Friday, November 20, 2009

Fetish Friday #25: B Is for Bondage


I've talked about dungeons and submission and boot-licking. Hair and tickling and fucking cartoons. But as far as I can tell, up until now, I haven't dedicated a Fetish Friday post to bondage. And you know how I feel about bondage.

Learning to Love It, my first novel for Virgin, was all about a naive girl's introduction to bondage. And yet I can't really remember when *I* was that naive girl. Looking back, I feel as if was always aware of wanting to be tied down, wanting to be cuffed, wanting what I wanted with such an scalding-hot intense desire from the get-go.

My first short story that I ever sent out was BDSM-themed. The editor at Playgirl magazine wrote me a personal note that said she liked the story but it was too dark. (She accepted my second, more-vanilla piece, which still included a blindfold and bondage!) Bondage on a Budget, written back in the 90s, was the first bondage-themed collection I wrote. And my first ever pitch to Cleis was actually called B is for Bondage (I also pitched S is for Spanking at the same time)—long before I ever showed them my whole erotic ABC list. They chose the bondage-theme and let me run with Best Bondage Erotica (which as sold more than 22,000 copies), then Best Bondage Erotica 2, Hurts So Good, Slave to Love, Love at First Sting, and Pleasure Bound.











Bondage is in my blood.

Luckily, I'm not the only one. Check this out. A few quick keystrokes on Google wins you: 1 - 10 of about 1,360,000 for fetish + bondage. (0.21 seconds). And Wikipedia has several pages dedicated to bondage. My favorites:

Bondage (BDSM), the practice of tying people up for pleasure
Self bondage, the practice of tying oneself up just for fun or for pleasure

I find that adorable. "Just for fun or pleasure."

My very first real boyfriend (as opposed to all those faux beaus I had lining up to ask me out) used handcuffs on me. But then I was with a series of vanilla men, who honestly scared me to death. I'd always thought that once you were out and about in the world, you'd be able to get what you want. It hadn't occurred to me that what I wanted would freak someone out. That what I wanted was wrong or bad or repugnant. I tamped down my desires for several years and tried my best to fit into the seriously restricted fantasies of one of my men. He employed a different type of bondage. Emotional bondage. When I broke free of those restraints, I made a promise to myself never to be with a man who thought my dirty fantasies were dirty. If you know what I mean.

You know, I've been out of that headspace for so long that it's amazing to me I can still crawl right back beneath the cloak shame. So quickly. So genuinely. When I think about how Byron reacted to my desire to be bound—when I think about that drunken night when I confessed all of my darkest fantasies—a shudder runs through me.

Because I am on a new computer, I do not have access to the miles of bondage-themed files that were on my old hard drive. So again, I put out the call to you. If you have bondage-related snips to share, please post them on your blog, and let us know where to go in the comments.

Here's a little excerpt from my story in Rachel Kramer Bussel's collection Mile High Club, which is proof that I like to add kink to just about any theme.:

“With a blindfold on, doesn’t matter if there are lights or not.”

Oh, god, he was right. Who cared if there were lights? Who cared if we had one of those power outages that often happens when the city gets too darn hot for its own good. No, that’s not the same as living in the wilderness, but it’s about as close to camping as I ever get.

In this manufactured darkness, I kept up my monologue. Sasha had not only put the idea in my head—she’d given me the gift of a $5,000 vacation. Guilt had me nearly as giddy as Adrien’s tongue.

“Sasha said that the nights were so still you can hear yourself breathing.”

“I hear myself breathing all the time,” Adrien said, bending down to me, letting me lift my head to press my ear to his broad chest. The steady rise and fall of his breath soothed me, as much as the sound of traffic outside our window.

Would I be able to handle no sound at all?

Adrien pumped himself over my body, and even with the blindfold on, I could visualize what he looked like: long dark hair pushed off his forehead. Dark blue eyes focused intently on my own face, watching for the changes in my expressions that would let him know I was getting closer. His cock dipped between the lips of my pussy, and I could feel how wet I was. He thrust in again, slim hips meeting my body, and then he rotated slowly, so that his cock stirred me up inside. Finally, I gave up playing little-miss-travelogue. Fucking Adrien always takes me away—as neatly as a jet slicing through the dark velvet sky. I couldn’t speak when he worked me like that. On a bed. In the middle of the night, with the hot air around us and the lullaby of traffic out our window.

But that made me think of one more selling point: “You’re all by yourself,” Sasha had said. “You and Adrien would be the only people there. Your own private oasis. Your own private island.”

Adrien undid the bindings on my wrists and slid the blindfold from my face. I hadn’t come yet. Neither had he. I felt as if I might melt in the heat, melt from desire, from the way he was watching me. Somehow, I didn’t realize his plan until he pushed up the window and dragged me out onto our fire escape. I was naked, and I gripped onto the cool metal and looked down at the San Francisco traffic as he positioned himself behind me. His body was warm and strong, and he held my hips and drove in, hard.

No noise, Sasha said. No people. No lights. No sound.

But fuck me, I like the noise.

And I found myself adding to the cacophony as Adrien rocked his cock in to the hilt. Couldn’t keep myself quiet as he wet his cock with my own juices, then slipped the head between the cheeks of my ass. Pressed there—ready. Waiting.

I groaned and lowered my head to my chest, desperate to climax. Adrien ran one hand down the front of my body, as his cock pushed into my ass. His fingers landed naturally on my clit, rubbing, rubbing to get me over the edge, to loosen me up to the pain-pleasure of the throb of his cock. His fingers became my metronome, ticking, tickling, so that he managed to time my climax with his own.

If we were all by ourselves, then we couldn’t be exhibitionists, could we?

If we were all alone, then just like that tagline in Alien, nobody would be able to hear me scream.


*****


Oh, this clip reminds me that Shanna has a piece up about beauty. Finding beauty in cities or country or up or down. I *do* find beauty in cities. In fact, I have been drawn to them my whole life. In a gallery show recently, the only painting I wanted to bid on was a sky cut by wires. Everything else in the place was pastoral. (For some reason, my link to her blog is not working right now.)

Finally, I'm on a search. I saw this pair of slacks the other day, and after Googling madly, I learned that they are called "bondage pants or bondage trousers." Can you believe it? Here's the definition I found: "Bondage pants are trousers with superfluous zippers, straps, chains, rings and buckles, giving an appearance of a BDSM style. They come in a variety of colors and patterns; one of the most common patterns being tartan. They also come in a variety of styles, including tight or baggy, long, short or Capri."

The best ones I can find are in the UK. Let me know if you find a link to a local distributor, will ya? I think I need some Tartan ones!

XXX,
Alison

P.S. If you'd like to review any one of my bondage books on Amazon, please drop me a note and I'll send you a copy. You've got a slew to choose from!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Yes No Maybe


Oh, I love this! But you knew I would!

XXX,
Alison

Smart Mudflap Girl


Jeremy Edwards found this awesome sticker for me in about .03 seconds after I put out a request! And the sticker is the perfect illustration to go with Sommer Marsden's guest blog on Slipper Books!

Go look!

XXX,
Alison

Tightly Tucked


I missed this review from July of Rachel Kramer Bussel's Do Not Disturb. Here's the blurb about my piece:

Alison Tyler's Tightly Tucked is an example of perfectly plotted tension in the form of the anal retentive Sophie who represents a character we're all familiar with. She is uptight and fastidious to the point of annoyance, as indicated by her gesture of making the bed when there is no need to make the bed - tightly tucking the corners of the bedding. Tyler draws the reader into the relationship. In fact, it's the kind of relationship that puts one off the C word. In Tightly Tucked, commitment is akin to incarceration. The reader wonders what Elian saw in Sophie, why he has come so far in the relationship to book a short stay away? But we are all aware of people that live within lackluster relationships all the time. Hell, some of us have experienced relationship drudgery, often living life in auto pilot until life/circumstance steps in. Tightly Tucked resolves itself with hot sex, but sex aside, this story made me ponder the sexual psyche, how easy it is for people to actually ignore their sexual imprint and the consequences of such ignorance.

I hate to admit this (and Jo, shhh, if I've said this before), but I have honestly made beds in hotel rooms before. No, really.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. I love this necklace. But even more than the necklace, I love the write-up for the necklace: This quirky, imperfect pendant is made from a recycled ceramic tile. A bail has been fixed to the back, and it is decoupaged and coated with Diamond Glaze for a smooth, glassy finish. A bail has been fixed to the back with glue. This retro-vintage style looks like the horrible wallpaper on that hotel which you wish you couldn't remember the night you spent there.

I am looking for...


...a car emblem. I saw it on, yeah, a car. (Thank you all for hanging in there with me. Coffee is just brewing.) This emblem, magnet, adornment, car jewelry—whatever you want to call the thing—was a silhouette of a girl holding a book. You know, like a smart hottie. A mudflap girl with a novel in hand. Except she had a ponytail and didn't appear to be naked. I thought I'd find the item with no trouble. I'm a pretty good internet sleuth. But I cannot find the thing online!

Would you believe, though, that while looking for a silver car magnet to put up as an image with today's post I found an ALISON car emblem? How fucking cool is that?

Anyway, if you see this chrome girl reading a book, will you let me know?

XXX,
Alison

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Warriors come out to play...


I have never seen this film. But last night, I was telling Sam about a bit I saw on Jon Stewart. And without me even finishing the description, he started saying, "Warriors, come out to play..." And then he found this clip on YouTube. And then I told Sommer how Sam had caught this reference from a tiny little conversation we'd had, and without me even telling her the soundbite, she emailed back: "Warriors, come out to play...."

Clearly, I need to see the flick!

XXX,
Alison

The Vibrating Cock Ring Incident...


...or the VCRI, as we'll refer to yesterday's nooner from here on out, really did bring up memories of my stint as a sex toy reviewer. This was pre-internet—god, I'm old—or maybe just at the start of the internet. Nobody I knew had email. We still had a fax machine with curly paper. My editor at Playgirl, who had bought a handful of stories from me, tossed me this monthly gig reviewing toys, games, books and movies. $300 a pop. That would be good money even today!

What's funny is that almost as soon as I started, all of these companies began sending me their products. And not just products aimed at women. Yeah, I received a vibrator that was louder than my neighbor's Harley. And yeah, I won oceans of potions and edible lotions. But I also became the proud owner of nearly four dozen penis pumps.

No lie.

They'd arrive in huge cardboard boxes, surrounded by styrofoam peanuts. I'd pull one after the other out of the box, and my beau would look at me, and I'd look at him. Let's put it this way: he was not game. So I'd toss the pumps into paper bags and haul them to the hair salon where my best friend worked. She'd pass them out to the hair dressers and their clients—anyone who wanted to try.

No idea why that thought came to my head today. But it did.

I have written reviews of all sorts since high school, but the ones I did for Playgirl were the most fun. I never knew what to expect—a vibrator shaped like a beetle? Bzzz. Cock-shaped pasta? Pass the sauce!

XXX,
Alison

Kissing Kindles


Oh, look! Sommer Marsden's kinky kindle is kissing *my* kinky kindle! What could be kooler than that?

XXX,
Alison

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Oprah in Action


Violet Blue was on Oprah today, as I mentioned. I checked one of her stats this morning. The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn was at about 125,000 in the Amazon ranking. Right now, it's at 3,413.

Voila! The power of Oprah!

My boss was on Oprah back in the 90s. She was a romance novelist who had penned a delicious best-seller. I remember the power of Oprah was pretty strong back then, too. But now, with bookstores online, the ripple effect is instantaneous! Way to go, Smart Girl!

XXX,
Alison

P.S. I have to say, I found most of the viewer comments about the episode rather disheartening.

Vibrating Cock Ring, Included


Should there be a comma after "cock ring"? I'm just not sure. It looked odd to me both ways. See, my brain is addled because of all the fabulous sex we just had a lunch time. To avoid sharing Sam's radioactivity, we've been using condoms. And the latest batch I bought came with a free vibrating cock ring. Which I mentioned to Sam when he came home for lunch. You know, just casually. In passing.

He gave me a look before going upstairs.

"Alison..." I heard a few moments later. "I'd like to see you for a moment."

Or two. Or twelve.

I'm no professional sex toy reviewer (at least, I haven't been since I freelanced for Playgirl, back in the day). But wow, Trojan. You've won us over! Holy hell!

XXX,
Alison

C is for Corporeal



Jeremy Edwards is throwing a party!

We have a special event on the calendar for next week! On Tuesday, November, 17, the erotic whirlwind known as Sommer "Smut Girl" Marsden will be dropping by to celebrate her recent "Quickie," the delightfully delicious Corporeal. My buddy Smut Girl and I will be talking about one of her greatest talents and my favorite things: namely, the blending of humor and eros. I hope you'll join us for the laughter and the sex!

XXX,
Alison

P.S. Robbie Jenkins is accepting custom orders for dictionary definition pendants through 11/25. Every person I've bought these for has loved them. If you purchase one for a friend (or for yourself) will you let her know where you saw her work? (This is not a paid promo. I just think the girl rocks!)

Violet Blue on Oprah!


Violet says:

I am appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show next Tuesday, November 17th — the topic is women, erotica and pornography. I’m on the show with Jenna Jameson (heard of her?) and the PR materials call my work for Oprah “ground breaking and eye opening.” Yes, I’m hysterically excited! As soon as this post is done, I’m hitting the gym… again. More info is on my Facebook fan page.

Oh, and what's she wearing in the picture? Why, yes, it's a Robbie Jenkins original. A dictionary definition pendant for the words "Violet Blue."

XXX,
Alison

Monday, November 16, 2009

Master/Slave

As usual, I was looking for something completely different when these unreal cuffs popped up. I'd wear them both together, I think. Or one on each wrist. Or I'd give one to Georgia to wear in the morning, and swap with her in the afternoon.

I love creative, kinky people. Thank goodness for ETSY!

XXX,
Alison

Equal Opportunity Smutsters

I'm not even close to a D-cup! But I love the look of this necklace next to the dime.

Okay, so I'm back to say that the fabulous Jeremy Edwards has come up with a brilliant gift:

If you're out there avoiding a mammogram that you ought to get, make your appointment now and I'll send you a free copy of my Laura the Laugher e-book. Just act within the next 24 hours (more or less) to get the exam on your calendar, then drop me a line at jerotic AT gmail DOT com to claim your freebie. (Honor system—no documentation required, of course!)

How cool is that? You do something good for yourself and you win a prize! Of course, I don't want to play favorites. I like my male readers, too. So if *you* have put off some test, fellas, that you ought to do, and if you make an appointment today, drop me a note at msalisontyler at yahoo dot com, and I'll send a free PDF of your choice!

XXX,
Alison

P.S. Wow, I just learned a whole lot about prostate cancer in a few minutes. I do not know if the link I put up is the best one. But I am going to research more. I mean, check this out: "Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in the U.S. And is the second leading cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). It affects one out of every five men. A new case is diagnosed every three minutes."

Yeah, I'm a masochist...


I had a mammogram yesterday morning at 8:45. Can you imagine? On a Sunday? This was my first—and the technician was totally awesome. She had a slew of giddy little cartoons posted around the room. She told me that the toons had been brought in by a 95-year-old patient. Love that.

People have different views on how lighthearted one can or can't be in the face of cancer (breast, or otherwise). After last year in our house, I know that humor fucking helps. (Before one of Sam's business trips, I remember him saying, "I'm taking my cancer to San Francisco." Black humor looks good him.)

Oh, but that's not what my post is about. My post is about the fact that many of the women I told I was going to get a mammogram said they hadn't gotten one yet. Women older than I am. Women well into their 40s. They were scared of being squished flat. Of pain. Of embarrassment. I'm not making this up. Five different women sort of shrugged and said they hadn't gone, even though their doctors had told them to.

What gives? Yeah, I'm a masochist. So I'm the last person to ask if something hurt. But really, this didn't. I swear. The whole procedure was over in 15 minutes. Four pictures. Squished flat top to bottom and then side to side. No big deal.

So what are *you* waiting for?

XXX,
Alison

P.S. Fabulous plate is by Trixie Delicious ("Vandalized Vintage" has such a nice ring to it).

Didn't need to know


This morning, I Googled a friend to make sure I had her correct address to send off a birthday card and learned instead that she had donated a chunk of $$ to McCain's campaign. I had no idea that sort of information was online. I knew she and her husband were probably Republicans. But the topic hadn't come up in friendly conversation.

Damn.

I'm still mailing the card, of course. It was just such a weird thing to see bright and early on a Monday. I mean, you all know what a voyeur I am. But this made me feel sort of dirty. And not in that good way I like so much.

XXX,
Alison

Sunday, November 15, 2009

You Rock


Luckily, I'm not in the mood to linger on the negative. Afternoon Delight *also* won a brand-new review. And this one makes me feel all glittery:

Champagne Lickin Good
By Winter Babe

This book really moved me. I'm not usually a reader of erotica, but it was a friend of mine who inadvertently introduced me to this very excellent book. She too, or so I thought, wasn't a reader of erotica either. In fact she and her husband were devout churchgoers, but it seems even devout churchgoers like a bit of hot sauce in their love life.

I noticed the book on her coffee table, I reached for her newspaper, as a headline had caught my eye and there it was underneath, along with another of the same genre. She blushed and giggled, but later, after a few glasses of wine she opened up. Her husband had bought it and already read it and wanted her to read it. But he wanted her to read it naked and as she did so, he poured Champagne over her naked body and licked it off of her. And it apparently got very intimate indeed. How exquisitely erotic is that.

I had to get a copy and try this Champagne licking technique with my husband. It was wonderful. I also bought a copy of the other book on the coffee table because of her recommendation, it was Elizabeth Chamberlain's Absolute Erotica: The Definitive Collection. Both books were Champagne lickin good.


XXX,
Alison

P.S. Champagne Bubbles necklace is so adorable!

You Suck


On Friday, I saw another review pop up on Never Have the Same Sex Twice, and I zipped over to read it. And damn. The writer said:

not what I expected
from Happy Go Lucky:

This was not exactly what I expected. A few of the stories are sexy but a few really turned me off because I thought they crossed that fine line between sexy and degrading. If you are into erotica, then you will probably like it but if you are looking to spice things up with your partner, there are plenty of other books out there that do a better job in giving you ideas.

This was the 13th review the book received, and the review showed up on Friday the 13th. So maybe it's my unlucky review. I think I am (obviously, way too) invested in reviews because I work so fucking hard on the books. I mean, Never took me several years to write. I chose close to 100 snippets from my favorite erotic stories, and I featured nearly 20 full-length pieces in the book. I spent almost the entire advance on the stories and snips—so Never truly was a labor of love.

Even after more than two decades at this gig, I strive to be a better writer. I want to learn my weaknesses. But a review like this confounds me. This is probably because I have been working in smut so long, I think everyone sees the world with my view. I mean, degrading? Really? I'm baffled. I skimmed the TOC again, and in my opinion, these stories are so lighthearted and happy.

But that's just me.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. When you get a review like this, you can't help but hear "you suck." At least, if you are me. I'm not wallowing. I'm just saying.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

"I didn't have sex with him..."


"...he just went down on me."
"Oh, aren't we calling that 'sex' any more?"

I had to pause. When you're single, don't you think in terms of people you've messed around with and people you fucked? In my head at least, I hadn't had sex with M. But now, if Sam and some other slut (I mean girl) were to do what I did with M.—hell, yeah, I'd consider that sex.

For some reason, this struck me as a) hypocritical of me and 2) really pretty funny.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. Before Jo asks, it was good. I still remember.

Have I told you lately...

I just worship this card from Ghost Academy. I love the word awesome—as you all know. And I think the women with their coffees are divine.

Anyway, have I? Have I told you lately that you're freaking awesome? Because you are.

XXX,
Alison

You Sexy Writer, You


I just backed up over the start of this blog three different times. I began with "a friend." Then I changed it to "an acquaintance." How about this? Someone I know asked me for writing advice awhile back. I did my best. I like to help people. But sometimes writers want your help, and sometimes writers want you to tell them that they are fabulous. I have a difficult time figuring out one type from the other. Anyway, I gave this woman my honest advice. And guess what?

She just won a writing contest. $30 bucks! (Obviously, she is not quitting her day job.) But she is thrilled beyond measure, and I'm feeling all glowy for her. She said my notes really made a difference.

Truth be told, this year, I met with three different writers. Each one asked me for help. And all of them have been published this calendar year. In books and online. Not only in books I edited, either. I'm dead chuffed, I am!

XXX,
Alison

P.S. This dreamy photograph is called Tall Dark and Handsome.

