The Quest for Inspiration
Dateline: Back from Vegas (Hell)
By: The Author behind Peter Schutes
I’d thought a trip to Las Vegas would inspire another story or perhaps, if I were lucky, a novel. So far, it was not the case. The 113-degree heat, the crowds on the Strip, and the sadly empty casinos from ten years ago were not inspiring. Gone were the quaint one-armed bandits, replaced by giant, confusing video screens where you could never tell if you’d won or not. If you did find one of the old-school slot machines, it was still inexplicably complicated. I won 15 cents by cashing out a few abandoned machines.
Seeking a feel for the pre-1980s Vegas, I headed down to Fremont Street, the original home to gambling palaces. Sadly, none of the casinos there retained their old-school charm. In a bid to compete with The Strip, the Golden Nugget upped its game. The fresh carpeting, giant video slots, and slick restaurants were a sad testament to the changing tastes of America. I might be a curmudgeon, but I needed that old flavor to be inspired. The Pioneer, home to the waving cowboy, had been gutted and replaced with a mobile phone shop and a jewelry store. I believe the Golden Nugget bought the backside of the casino in their quest for expansion, though I didn’t verify my suspicions.
Binion’s retained some of its 1970s charm, although the virtual reality booth in front was anachronistic and shabby. I felt like I had a case of pink eye waiting there for me. I didn’t make it inside the Four Queens because I was melting and starving. Maybe it was a holdout, too. The exterior looked shabby and quaint.
This writer is always in search of a story, a character, a setting, or all three. I saw one hunk who might show up in a story. I saw one casino that smelled and looked like the days of yore. But I didn’t find a story. I’m going to have to let that hunk tell it to me. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes, messy hair, and wore jeans that looked straight out of a Led Zeppelin concert. I’ve named him Harold, but his friends call him “Bo” because he walks bowl-legged for reasons that any fan of my stories can guess.
But I don’t have a story. I’ll just have to let it simmer until something comes up. Maybe he’ll meet a man who looks like the cowboy in front of the Pioneer Casino!
New Paperbacks on the Horizon
We have a few new paperbacks in the hopper. “Dirty Daddies and Steamy Showers” will be published soon. It is a collection of tales of men who get very dirty at work, whether in a coal mine, a sewage treatment plant, or picking up dog shit to sell to tanneries in Victorian London.
A science fiction duology called “Cosmic Cage” is nearly ready for pre-sale. It features two stories of imprisonment in speculative settings in the near or distant future. I predict this will be a crossover bestseller for lovers of SF and smut. If you have an erotic science fiction story in the old-school style (think Asimov, Dick, or Heinlein) then by all means submit. The submissions tab is a click away.
Because the college theme is a hot seller (Dirty Dorms made the top five on Amazon for LGBTQ+ Erotica!), we’re planning a second anthology called “Dirtier Dorms and Fresher Men.” We need submissions for this college-themed collection.
We will attempt to publish Peter’s super-transgressive male pregnancy (MPREG) stories in paperback format. Some of these were blocked or banned, so it’s a big risk. But Ingram is a much more forgiving and understanding distributor than that rainforest namesake. When we explained that these retro paperbacks were an art project, they relented and let three titles out of jail. It was an affirming moment for us when they went live!
All that said, WE ARE LOOKING FOR QUALITY EROTIC FICTION. Please submit your work if you know you have what it takes. We’re particularly interested in softer, more romantic erotica. Peter Schutes writes hardcore smut. It’s great, and some folks love it, but we think it’s time to give the masses a more ‘Peter and Charlie’ variety of gay erotica. Check out the call for submissions and do your damnedest to impress us!
