Tentacles 101

by Ivana B. Kinkee

There's something wicked hiding underneath Wolsney College...

When Kelly Ashby gets plucked out of her university in the city she has no idea what awaits her in the countryside private school. At Wolsney every girl is well-behaved, desperate to please their teachers, and it will only take one night inside the walls of this prestigious institution for Kelly to understand why.

**Publisher's note: Do not purchase if you're not prepared for an intense adventure inside Wolsney... for within these pages thar be tentacle monsters.**

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2017

About the author

Ivana B. Kinkee could be a succubus from the fifth dimension, a sexbot from the future, or she might just be the alter-ego of a girl trying to share all the twisted, deviant stories that fill her own fantasies. Tentacle monsters taking not-so-innocent schoolgirls, demons craving their sensual sacrifices, science experiments gone wrong in all the right ways, and all those other dirty thoughts that keep us up at night and our hands busy under the sheets. Think you might want to get kinkee?

Reviews

[Meredith is a hot mess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventures with Tentacle Press

3 Tentacle Smut Stars

A schoolgirl finds herself wrapped up in tentacles. If you're in KU, and like tentacles with a sense of humor, then give this book a go :)

I'm rating this higher than Squirm: Virgin Captive of the Billionaire Biker Tentacle Monster simply because I like the schoolgirl/tentacle vibe better than the biker/tentacle vibe. Simply personal preference!

I'm going crazy trying to put the pieces together, to figure out the other pen name of Ivana B Kinkee.
__________________

UPDATE: I have a new #1 guess for the real USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR behind Ivana B Kinkee. (drum roll). . .Jennifer Bene

(btw hats off to Cari Silverwood for being such a good sport about my silly review :)

Again, apologies to Jennifer Bene or the real author behind Ivana B Kinkee if I'm incorrect. This review simply reflects my reading experience with these authors. I'm having fun connecting the dots.

Why Jennifer Bene? Well, all the USA Today Bestselling Authors who were part of Tentacle Press are looking to be author friends with each other. This narrows down the list dramatically. I've found editorial reviews to be v. helpful. While checking out Livia Bourne's (pen name for Livia Grant) Alpha's Capture on Amazon (link HERE), I noticed this editorial review from Jennifer Bene to Livia Grant: "Caged Alpha is hot, twisted fun, and has the start of a sci-fi epic in its bones! Dangerous and sexy, I want more already - 5 stars!"

The wording: sci-fi epic in its bones is used in the blurb for Ivana B Kinkee's Alpha Clarity Series. Check out the blurb in Alpha's Promise, it says: Alpha's Clarity' is a reverse harem Omegaverse dark romance with scifi in its bones & its in Alpha's Bond.

Jennifer Bene also uses italics as frequently as Ivana B Kinkee in some of her books. (In my original review below I examine the use of italics)

Jennifer Bene is also author friends with the author circle, I also found this dedication in Alpha's Capture: For Jennifer, Addison, and Myra. Thanks for the kick in the ass I need to give this a try...

I've read Jennifer Bene and she writes sex scenes very well. One thing that sticks out about her sex scenes is the placement of body parts ~ it always makes sense, she's good at describing which body parts go where during the act; and it's hot. This was the case while reading the Alpha's Clarity series - the smut was well-written, the author was good at describing which body parts went where.

Now, one piece of the puzzle isn't lining up. Ivana B Kinkee is credited as doing the book covers for all of Tentacle Press. So the real author behind the pen will have at least amateur experience with graphic design. I know for a fact Cari Silverwood & Eris Adderly have some graphic design experience. I'm not sure if Bene does. Considering that Cari Silverwood & Jennifer Bene co-wrote a book together here is another possibility:

There are two authors behind the pen name of Ivana B Kinkee ~ one of them with graphic design experience (could be Cari Silverwood, Eris Adderly, or another author) who did all the covers for Tentacle Press in 2017).

I feel like a Sherlock Holmes, piecing together the bits of evidence that were left behind at a crime scene: the disappearance of Ivana B Kinkee. Just Kidding ;)

Again, I may be wrong, I may be wrong.

