Liz Everly's Blog, page 69

My Obsession with the Impish, Irritable Charm of David Tennant

by Madeline Iva

It all started while watching Broadchurch.

First of all, I admit to watching Broadchurch–a British show–with the English subtitles on. I can follow what they’re saying without subtitles–especially the second time through–but it takes a lot of concentration.  David Tennant’s character ladles out a full-on Scottish accent that’s sometimes all vowels and no consonants. But they are glllllllorious vowels! I love hearing him talk Scottish.  Of course I want to comprehend what he’s actually saying too, thus the subtitles.

And Tennant is Scottish. You may have heard of the American version of Broadchurch called Gracepoint.  But I mean, come on — he doesn’t have an accent in the American version, so what’s the point?

The Tennant obsession is new for me but it started the same way all my actor-obsessions start.

I call it the Orlando Bloom effect.  Here’s how it works: you are riveted by the performance of a hot new actor in a movie.  You look him/her up on IMBD to see what else s/he’s done, and it turns out that you’ve been watching that actor for a while, you just didn’t notice.

The first time I saw Lord of the Rings I thought the plot was all about an elf named Legolas and a variety of other people.  But Orlando Bloom had also done Black Hawk Down.  Who knew?

What am I doing in the 40’s? Oh, wait, I forgot I’m a time lord.

I’d seen Tennant in Harry Potter without noticing.  I’d seen Tennant in Foyle’s War and noted to self, “what a curiously handsome/hot guy to be playing that role.” But then, as Georgette Heyer would say, “the scales fell from my eyes,” when I watched him in Broadchurch.  The obsession began in earnest while watching him play the villain in Jessica Jones. He does snarky really well–and whatever the role, he always is intelligent.  Even as the most evil man alive, you don’t really believe he’s the kind of guy who cheats on a woman.

In Broadchurch his character is so unhappy he’s not even in the land of the living, really. All the same he chews his Scottish accent and remains a distant observer looking over the small town with a cynical eye as he guides his side-kick through her first murder investigation. He doesn’t like anyone, but he’s an excellent mentor–and ten thousand women across the land heave a big sigh.

Of course, Dr. Who never winds up with anyone permanently–because he’s saving himself for *me*.

His character in Broadchurch doesn’t like hugs. Perhaps this is because of playing the hottest Dr. Who ever. I just recently started watching the Who series as a way of catching up on all things Tennant.  On the show he is often enthusiastic and affectionate in those impulsive moments right after saving the universe.  Again.  Eight years of cheery embraces, bleh! I imagine there’s a clause in his Broadchurch contract that reads “No hugging. Ever.” Meanwhile, his character on Broadchurch relishes two things: his own anger and signs that a suspect is about to crack.

There is no romance between the two main characters in Broadchurch – yet. They are accused of sleeping together in season two. (Yay!) They haven’t slept together–at least not in the biblical sense of the word – and they aren’t romantically/physically obsessed with each other. No, the show leaves that for the watchers at home.  Like me.

The plausibility factor of the accusation that they slept together rests on the fact that, yes, the jury must have noticed that he’s good looking, and how could she not jump his bones? No one else seems to notice his looks on the show–least of all himself.  It’s not like Tennant tries to be sexy.  It’s not like he’d know how.  But he can’t quite manage to be a geek either, he’s just too good looking.  So he’s somewhere in between.

Yes, we still like irritable men and their cold wonky hearts.

But what really kills me is that every now and then he kind of turns to his side kick in Broadchurch. Sort of leans towards her.  Says thinks like “I could kiss you” when she turns up with a good bit of evidence.

He’s careful and tender with her when things go ‘tits up’ at the end. It’s utter catnip for viewers. Especially since it plays against the grain of his typical misanthropic views.  Those are the precise moments that string me along. God I’m so messed up.

Let’s face it, mostly Tennant plays the good looking, decent, intelligent–and here’s the key–unattainable man. Ugh! Why are women like me so f***ed up about this stuff?  Or maybe we just like a challenge.

