Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Circlet Press LJ chat going on now!

 There's an author chat going on NOW at the Circlet Press Livejournal page!

So, please, go over to the Circlet LJ page and join in the conversation - in fact, you might BE the conversation, people are notoriously shy about author chats for some reason. I promise I won't snipe at you. In fact, I will give out a present. People to chat there will be eligible to win a free e-book - just for posting responses!

And, it's a no-holds-barred chance to ask ANY question you might have about the Marketplace books, even some spoiler questions.

Plus, you will keep me from talking to myself. That sort of thing is just embarrassing.

Laura

Oh, yeah. It's an adult-only discussion, so you might have to click an extra button to get included. Not that I am gonna get too graphic - until tomorrow, that is. If I get THREE posts today, there will be some hot sex tomorrow. (grin)

Oh, and by the way? The Marketplace is now available as an actual, hold-it-in-your-hands print-edition book at Amazon.com and other fine online bookstores.  Woo-hoo! I will also be signing copies of it at Floating World this weekend, in New Jersey.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

New classes, booking for 2011

I made up a new list of classes and workshops, including some nice, friendly ones for the not-necessarily already-kinky crowd. If your group, event or business is interested in booking me for 2011, please drop me a line at Laura (at) lantoniou (dot) com

If you are within 200 miles of NY, it's possible I can slip something into September, November or December of this year. If you are in Australia, I will be there in October and am looking for some local gigs as well. (I will be based in Sydney, so outside of that city will need travel expenses.)

I depend on my friends & fans to help get these bookings for me through personal recommendations. Thank you so much for stepping up when you can and I hope to see you while I am on the road!

Friday, August 06, 2010

My recent Toronto trip

Whew! It was a long trip, but worth every second.
This was the second time Midori and I did Passionate Bonds, our three day DS intensive. Imagine the typical 90-minute workshop with either of us and now figure on three days of BOTH of us together. This is where we don't have to wrap everything up in soundbites and allow 15 minutes for questions, ya know? We close the registration to a small number of dedicated people and really put it all out there for participants to do the work needed to create a reality-based, DS flavored life.
And once again, the folks who put their butts in the chairs also bared their fears, doubts and dreams, discussed their fantasies and realities and I think we all came through it knowing more than when we started. Once again, I was amazed at the range of "types" who came - partners with pre-existing protocols and agendas, solo participants who came to learn more about themselves, and those who wondered if anything about "protocols" was going to be useful to them at all. Experience ranged from a few years to whole adult lives, and the age range was broad as well.
It's not a fun and games weekend, that's for sure. It ain't cheap, either, not in time or money. But I firmly believe that of all the things we can invest in, our relationships are the most valuable. You can buy a nice leather jacket and a whip and a pair of cuffs for about a thousand bucks. You can buy a weekend at a leather contest or fetish ball for about the same. And with either one of those you can sure meet someone, you can play with someone, and you can look sharp! But my passion is in what happens next.
There are always classes on how to torment people, how to polish boots, how to make someone happy sexually. But in the end, the only thing that matters to me is, are we having good and healthy relationships with our partners, experiencing joy and creating happy memories, for as long as everyone is happy? Do we remember why we hooked up, beyond the clothing, the play, the freshness of the latest shiny thing?
That's what Passionate Bods is about, for the DS crowd, whether they do it for fun on the weekends or want to make it a relationship. And once again, we found reality and passion can mingle and match. My thanks to everyone who attended and made it possible.
Next time - the west coast of the US maybe? We're looking into it!
After Passionate Bonds, I was honored to be the first guest speaker for a new group in Toronto, Perspectives on Power Over 30 people showed up and we rocked a class on advanced service topics. Darren, the organizer of PoP, was my host while I was in the city, and it was great to be able to amble over to the local dungeon and meet some kinksters!
Then, because my final class had to be canceled, I got some of my Toronto friends to ask around and we had a lovely stealth reading, where the new story for The Slave got its first public outing - plus a bonus scene from The Inheritor! I am liking these stealth readings - they are fun, impromptu and create a nice little moment for a small number of people. I do also love to read my stuff out loud. (Grin)
I'm home at last, catching up on e-mails and other messages and trying to get into making up some new classes and booking some travel for next year. I hope some of you can join me at upcoming events out on Long Island and in New Jersey!
Laura
lantoniou.com is the best place for updated lists of appearances and news