Hope

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

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• From The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch (2017)

  300 The History of Christianity II õ Yet by the early 1980s, civil rights activists had come to realize that terrorism wasn’t working. Violence only seemed to play into the propaganda of the white supremacists. Nonviolent methods like strikes, boycotts, and marches started to seem more appealing. They could attract international sympathy and throw the country into such social and economic chaos that it would seem, even to white people, the Nationalists just couldn’t run the country anymore. õ A turning point for Desmond Tutu came in 1976, when residents in the black township of Soweto rioted to protest the law requiring their children to learn in Afrikaans. Tutu sent a bold letter to the Minister of Defense, Pieter Willem Botha, chastising him for defending the regime’s violent crackdown with the veneer of Christianity. õ From then on, Tutu preached against apartheid at every opportunity, both in South Africa and abroad, trying to convince other governments to stop looking the other way. He was especially keen to get white South Africans involved, because, like Martin Luther King, he knew the campaign would never work unless it was grounded in racial reconciliation. He supported boycotts and joined the chorus calling for international investors to pull out of South Africa, even if, in the short term, divestment hurt poor workers. õ Tutu embraced nonviolence not just because it was consistent with Christian principles, but because it was a pragmatic response to the South African situation. Labor strikes forced whites to recognize how dependent they were on black workers, especially as the scale of the strikes grew and spread to other sectors like student strikes and rent boycotts. By the fall of 1986, 60 percent of the black population was refusing to pay rent. õ In 1989, huge multi-racial peace marches rocked the major cities of South Africa. In 1990 the government released the most famous prisoner, the ANC leader Nelson Mandela, and finally agreed to negotiations that paved the way for multiracial democratic elections in 1994.

• From The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch (2017)

  260 The History of Christianity II õ In 1980, dissident intellectuals and workers founded Solidarity, the first trade union independent of communist control. It was a sign of how weak the regime was at this point that the government agreed to permit it. Solidarity’s main founder, Lech Wałęsa, was an electrician by trade and a devout Catholic. The movement was an ideological mix of secular people, Jews, and Christians, but Catholics contributed mightily to its nonviolent protests for free elections. õ Relations between the Church and Solidarity were not always great. The Catholic Church was used to being the main dissident group, and Catholic leaders clashed with members of Solidarity over questions of strategy—they didn’t want to push for too much change too fast—and over the role of religion in the ideology of their revolution. But over the long haul, they worked together. õ Dissidents were working in other countries, but Poland was the only case where dissidence became a mass movement, and the only case where intellectuals worked effectively with workers. It was the Catholic Church that built the bridge between them. õ This collaboration became crucial when the government imposed martial law in 1981, basically declaring war on its own people. Martial law was lifted in the summer of 1983, but political repression persisted for several years. õ Finally, however, a huge round of labor strikes forced the government to begin negotiating with a coalition of dissidents led by Solidarity. The Communist Party agreed to let go of its monopoly on power, and the elections of 1989 were the closest thing to free elections in Poland since before World War II. 261Lecture 26—The Rival Gods of the Cold War õ Solidarity-backed candidates won almost all the contested seats in the legislature. In April 1989, communist rule in Poland formally ended. Poles elected Lech Wałęsa as president the next year. õ The story of the end of the Cold War is different in every country in the Eastern bloc, and Christians played different roles in each context. The Polish story reflects the unique place of Catholicism in Polish history and identity, as well as the influence of particular individuals, especially Pope John Paul II. SUGGESTED READING Froese, The Plot to Kill God. Judt, Post War. Weigel, The Final Revolution. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER ä How did the Soviets transform Marxism- Leninism into a substitute religion? ä If Marx predicted that religion would naturally wither away, why did the Soviets see it as so dangerous and devote so much energy to repressing it? ä What made Pope John Paul II an effective spiritual and political leader?

