Tag Archives: book reading

The Telling of Tales: D.L. King and Friends Read to Me

Ever since Wednesday night’s readings at Sh! with D. L. King and friends, I’ve been thinking about the power of reading stories to each other. I was there to read a bit from one of my own stories, but more importantly I was there to sit back in a roomful of enthralled people and just listen to some of the wonderful authors who have stories in anthologies edited by D. L. King. I couldn’t have asked for more wonderful story-tellers:

Jacqueline Applebee (Where the Girls Are)

Janine Ashbless (Carnal Machines)
Jacqueline Brocker (Under Her Thumb)
Ciara Finn (The Sweetest Kiss)
K. D. Grace (Voyeur Eyes Only)
Remittance Girl (The Sweetest Kiss)
NJ Streitberger (Seductress)

The stories ranged from fem dom to vampire to steam punk. There was even a bit of mythology and voyeurism thrown in for good measure. It was a tremendous pleasure to see D.L. King again, and I felt very honoured to be included to read with some of my heroes in the world of erotica. I was literally transported by each story. The thing is, not only were the stories outrageously sexy and sensual, as you’d expect, but the stories were beautifully woven to pull in the listeners, to allow them to get lost in the tale. I was completely captivated.

Since Wednesday night, I’ve been thinking about how much I love being read to, thinking about why there’s so much more magic in a story read out loud. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on my mother’s lap while she read to me. I didn’t care what she read. It was the sound of her voice, the way she made the characters come alive, the way the story made me wonder and think and try to picture in my little-girl head a world so much bigger than the Wyoming lumber camp we were living in at the time, a place where the Swiss Family Robinson were surviving and thriving on their lost island, a place where kids, not much older than I, rode gorgeous black horses and solved scary crimes and chased spooky ghosts.

When my mother wasn’t reading to me, my grandfather, who lived with us, was telling stories of his youth, of near-misses with rattle snakes, of catching the biggest catfish ever and of the horse that no one but he could tame. And my dad had his own tales to tell, of practical jokes played on siblings, of dogs that bit, of destructive tornados.

My family knew the magic of story, and they shared that magic with me. The magic of a good story, the magic that compelled our ancestors to sit around a banked fire and listen to the histories of the tribe, listen to the tales of the family, listen to the myths and folk lore collected over generations is a living, breathing magic that still makes my heart race when I think about it.

Unlike our ancestors, we have it all written down now. We have access to a good story anytime. And yet the magic is never more powerful than when the story is read out loud. The power of story spoken goes bone deep and touches parts of us that are much older than our physical selves, parts of us that have roots around campfires sat beneath a sky full of stars.

Wednesday night, we all sat in the bright pink glow of Sh! basement, sipping fizz and listening to sexy tales, tales that offered yet another layer of magic, the magic and the mystery and the celebration of human sexuality told in a thousand creative ways in a thousand intricately woven tales. We listened to stories of what moves us, what makes us squirm, what transports us beyond ourselves while at the same time connects us most deeply to our own flesh.

Perhaps I’m just shamelessly navel-gazing this morning, waiting for my coffee to kick in, but the D.L. King/Sh! version of gathering around the ancestral hearth to listen to stories being shared made me think again about those things that connect us most deeply to our humanity, the sharing of story by word of mouth and the celebration of our sexuality. It seems to me that sex and story go hand in hand, and the community that celebrates both is a community I’m very proud to belong to.

 

A Night Visit with D. L. King

It’s my pleasure to welcome the amazing D. L. King to A Hopeful Romantic. I’m especially honoured that she took the time out of her whirlwind tour of England in the wee hours after a fabulous reading in Blackpool to let me ask her a few questions.

KD: Welcome to the UK, D.L.! It’s such a pleasure to have you here. Can you give us a quick update of your plans for this visit? I know there are some fab events happening, and we’re all very excited.

DL:  Hi KD, thanks so much for having me. It’s half two a.m. so I can’t be held responsible for the understandability of this post, but I’ll do my best.  The reading in Blackpool at the No. 5 Café was brilliant!  Ashley Lister put it together.  He, Remittance Girl and I each read three pieces.  Actually, Ashley had to teach a class, so he had Vicky Ellis fill in for him.  She read two of his pieces, and she was amazing.  He made it back for the final piece from his upcoming novel, Dragon Desire.  There was an open mic, as well, and the place was packed.  What a great night.

