circlet press – V. A. CATES

Love Erotica? Read Circlet Press Anthologies

2023-11-10

I know, I know, I talk about Circlet Press a lot, but it has published some of the best erotic fiction in my opinion, and if you love erotica but you haven’t read any of Circlet’s offerings yet, you’re missing out.

Circlet Press have released numerous anthologies that explore the intersection of sensuality, fantasy and science fiction. I always think that short stories are a good place to start because you are more likely to find something you love, without the time investment of reading an entire novel. It’s also a great way to discover erotic writers you might not have heard of before.

Here are a few to get you started:

Best Fantastic Erotica – Erotic sf/f combines erotic and sexual themes with magic, futurism, high fantasy, cyberpunk, space opera, magic realism, and all the many other sub-genres.

Like a Love Triangle – A collection of erotic stories for those who love threesomes, whether in real life or in the realm of imagination.

Charming: Modern Gay Erotic Fairytales – From poisoned apples to polished swords, classic fairy tales are full of sexual imagery. For this anthology, writers found those erotic threads and wove them into stories where the castle is an apartment building in Prague, or the Evil Queen is The Prince’s ex-boyfriend.

Queerpunk – Queerpunk, with its collection of stories that revel in a near-futuristic vision of our own time, investigates the evolution of Queer sexuality under the smog-covered umbrella of urban and technological advancement.

Superlative Speculative Erotica – A collection of stories that reflect many of the genres published by Circlet Press: a little cyberpunk, a little high fantasy, a touch of horror, some superheroes, a bit of space opera, some paranormal.

Apocalypse Sex – With their own demise staring them in the face, the characters in Apocalypse Sex decide to do one thing: have the best sex of their lives. These stories include a range of settings, tones, and sexualities, but they share the feeling of freedom that impending death can provide.

Like a Sword – These are tales of mages and magic, of warriors and princes and forest folk. But not all battles are won with armies, and magic finds its power not just in heart and soul but in body and desire.

And an honourable mention (because I loved the stories in this one, and I also have a story in this one):

Like a Spell: Air – Original stories of magic users, interesting twists on the typical sorcerers and mages. With smut.

Two Erotic Stories I’ve Enjoyed

2022-07-29

Now that I have a bit more time to dedicate to both writing and reading, I’m going to start posting recommendations here again. Starting with two stories from the Circlet Press anthology series “Like A Spell.” These anthologies follow the elements:

Volume 1: Earth • Volume 2: Fire • Volume 3: Air

“Water and Air,” by Janelle Reston. This short lesbian fantasy story is part of Like A Spell Vol. 1: Earth, released by Circlet Press in 2017. Its main character has grown up in a rural town where many inhabitants can do elemental magic, though she has yet to show any signs of being able to channel magic herself. During summer solstice water witches come to town, where she meets and falls for a water witch. The setting is peaceful and beautiful and the two main characters extremely likeable. The sex is utterly gorgeous and full of wonder and magic. Strong writing and a top recommendation.

“Carnival,” by September Sui. This short fantasy story is part of Like A Spell Vol. 3: Air, released by Circlet Press in 2018. A strange and intriguing carnival comes to town every year, and the protagonist – a simple farm girl – finds herself drawn to the Carnival Master. This story is gorgeously written, with vivid descriptions and a strong sense of the city it’s set in. I like that the main character knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to seek it out. She makes her own choices and that makes her adventure all the more compelling.

That’s it for today but I’ll post more recommendations soon! For now, it’s back to my sexy ghost/witch erotic WIP and, since it’s Friday, a glass or two of wine.

Like A Spell Volume 3: Air Now Has A Goodreads Page

2018-04-07

Just a little heads up that the Circlet Press anthology Like A Spell Volume 3: Air now has its own book page on Goodreads, which you can find here.

My short magical erotica story Refrain features in the anthology. If you’ve read volume 3 and you have a spare moment, we would love to hear what you thought of it. You can post reviews and comments on Goodreads, or on any of the other platforms where you can buy the book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble

This is my first erotic story sale so I am obviously eager to market it as widely as possible – hopefully without being too annoying. If you know of any additional venues the anthology might be of interest let me know!

[Publication] Erotic Anthology: Like A Spell Vol.3: Air

2018-03-02

I’m ridiculously excited to announce that the third instalment of the erotic fantasy anthology series Like A Spell is now out, and it contains my short story Refrain! I have a huge amount of respect for the publisher Circlet Press and everything they do, so to be part of one of their collections is just wonderful (especially as it was my first erotica sale!).

The call for submissions asked for magical stories featuring new spins on witches and wizards. The idea of a modern day witch who made a small living brewing potions immediately sprang to mind. I imagined the most sought after potion would be for love, although the very concept of duping / forcing somebody to love you is troubling and problematic (and adds oodles of tension). A close runner up to the love potion would be the potion of forgetting. In fact, I imagine that more times than not the two would go hand-in-hand. Before I knew it Refrain was drafted and sent to my beta reader.