So if you’ve seen Broadchurch, if you’ve watched Jessica Jones, if you’ve consumed all three seasons of Dr. Who over the holidays– what else are you as a David Tennant fan supposed to do? Well, there’s a wee little Scottish rom-com called THE DECOY BRIDE, on Netflix. Check it out.

Meanwhile, Tennant is one of those men who keeps getting better with age. Better watch out George Clooney.

Follow us at Lady Smut where you’ll enjoy you’re time with us like you’re the time lord himself.

Madeline Iva writes fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance.  Her novella ‘Sexsomnia’ is available in our LadySmut anthology HERE, and her fantasy romance, WICKED APPRENTICE, will be out March 15th.

Just Do It – Later

No writing, please, we’re petting the cat.

By Elizabeth Shore

Happy new year, sexies! As Kirsten Hallie Krum sagely pointed out on Monday, the holidays are fun but enough already. There’s only so much white chocolate peppermint bark, sparkly clothes, and confusion over what to wish people that we can take. Now it’s time to move on and get cracking. Dust off that writing project. Submit that manuscript. And for pete’s sake, post something new on your website.

With the old year’s bags packed and the new year just getting settled in, we feel refreshed and invigorated. We’re determined to finish that novel, quit smoking, get a new job, and lose ten pounds. In theory, it all sounds great. New year, new leaf. But then …

Well, but then reality sets in. Doing those things requires work. Honest-to-goodness, not-necessarily-fun, this-might-take-a-long-time work. And then, well, then we quick as a bunny find excuses to procrastinate.

Here’s a familiar scenario: I’m going to start writing. I turn on my computer. Oh, but then I realize I can’t write without coffee. I get up to make the coffee, and my cats start meowing because I haven’t given them their treats, so then I do that. Having to pet them is also required. OK, so that’s done. Now I make the coffee. While it’s brewing I could be efficient and go to the bathroom so I won’t have to interrupt myself for that once I get going. Good strategy, right?

OMG – those PORES!!!

But while I’m in the bathroom I happen to glance at myself in the scream-inducing super ultra magnifying mirror and realize – to my horror – that my pores are absolutely HUGE! OMG, I had no idea. Well, there’s NO WAY I can go on writing with these jumbo craters planted on my face. Something must be done. Where’s my astringent?

Whew. Dodged a bullet there. OK, so now I can finally sit down to write. Shit, but I forgot my coffee. I return to the kitchen, pour the java. Hmmm. Is that my stomach growling … ?

And so on. You get the drift, and I would guess have probably had your own variation on the theme. Suddenly things that I’ve let fester for ages become hellishly important to be done RIGHT NOW. Anything, apparently, instead of writing. ‘Cause writing, you know, as much as we love it, is a f**k ton of work. At the New Jersey Romance Writer’s conference I attended last fall, one of the panel speakers (alas, I can’t recall who it was) said she didn’t really like writing so much as she liked having written. To that I can completely relate. When I actually do get down to writing, and then later come back to it and read over what I’ve done, it’s an immensely satisfying feeling. Even if I dramatically change what I’ve written or ultimately decide I can’t use it in my book, the fact that I strapped down and put words on the page is deeply rewarding. So why do I keep putting it off?

Clinical Psychologist Lisa Juliano, who specializes in working with artists, writes in PsychologyToday.com that putting off certain routine tasks may happen because of how we identify with those tasks. They may be conventional, routine, or ordinary, which is exactly the opposite of the way we see ourselves. We artists, especially, are free-spirited, non-traditional, and certainly unconventional. We’re far from ordinary so why would we find ourselves doing ordinary things?

I guess that’s one theory. For me, however, procrastination with writing is simply the delaying of that which is hard. Staring at my pores, petting my cats and making coffee are all routine tasks (well, maybe not so much the pore thing, thank goodness), which I’m perfectly happy to do. Anything that gives me respite from the hard grind of writing is fair game.

In the end, however, once I finally do get my butt in the chair and start writing, the reward at the end of the tunnel, the feeling of having created something of which I’m personally proud, is unmatched by any amount of routine delayers. So in 2016, I may still have giant pores, but I’ll also have the creation of stories under my belt about which I can feel good. Rock on, writers.

