Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Relationships And The Scene & Polyamory Discussion/Support Groups @ SF Citadel

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)


This is going to be wonderful: I'm going to be facilitating an ongoing series of support and discussion groups for the marvelous SF Citadel, starting with Relationships And The Scene on February 24th.  For more info see the event listing on Fetlife - and for the rest of the series keep an eye on my own Fetlife page.

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Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support GroupOccasionally people in "The Scene" forget that they are not just dealing with sexual play but human interactions and relationships as well.  In this discussion and support group, participants will be encouraged to share their experiences in an open environment to receive support and understanding from others who may have experienced the same, or just similar, situations.

Dates:

February 24th, 2014
April 28th, 2014
June 23rd, 2014
August 25th, 2014
October 27th, 2014
December 22nd, 2014

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Polyamory Discussion/Support Group

Polyamory is – not to state the obvious – complex.  But what is even more challenging is that it is still not wildly accepted, with those in non-monogamous relationships often finding it difficult to find understanding and support.  In this discussion/support group, polyamorous individuals and couples will have a nonjudgmental and supportive environment to share their concerns and experiences.

Dates: 

March 24th, 2014
May 29th, 2014
September 29th, 2014
November 24th, 2014

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All Discussion/Support Groups are from 7:30PM to 9:30PM and cost $10

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

In Control - The Introduction

Just 'cause, here's the intro to my new kinky-erotica collection, In Control ... hope you like!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ETN1SWS/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Not merely kinkier than you think, but kinkier than you can think!

"M.Christian’s fiction has a sexy logic all its own. He’s inventive and he’s irreverent. His language can seduce, surprise, and body-slam you." —Cecilia Tan

From M.Christian—the acclaimed ... and rather notorious writer of such books as The Bachelor Machine and Dirty Words—comes this brand new collection of his BDSM shorts, kinky hetero erotica and a handful of other delightfully twisted stories. In these pages you'll find hardcore male doms and luscious female subs, tough-as-nails Lady doms and obedient male submissives, plus a wide variety of other incredible fetishes and sexual adventures. In this very fun—and very, very hot book—you'll also discover the lesbian vamps of "The Curse," the heartstring-tugging erotic romance of "The Waters Of Biscayne Bay," the sexy ghost story "The Tinkling Of Tiny Silver Bells," the bisexual heat in "Watercolors" and many, many more!

"M.Christian is one of the finest living writers of erotica. Between these covers is a wealth of imaginative, well-crafted, smoothly written fiction that sings with joy. It's yummy."—Patrick Califia

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INTRODUCTION: DISCLOSURE 

I've written a lot of things over the years: gay erotica, lesbian erotica, bisexual erotica, all kinds (of every kind) of fetish erotica ... plus a smattering of romance, science fiction, horror, fantasy, and even non-fiction. 

But, recently, a friend of mine said something that stopped me dead in my authorial tracks: "Why don't you write about what turns you on?" 

To be honest, I've always been a bit ... resistant to writing about myself. Part of it comes from the fact that I consider my sex life to be what I guess you could call sacred: a cherished time shared between me and the person I happen to be playing with. I've always thought that writers who – and this is not meant as an insult ... or not too much of one – who sell their own sex lives on the page to be profiting from an intimate sharing of desire. Another part, I freely admit, is that for all my writing and sex-ed teaching I'm still a bit shy when it comes to being out about what honestly, truly turns me on.
But, thinking about this, I had a freeze-me-in-my-tracks revelation: I actually write a lot about myself. 

Take this book, for instance: a collection of some of my short fiction – a lot of it with a BDSM kink: pretty much every story here is a part of me. Yes, the details may not be exactly me, but the emotional side of things – the important side as anyone who really understands about sexuality – is pretty much as intimate as you can get: "Alice" is the giddy nerves that comes with telling a lover what turns you on, "Moving" is about finding that special someone you can drop your guard down with, "In Control" is the fretting that arrives with the next day, "The Tinkling Of Tiny Silver Bells" is the glorious feeling of unquestioning love, "Dust" is the beautiful tears of being forgiven, "The Waters Of Biscayne Bay" is the liberation in the enlightened joy of a lover loving another person, Painted Doll was all about the tearing-of-the-heart from being too many miles away, and the sample chapter from Brushes is all about the pleasure that comes from giving pleasure ... and so on and so forth, with just about everything I've ever written. 

When I teach erotic writing I talk very much about this: that the details aren't really important, that the best way of reaching out to anyone, no matter what you are writing, is to dig down deep and put down, onto the page, your own emotional truth. Like a lot of teachers I simply forgot to listen to my own lesson. 

So here are some stories I sincerely hope you'll like ... for, like when I spend time with a lover, it gives me immeasurable pleasure to put a smile on another person's face. 

–M.Christian

Friday, January 24, 2014

Love Without Gun Control And Welcome To Weirdsville - A Very Special Sale

Here's an extra-special sale and a great opportunity to read my non-erotic science fiction/fantasy/horror collection, Love Without Gun Control, and my non-fiction (strange history, weird art, etc) book, Welcome To Weirdsville for a great discount!


 Love Without Gun Control
Now Only .99!
"Unique and truly fascinating," writes Mike Resnick! M. Christian isn't as good as his peers say - he's better!  This "best of" collection, featuring the cream of his fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories, is a dazzling achievement.  Only M. Christian could have imagined what happens when a boy's uncle blows Tibetan days powder in his face, or when a woman gave birth to a new species … but not one of flesh and blood, or when the Goddess of the Road gave the gift of beauty to a mortal man. You will find these and eleven other unforgettable tales from the man Stephen Dedma, author of The Art of Arrow Cutting and Shadows Bite, hails as "A chimera, an amazing combination of tour guide and magician. Whether he's writing science fiction, horror or fantasy, he can take you to places you've never imagined, show you sights no-one else will get to see, introduce you to some fascinating people, and guarantee that the trip will be memorable from start to finish." Among the contemporary classics featured in this stellar collection are: Some Assembly Required, The Rich Man's Ghost, Medicine Man, Wanderlust, Buried & Dead, Nothing So Dangerous, Shallow Fathoms, and Constantine in Love. M. Christian's fantasy and science fiction has appeared in Talebones, Space & Time Magazine, Skull Full Of Spurs, Graven Images, Horror Garage, Song of Cthulhu, and other science fantasy publications.


Welcome To Weirdsville 
Now Only $2.99
"A wonderful compendium of interesting subjects and fascinating topics. Will keep you reading just to found out what's going to be covered next. Highly recommended for all lovers of weird & wonderful this side of the Universe." -Avi Abrams, Dark Roasted Blend.

Peek under the rugs, open more than a few drawers, peek in the back shelves and you'll find that ... well, Lord Byron himself said it best: "Truth is always strange, stranger than fiction." Lakes that explode, parasites that can literally change your mind, The New Motor, a noble Word War 1 German pirate, the odd nature of ducks, the War Magician, the City of Fire, men and their too big guns, a few misplaced nuclear weapons, an iceberg aircraft carrier, the sad death of Big Mary, the all-consuming hunger of the Bucklands, the giggling genius of Brian G. Hughes, the Kashasha laughter epidemic.... Ponder that in a world that holds things like kudzu, ophiocordyceps unilateralis, The Antikythera Device, The Yellow Kid, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, Alfred Jarry, Joseph Pujol, and suicide-bombing ants ... who knows what other kinds of wonders as well as horrors may be out there?

Thursday, January 23, 2014

M.Christian's ManLove Collection - A Very Special Sale!

(from M.Christian's Queer Imaginings)


Here's an excellent chance to pick up my celebrated ManLove Collection of queer erotic/fiction books at a special discounted price - and BodyWork:Male-Male Erotica for FREE!




Sizzling tales of bad boys, bruised hearts, and sweaty encounters. Lambda Award finalist M.Christian’s stories of men-who-love-men have been selected for Best Gay Erotica, Best American Erotica, and Best of the Best Gay Erotica. Eavesdrop on what hot men who are doing hot things with other hot men say to each other between the sheets ... and up against the wall. Start reading the fiery ManLove fiction of M.Christian with this personally selected collection of his very best stories.

