Tag Archives: Sh! Women’s Store

Kay Jaybee Talks about the Erotica Family

I’d like to pass on a huge thank you to the lovely Kd for inviting me over to her site again today. It was this kind invite by my good friend and right hand in erotica, that got me thinking- the world of erotic writing really is a very friendly place.

Ever since I began my journey as a writer seven years ago, one factor has repeatedly struck me- and to be honest, it wasn’t one I was expecting- everyone is so friendly.

kayjaybee- the family eroticapic in black(1)As an incredibly tiny fish in a huge pond back in 2005, and a small fish in an even larger pond here in 2013, it never ceases to amaze me that the very people I’m in direct competition with are the very ones who lend a supporting hand when required, and advertise my work alongside their own.

I hadn’t thought there would be open hostility out there in erotica world or anything, but as this is an extremely competitive market, I simply hadn’t imagined how helpful and kind my fellow authors would be. And of course, it isn’t just fellow authors that are ready and willing to extend the hand of friendship.

The Sh Women’s Store in London has welcomed myself, and my friends, to their shop many times to read our work to their lovely customers. Lovehoney have supported me with blogs, and countless kind reviewers have boosted my confidence (more than they’ve robbed it!), and followers on Facebook and Twitter, who I have never even met, often send supportive messages, share my posts, and promote my events.

And then there are the readers themselves! Bless every single one of you. Without you, myself and my colleagues are nothing!! I have been particularly lucky lately, with some very kind fan mail, and find myself in the strange position of having been asked by more than one reader to write faster, as they’ve read everything I’ve written, and want more!! Now that’s the sort of compliment that keeps us writer’s getting up in the morning!

Naughty K D gets a spanking from Kay Jaybee
Naughty K D gets a spanking from Kay Jaybee

Before you think that perhaps I’m drowning in a vat of sentiment, of course there have been the odd hitches along the way. I’ve had my share of followers who are just slightly too keen, and give me a little bit too much detail about how they’ve enjoyed my work!! And sadly there are still those readers that can’t separate the material that I invent from real life. It never ceases to amaze me how surprised these people are when I have to break it to them that, even though I have invented many a Fem Dom character, I am not into that way of life at all, and the chances of them finding me ordering someone to hang from a chandelier in their knickers and thigh high boots, while I brandish a whip and a determined expression are 1 in several billion!!!

Kay Jaybee and Steve PPMHW books collHaving produced erotic collections and novels that are heavy on the BDSM, such as Yes Ma’am, The Voyeur and The Perfect Submissive, I can’t say I’m surprised at these assumptions. Nor do I mind them. How could I, when it’s so much fun creating these characters, it would be churlish to say the least!

I’ll leave you now, and head off to write The Retreat (Part Two of The Perfect Submissive trilogy), as quickly as I can! Promise!!

Thanks again KD for inviting me over for a chat!!

Kay xx

Bio-

Kay Jaybee wrote the novels Making Him Wait, (Sweetmeats Press, 2012), The Voyeur (Xcite, 2012), and The Perfect Submissive (Xcite, 2011), as well as the novella’s Digging Deep (Xcite, 2013), A Sticky Situation (Xcite, 2012), and The Circus (Sweetmeats Press, 2011). She has also written the anthologies The Best of Kay Jaybee, (Xcite, 2012), Tied to the Kitchen Sink, Equipment, (All Romance, 2012), Yes Ma’am (Xcite e-books, 2011), Quick Kink One and Quick Kink Two (Xcite e-books, 2010), and The Collector (Austin & Macauley, 1st Ed 2008, 2nd Ed 2012).
Kay has had over 60 short stories published by Cleis Press (inc. Best of Best Women’s Erotica 2, Best Women’s Erotica 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012; Best Bondage 2012, 2013, Sweet Love, Gotta Have It, Sweet Confessions), Black Lace (Sexy Little Numbers), Mammoth (The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica), Xcite (inc.Ultimate Sin, Boy Fun, Power Play, Threesomes, Finger Music, Tricks For Kicks), Penguin (Oysters and Chocolate; Erotic Stories of Every Flavor), Seal (Oysters and Chocolate; Nice Girls, Naughty Sex),and Sweetmeats Press (Immoral Views).

 

You can find details of Kay’s work at www.kayjaybe.me.uk

You can follow Kay on Twitter- kay_jaybee

And on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/KayJaybeeAuthor

 

Kay Jaybee ThePerfectSubmissive200Extract from The Perfect Submissive

…Jess was sat at her desk, a half eaten sandwich in one hand; the fingers of her other hand dancing over the computer keyboard. Laura watched her through the office window for a few moments before confidently stepping into the room, interrupting the clerk without hesitation. ‘Mr Davies informs me he has not yet had time to complete your preliminary tour of the hotel.’

Understanding precisely where the manageress intended to take her, Jess spoke carefully, ‘I’ve seen most of it, but not all.’

Without confirming the clerk’s suspicions, Laura said, ‘I have a few moments, so if you’d like to walk this way I’ll complete that area of your training.’ She pointed towards the office door, ‘You are bound to be asked for directions around the place by our guests and it doesn’t look very professional if a member of staff gets lost herself, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘I would, Mrs Peters.’

Although she’d now worked at the Fables for just over a week, Jess still hadn’t looked her boss in the eye once, a fact that sent a buzz of conviction through Mrs Peters; her initial instincts about the girl had been correct.

‘Are you happy here so far, Miss Sanders?’

‘Yes, Mrs Peters. Thank you.’ Jess muttered her response, almost managing to glance directly at her superior, but falling short at her shoulders. Laura’s heartbeat increased in response to the girl’s natural deference. Jess Sanders was just so perfect for what she had in mind.

As they walked towards the staff lift Laura attempted to improve the flow of conversation, ‘And I don’t think you have yet been introduced to all the other members of staff?’

‘Not yet, no.’ Again Jess spoke cautiously, and Laura knew from the expression on her face that she was both fearful and curious about meeting anyone who kept their business arrangements entirely to the Fables upper storey.

‘We are one member of staff down at the moment; one of my assistants has left us for pastures new. I’m searching for a replacement. Master Lee Philips, who works in the bar downstairs, helps me out as and when required, but it’s not an ideal arrangement. He has many other duties, and besides, the fifth floor guests frequently prefer the female touch.’

Following the clerk into the lift it was obvious that no small talk was going to come from her, so Laura calmly kept up her commentary. ‘My associate, Miss Sarah, should be on the premises by 10.00 each morning, unless she has had a complete night session, in which case she is not expected until 2.00 p.m. As I’ve said, Master Philips comes and goes, depending on our requirements and his bar and reception work. Miss Sarah has her first session of the day in a few moments, if we are lucky we should just catch the show.’

Visibly shrinking back, Jess noticed how Mrs Peters walked a little taller now they’d reached her domain. Her face was more set, her back straighter, and somehow she appeared even more intimidating than before. Pushing her hands into the deep pockets of her clinging knee-length black skirt, Jess hid the growing sheen of perspiration on her palms, while trying to ignore the fearful beat of her pulse.

Crossing the threshold of the room, into which she was being firmly steered by the elbow, felt like entering another world to Jess, or rather, another time. Manoeuvred towards a plush red velvet chaise longue, her eyes darting here and there, the clerk was pointedly sat down.

Trying to ignore the light but persistent pressure of Mrs Peters cool hand against her wrist, Jess took in the reproduction William Morris wallpaper, the heavy dark-wood chest of drawers, the floor to ceiling bookshelves, and the faded brown leather wing-backed armchair. Centre stage, only a few metres from where they sat, was a huge writing desk. Its top was inlaid with a square of leather, a portion of which was covered with blotting paper, an accompanying ink well, pots of ink, and nibbed pens.

Jess was reminded of a museum she’d once visited as a child, where rooms from a variety of different houses had been re-created from a number of historical periods. This room had Victorian study written all over it.

The silence was beginning to get to her as she waited, perched rather than sat, on the unyielding seat. A faint voice of hope at the back of her head kept telling her that all this had to be some sort of practical joke, but one glance at Mrs Peters made Jess reconsider. Her eyes kept drifting towards the study door. Whatever she had been brought here to witness surely couldn’t begin until someone came in. Twenty seconds later, each one ticked off by the hammer of Jess’s heart beating, the door swung back with a confident push.

‘Ah, Miss Sarah,’ Laura rose from her seat, a stern glare at Jess telling her not to move. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but Fables has a new member of staff, and I thought it would be a good idea to let her observe one of our sessions.’

Miss Sarah, her face powdered to an ultra-pale complexion, her curling hair pinned up in the style of a Victorian lady, her exquisite outfit historically accurate down to the small white buttons that fastened her stylish black boots, curtsied at once to her superior, ‘Of course, Mrs Peters.’

The stunningly slim woman glanced briefly at Jess, her grey gaze only lingering long enough to acknowledge the stranger, without taking in what she looked like or who she might be. Miss Sarah’s indifference, dismissing the office clerk as an unimportant factor in the room, made Jess feel smaller and more anxious than ever.

The agonising lull continued and Jess’s imagination began to run riot as Miss Sarah sat at the desk in preparation for her client’s arrival. Images of pock-skinned overweight men, panting loudly as they fucked the employees of the fifth floor against the furniture made Jess’s stomach churn, but there was no way out. With a quiet determination that Mrs Peters would have been surprised to know Jess possessed, she thought, if the other members of staff here have survived this part of the tour, then so can I.

As Mrs Peters returned to both the chaise longue and her application of gentle restraint against the clerk’s arm, Jess’s body stiffened. Someone was knocking on the door. Not daring to face her employer, Jess focused on the figure that, after being granted permission to enter, walked meekly into the study.

If he hadn’t had his neck bent, his face to the floor with respect for Miss Sarah, who greeted him with a sharp ‘Good Morning’, Jess judged he would have been quite tall. And he was young; not the sweaty, aged bank manager Jess had conjured up in her head, but a man in his late 20s or early 30s, with a shaven face, short spiked ginger hair, and well built limbs. He was dressed as a servant, perhaps a stable hand. Jess was automatically reminded of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Gulping against her dehydrated throat, unwilling to see the sex that she was sure was about to follow, the clerk dropped her eyes, only to have her chin roughly jerked upwards by Mrs Peters, ‘No, child. You will observe. You will learn.’

A patina of panic gripped Jess. Every hair on the back of her neck stood to attention. Until that moment it had been unreal. She hadn’t let go of the hope that at any minute someone was going to turn around and say, ‘OK, Jess, it’s just a joke. We play it on all the new girls. Let’s grab a coffee.’ No one did though. No one was saying anything…

Valentine Yumminess with Sh!

Sh! Sexy image for Valentines day postIt’s always a pleasure to welcome the lovely Renee from Sh! to impart much sexy yumminess to A Hopeful Romantic. And since the day of love and lust is nearly upon us, Renee has some sexy suggestions for fun, frolic and naughtiness on the occasion. Welcome Renee!

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I hope you are all getting in the mood for some seriously hot luuurving! As you can imagine, Valentine’s Day is a massively busy day for us here at Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium and we’ve stocked the store with all sorts of delicious goodies to ensure everyone is fully satisfied.

I’m going to be a little bit daring (coz that’s the kinda gal I am) and suggest that you give flowers and chocolates a miss this year.  (Did I hear a gasp at the back?) Instead, why not delight your lover with something you’ll both enjoy a whole lot more? I have some great suggestions for you, and I think you’ll really like ‘em… *wink*

Sh! Valentines postAdore-Me_medTreat the one you adore to a sexy, memorable night, as you both indulge in deliciously filthy fun and frolics – if you dare, of course… Swedish sex toy designers Lelo have produced these three amazing sets for sensual play and I can’t quite choose which one I love the most!

If your man is partial to a bit of hand action, I would recommend the amazing Tenga Egg ~ I have yet to meet a man who says no to one of these cheeky treats! The soft, stretchy silicone egg, with its lube-up, textured inside, is placed over his manhood and then expertly maneuvered with your dexterous fingers until he’s ready to pop his cork… Juicy!

Does your partner enjoy a lil’ bit of sensual kink every now and again? If so, here’s the perfect gift! The Sh! Heart Sh! Valentines postRocks-Off-S&M_medShaped Spanker comes with lush faux fur for stroking smarting buttocks better after a not-so-gentle paddling…

The Rocks-Off Slap & Tickle Beginners S&M Kit is just adorable – perfect for those who like to fill their boudoir with ultra-feminine play things. It comes with cute cuffs, a silky blindfold, RO-100 bullet vibrator, a soft feather tickler and a cool crop for sassy spankings!

