Recent Blogs
- Business Before Pleasure Six is now Available By Tracy Ames| February 21, 2013
- Lions Pride-Installment 21 and Lemonade Champagne By Olga Coleman-Williams| February 21, 2013
- Familiar and Familial By Tracy Ames| October 29, 2012
- Here We Go... By Tracy Ames| October 10, 2012
- Healing and Moving On By Tracy Ames| September 24, 2012
- Lion's Pride-Installment 20. Is Up! By Olga Coleman-Williams| September 14, 2012
- *UPDATE* The Lions Pride:19 is Available By Tracy Ames| August 22, 2012
- Throwing Shade By Tracy Ames| August 15, 2012
Recent News
Secrets of a Sex Writer: Erotica Writes and Wrongs by by Rachel Kramer Bussel
- Published May 17, 2012
Anyone can write erotica? It's a piece of cake? No special talent needed?
First, check the cynicism at the door because writing erotica isn't easy. We don't just pull this stuff out of thin air. It's work! Second, read this insightful article written but my gal pal and fellow dirty girl Rachel Kramer Bussel.
Secrets of a Sex Writer: Erotica Writes and Wrongs by by Rachel Kramer Bussel
I spend a lot of my time writing and reading erotica. I put out about six anthologies a year (sometimes more, sometimes less), which means reading hundreds of submissions to select 20 to 25 per book.
Though I’ve been editing erotica for seven years, I still greatly enjoy the process, because I get to peek into the minds of other writers and see how they approach a given topic. I think erotica is one of the most democratic of genres because everyone has a sexual fantasy (or twenty) lurking somewhere in their mind, and writing about it can help flesh it out and teach you about your own desires.
Right now, I’m in the process of considering stories for my 2011 Cleis Press anthologies Obsessed: Erotic Romance for Women and Women in Lust. Every day, my inbox brings new stories to consider.
The job of an anthology editor is largely a balancing act. It’s not just about picking the best-written stories, but the best-written stories that work well with all the others. For instance, I might include a sex at the office story, or a hot wax story, but I probably wouldn’t include two on stories on either topic because it would make the anthology too repetitive.
» Read More
First, check the cynicism at the door because writing erotica isn't easy. We don't just pull this stuff out of thin air. It's work! Second, read this insightful article written but my gal pal and fellow dirty girl Rachel Kramer Bussel.
Secrets of a Sex Writer: Erotica Writes and Wrongs by by Rachel Kramer Bussel
I spend a lot of my time writing and reading erotica. I put out about six anthologies a year (sometimes more, sometimes less), which means reading hundreds of submissions to select 20 to 25 per book.
Though I’ve been editing erotica for seven years, I still greatly enjoy the process, because I get to peek into the minds of other writers and see how they approach a given topic. I think erotica is one of the most democratic of genres because everyone has a sexual fantasy (or twenty) lurking somewhere in their mind, and writing about it can help flesh it out and teach you about your own desires.
Right now, I’m in the process of considering stories for my 2011 Cleis Press anthologies Obsessed: Erotic Romance for Women and Women in Lust. Every day, my inbox brings new stories to consider.
The job of an anthology editor is largely a balancing act. It’s not just about picking the best-written stories, but the best-written stories that work well with all the others. For instance, I might include a sex at the office story, or a hot wax story, but I probably wouldn’t include two on stories on either topic because it would make the anthology too repetitive.
» Read More
50 Shades of Nothing New by Mitzi Szereto
- Published May 16, 2012
Author, TV creator/presenter, blogger Mitzi Szereto doesn’t hold her tongue and so it was only a matter of time before she addressed the hype surrounding 50 Shades of Grey.
Most writers agree: congrats on the success but it’s nothing new.
Mitzi, thanks for being your sassy self. Kisses!
50 Shades of Nothing New by Mitzi Szereto
I figured that since so many journalists and broadcasters keep interviewing me and asking me for quotes about the recent publishing phenomenon of 50 Shades of Grey, I thought it was time I put in my two pence’ worth right here at my blog.
Now I’m the last person to rain on anyone’s parade, especially another author’s. Those of us who toil in this usually thankless and poverty-stricken profession know all too well how difficult it is to make a living, let alone garner the kind of phenomenal success now being enjoyed by 50 Shades author E. L. James, who, up until this time, wasn’t even a professional author (and there are many who would argue that she still isn’t). However, as a writer and editor who does quite a bit of work in the area known as “erotic literature” or “erotic fiction” or “erotica,” I’m truly in the dark as to what all the fuss is about.
James’s novel (and their many continuations) focus on a BDSM relationship between a “submissive” young woman and a “dominant” man. The book evolved from her fan fiction site for Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel Twilight. Though unlike Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey has lots of sex in it.
Explicit sex. And some of it is considered kinky depending on what church you go to.
Err… okay. So what? Is this anything new? Has no one ever written these kinds of novels before? Has no one heard of the similarly themed classic The Story of O? Has no one seen the gazillion erotic novels that have been published over the last few decades detailing precisely the same plotline, replete with salacious details? Has no one noticed the amount of explicit sex to be found on the pages of what are considered to be “mainstream” as well as ”literary” novels, not to mention “women’s fiction”?
» Read More
Most writers agree: congrats on the success but it’s nothing new.
Mitzi, thanks for being your sassy self. Kisses!
50 Shades of Nothing New by Mitzi Szereto
I figured that since so many journalists and broadcasters keep interviewing me and asking me for quotes about the recent publishing phenomenon of 50 Shades of Grey, I thought it was time I put in my two pence’ worth right here at my blog.
Now I’m the last person to rain on anyone’s parade, especially another author’s. Those of us who toil in this usually thankless and poverty-stricken profession know all too well how difficult it is to make a living, let alone garner the kind of phenomenal success now being enjoyed by 50 Shades author E. L. James, who, up until this time, wasn’t even a professional author (and there are many who would argue that she still isn’t). However, as a writer and editor who does quite a bit of work in the area known as “erotic literature” or “erotic fiction” or “erotica,” I’m truly in the dark as to what all the fuss is about.
James’s novel (and their many continuations) focus on a BDSM relationship between a “submissive” young woman and a “dominant” man. The book evolved from her fan fiction site for Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel Twilight. Though unlike Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey has lots of sex in it.
Explicit sex. And some of it is considered kinky depending on what church you go to.
Err… okay. So what? Is this anything new? Has no one ever written these kinds of novels before? Has no one heard of the similarly themed classic The Story of O? Has no one seen the gazillion erotic novels that have been published over the last few decades detailing precisely the same plotline, replete with salacious details? Has no one noticed the amount of explicit sex to be found on the pages of what are considered to be “mainstream” as well as ”literary” novels, not to mention “women’s fiction”?
» Read More
Black Women, Sexual Assault and the Art of Resistance by Brooke Elise Axtell
- Published May 5, 2012
My lovely friend and award-winning author Brooke Elise Axtell wrote this passionate article for Forbes. It's a must read!
According to an ongoing study conducted by Black Women’s Blueprint, sixty percent of Black girls have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. More than 300 Black women nationwide participated in the research project. A similar study conducted by The Black Women’s Health Imperative seven years ago found the rate of sexual assault was approximately 40%.
The pervasive nature of this trauma could translate into an increased risk for Black women and girls to experience depression, PTSD and addiction, common symptoms experienced by many survivors of rape.
The Department of Justice estimates that for every white woman that reports her rape, at least 5 white women do not report theirs; and yet, for every African-American woman that reports her rape, at least 15 African-American women do not report theirs.
» Read More
According to an ongoing study conducted by Black Women’s Blueprint, sixty percent of Black girls have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. More than 300 Black women nationwide participated in the research project. A similar study conducted by The Black Women’s Health Imperative seven years ago found the rate of sexual assault was approximately 40%.
The pervasive nature of this trauma could translate into an increased risk for Black women and girls to experience depression, PTSD and addiction, common symptoms experienced by many survivors of rape.
The Department of Justice estimates that for every white woman that reports her rape, at least 5 white women do not report theirs; and yet, for every African-American woman that reports her rape, at least 15 African-American women do not report theirs.
» Read More
Amazon's Plagiarism Problem
- Published January 17, 2012
Journalist Adam L. Penenberg has written an excellent article on Amazon's plagiarism woes. Please spread the word.
Adam, thank you so much for putting pen to paper and raising awareness. Shar, my ace, you're an angel. An angry scribe is a dangerous thing!
Amazon's erotica section isn't just rife with tales of lust, incest, violence, and straight-up kink. It's also a hotbed of masked merchants profiting from copyright infringement. And even with anti-piracy legislation looming, Amazon doesn't appear too eager to stop the forbidden author-on-author action.
» Read More
Featured Articles
The Lion's Pride- installment 21
- By Olga Coleman-Williams
- Published February 21, 2013
- Novellas
- Rating:
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Malcolm and Carrick have a loving, mature and stable relationship. With the introduction of the mysterious Camille into their lives, will everything they hold dear be destroyed, or will she provide the missing link to giving them all they never knew they desired.
Business Before Pleasure 6
- By R.W. Shannon
- Published February 21, 2013
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
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The saga of Cydnee and Aiden come to a dramatic end...
The Layover
- By Michelle Jefferson
- Published July 21, 2012
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
They met be chance and greed not to exchange names or other personal information. After a night of unrivaled passion, it is time to come clean. And it's not good.
This story has had many lives! It started on an overseas trip in 2011 an was finally finished during another trip in 2012. hope you enjoy it.
~~ Michelle
The Warrior
- By KR Collins
- Published July 16, 2012
- Short Reads
- Rating:
The ancient world was a place where slavery was common, but their love wasn't.
The One **UPDATED**
- By Tracy Ames
- Published May 13, 2012
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
Janelle Aske had it all: the career, the social swirl, and a sordid past she'd rather forget. At first, the unassuming Van Young held little interest. That is until he touched a part of her she'd long avoided...but in doing so he laid himself bare.
Stranded atop the Sierra Nevada, there was nowhere for neither of them to run.
Sins of My Father
- By Tracy Ames
- Published April 23, 2012
- Unleashed
- Rating:
'The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the sons'. Or in Cheri's case, the daughter. Everything she knew of her father was a lie. And the dark and mysterious Richmond Black held the answers. But could she trust him?
Diary of a Reformed Harlot: Part Eight
- By Tracy Ames
- Published April 19, 2012
- Contemporary
- Rating:
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The True and Unabridged Diary of Lena Amelia James, Reformed Harlot.
House Calls
- By Tracy Ames
- Published February 25, 2012
- Contemporary
- Rating:
When physician Ryan Mason agreed to fill in for his vacationing father, he never expected to meet anyone like Leigh Gordon.
Heat For a Snowy Winter's Night
- By Christopher Reilley
- Published January 11, 2012
- Short Reads
- Rating:
A little something to keep you warm.
Diary of a Reformed Harlot: Part Seven
- By Tracy Ames
- Published December 13, 2011
- Contemporary
- Rating:
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The True and Unabridged Diary of Lena Amelia James, Reformed Harlot.
Email membership request to: [email protected]. In the subject line, enter "THC REQUEST"
Business Before Pleasure: Part Five
- By R.W. Shannon
- Published November 15, 2011
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
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The saga continues....
Wake Up Call
- By Rebecca Davis Keller
- Published November 12, 2011
- A Woman's Worth
- Unrated
A lover gives her sleepy mate a wake up call she won't soon forget.
Pizza Wives
- By Don Abdul
- Published September 19, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
A horny African American housewife receives a tip from her friendly new neighbor that leads to a very special Pizza delivery a handsome Italian hunk.
Asked & Answered
- By BJ Thornton
- Published September 14, 2011
- The Dark Side
- Unrated
A kinky woman works out her angst, first with an ex that dumped her, then with her current lover who cheated on her. This work has BDSM and polyamory themes.
The Midnight Walk
- By Xuani Robinson-Trinh
- Published August 24, 2011
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
A nude stroll on the beach gives Angela an outlet for her arousal, and relief from a lonely life.
Installment 19-Part I
- By Olga Coleman-Williams
- Published August 15, 2011
- Novellas
- Rating:
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Malcolm and Carrick have a loving, mature and stable relationship. With the introduction of the mysterious Camille into their lives, will everything they hold dear be destroyed, or will she provide the missing link to giving them all they never knew they desired.
Check Mated
- By BJ Thornton
- Published July 26, 2011
- The Dark Side
- Rating:
Kinky power plays pave an alternative path to love for Jackie, a pistol of an entertainment lawyer, and Reyes, a suave and snobby music executive. On his inauguration day as her submissive, Reyes discovers that Jackie is afraid to put all her cards on the table, and he turns the tables on her with a brusque encounter in a ladies' room.
The Space Between Things: Chapter Two
- By Reggi Moore
- Published July 13, 2011
- Novellas
- Rating:
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The strikingly beautiful Regan McKrenna meets the family she never knew or needed. Staying was only meant to be a temporary arrangement at first, until she looked into the most intense set of blue eyes she had ever seen. With the whispered words “I am not your brother,” Ian McKrenna shatters everything he had assumed about love and about himself. In a whirl wind of sexual denial, erotic passion and carnal exploration, an entire family is forced to redefine wants, needs, family and love.
In Rapid Succession
- By Elaine Flowers
- Published June 28, 2011
- Contemporary
- Rating:
With delicate steps, I move to the oak, double door and softly drag one side open. I take her by the arm pulling her in quickly because Butch has started to bark. Holding the crook of her elbow, I help her cross the threshold and Mrs. Wright’s soft, blond curls are tousled and mussed—it adds to her beauty.
Heartbreak
- By Tracy Ames
- Published May 29, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
I wish I didn’t feel so deeply. I wish I could silence my keen intuition. Maybe then I wouldn’t suffer heartbreak without glaring evidence. Instead I’m left to trust my gut and wonder if, maybe, this time I’d gotten it wrong.
Spanked
- By Tracy Ames
- Published May 22, 2011
- Novellas
- Rating:
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Complete Edition
Serena Upshaw replaced her unstable past with the tedious loneliness of Blake Hall, and strict routine of her employer, the distant Mr. Dermot, a man she’d seen only twice in passing in over two years. One night set them on a collision course.
Plagiarism is the New Black
- By Tracy Ames
- Published May 13, 2011
- Must Reads
- Rating:
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is taking the writings or literary ideas of another and selling and/or publishing them as one's own writing.
Hmmm, I guess 'Elizabeth Summers' and her gaggle of fuckwits didn't get the memo.
The Penis Uncovered
- By Tracy Ames
- Published May 4, 2011
- The Hellfire Club: Password Required
- Rating:
What’s your penis preference?
Good Morning: Part Four
- By Allan Fox
- Published April 19, 2011
- Contemporary
- Rating:
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The morning began when he became overwhelmed with the vision lying next to him. Passion was ignited and the journey continues...
What You Are
- By Christopher Reilley
- Published April 13, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
What you are to me, and me alone.
Jean-Baptiste
- By Tracy Ames
- Published April 8, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
Ivy, the new sommelier at Jean-Baptiste, walked into a storm. Master Chef Madeline Colbert renounced for her culinary expertise as well as her fiery temper wasn't a soft touch. If Ivy was going to make it, she'd need wit, skill, and strength to resist Madeline's man.
Art vs Porn
- By Tracy Ames
- Published April 8, 2011
- The Hellfire Club: Password Required
- Rating:
The comparison between porn and erotica is an ongoing debate garnering fevered opinions from both side of the arguments and still no one has been able to present a strict definition of neither. Warning: Do Not open at work! The images therein aren't safe!
Releasing Tension
- By Keith David
- Published April 7, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
Taking a deep breath, I release a long sigh as my thoughts begin to wander. Almost immediately, your face appears in my mind....behind closed eyes, images of you float through my head and I feel that familiar tingle in my belly and between my thighs.
Toyed With
- By BJ Thornton
- Published March 31, 2011
- The Dark Side
- Unrated
Though he calls her a cougar, a younger man finds that he is an overeager cub, after his older lover takes command of their kinky first night together in Cairo.
Love...
- By Erica Rodriguez
- Published March 30, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
Love. Forgotten. Forgiven. Destroyed.
Uncomplicated Fun
- By Keith David
- Published March 26, 2011
- Short Reads
- Rating:
From somewhere deep within my soul, there is a screaming echo of fear, but I ignore it. She is too captivating to allow the moment to pass unheeded. I know there will be a price to pay for this dalliance, but I cannot resist.
The House Party: Part Five
- By Tracy Ames
- Published March 21, 2011
- Novellas
- Rating:
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Part five in a five part series
The House Party follows the exploits of three modern day patron families attending a week long house party hosted by the Graydon family on their estate in France. Almost immediately social lines a drawn, judgments are made, and tempers heat up long before the first stitch on clothing come off.
Blind Passion: Part Four
- By Charisma Knight
- Published March 12, 2011
- Chance Meetings
- Rating:
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Ethan and Diane discover there is so much more than the physical attraction they share with one another. They realize the mental bond forming between them is something they'd been searching for half their lives. Two halves become one in this conclusion of Blind Passion.