Back to School Book Report - Cassie's Ordeal

Since our dear author, PK Corey, is just starting back to school, I decided this book report will be my first assignment for the new school year.  This report will go to PK anyway before I post it.  I don't think she will grade it; she may, however, give it a pass or fail.  Then again, since it's her last year teaching, she may not care at all.  When you know it's your last year in the classroom, you can sometimes develop a devil-may-care attitude about grades.  Just to be sure, though, I will watch my grammar and punctuation.

Title: Cassie's Ordeal (7th in the Cassie's series!)

Author: PK Corey

Number of Pages: 158

Themes: Honesty, Trust, Love, and Family

Main Characters: 

• Cassie - Is the sweet and happy heroine of her books. 
  
  Although she and her husband, Tom, have been married for many years, she is still full of love and passion for the man.  I have compared her before to Lucy Ricardo, and I stand by my choice.  She is constantly finding ways to split hairs about Tom's decrees and then landing herself in hot water.  In this book a stranger gives us a reason to actually fear for the safety of our Cassie.  This provides the story with some drama not found  in her earlier books.

• Tom - Is Cassie's devoted husband.  He adores his Cassie, but she finds him a bit too bossy at times.  If Tom thinks Cassie is bending his rules, he does not hesitate to deliver a stinging spanking to her bottom.  Really, though, he is a very protective man who loves to pamper his wife.  The plot twists in this book show us a new, more serious dimension to Tom's character.

 

 

• Sue - One of Cassie's closest friends.  Sue even identifies herself as Ethel to Cassie's Lucy in "...Ordeal."  She is famous for leading Cassie astray and mouthing off to Tom.  In this latest story, though, I finally learned to love Sue when she tells part of the tale from her point of view.

• Allie and Ryan - a young couple who have become a very important part of Cassie's "family" of friends.

• Bad Guy - There IS one, and that's all I'm going to say!

Setting - Mostly Tom and Cassie's home along the river.

All the Other Book Report Stuff -

Cassie's Ordeal starts off pretty much like her other stories.  We see Cassie and Sue off on an adventure that certainly does not follow Tom's wishes to the letter.  What happens after her car breaks down

is hilarious and reminiscent of a silent Keystone Cops episode.  Cassie plans to keep it all a secret until her guilt becomes too much for her.  After Tom delivers his brand of justice, one of the most beautiful lines of the book is when Cassie says, "We came together in our dance of love."  Gosh, I surely like that quote.

When the mysterious phone calls start, Cassie simply doesn't see anything except a confused caller.  She realizes too late that the calls were part of a more sinister presence.  In this gripping part of

the book, the story is told from Sue's point of view, and her panic is electric.  We also see a side of Tom that put a tear in my eye.  It was so tender when he climbed into the hospital bed with Cassie once this episode was resolved.  My favorite line here was, "Poor Ryan, he looked as though the hounds of hell were chewing on his heart."

Things slowly return to normal along Cassie's stretch of the river.  She is back to pushing up against Tom's rules.  Lots of fun and a good many trips across his knee.  There are even some very special moments when Cassie gets a gift from her young friend Ryan that she never expected.

Cassie's Ordeal marks a significant step in the bigger context of the Cassie series.  This book delivered a punch that wasn't all humor.  The diverse characters we have come to know have finally bonded into a real family in the resolution of this story.  Damn good book, PK.  Thanks.

 

Sam Asks a Spanking Question

In an earlier post I wrote that when Sam first took up the responsibilities of HOH, he mostly had 2 types of spankings - discipline and erotic.  Discipline spankings happen for breaking one of our few rules, anger, or withdrawing.  Erotic spankings can happen whenever we are in the mood (or as often as possible, I say!)  Much later Sam started adding a few fun or happy spankings, usually after some teasing by me.  These don't happen as often as I wish, but I was glad they were happening at all.

