STREETWALKER Book Club Kit

Table of Contents

Book Club Kit for: STREETWALKER

By Angelica French

Published 2013 by Sizzler Editions, an imprint of

Renaissance E Books, California

Summary of STREETWALKER	1
What Do Reviewers Say?	2
Author Biography	3
Excerpted Interviews with the Author	4
Do You Want to Skype with Angelica French?	5
Carrie’s Top Ten Sex Tips	6
Reader’s Guide to Discussing STREETWALKER	7
How to Contact Angelica French and Find Her On-line	8
Books in the “Sex Sells” Series	9
Other Erotic Romance Authors You Might Like	10
Did You Wonder about …?	11
Tips: How to Run a Book Club Discussion	13

Book Club Kit: STREETWALKER                                                                                        1

Summary of STREETWALKER

Carrie is a smart woman with a dark past and more than her share of heartache. Determined to retire early from hands-on sex work, she uses her skills as an exhibitionist to bargain for partial ownership of a high-end, brownstone bordello in New York City with the erudite, handsome and powerful Harlan Ledbetter.

But even though she's only 22, Carrie's already been in her line of work far too long. Besides the fact that sex has been little more than Work for most of her adult life, Carrie also has to contend with painful memories of abuse at the hands of her stepbrother. Could sexuality ever truly belong to her? Could it ever become something she would want?

Harlan, meanwhile, certainly wants more than a business partnership with this stunning woman – and the feeling may be mutual, if Carrie can let herself want him as much as she fears she does. But she has a long way to go before she can give her heart and body to a man willingly. How will she get there? If there's one thing Carrie has learned, it's how to negotiate. She has a feeling this skill will come in handy with Harlan in more ways than one.

Carrie approaches Harlan with a unique business proposal – one that offers more than just a way to run their bordello, but a whole new outlook on life, sexuality and love. Intrigued, he takes her on...

Streetwalker is Part One of Angelica French's exciting new "Sex Sells" trilogy.

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What do reviewers say?

Streetwalker sizzles!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have a fairly extensive background in writing and reviewing erotica, and I have to say, Streetwalker really hits its mark. It's so dark and original, but at the same time has a strange sweetness about it. Not an easy feat to pull it off, but Angelica French really made me feel for these less-than-angelic characters. I felt for them--and I felt them. Whoa! Sex scenes are not easy to write, and can come off sounding awkward and contrived, sometimes unintentionally creepy, but this is absolutely *not the case* with Ms. French's imaginative and totally hot sexcapades. If you're looking for a quick hot read with a little heart, pick up Streetwalker. You won't be disappointed!   Francine Lasala, The Girl with the Gold Tooth and Everything and Rita Hayworth’s Shoes

Streetwalker

Streetwalker is a sexy romp. The characters are well drawn and there is a strong plot. Warning: This is an erotic novel so the sex is steamy and graphic. The book is well written. The settings are well drawn and make the story believable. I recommend this book as great naughty fun.  Storyteller

Fascinating Characters and Hot Sex!

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

I loved the cover art the first time I saw it. The beautiful blonde and the handsome African American man. Something about the tone of the art led me to hope this wouldn't be an all too typical exploitation work where his "blackness" was exaggerated. While Harlan did have sexual, emotional issues to work through, so did the blonde Carrie. Some personal issues of mine made her back story difficult to read, nonetheless French did a great job writing what made for believable characters.

The reason I took off 1 star was mostly about word choice. In the first half of the book, she sometimes used the world "quim" in place of pussy and other contemporary slang words for the vagina. To my understanding, "quim" is British (this book is set in New York) and especially belongs in historical books like Regency romances; its use jarred me our of the story. Joelle O’Bryan, Out of the Night, Book One

Book Club Kit: Mission Impastable                                                               3

Author Biography

Angelica French is not now, nor has ever been, a prostitute and to her knowledge, she doesn't even know one. But, Carrie bedeviled her with the story until she sat down to write it. She felt like she was just the amanuensis for this tale.

However, Angelica has always been interested in universal feminine issues of self- worth and self-actualization. The "Sex Sells" series is one of redemption, recovery, and romance.

Easily bored, she writes a variety of genres under different pen names. She writes in a variety of genres from plays to short stories to paranormal to historical fiction to women’s fiction to naughty. She believes jumping around in multiple manuscripts keeps writer’s block at bay.