Friday, November 13, 2009

"You had me at anal."


Oh, god, I love this shirt. It's too cool for school. But I have to say, I am just dying to write a letter to Marie Claire today. I stopped buying magazines awhile ago (aside from Esquire and Vanity Fair). And now I remember why. In MC this month, there is a LOVE/SEX column called "You Want Me to Do What?" The author writes about how she was dating a guy who wanted her to put on a strap-on. I knew as I started reading the piece that the writer was going to introduce a concept she considered subversive and then diss on it. And once more, I wondered why the magazine couldn't either publish a companion piece about someone who strapped one on and *enjoyed* it. Or a sidebar with info, like, "If you're interested in trying a strap-on, here's a book. Here's a video. Here's a tool." Or even, how about this? Skip the article with the slap and only publish one that's positive. One with the slant, "Hey, I was dating this guy, and he wanted me to try a strap-on, and I fucking loved it."

Sure, the author is entitled to her own opinion. But her opinion has been given so many times. Basically, all the Sex & the City episodes I saw were built like that: "Let's talk about threesomes. Now, let's talk about how threesomes fuck up a relationship." "Let's introduce spanking. Aren't people who like spanking weirdos?"

Enough.

Wouldn't you love to flip open a magazine and see a column called LOVE/SEX and read, "My guy wanted me to pee on him, and it was great." Or "My girl wanted to bind me down, and I loved it." Or "I was scared to try anal sex. Then I did. And oooooh wow!"

It's not just me, is it?

XXX,
Alison

P.S. If I had *you* at anal, why not buy our Kiss My Ass collection?

"I'm wearing your panties."


That's what I told Georgia. And I am. In a way. Of course, you all remember that Georgia doesn't wear panties. But she knows that I love them—and she bought me this killer pair. Which I revealed to her. In line at the grocery store. First I said, "I'm wearing your panties."

And then I flashed her.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. These were not the panties. But aren't they cute?

How could I forget?


Not only is today Friday—which I did remember—it's also Friday the 13th! Which is the perfect time to revisit Sommer Marsden's Lucky 13! Now, when's Friday the 69th going to be?

XXX,
Alison

P.S. For those of your keeping score, I have mentioned Lucky 13 previously. And damn. I still want that ring!

That's What She Said

So Jo kindly pointed out that I have repeated myself today. This used to worry me. Honestly. I'd do these mega searches to see if I said something before. If I did, but in a different way, I'd link to the first use. If I didn't, I'd heave a sigh of relief.

Now, after, um, 2147 posts, I've given up. I hope I don't bore you with endless repeats.

This used to worry me. Honestly.

Oh, god. Did I already say that?

Heh.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. When I wear this shirt, people often walk around to see if "what she said" is on the back of the shirt.

Fetish Friday #24: T is for Tattoos

I do have tattoos. I do love tattoos. This is a fetish that I can not only wrap my hands around—I can wrap my heart. I have to say that I've been somewhat obsessed with skin art since I was a kid. We had workers at our house, and one took off his shirt, exposing ink from neckline to waistline. I'd never seen anything like that. I actually drew on myself after that, trying to replicate what I'd seen. I guess I'm one of those people who never matures. I haven't really changed.

No surprise that I got inked almost as soon as I landed in L.A. And I'll tell you a secret: at one point in my life, I had the silly little concept that I'd get a tattoo for each novel I wrote. (Had no idea that I'd pen more than 25!) Someday, I'd love to do an erotic version of The Illustrated Man.

When you type in "tattoo" on ETSY, nearly 1,000 items pop up. When you type in "tattoo" + "fetish" on Google, the search engine finds 4,390,000 sites in 0.19 seconds. Clearly, I am not alone.

I should be able to explain the allure for me. I mean, my job is to put words together in a line. And yet—I become tongue-tied on this one. Because the sensation is almost too personal, too divine, too overpowering for me to explain. I get my tattoos at The Sunset Strip Tattoo Parlor. Some I went solo for. Others, with accompaniment. I once went on a date with a chef from a fancy restaurant, solely because of his sleeve tattoos. On our date, he wore long sleeves—and I had to pay attention to his words rather than his art. He lost me immediately.

