Sizzling Sex at Work!

Mischief Books' sizzling sex-at-work anthology, Improper Conduct: Misbehaviour at Work, has gotten a promotion to a gorgeous new cover, but my story, "Model Employee," is still the teaser sample.  So head on over to Mischief for a sneak peek, or why not just go ahead and buy yourself a copy? (Amazon UK readers, shop here).  Who doesn't fantasize about defiling the sanctity of the workplace with some sexual self-indulgence?

Football Lovers: A Woman’s Guide to Enjoying a Rough, Manly Sport

The pro football season is in full swing, so there’s no better time to talk about the inspiration for “10 a.m. Kickoff,” my mid-morning offering for the pleasures-round-the-clock anthology Morning, Noon and Night: Erotica for Couples, edited by Alison Tyler.

I know there are women who’ve been raised on football and love it for the sport alone, but I’ll confess I’m not one of them.  I come from a family of three sisters, and our preferred activities were dancing, ice skating, and tennis, cute outfits required.  On Sunday afternoons, my father might occasionally sneak off to watch a football game on TV.  Now and then I joined him.  I always asked if he liked the white or dark team better (we had a black-and-white TV way past the time most of my friends’ families had switched to color), and try as I might, I never quite figured out how a first down worked.

I decided football was strictly for boys.

Then I met my future husband in the fall of 1985.  He's from Chicago.  Football fans will know that this was an unforgettable, historic time for a Chicago Bears fan.  He didn’t miss a game that season, although of course, living in California, he watched it on TV (a tiny black-and-white set he’d bought for $99 on a student budget).  I didn’t miss a game either, and I loved every minute of it.  Part of it was because he patiently explained all the basic and finer points of the game to me as we watched.  Part of it was that I came to appreciate the human drama of each player’s story.  Amusingly, I felt a special bond with coach Mike Ditka, who, like me, grew up near Pittsburgh, was an English major and chewed gum when he was stressed out.

But I’ll be honest.  The real reason I came to enjoy football so very much is that the two of us watched it as we lay in bed, skin to skin.  This excerpt from my story will give you a taste of how I became a football fan.  For couples who find themselves drifting apart come autumn--the man glued to the TV, the woman hoping his favorite team does not make the play-offs—well, why don’t you try our method for making football a mutually pleasurable activity?

From “10 a.m. Kickoff” in Morning, Noon, and Night:

The announcer’s voice rose in excitement.  Alex’s body tensed again.  He let out a sigh of victory and relaxed into the mattress.  I used that as an excuse to rock my hips forward, grinding my clit against his leg.

Alex glanced down at me with a faint frown.  He had to be aware how aroused I was.  I could feel my slickness as my pussy skated up and down over his skin.

His hand crept toward me, and I thought, for a stomach-churning moment, that he was going to push me away.  Instead he brushed my nipple through my nightshirt, then took the stiff tip between his fingers and tweaked it.

A jolt of electric pleasure shot straight to my groin. I moaned aloud into his shoulder.

He laughed softly.  Then let me languish there, unattended, while he swore at the ref’s bad call.

How the hell was I going to keep his attention on me instead of that damn game?  Desperate for an ally, I curled my fingers around his hard cock.  It twitched in solidarity.

Alex looked down at me again, as if deciding what to do.  Then he did push me away, rearranging our bodies so I was on my back and he was on his side.  One hand slipped around my shoulders to caress my breast, the other cupped my mons.  Caught in his embrace, I’d lost my power to control my own stimulation.  His cock, too, was safe from the temptations of my wandering hands.

“You be a good girl until half time,” he warned, his eyes still fixed on the TV screen.

I whimpered in protest, but could do little but surrender to my fate.

