Naughty Literati: Finding Happiness

It was Georgette Heyer who addicted me to Regency romance, and my first Regency-set romance was dedicated to her. But I have also always been fascinated by the strong women of history. In a time when women had almost no rights at all, every now and then a woman overcame every obstacle to guide her people.
One of those was Queen Elizabeth I of England to whom my latest Regency-set erotic lesbian romance, has been dedicated:
In memory of Queen Elizabeth I of England—a woman who refused to let her gender stand in the way of achieving her hopes and ambitions, and who ruled her country better than any man of her time could have done.

Other women who come to mind are:
Marie Curie, Queen Victoria, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Mother Theresa, Eleanor of Aquitane, Aspasia of Miletus, Boadicea, Catherine the Great, Sappho, Florence Nightingale, and in our own day, Aung San Suu Kyi. Of course, you will all have your own lists.

All my lesbian erotic romances are based on the idea of women overcoming difficulties to achieve their happy endings. “Fist Me” is a lesbian story in the “Naughty Flames” anthology. It’s a little bit different in that Taryn has just left a romance with a man who everyone told her was perfect. But he wasn’t perfect for her. Her best friend Maeve, on the other hand…

I just said I’ve been endlessly fascinated about how women in the past managed to find a way around the restrictions and rules under which they were obliged to live, and found happiness.
And then, as writers tend to do, I asked myself, “What If?”
What if women were treasured? What if women were considered special, and loved? What if the society’s culture taught men that a woman was a treasured possession, a person to be cherished, loved, and protected?

I began researching other cultures and found out about several countries where all the brothers share a wife. Each of them is trained to be by her side to support and help her always.

So, I created a world where people following this ancient tradition had been forced into hiding. Where they built their homes underground, living apart from the mainstream world to avoid persecution for their cultural beliefs.
The “Possessive Passions” series takes some of these ancient cultural traditions from countries that practice (or practiced in the past) polyandry. (http://www.bookstrand.com/series/3109 )

Reading erotic romance is a woman’s fantasy. And what better fantasy than to read about a world where women no longer have to struggle to be everything to everyone? Today’s women are expected to work a paid job, rear the kids, keep the apartment clean and tidy, exercise and stay fit and slim, help and support their aging parents, and still have enough energy left at the end of the day to cook a scrumptious meal, and romance the man in their life. Many women exhaust themselves trying to fulfill these kinds of unrealistic expectations. What better way to relax than to immerse oneself in a world where two (or even three) men worship their woman, offering endless love and support in a community designed for this lifestyle?

I loved building this world and meeting the people in it. I was sad when I finished writing the series. I’d like to live there myself!

So I wrote a novella about three people who fall into a ménage relationship. All because of a fire drill at their office building. “Set Me on Fire” is also part of the “Naughty Flames” boxed set.