Best Bondage Erotica 2015 is only $1.99 right now on

Sale alert: I know it's 2016, but Best Bondage Erotica 2015, the last of the series I edited for five years (I've now moved on to editing the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series), is only $1.99 now through February 1 (it may run another day or two, but if you want the sale price, I'd buy it by then to be sure). If you are interested in kinky, creative erotica, such as yoga erotica, home repair erotica, knitting erotica and much more, I would definitely check this out at the low price. Fun fact: part of why, to my understanding, the annual series' from Cleis have been rebranded is so nobody thinks a book of bondage fiction like Best Bondage Erotica 2015 is outdated just because the calendar has rolled around to 2016. It's not, I promise! If you would have liked it last year, it's still plenty sexy this year.

Here are the buying links:

Amazon

Nook

Google Play

iBooks (ignore the incorrect cover; I know, and have put in a request to have it changed to the correct cover, but the inside has all the sexy stories below, which I know because I bought it)

Kobo



You may be thinking, Hmmm...that sounds interesting, but I'm just not sure I want to buy the book. Good news: You can read excerpts from each and every one of the 21 bondage stories! I love giving readers a free sample of what's in my books, because I want people to know what they're getting, and to showcase my amazing authors. So without further ado, click on any story title below for bondage sexiness and get the ebook this week for only $1.99.

Foreword: The Moment by Annabel Joseph

Introduction: Bondage at Home and Away by Rachel Kramer Bussel

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

Why I Picked It Wednesday: "Point and Click" by L.C. Spoering

I've decided to make my Why I Picked It series a weekly one to run on Wednesdays to highlight why I chose a particular erotica story for one of my anthologies. Today's it's "Point and Click" by L.C. Spoering in Best Bondage Erotica 2015.



During the five years I edited the Best Bondage Erotica series (2011-2015), I did my best to always up the ante and include both common types of bondage and uncommon ones. I believe they work quite well alongside each other. So two of the main reasons I loved "Point and Click," aside from the way the story just pulled me in from the first sentence and didn't let go, are that the narrator is a sex worker and the bondage takes place while two women are in separate rooms, conversing over their computer screens. The interplay between them is fascinating and pushed me to think about what "bondage" truly means, and what can tie someone to someone else, the nature of eroticism and obedience, and how strong a connection people can have even when they are geographically separated.

You can read a little of how the scene starts at The Frisky Fairy, and below is an excerpt that shows how a very unique kind of bondage works in this story. There's voyeurism and exhibitionism here, of course, but I think it's the power play element that really does it for me; there's no real way to "make" the narrator obey her Mistress here, yet the Mistress is able to get her to stay in place all with the power of her words and actions thanks to technology. She knows what she can get her to do even if they've never played in person, and that tension, of being bound yet free, of not having a physical restraint like ropes or handcuffs to strain against or hold the narrator down, is expertly played up. I love erotica that surprises me, that puts a new twist on a topic I've read about countless times, and this story provides that and so much more.

From "Point and Click" by L.C. Spoering in Best Bondage Erotica 2015

“You keep your hands where they are. Like I’ve tied them down,” she says. I flex my fingers in place, imagine the ropes she might wind around my wrists, anchoring them to the desk, wrapped around the legs of the furniture, a knot where I can’t see it.

“You stay on your knees, kitten,” she goes on, and I’m suddenly aware of them, the bend of the joint and the way the bone presses into the carpet, carpet that seems so soft when padding barefoot across it, but is now much firmer, seemingly rocky under my weight.

“I want you to watch me.” Her legs are parted wide, but my eyes go to her face, half-shrouded in the darkness that has fallen over her room. It’s night where she is too, and the lamps are offset enough that only the barest pools of light lap at her toes and the tips of her hair.

“I want to watch you,” I say, and it’s like an admission, a confession, my hands pressed to the hard surface of my desk, my wrists burning with the imagined scrape of rope against tender skin.

“I know you do. You have for a long time, haven’t you?” The dildo is in her hand again, and she lets it rub along the length of her labia, the skin catching against the rubber and tugging along—her cunt moves like a mouth, like lips twitching into a smile just before they are kissed. My tongue feels like liquid against my teeth.

We’ve gotten off together before; I know her face when she comes. But this is different, and I find myself searching her expression for each twitch of muscle and brush of her hair over her forehead. Her fingers are long and graceful; they guide the rubber cock to her slit, pushing just enough that the labia parts and the head inches inside.

