I’m going to be visiting with Ana TODAY! over at governingana. Be sure to stop by and say hi!
http://governingana.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/monday-morning-fika-donna-steele-on-strong-women/
Monday Morning Fika, Vanilla Edition: Donna Steele on Strong Women
Please welcome Donna Steele! Today we are chatting with someone who does not write spanking fiction but is spank-friendly. I visited her blog earlier to chat about books being like babies, and she was so lovely that I invited her to visit us for Fika.
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Okay, my name is Donna and I’m a vanilla. Is this the right meeting? I spent most of my life not even realizing anything else existed. Naïve I know. When I first heard about “spankos” and found out they really existed I was puzzled to say the least. If any man hits me, he’s going to draw back a nub. That said, I discovered that one of my best friends in the world was into this spanko stuff so I had to stop and think.
My first question was why did she feel she needed to be punished? What did she think she had done wrong that she should be hit? I didn’t get it. At all. It reminded me of the abuse from my grandmother and brought on rage and fury and helplessness, no erotic feelings at all. So, I asked her to explain and let me read some of her stuff.
And she trusted me enough to do just that, and followed up with explanations when I had questions. The stories were good and the characters were great, fully developed real people who happen to get turned on in a way I don’t. But hey, that’s a good thing and opened up a whole new genre for me to explore. Right, all I needed was more stuff to read. We will not discuss my TBR pile as it is now taller than me.
My friend and I still “argue” over some things and she’ll send me an article or a story and I learn a little more. I’ll continue to read it, and not just for her now.
But I can’t write it. I can enjoy it (and occasionally cringe – I’m old and it takes a lot to change me) and appreciate it now. Personally, I write strong women who usually have to haul the ass of their “heroes” out of the fray. I just love it when the guy in my story steps into it and she has to be the one to do the rescuing. In fact, when that’s not in my book, I know it’s not working – at least for me. A caress on the rear as they walk by will cause my heroine to cut her eyes at the guy, but a nice swat and he’d be on his back looking up and wondering what the hell happened.
Kat, in Rth Rising, is that kind of woman. I can literally see her laying Davd out for such a thing, but you know, he might enjoy that. Ummm.
Kat’s life did not go the way she had dreamed, but she made do and tried to make the best of it. It made her stronger and more capable, even if it did cause her to retreat from many things. At least she had support from her family and her best friend. I’m sure Davd will bring out the best in her eventually. I really need to get working on book two.
My upcoming book, Homecoming has that same feeling, though Ashley did not have the support she needed as a child. She has grown strong on her own, there’s no telling how strong she will become with the right person at her back.
“They” keep telling me to write the book you want to read. It’s one rule I can live with. Watching strong women realize their strength and embrace it turns me on. I hope it does you as well.
Me? I’m an executive assistant to a Vice Chancellor (read that secretary in the old tongue and think Della Street if you’re old enough.) She knew everything that went on in that office, sat in on every meeting and basically ran the show, but didn’t have to stand up in court and speak. I love my job.
I’ve been married to my best friend for nearly thirty-four years and he is the one that pointed out how strong I actually was and pushed me in that direction. Turns out he was right. The kids are grown and out of the house. I miss them, but I’m delighted that they’re strong enough to shape their lives and have fun doing it. And they call home a lot, just to visit.
I’m a member of RWA, Hearts of the Carolinas and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal writing groups and love drawing inspiration from all of them.
Ana, thanks so much for having me at FIKA today!
