THE PERFECT GIFT

Thanks, Delilah.  Since millions of blogs now exist, I found coming up with a topic for this blog a challenge.  I wanted something to do with reading.  Summers are often a bit more laid back and we’re often able to catch a few extra moments to read.  Reading is a gift we give ourselves, right?  Then I thought about sharing that gift with the love interest in our lives.   Somehow, somewhere, lightning struck.

Looking for the perfect gift for the love interest in your life?

Here’s a suggestion that never fails:  a romance novel you read together.

Whether the book is by one of your favorite authors or is a new author doesn’t matter.  What matters is setting the scene and reading the book aloud together.

Here are a few suggestions for creating the setting:

• Put any/all kids who are part of your life to bed before giving your love interest the book.  (Some kids don’t go to sleep right away so make sure they’re down for the night).
• Choose a comfortable place (one you both like, one conducive to reading so the hot tub may not be the best first choice).
• Play mood music (preferably soft since you are going to read aloud).
• Turn the lights low.  (Not so low you can’t see the words on the printed page).
• Wear something that requires little effort to remove.
• Add a little perfume in strategic places.
• Tease out the presentation moment (“I have a gift guaranteed to blow you away.”  “I bet you’ll never guess what I want to do tonight.”  “Here’s a fantasy I’ve had for a long time.”).
• Wrap the book provocatively.  (How about inside a thong under the paper wrapping?  How about with a sex toy on the paper wrapping?  How a promissory note for a good time?  How about a card you make with several suggestive ideas?).
• Pour a couple of glasses of wine—or your favorite libation.
• Snuggle up when each of you reads.
• Read with feeling.  (One or the other of you may be better at this, but set the tone if you can).
• Read slowly . . . especially those scenes with sexual tension or explicit sex).
• Forget going to the bed.  When the mood strikes you both, go with it—wherever you are.
• Continue reading throughout the week.

HINT #1:  Ask your love interest for a date on a specific day/night and at an agreed-upon time.  Agree to no interruptions (Unplug the telephone.  Put the cell phones in another room.  Turn off the TV.  Shut the door to the computer room).

HINT #2:  If a book you choose isn’t working, find another one.

HINT #3:  Have fun.

If you’re reading this and you know the “perfect” book for the “perfect” gift for a love interest, leave the title and author.  It’s impossible to have too many alternatives, right?

* * * * *

What if one loose thread could unravel your life?

Three years ago, Quinn Alexander put Pierce Jordan’s betrayal behind her. Now her brother needs a favor that forces her to confront her former lover. For her brother, guardian of her devastating childhood secret, Quinn will do anything—even risk falling for Pierce again.

Pierce admits he broke Quinn’s heart out of fear he’d never measure up to her ideal. He also admits Quinn’s savvy mind and generous spirit drive their successful, ongoing business relationship.  Now, realizing how much he wants her, he risks losing her forever by questioning her brother’s character.

When Quinn and Pierce uncover embezzlement, drug deals and murder, she fears for her brother, even as her attraction to Pierce grows. Which is stronger—a love renewed or loyalty unchallenged?

Commonsense told Pierce to take his time.  “You’re going to enjoy this, aren’t you?” Read the rest of this entry »

The Rules of Medieval Sex

The title Medieval Sex means sex in the Middle Ages, nothing kinkier than that, though there was plenty going on back then! I’m an author of historical romance set in Charlemagne’s Empire, specifically during the reign of Charlemagne’s son, Louis. (We should remember Louis today because his date of death happens to be June 20, 840.)

Yes, you read that right. The year 840. People have asked me why in the world I picked 9^th century Europe for my romance series. The answer is that, like most romance readers, I love stories that combine aristocracy, wealth, and rules that are made to be broken, but I really wanted my characters to live somewhere other than England or Scotland, and not be quite as rustic as the Vikings.

Charlemagne’s Empire has everything a historical romance needs, including rules, especially regarding sex. There was one Christian church back then and it was steadfast in its stance that the only purpose of sexual activity was procreation. Anything done to prevent conception was considered equal to abortion. Confessors were even expected to ask whether any sort of potion to avoid children had been drunk or given to anyone else.

The only sanctioned way to avoid pregnancy was abstinence, and the church was pretty helpful with that by providing a handy calendar of the days married couples were allowed to have sex. The following is quoted directly from Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne by Pierre Riché.

