Welcome everyone! There’s an amazing new anthology out called Public Displays of Eroticism. Think of it like a chain letter. One author (Cassandra Carr) wrote the beginning and then Cristal Ryder & Jami Davenport jumped in with additional related stories. I’m downloading my copy as we speak. I was so curious about this idea, I invited the trio over for a chat. What follows is what happens when 3 erotic romance writers get together.

Cassandra Carr: Okay. Let’s do this!

Cristal Ryder: We have to make sure we say Jami couldn’t be here because she’s on the west coast

Lynne Silver: Yes, and I couldn’t wait for her because I’m going to see Magic Mike tonight, but more on that later…….Let’s start with the new book. Cassandra, I remember you put out a request for submissions for this project. Tell us more about that

Cassandra Carr: Sure. I’ve been working with Sybarite Seductions, a small press, for a little while. They’d published one of my shorts, Loaded Question, and I talked to the editor-in-chief, Michele Jensen, about doing an anthology.

Lynne Silver: Did she pick the theme, or did you? And why voyeurism?

Cassandra Carr: I’d sent her a story, which is in the anthology as the “jumping off” story, Back to Nature, and she thought it would be cool to have stories branch off from it.

Cassandra Carr: No, the story I sent her kind of picked the theme for us.

Lynne Silver: Cool

Lynne Silver: Cristal, what about you? Had you ever written a voyeur story before?

Cassandra Carr: Why did I write one about exhibitionism and voyeurism? Because it was cool.

Lynne Silver: Was it hard to start with someone else’s idea?

Cristal Ryder: Well, sort of with Being Ariana. It was set in a club with the inention of performing before an audience. But the H/H get, er, sidetracked before that. So the voyeurism was there in a small way.

Cristal Ryder: No, not hard at all. In fact it was easier because a plot had been established and I just filled in the blanks :)  I really liked not having to come up with a full plot – if you know what I mean.

Lynne Silver: I sure do!

Cassandra Carr: So your story in this antho wasn’t your first foray into voyeurism?

Cassandra Carr: You saucy minx!

Cristal Ryder: Well, did you check out my reply on our blog visit yesterday:

Cassandra Carr: I meant in writing. Of course. *cough*

Cristal Ryder: Of course you did!

Lynne Silver: Ha! That was my next question.. not that I want personal details, but is exhibitionism a turn on for you?

Cassandra Carr: I think the lure of the naughty/forbidden is a turn on for a lot of people.

Cassandra Carr: How’s that for a non-answer?

Lynne Silver: it’s a good one. I like naughty, but don’t ever want to be on display

Cristal Ryder: I agree with Cassandra. Especially now that a certain book as knocked down that ‘forbidden’ wall.

Cassandra Carr: I think for me the fact that Back to Nature had a Dom and his sub made it sexy. He kept threatening spankings etc….

Cristal Ryder: As I get older, I find I’m so much more open to things. One trip around this sun right but as I look back over the years….my mischevious side was always there lurking.

Cassandra Carr: Yeah, I think I’ve gotten more adventurous too. And I care less about what people think of me.

Lynne Silver: I’m with you on that. My confidence has grown. I’ve finally internalized the message that humans are generally wrapped up in themselves and barely paying attention to me

Cristal Ryder: Me too, and I’ve learned I don’t have to always have my say. Sometimes its better to sit back, watch and let all the drama unfold around you.

Lynne Silver: Speaking of drama…As I said, I’m going to see Magic Mike tonight. Cassandra, I know you already saw it? Cristal, have you?

Cassandra Carr: My little emoticon is very winky. He’s gonna get tired.

Cassandra Carr: YES. Magic Mike. Mmmmmm.

Cristal Ryder: A bunch of us from work want to go. I hear is thin on plot but thick O_o on visuals. bahahaha

Cassandra Carr: Did you hear the news? There’s a Magic Mike 2 coming! And possibly an interactive Broadway play.

Lynne Silver: It’s fascinating to me that Magic Mike & 50 Shades hit the same summer

Cristal Ryder: ya, its a conspiracy

Cassandra Carr: Actually, it had a decent plot. For MM2 many of us suggested less plot, more stripping.

Lynne Silver: I doubt it was coordinated, but do we think that says something about the market?

Cristal Ryder: that is what we are touching on at the Passionate Ink party. “why now”

Cassandra Carr: Yeah, maybe we’re not quite as Puritanical. One can only hope.

Cassandra Carr: If people are getting more open-minded that can only be good for us.

Cristal Ryder: I think in some ways the world is going backward.  the 60′s broke the mold and liberation in all forms grew and now we seemed to have hit a wall and its stalled. but the sexual energy seems to be overtaking other energies

Lynne Silver: Yep- it can only help sales. Especially since it’s more acceptable for women to say publicly we like sex and we like looking at sexy men

Cassandra Carr: I like sex. I really like sexy men.

Cassandra Carr: Who still put down the toilet seat. I find that very sexy.

Lynne Silver: DITTO!

Cristal Ryder: women couldn’t say that before without being labeled a tramp

Lynne Silver: Whereas it was assumed a man liked those things, and if not, he was assumed to be gay. (like there was something wrong with that)

Cassandra Carr: Yeah, you’re right.

Cristal Ryder: ditto form this dirty ‘mature’ woman. won’t call myself old….yet

Cassandra Carr: And the success of male/male romance shows us there’s NOTHING wrong with that.

Cassandra Carr: Because you have sons in their 20s do you make your heroes older? Always wanted to ask you that?

Cristal Ryder: my hero’s usually are in their 30′s

Lynne Silver: ooh, good question. I for one only like heroes older than 30 minimum

Cassandra Carr: I would think it would be hard to write a hero your sons’ age.

Cristal Ryder: but I do want to write an older h/h like its complicated or something’s  gotta give

Lynne Silver: As a reader, a 20-something man isn’t interesting. He’s not seasoned enough

Cristal Ryder: unless its a cougar story

Cassandra Carr: LOL The fourth bull rider book I just started writing yesterday & the hero is the little brother of one of the others. He’s 24 and one of my youngest heroines.

Cristal Ryder: let season that poor baby

Cristal Ryder: let’s

Cassandra Carr: Put a little salt on him? You can do that with sweat, you know. Just sayin.

Lynne Silver: It depends on the story- I know you’ll make him sexy. But I wouldn’t want him to pretend or act like he’s worldly. Cause he’s a baby

Cristal Ryder: like I said. … season….

Cassandra Carr: He’s not worldly. He IS Italian, though. YUM.

Lynne Silver: Will he be with an older woman, cause that’s SEXY

Lynne Silver: Oh- well European changes everything

Cassandra Carr: A little bit. A master’s student.

Cassandra Carr: I do want to do a cougar story but no idea when that will happen. My project spreadsheet is out of control.

Cassandra Carr: So back to the antho…we should mantion Jami Davenport is also in it with two stories but works an Evil Day Job on the West Coast and couldn’t be here.

Cristal Ryder: one thing i have to note. i am fascinated by all the comments i see women make about books, hero’s, heroine’s, plot lines. it shows how people think and it’s all so different

Lynne Silver: Cristal- tell me more about what you mean. Do you mean how interesting it is that my kink is someone else’s squick?

Cassandra Carr: Yeah reader comments are invaluable to us. *taps screen* Do you hear us, readers? When we say we love to hear from readers we’re not lying.

Lynne Silver: YES! Even the negative ones. I have the BEST bad review from Goodreads for Heated Match right now. I want to ask this reader to be my Beta reader for book 3

Lynne Silver: Her comments were so thoughtful and spot-on

Cassandra Carr: Nice! Yeah. I’ve had a few of those where I said, “You’re absolutely right.” And it made me a better writer.

Cristal Ryder:  When you said about the young guy etc. it’s hard to explain, but when i hear what people say it’s like “hmmm” store that away for future. Sometimes we get wrapped up in our own little universe and forget there is a whole big one out there made of so many minds and thoughts, etc.

Cristal Ryder: I don’t think I can go to RT, cassanadra with you next year. oh btw guys  I’m running for RWA national board, so vote for me and spread the word.

Lynne Silver: OOh- You heard it here first, ladies! VOTE CRISTAL

Cristal Ryder: I want to but not enough vacay days

[4:57:49 PM] Cassandra Carr: Will pimp you like a two dollar whore.

Lynne Silver: Okay- I have to go get prettied up for Magic Mike soon.

Cassandra Carr: Have fun Lynne! Bring a drool cup!

Cassandra Carr: Thanks for having us here!

Lynne Silver: Let’s bring this back to your book release that we’re supposed to be pimping. Will there be a follow up?

Cassandra Carr: http://www.sybariteseductions.com for info on Public Displays of Eroticism

Cristal Ryder: yes there is…MY IDEA…

Lynne Silver: I’m bringing my bag of toys. #NOTREALLY

Lynne Silver: Oooh- what’s your idea, Cristal

Cristal Ryder: you hashtag in Skype! Twitterized

Cassandra Carr: Not a follow-up to this one but Cristal and I and Cynthia Carr are doing an antho that will be out later this year.

Lynne Silver: I hashtag at the dinner table at this point

Cristal Ryder: True not a follow up but a whole new one.

Cassandra Carr: And yes, totally Cristal’s idea!

Cassandra Carr: I hashtag everything too. #TwitterAddict

Cristal Ryder: it is a coach and student idea in the sports arena. Mine will be a golf story, Cassandra’s tennis, and don’t know about Cynthia yet. Hot shorts.

Cassandra Carr: Yep. Just finished my first draft.

Cristal Ryder: Sexy Sports Shorts – like that Cassandra?

Cassandra Carr: Okay Lynne. Go get pretty or we’ll never stop talking.

Cristal Ryder: Mine will be written in August. no time right now.

Cassandra Carr: Ohhhhhhhhhhh nice!!!!

Lynne Silver: oooh- THAT”s why you were asking about tennis underwear on twitter yesterday

Cassandra Carr: Yep.

Cristal Ryder: LOL

Lynne Silver: That’s a great theme. I can’t think of any tennis or golf erotica

Cristal Ryder: I told Meat Man a bedtime story the other night and plotted it out. He likes bedtime stories 

Lynne Silver: Okay- Thank you both Cristal & Cassandra for stopping by. Everyone else,  go get PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF EROTICISM!!!

Cassandra Carr: Thanks Lynne! Thanks readers! *blowing kisses*

Cristal Ryder: Thanks Lynne, for having us and excuse the typos and no caps.

Cristal Ryder: Enjoy MM!