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

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

My first unboxing video! For Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2

I'm so happy to share that in three weeks, on February 9, my new kinky anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 will be published by Cleis Press. I got my author copies a few weeks ago and did my first unboxing video! It's age-restricted so you'll have to watch on YouTube, but here's the cover and more information on the book. I'm so excited that these 19 super sexy bondage erotica stories will be out in print and ebook very soon (and audiobook soon after that).

cover-best-bondage-erotica-of-the-year-volume-two

Here's a snippet from a great review we just got from the blog Beauty in Ruins, which reads in part: "Escape by Veronique Veritas gets the anthology off to a great start with an escape-room-themed tale where bondage and domination prove key to escape in more ways than one. Aside from the accident that left her in need of rehab, the sexualized training of Back in the Saddle by Page Chase is something I've fantasized about more than once . . . and I have reread this more than once as well!...Sex-positive and kink-positive, with nods to nonbinary lovers and polyamorous threesomes, Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Vol. 2 is another testament to Rachel Kramer Bussel's eye for erotic fiction."

Table of contents:

Introduction: All Kinds of Kinky

Escape • Veronique Veritas

Hammered Gold • Rosalind Chase

Back in the Saddle • Page Chase

The Lash of a Thousand Wolfords • Trystan Kent

Day 730 • Rebecca E. Blanton

Restorative Justice • Alexa J. Day

Leather-bound • Elna Holst

Table for Two • T.R. Verten

Headspace • Evan Mora

Unicorn • Jacqueline Brocker

Ballad of Desire and Saccharine Melodies • Sonja E. DeWitt

Activist • Sienna Saint-Cyr

Dark Dreams • Posy Churchgate

Trade Show • D. Fostalove

Chef’s Special • Emma Chaton

Friend with benefits • Charlie Powell

The Weight of Command • Anne Stagg

A Constructed Threesome • Dr. J.

Plug In the Model • Céline

About the book:

How do you like to be tied up? Silk scarves and designer stockings … nipple clamps, collars, and riding crops? Or are you the one with the key to the cuffs?

Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 brings you nineteen delectable adult stories of teasing, tantalizing, and begging for more. Award-winning editor Rachel Kramer Bussel allows you to shamelessly delve into your forbidden desires—from the most innocent to the truly deviant. These sexy tales include a double-dom three-way in a locked escape room, an outrageous kitchen tryst, a couple discovering their penchant for the perverse, kinky commands in space, and a range of role-play scenarios, each wilder than the last.

Succumb to the thrill of surrender with this exquisite anthology from a collection of writers who have truly mastered the not-so-gentle art of sexual power and erotic restraint.

Here's where to pre-order Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2:

PRINT:

Bookshop (supports independent bookstores)

Powell’s (independent bookstore)

Amazon (all available countries)

Books-a-Million

Chapters (Canada)

Waterstones (UK)

EBOOK:

Kindle (all available countries)

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

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Friday, November 08, 2019

How sexy is my new bondage book cover?

I'll share more details closer to the March 10 publication date, but for now I wanted to share how sexy the cover is for my 2020 Cleis Press anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1! Covers matter for all books, but especially erotica. Sometimes it's tough to find one image that fits a huge range of stories in an anthology, but I think this one says a lot. I promise there's lots of hotness and variety inside! Details and giveaways in the new year. For now, feel free to add it to your Goodreads want-to-read list and/or pre-order on IndieBound or pre-order on Amazon for Kindle (Amazon print link coming soon).

best-bondage-erotica-of-the-year-volume-one-rachel-kramer-bussel

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Monday, January 07, 2019

Call for submissions: Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2

See also: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 call for submissions for Cleis Press, also with a June 1, 2019 deadline

You are free to either reprint this entire call in full, including contract terms and embedded links, or include a mention of the call and link to http://lustylady.blogspot.com/2019/01/best-bondage-erotica-two-anthology-call-for-submissions.html, which will be kept up-to-date and may include changes to the guidelines. This website will always include the most up-to-date guidelines.

Call for Submissions

Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press in late 2020 or early 2021
Deadline: June 1, 2019 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged and will be treated with priority, but all submissions meeting the guidelines received by the deadline will be considered)

For Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for your hottest, most creative unpublished 2,000-5,000 word bondage erotica stories (no poetry). Authors whose stories are accepted for publication will receive $100 and two copies of the print edition of the book on publication. Authors who’ve never published in any of Rachel’s anthologies before are especially encouraged to submit to this anthology. Please make sure to read and follow the guidelines in full before submitting. If you would not be willing to sign the contract terms listed below should your story be selected, do not submit to this anthology. Stories submitted that don’t contain bondage, are received after the June 1, 2019 deadline or fall outside the word count will be rejected..

This anthology will include characters of different races, ages, sexual orientations, locations, occupations, backgrounds and bondage experience levels. The book will also include a wide array of motivations, techniques, implements, and scenarios, though all will include at least one bondage or restraint scenario at some point in the story. Ownvoices stories, in which the story’s protagonist and author share a marginalized identity, are especially welcome; for more information on the definition of ownvoices, click here. I want characters ranging from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. I want first person, second person and third person stories. I want bondage in bedrooms, at play parties, at offices, in public, in secret. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. I especially welcome stories were the motivations for engaging in bondage are unusual, and settings outside of dungeons, play parties and traditionally kinky settings. Stories do not have to contain a specific amount of sexual activity, but must be erotic in nature and be intended to arouse the reader. For an idea of the types of stories I prefer, see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Stories that do not contain any form of bondage or restraint will not be considered.

The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage. Stories featuring bondage plus other elements of BDSM or sexual erotica activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, sex toys, nipple play, fetishes, kissing, teasing, etc.). The more creative the bondage in the story, the better, but any type of bondage will work as long as the storyline and writing are compelling. I gravitate toward stories that draw me in from the first word and keeps me riveted. The main reason I reject stories for a themed anthology such as this one is that they are too similar to one I’ve already selected, so avoid clichéd plotlines and dialogue. Characters of all genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry. All characters must be over 18 for the entirety of the story. No incest or bestiality. Note that I won’t be able to give final answers to submissions until August 1, 2020 at the latest (if I can reply sooner, I will). If you need a response sooner than August 1, 2020, please do not submit to this anthology.

All stories should have a compelling beginning, middle and end. Make every word count and advance the story you want to tell. Consider each sentence and as: Does it serve a purpose? Is it advancing your story? If not, cut it. Make me care about your characters and get invested in their passions.

Only unpublished stories will be accepted; this means no part of the story can have been published or posted previously anywhere, in print, online, on blogs, on bulletin boards or private groups, in newsletters, via email or anywhere else and cannot be published or posted in any form prior to the book’s publication.

Rights: One-year exclusive rights. Authors will retain copyright to their stories. See contract terms below. If you would not be willing to sign the contract terms below, do not submit to this anthology.