Angelica is happily married, with children, and lives in the desert southwest where she writes with a view of her citrus trees and to the snoring of her yellow lab.

Book Club Kit: Mission Impastable                                                       4

Excerpted Interviews with the Author

Happily Ever After Thoughts

Alexis Walker

http://www.happilyeverafterthoughts.com/2013/06/guest-author-interview-angelica-french.html

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Streetwalker came whole cloth. Carrie popped into my head one day with her story. Then she wrote it. I felt that I channeled her the whole way, though she hasn’t interfered with the editing process, thank goodness! My writing pattern for Streetwalker varied from most of my other novels. I wrote most of it in scenes that I linked rather than in a linear progression. I wrote much of it at night, even though I’m a morning person. I felt I was just the fingers on the keyboard! My very first novel was done that way as well. Lucinda may never find a home, but she took over her book and made me write her story instead of the one I planned to write. Carrie must have trained with Lucinda, because she was very insistent about what I write!

What are your favorite traits of the two main characters?

Carrie is my 24-year-old prostitute who works her way into a deal to partner with Harlan, the older male “madam” of a high-end brothel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The fact that he’s black doesn’t bother her, but the way he works his way into her life does! Harlan is the sexiest man she’s ever met, and he threatens her vow to never let a man get close. Carrie is vulnerable while trying to be tough, and Harlan just doesn’t get ruffled about much. She’s smart but doesn’t think she is. She’s curious and a voracious reader. Harlan’s extensive vocabulary intrigues her, and she requests he define words he uses. Harlan is a fixer. He sees Carrie for who she truly is long before she’s aware of it, and he sets about to ensure she attain her potential. Their sex is sizzling even as she fights her attraction to him. His dark demons cause him to withhold part of himself, too. While they have a HFN ending to book one, more misadventures await the two of them in the remaining books in the trilogy.

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Do You Want to Skype with Angelica French?

What is Skypeing?

Skype is a free download (for basic service) allowing you to have a video and audio chat with people around the world. Other features allow text chats or phone conversations.

How does it work?

1.    You need a webcam, an Internet connection, and a device with microphone and speakers. (Also tablet, cell phone, TV, or home phone)

2.    Download Skype for free for the basic program at www.skype.com

3.    Open Skype from your desktop or start menu.

4.    Create your account name and the name others will see.

5.    There is a small charge for phone calls.

6.    Create contacts by clicking on the + (for Mac) or head and + sign (for PC)

7.    “Add New Contact” click and follow directions

8.    The contact you added has to accept the connection, too. Skype will notify you when they are added.

9.    Tell your contact when you want to Skype (e-mail, phone, etc.)

10.Check if your contact is online. A green checkmark means yes; gray is no.

11.You’ll see in the bottom, right hand side when your contact logs on. If they have, the name will be in a list on the left side. Click on the name.

12.You can chat (text box at bottom) or talk.

13.Say good-bye, click on the red phone button at the bottom of the screen

How do we connect?

Contact Angelica French for into to put into Skype and permission to add her to your contacts at romancerighter@gmail.com                                   

Read more about Skype:

http://www.skype.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVElj-cg2w

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/tips/how-to-use-skype.htm

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA11098/getting-started-with-skype-windows-desktop
 

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Carrie’s Top Ten Sex Tips

10. Think sex before having sex. It gets the juices going.

9. Talk dirty in your partner’s ear while s/he loads the dishwasher.

8. Don’t just not say “no” to sex; initiate a romp, and often.

7. Put naughty notes in a lunch bag for a real “happy hour” after work.

6. Rent a XXX movie and act it out while it plays.

5. Pretend sleep, but display yourself as an invitation to follow “up” on.

4. Wake him as a “midnight rider” and straddle him until he bucks back.

3. Boot the TV out of the bedroom.

2. Leave a note sending her to a bar. Pick her up & get it on in a motel room.

And Carrie’s #1 Sex Tip for a healthy, happy sex life . . .

1. Laugh with your partner in bed, not at him/her. Humor signals a great sex life.

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Reader’s Guide to Discussing STREETWALKER

This book is classified as “erotic romance”. What are the differences among erotic romance, erotica, and porn?

How would you describe the author’s writing style? Describe a favorite scene.

Besides the main characters, what stood out to you in the story (setting, dialogue, another character, the premise)?

Does Streetwalker rely or major or minor coincidences? In what way? Are they plausible? Necessary?

Is sexual addiction a plausible explanation for Harlan’s actions? Why do you believe, or not, that sexual addiction is a real disorder?

How effectively did the author use plot twists and surprise revelations?

Could you “hang out” with Carrie or Harlan? Why? What would you do together?

Why is Carrie torn both attracted and repelled by Harlan? What is their future relationship going to be?

Carrie was sexually abused as a child. How does that justify her career choice?

If Lauren came back in the next book, what could her role be?

In what ways was the ending satisfying? What’s next for Carrie and Harlan? What do you think happens next?

Book Club Kit: STREETWALKER                                                                8

How to Contact Angelica French and Find Her On-line

“Like” Angelica French on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angelica-French/171767719528865

“Follow” her on Twitter at:

@RomanceRighter

“Comment” on Angelica’s blogs at:

“Romance Righter”: www.angelicafrench.blogspot.com

“Write Away”: www.samwriteaway.blogspot.com

E-mail her at:

romancerighter@gmail.com
 

Book Club Kit: STREETWALKER                                                                9

Books in the “Sex Sells” Series

Streetwalker, Sizzler Editions, 2013

Foreplay, Sizzler Editions, late 2014

Sex for Sale, Sizzler Editions, TBA

Book Club Kit: STREETWALKER                                                                10

Other Erotic Romance Authors You Might Like

If you enjoyed STREETWALKER, odds are good you would like other books in the erotic romance sub-genre.

This is not an exhaustive list, merely a start for you. There is a range of heat levels and gender involvement. Some are fantasy/paranormal, some are real folks with a variety of sexual orientations. Sample to find your favorite flavor!

Ashley, Jennifer

Bella, Sarah

Cassidy, CeeJay                                                            

Casteel, Joelle                                                            

Church, Margie

Cox, Archibald

Cross, Dylan

Cutter, Kb

Dayne, Cassandra

Illyvich, Sascha

James, E.L

Kendall, Kim

Lain, Tara

Llewellyn, Elizabeth

Mancini, Emilia

Nickles, Nichelle

Nightingale, M. J.

           

Paul, Emma

Post, Lexi

Remiel, Deena

Rhea, Lani

Schartz, Vijaya

Taurus, Cleo

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Did You Wonder about …?

Authors do a lot of research for each book they write. Sometimes the research is on clothing or cultural/historical events. Sometimes it is on locales in the book. For this book, I read bios of famous and lesser-known prostitutes, researched weird sex laws in states and sexual positions, and I visited a lot of on-line sex sites. Oh, my!

I thought you might be especially interested in two other areas I researched for this book: Prostitution and Sex Addiction. Here is some of what I found:

Prostitution

I hope no one thinks I am making light of prostitution in this country because it has serious health and monetary implications. There are so many levels of sex trafficking, and I chose high-end services to highlight. Carrie talks some about streetwalking and about whore houses that are NOT high-end.

Harlan’s place is so rare, if it even exists, that it should not be taken as the model for bordellos. Having a contract, as his prostitutes do, and making sure they are healthy is a device I used in this book. Those are not the standard practices in the profession.

Some factoids:  

         *The average age for entering the sex trade is 14.

         * It is more typical to punish the prostitute than the client.

         * Every cultural group in history has had prostitutes.

         * In the 18^th century BC, prostitutes had property rights protected by law.

         * In the 18^th century CE, some prostitutes began using condoms.

         * In the U.S., prostitution was made illegal in most states in 1910-1915.

Should prostitution be legalized, and therefore, monitored and regulated? Should prostitution be a career choice? As you might imagine, there is a good bit of discussion on the topic. Both the pros and the cons are compelling.

Read more at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_prostitution

http://prostitution.procon.org/

http://www.liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html

www.nevadacoalition.org/factsheets/LegliznFactSheet091707c.pdf

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/25/us/miami-sex-trafficking/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Book Club Kit: STREETWALKER                                                                12

Sex Addiction

Does Harlan have a problem or is he just the man of your dreams? With his seemingly Eveready battery-powered equipment, you probably wondered, as you read, whether he was capable of fidelity and/or monogamy. Is Carrie in for further heartbreak? Stay tuned for the next book!

To be clear, this section is focused on a clinical disorder discussion as opposed to those of us just highly sexed! I come from a long line of sexual beings, and I’m proud of it. But a “clinical disorder” means that the behaviors interrupt normal life to the extent of interference with daily functioning.

