My First Public Book Reading by Leia Shaw

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of participating in my very first book reading!

The Lori Perkins Agency hosts a monthly erotic reading event called Between the Covers at a lounge in Manhattan. I was invited to read out loud by a member of my local Romance Writers of America group. So Friday night, my husband and I took the train into NYC, had dinner and headed to the Happy Endings Lounge.

Prior to that evening, I had practiced my ten minute long excerpt from The Dom with a Safeword a total of two times. Once in front of my husband, who fell asleep. And once in front of a couple friends. Normally, I’m comfortable speaking in front of people so I wasn’t nervous for the reading at first. But after my friends said I sounded like a school teacher reading a story to a group of kids (the content couldn’t have been more opposite), I got a little self-conscious.

I was third in the line-up and nursed a fancy pomegranate-type alcoholic drink that was way too yummy as I waited my turn. The room was dark at least. Oh, except for the spotlight at the podium. That was very…intimidating. The booths were cozy and the tables covered with promotional materials, candles, lollipops, and condoms. Yes, condoms. This was an erotic reading after all.

I had no idea what to expect from a lounge called Happy Endings, but I was pleased with what I found. No one was making out in the booths or undressing each other at the bar. They sat and listened quietly (really quietly for mine, or maybe it just seemed that way lol) but still fun, hooting during sexy parts and laughing at any jokes.

The first two author readings were a blur but I remember feeling a little out-dirtied. I knew there were no rules for the excerpt – the raunchier the better – but I’m a good little Christian girl. I couldn’t imagine saying certain words out loud in front of an audience. So I picked a pretty tame sample. The two heroines find a very kinky closet in their new friend’s house (who happens to be a Dom). Sabrina, straight girl gone kinky, gets her first girl kiss. It’s a fun, sexy little part of the book that I love.

At my turn, I tried not to think about the two very reputable book agents and other talented authors in the crowd watching me, judging my writing. I tried to forget that my friends had called me a dork while I was practicing. The romantic, slightly sexual, ambiance must’ve hit me harder than I thought because it was easy to “get into character” so to speak and give what I thought was a pretty decent reading. I even got compliments by random audience members. And there was a decent amount of people there too!

After the last two readers finished, Lori Perkins and Louise Fury took all the readers and their spouses out for dinner at an authentic Chinese restaurant. This was the most fun part because the lights were on and we could really talk and have a good time. And the food was really good (though I was the only one completely hopeless with chopsticks).

I got to know some of the girls who worked in the agency office and we bonded over favorite movies and TV shows. I spoke with both Louise Fury and Lori Perkins about the publishing industry and some projects they’re working on. Hopefully, we’ll start a professional relationship from here and they’ve invited me back to read any time I want.

It was such a fun, interesting experience, I think I’ll do it again when my next book releases. I wish I had more pictures but the ones my husband took of me were too far away and it was too dark to see anything.

If anyone has any questions about the event or doing a public reading, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer on and off today.

 

Filed under: romance