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).



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

Free books for life giveaway and Book Angel program helping kids in need

My November articles (so far) for Forbes.com are below, where I've been covering all things books, publishing, libraries, authors, literary agents, book clubs and more since November 2018, are about some cool things independent bookstores are doing. You can follow me there so you don't miss anything, and I'm now working on January 2021 articles and beyond, so if you're a book publicist, editor, agent, bookseller, librarian or book club organizer or anyone else doing something new and unique in the book world, feel free to pitch me (rachelkb at gmail dot com with "Forbes" in the subject line).

Having this beat has totally changed my freelance writing career and given me a great way to focus my interests, and cover books for other outlets like Publishers Weekly and Washington Post Book World.

Here are two articles I hope you'll appreciate. You can nominate someone to WIN A BOOK A MONTH FOR LIFE from London, UK bookstore Heywood Hill through Sunday, November 8, and you can donate a book to a child in need with Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, New York, either in person or online. More details in the pieces.

"Why UK Bookstore Heywood Hill Is Giving Away A Book A Month For Life"





"Bookstore’s Book Angel Program Ensures Kids In Need Receive Books For The Holidays"

Dirty Girls flash sale - 27 erotica stories for $1.99!

I just found out last night while randomly scrolling online, as one does, that my Seal Press anthology Dirty Girls is on sale in ebook form for just $1.99 for Kindle, Nook, Google Play and Kobo! I don't know when the sale started or when it will end, though I imagine soon, so I encourage you to check it out. There are 27 very sexy stories inside. I'm so proud of this book, which came out all the way back in 2008 (hence the MySpace reference in the introduction!), and excited for it to reach more readers. Details about it below.



What do women really want? To be sensually seduced or pressed up against the wall for a quickie? To be tantalized by a peep show or the chance to join the mile high club?

Acclaimed erotica writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel knows: They want it all. They want to be worshiped, ordered around, sent blindly into ecstasy, and made hot in front of a mirror. They want strangers bearing ice cubes on a hot day and to be the party favor passed around among guests. They want sex at the office and in the great outdoors and on trains and airplanes. They want sex with the whole United States of America (or, at least, part of it). They want to be wooed, seduced, flirted with, taken. They want to handpick their lovers and make them do their bidding. They want men, women, and sometimes both at the same time.

In Dirty Girls, the country’s best erotic writers explore their sexual psyches. With contributions from Carol Queen, Alison Tyler, Sofia Quintero, Shanna Germain, Lillian Ann Slugocki, Tsaurah Litzky, and many others, this collection will set your heart racing as you savor these intimate, shocking, and passionate female fantasies.

Blurbs:

“Finally⎯a book about what girls REALLY think about. Well, maybe not every one, but the dirty ones…and those are the ones who really count.” — Joanna Angel, CEO, BurningAngel Entertainment

“Dirty Girls is the post-feminist generation’s answer to Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, a collection of erotically charged short stories that reveal that, in the 21st century, good girls are dead and dirty girls are the new black.” — Susannah Breslin, author of You’re a Bad Man, Aren’t You?

“A spanking good collection of smart erotica assembled by always exciting ringleader Rachel Kramer Bussel, Dirty Girls begs the question ‘What are those dirty girls thinking?’ and answers with insight not just to how women want it, but why.” — Lisa Beth Kovetz, author of The Tuesday Erotica Club

“This is an outstanding collection of hot women’s stories. That’s hot stories by women and stories by hot women. The table of contents reads like a who’s who in the best erotica writers around, an All Star team who deliver the raunch and punch the reader deserves. Rawr.” — Cecilia Tan, author of Black Feathers and White Flames: Erotic Dreams

Table of Contents

Introduction – Dirty and Sweet Wrapped Up in One

1. Fucking Around by Marie Lyn Bernard
2. Live Tonight by Saskia Walker
3. Just Another Girl on the Train by Catherine Lundoff
4. Beautiful Creature by Kristina Wright
5. In the Name Of… by Isabelle Gray
6. Cheesy Boots by L. Elise Bland
7. Truck Stop Cinderella by Lillian Ann Slugocki
8. The Dream of Life by Tenille Brown
9. The Mile High Club by Kate Dominic
10. Like a Good Girl by Alison Tyler
11. The Garden of Sinn by Darklady
12. Bag and Baggage by Teresa Noelle Roberts
13. Icy Hot by Rachel Kramer Bussel
14. Dreams by Marilyn Jaye Lewis
15. Shocking Expose! Secrets Revealed! by Carol Queen
16. To Dance at the Fair by Donna George Storey
17. The First Deadly Sin by Gwen Masters
18. El Mar de Encanto by Sofia Quintero
19. Flight by Suki Bishop
20. Lily by Tsaurah Litzky
21. Opera Gloves by Maddy Stuart
22. Party Favor by Andrea Dale
23. Carn Euny by Madelynne Ellis
24. A Prayer to Be Made Cocksure by Melissa Gira
25. All About Hearts by Sage Vivant
26. The Next Thing by Gina de Vries
27. Until It’s Gone by Shanna Germain

Introduction: Dirty and Sweet Wrapped Up in One

“I can be dirty and sweet at the same time” reads my self-proclaimed motto on my MySpace page. When I wrote that, I meant that not so deep inside me lurks the soul of a highly perverted, kinky, dirty girl who can get aroused often by a single word whispered in my ear or a solid smack across my ass. Once someone gets me into that zone, I’ll do anything, no matter how depraved, to be with them. I’ll find myself fantasizing about all the wicked things we can do together throughout the day and night, waking from wild dreams with the wish that they were beside me. I’ll see their name in my inbox and get instantly wet. I’ll tell them in public exactly what I want them to do to me, and vice versa. Yes, that’s what I mean by “dirty.”

Yet I don’t think my sexual interests make me any less of a well-rounded, kind-hearted intelligent person. I’m “sweet” in the sense that I care about my friends and family, like sending cards and random gifts, strive to be a good person (also, I run a blog about cupcakes). I’m as likely to kiss a lover’s forehead tenderly and offer to tuck them into bed as I am to throw them down on the floor and strip them naked. For me, the sweet and tender and down-and-dirty go hand in hand; I’m most turned on, and most slutty, when I’m partnered with someone who brings out my sweet side. Once, I visited a boyfriend who was sick with a fever, and did the one thing I could think of to make him feel better: sank down on his bed and took his cock in my mouth. Playing the slutty nurse, horny yet doting, is another aspect to my dirty/sweet motto.

