Laurence Talairach-Vielmas explores Victorian representations of femininity in narratives that depart from mainstream realism, from fairy tales by George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll, Christina Rossetti, Juliana Horatia Ewing, and Jean Ingelow, to sensation novels by Wilkie Collins, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Rhoda Broughton, and Charles Dickens. Feminine representation, Talairach-Vielmas argues, is actually presented in a hyper-realistic way in such anti-realistic genres as children's literature and sensation fiction. In fact, it is precisely the clash between fantasy and reality that enables the narratives to interrogate the real and re-create a new type of realism that exposes the normative constraints imposed to contain the female body. In her exploration of the female body and its representations, Talairach-Vielmas examines how Victorian fantasies and sensation novels deconstruct and reconstruct femininity; she focuses in particular on the links between the female characters and consumerism, and shows how these serve to illuminate the tensions underlying the representation of the Victorian ideal.

Since her teens, Laurel wanted to become a Religious Sister, doing God's work. With only three weeks until she's to say her permanent vows, dashing Julian, an atheist crashes into her life. Drawn to each other like moths to a flame, they become lovers then get engaged but big trouble is in store. Will love survive? For erotic version of this story see Fresh Cut Romance

BLURB Smooth and handsome, sociopath, Jamie Lee Vincent decides there's easy money in religion after attending a big tent revival in his home town of Tyler, Texas. Catching the interest of Reverend Sonny Riverton's youngest daughter, the lovely and vivacious, Missy, Jamie Lee worms his way into the Riverton clan and rides it for all it's worth into a world of fame and fortune. EXCERPT Bert set the beer down. "That'll be two-fifty." Jamie Lee handed him three bucks. "Keep it." Bert nodded. Jamie Lee picked up his lager and rotated his bar stool. Looking through the smoky haze, his gaze zeroed in on a cute blonde girl in the booth on the other side of the bar. She wore her hair up with curls draped over a pink ribbon. She sat with three others, a girl and two men all wearing western clothes. Unabashed, Jamie Lee stared at the lady. She is delicious. She glanced up and when he caught her gaze, she quickly averted her eyes. After whispering something to her companion, he nodded and slid out of the booth. She scooted out and headed in the direction of the restrooms, which were opposite of where they sat. While she glided in their direction, Jamie Lee studied her. She was average in height with blue eyes. She wore a short tight jean skirt, which accentuated the positives and cowboy boots. The creamy skin of her midriff laid exposed, her full breasts covered by a tied off, floral blouse. I've gotta taste that luscious morsel. She must have noticed Jamie Lee staring at her, because she seemed to hold back a smile and several feet from the restroom, her graceful glide turned into a sexy sashay. Jamie Lee elbowed Tommy and hitched his chin in the direction of the approaching blonde. "Who's the blonde bombshell?" Tommy followed his stare. "Somebody told me she's Sonny Riverton's daughter. They're in town you know. For a tent revival. You nevah answered me, Bud. You gonna take her out again?" Staring at the hot blonde, he asked, "Take who out?" Tommy rolled his eyes. "Cheryl." "Naw, she's too inexperienced. Now, I'll bet that sweet little thing over there isn't inexperienced. Who's Sonny Riverton, anyway?" "You never heard of Reverend Riverton? He's on the TV every Sunday." Tommy bit down on a pretzel. "So you wouldn't mind if I asked her out?" Jamie Lee took a big swig of his beer. "And that's his daughter?" Tommy slammed his empty beer glass down on the bar. "Damn it, Jamie Lee!" He turned to Tommy. "What?" Tommy's gaze rose to the ceiling as if looking for help from a higher power. "Do you care if I ask Cheryl out?" He did care. Had unfinished business, but when the Reverend's daughter peered at him with that twinkle in her eye and offered a friendly smile, just before turning into the restroom vestibule, he completely forgot about Cheryl. He shook his head. "Naw. You go ahead. But after tonight, I'd make sure she gargles with Listerine before I kiss her." He punched Tommy lightly on the shoulder and chuckled. "Now, tell me about this tent revival." "I don't know about this one, but they had another one here two summers ago. The TV station I sometimes work for sent me to film it, which was fine with me, seeing as how I wanted to find out what it was like. Don't you remember it?" "Naw, musta missed it. Oh, wait, now I remember. I worked as a camp counselor that summer.

