Delayed gratification, anyone?

The release of Rock My Socks Off is still two months away, but my prepublication commotion is about ready to go into high gear. The first big event will happen in Scarlet magazine, where an advance excerpt from my novel is going to be featured as the "Juicy Bit" in the December issue (street date November Twentysomething)!

And with so much talk of holiday shopping in the air, I've been thinking ... My book won't be out in time for most of the various winter holidays that people celebrate (though the timing will be perfect for Valentine's Day, hint hint); but the January 11 release date falls only a few weeks after the end of Chanukah, and even closer to Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's.

So here's my "Delayed Gratification" offer: If you preorder Rock My Socks Off (from any source) as a belated winter-holiday gift, I will send your giftee a prepublication, personalized e-card on the date you specify. One of my protagonists has tested this out for me, and here's what my other protagonist's card looked like (though Blogger won't let me show it in its full size):

If this appeals to your sense of delayed gratification (and holiday extension), all you have to do is preorder the book, then drop me a line at jerotic AT gmail DOT com telling me what the card should say, where it should go, and on what date. No charge, natch, and you don't need to include anything as formal as a purchase receipt (or a cummerbund).

You can find a list of places to preorder the book here. Please note that the list is UK-centric at the moment, as the U.S. release won't be until June. (I'll post info about Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as it breaks.) BUT publisher Xcite Books, I believe, will ship anywhere in the world! So if you're extra-eager (or, like me, you find that UK spelling conventions turn you on), no need to wait.

P.S. More great news from Xcite this week: Their 2010 publication schedule includes a Justine Elyot collection and a Charlotte Stein novel!

Tuesday's Child

We have a special event on the calendar for next week! On Tuesday, November, 17, the erotic whirlwind known as Sommer "Smut Girl" Marsden will be dropping by to celebrate her recent "Quickie," the delightfully delicious Corporeal. My buddy Smut Girl and I will be talking about one of her greatest talents and my favorite things: namely, the blending of humor and eros. I hope you'll join us for the laughter and the sex!

Campus Hijinks

Wow, doesn't that iji sequence look odd, with those three dots lined up like an overhead ellipsis?

But enough about suspension periods (which I've just learned is an alternate name for ellipsis points). Huzzah! Master erotic-story author Kristina Wright has donned the editor's hat to assemble her first anthology, Fairy Tale Lust, to be published by Cleis Press. I'm thrilled to appear in this collection, with writers such as Justine Elyot, Charlotte Stein, Alana Noël Voth, and Saskia Walker. (Who else?)

My contribution is very loosely based on the Goldilocks story. It's called "Gildi and the Unwieldy, Ineffectual Committee of Bears."

This is neither here nor there (well, actually, it's in Ithaca, New York) ... but the university campus that I envisioned when I was setting this story looks a little bit like Cornell. That's essentially immaterial to the story; but, hey, I sometimes find myself in need of immaterial to flesh out a post.


Pretty, isn't it?

Join me in the museum!

I'm in literary drag again today, adopting a first-person-female narrative voice in a piece called "Reflections from the Art Museum." : ) You'll find it at Clean Sheets, where the current issue also includes a story by the gifted Alicia Night Orchid.

Here's the teaser for "Reflections":

I soon discovered the thrill of being one layer closer to nakedness among the artworks. I felt I could see the colors and definition better, as if the panties had acted like a semi-opaque blindfold all those years.

Admission to this museum is free. Thanks, Clean Sheets!

A Tribute

It's been quiet here at Socks to Fedora. Not to say that I've been quiet, because I've been typically noisy in the comments of other people's blogs, as well as noisy on the page while writing stories. But it's been quiet on this blog, just because I've been between announcements.

So I thought I'd take advantage of the hush to indulge myself—by writing about my beloved Helia Brookes!

When I announced, early this year, that my novel had been accepted for publication, I testified to the importance of the marvelously supportive erotica community in my path to that moment. (And I had occasion to do so again recently, when composing the acknowledgments that will appear in the book.)

What I didn't do here, at that juncture, was talk about the most monumental, constant sustaining force in my life: my wife/lover/best friend. That was deliberate. You see, I wanted to save this for a separate tribute. [I was also wary of turning my original post into too much of an "I'd like to thank the Academy" speech. : )]

The artist known as Helia and I have been together for over a quarter century, and it's the type of relationship in which mutual support is one of the most important elements. In the context of my erotica career—like the various other creative paths I've pursued over the years—this means that Helia has always done whatever she can, from the tangible to the atmospheric, to help me do what I want to do and to validate me for doing it. She's assisted me with technical issues; she's juggled her schedule so that we could travel together for readings; she's let me bounce a zillion items off her regarding business decisions large and small; and, of course, she's cheered me on, every step of the way—and beamed with pride at every turn. Whenever there's been any sort of way in which she could do something to facilitate what I'm trying to accomplish, she's been all over it—never grudging, always enthusiastic, often the one who first proposes whatever bit of oomph she's going to contribute. I'm just sketching this out for you a bit, to give an idea—I won't even try to exhaustively catalog all the facets of her loving supportiveness (never mind covering all the other dimensions of how she fills my life with wonderfulness!).

In our private world, I express my appreciation to Helia every day, several times a day. (And, vice versa, she constantly articulates her appreciation for the ways I support her.) But sometimes one wants to shout these things from the rooftops. So today, please consider this blog a rooftop—a noisy one.

Love,
Jeremy

Happy birthday, Wendy!

Wendy, a peripheral but essential character of mine, had a birthday last week. And there's a story behind Wendy's early-October d.o.b. It's called "Doing the Math"—and you can now read it at Fishnet: A Journal of Erotica! That's a direct link to my story; but if you haven't visited before, be sure to check out the Fishnet home page, where you'll find such authors as Greta Christina, Teresa Noelle Roberts, Thomas S. Roche, Craig J. Sorensen, and Donna George Storey. I'm thrilled to join that list—thanks, Fishnet!

Now with ∞% more audio

Being a musical sort of fellow (though I don't say much about my musical exploits here), I recently decided to add a bit of tunefulness to my self-promotion. As a result, if you visit the Rock My Socks Off page on my website, you'll find that the cover of my forthcoming novel is now accompanied by an audio widget, which features the 42-second "Rock My Socks Off" ditty that I worked up. : )

Grinning about Gripping

My guest post is now up at Oh Get A Grip! (That's a double-duty exclamation point, since OGAG! comes with one.) Click through to hear my serious-minded (ha!) analysis of my own writing habits; and don't miss the rest of this week's posts, by awesome OGAG! regulars Lisabet Sarai, Jenna Byrnes, Jude Mason, C. Sanchez-Garcia, Ashley Lister, and Helen E. H. Madden.

Thank you so much for having me, OGAG! (Another d-d ![!])

Laura Laughs Louder

My six-story e-book, Laura the Laugher, is laughing a little louder as of today. Why? Well, after some initial complications, the product can now be purchased using PayPal (as well as with credit cards, as before). If you follow the sound of the laughter, you'll find your way to Laura—and lots of amazing work by Shanna Germain—via MindFuck Fiction (thanks, Shanna!).

Strawberry Fondue

Here are the first two videos from the heavenly, nevenly Neve Black's all-Jeremy edition of Neve's Naughty Nightcaps, as presented at Cleveland's Literary Cafe this past Saturday:

The Secret to Perfect Fondue from Neve Black on Vimeo.

8StrawberrySlices from Neve Black on Vimeo.

I think it's so great when people take erotica out into the live-event world and celebrate it as an art form that people can experience together. Thank you so much for letting me come along for a ride on your Cleveland literary taxi, Neve!

Writing (and Reading) Habits

One of my favorite reading habits is soaking up the thought-provoking, illuminating, and entertaining essays on Oh Get a Grip! In case you're not yet familiar with this project, it's a collaborative venture that features Lisabet Sarai, Jude Mason, Jenna Byrnes, Helen E. H. Madden, C. Sanchez-Garcia, and Ashley Lister.

Each week the OGAG-ers write individual posts on a shared topic related to the erotica-writing life, with a guest blogger taking the stage on Saturday. This week's topic is "writing habits," and this week's guest blogger will be ... Jeremy Edwards! The program kicked off yesterday with Lisabet's confession of linearity, and continues today with Jenna's account of finding balance between the demands of writing and one's other obligations and needs. I'm thrilled to be a part of this!

Showing My Cleve-age!

Well, okay, I don't actually have cleavage. Nor will I literally be in Cleveland tonight. But maybe you will be! And the sexy and effervescent Neve Black, Zodiac-sizzling erotica author and host of the deliciously named Neve's Naughty Nightcaps, definitely will be. And because Neve will be doing me the great honor of reading some of my work at this evening's NNN at the Literary Cafe (10:30 to midnight tonight!), I feel that I'm an honorary resident of the city for one night. (Go, Browns! I hope Leroy Kelly will be QBing tomorrow's game.*)

*Advisory: My sports-related information may be a little out of date.

Charity and Decadence

Who says you can't have it all? Thanks to editors Emily Dubberley, Sarah Berry, and Alyson Fixter and publisher Xcite Books, decadence now meets charity in the second volume of erotica benefiting Macmillan Cancer Support.

Ultimate Decadence, which the famous Mil Millington has described as "an anthology of detonator cap short stories," includes the work of writers such as Rachel Kramer Bussel, Elizabeth Coldwell, Justine Elyot, Mark Farley, Miranda Forbes, Laura Godman, Maxim Jakubowski, Madeline Moore, and Donna George Storey. How decadent can you get! My own contribution to the parade of erotic decadence is a piece called "The Gilded Fountain":

Jocelyn’s club was housed in an impressive eighteenth-century building in a quiet street. The moon came out from behind clouds just as the couple arrived, and its glow gave the staid facade an exciting aura of promise.

They were elegantly attired. “There’s no specific dress code,” Jocelyn had explained. “Most people just find something dramatic or glamorous to wear—you’ll see why.”

Ultimate Decadence follows last year's Ultimate Burlesque, which also benefits Macmillan.

And here's more breaking news, this time from the UK magazine world: My story "Judy Never" can be found in the brand new [October] issue of Forum!

O! Hi! O!

I have Ohio on my mind this week. Yep, I'm thinking about round ends, which gives me a high in the middle.

It's all thanks to sexy Neve Black, who will be reading my stories this Saturday night, September 26, from 10:30 p.m. to midnight at Cleveland's Literary Cafe. This is part of NB's exciting live erotica series, Neve's Naughty Nightcaps. I'm so honored!

You can experience previous NB readings here. She's so steamy, sparkly, and fun! (Even when she's not up to her shoulders in guacamole.)

Thanks, Neve!!

P.S. Cleveland and I have met before—in my story "Le Petit Déjeuner."

Hub-ba, Hubba

Okay. The subject line is lame—I admit it. You see, my story in the forthcoming Cougar Book is called "Boston. Breasts. Bohemian," so I was alluding above to Boston's nickname, "the Hub." (At least I didn't go with the subject line "New England Nookie.")

My lame subject line notwithstanding, I am very excited to have seen the lineup for the great Jolie du Pre's latest erotic brainchild, The Cougar Book. It comes out in February from Logical-Lust (print and e-book), and I'll be side by side with authors such as Rachel Kramer Bussel, Heidi Champa, Emerald, Shanna Germain, Jolene Hui, D. L. King, Madeline Moore, Craig J. Sorensen, and Donna George Storey. Woohoo!

