Ageless Erotica!

Ageless Erotica is now available! Follow this link to buy it at a very good price from Amazon. (Please post a reader comment on Amazon after you’ve read it, ok?) I have copies for sale now, too, and I’ll be happy to sign them – click button at the bottom of this page .

Your independent bookstore should have their copies soon — request it and they’ll notify you. The book will also be available in e-book format very soon.

 

Ageless Erotica

Edited by Joan Price
Seal Press, 2013

What would it look like if talented writers over age fifty wrote erotica featuring steamy, sexy characters who were also over fifty? Now we know. Ageless Erotica is a ground-breaking anthology of erotic short stories and memoir essays presenting women and men, couples and singles, straight and gay, who are over fifty, sixty, seventy, and beyond – all enjoying and sharing their erotic moments.

This is not your usual erotica with a few wrinkles slapped on — these are stories that show how hot sex can be at our age. This collection embraces the agelessness of sexuality while still realistically acknowledging the changes that accompany aging.

Ageless Erotica is a stimulating celebration of the many pleasures of “well-seasoned” sex. In this anthology, age is accepted, celebrated, and sensually enjoyed. Some selections are tender and loving, while others are edgy and kinky. Characters may be having spicy sex with partners they have loved for decades; or with new loves, old loves reunited, or forbidden partners; or solo with fantasies. Ageless Erotica has it all, portraying older-age sexuality as healthy, lusty, and glorious.

INTRODUCTION by Joan Price
TO BED by Erobintica
SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE by Nancy Weber
DOLORES PARK by Dale Chase
INVITATION TO LUNCH by Donna George Storey
OTHER PEOPLE’S STUFF by Susan St. Aubin
LADY BELLA by I.G. Frederick
HAND JOBS by Kate Dominic
SMOOTH AND SLIPPERY by Doug Harrison
TONY TEMPO by Tsaurah Litzky
BETTER THAN VIBRATORS by Cheri Crystal
AFTER TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS by Dorothy Freed
MY NEW VAGINA by Audrienne Roberts Womack
TRAIN RIDE by Harris Tweed
AT THE WANE OF THE MOON by Bill Noble
PEAS IN A POD by Maryn Blackburn
ENDLESS PRAISE, TIMELESS LOVE by Linda Poelzl
THE HOTEL LOUNGE by Skyler Karadan
COMING FULL CIRCLE by Cela Winter
GEORGE by Lorna Lee
IN THE MEANTIME by Miriam Kura
MR. SMITH, MS. JONES WILL SEE YOU NOW by D.L. King
JAGUAR DREAMS by Evvy Lynn
TOAST FOR BREAKFAST by Cheyenne Blue
BY THE BOOK by Rae Padilla Francoeur
BLIND, NOT DEAD by Johnny Dragona
AFTER DINNER EUPHORIA by Peter Baltensperger
THE WACKY IRAQI, THE SHAMAN LOVER, AND ME by Erica Manfred
BEYOND THE DOUBLE DOORS by Sue Katz
MORNING by Belle Burroughs Shepherd 

Media, book reviewers, bloggers:  If you’d like to review Ageless Erotica or interview Joan Price, please email Joan.


To purchase your autographed copy of Ageless Erotica directly from Joan Price via PayPal for $16 plus shipping, please click below.

Autograph to… (name)?

Valentine’s Day 2013

(Robert can’t stop laughing after pulling my hat down)

 For Valentine’s Day this year (2013), I’m re-publishing the post I wrote in 2011, updating it slightly.

I always loved Valentine’s Day with Robert. We bought each other gifts, professed our love for each other emphatically and often poetically. We spent the afternoon making love, glorying in the magic of  the powerful passion we felt for each other. We would love each other for hours — a candle lighted even in the bright light of afternoon, the bedroom door closed though we were alone in the house. I can still feel the touch of his skin, the sweet pressure of his lips. I hear the love words he muttered.

Dancing was always a part of our self-expression and love expression. One of “our songs” was Anne Murray’s “Could I Have This Dance?”

Could I have this dance
for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner
Every night?
When we’re together,
It feels so right.
Could I have this dance
for the rest of my life?

Every Valentine’s Day and birthday — and sometimes New Year’s Eve, too! — he danced for me:  a special dance he had created just to please and entice me. He practiced for days in private, choosing the music,  the choreography, and the costume that he would shed slowly and sensuously as part of his dance.

2013: This is my fifth Valentine’s Day without Robert. It wasn’t until the third one that I was able to remember his special dances without crying. What beautiful gifts he gave me throughout our seven years together.  What beautiful gifts he gives me still, as I remember him.

For all of you who have a special loved one on this Valentine’s Day, glory in what you share. Never take for granted that “the rest of my life” means anything more than “this moment right now.”

