Miranda Baker's Blog

Joey W. Hill…and me!

(Enter to win a goody bag from BDSM Readers and Writers Conference!)

I signed up for the 2014 BDSM Readers & Writers Conference for two reasons: I thought it would be fun to attend the demos, and I wanted to meet Joey W. Hill, the keynote speaker. I love her books. Like…love. Fangirl squee love. She was my introduction to BDSM fiction, and she is a Mistress of the genre. LOVE! (And not only did I get to meet her, I was lucky enough to host a Kinky Confessional reader party with her, the spectacular Robin L. Rotham, and the incredible Jennifer Kacey. Joey even texted me during the conference! And we went out to dinner! And she hugged me! It was epic.)

The Kinky Confessional crew: Robin L. Rotham, Jennifer Kacey, Miranda Baker, Joey W. Hill (from left to right) After that little party, I have no more secrets. None.

I arrived at the opulent Roosevelt hotel, dropped my stuff off in my room and went to check out the conference floor so I’d know where to go the next day. Lady Sabrina was setting up her lingerie and sex toy store, so I poked my nose in there for a minute and then left her in peace. Good stuff. Bondage tape and corsets all over the place! Once I discovered a coffee shop across the street from the hotel, I knew I could go to sleep. Caffeine source. Check!

There were so many inspiring moments during the next few days, both before and after my husband arrived on Friday morning, I’m going to have to make a list of the first ten that come to mind, or this post would turn into a novel. I’ve already procrastinated writing this for two weeks because I don’t know how to explain all the awesomeness. I feel like I can’t do justice to the topic because it was more than a conference. It was also a retreat and a damn fun, kinky party. I left with a deeper understanding of several different aspects of BDSM and a desire to carry them forward into my writing and my bedroom. And maybe a few other places, too…

So, in no particular order, I totally grooved on:

1. Eric Pride‘s BDSM demo. The connection he and his bottom created was mesmerizing. She was beautifully responsive to him, and his mastery of tone, hands, whip, and rope gave me goosebumps.

2. The Kinky Mix & Mingle at Paddles, NYC’s longest-running BDSM club. It was a very interesting place to explore. St. Andrew’s crosses. A cage…on a pulley. A thing a little bit like a stock, but double-sided, offering many erotic inspirations. Nooks and crannies. A throne-thing I didn’t look at very closely because I was having a fascinating conversation with Robin L. Rotham. Off-site events forced me out of my conference hotel bubble, a very good thing.

Bo Blaze, me, and my new whip.

3. Bo Blaze‘s two workshops: BDSM Toys 101 (live demo) and Button Pushing For Pleasure. Fascinating! I loved his frank and accessible discussion of the psychological underpinnings of his household. I’m kicking myself because I didn’t have him sign the books I brought home, especially since I’ll be giving one away soon.

4. Fetish party hosted by Powder and the NY Fetish Tribe. I’ll leave that to your imagination. Don’t hold back.

5. Dr. Matthew Scrivens’s (author of SOLE SURVIVOR) workshop on Psychopaths, Sociopaths, and Serial Killers. It was just what I needed, when I needed it, to inspire future work.

6. All the smiles, passion, and enthusiasm. It was an inclusive and friendly group. I never got it straight who was author/writer/reader, and it didn’t matter. I suppose I should have been networking harder, but I was having too much fun.

7. Violet wand demo by Traveling Fool and Mary Ann. An absolute hoot! I’m going to have to try that sometime…

8. Dr. Charley Ferrer and Rose C. Carole’s energetic and enthusiastic dedication to doing everything they could to coordinate an amazing experience for all conference goers. They worked all weekend! Even in the midst of busy chaos, I could see their wheels turning as they thought about how to do it bigger and better next year.

9. Bo Blaze gave me a whip cracking lesson at the Book Fair. Okay, that wasn’t an official event, but it was fun! When I got home the next day, I wasn’t sure if my arm was sore from dragging luggage through the airport or from cracking a whip. Awesome.

