The Best American Erotica 1993: A Book Review

By Gamal Hennessy

From my perspective, Susie Bright is a luminary in the genre of erotic fiction. Not only has she written, edited, and published several books on the subject over the years, her writing guide How to Write a Dirty Story has been an inspiration for all six of the novels I’ve written. I’ve wanted to read her first anthology The Best American Erotica 1993 for years, so when it went on sale on Audible, I downloaded  it as soon as I could. Unfortunately, my experience was less than ideal.

The book does have positive qualities. First, there is a wide array of authors who contributed short stories to this collection and the range of erotic expression is very diverse. LGBT, straight and BDSM flavors are all mixed and represented here. Characters of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, nationalities and economic realities all get time in the spotlight. And the range of sexual expression is also broad. Some characters fully explored their passions, others lost their chance just before they could attain satisfaction, and some struggled to repress or deny the only thing they couldn’t stop thinking about.

But all the stories shared similar flaws. The stories had little or no turning points, no crisis choice that the characters had to make to expose their true nature or alter their condition. They were unchanged from the beginning of the story to the end, and the sexual experiences they had (or didn’t have) did nothing to bring about change in their lives. What they did was on full display. Why they did it or how it defined them was always left out.

It doesn’t have to be that way in erotica or any other genre. We only have to look at the short stories in Delta of Venus, Night in a Moorish Harem or Erotic Interludes to see that sexual expression can be the catalyst for change in a character’s life. Of course, not every sexual encounter alters our existence, but when every story in a collection lacks that element, the whole book suffers.

In terms of the overall presentation of the audio book it’s also a mixed experience. The readers of each piece were very good and their voices matched the nature of the narrator well. However, most of the sex in this book skews towards the nonconsensual. There is diversity here too, as the scenarios range from lack of consent to rape and sustained torture. If you don’t enjoy those types of stories the book might be hard to get through.

Overall, I appreciated the diversity of Best American Erotica, but the stories themselves didn’t satisfy. The series continues for several more volumes, so perhaps the first one can be seen as a viable proof of concept.

Have fun.                                                                      
Gamal

Delta of Venus: A Book Review

Anais Nin brought an artistic elegance to her erotica. Delta of Venus is a fantastic example of her craft. Written in the 1940's for an anonymous collector, the short stories explore various aspects of sexual expression with a delicate sensibility that does not shy away from darker impulses.

The characters in Delta exist in a hedonistic fantasy. Nin's Paris is full of writers, artists, models and whores. They have enough money to spend on drinks, drugs, parties, hotels, prostitutes and cafes, but none of them seems to have jobs that interfere with their passions. Monogamy isn't an expectation in marriage and a single glance across a bar is enough to spark an anonymous liaison in a closet. Everyone seems both comfortable with their own bodies and willing to explore someone else's. In the hands of a lesser writer, these stories might come out no better than the artificial letters in Penthouse Forum. In Delta of Venus, Nin creates a vision of Paris that is decadent, sensual and stylish.

If you're not a fan of stream of consciousness writing, this book might be hard to follow. Characters in stories will often tell stories of their own that can become confusing, especially if you're listening to the audio book. Nin also has a tendency to float away on tangents about Parisian women or German occupation before WW II that accentuate the setting but diffuse the erotic tension. None of this takes away from the quality of the writing, but it does take some getting used to.

Anais Nin is one of my favorite writers and Delta of Venus is one of her best books. If I could create an intimacy in my writing that comes anywhere close to this, my journey as a writer will be completely. Maybe I just need to move to Paris...

Have fun.
Gamal

Sex as a Window to the Soul: Using Sexual Expression to Reveal True Nature

“Sexual energy can have many transformations: at the lowest it is biological; at the highest it is spiritual. It has to be understood that all creative people are highly sexual." Osho

There are many ways a writer can show the true nature of their characters. By placing them in conflict with their world at various levels and forcing them to make choices, the fundamental essence of the character is revealed. In thrillers, lives are at stake. In mysteries, justice often hangs in the balance. Every genre of fiction has its conflict conventions, but sexual expression is an unused goldmine for the revelation of character, especially in spy fiction.

Sex for Characterization

Last month, I discussed the difference between characterizations and true nature in fiction writing. In short, characterizations are the definable qualities of a person and their true nature is the choices they make under pressure. As a vehicle of characterization, sex is used all the time. The male hero falls for the femme fatale. Now we know some characteristics of both of them. The man is heterosexual and sexually active. The woman is on some level attractive. This basic idea can be expanded indefinitely. The unquenchable sexual appetite of James Bond, for instance, is as much a part of his character as his nationality. But even this high profile sexual expression doesn’t speak to the true nature of the character.

Sex for True Nature

If sexual expression is going to be used to reveal true nature, then the sexual choices that a character makes need to be explored. There are a variety of questions that can be asked to further this goal:

• Who are they sexual with? Are they alone? Are they with one person and not another? Why?  
• When are they sexual? Under what circumstances and at what point in the story does the event take place?
• Where are they sexual? Is there some risk based on the location or do they insist on total privacy and security?
• What sexual acts are they involved in? How vanilla or kinky are they? How simple or intricate are their thoughts or actions during the sexual encounter?
• Why are they taking this action? Is it the release of some emotion, if so, which emotion? Is the expression designed as a reward for someone or as a punishment for someone else, or both? Is it a celebration or a submission?
• How are they sexual? Is the character kind or cruel? Are they considerate or selfish? Are they experienced or naïve? Are they exploratory or conservative? Are they active or passive? This is perhaps the most important question when sexual expression is used to define true nature.

When you look at sexual expression from this perspective, the true nature of James Bond (at least the movie portrayals of him) is never revealed. We know he has a lot of sex. We know he is very eclectic in his sexual tastes, but beyond that, Mr. Bond is a mystery even after six decades of films.

So What?

Can we know a protagonist’s true nature without watching her in bed? Of course we can. Millions of fine books have been written over the years without it. So why should anyone want to put it in now? The answer boils down to creativity. In a time where everything has already been done and a fresh new idea is as rare as a winning lotto ticket, using sexual expression to gain insight into character and move the narrative is the road less traveled and could be the ripest avenue for exploration in modern fiction.

Sex in My Novel

I’m currently writing a novel called a Taste of Honey. It this story, sexual expression exposes both the characterizations and the true nature of all the main players. Instead of writing yet another novel about assassinations, bombings and hand to hand combat, I’m crafting a spy story that is more subtle in its execution. The stakes are still very high and the tension isn’t reduced because there are less bullets flying. I just decided to write a different type of spy novel. Hopefully the world will be ready to enjoy it.

Repression, Rejection and Titillation

There is a reason why more writers do not use sexual expression as a vehicle to reveal true nature. The stigma attached to sexual expression in America has a chilling effect that marginalizes sex to the fringes of pornography. There are few ‘legitimate’ writers who are in a position to take this bold step under their own name. Anais Nin and Henry Miller did it in their prose. Anne Rice did it with Sleeping Beauty and Barry Eisler has taken steps in that direction with his spy fiction. I’m going to follow them because these are the stories I want to tell and I don’t have anything to lose.

Sex for the sake of defining character is fine. Sex for pure titillation is great too. But I’d like to go in a different direction and see where it takes me. It might not make me rich, but it will definitely be interesting.

Have fun.
G

You're First Look at My "Last" Erotic Story

I’m offering my last erotic novella on Amazon this week.

Private Dancer

A young couple visits New Orleans to sample the local strip clubs. Their travels take them to several unappealing spots that drain them of their enthusiasm and their desire. But the last spot on Bourbon Street promises to be different, blurring the lines between a simple dance and a memorable seduction.

Now that I have five pure erotic pieces available for your enjoyment, I'm going to proceed with my master plan to alter the landscape of modern fiction. Don't say I didn't warn you. 

If you decide to read it, please let me know what you think by writing me a review. Every opinion helps, whether it’s good or bad.

Have fun.
Gamal

Read This New Erotica (Because Everyone Should Get a Second Opinion)

A new erotic story from Nightlife Publishing goes on sale this week. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

The Second Opinion

He wants to celebrate his birthday and forget his advancing age by spending a night with his lover. When she shows up with her friend, does that mean the end of their night of passion or the start of something else? 

Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Nightlife Publishing title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.

Have fun

Gamal

Erotica as the Literary Pariah

“Writing ought either to be the manufacture of stories for which there is a market demand -- a business as safe and commendable as making soap or breakfast foods -- or it should be an art, which is always a search for something for which there is no market demand, something new and untried, where the values are intrinsic and have nothing to do with standardized values.”  - Willa Cather

My writing has not generated much interest or discussion over the past four months. I haven’t yet figured out the proper marketing methods that will allow the eager masses hungry to read my masterpieces. But what little discussion my writing has generated has all been about my erotica. I can write about conspiracy, murder or torture and there is no ripple within my social circle. Stories about sex on the other hand, forces people to turn away in silent rejection or (I think) alter the way they see me as a writer and a person. The reaction that I’ve received has inspired me to think more about what I am writing and why in relationship to the mind of my potential audience.

The American Relationship to the Erotic

In spite of the summer flurry around Fifty Shades of Gray and the deluge of BDSM erotica that tried to ride that long tail, erotic writing is still a repressed art form in America. We are trapped between our Judeo-Christian Protestant morality and our obsession with sex as a tool of commerce and power. We willingly exploit the concept that “sex sells” but reject any insightful public discussion about seduction or sexual expression. Our collective response to sincere sexuality is avoidance, disdain, ridicule, silence or backhanded suggestions of mental imbalance.

Thankfully, the reaction to my erotica hasn’t been that aggressive but it is disconcerting to discover the people in my life conform, to one extent or another, to the same attitudes towards sexual expression as the rest of society. This makes sense. They are functioning members of the community they live in. It is understandable that they share the beliefs of that group. I had no reason to expect anything different but somehow I hoped it would be.

Controlling the Image

I don’t have illusions about the way people interact with each other. I know that each of us holds onto an image of every person in our lives. We project attributes, titles and values onto the people that we know and then assume those qualities will be fairly consistent over time. Any information that alters or upsets the image we create is resisted and rejected. If a revelation doesn’t conform to our defined social relationship then we don’t want to hear about it. By and large, most of your family, friends and co-workers don’t want to know anything about your sexual expression because it upsets their image or you and falls outside the realm of acceptable information. Writing erotica, whether it is autobiographical or not, is a revelation about your sexual expression and your sexual philosophy. That makes it a subject not to be discussed or explored. Living in this world, only a total stranger or an intimate confidant is willing to learn about you that way. No one else you know has any interest in the subject.

I’m not trying to invite everyone I know into every sexual moment of my life or warp their image of me so much that they go insane from over exposure. At the same time, my sexual expression is a large part of the definition of who I am as a person. To push that part of me away or to repress it would be rejecting a facet of my life that I’m not ashamed of. Inserting erotica into my work makes as much sense to me as including humor, wit or complexity. It is fundamental to my art and to my life. If I didn’t put it in because other people weren’t comfortable with it, then my writing wouldn’t be mine any more. My life wouldn’t be mine any more.

Pushing Boundaries through Art

Just before I started releasing my work, I read a book from Susie Bright called How to Write a Dirty Story. The book was quite good partially because it helped me see my role as a writer both in terms of erotica and in terms of other aspects of writing. Her advice, like Ms. Cather’s above, was to use my craft to push the boundaries of society and not just relax within the comfortable framework of acceptable commercial work. I have no interest in writing the most shocking, perverted or controversial book ever. Marquis de Sade already did that. My goal is much more insidious. I want to embed the erotic in other types of stories so deeply that one can’t be separated from the other. I want to construct scenes that are arousing not because of their graphic explicitly, but because of their realistic intensity. Hopefully when I’m done, the erotic elements of writing will be as engaging as the conspiracy and murder. Until then…

Have fun.

G

Your First Look at Must Be the Music

The new erotic anthology from the Nightlife Publishing goes on sale in a few days. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

 

These two erotic stories are dedicated to the DJ.

 

In Let the Music Play, a man looks for love behind the turntables and finds himself lured by a beautiful woman into a risky liaison.

 

In Dance for Me, a DJ spins tracks for his lover, but what happens when his music inspires her to dance with another man? 

 

This title goes on sale on Amazon on September 4th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Nightlife Publishing title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.

Why Women Have Sex: A Book Review

The sexual motivations of women have consumed men since the Middle Ages (and probably earlier than that). We have created laws, religious restrictions and fairy tales in an attempt to define it and control female sexual expression. But we haven’t done very much to understand it. Buss and Meston try to shed some light on this enigma in their 2010 book “Why Women Have Sex”. Using a combination of anonymous surveys, lab experiments and multi-discipline research the two psychologists break down sexual motivation from a variety of different angles.

So why do women have sex? The answer is…complicated.

