Sunday, December 31, 2006

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Coming Attractions

We only started this blog a few weeks ago at the beginning of December and yet it's been a glorious 2006. Just skim down the posts and look at all the wonderful stuff we have already had about dirty fantasies, dirty talk and dirty boys.

Want more? Think we can keep it up?

Well keep it tuned to Love Bites. We're taking New Year's Day off but then we're back with our regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday scheme, taking in the hottest edgiest erotica topics, sneak peaks at the newest Black Lace and Cheek books and all the random sexy boy pictures you can cope with.

Next year we have even more good stuff for you kicking off on Wednesday 3rd Jan with Shanna Germain starting a chat about pseudonyms and then on Friday 5th Janine Ashbless introduces her new Black Lace release Burning Bright – part of the new paranormal erotica line. And we're working on more, much more...

Meanwhile don't forget our competition. Still running until the 6th January. Go here.

And the picture? *sigh* I just like it. In fact, my new year's resolution is to look at this picture more often.


Mathilde Madden

Showing off my Book Video and a Contest!

I figure it's Sunday, New Years Eve. No one seems to be around, so I thought I'd drop by and wish everyone a Happy New Year!!

And, as I sit avoiding typing on the book that's due sooner than I'm admitting to myself, I been making book videos. (which is really addictive, btw) I just finished the one for Bit by the Bug and had to come share and see what you all thought. I think it's my favorite so far out of all the ones I've done. (I'm still new at this, so be gentle...no paddling...okay, well maybe...wait, sorry, will not digress)



Bit by the Bug




And, since I'm here, I thought I'd drop the link to my newest contest. If you're like me, avoiding doing the stuff you have to, then come on over and check it out :)



Happy New Years!
Michelle

Michelle M Pillow
www.michellepillow.com
Bit by the Bug- Coming any day now to bookstores near you!

Friday, December 29, 2006

Female fantasies of female submission

by Kristina Lloyd

I know it’s all tinselly and the lights are so pretty but I’d like to talk about sex with dogs. Or, more specifically, about Nancy Friday whose collection of female fantasies, My Secret Garden, caused such a fuss when it was published in the 70s. Why? Because it was so dirty. For the first time, ordinary women were voicing their lusts, and society was appalled. Many scenarios centred on female submission and rape fantasy, and women, they complained, surely didn’t think like that. In Women on Top, published in the 90s, the submissive fantasies had largely disappeared to be replaced by those of dominatrices, closet lesbians, and a rather high incidence of gals who dreamed of getting it on with the family pet.

I don’t know where Nancy was getting her data from but the implication was that, thanks to feminism, women’s fantasies had suddenly got healthier. OK, so doing it with Fido might not sound that healthy but it does neatly evade the gender politics inherent in your more average hetero, human shag.

Today, there’s plenty of evidence to show that fantasies of female submission are still immensely popular. A fem sub fantasy can be anything from a good, hard kiss against a wall, to a mild spanking, to a hardcore gangbang in a fully-equipped dungeon. What all the scenarios have in common is that he, our object of lust, is the boss. We can flip this notion on its head and declare it’s actually the woman calling the shots: as the fantasist, she’s in control of events; as a role-player in BDSM games, she probably has a safeword to mean ‘stop’. This might be true but, for me, it misses the point. And the point is: many women get off on thoughts of being dominated by a man. Or by a couple of them. Or by a whole, badly-tattooed football team in a massive hot tub. (Oops, there goes another of my secrets.)

Not surprisingly, in our postfeminist age, this can make us uneasy. Our fantasies seem to be in direct conflict with our real-life hopes and expectations. But consider the inequalities of the society we’ve been brought up in, and it’s easy to see why these fantasies are so common. In our culture, nice girls don’t, and dreams of being overpowered absolve us of responsibility and guilt. The fantasy dom is also extremely useful because he knows exactly what we want and he’s staying in control – of us and himself. We don’t have to ask for a thing. We don’t have to try and please. Take a look at him. See? He’s already pleased. Very. And all you’ve done is show up. Heck, what a relief.

The desire to be desired is, I believe, at the heart of erotic fantasy. We can imagine ourselves to be so goddamn gorgeous that our man, Mr Slightly-Twisted Alpha (back off sister, he’s mine), can’t control his base, animal instincts. He wants it, and he wants it now, and our cries of ‘No, stop!’ don’t mean jack shit to him. My imagined man is seldom someone I’d want to have dinner with. But then it’s not his mind I’m after. It’s his smouldering masculinity, his arrogance, his charisma, his cracking pair of thighs. The dominant male archetype is something we’ve all been brought up with, inside the home and out. He’s there in film, books and TV. He’s Tarzan, he’s daddy, he’s the bogeyman in the dark. He’s the bank manager, he’s Shakespeare, he’s Heathcliff, he’s God. He is, in short, the product of centuries of male social superiority. Small wonder he’s so hard to knock off the top spot.

The fem sub scenarios I like to read and write about are fairly dark, grubby acts tinged with danger. I’m not into elaborate, ritualised behaviour or heavy equipment. I struggle to read fiction where the bloke is referred to, without irony, as 'master', 'sir' or, heavens above, 'He'. This stuff leaves me cold. I can’t see the characters for the role-play. Its world is artificial. I prefer my fem subs to be ordinary, believable women who are perhaps uneasy about what butters their muffins. I want conflict, internal and external. I’ve written about rape fantasy. Sometimes it’s called ravishment, being taken, forced submission or consensual non-consent. It sounds better phrased that way but it amounts to the same thing: he made me do it, and it was raw, scary, debasing, sweaty and hot. (And here I'm obliged to add, for the hard of thinking (Wow, you made it this far? Here, have a biscuit.): no woman wants to be genuinely raped. As a concept, it's really not that tricky to comprehend.)

In Asking for Trouble, my second novel, Beth agrees to play a game with Ilya, a virtual stranger, in which they explore fantasy. Reluctantly, Beth admits to having rape fantasies, making it clear it’s fantasy. They agree to a safeword but the stakes are high: not only does the safeword stop a particular sex act, it also ends the relationship, no questions asked. In one scene, Beth and Ilya are angry. Ilya wants to fuck. Beth doesn’t. ‘Well then,' says Ilya. 'This is shaping up to be a pretty decent rape fantasy, isn’t it?’ He squashes her against a wall, his hand clamped to her mouth. Beth, whether she wants to or not, is unable to utter the safeword.

This is a key moment. Ilya has denied Beth the right to speak. He has taken her out of the game and his power has become purely physical. Language is political. Language makes us. Language separates us from animals. When Ilya silences Beth, they are no longer equals in the game - or in the world - and fantasy has become too realistic.

In the book, I really wanted to make this point. I wanted to highlight the importance of distinguishing fantasy from reality. Sure, there are overlaps for us all but in this instance, the line has to be clear. Ilya, in using his muscle against Beth, is effectively stealing her fantasy by twisting it in something else.

In our culture, female sexuality has been silenced for too long. Feminism has finally given women a voice, allowing us to articulate our desire (even if sometimes that amounts to little more than ‘uh, uh, yeah’). It’s crucial we speak and allow ourselves to explore and enjoy our fantasies, even – perhaps especially – the dark, troubling stuff. Our desire has been denied and distorted for centuries. The last thing we need to do is silence ourselves.

I’m an enlightened, independent woman with a filthy, overactive imagination. I consider myself a feminist. Why wouldn’t I? And I’m happy to say (and I’ll say if for you if you’re shy): I love a forced submission. I love those arrogant bastards.

Anyone else agree? Anyone else say ‘uh, uh, yeah’?

Kristina Lloyd



  • Asking for Trouble has just been reissued in the US alongside Black Lace releases, Dark Designs by Madelynne Ellis and Sex and Shopping. Scroll down a couple of posts to enter our amazing giveaway competition, featuring these 3 books and many, many more!

  • To read more about Asking for Trouble, click here. To read an extract, click here.

  • The image at the top of this post is copyright Kristian Purcell and is used here with kind permission of the artist. Take a look at Kristian's website. His work is lovely.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Coming Attractions


Seasons Greeting and Happy Holidays from all at Lust Bites. It's all gone very quiet here at Lust Bites Towers. All the authors have hung up their stocking and gone off to bed. We'll be far too busy playing with our presents on the 25th and 27th to post and we're sure all you lovely readers will be too busy to read and comment then too.

But we will come roaring back to form on Friday 29th when Kristina Lloyd will be tackling a subject to make you squirm: female submission. Be sure and drop in if you can – the discussion is bound to be heated.


Meanwhile do not forget our amazing competition is still running until Jan 6th in the next post down.

I'd do a link, but, seriously, next post down, like, right there!


Friday, December 22, 2006

COMPETITION: Win a stack of hot sexy books



Some people love shopping, but I'm not really one of them. Even at this time of year I manage to get out of most of it via the joys of online, home delivery and just plain old shirking. But the one kind of shopping I do love is book shopping. I find it is one kind of shopping where online and mail order just aren’t the same. I'm an incurable book-fondler. Mmm.

However, one thing that probably could tempt me out of a bookshop would be getting those books for free. Mmm, free books, my favourite kind. Especially a stack of hot sexy books by all my favourite Lust Bites authors.

And that is just what we have here. A Christmas present from us to you to celebrate everything that is wonderful right now - from the launch of Lust Bites, to the stupendous performance of many of our authors in the Scarlet Erotic Fiction Awards, to the US release of Black Lace's new Wicked Words short story collection Sex and Shopping – featuring many Lust Biters – we are offering, yes, free books. We have two sets of the following 8 fabulous books:

  • My own Equal Opportunities a deviant novel about fetishism, disability and sexuality - winner of the Scarlet Award for best female domination scene.
  • Madelynne Ellis's smoking hot goth-wedding set Dark Designs - winner of the Scarlet Award for best male-male scene
  • BDSM queen Portia da Costa's Continuum – a black lace classic about a sexy secret society and one of the best selling BL titles ever!
  • Nikki Magennis's Circus Excite – a beautiful and very hot book full of magic and wonder and smut. Literary erotica. In a good way – a really good way
  • Janine Ashbless's Burning Bright – one of the first of Black Lace's brand new and very exciting paranormal erotica line
  • Wild Card by Madeleine Moore – I've not read this one yet but I plan to as it was the winner of the Scarlet Award for best oral scene. Yum.
  • Asking for Trouble by Kristina Lloyd - an edgy, seedy-sexy book about the darkest sexual fantasies – winner of the Scarlet Award for best female submission scene
  • And finally the appropriately titled short story collection, Sex and Shopping, a fab (and bright pink) book that will even satisfy those of you that loathe shopping with a passion, featuring Lust Biters Portia da Costa, Madelynne Ellis, Kate Pearce, Kristina Lloyd and, yay, me.

So, to win all of these books and keep yourself sizzling in hot, hot literature until the weather gets warm again just drop us a comment. It doesn’t matter what you say. In fact, as it's Xmas, we don’t mind if you just say 'mistletoe' or 'tinsel' but pop out of lurker-land and let us know you're there sometime before the 6th January.

Sex and Shopping: well, with Xmas nearly upon us and the January sales just around the corner, avoiding shopping is going to get harder and harder. Taking a copy of Sex and Shopping to read whilst waiting in line might be one way to make it more bearable.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

We are the Champions!



Hey, Lust Bites authors have just swept the board at the new annual Scarlet Erotic Fiction Awards!

Best Female Domination Scene: Mathilde Madden for Equal Opportunities
Best Male-Male Sex Scene: Madelynne Ellis for Dark Designs
Best Lesbian Scene: Portia Da Costa for Entertaining Mr Stone
Best Female Submission Scene: Kristina Lloyd for Asking For Trouble
Best Kinky Sex Scene: Alison Tyler for Tiffany Twisted

Don't we just rock!!!!

Check out Scarlet Magazine here

Character Creation Wednesday

A major part of every erotica writer's job is lounging around in their jammies, dreaming up sexy men and women who want to get it on.

Okay, so it sounds like a lot more fun and a lot less work than it actually is. But coming up with characters is definitely one of my favorite parts of writing erotica. I'll admit I’m a bit of a thief when it comes to my characters. I’ve been known to steal—I’m sorry, borrow—personality traits and physical attributes from friends, family, loved ones, enemies, passing strangers and photographs in magazines.

