Last reminder ~ Birthday Party Bash! ( @evernightpub @rmsotera #ddrt #kindle #books )

......Hey everyone! Evernight Publishing is three years old & we're having a birthday bash. :) There are lots of participants who are offering prizes, and Evernight Publishing is also contributing a grand prize!
......Visit the Double D Blog and/or Casey's Corner to get started on the hop and enter for all the wonderful prizes!
......See you at the party!

Evernight's B-day Bash Continues! ( @evernightpub @rmsotera @CaseyMoss_ #ebooks #books )

..Hi all! From October 1 to October 14 Evernight Publishing is celebrating its 3rd birthday. There's a hop going on (find out info on prizes and links to participants HERE &/or HERE) & several Evernight authors (including myself & my alter ego) are on a tour put together by Sizzling PR. Visit the following links to read what the authors have to say on a range of topics!
......1st: Historical - Interview – Kayla’s Place
......1st: 2nd stop – Paranormal – Spotlight - Indie Books and More
......2nd: Naughty Fairy Tales – Spotlight - Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews
......3rd: (C.R. talks about Las Vegas here...) Contemporary – Guest Blog - For The Love of Reading
......4th: BDSM – Spotlight - Melissa Kendall
......5th: BDSM – Interview - Perusing Princesses: Doris O'Connor | R. Brennan | SJ Maylee
......5th: 2nd spot – Spotlight – Snifferwalk
......7th: Romance on the Go – Interview – Book Bliss
......8th: Contemporary – Guest Blog - Harlie’s Books
......8th: 2nd stop – Spotlight (looks like it's missing) – Page Flipperz
......9th: (Casey talks about Paranormal Romance vs UF here...) Paranormal – Guest Post – Lusty Penguin Reviews
......9: Anthology – Guest Post – Ms. Romantic Reads
......10th: Multi-Partners – Interview – I am a book addict…and proud of it
......11th: Historical – Spotlight – Celtic Lady Reviews
......11th: 2nd stop – Spotlight – Must Read Faster
......12th: GLBT – Spotlight – Romance with Flavor
......12th: 2nd stop – Spotlight – Close Encounters with the Night Kind
......Spotlight – Becky on Books

..On the 10th find C.R. & RM Sotera In the Pages of a Good Book

..Thanks for coming by and celebrating with us!
...Happy Reading ~
....C. Moss

Check out the party! ( #kindle @evernightpub @rmsotera #ddrt #ebooks )

......Hey everyone! Evernight Publishing is three years old & we're having a birthday bash. :) There are lots of participants who are offering prizes, and Evernight Publishing is also contributing a grand prize!
......Visit the Double D Blog and/or Casey's Corner to get started on the hop and enter for all the wonderful prizes!
......See you at the party!

There's a party going on! ( @evernightpub @rmsotera #ddrt #ebooks #books )

......Hey everyone! Evernight Publishing is three years old & we're having a birthday bash. :) There are lots of participants who are offering prizes, and Evernight Publishing is also contributing a grand prize!
......Visit the Double D Blog and/or Casey's Corner to get started on the hop and enter for all the wonderful prizes!
......See you at the party!

Cover art for 'Wild West Promise'! ( @rmsotera @evernightpub #western #erom #ROTG )

Cover reveal for our upcoming DDRT release!

* Once more the Las Vegas area is heating up!
* Get ready for another Wild ride…


Wild West Promise ~ book 3 in the Double D Ranch Tales series ~ a contemporary, western, erotic romance story with a hint of the supernatural set in Nevada and written for Evernight’s Romance on the Go line ~ projected for release August 2013 In life and the afterlife, on the Double D Ranch, one belief holds true—the power of desire changes lives.

* A rugged wrangler. A feisty Irish woman. A day full of promise. Times are wild on the Double D, and one ranch hand is in for the ride of a lifetime.
* Little does Maggie O’Hurley know her life is about to change. She visits the ranch to attend a friend’s bachelorette party and meets a wrangler named Kent. Her immediate attraction to him revs up her libido, and she plans to do what’s needed to snag the sexy cowboy…including making a decision she never thought she’d deal with again.
* As a workaholic, Kent Samuels hasn’t been with a woman in ages. When a bewitching redhead steps into his path, his world tilts, and she’s all he can think of. He doesn’t know if he’s able to give her forever, but he will give her what time he has. Once he does, he knows he can’t let her go.
* Past experiences war with ideas for the future, but can the pair make promises they can keep?

This story and others will be available at HMK! Come out to the hottest readers’ conference in the west, Hot Mojave Knights, and meet C.R., RM & other great authors ~ Las Vegas, NV - October 2013 ~ http://www.hotmojaveknights.com/

Darkening emotions ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing more from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga.

* The colorful radiance of the setting sun haloed the lodge behind them, changing from gold to a wonderful, romantic magenta glow that bordered the top of the mountains. A weird forlorn sensation overcame her, replaced the hot envy. Rachel checked herself. She should be happy now being in the company of her sister after a handful of years. Why were the momentary spurts of jealousy inking her mind, darkening her thoughts? Why did she feel like she had lost her best friend?

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

An FYI: RM and I have 3 novellas and 2 novel length stories in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books! So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;) To keep up with the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog.

Just a figment? ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing more from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga.

* What would her psychology professors, or the associates at the clinic where she’d recently been interviewed think if they knew what she’d been experiencing? That she’d been having a relationship with a man in her dreams? Very juicy dreams with someone whose facial features have been nondescript? I know his name, have heard his voice, felt his body as we’ve loved each other, but I have no clue what he looks like since his face is always in dream shadow. With a deep sigh, she slid out of the car into the dry winter air of the high desert and grabbed her luggage from the trunk. Why am I even worrying about this? He’s just a figment of my overly-stressed mind.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

An FYI: RM and I have 3 novellas and 2 novel length stories in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books! So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;) To keep up with the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog.

The voice ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing more from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga.

* Yes, sleep, the man’s deep voice intoned in her mind again. Come be with me.
* Great. Not able to ignore it this time, Rachel bent forward and dropped her forehead onto the steering wheel. It wasn’t just any man speaking softly in the recesses of her consciousness, but Dalton, the man who’d been haunting her dreams the past few years. Now I know I really need some good sleep since he’s talking to me while I’m awake.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk Today's a giveaway day & one lucky winner, whose name I draw tonight after 8PM pacific, will get a choice of either a PDF of Wild West Weekend; a PDF of Wild West Hauntings; or the winner can choose to be put on a list for the next Wild West book (PDF) when it comes out.

An FYI: RM and I have 3 novellas and 2 novel length stories in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books! So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;) To keep up with the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog.

Something's off ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing more from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga.

* Slow and steady she pressed on the accelerator. She finished the drive to the parking area near the lodge. The large building had a stone façade that reminded her of the Italian marble found in her grandmother’s New York City penthouse. She liked the big pieces of cream colored stones with gold and grey veins streaking their surfaces. Rachel shifted uneasily in her seat. She couldn’t put a finger on it, but something about the structure was off. The lodge seemed too large, appeared too new.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

An FYI: RM and I have 3 novellas and 2 novel length stories in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books! So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;) To keep up with the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog.

Special day today!

What day is today? Well, I'm sure not saying it's special because of tax day. LOL!
Today is my birthday! *\0/* *\0/* *\0/*
I'm hoping you'll grant me this special wish and stop by the Double D Blog and comment on the post.
Over there, RM and I are hosting the first day of the Book Boyfriend Bl0g H0p. Please give the post a read, enter the giveaway and vote for our hero Andrew Mathison (Dalton Dougan) via the link provided in the post. Your participation and support of us would be greatly appreciated!
So, what am I doing for my birthday? On Saturday we had company over for a birthday gathering, lots of Mexican food, cervezas and margaritas. Recently I also bought a new vehicle. Today I'm taking time for myself and diving into a good book.
Looking forward to your visit at the Double D! :)
C.R.

Etched image ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing a part from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga. This bit follows right after the part I shared last week.

* Fine, gritty earth particles created an ugly, sandy coat on the green car. She didn’t care. The rental could be washed, but the image etched into her mind? What could be done about that? Still disbelieving the sight before her, she clicked on the windshield wash and wipers. The brush of the black metal and rubber arms along the glass didn’t change the vision. Another cold rush of vague feelings that she’d been here before swept over her.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

RM and I have 2 novellas and a third novel length story in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books. So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. (A special BOGO promotion for HMK is in effect until April 11 so get a friend to come, too!) And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;) To keep up with the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog.

Rachel's Deja Vu ~ Hump Day H00k ( #HDH @rmsotera )

Hi all! Wow. Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
This week I'm sharing a part from Wild West Hauntings, the second book in the Double D Ranch Tales saga. RM and I have 2 novellas and a third novel length story in the works for this series. We're also planning a special intimate event at Hot Mojave Knights ~ A Romance Readers' Event in Las Vegas regarding our Wild West series of books! So come out, meet us, enjoy the weekend and find out what we have planned for the series. (A special BOGO promotion for HMK is in effect until April 11 so get a friend to come, too!) And if you follow this blog and the Double D Blog, keep an eye out for upcoming blog h0ps for prizes and an extra special HMK prize from me and RM Sotera. ;)

* Shocked at the eerily familiar vista of the ranch before her, Rachel Star slammed on the brakes of her economy rental car. The vehicle skidded, then fishtailed. Rocks shot out from under the tires, pinging the undercarriage and flying off into the scraggy brush growing alongside the stone covered drive. A grayish-brown dust cloud enveloped the automobile as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. Shaking from the fleeting but chilling sensation of déjà vu, she turned on the heat and waited for the view outside her windshield to clear.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

For more on the Double D Ranch Tales saga, visit: Double D Ranch Tales Blog

Hump Day H00k #HDH for Mar. 6th

Hi all! Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
Over the past couple of weeks I'd been sharing some of the conflict between Cassie and Dakota. This week I'm taking you back to the beginning where Cassie is thinking about Dak and about to meet him. She sees a ranch hand and has a bit of a daydream. The following snippet comes from Wild West Weekend book 1 of the Double D Ranch Tales series. Enjoy!

* Desire coiled low in her stomach, bunched into a tight ball. She purred quietly to herself. Maybe she’d see about a weekend fling with the ranch hand. A bit of a scratch for my little itch. And wouldn’t it be nice if the ranch hand was actually Dakota? A soft snicker followed the purr.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

For more on the Double D Ranch Tales, visit: doubledranchtales.blogspot.com

Hump Day H00k #HDH for Feb. 27th

Hi all! Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
Over the past couple of weeks I'd been sharing some of the conflict between Cassie and Dakota. This week I'm taking you back to the beginning where Cassie is thinking about Dak and about to meet him. The following snippet comes from Wild West Weekend book 1 of the Double D Ranch Tales series. Enjoy!

* Enjoying the mountain desert scenery of the ranch, she trailed her hand beneath the cloth around her neck, found the delicate silver chain her best friend, Bristol, had given her one Christmas and pulled it out of her shirt. She fingered the chain down to a ring looped on it and touched the piece of jewelry. A soft smile played at her lips. The boy who had lived on the ranch and given her the ring was probably married with children by now. It’d be too bad. From what she remembered, Dakota was a good looking guy. The one who got away.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

For more on the Double D Ranch Tales, visit: doubledranchtales.blogspot.com

Hump Day H00k #HDH for Feb. 20th

Hi all! Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
Over the past couple of weeks I'd been giving you a peek into a work in progress tentatively titled Wild West Island Getaway and sharing some of the conflict between Cassie and Dakota. This week I'm taking you back to the beginning where Cassie and Dak rekindle an old relationship, except this time it's a bit tumultuous. Even though they have feelings for each other they keep butting heads. The following snippet comes from Wild West Weekend book 1 of the Double D Ranch Tales series. Yes, I know this is more than a paragraph, but I wanted to give a good representation of the tension between the characters. Enjoy!

* “Kent has a job to do. He can’t stick around here.”
* “Well then, either find someone else or deal with the fact that I’ll be alone for a bit.”
* “Why are you being so obstinate?” He blinked. The heat in his eyes left. He glared at her with a narrow-eyed gaze.
* “Why are you being so paternal?” She reciprocated with a scowl of her own.
* With another scathing glare at her, he yanked open the door. “Maybe because now that you’re in my life again, I want to keep you here.” He stormed out, slamming the door closed behind him.

For more on the Double D Ranch Tales, visit: doubledranchtales.blogspot.com

Hump Day H00k #HDH

Hi all! Another week's come and gone, and we're back to Hump Day Hook where authors share snippets from their stories. :)
Today I'm giving you another peek into a work in progress tentatively titled Wild West Island Getaway. It's planned to be the third full length story in the Double D Ranch Tales series. We're planning (hoping to get out) a novella before this story, too. Leading up to this paragraph, the gang is vacationing on the family estate in Grand Cayman. Cassie and Dak have been fighting for months now, and she's glad her friend's finally arrived on the island so she can have some girl talk. One afternoon, Dak's storms into their bungalow having heard rumors that she and Bristol are fooling around with the cabanna boy, Damian. Cassie and Dak pick up their argument again... It's more than a paragraph because the lines of dialogue are short and quick to read. Enjoy!

* He folded his arms in front of him. “How am I making it sound?”
* Why does he have to bait me? Well, he’s asking for it. “That I dropped my shorts, we jumped into bed and fucked.”
* His jaw dropped and eyes widened. “Do you always have to be so crass?”
* “Do you always have to behave like a big child or caveman?”
* He growled low in his throat. “You know I hate being called that.”
* “You know I hate being called woman when there’s a my or your or little before it.” If she could have breathed fire and incinerated him, she would have. Dakota being reduced to a pile of ashes would solve so many problems.

Please don't forget to stop by and read the other authors participating in this week's HDH ~ http://humpdayhook.blogspot.co.uk

For more on the Double D Ranch Tales, visit: doubledranchtales.blogspot.com

C0me see me at @evernightpub bl0g t0day! ( #Follow @crmoss #MM )

I'm talking about the Halloween season today over at Evernight Publishing's blog today! Come on over, give the post a read and say "Hi!" I'd sure appreciate it. Visit: Evernight's Blog

Happy Reading!
C.R.

Look what's coming soon! ( @evernightpub @rmsotera #writing )

RM Sotera and I wanted to share the cover we've received for our next release Wild West Hauntings!

Isn't it awesome?
* The ranch is hopping big time in this story. There are hauntings by a randy ghost and a nasty poltergeist. A soon-to-be shaman helps to fight the evil. Continuing love. New love. Love on the rocks. The characters are again in for a wild time!
* I've been sharing snippets from the book on Sundays for Six Sentence Sunday so if you want some sneak peeks into their world, check out those posts at C.R. Moss Blog.
Here's the blurb to whet your whistle. * In life and the afterlife, on the Double D Ranch one belief holds true—the power of love changes lives.
* With cowboys, ghosts, modern day women, hot dreams, pre-wedding relations and a bit of sexy time travel, life promises to be one wild time on the ranch again.
* Rachel Star has met the man of her dreams … literally. Too bad he’s a ghost. When true love crosses boundaries from dreams to reality and across time, the Double D ranch is the place it happens. It takes the love of a man from the past, Dalton Dougan, to bring love full circle in the present for Rachel.
* Bristol Ashcombe, soon to be Dougan, is ready to have her baby … and so is a poltergeist. Can the love of a woman for her man and child sustain her during the most horrible of terrors? Can the love between family and friends really dispel the evil haunting them?
Wild West Hauntings—Double D Ranch Tales (Book 2), a contemporary, paranormal, erotic romance story is set in Nevada and is slated for release at the end of October through Evernight Publishing.

Haven't read the first book Wild West Weekend yet? Pick up a copy at Evernight Publishing &/or a print copy at Amazon!

Happy Reading! C.R. Moss

Hot Topic ~ A look at literature, sex & 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Sex in books? Sex creating conversation in RL? The content of said sex in stories?

It's nothing new people...

