The best book I've ever edited is here: The Big Book of Orgasms

I've edited my share of book with "Best" in the title, and of course, any adjective is always subjective, including "best." But I can tell you that in my opinion, my best book is not any of them with "best" in the title, though I poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into those. No, my best book, the one I will forever recommend when people are asking which of my books to check out, the one that I believe in so much I've invested more than $1,000 (more than portion of the advance after paying authors) into buying copies to send out to Amazon reviewers, is The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories. Maybe it's crazy, but I never said I wasn't crazy. I just want to, for the first time in longer than I can remember, throw myself wholeheartedly, fiercely, passionately into loving one of my books, into being so proud of it I will tell anyone and everyone, rather than slinking around assuming that because it's erotica somehow "real" readers won't be interested (yes, there's a teeny part of me that thinks that). I've been so thrilled with the massive response this book has gotten from eager readers all across the country (and a few outside the U.S.) so far. I love that I'm publishing so many authors for the first time in one of my books, and some for the first time in print ever. That is an amazing feeling, but I want this to be about more than feelings: I want this to be about a book that can appeal to such a wide range of readers actually appealing to them. I know it's not really a catfight amongst my books, but yes, I want this book to do better than the others, even its cousin, Gotta Have It. I know super short stories (these are all 1,200 words or less) are not everyone's cup of tea, but on the other hand, everyone has time to read a story that's only 1,200 words. And I would think anyone interested in erotica would be interested in orgasms. And this book has heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, transgender, multi-partner, vanilla and kinky stories. There's spanking and dirty talk and blue jeans and hot wax. There are couples and couplings, fashion and nudity, technology and sex toys. All my energy from now til the end of the year will be focused on making it a success, because I feel that my future as an erotica editor hangs in the balance.

Not that I wouldn't be given chances to keep editing, but if this book misses the mark, I will take that as my exit line (though I have books lined up into 2014). To me it's a test: can a book that I love so fiercely, that has 3 times more than the usual number of stories, that I go all out, no reservations, with, make it? Can it be my breakout star, my best seller, my little book that could? That is the dream I am putting my all into this fall. If you'd like to be part of the November online book tour, have me on your radio show or in person event, interview any of the authors in the book, or anything else, email me at orgasmantho at gmail.com and I will make sure you get what you need. just want to do a little mitzvah and pass along the book's Facebook page, @BigBookofOrgasm Twitter feed or Tumblr blog with excerpts, I'd so appreciate it. Of course I am glad that my other books are being read and enjoyed and reviewed, but this is the one I am devoted to, the one I am brainstorming like mad on how to get it on the radar of people who like dirty, sexy, sweet stories, ones they can read aloud to a lover, ones that take only a few minutes to read, but can be enjoyed repeatedly. I named my story after a Bruce Springsteen song, "I'm on Fire," and I am, indeed, on fire for this book. It's like my book baby, and like what I've heard from actual mothers, it's hard to think about anything else except this beautiful, shiny book that I've been eagerly anticipating, waiting to hold in my hands, savor, know it's real. It arrived just in time, both for my upcoming trip to Milwaukee, and in time to renew my faith in my genre, renew my excitement about this field I stumbled into as a lost, lonely law student. I've felt a little burnt out and uncertain lately, and still am, but I know that I am fiercely devoted to this book. I am so excited to be sending it out into the world. Now, dear, beloved, sexy, beautiful book, I hope you show me a little love back. I don't want this to be an unrequited romance. I want you to be on fire for me too. And I'm so excited for this book to be in stores very soon.



The Big Book of Orgasms will be for sale very soon from:

Amazon

Bn.com

Powell’s

Books-a-Million

IndieBound (find your nearest local independent bookstore)

Cleis Press

Since it's Monday, and you have been so patient as to indulge my book lust, here's the beginning of my story "I'm on Fire" - the other 1,042 words are available in the links above. Yes, you can get 69 stories for only $12.12 (Amazon's price), which my calculator tells me is less than 18 cents a story. So the book's a bargain to boot!

From "I'm on Fire" by Rachel Kramer Bussel:

Who doesn’t like a little hot wax drizzled on them? Okay, I know plenty of people don’t, but I say, more candles for me. I’m lucky to have a girlfriend with a perfectly complementary kinky mind. Ciara’s an artist, so it makes sense she’d love to decorate my body. We’ve even been photographed for a local art gallery, me coated in swirls of color, painted by her with the special candles we buy just for wax play.

Last Friday night, she surprised me. Monday is usually our date night, a way of reclaiming a normally mundane weeknight. But it had been a long week for both of us, and she knew I needed something special. In our house, that meant she texted me on her way home telling me to shower, get naked, spread the tarp out on the bed and wait for her. I did all that, although I couldn’t resist making myself come in the shower in anticipation.