Lately, my characters have shown up with my bike mechanic’s gorgeous grease-stained fingers, a stranger’s tattooed feet, the pouty lips of Sark (a character from the TV show, Alias), a laugh I overheard in a coffee shop, and my man’s habit of talking to himself in Italian while he cooks. All sexy in their own way, and all the little details that can make a character really come alive on the page.

So: Where do your characters come from? How do you create them and put them on the page? Do you “borrow” from real-life people? The rich and famous? Books and movies? Or from the depths of your imagination?

Monday, December 18, 2006

Bad Boys


All I want for Christmas is a bad boy... Well, not really. I think he might be difficult to live with, but the fantasy is certainly an appealing one. I'm the sort of girl who sits up and pays attention the minute a bad boy walks onto the page or screen, and I'm not talking about your typical alpha male hero with a roguish smile and a bit of stubble here; I'm talking about a real scoundrel.

I have several favourites, and thinking about this post, I've been trying to work out what it is about them that I find so fascinating.

Take Exhibit A (above), Steerpike from Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast books. So, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers helped a lot in the BBC adaptation, but he’s incredibly sexy, despite (and this is putting it extremely mildly) being a nasty piece of work. Why? He’s confident, witty, intelligent, takes risks, and knows how to have a good time. He’s also surrounded by fools, but what villain isn’t?

Consider also, Lucius Malfoy or Riddick from Pitch Black (cheating a little with that one). They live life on their own terms, not anyone else’s version of morality. So, while the hero doggedly pursues a worthy cause, the villain is free to be imaginative and unpredictable. He has time to devote to his appearance (got to keep up that image), to hone his wicked sense of humour and indeed time to have fun. All the best villains know the importance of good timing, and nothing is sexier than a confident man who can make you laugh.

Bad boys get all the best lines, too. Did anyone really watch Pirates of the Caribbean for Orlando Bloom? Pretty, but a bit dull. Now Captain Jack Sparrow, that’s what I’m talking about.

If you haven't read Lord Wraxall's Fancy by Anna Lieff Saxby, I recommend that you beg, borrow, or steal a copy. Just like Valmont from Dangerous Liaisons, Wraxall never forgets that if you can't do it with style, it's not worth the effort.

Lady Caroline Lamb once described Lord Byron as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” and so he’s been fictionalised ever since. The ultimate bad boy, regardless of the actual facts. So if your villain lacks a certain something, go back to your bad boy checklist – confidence, style, charisma, humour, clean fingernails, likes to take risks – ladies, we can rebuild him. We have the technology to build a Byronic Man.

Madelynne Ellis xxx

PS. Am I the only one? Who are your favourite bad boys and why?


Sunday, December 17, 2006

The Lust Bites Christmas Party



The Lust Bites Christmas Party
Via Fossa, Canal Street, Manchester
Saturday 16th December 2006

Coming Attractions

Whatever this time of year means to you, you could probably do with a little time out. Why not take a break for the hectic seasonal whirl and indulge your sensual side here at Lust Bites next week.

On Monday, what could bring more seasonal cheer than Madelynne Ellis's take on the delights of bad boys? What makes a bad boy? And just what makes him so appealing? When it comes to a choice between naughty or nice, what do you prefer?

On Wednesday Shanna Germain kicks off a chat about where characters come from? What does it really mean when authors talk about their muses? About the voices in their head? About that magic moment when the story just lurches off in a new direction with a headstrong character at the wheel. Drop in and find out more.

Finally on Friday we get in step with the biggest seasonal preoccupation of all: Shopping. With Black Lace's Sex and Shopping short story collection newly released in the UK and soon to hit the shelves in the US, we all talk about cold hard commercialism. Some of us love it, some (and I suspect significantly more) loathe it. Maybe sexy shopping is the way to go. And maybe our short story collection can entice you to see shopping in brand new ways. Stop by on Friday and see.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Like getting a present in the Inbox!

Coming in Mass Market ~ May 07 UK and July 07 US

I'm thrilled to see my first re-release and my first mass market paperback, Fierce Competition's new cover. I love new coverart day, and when it's as pretty as the Virgin books have been, it's even better. I'm just glad I don't have to decide which cover I like best, this one or the first! LOL

Friday, December 15, 2006

Dirty Words


I love cock, but I hate dick.

It’s a personal thing, for sure, but when I’m fantasizing about being bent over a bed, or pressed up against a wall, or spread out in the back seat of a 1956 Chevy, the last thing I want is a man’s dick inside me.

