The Chamber of Curiosities, a medieval fantasy, by Anastasia Blackwell is now available on all major podcast servers. The audio is narrated by the author and will be available in ten segments of a series.
‘The night of the blue moon’ is a rare event. The townspeople and visitors to Tressaria throng to the carnival, staged in an ancient fortress overlooking a vibrant seaport. But, not everyone is free to join the revelry. Darné Veskka, stands at the bars of a cage consumed by loneliness. In the late hours aerialist, Clare Dupree, breaks inside - armed with a razor and obsession. Her quest is to shave off his beard to see his face. The giant who has never felt a woman’s touch, threatens her - but ultimately succumbs. And, their pact marks the dawn of a new age in Tressaria, and plants the seed of revolution.
The dark fantasy is set in the fictional seaport, where ‘Coin is King’ and citizens pawns to whims of their debauched rulers. Mr. Beedro’s Carnival is a lucrative business, with games, flying shows, equestrian acts, feasts, flesh and alcohol for sale. The Freak Show lies at its heart and is a pleasant distraction for citizens, sailors, and visiting traders to gloat over those less unfortunate. It is here the giant of a man, Darné Veskka, billed as The Human Beast, lives in a cage with other ‘mistakes of nature’.
My soon to be published novel "The Chamber of Curiosities" explores the star-crossed love story of Darney Veska, a charismatic circus "freak" and the beautiful young trapeze artist, Clare Dupuis. Set against the back drop of a carnival in an ancient bastion perched above a vibrant seaport, it is a tale of obsessive, possessive, forbidden love.
More about the book, scheduled for publication in 2013 at:
The stilted language of Christian Grey, of Fifty Shades of Grey, has me wondering if he is, in fact, a vehicle for the spirit of Lord Byron.
E.L. James,the author of FSG, a West London housewife and former TV exec, married to an academician and screenwriter (who edited her books), lives and was educated in the land of Byron. Ms. James has admitted that the story of obsessive love and dominance and submission is her own fantasy. However, it is highly doubtful she has spent time in the company of twentysomething Seattle billionaires (if there are any). Rather, her sexual fantasies would have been forged by likes of such romantic figures as Lord Byron, and his contemporaries Percy Shelley, and Keats.
I am a native of America's Pacific Northwest, Christian Grey's fictional stomping grounds, and know well how those guys walk, talk, think,and act - and Christain Grey would be laughed out of the states of Washington and Oregon, had he ever existed. And, let's be honest, most women would prefer to be held captive in Byron's gothic castle than in a sterile Seattle penthouse.
Clearly, Christian is of a different breed, land, and era. Perhaps the time of Lord Byron, who was a brilliant poet, war hero, and notorious naughty boy whose aristocratic excesses included incest, and the seduction at age nine by his nurse, Mary Gray. A descendant of "the wicked Lord Byron", who was known to be eccentric and violent, Byron gave over his beloved ancentral home, Newstead Abbey, in 1803 due to financial problems, and stayed there as a tenant of Lord Grey.
E.L. James began writing "Fifty Shades of Grey" as fan fiction of Twilight, so the character of Christian was based on a the character of Edward, who (as written) is well over a century old. Byron was a highly popular poet, and leader of the English romantic movement, in the early 1800s, and was said to have fallen into an abyss of sensuality before departing for Greece to redeem himself and fall to a greater cause.
She walks in Beauty is one of his most famous poems - note the reference to "a heart whose love is innocent","all that's best in dark and bright", and "one the more shade".
She Walks in Beauty
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One the more shade , one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
I have felt an affinity for Byron since I touched his name, carved by his own hand into a Greek column outside Athens. "Fifty Shades of Grey was written after The House on Black Lake, and my blogs on obsessive, possessive love, and other similar romantic topics were hot on the search engines when the author wrote Fifty Shades. Is it possible James also channeled my name, Anastasia, and "the scene with the belt" from "The House on Black Lake" during research for her novel?
In a series of interviews in historic Jacksonville, Oregon I was asked about the nature of obsessive possessive love and the character Ramey Sandeley. Here are my thoughts.
Please Note: The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view provocative trailer filmed by award winning cinematographer.
Scene From "The House on Black Lake" Trailer
The story of [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] teems with jealousy and obsession. World-weary Alexandra Brighton travels with son Samuel to visit the man who has haunted her heart for years. She seeks resolution to an obsession that has brought her former life to ruin. But the fire is only stoked by charismatic Ramey Sandeley. Ramey is a man who has never heard the word "no" and expects life to give him everything he desires. But he has never tasted the drug of love or any desire beyond the physical. The feelings awakened in him by Alexandra are twisted to jealous rage when he learns she has given herself to seductive young French artist Andre Labat. When she returns to the house he confronts her and threatens to administer a whipping for her discretion. This is only the beginning of a battle of wills that will lead the couple to the edge of destruction and threaten the safety of those caught in their orbit.
