but some of his former colleagues refer to their partners as ‘slaves’ or ‘bottoms.’ And although I don’t have any ‘switches’ appearing in PARADISE FOUND, these are folks who are just as comfortable being either the one in charge, or the one enjoying all the attention.

The term BDSM is short for ‘bondage,’ ‘discipline,’ ‘sadism,’ and ‘masochism’. And although you’ll often hear references to ‘S&M’ (Rhianna, anyone?), the terms ‘sadist’ and ‘masochist’ aren’t used often by people who practice BDSM on a regular basis. You may also hear references to ‘D&S’ or ‘D/s’ (both are used to indicate ‘dominance’ and ‘submission’) and ‘B&D’ (‘bondage’ and ‘dominance’ or ‘discipline’).

It’s interesting to note that in a BDSM lifestyle or play session, pain isn’t necessary. It’s all about the power play, and not about the pain -- although that can certainly be part of the fun.

Here are a few other terms you may not be familiar with in the context of BDSM:

- Ligotage: The French word for bondage (some people prefer to use this word instead of BDSM; it sure sounds fancy!)

- SSC: Safe, sane and consensual (this is key in any BDSM exchange, and very often requires a ‘safe word’ as a kind of emergency break to end the session or signal the submissive’s discomfort with the scene.)

- 24/7: BDSM relationships that enjoy the lifestyle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Your turn! Have you ready any books that feature BDSM themes? If so, which are your favorites? If not, why not? Leave me a comment to be entered in the draw for a $10 Amazon gift certificate. I’ll choose one random winner daily, so if you comment every day I’m here, you’ll get three chances to win!
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BLURB

Paradise is just an illusion…

Or so Philip thinks as he vacations on exotic Anguilla. He should be celebrating the end of law school and the start of his successful career, but he’s tired of living a lie for his family’s sake. For just one night, he lets down his guard with two men he thinks he’ll never see again.

He isn’t the only one with secrets. For years, Cameron Drake has suppressed his need for dominance, afraid of hurting his lover, Mark Wilder. But when Cameron’s hand meets Philip’s ass, there’s no more pretending. Mark can’t face his conflicting feelings about the ménage; does Cameron want more than Mark can give?
The three of them may have been perfect together but consequences follow them back to their real lives. Will their desire for another encounter shatter the illusions they’ve built to protect themselves or clear the obstacles to paradise?

PARADISE FOUND is available at Carina Press, Amazon, and other online retailers.
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