Monday 24 June 2013

Inspirational Mondays - Smut by the Sea



NO! I haven’t been having sex by the sea!! LOL. However, I did attend an event arranged by British erotica writers for the launch of a book by this title and during the day there was a free event (always good!) which including readings by authors.

And one of those authors was ME! And it was a little nerve wracking as I have never done a reading before. Not that standing up in front of an audience was a problem as I have done amateur dramatics in the past and lectured in countless family history workshops, but it was more about being embarrassed reading my own work – particularly any sex scenes.


But I got around that by reading some funny dialogue instead (yes, I copped out!). I read from ‘Friendly Seduction’, my favourite book to write because I laugh at stereotypes in erotic romance (okay, so I take the mickey out of my own genre!) But I had a ball doing it, eg, pointing out that the heroes are always handsome and hunky and never short, fat and bald and that they often seem to be a king or prince or leader of some sort, never the person who cleans out the sewers!

And it seemed to go down well. People laughed – in fact one person was nearly rolling on the floor in laughter – and several people came up afterwards to say how much they enjoyed my reading including a lecturer in creative writing! And writer, K D Grace, who asked me to guest on her blog! (I’ll let you know when I am there in due course).



Thanks to the great writer, Janine Ashbless, who lives in my town and encouraged me to go and gave a great reading herself. She also gave me a lift and as we hadn’t seen each other in a couple of months I rabbited at her all the way there and back whilst the poor woman tried to concentrate on the sudden torrential downpours and the odd pig on the road (I kid you, not! The pig, not me talking. That’s normal!!)

I won a prize on a tombola (some lube!), and a lovely lady called Bea bought one of my books (well, she sent her husband to buy one!) and asked me to sign it (another first!).

Thanks also to Victoria Blisse and her smutty co-conspirators for organising the event. Best of luck with the launch of your book.

Jen

PS - here is me reading in my brand new 'branded' t-shirt!


14 comments:

  1. I'm sure it was a hoot. Glad it went well. Nice to know that your work is appreciated I bet. Really, a pig?.... A friend hit a cow this past weekend...must have been the week for suicidal farm stock!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha! I believe things come in threes - I wonder what the other 'lost' animal was?!

      Delete
  2. It sounds like it was a lot of fun!!! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for coming up with me Jennifer - I loved our chance to chat, and needed the extra eyes on the road ("Watch out for the Pig!!!"). Your reading was great too - congrats on your first, and I'm sure it won't be your last! The whole lot of us had a really great day, I believe. Maybe next year too...

    ReplyDelete
  4. There's no holding me down now!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds fun - would love to be part of it next year! Am also reading for the first time from my book The Silver Chain at an erotica reading in London 31st July at the Alleycat Club, Denmark Street!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck! If it helps I was given some good advice - choose something to make you stand out so go for something funny, suspenseful etc rather than just another sex scene - and finish on a great line!

      Delete
  6. So glad you read, I loved your excerpt. So happy you had lots of fun. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks Jennifer for reading at Smut by the Sea, you were terrific and we'd love you to come and do it again next year (Victoria and I are still recovering but we've had a few "we'll haveto do it again, it was fun!" moments already so it's a good chance we'll have a SBTS2)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like you all had a wonderful time, I'm sorry I missed it, a weekend of Smut is always a hoot!

    Lily x

    ReplyDelete