Hey, I see a pattern there

I’ll be blunt about it. I write erotica, some might call at least parts of my work pornographic (and not without reason) By its very nature erotica gives the impression of closeness, even sexual intimacy, between writer and reader. After all, I have these ideas in my head, I write them down and the reader reads them.

But to me writing about sex means simply writing about sex. At no moment during the writing process, I think about what I would do or wouldn’t do. I find my personal preferences utterly irrelevant as far as the sexual activities of my characters are concerned.

When I write about how Owen accepts the invitation of happy couple Sebastian and Davin in Three, or how Isaac learns to face his enjoyment in being the Dominant to his lover Tom’s submissiveness in the Calling the shots series I’m not there. It’s about them, their choices and fantasies and experiences. I use the language that feels natural for them within the boundaries of the story, regardless if in reality it might make me blush like a genuine virgin. The distance between the story and myself as a private person is as absolute as possible, but so is the honesty. I’d rather squirm in embarrassment when I realise what I’ve actually written, than use euphemisms for the wrong reasons.

And yet, I am there. Not in the sexual outspokenness of the genre, but in the almost subconscious returning of one theme, namely that of the committed relationship. I don’t choose it; it chooses me, so to say.

One of the big themes of romantic (with or without explicit sex) fiction is that of two people falling in love and the obstacles they meet on their way to the happy end. But for me that’s when it gets interesting.

I’m more curious about what happens after the heroes of the story have decided that yes, they are meant to be together. I want to know how Steve and Daniël in Ravages deal with the consequences of life-changing violence as a couple, how Isaac and Tom in Calling the shots integrate D/s in their relationship while being and remaining equal partners.

And that’s perhaps more telling about me than any amount of explicitly written sex, kinky or not.

S. Dora

Books mentioned:
Ravages (written as R.A.Padmos) published by Manifold Press http://www.manifoldpress.co.uk/2011/08/ravages/
Three (written as S. Dora) published by Total E-Bound
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1439
The first part of Calling the shots, Facing the truth, will be published in March, also by Total E-Bound

Finding Spring

The Beauty of Vacation

I took several days O-F-F recently. Although Colorado has been having a relatively mild winter, winter is still winter.

I headed south for the Texas coast. It was still winter in Texas. But there’s winter and there’s winter. It was restorative to see some plants in bloom. One evening, it was foggy as wind whipped across the Gulf, turning the town ghostly.

I saw three dozen different species of birds. I sat on the beach, albeit with a jacket on! I took off my shoes and rolled up the hem of my trousers and waded in. Last August, the water had felt warm, like a bathtub, and I played for hours. The water this time of year was more like a cold shower! It was invigorating.

After taking some time totally away, walking on the beach, collecting a few shells, snapping over five hundred pictures, eating some fresh seafood, something amazing happened. My muse came looking for me.

I’d been ruthlessly stalking her, telling her about my book deadlines and demanding she perform on command every day. She’d gotten as barren as the trees lining the park where I walk.

But there, on the empty stretch of beach, she found me. I hurried back to the car to find pen and paper as ideas poured out.

With my personality, I don’t allow this type of thing to happen often. I work a demanding day job. It provides interaction with people, and I love real-time problem solving.

I am also pursuing a love of fifteen years—racquetball. I’m in training to play my first competitive matches this spring. I’m constantly playing, working out with my personal trainer, or spending hours with my racquetball coach. All that has left my body a bit tired, too. So, while I was in Texas, I walked for hours, but I didn’t swing a racquet or lift a weight.

And now, I’m ready to workout hard again, too.

I’m not unique. I bet you, too, have demands on your time and energy. And maybe we can’t always get away. But I learned a valuable lesson. I don’t have to go to the coast to get renewed, I should build it into my schedule, slow down a bit, get enough rest, know when to call a time out.

I will, for sure, though, save my pennies, maybe even cut into my summer vacation this year in order to take a few days off during winter, when I really need it.

Here’s to you taking time for you. I learned it’s possible to find spring, even in January.

Flasher, Anyone?

So I'm into flashers. Really into them. I actually seek them out, and sometimes I do a bit of flashing myself.

No, wait...not that kind of flasher!

I'm talking about the erotic flash story. Usually 500 words or less, it tells a tale that might be sexy, erotic, or downright pornographic. Sometimes it just makes you think about sex, or about attitudes toward it. Sometimes there is a twist that catches you off-guard, a "gotcha" moment that makes you smile. Sometimes it gets you hot and bothered, and sometimes it inspires you. But the key is to do it in as few words as possible.

So in honor of my love of flashers, here are a few. Enjoy!

*

New Star's Gem

“Oooooh, Ronnie!” she purred.

She reminded him of a cat, long and lean and supple, digging her painted claws into his chest, shaking her hair and wiggling her hips. Her eyes were flat, emotionless pools. She smiled with pouty lips.

