Spring is in the air, and you know what that means. Suddenly, everyone you know will find themselves lip-locked with a new beau, rekindling a longtime flame, or frantically hooking up in public parks, dark movie theatres, your closet, etc. Friends with whom I’ve had steady lunch dates have been calling in “sick” more and more frequently, only to emerge hours later from their beds, glowing and incomprehensibly giggly. The amount of OkCupid traffic I’ve received has doubled since March began, with many profiles advertising renewed passions for all things casual. Even those who are not driven by the primal desire to get down in this hot Springtime weather still find themselves roused to the great outdoors, to enjoy some local natural beauty, take up boating, or simply walk in their neighborhoods (whether to cruise or just enjoy the recent blooming plant life).
For those who are not romantically attached or don’t fancy themselves in marathon sexscapades but still find their loins aching for action, Slixa has something for you! This month, we’re coupling (we’re guilty of it, too!) with Cleis Press, the San Fransisco Bay Area based publishing house of all things sexy, to bring you an erotic giveaway that will have you calling in your own “sick” days! After all, self-care is important, and we here in the adult service industry understand more than anyone the need for Springtime stimulation.
For this month’s giveaway, we are offering the chance to win some excellent, newly-released Cleis gems, including Delicious Torment: A Story of Submission, Best Bondage Erotica 2014, Best Gay Erotica 2014, and Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction. And, as someone who regularly has the opportunity to read and, um, test drive the newest Cleis releases before they hit the market, I can tell you that these new titles are out of this world. Delicious Torment has been crowning my nightstand for the past week, regaling me nightly with stories of hot BDSM and sub/dom relationships that incorporate sexy tropes and dynamics while maintaining the artery of intimacy. Best Bondage Erotica managed to teach me a few tips and possible scenarios, just in time for the end of Lent. I got a taste of Best Gay Erotica 2014 and Foolish Hearts at the Cleis-sponsored reading at Books, Inc in San Francisco last month, and let me tell you—there was nary a person in the room who didn’t leave looking a little flushed.
According to Cleis marketing director, Eva Gantz, “These four books look at the intricacies of relationships whilst making love, whether it be in or out of the bedroom.” Cleis is an independent press that “publishes provocative, intelligent books across genres. Whether literary fiction, human rights, mystery, romance, erotica, LGBT studies, sex guides, pulp fiction, or memoir, you know that if it’s outside the ordinary, it’s Cleis Press.” Consistently providing quality sex writing and steamy stories, the press has been a long-standing staple in the Bay Area sex education and literary community, and it is always a pleasure (yep, said it right there) to partner with them.
The giveaway will run from March 24th-March 31st, 2014 (that’s this week!) and you can enter simply by visiting here and inserting your email address! The winner will be notified at the end of the drawing, and the books will be sent directly to you from the fine folks at the Cleis warehouse. If you like to keep your smut appreciation on the DL, don’t worry! All books from Cleis arrive in nondescript packaging, addressed directly to you so that your housemates, children, mailperson, or (in my case) curious neighbors don’t know what you’re up to. So what if your friends and coworkers have all been bitten by the twitterpation bug? With titles like these, who needs dates? Happy Spring, Slixa and Cleis fans!