 

Satisfaction … Through Satisfaction

Simon’s got plenty of room on the passenger side. And the back seat.

By Alexa Day

I’ve been venting about TV quite a bit lately.

Scandal — aside from that one bold move — is frustrating me. My favorite nighttime soap, The Haves and the Have Nots, is out of reach on my abbreviated cable plan. Sleepy Hollow is in the rearview mirror. The Walking Dead won’t be back for weeks.

Thank the TV deities for Satisfaction.

I remember watching the first episode of Satisfaction, which has just ended its second season. In a nutshell, it’s the story of a man, Neil Truman, who discovers his wife, Grace, has been having frequent sex with a male escort, Simon.

Neil responds by becoming an escort himself.

Now, to be fair, Neil didn’t go right to ho’ing for answers. He tried meditation, too. And it’s not like he consciously chose That Life. He just ended up with Simon’s phone during a raised-voice conversation they had. Kind of the way Rose ended up with the diamond in Titanic. Neil just takes his time returning the phone.

Hey, Rose didn’t exactly rush to give that diamond back, either.

I’m giving you a really small nutshell, mind you. There’s more to the story than just Neil.

During the dissolution of their marriage, Grace begins a powerful period of sexual exploration. Adriana, Simon’s employer, enjoys a level of feminine power rarely seen on TV, which makes her brief moments of vulnerability more striking. And Simon’s got his own problems.

While I’m waiting to hear about Satisfaction’s third season — because it is criminal that Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars has a future if Satisfaction does not — I’d like to share with you all just a few of the reasons I’m in love with Satisfaction.

1. It makes me think. Satisfaction consistently raises more questions than it answers. And I love having questions. Do we have to discuss nude photo sessions with our spouses? Is it acceptable to receive diamond necklaces from escorts who are now friends? Is it even possible to be friends with an escort? Would any of us consider hiring an escort, becoming an escort, starting an escort business with a spouse? No one comes away with clean hands. Everyone makes mistakes. And in Through Psychedelics, Neil and Grace face one hell of a consequence for their behavior. But there is always something to think about, and that’s the sexiest bonus of all.

2. But let’s not discount the sex. I really think the hottest sex on basic cable is right here on Satisfaction. Grace and Neil make up on a grand scale in Through Struggle, and of course, it’s a joy to watch Simon work. Who doesn’t love a man who loves his job? Adriana’s description of BDSM, in just a few moments of the episode Through Bondage, sets right almost everything made so very wrong by That Book with the Tie. At one point, while skinny dipping with Grace (had to be there), Adriana tells her that women are the Lewis and Clark of their own bodies, with a mandate to explore and survey the territory. Sexual exploration — the frontiers and boundaries and the decisions to break through to the other side — forms the molten core around which Satisfaction revolves.

Who says pimpin’ ain’t easy? Not Adriana.

3. Simon. The worn out cliche of Hooker with a Heart is made gloriously new again with Simon Waverly. Played by Blair Redford, Simon is definitely a man who enjoys his job and gives a damn about how well he does it. But Simon brings a charming curiosity about love, marriage, and relationships to his work as well. After a conjugal visit with a client, he wonders how his client’s marriage (to another convict in a distant prison) works around him. Is he just a stand-in for a husband who is merely physically absent? Is he content with that? Simon enters the series with a clear vision of who he is and what he wants, but as time progresses, his life becomes increasingly complicated, and he has to adapt, evolve, and keep exploring. He’s a delight to watch — and not just because of that well honed body.

4. The scenes. Adriana delights in lavish parties; her 1950s-themed bash at Neil’s office in Through Negotiation is a feast for the senses. Fancy period dress and lots of space to watch or be watched … it’s the sort of party I eulogized before the holiday break. Adriana also introduces us to the masturbation bar, a try-before-you-buy shop where Grace chooses a high-end vibrator — her first sex toy. (It’s a Lelo. I can attest to its many virtues.) All the parties and locations are enough to make a person wonder if such things can be real in this world or what we might do to make them real.

Where should you start? Well, if you can, you should start from the beginning and binge on all 20 episodes. If you must pick and choose, however, be sure you catch the pilot and the second-season episodes Through Bondage, Through Struggle, and Through Negotiation. Things only get hotter and deeper in season 2, and the promise of a third season has me all giggly.