Which wasn’t as bad as it seemed at first.  Alex didn’t ignore me completely.  He doled out bits of pleasure between plays like single kernels of buttered popcorn.  A palm circling over a nipple here, an idle stroking of my slit there.  Just enough to get me arching up and breathing fast.  Gradually we established little rituals of celebration.  A first down for his team earned my breasts a few hot kisses.  A touchdown won me a spirited clit strumming that brought me almost to the verge—before his fingers retreated to the remote to check the game on the other channel.

After a while, my lust hovered at a steady simmer even through the breaks.  Yet each new ministration raised the temperature a few degrees until my flesh seemed to melt into a puddle of pussy juice beneath my ass.

At long last, half time arrived.....

 

Donna George Storey is the author of Amorous Woman, a semi-autobiographical tale of an American’s sexual awakening in Kyoto, which will change your image of Japan—and erotica--forever.  Her adults-only tales have appeared in over 150 journals and anthologies including Penthouse, Best Women’s Erotica, The Mammoth Book of Erotica Presents the Best of Donna George Storey, and The Big Book of Bondage.

Learning to Say "Yes" to Sex

I have a lot to be thankful for this month, including a recent visit to Beyond Romance, the blog of Lisabet Sarai, with my post "Discovering Sex and Self in a Foreign Land."  Lisabet's novel Raw Silk was one of the inspirations for my novel, Amorous Woman, so it's a special pleasure to be her guest. 

In this post, I discuss perhaps the master narrative of erotica:  an innocent woman's discovery of sexual pleasure.  Let's face it, even in our supposedly sex-saturated age, we are all bombarded with messages about the dangers of sexual desire, but women particularly still run the risk of being slut-shamed at any sign of erotic curiosity or pleasure.  The excerpt I posted at Lisabet's blog represents my protagonist's first moment of awakening--that saying "yes" does not mean the sky will fall on your head.  On the contrary, it can well be the first step on a wonderful journey.

Sex Around the Clock

The season of excitement and revels draws nigh, and for me the fun begins tomorrow with the inaugural stop on the blog tour for Morning, Noon and Night: Erotica for Couples, edited by Alison Tyler, one of erotica's greatest!  The anthology takes you on an around-the-clock tour of erotic adventure, and you'll be inspired every step of the way.  For example, my story, "10 a.m. Kickoff," shows that a mid-morning football game can be much sexier than you ever imagined.  Follow the tour and tune in here on Saturday, November 17 for some hints on how to make football a sport to love for men and women alike!

1/13 Alison Tyler
11/14 Sasha White
11/15 Vida Bailey
11/16 Cheyenne Blue
11/17 Donna George Storey
11/18 Aisling Weaver
11/19 Teresa Noelle Roberts
11/20 Cora Zane
11/21 Angell Brooks
11/22 Justine Elyot
11/23 Kristina Lloyd
11/24 Preston Avery
11/25 Ashley Lister
11/26 Victoria Janssen
11/27 Always Each Other
11/28 Tamsin Flowers hosts Jeremy Edwards
11/29 Tenille Brown
11/30 Kat Watson
12/1 Alison Tyler
12/2 Sommer Marsden

Power to Pleasure: Cheeky Spanking Stories

 

It’s getting chilly outside, and I can think of no better way to warm yourself than by cuddling up with a copy of CheekySpanking Stories, edited by spanking diva, Rachel Kramer Bussel.  I’m the proud contributor of the story “The Assignment,” and I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at my inspiration for this particular spanking scenario.

While I appreciate the physical rush of a nice slap on the butt cheeks, the psychological aspects of spanking especially fascinate me as a writer.  I can get plenty excited just talking about spanking, and indeed, I realize now that all of the stories I’ve written on this theme focus on a loving, lingering verbal seduction.  I believe the power play of spanking reaches deep into our pasts, when the world was populated by so many authority figures.  We knew we had to please them, but were never quite sure of the rules or reasons behind their commands.  Their ghosts linger, but as adults, our clever minds find ways to translate frustration, subordination and surrender into sensual pleasure.  That transformation is certainly part of the magic of spanking for me.

