Thorne: Rose's Dark Awakening.

Thorne: Rose's Dark Awakening is now here! Listen to this audio teaser and then CLICK FOR PREORDER! 

“In the small hours

we are unadorned 

our psyche 

naked 

in death 

no more veiled intuition

we know who we truly are.”
~Sebastian Nox

At last, the highly-anticipated conclusion to William and
Rose’s story is here!

When William Thorne meets the unassuming but beautiful Rose
(Victoria) Wellington, he begins to unmask the true man he has buried for years
under hired personal assistants and obsessive work behavior fighting the
tobacco industry. But after another tragedy shakes him, all his demons resurface,
awakened with ferocity. This time, he will leave Rose behind to protect her, and
he will embrace the William that has kept him stable all these years.

With a confession about to go public in seeking atonement
for his past deeds, deeds that very likely will land him in prison, William
marvels at his Rose’s growth personally but saddens as she moves on in her love
life and her career without him. He, too, tries to move on by hiring a beautiful,
submissive personal assistant to fulfill all his salacious needs. Each time he
sees Rose, his fight to stay away from the beauty becomes unbearable, but his
impending future leaves little to change it.

The Thorne Series is a sensually erotic and deeply emotional
story with twists that will make you go back to read from the very first page of
the series all over again.

NEW ROMANTICISM: The Difference between Erotica, Pornography, Romance, and Erotic Romance

Talk to me about romance. Talk to me about love. Talk to me about romanticizing those things. What is it that draws us to that tale of the chase and catch repeatedly?

The debate swirls and continues, and as a writer of romance…no, as a lover of romance, I come back to the same question: What is romance? And I’m ready to ditch my answer. I know. I know. A hundred times we’ve discussed this. Romance and romantic are different. Death, itself, can be romantic. Nature and a destructive snowstorm can be romantic. Lovers in love but giving that up can also be romantic. There is something aesthetically romantic in beauty itself. And beauty can even be pain. Therefore, pain is romantic, especially when the sufferer does so for love.

But the genre of Romance has confines. Definitions. The trope of the Happily Ever After or Happy for Now is a MUST-HAVE. You try to publish. You'll see. In big, NEON letters, they state: Must have a happy ending. There are further restrictions as well.

Throw the word “erotic” into it and a myriad of new problems arise. Suddenly the negative connotations abound. It’s pornography. It’s worthless. It’s “sex sans relationship.” Certainly, that kind of erotica is prevalent and alive. And if that is what a reader or watcher wants, that is their right, their prerogative.

But that label, dear friends, is not one for me. None of these definitions or meanings are true necessarily, but it the broad brush-stroked way it has become. I’m beginning to want to distance myself more and more from that connotation of erotic or erotica as the equivalent to sex and titillation only, that equation that erotica is pornography. It isn't. Not always. And I want to be titillated but always within the framework of a story. Whatever word is opposite "sans"-- I want that. In fact, sex for mere titillation just bores me to fucking tears. 

Leon F. Seltzer writes in his article, “What Distinguishes Erotica from Pornography": 

“If the erotic celebrates sexuality, placing it on a plateau above any essentially
masturbatory act of copulation, then it can be seen as diverging markedly from the
pornographic. Pornography proposes a temporary "fix" for our sexual frustrations; eroticism offers us something more elusive--an opportunity to experience sensuous delight of a higher order….

"What in general separates the erotic from the pornographic is an attitude toward sex and human sexuality that can be inferred from looking (dare I use the word, "objectively"?) at the finished product. If the subjects are portrayed in a manner that focuses on their inner and outer radiance, their fleshy vitality, and the work itself seems to manifest a passionate and powerful affirmation of life and the pleasures of this world, then I think we're talking erotic. If, however, the subjects seem reduced to so many body parts, if any beauty appears subordinate to the overriding purpose of arousal, if the sex depicted seems depersonalized, controlling, non-mutual, and devoid of fun or play (but rather seems about "getting down to business" and "getting off")--and if the sex acts pictured contain not a hint of human caring or emotional connectedness to them--that, to me, would definitely secure the work's place in the realm of pornography.”

