Festival of Lights

I am reminded for many reasons that today marks the first day of Chanukkah. I grew up with a sister-like best friend that was/is Jewish. I feel fortunate to have learned and participated in many of her family's rich, Hebrew customs. I was raised Catholic, and she would sometimes go to Sunday mass with me. We both feel that we're somehow a mixed breed of both those religions and I'm sure that has contributed to how I see the world today...cock-eyed would be one way to describe it....

A publisher had put out a call for submissions: eight, erotic, Chanukkah stories. I know three other highly talented erotica writers that wrote stories for that submission. For some reason, the publisher decided not to move forward with that submission call, so it makes me feel a bit warm and tingly knowing there are erotic, Chanukkah stories stored on hard drives as I write this.

Mazel tov!

The good news is, Jeremy Edwards' story, The Golden Latke is up at Ruthie's Club today and you can read EllaRegina's Twisted Candles story on her blog. Kirsten Monroe's Fairy Tale Ending is up on her blog today also. Please check out these amazing writers and their Chanukkah stories.

Here's a taste of the story I'd written for that submission - maybe next year I'll find a proper, festival of lights home for Non-traditional:

"Since age thirteen, I knew my sexual orientation was different from most of the girls I attended school with. When the girls at school swooned over the latest male pop-rock superstar; pointing at his chiseled jaw-line plastered on every cover of every adolescent and teenage rag-mag found at the grocery stores, I never understood the appeal. I was more interested in Bridgett Cohen. Bridgett sat in the desk one row over and one seat ahead of mine in our homeroom class.

Private schools and school uniforms were another part of my traditional Jewish upbringing. During the cold winter months, girls were required to wear navy skirts; just past our knees, long-sleeved, light blue oxford shirts, long gray socks, or gray tights and black shoes but as the weather began to warm up, you’d see more skin start to peek out between the layers of the uniform. I prayed for summer for that reason alone.

In the spring and summer months, Bridgett wore her three-pleated navy skirt, short- sleeved, light blue polo shirt and white, lacy; turned downed socks with her black loafers; exposing her long, tanned legs. As the homeroom light would blaze through the glass windows, it would catch the glistening of the soft blond hair on her coltish shins, rounded knees and shapely thighs. Bridgett was so different looking compared to most of the girls at school, including myself. My rich black, curly hair; olive skin; dark brown eyes and aquiline but regally arched nose were more typical-looking for the Jewish girls at my school.

Bridgett looked like an angel to me: She had a small, oval-shaped face, full, naturally red lips, green almond-shaped eyes and her dimpled cheeks were naturally flushed with a rosy glow; which always made me wonder what she was thinking about…lustful thoughts, I hoped….She had long, thick blond hair that she wore high up on her head in a ponytail, and it would swish back and forth in time with her hips; a perfect beat as she walked to and from her classes.

I would follow closely behind Bridgett as she would leave our homeroom class and head to her locker, which was fortunately located close to mine. I held my books close to my chest; trying to suffocate my pounding heart while the stirring between my thighs grew stronger. She would turn her sweet, cherubic face to one side; smiling and laughing in conversation with whomever she was walking with."

Latkes for all -

Neve