50 shades of my opinion and... more posts are coming!

In an effort to get more posts onto my blog weekly, I've decided to add a few things to the list. I'm fully aware this is a lofty goal considering that I barely post once every ten days now, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Here's the plan...

I'm going to do my personal post of whatever I want somewhere around once a week (this post qualifies as that post this week-- does that make sense?). See my 50 Shades trashing below...

I'm also going to add in a book review a week (btw, I have a good one coming up, Duet for Three Hands by Tess Thompson). I admit, I have an advantage at this because I can listen to books off and on at work and, honestly, get most my reading in that way. It does feel a little like cheating to listen to books, but hey... at least I'm reading, right?!

I'm going to TRY and add in a work-out post of some sort each week. I'm worried about this one in particular because I still can't figure out how to post my own dang videos... so they'll probably be more photo than video but if anyone out there knows how to get video to work on Weebly, let me know and I'll love you forever!

NOW onto my opinion of the week. So here's my disclaimer. When people first started talking about 50 Shades I largely ignored it. Why? Why!? Because anyone who gets off on purposely causing pain isn't someone I can drool over no matter how hot or rich he is. It's sick and disgusting and quite frankly makes my stomach turn. How can someone who "loves" someone actually get pleasure in causing their partner pain? I wrote it off. Maybe it's because there is violence and sexual abuse in my past. Maybe it's because I saw the marks a man that "loved" my mom left on her. Maybe it's my conservative background... whatever it was, the 50 Shades whirlwind didn't interest me at all.

But it didn't go away. Ladies kept talking about it. As an aspiring author I thought that I had to respect anyone who could write a book that could captivate so many. I decided to take the 50 Shades plunge to rate my competition and to see what all the buzz was about. I borrowed the book from someone and dived in. I got to the pain and I was done. I have no desire in finishing the story...ever.

It's not a story it's raunchy sex. I'm a novice author BUT I'm a voracious reader and the characters were flimsy, the dialog a joke, and the setting completely unrealistic. But all that aside, I kept reading, wanting to see what the other ladies saw. I didn't get it. it's not love, it's not any kind of sex I want to read or have a part of. Don't get me wrong I LOVE sex, I write sex scenes and I think crazy good sex is where it's at, but there's no room for purposely causing someone pain in my book or any book I want to read. It's not love, true love protects, true love perseveres, true love builds up, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't demand submission, it gives selflessly and receives the same in return. It is passionate, it is a rush of body and mind and soul intertwining in a frenzy of physical and emotional energy but it is not pain. I chose not to finish the first book, let alone the rest. I choose not to watch the movies.

I'm so done with 50 Shades!!!!

I'm sad for E.L. James who wrote the stories but in an interview admits that she hopes her sons never read it. I'm sad for the actress that played Anna that doesn't want her family to watch the movie. I'm sad that people would sell out for fame and money. I'm sad that so many are turned on by it. I don't get it. I will make it my duty to clean up the sex scenes in books, to write intimate, passionate, hot, lusty sex scenes that are appropriate and full of safe love, where the only screams are from pleasure and joy, not from pain. So there... that's my opinion on that.