One Time at Porn Camp...

I spent last weekend at the Circlet Press Editorial Retreat, also known as #porncamp. I like the name because it embraces the sexuality we're trying to celebrate. At the same time, I don't think it accurately represents how deep things get there. I have a master's degree in writing, and I've been to all sorts of conferences and classes, and I've never been to any event or class with as high a degree of really useful information and activities as #porncamp. Here are some impressions of the whirlwind:

Making:

I got to see a proof of the print edition of my anthology MakerSex: Erotic Stories of Geeks, Hackers, and DIY Projects. (Ebook edition is available now, and the print edition is on its way!)



Speaking:

We recorded a podcast of a live reading with Nobilis Erotica (you can hear me last, reading from my genderqueer science fiction story "Always the Same, Always Changed", which you can hear in full in The Sexy Librarian's Dirty 30).

Learning:

Laura Antoniou, writer of the Marketplace series clued us in on tips for writing and sustaining a series. I've always wanted to try writing one, so I was glad to learn from a master. Cecilia Tan also shared insights about serials, which is another form I've been curious about, and that wasn't covered in my formal writing education.

Sharing:

Social media is hard for me. I genuinely like talking to people, but maintaining that day after day online takes a sort of energy and attention that I often feel I can't afford—too often, it seems it would come at the expense of my writing or my significant personal relationships. So much talking about social media in writerly contexts is about shame and endless to-do lists. I really appreciate that at the Circlet Retreats we've talked about it with more attention to pragmatism, personality, authenticity, and emotional needs. Last year, we talked a lot about depression and social media. This year, Avery Vanderlyle came up with some great ideas for how writers can support each other while being social. I'm really looking forward to working with her and Artemis Savory on allowing a bit more of myself to live online. Also, Artemis and Avery are wonderful. This post wouldn't exist without them, so it's already working!

Discussing:

I moderated a panel on safer sex in speculative fiction worlds. I've said for a while that I prefer contemporary erotica stories to include safer sex because there's a lot of characterization that one sees in how those discussions, negotiations, and practices are handled. There is an ease to handwaving those issues away in speculative fiction, but I think that leaves a fair bit of world-building on the table, and denies a chance to get to know more about who's in the story. This could be a giant post in its own right, but I framed some categories for us to talk about, and then enjoyed what Circlet authors and editors had to say about them.

In no particular order, I think consider safer sex in specfic could produce really interesting details about barrier types (psychic as well as physical? something else?), negotiation techniques (verbal/nonverbal? ritual? etc), cultural beliefs (matching science or not? consistent across cultures?), consequences (complex, definitely), and opportunities for display of trust and intimacy. These are all really cool things to think about when designing other worlds. I want to spend more time sinking into these ideas, either in story or post form.

(I'm thinking a lot about safer sex lately—don't forget that I'm currently looking for submissions for Positively Sexy, which will feature erotic stories about characters who have STIs.)

Playing:

I finally, finally got to play Slash: The Game, which I've heard about every year at #porncamp. I'm still thinking about Barbarella paired with Morticia Addams, and Mr. Spock finding love with Castiel.

Writing:

And last but not least, Circlet's publisher Cecilia Tan never lets us get away without writing something new, so I have the beginnings of a lesbian robot story that I'm going to be finishing up in the next few days. Here's a taste:

"Fuck them," I said, as I began to fuck her. "It's not our fault they fucked up the programming. I don't give a fuck if they die because we're off mission."

If they'd wanted us to act rationally, they shouldn't have made us so human. They shouldn't have given her the capacity to get so gloriously wet, to squeeze my finger with such taut muscularity. They shouldn't have connected my here endings with such complexity, shouldn't have let my body sympathize with hers so well, shouldn't have made me so I shivered at the base of my spine at the effort of working my fingers deeper into her tightening cunt.

So that starts my afternoon off right. Having participated in the group activities, it's just about time for me to head back to my bunk ;)

More Flash Fiction!

I've posted another free flash piece at my new website! Here's the beginning:

It was a beautiful cake, piled high with strawberries and cream, dripping with hardened fudge. I contemplated it carefully, cautious with my breathing. I knew without being told that if I tipped it off its perch on my stomach, Sarah wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice another rubber spatula in order to punish me. At the rate we were going, we’d have to buy more well before the wedding—no matter how many we had coming from our registry, they wouldn’t arrive fast enough.

I lay naked and shivering on our kitchen table—the room wasn’t cold, but my tension and excitement made me tremble.

You can read the rest here.

Flash Fiction at the New Site!

I thought I would encourage people to check out my new site, annabetherotica.com, by posting a free piece of flash fiction there. Here's the opening:

“Whoa, do we really need that many spatulas on our wedding registry? We don’t cook that much. I don’t even know what half those things are called.” Sarah rested a hand on my shoulder and peered at the items I’d checked off on the department store’s list of suggestions.

“I wasn’t thinking of cooking,” I confessed. Her eyes lit up, and I knew what she’d remembered.

