Authors I Love

The Art of Robin Schone

There are some authors I can (and do) read again and again.  Some, like Lora Leigh and Kresley Cole, capture my attention with a particular storyline I must follow…I must read every available facet of the world created and the characters I’ve come to love. 

One of my favorite authors is Robin Schone.  Her plots are original, sometimes heartbreaking.  Her characters are raw in a way few writers can capture.  Her overall stories draw me in and hold me hostage.  The depth of emotion, the sense of being part of the story, is portrayed so beautifully, I find myself thinking about it long after the last line has been read. 

I live in Oklahoma…not exactly a hotbed of erotic fiction.  I’m forced to order her books online and wait impatiently for them to arrive.  I then greedily open the book, knowing I will not be disappointed…and she has never failed me. 

If you haven’t read her work, you are missing out on a writer who can transport you into another time and place with details guaranteed to make you believe the people and locations are real, existing in that very moment.  The first book I read was The Lady’s Tutor and I became an instant devotee of her talent. 

Most of her work is placed in the late nineteenth century and that in itself is unusual for erotica.  The availability of telephones, trains, and condoms in an era of strict Victorian prudery adds another layer to her work that is unexpected and welcome. 

Don’t waste another moment.  Check your local library for her work and buy a copy if you can’t find it there.  If you enjoy literotica, she will not let you down.  Full-length novel or novella, she will pull you in and keep you enthralled to the last word.

The Many Personalities of Jennifer Ashley...

I read constantly.  I have all my life.  My personal book collection is extensive and the librarians here in town think I'm the shit.  If I allow myself a true day off (this makes me giggle madly) I can consume 3 full novels.  

I have varying tastes.  I've read non-fiction, horror, young adult, fantasy...but my true love is erotica in all its guises.  In small-town Oklahoma, the selection sucks if you're into anything other than cooking, crafting, or God.  

How "Mortal Temptations" by Allyson James got by the guardians against smut - I have no idea.  Obviously, they didn't read it.  That is how it came to pass that in 2009, my virgin brain (snorts in disbelief that I can write the word) realized that women wrote about (sssshhhh) men being with men...you know...sexually.  I read that book inside 2 hours.  Hot.  Not kidding.  Wanted more.  Everything I want has to be ordered online and thank the good lord it comes in padded envelopes since my mail lady knows every-damn-body.  Allyson took my virginity and I became an M/M erotica fan slut overnight.  

But wait...there's more!

A few months ago, our local library was given a grant and I found out about this great "new" author Jennifer Ashley.  I had no idea her alter ego was so awesome.  

If you haven't read "The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie" then you should be flogged.  Why?  Because it features one of the hottest characters I've ever read...and he has a form of autism which wasn't exactly diagnosed in 1881.  Yes.  Autism.  Hotness.  Rages.  Still hot.  

How the hell she did this so beautifully while still maintaining the seriousness of what Ian went through, I'm not sure.  What I do know is I was floored and in love...and promptly re-read the book.  I own it now, as well as "Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage" and "The Many Sins of Lord Cameron".  Waiting on pins and needles for "The Duke's Perfect Wife", Jennifer.  God willing it will be in my hands soon!

An alcoholic, a man abused, a sex addict.  Really?  Yes.  Really.  And each one is amazing.  Here is the insane part...they are the same person.  Yes!  The writing style, character development, and plots are wildly unique to each of her personas.   I would have never known.  

Jennifer/Allyson - I love both of you.  I don't know how you keep it all straight and yet separate in your mind but you manage to kick ass doing it.  I'm panting in anticipation for Hart's story - he's the baddest of the bad, I think.  Ian has a place of honor above my laptop - so few do.  I think I need to read his story again.  

If you haven't read anything from this author, get off your ass and make it a priority!

Why You MUST Read Shelly Laurenston

My family always knows when I'm reading a Shelly Laurenston story.  Every few minutes (or for a long period at one time) I bust out laughing hysterically.  Her shifters are just funny, damn it.  For instance, I'm re-reading my copy of "The Mane Attraction" for the third time and still laughing like a fool.  

I don't own a lot of her books because my conservative local library didn't realize she used words like "cock" and "pussy" in her work and ordered them all in.  Hell, yeah!  I was first on the list and read five in one weekend.  

Great characters (strong as hell), interwoven plots that make sense, steamy sex scenes, and lines I wish to God I'd thought of first...

Don't believe me?  Here are some samples:

"Did you just say my ass was talking to you?" - Sissy

"Again.  It's talking to me again." - Mitch

"And what does my ass say to you exactly?" - Sissy

"I don't know.  It's speaking in tongues." - Mitch

"I'm not having sex with you 'cause you almost died." - Sissy

"Fine.  Hand job?" - Mitch

"No." - Sissy

"Blow job?" - Mitch

"At least let me bury my face between your breasts." - Mitch

"Don't make me hurt you." - Sissy

"If I do, will I get to call you mistress?" - Mitch

Almost every paragraph makes me laugh, the dialogue so clever I can barely contain my envy.  You have to check her out.  Especially if you're in need of a pick-me-up!

There are so many up-and-coming (literally) authors that deserve recognition.  Some are doing intense BDSM erotica, some are changing the perceptions - one word at a time - of M/M erotica, some are outright naughty, while the rest are kind of like me...stories to tell and the hope that we tell them well.  

You can find MANY of these amazing people on the blog list of people I follow, but here's a quick list of authors you should check out.  See if they're right for you.  I know sometimes erotica is a picky business.  *wink*

• Margie Church
• Nichelle Gregory
• Benjamin Russell
• Cassandre Dayne
• SjD Petersen
• Roy Chaudoir
• Paul Martin
• Fierce Nolan
• Samantha Pleasant
• And many, many more...

As for the mainstream (aka: lucky) authors I love who we all want to be one day?  The three up top plus Lora Leigh (despite the massive typos in every book - her characters are just delicious), Emma Holly, Charlene Teglia, Meljean Brook, Zane, Jaid Black, Kresley Cole, Karen Marie Moning, Jacquelyn Frank, Larissa Ione, Gena Showalter, and Lara Adrian.

Dean Koontz and Stephen King remain my favorite horror/paranormal authors.  James Patterson stole my heart years ago with "Kiss the Girls"...and he never gave it back.  

Then there is "everything else" - which I'm NOT going to try to name them all here.  I'll give you my top ten, in no particular order (and you'll have to be satisfied with that!):

1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Jane Eyre
3. Aesop's Fables
4. 1001 Arabian Nights
5. Night Shift
6. The Stand
7. Odd Thomas
8. The Martian Chronicles
9. Jonathan Livingston Seagull & Illusions
10. Good Omens

Yes.  They are eclectic.  Nope.  I don't care.  :)