BDSM erotica He's on Top is on sale for just $1.99!

My BDSM erotica anthology He's on Top: Erotic Stories of Male Dominance and Female Submission is on sale this week and next, through Sunday, August 21st, for $1.99 for Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo. If you're into or curious about kink, now's a great chance to get a look at a variety of ways men and women use power and pain to get off.



Official description: "He’s on Top pays homage to those irresistible men who control their partners with a glance, a tickling whip, or a measured smack on the bottom. As true tops, the bossy hunks in these stories understand that erotic BDSM is about exulting in power that is freely yielded. Contributors such as Amanda Earl, Mackenzie Cross, Alison Tyler, Mike Kimera, and others cover the full range of the male dom’s brand of sensual sadism, from spanking and bondage to public sex and power exchange."

The crowdfunded romance only bookstore that won't stock Fifty Shades of Grey

I interviewed Bea and Leah Koch, book-loving sisters who are crowdfunding via Kickstarter to open The Ripped Bodice, a romance only bookstore, in Los Angeles. Check it out to read about why they want to overcome stereotypes about romance readers, how the bookstore will function as a community space, and why they won't be carrying Fifty Shades of Grey.

What erotica writers thought about the #AskELJames Twitter Q&A

I decided to ask erotica writers what they thought about yesterday's #AskELJames Twitter chat. Their varied takes are up at The Frisky. Thanks to writers Rose Caraway, Abigail Ekue, Tamsin Flowers, Shanna Germain, Tasha L. Harrison, A.M. Hartnett, Oleander Plume and Remittance Girl for sharing their thoughts!



Yes, I do have a copy of Grey, but don't think I'll be formally reviewing it, though I will be writing about BDSM and submission in real life soon. Stay tuned!

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."

6 times I wrote about Fifty Shades of Grey

With the entire entertainment world focused on the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey film (and confirmation that two more are in the works), I thought now would be a good time to look at what I've written about the phenomenon. I don't think I'm forgetting any but will update if I remember something else I've done on it. I've also been quoted more times than I've covered the topic. I haven't bought a ticket yet, and may still be able to find my way into a screening next week in New York, though I kind of want to see it amongst my people, that is, suburban New Jersey couples on Valentine's Day weekend dates. These are in chronological order, starting with the Long Island E.L. James luncheon that was my first piece for The New York Observer.

"E.L. James and Fifty Shades of Grey Come to the Suburbs: Long Island Ladies-Who-Lunch Lap Up Lusty Lit" for The New York Observer

"The “Fifty Shades” Parody Cookbook Is Actually Good" for Buzzfeed

"‘50 Shades of Grey’ Is the Subject of a Course at American University" for The Daily Beast

"How Rabid ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Fans Are Using Twitter to Fulfill Their Fantasies" for Nerve

"I tried the Fifty Shades of Grey app — it definitely didn't make me horny" for SheKnows

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

The anti-Fifty Shades of Grey #TradeYourShades campaign by authors of Pulling Back the Shades

My latest at Salon: Christian sex activists warn against the “dangers of mommy porn” and “50 Shades of Grey” about the campaign where you can trade your copy of Fifty Shades of Grey for authors Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery's book Pulling Back the Shades. Yes, they do advise putting down Cosmo in favor of the Bible, and I interviewed Slattery and highlight key points from the book.

Fifty Shades of Grey fans and haters, here's a smarter and sexier Dom than Christian Grey

The subject of this week's Philadelphia City Paper sex column, "Meet a sexier, smarter Dom than Christian Grey," is Ernest Greene and his novel Master of O, a 700-page "must-read." Why? Here's a snippet:

Because rather than BDSM being used as an angst-ridden plot device where a troubling reason is given for a character's interest in punishment and power play, Greene's characters are unapologetically kinky. At one point, while being caned, Greene writes of O, the submissive heroine, "This was quality pain. She'd had little enough of it to know how rare it was."

The idea that erotic pain can even be measured is an audacious one in a society still sorting out what we think of kinky people. Only in 2013 did the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders downgrade BDSM from a mental disorder. Greene considers kink a sexual orientation similar to being gay.

Read the whole thing here.


photo by Steve Diet Goedde

Feminism, BDSM and submission at Elle.com

I profiled a woman who is nothing like Anastasia Steele for "What It's Really Like to Be a Submissive and a Feminist" at Elle.com. Please check it out and if you like it, feel free to share it on your social media accounts. I like that they asked me to do an as told to because so many pieces about submission in the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey have drawn giant, sweeping, problematic conclusions about submissive women. This is one woman's story (and of course, she said a lot of other amazing stuff but I couldn't include it all, but still, I thought what she had to say was fascinating).

Portland Public Library discussion for Banned Books Week September 24th in Portland, Maine

I'm honored to be part of this discussion taking place September 24th at the Portland Public Library in one of my favorite cities, Portland, Maine during Banned Books Week. If you know anyone in the Portland, Maine area, please let them know! I will also be teaching my Erotica 101 writing workshop the previous night, September 23 from 7:30-9 pm at Nomia, 24 Exchange Street, Suite 215 and you can get more information on Facebook and sign up by calling Nomia at 207-773-4774 ($25/person).

September 24, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
(not updated time) The Guilty Pleasure of Erotic Literature, Portland, Maine
Join Gina O'Rourke, owner of Nomia, and Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of several erotica anthologies for a conversation about 50 Shades and other titles; the lines between romance, erotica and pornography; and recommended reads. #bannedbookweek
Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium, 5 Monument Way, Portland, Maine

Fifty Shades of Grey roleplaying article at Nerve

I wrote about some of the many Fifty Shades of Grey roleplaying families on Twitter for Nerve. Learned a lot!

Mystery, coffee and tech fans, your new fun read is Billionaire Blend by Cleo Coyle

Cleo Coyle's coffeehouse mystery series just might be my favorite series, and I read a lot of them! It's set in a New York coffeehouse and manages to stay relevant, timely, fun and fascinating. This latest one, Billionaire Blend, is special in that it's partly set in New York, and partly set all over the world. It's a great read and makes a great gift. My review is below. And the blue roses on the cover do play a role in the mystery! Find out more at get recipes (I'm making skillet lasagna from the book tomorrow!) at coffeehousemystery.com. And I link to Amazon, where you can also get the Kindle ebook edition, because I get a small kickback, but I encourage you to buy books from your favorite bookseller, and use your local library. Want to help your favorite authors? Request their books from your local bookstore. It shows them that there's demand.

Cleo Coyle has done it again with an intricate, page-turning mystery, romantic drama between Village Blend owner Clare Cosi and her now-living-in-DC cop boyfriend Mike Quinn as well as that between Clare's daughter Joy and her cop boyfriend, Emmanuel Franco, and techie drama galore. While billionaires seem to be a dime a dozen ever since Christian Grey rolled onto the scene (don't miss the great Fifty Shades joke embedded in Billionaire Blend), this one is different.

Eric Thorner is a tech whiz billionaire who wants the best, including the best coffee. He's used to getting his way, and he wants Clare's coffee expertise--as well as her body. When he almost dies in an explosion outside her coffee shop, he tries to sweep her off her feet and makes her an offer that neither she nor her ex-husband and current business partner Matteo (Matt) Allegro can refuse. Together the three travel the globe, which is a new twist for this series; usually we only hear about Matt's coffee sourcing exploits when he's returned. While one of the things I love best about this series is its New York-centered view and tidbits of history about the city, it was fascinating to see Clare get out of her familiar settings and to learn about how coffee affects people in various locations.

There's always been a nod to the old-fashioned way of doing things in this series, even though it's firmly set in modern times. From Matt's mother's elegance to the Village Blend's sense of artistic and Big Apple history, Clare's family and business have never been about doing things faster and speedier. So the fun technological prowess of Thorner and his company, from bathroom holograms to very smart phones to the seemingly omniscient Miss House, who gives Clare directions and seems to have eyes everywhere, is a treat.

This is one of the most tightly plotted series I've read. I do recommend reading them in order, though technically you don't have to. There are so many little clues and red herrings and references here that make this book both a page-turning mystery and simply a fun read. Even after you're done with the whodunnit, there are recipes galore, including skillet lasagna, which also give a bit of backstory to the characters and when/why they've made each recipe. Coyle adds depth to all the ongoing relationships in the series, romantic and familial--the sideline about Joy's restaurant job in France and the unexpected opportunity to cook for fancy billionaires is a delight--and lets Clare's smarts shine through while never making anything easy to guess. Enjoy this with your favorite cup of coffee, and be prepared to keep refilling it as you stay glued to the story.

"Move over Fifty Shades of Grey" says Refinery29 about Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission

Not only did Refinery29 run my no pants essay this week, but they were also kind enough to recommend 3 of my books, Serving Him, The Big Book of Orgasms and anal sex ebook Between the Cheeks in their "Porn for Women: A Tasteful Guide to Sexy Time. Thank you! Below is more info on Serving Him, which features my amateur professional sub story "Subbing."