Her lipstick was red and tasted like plastic. Her tits were plastic, too. They were too hard, too perfect, the nipples too permanently erect. The diamonds at her ears glistened, just like those around her neck.

“You like that, baby?”

Ronnie lied and said that he did. He silently calculated the cost of the diamonds. The necklace was probably thirty grand, the earrings a bit less, and the two-point-two on her finger was easily another ten big ones. His accountant would know for sure.

She faked the orgasm. There was no clenching on his cock, no mindless whimpers. It was all calculated.

She was not a very good actress.

Ronnie watched her walk to the bathroom. His cock was quickly going limp. He hadn’t come, and she hadn’t noticed. He looked at the clock on the bedside table: three in the morning. He wanted her to leave, but he didn’t want her to get angry enough to go to a tabloid reporter with one wild tale after another.

He reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out his wallet. When she saw the money, he saw some fire in her eyes.

The bills were many and large. She squealed in delight and kissed him all over the face. He pushed her away.

“Buy yourself something nice,” he said, like he always did.

“I love you so much, Ronnie!”

He watched her walk out. He threw the empty wallet on the floor. He might have loved her, if fortune and fame were not the only things he had left to give.

A Hard Day’s Work

The sound of machinery was completely out of place in the tastefully decorated offices of Parker and Parker, Attorneys at Law. The men just outside the window wore hard hats and dirty jeans. They worked with one small machine after another, each one making more noise than the last.

Sally should have been working. She should have been writing reports and taking notes, but she was too busy watching that man. The one who worked hardest, whose muscles stood out in strong relief against the fabric of his shirt. The one who had lifted one of those machines from the back of the truck all by himself.

Tiny rivers of sweat ran down his temple. He was covered in concrete dust and five o’clock shadow. His shirt was soaked with sweat. She wondered if he would smell good when she peeled that shirt away. Would she find the honest smell of hard-working man?

The thought made her cross her legs for a little relief. When he lit up a cigarette during a quick break, Sandy sighed along with every exhale.

He was there every day. On Friday the crew left early. She watched him walk around the side of the building and let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

She was startled to see him in the elevator thirty minutes later. His hard hat was gone and so was most of the concrete dust. His eyes were a piercing blue. He smelled just like she thought he would. The scent of virile man hit her right between her thighs.

“You’ve been watching me,” he drawled. “From your window.”

Sally’s voice was level despite the blushing. “Going down?”

“Very soon,” he said. Sally took a deep breath.

She smiled as she pressed the button for the garage.

As You Desire by Nichelle Gregory

There exists within our world a brotherhood of Djinns…genies bound by magic, bound by honour to fulfil the desires of their masters.

Enter their realm with caution!

Danger lurks between dimensions, fiery passions ignite without control and wishes are granted for those brave enough to ask…

* * * *

Two scarred hearts learn to beat again with the healing power of love and all its magic...

Accused of being a traitor to the Djinn Brotherhood, Lona realises trying to love the wrong man has cost her everything…maybe even her freedom. Alone and pregnant, she's beginning to believe the terrible pain she's experiencing is punishment for all her wrong choices as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life.

When Rafi finds Lona suffering in agony, he makes a hasty decision and takes her home. Ignoring the mutual attraction between them, he agrees when asked to keep Lona in his charge until Rue is tracked down and the High Council can be certain of her innocence.

Rafi knows she's not guilty. He's lived with a lifetime of heartache to recognise something other than guilt is causing Lona's pain. He'll do anything to help her heal and find some peace. Their journey together might also lead to his own salvation...


Excerpt:
Rafi refused to think about the repercussions of his actions as he bent his head and kissed Lona. Her lips were softer and sweeter than he had imagined and he had to remind himself to go slow. The growing desire to touch her had been driving him crazy all week. His cock hardened in an instant as she surrendered to his kiss, welcoming his tongue with her own as he tasted her for the first time.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her waist. He wanted to crush her body against his, but…

But then she’d feel your raging hard-on.

Right. She’d agreed to a kiss—only a kiss. He groaned as she pulled away. One kiss wasn’t nearly enough.

Damn!

He wanted her so badly. Spending so much time with her had wreaked havoc on the walls he kept in place specifically to avoid the longing and the feelings he was experiencing right now. She pulled every protective instinct out of him. Her sweet spirit made him want to shield her from all the pain in her life, and even though he knew he couldn’t, he wanted to try.

Rafi looked down at Lona, wondering if she had any idea how the shade of pink of her swimsuit set off her lovely eyes. The sound of the water lapping around them seemed loud as he waited for her to make the next move…or to say something.

“You wanted to kiss me?”

Her husky question made his cock tighten almost painfully in the snug swimming shorts.

“For days.”

No need to tell her what else he’d dreamt about doing to her.

“Kiss me again.”

