Email: rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com



 

Lusty Lady

BLOG OF RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL
Watch my first and favorite book trailer for Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica. Get Spanked in print and ebook

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Read my 91-year-old grandfather's Washington Post essay about veterans and PTSD

I could not be prouder that my 91-year-old ex-POW grandfather published his essay "Meet the 91-year-old whose wartime PTSD makes him the perfect guide for today’s veterans" yesterday in the Washington Post. Please read it and, if you're so inclined, share it. It's brave and honest and offers what I've long told him is a unique perspective as someone with PTSD from WWII who is using his history to help modern veterans.

normanwapofeb27

Labels: , , ,

Friday, February 27, 2015

I'm teaching Erotica and Sex Writing in one month, March 27th, at CatalystCon

Quick post to remind you that at CatalystCon East in Arlington, Virginia, held March 27-29, I'll be teaching my three-hour writing workshops on erotica and nonfiction sex writing (click here to register), drawing from my 15 years of writing erotica and editing over 50 anthologies, and close to that many writing sex essays, sex columns for the likes of The Village Voice, Penthouse, The Frisky and now, Philadelphia City Paper and DAME, along with pieces for publications such as Cosmopolitan, Elle.com, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Salon, Slate, Time.com and others. We will go in depth in each class and you will also get resources and market listings. Any questions? Email me at rachelkb at gmail.com with "Catalyst" in the subject line. I'm thrilled to connect with and meet so many people again at Catalyst, where I'll also be on the opening keynote panel, moderating a panel on sharing your sex life, and my books will be for sale by Red Emma's.

This all looks prettier on the CatalystCon site but I'm just doing a quick copy and paste:

Writing Workshops with Rachel Kramer Bussel

Erotica 101


Friday, March 27, 2015 9:15am-12:15pm
In this three hour workshop Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 50 erotica anthologies, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Cheeky Spanking Stories and Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. You’ll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, and using social media to promote your work and do outreach. She’ll also talk about submitting your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market, including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites. Please bring paper and writing implements or a laptop to use for in class writing exercises. A bibliography with erotica resources will be provided.

This class will take place on Friday, March 27, 2015 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page. Register here.

Pricing: $45

Note: Student discount does not apply to this workshop.

Sex Writing 101

Friday, March 27, 2015 1:30pm-4:30pm
In this three hour workshop, writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel will cover all you need to know about writing about sex, including blogging, first-person essays and journalism. You’ll learn how to ethically write about your love life, what editors are looking for, where to find experts on sexuality topics, and how to stay abreast of current sex news. Whether you’re looking to write a sex blog, column, articles or books, you’ll find out how to pitch, how much money you can expect to make, and how to maximize your editorial opportunities. The class will also cover branding yourself as a writer, using and selecting a good pseudonym, using social media to promote your work and do outreach, and how to pitch stories. Rachel has been a sex columnist for The Village Voice, Penthouse and The Frisky, and has written about sexuality for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Glamour, Inked, Salon, xoJane and many other publications. A resource list covering markets for sex-related pieces will be provided.

This class will take place on Friday, March 27, 2015 at the CatalystCon host hotel. You must purchase a ticket to this workshop separately from CatalystCon on the registration page. Register here.

Pricing: $45

Note: Student discount code does not apply to this workshop.

Special pricing for both workshops: $79

**Attendees who would like the opportunity to get feedback from Rachel on one piece of their own writing (3,000 words or less), to be submitted prior to the workshop can purchase this as an add on to either of the above workshops. Fee: $20

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Philadelphia dominatrix profile in this week's Philadelphia City Paper sex column

For my Philadelphia City Paper sex column this week, I profiled Philadelphia dominatrix Domina Devorah, talking about what her clients are like, favorite sessions, feminism and more. As always, especially since this is a weekly column, I welcome topic suggestions of people, pop culture news, events, fetishes, issues, etc. for future columns at rachelkb at gmail.com with "City Paper" in the subject line.

devorahcolumn
above photo by brickxbirch

And I forgot to share how happy I am that last week's pubic hair/Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue column made it onto the cover!

citypapercoverfeb19

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why I don't have time to blog about Blogger shutting down sex blogs

I do know that this blog could likely disappear very soon with Blogger's purge of sex blogs happening soon. I don't even really think I'd call it a sex blog, more of a personal/professional/whatever I'm thinking blog, but I know there has been nudity and other things that I'm sure would be against Google policy. (Do follow @violetblue on Twitter for essential postings about this, and see her original reporting on it. She's also got great advice about switching from Blogger to another host.)

To be honest, as much as politically I think what Google is doing is crazy and bizarre, personally, I haven't had much time to post on this blog anyway. I wish I did, but income-generating work has taken precedent, especially now when I am teaching my LitReactor class, promoting my next one in May and other events, prepping for CatalysCon, planning to make a splash with my second favorite anthology of mine, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica (sorry, The Big Book of Orgasms will always be my favorite), writing two sex columns and working on pieces for new for me publications, sadly, blogging has had to go by the wayside. Since I'm someone who right now feels like I'm working all the time, I don't anticipate that changing any time soon. TL:DR - I'm a little overwhelmed right now. Which is fine, but just doesn't leave much room for what feels less important than actual work deadlines. I'm trying to figure out how to better manage my time, but sometimes, you just have to work around the clock, and I'm grateful and honored to have the work to do so, because as a freelancer, I never know when any of my gigs will end.

So this blog may very soon go poof and disappear. My hope is that I can back it up. March is an incredibly busy month for me so I don't know that I will have time to truly look into an alternative, but if you find one day that this URL doesn't work, you can always find me on Twitter @raquelita, on Tumblr and via my newsletter. I'll have lots more writing to share very soon.

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Sex and making babies in my DAME column

I'm very proud of my latest DAME Shameless Sex column; I went over my usual word count (with permission) because my interviewees had so many fascinating things to say about sex for pleasure vs. sex for procreation. Thank you to everyone who spoke to me for this. I learned a lot! My working title was "When Sex Is For Making Babies" but I like the final one too: "Doing It Like It's Your Job." And yes, I know plenty of non-male/female couples work on having babies, but as I said, this column was already way too long, so I had to limit it somewhere. I've been thinking about this topic ever since I saw the play Giant Box of Porn last summer at Capital Fringe; the reason why is the opening of the column.

Damemakingbabies

Labels: , , , , , , ,

My Biggest Problem With Fifty Shades Of Grey, The Movie

My week is busy, to put it beyond mildly, so here's my latest for Thought Catalog, an overdue take on the movie of the moment: "My Biggest Problem With Fifty Shades Of Grey, The Movie."

Labels: , ,

Free sex toy erotica book offer ends March 15, 2015

Just a heads up that in order to keep my mailing manageable, I've set March 15, 2015 as the cutoff for requests for free copies of Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica for U.S. Amazon.com reviewers (or when I reach 100 requests). And yes, if I were a rich lady, I could send these to anyone anywhere in the world, but I'm not, so I have to limit this to those in the United States. The bonus is you get the book before it's in stores, and will have two months to review it (you should receive yours by the end of March, and I'm asking people to post their reviews by the end of May, aka Masturbation Month).

So get your requests in if you want this free book and are up for posting a review on Amazon. I'm working on a post about all the sex toys that are in the book, but I can tell you there are a few fictional ones as well as jangling nipple clamps, remote controlled vibrators, dildos, metal claws, a thigh harness, a sex doll and much more!

comeagaincover

Here's how to request your free book and more about this hot anthology:

1. By March 15, 2015, email sextoyantho at gmail.com with "Amazon" in the subject line AND your name, U.S. mailing address and URL of a previous Amazon.com review, which will look like this: http://www.amazon.com/review/RZR12JEVAAK0Z/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0062076000&nodeID=283155&store=books. Click on your review's title and then copy and paste the URL for it. If you can't do this, you can send the URL of your Amazon profile which has a link to your review(s).

