All about HER: Why telling stories about women's pleasure matters

 

Writing erotica and erotic romance seems trivial at times, a naughty kind of pastime. I’ll admit that while it’s not always as easy to write as it appears to be, it is fun. Judging from my readers’ comments, the majority of them had fun too (you can’t please everyone all the time).

 

 

If you take a closer look, there is something provocative in making it all about women, their pleasure, their perspective—because out there in the real world, women’s pleasure isn’t given all that much importance. On the contrary.

 

Almost daily we read infuriating headlines, quotes from people who think women and their bodily autonomy is irrelevant—pleasure, much less. In fact, there are places in the world where small-minded men (and sadly, sometimes women) go out of their way to deny other women sexual satisfaction. By imposing ridiculous rules and standards on them. Worse, by violence.

The idea that women matter less, is sadly ingrained, and it’s not helpful when Hollywood has no trouble showing men as the subject, women as the object of pleasure.

Stories about women’s pleasure are no trivial matter. One by one, they insist on a woman’s right to know and enjoy, to own their bodies—the same rights no one has ever questioned when it comes to men.

In my stories, women’s needs come first. My characters enjoy an erotic getaway in the A Perfect Dream series, ladies only. This is where they can fulfill all their fantasies, safe from society’s scrutiny. Penny and Carter of the Surrender Trilogy explore the idea of safely giving oneself into another person’s hands, testing and respecting the boundaries.

I want to create a world where my readers can escape into a fantasy, but also dream about a world they want, where no one’s sexual orientation is questioned or dismissed, where women are equally as free as men to express and live their sexuality. No oppression or fear.

 

 

 

Is that world going to exist in my lifetime? Probably not, but I keep on hoping that someday it will. Meanwhile, let’s counter every hateful statement with a tale of pure bliss, exposing the lies that have been told to us for centuries.


Updated: Authors depend on reviews. I just discovered this blog about a new Amazon policy  regarding erotic media that will potentially hide reviews from other customers.

http://www.elisabethjoye.com/blog-1/hiddenreviews

Author Elisabeth Joye explains how it works, and you, as a reader, can make sure all your reviews will be seen and support the authors you chose to give feedback to.



Thank you for checking it out - telling stories is one thing, for them to be seen and talked about, an entirely different one.

Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy Surrender To Me...

It's here!! When I first started writing Surrender Your Heart, I had no idea what was going to happen. I imagined it would be somewhat controversial (after all, "controversial" seems almost unavoidable with a billionaire romance trilogy). You gave it the warmest welcome, and I am extremely grateful for that.

Now on to Surrender To Me! I wish you a sexy Valentine's Day, and hope you'd like to pick up the new book about Penny & Carter, the continuation of their love story.

The wait between 2 and 3 of the trilogy won't be too long either: Surrender Forever is scheduled for May 1st. I'll reveal the cover soon.

Enjoy!

Cover Reveal: Surrender To Me (Book 2 in the Surrender Trilogy)

You'll find an excerpt with the spicy RomCom The Italian Apartment, which will be a free download for five days (Dec 10th-14th). Enjoy a sexy holiday read and a glimpse of what's next for Penny and Carter.

Happy Holidays!

The Italian Apartment - excerpt

The Italian Apartment is a short story, romantic comedy with a spicy twist. The lesbian dating site didn't work out so well for Hope, but at least she made a friend. A friend she still has a crush on. A friend who wants her to come live with her in Italy...

Close quarters, under the circumstances, can make for awkward moments:

Excerpt:

Melinda didn’t come home for dinner. Hope scolded herself for alternately worrying and feeling offended. They hadn’t planned anything together for tonight, as they rarely did lately, so she had no reason to pout. They weren’t joined at the hip, right? The reason they still shared an apartment was the good deal Adriana had gotten them, saving money, which had turned out great. A few months ago, they had talked about going to Greece for a week during the fall, or stay in the country, visit Rome, or Florence, or even Sicily.

Lately, they didn’t even make it to the beach anymore. That had to change, Hope decided. If Melinda could introduce her to the local lesbian scene, that would at least be something they could do together.

She sat outside on the roof terrace, making her plans by the moonlight with a bottle of fruity white wine. Maybe Melinda would change her mind once she realized Hope was serious, had always been serious about her the only way she knew how. After all, it was kind of rude to reject someone because of their lack of experience, wasn’t it? She wasn’t applying for a job. She wanted to be close to someone again, and the advice of someone who did this so effortlessly, couldn’t harm.

Hope’s determination and confidence had increased greatly, but when she stood, empty bottle in hand, her surroundings were spinning for a moment. Oh Lord. This was not good. She hoped she’d make it into her room and down the stairs without any accident, because she really wanted to talk to Melinda tonight. It felt kind of urgent. Tomorrow, she might have a hangover and rethink her approach…no. Hope shook her head and winced. Seize the moment. She’d get downstairs and see if Melinda was home, wait for her otherwise.

After nearly falling down the stairs twice, she made it to the lower level. The apartment was dark, and at first Hope thought she was still alone, until she heard the soft moan. Whispered words followed.

The blood shot to her face. Oh no. It looked like she wouldn’t get a chance to have that conversation with Melinda after all, because her roommate was otherwise occupied, busy…

This story is free for Kindle Unlimited, and with it comes a sneak peek of Surrender To Me, the 2nd book in the Surrender Trilogy (coming Valentine's Day 2016).

Every billionaire has a trilogy...

...why not Carter Forbes?