I’m returning to London in the morning—it is the morning…yeah, well, later this morning.  Here’s the rest of my UK schedule:

Erotic Writers Meet

Le Pain Quotidien

70 Wardour Street, Soho

Saturday, November 24, 2012

2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

We’ll have a discussion about editing and publishing erotic fiction. This is a  round table discussion, so please come and participate!

50 Shades of Seduction or How To Get What You Want

Sh! Women’s Emporium

57 Hoxton Square (Corner of Hoxton Square and Coronet Street)

Tube: Old Street

Saturday, November 24, 2012

6:30 to 8:30ish

Yes, I’ll be rushing right over there from Soho!  We’re going to be talking about new attractions to kinky sex and dipping your toes into BDSM. How do you seduce your partner into playing the games you want to play in bed, or elsewhere? This is a “Women Only” class and requires reservations.

D. L. King and Friends

Sh! Women’s Emporium  (Same directions as above)

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

6:30 p.m. to ?

This is the big blow out. Help me celebrate my last night in London. I’ve published 17 UK writers in my various anthologies; nine of them will be joining me at Sh! for the biggest reading they’ve ever hosted! Many of these people I haven’t had the opportunity to meet, so I very excited. Who’ll be there?

Janine Ashbless, Jacqueline Applebee, Jacqueline Brocker, Essemoh Teepee, Ciara Fin, K. D. Grace, Remittance Girl and NJ Streitberger and me. Possibly more, although we’ll have to wait to see.

We’ll be reading from Where the Girls Are, The Sweetest Kiss, Carnal Machines, Voyeur Eyes Only, Seductress and even from my super-secret, won’t be released until April, Under Her Thumb!

KD: Wow! What a way to spend your time in the UK! And in such fab company too! I can hardly wait! I see from your blog that your visit to the UK is a mini book tour for your exciting new anthology, Seductress: Tales of Immortal Desire. Can you tell us a little bit about this anthology and what inspired you to edit an anthology of tales about succubi.

DL:  That’s exactly it; it’s an anthology of succubus erotica.  I’d gotten addicted to Richelle Mead’s succubus series and then addicted to Lost Girl (originally a Canadian television show, now being produced by the Sci Fi channel in the US and thought we needed to have a book of succubus erotica.  Here’s an added bonus about succubus erotica: succubi, by their very nature, are dominant, so succubus erotica tends to be femme dom erotica.  Cool, huh?

KD: This is totally cool! I’m especially fond of succubi too, since one figures prominently in my latest novel. I’m very excited about this anthology! Tell us, D. L. why do you think the dark, the paranormal and things that go bump in the night mesh so well with the erotic?

DL:  Jeez, you really expect me to THINK at 3 in the morning? Well, OK.  I think all those things, including sex are mysterious and exhilarating.  They make our pulse race and excite our senses, so when you put two of them together, they tend to enhance each other.  I know that seems simplistic, but if I weren’t so fried, I could discuss the relationship for quite a while.  Maybe I will at one of the venues—or maybe not, but it would be a good discussion, don’t you think?

KD: Definitely a great discussion! And it was rather mean of me the throw it at you in the wee hours when it deserves to be savoured. Sounds like you’re here in the UK to work, DL. Will you be making any time for a little fun too? If so, may I ask what?

DL:  Oh, yeah.  I plan to check out Portobello Market in Notting Hill. I’ve never been in London during a market day before.  I’ve also got tickets on the Eurostar to Paris.  I’ve never been to Paris and plan to spend a day wandering, taking pictures, eating and drinking.  I really hope it isn’t raining…  I also want to catch up with friends, have some good food and drink and just enjoy London.  I don’t know what else I might get up to, but I’m sure I’ll find plenty to do.

KD: Sounds like the perfect way to spend your down time! Looking down the list of delicious goodies you’ve penned or edited, I’m struck by the variety – everything from steam punk to erotica for couples. Dare I ask what type of erotica is your favourite?

DL:  That’s easy: femdom erotica.  But I really can’t say I’ve written anything I haven’t liked.  I suppose I’m most comfortable with femdom because that’s who I am, though.  I’ve got my first anthology of femdom coming out this spring; April 9, to be exact, which happens to be the day before my birthday, so what a great birthday present.  I’m really excited about the book, Under Her Thumb: Erotic Stories of Female Domination.  It’s hot!  But I’m also excited about my latest call for submissions for the exact opposite: Slave Girls: Erotic Stories of Submission.  Check out the call at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association (http://www.erotica-readers.com).

