Turn Me On Again: A New Erotic Anthology from TAS

I had hoped to dive feet first into the New Year. There are a lot of things I want to accomplish in 2014, including the completion and publication of three new titles in the first half of the year, along with the possible roll-out of The Erotic Writer's Thesaurus in e-book form in the second half. I still expect to meet my self-imposed deadlines for all these projects. Unfortunately, my momentum has been slowed considerably at the outset by some nasty viral thingamawhatsit, contracted, no doubt, over the holidays. Once I shake whatever this is, I will do my best to get EFTBB back on to a regular schedule, with at least two new posts each month.

In the meantime, it is my pleasure to announce the publication of a new erotic sampler anthology. Turn Me On Again--Tell Me Another Story features two complete short stories, as well as a copious excerpt from the very-soon-to-be-published novel A Song for the Girl with the Almond Eyes. The book is free this weekend on Amazon along with its older companion volume Turn Me On--Tell Me a Story.

Here is my introduction to Turn Me On Again. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more reviews and commentary upcoming this year on EFTBB.

TAS


There is a moment in every truly great cinematic seduction scene—perhaps no more than a split second of real time—when the action slows, coming nearly to a standstill, and everyone in the audience—voyeur and vicarious seducer alike—holds their breath. This is the erotic Moment of Truth. It can be defined by the subtlest look or gesture, a virtually imperceptible nod of the head, the tiniest hint of moisture on the lips, a furtive movement of the eye, the slightest flutter of lashes. It is, more often than not, a moment of acute indecision, the treacherous cusp of a psycho-sexual dilemma, the point at which our starlet is forced to choose her fate, overcome her ambivalence, and cast off the last of her inhibitions, or enter a convent to nurture regret and wonder “what if” for the rest of her life. Dread and desire, doubt and wonder play in her eyes, dilating like rising stars. We may almost see her lips becoming fuller; hear her breath deepening as she crosses that unseen threshold of surrender and abandon.

 

That scene, in all its mystical beauty and magic, is what I have lived for as a lover, as a voyeur, and as a writer. Getting to the very heart of that moment, to its most profoundly, ineffably fractal essence is what I strive for, however vainly, every day when I sit down to work.  Expressing the rich complexity of erotic sensation and the unique emotions accompanying them is the definitive test of my skills. For me the mystique—the fascination—of seduction is in the uncovering of soul as well as flesh. It is the thrill of the new, as garments are stripped away, and, with them, inhibition and the very will to resist. Yet, even greater is the pleasure of discovery as the deepest secrets of the heart are revealed, sublimed into the ecstasy of yes. Some have likened seduction to a game; if so, we are, in a sense, seduced by the game itself.

 

All the things that make for a great story, regardless of genre—compelling characters, their strivings, conflicts and contradictions, the obstacles they must overcome along their way—also happen to make for superb erotic narrative.  Ultimately, it’s the process of “getting there” that truly fascinates. Through the narrative of seduction, we enter a character’s mind, and discover the infinitesimal complexity of her emotions. There’s little interesting about sex that simply happens, as in most contemporary porn, without some engagingly human backstory, let alone any sort of realistic foreplay or believable seduction. The shallowest of human connections, sex at its most impersonal and coldly clinical, requiring no effort to obtain, holds little allure for the mature imagination. In fact, the most explosively radical, exciting thing that ever happens in porn is on that rare occasion when spontaneous intimacy breaks out on a set, when couples share a passionate kiss, or laugh together, or behave as if they were actually enjoying each other’s company.  

 

I hope that the stories in this collection will arouse, enlighten, inspire, entertain, and, yes, seduce. Though nothing I write may ever come near the deepest essence of the erotic Moment of Truth, the whole process of getting there, the aspiration, the striving, the hard work have themselves been exhilarating, a source of delight and purpose and immeasurable reward.  In the end, I hope those who come across these little tales of mine will find as much pleasure in reading them as I had in their creation.