Sexy free read: Except from The Reward by Jade A. Waters

Today I'm bringing you a guest post from my friend Jade A. Waters, erotic novelist and frequent contributor to my anthologies, including The Big Book of Orgasms and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. This week, her third kinky erotic romance novel, The Reward, the final in her Lessons in Control series, was published, following Maya and Dean on their relationship journey.



Here's the official blurb:

What if the fantasy never had to stop?

It's been a year since Dean Sova turned Maya Clery's world inside out. There isn't a secret fantasy that Maya and Dean haven't explored—each one more tantalizing and mind-blowing than the last. But while their relationship may be stronger than ever, taking the next step pushes boundaries neither one of them is prepared to face.

Dean couldn't care less about Maya's background—all her choices made her the woman he wants to tie to his bed and never let go. But not even a Dom as strong as Dean can keep the past at bay. When a threat from Maya's old life surfaces, she'll have to choose once and for all: fight for freedom under Dean's command, or lose the reward she's worked so hard for—the chance to be happy with the man she loves.

From The Reward by Jade A. Waters, out now:

“Come see what I did.”

Dean winked, then shifted his body to rise from the couch. I arranged myself into a sit, entranced by the shimmer in his eyes once he reached his hand out for mine.

Curious, I followed him upstairs. I figured he’d spent the time I’d been at dinner unpacking things as promised, but when he led us toward the spare room, I didn’t suppress a chuckle.

“Did you spend all that time I was gone setting up something dirty?”

“Not all.” Dean spun to take both my hands, backing us through the doorway and into the center of the room before drawing me against his chest for a full-body embrace. “But I didn’t think you’d object to what I did do.”

He kissed me and I closed my eyes. I surrendered to the feel of his tongue and the strong rake of his palms down my back. It amazed me how this man could wow me with both sweet and sexy, the promise of something naughty dancing in his eyes when he caught my bottom lip in his teeth. Dean gave it a tug, and his hands curved down over my ass to grip me tight.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Wait.” He backed away, and my body drooped, but my blood started to churn harder in my veins. Dean opened the top drawer of the antique dresser he’d shown me the week before, and I kicked off my flip-flops as fast as I could. I didn’t think I’d need them. Dean pointed at the wall a few feet away from us and across from the window, the same one he’d backed me against the last time we were in here. I peered over. “Do you see?” he asked.

At first, I didn’t see anything. But I lifted my head and spotted two large eyelet screws extending from the wall up toward the corners. I turned back to Dean to find him holding a blindfold in his hands.

“This could be interesting,” I said. Aloof as I played it, my heart had kicked into a merciless pound and I cinched my knees together. Dean came over, his face serious before he circled me. I marveled at how fucking sexy he was—appraising me in his pajama pants, for God’s sake—and once he came back to press his chest against mine and lifted the blindfold over my eyes, I huffed out an excited breath.

“You know I hate not seeing your eyes,” he began, the husky murmur a tantalizing force when the satin of the blindfold met my face and he pulled the long ties behind my head to form a knot. “But I figure, with me going away for so long, we need a big send-off. Something sexy and dramatic.” His fingertips traced faint lines down my back that coaxed my nipples into stiff peaks, and then he cupped my ass again. “Something intense. I want it to be a sensation you savor while I’m gone, a memory you’ll keep playing back in that beautiful head of yours.”

My pussy clenched with Dean’s grasp of my shoulders to spin me in a slow circle. With his chest to my back and my view blocked, I hated not being able to see yet loved how hard it made me concentrate on his words and the shivers tripping along the surface of my skin. Dean brushed my hair aside to kiss the nape of my neck, then grabbed the hem of my shirt to whisk it up and off me, careful not to disrupt the blindfold he’d secured over my eyes.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

That question. Our question.

“Excited,” I whispered.

“Good.” Dean’s mouth covered my earlobe before he slid his palms up my belly and over my breasts, caressing me through my bra. I arched to rub my ass against him more, because I wanted to feel his arousal, too. The fabric of his pajama bottoms wasn’t leaving much to the imagination with him as hard as he was.

“Oh, Dean,” I growled.

“Yes, Maya?”

“I…” I tried to find the right words while he started to nudge me forward with the width of his body. He pinched my nipple in two fingers, and with his other hand, he drew the strap of my bra off my shoulder to kiss the spot it’d covered. “I love how you play with me.”

“That’s superb, because I love playing with you.” He bit my neck and we took one more step before he stopped me. The presence of the wall felt close by, and I lifted my hands to confirm it was directly in front of me. Dean said, “Tonight, I really want to play with you. Hard.”

He rocked up his hips, the move forceful enough to push me flush to the wall. I gasped, my pulse clattering. Dean unsnapped my bra fast, and after he pulled it off and tossed it aside, he trailed his mouth in hot kisses over my shoulders and down my sides before stripping away my jeans and panties.

Naked for him, I quivered. He took my earlobe in his teeth again, the sensation making me cock my head with a wisp of a sigh. In the press of his body along my back there was such a contrast between his hot, muscular form and the soft cotton of his T-shirt compared to the cold, unyielding wall before me. Smashed between them, every nerve in my body ached for more, for touch. I moaned at the slip of Dean’s tongue in my ear to taunt me, and once I turned my head, he guided my arms out to the sides. I stayed in place when he backed away, leaving my palms, cheek and chest pressed to the wall. The lack of his contact felt abrupt and cold.

“Come back.”

“I will. But I have to look at you right now. You’re always gorgeous—but waiting, naked, knowing you can’t see what comes next… It’s so sexy, Maya. Fuck.” He clapped his fingertips against my ass cheek in a sudden burst, and I jumped. “Spread your legs.”

Intrigued? You can get The Reward for Kindle U.S., Kindle UK, Nook, Google Play, iBooks, Kobo or directly from publisher Carina Press.

Early bird discount for my February-March 2017 LitReactor online erotica writing class

I'm thrilled to share the news that I'm teaching my next LitReactor online Between the Sheets erotica writing class from February 7-March 7, 2017. I had to bow out of teaching this fall to focus on other work and I've missed having a class of students and the close attention we all share for a month as they focus on making their words as sexy and polished as they can be. Registration is open now for $350; the price goes up to $375 on December 2. The class is limited to 16 people in order to make sure everyone gets the attention they deserve and thorough and prompt critiques.



What happens during the class? I provide weekly written lectures and writing assignments; when you complete each homework assignment, provided you do so by the deadline, I offer a thorough line by line written critique and content and marketing suggestions, and your fellow students also offer feedback. Additionally, I have conducted over a dozen interviews with erotica publishing professionals, including literary agents, editors and successful authors, both traditionally published and self-published, such as Sommer Marsden, Tiffany Reisz, Cecilia Tan and others, that I share exclusively in the class. While no one is obligated to submit their work for publication, this class is definitely geared toward those interested in having their work published, as we focus on both writing and what publishers are looking for and how to optimize your chances of having your work accepted. Many of my former students have gone on to be published. Here are two examples of student publication success stories.

I update these with each class to keep it current and add new information. At the end of class, I also invite you to my private online group to continue the conversations, camaraderie and support of the class; that group is a great place to keep current on what's happening in the erotica world, find beta readers and generally ask questions of me and your peers. I know the class is a big commitment, and I would only suggest taking it if you have at least five hours per week to devote to it in order to get the most out of it. That being said, you will have access to the classroom materials, including all lectures, assignments and additional interviews and postings, forever (well, as long as LitReactor is online, which I don't see changing anytime in the near future). This means that if there's one week you can't keep up with all the items I post, since I add daily information on everything from pseudonyms to branding and marketing to agents and more, you can always go back to it later.

Here's what some of my previous students have said (click on the LitReactor image above for more student quotes):

"I will apply what I learned in 'Between the Sheets' to create stories that arouse and connect. With Rachel’s detailed ‘how to’ writing instructions, I completed six stories. My final product is tailored to a specific call for submission and ready to go. Rachel eased this newbie erotic writer into her world providing a comfortable environment to explore sexual ideas creatively. She gave me what I wanted even when I did not know what that was. I’m headed down a new path. Take her, it’s worth it." Donna Jennings

and

"I gained the confidence to just be fearless on the page." Z

and

"Rachel has been incredibly generous in giving us students insights into the world of erotica writing with tons of useful information and helping us hone our writing abilities through her homework assignments and on point corrections for them." Ruby McLovelin

Prefer an in person class? I'm teaching a two-hour erotica writing workshop on Sunday, January 29 from 4-6 pm at The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California (Los Angeles area). This live class is limited to 20 people.

Femdom erotica sale this week: Yes, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission is just $1.99!

Short version: my femdom BDSM erotica anthology Yes, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission is only $1.99 this week on Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo. Bonus good news: this week only, the Yes, Ma'am audiobook is only $3.99, so you can read or listen (or both) for a much lower than usual price. It's for sale on Audible or Amazon. Below is what's in the book and me taking a moment to remind myself how far I've come. If you've already read it or read it now for the first time, I'd love if you shared your honest opinion about it wherever you purchased it or on Goodreads. Those reviews help sustain a book like this and keep it alive (yes, I have plenty of books I've edited that are out of print, never to be revived, not available in ebook or audiobook form, so this matters to me.)



What's in this fantastic femdom collection?

Yes, Ma'am table of contents

Introduction: Giving It Up: Letting Her Rule

Zero Sum Game Alex Mendra
Secret Desires Ellen Tevault
Tea for Three Lee Ash
Exhibit A Chris Cooper
A Different Kind of Reality Show D. L. King
Secretary’s Day Rachel Kramer Bussel
Wedding Night Dominic Santi
Flash Alison Tyler
It’s Cold Outside Stephen Elliott
An Invitation to the Dance Sylvane Alistair
Sticking with You L. E. Bland
i 1t u 2 do sumfin 4 me George Cross
Rope Burn A. D. R. Forte
His Lady’s Manservant Andrea Dale
Taming the Unruly Debra Hyde
The Big What Michael Hemmingson
The Mean Girl Teresa Noelle Roberts
Connection Kristina Wright

Introduction
Giving It Up: Letting Her Rule

“What makes a man cower before a powerful woman?” I asked in my call for submissions for this book. What you’ll find here are numerous answers to that question, though surely there are infinitely more waiting to be written. Men are the ones gifted with all sorts of power in our society, but our dirty little secret is that so many of them long to strip themselves of this power, to be tied down, gagged, spanked, taken, owned. They want to be made to do a woman’s bidding, whether that means being ordered into a threesome or put on full, naked display, as you will read about here. They want to ease the burdens of manliness, if only for a little while, to be “ordered” to do all the naughty things they’ve dreamed of.

Submissive men are some of the most misunderstood, and invisible, sexual creatures around. Their voices simply aren’t heard in popular culture, though you’ll find them in plenty of bedrooms, in the blogosphere, and in fetish clubs. After putting together the anthologies He’s on Top and She’s on Top, I wanted to look at BDSM from the bottom’s perspective. Why would a man want to give up control? What does he get out of such an arrangement? These stories show you some of the tantalizing possibilities out there for sniveling men and the women who love them.