Last, but not least, I have something for *you*! These saucy, strappy knickers will make your gorgeous bum look and feel a million dollars, and who doesn’t want that on the loveliest day of the year! Strut around like the Sex Goddess you are, and then slowly peel them off to reveal his/her real present – you!

Sh! Valentines postMultistrap-2I hope this have given you some ideas for a fun-filled day (and night!). In order to get your lover in the mood too, why not ping off a well-worded sext hinting at your frisky intentions ~ anticipation is soo hot, after all!

Tuesday 12th February
Gents Nite ~ Valentines Special
6-8pm

The Sh! Girlz are on hand during this pre-Valentines Gents Nite to assist with your queries and shopping stresses! Get in the mood for V-day, and browse our selection of some of the finest massage oils, lingerie and, of course, sex toys that London has to offer…

Wednesday 13th February
Ladiez Nite ~ Valentines Special
6-8pm

Stop by Sh! for your last minute Valentines gifts, and enjoy a glass of chilled bubbles to help kick start your celebrations. We even have cupcakes ready for those with more of sweet tooth… There’ll be discounts and special offers in store, so if you buying for someone special, or celebrating being single and fabulous, we’re sure you’ll find something in our cavern of erotic goodies!

Thursday 14th February
Valentines Shopping Special
6-8pm

Sh! Valentines postTwinkly ValentinesDayCupid’s out ‘n’ about, with baskets of goodies just for you! Take your pick from her cheeky goodie bag with every purchase in store…

Enjoy a glass of pink fizz whilst you browse our emporium of sexy delights. Choose from a variety of vibes, or some luscious lingerie… and get your Valentine what they really want this V-day!

Here are the store details if you fancy stopping by the store to have browse at the UK’s best toys for women & their lovers:

Address: Sh! 57 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 12-8pm

Men are welcome as guests of women, and for solo-shopping on Gent’s Nights every Tuesday 6-8pm, when the Sh! Girlz are on hand with tea, advice and gift wrapping.

 

Kinky Boots: Sexy Possession Coming Soon!

version1

Of course I had to set my petite novel, Kinky Boots, in Shoreditch! Where else in London could possibly have that sexy, slightly mystical, more than a little raunchy, have-a-good-time feel to it? Yes, I know I might be a little bit prejudiced. I have so many fond memories of Shoreditch because Sh! Women’s Store is there, and that’s my favourite place for launch parties and celebrating all things sexy.

I had the basic storyline in my head for Kinky Boots long before I put the first word down. I knew all about Jill Hart and her sexy new boots that came with something extra. I knew all about Finn Masters, the owner of Demon Heels, the quirky all-night shoe store where Jill buys her kinky boots. And I knew all about Eleanor, the lust demon who moves right in and makes herself at home — in Jill, that is. What I couldn’t quite decide was where to set Kinky Boots.  Raymond and I were in London for the weekend. Friday night at Sh! there had been readings from Best Women’s Erotica 2012, and we were staying on for the launch of Kay Jaybee’s great BDSM novel, The Perfect Submissive the next night. On  Saturday afternoon after a delish kabab at a local shop, Kay, Raymond and I decided to go for a walk in the July sunshine. And I was hooked! In front of Shoreditch City Hall, a lesbian wedding party were posing for pictures, the place was buzzing with shoppers, and I found not one but three quirky shoe shops on Shoreditch High Street, any one of which would perfectly suit my story.

In daylight, I was totally taken in by the wild blend of ultra modern glass and steel right up in the personal space of Victorian brick and stone,Kinky_Boots snuggled in close to streets that looked as though they came straight from a Sherlock Holmes novel. All of that was mixed up with industrial ruins and modern make-overs that made for an architectural orgy perfectly suited for my story. Kay, who had studied industrial archeology, gave me the low-down on what I was actually looking at.  I’d already done enough launch parties in Shoreditch to know that the streets on Friday and Saturday night are alive with people who won’t settle for less than a great time, and that was all it took. Voila! Kinky Boots was set in Shoreditch, starting with a botched girls night out at the Bluu Bar across from Sh!, a night out that ends with sex in an all-night shoe store, hot new boots, and posession by sexiest lust demon ever.

On the 24th of January, Kinky Boots, published by Mischief Books, will be officially available for possession! I’m very excited to share just a little peek of the wickedly naughty fun to come. There’ll be a blog tour and more updates as they happen. In the meantime, here’s just a sneak preview of what happens when mild-mannered Jill Hart meets lust demon extraordinare, Eleanore.

Blurb:

After a sizzling encounter in DEMON HEELS, a quirky all-night shoe store, with the store’s hot owner, FINN MASTERS, JILL HART walks away in the most gorgeous boots ever. Her new boots come with an unexpected bonus, a sexy demon named ELEANOR, who’s looking for a good time. All she lacks is a body, and Jill’s will do nicely.

Jill quits her dead-end job and, not knowing what’s come over her stops by the nearest pub intent on doing tequila shots until she falls off the stool. Instead she does FINN MASTERS in the beer garden, unwittingly participating in her first ever threesome. The boots were the bait, the timing was right and Eleanor has new digs. It’s Finn job to prevent Eleanor’s misbehaving. His failure means he’ll have to ride shotgun and do damage control until Eleanor moves out at the next full moon.

With Eleanor in residence, Jill’s bolder, sexier, willing to take risks. But is she a whole new Jill, or is it just demon courage? And how will Finn feel about her when she’s just plain Jill again? Will the maddeningly magical ménage make Jill’s dreams come true, or will it break her heart?

Excerpt:

Jill returned to her flat feeling pretty chuffed with the events of the evening. Nice place, Kinky Boots. Really nice. And the bloke who ran it – hotter than hot. There was something else about him, something strangely familiar, almost like if they sat down together over a cuppa they’d discover that they’d always known each other. She smiled to herself at the thought. She really couldn’t imagine them getting through a whole cuppa together without her ripping his jeans off and shagging him senseless. Even with his clothes on, it hadn’t been hard to tell that he was very nicely equipped for the task. She looked down at her lovely new boots, boots she’d left without paying for. It was the perfect excuse for going back.

* * *

shoreditch2Under the circumstances, she figured she’d be too hyped to sleep, but she did so almost instantly.

And before long the room was awash in mist that floated and swirled around her bed. Had the weather turned while she was sleeping, bringing the fog? Had she forgotten to shut her window? A sudden gust of cool wind cleared the mist just enough for Jill to catch the first glimpse of the woman at the foot of her bed, pale and translucent, lit with way more silver light than even the full moon could provide.

Strange, as she approached the bed, the curvy, feminine shape of her was clear, as though her thin clingy robe were made from the mist itself, but the woman’s face remained out of focus, as though Jill were viewing her from underwater.

She sat down on the bed next to her, and still Jill couldn’t make out the details of her face. But her voice was rich and silky, and Jill had the urge to wrap herself in the caress of it. ‘I’ve waited a long time for you, Jill Hart. Finn is such a spoilsport, not letting me play. But you’re different. He likes you, and he’ll warm to the idea of the two of us. You’ll see.’ She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. ‘Now then, sweetie, let’s have a look. Let’s see our lovely new body.’ As she reached out to smooth Jill’s hair away from her face, Jill was suddenly unable to move.

It was a dream then, surely a dream, Jill thought; one of those where someone important is at the door, but you’re paralysed, lying there in the bed, and, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t move.

The woman leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, and her breath was winter-cold but sweet and hypnotic with its icy in and out, in and out.

With a flick of her wrist she threw back the duvet and sighed her delight. Jill was surprised to find herself naked. ‘Oh, my darling, how I’ve Shoreditch town halllonged to bear the weight of breasts again, to feel the hardening and puckering of their arousal.’ She brushed cold fingertips across Jill’s nipples and they rose to a touch that was irresistible. Jill would have arched up against the cool feathery caress if she’d been able. Instead she lay unmoving, her chest rising and falling faster and faster, her nipples pearled to hard beads begging for the woman’s attention.

The woman continued her explorations. ‘Oh, the delight of belly and hips, and, ah, yes, such softness down there.’ She trailed her fingers down Jill’s tummy and cupped her mons, caressed and fondled her tight curls, and the sound that escaped Jill’s lips was a kittenish mew.

