Vibrator.com Talks with Erotica Author Raven McQuade

Keith Publications imprint Wicked Ink Press is set to launch the career of a hot new erotica author, Raven McQuade. Vibrator.com’s resident blogger, Desiree Sweet, gets up close and personal with McQuade, who offers tips on how to write better erotica, talks about the market for erotic shorts and reveals some intimate details about her life.

Desiree Sweet: In a few sentences, what is Broken Dreams about?
Raven McQuade: My story is about the fulfillment of a fetish fantasy. Jessie, a romance author, meets the very sexy Mike when he rescues her from her own clumsiness. Little does she know he has a fetish for feet and the medical fetish- casting. He never reveals that fetish, but it is very clear to anyone into it when they read.

Desiree: Casting… that’s an interesting fetish. Is that something you have experience with?
Raven: Well, you could say I’ve put my time in. [lol] I’ve worn my fair share of casts…and truth be told, I’m known in certain circles.

Desiree: Is the book autobiographical in any other ways?
Raven: Again, you could say so. My ‘Caster’ has given my toes a kiss once or twice. Though I haven’t spied on him…might have to, now.

Desiree: What tips do you have for someone who wants to write erotica?
Raven: First you need to have a flair for fiction. Second — and this is imperative — you must love sexuality. The two go hand in hand. Someone that does not love sex cannot write good, believable sex scenes. If you do not have a flair for being creative — you can’t be good at writing or having sex, I’m afraid.

Desiree: Very interesting point, Raven! Anything else?
Raven: As for writing erotica, any writer could try their hand at it. The process is exactly like writing any other genre. You write a compelling story, then search for the publisher right for you. Polish your story, send a great query and hope the editor likes your story as much as you do. I feel honored that Keith Publications owner, Mary Keith, loved my story at first read. She accepted my story for the KP imprint, Wicked Ink Press, in about 24 hours, if that.

Desiree: Tell us a bit about Wicked Ink Press… Is it new?
Raven: Very new. The company will officially launch in September, but titles will be available for download as they are added to the storefront. Some writers tend to shy away from new epublishers…I feel the reason some new epublishers fail is writers don’t approach them, fearing that since they are new, they will not make it. I’m the exact opposite: How will I know how well a company treats me until I work with them? So far, I’ve been very happy.

Desiree: So KP / Wicked Ink is accepting submissions from up-and-coming writers?
Raven: They definitely are. Published, unpublished and experimental.

Desire: Experimental. Would you consider your work experimental because it deals with a fetish?
Raven: No, not really. I cover the fetish in a way that it isn’t obvious to anyone that isn’t aware of it. It sounds and reads more like he is into feet which is generally more well known. Anyone that likes to read about hot sex may enjoy my story.

Desiree: What’s the most challenging part of writing erotica to you?
Raven: The man’s orgasm. Good grief, I really, really did not want to screw up and talk about his hot man juice or seed.

Desiree: LOL – I love it! I had the pleasure of reading some pieces of Broken Dreams (thank you for sharing that, by the way…) How did you manage to bring the characters to life in such a captivating way?
Raven: Now you’re making me blush. I think a lot of it has to do with my background in high school. I did a stint with Drama. But the biggest influence on how I write my characters? Years of role-playing. Yes, folks. I am a geek chick.

Desiree: Oh! Roleplaying in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy sense, not “You’re the cabana boy and I’m the lonely heiress…”
Raven: Hahaha! I role-played Vampire the Masquerade for years, Dungeons & Dragons, and some other games. I’m a die-hard gamer.

Desiree: For someone who wants to learn more about writing erotica, where can they go to learn more about the craft, improve their skills and network with other writers?
Raven: For aspiring writers- check out the AbsoluteWrite forums section on erotica. Nothing else compares to that.You can write to challenges, share your work for critiques and ask advice without feeling “weird.”

Desiree: One last question… when will your book be out? And can we pre-order copies now?
Raven: Actually, it will be available very soon. After the final edit it will be formatted and placed in the storefront at Wicked Ink Press. Don’t expect novel length, though. It’s a short, about 25 pages on an e-reader if I remember correctly.

Image courtesy of Lily at CastFetish.com.

Seven Tips to Better, Safer Cybersex

“I’m going to have you all over the Web!” I uttered to a close friend.

Um, wait… that wasn’t exactly what I meant, and knowing the friend is an author of erotica, my words took on a whole new meaning. I was really just interviewing her for a writer’s blog, since she recently signed on as editor at a publishing company and just got proofs of her first published erotic short.

But if you choose to “have” someone (in the sexy sense of the word), the Web has plenty of venues in which to do so. My preference is plain old cybersex through a text-based chat interface of your choice — Digsby, Facebook, AIM … G-Talk is my favorite, but only because of the innuendo in its name.

Cybersex is easy and relatively safe. You can’t transmit or receive STDs, and don’t have to worry about condoms, pregnancy, or even cleaning up a mess on the sheets (okay, well maybe the last one!) Here are a few tips to have better, safer cybersex.

1. Set the stage with strong imagery. While words can be sexy, pictures bring our fantasies to life. That’s why porno DVDs sell so much better than erotic novels. Create a picture in your cyber-lover’s mind with your words. Tell the  tale of what you’re wearing — except if it’s flannel pants and a baggy sweatshirt. Then use your imagination to make up the sexiest outfit you can think of, and describe it in glorious detail. That’s one great thing about cybersex — he’ll never know you’re fibbing!

2. Don’t let typos and “net-speak” distract you or your cybersex partner. Proper spelling makes a smoother read for everyone. And how much longer does it really take to type “your” instead of “ur?”    In fact, most people over age 18 actually have to take more time to convert appropriate spelling into net-speak in our minds before we type. It’s easier to spell out most words. On the other hand, don’t obsess over correct grammar. Just do the best you can and get lost in the moment. Your lover will know what you mean.

3. Be explicit. The hottest cybersex I ever had involved a play-by-play interaction of exactly what I’d do to my lover — and what he’d do to me. We held nothing back, describing everything from the first caress to our mutual, and simultaneous, orgasms.

4. Be creative. Cybersex is a fabulous form of fantasy. Don’t worry if it’s nothing you’d actually want to do in person — you can still talk about it. I’ve had sexy conversations with my lover discussing acts I’m not quite ready for, but are fun to think about! By the same token, there’s no reason to bring the conversation around to anything that makes you uncomfortable. You can steer things in the right direction by sayer (er, typing) “How about we…?”

5. Don’t reveal personal details. I’m not going to be judgmental. Some people have cybersex with strangers. If you do, be careful not to reveal personal details. It’s okay to share the color of your underwear or your favorite sex position, but don’t reveal where you live, for instance, or your place of business or your favorite hangout. You don’t know if the person on the other end of your broadband connection could be a stalker.

6. Better yet, stick with people you know in real life. When you play on the ‘net, you never know what you’re getting. Forty-year-old men can pretend to be 22-year-old porn stars. By the same token, 14-year-old girls can also pretend to be 22-year-old porn stars. And police officers can pretend to be 14-year-old girls pretending to be 22-year-old porn stars. (Got that?) You can get in serious trouble having cybersex with a minor — or someone you believe to be a minor. It’s safer for a variety of reasons to stick to having cybersex with people you know in real life.

7. Webcams add another element to cybersex. If you’re having cybersex with someone you already know, setting up the webcam can really spice it up. Besides, it’s a great way to make sure no one is playing false identity games. Alternately, you can create an avatar in Second Life and have an affair of endless possibilities through your online persona. But that’s a post for another day….

The Art and Craft of Writing Erotica

As a professional sex blogger, my job is to keep readers entertained and informed. In some posts, I seek simply to instruct, sharing an array of tips and tricks you can employ in your own bedroom.

But in my spare time, I’ve been known to pen some pretty creative erotica. I’m talking fantasies that make Penthouse letters look tame. Group sex, sex in public places, sex with celebrities, sex with elves… Okay, I’m kidding about the last part.

But you don’t need a BA in journalism or a fancy title like professional sex blogger to write stories that will entice your lover while giving depth, breadth and realism to your fantasies. If I had to share the biggest benefit to writing erotica, it’s the opportunity to lay out intricate fantasies on plain white paper, making them one step closer to reality.