So I labeled myself an Erotic Romance Writer. But what I write is neither of those things as defined individually or lumped together. Yes. I find beauty in the romantic but not ROMANCE as it’s been labeled. I almost label that trite. And yes. Erotic. But not for the sex it implies that is for mere titillation. To me the erotic is the relationship that organically manifests itself between people finding and exploring love. It is the universality of  accepting the darkness that makes up human nature, the darkness I find so romantic within that dance, the inevitable opening up that lets in the light of sensuality between two human beings becoming one together without the confines of preconceived morality. In short, an exploration of all the facets of both the subconscious and conscious of light and dark. “Emotional connectedness.” Yes, Dr. Seltzer. That.

I’m here to say that it’s time we start a new genre. I’m dead serious.,,,

To finish this article, click here: R.B.'s Website

As Hot and Sexy as His Stories, Meet Reed James

No subject, kink, or taboo seems to off limits for him. But he's a surprisingly down-to-earth guy with a keen intellect as well. Writing since high school, here's a deeper look into what makes Reed James, my friend and fellow WPW, tick as he abashedly braved the hot seat, answering these questions. Many who do my interviews, struggle, taking some time to mull them over. Not Reed. He answered as quickly as he writes. Another example of his determined process to just let things flow out of him naturally.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God
say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome, here are all the mysteries of the universe explained.

What is your idea of earthly happiness? One where I am free to pursue my love of writing without any other cares.
​
Who are your favorite fictional heroes/heroines? So many to choose from. Vin from Mistborn, Mat Cauthom from the Wheel of Time, Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings, Michael Carpenter from The Dresden Files are a few who number among my favorites.

Who are your
real-life heroes/heroines? I don't have any real life heroes. When you idealize a person, you place them on a pedestal and will only be disappointed when you realize that they are, in fact, just a regular person like you, just as flawed and broken. Respect people, but don't idealize them.

Who is your favorite writer? JRR Tolkein, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, R. Scott Bakker, David Eddings.

How would you like to die? Swiftly. Let's not drag it out. Get it over with fast, without pain, maybe without me even realizing it.

What is your present state of mind? Nervous and trying not to think about something and focus on my work.

What is your motto or favorite quote? "Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem." Ronald Reagan.

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Reed James is a thirty year-old guy living in Tacoma, WA. “I love to write, I find it freeing to immerse myself in a world and tell its stories and then share them with others.” He's been writing naughty stories since high school, furiously polishing his craft, and finally feels ready to share his fantasies with the world. “I love writing about women who want to be a little (or a lot) naughty, people expressing their love for each other as physically and kinkily as possible, and women loving other women. Whether it's a virgin experiencing her/his first time or a long-term couple exploring the bounds of their relationships, it will be a hot, erotic story!”

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TRY A TASTE OF REED'S WORK

Click here: R.B.'s Website

Why It's Important to Get Out of Our Comfort Zones when Writing...

Writing is such a personal endeavor, a journey into the subconscious mind sometimes. When it's happening, when the writer can get there, special things can happen. I've gotten lost in my mind writing. Quite literally. That kind of writing can take quite a bit of recovery time, to shake it off, to come back to reality, to focus on the now instead of the attachment to the imaginative world we had spent so much time in. It's emotional for me. And I rarely write short stories. I find it almost impossible to develop characters the way I like and must. My stories are character-driven, even more than plot-driven. I think that is why my emotions become so strong.

Recently, I wrote with a friend, Lucas Black, and it was a refreshingly different experience. We wrote a short story together, and the framework of the short story forced me to focus on the plot, that well-rounded plot story-line model taught in American school since the dawn of the classroom, that one climax model. I prefer multiple climaxes, but not in my short stories...

To continue reading and for the beginning excerpt of A Sonata for Maria, visit here: R.B.'s Website

It's a Wonderful Life

Well, it’s that time of year, where happiness and glee meet sadness and longing. It’s the second year without my mom but I don’t quite remember last year and so this year, I’m cognizant and feeling and breathing in and out every moment. It’s calm. Yup. Without rehashing it all, put simply: It’s calm without my mom.