The woman smiled knowingly. ‘The pleasures of the flesh, my lovely, how we shall share them, how we shall revel in them, you and I. It’ll be so delicious for both of us, I promise you.’ Then, with the flat of her hand, she opened Jill’s legs.

Jill was helpless to deny her access, even if she’d wanted to, and she didn’t. It was only a dream, she told herself, and sexy dreams should come as no surprise after her encounter at Kinky Boots. And anyway, it had to be a dream because she was too shy even to undress in front of Vivie, and here she lay practically willing this woman to check out all that she had … down there.

‘Let us see, my darling,’ the woman cooed. ‘Let us see you.’ Jill watched helplessly as the woman forced her knees up and wide until Jill felt herself exposed, butter-cream slick and heavy.

Shoreditch 1images‘Yes, my love. That’s it. Let me see what we shall have such delight in sharing. Oh, yes, lovely. So lovely.’ With one hand still resting in Jill’s pubic curls the woman lowered her face for a closer look. Then with a scoop and a twist she trailed fingers up between Jill’s cleft and brought them to her lips as though she were tasting her favourite dish. ‘Mmm,’ she whispered. ‘Oh, Finn’s going to love you.’ She lowered a tongue-flick of a kiss onto Jill’s hard clit, and Jill came. The electrifying power of her orgasm raged through her paralysed body to every nerve ending, every blood cell, every synapse, raging out in all directions, then returning in a hot rush of energy to the hardened node of her clit before settling deep inside her. She could neither writhe nor buck. All she could do was moan and quiver.

‘Oh, yes, my darling, you are delightful, the way your lovely pussy muscles tighten and convulse when you come. How wonderful it will be to have a body with such libido, such hunger. Oh, how Finn will ride you. I think that –’

The woman was interrupted by the call of a man. ‘Eleanor? Eleanor, are you there?’

She put a finger to her lips. ‘He’ll find out eventually, dear Jill, but when he does it’ll no longer matter.’ She brushed a kiss across Jill’s lips, and for the first time Jill got a clear view of the woman’s face. She recognised it well because it was her face. Before she could dwell on the strangeness of such a revelation, the woman lay down in her arms, nuzzled in tight against Jill’s breasts and pulled the duvet up over both of them. From a distance Jill could still hear the man calling for Eleanor, but that was the last thing she remembered until morning.

Buy Links:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

 

 

 

The Pleasure is all YOURS with the Sh! Christmas Pleasure Hunt!

It’s totally MY pleasure to participate in the Sh!Christmas Pleasure Hunt!

Sh! Women’s Store is one of my favourite places on the planet because Sh! and I have a history. I did my very first erotica reading at Sh! back when I was a newbie smutter.  Sh! has always been my go-to place for research. I’ve picked the always-helpful Sh! Ladiez’ brains about spanking, corsetry and lube, and for my first novel, The Initiation of Ms Holly, the lovely Renee brought me up to speed on pegging. I don’t mind saying I looked pretty bad-ass in a strap-on (over my trousers, of course) I’ve also been lucky enough to host several informative, sexy and fun posts from Renee at Sh! on my blog. There’s never a shortage of laughter and camaraderie at Sh!. I had my first ever novel launch party at Sh!, and all the others since. I’ve been to all sorts of wonderful readings and events at Sh!. I’ve participated in classes, I’ve asked myriad questions, I’ve stopped in just to say Hi. The Sh! Ladiez are my heroes. They are brave and strong and wonderful, and without a doubt, they are the real treasures in this treasure hunt.

A special thanks to Kristina Lloyd, who orchestrated the cunning plan for the Sh! Christmas Pleasure Hunt.

 

Here’s what you need to do to participate in the fab Sh! Pleasure Hunt.

From today (Friday 7th) until Monday (10th), twelve erotica authors will be secreting pieces of information on their blog posts. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the trail, collect this info and enter a draw to win all kinds of awesome stuff!

Sh! is a shop much loved by erotica authors in the UK and US. Not only does the store sell an amazing range of top-quality products and sexy books, the Sh! Girlz are hugely supportive of what we do as writers. Many of us have been involved in readings at the London store, and have been lucky enough to sample the Sh! Girlz’ cupcakes! Time Out voted Sh! London’s best sex shop for women. We couldn’t agree more.

