What's Your Sign, Baby?

The May-June columns are up early over at ERWA including my offering, "Getting to Know You: Character Profiles, Star-Gazing Shortcuts and Quick Culinary Getaways." Besides a delicious recipe for Japanese-style Vegetable Soup, which will take you on a quick trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I share my special approach to creating characters. It's really pretty easy. I just invite them over for a glass or two of wine, spell out my story and their general role in it, then sit back and let them tell me what how they plan to deal with the situation. After a nice juicy conversation, we have sex of course--usually one-on-one, but sometimes we do the group thing. Well, it is going to be an erotic novel after all.

This time around, I decided to try a little shortcut by using astrological love guides to flesh out my characters and their erotic styles. Way back in college, my roommates and I often consulted our battered copy of How to Seduce Any Man in the Zodiac whenever a new beau came on the scene. I'm not sure it helped all that much, but it was good for some laughs and a tenuous sense of control. ("Never be late for a date with an Aries and be subtle in your flattery"--got it!). Not that I believe in astrology, but I'm finding the research, such as leafing through old Viva magazines for sex tips, to be quite enjoyable. I also want to thank Neve Black for her advice and expertise in this area. Neve knows her Zodiac!

Bon Appetit!

An Inspiring Threesome

It's Sunday again and time for another fascinating confession over at F-Stop: Expose the Naked I. This week co-hostess Neve Black reveals a complicated love life involving a broadminded spouse and an irresistible lover. It's a threesome that rang true to me, and might even change your way of looking at your writing, too.

So head on over to F-Stop--it's worth it just for the picture of Neve in her fishnet stockings alone!

A Call to Expose Yourself

I'm very excited to announce a new blog project that Shanna Germain, Neve Black and I are starting up called “F-Stop: Expose the Naked I." Our goal is to create a space for erotic artists working in a variety of media to reveal themselves and promote their work in a sensually and intellectually stimulating way. And we started with our awesomely lush and sexy banner designed by Cyn Sorensen (website TBA).

It is the nature of erotic art to expose hidden truths about sexuality through photographs, paint, or words, but in the process we are also exposing ourselves. At F-Stop we’d like to explore the ways we reveal ourselves both literally “in the flesh” and through our art. Beyond that, we have no restrictions; each guest blogger can explore this as creatively, playfully or seriously as s/he chooses.

Because F-Stop was originally inspired by our own author photographs, we’re planning to inaugurate the blog with a “naked I” series which focuses on the concept of nudity and revelation. We want you to be part of it! Here are a few possibilities for your post: you may feature a photograph with a short blurb describing/explaining/questioning something about the image and/or a piece of your writing that goes along with the image in some way; you can just send an excerpt from your written work with or without an author photograph that is especially revealing; or send artwork or something else that pushes the boundaries of our imaginations. We’ll also include a short bio with links to your website and blog, so this will be a good way to get your name (and other parts of you) out there to new eyeballs.

Btw, a “naked” image doesn’t necessarily mean a full-body boudoir portrait if you’re not comfortable with that--an eye, a hand, lips, a glimpse of shoulder all qualify!

If you’re interested in participating, contact me we’ll put you on the schedule and let you know when your post will go live. We'll be starting the fun on Valentine's Day, of course!

We hope you’ll consider exposing your “Naked I”!

Other Spices, Other Lives

On the third stop of our Spicy Sunday summer blog party, hostess extraordinaire Neve Black has cooked up a luscious Spanish feast featuring fresh cilantro. Clothing is optional (or at least minimal) and of course there's music and dancing and plenty of Tecate beer with lime to go with your fish tacos! The topic of conversation is one very dear to my heart and imagination--the power of food to transport you in time and space. Neve knows how to throw a party, so stop by for lots of time-travelling fun. And I guarantee you I'm having tacos for lunch today!

Sounds of Spanish Passion

Thanks to the inspiration of my auditeur guest writers so far, I've been thinking more about the allure of pleasure once-removed, the way a certain distance, a mystery can fuel desire. Mass media makes us all into voyeurs and auditeurs, but we know that what lies on the other side is a trick, a fabrication. Even so-called reality shows are tainted by manipulation and self-consciousness. And so, when really can spy on someone else doing something private, something real, the thrill is all the more wonderful and strange.

I got to thinking, too, about how as writers we invite our readers to listen to us, through the paper-thin wall of the page. If the reader is awake, ear cocked, she will hear us speak our passions, our obsessions, our secret lives, things we'd never admit to another face to face. Although each story might have its own particular room and decor, its new cast of characters (or renamed versions of the usual suspects), as the passion builds, the artifice falls away and we can only cry out with our true voice, distinctive to us alone--rather like Marina's observation that you can identify a musician's sound through the practice room door.