For all of us who are unpartnered on this Valentine’s Day, let’s glory in the love we know how to give, and let’s give it to ourselves and the people in our lives today. Let’s do something special that nurtures us and delights us. Let’s make someone else feel special. Let’s celebrate our capacity to feel joy. The more love we give, the more we have within us.

On this 2013 update, a good friend is just home from the hospital after suffering a heart attack. “I died three times,” he told me — that’s how often they had to re-start his heart. We need to make a special point always of letting the people we love know that we love them. We never know how much time we have.

Whether or not you have a lover right now, you do have people in your life who make your life better just by being in it. On Valentine’s Day or any day, tell them how you feel.

Tenga Flip Hole and 3-D Sculpted Ecstasy: Sex Toys for Men

Tenga Flip Hole and 3-D Sculpted Ecstasy: Sex Toys for Men

Guest post by David Pittle, Ph.D.

 
Tenga, a Japanese company that makes sex toys for men, recently sent me the Flip Hole and 3-D Sculpted Ecstasy for review, two different types of male masturbation devices. I heartily recommend these to men for solo use, for couples who enjoy mutual or simultaneous masturbation, and for anyone who wants to pleasure a male partner.
Flip Hole

tenga flip holeWhile most of the male masturbation market has churned out artificial vaginas, Tenga’s Flip Hole is a real improvement.

The Flip Hole is designed to open up completely. This allows you to lay your penis down on one side, then close it up for use. Or you can close it with the clip and enter the hole.

tenga flip holeThe vacuum pump formed by the material is controlled by the buttons to create a squeezing pleasure. The wing gate has big ribs midway in to grip and hold you. The side ribs add side stimulation for maximum feel. The lip flat provides a good grip upon insertion, while the shield flap helps to keep lubricants inside.
The innovative opening makes for cleanliness not often possible with male masturbation devices. The entire unit flips open for easy cleaning. Then hang it on the clip for drying.
I received two of the four versions of the Flip Hole. Aside from the coloring of the case — Black, White, Silver and Red — the pattern of the soft elastomer material inside varies, giving each version a significantly different feeling. The two I tried both felt great. I understand that the Black Flip Hole has a firmer inner material for a more intense experience, but I didn’t have that one to test.
My one criticism is that the weight and bulk of the Flip Hole make it a bit awkward and tiring to use. I’m sure that the choice of the stimulating material must be the reason, as the shell can’t weigh much. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely. I just hope that Tenga will find a way to make it lighter without giving up the advantages of this fine masturbation device.
3-D Sculpted Ecstasy
Built with the same foam material as the Tenga Egg, which I previously reviewed, the Tenga 3-D Sculpted Ecstasy comes in five textures. The photo shows (left to right) the Pile, Module, SpiralPolygon, and Zen (an interesting undulating series of shallow spirals).

Each comes in a package with the texture side out and on a mounting stand. For use, we take it off the stand, a dowel that goes up the middle, and turn it inside-out. (Actually it comes inside-out, so we turn it “inside-in.” See the photo where the Module texture is partially turned.With the exception of the Zen, I found all the textures pleasant and virtually indistinguishable. The Zen had a softer and gentler effect—but the difference was not extreme. Of course, you might have a different preference.

The 3D Sculpted Ecstasy comes with a packet of lubricant for the first use. Squeeze the lubricant liberally around the hole and inside. And go to town.
Clean-up is easy. Just reverse the inside-out process and wash with your favorite soap and water or toy cleaner.
I really like this product. For personal use, I will return often to the Tenga 3D Sculpted Ecstasy. Between these two products, the Flip Hole and the Sculpted Ecstasy, competitors will have to struggle to keep up. These are far ahead of other  devices I have used.

David M. Pittle, Ph.D., is a therapist in San Rafael, CA, who has been helping people with sexual issues for over thirty years. Many of his clients are age 50-80, when good sex is important, and dissatisfaction may lead to loss of shared intimacy that can threaten the total relationship. David specializes in helping women who are not experiencing sexual satisfaction and men with non-medical and medically-related erectile dysfunction or other issues. Visit his website here.

 
(I am sad to tell you that my friend, sex therapist David Pittle died December 2017. We value his sex toy reviews. Read his other reviews here.)

Practically Sexless Marriage? Laurie Watson Advises

“Brad” wrote to me because he and his wife “Angie” are in a practically sexless marriage. I consulted AASECT-certified sex therapist Laurie Watson, author of Wanting Sex Again: How to Rediscover Your Desire and Heal a Sexless Marriage, to offer some advice. Obviously the couple’s problems are too complex to solve with one blog post, but I hope that Laurie Watson’s advice and, her book can help Brad and Angie take the first steps towards developing a sexually vibrant relationship.

Brad’s Story
My wife Angie and I are in our fifties and been together since college. I’ve always loved her dearly. I’ve always found her to be desirable and let her know it. She is my best friend. Through almost all of that time, I’ve been dissatisfied the frequency and amount of passion in our sex life.
To say that the two of us have different sexual appetites is an understatement. Most of the time Angie says she simply isn’t interested or too tired for sex. I, on the
other hand, have offered and made myself available to her sexually. Despite being willing to attend to her needs, she has rarely reciprocated that willingness. 95% of my sexual release throughout my sexual history has come from masturbation.
I tell Angie that I love her, desire her, feel passionate about her, and I’d like to work on improving our sex life. She acknowledges that work needs to be done but usually says that now is not a good time, she’s too tired, or she feels uncomfortable being sexual with the kids in the house. (Our two grown kids moved back to our
small house for financial reasons.) When I ask how I could help resolve these issues or make suggestions for solutions, she generally discounts them or said she’s at a loss about what to do.
Things hit a further low point sexually about eight years ago. I was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer (prostatectomy). I now have difficulty maintaining erections and too often there is an aching pain in the pubic region immediately after orgasm.
I’m unhappy about our lack of passion, intimacy, and sensual play (while acknowledging my shortcomings due to ED, low testosterone, and mild depression).  I’ve told Angie that I want to bring back more of the fun of sensuality and passion rather than concentrating on “the act.” She continues to come up with the same excuses I’ve heard numerous times before.
A therapist years ago told us that Angie was depressed. She doesn’t get treatment for her depression, although she’ll often self-medicate with marijuana. I think I’m
depressed, too. We’ve always struggled financially. I lost my job during the recent recession and was out of work for over a year. I am now working full-time but my wages are substantially lower.
The last time we had sex together was a few months ago, at a hotel. I found it satisfying (any sexual contact is appreciated!) and she indicated that she found it satisfying, too.

 I want to turn things around, if it’s not too late. I feel as if I’m running out of time. How do I go about improving the passion and sensuality between us? I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that the only person I can work on is me. I cannot offer advice or solutions where it will not be wanted or accepted.

 

Laurie Watson replies:

 

In marriage, often one spouse is the pursuer, easily expressing needs, wishing for closeness, attention, and sex. The other spouse becomes a distancer, wishing for more space. Distancers often feel smothered by pursuers, who, in turn, feel starved by distancers. It can become a tug-of-war. Sexually, it can feel desperate. Examining the ways you have balanced closeness and distance might start to change things between you.

You both had an enjoyable sexual experience in a hotel, away from home, boomerang adult kids, bills, and the endless call of things to do. I congratulate you on finding a formula for great sex. As often as you can afford it, schedule a hotel rendezvous and indulge in relaxing, satisfying sex.

You’d like Angie to initiate sex and show that she desires you. Like many women, she may be more receptive, willing to be convinced, but not to initiate. Your wife may need your male energy and urgency to get her started.

Yet now more than ever, you need the reassurance that you are virile and desired after prostate cancer. How to do this without crowding the space between you and making her back up?

Try being a great seducer! The hotel adventure probably worked because you initiated a creative space for relaxation, intimacy, and sex. The chase and seduction are a good part of the turn-on. Often a woman’s craving for sex doesn’t kick in until about halfway through the experience. Then suddenly her aroused body says, “Yes, I do want sex!”

Men shouldn’t be responsible for all the work on the sexual relationship, though. Women can prompt themselves with fantasies, anticipation, and memories of exciting past love-making sessions, coming to bed mentally primed for arousal.

Prostate cancer brings its own set of challenges. Luckily, you still have desire and you still have some erectile ability. The sooner men start on penile rehabilitation post-surgery, the better their eventual outcome. Your deep pelvic pain, more common immediately post-surgery, absolutely necessitates a visit to the doctor to rule out infection, inflammation, kidney problems, and nerve damage. You may also need treatment from a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic pain.

Culturally, men are conditioned that they are good lovers if they have big, strong erections. But most women do not experience climax through penetration – only 15-20% ever do in intercourse. You can be a satisfying lover with manual and oral stimulation. With enough stimulation, men can reach orgasm with or without an erection – those are completely separate functions.

You have mentioned that your wife struggles with depression, as do you. It would be good if you both saw a therapist, seeking treatment for depression as well as your relationship issues. Even a single consultation would help a therapist see where you are stuck as a couple and guide you.

— Laurie Watson, LMFT, LPC, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, is the author of Wanting Sex Again – How to Rediscover Your Desire and Heal a Sexless Marriage. She blogs for Psychology Today Online in Married and Still Doing It. Laurie guest lectures at the medical schools for Duke and UNC Chapel Hill on sexual function/dysfunction. Director of Awakenings – Center for Intimacy and Sexuality in Raleigh, she maintains a full-time clinical practice.