How do you write erotica? The rules for writing good erotica are the same rules that apply to writing anything. These tips will make the entire process easier. But above all, don’t worry about the quality. Are you enjoying the process of writing? Does your lover enjoy reading it? That’s all that matters.

These five tips will help you get over any fears of the blank screen and permit you to pen pornographic prose that will delight readers – and yourself!

1. Be yourself. People think writing (any sort of writing) is difficult because they think it should sound different from how they talk. Just be yourself. Sit down and share a story.

2. Remember your characters. Most unpublished fiction falls flat because the characters don’t have personalities. Much amateur erotica doesn’t make the grade because the characters have no motivation other than to, by the end of the story, get Point A into Slot B.To avoid this common faux pas, write out a quick “character sketch” of your main characters. What is their history? What do they look like? What are their key personality traits and their motivations? Incorporate these details throughout the story to help create living, breathing characters. For beginners making a foray into erotica, you may wish to pattern the characters after yourself and your lover. Not only is this easy – it’s hot!

3. Give it a plot. It’s definitely okay to write to “get to the sex scene,” in the style of most porn flicks. But if you strive to raise your story above the level of “porn” to “erotica,” incorporate a plot. Let your imagination run wild. This is your fantasy, after all. Just remember, conflict drives your plot. The simplest version is: character A wants something. Character B is blocking them. Most plots derive from some variation of that basic formula. See? Writing is easy!

4. Show, don’t tell. If you’ve ever taken a creative writing course, you’ve heard this adage. But what does it mean? Use details to permit your story to unfold naturally.Telling: He climbed on top of her and they started fucking.Showing: He looked down at her naked body, glistening with sweat and sprawled spread-eagle across the downy white comforter. Her big brown eyes seemed to say, “Take me.” And he did. He wasted no time in bending over her form, pushing himself forcefully inside her. They both moaned with pleasure from the first penetration. The mattress seemed to groan from the added weight, and soon, his thrusts kept time with the squeaking springs.

5. Use all five senses. Sex is about so much more than visual and tactile sensations. There’s your lover’s unique scent. Gentle moans, soft groans, and loud squeals. And don’t forget the exciting tastes – lips, tongue, love juices. Write your story to appeal to all five senses… and soon, you’ll find your lover appealing to you to write the sequel – or maybe enact it in real life!

NY Hotel Sets New Standard for Public Sex

We all know sex sells. But a luxurious New York City hotel has created a unique brand of free publicity with its floor-to-ceiling picture windows in each room. The windows provide guests with a spectacular view of the NYC skyline and nearby High Line Park in the meatpacking district. But they also create quite a spectacle for outsiders looking in.

A racy ad referring to the 18-story Standard Hotel’s opening during construction had a sexy lady clad only in a tool belt declaring, “We’ll put up with your banging if you put up with ours.” And the hotel’s blog and Facebook page specifically requested erotic photos of hotel guests.

Everything, from the full-length windows to the all-glass shower located in the center of the all-glass room, declares the Standard an exhibitionist’s paradise. And New Yorkers and out-of-towners have taken advantage, having sex, masturbating, or simply posing nude in front of the windows, much to the joy of camera-wielding passersbys. One report even cited a naked girl jumping up and down on a trampoline right in front of a window.

Then the New York Post and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn decided to rain on this naked parade. After a report in Monday’s Post, Quinn phoned hotel management, who vowed to make “a concerted effort to remind guests of the transparency of the guest room windows.”

However, Post reporters following up undercover as hotel guests received no such reminder, although the request for erotic photos had vanished from the hotel’s Web site.

Clearly, I’m no prude. And I’m definitely not offended by sex acts – public or otherwise. But I have to agree with the politicians and the Post in this situation. 1). Hotel guests are engaged in illegal acts of indecent exposure. 2). There are children in the park. Anyone who’s been around children should know it’s nearly impossible to keep children from looking at something you don’t want them to see, short of removing the offending material or removing the children from the area.

Then the cynical New Yorker in me thinks, if people having sex 18 stories up is the worst thing your kids see in the city, it’s a good day.

