New and Notable - Trans* Reads

On the last Wednesday of every month we take a few moments to look ahead and admire some of the books coming to shelves. There is nothing quite like the joy of anticipation, of pre-ordering a book that speaks to your heart, and of then having it arrive in your hot little hands. It is like a present to yourself, and there is just something a little more special about a book you have waited for.

So, without further ado, here are the New and Notable releases coming to shelves in June.

Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter? by Heath Fogg Davis
Expected Publication Date: June 2nd

Beyond Trans pushes the conversation on gender identity to its limits: questioning the need for gender categories in the first place. Whether on birth certificates or college admissions applications or on bathroom doors, why do we need to mark people and places with sex categories? Do they serve a real purpose or are these places and forms just mechanisms of exclusion? Heath Fogg Davis offers an impassioned call to rethink the usefulness of dividing the world into not just Male and Female categories but even additional categories of Transgender and gender fluid. Davis, himself a transgender man, explores the underlying gender-enforcing policies and customs in American life that have led to transgender bathroom bills, college admissions controversies, and more, arguing that it is necessary for our society to take real steps to challenge the assumption that gender matters.

He examines four areas where we need to re-think our sex-classification systems: sex-marked identity documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports; sex-segregated public restrooms; single-sex colleges; and sex-segregated sports. Speaking from his own experience and drawing upon major cases of sex discrimination in the news and in the courts, Davis presents a persuasive case for challenging how individuals are classified according to sex and offers concrete recommendations for alleviating sex identity discrimination and sex-based disadvantage.

For anyone in search of pragmatic ways to make our world more inclusive, Davis’ recommendations provide much-needed practical guidance about how to work through this complex issue. A provocative call to action, Beyond Trans pushes us to think how we can work to make America truly inclusive of all people.

I love the idea of a pragmatic book that goes beyond transgender to question the need for gender classification, looking at policies, customs, and more. - Sally

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Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard
Expected Publication Date: June 13th

Over the course of a thirty-year career, Eddie Izzard has proved himself to be a creative chameleon, inhabiting the stage and film and television screen with an unbelievable fervor. Born in Yemen and raised in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England, he lost his mother at the age of six—a devastating event that affected the rest of his life. In his teens, he dropped out of university and took to the streets of London as part of a comedy double act. When his partner went on vacation, Izzard kept busy by inventing a one-man escape act, and thus a solo career was ignited. As a stand-up comedian, Izzard has captivated audiences with his surreal, stream-of-consciousness comedy— lines such as “Cake or Death?” “Death Star Canteen,” and “Do You Have a Flag?” have the status of great rock lyrics. As a self-proclaimed “action transvestite,” Izzard broke a mold performing in makeup and heels, and has become as famous for his “total clothing” rights as he has for his art. In Believe Me, he recounts the dizzying rise he made from the streets of London to West End theaters, to Wembley Arena, Madison Square Garden, and the Hollywood Bowl.

Izzard is arguably one of today’s top comedians. At the time of publication, he is still performing his Force Majeure show—so far in more than forty countries worldwide and in four languages: English, French, German, and Spanish. With his brand of keenly intelligent humor that ranges from world history to historical politics, sexual politics, mad ancient kings, and chickens with guns, he has built an extraordinary fan base that transcends age, gender, and race. Writing with the same candor and insight evident in his comedy, he reflects on a childhood marked by the loss of his mother, boarding school, and alternative sexuality, as well as a life in comedy, film, politics, running, and philanthropy. Honest and generous, Izzard’s Believe Me is an inspired account of a very singular life thus far.

Admittedly, I probably don't know as much about Eddie as I should, but I've always found him fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading his story. - Sally

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Hi, Gorgeous!: Transforming Inner Power into Radiant Beauty by Candis Cayne
Expected Publication Date: June 20th

Trailblazing transgender actress, activist, and style icon Candis Cayne has spent a lifetime learning how to see herself for who she really is, and along the way has taught herself and others how to celebrate inner beauty as the perfect starting point for outer radiance. Drawing from her personal journey to self-acceptance and comprised of a unique combination of cross-barrier, body-positive wellness and style advice, Hi Gorgeous! is a one-of-a-kind beauty guide that will speak to all women.

Engagingly written, highly visual, and filled with "Glam on the Go" tips and exclusive interviews with Candis's team of "radiance experts," the book will cover everything from new definitions of womanhood and beauty (with elements of Candis's own journey woven in) to hands-on makeup and style tips aimed at enhancing all of a woman's possibilities.

Hi Gorgeous! opens with a foreword by Candis's best friend, former Olympian and transgender star Caitlyn Jenner. This beautiful, inspiring, and informative book will empower women on their own path and help them convey their radiance to the world.

I've been a fan of Candis for quite some time now, and I love the idea of a cross-barrier, body-positive beauty guide. - Sally

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Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me by Janet Mock
Expected Publication Date: June 13th

Riveting, rousing, and utterly real, Surpassing Certainty is a portrait of a young woman searching for her purpose and place in the world—without a road map to guide her.

The journey begins a few months before her twentieth birthday. Janet Mock is adjusting to her days as a first-generation college student at the University of Hawaii and her nights as a dancer at a strip club. Finally content in her body, she vacillates between flaunting and concealing herself as she navigates dating and disclosure, sex and intimacy, and most important, letting herself be truly seen. Under the neon lights of Club Nu, Janet meets Troy, a yeoman stationed at Pearl Harbor naval base, who becomes her first. The pleasures and perils of their union serve as a backdrop for Janet’s progression through her early twenties with all the universal growing pains—falling in and out of love, living away from home, and figuring out what she wants to do with her life.

Despite her disadvantages, fueled by her dreams and inimitable drive, Janet makes her way through New York City while holding her truth close. She builds a career in the highly competitive world of magazine publishing—within the unique context of being trans, a woman, and a person of color.

Long before she became one of the world’s most respected media figures and lauded leaders for equality and justice, Janet was a girl taking the time she needed to just be—to learn how to advocate for herself before becoming an advocate for others. As you witness Janet’s slow-won success and painful failures, Surpassing Certainty will embolden you, shift the way you see others, and affirm your journey in search of self.

I got the chance to review an early copy of Redefining Realness for Frock, and it was a fantastic read. I'm anxious to read the next chapter in her transition. - Sally

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Futa's Passionate Awakening by Reed James (#futa #lesbian #erotica #creampie)

As much as I love to get tipsy on his short story bundles, those clear shots cannot compare to the big, thick, creamy milkshake of a Reed James novella - especially when it is spiked with a dangerously delicious aphrodisiac.

In Futa's Passionate Awakening we get a complete story, with two parallel plot lines, and some wonderful character development. Not only is it his longest story to date, it is also his most satisfying and most fulfilling.

Helen is one of the most fascinating characters I have encountered in erotic fiction in quite some time. A lonely, college-aged futa virgin, she has lived her entire life believing herself to be a one-in-a-kind freak, abandoned by her mother at birth. She may be a fantasy figure, but the shame she feels over her gender and sexuality is no different than that of any real-world LGBT soul. There is a comic element to her situation, with an exhibitionist roommate and an affectionate best friend, but her gradual coming out is dealt with slowly and sympathetically.

Once out, of course, the over-the-top kink element comes in . . . and it is glorious in its extremes! As if being a newly sexual young futa were not enough, Helen discovers that her semen has incredible properties, making any woman who tastes it her loving and devoted slave. Swallowed straight from the source, mixed with orange juice, sipped from a specimen jar, or lapped out of a fresh creampie, there is almost as much futa feasting here as there is futa-on-girl action. Oh, and just to add a little icing to that tasty pie, any man who enjoys her sloppy seconds is transformed into a 'perfect' woman, just as loving and devoted as any of Helen's other slaves.

