Not sure if I’ve blogged at length about it yet but my novella for Cobblestone Press’ Vampire Oracle series will be out in September. Yippeee!
Though it’s told from the viewpoint of the hero, it’s basically the story of this vampire woman who’s captured in New Orleans and brought to Haiti in the early 1800s to serve a houngan or witch doctor. The hero finds out about her almost two centuries later and sets out to free her even as the houngan’s powers grow.
I loved writing this story! I’ve always been fascinated by vodun, the Haitian religion, and this was my first chance to use some of what I know in a story.
To find out more about the other stories in The Vampire Oracle, visit our blog – http://vampireoracle.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Fetishes!
Many publishers of erotica and erotic romance such as Cobblestone Press, Amira Press and others don’t accept stories that include certain kinds of fetish sex (and you should always check guidelines before submitting) but there are certain fetishes that are more common than we might think. Today I’ll mention three.
1.) Golden showers. Some people like being urinated on or urinating on others.
2.) Rubber. Rubber fetishists get turned on by the look and feel of rubber and will wear latex underwear or even sleep on rubber sheets.
3.) Necrophilia. They don’t just see dead people, they like to fuck ‘em as well.
1.) Golden showers. Some people like being urinated on or urinating on others.
2.) Rubber. Rubber fetishists get turned on by the look and feel of rubber and will wear latex underwear or even sleep on rubber sheets.
3.) Necrophilia. They don’t just see dead people, they like to fuck ‘em as well.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A Gladiator's World
I love history and will use the slightest pretext to dig into my historical research. For The Gladiator's Woman, I delved into all my books on ancient Roman history, visited the library for more books, and surfed the Internet for hours at a time. What all that means is that I became quite well-acquainted with the world of Roman gladiators and with the various terms used to describe aspects of that world. The review at Literary Nymphs reminded me that not everyone is as familiar with the terms I used so today I'm going to talk a little bit about Scipio and what it meant to be a Roman gladiator.
When Collina meets Scipio he is a tiro, a rookie. He's never fought a gladiatorial combat before and he's just learning the ropes. He's been brought to the ludus, the gladiator school by Brutus, the lanista, the trainer who also happens to be the owner. Big, powerful gladiator schools would usually have an owner who was quite separate from the lanista or trainer but Scipio's ludus is a small one where it was common for the owner to double as the trainer.
Scipio goes on to fight in the retiarii style. The retiarus was the least well-armed of the gladiator styles - he didn't wear a helmet and he had only an arm guard to protect him but his lack of armour meant he was lighter on his feet. He also fought with a trident which gave him a long reach and he held a net he could cast over his opponent.
Spartacus, yes, that one, who fights Scipio used the secutor style (discovered this in my research) . Secutors were heavily armed - they wore helmets, a leg guard, and carried a small shield.
Other gladiator styles which I didn't go into in my story were the murmillo who would go into combat with a long, oblong shield, and the thraex or Thracian who carried a much smaller shield and a curved sword.
Gladiators and their lanistas were the social untouchables of the Roman world but, for all that, they could be quite rich and some gladiators were virtual sex objects - lusted after by the wives and daughters of senators and emperors.
Have a great Easter!
When Collina meets Scipio he is a tiro, a rookie. He's never fought a gladiatorial combat before and he's just learning the ropes. He's been brought to the ludus, the gladiator school by Brutus, the lanista, the trainer who also happens to be the owner. Big, powerful gladiator schools would usually have an owner who was quite separate from the lanista or trainer but Scipio's ludus is a small one where it was common for the owner to double as the trainer.
Scipio goes on to fight in the retiarii style. The retiarus was the least well-armed of the gladiator styles - he didn't wear a helmet and he had only an arm guard to protect him but his lack of armour meant he was lighter on his feet. He also fought with a trident which gave him a long reach and he held a net he could cast over his opponent.
Spartacus, yes, that one, who fights Scipio used the secutor style (discovered this in my research) . Secutors were heavily armed - they wore helmets, a leg guard, and carried a small shield.
Other gladiator styles which I didn't go into in my story were the murmillo who would go into combat with a long, oblong shield, and the thraex or Thracian who carried a much smaller shield and a curved sword.
Gladiators and their lanistas were the social untouchables of the Roman world but, for all that, they could be quite rich and some gladiators were virtual sex objects - lusted after by the wives and daughters of senators and emperors.
Have a great Easter!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Touch!
I promised I'd write about the five senses and now I'm way behind after doing "Smell" months ago.
So the sense I'm going to talk about today is touch. Touch is crucial to good erotica - you could probably write a really great sexy story and have the hero or heroine unable to smell or taste or see but they've got to have the sense of touch.
First - there are all kinds of touches - feather-light touches, hard touches, stroking touches, etc.. Practice some on yourself or your significant other and pay attention to your reaction. What turns you on? What doesn't? Exactly how does the sensation feel?
Second - rubbing someone's elbow won't garner you the same reaction as tracing light circles around their nipples. If you're writing a love scene for your characters, be aware of the kind of touches they're using and where. Know your characters likes and dislikes. One heroine might like having her clit lightly fingered while another prefers firmer pressure. One hero might go for having his backside lightly scratched during loveplay while another prefers his heroine to pay attention to his balls.
