Kinky Sprinkles: A Guest Post and Giveaway by L.A. Witt

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/L.A. Witt blog tour for Kinky Sprinkles!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (excluding Kinky Sprinkles) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 1^st.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to leave your contact info, and thanks for following the tour!

How Kinky Sprinkles Happened

Two things happened that caused this book to come about.

One, a conversation with Anna Zabo in which I mentioned that a character was “mostly vanilla with kinky sprinkles.” At which point one of us said, “that should really be a book title.” And here we are.

Two was after reading and writing a lot of kink, and speaking with a lot of kinky people, I noticed there was a very strong pattern of “I realized this is who I am and what I need.” Which makes perfect sense, of course. If someone is a submissive and needs to be dominated, then that’s who they are. If a person is a sadist, a Dom, a masochist, or has some kind of fetish, then recognizing that and exploring it with other consenting adults is perfectly healthy.

So, by extension, if someone realizes they aren’t kinky, it’s healthy to accept that and participate in the vanilla activities that appeal to them. It was something I’d never really explored in a book before – someone coming to grips with not being kinky.

Thus we come to Joel, the narrator of Kinky Sprinkles. He’s been there, done that, and as he reclaims his life and his identity from an abusive ex, he’s firm in his boundaries. A little kinky play here and there is fine, but BDSM is simply not his cup of tea. Writing this—the balance between “I’m done being abused” and “I’m done with BDSM” without implying they were the same—was probably the trickiest part of the story. On the surface, it’s easy to assume Joel’s distaste for BDSM is because his experience with it has been at the hands of an abuser. And as the author, the last thing I wanted was to give the impression that “welp, this guy was abused by someone who was into BDSM, therefore BDSM is bad.”

What I did want to convey is someone who has reclaimed control of his own life after losing the reins to someone else for a few years. His decision to close the kinky chapter of his life is one he’s thoroughly thought out. Is it just the abuse that left a sour taste in his mouth? Or can he recognize the elements for what they were (what was BDSM and what was abuse), and decide if something isn’t for him?

So that was what I tried to do with Joel. He’s still dealing with issues from the abuse. He’s self-conscious about his appearance because his ex harangued him for it. He still feels rebellious when he makes a choice for himself, such as what kind of bread to buy or whether he wants to shave on a particular day. Every day is an ongoing battle of ignoring his ex’s influence, slowly rebuilding his self-esteem, and unapologetically living his life his own way.

As he dips his toes into dating again, it’s inevitable that he’ll want to start thinking about what he wants (and doesn’t want) sexually. That’s the stage he’s reached at the beginning of Kinky Sprinkles. He’s on his own and moving on, still kind of raw after just a few months of freedom, but starting to peer out at the dating world. And he’s realized that even the safe, sane, and consensual part of BDSM is not for him. He has no compulsion to dominate or submit to anyone. Pain doesn’t do anything for him. Bondage doesn’t appeal to him. He doesn’t find it revolting or triggering, he just has no desire to participate.

So naturally, I made him attracted to someone who is kinky. Because I’m mean like that.

About the Book

Joel has finally walked away from his abusive ex and is ready to meet new people. But that isn’t easy for a guy who’s shy, self-conscious, and struggling with his body image.

Andre has wanted Joel since the first time he laid eyes on him, and finally Joel is single. But Andre is a Dom and a sadist, and Joel is unapologetically vanilla. There’s no happy medium—either Andre reins in the kinky side that took him years to accept, or Joel grits his teeth and subjects himself to kinks that aren’t his thing. No matter who bends, someone’s going to be unhappy.

They agree to walk away, but they keep circling back to each other. Though their kinks might not line up, the chemistry between them sizzles and the emotional connection keeps getting deeper. But none of that will get them anywhere if they can’t find some kind of middle ground in the bedroom.

Kinky Sprinkles is available September 26^th from Riptide Publishing.

About the Author

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).