BLE v. 3 Blog Tour with Nat Burns and "Jani-Lyn's Dragon"

The title of Nat Burns’s story “Jani-Lyn’s Dragon” didn’t quite ring a bell when I first saw her submission in my email, but the instant I saw “September 1970” at the beginning of her document I knew where she was going, and knew I wanted to go there with her. Here’s how her blog post begins:

“Singer Janis Joplin’s stellar rise to celebrity status and then tragic death from a heroin overdose at twenty-seven years of age spoke to me on a deep, visceral level. I felt that she was too young to lose her life and that a great burgeoning talent had been taken from us. I also felt a strong urge to write a scathing piece about this act of treachery from the Universe. Instead, I turned the injustice and sense of betrayal into, what else, but a story of love and eroticism.”

Go read the rest of Nat’s discussion of how and why she wrote what she did.
www.TheNattyBits.com

 And comment there, or on any of the other posts in this series, or on my Facebook posts about these blogs, to be entered in a drawing for a free ebook copy of the anthology.


Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

December 6
Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher
https://sommermarsden.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-lesbian-erotica-volume-3-husher-by.html?fbclid=IwAR0QBcgA4Yh7bCSRcPO5FDmiI2yIZ2D5VQFWHhV-R6ljdEOqZ_jy_Z8DjQs

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
www.TheNattyBits.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour: Nanisi Barret D'Arnuk's "Oliver Twisted"

Oliver: Twisted

Nanisi Barrett D'Arnuk has travelled around the world to gather information for her writing. She has five novels, several novellas and many short stories published, ranging from mysteries to sweet or erotic romances. More are in the process. A New-Age Political thriller will be published this fall.

Nanisi’s own blurb for “Oliver: Twisted” follows the traditional questioning format. “When Cheryl Oliver meets a striking woman in the casino restroom, things seem to be looking up. Jerry is even impressed by Cheryl’s guard’s uniform, but is her interest in Cheryl’s necktie as a fashion accessory or something more nefarious?”

But my question concerning the story is, “Just how did Nanisi gather information on what it’s like to be working above a Las Vegas casino watching unaware gamblers through surveillance cameras?” There’s no question, though that the story is original, very hot, and certain characters do, indeed, get lucky.

Here’s an excerpt from the very beginning:
_______________

I looked out across the field of people and shook my head. All these women, and not one could look at me. Not that they knew I was there, but just once I wished that someone would look up and see me, or at least looked like they saw me. That’s all I wanted: just one woman. But, like every other night, not one raised her eyes. Just once, I thought, at least one.

I watched the women focus on their cards, not letting a thought that someone was watching disturb their concentration. The dealers dealt and shuffled, then dealt and shuffled, and dealt and shuffled. The players won and lost without looking around, without a second thought for the bubbles in the ceiling that contained surveillance cameras.

This is an easy and boring job, except on those rare nights when someone, either too drunk or wanting more money, tried something foolish. Then we get to watch interesting things, like someone being surreptitiously thrown out of the casino; hidden, so the other patrons wouldn’t be disturbed. Tonight I watched the cutie in the second seat at the blackjack table. She had short dark hair that looked great from the top. So did her voluptuous cleavage that showed when she leaned back. These were the ones that made this job interesting. I could be a voyeur without the fear of being discovered or guilt that I was staring.
_______________

Are you curious now?



Oliver: Twisted

Nanisi Barrett D'Arnuk has travelled around the world to gather information for her writing. She has five novels, several novellas and many short stories published, ranging from mysteries to sweet or erotic romances. More are in the process. A New-Age Political thriller will be published this fall.

Nanisi’s own blurb for “Oliver: Twisted” follows the traditional questioning format. “When Cheryl Oliver meets a striking woman in the casino restroom, things seem to be looking up. Jerry is even impressed by Cheryl’s guard’s uniform, but is her interest in Cheryl’s necktie as a fashion accessory or something more nefarious?”

But my question concerning the story is, “Just how did Nanisi gather information on what it’s like to be working above a Las Vegas casino floor watching unaware gamblers through surveillance cameras?” There’s no question, though that the story is original, very hot, and certain characters do, indeed, get lucky.

Here’s an excerpt from the very beginning:
_______________

I looked out across the field of people and shook my head. All these women, and not one could look at me. Not that they knew I was there, but just once I wished that someone would look up and see me, or at least looked like they saw me. That’s all I wanted: just one woman. But, like every other night, not one raised her eyes. Just once, I thought, at least one.

I watched the women focus on their cards, not letting a thought that someone was watching disturb their concentration. The dealers dealt and shuffled, then dealt and shuffled, and dealt and shuffled. The players won and lost without looking around, without a second thought for the bubbles in the ceiling that contained surveillance cameras.

This is an easy and boring job, except on those rare nights when someone, either too drunk or wanting more money, tried something foolish. Then we get to watch interesting things, like someone being surreptitiously thrown out of the casino; hidden, so the other patrons wouldn’t be disturbed. Tonight I watched the cutie in the second seat at the blackjack table. She had short dark hair that looked great from the top. So did her voluptuous cleavage that showed when she leaned back. These were the ones that made this job interesting. I could be a voyeur without the fear of being discovered or guilt that I was staring.
_______________

Are you curious now?

Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

December 6
Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher
https://sommermarsden.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-lesbian-erotica-volume-3-husher-by.html?fbclid=IwAR0QBcgA4Yh7bCSRcPO5FDmiI2yIZ2D5VQFWHhV-R6ljdEOqZ_jy_Z8DjQs


December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

BLE v. 3 BLOG TOUR POST FOR “RULES”, BY LEA DALEY

Child care is a risky business. No one knows that better than Haley Walton, a newly-minted Program Director at an inner-city preschool. Children hide, they run away, they climb and fall, they misinterpret the most innocent actions. And dicey adult behavior adds to the danger; preschools can seethe with as much drama and intrigue as any medieval court or contemporary police station.
Child care is riskiest of all when you’re a lesbian working in a conservative community, subject every damned day to doubt and misunderstanding. So maybe Haley should have thought twice before going home one night with Pim Brauer, a charismatic art professor whose red-hot reputation is enough to attract intense scrutiny.
Still, Haley is determined to be the consummate professional, supremely prepared, unfailingly cautious—until the day she forgets that she’s especially suspect, forgets that expectations are different for her. When she encounters an injured child on the playground, she breaks the one unbreakable rule for lesbians, foolishly deciding to administer first aid in an empty classroom, out of view of security cameras. Before she knows it, she’s accused of sexual assault and her carefully constructed world comes crashing down.
To make matters worse, she’s alone. A recent breakup with Pim has left her isolated and unmoored. She’d like to confide in someone—perhaps her boss, Drew Malachi, who may also be a lesbian. But Drew’s never given her that opening and since the accusation she’s drawn a closed circle around herself. She scarcely speaks to Haley during the devastating period that the abuse investigation takes place.
After the scandalous allegations go public, Pim rethinks her decision to dump Haley. But despite Pim’s charms and expertise, a lover’s reunion will prove more challenging than she guesses. Such a delicate situation calls for a radical solution.
Excerpt:

Now that Pim had reclaimed her ideal woman, she damn well wouldn’t let some phony accusation destroy their love life. But Hayley was traumatized, her defenses nearly impregnable. Pim thought about the problem for days before concocting a plan. Maybe it was brilliant. Maybe it was crazy. Just then, though, it was all she had. She reserved a suite for the weekend at an exclusive hotel—an absurdly expensive getaway, since the InterContinental was in walking distance of her condo on the Plaza. But when she drew the drapes that Friday night, there wouldn’t be a single reference point for Hayley, nothing familiar. The past would be erased, the future a blank slate. Just the way Pim wanted it…
The accommodations couldn’t have been less like the places Hayley spent her ordinary days—the rundown preschool, her own shabby-chic apartment. Everything in the suite was fresh and elegant. Pim had ordered flowers, candles, and a superlative bottle of wine. Halfway through a second glass of Merlot, Hayley felt her shoulders relax.
Pim must have noticed. She removed the goblet from Hayley’s hand, saying, “In a minute, I’m going to make love to you, baby. But tonight there are rules…”

Background:
In writing “Rules”, I drew on nearly three decades of work in early education settings, first as a classroom teacher, then as an administrator. Few people guess how complex, demanding, creative, and terrifying this career can be. Every day is a tightrope walk, offering innumerable opportunities to improve children’s lives, or to destroy the reputations of even the most well-intentioned practitioners.
“Rules” is an excerpt from Love Gone Nova, an unpublished novel. Writing it allowed me to share both the significance and the intricacies of my professional world. More to the point, it provided me with the perfect opportunity to explore two lesbian partnerships—one long-established, the other just on the cusp of becoming—each of which is impacted by Haley’s careless misstep with a student. Like every writer, I love my imaginary people, and I’m deeply grateful that Sacchi Green has introduced them to the light of day.

Bio:
Lea Daley has written fiction and poetry while raising children, claiming a lesbian identity, earning a BFA in painting, teaching preschoolers and college students, surviving the death of her only daughter, and heading a nonprofit agency that serves low-income working families. Her debut novel, Waiting for Harper Lee, was a Golden Crown Awards finalist and received a Lavender Certificate from the Alice B Readers Appreciation Committee. Her second book, FutureDyke, won a Goldie Award and was a Lambda Literary finalist. Her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies. Retired now, she lives to write in Alton, Illinois.


Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

December 6
Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher
https://sommermarsden.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-lesbian-erotica-volume-3-husher-by.html?fbclid=IwAR0QBcgA4Yh7bCSRcPO5FDmiI2yIZ2D5VQFWHhV-R6ljdEOqZ_jy_Z8DjQs

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour with Sommer Marsden and "Husher"

Yes, really, Sommer Marsden! It's a great treat when I get a story from Sommer. We've been together in many an anthology over the years, and I always love her work.  She needs no introduction here, so I'll just quote a snippet from her post today and then you can go on over to read all the rest.

"Husher was fun to write. It was sexy and odd and I liked it a lot. As a writer, what more can you ask for then all of those elements? I mean, it had me at odd, you know? "

https://sommermarsden.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-lesbian-erotica-volume-3-husher-by.html?fbclid=IwAR0QBcgA4Yh7bCSRcPO5FDmiI2yIZ2D5VQFWHhV-R6ljdEOqZ_jy_Z8DjQs

And comment there to be entered in a drawing for a free ebook copy of the anthology. Comment on any of these Blog Tour posts, although apparently my own blog is inexplicably blocking most comments.

