Saturday, June 29, 2019

What Good is #Writing?


I used to tell people writing meant nothing to me. Family, friends, writers, readers... I told everyone that writing was something I only did to make money. Writing wasn't like breathing, for me. I didn't feel like I had to do it or I'd die.

I'd heard from a lot of other authors that they'd write even if nobody paid them for it.  Even if nobody bought their books.

Not me. I was only in it for the cold hard cash.

That was then.

It took me quite a number of years before I started to realize the place of meaning and resolution writing held in my life.  When I first started writing, I was selling erotica shorts to anthologies and periodicals. I was signing contracts with niche publishers.

I think it was the market for periodicals that dried up first. Anthologies followed a few years later.  Around that time, the small publishers I was signing with started toppling like dominoes.

So I started self-publishing. Why not?  The stigma was lifting.  It was suddenly easy to publish independently. And I had quite a number of works at my disposal, including those that had come back to me from publishers that had folded.

Things went pretty okay.  I was hardly a Kindle Millionaire, but I understood the process.  Publishing seemed pretty straightforward. I uploaded my books to various retailers through various distributors and in various formats. They sold copies. Again, not a million copies, but enough that I could pay my rent and put food on the table (and in my cats' bowls).

And now?

Looking at my life holistically, I'd have to say, at the moment, it's a mess. My career is a huge part of that mess. I've experienced an enormous amount of grief and loss this year--in terms of loved ones dying and so forth--but also in terms of loss of income, dwindling sales.

The last book I wrote that was meaningful to me sold two copies.

Although my career is writing, writing is not merely a career.  Not anymore.

Writing has become much more than a career.

Much, much more.

After my cousin's death this summer, I started writing about grief.  About my grief.  Non-fiction. I started out telling myself it was publishable, that I was writing for monetary gain. But I realized very quickly that allowing anyone on the planet to read the most intimate details of my family's pain would be a betrayal to those who were hurting the most. There could be a time in the future when that changes, but that's kind of not the point.

The point is that, even after I realized I was writing stuff I couldn't possibly publish... I kept doing it.

I kept writing because the act of writing helped me. That's when I realized I was actually journaling. Didn't feel like it, because I'd never typed a journal before. I'd run out of people to talk to (or, I convinced myself I had, convinced myself nobody wanted to hear me repeat the same thoughts over and over again), but I could always write.

It helped me so much. I could never have imagined how much, honestly.  If you're going through some shit and it's never occurred to you to write it all down, I highly recommend it. Most people have probably figured this out by the age of eight.  Guess it took me a little longer than that.

There's something freeing about getting to a low point in your career.  You can stop thinking about what others want from you, because clearly they don't want anything--if they did, they'd be buying your books.  It's a time when you can turn to yourself and ask, "All things being equal, what would you really like to work on?"

And then you can write a book like this:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/912373?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica

Or a book like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JHW2Q2V?tag=dondes-20

Or a book nobody's ever going to see, because it isn't a book at all.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

#BDSM #Erotica, Collaring, a Towel Whip and a Public #Sex Reunion

I've got a few new erotica ebooks to tell you about. We've got collaring, we've got a towel whip, we've got reunion sex. Collect all three!

Not Funny
Playful BDSM Erotica

Bonnie's always suspected she could use a good dose of pain. Her sex life with Darren is satisfying, but very routine. She's tried to sell her husband on spanking, but he thinks the idea of adults smacking one another is a little weird. One morning, after a sexy shower, Darren surprises Bonnie by flicking her beautiful behind with his towel. She can't believe the burn. By mid-day her butt is streaked with whip wounds and she can't sit still. She places a call. Darren's only marked one cheek so far... would he mind rushing home to take care of the other?

Get it from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/944091?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica
or Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WkOdDwAAQBAJ


Back Row Reunion
Second Chance Sex

Mai Ly and Mike were so close in high school, but that was, what, more than ten years ago? Seems like only yesterday they got a little wild on a field trip to the planetarium. Now Mai Ly is a TV icon while Mike works as a lowly usher at a fringe theatre. When the house lights fade, Mike can't believe how eager his old friend is to revisit the past. But if Mai Ly liked Mike so much back in the day, and if she still likes him now, what's keeping these two apart?

Get it from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/944094?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica
or Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WEOdDwAAQBAJ


Diamonds and Gold
Adulterous BDSM Erotica

Jai Li isn't your typical millionaire businesswoman… or your typical submissive, for that matter. She's been married to her husband and Master for nearly 25 years, and she's spent 4 of those years cheating on him with a man in another city. It’s easy enough to claim she's traveling for business. But has Jai Li, the adulterous submissive, really pulled the wool over Master's eyes? Or will a permanently-affixed diamond and gold collar show her otherwise?

Get it from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/942891?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica

More to come!

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Thank you for being a reader. #readers #writers #gratitude


I saw a tweet the other day that really pissed me off.

I won't say who it came from or even what line of work they're in, but the tweet was a real screw-you to all their followers. It said something along the lines of: you think you're so supportive because you follow me and retweet me, but if you're not buying my products then you're not helping me at all because retweets don't pay the rent.

When I saw that, I was seriously taken aback. I haven't stopped thinking about it, and it makes me want to communicate, now more than ever, that I don't feel that way about my followers on twitter or on my blog here or anywhere else. Quite the opposite. I appreciate the time you take to read my words, whether they're in blog form, tweet form, or book form.

I appreciate your time.

If you read something I've written here at Donuts and Desires or on twitter and you take a moment to share it with others, I appreciate that action tremendously.

In fact, it's about more than just your time. It's about much, much more.

