Dear Sir, I’m Yours is up for Best Book of the Week at the Long and Short of It! Vote here.
Category: Bookshelf
Another Dear Sir, I’m Yours Review!
I’ve met so many awesome people on Twitter. Through Pearl, I’ve connected with several terrific readers associated with Realms on Our Bookshelves. Pearl gave a wonderful, thorough review of Dear Sir, I’m Yours:
The way Joely Sue Burkhart build up the story and characters with their struggles, angst and insecurities did not take away from the intensity or hotness of the love scenes. They were spine tingling and arousing. For me it was erotic romance as it is suppose to be: classy, erotic and emotionally intense.
With DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS, a story of love, sexual discovery and most importantly trust, Joely Sue Burkhart has put herself on my reading map and I am ready for the next story that comes out of her pen (or keyboard).
Read her entire review here. Thank you so much, Pearl! I don’t know that Mason will get his own book — right now, I’m concentrating on Conn’s older brother, Victor, but who knows!
More Dear Sir, I’m Yours Reviews
First, the good, from the Long and Short of It, 4.5 Cherries:
Dear Sir, I’m Yours is a revisit to the sweetness of first love, carnal discovery, and a delicious taste of erotic dom games as Con[n] teaches Rae how to trust enough to let herself fall in love (with him of course).
This is a great story to curl up and enjoy. I will recommend Dear Sir, I’m Yours, to my friends and am looking forward to reading the next book that Ms. Burkhart writes.
Read the entire review here. Thank you, Zinnia!
Now, the bad and ugly rolled up into one from Joan/SarahF at Dear Author. I wasn’t going to post a link to it, but everybody’s probably already read it anyway.
I had a lot of professors in college. Some of them lectured: e.g. at the board, back to the classroom, writing on the board and never interacting with their students. They didn’t care whether the students sank or swam. On the other hand, I also had some wonderful professors who managed to lecture–and TEACH at the same time. So my use of teach was deliberate to help show what kind of professor Conn really is.
And hey, he only quotes Shakespeare once through the whole book, and Shelley, Byron, and Blake dozens of times. Hell, even I can quote Shakespeare and I was only an English minor. I was only a math grad student, but even though my speciality was Applied Math, I could and did teach Trig, Calc I, Calc II, and Calc III. I should have also been able to solve a differential equation, or my professors would have kicked me out of Geek Hall. So I think it’s safe to say that Conn could probably quote a little Shakespeare.
Anyway, here’s the best part of the review:
“…you made a blowjob incredibly hot. Conn’s “ultimate act of domination,” “his trigger,” is having Rae give him a blowjob, and when she finally does it, it is, indeed, incredibly hot. In fact, the sex is pretty amazing the whole time.”
Thank you, Joah/SarahF, and I’m sorry the book didn’t work better for you.
Dear Sir, I’m Yours Review
From Fallen Angel Reviews, 5 Angels:
…this book is a testament to the writing skill of its author. Joely Sue Burkhart takes us deep into the psyches of two people whose relationship is defined by elements of submission and dominance. Fans of character-driven BDSM books will find plenty to like about Ms. Burkhart’s novel.
Read the entire review here. Thank you, Jazlyn!
Pre-Order The Rose of Shanhasson
The Road to Shanhasson – Vote for Best Book
The Road to Shanhasson is up for best book of the week at Long and Short Reviews here. If you’ve read it and enjoyed it, please go vote!
Road to Shanhasson Review: Best Book Rating!
Wheee, check out this fabulous review from Holly at Long and Short Reviews — BEST BOOK!
…this book pushes the limits to new levels, in terms of passion, strength and pure lust. The scenes between the three main characters are so explicitly hot and erotic I expected my e-reader to melt. Ms. Burkhart creates her world so skillfully, the people and places become real to the reader, and the emotions are deep and, at times quite gut-wrenchingly real. There were many places in the story where I cried along with Shannari, at her depth of loss and her heights of joy and passion.
You can read the whole review here. Thank you so much, Holly!
Mrs Giggles Reviews Dear Sir, I’m Yours
I’m thrilled to death with a score of 84! Mrs. Giggles says:
The most memorable parts of this story are the letters to Conn that Rae had written but never sent to Conn. These notes are a beautiful showcase of Ms Burkhart’s way with words – elegant, heartbreaking, without being too overwrought or melodramatic – as well as a fascinating doorway into Rae’s head. These letters present a clear and often haunting story of Rae’s in the last five years, and through these letters, I get to feel as if Rae is real indeed to me.
You can read the entire review here. Thank you, Mrs. G!
News & Thanks
First, thank you to everyone who helped make this a great week for Dear Sir, I’m Yours! I’m stunned and honored to see Dear Sir in the #1 bestseller slot at My Bookstore & More. I hope you’re enjoying it!
Second, I have news. If you were at the Drollerie Press chat last night, you know this already. The Rose of Shanhasson is coming to PRINT this November, along with Confessions of the Creature and two others (sorry, I can’t remember them off the top of my head — some of our earlier releases). As we get closer and details are firmed, I’ll update Rose’s page. I’m so excited I can hardly sit still!
Watch the DP Bookshop for several new releases coming today or this weekend, including Needles & Bones, a fantastic looking anthology I can’t wait to get my hands on.
Lastly, the Drollerie Press blog tour will be this weekend, too. In honor of Father’s Day, Isabella Thanatos (Beautiful Death) has a few choice words to say about her father (monster! murderer! bastard!) Oops, maybe she’ll talk about Icarus instead. He’s the father she wished she had.
Dear Sir, I’m Yours: Behind the Scenes with Color
“White is virginal innocence, which brings out all my wickedness and debauchery. To a man like me, it’s like waving the white flag of surrender. I see you pure and innocent in white and I can think of nothing else but all the ways I might be able to get that pretty white a bit dirty.” ~ Conn
Maybe it’s just me, but if an author mentions a specific detail about a character in the story, I (as a reader) want it to mean something. I don’t want to know about their favorite color, what books they read, where they work, etc. if it has no impact on WHO this character is. So maybe it’s a foible of mine to make color so important to a story.
I’ve always assigned meaning to color. I carefully select a color theme for each story BEFORE I begin writing. I have to have a matching notebook for the story. The pattern or color end up signaling to my brain which story I’m working on.
For example, there’s a reason the blog is mostly black: it’s in honor of Johnny Cash’s Man In Black. But it also stands for the darkness I typically include, whether shadows, old hurts, or dark emotions. I’ve always been intrigued with the Dark Side.
In Dear Sir, I’m Yours, colors take on some subtle meanings. Miss Belle could never have a parasol in any color other than pink. It would violate her character. Conn would never have a Mustang in any other color than black, and as you can see from the quote above, he loves to see Rae in white.
When I filled out the questionaire for the cover, I emphasized the importance of white and black. I never mentioned that Rae’s favorite color is cherry red. We went through a couple of different design ideas, and then Scott sent this one and I almost fell out of my chair. All that glorious red. I hadn’t asked for it, but it couldn’t have been any better for the story.
After all, this story is all about Rae. Her preferences, her fears, her desires. Conn would want her to have a red cover.