…the church forbade relations between spouses during certain periods: forty days before Christmas, forty days before and eight days after Easter and eight days after Pentecost; the eve of great feasts, Sundays, Wednesday, and Fridays; during the wife’s pregnancy and until thirty days after she has given birth if it was a boy and forty days if it was a girl; during the menstrual period; five days before taking communion.

I figure that adds up to at least 200 abstinence days IF you weren’t pregnant. Husbands who broke the rule were supposed to do penance.

Wow.

Evidence suggests that the reality of sexual relationships was not quite so strict, especially for the wealthy. Emperor Louis had eight children with two different wives but also had two children with a woman off to the side. He actually showed great restraint compared to his father, Charlemagne, who had seven children from five known concubines. His first marriage really began as a concubinage too, and he had a total of thirteen legitimate children from a total of five wives, including nine babies in twelve years from the exceptionally fertile empress named Hildegard who must have died from sheer exhaustion. Two of his illegitimate children were born during this marriage also. If you aren’t supposed to have sex with your pregnant wife, what does the church think about having sex with someone who isn’t your wife and ending up with both of them pregnant at the same time? What is an emperor to do?

Here in the 21^st century, all this really proves is that nothing has changed much. 1,200 years later there are still rules that are followed by some, bent by some, and absolutely ignored by those who can get away with it, and I mean this on both a societal level and a religious one.

I have to admit that I’ve skirted around the sex calendar in my books. I decided that the likelihood was pretty much zero of most men — especially men of wealth and power — consulting their datebook when succumbing to the passion of first love. Can you imagine that scene, with the hero and heroine getting busy, when the heroine says “We shouldn’t. We mustn’t. It is only twenty-eight days until Easter.”

Jill Hughey writes the Evolution Series, so far consisting of three novels and one short story, listed here in chronological order.

Unbidden
Second Love: A Short Historical Romance Story
Redeemed
Vain

Unbidden is currently only 99 cents so treat yourself to 5-star trip
to an exciting new setting for historical romance!
Find it at these links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | Kobo

If you’d like to follow Jill, she has a blog at http://jillhughey.blogspot.com, she is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jillhugheyromance, and she tweets @jillhughey.

More poetry inspired by the Erotic Romance Novella Series: Give & Receive

To celebrate the release of my first book of poetry (yes it’s finally here tomorrow, 6/20, YAY!), Erotic Edibles Vol I: Poetry inspired by the Erotic Romance Novella Series: Give & Receive, I thought I would post another poem I wrote while writing the novella series. This poem has a special meaning because along with Give & Receive, it’s also one of the first that was eventually made into a song and added to the novella soundtrack.

If I had to fit it in a timeline in regards to the novella, Lena would have written this during the five years Danny was married to Elizabeth. It speaks of love, lust, obsessive fixation, envy, coveting thy neighbor’s husband and definitely of more than just a little crazy, hence the name, Lust & Lunacy. Hell, you could flip this and it be totally about Ty’s fixation on Lena. Take your pick, lol.

And of course, admitting you have these emotions for someone else doesn’t exactly take the lust or need away, does it? Doesn’t it only makes things worse, and make you even nuttier than a fucking fruit cake for feeling all this shit? How’s that for covering all the bases of the seven deadly sins? Comes awful close, eh? People say admitting you have a problem is the first step. Um. Yeah…no. Don’t believe the hype, lol. It only makes you more aware of how fucked up you truly are. Trust me…I know.

So my question today is, has there ever been anyone who made you feel this way? Ever read about two (or three, lol) characters who have the same type of crazy connection, probably nowhere near healthy, needy, obsessive and just madder than a fucking hatter? Does anyone love Alice in Wonderland like I do? Thoughts? Ps- As an added treat (i hope) I’ve included the link to the original song from Give & Receive official soundtrack. Please, enjoy the poem…and the song! *grins*

Lust & Lunacy

I’m crying
But it’s a dirty, filthy, mean, no good cry
Cuz you’re with her…and not with me.
It’s hell times three.

I’m crying
But it’s cuz I want to touch me.
But I want you to touch me too.
And it’s so much better with we two.

Tell me the reason
It’s not time to go.
Darkness of the midnight hour is close at hand
And I want to feel your hand.

I’m longing.
But it’s the longing of the real.
Wanting you and not wanting so much being alone.
And watching a me and you film reel.

I’m so…hot for you, I guess.
Did you like how I said that?
Let me continue, I know I digress.
I’m lonely and I look at wine of reddened tint.

(Wanting to drink with you of the wine)
Ready to be embedded…Get the hint?

Don’t you want to sleep with me, my love?
Don’t you want this heaven from above?
It’s what you need, but so afraid…so afraid, are you.
I won’t bite…unless you ask me to.

Don’t you see it’s nice to be so
dirty and sexy and sweet and lowdown
and on the ground, when no one is around
but you and me?
Let me set you free…

Let me take you high…
Let me make you beg until you cry (can you cry for me?)
Let me open and guide you in (just come inside)
Let me show you how fun it is to sin

Can’t she just let me borrow you
For a little while?
I promise, if she lets you come…
Over to play, I won’t ever give you away
And I’ll keep you, locked here, in my room and

I’ll feed you cookies and
canned potato soup.
It will be enough for us.
We won’t have time for napkins and fuss
And utensils.
Hmmm…Maybe we can use the utensils.

I’ll lick some parts of you…slowly, if you want.
And I’ll let you stick some parts of you
In me.
But it can only be for forever.
Don’t be greedy…

Please won’t you stay?
And never go away
Just dance a little fuck dance with me.
You’ll have so much fun with what you see.
Scouts honor, the ties will not be severed.
I’ll give you back.
The Sunday after never.

copyright 2013 alisa Anderson

Give & Take – An Erotic Romance Novella
Book II – Give & Receive series

What would you risk, to get what you wanted?

For Ty, Lena and Danny, they’re about to find out as they cross the boundaries from all things safe to an arena that will test love, friendship and loyalty. An arena that’s forbidden, taboo…and oh so tempting. In their world sex, money and excess are all a game of give & receive, were any wish can be granted if you just ask…

Lena Blake: Life was supposed to have gone back to normal. After all…It’s been months since that night at Sadist. Months of reliving, remembering, experiencing…each moment. Over and over again. Oh yeah, she remembered. Every. Vivid. Illicit. Detail. Like it was yesterday.  What she did. Who she did it with.​ Her best friend. And Danny…the one who had carved out her heart years ago. There to witness it all. An act so public, so voyeuristic, so forbidden, she was still feeling the intensity between them all. The lines were crossed now.  There was no going back. Not even if she wanted to.

If she were honest she would admit she didn’t…

Tyler Malone: I knew I risked a lot doing what I did. I risked my friendship, with the one person I trusted and loved most of all, even if she can’t…or won’t see it. I played a dangerous game with Blake, too, but he either needs to step up…or step back.  I put everything on the line for just one night. And hell yeah, it was worth it. She’s worth everything. I love her just as much as he does, maybe more, since I accept everything about her, even her love for him. Life is all about the chances you take. To succeed you have to gamble. Play big…or go home. And I play to win. At all costs…

Danny Blake: Seeing her that night with Ty, watching her come undone, made me realize for the first time the life I could have. I saw her. Really saw her, body and soul, and I know now, the ache for her never truly went away. It only intensified over the years, with a need bordering on obsession. My one addiction I could never get clean of. I need her like air.

In the high stakes game of give & take, you have to risk everything.

Winner takes all…and to the victor goes the spoils.

Book II of the Erotic Romance Novella Series, Give & Receive.

“Come with me, Lena.”

“No.” Yet her fingers continued moving, unhurried and restrained as she fought for control.

“Your mouth is so warm…so wet. Take it all, baby…suck it. Just like that. I’m spilling pre-come all over my hands, Lena. It’s all for you. I wish you were here to lick it off. Why are you fighting this?”

“I’m not listening.” Her breath caught, and her fingers still continued to have a mind of their own as they slid in between the walls of her pussy, caressing her clit, sliding over the slick folds.

Traitorous sluts, her fingers. Every blasted one of the little monsters.

Couldn’t trust them worth a damn. They did whatever they wanted.

“Yes, you are. And you’re getting yourself wet with the thought of me pushing my cock into your mouth. Sucking it off for me. Tasting my come. Knowing you’re responsible for getting me this way. You’re enjoying the control and you should, love. I know from experience. It’s a heady trip, isn’t it?”

