What’s better than going to London for one exciting reading event at Sh!? Going to London for TWO exciting reading events at Sh! And even better still, going to London for two exciting reading events at Sh! AND a spanking class.
I’ve been looking forward to this big event for weeks now. The first event was at Sh! Hoxton. There’s no way I was going to miss the launch party for Kay Jaybee’s fantastic novella, Not Her Type, from Oysters and Chocolate press. I’ve read it and reviewed it and loved it. But it’s another thing entirely to
watch the lovely booted, bespectacled, Lady in Red sit right in front of you and read all manner of nastiness to a packed house. If anyone can keep an audience squirming in their seats, Kay Jaybee can. And for those who wanted to squirm even more, there was a good spanking to be had. And I can tell you from first-hand experience, Kay Jaybee gives a mean spanking.
Having experienced one of Sh!’s yummy spanking classes before, I had some idea what the audience was up for, not the least of which was fondling the lovely handmade spankers and floggers and crops and cat-o-nine-tails and … Breathe, KD, breathe!
Kay Jaybe read, and Sh!’s fabulous manager, Renee, spanked and gave instructions on technique and implements. And I enjoyed the fabulous company of such delicious smutters as Janine Ashbless, escorted by the charming Mr Ashbless, Rebecca Bond, Lexie Bay, escorted by Mr. Bay and an international crowd from Italy, the UK, Sweden, Kazakhstan, and the States. Sexy stories and spanking — loved the world over.
The evening ended at the local Moroccan restaurant talking writing and sex and eating couscous chicken. There was a quick drink at the hotel bar, then off to bed to rest up for day two.
Day two began with breakfast amid the tourists all bundled up for a day of sightseeing in London. And since we had nothing to do before the Immoral Views reading at Sh! Portobello that night, Kay Jaybe, Raymond and I all descended on the National Gallery. Sadly we weren’t able to get tickets for the Da Vinci exhibit, but still a day at the National Gallery is always well worth the effort. A visit
can’t end without me standing, mouth agape, totally in awe in front of Botticelli’s painting of Venus and Mars. Both moving and sexy, it’s one of my favourite paintings of all times. This painting is the perfect Renaissance version of ‘make love not war,’ and it’s the inspiration for one of the scenes in The Initiation of Ms Holly. I love mythology, don’t you?
Prowling the National makes for some serious hunger, so we had Chinese buffet in Soho before spending some time in the Tudor hall of the National Portrait Gallery, then back over to the hotel to have a quick kip and before we got ready for the night’s reading naughtiness.
You can’t have visited my site in the past few months without reading about the hot new Sweetmeats Press anthology, Immoral Views, which contains my story, Allotted Views. The anthology has a soft spot in my heart for several reasons. Firstly, there are only five authors in it, and I am in the company of four of my very favourite writerly folks, Kay Jaybee, Lucy Felthouse, Rebecca Bond, and Lexie Bay. It’s great to be between the covers with such exquisite company. Secondly it’s amazing to see one’s work illustrated. (Incidentally, I’m
interviewing the fabulous illustrator of Immoral Views, Florian Meacci, on Sunday. You won’t want to miss it.) And finally, the stories are delicious, and so varied that they contain something for everyone.
The Immoral Views reading at Sh!Portobello was a gathering of authors and of the mastermind and editor, KoJo Black, who I had the pleasure of interviewing two weeks ago on my site. Sadly, Lucy Felthouse wasn’t able to join us, but we all agreed her work should be represented, so Kay Jaybee pretended to be Lucy Felthouse and read a very nasty bit from her story. When we weren’t reading, we were enjoying, along with the audience, pink bubbly and gorgeous cupcakes provided by KoJo.
The readings were hot, the audience was appreciative, and as always, the lovely Sh! Ladiez were the very bests hostesses.
At the end of the evening, it was back over to the Hoxton area for pizza and debriefing and lots of laughter. There were already murmurs about the next time. And I’ll be having details on that very soon.A double portion of Sh!, complete with readings and a spanking class and fabulous friends was another fantastic reminder of why I do what I do. We writers will always write. Not to would be like not breathing. But when such fantastic friends and so much fun happen to be the fringe benefits, well, I reckon I feel very lucky, indeed, that writing chose me.
We writers will always write. Not to would be like not breathing. But when such fantastic friends and so much fun happen to be the fringe benefits, well, I reckon I feel very lucky, indeed, that writing chose me.
I second that! What an amazing weekend I had!
Great write up, sweetie! Soooo gutted that I missed it! *cries*
Glad you had a great time, and big thanks to Kay Jaybee for “being me.”
L x