Story Behind my Novel Callipygia

Callipygia is a place, or maybe just a state of mind, for if you go there, and partake,

you will become changed…forever.

When I began this novel I was, basically, locked up. But not in jail. I was in a facility, voluntarily, where I couldn't eat or drink what I wanted, couldn't go when and where I wanted without a chaperon...couldn't do anything you today can do anytime you want. Day after day, hour after hour, I thought about food. I thought about syrup-drenched pancakes, hamburgers, bacon, chocolate, all my favorite foods. And OMG! cigarettes! I put out my last cigarette as I was walking in the door and went very, very, cold turkey. So there you have two of the things people will miss the most, if they are suddenly deprived of having anything they want, any "time" they want.
But there is a third: For nearly six months I thought about women! Not continuously, of course, there were many things to keep us occupied, but I was horny! If I wasn't totally busy with something else there was that proverb about men, that they think about sex every ten seconds (I don't remember exactly how it goes, but I was thinking about sex every "one" second. That's probably an exaggeration. Every "one" second would make it almost continuous, but it was close. Anyway, thanks to my isolation, Callipygia was born.
If I wasn't busy, or thinking about food or cigarettes I was thinking about women. So, I started writing about women, in fact, two young and very beautiful women.
I have seen my share of pornography and I will admit it, I only like girl on girl, especially if they are nice to each other. (Some aren't.) (Hey, Charlie Harper/Sheen said it on "Two and a Half Men," so I figure I could say it too.) And if a guy is part of the...movie, I move to the next one. But, of course, pornography is "not" about movies. To heck with a script, we want action! Callipygia has plenty of action, but action is not the right word. There is drama, despair, treachery, loneliness, humor, sex, violence, sexual violence, romance, and a love scene to end all love scenes.
Sorry, I suppose I shouldn't brag about my own work, but I can't help it. When Stephanie and Megan finally get together with complete privacy, they give and receive love like there is no tomorrow.
Stephanie Daniels is the main character. She grew up without loving parents and has never found good love with a man. That does "not" make her a lesbian. There can be endless reasons for never finding good love with a man, and my story does not dwell on those possible reasons. Stephanie works for a newspaper located in Wyoming; she has moved up from stock-girl and runner to journalist. Norm, her editor, serves as a fill-in parent and Stephanie adores him. But Norm's part in the story is short. He sends her to the South Dakota Black Hills to investigate a large number of missing women, to track a rumor of a lesbian sex-slave camp hidden in the forest...and, is there a connection?
Stephanie has a boyfriend, Billie, who is just that: A boyfriend. He doesn't love her and she doesn't love him, but, evidently, neither wants to be alone. (She's always had a boyfriend in her past, but never a good one.) There again, my story does not dwell on her past. She gets her assignment and she goes. For several weeks she visits the families of the missing women. Again, the story does not dwell upon those visits. There also has been stories of abducted men claiming to have been used as studs, and we do see her interview with one of those men. And for a brief flash Stephanie imagines a relationship with him, then decides he is like all the rest.
Time passes and she has found no good leads on the lesbian sex-slave camp, and absolutely no connection to the missing women. One dreary night she is sitting in a bar wondering if she should quit and go home when Megan arrives. Megan, a petite blonde, introduces herself to the depressed-looking Stephanie, they talk, and Megan invites her to visit Callipygia, a place with a humanistic goal but questionable methods, and, well, now I should stop saying more.

Eventually, though, Stephanie will find herself wondering if her job still awaits her, and responsible for two pregnant women.

We do need to know a bit more about Stephanie, though, to try to understand her better. The story begins with Stephanie and her boyfriend having sex--that's right, they had "sex," they did "not" make love. How true that scene will ring for people I don't know, but I do suspect it's truer than most of us would like to admit. Then, on her way to her assignment, she falls into a short relationship with seemingly innocent travelers, Robbie and Jill, actually recruiters for the worldwide sex market. Stephanie--naively--sees them as her first contact. I needn't say more about that.

Prologue

Stephanie Daniels felt her mouth fall open. She had just received the shock of her young life.

“We want to create a more sensitive society,” Megan added.

My God. Stephanie’s mind flew to the interviewed men with stories of being used as studs. She had believed them, yes, at least believed that they really believed it, but had also sometimes considered them quite humorous and chauvinistic. Stud service. What a laugh. But no longer.

“Oh, we aren't like Hitler—“ Megan began.

“Why aren't you? Do the men have a choice in the matter?”

“Well, not really. But we don’t force them, exactly.”

“My God, Megan,” Stephanie pushed away, “Meg, I can’t stay here.” She moved to the tent flap, wriggled her way through, and then fully realized she was in deep forest with no idea which direction to go. She hadn't even kept track of their direction yesterday. Just not thinking clearly at all.

“I can’t let you leave, Steph,” Megan appeared at the tent flap, dragging her backpack.

“You can’t stop me, Meg.”

