New Box Set at Amazon!

Follow Valgir's early days as the Young Rogue learns the ropes of women and war....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078J2D66L

Wenches and Warriors now available on Excitica!!!

Check out the taboo-friendly versions of the beloved medieval fantasy erotica series. Darker, nastier and unfit for sale on Amazon, the new dubcon and noncon themed titles are a spiced-up version of the originals for those who want a little extra rough stuff in their stories.

https://www.excitica.com/all-books?author_info=1190

Box Sets Available

If you've never tried the Expat Encounters series by Brynn Douglas, these two four-volume anthologies could be a great starter. Fly to the sensual Far East to experience interracial adventures in exotic locales today!

Taylor's Latest Series

Taylor will be on holiday for most of August, but has left a little vacation deposit - the Raunchy Rogue origin quartet. Ever wondered how Valgir became the filthy rogue he is? These four prequels tell us all about it!

A Willing Apprentice
A Willing Recruit
A Willing Accomplice
A Willing Captive

Follow the young Valgir through a wild medieval fantasy romp as he learns the ropes on the battlefield and in the bedroom!

Why we write part two: Roàn Barrett

Choosing your Genre:

Rather than talk about motivations for writing, which any writer knows in her heart and which Taylor outlined very well in an earlier post, I've decided to focus on genres. In particular - how to choose one and why I've chosen historical fantasy and paranormal crossovers. I will also dabble in avoiding the pitfalls of aping other authors, how to create your own niche and what do do with writer's block.

In my case, it has always been a very organic choice to take it to a fantasy world. With a background in Slavic studies, I'm of course drawn to eastern Europe and especially the old tales of the Magyar, Boyar and the Rus. In my regular novels, of course written under a different name, I explore these themes quite extensively. That said for erotic fiction, the world and characters must be somewhat relatable to the modern reader, so you can't go too deeply in. Perhaps in a way you can consider it dumbed down or fantasy lite, if only because the world and the environment are not really a focus of the story and are only there to contribute to the mood.

I love cities like Budapest and Warsaw; Bucharest and Sofia. Almost as much I love the deep forests of Russia and Ukraine and the mystery of the Trans-Siberian. There's so much there to work with. I have also always thought that the trend for modern shifter romances and Twilight-style teen vampire tales were a little too airy, too Hollywood and were never a good fit for the genre. Dracula was Romanian and the witch Baba Yaga unabashedly Russian. Dark tales need dark woods, not a John Carpenter set with a shining moon, but endless forest and deep winters; isolated hamlets and mysterious castles. Swords, not sideburns. James Dean doesn't live here.

The other advantage to fantasy is control over the environment. I personally think it is ridiculous there are so many 'Billionaire' stories out there. The world's not exactly full of them as it is. Not only are these copycats of a book itself that let's not forget, started as Twilight fanfic, but EL James has already eaten up that pie and everyone else is only fighting for the crumbs. Besides what makes this fantasy guy a Billionaire? For all his faults, Christian Grey is not a wooden character. yet in all these shorts trying to ride on his coattails, Billionaires seem to just spring into the world, unchanged, fully-formed and with no explanation as to how they got so damn rich in the first place. That should be what make's them interesting - how they got there, not the money itself. But sadly the label seems to be all that's required, hence so many titles with 'Billionaire' in them. It's just another trope. Might as well make them lottery winners, oh but then they wouldn't be 'Alpha' - another overused label.

I try to 'show' rather than 'tell' (and we've had endless 'discussions' over the value of each - ed), and just saying someone is an Alpha or Billionaire is not enough. There are too many covers and blurbs out there that reduce these characters to mere labels.Yet if you want to really give life to an environment and set of characters then surely you have to know something about them. Write a romance in a law office, and you should at least have seen the inside of one: worked as a paralegal or intern if not an actual lawyer. Is the story about an Alpha roadie? It would help to know something about concerts and stage productions, or at least have a background in the circus. And if you want to write a Georgian pirate story then you should know some of the history of the era.

Which is why fantasy is such an easy choice. Take a fictional world, where magic is real and you get to make the rules. Yes it would help to have some background in history or literature, but apart from that you could probably get by just watching Game of Thrones for inspiration. You own it, you make the rules and set the parameters. It is what you say it is and it's easier to sell. Run out of ideas? take a walk in the woods or watch an old fantasy movie like Willow or Dragonslayer. Play a video game in the genre like Skyrim or The Witcher and see if you can adapt your own adventures to an erotic story. The possibilities ought to be endless.

And so we come to sub-genres. Why be the small fish in a big pond? Reddit's erotic author boards are full of tail-chasers going on about 'research' and catching trends. Everyone is trying to ride the last wave: "Oh, Billionaire Shifter Cuckolds are hot so I'll bang out a few of those." For me it's better to be a trend setter than a follower (that goes for all of us - ed) even if it takes longer. Write something you love - not just to make a few bucks. If it's genuine, there is a market out there for it, somewhere. Build your worlds with love, build your niche with more than just a quick buck in mind and one day they'll come to you. 

Look for Roàn's Titles on Amazon !

Wenches and Warriors Box Set out

The Women of Lyford is a box set of the first four fantasy erotica titles by Taylor Knight. Grab it here at Amazon.

Or if you're looking for something darker, join our mailing list and get the underground edit below for free. But be warned, this is the version that could not be sold on Amazon and  it's not for the faint-hearted...

News and Releases

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Saucy Roan Barret titles on the way...

We've been hard at work on Roan Barrett's excellent shifter-themed series. With five books so far (and a projected seven to ten more on the way this year) the paranormal erotica saga has been rebranded as the Wolf's Call. This will make it easier for readers to know what they're getting in for - as if the title doesn't give it away!

Keep an eye out for the hot new title, Taken in the Forest.

Why we write...

When they get the time, all of our authors will post a few thoughts on the matter, but here's my two cents.

Writing is starting to pay off. In the old days - as with any art - you either made it big or starved. People still think that's the case and they can't believe I can make a living writing. But just by following the steps to online publishing in books like Write, Publish, Repeat, anyone can make a career out of writing. Sometimes a lucrative one. The rules are simple. Keep writing, produce a lot of titles, collect a following and don't put all your hopes in one magnum opus. 

Adult books or Erotica are a great way to do this. The fans don't really care who you are as long as you write fun stories and keep producing. You don't have to create a name for yourself, just a market or at least a brand. We all use pen names anyway and our readers don't mind if we're a middle-aged housewife in the midwest, a six-foot Adonis in Australia (I know one, don't laugh), an ex-con in Cleveland or retired pig farmer in Cornwall. 

And there is almost no other career where you can be successful no matter who or what you are. I was shocked in the first few months when my sales started creeping up as I produced more titles, just like it said in the book. It's a 'no luck' guide. For once in your life your hard work will be practically the only factor and nobody will refuse you a paycheck.

Why do people become disenchanted and give up the rat race to become struggling authors? It's romantic to think it's just because it's our true calling. Yes, there's some truth to that: you certainly have to want to write. But it's also true that when your 'career' (or what authors call the Evil Day Job) is not going to do much more than pay the bills and keep you working till you die then you have to find other ways to make money. 

Think about it. You work hard, get good at your chosen profession and yet those promotions and pay rises elude you. That's what we were taught to do but it doesn't always pan out.This doesn't only apply to those of us with shitty arts degrees: Engineers, professors and lawyers quit all the time to become writers. Michael Chrichton ditched medical school, and he did okay.

Why does a career no longer guarantee success? The barrier is the gatekeeper: Bosses, organisations and a world and an economy that does not want you to share in the profits. So much of your career depends on whether other people want to hand you a share of the spoils. Even when you make that target, land that contract, save the business, you still have to convince the boss that you're worthy of that raise or promotion or vacation or maternity leave. They may have many reasons not to, despite your having earned it. Other people can and will hold you back. 