Purchase Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission now from:



Amazon

Kindle edition (ebook)

Barnes & Noble

Nook (ebook)

Powells

Books-a-Million

IndieBound (search for your local indie bookstore)

Audible audiobook edition

iTunes

Google Play

Cleis Press

Serving Him Table of Contents

Introduction: Lucky Naughty Girls
What You Deserve Lori Selke (read excerpt)
Coffee Break Kristina Wright (read excerpt)
Chattel Errica Liekos (read excerpt)
Under Direction Teresa Noelle Roberts (read excerpt)
The Letter Tiffany Reisz (read excerpts: part 1 and part 2)
Run, Baby, Run Vida Bailey (read excerpt)
Tackling Jessica Maxine Marsh (read excerpt)
Safe, Sane & Consensual Ariel Graham (read excerpt)
The Golden Ruler Giselle Renarde (read excerpt)
I Always Do Kiki DeLovely (read excerpt)
Pinky Kissa Starling (read excerpt)
The Breaking Point Cole Riley (read excerpt)
Shining in the Dark Bex vanKoot (read excerpt)
Room #3 Emily Bingham (read excerpt)
Duo J. Sinclaire (read excerpt)
Breath Mollena Williams (read excerpt)
Silver Fish in the Crystal Pool Gina Marie (read excerpt)
The Secret of Time Travel Jacqueline Applebee (read excerpt)
Bared Gray Miller (read excerpt)
In His Control Jade Melisande (read excerpt)
Paper Doll joy (read excerpt)
Subbing Rachel Kramer Bussel (read excerpt)

Lucky Naughty Girls

“I’m so lucky to have such a naughty girl like you in my lap,” Jake tells Deirdre in “What You Deserve” by Lori Selke, the opening story in the book you’re about to read. In many ways, that sentence, its promise and passion, its claim and command, is what this book of kinky erotica is all about. There are a lot of naughty girls, a lot of laps and a lot of men who understand that, in fact, they are lucky—whether they ever voice it or not—to have a hot, eager, filthy-minded woman eagerly awaiting the chance to serve them.

The other half of the equation, one that is vital to any BDSM story, but especially those told with an eye toward female submission, is that the naughty girls themselves know how lucky they are—and if they don’t at the start of the story, they do by the end. They know they are lucky to have discovered a seed of submission somewhere within them and someone to complement and nurture that growing seed. They are lucky because they own their darkest, dirtiest desires, even the ones they struggle with, the ones that turn them on despite being taboo or unnerving in some way.

Actually, they are more than lucky; finding a master, a top, a boyfriend, a husband, a lover or simply a man who gets an essential truth about their submissive nature doesn’t just happen. Well, sometimes it does, but I believe it takes a certain kind of prowess to activate and draw forth those kinds of dominants, the kind you can trust with your body and soul, your pussy and your power. What I’m trying to say is that the women here don’t just wander down an alley and find a man to pin them against the wall; even when they encounter a sexy stranger, they are making a choice to obey him, to follow their own lust as much as another’s command.

In “Room #3,” when author Emily Bingham shuts the door on her characters, she invites us into a tale where we don’t know who is touching the narrator, nor does she; we only know how much she likes it. When the narrator offers up her body, she enters into the unknown, a thrill in and of itself. “The moment I knocked on this door, I consented to become his plaything. From here on out I have no say in what will happen. No words are to leave my mouth in this space; I am at his mercy. I can only hope I’ve made a wise choice.” In all the stories you will read here, a woman makes a similar choice, and we get to luxuriate in the ways that actively making that choice, owning up to our most dastardly, wanton, wicked fantasies can be a ticket to a ride we never want to get off.

I’m sitting in a coffee shop in San Francisco as I quote from Kristina Wright’s “Coffee Break,” wondering what I would do if a hot barista said to me, “Go to the bathroom now. Leave the door unlocked. Get undressed. Kneel on the floor facing the door.” Actually, it’s not the barista who delivers that message in her story, but it made me picture what I would do if I were handed a steaming cup of joe and such a command.

The stories in Serving Him are about everything from scenes in dungeons to the ways playing with power can extend beyond what we do when we are “playing.” In “Safe, Sane and Consensual,” by Ariel Graham, she takes that hallmark of BDSM safety and reflects on the ways we “safeword” when dealing with polite society. “May I ask what the spanking is for?” Aaron asks Annie, and his answer just may surprise you.

There are plenty of surprises in store in this book, and whether you’re a novice or a seasoned BDSM player, I hope you’ll enjoy the exchanges to be found here—of dirty talk, power, roles, toys, games. These characters test each other, pushing boundaries from both sides of the top/bottom equation. Often it’s the women who push their men to push them, to stop being polite and start holding them down, making them open wide, forcing them to relinquish a kind of power they are eager to let go off.