Men who crave the company of a dominant woman find her with wives, girlfriends, and dominatrices, sometimes bringing out the kinky tendencies of their partners, other times tapping into what’s already well developed, yet we rarely hear their authentic voices telling us what makes them shiver with fear and excitement. There’s still a taboo element to our leaders—in business, government, and the home—voluntarily relinquishing the top spot. Men are taught to be the hunters, not the hunted, and when the tables are turned, many are all too thrilled to be treated like scum. The flipside is that any woman who can lure a submissive man into her lair knows just how valuable a prize she’s gotten and will surely want to keep him happy, even if this means putting her foot down, literally, upon him, as the boss in “Secretary’s Day” does to her new hire.

“Masturbation without permission was strictly forbidden. This was the most difficult for me because I got so worked up being Rikka’s little whore that I desperately needed to jerk off,” writes Alex Mendra in “Zero Sum Game.” He describes his setup with the commanding Rikka as “perfection,” striving to be everything she desires, but delighting in each form of punishment she cooks up, whether a firm spanking across his ass or the sudsy scene she cooks up for him.

In Stephen Elliott’s “It’s Cold Outside,” the element of realism he so beautifully captures takes us far beyond the clichéd Catwoman fantasy into the stuff of real life, where a woman commandeers the body of the narrator while her boyfriend is asleep. She leaves him tied up, helpless—and horny, and he takes her marks with him, literally and figuratively, when they part.

In “The Mean Girl,” Teresa Noelle Roberts writes of a man reminiscing about his first fantasy domme, now embodied by his real-life Cruella. “I tasted every humiliation I’d ever faced in my hopeless pursuit of Muffy Spaulding—made new and fresh and delicious because now it was coming from Heather, whom I loved. Whom I really did worship, kinky games aside.”

There’s also plenty of humor here. In “A Different Sort of Reality Show” by D. L. King, the author takes us behind the TV screen, where a man is controlled by a cacophony of women’s voices, each taking more delight than the next in ordering him to humiliate himself for their pleasure.

Debra Hyde encapsulates perfectly why the “unruly” man doesn’t just wish to be tamed, but needs to be. “Fear no longer dominates; submission does. I am vessel and vassal—tool and toy, the means to her pleasure. I am hers.” If those words resonate with you, making you long for a woman to come along and grab you by the scruff of your neck, or order you to your knees, or simply control you with one fierce, all-knowing look, then this is the book for you. Go ahead, say the words out loud: “Yes, Ma’am.” Wherever your domme is, she’ll hear you.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City June 2007

This is one of my earliest anthologies, finished so long ago I had to formally go back and remind myself what's inside it, which is exactly what I needed this week. Why? Because lately I've been having a tough time, trying to figure out where to go next, what path to follow, or forge. I still don't know but am exploring new possibilities, ones that may be better suited to my talents and needs. So seeing work I produced when I was almost a decade younger, work that stands the test of time helps remind me that I do have the power to create, whatever that next creation looks like. It also reminds me what I love about the anthology editing process: getting to work with a range of writers, with very different styles and approaches, which I will be doing in a few short weeks for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2. I have largely moved away from anthology editing to other types of work, but it's an honor to get to work with women from around the world, one I don't want to take lightly. (If you know any women, especially women who might have great erotic stories lurking inside them but have never written erotica or thought of themselves as "erotica writers," I'd love if you'd pass on the call for submissions. The April 1 deadline is fast approaching!)

I do believe in signs, in reminders, in prods in the right direction when I can't provide them for myself, and while it's gratifying to see my book at 500 in the entire Kindle store (and charting on the Audible audiobook erotica bestseller list), it's even more gratifying to know that something I completed so long ago is still in print, still viable, still valuable to readers who may be exploring kinky sex for the first time or the four thousandth time. I can't and will never speak for anyone else, but for me, I needed that reminder to help me move forward, no matter what the future looks like.

A brand new free erotica story that I'm glad got rejected the first time

I'll be writing more about how to handle writing rejection and turn it into a positive step for your career soon, but today I want to highlight one example. My story "Spitting Image" is up today at Tamsin Flowers' Supererotica Advent calendar. I recommend reading all the entries; you can start with day 1, which features "Fallen" by Tamsin Flowers.



She's asking readers to donate to these charities, if you're so inclined: Crisis, The Albert Kennedy Trust or Coalition for the Homeless.

I'm thrilled to have a new, original story free for you to read, because most of my writing lately has been nonfiction, with my only new erotic fiction stories appearing in my recent and upcoming anthologies such as Come Again, Dirty Dates and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1.

What's especially gratifying for me about this particular story is that I had submitted it to an anthology and gotten good feedback on it, only to later have it be rejected. Of course, I was disappointed. I wondered: What's wrong with my oral sex sensuous spit story? Was I foolish to expect it to make the cut? Am I bad at the male POV?

But then I smartly shook my head, drew up my shoulders, and decided to send my little tale out in the world. I was proud of it and didn't need to take one person's no for an answer. So I sent it to Tamsin and she loved it! Now, I'm not saying it's "good" because someone else approved of it; I don't believe in that. "Good" is by and large subjective—and yes, I say that as someone who teaches erotica writing classes and does believe anyone, certainly including myself, can improve and deepen their writing. But at the end of the day, you can't make someone like your work. You can't insist they read it or appreciate it. You can only work to find what Jennifer Lee calls in Building Your Business the Right-Brain Way your "right peeps." Tamsin is one of my right peeps, and I'm thrilled she chose my story for her project.