Her voice was a soft whisper filled with need and Rafi obliged her, taking her lips in a hungry kiss. She melted in his arms and he struggled to hold her back as she continued to press her body closer to his. There was no way she wouldn’t feel his stiff cock against her stomach.

Lona froze, wrenching her lips from his.

“You’re so hard.”

Her breath fanned his cheek as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Lona…”

She pulled back to stare at him. “You want me?”

Rafi looked down at her in surprise. “How could I not?”

The doubt in her eyes made him want to show her just how much he wanted her.

Lona averted her gaze as she shook her head. “I’m a wreck.”

“Not to me.”

Rafi squeezed her waist as she turned her face back to his. He was captivated by the way the waning sunlight danced over the honey highlights in her hair.

“I’m homeless.”

“Mi casa es su casa.”

Rafi grinned as Lona smiled, tension fading from her face for a moment.

“I’m pregnant with another man—a crazy man’s child.”

“I know.” He touched her cheek. “That doesn’t change my wanting you.”

* * * * * * * * 

I hope you enjoyed reading my little teaser from As You Desire! Writing Lona and Rafi's story was challenging for me emotionally. Both of these characters deal with the pain of losing someone. I connected with their journey to find some peace through the power of love! Their story will swept you away into a world of magic and passion!

As You Desire is the second book in my Djinn Brotherhood series. I encourage you to start the series with Karis and Vander's steamy romance in As You Wish!

Click here to read excerpts and buy the books!

****Contest!****
Want a chance to win As You Desire?
Be the first person to answer a question from As You Wish! Here it is:

What does Karis see when she looks in the mirror?


Leave your answer in the comment section below! Good luck and thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Nichelle Gregory
Simply sexy stories...

www.simplysexystories.com • www.simplysexystories.blogspot.com

Ride of the Writer

The typical cliche in writing is to "write what you know." I've read, heard, and talked about this ever since I first put pen to paper. Although I've never taken the phrase literally (how else would we have such fabulous fiction in our lives if all writers lived by this code?), I used to hold steadfast to the idea of this code. Yes, used to. 

One year ago this month I saw my first published story appear at Total E-Bound. The Deciding Factor made its debut and ecstatic cannot describe how I felt - as every published writer out there knows. As the year progressed, I had more stories published and into 2012, I now have a calendar specifically for writing where I have deadline dates, promo dates and planned release dates - among many other writing notes. 

Are all my books the same? In that they are romance, yes. Beyond this, no. At least, I hope not. I have written and plan to write stories that, a year or more ago, would have never crossed my mind to write. The process has been an exciting challenge. I have an idea and where do I take this nugget of gold? Who is involved and what happens? Is the story scary, dramatic or funny? How far can I push myself to turn these ideas into words that evokes the outcome I want? 

Sound like a roller-coaster ride? Hell, yeah. Have I mentioned I love roller-coasters? Think about it. Just when you think you can't take another rise and dip, you hop on a new ride and the train takes you there, gives you what you need. You hold on for dear life, scream your head off then want to do it again. Writing is like this for me, and I plan to make my trip an endless one. 

Have a happy Sunday and a great coming-week!

Ayla


Visit Ayla on her roller coaster at http://aylaruse.blogspot.com/

Stoking The Flames

Hi, all! Happy New Year!

Since I live in South Florida, there's this window of cool -- well, coolish -- weather in the early hours but our temperatures climb high enough in the afternoon sun to warrant short-sleeved t-shirts -- and this state of affairs is rather discouraging me from finishing one work-in-progress I've been close to winding down: it's tough for me to write about cuddling around a roaring fire when I have all my windows and sliding doors thrown open. So I find myself finishing a firefighter story instead...'cause there's more than one way to stoke the flames ;)

One of my favorite parts of writing this story has been building not only all the sexy personal attributes of the firefighters themselves in my little world but considering all the cool stuff they...handle...as part of the job.... Powerful burst of liquid from a turgid hose. Telescoping ladders sliding up and up and up. Gear comprised of intriguing combinations of rubber and latex and leather.

Is it any wonder that everyone loves a hot firefighter -- or two?

With all due respect to those of you braving cold weather: I'm off to grab a cold shower before I finish this particular WIP ;)

Maria-Claire

http://maria-clairepayne.com

Available Now From Total-E-Bound: BENDING TYME

Snowed In

I live in the frozen north and we are getting pounded with snow right now...and I don't like it. But as I slid around the streets and sludged through the parking lots and into the store to pick up a few "essentials" in case I am snowed in tomorrow. It got me thinking, what would I really like to have with me if I was snowed in for a day or two.

*A sexy willing partner
*Plenty of red wine
*Dark chocolate
*Fruit to feed and be fed
*Coffee
*Magically appearing hot meals
*And plenty of heat.....

Oh yes, I think with all those things I wouldn't mind the snow one bit, in fact I would be praying for more more more! Or is that screaming more more more ;)