KD: What’s coming up next from D.L King?

DL: Oops, well, I guess I just answered that question… I’m also working on the third book in the Melinoe series.  This one’s called A Slave of Melinoe and it’s Adam’s story.  If you’ve read the books, you might remember his a Mistress Susan’s boy.  Can’t tell you when it will be out, but I am finally working on it.  I’ve got a lot of new stories coming out soon in books edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, Alison Tyler and Maxim Jakubowski.  I guess I’ve been busy lately.

Anyway, thanks for posting my ramblings and I hope people will come out to the various venues in the next few days.  I think we’ll have a lot of fun.

KD: Thanks for stopping by, D.L. Can’t wait to see you in London soon!

About D. L. King:

D. L. King spends an inordinate amount of time reading and writing smut in her New York City apartment and postage stamp sized garden.  She is the editor of Seductress:Erotic Tales of  Immortal Desire, The Harder She Comes: Butch/Femme Erotica, the Independent Publisher Awards Gold medalist, Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica, The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist, Where the Girls Are: Urban Lesbian Erotica. D. L. King is the publisher and editor of the erotica review site, Erotica Revealed.  The author of dozens of short stories, her work can be found in various editions of Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica, The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, as well as such titles as One Night Only, Power Play, Lucious, Hurts So Good, Fast Girls, Gotta Have It, Please Ma’am, Sweet Love, and Frenzy, among others.  She is the author of two novels of female domination and male submission, The Melinoe Project and The Art of Melinoe.  Find out more at dlkingerotica.blogspot.com and dlkingerotica.com.

When D.L. King in not globe-trotting all over England, find her here:

http://dlkingerotica.blogspot.com
http://www.dlkingerotica.com
http://twitter.com/d_l_king

 

Erotic End to October with Smut and Magic and Velvet Tongue

Smut and Magic Rocks!

Partying with the Sh! Ladiez is always fun, and never more so than when it’s a launch party. A launch party at Sh! is always the best, and never better than when it’s a shared launch party! That means Smut and Magic pushed all my buttons for a fabulous evening in London.

I had the honour of sharing this launch party with very talented Smutters, Victoria Blisse and Lucy Felthouse, who were launching their naughty new anthology, Smut in the City, co-edited by these two lovelies, and filled with stories about, well, smut in the city, any city, lots of cities, lots of sexy nastiness written by lots of the very best and hottest erotica authors. Wow, what an anthology! And one I was very excited to share the celebration with.

The party was perfectly timed for me as well. I was the ‘magic’ part of Smut and Magic – well not me per se, but my new novel, Riding the Ether, book two of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy and the continuation of the sexy battle of the Elemental Coven against a very nasty, very bad-ass demon, Deacon. And all this just four days before Halloween!

There was the usual combination of fun, filth and fizz. And might I add food, in the form of delectable sweet treats furnished by Lucy’s OH, Ian Hanes, and the Queen of Multi-tasking, Victoria Blisse! There was yumminess on every level!

Of course it wouldn’t be a party without some seriously cool giveaways, some by The House of Erotica, some by each of the authors. The Sh! Ladiez, led by the fabulous Jo, passed out balloons containing a raffle for  one of Sh!’s much-coveted goodie baskets.

When Sh! closed, the party spilled out on the street and over to the basement of the local Byron, accompanied by three of my favourite stunning stars of erotica, Remittance Girl, Kay Jaybee, and Lexie Bay. You can probably guess the topic of discussion. It’s what you’d expect writers to talk about; what makes a good story, what captures the reader’s heart. Of course with the 50SoG phenomenon, these are questions everyone is asking. Times for erotica writers, and for all writers, are changing rapidly. Exciting stuff.

The conversation continued into the wee hours, and once again, I was reminded how lucky I am to be in the company of such a supportive, such an amazing writing community. A special thanks to Lucy and Victoria who made the evening thrice as fun. And that’s a whole lot of fun!

Velvet Tongue pre-Halloween Soiree

As most of you know, I’ve been very much looking forward to reading for Ernesto Serazele’s fabulous Velvet Tongue Erotic Literary Soiree. With it’s pre-Halloween theme it was the perfect setting for me to read about witches and ghosts and demons and sex magic. Shoreditch is such an exciting area of London, and only a few blocks away from Sh! Women’s Store, is the fabulous Bar Kick, where you can get a mean hamburger, play foosball, and once a quarter down in the basement, you can hear naughty poetry, prose, see sexy performances and if you’re lucky see someone get their kit off while they offer you the best in performance poetry.

Rubyyy Jones

 

It was London in the end of October, so naturally the night of the performance it was pouring down rain. We arrived early, wondering if the horrendous weather would put off any of the people planning to attend.

Ernesto Sarezale

We needn’t have worried. By the time Ernesto got the evening under way, the place was packed out, some people dressed as devils and as naughty school girls, some people dressed for fast clothing removal. Me, I was disguised as a mild-mannered American tourist out with her hubby  for a taste of London night life … You don’t believe me??? Well, neither did anyone else …

S. P. Howarth

In addition to some amazing open mic participation, I was lucky enough to share the stage with Anthony Howell, Ernesto Sarezale , S. P. Howarth, and Rubyyy Jones, with a bawdy appearance by Ant Smith.

Ernesto and S.P Howarth both got their kit off while reading fabulous poetry. Of course I hardly noticed the removal of said kit because their poetry was so stunning … You don’t believe me??? Neither did anyone else … Seriously though! Wow! Stunning … poetry!

Demon possession? Or did I just forget where I put my drink?

The best part of the whole evening was just being in a place with so many people who were celebrating sex and all things erotic. That’s definitely my kind of company. Thanks, Ernesto, for inviting me to read. It was truly a fantastic experience. (Thanks Ant Smith and Ernesto for the photos! )

Velvet Tongue Erotic Literary Soiree Pre-Halloween Fun and Filth

I’ve been crowing for the past two months about how excited I am to be a guest at award winning poet, Ernesto Sarezle’s fabulous Velvet Tongue Erotic Literary Soiree coming up on the 29th of October at Bar Kick in Shoreditch. AND just in time for the release of novel two of my Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, Riding the Ether, a paranormal erotic romp with ghosts and witches, sex magic and demons. I’ll be offering up a few naughty, maybe even scary tidbits.
Ernesto, more widely known as the Naked Poet, was kind enough to share a little bit with me about how the Velvet Tongue Erotic Literary Soiree came to be.
“Velvet Tongue started in February 2011. After many years considering the possibility of hosting an erotic literary event in London, I finally went for it when I was offered a fantastic venue, a sexy little gallery in Bethnal Green (Ten Gales) which, with its smart art deco style, adorned with lots of red drapery, proved to be the perfect setup for such an event. Sadly the gallery closed down and the second edition of VT had to be hosted in a new venue, where Velvet Tongue is still hosted. Luckily this new venue is also very special: the Bar Kick, a trendy sports bar in Shoreditch which, unbeknown to many of its punters, hides a charming little performance space in its dark basement.
For many years, I had been thinking that there was a niche for this kind of soirée. I was not aware of any other event like this in London (apart from an “erotic reading group” that gathers monthly to discuss erotic books) and I felt – rightly as it turns out – that there was a demand for it. Also, I had had experience organizing queer poetry nights (Glam Slam and – in the distant past – Homophone) which I quite enjoyed. But I wanted to try out something a bit more “polysexual” and more varied, including not only performance poetry but also other literary forms and performance approaches. Among events that have inspired me I can mention poetry open mic nights and literary salons in London. But VT is closer to an event called Perverts Put Out in which I once participated in San Francisco. The event, which normally coincides with the Folsom Street Fair in September, gives voice to alternative sexualities and lifestyles (so prominent in the Californian city).
What to expect at Velvet Tongue: If you are there as a member of the audience, the opportunity to hear the stimulating and diverse voices of people from all walks of life dealing with intimate aspects of their sexuality.  If you are a writer or performer, the opportunity to present your own erotically-themed material at one of the open mic slots (if there are any available; booking in advance by email is recommended) in front of an appreciative audience. To ensure quality literary standards I always invite three or more guest performers whose work I am familiar with and thus I know are going to deliver something exciting and worth listening to.
In the past two editions, there has been a good deal of flesh exposure, including full frontal, both male and female. But potential contributors should not be scared; rather, they should be excited and expectant at the prospect of performing in front of a warm, open minded and enthusiastic audience.”
Thank you, Ernesto!
I’m way too shy to get my kit off, but I’m not too shy to read about people who aren’t, and to read about all the fun they get up to once they do get their kit off. If you’re in London on Monday evening, the 29th, be sure to join the fun.
Hosted by Erotic Award winning poet, Ernesto Sarezale.This autumn, our featured writers are:

K. D. Grace (novelist)
S. P. Howarth (poet)with special appearances by:
Rubyyy Jones (burlesque artist)
& Itzi Urrutia (performance artist)Plus the usual open mic slotsand other surprises still to be confirmed.To get one of the (5 mins) open mic slots: email Ernesto (ernesto [at] sarezale.com).

