My First Strip Club

Most of you here know that the first book in the Just One Night series begins in Vegas. And the last Sophie Katz book, Vanity, Vengeance & A Weekend In Vegas (currently a top rated audiobook, thank you!) is almost entirely set in Vegas. In both cases the trip ends up being much more adventurous than either of my protagonists imagined it would be and the men they find there are dangerous...but also rather scrumptious.

So when my girlfriend asked if I wanted to do a girls' weekend in Vegas for her birthday which happened to land on the weekend after the release of Just One Night: The Stranger...well it felt sort of apropos. Even more so when she suggested that we go to a male strip show.

I've been to gay clubs that had hired male dancers who wore nothing but Speedos or g-strings and yes, people were stuffing those Speedos with dollar bills. But those weren't exactly formal strip shows. When I was married I took my husband to a female strip club for our second Valentine's Day. It was my way of thanking him for being so doting and wonderful to me during our first Valentine's together (I knew he wouldn't be moved by the sunset champagne-caviar picnic he had surprised me with that first year so letting a naked girl dance on his lap seemed like an even trade).

I liked the gay clubs, I'd happily go back if someone asked me to accompany them. I didn't mind the girl strip club but I'm not really interested in doing it again (although I would if I was in love with a man and wanted to thank him for cooking me an amazing dinner and cleaning our apartment...I hope all potential future boyfriends take note of that).

But I had never been to a male strip club designed for a female audience before this weekend. I didn't know what to expect.

My girlfriend and I went to Men Of Sapphire. Of course visions from Magic Mike danced through my head but I didn't expect anyone to be able to dance like Channing Tatum.

Well I was wrong. There was one guy who could do everything Tatum could do and more. See this?

This is a man who is doing one armed handstand-push-ups, using only a chair and a stripper pole for balance...and yes, that balance point on the chair happens to be between an audience member's legs.  Now normally I'm not into guys with a lot of tattoos but that's just damn impressive. Oh, and if you get a lap dance from this particular man, well there's something he can do with his thigh...I don't want to give too much away in case you decide to go but just know...he's a fun one.

And then there was this guy who I had the pleasure of giving a few dollars to...

...he looked down my dress...and you know what? I let him.

This one here went out of his way to approach me and whisper in my ear that I was an "incredibly attractive woman."

I thanked him in a smooth voice. A few minutes later he came back, nestled his head into the crook of my neck...which is when his dark glasses got caught in my crazy curly hair. Because while I can be smooth my hair never will be.

Oh and last (but definitely not least) I won a free calendar featuring this dancer...

...it was my reward for showing impressive enthusiasm.

What really surprised me was the amount of audience participation that was incorporated into the show. Unlike the female strip show I attended it was rare when just the performers were on the stage. It was almost always the performers and at least one woman from the audience...frequently more. And that's what made it fun...that and the mood which was so playful and silly that even when things got pretty damn sexually explicit (I mean they handcuffed one girl to a bed while the guy sort of gyrated over her) it didn't feel uncomfortable or lecherous.  It's sort of like going to a sports bar.  All the guests are united by a common interest and we're all there cheering and acting crazy.

And then I started thinking about all those guys who ask their girlfriends/wives to go to strip clubs with them...I'm wondering if one of those wives shouldn't just say yes and then driver her man to Men of Sapphire. I mean if your guy isn't going to specify what kind of strip club he wants to go to then it's up to you, right?

And if he doesn't like it tell him you'll take him to see the girl pole dancers right after he cleans your apartment.

This One's A Little Different

Most of you know about me through my Sophie books and you've come to know Sophie as a spunky, impulsive, reckless, fiercely loyal heroine with a jealous streak and a strong sense of self. She's exactly where she wants to be in her creative career as an author. She has an unabashed love for Frappuccinos and vodka cocktails. As she explains in Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss:

"...alcohol tends to hamper people's ability to parent.  That's why I've chosen to remain childless."  

Sophie doesn't put up with a lot of shit from the men in her life. People who put on pretenses drive her nuts (like her sister). Her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Anatoly, makes significantly less money than she does but he has other things to offer. I mean he's a rugged, hot Russian man who served in both the Russian and Israeli armies, rides a Harley and loves to cook gourmet meals for his girlfriend.  It's a good package (double entendre TOTALLY intended).

If you're looking for something along those lines in my upcoming Just One Night erotic fiction trilogy you're not going to find it. The only thing the protagonist of this new series (Kasie Fitzgerald) has in common with Sophie is her love of great sex.

And if you're looking for another 50 Shades I can't really help you with that either.

I adore Sophie but I knew when I was asked to write a trilogy of erotic fiction novellas I wanted to stretch myself by creating totally different characters and use a completely different style.  And as for the nature of this particular genre itself...well, I've noticed that in many (but certainly not all) romance novels and a lot of the erotic fiction that is being put out lately, the guy is often a strong, domineering-to-the-point-of-assholery, power player (either in business or simply a brute...like if he's a cop or a pirate or something) and the woman is totally innocent, her greatest flaw being that she is maybe a bit too naive, klutzy or has a valiant reason for avoiding love (like she's trying to save a family member and to do so she has to lie to the bad-boy-who-underneath-it-all-is-really-a-good-guy she's falling for). But of course she can't resist the bad boy and so despite his flaws she becomes his and eventually saves him by opening his heart to love.

That's not a story or a dynamic that interests me. I'm cool with the arrogant power player men but if we're going to pair them up with someone let it be with someone equally flawed. My favorite couples are not Romeo & Juliet, Jane Eyre and Rochester, Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy (Pride & Prejudice) and they're certainly not the young lovers from Les Mis. They're Catherine and Heathcliff, Rhett and Scarlett, Cleopatra and Anthony, Lily Bart and Seldon (House of Mirth).

This...

...interests me more than......this.

If we're going to focus on a relationship give me characters that are complicated, confused and yes, difficult. Give me some grit I can sink my teeth into. I don't like emotional drama in my life but I do love it on the page.

On the surface Kasie seems perfect. In addition to being in a stable relationship with an old-money, responsible, cautious guy she's also a Harvard graduate who's successfully working her way up in the business world.  But scratch that surface and you see an ocean of hidden pain and confusion along with a passionate, adventurous nature that she desperately tries to deny. She makes bad decisions, doubts herself, seeks safety in the things she should walk away from. When Robert Dade unleashes the passion and fire that Kasie has been suppressing for her entire life it sets her down the rocky path of self-discovery and she wages an epic battle within herself.  She's faced with the choice of either holding onto a life philosophy that she was raised on, beliefs that while incredibly stifling, have nursed and comforted her through some very difficult times, or turning her entire world upside down in the hopes that there's something better, something that might let her be who she really is without screwing everything up.  It's not a snap decision anyone can make overnight.  No one just walks away from a lifetime of habits and behavior without having a little freak-out and this is particularly true for Kasie since the vast majority of the people who are supposed to love her most want her to stick with the safer, more stifling route.

Robert Dade is a power-player in the fullest sense of the word. He knows what he wants and he goes for it.  Honestly, he doesn't seem to care too much who gets hurt in the process.  When he looks at Kasie he sees the woman behind the mask and he is persistent in his effort to draw her out, provoke her and ultimately have her in the most intimate sense of the term. In that way his battle isn't that different from Kasie's. He's fighting against a lifetime of indoctrination that Kasie has been subjected to.

This is erotic fiction, but unlike many of the erotica books out there, it's not written like Young-Adult-Ficiton with sex. I use words and metaphors to add sensuality to the quieter scenes because to me, there is nothing more sensual than prose that sing. I can say with confidence that the sex scenes are not repetitive. Each time she makes love we see Kasie moving a little closer to her real self. And this is definitely Kasie's story (we learn more about Robert Dade's details/issues later in the series). Her mission isn't to save Robert, it's to save herself. For me that's what makes it interesting. It's why the following quotes from some early reviews really made my heart soar:

From Kathy Takes On Books:

...clean, spare, intellectual writing...(makes) you feel every bit of the attraction and anguish Kasie endures. Davis has crafted a beautiful story that provides everything a good story should in a tight, compact package

From Tome Tender:

This is a story about self  discovering, following one's heart and in the end maybe losing it all...Complex relationships, heart wrenching choices and sizzling chemistry kept me riveted til the end.

From Totally Booked:

I love this  author's style of writing, it's addictive and I was hooked immediately! The depth of the characters and the way it simmered then suddenly took flight - flawless! This was a refreshing, seductive and highly enjoyable erotic romance filled with plenty of drama...tense and thrilling

From Boekies Book Reviews:

Davis has a way with words, even her prose have a unique way of conveying the confusion of the attraction and the chaos going on within and around the main character.  I love that although there's a love story building within the background this novel also really depicts the inner struggle of finding yourself in a relationship that no longer fits you. I also appreciated that as a reader we get a very tangible flaw within Kasie...After reading so many stories mimicking the plot of Fifty Shades of Grey, this story is so refreshing and welcome. 

And then there are the truly wonderful reviews out there for this by reviewers and writers I really respect. There's the praise that came from:

L.V. Lewis
Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews 
Tyhada's Bookshelf
Anna Reads Romance
Sweet Book Reviews
Reviewing Romance

And the list just goes on! Of course there will always be people who prefer books of this genre to feature characters that are less flawed, female protagonists who are more innocent and never engage in unethical behavior, love stories that are completely about the struggles of the relationship and a little less about the internal struggles of the individuals within and around that relationship. There are many women who find the flaws they're attracted to in their male characters (he's a playboy who needs to be tamed, he's emotionally unavailable but needs to be loved and so on) to be unappetizing in the female characters. I don't fault them for that.  What makes the world interesting is that we all have different tastes and preferences. Jane Eyre and Rochester should be someone's favorite couple.

But if you're more of an Anthony and Cleopatra fan...

...well if that's the case, Just One Night might be your series.


Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series, 
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
And the upcoming JUST ONE NIGHT erotic fiction trilogy!
Read the first few pages here!

2012 was CRAZY!

Today I was looking back at 2012 and for the first time I realized that if there was one word that could easily sum up the entire 12 months it would be "crazy."

I started the year in Vegas with a man who I had known for some time but I had just started a relationship with. We went to a small party where (of all people) Huey Lewis and The News were playing. I've never been a Huey groupie but hey, why not, right? And as it turns out they put on a great show!

A fun start....but that new relationship was over by the end of January. I distracted myself by working overtime trying to complete what would be my 1st self-published novel. That was a HUGE learning curve. A reader volunteered to do the cover but I didn't even know what to request of her. I didn't know how to format the book for the different e-readers or for a paperback version...I was clueless. But through blood, sweat and tears I worked it out and by mid March Vanity, Vengeance & A Weekend In Vegas hit the virtual shelves. Phew!

In April I applied for late admissions to get my son into a new school (for gifted kids with learning differences). The school gave me a list of things we had to do/provide them with to be eligible and my son and I immediately got to work. It was around then that I was contacted by an editor at Simon & Schuster asking if I'd like to write erotica for them. I said maybe, then no (I had my reasons).  It was also in April that I reconciled with that guy. 

In May we broke up again.

I immediately started a new relationship...with Audible.com who, after some minimal courting, convinced me to produce an audiobook for Vanity, Vengeance. I got in touch with Gabra Zackman, the woman who recorded the other Sophie books and asked if she would coproduce. She enthusiastically agreed and we were off and running...and by running I mean we were trying to figure out how to be producers. During that time there were some Hollywood writing projects I was up for...they ultimately came to nothing but I was researching and writing just in case.

Then in June my son got accepted to the school! To pay for the astronomically high tuition I started selling Lexus' to supplement my other income (it's a 50+ hr/week job). And just when I thought my plate was full Simon & Schuster came back to me with another offer. This time they didn't want me to write one erotica novel, they wanted me to write three erotic fiction novellas. The first manuscript to be due August 1st. But it was already June. It was impossible.

So I said yes.

And that was my summer. Cars, audiobooks & novellas.

Shockingly I made my 1st deadline. And now Just One Night, The Stranger is getting great reviews!

We also finished production on the audiobook.

And my son started his new school.

....and I got back with that same guy.

But I did quit my Lexus job, I just couldn't balance everything. I spent the rest of the year writing two more books, helping my son transition to the school, working on my relationship...you know...stuff.  

So in sum:...In 2012 I broke up with and got back together with the same person twice, I self-published a book, produced an audiobook, wrote three novellas, sold cars, tried (and failed) to get another Hollywood break, and got my son into a new school.  It wasn't a smooth ride. It was turbulent- confusing-exciting-scary-wonderful-awful.

...and necessary.  I don't regret anything I did in 2012.  Even though that man that I was going back and forth with...well, after making it for 4 1/2 months straight (a record for us) we broke up. It happened just last week and this time it's for good. Considering our history you may be rolling your eyes at that but I can tell you with 100% certainty, it's over. I didn't feel that way after our other break-ups. But then the other times only lasted a month. Those short stints felt like false starts, this last time we really were a couple for a while and now that I've been given the opportunity to really try to make it work I can see that it can't. When he asked me to come back to him in August he told me that if I said no I would always wonder what would have happened if I said yes. He was right, but now I don't have to wonder. He's a good man and he influenced and inspired me in many different ways over the length of our romance/friendship. It's sad and I honestly wish him all the best in his life even though it's not a life I can be part of.  I'm finally ready and willing to walk away.

 And that's the thing about 2012, it was all about trying different things. Some things worked, others didn't. But I will never regret trying and I will never have to wonder, "What would have happened if..."

I don't know what 2013 will bring. I'd like a little more stability but I don't see that happening. In the end just another year without regrets would be fine. Honestly, I think that's the most any of us can realistically hope for. It may be the only thing that's within our control when things get...well, crazy.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series, 
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
And the upcoming JUST ONE NIGHT erotic fiction trilogy!
Read the first few pages here!