Amorous Congress is my third anthology with Riverdale Avenue Books (preceded by the award-winning Tie Me Up and Bases Loaded). As an editor, I have published over a dozen anthologies, but the just published feeling is something that I can never get over–the feeling is close to orgasmic! Anthologies are special, you get several authors giving you their take on the theme–and in my case their erotic take on the theme. A hard, but layered with pleasure job, to go through all of them to find the creme de la creme for you!
I wanted to do this anthology, because at the time I was very obsessed with the dearly departed Museum of Morbid Anatomy in Brooklyn, New York. Repeated visits there, filled me with a sensualism that I was not expecting and that kept me enthralled. The Victorian era was very sensual–even with its intimate observation of death. I went to the Met at this time as well, and saw their exhibition Death Becomes Her which focused on the fashion for widows at this time. I even felt that the mourning ritual was sensual, which was solidified by getting to speak to one of the Met curators at Morbid Anatomy who confirmed this.
Or maybe I just feel everything is sensual?!
But seeing what had been going on at that time, I wanted to focus a bit more on it, and the idea for Amorous Congress was born–since erotica is my thing. The stories I got, were more than I ever could have expected. They are contemporary, steampunk and historical erotica–including a rewrite of a character from a period classic. Every story in Amorous Congress is sensual, and left me breathless. I am a seasoned pro, but good erotica does that to you!
I wanted the cover to be special, so I asked my friend and graphic artist extraordinaire Oleander Plume to design the cover for me. She did an AMAZING job, yes, you have to judge this book by its cover! It is my most photographed cover ever, and it is worth it. The cover is amazing–worthy of the period–and the inside will blow you away! There is nothing dusty or stodgy about this collection, the period if nothing else makes the stories even more sensual…
I know you are drooling over the cover! Go get your own copy to drool over here in bed!
amorous congress photo by nicolas laborie