ONLY SUBMIT ONE FINAL, THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD, GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT VERSION OF EACH STORY. Since I will be reading and considering stories as they come in, only the initial story submission will be considered; subsequent versions of the same story will NOT be considered, so please keep this in mind and make sure the submission you send contains exactly the story title, author name and text you would like to see published in the book. If I am interested in a revised version of your story, I will contact you.

How to submit: I will consider a maximum of two stories per author. Submit each story as a separate attachment using an email address that you check regularly. Submit only 2,000-5,000 original, unpublished stories that are not being considered elsewhere. Stories under 2,000 words or over 5,000 words will be automatically rejected. I want only original work that has never been published in whole or in part in any format, including online and print. Must use U.S. grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.). Submit to bestbondageseries@gmail.com by attaching a Word .doc or .docx file, double spaced, Times New Roman Black font and titled BBE2 LastName StoryTitle. At the top of the first page, include legal name, pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address, phone number (only to be used for urgent communication about your story) and 50 word-or-under third person professional biography either on the first page of your story. This should be the exact bio you’d want published in the book. URLs in bios should be listed in the first sentence in this format:

Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) writes fiction and non-fiction.

All stories must have a title and author name included at the top of the first page with the submission (no untitled stories). Indent half an inch at the start of each paragraph. Use only double spacing for the entire file; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or use any other irregular spacing. If you cannot use Word, submit as both an RTF and include the full submission in the body of an email, including title, story text, bio, name and pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address and phone number. MAKE SURE TO THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD YOUR STORY BEFORE SUBMITTING IT. All stories that are between 2,000-5,000 words and submitted by June 1, 2019 will be considered.

I will confirm that I have received your submission within one week. I will respond to all submissions by August 1, 2020 (yes, 2020) at the latest. If I can respond sooner, I will. If you have not heard back from me by August 2, 2020 feel free to follow up at that time. Payment: $100 and 2 copies of the book on publication. Payment will be made only via Paypal (strongly preferred) or U.S check (only for U.S. addresses).

Questions: bestbondageseries@gmail.com (make sure to read the guidelines in full before emailing to make sure your question hasn’t already been addressed)

CONTRIBUTOR PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

Agreement dated , 2019, between LEGAL NAME (”Contributor”), writing as PEN NAME, whose address is _____________________________________________________________________________ and RKB Enterprises, Inc. (“Editor”), whose address is _____________________________________________________________________________ for publication of “STORY TITLE” (the “Work”) in Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 (the "Book"), an anthology to be published by Cleis Press./Viva Editions (the “Publisher”). The parties agree as follows:

1. GRANT OF RIGHTS
(a) Contributor hereby grants and licenses to the Editor, during the full term of copyright in the Work, and any renewals thereof, the following rights in and to the Work, exclusively until one (1) year from the date of publication of the Book and non-exclusively thereafter: the right to reproduce, print, publish, transmit, distribute, license, sublicense, sell and otherwise exploit the Work as part of the Book in all forms and media now known or hereafter developed in all languages throughout the world, including without limitation the right to license and sublicense the Work as part of the Book inanthologies, magazines, book club editions and reprints; Braille editions; audio, computer disk, all electronic/cyber rights, CD-ROM and microfiche editions; first and second serial rights; dramatic productions of any kind (including without limitation film, television, video and audio productions); commercial and merchandising versions of the Book; and, the right to use all or parts of the Work for advertising, publicity or promotional purposes.
(b) The Contributor grants to the Editor and the Publisher the right to use Contributor’s name and likeness and/or biographical data in advertising, publicity and promotion for the Book.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF MANUSCRIPTS AND CHANGES
(a) Contributor agrees to make editorial revisions to the Work as reasonably required by the Editor and/or Publisher. The title of the Work may be changed only by mutual consent of the Contributor, Editor and Publisher. The final content of the Work must be acceptable to the Editor and the Publisher.
(b) The completed manuscript shall be deemed satisfactory in content to the Editor and Publisher unless within five (5) business days of its receipt by the Editor, Publisher or Editor gives Contributor written notice of the respects in which the manuscript is unsatisfactory. Contributor shall have five (5) business days from receipt of that notice to make and submit such changes.
(c) Editor has no obligation to include the Work in the Book for any reason. In such event, this Agreement shall terminate, all rights shall revert to Contributor, and Editor shall not owe Contributor any payment.

3. COMPENSATION: Provided the Editor accepts the Work for inclusion in the Book, the Editor shall pay to Contributor a fee of $100.00 on or before November 30, 2020.

4. WARRANTIES AND INDEMNITIES
(a) Contributor represents and warrants that Contributor is the sole author of the Work and sole and exclusive owner of the rights conveyed in this Agreement; that Contributor has not previously assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered those rights; that the Work is original; that the Work has never before been published or licensed for publication in whole or in part in any form except as otherwise expressly disclosed to Editor in writing; that the Work does not infringe upon any copyright, contains no matter that is libelous or defamatory, or that violates any right of privacy or other personal or property right whatsoever, or is harmful to the user or any third party so as to subject the Editor to liability, or is otherwise contrary to law; that the Work is not in the public domain in any country; that all permissions for any third party materials contained in the Work shall have been cleared and all permissions fees have been paid before publication of the Work; and that Contributor has full power to enter into this Agreement and to make the grants contained herein.
(b) Contributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Editor and the Publisher and their respective officers, directors, employees, licensees, successors, agents and assigns, against any and all claims, demands, costs, expenses, and judgments, including reasonable attorney fees arising out of any proceeding alleging a violation of Contributor’s warranties and representations hereunder.

5. AUTHOR'S COPIES
Editor will give to Contributor two (2) free copies of the Book.

6. MISCELLANEOUS
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties, and supersedes all previous discussions, representations, and understandings related to the subject matter of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall constitute a partnership or joint venture between the parties. If either party believes the other has breached the Agreement it shall notify the other that such breach must be cured within thirty (30) days of such notification, or action may be taken by the non-breaching party. In the event of any breach of this Agreement by Editor, Contributor agrees that Contributor’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be an action at law for damages, and in no event shall Contributor be entitled to interfere with, enjoin, or otherwise restrain Editor’s or Publisher’s rights to use, license, distribute, publish and sell the Book or the Work as contemplated herein. No modifications of this Agreement shall be binding on either party unless set forth in writing and signed by both parties. No waiver of any portion of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing. The failure of either party at any time to require performance by the other of any provision shall in no way affect the right to enforce that or any other provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach of this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision of this Agreement. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws, and in the state and federal courts of the State of New York. Each party consents to the exclusive personal jurisdiction, and waives any objections to the venue, of such courts. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any of its provisions are held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain binding and enforceable. Contributor may not assign this Agreement without Editor’s prior written consent. This Agreement shall apply and inure to the benefit of each party’s successors, affiliates, heirs, and permitted assigns.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have signed this Agreement as of the date and year first above written.