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  CHRYSOSTOM. The Lord having banished that fear which haunted the minds of His disciples, adds further comfort in what follows, not only casting out fear, but by hope of greater rewards encouraging them to a free proclamation of the truth, saying, Every man who shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father which is in heaven. And it is not properly shall confess me, but as it is in the Greek, shall confess in me, shewing that it is not by your own strength but by grace from above, that you confess Him whom you do confess. HILARY. This He says in conclusion, because it behoves them after being confirmed by such teaching, to have a confident freedom in confessing God. REMIGIUS. Here is to be understood that confession of which the Apostle speaks, With the heart men believe unto justification, with the month confession is made unto salvation. (Rom. 10:10.) That none therefore might suppose that he could be saved without confession of the mouth, He says not only, He that shall confess me, but adds, before men; and again, He that shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. HILARY. This teaches us, that in what measure we have borne witness to Him upon earth, in the same shall we have Him to bear witness to us in heaven before the face of God the Father. CHRYSOSTOM. Here observe that the punishment is manifold more than the evil done, and the reward more than the good done. As much as to say, your deed was more abundant in confessing or denying Me here; so shall My deed to you-ward be more abundant in confessing or denying you there. Wherefore if you have done any good thing, and have not received retribution, be not troubled, for a manifold reward awaits you in the time to come. And if you have done any evil, and have not paid the punishment thereof, do not think that you have escaped, for punishment will overtake you, unless you are changed and become better. RABANUS. It should be known that not even Pagans can deny the existence of God, but the infidels may deny that the Son as well as the Father is God. The Son confesses men before the Father, because by the Son we have access to the Father, and because the Son saith, Come, ye blessed of my Father. (Mat. 25:34.) REMIGIUS. And thus He will deny the man that hath denied Him, in that he shall not have access to the Father through Him, and shall be banished from seeing either the Son or the Father in their divine nature.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  AUGUSTINE. He means evidently that there are already many mansions, and that there is no need of His preparing one. CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxiii. 1) Having said, Thou canst not follow Me now, that they might not think that they were cut off for ever, He adds: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also: a recommendation to them to place the strongest trust in Him. THEOPHYLACT. And if not, I would have told you: I go to prepare, &c. As if He said; Either way ye should not be troubled, whether places are prepared for you, or not. For, if they are not prepared, I will very quickly prepare them. AUGUSTINE. (Tract. lxviii. 1) But why does He go and prepare a place, if there are many mansions already? Because these are not as yet so prepared as they will be. The same mansions that He hath prepared by predestination, He prepares by operation. They are prepared already in respect of predestination; if they were not, He would have said, I will go and prepare, i. e. predestinate, a place for you; but inasmuch as they are not yet prepared in respect of operation, He says, And if I go and prepare a place for you. And now He is preparing mansions, by preparing occupants for them. Indeed, when He says, In My Father’s house are many mansions, what think we the house of God to be but the temple of God, of which the Apostle saith, The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Cor. 3:17) This house of God then is now being built, now being prepared. (c. 3.). But why has He gone away to prepare it, if it is ourselves that He prepares: if He leaves us, how can He prepare us? The meaning is, that, in order that those mansions may be prepared, the just must live by faith: and if thou seest, there is no faith. Let Him go away then, that He be not seen; let Him be hid, that He be believed. Then a place is prepared, if thou live by faith: let faith desire, that desire may enjoy. If thou rightly understandest Him, He never leaves either the place He came from, or that He goes from. He goes, when He withdraws from sight, He comes, when He appears. But except He remain in power, that we may grow in goodness, no place of happiness will be prepared for us.

• From Stone Butch Blues (1993)

  She pointed to the circle the ring cast on the ground. I nodded, acknowledging that the shadow was as real as the ring. She smiled and waved her hand in the space between the ring and its shadow. Isn't this distance also real? She indicated our circle. I looked at the faces around me. I followed the shadow of her hand against the wall of the hut, seeing for the first time the shadows surrounding us. She called me to the present. My mind slipped back to the past, forward to the future. Arent these connected? she asked wordlessly. I felt my whole life coming full circle. Growing up so different, coming out as a butch, passing as a man, and then back to the same question that had shaped my life: woman or man? Stone Butch Blues 329 The sound of a street argument, born of frustration, woke me from sleep. I didn’t want to come back to this world. I struggled to return to the dream, but I was wide awake. It was near dawn. I unlocked the bedroom window and crawled out on the fire escape. The cool air felt good. I closed my eyes. I recalled the night Theresa and I broke up, how I stared into the night sky, straining for a glimpse of my own future. If I could send a message back in time to that young butch sitting on a milk crate, it would be this: My neighbor, Ruth, asked me recently if I had my life to live all over again would I make the same decisions? “Yes,” I answered unequivocally, “ves.” I’m so sorry it’s had to be this hard. But if I hadn’t walked this path, who would I be? At the moment I felt at the center of my own life, the dream still braided like sweetgrass in my memory. I remembered Duffy’s challenge. Imagine a world worth living in, a world worth fighting for. | closed my eyes and allowed my hopes to soat. I heard the beating of wings nearby. I opened my eyes. A young man on a nearby rooftop released his pigeons, like dreams, into the dawn. 330 = Leslie Feinberg AUTHOR NOTES ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Leslie had hoped she would be able to write an introduction to this 20th anniversary edition of Stone Butch Blues. But before she was able to do so, she went into hospice care at home. The notes below are a combination of material Leslie had already written and notes I typed sitting by her bedside as she continued to work. Leshe said of the Author Notes: “This was the best I could do.” Leslie died at home on November 15, 2014. For more details on Leshe’s health, go to “Casualty of an undeclared war,” her research notes on the Lyme/+ epidemic at: www. transgenderwarrior.org

