Saturday, February 28, 2015

#MySexySaturday Everybody Knows: 15 Transgender Love Stories

This computer's being a giant jerk, so I'll be brief. Lucky you!

My newest anthology is now available, and I'm immensely proud of this one. EVERYBODY KNOWS is a compilation of some of the best literary erotica I've ever written. All these stories feature characters who are trans or genderqueer.

Since it's My Sexy Saturday, you've got a 7-paragraph excerpt coming at you from the title story--one of my absolute favourites.


Rainbow Award-winning author Giselle Renarde is back with 15 sweet and sensual transgender tales that run the gamut from romantic fantasy to true confession.

In Lust in Translation, a techie invents a new communication device to unlock his ex-girlfriend’s heart. In Hot Oil Treatment, partners explore their most memorable experiences together. Postcards from Paris follows a polyamorous triad as two dapper Doms take away their submissive’s razor. These and a dozen more round out this collection of diverse stories featuring characters who identify as gender non-normative, transgender, genderqueer, as well as those who aren’t really sure where they stand.

Challenging, amusing, stimulating and tender, these stories are sure to captivate the hearts of readers of all genders. In Everybody Knows, love is love regardless of how it’s packaged.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U01XGLY?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00U01XGLY

Print: http://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Knows-Transgender-Love-Stories/dp/1508548218/ref=dondes-20

EXCERPT FROM EVERYBODY KNOWS

Now I’m convinced he’s staring at me, but I won’t let myself look. I wonder what he’s seeing, and my stomach starts tying itself in knots.
God, why do I always do this? I get so self-conscious, thinking everybody knows. I get so sure people can see right through my present and straight to my past.

Especially other trans people. They can see through me better than anyone.

Out of nowhere, I’m crying. I’m sobbing my goddamn eyes out, and now this guy all in black is swooping in beside me and throwing his arm around my shoulder and I’m falling against his big chest, soaking his vest with my tears. My out-of-the-blue tears.

“Sorry,” I say. My snot is on his shirt and he doesn’t seem to care. “Damn hormones. This is what they do to me.”

He nods sympathetically, and then says, “I’ll find out soon enough.” He’s trying not to smile too big.

And now he knows I know, and I know he knows, and there’s something really soothing about being the same. The same, just in opposite directions.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id971948232
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everybody-knows-giselle-renarde/1121294662

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/522754
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/everybody-knows-15-transgender-love-stories


EVERYBODY KNOWS also has its own devoted website:

Giselle Renarde is an award-winning author of queer fiction. Her erotica has appeared in well over 100 short story anthologies, including prestigious collections like Best Bondage Erotica, The Big Book of Orgasms, The Mammoth Book of Quick and Dirty Erotica, and the Lambda Award-winning collection Take Me There, edited by Tristan Taormino. Giselle's juicy novels include Anonymous, Cherry, Seven Kisses, The Red Satin Collection and Bali Nights.


Friday, February 27, 2015

Everybody's wondering why I haven't blogged about this...

I missed my own book release. Isn't that like missing your birthday?

Nope--it's worse. Missing your birthday just happens. Maybe you're distracted. Maybe you just don't care about birthdays.

Missing your book release happens when your distribution service takes its sweet time and you don't have purchase links yet. Not much good telling the world your book is available when you can really only find it at Amazon.

So I waited one day and *poof* problem solved. EVERYBODY KNOWS: 15 TRANSGENDER LOVE STORIES, my new anthology of literary erotica featuring trans and genderqueer characters is now available in print and as an ebook. From Amazon. And other places!

Another reason I held off announcing my new book is... ugh... complicated.

Well, not really complicated. I'm just queasy about explaining it.

My introduction to this book takes a very hopeful tone. I must have been extremely caffeinated when I wrote it, because I'm rarely so un-jaded. (What's the opposite of jaded? There must be a word for that.) Anyway, my intro explains what you can expect to find in the rest of the book and then goes into a true story of acceptance from my girlfriend's life. I wanted to leave readers with a bit of a warm-and-fuzzy feeling as they headed into the (sometimes) rough terrain of these (sometimes) challenging stories.

Want to know the first news item I heard about after I hit "publish" on EVERYBODY KNOWS? A young trans woman of colour in my city had died.

Well, that destroyed every ounce of joy I'd felt in seeing my new book come into this world.

I'm incredibly proud of EVERYBODY KNOWS, but this news is making it hard to celebrate the book's release... and now I also feel like my introduction is embarrassingly Pollyanna-ish.