And if you want to stay satisfied? Follow Lady Smut.

Kicking the Holidays to the Curb

Is it just me, or is anyone else deliriously happy to see the back-end of the holiday season?

Every year, the holidays seem more and more stressful. Gift buying. Tree trimming. Office parties. Hallmark movies. Do we say Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, or Hail Santa. (Don’t spell that last one wrong. Trust me.)

I sound Grinchy with a side of pre-Christmas pudding Scrooge. I know it. And in truth, I love Christmas and the good things about the season. Pumpkin bread. Hot cider. Cider donuts. Presents. Time off (if you’re lucky). But honestly, by the time we get to January 2nd, I am more than happy to kick the holiday season to the curb. So to any and all you lovely readers who feel the same way…Congratulations! You made it!

January is, admittedly, my least favorite month of the year. And I’m hardly clamoring to get back to the 9 to is-it-5-yet? daily day job grind. But after designating 2015 as my rebuilding year, I gotta admit, I’m keen to start kicking the hell outta 2016.

Here at Lady Smut, we have a big year planned for our readers. It kicks off with the Lady Smut Read Hotter Challenge. (#ReadHotter or  #LadySmutReadHotter2016) debuted last week by G.G. Andrew. Take on the challenge by taking a chance on something new this year. In 2015, I finally took a chance on MC Romances and have yet to come up for air. Who knows what 2016 will bring?

We have a lot of upcoming new releases from the Lady Smut bloggers in 2016 (including Yours Truly’s Sekrit Project this April!). And as usual, there’ll be more of what you love about Lady Smut: more interviews, more book reviews, and oh so much more of the smexy stuff every week.

To start you off, check out this Smexy Books list of the Top Ten Smex Scenes of 2015, which includes not one but *four* Lady Smut favorite authors’ books: Alisha Rai’s Serving Pleasure, Kit Rocha‘s Beyond Innocence, Charlotte Stein‘s Taken and Victoria Dahl‘s Taking the Heat.

Welcome to 2016, Lady Smutters!

Hold on to your knickers. It’s gonna be a smexy ride.

Follow Lady Smut to stay plugged in to all the smexy yet to come in 2016.

The 2016 Lady Smut Read Hotter Challenge

by G.G. Andrew

Since we here at Lady Smut love our hot reads, we’re trying something new for 2016: the Read Hotter Challenge. 

Book challenges are a fun way to read books you might not have otherwise picked up and explore new stories, writers, and genres. The Lady Smut Read Hotter Challenge is no different. While you may already be planning to read that hot story your friend loves, maybe you weren’t going to pick up a romance penned by a dude or a book with new-to-you kink. With only ten items on the Read Hotter list, you can read a book a month for ten months, and leave an extra two months to read off-list. (Or more hot stories penned by dudes with new-to-you kink, perhaps?)

Print it out, share it on Pinterest, tell your friends. Then choose an item on the list and experiment. And, yes, cheating is completely okay. If you’re reading a hot novella about a guy you couldn’t bring home to mom and dad, go ahead and give yourself two checkmarks.

Thinking about trying out the Read Hotter Challenge? Post in the comments! And if you need suggestions on what to read, check out our recent recommendations, including Alexa Day’s recommendations for interracial romance.

I’ll touch base with you all later in the year to see how you’re doing with the challenge and what tasty stories we here at Lady Smut have found to mark off on our own lists.

Feel free to share the above graphic wherever you hang out on social media, and if you’d like to post about your awesome hot reads, you can use the tag #LadySmutReadHotter2016.

So, go ahead: read hotter in 2016. I know we will be.

Books We Can’t Stop Thinking About: Picks from the LadySmut Ladies

by Elizabeth SaFleur

Have you ever read a book that you cannot erase from your mind? It gets inside you. Joins your soul. Makes you wish you lived like them . . . and there. Below are LadySmut’s list of “books we can’t stop thinking about.” They may not have been published in 2015, but we read them this past year. And, we just can’t let them go!

From LadySmut Blogger G.G. ANDREW: Badger by C.M. McKenna (a pen name for erotica and romance writer Cara McKenna).

Though not technically a romance, it tells the love story of a former pill addict and the Boston vigilante she’s obsessed with. This book (which should come with many, many trigger warnings) made me feel at different times intrigued, amused, delighted, and completely disturbed. I couldn’t put it down, even when I really wanted to. It’s definitely a story that will stick with me for years.

From LadySmut Blogger MADELINE IVA: For Real by Alexis Hall. 

Hot older, more experienced sub gets together with inexperienced, smaller, younger dom.  This book really spoke to me.  So romantic, but also full on BDSM-y too, and done so well. The prose reminded me of Charlotte Stein (who you all know I lurv) and I found it to be a cleanly written, emotional, hot m/m journey.

From LadySmut Blogger ALEXA DAY: Agnes Moor’s Wild Knight by Alyssa Cole. 

It’s a historical novella based on the very real Tournament of the Black Lady. The story is set in the court of King James IV; the king is hosting a tournament with a kiss from Agnes, who is black, as the prize. Turns out that an extremely hot Highlander is dead serious about winning that prize. The story isn’t long, but it doesn’t feel rushed at all. I definitely got to know Gareth (that hot Highlander) and Agnes very well. This is a short but quite well developed romance, and Alyssa Cole doesn’t spare the heat! I remember it so well because I don’t see many interracial romances set during that historical period, and this one is written beautifully. And it’s super hot. And I would read another fifty stories like this. How can I get Alyssa Cole to write fifty more stories like this one?

From LadySmut Blogger RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL: S.E.C.R.E.T., English edition by L. Marie Adeline

(read a sample at http://www.secretnovels.com/read-a-sample/).

S.E.C.R.E.T., book one of the S.E.C.R.E.T. trilogy, came out in 2013 but is an erotic novel I return to over and over. It’s about a group of women who help other women who are down on their luck fulfill their top sexual fantasies. It sounds outlandish, but in Adeline’s hands it almost sounds plausible. It’s got erotica, romance and female empowerment, all full of such sexiness I swoon each time I read it. Confession: Now that I know the plot, I re-read the sex scenes.

From LadySmut Blogger ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: The Master (The Game Maker Series) by Kresley Cole. 

Not only do you get a hot Russian mafia billionaire and one sassy heroine in this story, but genuine heat and a plot(!). I also genuflect before this author’s ability to throw in THREE languages — English, Russian and Spanish — that didn’t have me confused for a second but rather colored the story with texture beyond anything I’ve read in a while.

From LadySmut Blogger ISABELLE DRAKE: The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. 

It’s a fascinating read for anyone who likes comics and is interested in women’s history. (Direct and to the point!)

From LadySmut Blogger KIERSTEN HALLIE KRUM: Serving Pleasure (Pleasure Series) (Volume 2) by Alisha Rai

Even after writing about Serving Pleasure on Lady Smut last June, I still cannot recommend it enough. Here’s what I said then:

Alisha Rai writes some of the best diverse, feminist, erotic romance out there today, a fact also on display in her novel A Gentleman in the Street. Her heroines ooze agency and revel in their sexuality; her heroes are complex and often surprisingly against stereotype. Her books are gutsy and original with sizzling, emotion-filled sex that will leave you buzzing for days.

With every stroke that conjures Rana and Micah’s depths and their significant emotional stakes, Ms. Rai brings these fully-fleshed, complicated people to life through words that are polished and witty, engrossing and poignant. At times funny with a touch of screwball comedy, Serving Pleasure explores the themes of family expectations and failures and the struggle of trauma recovery with grace and care through pages of sensual pleasure threaded with tender scenes of self-discovery and forgiveness.

Also from KIERSTEN HALLIE KRUM:  Make You Burn by Megan Crane

The first in the Deacons of Bourbon Street series from Loveswept, Make You Burn was my gateway motorcycle club romance book, a rabbit hole from which I still have not emerged. I had a fabulous chat with the Bitches of Bourbon Street—aka Megan Crane, Jackie Ashenden, Rachael Jones, and Maisey Yates—while at the Romance Writer’s of America’s national conference in June. This is what I had to say about Make You Burn and its fantastically filthy hero, Ajax:

­[Ajax] knows exactly who and what he is and makes zero apology for it, which is its own kind of sexy. His confidence is intoxicating and anyone who encounters him knows he’s good for whatever he says he’s going to do. He puts a capital A on Alphahole and you just want to thank him for it as you test the durability of the nearest flat surface while taking off your pants and that’s before you get to his dirty, dirty sex skillz.

On the surface, Make You Burn is a smokin’ hot, MC erotic romance and holycrap, does it deliver on that promise. But it’s also a story about dealing with immense loss and struggling to find purpose and balance in the face of excruciating grief–and what happens when the life you thought you hated is the person you can’t possibly live without.

Another from KIERSTEN HALLIE KRUM: Walk Through Fire (Chaos) by Kristen Ashley

I didn’t review Walk Through Fire specifically (as dramatic, sexy, and emotional as it is, it’s not an easy or perfect book, but I do recommend it given I’ve read it oh, about eight times) my MC romance rabbit hole dive took me to Ashley’s on-going Chaos series: Ride Steady, Fire Inside, Own the Wind, and Walk Through Fire. (The first in the series is actually Motorcycle Man, last in Ashley’s Dream Man series.) Since then, along with the Chaos and Dream Man series, I’ve also read (and re-read) Ashley’s ‘Burg series, Colorado Mountain Series, and Unsung Heroes series. I went on and on and on about why you do not want to start reading Kristen Ashley’s books (if you want to, say, keep having a life, that is) in my post WARNING: Do NOT Read Kristen Ashley. Here’s a sample of why:

Do not read Kristen Ashley books if you aren’t prepared to stay up until 4 AM wondering when the hell the damn book is gonna end because you need to sleep and then not caring because the need to finish it outweighs all other considerations like the fact that you have to get up in three hours and capably perform your freaking job that you’re now seriously considering quitting because it means you won’t be able to continue reading Kristen Ashley books for about 8 to 10 hours.

Do not read Kristen Ashley’s books if you have “just one more chapter” disease or its symptomatic brethren, “just one more page” syndrome, which are both a short trip to the dreaded “Dead Reader Walking” epidemic. That sucker spreads like damn and wow with the speed of a “buy with 1-click” button. I hate that button. I need that button. But I hate that button.

And, that’s that. Get those one-clicking fingers going, my lovely ladysmutters.

Happiest of Holidays to you and yours. May you find only stellar reads in the new year. (Tell us if you find something particularly fabu. We’re all ears, er, eyeballs.)

Charlotte Stein: On Movie Inspiration and Zombie Menage

BY Elizabeth SaFleur

We love our CHARLOTTE STEIN. (Do you like how we’ve claimed her as “ours?” We’re grabby like that.) But, really, what’s not to love? A self professed “manluster,” Charlotte’s erotic romance never fails to transport her readers with unusual but lust-worthy characters. Her tagline is “desire that takes you deeper,” so be prepared to lose hours in her books. That’s how we like it, right?

CHARLOTTE has given us more than thirty short stories, novellas and novels, including the recently DABWAHA (Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hella Authors) -nominated Run To You, and RT award-nominated Intrusion: An Under the Skin Novel. She lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and their now “totally real and completely nightmarish dog.”

We asked Charlotte a few questions, which she graciously answered.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: How do you decide what book to write next? Do you wake up and think, ‘hmmm, I’d like to work on an almost-priest today,’ such as with Forbidden, one of your Under The Skin novels?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: Every book I write starts off with a long, drawn out process of basically daydreaming about the hero and heroine. From there, it’s a decision about whether or not this would make a good book. And then comes the more business end of things: can I sell this idea? Which contract do I need to work on next? So, a mix of creative desire and fulfilling obligations.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: Besides your contemporary, sci-fi and erotica, in terms of genre, is there anything new you’d like to explore in the future? A dystopian tale perhaps? Zombies?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: I already have written zombies! Reawakening (Forever Dead Series, Book One) is a zombie novel with a ménage in it. (Note to self: Stock up on Charlotte’s zombie reads.) As for dystopian…god I would love to. One of my biggest regrets is not just going for it with a few dystopian ideas I had when the genre was just taking off.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: Will you ever go back to writing paranormal like the amazing Raw Heat or was that a one-off?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: Again, I would absolutely love to. I would love, love, love to write urban fantasy/paranormal, but this is one of those times when the market really dictates what you can do creatively. No matter what people say about writing the book of your heart, doing that is just foolish if it’s never going to be something anyone wants. I mean, as much as I love Raw Heat, it’s easily one of my worst selling books. (Let’s change that, K?)

