All About Steamy Audio
What follows are thoughts about why we do this and what we strive to accomplish. None of it is necessary for the enjoyment of our stories. If you're one of those people who finds these questions and answers intriguing, read on................otherwise just hop on over to one of the categories and go from there.
Technical support can be found in the faq's and help sections.
Jump directly to information about our staff
Part One: Why Did We Start This
We thought, wouldn't it be great to listen to short stories on a portable player instead of only playing music. And erotica is such fun. Think of closing your eyes, relaxing, maybe stretching out in a luxurious bubble bath and just listening, letting the words and images in your mind wash over you. Imagination, literature, fantasy, dreams.....
Face it, most of us think sex is fun. Know we are speaking only of adult, willing, consensual sex. Unwilling is not a force for good nor is it fun. Sexual activity and play make us feel good. The feelings are pleasurable, relaxing. They can also invigorate and restore us. Sex is a fundamental part of who we are as human beings. Intimacy, both emotional and sexual opens doors to ourselves and allows us to share who we are with others. In that, most of us find pleasure.
As people we strive for joy, for ecstasy, for connection. We want to interact and relate to our families and the world around us in positive beneficial ways. I firmly believe that the happier we are, the more connected with ourselves and the more fulfilled we are, the more we have to give to the ones we care about and to the universe itself.
It makes sense to me me that a woman's sexuality is tied to many aspects of her life, including the ability and desire to give, to nurture and to care. My sexuality, my sensuality, my eroticism so to speak, are all integral to who I am and to the inner well that forms the core of my creativity and strength. Denying it weakens my ability to give and connect to the world. Although we are all unique, I don't believe that trait is unique to me or only to women.
Part Two: Sex, Erotica, Literature and our Stories
Much of what we read, whether it's escapist reading or a treatise on quantum mechanics, deals with connections and interactions; how we form them and how we react to and in a given situation. Literature is filled with love, fear, anger, betrayal, joy - all the emotions of human reality. Arousal and its sexual expression are aspects of human behavior too. And the resultant tension can make for great literature. Yet, works that delve too deeply or graphically into this arena are usually separated, kept apart from other writings. The stories here are not for children, but neither is a lot of the material that is readily available. Our "non-sexual" stories can be found at ShortStoryAudio.com (coming sometime in 2007).
All of the stories here deal with sexual situations. Many have graphic language, "dirty words". Some are erotic romance where the language is softer. In some, sex is a dynamic, a depiction of conflict within the story. The sexual parts are always crucial to the shape of the story, whether it is only a few paragraphs or the entire piece. Others are "stroke" stories, the close your eyes, feel your fantasy kind of story.
All of our stories have been chosen with the belief that they work well "out loud". A lot of what is written is meant to be read quietly, silently, more with your eyes than your ears, even if you "hear" the words as you read them.
Our goal is to select pieces that hold up to repeated listening. We hope you find substance and enjoyment in them over and over. They are not selected to be a one shot deal.
Part Three: Realizing Your Heart's Desire
When I started this project I had no idea how much providing a venue for the stories on this site and on ShortStoryAudio.com would mean to me.
It takes a lot of people to put these audio short stories together. The final recorded story is truly an ensemble piece lovingly crafted by a number of gifted folks. There are the writers of course, and the visual artists whose work provides an additional feast on our pages. We work with incredible actors and acting students whose voices strive to open the door to your imaginations. Our editors make time for their many roles. The recording engineers are remarkable, patient and practice their own forms of arcane magic to render all the seams invisible.
Being an artist is difficult. Truthfully, being good at most things is difficult. But people who choose to write and paint and act sometimes face more of an uphill battle in their choices and the insecurities that plague us all. The words, I'm going to be an actor are usually met with more skepticism and concern by loving friends and family than the words, I'm going to be an accountant.
I am thrilled to be able to feature wonderful, new talent you may not have encountered as well as work by artists you may already know. I like providing a place to showcase their skill, their talents and say yes, you are good at this, it's not just an idle fantasy or your imagination talking. You can do this, you have the ability to pursue your dream...you should do this, if this is what you want.
As I mentioned, these productions are a collaborative effort. You, the listener have a role to play. Creativity is an interactive process. My art training stressed the idea that a work changes when shared with someone else; that what is brought by the viewer changes it. I have been amazed at what people have thought stories or pictures of mine were about. Ideas they expounded, I never thought of, because I did not approach it the way they did. This is why a painting or a story may move one person to tears and do little or nothing for someone else. It is also why we have so many choices and so many ways to celebrate how unique and valuable we all are.
I hope, everyone involved with us hopes, that you find works here you enjoy and that you return frequently to explore our offerings.
Laura Marks
Our Staff
Laura Marks
Laura is the founder, managing editor and web mistress. Her background is in art film and photography. She writes short stories, erotica as well as "mainstream fiction", (that means little or no sex), and can occasionally be found doing research for a novel in Martha's Vineyard. More information about Laura can be found on her author biography page. (email)
Erastes
Erastes is an editor for the gay fiction section. He is passionate about homoerotic history. His recent novel "Standish" is set in the Regency period and has received wonderful reviews at Amazon. His erotica has been published in numerous anthologies. Erastes lives in England. Visit his website. (email)
Scribe of Eros
In case you were wondering, Scribe of Eros is NOT his real name. He is a prominent computer genius and research scientist by day, by night a writer and editor of erotica. He gives us great insight as well as the guy's point of view on stories. Plus, he can build databases and solve computer issues. He lives near Chicago, Illinois, USA. (email)
Sammantha Cat
Sammantha, (yes, that is with 2 m's) is the corporate pussy. A petite, lovely and very furry, persian cat, she oversees the editing process and guards the computer and files during the day. She enjoys fishnet stockings (I think it's the fish part) and mild bondage play. She and her mice friends have been known to restrain each other with padded pawcuffs. Sadly, without opposable thumbs they were unable to sign model releases for roles in an underground film production. Samm can be reached by email. She lives with Laura near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. (email)