Yet, they are not the only ones driven by obsessive feelings. The lake's inhabitants are caught in tormented web of frustrated desire and and the drive to create unity at any cost.
Christian Grey, of [amazon_link id="0345803485" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Fifty Shades of Grey[/amazon_link] is the latest in a long line of dark lovers. Crazy in love, jealous, obsessive, possessive males make intense romance heroes. The top alpha picks (taken from personal surveys and popular romance forums) can be found in the following novels, in no particular order.
1. [amazon_link id="143890259X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Rose to the Fallen[/amazon_link] by April Bostic
4. [amazon_link id="1613820186" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Phantom of the Opera[/amazon_link] by Gaston Leroux
5. [amazon_link id="0843956534" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dark Desire [/amazon_link]from the Carpathian's Series by Christine Feehan
6. [amazon_link id="0061245089" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Halfway to the Grave [/amazon_link]Night Huntress Series, Book One by Jeaniene Frost
7. [amazon_link id="B00KB4GHWA" target="_blank" ]The Game Series Complete Collection[/amazon_link] by Christine Feehan
13. [amazon_link id="0061208604" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dangerous Secrets[/amazon_link] by Lisa Marie Rice
14. [amazon_link id="0452286034" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bitten, Women of the Otherworld[/amazon_link], Book 1 by Kelley Armstrong
15. [amazon_link id="0425241505" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dragon Bound[/amazon_link] by Thea Harrison
17. [amazon_link id="1416509879" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Hunger Like No Other[/amazon_link] by Kresly Cole
18. [amazon_link id="B00427ZI2C" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Forever Mine [/amazon_link] The Moreno Brothers 1 by Elizabeth Reyes
18. [amazon_link id="B0052YCJKI" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Always Been Mine[/amazon_link] The Moreno Brothers 11 by Elizabeth Reyes
19. [amazon_link id="B0052ZAV9S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Under the Cowboy's Control [/amazon_link]by Lynda Chance
20. [amazon_link id="B004UIA3GE" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Blackmailed into Bed[/amazon_link] by Lynda Chance
21. [amazon_link id="0425244466" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie[/amazon_link] by Jennifer Ashley
22. [amazon_link id="0061234931" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tempt the Devil[/amazon_link] by Anna Campbell
23. [amazon_link id="1416510877" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Playing Easy To Get[/amazon_link] Immortals After Dark 1 by Kresly cole
24. [amazon_link id="1416580956" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Pleasure of a Dark Prince [/amazon_link] Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole
25. [amazon_link id="1416975861" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Clockwork Angel[/amazon_link] The Infernal Devices, book 1 by Cassandra Clare
26. [amazon_link id="0312947933" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]One Bite With A Stranger[/amazon_link] The Others Book 6, by Christine Warren
27. [amazon_link id="1935152262" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Submissive Desires[/amazon_link] by Carolyn Faukner - SD chronicles a woman's journey of complete submission under control of dominant ex navy seal. The book is erotic and too extreme for most, but well written for those who enjoy or desire insights into world of BDSM.
I was recently interviewed about obsessive, possessive love. Here are my thoughts.
The world has gone mad for Christian Grey in [amazon_link id="034580404X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Fifty Shades of Grey[/amazon_link]. But he is preceded by a long line of dark lovers in film and literature.
Wade Gotwals and Anastasia Blackwell in Scene HOBL trailer
ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, [amazon_link id="B07191NW8N" target="_blank" ]The Chamber of Curiosities [/amazon_link]is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. The epic story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features an obsessive, possessive romance hero and heroine, as well as supporting characters with intense love obsessions.
Nothing is more rewarding than delving into the psyche of an obsessive, possessive, romance hero. A sexy, powerful man possessed with love has undeniable allure.
Ramey Sandeley from [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] is an obsessive, possessive male who has never heard the word "no". Ramey first appears in the novel sweaty and burnt, fresh from branding animals with his custom tools. He believes his preternatural good looks, charm, wealth, and power afford him the right to own whatever and whomever he desires. But he meets his match with Alexandra Brighton, who, after having been possessed by her previous husband, and having made a vow at a shrine to be true to her manifest destiny, will no longer allow herself to be owned or controlled by anyone.
The night Alexandra arrives at Black Lake with her young son she is world weary from a brutal divorce, and in a highly vulnerable state. Soon after she is rowed out by Ramey and his wife to stay in a deserted Victorian in an island, with no way out. That night she dreams she is tied to a four poster, waiting for a burning brand to seal her wedding vows. Their battle of wills will lead them both to the brink of self destruction, and threaten the lives of those caught in their orbit.
To be adored to the point of obsession is truly a rare and beautiful thing. Possessed film heroes can be found in - [amazon_link id="B001P5HRMI" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Twilight[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B000BBOUD6" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Legends of the Fall[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B0007TKNII" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Phantom of the Opera[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B00001PE4D" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Cruel Intentions[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B000TGJ80S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bram Stoker's Dracula[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B00005JCAA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Meet Joe Black[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B00005JKKY" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Possession[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B0002YLCFQ" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]King Arthur[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B00005221M" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last of the Mohicans[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="630469654X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ladyhawke[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B000EPFCPE" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tristan and Isolde[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="6302150620" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Thorn Birds[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0790729377" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Streetcar Named Desire[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B00005R87R" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Man Who Cried[/amazon_link] features Johnny Depp as a gypsy who rides a beautiful white horse, and [amazon_link id="B00005V4XV" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Original Sin[/amazon_link] offers some of the sexiest scenes on film as Antonio Banderas outplays Angelina Jolie at her own dangerous game, with her possessive brother played to perfection by Thomas Jane (of Hung). There are also notable darkly seductive tortured souls in literature, and many of the aforementioned tales began as novels.
Following are a few novels that feature such brooding males:
[amazon_link id="0345289927" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] The Silver Devil [/amazon_link]and [amazon_link id="0312295839" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] The Flesh and the Devil[/amazon_link], by Teres Denys - Note: These are cult classics and can be expensive
[amazon_link id="0380007789" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Wolf and the Dove[/amazon_link], by Cathleen Woodiwess
[amazon_link id="0821776002" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Love an Earl[/amazon_link], by Elizabeth Thornton.
[amazon_link id="1568951450" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Devil's Embrace[/amazon_link] Catherine Coulter's first novel. Some have called it creepy, cruel, and disgusting, but everyone has their own tastes.
[amazon_link id="044021579X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Ground She Walks Upon[/amazon_link], by Meagan McKinney
[amazon_link id="B0046F1QJE" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House of Rohan[/amazon_link]- [amazon_link id="0778328481" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ruthless[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0778328503" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Breathless[/amazon_link],[amazon_link id="077832849X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Reckless[/amazon_link], by Ann Stuart
[amazon_link id="B002HMOGLS" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shadow Heart[/amazon_link], by Laura Kinsdale
[amazon_link id="0451210689" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Uncommon Vows[/amazon_link], by Mary Joe Putney
[amazon_link id="0671737600" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Double Standards[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught
[amazon_link id="0373119178" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Gold Ring of Betrayal[/amazon_link], by Michelle Reed
[amazon_link id="0515145807" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Murder Game[/amazon_link], Ghostwalkers series 7, by Michelle Freehan
[amazon_link id="193210058X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Into the Dark Lands[/amazon_link], by Michelle Sagora
[amazon_link id="0451529014" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Dark Jewels Trilogy[/amazon_link], by Anne Bishop
[amazon_link id="0380773554" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Prince of Dreams[/amazon_link], by Lisa Kleypas
[amazon_link id="1416548890" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Gone with the Wind[/amazon_link]. gives us Rhett Butler, who is in a class of his own.
For those who desire a darker, more erotic experience the following are well written in this genre:
[amazon_link id="B003370JA8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Man in the Black Leather Mask[/amazon_link] follows a female attorney's transformation from powerful woman to submissive beneath the hands of a ten years younger dominent colleague
[amazon_link id="B00311JTYS" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Kidnapped for Christmas[/amazon_link] by Evangeline Anderson - Average, overweight woman's skinny sister plans her own kidnapping as a sexual lark, but man takes wrong woman and the more conservative sister finds herself a submissive to a very sexy man
[amazon_link id="0425236552" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Surrender To Me[/amazon_link], by Shayla Black - a woman's secret desire is met by her boyfriend in a Las Vegas trick where he consents to menage with friend, who also happens to be Navy Seal. An obsession is sparked between the woman and her new friend and nothing is the same for the two.
[amazon_link id="1607379163" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Master of the Mountain[/amazon_link] by Cherise Sinclair - an less than figure perfect ad agency artist complies with boyfriend's request to visit remote swinger's cabin. During her stay she sees boyfriend with other woman and realizes her relationship is over. However, she meets a man that is emotionally scarred and afraid of commitment who takes her on a journey into the underworld of dominence and submission.
[amazon_link id="1935152262" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Submissive Desires[/amazon_link] by Carolyn Faulker. Very severe story of a woman's five year journey to complete submission in the hands of a fiercely powerful and possessive ex Navy Seal.
What will it take to relieve him of his torture?
Obsessive, possessive, brooding romance hero
I was recently interviewed about obsessive possessive love and the character of Ramey Sandeley. Here are my thoughts:
