I.G. Frederick

New Collection

Wed, 23 May 2012 20:51:06 GMT

Today I published the first short story in a new collection, When Two's Not Enough. You can purchase the story, "Honeymoon," for $2.99 or wait until the entire five-story collection (which will include two, never-before-published stories) is available in July. (If you can't wait until July, send me an e-mail, we'll work something out. ;-)

One reader called Honeymoon "a steamy and fun read. The premise is a clever and insightful twist about what's sexy." The story, first published by Ravenous Romance, was inspired by the Mallory Todd.

Guest Post and Radio Appearance

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:17:00 GMT

Sometimes I get so busy juggling all the balls I have in the air, I forget to take a breath and share some of what's happening here. I'm a little better about posting news on Facebook, Twitter, and Google, so if you're not subscribing, following, or circling me there, please do.

Two "appearances" of interest from the past few weeks:

Monday, April 30, my guest blog post on Avoiding Abuse in the Search for D/s appeared on BDSM Book Reviews.

Also last month, I appeared on Oregon Public Radio's Public Insight Network. I answered the question of what I would do if I was mayor. It aired on April 26 and a photograph Patrick took of a street in our neighborhood appeared on the blog post.

A Night to Remember

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:50:11 GMT

To celebrate the release of Playing With Dolls in print, I've published a free short story excerpt, "A Night to Remember."

Jesse, 18, is effeminate and more comfortable wearing women's clothes than men's. Of course, this means he must be gay. He's had a few sexual experience with other boys and hated them. A Lesbian couple befriends him and they enjoy dressing him up and showing him off. One night, they take him downtown for an experience he'll never forget.

You can download the story in pdf, epub, or mobi from my website, or find those and other formats at Smashwords.

Edin Road Radio

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:51:56 GMT

Yesterday, I had a lovely discussion about BDSM and gender issues with Jesse V. Coffey on Edin Road Radio. I also shared an excerpt from Playing With Dolls (you can click on the link or listen below).

Playing With Dolls is now available in print as well as in ebook (you can purchase ePub, PDF, and mobi at OC Press).

One door closes, another opens

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:57:24 GMT

Adding to all the grief related to the PayPal bullying (which has not ended), I have had to change links in books and on websites (mine and others) to another retailer which decided it no longer will accept work by indie authors. (They gave logistical issues that had nothing to do with payment as a reason, so I won't call them out.)

I hate only pointing to Amazon, both because it's also a corporate bully (the above link discusses that as well) and because it only offers books in one format. I also don't like pointing to Smashwords for my novels. Even though I earn more money per book sale, the reader experience isn't as nice because the efforts I put into design are lost in the meat grinder.

So, I was delighted to find a very welcome retail environment on OC Press. I was not unfamiliar with this publisher, Oysters & Chocolate bought one of my poems, The Drummer, back in '10. All four of my novels are now available for sale there in pdf, mobi, and epub format. The staff was very easy to work with and very enthusiastic about carrying my work. They even have a category specifically for Banned Erotica. Check them out.

Playing With Dolls

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:59:25 GMT

My fourth novel, Playing With Dolls, is now for sale as an ebook at Amazon (Kindle only) and OC Press (ePub, PDF, and mobi). It will be available at various other online outlets and print in the next few weeks, but if you don't want to wait, you can start reading it now from either of those stores.

Playing with Dolls was inspired when I read a letter to an advice columnist in which the writer complained that her friend was going to marry an "obviously" gay man -- obvious, according to her, because he was effeminate. I wrote a letter to that columnist which refuted those concerns based on the possibility that the couple in question might have a FemDom/sissy boy relationship. Of course, my letter was ignored, because everyone knows all effeminate males are gay.

I know lots of effeminate males. Ninety percent are straight and most of the other 10 percent are bisexual. I also know many Gay males. Most of them are about as macho as a guy can be. You're not likely to find a more butch male than a Gay leatherman. Unlike macho straight guys, Gay leathermen have absolutely no exposure to anything female in their personal lives. But our society insists on equating "feminine male" with "gay."

Jesse enjoyed playing with dolls and wearing girls' clothing as a child. His liberal father, resigned to having a gay son, encourages Jesse's involvement in the LGBT youth culture of Eugene, Oregon where they live. On his eighteenth birthday, Jesse has his first sexual experience and hates it. A few months later, he is befriended by a Lesbian couple who introduces him to S&M. When they move away, he flounders, pretending to be a woman to get a job. Although Tony, a handsome leatherman, rescues him, Jesse finds the price too high for his liking. Then Tony takes his boys to Paradise and Jesse learns things about himself that he finds very difficult to accept.

PayPal Cyberbully or Big Brother?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:47:15 GMT

So much has been written about PayPal, why write more? Because the bullying didn't start last month and I doubt it has ended, despite the apparent PayPal capitulation.

I detailed a recent history of some PayPal transgressions and make a case for finding an alternative in PayPal Back Pedals: Excuse Me if I Don’t Celebrate on 4-Letter Words.

To ban or not to ban

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:19:11 GMT

Yesterday, as part of Eden Connor's "Dirty Mind vs. Debit Card" series, I discussed the stories behind my stories that have been banned and how my books that are so "offensive" were inspired by real life abuse.

Today, I received word that Broken and Shattered have been reviewed and re-activated by All Romance ebooks and are now available there for sale (although you have to be logged in to see them, unlike romance books such as Dommemoir).

While this is good news, it doesn't change what I wrote for yesterday's post on "Dirty Mind vs. Debit Card." They were re-activated because, although the consent is questionable, there is consent.

Now, I ask, which is more psychologically traumatic -- rape by a stranger or a trusted adviser/teacher/therapist taking advantage of someone's vulnerability to use them sexually? In the first case, the victim knows they've been violated. In the second case they often don't.

While I'm pleased that Broken and Shattered are again available for sale, I question the differentiation. I don't believe non-consensual sex should be banned from written works. I'm disturbed that a ban on non-consensual sex accepts dubious consent.

COVER DESIGNER - NYLA ALISIA

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:09:48 GMT

I should have posted this last week, but things have been a little crazy, especially with all the controversy surrounding PayPal's attempts to censor legal fiction. I've been busy ranting about censorship, changing tags, taking Broken and Shattered off one retailer's site, etc.

But, last week, Blak Rayne published a great interview with cover designer Nyla Alisia and promoted it as "what an interesting and amazing life." Nyla discusses how she became a cover designer, the process she uses to design a cover, and how she came up with the cover for Dommemoir.

"When designing a cover, I have to understand the writer, as well as understand what has been written and who it was written for. That is just the beginning: next I must discover what sets that piece of writing apart from everything else it is going to be competing with on the store shelf, and how to get that message across at a glance." Read the full interview at Blak Rayne's blog.

Jarod

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:47:19 GMT

To celebrate the re-release of Dommemoir, I've published a new edition of the short story "Jarod" (an excerpt from Dommemoir) for free. You can download a PDF from my website, an ePub from Gooodreads, a Kindle version from Amazon or various versions (including Kindle) from Smashwords.

Geneviéve, a forty-something divorcée, accepts an offer from a twenty-four-year-old co-worker to help her move into her new condo. She volunteers to make him dinner as a thank you, but he has other ideas..

Warning: This book will change women's perspective on relationship dynamics forever.

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:58:27 GMT

I'm so very excited about the second edition of Dommemoir.

First, the new cover is AMAZING. Created by the talented Nyla Alisia, it does everything a book cover is supposed to do -- give potential readers an idea of the book's tone and tantalize them with enough about the story to tempt them to peek inside.

Second, she came up with the awesome tagline: "Warning: This book will change women's perspective on relationship dynamics forever." (After reading Dommemoir, Nyla, who is beautiful as well as talented, has now decided she would like to be a Domina, so if any submissive toys are looking for an owner, you can contact her through me.)

In addition, the ebook is now interactive -- readers can click through to the glossary if they run into any of the defined terms they don't know.

It's now available in all e-book formats on Erotica Romance Books and All Romance Books (as well as on Amazon for the Kindle only) for $6.95. The print book should be available next week for only $14.95.

Geneviéve, a forty-something divorcée, tries to spice up her life and get her chores done by dabbling in the BDSM lifestyle. Instead, she discovers her true nature. Nicolas, a bank executive, hides from his need for enslavement most of his adult life. Told in their own words, Dommemoir reveals how they must defy cultural norms and suffer through numerous obstacles to search for what they need, despite society's condemnation.

Voyeur Eyes Only

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:10:39 GMT

As I've described in numerous places, the Erotic Author’s Association Inaugural Conference was an amazing experience. Essemoh Teepee came up with the idea of a collected work by some of the talent at the conference.

Now, Voyeur Eyes Only: Erotic Encounters in Sin City is available on Kindle with stories by me, Cecilia Tan, Laura Antoniou, K D Grace, D. L. King, Genevieve Ash, Courtney Breazile, and many other talented writers. The book also will be available soon in print and other electronic formats from Xcite Books.

In addition, Voyeur Eyes Only will be available as an audio book. You can listen to me and some of the other contributors to this volume describe our inspiration for the stories included. And, best of all for the authors involved, all royalties from the books will go to support the Second Erotic Author’s Association Conference.

Publishing vs Writing

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:55:05 GMT

Wednesday I joined those blacking out to protest SOPA. Although I have been a victim of piracy, mine is the type of writing that SOPA could be used to censor.

Since June 1, 2011, Wednesday has also been the day I usually publish new fiction. For 33 weeks, every week, I have published an e-book: a short story, collection of short stories or novel.

Most of that was backlist -- stories that had already been published. Some were new and some were stories that never quite found the right fit in someone else's magazine or collection.

I've learned a lot along the way. I've even delved into paper book publishing with the new editions of Broken and Shattered .

But, with that kind of publication schedule to maintain I've written very little new fiction over the past seven months. I did, finally, finish my fourth erotica novel, Playing with Dolls.. And I've written several new short stories. But, I've decided I want to spend more time writing than publishing.

I'm not going to stop putting up more work. I plan on publishing the second edition of Dommemoir in the next week or two. And, Playing with Dolls. will be published in February or March. I still have short stories to publish, including some new ones I've been working on.

But, the weekly publishing schedule was grueling and I'm going to pull back to every other week or perhaps only twice a month. In the long run, that will give my readers more material, because if I continue this schedule, I'm going to run out.

For now, you've got lots to choose from on Smashwords and Amazon.

Complicated Couplings

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:56:03 GMT

When someone lists their relationship as "it's complicated" on social media sites, do you want to ask them why? In Complicated Couplings you get four sexy stories about relationships that are just a little bit complicated for a variety of reasons.

The Stories are available individually for 99 cents each or save almost a dollar and by the whole collection for $2.99:

If You Love Someone ... Tara left her husband to move in with Nathan, only to have him abandon her after a few months. When Michael enters the picture, he introduces her to a whole new way of looking at love. Then Nathan returns, begging Tara to take him back.

Commiserate: Mark Zellen dumped both of them. When they get together to commiserate, they discover they have more in common than an ex-boyfriend.

Passion's Price: Richard stole Gina's heart from three thousand miles away. But, when he moved across the country to be with her, her intensity and passion for life drove him away. When he tries to get her back, he discovers without passion, Gina's just a shell.

Lunchtime Lover: When they started their affair, they were both married to someone else and promised each other love wasn't an option. But, when Lisa's divorce was final, Collin's behavior changed.

Some Thoughts on Censorship

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:36:45 GMT

I wrote about the censorship I encountered regarding Broken's cover on K D Grace's blog "A Hopeful Romantic."

KD and I met at the inaugural Erotica Authors Association conference in Las Vegas last year and we discovered mutual admiration for fabulous dirty-mindedness. Shortly afterward, she cunningly asked me to write a guest post for her blog. When I discovered that Smashwords required that I change Nyla's beautiful cover of Broken if I wanted premium distribution, I knew her blog was the best place to discuss the issue of pervasive corporate censorship.

The day I submitted my post to her, I learned that KD has been nominated for the XCite Book Awards Best Blog. So, after you read my post, please cast another vote for her blog.

Thanks!

Please Vote

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:04:35 GMT

The cover of my book Shattered, designed by Nyla Alisia, has been nominated in the Preditor's & Editors Reader's Poll for best Cover Artwork published in 2011. She did an amazing job capturing the horror that Zachary suffered in the book and I'd really appreciate it if you would vote for her. (Scroll down or search for Shattered. You'll be asked for an e-mail address, but the only e-mail you'll receive is the one giving you the link you need to confirm your vote.)

In addition, my short story, "Blind Date," was nominated for best Romance Short Story published in 2011.

The poll closes tomorrow (Jan. 10). Your vote, and your support, is most appreciated.

FREE excerpt from Shattered

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:55:51 GMT

This week I've published a FREE excerpt from Shattered on Smashwords. You can download and read the first three chapters. (I've put it up on Amazon as well, but for now it's listed at 99 cents because Amazon doesn't offer a "free" option. However, you can download a Kindle version from Smashwords as well as ePub, LRF, PDF, and PDB. You can also read it online.)

There's no sex or S&M in those first three chapters, but that quickly changes if you buy the book to continue reading. Just remember, this is not a romance, it's a cautionary tale about abuse and the meaning of consent. You may find the story arousing, or you may find it revolting. But, I hope you will at least find it thought provoking.

Shattered: Jessica shatters Zachary when she forces him to remember the sexual abuse he suffered as a child. A drunk driver destroys Alyssa when he kills her slave/lover. Zachary and Alyssa work together to help each other heal, but their recovery could shatter Jessica's world. Just how far is the point of no return?

You also can find pdf excerpts from both Broken and Shattered, on my website. (Click on the book covers on the left hand side of most pages.)

Lunchtime Lover

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:58:19 GMT

What exactly is happy ever after or even happy for now? In erotic romance, it's when the two people the story's about make a commitment to a future together. But that's not always the best outcome for both.

In today's story, Lunchtime Lover, Lisa has to decide how to find her own happy ending. When they started their affair, they were both married to someone else and promised each other love wasn't an option. But, when Lisa's divorce was final, Collin's behavior changed.

"Collin reached up and pulled her back into his arms, kissing her forehead and running one hand slowly up and down her back. She looked into his eyes, hoping to lose herself in the jolt his gaze always sent through her and forget that he might not spend anymore leisurely lunch hours in her bed."

Free Excerpt of Broken

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:53:47 GMT

This week I've published a FREE excerpt from Broken on Smashwords. You can download and read the first three plus chapters. (I've put it up on Amazon as well, but for now it's listed at 99 cents because Amazon doesn't offer a "free" option. However, you can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.)

There's no sex or S&M in those first three and a half chapters, but that quickly changes if you buy the book to continue reading. Just remember, this is not a romance, it's a cautionary tale about abuse and the meaning of consent. You may find the story arousing, or you may find it revolting. But, I hope you will at least find it thought provoking.

You also can find an excerpt from the sequel, Shattered, on my website. (Click on the book covers on the left hand side of most pages.) It will be available on Smashwords at the beginning of the year.

Broken: Jessica lived luxuriously until her father lost everything in the dot.com bust. To continue her graduate studies and support herself, Jessica begs her professor for a research assistant's position. He refuses unless she agrees to also serve as his slave. When in desperation she consents, he breaks her. Then, Jessica discovers she has a Dominant streak and exploits it. Some things can never be fixed.

Passion's Price

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:36:14 GMT

Today's story, Passion's Price, was too long for most of the markets I sold my fiction to. One editor expressed interest in it, but asked that I cut the length by more than a third. She sent it back because that had required removing all the juicy parts and it no longer was sexy enough for her publication.

Another advantage of indie publishing is that the story, rather than an arbitrary number set by a publisher, is allowed to set its own word count.

Richard stole Gina's heart from three thousand miles away. But, when he moved across the country to be with her, her intensity and passion for life drove him away. When he tries to get her back, he discovers without passion, Gina's just a shell.

"Before leaving for the airport, Gina had lowered the shades in the bedroom, turned down the lights, and stretched a half dozen strands of soft, cotton rope across freshly laundered satin sheets. When his eyes found the bed, Richard inhaled sharply, a low moan emanating from his throat. He wrapped his hand in her hair again and tugged until Gina knelt in front of him. The pressure on her hair pulled her head back, forcing her to look into his eyes. The cold glint sent a shiver through her."

Commiserate

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:42:44 GMT

Inspired by a conversation overheard at a cocktail party, Commiserate was originally published by Foreplay 6 a year ago. Of course, the two women I overheard only became best friends after they broke up with the same guy. But, since I have a dirty mind ...

Mark Zellen dumped both of them. When they get together to commiserate, they discover they have more in common than an ex-boyfriend.

"The only thing adventurous we ever did was that three-way and he got pissed because Tamara and I spent more time making out with each other than with him. I think he wanted us to fulfill a guy fantasy about two women doing some kind of porn flick thing with him. But he wasn't man enough for one of us, never mind both."

If You Love Someone ...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:49:03 GMT

When it was first published, in 2008, the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll named "If You Love Someone ..." one of the top ten romantic short stories published in 2008.

Now, it's available to read for only 99 cents.

Tara left her husband to move in with Nathan, only to have him abandon her after a few months. When Michael enters the picture, he introduces her to a whole new way of looking at love. Then Nathan returns, begging Tara to take him back.

"...Michael moved his hands down to her ass, boosted her up over his shoulder, and carried her back into the bedroom. He tossed her on the bed, knocking the wind out of her. With practiced moves, he rolled her over while stripping off her robe, and she ended up on her back, naked. Michael reached over her to the floor and pulled up the leather cuff attached by a chain to the bed leg. Within minutes, he had strapped restraints to her wrists and ankles, and she lay spread-eagle across the bed. From the nightstand, he removed a blindfold and a ball gag which he tied into position."

Broken and Shattered are back in print

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:08:44 GMT

Broken and Shattered are back in print.

One of the advantages of the new publishing environment is that I've been able to reduce the price of the print editions to $11.95 while still earning more per book sale than I did when they were $16.95. I've also reduced the cost of the few first edition copies that I have available for sale if anyone wants a signed collector's item.

They new books have fabulous new covers designed by my friend Nyla Alisia (whose amazing talent you can hire through Pussy Cat Press). And, if $11.95 is too pricey, you can get e-books for only $4.95 at Erotica Romance books, Amazon, and other outlets.

If you've read the books, I would appreciate it if you'd take the time to post a review on Amazon. Because these second editions have different ISBNs, any previously posted reviews are no longer associated with the books.

Cougar Conquests

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:56:43 GMT

After a couple of weeks dedicated to getting the second editions of Broken and Shattered published as e-book (available now) and print book (available soon), today I'm back to publishing short stories.

I have just released Cougar Conquests, which includes four sexy stories (Benjamin, Paddles, Starting Over, Jarod) about beautiful Cougars on the prowl and the sweet young cubs captured by their allure. Or, is it the other way around?

Benjamin: A sexy and tantalizing BDSM tale about one young man's initiation. Lady Gina introduces Benjamin to BDSM and trains him in servitude. But, she finds herself falling in love with the eager youngster. She decides to end the relationship rather than torture herself emotionally.

Paddles: A biker bar with no bikers? William stopped for a beer in a small town in Eastern Oregon and was puzzled by the decor, name, and patrons of the local bar. Then he met the owner who introduced him to the secrets of this very special tavern.

Starting Over: Since her pet walked out on her, she'd stayed away from parties. It hurt to watch other women playing with their toys when she didn't have one of her own. Then a friend coerced her into attending a very special event.

Jarod: Geneviéve, a forty-something divorcée, accepts an offer from a twenty-four-year-old co-worker to help her move into her new condo. She volunteers to make him dinner as a thank you, but he has other ideas.

Just how far is the point of no return?

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:24:34 GMT

Today, I published the e-book of Shattered and learned that I will receive the rights to Dommemoir back at the end of the year. I can't wait to see what an amazing cover my friend Nyla Alisia (whose fabulous talent you can hire through Pussy Cat Press) will create for that book.

As I mentioned last week, Shattered was inspired by someone I knew who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his therapist.

Next week, I will go back to publishing short stories on Wednesdays. I also, hope to have the print versions of the second editions of Broken and Shattered available.

Jessica shatters Zachary when she forces him to remember the sexual abuse he suffered as a child. A drunk driver destroys Alyssa when he kills her slave/lover. Zachary and Alyssa work together to help each other heal, but their recovery could shatter Jessica's world. Just how far is the point of no return?