I found out earlier this week that review copies of Fairy Tale Lust have been released into the world. Exciting! (At least to me.) I know review copies will be going to Amazon Vine members, but I’m not sure who else might be reading and reviewing my book (our book) of erotic fairy tales. I do hope everyone loves it as much as I do.
I’ve been a writer since I was old enough to hold a pencil and a book reviewer off and on for nearly fifteen years, so I know both sides of the fence. Reviewing is different from reading for pleasure, though if a book is truly a good read, the line blurs. I know I’ve enjoyed a book if I have to go back and reread sections while I’m writing my review because I forgot to take notes or mark pages while I was reading it the first time. I’m hoping a lot of readers will be compelled to post reviews of Fairy Tale Lust on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as it seems reviews help with sales. I’ll be giving away a few copies to those who are so inclined to write a review in exchange. I know loving my book is not enough-- I have to get it into the hands of other people who will love it, too.
I have to say, I’m still in love with this collection-- a year after I signed the contract and six months after I finished compiling it. The stories are sensual and lush and sexy and edgy and playful. I’ve created a blog for the book and will be featuring the authors and snippets of their stories in the coming months, so do stop by and visit. I imagine there will be giveaways and other fun stuff, too.
And when the dust settles and the excitement over Fairy Tale Lust begins to fade… it’ll be time to start making selections for Dream Lover.
I can’t wait!
syn·chro·nic·i·ty definition
Pronunciation: /ˌsiŋ-krə-ˈnis-ət-ē, ˌsin-/
Function: n
Inflected Form: pl -ties
: the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality —used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung
It is human nature to look for patterns in things-- sometimes we look for connections where there are none, just to satisfy our own (often subconscious) internal panic at being confronted with something foreign and unfamiliar. But sometimes I find patterns in the strangest things, connections between people and events that make me wonder if there is some message to be gleaned… Surely I’m not the only one who does this and then wonders what it all means?
Social networks and blogs are fascinating experiments in synchronicity. I have this wildly diverse group of friends who I connect with through Facebook or blogs-- ranging from childhood friends I haven’t seen in 30 years to current friends I saw last week, writers, editors and artists to friends of friends I’ve never met. And yet, just this morning, three intersections:
--I am friends with two people-- one I know from real life, one I only know from her blog-- who are raising goats. Not only that, but both have been awaiting the arrival of baby goats! I suppose baby goats are usually born in the spring, but it’s interesting to read the updates from two people in different parts of the country. And baby goats are freakin’ cute, by the way.
--Three different writers I know are currently reading Rainer Maria Rilke. I have only read Letters to a Young Poet and now I feel inspired to read more of his work.
--I followed two links from two very different genre writers and ended up at one of my new favorite writers, Karen Maezen Miller, the author of Momma Zen. She has a new book coming out-- Hand Wash Cold, which is due out… tomorrow. Which also happens to be Patrick’s babysitter’s birthday.
One last synchronistic moment for today (at least so far-- it’s only noon)… as I was in the middle of this post, The Police came on Starbucks radio. The song was “Every Breath You Take” from the album… Synchronicity. No kidding.
The always inspirational Shanna Germain shared an “is in love with” post on Facebook, which inspired me to write the following:
Kristina Wright is in love with: her pretty pink pedicure (polish name: Naked); the lush sensuality of Pablo Neruda’s poetry; the freedom that having a fabulous babysitter brings; the starting-to-bloom azaleas and other spring blossoms; the promise of a happy, creative spring; and the sense of returning self...
Not a bad list, is it? The pedicure is my first since September, when my belly was already huge and baby was still three months from being born. Much needed, it heralds the beginning of spring and warmer days. As I was enjoying this little bit of pampering, I was thinking how it was just like that last pedicure, except my beach-ball stomach is gone and I’m now somebody’s mother. Weird. Wonderful. Weird. I do love that I picked a polish called Naked.
Pablo Neruda has been on my mind lately, since Neve Black shared her passion for him on her blog. I’ve blogged before about my love for Nerdua’s poetry… lush and sensual. Ohhh… I do love Pablo Neruda. I haven’t seen the movie Neve recommends-- Il Postino-- but I think I must. This poem seems particularly fitting for spring:
Ode To Enchanted Light
Under the trees light
has dropped from the top of the sky,
light
like a green
latticework of branches,
shining
on every leaf,
drifting down like clean
white sand.A cicada sends
its sawing song
high into the empty air.The world is
a glass overflowing
with water.
Oh… how can you not love Neruda?
Speaking of spring… the azaleas are beginning to bloom and that always makes me smile. The blossoms are fleeting… like spring in the south… and to be enjoyed for the brief time they are here.
Spring brings renewal in mind and spirit and a returning sense of my own identity in the midst of motherhood. I’m writing again and it’s like I’m just now discovering what it is to be a writer. I’m finding myself pulled in new directions creatively, driven to reach farther that I ever have. It’s nice to feel the pieces falling into place, in a way that is more natural than anything I could have imagined. I still feel a twinge when I leave Patrick with the babysitter he adores, but it’s not a bad feeling anymore, it’s a reminder that I am somebody’s mother. I can still leave and be me… alone… for a time, just like always. I am still me… I am now Mama. Everything is the same… and everything is different.
