A Great Review of Girl Crush

Posted on July 20, 2010

There’s a lovely review of Girl Crush by Sarah Estrella up at Examiner.com. She writes:

Yes, guys: We fantasize about some of our girlfriends, and our favorite actresses and artists and athletes and anarchists, and the cute cashier with the sleeve tattoo at Whole Foods, and the lithe whisp of a thing who always put her mat down in front of us in yoga class, and some of the women working out at the gym, just like you’ve always imagined, just like you do. Go ahead and pick your chin up off the floor: We have girl crushes, just like you do. Some of us like girl-on-girl porn at least as much as you do, and, as any lesbian will tell you, most otherwise “straight” girls don’t take a whole lot of arm-twisting, given the right circumstances. Have I said too much? As wild as some of your own fantasies may be, you just might find some eye-opening material in this erotica collection. This book isn’t necessarily for you and it certainly isn’t about you, but what the heck: I know you guys like this stuff, too. And that’s my point exactly: We all do. Just don’t tell anyone I told you, okay? For some reason the prevalence of the girl crush is supposed to be some big secret.

Go read the whole thing. You won’t regret it.

Crushing With David Erlewine

Posted on May 27, 2010

David Erlewine’s sharp story, “The Things I Can Do For Her,” about impossible working conditions appears in Girl Crush , available now.

Excerpt:

Once again, I do as I’m told, thinking back to how this all began with inviting her to lunch. I don’t know how I feel about that. She drags me by the hair to her couch, laying me out so the back of my head is pressed awkwardly against the couch’s edge. She squats over me and for a brief moment, I admire the perfect tautness of her toned thighs.

“I hope you’ve been doing neck exercises. Oh, and if you ever screw up a court filing again, I’ll have you hooking on the street,” she says, coldly.

I look up and try to smile, hoping these types of jokes will eventually stop as I advance in the firm, as she makes partner, as she grows to appreciate the things I can do for her. She grinds the back of my head into the hard couch. All I can see, all I can smell is Lauren Reynolds. She gyrates over my face, every few seconds moving inches up so I can swallow some fresh air. Sharp bursts of pain radiate down my neck. Finally, she comes. She’s louder and more extravagant this time. Her juices dry in a thin hard shell on my face. With one last rocking of her hips, she steps away from me, leans down and whispers, “Get out.”

What was the inspiration for your story?

I worked for a big law firm for two years out of law school. I was in a relationship just like the narrator. I kid, I kid. I did work at a big firm for two years and I know the law firm world can be creepy and fucked up. So many things happen late at night, or so I suspect. During my stint, another associate went into the men’s room and a male partner followed him in there, banging on the stall, screaming at him to hurry up and finish the fucking memo. That happened before dinner one night. What happened at 1 a.m. between those two?

What do you love most about your story?

I think it’s the lunch scene, where the narrator is forced to suck blue cheese dressing off the partner’s finger. I used to hate blue cheese dressing (now I like it) and the idea of sucking it off someone’s finger just had to find its way into a story.
Who is your girl crush? Why?
If/when she sees this, my wife will laugh her ass off.
Have you ever acted on a girl crush?
I plead the Fifth. That crippling law school debt was so worth it!

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

I think less is more, so to speak. The reader doesn’t need every detail, the sweating, the grunting, the smells. The reader shouldn’t feel like he/she is reading a Fabio book. One character convincing another to do something adds spice. Who wants to read about two good-looking people who are totally into each other and completely connecting and doing exactly what the other wants? Where’s the conflict there? I have a story where a stutterer goes to his speech therapist. She sits on his face and has him practice deep breathing exercises into her thong. You know Paris would say, “THAT’S HOT!”

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

“No One’s Gonna Love You” by Band of Horses
That song with “Shush girl, do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips” (my son thinks it’s “Helicopter” and I’m not correcting him)
“Always in Love” by Wilco
“Ditty” by Paperboy
“Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday
“Only the Lonely” by the Motels

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

I can’t hear “Papa-papa-papa-rrazi” without substituting “Wow wow wow wow Wubbzy” so Beyonce even though I am so over her and Jay-Z. We get it. You’re rich and happy.

