Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Nekkid in the great outdoors!

by Jude Mason

A childhood spent closer to the outdoors than many of you were lucky enough to enjoy led to a great love of skinny dipping, sun and wind on naked flesh and the joys of outdoor lovemaking.

I never felt as if I had to hide away in some dark and dingy room to free myself of clothing when I was younger. Living in a small town surrounded by woods or ocean, there simply wasn't a need. We camped and fished, and us kids were encouraged to swim or go play on the beach. There really is nothing like the feel of a cool breeze on your supposed-to-be-covered flesh.

As the town got bigger and I grew older, more c
ivilized mores took hold, much to my annoyance. It became dangerous, as well as illegal, to go traipsing around nude, so swim suits and shorts became the norm. But I will always cherish my carefree youth of skin and sun, and all over tans.

Now, I write about those situations or surroundings allow if not urge nakedness. Sometimes the 'forced' nudity is the kink in a story. Sometimes it's more along the lines of
my upbringing. Who doesn't love a hunky guy living in a cabin somewhere in the woods. His closest neighbor miles away, his backyard the wilderness with only the odd deer or wolf to worry about.

Cat's Claw is one of those books. The death of a long time friend, leads Morgan Fields on an extraordinary quest into the backwoods where she finds love and so much more. Joshua Lansing, the son of her deceased friend helps her explore the heritage she never knew was hers. Those backwoods are the backdrop for the entire book and I took advantage of it to share some of the pleasure there is in racing through the trees unhindered by what society might think of as appropriate attire. Joshua lives there and Morgan soon learns to love it as much as he does. Here's a little snippet about why and how it comes about:

Morgan held her breath. If she breathed, she was sure she'd
scream. Her heart felt like it was going to strangle her; it was beating so hard and so fast. The sharper sense of hearing was gone; all that remained was the loud drumming of blood pounding through her veins and the deep, steady breathing of the naked man in front of her. Sweat covered her, adding to the scents she couldn't escape—lust and fear—a heady mix.

"Are you all right?" He spoke so softly, she was sure that if she ignored him, none of it would have happened. She could close her eyes and drift off to sleep. It would be just another one of her strange, nightmarish dreams. Why hadn't she brought her meds? "Morgan," his voice was more insistent that time, harder to ignore. He still hadn't moved, perhaps afraid he'd scare her. "Are you okay?
Morgan, please say something."

She blinked and took a deep shuddering breath. Cool night air brushed her nipples, erecting them and making her shiver. N
aked. She was naked in the woods. She opened her eyes. He was staring right at her.

"Yes," she whispered. It couldn't be a dream then. As soon as she'd spoken, the spell was broken. When she took another deep breath, it c
ame out as a sob. Biting her lip, she fought to keep from screaming.

"You're not alone." He smiled. His entire face lit up when he did, and she found herself drawn to him all over again. His gentleness, he didn't reach for her, like
so many men would have. Her fear slowly faded as her desire leaped ahead. He knew—he understood what was happening to her. Glancing downward, she felt heat wash over her. He was naked. She knew he was, but until that moment, her mind hadn’t comprehended it.

In one incredibly smooth, easy movement, he sat up. Morgan followed him with her eyes, and when he offered her his h
and, she reached for it. That first touch was magic. A thousand fireworks flared and she sensed something special between them.

"Not alone. Never again," she murmured, unaware that she'd actually spoken, until his reply.
"No, never alone again. I'll be with you." He drew her up to a seated position
, kept hold of her hand, anchoring her to their present. "If that's what you want."

She went effortlessly into his arms. She felt as if she was on fire when his cooler chest touched hers. Her nipples were so hard they ached, and
she longed for him to suckle them, to ease the pain. There bodies melded together, two halves of a whole. His breath fanned her face, and she inhaled the wild scent of him. His hands pulled her in, and hers leapt to help him. She slid her arms around his neck, sighing when his face moved in closer to hers. His lips parted. He kept his eyes wide as she leaned forward, into the kiss.

His tongue slid across her lips, wetting them, tasting her, teasing with i
ts tip, until she couldn't stop them from parting. He tasted of wildness, of mint on his breath and a heady cedar tang to his flesh. She caressed his neck and shoulders, all the while, lost in the sensual passion of his mouth on hers. Entwining tongues dueled, stabbed at each other, hot breath wafted across fevered cheeks. Breathless, he pulled his mouth from hers and smiled at her when she came forward, seeking more of his lips. "Here, or would you rather go back to the cabin?" He smiled wickedly, mischievously.

I believe this was the first changeling book I wrote, but it definitely wasn't the last. It felt wonderful to share that special feeling I had with the wilderness. And if readers enjoy it too, then what better thing to focus on. When Jenna Byrnes and I decided to try some writing together, we knew the genre we were going to target for a little while at least. Male/male was selling well and we both enjoyed writing it. Now, what better thing can you imagine than two, or more, not guys frolicking in the woods?

Our series, Untamed Hearts goes into the wilderness of western Canada, or the US, if you're more comfortable there, and each of the changeling clans has their own special part of it. Cougars, bears and wolves, so far, share the immense area and manage to live in peace thanks to the amulets they wear.

Check out the covers. Do these look like wild hunky men? Oh yeah! Tame me baby!


I believe this was the first changeling book I wrote, but it definitely wasn't the last. It felt wonderful to share that special feeling I had with the wilderness. And if readers enjoy it too, then what better thing to focus on. When Jenna Byrnes and I decided to try some writing together, we knew the genre we were going to target for a little while at least. Male/male was selling well and we both enjoyed writing it. Now, what better thing can you imagine than two, or more, not guys frolicking in the woods? Oh, and #4, Stallion Pride, is in the works!

There just seems to be something amazing about getting back to nature for the most natural thing in the world two people can share. Being able to shed what society dictates is proper, even if only for a little while, is incredibly refreshing, even rejuvenating.

Now, if you can tease a man into shedding his clothes, then lure him into a naughty chase in the great outdoors, that's even more special.

What do you all think? Got any special outdoorsy stories you'd like to share? Do you like skinny dipping? What about making love on the bluff overlooking some gorgeous lake?

3 comments:

  1. Ah, skinny dipping! I grew up in a woodsy area myself, so I can really appreciate your post.

    Hugs,
    Lisabet

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like some great memories. I can't relate, exactly, but as you said once, it's our differences that make the world go round!

    Great post, Jude.

    Hugs,

    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
  3. I never lived anywhere that uninhibited, unfortunately, but your memories sparked my own. We had a canal in our backyard, and I loved to go swimming in it... right up until the high tide brought the jellyfish in. Yeeeeouch!

    Great post and good stories, Jude!

    ReplyDelete

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