Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe Magazine - April 2018 Issue | Page 35

Okay, this month I might be taking off a bit from what you usually read from me, but bear with me as I explain myself. Now, I could blame it on the upcoming Vernal Equinox (the first days of Spring), and it wouldn’t be too far off the mark, but as I said, bear with me, and it will all make sense as I tie this all together for you. During this time of the year, from a personal perspective, it is a wondrous time of year. The Vernal Equinox is a time of renewal, of shedding the doldrums of the winter months and looking forward to the newness, the revival of life. It’s the time when I’m at my most creative, but there’s also a spiritual component that adds to that creativity. I know, shocking, right? Even us hedonists can have an esoteric side to us, but even that side needs to be brought into the light from time to time. Consider the Equinox that time—a time of balance, a time of reflection, and a time of indulgence. Some factoids for you, brought to you from my own spiritual spectrum: in ancient Egyptian culture, the Egyptian god Osiris’s resurrection is celebrated during the Vernal Equinox, and the Great Sphinx at the base of the Pyramids of Giza has been situated in such a manner that it observes the sunrise of the sun on the day of the Equinox, the only day of the year where it does not cast a shadow. At Stonehenge, the druids and pagans celebrated the Saxon goddess Eostre, who was the symbol new beginnings and fertility. The English Heritage, those who are charged with the caretaking of Stonehenge, open up the site on the day of the Vernal Equinox to allow the celebration of the beginning of Spring. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let me circle back to the romantic component of the first day of Spring. This is usually the time of year when romance is a flutter—in fiction and reality. I could bore you with the scientific reasons for all of this (melatonin and serotonin and testosterone and blah, blah, blah), but I’d rather focus on the simplicity of it all. The proverbial butterfly emerging from its cocoon and pheromones being released into the atmosphere to attract the opposite sex are reflected in every fictional romance that is brought into the marketplace during this time of the year, regardless of how that romance is depicted. Readers are more apt to want to read about romantic connections this time of the year. As flowers begin to bloom, so do the prospects of new romances. It’s all a many splendored thing, as the old cliché goes, but it’s something that I think bears some merit and should be taken seriously. There are several books that I’m personally looking forward to reading that speak to the spectrum of different romantic connections. Also, I’m looking forward to debuting some of my own, beginning with SAMOIS this month, which will have me spin a series of romantic entanglements between the Dominant women and submissive men that indulge inside my Nubian Underworld. What? There’s more to dominance and submission than the lovely spectacle of the slap and tickle? Trust me. Some other romances I’m looking forward to include Exclusively Yours from Nadine Gonzalez; Strategic Seduction from Cheris Hodges; A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole, and; The Cast from Danielle Steel. Catch you next month, where I plan to get back to my usual “clutch your pearls” self LOL! Shakir Rashaan is the author of In Service to the Senator and the national bestselling Nubian Underworld and Kink, P.I. Series. He is also developing projects under the pen name PK Rashaan. You can find out more about Rashaan at www.ShakirRashaan.com. NKLC Magazine | 35