I burst my reading cherry
July 28, 2015 -
Another exciting week to be an erotica author! I attended the monthly Erotic Literary salon where I read an excerpt from my Novella, Mistress Charm’s New Pupil to promote my ebook giveaway this week.
***Tuesday through Thursday Mistress Charm’s New Pupil is available on amazon for free! ***
It was the first time I read any of my work in front of an audience. The experience was almost surreal.
My second visit to the erotic literary salon was exciting and engaging. Dr. Mayer spoke about the little pink pill – what’s being hailed as women’s Viagra. We discussed how relevant the comparison was as well as other related concerns. There were readings and then the special guest – Olga Pérez, Winning Storyteller – 2010 Summer Grand Slam First Person StorySlam. I was pleased to be called early in the night as the butterflies in my stomach ebbed and waned at each junction. As a virgin, I was applauded before I even arrived to take the mike. I had written an intro, the body of my excerpt as well as my conclusion. I ended up winging my intro and pleaded with the group of attentive listeners the importance of reviews for books in driving traffic. I tripped up a bit between winging it and then glimpsing my paper intro and ditched most of what I wrote – next time!
I think my years as an adjunct teacher helped alleviate my stage fright. I took a few deep breathes and charged forward. I had practiced throughout the day and was ready, although having a mike threw me off a bit. The crowd was attentive as I glanced back and forth between my written words and their eager eyes. I don’t recall seeing anyone distracted. Not one person. Their rapt attention and heightened breath fueled me as I spoke.
I wasn’t nearly as animated as I had practiced but I was engaging and made eye contact with many a listener. Next time perhaps I’ll record it to see what they see. I wrapped up and rather than utter my conclusion I headed back to my seat. Dr. Mayer was kind enough to follow up with me, prompting me to give the same information that I had written in my conclusion – my website, book info, twitter handle. She also urged me to leave business cards in the back.
The guest speaker was engaging and funny. I was grateful not to have to follow her act! My cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so hard. She gave us a little backstory about who she was and then she jumped right into talking about Carlitos. If you don’t know Carlitos, you have to checkout the link above which gives you a taste of her talk and a glimpse into the world of Carlitos.
My book promotion adventure continues – I am pleased that Dirty Book Deals accepted my submission and is promoting Mistress Charm’s New Pupil. And last but not least, one of my author friends invited me to be part of a secret facebook group! Shhhhhh – don’t tell anyone!
On the path to pushing boundaries and limits and dreaming to be DesireBound, I’m breaking cherries left and right! Won’t you join me?