You can find out more about EVERYBODY KNOWS at its devoted website:
http://transgenderlovestories.blogspot.com

I'll be back tomorrow with the typical stuff--the excerpt, the buy links, the sales pitch if I can muster it.

I know I don't say this enough, but I love my readers. I love you. Thank you for stopping by. Thank you for reading my books. Writing is my livelihood, and without you what would I be?

Getting maudlin, now. See you tomorrow.
Much love,
Giselle

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Tell me what you're up to, Abi Aiken!

Giselle: Hi Abi! Tell me what you're up to... (What's cooking? Personally, professionally, on the stove, whatever)

Abi Aiken: I've been keep so busy lately co-writing with my friend in the US, Rozlyn Sparks! We're writing erotic romance stories, focussing at the moment on MFM ménage. We might just have a little bit of MFF coming up as well, but you didn't hear it from me!

Co-writing with Rozlyn is so awesome,too! The girl is seriously naughty, which helps because I am so sweet and innocent and don't know anything about anything at all. *Pouty pouty, blinky blinky*

Giselle: You and me both. heh. Got a new book out? What's it called?

Abi Aiken: Indulgence: A Valentine's Day Romance

Giselle: Never too late for V-Day. Tell me about it.

Abi Aiken: Psychology student Graciela believes she has everything a girl could ask for, including the love of the caring and thoughtful Jamie. But way down deep, she has a secret desire. One she can’t tell Jamie about. One she can barely admit to having.

Graciela fantasizes about dirty anonymous sex with more than one man. And with her healthy dose of Catholic guilt, the dream plays havoc with her mind.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, her boyfriend Jamie has organized the ultimate gift for his gorgeous exotic lady...and it won’t be flowers or chocolate.

It starts with a silk blindfold. And it ends with four strong hands, two hot mouths, and one very lucky woman.

Giselle: Where can readers buy it?

Abi Aiken: http://tinyurl.com/pvzoxc8

Giselle: Where can readers find you?

Abi Aiken:

https://www.facebook.com/abi.aiken
https://www.facebook.com/abiaikenauthor
https://twitter.com/AbiAiken

Monday, February 23, 2015

I'm a sucker for a good font...

That's why it took me over a month to complete the cover for my upcoming anthology of literary erotica featuring characters who are trans, genderqueer or gender non-normative in one way or another.

It's called Everybody Knows.

I found the perfect image pretty easily. It's a simple design--something artistic rather than sexy bodies screaming SEX! Sure these stories involve sexuality, but not in a smutty way. Some are so challenging they made me uncomfortable as I proofread the book. I didn't want readers who've enjoyed my MASTERWORKS OF SMUT (like Nanny State and the Adam and Sheree books) expecting this to be that. This and that are different animals. I wanted to communicate that fact with the cover.

The other day, my sister was asking me what readers of literary erotica wanted. I told her we want to think. We want to be challenged. We want content that's not only explicit, but also difficult--intellectually, emotionally, in a variety of ways. We seek the thrill of a twist as well as the recognition sparked by the mundane. And we value diversity.

That's Everybody Knows.

Sorry. Tangent. Back to Fonts.

Like I said, I found the right image pretty easily. As you'll see in a moment, it's a watercolour splotch that transitions from one colour to another. That worked for me on so many levels. As for fonts, none of the usual suspects did.

During the same conversation I mentioned above, my sister asked how long it takes me to create a book cover. Time spent varies drastically, but I can easily spend three hours choosing the perfect font. In that time, I don't move from the computer. I can't. I'm stuck. Sometimes I get up to look at my screen in the mirror and check out my work-in-progress from different angles, but I can't even leave the room to pee until it's perfect.

The cover for Everybody Knows was on my mind constantly. I hated that it wasn't finished. I kept going back to it, trying the same-old-same-old fonts again and again. A lot of them could have worked, but I'd have been settling.

That's when Akula walked into my life.

Akula is a dry brush font that's a little edgy, a little messy, but in the best way possible. I tried it out. It was perfect. It IS perfect:



Everybody Knows is scheduled to hit the market this Thursday--that's February 26th 2015.  It'll be available as an ebook and in print.

And if you love Akula as much as I do, you can buy it at Creative Market: https://creativemarket.com/IvanirAnna/132051-Akula-Dry-Brush-Font. I'm not a member of their Partner Program, so nobody's paying me to send you their way. I just really love this font and I want the whole world to know.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Paranormal Erotica Box Set: Vampires, Shifters, and Fairy Tales for Adults


This big box of spooky and spicy stories has been an Amazon exclusive for more than a year, but guess what? It's now available at a whole bunch of retailers!