RKB Enterprises, Inc.
By: ________________________________
Date Signed: _________________________
Contributor
_________________________________
Date Signed: _________________________

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Thursday, July 12, 2018

Bondage erotica call for submissions EXTENDED again to September 3

Good news to those who'd wanted to submit a story to my Cleis Press anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 but didn't have time. I'm extending the deadline again to September 3, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST. So you have over a month to send me your sexiest and most creative bondage story. All the details are below and if you have any questions, email them to bestbondageseries at gmail dot com and I'll get right back to you. My best advice is to send me something totally dazzling that I can't stop reading from first sentence to last, follow the guidelines exactly and thoroughly proofread your story and bio so that they're in perfect and publishable form.

I’m extending the short story call for submissions for Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, with a few additions. If you’ve already submitted, your story is still being considered and you’ll still hear back from me by August 1, 2019, per your confirmation email.

I’ll consider all original bondage erotica stories meeting the guidelines below, but what I’d especially like to see for this second round of submissions are stories which incorporating one or more of these elements:

Sexy stories with an engaging beginning, middle and end where bondage is a part of the story, but the plot doesn’t revolve around bondage
Stories featuring established or long-term couples or multi-partner relationships
Stories about people who regularly engage in bondage
Stories featuring different types of bondage specific furniture
Stories featuring unusual or unofficial bondage items (items besides bondage rope, bondage tape, handcuffs, etc.)
Stories involving specific bondage types/positions (such as shibari, spreadeagle, rope harness, etc.)
Stories in a wide range of settings, especially ones readers wouldn’t expect bondage to take place in
Stories with playful motivations for bondage
Stories involving both bondage and sex toys
Stories from the point of view of characters of color (ownvoices stories get top priority)
Stories from the point of view of characters ages 50+
Stories set outside the United States, especially that explore a specific culture
Stories that approach the meaning of bondage in new ways

The more unique your story is in all aspects (setting, plot, characters, motivations, language), the more likely it is to be accepted.

Call for Submissions
Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press in late 2019
Deadline: September 3, 2018, 11:59 pm EST

For Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for your hottest, most creative unpublished 2,000-4,000 word bondage erotica stories (no poetry). Word count covers the text of the story, excluding title, byline and bio. This anthology will include characters of different races, ages, backgrounds and bondage experience levels, plus a wide range of motivations, techniques, implements, and scenarios engaging in a bondage or restraint scenario at some point in the story. I want characters ranging from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. I want first person, second person and third person stories. I want bondage in bedrooms, at play parties, at offices, in public, in secret. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. For an idea of the types of stories I prefer, see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. While reading them is not required for submission to this anthology, I generally will not repeat highly specific bondage implements that appeared in any of those volumes. Stories that do not contain any form of bondage or restraint will not be considered.

The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage. Bondage plus other elements of BDSM or sexual activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, teasing, etc.). The more creative the bondage, the better, but any type of bondage will work as long as the story is arousing and draws me in from the first word and keeps me riveted. The main reason I reject stories for a themed anthology is that tales are too similar to each other, so avoid clichéd plotlines and dialogue. Authors I've never published before are especially encouraged to submit to this anthology. Characters of all genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry. All characters must be over 18 for the entirety of the story.

No incest or bestiality. Note that I won't be able to give final answers to submissions until August 1, 2019. If you need a response sooner, please do not submit to this anthology.
All stories should have a compelling beginning, middle and end. Make every word count and advance the story you want to tell. Consider each sentence and as: Does it serve a purpose? Is it advancing your story? If not, cut it. Make me care about your characters and get invested in their passions. Please see Best Bondage Erotica 2011-2015 for examples of the types of stories I've published.

Only unpublished stories will be accepted; this means no part of the story can have been published or posted previously anywhere, in print, online, in apps, on blogs, on bulletin boards or private groups, in newsletters, via email or anywhere else and cannot be published or posted in any form prior to the book's publication in late 2019.

Rights (see below): non-exclusive right to publish your story in this anthology in print, ebook, and audiobook form. Authors will retain copyright to their stories. See contract terms below. If you cannot agree to these contract terms, do not submit work to this anthology.

ONLY SUBMIT ONE FINAL, THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD, GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT VERSION OF EACH STORY. Since I will be reading and considering stories as they come in, only the initial story submission will be considered; subsequent versions of the same story will NOT be considered, so please keep this in mind and make sure the submission you send contains exactly the story title, author name and text you would like to see published in the book. If I am interested in a revised version of your story, I will contact you.

How to submit: I will consider a maximum of two stories per author. Submit each story as a separate attachment using an email address that you check regularly. Submit only 2,000-4,000 original, unpublished stories that are not being considered elsewhere. Stories under 2,000 words or over 4,000 words will be automatically rejected. I want only original work that has never been published in whole or in part in any format, including online, apps, blogs, newsletters, social media, print or any other outlet. Must use U.S. spelling and grammar (double curly/smart [NOT straight] quotation marks around dialogue, etc.). Submit to bestbondageseries@gmail.com by attaching a Word .doc or .docx file, double spaced, Times New Roman Black font and titled BBE1 LastName StoryTitle (LastName=last name of your author name/name you want published). At the top of the first page, include legal name, pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address, phone number (only to be used for urgent communication about your story). You must include your 50 word-or-under third person professional biography either on the first page of your story or in the body of your email. This must be the exact bio you'd want published in the book. URLs in bios should be listed in the first sentence in this format only:

Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) writes fiction and non-fiction.

All stories must have a title and author name included at the top of the first page with the submission (no untitled stories). Indent half an inch at the start of each paragraph. Use only double spacing for the entire file; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or use any other irregular spacing. If you cannot use Word, submit as both an RTF and include the full submission in the body of an email, including title, story text, bio, name and pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address and phone number. MAKE SURE TO THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD YOUR STORY BEFORE SUBMITTING IT. All stories that are between 2,000-4,000 words and submitted by September 3, 2018 will be considered.

I will confirm that I have received your submission within one week. I will respond to all submissions by August 1, 2019 at the latest. If you have not heard back from me by August 1, 2019 feel free to follow up at that time.

Payment: $75 and 2 copies of the book on publication. Payment will be made only via Paypal (strongly preferred) or U.S check (only for U.S. addresses).

Questions: bestbondageseries@gmail.com (make sure to read the guidelines in full before sending questions) These will be the non-negotiable contract terms. If you are unwilling to sign this contract, DO NOT submit to this anthology.

