From Wikipedia: With its origins in nineteenth century music hall entertainments and vaudeville, in the early twentieth century burlesque emerged as a populist blend of satire, performance art, and adult entertainment, that featured strip tease and broad comedy acts that derived their name from the low comedy aspects of the literary genre known as burlesque.

In burlesque, performers, usually female, often create elaborate sets with lush, colorful costumes, mood-appropriate music, and dramatic lighting, and may even include novelty acts, such as fire-breathing or demonstrations of unusual flexibility, to enhance the impact of their performance.

Put simply, burlesque means “in an upside down style”. Like its cousin, commedia dell’arte, burlesque turns social norms head over heels. Burlesque is a style of live entertainment that encompasses pastiche, parody, and wit. The genre traditionally encompasses a variety of acts such as dancing girls, chanson singers, comedians, mime artists, and strip tease artistes, all satirical and with a saucy edge. The strip tease element of burlesque became subject to extensive local legislation, leading to a theatrical form that titillated without falling foul of censors.

It is absolutely sexy. The dancing is sexy and it’s meant to titilate. But it’s an accentuation of the feminine, a play on sensuality rather than raw sex. It’s not better or worse than stripping, it’s just different.

No pole in sight. No lap dances. This is a strip tease – as in no actual nakedness – it’s the art of the tease.

From Stripped: Sensual smoke and mirrors. Dahlia didn’t show the audience any more than she’d show at the beach. They wouldn’t see her nipples and her panties would stay right on her booty with the fishnets below that.

Playing coy, she waved with one hand, pretending to almost drop the hat as she took the first step back up to the dressing room. And another step and two more. Once her body was in the doorway she turned and tossed the hat back to Timmy. With a hand over her mouth stifling a pretend giggle, she kicked up her leg and was gone behind the curtain.

Dahlia isn’t ashamed of what she’s doing. It’s part artistic expression, part good paycheck and part expression of a part of herself she had trouble expressing in her daily life. This isn’t a woman lap dancing to pay for books (although I do have a friend who stripped to pay for law school). Her story is far more complicated than that.

Burlesque is far more theatrical than stripping is (although some strippers do put a lot of energy into their routines). There’s quite frequently a live jazz band on the stage.

The idea for Stripped came to me after my husband and I went to Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce in Las Vegas in 2006. The Dollhouse is a lot like this place with differences of course, but the feel is similar in that the women are dancers and perfomers.

Behind closed doors, the real games begin…

Winning it big.

That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on a roll of the dice…and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away free.

Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay… with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

My story is Stripped. I came up with the idea while, not so surprisingly, I was on a trip with my husband to Las Vegas and we went to Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce – a fabulous old style burlesque show/lounge in the Mandalay Bay. I came back, ready to write the book and my agent called and asked if I’d be interested in being part of a Vegas themed anthology pitch. I think for me, it was meant to happen and I’m glad it did.

Anyway – an excerpt of Stripped exists right behind the cut!

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS: STRIPPED BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2008, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Harlequin Enterprises
Releasing May 1

After dinner, they cleaned the kitchen as a team and retired to her couch, which thankfully, was cozy enough to keep her close.

“I talked an awful lot about myself tonight. I want to know more about you and your family. Your brother. What you were like growing up. I know you grew up in Boston but also said you spent a lot of time here in Las Vegas. What was that like? You’ve told me some but I’d like to know more.”

He took her wine glass and put it on the end table and turned her chin so that she faced him. “That’s for our next date. Right now, I need to kiss you. I’ve thought about little else since last night about five seconds after I kissed you last.”

“Oh.” Not for the first time, Dahlia wondered at his ability to render her speechless and giddy. It made her wary, she wasn’t sure she liked anyone having that much of an affect on her. At the same time, it felt wonderful to drop her guard and let someone get close. The intensity and depth of the things he made her feel brought everything to do with him into vivid focus. She’d locked herself away for years after the experience at Warner Industries. Since then she’d just stayed focused on school.

Her gaze locked with his for long moments as his thumb brushed along the space on her neck just below her ear.

Leaning in, he took her lips.

He started slow, his mouth brushing lightly over hers, his lips warm and soft. The edge of his beard tickled her but it wasn’t scratchy. A shiver went through her as she imagined how it would feel against the soft skin of her inner thighs.

Without meaning to, a soft moan escaped her and he pulled her closer as his tongue slipped into her mouth. The kiss was sure without being overly aggressive. His taste marked her, filled her.

“God, more,” he gasped, bringing her astride him.

Her skirt rose up to her thighs and pleasure arced up her spine as her pussy settled over the hard line of his cock. He rolled his hips, grinding himself into her as his tongue lazily stroked into her mouth.

The cool silk of his hair tickled her hands as she held him. With a last tug of her bottom lip between his teeth, he moved to her chin and across her jaw line to her ear. His palms slid down her back to her waist, holding her to him as he rolled himself into her.

Heat began to build as his movements brought him over her clit through her panties. She was so damned turned on she wondered if she’d come just from that contact. That brief concern melted as he moved his mouth down her neck and her head fell back.

My story Stripped, comes out in the What Happens in Vegas anthology on May 1 (although I’ll have it to sign at RT, wheee!). Stripped is the story of Dahlia Baker, a small town girl living in Las Vegas to get her MBA and to pay her bills, she works at a burlesque club called The Dollhouse where she meets the owner’s brother Nash Emery. Sparks fly, and you know, sexin, arguing, angst, dancing and HEA.

So I thought for Poetry/WIP Monday I’d give a little glimpse into Dahlia and Nash’s world…

Excerpt behind the cut with a tiny bit of adult content…

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
STRIPPED BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2008, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Releasing May 1

He stopped her as she moved to get into the car, his body caged her against her door. The heat rolled off him in waves, making her slightly dizzy.

“Goodnight, Dahlia. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

His lips brushed over hers gently once, twice and he started to pull away only to return, crushing his mouth over hers. She could do little more than reach up and hold on as he plundered her mouth with his own. Lips, teeth and tongue worked in concert to completely devastate her defenses against him. If there’d been any at all to begin with.

Body to body, she pressed into him, wanting more contact, needing more from him. The ragged moan she swallowed from his lips excited her senses as much as the heat of his hand that lay on her hip, just beneath the sweatshirt against her bare skin. His thumb stroked back and forth over her hip bone, sending bursts of electric sensation through her.

It took all her will not to throw her leg up over his hip and grind into him. God she wanted him desperately. Wanted to rub all over him like a cat.

His tongue stroked sinuous and seductive over her own, making her weak in the knees. He tasted like good gin and cigars. Like sex and sin and trouble.

When he pulled back and broke the kiss she put her hand to her lips, still tasting him there.

“Sweet dreams.” He looked deliciously tousled as he took a step back, one hand in his pocket, the other raised in a wave.

Mechanically, she got into the car and pulled away.

Whew! That was the hottest kiss she’d ever experienced. The man was a freaking genius with his lips. It made her wonder what his oral technique was. She snorted, it wasn’t like she hadn’t been wondering that since the first time she met him. Now that his tongue had been in her mouth, she could imagine far better how it would feel against her clit.

She was so totally going to jump on him the next night. She just hoped she could contain herself until after dinner.

I’m trying to recover from being sick, which sucks but with three young kids, it’s sort of old hat. I’m sweaty, dizzy and now annoyed at my children but such is life, LOL. Anyway, I’m thinking a lot about three things:

First – The Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in April. This will be my second year and I’m totally thrilled to be attending again. I’m trying to figure out all the basics, the promotion stuff, the swag for our reader party, costumes and clothes – all that good stuff.

The trip will be jam packed with stuff – I’m flying into Anya’s neck of the woods and she and I are driving to Megan’s! Then we’re getting our author shots with the super fabulous Scott Church. I’ve wanted so much to get him to do my headshots but he’s in PA and I’m in Washington so I wasn’t sure when to make it happen. I’m totally thrilled about it! And then there’ll be a signing and Megan, Anya and I will do a fun live webcast probably Monday night before we head into Pittsburgh for RT on Tuesday. Then you know, RT stuff for days and days. Books, authors, readers, dancing, friends old and new, it’s going to be fabulous.

Second: The release of What Happens in Vegas May 1! (and I’ve heard it’ll be available early at RT!!) Oh my goodness how excited am I about this anthology!! We sold it in late 2006 so the four of us have been waiting a while now for it. Recently we’ve received some early reviews so I’ll be posting those at my website soon and now it’s a matter of making sure the ads are in place, getting my prize baskets ready for RT and contests elsewhere and trying not to break my neck looking at Amazon and Barnes and Noble every three minutes.

Here’s a longer blurb for my story, Stripped:

Dahlia Baker had a reputation in her hometown. It was one of the things a woman with a body like hers had to contend with. As if large breasts and legs for miles made her a dumb bimbo. But it wasn’t like anyone cared that she had a 4.0 and a free ride to UNLV and so she grabbed opportunity with both hands and headed for the sunny heat of Las Vegas.

Still, she has bills to pay and if she wants to keep herself in books and a roof over her head, she has to get a job. And that’s where The Dollhouse came in where she worked as a burlesque dancer.

She’s got a plan for her future. But into her life strolls Nash, the brother of the man who owned the Dollhouse and a reputed player. Nash was literally the hottest man she’d ever clapped eyes on.

And he wants her.

Despite her reservations, they enter into a fiery affair and soon Dahlia’s heart is involved.

Nash knows Dahlia is skittish and over time, he begins to understand why. He may be a playboy, but he knows what he wants and he wants forever with Dahlia. It’s just going to take a very skillful combination of extremely hot sex and unconditional love to get her to see it too.

Third (and related to #2): Getting Sensual Magic finished. This is the follow up to Stripped, the novella I’ve got in the Vegas anthology. I’m nearly done and if I can stop feeling like I’m going to hack up a lung, I’ll be done by the end of this month and have plenty of time for crit and revisions. This is William’s story, he’s Nash’s brother and he owns The Dollhouse, the burlesque club Dahlia (heroine from Stripped) works in. This one has a paranormal storyline (as do the others in the second anthology!)

oy, there’s “pull my finger” talk going on in the other room, must put a stop to it before I get “the talk” from teachers.

Also, the fabulous Dreamforge Media is designing a new blog template for the Maverick Authors! I can’t wait to unveil it. All kinds of exciting stuff going on!

Also, yesterday, the new RT came in the mail. I already knew I’d gotten a fabulous review for Ascension but EC had a backpage ad with one of the anthologies I’m in – Feral Fascination as well as in the Spring books preview, the Vegas anthology got a mention! It was quite lovely to see. Also, some friends got some great reviews, which is also nice to see.

Cooking on Battlefront – and I made a Battlefront book page here so you can read the loose blurb for it and get an idea of what the book is about. I’m just shy of 50K now, over halfway finished with the book and now that I’m getting ready to transition, I’m feeling better about pacing. The middle of a book is always the hardest for me to write!

Tonight is Battlestar Galactica Razor with my dude! It’s a movie that gives you the story of what happened on the Pegasus when the Cylons attacked up until the start of this upcoming season. Yes, yes I am a sci fi freak and I’m proud of it! This movie is on my calendar I so love the series, LOL. Plus, it’s good date night fodder with my husband.

Monday I’ll work on Standoff, it’ll have been a week since I finished so it had some time to digest.

Um, that’s really about it. I’m going to gorge on Gordon Ramsay today on the BBC. I love him so much.

Vengeance Due is finally up for sale at Amazon.com but not at Barnes and Noble. Chased is up for pre-order at Barnes and Noble but not at Amazon. Sigh. Whatevah, I roll with zee punches, LOL.

Genre bashing is stupid. Insulting readers is suicidal. Duh. I say duh again and also, an ear flick for making fun of the intelligence of my most fabulous readers.

Stuff on my To Do List for this week:

1. Chatting tomorrow night at Romance At Heart! This is my first chat with them so please come out to say hello!

2. Find what to cut to get the last 1K out of Stripped to get it down to 27K

3. Finish fleshing out the story for my next proposal for the Vegas anth

4. Get more written on Making Chase

5. Get bookmarks ordered for RT

6. Clean my house (my husband would be very happy with this one)

7. Be sure everything contest wise has been mailed out.

In and around this there are kid type things – a play for one child on Saturday while the other one is at a birthday party. Present procuring for said party. Teacher conference for one kiddo. The usual, LOL.

Not a bad week!

January – I spent a lot of time recovering from the end of 2005, LOL. I got a new website design from the most incredible Frauke and Croco Designs. I sent out Giving Chase to Samhain, got a cover for Sleight of Hand.

February - Sleight of Hand released from Whispers – my first release of 2006 and my first novella! I hit the first major block in writing Threat of Darkness (way back then) and I worked on Tri Mates.

March – went to Las Vegas with Megan and Anya and had such a great time. Celebrated Megan’s book deal with Spice, Anya landed an agent and shortly thereafter I did too. It’s been a very good year for the Mavericks! Got the idea for GWAB.

April – Cascadia Wolves: Enforcer released from EC. Tri Mates is contracted. I sent in Thrice United to my editor as well. Got some pretty covers as well.

May - Offered contracts on Thrice Bound and Reluctant. Got edits on multiple books. Finished Sword and Crown

June – Giving Chase releases! Sudden Desire releases – both are new arenas for me – romantic suspense and a contemporary quickie – both did very well but Giving Chase did so well it renewed my confidence. Anya Bast sold two books to Berkley – Witch Fire comes out in June of 07! Taking Chase was contracted.

July - my hard drive died and I lost pictures of my children. Oh that sucked! I wrote and wrote and wrote.

August – Vengeance Due released. I took my first solo vacation with my husband in over a decade – to Las Vegas. Got the idea for Stripped. Dealt with the death of our hard drive, took a family vacation. My four year old turned 5, my 1 year old turned 2. My agent hooked me up with Jodi Lynn Copeland and Anya Bast to pitch a Vegas themed anthology and I start writing Stripped.

September – Reluctant releases. I get deep into writing and editing. My agent pitches the What Happens in Vegas anthology and Goddess With a Blade.

October – Threat of Darkness and I continue to be at odds. I pick it up and put it down several times. Finally, at month’s end, I figure out the problem and finish up in relative ease and get it to my editor. Did edits for Sword and Crown and Taking Chase.

November - Tri Mates releases and I find out Thrice United will also release. On the same day Taking Chase releases. November was a very, very busy month. I SOLD STRIPPED TO HARLEQUIN SPICE! I sold Ascension and Threat of Darkness to EC and I got started on Chased. All told, I wrote right about 90K words in the month of November between original wip, edits, etc. November was a month that was incredibly productive and also gave me so much to be thankful for. It fueled me and got me back on track.

December – Finished Chased, finished a revision of Enclave – crits, more revision, off to editor and agent. Nearly done with partial of The Others, started revision of the next book after Ascension that is currently without a title. Wonderful holidays with my friends and family. Three CAPA nominations.

All in all, I’ve got a whole hell of a lot to be thankful and grateful for. Yes, I have worked damned hard, but without my family, without my readers and my friends, without my editors and my agent who all believe in me and support me – I don’t know where I’d be, but not here, looking back at a year of wonderful moments and successes.

As a way to say thank you, I’m going to do a contest. All you need to do is comment on the blog. Between now and January 3 – I’ll take the commenters and toss em into the randomizer and pick three winners who’ll win one of their choice of my available titles – including paper. Good luck!