Peep Show author interview with Angela Caperton

How did you come up with the idea for your story in Peep Show?

My partner Drake is fascinated by sexy popular culture from the mid 20th Century – pulp magazines, exploitation films, and pin-up art. He’s always sharing his finds with me, so when I saw the collection title, Peep Show, it was natural for me to try and write something set back in that “Golden Age” of pin-up art and photography. I imagined a girl, innocent of her own sexuality, seduced by the power of erotic imagery into taking some chances and exposing herself. From there, the story mostly wrote itself.

Did the story change as you were writing it from your original conception of it?

The twist at the end came to me while I was writing it. My original concept was more romantic.

What’s your favorite line or paragraph from your story?

Probably this one. I think I caught something of the essence of tease in it.

All the time, the other five men clicked intently, spellbound as she was, their cameras touching her, chasing the light along her curves, fondling her breasts and bringing the nipples to explosive sensitive peaks, molding the tight curve of her thighs and hips. She turned before them, showing her bare bottom, aware that if she bent only a little, they would see the spread lips of her treasure.

But she kept that from them.

Is your Peep Show story similar to or different from your usual erotic writing style?

I am slowly learning all the different voices I have inside me (did that sound psychotic?) but for the most part, I really write two kinds of story, mostly depending on whether I am writing for an erotic market or a romantic one. I love writing both kinds, but erotic stories are a little less bound by convention. “Calendar Girl” is similar to my other erotic work. I have a story coming up in the indie pulp mag Out of the Gutter that is, in some ways, the counterpoint to this story – more about voyeurism than exhibitionism.

What do you think is sexy about exhibitionism and/or voyeurism?

So many things…

I believe all writers and artists are voyeurs. We spend much of our time watching the world and interpreting it in our heads and hopefully in our work and turning the fantasies into words or art. Exhibitionism is at least in part about the promise of aesthetic fulfillment and, when we’re lucky, erotic fulfillment, as well. The standard belief is that men are more aroused by visual stimulation than women, but I know a lot of women – including myself – who are turned on by a good-looking guy or girl showing some skin and, of course, the perfect pairing may well be a voyeur who enjoys looking and an exhibitionist who enjoys showing off. It’s wonderful foreplay.

If you care to answer, are you more of a voyeur, exhibitionist, or neither? Do you think there’s something inherently exhibitionistic about writing, especially writing erotica?

I am probably more of an exhibitionist than a voyeur. Although I appreciate naked people and I am sometimes turned on by explicit visual erotica, it’s not something I pursue often. I have a little bit of experience with exhibitionism and it is a turn-on, but again, not something I have done often. And, sure, writing erotica is exhibitionistic though many of my characters do things I would never do. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t fantasize about them…

What are you working on next?

Several things. I love writing short stories for specific markets, including your books. I find the submission calls irresistible (make of that what you will!) and they stimulate me to think of stories that I might not ever write otherwise. I’m also working on a couple of pieces that would probably be best categorized as erotic horror. Finally, when other urges don’t compel me, I’m making good progress on a sequel to my Eppie-winning erotic fantasy, Woman of the Mountain. The sequel is called Woman of the Water and it’s more focused on dominance and submission than the first book. I’m having a lot of fun writing it.

See also: guest post "Visually Aroused" by Angela Caperton on Bettie Page and her story inspiration.

Born in Virginia and later raised on a sailboat, Angela Caperton (“Calendar Girl”) has traveled extensively and appreciates the world in all its forms. Her erotic fantasy, Woman of the Mountain, won the 2008 Eppie for Best Erotica, and she has short stories in Lust at First Bite and Girls on Top.

Below is an excerpt from "Calendar Girl" by Angela Caperton. To read the whole story, check out Peep Show: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists. Read excerpts from all 18 stories in Peep Show by clicking here.

Charlie appeared like a genie to take the roses and she stood and walked to the screen, her breath faster and the line between her legs sodden and dripping. Desi paused beside the screen, looking at the lurid curtains and the sofa, like something in a sultan’s harem. She thought of the Arabian Nights and the woman who kept herself alive by telling stories, by enchanting a man with her talents.

She thought of April and her nipples tightened.

She shed her blouse, camisole and bra without hesitation, and before she put the blouse back on, she looked at the costumes on hangers behind the screen. Some of the shining fantasies were no bigger than her hand, and her nipples grew as hard as marbles as she imagined herself in glossy black and white, shining patches of satin. She stole a glimpse of herself in the mirror, unable to look directly at her image, the rising curves with dark rigid tips, and her face that of the woman in Bobby’s photos.

She slipped on the sheer blouse and buttoned it to the place Mr. Bentley had asked for, aware of every place the linen touched her, its cling no more than mist, but intense as a warm finger. She stepped from behind the screen, her blood pulsing in her ears, her throat, and her treasure. Almost giddy, she walked toward the men and their cameras.