As I come to the close of this report, though, I remember the original idea of exposure in front of the full-length windows began as a PR ploy, with hotel staff posing nude in front of the windows during the hotel’s opening to attract attention. I’d never heard of the Standard prior to the Post’s report, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Brilliant marketing. And it worked for nearly a year.

Both the exhibitionist and voyeur in me thinks a visit to the Standard might be fun. I better hurry, before the curtains close (and rightfully so) in this unique New York City landmark.

Hollywood Exhibit Celebrates Mainstreaming of Porn

I’m sitting here watching Lifetime’s The Secret Lives of Women. It is about swingers. Last week’s episode focused on prostitution. In the beginning of January, G4’s Attack of the Show team covered the Adult Entertainment Expo for the second year running, showcasing products such as the Boob bong on the air during prime time. Is porn really going mainstream?

My personal and professional opinion as an astute member of the media—both mainstream and erotic? Yes. And it has been for some time.

Is this a bad thing? Not for the millions of “mainstream” men and women looking to add some excitement into their love lives. I’m sure for every couple who might shake their heads in disgust – or at least say “not for me”—if they came across the Secret Lives of Women while channel surfing one night, just as many would be intrigued. They might not be ready to place an ad on Craigslist to find another couple to play with or call up her best friend for a ménage a trois, but the idea might spark an interesting conversation about fantasies and boundaries.

The trend has been going on for quite some time. We have multiple modern-day examples. My Bare Lady, a FOX series, focused on blossoming porn stars trying to make it big. The next year, Ron Jeremy was one of the stars in The Surreal Life.

More recently, the Sex and the City movie showed full frontal male nudity and still garnered a mere “R” rating. Years before, Carrie Bradshaw made talk of Rabbit vibes acceptable at the office water cooler. And let’s face it… the Internet makes porn accessible to anyone with a computer, Internet connection, and two fingers to type “tits” or “pussy.”

But the mainstreaming of porn pre-dates reality T.V. and the Internet, and a new exhibit at the World of Wonder’s storefront gallery in L.A. drives home the point. The exhibit “All-American Porn: 25 Years of Erotic Photography from Vivid Entertainment” opens February 14 with a Valentine’s Day cocktail party from 7PM – 11PM. Guests will be able to meet Vivid Girls and also enjoy a screening of excerpts from “Deeper Throat,” Vivid’s third premium cable TV series which debuts that evening.

On February 19, a free panel discussion hosted by World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey explores topics such as: How Vivid became the world’s top adult studio offered by the company’s co-founder and co-chairman Steven Hirsch; How to direct an adult movie, presented by legendary director Paul Thomas; and What it takes to be an adult superstar with inside tips from Vivid Girls.

Vivid was the first company to bring porn into the mainstream, creating adult films with high product values and turning the performers into “stars” with the creation of the Vivid Girls. Since “Ginger” starring Ginger Lynn was released in 1984, the face of porn—at least as far as adult films went—changed. Explicit images on the front of VHS tapes gave way to artful photography of gorgeous women that—you guessed it—had mainstream appeal. Years later, Vivid was the first production company to offer titles targeted to couples.

So you could say porn’s been “mainstream” for more than a quarter of a century. But  what I find so ironic is that people who enjoy sex are not—and never were—freaks! In fact, I don’t think there’s anything not mainstream about buying a vibrator or reading a sex blog.

Although I write for Vibrator.com, love shopping for sex toys, and have had a few experiences swinging, I consider myself to be pretty “mainstream.” In a lot of ways, my love for science fiction is more “fringe” than my healthy sexual appetite. (Yes, another confession from Desiree Sweet: I’m a closet Trekkie!)

As a group, Americans have always been more conservative about sex and nudity than, say, Europeans. Maybe we’re just now catching up to the rest of the world.

What do you think? Is porn getting more and more mainstream or are Americans—perhaps with the exception of Facebook—just getting less uptight?

