Guest Post and New Release: “Raw Silk” by Lisabet Sarai

Introduction: Twenty-five Years of Passion

First novels are products of passion. No one pushes life aside and sits down to generate thousands of words of prose without deeply personal reasons. We write about what excites us, what moves us, what matters. First novels often have a level of authenticity lacking in more polished work. Passion compensates for the failings in craft born of our inexperience.

I began Raw Silk on a whim, but it quickly became an obsession. The immediate inspiration was Portia da Costa’s Black Lace title Gemini Heat, which I found on the book swap shelf in an Istanbul hotel in 1998. In those days, the Black Lace imprint advertised itself as “erotic fiction for women, by women”. Gemini Heat is, indeed, stunningly erotic—intelligent, imaginative, diverse and transgressive. I’d read quite a lot of erotica at that point in my life, but I’d never encountered a book that so perfectly matched my own erotic tastes.

As I closed the cover of Gemini Heat, my heart still pounding from arousal, I wondered whether I could write something in a similar vein, capturing the intensity and joy of those years. If I did, might Black Lace publish it?

Breathless with excitement, I pounded out the first three chapters of Raw Silk in a couple of weeks and sent them off via air mail to the Black Lace editor in London. I received a formulaic post card from the publisher a few weeks later, advising me that my submission had been received and cautioning me that due to the large number of manuscripts to be vetted, I might not hear from them again for several months. I shrugged, not having expected more.

Two days later I got an email from the Black Lace editor, offering me a contract for an 80K word novel.

My first reaction was astonishment, my second panic. What did I know about writing a novel? Then I re-read my first three chapters, and passion took over.

Raw Silk was released by Black Lace in January 1999. The book has since been reprinted by several other publishers including Blue Moon Books and Totally Bound. With each edition, I’ve deepened the romance elements, at least partially due to changes in the market. The current edition is in many ways a typical erotic romance, chronicling the development of a committed relationship and offering a happy ending. Indeed, the bonus chapter included in this twenty-fifth anniversary edition serves up a wedding!

Still, as Kate struggles to understand and accept her own desires through experiences with multiple partners of both sexes, the focus is as much on the journey as on the happily-ever-after. At the same time, she learns that love and lust are not easily separable, one of the most profound lessons in my own life. Depending on your inclinations and disposition, you might categorize the book as romantic erotica or erotic romance.

My personal view? The category doesn’t matter. Read the book for what it is, the very first of the fifteen full-length novels I’ve produced so far: intensely emotional, exuberantly sensual, and despite its explicitness, somehow innocent.

First novels are acts of love.

Multicultural romantic erotica – Five flames
90,000 words, 308 pages
Currently exclusive to Kindle Unlimited
ASIN: ‎‎‎B0DF6Q2S2B

Tagline

In a foreign land, a woman discovers exotic new realms of the senses.

Blurb

“You were born to this. You may not understand, yet. You may not believe. But I will teach you.”

When software engineer Kate O’Neill leaves her lover David to take a job in Thailand, she embarks on a sensual journey that will change her forever.

In the glittering City of Angels, Kate becomes sexually involved with two very different men—a handsome and debauched member of the Thai aristocracy, and the charismatic, dominant proprietor of a sex bar. With Anand Rajchitraprasong, she discovers her own almost unlimited capacity for erotic pleasure. Meanwhile, Gregory Marshall shows her what she has hidden from herself: a deep desire to submit, to surrender herself body and soul to someone with the power and compassion to master her.

Each lascivious adventure binds her more closely to her lovers. Then David comes to Bangkok, and Kate realizes that she must choose one of the three men who all desire her.

Long considered an erotic classic, Raw Silk chronicles one woman’s intimate voyage toward love and self-understanding. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition has been freshly edited and includes a new introduction plus a bonus chapter.

Buy Links

Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Silk-Lisabet-Sarai-ebook/dp/B0DF6Q2S2B

Amazon CA:

https://www.amazon.ca/Raw-Silk-Lisabet-Sarai-ebook/dp/B0DF6Q2S2B

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raw-Silk-Lisabet-Sarai-ebook/dp/B0DF6Q2S2B

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218068923-raw-silk

Add on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/raw-silk-by-lisabet-sarai-2024-09-01

[Other links coming after KU period expires]

Review Quotes

“This is by far one of the best erotic novels that I have read and it fully deserves every one of the five ribbons I am giving it! But it does make me wonder what the characters could do with them.” ~ Maree Schuler, Romance Junkies (Five Ribbons).

“[Kate’s] character grows and she comes to realize her inner needs along with her deep sexual desires. Lisabet Sarai has a flair for sexy, sensuous romance with an edgy feel. I cannot wait to read more by this talented author.” ~ Dawnie, Fallen Angels Reviews (Five Angels).

“The Bangkok setting is fascinating and adds to the overall feeling of opulent sensuality. Lisabet Sarai deftly shows the country without ever letting the descriptions take over the story. Good BDSM novels are voyages of self-discovery, and Raw Silk is a journey you’ll enjoy taking.” ~ Kathleen Bradean, Erotica Revealed

“…this is one SIZZLING read (the ending was incredible) and should not be put on the back burner of your ‘to read list.” ~ Alyssa, Amazon review (Five stars)

Erotic Excerpt

“No.” She twisted away, still not sure that she was comfortable with this arrangement. As she moved, Anand continued to approach her. His looming bulk threw her off balance. There was a blurry moment of confusion, then Kate found herself tumbling backwards into the fountain.

The water was cold, a shock to her skin. Her head went under and she came up sputtering, half-laughing and half-crying at her ludicrous position.

“Katherine, are you all right?”

“Of course,” she said, a little scornful. She looked down at herself. Her dress was probably ruined. Ah well, that seemed symbolically appropriate. She reached under her skirt and pulled off her panties and stockings, which clung unpleasantly. She looked around then threw them at the centerpiece of the fountain. They caught on the kinnaree’s tail, and dangled there. Someone will wonder, tomorrow, thought Katherine with just a hint of an inner smile.

The cool water washed pleasantly against her bare legs. After a moment, she grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head. She stood naked in the moonlight, framed by the jets of the fountain.

Anand stood watching her in confusion and amazement.

“Come here,” she said, with a trace of impatience in her voice. “What are you waiting for?”

The impetuous Thai began to climb into the basin.

“Take your clothes off, first,” she ordered, stifling her laughter. “No reason why both of us should destroy our fancy best.”

Anand stripped off his jewel-toned tunic and white trousers faster than Kate would have believed possible. In two breaths he was beside her, taking her in his arms.

“You see, Katherine,” he murmured, nibbling at her earlobe while his hands roamed over her body. “We are two of a kind.”

About Lisabet

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more.

Twenty-five years ago, Lisabet published her first novel, the exuberantly erotic romance Raw Silk. The 2024 edition of this classic introduces a new generation of readers to this intense chronicle of one woman’s sensual journey.

Lisabet lives in Southeast Asia with her husband of over forty years and several rescue cats, where she pursues an occupation completely unrelated to her literary endeavors.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh