What the hell is a piggin’ string? I’ll get to that in a minute. Promise. First, you have to sit through my long-winded writerly diatribe.

There is a trend in the erotic romance eBook world–BDSM. They sell like crazy, and I’m probably crazy for not writing a book in that genre. No disrespect to the authors who do write in that genre, but I don’t think I have it in me. Not personally, and not professionally. First of all, I know nothing about the lifestyle, and make no mistake, to people hardcore into it, it IS a lifestyle, and there are rules. Lots and lots of rules, and any author who tries to write a BDSM without knowing those rules is going to get beaten up in reviews and by readers. So that means I’d have to research A LOT.

To spend that much time researching a subject, I have to love it, or at least have an interest in it. Sure I watched about 8 hours straight of bull riding/bull fighting and bronc riding during the recent IFR stock sale, but I love cowboys and animals and find the rodeo interesting. I can’t say that about many subjects, BDSM included. I know I’m speaking from ignorance, but I know in my heart I’m not Sub material–following rules makes me twitch. And I’m not Dom material either–if I wanted to spend all that time spanking someone or telling them what to do I would have had kids, or become a parochial school teacher.

So as I said, I have much respect for all the authors who write that genre, and write it well. I have great respect for all the people who choose to live the lifestyle, but again, to each his own, it’s just not for me and wouldn’t this world be boring if we were all alike anyway?

That said–on to piggin’ strings. What are they and what do they have to do with my BDSM soliloquy up there? A piggin’ string is a thin nylon string, probably about 6′ long, that ropers use to tie calf’s feet together after roping them in rodeo competitions. Doesn’t sound real sexy, does it? Well let’s consider this. Ropers are some of the sexiest men you’ll ever see. They control their horse with leg commands. Sexy. They leap from the stirrups at a full gallop. Sexy. They effortlessly pick up and throw down calves weighing up to 250 pounds. Sexy. AND they carry this looped string in their mouths the entire time they’re doing all this. Very sexy.

So that got me to thinking, I bet that piggin’ string could be used in other creative ways for indoor sports. The idea intrigued me and since I have neither a rodeo cowboy nor a piggin’ string here in NY, I let my characters in Texas Two-Step explore the possibilities. Was this “BDSM light”? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s just fun with ropes. Either way, it was fun to explore and I think the subject of everyday people, taking everyday things and using them in creative ways is worth looking into again in a future book. Ropes can be sexy!

Don’t believe me? Check out PRCA champion roper Shane Hanchey and his piggin’ string. Tell me those fast hands and that talented rope work doesn’t get you all tingly.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DnZcrEHalg]

Want to read more about tie-down ropers and the women who love them? Take a look at Texas Two-Step