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

“Flowers in the Attic” by VC Andrews. Kidding again. I’m getting the distinct sense my humor really doesn’t translate via e-mail. It’s all in my smirk (and blushing). I used to read a lot of my mom’s “criminal” books when I was a kid. She called them “trashy” novels. They were rough…full of prison rape and people on the “outside” (who should have been imprisoned) forcing weaker people to do all kinds of nasty sexual stuff. I can recall, much too vividly, a lot of the sex scenes. In one they killed this guy, sliced off his dick, and stuffed it in his mouth. Thanks, Mom. Then again, if I hadn’t read those books, I probably wouldn’t have a story in this anthology.

Crushing With Heidi Champa

Posted on May 26, 2010

Heidi Champa’s Cut and Dry brings new meaning to customer service. Enjoy her story in Girl Crush, available now.

Excerpt:

I didn’t answer; my voice was gone. Her lips were parted, and I could smell the sweet tang of cinnamon on her breath. I started the water again, washing away the sea of white foam. A stray drop of water moved over her forehead and slid down toward her neck. I watched intently as it rode a slow path over her skin. My mouth was overwhelmed by the urge to lick it away. The heat in the shampoo room was suddenly thick. I could barely breathe. Ida’s hand reached up and wiped the droplet away, but the trail of liquid remained, clinging to her soft flesh.

My mind wandered. I couldn’t help it. I fixated on her smooth, soft neck where the water had just been. My fingers ached to touch her, slide over her hot flesh. As I moved my hands mindlessly through her hair, my eyes traveled lower to her chest and the two tight buds gently poking against the clingy fabric of her blouse. I closed my eyes, picturing the color and shape of her nipples. My tongue moved involuntarily inside my mouth, desperate for the chance to lick the stiff peaks that teased me during every visit. My fingers stiffened as my pussy flooded with heat, my imagination thick with visions of my hands on her firm stomach as I sucked hungrily on her nipples. My mind filled with thoughts of Ida, head thrown back, moaning my name in ecstasy as I teased her mercilessly. I was enjoying my little fantasy, until Ida’s voice cut through my hot and hazy thoughts.

What was the inspiration for your story?

The inspiration for this story came to me while I was at my salon a few months ago. I always find getting my hair done a very sensual experience and I wanted to capture that in this story. It’s all fiction, but I got to thinking about the close relationship most women have with their stylists, and it all grew from there.

What do you love most about your story?

I love my main character and her struggle to control her feelings for her client. The battle between her professional self and her inner desire was my favorite part to write.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

My girl crush right now is Australian model/actress Megan Gale. She’s beautiful, funny and seems incredibly down to earth. She was cast to play Wonder Woman on the big screen, but as of now the project is shelved. The thought of her as Wonder Woman is almost too much for me to bear.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

Not yet. But, I never say never.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

For me, it is the balance between explicit detail of the act and the mindset of the characters involved. I want to put the reader right inside the person’s head, if possible. That is where the true heat comes from. If you can convey how each sensation feels, tastes, smells, etc., then you usually have a very hot scene. And, sometimes a little kink goes a long way!

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

There is always music in salons, but it is usually just there for the background noise. But, in my story, I would want the music to fit the mood and be very sexy and sensual and not just mindless sound.

It would definately include Black Metallic by Catherine Wheel, Slow by Kylie Minogue, Here With Me by Dido, Beautiful Girl by INXS, Colorblind by Counting Crows, Naked as We Came by Iron and Wine, Black Milk by Massive Attack, Let it Take You by Goldfrapp, Dogs of Lust by The The, You Make it Easy by Air, and finally . . . Iodine by Jawbox

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

-GaGa.

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

Hmmm, that is a great question. There are so many fatnastically sexy books out there that I haven’t gotten to yet, but for now I’ll go with Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy, Eat Me by Linda Jaivan and Melt with You by Alison Tyler.

Crushing With Angela Caperton

Posted on May 25, 2010

Angela Caperton’s “Skinny Dipping,” a carefree tale of a college crush that becomes something more, appears in Girl Crush available now.

Excerpt:

Regina wanted her roommate’s lips. She wanted to taste every part of Maxine’s lush mouth, but not yet.
No, when she finally kissed Maxine, Regina wanted that moment to be more than fearful fumbles and sloppy smacks.

She stroked up Maxine’s arm under the surface, the water adding an erotic gloss to the dark girl’s skin. Silky juice ran like a current in Regina’s blood, under her green trunk, flesh slick and sensitive with want.
Maxine faced Regina, her smile full and true, her gaze amused, then intrigued as Regina pressed closer.
Regina’s heart raced like an engine as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to Maxine’s shoulder, drinking in precious jewels as the back of her fingers deliberately caressed the perfect orb of Maxine’s Lycra-covered breast.

