Rachel Kramer Bussel's Blog, page 73

Los Angeles erotica and sex writing workshops September 12th for CatalystCon West plus discount coe

I've got a busy September and will be sharing all the events as soon as they are posted, but can tell you I'll be in Los Angeles for CatalystCon West September 12-14. You can sign up and get more informationn at catalystcon.com and a special bonus for you: save $5 on each workshop (for a total of $10) by using code RACHEL by June 15th.

I'm also planning a Portland, Oregon event, am doing a free reading September 6 3-4:30 at the Foundation for Sex Positive Culture in Seattle, and an erotic writing workshop for them the evening of September 9th, and will be at Early to Bed in Chicago September 28th and The Tool Shed in Milwaukee September 30th to teach erotic writing workshops. I'm always open to visiting new cities and have a few other things in the works, so if you'd like to bring me to your town, email me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com for more information. I'm heading back to my former home of New York City on October 24th for another fabulous workshop at the . My mind's been buzzing since last Friday's workshop with all sorts of writing ideas.

Here's the CatalystCon workshop details - I'm also on 2 panels and will share info on that soon.

Special pricing for both workshops: $79

**Attendees who would like the opportunity to get feedback from Rachel on one piece of their own writing (3,000 words or less), to be submitted prior to the workshop can purchase this as an add on to either of the above workshops. Fee: $20

Rachel Kramer Bussel is an author, editor and blogger. She has edited over fifty books of erotica, including The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories; Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica; Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women’s Erotica; Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission, The Big Book of Orgasms; Anything for You; Suite Encounters; Going Down; Irresistible; Gotta Have It; Obsessed; Women in Lust; Surrender; Orgasmic; Cheeky Spanking Stories; Bottoms Up; Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica; The Mile High Club; Going Down; Tasting Him; Tasting Her; Please, Sir; Please, Ma’am; He’s on Top; She’s on Top; Lust in Latex; Best Sex Writing 2013 and is Best Bondage Erotica series editor. Her anthologies have won 8 IPPY (Independent Publisher) Awards, and Surrender won the National Leather Association Samois Anthology Award. Her work has been published in over one hundred anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. She wrote the popular “Lusty Lady” column for the Village Voice.

Rachel has written for AVN, Bust, Cleansheets.com, Cosmopolitan, Curve, The Daily Beast, TheFrisky.com, Glamour, Gothamist, Huffington Post, Inked, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, New York Observer, Penthouse, The Root, Salon, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York and Zink, among others. She teaches erotic writing workshops across the country at colleges, sex toy stores, conferences and community events. She blogs at Lusty Lady and Tweets @raquelita.

3 BDSM erotica anthologies for $1.99 each on Kindle in June

It's a new month, which means new Kindle ebook sales on 3 of my BDSM erotica books. For the female dominant/male submissive (femdom) fans, there's She's on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission (which was one of my earliest books with Cleis Press, from 2007, and has one of my favorite covers) and Please, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission and in the female sub/male dom category, with a hot cover by Barbara Nitke, Surrender: Erotic Tales of Female Pleasure and Submission , which has one of my favorite story titles ever ("Dear Professor Pervert"). More details on each below and they are available in print and from other stores too but the sale price is on the Kindle edition. Also if you like aural erotica as well, you can get the Audible audiobook versions for only $3.99 once you buy the Kindle edition. And I was in the middle of posting this when I remembered that the cover of Please, Ma'am was shot by the incredibly talented Christine Kessler, who recently passed away. Lots of people are posting photos she took and remembrances on Twitter.


She's on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission

Description:

Turning the tables on rigid gender roles, the stories in She’s on Top honor the Amazon, the dominatrix, the handcuff-toting, whip-wielding she-devil of the male bottom’s deepest dreams. Employing every item in their bag of tricks, from strap-ons to metal cinches, these hot dommes like nothing better than teasing and tormenting their devoted subjects – often at the same time. With stories by some of the best writers in the field of BDSM erotica such as Stan Kent, Debra Hyde, and Saskia Walker, She’s on Top shows that pleasure’s best when dispensed by a firm female hand.

Please, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission

Description:

Men are the ones gifted with all sorts of power in our society, but a dirty little secret is that so many of them long to strip themselves of this power, to be tied down, gagged, spanked, taken, and owned. They want to ease the burdens of manliness, if only for a little while, to be "ordered" to do all the naughty things of which they've dreamed. Please, Ma'am shows some of the tantalizing possibilities out there for sniveling men and the women who love them. Best-selling erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel has gathered together top voices in the genre, including Stephen Elliott, Alison Tyler, Dominic Santi, and many more. In Please, Ma'am, men willingly submit to the deliciously dominant women who entertain their deepest desires and give them the treatment they crave.

Surrender: Erotic Tales of Female Pleasure and Submission

Description:

Rachel Kramer Bussel's bestselling books of submissive women and dominant men showcase our fantasies, desires, and deepest wishes. For those (and there are MANY) who love to be tired up, spanked, blindfolded, bound, or "used," for another's pleasure, these are books of inspiration. And, of course, these smart subs are getting exactly what THEY really want in very many ways.

Good BDSM erotica makes us understand all the emotions that can come into play when, well, playing: there can be uncertainty, nervousness, fear, excitement. Each of the 22 stories in Surrender are blazingly hot and because they illuminate some aspect of submission. The authors of the stories understand the art of submission and the thrill of surrender, whether that’s personal space, sight (“Without Eyes” by Terri Pray) or culinary choices (“Lunch” by Elizabeth Coldwell).What the women here want is to give up part of themselves to gain something else. They may still be skittish, but overcoming their fears, surrendering to them, yields beauty, pleasure and, in its way, power.

No bra or panties, blinfolded, waiting on a bed--my Slave Girls blog tour excerpt

I wrote a story inspired by several of my favorite things: hotel rooms, blindfolds, submission, surrendering control, in my story "Out of Sight" in the new anthology Slave Girls: Erotic Stories of Submission edited by D.L. King and published by Cleis Press, with a foreword from the brilliant podcaster and audiobook narrator Rose Caraway. Like many of my stories, it's fiction, with lots of my personal kinks in it. It's about a woman who puts on a blindfold with a certain word on it, one that could be an epithet or high kinky praise, one I've written a story about before, emblazoned on it. You'll have to read the full story to find out that word, but here's a little taste of my story. You can buy the book on Amazon or at your local independent bookstore and follow the rest of the virtual book tour. I haven't read the book yet but I've seen a copy and it's gorgeous (yes, I judge books by their covers--that's what covers are for!).



Official blurb:

The idea of a woman enslaved to her lover has captured the imagination of millions and created bestsellers such as The Story of O, Carrie's Story and Fifty Shades of Grey. Award-winning editor and writer D. L. King pulls back the velvet curtains to reveal a world where every sexual fantasy is realized, a world driven by desire and the need to be dominated. These Slave Girls want nothing more than to be subjugated and owned in body and soul. Trained and tested to suit every sexual taste, these women learn the ropes — literally. King and her masterful eroticists offer the reader an immersive experience. These sexy, subversive stories of submission are from the very best eroticists including Alison Tyler, Sommer Marsden, and D. L. King herself.

And now for my NSFW story exceprt, which is toward the middle but a little bit into the tale, but I'm sure you can catch up:

From "Out of Sight" by Rachel Kramer Bussel:

I shifted, the seam of my jeans pressing into my sex. I never used to wear jeans, only skirts and dresses, but that's something else Peter had insisted on one day. He'd made me try on a pair without panties, then explain what I'd done, pay for them, and walk around until I'd soaked them from all his commands. I was only allowed to wear them without panties, just as certain tops and dresses I was only allowed to wear without a bra, and certain skirts or stockings without panties. Those rules applied whether I was seeing Peter or not; I got the impression he liked it even better when I followed his rules on days he wasn't going to see me, when I could have gotten away with disobeying, save for my kinky conscience.

I took off my top and bra while the man watched. I didn't ask his name, and he didn't offer; instead, he took my breasts in each hand, pulled my nipples toward him, just hard enough to make me gasp. When I did, he pinched them, twisting each one until I let out another noise, one not quite so quiet. "You'll be good while I pierce you, right? No screams. I can give you a rag to muffle your noises, if you can't handle it. I've heard you can get pretty loud." The idea that Peter had told this stranger about what I was like in bed was at once infuriating and exciting.

"I'll be quiet." And I was. I thought of Peter the whole time, of how before I'd met him I never would've imagined being the type to get anything more than my ears pierced. Yet here I was not only eager to sport beautiful silver studs in each nipple, but for them to heal so he could play with them.

They did heal, and Peter did make sure he knew exactly how much more tender and sensitive my nipples were after that, and that I knew they'd remain that way from frequent use, whether that was making me suck my nipple while he shoved his fingers inside me or him simply brushing against me in public enough to make them stand at attention. But those studs were symbolic; as long as they were in, I would always wake up thinking of him, and any other lovers I took would see them, and even if they didn't know exactly what the metal meant, I would. I'd know exactly who I belonged to—and I liked it that way.

So as I finger the sensual silk, I savor the last few moments of sight to take in the grandeur around me. There's not a mirror on the ceiling, but there's a giant one across from the bed that can only be a sign of extreme narcissism or unabashed exhibitionism and voyeurism. I strip out of my outfit—one of his favorite dresses, hot pink silk, no bra or panties, fold the dress and place it on top of the dresser, so he's sure to see it. I resist the urge to inspect my naked body, since I don't know how much time I have before he arrives. Instead, I climb up onto the bed and carefully place the blindfold over my eyes, running my fingers over the letters like braille so they're positioned as evenly as possible, before I tie a tight knot. I shake my head back and forth to make sure the blindfold is in place, then lay down on my stomach, plant my cheek to the side, and reach behind me for my ankles. I grab them, then spread my knees, smiling against the sheets as I settle in to the familiar pose.

Talking sex, feminism, romance and The Fault in Our Stars with romance novelist Eloisa James

For Vulture's No Respect Week, I interviewed romance novelist Eloisa James, who's also a tenured Fordham professor of English literature, about feminism, sexuality, why romance is so hated, The Fault in Our Stars and more.

The silver lining to a possible career change

Change is always scary for me, positive or negative, but I often forget that changes that start from a dark, uncertain place often lead to paths I never would have encountered, so in a backwards way, I have to be grateful for them. This year started off pretty awfully; I simply wasn’t prepared, mentally or emotionally, for the sad reality of my royalty statement. I’d done that thing you are never supposed to do—assume—and it came back to bite me in the ass. Over the course of a year, my royalty check dropped 90%, and while I’d expected perhaps a gradual demise, that drastic of a change threw me.

I wasn’t ready and was panicked because I didn’t see myself getting a full-time job in my county, and while I applied for some in New York, a three-hour daily commute would cost time and money that I hoped could be better spent. So we looked at ways to reduce expenses and lo and behold, found a fabulous house that I think I can safely say my boyfriend and I are much happier in than we were in our lovely but yuppie overpriced apartment. We didn’t know the old place wasn’t the perfect fit until this unexpected bad news.

Since then the one statement I’ve received has been a little better, and I hope that with the audiobook success of Gotta Have It and The Big Book of Orgasms plus whatever luck and mojo and whatever else goes into people’s erotica buying decisions, I am on track to have a much better 2014 sales track. But I learned that I can’t rely on those books, no matter how hard I’ve worked on them, how sexy the covers, how many readings or events I do or reviews the books get, to pay my rent. That is too risky and dangerous. So instead I buckled down and tried to be a better freelance writer, to follow up on leads, to push myself, to pursue topics that have nothing to do with sex, because I want to be a writer, not just a “sex writer” (I don’t mind being called a sex writer, but I’m tremendously grateful for editors who assign me stories that aren’t about sex too).

That panic itself and resulting realization that I need to carve new career paths and always be seeking new work and never being complacent was the silver lining. It let me be okay with the fact that these latest anthologies I’ve edited and have slated to come out this year and in 2015 may be my last. Would I miss the rhythm of the process if that’s the case? Of course. I’ve been editing anthologies steadily for the last decade. I’d like to think I have a handle on how it all works. But maybe the lesson is that that’s just hubris. Maybe I have no idea how the hell to launch a book and was tricking myself into thinking I do. Or maybe it was just a momentary blip and my books will come back and sell better than ever.

There are so many parts of the process, possibly all of them, that are out of my control, that I’ve had to step back and only try to control the things that are in my control. Whatever the future brings, I want to be as creatively fulfilled as I can and learn how to be a better businesswoman. I used to say yes to any and every reading, which was fine when I had a full time job and could afford it. Now I’m far more selective because any money spent traveling is money I have to account for more closely. Maybe it’s worth it if the event is special (and I do have free readings coming up July 14 in Alexandria, Virginia at Lotus Blooms, link coming soon, and September 3 at The Foundation for Sex Positive Culture in Seattle), but maybe that money would be better used for bills or another form of promotion. There’s no magic way to know in advance what’s the best way to approach all of this and I am learning every day. That is also a silver lining lesson: don’t get cocky. Don’t think you know more now than you did with book one. Beginner’s mind, always.

Today I got to sit in my backyard while our landlord set up a tent for a party we’re having. I got to sit on my swing and read a book I’m hoping to write about. I got to take a day off to spend with my boyfriend. This week I’ll get to go to Book Expo America not to do a signing, but to interview an author. I feel so lucky to get to do all the varied things I do, and I know that if I have to give up one aspect of what I do, it’s only because there’s something better waiting for me around the corner.

Maybe I shouldn’t be writing this (then again, probably all my best writing someone will think I “shouldn’t” have written it”) but I’m not sad at all. I cried that day I sat at my desk and saw that abysmal statement, because it felt like everything I’d worked for all these post-law school years was for nothing. But now I see that it wasn’t a reflection on me as a person or even me as an editor. It was the marketplace, and it was a lesson I needed, a kick in the pants to get out there and not make assumptions and push forward no matter what. It was a lesson I’d been ignoring the past few years, content to float by on the so-so status quo, and this year forced me out of that mindset, and into a new beautiful home. It’s let me travel to cover events in San Francisco and New Orleans and has kept me on my toes hunting for the next story, and the next and the next and for that, Nothing is permanent in this business, at least, in my experience, and while there are times when that unnerves me, I truly believe that all that means is it's up to me to keep figuring out what the next thing I should be doing is. Maybe it means some time away from editing anthologies to focus on writing longer work, maybe it means finding better ways to get my books into readers' hands, maybe it means a part-time job. Right now, it means tackling the work at hand one day at a time and being away that whatever the next step is, I can handle it. I don't need to panic because I've landed on my feet after leaving law school, after getting laid off from my first and so far only magazine job, after various columns and freelance gigs ended. Each has made room for the next project or assignment. I can only smile and be ready for whatever kind of creative work the future brings, whether it’s something I’ve done before or not.

Pre-order sale price for Hungry for More: Romantic Fantasies for Women

While it still says December 16th on Amazon, the actual pub date for my hot new erotica anthology, one of my very best in my opinion, is in August and while I have no advance knowledge of or control over Amazon pricing, I can tell you that the current Amazon pre-order price of $11.10 is likely the cheapest you'll find for the print edition (Bn.com has it for $11.32). With this book, every fantasy is different, and many are boundary pushing, including a woman getting it on with an 18-year-old. That was deliberate; I didn't want to play it safe or shy away from the taboo, the not just "naughty" but the truly naughty. For instance, "Madam Secretary" takes on a particularly notable spin considering a certain probably 2016 presidential candidate. You'll have to read the story yourself for the details on its political celebrity sex aspect.

I wanted to honor stories that took risks, that turned readers on while, perhaps, making them a little uncomfortable, pushing more than just the usual buttons, and I believe Hungry for More succeeds on all fronts. I think this will be a blazing hot beach read and can't wait to share it with all of you. Here's a little more info about the book and yes, it will be available as an ebook, probably in August or September, and, hopefully, an audiobook as well. These are both stories I want to read and stories I aspire to emulate because they pull no punches; they are daring and bold and feature women who pursue their most brazen fantasies, women I also hope to emulate. There are too many times with my writing where I play it safe, where I stick with the known rather than the unknown, and I'm so grateful that I didn't with my bukkake story "A First Time for Everything" (not, alas, the typo I made when I first typed this sentence, "A Fist Time for Everything") and that these authors didn't. So here's a chance to get this book at a bargain and in your hands as soon as it's for sale plus give the book a leg up because pre-orders basically do double duty in terms of holding a hell of a lot of power with online and brick and mortar retailers. The more pre-orders, the more copies the store will stock and attention the book will be given because they know there's a market for it.



Introduction: Getting Explicit

Submissive Jacqueline Applebee
Happy Endings Giselle Renarde
Craig’s List Greta Christina
Bringing the Heat Tiffany Reisz
Madam Secretary Jaye Markham
Kitchen Slut Olivia Archer
Just Once Jocelyn Dex
Boat Rocking D. L. King
The Sleeper’s Beauty Jade A. Waters
Upstairs at the Ava DelovelyOlive
Organically Grown Brandy Fox
The Room of Guarantees Jessica Lennox
Redrawing the Lines Bren Emile
Tickle Day Jeremy Edwards
Relief Katya Harris
Jailbait Torch Song Valerie Alexander
Red Lipstick Erzabet Bishop
Something Sleazy Elizabeth Coldwell
The Instructor Rose de Fer
My Pillar-Box Red Cock Tilly Hunter
A First Time for Everything Rachel Kramer Bussel

Introduction: Getting Explicit

When we fantasize, we give ourselves space to live out the naughtiest acts we can imagine. For me, fantasizing is like taking a trip to another world, where I can be as wanton, selfish and depraved as I like—and for that matter, that’s exactly what erotica writing does for me as well.

Fantasies don’t follow the rules, whether the ones society has set for us—and if you’re a woman, our culture has plenty of sex rules to rein you in—or the ones we’ve set for ourselves. Anything—and everything—goes. In the twenty-one stories in this book, I’ve tried to include both common and unusual fantasies, ones that speak to things you might do or want to do, ones that might unnerve you, ones that touch the edges of our most cherished taboos.

The title Hungry for More has multiple meanings—these characters do indeed want more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean more sex just to have more sex. Getting off isn’t a numbers game to these characters; it’s about accessing more pleasure, pushing more boundaries, trying new things, sometimes with new partners. Even when they get more of whatever it is they crave, they’re still hungry, because fulfilling one fantasy isn’t the end of their pleasure, but the beginning of a new and grand adventure.

The common thread here, whether the characters are having sex with strangers from Craig’s List, the organic produce clerk or the secretary of state, is that these women are unabashed in their desires. They may recognize that others might look at them askance, as in Valerie Alexander’s “Jailbait Torch Song,” but they follow through anyway, not letting anyone stop them from experiencing the ultimate thrill of playing out a dirty dream that’s often followed them through lovers, relationships and plenty of orgasms. These women often surprise their lovers with their adamant affirmations of lust, but they quickly realize the thrills to be found in venturing beyond their usual erotic boundaries.

The women in these pages know fantasies have a way of finding us, even—or especially—when we try to disavow them. They don’t care about propriety, reputations or acceptability. These fantasies—of public sex, BDSM, strap-on play, lesbian encounters, bukkake, watching male lovers and much more—speak so loudly they cannot be ignored. They insist on being heard, seen, touched. While in real life we may keep our most treasured fantasies tucked away for our most secret selves, in these tales, women’s fantasies are front and center, every explicit act laid bare. Luckily, here, in a book that perhaps you’ll enjoy in bed, or the bath, or wherever you do your erotic reading, you get to watch—and live vicariously through these brazen, taboo-busting women, who are willing to go all the way in the name of living out whatever wild, wicked scenarios their lustiest selves have dreamt up. I invite you to come along for the ride.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
Red Bank, New Jersey

Help me and The Big Book of Submission by reviewing or joining the blog tour!

I don't want to make this a downer of a post, so I'll summarize and say that I'm thinking about easing out of erotica editing to focus on fiction writing and journalism not because I don't love editing anthologies as much as I did with my very first one way back in 2004, but because that's what the marketplace is telling me. After over 50 anthologies, I'm realizing that I actually know very little about what will make a book succeed or fail, and though I've tried to do different things over the years from free live readings to postcards to giveaways, at this point I can only assume my books' success or failure is pretty much beyond my control. Which is a little depressing but I'm trying to turn those lemonades into, if not lemonade, something that will help guide me as I figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

I just reread the whole book to proofread it and was blown away at how much hotness, dirtiness and creativity each other brought to their 1,200 words or less. There's the true depth of submission here, from training a dom to taking naked selfies to pushing oneself far beyond the limits you thought you were capable of. No book can cover every variety of submission, but these 69 stories offer a wide range that I'm so proud of. Some authors wowed me so much I have 2 of their stories in the book.

I owe it to my authors to make sure their words reach as wide an audience as possible, and that's where you come in! I feel that responsibility even more when I'm handling three times the number of authors in a book like the soon-to-be-published The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales , which puts a BDSM twist on the short short erotica you've seen in Gotta Have It and The Big Book of Orgasms . While BDSM may seem "hot" right now, I suspect a book as deeply kinky as The Big Book of Submission will need a little more help reaching those who might like it than one with "orgasms" in the title, which is perhaps a bit more universal. So where do you come in?

Well, I'm asking for those who like BDSM erotica to help spread the word by either posting a review on Amazon.com by August 31st (U.S. only, sorry that's all I can afford) or joining the August 2014 blogger book tour. Either way you'll get a copy of the book by early July free in your mailbox and then you'll either post a review on Amazon or blog about the book on your blog, which could mean a review, excerpt, interview with me or one of the authors, along with a few links. For Amazon, you MUST have made a previous purchase on the site and because I've had people sign up and then flake, I will need your Amazon profile URL. I can only afford to send these out to those who will actually follow through on their reviews, so if you can't do it by August 31st, don't sign up. If you are interested, email shortsubmissionantho at gmail.com with either "Amazon" in the subject line and your name, U.S. mailing address and Amazon profile URL or email shortsubmissionantho at gmail.com with "Tour" in the URL and your name and mailing address. I or Cleis Press will send your copy of the book as soon as they arrive from the printer, which means you should get it by early July. For the tour, you will be assigned an August 2014 tour date and then I will link to your blog that day from the book's Tumblr, @submissionbook on Twitter and Facebook. I believe in this book and would love to see it reach people who may not think of themselves as readers of BDSM erotica as well as, of course, those who love BDSM erotica. Thank you for anything you can do to spread the word! I'd love to be proved wrong and have my books come out swinging in 2014 and go on to edit dozens more. That would make me very happy, but either way, I want the next few books to have the best shot possible, and your help makes a huge difference. Both of these offers are on a limited basis until my supply of books is spoken for and the month of August is filled, so if you're interested, get in touch ASAP. I'll update this post once all the copies are spoken for. Want to give it an extra boost after you get your free copy? Rate it on Goodreads or add it now to your want to read list (yes, powers that be pay attention to every bit of data about a book they can find).



A little blurb I wrote for the postcard (get one at the Cleis Press booth this week at Book Expo America at the Javits Center in New York or at my on May 30th in NYC!):

What do you do when the person who pushes all your buttons orders you to do something that makes your heart pound—whether with fear, arousal or both? Gotta Have It and The Big Book of Orgasms editor Rachel Kramer Bussel is back with a new book bursting with BDSM stories of all kinds. From a student who returns to school his teacher in bondage to a woman tasked with taking x-rated dressing room selfies, these sexy tales exult in kinky power play. From spanking and stripping to dungeons and dinners, a “Naughty Prof” to “Breathless Obedience” and “Training My Dom,” these men and women go all the way in order to submit to their creative tops.

The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Introduction: The Many Meanings of Submission (see below)

I Want to Feel You Joy Faolán
Naughty Prof Louisa Bacio
Strip Medea Mor
Training My Dom Tilly Hunter
Dear Sir Kay Jaybee
Put Your Hands Up Sommer Marsden
Crunches Annabeth Leong
Butch Unbound Salome Wilde
The Prodigy Valerie Alexander
Beautiful Teresa Noelle Roberts
Lariat Michelle Augello-Page
Toasted Marshmallows Tilly Hunter
The Shoot D.L. King
Sunday in the Art Gallery with George Elizabeth Coldwell
The Third Plug Nick Mamatas
Others Jade A. Waters
Without Question Lucy Felthouse
In the Darkness Regina Lafayette
The Test Kristina Wright
Patiently Waiting Alyssa Morris
Brunch L.C. Spoering
Love and Salt Erzabet Bishop
Brazen Kathleen Delaney-Adams
Story Time Inara Serene
Princess Amelia June
Contact Shenoa Carroll-Bradd
For Her Art Elise Hepner
Working It Out Roger Markson
Control Cate Ellink
Unanchored Corrine Arundo
Fucktoy Lady Lucretia
Caramel Kathleen Tudor
The Bulldog Breed Lisette Ashton
Mistress Raven Olivia Archer
Following Orders Jade Melisande
Writer’s Block Kitten Boheme
Help! My Wife’s a Former Dominatrix! Angela R. Sargenti
That Moment When Martha Davis
The Dinner Erzabet Bishop
Room with a View Rose de Fer
Fitting Assignment Marie Rebelle
Spider Valerie Alexander
The Chrome Plated Connection Ginger F.
How to Fail Laurel Isaac
Crush Giselle Renarde
Housebroken Laila Blake
Stronger Than Steel Alva Rose
Student Becomes Master Rob Rosen
Where the Sun Don’t Shine Corvidae
Object Regina Kammer
The Control Tower Olivia Summersweet
Long Skirt Gigi Frost
Breathless Obedience Cèsar Sanchez Zapata
Mine Roxanna Cross
Second Date Alice Gauntley
Table Manners M. Marie
Teddy, Bare Jere Haken
The Problem is, I’m a Bitch Corrine Arundo
The Lost Suitcase Tamsin Flowers
The Rhino C. Margery Kempe
Marni’s Working Area Dominic Santi
Lost in the Feeling Nicole Gestalt
Choker Sean Finn
Reverse Psychology Rachel Kramer Bussel
Aftermath Michael in Texas
Take Down Marievie
Hard Things Joy Faolán
Breathless Dorla Moorehouse
Perfect Gentleman Donna George Storey

Introduction: The Many Meanings of Submission

Submission means so many different things to different people, which is why I’m delighted to present to you sixty-nine varieties of serving, spanking, obeying, taunting, teasing, worshipping and more. These very short stories offer a glimpse into the mindset of those who live to serve, who desire to be bound or spanked or told what to do—or perhaps all three. They get off on giving themselves over to the men and women who control them, whether in the bedroom or the world beyond.

When the narrator of Corrine Arundo’s “Unanchored” is ordered to masturbate, the “submissive vixen” shares some of the magic of the command: “I love the words, like sharp pokes into my cerebral cortex, tricking me into forgetting everything else but this moment.” In many of these stories, a pet phrase or command is enough to trigger the submissive’s desire.

What many of these submissives want is to be seen, acknowledged, known and valued precisely for their eagerness to give every part of themselves over to another person. “I want to never be able to hide from you,” Joy Faolán writes in “I Want to Feel You,” which perfectly encapsulates the way the tops in these stories exhibit their mastery from the inside out.

You’ll find so much here, from naughty professors to sadistic former students to sex clubs, art galleries, photo shoots and more. Wherever the setting, the submission exhibited in these stories runs deep, far below the surface of the recipients’ tender skin, far louder than their cries of pleasure (and pain). Whether you read one story a day or devour them all at once, I hope these quick and dirty stories turn you on to new authors and new naughty possibilities.

Rachel Kramer Bussel

I'm moderating Sex Talk Tuesday May 14th from 4-5pm EST on erotica

On Tuesday, May 13th from 4-5 pm EST, I'll be taking a break from RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans to moderate #SexTalkTuesday on Twitter. Just visit that hashtag and/or @SexTalkTuesday and join the discussion which will center around what makes a good erotica and what kind of erotica you like.

New York City erotica writing workshop May 30th at 7 pm, during BEA

A reminder for New Yorkers and those who'll be in town for BEA (Book Expo America) that I'll be teaching my Writing Erotica for Pleasure & Money workshop on Friday, May 30, 7:30-9 p.m. for The New York Academy of Sex Education, to be held at The Pleasure Chest, 1150 Second Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side. It's $25, which includes a resources handout/bibliography and you can sign up right here. If you know anyone who wants to break into erotica writing, please let them know. Each workshop is a little different and I give practical tips on submitting to publishers and anthologies that are looking for your work now. I've been incredibly impressed with the attendees at NYASE and am looking forward to teaching there again. I'll also be fresh off attending RT Booklovers Convention so will probably have some extra tips!

Whether you’re writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop is for you. You are sure to find growth with the very prolific, award winning erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. She will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, find your voice, and write against type. She will talk about incorporating everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing. Rachel will teach you how to groom your writing to fit particular magazines and anthologies. And how to submit your work and keeping up with the thriving erotica market (including anthologies, ebooks, magazines and websites). Materials Needed: Please bring a laptop or paper and pen.

Fifty Shades of Grey roleplaying article at Nerve

I wrote about some of the many Fifty Shades of Grey roleplaying families on Twitter for Nerve. Learned a lot!