Many of the stories here are as intense as the acts described; I see them as tender, but they are likely to take your breath away, make you tremble or quiver, make you just a little bit afraid. That edge of awe and fear, of want and need, of excitement and surrender, is just where I hope these stories keep you. You don’t have to be a naughty girl (or boy), in real life or in your dreams, to enjoy the twenty-two hot stories in this book, but I have a feeling they will bring out your inner naughtiness, whatever form that takes. I feel lucky to get to share them with you.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

2 new articles: "Sympathy for E.L. James" and "Wikipedia Thinks I'm a Lesbian..."

I have 2 new pieces up, my first for The Toast, "Sympathy for E.L. James," about the erotica community's response to the author of Fifty Shades of Grey.

I also wrote my first piece for the Boinkology sex and tech collection at Medium (if you like it, please click "Recommend" at the bottom), "Wikipedia Thinks I’m a Lesbian—And This Bisexual Is Okay With That".

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! I'm cooking up more pieces for next week.

Fifty Shades of Grey college class

I wrote about the Fifty Shades of Grey college class at American University for The Daily Beast. Working on this story made me (briefly) want to attend college again! And I actually have two other Fifty Shades-related stories I'm working on, among various short stories and pop culture tidbits. Another more personal story coming soon, related to a beloved sex toy.

In her blog post, Woods outlined several key areas the curriculum will cover, with students answering questions such as “Evaluate the relationship in the book in light of our readings on domestic violence. Are the leads in the trilogy in a healthy or abusive relationship? Why or why not?” and “What was the role of social media in perpetuating the trilogy's success? If you were in charge of marketing the upcoming movies, how would you utilize social media?” Students will be forced to read, write, and analyze critically.

Contrary to a USA Today claim that they’ll be rewriting the first 150 pages, students will instead be asked to rewrite one of the introductory chapters, before Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey consummate their relationship, with an aim to improving it. "That's a useful skill in almost any job. Someone who has just graduated will be tasked with editing and proofreading and reviewing over and over again for their superiors in the office," claimed Woods, who said most of the class's students are enrolled in the school or communications or are studying sexuality.

Read the whole thing

I cooked bacon bound chicken wings from parody cookbook Fifty Shades of Chicken and have the recipe for you

I cooked bacon bound chicken wings, white-wine steamed chicken with sesame oil and scallions, and insanely delicious Yukon Gold potatoes (with my favorite recipe name in the book: Taters, Baby) from the new parody cookbook Fifty Shades of Chicken by FL Fowler and have the recipe for the bacon bound wings, which are great hot or cold, and a great party food. This parody cookbook is one of the best Fifty Shades of Grey parodies I've read, and trust me (or, ahem, truss me), I've read a lot! Check it out at Buzzfeed Shift.

I'm reading at Grand Central Station November 28th

I will have details soon on the time but I'm reading on Wednesday, November 28th at Posman Books at Grand Central Station from my essay "Kink and Condescension" from the new anthology Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey edited by Lori Perkins, out now from Smart Pop Books! It's shipping now from Amazon and has an amazing lineup of erotic and romance authors, commentators, Fifty Shades of Grey parodists, book industry insiders like Judith Regan and more!

American University college class to study Fifty Shades of Grey

I'm fascinated by this news from The Eagle about this class!

A new class based on the “50 Shades of Grey” trilogy will be offered to undergraduates this spring.

The class will be in the American Studies program of the College of Arts and Sciences (AMST-330-005). It will focus on the trilogy’s impact in many areas of society as well as the reasons behind its popularity, according to its course description.

Professor Stef Woods, who runs the D.C.-based blog titled “City Girl,” will teach the class. She currently teaches a course on health and activism.

Woods thought the books were appropriate to use in class because of their impact on pop culture, with more than 20 million copies sold in four months, she said.

“The trilogy has impacted the fields of public relations, writing, social media marketing, health and sexuality,” she said. “It has also opened up dialogue about previously uncomfortable topics.”