No matter what form it takes, rejection isn't fun. I'm actually already dreading having to do it for my next call for submissions, which I hope to have posted in the next few weeks (yes, it's awful to be on the side doing the rejecting too). But it's also part of writing (and dare I say, also part of life), and is why I recommended the podcast Behind the Prose with Keysha Whitaker, because in one episode I listened to, she said, "Getting rejected is part of the process. If you're not getting rejected, that means you're not writing." Sorry, I can't remember the exact episode, but what's great about her podcast is she opens by talking about her writing acceptances and rejections. She normalizes rejection, which is good because she's absolutely right: whether you're talking about fiction or nonfiction, rejection is part and parcel of the process of sending out your work.

The only way to never get rejected is to never submit anything, which is also a valid choice, and not one I mean to malign, but if your goal is to be read by a wide audience, unless you're building that audience via self-publishing or a blog or podcast or some other means, you will need to risk your work being rejected by someone. Once, I was determined to break into a certain online literary journal. I thought that doing so would mean I'd "made it," that I was smart and cool and as good a writer as someone I was desperately jealous of. I submitted three times (and this is one that charges a small fee to submit) before I realized I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I didn't stop submitting because I was afraid of rejection, which had already happened, but because that particular quest was pointless and the rejections were hitting me way too hard (so hard that one led to one of the worst and craziest decisions of my life, which is also a story for another day, but let's just say something illegal was involved in my post-rejection stupor).

I made the leap of risking rejection with this story, "Spitting Image," twice; once my story got the boot, and once it got a thumbs up. It's still the same story, and it's not a "better" or "sexier" story because someone said yes to it. What it is is available for you to read for free. I hope you like it!

Anal sex excerpt: "Delivery" by Emerald from Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica

Here's the third installment from Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica, my new anthology out this month (the first two excerpts were of "Brenda's Booty" by Tenille Brown and "Rectified" by Tiffany Reisz. My copies arrive very soon and I will be sending out 50 of them to Amazon.com reviewers (U.S. only). I have 6 copies not yet spoken for. Want one? You must have an Amazon.com account you've made a purchase from AND agree to post your review within 6 weeks of receipt. If you're okay on those counts, Email analantho at gmail.com with "Amazon" in the subject line and your name and mailing address in the body, and in a few weeks you'll get an autographed copy! Want to help the book? Rate it on Goodreads!

This excerpt is from "Delivery" by Emerald, and is set in that very sex-filled city, Las Vegas.

"Delivery" by Emerald

That was my cue. Subtly, I slid my hand up my dress and gripped one side of my thong, sliding it down a few inches before reaching for the other side, alternately slipping it lower ever so slowly so as not to evidence what I was doing. Once it was past my knees, I worked it over one ankle and then the other with the pointed toes of my boots. Reaching under the table, I snapped it up and slipped it into my handbag, all the while responding to my sisters with nods and murmurs at the appropriate times.

After a few seconds, I excused myself and stood up, heading for the hallway across the room. The heels of my boots clicked on the marble floor as I entered and headed down the dim passageway. I could see through the shadows that there was no one at the end of it, so Wesley must have ducked into the men’s room.

As I approached that door, it opened. Wesley stood leaning against the door frame, looking me up and down for an instant before opening it farther and backing up to let me in. I entered into his hard kiss before the door was even shut, Wesley gripping my waist with one hand as he flipped the lock on the door with the other. Then he plunged both hands up my dress, pushing me back against the cool counter. I held myself away from him, aware that I was wet enough to make a mess on his black suit, but he grabbed my ass and gave it a hard smack, promptly earning my uncontrolled press against his body. I ground myself against him as he spanked me twice more, making me push harder into him each time. By then I was panting in his ear, feeling the hard cock beneath his pants against my bare skin.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Prepared for Pleasure (read it here)

Brenda’s Booty Tenille Brown
Rectified Tiffany Reisz
Delivery Emerald
My Turn Anya Levin
A Winter’s Tail Veronica Wilde
No Rest for the Sick Medea Mor
Vin Rouge Pour Trois Erobintica
The Support Group Fiona Curtis
Lights Out Angela R. Sargenti
Bar None Mina Murray
Seat Belts Kate Dominic
Better Than a Massage Annabeth Leong
Body Heat Shoshanna Evers
What You Feel Like Talon Rihai and Salome Wilde
Her Kingdom for Her Ass Maggie Morton
A Taste of Jamaica D. Fostalove
Hard Astern Thomas S. Roche
In Training D. L. King
Everybody Knows Giselle Renarde
With Lucy in the Middle Kathleen Tudor
Keeping the British End Up M. Howard
Two-Timing Laura Antoniou
Plugged In Rachel Kramer Bussel

Buy Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica from (ebook links will be added when they're for sale):

Amazon

Bn.com

Books-a-Million

Powell's

IndieBound (find your local independent bookstore)

Cleis Press

My story "Flaunting It" in new ebook Too Fast for Love

The ebook Too Fast for Love: Opportunist Encounters just came out today, and is available for just $1.99 for 10 stories on Kindle or Nook. My couple celebrating their 27th anniversary exhibitionism and adventure Las Vegas story is called "Flaunting It" and here's teaser. I chose the Mandarin Oriental because that's where the negging PUA (pickup artist) tried to pick me up. I thought the setting was beautiful. I'm always on the lookout for a good setting, though I also think a "good" setting can be anywhere with the right wordplay. I will share more on that Monday night at my San Francisco Good Vibrations erotic writing workshop - if you know anyone in the Bay Area who wants to write erotica, please let them know!

