Monday, February 25, 2013

Erotica: Full-Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight By Katie Dunneback

Erotica: Full-Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight


By Katie Dunneback on February 11, 2013

It’s never been easier to satisfy patrons’ desire for this hot lit

ljx130202webEroticCover1 Erotica: Full Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight Since E.L. James first released Fifty Shades of Grey almost two years ago, her erotic Twilight fan fiction has taken the world by storm. From Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album to the development of a movie based on the book to a licensed menswear line, you cannot escape the phenomenon. Worldwide sales of the trilogy now stand over 65 million copies, while Random House’s Vintage imprint has sold 35 million print and ebook editions in the United States. 

This past January, Doubleday released a collector-worthy hardcover edition of the trilogy with a combined first printing of 200,000 copies.

How has the trilogy’s popularity affected public perception of erotica? “Overall, I think people might be more apt not to be ashamed in the future about reading erotica,” says Megan Hart, author of the New York Times best-selling erotic novel Switch. And Kristina Wright, a writer (Dangerous Curves, Silhouette, 1999) and editor of erotic anthologies (Duty and Desire: Military Erotic Romance, Cleis, 2012), notes that James was able to take well-known tropes and bring erotica to global mainstream attention, introducing many new readers to the concept.


EROTICA IN BRIEF
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Erotic communication in art and literature has had a long and varied history dating back to prehistoric Venus sculptures that were likely used in religious fertility rites. Sappho may be the most famous ancient Greek poet, thanks in part to the erotic poetry she wrote to her unknown lover. 

One of the most erotic pieces of poetry in the history of the Western world is the Song of Songs in the Bible.

During the excesses of late 18th-century French aristocratic society, the Marquis de Sade tried to expand the boundaries of acceptability even further, which resulted in his imprisonment but gave a name to the sexual kink of sadism.Fanny Hill, published in 1748 by John Cleland, is another seminal work if only for its impetus for over two centuries of obscenity trials and challenges on two continents.

Coming to the early 20th century, the challenges to the controversial publication of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Henry Miller’s novels Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn helped to reform obscenity laws in the United States and Britain. 

The sexual revolution of the 1970s was reflected in the dramatic increase in erotic fiction by female authors like Erica Jong (Fear of Flying), Nancy Friday (editor, My Secret Garden), and Anaïs Nin (Delta of Venus; Little Birds). In the 1980s, Anne Rice, under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure, published the “Sleeping Beauty Trilogy”—The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty; Beauty’s Punishment; Beauty’s Release—that called to mind the novels of the Marquis de Sade, with their exploration of BDSM (bondage/discipline, domination/submission, sadomasochism) sexual acts.

During this same period, erotica publishers—Down There Press, Circlet Press, Cleis Press, Red Sage, and Blue Moon Books—gained recognition. Cecilia Tan founded Circlet to address the niche market of fantasy and sf erotica. In 1993, the British publisher Virgin Books started the Black Lace imprint to publish “erotica for women by women.” 

Although Random House shut the noted line in 2010, it was reactivated in 2012.

With the rise of ebooks, erotic fiction has gained even more ground with readers as sales of print erotica were almost solely dependent upon chain bookstores and niche market shops like Good Vibrations that catered to women. 

New presses like Ellora’s Cave, Amber Quill Press, Loose Id, and Samhain helped define the subgenre of erotic romance and today dominate the landscape of digital presses. Taking a cue from these pioneers, traditional romance publishers in the mid-2000s launched imprints dedicated to the print publication of erotic romance—Kensington’s Aphrodisia, Harlequin’s Spice, Avon’s Red, and NAL’s Heat.


A STARTER BIBLIOGRAPHY
As part of a continuing education workshop on erotic fiction I teach, I require attendees to read for a genre discussion three to four short stories, with at least one of the stories published within the last three years. A condensed version of my reading list is here:

Anthologies

Agony/Ecstasy: Original Stories of Agonizing Pleasure/Exquisite Pain, ed. by Jane Litte (Berkley, 2011)
Alison’s Wonderland, ed. by Alison Tyler (Spice: Harlequin, 2010)
Best Erotic Fantasy & Science Fiction,
ed. by Cecilia Tan & Bethany Zaiatz
(Circlet Pr., 2010)
Best Erotic Romance, ed. by Kristina Wright (Cleis Pr., 2011)
Best Women’s Erotica 2011 ,
ed, by Violet Blue (Cleis Pr., 2010)
Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories, ed. by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis Pr., 2009)
Herotica: A Collection of Women’s Fiction, ed. by Susie Bright (Down There Pr., 1993–2008)
Lustfully Ever After: Fairy Tale Erotic Romance , ed. by Kristina Wright
(Cleis Pr., 2012)
Zane’s Sex Chronicles by Zane
(Atria: S. & S., 2008)

Authors

      • Vivian Arend
      • Eden Bradley
      • Anne Calhoun
      • Christine d’Abo
      • Portia Da Costa
      • Lauren Dane
      • Delphine Dryden
      • Madelynne Ellis
      • Megan Hart
      • Lorelei James
      • Kristina Lloyd
      • Kayla Perrin
      • Tiffany Reisz
      • Saskia Walker

Websites

The following sites are reliably tuned into the erotic fiction market, usually as part of a broader interest area. Some sites include reviews, others discussions of the genre.
Librarians are seeing this acceptance with requests for more material “like Fifty Shades.” Kristi Chadwick, director of the Emily Williston Memorial Library in Easthampton, MA, has noticed an increase in holds for erotic materials. “I don’t think we have seen our copies of E.L. James’s or Sylvia Day’s titles on our shelf more than once since we acquired them last year!”

As erotic fiction is classified within general fiction, specific circulation statistics are not available, but Robin Bradford, collection development librarian with the Indianapolis-­Marion County Public Library, says that public service librarians at her system have reported high patron demand, and she receives a large number of patron-generated purchase requests.

