Amber Skye's Blog

I'm often asked, "Where do you get the ideas for your stories?"

The short answer is that I get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, usually when I least expect it. And while no idea is entirely unique, I do like to think my ideas are somewhat original and creative. But sometimes, I must admit, I'm inspired by the innovation of others, frequently getting a design for a story from the efforts of various creatives. My most recent publication, Supper Club, is a good example.

Like most folks these days, I tend to get caught up with Netflix and Amazon Prime. A year or so ago, I began watching "Hart of Dixie." The story revolves around a young female doctor who moves from New York to a small Alabama town to take over the practice of her deceased biological father. She's soon encountered by the town belle, Lemon Breeland, the attractive yet cantankerous daughter of the town's other physician. I was instantly impacted by the character of Lemon and wanted to draw a personality from her mold for one of my stories! I suppose I was mesmerized by her beauty and captivated by her sexy snarkiness.

The thought occurred to me: What if Lemon enjoyed the carnal companionship of other women? Surely she'd be cast in a dominant role. After all, that young lady was Marge-in-charge! The light bulb burned brightly. Enter Marigold Bainbridge, a luscious blonde belle from Atlanta's ritzy Buckhead community and hostess for her wealthy young lady friends for a weekly supper club. I was ecstatic. Marigold, in my mind, was practically the physical embodiment of the blonde bombshell actress, with nearly the same personality traits! Now all I needed was a co-star for my little erotic comedy!

Taylor Rocereta is a recent graduate from Fordham with an advanced Economics degree, working in her father’s Wall Street firm. Doting Daddy realizes his daughter is nursing a broken heart from a recent break-up and arranges for her to intern with his old pal, Walter Bainbridge, Marigold’s father. Surely a geographical change will do her a world of good.

Taylor arrives in The Deep South and encounters a bit of a culture shock much the way Zoe Hart (Hart of Dixie’s protagonist) did when arriving in Dixie. The shock begins at Atlanta’s airport when Taylor is met by the Bainbridge family chauffeur, Bob Earl, a garrulous and quirky middle-aged southerner with two first names who likes to refer to himself in the third person—a character loosely based on a waiter who served my family at a beachside restaurant on the Georgia coast. Yep, that’s right. There’s always a great character—even the minor players—lurking in the shadows of our daily lives!

So I took it from there, turning a playful romantic comedy from Netflix into a playful yet raunchy romp of Sapphic sensuality—a story I had so much fun writing…and hope you have even more fun reading!

Until next time, my loves, peace, joy, and happiness…and plenty of steamy erotica to brighten your days—and nights!

Amber

I’m always appreciative when anyone picks up one of my stories and takes the time to read it. Like any author, I’m hopeful that the reader loves the piece and enthusiastically spreads the word via a review or through social media. While I’ve had good fortune with most of my readers, and this is reflected in reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads, it is not always the case. On occasion, I’ve had less than flattering feedback. But not one time has a reviewer suggested that it’s because the writing is poor. Almost invariably, it has been because they expected something different from what they got. That got me thinking about the wide range of sub-genres within the main genre in which I write. Quite honestly, I write what I want to write when I want to write it. I rarely, if ever, gear my stories to what fans suggest or for which they clamor. Why? Because it would be uninspired and have about as much sizzle as a three-day-old can of Coke. So, you see, if I did that, I might, paradoxically, end up with fewer fans.
So I decided to put a handy little guide together for those who may have only read one or two of my stories, or perhaps haven’t read any yet. This way, if a potential new fan is looking for something cute and fun and romantic, but doesn’t care for hardcore BDSM, they don’t pick up the wrong title. Conversely, if another potential reader is looking for something hardcore and wicked, they aren’t led to a softer romance for which they have little interest.
So whether you are already a fan of Amber Skye Erotica or are considering picking up one of my stories, the guide below will help you sort through choosing the title that is just right for you!

