Ashley Manta

January brought another busy month of trade shows. As you’ve probably learned by now, dear reader, January and July are my busiest months of the year. This year was no exception, and was intensified by two big media hits right before the trade shows began. Here’s my big news, as well as my favorite toys from the Adult Novelty Manufacturing Expo (ANME) and an exciting new partnership!

On January 7 I was checking my notifications at 6 a.m. (I know, I know) and I saw a message from a colleague: “Look what came into my inbox this morning!” I immediately knew what they meant — my cover of Sexual Health Magazine had gone live! Yes, I am now officially a cover girl, and I could not be more thrilled. I was even more overjoyed that the cover photo the editors chose featured me holding an ounce of one of my favorite cultivars, Purple Punch, under the headline, “Ms. CannaSexual: Meet Ashley Manta, America’s High Priestess of Pleasure.” Yep, that happened. I spent the next two days responding to countless congratulatory messages, which felt amazing.

Two days later, my other big news went live. Back in October I’d filmed a CannaSexual workshop with ATTN:, and the clip had finally been posted on Facebook. As I’m writing this piece, the video has over 250,000 views. I spent the rest of the week posting and reposting, avoiding the comments section like the plague, and gearing up for the trade show in LA that weekend.

What was especially cool about going to ANME this year was that, as XBIZ is a sponsor of ANME and XBIZ owns Sexual Health Magazine, my magazine cover was all over the place. Plus, XBIZ hosted their own conference immediately after ANME, and all of the attendees got a Sexual Health Magazine in their gift bags. CannaSexual received a tonof press all in the same week — and it was magical! And overwhelming. And wonderful. And stressful.

On January 12 I had a brunch and sex date with my boyfriend then drove up to LA, stopping briefly in San Clemente to pick up my good friend and “show wife” Janine, who owns one of my favorite brands, Warm. Her company makes a product called Touch that warms and automatically dispenses lube, and it was nominated for Specialty Product/Line of the Year for the XBIZ Awards (as you’ll remember, I was nominated for Sexpert of the Year!).

Fast-forward to the ANME show, which officially started on January 13. I walked around to see the latest and greatest from the manufacturers at the show, and my favorite new toy quickly emerged: a new vibrating stroker from Fun Factory appropriately named the Manta. While the toy was technicallynamed after its manta ray shape, my friends at Fun Factory assured me they also had me in mind when the name was chosen, given my penchant for hand jobs. This toy is brilliant — equally excellent for solo or partnered play, it can be used to spice up oral or manual stimulation, to give extra sensation during penetrative sex and, of course, to use solo as a penis stroker. I’d suggest using plenty of lube, and make sure that it’s either oil-based or water-based, since it’s a silicone toy and silicone lube can degrade silicone toys.

I’m also super excited about a new We-Vibe toy that’s coming out — it won’t be out until March, so I can’t give you details yet, but it’s going to be a rumbly vibe that magnetically attaches to your panties. I am super excited for all of the date night possibilities!

The last bit of excitement that came during ANME is a piece of news that no one knows yet — you’re reading it here first! We haven’t even put out a press release yet! Drumroll … I’m going to be officially working with my favorite lube company, Sliquid! They’re now sponsoring me, so look for giveaways and promotions of all of my favorite Sliquid lubes, handing out samples at events and sharing information via social media and livestreams! Plus, Sliquid owns a company called Mad Toto, who make carrying cases and kits for smoking accoutrements! It’s a match made in heaven! Sliquid also won Sexual Health and Wellness Brand of the Year at the XBIZ Awards, which makes them a perfect fit for my values and exceptionally high quality standards.

I had a blast at the XBIZ Awards. My sexy boyfriend, B, accompanied me (wearing a waistcoat — swoon!) and we had a marvelous time walking the red carpet together. Stormy Daniels was the host of the show, so you know she brought some powerful energy to the stage! My friend Buck Angel presented the Sexpert of the Year award, and when he announced that it went to Dr. Emily Morse, I cheered for her! I believe strongly in collaboration over competition, and Emily Morse is one of the hardest working women in the industry. Congratulations to her — she deserves it!

The post Hump Day High: Dispatches from January’s Biggest Adult Entertainment Events appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Hump Day High: Dispatches from January’s Biggest Adult Entertainment Events
Source: Dope Magazine

“This is where they keep the stars,” my boyfriend whispered in my ear. His arms encircled me as I gazed upward, eyes wide, mouth agape. All I could say was, “Wow!” over and over again.

Polyamory life usually means splitting or working around holidays, so since B was going to be spending NYE with his wife, we decided to go away for an overnight getaway the weekend prior. He chose the location, a quaint inn in Borrego Springs, California, because it boasted in-room fireplaces, beautiful views and a clothing-optional heated pool and hot tub.

As I began researching the locale, I learned the real reason he chose it — Borrego Springs is in the middle of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which is designated as an international “Dark Sky Community.” This means they actively curtail light pollution so you can see infinitely more stars with the naked eye than you could in a typical city. We could actually see the Milky Way from our patio. There are about 15 of these Dark Sky locations in the United States, and we’re lucky enough to live about an hour and a half from one of them.

He got to my house at 9 a.m. on Saturday. We couldn’t check in until 3 p.m., so we had to occupy our time somehow. I made breakfast, then we cuddled naked in bed for an hour, then had sex for two, then cuddled more. At some point lunch happened. We arrived in the afternoon with luggage in hand — two suitcases each. This may sound like overkill for one night, but we always approach packing with a “more is more” mindset. One of my suitcases was filled with nothing but sex toys, lube and lingerie. The other one held my VapeXhale and some Galactic Jack flower, incense, tea lights, essential oils, a diffuser and some fuzzy warm things, because the desert gets cold at night!

As an eager service submissive, I took charge of the unpacking and setting up process while B showered and relaxed. Once the room was arranged to my liking, we had sex for another hour. Then we donned our fluffy cotton robes, took a few puffs from the vape, turned on the gas fireplace and went to check out the hot tub and watch the sunset. It was glorious. The sky was streaked in pink and orange and the stars started appearing right away. We soaked for a bit in the blissfully hot tub, naked, then meandered back to the room for more sex. By the time we took our next break, the sky was pitch black. He led me out to the patio with blankets and a sleeping bag and held me as I looked up at the stars in wonder. I touched the Tiffany chain and lock around my neck (my anniversary gift last year) and passionately proclaimed that I was his in every conceivable way. God, I love that man.

We stayed up until 2 a.m. having sex, making love, touching souls and flying through the universe together in every way we could think of. Toys, hands, mouths — nothing was off-limits. It was magical. One of the most romantic and connective nights we’ve ever spent together. Wow.

The post Hump Day High: A Romantic Getaway to a Dark Sky Community with the CannaSexual appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Hump Day High: A Romantic Getaway to a Dark Sky Community with the CannaSexual
Source: Dope Magazine