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.

While I don’t always indicate that my settings are real places, usually I’ll have somewhere real in my head as I write. It helps me keep the details coherent, and gives me a sense of location. Places I’ve visited, and lived in, frequently inspire bits of story.

When I was working on ‘Dreams Come True,’ the setting in my head was Gloucester (UK). It’s a place I know well, having lived about 15 miles down the road as a child, clubbed there in my teens, and spent time visiting my father there as well. I like the city, it’s small, full of old architecture, history and atmosphere. I especially love the cathedral (which was used a lot in the Harry Potter films). My great grandmother once saw a ghost there!

The place isn’t mentioned by name in the story, and although the cathedral features, I hadn’t mentioned much that would absolutely pin it down as this location. Imagine my absolute surprise when I saw the cover Dalia designed for me! I know Gloucester cathedral well, and was sure that was a picture of it.

Startled, I emailed Dalia to check, and she said it had seemed like the right place to use!

It goes to prove that odd, psychic moments, strange insights and experiences of weird coincidence do happen in real life.

 Dreams Come True is a sweet, contemporary lesbian romance involving two buskers. It’s the first story of mine in a while not to have a paranormal element, which is some ways makes the business with the cover even funnier, I think.

I thought it might to be fun to share some histories of where my characters come from – some of them having enough story to be entities in their own right.

Jade, from Heaven and Hell, has been with me for quite some time. She first arrived in my life when I was about 17, via a magazine image of a blonde woman in a dark green velvet suit. Jade as a name, was there from the start. I tried writing her in a number of ways. I have embarrassing recollections of an angsty, bloodsucking vampire thing that I ditched very early.

Then there was a novel that never saw the light of day – Dragon Dreaming – urban fantasy. I put Jade in there, partnered by a sword wielding nutter called Richard. She was an anti-heroine, of sorts, appearing to be the bad guy until the actual plot became visible. During this phase, she acquired her amoral outlook and predatory inclinations. I did have a few goes at getting this one published, but it’s an odd sort of tale, and eventually I gave up, and re-homed some of the characters.

When I started playing with Heaven and Hell as a concept (quite some years ago) Jade seemed a natural addition. Along with her came Juliette, who had also been part of Dragon Dreaming, and the dynamic between the pair remained as it had been there – a mix of aggression and lust. I took it further than I had before, turning tension into full on fighting and fucking. I think it suits them well. They’re a wild pair, operating by totally different rules.

Jade is probably the most selfish character I’ve ever created. She does things because they amuse her, and her sense of humour is dark to say the least. She has almost no capacity for empathy, making her a sociopath at best. Causing chaos and fear is a turn-on for her, and she likes to make others suffer. She’s sadistic, and frequently psychotic, driven by powerful obsessions, jealousies and hungers. Werewolf Juliette is about the only being who stands a chance of keeping up with her and not getting torn apart.

Every so often, Jade bothers me. I find it too easy writing her, in all her cruel, psychotic glory. I made her up. She comes from somewhere deep in my own psyche, where the monsters live. It’s not something I feel easy about. Heartless and violent as she is, I can’t help but like her, and I get a kick out of the things she does. I suppose it’s better that I vent these things on paper than let them out by other means. We all have our darker sides, our inner villain. Jade is mine. She’s cool, like an ice storm is cool.

All six parts of Heaven and Hell are available from www.loveyoudivine.com

The internet is full of free material. Some of it legitimate. Some is stolen and pirated. Everyone likes a free read, but the vast majority of readers do not want to rip off authors.

 How do you make sure the free reads you pick up are legitimate?

1)      Get it from the publisher. Many publishers, like www.loveyoudivine.com offer free reads as teasers and rewards for customers. Free stories picked up from publishing houses are a safe bet. In exchange for the free read, you might hear from the publisher with promotions, but you can always opt out of these.

2)     Get free reads direct from the author. Many authors give away examples of their work. They might do so on egroups, during chats, via forums. They might publish short stories on their homepage or blog. Ebooks are sometimes offered as prizes. If a story comes straight from the author, it’s going to be fine, however, ‘free’ does not mean ok to pass on. If you aren’t sure, check! Authors would rather be asked. Check that the name of the person offering is the same as the person who did the writing.

What are the warning signs that a site is offering pirated material?

1)      Posters of pirate material are often open about what they are doing. Motives vary. If they you they have a copy of someone’s book to share, it’s not legitimate. 

2)     If the name of the poster does not at all relate to the name of the author or publisher, be suspicious.

3)  If the focus of the site is giving away fiction by multiple authors from multiple publishing houses, be very cautious indeed.

There is a grey, hazy area on blogs and sites where it might not be immediately obvious if you are seeing a legitimate sight that an author has given material to, or a pirate site. If the site links back to author and publisher pages, the odds are it is legitimate. Equally if you got there from an author or publisher site, it’s going to be fine. Is the material offered in a way that supports the author? If it looks like a rip-off, it almost certainly is.

Piracy and book-theft hurts authors. Most writers are not wildly wealthy, but good writing depends on people being able to put it in the time. Authors need to eat too. It’s so easy online to pick up freebies without looking at the source. If you love an author’s work, please help by staying away from the pirate sites, and by letting authors and publishers know when you see them. We can get these sites taken down sometimes, and they only survive because enough people feel it is ok to support them.

There are a number of sites out there who legitimately sell ebooks on behalf of numerous publishers – kindle, ARE, Fictionwise and so forth. If you are in any doubt at all about the legitimacy of a site like this, then any publisher or author represented there would be happy to either reassure you, or thank you for alerting them to a problem – whichever turns out to be the case.

Pirate sites and forums can also be home to hackers. They are places where you run the risk of picking up viruses, spyware and such nasties – downloading a file is an act of trust, and when you take a file from a pirate site, you might well get all kinds of unpleasant things along with it.

And don’t forget to visit loveyoudivine for free and safe reads straight from the publisher.

Are you longing for a new, hot tale from Cheri Crystal? 

Get ready for Conventional Wisdom - releasing on Friday the fifth of February from   www.loveyoudivine.com 

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-60054-440-8

In Conventional Wisdom, a 25 year-old psychologist acts more like a kid with her first crush than a therapist attending a professional conference.  Dr. Janet Weiss, a psychologist at The Women’s Mood Disorder Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland, attends a professional convention in her hometown, New York City. Janet rooms with the noteworthy researcher, Dr. Olivia Chase (Chaz), and learns valuable lessons outside the program.

Janet Weiss, PhD., spends every waking moment between office hours and searching for the lifesaving tools that would become the gold standard in treating mood disorders in women. She’s too busy for a social life and takes great pleasure in writing erotica in her spare time. Up until recently, she’s avoided thoughts about her sexuality. Now she finds herself obsessing about women and concludes that her sexual identity needs defining. She’s headed to a professional convention in Manhattan and wonders if she should put her theory to the test. A nationally known researcher, Dr. Olivia Chase (Chaz), is a stunning woman, who happens to be smart, witty, and a lesbian. She’s also Janet’s roommate for the duration of the con. Janet develops a huge crush on Chaz and suspects the feeling may be mutual. Chaz may be too impossible to resist, but will Janet be able to go through with her personal quest?

 Excerpt:

Leaving a cluttered mess, I briefly checked the mirror, satisfied that I looked presentable enough. I tucked my sleeveless pastel print cotton shirt into my tan slacks and adjusted the belt. After rummaging in my bag and tossing out a few items, I located and switched my nylon knee-highs for cushiony socks and a pair of sneakers. I was anxious to see if the hotel amenities lived up to the ads.

With my nose a centimeter from the mirror, I removed my glasses and plucked a long errant eyelash. Next, I checked out my hair. Typically wispy and a flyaway mess, it had waves and bounce thanks to hair products. That done, I was ready to explore unchartered territory, going where no woman had gone before, conquering mental illness at a single bound. I was definitely overtired and giddy.

Just as I threw open the door to leave, I was face-to-breast with a solid, towering mass of sweat-soaked, human flesh wearing a sport bra and nylon shorts that sat just below her belly button. When I glanced up, her dimpled grin exposed even white teeth in a face that exuded the tomboyish charm of an athlete adorning a box of Wheaties cereal beneath the slogan, “The Breakfast of Champions.” I swallowed my gum.

Bryn: What started you writing fiction?

David: For decades I told and taught. Some subjects were the martial art Jujitsu, massage, relaxation and various subjects in police work. I had little interest in writing fiction. I retired from police work after almost 29 years in 2004. In early 2009 my first book, Wisdom is the Answer, Common Sense is the Way, was published. That’s about simple and relaxing tactics to live better. I was bragging to a friend about it. She had written a romance novel that was published by one of the big houses. She teased me. “Oh yeah, now try writing a romance.” 

Being a stoic American male, I took the challenge. 

Bryn: What kind of characters appeal to you?

David: Personality: Independent but not stubborn ones. Who can do things for themselves yet seek help from those close to them. No whiners or those who wallow in self pity and cry, “I can’t, I can’t.”

I like feminine women who are strong and can take charge. Men who are strong but can soften up and be in touch w/ their feelings.

Bisexuality is my theme in writing so men & women who go both ways, even if just a once in a blue moon event.

Physically: Slender to medium build men or women; athletic. A cute ass will lure me every time!

 Bryn: Are you comfortable writing bi women as well as men?

David: More than comfortable, I enjoy it. I’ve done little of it, but it’s fun to get into the heads of others. Try to learn their perspectives.

Bryn: What else do you particularly enjoy writing about?

David: I like writing commentary but with a moral, lesson or advice. I feel we are overloaded with information and left with, “Ok, now what do I do?” I take information from my first book, and inject it at the end of my commentary. So if there is a problem with ethics at a company that makes the news, instead of just bemoaning those corrupt people, I ask readers to look at their work situations, especially if they are supervisors or owners to see if they are ethical and fair. I present the question: “How Can I Be Better?”

Thus, I like to help people live better lives. Even in my fiction I add learning tools such as a troubled character learns the value of deep breathing, meditation, massage, acupuncture, etc.

 Bryn: Are you a very relaxed person in your own life then? Or have you learned these things in self defence?

David: I am relaxed but I had to learn it. I was born east-coast, hot-headed Italian.

I was such a schmuck that many people didn’t like me. When I was 28 I couldn’t stand living with myself and I asked myself to move out. GRIN.  I returned to the martial arts, that was a turning point for me. I had to learn to let the past go, keep the lesson, leave the pain.

For almost 30 years now, I am relaxed and in control. I keep an active child inside of me and let him out as much as possible.

As all authors we start with what we know. For me, one part of my life was being a police officer for almost 29 yr in San Jose, California, USA. Like the character in the story I was a pacifist who didn’t like guns and I thought the odds were I would never shoot anyone. I am bisexual and most police departments in the 1970s would not hire you if they thought you were gay. They didn’t note a difference between being bi or gay. Height discrimination was till a major issue. The legal standard of a minimum height was removed by the US Supreme Court but the predjudice lasted for decades. I am 5′4″. Good thing I had a good muscles build and had two years of Jujitsu under my belt when I was hired at the tender age of 22. Here is the blurb.

Sean Patton is a pacifist who doesn’t like guns but knows that statistically few law enforcement officers ever shoot anyone, so he plays the odds and loses. When a wife beater shoots him on a domestic-violence call, Sean is forced to shoot back. While his bulletproof vest saved Sean, it couldn’t shield him from the posttraumatic stress. His hidden bisexuality raises the stakes to risk his career and mental stability. As far as women go, he’s committed to being loyal to his loving and supportive girlfriend, Debbie. But can he swear off men? He’s knows the drive is inborn. How can he tell Debbie about his other side and still keep her? You’ll feel the heat when Sean makes love to his gay friend from college and later with his lawyer girlfriend in the shower. A tryst with his male supervisor furthers the adventures.

 Buy it here!

If you were going to live forever, what form would you want to take? The eternal night of a vampire? The ability to heal from anything so that old age and death are never likely to catch you? Worlds do not live forever, so would you choose the ability to travel in space, or time?

 Eternity is a very long prospect. The bodies we have were not designed with it in mind. How much would we have to change? What would we give up, along with our frailty, to become immortal? What would it cost in terms of soul and self? It’s hard to know, or to imagine.

Could you bear to face centuries, millennia alone? Could you love those who remained mortal, doomed to watch them age and die? Perhaps the ability to bring others into your immortal state would be a good power to wish for. But what if they do not like it? What if, having all eternity to love, that passion decays into hatred? There are many dangers. The heart of an immortal is more vulnerable than a human’s. So much time in which to acquire bruises, and wounds. So many more years in which to experience betrayal, failure, disappointment.

How could an immortal being dare to love anyone?

How could he bear the solitude of an eternity alone?

With all the time in the world, the need for love becomes more desperate, more urgent than ever.

 Immortal Fire: Available now from amazon

There’s something about Victorian and Edwardian settings that gives me the shivers, in a good way. Be it realistic, or steampunk, or the realm of the penny dreadful. Victorian England had all the old manners and social strata, but at the same time had an explosion of science going on, and radical change on the way. With the end of Empire, the First World War soon to come, female emancipation on the way and the rise of democracy, it was a rapidly changing world.

I also love the juxtapositons – the repression of sexulaity in the mainstream went alongside huge numbers of women working in the sex industry. Victorian medical practices were startlingly sexual, and the countercultures were full of sensuality. The ‘I can resist anything except temptation’ attitude of Oscar Wilde, and from earlier in the 1800s, the luciousness of the Pre Raphaelites give some examples. I love the manners, the layers and facades, the hidden mistresses, the scope for scandal, the real risk of social ruin. The 1890s gave us some of our classic early horror tales – Frankenstien, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Dorian Gray. It’s a rich seam to mine.

And if course there’s the corsetry. That’s a whole fetish of its own. The tight lacings, that can be pulled tighter, cruelly so. The body sculpting, the implicatons of vulnerability… ah… this I love.

It juat so happens that I have two Victorian set stories with LYD – When the Doctor Comes (back to those startlingly sexual medical techniques) and Beauty in Tears (lesbian paranormal). The latter involves me playing rather with the gothic manor setting, the governess figure, the beautiful ward, the handsome rescuer… nothing is quite what it seems, especially not in terms of who rescues whom!

Ciao, all.  I am Marco Giovanni, and I am a new author at Lyd.  I have a story that will be appearing in His&His Kisses this month, and I will be posting blog entries in Dark Fantasy on the 2nd and in His&His on the 28th of each month.

I will post a more detailed introduction in my His&His blog post on the 28th, but for now, I wanted to post a note about my forthcoming story “Brokeback Realities,” which is scheduled for release on July 18th.

Unlike “Brokeback Mountain,” which offered a deeply romanticized version of the gay closet, “Brokeback Realities” explores the gritty reality behind what happens when closeted men like Ennis del Mar act on their repressed desires.  “Brokeback Realities” turns its narrative focus on the boys men like Ennis and Jack turn to when the hold of their wedding ring fails.

“Brokeback Realities” explores the world of gay prostitution in a small New England town and offers a glimpse into the lives of the young boys who walk the streets there at night and the men who buy their culturally forbidden sexual favors. The sex, the setting, the language, the boys, and the men that buy them, it’s all here in a story that explores the subjectivity and subculture of a young guy who hustles his body for money, and the price he pays for it. 

Since I have already posted an excerpt from the story in the His&His Yahoo group, I thought I would offer a futher peek into the story with this additional blurb:

“As soon as I crossed the threshold, he slammed the door behind me, and immediately, I heard the sounds of unbuckling and unzipping, and according to those sounds, everything was going exactly as it should, but before I could get the feel of the darkened room, he grabbed the back of my head, threw me down to my knees, and shoved his cock so far to the back of my throat it immediately began triggering my gag reflex.  As I gagged, I realized who I was with, but at this point, Boxer already had me.

He kept his hand to the back of my head, which kept my lips to the base of his cock, and his cock head at the back of my throat. As I continued to gag, a mixture of saliva, stomach acid, and pre-cum began to drool out the sides of my mouth.  I attempted to balance my weight between my knees, but given the force with which he was thrusting his cock down my throat, I was able to do little more than dangle from his cock like some impaled rag doll.”

Look for the full story on the 18th. 

Meanwhile, check out my site (www.deckerotica.com), fan me to receive updates at Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marco-Giovanni/24932710394), or check out my other blog (http://www.deckerotica.com/blog/).  There are some cool pics from my latest P-town trip there.