Well my first book signing was last Saturday, at the World Erotic Art Museum. A very interesting place indeed. I saw some of the most tasteful paintings I have ever seen. Some of the them, the faces just told you a story, of desperate adoration to complete boredom. I saw statues of erotic nature from as far back as 500 BC. Even then sex was depicted in many ways. Some beautiful, some of which I'd rather not think. All in all, I am glad to have seen it. I got to see things from Egypt, Africa, Japan, and all sorts of other countries. I also got to see my chapter president, a wonderful educated and fun woman sit on a huge, I mean huge statue of you know what. I still have it in my cell phone, along with one of my friend who came with me. Hmmm, could be useful.
After a tour which made me feet feel like cement blocks, I sat down at my first panel, at my first book signing, and gulp, short speech on Sensuality in Romance. A topic that I am not sure I know about. In any case, knees knocking, and heart pounding, with a paper in front of me, I waited for the panel to start. Wonderful and talented people sat all around me. Zelda Piskosz moderated the panel. Also on the panel were Joanne Straatsma/Jianne Carlo, Lyn Armstrong, Lisa Manuel/Alison Chase, Traci Hall, Linda Conrad, Mona Risk, and me. I'm thinking to myself for quite a while before the event. What the heck are you crazy? What are you going to say, wear, say. You get my drift? So first, the wonderful Zelda spoke, then Traci, then Joanne, by this time I'm thinking I can do this. They Aren't talking long, this is nothing too difficult. The Lisa spoke, and then me. Heart thumpin', sweat rolling and stomach jumping all together at one time. Fear. But somehow, I did it, I really did it! And I didn't make a total fool of myself. Flashbulbs lighting to accommodate pictures in front of me, was so strange to see. They were taking our pictures like crazy. Next was Lyn,(show off, that level of comfort was so hard to take). After Lyn came Linda, and then finally Mona. Everyone had finished and when no one had questions, we were done. Done! Whoo Hoo, done!
Everyone got up to leave, and I felt instant relief. I'd accomplished something my agoraphobic mind could not imagine. Yeah! Then Lisa who was sitting next to me pointed behind me. She said softly, "Look who is with us in all the pictures." I looked behind me, and shock took hold. There was a huge organ there, and you know what kind of organ I mean. It even had fur glued to the bottom. It was bright pink, like my face. I couldn't speak for a minute. Then I looked at Lisa and we both laughed, me out of incredulous, her because she writes sweet and sensual, not hot or even spicy.
And so I'd done it my first book signing, even if all I had were bookmarks and no release date. I'd done it. Albeit in an unusual way, I did it.