“The Assignment,” is very much about a transformation from power games to pleasure.  A young journalist, Tamara Patterson, is assigned to write an article about spank daddies and gradually finds herself pulled into her own story when she encounters the sexy Dr. Richard Armstrong.  The story is very much about the power of words, from personal ad that sparks her curiosity, to the spanking questionnaire Dr. Armstrong requires of his clients, to the means by which the protagonist balances the exchange of power to achieve her own happy ending.

This particular story has been brewing for quite a while in my imagination.  Some twenty years ago, I was lying in a hotel bed in Knightsbridge, London, trying to get over jet lag by reading the personal ads in a free newspaper.  A relative innocent, I was rather shocked when I came across an ad by a fifty-year old man who was seeking young women who liked to have their bottoms spanked.  What kind of woman would actually answer this ad, I wondered.  I would never, ever go off to meet such a man in real life, but what if... this older man were very attractive and intelligent?  What if he looked into my eyes and knew my deepest desires?   What if he desired something only I could give him in return?

“The Assignment” is my answer to these questions.  In closing, I’d like to offer a brief excerpt from the story.  In this scene, Tamara has come to Dr. Armstrong’s office expecting to interview him, but he first insists she complete a survey about her own background and sexual fantasies.  Reluctantly, for the sake of her profession, she agrees.

From “The Assignment”:

The assignment completed, I passed the clipboard back to Dr. Armstrong with a shrug.

He glanced over my responses, then flashed me a very warm smile.  “Thank you for your cooperation.  I’ve had some unfortunate dealings with interviewers, and this was my way of testing your sincerity.  I’m at your service now, but I do hope it was valuable for you to get a sense of what it’s like to be a new client.”

I had to laugh.  “Actually I did learn a lot.  How do your real clients deal with such intimate questions?”

“The women who come to me are confident in their desires.  They enjoy being dominated and appreciate my professional approach to establishing the parameters of my services.”

“Indeed, while we’re on that topic, Doctor, exactly what type of services do you provide?”

He leaned back in his chair, clearly relishing the chance to elaborate on his area of expertise.  “That varies with the client and her level of experience.  Many novices are satisfied with verbal chastisement culminating in a mild administration of the hand or paddle, just enough to keep them remembering the session for the rest of the day.  The more seasoned veterans have built up a tolerance and seek variety in the implements—crops, canes, belts, hairbrushes.  They appreciate my specialty--maximum sensation with minimal marking—especially if their partners are unaware of their sessions with me, although I’m confident my therapy has a positive effect beyond this office.  A select group of special clients are permitted to request additional services.  For example, I’ll allow them to masturbate in my presence after their spanking or let them perform fellatio on me, if the request falls within the proper guidelines.”

I immediately pictured a naked woman with a rosy bottom kneeling before the doctor to take his stiff cock in her mouth.  Flustered by the obscene image, I spoke without thinking.  “I see.  Do you also have intercourse with these ‘special clients,’ Doctor?” 

Armstrong’s serene expression immediately darkened.  “Ms. Patterson, you are showing your appalling ignorance of the type of eroticism I offer here.  Spanking is an art, not a cover for male prostitution.”

My face flamed with embarrassment at my faux pas, exactly the kind of cheap journalism he wanted to avoid.  “I’m so sorry, Dr. Armstrong.  That was terribly insensitive of me.”

My hasty apology seemed to placate him.  “Perhaps we can avoid such misunderstandings in the future if you look over some of the introductory materials I give to my first-time clients?”

I nodded vigorously.  “I look forward to learning more.” 

“Then this is a good time to take a break.  Can we follow up tomorrow afternoon at this same hour?”

“I appreciate the second chance, Doctor.”

Escorting me to the reception area, the doctor told his assistant to “give Ms. Patterson the introductory reading and An Education.”  With a final nod to me, he disappeared into his office. 