Once or twice a week, we end up having a conversation about ttwd in some way.  To clarify, these are not Sam saying, "We will be having a discussion about this tonight."  That's a totally different type of discussion, and I usually end up with a sore bottom.  So this is real talking with our mouths, not the paddle.  Sometimes we talk about what is going well for us and how we both love our new relationship.  We never want to take that for granted.  Sometimes it is something I have read, and we talk about the dynamics of another couple's relationship.  What do we find negative?  What do we find positive?  Sometimes Sam may initiate the conversation with a question or comment or I might do the same.  Finally, it may be a recurring issue that comes up from my anger or control in a certain situation.  My SIL, Patty, comes to mind on this one.

I can honestly say that we both come out of these discussions renewed and positive.  There are no disagreements.  We both, in fact, seem to enjoy them.  They are not usually planned - mostly spontaneous.

One night last week we talked as a result of a question Sam asked me.  He gave me this question, "Do you feel I spank you enough or do you wish it happened more often - even daily?"  I was surprised but pleased, too.  It gave me a chance to speak from my heart about my needs/wants without seeming like I was trying to control.  It

took a while for me to put my feelings into words, but I finally explained that for me some spankings could be very much like the other ways we stay close.  The long embraces and kisses on the neck and sitting in his lap.  I wanted spankings like that, simply because he loves me.  I was not sure about what to call them.  "Good Girl" just doesn't seem to suit us.  It sounds like we are talking to our two female dogs.  Maybe "Happy Spankings" or "Love You Spankings" might work.  I also mentioned the 3 or 4 times when we have already had that kind of spanking happen along with lots of laughter.  So much fun!

We also talked about what others call a Role Affirmation (RA)

spanking.  Both of us really like the purpose of this kind of spanking, just not the name.  It's always fine with me for Sam to take the lead, but Role Affirmation sounds a bit too formal.  "Who's the Boss?" (WTB) might work better for Sam and me.  He certainly says those 3 words as a question to me often.

Ella says, "I think we should......"

Sam says, "Who's the Boss?"

Ella says, "You need to do....."
Sam says, "Who's the Boss?"

Ella says, "Remember that you haven't...."
Sam says, "Who's the Boss?"

I know I need a lot of work in this area.  Still lots of control issues.

Since this seemed like a perfect opportunity to put forth my spanking dreams and wishes, I added that both Happy and WTB spankings would be a lot more appreciated Over the Knee.  Sam smiled and said he would take that under consideration.  Then Sam's smile turned into a huge grin.  Before you could say Jack Robinson, he grabbed the pancake flipper out of the canister and bent me over the kitchen counter.  After I said, "Ow!" a few times and started to giggle, Sam pulled out a chair, gently took my hand and smoothly pulled me across his knee.  And that, my friends, is why this blog is named Ella Ever After.

RX - Spanking for Medicinal Purposes Only

Sam has taken to spanking like a duck to water.  He is comfortable with spanking for anger or mouthiness.  Does fine with a spanking for forgetting kindness or patience.  Heartily believes in Weekend Attitude Adjustments to ward off any problems over Saturday and Sunday.  Sometimes he also remembers happy spankings when I tease him.  He also has lots of implements in his bottom dresser drawer that come out just for play (erotic spankings are definitely my favorite!)


But so far, nothing for health reasons.  I guess you could make a case for maintaining my mental health.  There is nothing like a good spanking to get your head on straight! 

Well, not so fast.  Some serious problems in my right hip sent me to an orthopaedic doctor several years ago.  Cortisone shots worked wonders for the pain for a while (once you get over the needle going into your hip joint!)  But you can't stay on those permanently.  Atrophy of the surrounding muscles is almost certain.  So the doc finally took me off the shots and sent me to a physical therapist.  Paying attention to specific exercises really helped, but my favorite was a deep massage of the muscles near the hip joint.  The PT knew exactly how to stop the pain.  When I was close to the end of the therapy sessions, I asked the PT if she could teach my husband how to do the same massage technique.