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  THEOPHYLACT. Our Lord having taught His disciples moderation, taking from them all care and conceit of this life, now leads them on to serve and obey, saying, Let your loins be girded, that is, always ready to do the work of your Lord, and your lamps burning, that is, do not lead a life in darkness, but have with you the light of reason, shewing you what to do and what to avoid. For this world is the night, but they have their loins girded, who follow a practical or active life. For such is the condition of servants who must have with them also lamps burning; that is, the gift of discernment, that the active man may be able to distinguish not only what he ought to do, but in what way; otherwise men rush down the precipice of pride. But we must observe, that He first orders our loins to be girded, secondly, our lamps to be burning. For first indeed comes action, then reflection, which is an enlightening of the mind. Let us then strive to exercise the virtues, that we may have two lamps burning, that is, the conception of the mind ever shining forth in the soul, by which we are ourselves enlightened, and learning, whereby we enlighten others. MAXIMUS. Or, he teaches us to keep our lamps burning, by prayer and contemplation and spiritual love. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Or, to be girded, signifies activity and readiness to undergo evils from regard to Divine love. But the burning of the lamp signifies that we should not suffer any to live in the darkness of ignorance. GREGORY. (Hom. 13. in Evang.) Or else, we gird our loins when by continence we control the lusts of the flesh. For the lust of men is in their loins, and of women in their womb; by the name of loins, therefore, from the principal sex, lust is signified. But because it is a small thing not to do evil, unless also men strive to labour in good works, it is added, And your lamps burning in your hands; for we hold burning lamps in our hands, when by good works we shew forth bright examples to our neighbours. AUGUSTINE. (de Qu. Ev. lib. ii. q. 25.) Or, He teaches us also to gird our loins for the sake of keeping ourselves from the love of the things of this world, and to have our lamps burning, that this thing may be done with a true end and right intention. GREGORY. (ubi sup.) But if a man has both of these, whosoever he be, nothing remains for him but that he should place his whole expectation on the coming of the Redeemer. Therefore it is added, And be ye like to men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, &c. For our Lord went to the wedding, when ascending up into heaven as the Bridegroom He joined to Himself the heavenly multitude of angels.

• From Saint Thomas Aquinas Collection (22 Books) (2016)

  GREGORY. (Mor. 18. c. 40.) On the cross nails had fastened his hands and feet, and nothing remained free from torture, but his heart and tongue. By the inspiration of God, the thief offered to Him the whole which he found free, that as it is written, With the heart he might believe unto righteousness, with the mouth he might confess unto salvation. (Rom. 10:10.) But the three virtues which the Apostle speaks of, (1 Cor. 13:13.) the thief suddenly filled with grace both received and preserved on the cross. He had faith, for example, who believed that God would reign whom he saw dying equally with himself. He had hope who asked for an entrance into His kingdom. He preserved charity also zealously in his death, who for his iniquity reproved his brother and fellow-thief, dying for a like crime to his own. AMBROSE. A most remarkable example is here given of seeking after conversion, seeing that pardon is so speedily granted to the thief. The Lord quickly pardons, because the thief is quickly converted. And grace is more abundant than prayer; for the Lord ever gives more than He is asked for. The thief asked that He should remember him, but our Lord answers, Verily I say unto thee, This day shall thou be with me in Paradise. To be with Christ is life, and where Christ is, there is His kingdom. THEOPHYLACT. And as every king who returns victorious carries in triumph the best of his spoils, so the Lord having despoiled the devil of a portion of his plunder, carries it with Him into Paradise. CHRYSOSTOM. Here then might one see the Saviour between the thieves weighing in the scales of justice faith, and unbelief. The devil cast Adam out of Paradise. Christ brought the thief into Paradise before the whole world, before the Apostles. By a mere word and by faith alone he entered into Paradise, that no one after his sins might despair of entrance. Mark the rapid change, from the cross to heaven, from condemnation to Paradise, that you may know that the Lord did it all, not with regard to the thief’s good intention, but His own mercy.

• From Best Erotic Romance

  Table of Contents Title Page Foreword Introduction WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS FIRST NIGHT ANOTHER TRICK UP MY SLEEVE DRIVE ME CRAZY ONCE UPON A DINNER DATE HE TENDS TO ME GUEST SERVICES MEMORIES FOR SALE BLAME IT ON FACEBOOK THE DRAFT TO BE IN CLOVER HONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING CHEATING TIME OUR OWN PRIVATE CHAMPAGNE ROOM TILL THE STORM BREAKS THE CURVE OF HER BELLY DAWN CHORUS ABOUT THE AUTHORS ABOUT THE EDITOR Copyright Page FOREWORD Shayla Black Erotic romance. The words sound divine and naughty. They conjure up images of silk sheets, heavy breathing, steamy nights, damp skin, and pleasure beyond our imagination. But more than that, erotic romance says something about us on a deeper level. It’s not just sex. Erotic romance marries our hopes and fantasies, our dreams and desires. Erotic romance opens a gateway to deeper connections to other people through the most physical expression of our bodies. The stories of erotic romance connect our sexual selves with the romantic in us. From a writer’s perspective, it’s the marriage of two established genres: romance and erotica. Romance is a genre full of hope and fulfillment. We read it in hopes of finding our perfect mate, our very best tomorrows, and the rich emotional lives we’d like to lead. Romance is a journey about people finding one another. It’s a fantasy that teaches us that no matter how dire the circumstances, true love wins out. It’s the reader’s path to believing that everyone has a destined someone and no one will be forever alone. Classic erotica is one person’s journey to self-fulfillment through sexual expression and exploration. Trying new things with new people to create new boundaries and norms is what makes erotica so appealing. Every scenario is open to interpretation, to emotional expression. The sky—and human experience (with a bit of embellishment for fantasy)—is the new limit. When we put the two genres together, it creates a reading experience that embraces eternal hope and deep sensuality at the same time. It’s the ultimate expression of body and soul together. It’s a journey that leads us to both our heart’s desire and our self-actualized personal best, all because we expressed our deepest sexual self with the person we love and formed a bond meant to last through either a meaningful encounter or the rest of our lives. Erotic romance takes us to the deepest part of ourselves, forces us to dig deep and ask what we really want. What are we willing to overcome for sex? For love? For something we’ve always longed for? It allows us to explore deeper longing, deeper conflicts, and even cross boundaries that we wouldn’t cross in real life. It allows us to forget our mundane daily existence. Join these writers on their journey. Embrace these stories for what they are: a true mirror of our inner needs, our longing to combine souls, to discover our truest selves. Explore. Fantasize. Wonder.

• From The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch (2017)

  348 The History of Christianity II õ Some Koreans have celebrated the role of Christianity in nurturing democracy in South Korea. For example, South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, was an elder in the Methodist Church. But the truth is more complicated. For most of the past 60 years, the South Korean government, with plenty of Christians in its ranks, has been authoritarian. Syngman Rhee himself was not shy about using strong-arm tactics to silence political dissent. õ Another example was President Park Chung Hee, a general who seized power in a military coup in 1961 and ruled until he was assassinated in 1979. He dissolved the National Assembly—South Korea’s legislature—and enacted martial law. He drew up a new constitution that gave him more or less complete control, and allowed him to steamroll over working people in order to “modernize” South Korea and raise economic output. õ Most Christian clergy just tried to keep their heads down and survive. Some openly endorsed Park’s policies. But eventually, some Protestant ministers became vocal defenders of democracy and civil rights. They organized and educated workers, ministered to political prisoners, brought relief to poor city neighborhoods, and monitored voting during Park’s very fraudulent elections. õ After several years of doing this work, in the late 1970s, Protestant activists developed a uniquely Korean version of the social gospel called minjung theology: a people’s theology focused on giving voice to the frustrations of common people and assuring them that Jesus is on their side. õ Minjung theology has been a powerful stream in Korean Christian culture. But the most famous Korean church is on the other end of the theological spectrum. That’s David Yonggi Cho’s Yoido Full Gospel

• From Best Erotic Romance

  The authors in this collection know that opening one’s heart comes with great risks and often greater rewards and that open communication and a spirit of adventure can make for a scorching sex life. They have created characters who believe all is fair in love and war and who take no prisoners in their quest for emotional and sexual fulfillment. Here you will find lovers exploring their desires in bedrooms, heating things up in the kitchen, splashing around in the bathtub, playing with sex toys, drinking champagne, getting it on in hotel rooms, staying warm in winter cabins, flirting in trucks and bars, making out in the great outdoors, and making love at dawn and midnight—all in the name of that greatest of all human desires: true love. So, dear reader, I invite you to explore this delicious collection of erotic romance selected especially for you. I think you will find that what makes a story the best of its kind is the same intangible that makes people fall in love. It’s magic, I think. And when it comes to love and war, there’s only one thing I know for sure: love wins. Love always wins. Kristina Wright In love in Chesapeake, Virginia WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS Sylvia Day It was 115 degrees in Las Vegas, but Paul Laurens could have sworn the temperature dropped from the chill in his former lover’s gaze. Robin Turner entered the Mondego Hotel’s ground-floor lounge like a gust of arctic air. Her long blonde hair was restrained in a sleek chignon and her lush body was encased in a pale blue dress that wrapped around her curves and tied at the waist. Nude-colored heels gave the impression that she was barefoot, while a chunky aquamarine necklace circled her throat like ice cubes. Paul’s grip on his beer bottle tightened and his dick thickened in his jeans. How they’d ended up in bed together was still a mystery to him. One minute they were riding the same elevator and the next he was riding her, the attraction so fierce and immediate he couldn’t remember how they reached his room or even shed their clothes. Taking a long pull on his beer, his gaze followed Robin’s progress across the barroom. She approached a booth where a guy in a suit stood to greet her. The man kissed each of her cheeks before they sat. Paul knew he couldn’t stay in the same room with her and not have her, so he gestured for the bartender and ordered a martini extra-dirty to be sent to her table. “Your brews are popular,” one of the cocktail waitresses said as she collected the drink and placed it on her tray. Her smile was an invitation.

• From Stone Butch Blues (1993)

