The Great Calf Caper of 2014

In the tradition of WTF Wednesday, starting last night when we had two cows calving, checked them later and one cow’s calf was nursing on the other, who was in active labor. The Spousal-Type Creature and I traded meaningful looks across the fence, threw up our hands, and decided to leave them to it and sort it out today. Especially since it was getting on dark, the Offspring was tired, and the cow who was in the middle of calving is a rampant bitch. We expected two or three calves, but Dad reported four untagged calves with no idea who they belonged to. So we will get it straightened out at some point, but until then, the tradition of WTF Wednesday remains intact.

Now to the fun stuff…

I love lesbian sex. I love writing it, I love reading it, and there was that one time right after college...

Anyway not important.

The reason I'm excited about lesbian sex is because Forbidden Fruit: Stories of Unwise Lesbian Desire edited by the fabulous Cheyenne Blue and published by the wonderful Ladylit Publishing will be out on Friday!! I’m so excited about this anthology—the authors are wonderful, the stories are tantalizing, it’s just been such an amazing experience to contribute to this collection! It’s available for pre-order now, for the special launch price of .99cents. You won’t want to miss the great value in this superhot read!

Okay, and that was my allotment of exclamation points for the month…lol.

But seriously, it is a great collection, and it is wonderful to be included, and it’s a terrific price for the quality of the storytelling. The blog tour starts Friday also, so be sure to follow along and hear from your favorite authors.

Now then, last thing, this weeks WTF Wednesday Weekly Dose of Smut was inspired by Alison Tyler’s Flash Fuck Me blog. I’ve always enjoyed flash fiction, especially as a way to work through emotions or capture situations that feel like they have no other context at the time other than this brief moment in time. After all the threesome conversation last week, I was inspired. Anyway, enjoy!!

Fuck Me Friday

In follow up to our threesome discussion/ rant yesterday, this Fuck Me Friday recommendation is in the same vein. Three-Way: Erotic Stories edited by Alison Tyler has a little something from everyone. These hot, surprising stories show the wide and varying ranges menage can take, and the collection features some of the best writers in the business, from Thomas S. Roche to Rachel Kramer Bussel to Saskia Walker. Not only showing alluring ways to have a threesome, it’s delivered with a polished prose that will arouse your mind as well as your body. Pick it up for some hot weekend reading, especially while we wait for Wrapped Around Your Finger Sept 9!!

Dirty, Happy Relationship Reflection and Review

How Relationships Are Like Writing Book Reviews

For all that I write a lot of book reviews, they never get any easier. They will remain a mainstay in my writing, which will mean a weekly(ish) stint of me crashing around the kitchen, mumbling to myself about trite language. (Mine, not always the authors.) Oh sure, some reviews write themselves, but often I agonize for days about what to write, what angle to approach the review from, the right tone, the word choice, the word count, just everything. But generally by the time I wrestle around with everything in my head, I have a good handle on it and know exactly what I want to say when I sit down to write, how I stand in relation to the material, and the tone I want to hit.

Relationships are like book reviews because generally if there’s something I’m trying to figure out about my relationship, I treat it like a review. I analyze it, look at it from my perspective, from what I know of his perspective, compare the two, note the similarities and differences, maybe ask a question for clarification, (or check what other reviewers have said about my relationship on Amazon…), and finally get the wording and tone right if my partner and I need to have a discussion.

It sounds a lot more involved than it is.

The bottom line is that I think before I mouth off; make sure I know what I’m talking about. I don’t write checks my ass can’t cash. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words are something you can’t unsay. It’s good to be careful with words, and not say anything in the heat of the moment you’ll want to unsay later. Just like trashing someone’s book, once the trash is out there, there’s no taking it back. Put out words, and reviews, you won’t mind encountering ten years from now. That’s just my thoughts. After all, it’s called constructive criticism for a reason.

Dirty, Happy Book Reviews: Exposed by Alison Tyler

I’ve lauded and applauded Alison Tyler’s books Dark, Secret Love and The Delicious Torment on this blog and other places, so for other readers who enjoyed these books, here’s another in the same vein, only as an anthology. Exposed is a collection of shorts, ranging through Ms. Tyler’s career, and we can see where she began to combine fiction, memoir, and meta, all to delightful effect. There’s a good deal of being coy, of playing the flirt, of shining light on human nature, in this collection and it’s a wonderful reading experience. Whether you want to get off on characters doing the dirty or the precise and beautiful use of language, there’s much in this compilation to get you breathing heavier.

Felice Newman says it best in her introduction to this book. And that is the quote I shall leave you good readers with:

"Alison Tyler is one of my favorite erotic authors. Simply put, she makes me hot. Her stories ring true. They are accessible, well crafted, and full of surprises. Each one is as fresh as the Ivory soap-scrubbed girls whose randy enthusiasm fuels their plots. And did I mention they’re hot?"

Dirty, Happy Book Reviews: The Delicious Torment

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Alison Tyler fan. Her style of writing never fails to get me where it counts. (That’d be my brain, but I’ll forgive those who didn’t think of that as the organ of choice.)

I already wrote about Dark Secret Love but haven’t yet discussed The Delicious Torment.

This book is the sequel to Dark Secret Love, picking up where the previous novel ended, delving deeper into the relationship between Sam and Jack. The prose snaps, sharp and vivid. Tyler has a way of drawing the reader into her narrator’s head, so the reader feels what she feels, holds their breath, waits for the smack of the paddle right along with her. And Los Angeles is always right there in the background, curling through the story, watching, waiting.

Needless to say, I love these books, The Delicious Torment and Dark Secret Love. Was super excited to hear the third in the series has a cover. Yey! 

These are books that should definitely make anyone’s erotica canon, as they transcend the realm of romantic fuck stories and offer some true literary quality to the genre. As well as offer guidelines for how some relationships don’t need to be typical, so long as partners are getting their needs fulfilled, whatever those needs are.

Three of Hearts!!!

Doesn't this look amazing?! I'm so excited to be part of this antho, and can't wait to read the other authors! Look for it October 14, 2014!!

Review - Dark Secret Love by Alison Tyler

In my opinion, this book simply can't get enough rave reviews. It was hands down my favorite literary erotic novel of the year. (I also read Fifty Shades this year, but luckily I don't grade on a curve.)

Actually, the best review for this came from a friend of mine, who I loaned Dark Secret Love to. The following is paraphrased but it captures most of her sentiments.

It just brought out this part of me I didn't know I had. Like I don't want to kiss the end of anyone's cane or anything or get tied up, but some of the things the character was thinking and what she said, I've always struggled with how to say things and she helped me get it out. Like I communicate better with my boyfriend now than I've ever talked to anybody, because of reading this book.

She and I have been friends for almost three years and this was by far the most positive I'd seen her about men and love in general. Not sure there's a more positive endorsement for this work than that. :)