Check and Mate

UPDATE, Thursday afternoon: The Swing! blog tour will continue for one additional day, with a May 1 tour stop at the blog of Claudia Moss.

Last week saw the release of Jolie du Pre's Swing!—in which I'm proud to say I can be found partying with writers such as Neve Black, Amanda Earl, Emerald, Jolene Hui , D. L. King, Ashley Lister, Alicia Night Orchid, Rick R. Reed, Donna George Storey, and Sage Vivant!

The Swing! tour has been swinging from blog to blog all month, and it's winding up here with yours truly. Read on for an interview and an excerpt ... and use the link above to catch up with other stops on the tour!

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JOLIE: Why do you write erotica and what do you love best about it?

JEREMY: I’m strongly drawn to narrative as a means of giving expression to my erotic imagination. By getting cozy with my internal literary apparatus, I strive to evoke the sorts of sexual connections that I find beautiful and compelling to contemplate. This is a very fulfilling form of creative activity for me. And I love having the opportunity to share the delicate thrills of erotic prose with the readers who find their way to my work and respond to it.

JOLIE: Tell us about your story in Swing! Adventures in Swinging by Today's Top Erotica Writers and please feel free to give us an excerpt.

JEREMY: My Swing! story, “Check and Mate,” is about a planned evening of chess and swinging arranged between two couples. Though the story centers on a planned event, I wanted to explore a texture of spontaneity, discovery, and unpredictability as the four characters allow this special evening to unfold. What will be the personality of the chemistry that develops? In what directions, specifically, will the erotic currents flow? Here’s a taste of what Gail, my protagonist, experiences, sitting with her friend Clement to watch their spouses play chess:

No two chess games, Gail reflected, were ever the same. What had Livia said? It is as rich with ambiguity and possibility as human endeavor. Gail had teased her for sounding pretentious, but the observation returned now, with more weight. Sitting here in a room with the familiar man she fucked every night, and a half-strange man she was scheduled to fuck tonight ... and an increasingly alluring woman who ... well, Gail felt as if she were joyfully afloat on a sea of ambiguity. And possibility. And, yeah, vodka.

She sucked on her olive.

“Fuck!” Dawson said, softening the expletive with laughter. He was a gracious loser, even a jolly one.

Livia reached across the board and touched his hand. “Don’t despair. I haven’t finished you off yet.”

“Ha—yet is right. I think we both know where this game is headed. Anyway, I’m not despairing. I’m admiring.”

“Thank you,” said Livia.

Daw took a swig of his drink. “You’re a top-notch player. Too pro for these ’burbs.”

“Thank you again, Dawson.”

“And, in a little while, I’m going to lick your pussy till you scream.”

“Thank you, um ... in advance?”

“I love having friends over,” Clement said to Gail.

She petted his chest, tentatively but purposefully. “You’re a good host.”

He had a clean, minty kiss. Gail remembered hearing him brush his teeth after they’d eaten.

“You’re a good guest,” Clement answered, mouth to mouth.

JOLIE: Name some other books where we can find your work.

JEREMY: Some current releases are Oysters & Chocolate (edited by Jordan LaRousse and Samantha Sade), Playing with Fire (edited by Alison Tyler), and The Mile High Club (edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel). More titles can be found yonder on the salad bar. I mean sidebar.

JOLIE: What are you working on now?

JEREMY: I’m gearing up for the next batch of short-story projects, while also getting my website ready to launch. I’m also trying to do some advance planning with regard to promoting my forthcoming novel.

JOLIE: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new author, what would it be?

JEREMY: Be aware of the wealth of options at your disposal regarding vocabulary, sentence structure, imagery, etc. Exploit this decision-making aspect of the writing process, so that you're really crafting your story, making deliberate choices so as to utilize the details that you think will work best.

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Thanks, Jolie!!