Velvet Tongue
127 Shoreditch High Street, London. E1 6JE
(Old St/Liverpool St tubes)
7pm-10:30pm, £3

Just Who is Behind the Smut and Magic ?

Smut and Magic

The time is fast approaching! The event I’ve been waiting for since February! Smut and Magic is a launch party times three! I’m honoured to be partying with Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Bliss on Saturday October 27th at Sh! Women’s Store. Lucy and Victoria will be launching Smut in the City, the fabulous new anthology they schemed, dreamed and co-edited. I’ve seen the list of writers included, and all I can say is WOW! A must read!

Smut In The City will be accompanied by Sex Magic in the Lake District, as I launch book two of my Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, Riding the Ether. I know from experienc Lucy and Victoria know how to party, and the Ladiez at Sh! — well that goes without saying. There’ll be fun, fizz, filth and magic.

As time grows closer and the three of us plan and scheme naughty reads, yummy giveaways and lots of party fun in general, I thought it would be a great opportunity to intruduce you to my two lovely Partners in Smut and let them give you just a tiny taste of their magic. So please welcome Victoria Blisse and Lucy Felthouse to A Hopeful Romantic!

Victoria Blisse

I never really contemplated becoming an author as an actual proper career plan but I always had it at the top of my list of ‘favourite fantasy jobs I’d love’ just above Physio for Manchester United and paid chocolate taster. How did I get into erotica? I tend to blame my husband.

You see, I had a dream, an erotic dream and that damn dream would not leave me alone so the wise and wonderful husband told me to write it down, so I did. Kev then told me I should post it up on the internet for the world to see, so I did and I continued to post stories for free on literotica.com for many years and still do it now and then just for the nostalgia of it.

So it’s all his fault.

I have a lot of short stories and novellas to my name now. I write for Total-E-Bound, Xcite, HarperCollins Mischief and House of Erotica who are all British based as well as a few American publishers and I will be published with both Sweetmeats and Cleis press in the near future! I also apparently edit anthologies now. I’ve edited several Bigger Briefs Anthologies and Smut by the Sea and Smut in the City with Lucy Felthouse, fellow Northern Bird and partner in crime. I have an average of one book a month released and spend a lot of time on facebook http://facebook.com/victoriablisse , twitter http://twitter.com/victoriablisse and the like promoting my work. As well as keeping my blog updated http://victoriablisse.co.uk  I’ve also had the pleasure of reading live to audiences and meeting up with other erotica writers in the flesh as it were. I count many of them as good friends, there’s a real sense of community in the erotica and erotic romance (what I write more often than not) worlds. I am always amazed by how supportive my fellow authors can be and I can’t wait to meet up with my pals at Sh! Again for Smut and Magic!

Excerpt from Mad Fer it in Manchester featured in Smut in the City.

We munch on in silence and watch the kids hurtling through the water.

“I don’t know how they do it,” I laugh, “that water must be freezing.”

“Oh, it looks fun to me,” Stuart grins. “And I’m so hot in this damn suit.”

“Yes you are,” I reply without thinking and his smile expands to cover his whole face. I try to find some way of covering up my little slip. “So go on then, I dare you to stand on there with the kiddies.”

“I bet you I can do it and not get wet.”

“How much?”

“Winner gets a kiss.”

Now that sounds like a win-win situation to me.

“You’re on!” I settle back in the grass. He jumps up, pulls off his jacket and drops it to the floor beside me. It smells of him, spicy and fresh. I resist the urge to run the heavy material against my cheek. I carry on watching him and yes, he’s doing it. He’s standing in the middle of the fountain. It’s completely dry now but it’s obviously going to spurt soon. The little kids are laughing nervously, anticipating the cooling jets that will explode beneath them at any minute. I hold my breath. Will he get wet?

“Ha, see!” He taunts as the water shoots up a metre or so away from him, “told you.”

I’m just about to respond when a spout of water comes to my rescue and squirts up directly beside him, showering him in ice cold water.

“You were saying?” I clap my hands in delight.

He just laughs and wipes his wet hair from his eyes. His white shirt is clinging to his chest now and I can see the outline of his nipples and the dip of his bellybutton.

“Come on in, Lauren, the water is fine.”

“No, we need to go get you dry.” I look at my watch. “We’ve only got twenty minutes.”

“Okay, bring me my jacket.”

I stand and walk towards the fountain. He’s perched on the edge and holds out his hand. I pass him the jacket but he grabs hold of me and pulls me towards him. I follow him with a yell, leaping up the step and onto the wet marble top.

“What are you doing?” I squeal, “I’ll get soaked.”

“That’s what I am hoping for.” He spins me round right into the path of one of the jets. I scream as the water soaks through my skirt and my blouse and hits my heated cheeks. It’s icy cold and all my senses jump alive from the shock.

“You little…” Just in time I remember we’re surrounded by kids so I refrain from calling him a nasty name. He laughs, grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him.

“I like you wet,” he whispers, wiping a strand of clinging hair from my face. My gaze stays locked with his and I nervously lick my top lip. He follows the action with the movement of his eyes and then the space between our mouths is only millimetres and suddenly he’s kissing me.

Lucy Felthouse

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story – so she did. It went down a storm and she’s never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, Decadent Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Evernight Publishing, House of Erotica, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour, Seducing the Myth, Smut by the Sea and Smut in the City. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Blurb:

Sultry, smouldering sex in the city is the theme of this erotic anthology, edited by Victoria Blisse and Lucy Felthouse.

From the stifling heat of the London Underground to the crumbling walls of Rome’s Colosseum, Smut in the City has it all. Whatever your interpretation of sultry urban sex, there’s something nestling between the covers for you. Lusty couples, horny office workers, hunky bakers and gardeners, tourists and the Mafia are portrayed for your titillation in this exciting collection of stories from erotica’s finest authors.

Excerpt:

Exiting the Colosseo Metro station, Libby shot a grin at her boyfriend, Ciaran. “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble finding it, do you?”

“Hmm?” Ciaran frowned, then turned his gaze in the direction that Libby was pointing. He gave a sheepish smile. “No, I don’t think we will. Shall we put the map away?”

Libby nodded, and Ciaran spun round so she should take the map and load it into his backpack. Zipping it back up, she patted it twice to signal she was done. Ciaran turned and held out his hand. She took it, and together they took their lives in their hands crossing the busy Roman road and walked to the Colosseum.

Despite the early hour, the queue was already considerable, and the couple exchanged a wry look. But then Libby remembered something. “Hey, don’t look so glum babe. We can skip the queue, remember?”

Ciaran frowned. “We can?”

Pulling a small credit card shaped and sized item from her pocket, she replied, “Yes! Our Roma cards mean we can get in quicker. That was one of the selling points the rep kept going on about when she was trying to flog them to us.”

K D Grace

Me, you already know, so here’s just a touch of magic from book two of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, Riding the Ether.

Excerpt:

The therapist straightened in her chair and folded her hands together on top of her desk blotter like she was about to say a prayer. ‘Just get comfortable, Alice, like you normally do when you meditate. That’s it, just relax. Feet flat on the floor. Shoulders soft. Deep, even breaths. And when you’re ready, I want you to go to that place where you meet this man of your imagination, go there just as you are, relaxed, comfortable, unafraid. Go there and just be in that space and just …’

And she was. She was there, surround by, well, surrounded by nothing. Just empty space. How could there be just empty space? But it was alright. Empty space she could handle. Empty space was alright, as long as she was there alone. There was barely time for a mental sigh of relief before her blood chilled in her veins and it was as though a shadow had crossed over her consciousness. She couldn’t hear him, she couldn’t see him, but she knew. Dear Goddess, she knew! He was there.

‘I’ve missed you, my darling. Why have you stayed away so long?’ His voice was in her ear, like he was right behind her, no, more like he was inside her, right there with her. Her skin crawled, like it wanted to escape her flesh. Her throat ached with a scream it couldn’t quite form, a scream for help from Kate. Her nipples were suddenly painful, and she was wet. Oh dear Goddess, she was so wet and swollen. She whimpered desperately and tore at the fly of her trousers.

‘Oh my poor little witch, my poor little darling, do you see how you suffer when you stay away from me?’

She clawed at her pentacle for comfort, but found none. He only chuckled softly. She could feel his voice deep in her chest making her nipples even harder. ‘But all of your suffering is over now, my beauty. I shall make you feel better, and that is what you want, isn’t it? You want me to make you feel better.’

Come join the fun!

That’s 27th October

Sh! Women’s Store 6:30- 900pm