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour: Raven Sky's "Fuck Me Like a Canadian"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The BLE v. 3 Blog Tour, Highlightng M.Birds and “Where There’s Smoke”

I’m always glad to see stories by M. Birds, and I know I can count on her to show me the unexpected. This time she writes an almost-contemporary piece, “almost” because since she wrote it laws have changed, and the story might have changed and lost that slight transgressive flavor. Can you guess yet what kind of smoke is involved?

First, here’s her brief bio from the book:  

M. Birds is a mad queer writer and musician from Vancouver, British Columbia.  Her short fiction has previously been published by Freaky Fountain Press, Cleis Press and Hot Ink Press.  You can visit her at mbirds.ca for more sordid details.

And now for two excerpts, because this story is too complex for just one.

________________

Where There’s Smoke
M. Birds

“The woman in the woods been asking for you,” Kyle said when June saw him, leaning over the pharmacist’s counter.
“The hell she was.”
“Well, not you specifically, but...you know.  Your goods and services.  Told her I’d pass the message on.”
June chewed on her lower lip.  “No thanks, man.  What if she’s a cop or something?”
Kyle snorted.  He and June had grown up together, danced with each other at their high school’s half-assed prom.  June was still dreaming of leaving then—getting out of their tiny town, moving to the city, going to school.  She’d had big, big plans.
“That woman ain’t no cop.” Kyle shook his head. “You’ve seen her.”
June had seen her.  Everyone in town had seen her walking through the slushy streets with boots that cost more than a month’s rent.  Some artsy type from the city, renting Frank Pinchbeck’s cabin for the season.  Even though the snow was finally melting, the woman in the woods seemed constantly wrapped in plaid and flannel, huge wool coats and cashmere scarves.
“Could have money,” Kyle said, considering.  “You should cut me in.”
June rolled her eyes.  But the next day, she filled her messenger bag and headed into the woods.
_______________

Got it? You will when you read this part:

_______________

“Take this off.” Miriam tugged at June’s cardigan, pulling at the neck of it so that she could lean up and fasten her teeth there. “I want to see you. Please, can you?”
“Yes.” June kissed the word into her mouth and then promptly forgot what she was answering. Miriam’s tongue licked sweetly against June’s own, and June tilted her head, opened up to more of it. She felt Miriam’s hands at the small of her back, pulling her closer against her. The voice in June’s head shouted “stoned on drugs that you sold her,” and that—that was something June really couldn’t ignore.
“Wait.” She pulled back from Miriam’s kiss.  “Wait.”
Miriam watched her, breathing silent but rapid.  Her hands still moved restlessly up and down June’s back, as if she couldn’t help herself.
“You’re high and I’m not.”
“So?”
“I don’t want you to do anything you change your mind about later.”
Miriam rolled her eyes. “Darling—first of all, I barely smoked anything and I’m well in control of my faculties. And second, I really, really want to touch you, and my hands don’t hurt for the first time in months, and as the clear-headed one of course you are welcome to say no, but please don’t say no because you think you’re—taking advantage.  My God, if anything the opposite is true.”
“You’re taking advantage of me?”
Miriam raised one eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curling to match.  “The older woman...luring a young innocent up to her secluded cabin in the woods...”
“Jesus.” June laughed, leaning forward to kiss Miriam again.  “Forget I said anything.  You’re obviously a predator.”
“Damn right.” Miriam bit June’s earlobe sharply before soothing it with her tongue. “Now take off your shirt.”
_______________

After that, of course, where there’s smoke, there certainly is fire.

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour-"Trying Submission" by Xan West

"Trying Submission" has been one of the most talked-about stories in this anthology. Okay, make that "the most." Liliana, with all her hopes and challenges, is deeply appealing character you won't easily forget. In "The Alchemy of D/s," the post for this Blog Tour, Xan West discusses the story, as well as telling us all we want (and should) know about Dominance/submission and the bonds it forms. There's a lovely excerpt from the story in the post, bur here's just a tiny bit of Xan's writing about D/s relationships in general.

"I think most folks need to experiment a bit, to find the keys that turn within themself, the keys that turn within a partner, to find those activities that are transformative, that create that alchemy where the potential for D/s becomes the reality of it."

Go see it all at https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/the-alchemy-of-d-s/ 

(There's an error in the link posted in the lists of previous Blog Tour posts, but if you try that one, just scroll down an click on "Most Recent")



Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

December 6
Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

The BLE v. 3 Blog Tour today: Valerie Alexander's "Jinjutsu"

Valerie Alexander. A night flight over the Pacific. Anonymous sex. Need I say more? Go see what Valerie shares about her BLE lead-off story "Jinjutsu" on valeriealexander.org

Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Blog Tour for BLE v. 3, featuring "Yin and Yang" by Mags Hayward

In Mags Hayward’s beautifully balanced “Yin and Yang,” a contemporary ballet dancer and her lighting-technician lover make the perfect team, while the writing, alternating between lyrical and straightforward, makes the perfect presentation of their story. Here’s what Mags tells us about the writing of her story and her own life experience that inspired it, along with a lovely excerpt to introduces the characters.


The first draft of Yin and Yang was written several years ago and I’ve revised many times, but the central theme, the Chinese notion of Yin and Yang (dark-bright, negative-positive, seemingly opposite forces interconnecting to complement each other), has remained.
Yin and Yang is a tale of love blossoming between apparently opposite characters: a confident, spotlight loving dancer; the other a shy, rather insecure technician. It’s a forgiving, developing love that nurtures both girls and, in this slender slice of their relationship, the girls seek reassurance in each other’s arms before a nerve-wracking live performance.
The setting, an Arts Centre preparing for that night’s show, comes from my own experience of both performing and working as a technician in the field of dance. I trained as a contemporary dancer in my teens before switching to a technical role. I’ve watched many a dance performance from behind a lighting desk and know about the adrenaline rush and the fear involved in getting the performance right – and the joy of watching a dancer glide across the stage. It’s a sensual experience, one that easily transforms into erotica in the protagonist’s eyes.
Here’s an extract…

Natalie. A more alluring creature never lived and I can't stop looking at her. Her lithe limbs, wrapped in a flesh-toned body stocking, appear naked, exposed. Her perky breasts jiggle as she twists and turns and, from where I'm sitting, I can see every detail of her exquisite body. All of it. As she lifts her leg in a high arabesque, I gaze longingly at the puffy outline of her labia and the indent where the thin, Lycra fabric stretches across her sex.
A fluttering of twinges stir my loins and I recall the many times that svelte body has lain in my bed, thighs spread, slender fingers beckoning. I quiver at the memory of soft moans rumbling in her throat when the tip of my tongue tastes the honey beading at the mouth of her soaking slit.
I watch her twist, turn, floating toward centre stage where she performs a slow, controlled, double pirouette.
Oh, Natalie…
I break free of my trance. I can't afford to daydream. I have a job to do. I'm the lighting designer for Natalie's dance and the light must be honed to complement her sensuous performance.

Here’s the complete Blog Tour schedule, with all the links currently available:


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction


December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Hushed

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Blog Tour for BLE Vol. 3, with Emily L. Byrne at "Rainbow's End"

Today, in her first-lust story, "Rainbow's End," Emily L. Byrne affirms the role feminist/queer book stores played for us in the past, and hopes that coming generations can  find places as welcoming and energizing as the ones we knew.  Plus an excerpt both hot and sweet.

Read on:

"Rainbow’s End” is my love song to feminist and queer bookstores as much as it is my latest erotic tale about hot women discovering each other. I’m a former feminist bookstore owner as well as a former collective member of two other bookstores, one feminist/lesbian, the other an anarchist collective, and I can still remember the first time I walked into The Women’s Eye Bookstore, circa 1985. I was a college student, on my way to discovering myself as bisexual and the store was alive with women’s energy, passion and rage.  I fell in love, not necessarily with every woman and book there, but with the feel of the place.

I have visited many a queer and/or feminist bookstore since then and have loved almost all of them. I miss each one that closes and celebrate each new one that opens. They were once central to our communities, providing a space to find each other and to organize that wasn’t at a bar. I think we still need them and I’d like to hope that the coming generations build their own version of that queer-centered space, with an atmosphere that works for them.

But enough pontificating. My story in this edition of Year’s Best Lesbian Erotica Vol. 3, “Rainbow’s End,” is about two women who fall in lust after a carload of guys assaults them on their way to a reading at a queer bookstore. Adrenaline is high and it and rage and community and camaraderie and desire are a potent cocktail, enough to make most of us drunk with longing and lust, if not love. Maybe more. Here’s an excerpt of the story to whet your appetite for more.

Excerpt from “Rainbow’s End:”

Then Alyssa went up to the podium and started reading, passionate words rolling out of her mouth to fill the small store. Her voice caressed their ears, her words like tongues on Lizzie’s skin. Despite her fears and her anxiety, she couldn’t help but respond. The stories were angry, erotic, fierce and Alyssa read each short piece perfectly. The room erupted into cheers each time she paused to drink from her water bottle.
She paused to answer a question and in that moment, Lizzie was conscious of being pressed up against A.J., of Sam on the other side of her, of Alyssa’s words licking their way up her thighs and every inch of her exposed skin. A.J. gave her a crooked grin and a slow lookover that made Lizzie flush before she grinned back.
It was warm in the store, warmer on the crowded couch, and Lizzie wanted…wanted so much. Wanted A.J.’s long fingers between her legs, wanted Alyssa’s nipples in her mouth, wanted…all of them. Every last woman and genderqueer and nonbinary person in the store. All of them. Tits, pussies, asses, any erogenous zones they wanted to share. Lizzie shivered at the idea. She’d never felt like this before. Was it just her? She was afraid to look around, afraid to wonder.
But that fear didn’t last long. A.J. nudged her shoulder, making her look up from the floor. “You doing okay?”
Lizzie fell into A.J.’s blue eyes. “Umm…yeah. I think so. Alyssa is really, really good.” She hesitated for a minute, then added, “I’m so glad that I made it here tonight. Even with those assholes and their fucking beer bottle.”
“Us too.” Sam nudged her shoulder from the other side, grinned at both of them, then turned away and kissed their date.
Lizzie looked away, aroused and embarrassed. A.J. caught her mood, like she was reading her mind, or so it felt to Lizzie. “Hey, I could use some air, but I think I’d like to pass on going out front for the time being. Misha and Lou have a little yard out back. You want to step outside with me for a couple of minutes?” A.J.’s voice was a quiet purr against her ear and Lizzie could feel herself blush.