Which ones?

These ones:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id969350620
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/paranormal-erotica-box-set-vampires-shifters-and-fairy-tales-for-adults

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521113

More to come!

...and, yes, you can still get it at Amazon...

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IM10J32?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IM10J32

Want to know more? Here's more:

Take an anthology of paranormal erotic romance BDSM stories, add a collection brimming with lesbian vampires and shapeshifters, top it off with a secret solstice sacrifice, and what have you got?

The Paranormal Erotica Box Set!

From the bisexual vampire hairdressers of Blood Addict to the blood-thirsty lesbians of Girls Gone Carnal, there's a story to suit every taste in this 65,000+ word compilation of 18 sexy stories. Got a taste for threesomes? Gothic horror? Bondage? Gender transformation? Succubi? Fairies and legends? You'll find it all, and so much more, in this great new collection!

Table of Contents

1. Jungfrau
2. Milady’s Bath
3. A Jealous God
4. Mrs. Fox and the Cat of Nine Tails
5. Blood Addict
6. A Wolf in Grandmother’s Clothing
7. Sneak
8. The Mesmerist and the Mare
9. Blood Lust
10. Princess of the Ravens
11. To Dream of Her True Love’s Face
12. Beneath the Ice
13. Taken From Behind
14. Simple
15. Blood Whore
16. Neither Love Nor Money
17. Sparrow Takes Flight
18. Secrets of the Solstice Sacrifice

Want to see those retailers again? Sure!

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id969350620
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/paranormal-erotica-box-set-vampires-shifters-and-fairy-tales-for-adults

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521113
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IM10J32?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IM10J32

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Kitty Versus Cougar #99cents #KU #MySexySaturday

My latest, greatest new release is a little ditty called Kitty Versus Cougar, which you may remember from the taboo collection There's A First Time for Everything.

Kitty Versus Cougar is an Amazon exclusive, which means if you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber you can read it FREE! If you're not, don't worry--it's only $0.99!

If you like lesbian smut, this one's for you!

Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TSQWN0M?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M

Shelby dropped out of school the minute she turned eighteen, but life didn’t go the way she thought it would. Now she’s back in class, and it’s kicking her… butt. When Manon the sexy French supermodel offers to tutor her, Shelby lashes out verbally and then physically! Shelby sure acts tough, but can an educated older woman expose her inner pussycat?

Enjoy 7 paragraphs from Kitty Versus Cougar. We join Shelby and her father's girlfriend Manon as they're recovering from a scuffle in the kitchen:

Manon spoke first. She said, “It must be difficult for you, living here with your father. You are an adult. You are accustomed to having your freedom, to come and go as you please, to drink and smoke and make love.”

“Ha!” I couldn’t help laughing, for so many reasons. “I had way less freedom when I lived with my mom. Why do you think I came here?” Before she could answer, I added, “You and my dad think I’m some kind of badass who spent the last year and half having knife fights and snorting coke off some biker dude’s dick. Well, you’re dead wrong. I don’t do drugs, I only fight with my fists, and I wouldn’t fuck a guy if you paid me.”

Manon’s eyes widened and a tense moment passed before she said, “Your father did not tell me this.”

“My father doesn’t know,” I said. “Neither does my mom, but I think she suspects. I think that’s why she was always so hard on me.”

Subtly closing her legs, Manon asked, “You sleep with women?”

“I would if they’d let me,” I muttered.

Manon’s long black lashes fluttered as she regarded me cautiously from across the room. This is exactly what happened with every other girl I had a crush on. Not that I had a crush on my dad’s girlfriend! No way. I hated her. But other girls, girls from work or wherever. After lusting from afar for ten billion years, I’d finally get up the nerve to go in for the kiss. Before my lips got anywhere near their lips, they’d swerve away and get all pissed off. Excuse me? They were the ones leading me on and then backing off at the last second. I should be pissed at them.

Now Available from Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TSQWN0M?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK| http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M
Amazon Canada| http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M
Amazon Australia| http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00TSQWN0M

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

#RandomBookIWrote Wednesday: Kinksters

It's an anthology this week--an anthology of kinky menage erotica!

Kinksters: 12 Stories of Wild Group Sex, Bisexual Fun and Kinky Pleasures
by Giselle Renarde


Kinky couples are great, but nothing beats a big group of kinksters!