My mom was the serious one. The boss. The rule maker. My dad was the goofy one. The artist. The rule breaker. He died too young. And I miss him. A lot. Not every day. I’d be lying. Life is too hectic and crazy for that. But he seeps into my spirit often, especially this time of year.

One thing we all did as a family, and my brother and I have tried to continue, is that on Christmas Eve Eve—tonight—we watch It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve written about this before. Somewhere. Not here. Egg nog, spiked of course when we got older, the night my mom let her hair down. The night we giggled. The night we cried. And the night we just had nowhere to go but be together in the warmth of family. I never didn’t want to do this. Not as a teenager. Not when I went away to college. And not now. It’s still one of my favorite movies....

To finish, please visit: R.B. O'Brien Website.

Where does the rainbow end, in your soul or on the horizon?” ― Pablo Neruda, The Book of Question

I look out my window a lot.

​It’s just one of those things that keeps me grounded in this weird, one-with-nature kind of way. I hate curtains. They only gather dust. And I hate alarms even more. I enjoy the natural light to whisper across my face in the morning with gentle fingers, not some man-made sound that jars me into life with a harsh slap. It is the quiet moments of the morning that I savor most, in bed, looking out my window. It’s when I write my best work.
​
Yesterday morning, I awoke to a brilliant rainbow. At first, I marveled at the sky’s pink hues, and I thought how soothing it was. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time, that feeling of being at peace with myself or my life. I got out of bed to pull back the curtains just a bit more, the color peeking through the leaves of the oaks outside my window. Where I had been seeing grey for quite some time shone now pink. The color is hard to describe accurately. It was pink; but it bordered on a light red. It told me to come look at it... To continue reading, please visit the post here: R.B. O'BRIEN'S BLOG

I. Am. Me. "It don't matter what my name is. I'm not famous and I don't hate it."

I wanted to share another teaser with you today from the second book in my Thorneseries, Rose’s Dark Secret, really my favorite in the series so far. The first I loved—as it came out of another series I had published on literotica that was quite popular--but the second, for me, really starts to unravel the complexities of the characters, their psyches, their layers. Nothing is ever what it seems, is it? True. And neither am I.

​Please don’t laugh at me. "I'm not famous...It don't matter what my name...and I don't hate it." But I have a confession to make. Okay. It’s not really a confession per se (but now that I have your attention), here it is: I’m kind of sort of just a little bit proud of myself. Yup. There. I said it. And I don't care how small my accomplishment is. I'm going to embrace for one moment.

Only a few short months ago last February I started my journey into self-publishing. I had absolutely no idea how to do any of it. Rewind a year before that. I signed with a small epublisher to share my story of Natalie with the world, and I was even a bit more clueless then.  No Twitter. No Facebook. No website. I had to start all of that myself. Slowly but surely, things grew. Add in a newsletter, a blog, a writing support group known as the WPW, and now video teasers, I truly have come a very long way.

Some of it has been super rewarding. I’ve met great people and friends, have seen my audience and fans and sales grow, and have a safe outlet to explore my kinks, my fantasies, and my creativity. I look forward to creating teasers, writing posts and tweets and blogs, and working to write my next work or if I’m being honest, works.

Some of it hasn’t been....

To finish reading and to see my HOT AUDIO TEASER, visit: MY WEBSITE here.

There's just something about a voice--call me American...

What is it that makes a woman go all gooey when she hears certain voices? Is there just something aesthetically inexplicable in certain timbres? In cadence? Is there something scientific that happens? When we think about the old adage--Beauty is in the eye of the beholder--does the same apply to voices? Does what sounds sexy to one, grate on the other?

I, myself, am not sure about my own voice. I'm from Massachusetts. I have a gravelly voice that I find anything but mellifluous, the word monotone is not in my vocabulary, and I was kicked out of the radio program in college because I couldn't keep the needle in the middle of the Richter scale. Some say they find my voice sexy. I wonder about that! But studies have shown that males with deep voices are the most coveted. Erotic writer translation: Deep voices melt the panties right off of heterosexual w

omen. Just look at one of the most sought-after narrators like Morgan Freeman, who admits: "The lower your voice is, the better you sound.”

