Why would anyone want to write about chocolate and sex?

It's Day Two of my interviews with the More Smut for Chocoholics authors and today they're talking about why they wanted to write for the anthology. Yeah, yeah, I know, why wouldn't you want to? Tomorrow, I'll be turning really mean and asking them how they'd cope in a world without chocolate. Catch up on yesterday's post here.

What made you want to write for More Smut for Chocoholics?

Victoria Blisse: My husband made me. Heh, no, not really. He is one of the editors and he might have reminded me a time or two about the call but I love smut and chocolate so I didn’t need much persuading to get one written.

Slave Nano: Love of chocolate + Pagan Goddess = story. I just couldn’t miss the opportunity of putting Ixcacao, the Aztec Goddess of Chocolate, into a sexy story.

Anna Sky: Chocolate and sex, what could be better?! I had a few ideas but really needed to get a spanking in there, to stay true to my writing form. A friendly dom teasing his girlfriend seemed the perfect way to do it.

Jillian Boyd: I'd missed out on writing for the first Smut for Chocoholics and felt a bit bummed out about it. So when this call came around, I jumped on it and wrote my story.

Vanessa de Sade: The combination of my two passions. Sex and chocolate, with the added bonus of being able to indulge in a voluptuous Victorian setting complete with Rubenesque ladies being very naughty…

Lucy Felthouse: Because I love chocolate—simple as that. I’m definitely a chocoholic!

Wendi Zwaduk: Easy! I love chocolate and adding play to having chocolate equals YUM! Plus I love working with Mitnik and Tilly. They are awesome. (Aww, thanks Wendi.)

Aurelia T Evans: I think playing with chocolate and whipped cream might have been one of my first sexual fantasies. I’m glad I was finally able to use that in one of my stories. In addition, I’m fascinated by fairy tales. “Crumbs” is loosely based on the “Hansel & Gretel” story, because who doesn’t like a gingerbread house full of desserts that they’re compelled to eat?

Nicole Gestalt: I have a story in Smut for Chocoholics and, well, I love chocolate! I'd had the idea for The Competition for a while and was just looking for a reason to get down to writing it, the submission call for More Smut for Chocoholics was the perfect excuse.

Annabeth Leong: I'd written for the original Smut for Chocoholics and had a great time (and loved reading the resulting book)! When I heard there was a follow-up planned, I knew I had to be in on it.

Tilly Hunter: I like to approach a theme like this from unexpected angles (so to speak). So Chocoholics gave me the chance to think about some unusual aspects – like the fact that Aztec women were forbidden from consuming cacao, and, in my other story, the development of a chocolate beer (not so unexpected for anyone who knows me, I guess!).

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

Chocoholic authors share their sweet secrets...

Feeling a bit peckish? How about a couple of squares of deliciously velvety dark chocolate? Or maybe you prefer the melt-in-the-mouth feel of something creamier and packed with sugar? I asked our More Smut for Chocoholics authors what they thought, and the answers made me, well, hungry. Tomorrow, they'll be sharing all about why they wanted to write for the anthology.

What is your favourite kind of chocolate and why?

Victoria Blisse: The chocolate in my hand…no, seriously now. I am a complete sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Oh, they are my sweet, sweet downfall.

Slave Nano: Cadbury’s flake. I love collecting all the bits in the wrapper and shovelling them into my mouth. And they’re so crumbly and sensuous (influenced by TV advertising – me? No!).

Anna Sky: Fairtrade, organic, dark as possible. I let it melt on my tongue, and savour it for as long as possible. Otherwise, I’m a fan of “peanutella” – a crazy concoction of chocolate spread and peanut butter on my toast in the mornings!

Jillian Boyd: Green & Black’s milk chocolate with sea salt. Because it never fails to make me feel better when I'm down in the dumps. 

Vanessa de Sade: The blackest, darkest chocolate there is, as untainted by sugar as possible and potent and deadly.  I prefer pure chocolate but if it must be filled I go for pralines and Gianduja, whole nuts and dried fruits soaked in liqueurs.  (Hotel Chocolat Rum-Soaked Raisins, for example!)

