Erotic Fiction For Women In Midlife With Stella Fosse

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Written By Tera Johnson-Swartz

Special guest, Stella Fosse, has the pulse on writing what a lot of us are thinking (or fantasizing!). Her sexy stories have captivated midlife women across the globe and luckily, she’s been willing to share some of her secrets with us.

Oh, and Ms. Fosse also included my guest blog on her site too - Joining Hands Across Generations: Newly Minted crones.

Thanks Stella!

Who are you when you’re not being Stella Fosse?

The Stella Fosse pen name came about to spare my adult kids embarrassment about my erotic and romance writing.

I’m a 68-year-old grandmother, a retired biotech writer, and former English and science teacher. Grew up continuously sunburned on the beach in San Diego, back in the fifties when a house ten minutes from the beach cost ten grand. I’ve lived in the Bay Area, in New York City, and now in North Carolina, where I share a home and a couple acres with my dear partner.

What got you started on this journey?

A decade ago I read an article in the New York Times Book Review section by a middle aged romance novelist who advised her sister writers to create characters in their twenties if they wanted to get published. It reminded me of the Bronte sisters publishing with male names. Why should women be closeted to be published?

I was a tech writer and had written almost no fiction. But around the same time as I read that article, my friend Lynx Canon decided to start a reading series called “Dirty Old Women” at a bookstore in Oakland. I began writing sexy stories about life after midlife and going onstage to read them. The series attracted a varied crowd. Many in the audience were young women glad to hear that erotic life does not end at forty.

How did you come to write Aphrodite’s Pen?

At the height of our reading series, I approached Lynx Canon about starting a writing group for women past midlife. We launched our first Elderotica writing group six years ago and had a blast. I decided to write a short book to explain to others how to start such groups. I mentioned this project in passing to a woman sitting next to me at a writing retreat in a former convent in Marin. The woman said, “I’m from North Atlantic Books. Please send us your manuscript.” Not the typical story of pitching a book! We ended up expanding Aphrodite’s Pen to include ideas for solo writing, as well as interviews with women writers past midlife and story examples. It’s important for women to write our stories to push back on sexism and ageism.

How has your fiction writing changed over the years?

My first stories, such as “Terraforming” (which appears in the Dirty Old Woman Anthology), were explicitly erotic. Keep in mind that I was a late bloomer—I really discovered my sexuality in my fifties, after the end of a twenty-year relationship. I call that part of my life Second Adolescence.

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In 2020 my friend Carolyn was basically held captive in her senior housing community. At the height of the pandemic, anyone who left the premises was not allowed back in. “How am I supposed to have a love life?” she asked. I decided to write a collection of fantasy stories about the love lives of women in locked down senior housing. The Erotic Pandemic Ball came out last year, dedicated to Carolyn.

My new novel, Brilliant Charming Bastard, is about three women scientists in their sixties who discover they are dating the same lying dilettante. They decide that getting rich is the best revenge. It’s great fun to publish a debut novel at age 68. A friend pointed out that in this book, the sexy content is more integrated into the overall storyline than in my previous books. Sex is just one vehicle to tell vivid stories about the lives of women after midlife. Revenge is, of course, another.

And what about your nonfiction?

I started a blog at www.stellafosse.com to support the launch of Aphrodite’s Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife. At first the blog focused on why older women should write erotica. But the essay topics have expanded to include a broad range of subjects, inspired in part by my background in biotech. For example, my three-part series on estradiol exposed how older women are way overcharged for a simple steroid cream. I plan to write more about women’s health. I’m becoming more intentional about expanding my scope.

What else is coming up?

One of the great things about developing the Stella platform is the chance to build a network with older influencers (and yes, let’s start putting those two words together!). These are people like Joan Price (the senior sexpert), Ashton Applewhite (advocate for senior rights and author of This Chair Rocks), and I’ve just connected with Dr. Vania de la Fuente-Nunez, coordinator of the anti-ageism project at the World Health Organization. Building a movement across disciplines is important. And so is intersectionality: connecting with younger people across all genders, sexual orientations, ethnic and religious backgrounds. In a way, ageism is the ultimate intersection. All of us grow older every day. We can make the choice to celebrate our growing wisdom.

I need more Stella Fosse in my life, on my bookshelves, and if Hollywood would get it’s act together, on the big screen too. Who’s with me?

Special Featured Guest…

Stella Fosse is the nom de plume of a retired biotechnology professional who began writing sexy stories as an antidote to the ageism and sexism older women face in our society. Stella hails from California. She is glad to share the joy and excitement of writing past midlife with women in her adopted state of North Carolina, as well as through online workshops that span several continents. Her new novel, Brilliant Charming Bastard, launches October 29th.

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Tera Johnson-Swartz
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