Dead Ice: Nathaniel
Dead Ice: Nathaniel
We’ve only got two blogs to go until Dead Ice hits the shelves on June 9th here in the United States, but in UK today was your day to get Dead Ice; no spoilers! But since we’re running out of time for the blogs on our side of the pond, it’s got to be Nathaniel Graison, the other third of Anita’s live-in threesome.
Question: Is Nathaniel based on a real person?
Answer: No, but he’s one of the few inspired by a true life event.
Secrets to Share: I tackled researching BDSM, bondage and submission the same way I did guns, police work, or vaudun/voodoo: with respect and thoroughness. This was before I realized that BDSM was a part of my own lifestyle, so it was all brand new to me. I learned about dominants and submissives, it would be years before I learned about tops, bottoms, and I was still being told switches, people who can be both dom and sub, didn’t exist. I learned that healthy kink is all about safe, sane, and consensual. But I learned about a man who had vanished from the community after losing his dominant to a breakup. This individual was someone who didn’t play safe, or sane, but kept the consent; but what he would consent for was beyond what most dominants wanted to do with anyone because he wouldn’t safeword before he was hurt. A dom trusts his submissive to either call safeword before they are truly hurt in a scene, or to tell them upfront, “Sometimes I get caught up in the scene and I won’t safeword in time, so please help me keep an eye on me and call it for me if you think its needed.” Or words to that effect. The man who was missing wouldn’t do either, so most people didn’t want to play with him, let alone have a relationship with him. In a world where how much pain you can take could be a mark of pride and attractive to people, this man worried people. They’d actually encouraged him to get therapy because bondage isn’t a replacement for it. You should do bondage because it’s part of your sexuality, not because it’s part of your pathology.
The missing man was named Nathaniel, or that was his name in the kink community because most people use a nickname. Now, don’t get excited, I have no idea what this man actually looked like, I never met him, never talked to him, never had him described to me – honest. But the idea that someone was so lost that they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, protect themselves during scene play to the point where they would allow people to do irreparable damage or worse, really disturbed me. It disturbed the dominant who was my guide to the world, he was afraid that this Nathaniel had found someone who didn’t stop in time either from lack of knowledge, or desire for darker things than are acceptable in the community. BDSM is not a replacement for good therapy, if that’s what you need, go get healthy, and then once you’re better if BDSM is still something that interests you, come back with a better outlook and a healthier mindset. For some people bondage is a sign they need help, for others it’s just a part of their life. That this Nathaniel might have gone off with a stranger, which you’re not supposed to do, either you get people to recommend people or vouch for them, and let himself be . . . lost for good . . . It bothered a lot, just the concept that a person could be so . . . out of the confusion and dark fascination with the entire concept of someone doing that came my fictional Nathaniel. I kept the name and the dilemma, but my Nathaniel’s background history, physical appearance, personality, is all made up. I have no idea how it matched up with that long ago and long lost, person who planted the seed that would become my fictional Nathaniel. I didn’t need to know, because my imagination had taken that seed and run with it. In fiction I saved Nathaniel, and he got therapy and helped save himself. I was able to write a happier ending for my fictional character than seems to have happened to the story that inspired that first seed.
Question: Is Nathaniel based on your husband Jonathon?
Answer: See above, and no.
Secrets to Share: This is probably one of the most persistent rumors, that my husband is either Micah or Nathaniel or they are based on him, but neither is true. Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I do not base characters on the real people in my life.
Question: Is Nathaniel your sexual fantasy? Is Micah, Jean-Claude . . . etc . . . your sexual fantasy? Are the men in your books your sexual fantasies?