10. Being able to let my kink flag fly in good company. Or not. Or half-mast. Whether a conference attendee was kinky in real life, kinky in fiction, or curious about kink, all were accepted and made to feel welcome. I was afraid I’d feel outclassed kink-wise since my husband and I don’t get out much in the community, but I didn’t. I felt free to absorb the material presented and ask questions.

Those are just the first ten things that popped into my head. I also co-led two workshops: From the Books to the Bedroom with Leia Shaw and Be Careful or You’ll End Up in my Novel with Cris Anson, two amazing women. There was a publisher panel and a ton more workshops. I wish I had been able to attend them all! (Here’s a list of 2014 attending authors.) If this sounds up your alley, discounted early registration is open for the 2015 conference in August. ($200 until October 1st, a total deal. Of course, a NYC hotel stay is pricey, so I recommend you recruit some friends to share costs!) I hope to see you there!

Oh! GIVEAWAY! Attending authors, publishers, and industry professional put some pretty sweet swag in the goody bags! Since my husband attended, and we don’t need two bags, I’ll give one away. Want to see who attended? Need a pair of handcuff earrings? Like excerpt booklets? A flash drive?

(Enter to win a goody bag from BDSM Readers and Writers Conference!)

The goodies in the bag!

Who’s going? I am! I plan to drop my stuff off at the hotel and head out into the French Quarter in search of oysters, beignets, and a daiquiri. In that order. Maybe.

Free download of BOTTOMS UP, leather and seed pearl necklace, bondage tape, rubber flogger/tickler, THE Christian Grey tie, and swag!

If you’re going to RT and would like to meet me, I’d LOVE to meet you. Look for me here:

Club RT, Wednesday, May 14th, noon

Samhain Sinners and Saints Party, Thursday, May 15th, 9-Midnight

Club RT, Friday, May 16th, 10:30 am

I’ll have swag, including GIRL TROUBLE excerpt booklets! I also have a basket in the Club RT giveaway. It’s full of awesome and hilarious. The guy at Spencer’s loved me so much he cracked a 69 joke when I checked out. Then he talked me into the tie. Not literally. ;-)

Whether you’re attending the convention or not, feel free to tweet me and ask what I’m drinking, eating, or who I’m fangirling all over. There’s going to be a lot of that! Happy May, y’all!

At last! At last! It’s release day for GIRL TROUBLE, and Bonita gets her happy ending! I’m thrilled for her, thrilled for her girlfriend Kat, and just thrilled in general because even if it snows from here until eternity, it’s going to be April soon. And my birthday is in April. And I love my birthday!

Actually, we refer to it as my birthMONTH around here. I use it as an excuse to do fun things like go out to lunch, buy ridiculously expensive shampoo, eat Oreo Blizzards, binge-read books I’ve been saving, kiss anyone who gets too close, and do too much yoga. You know, the usual stuff, but funner! Do you like your birthday? I’m turning 42, and even though the bod is doing the aging thing, I couldn’t be happier. Why? Here are some good reasons: somebody posted this NY Times piece on FB and it resonated hard with me. Plus my twelve-year-old told me I was cool the other day. I bet she’ll change her mind when she’s thirteen, but, hey…I’m cool now. And there will be daffodils soon. And I’ll be able to run outside. (I’m using that as an excuse not to run on a treadmill.) Yes, April is the coolest month. (Prufrock be damned. I sing my love songs in April.) Sing with me!

Tell me something good. A book you loved. A birthday you had. Your favorite cake. Your favorite anything. Let’s focus on all things good together!

All commenters will earn an entry in my GIRL TROUBLE birthday giveaway. Prizes will involve leather, shiny things, books, and gift cards. Winners will be picked on my birthday, April 8th. Giveaway is International. You must be 18 to enter. Incorrect or incomplete entry voids entry. Winner will be chosen by a random method and will be contacted within 2 days after the contest ends. Winner has two days to claim prize. Entry constitutes agreement to the rules and confirms age.

Get your GIRL on…

There are no safe words for love.

Come Again, Book 4

Bonita Pritchard has tried everything to get over the one woman she can’t have, movie star and secret lover Kat St. James. Yoga, tantra, psychotherapy, even BDSM. Nothing has helped for long.

Hanging on the thinnest thread of denied desire, Bonita heads for Hollywood to get her Kat fix, fully intending to return straight home to her sex-toy boutique, Come Again. Until she sees the surprise Kat has in store for her.

Playing the talented bad girl kick-started Kat’s career twelve years ago. Now she’s famous, filthy rich…and totally miserable. Leaving Bonita in Norton was a mistake, and she’s planning one last attempt to fix it—by transforming her king-sized closet into a dungeon. And using her training as a Domme to satisfy her lover’s latest kink.

Soon, their white-hot need for each other transcends their desire to protect Kat’s heterosexual screen-siren image. But when compromising pictures surface, Kat realizes there’s only one way to beat the tabloid gossip that’s tearing them apart. Fight fire with fire…

Warning: This book contains kink in the closet, sexy games in an SUV, and D/s in the middle of the living room. And love strong enough to break all bonds.

Which one do you take home for the night? I’ve been pondering this question all weekend on the Smutketeers Blog. I’m also giving away ten copies e-copies of RIDING DESIRE: Alpha Bad Boy Biker Box Set and one e-copy of AMOROUS OVERNIGHT by Robin L. Rotham (Amazon and B&N only). So this is not an idle question. Come visit me on the Smutketeers Blog and leave a comment, and you could be spending the night (or more, depending on how fast you read) with a bad boy biker or a red hot alien. Last night, I picked the biker (actually, an illegal street racer with a heart of gold and filthy desires), but I’m really looking forward to more Amorous Alien encounters…

Come get in on the fun! You don’t want to miss these HOT stories!

Hey there! TOP STUDENT is here! It’s a FREE prequel to GIRL TROUBLE, but it can definitely be read as a sexy standalone. I hope you’ll grab a copy today (and maybe even leave it a review on a retailer’s site after you finish it. I appreciate ALL reviews, good, bad, and lukewarm!)

When it comes to love, limits are negotiable.

A Come Again Story

Kat St. James is the Come-Hither Queen of the Silver Screen, irresistible to everyone—except the woman she secretly loves, childhood friend Bonita Pritchard. Kat’s come home for a visit, and discovers Bonita has left town to avoid her—for the third summer in a row.

Hurt and angry, Kat heads for Come Again, Bonita’s sex-toy boutique, for clues that will help heal the rift between them. There she encounters Destiny, who gives Kat the shock of her life. Bonita’s become a sexual submissive.

Destiny also offers Kat the opportunity a lifetime: the chance to learn the BDSM lifestyle from the experts. Only then will there be any chance to reconnect with the woman she loves.

Except becoming everything Bonita needs means giving up the one thing she’s fought her entire life to attain. Complete control. Top to bottom, it’s a challenge that will push her past her limits.

Warning: This book contains discipline demonstrations that range from hand to cane, a captivated voyeur, a Dominant struggling to learn submission, two very satisfied instructors, and enough kinky teacher/student roleplaying to make you want to go back to school.

Available from SAMHAIN PUBLISHING, AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, GOOGLE, iTUNES, ALL ROMANCE e-BOOKS, KOBO, SONY, and more.

It’s a quick and dirty read, and it has Destiny and Johnny from BOTTOMS UP in it. You want it? It’s yours! Thank you so much for visiting the world of Come Again! XOXO

Monday 2/3/14 at 9 pm EST! Yes, indeed. I will be chatting LIVE with Dr. Charley Ferrer, a world renowned Clinical Sexologist and Sex Therapist, the FIRST Latina Doctor of Human Sexuality in the US. She is the award winning author of over thirteen books on self-empowerment, women’s sexuality, and BDSM. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say! According to Twitter, topics will range from how to make oral sex and anal sex awesome-er to how to reinforce BDSM protocols. What is not to love about that stuff?! Sign up to join us here: http://doctorcharley.com/live-chat/

Doctor Charley is also the creator of the BDSM For Readers and Writers Conference that I’m so excited about attending in NYC in August. I’m psyched about the workshops I’m doing with some amazing authors, and now I’m even more excited! I’ll be throwing a party with Eden Bradley, Joey W. Hill, and Robin L. Rotham. Those three amazing authors of BDSM fiction are going to wonder who let the fangirl in. Wait – no they won’t! The conference is FOR fans! YES! What kind of a party will it be? A KINKY CONFESSIONAL. More details closer to the date, but plans so far include sex toy giveaways, oversharing, and a fantasy reading list. Space is limited, so if you plan to join us, register soon. It’s going to be a blast!

