Lucrezia Magazine » Reviews

Best Women’s Erotica 2010

Aria Black — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:45:17 +0000

Although we are more than half way through 2010, it will be quite some time before Best Women’s Erotica 2011 is released for hot reader consumption, so Best Women’s Erotica 2010 it is.

In the realm of female erotica, that which is written for women by women, this anthology is a staple and is published – without fail – each year. Sometimes I wonder how this is maintained. Surely there are only so many erotic stories that can be published each year? With Violet Blue at the helm, this anthology simply grows and grows, reaching new readers. It also helps that its editor has made appearances on shows like Oprah.

If I could sum up this book in one sentence, I would say the following: this is an erotic round the world trip that captures the light, dark and in-between. In my view, this anthology captures the essence of women – through its female characters – charting territory that is bold, risqué, erotic, but most of all, new.

Beginning with, what appears to be, an ordinary tale about a woman’s commute via the Underground, we have a story that operates on fetishism. Shoe Shine at Liverpool Street Station (Scarlett French) is a first person tale about an average train journey that takes a strange turn when our protagonist decides on a shoe shine. This isn’t a story of customary penetrative sex. Rather, it is a story that is about leaving it all to the imagination. It speaks of affect over effect. The reader can almost smell the boot polish and leather. This tactile story explores a public encounter – with clothes.

In the realm of food and, to a large extent, fresh produce. Vegging (K D Grace) is what the title suggests. The story details one woman’s infernal lust for her neighbor, sneaking into his vegetable patch to intimately acquaint herself with his vegetables -until he finds out. What we get, as readers, is the earthy aroma of the farm from the mud to the vegetation. This is a story that spends more time on the sensuality of distant attraction before moving closer to the character’s erotic target.

In terms of distance, Timbre (Angela Caperton) is an erotic story that escapes the traditional mode. Firstly, there is no direct flirtation between its central character and the object of desire. Secondly, the plot is clever in that it is a new twist on the theme of technological distance; our central character is intrigued by the masculine voice on a surveillance recording. Lastly, the conclusion may not be ‘happily ever after’. We do not really know the outcome, but it is the anticipation of an outcome, one that the author allows us the liberty of creating.

So far, there are three different stories that offer distinct erotic elements that differ from each other. Further along this erotic treasure trove, there are more stories that detail the significantly intimate – by way of a foursome – in Stripped (Anastasia Mavromatis), or one alternative title I could suggest: three men and a lady (in a super hot sexual clinch). This is a room mate story but it goes so much further.

In Thin Walls (Aimee Herman), we are given a detailed account of a man overhead masturbating. It is both erotic and uncomfortable, yet realistic enough to have us nodding at the assumptions made by the character whose fantasy is on sexual overdrive, providing us with an intimate account of her own sexual vista as well as what she projects on her masturbating male neighbor.

These are the few but each story presents erotic dimensions that vary in their intensity yet serve a significant enough dollop of eroticism to make us cry out for more. Thankfully this anthology is published annually without fail. Violet Blue’s introduction is aptly titled, ‘The Chocolate Taster’. Without desiring to use the Forrest Gump chocolate box analogy, if every story in this anthology were a chocolate, we would have quite a box! The good thing about Best Women’s Erotica 2010 is that the anthology takes you all around the world: figuratively and erotically. And there are only good things to be said about Best Women’s Erotica.

Best Women’s Erotica is published by Cleis Press and is available through most major booksellers as well as via online sellers like Amazon or (if you desire free postage) Book Depository.

Aria likes – in no particular order – vampire myth, Middle English poetry, writing and Salman Rushdie.