If your library doesn’t already collect erotic literature, where should you start? How do you mine your collection for titles you may already have? How do you help patrons navigate the world of erotic literature and assist them in finding something they want to read?

Erotic literature today

The exploration of alternative sexual practices is a key feature of the genre. BDSM (bondage/domination/sadism/maso­chism) has become a catchall term for a wide range of behaviors and is perennially popular with readers of erotica. While erotica classics like Pauline Réage’s The Story of O (1954) and Anne Rice’s 1980s “Sleeping Beauty Trilogy” (written under the A.N. Roquelaure pseudonym) have explored some of the more extreme aspects of BDSM, readers new to erotic literature have been introduced to these elements through James’s “Fifty Shades” trilogy.

While many embraced the three titles, there has been backlash from longtime erotica readers and practitioners of the BDSM lifestyle who argue, among other things, that it is an unrealistic depiction. “For many BDSM practitioners,” says Riptide Publishing editor Sarah Frantz, “BDSM is as much as part of their sexuality as their gender orientation.” 

So James’s depiction of Ana’s love “curing” Christian of his desire for BDSM does not in any way represent real-life practitioners, argues Frantz. She also points out that Christian’s demand for Ana’s acceptance of the contract “as is” is not considered “safe, sane, and consensual,” which is the credo for most BDSM ­practitioners.

Publishers are now repackaging and promoting their frontlist and backlist erotic titles to take advantage of the surging interest. This year Harlequin’s Mira imprint is reissuing Hart’s erotic backlist (Broken; Dirty;Tempted; Deeper; Switch; Naked; Stranger) with elegant covers that feature monochrome images of flowers similar to the understated and tasteful covers of the “Fifty Shades” books. 

Interestingly, Hart’s 2010 title Switch hit the New York Times best sellers list for the first time in September 2012; Harlequin senior editor Susan Swinwood is certain this was more than just a happy coincidence. “The timing and the new cover direction helped us to achieve strong sales of Switch,” she notes. “The new covers have just a hint of suggestiveness for clever women yet look benign enough not to embarrass anyone caught reading them in public.”

Day hits a hot trifecta

Sylvia Day [see Q&A at right] has arguably benefited the most from being associated as a read-alike to the “Fifty Shades” trilogy. Last April, she self-published the first of her erotic “Crossfire” novels, Bared to You, as an ebook and print-on-demand title. Hearing the buzz from readers and reviewers, vice president and executive editor of Penguin’s Berkley Books imprint Cindy Hwang asked Day for a copy and was immediately hooked: “In the best erotic romances, you can’t separate the physical from the emotional, and that’s exactly what happened in Bared to You.”

Hwang bought the book, added a new Fifty Shades–style cover featuring a pair of cuff links, and released it as an ­ebook and trade paperback (with a 500,000-copy first printing).  

Bared to You is now a national best seller, hitting both the New York Times and the USAToday lists. Reflected in You, Day’s sequel released in October 2012, reached the number one spot on the New York Times combined print and ebook fiction list when it was still only available in ebook format; it also made news when it beat Fifty Shades of Grey in first-week sales in Britain, James’s home country. 

According to Nielsen BookScan sales figures for the first 50 weeks of 2012, James’s series—as individual trade paperbacks and as a boxed set—sold over 14 million copies. Trade paperback sales of Day’s two novels equaled nearly three-quarters of a million in sales in the same time period. The next  title, Entwined in You, will be released June 4.

M/M fiction comes to the fore

Another growing subgenre in erotica to watch is that of M/M fiction, which is shorthand for male/male and is usually written for a female audience by female authors. This type of erotic fiction has not quite made the leap to traditional print markets, but it is gradually making inroads with major mainstream publishers. In August, Grand Central Publishing’s print/digital romance imprints Forever/Forever Yours will publish their first erotic M/M romance, Rie Warren’s In His Command. 

Yet the current ebook market for this genre continues to be dominated by such LGBT market-focused publishers as Torquere Press and newly launched Riptide Publishing. Particularly popular authors are Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell, Alex Beecroft, and Heidi Cullinan. [For M/M title suggestions, see Devon Thomas’s 2010 roundup, “Bodice Rippers Without the Bodice: Ten Male-on-Male Romances for a Core Collection”—Ed.]

In the last two years or so, there has also been a rise in the publication of female/female titles, while Cecilia Tan, founder and editor of Circlet Press, reports they have recently launched Gressive Press, a new sf/fantasy imprint specifically to address transgender and transsexual-positive stories. The LGBTQ erotica market is still very young but one poised for rapid growth, explains Riptide cofounder Rachel Haimowitz. “Society is catching up and not just accepting the LGBTQ community but also embracing them,” says Haimowitz. “Love is love, and people are people, and we can all relate to each other.”

 Discreet ereading
Ebooks continue to be popular with readers of erotic literature, especially when the covers are sexually suggestive. “We know that there are still many readers who prefer to read erotic romance digitally—after all, the recent resurgence in the [genre] started digitally,” says Penguin’s Hwang. “So we’re publishing digital-first erotic romances in InterMix [Penguin’s new digital romance imprint].” 

So far the imprint has struck gold with its initial releases. Hwang reports that nine months after InterMix launched in January 2012, it enjoyed its first New York Times best seller with Beth Kery’s eight-part serialized erotic novel Because You Are Mine ( LJXpress Reviews, 8/3/12).

Many other traditionally print-first publishers are also venturing into digital-only or digital-first romance imprints. In 2010, Harlequin started Carina Press as a digital-first division and has created digital-first lines for short stories related to its print category lines. 

And 2012 saw the relaunch of Random House’s Loveswept imprint (a category line that closed in 1999) and the births of HarperCollins’s Avon Impulse, Grand Central’s Forever Yours, and Random’s “new adult” Flirt digital-only imprints. 

