Sunday, 3 July 2011

Cupcakes and champagne


Here's some pictures of the the reading that went on last night at Sh! in London (It's pronounced Shush, I found out). Sh! is a very friendly, very pink women's erotica emporium. Normally they hand out cups of tea to shoppers, but they did us proud with champagne and cupcakes. And the first thing the storeboss said to me when I walked in was "Oh - I thought you looked like a writer."
:-D
It must have been the hippy beads and the look of terror.


Here's Rachel Kramer Bussel, who organised it all for us, as writers in her anthologies. I don't think she was terrified. We read from Smooth and Surrender and Orgasmic and Gotta Have It and Best Bondage Erotica 2011.
And our basement reading room was packed out!

I had a great time, though I did klutzily spill champagne. I met a load of wonderful writers and we did some shopping for toys too :-) Sadly the picture of me reading came out blurry.


The guilty parties:



From left to right, Justine Elyot, me, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Kay Jaybee, KD Grace and Jacqueline Applebee - Carmel Lockyer was there too but missed the photocall because she had to catch the last train home to her vegetable allotment. (There was a curiously high incidence of gardening enthusiasts in the group, it turned out. Hm.)

Then I had to run because our parking ticket was running out and the traffic wardens in London are just plain evil...
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13 comments:

  1. Jo3 July 2011 at 13:26

    Janine, you look GORGEOUS! You all do. What a great photo!

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  2. Jeremy Edwards3 July 2011 at 13:34

    Thanks for the great report! I thought of you all last night. (Hey, stop snickering. I didn't mean it that way. Shush!)

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  3. Erobintica3 July 2011 at 16:17

    Where there's Rachel, there must be cupcakes! Looks like a fun evening (especially the champagne ;)

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  4. Sekrit Shoppa3 July 2011 at 19:43

    Damn those traffic wardens! Would have loved to talk more, but was terrific to meet you anyway.

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  5. K D Grace3 July 2011 at 20:43

    It was wonderful to meet you at last, Janine. I agree with Justine, I wish you could have stayed of for the pizza party afterward. Would have loved more time to chat. Next time!

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  6. Rachel3 July 2011 at 22:50

    It was fabulous to finally meet all of you and thank you for such a wonderful reading! I had a wonderful time.

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  7. Janine Ashbless4 July 2011 at 09:44

    It was a great evening! It was fabulous to meet you all - and thanks for calling round to look at the pics! I'm really really happy it went so well, and the host and audience were all so nice.
    :-D

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  8. Janine Ashbless4 July 2011 at 09:45

    And of course, a huge Thanks to Rachel for making it all happen!

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  9. Kat Black4 July 2011 at 13:39

    Champagne, cupcakes and smut - sounds like the perfect evening. Well done, Janine & Co

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  10. Lucy Felthouse4 July 2011 at 15:12

    It was a great night - I'm just gutted that I didn't get chance to introduce myself and say hello to you! :(

    You didn't look nervous, either, you were fab!

    L x

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  11. Janine Ashbless4 July 2011 at 17:52

    Lucy, I didn't realise you were there until I read it on KD's blog. I'm kicking myself!

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  12. Emerald6 July 2011 at 08:33

    It is indeed such a spectacular picture of you all! I love the top picture of the cupcakes and champagne too.

    I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself, Janine! I would so have loved to be there and meet you. :) Not to mention hear you read "The Ingenue" out loud—one of my favorite erotica stories I've ever read!

    Thanks for the report and beautiful pictures!

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  13. Janine Ashbless6 July 2011 at 12:31

    Oh Emerald, if you could have been there it would have been the icing on the (cup)cake :-)

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