That is all.
Have a great weekend, all! 😉
Personal
Confessing to My Husband, or “Hey, by the way, I write smut now!”
Well, it’s official – the cat’s out of the bag! Over an insanely decadent celebratory dinner, I finally let my husband know that he’s married to a published author of wicked erotic fantasies. And then I sent him his very own copy of said wicked erotic fantasies.
When he finally lifted his jaw off the table, I told him that my family of fellow authors (and Twitter and blog followers) were expecting a full report on his response to my confession, and he graciously distilled it down to two main points:
1. He’s so incredibly proud of me that he could burst.
2. He’s always known I had it in me and can’t wait to see what I write next.
I am indeed an incredibly fortunate woman to have such a supportive husband who couldn’t be more pleased about my goals and successes.
P.S. He also threatened to spank my ass if I ever pulled a “surprise” like this again, so I guess I’m REALLY fortunate, huh? 
*Insert “Hump Day” Reference Here*
To get your own copy of naughtiness on your Kindle, click here.
On Writing Sex…and Keeping It Sexy
There are days when I’ll go heads-down and write without surfacing for hours. I’ll grab a cup of coffee, take a quick bathroom break, and get right back into it, eager to pick up where I left off. These are usually the days when my hottest, nastiest, sexiest ideas come to the forefront of my mind and I scramble to try and collect them at their most intense and lascivious.
And then there are days when I struggle to make it through a scene without resorting to using the word “boner”. Jesus.
Whether feast or famine, I find it’s helpful to remind myself that – just as in physical sexual relations – there are ebbs and flows when it comes to writing sex. Especially when you write erotica. The tension gets stagnant. The vocabulary you once savored falls flat. Your protagonists bump up against each other, all elbows and angles.
And just as in physical sexual relations, when you ride out the wonderful moments in waves of ecstasy, sometimes there’s a lull in the action until that next wave crests. But without that awkward, uncomfortable lull, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate the thrill of coasting that next wave to pure bliss.
So, now, about that boner…
I can’t think of a better way to pass the weekend… Enjoy!
If you’d like to see if Doctor’s Orders piques your interest, check it out on Amazon by clicking here.
Blue Terrycloth Rompers: A James Bond-esque Metaphor for Writing
Across my multiple online profiles, I’ve made mention of the fact that I’m a huge fan of the James Bond films. I’ve seen all of them – some upwards of 200 times – and can quote them extensively. Thankfully, my husband shares my enthusiasm, or things could get a little weird around here.
As I sat down to do some writing this evening, I had every intention of knocking out at least a couple thousand words and scribbling down all that delightful naughtiness in perfect, measured prose.
Well, that didn’t happen. Sure, I started writing, but quickly realized that the fruits of my efforts were subpar at best. And for whatever reason, Goldfinger – Sean Connery’s third outing as Bond – came to mind. Specifically, the Miami Beach poolside scene in which Bond dons a baby blue terrycloth romper. Awful. Truly awful. A major low point for Bond’s wardrobe.
Then it dawned on me that that terrycloth romper could serve as a useful – albeit esoteric – metaphor for writing. Bear with me on this one. Imagine that the perfect distilled essence of your story is Bond, super spy extraordinaire. Unimpeachably cool. Sexy. Driven. Now, the words you use to communicate that perfect story can be sublimely inspired or ridiculously awful. Either way, write them down. Because while sometimes Bond ends up in the crappy terrycloth romper, more often than not, he’s suited up, sexier than hell, and taking the world by storm.
So yeah, today was a terrycloth romper kind of day. But tomorrow? Tomorrow promises to be buttoned down deliciousness…making sure the collars and cuffs match, of course.
The Ring, or How to Keep on Keepin’ On When It Comes to Writing
Whether it’s blogging, finding time to scribble down that haiku that’s been gnawing at your brain all day, or penning the Great American (Erotic) Novel, unfortunately, it can be far too easy to make excuses not to write.
I’m tired. My family’s needs come first. My creative well hath run dry. I just don’t wanna write tonight. Et cetera ad infinitum (a Latin phrase meaning “excuses only satisfy those who make them”).
