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Despite being on the receiving end of an annoying bout of laryngitis, the world, to zero surprise, continues on! Some new developments:

It was a dark and stormy night, and it was barely the middle of Saturday afternoon.

Damn, was I depressed. The 13th is usually my favorite day of the month, but this mid-March monsoon that had begun in NY the previous day was growing worse by the hour. Trees were falling all over the city, killing half a dozen hapless people, and I was performing erotic poetry for the first time since last August. I envisioned a venue empty except for the hostess and the other bedraggled performers.

Was I ever wrong, and am I ever grateful to the people who filled the cozy, rosy-hued, bordello-like upstairs room of Madame X in support of all stripes of erotica performers. There were two other poets (my personal favorites, especially the one who already is my personal favorite in other respects), some essayists, storytellers, letter-readers, even a rapper. The hostess, Monica Day, changed from a slinky little outfit into an oversize white button-down shirt in the name of moving to the next level of intimacy with the audience. Door prizes in the form of bottles of champagne were given out to lucky audience members who rose to the "what was your most sensual moment" challenge, scribbling down those moments on little pink note cards, which were then carried up on stage in the mouth of a guy with a silver ponytail who was Monica's "pet" for the evening. (Yes, he also crawled on all fours.)

It was such a delight to see Tristan Taormino's status message on Facebook: "Who wants to review my book?"

I do! I do!

Quiver generously provided me with a copy, pictured above. The clever use of actual sex toys within the book cover's text gives a glimpse of the lighthearted nature Taormino takes to the subject matter. Sex toys are presented as a matter of fact, not as a "novelty."  However, this book is absolutely for novices.

With chapters on sexual anatomy, reasons for sex toy use, and shopping, this book places itself squarely within the realm of "First How-To Book." For that purpose, it's wonderful. Those who wish to learm more about sex toys before purchasing, or who want to get over squeamishness or shame issues will enjoy this book thoroughly. All sorts of toys are discussed at length, and in a pleasant, educational way. The tone of the book is straightforward and joyful. It was a pleasure to read: easy, direct prose coupled with a gorgeous layout and short chapters. The range of sex toys covered is comprehensive.

It's been too long since the last time I got my ass up on a stage and performed my erotic writing. I'll be reentering the fray this weekend. There will be a whole bunch of performers getting their (and hopefully the audience's) eros on, and curator Monica Day of http://thesensuallife.com has featured me along with Kiki Valentine of The Sunday Show and Richard Anton Diaz of Sexy Spirits, who was mentioned in my last post! I'll be reading some of the juicier poems from The Poetry Prostitute, which Paper Bag Press was cool enough to recently publish as an eBook.

Here's the skinny on starting your Saturday night off with a bang:

Madame X

94 West Houston Street

In the Big Sexy Apple!

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

$10 cover, 2 drink minimum

Even if you can't come (so to speak), please tell any erotica lovers in your orbit, who are also in the NY area, about this red-hot event!

Next week is Read an eBook Week! I think  you should read one to your lover, personally. March 7 - 13 is designated as the time frame.

Of course, we read eBooks all the time around here. And with Apple's release of the iPad this month, I predict ebooks will become even more popular. I've read that Steve Jobs imagines the iPad will help Apple get back into the education market, and I can see this happen easily: textbooks can become rich, interactive experiences.

Do you use an eReader? Our stories are all  in .pdf format right now, so if your reader can handle that, you can take your erotica will you. I'm working on formatting everything in ePub, as well. Please let me know in the comments what you think of that choice.

Tell a friend to read an eBook next week, and thanks for your continued support.

It's been nearly five months since I've last posted any of my doings or reviews, and now seems an appropriate time to break the silence. Admittedly my desire to put eros into words has been at ebb tide, but now, with my new eBook of erotic verse, The Poetry Prostitute, up on Paper Bag Press, I am rediscovering the pleasure of doing just that.

Giving short and not-so-sweet astrology readings for guests at the "My Naughty Valentine" Chemistry event this past weekend was a great reminder of a particular kind of pleasure dome: one that has little to do with lights-out privacy and conventionality, and everything to do with swirling, sizzling eroticism tempered with humor and punctuated with downright surrealism. Yet the play area, which tends to lose its boundaries and spill throughout the urban loft space as the very long night progresses, is not the ultimate destination for all those who are screened and invited to attend this party. Many guests simply enjoy good conversation with new and old friends, delectable edibles by a gourmet chef, exciting entertainment, cozy couches, and jammin' dance floor with tireless DJs.

In an effort to promote the success of writers-as well as all-around good karma-I'm seeking authors with recently published or soon-to-be-published work(s) who'd like to partake in interviews, which will be posted on www.luxzakari.com.

This is a fun, laid-back and free opportunity to promote oneself and one's work, and it provides a chance to connect with potential readers and create camaraderie in this often competitive business.

For details or to request an interview, feel free to e-mail me at luxzakari@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

-LZ.

Click here to view the ebook trailer for "Love on the Side of the NJ Turnpike."  Lux Zakari is amazing! Not only does she write high-quality shexy shtories, but she makes videos, too! It's awesome--thanks, Lux!

Paper Bag Press will be 1 year old on February 14, 2010!  How will we celebrate? By giving away two erotic short stories to every account holder!

Don't have an account? Just click "Login" at the left, and you will see a tab to create a new account. Sign up for an account, and that's it! That's all you have to do.

On February 14, you can then celebrate with us by enjoying your erotic short story--with yourself, or someone you love. How incredibly appropriate! Happy Birthday to us!

Please spread the word--via Twitter and Facebook, or on your personal blog. Thanks for helping us celebrate!

Please consider writing in Paper Bag Press at the Preditors and Editors Reader's Poll. At the bottom of the list, you can write in our name, and also give a link. Please use this link:

http://www.paper-bag-press.com

Thanks for spreading the love!