5/27/2012
The contest was so amazing and utterly exhausting, this was all I could muster:The best part of a leather event is escaping back to the hotel room and passing out next to Sara Vibes.
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5/28/2012
Last week at work, I was sitting at my desk resisting the urge to read an article in Entertainment Weekly about the wildly popular “50 Shades of Grey”. I usually try to avoid the mainstream hype of edgy fiction and have already decided against reading the book all together, mostly because my time is so limited. But as I finish the first draft of my erotic novel, I’m starting to think it’s a good idea for me to investigate popular erotic fiction before I release a book into the world.
When I finally sat down to read the article, I discovered the book was an adult fan fic trilogy of Twilight and that author E.L. James doesn’t actually claim to have an prior experience with BDSM either in theory or practice. Now I respect an author who has the guts to write and publish (hell, James already has a movie deal with Focus, producers of Brokeback Mountain) and though fan fic is not my favorite, people should have the right to write it. As a member of the BDSM lifestyle and as a writer, I have less pleasant things to say.
My thoughts can best be summed up by the hilarious dramatic reading of 50 Shades at last nights IML contest. Sharon McNight and surprise guest, Bruce Valanch read a brilliant excerpt from the book. I say brilliant only because they managed to make a poorly written scene that refers to the vulva/vagina as “down there” an entertaining read.
Down there? Down where? If your gonna write smut, you should name the cunt something, if not only for clarity for a women’s sake. Haven’t we already dealt with everyone fearing and shaming the vagina long enough? I for one think so and I learned such virtues from writers and book agents like Laura Antinou, Lori Perkins, Debra Hyde and many more. These women also taught me that if you’re gonna write a book about a marginalized subculture like BDSM culture, it better be a damn good one.
It’s sad I can’t say this about 50 Shades and it’s only more encouragement to write quality erotic literature for my kinky queer community and for newcomers ready to explore.
Leather Narratives: Day 3 & 4
29 MayLeather Narratives: Day 2
26 May5/26 – 11 AM
Writing a book at a gay leather men’s event is harder than I thought.
The top 5 distractions:
1. Family- Reuniting with all the proud handsome leather men we’ve met throughout Sara’s title year, the Onyx men being my personal favorite. (I can’t wait until the People of Color Caucus today.) Not only do they serve the community but they function as family for us so it’s a family reunion for us.
2. Leather women- The increased amount of leather women and female couples here this year. Sara and I might have counted five outside of the handful of leather women we came with last year.
3. Contestants- The young hot class of men this year who will strut their stuff on stage at Pec and Personality this evening.
4. Boots- they are always a distraction for me but the men in knee-high boots are sending me over the edge this weekend.
5. Leather- duh.
That said, I fear I won’t be able to write as much as planned in the next two days but instead of worrying or complaining about time, I’m just going to get to it…right after I get the back of my head shaved at the Leather Mart downstairs.
#BookorBust, Chicago, IML: Daily Leather Narratives
25 MayIt’s 3am in Chicago and Sara and I are snuggled in at a tiny Holiday Inn Express before tomorrow’s International Mr. Leather 2012 festivities. We are here not only to support the new International Ms Leather 2012, Synn and International Ms Bootblack 2012, Tarna but to find massive quiet time for me to finish the first draft of my queer erotic memoir. It may seem as if a gay leather man’s event would be a tricky place to write a book but after navigating bars, hotels, play parties, a leather retreats with my busy-body Lady Sara Vibes, I feel confident I can find time to write.
My book is all about coming out – queer, poly, kinky and partnered – but I realized on our 13 hour drive out to the mid-west that I have not been incorporating leather culture as much as I’d like too. This is not only because leather is super hot but because leather has become a large part of my life for the past two years and has become a part of my identity as a titleholder’s girl. I was inspired reading the blog of admired writer Sassafras Lowery, author of upcoming book Roving Pack, whose most recent post “figuring out the best use of my time” touched on the importance of incorporating leather into the book. As I edit and complete various parts of my book, I find the leather and kink narratives juicy and full of wonderment. Leather has helped me navigate queer poly life and like Sassafras, I think it’s important to strategically place these narratives into my book.
