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The writers forum I most often frequent is a varied and interesting place. It has been the proving ground for some wonderful amateur writers who have become professionals, an incubator for Coming Together, and the meeting place of many who have subsequently taken their virtual relationships into meat space. (Will Belegon and I met there, for example, and now he's upstairs. We still often post and tweet at one another to communicate, though.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Alessia Brio, founder & managing editor
412.254-3324 (voice/SMS)
866.837-6407 (fax)
presents [at] eroticanthology.com
http://www.eroticanthology.com/presents.htm
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Will Belegon, Neat editor
Alessia Brio, founder & managing editor
412.254-3324 (voice/SMS)
866.837-6407 (fax)
neat@eroticanthology.com
I am thrilled to announce the contents of Coming Together: Into the Light, a collection of revelation-themed erotic fiction that will be published by Phaze Books in January 2010. This volume will benefit V-Day, which works to end violence against women & children.
Cholla from Whipped Cream writes:Desire, passion, and love know no boundaries. Not color, race, sex or alien species. In Coming Together At Last Volume 1 all the boundaries are dropped and the world is free to love as it pleases. In the following pages, you are not just free, but encouraged to find your pleasure where you may.
The Colors of Us by Aurora Black starts this amazing anthology off with a seductive and sexy poem. With very few words and vivid imagery, she brings more heat in three stanzas than some authors can in an entire novel.
At First by Alessia Brio & Wil Belegon is a delightful story set in 1963. Vivian is a brazen and outspoken woman, much to Eduardo’s surprise. His more reserved upbringing leaves him at a total loss when dealing with her. However, their first meeting is a magical encounter that later explodes with heat. I loved how much of a ‘modern’ woman she was for the time period and Eddie’s innocence and old world charm were sweet.
Matilda’s Touch by Saskia Walker is a sweet and vivid memory of a first love. Sally is insecure and unwanted, sent to a boarding school to ease her mother’s guilt. Matilda is an otherworldly being and a temptation too strong to resist. This being my first female/female love story, I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of it.
In Changes by Cerise Noire we are whisked along through the beginning stages of Mike and Wes’ whirlwind relationship. From their first meeting online, to their first physical meeting and through their first real argument, they battle their doubts, revel in their happiness and set the sheets on fire. A very real and relatable story, I could honestly see myself in Sally.
Undercover Lovers by RaeLynn Blue and Shara Azod is the story of two police detectives working undercover and posing as lovers. Each attracted to the other, the cover soon becomes reality. But will it work? Both Lori and Juan are determined to make it so. A very enjoyable story with two endearing characters and one despicable bad guy.
Proud is the Dancer, Pride is the Dance by Lee Benoit is the story of Danny and Calyx. While Danny is a happy and free-spirited young man, donating his time to the GLBT community center, Calyx has a dark past he’s both trying to hide and overcome. Danny fears his lover’s past and yet believes that a whole lot of love and just a little push can bring him back to the present. A very well-written short in which you get so much story in a very few pages.
Francine’s Kid by Jeremy Edwards is a short and steamy story centering around the meeting of Teddy, a regular around the store and Patty, the newest employee. Amazingly hot and sensual for being so short.
In The Pleasure Healing by Andrea Jackson, Claire’s childhood friend, Kenda, is having surgery to repair a long-ago wrong done to her. While Kenda is in the hospital recouperating, Claire realizes she was just as damaged by that event as her friend was. With the help of Russell, she is able to heal her old wounds and find a new life. An amazing story of renewal and rebirth.
Tattoos by Sergio Ortiz is a powerful short poem. With vivid imagery and flowing words, you are swept up and settled just behind the narrator’s shoulder, observing all that she sees and feels.
If Only You Knew by Zoe Nichols is a story of breaking free. Free of society’s idea of right, of your own self doubts, and of an abusive relationship. Kit is a young college student stuck under the thumb of her abusive ex-girlfriend. With the help of a teacher, Andrea, she discovers there is more to herself than she knew. A very touching and emotional story that is all too common in this day and age.