“I’ve wanted you to watch me,” she says, as though the thread of conversation is still strung between us, thin and wavering like it’s running full with electricity. She lets out a small moan as the dildo moves farther inside her, and I squirm again, finding my cunt against my calf and pressing down to chase some form of release.

“Keep your hands there, kitten,” she says, arching an eyebrow though her mouth is slightly agape and she is panting just a little.

“Y-yes,” I agree, nodding again, my pinky cramping all of a sudden, as though it knows it’s not supposed to move yet needing that movement for no reason at all but to distract me.

“Yes what?” she presses, and I swallow, almost gulp, my heart ringing in my ears once more.

Read the whole story in Best Bondage Erotica 2015, for sale at:

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

These 2 erotica reviews made my tough week a little brighter

As I get ready to move next week, I'm spending my last few days exploring Red Bank, packing and catching up on work, but also reflecting on my two years here, going back to being a Jersey Girl, but as an adult not a child. One of the biggest changes in my life since living in Brooklyn is that it's a lot lonelier in Jersey. Part of me is a loner, so I didn't think I minded, but some days, that sense of not having anyone to talk to, to call and go meet for coffee, to simply discuss the ins and outs of this crazy up and down career I've chosen, get to me more than others. When I feel like I'm making progress and getting things done and advancing myself, I don't miss that camaraderie as much, but when I don't, like this week, I start to hit the job listings and wonder if I will ever be comfortable in a position that forces me, every day, to push myself toward the new and different.

What I've chosen by way of books, editing erotica anthologies, can also feel like I'm in a void. Whereas for five years I ran an erotic reading series and did all sorts of other live events, I don't do that as much anymore because I am in a different place in my life, one where I'm focused on the long-term (though stay tuned as a very special sex toy store and I are talking about a reading this fall). With my books, I don't find out how they're selling for at least six months from their release date, which can feel like an eternity. Even then, I get numbers on a sheet of paper, a plus or minus next to a dollar sign, a map I'm supposed to read to tell whether my books are doing well or bombing or just plodding along. It's tough because numbers are not emotional; they tell me how many months of rent I can pay with them, but they don't tell me about the heart of the book, they don't tell me whether the choices I've made, selecting these specific stories out of dozens or hundreds, were choices that resonated with readers.

Of course, the numbers matter; the numbers are what purchased the bank check that is letting me move into my new home. The numbers are what determine whether I'm granted the opportunity to keep on editing books or not. This is, after all, a business. But as much as I'm a businessperson too, I'm also, well, a person. I didn't choose this field to get rich, though I want to learn how to make it more sustainable. I don't even really feel like I chose this field, but rather that it chose me, speaking to me when I was on the verge of babbling and flailing my way through even more law firm interviews and feeling as out of place as I ever have in my life. It chose me and whispered, You can do this. I quite unceremoniously left law school and followed this circuitous path that has now led me to working from home, alone, yet not entirely alone.

Some of the ways I connect with people through my work are precisely by reading so many authors' work when I'm editing an anthology. Then once I've chosen the stories and my publisher has approved them, I may simply email the formal details of the book to the authors, but I try to do more than that. I know $50 is a pittance, yet it's the pittance I can pay, but I hope that I can give my authors something more than that. I hope that I can introduce their work to new readers; I hope that I can, in some cases, offer videos and audio and connection. In the case of Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica, I can interviews these amazing writers and get a little insight into the part I always want to know: how did this story come to be?

And before that six month mark where I see the numbers, if I'm lucky, I get to see what actual readers think of the book. This week, one that was filled with the angst of parting with umpteen belongings and packing up everything I own and wondering if I should apply for jobs at casinos and chuck the hardest parts of freelance life, I got two unexpected and delightful reviews that made me think, maybe everything is going to be okay. That made me think, people out there want these stories. That made me think, thank you for pushing me to do my job better. So without further ado, onto these two dedicated, thorough, thoughtful bloggers who remind me that erotica matters to people, deeply.



The Frisky Fairy review starts out with its amazing title: "Best Bondage Erotica 2015 AKA: Rachel Kramer Bussel Encourages My Sexual Masochism." Wow! It goes on to say:

If you’re reading this Rachel, I need you to stop picking such hot erotica. It’s making it very hard for me to do my work reading in public.

See, the thing is that I got to the fourth story (“The Thug”) and my panties started getting noticeably wet. The fifth story (“Housewarming the Craftsman”) made me shift a bit, and do that thing where I let my panties slip between my labia and rub against my clit a little. The thirteenth story (“Auction, in Quotation Marks”) I was immensely turned on, and I considered going back to my tent, but I was helping my partner work a bit. By the sixteenth story (“Point and Click”) I could feel that fluttering in the bottom of my stomach that told me that I’d need to get somewhere soon or I might cum.