Lucy Felthouse: Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, just because I love the taste. If you want more in depth information than that, I’m afraid you’ll have to ask my taste buds ;)

Wendi Zwaduk: Hmm... This is tough. I’d say either the chocolate from Grandpa’s Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio, Suzin L Chocolates out of Elyria, Ohio. or Daffin’s Chocolates in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Daffin’s was actually my inspiration for the original Smut story, Drizzle Me in Chocolate.

Aurelia T Evans: I am in total love with dark chocolate. It’s my not so secret vice to have three or four of the little wrapped chocolates every day. I also love hot chocolate in wintertime and truffles at Valentine’s Day. Chocolate with hazelnut is also love.

Nicole Gestalt: I go through phases of what chocolate I enjoy. This Christmas just gone I found myself in London and managed to get to Hotel Chocolat and ended up with a large bag of them! After rationing them I'm still left with a few (just).

Annabeth Leong: I like chocolate infused with other things. My favorite things for it to be mixed with are salt, orange, and cardamom.

Tilly Hunter: I actually bought a bag of cacao bean nibs as research for my story, A Steamy Brew. They were truly disgusting. Give me a Cadbury's Dairy Milk any day (preferably every day).

You can buy More Smut for Chocoholics at Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance and other online book shops.

It's nearly here... Smut by the Sea

Hello, long time no see and all that (the joys of holidays without internet access). I'm bringing you some info from Victoria Blisse today all about the Smut by the Sea event in Scarborough on June 14. I'll be there, I've agreed to do a reading (eek) and I'll post again soon about what I plan to get up to. But for now, over to Victoria:

Smutty fun by the Sea in Scarborough.

Smut by the Sea on the 14^th June is the second time the smutters have taken over Scarborough library. Last summer we had a fabulous time check out the photos and blogs here and this year we’ve got even more for you to enjoy.

Sessions from  bestselling authors Victoria Blisse, KD Grace and Lucy Felthouse on different aspects of erotic writing set you up in the morning. Start with inspiration with Victoria, then KD Grace helps you write better erotica by finessing sex. The last workshop of the day gives you the tools you need to wow editors and get your stories accepted and will be led by Lucy Felthouse.

After a free lunch (oh yes, such a thing exists!) we’ll be enjoying the Reading Slam, short, sexy snippets from some of the smutty authors in attendance.

You’ll get tasters of some of the best erotica and erotic romance in the country and their books will be available to purchase at the book stall too.

All day you’ll be able to browse the stalls in the side room, check out Steph’s Ann Summer’s goodies, hot books from attending authors or pick something unique up from our craft stall. Then of course you’ll want to have a go on our unique erotic tombola –  the prizes are truly thrilling! 

Tickets are selling fast, but there are some left. So what are you waiting for? Join us for lots of smut and laughter at Scarborough library on the 14^th June from 9.30am.

Quotes from last year’s Smut by the Sea Attendees:

“In between the readings there was another key component that made SBTS such a fantastic experience, and that was the chance to chat, to share ideas, to meet people face-to-face who we had only ever talked to online before and to discover that they were just as amazing face-to-face as they are on social media.” KD Grace

“For an amateur erotica author and long-time consumer of smut, the day was a perfect mix of readings, more formal Q&A but also the chance to mingle with all the participants and ask questions. I was blown away by how friendly everyone was, and how much advice I was given.” Anna Sky

“So, lovely people, smut, PVC, fish and chips and ice cream – how good a day is that?!!” Slave Nano

News: More Smut for Chocoholics

It's almost here! It seems like a long time ago that Kev 'Mitnik' Blisse said to me: "Do you fancy editing an anthology of chocolate-based erotica with me?" and I thought, Hmm, chocolate and sex, what's not to like?

