Breaking the Rules

Erotica has always been a favorite genre of mine, perhaps because it has always come easily to me. However, it’s also a genre that easily creates boxes for the writer, which become harder to escape. There are only so many ways to describe the sexual act before one becomes either lazy or simply bored.

I do not wish to become either. Thus, a sea change for Black Heart was needed. I’ve run up the pirate flag there on the mast, as we are in the midst of the roiling waters. I’ll do my best to guide this ship appropriately, cutlass in one hand, and a mug of grog in the other. There may be some cussing, as I’ve always believed myself, secretly, to be the daughter of a salty sea captain. (It becomes harder to refrain from shouting “ARRRRR!” as I write this.)

In any event, if you have always loved Black Heart for its tempting erotic works, do not fear: I aim to maintain the Friction Fridays that you know and love. Sex, love and lust will always have a home here; they are universal subjects that will always require further exploration, demystification.

In addition, however, I am also exploring new worlds. Rough and tumble worlds of crime, noir and pulp fiction; the world of Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade and all his classy dames. I’ve always loved Charles Bukowski’s Los Angeles, Anaïs Nin’s Paris, and David Sedaris’s New York, so I’ve recently been enjoying a variety of travel narratives, from Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Sci-fi from Ray Bradbury to Douglas Adams to Margaret Atwood has tickled my fancy over the years, and the magical realism of Jorge Luis Borges and Jonathan Lethem helps me re-think what I know of reality.

So many books, so little time.

In short, I’m excited by the new, the unknown, the odd, the unusual. I still seek brilliance, in whatever genre I choose—despite my tendency to print cuss words and short fiction with O. Henry-like twist endings. I dare you to send me your best works, and I’ll share some of mine with you.

Black Heart Magazine: breaking the rules.

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