29th August 2011
This week’s kiss so nearly didn’t make it to my attention for a number of reasons, more on that in a moment, but this week it jumped up out of my reading list and forced me to pay attention and I am really rather glad it did. Not only have I now found another new blog that will go on my regular reading list but I get to share it with you.
So why did it nearly pass me by? Well there are 3 main reasons to this.
Firstly it is an erotic writer’s blog. So what? I hear you ask; well in general I find these blogs to just be a vast series of posts about the various writing projects the person is involved in coupled with the ‘buy my book’ posts. Not all are like this but most are just one big marketing, selling, and promotional tools for the author and this is definitely not what my weekly kiss is about. Secondly and I guess this goes hand in hand with the above, down both side bars one is confronted with images of her book covers and so when I had first stopped by I didn’t stay to read as the layout made me think I would just be heading into the type of blog I have just described above. Thirdly the name of the blog. I really hope she doesn’t take offense to this but considering the quality of the content of her blog the title seems a little uninspired. It is not a title that makes you read on and that is a shame because the content is good!
So why did I start reading? The writer of this blog is someone I follow on Twitter and last week she sent me a link to a series of posts on her blog that had been inspired by my post, A Period Drama, and so I read and I recommend you do too. They are entitled ‘A Jewish Woman and Her Period’ and they are a frank and honest account of how her religious upbringing influenced her beliefs about her period and sex and the subsequent arrival of her now husband into the mix and how he his attitude and loving care of her has changed her negative view of this topic. They make for fascinating reading and also show how a good loving Dom and D/s relationship can help a woman to grow and develop and challenge some of her most deep-rooted issues, for the better.
Shelby Cross has only been blogging since February of this year but during that time she has been fairly prolific and there is lots of back catalogue for you to enjoy. Her blog consists of posts about her submission and her life and relationship with her Dom/husband. She writes with great insight and intelligence about submission and healthy D/s relationships. In particular try reading ‘Two Ways To Submit’ (posted August 17th 2011) and all her posts for the ‘Kink Meme’. As well as this she also writes about writing but unlike many other author blogs this is not the usual, read my story stuff, but a genuine insight into a writer’s thoughts and processes. How she gets ideas, where she gets inspiration from, the things she finds hard and the determination she has to find on those days when the written word seems to be defeating her. Something that all bloggers/writers can identify with, I’m sure. She is also currently running a cute little series called Playboy ads which is inspired by a large bundle of 1980’s playboy magazine’s she purchased way back when for $10. You can find a full and funny explanation of this in the May archives, posted on the 28th May.
I think it is obvious what advice I would have to this blogger but in just in case here goes. This blog could really do with a category section to help the reader search for posts on particular subjects, such as writing and self publishing, D/s and submission, Playboy Add series, Kink meme and so on. Also, if it was me, I would take of the icon links down the side, create one good one that leads to a separate page where you can find links to all the writers published works and yes I would tweak the layout, maybe change the theme, although I do like the colours, to help bring the excellent content of this blog to life. As for the name, well that’s a tricky one but I do think it can have a big influence on the new reader and whether they stay and read or dismiss it out of hand. The name Shelby Cross, writer, just doesn’t do this excellent writing justice.
Off you go now, time to pay Shelby a little visit, but before you do if you have a favourite blog that you would like to share with me, or you write a blog that you would like to draw my attention too then please leave me the name and URL in the comments section below.
Mollyxxx
Ps… You can find all past Kisses and more about how this work on this PAGE