Professor Stef Woods also posted about the class and 5 points she plans to explore, and can I just say I love that female sexuality is going to be discussed explicitly, as well as erotic literature, on the college level? Also, I had to click through to find out what a sexual genogram is - students will have to create one!

a. Double standards abound with respect to female sexuality. Does referring to the book as "mommy porn" further belittle women's sexuality? Are men's publications subjected to the same judgments about sexuality?

b. A common criticism of the book is its poor writing style and editing. What are our expectations when it comes to reading fiction? Do we expect less from online writings? Would E.L. James's writing have been judged to the same extent, if she wasn't a female writing an erotic trilogy? How would you revise an earlier chapter of the first book to sustain a more discriminating reader's attention?

c. Evaluate the relationship in the book in light of our readings on domestic violence. Are the leads in the trilogy in a healthy or abusive relationship? Why or why not?

d. Why is the trilogy a public relations success story? Would sales have been as high if e-readers didn't exist? Given the studies we looked at regarding the buying power of the mom demographic, do you think the book series would have been as successful if the mom demographic hadn't been targeted?

e. What was the role of social media in perpetuating the trilogy's success? If you were in charge of marketing the upcoming movies, how would you utilize social media?

Hear me read from Fifty Shades of Grey Tuesday, October 2nd in NYC at 50 Shades of Banned

I'll be reading from Fifty Shades of Grey Tuesday night in celebration of banned books. All the details are on Facebook and at Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

On October 2, celebrate Banned Books Week with an evening of stirring readings from erotic classics at Fifty Shades of Banned: A Celebration of Erotic Literature. The event starts at 8 PM at the Village Pourhouse on 64 3rd Ave (11th Street Entrance, across from Webster Hall) and benefits New York free speech charities National Coalition Against Censorship and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

If one thing attracts the attention of the would-be censor, it’s sex. Depictions of sexuality in books, comics, art and film have drawn the eager attentions of Vice Squads and Morality Police since long before the days of Anthony Comstock. Those censorship challenges continue to this day, and are fought by the important work of NCAC and CBLDF.

Fifty Shades of Banned will take place at the Village Pourhouse on 3^rd Avenue in the East Village on Tuesday, October 2 at 8 p.m. The event will feature dramatic readings from censored lit including The Story of O, Joe Blow, Howl, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Fifty Shades of Grey by sexologist and author Dr. Logan Levkoff, erotica author Rachel Kramer Bussel, comedy group MURDERFIST and more.

Come for the classic smut, stay for a chance to win a signed copy of Fifty Shades or other exciting raffle prizes courtesy of Babeland. All door donations and raffle proceeds will go to benefit free speech defenders NCAC and CBLDF and therefore ensure that we all have access to stimulating lit for years to come.

Who: The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund & the National Coalition Against Censorship
Where: The Village Pourhouse, 64 3rd Ave in the East Village
When: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30
How Much: $10 suggested door donation, includes raffle ticket
Featuring: Banned Books, 2 for 1 Abita Beers, $5 Fat Tuesday menu of hurricanes, hand grenades, po’ boys and jambalaya.
For more information, visit Blogging Censorship (http://ncacblog.wordpress.com/), www.cbldf.org

Interestingly, there've been articles saying that while Fifty Shades of Grey was available in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed weren't for sale until recently. I have seen them in multiple stores, including Kinokuniya at Dubai Mall, and Borders and Virgin Megastore (which live on in Dubai).


Fifty Shades of Grey at Borders at Mall of the Emirates




Fifty Shades of Grey at Kinokuniya at The Dubai Mall

Fifty Shades of E L James and Katie Couric live tweeting!

Follow #50ShadesKatie where I'm in the front row live tweeting as @raquelita along with @marymac as Katie Couric interviews Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James on her new ABC show Katie!, airing today at 3 on ABC. People are here from Australia (Brisbane), Seattle, and Salt Lake City! Katie Couric is all over social media, find out more at katiecouric.com and coming later today, an article I wrote there about Fifty Shades. Here we go! And yes, I know you can see my bra in the second photo. Trying not to have a wardrobe malfunction.

Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation porn parody trailer, to be released September 20th

Yes, it's true: on September 20th, Smash Pictures will release Fifty Shades of Grey: A XXX Adaptation starring Allie Haze, Alexis Ford, Julia Ann, and Jaslene Jade. To me it begs the question of how the mainstream version of the film about a bondage and BDSM-themed novel will approach sex once it's all out there and on the table, though something tells me the hardcore (pun intended) E.L. James fans won't necessarily be watching the XXX parody version. A while back, I'd wanted to write about porn parodies vs. theatrical parodies in light of David Adjmi's play 3-C and its legal woes, but I didn't get all the answers I need to properly write about it, but it is an interesting comparison, in my mind, anyway. My review of the parody DVD is coming (another pun, ha!) as soon as I watch it!




Allie Haze starring as Anastasia Steele, via Porn Valley News

And the official trailer with its own take on Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey and "kinky fuckery:"