I’m begging a bit of indulgence from readers on this post, since it was written on my BlackBerry in the wee hours in bed in the dark in the Crown Plaza Hotel after the 2014 ETO Awards. Hopefully there’ll be a more coherent post a little later on. 

It’s three in the morning. I’m lying in bed next my sleeping husband, knowing I should try to get some rest. But I’m too keyed up to sleep. How can I possibly when I keep glancing over at the desk and seeing the lovely ETO Award glinting in the moonlight streaming in the window. That award has my name on it! Yes! My name — KD Grace, it says! Best erotic author, it says in bold letters as big as you please.

Lee Schoefield called my name. As the winner. After Dale Bradford had read off all our names, the nominees. And they are all amazing writers, people I admire, people I look up to — And the fact that half of that esteemed company are Brit Babes made the event even sweeter! In addition to Sylvia Day and the fabulous Violet Blue, Brit Babes – amazing writers and dear friends – Kay Jaybee and Lucy Felthouse were nominated too! At first it didn’t register. How could he be calling my name? I sort of remember walking to the stage. After kissing my husband. Shell shocked. Hoping I wouldn’t trip over my own feet, wondering if I could remember how to speak. Me, speechless! Can you imagine such a thing?

The ETO and ETO Magazine have been so supportive of erotic writers. We’ve always been able to count on them to promote us and what we do and to give us a chance to promote ourselves. It isn’t just that, it’s knowing that people voted, people who like what I write, and that what I write, what all of us erotic authors write is appreciated. yup! Pretty much speechless.

I remember seeing the slide of my image in walking togs, gigantic and huge for all the world to see with Best Erotic Author in huge letters. I remember thinking how much more comfortable I would have been in those walking togs, and probably how much more surer on my feet I would have been. Strange the things you think about. And then I was on stage receiving that gorgeous shiny award with my name on it. I could see the Brit Babes cheering. It was their award too. It was our award. They hold me up. We hold each other up and challenge each other to write better, to be more creative. I was so glad to be celebrating with them. I said something to that effect, or at least I think I did. I’m much better with written words than impromptu speaking in front of a roomful of people. I remember there were pictures then and I went back to my the table, Ruby Kiddell and Velvet Books had so generously shared with the Brit Babes, gripping the award and the bottle of fizz and smiling like a crazy person. I barely got sat down before Cara Sutra won the best journalist award and I was cheering at the top of my lungs and the totally awesome Renee Denyer, manager at  Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium and one of my true heroes, won best shop manager for Sh! And, icing on the cake, Xcite Books once again won the award for Best Erotic Books Brand. Kay Jaybee and I had the honour of accepting the Xcite award for Hazel Cushion, who couldn’t be there. That gave us the lovely opportunity to fondle two ETO Awards! 

So many reasons to celebrate.!

Then we danced like wild women, we Brit Babes. And I danced with my long suffering husband who’s always been by my side on this crazy writing journey — really loving the pride I saw in his eyes.

Later, when the dancing was over and the bus had taken us back to the hotel, I sat in the lobby with Victoria Blisse,  Kay Jaybee & Lexie Bay and we talked and planned and schemed and laughed. Sadly we had to leave Tabitha Rayne who was in a different hotel. As the subject turned to the challenges of writing a story and living the writers’ life, I couldn’t help myself. I kept touching that shiny award, reading the name on it again and again. Just to be sure.

And now, outside my hotel room window, the first Blackbird is just starting to sing because I’m up at such an hour. I still can’t believe it, and I think I’ll go check out the name on the award one more time before I try to sleep. Just to be sure. And hasn’t this just turned into a total navel-gaze. But what do you expect at this hour? 

Later when I’ve had time to rest and reflect, when I’ve had time to think a little more coherently, I’ll do another ETO post about the show, about the people, about the fun. But surely just tonight I can be allowed a little navel-gaze.

Thanks for a fabulous evening, ETO! You rock!