Fifty Shades of Grey is making me bolder...

Not that bold;)

Okay gutter minds... I meant bolder in my author skin.

I blogged about this a few weeks ago on my own blog, but since then I've gotten even more comfortable as an erotic fiction author so I thought I'd share.

I've been at this writing thing for about a year. My first book, Jocelyn's Choice, was classified as a YA (target audience 18-24) but I brought the heat. It was mild compared to my next few books, but some of my family members were uncomfortable with certain descriptions I used.

I get that. Not everyone wants to read books of the erotic nature, especially if they changed the author's diapers at some point in time. After that first release, I stopped talking about it with friends and family. It took me a while to realize I'm not embarrassed about what I write, but others are.

For the next few months, I stayed pretty low key. Ella is my pen name and I kept her locked away. But then...

Yeah... everyone is reading this thing (myself included). I figured if people I knew could read E.L. James there was no reason they couldn't read Ella Jade. I'm not saying my books compare to the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades, but at least now when someone tells me they are reading it and loving it, I'm able to step up and say...

Really? I know a local author who writes BDSM themed romances and they're pretty hot;)

I was at the hairdresser a few weeks ago and the whole salon was buzzing about the books, so I outed myself. Over Memorial Day weekend every mom had a "Fifty" book in her hand and I'm guessing that was what was on most of those Kindles and Nooks too, so I went up to them, handed them my business card and said, "I got something for you when you're done with Christian."

Who knows, maybe I would have gotten to this point on my own, but now I feel a little more at ease when a fellow room mom whispers to me they are reading the Fifty Shades Trilogy and I tell her what I do for a living. It may be taboo for her, but not for me anymore. As a matter of fact, I even have a few of my fellow PTO reading my stuff. I'm also finding that they love it, especially the steamy scenes. Who would have thought that?

My sister-in-law, who I never thought would read the genre I write, asked if her book club reads one of my books, would I come and talk about it. Sure... I love to talk!

And last but not least, earlier this week I was in my local Barnes and Noble and got up the nerve to ask them to stock Be My Everything, my BDSM romance. Now, I did draw the line when they asked me if I wanted to set up a book signing. I'm not there yet. But I promised them I'd revisit the idea when my two contemporary romances come out in early 2013. Can't wait to see how bold I am then!

I'm Ella Jade and I'm screaming it from the rooftops. Well, maybe not yet, but who knows where I'll be next year. lol

Ella

xoxo