The parties agree as follows:

I. GRANT OF RIGHTS

Author hereby grants Editor, during the first term of the United States copyright, and any renewals thereof, in the "Work":
a. The non-exclusive right to "publish" (i.e. print, publish, and sell) the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English in the United States and its territories; and
b. The non-exclusive right to "publish" and license the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English in other countries; and
c. The non-exclusive right to publish and license the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in English and the right to license, translate and publish the Work as part of the Book in printed and digital form in languages other than English in all countries; and
d. The following non-exclusive subsidiary rights to license and publish the Work as part of the Book in the United States and all foreign countries, to wit: anthologies, magazines, book club editions and reprints; Braille editions; audio, computer disk, all electronic/cyber rights, CD-ROM and microfiche editions; and television productions (including network TV, cable, and pay TV); and
e. The non-exclusive right to excerpt from the Work in non-book printed materials issued by the Publisher and/or its licensee for the sole purpose of promoting the Work, including, but not limited to, bookmarks, post cards, buttons, and t-shirts; and
f. The non-exclusive subsidiary right, for promotional purposes, to serialize the Work in periodicals, newspapers, and magazines.
II. ACCEPTANCE OF MANUSCRIPTS AND CHANGES
a. Editorial revisions to the Work may be made at the suggestion of the Editor and/or Publisher. The title may be changed only by mutual consent of the Author, Editor and Publisher. Editor has final say on the substantive content of the Work.
b. The completed manuscript shall be deemed satisfactory in content to the Editor and Publisher unless within ninety (90) days of its receipt, Publisher or Editor gives Author written notice of the respects in which the manuscript is unsatisfactory. Author shall have thirty (30) days from receipt of that notice to make and submit such changes. c. Editor reserves the right to choose not to include the Work in the Book, if Publisher declines to accept it, or for any other justifiable reason. In such event, this Agreement is null and void; all rights revert to Author, and Editor does not owe Author payment.
III. WARRANTIES AND INDEMNITIES
a. Author represents and warrants that she now owns all rights granted hereunder, free of liens or encumbrances, and has full power and authority to execute this Agreement; and further warrants that the Work is original with her and not in the public domain. Author will give formal written notice of any previous publication of the Work upon presentation of the final manuscript, including editorial addresses of periodicals and/or publishers.
b. Author further represents and warrants that the Work does not infringe statutory copyrights or common law literary rights of others, and does not violate the rights of privacy of, or libel, other persons.
c. Author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Editor and the Publisher, and the publishing of any reprint or book club edition of the Work licensed by the Publisher, pursuant to the Agreement, against any final judgment for damages (after all appeals have been taken) against them in any action arising out of facts which constitute a breach of the foregoing warranties together with reasonable costs and attorney's fees incurred by them in defending such an action in which such judgment is recovered.
V. COPYRIGHT
Author shall retain copyright of the Work.
VI. PAYMENT Author shall receive $75 to be paid by Editor via
Paypal or U.S. check within 90 days of publication of the Book.
VII. AUTHOR'S COPIES
Publisher will give to Author two (2) free copies of the Anthology.
IX. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
This Agreement shall be binding on the parties and her respective heirs, administrators, successors and assigns.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

I need LOTS more bondage erotica for my new anthology

I almost titled this post, "Where has all the bondage erotica gone?" because save for a handful of short story submissions, the inbox for my Cleis Press anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 call has been quite empty. I'm offering $75 and two copies of the book. The deadline to submit is coming up this Sunday, July 1, 2018. It could be that it's the summer and people are busy or it could be I've failed in my job as an editor to spread the word to enough writing communities. While that's bad news for me as I struggle not to bite my nails over this situation, it's good news for anyone submitting because your chances go way up when I have fewer submissions to choose from. Yes, I could always extend the call if I don't have the stories I need by July 2, but that feels like admitting editorial defeat and is something I avoid if I can help it. If you know of any websites, groups, mailing lists, etc., that might have writers of bondage stories, feel free to pass it on or let me know at bestbondageseries at gmail.com where to submit this call (or the next one, should I get asked to edit another volume).

I'm especially looking for submissions that surprise me with their plotlines and creative types of bondage, stories that feature people of color and stories by authors I've never worked with before, but I'm open to any and all unpublished stories that meet the writing guidelines. So if you know anyone who has a bondage story they've been wanting to get published or can write one in the next few days, please pass along the call for submissions. This graphic is just a way to get people's attention, not a suggestion of the types of bondage I want for this book. Instead, I want people of all genders restrained. I want mental and physical bondage. I want newbies and very experienced bondage players and everything in between. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing that there will be a big influx of submissions over the weekend, but if not, I wanted to spread the word to anyone who might have missed this call or perhaps seeing this post sparks a story idea.

bbeanthologycall

And then August 1, 2018 is the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5 call for submissions deadline. Looking forward to reading all your stories!

If you're wondering why it takes so long to hear back, see my Medium post about the timing. In my forties, I'm trying to work smarter so that I can create better books with less stress and fewer errors. Hence, instead of setting the deadline in October or November, which would give me very minimal time to actually edit and select pieces, I've made these deadlines so I can give my copyeditor more time, consult with authors in case I have revisions, and have a manuscript in to my publisher well before they need catalog copy (the blurb you see on the back cover of the book that's also listed in a publisher's catalog and disseminated to retailers 8-12 months in advance of the book release).

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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Don't miss your chance to get published in Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 from Cleis Press

The July 1, 2018 deadline for my Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 call for submissions is coming up and I haven't received too many submissions. I hope that's because all you budding writers of kinky bondage stories are brainstorming and writing and self-editing, but if not, I wanted to remind you that I WANT TO READ YOUR STORIES! And I'm especially looking to publish work by writers I've never worked with before, because I think it's good for readers, good for the genre and good for a new series to publish new (to me) writers.

So please spread the word. I'm paying $75 for original, unpublished stories. Everything else you could want to know is in the call, but if you have any questions after reading it, contact me at the email address listed there and I'll get back to you ASAP (might be a little slower in early June when I'll be traveling).

This anthology won't be published until late 2019, but it takes a long time to put together an amazing book that's proofread until it's as close to perfect as possible. If you want to know more about the timeline for my books (although I've since revised it a little to give myself and my copyeditor more time to do our work), read my Erotica Writing 101 post about why it takes so long to hear back from anthologies. Speaking of Erotica Writing 101, I am available to work with private clients on your erotic fiction or sex-related nonfiction projects, although I don't work on any pieces that authors plan to submit to my anthologies, as that would give those authors an unfair advantage. I'll be accepting new clients through June 1, 2018, and then again starting on June 18, 2018.

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Friday, February 23, 2018

2 free erotic audio stories for your listening pleasure

Happy Friday! Here's some fun news to lead you into the weekend are two free erotica stories, one I edited and one I wrote. Click on the images or story titles to listen.