I knew one of the magazine sellers at the stand near Soap Plant, when Soap Plant was on Melrose. He had his tattoo featured in a tattoo magazine, which I thought was so effing cool.

But what is it about the ink and the skin that transforms me inside? The willingness to take a risk? The security in a permanent decision? People who don't understand the drive, think it's crazy. I know this. (I've been told too many times not to get tattoos. That I'll regret them. Hasn't happened yet.) Maybe the pull for me is two-fold. There's a strength to me in submitting—you know that. But there's a dominant side in taking charge of your own appearance. Altering that appearance permanently takes guts. Does that make sense?

This is a snippet from one of my first tattoo stories. The piece appears in my collection, Blue Sky Sideways, which I'm currently reformatting:

She had a tattoo parlor in her garage. The chair, the designs on the walls, the needles, the ink. She had everything, sterile, perfectly in place. Beaming skulls grinned down at me. Roses curled with daggers. Tigers pranced back and forth. Skeletons shimmered in stark black line. All done by Diva’s hand. All done by a master.

“You don’t get to choose,” she said, talking casually as she began to set up the needles and inks.

“I know.”

“But you can let me know what you like.”

I wandered around, looking at the walls, trying to decide which scrolling piece I liked the best. Because they’d all been created at her hand, I could not choose one over the other. Each had a stark beauty, a inner glow, unlike any of the work I’d seen by artists in other tattoo parlors.

“You don’t like anything?”

I shook my head, “No, I like everything.”

Now she put down her instruments and came over to me, catching my face between her hands and kissing me. “You know that I do this for a living, right?”

“Yes.”

“You know that in the future I will tattoo other people?”

“Yes.”

“But from now on I tattoo you only with my own designs. You don’t choose from the walls. You don’t pick tigers and ladies behind partially opened doors. No ravens in windows. No pin-up Bettys. I create art for your body, for your skin, and you close your eyes and feel the pain of the needle as it reaches beneath your skin, as it reaches to your soul.”

“Yes.”

“You will be mine.” She paused, looking at me with her dark eyes in her dark face, “No, no, you’re already mine.”


Because I'm on a different computer, I do not have access to the wealth of stories I used to. I'm thinking of one by Saskia Walker. One by Nikki Magennis. One by Thomas Roche. Maybe one by you! So help me out. If you have a tattoo tale to share, please post it in the comments, or send us a link to your blog and we'll follow you there...

XXX,
Alison

Confessions of a Slut


I had one of those dreams again. The type that clings and wraps you up and holds on tight. So tight you have a difficult time drawing a good, solid breath. I'm trying. I'm mainlining the espresso. But damn—in my head, I am back in the newspaper building, up on the cold, shadowy staircase with my editor. He was always so fucking nice to me. He paid attention. He told me things. He took me seriously. I don't know how else to put it. I wasn't in the league of girls he dated—and yet I don't think he talked to the girls he dated the way he talked to me.

I was back there in my dream, listening, and I'm drenched in that nostalgia again.

Is this why I'm such a voyeur? Is this why I get such a perverse pleasure in hearing other people's stories? I was fucking groomed for it. I had so many different men put me in this role. Where they told me their secrets. They told me their desires. They told me what they did to other women.

God.

I've been up for hours. I'd go back to sleep if I could. Instead, I'm going to sit on the stairs outside and watch the sun rise while I drink my coffee. And in my head I'll listen to the boy spill all those twisted, kinky tales he tells no one else.

XXX,
Alison

Dirty: An Explicit Erotic Kindle

Wow, that was quick! Dirty is now available on Kindle! (Usually, this takes about five days. So I'm pretty jazzed.) Time to kink those Kindles!

XXX,
Alison

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Me and Dr. Seuss


I do love cuddling up to a whole range of interesting titles in the literature and fiction>short stories section of Amazon!

Go, Frenzy, go!

XXX,
Alison

I don't mean any offense...


...but this has to be the best opening line to a query letter. Ever.

Hi Alison,

You know, it's incredibly difficult to figure out what tone a submission letter should have when the editor concerned has sent you benwa balls. So here goes.


Oh, god, Scarlett. You had me at benwa.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. Nothing comes up on ETSY when you type in "benwa balls." So I went with this beauty of a necklace instead.