Ariel Davidson

If you are a person who likes to categorize things you might say that there are two types of people reading this column; those who cross-dress and those who don’t. Bethany Jacques likes to write about cross-dressing. So if you are in the first category, you could very well enjoy Bethany’s stories because you identify with them. But if you don’t actually (for whatever reason) venture forth yourself en femme, you may still enjoy Bethany’s stories, because they can give you a vicarious taste of that unique and exhilarating experience. I must admit that I’m in the later category.

What makes Bethany’s writing stand out is the realism. Many of her stories appear to be based on real-life experiences, or at least I hope they are real. More accurately, I wish they were real and I wish they had happened to me! Since I’m not so fortunate, it's a good thing that Bethany is so good at recording her own experiences, whether real or imagined, expressing them with a charming combination of well constructed dialogue and first person narrative. Even when Bethany is not herself the main character, her stories still have the feel of a personal experience.

Although sex is a part of her stories, dressing up and clothes have the center stage, or should I say, the centre stage (Bethany is, after all, British). She favors typically sexy outfits and describes them in luscious detail. Each step of preparation and dressing is addressed, including makeup and the little extras required to provide the most convincing feminine illusion and allure.

If you have never read any of Bethany’s stories, you might want to start with "Every Year". It will give you a chance to get to know her and get a good first taste of her style. After you have read a few more of her solo efforts, you might want to check out the stories she’s co-authored with Sara Rêver Éveillé, especially "An Unusual Sort of Wedding."

So even if CD stories aren’t the first ones you look for when you come to Crystal’s Storysite, you might want to spend a little time with a couple of Bethany’s tales. I think you’ll find it an enriching experience.

Julia Manchester

Bethany Jacques has posted about ten stories here at StorySite, along with several more she has co-authored with Sara Rever Eveille. Her stories all involve CD-TV, and in the interest of full disclosure I must admit that cross-dressing stories containing a lot of oral and anal sex are not my cup of tea. However, those who are interested in this area might enjoy these stories.

Bethany's stories contain some very good descriptions of the art of cosmetology, and she spends a lot of time talking about her subjects' makeup. She also tends to describe the principal character's clothing and dressing in great detail.

The characters usually reveal that they have a history of cross-dressing, and there is no force, coercion, or trickery used to get them into skirts. She always writes in narrative form, which limits our perspective to the main character, yet she doesn't seem to take full advantage of the main strength of this format, which is to give us insight into the thoughts and feelings of the principal character.

She does give us some glimpses into the motivations and emotions of her characters, but one is left wanting more. A few more details in this area would help us to identify with her subject and create more sympathy for their plight.

The stories tend to have minimal plots and an abundance of sex. In fact, sometimes it seems that the plot is simply a framework upon which to hang one sexual episode after another. Moreover, the sex is quite graphic and detailed, but in fairness, Bethany makes that quite clear in her disclaimers.

On the plus side, her dialogue is very realistic, which helps to move her stories along, but the use of a spell-checker and the services of an editor would help her polish her stories considerably. Taken as a whole, Bethany’s stories are interesting and descriptive, and should appeal to fans of the CD-TV genre.