In this anthology by kinky queer Canadian Giselle Renarde, a Domme and sub share their fetish with an old friend while a sword collector pays five young men to fulfill her sex swing fantasy. Geeky grad students chase tornadoes and tail while an unapologetic cougar gets licked by three college girls.

A gorgeous restaurant manager plots to take down her boss, only to discover he’s two steps ahead. There’s an all-girl waxing session, a vintage clothing enthusiast who’s shocked to discover her lover’s “other woman” is actually a man, and a bureaucrat whose male escorts happen to be angels.

Six socialites switch partners for a Rainbow Night to remember, but not before an athletic team takes bondage to the next level. To top it all, a room full of lesbians lose it over a tattooed femme in Lesbukake.

Twelve sexy stories are ready and waiting. On your mark… get set… KINK!

Table of Contents

1. Knowing the Ropes
2. Five Body Blade
3. Elementary, My Dear Kathryn
4. Honey Trap
5. In the Eye
6. Waxing is for Pussies
7. The Other Other Woman
8. Tisha and Narine’s Afterhours Fetish Party
9. Wonderful Wing Boys
10. Debbie Does Dalhousie
11. Rainbow Night
12. Lesbukake


Excerpt (from Knowing the Ropes):

Jansey squirmed against the rope, and against the ever-more-confining crotch of her one-piece spandex skipping outfit. Her pussy lips were thick and throbbing, and she’d give anything in the world to touch herself right now.

“You make it sound like I’m horny in a general way. I’m not. I’m only hot for…” Jansey lowered her eyes and her voice. “…only for you guys…”

Ruby and Beatriz chuckled deeply. They were holding each other now, and Ruby cooed, “You gotta beg for it, little sister.”

A glimmer of hope shot through Jansey’s embarrassment. “Oh, I beg you… please!”

Beatriz approached, inching slowly across the gymnasium. “Gotta do better than that, kid.”

Why did they always call her kid, little sister, little girl? All four of them were the same age, all in third year at university, and she wasn’t that much shorter than Ruby or Beatriz. Maybe it was her manner. Granted, she was a little more childish than the rest of them—gullible and naïve at times, too.

“Please,” Jansey said, this time with all the desperation she felt in her body. “I need you to touch me and kiss me and lick me in all the right places, like you did that night.”

“I don’t know,” Ruby teased. The three of them closed in, looming tall above her. “How can we be sure it’ll improve your performance?”

“It will!” Jansey cried. She felt anxious now, her skin itchy, clit pounding, like if they didn’t do it she would just die. Her heart hammered so loudly it was all she could hear. “Please…I promise…please…”

***

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kinksters-giselle-renarde/1118605549?ean=9781495460258
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/405431
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/KINKSTERS-Stories-Group-Bisexual-Pleasures/dp/1495460258/

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Tell Me What You're Up To Tuesday with Kay Brandt

Tell me what you're up to... (What's cooking? Personally, professionally, on the stove, whatever)

Kay Brandt: I have nothing in my 'frig so I'm making fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs for dinner tonight. Something so satisfying about that to me. Beyond the kitchen I have a new book coming out on Friday the 13th--an erotic farce featuring an all-female cast of horny lesbian lawyers wanting to feast upon the naked flesh of their innocent intern girls. It's based on an erotic film series I wrote/directed from 2009-2010 for Girlfriends Films called Lesbian Legal. If you like steamy romance set to comedy, this should satisfy.

Got a new book out? What's it called?

Kay Brandt: Lusty Lawyers and their Innocent Interns, Vol. 1: Spanked by the Boss

Tell me about it.

Kay Brandt: I think I just did :) Older, sexy lesbians desiring younger, beautiful lesbians, or girls, anyway, within a high profile law firm. They spank relentlessly as a sexual power trip to teach order and discipline to their staff. It's not simply a romp, though. There is a story :)

Where can readers buy it?

http://www.excessica.com/books/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=130

Where can readers find you?

Facebook: Kay Brandt/ Jewelbox films

Twitter: @jewelboxfilms

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7979109.Kay_Brandt

Friday, February 13, 2015

My love brought me a donut... and then three more...


Happy Valentine's Day To Me!
Remember the other day how I was joking on Twitter that I'm not a V-Day person but if you're going to get me anything it should be a Dairy Queen cake? Well, my Sweet knows me better than I know myself.

What do you buy a writer with a blog called Donuts and Desires?

Why, DONUTS, of course!


They're filled with apples. Jealous?
Happy Valentine's Day, me ol' chums!
Big Hugs,
Giselle

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Come Again?

