#Erotica and Happy Endings by Stella Grae

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Stella Grae to Discover... What a fun post. And I just love the last line in her excerpt, so read to the end for a zinger.

A common question writers have to navigate is “How did you come up with the idea for this story?” It’s a fair question. When discussing seeds of ideas concerning erotica, I find people fall into two categories: those who don’t ask because they’re afraid of the answer and then those who do ask because the answer could be a wild ride into another life that might be fun to try on…at least for a little while. 

I didn’t begin my writing career thinking of erotica as a viable outlet, but it came to be in quite an interesting way. Most authors pull some part of themselves into a work, even if it’s just their own personal fantasies. Just Call Me Confidence and its sequel, which I’m working on right now, were both born of a failed relationship. I was about to have another birthday and the realization hit me: I might have lived half of my life already. There were exotic (or dangerous!) trips to take, interesting people to meet, and dancing in stilettos to be done. I was lonely in my relationship at the time, but didn’t want to do anything stupid, so I created characters and situations that were based a little on reality, but twisted them to create the kind of relationship that I actually wished I had had. The relationship fizzled, but the plot sizzled, as they say. 

While not every story can have a happy ending, every story has the potential to be mixed with fantasy. What you do with that is your business. But I know this: fantasy can sometimes be the one thing that keeps us sane, and our inner stories that we tell ourselves alive. And sometimes, fantasy and reality collide. In that case, I’ll channel my inner Just Call Me Confidence protagonist, Jenna, and leave you with some wise words of advice: Not every story is meant to be a reality, but every story can be the chrysalis for a newfound confidence. 

BLURB

Jenna Craig is a 40-year-old freshly-minted “hot momma” looking for a little love in her post-divorce life. After a night out with her cougar tribe, she wonders whether she’s still got “it”—the double-takes from the college clowns at the bar quickly put her doubts to rest. Though she may be alone, she knows she’ll never be lonely. 

Jenna’s newfound confidence is buoyed by some swim club eye candy: Travis the lifeguard. Hot trysts in the locker room leave her wondering if she might want something more. When her naughty, new boy toy introduces her to his friend, Collin, Jenna is engulfed with waves of emotion that she thought she might never feel again. With two younger men vying for her heart, will she choose the perfect guy for right now, or the man who could give her another shot at love? 

The experienced Ms. Craig is certain of one thing: She better bring the confidence to pull off the choice of her desire. 

EXCERPT

“I’m glad we’re friends, and that you think nothing of racing to my house to help me with my man woes, and my panties. But you know what I appreciate most?” 

“You appreciate my sarcastic, brutally honest, down-home wit?” 

“No, the fact that you don’t judge me or what I do, or don’t do. You’ve never said you think I’m acting like a whore.”

Fielding hugs me and doesn’t let go. Patting me on my back she responds, “I’ll never stoop to calling you a whore because you’re simply acting like a woman with a man’s morals.”

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Stella Grae is an unassuming English professor, copyeditor, and copywriter living in Lexington, Kentucky. She’s the author of the short story “Power Play” that was originally published in the website erotica journal Oysters and Chocolate. In her spare time she enjoys sipping on bourbon, nibbling cheesy grits, and philosophizing about love and sex in her blog, “Bone Up,” which can be found on her website: stellagraeerotica.weebly.com…along with other sexy tidbits.  This is her first erotica novel.  

Website: https://stellagraeerotica.weebly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgraeerotica/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGraeErotica

AllAuthor: https://stellagraeerotica.allauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/159637845-stella-grae

Email: stellagrae@proton.me

Amazon Central Author Page:

www.amazon.com/author/stellagraeerotica