Emily L. Byrne’s stories have appeared in such venues as Forbidden Fruit, Best Lesbian Erotica 20th Anniversary Edition, Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, Witches, Princesses and Women at Arms and Blood in the Rain 3. She is the author of Medusa’s Touch, Knife’s Edge: Kinky Lesbian Erotica and Desire: Sensual Lesbian Erotica. http://writeremilylbyrne.blogspot.com/.

Here’s our schedule of all the posts from contributors to the anthology, and potential links, which may change, so check back here. I’ll keep the list up-to-date.


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction


December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal


December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour, with Scout Rhodes and "Morning Fog"

Best Lesbian Erotica v. 3 Blog Tour: Scout Rhodes and “Morning Fog.”

The bio Scout Rhodes provided for this book is brief:

“Scout Rhodes is a middle-aged butch farmer who lives in western Massachusetts. She is a writer, an illustrator, and a book designer. Her butch paramour lives in San Francisco.”

All perfectly fine. But someone who knows her very well helped to write a more extensive description of Scout for this blog, one that gives us added insight regarding the story as well as showing how much of the author herself is embedded in it.

Here’s the special expanded version:

“Scout Rhodes is a silver fox butch who lives with her sheep and a gang of cats on an old farm in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. Scout’s first love is illustrating; however, writing is a close second. She and her long-distance paramour courted by penning kinky erotica for one another. “Morning Fog” was inspired by one of Scout’s visits to her beloved partner in the Bay Area; the tenderness and love they share shows in this early morning snippet of domesticity. The two characters in the story are older butch-identified queers who have experienced the painful variances of life and are grateful that, against all odds, they've found each other across a continent. Their relationship defies labels and norms on many levels. The romantic and mysterious fog that blankets San Francisco each night has a role to play in their story, rolling in at night to lull them to sleep and greeting them as they wake in one another's arms in predawn.”

Do you need an excerpt after that? Well, okay.

“Two gold star survivors who found each other in this crazy, neo-fascist cesspool that America has become, and we hold onto each other for dear life while living in the crosshairs. We hail from opposite coasts but managed to find each other, and we're not letting go. At this moment, we cling to each other in her bed in the heart of San Francisco. She is rousing from sleep, enfolded in my arms, her naked ass pressed against my belly, so inviting. I kiss her shoulders again and then the back of her closely shorn head, she wiggles and moans and this is how it begins.”

Now you need more, right?


Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour with R.G. Emanuelle's "The Auction"

Today's stop on the tour happens over at R.G. Emanuelle's web site,  http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

There's so much to say about her story that I'd have a hard time covering it all, and she can say it better than I can, so go on over there and read what she says. You'll not only learn about some very hot sex, but find insights into both writing erotica and female sexual desire.

Here's just a short part of it.

"What I hope I conveyed in this story is something that has been historically ignored (but that has changed with the advent of women-written erotica), which is female sexual desire. That’s what makes female-centered erotica different from male-centered pornography—the acknowledgment that women not only enjoy sex but are doing it for their own needs and not just to satisfy men’s. Older women, in particular, have been ignored in this area. There’s this notion that women lose their sexual desire after a certain age (whatever that is, pick one). On the contrary—when women enter perimenopause/menopause, hormones can rage and sexual desire can ebb and flow drastically. Many women experience a roller coaster of arousal, going from a complete deadening of the genitals one day to voracious, insatiable need for sex the next. Everyone’s different, but I’ve heard from enough women about the latter to know that it’s a real thing. A woman’s need for sex can be just as raw and just as powerful as any man’s. And that’s what I hope Gia conveys."

Ah yes. A condition that I've sometimes termed "a second adolescence."



Blog Tour List and Links


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

December 6
Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org 

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Sweet of My Heart: Bog Tour for Ble v. 3 with Anna Watson

Anna Watson has an amazing ability to find places to go with her stories that I never would have thought of, with characters unlike any I’ve seen before, and she makes it all work beautifully on multiple levels. This time she takes us to the Harlem of 1931 in “Sweet of My Heart,” where the Peace Mission of Father Divine offered free meals where even a dance hall girl could be fed. Here in her blog post she shares her process and reasons for writing this story, as well as describing a reading we did together in Provincetown in October. Yes, those cookies were tasty!

Now for Anna’s post:

One of the highlights of the year for me is always Women’s Week in Provincetown, and this year it was made even more wonderful by the BLE reading at Womencrafts, one of the oldest feminist bookstores in the US. It was a joy to read with our redoubtable editor, Sacchi Green, as well as fellow BLE contributors, Raven Sky, Josette Murray and Priscilla Scott Rhoades. We had a lovely audience, who certainly enjoyed the pussy-shaped shortbread cookies baked by Jody, a local dyke baker and artist extraordinaire. I love writing smut, and I especially love connecting directly with folx through readings like this.
As I say in my bio for BLE 3, I was raised to think that only fools believe in God, and I was taught to look at religion as a quaint curiosity. So of course, I’ve always been fascinated by religions, the more extreme the better. I just want to know more, more about those fools who go whole hog. Turns out they aren’t fools any more than those who subscribe to the atheism I was raised with, and what a relief that is!
Charmed Soul, for example, the butch love object in my story, is far from a fool. She knows she needs love; she knows she won’t get it from her family or from society in general, but she gets a lot of it from Father Divine and his followers – well, just as long as she does what she’s told. Enter Mimi LaRouge, a half-French femme working at a dance hall and very much in need of nourishment. All kinds of nourishment!
The idea for this story came to me as I was reading the fascinating biography of Father Divine, a real person, who has living followers still today, though he is long dead. The book, Father Divine: Holy Husband by Sara Harris with the assistance of Harriet Crittenden, was published in 1953, and gives a vivid picture of Father Divine’s world. As much as I enjoyed the book, I also am grateful that it sparked my imagination and gave me Charmed Soul and Mimi. Here, Mimi witnesses the followers of Father Divine vibrating, an indication of their passion and devotion.

