Whee! I’m happy to participate in the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop, presented by Natasha Blackthorne, and Close Encounters!  The whole point of this hop is to giveaway something terribly wicked, and to celebrate all things naughty!

I have a confession to make. I often host erotica authors on my site who are afraid to be naughty. Upon my instruction to be bold, they provide insightful guest posts, witty interviews, and deep perspective into their wicked wordy ways. All good things.  However, while many erotica authors unleash unholy desires in their books, they’re not enthusiastic about being provocative outside that comfort zone–with good reason.  Some aren’t comfortable bringing a personal angle to their naughty bits. Others carry concerns over legalities and the enforcement of age restrictions on websites.

There are ways to be provocative outside the writing world, that don’t involve constant spewing of explicit content. I personally don’t know what they are, but I’m sure it can be done. Seriously, though. All of my readers may not get off on the same things, but they all enjoy being turned on. Everyone of them wants to be moved by words, and left smoldering by their effect.

We can blog about those turn-ons without being raunchy and still be sexy, edgy, thrilling. We can not just list our favorite erotic reads, but talk about how they left us feeling, and why. We can discuss characters that changed our minds on a particularly gritty or intense subject. We can marvel at plots that left us craving intimacy that prior wasn’t even on our radar.

Readers don’t really care what position you really do it in, or what’s under your side of the bed (OK, some do, but stay away from those readers).  They want to know what makes their favorite erotica authors bring it to the page, again and again. Erotica authors are sexy. Readers don’t care who we are, what we look like, or our life dreams. They want to know what makes us ache enough to write down our most sensual, naughtiest of thoughts for all the world to see.

That kind of intimate bond can’t be bought, even at Amazon. Erotica authors, we can’t be afraid to step up our platforms and talk real about the smut muse. S/he is, after all, why we do this, and how we engage readers to start with.

So, if you’re feeling naughty and wish to spread the cheer, make sure to stop by each site on the hop, and comment for a chance to win the giveaway at each site. Comment to tell me what naughty things you are most grateful for, and a random commenter will win a free ebook of Journal of a Lycanthrophile. Make sure you really want to win this one. It’s all kinds of button-pushing, paranormal BDSM naughty.