As Francesca

by Martha Baer

As Francesca is a hip, sharp, and very sexy novel about a woman whose real life collides with her on-line fantasy life. Martha Baer explores the dark reaches of the Internet, the power of sexual desire, and the often unsettling interplay between our private selves and the work we do. By day, Elaine Botsch is an ambitious professional on the fast track, poised for an impressive promotion. At night, though, Elaine disappears. Bathed in the glow of her computer monitor, she sheds her masterful nine-to-five self and logs on to the Net as "Francesca". There, she submits utterly to "Inez", her brilliant on-line dominatrix, who forces Elaine to the thrilling edge of her sexual limits. Elaine's virtual encounters come to an end when she mistakenly logs on not as Francesca, but as her true self - whereupon Inez disappears. Only then does Elaine become convinced that Inez is nearby.