Recently, though, while celebrating our twenty-seventh anniversary in Las Vegas (we celebrate every year, rather than simply waiting for the "big" anniversaries), we took our predilection for perversity to a new level. Aside from those women we'd bedded together, and a few steamy kisses at parties, I'd never been with anyone other than Brent, and definitely not another man. Oh, I'd looked plenty, online and off, and had my share of fantasies, but up until then, simply telling Brent about my naughtiest daydreams had been enough. That was my way of flaunting it, and whenever my friends would tell me about lusting after their coworker, lawn guy, painter, or plumber in hushed tones, I'd wow them with stories of brazenly flirting right in front of my husband, and how hard it made him. The logical extension of these flirtations was something I'd been nervous about, always balking at actually taking things to the next level, but something about turning fifty had made me just a little bit bolder. I knew I looked good for my age, could pass for ten years younger, if I wanted to, even though I'd let the gray overtake the brown.

Maybe it took that milestone to make me want to see what it was actually like to take another man to bed. The mere thought of it made me giddy with a kind of desire I hadn't felt since my earliest dates with Brent. We decided that we'd try it out and if I met a man who tickled my fancy, I could go as far as I desired, as long as Brent could watch. I donned a black silk dress that was in stark contrast to the jeans and t-shirts on the crowd in the casino at The Flamingo, where we were staying. We'd chosen the Mandarin Oriental, since it didn't have a casino, as the debut of the new me, and booked a room there in hopes of using it as a home away from "home," as it were. Taking another man back to the bed where I'd been intimate with Brent would be a bit much, even for me. I wanted a clean slate for what felt like losing a different kind of virginity. It took us a while to get out the door after our room service meal, though, because Brent was so obviously, achingly hard, I had trouble keeping my hands, not to mention my mouth, off of him. By the time I'd given him an extremely agile blowjob, followed by him returning the favor as I sat on his face, my hair was mussed enough to require another brushing...

Just as he put his glass down and reached for my hip, Brent got up and angled his way toward the bar. "Excuse me," he said as he jostled us. I thought I might come right there on the spot, with my boy-toy on my left, my husband on my right. Brent managed to convey all that he needed to in one lightning-quick, red-hot glance. I wanted to kiss him, then turn and kiss Andre, and if I'd thought Andre would've gone for a little triple play action, at that moment I'd have gone for it. Our little naughty experiment had turned me into a wild woman!

Instead I let Brent order his scotch while Andre's hand roamed. When we took a break, I headed toward the bathroom, where I found a text from Brent. "Go for it, baby," it said. "Take him back to the room and let me know when you're done. I wish I could be there to watch, but I'll be more than happy to hear about it." Just reading the words made me wet, my mind racing with possibilities as the hairs on my arms stood on end.

Oh my God. I wanted to ask if he was sure, I wanted to pause and analyze whether this was a positive step in our relationship. Okay, that's not exactly true; the rational, logical, organized side of me wanted to do that; the rest of me shivered in excitement, knowing I was about to taste and feel and touch a new man. That Brent wasn't just okay with what I was doing, but seemed as eager as I was, made me have even deeper respect for him.

I hurried back to Andre and settled myself flush against him. "Well, well, well," he said, smiling at me with those beautiful lips before using them to kiss the side of my neck, tenderly at first, then with a bit of tongue, followed by a light nipping of his teeth. I moaned softly, aware that we were probably the only people engaging in a public display of affection at the bar. "Nadine," he said, his voice husky and sweet. "You are so beautiful." I didn't hear a hint of "so beautiful for your age" or "so beautiful because I want to fuck you" in his voice. All I heard were those four words, and they in turn were beautiful to me.

Read my whole story and 9 others in Too Fast for Love: Opportunistic Encounters for only $1.99. I'm working on lots of hot new stories too, for my solo collection and other anthologies, just need to finish them up.

Bondage, Vegas and cupcakes in my photocomix profile in Seth Kushner's CulturePOP

I'm so honored to have worked with photographer Seth Kushner on his latest installment of his real-life character photocomix series CulturePOP, called "Bound." He not only interviewed and photographed me, but had people act out my story "Vegas Treat" from Best Bondage Erotica 2011. Click on images below to check it out - a little hint: I'm tied up in the piece, and I eat cupcakes (but not at the same time!





Seth wrote in the comments:

I've been working on this week's epic installment since last August.

I was excited to work on Rachel's short story, 'Vegas Treat' because I've been wanting to try my hand on a fictional work, rather than a "real-life profile." Since Rachel's writing feels so visual to me, this was the perfect opportunity for me to experiment.

I thank Rachel for trusting me to adapt her writing to comix script and then to photocomix. She trusted me to do it justice and gave me no interference or criticism.

In creating this big, experimental piece, I received help from a number of sources, so many thanks to -

Walshmetalworks.com for use of the bondage bed.
EdenFantasys.com for supplying the props.
Elena & Welland Scripts for posing.

And...if you want to see and hear Seth Kushner live, do join us for the epic, blowout, not-to-be-missed last In The Flesh Reading Series - I'm still adding to the giveaways, which will also be huge.


In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Last In The Flesh event listing. Note early start time of 7:30. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
LAST IN THE FLESH
December 16, 2010, 7:30 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

After 5+ years, over 200 readers, countless cupcakes and sexy moments, In The Flesh Reading Series is ending. Join us for a free, festive, sexy, cupcake-filled last hurrah, with erotica, memoir, burlesque and 500 free cupcakes to celebrate!Featuring memoirists Nancy Balbirer (Take Your Shirt Off and Cry), and Michele Carlo (Fish Out of Agua), burlesque performer GiGi La Femme (Revealed, Wassabasco), photographer and photocomic CulutrePOP creator Seth Kushner, memoirist Stephen Markley (Publish This Book), In The Flesh alum and famed letter writer Samara O'Shea (Note to Self, For the Love of Letters), Lambda Literary Award winner Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and romance novelist Kama Spice (Sehra's Honor). Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Giveaways include copies of SexIs Magazine and 500 cupcakes by Baked by Melissa.