Throw in a British accent for we American women and all bets are off. Suddenly, even the reading of a grocery list can make one weak in the knees. Eyes roll into the back of our heads, our legs cross and uncross trying to become comfortable against the little pulse that suddenly starts to beat in that one place, our faces flush with a heat that consumes us, and coherent, intelligent chit-chat? Wait? What were we talking about? Exactly.

To read the rest and to hear the sexiest teaser read for my book Thorne: Rose's Dark Contract (Book 1), click here: MY BLOG

THANK YOU!

What a journey! First, I want to thank those of you who downloaded Thorne or who have already bought it. Further, A BIG THANK YOU to those who take the time to write reviews. Reviews are everything to us, critiques and all!

But more than that. I discovered something through this process. Something quite profound really.  To finish, please visit my blog here: BLOG POST

ONCE WRITING LEAVES OUR HANDS...

So…because a few have asked about this poem I shared the other day, I decided to answer as much as I’m comfortable with. Why not?

The poem (shared again below in full) was something I wrote a while back but I found it interesting that I still ponder and worry and struggle with the same things. So what was it about? Who was it about? What does it mean? Those were the questions I was asked. And I’ll do my best to answer, within reason.

I had a long-lasting relationship that was headed only one place: marriage. And it follows the same-old problem I still often face, doing things I’m supposed to do rather than maybe what I want to do. Will that ever change? Or is that just who I am?

In this particular case, I was madly in love. We had a long-lasting, passionate relationship. Sometimes I wonder about that word “passionate” and its connotations. They aren’t all positive. Yes. I want to lead a life of passion but with passion can also come turmoil and heartbreak, highs and lows, ups and downs, break-ups and make-ups, and happiness and sadness.

And so was the case with this relationship. It was a never-ending circus of emotions. And I remember the day I realized that if I didn’t end it, that if I kept at it, in this co-dependent, emotionally destructive situation, my life would not be one filled with peace or true happiness, but a life of constant battles. In short, it was an unhealthy relationship that lasted far too long.

The poem tries to encapsulate that day of epiphany, that day...

TO READ MORE: Click here--BLOG

Michael Dalton is a professional journalist and editor. He lives with his family and multiple pets in Southern California, but he is much more than that to me.

Michael was one of the very first authors I met when I started my journey into publishing. He tells me I approached him timidly (I'm denying that--lol!), when I asked him if he might be interested in a gift copy of my Natalie's Edge Series. Over the course of a year, I have not only come to highly respect his writing, I have come to highly respect his opinions, advice, and guidance. I often call him my Obi Wan Kenobe--his knowledge is incomparable.

But really, beyond coming to depend on him for myriad weird questions and late-night worries, I have come to call him a friend: honest, smart, and kind. And now, you can get to know this Jedi master yourself, as he boldly answered my interview questions (which he wanted to change, by the way. I said, "No."). ENJOY!

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?...

To read the rest, visit: MY WEBSITE

I made my first newsletter yesterday, something so small that took me so much time. I’m on such a learning curve when it comes to this stuff.  But I did it, and I am quite proud of myself for getting it done. It’s nothing special. I don’t have but a little more than 100 people to send it to, but it’s another part of me and who I am that I share with the loyal friends and fans that I do have. If you'd still like to sign up, simply go to my home page. rbobrien.weebly.com

Some days, it’s just really easy to throw in the towel. To give up. To say—why am I doing all this? Why spend so much time writing and publishing? Sales fluctuate up and down. People rarely review. I’m not sure what works and what doesn’t regarding promotion and sales. The answer is simple, and I’ve said this before. I write because I am a writer. I write what is a secret part of me. I write what I can’t share in my real life. I write because I think I would implode if I didn’t.

To read more, head over to my BLOG page. WHY PUBLISH?