I should have seen trouble coming, but truthfully, I did not.  I was

face down on the massage table with a pillow under my thighs.  Pants were off and panties were down off my right cheek, because the muscle that held a lot of the pain was Gluteus Medius (positioned directly under Gluteus Maximus.) Are you seeing where this is going yet?  My PT used a book to show Sam exactly where the muscle tensed because of the hip problem.  She demonstrated using a salve called Biotone and then moved Sam's hands along where they should go.  I was instructed to give him feedback when he was in the right place, and that was easy to do.  He caught on quickly, and we both thanked the therapist.

At that time the inflammation in the hip was slowly improving, and Sam would do the massage about 2-3 times a week.  He really got good at it and just several minutes really gave me great relief.  He would position the pillow on the bed for me.  Our antique bed is so high that it was even similar in height to the therapist's table.  We even ordered the Biotone online.


Then one winter night I asked him if he could work on the hip before I went to change into pajamas.  We got ready and Sam got started.  After a minute or two I said something like this, "Geez, Hon, you need to cut your fingernails.  Your nails are like a girl's for god's sake."  

Didn't consider my position or Sam's reaction.  Whammo!  He started in on just that one side first but soon decided to be fair about this impromptu spanking.  The panties were down anyway, and he lit into me equally on both sides.  "Ow!  What the hell!  Ouch!"

"Does this feel like a girl?  Huh, does it?"  No, it did not at all feel like a girl.  It felt like a really pissed off Hoh.  Where did my sweet, caring therapist go?  (BTW, spanking did not hurt the hip in any way, so Sam was not being cruel here.)  Once his left hand is on the small of my back, it is really hard to wiggle away very much, so the spanking went on like this for as long as Sam felt like it.  I continued to complain and use expletives for a while as he kept landing his hand briskly on my ass and asking me about this action feeling like a girl.  I finally shouted my apologies and the spanking ended.

The thing is that now whenever I have to ask him to work on the hip, I start giggling about halfway along and I can't stop.  Sam knows exactly why I am giggling.  He starts to laugh, too, and ask me what's so funny.  It usually ends with a spanking of some sort and the medical purpose is lost.  In fact, even though I am just sitting here typing, the thought of it makes me chuckle a bit.  

Mmmm....I think my hip is bothering me, and only Dr. Sam knows just what to do.

 

The Great Spanking Implement Poll

I was really happy with the reception given to the meme I wrote several weeks ago.  People had a wonderful time sharing all their answers and reading those of everyone else.  I received lots of comments and emails thanking me and encouraging me to do another.  As far as I was concerned, it was a great success because I got to meet new friends and open my horizons a bit here in Blogland.

Here's a promise that I will work on another meme, but it will take a while.  I am fussy about the quality of the questions.  That's why I created the first one.  Many of the memes I found online were fairly generic, dull, and boring.


            "What is your favorite color?"
          "What is your favorite holiday?"

            Green and Christmas.  Ho hum.



But when I come up with another set of 15 thoughtful and fun questions, you all will be the first to know.


In the meantime, I have been percolating about some other interactive ideas for more fun among us.  Yesterday, in the shower (I get my best ideas in there), I came up with a poll.  In all your posts and emails, I have read about "this paddle" or "that wooden spoon" or "the leather thingy with the red tassel."  



So here's the challenge - Write a post or send an email that describes every implement with which you have ever been spanked.  I know we have some very creative HOHs out there.  These lists should be quite entertaining.  Be sure to describe it well or use pictures.  Tell us if it has been given a nickname by either you or your man.  Pay close attention to any kitchen items that have turned into spanking implements.  Finally, be thorough, because once you all have responded, I have plans to compile all that data

into something special.  A huge Spanking Implement Excel Spreadsheet of sorts!  Should be great fun.  So open that bottom dresser drawer, paw through that box in the closet, check that canister on the kitchen counter and start your list, Ladies.  I also think you should put a big star by the meanest one of all.




Here is my list:

Clothes Brush - very old, Sam had it when we were married.

  





Hairbrush - not as pretty as Cassie's ivory hairbrush.
Thick Oak Paddle - very thick, more thud than sting.  Bruises.
Mr. Paddle - The infamous Mr. Paddle.  Sam fashioned this one himself in our garage.  It was christened with that name when Sam said, "Talk to me or talk to Mr. Paddle."  He has promised to make several as gifts if I ever get to meet any of you.  They will be named Son of Paddle.