2. I will reply to everyone, either confirming you are one of the first 100, or letting you know that you're not (and I will update this post once the 100 have been spoken for).

3. For the first 100, once you receive your book, please post an honest review on Amazon.com by May 31st.

4. That's it! Some other ways to follow and support the book: @comeagainbook on Twitter, our Facebook page and Tumblr. Come Again is also on Goodreads, where you can mark that you want to read it (thank you!) and rate it.

Email sextoyantho at gmail.com with any questions and thank you for reading.

Here's more information about Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica:

Table of contents and introduction:

Dare You To Jillian Boyd
The Prototype Malin James
Icy Bed J. Crichton
Surprise Katya Harris
The Superman Dildo E. Bellamy
Lost and Pounded Zee Giovanni
In the Pink Rob Rosen
Dalia’s Toy Corrine A. Silver
Vegetable Love Susan St. Aubin
The Cure for the Common Lay Valerie Alexander
Claws Out Rachel Kramer Bussel
Sex Kitten Errica Liekos
Standard of Care Sybil Rush
Bikery Oliver Hollandaize
Pencil Dick Kathleen Delaney-Adams
A Tale of Two Toys Chris Komodo
Prickles Elizabeth Coldwell
Gift Dena Hankins
Get Your Rocks Off Jocelyn Dex
Byrd and the Bees Kamala St. Deeds
The Secret Shopper Kitten Boheme
Must Love Dolls Giselle Renarde
Sex Sells Adriana Ravenlust
My Life as a Vibrator Livia Ellis

Introduction: Sex Toys Are Everywhere

I love sex toys, both the kinds you can find in sex shops and the kinds you can find pretty much anywhere. Because the truth is, anything can become a sex toy in the right hands, and Come Again proves that.

In these pages, you’ll read about vibrators, butt plugs, strap-on harnesses, dildos, nipple clamps, a sex doll and even a Superman dildo. But you’ll also read about characters so smitten with sex toys they’re willing to go to great lengths to create their own, whether it’s a special bike designed to make pedaling a woman’s favorite sport (in “The Bikery,” by Oliver Hollandaize) or an inflatable ball on a stick (as in “The Prototype,” by Malin James). Perhaps in the future, we’ll have sex toys like the orgasm machine being peddled in “Sex Sells,” by Adriana Ravenlust, or the Simulsphere that provides “The Cure for the Common Lay,” which Valerie Alexander so masterfully serves up.

Sex toys are a perfect complement to a kinky relationship, offering one person the power to control how the other uses his or her toys. In “The Secret Shopper,” by Kitten Boheme, the act of shopping takes on an extremely risqué overtone, while in “Sex Kitten,” by Errica Liekos, a tail and a transgression provide the perfect entrée to a hot scene.

Toys are a wonderful way for couples to double the fun, and that concept is taken to humorous and wonderful heights in “A Tale of Two Toys,” by Chris Komodo, in which the popularity of remote-control vibrators is celebrated. I was awed by the way Giselle Renarde detailed the romance, wonder and pleasure a Japanese sex doll brings to a couple sharing her as they expand their sexual repertoire. Are Honor and Tom having a threesome with Natsuki? In their own special way, yes indeed. Dena Hankins’s “Gift” shows that you’re never too old to explore a new toy.

Nature lovers will appreciate the ingenuity of “Vegetable Love,” by Susan St. Aubin and “Get Your Rocks Off,” by Jocelyn Dex, and I know I’ll be thinking about J. Crichton’s “Icy Bed” every time I take out ice cubes from my freezer.

You’ll find proud toy users and those whose private pleasures wind up being exposed in stories like “Dare You To,” by Jillian Boyd, where the jangling of nipple clamp bells is a little too loud for comfort, and “In the Pink,” by Rob Rosen, in which a masturbatory moment in the office turns into some hands-on sex education.

All of these stories celebrate sex toys for the ways they can shake up a routine, enhance an orgasm, transform an identity or simply add new delights to your sex life. Once you’re done reading, I’m pretty sure, like me, you’ll start seeing sex toys—or at least, potential sex toys—everywhere you go!

Rachel Kramer Bussel
Red Bank, New Jersey

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

I still love New York, even in freezing cold winter

Even though I believe moving out of New York and living in New Jersey has been why I'm doing well this year in my freelance writing career, I will always love New York and all that it has to offer. I still go there to get my pubic hair waxed and for manicures and pedicures, because I'm loyal and the prices are much cheaper. I go there for theater and food and friends. Yesterday I sat in a cozy theater on St. Mark's Place and escaped the cold for 45 minutes and was incredibly impressed; I'll be writing more about the show I saw, Cootie Catcher by Lucas Brooks, in next week's sex column. I loved New York because it is always full of the unexpected. I was craving dumplings, but Mimi Cheng's is closed on Mondays and I didn't have time to wait at other places. On my walk from the theater to the subway, I found a food truck that sold me 5 steaming hot spicy vegetable dumplings for just $3.50. I ate them as I shivered my way to the train.

Since I can't show you how cold it was, I will share a few snapshots from yesterday. I'm now back home and on deadline and very happy to have a warm office from which to do my work.

stained-glass

Pretty stained glass on a school; the kids playing nearby seemed oblivious to the cold. I wasn't.

stickysfingerjoint

Sticky's Finger Joint is an actual chicken finger restaurant on 8th Street in Manhattan.

uphueshearts

I discovered the artwork of Chris Uphues when I was living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and going to my favorite coffeeshop, Gimme Coffee, every day (I still miss that place and look forward to stopping in when I'm in the neighborhood March 14th for the Dirty Diaries screening at Spectacle Theater). His art was on the wall and I bought one of his heart paintings and have it hanging on my bedroom wall. I had forgotten he was doing a collaboration with Ann Taylor Loft. I went there to look around and was so pleased to find his window display. They're selling his heart t-shirt too.

Finally, at Penn Station, I had a little time to kill before my train. I read the odd New York magazine story about Ellora's Cave, even more oddly called "Amazon's Erotica Problem" on the cover (actual title: "Did Amazon Sink the Queen of Online Erotica?") when really it's about EC blaming Amazon for their low sales. I also deeply coveted both of these magazines, but in my efforts to no longer be such a good hoarder/bad girlfriend, I didn't buy either.

timeoutnysleaterkinney

starkendalljenner

Labels: , , ,

Want knitting bondage erotica? Best Bondage Erotica 2015 has it!

Over on the book's Tumblr, I've been posting excerpts from Best Bondage Erotica 2015 in the order they appear in the book, and today I got to a personal favorite, knitting bondage erotica story "Trinity's New Hobby" by Lucy Felthouse. This is my fifth year editing the Best Bondage Erotica series, so as you can imagine, I've read hundreds of bondage stories, and while I love the topic, sometimes even when you do what you love, it can feel monotonous. Then I'll get a story like this one and it will blow me away with its fun tone, creativity and use of a new implement I had never considered before. That, in addition to publishing authors new to the genre, is my editorial pride and joy.

I hope you'll check out the excerpts and the book!

BBE15cover

To read “Trinity's New Hobby” plus all the other stories in Best Bondage Erotica 2015, buy it from::

Amazon

Kindle ebook

Amazon UK

Kindle UK

Bn.com

Nook ebook

Kobo

Books-a-Million

Powell’s

IndieBound (find your local independent bookstore)

iTunes

Cleis Press

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 22, 2015

New Jersey is the secret of my success

It's a rare still moment where I am enjoying the quiet of a snowy Sunday morning, before breakfast, before coffee even, before shoveling. I've been working a lot, almost around the clock. Not all the time, but enough that the rhythm of my workdays blends into my nights, which I know is not sustainable in the long term, but is how things are going the next few weeks between lots of writing deadlines, getting the book I am extremely excited about, Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica proofread and now working on promotions and events for it, and teaching my current LitReactor class. It's such a huge and welcome change from last year, when I was scrambling for work, but I think the other big difference is that this year, I am embracing being at home.