I'm bringing up this topic because my writing partner and I were asked in an interview we completed recently what our thoughts are about the current surge in erotica due to the Fifty Shades phenomenon. My answer: "IMO, it’s nothing new, just another crest of yet another wave peaking in a sea that’s been around for ages. Back in the early 90’s I took a Literature and Sexuality course in college. We read stories from centuries ago up to the present date centering around the theme of eroticism in literature and its impact. I find it interesting that people ooh and ah over stuff like this and get all worked up acting like sex in stories is something novel. Even the content in 50SOG isn’t original." Along with the interview question, my writing partner and another friend of mine back east have both wondered themselves & asked me in different ways what I believe makes the book so popular. I'll touch on that, too.

To begin, yes, I read the book.

I didn't want to at first. I wanted to keep away from it like I've done with the Twilight stuff. Yep, I still haven't read those books or seen any of the movies & I don't ever plan to. But, since I'm an erotic romance writer & I kept hearing about the story -- it's bad in its writing style but good on the kink -- I decided to give it a whirl. Wow. And I'm not saying that in a good way. It took me quite some time to get into the book -- to turn off the internal editor, get past the writing style and see it for the actual story. I have to agree with most of the reviewers out there, the grammar is 'particularly positively ghastly.' ;) Then when it came to the meat of the book, I agree with the ones who gave it low stars on Amazon, too, for example saying, "Not a good representation of the lifestyle." "Seems to be written by a teenager." I had some of the same questions and issues as did the reviewers. How old is this leading character chick? "And what's with down there?" I kept expecting a picture to pop up of a group of pre-teen to young teenaged girls, tittering and whispering with hands and fingers hovering in front of their mouths as they discussed such wicked and risqué things like sex and body parts. Did I find most of the story juvenile? Yes. Did I keep expecting it to change and get dark and gritty and kinky like I believed it would be from what I kept hearing? Yes. Did it? No. "Fifty" could have been so much more. More dark. Much more kinky. Every time I thought the story was getting to around to the nitty gritty sex, starting to descend to some deeper point, it stopped short. Pricktease... or in a female's case: clittease!

The characters... At times I likened "Fifty" to a cross between the movies Pretty Woman and American Psycho. Also, if this book is along the lines of that sparkly vampire book with the vapid heroine, thank God I never read that series. It was bad enough there were times I wanted to reach in and slap the chick in "Fifty". I can't imagine what my reaction would be to the other character. Though I do have to say I can relate to Mr. Grey on a small level and felt for him at the end of the book. It's hard being a control freak and not being open to love and relationships due to past events and fear of being hurt after being hurt over and over again. How the only way to release the frustration and anger is to sometime lash out (literally in his case) at the ones you love and who are close to you. Hoping that with them you'll be safe to express yourself and they'll be there to see you through and maybe even help you out of the darkness. Granted, it's not so much fun for the person/people on the receiving end, but think about what it's like for the person who's living with the ghosts of their past. The twisted images and haunting voices taunting them, playing over and over in their head like some warped record that's stuck in a particular groove, never getting to the silent center...craving peace and love and to feel needed but not being able to take the necessary steps to get there. Then when the time seems right to open up and let people in because with them the 'safety net' appears to be there, you find out it's not and you're left in the dark again feeling more alone than when you started. Yeah, it sucks and can be uber lonely.

But back to the main focus of this post -- the 'ooh-ing' and 'aah-ing' over this piece and the rise of interest in the erotic romance/erotica markets. (Yes, they are two different genres, but that's for another discussion.) Like I said, it's nothing new. Sex in all its forms has been in stories for ages and tongues have been wagging about it all ever since.

