If you have fun doing
something once, you want to do it again, right? Last weekend I went to the the Sassy Seven Author’s Naughty Sleepover Celebration
(NSO) in San Antonio and had a blast. It also reminded me of my first trip to
Texas.
When I was 17, I won a
competition for the state I lived in and got to go to Houston. (I won’t say
what the competition was because it sounds antique!) Let’s just say I worked my
butt off to win because I was already a huge fan of the west. Let’s compare,
shall we?
Weather
I went to Houston in the
summer and it was steamy. San Antonio in February is a hell of a lot better
than February at home. I chucked off my coat, sat by the pool, and enjoyed
spring fever early.
Hotel
In Houston, I got stuck with a
chain hotel. I can’t say enough good things about the Menger in San Antonio.
Nicest hotel I ever went to for a conference. Beautiful Victorian furnishings
and a western ambience. When I checked in, the guy behind the desk was dazzled
that I was a writer. He even shook my hand and said writers sometimes demand
special things like a certain drink. (I guess I should’ve demanded a Mojito
delivered to my room every day.) The hauntings were cool too. I stood next to someone
who had a ghost experience and saw some cool lights on one of the hall mirrors.
Chaperones
In Houston, my chaperone did
a disappearing act so I was on my own in the big city. In San Antonio, I didn’t
need one. I explored the Alamo and the River Walk, and the hostesses (Regina
Carlysle, Samantha Cayto, Cerise Deland, Desiree Holt, Allie Standifer, and Brenna
Zinn) took care of every detail with finesse. You’d never know this was their first
event. We’re hoping they do it again.
They even started the
conference with a friendly fireside-type chat where they introduced themselves.
At 17, I wouldn’t have been able to participate in the big-girl games like ring
toss with an inflatable phallic symbol or Pin the Junk on the Hunk. Wouldn’t
have been able to watch the live BDSM demo either.
Drinks
As you can see in the
picture, I’m holding a bottle of Jack Daniels, but I was too young to drink it.
During the decadent chocolate event at NSO, I took advantage of the cash bar
and also enjoyed some sangria and margaritas while people watching on the River
Walk. Now this is the life writers dream about.
Money
You can also see some dollar bills
stuffed into my bodice. At the NSO, I saw LOTS of dollar bills -- mostly being
stuffed into the G-strings of the talented male dancers from Hard Bodies. We
had cowboy/cop guy, smooth city guy, and Native-American guy who even played
with fire.
Romance Novels
At 17, I passed the time
reading a romance novel by Rosemary Rogers. I even sat at the desk with pen and
paper, demanding myself to write a novel. Even then I knew I wanted to be a
romance author. Now I know trips aren’t for writing but for being open to the book
ideas that hit without warning. And I’m happy to say I achieved my dream. I am
a published romance author.
Friends
Abandoned in Houston, I
participated in all the group activities and made some new friends. I spent a
day with a girl and her family at a nearby amusement park, and we exchanged letters
for many years afterward. I met a lot of new friends at the NSO too, only now I
connect with them on Facebook.
Men
Which brings me to the best
subject of all. Men! In Houston, I attended the group event to go to a ranch
for BBQ and western dancing. On the bus, I sat with a gorgeous male teacher
from Kentucky. When I mentioned I was cold from the icy air conditioning, he
enfolded my arm in his and rubbed it to warm it up. His wife and kid were
sitting only a couple of seats behind us. Needless to say, I wasn’t cold after
that. I was downright hot, in fact. On another night, I met a cute guy from
Nevada at a group dance. We were lip-locked for hours. Unfortunately, I never
heard from him again.
At NSO, we got to hang out
with David Nieves and Cole Reilly, the perfect guys for the job.
And may I say that the state
of Texas has the hottest men around? I was even enjoying the male scenery at
the airport.
Packing
In Houston, I had a smaller
suitcase and didn’t take that much with me. Different story for NSO in San
Antonio. I had to bring sexy shoes for the contest, denim and glitz, pink for
the breast cancer fundraiser luncheon, and layers for all weather. Not to
mention the shopping at the River Walk. At home, I’m too busy writing to shop
so I sort of went wild.
I also won wine and a book by
A.B. McKinley. Did a lot of strategic arranging to get it all to fit and barely
got the suitcase closed. Wouldn’t you know that’s when my suitcase got searched?
I must say they did a pretty good job of putting things back in the right
place. Not sure what they thought of the swag that said things like -- so many
men, so little rope. It’s a good thing I didn’t take home any sex toys from the
demo. My poor cowboy hat will never look the same now.
Home Again
I miss Texas even more than I
did after the first trip. Brenna Zinn told me I look like a native, which I
take as a huge compliment. I will be back a third time…
For some great pictures of
the NSO event, check out Dalton Diaz’s blog post:
Afton Locke
Unlock your fantasies...
www.aftonlocke.com
Rose, Exposed -- 1930s erotic romance - coming soon from Ellora's Cave!
“You’re so…dark,” she exclaimed. Instead of
the disdain he expected, he heard fascination.