Last year I was still adjusting to life in suburbia and half thought I still lived in New York. I took the fact that I could take a close to hour and a half almost $30 train into the Big Apple to mean that I should. This year, I'm trying to be very sparing in my visits. Last Monday, I did brave the cold to head to Brooklyn for a reading at BookCourt, which was lovely and had a thoughtful discussion, but it made me realize that I probably will not say yes to readings in January or February in the future. It was a little too cold for most people to come out, which is totally understandable. I'm going into New York tomorrow to see the play Cootie Catcher to write about it for my Philadelphia City Paper column, and then am speaking on March 14th in my old neighborhood of Williamsburg as part of a screening of the porn film Dirty Diaries. In March I'll also be traveling, once for pleasure, and then a string of events for work in Richmond, Charlottesville, Baltimore and Arlington.

I used to do things like that without considering what it would cost in terms of money or time. Now, I have to consider every trip, even ones to "the city," and the result has meant I mainly choose to stay home, which not only saves money, but frees up my time to think and plot and plan and pitch and write and edit. Maybe some people can do those in a spare hour or two here and there, but for me, I like to have a few hours before and after what I'm supposed to be doing to give myself that freedom to focus. Maybe I won't always have that time (if I get the only thing I truly want in this universe, I hope to have far far less free time), but for now, I do and it's been such a blessing. This year has brought so many unexpectedly wonderful opportunities, and I credit them to not incessantly racing away from home, racing off to do this, that and the other thing. It's taught me to both value my time and money and to value myself, and that by saying no more than I used to, I'm saying yes to my long-term goals.

This is very different from how I used to think and act. I used to say yes to everything because I was so afraid there wouldn't be other opportunities. I didn't consider the strain on my mind or body to be constantly on the go. I would do things that in hindsight seem insane and so anti-business it's no wonder I was so broke last year, like fly out to readings (obviously on my own dime) and then spend $50 or $60 bringing cupcakes to them. I thought I had to spend all this money I didn't really have to get people to come out to my events. I thought that this was normal. I didn't consider that that money might be better invested in my business in other ways. I'm not saying those events weren't fun, merely that now I am very aware that, yes, it's an honor and exciting to be part of LoveFest in Charlottesville next month, but it's an honor that I will pay for. If I am not bringing in enough income from writing/editing/teaching, then doing things like that are wasteful, no matter how exciting it may feel to me in the moment. So right now, while doing my taxes and thinking about next steps, I'm making sure every penny I spend on my work, even if it's a subway ride to an event, is worth it, that it makes sense for me. Because if it doesn't, then I have to look out for myself.

desk

Being in New Jersey, being separated from most of my friends and embracing being a homebody who works from home, has given me a creative freedom I couldn't have imagined. I used to go to the wonderful Gimme Coffee every single day when I lived in Brooklyn. I loved it there and if I still lived in Williamsburg I probably still would go, even though I now have a coffeepot and favorite mug and they are my morning rituals that I truly can't live without. But for those freelancing years after I got laid off in 2011, I would easily spend at least $5 a day on coffee plus tip, plus the occasional pastry. Granted, I'd spend many hours in Gimme Coffee, so I totally got my money's worth and wrote pieces I'm proud of. But having an actual home that feels like a home rather than a pit of slovenliness, is this gift that I sometimes feel unworthy of, yet have fully embraced. I sometimes lately have these "pinch me" moments of Do I really get to do this for a living?, but then remind myself that I'm here because I've earned it, I've been working hard, I've been figuring out what works for me and what doesn't. My desk is crazy and needs a good cleaning, but it's also in the office which is the warmest part of the house. It's cozy and has a printer (yes, I didn't have a printer when I lived in Brooklyn) and makes me feel professional in the same way gathering my 1099s and using my whiteboard does. After way too long of floating through my working life, I am finally, despite what this desk looks like, getting organized, getting clear, making myself my first priority. It feels a little scary, but a lot like I'm on exactly the right path. I'm not even going to berate myself for taking until age 39 to get here.

Labels: ,

Thursday, February 19, 2015

My pubic hair sex column in response to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue

This week's Philadelphia City Paper sex column is on pubic hair. The working title I used on my first draft was "Is Pubic Hair The Enemy?" The last draft I saw had this title: "How far will the pube revolution go?" I haven't seen the print version (which sometimes has a slightly different title than the online version) but the online version's title is "Why all this fuss about styling down below?" I would have liked "pubic hair" in the title, but as I will be posting more about soon, my attitude toward life and publishing is Serenity Prayer, Serenity Prayer, Serenity Prayer. I can't control my titles and, to be honest, I want as many people to read my column as possible, so if that title will do it, my editors have my blessing to do what they do best.

Anyway, back to this week's column. I tried to keep it timely and used the reaction to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and model Hannah Davis's bare skin as a starting point to talk about pubic hair.

sportsillustratedcover
my column's inspiration

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

My next LitReactor online erotica writing class runs May 5-June 2 and registration is open!

My next LitReactor 4-week online erotica writing class runs May 5-June 2 and registration is now open. Full details about each week's lesson and assignments are in the link above.

betweenthesheetsmay5

You also get exclusive Q&As with erotica writers about their experiences (both with self-publishing and traditional publishing) as well as information directly from editors and publishers about what they are looking for now. You can also start discussions and ask questions of me and your fellow students on any matter pertaining to erotica writing and publishing.

I'm teaching my second class and am thrilled with the platform. For me personally, it suits my personality to be able to work on my schedule, to offer answers as students as questions, and to engage in an online discussion forum where I have the opportunity to flesh out my ideas without worrying about the clock counting down, as I do with in-person workshops (which I am also continuing to teach, but the structure is different). I love that you can take this class from anywhere, so international students are welcome, and you can do it on your timetable (you log in and participate as little or often as you want, and have access to the online classroom indefinitely after the class ends). If you have any questions about how it works, feel free to email me at rachelkb at gmail.com with "LitReactor" in the subject line and I will respond as soon as I can.

Below, here are what several of my previous LitReactor students have said about the class. I can also tell you that three short stories have now been sold based on that class, and I look forward to hopefully hearing about more story sales.

"Rachel's class was a big confidence booster for those of us writing about often-personal topics. I went in thinking 'maybe I'll publish something someday,' and left knowing where I could start right away." —Roz Brinker, former LitReactor student

"I have no doubt that I am a better writer for taking Rachel’s class—not just a better writer of erotica, but a better writer overall. I initially enrolled primarily for information about the erotica publishing industry. And she provided lots of that, including interviews with publishers and more established writers. But it was the writing experience itself that was the most beneficial. The lessons themselves were informative and very helpful, and perhaps the most useful thing of all was the discipline of having to conceive, write, and revise a story each week based on those lessons. The assignments forced me to focus—and fast, and I am all the better for it." —LN Bey, former LitReactor student

"Rachel's class was a supportive, sage and overall fun place to push myself and explore. Moreover, her knowledge of the erotica market is just as valuable as her insight into the craft of writing itself." —Ashton Peal, former LitReactor student

Labels: , , , , , ,

"My life as a feminist submissive" interview series part 2 at Elle.com

The first entry in my submissive feminist interview series at Elle.com struck a nerve, and on Friday, part 2 went up with the title "My life as a submissive feminist." I see these as an addition to the plethora (though that's an understatement in this case!) of information out there about Fifty Shades of Grey. Why I was especially interested is because I believe in the power of personal stories not to stand in for anyone other than the person telling the story, but as a way to make a topic, in this case, submission, BDSM and feminism, understandable. Maybe relatable, maybe not. I don't think a personal story has to have an agenda, I just think it has to be honest, and these women were extremely honest about a combination of topics that often get treated as if they can't go together.