Here's an idea: find a jar, drop a quarter into it every day, and by the time COME AGAIN: SEX TOY EROTICA appears on store shelves this April, you'll have more than enough to buy yourself a copy!

COME AGAIN is the brainchild of superstar editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. The table of contents has just been released. You'll find me near the bottom. (there's a joke there somewhere, but it's not coming to me)

My story's about a love doll. I wrote it after watching a documentary about energy consumption in Dubai. Just kidding! I wrote it after watching a documentary about love dolls.

Well, not right away. First I had to browse the internet for three days in search of my perfect mate. But they're really expensive, so I'll make do with my flesh-and-blood girlfriend and confine myself to writing my fantasies for your entertainment...

In the latest collection from award-winning editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, sex toys bring couples, singles, and strangers to new heights of pleasure. The stories range from two couples who happen to share the same remote controlled device to some very hot rocks, a perfectly icy bed, a Superman dildo, and a day in the life of a very lucky vibrator. This fun collection gives you plenty of ideas for toys you’d like to try, and ones you wish someone would invent! From “The Secret Shopper” and “The Cure for the Common Lay,” the stories in Come Again are best read with your favorite sex toy handy.

Sex toys are more popular than ever and make life so much more fun! Nowadays, there are sex toys for every occasion and every act, and they come in all sorts of playful designs, from sweet little bunny vibrators to glamorous glittery harnesses. Rachel Kramer Bussel, toy enthusiast and self-confessed spanko, has gathered a delightful set of stories sure to give you ideas to try at home, or wherever your nearest toy box may be!


Introduction: Sex Toys Are Everywhere

Dare You To Jillian Boyd

The Prototype Malin James

Icy Bed J. Crichton

Surprise Katya Harris

The Superman Dildo E. Bellamy

Lost and Pounded Zee Giovanni

In the Pink Rob Rosen

Dalia’s Toy Corrine A. Silver

Vegetable Love Susan St. Aubin

The Cure for the Common Lay Valerie Alexander

Claws Out Rachel Kramer Bussel

Sex Kitten Errica Liekos

Standard of Care Sybil Rush

Bikery Oliver Hollandaize

Pencil Dick Kathleen Delaney-Adams

A Tale of Two Toys Chris Komodo

Prickles Elizabeth Coldwell

Gift Dena Hankins

Get Your Rocks Off Jocelyn Dex

Byrd and the Bees Kamala St. Deeds

The Secret Shopper Kitten Boheme

Must Love Dolls Giselle Renarde

Sex Sells Adriana Ravenlust

My Life as a Vibrator Livia Ellis

You can pre-order COME AGAIN from Amazon if you want. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Come-Again-Sex-Toy-Erotica/dp/1627781250?tag=dondes-20

Saturday, February 7, 2015

#MySexySaturday The Price of a Good Cup of Coffee: A Short Lesbian Romance

I don't know whether it's funny or depressing that my new lesbian romance short, The Price of a Good Cup of Coffee, costs less than even a crappy cup of coffee. What is this world coming to? 

But I set the price (at $0.99), so why am I complaining? Oh, Giselle...

So, it's My Sexy Saturday--the day of the week when authors post 7 words, sentences or paragraphs from their work. Since I haven't mentioned my latest release yet this week (it's been busy here at Donuts and Desires), our focus is The Price of a Good Cup of Coffee.

The Price of a Good Cup of Coffee is a sweet (and sexy) New Adult first time lesbian romance short. It's about a university student, Evelina, who falls in love with a pair of legs in woolly black tights. When their owner takes off, Evelina spends months on the lookout for Chaucer Girl (so-called because she was carrying a giant Chaucer book at the time of last sighting). Is Chaucer Girl the doe-eyed barista at the campus coffee shop?

My mom set her fugly club attire down on the bed. “I’m sure this girl will like you no matter what you’re wearing. I keep saying ‘this girl.’ What’s her name, Evie?”

Blank slide. No disk. Please insert video. “Chaucer Girl?”

I got the gruff mom-voice for that. “Evelina! Ask what her name is before you…” Mom started up with a penis-in-vagina hand motion, running two straight fingers through two in a circle. When she realized that gesture wasn’t the most relevant, she said, “Oh, wait, that’s wrong.” She waggled her tongue through a V in her fingers.

“Ew, Mom, don’t be disgusting!” I threw my hopeless self into my mother’s closet and came face-to-face with the perfect skirt.

“Yeah, Chaucer Girl, just like that!” my mom teased.

