BLOG TOUR & REVIEW - My Body-His Trilogy by Blakely Bennett

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Hello World

I have embarked on the next great adventure in my life, getting published. The first book in the My Body Trilogy, My Body-His was released November 15th which was exciting and scary at the same time.  I started writing My Body-His over seven years ago and finished crafting the novel in 2008.  Work, motherhood, and life in general took over and MBH took a back seat.  Just recently my husband encouraged me to leave my stressful corporate job and really focus on writing and getting published.  Thank you, my love! And a big thanks to Fanny Press for seeing value in my stories.

Although I wrote my novel(s) before 50 Shades of Grey hit the stands and people might assume I wrote them after the fact, I’m grateful that 50 Shades has opened the door for more racy mainstream erotica and more specifically (I’m hoping) my erotic suspense trilogy. Let Mommy porn thrive….

I find it very interesting that people who hear about my BDSM trilogy seem to assume that Jane, the main female character, is based on me.  I’m certain people don’t assume my husband is a time traveler since he is writing about one in his Geared to the Present series.  If he is, I’m not telling.  ;)

The truth is that I have an active imagination and a fascination with the lifestyle but don’t personally live it.  I have done a lot of research online including reading a plethora of erotica and speaking to men who consider themselves full-time Doms.  In my mid 20s a girlfriend of mine and I interviewed a Dom/sub couple which planted the original seed for the series.  One should not assume, however, my story depicts the ideal of the lifestyle, it’s quite the contrary.

What intrigues me the most is exploring the conflict between how the body responds to stimulation and how our mind endeavors to sort out what is considered right and wrong. Jane struggles through the trilogy, not only to figure out who she really is but also to accept what she has come to realize about herself.

I hope you will also enjoy reading My Body-His (Marcello), the second novel in the My Body Trilogy, when it is released on March 15th.

You can find my blog at http://blakelybennett.fannypress.com/ Go to “Where to Buy” to find links to my books.

Please find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/blakely.bennett

For updates on the Trilogy, please like my FB page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Body-Trilogy/359307324147300

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlakelyBennett

My Body-His (Marcello)

“You need to learn respect, signorina,” he said, furrowing his brow and taking another sip of his coffee.

“Respect is earned. You can’t beat it into someone.” I wiped my mouth and smoothed the napkin back over my lap.

“How wrong you are on that account.”

“Fear and respect are not the same thing. You can beat fear into me but not respect … never respect. Respect would come from seeing you as a good man, a good person. Someone who is worthy of respect would never need to demand it from others, would never need to beat it into them.”

“I can see we will have a lot to discuss once you belong to me, but today is my day. As it should be, your safe word holds sway here. Just keep in mind that the words might get you out of some obligation today, but you will never truly be done with me. ”

“I’m doing this for Luke, so he will forgive me. That is the only reason I’m here.”

“Jane, you and I know better than that. After today you will see.” He rose and sauntered over. After pulling out my chair for me, he took my hand.

I cursed my body as his energy permeated me. I couldn’t make sense of the intensity of his mere touch. Maybe my anger fueled it. I needed some explanation for what I felt. Just get through it Jane, I thought. You’re a mere day away from being back home. Enjoy it if you must but get through it.

He led me to his bedroom, which seemed twice the size of Janice’s. I was struck by its warm, masculine feel. A black leather king-size bed dominated the space. No woman’s touch was in evidence on the black dresser or armoire that stood against the brown walls. Looking around at the artistic photographs and paintings of nude women, I found it interesting that none included bondage or whipping. I wondered if Luke had taken any of the photos but didn’t ask.

I felt young and self-conscious standing next to him. I paused, avoiding eye contact, totally unprepared for what happened next.

Reaching out, he put his hand on my arm and gently twirled me around to face him. Reverently, as though determined to savor the moment, he lifted the top half of the robe off my shoulders. I felt so small next to him. He lowered his mouth and kissed my shoulder, working his way up the right side of my neck, nibbling, kissing, licking and biting. Unlike Luke’s clean shaven face, Marcello’s mustache tickled and felt unfamiliar but not unpleasant. 

Stopping just short of my ear, he said, “So sweet you are,” then began to kiss and suckle the other side of my neck.

“Ohhhhh,” I said. I felt dazed and light-headed, but still tried to hold myself rigid. With each touch of his lips my guard slipped a bit more.

He drew back for a moment and gazed intently into my eyes. I was unable to look away. He lowered his head and kissed my mouth for the first time. The rest of my defenses melted away. The kiss seemed to have a life of its own. It transported me away from all my torment, bringing me closer to my real self even though I didn’t yet know her completely. I couldn’t understand how two such different men could excite me so much with their kisses. Did my body no longer have any discrimination or did Marcello’s energy speak to me in a way I needed? 

My Body-His just about pulled every emotion I have ever known or have ever experienced out of me while I went on Jane’s journey with her. The author, Blakely Bennett, took me from one extreme to another in a rollercoaster of love and aggravation. There were times I wanted to scream and cry in frustration, and then there were times when I was grinning from ear to ear. I was even shaking in my boots scared of what might happen from time to time.