She's also got excerpts from three stories up for you to read, including "The Thug" by Sommer Marsden, “Auction, in Quotation Marks” by LN Bey and "Point and Click" by L.C. Spoering. Want to read more? Excerpts from all 21 stories and buying links are on Tumblr.



Next up Formidable Femme's review of Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica. It largely focuses on the queer and LGBT stories, which I especially appreciate. She crunched the numbers and found "Out of 24 stories, 8 of them featured queer characters, and 9 of them included sex toys you wouldn’t be able to find in any sex shop." Both of those aspects were extremely important to me; I wanted the concept of "sex toys" to be varied and novel and unique. I wanted it to expand beyond what we think of when we hear the term. Here's a snippet praising one of the most talked about stories in the book, "Gift" by Dena Hankins:

While I honestly enjoyed each story in Come Again, I truly loved, and was even moved by, a select few. My favorite story in the collection was Gift by Dena Hankins. Gift features two women in their 60’s and 70’s exploring lesbian sex for the first time. They have been sleeping together for a few weeks, but the story focuses on a new toy they test together, leading to a new level of pleasure neither woman has ever experienced. Gift not only turned me on, but deeply moved me as well. In the story, one of the women deals with physical disability and mobility issues. With the introduction of the new toy, she is able to reclaim her sexuality in spite of her limited mobility and engage fully with her lover for the first time. For the first time, my eyes welled with tears while reading erotica – a true testament to the undeniable beauty of Gift and Dena Hankins’ talent as an author.

Want a copy of Come Again? Below are some links to online stores where you can find it, and here's where to shop local.

Buy Come Again now:

Amazon

Kindle ebook

Amazon UK

Kindle UK

Barnes & Noble (Bn.com)

Nook ebook

iBooks

Kobo

Books-a-Million

IndieBound (find it at your local independent bookstore)

Cleis Press

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!



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

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.



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:

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!

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!



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)

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.



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!

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

Naked ladies and oral sex and liking Blizzard Juno Jersey as much as Curaçao

Those are the topics of my sex columns this week: I wrote about naked women and men and Caitlin Stasey's new site Herself.com for Philadelphia City Paper and about attitudes around cunnilingus now that it's having its pop culture moment for DAME. As always, I'm open to new column topic suggestions at rachelkb at gmail.com and if you like the columns, please click "like" at the top and/or otherwise pass it on. It helps enormously to show my editors that people want to read me on sex.

I will go out on a limb and say that unless I discover some giant sex scandal, my OrgasmQuest column will be the most popular one at City Paper for the rest of my tenure, which I think is awesome, but I also want the others to be read too, because who knows how long this ride will last? Especially because this week I was told that my column is online only because space was limited and it was either the crossword puzzle or the sex column on the chopping block. Trust me, I'd have made the same decision, because I love puzzles, but it was a little reminder to me that none of this is permanent, so thank you so much for reading, and please do pitch me! I want to feature more people, topics and sex acts/fetishes/interests that are under the radar and deserve attention, especially if there's an element, as with the OrgasmQuest, that will help other people.

Blogging has been light because with Blizzard Juno I got a bunch of new assignments which has been wonderful but made me a busier freelancer than I've ever been. So a deluge of sex articles are coming from me as I count down for the release of Best Bondage Erotica 2015, which you can follow @bestbondage on Twitter and read a free excerpt from the crazy hot nude bondage story "The Centerpiece" by Erin Spillane here. You would hardly think that a week ago I was in Curaçao for a much-needed vacation, where it looked like this:



Being away, and being able to afford to be away for a few days, felt amazing, but it's actually a little more complicated than that, and when this crazy deadline week is over, I will write about that awkwardness and the pressures and guilt of full-time freelancing for me in more depth. The funny thing is that I'm even happier, in my own way, this week in snowy New Jersey than I was on an 85-degree beach, just in a different way. I will be writing more soon about how I balance my life and time (and how I don't!), because there are some important conversations about money and writing going on, but will just end here saying that its' 6:12 a.m. and I'm already raring to go and wrapping up some pieces so I can get started on the new ones, and all I am is grateful. Last January I had no idea how I would continue to make a living. Now, at least at this very moment, I have enough work so I know that, much as I love putting my little erotica books out into the world and want them to do well, I'm not relying on them to succeed. I can feel the world cracking open for me, and all I am trying to do is be open and grateful and ready for whatever comes next. Another cool thing this week? I was quoted in The New York Times about This., a new social networking site where you can share one link per day. Right now it's invite only and I gave away all my invites, but you can sign up to be notified when they'll have more (you can also sign up with them to be added when they open it up). The place I update the most, probably because it's best suited to my ADD nature, is Twitter. I'm @raquelita.

