LUSTY LADY

Erotica 201 Writing and Publishing Online Workshop April 30, 2-5 pm PT

2022-03-09T09:42:00.005-08:00

My three previous online erotica writing workshops for She Bop were two hours long and we found that there were still lots of questions at the end I didn't have time to answer. So now I'm teaching a new three-hour Erotica 201 class, with both writing prompts and exercises and readings and lots of publishing information. Those who've attended previous workshops will get plenty of new information, with a little overlap, and beginners are welcome, especially for those interested in getting their erotica published. Includes a writing tips handout and bibliography/publisher listings handout. Registrants will have access to the live class Sunday, April 30, 2-5 pm PT/5-8 pm ET and a recording of the class accessible for a week afterward. Registration and details at She Bop. If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact She Bop.

Need help with your sex memoir or erotica manuscript? Hire me!

2022-02-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

When I had my website redesigned in 2019 (shoutout to Hunter Rook of Rowdy Ferret Design), I knew I wanted to make a mission statement that would try to sum up all the various types of things I do with words (fiction and nonfiction writing, copywriting, anthology editing, consulting with authors, teaching writing classes). This was my best stab at it: I write memorable stories and teach people how to craft their own.

I work with aspiring and published authors of erotica, erotic romance and nonfiction around sexuality and relationships to sharpen their manuscripts, generate ideas, navigate building an author brand and platform and more. I'm part writing coach and cheerleader and part consultant, copyeditor and advisor on marketing and publishing based on my over 20 years of experience with erotica and writing essays, sex columns and journalism for print and online publications. You can learn more about my consulting work at EroticaWriting101.com if you're interested or know anyone who is. I offer rates on a per word basis for novellas, novels, memoir and essays and consulting calls for those who have general or specific questions. You can read what clients and students have said about working with me in the testimonials section.

3 new erotica anthology calls for submissions

2022-02-17T06:02:00.006-08:00

Good news: I'm editing three new Cleis Press erotica anthologies! Here are my erotic short story calls for submissions, with May 1 and June 1, 2022 deadlines, and payments of $100 for Couples Erotica and Sexy Strangers and $225 for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 9, which has a theme of temptation.

The first two for Couples Erotica and Sexy Strangers are open to all writers, and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 9 is open to authors who themselves are women, gender nonconforming, genderqueer and/or nonbinary who have not been published or scheduled to be published in the first eight Best Women’s Erotica of the Year volumes edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel; all volumes have this stipulation around authors' identity and I don't repeat authors in the series to make room for as many writers as possible. The first 8 volumes have included work by 146 authors. Everything I'm looking for is listed in the guidelines, but if you have any questions I don't answer in the guidelines, please email me at the address listed with the call. That's the only way you should be contacting me with questions about these anthologies.

Please spread the word! I've worked with over 700 authors in my anthologies so far and my goal is to get to 1,000 authors, so I'm hoping to fill these books with as many authors I haven't worked with before as possible. That's one of my favorite aspects of being an anthology editor.

Celebrate The Big Book of Orgasms, Volume 2 on Twitter Spaces Wednesday, February 9 with me

2022-02-04T09:22:00.001-08:00

Get excited: On Tuesday, February 8, Cleis Press will publish my new erotic flash fiction anthology The Big Book of Orgasms, Volume 2: 69 Sexy Stories, which includes my new story, "Dirty Pictures," and then on Wednesday, February 9, from noon ET until 2 pm ET, Dr. J., aka Donna Jennings, Ph.D., another contributor to the book (her story is "Maintenance Needed"), will host me and other authors in a Twitter Spaces chat! I encourage you to follow Donna on Twitter and tune in to her weekly #TheSexualitySpace Twitter chats. We will be chatting about all things erotica with Ella Dawson, Meka James, Allison Hope, Evie Bennet, HL Brooks, Suzannah Weiss, Rien Gray, Heather Lin, jordan Monroe and Elle Stanger!

And pre-order The Big Book of Orgasms, Volume 2 wherever you buy books or ebooks or ask for it at your local library!

Online Erotica Writing 101 workshop Sunday, January 30

2022-01-29T18:17:00.003-08:00

I'm late in posting this but wanted to let you know that Sunday, January 3, 2022, from 5-7 pm PT.8-10 ET, I'm teaching my online Erotica Writing 101 workshop for She Bop! All the details are over on the She Bop site and you can contact them if you have any questions. All registrants will get access to the live event, access to the video recording for one week, and two handouts, a bibliography and a list of five tips for writing sex scenes. If you're curious about how to write erotica, want to enjoy a fun and sexy pre-Valentine's Day date, or are looking to start an erotica writing career, this is a great workshop for you!

Bid on the Romance for Chencia auction for hotel stays, signed books and more

2021-11-19T09:18:00.005-08:00

Romance author Chencia C. Higgins is facing homelessness and the romance community is stepping in with the Romance for Chencia auction. I'm part of that because I donated a bundle of signed copies of 3 books, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, 6 and 7. Volume 7 doesn't hit stores until December 14 so you'll be getting your copy a little bit early and supporting a wonderful cause! The auction has 144 items and runs from today through November 26. Check out all the items, including a stay at a Disney Hilton Head hotel, manuscript critiques, bookstore gift certificates and so many signed romance novels.

You can also donate to Chencia directly if you want to help. Via her Twitter feed, here are links to donate directly:

Cashapp

Venmo

PayPal

If you can't donate, please spread the word using the hashtag #romanceforchencia on social media.

My op-ed on my first pandemic concert and pandemic socializing

2021-11-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

For the Philadelphia Inquirer, I wrote about attending my first pandemic concert and pandemic socializing. Hope you'll check it out. Also, since I wrote it, I've gotten my first pandemic haircut!

Book launch event December 7 for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7

2021-10-12T05:28:00.001-07:00

I'm very happy to share that the official book launch event for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 will take place on the release day, Tuesday, December 7, at 5-6 pm ET, 8-9 pm PT with The Ripped Bodice bookstore! You can watch free on The Ripped Bodice Facebook page and can RSVP here (optional). Joining me will be contributors Adriana Herrera, Lucy Eden, Corrina Lawson, Angelina M. Lopez, Holley Trent, and Erin McLellan, sharing a range of hot pansexual stories and talking about their writing process. Ask us anything! You can pre-orer the book from The Ripped Bodice and when you watch on the 7th you'll get a 15% off discount code for any books on their site.

In the meantime, a reminder that you have until this Friday, October 15, to enter to win Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 on Goodreads!

Enter to win Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7

2021-10-06T09:35:00.001-07:00

We are just over two months away from the December 7th release of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7. I'm so excited about this book whose theme is surprise. It has 20 brand new erotica stories by amazing authors who all took that theme and truly ran with it. There's more info below, and stay tuned for details about our December 7th, 5-6 pm PT/8-9 pm ET virtual book launch on The Ripped Bodice Facebook page.

There's more info on the book below but for now, I wanted to let you know that you can enter to win a copy at Goodreads through October 15th (with a new giveaway starting the next day). It's only open to U.S. addresses (sorry). Good luck, and thanks for reading!

About Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7:

Dive into these sexy surprises...

From a model and her hot security guard using a new sex toy to a shifter triad taking a major new step in their relationship, these sexy stories are sure to wow you. Lovers deviate from their set routine to explore the thrill of the unknown in "Tulsa," while one woman goes on a very "Wicked Ride" that takes her to a totally different kind of arousal. From fetishes to fantasies to the taboo, the women in these stories are ready to surprise you. Discover a new way of getting off with "Gravity" and unravel a "Puzzle" about a male stripper who's even hotter than Magic Mike. Whether you're new to erotica or a longtime reader, these scenarios deliver the heat.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 7 features the hottest erotic stories by popular authors such as Lucy Eden, Adriana Herrera, Erin McLellan, Angelina M. Lopez, Holley Trent, Sara Taylor Woods and many others, edited by the award-winning Rachel Kramer Bussel.

"Bussel serves up blistering-hot desire in this excellent addition to the annual anthology series. While geared specifically to women, there’s a little something for everyone here, with a variety of genres and fetishes and a diverse array of characters. This sizzling volume is sure to wow erotica lovers." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sensual and surprising, evocative and bold. This collection showcases a spectrum of sexuality, the one constant a poignant intimacy that resounds after the final page." -- New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren

"The Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 7 anthology delivers heat and heart on every page. The authors showcase a range of stories that titillate the imagination and wrap the reader in a warm embrace. This collection is spectacular with a diversity of stories coalescing into a read that will leave you breathless." -- Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting

"The anthology of my erotic dreams! This collection is perfectly assembled and has everything from a woman with synesthesia who creates erotic art to lion shifters to negotiating peace treaties with other planets. Each of these masters of the craft delivers on the promise of surprise and I couldn't put it down. I braced myself for each new story and was left breathless every single time." -- Bree Hill, co-host of The Categorically Romance Podcast

Online Erotica Writing Workshop Sunday, October 24

2021-10-05T03:30:00.005-07:00

I'm teaching my next online erotica writing workshop for She Bop on Sunday, October 24, from noon-2 PT/3-5 ET (for those who signed up earlier, I had to change the time). I made this one two hours because last time because there were so many questions from students and I want to make sure I answer them all. Space is limited so it's recommended that you sign up early if you're interested. There's more information at She Bop's site.

In this two hour virtual workshop, Rachel Kramer Bussel, professional erotica author and editor of over 70 anthologies, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing. Learn how to get started, develop your voice, easily find story ideas, pen sex scenes, and write from a wide range of perspectives. Through the use of writing prompts and examples from published erotica, you'll discover how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular publications.