She pulled away and smiled, tickled by Maxine’s almost stunned expression.

Sunlight bloomed in her own smile. “You’re right Maxine. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance and leap….”

What was the inspiration for your story?

I spent my late teen years in a rural part of the Southern U.S. and barrow pits were a common place to hang out and enjoy spring and summer afternoons with friends – especially if we were cutting class in those last golden days of school before the summer break. More than once, music, beer and youthful vitality converged in topless swimming and watery horseplay. They were times of laughter and education of a different sort – even if we didn’t realize it at the time.

“Skinny Dipping” is a story born of those memories, and I was wonderfully surprised by how it turned out. I didn’t originally intend to write it as a girl crush kind of story, but once I started writing, the attraction between Regina and Maxine was far more powerful than I could resist. That the call for submissions to Girl Crush came out around that time was truly kismet.

What do you love most about your story?

Wow…tough one. I love Regina’s blossoming sexuality in this story, but I really gravitate to the sexual confidence of Maxine as Regina sees her. Max is beautiful, has all the love, lust and strength one wants in a lover, and she doesn’t deny or resist her attraction to both sexes. She’s the perfect guide for Regina. I would have loved to have had a Maxine in my life in my early twenties!

Who is your girl crush? Why?

Oh my…Celebrity GC’s, hands down – Marlene Dietrich, and the other is Isabella Rossellini. Marlene absolutely vibrated sexuality, confidence, edgy-smarts, and mystery. Isabella Rossellini… She is one of the most elegant, sultry women I’ve ever seen. Yes, I drooled when I saw her in Death Becomes Her, and she is truly still beautiful and sexually desirable.

Women I know in real life? I see women often that spark desire, but I’ve only known one who truly qualifies as a girl crush. She was a practicing witch in the community where I lived, a priestess of one of the local covens. She is, without a doubt, one of the most vibrant personalities I have every known. A petite, pretty woman, her very presence was both calming and electric. I dreamed about her more than once…

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

No. In those young years, I never had the nerve to act on my girl crush, much to my regret.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

I think first and foremost, an intimate connection with the character. Considering I’m an erotica author, I’ve written a LOT of sex scenes – mostly from the female point of view, but not all. In order for the sex – for the story – to really resonate, I need to be that character while I write. If my panties aren’t wet by the time I’m done writing a sex scene, then it’s not right!

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

Although I love all kinds of music, I usually listen to classical music when I write, rather than popular tunes, so I’d have to go with something like Le sacre du printemps or Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, celebrations of the power of spring to stir the most sensual emotions.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

Beyonce – hands down!

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

Wow… Tough question. Recently, the sexiest book I’ve read is actually a graphic novel – Lost Girls by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie. This book challenges ALL sexual convention. It’s provocative, eloquent, erotic and beautiful.

Crushing With Cheyenne Blue

Posted on May 24, 2010

Cheyenne Blue’s unexpected Discovering Donnie appears in Girl Crush , available now.

Excerpt:

She was obsessed with Donnie. She woke with the feel of his skin beneath her hands and when she realized he was only in her dreams, her fingers would curl with his absence until her nails dug into her palms. She was distracted at work and made mistakes with papers, left court documents unsigned. She was reprimanded, but she didn’t care. The litigation partner smiled to himself; he had made a mistake promoting her, but her inefficiency would make it easier to rescind the offer.

Jodie didn’t know why Donnie didn’t take her to bed. He’d come up to her apartment for a cup of coffee once, and it had been just that: a cup of coffee. She was sure he wanted her: the drugging heat of his kisses, the way his arms trembled as he held her told her so, and once she’d felt his erection against her leg. But he never asked, “Can I stay?” He had never tried to waltz her into the bedroom, had never slid his hands over her body in a proprietary way, even though she wanted him to. Oh, how she wanted him to.

What was the inspiration for your story?

I was in that half-awake, half-asleep state one morning, and I suddenly thought of a little Mexican café I used to visit for breakfast in Baker, which is a suburb immediately south of downtown Denver. I’d been trying to come up with a story for “Girl Crush” and my story, “Discovering Donnie” grew out of a strange and twisted little spiral, starting with the scene where Jodie and Donnie are having dinner in a Mexican café. I think this is the first story I’ve ever written where I’ve started in the middle!