In the Flesh is a monthly reading series hosted at the appropriately named
Happy Ending Lounge, and features the country's best erotic writers sharing stories to get you hot and bothered, hosted and curated by acclaimed erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. The series was named Best Reading Series by New York Press in 2009. From erotic poetry to down and dirty smut, these authors get naked on the page and will make you lust after them and their words. Since its debut in October 2005, In the Flesh has featured such authors as Mike Albo, Laura Antoniou, Mo Beasley, Susie Bright, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Mike Daisey, Stephen Elliott, Valerie Frankel, Polly Frost, Gael Greene, Andy Horwitz, Debra Hyde, Maxim Jakubowski, Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Edith Layton, Logan Levkoff, Suzanne Portnoy, Julie Powell, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Dana Vachon, Veronica Vera, Susan Wright, Zane and many others. The series has gotten press attention from the New York Times’s UrbanEye, Daily Candy, Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York Magazine, NBC New York, New York Post, New York Observer, Philadelphia City Paper, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, Fork in the Road, Gawker, Gothamist, Jezebel.com, Nerve.com, Serious Eats, Tasting Table and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth.

Nancy Balbirer's memoir, Take Your Shirt Off and Cry, was published by Bloomsbury in April. She is the author and star of the critically acclaimed solo show I Slept With Jack Kerouac and Other Stories, the co-creator of the cult reading series, Cause Celeb!, and has co-starred on Seinfeld and MTV’s Remote Control. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the co-owner, designer and doyenne of the West Village boite, Pasita. She lives with remarkably few regrets in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.
takeyourshirtoffandcry.com


photo by Rob d'Entremont

Rachel Kramer Bussel is an author, editor, blogger and reading series host. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations and a former sex columnist for The Village Voice. She’s edited over 30 anthologies, including the kink-themed Spanked, Bottoms Up, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma'am, He's on Top, She's on Top, Rubber Sex as well as Fast Girls, Orgasmic, Peep Show, The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, and the non-fiction Best Sex Writing series. Her books won 3 2009 Independent Publisher Awards. Her writing been published in publications such as Clean Sheets, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Huffington Post, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Tango, The Village Voice, and Time Out New York, and in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. Rachel conducts nationwide readings and erotic writing workshops. She has hosted In The Flesh since October 2005.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com


photo by Anya Garrett

Michele Carlo is a writer/performer and comedic storyteller who has lived in four of the five boroughs of New York City and remembers when a slice of pizza cost fifty cents. Her stories have been published in Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood’s Lost & Found: Stories From New York, Chicken Soup For The Latino Soul and SMITH Magazine. Her memoir, Fish Out of Agua: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks, was published this summer by Citadel Press.
www.michelecarlo.com



Since 2005, GiGi La Femme has been named one of New York City’s sultriest striptease stars and is also the co-producer of the monthly show Revealed Burlesque at the Under St. Mark’s Theater. A Golden Pastie Award winner for Best Booty Shaker 2009 and Miss Coney Island 2010, the multi-talented bump ‘n’ grinder, go-go girl, chanteuse and pin-up model has traveled the nation performing signature acts such as "Spanking", "Princess Leia" and "Sweet Leaf". She is also the host of Wasabassco Burlesque at venues around New York, New England and Washington, DC.
gigilafemme.com


photo by Greg Brophy

Seth Kushner shoots portraits of celebrity-types for such publications The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Businessweek, L'Uomo Vogue and others. Seth's first book, The Brooklynites, was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. His next book, Leaping Tall Buildings, will be released in 2101.
Currently, he co-edits GRAPHIC NYC (www.NYCGraphicNovelists.com) and is working on CulturePOP, his photocomix series on ACT-I-VATE.com.
Seth resides in Brooklyn with his wife, baby boy, and too many comics.
www.SethKushner.com



Stephen Markley is an Ohio transplant, who graduated from Miami University in 2006. After an eight month, 12,000 mile cross-country road trip that left him completely broke, he made the daring decision to move to Chicago. As far as he knows, he is the only person from that school in this city. He writes for Cars.com's blog KickingTires and his freelance work has appeared in the Chicago Reader, RadarOnline, the Populist Progressive, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, Private Investigator's Magazine, Midnight Times, and the Weber Studies Journal. Most importantly, he is an author. His first book, Publish This Book, can be found on Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.
www.stephenmarkley.com



Samara O’Shea has written two narrative non-fiction books—one on the art of letter writing and the other on the importance of keeping a journal. On her website, LetterLover.net, she offers to write letters and wedding vows for those struggling to find the right words. This is Samara’s fourth time reading at In the Flesh. She is honored to have been a part of this wonderful reading series. Samara will be reading from her unpublished book, Don’t Make Me Defriend You, about losing her cyber virginity.
www.letterlover.net



Rakesh Satyal is the author of the novel Blue Boy, a gender-bending comedy about a young Indian American boy's fascination with the Hindu god Krishna. He is an editor at HarperCollins, where he works with such authors as Paulo Coelho, Clive Barker, Armistead Maupin, and Paul Rudnick. A member of the planning committee for the annual PEN World Voices Festival, he sings a popular cabaret show in the city. He lives in Brooklyn.
rakeshsatyal.com



Kama Spice has lived in the East and the West and merges both in her stories. She considers herself a pro-sex feminist who likes to explore the point where spirit and eros converge to create power. Kama is published in various genres and has two erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave, with a third forthcoming.
KamaSpice.com



You will hear from the following books:

Best Bondage Erotica 2011

Fish Out of Agua

Publish This Book

It's my birthday! Visit me and enter to win a copy of Passion at The Smutketeers

Today is my 35th birthday, and as part of the Passion: Erotic Romance for Women virtual book tour, I'm over at The Smutketeers sharing my favorite passions and finding out about yours. Click to read an excerpt from "Getting It Right," a kinky story by Teresa Noelle Roberts in Passion. And do join me, Monica Day, Emerald and Donna George Storey tomorrow, November 11th, at WORDs of Passion at Word, 126 Franklin Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where we're sharing the stage with historical romance author Sarah MacLean and chowing down on free Kumquat Cupcakery cupcakes and giving out free Passion buttons!

Kindle edition of Orgasmic out now!

Click through below to buy Orgasmic: Erotic Stories for Women on Kindle, or click here to watch the book trailer and read the table of contents and introduction.

My erotic love letter workshop, 92nd Street Y Tribeca, February 12th

I'm teaching an erotic love letter/Erotica 101 workshop (I'm gonna do a little of both) at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street, NYC, on February 12th, for the very reasonable price of $12 (or $17 with cocktail). Register here. I think it'll be fun and hopefully I'll have a new call for submissions by then; I love when I get to publish people who've taken my workshops, as happened with one of the stories in Tasting Him (which was both an "erotic love letter" and a story).

My goal as an editor this year is to publish more new authors, both new to erotica and new to me, which I am definitely doing with my book Peep Show, which I'm working on now, about voyeurism and exhibitionism, with a very heavy sex work emphasis. (Anyone who's submitted, you will hear from me by the end of February with at least a preliminary answer.) I hadn't expected people to take the title "Peep Show," which was more a play on words, so literally, but I like the way it's turned out. Editing anthologies is sortof about giving up control, even though ultimately you are in control, because you have the idea and perhaps a vision for it, but how it turns out is often different from what you'd expected, which to me is part of the fun.

I hope you can make it, and please tell your friends.

Here's the official blurb:

Express your sexiest thoughts on paper for the object of your affection. This class, taught by erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, will give both male and female students the basic tools for crafting short erotic fiction and letters. Pen and paper will be provided, along with handouts, a suggested reading list and sample stories.

Help get in the mood with our cocktail-plus-ticket combo.

Lusty Lady Q&A series #1

As I just posted, this is the first in hopefully 52 (or more...?) Q&As I'll be doing with authors I like on this blog this year, because, you know, why not put my voracious reading to good use? And who better to start with than Megan Hart, who has four novels out now from Harlequin Spice in addition to e-books and novellas and lots more on the way. My fingers are crossed that I can coax her out of Pennsylvania to come read at In The Flesh. Megan rocks for many reasons, including her fabulous writing, which I look forward to reading more of, getting these answers back to me lickety split, and being the first paid advertiser on this blog!

And I forgot to say that...Megan's inspired what I think would be a kick-ass article, if I tried to hire a male escort, a la Tracie Egan's piece I reprinted in Best Sex Writing 2009, just not off Craigslist.



How long have you been writing fiction? How did you get started and what made you specialize in erotic romance?

Hi, Rachel! Thanks so much for having me at Lusty Lady. Wahoo!

I've been writing fiction since I could, which means since I was able to write at all. I can recall writing Star Wars and E.T. fan fiction back in the day, in my little notebooks (which I still have) and then graduated to writing my own stories. By sixth or seventh grade I was writing horror stories and I moved to writing fantasy and science fiction after that. I started writing romance fuhserious in about oh, 1997 or so, because I wanted to make a real hard go at writing novels and I liked reading romance, plus hey, romance covers something like fifty percent of market sales. I've always enjoyed spicier stories as a reader (Johanna Lindsey's Warrior Woman, anyone?) so it seemed natural to try my hand at writing them when I turned to novels. And, frankly, getting stories published in Hustler Busty Beauty and Letters magazine provided quick cash, even if the credits weren't the sort I could showcase "professionally." When erotic romance began picking up popularity, it was a natural place for me to go.



What is your writing process like? Do you have a set schedule?

I have an unset schedule, I guess. I write about four days a week, edit and do promotion other times, but sometimes I switch it up. I don't usually write on the weekends, but I might do a little something here or there, if I have time. I write around my family obligations, but I'm fortunate enough to stay home during the day when they're all at work or school and so I try to get most of my stuff done then.

You had written many e-books prior to signing your first 3-book deal with Harlequin Spice. How did the book deal come about, and how were the two connected?

I'd had an idea for a novel called Dirty -- the basic concept was vague, but I knew I wanted to call it that. Then Harlequin announced their Spice guidelines soon after I started working on it, and I thought it felt right, it felt like a good fit, even though I had no idea what sorts of books they were looking for since none had been published at the time. I wrote Dirty and began a second erotic novel (which would become Broken) while also trying to sell a non-erotic, non-romance fantasy novel that had no magic in it. By the time Dirty sold, I was pretty sure they'd buy a second from me and had it about half-finished, but to be offered a three book contract blew me away.



This may be like asking you to pick a favorite child, but do you have a favorite book you've written?

When I was writing Dirty, with no deadline, no real idea that it would sell, I lived in that world. I loved that world and those characters. I could've written that world and those characters for a long, long time, and actually, I guess I have since Elle and Dan appear in several other works. Dirty will be my favorite for a really long time, for a lot of different reasons.