And TOP STUDENT is available for pre-order on Amazon and the Samhain Publishing website. It’s a FREE gift to my readers and will be available on other platforms on 2/25/14. Nutshell: Destiny and Johnny from BOTTOMS UP teach Bonita’s girlfriend to top. Or, as I like to call it, a 40 page kinky sex scene with a happy ending. Enjoy!

Howdy! The Smutketeers annual 12 Days of Xmas has begun! Join us December 9-20 for mass prizes (mine is a Penthouse Cyber Flicker in Shy Purple, batteries included!) and sexy holiday hilarity. They’re also having a 2 Days of Xmas Facebook Party on Thursday and Friday, December 12-13, with more prizes. ‘Tis the season!

HO, HO, HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS to all! And that’s not all…

FREE stocking stuffer!

TOP STUDENT, Book 3.5 in my COME AGAIN series is a free prequel to GIRL TROUBLE! It will be available everywhere on 2/25/14, but it’s available for pre-order on AMAZON right now. If a 40-page BDSM sex scene that segues through m/f to f/f to m/f/f is up your alley, click away! Or for those of you familiar with the series, if Destiny and Johnny teaching Bonita’s girlfriend how to top sounds fun to you… *wink*

And to all a GOOD NIGHT!

When I heard Joey W. Hill was keynoting this conference, I wanted to go. When I learned there would be BDSM lifestyle demonstrations and a visit to a kink club, I wanted to go…and bring my husband! When I remembered I write BDSM romance, I submitted proposals for two workshops. I’m going! My workshops are:

From the Books to the Bedroom: Bringing Fantasy to Life (with Desiree Holt and Leia Shaw) and Be Careful or You’ll End Up in My Novel: Using D/s experience to Write the Next Book (with Cris Anson and Rose C. Carole). You won’t believe the amazing workshops offered by the other authors. It’s an All-Star line-up and I’m thrilled to be among them!

I hope to see you there! Here’s the official info:

BDSM WRITERS CON 2014

Whether you’re a writer or a reader, BDSM WRITERS CON 2014 is for you. This conference is the only place where you will receive information on the fundamentals of Dominance and submission, feel safe exploring and perhaps experimenting a little at a BDSM Club, and get to do it all while hanging out with your favorite authors or making new favorites.

Below is a list of what readers can expect—yet don’t forget, you also have the added benefits of all the additional workshops geared toward authors which hold valuable information that can enhance your understanding and your relationships. Plus, you’ll learn what your authors know and have a chance to tell them what you’d like to see them write.

Readers AND Authors will attend and/or participate in the following events

Five Lifestyle LIVE Demonstrations (taught by individuals who actually live the BDSM lifestyle)

Three Panels Discussions by Lifestyle Practitioners (addressing issues on relationships, creating scenes, and getting started)

Two Workshops on BDSM fundamentals

That’s 10-workshops on GENERAL INFORMATION about BDSM in addition to all the workshops geared toward writers which hold valuable information such topics as Healing and Catharsis, Polyamory and Ménage, From Novels to the bedroom, and more.

Everyone will attend the four conference activities

BEST BDSM Book of the Year Award Ceremony

Reader/Author Mix & Mingle

A Night at the BDSM Club

Book signing Sunday

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!

Several of your favorite authors are planning private parties for fans in their suites.

Other authors are planning pre/post conference events for you to join them in.

STILL WANT MORE?

YOU GOT IT!

How about a discount admission for the FIRST 30-Days of registration — a Savings of $75

Registration only $275

Registration opens midnight September 1 thru October 1, 2013

(Note: Buy now/Pay later plan available–don’t miss out on this amazing discount!)