“This is it!” I cried, tearing the army green skirt from the rack. “Will you stop? You’re grossing me out!”

“So-o-o-rry,” Mom chuckled. “I’m sure you’re just meeting up for a midnight poetry reading. Grab a jacket on your way out; it’s getting chilly. And make sure to find out this girl’s name before you do the nasty!”

Since it's only $0.99, you should grab a copy of this little sweetheart for Valentine's Day. It's available from a whole bunch of retailers, including:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T80U940?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00T80U940
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id964726374
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-price-of-a-good-cup-of-coffee-giselle-renarde/1121171532?ean=2940151684859&itm=1&usri=2940151684859
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/516966
Excitica: http://www.excitica.com/index.php/the-price-of-a-good-cup-of-coffee-a-short-lesbian-romance.html

Friday, February 6, 2015

Book Review: The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50 by Joan Price

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Sex-After-Fifty-ebook/dp/B07H46GKXM?tag=dondes-20
I rarely write book reviews, but I jumped at the chance to give my honest opinion about a new Cleis book called The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50: How to Maintain--or Regain--a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life.

Why? I've got a good 15 years before I enter the 50+ demographic. Why would I be so interested?

Lots of reasons. First and foremost, I may not be over 50, but my girlfriend is. In fact, come to think of it, I've never been in a long-term relationship with anyone under 50. So there are practical reasons I wanted to read this book.

Another big reason is the fact that I remember when the author, Joan Price, was collecting quotes from people over 50 to include in the book. I remember her encouraging LGBT people, in particular, to tell her about their experiences with sex and aging, so I felt really confident this book would represent the kind of diversity I've come to expect from Cleis Press.

Did I get what I was hoping for?

Oh my goodness, where to begin...?

Because I'm not a reviewer, I'm going to talk about myself before I get into the book. I'll also take this opportunity to remind readers I have my girlfriend's permission and encouragement to share intimate details of our relationship. Wouldn't want you thinking I'm getting all TMI behind her back.

If you're a regular here at Donuts and Desires, you know me and you know my Sweet. You know we've been together almost seven years. You know she's a non-op trans woman. You know that, at the start of our relationship, she doubted we'd ever have sex of any sort and that, over the years, we've broken down so many psychological barriers together.

What I haven't gone into (to the best of my recollection) is the nitty gritty of bedroom physiology. What do we do? Well, a lot of things. Sometimes we might fuck, if she gets an erection, but often she doesn't--and, if she does, it lasts about ten seconds. There are a lot of factors at play there, including age, medication and gender dysphoria.

We've discovered, to our mutual delight, that it's very possible to have amazing orgasms without ejaculating. Not just that, but the most powerful orgasm (of hers) we've ever experienced together happened when she was nowhere near hard.

What I love most about Joan's book, if we're talking emotionally rather than intellectually, is that it affirms the kind of sex I've been having (which is mind-blowing, in case I haven't made that clear). You really don't hear about sex that doesn't rely on erections--at least, I don't hear about it, and I write sex for a living.

In The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50, there's an entire chapter called "Sex Without Erections." This chapter starts out strong and empowering (YES you can have great sex and amazing orgasms without 'em!), although it immediately goes on to cover medical interventions for ED, which I found a little deflating (lots of puns there, yeah). Discussing "fixes" makes sex without erections into a "problem."

I also want to mention something that pulled me out of my immersion at times, and that was the inconsistent use of language around genders and body parts. You know my bias--I'm a genderfucked person with a transgender partner. It can be emotionally difficult to read a sex guide that's too binary. I'm not saying this one is--not always. Sometimes the language is super-accessible ("If you have a vagina" rather than "If you're a woman"; "people of all genders" rather than "men and women"), but at other times it reverts to a binary equation of genders with body parts. I tried not to find that inconsistency alienating, but at times I did.

I'm getting really caught up in one linguistic aspect of this book, aren't I?

See, this is what makes me a terrible reviewer: I always come off sounding like I hate every book I talk about, even when that's nowhere close to the truth. I don't know why I sound like such a downer. Joan's book is great.

What makes it great:
  • the focus on redefining sex as we age, including practical and straightforward information about what that can mean
  • feedback from dozens (hundreds?) of older readers (including many gay men and lesbians), describing their experiences with sex and aging
  • tons of information about sex toys (I learned A LOT from this chapter)
  • testimonials from an escort and sex phone operator who work with older clients
  • tips for recapturing the excitement of new love
  • a chapter on non-monogamy that cites my absolute all-time favourite Cleis book, Opening Up by Tristan Taormino (this chapter was THE BEST)
  • (...except for the other THE BEST chapter) a chapter called "When the Intimacy Ends," which has a lot to say about sexless marriages.