I Remember The Day I Met Tammy – Part 3

She’s being so careful, I can tell. Her bites lack that edge of pain I know to associate with bruising. She’s denting my skin, and will perhaps leave a faint shadow or two, but the dents will mostly just last for the time we’re together. Her hand is grabbing my hair with ferocity, but she’s restraining in her pulls, timid about hurting me too much, timid about scaring me by forcing my face into the shower stream for too long. But it’s working regardless, I am being thrown into a heady place by all of the sensations. Warm water washes over me as I curve my back with the pulls at my hair. I shriek and groan as her teeth rest in my muscles, and each time she bites my pussy pulses around her invading fingers.

She continues like that, letting up on the biting as her finger start to thrust faster and faster into my cunt. She stops thrusting for a moment and then resumes, having shifted the position of her fingers in the process. Now her thumb is gliding along externally, running along my slit and bumping over my clit. Inside of me, she’s doing something new with her fingers, because all of a sudden it feel amazing. My breathing gets heavy, my back tenses and I start to yelp. She pulls at my hair as she pounds at my cunt with her hand and then I just go off, falling against the wall as my knees buckle lightly. My thighs squeeze together around her hand, which is now clamped in me and wiggling ever so slightly. She takes her hand from my hair and gathers me up, pulling me back to her, pressing her body up against my back. When my quivering subsides, she releases her hand from between my thighs, and while still embracing me brings them up to my mouth.

“Suck.” She says – whispering a command I can’t help but obey. I take her fingers into my mouth and suck my cunt off of them, sloppily and unrestrained. She laughs and tells me that I must like the taste of pussy. I suck greedily as she uses her fingers to fuck my mouth the way she has just fucked my cunt.

“I want you to suck on me now.” She says, quite plainly. It’s a question, I know, but I like the fact that it sounds like a command. She turns her back to the wall and leans back, spreading her legs. The water from the shower head flows down her body.

“Kneel between my legs – over the drain – and suck me.”

Which I do, obediently. It’s hard to find a comfortable position at first, but I eventually find one and settle in, letting my tongue gently pry apart her smooth wet lips. I bring my lips in and use them to pull at her labia, enjoying the way they snap back every time. I lick down her slit, and bury my tongue into her cunt, enjoying the taste of her juices. As I lick her, she quivers and wiggles. Sometimes her body arches so that the water drains down off her side. Other times, it floods down into my mouth, mingling with her juices and making me struggle to hold my breath.

“Suck.” She exclaims, pulling my face to her clit and arching her body so that the water cascades onto me. I sputtered and looked up at her. “Suck.”

So I suck. I form a seal around her clit with my lips and suck. Gently at first, slurping the stream of water up off of her as I do. She moans deeply in response, and brings her hands to my head, grabbing my hair hard and pulling my face firmly to her sex. Her legs shudder and quiver as her orgasm washes over her and into my mouth with that stream of water.

I keep my mouth on her till she stops shaking, and then she helps me stand, pulling me in for a tender kiss as she does. “Thanks!” She says brightly, turning off the shower and collecting her towel as she winks at me. I follow a moment later, throwing on my clothes hastily. I sum up all of my courage and approach her before I go.

“So…that was fun. I hope we can do it again sometime…”

Red is a sex blogger that’s been at it since early 2004. Her work can be found at http://www.redsneakerdiaries.com, where she writes flash fiction about kink and all things sexy, reviews sex products, answers questions, and attempts to uncover the science behind sex. Her work has been featured on Playboy Radio and numerous sex blog and/or information websites. Red can be reached at redsneakerdiary@hotmail.com.

I Remember The Day I Met Tammy – Part 2

My pulse slams heavy in my head – never has a choice seemed so obvious yet so *scary*. I watch her turn on the water and rinse her hair, and when she finishes I take a deep breath and walk across the room towards her stall.

Her face lights up as she sees me coming. She turns her body to face me, and as soon as I get close her hands catch my arms and she pulls me to her. She brings her mouth to my ear and speaks softly.

“Do you really think I haven’t noticed how you look at me?” She’s got her body all folded into mine, somehow, with her leg pressed firmly between mine.

“You’re hungry for me. I can see it all over you.” I moan – her tone is stern and scolding, but with a playful edge. Her breath is heavy on my ear and now her lips are grazing along the nape of my neck, kissing tenderly.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” She whispers, making me jump as I am startled out of the blissful state in which I had been floating. I move my lips, but nothing really comes out – perhaps a squeak or a small sigh. She stops her kisses and slowly, deliberately sinks her teeth into that spot where my neck curves to meet my shoulder. I groan, long and low.

“You’re not talking, but your body is. It’s telling me you like what I’m doing.” Her leg is pressing up into me now, applying pressure on my sex, lifting me up slightly on my tip toes. I am off balance just enough to sway slightly, grinding onto her leg as I do. Her lips kiss up my neck and then meet mine. On my lips, she is hard and forceful, and I feel like I am melting in her wake; like my own lips are made of wax, softening and accommodating her strong, warm and passionate kiss. I’m locked in-between the force of her thigh pressing me upwards and the force of her lips pressing down on me…

She breaks our lip embrace suddenly, and releases the tension in her leg. I am dropped from her trap and I immediately miss it. I lean in to try and find her lips again with mine, but she’s on my neck again, nibbling and biting the nape, following my moans of ecstasy as they guided her towards the back of my neck. She turns me around with her hands, and instructs me to lean against the wall for support.

I place my hands on the shower wall and look up into the spray that is cascading down upon us. I feel Tammy at my back, caressing up and down my back with her soft hands. I try – once, twice – to turn around and touch her, but she keeps pushing me back into this position – facing the shower. Finally, she comes in close, wrapping my body with hers and returns to the kisses on my neck. This time, however, she’s discovered that bites at the base of my neck/top of my back make me quiver, so she’s sinking her teeth into me as well – oh so gently, but with ever increasing force. I moan appreciatively and mumble that I love it, and she bites harder.

Her hands start to roam again – one ends up tangled in my hair, the other trails down my back and towards my inner thigh. She bites again as she pulls at my hair, drawing a moan from me as my face is pulled into the shower stream. I feel the spattering of the lukewarm water hitting my cheeks and eyelids as her other hand finally find its way into the folds between my legs, slicing in deeper and deeper till she’s buried into my sex, making me drip as her fingers dance inside of me…

Red is a sex blogger that’s been at it since early 2004. Her work can be found at http://www.redsneakerdiaries.com, where she writes flash fiction about kink and all things sexy, reviews sex products, answers questions, and attempts to uncover the science behind sex. Her work has been featured on Playboy Radio and numerous sex blog and/or information websites. Red can be reached at redsneakerdiary@hotmail.com.

I Remember The Day I Met Tammy – Part 1

It was a lonely morning in the pool. Most mornings were these days – the summer was wrapping up and people were spending more time outdoors, less time indoors. That suited me fine; I liked to swim without distractions. So did Tammy. It had been her and I doing the morning swim for weeks, with rare random others. We’d never spoke and I never saw her in the change room, but I always saw her in the pool.

Today when I finished my swim, she was still going. I went to the locker room and grabbed my shampoo and headed for the shower. This pool has just a one room shower facility (women only of course!), but with a few semi-private stalls. I pulled off my suit, hung it over the bar by my shower head and turned on the stream to a lukewarm temperature. As I worked some shampoo though my hair, I closed my eyes and sigh. The water feels great; I imagine it rinsing the pool off of me as I rinse my hair clean.

I open my eyes and looked out from under the stream of water. I am not alone in this pool shower room anymore – Tammy is standing across from me. She’s naked, her blue bathing suit draped over the railing beside her shower’s spot. The water streams down her body; she melts into it as it runs in rivulets across her curves. Her skin shimmers bronze in the steam of the shower, and she sparkles as she releases the tight binding holding back her chestnut hair. Her nipples look like marshmallows.

Realizing I’m staring, I sheepishly smile at her, and she smiles back. She doesn’t seem phased so I just assume she didn’t see me ogling – perhaps I’d been subtle in my absentminded way, or perhaps she hadn’t been paying attention. I force my attention back onto the ritual of cleaning post swim – it’s so not appropriate to start leering at fellow shower mates, no matter how hot they are…

I open my eyes and she’s looking at me. She smiles as I meet her eyes and she takes the opportunity to call for my attention

“Can I bother you for some shampoo?”