“Yes, I can.” Megan slipped through the tent opening, reached into her backpack, and produced a very small handgun, “You must not leave, Steph.” She introduced a cylinder to the barrel and began twisting it on.
Free download announcement at the end of this post.
If one looks closely, the title of this book can be seen on the left ring finger of the brunette and lead character, Stephanie Daniels.

Review

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but graphic. Interesting main character, August 14, 2012

By P. Eddy (Seattle) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Callipygia (Kindle Edition)

I really want half stars... I'd definitely bump this up a half star.

It's well written. The visualization is beautiful. But as a woman, I felt some of the descriptions of the sex was... well... written by a man. Does that mean it wasn't good? Not at all. But I was just aware that I felt it was written by a man. As it's a book about (largely) lesbian relationships, this rang a little for me. At the same time, the way in which it was written also helped offset some of the darker parts of the book. So I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a negative, but more just as a note. "It is what it is."

I also wasn't totally impressed by the main character's choices in life. I felt like many of her choices were only to further the story, and not choices she'd actually make. She went along with things without question, and as a journalist, I feel like she should have questioned things more. However, at the same time, she was also going through some major life issues, and so I'm chalking her choices up to that. We didn't get enough of her backstory up front. However, that's one of those issues that I'm willing to forgive, if the story is good enough.

That said, the story was excellent. There's a lot of sex and violence in the book, as well as sexual violence. So potential readers should be aware of this. But there is also a lot of love and hope. It highlights some of the horrible parts of this world, and tries to present a solution to them, and even though the solution isn't perfect, and in fact, has major problems of its own, the characters believe it is the right solution.

I would read more from this author.

More from the author, how I feel about some things: The woman who wrote the preceding review (and I hugely appreciate that she took the time to write a review) but she mentions that the story is "(largely) about lesbian relationships." I don't agree. I consider the story is about women who have never found good love with a man. Personally I have been very fortunate in the love-category. I've found good love three times, with three good women.  None were for life, unfortunately, but I haven't given up.
What I'm going to say next might anger some people, probably men and women both, but I think a woman (not all of course) does not have to be a bona fide lesbian to seek love/affection from another woman. I think women want and need love and if they have a really good lady friend who she trusts without reserve, she will seek love/affection with her. And I would not in any way look down on her.
(As for men in that situation, I don't know, I don't care, and I have no desire to find out...although there are some weenie-ass men kissing on public stage and screen these days--I first gag, then turn away. Sorry, guys, you gay men can do what you want, you can have sex, you can marry--I don't care, just don't expect anything from me, other than tolerance. In fact, and I'm not completely sure, but I think I have actually known a couple of gay men. One even hit on me, but other than that, they were not bad guys. As for the guy who hit on me...later I asked the bartender; his answer: "Yes, he's gay.")
I have seen a few "Girls Gone Wild" videos. Folks, those girls are not lesbians! Oh, maybe some are, but the majority I will say to my dying day are NOT! For one thing--I suspect--they got paid, and maybe/probably had been doing a little drinking beforehand. Money means a lot. I also believe a majority of women in girl-on-girl pornography are not lesbians. And for another thing girls just plain like affection, from the time they are born. (I once read a letter to Ann Landers where the worried mother described seeing her seven-year-old daughter hugging and kissing with another little seven-year-old girl. I don't remember Ann's exact answer, but she "did" tell the mother not to worry. [Yes, I used to read Ann Landers; now I read "Annie's Mailbox," staffed by two young ladies, long time editors for Ann, but I don't consider them quite as good...Oh well. Yes, I read everything I can about sex and loving relationships, just in case I am ever blessed to meet another good woman--I want to be ready!] )  I suspect men kinda like affection too, but, being "boys," as children, we have to tend to try to push it away. We "do" like it, though--as long as we don't have to admit it!--but, the older we get--women and men both--the less we are able to find true and dependable love, honesty, and affection. Sorry, but, unpleasant as it is, I consider that last statement just a matter of fact. Period.
So, anyway, I'm saying I do not consider Callipygia a story about lesbians, but simply about a group of women who have not found good love with a man.
I leave you with my one and only quotation:
I have loved, I have been loved; should I never love again, I am fortunate.

Thanks for reading

Contact

nelsonjamesw@hotmail.com                          email

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004GW465S   Author page at Amazon

http://morningshinestories.com                       Website

http://morninginapril.blogspot.com                 Blog

https://www.facebook.com/#!/                         Facebook

http://subron7.hubpages.com/                          HubPages

Feel free to contact me. (Response is not guaranteed) (The world is full of psychos and wackos)

A reminder for when you go to Amazon to read digital books, mine and many other authors: Amazon has a free APP download that allows you to read your book on any electronic device, including PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

Occasionally I list one of my books as free for a  day, sometimes more than a day. Look for those announcements on my blog, HubPages, Twitter, and Facebook
Callipygia will be a free download this weekend beginning Friday night at midnight, meaning Saturday and Sunday, January 19 & 20, 2013. That's 48 hours, folks, hope you enjoy! After the freebie it's $0.99 digital & $15.00 paperback. Feel free to comment here on the blog and/or write a review at Amazon.