elle2submissivefeminist

Labels: , , , , , ,

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

"How to Come Out Like a Porn Star" Q&A with genderqueer porn star Jiz Lee at Salon

My latest at Salon is a Q&A with genderqueer porn star Jiz Lee about their forthcoming anthology How to Come Out Like a Porn Star. As I say in my introduction, although the book is specifically about coming out about involvement with porn, I think the book has larger relevance for those who deal with sex in their work or have any sort of sexual secret (or really, any secret) they want to come out about. Thanks for reading.

jizleesalon

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 15, 2015

See you in Brooklyn Monday night for our New York Writers Coalition reading at BookCourt

Yes, it's insanely cold outside, I'm well aware, but if you're up for braving the cold, New Yorkers, I'll be reading from Best Bondage Erotica 2015 tomorrow, Monday night, February 16th at 7 p.m. at BookCourt, 163 Court Street (between Pacific and Dean Streets), in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, along with Melissa Petro and members of nonprofits SAGE and Ali Forney Center as part of the New York Writers Coalition Writing Aloud Series. You can take the F or G trains to Bergen Street.

nywriterscoalition

I know it's winter and I rarely leave my house unless I have to, which is usually to go to the post office (let's hear it for working from home in winter!), so I get that going outside may not be everyone's top priority in this weather, but if you're near BookCourt and/or want to hear some sex stories for free, definitely check it out, and if you're not in the area but know anyone in the NYC area who might appreciate hearing stories and a Q&A about sex, send them our way. It's my first and possibly only time reading from Best Bondage Erotica 2015, and even though after all these years readings still make me a little nervous, they are a rare treat and I'm looking forward to it, cold be damned. I'll have these bookmarks and postcards to hand out:

Pretty erotica bookmarks and postcards

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Like sex toys? Like erotica? Like free books? Sign up to review Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica

Update: This free book offer will end once I've reached 100 requests or, barring that, on March 15, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will update this post once the offer has closed.

I've been editing erotica anthologies for over a decade now, but I still get just as excited as I did with my first one. This year, I'm especially excited about Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, because I think sex toys are becoming more and more talked about and used, and because the authors really brought out their most creative sides. These stories feature men and women using all kinds of sex toys, from some that haven't been invented (but would be wonderful to have in the world!) to many that will be familiar, though often are used in unusual ways. This book was a joy to edit and one of the ones I'm most proud of, and it also welcomes many authors into the world of erotica writing for the first time. It's an honor to have so many debut authors in this anthology.

comeagaincover

Because I'm s proud of Come Again and want it to do well enough to allow me to edit another book of sex toy erotica (I got way more amazing submissions than I could use given my word count limit), I'm doing another giveaway of 100 copies of the book, just as I did for The Big Book of Orgasms, to Amazon reviewers. I just ask that you post your review by May 31st; May is National Masturbation Month and I want to show the world and sex toys and masturbation seem to go together (though as you will see in Come Again, they are good for much more than masturbation).

Why am I doing this? Well, for one thing, Amazon reviews help sell books. For another, I love giving away books; I recently sent out about 40 free books to Thunderclap supporters of Best Bondage Erotica 2015. It's a wonderful way to connect personally with readers as I sign and mail out their books, and to see where my books are popular. Third, it's way for people who can't afford to buy my books to get to read them, which is important to me (also you can ask for my books or any books you want to read at your local library!). Fourth, because I believe so strongly in this book, I want the authors to be read as wide and far as possible, and am going to do everything in my power to make that happen. I'm also working on securing a sponsor so I can do a small book tour of sex toy stores and will be connecting with sex toy stores because it's a natural fit for a book of sex toy erotica.

Which brings me to you. What's in this for you? A) a free autographed book, that you will receive before it's even in stores. B) The chance to read and support my work, that of an independent publisher, Cleis Press, and all the authors in the book.

Here's how it works: this promotion is run and paid for entirely by me. Since I am spending around $1,000 of my own money, I have to set some rules for who qualifies. Therefore, I am only offering this promotion to those in the United States who have previously posted at least one Amazon review. This is because I can only afford postage within the U.S. and I want to make sure that you both have an Amazon account you're qualified to post reviews from and that you have previously done so. In the past, I've had people sign up to review books on Amazon and then not have an Amazon account, and the only way I can continue to afford to send out free books (which I really do enjoy) is to make sure reviewers follow through. I wish I could afford to send overseas for this promotion, but at this time I cannot do so. Please support my books so that maybe down the road I can afford to send books overseas for these promotions! And look, I'm not rich. I don't know how many more anthologies I will have the opportunity to edit, so I want to make this one, which I consider one of my best, as popular as it can be. I may not be able to afford a promotion like this again, but while I can, I want to do it.

So with that, to sign up, just be one of the first 100 to do this, and you will get your book the minute the books arrive on my doorstep (I get them straight from the printer so actually get them before they are in stores). Instructions:

1. Email sextoyantho at gmail.com with "Amazon" in the subject line AND your name, U.S. mailing address and URL of a previous Amazon.com review, which will look like this: http://www.amazon.com/review/RZR12JEVAAK0Z/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0062076000&nodeID=283155&store=books. Click on your review's title and then copy and paste the URL for it. If you can't do this, you can send the URL of your Amazon profile which has a link to your review(s).

2. I will reply to everyone, either confirming you are one of the first 100, or letting you know that you're not (and I will update this post once the 100 have been spoken for).

3. For the first 100, once you receive your book, please post an honest review on Amazon.com by May 31st.

4. That's it! Some other ways to follow and support the book: @comeagainbook on Twitter, our Facebook page and Tumblr. Come Again is also on Goodreads, where you can mark that you want to read it (thank you!) and rate it.

Email sextoyantho at gmail.com with any questions and thank you for reading.

Here's more information about Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica:

Table of contents and introduction:

Dare You To Jillian Boyd
The Prototype Malin James
Icy Bed J. Crichton
Surprise Katya Harris
The Superman Dildo E. Bellamy
Lost and Pounded Zee Giovanni
In the Pink Rob Rosen
Dalia’s Toy Corrine A. Silver
Vegetable Love Susan St. Aubin
The Cure for the Common Lay Valerie Alexander
Claws Out Rachel Kramer Bussel
Sex Kitten Errica Liekos
Standard of Care Sybil Rush
Bikery Oliver Hollandaize
Pencil Dick Kathleen Delaney-Adams
A Tale of Two Toys Chris Komodo
Prickles Elizabeth Coldwell
Gift Dena Hankins
Get Your Rocks Off Jocelyn Dex
Byrd and the Bees Kamala St. Deeds
The Secret Shopper Kitten Boheme
Must Love Dolls Giselle Renarde
Sex Sells Adriana Ravenlust
My Life as a Vibrator Livia Ellis

Introduction: Sex Toys Are Everywhere

I love sex toys, both the kinds you can find in sex shops and the kinds you can find pretty much anywhere. Because the truth is, anything can become a sex toy in the right hands, and Come Again proves that.

In these pages, you’ll read about vibrators, butt plugs, strap-on harnesses, dildos, nipple clamps, a sex doll and even a Superman dildo. But you’ll also read about characters so smitten with sex toys they’re willing to go to great lengths to create their own, whether it’s a special bike designed to make pedaling a woman’s favorite sport (in “The Bikery,” by Oliver Hollandaize) or an inflatable ball on a stick (as in “The Prototype,” by Malin James). Perhaps in the future, we’ll have sex toys like the orgasm machine being peddled in “Sex Sells,” by Adriana Ravenlust, or the Simulsphere that provides “The Cure for the Common Lay,” which Valerie Alexander so masterfully serves up.

