Music Mondays: "Ojos Asi" by Shakira

"Y conocí tus ojos negros y ahora sí que no puedo vivir sin ellos."
(Yesterday, I came to know your black eyes, and now I cannot live without them.)
-- Shakira

You have to watch this particular performance of "Ojos Asi." I saw it for the first time recently and was left speechless, breathless, and ready to masturbate furiously. I've seen porn that wishes it could be as hot as Shakira's belly dance routine in this video.

Not only is she hot as hell, she's gorgeous, and whoever shot the video knew exactly how to run the camera up and down every perfect inch of her skin.

After watching this about 20 times, you might recover enough brain function to realize that, hey, her singing's really great, too.

Share the Love Blog Bash

There's an awesome blog event going on the whole month of February. Coming Together Presents editor Lisabet Sarai will be hosting a blog bash at Beyond Romance, featuring daily excerpts and posts from contributors to the Coming Together line.

Coming Together has the most awesome tagline: "Doing Good While Being Bad." Proceeds from erotic books in the line go to various charities. My work was in Coming Together: As One, an anthology of menage erotica that benefits ONE, the campaign to end global poverty.

My book, The Six Swans, which will be coming out soon, is part of Coming Together's Neat line. The proceeds from that go to Kiva, which offers microloans to entrepreneurs around the world.

This is awesome stuff, and the editors have an amazing lineup of writers. I'll be participating in the blog bash -- my date is February 24. But stop by all month. There are some awesome prizes, including a Kindle Fire and $50 at All Romance E-books!

Spankalicious!

The delicious picture you see here is the cover to Spankalicious: Erotic Adventures in Spanking, a new Ravenous Romance anthology edited by D.L. King. I'm lucky to have one of my stories, "A Cure for Excess," included in the mix. It's about a woman who's too horny for anyone she dates -- until her best friend, Rebecca, and Rebecca's hot boyfriend, Jesse, decide to administer a little discipline.

My friend Angie Sargenti has also got a story in the book -- "Little Boys." I can't wait to read it!

The anthology is slated to appear around Valentine's Day. Don't forget! I'll post more info when the book becomes available.

(And a funny note: Angie's post about the book is also titled "Spankalicious!" This is apparently a book that makes you want to use exclamation points! Mark that!)

Murder University Needs You!

My friends at Scorpio Film Releasing are shooting a new movie--Murder University. They're collecting funding on Indie GoGo, and they need help. The movie's started shooting, but they're still far from their funding goal. To sweeten the deal, I'm going to throw in a free e-book for the first five people who send me proof that they donated to the project (see last paragraph for details).

Here's a quote from their pitch:

In a time of endless remakes, reboots, sequels and retreads, what horror really needs is to go back to school. Back to the basics. No CGI fakery, no tricks, no gimmicks. Just solid storytelling, a great cast, and a beautiful visual look.

What does an erotica author have to do with a slasher film? Well, for one thing I love movies, including horror. And both horror and erotica deal with the taboo. We explore the deepest parts of the human psyche--sometimes for fun, sometimes to disturb ourselves, sometimes for thrills of both kinds. We're often looked down upon as "not serious" or "unimportant." But as I've grown into doing more of the work I want to be doing, I've realized this is the stuff that's important to me! This is what grabs my attention, and it's what I care about.

The people behind Scorpio Film Releasing are friends, and they inspire me. They make movies for the joy and art of it, and they work hard to give props to the people who help them. They don't take themselves too seriously (see Atomic Brain Invasion and Disco Exorcist), but they're also not afraid to get into the deep stuff (see Exhumed).

OK, that's my spiel. Here are the details of the giveaway:

1. Donate at least $10 to the campaign, and send me proof (a donation receipt) at annabeth.leong@gmail.com

2. If you're one of the first five people to do this, I'll buy you a copy of Whispers in Darkness, an anthology of horror erotica inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft (my work is in there, along with a bunch of other excellent authors).

