Sunday, June 10, 2012

On Possessive Semes Part 2 and New Book Reviews


Before I get down to the business at hand, I want to announce a new section of this blog. This week, I will begin to do book reviews of tasty titles that catch my eye. I begin with The Highest Bidder by Kimberly Hunter, a very creative spin of the sex slave story. The links for books reviews is on the right under Hot Links, but here is a direct link to the review: http://www.sybpressyaoi.com/p/book-review-highest-bidder-by-kimberly.html.

Also, Cook Like a Uke is delayed again due to technical difficulties with the editing program. I hope to have it up this week as we are shooting another one soon! I really appreciate the interest and concern. I ask for patience a little longer.

And now...

When I first wrote about possessive Semes, it was solely in the context of one particular Seme in one particular book. This time, I want to talk about the subject in broader terms and cover more characters from my books along with those in anime and manga. For those just joining my blog here, I'll briefly cover some necessary ground rules. Possessive lovers can be really romantic – if the partner is completely fine with that kind of behavior. It's just like being a kinky lover is great if that lover's partner is a kinky sort. However, in most relationships, couples need space to enjoy friends and family on their own. It's healthy for a relationship, because each partner is always bringing something new to the conversation. Healthy is a very important word in this discussion. Keep that in mind for later. At any rate, if the a lover is not comfortable with possessiveness in a partner, it can end badly. Words like 'restraining order' and 'house arrest' can come up. This is far from sexy and romantic. If your lover is behaving like any of these characters, and you don't completely dig it – run!

Possessive Seme's have magnetism as characters because of the intensity of their focus on their lovers. It's all the more thrilling when they are handsome and accomplished and powerful. Often, the ukes cannot believe that they have such attention from these men. That kind of romance is a lot of fun to read. It is also a lot of fun to write. However, the pragmatist in me can't have possessiveness without some sort of character background to explain the behavior. I simply cannot ignore reality – even when I am writing absolute fantasy. It makes no sense that a man with all of those positive attributes (looks, wealth and power) would have the need to be possessive of a lover. They are beyond confident in themselves and their ability to hold onto a lover. There is no need for possessiveness. Why indeed?

Before I get to my own works, let me talk about one of my favorite yaoi anime series, Junjou Romantica . For those who want to give yaoi anime a try, this series is a funny and mild introduction. You can check out the 1st and 2nd episodes here on the official Youtube site. In this story, Akihiko Usami is the very handsome scion of a powerful and wealthy Tokyo family. He has a law degree from a prestigious university. He became a wealthy bestselling author and the winner of Japan's highest literary prizes by age 28. Legions of women and some men chase after his affections. On the surface, there would be no reason a man with all of this going for him would clamp onto an 18 year old orphan who required tutoring to make the wait list at a university for dear life. Usami-san is not all he appears. His childhood was full of family strife and acute loneliness. When he finally fell in love, it was with someone who could never return more than friendship – the older brother of said 19 year old orphan. Misaki chanced to find out that Usami-san was in love with his brother. He figured out something no one else could see – that Usami-san was a fragile soul. And he reacted with protectiveness. Misaki even protected Usami-san from his own brother. Such a gesture given so easily and with such fervor was something that shook Usami-san to the core and permanently shifted his affections. He takes Misaki as a lover as soon as he can and is highly possessive of anyone who comes near him – something he readily admits. He is quite upfront that he means for Misaki to stay at his side forever. That tends to be a bit much for a college guy who is just testing his wings. And thus begins the epic and often comedic battle between them. Misaki loves this crazy author who has a fondness for stuffed bears with all his being, but he will not sacrifice his college experience and his new found friends. I love this series for that.

And just as this accomplished author has flaws that cause his possessiveness, so do my Semes. Let's begin with my mutant, super soldier, Colonel Rik Heron from A Solder's Choice and A Soldier's Fate. He is handsome, brilliant, strong and accomplished. For a time, it was believed he would be the youngest general to hold the rank. However, as strong as he is physically, he is also fragile and deeply flawed. The process that turned him into the Altered soldier was physically punishing. The traits he possessed that caused the military to be interested in him also made him a social outcast for all of his life. Public arrogance hides all the wounds Rik carries every day. When he realizes that the most talented soldier he'd ever trained, the volatile and beautiful Major Vincent Greven, was in love with him, Rik falls very hard. Despite military protocol and all other obstacles, they come together. Rik is loathed to let anyone or anything come between them. He grows anxious if Vincent is out of his immediate reach for more than a very short span of time. He doesn't like anyone outside of their immediate circle looking at Vincent. His hyper senses can detect if anyone has even touched him. Fortunately for all involved, Vincent is as damaged and as possessive as his lover. They need to be that intensely needed by each other, so it works for their relationship. Their friends and family accept it and celebrate it, because the pair are happy for the first time in their lives. I emphasize the strength in these characters as well as the joy and the intense sensuality of the relationship. However, I make sure that the flaws that cause their behavior are clear to the reader. This is an underpinning to this behavior.

By comparison, Lord Darius Galatea is far less possessive with his uke, Andreas Hesper from Ensnared Volumes 1&2. Darius is not flawed per se. Though Andreas would argue that his monumental arrogance is a flaw. Darius is the perfect representation of his kind. He was bred and raised to be exactly that. His only real flaw is that he really doesn't suffer fools well. In fact, he has a vicious temper when when pushed, and it takes very little to push him. Andreas is never subjected to that temper. In fact, he is never spoken to or touched with anything tainted by violence. Darius comes to find Andreas so compelling and humorous and engaging that he becomes far more attached to him than he ever expected. His possessiveness is born of a need to protect the man from forces who seek to hurt him through hurting Andreas. Darius falling for this man from the underclass has endangered that lover. Before Andreas, he had no weakness that could be exploited. This is the source of his protectiveness. He is perfectly fine allowing Andreas to run his life even though that means social engagements of all sorts without him – so long as he is adequately protected. Despite the collar of physical ownership (which is a shared kink), Darius and Andreas have a healthier relationship on the whole than Rik and Vincent.

I hope this clarifies the nature of possessive Seme/uke relationships without destroying the fun. Again, you can find links to excerpts to the books I've mentioned in the Hot Links Menu on the right hand side of this page.

Links to Buy Books
You can find all my titles in paperback and Kindle on my Amazon Page HERE.
You can find ebooks in all formats for my titles on my Smashwords page HERE.


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