Sex toys are a perfect complement to a kinky relationship, offering one person the power to control how the other uses his or her toys. In “The Secret Shopper,” by Kitten Boheme, the act of shopping takes on an extremely risqué overtone, while in “Sex Kitten,” by Errica Liekos, a tail and a transgression provide the perfect entrée to a hot scene.

Toys are a wonderful way for couples to double the fun, and that concept is taken to humorous and wonderful heights in “A Tale of Two Toys,” by Chris Komodo, in which the popularity of remote- control vibrators is celebrated. I was awed by the way Giselle Renarde detailed the romance, wonder and pleasure a Japanese sex doll brings to a couple sharing her as they expand their sexual repertoire. Are Honor and Tom having a threesome with Natsuki? In their own special way, yes indeed. Dena Hankins’s “Gift” shows that you’re never too old to explore a new toy.

Nature lovers will appreciate the ingenuity of “Vegetable Love,” by Susan St. Aubin and “Get Your Rocks Off,” by Jocelyn Dex, and I know I’ll be thinking about J. Crichton’s “Icy Bed” every time I take out ice cubes from my freezer.

You’ll find proud toy users and those whose private pleasures wind up being exposed in stories like “Dare You To,” by Jillian Boyd, where the jangling of nipple clamp bells is a little too loud for comfort, and “In The Pink,” by Rob Rosen, in which a masturbatory moment in the office turns into some hands-on sex education.

All of these stories celebrate sex toys for the ways they can shake up a routine, enhance an orgasm, transform an identity or simply add new delights to your sex life. Once you’re done reading, I’m pretty sure, like me, you’ll start seeing sex toys—or at least, potential sex toys—everywhere you go!

Rachel Kramer Bussel
Red Bank, New Jersey

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Virginia is for LoveFest - see you in Charlottesville March 22nd

I'll be participating in two events on Sunday, March 22nd as part of LoveFest, part of Virginia Festival of the Book, which has an amazing lineup of authors. I plan to take notes on so I know who I want to see (Deafo author CeCe Bell, who was just award a Newbury Honor for her amazing graphic memoir, is already on my list!).

virginiafestival

What else will I be doing in Virginia in March? Signing books at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday, March 20th with Kristina Wright at 12:30 p.m. (this will be on their site soon) and teaching, speaking and panel moderating at CataystCon in Arlington March 27-29, with a detour out of Virginia to Baltimore to teach my Erotica 101 writing workshop at Sugar on March 24th.

Thank you to Madeline Iva, who you should check out at Lady Smut, for inviting me. And yes, I write and edit more erotica than erotic romance, but I think this will be an interesting discussion and have plenty to say. Here's what's happening:

LoveFest Workshop: “Screaming To Be Ignored” — Capturing the Reader’s Attention
Sun. March 22, 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Barnes & Noble
1035 Emmet Street North, Barracks Road Shopping Center, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Hosted by: Barnes & Noble

“Every day hundreds of stories cross my desk, each one screaming to be ignored.” — Gordon Lish. How do you make your story capture a reader’s attention instantly? In this free workshop, anonymous would-be authors may submit short works: a one page query or the first ten pages of a novel. Published authors and savvy editors will use these submissions as a launching point to discuss their favorite writing craft tips.

Want to submit your work? The first 30 submissions received the day of the event will be considered on a first come/first serve basis. Look for the submissions box at the Barnes & Noble Information Desk. The store opens at 9 AM.

Participating authors and editors: Joanna Bourne, Mary Burton, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Melissa Marr, Mary Jo Putney, Kristina Wright. Moderator: Kimberly Kincaid.

LoveFest Book Signing: Meet & Greet Romance Authors
Sun. March 22, 2:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Barnes & Noble
1035 Emmet Street North, Barracks Road Shopping Center, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Hosted by: Barnes & Noble

Come join thirteen romance authors for one-on-one book chat in a friendly setting. Authors are available for book signing and photographs.

Participating authors: Joanna Bourne, Mollie Cox Bryan, Mary Burton, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Avery Flynn, Sabrina Jeffries, Kimberly Kincaid, Kieran Kramer, Sue London, Melissa Marr, Pam Morsi, Mary Jo Putney, Kristina Wright.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Friday, February 13, 2015

My essay collection Sex & Cupcakes is now an audiobook that's only $2.99

When I broached the idea of putting out an audiobook of my essay collection Sex & Cupcakes: A Juicy Collection of Essays to my publisher Thought Catalog Books, there was only one person I had in mind to narrate it: Rose Caraway. Why? Because she has a gorgeous voice and has been the most professional, wonderful and creative person who's narrated my audiobooks. She's turned my audiobooks for Gotta Have It and The Big Book of Orgasms into runaway bestsellers that have literally gotten me through otherwise tough financial times and brought the words of those authors to countless new listeners who wouldn't have found the print or ebook versions.

I've been so incredibly impressed by her work ethic, passion for her job and smartness, and I also knew she could do justice to these words that are so often about me at my most vulnerable. So now you can listen to her read my essays for just $2.99 (and only $2.09 if you're an Audible member!). Thank you for reading, and listening, and I look forward to collaborating with Rose again. Update: it's working. I'm thrilled to have this collection in the world in both ebook and audiobook formats.

Sex&Cupcakes

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

On polyamory and writing what you don't know

The introduction to my ebook essay collection Sex & Cupcakes is called "Writing What You Know When You Write About Sex." That I think does apply to personal essays, which make up the bulk of the book, but in my work as a sex columnist, I'm primarily writing about other people's sex lives.

To research my recent polyamory and metamour column, "Love the one you're with - and the one they're with, too," I posted a question on a polyamory forum and someone asked me if I identify as poly. It's complicated, and there's more on that in my essay "Monogamishmash" (in Sex & Cupcakes) but the short answer would be no. I'm in a monogamous relationship right now, although I wouldn't say I truly identify with the word "monogamous" as a way to describe me. But that's part of why I was all the more interested in exploring polyamory. I may be doing monogamy right now, but I still hate the way monogamy is shoved down our thoughts from the youngest of ages as the one and only way to go about love, the biggest goal, the most glittering trophy. Metamours seemed like a way to link that to Valentine's Day to keep it timely and offer some different POVs on the topic.

There's a gap between my experiences and those of the people I profiled, and I value that. I learn from that. Always. I don't think I could bring myself to write essays about myself and my sex life every day, or even every week. part of what keeps my mind alive and alert is talking to other people, being professionally nosy, and then, on a personal level, processing that information back into my life, figuring out what I can learn from people who are different me.

Certainly, when I finally get around to zeroing in on my biggest experience as a metamour, it will be nothing like that column. It will be dark, ugly and messy. It will be about my lowest, in a way, moment, a rock bottom that I think about often as a way to stabilize myself and remember how I do not want to behave. It's something I'm not sure I'd say I'm ashamed of, or even regret, but that was deeply impactful in all aspects of my life. I remember it like yesterday, which is probably why I feel this need to write about it three years later.

It calls to me because I'm often dark, ugly and messy, and always deeply, deeply imperfect. I will never be otherwise. But I think what I try my hardest to do is both write about my own experiences when a piece calls for it, but also look beyond my own experiences, because they will always be a narrow, singular, strictly subjective view. I'm honored and grateful to have the opportunity to write these sex columns, and if they end tomorrow, I will have been proud of the work I've done on them. So with that, Happy Valentine's Day, one day early.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, February 12, 2015

How slut shaming and sexual violence are connected, at DAME

The topic of slut shaming is far vaster and more insidious than I realized before reading two new books on the topic, I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet by Leora Tanenbaum, and SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence, and I examined what I consider the most troubling aspect of this for my latest column at DAME. There was a lot I didn't have room for, but I hope this helps foster conversation and especially encourage all of you who have teenagers in your lives to check out StopSlut and the play SLUT. I saw it last year and was very moved; it's a powerful piece of art that brought this issue home from the voices of teenage girls.

damescreenshot

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

My polyamory metamour sex column for Valentine's Day in Philadelphia City Paper

Sometimes I fall for a title first, as is the case with "Love the one you’re with — and the one they’re with, too," my Philadelphia City Paper column this week on polyamory and how metamour relationships can unfold. Special thanks to Cunning Minx (pictured below) and her podcast Polyamory Weekly for being such a wonderful source of information on this topic.

metamourcolumnfeb12

Yes, I will be reviewing Fifty Shades of Grey this weekend, but I wanted to remember other aspects of Valentine's Day than Ana and Christian, and wanted to use a Valentine's Day sex column to highlight an aspect of polyamorous relationships I haven't seen as much written about in more mainstream venues (even though I'm tasked with writing edgy, alternative sex for my alt weekly column, I still consider it "mainstream" in the sense that most readers probably haven't heard the word "metamour," and apparently neither has the spell checker on Blogger).

And yes, I'm aware that polyamorous people are often portrayed as rich and white. Not everyone I interviewed is white, and my aim with all my columns and writing is to showcase a diversity of sexual experiences, sexual identities, ages, races and genders. I am working especially on trying to cover topics that aren't being covered elsewhere, to the best of my ability, and to that end, I highly welcome pitches. In Philadelphia City Paper Let's Get It On is a short weekly print and online column about almost anything related to sex; my DAME Shameless Sex column runs every other week and focuses on issues around women and sex, and I also freelance widely for places like Salon about assorted other topics. Hence, I always am on the lookout for new ideas, people, events, kinks to cover. You can reach me at rachelkb at gmail.com with "Column" in the subject line.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Hey Brooklyn, come see me Monday and get Best Bondage Erotica 2015 at BookCourt

I forgot a very important bookstore in my list of stores stocking Best Bondage Erotica 2015 and that's BookCourt at 163 Court Street in Brooklyn, where I'm doing a free reading on Monday night, February 16th at 7 p.m. with Melissa Petro and members of the New York Writers Coalition! I lived in Brooklyn for 13 years but don't get there too often now that I'm a Jersey girl, so I'm looking forward to this. I'll be bringing some of these bookmarks and postcards and giving them out free. Excited to do my first reading of 2015 and see my new book in a store for the first time. That is always a wonderful feeling. If you're not in New York but know someone who is who might like a free reading all about sex, please let them know! You can take the F/G to Bergen Street and if you want to share the news on Facebook (no RSVP required), here's the official event listing there. Want to know more about Best Bondage Erotica 2015? The introduction and table of contents are on the official Tumblr.

Come get these Monday night!

Pretty erotica bookmarks and postcards

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Bookstores where you can find Best Bondage Erotica 2015, or I love the words "on our shelves now"

If you've been to more than a handful of independent bookstores in the United States, you'll know that often erotica is scarce. I make it a point to visit bookstores while traveling and aside from Barnes & Noble (where you can also buy this book and I hope you will because that shows them there's a market for kinky erotica from independent publishers), it's often slim pickings. So I want to give an extra special, you-make-my-anthology-work-possible shoutout to the stores that do carry my books. Please buy from them (not just my books but any books), because that is the way they will know there's an audience for the types of books you like. Plus you can always ask your local bookstore to order a book for you.

Based on the information I've received from my publisher Cleis Press, these stores have ordered Best Bondage Erotica 2015 and should have it in stock. There are surely others, but these are the ones I could check out and link to, and I'm happy to update this if other stores want to get in on this hot book action. They are in no particular order save for the order the list was given to me. To make this totally clear, most of these stores have ordered 1, 2 or 3 copies of the book. I've never worked in a bookstore so don't know exactly how the process wrks, but I imagine if people are buying and asking for the book, they will order more. In the long run, that is what determines if books like these keep getting published. If they don't have it on the shelves, ask for it, and if they do, if you send me at bestbondagerotica2015 at gmail.com a photo of the book in their store along with the store name and city that I have your permission to post online (with credit if you want it), and you also send me your mailing address, I will send you a postcard or bookmark in return!

BBE15cover

Bluestockings, New York City (Lower East Side!)

Schuler Books and Music, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Okemos, Michigan

Joseph Beth (they have locations in Lexington and Crestwood Hills, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio - contact individual stores for availability)

Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, Arizona (they also have a store in Phoenix)

Skylight Books, Los Angeles

Unabridged Books, Chicago

Harvard Bookstore, Cambridge, Massachusettes

Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle

Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, Colorado

Powell's, Portland, Oregon

McNally Jackson, New York City

Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, Colorado

Shakespeare and Co. Booksellers, 939 Lexington Avenue between 68th and 69th, New York City (sadly, their website tells me the downtown Broadway store, which I fondly remember shopping in when I lived in the NYU dorms from 1996-1999, has closed. Boo. That's why we need to support indie bookstores.)

Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California

Chaucer's Bookstore, Santa Barbara, California

The Book Loft, Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Left Bank Books (St. Louis, Missouri)

City Lights Books, San Francisco (I'm not seeing it listed on their site, but it was on the list I was given)

Books Inc, San Francisco Bay Area (I'm not sure which locations have it, so call ahead and ask/order)

Self Serve, Albuquerque, New Mexico (it's not in their online store but I know it's in their brick and mortar store)

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Why I Want My Date to Plan our Dates, Not An App

I use plenty of apps to help me improve my life, but I am finding many that seem to just be allowing people not to think about basic things, like where to go on a date, in the case of Funspotter, so I wrote "How To Ruin Your Love Life: Use This App" for Thought Catalog. Snapshot below is from one of my favorite dates with my current guy.

rkbandstuffedunicorn

Labels: , , , , , ,

Dream achieved: My Yahoo Travel profile of a JetBlue superfan is up

A few years ago, I took a Mediabistro class on travel writing, and while the instructor was fascinating and wonderful, I left discouraged. I don't have what it takes, I concluded, and pretty much set that dream aside, even though I do love traveling and do it a fair amount for work-related events, and sometimes for fun. Today I achieved that dream by having my first article run at Yahoo Travel, about a JetBlue superfan who's taken more than 100 flights since April 2013 on a Ph.D. grad student budget. Travel has changed my life, so it was an honor to profile someone for whom the same can be said. It's also an interesting look at how a brand, in this case JetBlue, can best interact with its customers to make them loyal and also have fun with their Tweeting! I hope you'll check it out, and I hope that I continue to get to write about one of my favorite topics! Here's a snippet:
How did the airline win him over? The Boston College PhD student’s JetBlue obsession started by accident. He’d booked a trip to Hawaii with another airline, which bungled his reservation so badly he canceled it and rebooked on JetBlue. Then he took to Twitter. “I first discovered how different JetBlue was when I tweeted them and another airline due to some poor service I experienced,” Brown told Yahoo Travel. “The response was telling. The other airline’s tweet read like a machine-generated form letter. JetBlue’s tweet was personal, and they let me know they were ‘#superexcited’ to have me fly with them.”
jetbluephoto

And this right here is proof of what he is talking about, in response to my Tweet about the article:

jetbluefeb10956screenshot

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Happy release day Best Bondage Erotica 2015 ebook!