None of these imprints are exclusively for erotica, but erotic fiction is being acquired as part of their mission where appropriate. The emerging genre of “new adult” is one to watch for erotic content as it seems to be focusing on the coming-of-age exploits of characters in their twenties. 

However, the boundaries of this genre are still shaking themselves out among publishers, authors, and readers.

Readers’ advisory issues

As with any other readers’ advisory (RA) interaction, respect must be given to the patron’s reading preferences. The choice of which erotica and erotic literature a patron chooses to read is highly personalized as sexuality is an individual experience. According to erotica anthology editor Wright, “The key is finding the themes you enjoy and then discovering the authors who write what you like to read.”

A pitfall of erotica RA is assuming that it can be lumped in with romance. While a good chunk of such fiction can certainly be considered romantic, hot romance is not erotic romance is not erotica. The line differentiating them can be blurred, but the structure of the storytelling is fundamentally distinct. In a sexually explicit romance, the development of the emotional relationship drives the story. 

The sex scenes are integral to the story, but they are not the primary way in which the relationship develops. For erotic romance, the development of the relationship again is the focus of the story, but here the sex scenes are the primary way in which the development is revealed to the reader.

Erotica, on the other hand, does not require a love story of any sort. “Erotica is not a romance at all,” explains author Hart. “The content is graphic, and the plot has a sexual premise, but the movement of the story is not about the emotional relationship or ‘happy ever after’ of the characters.” Berkley’s Hwang agrees. “I think the difference is really about how the sexual component is used.”

An erotica story can be about anything, but the journey of the main characters is generally shown through the lens of their sexuality and sexual practices. Consider Molly Weatherfield’s 1995 Carrie’s Story (2d ed. Cleis, Feb. 2013). Dubbed “the American twist on The Story of O,” this is the story of a young woman who is invited into a D/s (Dominant/submissive) relationship and then given to another man as part of the sexual scene in which they are involved. 

The focus is on Carrie and her introduction to and acceptance of this lifestyle for herself. The man who originally brought her into the scene attempts to win her back, but Carrie rejects him. In this respect, Carrie’s Story is not a good match for someone looking for a read-alike for the romance aspects of Fifty Shades of Grey. It is a good choice for a reader wanting to explore more deeply the BDSM elements introduced in James’s novel.

Sexually graphic also does not automatically mean erotica. Street or urban lit is known for its sexual explicitness. Many of the characters engage the world by means of their sexuality, especially female characters. Again, a distinction must be made as to whether the main characters’ development is shown through the lens of their sexuality or sexual practices. For some characters, sexuality is only another tool with which they conquer the demons of their existence.

You will find a number of erotica readers don’t necessarily care about the characters’ motivations or the author’s storytelling choices. They just want to know if the book is sexually explicit. My favorite way of determining this criteria is by asking, “How hot do you like it?” This provides readers with a nonjudgmental opening to make their own decision. You may be surprised by how often the response is, “The hotter, the better.”

Marketing your erotica

Marketing your collection to readers of erotica is a balancing act. You want to give your patrons a sense of privacy with this most intimate of reads but also offer them an understanding that the library supports their reading interests no matter what they choose. Robin Beerbower, RA librarian with the Salem Public Library, WA, created a read-alike pamphlet to hand out to patrons looking for similar titles. Another subrosa technique with print books is to create bookmarks with read-alike titles and insert them into the listed books. 

This works for any genre. With ebooks, check to see if your delivery platform allows you to generate targeted “if you like this, then try these other titles” or “other patrons who borrowed this, also borrowed these titles” lists similar to online bookstores’ “people who bought this title, also purchased these titles” function.

Collection development issues

The first thing to realize when collecting erotic literature for a library setting is that you likely already have a couple of appropriate titles in your collection. Even if these books were not consciously purchased as erotic, you may find a few titles pop up when doing a subject heading search of “erotic stories.” 

Periodically checking these results is a good practice if your library does copy cataloging as you may find odd results, such as the time I discovered Meg Cabot’s YA title All-American Girl with that heading. It has since been removed from the record. Likewise, Williston Memorial Library’s Chadwick found the same subject heading on Cabot’s Princess on the Brink in their catalog.

To determine if your patrons even want erotic titles, consider your current holdings. Check the circulation figures on the titles with “erotic stories” as the subject heading. Look at the popularity in your community of authors like Zane, Lora Leigh, Joey W. Hill, Lauren Dane, Jaci Burton, Maya Banks, Victoria Dahl, Lisa Marie Rice, Beth Kery, Jacqueline Carey, Laurell K. Hamilton, Emma Holly, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Anne Rice. 

If you have any of the classic erotic literature authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, or ­Erica Jong still active in your collection, consider updating your old volumes with new editions. High circulation of these and similar authors is a strong indicator that a selection of explicitly erotic titles would be welcome in your community.

The popularity of James’s trilogy is actually not a good indicator by itself of the desire for erotica in a community. This is because of the added mega-best-seller influence, or what I call the Oprah Effect. A great many of your patrons likely requested these books, at least the first volume, because it was the book everyone was talking about. However, patrons who have finished the trilogy may ask for more titles like it, and if you can determine that they are looking for books with erotic elements, this is a solidly positive indicator.

The anonymous patron

Owing to the sensitive nature of expressing a desire for erotica, libraries may want to consider a method by which patrons can anonymously request particular titles and authors. This may be hard to balance if the collection development policy requires accepting purchase suggestions only from cardholding patrons.
Patron suggestions are a valuable source of collection development leads.

 Even if particular titles or authors are unavailable, by tracking what types of stories are being requested, you will have a better idea of the interests of the community and will be well positioned to spot trends.

The ebook versus print debate is probably best illustrated by the erotica genre. Many readers of this genre prefer to read electronically, especially if the cover is in any way lurid or if they have young children at home. In the October 2012 survey on erotic reading habits I conducted for a continuing education workshop, some respondents indicated a preference for erotic fiction in ebook format to avoid the possible embarrassment of checking out print titles from library staff. 