Pleasure Bound: True Erotic Stories

Roxanne Rhoads — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:40:43 +0000

Book Description:

One of the most prolific editors and writers of erotica today, Alison Tyler has assembled Pleasure Bound, 22 steamy stories of partners in the throes of pleasurable restraint. Intricately secured by ropes, locked in handcuffs, wrapped in leather, or bound simply by a lover’s command, these men and women crave control, whether given or received. From start to finish, this solid collection of BDSM stories earns its kinky merit badge for its explicit tales of pleasure and pain. Featuring work by Thomas Roche, Diana St. John, Sommer Marsden, Shanna Germain, and other erotic masters, the stories grab the reader and leave them begging for more — and bound and determined to turn their own bondage fantasies into tightly-controlled reality.

Review:

Bound, helpless, your heart pounds loud and out of control, your skin tingles, what is he going to do to you? Fear makes your blood race through your body along with something else…anticipation…need…pleasure.

To me that’s being Pleasure Bound and the stories in this collection of bondage erotica take that tingle, that thrill and run with it, expand on, do tricks with it because bondage is that and so much more.

Bondage can be delightfully romantic and sensual like in “Handfast” or it can take a surprising turn like in Tyler’s own “Stickler for Details” or can be a little haunting as the experience was in “Once More Beneath the Exit Sign”.

Most of the stories are compelling and ring true with a touch of honesty erotica doesn’t always offer, perhaps because in the forward we are told that these are “true” tales, confessions, real life experiences of bondage, discipline, domination, and submission.

These stories will captivate your attention, perhaps even conquer you, lure you into the world of domination and submission. You’ll be tied to this book until you are finished and even then, you may want more. It wouldn’t be the first time erotica has given a reader the courage to experiment with making their own fantasies flesh.

Whether you live the lifestyle, dabble in it periodically or are just in the mood for something a little less vanilla to fantasize about this book offers a varied look at the wide array of ways you can be “Pleasure Bound”

Alison Tyler knows how to mix up the tales in her books and always offers a wide variety of different experiences on any one topic, I love her collections and always look forward to the depth and eroticism that many of the stories have that she chooses for her collections. Even if I’m not into the subject matter I can enjoy the sensuality, the sexuality and the thrill that something “different” can offer.

Roxanne Rhoads is a freelance writer, erotica author, poet, and editor She writes everything from articles to web content. She is interested in all things sexual so her writing focuses mainly on topics involving sex including; erotic fiction and poetry, how to articles, product reviews, female sexuality, and female sexual rights. A sexual connoisseur and creature of the night, She is an outwardly quiet person who best expresses herself with the written word. If she wants you to know or believe something about her it will appear in her writing. A lady must always have secrets and she guards hers closely. A voyeur at heart she lurks in the shadows learning the secrets of others while she remains a mystery.

Roxanne’s writing has appeared in Playgirl Magazine, on Tit-elation.com, JustusRoux.com, Oysters and Chocolate (Online) and The Erotic Woman (Online). You can learn more about her at Roxanne’s Realm, My Space and her group for erotica readers and writers, Erotica Lovers.

Bottoms Up : Spanking Good Stories

Roxanne Rhoads — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:16:10 +0000

Book Blurb:

Here, we have a spanking tour de force for any curiosity, appetite, and sexual preference. And to that end, Rachel Kramer Bussel offers Bottoms Up, another delicious collection of stories that celebrates the pleasures of an inviting bum turned rosy red by hand, crop, whip, or paddle. Whether written from the perspective of the spanker or the spankee, those who crave discipline or those discovering for the first time how good being bad can feel, each vivid tale trembles with erotic pleasure. Bottoms Up is essential reading for those with endless capacities to have their bare bottoms soundly smacked, those who revel in delivering the deliciously ecstatic pain to a lover, or those who simply believe in turning the other cheek — over and over and over again.

I’m not much for spanking kink so I was pretty sure this was not going to be a collection of erotica that I would particularly enjoy.

My hopes were raised though when I checked the table of contents to see there were stories by Gwen Masters and several other familiar erotic authors who know how to deliver sensual, sultry tales of many flavors…and make them all taste amazing.

So finally I decided to just dive in and start reading.

To my surprise and delight most of the stories were written in such a way that I could enjoy the sheer eroticism of the tale not just the spanking parts. In Bottoms Up I found a wide variety of spanking tales from stories featuring playful taps to mild sadomasochism to hardcore BDSM- a little something for everyone who enjoys a good whack every now and then. There are stories from all perspectives- giving, receiving, and even just watching.

There are stories with fun role playing, interesting perspectives, swingers, subs and doms, wistful tales and teaching tales but they all have one thing in common- someone is going to end up red cheeked but satisfied. I found Bottoms Up to be an interesting collection and a delightful look into a world I haven’t explored yet.

Bottoms Up is kinda like a guide book for spanking. It gives you a little taste of many different types; it shows you what’s out there and gives you a sample of many possible ways to enjoy it.

Whether you regularly play the game, fantasize about it or are just spankcurious- this book is something you will definitely enjoy.

List of stories and authors:

A Thousand Words by Donna George Storey
The Hardest Part by Alison Tyler
A Firm Understanding by Elizabeth Coldwell
Prime Time by Teresa Noelle Roberts
Ass Worship by Jerry Arthur
The Purple Balloon by Tess Danesi
Sorority Sister by Dominique Dunbar
Days by Simon Sheppard
Bossy by Sommer Marsden
Oscar and Holly by Bill Kte’pi
Lonnie’s Licks by Tenille Brown
The Swinging Spankers Club by Stan Kent
Reenactment by Zille Defeu
Confessor by Craig J. Sorensen
The Spanking Machine by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Stuffing the Ballot Box by Andrea Dale
Tease for Two by Maddy Stuart
I’m Going to Grab Your Hair by N. T. Morley
Flaming by Jean Roberta
Helping Those in Need by Gwen Masters

Book Trailer:

Peep Show: Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists

Anastasia Mavromatis — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:33:25 +0000

If the internet is anything to go by, with the advent of social networks and everything web-cam related, exhibitionism and voyeurism are common in all of us. The most recent phenomenon, in the form of a ‘randomized’ chat site, aptly named Chat Roulette, indicates that the unknown intrigues many, even if that unknown happens to be a middle aged man dressed in an animal printed catsuit on the other side.
The eclectic collection of erotic shorts within Peep Show (Cleis Press) vary on the scale of sexual detail, albeit in a positive way. Some stories are relatively conventional (masturbation) while others go further by way of sexual positioning, choice and risk. Even so, many of the couplings tend to be one on one and some characters beat the same drum, in the expression of their view of ‘being discovered‘ as the aphrodisiac or central . As a reader, I would like to delve deeper into the psyche and the common held view of the ‘risk of discovery adding to the appeal tends to be overdone and stereotypical. Any one who has experienced the unexpected exhibitionist first hand will know that the experience is more than ‘the risk of being caught’. Then again, the word count requirements of short fiction can limit the writer. It’s not my thing to outline every single story in an anthology, except to say that certain things (like stereotypes or the occasional cliché) may stand out more so than others. Every reader will have their favorites and each favorite will, undoubtedly reflect a personal experience, identification, amongst other things but such lists are ultimately biased on some level. Besides, this collection ought to be approached in the same way one approaches the subject matter: unexpectedly.
The first story of the collection, the aptly titled ‘Showtime’ perhaps displays voyeurism and exhibitionism in a simpler, yet effective manner and provides an ideal introduction to the collection. The – perhaps accidental exhibitionist – muscular stationary cyclist across the way rivets two women to the point of masturbation that goes beyond phallic worship. The two women, one an older and conflicted voyeur to her younger co-worker, submit to their primal urges in a darkened room that is fitted out to enable free viewing. The simplicity of the story is what makes it successful, whereas other stories tend to condense detail -sometimes to the point of being illogical or, clichéd. A part of me will always shake my head when authors add references to content that has been done before (or done to death), such as the song ‘Leave Your Hat On’ (Joe Cocker), which was done and dusted in the film 9 ½ Weeks to wind up as the usual student/professor sex story. If only my own university lecturers were so sexually attractive. I guess that is what fantasy is all about. Some stories like Rosse Buurt and People Who Live in Glass Hotels, will have readers using Google to respectively locate Amsterdam’s red light district and the Arcotel Hotel Velvet Berlin with glass walls facing the street. Former hotel guest reviews posted on various sites vary and don’t actually reflect the sophistication described in the story but fiction tends to reinvent some realism and, hopefully, makes up for everyday shortcomings by way of plot and characterization and, in the case of erotic fiction – the sex.
In this collection, you can be guaranteed scintillating mind-altering sex but getting there – for a few stories – requires more work from the reader. For example, Audience Participation requires readers to suspend reality over two pages and accept the fact that a group of research scientists simply accept their miserable lot (being prohibited to access the internet) and not use their own – separate – wi-fi enabled laptops to access the internet via their own private internet providers. It is a flaw in characterization and doesn’t make for great foreplay (unless the story is set in China or Iran, which it isn’t, where internet censorship is a reality) and one hopes that the upcoming sex will make up for it. In my daily life at a university, I see plenty of researchers and students use their own plug-in wi-fi connections (or failing that, their iPhones). Audience Participation won me over on a personal level as I have experience anal-retentive IT staff, restrictive company policies and corporate repression. Based on my own personal identification and experience, I read on and was plunged – pleasantly, I may add – into a hot conclusion, but along the way, and up to the hot conclusion, the two central characters of this story witness the sexual shenanigans of a supposedly rigid supervisor. Here, the central female character experiences revulsion juxtaposed against pleasure, as her body involuntarily responds to the sexual scenes via the in-office webcam. Thus, voyeurism -in any way or form, feeds in to sexual arousal and, actual foreplay. Scenes witnessed in the past or present, can be recalled as sexual props to enhance or ignite a tryst.
Thus, with exhibitionism and voyeurism, there is a sense of revulsion and pleasure. For some, the revulsion may reflect their personal morals, or morals that were a part of one’s upbringing. As for the sexual or pleasurable response, this tends to operate on a primal – near involuntary- level. Without wanting to delve too much into the Freudian view of the subconscious, the almost immediate physical sensations occur before any logic enters the thought process and all of the stories in Peepshow address this emotional reality while exploring the sensual physical outcomes that will appeal to every erotica aficionado. If you want to get your sensual pulse racing, get your hands on this book.

Read more about this anthology on the official blog and watch the Peep Show trailer here. This book is available from all good book outlets and via Amazon.

Surfer Boys – Gay Erotic Stories

Dee Stern — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:55:40 +0000

Life begins in an aquatic environment, so it’s natural for water to be a part of our daily lives. Whether we drink it to replenish essential fluids or use it to maintain hygiene, water is essential to everyday wellbeing. So it comes to no surprise for water, in the form of the beach, to be a central theme in an erotic anthology.
Surfer Boys – Gay Erotic Stories (Cleis Press), takes the reader to beaches around the world. From Cape Cod to Malibu, Kujukuri to Byron Bay, surfer boys and those who love them – in various ways – explore their boundaries, come of age, flirt, surf and surf some more. In fact, there is an equal dose of sex as there is surfing. The reader will also learn surfing terminology and, possibly, leave this anthology with an additional interest.
The lure of the sea is as old as classical mythology. It’s no surprise that the surfer boys in this collection are attracted to the sensuality and danger of the surf. The water is an essential backdrop to their lives, sexual psyches and, in some cases, relationships.
It’s difficult to isolate favorite stories within this anthology and such difficulty is a positive sign as it indicates a balanced selection. The prose, by way of word selection, tone and mood, adds to the eroticism and enlivens the scenery. You can smell the salt on sun baked skin, sense the tumble of the surf and taste the water as it jumps off the page. There is an equal mix of rough and soft, as there is casual and romantic sex.
The first story, Hang Ten, sets the scene. It begins with a secret tryst, to culminate in an audacious foursome that brings a lump to the throat and fresh tide of blood flow to the pelvis. When Wade’s Woody Was Running channels the 60s surf film classic Gidget, but Gidget’s paramour Moondoggie is the fantasy vehicle for Tony, whose adolescence is influenced by his film idols to be rudely interrupted by everyday reality in the form of Wade, and his rigorous surf lessons. The initial culture shock in Samurai of the Surf, is relieved when surf competitors Connor and Kenji complete their event and create their own erotic extravaganza on the beach. I wouldn’t call this anthology touchy feely. Sure there are caresses, kisses, licks and the usual array of sexual ministrations, leading to penetration and/or oral sex, but the overall and highly erotic resultant is achieved through a balance of characterization, plot and a general appreciation for the subject matter – the surfing theme. Surfer Boys is a consistent anthology featuring some of the most beautifully written surf themed erotic stories with a timeless quality.

Surfer Boys is edited by Neil Plakcy and is available at all good stockists and, of course, Amazon.

Dee Stern lives half of her life as a post graduate psychology student and writes her blog, Dirty|Sexy|Pretty|Fun.

Oysters and Chocolate: All New Stories of Every Flavor

Roxanne Rhoads — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:59:13 +0000

The Oysters and Chocolate Collection is a delicious menu of sensual stories from one of the best erotica sites on the web. This arousing collection features tales of many flavors sure to please even the most discerning of palates.
Each succulent morsel of a story will entice your senses. Be sure to savor each individual flavor one by one and enjoy.
The varying tastes of Vanilla, Dirty Martini, Licorice Whips, and Oysters abound – from appetizers to dessert this book will leave you nothing short of satisfied.
It opens with a delightful appetizer of a story titled “His Desk” by Terri Pray. A different type of tale that leaves you aching for more. The second story in the collection is by Gwen Masters it delivers “The Sound of Revenge” as a fabulously naughty way to get back at an ex. “Spanked Onstage” by Ione Blair is a licorice whip story featuring an uptight actress who discovers the pleasures of being paddled. “The Taste of Love” offers an arousing assault on the senses with a tale of hot lesbian love and delicious food. Jeremy Edwards’ sweet and very appropriately titled tale “Human” is a sensual and sensual story showcasing that everyone has their own flaws, insecurities and vulnerability that only they may see.
One of my favorites in the book was “Red Umbrella” by Belle Watling. What a literotic feast of wordplay. She demonstrates how lust and love can make one so fickle. The poetic descriptions and unique usage of words was a delight.
Not one story failed to please in this collection- even ones I thought I may not like because of their subject matter I still read through them and enjoyed them. The Licorice Whips stories were detailed enough those who enjoy BDSM will love them and those who aren’t into the scene will still enjoy them because they weren’t hardcore enough to make you cringe.
For fans of erotica this is a book you must add to your collection.

A Review of Oysters and Chocolate: All New Stories of Every Flavor
Edited By Jordan LaRousse and Samantha Sade.

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: NAL Trade, 1st Edition

ISBN-13: 978-0451226822

Playing with Fire

Roxanne Rhoads — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:01:42 +0000

Why should you play hard to get when you can play with fire? The forbidden has never been so appealing as it is in Alison Tyler’s latest collection. In these incendiary stories that explore the taboo side of erotica, couples go about setting their boundaries aflame. Committed to each other without question, they play out their naughtiest fantasies, pushing the limits of sex, lust, and the imagination as far as they can to please each other. Playing it a bit riskier and playing it a bit more daring will send readers and their partners steaming towards the next step in sexual exploration. Featuring new work from ADR Forte, Jolene Hui, Sommer Marsden, Shanna Germain, and others, Playing With Fire delivers enough heat to inspire readers to burn their own erotic bridges.

Alison Tyler knows how to choose the best, most erotic and stimulating stories for her collections. Not only are these stories hotter than hot they are brilliant works of art crafted skillfully; the words are sensual, seductive, artful and erotic.

Playing with Fire has to be one of the best collections of erotica that I have read. This collection truly stimulated my mind and my body. Literary erotica- extraordinary. Usually I read a collection and just one or two tales stand out as being mind blowing and maybe only one will really light my fire. But this collection lit a match under me with the very first very short story “Lucifer and Venus” and kept stroking the flames making them burn hotter with each following story all the way to the very last page.

My favorite stories were “Fire Woman” by Sommer Marsden, what a great story; heated, raw sexuality steaming up the page-wow someone fan me now.
Jeremy Edwards never fails to please; his “Three on a Match” was a delightfully hot romp that took me back to my own college days.
But it was Teresa Noelle Roberts’ “One Hundred Degrees in the Shade” has to be my absolute favorite. It’s always been a fantasy of mine to have sex in the rain-and in a thunder storm, well even better. “White Heat, White Light” by Shanna Germain really stood out as well. It was an interesting tale steeped in mythology and astronomy, very intellectual and stimulating.

If you are looking for a hot collection of erotica stories-Playing with Fire is the one to check out. These tales take playing with fire to a whole new level, one that is going to leave you so hot you may want to keep a fire extinguisher on hand in case you go up in flames.

The Sweetest Kiss

Roxanne Rhoads — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:08:08 +0000

Vampires have a timeless allure, mesmerizing us in every medium from books and graphic novels to movies and television shows. Immortal, eternally beautiful, strong, and sexy, these creatures take what they need, stealing the life force from those unlucky enough to cross their paths — or from those whose luck leads them to the most thrilling experience of their lives. Edited by noted erotica writer D. L. King, The Sweetest Kiss takes readers into shadowy alleys, dark bedrooms, and more mysterious spaces to experience the frisson of terror and delight that only a vampire can produce. Mostly straight, these stories also feature bi and queer vampires satisfying their lust in contemporary and period settings. These blood-drenched tales give new meaning to the term “dead sexy” and feature beautiful bloodsuckers whose desires go far beyond blood.

This collection is unlike any other erotic vampire collection I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot). Problem is, that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

The Sweetest Kiss missed the erotic mark with many of its stories; hell it missed the mark completely on a few. Once I got farther into the book it did redeem itself a little. I guess I just expected more from an erotica collection from Cleis. Most of these stories I didn’t find erotic in the least- dark, twisted, weird- yes. But erotic? No.
The first story turned me off as soon as Mumbai and being closed up in a dark, hot, miserable cell was mentioned. I don’t want to read about flash backs while a person…vampire rots away in a cell. Miserable. The second story was so off the mark all I could think while reading it was WTF?
The third one, “The Temptation of Mlle. Marielle Douchette” was a little more on the mark, even had some elements I found to be erotic but even it was lacking…something. “Kiss and Make Up” was a twisted little tale that was enjoyable. “The Student” was the first story I felt that really redeemed this collection. It was darker vampire erotica than any previous story in the collection but the one story that really stood out, perhaps for its truly twisted sense of the erotic, was “The Cutter”. What a way to present the relationship between a vampire and a mentally ill person as a great symbiotic companionship mutually beneficial to both.
The farther I got into this book the more it redeemed itself a worthwhile read yet I still remained somewhat disappointed.
I just expected more from this book. Perhaps if I had read it strictly as a collection of vampire tales and not a collection of erotic vampire tales I would have been happier with what I read. None of these stories really did it for me. I think they were less erotic and more darkly strange; odd, twisted tales of vampires with some sexual elements-not really vampire erotica.
If I purchase a book that says it is erotic or erotica, I expect some sensuality, some sizzle, I want it to be arousing, I want it to be sexy (and yes dark and twisted can still be sexy, although most of these stories didn’t quite get there).
The Sweetest Kiss lacked that certain sizzle. It lacked the bite that a collection of vampire erotica should have.

Title: The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica

Editor: D L King

Publisher: Cleis Press

Date Published: October 1, 2009

ISBN-10: 157344371

>Roxanne’s writing has appeared in Playgirl Magazine, on Tit-elation.com, JustusRoux.com, Oysters and Chocolate (Online) and The Erotic Woman (Online). You can learn more about her at Roxanne’s Realm, My Space and her group for erotica readers and writers, Erotica Lovers.

Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories

Anastasia Mavromatis — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:18:21 +0000

“There’s a hotel in New York, the Library Hotel, that has long intrigued me. They offer an Erotica Suite, filled with strawberries, whipped cream, red roses, erotic dice, Mionetto Presecca, edible honey dust, and a Kama Sutra pocket guide. They’re upfront in their intention that you truly savor their package, as well as your lover’s. I’ve never stayed there, or done more than pass by. In some ways, I prefer to keep its beauty safely tucked away in my imagination, the kind of room I’d use with a rich lover from out of town who’d seduce me with his or her accent, whisper to me in a foreign tongue before taking that foreign tongue and licking me all over. That’s another thing about hotel rooms: they are perfect to fantasize about. In them, and in your dreams about them, you can have any kind of sex with anyone (or everyone) you want.” – Rachel Kramer Bussel (Do Not Disturb – Introduction)

Rachel can’t be any more correct. Hotels are more than a home away from home and, as the recent death of actor John Carradine has shown, can make news headlines. Some fictionalized hotels are the centerpiece of novels like Hotel Babylon. Each suite gains notoriety and guarantees future bookings. Many of us have a hotel sex story to tell. I’m definitely of the view that hotels, like high priced escorts, serve discretion. To a traveler, nothing is more promising than a hotel room. You can do (almost) anything in a hotel room. What’s more, no one back home has to know about it. The hotel room is more than stylish decor, room service, satellite TV and Gideon Bible. It’s more than a home away from home. Even at home, there are rules that tend to dampen sexual ardor. It shouldn’t be about ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ It ought to be, ‘Whatever happens in the hotel room, stays in the hotel room.’

Do Not Disturb allows us into the erotic minds that shape the hotel stories. But hotels aren’t just about the rooms or the acts. They are about people. People rub off on the ambiance of the hotel, leaving behind an imprint of sorts. The characters within these stories complement the rooms.

Alison Tyler’s Tightly Tucked is an example of perfectly plotted tension in the form of the anal retentive Sophie who represents a character we’re all familiar with. She is uptight and fastidious to the point of annoyance, as indicated by her gesture of making the bed when there is no need to make the bed – tightly tucking the corners of the bedding. Tyler draws the reader into the relationship. In fact, it’s the kind of relationship that puts one off the C word. In Tightly Tucked, commitment is akin to incarceration. The reader wonders what Ethan saw in Sophie, why he has come so far in the relationship to book a short stay away? But we are all aware of people that live within lackluster relationships all the time. Hell, some of us have experienced relationship drudgery, often living life in auto pilot until life/circumstance steps in. Tightly Tucked resolves itself with hot sex, but sex aside, this story made me ponder the sexual psyche, how easy it is for people to actually ignore their sexual imprint and the consequences of such ignorance.

Amanda Earl’s Welcome to the Aphrodisia Hotel begins at the hotel lobby bar. Our erotic heroine assess the body language of those around her. Will the businessmen and politicians have mistresses or escorts waiting for them in luxury suites? If so, how can one tell? The story begins with the character’s first person observation. Subtle sexual undercurrents enhance desire. This story is an apt addition to this anthology as it sums up the casual ambiance in hotel lobbies. No matter how much bleach, laundry powder or floor polish, hotels smell of sex and its potential.

Unexpected sex unravels in Stank Kent’s From Russia with Lust. It’s a tale of voyeurism and one man’s solitary lust. Our traveler is audience to an exhibitionist couple who take him to the peak of sexual frustration and promise.

Maxim Jakubowski’s G is for Gypsy is a walk through sexual nostalgia that may seem tame at the onset. It’s a tale about loneliness, lost love and feverish erotic memories. G is the woman that gets away. This story is also an erotic exposition. It’s the letter to ‘Go’ that delivers a haunting image of a man on the sexual edge.

From Saskia Walker’s hot lesbian tryst in The Lunch Break to Tess Danesi’s sweltering D/s threesome in The Royalton, there is a scene that takes advantage of the sexual sanctuary that hotels encapsulate.

All the stories within Do Not Disturb hit the erotic hotel within us all.

On a reader level, this anthology is guaranteed to raise the internal thermostat and set the erotic mind free to travel to the farther reaches of your next vacation. On an economic level, especially during these uncertain times, Do Not Disturb isn’t just an erotic fictional ride, it’s sexually inspirational, reminding us that booking a hotel room and having a hot time isn’t just about sex, it also contributes to the local economy.

Do Not Disturb (Cleis Press) is available via Amazon and quality book stores.

Lip Service: His and Hers Guide to the Art of Oral Sex & Seduction

Roxanne Rhoads — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:52:07 +0000

Lip Service is a two in one book for both men and women looking to expand on their oral seduction skills. Women will receive a complete guide to blowing his mind and men will finally get the lowdown on going down

This fantastically sexy read was written by married writing team Don and Debra Macleod and offers super fabulous advice for couples everywhere in search of adding a little spice to their sex life.

According to Don and Debra Macleod, longtime husband and wife writing team and super sexperts, “the mouth is one of our most powerful but undervalued sex tools”. And these authors are on a mission to help readers put that tool to good work and expand their skills while spicing up their relationships.

The Macleod’s new two-in-one sex help book, LIP SERVICE: A His and Hers Guide to the Art of Oral Sex and Seduction, tackles issues couples commonly face with new, creative, and fun ideas. Some of the delightfully oral topics include:

The most effective method to orally stimulate your female partner

The art of the full body kiss

Talking Dirty: The dos, the don’ts and suggested phrases for the creatively challenged

How to give the most arousing (not relaxing) massage on earth

Complete body blueprints so you know the most erogenous zones

Fantasy scenarios and fantastic foreplay

Mind blowing locations that keep things interesting

The art of verbal seduction

Creative kisses that really put you in the mood

This delightful, insightful, and completely sinful book will open your eyes to the intimate possibilities of oral fun. Discussed in a frank, no-nonsense, practical, yet utterly arousing tone you are sure to find something to peak your interest and light his or her fire.

I’ve read a lot of sex help books and this is one of the first I have read geared towards couples. This could be the book that takes your sexual relationship from ho hum to oh my. Married couples everywhere may finally have the couple’s guidebook for oral sex.

There is no doubt that oral technique, in its many incarnations from dirty talk to actual oral sex, is an important but often overlooked part of a relationship. Communication is key but so is what you actually do with those lips.

This book covers everything oral. I really love the talking dirty and kissing advice. Though I can type out the nastiest phrases ever known to man, the thought of letting them slide from between my lips can… well…leave me speechless sometimes, this book is giving me great advice and tips to help get past that. Hopefully it may also help my husband overcome some of his kissing anxieties (we still have not gotten to the bottom of all that after eight years together). The his and hers approach is genius and lends to believability since it is written by a married couple writing as a team. It gives couples hope that if this couple can do it so can they.

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Lip Service: A Woman’s Guide to the Art of Oral Sex and Seduction
Lip Service: A Man’s Guide to the Art of Oral Sex and Seduction
Authors: Don and Debra Macleod
ISBN: 978-1-58542-696-6
Cover Price: US $15.95

Roxanne’s writing has appeared in Playgirl Magazine, on Tit-elation.com, JustusRoux.com, Oysters and Chocolate (Online) and The Erotic Woman