I’m very pleased to introduce you to Star, a sex worker in Amsterdam.  Yes, she’s completely fictional, but she’s one of those characters who has taken on a life of her own.  Through My Window is the first book in an intended line of short stories about her adventures.  The second installment is currently going through the contract process. Woohoo!  It’s a Christmas story so hopefully you’ll see that out in a few months.

Some of you may know, my husband and I enjoy traveling the world when we can.  This series was inspired by our trip to Europe last year.  We stopped in Amsterdam for a few days at the end of the journey (we started out in Spain then wandered through France, Belgium and the Netherlands).  To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the city was gorgeous.

By day, the canals and markets were great scenery to wander through and at night… well, there was a heck of a lot more to see when the sun went down.  Hopefully I’ve captured the international flavor of the city and their progressive attitude toward sex work in the book.

Through My Window is not unique, by the way.  I’ve been to every place I’ve written about including Ireland, Italy, France and even Harrisburg, PA.  Shifting Gears (sequel to Driven in the Cougar Challenge series, which hits shelves next month) features some of the scenery I enjoyed and insights I gained in China.  So if you enjoy the travel aspects of my books, stay tuned for more.  On impulse last week, my husband and I called our travel agent and took off to the Riviera Maya (in Mexico) for a long weekend.  Who knows when or where that will turn up, but our excursions supply plenty of ideas for books.

Enough rambling!  Here’s the blurb and a brief excerpt for Through My Window, which you can purchase from Ellora’s Cave here.  I hope you enjoy the first glimpse into Star’s lifestyle.

Through my window, a sea of strangers swirl and retreat like waves in an ocean of humanity. I brush my hair, fix my makeup and flip on the glaring red light in my booth before turning to face my audience on the other side of the glass.

For Star, this is just another night on the job, though no two are ever alike. She loves her career and excels at bringing her customers pleasure, relief or intimacy. Adaptable and perceptive, she becomes many things in the course of one evening–whore, lover, nurse, psychologist and friend. But above all, she’s still a woman. And her customers change her with every encounter. Through her window, she observes the world and enhances it when it spills into her realm.

Excerpt:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: THROUGH MY WINDOW

Copyright © JAYNE RYLON, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Dusk

Through my window, a sea of strangers swirl and retreat like waves in an ocean of humanity. I brush my hair, fix my makeup and flip on the glaring red light in my booth before turning to face them on the other side of the glass.

They begin each evening like still waters. Ebbing and flowing past my window. Unaffected by buffeting winds or brewing desires. Eddying in swirls as they gather, peek around our infamous district with downcast eyes, then scatter—awkward and unsure yet inquisitive.

Curious couples setting out on tandem adventures, young men high on the moral freedom of Amsterdam and clusters of women indulging in a wild night with friends all dip their toes in the pool.

Later, much later, they will roil and crash against the glass in a typhoon of wanton excess—of food, drink, drugs and sex—that never ceases to amaze me.

Or to infect me with its primal power.

Most women shoot me glances of pity if they look at me at all. I feel sorry for them, that they don’t understand. But some…some grin and nod.

Appreciation.

Respect.

Envy.

A select few go further, seeking my services so they can share in the rush for a brief time.

Men are more likely to notice my sincere yearning to please right away. All manner of them from young to old, rich to poor, thin to fat and virile to impotent appraise me with hungry eyes.

Cynics might say my killer curves, mile-high stilettos or long mane of platinum hair are responsible for their focused attention. I don’t buy that. I’m not the most attractive working girl on the block. But I’m one of the busiest.

Customers can sense I’m different than most. They recognize I’m here not because I have to be but because I want to be. I absorb their stares before returning some of my own. The authority they grant me is intoxicating and addicting.

I love enticing a kindred spirit to my lair for both our enjoyment and my profit.

The hot, red lights of my booth, along the canal slicing through the heart of De Wallen, glint off my silver-sequined costume. What little of it there is anyway. The warm air in the space caresses my bared skin each time my neighbors let someone in or show them out.

Satisfaction guaranteed.

Theirs. And mine. Ours.