I cannot say much about the other plot line without spoiling the surprises, but its dream-like element introduces a sci-fi twist that helps to pull things together, leaving us with a cliff-hanger that will leave you hungry for more. The sex scenes are exquisitely detailed, with plenty of lush detail and even more luscious dialogue, and there is something new with each one, somehow topping the imaginative extravagance of the one before it.

The erotic elements would be worth the read alone, but add in the character development, the mystery-driven plot, and the quality of the storytelling, and Futa's Passionate Awakening becomes an absolute must-read erotic novella. You will fall in love with Helen from the first taste, but be warned that you will be powerless to resist coming back for more.

Reed James is a thirty year-old guy living in Tacoma, WA. "I love to write, I find it freeing to immerse myself in a world and tell its stories and then share them with others." He's been writing naughty stories since high school, furiously polishing his craft, and finally feels ready to share his fantasies with the world.

http://naughtyladiespublications.com/
@NLPublications

Reviewed by Sally

Black-Owned Sissy by Chantelle Cage (#sissy #cuckold #bisexual)

Despite what you might think of its lurid cover and taboo title, Black-Owned Sissy is not your average, run-of-the-mill, slice of sissy erotica. In a very kinky sort of way, it is actually a refreshingly honest and positive exploration of sissy sexuality. You would not expect to find so much compassion and understanding in such story, but Chantelle Cage really surprised me.

Michael is a man approaching his 35th birthday, who has decided it is time to stop fantasizing and start living the life he wants - proudly and openly. We are not just talking about a man who wants to become a sissy for black men, but one who wants his friends, family, and coworkers to know it. No secret lives or hidden fetishes, just an open declaration of his kinks, no matter how humiliating that admission might be.

As it turns out, his wife is not at all surprised by the news. In fact, she quite likes the idea, and helps him to come out to the world, taking on a natural female dominant role to encourage him when self-doubt and fear cause him to second-guess himself. It makes for an erotic tale, with just the right amount of force behind it, but a happy one as well. What starts with shopping for clothes leads to an erotic encounter in an adult novelty shop, which leads to a very public coming out at the office, which in turn leads to Michael - or, rather, Tabatha's - first submission to a black man.

And that is when the real descent into his future as a Black-Owned Sissy begins.

This was better written than the subject matter might have you expect, with some fun dialogue, real character development, and exciting sex scenes. I loved Tabatha and admired the courage with which she pursued such a socially unacceptable lifestyle. Sure, it is pure fantasy, but I think we have all wondered, at one time or another, what it would be like to live our fantasies. The difference here is that Michael makes that leap, and does so quite successfully.

Chantelle Cage is a transvestite author with a passion for sissy clothing, masking, cuckoldry, maid training, dominant women and chastity play. She lives in the United Kingdom with her strict wife Mistress Chloe who encourages her to explore her feminine side at every opportunity. Together, they often share make up, lingerie, dresses, skirts and high heel shoes - and just occasionally, they'll share a man.

http://sissytransvestitechantelle.blogspot.ca
@tvchantelle

Reviewed by Sally

Lipstick For Her Leather: An Anthology of Transgender Femdom Erotica

To think, it all started with a simple conversation . . .

It was back in March that Jessie and I began discussing ideas for better self-promotion and cross-promotion within the erotica community. We bounced around some great ideas, but agreed the first step was to expand that conversation.

Thus, the Three-F Networking discussion group was born.

It was about two weeks later that Kella first raised the suggestion of a free anthology, and just days later that Lyka kicked the group conversation into high gear. Jim helped us settle on a theme, while Kella gave us what would prove to be the final title.

Thus, the idea of Lipstick For Her Leather was born.