Of course I really hope you enjoy my story, but there are seven other terrific erotic stories in the anthology. I am lucky to sit alongside September Sui, A. D. R. Forte, Dee Maselle, Donovan Blake, Morrigan Cox, Mary Andrews and Kassandra Lea.

You can pick up the anthology from Circlet Press here. As soon as the book becomes available at other venues like Amazon I will post links.

Erotic Stories in the Pipeline

2018-02-11

After my short magical fantasy story Refrain sold to the incredible Circlet Press a couple of years ago (set for release soon in their Like A Spell Vol.3: Air anthology), I fell away from writing somewhat due to many positive life changes that required my attention. When life eventually calmed down I got back into the swing of things, finishing a new short story late last year and working on another one currently.

Bearskin is a shapeshifter short story I wrote in December 2017. I really enjoyed my first shifter piece. Exploring both the humanistic side of animals and the animalistic side of humans was an interesting exercise, and lead me to an unexpected ending that I hope readers will find curiously satisfying! It’s currently out on submission and I hope it’s picked up as I would love to share it. In fact, I got so into the writing that I even made a promo poster / cover for the story:

Bearskin-Cover-VACates

Right now I’m bashing out the first draft on a story that could almost be considered shifter, although it’s not the focus of the piece. This one also features a strange creature getting tangled–quite literally–with my heroine. It’s a big trip out of my normal sub-genres but the more I let go the more fun it is watching the story and characters unfold. The sex element is… complicated. I mean, how could it not be complicated when one of the participants has eight appendages to keep track of?

There are various anthology submission calls further down the line that I have my eye on too, and today while out driving a setting and plot idea hit me for one of them. I imagine I’ll start working on that immediately once the tentacle story is finished and out the door.

Some day soon I will talk about my bigger projects (there are novelettes and novellas!) but for now they are still rough and raw, and I’m still unpicking the plot and sub-plots and reshaping them.

What it all boils down to is: I am so happy to be writing again.

Circlet Press Anthology Release; Like A Spell Vol.2: Fire

2017-10-26

The second volume of the long-awaited Circlet Press anthology quadrilogy Like A Spell has landed! This time the book is titled Fire and features a wonderful selection of gay fantasy erotica.

Fire focuses on the love between men, with stories by Avery Vanderlyle, J. C. Williams, Ellis Sandry, Rhidian Brenig, Lucien Grey and Welton B. Marsland.

“When we thought fire, we thought of the passion and heat of men, the all-encompassing flames of their desires. We thought of the fire gods Ra and Vulcan, Agni and Xiuhtecuhtli. We thought about strength, ferocity, and power.”

The book is available on Amazon, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and Kobo. You can pick up a copy of the first volume by following the various links on the book’s blog page. Authors also love hearing what their readers think so if you have the time leave the book a review.

Like A Spell: Fire, edited by Jennifer Levine.

Note: watch this space for some teasers for my own story, a heterosexual erotica featuring a witch and a man who thinks he knows what he wants. Set to land early 2018, it will be in the third instalment of the anthology series.

Circlet Press Anthology Release: Like A Spell Vol.1: Earth

2017-10-03

The Like A Spell anthology quadrilogy has already begun its venture into the erotica world, with the first instalment – themed Earth – having made its debut a couple of months ago. The Like A Spell series is a collection of magical erotica but with a fresh spin on magical folk, and they come in bite-sized portions making them perfect for reading at home or on the go (never be afraid to blush on public transport).

Earth focuses on the love between women, with stories by TS Porter, Janelle Reston, Michael M. Jones and Rae MacGregor. From the Circlet Press blog:

For the earth anthology, we’ve focused on stories portraying the love between women. When we thought earth, we thought of the Greek goddess Gaia and the Indian goddess Prithvi; we thought of the ubiquitous “Mother Earth” or “Mother Nature”; above all, we thought of fertility and life.

Like A Spell: Earth, edited by Jennifer Levine.

I have a short story coming up in the third volume, which should be released in the first quarter of 2018. Until then, the second volume is right around the corner. Watch the Circlet blog or the Circlet Twitter for updates.

Story Sale: Refrain (Circlet Press)

2015-12-08

I’m thrilled to announce that my short erotic fantasy story Refrain has been picked up by Circlet Press and will be included in their Like A Spell Vol. 3: Air anthology.

I’ll post more information about the ebook and links to where you can grab a copy once it’s released (TBA 2018), but for now here is a small snippet from my story:

“Who are you?” Arousal roughened Jack’s voice. “Seriously?”

“Somebody who has been around for a long time,” Marlene said. “And seen enough heartache to last ten lifetimes. Honestly, Jack, it’s easier to just enjoy the moment and not expect anything.”

“That’s a hair too cynical for me.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“Maybe.” Jack turned her hands over so they were palm-up. He traced the map of lines and mounts, and for a moment Marlene worried that he could divine all the things from her long life that she couldn’t tell him. “Or maybe I’ll help you instead.”

Many thanks to editor Jennifer Levine for giving me this fantastic opportunity!