There are many options with publishers, especially smaller presses, when it comes to erotica in electronic format. When considering an ebook platform, look at which small presses are in the catalog, such as Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Ravenous Romance, Total-E-Bound, Loose Id, and Cleis Press.

However, most readers new to the genre first stumble across it in print. This is usually because print lends itself better to noncommittal browsing. Reviews of erotic literature can be hard to find. Well-established print publishers such as Cleis will have their titles periodically reviewed in national publications.  

RT Book Reviewsh has a section dedicated to erotica and erotic romance. There are also a number of review blogger sites that include erotica as part of their regular coverage. [See sidebar for a listing of the best sites.]

If you’re buying in print to promote a browsing collection of erotica, I would recommend anthologies such as Susie Bright’s groundbreaking “Herotica” series, as they will give the reader the broadest possible exposure to a range of authors. Even single-author collections like Nin’s Little Birds will let the reader explore a broad selection of story types.
ljx130202webErotic12 Erotica: Full Frontal Shelving | Genre Spotlight
Reconsideration requests

The first line of defense for reconsideration requests is having a strong collection development policy already in place. If your policy specifically bars the addition of erotica or erotic literature to the collection, it should also clearly define what is considered erotica or erotic literature. Choosing this route can eliminate a number of classic and highly popular authors and titles from the collection, however. To be effective, librarians cannot pick and choose to which titles and authors they apply the collection development policy.

A clearly written policy can help you avoid Brevard County Library System’s (BCLS) experience. The Florida system initially removed copies of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy from circulation in March 2012 due to media reports classifying the contents as pornography and then reversed its decision in May 2012 owing to patron demand for the titles. 

As of this writing in January 2013, 30 copies of the trade paperback of Fifty Shades of Grey, two copies of the audiobook, and five copies of the large-print edition remain in circulation, with all checked out, according to the BCLS public catalog.

The second line is to have a clear reconsideration request process in place and to have every staff member, pages and volunteers included, trained on it. If the library designates certain staff members to be responsible for initial acceptance of requests, make sure every staff member knows who the designees are. Staff members not designated to accept requests should be trained in proper responses to the patron’s complaint and how to transition the patron to a designated staff member. Many times, reconsideration requests can be handled informally by respecting and actively listening to the patron’s concerns.

If the patron wishes to file a formal request, the designated staff member should clearly inform the patron of the process of reconsideration and at which points the patron can expect to hear a response. The patron should also be informed of the possible outcomes of the request, which may include the library retaining the item precisely as it is. Should the patron choose not to proceed with a formal request, the challenged item should be immediately returned to the collection. It may be politic to wait until the patron has left the building to do this, but that should be the only delay.

Formal requests should include a form where patrons detail their opposition to the item, assert they have read, viewed, or listened to the item in its entirety, and acknowledge that they understand the process the library uses for reconsideration requests and the possible outcomes of the request.

It is also useful to provide patrons with a booklet with all of the relevant policies when the challenge is made, including the collection development policy and any intellectual freedom policies the library board has adopted, along with a copy of the reconsideration request form. The provision of such a packet is often sufficient for patrons to feel their requests have been adequately heard. Once the items have been considered according to the process, patrons should be notified in writing of the resolution to the challenge.

Wrapping up

If you are not already familiar with the genre, I recommend you lay your hands on a number of erotica anthologies and pick three to four stories to read. See my starter bibliography on this page for suggestions. Get a feel for the lay of the land. The story may not be to your taste, or you may find your new favorite genre. Either way, you will have a better understanding of its appeal. 

Adding erotica when it is not your thing is the same as adding in any other specialized collection that is not your thing. You can do this and probably already have with other collections. If you are not in management, you need to ensure management has your back in case any challenges are made—either by the public or other staff members.

Ultimately, erotic literature is not going away, and it needs to be given consideration as part of a library’s collection. As the ladies of River City in Meredith Willson’s musical The Music Man say, “Chaucer! Rabelais! Balzac!”

Katie Dunneback works as a collection development librarian. She has been a reader of erotic fiction for 15 years and a published author of erotica under a pseudonym for more than five
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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Neale Sourna's Nude, Sexy, and Erotic Amazon Store (books, ebooks, dvds, cds, vibrators, condoms, lubes, and more...)

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Neale Sourna Review, "the softer side": Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Neale Sourna Review

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
Fifty Shades Darker
by

Fifty shades DARKER is a misnomer. This story is actually BRIGHTER, LIGHTER. So, if fifty #1 made you squirm too much, read this one instead, it's softer, the lovers are more equal and understand their differences much better. There's more trust based in knowledge and therefore faith, more getting to the center of what his past is about, and less worry about her virgin to sub growth or de-evolvement, as many I've heard were afraid for her about.

She's fine. She's stronger than he is and she's pulling HIM upward. Stop chickening out and try this one, and really read and understand the explanations. We mislabel things in our heads and hearts, Christian does too. What we say about ourselves isn't always the actual us. That's covered here. 

And explaining the "lifestyle" and experimenting with "vanilla" with a dash of, well, soft "lifestyle" will be more palatable and a better starter for many.

Then, perhaps, you can backtrack to number one, once you really understand this isn't the abusive, evil stuff that gets you on the news or in jail.

Oh, and not "Mommy Porn" it should be "Daddy Porn." If dad wants to get more and keep his lady wife happier perhaps he should take a few lessons on creativity, trust, and obedience from CG as he tantalizes, pleases, and fully obeys Ana in their most intimate moments. She can say "no" anytime or and he obeys. And when she says "yes," he makes it interesting, creative, explorative, and emotionally fulfilling, not just missionary sex boring. 

No wonder I've heard so many women say they loved CG but were not so kind to virginal, sexually ignorant Ana--too close to home?