I sometimes feel like my books get two release days: the day the print edition is for sale on Amazon, which is usually before it hits brick and mortar stores, and the day the ebook comes out. Today, for Best Bondage Erotica 2015, print and ebook are for sale, and I'm sharing more links below and shortly will post all the stores that have ordered a copy. I don't know how many more erotica books I'll be editing going forward (I have a few completed ones that will be coming out in 2015 and 2016) as I focus on building the best business I can for myself and transition into writing and teaching for the most part, but I love this book, I love that I got to publish so many new to the genre authors, I love that it's so fun and creative (kinky camping! kinky yoga! home repair plus bondage! knitting as bondage tool!). Don't be confused if you see the old cover (not the one below) on Amazon or elsewhere; that was an early mockup of the cover that got changed at the last minute by my publisher and I'm doing my best to rid the internet of the old version in favor of the real and crazy hot new one.

I truly hope it reaches people who are looking for a sexy read, no matter your personal interest in bondage. I've always believed that a good erotica story should transcend its specific kinks or subgenre. Yes, if you're into bondage, you will likely enjoy a book with this title more than someone not into bondage, but I certainly don't think you have to like or know the first thing about bondage to appreciate the craft, sexiness, humor and hotness of this book. The heart of these stories isn't so much bondage as the relationships between the characters, whether it's the gay male couple making their way to the altar by hook or by crook in "Tying The Knot" by Rob Rosen or the devilish business minds trying to outdo each other in "Bound to Lie" by Nichelle Gregory. And, of course, this is the 5th in the annual series I've edited, so you can also check out Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Best Bondage Erotica 2012, Best Bondage Erotica 2013 and Best Bondage Erotica 2014. Don't be fooled by the dates on them; these have kink with no expiration date and are still as sexy as the day they came out. The great downside of an annual anthology is the cliff drop in sales the moment the calendar changes, but some of these have continued to have a life, I think in part because bondage is so popular.

Here's the deal: anything you can do to help this book as it launches into the world is much appreciated. You can leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon, reblog from our Tumblr, follow us @bestbondage on Twitter and like us on Facebook and spread the word there.

Pretty erotica bookmarks and postcards

And I've got these lovely free postcards and bookmarks! Want one? Just come to any of my upcoming events in Brooklyn, Richmond, Charlottesville (Virginia), Baltimore or CatalystCon in Arlington, Virginia and I'd be happy to give you one!

image


Buy Best Bondage Erotica 2015 from:

Amazon

Kindle ebook

Amazon UK

Kindle UK

Bn.com

Nook ebook

Books-a-Million

Powell’s

IndieBound (find your local independent bookstore)

iTunes

Cleis Press

Table of contents:

Foreword: The Moment by Annabel Joseph

Introduction: Bondage at Home and Away by Rachel Kramer Bussel (see below)
The Centerpiece Erin Spillane
An Unforgettable Ride Elise Hepner
What Happens in Vegas… Tim Rudolph
The Thug Sommer Marsden
Housewarming the Craftsman Daddy X
Multiple Choice Emily Bingham
Tying the Knot Rob Rosen
Baddha Konasana Corvidae
Queen for a Night Robert Black
Bound to Lie Nichelle Gregory
Tied and Twisted Jodie Griffin
Cocoon Annabeth Leong
Auction, in Quotation Marks LN Bey
Melt Elizabeth Coldwell
You Shall Not Come D.L. King
Point and Click L.C. Spoering
Stuck on You Jenne Davis
In Suspense Shenoa Carroll-Bradd  
Trinity’s New Hobby Lucy Felthouse
Plastered Anna Watson
Of Human Bondage Rachel Kramer Bussel

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, February 09, 2015

This erotica book is touring the world, literally, and you can win a copy from Rose Caraway

I love this project that my favorite audiobook narrator Rose Caraway is doing with her first anthology, The Sexy Librarian's Big Book of Erotica, by sending it around the world to all the contributors to sign it before giving away a signed copy. It was so fun to be part of this project and brought home to me the value of an erotica writing and reading community. I've signed my copies and sent them off to the next contributor. Want to win a copy? Leave Rose a comment now. If you can't wait to read this hot and sexy book, you can get your copy in print, ebook or audiobook (read by Rose, of course), or at your local independent bookstore or directly from Cleis Press. My story "Book Swap," very loosely inspired by an actual airplane ride, opens the book. Also be sure to check out Rose's two podcasts: The Kiss Me Quick's and The Sexy Librarian Blog-Cast.

rosemap

mewithrosesignedbook

Labels: , , , , , ,

5 things I'll be doing at CatalystCon

I'm gearing up for next month, which culminates for me at CatalystCon, the sexuality conference that I have had such an amazing time attending and being part of the last few years. It happens twice a year, in March on the East Coast in Arlington, Virginia and in September in the Los Angeles area. This year, I'm wearing many hats, so I wanted to recap what I'll be up to. Use code RACHEL for $10 off registration.

catalystconeastlogo

At CatalystCon East, which runs from March 27-29, here's what I'll be up to:

Teaching Erotica and Sex Writing 101 writing workshops

This is my second year teaching these longer (three hours each) writing workshops, and both times I've done it, I've been so incredibly impressed with the attendees. There is a huge level of knowledge, passion, ambition and trust that Catalyst attendees bring and the things they have to say definitely deserve a place in the mainstream world. Why should you attend my workshop? Because I've been writing erotica and about sex for over a decade, with 50+ anthologies edited and over 100 anthologies I've contributed to, including the major annual series such as Best American Erotica, Best Women's Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica and Mammoth Best New Erotica. Additionally, I've interviewed top editors and publishers about what they are looking for. On the nonfiction front, I've been a sex columnist for Philadelphia City Paper and DAME (my current gigs) as well as The Village Voice, Penthouse and The Frisky, plus written about sex for such diverse publications as Cosmopolitan, Elle.com, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Inked, Medium, Salon, Slate, Time.com, Time Out New York and others. No experience is necessary, just an open mind and pen and paper or laptop. You can register here.

Speaking on the opening keynote panel

I've never done an opening keynote before, and I'm both excited and nervous, though mainly honored to be joining this panel with Francisco Ramirez, Kristin Beck, Melanie Davis, moderated by Lynn Comella.

Moderating "Sharing Your Sex Life on the Page and the Stage" (March 28, 9:30-10:40 a.m.)

Joining me for this panel will be Cooper Beckett, blogger and founder of podcast Life on the Swingset, Twanna A. Hines, blogger, Metro sex columnist and creator/performer of one-woman Capital Fringe show I Füçkèd Your Country, and Jillian Keenan, who’s written about BDSM and sexuality for The New York Times, Slate and elsewhere, and is at work on a book on Shakespeare and sexuality. Full description at link above.

Making cards with ArtPulp
Artpulp-logo-300x118


My amazing boyfriend runs the website ArtPulp, which you should check out if you like art, and will be at Catalyst making one of my favorite things: cards! Here's the official info and click here to learn more:
For a $5 donation to the Center for Sex and Culture attendees will have access to all the supplies they need to create handmade individual 4 x 6 postcards! Everyone will have access to markers, pencils, pastels, photographs, media, and more to help you create a card that showcases why CatalystCon is so important to you. Your CatalystCon Cards will become part of a special online gallery on the all new ArtPulp.net and available to view during the entire weekend. Plus Artpulp.net will mail your postcards to any destination in the US for you if you don’t plan on taking it home to hang on your wall!
Interviewing people for my sex columns

I'm writing a lot about sex lately, for my two sex columns in Philadelphia City Paper and DAME. As a journalist, CatalystCon always leads me to new subjects and sources, and was in fact the Catalyst for my very first City Paper Let's Get It On column, "Are you a slut?". So I'll be scouring the panel listings and looking to connect with as many people as possible who might have something interesting to share with the world. If you'll be there and have an interesting panel, story, product, event, etc., please get in touch at rachelkb at gmail.com with "Catalyst" in the subject line.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

