Here at Ravenous Nights, we saw the season in with much mirth and merriment. Our reading authors brought their best stories, our audience brought their best sense of celebration, and we were off and running like Santa’s reindeer taking to the sky for the start of his holiday run.

Sex expert, author, performer, and sketch comedian Tobly McSmith read a wonderful story about service in fetishwear and the sexual rewards it can earn the conscientious protagonist. It was a breathtaking tale of immersed-in-the-moment BDSM and we hope she returns to Ravenous Nights with another tale soon. Tobly came to us by way of renowned fetish clothing designer, The Baroness, whose amazing clothing designs have graced many a fetish gala event. Thanks to both The Baroness and Tobly!

The energetic and always lively Indigo read next, bringing us luscious poetry capped off with an incredible tale of stretching one’s personal sexual boundaries. Her story was ripe with trantric imagery and she had the audience alight with wonder by the end of its telling. Wow, how could we follow that?

Well, we needn’t worry. Author Andrew Gray was ready and able, gifting us with two wonderful stories about gay love and adventure. One involved the gift of a cruise line ticket, while the other involved a teacher newly transplanted to the Alaskan cold, a hunky cop, and of all things, a moose. Andrew’s stories were filled with love and humor, enhanced by Andrew’s engaging rapport with the audience.

Andrew was an equally hard act to follow, but we feared not at this point: we had Laura Antoniou to close out our raucous and ribald evening. Dressed in a lovely satin smoking jacket — and we would be remiss if we did not mention her stylish mode of dress — she took us to that pinnacle, treating us to the riotously funny holiday story, Ho, Fuckin’ Ho. She had us all in stitches, so much so that elaborating on it after the fact would not do Laura’s performance or the story justice. Fortunately, you can read it at Circlet Press’ website.

Throughout the crazy–fun evening, we handed out holiday stockings filled with books, e-books, naughty little niceties, and candy cane shot glasses (down a shot, then eat the glass!). Audience members vied to win these fun goodie bags, but we’re not sure how much of their enthusiasm was due to the giveaway items themselves or the fact that, to win, your dirty word had to be drawn from the hat. Yes, you heard us right: we said dirty word.

But that’s a story for another blog post. Stay tuned.

Thanks to wearing far too many hats in life, it’s been exceptionally difficult for your humble event organizer to recap our various Ravenous Nights through the months. But now, thanks to a part time intern, we’ll get back on track. Expect an recap of our rowdy December event shortly and, for now, enjoy this montage of our many readers in recent months.

Looking back on all these participating authors, we can’t help but smile and remember good times. And it makes us look forward to what’s coming down the pike!

(Click on photo for full size.)

From left to right:
Row 1:  Stella Price, Laura Antoniou, Michelle Churchill Karen Abbott, Cecilia Tan
Row 2:  Miss Topaz, Nell Stark, Jefferson and his cut guy/kitty shirt, Kathy Kulig, and Louisa Bacio
Row 3:  Lisa Michelle Jones, Cat Johnson, Indigo, KT Grant, Daisy Harris

Forget the mistletoe. Never mind the eggnog. Let’s celebrate the season with stories of spice and erotic mirth! Join hostess Lori Perkins as she welcomes Andrew Grey, Indigo, Tobly McSmith and others to our December 2nd Ravenous Nights. Let’s stir those embers under the yule log and heat up the night!

Event Details:
December 2nd, 8 to 10 p.m.
Free. Casual dress.

Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 334-9676
www.happyendinglounge.com

 
Indigo is a black poly kinky feminist queer dyke; writer, teacher, artist and aspiring sex education/blogger. She’s about liberating the woman, questioning the man and fantasizing about all folks in between. She reads, questions, wonders, writes and hopes the art leads the way. Her blog, Indigo’s Theory, explores being in a loving poly relationship, having sex in great spaces, learning to love her skin, belly, hair, etc. and coming into her kinky queer self. Visit Indigo at http://indigostheory.wordpress.com/

Andrew Grey grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Tobly McSmith loves sex. She has reviewed over 50 sex toys for SexHerald.com, is a sex expert on CherryTV.com, and has written award-winning BDSM erotica. When Tobly isn’t performing in her sketch group Beaches2, or playing in the band Pretty Pony Party, or writing her self-help book, she is collecting commemorative plates of dead people on ebay. Tobly is currently writing erotica and having sex with her red-hot, red-headed, burlesquing girlfriend.

And now for something completely different: the erotic story through narrative nonfiction! And we have a spectacular group of authors to lead the way on November 4th.  We’ll examine everything from octogenarian sex to training a BDSM slave to the sex drive in overdrive – despite impending menopause!  It’s a Ravenous Nights that promises to excite and elucidate. Join us!

 

Karen Abbott is the author of two narrative nonfiction books, the New York Times bestseller Sin in the Second City, which tells the true story of two sisters who ran the world’s most famous brothel and the nationwide battle to shut them down, and American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, a portrait of Gypsy Rose Lee and her times. She contributed to Erica Jong’s recent collection, Sugar in My Bowl, which she’ll share with us at Ravenous Nights.

Laura Antoniou is the author of the best selling Marketplace series of BDSM novels, about a realistic, modern day slave training world. In addition to writing a ton of other erotic material, she has edited over a dozen anthologies and is collecting stories for even more right now. For over 20 years she’s been teaching and ranting at the kinky and alt-sex communities, and her contribution to Tristan Taormino’s The Ultimate Guide to Kink: BDSM, Role Play and the Erotic Edge is a rare example of her non-fiction work.  Naturally, it’s all about how to train a slave. She can be found at lantoniou.com and on Fetlife and Facebook.

When Michelle Churchill approached her fiftieth birthday, she found herself careening into menopause. Suddenly, she could think of nothing but men—about their legs, the hair on their bodies, how their hands would feel holding hers—with an ever-present desire to have male contact in any way she could. She signed up for every on-line dating serviced she could find and attempted to date the entire Eastern Seaboard and out of that experience came I Thought I Grew Up, a story of coming of age – again.

Event Details:
November 4th, 8 to 10 p.m.
Free. Casual dress.

Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 334-9676
www.happyendinglounge.com

See in the spooky season of Halloween with an evening of paranormal fiction this coming Friday, October 7th! Meet us at the Happy Ending Lounge, 8 to 10 pm, for tricks and treats and stories supernatural. We might even read by flashlight!

The Usual Details:
October 7, 8 to 10 pm
Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
212 334-9676
www.happyendinglounge.com

Host and Ravenous Romance editorial director Lori Perkins will share her story Vampire Dreamers from the upcoming Obsessions horror anthology. Joining Lori:

Cat Johnson is an award-winning, best-selling author of steamy contemporary romance in genres including military, cowboy, and a little bit of paranormal. A Junior Leaguer and professional harpist, Cat has too many animals, a few very close friends and uses her laptop so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. Cat is known for her creative marketing and research practices; consequently she owns an entire collection of camouflage shoes and cowboy boots for book signings. A fair number of her friends wear combat or cowboy boots for a living and she sponsors real-live bull riders. Visit her at www.catjohnson.net

Stella Price has been a model, tour manager, barrista and a retail slave, but found her calling in the dual job of both writer and graphic designer. Co author of over 18 novels and 15 short stories, Stella writes with her sister and best friend, Audra, who lives in Scotland.They are the authors of the only series ever created about Weresnakes, proving that Snakes can be SSSexy. As a graphic designer, she is a award winning cover artist that has worked with several publishers including Mundania Press, Snuff Books, Loose id, Sourcebooks and Phaze books. You can visit her and her sister at www.stellaandaudra.com

Debra Hyde is an acquisitions editor at Ravenous Romance and author of dozens of short stories and four novels, the latest of which, Story of L, recasts the classic Story of O as a contemporary leather lesbian novel. Reviewers have so far unanimously praised the novel, calling it “erotic, sensual, dynamic” and “an intense story of a unique love.” She’ll read an unpublished story from her upcoming story collection, Strange Sex: Erotic Tales of the Fantastic, Eerie, and Downright Gruesome.

September 2nd event spotlights sapphic storytellers Nell Stark, Trinity Tam, Xan West, and KT Grant and their wide-ranging works of steamy erotic fiction. Join host Lori Perkins for an enthusiastic evening of arousing fiction, cool drinks, warm camaraderie and door prizes.

The Usual Details:
September 2nd, 8 to 10 pm
Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002

212 334-9676
www.happyendinglounge.com

Featuring:

Nell Stark is an Assistant Professor of English and the Director of the Writing Center at a college in the SUNY system. Trinity Tam is a marketing executive in the music industry and an award-winning writer/producer of film and television. They live, write, and parent a rambunctious toddler just a stone’s throw from the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City. For more information about the everafter series, visit www.everafterseries.com.

Xan West is the pseudonym of an NYC BDSM/sex educator. Xan’s story “First Time Since”, won honorable mention for the 2008 National Leather Association’s John Preston Short Fiction Award. Xan’s short fiction appears in Best SM Erotica Volumes 2 & 3, Best Women’s Erotica 2008 & 2009, Best Lesbian Erotica 2011 & 2012, Hurts So Good, Say Please, and Sugar and Spice.

KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well known book reviewer and blogger who doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and known for writing “out of the box” romances. KT has been quoted in such publications as the Romance Writers of America’s Romance Writers Report and Night Owl Reviews. She has also been mentioned in the Guardian.UK, Publisher’s Weekly’s Beyond the Book and at Bookseller.com. KT is a top ten best-selling PAN (Romance Writers of America Published Authors Network) author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick.

Our August 5th event features Miss Topaz, Lisa Michelle Jones, and author/editor D.L. King, all creative spirits from the NYC BDSM community.  We owe them a big debt of thanks to these women.  When the publishing industry was dreaming of August vacations, they stepped forward and said “sure, I’ll read!”

And we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!

Miss Topaz is Dean of Nightlife at Miss Vera’s Finishing School For Boys Who Want To Be Girls. She worked for many years as a Legal Assistant for the American Civil Liberties Union, where she was very active in promoting the rights of all minorities: women, people of color, gays and lesbians and the transgendered community. Today, she focuses her attention largely on working and playing with gender illusionists. She was recently in a serious relationship with a cross-dresser for two years, and believes that she, herself, is a drag queen trapped in woman’s body. She is also a cabaret singer and performance artist, and frequently appears as Marlene Dietrich in drag. She was recently interviewed by Annie Sprinkle about her wild and diversified forays into sex, for the magazine Over 50. Her short story, Life is Stanger Than Fiction, won third prize in a TES literary contest and was published its magazine, Prometheus. The story focused on a serendipitous blind date with a cross-dresser.

Lisa Michelle Jones was born in Dallas and raised in a conservative East Texas town from which she escaped as soon as possible. She earned a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where she discovered feminist literature, Anne Sexton, Lucille Clifton, and the short story genre. In addition to writing, she sang with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee choir at Carnegie Hall in a 1996 production of Brahm’s “Ein Deutsches Requiem.” Two months before her 30th birthday, she moved to NYC for the first time and never looked back. Lisa finds pleasure in writing erotica, short fiction, poetry, and essays. Her literary mentors are Sylvia Plath, Vita Sackville-West, Raymond Carver, Carole Maso, Jay McInerney, and Herman Melville. She currently lives in NYC where she enjoys dating, mating, satiating…and rhyming.

Jefferson is the pseudonym of a New York-based writer. His blog One Life, Take Two (ww.onelifetaketwo.com) charts his life as a parent and pervert. As a sex educator, he has taught at Dark Odyssey, Winter Fire, TES, Floating World and other events. He is a storyteller who appears frequently at The Moth and on other stages. He is reputedly the easiest lay in New York.

D. L. King is a smut writing—and editing—New Yorker who lives somewhere between the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island and the Chrysler Building. The editor of Carnal Machines: Steampunk Erotica,Spank!, The Sweetest Kiss: Ravishing Vampire Erotica and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist, Where the Girls Are: Urban Lesbian Erotica, D. L. King also publishes and edits Erotica Revealed, the erotica book review site. The author of dozens of short stories, her work can be found in various editions of The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, as well as titles such as Fast Girls, Sex in the City: New York, Please Ma’am, Sweet Love, Girl Crazy, Broadly Bound and Frenzy, among others. She is the author of two novels of female domination and male submission, The Melinoe Project and The Art of Melinoe. Find out more at dlkingerotica.com and dlkingerotica.blogspot.com.

As always, event details:
August 5th, 8 to 10 p.m.
Free. Casual dress.
Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
www.happyendinglounge.com

Let’s welcome the Romance Writers Association conference and its attendees to New York City with a Hot Summer Nights reading. After all, it isn’t every day over two thousand Romance authors, aficionados, and experts gather for all things romantic.

And to make the celebration one to remember, we’ll welcome authors Louisa Bacio, Daisy Harris, Gwen Masters, and Kathy Kulig to the mic where they’ll read from their latest works! Watch this space daily as we post their bios, one at a time.

Then join us for the festivities Friday, July 1st. Start your weekend with us!

Event Details:
July 1st, 8 to 10 p.m.
Free. Casual dress.
Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 334-9676
www.happyendinglounge.com

Multi-published author Kathy Kulig writes paranormal, contemporary and erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave. Critics have described her writing as “very raw and hot”, “wonderfully unique” and “entertaining and captivating”. Her work has finaled for a number of awards including the EPIC, PRISM and Maggie Awards.
 
Besides her career in writing, she’s a cytotechnologist and has worked as a research scientist, medical technologist, dive master and stringer for a newspaper. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband in a 100-year-old Victorian home, which has a garage built from rejected tombstones. Visit her at www.kathykulig.com

Gwen Masters has seen hundreds of her short stories published in print and online, and her erotic novels have been translated into half a dozen languages. When she’s not writing smut, she is diving into research on interesting yet obscure topics, hopping a plane every few weeks, and masquerading as a serious news journalist. She splits her time between a home on the Georgia coast and a little place on the outskirts of Philadelphia.