Answer: No, sorry, but though I find the men in my books interesting, and hot, because it’s hard to write a good sex scene if I, as a writer, aren’t attracted to the characters, but other than that, no. The closest to being my fantasy is Nathaniel, but not because of the great sex and his beauty. He is my fantasy husband/wife because he enjoys domestic duties like cooking, cleaning, and organizing a household. All of which I am terrible at, and Jonathon isn’t much better except for the cooking part. That he’s a domestic goddess is a wish fulfillment for me, because it’s something I’ve been wanting/needing in my life but couldn’t find romantically for a very long time. That Nathaniel is beautiful and in great shape is due in large part to his job as a stripper, he has to look good on stage. I now know the time and energy that you need to put in to look as good as he does, and it’s almost another full time job. If he wasn’t having to look that good for his job, then he probably would look a tiny bit less fierce, but he would still be beautiful. Of course, Anita works out too, both to stay healthy and to be able to run away or after the bad guys and fight if she has to, it’s a matter of life and death for her, which is a great incentive to hit the gym. She works out more than I do, because my job is to sit here and write. Sedentary jobs are so bad for the body. Both for health and my doctor’s urging I keep trying to add back in more exercise, but I actually hit a time a few years back where the amount of exercise was impacting how many hours I could write in a negative way. It was weird to realize how much time it takes to look a certain way. I’m not sure it’s possible for most people to dedicate that kind of time to it. One of the reasons Anita never does “normal” daily things is between her jobs, her relationships, and hitting the gym there really isn’t any time to do anything else. Staying in fierce shape is almost another job, and the way you have to watch your nutrition . . . it is a level of discipline and time management that boggles the mind, or it boggles mine.
Sneak Peek from Dead Ice:
“When Gabriel first introduced me to Jean-Claude I thought I was there to sleep with him, instead I was there to audition for going onstage at Guilty Pleasures. I thought I knew how to take my clothes off onstage, but Jean-Claude showed me the difference between shaking the moneymaker to the music and getting naked onstage, as opposed to a true striptease. I can still hear him: ‘One is an art, and the other is cheap and tawdry, and nothing cheap dances on my stage.’ God, Jean-Claude was so elegant in everything he did. I’d never seen anyone like him.”
“He is pretty unique,” I said.
Nathaniel laughed. “He was always a perfect gentleman with all the dancers. He said he couldn’t be a good manager if he played favorites, so first he taught me how to be elegantly sexy onstage and then he taught me which fork to use, and not to tuck my napkin into my shirt collar.”
25 thoughts on “Dead Ice: Nathaniel”
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I love these blogs and Nathaniel is my favorite (Sorry micha 🙁 ) but I just had to say. I can so see jean-Claude teaching him strip tease moves, and table manors with the same grace, elegance and beautiful posture, that he does everything else with.
The scene where Anita realizes she’s in love with Nathaniel is still one of my uttermost favorites.
I agree! Thank you LKH.
From what Nate was like when the reader first met him, he didn’t seem like someone who had been given any lessons like which fork to use. He was pretty messed up.
I just loved this Insite into Nathaniel he is not only my favourite Anita boyfriend he is my favourite book boyfriend. As you said he is a domestic God and on top of that he loves Anita and they have great sex.
Thank you
I loved this blog and all the rest and can’t wait for the book
Very interesting. I can’t wait for the book nathaniel is my favorite. I wonder what happened to the real nathaniel?
I just have to say you are one of the most phenomenal writers I have come across. I read you book Bullet first, after buying it at a yard sale, and since then have bought the entire collection. I have reread all of them multiple times. I love your characters, and Nathaniel is my fave by far (and Asher)
Thank you for posting these character insights.
I, too, would so love a “wife” like Nathaniel! I think that is many women’s fantasy. *sigh* The hot body would be an extra added bonus. 😀
I knew a guy similar to the one you describeat first Laurell. He was one of my best friends and I loved him. But I couldn’t rescue him from himself. I had to let him go with just prayers and blessings to watch over him. He was my introduction to the notion you can’t rescue someone who doesn’t want to be saved. That was and remains one of the suckiest lessons of my adult life.
I too would love to fine a domestic god…but till looking myself n as for a 3 rd its always a bonus if u can get great sex not more Hassel n as for all male the scean from BILLY JACK WHERE IT TAKES 5 MEN TO KER 1 WOMAN HAPPY STILL BRINGS ME HOPE SOME DAY TO FINE MISTER PREFECT ALLTHE TIME
Nathaniel may not be one of your fantasies but he is one of mine now. The way he has grown and become the wonderful man Anita loves! I have grown and realized things about myself while reading Anita and Nathaniels growth. Thank you for the escape, and insight into these characters!
Nataniel is one of my faves….. ummm, the trouble I could make with him, yum!
Awww that last part was just too cute!!! I can picture it; Nathaniel in a tidy suit sitting at an elegantly made dinner table with Jean-Claude gliding behind him watching his movements and making corrections with a slight “tut-tut” if a mistake was made. I love it!
My favorite Nathaniel moment is when he got the pearls from Anita
Me too!
Nathaniel has always been my favorite though in a frustrating kind of way, as I’m submissive, and I desperately want him to be dominant. It makes me wonder why he’s the one that always appealed to me the most, especially when there are so many delicious dominants in the series.
I have to admit that I could not pick a favorite from the series. To me each and everyone gives the story content that is needed. The placement of the new characters and old ones coming back is a tight rope for LKH to walk and she does it to perfection.
However if pushed I would put Jean Claude first and then Micha and Nathaniel, followed by Nicky.
Favorite non lover in the series is EDWARD! Olaf and Spottedhorse are next.
I would love to see another book where Jean-Claude takes the main stage again.
I – personally – would never call a husband with domestic skills a “wife“, because that sounds to me as if the domestic part is naturally – god given – the woman’s/wife’s part. And thus such a man/husband was not a “real man“. And I definitely don’t see it that way. I never would have married a man with such a opinion. And if there hadn’ t been another type of man, I just would have stayed single.
You’re fighting hundreds of years of cultural obligation. Even today there is still a prejudice about men who don’t make as much as the wife, or stay home. Hell, what’s wrong with being the wife, homemaker, caretaker, stay at home parent, whatever!
Rosanne Barr: “Domestic Goddess!”
By the way, the is a movement to allow Shiite law to be allowed in the US, look out.
That’s it exactly. I don’t like these prejudices and I decide not to let them dictate my life and opinion. It is nothing wrong with being the stay in home parent and caretaker and so on – and thus also not for the husband. He doesn’t transform into the “wife“ because he cooks and cleans etc. That’s my point.
I think Nathaniel confuses me as much as he confused Anita. My first indication that Nathaniel could be something incredible came when he helped Anita survive the Blue Moon rape run. (That’s just what I call it. I miss seeing Zane, but if he hasn’t told you to include him I know he’s still part of the pard and lusting Cherry.) Nathaniel became complex and evolved. Like a real person, he becomes someone different with every different character he interacts with. To Sin he’s a brother, to Anita he’s a domestic God, to Jason he’s a best friend. He’s complex and true to himself, and that’s as it should be.
It’s interesting that looking good is described as another “full-time job.” Just Nathaniel’s hair alone would take a lot of time. I’ve spent most of my life overweight. The only time I wasn’t overweight, I had a job hefting 50-pound sacks and buckets and running my butt off all day long, then going home and working out 2-3 hours a day. Changing jobs and becoming pregnant changed all that, but I do vividly remember what it took to have strangers do a double take when I passed by. I kind of miss it.
I have loved seeing Nathanial become a whole person, developing from an abused teenager to a real adult man! Oh yeah, he’s so hot and so sweet at the same time. Oh yeah, forever young.
LKH’s comments on the dom/sub lifestyle are interesting, we recently had a man in my city arrested for false imprisonment and torture. What he did was shocking. He had had his girl friend sign some kind of contract, (more 50 shades of grey) and didn’t see the problem. Be careful of those interested in this, ask questions, find out about the background.
Personally, I love living vicariously through these characters! What consenting adults do behind closed doors is their own business.