Submit to The Good Sex Awards by May 16 to enter to win $150

2021-05-08T07:18:00.003-07:00

I'm working on a new project, The Good Sex Awards, with the founders of the site The Good Bits. The Good Sex Awards will be giving out 9 awards for good sex writing (mostly for fiction, with categories such as Best Sexy Talk, Sexiest Consent, Best LGBTQI Scene, Best Kink, Best Feminist Sex, and more, with one non-fiction category for Thought Leadership about sex). The winner in each category will receive $150. Submission details are here. You have until May 16 to enter and can submit up to two entries, either the same entry in multiple categories (though all fan fiction needs to be submitted to the fan fiction category), or two entries in the same or different categories. We have an amazing list of judges, including Cindy Gallop, Katrina Jackson, Emily Nagoski, Jayne Renault, Stoya, Cecilia Tan, Zane and many more from the romance, erotica and sexuality fields. Please let anyone who might be a good fit know! Good luck!

What to do if you can't pay your taxes

2021-03-08T05:28:00.003-08:00

For Real Simple, I wrote about how to negotiate with the IRS if you can't pay your taxes in full. I'm not a tax expert so can't give personal advice but I consulted an IRS representative, a CPA and a tax attorney for their advice and there's links to helpful information. I hope this is useful to anyone who may have tax payment issues, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you know someone who can't pay their taxes this year and might get something from this article, please send it to them.

20 Sexy Book Recommendations at BuzzFeed Books

2021-02-16T04:34:00.000-08:00

Over at BuzzFeed Books, I recommended 20 sexy books to heat up your winter. If you're looking for hot reads, I suggest checking out any that pique your interest. Photos of 16 of them below, but read the article for all 20 covers and to see what I had to say about them. I hope to write more listicls like this again, provided I carve out more reading time!

Virtual Erotica Writing 101 workshop March 28

2021-02-05T18:56:00.003-08:00

I'm so happy to share that on Sunday, March 28, from 5:30-7 pm PT/8:30-10 pm ET I'll be teaching my Erotica Writing 101 workshop virtually via the wonderful Portland, Oregon sex toy store She Bop. It's $15-$25 (sliding scale) and all the details are at the link above. It's my first time teaching this particular workshop virtually and I'm really looking forward to it.

My first unboxing video! For Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2

2021-01-19T16:59:00.004-08:00

I'm so happy to share that in three weeks, on February 9, my new kinky anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 will be published by Cleis Press. I got my author copies a few weeks ago and did my first unboxing video! It's age-restricted so you'll have to watch on YouTube, but here's the cover and more information on the book. I'm so excited that these 19 super sexy bondage erotica stories will be out in print and ebook very soon (and audiobook soon after that).

Here's a snippet from a great review we just got from the blog Beauty in Ruins, which reads in part: "Escape by Veronique Veritas gets the anthology off to a great start with an escape-room-themed tale where bondage and domination prove key to escape in more ways than one. Aside from the accident that left her in need of rehab, the sexualized training of Back in the Saddle by Page Chase is something I've fantasized about more than once . . . and I have reread this more than once as well!...Sex-positive and kink-positive, with nods to nonbinary lovers and polyamorous threesomes, Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Vol. 2 is another testament to Rachel Kramer Bussel's eye for erotic fiction."

Table of contents:

Introduction: All Kinds of Kinky

Escape • Veronique Veritas

Hammered Gold • Rosalind Chase

Back in the Saddle • Page Chase

The Lash of a Thousand Wolfords • Trystan Kent

Day 730 • Rebecca E. Blanton

Restorative Justice • Alexa J. Day

Leather-bound • Elna Holst

Table for Two • T.R. Verten

Headspace • Evan Mora

Unicorn • Jacqueline Brocker

Ballad of Desire and Saccharine Melodies • Sonja E. DeWitt

Activist • Sienna Saint-Cyr

Dark Dreams • Posy Churchgate

Trade Show • D. Fostalove

Chef’s Special • Emma Chaton

Friend with benefits • Charlie Powell

The Weight of Command • Anne Stagg

A Constructed Threesome • Dr. J.

Plug In the Model • Céline

About the book:

How do you like to be tied up? Silk scarves and designer stockings … nipple clamps, collars, and riding crops? Or are you the one with the key to the cuffs?

Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 brings you nineteen delectable adult stories of teasing, tantalizing, and begging for more. Award-winning editor Rachel Kramer Bussel allows you to shamelessly delve into your forbidden desires—from the most innocent to the truly deviant. These sexy tales include a double-dom three-way in a locked escape room, an outrageous kitchen tryst, a couple discovering their penchant for the perverse, kinky commands in space, and a range of role-play scenarios, each wilder than the last.

Succumb to the thrill of surrender with this exquisite anthology from a collection of writers who have truly mastered the not-so-gentle art of sexual power and erotic restraint.

Here's where to pre-order Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2:

PRINT:

Bookshop (supports independent bookstores)

Powell’s (independent bookstore)

Amazon (all available countries)

Books-a-Million

Chapters (Canada)

Waterstones (UK)

EBOOK:

Kindle (all available countries)

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

Watch me interview Joanna Angel on Tuesday, February 9

2021-01-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

At the start of 2021, I made some professional goals for myself, and one was to be asked to do an "in conversation with" interview with an author for a bookstore. I had been asked once over the last few years, but it was in New York and would have required five hours of bus travel, and that didn't really make sense for my schedule. But with the rise of virtual book events, I'm thrilled to say that on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, from 8-9 p.m. ET (5-6 p.m. PT), I'll be interviewing the amazing Joanna Angel of Burning Angel fame about her new choose-your-own erotic fantasy novel Club 42 for Culvery City, California romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice. Click their name to RSVP; the event is free. And I guess I manifested really well because I'm actually going two interviews in February. My next interview will take place on 22 at 5 pm EST, not for a bookstore but for the amazing women over 40 community The Woolfer. I'll be interviewing Tracy Clark-Flory, whose journalism you probably know from Jezebel or other outlets, about her debut memoir, Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey Into the Heart of Desire for The Woolfer TV. You can watch it live or it'll be recorded for their site and YouTube channel.

Club 42 will be published that day from Cleis Press, as will my kinky anthology, Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2. Joanna contributed her super sexy story "One Last Gangbang" to my anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, and all those books will be for sale from The Ripped Bodice that night (or are available for pre-order or order now), including copies of Club 42 signed by Joanna as well as my Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 and Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5. You can also pick up her first choose-your-own eortic fantasy novel Night Shift from The Ripped Bodice. Here's more detail about what to expect from Club 42.

Naomi, a proud Brooklyn hipster, finds her life is forever changed when she gets fired from her barista job and wanders into a strip club called Club 42. On a whim, Naomi auditions to become a dancer and what happens next . . . is up to you!

Join Naomi as she works the day shift at a Manhattan club where patrons sip on carrot juice instead of beer. From learning the art of the lap dance to giving her ex the “extras” in the VIP room, there’s more to learn here than she ever learned in college. Should she tell her partner—the dreamy, broke musician who is unofficially squatting in her apartment—about her job, or should she learn to lead a double life between two boroughs? Should she experiment with moonlighting as a Dominatrix, or stay in the strip club and submit to her newest crush, exploring her sexuality and her newfound love for exhibitionism as she twerks her way into a new tax bracket? It’s all up to YOU, so grab your stilettos, turn up the early-2000s dance hits, and guide Naomi through this nonstop naked adventure in the city that never sleeps!

My op-ed about Josh Hawley's book cancellation and the First Amendment

2021-01-14T03:01:00.001-08:00

For NBC News THINK, I wrote about Senator Josh Hawley's book cancellation the First Amendment. It's my first op-ed of 2021, but hopefully not the last!

New sexy audiobook out: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6

2021-01-11T12:50:00.002-08:00

I'm very happy to share that the audiobook of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6, narrated by Rose Caraway, is available now on Audible! You can even listen to a free sample. These 20 brand new stories are all on the theme of adventure and will take you everywhere from a tattoo reality show to a motorcycle club to a kinky escape room and far beyond.

About the book:

If you’re looking for your next sexy listen, Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Book 6 is sure to heat things up. These 20 adventure-themed stories will take you around the globe as you meet characters eager to indulge their sensual sides.

From competing on a reality show and getting “Inked on My Skin” by an extremely sexy tattoo artist to exploring a “Cabinet of Curiosities”, these characters say "yes" to their most daring desires. Whether a single mom having a hot vacation fling, a vegetarian lusting after a hunky butcher, a couple visiting a kinky escape room, or a divorcee hitting up a motorcycle club and going on an “Easy Ride”, these erotic tales bare all. Women who’ve been told they’re “too much”, by an ex or the world, discover the joy of asking for more and more and more — and getting it.

Enjoy women’s sexual fantasies come to life, from fetishes to kinks to a very arousing way to use an instruction manual. With stories by popular erotic romance authors Shelly Bell, Zoey Castile, Jeanette Grey, Mia Hopkins, Katrina Jackson, Elizabeth SaFleur, Naima Simone, Olivia Waite, and Elia Winters, and newcomers to the genre, the latest volume of pansexual sex tales in this best-selling series will make your heart race with excitement.

Cleis Press 40% off new year erotica sale

2021-01-04T04:12:00.006-08:00

To kick off 2021, my publisher, Cleis Press, is having a big 40% off sale through January 8, 2021 on select print books (shipping to the U.S. only) if you use the code NEWYEARNEWBOOK. Below are the five books of mine that are on sale, though Erotic Teasers I think still needs an add to cart button. If you haven't read these or are looking to give them as a gift, check it out. See Cleis's Twitter feed for more sale books. Also, a reminder that the best way to keep up with what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis is to follow me on Twitter @raquelita, Instagram @rachelkramerbussel (and/or my new all jigsaw puzzle account @rachelpuzzles and Facebook @rachelkramerbusselauthor which I update in that order of frequency. If you want to follow the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series, where I post news, photos, giveaways and more, those handles are: Twitter @BWEoftheyear, Instagram @bestwomenserotica and Facebook @bweoftheyear.

Here are individual links to my Cleis Press 40% off erotica print books for U.S. shipping with the code NEWYEARNEWBOOK. They're all also available in ebook and audiobook. I've listed some of my favorite of my anthologies with all buy links on my website, and will be adding more soon and here's all my Cleis Press books, most available in print, ebook and audio, some are out of print. Also, whether a book says "Best Women's Erotica" or "for women" in the title, readers of any gender who like sexy stories are welcome to read them! I welcome all readers and feedback and reviews to help me guide future anthology selections.

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4

Begging for It: Erotic Fantasies for Women

Erotic Teasers (add to cart button should be up soon if it's not currently)

If you haven't subscribed to my monthly newsletter yet, hop on it, because I do roundups and newsletter subscriber exclusive giveaways. Last year I was a bad newsletter sender and skipped a few months, including my big book release month of December, but as part of my 2021 goals I'll be sending them out monthly no matter what, starting today with January's.

New erotica anthology call for submissions on threesomes and group sex

2020-12-23T03:53:00.004-08:00

Good news! I'm editing another 2022 anthology for Cleis Press, this one on threesomes and group sex. I've posted the call for submissions on my website. It's pretty detailed, designed to cover all potential author questions, but if you have a question after reading the writing guidelines in full, feel free to email me at the address listed on the call. I'm paying $100/story and one copy of the book for exclusive rights for one year from the July 2022 publication date. The exact contract terms are listed at the bottom of the call.

As stated in the call, the final deadline is May 1, 2021, but I would strongly advise submitting your best, proofread work as soon as possible. My manuscript draft for this anthology is already starting to fill up (I have a few stories I couldn't use in other anthologies that fit the topic that the authors let me hold for potential publication in this one, pending my publisher's approval), and I have a feeling certain pairings and scenarios will be quite prominent in my inbox. If you know anyone who might have a perfect erotica story for this anthology, please pass along the writing guidelines. Thank you!

My Glamour article on stickers and sticker collecting

2020-12-12T17:25:00.001-08:00

If there were ever an article I was born to write, this Glamour one, "Inside the New World of Sticker Enthusiasts," is it. The "research" started when I was eight years old in some ways, but more recently, began, as you'll see in the article, when I attended the conference Alt Summit in 2018 in Palm Springs. I reaffirmed my love of stickers and have been obsessed with them and sticker lovers ever since. I'm so grateful to Glamour for letting me write this and go long. This piece covers everything from feminist stickers to self-care, AOC, WAP and more.

In February, after my LA reading, I took the train on a lovely sunny day to San Luis Obispo to visit and shop at sticker store Pipsticks. I took dozens of photos (yes, I spent hours taking photos of almost everything in the store and soaking it all in and buying book and taco stickers), and they didn't all make it into the article, so here are four of them, plus my favorite sticker on my water bottle, which I actually got at a cute indie stationery store in Nashville. I love wavy guys and will always stare out the window in delight when we pass one, so I couldn't resist a wavy guy sticker. I hope this article brings a smile your way, whether you were also a sticker collector in the 80s, are one today, or just are charmed by all the sticker fandom and creativity I documented.

Out now: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 (plus giveaways and virtual events)

2020-12-11T02:00:00.019-08:00

I couldn't be more excited that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volme 6 is finally out in the world in print and ebook! Audio is coming soon.

I meant to post this earlier but it's been such a whirlwind of a month it just didn't happen (you'll find me much more frequently @raquelita on Twitter). You can order the book from romance bookstore Love's Sweet Arrow, who hosted our book launch last night, or wherever you buy books or ebooks.

Here's some quick things to know:

There's a giveaway to win this 1,000 jigsaw puzzle of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 book cover on Instagram (deconstructed), in the tin in the second photo and a copy of the book! Warning: It's one of the hardest, if not the hardest puzzles I've ever done, but was very satisfying to complete.

You can win a copy of the book on our virtual book tour through December 18

Watch last night's virtual erotica panel with from top left: Marissa Backlin of Love's Sweet Arrow, me, Olivia Waite, Evie Bennet, Mia Hopkins, Katrina Jackson and Naima Simone!

Here was my setup for the event, which was so much fun, so interesting and smart and full of laughter and book recommendations and insights. In fact, I felt more relaxed, at ease and happy moderating it than I have with my in-person events. Of course it's different, but that the audience could chat with each other in real time (many of them knew each other, and I saw book reviewers and bloggers, librarians and fellow authors chatting), and everyone was in their own home, felt special to me after almost 20 years of hosting in-person book events. Plus all of us live in different parts of the country, so it's unlikely I could have gathered that particular group for an in-store event even if those were safe to do right now.

Our next virtual event is Friday, December 18, 7 pm CT/8 pm ET, live on the Feminist Erotica Podcast Facebook page.

And a shoutout to Cookies by Kase on Instagram, who I ordered these super adorable and delicious book cookies from! One features the cover and the other five showcase the stories by Olivia Waite (shell grotto), Evie Bennet (red balloon), Mia Hopkins (boat), Katrina Jackson (motorcycle), and Naima Simone (tattoo reality show).

Free books for life giveaway and Book Angel program helping kids in need

2020-11-05T05:27:00.007-08:00

My November articles (so far) for Forbes.com are below, where I've been covering all things books, publishing, libraries, authors, literary agents, book clubs and more since November 2018, are about some cool things independent bookstores are doing. You can follow me there so you don't miss anything, and I'm now working on January 2021 articles and beyond, so if you're a book publicist, editor, agent, bookseller, librarian or book club organizer or anyone else doing something new and unique in the book world, feel free to pitch me (rachelkb at gmail dot com with "Forbes" in the subject line).

Having this beat has totally changed my freelance writing career and given me a great way to focus my interests, and cover books for other outlets like Publishers Weekly and Washington Post Book World.

Here are two articles I hope you'll appreciate. You can nominate someone to WIN A BOOK A MONTH FOR LIFE from London, UK bookstore Heywood Hill through Sunday, November 8, and you can donate a book to a child in need with Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, New York, either in person or online. More details in the pieces.

"Why UK Bookstore Heywood Hill Is Giving Away A Book A Month For Life"

"Bookstore’s Book Angel Program Ensures Kids In Need Receive Books For The Holidays"

Dirty Girls flash sale - 27 erotica stories for $1.99!

2020-10-25T10:05:00.002-07:00

I just found out last night while randomly scrolling online, as one does, that my Seal Press anthology Dirty Girls is on sale in ebook form for just $1.99 for Kindle, Nook, Google Play and Kobo! I don't know when the sale started or when it will end, though I imagine soon, so I encourage you to check it out. There are 27 very sexy stories inside. I'm so proud of this book, which came out all the way back in 2008 (hence the MySpace reference in the introduction!), and excited for it to reach more readers. Details about it below.

What do women really want? To be sensually seduced or pressed up against the wall for a quickie? To be tantalized by a peep show or the chance to join the mile high club?

Acclaimed erotica writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel knows: They want it all. They want to be worshiped, ordered around, sent blindly into ecstasy, and made hot in front of a mirror. They want strangers bearing ice cubes on a hot day and to be the party favor passed around among guests. They want sex at the office and in the great outdoors and on trains and airplanes. They want sex with the whole United States of America (or, at least, part of it). They want to be wooed, seduced, flirted with, taken. They want to handpick their lovers and make them do their bidding. They want men, women, and sometimes both at the same time.

In Dirty Girls, the country’s best erotic writers explore their sexual psyches. With contributions from Carol Queen, Alison Tyler, Sofia Quintero, Shanna Germain, Lillian Ann Slugocki, Tsaurah Litzky, and many others, this collection will set your heart racing as you savor these intimate, shocking, and passionate female fantasies.

Blurbs:

“Finally⎯a book about what girls REALLY think about. Well, maybe not every one, but the dirty ones…and those are the ones who really count.” — Joanna Angel, CEO, BurningAngel Entertainment

“Dirty Girls is the post-feminist generation’s answer to Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, a collection of erotically charged short stories that reveal that, in the 21st century, good girls are dead and dirty girls are the new black.” — Susannah Breslin, author of You’re a Bad Man, Aren’t You?

“A spanking good collection of smart erotica assembled by always exciting ringleader Rachel Kramer Bussel, Dirty Girls begs the question ‘What are those dirty girls thinking?’ and answers with insight not just to how women want it, but why.” — Lisa Beth Kovetz, author of The Tuesday Erotica Club

“This is an outstanding collection of hot women’s stories. That’s hot stories by women and stories by hot women. The table of contents reads like a who’s who in the best erotica writers around, an All Star team who deliver the raunch and punch the reader deserves. Rawr.” — Cecilia Tan, author of Black Feathers and White Flames: Erotic Dreams

Table of Contents

Introduction – Dirty and Sweet Wrapped Up in One

1. Fucking Around by Marie Lyn Bernard
2. Live Tonight by Saskia Walker
3. Just Another Girl on the Train by Catherine Lundoff
4. Beautiful Creature by Kristina Wright
5. In the Name Of… by Isabelle Gray
6. Cheesy Boots by L. Elise Bland
7. Truck Stop Cinderella by Lillian Ann Slugocki
8. The Dream of Life by Tenille Brown
9. The Mile High Club by Kate Dominic
10. Like a Good Girl by Alison Tyler
11. The Garden of Sinn by Darklady
12. Bag and Baggage by Teresa Noelle Roberts
13. Icy Hot by Rachel Kramer Bussel
14. Dreams by Marilyn Jaye Lewis
15. Shocking Expose! Secrets Revealed! by Carol Queen
16. To Dance at the Fair by Donna George Storey
17. The First Deadly Sin by Gwen Masters
18. El Mar de Encanto by Sofia Quintero
19. Flight by Suki Bishop
20. Lily by Tsaurah Litzky
21. Opera Gloves by Maddy Stuart
22. Party Favor by Andrea Dale
23. Carn Euny by Madelynne Ellis
24. A Prayer to Be Made Cocksure by Melissa Gira
25. All About Hearts by Sage Vivant
26. The Next Thing by Gina de Vries
27. Until It’s Gone by Shanna Germain

Introduction: Dirty and Sweet Wrapped Up in One

“I can be dirty and sweet at the same time” reads my self-proclaimed motto on my MySpace page. When I wrote that, I meant that not so deep inside me lurks the soul of a highly perverted, kinky, dirty girl who can get aroused often by a single word whispered in my ear or a solid smack across my ass. Once someone gets me into that zone, I’ll do anything, no matter how depraved, to be with them. I’ll find myself fantasizing about all the wicked things we can do together throughout the day and night, waking from wild dreams with the wish that they were beside me. I’ll see their name in my inbox and get instantly wet. I’ll tell them in public exactly what I want them to do to me, and vice versa. Yes, that’s what I mean by “dirty.”

Yet I don’t think my sexual interests make me any less of a well-rounded, kind-hearted intelligent person. I’m “sweet” in the sense that I care about my friends and family, like sending cards and random gifts, strive to be a good person (also, I run a blog about cupcakes). I’m as likely to kiss a lover’s forehead tenderly and offer to tuck them into bed as I am to throw them down on the floor and strip them naked. For me, the sweet and tender and down-and-dirty go hand in hand; I’m most turned on, and most slutty, when I’m partnered with someone who brings out my sweet side. Once, I visited a boyfriend who was sick with a fever, and did the one thing I could think of to make him feel better: sank down on his bed and took his cock in my mouth. Playing the slutty nurse, horny yet doting, is another aspect to my dirty/sweet motto.

I’d originally meant the phrase as a throwaway line, but more and more I’m realizing that everyone (or almost everyone) has a dirty and a sweet side. All too often we denigrate the dirty girls⎯the ones who dare to publicly show their naughty sides⎯as incorrigible sluts, rather than realizing just how much exciting it is to tap into our lustiest selves. Once you crack the surface of those who are seemingly prim and proper (the demure suburban housewife, the suited-up banker, the quiet secretary, the curious bookworm, the shy computer nerd), you’ll very likely find that the simplicity of the word “dirty” doesn’t go anywhere near far enough to describe the kinks that lurk within them.

The women writing here don’t apologize for being dirty. They know who and what they want and they go after the objects of their affection in all kinds of different ways. Reading this collection⎯whether from start to finish or skipping around to your favorite authors or the most eye-catching titles⎯will give you a glimpse into what makes women wet, what makes us feel and act dirty, what makes us slick our lips and spread our legs. Maybe, just maybe, their stories attempt to answer Freud’s infamously infuriating query: “What do women want?” To judge by the twenty-seven tales you hold in your hand, they want to be worshiped, they want to be ordered around, they want to be sent spinning into ecstasy and then come crashing back down. They want strangers bearing ice cubes on a hot day, and to be a party favor passed around among guests. They want hot vacation sex, visits to peep shows, and a man who’ll lick stinky cheese off their boots. They want power, and they want to give up power. They want sex at the office and in the great outdoors and on trains and airplanes. They want sex with the whole United States of America (or, at least, part of it). They want to be wooed, seduced, flirted with, taken. They want men, women, and sometimes both at the same time.

Of course, there’s more to what women want out of sex than any one book could possibly capture. What I’ve done with this anthology is highlight some of the best erotic writing I’ve found from authors who show you exactly what makes their hearts beat and their clits stand at attention. What they’re up to is, as Marie Lyn Bernard so aptly puts it, “Fucking Around” (which I briefly considered as a very fitting alternative title to this book). When I first heard Bernard read this story tag-team style at my reading series “In The Flesh,” I was blown away. She captures so much of the drama of sex⎯the high highs, the low lows, the awkwardness and the intensity⎯in a playful yet totally hot way. And when she writes about the Big Apple, it’ll make you want to hop the first plane or train to get here: “New York fucks me. New York fucks me so hard that I cry. My pussy opens like the long throat of a flame-swallower. Her fingers make love to the inside of my bellybutton. I am sweating so much that our bodies glide against each other like fish underwater.” You’ll find yourself drawing a map of your own sexual conquests, marking your territory right along with Bernard.

But for every feisty babe here, there’s another just in the process of discovering what turns her on. “Dirty” can be a state of mind just as much as it can be a description of one’s bedroom antics. Carol Queen’s peepshow virgin protagonist Abby doesn’t quite know what she’s getting into with her new friends Daniel and Lila, but she desperately wants to find out. “Lila’s lips covered hers right away, soft and wet, licking and nibbling in one of the most arousing kisses Abby had ever experienced,” writes Queen. “Dirty” doesn’t always mean depraved, either; these stories aren’t all wham-bam-thank-you-sir (or ma’am) quickies. Many of them evoke the intensity of emotion sex can bring with it, the ways having a lover know you literally inside and out can throw your life completely off balance, as if they can read your soul like a map, using fingers, toys, tongues, and cocks to navigate you until they own your internal compass. The thrill of giving yourself over to someone, of giving up control for that deliciously delirious sensation of pure erotic adrenaline, surfaces throughout this collection.

The women you’ll find here are complex; they’re by turns playful and bashful, horny and haughty. They want to share much more with you than just the details of their latest screw. They want you to know what makes them tick, who haunts their dreams, why they can’t quite forget the man who fucked them senseless, even when they’re with someone new. They like to watch and be watched, to take risks, to live out their long-held fantasies. Some are in loving, committed relationships, ones that allow them room to get their freak on with the person who knows just how to push their every button. Others, like my “Icy Hot” protagonist, don’t even want to know their bedmate’s name: “I forgot about the fact that I didn’t really know him at all. Sometimes, in a city of millions of strangers, you just have to take a chance and let your body make the decisions for you, as I’ve learned over the years. And my body was saying yes, please, more, harder.”

“Dirty” doesn’t preclude poetry, the kind where the words roll off the page, roll from your tongue, so beautifully it’s like they themselves are making love to you. Writers like Marilyn Jaye Lewis, Suki Bishop, and Melissa Gira probe the twisted places women go in search of sex⎯and themselves. In “A Prayer to Be Made Cocksure,” Gira elevates the art of the blowjob to new heights: “I sucked your cock as if it was the last cock. I trusted you to let me keep breathing, to never take that final bit from me, to tell me that getting any air at all was your choice just by reaching your hand down the length of your chest to me, to cradle the back of my neck, to run your fingers across my lips, softly, as you plunged suddenly and held me at the edge.” She takes you right into that moment, where this intimate act is dissected, treasured, hoarded, and missed.

You’ll find a range of motivations here, from women looking to spice up a lackluster relationship to single girls on the prowl to kinky couples, daring dommes, and sultry sirens intent on performing on a sexual stage of their own creation. You may read their stories and ask yourself: Would you ever write your name across your lover’s cock? What about pick up a stranger at a rock concert or screw a doctor in a hospital? Get fingered at the opera? Go to a bondage club? These characters do all this and more, always making sure their wanting, lusting, panting, and perversions are met with equal fervor.

Take a hot and steamy trip with these writers as they unlock your deepest desires, or perhaps give you some new ideas to try out next time you shut your eyes and part your legs. From tender to tempting, sweet to sadistic, loving to lascivious, there’s something for every reader who wants to go to bed with images that’ll surely make you blush and just may spark some brand-new, unique fantasies of your very own.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City
July 2007

3 sexy book giveaways in October

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There's so many exciting things happening, even I can hardly keep up! The biggest is that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6, which has a stunning cover (I mean, how HOT is that?) and 20 super hot brand new adventure-themed sexy stories, hits stores and e-readers December 8!

It just got a rave review in Publishers Weekly that I'm really proud of. I think sometimes people think editing anthologies is super easy and I just pick any random stories and cobble them together. There's so much more involved, and I worked super hard to make this book as varied as possible while also exploring lots of different types of sex and adventure.

So to celebrate the upcoming release, I'm giving away 5 signed copies of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 over at Goodreads. You have until October 15 to enter. It's open to those in the US and Canada, the only countries Goodreads would let me select.

But that's not all! During my book tour earlier this year, I got CD Reiss, Sierra Simone and Sabrina Sol to sign copies of their books Marriage Games, Misadventures of a Curvy Girl and Delicious Satisfaction respectively. Over on the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Instagram, I'm giving away signed copies of those plus a signed copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, which they've all contributed to, to one lucky winner. Open internationally. Deadline to enter: October 18, 2020.

If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you can enter to win sexy romance novel Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey by replying to the October newsletter. That went out yesterday, October 8, so look for it in your inbox.

Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe here and stay tuned for November's newsletter PLUS the most fun giveaway of my life, also happening next month.