Classic Giselle #Queer #Erotica #Gratitude

by Giselle Renarde

At one point in my teens, I told my family I wanted to be an actress.  My grandma was dead set against it. She was concerned I'd be "taken advantage of." And you know what?  She was probably right.

Strangely enough, when I decided to make a career out of writing erotica in 2006, my grandma was the only person in my life who actually supported me. By then I guess I was damaged goods anyway, so it didn't much matter if I wrote about sex all day.

My grandmother's been in hospital for the past couple weeks. When she was admitted, delirious and dealing with multiple infections, I was pretty sure the hospital was her last stop. But that's just me. I see death at every turn. My grandmother is 86, after all. My girlfriend's father died a couple days ago, so death seems to be looming.

For the past year or so, I've had this idea bouncing around my brain: an anthology of "Classic Giselle" erotica--stories I wrote at the very start of my career--that would somehow honour my grandma, since she always believed in me.

With my grandma in hospital, the time is nigh.  I've put together a collection of ten stories I wrote way back when, and that collection is called Classic Giselle: Queer and Quirky Erotica.

Thing is, I've also been reflecting on how much I appreciate my readers.  With Valentine's Day coming up, I figured this book would make a nice thank you gift.  So, from now until February 14 2018, the ebook is absolutely free at stores like Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords and eXcitica.

After Valentine's Day, Classic Giselle will cost money. But, in honour of my grandmother, I'll be donating all the royalties I earn from Classic Giselle throughout 2018 to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

When my grandma's vision began to decrease due to macular degeneration, the CNIB was there for her every step of the way. And when I say they were there, I mean RIGHT THERE. In her house. People came in to teach her how to adapt to her changing vision.

My grandmother is now legally blind. She's always been a gadget geek, and the CNIB introduced her to accessibility technologies that have proven invaluable in navigating the world. And even tricks like how to pour yourself a glass of water when you can't see the water. Or the glass. They've done so much for her, and this is my way of acknowledging their help and care.

Classic Giselle is a double-whammy thank you. No, I'm wrong. It's a triple threat thank you. It's a thank you to readers for actually, you know, reading my words. It's a thank you to my grandma for believing in me. And it's a thank you to the CNIB for helping my grandma over the years.

It's been an exhausting couple weeks, but I'm so pleased to be able to give you this book of strange and silly stories.  Free until Valentine's Day from the following ebook stores:

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/classic-giselle-queer-and-quirky-erotica
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1342513914
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/786590?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica
Excitica: https://www.excitica.com/index.php/classic-giselle-queer-and-quirky-erotica.html

A Non-American's Version of Giving Thanks

By Lucy Felthouse (Guest Blogger)

I'm from the UK, and we don't have Thanksgiving, but when Lisabet asked me to do a post on giving thanks, I happily obliged. After all, it doesn't matter where we're from or what holidays we celebrate – we could all use a little time to give thanks for what we have.

An old friend of mine was tragically killed this week, which I'm gutted about. He was a good guy and it's terrible that he was taken from us so young (29) and so suddenly. However, I'd still like to give thanks for having known him. My thoughts are with his family.

On a much lighter note (I'm not normally maudlin, I promise), I'd like to give thanks for my family and friends (and that includes the online buddies I've never met, but still class as my friends!), and my other half. Together, they love me, support me, make me laugh, make me happy and also drive me crazy. The world would be a very quiet and dull place without them!

I'd also like to give thanks for my unwavering creative streak, determination and ambition. Without it, I wouldn't be writing professionally at all, let alone on this wonderful blog. Long may it continue!

I'm lucky to have a veteran as one of my good friends, though as he's only 27 it seems odd to call him a veteran! However, he has indeed served his country and has mercifully come back safely, which I'm very grateful for. I know so many others have not been so fortunate, which is why I'm proud to raise money for a charity that helps returning servicemen and women who've been injured. It's my way of giving back – and giving thanks, too, for everything that they do in the line of duty.

These are just a few things that are important to me. I haven't included the obvious things, like my health, the roof over my head, food, education, etc, but of course it doesn't mean they don't matter, or that I take them for granted. I don't. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm grateful for all the good things in my life, and although the bad things we all experience are, well, bad... they do help to make us realise what we do have so in a strange way, we should appreciate those, too.

Finally, thanks to you for reading this post. Without you, I would not be writing.

*****

Want to give back? A portion of the proceeds of this erotic anthology go to UK charity Help for Heroes, helping returning servicemen and women who've been injured.

Do you get all weak-kneed at the sight of a grubby fireman or a hunky soldier? Perhaps immaculately-dressed waiting-on staff get you feeling frisky? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Uniform Behaviour contains sixteen smutty stories about firemen, soldiers, sailors, police, security guards and even waiters, priests and cleaners!

Delve into this anthology and enjoy steamy stories from established erotica authors including Justine Elyot, Craig J Sorensen, Victoria Blisse, Shermaine Williams, Elizabeth Coldwell and Lucy Felthouse. Uniform Behaviour also proudly introduces some exciting debut authors. So remember, you saw them here first!

As well as being written and compiled for your titillation, this anthology is also designed to do good. A portion of the proceeds from Uniform Behaviour will be donated to UK charity Help for Heroes, which helps those wounded in current conflict.

The stories in this anthology have been hand-picked by a uniform aficionado, so you can rest assured that only the sexiest erotic fiction lies in this eBook.

Excerpt & buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/uniform-behaviour-steamy-stories-about-men-and-women-in-uniform/

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.