Did you sign up for your free copy of Best Bondage Erotica 2015 yet?

If not, what are you waiting for? It's easy. Basically, you agree to have Thunderclap post on your Facebook, Twitter and/or Tumblr account about my hot new book Best Bondage Erotica 2015, out very very soon, which has kinky camping stories, home repair and bondage, a certain craft turned into bondage equipment and much more, and I send you a free book after the campaign closes (limited to the first 100). You must, of course, actually participate in the Thunderclap campaign in order to get the free book. Interested? Sign up for the Best Bondage Erotica 2015 Thunderclap here.

There are 77 more freebie spots left in my promotion for the Thunderclap campaign (I am running the free book part myself). If you're one of the first 100 people to join, just send me an email at bestbondage2015 at gmail.com with "Thunderclap" in the subject line and your name and mailing address AND your Facebook URL, Twitter handle and/or Tumblr URL that you used for the Thunderclap. I'll send you an autographed book as soon as the campaign ends. I'm excited to introduce this sexy series to lots of new readers, and appreciate you spreading the word. I try to up the ante each year with new ways of approaching bondage, and think it's safe to say the 2015 edition definitely pushes the kinky envelope.


click on the cover to see what's in the book!

I'll be posting more about my 5 years of editing this kinky series along with excerpts from this brand new book that should be in my hands any down now, but here are a few free stories and excerpts from years past:

Free excerpts from all 20 stories in Best Bondage Erotica 2014

"The Weight" from Best Bondage Erotica 2012 at Goodreads

Read a long excerpt of "Foot and Mouth" from Best Bondage Erotica 2013 at Fresh Fiction or listen to me read it at Liar's League

A bit of illustration of my Best Bondage Erotica 2011 story and my thoughts on writing and editing erotica via the wonderful Seth Kushner and his CulturePop project (I encourage you to read them all!).

Want a free copy of Best Bondage Erotica 2015? Join the Thunderclap and help celebrate this hot new book!

Sometimes, life seems to laugh at me. Today was one of those days; not because I skipped errands yesterday and had to do them today in the snow, which actually was quite lovely, and made me grateful to return to the warmth of my office where the heat is blasting away. No, life laughed at me because for weeks I've been meaning to send out an author update on my shipping-from-the-printer-very-soon anthology Best Bondage Erotica 2015 and to start a Thunderclap campaign for it (more on that in a moment).

Today I finally did...and it turned out I was using the wrong cover! Sometimes, despite what we as authors/editors would like, changes happen and we don't find out. So of course I not only sent all the authors an email about the book but I also added the old cover all over social media and only then did I click through to Amazon, which is currently showing the correct cover for the paperback and the old wrong cover for the Kindle. I felt stupid, because one thing I'm trying to do this year is cut back on self-promotional Tweets and other postings in favor of my substantive and hopefully helpful posts. I love Twitter, and have connected with amazing authors and readers there, but I know that there's a fine line between saying something interesting and shilling, and I don't want to cross it from my personal account (I made @bestbondage just for that purpose though).

Long story short, I felt pretty foolish but then remembered that I have this awesome book full of something I don't see as often as I'd like in submissions to my books: femdom! What's also fascinating to me is that there are two home repair bondage stories and two kinky camping stories, plus other fun twists, including using a material for bondage I never would have considered, though I have used it for non-bondage purposes. So without further ado, here's the new final cover of the book. I am a book and editor nerd so I have my copies sent directly from the printer.

I'm hoping they arrive before I escape the winter cold for a few days on the beach but whenever they get here, I will be posting photos, because my favorite days as an anthology editor are when that box arrives and I open it and see the fruit of my labor. One of the great things about editing an annual series is feeling a smidge less guilty about sending out rejection letters because I know I will have another call up (and I will post that the second it's finalized!). Well, I probably still feel just as awful as ever--it's by far the worst part of my job--but it does mean that I at least know I'll be able to start fresh with a new year and new batch of authors.