Jane is a somewhat successful businesswoman who feels very lonely and disconnected from everyone in her life, and one might even say is even in a state of depression. She doesn’t have a lot of friends and she is not close with her family. She has a casual sex partner, Scott, but they don’t even have each other’s number.

One night Scott takes her to a house party that she soon finds out is actually a sex party. In search of a way to leave the party and get home she comes across a stranger who, within just a few minutes of meeting, completely captivates her in every way.

“Should I be worried for my life? Are you a deranged serial killer? Do you stalk women with wavy brown hair?”

Luke is a photographer and sometimes artist that travels around the world very often. He offers Jane a very unusual, yet very appealing intense relationship. She has to follow his seven rules in order for him to continue in their relationship. If she decides she can’t follow one of his rules or demands she will have to walk away and never look back.

The way Blakely Bennett had written the story, you feel like Jane has suddenly become one of your dearest friends and she is sitting there with you pouring her heart out to you as she tells you her story. Your heart breaks for her a lot of the time and you want to pull her into a hug, but then there are times when you are so proud of her for coming out of her shell and being able to do the things Luke demands of her.

“I want you completely and totally. I want to merge our lives and bodies. Your body-mine, and my body-yours.”

There were things I found very disturbing for Jane to have to of gone through and put up with concerning her relationship with Luke. I had to imagine my own husband saying and doing the things Luke did to her and it made me shutter. A lot of the time I just couldn’t understand why Jane stayed with Luke or understand her total devotion to him and her need for their relationship. Then I thought about how lonely she was and how much she just wanted someone to love her and give her the attention she craved.

By the end of My Body-His Jane has given up pretty much everything she has; her apartment, car and even her job. She also had to give up her dream wedding (including her dream wedding dress) in order to marry Luke. She marries him on the beach outside of their new home together in front of her friends and mother while in the nude.

“The idea of you walking down the aisle naked still makes no sense to me but you have nothing to be ashamed of. You will be a beautiful bride.”

When I started the sequel Blakely Bennett wrote, My Body-His (Marcello), I was truly hoping for Jane to come to her senses and get out of her marriage to Luke, but nothing could have prepared me for the fallout their marriage hard and the aftereffects.

We are introduced to Marcello and Janice at the end of the first book, during the wedding, but we don’t really get to know them at the beginning of the second book. In my opinion (as well as Jane’s for the better part of the book), they both played a part in what becomes the destruction of Jane’s relationship with Luke. They just didn’t understand what it would cost Jane to lose Luke.

“All I am sure of is that the three of you deserve each other and I can only hope that you experience at least a small part of the annihilation you’ve caused me.”

When Luke sends Jane away to Marcello’s for a few days so gives control of Jane’s body to Marcello to punish and pleasure at his will, Jane is scared and devastated of what the outcome of these few day will be. She only agrees to go because she knows it is the only way to keep her relationship with Luke.

Jane is shown new sides to both Janice and Marcello while she is there. These new sides to them make Jane even more confused about the person she is becoming and her feelings this new person inside of her, as well as the relationships in her life. She only thought of Janice as an ex-girlfriend still in love with Luke but soon finds a confident in her and maybe even a friend. She only thought of Marcello as an evil punisher that enjoys inflicting pain on others, but soon see a gentle, caring and maybe even loving side to him.

“Just because you can’t see your own value doesn’t mean we can’t see it.”

After a disastrous house party thrown by Luke ending with Jane using her no-going-back safe word, everything goes into a downward spiral. It is absolutely heartbreaking and gut wrenching to read Jane’s depression over losing Luke and her belief that she can get him back and everything will be able to work out. But things just go from bad to worse for Jane.

I absolutely recommend this read! There are not many books I’ve read lately that have brought out the waterworks. When I finished these two books by Blakely Bennett I had to lay down for a while and calm my nerves. It took me a while to get my mind off of the events in the book. So be warned – You will be emotionally drained reading My Body-His and My Body-His (Marcello).

Blakely Bennett grew up in Southeast Florida and has been residing in the great Northwest for over seven years. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a degree in psychology, which accounts for her particular interest in crafting the personalities, struggles, and motivations of her characters. She is an avid reader of many genres of fiction, but especially erotica and romance. Writing has always been her bliss.

She is attracted to stories of self-struggle and ultimate recovery. Blakely is married to a wonderful, loving and supportive husband, also a writer, who helps to keep her grounded. She is a mother, a communitarian, a lover of music (always on while she is writing—thank you, Pandora), and a good friend.

An advocate of love and female empowerment, she is a facilitator for a women’s group. She loves to walk and hike for exercise and finds that, since moving to Seattle, WA, she is now one of those “crazy” people who walk in the rain.

Ebook copy of Book 1, My Body-His

To enter this giveaway all you have to do is post a comment below. I will randomly pick a winner on Thursday, April 4th.