How odd to think some stranger in Georgia who read my story, "Yes," according to his Amazon review over and over again (and yes, I pay attention to these things), knows more about my soul than the majority of people I deal with in my daily life. Like those show-off couples in hotel rooms who moan and sob and bellow so freely, when I'm caught up in the act, my audience is faceless and hazy to the point of invisibility. But I suppose in my heart of hearts I write because I hope someone is listening.

Our celebration of the power of the auditeur continues today with a visit to sunny Spain--the perfect trip for early May. I'm delighted to introduce a delectable story of passion, revelation and self-revelation by Neve Black who has a special gift for whisking her readers off to sensual foreign terrain. Pour yourself a glass of Rioja and enjoy!

Alone in Granada, Espana by Neve Black

It was happenstance that the hostel I found in Granada had a single room available for a weary cyclist. I was awoken from my sleep in the wee hours of morning by the muffled sounds from the room next to where my naked body lay still. I tossed and turned; trying not to listen. I didn’t want to invade their privacy; their intimate moment; their sultry, Spanish passion.

I didn’t know I was a voyeur.

How could I have known how much I would enjoy peering into soft moans of building pleasure and the slow and steady rock of an old metal bed; speckled in white paint, as it squeaked and thumped up against our shared wall. Before too long, I grew tired of fighting against my growing arousal; my wet pussy and clamoring clit cheered as I closed my eyes and began to imagine -

Her eyes would glint fiery copper each time his tender, wet lips parted and his tongue devoured her golden brown, Andalucían skin. His deeply tanned hands moved across her; exploring her beauty. Calloused finger tips grazed across her breasts, leaving behind the Cantabria Mountain tops that cast shadows from the moonlight onto our wall. Lips sizzled against hot skin; moving down into the Costa Del Sol region of her body. His fingers dipped inside her wet heat; freeing the guttural sound that lay silent inside his throat. I opened my eyes.

I didn’t know how much I would enjoy hearing my own breath; tandem with theirs; rising and falling quickly as my heart pounded in my chest and my cunt whispered its swollen ache to me while I listened. I pressed one hand firmly against the chipped plaster wall, as I slid my other hand between my legs: slippery, flooded and needy, my cunt cried out, “Ohhh, sweet Jesus, please fuck me.”

I didn’t know I was a voyeur, but I do now.

Don't Miss the Opportunity!

As Neve Black's adventurous heroine, Roxanne, makes her way around the blogosphere on her Sex Through the Zodiac tour d'amour, she couldn't resist the mouthwatering fragrance coming from Aphrodite's Table (I have pecan cookies in the oven, and I'm still tempted by Kirsten Monroe's cuisine). Today Roxanne has has pulled up a chair to give some great advice on star-sign relationships. I've learned a lot already...it's fun to peep in on the starry chemistry of other couples. Now I'm anxiously waiting the verdict on mine! Roxanne will answer your questions, too, and a lucky winner gets a goodie bag to take home. Be there and your planetary alignment will thank you!

An Hour at The Blue Dolphin

I've been having a wonderful time peeping through keyholes and curtains to catch glimpses of tangled sweaty limbs and lustful couplings of every flavor! Best of all, there's a nice long hallway of naughty scenes coming our way, so give your back a stretch and get ready for more. Today's storyteller, the scintillating Neve Black, whisks us from Craig Sorensen's Gasthaus interlude to a seedy rent-by-the-hour motel (Love 'em!). It's always a true pleasure to hang with Neve--her generosity and sense of fun make happy dolphins of us all. Is this tale fiction or memoir? Neve's not telling, so my next question must be what shall we nibble as we listen? I'm thinking I might head out for a big stack of hot-n- juicy, fast-n-easy In-N-Out Burgers for the carnivores, fries and shakes for the vegetarians. And if you're still hungry for more, check out Neve's new novel Sex Through the Zodiac--you can find out some unzipped insider secrets about this starry romp right here.

Oh, and special thanks to all-around artist Nikki Magennis for the fabulous photograph entitled, most appropriately, "Sleaze Window"!

The Blue Dolphin by Neve Black

“Sorry, dude. It’s by the hour.” The crusty looking motel clerk said to my boyfriend, John, while he slowly lifted his head up from his smut magazine and scratched his protruding beer belly.

