Tantalizing Tuesday with Josie Dennis at Erin M. Leaf's place today!

Tantalizing Tuesday with Josie Dennis at Erin M. Leaf's place today!

See what Josie has to say about pen names and crackers!

mmf, m/m/f, mfm, mm, what the?

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Ever since I received an odd review on one of my books, I have wondered how much readers know about the weird terminology that abounds in the erotica world. "What the bloody hell are all those slashes?" some might have wondered a few years ago. Then the slashes disappeared and all that was left were letters. What's with all those letters? The reader who posted the review probably didn't know what mmf meant. Here is a primer:

The slashes originated with fan fiction, specifically when a cadre of enterprising writers began writing stories about certain characters on a beloved television show *cough* Star Trek *cough*. Seems many of the fans of this show decided that there was a ton of delicious romance going on under the surface and they categorized their stories with a sort of shorthand so that everyone would know what they were getting into when reading them. So, Kirk/Spock attached to a story meant that it detailed a romantic relationship between those characters. Yes, yes, a male/male relationship. M/M. Or as we would say today: mm.

Fast forward to 2012 and voila! Tons of mf  and mmf and mm and mfm and even mmmmmmmf all over the romance novels at Siren-BookStrand as well as other publishers. What  the hell? The slashes are gone and instead we've got a pile of letters. Personally I think everyone just got tired of typing all the slashes, especially when the abundance of mmmmmmmm's began to come out (heh, puny).

Basically, the m stands for male. The f stands for female. 

mf --> male with female

mfm --> male with female and another male, male/female/male. The guys don't touch! Classic menage. Often involves brothers with one woman.

mmf --> male/male/female. The guys often do touch each other, as well as the girl. True menage!

ff --> female/female. Femme slash. Femslash.

mmm --> male/male/male. Guys all touching each other.

mmmmf --> male/male/male/male/female. Could also be mmmf or mmmmmmmmf or whatever. Everyone touches everybody. Most of the time. With trapeze (kidding! or wait, really?)

Crazy, huh? It's code! It's code just for us! Personally I think it's cool to have a type of code that details exactly which body parts touch or do not touch in erotica. It makes buying the books much easier if you know what's going to happen inside. It makes avoiding your squicks much easier. There are other codes too:

BDSM --> bondage discipline sadism masochism but it basically means a novel with any or all of these and included submission as well. There are a whole pile of fun codes that go with this!

BD --> bondage and discipline

Ds or D/s or D&S  --> dominance and submission

S/M or SM or S&M --> sadism and masochism

There's a bit more involving tops and bottoms and switches. These terms aren't really just used in BDSM however, they're also used in mm fiction and sometimes in mf and ff fiction.

top --> the one who gives

bottom --> the one who receives

switch --> someone who is capable of both

A lot of these terms seemed to originate in the fan fiction communities across the internet, at least when applied to writing. There are also a ton of genres and tropes like sex pollen, bonding fic (ahem, like my Dream Marked series), kinks (knife play, fetishes, etc.), angst, fluff, and on and on. If you're curious, check out Fanlore. It's a great resource.

Anyway, maybe this will help when perusing the shelves at your favorite online bookseller. If you know what you like or don't like, remember to check the book description for the erotica code. It might save you some money and quite a bit of angst.

The Romance Studio reviews Tango Trio!

Yesterday I received an email that Clare at The Romance Studio had posted a review of Tango Trio. She gave it 4 1/2 hearts and since it was my birthday, I couldn't have asked for a better gift! Thanks so much Clare! Here's what she had to say:

When Tessa begins having dreams about her best friend Parker and a mysterious stranger, she welcomes the erotic adventure. Soon she finds out she's part of a bonded trio, a group of predestined soul mates. Once she and Parker meet Jared, a soldier-turned-dance instructor, in the flesh, their bond takes on psychic proportions. Their bond gives them the ability to communicate telepathically, but it also sets them up as targets for people who want to use their blood as a street drug called ‘Path. Soon, they find themselves the target of merciless drug dealers, the leader of which is no stranger to Tessa.
Tango Trio is a rollercoaster of action. From the first mouthwatering dream sequence to the last scene that'll leave the reader with something to dream about, it's one hot, exciting story. Ms. Leaf doesn't fool around with a slow build. She dives right in and leaves you breathless. Parker leaps from the page, a dynamic stud in tight jeans, and his chemistry with Tessa fairly burns. When Jared's character is added, watch out.
Once the trio is formed, the real action of the story begins. The bonding makes for an incredibly close and sexually-charged relationship, but it also paints a bright red bull's-eye on them. Their blood forms a powerful, addictive drug that fetches top dollar on the open market. Even clandestine government groups are taking notice. While Tango Trio can be read alone, it's the second in Ms. Leaf's Dream Marked series, and I highly recommend reading the first to understand and appreciate the background of the bad guys.
Ms. Leaf is a wonderfully talented writer with a fun, easy style. Overall, Tango Trio is an action-packed must-read that's so full of paranormal twists and turns you'll never see what's coming next. I can't wait for the next installment!
Overall rating: 
Sensuality rating: Explicit
Reviewer: Clare
November 25, 2011

Oh look! A new free read from Erin M. Leaf!

Not So Theoretical (m/m)

Yup, that’s right. I just posted a new erotic story for your reading pleasure at my website (erinmleaf.com): Not So Theoretical. This one is m/m. That means guy-on-guy action, by the way. Enjoy!

Character sketches

Who are you?

That's the first question I ask when I sit down at my computer. I can't write a story if I don't know who my characters are: their history and motivations, what they look like, how they feel about themselves. I need character sketches before I can even begin to think about plot. I like to spend some time playing with my characters in my head: what happens to the heroine if I do this? Or that? How does hero #1 meet her? Does hero #1 know hero #2? Et cetera. I create scenes and populate them with my heroes and their lady. I try to put myself in their shoes (or leather jackets or pelts). It's a lot easier for me to figure out how the characters are going to react to conflict if I know who they are.

Recently I discovered Shelfari as I poked around Amazon, trying to figure out how other authors got those cool extras on their book pages. Since I already have character sketches typed out, I thought it might be fun to post them online. The sketches for Tango Trio's three main characters are up at Amazon and Shelfari, if you're curious.

The character sketches for Appassionato and The First Time is the Sweetest are also up. Check out Shelfari if you'd like to see them!

Tango Trio is now available!

Tango Trio is now available! It's the follow-up to Appassionato, the second book in the Dream Marked series. Go to Siren-BookStrand and get a copy. It’s on sale until the end of October!

[Ménage Amour ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F, shape-shifters]

Tessa never expects to dream about two gorgeous guys making love to her on the train. She certainly never imagines they might be real men. Or that one of them is her sexy friend Parker and the other their insanely hot dance teacher, Jared. She definitely doesn’t anticipate the three of them bonding and fighting enemies desperate to steal their blood.

Who would create a drug that gives non-bonded humans extrasensory powers? It seems insane until Tessa learns that her mother might be the chemist behind it all. Even so, she certainly doesn’t expect her senses to go haywire or for the bonding to give her the ability to heal. And shape-shift. Mostly, she doesn’t expect to live happily ever after with her bond-mates when so many different people want them dead. But she hopes she can.

A Siren Erotic Romance

Here, have a taste of the story. Tessa and Parker are driving to their first dance lesson:

.

“Did he seem nice?” Tessa hoped he wasn’t cruel like the dance teacher she’d had when she was a girl. The old woman used to smack a wooden pole against the long barre if the girls didn’t extend their arms enough. She’d terrified Tessa when she was four, though now she supposed not all dance instructors could be that mean or they wouldn’t have any students. Still, she felt a tiny pang of anxiety.

“I guess. He seemed nice enough.” Parker sighed. “How am I supposed to know? I don’t notice things like that.”

Tessa lifted an eyebrow. “Did he have a low voice? High? Was he polite?”

Parker glanced at her, his forehead wrinkled adorably. “Low voice.”

“Did he sound sexy?”

“Are you kidding me?” Parker asked, incredulous. The car swerved slightly before he brought it back under control.

“Parker! Watch where you’re going!” Tessa yelled as her heart leapt. After a minute without any more car-related disasters, she burst into laughter. “Oh my God, if you could’ve seen your face!”

Parker shook his head, and he braked for the red light. “You’re such a pain.”

“You love me,” Tessa retorted, immensely cheered by his irritation.

He swung his arm over the back of the seat and looked at her, silent for long enough that Tessa began to grow uncomfortable under the weight of his stare. “Yeah, I really do.”

She shivered at the low tone of his voice. Whoa. He really meant that. “I love you, too, Parker. You know that.”

Appassionato up for book of the month at Happily Ever After Reviews!

Wow, I completely didn't expect this, but I just got the email from Happily Ever After Reviews telling me that Appassionato is up for both BOOK of the month and COVER of the month for February. I may have jumped for joy. Or squeaked. But I'll deny it if you tell anyone. ;-P

Go vote! ———>

BOOK of the month at HEA Reviews

COVER of the month at HEA Reviews

\o/

New interview over at Fallen Angel Reviews!

What's my inspiration? Bad habits? If I could take a year off, where would I go? What’s my favorite “escapist” reading? Tammy at Fallen Angel Reviews asks me these questions and more. Go check it out!

Erin M. Leaf Interview at Fallen Angel Reviews

Appassionato now on Kindle! and in paperback!

Yup, the wait is over. You can now buy Appassionato for Amazon's Kindle as well as in paperback. Yay! Here are all the available formats and links to buy:

Amazon:

Kindle and Print

Barnes & Noble:

Print

Siren-BookStrand:

Mobipocket, HTML, Microsoft Reader, Adobe Acrobat, EPUB

 ♪♫♪♫

Auralingus with Tymber Dalton!

ETA: It was so much fun talking with Tymber and all her friends last night! Michael was especially amusing and the chat room was hilarious. Thank you so much everyone!

If you want to listen to the episode, just stop by here and you can hear the whole thing.

****

Want to know more about Erin? Tune into Auralingus with Tymber Dalton at 10 pm!

I don’t know what Tymber and I will talk about, but it’s sure to be fun. Maybe steamy. Or a whole lot fascinating. What can two writers talk about anyway? You guessed it! Romance!

Appassionato gets 4 1/2 teacups!

Woo hoo! So glad people are liking the book! 4 1/2 teacups!

Clare C's Review at Happily Ever After Reviews

This was easily one of the best ménages I’ve ever read. Leaf soars past the elaborate premises many authors use to explain why threesomes are socially acceptable in their special ‘town’. Appassionato’s passionate trio doesn’t bother to explain or justify their relationship, which allows Leaf to focus on the meat of the story. And, wow, what a story!

The buildup is simply delicious. Emma doesn’t even meet Duncan and Jake until a quarter of the way into the novel, but we don’t miss out on the building of their relationship one bit. Through a mysterious ‘bonding,’ the three of them are suddenly able to feel one another’s emotions and to communicate using telepathy. They talk to one another that way, and they have a few steamy encounters while dreaming. This is one of the most unique plot ideas I’ve ever seen, and Ms. Leaf’s amazing writing talent swept me away.

And the story doesn’t stop there. At the heart of this novel is a drug cartel that wants to capture bonded couples to manufacture their blood into a drug. While this isn’t a new concept, Ms. Leaf definitely makes it her own. The sex scenes were great, though some of the acrobatics were difficult to picture, but Ms. Leaf’s ability to build characters and suspense kept me hanging on every word the entire way through. 

The novel is too long to read in one sitting, which I loved. I really, really wanted to spend more time with the trio—so much that I read it twice. More, Ms. Leaf, and fast! There have to be other bonded couples out there running from the evil drug cartel!

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

Appassionato

buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/appassionato 

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F]

When Emma dreams about super-famous rockstar Duncan and his friend Jake, it never occurs to her they might be dreaming too. About her. Everyone knows dreams aren’t real, but what will happen when the trio’s shared visions develop into a passion that can’t be denied?

When reports of a new "bonding" phenomenon surface, Duncan and Jake finally realize why they feel so connected to the sweet high-school librarian they’ve never met. The headaches and dreams suddenly make sense, but it isn’t until they meet Emma face-to-face that instinct takes over, and passion binds their minds and bodies into a link that can’t be broken.

Then, just as the happy ending Emma always hoped for seems possible, a hostage crisis and a series of kidnappings threatens everything. Can the trio unravel the conspiracy in time to protect the future of their bond?

A Siren Erotic Romance

Multi-Author Valentine Event

Each day at The Steam Room, I'm featuring different authors and a few readers who love romance. They'll be talking about love and romance in different ways. I've organized it by theme. Stop by every day between Feb 7-13, and check out the new posts on The Steam Room's Blog.

Romantic Monday, February 7: Jenika Snow, Tonya Ramagos, CRMoss, Berengaria Brown

Happy Endings Tuesday, February 8: Stephanie Cage, JuliaRachel Barrett, D. Renee Bagby, Jami Davenport, Susan L

Love is…Wednesday, February 9: ZA Maxfield, KarennaColcroft, Tina Donahue, Lynne Roberts, Jenni C-H

Rediscover Life Thursday, February 10: Missy Martine,Jillian Chantal

Magical Journeys Friday, February 11: Melissa Bradley, LauraTolomei, KR Bailey

The Lighter Side of Love Saturday, February 12: DaisyHarris, Rachel Clark, Brandy

The Poetry of Love Sunday, February 13: Erin M. Leaf, LarionWills, Frances Pauli, Natalie R-G

Please leave comments to share your love of love and romance. At the end of the week, I'll choose one lucky commenter to win their choice of one of my novels, including my upcoming mainstream contemporary romance, Crimes of the Heart.

Come by and visit, here's the link: http://www.michelezurlo.com/

Wishing you lots of Steam, Michele Zurlo

Characters: who are you? Can you guess?

I solve most of my writing problems when I'm either sleeping (i.e. dreaming) or riding my bicycle. Can't think of what my heroes look like? As soon as I hit minute five on the bike a dozen images of dudes zip through my head (blonde, brunette, tattoos!) and usually those images give me hints about what the men do for a living. Can't figure out why my heroine is so sad? Right before I fall asleep I realize that her first husband died a year ago and she's melancholy because the last time they spoke they argued. This holds true for plot points, tension, what the characters want from love and why, and what they had for dinner yesterday. As soon as I get sweaty or sleepy, ideas pour in from the universe. Unfortunately, this gift doesn't seem to happen when it's time to figure out my characters' names. This is a problem.

A few weeks ago I sat down to outline my next erotic menage and came up blank for names, like usual. I scoured the online name sites. I racked my brain for ideas of what I liked. I got nothing. In desperation I asked my teen son for help. "What?!" you exclaim in horror. "Are you crazy? You shouldn't even be letting him know that you're a romance writer!"

I laugh and tell you to calm down. "Relax. All he knows is that I write loves stories. That sort of thing still makes his face prune up in disgust." And as it turns out, he loved going through the lists of names with me. He has a knack for it. Next time I'm going to ask him for help before I work myself into a frenzy.

Want to know what the names are? I'll give you some hints. The heroine's first name starts with T. The men's first names start with J and P.

