Wet and Wild hardly describes the wicked day Patricia, Davida and Lisa have at a water park, when two best buds seek revenge on an old high school rival.

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Born on the same day and in the same maternity ward, Patricia and Davida have been friends since the cradle. Theirs is a rock-solid friendship up until high school, when one pretty, hot and tempting Lisa “Diva” cheerleader gets between them with her relentless flirting and vicious lies. Their bond at the umbilical cord is severed, but not for long.

Ten years later, Patricia and Davida meet Lisa again. This time, revenge and salacious sex of the wet and wild kind might just put their past to rest.

Excerpt:

I was tempted to reach Davida and call off the prank, but I got so involved watching Lisa soap up, the moment passed. When she washed my back, I nearly drowned in desire. I prayed she couldn’t detect how her actions had turned me on. Sharing a narrow stream of water that had to be restarted every couple of seconds meant standing real close. The delicious sensations racing through my body to my rock-hard clit reduced me to a trembling wreck.

At first, I didn’t notice we had company. When I moved my face out from under the water and turned, Davida was there, buck-naked. She had Lisa in a hold, stealing her breath away in a fierce, almost mean-spirited kiss that left Lisa visibly shaken, but obviously aroused. Her nipples and goose flesh were a dead giveaway.

Tag Line:
Like most girls I knew growing up, I had a long history of lusting after one male heartthrob after another. I did what was expected. I dated boys, fell in love with a wonderful man and married him. Period.

Except the period had turned into a question mark.

Blurb:

Barbara is a married mom living a hetero-privileged and comfortable life. She has never had reason to suspect she was a lesbian before. Soon after a total hysterectomy, fate intervenes and throws her ordered life into total chaos. Further complications ensue when she finds herself attracted to women, and then falls in love with Adina, who is also a married woman with children. Their hot and steamy affair threatens Barbara’s world and rocks her soul in a way she never imagined.

Excerpt:

“I’m sorry, Barbie, I don’t know what came over me.” Her voice faltered and her beautiful smile slid into a contorted frown.

I couldn’t allow that. She’d get wrinkles in her flawless complexion, so I did what any good friend would do. I kissed her. And this time, seconds slowed to lust-filled moments, followed by hours. My sense of self awakened. I needed to embrace every part of her body. I savored how smooth and creamy her skin felt, especially her face, and reveled in her all-consuming response to my touch. I explored the inside of her mouth with my tongue and cherished her flesh with eager hands. I longed to make love to her until I had memorized each hill and valley in what promised to be the most treasured and pleasant journey of my life.

She entangled her fingers in my hair and clutched my head in a seductive hold. I used my hands to grope her back and grip her ass and to maneuver our bodies until we were completely attached to each other from our lips to our breasts. I pushed my crotch against her thigh and kissed her deeper still. She responded by fondling my hardened nipples.

“Oh, my God,” I said, following the most satisfying kiss I’d ever had. “I can’t get enough of you—”

“Nor I, you.”

“Follow me,” I said, taking her hand. I led her to the spare bedroom off the kitchen. It was the closest place, and my body couldn’t wait any longer.

Once inside the room, I turned to face her again. My resolve wavered. “Are you sure about this?” I asked, praying she wouldn’t back down.

Here I am sandwiched between KG MacGregor and SX Meagher. I was ecstatic to the max to say the least. I’m still floating above the stratosphere and don’t plan on coming back down anytime soon.

I am proud and honored to be included in this list.
And the Goldy goes to:

Anthology - non-erotica
And Baby Makes More - eds. Goldberg/C. Rose
Year’s Best Lesbian Fiction ‘08 - ed. Fran Walker

Debut Author:
Keile’s Chance-Dillon Watson
October’s Promise-Marianne Garver
Waltzing at Midnight-Robbi McCoy

Dramatic/general fiction:
Detours-Jane Vollbrecht
Family Affair-Saxon Bennett
Gemini-Geonn Cannon

Erotica:
Attractions of the Heart-Cheri Crystal
Nights Kiss- Catherine Lundoff

Historical Romance:
Backwards to Oregon-Jae
Kicker’s Journey Lois Cloarec Hart

Mystery/Thriller:
Possessing Morgan-Erica Lawson
Veritas-Anne Laughlin
Who’ll Be Dead for Christmas-Kate Sweeney

