If you love to read erotica and you have never heard of Alison Tyler, I may just have to beat you with a stick… Of course, the chances are that Ms. Tyler would enjoy that, but I digress. Clitical.com was recently given the chance to ask this trailblazing editor and writer of all things erotica some questions. What follows is the result of that interview:
1: It’s almost impossible nowadays to have a conversation about bondage or erotica without mentioning Fifty Shades of Grey. What do you see as the positive that has come from the success of Fifty Shades, if any?
Bondage and I go way back. I wrote my first bondage-themed collection in the early 90s. So I’m not surprised to find that people are interested in this particular type of kink. The intriguing thing to me about FSoG is that the series has brought the love of bondage out in the open.
Although I haven’t read the books, I actually dressed as FSoG this Halloween. You would not have believed how excited people were by my costume. So many people wanted to talk to me about why they adore BDSM play. I think FSoG has worked as an invitation for the shyer type of people to speak out.
2: What advice do you have for women who are timid about introducing erotica and especially erotica that deals with submission and domination into their marriages?
Ooooh, I love this question. I had a not-so-fulfilling experience asking for what I wanted early on. In fact, I was flat out shut down. This is why I think open communication is key to a solid relationship. Start slowly. Choose a book or even a single story that you like. Then ask your mate to read it. (Or read the piece together…or even listen together to audio!) If the genre turns both of you on, proceed from there. This is why I wrote the guides Never Have the Same Sex Twice and Never Say Never. I wanted to make things easier for people who were trying to explore the kinkier side of the street. My guides incorporate naughty stories, snippets, and real-life examples. (Both books are pubbed by Cleis Press. Never Say Never is due out in April 2014.) If you’re searching for specific titles, I have a short collection of bondage stories called Cuffed (with Sophia Valenti and Sommer Marsden) that gives readers three stories of bondage-drenched desire. For a one-off, my novella Banging Rebecca incorporates BDSM in a fairly dramatic way.
3: There is a school of thought that says being submissive to a man is a bad thing, even if it’s only meant in the sexually submissive realm. How do you respond to that thought?
As I’ve learned over the past two decades, people have many different types of desires and fantasies. Some men want only to bow down to a dominant woman. Some women prefer to be submissive. There are partners who switch, those who live in a 24/7 BDSM lifestyle. I work hard to make my