Smirking, the woman walked over to a well-stocked bookshelf in the corner of the room.  The first book she handed over was a slim paperback with a plain blue cover entitled Dr. Armstrong’s Joy of Spanking.  It was the second, however, that made my eyes practically pop out of my head.  The glossy cover was a photograph of a woman’s bare buttocks, a plaid skirt hiked to her waist and white cotton panties pushed down her thighs.  The voluptuous ass cheeks were marked by a red handprint, but most shocking of all were the exposed labia, pink and pouting and glistening with arousal. The title was written in neon pink:  An Education for Samantha by Anonymous.

Blushing fiercely, I shoved the books into my briefcase and rushed out the door.

Musings of a Dreamer

When I was a child, I saw November as but an empty space between Halloween and Christmas.  But in the past few years, it's come to be my favorite month, perhaps because it is an oasis of relative quiet between two busy family holidays.  There's another reason I love November, though, because that's when I make my delicious Lover's Favorite Grand Marnier Cranberry Relish.  Today I discuss this special holiday treat, erotica writing, and more over at Rhonda Laurel's blog, "Musings of a Dreamer."  Rhonda is a fellow contributor to All-Romance Ebooks' Passionate Cooks recipe collection (which is absolutely free to download!) and has been a cordial hostess.

I recommend the cookbook--all of the recipes are favorites from erotica and erotic romance writers--but if you'd like a head start on the cranberry relish, here's how I make it.  The canned jelly sauce might always have a place on your table out of nostalgia, but I guarantee this new way to dress up cranberries will delight your palate!

First I chop 1 1/2 cups walnuts in a food processor, but not too fine to give the relish character.  I put the nuts in a large storage bowl, then pick through two bags of fresh cranberries to get 12 ounces of unbruised, healthy red berries.  These get chopped fine in the food processor and added to the nuts.  I put two peeled and cored Pippin apples into the chopper, then add them to the bowl along with 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier (or Curacao) and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  The relish needs to age overnight, but then it's ready to eat.  It will keep well for weeks but it never lasts that long.

Amorous Woman Gracefully Illustrated

Halloween is over, but the excitement continues with a very special guest appearance at K.D. Grace's blog: "An Amorous Woman's Exotic Journey: The Storey Behind the Story."  I talk about some of the settings that inspired scenes in my novel, Amorous Woman, and share evocative photos from my last trip there with my family a few years ago.  Plus you can enjoy some steamy excerpts from my favorite scenes.  So head on over to K.D. Grace's "A Hopeful Romantic" for your own armchair trip to a Japan few tourists ever see!

Halloween in the Castro!

Happy Halloween!  I've always loved this holiday because it combines two of my favorite activities--dressing up and pretending to be someone else for a short time, and, of course, eating lots of sweets.  This Halloween is extra special because my story, "Halloween in the Castro," is live at the wonderful erotica website, Oysters and Chocolate (perfect snacking for Halloween, eh?)

Back in 1985, I actually attended the neighborhood part in the Castro with some friends, and the memories are so vivid, this story was actually quite easy to write.  It was my first year in the Bay Area, and I can think of no better introduction to the playful, irreverent spirit of this wonderful place.  The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were particularly inspiring!  As the years went by, the party became so rowdy, the police put a stop to it, so this is a nostalgic look back in more ways than one.  I also take a teasing jab at the fact Halloween costumes for women, at least the ones you see in the stores, can pretty much be divided into some kind of witch or some kind of slut (sexy pirate, sexy French maid, sexy hippie, sexy sexy woman, etc.).  But on occasion, that's not such a bad thing, is it?  Read my story and you'll see what I mean.  Oh, I'd appreciate your vote, just click on those stars at the end of the story!

Want Some Free Love?