Three - anywhere on someone's body can be an erogenous zone for them. By focusing on the sense of touch you can avoid cookie-cutter sex and have your characters get turned on by touches few of us think of. Having your hero lightly stroke the heroine's inner arm can signal his interest in her and how she reacts to his touch clues him in to whether or not she's feeling him (pun intended)!
The next time you're reading a good love scene, check out how the author uses the sense of touch (and the other senses too) and try to incorporate some of what you've learned in your stories too. It will deepen your writing skills and make for a great one-handed read!
So the sense I'm going to talk about today is touch. Touch is crucial to good erotica - you could probably write a really great sexy story and have the hero or heroine unable to smell or taste or see but they've got to have the sense of touch.
First - there are all kinds of touches - feather-light touches, hard touches, stroking touches, etc.. Practice some on yourself or your significant other and pay attention to your reaction. What turns you on? What doesn't? Exactly how does the sensation feel?
Second - rubbing someone's elbow won't garner you the same reaction as tracing light circles around their nipples. If you're writing a love scene for your characters, be aware of the kind of touches they're using and where. Know your characters likes and dislikes. One heroine might like having her clit lightly fingered while another prefers firmer pressure. One hero might go for having his backside lightly scratched during loveplay while another prefers his heroine to pay attention to his balls.
Three - anywhere on someone's body can be an erogenous zone for them. By focusing on the sense of touch you can avoid cookie-cutter sex and have your characters get turned on by touches few of us think of. Having your hero lightly stroke the heroine's inner arm can signal his interest in her and how she reacts to his touch clues him in to whether or not she's feeling him (pun intended)!
The next time you're reading a good love scene, check out how the author uses the sense of touch (and the other senses too) and try to incorporate some of what you've learned in your stories too. It will deepen your writing skills and make for a great one-handed read!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A review for The Gladiator's Woman
"The Gladiator's Woman is a sweet and sensual read!" - Literary Nymphs Reviewers!
My first review! I'm excited! Well I wasn't so much at first when it seemed that I only got a rating of 2.5 out of 5 but apparently the site coordinator made a mistake. It's 3.5! Yay!
Go here - http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/ - to read the entire review from Scandalous Minx! (You'll have to scroll down but I promise I'm there.)
My first review! I'm excited! Well I wasn't so much at first when it seemed that I only got a rating of 2.5 out of 5 but apparently the site coordinator made a mistake. It's 3.5! Yay!
Go here - http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/ - to read the entire review from Scandalous Minx! (You'll have to scroll down but I promise I'm there.)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Hooray for writing women!
International Women's Day (http://www.internationalwomensday.com/) is coming up Saturday, 8th March and I think now's a good time to big up all women writers and all the publishers who bring their creativity to us. Let's express our recognition and appreciation for the freedom we have to write what we want. It's a freedom that shouldn't be taken lightly as the story below illustrates so take a moment out from your day on Saturday to honour your favorite woman writer!
India in dilemma over exiled Muslim woman writer
Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:36am GMT
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An exiled Bangladeshi Muslim woman writer threatened by radical Islamists has become a victim of political ping-pong in India, bundled from one city to another in a controversy critics say has shamed the secular state.
Authorities rushed award-winning Taslima Nasreen, who criticises the use of religion as an oppressive force, from her home in Kolkata last week after protests against her by Muslim groups led to riots, forcing the army to be called in.
The riots appeared to be the culmination of years of simmering anger at Nasreen. Some radical Muslims hate Nasreen for saying Islam and other religions oppress women and Indian clerics had issued a "death warrant" against her in August.
After the riots, police moved her to a hotel in the western state of Rajasthan and then she was quickly sent to Delhi at the weekend under police protection.
No one seemed to want her.
"Democratic we may be, but liberal we most certainly are not," wrote Karan Thapar in the Hindustan Times, criticising India for failing to defend freedom of expression enough.
The controversy highlights the delicate social faultlines of India, a nation born out of secular ideals 60 years ago but where communal politics still play a huge role.
India in dilemma over exiled Muslim woman writer
Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:36am GMT
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An exiled Bangladeshi Muslim woman writer threatened by radical Islamists has become a victim of political ping-pong in India, bundled from one city to another in a controversy critics say has shamed the secular state.
Authorities rushed award-winning Taslima Nasreen, who criticises the use of religion as an oppressive force, from her home in Kolkata last week after protests against her by Muslim groups led to riots, forcing the army to be called in.
The riots appeared to be the culmination of years of simmering anger at Nasreen. Some radical Muslims hate Nasreen for saying Islam and other religions oppress women and Indian clerics had issued a "death warrant" against her in August.
After the riots, police moved her to a hotel in the western state of Rajasthan and then she was quickly sent to Delhi at the weekend under police protection.
No one seemed to want her.
"Democratic we may be, but liberal we most certainly are not," wrote Karan Thapar in the Hindustan Times, criticising India for failing to defend freedom of expression enough.
The controversy highlights the delicate social faultlines of India, a nation born out of secular ideals 60 years ago but where communal politics still play a huge role.
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