I am in the process of publishing my second book of short stories, “The First Time” which will be available to purchase from late December. The primary story in my collection is entitled “The First Time” and looks at why Becky, a young graduate with a first-class degree in English literature enters the world of prostitution as a professional escort. In the story Becky sees no way of clearing her credit card debt other than selling her body. She fears losing her flat and becoming homeless and, in desperation requests her friend, Julie to introduce her to Mike one of Julie’s customers.

In an article entitled “The motivation behind the rise in student prostitution” “The Angle”, a student newspaper, suggests that the increasing numbers of students entering the sex industry can not simply be laid at the door of financial hardship. The author argues that people taking out mortgages rarely turn to prostitution as an easy way of paying off the loan, so why therefore do significant numbers of students perceive escorting/prostitution as a way of making easy money? The author largely discounts financial hardship as a factor in the rise of student prostitution, rather he sees the growth in student prostitutes as stemming from the naievity of the students themselves. By the time they realise what they have let themselves in for (the provision of sexual services rather than merely providing company for lonely professionals) it is to late for them to back out of the contract.

In contrast to the above Becky understands at an intellectual level at least what escorting entails. Her friend, Julie is an escort and Becky knows that men who use the services of escort girls want a full “personal service”. However at an emotional level Becky is wholly unprepared for what awaits her when she enters her first customer’s flat.

For the article please visit http://www.theanglenews.co.uk/comment/article-c5139118fa1/the-motivation-behind-student-prostitution.html. For an extract from my forthcoming book, “The first Time” please see https://newauthoronline.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/extract-from-my-forthcoming-book-the-first-time/.