It’s a grand adventure, this parenthood thing. No one told me about that part. I heard the rainbows and flowers part, but I never heard about the adventure of seeing the world and life through new eyes. It isn’t all rainbows and flowers-- sometimes it’s hard as hell and I still have to do it (and get up tomorrow and do it again), but that’s what an adventure is. It’s twists and turns and not knowing what’s going to happen next and crazy-making moments and moments of quiet, intense perfection. A grand adventure.
I’m in love with a life overflowing… and this smiley, goofy little face.
Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance
Editor: Kristina Wright
Publisher: Cleis Press
Publication Date: May 2011
Submission Deadline: July 15
Payment: $100 per story and 2 copies of the book, on publication
E-mail:
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5
Take me to heaven, take me to hell, take me to where dreams come true. For this anthology, I want romantic erotica of the paranormal kind. Witches and psychics; demons and ghosts; shapeshifters and succubi; enchanted talismans and ancient curses—go wherever your imagination carries you and craft a story that pushes the boundaries of erotic love. I am open to any time period and any setting. All subgenres of paranormal are welcome: alternate reality, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, time-travel, etc.
This collection will be primarily heterosexual, but the romantic relationship may involve a couple or triad and can include lesbian or bisexual encounters. Stories should be written for a female audience and I have a preference for female point of view. No incest, bestiality or underage characters, please. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. So be sure to give me a story that is erotic, romantic and supernatural!
For an idea of what I’m seeking, consider the novels of Angela Knight, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Larissa Ione, Christine Feehan and Lora Leigh.
Submission Guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. The desired story length is 2,000-4,500 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person. Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file.
Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. I will notify contributors of their acceptance after October 1, but please note that Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript.
Send your submission to with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address.
About the editor: Kristina Wright (kristinawright.com) is an award-winning author and the editor of Fairy Tale Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women (Cleis Press). Her short fiction has appeared in over eighty anthologies including Bedding Down: A Collection of Winter Erotica (Avon Red); Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women (Seal Press); and the erotic romance collections Seduction, Liaisons and Sexy Little Numbers (Black Lace). She is a member of the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, Romance Writers of America and Passionate Ink. She received the Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense from RWA for her first novel Dangerous Curves (Silhouette Intimate Moments).
Dear Patrick,
You are four months and one day old today. I didn’t get a chance to write your letter yesterday because your Aunt Sheri was in town for the weekend. She hadn’t seen you since you were 12 days old! It was fun watching you with her, and watching her enjoy you as much as I do. (I often fear I’m a bit biased when it comes to how much fun you are and how easy your are and how beautiful you are. Oh, it’s sad to have become one of “those” mothers!)
Spring has arrived in Virginia and this month has meant more time outside. Sheri and I took you to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens on Saturday. When you weren’t napping, you seemed to enjoy the great big world. The park was certainly bigger than anything you’ve experienced so far! I’m looking forward to many outdoor days when your father gets home. Only five more weeks to go!
You went to the pediatrician on Thursday—your father’s 41st birthday, coincidentally—for your four month checkup and vaccinations. You’re weighing in at a little over 17 pounds now, monkey! Though I honestly expected you to weigh more since you feel soooo heavy to me! You handled the vaccinations like a champ and only cried for about a minute before you were smiling again. Whew! You don’t go back to the pediatrician until you’re six months old, thankfully.
So far this month you have started rolling over front to back and back to front, quite an accomplishment. You don’t do it often, but you’re starting to figure out that the rolling will get you closer to what you want. You’re a clever little monkey and have figured out how to grab onto things to pull yourself from your side to your stomach. Uh oh! The days of leaving you in the middle of the bed unattended will soon be over, I’m afraid.
You’re still sleeping well through the night, which is so wonderful. I was afraid of what they call the “four month sleep regression,” but if such a thing occurred, it only affected your daytime naps. You’re still napping pretty well, but your awake periods have stretched to two hours now. Your naps are all over the place—45 minutes to over 3 hours—but you total between 6 and 7 hours of naps a day.
You love tummy time and hold your head high, a steady stream of drool dripping from your bottom lip. Your usual smiley humor disappears when you’re in the tummy zone, though. Apparently, this is a very serious activity for you that requires intense concentration and maximum drool output. (The drool is all-powerful, I’ve discovered.) You kick your legs furiously, as if you can’t wait to crawl. Slow down, baby! There will be time enough for you to crawl and walk and run….
My favorite moment this month was last Wednesday night. We were talking to your father on the computer and I was making funny sounds to get you to smile and laugh. So far, your “laughing” has been brief a-ha sounds, followed by an open-mouthed grin. But then I hit upon a sound that made you laugh and laugh… It was a wonderful moment, not only because it was the first time you’ve every laughed continually like that, but also because it was already April 1 in Dubai. I think that was your birthday present to your father!
This past month marks the one year anniversary of finding out I was pregnant with you. Those early days and weeks (and months, if I’m being honest) were nerve wracking… wondering whether I’d be able to hang onto you and keep you growing inside me. And here we are a year later, with you growing up right in front of me!
The days are going by so fast, baby. Four months! Winter is a memory and spring is well and truly here. Your father will be home soon and you can laugh and laugh for both of us. Never stop laughing, baby. Life is good.
Happy four month birthday! Mama loves you.
What’s it all about?
Life. Love. Writing. Editing. Sex. Books. Romance. Movies. Friendship. Photography. Teaching. Coffee. (Lots of coffee.) Travel. Feminism. Academia. Insomnia. Memories. Experiences. Rants. Raves. Reviews. Chocolate. Mmm… chocolate. Musings of an insomniac writer. Want to know more?