I stood there standing next to John, fidgeting. John was a consummate negotiator. He was trying to buy 30 minutes of motel time, instead of the one hour minimum. Impatiently, I shifted my weight from one hip to other. John glanced over at me, I raised my eyebrows and he let out sigh of defeat before pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his tight fitting, 501’s. Fortunately, John had a glorious cock, which balanced out his cheap-ass spending habits.

It was my adventurous idea to try out the Dolphin Motel. John kept referring to it as, “The Blue Dolphin Hotel.” The idea of blue dolphins and the word, h-o-t-e-l must have added a touch of elegance to John’s sense and sensibilities, because clearly, The Dolphin was a seedy joint.

Motel door shut and locked, John’s tawdry side finally came out to play. He flipped on the small television set that played nothing but 24 hours of non-stop porn. John was all hands as he quickly moved toward me; forcefully pushing me down onto the queen size bed. The faded, flowery bedspread and squeaky mattress and box spring welcomed my small frame. Horrific acting and fabricated moaning flooded the room. I didn’t care.

John was a horny dolphin that afternoon; swiftly pulling my pants and panties down, spreading my legs and then snuggling his dark hair and greedy mouth between my legs. My slippery, slick pussy lips kissed him back as if they were starving. After orgasm number three, I finally caught my breath and said, “God, aren’t you glad we still have another 30 minutes, baby?” He grunted out a yes as he thrust his cock deeper inside me.

Sex Through the Zodiac UNZIPPED: An Interview with Neve Black

It’s a very tempting idea, appealing to the same basic lust that makes your eyes gleam and your mouth water at the fragrant vision of a beautiful smorgasboard feast. A taste of this, a nibble of that, no commitment necessary to any one dish. You can try it all!

Indeed debut erotic novelist Neve Black gives us a buffet of celestial pleasures in her book Sex Through the Zodiac, recently released through Ravenous Romance. As the story begins, her feisty and newly single heroine Roxanne is doing bridesmaid duty at her friend’s New Year’s Eve wedding, and the sight of the happy loving couple has her pondering love and sexual chemistry. According to the zodiac—Roxanne is an expert in the field—the bride and groom aren’t supposed to be a good combination. “But maybe her water bearer air sign had a large cock and a strong tongue, and in that case, who really cares what his zodiac sign was?” That’s been my credo, but Roxanne decides she does care, and the adventurous Scorpio vows she’ll break free of her Virgo male fixation and seek out erotic encounters with all twelve signs in the zodiac in the year to come.

A woman’s journey of sexual self-discovery is the classic theme of many erotic novels (including mine), but Neve Black’s celestial twist adds an interesting dimension. You’ll get a quick refresher course on the erotic predilections of every sun sign and will no doubt smile in recognition, as I did at the Capricorn with the hard-earned gorgeous view from his office, at the way Roxanne satisfies your own sign according to his—or her—desires. Yet at the end of her light-hearted romp, Roxanne finds she’s opened her mind as well as her legs. Clearly hands-on education is a good thing!

Neve has graciously consented to stop by and answer a few questions about her novel, the writing process, and “chocolate gelato” lovers.

DGS: I read in another interview that you wrote Sex Through the Zodiac in two months. Were there any challenges and surprises you faced in completing your first novel in such a short time? Or has the idea been simmering for a while?

Neve Black: Well, let me first start by saying how much I appreciate your interest in Roxanne, the book and my novel, Donna. And these are really terrific interview questions. You really are a woman of many talents.

Yes. I did write this story in less than two months. It was actually just shy of five weeks’ to be precise. Similar to my character in the book, I’ve also been fascinated with astrology for as long as I can remember. I’ve always thought the topic of the zodiac is fun and often a great ice breaker when meeting new people. I’ve found that most people like to talk about themselves too, and the topic is light enough that it gets people sharing stories about one another.

I had originally pitched my story idea to Lori Perkins, who I met out here in blogland via Alison Tyler in fall of last year. At that time, I hadn’t written a story that was longer than 6K words. I had originally envisioned this story at 12-15K words. I was in heaven when Lori said she loved the idea, but instead of my novella word count, Lori said I’d have to step it up and write close to 50K. I think I had a stroke at the initial idea of writing that many words. I didn’t want to shoot myself in the foot, and of course, I didn’t want to miss out on the fantastic opportunity, but I certainly didn’t want to over-promise and under-deliver either. I asked Lori if I could have a week to contemplate making that kind of time commitment, and to also start writing and get a feel for word flow. She was more than accommodating. That first week, I wrote over 7K words. And Roxanne was on her way. I was very diligent with my time and focused on writing this story.

Your heroine Roxanne is impressively focused on her goal to sample the delights of every sign in the zodiac. Is this characteristic of the Scorpio? Could Roxanne work as a character if she were any other sign? (And, if I may get personal, are you a Scorpio?)

Yes. Scorpios are supposed to be goal oriented and very focused once they set their minds on something. There were several times within the story that Roxanne met lovers she could have settled down with, but instead she chose to romp onto the next zodiac sun sign; focusing on her goal of having sex with each of the twelve sun signs. Roxanne of course was also trying to work through a failed relationship with her Virgo-lover boyfriend, which was also fueling her desire to move forward. Yes, my sun sign is Scorpio. I thought it best to write this story from the sun sign perspective I knew best, which is my own. I do however feel Roxanne could have been another sun sign too, because Scorpios are certainly not the only zodiac signs with ambitious, sexual natures.

I'm hoping you include Capricorn in that list, right ;-)? I found it interesting that each encounter Roxanne orchestrates is exactly suited to the sun sign of her partner. Here’s one of my favorite scenes, with the home-loving Cancer, Ben, who’s prepared a delicious dinner which concludes with a home-made lemon meringue pie.

“I know you like sweets. I saw you eat two pieces of cake at the wedding, “ he said, smiling at me.

God. I could go for second helpings of him as the dessert tonight. My mind raced, and I turned my head and smiled back at him mischievously.

“Do you like it?”he asked. He was stalling on making a move.

Of course, why didn’t I think of it earlier? It must have been the wine, the food, and being in close proximity to him that I didn’t think of it earlier. Cancers are shy. I would have to make the first move and Cancers were okay with that type of arrangement. My thoughts became clear.

“Ben?” I said slowly and seductively as I put my half-eaten piece of pie down onto the coffee table.

“You want coffee, don’t you? Coffee is always good with pie,” he said, putting his pie plate down and getting ready to stand up to once again dote on my every whim.

“No. No. No. Please, I don’t want coffee, Ben,”I said turning toward him and placing my hand on the top of this thigh, guiding him to sit back down.

“Oh. Can I get you anything?” he said moving closer to me now.

“Yes. I’d like to taste you now,” I said as I closed my eyes and kissed his lips very gently, careful not to intimidate him, or else he’d run and take cover somewhere and my moment of seduction would be lost.

Fortunately, Ben responded to my lips pressing against his and I heard a moan escape somewhere from the back of his throat. He pulled me closer to him; opened his lips up and plunged his tongue inside my mouth.

We sat on the couch and kissed for what seemed liked hours. My pussy was so wet and I wanted to show my appreciation for all his hard work in the kitchen. My mouth wanted a taste of his cock.

I pulled my lips away and started unbuttoning his shirt. He leaned back into the couch and let me continue seducing him. His chest felt smooth and hard at the same time. I felt his heart beating as I unfastened each button. I pulled his shirt away and kissed the nipples on his sensitive chest and then ran my tongue down the middle of his belly; stopping at his belly button, I inserted and circled my tongue. He closed his eyes, let out guttural moan and lifted his hips up to me, begging me to continue.

I did.

I'll leave you to imagine what comes next. Now I’m not sure how Roxanne could give up a guy who is so very good at satisfying oral urges of every kind, but then again, she would have missed the Italian “chocolate gelato” lover which would have been a shame! Was it difficult to decide on the perfect setting for each encounter? Can you share some stories about your process?

Isn’t Ben a slice of heaven? Surprisingly, creating each sexual encounter based upon her lover’s sun sign characteristics wasn’t difficult at all to conjure up. I did have a number of astrology books scattered across my floor for reference though. Using your example above, the zodiac sun sign, Cancer are very sensitive and romantic. They also tend to be homebodies, so for Ben to want to make Roxanne a home-cooked and romantic dinner seemed like the perfect scenario. Not to mention adding a little romance into her sexcapade episodes struck a nice balance not only for me, but I think Roxanne appreciated the romance also.

I’ve noticed that jazz music plays a big role in Roxanne’s seductions. Are you a jazz fan? Any plans for a “soundtrack” for Sex Through the Zodiac?

Thanks for picking up on the classic jazz that weaves throughout the story, Donna. I think classic jazz music is raw, exciting, and very smart… and well, it’s just sexy as hell…which is a lot like a fantastic lover, wouldn’t you agree? No plans for a soundtrack, but I like how you think Donna.

There’s also plenty of humor in the novel, but I have to ask: what is it with fire signs and public restrooms?

