Rachel Kramer Bussel's Blog, page 146
September 16, 2011
Flattery will totally get me to buy your book
I was all "Elizabeth Miles knows who I am?" Let me read her YA novel
Fury
! On my Nook, alongside other YA like the OCD novel
A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie
by Matt Blackstone (reading September 21st with other YA authors at NYC indie bookstore Bluestockings, which is how I heard of the book) and
Burnout
by Adrienne Maria Vrettos. Plus a few I'm reviewing and others I want to pitch. Yeah, I constantly battle my love of reading with my love/hate relationship with writing, so when I get to write about books I'm very happy!
Plot description from Amazon:
It's winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...
Em is thrilled that the guy she's been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there's no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em's best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase's social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that's nothing compared to what's really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it's only a matter of time before he's exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.
Plot description from Amazon:
It's winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...
Em is thrilled that the guy she's been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there's no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em's best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase's social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that's nothing compared to what's really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it's only a matter of time before he's exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.
September 15, 2011
Me me me!
Very excited about this. I've been editing away, plus writing lots of fiction, a smattering of nonfiction, and much purging and plotting and big decision making as I get ready to turn 36 on November 10th, much sooner than I feel ready for. I pegged some big goals to that date that I'm not going to meet, but I want to get closer. I think by making mistakes, I learn how to behave going forward. Hopefully. Sometimes tenth time's the charm.
I know, birthdays are arbitrary and all but still, this feels big, but also one I'm eagerly anticipating to rid myself of 35. Just the number and all it embodies has started to feel ugly and hateful and I don't think I will truly forgive myself for my actions until that number turns. With Yom Kippur approaching, I have much to atone for, but also much to look forward to, among them teaching Erotica 101 at Momentumcon and Cupcake Cruising to Bermuda. This Tweet was from our Obsessed Twitter chat; stay tuned for a Women in Lust chat sponsored by EdenFantasys on November 8th from 7-8 pm EST.
I know, birthdays are arbitrary and all but still, this feels big, but also one I'm eagerly anticipating to rid myself of 35. Just the number and all it embodies has started to feel ugly and hateful and I don't think I will truly forgive myself for my actions until that number turns. With Yom Kippur approaching, I have much to atone for, but also much to look forward to, among them teaching Erotica 101 at Momentumcon and Cupcake Cruising to Bermuda. This Tweet was from our Obsessed Twitter chat; stay tuned for a Women in Lust chat sponsored by EdenFantasys on November 8th from 7-8 pm EST.
I would indeed write shoplifting erotica, and Vegas photos
Great article in Las Vegas Weekly by Lynn Comella: "Seeing erotica in everything...even shoplifting - read to the end for the shoplifting scenario, which I just may use in my spanking book:
"You can write erotica about anything," Rachel Kramer Bussel tells me over brunch at Hash House a Go Go. "You could even write about that Bloody Mary," she says, pointing to our friend Tess' cocktail. The drink has such a commanding presence, with its thick slice of bacon, red slab of tomato and protruding celery stalk, it almost needs a table—or a room—of its own.
Before I know it, I'm spinning a tale in my head about the busboy, the waiter, the waitress and cook, a tangle of arms and legs, a not-so-secluded pantry off a busy kitchen and … well, you get my point: Anything, from food to feet, can be eroticized and used as a jumping-off point for a hot, steamy tale of sexual seduction and arousal.
At least that's what Kramer Bussel thinks. She has edited 39 anthologies of erotica—with six more in the works—that explore everything from plane sex and hotel sex to spanking and bondage. She's written dozens of short stories, including "Monica and Me," her first published piece of erotica based on her fantasies about former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The world is her erotic muse, and it's clear from talking with her that she wouldn't have it any other way.
Some photos from Las Vegas, where I had a wonderful time, met fascinating writers, got inspired, soaked in a hot and cold tub and generally enjoyed myself.
Flamingos at The Flamingo
Hash House a Go Go granola waffle
Salmon skin roll at Hamada (Japanese restaurant at The Flamingo that was SO good)
Dragonfruit - didn't taste it, but learned what it was
Condom dress at Erotic Heritage Museum
my friend Tess Danesi's amazing shoes!
Sex shop in The Flamingo
"You can write erotica about anything," Rachel Kramer Bussel tells me over brunch at Hash House a Go Go. "You could even write about that Bloody Mary," she says, pointing to our friend Tess' cocktail. The drink has such a commanding presence, with its thick slice of bacon, red slab of tomato and protruding celery stalk, it almost needs a table—or a room—of its own.
Before I know it, I'm spinning a tale in my head about the busboy, the waiter, the waitress and cook, a tangle of arms and legs, a not-so-secluded pantry off a busy kitchen and … well, you get my point: Anything, from food to feet, can be eroticized and used as a jumping-off point for a hot, steamy tale of sexual seduction and arousal.
At least that's what Kramer Bussel thinks. She has edited 39 anthologies of erotica—with six more in the works—that explore everything from plane sex and hotel sex to spanking and bondage. She's written dozens of short stories, including "Monica and Me," her first published piece of erotica based on her fantasies about former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The world is her erotic muse, and it's clear from talking with her that she wouldn't have it any other way.
Some photos from Las Vegas, where I had a wonderful time, met fascinating writers, got inspired, soaked in a hot and cold tub and generally enjoyed myself.
Flamingos at The Flamingo
Hash House a Go Go granola waffle
Salmon skin roll at Hamada (Japanese restaurant at The Flamingo that was SO good)
Dragonfruit - didn't taste it, but learned what it was
Condom dress at Erotic Heritage Museum
my friend Tess Danesi's amazing shoes!
Sex shop in The Flamingo
Spanking anthology extension and update
Note: If you're submitting something today that's already finished, go ahead and submit it; if submitting from 9/16-9/25, please follow guidelines below. Thank you!
Update: I don't need any more female submissive/male dominant stories from a female POV, though will consider those from a male top's POV with a female sub. I'm especially looking for stories about multiple partners, men being spanked by women, women spanking women and men being spanked by women, and stories that incorporate spanking into other types of sex/BDSM play, in as creative scenarios as you can come up with. If you do any of the above well, chances are decent I'll include your story in my manuscript (obviously I can't promise anything, but I'm just saying, I'm on the lookout). The earlier, the better cause I'll be filling in stories as I read them.
Call for Submissions
Erotic spanking anthology (title TK)
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press
Deadline: September 25, 2011
Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is looking for erotica stories on her favorite topic: spanking! I want creative, original spanking stories in a variety of settings using all sorts of implements. Because of the highly specific nature of a themed anthology such as this, characterization, plotline and motivation are all extremely important. Spanking as part of roleplay, discipline, adventure, foreplay, etc. are fair game. Stories that incorporate other types of sex or kinky acts (oral sex, anal sex, role-playing, bondage, etc.) are welcome. The final book will have a mix of POVs of tops and bottoms, and a variety of motivations, scenarios, implements and storytelling styles. All genders and sexual orientations are welcome.
Unusual settings/scenarios, a variety of spanking implements, use of sex toys, group scenarios, and public spanking scenes are all encouraged. Most of all, I want stories that truly eroticize spanking in every way possible. All characters should be over 18; no incest, scat or bestiality. No poetry will be considered for this book. Original stories only; no reprints.
See my anthologies Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica and Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories (more information and story samples are available at http://spanked.wordpress.com/about and http://bottomsupbook.wordpress.com/about) for an idea of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. All characters must be over 18. No poetry. No scat, bestiality or incest. Original, unpublished stories only. Since submissions will be considered on a rolling basis, earlier submissions are strongly preferred.
Payment: Contributors will receive $50/story and 2 copies of the anthology on publication. Contract is for one-time rights (if you would like to see the exact contract terms, email eroticspankingantho at gmail.com with "Contract" in the subject line).
How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc only, NOT .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to hoteleroticabook@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you'd like to be credited as. I will be accepting stories on a rolling basis so the sooner you submit, the better. Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript so you can expect a final answer by February 1, 2012.
I've been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason and submissions not meeting these guidelines will not be considered. Please read and follow them or risk your submission being rejected or returned for reformatting. If you have any questions, please contact me at eroticspankingantho@gmail.com
About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of 38 anthologies, including Gotta Have It, Surrender, Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He's on Top, She's on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, Dirty Girls, and is Best Sex Writing Series Editor. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, writes a column for SexIs Magazine, and hosted and curated In The Flesh Reading Series in New York for five years. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright's X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane's Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, Time Out New York, Zink and other publications.
Update: I don't need any more female submissive/male dominant stories from a female POV, though will consider those from a male top's POV with a female sub. I'm especially looking for stories about multiple partners, men being spanked by women, women spanking women and men being spanked by women, and stories that incorporate spanking into other types of sex/BDSM play, in as creative scenarios as you can come up with. If you do any of the above well, chances are decent I'll include your story in my manuscript (obviously I can't promise anything, but I'm just saying, I'm on the lookout). The earlier, the better cause I'll be filling in stories as I read them.
Call for Submissions
Erotic spanking anthology (title TK)
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press
Deadline: September 25, 2011
Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is looking for erotica stories on her favorite topic: spanking! I want creative, original spanking stories in a variety of settings using all sorts of implements. Because of the highly specific nature of a themed anthology such as this, characterization, plotline and motivation are all extremely important. Spanking as part of roleplay, discipline, adventure, foreplay, etc. are fair game. Stories that incorporate other types of sex or kinky acts (oral sex, anal sex, role-playing, bondage, etc.) are welcome. The final book will have a mix of POVs of tops and bottoms, and a variety of motivations, scenarios, implements and storytelling styles. All genders and sexual orientations are welcome.
Unusual settings/scenarios, a variety of spanking implements, use of sex toys, group scenarios, and public spanking scenes are all encouraged. Most of all, I want stories that truly eroticize spanking in every way possible. All characters should be over 18; no incest, scat or bestiality. No poetry will be considered for this book. Original stories only; no reprints.
See my anthologies Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica and Bottoms Up: Spanking Good Stories (more information and story samples are available at http://spanked.wordpress.com/about and http://bottomsupbook.wordpress.com/about) for an idea of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. All characters must be over 18. No poetry. No scat, bestiality or incest. Original, unpublished stories only. Since submissions will be considered on a rolling basis, earlier submissions are strongly preferred.
Payment: Contributors will receive $50/story and 2 copies of the anthology on publication. Contract is for one-time rights (if you would like to see the exact contract terms, email eroticspankingantho at gmail.com with "Contract" in the subject line).
How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc only, NOT .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to hoteleroticabook@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you'd like to be credited as. I will be accepting stories on a rolling basis so the sooner you submit, the better. Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript so you can expect a final answer by February 1, 2012.
I've been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason and submissions not meeting these guidelines will not be considered. Please read and follow them or risk your submission being rejected or returned for reformatting. If you have any questions, please contact me at eroticspankingantho@gmail.com
About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of 38 anthologies, including Gotta Have It, Surrender, Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He's on Top, She's on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, Dirty Girls, and is Best Sex Writing Series Editor. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, writes a column for SexIs Magazine, and hosted and curated In The Flesh Reading Series in New York for five years. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright's X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane's Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, Time Out New York, Zink and other publications.
September 14, 2011
Another sneak peek at "The Weight" in Best Bondage Erotica 2012
As I turn in the final copyedits on
Best Bondage Erotica 2012
, out in December (and hopefully a little early and here just after my birthday, November 10th) here's another excerpt from my story "The Weight" (read the first, which precedes this section, here).
Sometimes he just looks at me, stares at me so intently it's a form of sadism in itself, if you're the type of girl who shies away from being seen too deeply, from being naked in quite that way. His eyes devour me, shear all the layers off of me, drill into my consciousness as surely as any spell caster. He uses those looks sparingly, thankfully, because I am most helpless when he binds me with them, when he locks me down with a look that I'd be able to see from across the world. Those are the times when I truly know I'd do anything for him, though usually what I do in the moment is cry. Even one tear is such a symbolic surrender that it's enough to make his eyes at least dim a little, following the tear's path or going for the spot on my neck he loves to claim.
Mostly Damian likes to break me, to get me to crack so he can put me back together, if he chooses. Knowing he can choose is the spark that fires our relationship, that he can keep me whole, yet aching, or cracked open, raw, his, is the ultimate mental power trip. He likes to talk to me when he knows I can't answer, at least, not with words. He gets his answer from the rest of me, from the way, when he feeds his fingers into my mouth, I open so wide I'm in awe as four fingers quickly invade my, truth be told, favorite hole. He probes my mouth like an explorer and grabs for my tongue, pinching, pressing, raking his short, smooth nails over it.
Sometimes he just looks at me, stares at me so intently it's a form of sadism in itself, if you're the type of girl who shies away from being seen too deeply, from being naked in quite that way. His eyes devour me, shear all the layers off of me, drill into my consciousness as surely as any spell caster. He uses those looks sparingly, thankfully, because I am most helpless when he binds me with them, when he locks me down with a look that I'd be able to see from across the world. Those are the times when I truly know I'd do anything for him, though usually what I do in the moment is cry. Even one tear is such a symbolic surrender that it's enough to make his eyes at least dim a little, following the tear's path or going for the spot on my neck he loves to claim.
Mostly Damian likes to break me, to get me to crack so he can put me back together, if he chooses. Knowing he can choose is the spark that fires our relationship, that he can keep me whole, yet aching, or cracked open, raw, his, is the ultimate mental power trip. He likes to talk to me when he knows I can't answer, at least, not with words. He gets his answer from the rest of me, from the way, when he feeds his fingers into my mouth, I open so wide I'm in awe as four fingers quickly invade my, truth be told, favorite hole. He probes my mouth like an explorer and grabs for my tongue, pinching, pressing, raking his short, smooth nails over it.
September 13, 2011
2 books I recommend: Rad Dad and It's Hard Not to Hate You
Two books I recommend - the new Rad Dad: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Fatherhood anthology (click here for tour dates!) and the new Valerie Frankel memoir on friendship and jealousy, It's Hard Not to Hate You. Crazy deadline week/month but when I have some time I'll write a bit more, but if you're interested in politics and parenting, Rad Dad is great, and Frankel's book is funny but extremely memorable and tackles questions like how many friends should you have/do you need, what to do about professional jealousy (you can play "figure out the chick lit author she's talking about;" it only takes a wee bit of Googling) and bitchy neighbors and more.
24 spots left on the Women in Lust November virtual book tour
My 40th anthology, Women in Lust, will be out in October! Want to be part of November's virtual book tour? There are 24 spots left. Email womeninlust at gmail.com with "Tour" in the subject line and include your name, mailing address and URL and you'll get assigned a date and be signed up to receive the book in mid-October (instructions on posting will be sent in a few weeks). Thank you!
Order Women in Lust from:
Amazon
Kindle (link TK)
B&N
Powell's
IndieBound (order from your local bookstore)
Cleis Press
Ladies Who Lust
Lust. It's one of those four-letter words that trips off the tongue. When I say it out loud, it makes my lips want to curve into a smile. Lust is more than simple arousal; it is the force that makes us not just turned on, but craving a certain person (or people).
I used to write a sex column called "Lusty Lady," named after the famed strip club, but somehow lusty, rhyming as it does with busty, sounds a bit like a joke, an added bit of humor, which is how our culture often treats sex. Lust, though, is different; it's intense, overpowering. While in real life we may not always act every time lust calls to us, in fiction, we can abandon the safety of propriety and seek out lust and sex wherever we find them.
The characters in Women in Lust may vary in the objects of their lust, and how they go about acting on their urge, but what connects them is that pure impulse for a lover. Sometimes he is someone she knows well, is married to or dating; in other stories, he is a stranger, and is sexy precisely because he represents the unknown. Women also lust after other women here, as in Kayar Silkenvoice's Japanese happy ending massage story, "Cherry Blossom," and while we only hear one side of the story, I'd like to think the working woman is doing more than just her job. In addition to the culture clash, there's the joy of throwing caution to the wind while on vacation, using travel to broaden one's sexual horizons. Whether watching a lover playing guitar, using a webcam, going out for a smoke or simply embracing a chance encounter, these women seize the opportunities presented to them, and savor the lovers who teach them about themselves and help them open up to new sensual possibilities. Sometimes that means looking at the man they live with in a new light, and other times that means something much naughtier. Either way, their lust is a valued part of their lives, not a pesky afterthought or to-do list item on "date night."
The objects of their lust are not always the "right" person. In "Rain," a woman falls for her best friend's boyfriend, one of the ultimate dating taboos, but she goes for it. Sometimes the desire itself, the way it can be used to tease and taunt, as in Charlotte Stein's "Guess," is maddening, but we embrace our lusts even when they are maddening, even when they make us do things we might otherwise consider reckless.
For every woman here who can locate her lust on the map of her body, who zeros in on her target and goes for it, there is another who is opened up to her lust by a lover, whether it's Jen Cross's narrator pondering what it was, exactly, her orally generous long-ago lover got out of being between her legs. The first words of Shanna Germain's powerfully kinky "Beneath My Skin" are "I'm afraid," to which her lover, Kade, responds, "You should be." Fear can be a powerful motivator and, crossed with lust, can lead to explosive results.
Whether discovering the joy of a younger man, not to mention some delicious pudding, in "Comfort Food," by Donna George Storey, or taking sex and bondage into the great outdoors in "Something to Ruin" by Amelia Thornton, these women indulge in new ways of getting off and pushing the limits of their lust. Thornton writes: "Despite my longing, there was still part of me that wanted to protest, to tell him to cut me loose, to run wildly through the forest back to the safety of our picnic blanket, but to me that is the beauty of rope: to desire escape but to willingly be imprisoned, to feel the pressure of something that prevents my movement, yet to know there is no place that I feel safer than when trapped like this." She captures the excitement of giving in to a dominant lover, even when there is a small part of the narrator that is unsure, for that is precisely the part that fuels her desire. This story captures the true power that lies in submission and the many joys it can bring. In "Her, Him and Them," by Aimee Pearl, the narrator submits to various lovers who question her and push her not only to be the best sub she can be, but to figure out why, exactly, she likes the thrill of submission and service.
I hope these stories inspire some lusty days and nights for you, as they' have for me.
Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
Introduction: Ladies Who Lust
Naughty Thoughts Portia Da Costa
Guess Charlotte Stein
Her, Him, and Them Aimee Pearl
Bayou Clancy Nacht
Smoke Elizabeth Coldwell
Bite Me Lucy Hughes
Ride a Cowboy Del Carmen
Queen of Sheba Jen Cross
Hot for Teacher Rachel Kramer Bussel
Unbidden Brandy Fox
Something to Ruin Amelia Thornton
Guitar Hero Kin Fallon
Ode to a Masturbator Aimee Herman
Orchid Jacqueline Applebee
Cherry Blossom Kayar Silkenvoice
Rain Olivia Archer
The Hard Way Justine Elyot
Strapped K D Grace
Beneath My Skin Shanna Germain
Comfort Food Donna George Storey
Order Women in Lust from:
Amazon
Kindle (link TK)
B&N
Powell's
IndieBound (order from your local bookstore)
Cleis Press
Ladies Who Lust
Lust. It's one of those four-letter words that trips off the tongue. When I say it out loud, it makes my lips want to curve into a smile. Lust is more than simple arousal; it is the force that makes us not just turned on, but craving a certain person (or people).
I used to write a sex column called "Lusty Lady," named after the famed strip club, but somehow lusty, rhyming as it does with busty, sounds a bit like a joke, an added bit of humor, which is how our culture often treats sex. Lust, though, is different; it's intense, overpowering. While in real life we may not always act every time lust calls to us, in fiction, we can abandon the safety of propriety and seek out lust and sex wherever we find them.
The characters in Women in Lust may vary in the objects of their lust, and how they go about acting on their urge, but what connects them is that pure impulse for a lover. Sometimes he is someone she knows well, is married to or dating; in other stories, he is a stranger, and is sexy precisely because he represents the unknown. Women also lust after other women here, as in Kayar Silkenvoice's Japanese happy ending massage story, "Cherry Blossom," and while we only hear one side of the story, I'd like to think the working woman is doing more than just her job. In addition to the culture clash, there's the joy of throwing caution to the wind while on vacation, using travel to broaden one's sexual horizons. Whether watching a lover playing guitar, using a webcam, going out for a smoke or simply embracing a chance encounter, these women seize the opportunities presented to them, and savor the lovers who teach them about themselves and help them open up to new sensual possibilities. Sometimes that means looking at the man they live with in a new light, and other times that means something much naughtier. Either way, their lust is a valued part of their lives, not a pesky afterthought or to-do list item on "date night."
The objects of their lust are not always the "right" person. In "Rain," a woman falls for her best friend's boyfriend, one of the ultimate dating taboos, but she goes for it. Sometimes the desire itself, the way it can be used to tease and taunt, as in Charlotte Stein's "Guess," is maddening, but we embrace our lusts even when they are maddening, even when they make us do things we might otherwise consider reckless.
For every woman here who can locate her lust on the map of her body, who zeros in on her target and goes for it, there is another who is opened up to her lust by a lover, whether it's Jen Cross's narrator pondering what it was, exactly, her orally generous long-ago lover got out of being between her legs. The first words of Shanna Germain's powerfully kinky "Beneath My Skin" are "I'm afraid," to which her lover, Kade, responds, "You should be." Fear can be a powerful motivator and, crossed with lust, can lead to explosive results.
Whether discovering the joy of a younger man, not to mention some delicious pudding, in "Comfort Food," by Donna George Storey, or taking sex and bondage into the great outdoors in "Something to Ruin" by Amelia Thornton, these women indulge in new ways of getting off and pushing the limits of their lust. Thornton writes: "Despite my longing, there was still part of me that wanted to protest, to tell him to cut me loose, to run wildly through the forest back to the safety of our picnic blanket, but to me that is the beauty of rope: to desire escape but to willingly be imprisoned, to feel the pressure of something that prevents my movement, yet to know there is no place that I feel safer than when trapped like this." She captures the excitement of giving in to a dominant lover, even when there is a small part of the narrator that is unsure, for that is precisely the part that fuels her desire. This story captures the true power that lies in submission and the many joys it can bring. In "Her, Him and Them," by Aimee Pearl, the narrator submits to various lovers who question her and push her not only to be the best sub she can be, but to figure out why, exactly, she likes the thrill of submission and service.
I hope these stories inspire some lusty days and nights for you, as they' have for me.
Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
Introduction: Ladies Who Lust
Naughty Thoughts Portia Da Costa
Guess Charlotte Stein
Her, Him, and Them Aimee Pearl
Bayou Clancy Nacht
Smoke Elizabeth Coldwell
Bite Me Lucy Hughes
Ride a Cowboy Del Carmen
Queen of Sheba Jen Cross
Hot for Teacher Rachel Kramer Bussel
Unbidden Brandy Fox
Something to Ruin Amelia Thornton
Guitar Hero Kin Fallon
Ode to a Masturbator Aimee Herman
Orchid Jacqueline Applebee
Cherry Blossom Kayar Silkenvoice
Rain Olivia Archer
The Hard Way Justine Elyot
Strapped K D Grace
Beneath My Skin Shanna Germain
Comfort Food Donna George Storey
September 7, 2011
I heart this book cover
Will be reading it this weekend! Via the super fabulous The Contemps, where I've gotten so many wonderful YA recommendations. I dream of someday having a book featured there (just gotta, um, write it). Yes, at the erotica writers conference in Las Vegas, I'll be reading YA and Pretty by Jillian Lauren.
"Sex Tape Mania" sex column, or "Should I Make a Porno?"
I feel weird referring to myself in the third person, but my latest SexIs column is called "Sex Tape Mania: Should Rachel Make a Porno?
The closest I've come to making a sex tape so far has been letting an ex take a photo of me while I was in the middle of giving him a blowjob. We didn't plan it, and I didn't pose. I had my eyes closed and all of a sudden the flash went off. It was hot to me precisely because it was unexpected. I liked the idea of him looking at it later, remembering what it felt like, and jerking off.
Lately, sex tapes are in the news again, with Vivid Entertainment having been approached with a request to buy all rights to reality TV star and new bride Kim Kardashian's foray into x-rated video with her ex, Ray J (in order to block it from being viewed further), and a hotel offering guests free service if they agree to film their escapades and broadcast them online (FYI, I'm aware that the Kardashian family gets a disproportionate number of mentions in my columns; make of that what you will).
Read the whole thing!
The closest I've come to making a sex tape so far has been letting an ex take a photo of me while I was in the middle of giving him a blowjob. We didn't plan it, and I didn't pose. I had my eyes closed and all of a sudden the flash went off. It was hot to me precisely because it was unexpected. I liked the idea of him looking at it later, remembering what it felt like, and jerking off.
Lately, sex tapes are in the news again, with Vivid Entertainment having been approached with a request to buy all rights to reality TV star and new bride Kim Kardashian's foray into x-rated video with her ex, Ray J (in order to block it from being viewed further), and a hotel offering guests free service if they agree to film their escapades and broadcast them online (FYI, I'm aware that the Kardashian family gets a disproportionate number of mentions in my columns; make of that what you will).
Read the whole thing!
September 6, 2011
"Dominant Women Storm The Pages" in Best Bondage Erotica 2012
To get you excited about a sexy book that'll heat up your winter,
Best Bondage Erotica 2012
, here's the table of contents again and my introduction! Click here for an excerpt from my story "The Weight." If in my decluttering I find my voice recorder (obviously a huge if) maybe I'll even record it!
Foreword: Use This Book for Your Kink Life Midori
Introduction: Tying Men Up: Dominant Women Storm the Pages Rachel Kramer Bussel (see below)
Melting Ice Shoshanna Evers
A Night at the Opera Elizabeth Coldwell
Darlene's Dilemma Andrea Dale
Snow White A. R. Shannon
Trophy Boyfriend Lucy Felthouse
The Spider and the Fly Salome Wilde
Tied Down Elise Hepner
The Cupboard Under the Stairs Kay Jaybee
Suffer for Me Teresa Noelle Roberts
Dry Rub Giselle Renarde
Worth Redemption Craig J. Sorensen
Laced Elizabeth Silver
Pawns Billey Thorunn
Cumaná Helen Sedgwick
Good British Steel Lana Fox
Parting Ways Tenille Brown
Knot Alone Kathleen Tudor
The Insurrection Valerie Alexander
The Tipping Point Lolita Lopez
As Long As You Don't Wake Me Neil Gavriel
The Weight Rachel Kramer Bussel
Introduction to Best Bondage Erotica 2012
Tying Men Up: Dominant Women Storm the Pages
I was surprised this year to see that, unlike with previous anthologies in this series, the overwhelming majority of stories submitted to Best Bondage Erotica 2012 involved women tying up and tormenting men. It was a theme I couldn't ignore, and you will see it heavily represented in these pages. I've pondered why exactly that theme showed up at this time, and while I don't have any firm conclusions, I can say that the range of scenarios you'll find here showcase a wide range of ingenuity.
What I especially appreciate is that we get to see a variety of dominant women, some exacting a kind of (consensual) revenge, some giving eager men exactly what they deserve, as with the couple in Teresa Noelle Roberts's "Suffer for Me." She writes:
I began with his nipple.
When I caught it in between my long red fingernails, he braced himself for a twist, a cruel pinch. I could see in his wide, entreating eyes that he both feared and hoped for it.
Instead, I caressed first one then the other with all the delicacy I could muster, applying just enough pressure so it pleasured rather than tickled. Then I took one into my mouth, licking and sucking and teasing the little nub, nipping down enough to vary the kind of pleasure he experienced, but not enough to push it over into real pain.
This narrator, who we know only as "Ma'am," is exploring the delight of being in charge, of plotting out what she will do to make Martin "suffer," and it's a delicious tale, one of many, of a woman coming into her own erotic power, with a willing, deserving man at her mercy.
And even though Terry in Giselle Renarde's "Dry Rub" is not quite as eager a bondage participant as Martin, it's clear that while he is not at first in on the plan, he too is getting off, in his own way. That is the beauty, to me, of bondage: when even what seems like a punishment can turn into a delightful, demanding and delicious torment, one you may not know why you like, but your body cannot lie. Instead, it's Gina's turn to enjoy the fact that she can have her husband any way she wants him. "She still had a grip on his hair, and his face looked so pitiful in her hands that she almost wanted to laugh. He was desperate, poor boy, and she wouldn't give in. Tonight he was a tool of her pleasure, nothing more."
Speaking of ingenuity, I couldn't help but be impressed by the bold, gutsy, brilliant characters you'll read about here who are so obsessed with bondage they'll even tie themselves up to experience that delicious, chilling thrill. In Shoshanna Evers's opening story "Melting Ice," Amanda constructs a careful experiment in the art of self-bondage, one she's been dreaming about for years. "She'd been so ready for this. The entire afternoon had been her foreplay."
In "Parting Ways," Tenille Brown shows us that you don't have to be the binder or the bondee to enjoy the sight of a man squirming and writhing. Anyone who's been tied up and exulted in the thrilling frustration of it will relate when she writes, "Derek shivered with the need to break free. He bit his bottom lip at the pleasure of being unable to."
While there is plenty of female domination in these pages, for those who want to read about women who delight in the submissive satisfaction of being trapped by a Dominant's mind, there's plenty of that here too. In Kay Jaybee's "The Cupboard Under the Stairs," the not knowing what will happen next is all part of the fun. "A fresh surge of uncertainty zipped through Kristi. She'd thought the blindfold was the change in routine. It seemed she was wrong." That love/hate relationship many subs feel is captured in Helen Sedgwick's "Cumaná" when she writes, "I didn't know if I should be enjoying this, if I should make him stop, but I couldn't, wouldn't, the tight pinching on my nipples at once unbearable and intoxicating." Indeed, "unbearable and intoxicating" could also describe events in all of the stories in this naughty little book.
Bondage comes vividly alive in these twenty-four tales of everything from corsets to cling wrap, from couples dedicated to bondage to those just discovering its pleasures. You'll find a range of stories from playful to perverse that I hope will give you some new ideas to try out⎯in your mind and beyond.
Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
Foreword: Use This Book for Your Kink Life Midori
Introduction: Tying Men Up: Dominant Women Storm the Pages Rachel Kramer Bussel (see below)
Melting Ice Shoshanna Evers
A Night at the Opera Elizabeth Coldwell
Darlene's Dilemma Andrea Dale
Snow White A. R. Shannon
Trophy Boyfriend Lucy Felthouse
The Spider and the Fly Salome Wilde
Tied Down Elise Hepner
The Cupboard Under the Stairs Kay Jaybee
Suffer for Me Teresa Noelle Roberts
Dry Rub Giselle Renarde
Worth Redemption Craig J. Sorensen
Laced Elizabeth Silver
Pawns Billey Thorunn
Cumaná Helen Sedgwick
Good British Steel Lana Fox
Parting Ways Tenille Brown
Knot Alone Kathleen Tudor
The Insurrection Valerie Alexander
The Tipping Point Lolita Lopez
As Long As You Don't Wake Me Neil Gavriel
The Weight Rachel Kramer Bussel
Introduction to Best Bondage Erotica 2012
Tying Men Up: Dominant Women Storm the Pages
I was surprised this year to see that, unlike with previous anthologies in this series, the overwhelming majority of stories submitted to Best Bondage Erotica 2012 involved women tying up and tormenting men. It was a theme I couldn't ignore, and you will see it heavily represented in these pages. I've pondered why exactly that theme showed up at this time, and while I don't have any firm conclusions, I can say that the range of scenarios you'll find here showcase a wide range of ingenuity.
What I especially appreciate is that we get to see a variety of dominant women, some exacting a kind of (consensual) revenge, some giving eager men exactly what they deserve, as with the couple in Teresa Noelle Roberts's "Suffer for Me." She writes:
I began with his nipple.
When I caught it in between my long red fingernails, he braced himself for a twist, a cruel pinch. I could see in his wide, entreating eyes that he both feared and hoped for it.
Instead, I caressed first one then the other with all the delicacy I could muster, applying just enough pressure so it pleasured rather than tickled. Then I took one into my mouth, licking and sucking and teasing the little nub, nipping down enough to vary the kind of pleasure he experienced, but not enough to push it over into real pain.
This narrator, who we know only as "Ma'am," is exploring the delight of being in charge, of plotting out what she will do to make Martin "suffer," and it's a delicious tale, one of many, of a woman coming into her own erotic power, with a willing, deserving man at her mercy.
And even though Terry in Giselle Renarde's "Dry Rub" is not quite as eager a bondage participant as Martin, it's clear that while he is not at first in on the plan, he too is getting off, in his own way. That is the beauty, to me, of bondage: when even what seems like a punishment can turn into a delightful, demanding and delicious torment, one you may not know why you like, but your body cannot lie. Instead, it's Gina's turn to enjoy the fact that she can have her husband any way she wants him. "She still had a grip on his hair, and his face looked so pitiful in her hands that she almost wanted to laugh. He was desperate, poor boy, and she wouldn't give in. Tonight he was a tool of her pleasure, nothing more."
Speaking of ingenuity, I couldn't help but be impressed by the bold, gutsy, brilliant characters you'll read about here who are so obsessed with bondage they'll even tie themselves up to experience that delicious, chilling thrill. In Shoshanna Evers's opening story "Melting Ice," Amanda constructs a careful experiment in the art of self-bondage, one she's been dreaming about for years. "She'd been so ready for this. The entire afternoon had been her foreplay."
In "Parting Ways," Tenille Brown shows us that you don't have to be the binder or the bondee to enjoy the sight of a man squirming and writhing. Anyone who's been tied up and exulted in the thrilling frustration of it will relate when she writes, "Derek shivered with the need to break free. He bit his bottom lip at the pleasure of being unable to."
While there is plenty of female domination in these pages, for those who want to read about women who delight in the submissive satisfaction of being trapped by a Dominant's mind, there's plenty of that here too. In Kay Jaybee's "The Cupboard Under the Stairs," the not knowing what will happen next is all part of the fun. "A fresh surge of uncertainty zipped through Kristi. She'd thought the blindfold was the change in routine. It seemed she was wrong." That love/hate relationship many subs feel is captured in Helen Sedgwick's "Cumaná" when she writes, "I didn't know if I should be enjoying this, if I should make him stop, but I couldn't, wouldn't, the tight pinching on my nipples at once unbearable and intoxicating." Indeed, "unbearable and intoxicating" could also describe events in all of the stories in this naughty little book.
Bondage comes vividly alive in these twenty-four tales of everything from corsets to cling wrap, from couples dedicated to bondage to those just discovering its pleasures. You'll find a range of stories from playful to perverse that I hope will give you some new ideas to try out⎯in your mind and beyond.
Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