Paranormal Romance:
Barking at the Moon-Nene Adams
Everafter-Nell Stark/Trinity Tam

Poetry:
Bird Eating Bird-Kristen Naca
In Praise of Falling-Cheryl Dumesnil
The Heart’s Traffic-Ching-in Chen

Romantic suspense/intrigue/adventure:
Next of Kin-Jae
The Scorpion-Gerri Hill
Thief of Always-Kim Baldwin/Xenia Alexiou

Short Story/Essay/Collections Non-erotica
Mean Little Deaf Queer-Terry Galloway
My Sweet Wild Dance-Mikaya Heart
Outsiders-K. Sweeney/ JD Glass/L Ames/S Smith/G Beers

Speculative Fiction:
Forever Mine-KD Williamson
Second Nature-Jae
The Veil of Sorrow-Crystal Michallet-Romero

Traditional Contemporary Romance
Keile’s Chance-Dillon Watson
Stranded-Blayne Cooper
Worth Every Step-KG MacGregor

Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award:
Beggar of Love-Lee Lynch

Director’s Award:
Rosa Moran

Trailblazer Award:
Ellen Hart

Happy 20th Anniversary, Curve, and thank you for including me in one of your issues. While I’ve never met Stephanie Vernier, I send big cyber hugs and thanks to her for a most generous and wondrous review.

One week away from the Lammys and well, my excitement knows no bounds. But first, tonight I’m a guest on Lara Zielinsky’s Blog Radio talk show. I hope you can join us.

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Time: 10:30pm - 11:30pm
Location: blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky/2010/05/21/cheri-crystal

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1909
Cheri

Cheri Crystal Host Name: Lara Zielinsky
Show Name: Readings with Cheri Crystal
Time: EST 10:30-11:30 p.m.
Link: blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky/2010/05/21/cheri-crystal
Call-in Number: (646) 929-1909

In the last couple years, author Cheri Crystal burst on the scene as an exciting new voice in feminine erotic fiction, featuring both lesbians and bisexual women. Her short stories have appeared in collections from Cleis, Alyson, Bold Strokes Books, Khimairal Ink, and her single-author works are all e-published by loveyoudivine: Attractions of the Heart, Broken Vows, Imagined, Coming Clean and Mile High Dare among others. We’ll talk about her start as a reviewer, and the transition to novelist.~ Lara Zielinsky

Excerpt:
Well, well, I thought. My friend has finally gotten her ass over here. “Barb, it’s about time you showed up,” I said, realizing too late that I was wasting my breath since Barb had obviously stood me up. I blinked several times to clear the sticky remnants of sleep out of my eyes and focused on my surroundings.

A sense of calm washed over me, only to be followed by one of impending chaos. That’s when a cold front whooshed through the stale heated air, crackling as if fraught with electric charges. The laundry room adopted a surreal aura as though I had landed back in my dream, but I was awake. Wasn’t I? Brilliance obscured my vision for the briefest instant, less time than it takes to blink. And then she appeared. Lovelier than the last time I saw her on that fateful morning before I’d left for work. The ache in my heart returned full force.

They had been the emptiest years of my life, and here she stood, finally, my one true love. Waves of golden, silky hair framed her pure as snow complexion, falling in tendrils to brush the shoulders of the royal blue satin gown that matched her eyes. Not trusting my vision, I roughly rubbed my eyes with my knuckles this time and opened them again, slowly, and focused on her delicate frame—she had always appeared fragile, but I knew she was like steel inside where it counted. I thought I’d burst. I was overcome with emotion. Immobilized, I didn’t dare breathe, fearful that one sudden move and she’d vanish again, this time forever. Yet I had such hope in my heart, unlimited want in my soul, and endless need everywhere else. I couldn’t summon a sound, but I had to touch her. I needed to feel her soft skin with my fingers and hear her sweet wisdom, for she knew me best. I missed her special cuddles and caresses and the way one look, without a peep, spoke volumes. I could be quite a cynic, but not my girl. She was pure through and through. I had loved teasing her optimism, testing her patience, and toying with her emotions. She would return the favor with unconditional love and torturous tickles.