They'll tell you of course that it's just 'The Market TM' :The labor market, the financial market, the economy or some other incorporeal bugbear that is cold, unfeeling, mathematical, evolutionary or otherwise above direct challenge. Personally I have always thought this was a copout, an excuse for holding you back because such decisions are not made by 'The Market TM', but by its components - people. That's all the market is: other people. It has a mind and a heart and makes personal, emotive judgement calls on whether or not you deserve success. Every minute of your working life. It is no accident.

Writing takes these gatekeepers out of the equation. And if you knuckle down, keep creating and releasing work consistently, you take your future in your own hands. It's just you and the market now baby, and no scowling doorman to keep you out of the VIP room. Forget the megastars like E.L. James. Look at the reasonably successful winners like Selena Kitt. In a few years you too can have more time for yourself and your family, financial freedom, a passive income - or at least a portable income - and possibly even a little more. That's freedom.

 If it truly is just you and 'the market' then why should they get a say? Especially when it seems to have been considerably less impartial and brutal for them. By embracing the true market - the one they do not have control over, you finally escape the power of others over your own success. If it truly is just you and 'The market TM' then it is high time you took the middle-men out of the equation.

And that's why I do it. If you have a story in you, you should try too. And then rinse and repeat and never, ever quit.

Taylor.

New Titles Steaming Ahead

The sequel to the wildly popular The Handmaiden's Tail has arrived !

Follow the mysterious blonde Heidy in her machinations against Valgir's band and unravel more of the handmaiden's history in Captured in the Rye.

Hot Titles By Roan Barrett

The Dark lust series is heating up. Follow the village wench Yana Yanislava as she flees the supernatural clutches of Duke Ivan and unravel the warlord's dark past in this ongoing saga!

  

Underground Titles Hot Again!

Jason is just off the boat at his first teaching job in Japan. Haruka is the hot college girl at a steamy nightclub who kisses Jason and disappears before midnight like an Asian Cinderella. Yet on his first morning at work, Jason finds his new assignment is going to be more interesting than either of them had bargained for, when he meets The Girl in the Front Row.

This title has been hidden, blocked and relegated to the adult dungeon, so get it while it's hot. Formerly known as The Girl at the Front of the Classroom and The Girl in the Plaid Skirt, the now rebranded The Girl in the Front Row is a set of steamy classroom encounters almost got it banned. Grab it before it gets sent back to the sin bin!

And check out the new cover for the saucy Bangkok affair, The Girl on the Balcony. This one was relegated to the dungeon as well, but it's back with a few changes to escape the almighty stick of moderators. 

Finally, Brynn has been working hard on a new series in the Expat Encounters line, starting with One Night in Tokyo. Catch up with the sexy Japanese secretaries in their Stiletto Heels again as they branch out into even naughtier business ventures at a sister firm in downtown Tokyo.

Taylor's Books Rebranded!

Okay, so no big deal. We've rebranded my books under the series title Wenches and Warriors. This is just to streamline and let everyone know they're basically following the same set of characters across their erotic adventures. Also, check out the latest addition to Valgir and friends: The Redhead and the Rogue.



Valgir the Rogue and his band of randy adventurers find themselves back in hot water again - literally. In a steamy bathhouse rendezvous a new opportunity presents itself and the crew take north in search of the huntress Tanith only to run into an old flame. As the passion heats and loyalty and lust are tested can Valgir hold the group together?


Our artist Brandon Bell has also been working hard on creating new, simpler covers for the older titles. Some were too racy for Amazon - a common theme these days - some too tame. Others were not thematic enough and others were just too complicated. Most of the time though Brandon just can't put down his brush. He's getting more creative for Roan Titles as well.

  - Stay chill, Taylor

New Books by Brynn Douglas!

Well, Brynn's been working hard on the Expat Encounters line of erotic novellas. Brynn's speciality is dreamy, surreal sexual fantasies involving exotic locations, interracial affairs and a touch of magical realism.

Take a wild ride to distant destinations, where saucy Asian secretaries seduce foreign clients, wild Japanese schoolgirls romp with their English teachers; an all-American girl finds a her Prince Charming in Dubai, an ebony goddess lands a hunky reporter at an African conference, and a travelling businessman meets his alluring foreign girl on a flight to Shanghai.

The Expat Encounters series - out now!