Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey is Making Me Bolder...


Not that bold;)

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

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 yesterday and the whole salon was buzzing about the books, so I outed myself. Two weeks ago, I was asked by a childhood friend to come on his local radio show and talk about the recent explosion and why I write erotic fiction. These were things the VP of the PTO would never have done a year ago.

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.

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

10 comments:

  1. Awesome!! Hooray for you!! I, for one, am thankful that you write it. :)

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  2. Ella, that is wonderful..Step out and be proud..Embrace what you write...

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  3. I'm reading Fifty Shades right now. I have to admit, I am liking it so far. I'm so happy that these books are getting so much attention. Like you, I used to keep quiet about what I write or downplay it a bit. No longer! I write HOT erotica and erotic romance and I am damn proud of it! LOL

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    1. Good for you, Vixen! I'm glad the books are gaining attention too. It helps open the door for our genre and thats a good thing:)

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  4. Well Ella, you've got a buzz brewing, "The Vixen" is a friend of mine and I came here because of her post on FB. ;-)

    I'm glad you're getting more comfortable and proud to say what you're writing. I'm currently writing a "Paranormal Thriller" and of course reading "50 Shades" Trilogy. My book will be more "Mainstream" but with quite a few Hot scenes and the "Grey" series is helping me too not care what others think of the hot scenes (and I was on two PTO boards as well, lol). I have written quite a few Erotic short stories but had never published them because of the same reservations you had with talking about it. Now, I believe I will be dusting them off and bringing them forward too! ;-)

    Nicholas

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    1. Go for it. Nicholas! Dust off those stories. Thanks for stopping by and commenting;)

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  5. I have to admit I haven't read the books. I have been hearing some horror stories about them. I love erotica, I write erotica and I read erotica.

    Kudos to you for shouting it out loud! We all should.

    Nikki

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    1. I agree, Nikki! We should shout it out!!! My voice is a little softer than others. lol But I'm getting there!

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