3. Enjoy the e-book, as well as the good feeling of having helped a great project!

Stories I've Enjoyed: "At the Crossroads" by Monique Poirier

Monique Poirier's "At the Crossroads" appeared in Like Heaven and Hell: Erotic Tales of Angels and Demons, which Circlet published in early 2011.

A half-blood angel infected with incubus venom plucks a demon from the gutters of the Gray City to satisfy his infernal craving. Neither of the two is able to treat this as just another encounter:

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... next time, I promise... next time I'll make it so good for you..." he panted into my ear in counterpoint to thrusting hips. I closed my eyes and arched my head until the tips of my horns touched the firmness of hay behind me, my breath coming in quick gasps as I was filled again and again. He'd slicked the way with something, and the sensation was... novel. Nothing like the pain I was used to, and that spot inside me that turned my insides to liquid fire was touched intermittently. He was promising to make it good? This was as good as I'd ever known.

I really wanted these two to end up together, somehow, which is one of the best signs that a story is working. Also, I was reading it over breakfast, and it almost made me late. I loved the concept of the Gray City, where the two characters meet--a sort of no-fire zone between heaven and hell. I also liked that the story didn't shy away from the ethical questions it raised. This is a really strong story, and closed out the anthology on a great note.

I've previously posted about two other stories in this anthology, "Switch," and "Give and Take."

For full disclosure, I've published with Circlet before, but I bought and read this book entirely on my own.

Not Mommy’s Little Girl Anymore

I learned as a child that the Persephone myth is meant to explain the seasons, but as an adult I think it’s about sex, seduction, death, and losing your innocence--and how crazy it will drive your mother when you discover all of this.

Read the rest here.

In the Death of Winter

My story, "In the Death of Winter," will appear in Forbidden Fiction's Winter's Darkest Desires special collection. I've been having a great time writing to this publisher's calls--I've been writing stories that include sex without necessarily being romantic.

This story is about an old priestess who clings to the memory of her cruel god even after his death.

More details when they're available!

Music Mondays: "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

"Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now." -- Lady Antebellum

Sometimes duets really work, and Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" is one of those times. Sure, the piano is sappy and drunk-dialing's not as sexy as one wishes it was. But the sweetness of these two voices together conjures up the fantasy of all that's past, and the hope that, just once more, you can get back in the bubble you had with some beloved person.

I listened to this song while I was writing "One More Time"--a story about one of those drunken nostalgia flings.

Stories I've Enjoyed: "Give and Take" by Karen Cobb

Karen Cobb's "Give and Take" appeared in Like Heaven and Hell: Erotic Tales of Angels and Demons, which Circlet published in early 2011.

A demon and angel (who, in this world, aren't really different from each other) find in each other an outlet to deal with the ways that mortals' expections twist them:

I hold my breath, waiting. It feels as though every nerve ending in my body is protruding an inch from the skin and waving around like a little sea anemone. But the cry that explodes from me at the first strike is more due to astonishment than pain. I was expecting a whip, the whip, the one that cuts through skin and flesh. The whip which scourges away my shame and self-loathing, healing my essence while it flays this beautiful, ephemeral frame. Instead, the stripes being laid across my skin are from a strap. Painful, yes--but only a strap. Devious Othello is playing with me, teasing me with my own fears.

This story is well-titled--it clearly portrays how both parties in a bdsm encounter are giving to each other, and how both are receiving from each other. The emotion between the two main characters was palpable.

Last week, I blogged about "Switch," another story in this anthology, and I'll post about my favorite from the book next week.

For full disclosure, I've published with Circlet before, but I bought and read this book entirely on my own.

Music Mondays: "Crush" by Dave Matthews Band

"Lovely lady, let me drink you, please. I won't spill a drop, no, I promise you." -- Dave Matthews Band

I rediscovered the Dave Matthews Band's "Crush" recently for its awesome bass line, but while I was listening to that fat bass, I started noticing the dirty, sexy edge to these lyrics. Dave Matthews is often good for that--a lot of the songs sound nice, like something you could have on while your relatives are over. And then you realize he's singing sweetly about cunnilingus, and that gives a different sense to things when he starts saying, "Come on... come on." Gives me a thrill.