Paddle Ball Paddle - large size with ball removed.  On it is painted "It's Fun!"  It is not fun at all.  We had a meeting just this afternoon.






Leather Paddle with Rose - does not hurt at all but looks pretty.
Belt - just one of Sam's, black leather.
Switch - be careful of one of these, it takes practice.
Hand  - Sam has improved with this over the two years I have been spanked.  It used to be nothing much, now he has perfected a very stingy swat.

From the Test Kitchen of Ella Ever After

BBQ flipper - used only once, kind of dangerous.
Wooden Spoon - usually grabbed on the spur of the moment.

             *******Wooden Spatula*******  

This thing is deadly.  It is not even kept in the kitchen.  It is in Sam's implement drawer.  It ought to come with a warning label.

Now it's your turn.  Please proceed with caution.  Sam heard me in his dresser drawer and decided that since I had come to visit, 
               I probably needed a 
            "Weekend Adjustment."    

Book Report #2 - Beating the Bounds

Continuing my summer reading here at Ella's house.  

I can remember a summer when I was 10 or 11, when I set out to win the summer reading award from the public library in our little town.  The contest kicked off as soon as school let out.  There were tracking sheets with caterpillars printed on them, and you earned stamps that filled the segments of his body.  If you finished one caterpillar, you started on another one.  Depending on your age, you had to read books of a certain difficulty level and complete a short book report.  I was driven!  By the final day of the contest, I was at 73 chapter books.  Don't even remember what the prize was, but I do recall several of the books and series that became favorites.

This summer, one on my favorites was Beating the Bounds by Sarah Coltman.  This was her first book and an impressive debut!

So here goes my second summer book report.


Title: Beating the Bounds

Author: Sarah Coltman

Number of Pages: 71

Theme(s): tradition, boundaries, accountability





Main Characters: 

• Ami - Sweet, genuine, kind, and nurturing.  A mature wife, but once her feathers get ruffled, she's a force to be reckoned with.
  
  And just when the reader thinks she's only a tenderhearted homebody, she will surprise you with enough hot sex activity to make you wish you could turn down the page corner on your Kindle (I've got to read that scene again!)

• Dan - Ami's loving husband.  Honest, trustworthy, and hard-working.  A real thinker, too.  Patient, but only so far.  Don't underestimate Dan.  It takes two to make the fireworks go off under the sheets.  And if Dan decides Ami needs to be spanked, be assured it will happen.  Still waters run deep.

• Polly - Ami's favorite shopping friend.  A little scatter-brained.  Just the kind of friend that tells you how great you look in
  
  _______________ (you fill in the blank.)  Just the kind of friend who will suggest that it wouldn't really be cheating on your diet if the 2 of you split the Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake.  We all need a Polly sometimes.

Setting: Willow Farm outside a small village in contemporary rural England.

All the Other Book Report Stuff!

Since this is Sarah's first book, she spends a good amount of time to give us a solid background of Ami and Dan.  I just love the way she chose to do this, though.  Instead of lumping all those important  memories and events into one chapter, the author lets us glimpse this younger Ami and Dan in a series of flashbacks scattered throughout the first half of the book.  When Sarah took us back in time to when Dan came to Ami's front door, it was like a snapshot in an album.  The description of Ami in a mini-skirt put their relationship in perspective.  I understood just how long they had been together.  Beautiful.

Something else that made Sarah's first book special was the way she used point of view.  It seems that most spanking fiction is written from the female point of view, and that's fine since I would imagine that most of the readers are female.  In Beating the Bounds, we bounce back and forth between both Ami and Dan's points of view.  It gives some depth to Daniel's character that would otherwise be missing.

The author doesn't make you wait long for the good stuff.  The opening chapter delivers both a stunning sex scene and a lovely, ouchy spanking.  Certainly made me want to read on.  You won't be disappointed.  