Last week, the Sh! website was down, thanks to the curmudgeonly efforts of crackers. Happily, the site is now back, as proudly pink as ever, and so, in the words of the song, December Will be Magic Again!

To celebrate, we’re hosting our Christmas Pleasure Hunt and Sh! are kicking off their Filthy Friday!

Authors playing along are: Janine Ashbless, Justine Elyot, Kay Jaybee, KD Grace, Lexie Bay, Lily Harlem, Lucy Felthouse, Remittance Girl, Sommer Marsden, Tabitha Rayne, Tamsin Flowers, Victoria Blisse

That’s quite a line up, no? The aim of the game is to find a word from the following Kate Bush lyric in a post from each of our participating authors:

Come to sparkle the dark up …Come to cover the muck up

That word will link to a sexy Sh! product. Check out the link, note down the price. At the end of the hunt, add up all 12 prices you’ve collected. That total is your answer!

There will be three posts per day, starting today, going across the weekend, and finishing on Monday. Each post will link to the three authors who’ll be posting on the following day.

After Monday, email your answer (the total price of all linked products) to Sh! (renee@sh-womenstore.com). All correct answers will go into a draw. One lucky winner gets a bumper bag of goodies from Sh! Thirteen runners up will receive a book (print or digital) from one of the authors on board (including me). It’s a snowfall of smut!

Have you got the clue? Good! Then head on over to Lexie Bay and Lucy Felthouse’s site for the last two clues.

 

A snippet of The Collection from Sh!’s Sex: the Bible

‘Tell me about your collection,’ Alex says. He nods to the dildos spread across my bed and overflowing onto the nightstand and the dressing table.

I fiddle with the sash of my silk robe like I’m some innocent, all embarrassed by the gaze of a cute boy. I’m not. ‘Aren’t they lovely?’ I say. ‘I have glass ones and curved ones and Lucite ones and heavy metal ones that are sort of like taking the vag to a gym for some serious weight lifting.’

He laughs nervously and shifts on the chair. I know he’s fighting a hard-on. I continue. ‘I have slender ones and thick ones, ones that look like real penises.’ I have one that’s an actual replica of the cock of an ex, but I don’t tell him that. I don’t want to intimidate him. My hand slides absently into my robe to cup my tits and tweak the nipples already stretched in anticipation. I nod to the dildo resting closest to my right thigh. ‘This is the lovely jade one I found in a fetish shop in Soho.

‘Oh, and the stone one… Well it’s actually only a stone I found on a walk. But it looks so much like a cock that it had to join the collection. I call it my cock rock.’

Alex’s eyes get big when I pull the stone from my pocket. It’s not a Neolithic sex toy or anything like that. It’s just a cock-shaped stone, but somehow that makes it even hotter. ‘Nature provides,’ I say. Then I wriggle and shift my bottom until my back is against the headboard. I open my legs and bend my knees and the hem of the robe falls open. I can feel the cool air on my bare pussy, and I hear Alex’s breath hitch. I’m wet, so totally wet. I’m always wet when I spend time with my collection.

I make an expansive gesture with my right hand that causes the front of my robe to gape. ‘They’re not just to look at, my dildos.’ I thumb my clit, then finger myself open, feeling swollen and heavy. ‘I make sure every one of my lovelies gets a good workout.’

‘Every one?’ He says breathlessly.                            

‘All of them,’ I say. ‘I have a schedule, you see.’ I nod to the dressing table where there’s a purple velvet journal lying open with a fountain pen marking the spot. ‘And I take notes. I take notes on each of my experiences with every dildo.’

I watch his face, but he’s not looking at me. His eyes are locked on the stone dildo, like it’s a snake, like it’s alive. Like he can’t believe I’m going to put it up my pussy. I stroke myself, and maybe it’s the smell of me all wet and nasty, or maybe it’s that he’s never seen a naked, gaping pussy about to gorge on dildos of the world, but he just stares and shifts his ass against the chair, back and forth. I can see the outline of his cock. I don’t miss these sorts of details, not being a dildo connoisseur, as I am, not being the type of person who obsesses on the shapes and sizes and textures and finesse of implements that might be introduced into my cunt for the pure tactile pleasure of it.

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.