What do you love most about your story?

The ending. I don’t want to give anything away, but there was an obvious possible ending, and then there was this ending. I love the naturalness of the ending I went with. It’s how things should be, IMHO.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

Ohhhhhh!! I am a complete and utter pile of slush for female tennis players. In particular, Amelie Mauresmo. I can barely form coherent thoughts when I used to watch her play (she’s recently retired). Those legs, those strong, athletic, beautiful legs, that hair, that smile. She’s a strong and talented player, fluid to watch, and a gracious sportswoman. If Amelie walked into my loungeroom, it would be “Farewell, life, I’m off with Amelie!” Of course, I’ve got a better change of winning the million dollar lottery.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

I stalked Amelie at Wimbledon one year, following her from the court until stopped by the burly security man at the players’ entrance. Does that count?

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

Getting inside a character’s head to feel what they’re feeling, taste what they’re tasting, see what they’re seeing… Sex scenes that are Tab A into Slot B are very dull. Little details, little surprises, the nuances that make your characters different. If you can take your characters out of the scene and substitute any old Mary and Jane, then I’m willing to bet it’s not a very good scene.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

Neither. Right now it’s Paolo Nutini.

But if I have to chose, Lady GaGa.

Crushing With Kris Adams

Posted on May 23, 2010

Kris Adams’s “Cecily,” a warm yet intensely erotic tale of two friends becoming more than friends, appears in Girl Crush , available now.

Excerpt:

“You want to?” Mary whispered, barely recognizing her own voice. She figured Cecily would have to think about it for a while, like she’d been thinking about it—this night—ever since they found out they would be parted. Longer than that, if she was honest with herself. She knew Cecily was thinking about all the time alone they’d spent in friendly embraces, touching each other’s hair and faces for no particular reason. She hoped Cecily had treasured those sweet, delicious moments as much as she had, that the arm-in-arm walks in the neighborhood and extended good-bye hugs had made Cecily’s heart race like they did hers. Her eyes asked the question again, and she braced herself awaiting the reply.
Cecily let out a long breath, wiped her eyes and nodded. “Please, yes.”

The come-hither smile on Cecily’s face melted any reserve on Mary’s part. She didn’t even notice herself moving, and then Cecily was turning quickly and they were kissing again. This time it was only chaste for a few seconds, until Cecily opened up enough for Mary to feel the fullness of Cecily’s lower lip between hers. Mary sucked just a little, and then Cecily squeaked in her throat, and Mary sucked a little more.

What was the inspiration for your story?

Looking back at my notes, I’m not exactly sure what the inspiration was, though I knew the story would be about very close women friends about to be separated, either by marriage or some other life-changing event. Originally it was to be about privileged college students, one or both of them on the verge of marriage, and feeling somewhat trapped because of it. Then it became more about the stereotypically unhappy mid-century suburban middle-class housewife’s particular brand of feeling trapped. I would say I took some inspiration from films like Mona Lisa Smile, The Hours, and Just the Two of Us, a 1970’s sexploitation film.

What do you love most about your story?

I love the timelessness of it. I wanted it to feel like it could take place any time in the last 50 years. Women as neighbors, best friends, and possibly more—that could be anywhere, anytime.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

Maybe Kate Winslet, because she’s a great actress and was always outspoken about Hollywood’s “issues” with her weight. And she’s not bad to look at.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?
No.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

I wish I knew! I suppose the ability to visualize what’s going on. And not being afraid to call a body part by its proper name.

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

“Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” by Percy Faith and his Orchestra
“Blue Velvet” by Bobbie Vinton
“You belong to me” by Jo Stafford
“After the Lovin” by Englebert Humperdink
“Voyage to Atlantis” by The Isley Brothers
“Wishing on a Star” by Rose Royce
“Love and Affection” by Joan Armatrading.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

Why not both, in a very different kind of video? I’d pay to watch that!

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

Delta of Venus by Anais Nin. I must have read it in middle school, and have no idea where I got it, but it steered me on the path to writing erotica.

Crushing With Kirsty Logan

Posted on May 22, 2010

Kirsty Logan’s humid, extraordinarily hot “Rebel Girl” appears in Girl Crush, available now.

Excerpt:

The backseat is sticky with sex and sweat. Katia feels around on the floor for her bra, wishing he’d wake up and get off her so she can get some air. The summer is humid, so hot she sweats in a bra and shorts, her skin always reddened and slightly swollen from the heat. Over the top of his head, the sweat-dampened curls behind his ear, she can see the car parked beside theirs. The windows are opaque with smoke, and it’s stopped juddering on its chassis. Katia imagines Evie, sated and soaking into the leather fabric of the backseat, a slow smile on her face. Katia is sure Evie just had the best orgasm of her life; she is sure every single one of Evie’s orgasms is the best of her life.

All four of them are sprawled on the hoods of the cars—boys on one, girls on the other. They listen to the lullaby of the motorway and stare up at the dirty orange sky. The night air smells hot and dense. Beneath a low moon, the town cowers: smokestacks, parking lots, roundabouts. Everything has washed out to gray. Katia and Evie share a cigarette, ringing the filter with sticky lip-gloss in varying shades of pink.

Katia smokes like she’s sucking a cock, slow and deliberate, a performance. She knows Evie is watching her, and she arches her body slightly on the hood so Evie can see the curve of her back-hips-tits. Katia knows Evie has a crush on her because she’s older and always has a boyfriend. Katia has a crush on Evie too, because she has high round tits and a rosebud mouth and makes amazing noises when she fucks. Evie likes Katia because she is jaded, and Katia likes Evie because she is not.

What was the inspiration for your story?

The Bikini Kill song ‘Rebel Girl’ – it’s a riot girl crush love story. The title of my first draft was ‘Rebel Girl, You Are the Queen of My World’.

What do you love most about your story?

I love the surrealism in the ordinary – that’s something I always like in a story. I also like that Katia and Evie’s encounter is their secret; although it’s not something I think they’ll regret, I don’t think it will change either of their lives, and their boyfriends need never find out.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

I have a thousand crushes! I frequently dream of being propositioned by any of the girls from the Crash Pad series.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

Of course! That’s how I got together with my girlfriend.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

Have lots of hot sex as inspiration. Also, I think sex isn’t just about body parts rubbing together; it’s about atmosphere, environment and mood. It’s about tension and release.

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

‘Rebel Girl’, of course!

Also a bunch of other riot grrrl songs:
Sleater-Kinney, L7, Heaven to Betsy, Longstocking, Team Dresch – and a bit of Joan Jett is always a good idea. Play it on a loop, as loud as the volume will go, with every girl in the world screaming along.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

I find both of them pretty dull, so I’m going to say Princess Superstar. Or Lady Sovereign. Or Courtney Love.

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

The Best Lesbian Erotica series are what inspired me to write erotica in the first place, and they are always super-hot. I also find Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet and Ali
Smith’s Girl Meets Boy very sexy.

Crushing With Annabeth Leong

Posted on May 21, 2010

Annabeth Leong’s Running Away and Running Home Again appears in Girl Crush, available now.

Excerpt:

Kevin pushed me onto his bed, pulled my panties down, and buried his face between my thighs with unusual vigor. I cried out in shock, and heard an answering groan rising from Barbara. At the sound of her voice, a shiver went through my body, and my legs spread wider. “There you go,” he said, and locked his lips around my clit.

I moaned back to her. She let out a series of sharp moans that I found myself imitating. My body moved to match the sounds we made. Kevin groaned at the same time as Dave, flipping me over and pounding his cock deep into me with one thrust. I turned my head to the side and kept up the conversation with her.

I pretended I was her. I imagined Dave behind me working me over with a thick, veiny prick. I screamed as I came. As my cunt continued to flutter around Kevin’s cock, I tasted her name in my mouth and in my mind: Barbara.

Kevin fell asleep with his arm over my stomach, trapping me with its sticky length. We finished long before Barbara and Dave. For hours, I lay awake listening to her sighs, curses and sobs, trying to imagine what she looked like.

Sometime after midnight, the house went silent. A door down the hall opened and closed. I froze, realizing we’d left the door to Kevin’s room open. The footsteps down the hall sounded light, so at least it wasn’t Dave.

I saw her as she passed, a flash of creamy skin that seemed to glow in the night. Barbara was tall, completely naked, with thick black hair that fell halfway down her back. She stopped in the doorway and looked in on us. I snapped my eyes shut, heart pounding and body burning at the thought of her seeing me. The footsteps passed away a moment later, but I was afraid to open my eyes. Blood roared through every part of me until I fell asleep.

What was the inspiration for your story?

The story was inspired by a woman I knew years ago. Fiction for me always evolves so that a finished story ends up far from the real incidents or people that form its beginnings, but this woman did tell me once that she’d lost 10 pounds in two weeks from having a lot of sex (a bit of dialogue that I included in the story). That was the seed of a girl crush for me, as well as the beginning of the character of Barbara.

What do you love most about your story?

Honestly, I love Barbara’s cruel streak. I don’t think fascination has to be sweet, and I don’t think the recipient of it has to be deserving.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

I’ve always been the geek girl, but I love fashionable women. My favorites are black-haired and elegant who are whip smart, smell amazing, and really know how to dress themselves. Jennifer Connelly is a great famous example of the type, but I have several friends and acquaintances who inspire similar feelings.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

My first lesbian experience was a direct result of a girl crush. I liked a dancer at school, and was vocal about how attractive I thought she was. Talking this way advertised that I was open to having a sexual experience with another girl. There was a girl in my class who seemed fascinated by my attraction to the dancer. She started writing me notes about it and bringing me pictures. We shared the fantasy of the dancer until we ended up in bed together.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

I write what turns me on. If I’m not getting wet while I’m writing a sex scene, I delete it. I’m very demanding as a reader of erotica. I want it to make me feel something and care about the characters, but I also want to have an orgasm while reading it. Sex scenes hot enough to make me have an orgasm always have a key image that gets me going. I try to make sure my sex scenes have that image and linger on it long enough to really fix it in the reader’s mind.

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

“Paradise Circus” by Massive Attack would definitely be there. It’s got some great, appropriate lyrics: “Love is like a sin my love/for the one that feels it the most./Look at her with a smile like a flame./She will love you like a fly will never love you, again.” I’d also include “Hollow” by Tricky, “Beauty*2” by Ladytron, “Captivate” by Odissi, and “Satellite Mind” by Metric.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

Lady GaGa.

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

This question has had me stuck for a couple of days, because I want to answer it in several ways. My favorite erotic romance is Debra Hyde’s Blind Seduction, because it presents extreme BDSM in an utterly loving context. When I was a teenager, I read the Hite Report, and it was so formative for me sexually that it’s way up there on my list even though it’s a scientific study. Then there are some literary books that are incredibly sexy, like Paul Auster’s In the Country of Last Things, or Diane Ackerman’s The Natural History of the Senses.

Crushing With Shanna Germain

Posted on May 20, 2010

Shanna Germain’s Craving Madeline appears in Girl Crush, available now.

An excerpt:

I call myself bisexual, but the truth is I’ve never been with a woman. And yet, I know how Madeline will taste—sugary without being cloying, refreshing as perfectly sweetened sun tea. I want to dip my head into that space between her thighs, the wet, soft place I imagine will look and feel like my own. I want to dip my fingers into her, stir her into a sweet frenzy and then taste her, suck her juice from my long fingers like the creamiest icing, the softest, most buttery frosting.

Someone shuts the door, and I lift my head with a start, realizing everyone has settled in with his or her coffee. Almost no one has a donut, though I notice Adriana, a young, pretty redhead whose fingers shake almost always from hunger, has taken a quarter of an old-fashioned (the lowest calorie of all the donuts, as I’m sure anyone in the room could tell you) and she is systematically picking it apart crumb by crumb, laying the crumbs back down on her napkin like a connect-the-dots puzzle. I tell myself I am not thinking of donuts. I tell myself I can have a donut anytime I want one, that they are not forbidden foods. This is something I’ve learned about binging. How counterintuitive: if I tell myself I can’t have, I must have. If I tell myself I can have, whenever and however I want, I don’t want. Sometimes this works.

What was the inspiration for this story?

I was thinking about cravings, the way we crave things that seem like they would sustain us but that are often bad for us — certain people, certain foods, certain addictive-substances. And I was thinking, “What if we could trade those in for desiring something that -was- good and healthy for us? How much of a risk would that be, and would we actually do it?” I wanted my narrator to take that risk and go after the thing she wanted, the thing that was so scary but that had the potential to be healthy for her.

What do you love most about your story?

I love the fact that none of my characters are anything close to perfect, in the “traditional” sense. They all have visible flaws, and yet they find this place to come together where they can be safe and be who they are without judgment.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

Oh, I have so many, all the time. Currently, it’s Felicia Day. She’s got it all: Totally adorable, a gamer geek, an actor, a writer, a singer, she does everything and she does it all well and without any pretense at all.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

Yeah. I’m pretty open about what and who I like, and I’m not afraid to tell someone if I think they’re cute or if I’m digging them. When I was younger, I could never say anything though — I’d just get loud and obnoxious around them, as though that was somehow an endearing quality.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

Realism, desire, and going beyond the cliche.