To read the whole thing, head to annabetherotica.com, here! :)

Guess What's Out In Time For Christmas?

I didn't expect to see this book out until next year, but now you can pick it up in time to send it to the sweet and sexy loved one of your choice. Edited by Kristina Wright, it's a "candy sampler" or erotic and romantic flash fiction. xoxo: Sweet and Sexy Romance includes my story, "When the Vacation Is Over." Here's a snip:

It started when Amy took Paul's hand while standing in front of the enormous Buddha statue on Hong Kong's Lantau Island. If she had been home, she would never have done something like that. She would have focused on their differences — his dark skin compared with her light, his glasses versus her contacts, and his having traveled there as a sort of pilgrimage rather than, like her, visiting the statue simply because the guidebooks recommended it.

Now, in a foreign country, Amy's definition of common ground had transformed completely. She sat next to Paul on the crowded, careening bus to the Po Lin Monastery because he looked American, and smiled in genuine delight when she discovered they were from "the same place" — though normally she would have said South Florida and Central Florida might as well have been two different countries.

Standing on the steps leading up to the bronze statue's smiling abundance, taking pictures of each other, then angling their cell phones awkwardly to take pictures of themselves together, Amy glanced at Paul and saw in his face the same joy, freedom, and wonder she felt in her heart. She reached for him naturally, before she thought about it.

Out now from Cleis Press!

Cover Reveal: The Big Book of Orgasms

Somehow, I neglected showing you this hot cover, too! This book will be released Oct 15, but you can preorder it now! It includes my story, "All You Do Is Play," about orgasm through music.

Cover Reveal - xoxo: Sweet and Sexy Romance

This book won't be out until early 2014, but I found this pretty cover and had to share. It's edited by Kristina Wright and includes a piece of mine, "When the Vacation is Over." You can pre-order it here, and I'll announce it again when it's closer to release.

Cover Reveal: Dirty Little Numbers

Pretty, huh? Go Deeper Press always designs great covers, and this is the one for Dirty Little Numbers, which will include my anal masturbation story, "Too Much to Give."

Too Much to Give

My anal masturbation short-short story, "Too Much to Give," will be in Dirty Little Numbers, forthcoming from Go Deeper Press.

I'm thrilled, because I check their e-books page about twice a day hoping I somehow missed an announcement of a new book they've put up. They only have four books out now (they're pretty new), but I loved all four. Go Deeper's crew puts out literary, smart, hot, surprising erotica in beautifully designed books, and I only wish they would do it faster.

I'll have more details when I've got them.

When the Vacation is Over

Next Valentine's Day, I'll get a nice surprise when Kristina Wright's anthology, XOXO: Sweet and Sexy Erotic Romance, comes out including my story, "When the Vacation is Over." By February 2014, I am certain to see the story as an alien artifact from the lost sands of time, which hopefully means I'll enjoy it more since I won't remember the ending. I'll be sure to post reminders of the story's existence when it's closer to time.

Joking aside, I'm stoked to be in one of Kristina Wright's anthologies, which are always excellent. Her book Fairy Tale Lust knocked my socks off just recently, so while I must wait to see what's in store for XOXO, I'm sure the result will be worth it.

Here's the table of contents so you can get excited, too:

Foreword                                                           
Introduction: Love Bites
Midnight -- Emerald
Soldier Boy -- Sommer Marsden
Anniversary Wrappings -- Kathleen Tudor
Because He Knows Her So Well -- Saskia Walker
Control -- A.J. Lyle
Unsnubbed -- Jeremy Edwards
Designated Driver -- Heidi Champa
Friend of the Court -- Kelly Rand
Ouch! -- Lily K. Cho
Steam -- Mariposa Cruz
The War at Home -- Giselle Renarde
By the Sea -- Angela R Sargenti
Gargoyle Lovers -- Sacchi Green
Best Friends -- Catherine Paulssen
Dirty Laundry -- Martha Davis
Night Moves -- Christine d’Abo
Miss Organized -- Elizabeth Coldwell
When the Vacation is Over -- Annabeth Leong
The “Tilly” Crown Affair -- Michael M. Jones
Gentle Teasing -- Raelynn MacDonald
Eighty Cupcakes -- Neve Black
Imagination at Play -- Brighton Walsh
Heighten the Senses -- Heidi Champa
Bathroom Play -- Catherine Paulssen
Company Picnic -- Anya M. Wassenberg
Homecoming -- Jenna Bright
Steal the Key -- Amy Glances
Simmering Down -- Kathleen Tudor
Nailed -- Giselle Renarde
Perk of the Job -- Cheyenne Blue
A.M. Wood -- Rosalía Zizzo
One Hot Wet Night -- Veronica Wilde
The Distraction -- Louise Hooker
Connecting Flight -- Salome Wilde
Wild Naked Bandits Flee the Square Conspiracy -- Nikki Magennis
Faded Goods -- Vida Bailey
Puzzle Pieces -- Rachel Kramer Bussel
Very, Very Well -- Kristina Wright