My book trailer champagne hangover

I don't normally drink, but when the woman checking you in at the SoHo Grand offers you a glass of champagne, and three more for your friends, it's hard to say no. That was just the start of what was a hilarious, ridiculous, sexy, silly afternoon/evening of drinking, making out, light-up sex toys, pizza, flirting, getting in trouble, room service requests (a fish in a fishbowl! toothbrush and toothpaste! tampons!) and fun as we shot the book trailer for my upcoming anthology Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories. You can read the introduction here.



Needless to say, the budget for this shoot (which I hope it's clear all comes out of my pocket) was a good bit higher than for the Spanked book trailer, but I think it's gonna be even hotter, and was fun to collaborate with my friends. There's a lot more we could do with a larger cast and some creativity. Now I just have to be patient and see what magic my awesome director cooks up. I trust her and admire her video skills, which is why I hired her for the first one. To me, these are, yes, a work product, but also something fun that showcases some part of why I do what I do.

I have plans to do a sort of "trailer" about my writing generally, and to put together a best of reel from In The Flesh, but will wait for us to tape Susie Bright and include that! My point is, video is so different from working just with words. It's collaborative and there's a lot of unexpected things, good and bad, that can happen, and I hope to get the chance to do more trailers and video promo. Also, major props to Quikbook.com for finding me the cheap rate on the room! I definitely plan to use them again. I've decided that four times a year, when I get my royalty checks, I'm going to treat myself to a hotel room stay, because I deserve it.

I got to kiss two hot friends of mine, which was fun but I had to block out the cameras clicking away to truly enjoy it, found that, yes, I do indeed like champagne quite a bit, did several costume changes, and went to sleep (alone, thank you) in an insanely luxurious, comfortable bed while the roomed seemed to spin around me. The trailer should be up by Valentine's Day, the book's officially out March 1st, and in late March there will be a book party at a hotel somewhere in Manhattan!

Thank you to everyone who helped in so many ways make it incredibly fun and memorable.

For now, a few of my photos from yesterday (many more on the way, considering that my friend Stacie Joy was on hand to shoot stills and everyone else seemed to have an iPhone on hand):

Hot towels at checkin:



The view from the room:



These I bought in Brooklyn, as the mini bar pricing is...quite expensive.



Twanna opening the 2nd bottle of champagne (I learned how to open a bottle too, later)



OMG this bed was so comfy to sleep in!