Totally enjoyed Ami's shopping trip with her friend, Polly!  It was funny as hell, and this part of the story was just the comic relief the

reader needed.  Ami is mesmerized by a shop window, tempted by the little plastic card, and finds a surprise on her car's windscreen when the commuter train finally brings her home.



Finally, the book's title comes from a village tradition described to Ami early in the story.  She and Dan experience the tradition first hand with the other parishioners of their church.  So when Dan decides that Ami needs to be held accountable for her careless and impulsive actions, "beating the bounds" becomes a metaphor.  Ami has her boundaries set, too, and the tradition comes to life.  It makes for a tight and purposeful plot and one hell of a spanking!

 
Be on the lookout for Sarah's next book!  She has hinted that it will be out soon.  Read on!

Repair Manual for Broken Connection

What the hell happened?  I am used to thinking that the close connection I feel with Sam can only be broken if I turn angry or pull away or ignore one of our rules.  As far as I could tell, I hadn't messed up on any of those.  So I was really confused on Sunday night when I realized that I felt so disconnected from him by the time all the company went home.  It was a horrible feeling, and I couldn't tell if he felt the same way.

Big dinners or parties seem to bring out the overachiever in me.  I want to be sure everything is in order and organized.  I want the outdoor areas to look perfect, and I probably work too hard on this.  Do people really care about weeds that much?  The house should be clean and neat.  The food should be delicious and ready on time.  Everyone should get along and enjoy themselves.  Now that one is really dumb.  I have no control over that.  

Wait a Minute!  Maybe that is the key to what went wrong - CONTROL.  It's not me that pulled away.  Maybe it's Sam who pulls away from me when I get like that.

 
We went through the motions Sunday night.  I went to bed a bit earlier.  He came in while I was reading to give me a kiss - one of those kisses you hear called "perfunctory."  I smiled a little and when I hugged him I whispered that I felt like we were far apart from each other.  When Sam came to bed later, he pulled me in close and rubbed my bottom like always.  But it just wasn't quite right, and I wasn't smiling in the dark.  I didn't wiggle my fanny to get in close to his manparts, and he whispered that I needed my sleep for work on Monday.  We moved to our respective sides of the bed.

Monday morning before I left for work, I knew I wanted to talk.  I put my arms around his neck from behind and asked quietly, "Do you feel like something is wrong?"  Sam nodded and I said the words I absolutely hate to say, "I think I need you to spank me."

He nodded again, "I already thought of that.  Tonight."

"It is so hard for me to ask you.  It just doesn't seem right."

"Tonight," he said again and kissed me.  But this kiss was at least one step back from the abyss and we lingered a moment.  He smiled at me and I was out the door.  Usually I would dread knowing a spanking was coming and fuss about it all day.  I didn't do that Monday.  I wasn't happy, but I wasn't miserable either.  It felt like I was stuck at a very long red light or that someone on the phone put me on hold for the entire day.

We did talk some when I got home, but not for long.  I'm not sure if either of us actually articulated just how or why things felt so wrong.  Sam finally said that the whole day on Sunday felt "awkward."  There didn't seem to be any blaming on either side.  Finally he just took my hand, and we walked to the bedroom.  He wasn't angry and didn't have to say a word to me.  I just unzipped my pants and lay over the bed.  I cringed just a little when I saw the 2 items he pulled from his dresser, but I didn't care.  I just wanted both of us to get back to our together place.

The paddle got my attention and soon I was just trying to deal with the pain.  Sam talked to me some, but I can't really tell you what he said.  There were tears in my eyes, but they never seem to fall unless I am really angry.  This time there was no anger at all.  Time doesn't seem to have much meaning when I am being spanked.  When he switched to that mean wooden spatula, though, it was hard to stay still.  I made a bit of noise and I felt his hand on the small of my back.

When Sam was through, I stayed down for a minute with my face in the pillow.  He talked gently and rubbed my sore bottom.  Soon he pulled me up to him and just held me tight.  As I slowly came back from the edge, that feeling of connection became stronger and stronger until...