I don't think it means dissing when I say there are some elements in most contemporary erotic romances that simply don't work for lesbian readers. It's not like we don't read guy/girl romance or watch it in the movies ever...but we also want something that is ours.

I always felt that in the phenomenon, one series and then the many that followed, we were left out a bit. I, too, wanted to read about boundless luxury and mysterious, powerful love interests...I just didn't want the latter to be a guy, because at the end of the day, that just doesn't do it for me - and I wanted to explore the difference gender might make when a person has become used to lots of privilege. A woman who made it in the cutthroat business world still would have experienced female socialization. Would it make a difference? In what way?

Will the other woman fall at her feet, because she's helpless in the face of a powerful, seductive person?

These were the questions I wanted to explore in Surrender Your Heart, and like with every other billionaire trilogy, the story wasn't over after the first story of Penny and Carter. Surrender To Me and Surrender Forever were born, and these books will further explore their relationship and the obstacles that arise when these two women walk in each other's world.

For sure, this is not everyone's type of read. If you're interested to give it a try, you can start with an excerpt here:

 

Penny and Carter travel for business and pleasure in Surrender To Me, coming February 2016

99cts Sale for Surrender Your Heart!

Now's a good time to surrender:

Surrender Your Heart is currently on sale for 99cts, for a limited time (ends October 2nd).

Enjoy. <3

Excerpt Surrender Your Heart: The library and other temptations

Welcome to another sneak peek into the world of Penny and Carter! If you like what you see, you can find Surrender Your Heart here on Amazon. The next part in the trilogy, Surrender To Me, will be out next February (always a good time for romance). Enjoy! <3

 

 

 

“Why?” I’m starting to feel like a four-year-old, asking all these questions. Underneath it all, there are too many emotions that are all but child-like. I’m not ready to face them.

She lays her hands on me again, on my sides, barely above my hips. There doesn’t seem to be enough air in the room for both of us to breathe.

“What if, after some time, you don’t want to leave?” she asks, her lips almost brushing my cheek. “What if you like it here so much you realize this is what you want?”

“Being your guest?” I find the sarcasm hard to muster for a reason, but…I had someone get your passport. That means we’re not even in the country anymore. No one is going to come looking for me, and she knows it. She arranged for it.

“Being mine,” she says. “Breathe.” Her arms come around me, and it’s a wild tug of war, body and mind. How can I trust her? My body turns out to be a traitor, overriding the instinctual fight/flight reaction. When you can do neither, I’ve learned in class, you play dead. The warmth traveling to various places of my body as she holds me against her tells me without a doubt that I’m very much alive.

“You said I could study.” The words come out in a series of gasps, and it’s not for panicking. If I am, it’s for a different reason. “Show me.”

With regret in her expression, she lets go. “You should put on some clothes then.”

“Why do you care?”

A wry smile curves her lips. “I don’t, but we might run into someone. I don’t want them to get the wrong impression.”

“What is the right impression? What do you want them to think—or me?”

Carter answers my question, this time leaving no doubt as she steps into my personal place again and kisses me, spiraling me even deeper into confusion. Her lips are warm and soft, mine opening to her instinctively, a split-second, before I tear myself away.

She was right. There’s nothing of much worth in my apartment, or my life for that matter. Detours, stories that ended or stalled before they began for real. An uncertain future. Would it be any better if I just give in?

I avoid her gaze as I grab a shirt and pants and slip into a pair of flat sandals. “Okay. I’m ready. Now where’s that library?”

My cheeks are still burning. I need to see this through though—the more I learn about the layout of the house, the better. It will serve me sometime soon.

* * * *

The surprises never end. This time, she leads me deeper into the maze of rooms, and after a few minutes, I give up every hope I could remember the way. In fact if I tried to escape in here, I’d probably get lost and die.

The library is a thing of stunning beauty, something, under normal circumstances, I would have drooled over. Dark wood, floor to ceiling shelves with ladders, a spiral staircase leading to the upper level.

“The sociology section is up to date,” she explains. “There’s some psychology, women’s studies, literature. I know you’re interested in those. There’s a bit of everything. If you’d like some fiction, I can give you an e-reader on which you’ll find classics, contemporary and all kinds of genre fiction. Please understand I can’t allow any internet access.”

I can’t even find a sarcastic comeback, staring in awe at the many shelves going up to the ceiling, some leather-bound collections. This is only the non-fiction section? If I’d known this she wouldn’t have had to go to all this trouble to get me here. Why, a ticket to a private retreat on the beach, complete with a library, I’m there! This is not how it happened. I drank a glass of wine on my couch and woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom.

It’s not romantic.

It’s a crime.

I turn to her, see her watching me with a proud gaze. No doubt it takes someone clever—and crazy rich—to come up with all of this. I’m sure she’s proud of herself, and the way I nearly caved a moment earlier.

“What if I say no to all of this? I mean…It’s great. You have a beautiful home and obviously, lots of money to spend. It’s a dream, but what if it’s not my dream?”

“Give me time,” she says, “I’ll show you.”

The warm inviting tone sends a shiver down my spine. I want to leave this disturbing fantasy, and I don’t. My mind is not my own anymore, and it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.

“Maybe you will.” I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth. Her smile tells me that in her world, maybe is not an option. It’s the world I’m living in now—if I don’t find my way out of this castle. Enchanted or cursed, I have yet to determine.

“It’s been a long day,” Carter amends. “We’ll talk some more tomorrow. You need to rest now.”

What I need is to memorize every step we are taking between this room and “my” bedroom. It might come in handy sometime soon. My lips still tingle.