The one I edited is oral sex and sex toys "Body Shots" by Thien-Kim Lam from Cleis Press anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3. You can read my interview with her on the BWE of the Year blog.

oral-sex-erotica-body-shots-free-erotic-audio-story

Mine is bondage erotica story "The Weight" read by Rose Caraway on The Kiss Me Quick's Podcast. It's from her anthology The Sexy Librarian's Dirty Thirty, Volume 1. It's one of several stories I've written eroticizing fat or larger men (aka BHM, Big Handsome Men).

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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

1 new story by me in Bondage Bites edited by Alison Tyler

Updated September 18, 2015: Updated - only one of my stories made the cut for this book, so I've changed this post to reflect that. I've got a new short story in Alison Tyler's new anthology Bondage Bites: 69 Super-Short Stories of Love, Lust and BDSM, which is also available for immediate download in the Kindle edition. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy so I can devour it, but I can tell you I have a story in it called "Wiggle Room."



Here's a little teaser from the start of "Wiggle Room" about hot rope bondage.

For the rest of "Wiggle Room" and my other stories, you'll have to check out the book.
From "Wiggle Room" by Rachel Kramer Bussel

“That good, honey?” Ned asked, his gaze studying me in all my trussed up glory. One of the things I love best about my husband is how seriously he takes our bondage play. He’s a kinky nerd—the best kind, because he doesn’t just like to do things, in bed or out, but to understand why he’s doing them. When we got together five years ago, he was a virgin when it came to bondage, discipline, spanking or any kind of power play. “I don’t see myself as that macho kind of guy, Yvette,” he confessed mournfully to me one night. We’ve come so far since then.

I’ve shown him he doesn’t have to be what he considers macho to have me at his mercy. I’ve been there since he took me to a hidden restaurant and fed me all sorts of mouth-melting delights, then went down on me until I came so many times I was giddy by the end. Besides, I’m not into punishment play. He may swat me in the kitchen and tease me for being a “bad girl” because I’ve burned something yet again, but when he ties me up it’s all about getting off.

So instead of being bratty, I simply beamed at him. “Perfect,” I replied, which meant that I had plenty of room to wiggle against the pretty purple ropes he’d gotten me for our one-year anniversary. Not only is purple my favorite color, but he’d washed them to make them extra soft and even added little pom poms to the ends so they tickled when they brushed against me.

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Saturday, June 06, 2015

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.

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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.

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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

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Monday, March 16, 2015

Flash sale: $1.99 for Best Bondage Erotica 2014 on Kindle, Nook or Google Play

For the next few days, the ebook version of Best Bondage Erotica 2014 is only $1.99 on Kindle, Nook and Google Play. The email I saw said this ends March 19th, and I'm unclear if that includes March 19th, but either way, act fast!

bbe2014kindle

Here's what's in the book:

Table of contents:

Foreword: No Bondage Please, I’m Kinky Laura Antoniou
Introduction: Cruel to Be Kind, and Vice Versa (see below)
Rope Dancer Kathleen Tudor
Behind the Door Kay Jaybee
My Own Device Raziel Moore
The Neckcloth Annabel Joseph
Anyway Sommer Marsden
Eel Annabeth Leong
No Strings Attached James McArthur
Roping the Cowboy Teresa Noelle Roberts
Meeting L. C. Spoering
The Snake Jacqueline Brocker
Clipped Lucy Felthouse
Tart Cherry Kathleen Delaney-Adams
Ring of Fire Michelle Augello-Page
Belted In Roxanna Cross
Pegged Emily Bingham
Tight-Rope Walker Tilly Hunter
An Appreciation for Beautiful Things Giselle Renarde
Mind Fuck Kissa Starling
Wearing Purple Elizabeth Coldwell
Dual Mastery Rachel Kramer Bussel

Introduction: Cruel to Be Kind, and Vice Versa

One of the joys of editing erotic anthologies is marveling at the diversity of the authors’ imaginations. While this is my fourth year editing the Best Bondage Erotica series, it’s always a surprise to me when I start reading stories and seeing just how many ways someone can be tied up, strung up or otherwise restrained.

What you’ll read in Best Bondage Erotica 2014 isn’t a how-to manual, but rather a taste of twenty hot bondage tales that don’t skimp on the sadism, masochism or sexiness of the encounters. These writers show and tell exactly what it means to wield the special power of being in charge of someone else. In “Pegged,” Emily Bingham writes, “It’s his turn to be small and defenseless for an evening. I want to be so kind to him that it becomes cruel.” Sometimes pop culture portrays kinksters and bondage fans as all cruel, without a shred of kindness. The dirty little secret is that these characters are, in fact, both; they manipulate rope, handcuffs, leather straps, a St. Andrew’s cross, a chair, and, in Raziel Moore’s “My Own Device,” a special contraption crafted just for bondage, with the ultimate aim of pleasing their partners—when they’re done having their fun, teasing them, hurting them, screwing them and generally making them writhe, squirm and indulge in the delight of helplessness.

I’m delighted to present this latest edition of Best Bondage Erotica, which I hope will delight those who know exactly what it feels like to be at someone else’s mercy (or have someone else at your mercy) as well as those who simply want to picture the joys of being bound in vivid, elaborate, beautiful, cruel and kind detail.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

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Tuesday, January 06, 2015

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.

BBE15cover

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:

thunderclap

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.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Best Bondage Erotica 2014 now available on audio

My latest in the annual series, Best Bondage Erotica 2014, is now available as an audiobook. Sample it free by using that link (all Audible audiobooks offer a free sample; here are the rest of mine). Happy listening!

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Sunday, February 09, 2014

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

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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

How do erotica writers get their inspiration?

I'm asking the contributors to Best Bondage Erotica 2014 exactly that in mini interviews on the book's Tumblr. So far, these writers have answered that question along with their favorite sentence or paragraph from their story (I'll be answering soon about my dom with two subs story "Dual Mastery"):

Lucy Felthouse, author of "Clipped"

Annabeth Leong, author of "Eel"

Elizabeth Coldwell, author of "Wearing Purple"

Kay Jaybee, author of "Behind the Door"

James McArthur, author of "No Strings Attached"

Annabel Joseph, author of "The Neckcloth"

Emily Bingham, author of "Pegged"

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Monday, December 09, 2013

20 sexy BDSM stories for you in Best Bondage Erotica 2014

My latest annual bondage collection, Best Bondage Erotica 2014, is almost here, and I'm so thrilled! One thing I love about editing multiple anthologies on the same topic, be it spanking, submission, dominance or bondage, is that I truly get to see the creativity and variety inherent in the topic. You might think after you've published over 60 stories on a kink or fetish or activity it might get old, but the beauty of erotica, and why the genre is thriving and new writers want in on it, is because there's always room for new twists. There may not be any new sex acts under the sun, but there are always new ways to describe them, just as there are new ways of telling any story. So without further ado, 20 teasers from each of the stories in the book, which should be in brick and mortar and virtual stores by the end of the year! Ebook and audiobook links will be forthcoming once those are released; I expect Kindle and Nook editions by February, but am not sure about the Audible version date just yet.

bbe2014cover

Buy Best Bondage Erotica 2014 from:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Bn.com

Books-a-Million

Powell's

IndieBound (find your local independent bookstore)

Cleis Press


All rights reserved; do not repost without authors' permission. Story titles are in bold, and yes, we've got a great foreword by renowned author Laura Antoniou, of The Marketplace series fame.