The first person to guess one of the names correctly will get a free ebook copy of my latest novel, Appassionato, just released this month! Post your guesses in the comments here or at my blog: http://erinmleaf.blogspot.com/

http://www.bookstrand.com/appassionato

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to date a rock star? And his sexy best friend? At the same time? What if the three of you could share your dreams, literally? 

to read excerpts or buy: http://www.bookstrand.com/appassionato 

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F]

When Emma dreams about super-famous rockstar Duncan and his friend Jake, it never occurs to her they might be dreaming too. About her. Everyone knows dreams aren’t real, but what will happen when the trio’s shared visions develop into a passion that can’t be denied?

When reports of a new "bonding" phenomenon surface, Duncan and Jake finally realize why they feel so connected to the sweet high-school librarian they’ve never met. The headaches and dreams suddenly make sense, but it isn’t until they meet Emma face-to-face that instinct takes over, and passion binds their minds and bodies into a link that can’t be broken.

Then, just as the happy ending Emma always hoped for seems possible, a hostage crisis and a series of kidnappings threatens everything. Can the trio unravel the conspiracy in time to protect the future of their bond?

A Siren Erotic Romance

Release Day for Appassionato!

Appassionato   ♪♫♪♫

by Erin M. Leaf

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to date a rock star? And his sexy best friend? At the same time? What if the three of you could share your dreams, literally? 

This new release is offered at a 10% discount for four weeks.

buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/appassionato 

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F]

When Emma dreams about super-famous rockstar Duncan and his friend Jake, it never occurs to her they might be dreaming too. About her. Everyone knows dreams aren’t real, but what will happen when the trio’s shared visions develop into a passion that can’t be denied?

When reports of a new "bonding" phenomenon surface, Duncan and Jake finally realize why they feel so connected to the sweet high-school librarian they’ve never met. The headaches and dreams suddenly make sense, but it isn’t until they meet Emma face-to-face that instinct takes over, and passion binds their minds and bodies into a link that can’t be broken.

Then, just as the happy ending Emma always hoped for seems possible, a hostage crisis and a series of kidnappings threatens everything. Can the trio unravel the conspiracy in time to protect the future of their bond?

A Siren Erotic Romance

Yes! Pre-order Appassionato!

I have just found out that my release day is Wednesday, January 5, 2011! This is what I call a great way to start off the new year, and it doesn't even involve a mojito (at least not yet). You can pre-order right now.

This will be my second erotic romance and I've finally been able to let the sci-fi/paranormal voices in my head run loose on the page. My three characters include one rock star, one best friend, and one sweet librarian. What will happen when they start to dream about each other? What will happen when they meet each other for the first time? You'll be able to find out very soon. . .

Erotica + mom, an awkward affair. . .

My mother is awesome. I've been a writer for a long time, mostly poetry and technical manuals for the last couple decades. When I told her I decided to write a romance novel a few years ago all she said was: cool! When I mentioned that the novel had been accepted by Siren-BookStrand earlier this year, and oh, by the way, it's an erotic romance, she said:congratulations! Whoa. Totally unfazed, my mom.

When The First Time is the Sweetest was published, she bought a copy and read it. On her computer in the living room. With my dad looking over her shoulder (I am so NOT talking about him right now). I was delighted! Then I remembered I'd written a menage romance. A really steamy menage with some serious guy on guy action as well as the usual threesome activity. Did I remember to warn her about that? Hmm, I thought I did. I remembered saying: this book is really naughty, mom, okay? Just so you know.

I felt somewhat disconcerted, not because I was embarrassed, but because I didn't wanther to be. When I called her up, she told me she "just skipped those parts." And then she informed me that she told everyone she knew that her daughter wrote this great book, and oh, by the way, it's erotica. She asked for some business cards to hand out.

My reaction to this? —> !!!!

