Archive for the ‘From the Publisher’ Category

Staff Required!

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

loveyoudivine Alterotica is a small digital press specializing in Alternative Lifestyle literature catering to the Gay, Lesbian and BDSM markets.

 We’re currently accepting resumes for:

 Managing Editors –

Man Eds manage the production of books, for both digital and print formats. Directing the manuscript through editing, cover and formatting, Man Ed can do any amount of the work they wish, or call upon our specialists in editing and covers. Man Eds must know or learn Serif Page Plus to format. Other software may be required. 

If you have some, but not all of the above skills, we may still be interested in hearing from you. We would consider experienced formatters who do not have editing skills.

 Please send resume to staff@loveyoudivine.com

 _________________________________________

 Cover Artists –

We’re currently looking for cover artists versed in the Scene Lit Market, artists with a good understanding of niche erotica, catering to people in the lifestyle, rather than anything with a romantic aura.

Please send links to your portfolio to staff@loveyoudivine.com

 

loveyoudivine fosters a friendly backroom atmosphere. A suitable candidate would be comfortable working with others, and have the initiative to manage their own work independently. An absolutly open mind regarding lifestyles and sexual preferences is essential.

Cain Berlinger – Interview

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

I’ve had the pleasure of editing a number of Cain Berlinger’s new stories at loveyoudivine, (there are some serious treats in store folks, this guy is hot!) So, wanting to announce his presence to the world, we settled on doing an interview.

Bryn: I’m noticing that every story you write has a different voice, or voices – do you look for them deliberately, do they come from people you know, or do they just happen?

Cain: Generally speaking, in most of the first person stories the character is me. Either I’ve been in the situation or imagine myself having been in the situation. Out of the many stories I have written, I’ve only ‘narrated’ a small percentage. The simpler answer would be…I am a writer, I create.

Bryn: That is fascinating, because the voices are so distinct and different – I’d assumed you must spend a lot of time listening to people and stealing their speech styles! I take it that creativity is a spontaneous thing for you? Or do you have to sweat over it?

Cain: I guess I’m more talented than I give myself credit for. As a life coach and former bartender I DO listen to a lot of people all the time. At my age I should hope I have absorbed much of what I’ve heard. Then again I have a rich treasury of experience to draw upon.  I prefer ‘emulating’ to stealing, but it’s not necessary. For me writing is fun and can  often be spontaneous if an ‘idea’ hits. I only sweat in the gym, the bedroom and the dance floor. LOL

Bryn: I’m very much of the opinion that if you want to write, you have to live. Life coaching and bar tending… are there any other paths your life has taken you down that you’d like to share?

Cain: If there were a Rosetta stone to Cain Berlinger it would be my internet presence.  I’m an open book with lots of life experience and many tales to tell mine and others. My job history includes, airlines, bar bouncer, bar owner, party promoter, and all of it were great parts of my life. I’ve been very lucky and the universe has treated me quite well , not without a few hard lessons along the way but even those I can laugh about …NOW. I loved the 70’s and when I moved to Europe in the 80’s not only did I miss the Reagan years but got to live the 70’s all over again (Europe’s scene was a bit behind the states, THEN). Aything 70’s remains my weakness to this day, that and Sokey Robinson. Many of my sex/love scenes are written with something from Smokey Robinson or Teena Marie playing in the background. And that’s the last ’secret’ I’ll give you…LOL

Bryn: No more secrets eh? Ok, so what is the thing you are most open about?

Cain: That’s easy…I’m most open about my sexuality, my love for variety in life, diversity in people, ultimate change andmultiple scenarios. That may seem implausible on the surface but so reasonable beneath the surface.

Bryn: There’s something awe inspiring about the sheer breadth of humanity, isn’t there? Do you find people are mostly open to your outlook, or has it created challenges for you?

Cain: People seem to be pretty cool with my stuff. I have written pieces where the use of the “N” word was integral to the story. I’ve been on all kinds of panels and discussions where I had to remind people of what ‘fantasy’ is and what it means on paper, in and out of the bedroom. Sometimes the hottest scenes involve situations that we’d shy away from if we thought anyone was actually watching.

 Aside from the “N” word controversies (2 actually) I pitched another story that took place during a 3rd world conflict. The publisher was very anti war and declined the story on that basis. As further thought on the challenges, there really haven’t been any, since I have never set out to write with any  purpose other than to entertain. If readers get more out of my stories than that, I am gratified. What else can I be?

 Bryn: You walk some interesting lines between fantasy and real experience, with the writing. So, of the stories you’ve written, which has been your favourite so far?

 Cain: LOL hard question. Everything I’ve written has been my ‘favorite’, especially at the time. March Wyndom was one of my best’est’ favorites because it was my first sci-fi story.  Another fave would be one published in a now defunct magazine called Drummer (The Disciplining of Monroe)…it was a 3 part story, brilliantly edited, illustrated and got me into historic annals. Oddly enough I was once commissioned a story, of which I got ‘best gay writer” accolade from  Allyson and ironically it was among my least favorite as I had to write within guidelines.

 Bryn: It’s funny how these things work out sometimes. Who do you enjoy reading?

 Cain: In high school I literally read a book a day. Then the last few years most of what I’ve read has been all work related pertaining to my various career choices. I was a big Stephen King fan until he started churning out a book a week and I couldn’t keep up. My mother encouraged me to read anything as a child so I read a lot of Greenwood Press (my first was ‘Harriet Marwood, Governess;) Mickey Spillane, Ian Fleming and Greek Mythlology. Lately I just finished Craig Ferguson’s book and now Kathy Griffins, I guess I’ve moved into bios. I have a kindle, makes reading even more fun and for me, less cumbersome. I hate carrying stuff.

 Bryn: You can find Cain’s books from loveyoudivine here

Proposition 8

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

For Americans interested in Gay Rights, and marriage laws, Proposition 8 and developments around it are of ongoing importance. Attitudes to gay marriage vary around the world and many countries have a lot of catching up to do. At loveyoudivine we have a number of writers who are GLBT folk, (not just writing about it) making this an issue that we care about a great deal.

Below are a selection of thoughts offered by loveyoudivine authors, two of whom were involved in our To Love and To Cherish anthology.

A View from the North – by Jean Roberta, a contributor to To Love & To Cherish 

 The ridiculous Proposition 8, a bill that overturned a law that had already been passed in California to allow same-sex marriage in that state, has now been overturned on grounds that it is unconstitutional. (I’m sorry if this sentence is confusing, but the one-step-forward and two-steps-back progress of “gay rights” in the U.S. is hard to explain in simple terms!) Those of us who are watching from farther north would like “CA” (California) to join the other “CA” (Canada) in allowing all consenting adults (men, women, undecided or in-between) to have access to all the legal benefits and responsibilities of marriage.

Why did Canada become the fourth nation in the world to allow same-sex marriage? The bill that proposed (pun intended) this option was passed into law in the Canadian Parliament on July 20, 2005. This bill was based on the Canadian Charter of Rights, part of a national constitution which became law in 1982, and which outlaws discrimination based on gender, among other things. Do you see where this leads? If men and women are defined as equals, then heterosexual marriage can’t be a master-and-slave arrangement – not legally, anyway.  And if it is a contract between equals, then no one could reasonably argue for a “notwithstanding” clause to prevent same-sex marriages. (The Conservative Party of Canada argued for this clause, but they were outshouted by smart lawyers. Ha.) 

So there is the key to progress: legal equality between women and men leads to legal equality for people of all sexual orientations. It’s as simple as that, at least under the law. 

 

My rant for the blog – David Sullivan (author of bisexual fiction)

As the author of a book on wisdom and common sense (Wisdom is the Answer, Common Sense is the Way, 2009 by RDR Publishers) I’d like to weigh in on the recent Federal Court ruling that struck down California’s marriage law being for only a man to a woman.

First: think back in history for other prejudicial laws. When one couldn’t marry outside of one’s race? When Asians couldn’t own property in California. It happened to friends of mine, one was American born but 100% Chinese.

Second: some people claim that they want to hold fast to the original idea of marriage: one man, one woman. Ok, but which “original” concept and in which country because they vary from culture to culture. And how far back to go, but let me recall some of the ‘old’ concepts. A man could buy a wife, or parents would pay for a man to marry a daughter. Wives were considered on a par with the livestock. A man could beat or force sex (rape) with his wife and was allowed to beat her with a stick as big as his thumb (the rule of thumb.) In some cultures a man could kill his wife for certain offenses.

Third: In my book I asked people to look deeply within their hearts. Do the beliefs they hold truly hold a valid truth or do readers believe certain things because they were taught that way and are afraid to speak against it. How would you feel if a rule or law was against something you believed in? Ask: Is it fair?

Finally, as a retired police officer I know the US Constitution calls for “equal protection under the law.” No exception for blacks, Italians, women, short people, gays, lesbians or bisexuals.

Those who fail to remember history….

 

Thoughts from To Love and To Cherish editor Lara Zielinsky

Because Proposition 8 is unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses, the court orders entry of judgment permanently enjoining its enforcement;” ~ VAUGHN R WALKER, United States District Chief Judge, August 4, 2010

I was ecstatic that Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop 8 in California, particularly with his reasoning (stated above).

The writers of Sapphic Planet united to write our 14 stories in To Love and To Cherish because Prop 8 had taken away the rights given to LGBT couples in the 5 months from June to November 2008, and we needed to vent, to educate, and to share our inner passion about how beautiful, strong, and natural lesbian loving relationships are and how they deserve the rights of marriage.

Judge Walker saw the same reasoning in legal standards as we did in our hearts. Marriage — the desire to love and cherish and build a home and life with someone — is a civil right — and he required the immediate reinstatement of marriage to all California citizens, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.

Though the fight is not over — this thing still has a trip to the U.S. District 9 Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, I am very hopeful that the day is close at hand when marriage will be established as a civil right for ALL U.S. Citizens.

Sincerely,

Lara Zielinsky
co-editor, To Love and To Cherish
(2010; loveyoudivine)

 

At loveyoudivine we know that ‘equality’ means everyone. It doesn’t mean equal rights only for people you happen to like and feel comfortable about. It doesn’t mean accepting prejudices rooted in ancient religious laws. Diversity is a good thing, and we celebrate humanity in all its complexity. We hope for a brighter, more tolerant future.

Happy Anniversary To 1Romanceebooks.com!

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Thank you for visiting this stop on the 1RomanceEbooks.com one year anniversary blog tour! This is stop # 14. Your last stop should have been http://www.lexvalentine.com/2010/07/an-anniversary/ #13. If this is wholly new to you, hop over to http://1romanceebooks.com/ and check out the blog tour for a chance to win all sorts of nifty prizes. You do need to sign up to participate in the big 1romance contest, and in the contest on this blog.

At loveyoudivine we’re taking this opportunity to announce our new ‘Focus on Fetish’ line. We already have books organised by pairings, but if you are more interested in kink, this may make it easier to track down the right stories for your needs.

 Fetish stories do not simply feature a kink though. Plenty of our other stories have a little deviant foreplay, but that’s not what fetish is about. Fetish goes beyond that, making the focus of obsession central to the story, just as the focus is central to a true fetishist. This is also distinctly different from BDSM lifestyle fiction, where all kinds of activities may go on as part of that way of life. A fetish is an obsession, a lust object, a focal point as important, if not more important than the more conventional sex.

 Interested in reading a fetish story? We have ebooks to give away for a few lucky winners. All you have to do is register at http://1romanceebooks.com/ if you haven’t already, and then leave a comment leave a comment on this blog post telling us which specific loveyoudivine fetish story you’d like to win. You’ll need to hop over to www.loveyoudivine.com and have a look round first. While you’re there, you can pick up some free reads as well so be sure to check those out too.

If you’re doing the whole blog tour thing, do note that the more comments you leave on the tour, the better your chances of winning the grand prize—a Sony E-reader!

 The next stop on the anniversary tour is #15 http://michelenjeff-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/happy-anniversary-to-1romancecom.html
Have fun!

BDSM & Kink – All things being equal, are they, really?

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

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In some circles, the term ‘BDSM’ is synonymous with the term ‘Kink.’ At loveyoudivine Alterotica, these two concepts amount to apples and oranges. Sure, the trees upon which they grow might both bear fruit, but one is to maintain a way of life; the other is just for fun.

BDSM is a Lifestyle, a relationship paradigm. Kink is an activity.

As a retired Pro and current Lifestyle Dominatrix, I maintain a household of slaves and submissives. How we interact is not a lot different from you and your lover, perhaps, except I have the final say in all things. That also places me a position of utmost responsibility for all of them. I gratify their needs, their desires, that unholy yearning for Dominance, and for that they offer their most devout submission.

What does submission look like? To me, simply exquisite. How could I deny any one of them when they approach me with such devotion? When they crawl into a room and swirl into a quivering puddle around my feet? When they clutch my ankle to convey such longing as if that close connection is still universes distant? When that broken sob sears through my flesh like a firestorm? What do they need?

They would deceive themselves into believing that they need nothing more than Mistress. But Mistress knows better. What they need is communion with Mistress. A creature they perceive as all-knowing and all-powerful. Someone who opens them physically, mentally and spiritually to be free of the material world, and to join with me in a place only the two of us, and no one else, can create. A place we inhabit together for relatively short spans of time. Like a drug, the energy exchanged sustains us.

How do we create that place? I lead; they follow.

Of course, we begin with that which is easiest to conquer – the flesh. When he feels the rope laid across the back of his neck, my reward is that first gasp of the evening. As I twist the rope around the torso, weaving in steel rings as attachment points, I feel him contract inside, even as his skin swells and colors with sexual arousal. Drawing that rope between the legs elicits a shudder and a moan. I might lay him on the massage table and finish that harness with the ends woven tightly around the genitalia. The sound of the chain clipped to the rings closes the eyes. The feel of the chain yanked hard under the tabletop to attach to the opposite ring at the hips, at the chest, across the throat causes the lungs to empty in complete relaxation.

Mistress has him by the balls – exactly what he needs. Should he thrash beyond the limits of my bonds, he will be reminded…vividly.

Still, we’ve only just begun.

He knows what’s next; he’s experienced it hundreds of times through the years, yet he’s never quite prepared. The black satin gloves covering my hands caress the surface so I can watch the muscles ripple under the skin like the concentric circles of waves created by a pebble tossed into a pond. The hips jerk, the shoulders shudder. And then comes the whip.

 I use a variety of tools to create the sensations he needs to rend his mind null. When he ceases to think, he becomes. Transformed into my slave, my slut, my choir of angels, by my own design, by my own desperate need.

Hours later, he’s exhausted, yet energized. Boiling with my determination, alive, renewed, reborn. The sexual arousal with which he began was merely the fuel to launch him beyond the material world, beyond orgasm or any gross sensation, to commune with me in a place of our own creation.

Sound kinky to you?

What we do is normal for us – it’s how we convey to each other our emotions, our individual requirements, and our collective goals. When I lash him with a whip, that intensity conveys something, most usually enduring love. When he writhes, when he cries, when he reaches out merely to connect, though he may be unconscious of it, he conveys to me the same.

He responds to me…and only me within our little universe.

BDSM is a Lifestyle paradigm. Most certainly, this paradigm can’t be compared to relationships within Vanillaville, otherwise known as ‘normal’ romantic relationships. For us, there’s nothing ‘kinky’ in what we do or how we interact. It’s not naughty on any level, not deviant nor disgusting. It’s who we are; it’s what we do and how we communicate with each other.

Kink is a concept that relates only to Vanillaville. If you’ve spent 10 years in the missionary position, getting flipped over and spanked could be kinky, naughty, or even downright sinful. It might reach a little deeper for a total turn-on. The sash of your satin robe restraining your hands behind your back may offer a sense of helplessness, danger or even submissiveness. A little wax dripped over your body might cause it to shudder, as might the flat of his hand on your derriere. Playful, sensual, and exciting, kink is foreplay. A Master/slave relationship, and the means we use to communicate with each other, are not.

 At loveyoudivine Alterotica, we offer both. Lifestyle literature written by those who live within a BDSM paradigm, both Dominant and submissive, can be found at the Erotic Power Xchange. A little kink can be found on any page of our catalogue.

We’re thrilled to announce yet another category at lyd – Focus on Fetish. While much of our work might contain scenes of fetishes, Focus on Fetish will relate to that particular turn-on. Secondary to the turn-on, there may be a relationship involved, maybe not. We’re blessed with some of the most talented authors in the industry, authors who understand the human psyche and what drives us to do what we humans will do. Authors who will lead you through a fantasy world (fiction), or invite you to glimpse fictionalized accounts of their own lives (Scene Lit).

Whatever we publish, we’re focused on You.

 ~Lady Midnight~

Fetish

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

This time it’s all about you – if you dare to share! What’s your fetish? What kinds of kinky stories are you interested in reading? Does bondage light your candle? Or is it the smell of leather? Or what about something a bit more obscure? Many of us have unusual longings and desires, things we might fantasise about without necessarily wanting to try them.

For me, the attraction is always novelty – if a story (or experience) can take me somewhere I’d never have thought of, then that works. I like to be surprised. I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the last few months watching pony people videos on youtube. Now, I’ve no personal desire to spend my time playing horsey, and I’m not usually fetish about footwear. But pony boots! The sight and sound of them leaves me sighing and full of longing. I want to own a pair, to tap about making those distinctive clopping sounds. I want to know how you stay balanced when tey look so precarious. I may be a little bit obsessed. So, how about you? (Did I mention that I love hearing other people’s confessions?)

Risk Taking

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

While at first glance risk taking may seem a milder kink than voyeurism or exhibitionism, it’s also a more complicated one. The voyeur consciously enjoys looking. The exhibitionist takes a knowing delight in showing off. The risk taker gets kicks from uncertainty, possibility and getting away with it.

 Risk takers have sex in situations where they might get caught and get a kick out of doing so. That is, I think, the difference between people who are kinky about possibly being caught, and people who are horny and get it on despite the risk.

 

Dalia Craig’s Weathering The Storm offers a perfect example of the latter – two women who are so into each other they can’t wait, but who are very nearly caught by some passersby. The scene mixes excitement with a fear of humiliation and there’s a mixed emotional response – relief in having got away with it, and self consciousness because it could have gone very wrong.

 My tale Tight, Dark Places includes two guys having sex on a balcony – one of whom is a deliberate risk taker, getting a kick out of possibly being caught. They are visible, but it’s not obvious that they’re fucking. Remaining in control enough not to let on what’s happening can be part of the thrill and the danger of such a scene.

 Cheri Crystal has a number of stories about risk takers. Risky Pursuit offers a scenario where two women go climbing in order to have sex in a rather public and hazardous place. Here the risk of discovery blends with the physical danger to create an adrenaline high. Mile High Dare, as the title suggests, involves the possibility of sex on a plane – a fantasy for many people. The risk is deliberately sought, but the audience is not. It’s an interesting blend of wanting, and not wanting to be seen.

 

So what is risk taking about? It’s clearly not about showing off and being seen. Risk takers often make efforts not to be caught. Is it the sense of getting away with it? The thrill of doing something a bit taboo without getting caught? For people who get a kick out of being humiliated, the risk/possibility of humiliation adds spice to an encounter. Imagined shame that does not actually occur, has its own peculiar allure.

 Risk taking comes in many shapes and forms. How risky an activity seems depends on how private you are. I’ve encountered guys who claim they can’t get it up at all with someone aside from their partner in the house. You might risk being overheard and disturbed, or having the neighbours know what you are doing (approximately). Some people get a kick out of suspecting that others can hear them.

 It might be about finding a secret place where you hope not to be interrupted. As someone who likes to play outside, I’ve a fair amount of experience of that. There, the pleasure lies entirely in getting away with it. Then there are those who court risk, barely hidden – like a rather startled couple I encountered in a Birmingham park one day who clearly hadn’t expected a whole grove of druids to come ambling out of the trees… but who carried on regardless! Some people get more thrills for being closer to getting caught. It’s all about what happens inside your head – the fantasy of a sexy voyeur, or a public humiliation without the reality of dealing with any real complications. It puts an edge on things, an urgency that gets the blood pumping, and for some people that’s a real turn on.

GCLS Literary Awards

Monday, May 31st, 2010
Cheri Crystal’s anthology of erotic lesbian love stories, Attractions of the Heart, is a finalist for a GCLS Literary Award. She’s appearing in Orlando, Florida for their annual convention and expects to read at Gay Days as well. She hopes to see you there.
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GCLS logo

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Exhibitionism

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

When the kink is all about watching, it doesn’t always matter if the people having sex know they are being watched. For some, the fun lies in the transgression of watching people who haven’t volunteered for it. With exhibitionism, the kink belongs to the one on display, and accidental or intentional watchers are going to know exactly what’s going on.

 For some characters, like Lilith and Will in Heaven and Hell, sex is very much about being watched, and the pair actively seek and invite audiences. Melisand (same series) has just one person she likes to have watch her, and that’s because she can’t get him to do much else. The only sexual contact she has with the bloke she longs for, is him watching her with others.

 Exhibitionism can be about showing off, the thrill of an audience, the kick of having power over others through expressions of sexual confidence. It can also be an act of submission, relinquishing privacy and self control by making your pleasure public. Requiring another to exhibit themselves can be a way of humiliating a slave. Voyeurism puts control in the hands of the watcher, but exhibitionism can change that, making the performer in charge, or giving the power to the one who directs the performer. Where exactly the lines get drawn between displaying a submissive as an expression of the Dom’s control, or as a consequence of the sub’s desire for attention, is hard to say.

 Alex Morgan’s Breathless takes place around a fetish event, which gives characters every opportunity to show off. Laszlow in M. Kings Devil & the Deep Blue Sea is an absolute exhibitionist, taking joy in showing off his body and sexual prowess, while my Eliot’s Hero features another guy in the adult entertainment industry who isn’t averse to being looked at either.

 Exhibitionism can easily be a part of ménage scenarios, when two end up performing for the third. Here the lines between watching and participating frequently blur. Dalia Craig’s Hold Me Tight and my Living Dangerously tread into that territory. Moving into group activities and sharing, Sarah Masters’ Secret Society features a scoeity gathering in the wood, who watch each other and get a kick out of being watched.

 There’s a case for saying that there’s a voyeuristic streak in anyone who reads erotica. If that’s so, it’s probably also the case that there’s an exhibitionist streak in most erotic authors. Oh, we don’t necessarily want you watching us in person (that’s an individual thing, some might…) but part of what we do is show off – what we know, what we can imagine. Readers of erotic stories will sometimes ask how much of the content comes from firsthand experience. Some authors will smile and leave you to guess, others may let on, but either way, we get a kick out of making you wonder if our sex lives really are that good.

Sex on camera

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Following on with the theme of voyerism and exhibitionism, here’s a forray into a book about someone who spends a lot of time having sex in front of a camera.

The article below is by M. King

In Devil & the Deep Blue Sea, average—albeit slightly shy and geeky—guy Jacob meets and falls for the stunning, confident Laszlo. There’s only one problem: Laszlo works in adult films and, though he’s honest about it from the very first, Jacob finds the idea, and the reality, of dating a porn star deeply uncomfortable.

He tries to rationalize it; after all, he watches porn, and intellectually he knows there’s a thriving industry behind it, but he still struggles to overcome his prejudices…and his jealousy.

In contrast, Laszlo, both emotionally and sexually, is expansive and uninhibited. He’s a total exhibitionist, in the sense that he unreservedly enjoys both giving and receiving pleasure. Laszlo takes pride in the power his sexuality gives him, but he keeps his working persona, ‘Maxim Winter’, distinct from his personal life.

Though the book is written from Jacob’s point of view, we learn Laszlo is nervous about how revealing his line of work will affect things between them. Most of his past relationships have been ruined by the same pattern of jealousy and recrimination that now threaten his and Jacob’s romance, yet Laszlo refuses to feel a shred of guilt about what he does.

On one level, he treats it as any other career—he promotes himself on the internet, and shares anecdotes and gossip from the sets with Jacob, almost failing to realize that telling his boyfriend about something funny that happened while he was having sex on camera with another man is going to cause tension.

To Laszlo, personal and professional, or emotional and sexual, are totally different things. When Jacob challenges him, he is mocking and sarcastic, angered by hearing the same questions and complaints he has heard so often before.

Abruptly, Laszlo pushed away from the window, voice sharp and raw.

“Because the money’s good, it feels good, and I look fuckin’ awesome doing it! Okay? That what you want to hear?”[…] “Come on, next one.” He threw his hands up in spiteful encouragement. “Quick! Aw, come on. There’s always a next one. ‘Why aren’t I enough?’ How about that?”

For Laszlo, being Maxim Winter is about freedom. Exhibiting his body and sharing his most intimate physical moments with an unseen audience—potentially of several thousand people—is an empowering, liberating thing.

However Jacob, almost by default, finds himself cast as a voyeur, and he doesn’t enjoy it. For him, there is a clear and finite line between fantasizing about a hot scene, and thinking about the reality of fucking for money in some anonymous hotel room or semi-public studio.”

Early in their relationship, Jacob forces himself to watch one of Maxim Winter’s movies. He’s turned on by what he sees, but at the same time hates the reality of watching Laszlo:

 Jacob couldn’t sit through any of those scenes to their completion. He hated seeing Lasz—Maxim—vulnerable in front of the camera, when his chest flushed and his breathing tautened and his body bucked against someone else’s. Stupid, Jacob told himself, because it was fucking hot and—in any other movie—he’d have loved it. Any other actor. But, knowing him, it just seemed wrong. 

 The problem for Jacob is that his voyeurism is automatically transformed into hypocrisy. He knows that, by being honest with him, Laszlo has nothing to be ashamed of, and no reason to apologize. But, next to his effortless, feral sexuality, Jacob feels inferior, and that enrages him.

As Jacob descends deeper into circuitous, self-absorbed jealousy, he is torn between his growing love for Laszlo, and the loss of control with which that emotion threatens him.

Ultimately, that—the question of how much we truly share ourselves with others, and how we deal with the act of doing so—is the central theme with which Devil & the Deep Blue Sea engages.

And there are no quick, easy answers.