Charity Cases

By Heather Lin

All writers are charity cases, aren’t they? We’re all just sitting at our laptops, waiting for inspiration, sifting through ideas, and typing away, desperately hoping that someone, somewhere will like what we’ve written enough to publish it.

I discovered Coming Together when I was first testing the waters of writing erotic fiction. I had a few stories published, and I knew that The Erotica Readers & Writers Association was a great way to find potential venues for my work. I stumbled across a call for Coming Together: Al Fresco, asking for erotica submissions with an outdoor theme. Any proceeds would benefit Conservation International.

Was there a better idea in the world? Writing sex and saving the environment? I would be like an X-rated Captain Planet! Not to mention the fact that I’d had my first (and only) threesome idea swirling around in my head for a while. I decided to write it out, submit it, and, lo and behold, it was accepted!

I was so excited to have a story of mine accepted into the anthology, and I was even more excited to feel like I was making difference, like I had something to offer society without having a lot of cash to spare.

I went on to be a part of the Coming Together: Against H8 autograph book project, which I was especially proud of (No takebacks, California!), and, later, I had a story accepted into the Coming Together: By Hand anthology, which benefits The Coalition for Positive Sexuality.

Eventually I realized that there were even more perks to being a part of Coming Together. Soon, I began recognizing the names of elite erotica writers, such as Rachel Kramer Bussel, Brenna Lyons, Lisabet Sarai, and, of course, the editor, Alessia Brio. If I’d known these authors before, I may have been too intimidated to even submit, and now I feel incredibly privileged to have my name appear beside theirs.

Even the late L.A. Banks found the time and drive to contribute to Coming Together by lending and introduction to the interracial anthology, Coming Together: At Last, which benefits Amnesty International.

Coming Together is an amazing organization, and I urge everyone to be a part of it, whether it’s by writing for the anthologies or by purchasing one of the steamy, well-written volumes. There is something for everyone’s taste and everyone's choice of charity.

In the hopes of tempting you, I’d like to offer this excerpt of my story “Midnight Ménage à Trois” from Coming Together: Al Fresco.

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Vanessa liked to take walks at midnight. With two roommates, it was hard for her to get any time to herself. In the woods behind her apartment complex, there was a trail that took her nearly half a mile away from civilization, and she used it to think, enjoy the sounds of nature, and, sometimes, to touch herself. Having two roommates didn’t allow her very much time to herself in that respect, either, and an orgasm was long overdue.

At the end of the trail, there was an old wooden bench in a clearing that was shaded by evergreens, and it was the perfect spot for Vanessa to lie down, slide her fingers into the front of her pants, and wait for pleasure to overtake her. Tonight, however, as she reached the clearing, she realized that she wasn’t the only one who had decided to take a late-night walk. A man and a woman were already there, on the bench that Vanessa had found so much pleasure on, in the act of finding their own. The woman was on her hands and knees, her long blonde hair shining in the moonlight and her lips parted to let passionate moans and groans escape as the man pounded into her from behind. Both were naked, covered in sweat, and completely unaware of Vanessa’s presence.

Vanessa watched them from behind a tree, embarrassed but unable to tear her eyes away. Their animalistic copulation captivated her and whetted her carnal appetite more than she knew was possible. She unconsciously pressed herself against the tree she stood behind, letting the rough bark stimulate her swollen clit through the thin fabric of her shorts. But it wasn’t enough. With flushed cheeks and trembling hands, she undid the button of her shorts and pulled down the zipper so that she could pleasure herself properly.

In the still of the night, the noise of her undressing echoed throughout the small clearing, and both partners stopped to look in her direction. Vanessa wasn’t sure what to do. Her mind was screaming at her to run, but her feet remained where they were. The girl took one look at Vanessa’s heated, disheveled state and, to the younger woman’s surprise, smiled.

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To read the rest, you know what to do! Stop over at Coming Together’s website, buy the anthology, and save the world!

And to sweeten the deal, I’d like to offer one lucky commenter a copy of my paranormal, erotic romance short story, Strangers, from New Concepts Publishing.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and please support this wonderful organization I’ve been blessed enough to be a part of!

To find out more about me, check out my blog at:

http://heatherlin88.blogspot.com

To find out more about Coming Together, check out their website at:

http://www.eroticanthology.com/