Or his penis. Penis. I mean, Ew.

I’m all for rods and shafts, I can get into a good hard-on, I’ll live with an erection. But some words simply work better for me than others. The worst description ever in my opinion? An author submitted a story about a guy with a 57-year-old salami. Now, I’ll admit I’ve got thing for older men, but that sort of meat just isn’t going to make it on my table.

Of course, every writer has both favorites and pet peeves. I prefer pussy, but will use cunt in the right occasion (a term which horrifies many a writer). I avoid vulva, vagina, and cervix, which all have a medical-sound to me. (What is it about “battering against a cervix,” a phrase I read a lot in erotica, that makes me flinch?) I admire Anne Rice’s use of “sex” for both male and female organs, but can rarely pull that word off myself. I had a roommate once who described her nether regions as her “coochie” or her “kitty lips,” in such a delightfully uninhibited way I’ve attempted to steal both every so often, to what success, I don’t know.

What terms do I love? Most descriptions of lingerie are just delicious, from bikinis to panties to knickers—oh, yes, knickers. The word alone makes me want to take mine down.

And what words are on my personal hit list? I’m not a fan of drool. Conjures images of people in asylums. I don’t like to read the word “pucker” too often. I came upon the term “ass lips” fairly recently, and just could not deal with that one. Sometimes, I think, less is more.

But, unfortunately, it’s not only in the world of words that I am persnickety. I went on a date once with a handsome Australian architect who squired me back to his office after drinks and told me he wanted to “see my little titties.” The vixen in me wanted to lift her shirt. His accent was so damn hot. The editor in me wanted to jump out a fucking window. Titties? Please, no. But are breasts any better? Bosoms? Knockers? Melons? You’ve got me. Still, “titties” made me shudder. Made me say no to date number two.

My favorite story on this subject is “Coming and Cumming” by Susan St. Aubin. I had the opportunity to read the story on the Herotica IV CD, and it’s a gorgeous piece about the power of words.

And speaking of “cumming,” I believe this is one of the most difficult actions to describe in erotica. Some go for lots of moans and “ohhhs” and “ahhhs.” Others attempt to explain each action, the “contractions” and “spasms” (more common in US) or “clenching” (which I’ve read more in British erotica). But I think the best is still James Joyce:

“...I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”

Oh, god. I need to go now. Yes. To find someone to take down my knickers. Yes. And to let me feel how hard he is. Yes.

As long as he doesn’t show me his dick.

XXX,
Alison

PS What are your favorite words?
Have you returned to specific terms over and over, or are you a trend-setter, hopping from one word or phrase to the next? Any horror stories you care to share?
Pet peeves that make you squirm?
Or will I sit alone with my 57-year-old salami?
PPS And if you do love words, please check out this brand-new blog!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

here's johnny!



Bowing to popular demand, we've made an exception and taken on one new member to help even the score. Meet Johnny, who will be happy to show our male visitors the site. Johnny doesn't write much, but he sure as hell knows his way round women.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Crush Wednesday



Shall I kick off, then? Let me praise Gerard Butler...
I was vaguely aware of him as the cute Scottish guy who dies early in Reign of Fire, but one day I found a DVD of Attila the Hun while in HMV and ... and ... I thought "Bloody Hell - it's Veraine!" Veraine is the main male character from my novel Divine Torment (and now he's in Burning Bright). I went into mild shock.The rest is, well, undying lust.


There are loads of pictures of him on www.gerardbutler.net (4 million hits and counting - I am not alone!)




Same actor, different look.

What's the attraction? Well, for me it's the fact that in real life he is by all accounts both smart (ex-lawyer) and a thoroughly nice guy, both of which are essentials. But when acting he can turn on, at the drop of a hat, an intense, and occasionally threatening, alpha-male physicality.

Just delicious. Sigh...

Janine

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

For the boys...

I'm sure visitors will have noticed we're mostly XX chromosomatic in here. But that doesn't mean we don't want to hear from the other half of the species! We love to have males around the place, (bring us drinks, peel our grapes, pay us compliments, etc.)

Seriously, both sexes and all in between are very welcome.