To help me pound out the rest of this draft in the next four days, I’ll be attempting to write short daily quick leather narratives to spark some frenzied writing. I’ll be posting them here so check them out for the next few days! Here’s the first one:
5/25 – 2:30 AM
I walk through Jackhammer, a men’s bar on Chicago’s Northside filled with gay boys and leather men and think to myself this is the staple of my leather life – cupping the hand of my titleholder wife while she leads me across sticky crowded bar room floors to meet the nearest group of leather women. These women, dressed in decades worth of leather gear will smoke cigars with femmes, collect beer bottles over uncontrollable laughter and commit lude acts on camera for fun and entertainment.
I earned my vest at the leather shop next door after six months of service to my Lady IMsL. The leather life makes me smile.
On my precarious walk to the bar deck, I get something stuck to my boot and can only predict its a sticky condom or a lost pin off a leather man’s decorated vest. Even though I am pushing up against the hairy, sweaty arms, of giant leather Bears I feel a sense of comfort wrapped in the bodies of these men.
We enter the leather shop to escape the unbearable heat and peeking out beneath my boot tip is the tiny phallic shaped object. I discover it is in fact a silver dick earring with angel wings.
“Babe” I say, as she turns to find the earring balanced in the palm of my hand.
“OMG” she says, her hands gay flailing in excitement. “This most be good luck!”
Later, we talk about the image of a dick with wings appearing in my upcoming queer erotic memoir, working title The Girl with the Unicorn Earrings. I imagine it will outline the page numbers with a successful level of appropriateness.
Now, I must sleep to get up early for First Shine and write until tomorrow evenings events! Stay tuned for updates here and on twitter @indig09 (zero-nine)!
Best Sex Writing 2012 Review
20 Mar
It’s been quit a busy year. Life has been packed full with travel for IMsL and months of renovating my home with the lovely Sara Vibes. Growing up is scary but I’ve learned to return to my original geeky comforts: books and writing.
As I work to complete a queer erotic memoir, I’m thirsty for books that stimulate both my mind and my loins. There is nothing more relaxing and titillating than reading a well written book about sex, politics and all things kinky. I treated myself to a tall stack of books that would satisfy my inner sex geek and came across Rachel Kramer Bussel’s “Best Sex Writing 2012: The State of Today’s Sexual Culture”, introduced by Susie Bright (my stack of books also happened to include Susie Bright’s memoir “Big Sex, Little Death” – I was very excited for bedtime reading!)
I was immediately pleased with the variety of writing and quickly found my favorites. Susie Bright’s essay, “Why Lying About Monogamy Matters” was a brilliant rebuttal to New York Times Op-ed columnist Ross Douthat article on birth control and abortion, yet another opinion piece written by a man speaking on behalf of woman’s rights and glorifying monogamy as the American way. Sometimes I think I’m in a time portal when I turn on the news – listening to male politicians continue to argue over whether woman should have access to contraception and abortions. It’s even more frightening to hear politician’s religious convictions slip into their decision-making. Susie Bright’s essay made me smile. It reminded that it is human nature to explore sexually and desire sexual variety:
“Sexual self-knowledge is a huge part – perhaps the biggest part – of growing up. Like taking your first steps, or speaking your first words, you gain enormous intelligence and independence ever time you figure out another piece. You fall down and cry sometimes, but you can’t wait to get back up. To learn that things are not black and white, to hold contradictions, ambiguity, and empathy in your body and mind at the same time: that’s sexual maturity. You don’t achieve it from cutting out paper dolls and keeping your knees crossed.”
Right on, Susie.
Then there is Camille Dodero’s piece “Guys Who Like Fat Chicks”. There was a time in my young adult life, maybe the moment I realized I was of the Fat Girl Tribe, where I took myself out of the attraction pool because I was fat. In my early twenties, I dipped my toes into the deep end when I discovered men who openly loved thick woman (and big woman who loved other big woman, of course). Dodero’s article demystified the myths about men who love fat chicks and honestly, I loved the literal rally cry for men desiring thunder thighs and big breasts. I also loved thinking of my body, that sometimes stands out like a sore thumb, as something desired.
