Hesitant Heart by Morticia Knight, Blog Tour, Guest Post & Review!

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Hi peeps, we have Morticia Knight stopping by now with her new release Hesitant Heart, it’s a little historical BSDM number with some very sweet characters. Morticia chats about Domestic Discipline and her characters, so enjoy the post and my review <3 ~Pixie~
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Hesitant Heart

(The Hampton Road Club 01)
by

Morticia Knight

Sam is a naïve young man who arrives in Hollywood to escape his brutal father. When the older, sophisticated Aaron rescues him, Sam discovers what it means to fully surrender himself to another.

Eighteen year-old Sam Cunningham is used to living with lots of secrets. He’s had to hide his true nature his entire life or else incur the wrath of his strict and abusive father. When he’s faced with a horrible ultimatum, he flees to Hollywood where he hopes he can escape the fate his father has planned for him.

Aaron Rubenstein is a wealthy and sophisticated man who loses himself in painting portraits of bound men to help stave off his loneliness and despair. Unable to find a lasting connection with anyone, he’s had to resort to paying lovers not only for their affections, but to be allowed to indulge in his darker passions. Aaron’s only respite is his nights at the Hampton Road sadomasochism club where he’s a respected Dominant.

Naïve and inexperienced in the ways men can please one another, Sam takes a job at a bathhouse where he first glimpses a beautiful older man. Aaron notices the sweet towel boy watching him with interest every time he patronizes the Temple of Eros bathhouse. A traumatic incident for the innocent towel boy triggers Aaron’s protective tendencies and he’s compelled to rescue the gentle Sam from the clutches of the Temple’s manager.

They embark on a journey together that teaches them both things about themselves that they never knew. As their bond deepens and Sam is trained for his first night at the Hampton Road Club, an unknown danger lurks. Will Sam’s father find him and destroy both men’s chance for true happiness together? Or will Aaron protect his boy and keep him for always?

Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of branding.

Publisher’s Note: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.

Like the sound of Hesitant Heart? Buy it here.

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What is Domestic Discipline?

In a BDSM context there can be a ton of different roles and relationships between a Dom and sub. For anyone who’s familiar with BDSM, they know that those roles and the practices that go along with them are typically negotiated and agreed upon – usually with a shared contract. But one of my personal favorite dynamics to write about within the context of BDSM roles is the DD relationship – or Domestic Discipline.

In general terms, Domestic Discipline is when the Dominant in the relationship assumes the complete care of the submissive on a 24/7 basis. They provide for all of their sub’s needs: physical, financial, emotional and sexual. In return, their sub is the domestic counterpart, which would typically include housecleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry and so forth. Of course, they would also be available for their Master’s emotional and sexual needs as well. In essence, it is a classic housewife/husband relationship (regardless of the gender of the two parties). The degree that this is taken to depends on the individuals involved and would be negotiated.

I write a lot of BDSM, but writing it in a historical context is a challenge. I can’t rely on the terminology or protocols that are familiar to modern adherents. The Hampton Road Club series is set in the 1920’s, so I’ve had to be careful as to how I represent the men who practice bondage, discipline and sadomasochism in the stories. The original book that inspired the series, Studio Orders (Gin & Jazz 5) necessitated me becoming familiar with the history of BDSM – of which not much has been written about. However, it did make a lot of sense to me that a fair portion of the D/s relationships of that time would have a DD element to them, particularly when dealing with the older man/younger man dynamic.

In the same way that Juan lives to serve studio chief Vincent in Studio Orders, little Sam practically worships the older, sophisticated Aaron in Hesitant Heart. The main difference with Sam, as opposed to Juan’s character though, is that he needs the structure of daily discipline to help him to focus and remain calm. He aches to give himself over to someone else because he’s terrified of having to make any decisions, or heaven forbid, be responsible for anyone else’s well-being. Along comes Aaron who is willing to protect and take care of Sam, and he knows he’s found his dream come true.

It has nothing to do with Sam being lazy, weak or stupid. On the contrary, he’s had to be very strong and brave to get away from his abusive father. He loves to work hard and is only fully happy when he’s being productive. Sam’s also very gifted and smart when it comes to growing and caring for plants. On top of all of that, he is incredibly giving and loving. He gives himself over to Aaron because he senses the goodness in the older man, and knows that he’ll be safe with him.

I love writing this dynamic, because as Sam immerses himself in his new role with Aaron, he goes from being a worried, fidgety and insecure young man to a calm and confident man filled with a strong sense of his own worth. His daily discipline and the routines that Aaron establishes in their relationship keep him grounded while allowing him to flourish. But it’s their intense bond of love that completes the picture.

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About Morticia

M/M and M/M/F Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people’s fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.

When not indulging in her obsession for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal spot to enjoy both hiking and beachcombing. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She now resides on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of visits to family in England and Scotland when she was a child.

She is currently working on the Sin City Uniforms Series and a BDSM spin-off to the Gin & Jazz series entitled The Hampton Road Club. A follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story in Rockin’ the Alternative will be available in 2015.

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Review

Morticia Knight - Hesitant Heart 300x480Title: Hesitant Heart

Series: The Hampton Road Club 01

Author: Morticia Knight

Genre: Historical (1925), BDSM

Length: Novella (164pgs)

ISBN: 9781784302771

Publisher: Totally Bound (7th November 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Sam is a naïve young man who arrives in Hollywood to escape his brutal father. When the older, sophisticated Aaron rescues him, Sam discovers what it means to fully surrender himself to another.

Eighteen year-old Sam Cunningham is used to living with lots of secrets. He’s had to hide his true nature his entire life or else incur the wrath of his strict and abusive father. When he’s faced with a horrible ultimatum, he flees to Hollywood where he hopes he can escape the fate his father has planned for him.

Aaron Rubenstein is a wealthy and sophisticated man who loses himself in painting portraits of bound men to help stave off his loneliness and despair. Unable to find a lasting connection with anyone, he’s had to resort to paying lovers not only for their affections, but to be allowed to indulge in his darker passions. Aaron’s only respite is his nights at the Hampton Road sadomasochism club where he’s a respected Dominant.

Naïve and inexperienced in the ways men can please one another, Sam takes a job at a bathhouse where he first glimpses a beautiful older man. Aaron notices the sweet towel boy watching him with interest every time he patronizes the Temple of Eros bathhouse. A traumatic incident for the innocent towel boy triggers Aaron’s protective tendencies and he’s compelled to rescue the gentle Sam from the clutches of the Temple’s manager.

They embark on a journey together that teaches them both things about themselves that they never knew. As their bond deepens and Sam is trained for his first night at the Hampton Road Club, an unknown danger lurks. Will Sam’s father find him and destroy both men’s chance for true happiness together? Or will Aaron protect his boy and keep him for always?

Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of branding.

Publisher’s Note: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.

Purchase Link: Totally Bound: Hesitant Heart

Review: Sam has lived a sheltered life, his father is strict and abusive and Sam ran away rather than be forced to marry, Sam finds himself in Hollywood working as a towel boy at a bathhouse and though he is attracted to men he is holding out for love. Aaron is a painter who suffers from dark moods, his enjoyment of BDSM is hard to enjoy when many see him as a deviant, even those he pays to play with him. When Aaron sees Sam at the bathhouse he wonders how someone so innocent looking ended up there, and Aaron ends up coming to Sam’s rescue. Sam and Aaron start a relationship that is a learning curve for both of them and as Sam settles into a D/s relationship danger still lurks as his father’s goons find him, can Aaron protect his boy or will Sam’s father succeed in his quest for more power?

This is a wonderful sweet story set in 1925 where two men find what they have always been looking for. Aaron is a lovely man who has been weighed down by his dark needs, even going to The Hampton Road Club doesn’t bring him the enjoyment he needs and he has resorted to paying men to tend his needs but even that doesn’t work as what he is looking for can’t be bought. Sam is a naïve, sweet and innocent young man, he knows he likes other men but that is about it, he ran to Hollywood to escape his father’s plans for him, and he longs for a man to love him. When these two meet Aaron feels like he has to protect Sam from his own dark longings but he gets a surprise when Sam finally convinces him that Sam really wants him and what he has to offer.

I liked this story and the laid back setting that we find ourselves in, it’s 1925 and that comes across with the speech and actions of the characters so we get into the characters mind-set very easily. Both Sam and Aaron are incredible characters, Sam comes across as a very sheltered young man who has no idea what two men do together, while Aaron is more worldly but prone to dark moods as his reaction to his own dark needs haunt him. Aaron longs for someone who will accept him and his longings but the reactions he has had in the past has left him haunted and despising himself, when Sam accepts all of him and enjoys Aaron’s attentions it heals Aaron’s soul. These two together are just beautiful; their scenes together are intense as they both get what they need. It was beautiful to watch as Sam went from a fidgety nervous innocent to a confident submissive, he turned to Aaron when he needed guidance and Aaron gives Sam what he needs when he can’t ask for it himself.

This story is mainly about their evolving relationship and the development of both characters, but it also has a dash of excitement in the shape of Sam’s power hungry father. While I would love to say we saw what befalls Sam’s father, we actually only glimpse the beginning of Aaron’s plan to make him leave Sam alone, we get told of the actions that Aaron and his fellow Dom’s undertake after the fact but I can’t help but wish we could see it unfold… or maybe that is just my sadistic side’s longing 😉

I recommend this to those who love BDMS, a Dom and a submissive finding the perfect fit for them, men who blossom from the love the receive and a very happy ending.

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