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: Your stories (and heroes) are so “dimensioned” and unique – not at all your boilerplate pin-up guys at homecoming dances trying to win the girl. What sparks your imagination?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: I often wish it was exciting as travels and life and things but no, it almost never is! My number one inspiration is movies. And it can be anything from any type of film that sparks something off. At the moment it’s Jonah Hill being bullied by Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: Do your characters arrive fully formed or do they let you “inside” a bit at a time?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: It depends, really. Sometimes they are almost completely real to me by the time I start work on a new book. Other times I learn new things about them as I go. The one thing I always have down though are their expressions, mannerisms and ways of reacting to things. I think it’s really hard to write when you can’t describe reactions.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: We have a lot of menage fans here. Do you find lovers of ménage different from M/F? (I see you have split the M/F and menage on your web site.)

Oh no, definitely not! I think in some cases yes, but the decision to separate them was purely to give people a better way to navigate the site. My feeling was: well, if you’re in the mood for menage they’re over here. You know?

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: At LadySmut, we also love book covers. Do you have a favorite cover (of yours)? (We know better than to ask about favorite book. He-he.)

CHARLOTTE STEIN: I do: the cover for The Things That Make Me Give In (Black Lace).  I have a lot of covers that I love – Never Sweeter: A Dark Obsession Novel, Deep Desires, Addicted – but none are quite as beautiful as my first.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: You’re a prolific writer with several, best-selling published series. How do you write so fast? (And can we start drinking your fast formula?)

CHARLOTTE STEIN: I like writing with a thematic series in mind…though I haven’t yet attempted a more straightforward one. My latest, Never Sweeter: A Dark Obsession Novel, is set in the same world as Never Loved. But that’s as far as I’ve gone. And as for writing fast…I don’t think I do, really! Certainly not by today’s standard. I usually do around two to three thousand words a day, but my editing process has gotten longer and longer so that holds up the books. All in all I write a full length novel around every three to four months.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: What is your average writing day like?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: Oh, I don’t have any schedule at all. But I do have rituals. I like having the television on, either with a film starring my latest hunk or something to just give me a break every now and then. And I need raisins to snack on, and juice. And often my book soundtrack too!

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: Do you have a favorite writing “moment?”

CHARLOTTE STEIN: I think writing Gabe from Control is one of my fave moments. He was just so real for me. It was bliss to write him.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR: What is your greatest writing inspiration?

CHARLOTTE STEIN: A mixture of Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Terminator, Aliens, Return to Oz and whatever is floating my boat at the moment!

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR:So varied! And thank you for your characters and especially for your stories.

LOVE LINKS: Connect with Charlotte

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Charlotte_Stein

Tumbler: http://mightyviper.tumblr.com/

Web site: http://charlottestein.net/

 

Also, in honor of the wonderful lust she has inspired, we present the Armie Hammer Pinterest board.

 

 

 

Deck the Halls With Sexy-Sex

by Madeline Iva

“There are only two things in this world: wonderful, visceral sexy-sex–and death.  Horrible, boring death.” — Jemaine Clement in Dinner For Schmucks.

Hey there readers.  Hope you’re getting your joy on. I’m stuffed full of holiday bliss and Christmas cookies, you?

You may need a break while you make Christmas happen, so here are some of our best posts to entertain you while we’re away.

Meanwhile, here’s to a New Year full of wonderful, visceral sexy-sex.

Enjoy Our past Christmas posts on Pinterest.

OUR POSTS IN PRAISE OF MEN:

…who are sexy daddy figures

…who are red heads

…who are having BDSM romances with each other

…who are Armie Hammer

…who are monsters

…and rock stars

…and wolves!

