Happy Thursday, lovelies! Today I have the lovely
Katerina Ross
with her book
“Tenderly Wicked”. She's also answered some interview questions! Let's get to know her a little bit better.
Blurb: Max has always been interested in the wicked ways of BDSM, but his unusual tastes haven't always been well received. Now he has Vadim, an eager Russian sub willing to fulfill his most daring fantasies. But there’s one problem—Max isn’t quite ready to accept what's right in front of him. His deep-seated insecurities threaten to spoil what's growing into more than just a kinky pastime.
And now, let's find out more about Katerina!
Hi Katerina, did you have to do any research for Tenderly Wicked? Tell
us about it.
I
like my stories to be graphic, so if I describe a bondage scene, for instance, I
need to know exactly what different knots look like and if it’s hard for my
character to tie them. Now I’m an expert in French bowlines and highwayman’s
hitches :)
What’s been the most difficult part
about writing this story?
I
had to write it in a foreign language. My first language is Russian, but there’s
little chance to officially publish an M/M romance in my country, especially a
BDSM one. For a while, I’ve been writing fanfiction in English under the name
“tenderly_wicked”, and it was a good practice, so I thought I’d cope with a
long original story, too. By the way, you can find my fics <a
href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenderly_wicked/pseuds/tenderly_wicked">on
AO3</a>.
Where does your inspiration come
from?
Many
scenes in my novel came to life because I wanted to describe certain places.
The story is set in Moscow,
and there’s a lot to tell about it. I wanted to give a glimpse of what living
in my home city looks like.
Your favorite line from your Tenderly wicked is:
“Lack
of information doesn’t make you less of a pervert. It just makes you feel very,
very lonely.”
What’s your usual writing style?
I’m
more of a sprinter than a marathon runner. I’m better at writing short fiction,
so if I work on a long story, I divide it into small bits and finish them one
by one, otherwise the task seems insurmountable. I usually write a few things
simultaneously, both in English and in Russian, and switch between them.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve
done?
I
like traveling very much, and once I persuaded my friend to go hiking to
Dartmoor, a moorland in the south of England. We walked from Hound Tor where an
episode of “Sherlock” was filmed to the nearest village. It was a scenic route,
but a very long one, and sometimes we thought we got lost. My friend says I’m a
sadist for having made her walk so far. Well, she knew whom she was traveling
with :)
Excerpt
When they were deep into the park, Max stopped and brought Vadim to a halt, too.
“See those bushes?” He pointed at hazel shrubs on the hill slope above the path. “Go there and fetch me a branch. A supple one. And remove the leaves and small twigs. The smoother it can be, the better. Better for you, this is.”
Vadim shot an apprehensive glance at him.
“Yeah, I suppose you guessed it right,” Max confirmed. “I did say we had to work on your punctuality. I tend to keep my promises. Luckily, the necessary implements are available on every tree. Convenient, isn’t it?”
For a moment, he felt a twinge of uncertainty, despite an attempt at a joke. Was he pushing too far? But it was only a moment, and then Vadim marched to the bushes without a word of protest. Max let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
When Vadim presented him with his trophy, Max inspected it thoroughly and even tapped at his palm with the rod.
“Acceptable,” he said. It was quite resilient. “Now come here.”
With a switch in his hand, like a shepherd, he guided Vadim to a thicket of bushes and onto a small grassy clearing among them. It was the closest thing to a secluded grove they were going to get.
“Bend over there.” Max pointed at the nearest tree with the tip of his switch. “Lower your pants.”
It was unlikely someone would see them from the path, but still, Max stood so that he was able to monitor this direction in case some picnic enthusiasts came looking for a hidden clearing, too. He was now at Vadim’s left side, enjoying the view of his well-shaped buttocks, so obscenely white before the first touch of the switch.
“Do you remember the number of minutes you were late?”
Vadim shook his head, silently, his palms flat against the rough bark of the tree, his pants and underwear down around his ankles.
“Too bad. Fortunately,
I remember it all too well. Twelve minutes. Guess how many swats you get for this.”
The first stroke was gentle, barely more than a tap. Max tested his aim and the force of impact. At the second one, maybe too intense, Vadim let out a hiss. Max stepped closer and gently rubbed the pink welt that appeared on the pale skin.
“Don’t clench. Don’t fight it. It’s for your sake after all. It’s for you to remember that you should plan your life more efficiently. You better count, out loud. Show me you embrace the lesson. Okay?”
Vadim nodded, silent again.
Max applied the strokes slowly, with intervals, waiting for Vadim to count them and not applying the full strength this time. He used his arm only from the elbow down and was careful to watch that the light, flexible end of the switch wouldn’t bite into the outer flank too harshly. When six slim, even lines had appeared across Vadim’s buttocks, Max decided to pay attention to the back of his thighs as well. They seemed to be even more sensitive. Vadim almost jumped every time the switch landed across the delicate skin, and yet he was pressing back to meet each slap. After ten blows, he suddenly reached around and pulled his butt cheeks apart so Max could add two more onto his twitching hole, which Max did, surprised and aroused by this uncalled-for act of submission.
After that, with the switch still in his right hand, Max stroked its length across the tender insides of Vadim’s still spread buttocks—a feather-like touch that made Vadim suck a sharp breath in, much to Max’s delight.
So responsive. So obedient. Mine. The proprietary feeling that welled up from deep within him was intoxicating.
Buy links: Amazon,
Evernight Publishing,
BookStrand,
All Romance Books
About the author: Katerina Ross lives in Russia and works as a journalist. There are no M/M publishers in her country at all, and thus she wrote a hot and kinky M/M romance in English. It’s set in Moscow, so you’ll get to know the city she lives in.
Come find Katerina on Facebook,
Tumblr, and
LJ if you’re so inclined :)