Roxanne does have a good sense of humor. Public restroom and Fire signs – yeah, clearly there was a pattern there in the book, eh? Fire signs are generally very spontaneous and impetuous when it comes to sex. Okay, I’ll confess. A few years ago now, I had been involved with a Fire sign and we, well, ahem, we christened a number of public restrooms for awhile. He’d look at me from across a crowded room; eyes sparkling with mischief and almost instantly chills would run down my spine. Before too long we would both be in the bathroom going at it, as if it were the very first time. It was fun and crazy. And the bathroom door; it was always unlocked.

It is always interesting to hear how life informs art. While I'm being nosy--tell us what’s next for you?

I’m continuing to write erotica and submit stories for various editors and publishers. I’m also currently writing copy for a sex toy company; evoking a visceral response for their customers to help boost sex toy sales. It’s been said that sex sells (wink, wink). I’m also working on a screenplay because one of my passions is film. The screenplay is of course sexually related.

Of course! Now we get to our trademark questions here at Sex, Food and Writing. Name a writer (or two, living or dead) you’d like to have dinner with, one you’d like to trade talents with, and one with whom you’d most like to have quickie in a public restroom.

May I choose you for all the above, Donna? (smile). I have such a long list of writers I admire. First, I feel so lucky to have met many talented writers out here in the blogosphere and I couldn’t possibly choose just one or two. I don’t think I could choose just one or two writers that have passed on either. How does one choose? I’m choosing not to choose, but instead, I’m offering a solution: I create these incredible scenarios in my head where groups of multi-genre writer’s get to spend a long, glorious weekend together; drinking, eating, laughing and telling stories. I’m sure there would be sex involved, and probably not much sleeping.

Well, I am flattered and certainly wouldn't expect the talent behind Roxanne to want to choose just a few partners in pleasure! But maybe you could describe a perfect meal that would be guaranteed to seduce you (is lemon meringue pie involved?)—into a deep conversation about the writing life, if not something even starrier!

It’s incredibly sexy to me to prepare a meal with my lover: Can you hear and smell the hot olive oil and garlic as it dances in the pan? “Chhhhop, chhhhooop,” that’s the sound of the sharp blade slowly cutting through vegetables picked from the garden earlier today. “Thwaaorkkkkk” is the meticulous, but glorious uncorking of a great bottle of wine. Oh my, suddenly all my juices are flowing inside me. There’s of course classic jazz playing in the background as we both move around the kitchen in synchronicity; touching, laughing, talking and creating. I imagine we’d sit on the couch; nothing too fancy-shmancy; plates in our laps; pouring more wine and talking for hours about our shared passion for culture and art – later over more wine, there’d be dark, rich bittersweet chocolates for dessert - fed of course from the other’s finger tips.
All this talk about food and sex has me…well feeling very hungry. Thank you so much for the interview, Donna. This was a lot of fun!

P.S. Roxanne also wanted to say, “Thank you!”

Wow, you (and Roxanne) really do know how to get the juices flowing--no wonder you two had such success in your mission. Thank you so much, Neve and Roxanne, for this delicious and sparkling interview. I think we're all a little hungry after talking with you! Best of luck with your novel and your future projects and come back to tell us about your further adventures soon.

The Feast of Dreams

By the time you have a few decades on you, you tend to get a little cynical about dreams. They seldom come true and if they do, it’s not quite the way you expected.

But sometimes, the realization of a dream turns out better than you could ever imagine. This is exactly what happened at the imaginary progressive feast, a romp through cyberspace with an amazingly generous group of erotica-writing pleasure lovers. When fearless chef and fellow foodie Kirsten Monroe and I started weaving our plans for a blog-hopping dinner, I expected a good party, given the caliber of volunteers who agreed to spend a day cooking, pouring tongue-loosening beverages and entertaining a crowd of commenters.

“Good party” doesn’t begin to describe it. What we got was a finger-licking fabulous bacchanal that took us around the world (in more ways than one), satisfying every urge with lovely views, delicious prose and sparkling inspiration for the writing life. Each host created a gathering that somehow expressed her or his character perfectly, and I’d say the sum of the parts made for a truly memorable symphony of a whole.

Frankly, I’m still floating in pleasant exhaustion from all the kissing, skinny-dipping, howling at the moon and confessing of deep dark secrets. It’s hard to believe that last week at this time I was pouring sake for eighty visitors while we enjoyed a dance recital and nibbled sesame-roasted pumpkin, all the while discussing sex manuals and other dirty books! One week later, the sensualists’ blog progressive dinner is but a memory…. but wait, actually it’s not because thanks to the wonders of the blogosphere, it will live on forever, each delicious course preserved in perpetuity, each host offering the same enchanting music, conversation and succulent goodies whenever a new guest shows up at the door.