I’d originally meant the phrase as a throwaway line, but more and more I’m realizing that everyone (or almost everyone) has a dirty and a sweet side. All too often we denigrate the dirty girls⎯the ones who dare to publicly show their naughty sides⎯as incorrigible sluts, rather than realizing just how much exciting it is to tap into our lustiest selves. Once you crack the surface of those who are seemingly prim and proper (the demure suburban housewife, the suited-up banker, the quiet secretary, the curious bookworm, the shy computer nerd), you’ll very likely find that the simplicity of the word “dirty” doesn’t go anywhere near far enough to describe the kinks that lurk within them.

The women writing here don’t apologize for being dirty. They know who and what they want and they go after the objects of their affection in all kinds of different ways. Reading this collection⎯whether from start to finish or skipping around to your favorite authors or the most eye-catching titles⎯will give you a glimpse into what makes women wet, what makes us feel and act dirty, what makes us slick our lips and spread our legs. Maybe, just maybe, their stories attempt to answer Freud’s infamously infuriating query: “What do women want?” To judge by the twenty-seven tales you hold in your hand, they want to be worshiped, they want to be ordered around, they want to be sent spinning into ecstasy and then come crashing back down. They want strangers bearing ice cubes on a hot day, and to be a party favor passed around among guests. They want hot vacation sex, visits to peep shows, and a man who’ll lick stinky cheese off their boots. They want power, and they want to give up power. They want sex at the office and in the great outdoors and on trains and airplanes. They want sex with the whole United States of America (or, at least, part of it). They want to be wooed, seduced, flirted with, taken. They want men, women, and sometimes both at the same time.

Of course, there’s more to what women want out of sex than any one book could possibly capture. What I’ve done with this anthology is highlight some of the best erotic writing I’ve found from authors who show you exactly what makes their hearts beat and their clits stand at attention. What they’re up to is, as Marie Lyn Bernard so aptly puts it, “Fucking Around” (which I briefly considered as a very fitting alternative title to this book). When I first heard Bernard read this story tag-team style at my reading series “In The Flesh,” I was blown away. She captures so much of the drama of sex⎯the high highs, the low lows, the awkwardness and the intensity⎯in a playful yet totally hot way. And when she writes about the Big Apple, it’ll make you want to hop the first plane or train to get here: “New York fucks me. New York fucks me so hard that I cry. My pussy opens like the long throat of a flame-swallower. Her fingers make love to the inside of my bellybutton. I am sweating so much that our bodies glide against each other like fish underwater.” You’ll find yourself drawing a map of your own sexual conquests, marking your territory right along with Bernard.

But for every feisty babe here, there’s another just in the process of discovering what turns her on. “Dirty” can be a state of mind just as much as it can be a description of one’s bedroom antics. Carol Queen’s peepshow virgin protagonist Abby doesn’t quite know what she’s getting into with her new friends Daniel and Lila, but she desperately wants to find out. “Lila’s lips covered hers right away, soft and wet, licking and nibbling in one of the most arousing kisses Abby had ever experienced,” writes Queen. “Dirty” doesn’t always mean depraved, either; these stories aren’t all wham-bam-thank-you-sir (or ma’am) quickies. Many of them evoke the intensity of emotion sex can bring with it, the ways having a lover know you literally inside and out can throw your life completely off balance, as if they can read your soul like a map, using fingers, toys, tongues, and cocks to navigate you until they own your internal compass. The thrill of giving yourself over to someone, of giving up control for that deliciously delirious sensation of pure erotic adrenaline, surfaces throughout this collection.

The women you’ll find here are complex; they’re by turns playful and bashful, horny and haughty. They want to share much more with you than just the details of their latest screw. They want you to know what makes them tick, who haunts their dreams, why they can’t quite forget the man who fucked them senseless, even when they’re with someone new. They like to watch and be watched, to take risks, to live out their long-held fantasies. Some are in loving, committed relationships, ones that allow them room to get their freak on with the person who knows just how to push their every button. Others, like my “Icy Hot” protagonist, don’t even want to know their bedmate’s name: “I forgot about the fact that I didn’t really know him at all. Sometimes, in a city of millions of strangers, you just have to take a chance and let your body make the decisions for you, as I’ve learned over the years. And my body was saying yes, please, more, harder.”

“Dirty” doesn’t preclude poetry, the kind where the words roll off the page, roll from your tongue, so beautifully it’s like they themselves are making love to you. Writers like Marilyn Jaye Lewis, Suki Bishop, and Melissa Gira probe the twisted places women go in search of sex⎯and themselves. In “A Prayer to Be Made Cocksure,” Gira elevates the art of the blowjob to new heights: “I sucked your cock as if it was the last cock. I trusted you to let me keep breathing, to never take that final bit from me, to tell me that getting any air at all was your choice just by reaching your hand down the length of your chest to me, to cradle the back of my neck, to run your fingers across my lips, softly, as you plunged suddenly and held me at the edge.” She takes you right into that moment, where this intimate act is dissected, treasured, hoarded, and missed.

You’ll find a range of motivations here, from women looking to spice up a lackluster relationship to single girls on the prowl to kinky couples, daring dommes, and sultry sirens intent on performing on a sexual stage of their own creation. You may read their stories and ask yourself: Would you ever write your name across your lover’s cock? What about pick up a stranger at a rock concert or screw a doctor in a hospital? Get fingered at the opera? Go to a bondage club? These characters do all this and more, always making sure their wanting, lusting, panting, and perversions are met with equal fervor.

Take a hot and steamy trip with these writers as they unlock your deepest desires, or perhaps give you some new ideas to try out next time you shut your eyes and part your legs. From tender to tempting, sweet to sadistic, loving to lascivious, there’s something for every reader who wants to go to bed with images that’ll surely make you blush and just may spark some brand-new, unique fantasies of your very own.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
July 2007

February Forbes articles on book publishing

Here's a roundup of my February 2020 Forbes.com articles on books and publishing, from why a bookstore isn't stocking a New York Times bestseller to a romance bookstore's business strategy to an Amazon Prime book purchase with inappropriate writing in it (find out what action Amazon took about it), Colin Kaepernick's memoir and publishing company and revamped classics. You can follow me there to see them as they get published. These are in reverse chronological order. For Forbes.com and outlets I freelance for, I'm always on the lookout for forthcoming books, trends in publishing and more, so if you're a book publicist, literary agent, editor, librarian or bookseller with a story idea, feel free to send me all the relevant details to rachelkb at gmail dot com with "Forbes" in the subject line and if it's something I can cover, I'll be in touch. I prefer to deal with people in those roles vs. authors but if it's something extremely timely and relevant, feel free to reach out.

"Penguin Vitae Series Reissues Hardcover Editions Of Classics By Reinaldo Arenas, Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Nella Larsen And Audre Lorde"

"Why Mocha Books Is Crowdfunding To Open A Mobile Bookstore To Sell Children’s Books By Authors Of Color"

"Why Maine Bookstore Hello Hello Books Won’t Be Stocking Bestseller ‘A Very Stable Genius’"

"Colin Kaepernick To Release Memoir With Audible And His Own Publishing Company"

"How Chicago Area Romance Bookstore Love’s Sweet Arrow Grows Their Business"

"Rep. Ilhan Omar And U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo To Headline BookExpo Adult Book & Author Breakfast"

"Amazon Prime Order Of Book ‘Feminist Cross-Stitch’ Arrived With ‘Trump 2020 MAGA’ Inscribed Inside"

New at Forbes: Cedella Marley interview, Million Copy Print Run for Guts, Book Designer Process and More

I've been busy over at Forbes.com writing about book publishing, with lots more great stuff on the way. You can follow me there and/or @raquelita on Twitter to see the latest. And as always, if you're a publicist, editor, agent, bookstore staffer, publishing company staffer or anyone else related to books with a newsworthy idea, you can pitch me by emailing rachelkb at gmail dot com with "Forbes" in the subject line. I'm especially interested in covering more visual news like the book cover article, and photography books and other photo/art-driven books, since I haven't done as much of that, as well as issue-driven books like The Warehouse but am open to anything new/notable/newsworthy.

"Why New Raina Telgemeier Graphic Memoir ‘Guts’ Has A One Million Copy Print Run"

"Cedella Marley On Adapting Her Father Bob Marley’s Song “Get Up, Stand Up” Into New Children’s Book"

"How This Doubleday Art Director Designs Book Covers, From ‘Frankenstein’ To ‘Fitness Junkie’"

"10 2019 Children’s Book Recommendations From Children’s Bookstores"

"Why Authors Are Holding Book Events At Museums And Other Nontraditional Venues"

"How The Death Of A Minimum Wage Dunkin' Donuts Worker Inspired Thriller 'The Warehouse'"

My February Forbes book publishing articles

If you're interested in books and/or the business of books and/or my writing, I hope you're follow me at Forbes online, where I'm writing seven articles per month about everything from book deals to book covers to author innovations and more. As you'll see, I've covered everything from drawable book covers to the enduring popularity of books by veterans to how to open an independent bookstore. To follow me, just make a free account at Forbes.com and then click the link above and click the "Follow" button and answer how often you want to receive emails about my new articles. I started in November and have learned so much about publishing as well as Wordpress, and which bookish subjects people want to read about and which they don't.



I write both more in-depth pieces about subjects like what authors can do when their publisher closes to breaking news, such as the Nora Roberts/Tomi Adeyemi book title story. I have a lot of great topics I'm covering in the next few months, especially more service-oriented pieces that I hope are helpful to aspiring authors, like the literary agent cookbook Q&A below. February was exciting because one of my articles got double the traffic of my previous high traffic piece, and continues to do well and may even hit 100,000 views soon. I get paid a flat fee based on how many articles I write per month, with the possibility of a pageview bonus, so of course I pay attention to my pageviews, but I also pay attention to who's linking to these articles. One of my upcoming pieces profiles a website that I found out about because they linked to me. So check it out, and if you're a publisher, editor or literary agent and have timely book publishing news or details about a growing trend in publishing, feel free to email me about it. I can't guarantee I'll cover it, but I'm always on the lookout for new topics my readers will appreciate.

Here are my Forbes online February 2019 articles in reverse chronological order:

"Katie Couric Memoir 'Unexpected' To Detail Her Struggles With Bulimia And Insecurity"

"Michelle Obama To Discuss Bestselling Memoir 'Becoming' On YouTube 'BookTube' Special In March 2019"

"How To Get Your Cookbook Published, According To A Literary Agent Who Specializes In Them"

"11-Year-Old Boy Lands Book Deal About Crocheting After His Creations Go Viral"

"Comic Book About Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Inspired By Her Quoting Alan Moore, Coming Out In May"

"What To Expect From 2020 Book 'White Feminism' By Former Jezebel Editor Koa Beck"

"Kim Kardashian West To Write Foreword To Memoir By Alice Marie Johnson, Convict Who West Helped Free"

New articles: Somali refugee Congresswoman Ilhan Omar memoir and US tour of The Bookshop Band

My latest articles for Forbes online, which I didn't get to post last week, are about Somali refugee turned Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's memoir book deal and The Bookshop Band doing their first U.S. tour. I interviewed Representative Omar's literary agent and her editor, who said, "Her voice on the page is very much as it is in real life—fresh and positive even when she is tackling serious issues, with real empathy and deep knowledge. Her story counters everything we keep hearing from the current administration and the right-wing media about refugees, immigrants, Muslims and women. This memoir presents an urgent and important counter-narrative."

Hope you'll check them out and follow me on Forbes if you want to be emailed when new articles drop. I write seven each month.

Why there are so many New Year/New You self-help books out in January

I've been on a roll at Forbes online, writing about everything from the writing career of American Book Award winner MacKenzie Bezos, who's getting divorced from world's richest person, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, to the controversy over Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker and have lots more in the works over the next few months. One I'm particularly proud of (and was excited to see Goodreads post on Twitter and Facebook) is about why so many self-help books are published in January. If you're curious, check it out. I'm really enjoying getting to geek out about books and learn more about the industry. And if you visit my Forbes profile page you can follow me there and get emailed whenever my new articles are posted. You just have to make an account with the site (for free) and then click "Follow" under my bio.

Read my new Forbes article if you dream of opening a bookstore

In case it relates to your New Year's plans (or future business plans or retirement plans), I wrote about how to open an independent bookstore over at Forbes.com. I interviewed owners of four recently opened independent bookstores, including two going the popup store route, about their career paths, steps and advice.



Hope you find it useful (and if so, I'd love if you shared it). I have lots more articles in the works relevant to authors, such as a few about how to get book deals (here's one I already did about getting published based on your Instagram account), so stay tuned.

You can follow me at Forbes after you make an account there to receive an email when a new articles posts. I write 5-7 per month. This has been a wonderful addition to my freelance writing, especially since I started in November after a year in which I had very few other writing gigs. I get to learn from authors, editors, publishers and bookstore owners, and generally geek out about books. If you're an editor, publishers, publicist or literary agent with an idea for an article you'd like to pitch me, or a standout title and why it's newsworthy, email me at rachelkb at gmail.com with "Forbes" in the subject line. Note that I cover publishing news and trends, and generally not individual titles or series unless something about them makes them stand out, like you can draw on the covers.

What happened with Nora Roberts and Tomi Adeyemi and their similar book titles

I've been busy over at Forbes.com and yesterday wrote about the Nora Roberts Tomi Adeyemi book title plagiarism accusation of Roberts' Of Blood and Bone and Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone. Get the scoop and then follow me at Forbes.com (or on Twitter) because there will be a followup article this week.

Me at Forbes.com on Michelle Obama memoir Becoming, veterans' books and drawable book covers

As I mentioned, I'm now have a regular freelance writing gig at Forbes.com where I cover trends in book publishing. This includes everything from book covers to book titles, author names, bookstores, literary agents, editors, book deals and more. That sounds vague but I promise there's interesting stuff and helpful takeaways. In the veterans' books article, I include what the publisher and literary agent and manager I interviewed want to acquire, and there will be lots more of that coming.

I'm always on the lookout for anything timely, so if you're a bookstore staffer, publisher, editor or literary agent, please reach out to me at rachelkb at gmail dot com with "Forbes" in the subject line. I'm generally not covering individual books or authors unless there's something especially noteworthy about them, like drawable book covers or a famous celebrity major title like Michelle Obama but I'm on the lookout for any and all new releases for common connections or links that might make an interesting article. Here are my first three articles, and you can follow me there to see the latest. I've only ever had regular sex columns in the past, not a regular beat per se, so I'm looking forward to diving into my favorite subject five to seven times per month.

"Why Michelle Obama Memoir Becoming Had High First-Day Bookstore Sales"

"Why War Books By Veterans Will Always Be Popular"

"Meet The Mystery Author Who Wants Readers To Draw On Her Book Covers"

How to use your professional jealousy to advance your career

I wrote about how I overcome professional jealousy and why it's so alluring over at Medium. If you like it, please consider holding down the clap button at the left of the piece for 1-50 claps, which helps more people see the essay and helps me get paid. It's also an examination of the new memoir Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist by Franchesca Ramsey, which I highly recommend.



Specifically, I focus on a chapter Ramsey wrote (I'm 99.99% sure) about Julia Allison. If you know who she is, I think you'll enjoy the essay, and if you don't, the below Wired cover is a clue, and you can find out more in the essay.



I discuss the folly of professional jealousy and the damage it can do to career advancement, so I'll add a little context. I'm typing this at 3:20 a.m. when I should be sleeping. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, especially in the years since October 2011 when I got laid off from my magazine job and have been forced to learn how to be self-employed. My business has grossed six figures the last two years (emphasis on grossed because I invest tens of thousands of dollars back into it and am investing even more this year), but I work hard for every dollar.

There's a lot of trial and error, usually more misses than hits, and, for me, the sense that I can never relax or let go. I'm starting retirement savings in my forties and have zero guarantee of future income. So while it may look like I'm a version of "successful," and I would say I feel somewhat successful, it's an ephemeral feeling. It's why I gobble up NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast and am reading books by the likes of Barbara Corcoran. Professional jealousy is really a time waster when you consider how many tasks go into building a business (yes, even "passive income" like book royalties). I spent part of Memorial Day making lists of which photos I have handy to post on the Best Women's Erotica Instagram account and drafting a so-long-they-may-not-read-it-all email to the authors in the next volume in the series (speaking of which, the deadline for the Volume 5 call for submissions is August 1, 2018, which will be here very soon). Most days my first waking thought is about my to-do list. So the idea that anyone would be jealous of my career seems laughable to me most days, because "success" doesn't always feel incredible and amazing. It's nice when I get a big (for me) royalty check, but I'm always aware that the next one could be half or a third or a tenth of that, or nothing. That keeps me in check and buckled down focusing on the next task or project or pitch (while also, of course, taking the time to promote the books and articles that are already out so that more people can hear about them, because that's part of this job too).

You can also follow me on Medium for essays several times a week, sometimes about books, sometimes about writing and publishing, sometimes on technology or travel or whatever I'm thinking about at the moment.

Happy book birthday to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3!

On the personal front it's been a hard month so I'm thrilled that there's some good news on the horizon: one of the best books I've ever edited, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, is officially out today in ebook!



I love that my ebooks are now publishing a few weeks earlier than print since that's how the vast majority of people read them. If you like sexy stories, I'm pretty sure you'll like these 21 tales by women from around the world. I made sure every story is action-packed and super hot. It opens with an amazing bisexual exhibitionism story by Abigail Barnette, which I chose as the first story because it totally blew me away, and goes on from there to everything from sex toys to a bibliophile with a major book fetish to bondage, hiring a Dom, and so much more. If you're planning to buy it, doing so during the first week of release is majorly helpful, but of course sales any time help me a great deal. My grand crazy wild finger-crossed dream is to get to edit at least 10 volumes of Best Women's Erotica of the Year and publish over 200 authors in the process, so if this one sells well, I'll be one step closer to making that happen.

Even if you're not buying the book, a hugely helpful thing to do would be to add it to your Amazon wishlist and your Goodreads want to read list. It may seem like a small thing and takes just a second, but those little things make a big difference in helping more potential readers stumble across my book amongst the millions available out there. This is my livelihood, but it's also my deep passion that I've poured my heart and soul into since I started writing erotica in 1999. I do everything I can to turn that energy into giving these authors, several of whom are being published for the first time, as many new readers and followers as I can. I can't wait for you to check out these stories. You can read my introduction over at bweoftheyear.com.

Here's what others have been saying:

Publishers Weekly (starred review): "With a refreshing variety of characters, configurations, and situations, all 21 stories in the collection deliver without becoming stale or repetitive."

Library Journal (starred review): "Editor Bussel (The Big Book of Orgasms) has curated a variety of quality stories with care and intention, highlighting women reclaiming their agency through erotic experiences. This collection opens with Abigail Barnette’s playfully steamy “The Birthday Gift,” wherein Sophie presents husband Neil with a wickedly unconventional visual treat. Wickedness is also the word of the day in Sommer Marsden’s “Demon Purse,” in which an adventurous makeup artist uses her skills to indulge her boyfriend’s sinful fantasy. "

Slutty Girl Problems: "There was something I enjoyed about each story from Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, but a few stories stood out as my favorites. I absolutely appreciated Sophie’s love of books and the feelings they can stir from deep within in “Bibliophile,” and took pleasure in the unfolding of a threesome dream come true in “Red Satin Ribbon” and the unexpected rendezvous in “Weightless.” Role reversal and crossdressing made “Romance and Drag” an intriguing and enjoyable read, while my domme fantasies were satisfied in “Making It Feel Right.” A perfect blend of romance and raunch, this book proved to be titillating and a continuous page turner."

