New blog post from writer Debra Hyde on the first Charlotte Olmes and Joanna Wilson novella

 

Debra Hyde is a fabulous writer. Her new lesbian erotic novella "Of White Snakes and Misshaped Owls" kicks off a series for Riverdale Ave Books about a female detective and her lover/sidekick in 1880s NYC. It promises to be both a hot read and a lot of fun.




Debra's post:
 

What Do You Mean They're—MINOR SPOILER ALERT?!

Yes, you've been warned. I'm about to give away a minor spoiler to my Charlotte Olmes Mystery Series. It's not about the plot but about characters, and if you've already got your fingers in your ears and you're la-la-la'ing at the top of your lungs, then consider visiting other spot on this blog tour. Now look away.

OK. Are the rest of you ready?

Last chance.

Forever hold your peace.

Here's goes:

Charlotte Olmes and Joanna Wilson are switches.

There I've said it. They're switches. They take turns, topping and bottoming one another.

In the name of all things Christian and Anastasia, why would I do just a thing? Well, because it's more interesting that way. It gives me more options to play with, especially over what I hope will be the long course of this series. I can give them more intriguing and deeper psyches, better explore what makes them tick and why. Most of all, it gives me a bigger playground to send Charlotte and Joanna romping through.

Think about it: I can give Joanna full rein over Charlotte when Charlotte's been at her Homesian worst. (You know, a prick.) Or she can take the bottom when she needs to be swept off her feet and be the object of Charlotte's lust. (Who wouldn't want to receive all that lusty attention?!) And the very idea of a character based on Sherlock Holmes getting her erotic comeuppance is almost more than I can stand. (Really, who among you hasn't daydreamed of Cumberbatch's Sherlock getting a good corrective caning at the hands of John Watson?)

There's another reason I saw Charlotte and Joanna as switches: switches are simply underrepresented in today's BDSM fiction.

Let me say at the outset that I have nothing against the male dominant/female submissive configuration so popular these days. Nor do I look askant at female dominant fiction. Heck, I've written plenty of those stories and novels and loved every minute of it. (And I grew up with my mother's “it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round” in my ears and appreciate how right she was about that.)

Rather, the dynamics of switching—and being a switch—fascinate me, and I haven't wholly explored the practice of taking turns nearly as much as I'd like. Until now. Not I can question: How does the urge to top or bottom strikel? What kind of agreements and parameters do a switching couples share? What are the rewards and pleasures of exercising control from the top? Or ceding control from the bottom? Exploring these questions gives my fiction a world of possibilities.

I also want to present a picture of switching that will encourage people give switches equal standing with BDSM. No one BDSM configuration is better than another and any sexpert worth their salt will tell you that the more variation in a sexual community and its practices, the richer the environment. Now that's not to say a person shouldn't have his or her preferences—not at all. But I'd like to think that good fiction can open up new worlds beyond our preferences and expectations. A parallel: When I was a tween (long before the term was coined!), I made it a goal to read as many Newberry Award winning books as possible. I loved science fiction (A Wrinkle in Time, anyone?) and horse books (Smoky the Cowhorse) but you know what else ranked right up there? To my surprise, a Civil War-era novel Rifles for Watie.

That's not what I expected and my sense of surprise remains a clear memory today.

Like my mom said: It takes all kinds to make the world 'round. And I hope to make it spin a little faster through Charlotte and Joanna and all their erotic escapades now and in the future.