Let's talk about Stranger. How did you come up with the idea for Grace, especially her job as a funeral director, as well as her desire for sex with strangers over relationships?

Originally I'd had an idea for a woman who hired male escorts. I'm pretty sure the idea came about after a strip show I'd gone to, but really, I'm not exactly sure now where the idea came from. I'll bet on the strip show. Anyway, I had this idea about a woman who hired male escorts instead of dating. But then I had to ask myself...why? Why would she do that? And then I thought, and what sort of job would she have that would allow her that? Since I'd briefly considered becoming a funeral director in high school, one thing led to another. It all sort of fell together after awhile.

Why strangers she hires vs. strangers she randomly picks up?

I suppose strangers you hire are safer -- if you use a service, anyway. Real strangers are a risk. I mean, if you're paying for someone to fuck your brains out and make you come, you'd better get that. Take a stranger to bed you might end up with a two-second Johnny who balks at going down.

I have a book coming out soon about hotel sex called Do Not Disturb, so I found that part of the book especially interesting, not to mention hot, and hotels are perfect for hookups with strangers. Why do you think hotels are good settings for sex scenes?

Hotels don't bring baggage. They're clean (or should be, ew!) and someone cleans them. You can make a mess and leave it behind. The hot water never runs out. There are cable stations you don't get at home. Hotels are made for fantasy.

In Stranger, Grace hires men from a local service in her small town (Annville, PA), Mrs. Smith's Services for Ladies. Was that simply creative license, or are there companies such as this around? What kind of research did you do for the book?

Well, yes, there actually are services available though I believe they cater mostly to gay men (though the website disclaimer shouts LADIES! MEET OUR GUYS!). Annville didn't host a business like that, but Harrisburg had several places offering companion services. So does Philly, which isn't out of the realm of possibility for where the story's located. Also, there are numerous private individuals willing to accept cash for companionship, and again, while most of the male escorts I researched were gay, there were also a large number offering to provide services for women. I did all my research online, reading blogs, perusing websites, emailing with escorts, but in the end, as I always do, I took creative license. Because I wanted this to be real for me, the way it worked for me in order to write about a sexy encounter. It's about creating fantasy.

Why do you think Grace faced so much opposition, from her family, coworkers and lover, to the fact that she had hired men for sex? Do you think it's more acceptable for men to pay for sex?

I don't think anyone wants to know their sister, daughter or friend is paying for sex. Or their brother or son, either!



You and Lauren Dane collaborate on the awesomely named blog Bring Me My Hookah)and have co-authored two upcoming novels for Black Lace, Taking Care of Business and No Reservations. How does that process work and how did you two get started? What are the pros and cons or co-writing?

Haha...brrrrrrrrrrrring me my hoooookah! We got the idea for Taking Care of Business while standing in line at one of the many many parties held at the annual Romantic Times Convention in Texas a couple years ago. It became a giggly game of "What If" and we plotted out the story of two friends who meet their men at a conference. The story snowballed from there. We're working on No Reservations, a sequel, right now, and it's a bit different because we wrote TCOB as two novellas which were then combined. NRis being written simultaneously so we have a good excuse to instant message each other every day. The pros of co-writing is bouncing ideas back and forth -- fortunately we don't really have any cons. Maybe having to split the money, I guess. But then again, we split the work and the promo costs, too!

I've been very impressed with your promotions, from contests on your blogs to bookmarks, postcards, even tea bags imprinted with your book's covers. What is your strategy when it comes to promoting your work? What advice would you have for authors trying to make a name for themselves?

TEA BAGS! HAHA. Wow, those were from a long time ago. I guess I don't have a strategy beyond trying to use your time and money wisely. Figure out your market and who's going to be interested in your work. Look beyond the obvious avenues. Don't be obnoxious, either. Good promotion means people learn your name and what you write, it's not about making everyone want to puke every time you show up. Be courteous online. Don't be a jerk! It's not about promoting one book, it's about making a name for yourself. Make it a good one.

What do you do when you're not writing?

Watch movies! Play the Sims 2. Read. Take long hot showers and think about writing. Play Resident Evil 4 and House of the Dead on the Wii!

Trick question, kindof, because I've already asked you, but I want to make it all formal: Will you come read at my reading series In The Flesh?

Absolutely, I would looooove to! It's just a matter of making the arrangements to get there. Which I need to get on the ball doing!

Thanks so much for having me!


Megan didn't really talk much about Deeper, perhaps cause it's not out til July, but I love the cover so wanted to include it.

About my Q&A series: While most of the authors will be hand-selected, if you'd like me to consider interviewing you, write me at rachelravenous at gmail.com with info about your book(s) and I'll let you know if I'm interested. And as always, I welcome reading suggestions - there will be other genres of authors, hopefully YA, which is my new obsession, and general fiction and non-fiction and such.

Reading in bed

Because I need another project (not!), I'll just say that sometime in 2008, I'm going to start podcasting, mostly recording some of my erotic stories, some commentary. Who knows? I just ordered a recorder, and I tend to have insomnia, which I'm hoping to parlay into something useful. First, I must finish my novel. I will post more about that arduous/exciting/crazy process when I'm done. It's intense, and will be awesome when it's done. Right now, I'm kindof a space case, forgetting essential times/dates/places/information, brain on total overload. Not just because of the novel, but I'm working on getting my life organized overall so 2008 can be an even better year than 2007 and I am not quite so crazily stressed. So there's my little update. I also cannot recommend enough to any writer to immediately read The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield. My friend Wendy Spero recommended it to me and it's been truly invaluable in numerous ways.