Hey, if you're like me, you love free things.  Free samples.  Buy one get one free.  Free books.  And best of all, a free cookbook!  I'm very excited to announce that my recipe for "Lover's Favorite Cranberry Relish" appears in All Romance Ebooks' FREE cookbook, "Passionate Cooks."  Each recipe was contributed by a different erotica or erotic romance author, writers whose sensuality embraces both food and sex--a very delicious combination indeed.  My fresh cranberry relish is the perfect treat for Thanksgiving and includes a generous kick of Grand Marnier, guaranteed to seduce your guests.  So, hop on over to All Romance Ebooks and start cooking.  Remember, it's absolutely free!

Why Are We Still So Scared of Sex?

Boy, do these months fly by!  It's time for my new column, "Uppity Vaginas and Educational Porn," at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association blog, and I have juicy topic today.  While we're constantly bombarded with sexual images to shock us out of our twenty-first-century stupor so we'll buy stuff, "serious" journalists and commentators still treat sexuality with a mixture of fear, contempt, and ridicule.  Witness The New Yorker review of Naomi Wolf's new book, Vagina: A New Biography.  I haven't read the book, but I am amazed at the response.  Over the top snark--but why?  If it's simply a bad book, whom does it threaten?  The New York Times is less obviously sex-phobic in their profile of Cindy Gallop, a woman who is starting a website for realistic videos of sexual encounters, but they still feel the need to focus on her far-out fashion and boy-toy lair.  Unlike me, I guess she looks like an erotica writer!

If you get a chance to read, let me know what you think.

Eternal Inspiration for Your Writing

This month, my "Cooking Up a Storey" column at ERWA explores "Eternal Inspiration:The "How's" and "Why's" of Genre and Gingerbread."  I discuss how those two simple questions will provide a lifetime of material for your writing, how all good stories are mysteries, and why gingerbread stays delicious forever.  Check it out--and consider baking yourself a batch of Honey Cake Squares soon!

Violet Blue Recommends the Best of Donna George Storey

What a great way to start the week--Violet Blue has recommended my short story collection, Picture Perfect: The Mammoth Book of Erotica Presents the Best of Donna George Storey in her column, "Kink Your Kindle."  I'm in the company of many awesome erotica writers such as Elizabeth Coldwell, N.T. Morley, Sommer Marsden, and Alison Tyler.  Violet Blue knows her erotica, so this is quite an honor.  And what better way to celebrate the season of chilly days than to curl up with a nice, hot book!

The Best of Donna George Storey!

The writing life is all about stories, both the stories we tell and the stories we tell ourselves about the writing process itself.  I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember--since first grade at least--but realizing that dream took a few more decades.  And of course, I had no idea at age six what sort of stories I'd be publishing!  That realization came about fifteen years ago as I was reading The Mammoth Book of International Erotica, edited by Maxim Jakubowski.  I'd read some literary erotica, like Anais Nin (whom I liked) and Henry Miller (whom I didn't), but this anthology included such a variety of voices, all of them good in their distinctive way, that I was inspired to try and write an explicit, sexy story myself.  I hoped I would be published eventually if I worked hard, but even with my fertile imagination, I never would have guessed this day would come:  a short story collection of my own, Picture Perfect: Mammoth Books Presents the Best of Donna George Storey.

The ebook brings together six of my stories that have been published in previous volumes of the annual Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica.  I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that every story has special significance to me.  They indeed represent the best of my erotica writing throughout my career.

"Blinded," although revised over the years, was the very first erotic story I ever wrote.  It took me over a year to be satisfied enough to send it out to editors.  It was roundly rejected for about another year.  Then the editor of a small literary magazine, who also worked at Playboy's Cyber Club, wrote me to say he was accepting it for his journal and that what I'd written was far better than the stories he saw on the site.  Since then the story has been reprinted many times, thus it is fitting it should open my best-of collection.

"Picture Perfect" is the first story I wrote that appeared in print in Taboo: Forbidden Fantasies for Couples, edited by Violet Blue.  I really enjoyed writing this story as I discovered some of my own signature themes--exhibitionism, flouting authority, and the erotic power of creating your own sensual images in a society where we are constantly inundated with ideas of what others think is sexy.  I was really proud of the last line when I wrote it--and I still am!