From “Sweet of My Heart” by Anna Watson, BLE 3

Mimi LaRouge

Some agitation is growing at the table of Sweets. They have been singing one of their quirky, many-versed songs, the one about seeing his dear little feet and hands and the rest of it. The object of their worship pays no heed at all. Then, with no warning whatsoever, the Sweet to his right contracts upon herself, as if gut shot. She lets loose a great whoop and seems overcome with the fidgets. The flailing movements of her limbs propel her backwards in her chair, which tips over into the singing mass of Divinites behind her. She tumbles onto the floor where I can no longer see her, but I can hear her breathy yelps. Now the effect spreads, and one after another, the Sweets careen full tilt into ecstasy. They quiver, they teeter-totter. They rise or fall from their chairs, they stagger and convulse. Across from me, Nancy begins to breathe heavily and I reach over to squeeze her hand. “Oh, see their devotion!” she sighs, calming. It certainly is what Maman would call un spectacle. Unbound bosoms jiggle and sway, hips thrust forward and back, eyes are wide and staring, mouths mumble, drool, and call upon Father Divine. The God himself seems to take all this as his due, and calmly continues to wield his fork and knife.
My gaze keeps returning to Charmed Soul. I want to see how her devotion will possess her. I want to see her hair come loose from its stern braid and her slim torso dance. I want to see her feeling this passion. I want to see her control disturbed. But she alone among her sisters remains calm. Sad, defeated, she looks the very picture of a child left lonely on a playground where other, swifter children have abandoned her. Is her love of God not strong enough? The poor darling! As I am thinking this, she raises her head and our eyes meet.


Here’s the complete Blog Tour schedule, with all the links currently available:


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction


December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
December 13
https://xanwest.wordpress.com

M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2 

BLE v. 3 Blog Tour with Victoria Janssen and "Still Marching After All This Time"

Today our virtual road trip takes us to Victoria Janssen's Philadelphia, via her story "Still Marching: a Tale of Our Times." It turns out that "our times" stretch over decades. Go visit her post and you'll see what I mean. Hint: "I Can't Believe I Still Have to Protest This Shit!" Another hint: Victoria  tells us about the event that inspired her story, and it turns out that I was participating in the same event, although I was in Northampton, MA while she was in Philadelphia.

http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

On Loss and Anger and Being Unafraid: “Fearless” in Best Lesbian Erotica, Vol 3

Today T.C. Mill, author of "Fearless," takes us to her own blog at http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/.

Go there. Now, if you can. Her story in the book struck me (and some reviewers) with its fearless portrayal of love that works through past emotional trauma and recent medical trauma, all the while remaining tender and, in its way, uplifting and lit by sunshine.

The blog she's written shares her feelings about how she wrote her story, as well as a great deal of profound discussion about the issues faced in it. You really don't want to miss it. Trust me.

Sacchi


Here’s our schedule of all the posts from contributors to the anthology, and potential links, which may change, so check back here. I’ll keep the list up-to-date.

December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
December 13
https://xanwest.wordpress.com

M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Blog Tour for BLE v. 3, “Perfume” by R.D. Miller

Today we get not only a hot excerpt, but first-time author R. D. Miller lays it all on the line when it comes to how and why she wrote her story “Perfume” as well as what the Best Lesbian Erotica series has meant to her.

Here goes!


Hello Readers!

I want to thank you for reading the Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year Volume 3. This anthology means so much to me. I’m so excited to be included in this collection, and to have my work alongside these other women. This is my first publication, and in case you can't tell I’m really excited! The editor of the anthology asked me to discuss my story “Perfume” and the inspiration behind it. She wanted to know what my creative process was like and to include anything else that influenced my writing. I’ll try to keep it playful … lol

When I learned that my story was going to be included in the Best Lesbian Erotica Anthology, I was over the moon! Over the years, the work of Cleis Press has had so much impact on my identity. Especially this Anthology, its volumes hold a special place in my heart. As a sporty baby dyke, at 23 I moved to South Korea. I didn’t speak the language and had a very light understanding of the country and its culture.

I had met a beautiful woman at a queer bar in Halifax. She was moving to Korea where she would teach English. Sparks flew! And not to be outdone by all the other U-Haul toting lesbians that came before us, it was decided that I should go too. When true love is on the line, what’s 10,000 KMs… right?!

Living in Korea opened my heart, and I was transformed by my time there. I fell completely in love with the country. Yet, I longed for queer literature with a lesbian focus. It was difficult to find lesbian writing of any kind in Korea, let alone in English. So every time that I would fly home to Canada, I would ALWAYS stock up. The BLE series from Cleis Press was my perennial favourite. Filled with searing erotica, I would carefully pack the anthologies in my carry-on for the long flights back. When I thought no one was looking, I would slowly slip the volume out of my bag. From there I would furtively read the stories. Although, after reading “Ninjutsu” by Valerie Alexander, I realize that those long flights back could have been far more interesting if I had been a bit more bold!