There are few women who wouldn't want a man who enjoys extended foreplay diddling AND afterglow all night cuddling. Oh, wait, these are FICTIONAL people. But they have much to teach us about our own love giving and emotionally sexual "hard and soft limits."
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Monday, February 18, 2013

NEW SHORT STORY, CONTEST, PLEASE VOTE: The Trans / Androgyne Practice by Neale Sourna

http://figment.com/books/545108-The-Trans-Androgyne-Practice

Locked in a coffin for an Initiation practice, Kar is terrified; but Dev is the only one to offer help. And Dev, who all Kar's friends dislike, is the one Kar truly wants. It's gonna be a long three day weekend
 

We lay in my stark coffin, side by side, in pitch black. Why? ’Cause who wants to lie in their coffin alone the first time?
“You okay?” Devon queried, cautiously, like I was a baby, who might explode into screeching hysterics any second. Leg touching mine, Devon’s warm grasp fumbled for my cold sweaty hand; I clutched, tightly.
“Ouch! Cut your claws, Kar. Or wear olives on your fingertips.”
“That was fun.”
“Delectable.”
“No food talk, Dev.”
“You could lose some LBs, Kar. Ow! Claws. Make me bleed out and it’s gonna get way messy in three days of this.”
“Alone. Together.”
Devon gulped, then silence. Devon’s hand in mine was—http://figment.com/books/545108-The-Trans-Androgyne-Practice
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Saturday, February 16, 2013

Love's Bitter End by Neale Sourna [short story published]

Love's Bitter End by Neale Sourna [short story published]

“Is this the end of us?”

“You’re joking? Now? I don’t fucking believe—.”

“Hey. Hey. Okay, baby. It was a bad joke. One in poor taste. Oops. Sorry.”

He can get on a roll, a tasteless roll, sometimes. Pun somewhat intended. I turned around in the hot bath we were sharing to glare at him.

“Stop glaring at me, baby. You really shouldn’t give your honey bunny husband the stink eye.”

He smiled, innocently. Yes. There was a pun joke in there, intentionally. Argh!

“Don’t make a big stink about this. Come clean. You’re curious and the fact you don’t know why I’m so pervertedly interested is a steaming hot pile of—.”

Loves Bitter End
more...http://kinkemagazine.com/issue/february-kinke-magazine-bitter-love-issue-2013/article/loves-bitter-end

 http://www.kinkemagazine.com/
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SHORT STORY, Romantic Erotica: Neale Sourna's Dez at the Silver Pole

Dez at the Silver Pole_ebook cover
03_Silver Pole  READ excerpt

Dez is a willful, stubborn hottie, the bisexual top stripper and erotic dancer [exotic dancer] at Max’s club; independent to the bone, she won’t be controlled.

But, enter Mr. Dark, a powerful, dangerous, wealthy player, a corporate gangsta with an eye only for sexy Ms. Dez.
He’s certain he can teach this free girl a few things.

In lust and love, what is “control,” what is “danger,” when two headstrong people are in conflict over their mutual desires, at the foot of a stripper’s silver pole.

_9587 words Erotic Romance

stripper, exotic dancer, bisexual, lesbian, love, heterosexual, forced sex, coerced sex, domination, control

Silver Pole [excerpt]

...G'd left for a last minute upscale, bachelor party, when Max, I - Am - An - Ass - And - Completely - Spineless - Around - Mr. - High - and - Mighty - Dark, said Dark had finally "requested" I dance for him. Yes, Max made finger quotes.

I'd asked Ginger once if she liked dancing for Dark. She giggled. Remember, with G, giggling means me…or money. Translation, she doesn't like men but she'd even fuck him, since he pays well. He'd better because I can charge more than the others. I get the patrons to come inside, and bring their friends, and I keep them all there longer and cumming right here in my hot, little hand.

I really considered not dancing for that imperiously bossy snot though.

But, maybe I'm stupid, because Dark's sudden interest in a private dance, after ignoring me, except for my general dances and to taunt me, had me a smidge…intrigued.

Well, actually, more than a smidge.

* * * *

He didn't want me on his lap, so I and my delicate, gold Egyptian bracelets gyrated and twisted, and displayed and fingered and shook my more obvious assets from a distance.

He seemed pleased, while Shadow [his huge bodyguard] looked on. Minutes later, Shadow put down lots of Mr. Franklins. I guess, his boss didn't want to get his hands dirty. I was reaching for the loot.

"Again."

"They're your Bennies," I said.

This close to him, this long, it was starting to get to me that he never looks at me like anyone else does. Not like his Shadow, who was trying hard not to look at me. I know when a man's looking at me, and Shadow'd lost the battle. The hard proof being the growing precum stain, from his stiff billy club in his pants, that he tried to modestly shift to a more comfortable position.

Unless, of course, he had a big thing, for his boss.

"Come here."

The sahib indicated I may now approach, and buff his lap, which I did thoroughly. The song ended. Shadow piled on the Poor Richards.

"Again." Greedy bastard.

He peeled off his long, stylish jacket. A little warm, I guess. Y'know, others want lots of dances, too, but they don't have the cash or credit, or they're afraid they'll cum their slacks. Dark seemed to be holding his cream but his trousers were becoming less slack the more I rode his very expensive imported, custom tailored fabric.

Then, he touched me.
 
"No touching!"

I'd dismounted so fast, I don't think he'd expected it. The look on his face said touching me was no overinfatuated mistake. As they always say.

Tiny Natalie'd had some queer lick her ass just yesterday.

Totally creepzoid.

We do a lot. But, it's a service, a special service, and it has its limits. Let's face it; we're vulnerable--naked, outweighed, unarmed, with help far enough away that we could get seriously damaged or dead before the bouncers get to us.

So, touching me...us is very much breaking the law. And, my law.