                                 ........CLICK........

- it all fell into place.  That is the feeling that is almost like a drug to me.  I can breathe deeply and open my eyes wide and smile while my whole body comes back alive.  At that moment I always imagine that there are 2 doors on Sam's chest that open, and I can climb right in.  We are close again.  We are connected.

Extra! Extra! Brand New Meme!

Have been working on this meme for over a month!  I wanted thoughtful and fun questions.  Am hoping that many of you will also respond to the questions.  It is such a cool way to get to know more about the people in blogland.  So, here we go!
 

1. Take a look at the walls in your home.  Which picture/object is your favorite and why?  Bonus points if you post a picture!
There is a print of the The Lady of Shallot hanging in my dining room.  It would be my favorite, because I love Tennyson's poem.  The massive original hangs in the Tate Museum in London.

The Lady of Shallot by John William Waterhouse

  
2.  What is/are your favorite perfume(s)?
Bobby Brown 'Bath', White Citrus from Bath and Body Works, and Ralph Lauren Blue.

3.  How many pairs of shoes do you own?  Have you ever hidden new shoes from your spouse?
OMG! Because Sam reads my posts, I am going to cap it off at 50.  If you want the actual count, send me an email.  Yes, I have stashed shoes, because I love my husband and don't want to cause him undue grief and irritation.
 

4.  Snacks - Sweet, Salty, or Both?  If you could choose 1 snack, and it magically had no calories, what would it be?
I would have to admit to both.  I adore big hot pretzels with a beer.  For a miracle, zero-calorie candy, M & Ms would be my choice.
 
5.  What are your favorite cut flowers? 

Anything white.  My top pick would be white tulips, 1 day old when they start to droop a bit.

6.  Without using a real name, describe one person in your life with whom you have a hard time being patient. 
Well, that's an easy choice.  You all know that would have to be my sister-in-law, Patty.  She is bossy and a know-it-all!

7.  What food do you love that your spouse hates?  What food does your spouse love that is "yecch" to you?
One of my favorite dishes would be steak and kidney pie (with a pint in a London pub is even better.)  Sam has to look away while I eat.  He loves just about any fish, and I cannot abide the smell.

8.  What is a song you associate with meeting your honey?
OK, this will really date me.  The first years we were dating, I loved Moon River by Henry Mancini.

9.  Do you have a favorite movie that you like to watch every few months or once a year?
There are so many that I watch over and over, especially for Christmas.  If I had to pick one, I would have to say To Kill a Mockingbird.

10.  What collection(s) do you have?  How did your collection start?  (Add a picture if you like.)
I collect glass birds that are displayed on my front patio.  It started when I got rid of the window box outside my kitchen window and added a few glass birds. The finches who visit my feeders look so cute walking among the glass birds.
 

11.  Where would you like to go on your next vacation?  Is there somewhere else on your Bucket List?
Would love to visit one of you on a vacation someday.  We are also saving for a trip back to London and a tour of the D-Day beaches across in Normandy.

12.  If you could only buy clothes at one store, at what store would you shop?
I love Ann Taylor Loft!

13.  What gift(s) from your spouse have been the most loved and appreciated?

Ella Draped Over This - Quite a Target

Sam brought me a pair of stone bird figurines from a trip to Texas.  I never stop marveling at how beautiful they are.

There is also a bolster pillow used for spanking.  I have a love/hate relationship with that gift.  It depends on what kind of spanking we are talking about.

14. Name one item of your spouse's clothing that you would love to throw away.
Any of the many "work outside" T-shirts with stains from the garage.  He feels these are also appropriate for indoor wear.


15.  What is the submissive action (or inaction) of which you are most proud?
Not saying anything when Sam got us lost in San Antonio.  I just kept smiling.  It actually did make the trip much more pleasant! 


Now, dear readers, it is your turn!  Leave us a comment, so we all know where to visit and read your answers.  If you are a lurker and do not have a blog, please send me any responses you like in an email.  Perhaps I can publish a few of your answers anonymously. 
Have fun!