Science of Orgasm

Today on Eros and Thanatos, my blog on the Forbidden Fiction site, I posted about the scientific support for the idea of orgasm as "the little death":

A good orgasm makes me stupid until I get over it, and I often get a headache afterwards. This has not stopped me from seeking that moment of profound self-forgetting.

This study by researchers at the University Medical Center Groningen describes what might be happening.

Read the full post here.

Stories I've Enjoyed: "Switch" by KJ Kabza

KJ Kabza's "Switch" appeared in Like Heaven and Hell: Erotic Tales of Angels and Demons, which Circlet published in early 2011.

An angel who enjoys slumming on Earth by pretending to be a demon becomes obsessed with another angel, who is much more innocent:

"What are you doing?" he whispered. But the whisper was dreamy and weak, and when I moved my mouth to his ear, his words became lost in a feverish sigh.

I slid my hand down. I expected to find his desire rising in answer to mine, but I hit nothing but soft hair.

Oh. A woman's place.

I felt myself smiling. "This is your first time. To Earth. You've never manifested before."
Head tipped back beside my mouth, transported, Nix could barely manage a sound.

"Human males don't..." I started to explain. But perhaps Nix had meant to manifest as a woman to begin with. Or maybe Nix wasn't quite clear on the differences?

I really enjoyed how genderqueer this story was. It played with the fluid boundaries between "him" and "her" in a sexy, satisfying way.

I liked several stories in this anthology, and plan to post about them in coming weeks.

For full disclosure, I've published with Circlet before, but I bought and read this book entirely on my own.

Sexual Fantasies and Being a Slut

There's been a link going around on Twitter for a couple days, highlighting an article on women's sexual fantasies. It's worth a read, and the fantasies listed are roughly what I'd expect--certainly nothing shocking to an erotica writer. (It misses the popularity of m/m scenarios among women, but I suppose I can forgive that).

But here's the part of the piece that really grabbed me:

I began to explain that I asked hundreds of women about their fantasies and received wonderful responses. That's when I was interrupted.

"Are (these women) slutty?" Hoda asked.

Kathie Lee answered, "Total sluts."

My brain froze. Wait -- what? The whole point of this conversation was to get women to feel empowered so that they could share their fantasies with their partners. Now they're being called sluts? (And besides, if you've read any of my work, you know that I have a visceral reaction to the word.)

Like the article's author, I felt outraged by the response. Now, I love erotica for the fun of it. I love one-handed reading, and I love squirming while I write. But moments like this are when I feel that writing and openly reading erotica is a sacred calling and a feminist act. People need to stand up and claim sexuality as normal, healthy, and beautiful, even when--especially when--we're not just talking about m/f missionary.

Speaking up is scary. This name I write under is a pseudonym for a reason, and I was afraid even to use a pseudonym for a very long time. But I spent way too long feeling terrorized by judgments like the ones expressed on this episode of the Today Show.

Erotica writers and others unafraid of talking honestly about sex saved my soul, my self-respect, my sensuality, and more. Thanks so much to all of you.

We have a long way still to go.

Sex and Tibetan Lamas

Today on Eros and Thanatos, my blog on the Forbidden Fiction site, I posted about a Tantric tradition that holds that opportunities for enlightenment come at the following moments: death, orgasm, falling asleep, and sneezing:

Maybe death packs the biggest punch, but I'd be really interested in a spiritual tradition of cultivating awareness to grab the many chances at enlightenment that come during allergy season.

And, of course, considering my interests and predilections, the idea of enlightenment by orgasm has enormous appeal.

Read the rest here.

Eros and Thanatos

I've started blogging on the Forbidden Fiction site, and am planning to focus on the philosophy of dark erotica. My blog is Eros and Thanatos. Here's an excerpt from my first post:

People kill for sex (see just about any Blues song, but maybe start with "Bring Me My Shotgun"). They die for it (see Juliet's famous lines: "I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make die with a restorative."). And I can't think of anything that would make me want sex more than knowing I would die tomorrow.

Read the rest here.

Less Than a Day

Just a quick announcement that my story, "Less Than a Day," will be part of Forbidden Fiction's Touched by Death special collection.

This is one of the darkest stories I've written, and I'm excited to have found a good home for it. In addition to the disturbing elements, I feel it's also one of the hottest and most emotional.

I'll post more details as they're available.

Music Mondays: "My Parents' House" by Hayden

"Our bodies sore from something that surely wasn't walking--our friends thought we were dead." -- Hayden

And now for something completely different from last week's post. Hayden's "My Parent's House" calls up sexy memories in a melancholy haze of romantic longing. It's a song for anyone who wishes to go back to the teenage times when love felt pure and makeouts lasted hours.

Incidentally, this is from the album Everything I Long For, which is one of my favorites ever.

O Christmas Tree

What if you had a reason to avoid taking down the Christmas Tree? I enjoyed writing to holiday themes this year for Every Night Erotica, and for this post-Christmas story, I decided to play with objectification. Matthew, Connor, and Lucy have agreed to include an extreme bdsm game in their menage -- this year, Lucy gets to be the Christmas Tree. Matthew, in particular, doesn't want to give the game up:

As the holidays had progressed, her two lovers had found ever more extreme ways to decorate her. Nipple clamps were always a given, and blond Connor made sure to exquisitely tug the silver chain between them whenever he hung a row of white doves from it. Matthew liked to poke her with the Christmas lights while he wound them around her to see if he could make her move or yelp. When Lucy held still, he would tickle her with tinsel as he tied it around her wrists and draped it across her fingers. The two men would sit in the living room and admire the view for a bit while Lucy strained to maintain her position and hold still. After a little while, they would return to her, tweaking her nipples and feeling between her legs as they tied red and green rope into harnesses that lifted her breasts and helped support her limbs.

Read the rest here.

Red

My new story on Every Night Erotica -- Hailey's embarrassed to have sex while on her period, but after a long separation from her lover Steven, she can't resist him:

He lay on the bed next to her, but pushed her away gently when she tried to touch him. “You get naked, too.”

She tugged her shirt up over her head and unsnapped her bra. Her breasts always felt bigger at this time of the month, and more sensitive. She let the backs of her hands brush against her nipples, pressing a little to feel the ache of it. When she glanced up, Steven was watching her.

“Keep doing that,” he murmured.

She hammed it up, letting her tongue slide across her upper lip as she teased her nipples for him.
“Cute,” Steven said. “Take off the rest.”

Read the rest here.

Stories I've Enjoyed: "Time On His Hands" by D. Mark Alderton

Circlet Press regularly puts up free speculative flash erotica. Case in point: D. Mark Alderton's "Time On His Hands." It's about a time-traveling professor who is looking for the perfect woman:

“I started out with the most famous women in history. But they were disappointing. Cleopatra was young and nubile, but too kinky for my tastes.”
“Kinky?”
“Yes, she was only interested in asp play."

"Asp play" totally cracked me up. The whole story is funny like that.

Stories I've Enjoyed

I'm starting a new weekly posting, in addition to Music Mondays. I'm planning to highlight erotic stories I've recently read and enjoyed. I'll post about whatever I've been reading, which may not always be the most recent stuff.

I'm not planning for these to be reviews per se. I don't intend to get into technical discussions of the merits or flaws of stories, and I'll only discuss stories I liked. My comments will likely be minimal.

That said, there's a lot of great erotica out there, and I want to do my part in spreading the word!

Music Mondays: "Caress Me Down" by Sublime

"Take your chones, y los manden a mi."
(Take your panties, and send them to me)
--Sublime

Sublime's "Caress Me Down" is a silly kind of sexy, but I love it all the same. This song takes me back to the time when any kind of naughty talk gave me a thrill. When you're a horny teenager, you're on the hunt for any sexy expression, any line in a book, any piece of a song. Maybe I'm dating myself, but this was particularly true in my case--I didn't have regular access to the Internet, so I had to get what I could by grabbing these stolen hints. "Caress Me Down" used to turn me on because of its subject matter alone. I also always enjoyed the way he moans during the chorus.