Ensure to reserve your hotel stay within the first 30-days of registration

to lock in the discounted rate of $229

At this price rooms are limited

(price per night single/double occupancy)

Plus

Three lucky winners who also book their hotel within the first 30-days of registration

will be chosen at random to receive one of the following prizes

(Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash; redeemable first day of the conference. Prizes courtesy of Dr. Charley Ferrer)

A free FULL conference registration for a friend/spouse (value $350)

One FREE-Night at the hotel (value $229)

One FREE 50-minute consultation with Dr. Charley Ferrer (value $250)

Registration opens midnight September 1, 2013

Authors attending the conference can sign up to autograph & sell books

BOOK SIGNING SUNDAY

Limited to first 50 authors

Please send an email for further information.

Sign up for BDSM WRITERS CON 2014 Newsletter and be the first to receive:

Up-to-date information on conference workshops and activities planned

Information on prizes and giveaways

Updates on book contest

Special comments from presenting authors

And much more…

CLICK HERE to sign up!

Buy from Samhain Publishing, Amazon, B&N or wherever fine kink is sold!

Power Trip released today! One of my favorite things about this book is the cast of characters. The hero is a super-charged Dom who hides his powers by hooding and restraining his subs. He plunked himself down, fully formed, in my twisted imagination, so I didn’t have to kidnap him. However, I stole the heroine’s appearance from Michelle Williams playing Marilyn Monroe. She’s beautiful, yet nerdy, with black-velvet eyes. Let’s just call it borrowing. I think we can safely call celebrities fair game.

But the heroine’s brother was a straight-up identity theft. He sat next to me on a school field trip to the farm. No really- I couldn’t stop staring at him, and he looked like this:

Jake was dark, with swarthy skin and a stocky build. She knew most people considered him ugly since he was short and his smooth, bald skull flowed into his shoulders with no neck to speak of. He had a barrel chest, thighs as thick as his squat body and densely muscled calves. His shoulders were rounded, powerful, his lips fleshy, and his ears were small and curved. His eyes were his one truly beautiful feature, but he kept them covered by wraparound shades, even inside the club.

The Doc was inspired by Julianne Moore in a silver-sequined dress. Borrowing! But her girlfriend Sam is modeled on a woman I met briefly at a conference. I just tweeted her to tell her, so we’ll have to see if she wants to sue. Luckily, I think I’m pretty safe with the hero’s best friend, a tortured cop who looks like Ron Weasley, if Ron were bisexual, metrosexual, and mohawked. If celebrities are fair game, then fictional characters should be completely safe!

Did I mention all of these characters have super powers? I hope fans of comic books, graphic novels, kink, science, BDSM and x-rated banter will check it out! Please forgive all the aforementioned borrowing and feel free to create your own associations for my characters. Fair warning: This book is a TRIP!

Happy New Year!

And Congratulations to Melanie J, who won the SILKEN CANVAS giveaway! Melanie, you’ll be hearing from me soon!

As for 2013 – I don’t know about you guys, but I’m an anti-resolutionary. I don’t make New Years resolutions because, damn it, I’m doing the best I can. Every minute. To the point of obsession. In fact, if I were going to make a resolution, it would have to be something along the lines of ease up, life is in the living. I don’t need a resolution to crack the whip over my head; I need the opposite. I need the ability to feel like I’m doing a good job already. I am a writer, a teacher and a mother. There is never a moment when I don’t strive to write better, teach better, mother better. And it doesn’t matter what career path I choose, it would be the same. In an RWA conference chat, Nora Roberts said something along the lines of, “Being a writer doesn’t create neuroses. Neurotics become writers.” Perhaps that is why this Ze Frank An Invocation For Beginnings resonates with me. I’m not the only one struggling. Are you one of us, too?

I learn the same lesson every year, every day, every five minutes: Life is in the living. Enjoy the journey. Be peaceful in each moment. I will fail, as I always do, and I will forgive myself. And continue. My challenge is not to seek joy, but to know I have it within. Or if I don’t, create it. Join me on the bright side! Let’s create joy, balance, strength and grace. Let us see the best in ourselves and others, do good work because we love it, and recognize life isn’t a sprint. It can’t be. Because when you reach the finish line…eeeeeeeeeeek!

Let’s just keep chugging along, shall we? Onward! Happy 2013! Thank you for sharing your journey with me.