Out now: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 (plus giveaways and virtual events)

I couldn't be more excited that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volme 6 is finally out in the world in print and ebook! Audio is coming soon.



I meant to post this earlier but it's been such a whirlwind of a month it just didn't happen (you'll find me much more frequently @raquelita on Twitter). You can order the book from romance bookstore Love's Sweet Arrow, who hosted our book launch last night, or wherever you buy books or ebooks.

Here's some quick things to know:

There's a giveaway to win this 1,000 jigsaw puzzle of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 book cover on Instagram (deconstructed), in the tin in the second photo and a copy of the book! Warning: It's one of the hardest, if not the hardest puzzles I've ever done, but was very satisfying to complete.





You can win a copy of the book on our virtual book tour through December 18

Watch last night's virtual erotica panel with from top left: Marissa Backlin of Love's Sweet Arrow, me, Olivia Waite, Evie Bennet, Mia Hopkins, Katrina Jackson and Naima Simone!



Here was my setup for the event, which was so much fun, so interesting and smart and full of laughter and book recommendations and insights. In fact, I felt more relaxed, at ease and happy moderating it than I have with my in-person events. Of course it's different, but that the audience could chat with each other in real time (many of them knew each other, and I saw book reviewers and bloggers, librarians and fellow authors chatting), and everyone was in their own home, felt special to me after almost 20 years of hosting in-person book events. Plus all of us live in different parts of the country, so it's unlikely I could have gathered that particular group for an in-store event even if those were safe to do right now.



Our next virtual event is Friday, December 18, 7 pm CT/8 pm ET, live on the Feminist Erotica Podcast Facebook page.



And a shoutout to Cookies by Kase on Instagram, who I ordered these super adorable and delicious book cookies from! One features the cover and the other five showcase the stories by Olivia Waite (shell grotto), Evie Bennet (red balloon), Mia Hopkins (boat), Katrina Jackson (motorcycle), and Naima Simone (tattoo reality show).

3 sexy book giveaways in October

There's so many exciting things happening, even I can hardly keep up! The biggest is that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6, which has a stunning cover (I mean, how HOT is that?) and 20 super hot brand new adventure-themed sexy stories, hits stores and e-readers December 8!



It just got a rave review in Publishers Weekly that I'm really proud of. I think sometimes people think editing anthologies is super easy and I just pick any random stories and cobble them together. There's so much more involved, and I worked super hard to make this book as varied as possible while also exploring lots of different types of sex and adventure.

So to celebrate the upcoming release, I'm giving away 5 signed copies of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 over at Goodreads. You have until October 15 to enter. It's open to those in the US and Canada, the only countries Goodreads would let me select.

But that's not all! During my book tour earlier this year, I got CD Reiss, Sierra Simone and Sabrina Sol to sign copies of their books Marriage Games, Misadventures of a Curvy Girl and Delicious Satisfaction respectively. Over on the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Instagram, I'm giving away signed copies of those plus a signed copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, which they've all contributed to, to one lucky winner. Open internationally. Deadline to enter: October 18, 2020.



If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you can enter to win sexy romance novel Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey by replying to the October newsletter. That went out yesterday, October 8, so look for it in your inbox.



Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe here and stay tuned for November's newsletter PLUS the most fun giveaway of my life, also happening next month.

Win a copy of my BDSM erotica book Surrender - check your inbox!

I sent out my February 2019 newsletter yesterday! There's also news about free cookies inside...If you're a subscriber, check your inbox so you can reply to enter to win my Cleis Press BDSM erotica book Surrender. If you're not a subscriber yet, get on the list by subscribing at the left-hand side of this blog (Lusty Lady, in case anyone is illegally pirating this), or rachelkramerbussel.com so you can enter the March giveaway. It's open internationally!

Enter to win my Valentine's Day giveaway of a heart sex pillow and erotica!

This is my year of giveaways, in addition to the ones I do in my monthly newsletter (make sure you subscribe at the left-hand side of my blog or at rachelkramerbussel.com because one is coming up today). I just mailed out 40 books, 10 sets of Volumes 1-4 of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series to 10 Book Riot winners and now I'm doing a Valentine's Day giveaway where you can win a Liberator Shapes Heart Wedge Sex Pillow AND a copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4.



Links to enter are below, and you have to be at least 18 years old and in the United States to win. Enter by Thursday, February 14, 2019 (yes, Valentine's Day). Good luck!

Enter at the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Instagram

Enter at the Liberator Shapes Instagram

Enter at the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Facebook page

Enter at the Liberator Shapes Facebook page

Win 10 sexy books in my November newsletter giveaway

If you subscribe to my newsletter, check your inbox for my November newsletter (or read it at this link), you know I love to give away books! Make sure you add mail@rachelkramerbussel.com to your address book so the newsletter comes to your inbox. The giveaway link is at the top of the newsletter. This month I'm doing my biggest giveaway ever of the 10 books shown below, two of which I edited and the other eight I contributed short stories to. One lucky subscriber will get them all! Full titles listed below. You have until November 30, 2018 to enter. 15 other winners will receive signed copies of The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2: 69 Kinky Tales or On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories. This giveaway is open internationally. And don't forget, U.S. readers, that you can also enter my Goodreads Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4 giveaway through December 10, 2018. GOOD LUCK!



Books in my November newsletter giveaway (must be a subscriber to win!):

The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2
edited by me Bondage Bites
edited by Alison Tyler K Is For Kinky
edited by Alison Tyler The Merry XXXMas Book of Erotica
edited by Alison Tyler Open for Business
edited by Alison Tyler Best Lesbian Romance 2012
edited by Radclyffe Afternoon Pleasures
edited by Shane Allison Best of Best Women's Erotica Volume 2
edited by Violet Blue On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories
edited by me Three-way
edited by Alison Tyler

Best Women's Erotica giveaway and free Candy Lovers story

November has been busy: I turned 43, started writing about book publishing for Forbes.com, visited gorgeous Beacon, New York and am now gearing up for my December book release of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4. I've got a lot of exciting things planned for the December 11 launch and afterward, but for now, I wanted to share that I'm giving away 10 signed copies over at Goodreads (sorry, U.S. only, but subscribe to my newsletter now for giveaways open to all, including a big November birthday giveaway).

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And for more frequent updates, follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and I'm posting lots of sexy, fun stuff on the Best Women's Erotica Instagram.

Also exciting is that Rose Caraway has posted another free Candy Lovers: Sugar Erotica story on her podcast, The Kiss Me Quick's! Listen to "Forbidden Fruit and Honey" by Salome Wilde! The other free story is "Lemonade" by Melina Greenport. Subscribe to The Kiss Me Quick's for more, including my "Sugar Mama." Get all 35 sexy food lover stories read by Rose on Audible. Reviews are always appreciated and help me reach more listeners and readers as well as make decisions when selecting stories for future anthologies!

Enter now to get Best Women's Erotica of the Year 4 before it's in stores

I'll never forget the acceptance from editor Marcy Sheiner I received for my story "Doing the Dishes" for Best Women's Erotica 2004. I was so thrilled to finally be published in this major series in the erotica world. And now I get to edit that same series. One thing I promised myself is that I would push myself to be the best editor I could be, to both apply everything I've learned since my own first co-edited anthology was published in 2004 and to push myself to be better, to dig deeper as an editor, to publish more diverse authors than I did when I started and to try to reach as many readers as possible.

I'm so proud of what the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series has become and can't wait to see what you think about Volume 4, which has totally hot, sexy stories as well as heartfelt, also arousing love stories. There's torrid affairs, kinky sex, forbidden passion and much more. Since it's Election Day, I'll share that my inspiration for the outsiders theme (the other theme is risk) was Donald Trump's scary and dangerous rhetoric about outsiders, not just immigrants, but anyone who isn't like him.



I'm giving away 10 signed copies of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4 at Goodreads. Enter to win by November 9 (U.S. only; for giveaways open internationally, subscribe to my monthly newsletter - and yes, after this month's deadline mania is over, my website is getting a much-needed overhaul on Squarespace.) The photo above features galleys from an earlier giveaway, but this is to win finished copies, which will be in my hands and then in the mail very, very soon. And if you have a spare moment, I'd love if you'd add the book to your Amazon wishlist. Entering and adding it help the book reach more people before it's published on December 11, which helps it sell more copies, which helps me get to keep editing this series (yes, if nobody buys it, I'm sure I will be given the heave ho as the editor). But I don't think that will happen.

Stay tuned because I'm working on booking readings for this volume and there will be some fun promos and giveaways, especially on our Instagram, where I'm posting everything from sex toys to sexy women to hot Friday reads. Thank you for reading and supporting this series. I didn't start it and am humbled to be its third editor and honored to publish so many writers from around the world. My dream is to get to edit 10 volumes. I'm wrapping up my initial round of edits on Volume 5 now, for publication next December.

Without you reading, reviewing, following and spreading the word (and, of course, all the amazing bookstores and libraries who stock it!), I wouldn't get to do this, so THANK YOU. I don't take that lightly, and I edit every anthology like it's going to be my last and I need to go out with a bang, because that could be the case. But I hope it's not, and today, on a day when I hope for positive changes in the world, I'm also hoping that the powers that be like my work enough to keep believing in me as editor. In return, I vow to work on this series every day, to make it a little more visible, to bring in more authors from around the world, to have these stories reach the people who need them.

Pride month newsletter giveaway: Win Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica

If you're not a subscriber to my newsletter or missed the June one, read it here for some of the highlights of my trip to Berlin, my two anthology calls with fast-approaching deadlines and other news (though the ebook sales mentioned there have now ended. At the bottom there's a subscriber only Pride Month giveaway of 5 signed copies my Cleis Press anthology Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica!



If you're not subscribed yet, take a moment to get on the list at left or by visiting rachelkramerbussel.com and then enter by Thursday, June 28, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST. I always check and often notice entries from non-subscribers, which I can't select as winners, so please note that and also fill in your complete mailing address, because I also often have to discard winners who haven't filled out the full form (meaning I can't send just to 123 Main Street, I need a city, state, zip code and country if you're not in the U.S.). I'll be sending books out on Friday morning! And each month I offer subscriber only giveaways. Once again, in case you missed it, here's my June newsletter with a giveaway for subscribers at the end. And as always, if you want to help keep me in the business of editing anthologies, your reviews of my books are always appreciated anywhere and everywhere (especially on blogs, social media, Amazon, Goodreads, Bn.com, Bookbub, etc.).

And if you want to check out this hot book of bisexual erotica right now, here's more information about the book, which you can buy from the following sources:

Amazon print (all countries)

Bn.com print (U.S.)

Kindle (all countries)

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

Audible audiobook (click for free sample)

Come One, Come All

For Rachel Kramer Bussel, bisexuality is not about keeping your options open; instead it's about looking at the world and seeing a lot more sexy out there. This big book of bi explores it all--there are girlfriends and wives, husbands and boyfriends, first dates, threesomes and much more.

Daring and adventurous, the women in these stories take risks by stepping outside their comfort zones, whether by surrendering to a bodyguard in "The State," by Tahir Iqbal, or confronting "The Wife" of a male lover, only to be confronted right back in Kay Jaybee's story. These provocative characters find themselves attracted to other strong women, like "The Robber Girl" in Lori Selke's story, and to men with an unpredictable approach to seduction, like in Bussel's own "A Little Fun."

Rachel Kramer Bussel says herself, "We may think we know what we want, only to keep on surprising ourselves just when we think we have it all figured out. We are open to a wide range of sexual possibilities, whether they exist in our heads or beyond." Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it in Twice the Pleasure.

(Pardon the clunky description; I now write my own book copy and while it's not perfect, I'm far more aware of the power of this copy to make or break a book than I was back when this title was released, plus I'd never even heard of keywords back then. One thing I value about the many chances I've been given by this industry is the ability to keep growing and learning and hopefully, improving my work as an editor along with my book sales. I never take it for granted and always edit each anthology like it'll be my last, because it very well could be. A story for another day, or hopefully, never, since I'd love to keep editing anthologies for the rest of my life, but just something I wanted to note. I often cringe when I look at my old writing and sometimes at the writing on my books, but they are, for the most part, still for sale and for that I'm very grateful.)

Win a signed copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3

Over at Goodreads, I'm hosting a Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3 giveaway for U.S. readers. Enter by April 15 to win one of 25 signed copies. Good luck! And follow @BWEoftheyear on Twitter and bestwomenserotica on Instagram for more giveaways around the year. As always, your reviews anywhere and everywhere (suggested locations: Goodreads, Powell's (where you can sign up to be entered to win a $20 credit if your review is selected to highlight in their Daily Dose newsletter), Amazon, Bn.com, Kobo, Audible), adding the books to your wishlists and sharing posts about the Cleis Press Best Women's Erotica of the Year series help our books reach new readers and ultimately help the series grow and thrive.

I've also posted the Volume 5 call for submissions on the theme of "Outrageous." You've got until August 1, 2018 to get your stories in for consideration! I'm pouring all my editorial energy into making this series everything I've dreamed it could be. Volume 4 will be out December 11 of this year and I'm working on making Volume 5 as hot as can be too!

Erotica giveaway of Flying High: Sexy Stories from the Mile High Club for newsletter subscribers:

I finally sent out my January newsletter. At the bottom, there's a giveaway to win one of 10 signed copies of my anthology Flying High: Sexy Stories from the Mile High Club. Act fast because the giveaway, which is open internationally. ends on Sunday. You MUST be subscribed to the newsletter to be eligible, so if you're not, head over to rachelkramerbussel.com and subscribe. I'll be sending the books in my pretty new logo mailers! And today, January 31, is the deadline for my U.S. only Goodreads giveaways of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 and On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories. Good luck!

Win a signed copy of spanking erotica book Bottoms Up - enter by January 3!

If you're on my mailing list you'll know I sent out a bonus end of the year newsletter with a giveaway of 5 copies of my spanking erotica anthology Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories. If you're not a subscriber, please subscribe at rachelkramerbussel.com (and tell your sexy book-loving friends to subscribe too!), then enter here by January 3, 2018. Yes, like all my newsletter giveaways, it's open internationally. That's all! Plus here's a look at the fun logo mailer I'll be sending the winners' books in:



If you know anyone who likes erotica, please tell them to subscribe to my newsletter and enter!

I sent that extra newsletter partly because there was an ebook sale I'd just found out about (you can keep track of those by following me on BookBub; about every 4-6 weeks one of my titles goes on sale for $1.99) and partly because I'd found a stash of books I wanted to give away, but also as a THANK YOU for reading my work. This is a very lonely business even though I work with authors around the world, I do almost all of it at home, alone.

Plus I've now been in editing anthologies for 14 years and I feel very, very lucky that not only do I get to continue to do so and that they reach stories all across the country (a bookstore in Alaska picked up Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2!), but that last year I had the best book sales I've ever had. I couldn't do that without you, so I'm very grateful and will be giving away books every month of 2018 via my newsletter. I skipped a few months in 2017 because I was depressed and overwhelmed by life but I'm determined that even if I have those feelings again, I will make good use of my Mailchimp list, and not just because it costs me $30/month. I got into this work because I love connecting with people and that's what I want to keep doing. Plus I'm a weirdo who loves going to the post office.

I just ask that if you win please consider leaving a short review on Amazon, Goodreads or anywhere else (and that goes for any of my books that you read your reviews help my books reach more readers, which helps give me funds to do more giveaways and events like my February 13 Washington, DC Best Women's Erotica reading!).

Also I'll have two U.S. only giveaways going up on Goodreads soon so follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check out the next newsletter for details on those. Happy reading and good luck!

Have you entered my Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories giveaway? Deadline is Nov. 30!

Every month in my newsletter (which you can subscribe to at rachelkramerbussel.com) I give away one of my books and this month I'm giving away Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories. The deadline to enter is tomorrow, Thursday, November 30 and you have to be a subscriber to enter. Open internationally. Also often I select a winner and see they've only put something like "123 Main Street" and not a complete address so I select another winner, so make sure you include your full mailing address. You'll find the entry form in the November newsletter. Good luck!



And if you just can't get enough stories about giving and getting head, I've also got Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories and Going Down: Oral Sex Stories - click through on each title to download a free ebook sample or listen to an audiobook sample!

Here's more about Tasting Her to whet your appetite, so to speak. And if you're reading this after the giveaway is over, you can get a free sample of these tasty, sexy stories.

Savor the art of oral sex

An impromptu shaving session triggers a lustful bathroom encounter between a married man and his mistress. A woman who can't read a map discovers the sensual geography of "down there" thanks to her girlfriend's talented tongue. A female scientist teaches her husband a new area of study when she substitutes the word "tongue" for "hello." The twenty-one tales in Tasting Her form a sexy group portrait of the joys of cunnilingus. Encompassing everything from fantasy trips to in-the-flesh pleasures, and starring both seasoned pros and enthusiastic novices,these steamy stories bring new meaning to the phrase "read my lips."

Introduction: Reading Her Lips

Whether you've delved between a woman's legs, received cunnilingus, or fantasized about either, Tasting Her has a lot to offer you. To be honest, I'm usually not the biggest fan, personally, of getting head. Often it feels either rushed or perfunctory, or like I'm not sure how long I should give the person until we move on to something else. I don't always know when or how I will come, though plenty of women swear by a little tongue-lashing (or a lot!) to do the trick.

What's great about this collection is that there are oral sex connoisseurs and newcomers, men and women, who explore the treasure to be found in a woman's pussy, often in surprising ways. Maybe they think they know everything there is to know about giving (and getting) head, but have a partner who wants to show them something new.

We sometimes forget, given stories about men who refuse to go there (and yes, I've encountered a few), that there are plenty of men and women who truly enjoy, relish, and get turned on by basking in a woman's sex. The kind who find eating pussy not just a pit stop on the way to something greater, but the ultimate pleasure. Sometimes this can take the form of a BDSM scene, where someone is being "forced" to do what he really loves best. At other times, these happy lickers have to convince their partners that they want it so bad they'll do anything to get it.

In Jen Cross' outstanding story, "Queen of Sheba," we meet one such couple:

Jimmy would use his hands to hold me open, and his whole mouth, his nose and chin and cheeks. He'd fuck me with his tongue, then lap at me with the full flat of it, wriggle the tip across my clit, then capture the fat little head between his thin lips and suckle first gently, then more sharply, as I came. And came. And came.

He got me off so many times when he was down there, like that was the whole point. Can you imagine? Her narrator learns that some men treat a woman's pussy like it's the pinnacle of her body, even when the woman herself may be a little puzzled as to what he loves about it so much.

I've been in the position of Gwen Masters' Teresa in "Teaching Teresa," refusing to let someone go down on me simply because I didn't think it would be all that fun. The last person I tried that with, though, used my refusal as a pawn in our sexual game, and when I let him advance, he showed me just how wonderful a well-placed tongue could feel. I think he wanted to show me what I'd been missing. In Masters' story, our hero has to articulate what it is he enjoys about the act:

"I love everything about it," he told her. "I love the smell--that deep and secret scent. I love the taste. I love the way it changes when a woman comes, and the way it changes again after I've been inside her. It's like I can taste all the different levels of arousal."

Teresa was looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Most of all, I love the way a woman moves. I love the way the same touches can get a different reaction every time. But I also love finding that one thing that drives a woman crazy every time."

Other lessons are imparted throughout this collection, and I can tell you that by the end of the editing process, I was more than ready to spread my legs. Whatever your feelings about going down, I hope this book will broaden your horizons, and expose you to the ways cunnilingus can become part of a relationship, a quickie fling, a BDSM scene, and so much more. The characters here, from the dedication of the man who gives geographical names to specific parts of his lover's sexual anatomy in Jeremy Edwards' "Cavanuagh's Ridge" to the kinky pleasures of the couple in Teresa Noelle Roberts' "The Dominance of the Tongue," have a thing or two to teach you about pussy power. Savor them and their adventures, as well as your own.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

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

Free book offer and giveaways - act fast!

I've shared these book promotions at various times and in assorted ways, so I wanted to gather them together in one post for easy access, especially since the deadlines are coming up relatively soon. The first two are giveaways; the third is a commitment to post a review in exchange for an electronic copy. Thank you for signing up and remember, I do monthly giveaways in my newsletter! I just bought a bunch of different titles, from Tasting Him and Tasting Her to my mile high club anthology Flying High to give away later in the year.

Win my femdom erotica anthology She's on Top - enter by Friday, June 16, 11:59 pm EST (newsletter subscribers only, open worldwide)


The She's on Top giveaway is open to anyone who subscribes to my monthly newsletter (you must use the same email address as your subscription). I select a lot of winners for these monthly giveaways who I then have to reject either because the email address listed doesn't show up in my subscriber list or they've left an incomplete mailing address, so make sure both of those fields are filled in correctly! Fun fact: This is one of my favorite book covers for my books, and one I've gotten a lot of wonderful comments on. I don't generally have anything to do with my book covers aside from weighing in with my opinion (ultimately that choice is ultimately left to the publisher in almost every case I've been involved with, though I'm lucky because with over 60 books, I only truly hated one, Glamour Girls, put out by a now defunct press), so it's always exciting when a cover image really wows me.

Win a copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 - enter by June 15, 2017 (U.S. only)


The BWE of the Year 2 giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. (Why? Because overseas postage is astronomically expensive. It leapt up a lot over the last few years, so while I do newsletter giveaways overseas, I can't do them all that way and still afford to buy books for giveaways!)

Get On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories free in exchange for an honest review - sign up by June 18, 2017, 11:59 pm EST


This one is the easiest; sign up, and I email you the book! The final giveaway isn't a contest, but an offer of a free copy of my summer anthology On Fire in exchange for an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Since, for reasons stated above, I can't send free print copies to everyone I encounter, I'm doing an electronic copy giveaway and hoping to give this book a little extra attention online with the reviews. These help authors immensely (as in, I consider them my number one way of promoting my books), because of things like Amazon's algorithm and because potential readers/buyers can see what others liked or didn't like about the book, and act accordingly.

So I consider this a win/win; lots of people are getting to try a free book they may or may not have picked up on their own, and I and my authors are getting invaluable feedback. And if the words "book review" intimidate you, fear not; all I ask is that the review is honest and at least one sentence long and, as you'll see in the signup above, contain the line "I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review" to comply with FTC standards. Beyond that, anything goes and on Amazon you get an email confirming your review has been posted, and on Goodreads you can see your review immediately. Lastly, if this goes well (meaning if the large majority of people actually follow through and leave reviews), I will likely do this for future books I've edited, so keep that in mind.

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.

Enter to win erotica anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sexy by Sunday, March 26!

I'm giving away 10 signed print copies of my Cleis Press erotic flash fiction anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex exclusively to my newsletter subscribers. Enter the giveaway here only if you're a subscriber (and make sure you use the same email address you're subscribed with). Want to subscribe? Visit rachelkramerbussel.com - it's sent out monthly with a giveaway each time, writing tips and news on what I'm up to. Here's the March edition. Good luck!



Want to hear some of the 69 authors read their work? Watch the book trailer! Can't wait to read it? Download the Kindle edition or Audible audiobook narrated by Rose Caraway now!

How Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys inspired a Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 2 story

Who knew that boy band fandom could lead to getting published? Read on...Part of why I've done so many author interviews in my career is that when I finish reading a book (or a short story or an essay), if it moved me, I have questions. That's why I've been asking the contributors to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, all about their writing process and fiction inspiration over on the book's Tumblr.

This week's interview is with Jocelyn Bringas, author of the story "Taste," and she told me that the photo below of Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys was the genesis of her story! How cool is that?

All dressed up.

A photo posted by Nick Carter (@nickcarter) on Mar 27, 2013 at 8:01pm PDT

You can read all about this sexy tale in our interview. The story itself starts out like this:

The cool San Francisco air was refreshing on my skin after being stuck behind a stuffy cubicle for eight hours. I was following my routine of walking to the underground Embarcadero BART station to take my evening train ride home. When I reached Market Street and Drumm, I stood on the crowded sidewalk and waited for the signal to walk across the street.

“I wonder if you taste as good as you look.”

I hope you will join us Tuesday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m., where she will read from "Taste" live at Skylight Books at 1818 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, and probably give us a little more juicy insight! On a totally superficial note, I got a new dress for the occasion and can't wait to kick off this book tour and finally meet Jocelyn, who I published years ago in my anthology Yes, Sir. I follow most of my authors on social media and feel like I somewhat know them, but it's different from getting to see them in person, and hear the way they personally tell the story they created. That is an incredible feeling and something I wish I could do with all my authors.



Even if you're not in LA, I would love it if you'd help spread the word. Here's the Facebook event page, and of course, we'll have photos and maybe even some video snippets, so stay tuned to the book's Twitter and Instagram accounts. We may even try doing a Facebook Live!

And through this Sunday, June 15th, I'm giving away 10 free copies of the audiobook over on Facebook, so enter the giveaway if you want to hear Rose Caraway narrate all 21 stories.

Free audio erotica on The Kiss Me Quick's Podcast and enter to win Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica

I've loved working with Rose Caraway, the narrator of many of my anthologies (and certainly the best selling ones), including Gotta Have It, The Big Book of Orgasms, The Big Book of Submission and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, because she's got a gorgeous voice, reaches a wide audience and is super talented at what she does. I have a post in the works about passive income for authors and how successful our audiobook collaborations have been for me, but it's not just the money. It's that Rose is exposing my books, and my authors, to a huge range of listeners who very likely would never have come across the print or ebook versions otherwise. This really can't be overstated, so I'm thrilled to have worked with her again on two new audiobooks: Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica and Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, both of which are out now on Audible.



Not only that, but you can listen to "The Prototype" by Malin James free on The Kiss Me Quick's podcast.



Here's a little excerpt from the beginning of "The Prototype:"

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s a prototype,” Edward says, grinning like a kid.

“For what?”

I ask because the form and function of the thing in Edward’s hand remains unclear. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a beach ball that’s been shoved through a piece of three-quarter-inch plastic pipe. The pipe forms a sort of handle—I can tell because that’s where he’s holding it—while the uninflated ball flops out the other side, all strangled and primary colored. He has a bright-red bicycle pump clutched in his other hand.

“It’s something I’m making. For you.”

Edward smiles at me. His eyes, behind his glasses, are earnest and adorable. Edward invents things for fun. In real life, he does something abstract with currency markets, but in his dreams he has an underground lab and a henchman. At the moment, he’s wearing his eureka! face, which means he’s onto something.

“That’s really sweet, babe,” I say, coming closer. “But I’m not sure what I’m going to do with a ball shoved through a tube.” “Ah,” he replies, “but it’s not just a ball shoved through a tube. Watch!”

Edward holds out the contraption, which is, apparently, more than it seems, and rummages around in the “handle” before pulling out the ball’s valve. Then he attaches the bicycle pump. Cradling it like a baby, he lays the prototype on the counter and pumps the ball full of air. Once the ball is inflated, it sticks awkwardly out from the top of the plastic rod like a…like an I don’t know the hell what. Then he looks at me, triumphant. He’s so jazzed he’s nearly rocking on his heels. With a grin, he presents it to me like a bouquet.

When I set out to edit a book of sex toy erotica, I knew I wanted stories about both the kinds of toys you'll find in stories that sell sex toys as well as tales involving using household items to arouse characters and fictional toys, the kind that either can only exist on the page or that so far have only existed in an author's imagination. The combination of these various types of toys is to me what makes Come Again such a wonderful anthology, one I'm very proud of and I'm thrilled it's getting a wider audience. Rose is giving away copies signed by me or a copy of the audiobook in this Facebook contest that runs through October 24. Enter now!

While I'm posting about audiobooks, Dirty Dates is also special to me because it's all about BDSM and kinky couples who explore their interests in a wide range of very hot ways. You can listen to it now at Audible.

Win one of 25 copies of my women's sexual fantasy erotica book Begging for It - enter by Friday, August 19

If you aren't a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, you should be! Visit rachelkramerbussel.com to subscribe. In the August newsletter, I listed this Begging for It giveaway, which ends Friday, August 19, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST (open to U.S. residents who are also newsletter subscribers, only because overseas postage has become absolutely astronomical and well out of my price range for giveaways). I'll be sending 25 lucky winners autographed copies on Saturday morning. In this anthology, I asked authors to craft erotica stories around the theme of women's sexual fantasies, and boy, did they do so, from sex in public to wearing a corset to getting strung up by a bondage master and so much more. Good luck!



As a refresher, here's what's in Begging for It

Introduction: Beggars and Choosers Rachel Kramer Bussel
Symphony Dena Hankins
Tabitha the Cat Lauren Marie Fleming
Leo Rising Suleikha Snyder
Orcas Regina Kammer
Morning’s Come Sommer Marsden
Babes Elizabeth Black
Entreé Nous Darsie Hemingway
Dollymop Malin James
Best Laid Plans Oleander Plume
Lipstick M. Birds
Rediscovery Hedonist Six
A Proven Therapeutic Fact D. L. King
Caught Rei Pardieu
Jane’s Fantasy, Your Fantasy Annabeth Leong
Self-Denial Tilly Hunter
Ruthless Claire de Winter
Sucker Rachel Kramer Bussel
Apple Thighs Jade A. Waters
Little Girl Blue Laila Blake
Do Robots Breathe? Tamsin Flowers

I'm giving away 5 copies of The Big Book of Orgasms on Facebook - enter by June 15th!

Erotica giveaway time! On my Facebook page, I'm giving away 5 copies of The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories. Leave a comment on the Facebook post linked above with your email address by June 15th at 11:59 pm ESt and you'll be entered to win one of my favorite books I've ever edited! Winners will get their choice of print, ebook or audiobook.