This post is dedicated especially to the guys who planned to turn up in drag and put on squeaky voices. I know who you are, and you should have shaved first. ; )

Monday, December 11, 2006

Working Girls by Michelle M Pillow

Thinking of what to make my first blog here on Lust Bites, naturally my thoughts turned to the Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease video I found on Amazon.com when holiday shopping.

OK, so actually the thought digression was more…blog, should be working, must do shopping, stripper aerobics, strippers, interesting way to earn money, too bad I can’t dance, I once wrote a stripper book character named Sapphire, why do the women always seem to dance around the pole…. From the word “pole” my mind kind of spiraled deep into the gutter. I’ll let you know when I manage to get it out of there.

So I am curious, what jobs did my fellow authors have before becoming published, or maybe still do have? Do you ever give your characters your old jobs? Or ones you’d love to have?

Though I was never a stripper, I have had some interesting jobs. I’ve worked at a tattoo shop for many years, coordinated large banquets, done permanent hair removal, worked as a CNA in a nursing home, freelance photography, baker, waitress, even helped briefly on a farm doing irrigation. The “dirtiest” job I ever had was telemarketing as a teenager. I quit after less than a week. Now, aside from writing, I own a successful business.

I think I tend to work vicariously through my characters as well, giving them jobs I’m curious about or jobs I’ve had. Really, what could be better than experiencing the job without the years upon years of schooling to get there? In my next Virgin release, Bit by the Bug the main character Kat Matthews works as a photographer. Photography has been a long time love of mine and I still take the occasional freelance job. Some of her dreams, like landing a gallery show are still my own. Then, the hero, Dr Vincent Richmond, is an entomologist. Working with bugs is something I could probably never do in real life, but they do fascinate me. As does his strange “hobby” of milking poisonous spiders. Not to mention I loved answering the question of: What would a bug scientist talk about on the first date anyway? LOL

FOR THE READERS- TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had? The best? The worst? What job would be your “you couldn’t pay me enough”? What do you think would be the most exciting way to make a living? (historical/ futuristic/ paranormal jobs okay here to—let your imaginations run wild!) Any favorite character jobs you’d like to see more of in books or those you’ve loved reading about?

Michelle M Pillow
www.michellepillow.com

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Coming Attractions


We have been working away behind the scenes here at Lust Bites to create an exciting programme of discussion about erotica, romance, smut and dirty pretty boys that have caught our eye.

Here's just a taster of what's in the works.

Tomorrow Michelle Pillow muses about Working Girls: sexy and not so sexy ways of making a living. On Wednesday we bring on the pretty as Nikki Magennis asks everyone to name their hottest current crush object. Then, on Friday, Alison Tyler will raise the temperature even higher when she talks dirty and reveals just which filthy words work for her (and which ones really don't).

Taking us up until Christmas we have Madelynne Ellis's views on bad boys, a chat about where our characters come from and Kristina Lloyd leads the debate on the tricky issue of writing female submissive scenes in our post-feminist world.

The new year will bring more of the scintillating same so don't forget to keep checking back and joining in.

Mathilde Madden
Lust Bites Programmer

PS Yes, that picture is totally gratuitous. I just like it. A lot.

Saturday, December 9, 2006

What Readers Want…


Brainstorming on possible Lust Bites blog topics, I thought I'd ask the readers what they'd like to see us blog about. Need sexual advice? Like talking dirty? Curious as to what we authors think about the different kinds of rubber—OUCH! *looking around* What? I was going to say rubber bands. Honest.

So let's here it readers, don't be shy. Tell us what you want!

Friday, December 8, 2006

Come in! Meet the gang!

Okay. The stage is set. The drinks are chilled. We've got a bevy of wonderful writers here, all raring to get started.

Like to hear a little more about all of your lovely hostesses?

Click on comments to find out who we are and what we do...