Now, the stories have been picked, polished and primped and sent off to publisher House of Erotica to be turned into a smutty little ebook. I think we've come up with something that has a nice variety of partnerings, a balance of contemporary and historical backdrops and a tasty range of settings from bedroom to brewery, Victorian train carriage to Aztec temple. Here's the line-up:

Chocolate Massage, Victoria Blisse

The Perfect Taste, Annabeth Leong

Eclair, Jacqueline Brocker

Dip it Low, Lucy Felthouse

A Steamy Brew, Tilly Hunter

How the Sisterhood of Sin Came To Be, Vanessa de Sade

Forbidden Pleasures, Tilly Hunter

Three Tastes, Anna Sky

Crumbs, Aurelia T Evans

Les Delices Parisiens, Jillian Boyd

Los Conquistadores and the Goddess of Chocolate, Slave Nano

Eat Me, Ruby Madsen

Indulge Me in Chocolate, Wendi Zwaduk

The Competition, Nicole Gestalt

A quiet, cosy place to read...

Cosy hideaway, exotic heat or the bustle of a family gathering? I'm sure we all have ideas of where we'd like to spend our dream Christmas. I asked fellow authors Nicole Gestalt,  Annabeth Leong, Victoria Blisse, Gemma Parkes and Angie Sargenti where they would spend their dream Christmas. It seems cosy cabins or chalets figure highly for erotica authors.

And although you may not get the cosy cabin with a real fire in a snowy wonderland this year, you could always try recreating that atmosphere with a couple of candles, a blanket and a copy of The House of Erotica Winter Warmers Collection. (There's a reason I gave up my brief attempt at a career in marketing...)

Nicole: I love travel and so if I could have more then two days off at Christmas I would love to head to the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi and spend Christmas there, or even travel to Iceland. To be able to walk out during Christmas to see the Northern Lights and even maybe take a dog sleigh out into a snow-covered land would be the perfect Christmas to me! Of course we'd then have to head back into a nice warm chalet with plenty of food and company to top it off. More realistically, my dream Christmas would be to spend the time with my family whom I don't get to see very often and definitely have more then two days off!

Annabeth: Although I can see the attraction of being warm when it's cold outside, honestly I would love to spend Christmas on a cruise. It would be amazing to know it was just me and my partner with no obligations to distract us from each other.

Victoria: I'd love to go somewhere really snowy, a Swiss chalet, a roaring log fire and enough food to keep me going through the season. 

Gemma: In a beautiful, fully heated log cabin away (but not isolated) from commercialism. There would be snow outside and enough food and drink to last for at least a week. I would want my loved one by my side and together we could enjoy taking our time over everything!

Angie: The Virgin Islands or Maui.  I'm not a big fan of cold weather.

Tilly: A little cottage in the middle of nowhere with a woodburner you can keep your mulled wine warm on top of.

My picture above is of a cottage in Shropshire, UK, which you can rent from The Landmark Trust for holidays. Check out their other properties if you're like me and you prefer back-to-basics holidays in places with a bit of character, proper silence and properly dark nights. You can grab a copy of Winter Warmers at Amazon, Amazon UK or All Romance.

What does your average erotica author want for Christmas?

Several tyre-shaped pencil sharpeners, a bottle of sherry and a book of bad taste jokes completed my Christmas shopping yesterday, so I'm feeling rather smug. Of course, if you're looking for a gift for that special someone and they happen to like a bit of smut, then The House of Erotica Winter Warmers Collection, available in paperback or ebook, could be right up their street.

Today, some of my fellow Winter Warmers authors - Victoria Blisse, Annabeth Leong,  Gemma Parkes, Angie Sargenti and Nicole Gestalt - are answering another of my questions: 

What do you want Santa to leave under your tree this year?

Victoria: Owls, I love owls and a cleaner!

Annabeth: As far as naughty gifts, I would love to get a nice butt plug that is comfortable to wear around. The ones I have are good for play, but not so much for walking. Since I started playing with these, I've gotten a bit obsessed, and I think my erotica shows it. I've written tens of thousands of words about butt plugs by now, and "Filled With Christmas Spirit" is part of that body of work.

Gemma: Something to read, something to eat, sexy lingerie and something girlie that smells gorgeous!

Angie: What do you want Santa to leave you under the tree this year?  Something kinky, or at least a Victoria's Secret gift certificate. Wearing the same cute little outfit gets boring after a while.

Nicole: I love surprises! I totally adore getting presents that I would never have asked for myself and of course I have been moderately good this year (I can't every quite get to being a good girl all the time – life would be too boring). So in a dream world Santa would be leaving lots of interesting presents that will keep me occupied well into the new year!

