Lisabet Sarai is back to tell us about Raw Silk, a sensual journey. Multicultural romantic erotica, the 25th anniversary edition.
Read on for details...
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Raw
Silk
Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition
Multicultural romantic erotica
Currently exclusive to Kindle Unlimited
FREE ON KINDLE LIMITED
Blurb:
In a foreign land, a woman discovers exotic new realms of the senses.
“You were born to this. You may not
understand, yet. You may not believe. But I will teach you.”
When software engineer Kate O’Neill leaves her lover David to take a job in Thailand, she
embarks on a sensual journey that will change her forever.
In the glittering City of Angels, Kate becomes sexually involved with two very different men—a handsome and debauched member of the Thai aristocracy, and the charismatic, dominant proprietor of a sex bar.
With Anand Rajchitraprasong, she discovers her own almost unlimited capacity
for erotic pleasure. Meanwhile, Gregory Marshall shows her what she has hidden
from herself: a deep desire to submit, to surrender herself body and soul to
someone with the power and compassion to master her.
Each lascivious adventure binds her more
closely to her lovers. Then David comes to Bangkok, and Kate realizes that she must choose one of the three men who all desire her.
Long
considered an erotic classic, Raw Silk chronicles one woman’s intimate
voyage toward love and self-understanding. This twenty-fifth anniversary
edition has been freshly edited and includes a new introduction plus a bonus
chapter.
Praise for Raw Silk:
“This is by far one of the best erotic novels that I have read and it fully deserves every one of the five ribbons I am giving it! But it does make me wonder what the characters could do with them.” ~ Maree Schuler, Romance Junkies (Five Ribbons).
“[Kate’s] character grows and she comes to realize her inner needs along with her deep sexual desires. Lisabet Sarai has a flair for sexy, sensuous romance with an edgy feel. I cannot wait to read more by this talented author.” ~ Dawnie, Fallen Angels Reviews (Five Angels).
“The Bangkok setting is fascinating and adds to the overall feeling of opulent sensuality. Lisabet Sarai deftly shows the country without ever letting the descriptions take over the story. Good BDSM novels are voyages of self-discovery, and Raw Silk is a journey you’ll enjoy taking.” ~ Kathleen Bradean, Erotica Revealed
“...this is one SIZZLING read (the ending was incredible) and should not be put on the back burner of your ‘to read list.” ~ Alyssa, Amazon review (Five stars)
A word from Lisabet:
Twenty-five Years of Passion
First novels are products of passion. No one pushes life aside and sits down to generate thousands of words of prose without deeply personal reasons. We write about what excites us, what moves us, what matters. First novels often have a level of authenticity lacking in more polished work. Passion compensates for the failings in craft born of our inexperience.
I began Raw Silk on a whim, but it quickly became an obsession. The immediate inspiration was Portia da Costa’s Black Lace title Gemini Heat, which I found on the book swap shelf in an Istanbul hotel in 1998. In those days, the Black Lace imprint advertised itself as “erotic fiction for women, by women”. Gemini Heat is, indeed, stunningly erotic—intelligent, imaginative, diverse and transgressive. I’d read quite a lot of erotica at that point in my life, but I’d never encountered a book that so perfectly matched my own erotic tastes.
As I closed the cover of Gemini Heat, my heart still pounding from arousal, I wondered whether I could write something in a similar vein, capturing the intensity and joy of those years. If I did, might Black Lace publish it?
Breathless with excitement, I pounded out the first three chapters of Raw Silk in a couple of weeks and sent them off via air mail to the Black Lace editor in London. I received a formulaic post card from the publisher a few weeks later, advising me that my submission had been received and cautioning me that due to the large number of manuscripts to be vetted, I might not hear from them again for several months. I shrugged, not having expected more.
Two days later I got an email from the Black Lace editor, offering me a contract for an 80K word novel.
My first reaction was astonishment, my second panic. What did I know about writing a novel? Then I re-read my first three chapters, and passion took over.
Raw Silk was released by Black Lace in January 1999. The book has since been reprinted by several other publishers including Blue Moon Books and Totally Bound. With each edition, I’ve deepened the romance elements, at least partially due to changes in the market. The current edition is in many ways a typical erotic romance, chronicling the development of a committed relationship and offering a happy ending. Indeed, the bonus chapter included in this twenty-fifth anniversary edition serves up a wedding!
Still, as Kate struggles to understand and accept her own desires through experiences with multiple partners of both sexes, the focus is as much on the journey as on the happily-ever-after. At the same time, she learns that love and lust are not easily separable, one of the most profound lessons in my own life. Depending on your inclinations and disposition, you might categorize the book as romantic erotica or erotic romance.
My personal view? The category doesn’t matter. Read the book for what it is, the very first of the fifteen full-length novels I’ve produced so far: intensely emotional, exuberantly sensual, and despite its explicitness, somehow innocent.
First novels are acts of love.
“Katherine!” Anand’s familiar voice made her whirl around. “I did not expect to see you here this evening.”
Her Thai prince stood behind her, his face alight with welcome. He took both her hands in his own and simply stood for a moment, gazing at her with something akin to adoration. Katherine felt both embarrassed and pleased.
“I didn’t realize that you had returned from Hong Kong.”
“Only this afternoon. A difficult but profitable trip. It took me all week, but I managed to negotiate two new contracts with Hong Kong advertising agencies.”
Katherine had assumed Anand provided only financial backing to DigiThai. Suddenly she saw what an asset he might be, with his connections and his charm, in winning new business.
“Well, welcome home.” She squeezed his hands with genuine enthusiasm. “You were missed.”
“As were you,” he replied, with a twinkle in his eye. He lowered his voice slightly. “When can I see you again, privately? Are you available this Saturday evening? I will be free.”
Gregory’s mocking face rose in Katherine’s mind. “No, I’m afraid not. Would Sunday be a possibility?”
He shook his head. “Regretfully not. I have promised my children that I will take them to the Elephant Festival in Chonburi on Sunday. I really cannot disappoint them.”
“Well…” Katherine began. Just then a woman approached them, stunning even in this crowd of the wealthy and beautiful. Taking Anand’s arm, she smiled at Kate. “Hello.” Her gracious, musical voice held only the slightest trace of an accent.
Who was this beauty?
About Lisabet:
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more.
Twenty-five years ago, Lisabet published her first novel,
the exuberantly erotic romance Raw Silk. The 2024 edition of this
classic introduces a new generation of readers to this intense chronicle of one
woman’s sensual journey.
Lisabet lives in Southeast Asia with her husband of over
forty years and several rescue cats, where she pursues an occupation completely
unrelated to her literary endeavors.
You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh
Social Media
Links:
Website: https://www.lisabetsarai.com
Blog: https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83387.Lisabet_Sarai
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/lisabetsarai
Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LSarai
Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/lisabetsarai
(@lisabetsarai)
Medium: https://medium.com/@lisabet_63394
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Hello, Tina! Thanks so much for featuring my beloved first novel.
ReplyDeletexxoo,
Lisabet