A friend of ours recently decided to ‘experiment’ with self-publishing. The result is, in her own words, ‘A Short-Favored Thing, But Mine Own’ – and considering her online name and pen-name, Sharazade, are you really surprised she’s called it the 1001 Nights Press?
She has three books out to date, all of them relatively short – around 9000 words, so longer than most short stories but shorter than novella length. One, Good Girl, is her own (it’s also on Amazon.com, Amazon UK and some other places, and includes a second short story with it); the other two, Sharing Lucy and Taking Jennifer, are by James Wood. They’re all e-book only, and Smashwords offers 10 different formats.
Good Girl appears to be trending rather well at the moment and Sharazade is already known for her book of stories, Transported, as well as contributions to other collections.
James Wood is newly-published, having been writing erotica for quite a while but not putting it out to a paying public. We’ve read Sharing Lucy, which is about a young freelancer who’s pressured by her manager (and lover) to make a business presentation ahead of schedule. However, when she arrives at his office to find him with a good-looking guy who turns out to be the client, she discovers it’s not so much a case of making a “presentation” as being the presentation. Some light bondage and heavy sex with both men follows…
Wood’s writing is, let’s say, rooted in the tropes of erotica from 20-30 years ago. It’s the kind of style that will be familiar to those who read Erotic Review magazine. But that’s not a criticism, and nor is it to say it’s outdated, really. Erotic Review has been undergoing a renaissance recently, since its re-launch as online-only; and anyway, Fulani writes for it. As a story, it has male characters whose attitudes and behaviours are somewhere between cavalier and chauvinist, but that’s perfectly acceptable for a good fantasy. It’s one of the best stories out there of its type and in that kind of style. Wood is certainly someone to watch for in the future.
And if that’s not your thing… well, there’s always M. Christian, with his generally more surreal and outlandish fantasies such as Love Without Gun Control.
So there you go – a heads-up on a new press, a short book review and namechecks for some other writers all rolled into one post.