More about domestic violence survivor Brooke Axtell and her Grammys speech with Katy Perry

Last night's speech by Brooke Axtell during The Grammys ahead of Katy Perry's performance brought tears to my eyes and I'm sure brought hope to those who are dealing with domestic violence in their own lives. If you haven't read it, here's my Q&A with Brooke at Salon, and you can watch her here (this isn't the best quality recording but it's what I could find on YouTube):



brookequote
Image via @THR (The Hollywood Reporter)

And again, I want to reiterate that if you believe in your work, whatever kind of work it is, it's your job to get it seen by the world. I can't tell you how to do that, but I can tell you that you are in a unique position to get it seen. For instance, last night, Salon posted my interview with Brooke Axtell, but didn't Tweet it. I did, with this image:

brookesalon

People that I would never have thought would retweet me, did. Today, I'm seeing that interview linked in lots of stories about the Grammys. Making your work easy to find means that it's widely accessible. That's important to me no matter the topic I'm writing about and ultimately I think it's part of my brand; I'm someone who not only can write a timely piece, but will be timely about promoting it. As I wrote last week, you're your own best advocate, and for me, since I consider myself in this for the long haul, in addition to being flexible, I know I want to make sure my work gets noticed, so that I can keep on getting more work.

And now, back to this week's deadlines. It's another busy one, especially with my LitReactor class starting Thursday.

Labels: , , , , ,

Sunday, February 08, 2015

My Grammys Q&A with Brooke Axtell, who'll join Katy Perry to talk about domestic violence

Whether or not you're watching or care about The Grammys, hopefully you care about preventing domestic violence, so please check out my Q&A at Salon with activist Brooke Axtell, who's about to join Katy Perry onstage to discuss her experience as a domestic violence survivor. If you like it, I'd love it if you'd share it; I've been using my brief stint at Salon to highlight issues around sexuality and activism.

brookesalon

Labels: , , ,

My State College erotica writing workshop postponed

Due to the weather forecast, I've postponed my State College erotica writing workshop that was supposed to happen Monday, February 9th. As soon as they new date is finalized, I will be sharing it and registration will be re-opened. My apologies for any inconvenience this has caused, but I wanted to ensure my safety and that of attendees.

Labels:

Saturday, February 07, 2015

A week in the life of a full-time writer

Since getting laid off in the fall of 2011 from my full-time magazine editing job, I've called myself a full-time writer and editor. Technically, that has been true, and in the last two years I've added a lot more teaching and consulting to that equation. But this past week, I've realized how not quite accurate that was, because that definition of "full-time" had a lot of give and take, a lot more lee-way. You don't have that when you're on tap to file, file, file. Maybe that's obvious to anyone who's had a newspaper job or a more strenuous freelance career. The truth is, I got lazy. My books were doing okay, so I was able to coast. Then, last year, that abruptly ended and I've got zero tricks left to try to get my books back into some semblance of popularity. I still have hope, which is why I do things like give away free books to Thunderclap supporters. It's more a matter of my time; I have to use it as wisely as possible, and book promotion has fallen by the wayside in favor of earning a living. Ultimately, the lesson that I may love my books, but the world may not, was a good thing because it showed me I cannot rely on something so precarious if I want to support myself and, hopefully, a child. That would be utterly foolish and I don't want to make the same mistake twice.

So when I got offered new work out of the blue, of course I took it (I don't say yes to everything, but I do my best to pursue writing opportunities that will help my bank account and my career). Hence, this week, I've gotten up before six every day and been going-going-going what feels like the entire day, with a little time with my boyfriend, and then back at it. It's an honor to have editors believe in my work enough to ask me to not only write for them, but trust that my story ideas are worthy. Writing for Salon, in this case, is something I dreamed of for a decade before it finally happened.

So I am in no way complaining, just noting that this week was a handful. It's meant constantly being on my laptop so that I can reply to the latest round of edits on an essay, scouring the internet for something noteworthy to cover, interviewing authors, planning upcoming sex columns, promoting the ones that went up. It's been wonderful, but definitely not a pace I could keep up forever, even though I definitely need the money. As I try to be a responsible adult in middle age, for the first time in my life, I'm trying to truly live by the Serenity Prayer and abandon the aspects of my career I have no control over and focus on the ones I do. This is also part of flexibility: recognizing what's not working and choosing to move into new arenas, rather than literally doing the same thing over and over again. It's a challenge, and one I don't always live up to, but I'm trying, and I'm writing this post mostly to highlight, for me, that I can do it, even when it seems hard or impossible. That even though being this kind of full-time around-the-clock writer can feel daunting, I have work I can truly be proud of to show for it and it can be about topics as varied as I am. And who knows? Maybe someday I won't be doing all of this from home, and I'll get to work at a cool office where the fast pace will be fun and I'll have colleagues to bounce ideas off of. Part of me would absolutely love that; I miss co-workers, and think I'd enjoy the fast pace of that kind of writing or editing job. I don't mind fast-paced, but I think the other side of loving what you do is being able to have a little time away from it too, hopefully.

While writing this post, I took a Facebook break and found this piece in The New York Times on "Why You Hate Work" by Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath. From that article: "The more hours people work beyond 40 — and the more continuously they work — the worse they feel, and the less engaged they become." I get that, intensely. I want to make it clear, I don't hate my work, I just don't want to get burned out and then give up and then not hold up my share of my household duties. That is my biggest fear, which is different than when I lived alone. Then, I was the only one to answer to. Now, there's an added layer of shame when I have to borrow money for rent because I didn't save enough, or a check was later than expected, or whatever the issue du jour.

I'm wrapping up next week's articles and columns and then putting on a different hat: LitReactor writing teacher. I can't wait to dive in with my 16 students and see what they come up with, and I am also hoping to book upcoming online classes as well.

I didn't write all of these this week, but this is what I've published from Saturday to Friday. Thank you for believing in me, editors, and thank you for reading. Yes, there's lots more next week. I look forward to more, just at a slightly less crazy pace. On the off chance you're an editor reading this and you like my writing, please don't let my pre-coffee 8:35 on a Saturday morning tone discourage you; I'm available for work, starting now. Okay, after my coffee.

"Do condoms kill the mood of a book? Erotica authors don't agree on safe sex demands" for Salon

"Why Marriages Cannot Be End Goals (And The Ways We Still Convince Women They Are)" for Thought Catalog

"Old magazines, stuffed animals, and sex toys: How hoarding shaped my relationship " for Washington Post Post Everything

"Fresh Meat: Fry Another Day by J.J. Cook" for Criminal Element

"Sex shop crimes: How vandals, creeps and violence threaten our neighborhood vibrator peddlers" for Salon

"The Huffington Post's 'good news' experiment is bad news for Facebook" for The Daily Dot

"Meet a sexier, smarter Dom than Christian Grey" for Philadelphia City Paper

"Christian sex activists warn against the “dangers of mommy porn” and “50 Shades of Grey”" for Salon

"The anti-Pick Up Artist’s Guide: A new graphic novel teaches teen boys how to form healthy hook-ups" for Salon

Labels: , , , , , , ,

At Salon: Q&A with creator of sex ed graphic novel for teen boys

colin_adamo

My latest for Salon profiles Colin Adamo, his sex education for teen boys website HUSH and the graphic novel he's funding via Kickstarter, which I called "the opposite of a pickup artist guide."

Here's a snippet:
Young straight men are usually involved in one way or another in matters of unplanned pregnancy, STI transmission, sexual assault, dating violence, or homophobic/transphobic bullying. While there were a number of resources that I could point to that were specific to young straight women or queer youth, I hadn’t seen anything that was built for straight guys. If no one is speaking to young straight men directly about these issues it is too easy for them to ignore the importance of their role in the movement.
Read the whole interview at Salon

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,