Erotica & God

I've recently been discussing with another author where sex and God come together in erotic writing. We both write erotica and come from religious backgrounds. Arguing back and forth about what's okay to write or not and why has been both enlightening and frustrating. I'm angry that religion--something that preaches love, tolerance, and understanding--could make anyone second guess their feelings or tell them that their feelings or emotions pertaining to sex are wrong, or in some cases, damning.

I'm sick and tired of others demonizing sex. Sex (I'm talking about consenting adults here by the way) is a beautiful and necessary part of being human. It's a means of showing your love, passion, or lust for another person(s). I honestly and wholeheartedly believe that THERE IS NOTHING DIRTY ABOUT SEX. PERIOD. Screwing should be something people are allowed to speak about, be curious about, and enjoy. People should also be encouraged to explore personal sexual fetishes and boundaries with their partner(s). It's healthy. It's natural. Be safe about it--sure--but don't feel any aspect of sex is dirty.

Where does God fit into erotica? I don't believe God does. Erotic fiction is just that--FICTION. Traditional erotic fiction is designed to arouse and entertain, not to preach God's word. Leave God's word in the Bible where it belongs. As an author, believing in God should not have a direct correlation on what an author is writing! We are free to write what pleases us. For those who feel guilty about writing specific topics, are limited to specific topics because of their beliefs, or who fear God's or the church's wrath because of what they write... Well then, that's just the saddest thing I've ever heard.

Pretty sure God is a Liberal:

1. God made us reproducing creatures. We have to fuck to exist. Cole Porter said it best "Birds do it, bees do, even educated flees do it..." Hell, even flowers have "sex"
2. If God wanted us to not enjoy sex, he wouldn't have made sex so enjoyable and orgasms so fucking awesome.
3. God made us all unique in every way, be it straight, gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans, asexual or other. Telling someone they're wrong for how they were created is like saying "Fuck you God, YOU messed up with this dude." For those of you who don't know... God is infallible. God can't make mistakes. That's a human quality. To each their own... Now the haters need to stop hating people who don't have the same lifestyle as what the "normal" currently is accepted to be. 
4. God gave us creativity. We have the ability for abstract thought. We should use it or it's like saying "Sorry, God. I don't need to be creative cause I'm made to feel by others that it's wrong to express myself." If you're inspired or curious, then fucking write your erotica already!
5. Finally, what an author chooses to write is up to that author. No one has the right to make you feel ashamed or dirty for enjoying, exploring, loving, or having dirty thoughts about sex. 

Surely some people are going to be irritated about this post. I won't apologize. Reading or writing about sex is not going to damn you... Your actions will. Be a good person, but write bitch write! 

Poem of the Day

"New Leaf" by Angora Shade


Forget you think you know it
It’s time to go throw it
The stone that
skips across the water like
it’s glass
Tarnished
Well varnished
Lost into the fog 

with no sense or class
Forgotten
Now rotten
might have been rash

Ignore the fucks from yesterday
Give up the stupid games they play
The bullshit that
stinks up your
Oblivion
Buried
Ferried
Given over to the
deep sin
Forever
But never
Released but just
can’t win

Stand a little taller
Don’t let them make you smaller
Push back against
the envelope
Seal it
Feel it
Climb up on a
new rope
Berated
Frustrated
Plant a seed of
good hope.

Break upon a fresh wave
Tell them what you truly crave
Spotlight in the
bright sun
Centerfold
The untold
Baked until you’re more
than done
Delicious
Fictitious
Tell them that you’ve
just begun.

Poem of the Day

"Curiosity"

Swelling in one’s pit

Growing like a weed

An envious exhale too intense to

inhale again and breathe

Rush of blood and thoughts

Internal whirlwind uncontrolled

Sinking, falling, erupting from each

dark and tender fold

Here and where? I am

Hesitant to push, to try

Testing forbidden waters which I’ve

always sought to find

Dizzy with delight

Fun, nervous, attention whore

Shaking with adrenalin and still

Not enough, give me more

Drown it with a drink

Still the heart before it bursts

Tame the inner beast always

hungry for her firsts. 

Choose Your Own Erotic Adventure

A friend and I were discussing point of view recently. A lot of fiction is written in third person point of view (she went to the store…), and sometimes first person point of view (I went to the store...), but rarely do we see much written in the second person (you went to the store…). It’s uncommon, and something my friend had interest in exploring.

This got me thinking. The only types of stories that I’ve ever read in a second person point of view have been Choose Your Own Adventure. I so loved them as a kid! I was that eight year old at the library downing my eyes in words and plot that I was able to choose myself. I always cheated. I would choose one option, and then if I didn’t like it, I’d immediately switch. There was always some way to die in a story—a path I almost always chose first due to the danger and excitement surrounding the different plot options. The stories have made a lasting impression on me…

Now I wonder how this can relate to my erotic fiction. HOLY COW! The more I think about it, the more I realize what a wonderful experience this type of story could be when applied to erotica. Who wouldn’t want to choose their own erotic adventure? At this eureka moment, I googled “Choose Your Own Adventure Erotica” and was saddened that it had already been done.

Whoopdie-fucking-do. It hasn’t been done by me!

I can’t focus on anything else. My other numerous projects have been put on hold. I want to explore where this tangent to my typical writing might take me. So far I’ve come up with a list of all the pros of writing this type of story.

1. Allows the reader to place themselves in the story-This is usually the overall goal with erotica. It’s written to arouse, to allow a reader to visualize themselves in the character’s place. In this story, the reader is the character.

2. Allows the reader to choose their own path- We all want to have crazy adventurous sexcapades. This style of story can help a reader have these fantasies (if only in their head) without the fear of real life consequences. There’s also plot control. If you don’t like one path, say fuck it and choose another option for a more appealing outcome.

3. It doesn’t matter whom the reader is- “You” can be male, female, transgender, or other. So long as the author creates enough options to choose from, the sexual orientation of the reader shouldn’t matter. Instead of writing a book aimed at one audience, you could—in theory—reach all populations of people.

4. Plot Freedom & Experimentation-OMG. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to write other outcomes: bad, good, FUBAR, weird, sick & twisted, soft & sweet. This type of story allows an author to do all these things, satisfying the wide range of pathways where a story could naturally evolve.

5. There’s some of it, but…-Dude. I mean, really. Sure it’s been done, but it hasn’t been fully tapped yet. This should be have been popular enough for me to have heard of and not to have googled! If it’s not yet popularized, then I sure as hell am going to make it so.

It won’t be an easy task to complete. I start thinking of all the things that can go wrong, the multitudes of paths a reader could choose, and all the pathways I’d have to write in order to appeal to the wide audience I want to reach. It gets complicated.

I’m thinking it’ll look something like this:

Male Reader option --> Male lover 

                                    --> Female lover 

Female Reader option --> Male lover 

                                         --> Female lover

This could already have 4 different plot lines, but I could use the same plot and just switch the "he" to "she", or "she" to "he" to satisfy orientation preference.

Here’s an example of what could happen:

Male Reader --> Chooses orientation --> Plot option 1 or 2
                                                                  --> Plot option 1 has option A or B 

                                                                       --> Plot option A has option X, Y, Z
                                                                       --> Plot option B has option x, y, z
                                                                  --> Plot option 2 has option C or D 

                                                                       --> Plot option C has option ...

                                                                       --> Plot option D has option ...

                                                               
Crazy right? To satisfy readers and to keep them coming back for more, essentially rereading the book and choosing other options, there would have to be a happily ever after option, death option, and maybe a happily ever after for now option. I might go as far as having an option would be “bad” but not death.

Needless to say, plotting a book like this will take a fuck of a lot more concentration and planning than anything I’ve ever done before. To be a good story, each pathway must be solid storytelling, complete with description, character development, and creativity. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I will rise to the challenge.

Erotic Publishing Houses

The following is a list of active publishing houses and links to their webpage/submission guidelines. This list is in no particular order, nor do I personally recommend one of another. This list is intended as a resource for those seeking publication.

1. Erotic Writers & Reader Association (with links, open calls--good place to start)
2. Carina Press
3. Less Than Three Press (LGBTQ)
4. Phaze Publishing 
5. Storm Moon Press (LGBTQ & alternative)
6. Totally Bound (which has many imprints) 
7. Dreamspinner Press (Gay fiction)
8. Deep Desires Press
9. Rooster and Pig Publishing
10. Xcite Books
11. Loose-id
12. Passion In Print
13. Blushing Books Publications
14. Secret Cravings Publishing
15. House of Erotica
16. Siren Publishing
17. Samhain Publishing
18. Dark Hollow Press
19. Evernight Publishing
20. Bella Books (Lesbian fiction)
21. Champagne Books
22. Sweetmeats Press
23. Cleis Press
24. Resplendence Publishing
25. Wilde City

Should Have Been a Rap Star

"Untitled" by Angora Shade

Drained
Your touch demands elaboration
Pained
The reason for my mastication
Of such a thought
That forces my dear devoted muscles
Taught
Like another lover deep inside and
Sealed
Woe to my imagination-You're not
Real
Existing only in the dreaming
State
Lost to fantasy while screaming, fuck you
Fate
The bitch that simply will not
Die
Alone--not loved--makes love a
Lie

Poem of the Day

"Untitled"

Come closer
Move under me
around me
throughout me
Let me pull the smell of
your arousal to me
Let your flavor invade
Surround me
Flood my mind with
thoughts of your deliciousness
Let me touch the
heaven I see and
plant my lips to
curve and flesh
Soft and warm
Give me your
Taste
Tangy nectar
Salty sweet
Lifeblood of
lovers
Entwine me in you
Free my mind
Become that breath
I breathe and
possess me as I
possess you.