In my opinion, Volume 3 is even hotter than Volumes 1 and 2 and is one of the best books I've edited. I try hard not to just put out variations of the same thing over and over, but to innovate and experiment and push my own boundaries and deliver stories that readers will treasure not just once, but again and again. I hope I've succeeded with this title. I took the feedback I've been getting on my titles and poured that into making this book one that you'll want to race through (or savor slowly). Where to buy the ebook:

Kindle

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

My birthday wish is for you to read my new book, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3

I've been on a break from blogging and much of social media due to life and work and trying to figure a lot of things out but now that I have two books coming out in back to back months, I'm easing back into things. I turned 42 on Friday and while it was the opposite of a celebratory day, it was a day that made me realize life is short and I need to sure I'm living it as fully as I can. I had even taken a break from my newsletter but now that's back and I encourage you to subscribe because I do monthly giveaways just for subscribers - I'll be sending November's this week with a Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories giveaway.

The book that I'm gearing up to release next week is Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3; the ebook edition pubs on Tuesday, with the print and audiobook to follow in December. There's still a part of me that can't believe I get to edit this series that I've been reading since the very first volume edited by Marcy Sheiner, because I'm still the woman who cried tears of joy when I finally broke into the series after several tries with my "Doing the Dishes" story.

I feel like in many ways this series reminded me why I got into erotica editing in the first place: because I'm a social creature, because I believe that more is more, because I love the short story form, because I want to give other writers the chance I was given when I published my first story. There have been many moments in the last few years when I've wondered if what I do is pointless; that feeling has certainly been amplified since the last election.

What I always come back to is the realization that an anthology isn't just about me; without authors writing vibrant, sexy, deeply creative and timely stories, I'd have no books. So I owe it to them, and of course to myself and my publisher, to make sure their words are read as wide and far as possible. Real talk: it's scary to care too much, whether we're talking about people or books. I am so proud of this book and my deepest fear is that it will be released into the world with a resounding flop. Because with a series, the pressure is amplified: it's not just about this one book doing well, it's about me wanting to have a future as the editor of the series for as many years as possible.

I'm probably not "supposed" to say that on my blog or anywhere else; I often get the impression that we are supposed to be only cheerful and positive about every aspect of publishing. But I see putting out books more as a gamble, except that there's far more passion and energy devoted to each title than there is to most gambling. Ultimately, though, the outcome is a gamble. I don't know if one person or one thousand or many thousands will read this book. For my career's sake and my authors' sake, I hope it's the latter. What I do know is that while I can't control that outcome, I can make sure that even if it's just one person, that I provide them with a knockout book that makes their eyes widen on every page, that features a diverse group of women who are bold and provocative and surprising, who are mix of straight and bisexual and lesbian, many of whom I'd call feminist, who are tender and loving and also wild and daring.

I hope you'll enter this giveaway (which is U.S. only due to the prohibitive costs of overseas shipping) and, if you want to support the book with just two clicks, add it to your Amazon wishlist and Goodreads want to read list. And, of course, if you want to read all 21 crazy hot stories, I'd love if you'd purchase it or request it at your local library (yes, many libraries carry erotica and many will order books if their patrons want them). I'll be sharing more about all the hotness in the book soon, but for now, good luck and please let people know about the giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3

by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Giveaway ends November 18, 2017.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Bisexual BDSM romance Booked interview and what else I've been up to

Lately, I've been trying to get more into routines. Just as I make coffee for myself each morning, set out my vitamins, get lunch ready, etc., I want to treat my prime writing time that way as well. Yet that's easy in theory, harder in practice when I often get distracted, or wake up to a to do list from the night before. I actually get more done on the mornings of the three days I work in an office, because I know at a certain point I'll have to stop and get dressed and head off, than I do the days I work for myself on my own projects at home. It's a conundrum I'm trying to change. Today at noon EST (9 a.m. PST) I'll be doing my best to register for the Palm Springs 2018 conference Altitude Summit (generally called "Alt Summit") because I want to start learning from successful creative business entrepreneurs about how they manage their time and their best practices.

One thing I've been doing is getting more involved with Lady Smut, the group romance blog where I post monthly. I'm still posting once a month, but also working on our Lady Smut Romance Blog Facebook page.



My latest for Lady Smut was, for Pride month, an interview with Leandra Vane, author of the new BDSM romance Booked, whose action largely takes place in and around a small-town library. It has a kinky, bisexual male protagonist (who also deals with nerve damage), who has a male love interest and a female domme (Mistress). There's a lot more going on, but that should give you a good taste! Leandra took the time to answer my many questions about kink, disability, ownvoices, her characters' relationship with books, self-publishing and more.

Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

I used to think I shouldn’t write about disability in my fiction because people would call me a self-absorbed “Mary Sue.” But I learned that most of us carry around shame and never grow because we guard our secrets and experiences from each other. I believe by sharing our stories we can all learn and grow together. So I started mining the experiences living with a disability has given me and putting them into some of my stories. All my life I’ve turned to books to have the conversations with me that people in the real world were unwilling or unable to have.

Leonard also have a story in my anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, which pubs in exactly five months, on November 21, in ebook form (the print version will be out December 12). Hint: Right now the print price on Amazon is only $10.47 (subject to change at any moment), lower than the $11.49 Kindle price (neither of which I have any control over, by the way). I'm in the midst of planning what I hope will be a BWE of the Year 3 book tour, though perhaps one spread out over a few months depending on my schedule and availability, so stay tuned.



I enjoy working for Lady Smut because I miss having a group blog; Cupcakes Take the Cake was my life for so long. I lived and breathed cupcakes, always on the hunt for the latest news, planning any trip, work or pleasure, around where to get cupcakes. Eventually, I had to step down because we weren't generating enough income for that project to be worthwhile. It's always hard to step away from a project you love, especially one you've built from scratch. I felt the same way shutting down my In The Flesh Reading Series, and this year, putting an end to my Between the Sheets LitReactor class. I miss the creative aspects of those projects, but they simply weren't feasible for my life or career by the time they ended.

Of course it's also hard when projects I've been hired to do end, like my Village Voice column or other ongoing columns I've written, but what I've learned over my career is that when one door closes, another may not automatically or instantly open, but those new doors are there, waiting for me to unlock them. For the record, I don't get paid to write for Lady Smut, so that and this blog are the only writing I do for free, but both are valuable to me in their own ways. I used to write for free (if anyone remembers all those Gothamist interviews), and while I don't regret it exactly because I got to do some amazing pieces, I think it set me back in terms of how I approach writing and money. These days I'm still doing as much freelancing as I can, but the majority of my income comes from my copywriting job and book sales. That may change, since last year I made most of my income from book sales, entertainment blogging and writing for sites like Salon. The one constant is that things will change, and I'm doing my best to pay attention and plot my own course. Speaking of which, this summer I hope to launch some new online classes related to writing erotica and having an erotica career. I don't have an exact date because there's a lot I have to learn on the technical side, but that too is something I'm working on, if not every day, most days, as I plot and plan and get ready for a new adventure that I hope will reach people who need some encouragement and guidance. When I've taught erotica writing classes in the past, I've been so thrilled with how many students have gone on to publish short stories and novels and truly make a name for themselves.

For now, I'm offering one-on-one consultations via my site Erotica Writing 101; you can learn more about working with me here. I've also written a blog post there on why erotica anthologies take so long to help writers understand that process, because I know it's frustrating to have to wait over a year to hear back from an editor such as myself. I'm working on more posts relevant to erotic writers and will be sharing them as they go up.

On Fire has a hot cover and even hotter stories and you can review it early!

I'm thrilled that on July 18, the ebook edition of my latest Cleis Press anthology, On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories, will be out (the print edition hits stores August 8). This book is super hot, as befitting an anthology titled On Fire. It's also one that I got delayed on, so I'm extra excited that it's almost out in the world and determined to have these wonderful authors read as widely as possible, because they are seriously hot. Many of them are different from what I've published before; I've got a vampire story here ("Masquerade") and a femdom story ("Dreams Made Flesh") and sexy swingers (my story "The Dance") and so much more..

While most of my books are in bookstores across the country (and occasionally outside the U.S.), the vast majority of you read them as ebooks or listen to them as audiobooks. I love this, both as a price conscious shopper, because people can buy more ebooks since they tend to be cheaper, hence they get to read more, and because I have always had a vision of my books being as accessible as possible. When I took a vacation in Honolulu, I was overjoyed that some of my books were on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. It was like I'd visited Hawaii before I even got there! So I want them out in as many formats as they can possibly be. The On Fire audiobook, narrated by my favorite narrator in the world, Rose Caraway, who I've worked with on 10 other audio titles, will be out at the end of July.

Getting back to accessibility...here's the scoop: Some of the books I've edited since I started this journey way back when are out of print, most likely never to return to bookstore shelves, and lots of those never got an ebook or audiobook edition because they were published before that was so common. Some publishers I've worked with have folded, some books quietly didn't sell and have pretty much vanished. It happens, but these days I work far harder to get my books "out there" and am determined that the ones I put out now stay in print/as ebooks and audiobooks for a long, long time, ideally throughout my lifetime. To that end, I want to spread the word to as many readers and potential readers as possible. This is both my livelihood and my passion, but that means that if my books don't sell, out of financial necessity, I'll have to stop editing them and move on to something else to sustain myself, because I believe equal pay also means, Work only for what you're worth. That's a discussion for another time, but my point is, I both want and need my books to reach lots of readers. My personal goal is always to have each new book outsell the last. Of course I can't control that, but I can set it as my goal to push myself to try harder with each release and explore new avenues of reaching readers in this vast world of endless books available to you at the click of a button 24/7. It's a world I love and indulge in myself as a consumer, but it also makes it more challenging to make any single title stand out.

All of this is to say that the #1 way I promote my books and drive sales is through readers like you leaving reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. Yes, over the years I've tried ads on book-related websites, I've paid to fly myself here, there and everywhere, I've made postcards and bookmarks and buttons. I won't say I've tried everything, but of all the methods of book promotion I've tried, having honest reviews on the main sites where readers congregate has been what gets other people interested. This is partly because of how the algorithms on those sites work, so the books of mine with the most reviews, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, almost always sell better than the ones with fewer reviews.



So until June 18, one month before the ebook release, I'm offering all of you a free e-copy of On Fire, with the request that you leave an honest review of at least one sentence on Amazon (U.S.) and/or Goodreads. To comply with FTC rules, your review should state a version of, "I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review." And that's it! Read one story, or two, or all 20. Share the one you loved the most, the one you liked least, what turned you on, what intrigued you...that part is up to you. I can't tell you what to write, I can only tell you that I am so proud of this book and all the sexiness contained in it. It's filed under "erotic romance" but I think it's safe to say if you like erotica, you'll like much of it, and if you like romance, you'll like much of it. Here's the official blurb about it and endorsements by two authors whose writing I adore (thank you, Charlotte and Elizabeth!):

"Every story is a sinfully sexy yet always romantic delight." Charlotte Stein, author of Never Sweeter

“On Fire is a delicious collection of sensual, luxurious erotic shorts, like bites of the finest chocolate that linger on your tongue.” Elizabeth SaFleur, author of the Elite Doms of Washington series

In On Fire, today’s top erotic romance authors don’t skimp on love or lust--they are entwined in tales that will make pulses pound and hearts race. Bestselling editor Rachel Kramer Bussel takes us inside the passions of couples who go above and beyond in their pursuit of sexual and romantic satisfaction, exploring the racy to the outrageous during their many arousing adventures. You’ll treasure the sex toy exploration in “Every Second of It,” find paranormal pleasure in “Masquerade,” and be transported to “A Place As Beautiful As This.” You’ll go “Beyond the Blindfold,” find out what lurks in the “Art of Darkness,” and delight in discovering “The Sweetest Thing.” These steamy stories by Kristina Wright, Delilah Devlin, Giselle Renarde, Kay Jaybee, Victoria Blisse, Jade A. Waters and others are perfect intimate reads to enjoy with your lover or for your own pleasure.

You can see the full table of contents and my introduction on the book's Tumblr.

That's my spiel. If you want to review the book, leave your name and email address in this form by June 18, 2017 at 11:59 pm EST. I'll send you the PDF and then you can post your review any time at Goodreads and starting July 18, 2017 on Amazon. Of course if you want to review it elsewhere, such as on a blog, other book retailer, etc., that is wonderful, but all I am asking is for you review on either Goodreads and/or Amazon.com (U.S.), which are the sites most of my readers use. If you want to do an extra erotica good deed, you can add the book to your "want to read list" on Goodreads (you'll see the button when you click the Goodreads link above). Again, I'm not an expert, but I believe Goodreads factors in which books have the most people listing them as want to read and promotes/showcases those books more widely. My hope is a) you'll find something, or many things, that entertains you and b) you'll discover a new author whose work you'll want to keep on reading. Thank you in advance and here's to On Fire and a sexy summer!