M.Christian's stories are the fairy tales whispered to one another by dark angels whose hearts and mouths are brimming with lust. He goes beyond the pale, ordinary definitions of sexuality and writes about need and desire in their purest forms. Readers daring enough to stray from the safety of the path will find in his images and words a garden of delights to tempt even the most demanding pleasure-seeker.
 - Michael Thomas Ford, Lambda Award winner

M.Christian is a literary stylist of the highest caliber: smart, funny, frightening, sexy -- there's nothing he can't write about ...  and brilliantly.
- Tristan Taormino 

The Very Bloody Marys
Now Only $3.99!
Can San Francisco survive a marauding gang of Vespa-riding vampires? Before it's sucked dry, the city's only hope may be gay male Valentino, only a trainee for the supernatural law enforcement agency, Le Counseil Carmin. Swept up in the whole blood-sucking business when his mentor goes missing, Valentino is called upon to deal with the menace of these "Bloody Marys." But Valentino soon realizes that, in order to dispose of the gang, he must go into areas he never dreamed of, deal with some very strange characters and learn the truth about the dark side of town. The Very Bloody Marys is a horror novel about vampires, ghouls, faeries, and the undead that move around after dark. Part chase, part gallows humor, and all shivery excitement, this man love story from the wildly imaginative.

M.Christian creates a variety of quirky characters from wizards to zombies to fairies, and the tone captures the feeling of a fast-paced horror movie, alternately funny and creepy.
- HorrorWorld


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Dirty Words:Provocative Gay Erotica
Now Only $3.99!
Here it is: the Lambda Literary Award Finalist Dirty Words: the queer collection shows just how hot and imaginative Manlove erotica can be!  From mischievous Native American spirits, to victims of cybernetic nightmares, these stories will amaze, amuse, terrify, fascinate and – always – excite you. Subtle and not, these well-crafted tales will touch you – and always excite you – in ways you’d never expect.  With a very special introduction by Patrick Califia.

Dipping into his erotic prose is like being doused with a bucket of icy cold water on a sticky Summer’s day. It’s a sense awakening experience, which enlivens and sweeps you away in the same narrative breath. It’s dark, it’s dangerous, it’s horny, it’s mouthwatering, it’s witty and it’s sharp.  Read my lips: Read this book.
- Skin Two


M.Christian's controversial horror/thriller of queer identity is back in a brand new edition!  He looks just like you.  He acts exactly like you.  He takes away your job.  He steals your friends.  He seduces your lover. None of them can tell the difference. Every day he becomes more and more like you, pushing you out of your own life, taking away what was yours … until there’s nothing left.  Where did he come from?  Robot?  Alien?  Clone?  Doppelganger?  Evil twin?  Long lost brother?  A fascinating novel of identity, Me2 is a groundbreaking Manlove chiller you’ll remember for a long time – no matter who you are, or who you think you may be. (Despite rumors that this book was written by an impostor - but, rest assured, this is the real 'M. Christian.'  Accept no substitutes!)

Me2 is a unique and always entertaining fable-novel about what exactly identity may entail and how we may or may not decide whether it's worth the price of keeping it.
- Felice Picano, author of Art & Sex in Greenwich Village


A fantastic collection of queer erotica spanning both literature and hotter-than-hot erotica – with a special introduction by Lambda-Award winner Felice Picano.  Includes the celebrated stories such as "The Hope of Cinnamon," "Suddenly, Last Thursday," "That Sweet Smell," "Utter West," and "Friday Night at the Calvary Hotel"

If you are looking for sexually-charged fiction that also has heart and intelligence Filthy Boys is the collection for you.
- Emily Veinglory, author Lovers and Ghosts

To say this is a great book is an understatement. Filthy Boys transcends its genre of erotica and enters the realm of literature.
- Donovan Brown, author My Brotha My Brotha.


There is simply no one better at writing hotter-than-hot gay erotica than the Lambda Literary Award Finalist M.Christian, and with this -- his newest collection -- you'll see why!  From cowboys looking for some same-sex love on the range to jocks working out in unique ways this book is guaranteed to reach out and give your gay desire a good tug! Check out this brand new book by an acknowledged master of genre and see why everyone says he's an wonderful erotic writer.

Reading these tales is like climbing on for a sexual magic carpet ride through different times and places, diverse bodies, and infinite possibilities.
- Carol Queen 

Rarely is raunch paired with such style and wit, M.Christian’s stories offer the sizzle of stroke-book sex combined with the dark lyricism of the perverse.
- Lucy Taylor 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

January 23rd, 2014: Teaching Impact Play: Beyond Floggers And Canes for SF Citadel

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

This is going to be a LOT of fun: I'm going to be teaching my hands - and other body parts - on class on impact play for the SF Citadel, this Thursday.
Impact Play: Beyond Floggers And Canes at the Citadel, in San Francisco
Thursday, January 23rd: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

SF Citadel Community Center
181 Eddy Street, San Francisco

Cost: $20 at the door, $15 in advance using WePay: https://www.wepay.com/events/sfc-class-01232014'
Dress code: Whatever makes you comfortable
Join this workshop to receive (ahem) 'hands-on' instruction in a wide and sometimes-strange variety of different impact toys hands, hairbrushes, paddles, crops, wooden spoons, batons, quirts, and more. While often the physics of these toys are sometimes closely related, to use each one effectively takes particular skill and techniques that are not immediately apparent. Participants will learn not only how to inflict the most pleasure as well as pain but also how to use each item without hurting the wield-er as well as the wield-ee.
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M.Christian has been an active participant in the San Francisco BDSM scene since 1988, and has been a featured presenter at the Northwest Leather Celebration, smOdyssey, the Center For Sex and Culture, The National Sexuality Symposium, QSM, San Francisco Sex Information, The Citadel, The Looking Glass, The Society of Janus, The Floating World, Winter Solstice, and lots of other venues. He has taught classes on everything from impact play, tit torture, bondage, how to write and sell erotica, polyamory, cupping, caning, and basic SM safety.

M.Christian is also a recognized master of BDSM erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many other anthologies, magazines, and other sites; editor of 2t anthologies such as the Best S/M Erotica series, Pirate Booty, My Love For All That Is Bizarre: Sherlock Holmes Erotica, and more; the collections Dirty Words, The Bachelor Machine, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and more; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Finger's Breadth, Brushes, and Painted Doll. His site is: www.mchristian.com

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Reminder: Creative Sex Play For Good Vibrations This Week!

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

This is going to a real blast: I'm going to be teaching my fun class, Creative Sex Play, for Good Vibrations on Polk Street on Thursday, January 16th.  

Here's the info ... see you there!




Creative Sex Play
Even the most experienced sexual adventurer may run short of ... shall we say, 'inspiration'? In this wild and provocative seminar with M. Christian participants will not only learn all kind of new techniques and sexual worlds to explore  and do that exploration safely (both physically and emotionally) but they will also have lots of fun with various techniques to expand their basic imagination muscles: picking up new and enjoyable games to help them add a lot more to their entire lives, in and out of the bedroom.

Pre-order tickets here

Thursday, January 16
6:30-8:30pm
$20 in advance, $25 at the door

Saturday, January 11, 2014

BDSM Reviews Likes In Control!

Check out this very cool review of my new  collection, In Control, by the great folks at BDSM Reviews:

Although the book In Control is subtitled The Short Kinky Fiction of M. Christian, by today’s standards most of the 18 stories in this anthology aren’t all that kinky. That’s not to imply they aren’t well written, because they are. In fact, it would be safe to say that this collection of short stories has a decidedly cerebral and artistic flair not often found in erotica. 
The themes of the book’s stories vary greatly in both style and genre – sort of a smorgasbord effect. Many are straight forward erotica, while others touch on BDSM and same sex relationships. Some are really more romantic than they are erotic, and a couple could be categorized as mood pieces with erotic overtones. My favorite is an excerpt from the novel Brushes, which is a tale about the brother of an elite artist whose resemblance to his sibling enables him to seduce numerous art students that mistake him for his famous brother. While it doesn’t contain much erotic content, it is an interesting and thought provoking read. 
Whether or not readers will enjoy this book will depend largely on their sensibilities and what their expectations are. Overall it is a satisfyingly literate book that periodically includes well-crafted erotic scenarios.