  But with this novel I planted a flag: Here I am—does anyone else want to discuss these important issues? I wrote it, not as an expression of individual “high” art, but as a working-class organizer mimeographs a leaflet—a call to action. When, at my first public bookstore reading, someone asked me to sign a copy of the book for a friend who was too shy to speak to a published author, it broke my heart. My life’s work is about elevating collective organizing, not elevating individuals. ... Stone Butch Blues is a bridge of memory. The immense human toll of the AIDS epidemic, and of oppression as a whole, have created a gaping chasm; virtually generations lost. As a result, the history of social movements and their lessons ate episodically recalled. 338 = Leslie Feinberg Recovering collective memory is itself an act of struggle. It allows the generational currents of the white-capped river of our movement to flow together—the awesome roar of our many waters. And the course of our movement is not fixed in its banks like the Hudson River—it is ours to determine. From Selma to Stonewall to Seattle, we who believe in freedom will not rest until every battle is won. I am typing these words as June 2003 surges with Pride. What year is it now, as you read them? What has been won; what has been lost? I can’t see from here; I can’t predict. But I know this: You are experiencing the impact of what we in the movement take a stand on and fight for today. The present and past are the trajectory of the future. But the arc of history does not bend towards justice automatically— as the great Abolitionist Frederick Douglass observed, without struggle there is no progress. ... That’s what the characters in Stone Butch Blues fought for. The last chapter of this saga of struggle has not yet been written. AUTHOR PREFACE STONE BUTCH BLUES Chinese Edition 2003 It is a great joy and honor for me that you ate reading my novel Stone Butch Blues in Chinese. The hard work of the translators has now made it possible for my work to be read by one-quarter of humanity. Holding my first copy of this novel in Chinese in my own hands was a very moving moment. I thought back on my life and realized that perhaps the single most momentous impact on my consciousness, my beliefs and the course of my life’s work was the great Chinese Revolution by workers and peasants in 1949—the year of my birth. This single event is unarguably the most massive social upheaval in history.

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  democratic empire, the Periclean golden age were now and forever over. The man who had curbed their most dangerous emotions— aggression, greed, hubris, selfishness—had been gone from the scene for too long, his wisdom long forgotten. • • • Interpretation: As Pericles surveyed the political scene early in his career, he noticed the following phenomenon: Every Athenian political figure believed he was rational, had realistic goals, and plans on how to get there. They all worked hard for their political factions and tried to increase their power. They led Athenian armies into battle and often came out ahead. They strove to expand the empire and bring in more money. And when their political maneuvering suddenly backfired, or the wars turned out badly, they had excellent reasons for why this had happened. They could always blame the opposition or, if need be, the gods. And yet, if all these men were so rational, why did their policies add up to so much chaos and self-destructiveness? Why was Athens such a mess and the democracy itself so fragile? Why was there so much corruption and turbulence? The answer was simple: his fellow Athenians were not rational at all, merely selfish and shrewd. What guided their decisions was their base emotions—hunger for power, attention, and money. And for those purposes they could be very tactical and clever, but none of their maneuvers led to anything that lasted or served the overall interests of the democracy. What consumed Pericles as a thinker and a public figure was how to get out of this trap, how to be truly rational in an arena dominated by emotions. The solution he came up with is unique in history and devastatingly powerful in its results. It should serve as our ideal. In his conception, the human mind has to worship something, has to have its attention directed to something it values above all else. For most people, it is their ego; for some it is their family, their clan, their god, or their nation. For Pericles it would be nous , the ancient Greek word for “mind” or “intelligence.” Nous is a force that permeates the universe, creating meaning and order. The human mind is naturally attracted to this order; this is the source of our intelligence. For Pericles, the nous that he worshipped was embodied in the figure of the goddess Athena. Athena was literally born from the head of Zeus, her name itself reflecting this—a combination of “god” ( theos ) and “mind” ( nous ). But Athena came to represent a very particular form of nous — eminently practical, feminine, and earthy. She is the voice that comes to heroes in times of need, instilling in them a calm spirit, orienting their minds toward the perfect idea for victory and success, then giving them the energy to achieve this. To be visited by Athena was the highest blessing of them all, and it was her spirit that guided

• From Best Erotic Romance

  Title : Best Erotic Romance Author: Unknown [image file=image_8.jpg] [image file=image_19.jpg] Table of Contents Title Page Foreword Introduction WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS FIRST NIGHT ANOTHER TRICK UP MY SLEEVE DRIVE ME CRAZY ONCE UPON A DINNER DATE HE TENDS TO ME GUEST SERVICES MEMORIES FOR SALE BLAME IT ON FACEBOOK THE DRAFT TO BE IN CLOVER HONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING CHEATING TIME OUR OWN PRIVATE CHAMPAGNE ROOM TILL THE STORM BREAKS THE CURVE OF HER BELLY DAWN CHORUS ABOUT THE AUTHORS ABOUT THE EDITOR Copyright Page FOREWORD Shayla Black Erotic romance. The words sound divine and naughty. They conjure up images of silk sheets, heavy breathing, steamy nights, damp skin, and pleasure beyond our imagination. But more than that, erotic romance says something about us on a deeper level. It’s not just sex. Erotic romance marries our hopes and fantasies, our dreams and desires. Erotic romance opens a gateway to deeper connections to other people through the most physical expression of our bodies. The stories of erotic romance connect our sexual selves with the romantic in us. From a writer’s perspective, it’s the marriage of two established genres: romance and erotica. Romance is a genre full of hope and fulfillment. We read it in hopes of finding our perfect mate, our very best tomorrows, and the rich emotional lives we’d like to lead. Romance is a journey about people finding one another. It’s a fantasy that teaches us that no matter how dire the circumstances, true love wins out. It’s the reader’s path to believing that everyone has a destined someone and no one will be forever alone. Classic erotica is one person’s journey to self-fulfillment through sexual expression and exploration. Trying new things with new people to create new boundaries and norms is what makes erotica so appealing. Every scenario is open to interpretation, to emotional expression. The sky—and human experience (with a bit of embellishment for fantasy)—is the new limit. When we put the two genres together, it creates a reading experience that embraces eternal hope and deep sensuality at the same time. It’s the ultimate expression of body and soul together. It’s a journey that leads us to both our heart’s desire and our self-actualized personal best, all because we expressed our deepest sexual self with the person we love and formed a bond meant to last through either a meaningful encounter or the rest of our lives. Erotic romance takes us to the deepest part of ourselves, forces us to dig deep and ask what we really want. What are we willing to overcome for sex? For love? For something we’ve always longed for? It allows us to explore deeper longing, deeper conflicts, and even cross boundaries that we wouldn’t cross in real life. It allows us to forget our mundane daily existence.

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  follow career paths that are unsuited to your character, by the uneasiness that you feel. It directs you toward activities and goals that mesh with your nature. When you are listening to it, you feel like you have greater clarity and wholeness. If you listen closely enough, it will direct you toward your particular destiny. It can be seen as something spiritual or something personal, or both. It is not the voice of your ego, which wants attention and quick gratification, something that further divides you from within. Rather, it absorbs you in your work and what you have to do. It is sometimes hard to hear, as your head is full of the voices of others telling you what you should and should not do. Hearing it involves introspection, effort, and practice. When you follow its guidance, positive things tend to happen. You have the inner strength to do what you must and not be swayed by other people, who have their own agendas. Hearing this voice will connect you to your larger goals and help you avoid detours. It will make you more strategic, focused, and adaptive. Once you hear it and understand your purpose, there will be no going back. Your course has been set, and deviating from it will cause anxiety and pain. He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. —Friedrich Nietzsche Keys to Human Nature In the world today, we humans face a particular predicament: As soon as our schooling ends, we suddenly find ourselves thrown into the work world, where people can be ruthless and the competition is fierce. Only a few years before, if we were lucky, our parents met many of our needs and were there to guide us; in some cases, they were overprotective. Now we find ourselves on our own, with little or no life experience to rely upon. We have to make decisions and choices that will affect our entire future. In the not-so-distant past, people’s career and life choices were somewhat limited. They would settle into the particular jobs or roles available to them and stay there for decades. Certain older figures— mentors, family members, religious leaders—could offer some direction if needed. But such stability and help is hard to find today, as the world changes ever more quickly. Everyone is caught up in the harsh struggle to make it; people have never been so preoccupied with their own needs and agendas. The advice of our parents might be totally antiquated in this new order. Facing this unprecedented state of affairs, we tend to react in one of two ways. Some of us, excited by all the changes, actually embrace this new order. We are young and full of energy. The smorgasbord of opportunities offered by the digital world dazzles us. We can experiment, try many different jobs, have many different relationships and adventures. Commitments to a single career or person feel like unnecessary restrictions on this freedom. Obeying orders and

• From Stone Butch Blues (1993)

  No one paid any attention to us inside the diner. Men dressed in flannel and truckers’ caps shared their own stories at booths and tables. The waitress looked weary. We stood in front of the cashier, waiting to pay, anxious to leave before there was trouble. A man appeared from the kitchen. He couldn’t have been more than three feet tall. He climbed up onto a stool in front of the register and rang up our purchase. He looked at Ruth’s face and then at mine. His expression softened. Ruth and I looked at each other shyly, then smiled at him. He beamed at us. “How’s your trip going, gals?” Ruth and I looked at each other wide-eyed and chuckled. I leaned closer. “It’s been an amazing journey. And somehow we’ve survived it. So far, anyway. How about yours?” His smile was a series of expressions. “It’s not what I thought it was gonna be, but it’s made me into somebody I can live with.” Ruth shook his hand. “Are you from around here too?” He nodded. “Born and bred here. My name’s Carlin.” Ruth smiled. “I’m from Vine Valley. ’m Ruth. Jess is from Buffalo. We’re headed back to New York City.” His eyes brightened. “I want to get out of here. I want to go to a big city where there’s never a dull moment.” Ruth laughed. “Then Manhattan’s just the place for you.” “Come with us,” I told him. “Come on! Let’s all get in the car and go.” Carlin shook his head sadly. “Part of me wishes I was the kind of person who could do that. But Pve got people here. I’d have to disengage slower than that.” Ruth scribbled her name and phone number on the back of a napkin. “Call us. Come visit. We'll show you why we love New York.” I nodded. “We'll show you why we hate it, too.” He leaned closer. “Are you gals really serious?” I leaned forward till my forehead was almost touching his. “We don’t have the time to waste on being insincere.” Carlin patted my cheek. “How about a nice fresh peach pie for the road? Helen, bring me that pie, please.” As Carlin and Ruth shook hands, I saw how Stone Butch Blues 321 beautiful his very small hand looked as it clasped her very large hand. We all said our goodbyes. Ruth and I got back in the car. I poured us each a cup of coffee. “You think we'll hear from Carlin?” She nodded. “Oh, I’d bet on it.” Ruth rested her hand on my arm. “How was Buffalo? Did you find what you were looking for?” I sighed. “I don’t know. Every time I go looking for something, I find something else. Pll tell you about the trip later. I’m just too tired to sort it out now. How about you?”

