Coming Together: In the Trenches

This book is out! Coming Together: In the Trenches benefits Protect Our Defenders, and contains my story, "This Is Me Holding You" (reprinted from Best Bondage Erotica 2013). It's one of my favorite stories, and I'm so pleased to share it with new readers, and to support veterans in the process.

Here's a short bit from my story:

Jun pulled Carin back against him, his arms crushing. "I don't want to lose you. When you came home this time, you were like a stranger."

Carin took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry right now. She'd been fine on her deployment, but started having nightmares when her leave began. For all that she'd missed Jun, she hadn't been able to bear his touch the first couple nights.

The third night, Jun had taken out their rope bag. He barely touched her with his hands, letting the rope connect them instead. Jun hogtied her face-down on the bed, her hands tied to each other behind her back and then attached to her bound ankles. Something had relaxed inside Carin as the rope flowed over her flesh, and the tears that had been bubbling in her chest rose to the surface in a loud sob.

"Do you need your safe word?" Jun had asked, hovering near her but still not touching.

Carin shook her head and wept. He sat beside her, letting the rope embrace her in a way that he could not. When she'd finally been exhausted from crying, Jun eased onto the bed beside her and wrapped her in his familiar-smelling warmth, fresh and salty as the ocean. Carin had thought she would break, but the ropes held her together.

Only after that had she been able to touch him, kiss him, make love with him.

"Jun —" Carin started, but couldn't finish. She turned and buried her face in his chest. She would be a soldier soon, but for now she wanted to be a baby, rocked and comforted and cared for.

"You're safe when I'm holding you," he said. "Always. Wherever you are."

Please check this anthology out—I always enjoy the chance to do good while being bad, as they say at Coming Together.

Plenty of Opportunities to Do Good While Being Bad

The erotic altruists at Coming Together have got three interesting anthologies coming up, all open to submissions.

Coming Together: For Equality has had its deadline extended to August 15.

Coming Together: For Equality is a collection of diverse erotic fiction with an anti-bullying theme edited by Beth Wylde. Proceeds benefit the Planting Peace - Equality House.

We're seeking erotic fiction of up to 10,000 words which deals with bullying in some form. While we expect to receive many stories featuring LGBT characters, all sexual pairings are welcome. Bullying takes many forms, not all of which are due to gender expression or sexual orientation. Surprise us!

Stories should be attached to an email in DOC or RTF format and sent to submissions at the-erotic-cocktail dot com with the subject: FOR EQUALITY SUBMISSION. In the body of the email, please include a brief author bio (with links to site/blog) and a promo blurb for the story. Reprints are welcome, provided the author holds the rights.

Contributing authors will receive complementary digital copies of the book. Additional compensation in karma.


Coming Together: In the Trenches is open until August 31.

Coming Together: In the Trenches is a military-themed collection of erotica and erotic romance edited by Lady Grey. All proceeds will benefit Protect Our Defenders.

We're seeking erotic fiction of up to 10,000 words with a military theme. All sexual pairings are welcome.

Stories should be attached to an email in DOC or RTF format and sent to submissions at the-erotic-cocktail dot com with the subject IN THE TRENCHES SUBMISSION. In the body of the email, please include a brief author bio (with links to site/blog) and a promo blurb for the story. Reprints are welcome, provided the author holds the rights.

Contributing authors will receive complementary digital copies of the book. Additional compensation in karma.


Coming Together: By the Book is open until August 31.

Coming Together: By the Book is a collection of erotica edited by Alessia Brio which depicts relationships as they are portrayed in the Bible. Slavery, stoning, virgin daughters... it's all fair game. This anthology was inspired by the vehement ranting of anti-gay preachers who profess to know how their Lord wants us all to behave by citing a couple isolated lines of Leviticus from the Christian Bible.

Sales proceeds will benefit Darkness to Light, which works to end child sexual abuse.

Stories of up to 10,000 words should be attached to an email in DOC or RTF format and sent to submissions at the-erotic-cocktail dot com with the subject BY THE BOOK SUBMISSION. In the body of the email, please include a brief author bio (with links to site/blog) and a promo blurb for the story that includes the Biblical relationship upon which the story is based. Reprints are welcome, provided the author holds the rights.

Please note, stories are not required to be set in Biblical times or couched in Biblical language. Modern adaptations are preferred.

Contributing authors will receive complementary digital copies of the book. Additional compensation in karma.

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Publishing with Coming Together has been one of the great joys of my life as an erotic writer. That's why I've kept coming back for more! It's a great group of people, and naughty charity is my favorite kind! I highly recommend it.