He heard her breathing increase in pace over the phone.

“Would it be so wrong to admit, just this once, I turn you on? That this, whatever it is, gets you off?” Ty’s voice strained as he struggled to manage his emotions. If he could wait just a little bit longer, he knew it would be big. He knew she was ready to break soon. He wanted to be there with her. Every step of the way.

“Fine. You turn me on. This. Turns me on. Ridiculously. Satisfied?” Lena felt her nipples harden through her shirt and she had to feel them under her palm. She twisted her left nipple, painfully, maliciously and she whimpered out loud. Not enough. Like an itch she couldn’t scratch, her fingers, her hands…weren’t enough.

She needed him.

“Tell me what you taste like. Tell me now.” Her voice was low…sexy personified, deep, as she pinched her clit and shivered at the light sting.

“Salty…sweet, slightly bitter. Just like you said. How did you know?”

Lena gave a dark, husky laugh full of promise. It made his balls draw up and tighten as his cock continued to pulse and throb under his tutelage.

“I’m just that good.”

“Modest too.”

She had to take a breath before she answered. Liquid heat ran down her thighs as she caught another breath before answering.

“Oh come now, love. Modesty is for people who can’t deliver the goods. And we both know that’s not true, don’t we?” She savored the exquisite torture of her fingers, now thoroughly wet and buried deep inside her pussy.

“It’s too bad you’re not here with me, Ty.” Lena’s voice became breathy as she stroked her clit with increased rhythm. She was wild with need now, beyond caring about anything but how she felt, how gloriously, amazingly wanton she felt.

“Do you know what I would do if you were? I would straddle you between my breasts. Sliding that big, thick cock up and down, getting slick with all that come. Lapping up every bit of spill from your thighs and your chest. Making my nipples slippery with your come. Rubbing myself all over you. And then…are you still with me, gorgeous? I would sink down on top of that hard stick of yours and take you inside. I’m so tight, Ty. Can you feel how tight I am?”

“Sweet fuck you are tight. It’s like I almost can’t fit.”

“I’ve done my pussy push-ups, Ty. So glad you noticed.”

“Pussy push-ups? Oh god. I can’t. Ahahaha…Please stop.” Ty’s laughter sounded gravelly and painful as he struggled not to pass out. Only she could make him laugh at the same time he wanted to fuck her into oblivion. She would find every live wire on him triggered to detonate at her slightest touch. She really would be that fucking good.

Damn her infuriating ass, straight to hell. She thought she had this all under control, didn’t she?

Clearly he needed to shake some things up again.

Ty managed to zip up his pants and grinned to himself, opening the car door and glancing around, making sure no one saw him running up the steps to her front door. He grabbed the spare, unlocking her front door and letting himself in.

She started stroking herself, faster, harder, pinching her clit just a little, her breathing ragged. “Oh shit…” Lena murmured, and began to pant. “Get me off, Ty. I need you.”

She didn’t even hear him approach. “I would be glad to.”

Lena screamed out loud.

Available NOW…Buy books I & II together and save: Buy at Amazon

Get the soundtrack at Amazon

 
Bio:

(transposed to the third person to appear more mature *grins cheerfully*)
well…alisa did stuff and is still doing stuff. only now she has two boys crazy enuff to want her as their mommy. hey, at least she tried to warn them, so her job is done. she doesn’t like to capitalize, partially because she likes how lower case letters look visually, but mostly out of laziness. please don’t judge. it could be you. and she would say, hey. you’re alright, buddy. you’re ok in my book. now c’mere for a hug. the hug might be pushing it. air kiss? you are strangers, after all, with only a mutual love of poor grammar.

she lives for a world full of controllable anatomically correct, android men programmed to meet her specific feminine needs (wink, wink, nudge, nudge with a big waggle of the eyebrows). who look like the rock. and ian somerhalder. and idris elba. and that’s it she promises. variety. gotta have variety, right?

