Ho, Ho, Ho! What did you call me?

Hi all!

Did you get all of your holiday shopping done? I'm taking it easy this year. I have a real aversion to big crowds. To be honest, and you all might as well clutch your pearls now, I'm not a big shopper to begin with. If I'm in a store shopping for anything it's because I really need that item. I'm not a browser. Not a big window shopper, which is funny because I love looking at things to buy online. The day after Thanksgiving, I did what I always do, which is sit in my office, watch Christmas movies, preferably a cheesy ABC Family holiday romance, and I fill out my Christmas cards. There is nothing like handwriting sentiments to people who mean a lot to you. My mother used to do it when I was a kid. I still do it. It's a nice, personal touch to let someone know that you're thinking about them this holiday season.

Although I am grateful for everything I've gotten this year, and I have grand plans for 2015, I have already experienced a terrible loss. My friend and BDSM mentor, Mistress Dama de Noche, passed away unexpectedly this past Thanksgiving. Her slave into called me before I could enjoy the day with my family to share the news. I was devastated. This is a woman who not only opened up her home and Lifestyle to me, she supported me a great deal in my writing and promotional endeavors. She and her slave attended almost all of my local book signing events. When Yvette Hines and I held our "Wrapped Up" event last year, she happily participated. I am going to miss my friend. Fortunately her legacy will live on. She wrote a book on BDSM called The ABC's of BDSM.

So this holiday season, I'm going to celebrate. I'll celebrate the people I have lost this year. I'll celebrate the accomplishments I've made in my professional career. I'll celebrate the health and well-being of my family and friends. And I'll celebrate you all, the readers. Whether you're complimenting my work or giving me some hard truth, I appreciate all of it.

Hug your family and friends. Be kind to everyone.

Stay sexy,
BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!

Hey, my sexy babies!

For those of you who follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bridget.midway) know that I post whatever book I'm reading. I had made a determination a few years ago that in order to be a good writer -- which as writers, we all strive to be -- I had to be a good reader. "Huh? What? Come again." Yes, that's right, folks. In order to pump out the best fiction for you all, writers have to read, too.

No one crinkles their noses or shakes their heads when a Realtor says that he/she needs to attend a real estate conference to learn about changes in the market and how to adapt. No one bats an eye if a nurse, doctor or dentist attends a medical re-certification session for their job. So why would it seem strange that in order for a writer to improve their craft, he/she will have to read?

So what do I read? Everything. But what I've been trying to do is read a book on writing fiction, then a fiction book of my choice. Reading the how-to book is a no-brainer. I learn about plotting, setting, description, point of view, characterization, conflict, and more. All of it helps me when I'm writing a story. If I don't keep you all engaged, then I haven't done my job. The last book I read was The Making of a Story by Alice LaPlante.The book reminded me so much of the creative writing classes I took in high school and grad school. In between each lesson in the book, a short, fictional work appeared. So after a section on writing something with great descriptions, you got a piece by Raymond Carver. Talk about a lesson in fiction!

So after reading something like that, I read something fun. I can't just immerse myself in creative writing books all the time. I have to see how other authors write. Believe it or not, it does help. I also learn from every author I read. Some authors are masters at description or pacing or conflict. I'll read something and think, "Okay, I need to learn how to do that in my work." Even if the work doesn't get 4 and 5 star ratings or gets great reviews, I still learn something from it. I haven't encountered a book where the story didn't keep me engaged. Have I come across books with misspelled words? Sure. Have I come across books with missing or misused punctuation? All the time. If I an author can get me through that for me to get into the story, they've done their jobs.

What am I reading now? At the moment, I'm reading "Four Hard S.W.A.T.S" by Marteeka Karland. Last year, author Yvette Hines and I put on a BDSM conference to announce the release of our Decadent Series titles, Red Hots and Licorice Whips. The attendees were a mix of authors, readers, and people in the Lifestyle. After our event, an author sent me her latest release, saying that she wrote the book because she was inspired by what she heard and saw at our event. That makes me happy. It's great when an author can get inspired by something you do.

With that in mind, I have to go! I've already been inspired so I need to get writing. Hope you all dig it.

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

Is that how you do it?

So in case you haven't check out either Yvette Hines or my Facebook pages recently, you may have seen that we just hosted an in-person author event to announce the launch of our latest contemporary interracial BDSM erotic romance releases, Red Hots by Yvette Hines and my Licorice Whips.