Most people still like to think we're wearing pasties or nude plastic or Sally Rand feathers, "if these kinds of places must exist," they say. But, no, the law says nude's--fine, opening my legs--fine, touching myself or another performer's anything is--fine, but…customers touching us...me is forbidden. As I rub my body against theirs.

I'm on…I am that thin, fragile line between voyeurism and participation, stripping (Since I'm naked, I strip your mind, not my clothes.--Good, huhn?) and prostitution.

"Dez, it was just your waist I touched."

"It doesn't matter, Dark. You touch nothing."

"All right. I'll behave. Finish. Please?"

I didn't like the look in his eyes, I couldn't read it, and, the pit of my stomach churned. Never a good sign.

"If you want more, Dez.... A penalty fee?"
 
Where was Shadow pulling those bills from?

He never put his hand in a pocket, no bill fold or wad seemed to be in his huge hand, and then Blam! He put down ten of them this time, for his master; fanned so I could count.

"You're not stupid, Dez, you know I like you. I just momentarily forgot proper decorum."

"Bullshit." He smiled at my anger, which pissed me good.

"Okay. One last dance. You get paid, and I'll go. I'll never come back here to Max', unless you give me permission."

I had to think about that one. The money was better than great, and there'd be more, he always pays, even if he only watches for thirty seconds. And, then his royal pain in my ass would leave...he could dry hump himself.

I wished he'd stop looking like he knew exactly what I was thinking, which, of course, I knew he did.

So, I Salome'd again, and he asked me to straddle him, which is not unusual, especially from a high-paying client. I mounted him and his eyes held mine for a long time, his prodigious bulge between my legs, throbbing deliciously, making my bare pussy dampen it's tongueless mouth. I tried to move off the expensive fabric…before I--.

"Wet it, Dez, I don't care."

How'd he know I was getting so wet? I thought to disobey; but, I liked the constant throb his cock was singing to my cunt. I wanted more. He could tell.

"Put your hands on my shoulders, and lean into me."

I hesitated, but finally did it, and it felt wonderful; but, I was loosing control, and the position put his hot lips too close to my breasts. If I'd been flatterchested we would have stayed within the law, but my tit brushed his hot mouth and he grabbed me and sucked.

Pulling away made him suck harder, biting just a bit, and his pants got wetter, at least from my side.

He smiled, mouth full of me, knowing he had me, knowing he was getting my body, that's controlled by me, that serves me, to betray me.

I pulled away to dismount, and his teeth let go but he held me on his hard bulge, pushing it up into me. I wanted it; but, I wasn't having it, as I shoved to get away. He grabbed a handful of hair on the back of my head.
 
Piss me! Tryin' to control me.

I backhanded him, and, suddenly, he had a switchblade at my ribs.

"She's thinking whether or not I want her enough not to slice her beautiful body, or if I'm afraid someone might hear her call out, and come for her." He pulled my head to his. "Delectable Dez, who's going to run through that door and into him? And, if they got past him, who'd run up on me? Even for you."

"What d'you want?"

"Control of you."

Thought so.

I….
End of Excerpt
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Friday, February 15, 2013

Where did Fifty Shades of Grey come from, from The Story of O...

Where did Fifty Shades of Grey come from, from The Story of O

Story of O

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the erotic novel. For the film, see Story of O (film).
Story of O
Cover of a French edition of Histoire d'O featuring Corinne Cléry
Cover of a French edition of Histoire d'O featuring Corinne Cléry
Author(s) Pauline Réage
Country France
Language French
Genre(s) Erotic novel
Publisher Jean-Jacques Pauvert
Publication date 1954
Media type Print

Story of O (French: Histoire d'O, IPA: [istwaʁ do]) is an erotic novel published in 1954 about love, dominance and submission by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.

Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for forty years after the initial publication. Desclos claims she wrote the novel as a series of love letters to her lover Jean Paulhan,[1] who had admired the work of the Marquis de Sade.

Contents

 

Plot


Published in French by Jean-Jacques Pauvert, Story of O is a tale of female submission about a beautiful Parisian fashion photographer, O, who is blindfolded, chained, whipped, branded, pierced, made to wear a mask, and taught to be constantly available for oral, vaginal, and anal intercourse. 

Despite her harsh treatment, O grants permission beforehand for everything that occurs, and her permission is consistently sought.

At the beginning of the story, O's lover, René, brings her to the château of Roissy, where she is trained to serve the men of an elite group. After this first period of training is finished, as a demonstration of their bond and his generosity, René hands O to Sir Stephen, a more dominant master. 

René wants O to learn to serve someone whom she does not love, and someone who does not love her. Over the course of this training, O falls in love with Sir Stephen and believes him to be in love with her as well. 

While her vain friend and lover, Jacqueline, is repulsed by O's chains and scars, O herself is proud of her condition as a willing slave. During the summer, Sir Stephen decides to move O to Samois, an old mansion solely inhabited by women for advanced training and body modifications related to submission. 

There she agrees to receive a branding and a labia piercing with rings marked with Sir Stephen's initials and insignia. At the climax, O appears as a slave, nude but for an owl-like mask, before a large party of guests who treat her solely as an object.


One version of the Roissy triskelion ring described in the book

Movie-style Ring of O, as sold in Europe.

Publishing history


In February 1955, Story of O won the French literature prize Prix des Deux Magots, although this did not prevent the French authorities from bringing obscenity charges against the publisher. The charges were rejected by the courts, but a publicity ban was imposed for a number of years.
The first English edition was published by Olympia Press in 1965. Eliot Fremont-Smith (of The New York Times) called its publishing "a significant event".

A sequel, Retour à Roissy (Return to Roissy, but often translated as Return to the Chateau, Continuing the Story of O), was published in 1969 in French, again with Jean-Jacques Pauvert, éditeur. It was published again in English by Grove Press, Inc., in 1971. It is not known whether this work is by the same author as the original.