People who’ve read my story often ask me if I’ve been to Grasse, where my piece “Perfume” is set in France. Yes, I have been to Grasse. I’ve been so lucky to have stepped foot on some of it’s legendary flower fields and visited its long storied perfumeries. The story, however, is entirely fiction. This totally did not happen:

“My pants are unfastened now and she roughly shoves her hand down them. She pauses, just long enough for her eyes to lock with mine and check for consent. I'm nodding like a madwoman, praying she doesn't stop.
She must be satisfied with that because her hand is suddenly inside of my underwear, and I am dripping for her. She gasps. She bites my earlobe, “You are so wet! My butch likes being shoved against the bathroom stall and fucked, does she?””

So how did the story come about? One night I was hanging out with @stashingbreadcrumbs, she’s a dear friend of mine. She was enjoying a cider, while I was enjoying a beer. Somewhere in the conversation we found ourselves drunkenly discussing interesting places we’d done it. She was blown away that with all the places I had been to I had very few stories of sex in interesting public places. From the pause in our dialogue, I could tell what she was thinking. I needed to do better!

So this got me thinking – of all the places that I have visited; if I could go back, where would have been the best place to share such an intimate act in such a public setting? I considered many locations and venues, but the perfume factory was the one place that kept coming up in my imagination.
When I got home that night, I grabbed my laptop and began to write down all of the fun I wish I’d had. Writing the sexy times came really naturally to me (… that was the fun part!). I would later construct the rest of the narrative for the story after deciding I would like to submit it for publication.

So there it is, as nude as the scent one wears. That’s the inspiration behind “Perfume”. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy every sizzling hot moment of Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year volume 3.


Notice: Any commenters on any of these blog posts will be entered into a drawing for a free ebook copy of this anthology. It's come to my attention that commenting here doesn't work for many folks, so commenting on my Blog Tour posts on Facebook will count for the drawing, as well, and I'll offer two copies as prizes. https://www.facebook.com/sacchi.green

Here’s our schedule of all the posts from contributors to the anthology, and potential links, which may change, so check back here. I’ll keep the list up-to-date.

December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
December 13
https://xanwest.wordpress.com

M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Blog for BLE v 3, “The Night Shift,” by Pascal Scott

You’ll laugh, you’ll wriggle in in your chair, and laugh and wriggle some more reading "Night Shift." Here’s what Pascal says about the inspiration for her story:

“For many years I was employed by a tourist destination in North Carolina. Part of that time I worked the night shift in its call center, booking adventure packages. As it happened, one of our toll-free numbers was one digit off from a popular sex line and so, on occasion, we would receive calls from confused men looking for the kind of good time we weren’t selling.

I sat in a cubicle across from a young woman from the Philippines, who was still getting a sense of the English language with its strange idioms and verbal nuances. One night she happened to answer one of those sex line callers who had misdialed. The conversation continued until our supervisor, monitoring the call from her office on her headphones, realized what was happening and came rushing out to tell my co-worker to hang up.
It turned out the caller was a woman. Because I was out as a lesbian to everyone at work, I joked that they should have let me handle the call. But it caused me to wonder, what kind of woman calls a sex line? “The Night Shift” is based on my fantasy of how that evening might have gone if I’d been in charge.”

And here’s a brief teaser of an excerpt:

“All right,” I say, making an executive decision. “I’ll play along. Let’s pretend you’ve just called a sex line—”
 “Well, I did just call a sex line, at least I meant to call a sex line—”
 “And you’ve reached the sexiest woman on the planet. Me.”
 “Hmm,” Sammy says, “That sounds interesting.”
I slip my voice into a lower register.
 “Thank you for calling Nine Hundred SLUT. My name is Roxy. What may I do for you tonight?”
 “Hey, you’re good,” Sammy tells me, surprised. “I like that voice.”
 “Thank you, baby. What’s your name? And may I call you baby?”
 “Sammy. And you may call me anything you like.”
 “Sammy,” I say, “I like your attitude. I can tell you’re a woman who knows what she wants and what Sammy wants tonight is an adventure. Sammy, I can assure you that you’ve reached the right girl.”
 “I believe I have,” Sammy replies.

Pascal Scott is the pseudonym of a lesbian writer whose short fiction has appeared in Thunder of War, Lightning of Desire: Lesbian Historical Military Erotica; Through the Hourglass: Lesbian Historical Romance; Order Up: A Menu of Lesbian Romance and Erotica; Unspeakably Erotic: Lesbian Kink; Best Lesbian Erotica, Vol. 2 (2017);Best Lesbian Erotica, Vol. 3 (2018); Harrington Lesbian Literary Quarterly; and other anthologies. She is currently trying her hand at novel writing by working on a series of lesbian mysteries. She’ll let you know how it goes.

Here’s our schedule of all the posts from contributors to the anthology, and potential links, which may change, so check back here. I’ll keep the list up-to-date.


December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
December 13
https://xanwest.wordpress.com

M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Husher

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

Blog Tour for Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year, Volume 3

Time to get this tour on the road!

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Lesbian-Erotica-Year-3/dp/1627782869/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543190819&sr=2

This is really more of a prelude to the tour, which will include posts by each contributor to the anthology. Some will post on their own web sites, while some will send me their posts to include here. There will be story-behind-the-story tales, steamy excerpts, and possibly some surprises. The schedule and links are listed way down below, although I don’t have all the final links yet, so checking back is advised.