Note: No one is going to get this except me and a few people but I'm loling/side-eyeing the two other editorial reviews for Livia Bourne's Alpha's Capture.
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*2nd update 7/28/2020:* I'm retracting my earlier statement and would like to apologize to Myra for associating her with something she might not want to be associated with. I will say as a reader, I recognize other authors have the right to create pen names. When I see double editorial reviews, self dedications, false/misleading endorsements it comes across as unprofessional to me. And makes me think of the point I was trying to make about the misleading advertising I've been seeing in dark romance: In any other industry besides self-publishing there are industry safeguards to prevent this type of deception when it comes to advertising, testimonials, and endorsements. Bottom line: When you're longtime friends with an author; have worked with them in the past, that relationship needs to be revealed to consumers. Creating a brand new pen name and pretending to be a brand new author and endorsing Addison Cain based on that false premise deceptive. Even more deceptive in this case since Addison Cain had a business relationship with Tentacle Press and was published under them.

https://imgur.com/a/dyIq5dS & the author webpage featuring Addison Cain as Slither, Myra Danvers as Pentacles, and my guess is that Kinkee is Jennifer Bene but I'm not 100% certain: https://web.archive.org/web/201903151...

Self-dedication/Wren's Song endorsement can also be found here: https://web.archive.org/web/201903151...

Their website was recently shut down. Probably because these authors knew they were being deceptive to readers and their endorsements of Wren's Song was ethically problematic (like, it breaks FTC Guidelines for endorsements)

It actually blows my mind readers seem to not mind these types of deceptions from authors.

Anyway I was laughing in my note at the bottom because Myra gave Livia Grant 2 editorial reviews for Alpha's Capture, one as MD Pentacles then one as herself. lol.

**I should add I still do absolutely plan on purchasing Renegade & Alpha's Capture when the series are completed. I do think all these authors are talented writers.



Original review:

I may be completely wrong, but right now I'm making an educated guess that it's Cari Silverwood.

Apologies to Cari Silverwood or the real author behind Ivana B Kinkee if I'm incorrect. This review simply reflects my reading experience and I'm specifically focusing on the works by both these authors and not the authors themselves :)) I'm simply having fun playing detective 🕵️‍♂️

Edit: I now think if not Cari, it may be Eris Adderly, for reasons I'll describe at the bottom of this review. If not Cari or Eris, my #3 guess is Jennifer Bene. If not Jennifer Bene it is an author that participated in the Bite Me anthology or an author that is part of Black Collar Press. Those are my guesses :))

Why Cari Silverwood?

Well, all the authors of Tentacle Press are slowly starting to reveal their other, main pen names. So far they're all looking to be USA Today Bestselling Authors, who are all friends with each other. It's very easy to figure out which authors are author friends with each other. They're constantly promoting each other's work in their newsletters and giving each other editorial reviews, and doing anthologies together over and over and over again.

So far Aslyn S. Slither & Itzobel Estrange were really Addison Cain. Tentacle Warrior's Captive was repackaged into Thirst

Eris Adderly just revealed she is Octavia Hyde, who is published under Tentacle Press

Here is Tentacle Press' now defunct website, but it's been saved on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/201903151...

Connecting the dots:

Ivana B. Kinkee designed all of Tentacle Press' covers. They're rather amateur, and a distinct style. Some of Cari's earliest bookcovers have the same style and seem to be designed by herself.

Other reasons I'm not going to go into here...

Both have an author friend in common with each other, who was part of Tentacle Press.

Both authors have written tentacles, in a strikingly similar style. I suggest reading this book and then read Squirm: Virgin Captive of the Billionaire Biker Tentacle Monster by Cari Silverwood. Similar writing techniques, writing style, and tone is used.

Examples of similar writing techniques:

The character's inner thoughts are expressed in short italics. This is looking like it may be used in several of this author's books.

From Tentacles 101:

All because her father had been a little irritated about her not-quite-passing grades during her freshman year at the local university.

Asshole

"Isn't that It"Kelly reached ...

~

The heavy iron gate was just an over the top adornment with the addition of the intricately designed 'W' and 'C' woven into the dark metal.

