Morning Noon and Night story illustration

Here is a lovely pictures that reminds me of my heroine from Morning, Noon and Night.

The link! 

Ahh, Docs, how I miss you.

I got the lovely news of an acceptance from Kristina Wright last night, I'll have a story, Faded Goods, in her Sweet and Sexy xo anthology, nestled right underneath Nikki Magennis and her wild naked bandits, and in the company of many other exciting authors. I want to say 'salubrious authors' but I know that's not right. And yet, good health to you all! 

Addicted by Charlotte Stein

Ahhh, everyone is in for a treat.

I don't read as much erotica as I'd like to because I am Poor, and I don't have a luxury budget for it. So I cheaply mostly leach books off nice writers when they're looking for reviews. but this is neither here nor there. I would gladly pay the price of Addicted.

Ah, where to start? Charlotte's writing is funny, searing, endearing, emotional. This book is a delightful rollercoaster, a bundle of humanity and joy and angst and best of all, wish fulfillment.

Now, Charlotte wrote a Get a Grip blog about why it's ok to enjoy Twilight, as it's entertaining wish fulfillment fiction for women. Hot young blonde hotties for paunchy old men has long been standard fantasy fair, so fuck you, I get my vampire boyfriend, no harm no foul, if I may paraphrase. I heart her for this simple point.

So too do I ♥ Addicted for the same reason. Charlotte's heroine is something of a whirlwind of neurotic worry and low self esteem - but not in the way Bridget Jones is. With Bridget (and yes, also Bella Swan) you finally start believing in their endless self criticism and wondering why handsome men ARE interested in them at all if they're so crappy. Stein's heroine Kit is full of worry but it's incredibly human and sympathetic. Also the book starts with her dynamic attempt to find what she's been lacking and she embarks on what might be termed a 'voyage of sexual discovery' if that didn't sound so cheesy. What she does is fearfully fling herself into a panicked and enthusiastic push-pull clinch with Dillon Holt, who may or may not be a sex addict.

This is where the wish fulfillment comes in - not everyone may completely identify with Kit (I do!) who has had an unsatisfying sexual experience up til now but Dillon must complete everyone's wish to get done just right by a really skillful muscly man who knows exactly what they need, somewhat telepathically. I fucking love it. Their sex is touching, spontaneous, arousing, full of pathos. Kit is a bit clumsy, a bit self-conscious, you may not be like that (I am!!), and while she may not be the typical perfect heroine, her enthusiasm and warmth and bravery are charming and inspiring. This book is so human. It's so good for imperfect people, it's like a little bible of encouragement. Dillon is a little too good to be true, but that's who we want to read about. He's the good guy. He's strong enough and big enough to make a girl feel little. Oh, god, Dillon, please heft me around the place a bit too. And he's vulnerable.

Stein keeps the tension going right til the end of the book, and while the resolution is extremely satisfying, the little epilogue attaches to the end with a really perfect little twist.

I enjoyed every second of this book, and the book within the book. It was such a pleasure to read. It's really funny. It's edge of the seat reading. It's really arousing. The characters are completely sypathetic and their dialogue is natural and convincing. This would make a lovely film, actually - I would enjoy every moment of that too.

Charlotte Stein... going from strength to strength.

Whole box a stars for Addicted.

Big Book of Bondage Blog Tour!

The Big Book of Bondage Big Blog Tour Bus is stopping at my blog today - I am feeling full of love because the ever fabulous Donna George Storey wrote a lovely review of my story therein, Life Drawing, which you can find at Alison's house.

But that's enough about me - I wanted to say some words about Senseless. I'm bemused and amused by this little slice of frustration Stella Harris serves up for her poor audience. As readers we suffer along with brave Lana as she ventures unknowing into a threesome she never gets to be star player in. 

And for all the lack of first person satisfaction, it's a short, burning story that leaves the reader as aroused and wondering as the main character is. I like how it tosses expectations back Lana's face as well as our own. I always wonder why more people don't get involved in threesomes as it just seems so indulgently, wonderfully...horny - and yet here that picture is messed with, the indulgence is half refused as the focus stays on the men and the heroine's impotent arousal. Somuch proxy - the reader gets turned on by the heroine getting turned on by the invisible arousal of the men over her... it's a great Esher drawing of a story! 

next little thing

Madeline Moore kindly asked me to participate in writing about My Next Big Thing, but I don't have a big thing to write about, as the Novel continues to elude me. She said it would be ok to write about a short story, and I will, but looking at the questions involved, it feels silly - so I will just share the cold details of the antho with you all and leave it at that.

The wonderful, joyous title of Alison Tyler's forthcoming antho is The Big Book of Bondage. Isn't that perfect? I'm thinking the next one should be The Girls' Own Book of Bondage, actually, I might have to suggest that. There's another one in the wings, I hope I can write something for it.

My story in this one is called Life Drawing, and it's a sweet little one about a woman who meets an old flame at a life drawing class and accepts his invitation to come up and see his etchings... and be drawn by him.

It was born out of my own small experience of sitting for friends, and feeling what it feels like to be looked at in such a studied way, and the places my thoughts went ... which were to how pretty a subject shibari would be - and online I found photos from Shibari life drawing sessions, which were just perfect!

Oh, this was one - dolls' chairs in bondage - this was just fun.

And I loved this one, where she stitches in thread for the rope.

But this is the sort of thing I was thinking of.

And this is where the story ends up...

Morning Noon and Night

Well, I am an idiot, who due to inner confusion cannot read calendars or understand dates, and I've posted this by accident not once, but twice! But I've checked the list twice, and many times over the last couple days, and I'm pretty certain that today is the fifteenth and therefore time to hit publish. Finally. Apologies to the three people who've seen it already. SO:

Blog tour! Check out Ms Alison Tyler's blog for more dates and info. 

Ok, I confess, I already posted this paragraph about this antho in an earlier post: 

Remember the days when it seemed taboo to admit to really liking the person you were sleeping with? Ireland doesn't really do dating... at least it didn't back when I was ... not dating. People tend to get drunk and hook up, and if they REALLY like each other then they MIGHT consider sex sober, and if that goes well they MIGHT go out together in a non-sex situation. And then at some point they MIGHT admit to having feelings of affection. Maybe. 

And that's a really quick summary of what I was thinking of when I wrote this story. I'm now thinking about the girls' nights out we went on that we were hoping would end with a more intimate  hook up, and we'd blow off our grlz for the promise of a little bit of body contact and affection and arousal. No sisters before misters for us! Or was that just me? Oops... 

The truth is my prowling ended in monogamy fairly quickly (far too quickly, really, my granny was right!) but before that, I do remember a time when I used to stay in a friend's house on Friday nights, but bring my bag out with me, 'just in Jason' - Jay had leathers and my favourite long blond hair 'n' beard combo. He didn't inspire this story (for in truth he was a bit of an ass) but the feeling of not being allowed to admit to liking him did. It's a depressing story, that feeling of knowing no one's going to fall in love with you, or even be friends with you, they just want sex, and they know you'll be grateful for that and not cause any fuss. I know a girl barely in her twenties who still lets this happen to her, or at least she did - and it makes me so sad. I wish there was a way to teach us it's not worth it. Not Worth It! I hope there is.

So in this story, the heroine thinks that's what's going on, and tries to protect herself from it. But it's hard to stay away. And all might not be what it seems... 

Find my story '1 am, Girls' Night Out' in Morning, Noon and Night by Alison Tyler. 

Sudden Sex

I have a tiny wee story called Night Heat in this new anthology of 69 stories by Alison Tyler. I confess, it could have been more, but I was lazy. This one's a little flight of fancy set in the moonlight and in the dark.  No listing for it yet, but coming soon, no doubt. 

:/

I hate you, blogger. Why can't I update my pictures n things? Don't say 'specify image' when I've specified it as much as I can. Don't you know how long it's taken me to get round to actually doing this? Demoralised*