Emmanuelle Arsan claimed the Story of O inspired her to write her own erotic novel Emmanuelle.[2]

A critical view of the novel is that it is about the ultimate objectification of a woman. The heroine of the novel has the shortest possible name, consisting solely of the letter O. Although this is in fact a shortening of the name Odile, it could also stand for "object" or "orifice", an O being a symbolic representation of any "hole". The novel was strongly criticised by many feminists, who felt it glorified the abuse of women.[3][4][5]

The book has been the source of various terms that are used in the BDSM subculture such as Samois, the name of the estate belonging to the character Anne-Marie, who brands O.

When the film of The Story Of O was released, L'Express magazine ran a feature on the novel and film. This resulted in L'Express being picketed by feminists from the group Mouvement de libération des femmes, who found the novel and film objectionable.[2] Journalist François Chalais also criticized Story of O, claiming the novel glorified violence; he described the novel as "bringing the Gestapo into the boudoir".[2]

 

Hidden identities


The author used a pen name, then later revealed herself under another pen name, before finally, prior to her death, revealing her true identity. Her lover Jean Paulhan wrote the preface as if the author were unknown to him.

According to an article by Geraldine Bedell,[1] published in The Observer on Sunday 24 July 2004, "Pauline Réage, the author, was a pseudonym, and many people thought that the book could only have been written by a man. The writer's true identity was not revealed until 10 years ago, when, in an interview with John de St Jorre, a British journalist and some-time foreign correspondent of The Observer, an impeccably dressed 86-year-old intellectual called Dominique Aury acknowledged that the fantasies of castles, masks and debauchery were hers."

According to several other sources, however, Dominique Aury was itself a pseudonym of Anne Cécile Desclos, born 23 September 1907 in Rochefort-sur-Mer, France, and deceased 26 April 1998 (at age 90) in Paris, France.

The Grove Press edition (US, 1965) was translated by publisher Richard Seaver (who had lived in France for many years) under the pseudonym Sabine d'Estree.[6]

 

Jean Paulhan


Jean Paulhan, who was the author's lover and the person to whom she wrote Story of O in the form of love letters, wrote the preface, "Happiness in Slavery". Paulhan admired the Marquis de Sade's writing and told Desclos that a woman could not write in a similar fashion. Desclos interpreted this as a challenge and wrote the book. Paulhan was so impressed that he sent it to a publisher. 

Interestingly, in the preface, Paulhan goes out of his way to appear as if he does not know who wrote the book. In one part he says, "But from the beginning to end, the story of O is managed rather like some brilliant feat. It reminds you more of a speech than of a mere effusion; of a letter rather than a secret diary. But to whom is the letter addressed? Whom is the speech trying to convince? Whom can we ask? I don't even know who you are. That you are a woman I have little doubt."[7] 

Paulhan also explains his own belief that the themes in the book depict the true nature of women. At times, the preface (when read with the knowledge of the relationship between Paulhan and the author), seems to be a continuation of the conversation between them.

Discussing the ending, Paulhan states, "I too was surprised by the end. And nothing you can say will convince me that it is the real end. That in reality (so to speak) your heroine convinces Sir Stephen to consent to her death."[citation needed]

One critic has seen Paulhan's essay as consistent with other themes in his work, including Paulhan's interest in erotica, his "mystification" of love and sexual relationships, and a view of women that is arguably sexist.[8]

 

Adaptations

 

Mainstream


French director Henri-Georges Clouzot wanted to adapt the novel to film for many years. It was eventually adapted by director Just Jaeckin in 1975 as Histoire d'O (Story of O), starring Corinne Cléry and Udo Kier. The film met with far less acclaim than the book. It was banned in the United Kingdom by the British Board of Film Censors until February 2000.

In 1975, American director Gerard Damiano, well known for Deep Throat (1972) and The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) created the movie The Story of Joanna, highly influenced by the Story of O, by combining the motifs from one of the book's chapters and from Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit.

In 1979, Danish director Lars von Trier made the short movie entitled Menthe—la bienheureuse, as an homage to Story of O. His 2005 film Manderlay was also inspired by the book, particularly Paulhan's introduction.[9]

Five years later, in 1984, actress Sandra Wey starred as "O" in The Story of O: Part 2.

In 2002 another version of O was released, called The Story of O: Untold Pleasures, with Danielle Ciardi playing the title character.

A Brazilian miniseries in 10 episodes with Claudia Cepeda was made in 1992 by director Eric Rochat, who was the producer of the original 1975 movie.

In 1975, it was adapted for comics by the Italian artist Guido Crepax. Both the original and Crepax's adaptation were parodied for comics in 2007 by Charles Alverson and John Linton Roberson.[10]

 

Documentaries


Writer of O, a 2004 documentary film by Pola Rapaport, mixed interviews with re-enactments of certain scenes from the book. In the documentary, the real author of Histoire d'O, Dominique Aury (also a pen name), talks about the book A Girl in Love. This book was written about how Story of O was written.

A documentary was also made for BBC Radio 4 entitled The Story of O: The Vice Francaise, presented by Rowan Pelling, former editor of the Erotic Review, which looked at the history of the book and Pauline Réage.

 

In popular culture


The comic book character Orlando is a blend of several fictional characters with the name Orlando as well as being known during the mid-sixties as O while engaged in sexual games with the descendants of the Silling Castle survivors, according to Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series.

On The Dresden Dolls' album Yes, Virginia..., the piece "Mrs. O" includes reference to the Story of O.

The band Oneida has a song "Story of O", on their album Rated O.

In Jacqueline Carey's novel Kushiel's Dart, during a grand ball, the main character — a masochist and submissive — dresses as a naked bird, as in the last scene of O.

Tori Amos's song "Glory of the 80s", on her album To Venus and Back, mentions having "The Story Of O in my bucket seat of my wanna-be Mustang".

In the TV series Frasier (season 5 episode 3 "Halloween"), Roz Doyle appears as O at a Halloween party.

 

See also

 

References

  1. ^ a b Bedell, Geraldine (24 July 2004). "I wrote the story of O". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 March 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Destais, Alexandra (2006). "Réage, Pauline". In Brulotte, Gaétan; Philips, John. The Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature. London: Routledge. pp. 1080–1086. ISBN 978-1-57958-441-2.
  3. ^ Dworkin, Andrea (1974). Woman Hating: A Radical Look at Sexuality. New York: Dutton. ISBN 0-452-26827-3.
  4. ^ Griffin, Susan (1982). "Sadomasochism and the Erosion of Self: A Critical Reading of Story of O". In Linden, R. R.. Against Sadomasochism: A Radical Feminist Analysis. East Palo Alto.
  5. ^ Smith, Joan (1998). Different for Girls: How Culture Creates Women. London.
  6. ^ "The True Story of 'The Story of O' by Pauline Reage". h2g2. 3 Novovember 2006 [13 November 2001]. Retrieved 2012-11-15.[unreliable source?]
  7. ^ Story of O. Ballantine Books. p. xxiv.
  8. ^ Syrotinski, Michael (1998). Defying Gravity: Jean Paulhan's Interventions in Twentieth-Century French Intellectual History. SUNY Press. pp. 74–75.
  9. ^ Bell, Emma (10 October 2005). "Lars von Trier: Anti-American? Me?". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-06-05.[dead link]
  10. ^ Alverson, Charles; Roberson, John (2007). "Story of OH!". Retrieved 2012-11-15.

 

External links

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Thursday, February 07, 2013

Character stuff: The 21-Minute Secret to a Happier Marriage By Elise Solé, Shine

The 21-Minute Secret to a Happier Marriage

By | Love + Sex
 
ThinkStock 

In the time it takes to shower, get a manicure, or run to the post office, you could have a happier marriage. According to the results of an upcoming study in the journal Psychological Science, just three seven-minute writing exercises over a one-year period could drastically improve your bond.

More on Yahoo! Shine: Is Distance the Key to a Happy Marriage?

 The two-year study included 120 married couples, ranging from 20-somethings to 70-somethings who had on average been married for 11 years. During  the first year, the couples were asked to sit down every four months and write about their biggest recent conflict such as tiffs about cleaning or sex-related gripes.

 For the second year, the researchers switched things up: They had one group of couples continue recording their conflicts and a second group write them from the perspective of a third party who wanted the best for them, such as a mutual friend. That way, the couples couldn't write things like, "It made me so angry when he was late" but rather "Chris was two hours late coming home."

 The results were surprising: Although the second group's arguments were just as frequent and severe as the first group's, the couples who wrote from a neutral perspective felt less angry toward their partners, experienced more sexual attraction for each other, and their happiness levels stabilized rather than declined.

More on Yahoo! 10 Money Mistakes That Can Ruin a Marriage

 "Previous research shows that relationship satisfaction decreases over the course of a marriage but these writing exercises act as a buffer for unhappiness," says Eli Finkel, Ph.D., lead author of the study and professor of psychology at Northwestern University. "The trick is to get outside your own head. By processing conflict from a neutral perspective, you better understand where your partner is coming from and are able to let go of grudges." 

Easy, right? Try these other tricks for a happier relationship in 21 minutes or less.

Exercise together: Going for a quick run or walk around the block with your partner will do more than keep you shape; it'll make you feel happier and sexier. Exercise releases feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins and breaking a sweat increases blood flow straight to your nether regions.

Conjure up a romantic memory: Research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that extraverts owe their happy outlook to their habit of getting nostalgic. So daydream about the first time you met or your wedding day. Bonus points for swapping memories.

Exchange back rubs: No surprise that massage feels luxurious but it can also enhance romantic feelings. That's because physical contact stimulates the production of the happy hormone oxytocin. Ahhh….

More on Yahoo! Shine: 

5 Secrets to a Happy Marriage: Revealed by Divorce
How to Have a Happy Marriage
The 10 Habits That Keep Marriages Strong
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Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Les Misérables: The strength and longevity and spiritual usefulness of fiction....

The strength and longevity and spiritual usefulness of fiction....

... set forth the purpose of Les Misérables, "one of the half-dozen greatest novels of the world," in the Preface:[2]

    "So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age—the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of women by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night—are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless."

Toward the end of the novel, Victor Hugo explains the work's overarching structure:[3]

    "The book which the reader has before him at this moment is, from one end to the other, in its entirety and details ... a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from corruption to life; from bestiality to duty, from hell to heaven, from nothingness to God. The starting point: matter, destination: the soul. The hydra at the beginning, the angel at the end."

The novel contains many subplots, but the main thread is the story of ex-convict Jean Valjean, who becomes a force for good in the world but cannot escape his dark past. The novel is divided into five volumes, each volume divided into several books, and subdivided into chapters, for a total of 48 books and 365 chapters. Each chapter is relatively short, usually no longer than a few pages. The novel as a whole is quite lengthy by modern standards, having approximately 1,500 pages in unabridged English-language editions,[4] and 1900 pages in French.[5][6][7] It is considered one of the longest novels ever written.[8]

Hugo explained his ambitions for the novel to his Italian publisher:[9]

    "I don't know whether it will be read by everyone, but it is meant for everyone. It addresses England as well as Spain, Italy as well as France, Germany as well as Ireland, the republics that harbour slaves as well as empires that have serfs. Social problems go beyond frontiers. Humankind's wounds, those huge sores that litter the world, do not stop at the blue and red lines drawn on maps. Wherever men go in ignorance or despair, wherever women sell themselves for bread, wherever children lack a book to learn from or a warm hearth, Les Miserables knocks at the door and says: 'open up, I am here for you'."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables#Novel_form
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