Cantabrigian scribe Cecilia Tan — one of the nation’s better-known enchantresses of the erotic-fiction genre, foundress of sci-fi/fantasy publisher Circlet Press, and voice box for the New England Chapter of the National Leather Association — says she has a few things in common with Jenna Jameson, that Vegas-born, watermelon-breasted, porn-star pin-up. They’re both female entrepreneurs who’ve busted into the business of titillation. At an early age, they both amused themselves with hobbies that grown-ups swore would put hair on their palms. And they recently lived together for three weeks in Arizona because Tan is ghostwriting Jenna Jameson’s autobiography, an as-yet-untitled tell-all intended to be published by Regan Books in two volumes.

The tae-kwon-do-teaching Tan — who describes her last book, The Velderet, as an " SM-science-fiction-adventure novel in which the perverts have to save their world from destruction " and adds that " there’s a lot of whipping and spanking in it " — will be appearing this Friday evening at " Writers with Drinks, " a fuddling farrago of literature readings, spoken-word performances, and drag-queen vamping. The Phoenix seized this opportunity to chat with Tan about her collaboration with Jameson.

Q: How’d you end up writing the biography of a porn star?

A: My manager came to me and said, " I’m working with Vivid Entertainment " — which is the biggest adult-film company in the world — " and they’re looking at doing some nonfiction book projects. " The idea was to do a sex how-to book where I’d interview 10 Vivid girls and write all their sex tips into one big volume. My agent was like, " You’re going to get to interview all these stars, including Jenna Jameson. "

Then I went to the AVN [Adult Video News], in Las Vegas. While I was there, they introduced me to all the girls, and I really just hit it off with Jenna.... She was like, " I’m working on a book, " because she’d been working with Judith Regan at Regan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. So we put together a proposal. We wanted it to be an advice biography — how building sexual confidence will build your self-esteem, sort of a post-feminist, pro-sex life story.

Q: What was working with her like?

A: It was really fun. We’d interview for about three hours a day. It was really painless to work with her because she’s so articulate and has so much good stuff to say. All I had to do was give the book the direction and rearrange everything. We’d talk about 25 things a day, and I’d have to cut them up, reorder them into chapters, and make everything into complete sentences.

Q: Was she different than you’d expected?

A: When you see her on film, you don’t realize how petite she is. On film, she looks six feet tall. Part of that could be the large chest, the high heels, or the fact that she’s very slender. Or it could be the fact that most of the time in movies, you don’t see people standing next to each other. They’re propped in doorways with one leg up.

The other thing is that when you meet her in person and she doesn’t have a ton of makeup [on], she has very, very blond eyebrows and eyelashes. But when she makes up, she puts on false eyelashes or puts on mascara, and it’ll give her really smoky-looking, deep, sultry eyes. But she’s really elfin-looking.

Q: There are two volumes. How will they differ?

A: Really, the first volume is all about good sex, so there are some things we left out that will be in the second volume. Like she doesn’t discuss her relationship with Tommy Lee or the time she dated Sully from Godsmack. She was like, " I really want to keep this one positive. "

She did, on the other hand, talk all about Marilyn Manson. That sounded like a really funny relationship. She was like, " He totally fetishized my tan lines. " Apparently, he was so used to these pale goth chicks that had never seen the sun. He was like, " Your thong line is so cool! "

Q: There’ve been rumors that she and Britney Spears have become close pals. Is she buddies with Britney?

A: She is not, actually. But what’s really funny is that Britney’s CD never leaves Jenna’s car CD player.

We talked about it, actually. We were like, " You know, Britney’s managers are not handling her whole rebellion well. " She’s a young, famous, beautiful woman who has people throwing themselves at her all the time. This whole virgin image is not going to work.... Later I was saying that my dream fantasy would be to have a twist on, you know, the VH1 divas, like an Underground Divas show. I wanted it to be Jenna, Britney, and Gwen Stefani — get the three of them in a hot tub.

Jenna was like, " I would totally be into that! "

Q: Will you be reading selections from the autobiography this Friday?

A: I’ve been trying to decide. But I might read something I wrote last night at four in the morning, which is some erotic Harry Potter fan fiction. I saw the movie on Saturday night — Daniel Radcliffe is six months away from being a complete heartbreaker.

I’d read something different if I were in a bookstore that might be horrified and never invite me back. But with something like " Writers with Drinks, " all the rules are off.

Cecilia Tan will appear at " Writers with Drinks " on Friday, November 22, at 7 p.m., at the Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, in Cambridge, with MC Charles Anders, Mina Hartong, Talia Kingsbury, Jim Munroe, Annalee Newitz, and Lauren Slater. Call (617) 547-0659.