Guest blog : Anticipation, by Lisabet Sarai

Lisabet Sarai writes scorching erotica, but I first found her site through her article on HTML for writers. Dealing with computers gets me hot and bothered too, just not in a good way.

But that was an informative article and had me looking through the rest of her site. I found it fascinating that she was from Wisconsin but now lived in South-East Asia (and had written stories set in Thailand). So that led to a guest blog exchange, and today Lisabet is featured here. It's also her birthday, so many happy returns and a warm welcome!

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I'm writing this post on January 28th. It will appear on Marian's blog on the 31st of January, which happens to be my birthday. It's three days until I turn my personal page to a new year, and I am reveling in pleasant anticipation.

It's not as if I have anything all that unusual planned. After all, it's a Monday. I have a dentist's appointment early in the morning. Then I'll be off to work as usual. My husband and I will probably go out to dinner, maybe to our favorite French place if we can get a reservation, but I'm not having a party or going out dancing. (That's what I'd call a celebration!) I don't expect any presents. (DH and I have an agreement about this, and all of my family members are far away.) Still, I find myself looking forward to the day, mostly for the unexpected pleasures it might bring. Maybe a friend will call with birthday wishes. Maybe I'll get a card. I sense somehow that it will be special - even if nobody else knows. I'll be walking around with a little secret. It's my day!

This realization started me thinking about the joys of anticipation. Looking forward to something you desire is almost as good as actually experiencing it. I'm planning my annual trip to the U.S. around now (I live in Southeast Asia) and I find myself full of excitement at the prospect of seeing my parents, my siblings, my friends. The trip will be as much business as pleasure, but I don't care. I'm already visualizing what it will be like to give my mum a hug!

I try to express the thrill of anticipation in my stories. My characters are ultimately destined to make love but I find myself holding back, building the suspense, encouraging my readers to savor the wait - knowing that they will be satisfied, eventually. Sometimes, of course, I like to read (or write) a story in which passion sweeps the characters into bed together in the first chapter, but more commonly I take a more gradual approach.

Last week I was working on a new story, a gothic ménage that really illustrates this point. I found myself a good four or five thousand words into the tale and the characters still hadn't actually had sex. Here's a brief snippet from the as-yet-unpublished "A Breed Apart" : link (warning : R-rated).

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BIO: A dozen years ago LISABET SARAI experienced a serendipitous fusion of her love of writing and her fascination with sex. Since then she has published two single author short story collections and six erotic novels, including the BDSM classic Raw Silk. Dozens of her shorter works have been released as ebooks and in print anthologies. She has also edited several acclaimed anthologies and is currently responsible for the altruistic erotica series COMING TOGETHER PRESENTS.

Lisabet holds more degrees than anyone needs from prestigious universities who would no doubt be embarrassed by her chosen genre. She loves to travel and currently lives in Southeast Asia with her highly tolerant husband and two cosmopolitan felines. For more information on Lisabet and her writing visit Lisabet Sarai's Fantasy Factory (http://www.lisabetsarai.com) or her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com).

Lisabet's most recent release is Almost Home, a M/M/F holiday romance featuring a mistletoe kiss, a warm fireplace, a hot tub, and lots of snow! She's giving away a copy of this book to one person who leaves a comment for her (contest closes February 3rd). Comment here and on her blog, and double your chances of winning!