IN PRAISE OF WOMEN:

…who are Seriously Stacked

…who are short

…who like it wet and messy

…who like tortured heroes

…and doomed romances

…and fatal attractions

IN PRAISE OF ROBOTS:

Consider the Possibility of Robot Sex

What Do Robot Women Want?

Sex Bot…Or Not? 

A Ban on Robot Sex?

IN PRAISE OF SEXY FOLK (who we’re not sure are men OR women):

Androgyny is Hot

From Lolita to Brolita: Getting Your Girly Kink on With Otaku

–and since this is such a visual topic, I added a pinterest page with more examples is HERE.

Madeira Darling: Dominatrix Princess Turned Writing Bitch

IN PRAISE OF SEX IN…

…the shower. Sex in the Shower: Dangerous Adventure or Awesome on a Stick?

…hotel rooms.  Room Service: I’d Like To Order Some Hot Sex, Please.

…my Lady Porn Manifesto

…the rain

…a menage

 

Bye-bye sugar plums! Until next year —

 

 

Hot Northern Men And Other Hot Holiday Thoughts

By Elizabeth Shore

Hey Sexies! Per my usual routine, I’m spending the Christmas season in the north – way north. As in Finland. When people learn that I spend a lot of time in Finland I get a few common questions. What’s the weather like? What do people eat? What do people do?

First off, Finland is pretty much like any other country in the western world. Meaning it’s not Pluto. People get up, they go to work (many in offices), they eat dinner, they spend time with friends and family, and then they repeat it all over again. The food is good, but not particularly exotic. Fish and potatoes are standard fare, but in Helsinki especially, plenty of non-Finnish food is quite popular. Asian, Italian, and Indian restaurants dot the landscape. As for the weather, the biggest distinction is the winter darkness, referred to as kaamos. In northern Finland the sun doesn’t rise at all. In southern Finland you get about five hours of light, although it’s not super bright as the sun doesn’t get very high in the sky. Around 2:00 p.m it starts getting twilight-y, and there’s also a period of around 15 minutes where the light conditions give things a curious blue tinge, and it’s called – fittingly enough – the blue moment. It can be quite beautiful.

You know what’s also beautiful? Northern men. For a refresher, and to warm you up (if winter ever gets cold), check out these hot Finnish studs.

If you do find yourself getting revved up and in need of a little somethin’ somethin’, don’t just chart a course sight unseen. Instead, familiarize yourself with the ground rules for sex buddies.

Want to have someone else join the fun? Here’s one woman’s experience about her first three-way. After all, ’tis the season to make merry!

Sometimes, though, all we gals want is to cuddle. And, naturally, there’s an app for that.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

 

 

 

 

 

Get You Some, SugarPlum!

By Alexa Day

So what does the holiday season mean to you? Is it about fireplaces, food and family? Is it about the tidal wave of giftwrap and bows? Is it snowflakes and sleigh rides?

Is it celebrating the glorious male form?

I know I’m not the only one leering unabashedly at these folks. There’s a reason I make it a point to spend part of my holiday with the Nutcracker. Celebrating the male ballet dancer is this girl’s holiday tradition! Sure, there’s always going to be someone out there who prefers a more chaste celebration, and I respect that. Just know that I will always, ALWAYS hold out a safe place for those of us who like to stare.

I will be in that safe place. Saving you a chair. Sharing the popcorn. That is my pledge to you this holiday season, and year round.

So during my year-end vacation, why not take a moment for yourself? Remember, it’s hot in Australia right now — ha ha, heyo!

And walk down memory lane with links to some of my favorite things.

What happens at the party needs to stay at the party.

Looking for last-minute gifts? Have you considered robot sex … while you still can? How about an Orgasmia?

Overwhelmed with the whole holiday thing? Get away from it all in the trunk of an F Coupe.

What do I want for Christmas? I want to rebuild Rome.

And what kind of holiday would it be without the Nutcracker? Or the male revue?

I’ll see all of you next year! Be sure to follow Lady Smut. You won’t need a gift receipt.