"Just Words" first appeared in Violet Blue's Best Women's Erotica 2007.  I'm a huge fan of sexy dialogue.  Words alone can do a lot for me, which is not surprising for an erotica writer.  So I decided to try a phone sex story, and I'm quite happy with the result.  Join in the fun and you might even pick up a new bedroom trick or two....

"Spring Pictures" is the first erotic story I wrote that was set in Japan.  I've always been fascinated by shunga (literal translation: "spring pictures") or Japanese erotic prints with the swirling kimono and over-sized genitals.  A perk was that I could immerse myself in gorgeous shunga books to research this story.  I like the ending of this one, too, a sort of cross-lingual pun.  I told you I liked playing with words!

"Being Bobby" is based on a cute (I hope) habit of mine back in college of dressing up in my boyfriend's clothes.  Except in this story, the clothes have a mind of their own.  The setting as well as the teenage misdeeds are based on the dorms at Princeton, in particular Holder Hall, once known as the sophomore ghetto, where the bathrooms and showers were all located in the basement.  Cold going down there on a winter morning in your boyfriend's clothes....

Last and not least, "To Dance at the Fair" was first published in print in Rachel Kramer Bussel's Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women.  It's a special pleasure to have this story in my best-of book because it's one of my favorites.  For me sex is not just a physical act.  It's about fantasy and memory and mystery and connection.  This story explores those themes when a divorced female professor takes advantage of her new status to get closer to some old colleagues.

So, that's the rundown of Picture Perfect.  If you enjoyed the book, please consider writing an Amazon review and posting the same review on the publisher's website.  Also "liking" the Amazon page and adding votes for the tags is a nice way to help a struggling author put her best book cover forward on the Internet marketplace.

Talking BDSM with Justine Elyot

The fireworks continue today for me with my guest appearance at the delightful blog of Justine Elyot (aptly named "Guilty Pleasures") as part of the blog tour for Bound by Lust: Romantic Stories of Submission and Sensuality, edited by Shanna Germain.  Justine is one of my favorite erotica writers, so it was a special pleasure to hang out in cyberspace and chat about juicy topics like the reasons why sexual power play is such a hot theme, the inspiration for my Bound by Lust story "Spring Training," and just how far erotica writers should go in expressing their erotic fantasies.  Check out our discussion and check out the wonderful book!

The Perils of Publication

Happy July!  That means it's time for another installment of my column, Cooking Up a Storey over at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association.  This month I discuss the "Perils of Publication," namely how the focus on external validation can distract a writer from what's really important in the process.  Speaking for myself, it took far too long for me to examine my own assumptions about what publication and success in the marketplace means.  It's not an easy process, but the rewards are great--just as they are when you take on the complicated, but delicious recipe I highlight this month for Venetian cookies.  I always get rave reviews for these colorful treats, and many people have told me they are their favorite cookies ever.  Thin layers of almond cake sandwiched with apricot jam and glazed with semi-sweet chocolate--pure heaven.  So go ahead and take a bite!

Four Ways We're "Allowed" to Talk about Sex

It's time for another installment of "All About Pleasure" over at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association blog.  In this month's "Erotica Writers in Bondage," I was inspired to call out the ways the media and publishing industry constrain the discussion of sexuality to keep society safe from the disruptive dangers of carnal lust.  If you dutifully conform to any of these safe-sex approaches, you won't threaten anyone and your work will find its place in the proper category.  However, if you try to break free of these bonds in some way, people are going to be uncomfortable and upset.  But isn't that the mission of the serious writer?  Let me know what you think!

Bound By Lust in a Magical Setting!