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Continuum reissued today in the UK

Continuum - buy from Amazon.comI’m not sure I’m going to be any good at this, but I thought I might pitch in because it’s suddenly dawned on me that I have a reprinted book published today in the UK! I’d actually forgotten all about it until last night…

In his guest blog the other day, over at Romance By the Blog, our glorious leader Adam mentioned that in the mid nineties, Black Lace issued a lot of ‘secret erotic society’ novels… well, CONTINUUM, is one of those particular animals and I’m not ashamed to say so! It’s what I’d call an ‘old school’ Black Lace, but somehow, at the same time, it’s also modern, because it’s romantic and it’s a love story… so in a twisted sort of way it’s actually an ‘erotic romance’ too. Joanna, the heroine spends the whole book falling in love with the ‘boy next door’, sort of, while at the same time becoming obsessed with the mysterious Master of the Continuum, who seems to be able to control her entire erotic life without revealing himself to her. Won’t go into the details of the plot, but suffice it to say, Joanna has a lot of deliciously hair raising BDSM adventures along her path to a happily ever after.

CONTINUUM is one of my favourites of all the books I’ve written because it’s a ‘homage’ to the writing of my all time favourite erotic author. In the very early nineties, I read a wonderful trilogy of novels by one Cyrian Amberlake, The Domino Tattoo, The Domino Enigma and The Domino Queen. These books just blew me away! To me they were, and still are, exactly what erotic writing should be. Amazingly well written, fantastical, but also, somehow, completely ‘real’ at the same time. The books encapsulate the concept that has coloured most of my erotic writing to this day… the idea that there’s a secret erotic mirror world that exists alongside the mundane one we live in, and if a special lover chooses to, they can invite you through the mirror to play in this hedonistic wonderland. The prose of the Domino Trilogy is cool, yet at the same time warm. Elegant, yet also vernacular. I immediately decided that this was the standard I was going to aim for, and even though I’ve probably never achieved quite the same quality, I’ll never stop knocking myself out in the attempt. And CONTINUUM was my of saying thank you to that author, and creating my own version of the Domino Trilogy. Not being the world’s greatest plotter though, I couldn’t stretch the story to a trilogy, so I crammed the whole thing into one book!

Anyway, I think I’ll leave it at that, because I’m just blathering on really, and I do that quite enough in my own blog… But I just wanted everybody to know a bit of the background to the book of mine that’s reissued today in the UK.

Cheers

Portia aka Wendy

Read an Excerpt of CONTINUUM

Available in the UK from Amazon.co.uk - 7th December 2006

Available in the US from Amazon.com - 6th February 2007

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Progress!




Delighted to see so many wonderful authors here!

I've started to add some links - bear with me while I work out how to work the um, widgets. (And thanks to Portia Da Costa, who, it turns out, is an IT wizard as well as a top-notch smut writer.) Soon we hope to have a banner, or a flag of the republic.

Just to whet your appetites, here's a dreamy picture of a Pop Band now sadly consigned to the wet dream of history. If you look closely you might spot a familiar face...(and I might just have committed career suicide).

Anybody else care to try posting something? Go on, go on, go on! You girls can start chatting while I fiddle with the carburettor.

Black Lace/Cheek coach party - this way please!

Welcome Mesdames!

We're still finding our feet here, so if you'd like to get involved, we'd be delighted to have you! Any ideas and input welcome, including what colour to paint the walls and what we'll have on the flag.

Just drop me a line with your email address - nikki dot magennis at googlemail dot com - and I'll send out the invites.

Look forward to meeting you all!

The People's Democratic Republic of Smut

Hi all.

Wow, what a wave of excitement!

Now there's a few of us here - we can really start shaking it! But how it forms and what happens is up to all of us...

How do you want this to move? What would you like a group blog to do? There's any amount of possibilities. We can try and attract as many readers and erotica fans as possible, as well as the best writers. We can invite guest publishers and editors. We can spotlight our latest books and shed some light on the smut-writing life.

This blog was borne first out of an idea by Mathilde Madden to have a Black Lace/Cheek authors blog. And then there was a blog-fest on romancebytheblog that seemed to get everybody stirred up.

Do we have any ground rules? Should contributors be female authors only? Published authors only? What's your angle on the subject?

I think if we work on it steadily and gracefully we'll get something going that could work beautifully. (You'll need to bear with me while I work out how to put up links and pictures - do let me know how we should decorate the place!)

x Nikki

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Good evening and welcome...

Well hello.

Nice to see you here. This is a brand new blog, still wet behind the ears. Soon we'll have a gaggle of fine erotica authors* dropping by to chat, offer pearls of wisdom and news.

So watch this space...

*the person who can think of the best collective noun for a group of smut writers wins a prize.