For the complete lineup (and updates), visit The Cougar Book Blog.

Preorder Page Unveiled

Rock My Socks Off now has its own page at the Xcite Books website! They're taking preorders and offering notifications and loyalty points. (Release date is 11 January.)

Woohoo!

“I’m afraid my W-2 is messed up again.”

This is the problem that my protagonists in "It Takes W-2 to Tango" are wrestling with. (Oh, did I say "wrestling"?) Click through to The Erotic Woman if you want to take a meeting with Galen and Jessica. Thank you, Erotic Woman!

And, of course, it was funny—if not in a “ha-ha” sense, then certainly in a “what-the-fuck?” sense. Yes, thought Galen, it was funny that a thirty-year-old executive accountant would screw up the same employee’s paperwork year after year—and his paperwork alone—with such efficient regularity that you’d think she was earning a commission on it.

Then again, he reminded himself, she was earning a sort of commission, wasn’t she?

Chutney and a Bang!

Today is the grand finale of the Spicy Summer Sunday blog tour. I'm sad that summer is ending ... but thanks to the culinary (and nonculinary) sensuality of Danielle de Santiago, we're going out with a bang! I'll see you there a little later, when we meet up in the bedroom to shed our coats (etc.).

And thank-you hugs to Donna and Marina for making this summerful of spice happen!

Doing the Math

Last fall, my friend Wendy figured out that she was conceived after a New Year's Eve party.

My story "Doing the Math" debuts today at Clean Sheets! And don't worry if math isn't your strong subject—I promise there will not be a test.

Thanks, Professor Sheets!

Salt Lick City

Well, whaddya know? I was making a funny on "Salt Lake City" above ... but Google tells me there's actually a real place called Salt Lick City, Kentucky. I must run and tell P.S. Haven, who is serving up way more than a pinch of salt today, as part of the Spicy Summer Sunday blog tour! (Though I bet he's also available for pinching, if you ask nicely.)

Laura the Laugher, and Other Stories

Recently, the gifted and marvelous Shanna Germain set up the MindFuck Fiction site, a venue whose goal is "to offer stories that blow your mind wide open and arouse your senses."

I now have an erotic e-book for sale at MFF, a collection called Laura the Laugher, and Other Stories: Six Tales of Sexy Giggles, Grinning Wiggles, Gentle Tickles, and Eclectic Ecstasy!

These stories have been previously published—one time apiece, to date, either in print or at a pay site. But you will not have found these particular stories available for free online reading. If a digital package (.pdf format) that unites six quirky Jeremy pieces under one roof appeals to you, then I encourage you to click through and learn more about this e-book. And be sure to check out the other offerings at MFF! I'm very proud to be part of the project.

Muffin Subtlety!

Visit Emerald's place today! It's raining poppy seeds, and everything from the salad to the muffins has their characteristic subtle charm. See you there ... thanks to the Spicy Summer Sunday blog tour!

Semenym Contest Climaxes

Okay, metaphor lovers ... let's take a look at the correct answers for the sperm-term quiz, courtesy of Cecil Goran's semen-sational Dictionary of Semenyms! (To read the original post from last week, go here.)

choir of angels - luminous, pearly white, and heavenly.

“Bells of rosy fire ringing in the sky while you squirt a choir of angels.”

—William S. Burroughs, Cities of the Red Night

craziness - stuff from a sex maniac.

“Men are crazy ... then they put their craziness into me.”

—David Lynch, Blue Velvet

divine pleasure - a heavenly sensation; used to describe semen and the sensations of orgasm as God’s creations.

“Having succeeded in warming him by means of these caresses, he procures him the divine pleasure at the same moment he is overwhelmed himself: both discharge in harmony.”

—Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom

jamjam - used to associate semen with thick, sweet jelly.

“Flood of warm jamjam lickitup.”

—James Joyce, Ulysses

life essence

“Women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence.”

—Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove

love - used to describe semen as the essence of erotic union.

“She begs for that little package of love which only he knows how to deliver.”

—Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

man-dew - exuded drops of masculine essence; used to describe the delicate nature of semen.

“She wanted man-dew only.” —D. H. Lawrence, Sun

pecker tracks - a trail of slime left by a penis.

“Get up, stupid. I hope you didn’t leave any pecker tracks on my gown.”

—John Waters, Trash Trio

salty smear - a generally positive description of the flavor of semen, although smear can have a connotation of dirtiness.

“The cockhead slid between his lips and left a salty smear across his mouth. The taste of it, at least, was familiar, just like his own.”

—Pat Califia, Flesh and the Word

sap - a fluid essential to life; used to describe semen as a thick, sticky substance, suggesting the sweet syrup of a maple tree.

“They climbed out of the bath and wiped from the tiles the sap that their blind stems had hurled distantly, madly, towards love.”

—Jean Cocteau, The White Book

swimming fluid - a drenching, splashing, tidal wave of sperm, triggered by a backstroke.

“The cock discharged its hot, swimming fluid inside her.”

—Anne Rice, Beauty’s Punishment

tummy medicine

“I’d like to slosh a bucket of tummy medicine into your beaming faces.”

—Russell Brand, twitter.com

vitality - the essential life force; a man’s “get-up-and-go.”

“When he was tickling my fundament just behind the balls and I could not hold it any longer, his mouth closed just over the head of my penis and I could feel my young vitality flowing into his old age.”

—Allen Ginsberg, Gay Roots

white ink of life - likens the penis to a calligrapher’s pen.

“Writing with the white ink, the white ink of life.”

—Nick Currie, “LuteScore”

For correctly associating "tummy medicine" with Brand and "salty smear" with Califia, Janine Ashbless and Jean Roberta, respectively, were the scorers in this erotic matchmaking event. Kudos to both of you! As the earlier commenter in this tie-dyed situation, Janine wins the free book (congratulations, JA!)—but everyone can score by using coupon code QYVG2THE, to get 20% off Dictionary of Semenyms via CreateSpace. (In order to take advantage of this offer, be sure to purchase directly through CreateSpace, and enter the code after the "add to cart" step.)

How many erotica authors does it take ...

The contents of forthcoming erotica-for-charity collection

Coming Together: Into the Light have been announced, and I'm delighted (or pre-lighted) to say that I'll be in one of the sockets!

The book is due out in January, and proceeds will benefit V-Day.

Here's the full marquee of bulbs:

Introduction (Candida Royalle)
[stories listed alphabetically by title]

A Compromising Position (Saskia Walker)
Doesn't Matter (Celia Kyle)
Far From Ordinary (Jenna Byrnes)
Foundling (Brenna Lyons)
How Paradise Comes to the Blind (C. Sanchez-Garcia)
Involuntarily (Jeremy Edwards)
Jake (Alessia Brio)
Past or Present (Heidi Champa)
Samers (Gregory L. Norris)
Sand and Steel (Shanna Germain)
Smut Puppy (Allison Wonderland)
Staying Cool (Michelle Houston)
Take Off My Clothes (Nobilis Reed)
The DoubleDare Hotel (Will Belegon)
The Feast of the Epiphany (Jean Roberta)

Violets are blue, roses are Mary

Yes, a picture of Rose Marie is a stretch when promoting a rosemary-themed blog ... but I couldn't resist that smile.

It's 7:30 a.m. here, and in a little while Helia and I will be hitting the road to meet up with six* other erotica writers! I know BadAssKona would approve. It does, however, mean that while he's getting his herb on and roasting the morning's juices to the surface, I will be away from my computer. I hope to check in at BAK's rosemary rave later—maybe we can gather around a laptop and do a "gang bang" comment!

*Assuming my 7:30 a.m. counting is accurate.