And so I wanted to give a quick recap of each fabulous party if you missed it the first time around or want to revisit. I know I will, again and again, for after all, a memory is not so different from a dream….

Here’s a summary of our Sensual and Provocative Progressive Dinner ala Blog:

Sunday January 25--Amuse-bouche

Our first host, Craig Sorensen, started us off to a slow, sweet, sensual beginning in a cozy cabin in a snow-drifted forest where we amused our bouches with Sapporo beer and a plate of Sea Scallops and Bay Fritters, followed by Potato Poppers and Chili Rondeaux. These savories came in couplets, to be tasted, then tasted again a deux in a lingering kiss to the strains of "Lipstick Traces" by Michael Schenker. And indeed with a partner the flavors of these well-crafted dishes was more intriguing and complex. Craig's topic for discussion was, appropriately, kisses. First kisses, memorable kisses, the language of kisses. After my husband and I came back from the cabin we kissed a lot, enjoying each with new awareness, a pleasure that still lingers.

Monday January 26—Appetizer

After Craig got our lips tingling, Shanna Germain took charge of our fingers as we made our own appetizers with figs, goat cheese and prosciutto, a "hands-on" experience indeed. Appropriately, the discussion turned to the erotic power of hands, the electric shock of hands brushing “by accident,” the intoxication of caresses...and why it is everything tastes better with pork!
Wednesday January 28--Soup

The ever-effervescent Jeremy Edwards and his co-host Helia Brookes welcomed us TV-style, in color-coordinated outfits, and they needed no laugh track to keep us chuckling. Over glasses of Fishnet Creek Old Vine Zinfandel, we stretched out our stocking-clad legs and sipped a voluptuous and spicy mushroom soup, perfect for a winter's day. The talk turned to literature and our earliest erotic influences. Our hosts asked us: "Do you remember moments of puzzlement, growing understanding, or arousal from reading? Did you ask an adult or a friend about it, or keep it as your secret? Did you have favorite passages you revisited for the pleasure they brought?" Click on over to the soup course to share in the confessions.

Thursday January 29—Fish

Neve Black whisked us off to Roxanne’s Brazilian Bungalow, the home of her literary alter-ego who’s sampled the bedroom skills of every man in the zodiac. During this South American idyll we listened to Astrud Gilberto sing “The Girl from Ipanema” as we sipped Caipirinhas and sampled spicy swordfish muqueca. Neve and Roxanne nudged us into a little reminiscence. “What's been your most memorable sexual zodiac sun sign experience?" In my case, I didn’t know where to begin….

Friday January 30--Meat Entrée

I knew my co-host, Kirsten Monroe, would know exactly what to do with raw flesh and I was not disappointed. With the click of the mouse we traveled from the beach to the Mojave Desert. The dress code was "naked" and before she womaned the blazing grill, Kirsten mesmerized us with a podcast of the story of “How the Mango Became Sweet.” Appetites aroused, we dug in to spice-rubbed lamb chops with chipotle cherry Pinot sauce and Peruvian Potato Dumplings with Tomato & Chile Mole Ragout, all perfectly complemented by some Torii Mor Pinot and Temptation Zin. Then Hell on Heels Burlesque Review took the stage in a memorable display of the art of pasties while we, too, exposed desires deeper than flesh when Kirsten queried: "What are your most dangerous and delicious wishes as an eroticist, as a writer? What is your Holy Grail as an artist?" I for one discovered desires I didn't even know I had.
Saturday, January 31--Vegetarian entrée

Our next stop? Right here at Sex, Food, and Writing, or rather this was our point of departure for our journey to elegant Kyoto to sample some of Japan's uplifting Buddhist temple cuisine. Fine sake, a performance by geiko from Pontocho, and a taste of tofu with mushrooms and roasted pumpkin helped us adhere to The Middle Way. After dinner, we lounged in our yukata and perused erotic books from the eighteenth century, which were once given as wedding gifts to wealthy young ladies to instruct them in the marital arts. (That's "marital" not "martial"!) Our topic for discussion? "Where and when did you encounter your first “how to do the deed” book? Do you have a favorite? Ones you find fitting for critique? Which sex manuals are on your bookshelf right now?" What would your answers be?
Monday, February 2--Salad

