Moments

A little good news...

2011-09-18T11:24:00.001-04:00

I recently joined the CTRWA (Connecticut Romance Writers of America). While I don't write category romance, the group is open to writers of all genres. I attended their "Fiction Fest 2011" and meeting this lively group of writers inspired me to join. There's a broad spectrum of interests and experience in the group, but I am most impressed with the generosity of the members with their time, advice and support.

Writers are writers - no matter what the topic. It's good to be among them again.

Oh... I have a bit of good news. I discovered recently that two anthologies that contain my work have been released for Kindle -

"Cream: The Best of the Erotic Readers and Writers Association"

and...

"Who's Your Daddy?"

What a nice surprise!

I'm back

2011-08-19T15:42:00.003-04:00

Hello again ...

Well, that NANO thing didn't work out. Life has a way of taking you in a completely different direction when you least expect it. I won't bore you with the details, but between work issues and health issues, the past year has been challenging to say the least.

I now have the time, energy and a whisp of a muse... so I hope to start some new projects soon. I'm not going to promise to post every day, or even every week. But I am here, and I appreciate those of you who hung in there with me.

Ciao,

~Dani

NaNoWriMo

2010-10-09T10:02:00.002-04:00

I did it. Signed up for NaNoWriMo. I have been away from my fiction muse for far too long.

Not that I don't write every day - I do. My work requires me to write and lately, I have been concentrating on non-erotic works.

But, there are a few erotic stories that keep poking at me - and they need release. My hope is that NaNoWriMo will force me to focus and get one of them working. Not sure that 50,000 words is enough for any of them, or that they will fill 50,000 words - but we'll see.

And now that I've told you all that I'm doing this, the shame of failure is another impetus.

So, I am not quite sure yet which story I will focus on - but I will try to keep you posted.

Wish me luck,

~Dani

A 99 word flasher - "Communication Skills"

2010-10-09T09:51:00.006-04:00

They’d been exchanging glances all morning. She crossed her legs and smoothed her skirt, fingers dancing over her thighs.

Another glance.

He smiled.

At lunch, they met in the coatroom. His hands slid her skirt up. Her hands slid his zipper down. He lifted. She spread. They joined. In silence, they rocked to completion.

Straightening their clothes, they returned to their seats.

In the office on Tuesday, her boss asked, “How was it?”

“How was what?”

“The Communication Skills seminar! Learn anything new?”

With a cryptic smile she replied, “Yes. And brushed up on a few old skills, too.”

Another Cinquain

2010-08-01T14:12:00.006-04:00

Stillness
Is that moment
Right after we love
When I have to remind myself
To breathe.

In the Cinquain mood again...

2010-08-01T13:52:00.003-04:00

Cowboy
Denim-encased
I silently give thanks
To the person who invented
Wranglers

Lost and Found - Flash Fiction in 99 words

2010-06-06T11:19:00.007-04:00

She is lost.

His fingers slowly trace every curve. From her toes to her knees, from belly to breasts, his fingers travel the landscape of her body. Like an explorer, he climbs every peak. With each proprietary touch, he claims her, inch by inch.

His hands slip around her throat and his thumbs frame the hollow there. He leans forward to kiss the wildly beating pulse, singing her surrender.

She trembles uncontrollably as with each touch, each kiss he takes possession. He drinks her tears and with a whispered, “Mine,” she is found.

She is home.

She is his.

The Neighbors - 99 word flasher

2010-04-25T20:15:00.003-04:00

"I wish we'd never told them. Now they behave like we're some alien species."

"It's only dinner."

"She keeps giving me pamphlets about women's rights. And he peeks over the fence when I weed the garden."

“Let’s give them a show. I’ll meet them at the door wearing a black leather mask and you serve dinner naked from your hands and knees. Or perhaps I will suspend you from the ceiling and suck grapes from your cunt.”

“You’re a wicked man. Now I’ll have that image in my head all evening.”

“Good. Save some of these grapes for later.”

Re-working old stories

2010-03-28T10:49:00.004-04:00

I recently had to recapture a lot of my previous works due to a computer death. I was also lucky enough to find several pieces in progress - and have been reviewing and tweaking them for possible submissions to current or future COF's.

I've learned a lot about myself and my writing over the years. It's an interesting, inspiring and sometimes humbling experience to read stories that I wrote when I first began to purposely work at this craft.

It's interesting to see that the characters I created years ago still speak to me. I can see them clearly in my mind's eye. I'm still in love with each and every one of them.

It's inspiring because by reading my old stories, I recognize that this is my purpose. This talent is my destiny. I feel complete and centered when writing. In touching these pieces, I'm inspired to create new work. I hope to never lose sight of that again.

And this process is humbling. As I read and smile and swell with pride, I also stumble over those parts that just plain suck.

What the hell was I thinking? Did I write that? "Ravenous growls?" Good Grief!

At that point, I'm humbled and reminded that with any talent must come the work. The editing, the re-writing, the promoting. Without that, talent doesn't mean squat. It's only potential.

10% inspiration + 90% perspiration.

Oh yeah...

Back to work.

More cinquains = Yielded

2010-02-28T15:11:00.003-05:00

Yielded

Power
carefully used
subtly, in ways unseen
Dominion is wielded over
my soul.

Enclose
me in your strength
Remove my defenses
all my vulnerability
is yours.

Mercy
is what I beg
but it’s not what I need
Show me none. Make me the cream of
your crop.

Yielding
I bend to you
like clay under your touch
I am molded to your desires
Make me.

Travel
my body with
your fingers. Follow with
Your mouth. Discover my secrets
Explore.

Inside
Within my walls
you stroke and strum my soul
creating intimate music
I sing.

*******

Again, another group of cinquains composed at different times, when joined creating a new piece.

The artwork on these pieces is word clouds from http://www.wordle.net/

Grouped Cinquains = Yielding

2010-02-27T08:56:00.004-05:00

Yielding

No way
not me, not that
Silky ties tease my skin
well, maybe just a little kink
this once.

Open
Under your eyes
Restrained, wrists to ankles
Vulnerable, like a rose bud
I bloom.

Rising
To meet your strokes
I writhe within my bonds
Anchored to the earth, you teach me
to fly.

*********

These were three separate cinquains, written at different times. However, when grouped together, they form a longer piece.

Hands

2010-02-13T11:52:00.002-05:00

Strong, powerful hands travel soft curves and warm flesh.

Who would guess that such large hands were capable of such delicate precision?

Each feathery touch designed for maximum effect.

Calloused thumbs gently brush tightened nipples.

Purposeful fingers probe slippery folds

and stroke…

There

and

oh yes...

right

there.

*****

Originally published in 2003

In the Pink - 100 word Flasher

2010-02-06T14:18:00.003-05:00

“Stop squirming.”

“This is so sexy, no one’s ever done this for me before.”

“Stay still, or I will restrain you.”

She clawed the sheets to keep herself from wriggling.

He dipped into the liquid and then with careful precision, stroked. Then again he plunged into the silky liquid and with excruciating slowness, using just the tip, he daubed. The pink spread with each feathery touch.

He inhaled and blew, his breath teasing her flesh.

“Oh God…” she groaned.

Satisfied, he admired her seashell-pink painted toenails.

He grinned.

“Now let’s see about making the rest of you pink to match.”

*******

This was originally written in 2003. It's been tweaked and IMO, improved.

Once

2010-01-31T12:58:00.005-05:00

A line in the flesh barely visible,
the faint scar the only evidence
that once this heart
was tethered to another.

Strong hands once held a fragile soul
contained within a wild fire
masterfully manipulating the flame
like an artist, kindling the passions
that set the spirit ablaze.

Once, an uncompromising will
held an unruly heart joyously captive
in the tender bondage
of love.

****

Another old favorite. I find that I am particularly poetically prolific when filled with angst... Happiness steers me more toward cinquains.

C'est la vie.

Cruelty

2010-01-31T12:36:00.003-05:00

Cruelty comes in so many forms
a slap
a harsh word
a demeaning name.

It can come in the form of manipulation
self-pity meant to inspire guilt
devious and intricate webs of deceit
lies and untruths.

Or sometimes
it comes in a more quiet way
without words
or sound.

Sometimes
it is a silent turning away
leaving behind the remnants of a loving heart

laid open like a wound.

Badges

2010-01-31T12:03:00.005-05:00

A finger slowly traces

the tiny badge of blue.

Once a symbol of love,
a badge of honor,

a sign of the fragile filament

that connected one soul to another.

One move

and the badge is revealed,

seen clearly for what it is

a source of pain

just... a bruise.

*****

This was one of the very first poems I ever posted publicly. The response is what inspired me to continue writing. I've been told I expose too much of myself when writing poetry, but I think that's the purpose of writing. If you don't expose something, why bother?

2010

2010-01-10T11:59:00.003-05:00

A new year - and a determination to post here more frequently. Below is one of my favorite flashers. I've also added a link to the reviews for "Enhanced" that I wrote with Mackenzie Cross.

Although the book is no longer in print, we're most proud of the reviews. And there's always the possibility of re-publishing with a sequel so ... who knows?

Happy New Year,

~DB

Masterpiece - A 100 word flasher

2010-01-10T11:48:00.007-05:00

With a satisfied smile, she stretches languidly as her toes point and her arms stretch overhead, wrists crossing instinctively as if bound.

"Don't move."

From the foot of the bed, he slowly pulls the sheets, exposing her body.

He silently appraises the marks on the canvas of her flesh. From the faint bruises on her wrists to the light purple love bites on the creamy softness of her breasts, to the blue thumbprints left by his powerful hands on the rounded swell of her hips.

In the morning light…

He, the artist, drinks in the colors of her... his masterpiece.

More Cinquains

2010-01-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

Liar
Call me pretty
Tell me I’m beautiful
In the darkness as we fuck, I
Believe.

**********

Whispers
Stranger's hot breath
A naughty suggestion
Of an impromptu diversion
Shiver.

**********

Arouse
Slowly nurture
The fire that burns within
Building, stoking the embers of
Desire.

***********************************

I am currently working on my own collection of alphabetical erotic cinquains. This is an addictive form of poetry - that rhythm draws me in. However, there are some letters that do not lend themselves easily to erotica... like X and H...

Today's Cinquain

2009-07-18T11:28:00.003-04:00

Gadgets
Mechanical
Toys that buzz and vibrate
Impersonal love. I prefer
Handmade.

The Line

2009-06-27T15:40:00.006-04:00

The Line

They dance,
each on their own side
of the line.

He, on his side,
she, on hers.
Each dancing close
to the line between,
then falling back.

Daring to approach
the clear demarcation
between male and female.

Circling
and weaving...
An ancient rhythm sets the tempo
as they dip and swirl.

Until
in an instant
they touch.

And the line is forever
blurred.

© Dani Benjamin, 2002. All rights reserved.

My first Cinquain ...

2009-05-30T11:48:00.001-04:00

And still my favorite.

Inside
Within my walls
You stroke and strum my soul
Creating intimate music
I sing

Flash Fiction

2009-05-24T10:25:00.003-04:00

Another exercise at ERWA is Flash Fiction.

Tell a story in 100 words or less. Now they've upped it to 200 but I find 100 more challenging. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not. Not all of my flashers are complete "beginning-middle-end" stories but I like the structure and find that even if the story is not complete, I am able to capture a moment. Like this one:

*********

Dominion

She wakes slowly, careful not to move. Nestled within the circle of his arm, her cheek pressed to his shoulder, she studies him. How peacefully he sleeps, this man who owns her. She aches to wake him and feel his hands and lips and teeth claim her yielding flesh, to hear him growl as he enters her and fills her soul with his power. In this moment, she wants nothing more than for him to take her and remind her that she is his, but she does not.

For in this silent moment before he wakes... he is hers.

*********

Perhaps I should publish a book of "Moments" -- Flash Fiction, Poetry and Cinquains....

Something to think about.

Cinquains

2009-05-24T09:40:00.003-04:00

Composing Cinquains sparks my creative muse like nothing else.

I was introduced to Cinquains through the writer's list at ERWA (Erotic Readers and Writers Association). It is an addictive form of poetry sometimes described as the American form of Haiku. Short, non-rhyming stanzas with specific syllable counts (2,4,6,8,2) that lend a distinctive rhythm to the words. Having been a dancer, it is that rhythm that drew me and once I learned, I was hooked.

We created an erotic alphabet of cinquains (published on the ERWA site in July of 2003).

Here are some of mine:

Cowboy
Denim-encased
I silently give thanks
To the person who invented
Wranglers

Dark eyes
Travel soft curves
Buzzing over petals
Drinking the essence of my soul
Like bees

Flannel
His old plaid shirt
Victoria’s Secret
Cannot compare to a shirt that’s
Flesh-warmed.

Quasi
Almost, not quite
That’s how you operate
Even the way you make love is
Half-assed.

Stillness
In that moment
Right after we love
When I have to remind myself
To breathe.

For more info on Cinquains, look here: http://www.ahapoetry.com/CINQHMPG.HT

To re-publish or not re-publish.......

2009-05-17T13:16:00.004-04:00

Back in 2003, Mackenzie Cross and I published our first book, a novella titled "Enhanced" through Pink Flamingo Publications. The piece was well-received and the reviews were very favorable. Since this was our first endeavor together, we each had a lot invested in the story and the characters.

Since then, we've noodled around with the idea for a sequel and after a couple of false starts, we earnestly began writing book #2 tentatively titled "Beg."

As happens, life intervened and between his (life, that is) and mine, the project was set aside. Several times we have discussed the intent to re-publish "Enhanced" along with "Beg" as a package - we had ambitions of creating a series of stories along the same vein.

Now, Mackenzie has contacted me regarding his wish to include "Enhanced" in a volume of his own work (fiction and essays).

I have to admit, I'm a bit .... what's the word... conflicted. Yes, that's it, I'm conflicted as to what to do.

I still have not given up the wish that we could finish "Beg" and publish the two stories as a package (they contain the same characters).

On the other hand.....

I adore him and would love nothing more than to contribute to his success. I know at this particular moment in time, "Beg" is nowhere near completion and I'm thinking to deny him (Mackenzie) the permissions to use "Enhanced" would be selfish on my part.

On the other hand.....

I wonder if allowing Mackenzie to publish it in his volume would cause too much exposure and create a problem for us to market the two stories in the future.

On the other hand...

It would make my name and work visible again... Perhaps this is the impetus I need to make the time for writing again...

On the other hand...

I'm out of hands.

And so it begins...

2009-05-10T11:14:00.003-04:00

I am not a stranger to the internet, but I must confess that I am a blogging virgin. I'm not sure where this will lead, but it should be an interesting journey.

Enjoy the day,

Dani