• From Best Erotic Romance

  Join these writers on their journey. Embrace these stories for what they are: a true mirror of our inner needs, our longing to combine souls, to discover our truest selves. Explore. Fantasize. Wonder. Romance opens worlds for us. It teaches us to reach for what seems too far away. Enjoy the fight, the conflict, the growth of these characters. Romance is often called a flight of fancy, a genre in which to lose oneself, but there is a truth to romance that serves the greater good. We need to escape our day-to-day lives. We need our happy endings. We need to believe that we can be complete. Join us on this journey and let your fantasies feed a deeper truth. We are not alone. We are only whole when we truly love both ourselves and another human being. And the journey never ends…Enjoy. INTRODUCTION: SIMPLY THE BEST What does it take to be the best? That’s the question I kept in the forefront of my mind as I edited Best Erotic Romance. And so, when I sat down to sift through the submissions, I found myself reading many of the stories two or three times. It’s a complicated process, trying to determine what makes a story the very best of the genre. Obviously, excellent writing and storytelling are key, but I also looked for stories with characters I could believe in and root for. Characters I could fall in love with, just as they were falling in love (or finding ways to stay in love). I am delighted to present this inaugural collection of Best Erotic Romance, the collection that I hope will set the bar for future editions. These are the stories that touched my heart and ignited my libido, that made me think about the nature of desire and the unpredictability of the human heart. Each of these seventeen stories weaves love and passion so tightly that one cannot be separated from the other. And isn’t that what a lasting relationship is all about? The need for connection and commitment, memories and history—and hot, wanton, uninhibited sex with a partner who knows us better than we know ourselves. From tales of love (and lust) at first sight, such as Delilah Devlin’s “Drive Me Crazy” and Nikki Magennis’s “Dawn Chorus” to stories of established couples still passionate for each other, such as Andrea Dale’s “Memories for Sale” and Kate Pearce’s “Cheating Time,” the stories in this collection show that true love lasts, real passion never waivers, and lovers who are meant to be will always find their way back to each other. These lovers aren’t afraid of going after what they want, whether it’s long-lost love in “Blame It on Facebook” by Kate Dominic or a hot threesome between a married couple and a female friend in Erobintica’s “Till the Storm Breaks.”

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  nature available to each and every one of us. There is no need to look for gurus or to grow nostalgic for the past and its certainties. A compass and guidance system does exist. It comes from looking for and discovering the individual purpose to our lives. It is the path taken by the greatest achievers and contributors to the advancement of human culture, and we only have to see the path to take it. Here’s how it works. Each human individual is radically unique. This uniqueness is inscribed in us in three ways—the one-of-a-kind configuration of our DNA, the particular way our brains are wired, and our experiences as we go through life, experiences that are unlike any other’s. Consider this uniqueness as a seed that is planted at birth, with potential growth. And this uniqueness has a purpose. In nature, in a thriving ecosystem we can observe a high level of diversity among species. With these diverse species operating in a balance, the system is rich and feeds off itself, creating newer species and more interrelationships. Ecosystems with little diversity are rather barren, and their health is much more tenuous. We humans operate in our own cultural ecosystem. Throughout history we can see that the healthiest and most celebrated cultures have been the ones that encouraged and exploited the greatest internal diversity among individuals—ancient Athens, the Chinese Sung Dynasty, the Italian Renaissance, the 1920s in the Western world, to name a few. These were periods of tremendous creativity, high points in history. We can contrast this with the conformity and cultural sterility in dictatorships. By bringing our uniqueness to flower in the course of our life, through our particular skills and the specific nature of our work, we contribute our share to this needed diversity. This uniqueness actually transcends our individual existence. It is stamped upon us by nature itself. How can we explain why we are drawn to music, or to helping other people, or to particular forms of knowledge? We have inherited it, and it is there for a purpose. Striving to connect to and cultivate this uniqueness provides us a path to follow, an internal guidance system through life. But connecting to this system does not come easily. Normally the signs of our uniqueness are clearer to us in early childhood. We found ourselves naturally drawn to particular subjects or activities, despite the influence of our parents. We can call these primal inclinations . They speak to us, like a voice. But as we get older, that voice becomes drowned out by parents, peers, teachers, the culture at large. We are told what to like, what is cool, what is not cool. We start to lose a sense of who we are, what makes us different. We choose career paths unsuited to our nature. To tap into the guidance system, we must make the connection to our uniqueness as strong as possible, and learn to trust that voice.

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  The first thing he had to do was get out ahead of the problem and infect the crew with the proper spirit. It all started from the leader. He would have to hide all of his own doubts and fears. The first morning on the ice floe, he got up earlier than anyone and prepared an extra- large helping of hot tea. As he personally served it to the men, he sensed they were looking to him for cues on how to feel about their plight, so he kept the mood light, mixing in some humor about their new home and the coming darkness. It was not the right time to discuss his ideas for getting out of this mess. That would make them too anxious. He would not verbalize his optimism about their chances but would let the men feel it in his manner and body language, even if he had to fake it. They all knew they were trapped there for the coming winter. What they needed was distractions, something to occupy their minds and keep their spirits up. For that purpose, every day he drew up a duty roster outlining who would be doing what. He tried to mix it up as much as possible, shifting the men around in various groups and making sure they never did the same task too often. For each day there was a simple goal to accomplish—some penguins or seals to hunt, some more stores from the ship to bring to the tents, the construction of a better campground. At the end of the day, they could sit around the campfire feeling they had done something to make their lives a little easier. As the days wore on, he developed an increasingly sharp attunement to the men’s shifting moods. Around the campfire, he would walk up to each man and engage him in a conversation. With the scientists he talked science; with the more aesthetic types he talked of his favorite poets and composers. He got into their particular spirit and was especially attentive to any problems they were experiencing. The cook seemed particularly aggrieved that he would have to kill his pet cat; they were out of food to feed it. Shackleton volunteered to do it for him. It was clear that the physicist on board was having a difficult time with the hard labor; at night he ate slowly and sighed wearily. When Shackleton talked to him, he could feel that his spirit was lowering by the day. Without making him feel like he was shirking, Shackleton changed the roster around to give him lighter but equally important tasks. He quickly recognized a few weak links in the group. First there was Frank Hurley, the ship’s photographer. He was good at his job and never complained about doing other chores, but he was a man who needed to feel important. He had a snobbish bent. So on those

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  But could he be a minister with such tenuous religious faith? He hated any kind of confrontation with his father, with whom it was impossible to argue. He developed the strategy of always saying yes to whatever his father said. His way of dealing with the tension inside him was to postpone any decision that might cause a rift. And so, when he graduated from high school at the age of fifteen, he decided to attend Morehouse, delighting his father. But in his mind he had a plan—he would study everything that interested him and decide on his own the path he would take. In the first few months he thought of a career in medicine, then sociology, then law. He kept changing his mind about a major, excited by all the subjects now open to him. He took a class in Bible studies, and he was pleasantly surprised at the profound, earthy wisdom in the book. There were professors at Morehouse who approached Christianity from a very intellectual angle, and he found this quite appealing. By his last year at Morehouse he had changed his mind yet again: he would become ordained as a minister, and he would enroll at Crozer Theological Seminary, located in Pennsylvania, for a divinity degree. Now his father was quite ecstatic. He understood it was best to let Martin Jr. explore religion on his own, as long as he ended up at Ebenezer. At Crozer, Martin Jr. discovered a whole other side to Christianity, one that emphasized social commitment and political activism. He read all of the major philosophers, devoured the works of Karl Marx, and became fascinated with the story of Mahatma Gandhi. Finding the life of an academic a pleasant one, he decided to continue his studies at Boston University, where he gained a reputation among his professors as a brilliant scholar in the making. But as he prepared to graduate in 1954 from Boston University with a PhD in systematic theology, he could no longer postpone the inevitable. His father had lined up for him an irresistible offer—a position as copastor at Ebenezer and a part-time teaching position at Morehouse, where he could continue the academic studies he loved. Martin had recently married, and his wife, Coretta, wanted them to stay in the North, where life would be easier than in the troubled South. He could get a teaching job at almost any university he wanted. It was tempting to fall for either option—Ebenezer or teaching at a northern university. They would certainly lead to a comfortable life. In the past few months, however, he had had a different vision of his future. He could not rationally explain where this came from, but it was clear to him: He would return to the South, where he felt a primal connection to his roots.

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  Over the years we internalize the criticisms and doubts of others. By accepting what we think to be the limits of our intelligence and creative powers, we create a self-fulfilling dynamic. They become our limits. You do not need to be so humble and self-effacing in this world. Such humility is not a virtue but is rather a value that people promote to help keep you down. Whatever you are doing now, you are in fact capable of much more, and by thinking that, you will create a very different dynamic. In ancient times, many great leaders, such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, felt that they were descended from gods and part divine. Such self-belief would translate into high levels of confidence that others would feed off and recognize. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. You do not need to indulge in such grandiose thoughts, but feeling that you are destined for something great or important will give you a degree of resilience when people oppose or resist you. You will not internalize the doubts that come from such moments. You will have an enterprising spirit. You will continually try new things, even taking risks, confident in your ability to bounce back from failures and feeling destined to succeed. When Chekhov had the epiphany about the ultimate freedom he could create for himself, he had what the American psychologist Abraham Maslow called a “peak experience.” These are moments in which you are lifted out of the daily grind and you sense that there is something larger and more sublime in life that you have been missing. In the case of Chekhov it was sparked by a crisis, by loneliness, and it led to the sensation of complete acceptance of people and the world around him. These moments can come from exerting yourself past what you thought were your limits; they can come from overcoming great obstacles, climbing a mountain, taking a trip to a very different culture, or the deep bonding that comes from any form of love. You want to deliberately go in search of such moments, stimulate them if you can. They have the effect, as they did with Chekhov, of altering your attitude for good. They expand what you think about your possibilities and about life itself, and the memory is something you will always return to for supreme inspiration. In general, this way of looking at yourself runs counter to the cool, ironic attitude that many people like to assume in the postmodern world—never too ambitious, never too positive about things or life, always affecting a nonchalant and very false humility. Such types see the positive, expansive attitude as Pollyannaish and simpleminded. But really their cool attitude is a clever mask for their great fears—of embarrassing themselves, of failing, of showing too much emotion. As with all such trends in culture, the cool attitude will eventually fade away, a remnant of the early twenty-first century.