Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance

When the call went out for gothic romance stories to fill a new anthology called Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance, I was actually a tad intimidated. I don't write a lot of paranormal fiction, and I'd never tried my hand at anything I'd consider gothic romance. In her call for submissions, editor Mitzi Szereto asked for "atmosphere, passion, desire... imaginative stories that send a shiver up your spine and make your heart beat faster."

Over the Christmas holidays, I came up with a little lesbian mistress/maid story called Milady's Bath:

Elizabeth, one of the manor house maids, will never understand her mistress' behavior. Why slip out the window every time the moon is full only to return with her flesh torn and her gown tattered? A beast of a man is involved, she perceives, as "Milady" always returns dripping with his seed and ready for a bath. But Elizabeth can't imagine why her mistress returns month after month to the man's rough embrace when she could so easily stay home to enjoy the maid's loving caress.

Once I delved into the darkness, the werewolf overtones, the atmosphere of luxury and infinite night...oh, I was sold! Now I understand the appeal of the gothic romance. It took writing the story to get me there.

Anyhoo, the "news" portion of this post is to inform one and all that my story was accepted into this great new Cleis anthology. Isn't that just an incredible cover? I always love the look of Cleis books, and this one in particular gives me shivers.

Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance
is available for pre-order now from Amazon, though it'll be a little while before it hits the shelves. Keep an eye out, though. This is the kind of book that might just pounce if you turn your back...

Hugs,

Giselle