Fetishes

Ha! Gotcha! You thought this was going to be one of two things, a treatise on flesh fetishes, or something naughty penned by Lord Craven-Moore! Sorry to disappoint you. But it is about two, possibly three of my fetishes!



The last few months I've been researching; mostly late Victorian era society and fashion, along with the fantasy realm and folklore of the fae. It's been fun and enlightening. As with all research, one tiny kernal of fact can landslide into a free fall into weird and wanton places. During my research, I've continually come back to three of my secret fetishes...leather pants, old fashioned sunglasses and Bram Stoker's Dracula! I know...I'm weird.

But truly, I cannot tell you how visually inspiring Dracula has been to me over the years. Yeah, Reeves' performance as Jonathon Harker was wooden and all that, but the visuals...wow, and the barely tethered eroticsm....phew! I was drawn in from the very moment I watched it. And now I'm watching it again, mostly to get the feel for the vibe and tone I want for the Unseelie Court, as well as the dark, Gothic setting for the mass market historical I'm writing for HQN.



So, let's take Dracula. Sexy, sexy, sexy. Those three sexy vampires chicks? I love the costumes (what there is) and the jewellry, and their seductive ways. That really inspired the Unseelie Court in my Sins and Virtues series. It's decadent and sensual, exotic.

I also LOVE, love Gary Oldman as the count. Kristi will attest to my fetish with him and those damn sunglasses of his! Mmmm! The clothes, the gowns, the flimsy nightwear, the homes, the carriages...just everything is so inspiring for me.



Sunglasses....I have vowed for years that I am going to have a hero wear blue or purple lensed glasses and stare wantonly at the heroine behind those lenses. I have sworn over and over to do it. And now I've done it! Lord Black, the reclusive and mysterious hero in my historical (tentative title Dark Waltz HQN, Oct 2011) wearing them, and let me tell you, the heroine is smitten by him and those sexy glasses of his. But then, as I was writing Lust, I envisioned this Fey Prince standing in a perfumery, dressed in an embroidered frock coat, with little lace sleeves peeking out from beneath the cuff. He has longish dark hair, and when he turned his face to glance at his virtue, Chastity, he was wearing...sunglasses.

No, no, I thought! Too early for sunglasses. It couldn't be. So, off I went to Google, and consulted enclyopedias etc...and guess what? The Chinese have been wearing sunglasses since the 1200's...and since I'm writing in the 1790's well...sunglasses were an expensive, exclusive accessory for the rich. Naturally Lust must have them.
And now he can...

Leather pants. yeah, well, I saw one of the princes on horseback wearing black leather. I think it's continued reaction to that hottie on the cover of Velvet Haven. Man, he looks fine in his black leather trousers and ever since I've had absurd fantasies about leather pants! But in 1790? Hmmm, doesn't seem plausible even for a Fey.



Well....turns out leather pants, trousers, britches etc...have been worn by men for hunting and country fashion since the 1500's. Most were tanned color, but hell, I think my princes can come up with some black dye, don't you?

Oh, research! Sometimes it can so thrilling!!!! Now, I'm doing more research today. I've made myself some lunch, and I'm just about ready to pop my DVD in--Bram Stoker's Dracula, of course! I gotta have me some Gary Oldman in those sunglasses!!!

So, what movie has done it for you? Which one has captured your unfailing devotion? And why? Or, what book has captured your fancy with it's setting?