Wow! It's all I can say. For one, what a massive undertaking to arrange to get a conference room, discounted hotel rooms, speakers if you're not the only one doing the presentation, and prizes. On top of all that, Yvette Hines and I had to write, edit, and get published our full-length novels. It was a lot to do in a few months. I know what you all are thinking. "Bridget, didn't you do the same thing for the Hot M.A.M.A. event?" There were a lot of differences between the two events. For one, Kianna Alexander did most of the legwork for the Fly Hat luncheon. She found the hotel and set up the conference room. She also ordered the bags and bookmarks. She was the go-to woman. Plus for this event, we didn't have to have a full-length novel written and published.

It was a lot of moving parts that we had to make sure all worked together. After some scary moments (I didn't think I would have my print books in time for the event), we got it all to work. Both of us had our print books. The hotel did a great job setting up the room for us. The lunch was nice. And a friend of mine made these cute stiletto cupcakes for the event.

While Yvette and I were writing our books, I had arranged to get people in the BDSM lifestyle to be at the event and talk about how they got into the Lifestyle and why it works for them. They also did some actual playing during the event that I think was eye-opening for a lot of our guests.

We ran contests throughout the day. Both Yvette and I did presentations. Yvette did a phenomenal job on writing while incorporating the five senses. You can tell she did a lot of research on the subject. Who knew that honey was the number one aphrodisiac? I think we all thought it would be oysters or chocolate.

I presented a more controversial subject: writing interracial BDSM erotic romance. Writing BDSM is controversial enough. Throw race into the mix, and it gets a little dicey. I just had to present it in two ways: reality and the romantic. The romantic aspect is to have writers focus on the sensations and the love. The reality of writing about race within BDSM is that there are controversial acts dealing with race within the Lifestyle. For example, have you heard of race play? In BDSM, that's when race is used within a scene. Author K.D. King shared an online blog article about people who recreate the whole slave auctions, complete with a rebel flag hanging behind the stage, an African-American man standing naked for the "buyers" to view, and him being flanked by shirtless, booted white men in cowboy hats. In one picture, the "slave" is bending over and getting his genitals examined by one of the "owners." But that's not the only race play. Jewish people in the Lifestyle will go through a concentration camp scene with someone who looks or acts like Hitler.

I know. Sounds horrific. There's no way I could write something like that and make it romantic. I don't think anyone can. What I had to remind people at our event that all of this was done consensually. Yes, the African-American man at the slave auction wanted to be there. This was his fantasy. The BDSM community has a great credo that they follow: safe, sane, and consensual. A person isn't forced to do any act. And there are safe words, words used to signal how a participant is feeling, that can slow down or stop the action completely.

If anything, I do like that in BDSM: freewill. All parties involved have to be very strong in order to be in it. Yes, that includes the slaves and submissives. You can't be unsure and do the Lifestyle. You'll frustrate yourself and the Dom or Domme playing with you.

So now with that event behind us, I can now exhale. The Hot M.A.M.A.s and I are gearing up for another Fly Hat luncheon. Stay tuned for more information. Just like last year, we hope you all have fun!

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Hello my sexy babies!

Before I get into the post, I have to update you all on what's happened since last month when I posted. I FINALLY finished the first shitty draft of my full-length contemporary interracial BDSM novel Licorice Whips, which will be out through Phaze Books in November 2013. I had to separate myself from it for a little bit before I go back in to do my first round of self-editing. Then I'll send it off to my Phaze Books editor, Kathryn Lively. Let's hope she digs it and it won't require a lot of edits...unless she asks for more sex. I can do that.

So as I was thinking about today's post, I thought about my post from last month and how I mentioned what songs inspire me when I write. I don't know about any other author, but as I write, I can see the movie rolling in my head. I cast all of the characters. So who would be my dream cast? Well, you know I picture Bradley Cooper as my Sweet Hawkes, the hero, and Paula Patton as Nikla Dearwood. I haven't asked my fellow author, Yvette Hines, about her hero in her book, Red Hots, who is the brother of my hero. I picture Masaun Hawkes looking like Jon Hamm. He's hot, has that glint in his eye like he could snap at any moment and be Dom sexy (yeah, I said that), but he still looks like a businessman. I know. Too much "Mad Men." For her heroine, Kindle Langston, I see Kerry Washington. Yvette probably has other actors in mind for her folks. That's just what I envision.

So that's my question for authors. Do you picture actors, actresses, models, athletes, etc. when you write your stories? I know a lot of authors who have pegboards with pictures, houses and other inspirations. I guess the modern version of that would be Pinterest.