With my recent move back into the West Village with Sara, I loved Abby Tallmer’s “Losing the Meatpacking District: A Queer History of Leather Culture” – a brief tale of a girls exploration through gay male’s leather culture and the end of a rich queer history. I could certainly relate being in so many gay men’s leather spaces as an IMsL wife. New York’s Eagle Bar and the Lesbian Sex Mafia have become familiar places and to read the gay history of the place I live reminds me to continue to create space for leather woman.
This book is a great read. If you’re a sex geek like me, you will definitely want to wrap your mind and body around this steamy, informative text! Pick up a copy at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sex-Writing-2012-Culture/dp/1573447595
Losing Whitney: conquering fear of black women and self
22 Feb
“When you’ve got friends to wish you well, you’ll find a point when you will exhale”
- Whitney Houston, Shoop
I’m usually not one to be upset by celebrity deaths but I was really shaken up Whitney Houston’s death. Being a black female icon must be a feat within itself and though Whitney had many marital and drug issues, she was still someone I looked up to when I was younger.
I remember always being afraid of black woman.
I suppose this has much to do with the fact that I was always afraid of my overbearing, controlling, bipolar mother who I of course, love dearly (I say that because it’s true and because I am still kinda of afraid of her) but I have a feeling that all black girls are taught to fear and revere their mothers. It’s part of the culture – black woman too often become the sole providers of their children and elders as a result of absent fathers which can be traced back to the dismantlement of the black family structure during slavery times (but that’s a whole other post entirely).
My fear of my mother carried over to be fear of black woman in general. I was always a weird one, the odd girl out – go figure – so I was often ridiculed by black girls at school. I got made fun of for talking, dressing and acting like a white girl. I was always writing furiously, always belting out the country music I was raised on and at times, considered myself to be tame goth kid, sporting mostly black and purple. I was too outlandish to categorize so I always felt alone in my identity as a black girl.
For comfort, I retreated to my room and stockpiled R&B CD’s – maybe in an attempt to “blacken” myself up a bit but mostly because music has always been my comfort. Since I was raised on country, listening to Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B was my own personal rebellion and when I was alone, I could sing as loud as I wanted. No R&B CD collection is complete without Whitney Houston. I remember the first time I watched “Waiting to Exhale” (I was eight when it released in 1995) – a variety of black female archetypes/stereotypes that at the time were my only example of black female friendships. I was so attracted to the sisterhood, especially being an only child, and I got lost in the scenes of Whitney, Angela Bassett and Loretta Divine drinking wine, talking about lovers and strengthening each other through encouragement.
I imagined having black female friends like that one day – relationships where we could see past our fundamental differences and embrace our common experiences as black woman.
“Waiting to Exhale” might have been my first indication of lesbianism and the first time I realized that my attraction for black women went way beyond friendship (my second indication was creaming my panties over Queen Latifah’s performance in “Set it Off” – damn, I love butches who know how vehicles work). I had years of Whitney to help me overcome my fear – singing “Heart Break Hotel” when I got cheated on, dancing out frustrations like a maniac to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and calling on ancestral roots singing “Believe”. I turned to Whitney, an icon, a singer, a woman I knew I would never meet, to help me find some solid ground to stand on alongside other black woman.
It wasn’t until college that I realized my fear of black woman stemmed from my fear of self. Being a black woman (let’s not forget being queer, poly, leather and kinky) is a huge responsibility, burden and gift. The world expects everything from us. We are expected to be lovers, mothers, caretakers, workers and leaders of households, neighborhoods and entire communities. If we can survive this social terrain with only a few battle scars and have a little bit of love and energy left over for ourselves, we consider it a blessing.
I am a black woman and I had to learn to accept that. I had to stop being so afraid all the time and start loving myself for all of my flaws and imperfections. Once I started learning to love myself, I started learning to let myself love other black woman. I’m learning to love and except my mother who she is and who she is not – even if I have to maintain a distance from her sometimes. I have the love of my life in my Lady Sara Vibes – she is the woman I always dreamed of gabbing with about lovers and the like and I have found other black women who accept me and love me for who I am.