And if you're sitting there thinking, But I really want a free print copy of On Fire, I'll be giving those away in my monthly newsletter in July, so subscribe on the left-hand side of my Lusty Lady blog or at rachelkramerbussel.com. June's newsletter giveaway will be to win a copy of my femdom anthology She's on Top!

Win my BDSM erotica anthology Please, Sir - enter by Wednesday, May 31!

Every month I give away books to my newsletter subscribers. If you haven't subscribed, you can do so on the left-hand side of this blog, Lusty Lady, or at my website, rachelkramerbussel.com (which may be experiencing some temporary technical difficulties), or at my Facebook page. This month's giveaway is 10 copies of my BDSM erotica anthology Please, Sir - enter using this Google form (which only I see). The deadline to enter is May 31, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Make sure to use the email address you're subscribed to the newsletter with and include your full mailing address - I sometimes have to pick a new winner when there's an incomplete address.

Sale alert: 69 orgasm erotica stories for $1.99 in The Big Book of Orgasms this week only!

One of my favorite anthologies I've edited over the last 12 years is The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories. It holds a very special place in my heart because the authors truly brought their A game and gave me everything I could have wanted and more. The orgasm erotica in this book is sexy, varied, surprising and extremely creative. I like to think it has a little something for everyone and this week it's only sale in ebook form for only $1.99 for Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo, so if you missed it the first time around, check it out now! And if you are an audiobook lover, check out the audio edition narrated by Rose Caraway. (Tip: if you buy the Kindle edition for $1.99, you can buy the audio edition for just $3.99.) Also, y books go on sale usually once or two a month (different titles), and you can get emailed every time they do by following me on BookBub.



Here's the book's official blurb and table of contents to give you more of an idea of what's in it:

What happens when you bring together 69 authors sharing their hottest orgasm stories? If you have top notch erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, you get The Big Book of Orgasms! This climactic collection captures top erotica writers serving up steamy scenarios all focused on The Big O. Whether getting off from exhibitionism, voyeurism, or a very special pair of blue jeans, the characters in The Big Book of Orgasms explore all sorts of ways they can come. Go "Under the Table" with Elizabeth Coldwell and cheer for "The Pink Team" by Kelly Rand. Discover the thrill of hot wax and even hotter sex; these short stories bring the heat on every page! With a foreword by Ecstasy is Necessary author Barbara Carrellas, these are climaxes you'll want to relive again and again.

Dr. Ruth once said about Rachel Kramer Bussel, "she is only satisfied if you come and come again." With this rousing read, The Big Book of Orgasms counts all the wonderful ways women get off.

Introduction and Table of Contents to The Big Book of Orgasms

Foreword: Foreplay: Figments of Erotic Imagination by Barbara Carrellas
Introduction: Orgasm Is Just the Beginning

The Beginning B. D. Swain
How You Christen a Bed Thomas S. Roche
All You Do Is Play Annabeth Leong
Hard Knocks Malin James
The Gallery Exhibit Chris Komodo
White Preston Avery
Matinee Suleikha Snyder
All Talk Jenna Bright
Scarecrow Giselle Renarde
In Her Hands Tenille Brown
Remote Control Logan Zachary
Weathering the Storm Salome Wilde
Hellfire Valerie Alexander
Her Lover Is a Flame Cecilia Tan
Me Vengo! Mistress Kay
Count Out the Strokes Virgie Tovar
Steamy Tess Danesi
Payback Emerald
Come On Raziel Moore
The Pink Team Kelly Rand
Headache Sherry Reid
Pushing Boundaries on Public Transport Victoria Blisse
Runner’s High Sam Angioli
His Three Conditions Medea Mor
The Morning After David Salcido
Look at Yourself Maxine Marsh
Do It Again Sinclair Sexsmith
Under the Table Elizabeth Coldwell
Light Sleeper Mina Murray
The Big Cat Cecilia Duvalle
Opening Doors Thea Landen
Baxter’s Boy Xan West
Suds and a Two-Piece Bathing Suit Brantwijn Serrah
The Jeffrey Factor Stella Harris
Chains of Love Lily K. Cho
By the Beat T. Fox Dunham
Icing on the Cake Lula Lisbon
The Massage Lady Cheeky
Feast for the Senses Riley Shane
Squirt Evoë Thorne
Piano Man A. M. Hartnett
Out of Control Crystal Jordan
Tantric Home Dominic Santi
Queer for Mike Shane Allison
Meeting Cute Vanessa Madison
Cheryl Andreas Amsterdam
Beer and Orgasms Jeremy Edwards
Sullied Innocence Neve Black
The Rub Jon Fulton
The Park Elise Hepner
Coming Together: The Elusive Simultaneous Orgasm Jade Melisande
Meeting Myself Anya Levin
I Am Not Cruel J. Sinclaire
Cooling Agents Marina Saint
Seeing Is Believing Heidi Champa
The Velocity of Roaches Michael A. Gonzales
After the Funeral Jeanette Grey
There Sommer Marsden
Forced Orgasms Shoshanna Evers
Blue Jean Baby Eleanor Proctor
Learning Experience Kathleen Tudor
A Teachable Moment Walter Pratt
The Flogger Jade A. Waters
Book Lover Donna George Storey
Tied by Red Kay Jaybee
After Party Drew Griffiths
I’m on Fire Rachel Kramer Bussel
Should You Ever Be Allowed to Feel This Good? Lillian Ann Slugocki
The Final Challenge Heather Day

Orgasm Is Just the Beginning

As Barbara Carrellas writes, there are so many types of orgasms, more than any single book could cover, but within these pages, you will not only find numerous types of orgasms, as well as the varied characters who experience them, you will also discover different motivations for getting off. Some have a tried and true method, some are willing to take a chance on a new sexual practice—or partner. Some of these characters orgasm frequently; some are aching for the chance to share their body with another person. Some let their orgasms be controlled by a lover; some actively take control of their climaxes. “You amaze me,” the nameless protagonist of B.D. Swain’s opening story “The Beginning” proclaims. You—readers, authors, orgasmers—amaze me with your boundless sexual hunger and creativity. I’ve been writing and editing erotica for over a decade, but part of why it never gets old is because of the richness, diversity and nuance I find in the stories that come (no pun intended) my way. They fuel my own imagination and show me that I can always learn more about orgasm, about desire, about sex.

