Wednesday, April 29, 2009

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!

***

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.
***
Thanks, Jolie!!

16 comments:

Jolie du Pre said...

Hi Jeremy,

Thanks for the interview and congratulations on the new novel! I'm still working on mine - and it's been a few years now. LOL You said you're gearing up for a new batch of short stories - I hope one of those is for The Cougar Book! (CougarAnthology.com). I'm more of a nonfiction writer these days, but I am finishing a short for Robert Fleming's call.

You are definitely one of my favorite writers and I wish you all the best!

Jolie du Pre

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thanks so much, Jolie!! And the feelings are mutual!

It's an honor and a pleasure to work with you.

**
I hope one of those is for The Cougar Book!**

Thank you! : ) You bet—the cougar is on the list!

Donna said...

Hey Jeremy, I love a man who can lose to a woman gracefully--almost as much as I love your smart and witty erotica. It's always a treat for the mind as the lower regions ;-). Your story for Swing! carries on the Jeremy tradition to perfection.

And how exciting you have the new novel coming soon and lots more stories for us to enjoy!

neve black said...

Jeremy!
Hi you big stud! What a great idea for a story. Chess is a game of great focus, concentration and strategy...hmmmm...I love how you thought to weave this into couples sex party.

..." “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....”"

I used to play backgammon for minutes of pleasure. It's a win/win situation, just like the captivating characters in your story. I can't wait to read it!

Congratulations to all your hard work and success!

You're an amazing writer and a wonderful person and friend. I heart you. :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeremy,

An excellent interview - and so good to see you out here.

Donna's correct in describing your erotica as smart and witty. I think that's one of the (many) reasons why a lot of us keep coming back for more.

Best,

Ashley

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thank you, thank you, Donna! You can ace me in chess anytime—and you probably would, if we played.

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thank you, sweet Neve! I heart you too. : )

And your "backgammon for minutes of pleasure" cracks me up. Are we talking ... backgammonstrubation?

Jeremy Edwards said...

Hi, Ashley! Thank you—your kind words mean so much to me!

By the way, how are you at chess? I'm about to lose to Donna, and she'll be looking for her next match. Meanwhile, I'll walk across the room and lose to Neve at backgammon, for a change of pace.

D. L. King said...

Hi Jeremy,

Love that excerpt and the more I read it, the more intrigued I become. I'm in the middle of Swing! now and haven't come to your story yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Jim Brown said...

Hi there Jeremy,

Well done on the interview, and well done on winning a copy of one of our other anthologies, "Eternally Erotic"! (Jeremy won it in a contest on our Logical-Lust Blog!). Like others, I loved the idea of entwining chess and an evening of swinging. You brought them both together masterfully! Good luck with your new projects!

Jim Brown (Swing! publisher)
http://www.logical-lust.com
http://logicallust.wordpress.com

Jeremy Edwards said...

Wow, thanks, D. L.!

I'm in a similar boat*—gradually working my way through Swing! as time permits, and very much looking forward to your contribution!

*Well, it's not really a boat. More like an ice-cream truck.

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thank you, Jim, and thank you some more—for the praise, the publication, and the prize!

Emerald said...

Delightful interview Jeremy! Sorry I'm late — I've remembered all day that your interview was today but (largely due to oversleeping) am just getting a chance to come by now. :)

I loved reading the eloquent answer you provided to the first question. Just the array of words you used made me smile, much less when then combined with their meaning! That of course tied in nicely with the answer to the last question, which I also loved — such simple, lovely advice.

I'm looking forward to seeing your new website and of course to perusing your novel!

Thanks for sharing!

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thanks for all your wonderful feedback and enthusiasm, Emerald!

Madeline Moore said...

lovely little interview. I've purchased my copy of 'Swing' and will be immersing myself in it for the weekend. Looking forward to it immensely, I must say.

Ps - contest time at my blog!

Jeremy Edwards said...

Thanks, Madeline! I'll pop 'round and check out your contest.

*POP*