but alas…apparently that exists only in johanna lindsey’s genius mind. so until then, she enjoys her incredibly warped sense of humor. she reads tons of erotica and romantic, drippy goo that makes her heart go pitter patter. then she thought, hey. what, she said to herself. (softly, of course, so no one finds out she is indeed, 2 nuts short of a fruitcake) maybe you should write this stuff too. maybe someone will like it and maybe buy it. so she said, huh, you think? then she said, well…yeah, i wouldn’t have suggested it…(inserts sarcastic tone) and then she was like lose the attitude, ok? then she was all, would you just shut up and write, already? sheesh! and she did. 🙂

Alisa Anderson

http://www.amazon.com/Give-Receive-Romance-Novella-ebook/dp/B00D0SVYIG
http://www.houseofalisa.com
http://www.amazon.com/Alisa-Anderson/e/B009IEA6A8
http://www.alisaanderson.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/AlisaAndersonBooks
https://twitter.com/bitchesbewritin 

Inspiration

Okay. Enough gushing. Onto inspiration.

Inspiration, or better known as how I (the novelist) come up with my story ideas, is different for each writer. I know some folks who get inspired by a dream or a smell or a color in a sunrise. I’m not that abstract. I need an actual person, place or thing to kick start my muse. For example, the heroine in my erotic novella, On the Corner of Heartache and Hopeful—MIC was based on/inspired by an actual female mechanic who helped me once when I’d stupidly locked my keys in my car. Another example would be my best-selling contemporary romance, Battle-Born Love, which was inspired by a now defunct repo business called Accounts Retrievable.

And then there’s my upcoming release, Erotic Escapades of a Married Couple. This novella was inspired pretty much lock, stock and barrel by a girlfriend, PJ (neither her name nor her initials). PJ confided to me that she had a fantasy of going into a Jiffy Lube or Pep Boys or some similar garage and allowing the guys to—ahem—“have their way” with her. Well…Linda the friend was pretty shocked while Lynda the writer was seriously inspired.    And thus, Erotic Escapades was born.

Of course I took several creative licenses, including the introduction of a gay/bi-sexual friend who becomes…more. I also pushed my comfort zone for Erotic Escapades by writing m/m sex for the first time. Here’s the blurb and excerpt:

Being a settled, married couple doesn’t have to be boring…

Griffin Jensen has it all. He owns a successful advertising agency, has a great kid, beautiful home and the hottest wife known to man. He and Deana make it their mission to fulfill each other’s every erotic fantasy. So why does he feel like something is missing?

Deana Jensen has been head over heels in love with her husband since they first dated in college. Back then, Grif was a player—with both sexes. Deana never considered his bisexual past a threat, but after twelve years of marriage, she fears she’s no longer enough for him. She’ll do whatever it takes to satisfy her husband, but can she share him with another man?

Vance Korbett swore off women years ago when his fiancée left him at the altar. Now he finds “love” in the arms of different men. It’s simple and easy. Eat. Sleep. Screw. Nothing could be better—other than the marital bliss he sees with his best friends, Deana and Grif. Too bad three’s a crowd. Or is it?

Erotic Escapades of a Married Couple is a hot, sexy novella which includes explicit sex, group sex and M/M sex.

 NOTE: THIS EXCERPT IS FOR MATURE READERS ONLY!!

Grif merged his Porsche into oncoming traffic on the expressway. The Thursday morning work commute was light, probably because it was still before six a.m. He glanced at his passenger.

Deana sat, her hands folded primly in her lap and a blindfold over her eyes. Dressed in a simple zip-up navy jogging hoodie and matching fleece pants, electrified tension radiated off her in waves. “So, where are we going?”

The breathy quality of her voice smacked him square in the balls. It was the same tone she used when nearing a climax and she urged him to go faster. To fuck her harder. He squirmed in his seat as his semi-erect dick got firmer. “Wait and see, birthday girl.” Read the rest of this entry »

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship (Tags: Voting, Volunteering, Vermont Escape, Writing Letters, Participation)

Thank you for having me today, Delilah. I think this will be fun, but this will be a little different from most of the posts on your blog. It is about writing but only in a peripheral way. I love blogging. Probably more than any other social media, and that would be because I’m fairly long-winded. The subject also relates to my first release VERMONT ESCAPE. (See below for cover)

How many of you have ever written a letter to the editor or one to your Congress person or state representative or assembly person? (In Vermont, the state legislature is called the assembly. I researched that for my July release.) How about to your school board representative. Do you know who that person is?