My question to readers is while you're reading a story, do you automatically cast it in your head? When I read Gwyneth Bolton's Sweet Sensation, I pictured the leads looking like LL Cool J (mmm, those abs) and Jada Pinkett-Smith. It surprised me when I attended a reader event that Gwyneth hosted that she admitted that she pictured Will Smith as the hero. Totally different than who I thought. That's the beauty of the mind. You can create your own vision.

I have to get going on revising my manuscript. Here's something to chew on. If you would like to cast characters for your favorite books, there's a great website for that called StoryCasting.com. If you would like to see my fantasy cast for several of my books and stories, check out my page here. You can also make suggestions for your own characters for the same books. Who knows. You might inspire us authors for a future story.

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

Music to my ears

Hello my lovelies,

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the contemporary interracial BDSM erotic romance novel I'm working on for the "Wrapped Up: A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines." The novel will be called Licorice Whips, and it will be through Phaze Books in November 2013. People who come out to the event on November 9th will get the book before anyone else. Doesn't that make you feel special?

As I'm writing the novel, I often will pull inspiration from songs. Oftentimes songs will set a mood for me. Or a lot of times, I can use the singer's voice to imagine what the character's voice will sound like. For Licorice Whips, I imagine the hero named Sweet Hawkes to look like Bradley Cooper.

For the heroine, Nikla Dearwood, I imagine her looking like the actress Paula Patton.

Hot couple, right? So for a hot couple like this, I need to listen to the appropriate music, especially since it's a romance, and especially because it's a BDSM novel. Because the hero owns and operates a candy store, I wanted a song that would work to express the sensuality. No, not Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy" or Foxy Brown's "I Taste Just Like Candy" or even Cameo's "Candy." No, I went for Suzanne Vega's "Caramel" especially since caramel was used in a crucial scene. I'll just leave it at that.

Of course the hero has to learn to trust the heroine. In the process, I figured my hero would come to a point where he and the heroine are on the same page. For that moment, I like Lenny Kravitz's "I Belong to You."

My heroine has to come to grips about this new lifestyle she's been introduced to thanks to the hero. As you can imagine, she starts to feel more sensual. For her, Beyoncé's "Naughty Girl" comes to mind.

So what do I listen to when I'm writing the BDSM scenes? Mainly it's Nine Inch Nails and early 90's Madonna when she was in her shocking sex phase (think "Human Nature" and "Erotica"). What it comes down to is that anything that can help me craft a great story, I'll use it.

So you authors, what kind of music or what songs do you listen to when you look for inspiration?

Stay sexy,
BridgeT

I WANT CANDY!

Hey y'all,

In my last post, I alluded to a surprise from me and author Yvette Hines. Hopefully you saw our news on our Facebook pages or in our Yahoo groups. If you didn't, well, I'm thrilled to share the news here. On Saturday, November 9th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Yvette Hines and I will be putting on our very first BDSM/fiction event we're calling "Wrapped Up: A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines." The event will be at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 4449 Peek Trail in Chesapeake, Virginia. In the event, we'll have games, prizes, books, lunch, and because the event will focus on our candy-themed contemporary BDSM interracial erotic romances, we'll have candy, candy, and candy! If you need a hotel room, go to the Hampton Inn and Suites website at http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/O/ORFCKHX-600-20131108/index.jhtml Rooms are $84 per night.

My novel is called Licorice Whips and will be published through Phaze Books, and Yvette's story will be called Red Hots. When you register for the event, in your registration bag, you will receive both books! As a matter of fact, the books will not even be released to the public until after the event. The books will be available in ebook format and in print.

Besides the books, we'll also have a very special guest. Domme and author of The ABC's of BDSM through Phaze Books, Dama de Noche. She will be demonstrating some BDSM play and showing off some toys commonly used in the Lifestyle. For those of you who have always wondered about what really goes on in a standard BDSM relationship, plus learn from the woman who taught me everything I know about BDSM, should definitely come to this event. She will work on both a male and female submissives.

Oh, and besides the books and the live BDSM tutorial, we'll be having a contest to see who shows up wearing the best corset (hence the subtitle "A Corseted Event with Bridget Midway and Yvette Hines.") Show off your best corset and win a tremendous gift basket.

To join in on the festivities, go to either my website at www.BridgetMidway.com or Yvette Hines' site at http://YvetteHines.com and register for the event. The event is only $45. For $45 you'll get 2 new books, a BDSM demo, prizes and more! Don't wait to register. Time is running out.

As much as I like to stay and chat, I have a novel to finish and more stories to write. Hope to see many of you at the event!

Stay sexy,

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com