The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance

For years, I've been wondering if anyone else had this idea: a book about straight women falling for gay men. Happens all the time, and gay romance is hugely popular right now... so why wasn't some editor putting out a call for gay romance stories where a woman is somehow incorporated into the action?

Well, finally it happened.  I may not be straight (or a reader of gay romance, for that matter), but you can't fight fate.  When Ryan Field announced that he was editing The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance, I just knew I had to submit something.

My story in this collection is called Baby Got Bach, and I hope Owen Pallett never ever reads this blog post because I'd be really embarrassed if he knew my character Jamieson Lynch was loosely based on him.  I hardly ever get crushes on guys anymore, but when I do they're pretty much always gay guys. This story was either going to be me perving over Rufus Wainwright, or me perving over Owen Pallett.

Rufus fans, you'll get yours one of these days.  I've got half-baked plans.

Now... maybe you've never heard of Owen Pallett.  Or maybe you've heard of him as (formerly) Final Fantasy.  Or maybe you know him well and agree that he's a musical genius.


Anyway, I read Ryan's call for subs right around the time Owen Pallett's violin concerto was premiered with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.  I was there, kids.  Oh yes I was.  And so was he, though not performing his own work.  He DJ'ed the afterparty.  I saw him.  He was RIGHT THERE, close enough to touch, but do you think I had the balls to walk up to the guy and say, "Great concerto, dude"?  Or something equally innocuous?  Or idiotic?  Or just... anything?

Nope.  Couldn't do it.  We were in the same room and I couldn't force myself to say hello.

So instead, I wrote this story.

It's pervilicious.

Here's the book blurb:

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to be a straight woman thrust into the intimate, emotional relationship of two gay men, this book might answer a few of your secret questions. It’s a collection of very different fictional stories that mesh together and create fantasies that in some cases could actually happen in real life.

When one gay man falls in love with his best girlfriend and her boyfriend, it becomes a heart-wrenching trilogy with three new adult stories by Bella Stanberry that cross social boundaries for which the characters will eventually pay a price. In Anna Black’s Fallen Angel, the straight female character finds out what it’s like to explore her most discreet fantasy. And in Baby Got Bach by Giselle Renarde the straight female character is invited to cross a line that leaves her terrified.

A Touch of Therapy by Morgan Honeyman delves into new age lessons about how to heal as the main character observes two gay men from a comfortable distance. Li Blaine’s Changing Curses is a more lyrical dream world which takes a mystical approach when the main character figures out a way to rid herself of a curse. The Facilitator by Tilly Hunter shows how a woman can find herself involved with her best gay friend and his boyfriend, with handcuffs and her grandmother’s wooden spoon. And in the sweet, tender tale of Lustful Wishes by R. Noir, the main character is a confused young man who has had both women and men in his life and he’s trying to figure out how to do the right thing.

All these stories combined with The Courage to Jump by Oleander Plume, where an m/m erotic romance author gets a chance to meet and explore her gay characters in real life, create a world of dreams that challenge one of the least mentioned topics today: The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance.

Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Women-Love-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EW0N9JI/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377965571&sr=1-3&keywords=the+women+who+love+to+love+gay+romance

FREE READ: The Public Life of Private Paulsen #transgender #historical #romance

This darling little love story originally appeared in my out-of-print anthology "My Mistress' Thighs" (which received an honourable mention in the 2011 Rainbow Awards--not that I'm bragging or anything) and was also available as an ebook from a now-defunct publisher.

But I've revived it, just for you!

And why?  Because every time I see a tweet about Chelsea Manning and transgender issues relating to the military, I think about this story. "The Public Life of Private Paulsen" is a post-war historical about a pair of soldiers who always shared a special connection.

Where can you get this free ebook?

I've uploaded it as a FREE READ at my new Coffee Time Romance webstore: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/indie-authors-giselle-renarde-c-193/the-public-life-of-private-paulsen-p-10944


If you don't know me or my work, maybe I should add, as a disclaimer: this story contains explicit sex.  If you do know me and my work, maybe you'll be surprised by the amount of sweetness in this little short. It's so tender.  Oh, I just love it.

The headlines read: Private Paulsen went abroad and came back a broad.

World War Two changed the lives of all GIs who went into battle, but in the case of Private Paulsen, post-war transformations prove wildly more dramatic. 

After undergoing one of the world’s first sex change operations in Europe, the Private returns home with a splash…a brand new identity. Pearl Paulsen is instantly the most intriguing and yet reviled celebrity in the country, but her fame provides little comfort when she misses the man she loves. 

When Pearl meets up once again with George, the soldier she fought beside at Normandy, will the sparks they'd suppressed during the war return?  Now that Pearl has the body she’s always wanted, can love bloom between the two?   

Get it now. Tell your friends.  Here's the link: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/indie-authors-giselle-renarde-c-193/the-public-life-of-private-paulsen-p-10944

Hugs,
Giselle

Well, Blow Me Down!

I never expected this to happen.  Never in a million years.

Last week, when I clicked the Amazon link to my trans lesbian romance "Friday Night Lipstick," I got quite a shock.  It was charting: #77 in Lesbian Romance.

Wow!

I'm the first to acknowledge that my transgender romance stories are niche products.  I write them because they deserve to be written.  I write them because they reflect my relationship with my girlfriend, who is trans.  I write them because she told me long ago that she found erotica involving transgender characters very frustrating--fetishistic in a way she found toxic and insulting.  I wanted to write fiction with trans characters and include erotic content she could relate to.

Essentially, I write trans fiction for trans people.  The market isn't huge.  I know that.  And that's why I was so blown away to see this little book in the top 100 lesbian romances on Amazon.

The other reason I was so shocked to see Friday Night Lipstick charting is that my leading ladies are both over fifty.  I didn't think a romance involving women in the 50+ age group would have much appeal, but I couldn't make them younger.  My characters tell me their stories.  You can't make this stuff up.  And when they tell you how old they are, you can't say, "No you're not."

I'm blown away and elated that my little trans book has been so successful... and it's all thanks to you!

Much love to everyone who has purchased a copy of Friday Night Lipstick.

If you'd like to read the first chapter, it's available to read for free right now at D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters:  http://drb1stchp.com/2013/08/friday-night-lipstick-by-giselle-renarde/

Get it charting again at Amazon, right here:
http://www.amazon.com/Lipstick-Transgender-Lesbian-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EH4BBGW/ref=dondes-20

One Day Only: Promo Opportunity for Authors of GBLT Fiction

Passing this along from Dawn at LR Cafe:

**Permission to forward granted**

Join us Friday Aug. 23rd here at the LR Cafe Yahoo Group as we celebrate all things GBLT. Lots of wonderful authors, yummy books and more show up on this special day so get those reading lists ready....you never know, you might find a new author or three to enjoy. *grins*

A few things before you post tomorrow-please make sure you read these first!!!!

1) You MUST be a member of the LR Cafe in order to participate. You can join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveromancescafe and remember, this is a HIGH VOLUME group so please go on special notices or digest if you don't want a ton of posts in your email.

2) You can begin to start posting anytime after 1am est (USA) which means in the UK anytime after 5am their time. 

3) Only GBLT promos are allowed this day. 

4) No limit on promo posts 

5) Promotion companies/people are allowed to post for their gblt clients

6) If posting an excerpt, please make sure to follow our excerpt posting rules which are this:

*In subject line, a heat rating for the excerpt itself & the genre of the book. Example would be PG13 Excerpt/Title by Author/Paranormal M/M

*In the email/post body make sure you have a link for readers to go get more information on the book. No link might mean you lose a reader. It can be your blog/website, publishers coming soon page, etc.

7) Work in progress posts are welcome as long as you tell us it is a wip.

8) I host a few contests on this day and you are more than welcome to either shoot me an email to donate a prize (not required btw) or put a contest post up yourself. 

If any questions, please email me at dawn_roberto@yahoo(dot)com with 'GBLT Promo Day'in subject. This is so I am not thinking you are a spam post.

Dawn

Owner/Moderator-LR Cafe Yahoo Group

New Anthology! Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica

Every time I type the title of Rachel Kramer Bussel's new anal sex anthology, I end up writing "Bach" instead of "Back."  That's because I recently wrote a music-nerd story for a Ryan Field anthology and called it "Baby Got Bach."

But that's not what Rachel's anthology is called.  It's called "Baby Got Back."  Not Bach.  Back. Just got my contributor's copies in the mail yesterday and they're lovely, just like all Cleis books.

For years, my girlfriend's been telling me I should write a romance story about a trans woman falling in love with a trans guy, so I finally did, and it's in this book.  "Everybody Knows" follows a girl who made a mistake and a guy who's been hurt before.  It's a reluctant love story, the kind where you really root for these crazy kids.  Just stop being so proud!  Stop being so scared!  LOVE EACH OTHER!

And obviously my story's not the only one.  There are 22 others in this book.

Here's the blurb:

Baby Got Back is a stimulating set of page-turning stories of anal fun. Rachel Kramer Bussel has edited some of the bestselling erotica books in the business and this is her first book devoted to all manner of backdoor pleasures. These daring and, dare we say, cheeky sex stories have a lot of variety. plenty of excitement and offer much erotic inspiration.

Whether you love anal sex or have never tried it, Baby Got Back, edited by award-winning author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, offers a peek at what happens when men and women check their inhibitions at the door. You'll find bend over boyfriends, butt plugs, "A Taste of Jamaica" and "Body Heat." In "Rectified," when Lela gets bored with every sex position out there, Brad arrives to teach her about one she learns is everything she'd hoped for and more. In "Delivery," Lynn takes a break from a Vegas bachelorette party so Wesley can show her a very good time. Whether exploring a new side of backdoor pleasure or affirming their passion for this sometimes taboo activity, the characters in this book savor every moment.

Baby Got Back is published by Cleis Press: http://www.cleispress.com/book_page.php?book_id=547

Into the Woods (and out of the woods, and home before all hell breaks loose)

Do you love Sondheim?  I do.  Into the Woods is the bestest musical ever.

Is this just random blathering?  Has Giselle lost her mind?

Yes and no. 

In case you were wondering where I've been (do you miss me when I'm gone?), I spent last week in the woods.  No electricity, no cell reception, no internet, no showers.  I was totally and utterly unavailable.  It was goooood.  Well, aside from the fact that it was fucking FREEZING in Northern(ish) Ontario and my poor little tent got soaked two nights in a row.  None of that stuff's really a big deal.  I can take it.  I love the woods.

So, when I got back from the woods I discovered that Amazon's been a bastard again.  After banning two of my last three releases (Stripping My Son's Sleeping Girlfriend and Adam and Sheree's Family Vacation), they were reluctant to allow the re-release of my beautiful trans lesbian romance Friday Night Lipstick. Because it used to be available. From a publisher that went out of business. 

If I knew how to do stuff, I'd create a gif of Nelson Muntz saying "Stop Plagiarizing Yourself" and put it right here.

But everything finally seems to be under control, and Friday Night Lipstick is now available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lipstick-Transgender-Lesbian-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EH4BBGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1376794433&sr=1-1&keywords=friday+night+lipstick

It's a lovely little story. Makes me cry every time I read it. You should buy a copy. It's good.

In other musical-related news, also while I was in the woods, an anthology called HIS: Manlove Edition came out.  I'm mentioning it in this post because my story involves a former theatre student hooking up with his high school dance teacher.

The Evernight anthology is all about gay alpha guys and older/younger pairings and BDSM... I'll put up a more thorough post about the antho later in the week, but I see that it's selling well at evil Amazon, so you probably know all about it already: http://www.amazon.com/His-Manlove-Edition-ebook/dp/B00EK6K758/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1376797131&sr=1-1&keywords=his+manlove+edition

See?  Sondheim and camping and a new release blocked by Amazon and another release selling like crazy on Amazon and a musical theatre student/teacher relationship.  We've come full circle... into the woods and out of the woods and home before...

New #Lesbian #BDSM Audiobook: Saturday on a Tuesday

Office workers after hours. Coffee-coated boobs. Belts and bondage and spankings, oh my!

"Saturday on a Tuesday" has got everything you're looking for in a lesbian sex-at-work BDSM story.  Originally published in the "Smut in the City" anthology edited by Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse, it's now available as a standalone audiobook!

Junior lawyer Liddy's ex-girlfriend called her a Saturday Night Lesbian--a woman who acts straight during the week and only gives in to temptation at the weekend. When Gemma, a partner at the firm, finds the young woman in the lunchroom after hours, she uses her hand, her belt, and a tray of ice cubes to help Liddy prove she can get crazy any night of the week. 

Read a Sample:

“I hope you wore pleasing panties today,” Gemma said, pushing her voice into a lower register, making it boom and reverberate throughout the kitchen. “I don’t want to be disappointed by a ratty pair of undies when I lift this skirt.”

“You won’t be disappointed, ma’am.” Liddy wiggled her bum, beckoning Gemma’s advance. “I think you’re really going to like my pretty panties.”

Gemma lifted that grey woollen skirt, and what she found underneath pleased her immensely. Liddy’s panties were pink. Hot pink, and mesh with a rhumba ruffle on the derriere.

“Do you?” Liddy begged. “Do you like my panties, ma’am?”

“Very much so.”

“I like them too, ma’am. They feel wonderful against my skin.” She turned enough that Gemma could see the splashes of creamy coffee against her pale flesh. When she arched up, droplets fell from her hard nipples and splashed against the table. “Did you want to feel my panties against your palm, ma’am?”

Gemma’s heart palpitated, but her hand remained steady. She accepted Liddy’s invitation, smacking the girl’s ass. Those hot pink rhumba ruffles fluttered as the blow landed, and Liddy yelped. She slid across the table when Gemma spanked her again, knocking the coffee mug to the floor. When it shattered, she cried, “I’m sorry! I’ll clean it!”

“Not just yet,” Gemma insisted, tearing down Liddy’s pretty panties.

Find the audiobook at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Tuesday-Anastasia-Erotic-Explicit/dp/B00DJBSNII/ref=dondes-20