Featuring stories from Sally Bend, Lyka Bloom, Kella Z. Driel, Jessie Ash, Kylie Gable & Claudia Acosta, Jim Lyon, and Shaun Putaine, Lipstick For Her Leather is currently available as free download from the Wordwooze Publishing website (with other download options to come).

This was a labor of love for us all, a project born of friendship, with everyone donating their time and effort so that we could make this a free anthology. On a personal note, these are authors I love and admire a great deal, and I am absolutely delighted to be a part of such a project.

We hope you enjoy it, and we ask that you please help spread the word. If you are so inclined, a review or a rating on our Goodreads page would be fantastic, and bios and links are included in the anthology, so we invite you to follow us all on social media!

As for what's next, all I can tell you is we're already having conversations about a follow-up, discussing who else we can get involved, so keep watching this space for more details to come!

Freebie Fiction Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fiction Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to readers, fans, and lovers of bending gender and sexuality. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications, and covert it (if need be) with Calibre. I can tell you I do most of my reading on my tablet, using Kindle for PC, and it works beautifully.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, though, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

                                                 

  

  Enjoy!

Property of the Cheerleaders by Kylie Gable and Claudia Acosta (#femdom #feminization)

Something that rarely comes up in the realm of female domination and forced feminization erotica is the question of consequences. Oh, sure, we sometimes get fantasy consequences for the sissy, but nothing significant, and nothing that addresses the reality of exposure, especially for the female dominant.

That is where Property of the Cheerleaders comes in. Kylie Gable and Claudia Acosta have put a unique spin on the genre, telling a story that focuses entirely on the dominant young cheerleaders, their escalating power games, and what happens when things go too far. While there are plenty of sissies in the story, they are nothing more than targets of feminization, more objects than characters.

I loved how the story got deep into the cheerleader culture, looking at how their power and prestige impacts the teachers and students around them. As the girls begin taking greater risks, allowing their emotions to take control, and begin boasting about their acts of revenge, trusting too many people with their secrets, the whole pyramid begins to tumble.

There is not a lot of sex here, outside of simulated acts for the sake of sheer humiliation, and that is perfectly okay. Property of the Cheerleaders is a story about power, abuse, and consequences, and it explores them in a way that few other books in the genre have managed to emulate. It is an engrossing tale, full of genuine tension, and I was very pleased to see Kylie and Claudia did not shy away from the necessary conclusion.

When she was in college, Kylie Gable had a life changing experience that she's only coming to terms with years later. She was forcibly feminized by one amazing girl and her friends. There are a lot of legitimate questions of any writer in the genre of forced feminization, but even more so for someone like Kylie who purports to tell a true story.

http://kyliegable.blogspot.ca/
@KylieGable

Reviewed by Sally

Cruise Ship Cuckolds by Kylie Gable & Claudia Acosta (#cuckold #erotica #femdom)

Aside from a minor editing issue of name confusion (they tripped me up a few times), the two-part Cruise Ship Cuckolds novel from Kylie Gable & Claudia Acosta was a whole lot of female dominant, forced feminization, cuckolding fun!

Bob and Adam are men who work too hard, spending too many hours away from their beautiful wives. Having decided to take them on a vacation cruise, they fall hook-line-and-sinker for a brochure advertising Lifestyle Cruises. If you know anything about Kylie & Claudia, then you know that reference to a Lifestyle is no accident, so it should be no surprise when they are quickly separated, locked in a pink room, and forcibly feminized by the ship's crew.

This first chapter is all about emasculation, humiliation, and control. It is about watching strong, dominant women break otherwise ordinary men into subservient sissies. It is a cruel story, with some painful punishments to be found, but the characters are all fantastic, allowing the reader to experience some very different reactions to such a Lifestyle indoctrination.

In the second part of the saga, Cruise Ship Captives, the cuckolding aspect really comes to the foreground. Although they have known it was happening. Bob and Adam (or, should I say, Felicity and Eve) are forced to confront the reality of the situation here. They see their wives with their new bulls, and they are humiliated in front of them. It makes for a powerful complement to their ongoing emasculation, upping the humiliation aspect significantly.

