some like it hot
First, an apology for being missing in action for a week. Besides decorating the house for Christmas, and cleaning, shopping and cooking for Thanksgiving, I also organized my high school reunion, which was the day after Thanksgiving. But more than making excuses, it’s the reunion and seeing people I haven’t seen for 5 years, that inspired this blog post. You see at the last reunion I wasn’t a romance writer yet. I was just me. No pen name, no alternate web persona, no website, or business cards, and no reputation for writing steamy hot erotic books.
I didn’t actually have to tell anyone about my new career, my Facebook and email signature line did that for me and it put me in a unique situation. I’m used to being Cat Johnson, erotic writer on line, even live at book signings and romance conventions. I’m not used to being her face to face with people I’ve known since kindergarten. Why that makes a difference, I’m not sure but I’ve kind of felt like I’ve been straddling a picket fence since my 2 lives converged. As you can imagine, that’s an uncomfortable position to be in.
It’s raised a question for me and my writing. How can I be perfectly comfortable writing hot stuff in one part of my life, but apologetic about it in another? I’ve been bragging all over the web today about a new rave review that said my latest cowboy threesome Unridden had “so much sizzling sex you’ll melt the house down” but just a few days ago when my former classmates asked about my writing I felt the need to apologize that they’re just trashy novels.
The vast irony is that I don’t even write hot enough to be considered by quite a few publishers I’ve submitted to. While editing “Gillian’s Island”, the editor made a comment that the story “wasn’t very erotic”. Yet I felt the need to put a big old verbal warning on my books for my classmates. I guess it’s a matter of expectations. Readers and fans expect heat from Cat Johnson. Graduates from Westlake High School don’t.
For the first time I understand why some authors have different pen names for different genres, though building a reputation is hard enough for one name, forget about two. We’ll see I guess. Perhaps a big NY book contract will get me over the fence so I can sit happily on the hot side and not feel uncomfortable. Until then, I suppose I won’t see most of these people again for another half a decade, and as evidenced by the last 5 years, anything can happen by then.
Until next time,
Cat
Cat, I completely understand and love how you articulate the strangeness of varying levels of comfort with your professional self.
We’re changing the look of Fork Me, Spoon Me so that I now appear on the cover. Yesterday I went to visit the printer with the book designer to watch it come off the press and correct color. I was dreadfully embarrassed to be standing there as Amy Reiley, publisher staring with the group at an easel full of pictures of half-naked Amy Reiley, aphrodisiac foods expert. I love both of my roles, but perhaps the two should never meet! (Thankfully, my high school does not have reunions.)
Hey Amy,
First, I think you are absolutely beautiful and should be on the cover of your book, but yeah, I can see the ‘half-naked’ part could be a bit uncomfortable, especially while standing at the printers. But WOW, how exciting for you! At least I’m fully clothed when I’m embarrassed about what I write. Hehe.
Can’t wait to see the new cover.
Cat
Never apologize for who or what you are. You are brilliance, hope, joy, lust, unhindered dreams, a dreamer, you bring life and fantasy together and no matter what you do you can NOT make everyone around you happy. There will always be someone disappointed in something you do, say, how you act, and how you are perceived by others. The only thing that should be important when faced with these passes in life is to always remember to ask yourself, ” Am I Happy with who I am, what I do and how I carry myself as a person?” If you can say, “Yes” then that’s what matters the most. You were not put here to make others happy. This is YOUR life YOUR time to shine not twinkle and fade.
Thanks, Janelle. That was a lovely comment.
Cat