Best Bondage Erotica 2014 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, published by Cleis Press

Foreword: No Bondage Please, I’m Kinky by Laura Antoniou
Introduction: Cruel to Be Kind, and Vice Versa

Rope Dancer by Kathleen Tudor


“So, do you like all kinds of ropes, or just the kind you can hang from?”

That caught her attention. She looked startled as her eyes snapped back to me. “Pardon?”

“I was just wondering if you like the feel of ropes on your skin when you’re not the one in control.” I suddenly felt like a world-class idiot. She looked me up and down, buying herself time, I thought. I straightened, feeling foolish and wanting to gather my pride around me, but something in her eyes had changed.

“Maybe you should show me what you mean,” she said.

I laughed. “Have a drink. Decide if you even like me first. Are you from around here?”

Behind the Door by Kay Jaybee

Nina, her eyes closed, safe in the knowledge that Laura would be out for at least another forty minutes, pictured the white van driver. His face was grave as Louisa read out her displeasure, tapping her black pen on top of her notebook as if to punctuate every word of her annoyance. He had failed to make her climax the day before, so today his own satisfaction would be hampered by the presence of handcuffs. After swift and unflinching orders, his ginger counterpart did his mistress’s bidding, and snapped a pair of cold metal handcuffs around white-van man’s wrists, yanking his arms roughly behind his back while he knelt, cowering on the dusty wooden floor.

The moment his companion was shackled, the ginger man retook his position in the queue of three before Louisa, as she walked up and down before them. In her silence, the gloom of the unlit room enveloped the dominatrix like warm fog, out of which she shone like an enticing beacon of temptation.

Louisa inclined her head toward the men, as if giving them a signal to begin. They rose together, the tethered man clumsy but still forthcoming, as their mistress lay back on the only item of furniture in the discarded shop, a faded red- velvet chaise lounge, which Nina remembered perching on as she flicked through various books.

My Own Device by Raziel Moore

I pushed her gently forward, so that her upper thighs fit in the wooden channels. Anna had to move her feet just about shoulder width apart on the floor to fit right, her loose skirt easily letting her. That skirt came down to just above her knees, showing me stockinged calves. As she put her weight against the wood, it gave a low creaking sound and rocked a bit.

“That sounds… sturdy,” she said, sarcastically.

I grinned. “I wanted it to make sounds.” I reached to a side of the device and pulled a lever, resulting in a deep, wooden thunking sound. Anna’s expression told me she felt it against her legs. The slight rocking of the shape stopped as it locked.

“Let me guess,” she said, turning her head to give me a crooked smile as she leaned forward over the contoured top of the thing. My eyes followed her body as she settled. The curves I’d sculpted into the wood from memory of body and hands were as good as I could have hoped for. Anna’s belly, chest, shoulders fit as if cradled, and her hands reached forward for the two polished grips.

She knew what she was doing, moving slowly, languidly, seductively for me. And the curve of the thing raised her ass just so…

The Neckcloth by Annabel Joseph

“We have been through this enough times.” He tilted his chin so she could slide her fingers inside his collar. “You should be an expert at neckcloth removal by now.”

She hissed as the end of the pin pricked her finger.

“Let me see,” he said.

She held up the injured digit. He kissed it and slipped the pearl-tipped pin into a pocket. “You’ll live. Proceed.”

She blinked and pouted and went back to her task. From time to time, her knuckles brushed against the fair stubble on his cheeks. He was tall and blond, haughty and handsome. Posey knew that other ladies talked about her husband behind their fans. They whispered that he was sinfully pleasant to look at, a fine figure of a man.

They didn’t know what he was like behind closed doors.

“The longer you take, the more time I have to hone my jealous outrage.”

Anyway Sommer Marsden

I was stuck.

I wiggled my arms and tried not to panic. It wasn’t a big deal. Not really. Mason was just in the next room brushing his teeth. But still, I’d have to admit I was stuck. Take the teasing…

I struggled some more.

I was just starting to sweat when I heard that dark chuckle, felt my skin rise up in a revolt of goose flesh at his warm velvet voice. “Having some trouble there, Robin?”

I glanced up, gave him a fake laugh. “No. It’s fine. I’m just…” He watched as I pushed my arms against the wall. How could I be this solidly stuck in the arms of a jacket? Even worse, how could I be in the position to have to admit it and ask for help?

Eel by Annabeth Leong

An idea sparked in my chest, mingled with desire I’d never admitted before. “You want to get tied up, right? You don’t need Ethan for that.”

She groaned. “No one wants to tie me anymore. They’re all afraid of being embarrassed.”

Alicia spat the last word out, and I gave her a look. “For good reason.”

“Whatever. It’s still true. Nobody wants to play with an eel. At least, not an eel they can’t beat.”

A little warning voice spoke up in the back of my head. I’d decided long ago not to play with Alicia, pretty as she was. I liked being her friend, and I honestly didn’t know how well I’d handle her ego challenges myself.

I told that warning voice to go to hell.

No Strings Attached by James McArthur

I grasp the ends of the rope, nylon weave squeaking against my sweating fingertips. My shoulders ache and the coffee table is hard beneath my spine. My cock is throbbing inside my tight briefs. So many nights’ fantasies are at play in my mind, I almost don’t realize Graham is talking to me.

He grips my chin and makes me meet his gaze, shaking the images from my mind. “Nick, are you with me?” He told me not to speak without permission. Does asking a direct question confer permission? I don’t know. I don’t know the rules. But I want to learn them. I want Graham to teach me them. I stay quiet. “Good boy,” he says. “I want you to keep a tight hold of that rope. It’s only looped around your wrists loosely, but I’ve made it short enough to give you some tension. How do you feel?”

Do I speak? My answer would be too big for my mouth. I feel fuzzy in the head, weak at the knees, short of breath, hot and cold. I don’t even know if Graham appreciates every little subtlety of the situation that’s got me like this. Helpless against my body’s craving. The fact that I’ve got my coveralls rolled right down to my hips and no top on and he’s openly assessing my chest and abs, while he is still fully clothed. The fact that he’s looming over me, his fingers still pressed into my jaw while I lie here completely immobilized. Not by the rope, which is more symbolic than effective, but by my lust and the fact that Graham is promising to make my long-held but unfulfilled fantasies real.

Roping the Cowboy by Teresa Noelle Roberts

“Have you ever tied up a cowboy, ma’am? Because I’m available if you’d like to.”

I turned to the man who’d just propositioned me, ready to snarl at him.

Instead, I smiled.

I live in a city with the unofficial motto “Keep Austin Weird,” so I’m inured to oddity. And since I’m a pretty woman with flame-patterned hair and a fondness for wearing Docs with fishnets and very short skirts, I sometimes get hit on in fairly outrageous ways.

Which is fine if the outrageous come-on is also polite. Hell, if the polite outrageous line is being delivered by someone hot, I’m not above considering it. And the guy asking the provocative question was a tall, handsome, dark-haired example of one- hundred- percent- genuine cowboy.

Meeting by L. C. Spoering

“You came all this way to get fucked?”

It was not much of a question at that point. She stood stripped to the panties she’d taken more than a little care to procure—red, lace, bow, the works—and shivered a little in the artificial cool of the air conditioner on full blast. Certainly it seemed as though she’d come there to get fucked.

The hotel was one of the more anonymous places this could happen—the bed covered in a muted flower pattern, the carpet under her feet an inoffensive dusty pink—and there was a certain kind of shame in that. Even the art on the walls seemed fashioned to be as unobtrusive as possible: flowers in a pot, a table in the sun. It was intended to leave the boarders suspended in place, neither here nor there, the semi-opaque curtains on the windows blocking out the view of the street, making it any room in any city, the traffic sounds seemingly miles away, muted by double-paned glass.

Still, she nodded, feeling the hard lump in her throat move up and down as though she’d swallowed a golf ball. Goose bumps ran up each bare arm and leg, and the fine hairs at the small of her back prickled over the ill-conceived tramp stamp she’d gotten there, back in college—a rose, faded this many years later, but marking the area just above the crack of her ass like a sign, a target.

The Snake by Jacqueline Brocker

The act of tying wasn’t, for Sybil, the best part. If she could have put Adam into a machine and he’d appeared at the other end fully bound, exactly to her specifications, she’d have been content. Or a quick, single one-two of clamping his wrists and ankles down or to the bedposts; that she did enjoy, the grip of his straining limbs under hers. The binding, the elaborate act of it—that was for Adam. That was what he loved.

For her, foreplay was listening to him breathe—the gasps, the sharp intakes of breath, a whistling kettle, puppy-pantings—as his mobility grew more restricted. He’d fight at her hands and the rope—not a token gesture, but not a true push-back—and with each of her victories, his face would fall, his lips parting, eyelashes fluttering.

All the time, his cock, which she usually left free, was growing harder, and harder.

Clipped by Lucy Felthouse

“Why, what are you going to do? Clip me to the chair?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He held each end of the row and stretched it out to its full length. “Wow, you were bored, weren’t you, babe? Just as well, too, because I’m definitely going to put this to good use. Hold on to the arms of the chair, please.”

Nancy frowned, then reluctantly did as Gerard said. Immediately he looped the chain around one of her wrists, fiddling and manipulating to create a makeshift handcuff, then did the same with her other arm. So now she was pinned to the chair with sort-of handcuffs, and the handcuffs were connected by a row of paper clips. It looked bizarre; it was bizarre, but somehow, the situation took the arousal inflicted by Gerard’s kiss and multiplied it. The warmth between her legs grew hotter, and as her husband leaned down to capture her lips with his once more, blood rushed to her crotch, and her labia and clit began to swell.

Tart Cherry by Kathleen Delaney-Adams

The rope smelled damp, like earth and dirt, a scent that made her pussy swell. She inhaled deeply, inviting her hunger to enter her holes, to chafe her insides, stoking a burning need that bound her to him. Eyes downcast as she had been ordered, she relied on other senses to guide and arouse her. Her nostrils were full of hemp, the thickness of its odor, and the sweaty scent of him, a whiff of his cologne, and the musk of her own sex wafting up faintly to tease her. Her ears strained to catch a hint of him—his mood, his movements, his breath. She ached to anticipate what he might have desired of her, what might come next, listening intently for a whisper of his own dark longings.

An hour ago, she had wandered the dank rooms of the basement as if bored, pausing now and again briefly if a scene caught her eye, dismissing most. She was hard to impress—she prided herself on it, imagining herself a femme of vast experience, a heavy player among heavy players, and who the hell could top that? No one here tonight, surely.

It was rare to find herself without a play partner, yet tonight she couldn’t quite bring her interest to a peak, preferring to stay on the sidelines of the Dykes at Play party. Truth be told, and you didn’t hear it from her, the last few months had felt like yawners, and she feared her pussy stank of desperation and loneliness. How damn unattractive. She was shaking her head in self-disgust when she turned and found him watching her.

He exuded butch confidence—reeked of it—leaning casually against the wall, hands loose at his sides, salt-and-pepper hair, gray-blue eyes perusing the room, packing bulge beneath his jeans. Yum.

Ring of Fire by Michelle Augello-Page

Lights flickered in the distance, even though I could barely see the house through the thick canopy of trees. I bit my lip, trying to contain my excitement, as my master drove slowly along the narrow gravel road. He had made reservations months ago as a special gift to me, for our anniversary. The trip didn’t take as long as we had expected, and we were early. He parked the car and shut off the ignition, then reached over the gear shaft and pulled the seat belt tight across my chest.

“Open your legs.”

I opened my legs, wide, and my already short dress rose even higher, exposing my shaved pussy. Holding the seat belt with one hand, he smacked my pussy with the other. Each slap released a deep moan from inside me, as waves of pleasure-pain washed over me, revealing my excitement in the moist wetness between my thighs. He felt my arousal with his hand, pressing his palm against my heat, then slid his fingers inside me.

Belted In by Roxanna Cross

The leather of my chastity belt bites into my tender flesh. I squeeze my thighs together at the flood of need that moves through me. My eyes remain glued to the cargo cart rolling out onto the tarmac. They lovingly caress the bright yellow straps and knots holding the luggage in place.

Subconsciously, I tug on my sleeves until they cover my thumbs. I can’t help but wonder if the other travelers see through my power suit. If they notice the puckered, criss-crossed diamond shapes marring my aboriginal golden skin. Would they be appalled by the red welts circling my wrists and ankles?

Strong hands unhinge the yellow mesh and my mouth waters. I squeeze my thighs together. Once again I feel the bite of leather. I know I need to get myself under control before the plane takes off. I close my eyes and go through my breathing exercise.

Pegged by Emily Bingham

“Do you trust me?” I ask, straddling his lap.

He looks at me from the dark pools of his eyes over the rim of his thick glasses, the hint of a shy grin on his lips. Slowly, he nods, almost as if it pains him to admit it. I take his curly head in my hands and lean in to kiss him. The boy is talented with his tongue, his mouth so inviting that at times it’s easy to get lost in. Part of me wants to be greedy,; roll over and let him have his way—, splay me open and worship the folds between my legs as long as he likes.