Tilly: Home-brewing equipment.

Next time, we'll be talking about where we'd like to spend our dream Christmas. You can grab a copy of Winter Warmers at Amazon, Amazon UK or All Romance.

My picture is of a lino print from The Bluebird Gallery on Folksy.com. I might treat myself to one of their prints...

What's sexy about Christmas? Erotica authors Q&A

It's a funny winter here in the UK, last week we had gales and floods, this week we've had sunny, 13C days and where I am right now it's cold, grey and wet, which is just the sort of weather for staying cosy inside with a good book (and some cake). Some of my fellow Winter Warmers authors have been kind enough to answer a few questions on their feelings about Christmas for me for your amusement. Today I have Gemma Parkes, Angie Sargenti, Nicole Gestalt, Annabeth Leong, Victoria Blisse and little ol' me answering my first question: 

What's sexy about Christmas?

Gemma: Oh so many things: Shorter days with chilly nights drawing in. Snuggling in the warmth of your partner’s arms in front of a roaring fire. Basking in the soft glow from a lit Christmas tree. Colours, sounds, smells and rich tastes that are not enjoyed with such relish at other times of the year and the opportunity to relax without feeling you should be doing something else!

Angie: Sitting by the fire with the Christmas tree lights on, snuggling with my favourite dude.

Nicole: I get very few days off so being able to spend two whole days (two!) with my partner all snuggled up by the fire away from the cold is very special. Add to that the place is lit up with magical lights adding spots of colour all over the place and sometimes even snow outside (it does happen occasionally), things can get very, very sexy.

Annabeth: I think the sexiest thing about most holidays is time. It's such a luxury to have an evening free to spend having a long, leisurely dinner, drinking wine, and lingering. I cherish the times when I don't have to be up early the next morning. I host a big Christmas Eve dinner every year, and I love the moment when the guests have left, we've loaded as much into the dishwasher as possible, and I turn to my partner, let out a long breath, and know that we're finally free to jump each other. At Christmas, it's particularly nice because it's cold where I live. There's something wonderfully sexy about being warm and naked when the world outside is cold and quiet. In my Winter Warmers story, Caroline is looking forward to just this sort of cozy, sexy time. Her boyfriend Marcus has other ideas, but I think he does make it worth her while.

Victoria: Warming up by snuggling naked with a lover and sexy, late-night, adult-only gift-unwrapping!

Tilly: The excuse to stock up on some gifts for opening privately with a partner. 

Next time, I ask what your average erotica author would like to find under their tree on Christmas morning. 

You can buy The House of Erotica Winter Warmers Collection at  Amazon, Amazon UK or All Romance.

The Great Outdoors

I'm going to be taking part in August Alfresco soon (in August, in fact. Doh). I do love the great outdoors. And so far, this year's British summer is coming up trumps. Although my allotment would appreciate a little rain right about now. 

So what is August Alfresco? It's a collection of 31 authors bringing you 31 excerpts of sexy outdoor shenanigans. Readers who join in by commenting on the blog posts will be in with the chance to win a Kindle, £50 of Total-E-Bound books or £50 of Xcite books. If you comment on every post for the month, you'll get extra chances to win.

There are still some spots left for authors to take part. It costs £5 to book a slot, which is going towards the prizes. If you're interested, all the details are at smutalfresco.co.uk and it's being organised by Victoria Blisse. 

I just have to decide which story to use. I haven't set out with any particular objective to write lots of alfresco liaisons, but when I think over the stories that have come out this year, there's a fair few that are full of wholesome fresh air fun. And when I say wholesome, I mostly mean kinky. So will it be a cold encounter in the sea at an island off North Wales, a map-related romp in a stone circle in the Orkneys, Caliban dominating Miranda on the mythical island of the Tempest - in the book that also includes Gretel discovering her dominant side in the woods and Penelope bathing with her 12 handmaidens in a Greek river - rope bondage in a Japanese-style garden in the middle of London or a tense clash between soldiers on a boggy battlefield in 1st century Britain? Decisions, decisions...