Next we put on our pink sequins and tuxes for a trip to Emerald’s Green Light District to give a boost to our stamina with some spinach salad full of goodies like yellow tomatoes, cranberries and pine nuts--served in green glass bowls, of course. To the accompaniment of “Any Colour You Like” by Pink Floyd we sipped Whaling Banshees and contemplated two lovely views by the magic of the blogosphere—one of flowers in bloom, the other of a forest dressed in snow. Our blood racing with the elixir of nature's bounty, Emerald turned the conversation to the seasons: "Which season do you find sexiest? Any particular one? Do you feel like the seasons influence your sexual experience? Seasonal memories you want to share? Or if you’re feeling ambitious, tell me what you think is sexy about each season." Join us for some of the most poetic writing of the feast amidst the greenery.
Tuesday, February 3—Dessert

A confession--as much as I enjoyed every feast, every nibble of nourishment, a little voice was always whispering, save room for dessert! Sommer Marsden satisfied my desires to perfection with her multiple desserts, multiple obsessions and a wonderfully engaging discussion of fantasy fucks. I had a long list to begin with and added a few after indulging in heirloom cheesecake, Perfect Peanut Clusters (to compliment the perfect lovers) and Popcorn Cake for the kid in us all. Who is your fantasy fuck? You don't have to limit yourself to one--none of us did....
Wednesday, February 4--Truffles and Whisky

By the last course, we were all basking in the afterglow of indulgence and our host Nikki Magennis chose the perfect way to cater to our needs. She welcomed us to bonny Castle Comeagain in the wilds of Scotland--all men in kilts please (which was a mouthwatering vision in itself with so many lads of Scottish descent among us). As we lounged by the fire, to the sounds of gentle guitar music and poetry, comely serfs massaged our feast-weary shoulders. Nikki poured us coffee, which we could spike with a smooth, honey-flavoured Balvenie from Speyside. I took my whisky neat, and suddenly felt energized to help make heart-shaped cherry brandy truffles and crystallized cape gooseberries, which I popped into guests' mouths with abandon. Between bites we considered questions that served as the fitting conclusion to our feast, yet looked forward to further pleasures as well: "What does the future hold for erotica? What would you like to see happen, in the genre itself and in your own work? Look into the flames and tell me what you see …." Ghosts, shadows, dreams, come join our discussion with some of your own.

And now, bellies full, libidos satisfied, I want thank you all, hosts, guests (both quiet and chatty) and fellow sensualists for a truly fabulous feast!

John Updike Made Me Do It

It’s one of life’s many ironies that we earn the most praise for our deeds after we’re dead. This is particularly true of writers. Since John Updike’s death from lung cancer at 76 on January 27th, his books have been topping the charts at Amazon, which, no doubt was not the case on January 26th.

John Updike is undoubtedly one of the best-known American writers of the later twentieth-century, a member of the coveted New Yorker “first-read contract” elite. What he is perhaps best known for is writing about sex. Updike managed to write a lot of sex--sell millions of paperbacks in airports and drugstores to non-literary readers--and yet still maintain his standing of artistic respectability.

At the X: The Erotic Treasury reading at Books Inc. last Thursday, Susie Bright said that John Updike influenced the way we write erotica today. I know he influenced me, although in complex ways. My parents’ copies of Couples and the Rabbit Books were indeed some of my first exposures to erotic scenes (The Godfather being the very first, of course). And Updike was inarguably a master of prose. Andrew Sullivan wrote recently: “I do not recall ever reading a bad Updike sentence.” I agree.

But I have read Updike passages and stories that rubbed me very much the wrong way. The “wrong” part was never the style, but rather the point of view, specifically the honest POV of a white male born in the 1930s.

I can’t tell you how glad I am to be part of MY generation instead. Our moms had it tough and it’s not just John Updike who harbored the sexist, belittling attitude toward women. You can see this in “Mad Men,” and in countless grandpas still holding the standard of the Greatest Generation. A number of them have told me I'm a bad writer--for some reason, I've gotten my nastiest criticism from old guys, many of whom have just started writing themselves. The first few times I was devastated, but I'm getting better at dealing with the WWII crowd.

But I digress. For a while there I would get really pissed at Updike’s male protagonists, their arrogance, their supposed celebration of female sexuality but only if the woman was compliant and bovine. Intellectual women were strident, neurotic, punished with diseases and divorce. I kept wondering if John Updike were writing as himself (Joyce Carol Oates famously called Rabbit Angstrom “John Updike without the talent.”) Eventually though I decided it didn’t matter if the annoyingly retro male narrators were actually Updike or not. He was giving me an honest portrait of an elite, suburban American male of the mid-twentieth century. I didn’t have to like him or agree with him, but it was interesting to get a glimpse into his view of the world. And with publications in The New Yorker and Playboy, he was certainly part of our culture's collective imagination.

