Oakland's own pioneering founder of The Punany Poets has written her first full length erotic novel, "The War Between the Tops and Bottoms." A poet, author, entertainer and AIDS awareness activist, Jessica Holter was at the Laurel Book Store Tuesday night to read excerpts from the novel and sign books for her hometown fans.

An intimate crowd gathered in one of the few remaining independent bookstores in the East Bay to listen to the hot, steamy, erotic boundary pushing scenarios Holter expertly details in her book. "The War Between Tops and Bottoms" - like most of Holter's body of work to date - explores the setting, respecting and dismantling of boundaries in intimate relationships. The excerpts read Tuesday night revealed a text comprised of carefully-crafted sexual situations with the author balancing extremely explicit sex with nuanced descriptions of her characters' emotional state.

As a new novelist, Holter said she let the story consume her over the two months of writing. For fans of her writing, "The War Between Tops and Bottoms" contains a sneak peak chapter of a novel she is currently working on that is also set in Oakland.

The Laurel Book Store, located at 4100 MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland, has three more local author events this month:

Friday, July 9 - Jacqueline Luckett reading "Searching for Tina Turner"

Saturday, July 17 - Robert Philipson reading "Very Good Looking Seeks Same: Gay Profiles in Search of Love"

Wednesday, July 21 - Henry Lee reading "Presumed Dead"

All events begin at 7 p.m.. Calling ahead for reserved seating is not required, but recommended.