Last Saturday I made a trip over to Scarborough to attend
Smut By The Sea, an event organised by the wonderful Victoria Blisse to promote
the SBTS anthologies.
Most of the writers present had agreed to do readings,
something I decided not to do on this occasion due to a combination of stage
fright and a highly unsexy accent.
Aside from Victoria Blisse, Lucy Felthouse and Jennifer Denys, all of whom I had met before and was very happy to see again, I met
Janine Ashbless, Rachel Kincaid, K.D. Grace, Lexie Bay, Tilly Hunter, Tabitha Rayne and Gemma Parkes, as well as Kevin Mitnik Blisse who does a great job of
running my website. For anyone I didn’t shake hands with, sorry I missed you, I
was the one with the green hair.
First task of the day was checking out the Erotic Tombola
and the stalls set up by sponsors, selling erotic novels and bespoke toys.
Crowned Jewels (they of the toys, which were so remarkably stunning that some
had been mounted in frames) handed out goody bags and discounts, along with a
gold-dusted chocolate cake which was my own guilty pleasure. I came away from
the tombola with an erotic anthology and a pack of Ellora’s Cave cover cards –
always welcome.
Unfortunately an emergency called me away halfway through
the day, so I didn’t see the Slave Nano event or the erotica writers’ panel.
However, I was treated to several readings by some very accomplished writers,
all of whom managed to hold the attention of the audience regardless of any
nerves they may have felt. Particular kudos has to go to Ashley Lister, who
read three comic poems; Jennifer Denys, who had everyone in hysterics with some
comedy-romance dialogue; and Rachel Kincaid, who managed to make a piece about
premature ejaculation so intense that I heard someone behind me whisper “Wow!”
So maybe next time I will have the nerve to read something
of my own – who knows?
Major thanks to Victoria Blisse and all concerned for a
fantastic event – I hope the second SBTS anthology does as well as the first.