Independence Day by Seressia Glass is a futuristic story of love beyond all boundaries. Despite being from different planets and living in a post-Civil War world, nothing is going to keep Kee and Ananda apart. Two very interesting characters in a very exciting world.
Refuge by Lisabet Sarai, set in a refugee camp in Thailand, introduces us to Nu, a peasant pressed into military service in order to support his widowed mother and younger brother. Through an encounter with a refugee of the camp, Prean, he soon discovers that there is more to life than money and honor. A timeless story, the kindness of one soldier touches a woman and changes her world.
Shot at Love by Yvette Hines is the story of Moni, a wild and reckless woman who never stays with a man for more than one night. Being a domestic goddess was never in her plans. Enter Dee Shelton. Could this one man change her mind about all she’s held true for so long? This is a touching story of a woman who has near-death experience that changes her entire outlook on the world, whether she’s aware of it or not. It’s an honest story, and a hopeful one.
Love Slave by Jax Cassidy is a steamy, sexy poem about love, lust, and submission. Skillfully twisting words into pictures, Jax Cassidy presents a brief scene in the life of a slave to love. Very well done.
Coming Together At Last Volume 1 is an amazing collection of stories covering ground so often left abandoned. Love truly knows no bounds and who’s to say that a couple should be determined by sex, race, age or planet of origin? A very forward-looking anthology that is very much needed in today’s world. Full of well-written and steamy stories, Coming Together At Last is a worthwhile read for anyone who is in love with falling in love against the odds.
BOOK REVIEW:
Coming Together anthologies published by Phaze are edited by Alessia Brio. Each collection of erotica benefits a different charity. Visit the official Coming Together website for more information. "Coming Together With Pride" benefits AIDS/HIV research.Reviewing a book published with such good will and to benefit such a good cause is difficult, because the bottom line is that YES, YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK.
That said, and since you are dutifully going to buy the book to support the cause, let me say that, like any anthology, this volume has strong stories and weak stories, stories I loved and stories that didn't appeal to me personally. It is more varied than most because it has het, bi, m/m, f/f, older characters, very young characters, vampires, werewolves ... I can't think it would be possible for anyone to love every story, even though we can appreciate the spirit of giving that each author has exhibited in contributing to this book.
So let me simply say that the awesome introduction by Will Belegon is possibly the very best thing in the book. That essay alone makes the book worth buying, even if it were not a purchase for a good cause.
Read the entire review.
Coming Together: With Pride was a finalist in two categories of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards! Congratulations to all its wonderful contributors, editor Alessia Brio, and Phaze Books!
Coming Together: At Last v2 is reviewed in the July issue of Romantic Times BookReviews with a 4 Star rating! Woo!
Color me biased, but you won't find more consistently evocative erotic poetry than Lefty McGee's. Ever. Available now in ebook and coming soon to print:
Coming Together: Against the OddsAll behavior is communication. The trick is to figure out just what it's saying. No behavior communicates as clearly or on as many levels as sex. All the physical and emotional senses are engaged. Add the element of intrigue, and the intellect is engaged as well.
Phaze Books, in partnership with editor, Alessia Brio, is proud to announce the release of Coming Together: Against the Odds, a collection of erotic fiction with a mystery theme, with an introduction written by the one & only Maxim Jakubowski.
All proceeds from the sale of this special anthology will benefit Autism Speaks.
Table of Contents:
Sorry for the delay in posting! This volume was re-released by eXcessica on May 6th.
No beds in this book. No bedrooms, either. Coming Together: Al Fresco is all about sex in the great outdoors. This volume is exclusively in ebook and available exclusively from All Romance eBooks. The green proceeds from the sale of Al Fresco will benefit Conservation International.
It's rather ironic that our interracial collections would have a printing issue with black ink. I'm happy to report that the issues have been resolved, and both volumes are now shipping. They both popped up on Amazon today, too. Now you can get your juicy goodness with Free SuperSaver shipping 'cause together, they exceed the requisite $25. And they benefit Amnesty International. Win-win! What are you waiting for? Go! Buy!
The inaugural volume of Coming Together is now available in ebook from eXcessica! A print edition will soon follow on Amazon/CreateSpace. Stay tuned!
Coming Together is proud to announce the contents of its next release. Don't expect beds... or bedrooms... in this collection. All the action takes place in the great outdoors, and proceeds benefit Conservation International. Available to pre-order now, exclusively from All Romance eBooks. The ebook will be released on Earth Day 2009.
Coming Together: An Erotic CocktailBuy it Amazon, Fictionwise (ebook)
A collection of lesbian erotica by the late Colleen Thomas, edited by EPPIE Award-winning author, Alessia Brio. Each short story is introduced by one of Colleen's peers. Proceeds from the sale of this edition of Coming Together will be donated to the Kaplan Family Hospice Residence in her memory.
This volume of the Coming Together series is a nice eclectic mix of lesbian erotic stories. While a few are strictly lesbian stories, there are a few first timer or coming out stories as well, which I enjoyed. The flavor of each story is so different and unique and I found them all to be nicely written and highly erotic. I think Alessia Brio did a great job in putting together this anthology, which offers so much. I've never read anything by Colleen Thomas, so this is a nice intro to her work.
A Separate Peace- I really enjoyed this story a lot. It was very different. Sarah is working for the
What I enjoyed about this story is that it’s a story about how people can connect on a very basic human level regardless of beliefs and ideological differences. These two women are very sweet and intense together and I really got off on that. (A)
The Run- This was a very interesting sci-fi story about a woman who is a “runner,” a person who is basically a hired body guard/ assassin. Margo is a huge, formidable woman and one of the best runners out there. She’s hired by a cosmetic company to be a body guard for the head of the company, a woman with a hit out on her. Margo brings in another woman who is a computer geek to take care of the tech side of what’s needed. This woman, Lana, is very attracted to Margo, and Margo, while having some attractions for women, has never been with a woman. As they work together, they both explore each other sexually as well. What I liked here is that both are sexually inexperienced with women and it was very hot and kind of innocent how they get together.
The sci-fi part of the story was very intricate and kind of riveting on its own as well. Many interesting concepts were introduced. (A-)
Just Like That- this is a purely erotic fantasy and not really my cuppa due to the “doing it for men” part of the story, but the sex was pretty hot. A woman is in a bar and notices three woman hanging together and dancing, one having a camera. She chats with one of them and it turns out they run a website showing real life girl-on-girl action to whoever pays to watch. What they do is try to find a regular, non pro, woman who wants to have sex on camera.
First, this woman has never had sex with a woman nor does she want to, but the girls convince her to go along and the smexing with the camera rolling starts straight away in the car. That’s all. All three women do her on film and she gets off on it. (B)
Latin I and Latin II- Oh I totally loved this story. It’s a story of revenge, but done in a way that the recipients of the revenge learn something about themselves and how horrid they were acting. Mandy is a high school student who is ridiculed on a regular basis because she’s out as a lesbian. One of her teachers routinely picks on her for no reason and the “cool” girls not only mess with her but push others to ride her as well. She gets a hold of a book of spells and goes to a well known empty, haunted house and does a spell to conjure up a malevolent spirit to help her get revenge.
This was so deliciously hot. Mandy’s nasty teacher just happens to be a preacher’s wife who thinks sex is just for procreation. Mandy puts a spell on her having her do all kinds of things, completely controlling her, making her want sex with Mandy only. Then she seduces the mean girl and does the same. What I thought was interesting in these two stories is that while Mandy is getting her revenge she’s never cruel and those women, while hating that they are having sex with Mandy, also come to really want it. Great story. (A-)
Quality of Life- This was a strange story. Another sci-fi/ futuristic story about a satellite prison in space where gays and lesbians are sent because they are an abomination to the current society. This was a total downer with a lot of social statement about how gays and lesbians are treated and the prejudice they have to deal with. Basically this prison is purposely destroyed by the powers that be locking out air, with a few survivors left, but not for long. There isn’t any sex in this story, which was OK, but the ending is just kind of rough. Like I said, downer. But it was uniquely written. (C+)
Picture Perfect- Oh yeah, this was such a hot story. And it’s a May/Dec, teacher/student story, which I get off on. Dana is a student in University who keeps taking Dr. Helen Smith’s classes because she’s attracted to her. Dana is a newbie at being with women, so she gets constant advice from her butch friend who is sleeping with everyone, including a few professors. For a paper Dana has to do for Dr. Smith’s class, she goes to get some books for her topic and one book she needs hasn’t been taken out for 20 years, so its in a special room. In this book she finds a pin-up semi nudie photo of a woman from the 40’s and becomes obsessed with finding out who it is. When she finds out that Dr. Smith was the last person to take out the book, things get interesting.
This is a very engrossing story with a bit of a mystery involved and a sweet coming together of two women sexually. I liked that Helen is 45 and has as much or little experience as Dana who is in her early 20’s. So the sex is more exploratory in nature than experienced seduction, which I enjoyed. (A-)
Football Widow- this is a story about a woman who marries her high school sweetheart, but after they had split up and she had a lesbian affair with a Haitian professor at her college. She’s been married now for 10 years and is basically ignored by her husband during the whole football season. At a kickoff party that she and her husband have, a lesbian co-worker of her husband seduces her. She realizes how much she’s missed being with women and this woman turns her on totally.
This is a typical neglected housewife story, which kind of made it OK for me that she has sex with this other woman. What I didn’t like is how aggressive the lesbian is. She’s definitely the butch one and comes on very strong and pushy with the housewife. But I think in this case lesbians who like the butch/femme dynamics will like this story.
I also didn’t like that the lesbian woman in this case is thinking about making this affair long-term not by breaking up the marriage, but having the affair on the side without the husband’s knowledge. Not my thing that kind of idea really. Still though, the sex in this story is very steamy. (B)
The Last Goodbye Fuck- This is another kind of sad story. Two lesbians are having their last goodbye sex, which is very intense and lasts for hours. This is because one works on a fishing boat and goes out to sea for months at a time. What I liked about this story is that the women are so different. The butch one is big, fleshy and hairy, while the other one is tiny and thin. They both really love each other and really only have each other as both families have cut them off for being lesbians. The little details are what made this story for me. They are poor and make do with so little and it had a good feeling for me in that, like two people working against the odds. The sex is amazing in this story, but then ending really sucks. I guess that’s what you get when it’s not romance but erotica. (B+)
As a book of lesbian erotica, I think this collection is well done and offers a lot. But what I really enjoyed is that it’s also got many different kinds of sexual scenarios, something for everyone and especially something for those of us who like to read stories that are more interesting for the bi curious reader.
Sex rating: Orgasmic- f/f, ménage, strap-ons, anal,
Grade: B+
FINALLY!
Phaze Books, in partnership with editor, Alessia Brio, is proud to announce COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST, a collection of interracial erotic fiction which celebrates the diversity of desire. With an introduction by NYT Bestselling Author L.A. Banks!
Volumes 1 and 2 feature stories by Bridget Midway, Saskia Walker, Seressia Glass, Aliyah Burke, Alessia Brio and Will Belegon, and many more!
All proceeds from the sale of this special anthology will benefit Amnesty International.
Coming Together with Pride (Phaze)
Coming Together (Phaze)
The Preditors & Editors 2008 Readers Polls are now open. Coming Together would greatly appreciate your support in the following polls:
Join editor Alessia Brio this evening at 10pm Eastern on XXBN where she'll be chatting with the one and only Gracie Passette on her radio show, Cult of Gracie.
For three days in the fall of 2006, an Internet writers' community came together in a heart rending vigil for a tiny baby girl, born before her time and taken from this world far too soon. In her precious hours with us, however, Gabrielle reached more hearts than most people do in decades. Her life was not measured by the number of breaths she took but was measured by the depths of compassion she inspired. ~ Alessia Brio
editor
