Attractions of the Heart by Cheri Crystal

Cheri Crystal is a favorite author of mine whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Ptown last month and I’m delighted to feature her work.

Cheri’s stories are always fresh and fun. Her latest release, Attractions of the Heart, is wonderful collection of short erotic stories, every one a gem in its own right.

Who can resist dipping into such intriguing titles as “Best Friends Don’t F*ck.”, “Mile High Dare.” or “Does The Butch Come With The Recipe?”, to name just three of the 18 stories in this anthology?  

Attractions of the Heart by Cheri Crystal

Blurb: Attractions of the Heart, a romantic collection of erotic short stories, begins with a hot date, and ends with a commitment ceremony. Enjoy a lovely meal at “Lobster Box.” Take a Caribbean vacation and plan ground rules that aren’t set in stone in “Best Friends Don’t F*ck.” How about “Going Fishing” for the ultimate hook up? Or “Taking Chances” on love when the stakes are high. Who said “Climbing Rocks,” “Dogging,” or “Trucking” couldn’t lead to sexcapades? Maybe you need an “Exercise Dyke” for the supreme workout or you wonder when designing a cookbook as a fundraiser for your softball team, “Does The Butch Come With The Recipe?”  Maybe you’re ready to take a “Mile High Dare.” Whatever your tastes, Cheri Crystal offers an impressive FemErotica selection. So, have fun with “Tina in Toyland,” hire an “Escort,” say, “Me, Too,” for a three-way, win an award in “Debut,” have a “Nightcap,” or try “Keeping Up With Hornelia,” but don’t miss “Seeing It Through.”

 For critically acclaimed, “funny, charming stories,” “crisp writing,” “frank sexuality,” and “top of the line female eroticism,” Cheri Crystal’s Attractions of the Heart has something for everyone.

Excerpt from “Seeing It Through.”

Mom bribed, threatened, and begged me to stop chopping off my hair with her fabric shears and ordered me to put on a little rouge—her word, not mine. I was offered everything from a nose job, because I broke the schnozzola twice tackling the football team in the schoolyard just to prove they weren’t so tough, to a trip to Disney. Seriously, Disney! I refused to have my teeth fixed and thought the overbite gave me character. My teeth were crooked, but so what? They worked. If I had to, I could rip through uncooked flesh with my uneven choppers.

Mom said I had such pretty blue eyes, and if only I’d use a bit of mascara to show off my light lashes. Yeah, right Mom. Like I’d be caught dead in make-up. She also threatened that I’d be grounded if I didn’t stay out from under cars, but her words were meaningless, and I knew it. While other girls snuck cigarettes or gave head behind the bleachers, I was sneaking an oil change or doing brake jobs at Fred’s Body Shop. Mom gave up for good when I told her I was joining the Corps.

Up until I left for Parris Island, April and I hung out in my basement getting high and listening to CDs, mostly heavy metal for me or pop rock and shit like that for her. She was the only person on the planet who didn’t try to change me. She was also my number one fantasy, but I never told her that. Heck, I don’t think I admitted it to myself. Until now…now that it was too late.

I had often relived her sixteenth birthday party, and here on her wedding day, I couldn’t help but go there again. Without mercy, my mind played tricks on me and brought me back to that night. She was sweet sixteen and never been kissed. I knew this for a fact. All the kids in our pack played truth or dare. Someone had dared me to kiss April. And she looked, well, aside from being a total babe, she was suddenly bold, and I felt like a heart attack waiting to happen.

The guys punched their fists in the air, and more than a few girls joined in on the chant. “Do it! Do it!” The whistles and catcalls echoed in time with my heart. I walked over to her, took her hands in mine and gazed directly into her sparkling eyes. She glanced at my lips and licked hers in what seemed like a silent movie in slow motion.

A boy had kissed me, once, but April’s kiss was different. Monumentally different. We leaned toward each other as the shouts grew louder. I placed my lips on hers, not fully registering the noise surrounding us, forgetting what and where I was and why I was doing this in front of our friends. I expected a platonic peck, but she had a better idea. Our first kiss was laced with a lingering caramel nougat flavor and had a sweetness all its own. I can still taste it.

Every cell in my body was on alert from that electrified embrace. She grabbed my head and pulled me close, so that I could feel her breasts, hipbones, and torso. I got carried away, and so did she. The cheering sounded distant and muffled. I felt every lick and suck as if it was happening to my crotch. I couldn’t help the way my entire body responded. I didn’t stop her. I had to have it like morphine after a self-inflicted wound. There was no turning back. And then I let go. I came hard. In my pants. Involuntarily, I shuddered, and although the visual tremor was subtle, I died right then and there. I was more mortified than I had ever been in my mere sixteen years of life. How was I going to face anyone ever again?

April pulled away first, looked at me for a second, and then turned to our gang. She curtseyed. It was all a show to her. She gloated like we’d just pulled off the greatest prank. I fled without looking back. We never talked about what happened that night.

Latest Review:

 Cheri Crystal’s first anthology is written and produced with great spirit. A collection of 18 stories each one with its own picture page introduction making this edition a must for collectors of erotic fiction. Well-formed characters tell of their intent as they lead us to their goal with a fun yet determined tone.

Crystal’s flair is consistent throughout the book. Her tales are varied and slip easily into each sex scene. No shadows in here. It is all good open sex and there is something for everyone including: love stories like “Lobster Box,” fun with toys in “Tina in Toyland,” group sex in “Me Too,” voyeurism in “Dogging,” desire in “Gone Fishing” and much more. I found Attractions of the Heart to be a great value. ~Willis, amazon.com

Available direct from amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Attractions-Heart-Cheri-Crystal/dp/1600542980

 Check out Cheri Crystal’s loveyoudivine alterotica author shelf: http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_45

Visit her website: www.chericrystal.com

 About the author: Cheri Crystal reviews lesbian fiction when she’s not busy spending time with her family, working in healthcare, and writing her own lesbian adventures and erotic romances. She enjoys all types of intellectual and physical activities and considers herself lucky that she can immerse herself in the literary community at every spare opportunity. Cheri has many published stories in anthologies and online with www.loveyoudivine.com. She’s written two novels and is working on a third. Her first solo anthology, Attractions of the Heart, came out in October 2009 and was launched in Provincetown during the 25th Annual Celebration of Women’s Week. It was an exciting and rewarding experience she’ll never forget. Visit Cheri’s Website: http://www.chericrystal.com or Contact her at cheri@chericrystal.com She’d love to hear from you.

 More Cheri Crystal links:

 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chericrystal?v=feed&story_fbid=96253148665#/chericrystal?ref=profile

Ebook stories also available from: http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_45

AllRomanceEbooks.com: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b96382/Me-Too/Cheri-Crystal/?si=0

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=cheri+crystal&sprefix=cheri+cry

Amazon Author’s Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cheri-Crystal/e/B002VG3738/ref=sr_tc_2_0