The other day I was thinking about book reviews. I don't read reviews of my work, but I appreciate beyond words that readers take the time to share their thoughts with the entire internet.

Sharing your opinions with the world isn't always easy, especially when you consider the nature of what I'm writing: erotica and queer fiction. If you write a book review about my work, you're sharing a lot about yourself.

Some readers are not in a position where they're able to be "out" as kinky or queer or whatever the case may be. They don't feel they can tell the world this is what they're reading. If you fall into that category, I want you to know it's okay. I don't wish for you to put your security in jeopardy to boost me up. Just know in your heart how much I appreciate that you're reading my words.

And if you are in a position to share your views on my work with the world, I appreciate that too. I appreciate it tremendously. And I appreciate it even if you didn't buy the book you're reviewing--if you checked it out of your local library or you got it for free during some kind of promotion or you found a tattered copy in a bus station bathroom.

Yes, I write for a living. Yes I need to put food on the table with my words. And pay the rent. And cover utilities. I couldn't do any of those things without readers. But does that mean I begrudge the people who "only" subscribe to my newsletter, who "only" retweet me once in a while, who "only" read the free stories on my blog? No! Not in the least.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/750860?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica
Let's be real: this is the world of erotica. Most of the people who buy a title like "Forbidden Family Erotica" won't remember my name once they've read my smut. And you know what? I'm okay with that.

Not every reader needs to be a fan, and not every fan needs to be a reader. Most of my twitter followers have probably never read my work, and they probably never will. But every so often someone retweets a book trailer I've made, and that gets seen by a few people who've never heard of me, and they get interested in my work and a fan inspires a reader without even knowing it.

It's so shitty for anyone to tell their followers "if you're not purchasing my product, you mean nothing to me." I can't get over it. It's got me so riled up.

Hey, YOU. Yes, you! If you're reading this right now, you mean something to me. I've written these words. You've read these words. No money has changed hands, but we've got a connection. And that means something.

At least, to me it does.

https://www.patreon.com/audioerotica/memberships
And if you want to support me financially, Patreon is as good a place as any!

Friday, June 14, 2019

Dressing Up: Fun in Women's Clothing #Erotica #Audiobook

Dressing Up
Fun in Women's Clothing
Audiobook Written and Read by Giselle Renarde

Panties! Dresses! Heels! Wigs!

Wearing women’s clothing sure can be fun. Just ask the men in these three stories: Night Nurse, Yours for Life, and Max Alone in See-Through Panties. Whether he’s on his own or under the command of a good woman, these guys cut a good figure in makeup, uniforms, and even collars and leashes.

Let Giselle tell you a bedtime story (or three) and hot dreams are sure to follow!

Find Dressing Up at...
Nook: https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/234427/dressing-up
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Giselle_Renarde_Dressing_Up?id=AQAAAECMulD6zM
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/dressing-up-2
Audiobooks.com: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/dressing-up-fun-in-womens-clothing/340817
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/381887686/Dressing-Up-Fun-in-Women-s-Clothing
...and many other retailers, subscription and library services!

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Who Reads Short Shorts? #erotica #ebooks

Okay, so they're not actually SHORT shorts. As far as shorts go, they're a pretty standard length. But nobody ever wrote a song that goes "Who wears pretty standard length shorts?"

Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that I've been publishing a lot of my old anthology contributions as erotic ebooks. Just little standalone stories. Just a little treat for the mental taste buds at a low, low price. The ones I'm going to tell you about today are all priced at $0.99, I'm pretty sure.

Here are just a few of my erotic stories newly available as ebooks. Hope something strikes your fancy!

Yours for Life
Feminization Erotica
ISBN 9780463506127

Brian thinks he’s old. The little man no longer stands at attention, and he refuses the blue pills Marina encourages him to take. Middle age is a time for chaste companionship, he says. Well, Marina won’t take his lack of enthusiasm lying down. She’s full of lust and she’ll try any trick in the book to arouse his interest, especially if it means putting her husband in a dress and making him hers… for life!

This story includes puppy play, feminization, senior sex, collaring, married sex, a bisexual wife, and femdomination of a sissy husband!

Buy your copy from any number of online retailers, including Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/940286?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica


The Psychic Harem
Lesbian Group Sex Erotica
ISBN 9780463282519

Dianne's given enough to her greedy long-term girlfriend. When Jane leaves her for a grad student, Dianne decides to be the greedy one for once. She visits The Psychic Harem, a group of women who have been bred for the selected trait of sexual generosity. All she has to do is lie back and enjoy while they fulfill every need and desire Dianne never knew she had. 

This one is lesbian sci-fi group sex set in the not-too-distant future (next Sunday A.D.)?

Buy it from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/941314?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica


Mourner for Hire
Terrifying Ghost Sex Erotica
ISBN 9780463357125

When out-of-work actress Dahlia is offered an easy gig at the cemetery, she scoops it up. All she has to do is visit grave sites on behalf of her clients, who have better things to do than pay respects to the dearly departed. Dahlia talks to the spirits. That's not part of the job, it just helps to pass the time. Bobby is her favourite--until he talks back! And when this supremely solid spirit follows Dahlia home, she finds him impossible to resist.  

This one goes out to all you dubcon/dark romance/dark erotica fans! You know how it goes: ghost soldier follows woman home from the cemetery, wants a taste of that supernatural spirit sex, yadda-yadda-yadda, to be honest I forget how it ends. Read it and find out.

Also available from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/941483?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica

More to come! I'll keep you posted.
And if you haven't checked out my Friendly Music Visitor site, it's updated every damn day, so get your ass over there: https://friendlymusicvisitor.blogspot.com
Thanks! Love you!
Giselle