Me? Transgressive?

Is is fun: Devilhouse Press asked me recently what my definition of transgressive is.  Here's a taste of my answer - for the rest just click this link.


DHP: What is your definition of transgressive?

MC: Well, I guess I'd have to say that 'transgressive' to me means anything – particularly in the arts – that pushes the boundaries of what is normally accepted.  The problem – if it's a problem – is that what pushes one century (or decade, or year or even day) won't have much of an affect once it's been generally accepted.  At the same time, some things always seem to be transgressive and may never be accepted (and, just because I had lunch, cannibalism springs immediately to mind).

I guess it all depends on what it being said, and when it's being said – I know that might sound slippery or even evasive but I really feel that transgression in art will always be stepping just ahead of us ... while, at the same time, staying right here with us.

DHP: What was the first text you read that made you question accepted societal tenets or values or the way in which the world works?

MC: Hum ... tough call.  Dovetailing with what I just said, I think what pushed me at one age was simply accepted at another.  I remember being blown away by William S. Burroughs in High School, JG Ballard in college, Theodore Sturgeon when I first read Venus Plus X, Alan Moore's Watchmen (and V for Vendetta), Greenaway's The Falls – pretty much anything that made me think.  But, importantly, just didn't make me grimace.  Lots of folks, alas, think that just being outrageous for outrageous-es sake is transgressive.  I always feel that if you throw up and just feel queasy afterward all you did was have bad oysters but if you throw up and it changes the way you look at the shellfish, or the ocean, then that's changed you in some deeply profound manner.  Not that nausea should always be a gauge – but it is a rather (ahem) transgressive symbol.

DHP: Give an example of a transgressive work & explain why you felt it was transgressive? The work could be literature, film, visual art, theatre, graphic novels or something else.

MC: One of my favprites is the already mentioned Venus Plus X by Ted Sturgeon.  Definitely pick it up if you haven't.  The damned book was written in 1960 – back when SF was still mostly considered a sub-par genre.  Now, Sturgeon was – and always will be – seen as a bit of a transgressive SF writer but Venus really pushed pretty much every boundary you could think of – and, for me, it changed the way I thought about the future, about sex, about gender, about Ends Justifying The Means ... but this is all just clumsy fumbling on my part: no matter what I write here I really can't do it justice. 

[MORE]

Monday, January 06, 2014

SPECIAL DISCOUNTS! Love Without Gun Control And Welcome To Weirdsville!



Great news for the new year: my science fiction/fantasy/horror collection, Love Without Gun Control is now for sale (all over the place) for only .99 - and my very fun weird history and facts book, Welcome To Weirdsville, is only $2.99!


And that's not all!  Lots of my queer erotica and fiction has also been discounted for 2014!  More on this later but check out that BodyWork: Male-Male Erotica is FREE!!





Friday, January 03, 2014

BDSM Reviews Likes In Control!

Very cool!  Check out this very cool review my new collection, In Control, got from the great folks at BDSM Reviews:

Although the book In Control is subtitled The Short Kinky Fiction of M. Christian, by today’s standards most of the 18 stories in this anthology aren’t all that kinky. That’s not to imply they aren’t well written, because they are. In fact, it would be safe to say that this collection of short stories has a decidedly cerebral and artistic flair not often found in erotica. 

The themes of the book’s stories vary greatly in both style and genre – sort of a smorgasbord effect. Many are straight forward erotica, while others touch on BDSM and same sex relationships. Some are really more romantic than they are erotic, and a couple could be categorized as mood pieces with erotic overtones. My favorite is an excerpt from the novel Brushes, which is a tale about the brother of an elite artist whose resemblance to his sibling enables him to seduce numerous art students that mistake him for his famous brother. While it doesn’t contain much erotic content, it is an interesting and thought provoking read. 