According to Buss and Meston, there are nineteen major motivations for female sexual expression including:

1. Sensual attractors
2. Physical pleasure
3. Social status
4. Emotional/ spiritual connection
5. Mate capture/ Mate retention
6. Mate poaching
7. Responsibility in relationships
8. Guilt in relationships
9. Curiosity
10. Variety
11. Mate Evaluation
12. Barter
13. Trade
14. Ego Boost
15. Deception
16. Punishment
17. Abuse
18. Health benefits
19. Procreation

In addition to this list, the authors point out that several motivations could be present at the same time in any woman’s sexual choices even if those motivations are in conflict. Another complicating factor is that the motivations could be subconscious and fluid over the course of a sexual act. Finally, the choice of each woman has to be understood in the context of her age, peer group, religion, upbringing and previous sexual history. In other words a person may have no idea why a woman might decide to have sex and the woman herself may not be cognizant of the factors underlying her choices.

I originally decided to read this book to put more authenticity into the sexual motivations of the female characters in my books. For the sake of clarity in my work (and my own sanity) I won’t try and definitively nail down the sexual motivation of any character. But reading this book will add more variety and resonance to their sexual expression and hopefully improve the quality of my writing.

Have fun.

G

Asset Management and Sharing Secrets is Now on Sale

Sex Lies and Spies is offering two new stories on Amazon today.

We are offering one espionage story in Asset Management and one erotic story in Sharing Secrets.

Amazon Prime users can download the books for free. If you are in the press, a blogger or a book reviewer & you'd like press copies of my August books please let me know.

Asset Management: ($1.99)

Rose Mendoza is an ambitious young executive looking to make her mark at the security firm of RSVP. One of her first projects is getting rid of an enticing veteran operator named William Baker.  But as Rose learns about Baker’s plans and his connection to the brutal vigilante Ria Marlen she is pulled into a crisis that could end her career or even end her life.

Sharing Secrets: ($.99)
There are two seductive daydreams in this collection:

The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.

Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.

Be sure to check out our other crime, erotica and espionage stories for your Kindle, iPad and smartphone.

Afraid of the Dark (Crime fiction)

Bedtime Stories (Erotica)

The Replacements (Crime Fiction)

Have fun.
Gamal

I Reject Sexual Violence

Sometimes it pays to be a very small business.

Last week was a perfect example. My business development department (Me), sat down with my advertising department (Me) to talk about the results of the new ad campaign.

Business Development: So how are things going?

Advertising: Well, I’ve got good news and bad news…

BD: What’s the good news?

Ads: The good news is that market awareness for the brand has gone up 380% in two weeks.

BD: That’s fucking awesome. So what’s the bad news?

Ads: The bad news is that the vast majority of our growth has been among demographic groups associated with misogyny and sexual violence. Based on the sampling, the marketing department (Me) thinks that people like the FB page because they think our material is about sexual violence, particularly against women.

BD: But that’s not our message! There is no sexual violence in our products. Everything we put out is sex positive and if anything it portrays women from a position of sexual power.

Ads: I’m not disputing that. I’m just telling you what marketing is getting from the data.

BD: Can we be sure about that assessment?

Ads: Nope. But management (Me) doesn’t want to take any chances. We already got that angry letter from that university doctor at launch, remember? The PR department (Me) doesn’t want the Sex and Violence brand to blow up in our faces, so we’re going to scrap it. Management wants us to rebrand the series, tweak the ads and get out in front of this thing before things get out of hand.

BD: Fine. But can all that be done before the August launch? We’ve already got two books in the pipeline and the launch date is Friday.

Ads: It’s not a problem. The creative department (Me) is working on a new tag line and new graphics. The PR department is changing all the bios and I’m going to change the ads as soon as everything is in place. We should be set by the start of business Monday, as long as we don’t get any push back from Facebook.

BD: Fine. So what do you need me to do?

Ads: Go get editorial (Me) to write a blog post about the name change and find a way to make it entertaining…

BD: What’s the new name?

Ads: We’re calling it Sex, Lies and Spies. Later on we’ll shorten it to SLS, but we’ll probably wait for Christmas to do that.

BD: We’ll it’s not as catchy as Sex and Violence…

Ads: It’s not as toxic either and it probably won't get us into any trouble. So get going. We need to have this done before the 26^th…

So here we are. Let me restate this just to be perfectly clear; some of the stories I write contain explicit sexual scenes. Some of the stories I write contain emotional, physical and psychological violence. But there is no sexual violence in my work. My affection and admiration for women is too high for me to abuse women, even in fiction.

Luckily, my company is small enough to make changes without too much trouble. This is one instance when having a split personality is actually helpful.

Have fun.

G

Sample Pages for Asset Management and Sharing Secrets

If you’d like to get an early sample of my August releases, you can download the PDF’s from the links below.

Asset Management: ($1.99)

Rose Mendoza is an ambitious young executive looking to make her mark at the security firm of RSVP. One of her first projects is getting rid of an enticing veteran operator named William Baker.  But as Rose learns about Baker’s plans and his connection to the brutal vigilante Ria Marlen she is pulled into a crisis that could end her career or even end her life.

Sharing Secrets: ($.99)
There are two seductive daydreams in this collection.

The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.

Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.

The full versions officially go on sale July 26 for Kindle. Amazon Prime users will be able to download the books for free.

Have fun.

Gamal

Your First Look at Sharing Secrets

The new erotic anthology from the Sex and Violence series goes on sale next week. Here is a look at the cover and a preview of the story.

There are two seductive daydreams in this collection.

The Open Window combines voyeurism and exhibitionism on a cold winter night in New York City that burns away the chill for everyone involved.

Toy Story describes a visit to a sex museum that leads to a man’s first encounter with his lover’s personal playthings.

This title goes on sale on Amazon on July 29^th. Authors, book reviewers and bloggers who want to write a review for this or any other Sex and Violence title should contact me directly at gamalhennessy@gmail.com for press copies.

Have fun.

Gamal

And So It Begins...

I am happy to announce that the Sex and Violence Series launches today with three new short stories:

Afraid of the Dark $1.99

Bedtime Stories $.99

The Replacements $.99

 All three titles are available for the Kindle and Nook Apps.

If you decide to read these launch titles, please feel free to review them and leave comments. Feedback can only make my work better, especially if you think they are perfect.

Have fun.

G

 

Sample Pages for Bedtime Stories Now Available

If you’d like to get an early sample of my new compilation Bedtime Stories, you can get a PDF here.

Bedtime Stories offers two erotic dreams. In Sleeping Beauty, a thoughtful lover tries to comfort a tense and tired woman without waking her up. And when angry words of rejection are coupled with hungry acts of passion some people know how to enjoy the Mixed Signals.

The full version goes on sale June 29^th in the Amazon, Nook and Smashwords store for $.99.

Have fun.

Gamal

A Few Words On Censorship...

...from Jon Stewart...

Because Sex and Violence contains a lot of explicit material, I expect some people to have a problem with it. I don't mind negative reactions based on the quality of my work, but I have no interest in catering to people who reject something without even reading it.

For everyone who decides to read Sex and Violence, I hope you enjoy it.

For everyone else, this picture is for you.

Have fun.
G

First Look at Bedtime Stories

The second book in the Sex and Violence Series goes on Sale June 29th!

Bedtime Stories offers two erotic dreams. In Sleeping Beauty, a thoughtful lover tries to comfort a tense and tired woman without waking her up. And when angry words of rejection are coupled with hungry acts of passion some people know how to enjoy the Mixed Signals.

Like Sex and Violence on Facebook for free samples of this book and news on other upcoming releases.

Have fun.
G

What is Sex and Violence?

I’ve been writing short stories since 1998 without a good way to sell them. Now there are so many Kindles, IPads and Nooks out there that selling e-books make sense. Now I have enough experience running my own businesses to be comfortable self publishing. Now I might even be egotistical enough to expose my creativity and face the inevitable consequences.

Sex and Violence is going to be a series of monthly short stories that deal with…you guessed it, sex and violence. These are the themes that occupy my mind most of the time. Almost every voluntary activity I do has a connection to one of these states. Sex and violence also seem to spark the most emotion and controversy in society. It is the underlying basis of what drives us. We are constantly running towards one and away from the other. They are the physical expressions of our most extreme opposites; love and hate, pleasure and pain, life and death. If I’m going to write about something that holds my attention (and hopefully yours) I can’t think of two better topics.

My plan is to release three stories on June 29^th, so you can get them for the Fourth of July holiday. After that, I plan to release two stories a month. One story will be erotic inspired by writers like Anias Nin, Lonnie Barbach and Oscar Wilde (that’s the Sex part). The other story will be a neo noir style of fiction similar to films like Seven, the Usual Suspects and Chinatown (that’s the Violence part). I can only hope something I write is as good as any of those.

I plan to sell on all three major platforms and keep you up to date on my progress on this site. I might also share thoughts on the creative process, review the work of other writers and randomly vent here, but I’ll try to keep the venting to a minimum.

Thank you for exploring Sex and Violence. I hope you enjoy the experience. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions, comments, criticisms or ideas.

Have fun.
Gamal