She's On Top and He's On Top are coming soon to Amazon and enlightened bookstores near you! I'm so excited because both of the stories I wrote for these anthologies have really stuck with me. I don't always love my stories when they're done, but these two have a little extra something that puts them on my list of favorites.
Rachel Kramer Bussel, an awesome editor, was interviewed by Cleis Press about the anthologies and she even mentioned my story, "Yes"! Yes!! Here's the link. Rachel has some interesting and surprising things to say about the dominant's role. Contrary to first impressions, it's not about being bossy and mean and selfish. A skillful top actually needs to be very sensitive to her/his partner's needs and desires. Frankly, I think it would be much harder to do the top's job well. Of course, I'm not really part of the BDSM scene, so I can't speak as an expert. And in fact, I hesitated to try to write something for these anthologies because I didn't feel I could compete with "insiders." But then I got to thinking that power plays such an important role in all human relationships. BDSM is just a particular subset of a relationship dynamic all of us are intimately familiar with (I know, you strict grammarians are clucking your tongues and saying "with which we are all intimately familiar").
Rachel was asked about the potential audience for the books and she said she thought both tops and bottoms would be drawn to the stories. I'd predict the books might even attract more of the "mainstream" crowd, because, let's face it, don't we all nurture some kind of power play fantasy in our steamy little heads? There is something particularly potent about power--pun intended--and something very sexy, too. She's On Top overturns our society's usual hierarchy by putting women in the driver's seat. He's On Top explores an even naughtier taboo by looking deeper into the mind and motivations of the dominant male. Men do still rule, but we're supposed to pretend they don't and we're supposed to pretend there's nothing good about it. But...gulp...sometimes there is!
One more thought about writing and power. I often think of writers as masochists. Why else would we continue to "submit" our work and our egos to callous editors and publishers? But after writing "Suit and Tie" and "Yes," I became aware of how we are like "tops" as well, controlling and crafting an experience behind the facade of the narrative voice. It was a very good experience!
Happy Topping!
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