I resist the urge, wanting tonight to be about him and taking him where he wants to go. It’s his turn to be small and defenseless for an evening. I want to be so kind to him that it becomes cruel. This game of taking control over such a sweet man, a gentle giant who dwarfs me in every way, amuses me each time we play it. Who am I to tell him what to do? His hand is big enough to engulf half my chest;, with just the strength of

one arm he could—and regularly does—toss me aside and take what he wants. We both know he could turn the tables at any time.

Tight-Rope Walker by Tilly Hunter

“It was your idea, remember,” Jake said as we puffed up the hill with all the other Sunday afternoon ramblers.

“I know, but I didn’t quite realize how walking in it would make me feel.”

“Too late to change your mind now. Even if I was inclined to take it off, which I’m not, there’s nowhere secluded to do it.”

He was right. It had been my idea to climb the 1,335 feet of Wrekin, one of the most popular family strolls in England’s West Midlands while wearing a karada, a rope body harness. And there was indeed nowhere secluded where Jake could take it off me. We’d come out of the trees half a mile back and now the terrain was just bare stones and scrubby grass.

Jake had practiced the various harness possibilities several times since getting into the more intricate shibari bondage. But never before had I strode out for miles uphill while wearing it under my clothes, and I’d had no idea of how it would feel. No idea of the tantalizing but unsatisfying friction against my clit, the rawness as it rubbed the tender membranes of my pussy and ass, the difficulty taking the deep inhalations I needed against the rope around my chest and belly. It was deep discomfort of the kind I liked best.

An Appreciation for Beautiful Things by Giselle Renarde

She held out her finger and pressed it against his lips. “Hurts like hell.”

He kissed it better, then kissed her lips. “You obviously can’t be trusted to keep your body in check.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dell untied the thick ribbon that held the bedroom curtains open. “It means that you need a little help.”

The black satin looked like a million bucks against Genevieve’s pinkish skin. He wrapped it around her wrists, securing her hands above her head. There. Now she couldn’t swat at the brush while he whacked her. She looked good facedown on the white duvet with a long black ribbon tied around her wrists.

“That’s better,” he said, rubbing his erection across her hands. He leaned over and kissed her hair while her fingers struggled to grasp his dick. “Now back to work.”

Mind Fuck by Kissa Starling

Quinton stands at the foot of the bed, gazing. She wears nothing, as instructed. Plumped- up pillows prop her arms on each side. More padding lifts her calves and feet, thighs parted, displaying her luscious center. Her chestnut hair cascades behind her head, curling on the ends close to her shoulder.

He steps over to her, opening his fingers wide above her wrists. Two small pieces of packing tape and a ball gag liea in his hand. He touches his warm lips to hers, mimicking the insertion of the gag. Cool air passes where their lips part. The gag sits beneath her chin as a reminder.

“I hereby secure you, Cari;, my fingers weave bindings across your forearm.” He bends to kiss the inside of her wrist; his tongue trails to the crook in her elbow. “Your wrists and arms are immobile. The tape secures you to the bed.” His fingers pause at her breasts. The tiny amount of adhesive bonds to her delicate skin.

“Your pink rosy nipples will be scarlet red when I finish with them.” His palms push her large breasts together until the nipples touch. He covers them with his mouth, raking down with his front teeth over the peaks. She gasps beneath him. Her shoulders press into the sheets and her pelvis tilts. Her breathing quickens. His tongue lathers thin marks left behind. Cari shakes her chest and whimpers when the bindings limit her reach.

Wearing Purple by Elizabeth Coldwell

Standing with his back to the whipping post, naked but for a length of ribbon tied in a neat bow around his semi-erect penis and his wrists tethered behind him with the bright purple pashmina, he couldn’t help but reflect that his wife certainly knew how to bear a grudge.

She must have been planning her revenge from the moment he pressed the hastily bought, even more hastily wrapped present into her hands on his return from his business trip to Belgium. For Ramona, Belgium meant one thing, and that was chocolate. Her only weakness, a box of it was never far from her plump, creamy fingers, ready for her to dip into. While she often grumbled about the extra pounds that had gathered on her hips and thighs as the years passed, he loved the look and feel of her abundant flesh, the weight of her body on his as they fucked.

When he told her he’d bring her back something she’d love, she’d dropped heavy hints about a master chocolatier she’d seen interviewed in one of the Sunday supplements. His exquisite handmade pralines, it was claimed, were those by which all others would be measured and found wanting. Nothing less would do for her, so how he ever thought she’d be satisfied with a pashmina instead, he still didn’t know. His excuses that his business meeting had overrun and he hadn’t had time to hunt for the chocolate shop had been greeted with cold-faced silence.

“I’ll make it up to you, darling,” he’d promised.

“Oh, I know you will,” had been her reply. She’d all but thrown the length of fine cashmere material at him. “I mean, purple, of all colors. In all the years we’ve been married, when have you ever seen me wearing purple?”

Dual Mastery by Rachel Kramer Bussel

In some ways, my two submissive, sexy sluts are a study in contrasts. Tanya is short and curvy, with natural red hair and freckles, while Wendy is almost as tall as I am (six feet), pale with jet-black hair. Next to them I tend to look rather middle of the road, but I don’t mind; it just attracts more curiosity and attention once people realize that both women belong to me. I like to make people wonder what it is I’ve done to garner such female devotion; those who truly want to know are welcome to find out.

I’ve told them they’re allowed to dress in jeans and sneakers when we travel, but they both have enough fashionista and exhibitionist in them to want to dress to the nines while in the air. “After all, if you’re gonna go, don’t you want to look fabulous while doing it?” Tanya once joked, masking what I knew was a true fear of death by plane crash. That’s another thing I love about her: she is relentlessly optimistic, and forces that optimism to override her fears, something she’s applied to our BDSM play as well as all areas of her life. She teaches me just as much as I’ve taught her, and now that Wendy is a part of our lives, I see Tanya teaching Wendy what it truly means to submit, while I oversee their erotic education.

I’ve learned so much about women from living with two of them, seeing how they are different and how they are alike, how they behave similarly when surrendering to me, and differently. Yes, Wendy is our slave, but she’s as much a part of our family as anyone else; both Tanya and I would take a bullet for her. Her slave status is not a trapping; rather, it’s a way of life, a way of relating that makes life richer for all of us. They are both extremely eager to please, to provide, to obey, but each does so in slightly different ways. I know exactly how hard each of them can be pushed, what kinds of spankings they can take, how much they like to struggle, what naughty words push them to the edge of orgasm. It’s this ongoing process of learning, of plotting what will thrill each of them, that makes being their master a joy and, at times, a challenge, one I willingly take on, with pride.

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