Whether or not readers will enjoy this book will depend largely on their sensibilities and what their expectations are. Overall it is a satisfyingly literate book that periodically includes well-crafted erotic scenarios.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Wild, Wild, WILD Year for Classes!

(from M.Christian's Classes And Appearances)

2014 promises to be quite the year for me and teaching: just check out this amazing list of events and such I have already booked for next year!

More info coming very soon - plus a very special announcement - but wanted to share what I have so far so folks can start to put them on their calendars.

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January 16th, 2014: Teaching Creative Sexuality For Good Vibrations, Pol Street

January 23rd, 2014: Teaching
Impact Play: Beyond Floggers And Canes for SF Citadel

January 27th, 2014: Leading Polyamory Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

February 20th, 2014:
Teaching Basic Bondage: Tie Me Up On A Budget for Feelmore510

February 24th, 2014: Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group
for SF Citadel

March 13th, 2014: Teaching How To Write And Sell Erotica
for Feelmore510

March 18th, 2014: Teaching Magic Words: Using Erotic Writing To Explore Your Hidden Sexuality And Spirituality for SF Citadel

March 24th, 2014:
Leading Polyamory Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

April 28th, 2014:
Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

April 29th, 2014: Teaching Polyamory: How To Love Many And Well
for SF Citadel

May 29th, 2014: Leading Polyamory Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

June 23rd, 2014:
Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

July 22nd, 2014: Teaching Tit-Torture For Boobs: A Breast Play Intensive for
SF Citadel

August 25th, 2014:
Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

September 23rd, 2014: Teaching Basic Bondage: Tie Me Up On A Budget
for SF Citadel

September 29th, 2014:
Leading Polyamory Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

October 27th, 2014:
Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

November 11th, Teaching Sensual Caning: How To Use The Rod In New And Exciting Ways
for SF Citadel

November 24th, 2014:
Leading Polyamory Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

December 22nd, 2014:
Leading Relationships And The Scene: A Discussion/Support Group for SF Citadel

Terrance Aldon Shaw Likes 50 Writers On 50 Shades Of Grey

This is very sweet!  The always-wonderful Terrance Aldon Shaw - who wrote a kick-ass review of my book, How To Write And Sell Erotica - has this nice review of 50 Writers On 50 Shades Of Grey  featuring a lot about my own contribution.

Check it out:

What all the contributors here seem to agree on is that Fifty Shades has become a “game changer” both for publishers and readers, though what this contagious little meme actually conveys is not always clear. In her introduction, Fifty Ways to Look at Fifty Shades, editor Lori Perkins refers positively to the trilogy, going so far as to gush, “I am awed to see the birth of a new erotic classic”, and hope “. . . that these books will usher in a publishing tidal wave of female-centered commercially successful erotica, giving women a new voice for sexual, political and financial choices.” In her essay, Fifty Shades of Change, Louise Fury claims that “. . . what The Vagina Monologues did for women and their vaginas, Fifty Shades has done for women and smut.” In a piece appropriately enough entitled The Game Changer, M. Christian seems reluctantly to agree, though he laments, “It would just be nice that the paradigm shift in literature and publishing would have been better written.”  He goes on to say;

It’s still a total and complete game changer. For one thing, it’s pretty much the final nail in the old school old school world of print publishing. Sure, that model has been gasping and wheezing for a few years now, but for a teeny weeny and badly written book to do what New York dreamt of doing shows once and for all that they need to burn down their old ways and finally begin to embrace the lean, mean, and cutting edge world of e-books.

It’s also another shovel of dirt on another corpse; the concept of old-school marketing. Fifty Shades didn’t succeed because of its brilliant prose, it’s immense advertising budget, or inspired publicity. It scored that coveted number one spot because “mom” E.L. James jumped right in, feetfirst, to social networking and viral marketing with a dogged persistence that’s, frankly, a bit scary. The only bad side of this is—sigh—that for the next five to ten years we’re gonna be bombarded not just with Fifty Shades knock-offs, but all those authors trying the same tricks James did.”