I save room in every anthology for authors I've never published before, and this year those include Tim Rudolph, longtime Erotica Readers & Writers Association member Daddy X, Robert Black, erotic novelists Nichelle Gregory and Jodie Griffin, LN Bey and Jenne Davis of Clitical. That is the best part of what I do, because I will never forget seeing my name in a book for the first time, and being able to publish these authors, and getting to introduce at least two newcomers to the genre with their first published stories, means the world to me. So feast on this final gorgeous cover, take heed of my error and always make sure your cover is the right one before you post it, and stay tuned for the release! You can check out the Table of Contents and my introduction on Tumblr.



So back to Thunderclap: how it works is kind of like Kickstarter, but where Kickstarter gathers funds, Thunderclap gathers people. The idea is that 100 people posting about a book release at the same day and time has a lot more impact than those same 100 people each posting on different days. My campaign looks like this:



It's something I'm trying for the first time, it being a new year, a new book and me realizing last year I have to innovate or give up. So here's my special offer. If you join the Thunderclap, which means you allow Thunderclap to post from your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr account on February 3rd at 11 a.m. EST about the book, I'll send you a free copy later that day. Just join the Thunderclap now, send me your name and mailing address and Facebook or Tumblr URL or Twitter handle (whichever method you chose) to bestbondage2015 at gmail.com with "Thunderclap" in the subject line and then you'll get a signed copy the next week, just in time for Valentine's Day. I'm limiting this to the next 99 people to sign up for the Thunderclap, which I probably don't need to say, but I will. THANK YOU for helping the series succeed. I am so proud of it and how the authors have taught me so much about bondage, and hope you love it as much as I do.

Reposting my 3 calls for submissions - March 1 is around the corner

I'm deep in editing mode for these 3 anthologies and amazed as always by so many wonderful submissions. Please keep sending them, and bring your A game creativity, and note that these are probably the last calls I will issue in 2014. Each book will have work by authors I've never published before, so I hope that's some encouragement to those of you new to erotica or my books. The best thing you can do is follow the guidelines. I love authors that think outside the box (pun intended). Happy writing!

Call for Submissions: Female Fantasy Erotica, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

This collection of erotica will feature female protagonists living out their hottest fantasies. From vanilla to kinky, single to partnered, from 18 to elderly, I'm looking for stories of all sorts of women (transgender characters are also welcome) exploring new aspects of their sexuality. Stories must capture what about that particular fantasy for that particular character is so compelling and make it red-hot to work for this book, and authors are encouraged to be creative, daring and provocative with exploring the definition of fantasy and how it plays out for your character. All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to fantasyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

NOTE: I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at fantasyantho at gmail.com

Call for Submissions: Best Bondage Erotica 2015, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Best Bondage Erotica 2015 will collect the best bondage erotica stories around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage, from varying points of view. Bondage plus other sexual activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, teasing, etc.). Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms of bondage are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative bondage erotica for this collection. All genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry.

Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work published (or slated to be published) between September 2013 and November 2014 will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work and author MUST include original publication information and retain reprint rights. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 or my other kinky Cleis Press anthologies (Serving Him, Anything for You, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Bottoms Up, Spanked, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma’am, He’s on Top, She’s on Top) for an idea of the kinds of stories I prefer. I will consider up to two stories per author.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. DO NOT submit multiple versions of your story; submit ONLY your final, complete, edited version of the story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to bestbondage2015@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

NOTE: I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at bestbondage2015 at gmail.com

Call for Submissions: Sex Toy Erotica anthology, April 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for your hottest sex toy erotica stories. Sex toys can include items such as vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, as well as items like handcuffs and other restraints, nipple clamps, paddles, cock rings, whips and canes, sex furniture, etc., but feel free to get as creative as you can with the definition of “sex toy” and its use in your stories. The story can focus on the sex toy or simply incorporate the use of a sex toy into the narrative. Sex toys should be given context and description, but shouldn’t read like catalog copy. Let the story you’re telling drive the detail used to convey exactly what the sex toy/s is/are and their purpose within the story.