When the call for Jolie du Pre’s Swing!: Adventures in Swinging by Today’s Top Erotica Writers went out last summer, I knew I wanted to work with her, but I wasn’t exactly an expert on the topic. However, I did have a wealth of memories of John Updike’s fiction and memoirs that lay glittering in my brain like unmined treasure. And so I turned to his work as inspiration for my story, “John Updike Made Me Do It,” just as my protagonist channels him to inspire her own experiment in partner swapping. You can read an excerpt at Jolie’s Swing! blog, in honor of John Updike and his literary legacy "King of Sex and Suburbia" (and compare my prose to Updike’s scene which won him a “Bad Sex in Fiction Award.” I’d be worried I might suffer by comparison, but I think you have to be famous to be considered for that honor.)

Swing! is coming out soon and has a wonderful list of contributors, including Neve Black, M. Christian, Jolie du Pre, Jeremy Edwards, Emerald, Ashley Lister, and Sage Vivant among others. I can’t wait to read the stories! No doubt they will enrich my sense of possibility beyond the realm of Updike. For indeed although a writer of his stature may achieve immortality, death brings inevitable limitations to a vision rooted firmly in the past.

Ipanema Idyll

Mmmmm, this caipirinha is very tasty and it goes perfectly with this spicy fish stew! Sorry for the late start, I'm on Brazil time, taking it easy on the terrace overlooking the beach in Ipanema. There's music, there's stargazing, and as always the genial conversation is both pleasurable and educational. I now know that my Chinese astrological sign is the metal ox, like Barack Obama. We're the sign of "hard work brings achievement." Let's hope so!

If you're looking for some enlightenment or just a great plate of swordfish stew in some good company, head over to Neve Black's where she and frisky astrologer Roxanne are hosting today's stop on our blog progressive dinner.

This party is knocking my socks off--good thing I'm at the beach!

Seducing Every Man in the Zodiac with Neve Black

Today is truly a day of good tidings for my fellow eroticists!

I am so excited to announce the publication of Neve Black’s debut novel, Sex Through the Zodiac. I just love the premise of the novel—the protagonist, Roxanne, an astrology cognoscenti, decides that 2009 will be the year she gains more intimate knowledge of each zodiac sign by having sex with all twelve signs in the coming (no doubt over and over again) year.

I’m even more excited about soaring along on this starry literary journey with the ambitious Roxanne. As I raise my champagne flute to Neve’s inauguration into the ranks of novelists, I have to smile at my own fascination with astrology over the years. I don’t believe in it and yet, well, there are some curious coincidences. I am a bit of your classic Capricorn—slow and steady, with a calm, not to say boring, exterior hiding a passionate core. My husband is a textbook Libra, always seeing both sides of a question, very artistic in spite of his job description as software engineer. I’m not an expert on the topic in any sense, but I still do have my dog-eared and very retro vintage-1980 copy of How To Seduce Any Man in the Zodiac, which was the source of much useful advice, not to mention comfort in my college days.

Out came the book as soon as I had the slightest amorous interest in a guy (birthdays were easy to determine because of Princeton’s proto-Facebook, a directory of students with photo, hometown, high school and birthdate). First I turned to the section on “how to get his attention.” Then of course I had to read about his strengths and weaknesses and how to keep his attention (if it ever got that far). With this “battle plan to conquer his heart,” I worked my way through a number of the zodiac signs that way, but there are still a few gaps in my roster (Aries, Gemini, Sagittarius). I know Neve will fill me in on what I’m missing in more ways than one.

By the way, not only am I a Capricorn with my moon in Libra, but my Libra husband has a moon sign of Capricorn. This has proven to be a good match—and yes, I did consult the Libra chapter to plot my strategies. So far, so good. But I’m very sure Sex Through the Zodiac will give me updated twenty-first century insights to keep things heavenly!

Juicy Whisperings in Your Ear

The Fourth of July marked a weekend of great discoveries and accomplishments. First the discovery, Neve Black highlighted a scientific report about chemical compound found in watermelon that acts similarly to Viagra. Good news for Independence Day partiers, but bad news for the drug companies? To my mind, the greater discovery is Neve's blog and her sexy writing!

Then today, my trusty technical adviser set me up to record my very first podcast! In honor of the high-summer holiday, I decided to start with a reading of my July column for the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, "Naked at the Farmer's Market," you know, something juicy but not too intense. Like every erotic artist, I believe it's best to warm up your audience slowly.

So, if you want to hear me praise melons in my very own voice, check out my podcast. Feedback is very welcome. Should I keep making podcasts? Record an excerpt from Amorous Woman perhaps so you can hear Lydia's voice as I did? Let me know what you think!