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Carmine "Editors and readers often ask me where this she-devil comes from. Truthfully, I have patterned her after my wife...." -Carmine
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Dear Reader,
Read these short-shorts first then come back and read this letter. The paragraphs that follow provide a few words of exposition for each story.
"Tamaohoi and the Ashen Ghost" was inspired by Hawaiian mythology that explained volcanoes. Young maidens were once thrown into the mouths of these molten mountains to appease gods, such as Tamaohoi. Imagine what would happen if a maiden actually elected to trigger an eruption-and imagine her lubricous joy walking in the wake of such an ashen eruption.
If you recognized David Bowie in "Thin White Duke," I am glad. Bowie likes to sample from the likes of Crowley, so I am returning the favor. As in "Quicksand," the lyrics say it all: "I'm closer to the Golden Dawn/Immersed in Crowley's uniform of imagery."
"A Lovely Night for an Ambush" reflects our love of things oral and how they interrelate with vampirism. Of course, vampirism is in the eye of the beholder - or is that the taste upon sweet lips?
"The Bath, What Comes After," is a bittersweet prose-poem about the essence of womanhood. Coming from a man, this may sound trite. Read it and make up your own mind.
If you enjoyed (or not) the Crimson Succubus tales, please drop me a line. Authors love feedback and I would be honored to hear from you.
Warm regards,
Carmine
Crimson Succubus came about when I discovered a little online publication known as Amoret. I had always wanted to try my hand at writing erotica, so I began to read the short stories in the magazine. Amoret was interesting because it published a unique type of fiction labeled "flash." As I would subsequently discover, flash fiction (also known as short-shorts, micro-fiction, or fast fiction) had become a popular form of literary fiction. A flash-fiction story is one that is less than 100 words. The story must have a beginning, middle, and an end. These stories are challenging to write, but they also are very rewarding.
My interest in dark fantasy and horror led to the creation of Crimson Succubus, who is one of the lesser-known angels to fall with Lucifer at the climax of the battle between heaven and hell. Her essence was to imbue wanton desire without measure. It was she who first beguiled monks within darkened abbeys, so that these poor self-professed celibates attached crucifixes to their members in a feeble attempt to ward off her nocturnal defilement. There is a strong sense of bondage and S&M in many of the tales, and most of them have elements of darkness and the supernatural.
So, I sent off my first short piece to Amoret and it was promptly rejected. Not dissuaded in the least, I sent another, and a few weeks later I received an acceptance. I worked with the ladies at Amoret for two years (at which time the magazine folded), and slowly Crimson Succubus began to appear in other venues.
Editors and readers often ask me where this she-devil comes from. Truthfully, I have patterned her after my wife, who in many ways is not like her. However, the character's inner strength and compassion-and all the elements that make up her femininity-are taken from my wife.
Although there are longer short stories featuring the Crimson Succubus, most remain in the realm of flash fiction. My next step is to take these tales and assemble a pillow book. The difficult part will be to find a publisher, but I have taken this step before, and it has proved successful.
When I first elected to try my hand at erotica, I created the pseudonym Carmine. I also created a short history of his character, which I tried to place in context with the writing style behind the stories. Though I had not meant the biography to be taken seriously, it has been. When the website Lair of the Shebitch posted Carmine's Bio, I received several emails asking that I substantiate the claims.
Carmine's Biography:
| Once a literary giant and caustic critic, Carmine now explores the exciting world of the Crimson Succubus, an enigmatic creature obsessed with all things darkly erotic. As the Succubus' personal voyeur, Carmine alone bears witness to the decadent acts of the Succubus and her many charges. |
The idea: Carmine was once a very successful writer, but when he succumbed to the Crimson Succubus he became obsessed with chronicling her life exclusively. In reality, Carmine is just one facet of a writer's complex personality.
Biographical information for Carmine's creator:
The writer who created Carmine has been extensively published in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror over the past thirteen years. As Carmine, he has published stories under the "Tales of the Crimson Succubus" banner in a number of magazines, such as Sauce*Box, Adult Story Corner, Heated Rush, BDSM Library, BDSM Café, BDSM Palace, Scared Naked, Amoret, Kristydoll's BDSM Ezine, Blue Erotica, Lair of the Shebitch, Blood Moon Zine, Blue Food, Gromet's Plaza, The Emerald Collection, Mind Caviar, Ophelia's Muse, Shadow of the Marquis, Nifty Erotic Stories, and Abby's Realm.
He currently lives in the mountains with his wife and two daughters.