BLURB With the acquisition of Babe's Galore, Jamie Lee's pursuit of Cheryl gets serious. Offering high paying jobs to his friend and his wife, Tommy becomes the stage manager and Cheryl becomes Jamie Lee's personal aide (with benefits) Jamie Lee's fabulous run of luck continues when, per doctor's instructions, Sonny Riverton relinquished control of the ministry to Jamie Lee. EXCERPT Cheryl tied her bikini top strap in place after finishing her final set and counted her take for the set. One-hundred-ninety-seven dollars. That gave her over eight hundred for the night—her best night yet. The hard-core roosters were quite generous not to mention especially rowdy tonight and she had gotten particularly worked up—more than usual. Only thirty minutes to go until I get off and can go home to Tommy. God, I feel frisky. I hope he's as keyed up as I am. As she entered the dressing room at closing time, Mike—the new manager—waited for her by her locker. "What are you doin' in here?" she asked in an accusing tone. "Hey doll, don't get your pretty puss in an uproar. There's one last live one in the VIP Dance Room for you to take care of." She turned her face and scrunched her nose and lips. "Aw, Mike, do I have too. I really need to get home." "C'mon babe, you know the rules. The customer is king and this one's paying extra." "Yeah. How much?" With a smile as wide as Texas Stadium he held up five fingers. Cheryl's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened wide. "Five hundred?" Appearing to hold back a chuckle, Mike took hold of her shoulders. "Baby, tonight you are the five…thousand…dollar…lady." Excitement shot through her. "God all mighty, what in tarnation does he want?" Mike shrugged. "Don't know, but he says you know him." Mike counted out ten hundred dollar bills and handed them to her. "Here's a thousand. He said he'd pay the rest when the dance was over." I wonder who… Cheryl smiled and cheerfully said, "I guess I better get in there." Since Joe had first forced her to do lap dances, to her surprise, she'd grown to like them. Turning the customer on turned her on and since she'd started doing them topless, she'd even allowed a few of the customers—the ones she especially liked—to fondle her.She didn't think it was wrong because no one but Tommy had ever put their thing in her—nor would they. Now, she was about to get five thousand dollars for doing a lap dance. She couldn't wait. Heading toward the VIP Room, a tall bull of a man stood beside the door watching Cheryl as she approached. "What are you doing here?" The man looked her up and down. "You Cheryl?" She nodded. "Ah-huh." He opened the door. "Go on in." She stepped in, and the door closed behind her. Was that a lock click? She shrugged. Panning the room left to right, she thought the room was empty until she spotted him in the right corner—Jamie Lee. "What do you want?" she snarled.

BLURB Brad takes leave of his work buddies at Libation Station, and soon after makes the acquaintance of Ginger, the most stunningly gorgeous woman he's ever seen. He's bedazzled, but taken aback when she reveals she's a paid escort. Even so, he's celebrating a promotion and this beauty is who he wants to end the night with. It's all good... After a wondrous time on the town and an unforgettable night in a Manhattan hotel room, the couple awakes to a mind-numbing realization. A frazzled, inept newbie angel, based on a throwaway comment made in the heat of their lovemaking, has switched their brain power from one body into another. Now Brad is Ginger and Ginger is Brad. The flummoxed pair are outraged, angry, and totally baffled. In the heat of the confusion, Brad remembers he must be at work within the hour to receive his big promotion--and he needs Ginger to make it happen. And that's just the beginning... EXCERPT I felt a slight brush of my hair, accompanied by the pleasant a floral fragrance of a woman's perfume. I turned my head to follow the retreating sound of a woman's high heels and was rewarded with a visual treat. Long blonde hair and a classic coke-bottle shape rode upon perfectly formed legs. It was as if Barbie doll had come to life. When she turned and ducked into the ladies room, I elbowed Lew. "Did you see that?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded slow and precise. "The blonde?" I nodded. "Yeah! Nice!" "Did you see her face?" "Ah-huh. She's gorgeous. I watched when she and her equally hot friend came in. They must be models or something." "Where? Where's her friend?" I surveyed the lounge. "She's sitting at the bar. Tall, with auburn hair, wearing a short teal shift, and legs up to her waist." I looked over and sighed. "She is stunning. Can you imagine what it must be like to look like that? To be that desired. If I was a woman and looked like that, I'm afraid I would be a real slut." Lew laughed. "From what I can tell, you're a slut now." I laughed. "I'd like to be a slut, but I don't have the sex appeal. Men are so restricted, suits or sports coats and ties, while women like these, exude their sexuality through their clothing, hair and makeup, manicures, pedicures. It's not fair." "Sounds like you'd like to be a woman." "No, I'm happy as a man. I just think it might be a blast to be a sexy, trendy woman—to dress to your personality—to have guys come to you instead of having to go to women." Lew started to answer me, but I put a hand across his to shush him as the blonde came out of the ladies room and strolled toward us. Lew was right, she was gorgeous. I stared straight at her and she smiled. She passed and my head turned to follow her gait as she wove her way back to the bar and her friend. "Well, what do you think?" Jimbo asked, obviously privy to our conversation. "Extraordinary." "I know. If I wasn't married… But I am so… What about you Brad? You're not married, and as far as I know you're not involved." Lew chirped in. "No, Brad's not involved. He's a player, aren't you?" Don't I wish? "I play around occasionally, but lately I've been in a drought." Lew frowned. "A man of the town has to make their own breaks. You're getting a big promotion tomorrow and have every reason to celebrate." He hitched his head toward the lovely ladies, "And I'd start right over there. Give it a try." ~ * * ~ I smiled at Amber and took my seat. "So, when is your Thursday date…what's his name again?" "Fritz." "That's right. Reminds me of a potato chip or a drink." I snickered. "I'll have a wine fritzer. When's he supposed to be here?" Amber shook her head. "Only you. Fritz will be here any minute. So how'd your trip to the restroom go? Did you stir up any interest?" "I don't know. Mostly, I got the usual inane pickup lines. But I have a good feeling about one guy. His eyes undressed me as I walked by." "I know. Doesn't it feel great when they do that? Which one?" "The brown haired guy, partially blocking the aisle with his chair over by the ladies room." "Oh, yeah. He scoped me out, too, while you were in the rest room. From what I could tell, he wasn't bad to look at." Amber's brow rose and she stuck her hand over mine. "Don't look now, dear, but he's on his way over here."

Disgusted with the GOP War on Women, a group of determined women take matters into their own hands & form a women's political party. Initially discounted by established political parties, they change their tune when women & men join in droves. GENDER WARS is a Political Chick-lit story, tied to the Republican 'War on Women' that would appeal most to politically middle and right of center readers