Naked Reader Book Club Discussion: Carnal Machines, Edited by D.L. King (July 12, 8-10 PM EST)

The Succubus was actually the first steampunk piece I had ever written. And I wasn't all that familiar with the nuances of the genre, despite having friends who are heavily into the culture (Anyone see the steampunk episode of Castle? I know several people from the club scene -- including the guy who made the arm that Castle was playing with later in the episode!)

So... I wrote the story, and sent it off to a couple of steamy friends (not that kind of steamy.) They made suggestions about the tone and what needed to be stressed -- things like the aesthetic of the time period, which is very important in steampunk. I fixed those details, sent it off, and the rest is history.

Since then, I've done a LOT more research into Victoriana. It really is fascinating. I'm a member of the Central Florida Steampunk Society, and working on my own persona (which is still a little nebulous -- something like a cross between Madame and a lady scholar.) less

"The Flight of the Prairie Lily", in Best Womens' Erotica several years back when Marcy Sheiner was editing them. 03, maybe. Reprinted in my Rode Hard, Put Away Wet anthology. In the new story she alludes to her previous affair with the Madam of an elegant Wyoming whorehouse (who provides silk sheets to patch the old balloon.). less

I've enjoyed reading steampunk, but this was my first attempt at writing it. I've written Victorian-set erotica before, and SF/fantasy, and I've read scads of Victorian novels (including both speculative fiction and erotica) so it came pretty naturally. less

The Succubus was actually the first steampunk piece I had ever written. And I wasn't all that familiar with the nuances of the genre, despite having friends who are heavily into the culture (Anyone see the steampunk episode of Castle? I know several people from the club scene -- including the guy who made the arm that Castle was playing with later in the episode!)

So... I wrote the story, and sent it off to a couple of steamy friends (not that kind of steamy.) They made suggestions about the tone and what needed to be stressed -- things like the aesthetic of the time period, which is very important in steampunk. I fixed those details, sent it off, and the rest is history.

Since then, I've done a LOT more research into Victoriana. It really is fascinating. I'm a member of the Central Florida Steampunk Society, and working on my own persona (which is still a little nebulous -- something like a cross between Madame and a lady scholar.) less

I work on something else. I always have more than one story going at any given time. Right now I have one erotic novel in progress, an erotic shared-world project that needs more world-building before I pitch it to a publisher, one mainstream novel in progress (steampunk on the high seas!), and one YA romance novel in outline (yeah, I do mainstream stuff, too. Not published in those yet, and when I do, it won't be under my given name. Too many mothers will have heart failure!)

And if that doesn't work, I go do dishes (plot bunnies are water soluble!) or weed the garden or go to the gym. The gym works well -- endorphins get the writer brain flowing! less

I work on something else. I always have more than one story going at any given time. Right now I have one erotic novel in progress, an erotic shared-world project that needs more world-building before I pitch it to a publisher, one mainstream novel in progress (steampunk on the high seas!), and one YA romance novel in outline (yeah, I do mainstream stuff, too. Not published in those yet, and when I do, it won't be under my given name. Too many mothers will have heart failure!)

And if that doesn't work, I go do dishes (plot bunnies are water soluble!) or weed the garden or go to the gym. The gym works well -- endorphins get the writer brain flowing! less