Halloween Night, San Francisco…
…and it’s a party like no other in the world. Welcome to the streets of the Castro, where the women aren’t shy about what they want and how they’ll get it. Crowds, costumes and parties – the apartment building at 18th & Castro and the women who live there are in the thick of it all.
Couples who know how to mix lust and love, as well as first-time couplings full of passion and possibilities, make 18th & Castro the hottest address in the city by the bay.
Take a romantic, erotic journey with Karin Kallmaker in this follow-up to the smash bestseller, All the Wrong Places. The award-winning Undisputed Mistress of Lesbian Romance demonstrates once again why “Mistress” is fitting as she invites, seduces and delights lesbians worldwide with her signature-brand of romantic erotica.
Note that this is a Bella After Dark lesbian erotica title.
GCLS Goldie Awards
18th & Castro - Winner, Best Lesbian Erotica
Lambda Literary Awards
18th & Castro - Finalist, LGBT Erotica
Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice
18th & Castro - Top 5 Reader Favorite, Lesbian Short Stories
Lambda Book Report
Cecilia Martin - Summer, 2006: Award-winning author Karin Kallmaker comes up with another hot, steamy, erotic and engaging book for us romantics at heart. 18th & Castro tells the story of the occupants of a particular building on a Halloween night in the Castro, where love and lust abound for all.
Each chapter is set up with a different woman or couple in the pursuit of love, or at least lust, for the night. We get engrossed in the lives of the long term couple getting reacquainted after the birth of their child, the strangers meeting for the first time, and the longtime friends admitting to love (to name just a few of the stories told). Though each character's story is told in a single chapter, all the women are subtly introduced in the background throughout the book. This thru-line is an unexpected surprise because, at first glance, I thought this was a short story collection. But it's a welcome surprise because it makes the book more interesting.
The best thing about Kallmaker's writing is that she obviously takes great care with character development and exploring the world of the book: she is not about to write the "cheap and easy" formula novel. Because she cares, we care, and therefore the titillation and romance are deeply felt. If you are looking for a fun and sexy read to put you (or someone else) in the mood, pick up 18th & Castro.
In Newsweekly
Richard LaBonte: ...There's something original to every book, too; this latest is set almost entirely on Halloween in the Castro, with costumed women coming and going from an apartment building inhabited entirely by dykes. Some have lovers, some want lovers, some favor the frilly look, some love leathers - and all are out for a night of juicy action.
Family & Friends
September, 2006: Karin Kallmaker continues to amaze me with yet another story told in a totally different fashion than most... 18th & Castro takes the reader on an erotic journey and proves why Kallmaker is indeed the "Undisputed Mistress of Lesbian Romance.
August, 2006: It's hard enough to find erotica for lesbians and harder still to find depictions of what we do that are realistic. To find a collection of exceptionally written short stories that convey sex, love and romance the way that most lesbians actually experience it is beyond treasure. What's not to like about two women getting dressed for a costume party as Janeway and Seven, only to get sidetracked when a handcuff key goes missing? ... The long-term couple stories were, in fact, my favorites all the way around. ...Masterful storytelling that doesn't get in the way of generating incredible heat.
Just About Write
Kathi Isserman - September, 2006: After penning more than 20 novels, award-winning author Karin Kallmaker has once again given the reader a fresh look at romance. 18th & Castro is a witty and sexy collection of short stories with a unique, creative, and fun approach... Kallmaker's strength as an enduring well-liked author has been her understanding that we, the reader, want and need fantasy. She delivers on this every time whether in a short story, anthology, or novel.
Lynne Pierce - September, 2006: 18th & Castro ... is a collection of short stories, all written by Kallmaker, who takes the unusual approach of building the stories around a central theme... If you're looking for erotica, some of the stories are heavy in it, but not all of them and this provides a good variety. Because all of the stories are written by the same person and around a theme, there is a flow to the book even though each story stands alone.
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