And There Goes Another One (Smashwords)

I know I haven't been releasing any new stories lately, and have instead been blogging all about how erotica isn't bad, but right now, it's very important to stay on top of all the changes regarding this market.

Smashwords.com has felt the wrath of PayPal, and is being forced to comply to their demands just like Bookstrand and All Romance eBooks last week. Yesterday, authors received an email from Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, requiring all titles containing themes that PayPal deems "obscene" to be removed by Monday, February 27.

This means that over half of my titles (the PI ones) will no longer be sold on Smashwords. The changes will also remove them from Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Diesel. The remaining titles that are not in violation will stay. For all of my pseudo incest stories, you can pick those up at Amazon or Barnes and Noble only.

Though most of us are disgruntled by the changes, at least Mark handled things better than the other distributors. It seems he is even on the side of the authors and publishers. Quoted from his email:

We do not want to see PayPal clamp down further against erotica. We think our authors should be allowed to publish erotica. Erotica, despite the attacks it faces from moralists, is a category worthy of protection. Erotica allows readers to safely explore aspects of sexuality that they might never want to explore in the real world.

The moralists forget that we humans are all sexual creatures, and the biggest sex organ is the brain. If it were not the case, none of us would be here. Erotica authors are facing discrimination, plain and simple. Topics that are perfectly acceptable in mainstream fiction are verboten in erotica. That’s not fair. Our decisions today are imperfect.

I commend Mark for all of his help, even if he wasn't able to change the minds of those that run PayPal.

It seems there is something bigger here anyway, as erotica isn't something new that just recently went on the market. Some have mentioned it may be political. After all, it is election year. Still, it's censorship for those that have done nothing wrong or illegal...

Erotica Is Not Bad

If you'd like to sign the petition against banning books and censorship of erotica before you read, click here!

There have been several changes and restrictions made recently in the world of Erotica. Some vendors have reportedly been contacted by PayPal to remove content that is considered "obscene" or "offensive." Some have even had their PayPal accounts temporarily frozen until the site was cleaned of such "disgusting" themes of the erotica they were selling.

In reaction to this, Bookstrand.com went so far as to remove their entire indies section. No longer can self-publishing writers sell their books on the site, no matter what genre you were writing in before the crackdown.

All Romance eBooks has also notified their authors of greater restrictions as to what can be inside and on the cover of the books. Many books have been removed by the administrators themselves to comply with their new requirements.

Many erotica authors fear that this is just the beginning. Along with the fear is outrage...which is highly warranted given some of the other genres and themes that are still out there, being sold without a hitch.

The main "obscenities" that are being targeted are rape, incest, and bestiality. Most of the blatant titles on these themes were banned from most vendors months ago. For example, Amazon banned these three themes in 2010.

Now, however, erotica is being targeted further, with PayPal/credit card companies/whomever stating that pseudo-incest as well as forced or dubious consent is also considered just as bad as the original three themes that were banned.

Oh yeah, "barely legal" is being lumped in there too. It's now apparently bad if an 18 or 19 year old has sex with an older adult...even if it's consensual. What?? Where in there are any illegal actions going on?

So today, it's the themes I listed above that are being removed. What will be next? BDSM? Gay?

I think the biggest realization all of these people vying for the removal of so many erotic themes need to realize is: IT'S ALL FICTION! None of these stories will possess someone to go have sex with their mother, brother, father, or daugther. They aren't going to go out and force someone to have sex just because they read a rape fantasy.

Erotica, like all other fiction, is a form of expression, both for the writer and the reader. Readers look to fictitious stories to indulge a side of themselves that they never would in the real world. Maybe a woman would secretly like to be submissive or forced into sex. Would she go out and ask someone to do that to her? Probably not. Would she enjoy reading a story where the main character is a woman being forced? Probably.

Also, there is no need for erotica to be singled out like this, mainly for the fact that I mentioned above...that it is all fiction. The themes I listed above are within other genres of books as well as movies. And let's not forget some of the other factors that some people may deem "obscene" that is still for sale, such as murder. It's perfectly okay for a serial killer to go on a rampage and slit throats in a book or movie...but a fantasy story of an 18 year old being raped or having consensual sex with a non-blood relative is bad. Ironic, don't ya think?

I honestly don't understand the justification of banning so many themes in erotica. PayPal states it's the credit card companies that are cracking down on them. However, you can use a credit card to purchase porn, sex toys, lingerie, etc.? Why is erotica so different from the other products??

All in all, erotica is nothing but fiction and fantasy, a way for writers and readers to express themselves. The more restrictions that are placed on what can be sold to the public, the more the freedom of creativity and imagination is restrained. The people in charge need to lighten up just a bit and let others express themselves however they choose. So long as it's not causing physical or emotional harm to anyone, why care what others want to read or watch?

A petition has been created to help combat the actions of PayPal and the credit card companies. If you enjoy having the freedom to choose what you want to write or buy, and want everyone to be able to express themselves in anyway that doesn't harm another, please consider signing it by clicking here. Feel free to share this post on Twitter or other social media site. Better yet, write your own with your feelings on the situation.

Going Down on Grandpa's Farm: The Collection

I have recently released all of the "Going Down on Grandpa's Farm" stories in one big bundle!

"Enjoy the complete story of Ashley, the 18 year old party girl who visits her step-grandfather's farm for the summer. Follow along as she plays with the hot ranch hand, Matthew, as well as Grandpa Joe!

Because of recent changes made with pseudo-incest titles, this collection will be available on Amazon US, Amazon UK, B&N, and Smashwords.

So Hot, I've Been Banned!

Okay, not entirely. But lately, there are have been some changes made with a vendor I sell my books through, which has resulted in a number of my titles been banned from said site.

If you have visited my Books page in the past, you would have seen that many of my titles are for sale on All Romance eBooks. Over the weekend, the terms of service were altered there, stating that authors can no longer publish "pseudo-incest" titles.

Though these stories are simply fantasy relations between two adults with no blood relation, and therefore are not illegal themes, ARe has still decided to pull them from their virtual shelves...so over half of my books on there are now gone.

Last week, a similar site, Bookstrand.com, decided to alter their rules in a very similar fashion. In fact, Bookstrand completely pulled their Indie (self-publisher) section today...so now no one can sell there except those going the traditional publishing route. Because of this, I will probably be pulling my remaining titles from ARe.

Both sites have sited PayPal, a merchant used by both sites, as the reason for these changes. Regardless, many authors, myself included, feel it is nothing but censorship on themes that are legal. They are trying to prohibit us from selling books that our readers enjoy, and try to prohibit customers from being able to purchase what they like.

There's no need to worry, however, as my titles (including my PI stories) are still being sold on other vendors. Amazon, for example, has no problem selling ALL of my books, so check them out if you enjoy that kind of thing!

For more information on the latest changes to erotica publishing, you can read the thoughts/reactions of Katie Cramer, Selena Kitt, and Adelaide Cooper.

Suck Suck! Daddy's Oral Angel is Live

My latest pseudo-incest story, Daddy's Oral Angel, is now live. This story was probably the easiest write, and I'm not quite sure why that it. The words just flew from my fingers onto the screen, and I was able to finish it within a couple days.

While her mom was married to Shawn, 18 year old Natalie developed a huge crush on the hot firefighter. The marriage didn’t last more than a year, and then Shawn moved a few hours away for work.

A year later, Shawn returns for a funeral, and Natalie sees him in town while having ice cream with her friends. Deciding this could be the last time she may ever see him, she can no longer stifle her desire. Will her former stepfather turn her away...or allow her to climb into his bed?

Available at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.