LIFE'S ABOUT LESSONS

I don’t believe in a god, not in the traditional sense anyway. I guess that’s what being raised Catholic has done to me. But I do believe in energy. I do believe in right and wrong. I do believe in kindness and truth. And not everyone else is like that. I’m learning that. I’m learning that there are some really ugly people in this world and I’m not talking about their outsides. I’m talking about their souls, their essence, the people they are.
​
I am not perfect. Far from it. And I have accomplished a fair share of mistakes in my short time on this Earth already. But I have never gone out of my way to hurt a person deliberately. I know that there are two sides to every story. I’m not stupid. I’m a good listener. I care about the feelings of others—sometimes too much and that is what gets me into trouble, caring for the wrong people sometimes. But I don’t have a malicious bone in my body. Some people may call that weak. True or not, it is simply the person I am. And if others choose to view me as weaker, there is really not much I can do about that....

TO CONTINUE, click here: R.B. O'Brien's Blog

MEET AUTHOR NIA FARRELL as she launches her release of Replay Book 2: TRIPLE PLAY.

Who are your favorite heroes/heroines in real life? ​This life, the Dalai Lama. I haven’t yet met him, but I did spend a day in his presence when he was teaching the Kalachakra Tantra in Bloomington, Indiana. Past life, Joan of Arc/Jeanne d’Arc.  In my lifetime as Christine de Pisan, I came out of retirement to write about Jeanne because she was my vindication, proof of the worthiness of women because God had chosen her to be savior of France.  She’s not one of my main spirit guides but she does pop in every once in a while.

To read the entire interview and MANY others,or to get to know Nia more, visit: R.B. O'Brien's Website: FEATURED AUTHORS

I'm a WRITER, Imagine That?

Over the last couple of weeks, the topics of writing erotica, and erotic romance in particular, keep coming up. Questions of what constitutes the different genres of writing--erotica, erotic romance, dark romance, and the like—are being asked and with good reason. Somewhere out there in the collective minds, even among some in the erotic genres themselves, the prevalent idea is somehow that writing erotica or erotic romance is not “real writing.” And that ruffles my feathers. I have had several interactions that led me to write this blog. Quite frankly, I’m sick of the stereotypes. Let me be clear: I. Am. A. Writer.

For those of you who know me, I’m a huge fan of Shakespeare. During a fun romp on Facebook, a Shakespearean insult meme made its way around, and we all commented and tossed about some insults and admitted how much the Bard has affected us all one way or another.

I sent a friend request to someone who I particularly enjoyed reading his Shakespearean wit and repertoire and he immediately responded with a (and yes, I will overindulge here): “Hey. You may be an okay person, but you write erotica. I write REAL books. Sorry. I can’t be friends with the likes of you.”

It wouldn’t be the first time something very similar has happened. “Sorry. I have to unfriend you. My girlfriend might get suspicious.” Or: “My circle of friends just wouldn’t understand that I talk to a writer of erotica.”

You may be laughing. But I’m not making this stuff up—that somehow I’m some horny degenerate who only thinks about sex or having sex with others, that I couldn’t possibly have a mind or a flare for writing anything but smutty, pappy trash, that I am going to share nude photos of myself at the turn of a dime. Because, of course, what else would an erotic romance writer possibly be capable of?

Let me tell you. We who write erotica or erotic romance care about the same things every writer cares about. Are there holes in my story? Does the dialogue work? Sound realistic? Do my verb tenses match? Did I use the right word choice? Does my story make you care about the characters? Does the imagery do it justice? Are there places that didn’t make sense?

But more than that, we ask: Can you see and feel my characters’ emotions? Did you feel their feelings as they were happening to them? Their love? Their lust? Their angst? Their sadness? Their anger? Is there pathos or hamartia in the protagonist’s or antagonist’s journey?

Yeah. Sounds like real writing to me. Don’t tell me because I choose to include graphic sexual content in my writing that it is now somehow subpar or without merit. Sex, love, lust, passion—THAT is part of feeling alive. That is part of living. You don’t get much more emotion or feeling than that. It’s really the point of life—to find love, to feel alive, to be brought to unimaginable feelings of both pleasure and pain, love and loss, desire and repulsion, sadness and triumphs.

A person may not like my genre. It may not interest them or titillate them for whatever reason, but it doesn’t make me any less of a writer. I don’t particularly like paranormal. So what? The person who writes that is suddenly not a “real” writer just because it doesn’t suit my tastes?