The format of 1,200 words or less means these are extremely short stories, but I hope you’ll find, like I did, that what they lack in length they make up for in hotness. As with my previous short-short anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex, all the pieces you hold in your hand, even the shortest ones (“The Park,” by Elise Hepner, clocks in at 249 words; “Her Lover Is a Flame,” by Cecilia Tan, at 308) offer a snapshot of eroticism that draws you completely into its folds. You might consider each one a teaser, an appetizer, the beginning of a fantasy world you can place yourself into and choose your own orgasmic adventure as you consider where the story might go after the last word printed on the page. Sometimes less is more, and if these stories leave you wanting to see them continued, that’s a good thing. They are, like the narrative in Swain’s opener states, “just the beginning.” Very likely you’ll find a type of orgasm, a sex toy, a scenario, a position, or a fantasy you’d like to see represented here that may not be. If so, please write yours and continue the conversation. If your orgasm doesn’t look or feel the way these characters’ climaxes do, that’s perfectly okay. I want to see us expand the possibilities for pleasure, orgasmic and otherwise, not add to the umpteen ways we’re told we “should” orgasm or have sex. Just as a physical orgasm, however you define or experience that sensation, doesn’t define the end of a sexual encounter, a literary orgasm should not mean you are done interacting with the story. I’ve re-read these pieces, and the numerous submissions I received for this book, multiple times, and each read offers me something new to consider. I envision The Big Book of Orgasm as one you’ll want to revisit, to pick up and read aloud from your favorites to a lover, to keep next to your bed, to tuck into your travel bag.

I’m especially pleased to be publishing so many authors in this collection for the first time in one of my anthologies. There is a power and depth to these voices that I hope resonates with you.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

I hope that at the very least made you curious about all those orgasms! Go ahead, check it out while it's on sale:

Kindle

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 is out in print, ebook and audio!

I'm late in letting you know that the book I worked hard on all year, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 is now officially released in print, ebook and audio, because I've been busy spreading the word on social media and posting interviews with the authors which you can read on the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Tumblr. Since I don't have time to post here too often, you can get the latest on the series by following us @bweoftheyear on Twitter and on Facebook.



If you are interested in the writing process, I highly suggest checking them out. Even I am learning a lot from them! The basic buying links are at bweoftheyear.com (and more will be added as I hear of more stores stocking it) and for more about my vision for the series and why I'm devoting pretty much everything I've got to it, read on.

About the book: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 gives us fierce female passion, timeless love, and lustful encounters that are guaranteed to fill you with utter delight. Edited by the award winning Rachel Kramer Bussel, these sexy stories about women on the prowl span the globe, traveling from Peru to the Bahamas and beyond in pursuit of pleasure. Learn why "Teacher Appreciation" is so special, what sex is like "At the End of the World," and explore some very explosive "Volcano Nights." These unforgettable erotic tales by the top authors in the genre as well as newcomers will arouse and thrill readers looking for a hot time between the pages.



To say that editing this series is a dream come true would be a massive understatement, so I'll just say that back when I was writing my first erotica story in 1999, I never dreamed of editing any anthologies, let alone a prestigious annual series. It's a privilege that I don't take lightly, and right now I'm getting ready for our book tour hitting Los Angeles, Baltimore, New York and Jersey City as well as selecting stories for Volume 3. I'm thrilled that this volume has so many authors being published either for the first time or on the early side of their publishing careers, because that's truly my vision for what this series can be: both a place to showcase very sexy stories that, hopefully, readers enjoy reading for years to come, and a launching pad for authors and way of joining forces and forming a community through both live events and social media and the online presence of the series. That's a post for another time, but it's what I'm working toward as I go all out with Volume 2 promo, select stories for Volume 3 and craft the call for Volume 4. See below for how you can help shape those next books!

I'm also doing my best to give back with this series, by increasing author pay, paying authors for out of state readings, offering a free copy to all 2,000+ subscribers to my newsletter (thank you to everyone who took me up on that!), sponsoring events like the Sex Down South conference and funding these readings and promotions so that these books have the longest life span they possibly can. I get sad when I see my books go out of print (though we'll always have ebooks, I hope), so I want these to stay on shelves far into the future. I don't know if I'm capable of making that happen, but I vow I'm trying my absolute hardest and brainstorming daily on how I can make this series better for authors and readers.



I'm thrilled that for the first time in my publishing career, one of my audiobooks was released i the same month as the print and ebook edition and that I got to work with my favorite narrator, Rose Caraway, who I think has the best voice for erotica out there. I never want to feel like I'm just doing the same thing over and over in the exact same way, so figuring out how I can improve is like a never-ending jigsaw puzzle that I keep striving to solve.



I also wanted to ask that if you've read Volume 2 (or Volume 1 for that matter) or are planning to, a hugely helpful thing for me and the series would be to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. It doesn't have to be long; even one sentence sharing something you liked (or didn't like), or a favorite story, not only helps the book gain visibility and therefore new readers (yes, the more reviews a book has on Amazon, the better it will sell generally), it also helps me in making my selections for future books. Right now I'm slated to edit Volumes 3 and 4 and I am hustling every day to help this series sell better than all my other books so that maybe I'll be asked to keep on editing it. I learn from and value reader input and want to include the kinds of stories that you want to read. So if there's something you've seen in the series that you liked or things you wish were in them, leave reviews on those sites and/or drop me a line at bweoftheyear at gmail.com. Ultimately, I answer to readers (and, of course, my publisher), so I want to do my best to give you the kinds of stories you most want to read. Thank you!

More kinky erotica on sale: Anything for You is $1.99 if you act fast!

I was casually looking up my books last night on Amazon, when I noticed that in addition to the He's on Top BDSM erotica sale, another of my kinky erotica books is also $1.99: Anything for You.



Now, I try my best to keep up with the sale prices so I can share the news with my readers (mark your calendars: the ebooks of The Big Book of Submission goes on sale August 29th, and Gotta Have It goes on sale September 1st, both for a week), but sometimes I don't get the memo, so I was as surprised as anyone, but excited, because to me, these sales are a chance for those who may have been curious about a given title to check it out very cheaply, or for someone who wasn't into reading about, in this case, kinky couples, to suddenly get to do so at a bargain price. In Anything for You, every story is about a couple (some new couplings, some long-term couples) who explores some aspect of BDSM; there are male and female tops/dominants and male and female bottoms/submissives in various configurations. Check it out for yourself for just $1.99 for a limited time (so limited I have absolutely no idea when this sale started or when it will end, so check prices before buying):

Kindle

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo