Cheyenne Blue's Blog, page 17
March 5, 2014
Three of Hearts
I received my favorite kind of email today – a story acceptance. Yes, that’s even better than an email telling me I’ve won the Swiss lottery (again…). This one is particularly happy-making, as it’s an anthology put together by one of my favorite editors, Kristina Wright, and put out by one of my favorite publishers, Cleis Press.
Three of Hearts, which is scheduled to hit the shelves sometime in October this year promises to be a smorgasbord of threesome erotic romance. There I am, smooshed in with some great writers between the covers.
Check out the table of contents below:
Foreword – Alison Tyler
Introduction: Three’s the Charm
Movie Night – Tiffany Reisz
An Extra Pair of Eyes – Rachel Kramer Bussel
Eve’s Apple Red – Angela Capteron
Experience and Expectations – Kathleen Tudor
The Mistress in the Brat – Skylar Kade
What Happens in Denver – Cheyenne Blue
Old Habits – Mina Murray
Medley of Desire – A.J. Lyle
A Thief in the Night – Giselle Renarde
Drinking Games with Cowboys – Axa Lee
The Last Day of Summer – Veronica Wilde
Full Circle – Jade Melisande
Whose Anniversary Is It Anyway? – Annabeth Leong
Limits of Endurance – Ariel Graham
Uncharted Seas – Chris Komodo
Three for the Road -Kristina Wright
March 4, 2014
Where am I now? How about now?
February 24, 2014
Check me out at Lisabet Sarai’s blog
I’m guest blogging over at the very wonderful Lisabet Sarai’s blog today, talking about writer’s downtime.
February 22, 2014
Look! New cover!
Look! Great new cover for the new edition of Flying High: Sexy Stories from the Mile High Club, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, which is due out from Cleis in March.
February 15, 2014
Smutmas – Forbidden Fruit CFS
The good people over at Smutters have this great calender going for 2014. A year of smut – a different author each day. Lots of interesting posts, lots of new books to check out, lots of prizes to be won.
I’ll be posting over there next month, however in the meantime, my Call for Submissions for Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire is posted over there.
Check it out, and check out the rest of the calender while you’re over there.
February 10, 2014
Guest Post: Smut by the Sea
Smut by the Sea 14th June 2014.
When you think of Scarborough, many good things jump to mind. From the beach and many arcades to fish, chips and ice cream but I don’t suppose erotica is automatically one of those things. Well on the 14th June this year for the second time Smut by the Sea will take place at Scarborough library and it’s going to get really smutty.
What is it? Good question. It’s a gathering of authors and readers of erotica and erotic romance. There will be talks on Inspiration from Victoria Blisse, Writing Better Erotica from KD Grace and Social Media and promotion with Lucy Felthouse.
There’s also an afternoon stuffed full of sexy snippets read by the authors themselves, a free lunch and the unique and much loved Erotic Tombola and book stall, to feed your need for smut! If you ask nicely you can get your favourite authors to sign the books for you.
It’s a fun gathering of like-minded folk and if you want to attend you can pick up your tickets here. It’s £20 for all day and that includes your buffet lunch. A complete bargain. All the details you need can be found at http://smutbythesea.co.uk . There is still room in the reading slam, so if you’re interested in joining in with a 5 min reading (not a moment more or you get spanked!) then drop Victoria a line. Victoria @victoriablisse.co. uk (no spaces) and she’ll pencil you in!
If you live in a far flung corner of the world and can’t make it to Scarborough you can check out the advertising options so you can be with us in spirit. We’re also still looking for sponsors, if you or someone you know wants some fabulous, focused promotion then check out the Sponsor options.
The smutters look forward to seeing you there!
February 6, 2014
Call for Submissions: Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire
This has been a while in the making, but I am now able to make this public. I’m going to be editing my first anthology with the very wonderful Ladylit . To say I’m excited about this project is an understatement. Last night as I was whizzing around the room making dinner, there were all sorts of little dance steps and booty shakes and “oh yeah”s mixed in with the stirfry.
Ladylit has made quite an impression on the lesbian erotica scene recently, and I’m very happy and proud to be a part of their stable for this project.
Enough waffle. Here are the details. Please feel free to pass these along. I look forward to reading your stories.
Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire
Editor: Cheyenne Blue
Publisher: Ladylit
Deadline: 15 May 2014
Payment: US$40.00 plus a copy of e-book and paperback
Rights: First worldwide digital rights and print rights.
Forbidden Fruit. She’s off limits but the attraction burns so bright it’s impossible to resist.
Cheyenne Blue is seeking stories of lesbian passion on this theme. Think teacher and student. A best friend’s ex—or current—lover. A monogamous couple tempted by a threesome. A traveler leaving on the next plane. A much younger—or older—woman. A straight woman. The bad girl heartbreaker. The attraction between characters should scorch the pages and sexual tension is as important as the actual sex. As for the sex, think hot and desperate. Think once-to-get-it-out-of-our-system sex. Or this-really-is-the-last-time sex.
Please note the usual no-nos still apply: no incest / underage sex / rape / necrophilia / bestiality / scat. No poetry please.
Preferred length: 2500 – 5000 words
Unpublished stories strongly preferred, although a couple of reprints might be used. Reprints must be solely owned by the author.
US English. Please submit a double-spaced Microsoft Word document, using a 12-point serif font, such as Georgia or Times New Roman. One inch margins. If using a pen name, include both real and pen name on the manuscript.
Send your story as a .doc or .rtf file attachment to Cheyenne Blue at forbiddenfruitantho@gmail.com. Please include Forbidden Fruit and your story title in the subject line. In the body of the email please include your legal name, pseudonym, a short bio, and previous publication information if the story is a reprint.
Established authors welcomed, newcomers encouraged. I look forward to reading your work.
All submissions acknowledged within 3 days and acceptances notified by 15 June 2014.
About the editor: Cheyenne Blue’s erotic fiction has been included in over 90 erotic anthologies since 2000. Under her own name she has written travel books and articles, and edited anthologies of local writing in Ireland.
The Deliciously Tormented Alison Tyler
Today, here on my little corner of Blogsville, I’m hosting the marvelous Alison Tyler, author, editor, blogger extraordinaire, and herder of cats. One of Alison’s most recent projects (I should add ‘prolific’ to those descriptors) is (to date) two books which evolved from a series of blog posts loosely based around her own memoirs. The first book, “Dark Secret Love”, introduced us to Samantha, a young submissive with a penchant for combat boots, and her life and loves.
And now, after what seems like a really long wait, we have the sequel “The Delicious Torment”.
You can read my review on Goodreads.
Alison was kind enough to drop by to answer a few questions about the books, her writing process, and of course herself.
Cheyenne Blue: This series, of which The Delicious Torment is the second book, is based on your own memoirs. It takes a special kind of courage to expose yourself in this way (I know I couldn’t do it). Did you set out to write in such a deeply personal way, or was it something that evolved?
Alison Tyler: I hardly ever plan anything. I’m not kidding. I tend to fall ass-backwards into most of my projects. This series began with a single blog post (back in 2006)—and then followed with another 180 or so posts over a year and a half. I have 500,000 words (so far) on the project. This is like nothing I’ve ever worked on before. Have you read Kitchen Confidential? If so, you might remember a scene where the chef has to “feed the bitch.”
That’s a little bit of how I feel for this project. The thing has grown far beyond what I ever imagined. The books have taken on a whole life of their own.
CB: Most erotica writers have experienced an “Oh, you write erotica” comment, said in negative tones. What’s your snappiest comeback to those who would judge you for what you write?
AT: I wish I were snappy. I read all the Al Jaffee “snappy answers to stupid questions” books. I idolize snark. But truly, I am thin-skinned. My feelings get hurt. Even if I have on my kick-ass combat boots and my favorite leather, I am easy to wound. But you’re right. People feel totally comfortable giving others shit for their lifestyles. This is what happened to me several years ago…
CB: There’s a general perception that an experienced Dom will recognize the need for submission in a sub, even before the sub recognizes it in themselves. Does this work in reverse?
AT: I made a Dom once. Yes, I did. Out of barbed wire, tobacco, beat-up Levis, burnt matches, and shoe polish. No, just kidding. I did turn a man onto his own hidden desires once upon a time. He’d never given in to his fantasies before, and I unlocked that door and showed him who he really was. And who he really was equaled one fuck of a tough Dom.
CB: Quote a favorite paragraph from The Delicious Torment . One paragraph, no more, no less, and tell us why it works for you:
Closing my eyes now, I try to recall how I managed to make myself get into that frightening metal puppy cage. Maybe it was what Juliette had said: Alex didn’t fight. Perhaps it was the fact that Alex was right there, his eyes on me, silently watching my every move, willing me to fail. I sensed that he wished I would cause a scene. My disobedience would make him look more superiorly submissive, wouldn’t it? Alex, I could tell, always wanted to be the top boy. He needed the gold star on his forehead, the A+ on his chest.
AT: There’s a lot to swallow in this scene. But I particularly like the fight Sam has with herself. She doesn’t want to get into the cage, but she also doesn’t want to let Alex “win.” I’m bizarrely competitive. Mostly with myself. I set goals and I try to crush them. I absolutely love the balance here—a war within her mind (and with Alex) to be the best.
CB: I adore the ( US edition) cover art for “Dark Secret Love” and “The Delicious Torment”. Did you have any input in this?
AT: Cleis sent me ten covers to choose from for “Dark Secret Love.” The final one was the only one in my opinion. Absolutely, pure perfection. For “The Delicious Torment,” I begged for a matching cover. Something that would look beautiful next to the first. We went through several rounds before landing on this one.
CB: Boxers or briefs on a man?
AT: Boxer briefs, please.
CB: Satin, lace, cotton, or microfiber on a woman?
AT: Microfiber? You’re so evolved. I don’t even know what that is. For me, satin. In different colors. I appreciate the art of knickers all swirled together in the drawer. But I also have a bit of a hard-on for day-of-the-week cotton panties.
CB: Your style is uniquely your own, to the point where I think I could pick out your writing from a “line-up” of other writers. Are there writers who’ve had an influence on your style?
AT: Oh, I love that. Like a taste test. Which one is by Alison? We played a game like that on my blog awhile back. Thomas Roche and I each wrote stories for His and Hers, but we did not say which ones we wrote on the TOC. I asked readers to guess which were by him and which were by me. Many people chose correctly.
My stories have been influenced by many different writers. I think “Broken” (which appears in Twisted) is the closest I’ve ever come to writing like Elmore Leonard.
CB: You can nip over to Alison’s blog and try your hand at picking Who Wrote What. Match the author to the snippet. I had to put my money where my mouth is, so I’ve had a go. Not as easy as it sounds…
CB: What (or who) do you read for pleasure?
AT: I have read nearly all of Elmore Leonard’s books. Many on repeat. But I favor memoirs (although I didn’t realize that for years). So I have battered copies of Kitchen Confidential, The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, Tender At the Bone, Wrecking Crew, Just Kids, The Diaries of Kenneth Tynan, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Life, The Basketball Diaries, Nickel and Dimed. I want to read Angelica Huston’s memoir, A Story Lately Told, because I’ve read several exotic-sounding excerpts. Honestly, I didn’t know I gravitated to memoirs until I did a double take of my bookshelf a few years ago. And there they were. All in a row.
CB: There’s a lot of chatter on word counts lately. Do you set yourself a word count goal for your writing day or week?
AT: No. I can produce a huge amount of words in a short period of time if I need to. But my best work comes fairly organically. Some of my books have taken months to write, others have taken years. I have over 250 stories “in process” in my “new stories folder” at this moment. (My man says I’m insane.) But this is just how my brain works.
I write all the time.
The only point at which I pay attention to word counts is when I’m running out of words. That is, when I’m nearing the end of a novel, I watch to make sure I don’t go over.
CB: In “The Delicious Torment”, Samantha writes with a pen and pad. Is this something you do too? Is there a special brain–to-pen connection that doesn’t work for brain-to-keyboard?
AT: I’m bisexual. I mean, ambidextrous. That is, I swing both ways. I write in longhand and on the computer, depending on where I am. But I have whole notebooks of drafts of stories. I like flipping through the pages. Confession: I’ve got a fetish for notes.
Check out my blog: scruffyjottings.blogspot.com
CB: Planner or Pantser?
AT: Yes. For some books, I do sketch out the plot. Generally, I have the ideas for the beginning, middle, and end—and the rest falls into place. For short stories, I often simply have the wisp of what will happen in my head. Right now, I’m finishing up a story called WYSIWYG. I knew the whole entire thing when I came up with the title.
CB: If you were coming to dinner at my house, what would you want me to cook? What would you bring?
AT: I would bring champagne. Because I don’t cook. And I have simple tastes. French fries, hot and crispy with plenty of salt. Chicken wings with Frank’s hot sauce. Or sushi—tiny little bites of perfection. Wow, I guess what I’m saying is that I like to eat with my hands and I like to lick my fingers clean.
CB: Thank you, Alison. *applause*
January 31, 2014
Chocoholic needs your unctuous chocolate themed stories!
Chocoholic needs your unctuous chocolate themed stories!
Do you love Chocolate?
Do you write Erotica?
Did you know you could combine the two into a decadent delight?
Last year lots of wonderful Erotic Writers did just that to bring you “Smut for Chocoholics” (http://smutters.co.uk/smut-for-chocoholics)
This year we want lots more of the same with “More Smut for Chocoholics” (you know one chunk is just never enough!) so we want your chocolate themed erotica, it can be from any genre even fantasy, sci-fi, historical or futuristic as long as it has an erotic twist and features chocolate somehow. We are looking for stories between 3,000 – 6,000 words. So have a few sticks of your choccy of choice and get inspired!
The rest of the information about the call for subs can be found at http://smutters.co.uk/calls-for-subs/more-smut-for-chocoholics
January 22, 2014
Life’s (not) too short to read bad books
It used to be that if I started a book, I made myself finish it, even if I hated every word, every minute I spent reading it. I’d plod on, determined to reach the end, as if admitting that I hated it was a personal failure. Later, in the knowledge there are so many millions of books in the world, it used to be that if a book hadn’t grabbed me by the end of the first chapter, I’d toss it aside. If I wasn’t enjoying it 30 pages in, then it was unlikely to change. Then there was subject matter. A thriller? No way. Horror? *shudders* I’m too much of a pussycat to read horror. Stories focusing around parenthood? Get me out of here. But that was then and this is now.
Nowadays I’ve struck a happy balance. If a book hasn’t grabbed me by the end of the first chapter, I’ll read the second, the third and maybe the fourth. Past that, I will set it aside. If a book is sloppily written or poorly edited, I can get past that if the story is compelling, if the plot sucks me in, if the characters make me love (or hate) them. It’s still a great book for the pleasure it brings, even if it’s not a “great” book. While I’m still a cowardy-custard when it comes to horror, I’ll give it a go if the back blurb is intriguing or someone whose opinion I trust recs it. There are thrillers that have me hooked. Books where parenting is the focus still leave me cold, but I’m sure if I thought for long enough I’d come up with something that I’ve read and adored.
I love red curry tofu. But when I go to a Thai restaurant, I don’t have red curry tofu every time. I’ll try something I don’t know, or that doesn’t sound too pleasant, and hope that I enjoy it. Most of the time I do. Sure, I could live on red curry tofu, but it would get a little dull over time. Where’s the stimulation to the taste buds?
It’s now the same with books. Political thriller? Sure. Zombie apocalypse? I’ll give it a go. You’d have to tie me up, duct tape my eyes open, and balance the book on my nose to get me to read right-wing propaganda, but beyond that it’s up for negotiation.