The final book will contain a wide range of characters, scenarios, sexualities, locations, motivations and toys, from the types listed above that you’d find at a sex toy retailer, to everyday household objects, to fictional sex toys. The sky’s the limit! All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to sextoyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: April 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

NOTE: I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at sextoyantho at gmail.com

3 erotica calls for submissions: sex toys, female fantasies and bondage

You heard it here first! This female fantasy erotica anthology is a separate one from my previous call, though the wording is the same; please do not submit the same story you sent previously, unless I've requested you do so. Last time I got a huge abundance of lesbian fantasies; feel free to send those, but if you do, give it a very good twist. Though it has the latest deadline (April 1), the sex toy anthology I expect to fill up fast and I would encourage you to get your stories in as early as possible. I especially encourage those who've taken my erotic writing workshops to submit to any or all of these anthologies and each of my anthologies will publish work by writers I've never published before. The most important thing you can do in submitting work to me is follow the guidelines, and write an insanely hot story. I'm also reposting the Best Bondage Erotica 2015 call, which has a March 1 deadline. If you're waiting to hear back about my previous calls, I will reply to you by the second week of January - my apologies for the delay.

Call for Submissions: Sex Toy Erotica anthology, April 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for your hottest sex toy erotica stories. Sex toys can include items such as vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, as well as items like handcuffs and other restraints, nipple clamps, paddles, cock rings, whips and canes, sex furniture, etc., but feel free to get as creative as you can with the definition of “sex toy” and its use in your stories. The story can focus on the sex toy or simply incorporate the use of a sex toy into the narrative. Sex toys should be given context and description, but shouldn’t read like catalog copy. Let the story you’re telling drive the detail used to convey exactly what the sex toy/s is/are and their purpose within the story.

The final book will contain a wide range of characters, scenarios, sexualities, locations, motivations and toys, from the types listed above that you’d find at a sex toy retailer, to everyday household objects, to fictional sex toys. The sky’s the limit! All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to sextoyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: April 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

NOTE: I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at sextoyantho@gmail.com

Call for Submissions: Female Fantasy Erotica, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

This collection of erotica will feature female protagonists living out their hottest fantasies. From vanilla kinky, single to partnered, from 18 to elderly, I'm looking for stories of all sorts of women (transgender characters are also welcome) exploring new aspects of their sexuality. For inspiration, feel free to check out a list by Violet Blue of common sexual fantasies, but stories must capture what about that particular fantasy for that particular character is so compelling and make it red-hot to work for this book, and authors are encouraged to be creative, daring and provocative with exploring the definition of fantasy and how it plays out for your character. All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to fantasyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

Call for Submissions: Best Bondage Erotica 2015, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Best Bondage Erotica 2015 will collect the best bondage erotica stories around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage, from varying points of view. Bondage plus other sexual activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, teasing, etc.). Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms of bondage are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative bondage erotica for this collection. All genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry.

Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work published (or slated to be published) between September 2013 and November 2014 will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work and author MUST include original publication information and retain reprint rights. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 or my other kinky Cleis Press anthologies (Serving Him, Anything for You, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Bottoms Up, Spanked, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma’am, He’s on Top, She’s on Top) for an idea of the kinds of stories I prefer. I will consider up to two stories per author.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. DO NOT submit multiple versions of your story; submit ONLY your final, complete, edited version of the story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to bestbondage2015@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)
I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at bestbondage2015 at gmail.com

About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 50 anthologies, including The Big Book of Orgasms, Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica, Serving Him, Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012 and 2013, Irresistible, Gotta Have It, Women in Lust Orgasmic, Fast Girls, Passion, Peep Show, Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He’s on Top, She’s on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, and Dirty Girls. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright’s X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane’s Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Inked, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, The Root, Salon, Time Out New York, xoJane, Zink and other publications.

Call for Submissions: Best Bondage Erotica 2015

Call for Submissions
Best Bondage Erotica 2015
To be published by Cleis Press

Best Bondage Erotica 2015 will collect the best bondage erotica stories around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage, from varying points of view. Bondage plus other sexual activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, teasing, etc.). Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms of bondage are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative bondage erotica for this collection. All genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry.

Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work published (or slated to be published) between September 2013 and November 2014 will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work and author MUST include original publication information and retain reprint rights. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 or my other kinky Cleis Press anthologies (Serving Him, Anything for You, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Bottoms Up, Spanked, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma’am, He’s on Top, She’s on Top) for an idea of the kinds of stories I prefer. I will consider up to two stories per author.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. DO NOT submit multiple versions of your story; submit ONLY your final, complete, edited version of the story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to bestbondage2015@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)
I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at bestbondage2015 at gmail.com

About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 50 anthologies, including The Big Book of Orgasms, Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica, Serving Him, Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012 and 2013, Irresistible, Gotta Have It, Women in Lust Orgasmic, Fast Girls, Passion, Peep Show, Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He’s on Top, She’s on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, and Dirty Girls. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright’s X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane’s Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Inked, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, The Root, Salon, Time Out New York, xoJane, Zink and other publications.