I catch my voice in my throat – I croak out a “Sure, no problem” as I hold the green squeeze bottle out towards her. She floats towards me – like and angel gliding through the mist. Her hand snakes out and reaches for the bottle – he fingers collide with mine. Electricity sparks through the air – we both feel it, there’s no denying that. Yet I pretend I don’t know that she felt what I felt, and she pretends something similar. Our eyes meet but I break the eye contact very quickly. I sigh and lean back as she pops the shampoo bottle top and squeezes some into her hand. She smiles again and leans into me, presumably to place the bottle on a small shelf just off to my side. As her body comes close to mine, everything seems to slow down. I’m standing so still, afraid that if I move or if I even breathe, I might break the spell. She’s so close to me, I just want to press my body onto hers, to let our curves fit together in a soapy mess…

And then she pulls back, raising her hand to run the shampoo into her hair. She smiles as she walks – not back to her shower, but to one of the semi private stalls.

This is a big moment for me, I am paralyzed with indecision. Sure the stall is pretty private, and well shielded from the entry to the room, but it’s still a public shower room!

She turns to look at me, her eyes asking the obvious – care to take this further?

Red is a sex blogger that’s been at it since early 2004. Her work can be found at http://www.redsneakerdiaries.com, where she writes flash fiction about kink and all things sexy, reviews sex products, answers questions, and attempts to uncover the science behind sex. Her work has been featured on Playboy Radio and numerous sex blog and/or information websites. Red can be reached at redsneakerdiary@hotmail.com.

Bedtime Stories

When your lover says “talk dirty to me,” does your mind go blank and your tongue turn frigid? It’s tough to come up with creative, enticing, sexy statements that don’t sound like a bad porno.

In all likelihood, your lover doesn’t care exactly what you say, so long as you’re talking. Be honest about your thoughts and feelings, and describe your fantasies in as much detail as you can muster. You can always do a play-by-play, too, of what you’re doing to him or her—or what you’d like your lover to do to you.

But if you just can’t bring yourself to come up with enough dirty deeds and words to satisfy, why not let someone else do the hard part?

From Penthouse Magazine’s monthly letters (also collected in several books) to Anne Roquelaire’s Sleeping Beauty series, there’s enough erotica out there to keep you talking dirty for days.

It’s worth noting that some writers and readers choose to make distinctions between erotica and porn. Personally, I’ve always thought of erotica as having a plot and character development intertwined with scintillating sexual scenes. Porn gets straight to the sex.

When it comes down to it, however, the distinctions are irrelevant. Some couples may get turned on by the love scenes in a Harlequin romance, while others will seek the Fetish section of Literotica for their fix.

What makes books and stories better than off-the-cuff dirty talk? First, you can hide your eyes behind the book—a great bonus for someone who’s shy. Reading aloud can be even more titillating than talking dirty; it forces you to prolong the foreplay. Waiting to initiate sexual contact until the climax and resolution of the story can be hot! Trust me, you don’t want anything too long… no more than 10 pages or a few thousand words. The Wet collection features seven short, sensual stories that are perfect for reading aloud before bed.

Whatever your choice of–ahem–literature, here are a few tips for reading:

Take it slow. Take deep breaths between sentences, and pause after particularly racy scenes to let the experience sink in. Build tension by slowing down your speech.

You may naturally speak a little faster during action sequences or when the author uses a lot of short sentences in a row, but you never want to sound like you’re rushing to get to the next page.

Make sure to enunciate, don’t mumble. Also, don’t talk into the book as this will muffle your voice.

Use inflection. Remember those kids in school who used to read like robots? It was painful then, and it’s no fun to hear it now. Pretend you’re telling a story (which you are) and use natural inflection in your voice. If you can do it without sounding (or feeling) silly, you may even want to come up with different voices for different characters.

The first few times I read to my lover, I tried for a sexy, breathless “phone sex operator” voice and quickly discovered it was hard to keep up. Speak in whatever way feels natural to you, so long as it’s clear and slow. Most importantly, relax and enjoy the story yourself! That’s part of the fun!