I see you squirming out there. Stomach heaving, finger itching to push delete because you think I’m going to go all politics on you. No, no, no. I’ve heard the rules that include don’t talk religion or politics on social media, because you run the chance of alienating ½ your readers. I am a rule follower.  😆 But I’ve always been an involved citizen.

Got it from my mother, an awesome Civil Service executive secretary for colonels and generals. My father was in the Air Force, and we moved around a lot. Folks in the military couldn’t get involved in politics openly. Makes sense in a way. The President is the commander-in-chief. Not good to attack the boss. 🙂

Well, back to my mother. After my father retired, Mom picked up her pen (typewriter/computer) and sent off reams of letters to politicians of all walks and in all positions. This was back in the day, when letters were on paper and mailed. To their credit, she heard back from most of them.

Mom was my role model, a genteel southern lady, who had strong opinions and wasn’t afraid of stating them. That’s what I’ve become. (Not the southern lady part). LOL

I started by working in all my daughters’ school PTAs, and boy did I learn leadership skills there. Ultimately, I ran for a seat on our school board. Lost the first time (not at all fun), but ran twice more and was elected both times, serving for a total of 8 years. The learning curve was huge, and I loved the experience.

For me the hardest thing was talking to a reporter. Oh, I could talk all day into a mike, but getting the content down to fit the 15 -20 seconds that would show up on TV? That was tough. You won’t be surprised to learn it’s a challenge for me to break down a 90-K book into a log line. LOL

You’re thinking I’ve wondered all around several topics, aren’t you? Well, only sort of. You see, we held elections all across the country this past March, April, and May in small towns to sprawling urban communities for everything from mayor to dog-catcher and everything in between. Run-offs usually fall in the month of June. On July 4th, we celebrate among other things our freedom to vote. I’m a fairly patriotic person. (Not surprisingly, you can find a scene in VERMONT ESCAPE, where Jill celebrates the Fourth with her new friends and contrasts the weather in Vermont with that in Texas. Big difference.  😯 )

I encourage you to take note of who is running for various positions in your own community. Many of those elections are held in the fall. Others are in the spring as I mentioned above. Find out when you hold elections in your area. Find someone who believes the way you do and stands for the things you do. Then give money to their campaign, volunteer, and vote.

If you’re afraid of getting embroiled in party politics, you can probably avoid that. More than likely you’ll find positions that are non-partisan. (In my town, our school board, city council, and mayor are non-partisan elections.)

If you decide to go with one of the political parties, good for you. Just please don’t post ugly things about the other side on my Facebook page. 😕

We are fortunate in our country to make changes in our political system in a peaceful manner. In some countries, when people speak out they face bullets. It’s your turn now. Have you ever worked in anyone’s campaign? What compelled you to do that? Was it a partisan race? Have you ever run for a position? How did that turn out? How do you educate yourself about candidates and their positions? Even if you’ve never gotten behind a candidate or platform, are you registered to vote? Do you feel like you just don’t have time?

Remember the young girl in Pakistan who was shot because she wanted to make sure girls in her country got an education? We should get involved in her honor.

My first book, VERMONT ESCAPE, releases July 15 by MuseItUp Publishing and will be available at all e-book venues.

After the murders of her husband and then father, Jill Barlow flees to Vermont, but the Texas gambling syndicate believes she’s hiding damning evidence. To get it, they’ll kill again.

Excerpt:

Jill Barlow reached for her make-up kit and brushed against the one thing she’d been doing her damnedest to avoid. Her heart rate tripped into overtime.

It was the package she received days after her dad was murdered. That was one month ago, but she couldn’t face opening a reminder of the nightmare.

Pictures of her vigorous father mixed with recent images of his closed casket. Nausea hit. Again. Damn. Why would someone blow off her father’s head ? She hadn’t stayed to find out. She’d run.

I blog every Thursday. You can find me at my website. And follow me at Facebook and Twitter. I’d love to hear from you. And thanks again, Delilah.

Pictures of your art/craft treasures will be posted on Friday! Thanks to everyone who participated!

* * * * *

Wisdom from the Kama Sutra

Everyone knows that the Kama Sutra is a sex manual, but did you also know that it’s an ancient etiquette manual, as well?

When I was writing How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride, I did some research and discovered that The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana is almost 2,000 years old. Written in Sanskrit, it wasn’t translated into English until 1883 by the famous explorer, Sir Richard Burton. The book was privately and quietly published, no doubt shipped in plain brown paper.

Once I’d decided to set a story in 1885, I found a copy of his translation and started reading. It’s a fascinating mix of sexual instruction and advice on courtship, combined with superstitions of the period in which it was written. In addition to listing various sexual positions, some with quaint names such as “splitting of a bamboo” and “fixing of a nail”, it also covers biting, scratching and striking, as well as “mouth congress”, i.e. oral sex, and threesomes.

Hindu society of the time was patriarchal and some of the advice is ridiculous by today’s standards. People also married very young at the time, so I suppose it’s no wonder that the advice for how the woman should behave sounds very juvenile by today’s standards. In one section, Vatsyayana, who was a monk, actually recommends kidnapping the prospective bride if all else fails! Something my civilized English hero would never do. Still, some of the courtship advice is timeless, and shows a basic understanding of the differences between men and women.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

“Women, being of tender nature, want tender beginnings.”

“At the first time of sexual union the passion of the male is intense, and his time is short, but in subsequent unions on the same day the reverse of this is the case. With the female however it is the contrary, for at the first time her passion is weak, and then her time is long, but on subsequent occasions on the same day, her passion is intense and her time short, until her passion is satisfied.”

“… the man should do whatever the girl takes most delight in, and he should get for her whatever she may have a desire to possess.”

“Says Ghotakamukha, Though a man loves a girl ever so much, he never succeeds in winning her without a great deal of talking.”

“In Gramaneri many young men enjoy a woman that may be married to one of them, either one after the other or at the same time.  Thus one of them holds her, another enjoys her. . . and in this they go on enjoying her several parts alternatively.”

The same things can be done when several men are sitting in company with one courtesan, or when one courtesan is alone with many men. In the same way this can be done by the women of the King’s harem when they accidentally get hold of a man.”

Makes you wonder how often the women of the harem “accidentally” got hold of a man! And where they found him, in the first place. This quote may have been the inspiration for the Victorian erotic novel Three Nights in a Moorish Harem, by the prolific author Anonymous.

Even though he was a monk, Vatsyayana had a romantic streak: “If men and women act according to each other’s liking, their love for each other will not be lessened even in one hundred years.”

Last December, I reissued my short story, How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride, in which Victorian sensibilities collide with the sensual wisdom of the Kama Sutra. This was a fun story to write and to research, since I did, indeed, have to read the above-mentioned sex manual. It was the perfect way to spice up an arranged Victorian marriage.

How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride
(Romantic Historical Short Story)
by Lyndi Lamont
Rating: Spicy

A marriage contract, nothing more…until darkly handsome Evan Channing and demure Lydia Blatchford meet. Yet the rules are simple for an arrangement such as theirs. There should be no misunderstanding, no illusions of anything more.

But the rules are about to change when Evan is gifted with an intriguing copy of the Kama Sutra.  He sets out to win his high-born bride, blending seductive heat with exotic lessons in lovemaking. With a little help from Sir Richard Burton’s new, provocative translation of ancient wisdom on seduction and arousal, the cold marriage bed of an arranged union is about to combust into a blazing flame of desire

(Previously published under the title Love… By the Book)

4 Angels…” a scintillating mix of lust and sexual exploration… Ms. Lamont has done a very nice job of bringing a bit of the exotic into her writing.” – Dawnie, Fallen Angel Reviews

Available for 99 cents from:
Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Kobo Books, and Smashwords

Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of romance author Linda McLaughlin. Since becoming Lyndi, she has discovered that writing sexy romance is a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of her books! Lyndi has written numerous short stories and novellas, including male/male erotica.

You can find her online at: http://www.lyndilamont.com/
Blog: Lyndi’s Love Notes: http://www.lyndilamont.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/LyndiLamont

I was supposed to have a guest today, but she must have forgotten, and I definitely forgot to remind her! So, here I am!

I’m keeping it short and sweet today. Just a question for you to answer, because your opinion matters!

If archeologists could somehow discover the location of and dig up anything—an object or some lost city—from any time in the past, what would you want that thing or place to be?

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Psst! My Lost Souls blog tour starts today! Check out the links to the websites here. You know there will be prizes and plenty to keep you fascinated, dah-lings! 🙂