On Amazon:

Paul Z. Myers, Literate erotica for the discerningly horny reader:

Bending is excellently written — and it’s not the usual one-dimensional porn I’ve encountered on the internet (you know what I mean: the “Tab A goes into Slot B” kind of porn that reads like an Ikea manual, with lube). It’s the kind of porn that explores what people are actually thinking and feeling, and it’s stronger for it.

My only reservation, and it’s not a criticism, is that it’s got a focused theme. This is a book of stories about dom/sub relations and spanking, and it doesn’t match up well with my personal kinks (which I will not discuss, except to note that the word “tentacle” only appears ONCE in the entire book, and then as a metaphor). But if it does align with your interests, expect quality arousal.

Givesgoodemail, Very pleasantly surprising:

Christina write a literate blog, and now I know she also can tell a credible tale that can stiffen or liquify (depending).

VERY MINOR SPOILER:
There was one story that was particularly well-written (and hot). It has an unexpected, abrupt ending, which turns out to work extremely well. I am always impressed by authors who say what they have to say, and then shut up.

It’s nice to fine literate porn. I look forward to more of her work.

On blogs:

j00licious, Shouts & Murmurs, A book review: Bending, by Greta Christina:

I think what I like best about this collection is that while Christina might well have been typing one-handed at times, her characters do not suffer for it. The reader is not made to feel like she or he is just being pulled along for the ride, watching meat puppets boink for the author’s jollies. Christina has managed to give real personhood to each and every character. I can name authors on the New York Times bestseller list who don’t do that. There’s an asshole jock who is realistically an asshole jock, not a caricature. There are men and women wracked with guilt so badly my heart broke for them. The ending of one story, The Rest Stop, made me cheer out loud. There is a story that is, no shit, about a unicorn hooking up with a rainbow. I think it’s brilliant and it’s poignant, and while I didn’t wank to it, I’m sure it’ll make somebody horny (I would love to tell you why and how, but I can’t think of a way to do that without spoiling the story.)

There are themes within this collection, or rather, favored topics of exploration and favored acts. Only once, however, did I think to myself “Spanking again, Greta?” and then she did something totally new with it. Ditto humiliation and consent. I wasn’t always titillated, but I was never, ever bored.

Give Bending a shot. And, whether alone or with others, have good sex.

Read the entire review.

Tom Carlson, Sexy Red-Headed Nuns, Fap fap fap…

This is quality stuff. Greta’s a superb writer in general and she’s no less skilled in the realm of erotica. The stories are a good balance of set-up and pay-off. It’s not just balls-to-the-wall sexual descriptions, but nor does it shy from those. For me, the build up and situation setting is just as important as the sex, so I was very happy. Many stories trail off, leaving the ultimate conclusion to your imagination. If I were going to pick nits, I would have liked them to trail off a little later then many did, though.

I found most of the stories to be blazing hot. A few didn’t really “do it” for me, but that’s to be expected. And I didn’t dislike those few, they just didn’t really hit the spot for me as well as the others did. (The unicorn and rainbow story, for example, was clever and a nice break, but didn’t get me turned on. The Catholic one did. The other religious ones didn’t.)

The final novella is great, going on longer than anticipated, but in a logical way.

If I’m going to make an actual complaint it’s that most of the stories are from a female bottom perspective. I could have done with a few more stories of men being treated roughly.

Read the entire review.

Avicenna, A Million Gods, Sanguine Fallacies:

If you think my attempt at erotic fiction (or should it be Fucktion?) is terrible and that I am only fit to write bodice rippers for Mills & Boone/ Harlequin then I suggest you go see how it’s “Really Done”. Greta Christina’s book on Erotic Fiction is a lot better than mine and is now out!

(For the record: I rather like Avicenna’s attempt at erotic fiction.)

On Twitter:

Jo Alabaster, @joalabaster: @GretaChristina I wish Bending had been ten times longer, it was a sublime read. Please can you suggest where to look for similar erotica?

max f, @maxikf: finished 1st story in bending & dont remember having a more sustained erection. Tmi, perhaps; needed to be said, absolutely

Anne Sauer, @aynsavoy: Highly recommend @GretaChristina’s new kink erotica book, Bending. Read an excerpt here: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2013/04/26/breasts-excerpt/

*****

Thanks, everyone!

And if you’ve said nice things about Bending on Twitter, blogs, or elsewhere in the public eye, and I haven’t cited them, let me know! I’ll put it in next week’s round-up. If you’ve read the book and liked it, an Amazon review would be awesome. And once again, you can buy the book at Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords!