Can 'others' ever understand Spanking stories?

I’m heading to a writer’s convention next month. I definitely have mixed feelings about going. I’m leery of anything that smacks of a formal meeting – a hangover from school days. Add to that the fact that I spent my life as a math teacher, not as an expert on English composition. I have confidence telling Cassie’s stories, but no confidence as a ‘writer’. So sometimes I feel like I don't belong.

I’m not fishing for compliments; I know many of you really enjoy my books and God bless you for it. I’m just telling you how I feel around other writers. When I walk in with my ‘spanking books,’ in my mind, the others in the room have written things like Moby Dick, War and Peace, Gone With the Wind and To Kill a Mocking Bird. Chances are none of the authors of these books will actually be there, but that doesn’t change how I feel.

So I head in with that feeling on my mind and then we go around and tell what genre we write and then I most definitely feel like the red-headed, step child. We go around the room and I hear what others write telling that they write, Gothic, Regency, Science-fiction, Mystery… and they get to me and I say, “I write domestic discipline – basically spanking romance.” There is a moment of silence, then a mixture of slight laughter and disapproving looks. After all they’re all writing about ‘strong’ women.

But, damn it, so am I! If I had a good fifteen minutes I could explain it to everyone there. Whether we practice it or not I understand domestic discipline in my core and I understand that only a truly strong woman would ever think of giving the gift of submission to the person she loves. There is so much I could explain, but after a brief eye-roll, they quickly move on to the next person and I can’t help feeling ostracized and alone and somewhat defensive. 

To get through this I often picture a group of loyal Cassie and Cal and Jenny fans standing around the edges of the room encouraging me while at the same time looking like they may well attack some of those sneering. And, of course, if I need to bring out the big guns Cassie and Sue are sitting right there with me.

Some of you might wonder why I’m going in the first place if this is the way I feel. I was invited by someone I love dearly who loves these things. She is convinced I'll learn to love them too. I hope I’m pleasantly surprised at this conference. I hope I learn a lot about writing and promoting and other aspects of the business that I haven’t even thought about. Wish me luck.