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Welcome to Circlet on LJ (sticky post)

Hello and welcome to the Circlet Press community on LiveJournal! We've already got a blog over at www.circlet.com, but if all goes right with our technical wizardry... posts that appear there will also appear here. Or something like that. Or maybe we'll just fake it...

New Book Launch!

  • Nov. 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Robotica by Kal Cobalt
ISBN: 978-1-885865-72-4
Word Count: 20,345

List Price: $4.99 On sale this week for $3.99!

Available from:

For the next two weeks the title is on sale at up to 20% off from most partner sites, and right here at Circlet.com for only $3.99, so don't dawdle, download a copy today!

Five erotic stories of robot-human relations, exploring the future of humanity, sex, and desire. In Cobalt's futures, artificial intelligences can have very real emotions, and humans can be just as confused, turned on by, and obsessed with their robot lovers as they are by any others. The stories have a delicious homoerotic edge even as they question what gender means to a robot mind. Or heart.

Includes the stories:
Charlie
The Sex Drive
Agrathia's Freedom
Star Fucker
Survival-Compatible

Regular readers of circlet.com will remember Kal Cobalt as the author of the essay "10 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Robot Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)" and the one on Asimov's "Law's of Robotics vs. BDSM". K.C. also has stories in the recently released Wired Hard 4, as well as Best Fantastic Erotica, Boys In Heat, Best Gay Romance, Toward 2012, and elsewhere.

Continue on to read a hot excerpt: (Read More)

Advent of Advent

  • Nov. 20th, 2009 at 1:45 PM
It's coming! Starting December 1st, Circlet 2.0 will feature our extremely popular "erotic advent calendar," in which a tasty erotic story will appear each day leading up to Christmas! But each story will only be available for 24 hours before it disappears! So you will want to check back every day for your gift.

For me, the winter holiday season is about celebrating people, love, and life, a time of joy and connecting with the people I love. When I was a kid, we would sometimes get an "advent calendar" that counted down the days until Santa's arrival with a piece of chocolate, a kind of small prelude to the feast of candy, gifts, and love that would come on the 24th. (My family always opened most gifts on Christmas eve, except for those "from Santa.")

So come back to circlet.com every day from December 1st through the 23rd for a little treat, and then on the 24th we will begin to post some special holiday-themed stories which will stay up for your enjoyment all year.

With joy and love,

Cecilia Tan
Editorial Director

The Ontological Engine is complete!

  • Nov. 16th, 2009 at 2:09 PM
With great exultation, gentlepersons, we present to you the final installment in The Ontological Engine by Vinnie Tesla! (aka [info]vinnie_tesla) This four-part MP3 series comes to its apotheotic conclusion with this 35-minute extravaganza!

Click here to purchase just Part Four for 99 cents:

or purchase the previous parts a la carte:
Part Three
Part Two.
Part One, which is free of charge to listen to and enjoy.

Part One runs 12 minutes, Part Two some 22 minutes, Part 3 another 22 minutes, and the final piece, 35 minutes.

"This bawdy tale, which reads like The Pearl on acid... is so funny that it's worth the price of the book all by itself. ...a delirious marriage of Frankenstein and Thorne Smith."--Lisabet Sarai

The Ontological Engine originally appeared in the ebook anthology UP FOR GRABS.

Call for Submissions: Apocalypse Sex

  • Nov. 12th, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Call for Submissions: Apocalypse Sex: Love at the End of the World

What would you do if you had only 24 hours to live?

Maybe aliens have taken over the planet and are massacring the human race; conversely, maybe humans have invaded an alien planet--but are losing. Perhaps you're contemplating ending your own world, or are convinced your life is going to end--whether through self-harm, a major lifestyle change, or something else. Maybe a fatal disease is exterminating your species, or nuclear war has broken out.

And maybe it's a false alarm, but how could you possibly know that in advance?

24 hours left to do everything you've wanted to: Would you make love to the person you've always secretly cared for? Have a rendezvous with a stranger on the street? Explore your wildest fantasies, or get back to the basics one last time?

The possibilities are limitless within this basic theme. Don't forget the sci-fi/fantasy aspect we always look for, but bring your sexiest ideas too. Come up with some original plots, keep 'em captivating and steamy, and have some fun!

Submission details: Read more... )

More aural stimulation!

  • Nov. 9th, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Part Three of [info]vinnie_tesla's THE ONTOLOGICAL ENGINE is now available for your downloading pleasure! The Ontological Engine is a fevered romp into victorian erotica, melded with steampunk in a mad scientist's laboratory. Kind of like when chocolate meets peanut butter, except with more grammatical locutions and unexpected ejaculations! (We leave it to you, dear listener, to discern which kind.)

Click here to purchase for 99 cents: Part Three.

Did you need Part Two first? Click here, gentlepersons.

What? You missed Part One as well? Very well, for those who require it, we shall also provide the beginning of the adventure, which is free of charge to listen to and enjoy.

Part One runs 12 minutes, Part Two some 22 minutes, Part 3 another 22 minutes, and dare I say we shall reach the climax of the story next week with a 35 minute audiogasm in Part Four?

Where to Find Me. And Many Thanks!

  • Nov. 8th, 2009 at 8:28 PM

As we draw near the end of my three days in the Circlet Press spotlight here, I wanted to talk a little bit about what I have in print, some of what’s upcoming, and what I’m working on now.

First and foremost, please buy the wonderful Circlet anthologies (and not just the ones that have my stories in them. If you are reading this blog, you probably already know what Circlet has available, but just in case...).  Circlet has a wonderfully unique approach to erotica, and our continued patronage of their works will help ensure future marvelous collections!

 

Like a Corset Undone is an anthology of steampunk erotica, including my tale “The Coming Age,” about a sexual visionary and his amazing discovery unveiled at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Available now.

Like a Mask Removed will be an anthology of sexy superhero stories, including “Lawman.” Coming soon from Circlet.

Like a Sacred Desire – an anthology of stories about erotic divinity – will contain my Krampus romp, “St. Nicholas' Eve.”

From other publishers:

Peep Show, edited by the delightful Rachel Kramer Bussel and published by Cleis, includes my short story “Calendar Girl.” Set in the late 1950s, “Calendar Girl” is about a young woman who discovers the power of exhibitionism. Check out the book trailer here. Available now.

Very soon, I will have a story in the modern pulp magazine Out of the Gutter #6, the sexploitation issue. The story is called “Life Model” and is a bit of a thematic companion to “Calendar Girl.” More hard-boiled than most of my work and huge fun to write.

My story “Timbre,” in Best Women's Erotica 2010, edited by the incomparable Violet Blue.

The e-book anthology Maiden, Mother, Crone, from Drollerie contains my story “Standing Stone,” which manages to be both fantasy and science fiction.

eXtasy Books just published my novella Green Flash, a darkly romantic story about a young woman half in love with death in the midst of a celebration of lively sexuality. Available now.

I have two stories in the wonderful Coming Together anthologies, edited by Alessia Brio. “Making Rain” in Coming Together: Al Fresco and “Under a Moving Star” in Coming Together: Against the Odds. I am especially proud of “Under a Moving Star” and was delighted to donate it to a good cause! Both available now.

Sadly, Virgin/Black Lace books have curtailed future erotica collections, but I’m delighted to have placed a story in one of the later ones. “Understudy” in Love at First Bite is a very different kind of vampire story about a man who is Bela Lugosi’s understudy for the 1929 Broadway production of Dracula. You can read a review of “Understudy” and an excerpt at Vampire Erotica, here. Lust at First Bite is still available.

“The Morning Trade” is a contemporary story of a young woman discovering her secret sexual self in the outstanding collection, Girls on Top, edited by Violet Blue. Available now.

Finally, I have three other books available from eXtasy Books. Inspiration, a story of the erotic power of art set in Renaissance Italy; The Passions of Pearl, an x-rated, satiric fairy tale; and my novel Woman of the Mountain, 2008 Eppie Award winner for Best Erotica.

On the horizon, I have a few more stories that will be appearing in collections in the new year and a short, comic space opera novel that I’m looking for a publisher for. One of the best stories I’ve written is a horror novella (with, surprise! erotic elements) called “Springs” that will be published by Drollerie in 2010, and I have other tales out seeking homes. When I’m not being distracted by irresistible calls for submission, I am working on the sequel to Woman of the Mountain. Called Woman of the Water, it’s going to be considerably darker than its predecessor…

I’ve enjoyed these three days at Circlet and I hope you have found some of what I’ve posted entertaining. I always like to hear from other writers and readers, either through e-mail (muse @ angelacaperton .com - remove spaces) or in the ever-expanding spectrum of social media, Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. My blog, The Exotic Fair of a Wandering Muse, is by far the best way to keep up with me, my work, and the things I like.

Thank you so very much to Circlet for this opportunity to meet peers and make new friends, and I will see you all soon, in one world or another.

Excerpt from "St. Nicholas' Eve"

  • Nov. 8th, 2009 at 4:19 PM

My last excerpt is from “St. Nicholas Eve”, which will appear in the upcoming Circlet anthology Like a Sacred Desire.  

The story takes place on December 5, a couple of weeks into the holiday season. Our heroine is Holly, a disgruntled, seasonal, department store elf. On her bus trip home, she meets another of Santa’s helpers and they debark at the same stop. One thing leads to another and we come to this scene:

Contest #3 - Sexy Myths or Legends

  • Nov. 8th, 2009 at 2:50 PM

“St. Nicholas’ Eve” plays with the old European legend of the Krampus, the dark, devilish spirit that accompanies Santa Claus, handing out coal and “punishing” wicked children with birch switches.  There is something deliciously sexual about the Krampus, and it was not a stretch to play with  BDSM themes in “St. Nicholas’ Eve.” 

 

With that in mind, for my last contest, tell me what mythical or legendary figure do you find sexy, and why?  I’ll pick a winner tomorrow!

 

The prize – Winner’s choice of one of the following:

 

Like a Corset Undone (contains “The Coming Age”)(eBook)

Woman of the Mountain eBook or Print

Print copy of Lust at First Bite (contains my story “Understudy”)

Maiden, Mother, Crone (contains my story “Standing Stone”)(eBook)

One of my eBooks from eXtasy Books (use Search by Author to pull up my titles)

Tags:

Pagan Days and Ways

  • Nov. 8th, 2009 at 10:19 AM

Besides “The Coming Age” and “Lawman,” the other story of mine that Circlet will be publishing is “St. Nicholas Eve,” a lighthearted Christmas tale of pagan deities and public birching.

The persistence of pagan beliefs is something that always fascinates me and Christmas, of course, has more layers of hidden culture than Schliemann’s Troy. “St. Nicholas Eve” deals with a manifestation of one of Santa Claus’ dark companions, known by many names including Black Peter, Perchten, or Krampus. These little shadows of pre-Christian tradition really know how to put switches in a stocking or how to apply them to tender flesh! Besides appearing in the anthology Like a Sacred Desire, “St. Nicholas’ Eve” will also be available as a free-for-one-day offering on the Circlet website on or about December 22nd.  As Christmas approaches, check Circlet’s website for more details.

 Of all the stories I’ve sold, my favorite one that deals with pagan survivals is “Standing Stone” in the Drollerie Press anthology Maiden, Mother Crone.  “Standing Stone” is an explicitly erotic tale that spans three eras in a valley in northern Europe, each story about a different aspect of a primal goddess whose truth is timeless and merciless. The story includes elements of fantasy, historical romance, and science fiction, and – surprise! – probably falls well outside of all three genres. Drollerie published an extensive excerpt here (click the "excerpt" button near the bottom).

Although there was a certain amount of deliberate co-opting of pagan sites and customs by Christian missionaries, I honestly think that the transformation of Christmas (and the shrine of Lourdes for that matter) speaks more to deep human desires than to religious manipulation. Both “Standing Stone” and “St. Nicholas Eve” are my little efforts to talk about those desires. 

Free Kisses!

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 9:18 PM
I mentioned the Erotica Readers and Writers Association earlier. Available on their website is a hot little e-volume called A Slip of the Lip. It’s edited by my friend and colleague Remittance Girl  and features 21 short, short stories, vignettes, and verses, all about kisses. I have a story in it called “Last Kiss” that is, perhaps, a ghost story.

You can get a free copy of A Slip of the Lip here.

And I hear RG may be working on a sequel!

Caveat Emptor

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 5:50 PM
 
 
 
 
 
 
I originally sold this story to the now-vanished website Thaneros. Since Thaneros is gone and the story is no longer accessible there, I'd like to share it with you here. It's dark and explicit, so most of it is behind a cut.


Caveat Emptor

by

Angela Caperton

Brennus smelled her perfume all the way down in the pit, the Empress up in her box, beside her toad of a husband. Ranging along the side of the throne, the Empress’ servants stood eclipsed by her glory, their beauty a reflection of their mistress, lush leaves to frame the empire’s flower. Together, they were the most beautiful women in all the world, but it was the Empress who watched him with shadowed eyes, her luxurious hair like rich, dark fur, now curled and braided in an attractive styling, where only a few hours earlier it had flowed wild down her back, over her shoulders, teasing her nipples. He could not read the Empress' expression, but Brennus trusted the scent that reminded him of her seductive words.

His arms and legs hung heavy as lead, the weight of the night's joy upon him in the bright Roman morning and the heat of the sun near the center of the sky took more strength than Brennus had to give.

The Empress sweated in the heat too, as she had in the night, and as sweet flowers reached down to Brennus and tickled his nose, her promises made in the darkness of the rude stall where he slept echoed in his memory.

"Please me," she whispered, "and you will not die."

The German might, of course, kill him in spite of the Empress' promise. There was little she could do if Brennus lost his head or his gut. The German was a master of the trident and he had half again Brennus' reach. Brennus knew his only hope would be to get inside the giant's reach, within the circle of the trident and strike true.

He hefted his sword, shrugged his arm guard into place and turned to meet the German, still drunk on the Empress' perfume.

Read more... )

Contest #2 -- Comical Sex

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 3:52 PM
The prize this time is the winner's choice of a copy of my Eppie award winning erotic fantasy Woman of the Mountain (print or e-book) or an electronic copy of my satirical, sexy fable The Passions of Pearl.

Of all the comic strip, comic book, or graphic novel characters you know, which one do you find the sexiest? Wonder Woman? Fritz the Cat? V?  Or....?

Tell me which one and why and I will choose my favorite answer to win the prize. I'll make the selections for all prizes after midnight Eastern US time on Sunday November 8 and announce the winners here Monday.

Excerpt from "Lawman"

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 3:03 PM

For this post, I thought I'd offer up an excerpt from my story "Lawman".  This story of a retired superhero on the hunt for a little excitement will appear in the upcoming Circlet anthology Like a Mask Removed.

Dean is the main character, and he really is something of a superhero!  He came to me practically fully formed in my head and, with his voice whispering in my brain, "Lawman" flowed onto the screen at nearly supersonic speed!

I hope you enjoy this short unedited snippet of "Lawman".



Read more... )

Holding Out for a Superman

  • Nov. 7th, 2009 at 9:32 AM

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a hero.

This entry is about my story “Lawman” in the upcoming Circlet anthology, Like a Mask Removed. This is one of my favorite stories and, although, it’s not available yet, I’d like to tell you a little about how it came to be.

I have a strong affection for comics and graphic novels, and my partner Drake (see his Tumblr log at http://drakecaperton.tumblr.com/) is a fan and collector of 20th century exploitation artifacts of all kinds – comics, men’s magazines, true detective publications, drive-in movies – and he often shows me things that become story ideas. This was one of those cases.

The call for submissions for Like a Mask Removed came out around the time The Watchmen opened in theaters, so the whole concept of realistic superheroes was getting a lot of discussion in the blogosphere and in the media generally. Plus, Craig Yoe’s wonderful book on the fetish art of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster had just hit the store shelves, so it seemed like sexy superheroes were everywhere.  As a frequent visitor and occasional commenter to the comic/horror blog The Groovy Age of Horror, at one point the blog’s author, knowing I write erotica, asked me if I’d ever written an erotic superhero story. I told him no, but maybe someday.

And during this time frame, Drake had been reading a lot of true crime magazines from the 30s, when (if you can believe the mags) America felt like it was under siege from a wave of super criminals – John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and others – who the police seemed powerless to stop. The crime waves of the prohibition and depression eras led to the establishment of the FBI and the rise of celebrity crime fighters like J. Edgar Hoover and Elliot Ness.

All the ingredients were there.  It didn’t take long for the story to start mixing in my brain.

The idea that came to me was – what if at this particular point in history the government had found a way to give its agents superhuman powers?  Happily, this is also the point in publishing history when superheroes first appeared, so it made an interesting parallel. With an army of superhuman agents guided by a man with the moral sensibilities of J. Edgar, serious crime would have come to an end pretty quickly, but then what would the super lawmen do? The answer seemed pretty obvious to me and forms the basis for the background of my story, the tale of a retired super agent looking for a simple, special, and illegal, thrill. I enjoyed writing the story and I think there may be room for another tale or two set in the same world. Time will tell…  

If you would like to read my interview at Groovy Age, go here.

If you would like to read some of Drake and my reviews of comics/graphic novels, enjoy the following:

Lost Girls

Fetish Art of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster

Madame Xanadu


As I mentioned earlier, I have thoroughly enjoyed Circlet’s calls for submission, and writing “The Coming Age” for Like a Corset Undone was great fun!  Besides my love of the Columbian Expo, I also found myself influenced by the mad, often misguided, scientists of the ‘40s and ‘50s movies.  Okay…Maybe Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein fits in too, but you get the idea - a scientist totally committed to his vision of a “better life” - regardless of the cost.  Dr. Mason in “The Coming Age” fits that bill!

Here is a new excerpt from “The Coming Age”, and you’ll get a pretty good idea why Dr. Mason LOVES his job.  Robert is Elizabeth’s fiancée trying to convince her to return home, to  him and a decidedly less exciting future.  It’s pretty explicit, so click to read!

Read more... )

 


 

Contest!

  • Nov. 6th, 2009 at 12:24 PM
That brings me to my first contest, with the prize being a copy of Like a Corset Undone, generously donated by Circlet. Judging will be completely subjective, based on how much I like your answer.

What genre of fiction do you enjoy most and why? Or, if you prefer stories that cross genres, why?

In Genre Bondage

  • Nov. 6th, 2009 at 12:21 PM
So, let’s say someone reads my story “The Coming Age” in Like a Corset Undone and likes it. They go to my blog or website to see what other stories or books I’ve written and they find…confusion, a bit of fragmentation?  At worst, they might think, “Wow, she’s just a romance writer, and I don’t like romance!”  The problem may be even more acute when a reader of a story like “Life Model” (in Out of the Gutter #6) goes looking for more sexy, hard-edged noir and finds a page full of what looks like “chick lit.”

In many ways, I feel like my writing has been a three-year exercise in trying to escape the bonds of genre. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind being regarded as a “romance writer” or an “erotica writer,” though both of those labels create certain preconceptions for some readers. Truly, nothing I’ve written and sold has been anything like traditional romance, but some of the book covers would suggest otherwise. I have to give my first publisher credit here.  Of the four titles I have with eXtasy, “Inspiration” is a romantic novella, though the book’s emphasis is more on the liberating power of erotic art than on the relationship between the two characters. My Eppie-winner Woman of the Mountain is more fantasy than romance, and The Passions of Pearl is, if anything, a comedy, even though it has a sexy Chippendale hunk on the cover. My most recent novella with eXtasy Green Flash, is a supernatural meditation on eros and thanos played out against the backdrop of Key West’s hedonistic Fantasy Fest. Is it a romance? Well, maybe?

This isn’t criticism, but simple observation and opinion – eXtasy Books has been wonderful to me, open and willing to publish my unclassifiable little fables.  They choose cover art that is proven with their core readership, and it works. It’s about marketing, and trust me, I’ll take all the help I can get to attract new readers to my work!  Could I do better with the covers?  No way.  I can’t even begin to offer suggestions as to how my work should be packaged, so I’ll gladly leave it to those who know their patrons better than me.  The other reason is this: In many ways, I’m not sure that I usually write within an identifiable genre at all.

What’s a girl to do?

Well, the simple answer is to write the best stories I can and not to worry about whether they fit genre conventions. I’ve had pretty good luck selling some quirky stuff and I hear from editors fairly often that they like what I do because it’s “different.” Now I just need to find a way to connect with readers who want to read something “different.’ 

Circlet has been a pleasure to write for and submit to because, by their nature and by organizing their anthologies along theme rather than genre, they seem to defy the conventions in the pursuit of good erotic tales.  And I love the themes!  Steampunk?  Superheroes? What great fuel for the erotic imagination!  I know the stories I’ve sold to Circlet so far would have had trouble, I think, finding a market anywhere else. So, here’s to the press and to the opportunity they’ve given me to find some readers who, I hope, will like my stories and who may see beyond the expectations that often accompany genre writing! Thank you!

Angela Caperton Here!

  • Nov. 5th, 2009 at 11:24 PM
  Hello, Everyone!
 
I’m Angela Caperton.  Some of you may be familiar with me, but for those that aren’t a little introduction.  I was raised on a sailboat and have spent extended periods of my life overseas, and I think my unorthodox upbringing has given me an appreciation for just how diverse and wonderful the flavors of this world can be.  I love all kinds of movies, music, books, comics, games and art.  I love to cook, love good wine, and am a sucker for furry, feathered or scaled critters.   I’ve been writing erotica professionally for about 3 years, and absolutely love it.  
 
I’m a new author in the Circlet Press world, but you may have seen some of my work in other places.  I have been published by Cleis, Black Lace, eXtasy, Drollerie, in two of the Coming Together anthologies, in the indie pulp magazine Out of the Gutter, and on various websites.
 
To help introduce my writing to you, I’d like to point you to website and a community that I adore – The Erotica Readers and Writers Association.  I have a couple stories currently in their 2008 Treasure Chest, and this might help you get a small taste of what some of my work is like.
 
“May” is a story about a young woman’s encounter with the living truth behind an urban legend.  This story was posted as part of the ERWA’s annual La Petit Mort Storytime Theme weekend, and I was thrilled when they asked to include it in the 2008 Treasure Chest. 
 
“The Adventure of the Gentlemen Travelers” is my take on what the first piece of fan fiction or slash fiction may have resembled.  I had a wonderful time writing this story, and I hope you enjoy it as well!
 
I am thrilled to have three stories available or coming soon from Circlet. “The Coming Age” in Like a Corset Undone is a story of an erotic mad science set at the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893. 
 
“Lawman” in the upcoming Like a Mask Removed tells the story of a retired superhero looking for an erotic kick in a world ruled by repression. 
 
“St. Nicholas Eve,” will appear in Like a Sacred Desire.  This story is a light, sexy fable about a young woman who gets an early Yule treat of a most unexpected sort. 
 
I will post more about these, along with some excerpts over the next days.  Also, I’ll have a couple contests where you will get the chance to win copies of eBooks, a copy of my 2008 Eppie winner for Best Erotica, Woman of the Mountain (paperback or eBook – winner’s choice).
 
You can learn more about me and my writing at my blog, The Exotic Fair of a Wandering Muse.
 
Coming up next, a little bit about genres. 

Author Chat: Angela Caperton, November 6-8

  • Nov. 4th, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Our next Circlet Author Chat will be with Angela Caperton. Angela has stories in multiple Circlet anthologies, including "Like a Corset Undone" and forthcoming anthologies "Like a Sacred Desire" and "Like a Mask Undone." Join us at Circlet's LiveJournal Community.

Circlet's first MP3!

  • Oct. 27th, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Yes, our very first audio version of a story. Download free "The Ontological Engine" pt 1 by [info]vinnie_tesla from http://www.circlet.com/

Today's download runs 12 minutes! Give it a try and if you enjoy it, feel free to leave feedback for the author, who read the story himself, at his Livejournal: [info]vinnie_tesla