H (humor) HC (hardcore) M (moderate) SR (softer romance) BDSM (sub/domme)

LACI’S LINGERIE (M)
AUTUMN SIZZLE (M) (H) (BDSM)
THE PINK POSSE (H) (HC) (BDSM)
COMMUNITY CERVIX (SR)
CRACK OF DAWN (H) (HC) (BDSM) *Raunchy*
SIDE OUT (H) (HC) (BDSM)
BLOCK PARTY (HC) (BDSM) *A little dark*
WET CHEMISTRY (H) (M) (BDSM)
FENDER BENDER (H) (HC) (BDSM)
TEA WITH TRINA (SR)
EATING OUT (H) (HC) (BDSM)
SOCCER MOM (H) (HC) (BDSM)
KITTY KATZ (H) (M)
THE 13TH STEP (H) (SR)
TEN SPEED (H) (HC) (BDSM)
THE GIRL IN 411 (M) (BDSM)

I hope this helps! And remember, I’m always available to advise my readers in making a choice regarding what suits their sensibilities. So don’t be afraid to ask. I don’t bite…but I might nibble a bit!

Sometimes I joke with folks that I was born about fifty years too late—that I should have been in my late-twenties and early-thirties during the 1950s. I suppose I have a fascination with that era, probably just like many of you. I enjoy watching re-runs of Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver, and love gazing at pinup girls like Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe. And who doesn’t get a little wet in the palms when viewing a photo of Leslie Brooks? Sigh. Those soda fountain shops, jukeboxes, and big American cars were quite the rave too, and Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly ruled the airwaves with their high energy Rock & Roll music—you know, the stuff that gets your foot tapping and booty shaking!
So when I was having a conversation one day with Celeste Castro, the brilliant author of Homecoming, she brought up the historical erotica section I used in Side Out. Celeste told me that she wanted to read some more Victorian age smut from me, and jokingly said I should be sure to include words like “settee” in the writing. And while my latest novelette is a far cry from Victorian age erotica, Celeste’s comment got me heading down the path to writing my latest, the pulp erotica piece I entitled Kitty Katz and Her Pink Cadillac. Penning “Kitty” was a labor of love. It had elements of so many things I enjoy: fiction, erotica, the 1950s era, and a character I could model after my favorite pinup girls! Enter Kitty Katz!
But Kitty Katz needed a special flair, and I had just the idea! I’m a southern girl, born and bred. As some of you know, I often post tweets introducing those of you who aren’t “from around these parts” to my Southern Vernacular with Amber feature. Yes, I really do use some of the vernacular that pop up in my posts, and yes, I really do prefer sweet tea and swoon over well-prepared fried okra! Don’t judge. So what better place to set my story than central Georgia? I suppose my story is loosely fashioned around the city of Macon, but I don’t mention it by name in the writing.
It was no trouble coming up with the physical characteristics of Kitty—she became sort of a southern version of Marilyn Monroe, but with the sharp mind of a woman who knows exactly what she wants and just how to go about getting it. It was the character of Mary Kate Watkins that eluded me. Enter another erotica author pal, the lovely Wednesday Noir. During the time I was about to embark on sitting down with pen and paper (metaphorically, of course) to begin writing Kitty, Ms. Noir changed her profile picture on Twitter from an animated likeness to the real Wednesday Noir!
“Yowza, she sure is purdy!” my mind shouted.
Then I thought to myself, now if that ain’t Mary Kate Watkins, I don’t know who is! Redheaded and slender with blue eyes and porcelain skin, Ms. Noir is quite the hottie! And those pink, pouty lips! Within an hour, I had her permission to use her image as Mary Kate, and she even dolled herself up and made a little country girl picture for me—whisk and all. What a sport!
But I needed a book cover. I must admit; this is not my strong suit. And then I remembered the super talented C.M. Blackwood is not only a terrific author, but she does some pretty nifty book covers too! I couldn’t have been more pleased with the design she produced. It was perfect—exactly what I had envisioned! Now I just needed to write the story.
I decided that I wanted the novelette to be in three parts—three adventures if you will. After a brief introduction to Kitty and her loyal driver, Amos, we jump right into the action.
Kitty’s first adventure takes place on a Friday night following a high school football contest when folks of the small Georgia city gather at a local soda fountain shop after the big game. And that’s where Kitty lays siege to her first prey. Sybil just got dumped by her boyfriend, and she’s beside herself with hurt and anger. But don’t despair! Miss Kitty knows just how to lick her wounds. After a little whiskey and some kind comfort, courtesy of Miss Kitty, Sybil is up for anything.
And then it’s on to Mary Kate Watkins, the second installment.
Miss Kitty is serving supper to the Reverend’s family on Saturday night, and she’s decided to drive out to the Watkins pig farm in the country to select a fine ham for the evening’s meal. But when Miss Kitty arrives at the farm, old Joe Watkins is nowhere to be found. So it’s his twenty-year-old daughter, the kooky yet lovely Mary Kate, who assists Miss Kitty…and boy does she.
The third story begins on Saturday night when Kitty hosts the Reverend’s family for dinner. The ham is delicious but so is the Reverend’s voluptuous daughter, Miss Virginia Olson! Kitty is struck not only by her beauty but also by her polite charm and courteous demeanor—a true Southern Belle! But it will take some finagling on Kitty’s part to get her new love interest alone. And maybe…just maybe, the relationship between these two will go a little further than just hot sex!
In the end, though, I enjoyed creating these characters for you through their dialogue. I find that works best for me. I surely hope you will take a look at Kitty Katz, and if you like it, I’m certainly open to penning more stories about her and the sultry southern babes she pursues! Yes! I would enjoy writing that for you very much. In fact, it would just dill my pickle!

Probably like most authors, I’m frequently asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” Well, I’ve never read a book on great ideas for authors to write about, although it wouldn’t surprise me if one existed—it seems there’s a “how to” book for everything these days! Of course, if an author needed to read a book on ideas for what to write about, they likely would not make for much of an author! It’s imagination itself which makes for great writing—or at least for great ideas. So, like any writer, I dream stuff up. Hey, that’s what we do, after all!

But I’ve heard it said, “Write what you know.” So that begs the question, how does one use their personal experience—or that of others—to pen a story? What inspires a writer to come up with certain characters? Dialogue? Plot? Well, my friends, these are questions I’m going to attempt to answer, and there is no better place to start than with my current work in progress. As I’m typing this blog, Soccer Mom is undergoing its last severe scrutiny for any errors which need correcting—hopefully not too many. I do work hard to supply you with quality prose, painstakingly making every effort to provide stories with as few grammar, punctuation, and typographical errors as humanly possible. My team and I work extra hard on this; I hope you notice!

Anyway, I digress. So where did I get the inspiration for writing Soccer Mom? Or better yet, just what is a soccer mom? I vigorously researched this (typed Soccer Mom into Google and read the snippet). Here’s what I found:

soc·cer mom
noun
US informal
noun: soccer mom; plural noun: soccer moms
1. a middle-class suburban mother who spends a great deal of time taking her children to play soccer or engage in other activities.

As much as I dislike labels—and I really dislike labeling myself—I suppose I could loosely fall into this category. My children are nineteen and seventeen as of this post, they both are independent, both drive, and both have turned out nicely. Also, they are gifted athletes (please take note of the loosely labeled soccer mom bragging about her kids). So, over the years, I have experienced the difficult challenge of juggling their activities. They each started out in recreation ball—soccer for my daughter and baseball for my son—played all-stars, got invited to participate in travel ball, and ultimately were starters in high school. The kids enjoyed it and it kept them focused and out of trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed attending games and watching them play mostly, but by the time they reached their teens, the competitiveness began to exist more with the parents at times than with the kids. This was a major downer for me. It was the soccer culture that was the worst, too, although by the time we got to varsity baseball, some of those parents were beyond awful as well! So what’s my point? Well, ladies and gentlemen, this usually mild-mannered, polite, respectful woman built up a lot of angst enduring this culture over the past decade-and-a-half. I needed an outlet. Cue Soccer Mom. I must confess; this novelette was quite cathartic to write! It allowed me to take some hard shots at many of the people who often made what should always be a fun experience into a nightmare; it was a delicious release for me!

In Soccer Mom, we meet Marie, the protagonist, right away. She’s the narrator, after all—and let me add, while Marie and I have some things in common, we also have many differences. So, in other words, I’m not Marie! I’m glad we cleared that up! I’ve digressed again…okay, back to work!

Marie is less than enthusiastic about taking her twelve-year-old son to his soccer tournament in a neighboring state. She relays to the reader all the things soccer parents say and do that she finds so terribly annoying. But she saves her greatest hostility for the team mom, Kendall Sullivan. Perky and pretty, but unbearably obnoxious, Kendall is the object of Marie’s ire. Kendall is haughty, overly organized, fussy, and demanding—all the things Marie finds so objectionable. So we have tension that leads to some pretty steamy sexual tension that leads to the inevitable steamy, wild, and kinky sex. I won’t disclose any more; I’d hate to spoil the story for you. I’m sure if you’ve read my other tales, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But out of the twelve novellas or novelettes I’ve penned, I found myself more tuned in to the vehicle of the story in this one than ever before. I suppose since it was so personal, so poignant, I couldn’t help but to get caught up in the events. The mood, the experiences at the field and hotel, and even the harsh weather conditions detailed in this story are almost exactly as I experienced them. But don’t despair; I do inject a little humor into the book to lighten it up some.

So if you are gracious enough to download a copy of Soccer Mom, you will get a first-hand look at how I used my personal experiences to bring you what I hope you’ll feel is another thrilling erotica piece! And, as always, I am eternally grateful to all of you who read my horny tales. The process of writing is a two-way street. Without the reader—specifically you, my friends—it is a dead end. I look forward to meeting you in the road!

Hugs and kisses,

Amber

The Ramblings of an Erotica Author


Happy New Year boys and girls! As the one-year anniversary of my adventure into the life as an erotica writer approaches, I thought it might be fun to share a few tidbits about what I’ve experienced and learned over the past year. I began writing Laci’s Lingerie, my first venture into the world of erotica, in late January of last year. Since then, I’ve penned and published a total of seven novellas or novelettes—The Pink Posse reaching #13 on Amazon’s Lesbian Erotica Bestsellers’ list. The act of writing is mostly a singular endeavor, but when you, lovely reader, pick up one of my stories, it becomes a labor of love that I have the privilege of sharing with you! For that, I am eternally grateful! The praise, the feedback, and the goodwill from both my readers and my author pals, has been simply overwhelming!
As a thirty-nine-year-old wife and mother of two teenagers and a former third-grade teacher in a private school, I’m quite possibly an anomaly for authoring tales of Sapphic delight. And perhaps even more uncharacteristically, I’ve modeled the covers for five of my seven publications (Laci’s Lingerie and Block Party being the exceptions). But it was my husband, a writer himself, who encouraged me to regale y’all with my sexy lesbian tales. And, quite simply, I’ve always found that reading sexual stories involving two women to be the most sensual and erotic. So, consequently, I believe that genre chose me, rather than me choosing it. And when I sat down to put my filthy imagination to work, the words flowed as naturally as the juices from the hoo-ha of a horny college coed. In fact, I’ve never outlined a story and I never know how they will end until I’m nearly finished with the tale.
So where do I get my ideas, and how do I proceed? I’ll tackle the idea aspect first. Shortly after deciding to embark on a career as an author, I was strolling through a local outdoor mall on a warm and lovely winter day. I was actively considering what I might write about, when I passed a lingerie store. I stopped and peered through the window before deciding to enter and browse—and no, it wasn’t a Victoria’s Secret. Upon entry to the upscale boutique, I was warmly greeted by an attractive black woman who was perhaps a few years my junior. A voluptuous redhead, with a most spectacular pair, also worked the store. And after making a few minor purchases, I exited—giddy and excited—with the idea for my first story. My latest work, Block Party, evolved from another personal experience. I was painting the exterior of my front door on a beautiful October afternoon, when a pretty and perky blonde strolled into my yard and handed me a flyer for a neighborhood gathering. The beginning of Block Party is eerily similar to the actual events of that day, but the remainder of the story exists solely in the author’s dirty mind! The point is, I like writing about everyday people in common life situations…and then throwing my readers into a tizzy with the raunchy details of wild, lesbian fantasy. And while I have no objection to vampires, werewolves, aliens, and the authors who write about them, they simply are not my thing. But if you like that kind of fantasy, then there are plenty of good authors out there writing it.
And that brings me to my next point. How is the story created? I don’t care within what genre one writes. To me, there are five essentials to good writing and therefore a good reading experience. And as a consumer myself of many genres, I look for the following: interesting characters; entertaining dialogue; a solid storyline; detailed imagery; and workable prose.
Let’s take characters first. Of course, I want to know about her physical appearance, especially if I’m reading erotica. But I need to know more than she’s a gorgeous blonde with big tits. Does she have a slight bend in her nose that gives her a quirky cuteness? How about a laugh? Or maybe her eyebrows do something a little odd when she’s aroused or provoked. Is she sweet? Bitchy? Gullible? And these characteristics don’t necessarily need to be described through the narrative. Perhaps we can learn something about our character through dialogue. Does she talk too much? Is she reticent? Does she say ugly things about others behind their backs? And does the dialogue affect us? I prefer characters whose dialogue elicits some emotion from me. I want them to make me laugh perhaps. Or maybe they evoke anger or sympathy through their words.
Here’s Val in Side Out, a recent tale I wrote involving lusty athletes:

“That frickin’ Claire,” she said one day after practice as we strolled from the locker room.
“What?” I asked.
“Damn, Celia,” she ranted. “She’s as red as a vine-ripe tomato. Sa-ide Ow-t, Sa-ide Ow-t!”
I laughed. “Side Out” was a common expression used among players as an encouraging cheer to return the ball to your team’s court for serving. Val did a pretty fair rendering of Claire’s drawn-out chant.
“I’ll tell ya, Celia, I’m going to bang a ball off that girl’s head one of these days.”
I chuckled again while Val paused, and then she resumed the bashing.
“And OMIGOD! She is like so OCD: ‘Stand here!’ ‘Drop back!’ She’s a frickin’ freshman and she thinks she’s the team captain. I’m so fucking triggered by her right now!”
I laughed again, but Val was working herself into a frenzy over this girl.

In that short passage, we learn that Val is a little bitchy, immature, and back-stabbing. But we also get a little chuckle from her nonetheless. So we have a pretty good idea of whom we’re dealing with for the remainder of the story.
Which brings us to storyline. For me, any story—including erotica—requires a backdrop and it needs developing. What is the landscape? Perhaps our characters are working on a project together in an office setting. They each have talents that complement the other. Maybe they unite in heroic efforts to complete a particular task, beating a deadline and overcoming difficult obstacles. They bond and discover they’ve become sexually attracted to each other, or quite possibly, realize they have been all along. So…is there something about the story that causes us to rally behind our characters and cheer them? Do we have a vehicle that carries us through the lives of our characters? Does the story flow and make sense? Is it clever and creative? These are things I want in my literature, so consequently, I try hard to provide them for you, lovely reader!
And next, there’s the issue of imagery. Imagery is an electrifying essential element of writing when it comes to erotica. The most sexually provocative stories I’ve read tend to describe the aromas, sights, tastes, touches, and sounds to a degree that I feel as if I’m a participant in the story myself. I want to smell her musk, or feel the soft silkiness of her hair—or the smoothness of her shaved pubic area. Is she loud? Does she scream when she climaxes? Maybe she sinks her teeth into flesh during orgasm. What does her cum face look like? I find these descriptions highly provocative, and I want you provoked when reading my stories. You should demand it from me!
And finally, there’s prose. Putting a noun and a verb together for most of us is not too difficult. But can we combine elements of writing into a flowing, coherent pattern that is intelligent, interesting, and compelling? I would guess that this is an author’s biggest challenge. And this is where true talent comes into play. Frankly, some have it and some do not. I’ll let you, lovely reader, determine that yourself when it comes to my writing. It’s not for me to say. But as a consumer of erotica, I have often been excited to try a new author only to be disappointed when the story lacked any kind of real imagination, flair, or slick writing skills. It doesn’t matter how wild the story is, how many bizarre sexual experiences the author has had, or how dirty they can make their characters. If the writing is weak—and this includes editing and proofreading, which could be a blog in and of itself—then the story will crumble like a stale cookie being gnawed on by a messy toddler.
So now that we’ve explored the development and processes of writing—and specifically erotica—let’s consider how an author presents themselves to the world. Social media is great! I use Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I know other authors who use Tumbler, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Personally, I’ve found Twitter a good fit for me, and I’ve met some fabulous people on that particular social media. I would estimate that perhaps more than eighty percent of my readers discover my work through Twitter. So I thought I’d share some thoughts and experiences from my daily interaction on that edgy platform.
A year ago, when I first opened my Twitter account, I was touched and honored to be embraced by the erotica community. For the most part, experienced writers who had been selling their erotic stories on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble were quite willing to show me the ropes. In turn, I have tried my best to return the favor by paying it forward to new authors who pop up and are looking for some guidance. I was further surprised to discover operators of certain accounts who were more than happy to altruistically sponsor my ads on their websites and tweet about my work at no cost. I was flabbergasted to find that the erotica community was filled with extremely kind and giving people who truly wanted to see quality authors succeed. The lovely and talented Mischa Eliot is a perfect example of this. She’s featured my work on her Caring and Sharing platform numerous times, is always handy with a re-tweet, and is genuinely interested in helping others. So when she asked me to contribute to her website, I happily agreed. And what is so unbelievably fabulous, is that most authors don’t view their craft as a competitive sport. There isn’t too much of the sentiment “Read my book instead of hers.” The sentiment is more accurately expressed with “Read my book and hers!” And guess what? I’ve yet to meet one of these people in person. They exist totally through the digital world of social media.
So what about using Twitter to promote erotic stories? I’ve learned a few dos and don’ts as I’ve traveled through Twitterspace! Mind you, these are my opinions of dos and don’ts. I’m no guru on the perfect way to navigate social media, so maybe something I suggest here may not work for you…but perhaps it will. I’d like to take this last segment to give you my theory on how to tweet, re-tweet, and direct message. So while this section is probably geared more toward other authors, it may be equally instructive to readers and others with casual interest.
I try to tweet something about my work more than five times per day but fewer than ten times—enough that I’m seen and recognized but not so often that it becomes an annoyance. I believe tweets should be cute, clever, or funny. Making someone laugh or smile will lead them to actually looking for your tweets or even causing your followers to pop in on your profile page a few times a day to see what you’ve been up to. A picture should always be included because they are much more likely to catch the eye than simple text. Add a link to your post. I tend to provide a path to either the specific story I’m peddling or my Amazon page, but if you have a website, then I suggest leading followers there. Make it easy for interested parties by updating a pinned tweet every few days at the least. Be a little dirty and provocative but avoid being downright vulgar. There’s time and space for being vulgar once the reader is inside the book! And some people might really enjoy the vulgar tweet, but they may be apprehensive about re-tweeting it because they don’t want the connection to it. Which brings us to re-tweeting.
I never promise to re-tweet all who tweet me, but generally it’s a good rule to follow. If someone takes the time to read and perpetuate my tweet, I feel like I owe them the same courtesy. I think it’s simply good manners. And re-tweeting is not an endorsement. Should an endorsement be desired, consider quoting the tweet and adding your helpful comments. When I really enjoy a piece another author penned, I’m more than happy to say a few nice things about it and possibly add a link to a positive review I wrote for the story. Being nice, considerate, and friendly creates good will, and you’ll probably have the friendliness returned. One thing I avoid though, is thanking everyone who re-tweets me, especially grouping a bunch together. It simply clutters everyone’s notifications. My opinion is that the best thank you is to return the favor. Re-tweeting is like going down on someone. It’s nice if they thank you but nicer if they reciprocate!
And what about direct messaging? I’m okay if you direct message me as long as you’re polite and are trying to engage me in intelligent and thoughtful conversation. But one way to get me to unfollow you is if I get an automated direct message from you trying to sell me something…especially if we’ve just met. I strongly suggest not even entertaining this practice. And yes, I write erotica—horny stories that are highly provocative—but I don’t want unsolicited pictures, videos, or requests to get together.
A few other suggestions: Avoid political and religious comments on social media. I’m pretty sure that no one follows an erotica author to get political insight or spiritual fulfillment. So leave it alone. Consider the political divisiveness in the world these days. One silly tweet could alienate half your readers in seconds. Avoid arguments. While being feisty and cheeky is fun and entertaining, no one likes a snarky, angry, grumbling person spewing venom and hatred. Be kind! Be sweet! Be compassionate! And most importantly, give Amber Skye Erotica a try. If it’s not for you, there are plenty of great authors out there! I’ll even recommend them to you. Just ask!

Hugs, kisses, and blessings!

Amber
January 2017