"When the Intimacy Ends" alone is worth the price of admission. This chapter really struck a chord, because it called to mind my first "boyfriend" (my only boyfriend, actually), who was in a sexless marriage throughout our entire decade-long relationship. I kinda wish I'd had this book back then, considering our affair was very much AN AFFAIR and not a sensible decision reached by three consenting and mature adults. (That relationship, by the way, was the basis of my fictional Audrey and Lawrence stories and also my non-fiction Diary of a Teenager in Love with a Teacher.)

I could go on (and on and on) because there's so much I haven't covered, including "The New Rules of Dating" and multiple chapters on health concerns, but, honestly, this review would last for days.

I recommend The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50 to anyone over 50, whether they're straight, gay, partnered, poly, single, and especially anyone who's been widowed. Joan's description of and anecdotes around her own grief are powerfully moving. Additionally, this book is a MUST for sex educators, sex workers, sex bloggers, and all variety of sex nerds.

I'm not going to say everyone in the world should go out and buy a copy of this book. It's not written for younger people, and it doesn't really touch on inter-generational relationships (the chapter about dating employs the term "age-appropriate singles," implying there are... age-INappropriate singles?). The target demographic is right there in the title. It's not called The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 22, now, is it? If you're 50+ and sex positive (and you're receptive to being told to masturbate regularly, whether you want to or not!), this really is the ULTIMATE guide.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Sex-After-Fifty-ebook/dp/B07H46GKXM?tag=dondes-20


GISELLE RENARDE’s erotic fiction has appeared in well over 100 anthologies, including Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica, and the Lambda Award-winning collection Take Me There, edited by Tristan Taormino. Giselle's novels include Anonymous, Cherry, Seven Kisses, and The Red Satin Collection. Her work has been published by Simon and Schuster, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Oxford University Press.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

It's #RandomBookIWrote Wednesday! Heeere's Monstrous Obsession!

Wanna jump on my hashtag? #RandomBookIWrote: it'll here every Wednesday. If you're an author, feel free to copy. We'll make it a blog-hoppy sorta deal. I'm just going to post a random book I wrote every week. Starting now!

Monstrous Obsession
by Giselle Renarde
erotic romance + horror

Artemis has never relied on a man for anything. When she moves in with her biker boyfriend Budd and his teenaged son Vincent, she worries she’s losing her independence. Little does Artemis know the moment she sets foot inside Budd’s big house, family dynamics will be the least of her worries.

Something strange lives in Budd’s creaky old house, and it’s far more powerful than any human being. Artemis senses it watching her. She feels it when, out of the blue, a slimy monster tongue licks her neck. She watches it possess every man who looks her way. How could she anticipate the intense, horrific evil she would encounter in Budd’s home?

To save her new family from an obsessive monster, Artemis must learn to accept help from the man who loves her. Can she swallow her pride… before it’s too late?

An erotic novella with a generous helping of horror from award-winning author Giselle Renarde.


Excerpt:

Closing her eyes, Artemis rested against the wall, listening to Budd and Vincent’s deep voices somewhere in the house. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obviously about her. Sometimes she felt like she’d never be wanted anywhere she ended up.

That thought was pushed from her mind by a voice even deeper even than Budd’s. Growling, violently, it said, “You’re mine now.”

Artemis jumped up from the floor, looking all around the room. She felt like somebody was in there with her, but she couldn’t see anyone. Tentatively, she opened the large wooden wardrobe, half expecting one of Vincent’s squirrelly friends to jump out at her. It was empty, except for a little wooden box with strange words carved all around the sides. Curiosity erased the tension of the moment, but as she lifted the lid, shivers ran down her spine. The dread returned, even though the box was empty.

Something was in the room with her, watching her. She was sure of it. Something disturbing and malevolent. The hair stood up all along her arms. She felt like she’d been licked up and down her neck by a dirty old man, and she wiped it with the sleeve of her shirt, again and again, convinced she was removing someone’s saliva from her skin.

The bedroom door squealed open, and she screamed.

Budd chuckled. “Jumpy, jumpy!”

“Sorry, I thought I… heard something.” Artemis shook her head, then pressed the ill-fitting lid back on the wooden box. “I don’t know.”

Buy Now from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KCZEQIU?tag=dondes-20
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KCZEQIU
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/434348
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monstrous-obsession-giselle-renarde/1119459287

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

It's Tell Me What You're Up To Tuesday with A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh

Hi A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh! Tell me what you're up to.

A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh: Kinda trying to push shit uphill. On crusade to get Goodreads (a for profit Book Club subsidiary of Amazon) to change their fatally flawed "Review" system. I've been excommunicated as three different authors for being uppity.

Got a new book out? What's it called?

A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh: Authors vs. Goodreads

Tell me about it.

A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh: It is probably the most reviled book on GR right now. Never has a free booklet for authors been trolled so heavily by readers who somehow feel threatened by it. Never has so much reviewer ink been spilled trashing it without getting the point.

Where can readers buy it?

A.V. Roe / Zoe Desh: Free on smashwords

Where can readers find you?

A.V. Roe: www.av-roe.com for my smut.

@zoedesh if you want to follow my crusade against GR on Twitter.

***Authors! If you want to tell me what you're up to on a Tuesday (well, you can tell me any day, but it'll get posted on a Tuesday) go here and fill out the form: http://donutsdesires.blogspot.ca/p/authors.html It's free and fun and did I mention it's FREE?***

Monday, February 2, 2015

You're Not Going To Believe This...

...but I wrote a heteromance called A Man Needs A Maid and it's going to appear in a billionaire BDSM box set called Shades of Control: Fifty by Fifty.

Who'd have ever thought I would write a billionaire romance, right?

My book is really light on the BDSM aspect (we're talking, like, fuzzy handcuffs) but if you want to read a book about anal sex in a haunted house, this is it!

Actually, clocking in at 65,000 words, A Man Needs A Maid is the longest novel I've ever written.

Shades of Control: Fifty by Fifty comes out next week and, don't worry, I'll remind you at least 100,000 times to buy a copy when it does.


Anyway, this is a cover reveal. So a cover:

I come out next week! Buy me, okay?

Also, you can win a $25 Amazon gift card: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e05c901565/
Good luck!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

It's a Great Month for Transgender Fiction!

It WAS, I should say. In January, the top three bestselling Giselle Renarde Erotica paperbacks were all transgender fiction. Well, blow me down! Who'd'a thunk it?

Top Selling Paperback in January:

My Mistress' Thighs: Erotic Transgender Fiction and Poetry
Authored by Giselle Renarde


264 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1494301538
ISBN-10: 1494301539
BISAC: Fiction / Anthologies

Erotic Transgender Fiction and Poetry
Rainbow Awards Honourable Mention


A cross-dressing cowboy, a post-war pin-up, and a wolf in grandmother's clothing all find a special home in My Mistress' Thighs.

This collection of erotic trans and genderqueer fiction makes room for everyone. There's a secret solstice sacrifice, a case of spring fever, an online romance, and a Wednesday night dinner routine that's anything but dull.

From the timid closet dresser of Love in the Time of Instant Messenger to the post-op rodeo queen of Leslie Goosemoon Rides Again, all who seek love find it in the world of Giselle Renarde Erotica.


In second place:

Friday Night Lipstick: Transgender Erotic Romance
Authored by Giselle Renarde


76 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1494931902
ISBN-10: 1494931907
BISAC: Fiction / Lesbian

When Layla and Bernice first met, they'd never heard the word "transgender."

Twenty years later, Layla is a successful real estate agent living as a woman full-time, while Bernice is still married to a woman who won't let go of the husband she used to be.

On Friday night, when their facades break down, will these long-term friends finally admit they love each other? And, even if they do, how can married Bernice and swinging single Layla build a future together?

And the bronze goes to:
The Red Satin Collection
Authored by Giselle Renarde


164 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1493741137
ISBN-10: 1493741136
BISAC: Fiction / Lesbian

Winner of the 2012 Rainbow Awards
BEST TRANSGENDER ROMANCE


Coming home means coming out...

This is a Christmas of firsts for girlfriends Maisie and Regan. Maisie hasn't returned to their hometown since beginning her transition from male to female. Regan hasn't spoken to her hard-drinking Cree father in twice that time. Will family drama, secrets, and new arrivals strengthen their bond or tear Regan and Maisie apart?

The Red Satin Collection is a transgender lesbian holiday romance that includes content suitable for adult readers only.

Thanks to everyone who buys my books, whether you purchase ebooks or paperbacks! And a special thanks for reinforcing my choice to write responsible, respectful transgender fiction. Now I'm thinking that maybe, when my second anthology of shorts featuring trans and genderqueer characters comes out at the end of the month, people might actually buy it!