Anneke, you have certainly set the bar very high for BDSM novels out there. I have not read any that measure up so far. It is beautifully evident that you took time to write it. The range of emotions the characters experience, the complexity and originality of the scenes you set up, these could not have happened if the novel had been written quickly. The bus scene, the concert, the costume event, all felt so real and compelling. It did make me want to know what else was going to happen, even though I could feel it was a gradual decent into a world few of us can imagine living in.
The main thing that left me disturbed was that I felt Maia had stopped to grow as an individual. To me, love should have a nurturing component in it, and I felt he was breaking her, completely. To love someone, should not be to their complete detriment. Since he was in charge, I thought some small aspect could have been carved out for her to continue to grow as an individual.
I loved, loved, loved, that he was a complete and utter control freak. That was truly the delicious part for me. That she could surrender all power, all control. This trait made clear why they were both unattached at the beginning of the story. Few could have fit the bill of their requirements, kinks, or needs.
I also liked the way you made their story believable with regular everyday things such as bank accounts and budgeting, bus money, preparing food, vacations, rentals, timelines, clothing, periods, work contracts and demands, friends judging and advising.
It is a story that stays with you after you read it. One will not wonder “wait did I read that or not” as happens with so many books today.
Hope you find your groove soon and, selfishly, that the next story will also take place in a non paranormal setting.
Thank you for a great story.

I'm delighted you enjoyed the book so much, Marie-Elise, and see it the way you do. Thank you. I did want to make the book and the characters as realistic as I could; it's felt so much more strongly that way. There are still some ways I could have done it better, though.

I don't see Maia as being extinguished as a person; in fact, I specifically tried to avoid that perception. I guess it didn't get across. Even though at the farm she gets pretty deep into animal-zone subspace, she retains her sense of humour, which in my mind is a sign that she's still herself. Anders doesn't want her to stop growing; he pushes her into challenging work rather than letting her hide in historical archives. He lets her speak up for herself at the Halloween ball. And he listens to her when she sees him more clearly than he sees himself.

What happens to them next? Anders continues to be creative, but the basic pattern at home remains the same. They spend the following Christmas in Denmark with his family, and Maia finds the marzipan pig in the rice pudding. She develops as a specialist in information on global warming, and handles enquiries from further and further afield. Anders goes through all sorts of problems and barriers to get his homeless project built, and learns to advocate for the next one.

The next book will definitely be set in Toronto. But it's a long, long way away...

Anneke,
My mood was lighter today during our morning walk in the moors. Partly because I was in good company, it was gorgeously warm, and the sunrise was flamboyantly displaying its shape, color, and power, and partly because I could finally process that Maia was not doomed as I had interpreted last year. I cared for her reading the story and my interpretation of her future had unsettled me some.
So, thanks for responding to my comments, and for explaining what I had missed during my first reading of the story.
Hope the sun is warm in Toronto as well.

Very warm for March, yes, thanks. And I saw a tree that was budding!

I'm glad I managed to lift the doom a little.