And, believe me, I get it. But if you’re passionate about writing – truly committed to the exercise and to your desired goal (self-fulfillment, publication, or something else entirely) – then you must make writing a daily priority. You need to hold yourself accountable to whip off that blog post, craft that sexy, witty dialogue, or choose the perfect words to round out your free verse.
In my case, I keep a reminder to write on hand at all times. Literally. Years ago, before we were married, my devastatingly wonderful husband got me a little ring as a gift. Once our wedding bands went on, though, the ring got tossed into the jewelry box and nearly forgotten. After a few miserably failed attempts at writing a novel – constantly derailing myself with excuses – I realized that I needed to hold myself to a higher standard. I required a reminder, each and every day, to sit my butt down and write. And that’s when I remembered the ring. Slipping it on my right hand, it sits there, spurring me on and encouraging to make myself and my writing a priority. Plus, it also reminds me that my husband is my biggest cheerleader – an added bonus!
My point is that whatever you have to do to make writing a part of your daily life, do it. Set a reminder in your calendar with a block of time reserved just for you. Take a few minutes during your lunch break to jot down the choice quips you want to come out of your protagonist’s mouth. Go out for a quick walk with the dog and plot out some of the key elements of your sci-fi, rom-com, mystery thriller. Wear a ring to keep yourself accountable. Whatever works for you, make it happen.
And write.
I’m thinking Janie is about to take a walk on the wild side…
Find out just how wild she gets in Doctor’s Orders.
The Pseudonym’s Loneliness
When I first decided to make the push to publish my erotica, for multiple reasons, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to publish under my given name. Here are just a few of the many reasons I came to this conclusion:
- I have a full-time, fulfilling, uber-vanilla career and don’t want to mix business with pleasure…but, oooh, the pleasure.
- If my parents ever got their hands on the kind of smutty goodness I write, I don’t think I’d be able to look them in the face again. Yes, we’re all adults. Yes, it shouldn’t matter. Yes, I haven’t lived under their roof in years. But still. Mom doesn’t need to read the delightful sexually warped fantasies of her favorite (and only) daughter.
- Some of my earlier (unpublished as of yet) stories hit pretty close to home. While not completely autobiographical, for anyone who knows me even reasonably well, there would be plenty of telltale signs that I’m tapping into my own personal experiences. Best to keep my true identity in the background.
So, I came up with a pseudonym. My pen name. My nom de plume. And effectively shut out every last person I’ve ever known.
I can’t tell my family that I’ve published a book. I can’t share my latest efforts with my coworkers. I can’t call my best friends and tell them I finally achieved a major life goal of mine. Because Jaye Elise is a writer. And writers are solitary creatures.
My pseudonym reminds me of that every single day.
I’m published…and my husband has no idea!
Admittedly, I pretty much screwed up the whole “cart/horse” thing by having my first book published before I had a proper vehicle with which to engage with readers, other authors, curious bystanders, closet smutaholics, etc. But hey, at least I’ve started now, right? This isn’t my first blogging rodeo, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in the saddle, so let’s just say I may be a bit sore for the foreseeable future. Thanks for your patience.
I’ve been writing for about four years now – primarily in the BDSM and fetish erotica genres – but haven’t published until about a week ago. When I finally saw my book available for sale on Amazon, I bawled my eyes out in a happy, sloppy, ugly cry. Believe me, you’re happy you weren’t witnesses to it. But the best part of all is that my wonderful husband has no idea that I’ve gotten published. We have a big family celebration coming up in about a week and a half and I’m planning on sending him a copy of my book as a gift. I’ll be sure to let you know how that plays out!
And before I forget, what would a blog be without some occasional shameless self-promotion. I’m extremely proud to announce my first published novel – Doctor’s Orders – published by Stormy Night Publications. It’s available on Amazon and I’d love to hear what you think about it: Click Here
I’m looking forward to engaging with you and posting here regularly with updates, new publications, mental meanderings, and possibly even some serialized erotica.
Jaye Elise writes... 