In my series of guest posts called Sexy Stories: fiction that turns me on, I'm thrilled that today's guest is Kay Jaybee, who talks about Learning from Nin.......
There
is something about a work of erotica that engenders a curiosity that isn’t
found in all genres of fiction. That curiousness comes down to one question-
how much sex is in this book, and how far does that sex go?
For
most, that first dip into a recognisably erotic book will always be accompanied
by that little nerved bunch of anticipation in the pit of the stomach, as the
eyes and fingers stray over passages of written sexual fantasy. For many, as it
was for me at the tender age of 15 when I snuck my parent’s copy of Anais Nin’s
Delta of Venus (1979) off the
bookshelf, it is the first time they’ve seen words they were almost too
embarrassed to even think, written down.
As
an incredibly shy introverted teenager, with few friends, and a frighteningly
candy floss style hair-do, I found an escape in the words of Nin that I had
never expected to find, and that I didn’t fully understand until I was a great
deal older. Not that I didn’t comprehend what I was reading- of course I did. I
was shy, but far from naive. But I was in my thirty’s before I saw how
important her writing was, and how the way it moved people wasn’t just nice in
a solo pleasure kind of a way, but also empowering.
Her
words came wrapped in emotion. There was an undercurrent of mental connections
between her characters; and it was those personal echoes of inter-connecting
cerebral desire that came back to me many years later when I began to pen
erotica for myself.
In
this day and age I am delighted to report that, for most readers at least, the
storyline has become as important as the levels of kink to be found within its
plot, and although there are notable exceptions, erotica is better written now
that it has been for a very long time.
Since
writing my first story, I’ve read a great deal of erotica- some purely for
pleasure, and some for the purposes of review. Novels, short stories, novellas,
and flash fiction collections, have all come my way. I have to confess though;
I am a tough audience, especially now I know just how difficult it is to get
out there into book world. A story that is badly edited, or doesn’t grab me in
the first three paragraphs, is never going to cut it.
Of
all the erotica works I’ve read however, one stands out head and shoulders
above the rest. That book would be Transported:
Erotic Travel Tales by Sharazade. Everything about it hits the spot for me.
A short story collection which manages to relate to the reader on so many
levels you just want it all to be true, and have trouble believing that it’s
fiction. Romantic (but not in any way sopping or cloying), kinky, and
imaginative- it’s perfect.
The
jewel in this anthologies crown is a story called Flaws- and I defy any female to read it and not 100% relate to
what’s written there. I won’t say what the story involves- I don’t want to
spoil it. I will just say I can’t recommend it enough.
Every
time I read anything, I learn more- sometimes what could be done to improve my
own work- sometimes what to avoid like the plague! I do wonder however, what my
work would be like now if I’d never crept into my parents study in my formative
adolescent years and peeped into a copy of Delta
of Venus – Ms Nin- I owe you one!
Many
thanks for inviting me over today Elizabeth!
About Kay
Kay Jaybee wrote the novels Making Him Wait, (Sweetmeats Press, 2012), The Voyeur (Xcite, 2012),
The Perfect Submissive (Xcite 2012),
as well as the novellas, Digging Deep
(Xcite, 2013), A Sticky Situation,
(Xcite, 2012), and The Circus
(Sweetmeats Press). She has also written the anthologies The Collector (Austin & Macauley, 2012 & 2008), The Best of Kay Jaybee (Xcite, 2012), Tied to the Kitchen Sink, Equipment,
(All Romance, 2012), Yes Ma’am (Xcite
e-books, 2011), Quick Kink One and Quick Kink Two (Xcite e-books, 2010). Kay has had over 60 short
stories published by Cleis Press (inc. Best
of Best Women’s Erotica 2, Best Women’s Erotica 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012;
Best Bondage 2012 and 2013, Sweet Love, Smooth, Gotta Have It, Sweet
Confessions), Black Lace (Sexy Little Numbers), Mammoth (The Mammoth Book of Lesbian Erotica),
Xcite (inc.Ultimate Sin, Boy
Fun, Power Play, Threesomes, Finger Music, Tricks For Kicks), Penguin (Oysters and Chocolate; Erotic Stories of Every Flavor), Seal
(Oysters and Chocolate; Nice Girls, Naughty Sex),and Sweetmeats Press (Immoral Views)
