Yesterday was my one-year blog anniversary, and I honestly cannot imagine a better way to kick off my blog’s second year than with the cream of the crop! I feel like I have already gushed about Lana before on my blog…you see I was a fan of hers before I knew her at all. I wrote this blog post about her story “The Silver Belt.” Her writing is extraordinary, in the vein of our muse Anaïs Nin. With Cream, she masters the craft–again. Her writing really is like the best cream filling. Read her interview and excerpt below, and tell me you are not licking your fingers after!
1. You’re such a romantic! Tell us more about your romantic side and your love of Anais Nin.
Well, I grew up in England with parents who were living very traditional, religious lives. I was different to them — very different. What’s more, I was bullied at school, and generally treated as weird and strange. But I truly found myself in the books my parents so readily bought me. In these stories, from fairy tale to fantasy to comedy to Shakespeare, I discovered my love of words. (Dear God, I love words!) There’s a line in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem “Little Red Cap” that explains how I still feel about words and stories. In this lovely, twisted retelling of the fairy tale, Little Red Cap (aka Little Red Riding Hood) goes willingly home with the wolf after they’ve met at the theatre, no less, and stays the night:
“As soon as he slept, I crept to the back
of the lair, where a whole wall was crimson, gold, aglow with books.
Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head,
warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.”
I lived through books, breathed through books, and even when I was sent away to Christian Science Boarding school, it was stories that kept me sane, kept me brave.
Then, years later, when I was sexually ashamed, dissociated, and recovering from sexual trauma, I found Anais Nin’s “Delta of Venus” on a bookstore shelf. I picked it up, opened it, and felt an instant connection. Here were books, written *most* romantically and poetically, about the very sexual fantasies I’d locked away inside myself lest anyone see the truth about me — the truth that I was fiercely, intensely erotic, in spite of my attempts to be the “pure” girl my parents wanted.
That’s how Anais Nin saved me. And she has done, ever since. (In fact, she brought us together, dear friend!) Her words, like the wolf’s, are crimson, gold, aglow, truly alive on the tongue — and for me, they always will be.
So now I live in a world of books. In fact, I just published Cream: An Erotic Romance, which was so exciting and rapturous to write! And by the way, at Go Deeper Press we currently have a contest running for indie writers. So if you want to win a book cover design and e-book formatting package, do take a look!
2. Cream: An Erotic Romance is your new erotic romance novel! Now, isn’t it both dessert- and music-themed?
Yes! Thank you for asking! I’ve been a fan of smoky jazz numbers for a long time, largely thanks to amazing performers like Diana Krall, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, Miles Davis, and others. So it was a joy to write about a jazz singer called Caroline who brings music and sex — and creamy deliciousness — back into the life of her new romantic partner, Marcus. Here’s a little blurb of the novel:
Sultry jazz singer Caroline Spence has a penchant for smokier numbers—and, as it turns out, men of a similar temperament. So when the darkly dominant Marcus takes her on as his submissive, she surprises him by sharing his love of double cream, both in a bowl and on her body, as well as a passion for kink that could lose him his job.
Still, it turns out Marcus isn’t the only one who wants Caroline. The young, rich, and audacious Kyle could listen to her sing forever. Caroline soon finds out, however, that Kyle’s obsession has a dangerous side. But with his charm and smoldering good looks, she finds it easy to let him push her a little too far.
Two men. One siren.
And a challenge that changes her life.
You can also listen to the Cream playlist here, thanks to Angela! (Some of my faves include Diana Krall’s version of Frim Fram Sauce and “The Lady is a Tramp” by Frank Sinatra. I hope you enjoy!
3. What are your feelings about Valentine’s Day?
You know, I’m a big fan of romance–and that includes solo romance. I’ll share a little story: After my first marriage was over, and before I met my lovely wife Angela (we co-run Go Deeper Press together), I lived with a group of wonderful friends, but I wasn’t dating on Valentine’s Day. All the same, I still took myself out to celebrate! I bought myself flowers and a box of chocolates (all for myself!), not to mention a brand new sex toy from Good Vibrations. On the day itself, I went to Trident Book Store on Newbury Street in Boston and had dinner out with a brand new book. And you know what? I discovered that Valentine’s Day can be just as romantic when you are single.
Oh! And another thing, while we’re on the topic of romance! When I studied literature at university I was taught that people originally gave one another roses because the rose was thought to represent the anatomical beauty of the female genitals. All those lush petals and the way they surround the core so sensually. Isn’t that lovely? So if anyone out there is still learning to love their genitals, buy yourself some roses this Valentine’s Day and tell yourself they reflect you, perfectly. Just an idea!
4. I know you love yoga! How does this tie in with your life as a writer?
Yoga helps me to do the opposite of escape — it helps me to become myself in the moment. I have one of those minds that wants to be continually creating, but unless I feel the calmness of the present moment, I’m always mentally rushing around. And of course, when my mind is still during both yoga and meditation I am lighting the pure flame that drives all that creativity and romance. I have to remember that yoga and meditation help everything to flow — sometimes that is hard to remember when I’m trying to meet deadlines, but avoiding yoga and meditation is rarely to my benefit!
Angela and I like to do yoga together and because we run Go Deeper Press from home, we can actually have yoga sessions at the start of the day, or during an agreed-on break. We then bring all that calm and strength back into the office and we write or promote or blog or connect. It’s quite lovely!
Thanks so much for having me! And folks can buy Cream: An Erotic Romance on Amazon in both print and e-book — I’d love to hear what you all think of it, so please feel free to follow me and tag me on Twitter at @foxlana.
And now, let’s open this creamy confection! Here is a delectable excerpt from Cream!
In this excerpt from Cream: An Erotic Romance by Lana Fox, the dominant Marcus, who has just spent the evening having kinky sex with Caroline, has poured her a bath. He has also brought up a glass of white wine for her, along with a terracotta jug of cold double cream.
“Now,” he said. “Are you ready for cream?”
“Cream, Sir?”
“Double cream,” he said. “Get ready for some coolness on your back.”
Then he held the jug over me and poured. It was the most incredible sensation. Thick cream—the kind you whip into clouds—fell down my back, unctuous and cool. I moaned just to feel it, and I heard him moan, too. Then I felt his hands on my back, rubbing the cream into me, massaging my skin. I relaxed into it, aroused by the sensations, and asked, “What are you doing?” before quickly adding, “Sir?”
“Cream is a perfect reward,” he said, “and you’ve earned it, Miss Spence.” There was a heaviness in his voice—a lustful appreciation—as the cream swirled through the water and against my thighs. Then he rose to his feet and made me fall back into the bath before slowly pouring more of the cream over my chest. It splashed onto me and ran over my breasts in rivulets.
I gasped to feel the cool thickness pouring over my nipples, caressing them, chilling them, hardening them with pleasure.
I heard him unzip and when I looked up, he’d set down the jug and was producing his hard cock. “Rub it in,” he said, cock in hand, his voice faltering slightly with lust. “The cream.” He was breathless now. “Rub it…into your breasts.”
I did as he asked—and God, did I feel horny, my fingers rubbing voluptuous cream into my nipples and skin, while Marcus Sir breathed heavily above me, his hand jerking faster and faster on his cock.
“God, Miss Spence,” he said. “How many times can you make me come in one single night?” He moaned again, long and low. “This is a record.” His face seemed to pain with pleasure as his gaze swept down my body. “Rub the cream into your pussy, too,” he said.
The cream had trickled down my belly, so it was easy to arch my spine a little and rub the silken fluids into myself. Marcus Sir was jerking off crazily now, his teeth gritted, his eyes filled with the wildness of an orgy. I felt it, too—and just rubbing the cream into my clit was enough to bring me to the brink of climax. I rubbed harder and harder and he didn’t tell me to stop—just kept moving his hand faster until he stumbled forward, gasping, “I’ll cream your body, I’m going to…,” before coming over me in streams.
Against the coldness of the cream, the heat of his come felt warm, and I found this so deliciously dirty that I climaxed against my fingertips, bucking and bucking as the room spun and blurred. When I finally came down from the high, the bath water was a mess of spinning, clouding cream. I saw him above me, candlelight flickering over his features as he gently tugged at his still-hard cock. His gaze seemed to be filled with glistening amazement. “God, you,” he said. Then he repeated, “I knew you were extraordinary as soon as we met. But I never imagined you could make me lose control.”
I smiled, parted my lips, and sang the opening bars of The Mamas & The Papas’ “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” telling him that the stars were shining brightly, and the night breezes were whispering “I love you.” And when I sang those words—I love you—they didn’t seem out of place at all.
Okay, stop licking your fingers! Isn’t she the best? Now go get Cream!