Examples...
* From the bible ~ "The Song of Solomon" (a.k.a. "The Song of Songs") In SparkNote it states, "that the love story is an allegory of God’s love for humankind, or of the intensity of divine love within the human heart. However, it is undeniable that the song celebrates not only human love but also the sensuous and mystical quality of erotic desire." Yep, eroticism in the bible. I'm sure that caused a stir once upon a time.
* In the 1350's there was Boccaccio's Decameron which is like our modern Hollywood movies complete with sex and violence. In the eighteen hundreds, erotic literary works included pieces written by Casanova, James Boswell, Voltaire. Then between the 1700's and 1800's the Marquis de Sade wrote his stories, and from his name came the words 'sadism' and 'sadist.'
* Then the Victorian age made the erotic stories go underground. But this descent made them all the more spicy and unrestrained.
* Speaking of stories that caused controversy... Let's look at John Cleland's Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Fanny Hill). It came out in two parts -- one part in 1748 and the other in 1749. The writer and publisher were arrested. The book was banned in the United States until the late 1960's to early 70's under obscenity laws, as was D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. All those books were known for being sexually candid and upfront. And what about Story of O by Pauline Réage published in 1954? That's full of female submission, was also brought up on obscenity charges, but still won a French literature prize.
* Come closer to present day and there's titillating reading when it comes to A. N. Roquelaure's (Anne Rice) The Sleeping Beauty trilogy -- fantasy erotica with heavy BDSM; Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling (Anne Rice) -- explores BDSM within the romance genre; a 1992 phone-sex novel called Vox written by Nicholson Baker (this was a book that Monica Lewinsky gave as a gift to Bill Clinton.) And, yes, I've read Anne's books and Baker's book. There are more erotic books out there, but these few I can at least attest to. ;)

So even though erotic works have been around forever, why the hoopla now over something like "Fifty?" Well, perhaps some of it was luck, being in the right place at the right time...the stars were aligned just right. But mostly, its popularity could be attributed to the use of social media -- a form of communication that wasn't available several years ago. Nowadays, word of mouth travels much faster than what it used to. Videos, headlines and stories go viral in a blink of an eye. Tolerance over discussions on sex, sexuality and all that is more lax now than what it used to be. Word got out about this particular story. The news spread. It's an easy read for the general populace. People liked it. People talked about it. Word about the book spread even more, and the snowball effect took over. It's something every author hopes will happen with his or her stories.

Recommendation? Well... I don't think men should read this book as a guide to anything. If he really wants to know what his woman wants, the couple should sit down and have an open discussion. Perhaps men should take into consideration that it's the little things that count, and if they need to take a page from "Mr. Grey," then do some of the things he did outside of the sexual part of the relationship: treat a woman with respect, make sure she's well taken care of in the form of clothing, food and shelter, keep the lines of communication open and working. If someone wants to read "Fifty," I won't dissuade or persuade them. They're free to read it and form their own opinions. I don't begrudge the author's success on her series, and if people are getting turned on by her work and experimenting with toys and such, huzzah! I will say, though, that I've read much better stories, like Exit to Eden, Vox, The White Hotel, amongst others, and would recommend them first. There are also great gems through the publishers I'm with. Check out the stories at Decadent Publishing & Evernight Publishing. And, if you're in the mood for hot sex and some light BDSM action check out the Wild West stories my writing partner and I created by visiting the Double D Ranch Tales Blog

But if you're still in the mood for information out there regarding "Fifty," here are a couple of other links you can check out (the first link is what finally spurred me on to write this blog post): http://godeeperpress.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/fifty-shades-the-magazine-proclaims-an-erotic-movement/ & http://www.salon.com/2012/06/17/my_50_shades_sex_party/.

Feel free to share your thoughts about this post &/or about the "Fifty" phenomenon in a comment. I'd love to hear from you. :)

As always ~ Happy Reading!

TRR Sizzling Summer Reads ~ gam3s for priz3s! ( @TRRtweet @evernightpub @rmsotera @crmoss )

Howdy y'all!

Check it out... Today at theromancereviews.com you can find a question relating to our tales. Go to the site's Party Event Page via this LINK, answer the question for us, and for the other stories/authors you find there, & you'll be entered to win a copy of our e-book and lots of other great prizes! The Q&A will appear on July 17, from 12:00am EST to 11:59pm EST. You also need to be registered on the site and logged in at TRR before you can play the game. Registration is free and easy.

If you've already read Wild West Weekend, we'd love to hear what you think. :) Feel free to email us at RM Sotera e-mail &/or C.R. Moss e-mail & share your thoughts.

Also, if you're in the Las Vegas area, be on the look out for details on a book signing coming up in August 2012 and a reader event in October 2013 (Hot Mojave Knights) where you'll have a chance to meet the spinners of the Double D Ranch Tales and other wonderful local authors!

Happy Trails!
The Staff at the DD Ranch