So let’s stop with the stereotyping. Please. Is there terrible erotica out there? You bet. Are there some erotic writers who are sexual deviants and only think about sex? Of course. But there are deviants and shitty writing in Every. Single. Genre. Don’t single out mine. And don’t judge it until you read it.

Read my books and then have an opinion. If you still hate my writing, so be it. I welcome constructive criticism. I care about growing, improving my craft, choosing that exact, right word, and creating characters who are round and alive, characters we know in real life, characters we relate to and want to follow along on their journey.
​

Wow.  Holy shit. I actually sound like a “real” writer. Imagine that?

Go to Website to Learn More

Taken from my website: My website. After months of hoping and waiting for my first series to go to print, The Natalie Edge Series, I finally received the galley print to review. I am ecstatic. All three books will be in one large, printed compilation…so for all those reading on the beach, now is your chance!

Imagine that? Him? Being caught with my book in his hands? Oh the thought makes me squish inside!

What you may not know is that Natalie came from scribbles in my diary. An old-fashioned, pen and paper, no one better get their hands on this diary. What do I mean by that? Well—I felt a deep void inside of me. I knew there was something missing in me, even if outwardly I seemed to have it all. And so, I tried to get back to self-discovery by writing.

I had always kept a journal/diary, since about age 13—quite religiously. The problem? I wrote for myself. I didn’t ever want it to see the light of day. Each week, I would destroy what I wrote. And I mean that quite literally. Destroyed it just in case my parents found it. And when I began teaching, I wrote with my students daily in class and destroyed that as well. We all did. And it was invigorating. I remember students looking at me with a crazed look in their eyes—“Is she fucking for real? All this work we’ve done this semester and she wants us to destroy it if we choose? She’s nuts.” Yup.  I am.

That first time my students starting tearing apart their journals with glee, it was a giddy, cult-like experience. It caught on. There was this nervous energy, not said, but shown in our actions. And after it was done, they realized. She means it. She wants us to pour our souls onto this very paper. She means it. Writing is cathartic. She means it. Write. For. No one. But. Yourself. And they were right. I meant it. Authentic writing can only come from truth. From true writing without censorship.

Publishing is another ballgame. (Funny I make a sport analogy when I hate sports.)  But I do censor myself often when I write for publication. I am actually thinking of a new pen name, one without censorship, one without social media attached, one where I can just write freely without any worries about sales or who likes it and who doesn’t. I may have already started. ;)

So for those of you who consistently ask about my inspiration, what is real/what isn't (and I welcome the questions even though I am extremely private for myriad reasons), I will answer the most common ones here for you about Natalie that I get. It's about time for you to see a little of my diary...

1. Yes. The places and people of Natalie are based on my real life to an extent. I never danced professionally. I like to think it is because I am too short. I am petite as well and don’t have the typical dancer’s body. But it never stopped me, and I still dance every week to this day for fun and exercise and yes, I have been in productions, but I mostly work more in the community theatres to help with directing and choreographing. I have been known to do a bit with Shakespeare – ahem-- and to be roped into filling in.
2. No. I have never owned my own business.
3. Yes. I have lived in and around Boston my whole life.
4. Yes. I have been to Paris.
5. Yes. Giselle was the first ballet I ever saw and yes, Nutcracker was a family tradition.
6. Yes. Redemption is loosely based on real-life events. The first two are fictional based on the emotional rollercoaster of previous relationships.
7. Yes. Bette Davis is my idol. She was born in Lowell, MA.
8. Yes. I was raised Catholic and deathly afraid of horror movies and still am.
9. Yes I have both submissive and emotional masochistic traits.
10. Yes. I love the dominant male.

Okay. Phew. THAT was cleansing—as if I just got out of the confessional box itself! If you want to know more, ask! I may or may not answer. You’ll have to get your hands on my diary. But sadly, that, my friends, is buried deep into the confines of an endless landfill, somewhere in Massachusetts. For now, enjoy reading the series.

The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Blog: Sexy Snippets for August

The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Blog: Sexy Snippets for August