Max, the hero of my novella Fit To Be Tied, is an entomologist who specializes in tarantulas and an aficionado of Japanese rope bondage, otherwise known as shibari. I think tarantulas are fascinating and I liked the subtle tie (pardon the pun) between a spider web and Japanese rope bondage.
In the book I mention one particular species of tarantula, Haplopelma lividum–the Cobalt Blue. Although beautiful, they’re particularly quick and vicious. Here’s a great quality video showing a Cobalt Blue snatching up a cricket. The action is over fairly quick, but you can really see incredible detail on the spider. Are you afraid of spiders? Or are you like me, just a little bit morbidly fascinated by them?
Congrats on your latest release! I'm not afraid of spiders at all. Which means I'm always the one to catch/kill (sorry!) them. Now snakes…
I don't mind snakes that are tame, but if I were to encounter one in the wild, I'd probably be scared.