Okay, I thought to myself. That was cool. I mean, I know I wrote a bit of plot for the novel, but the bulk of it revolves around the three main characters and their relationship. My mother grew up in a small town (and lives there still) with very little exposure to the larger, liberal society that I inhabit so unconsciously now. Not to say that she is sheltered, because the opposite is true; she's a tough cookie. But aside from vicariously traveling through television or books, she just hasn't been to a lot of places. She is not a feminist. I worried about this when I told her I was writing erotica until I remembered that she's the one who lent me A. N. Roquelaure's The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. Then I remembered that she was also the one who gave me Fanny Hill by John Cleland. Oh yeah, I thought to myself. That's where I got started with erotica, all those years ago.

So, after I swallowed my surprise I said: Sure! Next time I see you I'll give you some cards. Tell everyone you know! She laughed, then launched into a discussion about my niece's daughter as though we hadn't just had the most amazing conversation.

My mother is really cool.

I'm a lucky girl. And really, I shouldn't have been surprised. These books are very popular, it just never occurred to me that the people who read them were women like my mother. Clearly I was wrong.

Has anyone else been surprised to find erotic romance on your mom's bookshelf? Or stuffed in your best friend's closet? Inquiring minds want to know.

Who is Erin Leaf?

What's my favorite junk food? If I could go on a date with anyone, who would it be? If I could do one taboo thing, what would it be?

These and a few more questions are answered over at Jenika Snow's Tales to Tantalize! Go, go, go, check out my interview and while you're there, enjoy an excerpt from my book, "The First Time is the Sweetest:"  Who is Erin Leaf?

What's the first romance novel you ever read?

Hey everyone!

I'm guest blogging over at Whipped Cream today:

Guest Blog: Erin Leaf

Topic? Romance novels, of course! I talk about the ones I stole from my mother and how much I love unresolved sexual tension. Stop by and share your first time.

Uh, I mean the first time you ever read a romance novel! What did you think I was talking about? ;-P

peace,

Erin M. Leaf

www.erinmleaf.com 

Breaking the ceiling and letting the sky in. . .

I was reading an article the other day about writing erotica, and one of the points the author mentioned is how much freedom there is in this genre.  In erotica, we can put things in our stories that you never find in other fiction novels. How many straight fiction novels deal with gay relationships? Or handle polyamorous romance with grace and humor instead of confusion? I've read some books where LGBT issues were touched upon, but usually in a tragic manner. What about interracial marriage? When was the last time you read a book where the heroine was a bit plump (and I'm not talking about a diet self-help book)?  In a way, even sci-fi and paranormal erotica do this, often by dealing with inter-species relationships and having characters that grow up feeling different from everyone else (because they're werewolves, or witches!). This is a mirror of our own life and the issues we face with fitting in and learning when we need to be true to our inner selves, despite the pain it may cause.

Erotic novels get to play with these issues and show readers that there can be a happy ending for these relationships. It may be a strange happy ending, something you've never encountered before, but the ability to write about them means they're in some way possible in reality. We can make what we imagine come true, metaphorically and emotionally. In some ways, despite the fantasy of love and fun that is so important to an erotic book, these novels are more realistic than traditional romances, because life is messy. We fall in love with the person (or people) our hearts want, not the person with the biggest paycheck or the most sedate background, or the one your family likes. These novels help push aside the barriers we as a society so often parrot because of peer pressure and fear.

A friend of mine finished my book the other day and emailed me with a note about gay marriage and how so much of what we think relies on what we know: "Just an odd thought that popped up as I read your book, that society deems what is acceptable relationships, and anything outside of that norm is immediately considered taboo. I like that your book explored a healthy relationship outside of the norm." Unfamiliarity breeds terror, usually. The first time I ate guacamole I felt like I was eating snot! But I love it now, and I like to think that romantica authors are in the forefront of the movement to enrich our society and promote love instead of fear.

peace,

Erin M. Leaf

www.erinmleaf.com