Notice: Any commenters on any of these blog posts will be entered into a drawing for a free ebook copy of this anthology.


I edited this anthology, which is in fact the twenty-third in the iconic Best Lesbian Erotica series from Cleis Press, so of course I didn’t choose a story of my own for it. What I can offer instead is my introduction, to give you some idea of what you’ll find inside the book.

Introduction:

We open a book hoping to be taken somewhere—to faraway places, into the lives and inner thoughts of intriguing characters, into times past or even unexplored depths of ourselves. If the book is classed as erotica, we also expect to be intensely stirred both sensually and emotionally. The beauty of an anthology is that we can be taken in multiple directions, and meet an assortment of characters with a wide range of viewpoints.

The drawback is that with short stories we often wish for more time with these characters, these sensations, these adventures. But writers with a special gift for short fiction can still draw us deeply into the brief length of their work, with multidimensional characters, vivid settings, intriguing story arcs, and, of course, sex as intrinsic to the story as any setting.

I’ve been lucky enough in two previous volumes of this series to be the editor who gets to read the flood of submissions and decide which of the best, in my opinion, should be included. I could never fit all of the very best into the limited space of a single anthology, so I try for a balance, and as wide a variety of themes and styles as
possible, especially those I haven’t seen before. Originality is high on my wish list.

Here are some hints as to where the stories I chose will take you, and what you may find there. Could there be a better start than the fantasy-fulfillment story, “Jinjutsu,” set on a plane high above the Pacific en route from Tokyo to Honolulu? And what could feel more real than longtime lovers waking in the “Morning Fog” of San Francisco? How about touring the South of France in “Perfume,” or a massage in a Moroccan public bath in “Fuck Me Like a Canadian,” or a cabin “Where There’s Smoke” in the snowy North Country, or the surveillance area above the ceiling of a
Las Vegas casino where “Oliver: Twisted” begins?

New York City figures in at least three stories, playing different roles. In “The Auction,” the city is an artsy background for socialite fundraisers. In “Trying Submission,” it’s an upscale background for a decidedly non-upscale character. And the Harlem of 1931 in “Sweet of My Heart” is the home of a Peace Mission’s free meals where even a dance hall girl could be fed.

While most of the stories have contemporary settings, two more are set, at least partially, in the past. If you’re old enough to have been swept up in the rock and blues bands frenzy of the ’60s and ’70s, you may catch the significance of September, 1970, and even if you aren’t that old, you’ll find out in “Jani-Lyn’s Dragon.” And in “Still Marching,” old friends who met and parted twenty-five years ago at a march for abortion rights in Washington DC bump into each other at a present-day march in Philadelphia.

There are various themes included in the anthology. I had quite a few submissions featuring coffeehouse encounters, but “Husher” is the one I chose for its deft and evocative style. There were also several submissions involving cancer, something I hadn’t seen before, and others referring to trauma from past abuse; I went with “Fearless,” which included both, along with a beautifully uplifting conclusion. Of the several stories I received featuring differently abled or neuro-atypical characters, I settled on “Trying Submission,” with a vulnerable character who lingers vividly in
my mind.

On another tack, “The Night Shift” proves to be just the right time for accidental phone sex. Then the familiar professor/former student theme of “Rules” travels in unexpected directions and gets as steamily entertaining as they come, while the queer bookstore in “Rainbow’s End” provides an ideal place for a hesitant would-be writer to find just what she hardly dared hope for. And in the beautifully balanced “Yin and Yang,” a contemporary ballet dancer and her lighting-technician lover make the perfect team, while the writing, alternating between lyrical and straightforward, makes the perfect presentation of their story.

Yes, all of these stories include hot, intense sex, in its many-splendored manifestations. I’ll leave you to discover those, scene by scene. A word of caution: you may not get jet lag from this journey, but a suitable recovery period between stories is highly recommended. Trust me.

So, are you ready to take your own journey through these blog posts, and potentially through the seventeen stories?

Schedule of Blog Posts:

December 1
Sacchi Green
Introduction
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 2
Pascal Scott
The Night Shift
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 3
R. D. Miller
Perfume
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 4
T.C. Mill
Fearless
http://tc-mill.com/2018/12/04/on-loss-and-anger-and-being-unafraid-fearless-in-best-lesbian-erotica-vol-3/

December 5
Victoria Janssen
Still Marching
http://victoriajanssen.com/2018/12/still-marching-a-tale-of-our-times/

Anna Watson
Sweet of My Heart
December 6
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 7
R.G. Emanuelle
The Auction
 http://rgemanuelle.com/2018/12/07/the-auction

December 8
Scout Rhodes
Morning Fog
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 9
Emily L. Byrne
Rainbow’s End
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 10
Mags Hayward
Yin and Yang
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

Valerie  Alexander
Ninjutsu
December 11
valeriealexander.org

December 12
Xan West
Trying Submission
https://xanwest.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/the-alchemy-of-d-s

December 13
M. Birds
Where There’s Smoke
www.mbirds.ca/journal

December 14
Raven Sky
Fuck Me Like a Canadian
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 15
Sommer Marsden
Hushed

December 16
Lea Daley
Rules
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 17
Nan Barret
Oliver: Twisted
sacchi-green.blogspot.com

December 18
Nat Burns
Jani-Lyn’s Dragon
sacchi-green.blogspot.com