This is why I love being an erotica writer.  This past Wednesday, on a lovely June evening, my husband and I scooted across the Bay Bridge in his vintage MR2, pulled into the garage at Mission and Fifth, and walked right into the Good Vibrations downtown store (very convenient if you're in Union Square and need to pick up a rabbit for the folks back home).  There was something so magical about the setting--sleek, jewel-colored dildoes on the wall, a fabulous collection of erotic books, rhinestone, encrusted silk handcuffs--already I was transported to another world, where people can speak freely and supportively about sexual desire.  That was, in fact, the reason I was here, to participate in a reading for the spanking-new BDSM romance anthology, Bound by Lust.


As I drew near the signing table, draped in a sparkly cloth that looked like a belly dancer's veil, I spotted the book's editor, Shanna Germain, looking every bit as lovely as she does in her film noir photos.  I've always been a big fan of Shanna's stories, which are always beautiful, risky and super hot, so it was a real thrill to meet her in person.  As the start time approached, the chairs were filled with the perfect San Francisco crowd.  You could tell from their eyes they were smart and open-minded!  Shanna began by reading Alison Tyler's lyrical foreword to the anthology--which starts off with a provocative quote by the most fun Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin:  "Lust knows not where Necessity ends."  Indeed.

I went next, reading the first two sections of my story "Spring Training."  The male partner is a baseball fan and sets up a special workout for his girlfriend.  References to the World Champion San Francisco Giants abound, and the audience was very appreciative.  Indeed it was the perfect setting in which to read the story as there's also reference to shopping for dildoes.  Then Shanna read from Sommer Marsden's intensely moving "Reclaiming Spring"--in keeping with the late spring theme of the evening.

Next came the Q & A, which can be a little unpredictable on occasion, but this group was great--lively, interested and supportive.  We finished off with a signing on the sparkly tablecloth.  The writing process can involve discouragement and struggle, but evenings like this, when I can connect with other writers I admire (erotica pioneer Thomas Roche was in the audience as well) and celebrate erotic storytelling, are what keep me going with a smile on my face--as you see in the photo above!

All About Pleasure: The Ultimate Writer's Romance

After fifteen years in the writing business, you'd think I'd be a total cynic when it comes to publishing.  Well, I thought I was until an encounter with a certain manuscript made me realize that I'm still a romantic deep down in my heart.  How about you?  Do you think the publishing marketplace brings us the best?  Does the market give us what we deserve?  Do you believe that good writing will always find a publisher?  Read my column, "The Ultimate Writer's Romance," and let me know what you think!

All About Pleasure: Beyond the “Wet Test”

We read erotica to get off, right?  That's why people always preface comments about my writing with, "I don't usually read this kind of stuff, but...."  Admitting you do read a lot of erotica is tantamount to a public proclamation you indulge in--gasp--self-pleasuring activities.  And I don't mean eating fine chocolate.

This month at the ERWA blog in "Beyond the 'Wet Test,'" I talk about the ways that assumption is often reflected in casual reviews of erotica anthologies.  And it's not that there's anything wrong with listing the stories you "like" best in an anthology.  It's just that sometimes it seems that's the chief means by which erotica is judged, so that it serves as a kind of code for what personally turns someone on.

You may disagree.  Read the post and let me know!

Write Like a Rock Star!

April is here, and with it arrives the second installment of my column at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, "Cooking Up a Storey." This month, in "Write Like a Rock Star: Making Magic on Stage, on the Page, and in the Kitchen," I share one of my most popular cookie recipes and the insights I've gained about how to reach an audience with your writing from watching kids perform on stage.  If you Google the term "rock star," you'll see that it's currently used for a wide variety of things not necessarily related to music: not only energy drinks, clothing, and other consumer goods, but also generally performing an activity in such a way that you rise above the ordinary with your energy and charisma.  I'd dismiss it as another symptom of our society's celebrity worship, except that my son plays in a rock-and-roll band, and I've come to appreciate all the hard work and skill that is involved in performing on stage.  But there's another--almost magical--ingredient that can be used by artists of every kind.  Check out my column, and see if you agree!