Wolsney College, the place where Daddy wouldn't have to bother with her

~

It was another thick tentacle, the end more blunt, closer to the shape of a cock head, and she pressed her lips tight against the thing as it sought her mouth.

Fuck, no

Some semblance of sanity returned to her...

Excerpts from Squirm by Cari with the italics:

Tallish. Check. Built like a bull. Check. Were the tingles in her downstairs department? Mmhmm. Check. Her pearly gates had gone into override and the doors were ready to burst open.

His crotch? Over the years she'd developed a package bulge versus true schlong-length chart.

~

The engine throbbed to a stop and still she hadn't worked on that one out. What else sounded like throwing? Maybe he meant hoe-ing. Stowing? Crap. No. Note: get hearing tested.

~

Tons of examples of these kinds of italic thoughts in both books. I'm also seeing this in some of Cari's other books. Check out my review for Prey for more examples of this distinctive use of italics:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just reread Ivana B Kinkee's Alpha's Clarity and noticed this use of italics too:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And it's in Vargr by Cari: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And Precious Sacrifice: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Although I recognize this is a vague similarity, a writing tic, some other authors could use...this is coming across as very distinctive to me. Just my perspective, but the sense of humor in the writing (it doesn't take itself too seriously) and the smut scenes in these books have a similar vibe to me.


I'm having fun trying to connect the dots. I suppose we'll never know who Ivana B. Kinkee is, unless she decides to do a reveal. If I'm wrong with my guess, I'll come back and update my review :))

Update: I've skimmed some of Eris Adderly's books and the use of italics is as prevalent as what's in Cari's books. Since Cari has denied being Ivana (in the comments; although I still have my suspicions...) My #2 guess is Eris. Previously, I hadn't read any of her books. I've just skimmed Nepenthe by Octavia Hide, Bass-Ackwards, The Devil's Luck, & The Eighth House. I'll post those reviews and a few more reasons for this guess later. ~Same with Jennifer Bene. I think all these authors must Alpha read for each other; some of them have co-written books with each other too, so it makes sense to me their writing styles (things like frequent use of italics) may have rubbed off on each other. I'll be posting reviews for Eris Adderly and Jennifer Bene examining the writing style and use of italics later.

I may be wrong, I may be wrong though. Now my prediction is that Ivana isn't going to repackage her series. The USA Today Bestselling author behind the name has probably completely abandoned the pen.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Book source ~ Kindle Unlimited

Kelly Ashby’s rich daddy has had enough of Kelly’s shenanigans, so he’s shipped her off to Wolsney College. Kelly thinks she can yet again sexually work her way out of this punishment, but she’s in for a bit of a surprise.

Kelly is definitely an unlikeable rich and privileged twatwaffle. The story spends a lot of time setting up the new world in which she must live, but it ends abruptly at 79%. There is one hot scene in the taxi with Kelly and the taxi driver, but it’s human to human. Ho hum. I had to get through a lot of boring shit to get to the tentacle sex of which there is only one scene at the end. But what a scene! *fans self* Maybe book 2 will have more explanations and a lot more tentacle action.

[Courtney ~ asreadbycourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super short, and very . . . hot? Before you start thinking "damn this lady's crazy" this is such a strangely erotic read.

Non-con and tentacles? What the fuck? I'm still wondering myself, but I like Kelly so far. There should be more stories where women know what they want sexually, and aren't afraid to express it or go after what they want. That's in reference to a scene before the non-con tentacle stuff.

It's on KU, so if non-con and tentacles sound interesting to you definitely go check this one out *cackling.*
http://nightowlreads.weebly.com/adult...

[Book Gremlin Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but good.

I liked this one, very erotic however I didn't know there wasn't a second one yet. Kind of disappointed about that considering the short length and abrupt ending of this one.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick dirty read! I really enjoyed it!

[InkedGurrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely erotic and well-written. One of the best stories of this kind I've read.

[Cloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit to fast pace, great writing

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a good tentacle

This was pretty interesting. Would love to know more and read more about the monsters under the private schools beds.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and erotic read. I am curious as to what happened with this author as there is no second book for this series.