After years of feeling lost and alone, I was finally able to exhale and I thank Whitney for that.
Sure Whitney had her problems – in the words of dear friend Nina Hartley, “All God’s children got issues” – but even so she was still apart of the brown girl tribe of music to live by and I am sad to see her gone.
Rest in Peace Whitney
People of Color Porn Review (In Honor of Black History Month)
13 FebIt’s black history month and though we have had a series of celebrity loses (I’m actually pretty broken up about Whitney Houston – blog post to come), I’m excited to celebrate the people of color who are paving the way in the queer, sex positive community in a POC Porn Review!
Episode 108: Sara Vibes and Q Crashpad Series Review
from the Crashpad Series (My Lady is so cute!)
From the Crashpad Series
This Crashpad review is much too long overdue. In addition to the series of poly, queer adventures Sara and I had last summer, my partner, lover and bff shot for Crashpad with the exceptionally hot Q, International Ms Bootblack 2008. I’ve been watching The Crashpad Series since I was a freshman in college. My band of queer friends turned my on to the series and I was so excited to discover a production company that filmed hot queers fucking the way I like to be fucked – with dildos, gloved hands and lady mouths! I scrolled through profiles, looking for people who were brown like me and stumbled upon Q. I thought Q was the hottest, chocolate-iest butch boi I’d ever laid eyes on! I never imagined I’d ever meet Q or that the love of my life Sara Vibes would be featured in my favorite queer porn series alongside him. This clip is my dream come true!
Both Sara and Q’s dark brown skin always sends me into a bit of a frenzy in a physical and cerebral way, so I knew when I saw their scene I would be more then excited. For one thing, its always amazing to see brown queer folks fucking on camera and my girl bits get tingly over seeing skin shades and body sizes like mine. Sara’s ass is a magnificent piece of work and watching this clip reminded me how happy I am to wake up next to it every morning! Q truly has magic hands – this scene is just another testament to his ability to delicately balance soft and rough touch. And as leather dyke, it’s excellent to see leather title holders fucking in their vests. So hot!
Sara and Q’s photo spread from this shot is featured in this months Salacious Leather Issue #3. This issue of Salacious has an amazing collection of leather comics, photos, and high quality smut and if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you check it out. For those lucky folks who are Crash Pad members and Salacious subscriber, I suggest you to pair up Sara Vibes and Q’s scene with Salacious as your one hand read and take yourself on a hot leather adventure on a Sunday afternoon!
Hella Brown, Hella Hot
reposted from http://www.creativexicana.com @laura_luna
I had the pleasure of receiving a preview copy of Neena Feelmore’s Hella Brown – an assortment of steamy brown queers from the East Bay, fucking in the bedroom, in the kitchen and poolside. If you’ve been following my writing, you’ve probably discovered how much I love fucking in Cali. It’s most definitely the sun, the food and the queers that keep me in a constant state of horny so watching brown folks in the Bay is a delight. This film features up-in-coming faces in the queer porn industry such as AfroDisiac, Pheonix, Blu and Chocolate Chip from the Crashpad Series.
My personal favorite Brooklyn Sky, was featured in Neena’s first film “Tight Places: A Drop of Color,” a groundbreaking flick featuring brown women and trans/genderqueer performers. Nominated for the 2011 Feminist Porn Awards, Tight Places was one of first films I’d ever seen with an all brown, queer cast and the handsome Brooklyn Sky just made me blush. Okay, so maybe it’s because Sky looks like a hot ex of mine but even so, I was excited to see Sky in yet another excellent film directed by Neena, owner of adult toy boutique Feelmore 510.
Hella Brown Cover, reposted from http://www.creativexicana.com @laura_luna
What I love about Neena’s films is the exceptional cinematography. Neena uses a brilliant arrangement of colors her scenes, from the yellow and green peppers frying in a pan before AfroDisiac and Pheonix’s kitchen fucking to the contrasts of red, brown and blue at poolside with Brooklyn Sky and Blu. And the fucking is hot, very hot and filled with all my favorite things – hand fucking and strap-on sex. I was very much impressed with the way the scenes, interviews and DVD extras were artfully arranged and it makes me want to see more films with representations of brown queers. I also love the way Neena portrays Black stud and femme sex dynamics in her films. As a black queer familiar with stud and femme culture (and as a femme who melts in the presence of studs), it’s nice to see them on film, especially by performers how represent the vibrant community of queers in SF.
In the unfortunate chill of NYC, I am able to conjure up my same California horniness watching this film and I thank Neena for producing high-quality, brown folks porn to touch myself to.
International Ms Leather 2012 Weekend
3 Feb
Hottest Leather Women's Event of the Year
International Ms Leather 2012 is HOT HOT HOT!
San Francisco, CA — Every day at IMsL Weekend is an adventure!
THURSDAY registration and play spaces open (ALL weekend!), and attendees can jump feet first into the weekend with classes, the smokin’ Seduction performances, the Seduction After Party and Speed Tricking! And new this year–the Littles Slumber Party and Petting Zoo.
FRIDAY starts our vending and educational intensives! Plus our charity silent auction adds more shopping flavor. Speed Tricking continues, and our ever-so-popular Hospitality Receptions take the day away! You can get your boots and leathers made lovely by our IMsBB contestants and special guest bootblacks, and enjoy the IMsL Contestant Interviews as well. Display your colors during the Opening Ceremony, roast the outgoing titleholders, enjoy a Uniform Party by the D.U.C.! And the contest structure for the bootblacks has been changed and updated, and it’s more exciting than ever–be there to cheer them on as they take the stage for the first time Friday night for Speeches and Pop Questions!
SATURDAY continues with wonderful 90-minute workshops, the sexy Boots and Cigar Party, our IMsBB contestant interviews, and, the reason you’re all here, our internationally revered IMsL and IMsBB contest with another amazing opening number designed by Skeeter! Our IMsL contestants will participate in an all out, hot and steamy contest as they answer pop questions, give speeches, strut their stuff in hot wear and entertain us with their fantasies on stage.
SUNDAY doesn’t let you down though! The contest may be over, but come and enjoy our keynote brunch with Tristan Taormino. After filling your belly and mind, come Make Play Happen with hands-on education. And to leave you feeling right, party with more of our Hospitality Receptions, our Wind Down Party with special DJ–Gayle Rubin, and AfterGlow Party!
We have a line-up of fantastic workshops for 2012. We’re honored to have 25 nationally and internationally renowned educators and experts, including, but most definitely not limited to: Hardy Haberman, teaching ‘Interrogation and Abduction’; Lady Hilary with ‘How to Get the Most out of a Leather Event’ and ‘Impact Play: Implement of your Choice’; Q will show you it’s ‘Not just Boots, Not just Leather’; while Lamalani covers Rope Bondage. And for folks new to IMsL Weekend, Lolita Wolf will share tips on how to make the most of the experience with two sections of ‘IMsL 101′. But don’t let us tell you — come see for yourself! http://www.imsl.org/newsite2010/mainpages/workshopsandpresenters.html
Additionally, IMsL could not happen without our fantastic volunteers, and we want to reward folks for helping us put on a wonderful event! Volunteer 8 hours to receive a 40% discount on a Weekend Package. Volunteer 16 hours to receive a 75% discount on a Weekend Package. Volunteer shifts will be assigned based on your preferences and what shifts are available, so don’t put it off! The earlier you sign up, the better chance you have of getting the shifts you want! http://imsl.org/newsite2010/mainpages/volunteer.html
So join us, register now! Volunteer now! Participate in the largest event for leatherwomen…and EVERYONE that loves ‘em!
International Ms Leather Contest
International Ms Bootblack Contest
March 29 – April 1, 2012
San Francisco, CA
www.imsl.org
Call for Submissions: Gay and Lesbian Werewolf Smut
19 JanIf you’ve been following my lovely rantings here on Indigo’s Theory, you might remember I began working as an editorial assistant for the amazing Lori Perkins at Ravenous Romance. I now have the pleasure of putting together my first anthology with this groundbreaking erotic press.
If you are an fantasy smut writer, an LGBTQ all-star, a fuzzy werewolf lover or a budding erotic wordsmith new to publish, look no further! This submission call is just for you!
Lycan Dreams: A Gay/Lesbian Werewolf Anthology
This will not be the cover art but rainbows and werewolves could magically fall from this anthology's pages if you submit!
We have all heard tales of werewolves or Lycanthropes – humans transforming from flesh to fur by the light of a full moon. But too seldom do we hear stories about same sex Lycan romance. Ravenous Romance is looking for modern tales of gay/lesbian werewolf sex and love. We want your most passionate stories and fantasies of Lycan transformations – from musings on a hairy boyfriend you suspected was a werewolf to lady-wolves fucking in the forest by moonlight – we want it all! Send us your stories of werewolf couples, threesomes or steamy ménages with the entire wolf pack.
Stories must be between 2,500 – 3,000 words, double spaced in Word Doc format. Authors receive $25 per story and first time world rights for 5 years. The submission deadline is open until further notice – we will be in contact with selected writers as deadlines arise. Please attach your story in an email to literaryeditor@yahoo.com. Feel free to contact with any further questions.
For new and emerging writers: We want to support you in starting out as a smut writer! If you are interested in submitting but are new to writing stories and need some assistance, please feel free to contact the address above for help with the writing process.
So if you fantasize about creatures in the night or get wet writing about the thrashing of fangs and claws, submit your stories!
Boots and Canada: Leather Posts from 2011
10 JanMr. Ottawa Leather 2012
IMsL 2011 Sara Vibes, MsIOL 2011 Sir Kira and MsIOL 2007 Angela Albert before the Leather Women's Panel
Full panel introduced by Mike Tattersall including Mama Reinhardt
Mama's Daughter in Law
After the weekend, I went home and did my boots. Then I did Sara’s – and I loved it! I love getting dirty from shoe polish and grease, using my hands and feeling proud of the results. I love the way doing Sara’s boots develops of my service side and further enhances the D/s dynamic between Sara and I. I’ve declared myself “boot monogamous” until the end of Sara’s title year and now all I want to do is buy new boots…or acquire a sugar daddy who wants to buy them for me (I’ll take applications if anyone is interested!).
The Tenth Annual Boot Black Roundtable
My first Bootblacking session with Sara - part of a photo series to be featured in Salacious Magazine Issue #3 Leather
New Year Reflections
22 Dec
Confession: we are spending the holiday's crocheting cat hats. Cat Hat Pattern courtesy of Spindles and Spices Blogspot
I do something a little corny before the New Year – I compile a list of accomplishments so I can look back over the year and feel a since of pride.
The holidays are a little funny. They tend to make people more agitated, anxious and depressed then filled with holiday cheer. I am so sick of Christmas Carols, I could puke. I’m not super religious and once I realized Santa Claus wasn’t real (it still pains my childhood heart to say it), Christmas sort of lost its appeal. Even so, I love holiday parties and spending the holidays seeing people I haven’t had time to see all year. Most of all, I love spending down time with my lady.
So I am reflecting on our crazy exploits since January. It is unfathomable that a whole year has almost passed and I cannot believe how much I have accomplished. This year marked a series of amazing events:
BROWN GIRL LOVE
This year I started Brown Girl Love (BGL), an online writing project featuring a female identified writer of color a month. The project has been amazing – it has been a pleasure to publish the writing of woman of color and read their words month after month. Thank you to the fantastic BGL Board for all there efforts throughout the first 7 months of the project. This year we featured Radhiyah Ayobami, Becca D., Ciara Miller, Pearl Quick, J.P Howard, South African poet, Toni Stuart and the list goes on. We ended this year with Mahogony Browne, host and curator of Friday Night Slam at the famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe and an Internationally known author and Slam Poet.
In 2012, BGL will hold a reading in April to celebrate our one year anniversary where I will launch my first printed chapbook “Brown Girl Love” by your’s truly!
PERVERTS OF COLOR ANTHOLOGY
Sara and I are interviewed in “Perverts of Color Anthology” a collection of interviews and non-fiction essays by people of color involved in the kink, poly and swinger community. Co-editors Jackie and Katie will publish the collection in 2012. We were also featured in the first issue of Salacious, a queer feminist sex magazine spearheaded by the amazing Katie Diamond, International Ms. Bootblack 2011.
INTERNATIONAL MS. LEATHER 2011
My Lady, partner and best friend, Sara Vibes won International Leather 2011. In six weeks, we prepared for the biggest competition of our little queer lifetimes! This year Sara has traveled to over 22 events across the United States, teaching, judging and volunteering throughout the leatherdyke, poly and kinky communities – and I have not been far from her side. I earned my first leathers this year as my Lady’s handler and Sash Widow and learned to bootblack, which makes me much hotter then I ever expected. I was formally introduced to leather culture, learning the ways of service and leather protocol, thus enhancing the Dominate/submission dynamic Sara and I are growing into. This year I become my Lady’s leather girl and I became a Leather Women.
And the adventure is not over yet! Sara steps down in April this year and we still have several more events to go to, including Mr. Mid Atlantic Leather, Fetish Flea Market, North Carolina Leather Weekend and Kinkfest.
LAMBDA LITERARY WRITERS RETREAT
This past summer, I was selected as a 2011 Lambda Literary Fellow in Non-fiction and spent a week at the University of California, Los Angeles learning with the fabulous Ellery Washington. This was such an honor and a stepping stone in establishing a career as a queer writer. I attended the Lambda Foundation’s Holiday Party this year and was reminded of the way the organization pulls for it’s Emerging writers. Since the workshop, my non-fiction work has excelled and I feel lucky to have the opportunity. Thank you to everyone who got me there.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, RAVENOUS ROMANCE
I started work as an Editorial Assistant this year. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lori Perkins, Founder of the Lori Perkin’s Agency and Editorial Director at Ravenous Romance, an ebook press that publishes multiple genres of erotica, including historical, paranormal and kinky, edgy romance. It’s been a blast! I’ve been learning the ends and outs of the publishing world from the agent and editor prospective and the challenges they face dealing with writers.
The biggest challenge Lori and her agents have with their authors is the writer’s resistance to finish their novels. As a writer, it’s hard to complete a body of work. For the agents and editors that believe in the writers talents, it’s just as hard to watch writers resist the full potential of their work. I’m learning that I have to write. I have to devote myself to my work long term and finish the books I have always dreamed of writing.
What has been even more re-assuring is cutting checks for writers as part of my editorial duties! I remember always being told that being a writer would make me very little money. But as I continue to send out royalties each week, I see that there is an income to be earned from writing and if I am going to continue to write, I might as well make a profit! I’ve learned so much and have done a lot of networking, which is so necessary in this industry. Lori Perkins is a lifelong feminist publishing smut for years and it’s been an awesome experience working with her.
I will be learning how to copy edit next year and will be compiling my first anthology under Ravenous Romance – Lycon Dreams: A Gay/Lesbian Werewolf Anthology. Stay tuned for a call for submission in the New Year.
RENOVATIONS
Between traveling, working and writing, some how Sara and I have managed to find time to renovate our apartment. We have been living sublet to sublet as Sara’s childhood apartment is fully restored and modernized for chicks in their 20′s. We are pleased to announce that we are finally at the stage of picking out furniture and we will be back in at the end of February. We will have a place to establish our life long partnership and our cats, Sarge, Charlie, Fiona and CJ, could not be happier! We hope to host queer brunches in our multiple communities and will be throwing a house warming party a few months after we are settled.
Lastly, this year I have really stepped up my writing. The holiday break has given me time to work on an erotica novella about my adventures in California – working title The Indigo Diaries. I’ll be featuring an excerpt here on my blog, a steamy afternoon with a West Coast friend and lover. Check out my smut section and be highly stimulated! I hope to release the novella in late 2012/2013.
I will also be writing for Good Vibes Magazine & Sex Blog and reviewing toys for My Evolved in the New Year.
I’ll be posting throughout the holidays, so stay tuned for blog updates!
Happy Holidays to All!
Sex, Peace and Prosperity
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