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

My first instinct would be to say “Constant Craving,” but I kind of hate that song and I don’t think it’s sexy at all, so we’ll pass on that one.

Here’s a list:
Talking to My Angel, Melissa Etheridge
She’ll Come Back to Me, Cake
Sweet Potato Pie, Block
Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon, Urge Overkill
So Long Sweet Misery, Brett Dennen

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

Lady GaGa. I’m not partial to either of their music, but Beyonce’s persona is just too blase for my taste. I love the gender-bending, way out there, in your faceness of Lady GaGa.

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

Swimming Sweet Arrow by Maureen Gibbon. “>available now from Cleis Press.

Crushing With G.G. Royale

Posted on May 18, 2010

G.G. Royale’s An Introduction appears in Girl Crush , available now.

An Excerpt:

“You must address me as ‘Ma’am’ when you speak to me.” Leila took her tequila off the bar and threw it back. She clutched Kalini’s wrist with her other hand. Kalini gazed up at the taller woman, and she could feel—even with only the glances and this touch—her arousal building, unlike anything she’d ever felt for Hajar. Leila leaned down and brushed a kiss across Kalini’s lips. It was a soft but lingering introduction, and Kalini couldn’t suppress her grin.

“Come.” Leila pulled Kalini across the floor toward a tall table padded in purple leather. Restraining points studded the sides. This would be much more interesting than handcuffs at home.

And she would be in front of people. Kalini had gotten waxed yesterday, had plucked and shaved herself into submission. She knew—despite the fact she didn’t resemble some of these Amazonian goddesses—she looked good. Nevertheless, she’d never appeared in public like this.

“Strip,” Leila commanded. The tone of her voice left no room for argument. She might have been able to say no to Hajar in this situation but certainly not Leila. She had something Kalini wanted, and Kalini knew now she would do anything to get it.

What was the inspiration for your story?

I’m fascinated by the idea of arranged marriages, particularly when they cross national boarders and follow immigrants into new lands. So that’s where the initial kernel came from. Beyond that, I generally write with a little BDSM in my stories, so that came naturally.

What do you love most about your story?

I have to write happily-ever-after endings for couples all the time. I love that this ends well for my main character, but she is alone. A lot of times – even in the modern world – women are valued by whom they are with. I like that my heroine walks away from that.

Who is your girl crush? Why?

Out of celebrities? Zoe Deschanel. I’ve been a fan of the entire Oz franchise ever since I was a little kid, and when she was in “Tin Man” on the Sci Fi Channel, she totally got me. She’s quirky and cute, but I bet she can be a little naughty too. Dark hair, pixie face… and she can sing.

Have you ever acted on a girl crush?

Beyond making that initial “Hey, how are you?” kiss a little longer than it should have been, not really.

What does it take to write a hot sex scene?

Staging it all out before hand… Just kidding. First, I think the writer has to be totally in-tune with the characters, emotionally and physically. Sex written on a purely anatomical level is not really appealing. The emotion and psychology has to come out in it as well. Then the environment has to be taken into account. What’s there that can be used? Get creative! Finally, in my experience, I’ve learned that pages, not paragraphs, are necessary to fully develop the scene. One should get just as lost in reading a sex scene as in participating in one. An hour or more should pass without realizing it.

Sex and music go together so well. If you had to make a mixtape for your story, what songs would you include?

Portishead “Roads,” Arcade Fire “Black Mirror,” maybe “Mary” by Oingo Boingo. And finally, Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” Those all seem to fit, either because they are sexy or the message is close to the story.

Lady GaGa or Beyoncé?

I hate to be difficult, but can I choose Shakira instead? Latin girls, you know?

What is the sexiest book you’ve ever read?

“A Literate Passion,” the collected letters between Henry Miller and Anais Nin. I went in being a bigger fan Anais; she inspired me to do what I’m doing now. But I came out loving Henry Miller. Though the book is about their affair to some extent, it was also about the creative process and two like minds working off of each other and sort of developing their art because of each other. To me, that was the really sexy part. And I like this better than just reading Anais’s diaries, because I get both sides of the story

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