“Hypersexual Disorder”, the professional’s term for sex addiction, appears briefly in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V), the major reference text of the American Psychiatric Association, but it is not accepted as a disorder yet, if ever. Psychiatrists did however list hypersexuality as one area requiring further research.

Other psychiatrists, the ones pushing for the inclusion of hypersexuality in the DSM-V, believe that the DSM-V should have taken the opportunity to clarify that the disorder is real and not merely the stuff of tabloid headlines.

If sex addiction is not identified by the DSM as a disorder, then there are no identified criteria for behaviors or ways to treat the disorder.

Factoids:

         * “Sex Addiction” manifests as impulsive or compulsive sexual behavior.

         * Some think hypersexuality is a form of OCD.

         * There is wide variation in sexual tastes, appetites, and behaviors.

         * “Sexual Addiction” appeared in the 1980 DSM but was removed in 1994.

         * The DSM-V does include “hypoactive sexual desire” in women.

         * Hypersexuality is most often associated with men.

* Hypoactive sexuality is most often associated with women.

         * There are drugs for hypoactive sexuality men, but not for women.

Read more at:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/05/too-much-or-too-little-dsm-vs-gray-area-on-sex.html

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/showbiz/2013/09/17/esr-bts-gwyneth-paltrow-sex-addiction-thanks-for-sharing.cnn.html

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/10/22/sex-addiction-legitimate-disorder?hpt=hp_bn15

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Tips: How to Run a Book Club Discussion

Book clubs vary in organizational structures. Perhaps your book club has everyone reading the same book and then you gather to discuss your reactions. Or it might be that each month, each member brings a recommendation for a book to read and spends a few minutes summarizing the book and fielding questions about it. Sometimes the discussion prompts are given in advance of the meeting to allow focused reflection while reading.

No matter what structure you use, discussions are enhanced when deep reading of the text leads to insightful comments. One should exit a book club meeting feeling smarter!

Odds are you made the following decisions early on:

When, where, for how long, and how often to meet          If there will be food served and what kind          If you have a leader for the year or one who rotates with meetings          What the leader’s role is          What types of books the group will read/discuss and who picks them          Whether you will read books with movie tie-ins          Who develops the discussion questions/topics

Perhaps these issues will never raise their heads in your book club, but if so you’ll be more successful if you address what are acceptable and unacceptable behaviors before your first meeting. You might have people who:

Behavior	Possible Fix:
Dominates the conversation	Set a timer; everyone must share before one can share again
Bullies others to get them to agree	Leader intervenes to say each opinion is to be valued whether or not you share it
Always hates the book chosen	Rotate who selects books or put person on the selection committee; rotate genres
Never reads the book	Decide before it happens how you will handle this for members whose lives get complicated. Participating in discussions is okay.
Gets off topic during discussion	Leader intervenes to bring the discussion back in focus

        

 

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I provided discussion topics for STREETWALKER on page 7. However, you may want to develop your own.

·      Avoid Yes-No questions as that short circuits discussion.

·      Either ask a substantive question or raise a topic for an issue to discuss.

What follows are prompts you can adapt to any novel. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.

Generic Discussion Prompts:

1) What personal meaning does this book hold for you? What connections did

you make?

2) How does the author deal with broader social issues? How are

subcultures/belief systems/political systems dealt with?

3) How did the author use symbolism? How do characters interact with the

symbols?

4) What is the structure of the novel? (alternating points of view, flashback,

linear)

5) How well does the structure match the novel?

6) What is the author’s theme? How well does it work for this book?

7) Authors often revisit themes. Does this book develop a theme in another book

you’ve read by this author or others?

8) How does the author connect the theme to the setting? 

9) In what ways do you identify with one or more characters? Why?

10) What are the strengths and limitations of the major characters?

11) What is driving the characters to act as they do?

12) What growth/lesson learned do you see in characters?

13) Describe the interactions among characters. How are the interactions

believable?

14) Are the characters believable? What is an example?

15) How does the author use language? Dialect? Unfamiliar words? Creating new

words?

16) Identify some memorable phrasing--good or bad--and explain why.

17) Were the main and subplot lines clearly developed and engaging? Why?

18) In what ways were the plot lines believable?

19) Is the ending satisfying? If you were writing the sequel, where would the

book go next?

20) If the author were with you, what question(s) would you ask?