Having been broken in the first chapter, the husbands involved in the Lifestyle program are brought together here for some group training. We get everything from lessons in walking, to a full-on beauty pageant, where the most docile, submissive sissies get a chance to shine, to an ill-thought-out challenge by a few sissies to fight for their freedom. The female domination aspect is especially strong in this part of the story, with some great moments of demonstrated superiority.

Although the erotic aspects are more suggested than explored in these two books, they do get a little more explicit here as they sissies are forced into compromising positions. It makes for a fun story, and a great finale.

When she was in college, Kylie Gable had a life changing experience that she's only coming to terms with years later. She was forcibly feminized by one amazing girl and her friends. There are a lot of legitimate questions of any writer in the genre of forced feminization, but even more so for someone like Kylie who purports to tell a true story. 

http://kyliegable.blogspot.ca/
@KylieGable

Reviewed by Sally

The Story of Michael by Damien Dsoul (#erotica #cuckold #bisexual)

While one of our guest reviewers binged through a number of Damien Dsoul titles several years ago, I have never had the pleasure of reading him myself. The bisexual aspect of The Merry Wives of Master Shango certainly caught my eye, but it was not until someone recommended The Story of Michael to me that I decided to take the plunge.

Ironically, the subtitle that won me over - The Makings of a Boi-Slave - only seems to be attached to certain editions, which is a shame as I suspect there are more readers like myself who would not have given it a second glance otherwise.

The story opens with a coincidental bit of meta self-indulgence that actually lends the story an interesting veneer of authenticity. Having just been informed that his girlfriend and her family disappeared from a resort in Nigeria, Michael goes for a lonely stroll and spots a Thaddeus Black novel in a store window. Expecting a simple detective novel, he discovers an erotic story of white slavery, and when he realizes the author (Damien Dsoul) is from Nigeria, he makes a fateful phone call that will forever change his life.

Before long, our naive, love-struck young hero is sacrificing his life's savings for the chance to rescue his girlfriend, not realizing that he will also be trading his very freedom to see her, yet never touch her again. That rescue effort makes for a solid thriller in the early chapters, as Michael plays amateur detective, but when he ends up a captive of the very same people who took his girlfriend's family . . . well, let us just say that Thaddeus Black novel should have prepared him for the erotic twist.

If this were like most books within the genre, Michael would have spent the story bemoaning his fate and watching his girlfriend be used by her new black Masters. There might be a few scattered fluffing or cleanup scenes for him, just to emphasize his humiliation, but the focus would be very much on the white girl and her lovers.

I am pleased to say this is nothing like those books.

In The Story of Michael, the focus remains firmly on Michael as he experiences the same physical and psychological conditioning that his girlfriend and her family endured. Not only is he exposed to the forced submission of other white bois, but he witnesses the willing submission of white couples - including his girlfriend's parents, who are both willingly, happily, sexually submissive to the new regime.

The Makings of a Boi-Slave is a story of intense submission and sexuality, going far beyond the usual embarrassed and humiliated husband angle. I loved how easily Michael came to learn his place as a white boi, destined for submission to his black Masters and Mistresses. Without any feminization or sissification to justify his new feelings, he slowly comes to appreciate the thrill of a black man's touch and the joy of being at the end of a black woman's leash. It really does make for a refreshing take on the genre, with its focus on submissive bisexuality and its willingness to allow Michael to enjoy (rather than suffer) his new role.

Imaginative, creative, and lusciously detailed, it is a story I shudder to think I almost passed by.

DAMIEN DSOUL is a certifiable sex fiend with a cursed sense of imagination. He's a black bastard who loves taking long walks, admiring lovely women, and then locking himself up in his room and putting thoughts to words.

http://www.damiendsoul.com/
@DsoulDamien

Reviewed by Sally

Wish on the Water by Eve Francis (#romance #genderqueer #bisexual)

Wish on the Water is a lighthearted romance that allows true love to blossom early on, and uses that love to explore questions of identity and sexuality. Eve Francis writes a fun, quick-moving romance with a cast of likable characters. There is no real tension here, but that is entirely okay, because the deeper issues are far more interesting than the usual genre clichés.

Our two lovers are a wonderfully diverse pair, a single mother and a single parent-to-be. Whitney is happily bisexual, a fact of which her ex-husband was aware, and open to love in whatever form it finds her. After exploring a transgender identity, Chantal has ultimately self-defined as genderqueer, comfortable with pronouns of she/her, but uncomfortable with the labels of female, woman, or mother. Theirs is a chance meeting at the nail salon where Chantal works, a friendship that starts with some parental bonding, but very quickly moves into the realm of mutual attraction.

Like I said earlier, there is no real tension here, and that is surprisingly refreshing. Whitney's family and friends are immediately accepting of Chantal's genderqueer identity, just as they are supportive of Whitney's daughter's sexuality. Similarly, Chantal's friends and customers at the nail salon are accepting of her gender, with the only uncomfortable moments coming in the same kind of intrusive pregnancy questions that any parent faces.

The only flaw in the story, for me, was the footwear tease. There is a very strong suggestion early on that the pink rain boots of Whitney's daughter and the green sandals of Chantal are somewhat magical, but that element is just dropped, with no resolution. It is a small complaint, though, and more than made up for by Wish on the Water's wonderful diversity of bisexual genderqueer romance.

Eve Francis’s short stories have appeared in Wilde Magazine, The Fieldstone Review, Iris New Fiction, MicroHorror, and The Human Echoes Podcast. Romance and horror are her favourite genres to write in because everyone has felt love or fear in some form or another. She lives in Canada, where she often sleeps late, spends too much time online, and repeatedly watches old horror movies and Orange Is The New Black.

https://evefrancis.wordpress.com/

Reviewed by Sally

Her First Sissy by Lyka Bloom (#erotica #sissy #femdom #pegging)

As much as I love stories of sissy submission, there is a certain appeal in exploring the female dominant point-of-view, especially when her story is one of discovery and sexual awakening.

In Her First Sissy, Lyka Bloom introduces us to Elaine, a registered hypnotherapist for whom the world of bondage and domination is completely unknown. We she begins treating Mark, he is just another client who wants to stop smoking. As she begins exploring why he wants to quit, however, she discovers some intriguing secrets. Before long she is crossing professional boundaries, taking Mark deeper into a hypnotic trance, and not only cultivating the sissy inside him, but slowly intertwining his happiness with her domination.

If that sounds creepy or inappropriate, rest assured that is not at all how the story comes across. In fact, it is a rather sweet story, full of happiness and self-acceptance. Mark may be the catalyst for it all, but most of the story is about Elaine discovering her place in the world of BDSM as a Mistress-in-the-making. The scenes of hypnotism are quite wonderful, with as much thought given to her thoughts as her words, and the way Mark is able to be his sissy self with her is delightful. Of course, it does all come together in the end, with a happily-ever-after for sissy and Mistress, but you already knew that!

Lyka Bloom lives and works in Tennessee as a technical writer. She has always enjoyed the exploration of fantasies, from the mundane to the kinky, generally revolving around hypnosis, mind control and transformation.

http://www.lykabloom.com/
@LykaBloom1

Reviewed by Sally

Freebie Fiction Friday - Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it's Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Fiction Friday.

Every Friday I search through the weekend's free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to readers, fans, and lovers of bending gender and sexuality. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon's free reading applications, and covert it (if need be) with Calibre. I can tell you I do most of my reading on my tablet, using Kindle for PC, and it works beautifully.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, though, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

                                                        

   

  Enjoy!