Well, I had a huge adventure at this year's Eroticon - a conference all about writing sex right.
It was an amazing opportunity to meet up with people I'd only fangirled over - cue Kd Grace, Lucy Felthouse, Lily Harlem, Lexie Bay, Kay Jaybee and Victoria Blisse - who kept me safe in the big city and showed me just how wonderful and generous the erotic writing community is (as if I didn't know already!).
A night of fabulous burlesque from Volupte - climaxing with the inimitable Dave the Bear (bearlesque - I'm in love) - The Kitten club - just luscious talent spilling all over the place.
There's so much to talk about!
The conference had conflicting messages - the health educators and sponsors Brook urged us to make safe sex a priority in all our fiction - then the gorgeously eloquent Remittance girl - gave us the opposing voice, we are writing fantasy and should credit our readers with the intelligence to be safe.
I also attended publisher's panels with Hazel Cushion from Xcite, Maxim Jabowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and the Smutters ladies - Lucy F and Victoria B! Insider tip - lots of romance with very hot sex please! I also met Leonora Solomon from Ravenous who published a menage story of mine - what a lovely lady she is.There was a photography workshop from Mario Cacciottolo which I didn't make it to - but just to say - he was taking pictures for his project Someone Once Told Me - and I tell you - he made me feel like I was the only muse he'd ever had - the other ladies told me the same. (I'll keep you posted about when my piccy is up on his site).
Kristina Lloyd's writing workshop helped us out with making a sex machine (oh yeah!) - There was one awkward moment in this workshop where she put an example of 'badly written' erotica on the screen, when my stomach lurched and I thought, Oh fuck, it's mine! Phew! It wasn't... ;)
Then, joy of joys, the ultimate taboo in erotic writing - the poem... now I love poetry and absolutely think there should me more erotic rhyme so I was very excited to join this workshop. Ashley Lister was the host - he had us all in stitches and while we all wrote haiku, limericks and another thing I can't remember (sorry Mr L) - if they weren't erotic, they were certainly filthy!
Kd Grace's Finessing Sex workshop helped me sort out a tricky plotline by looking at it from a totally different point of view - thanks Kd!
I met loads of wonderful people - some of whom I didn't get a card from - darn it! So much more went on but I just can't cram it all in - the names I've included will take you to websites where more round ups are on show.
And look! I made it with the gals along to the fantastic Sh! Womens Erotic Emporium where my books are on the shelves - here's a piccy.
Fabulous weekend which left me invigorated and yet still full of questions. Oh - and the fangirl came home with all her books signed ;)
