SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH BERENGARIA BROWN!

Author Bio: Berengaria Brown is an award-winning, best-selling, multi-published author of erotic romance with over one hundred published digital, print, and audio books.  She writes contemporary, paranormal (magic, ghosts, vampires, fairies, dragons, and werewolves), futuristic, medieval, and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: MMF, MFM, FMMM, FFM, MM, FF, and MF. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Berengaria! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

BERENGARIA: Hi Gracie. Thank you for inviting me to visit with you today. I’ve always loved to read. One day I had no new books to read and didn’t feel like rereading any of my old favorites so I began to write a book myself. When it was finished, I still didn’t have anything new to read so I wrote another one, and another one, and…. the rest, as they say, is history.

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

BERENGARIA: I write all different genres because that’s what I read. Anything from sweet to very kinky and everywhere in between. My dad had to watch me when I was very small and my mom was ill, so he taught me to read. I credit him with giving me my love for books.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

BERENGARIA: I wrote three books one after the other and sent each one to a different publisher. All three were accepted and all three were published quite quickly one after the other. But the very first one was “Intensity” which released from Siren in April 2010.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

BERENGARIA: I did a lot of research before I sent off those first three books, so there were no big surprises. But I guess I never stopped to think how difficult it would be to find appropriate names for characters after I’d written quite a few books. All the “best” names have already been used.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your Siren Publishing, Menage Amour series, Possessive Passions.

BERENGARIA: I wanted a world where ménages would be reasonable and logical. There have been cultures in the past where all the brothers in a family shared the one woman, so I started thinking what if. What if one of those cultures had moved to America many years ago, but they’d had to hide from everyday life to continue their cultural traditions. What if the men still choose their woman like that and treat her as their treasured possession. What if they chose a woman not from their culture and brought her to their hidden community.

GRACIE: In Possess Me, what do you think is Shiloah’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?

BERENGARIA: Shiloah’s two fathers were murdered in the outside world for sharing Shiloah’s mama. Shiloah falls in love with Goa and Stan, but they live outside on a farm. Shiloah can’t leave her mama alone but she can’t expect her to leave the safety of the hidden community either. So Shiloah has to work out what to do. Her mama or her men. Or maybe….

GRACIE: Aside from the fact that Connor and Patrick have just saved Phoebe’s life in Flash Flood and she shares one of the most memorable and fulfilling nights of sex with the two men, what makes Phoebe a perfect match for Connor and Patrick and vice versa?

BERENGARIA: Phoebe loves to work out mental puzzles and there are things about the men which don’t quite sit right with Fi. Oh, they’re kind and helpful and very sexy, but there’s something about them that she doesn’t understand and she’s not going to rest until she’s figured it out. Connor and Patrick learn that they can trust Fi and share their story with her.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

BERENGARIA: The “Elinor’s Stronghold” series. These are medieval-set historical ménage romances which were a lot of work to research, but the characters just gripped me and wouldn’t let go. Besides, what’s not to like about half-naked warriors with big swords?

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

BERENGARIA: Okay, this will be right out of left field, but two very minor characters. Deborah is nine and the youngest child in the Arnott family whose stories are in the “Virgins No More” series. She’s very clever and always thinking of new ideas, some of which have entertaining consequences for the adult members of her family.

Ava is only six. Her father was killed when their village was attacked in the Elinor’s Stronghold series. She has courage far beyond her years, and her tiny, frail body, and plays a part in “Restoring Garnet’s Heart”.

GRACIE: In general, what about your characters makes them unique?

BERENGARIA: They are all different. Each one has his or her own quirks, beliefs, problems, weaknesses, and strengths. However all my heroines are strong on the inside, even if it takes a perceptive man to realize this.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

BERENGARIA: Favorite: When the book is almost finished and I finally understand how everything is going to come together. Least favorite: Sitting down, concentrating, and getting from the excitement of the beginning to the resolution of the end.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

BERENGARIA: A mixture. I don’t start writing until I have the characters clear in my mind with a beginning, an end, and a few points I want to make along the way. How I get there is pure pantsing. Things happen that I never expect and often new secondary characters just turn up and start talking to me.

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

BERENGARIA: I want to be the mistress of a 90-year-old billionaire.

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

BERENGARIA: Georgette Heyer introduced me to historical romance and she’s a long-time favorite author. I love Anny Cook’s Mystic Valley books. Edith Pargeter’s Brother Cadfael books are also firm favorites of mine. But basically I just love to read.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

BERENGARIA: I’ve just sold a new MM series, “The Paint Store Boys”. It’s a series of four books about men who buy a paint store.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

BERENGARIA: My blog: http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

My website: http://berengariabrown.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown?v=info

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

BERENGARIA: Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/berengaria-brown

All Romance ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Berengaria+Brown

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Berengaria-Brown/e/B00541R3YQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1403658211&sr=1-1

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

BERENGARIA: Keep reading, keep writing, keep perfecting your craft. Never give up.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

BERENGARIA: I love to hear from readers. Please drop by and say hi.

GRACIE: Berengaria, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

BERENGARIA: Thank you for letting me visit with y’all today.

Spotlight Author Interview - Paranormal Romance Author Tianna Xander!

BIO: Tianna Xander is an eclectic, multi-published, award-winning author of paranormal romance and erotica. Harassed by her muse daily, she rarely puts the pen down. However, she’s the first to admit that, when she does set the pen down, or her muse has momentarily deserted her, she spends too much time on the internet.

She lives in Michigan with her family, four cats, a German Shepherd Dog, and a raisin addict disguised as a Netherland Dwarf bunny named Babs.

 

Interview begins here:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Tianna! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

TIANNA: Thank you for having me, Gracie. I’m excited to be here!

I started telling romantic stories to my friends at a very young age. However, my first book wasn’t published until 2006 when Tina, the owner of Extasy Books, offered me my first contract. I have since been published by Siren, Cobblestone Press and the Extasy Books sister company, Devine Destinies.

I’m a bit outdoorsy. I love to camp, hike and ride my mountain bike anywhere it will take me. I love watching sci-fi shows and movies. Netflix is great and a sci-fi geek’s dream. My newest book, Woman Beware even has a few red shirt references. LOL

GRACIE: Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

TIANNA: My husband inspires my writing on almost a daily basis. He’s the type of man who still opens doors and walks between me and the street. After over thirty years, he still holds my hand. He’s a perfect romance hero come to life and I consider myself a lucky woman to have his love and companionship.

As far as who influenced the genre I write in, I would have to say Christine Feehan. I had never read paranormal before I read her Dark series. After that, I was hooked on all things paranormal. I would also say Sandra Hill played a roll in my writing time travels. I love her Viking series.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

 

 

TIANNA: Virgin’s Blood was my first published book. I borrowed this from one of my son’s English papers—with his permission, of course. “Note to self: Never take 1000 dollars to a drug dealer. He will kill you for it.” When he read that sentence to me, something snapped and I suddenly had this picture of a man killing a woman amidst a mess of pizza boxes and spilled cocaine in my mind. I looked at my son and said, “Oh, my goodness! I just had a great idea for a book. Can I use that?” LOL

The first few lines of Virgin’s Blood were, “Never take 6000 dollars with you to a drug dealer. He will kill you for it.” After that, the rest came easily and The Chosen series became my first series of many and the only series I write in first person.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

TIANNA: That it’s not as easy as everyone seems to think and you don’t get rich doing it. LOL Don’t get me wrong. I love writing and I do it because I love it, but those dreams of buying a new house and car were very nice, but still dreams, nonetheless. J

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your long-running Paradise series.

TIANNA: Actually, I started the Paradise saga writing a story for the Extasy Books Tarot series. I needed a book with characters that would fit the King of Wands card.

True to the character of my overachieving, sadist of a muse, I was forced—forced I tell you—to make the King of Wands book the first of a series with villains so nasty they would give most shape-shifting heroes the creeps. Thankfully, said muse allowed me to kill off most of the bad guys quickly and with extreme prejudice. Believe me, they deserved it.

GRACIE: What do you think are the drawbacks and perks of writing a series like Paradise?

TIANNA: The perks of writing a series are revisiting old friends, not having to dream up a new premise and stories almost guaranteed to be accepted by your publisher. LOL The drawbacks are few, but there.

After a while, you wonder why you’re still writing about a town or people who feel like relatives and start having a difficult time telling their stories because you feel like a voyeur. Isn’t that crazy? These people don’t even exist, but somehow, you feel as though you just might be invading their right to privacy.

GRACIE: In Woman Beware what do you think is Lena’s Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it?

 
TIANNA:  I’m not sure. She hasn’t shown a weakness yet. Well… other than Artu. Maybe a red shirt will be the death of her after all. LOL

GRACIE: In The Water Dragon Summer is an independent heroine who knows what she wants. Despite her being claimed by a chauvinist what do you believe makes Summer the perfect mate for Adrian and Adrian the perfect mate for Summer?

TIANNA: I think they will work well together. Water gives him strength and she can bring on the rain at a whim, now that she has his strength to anchor her.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

TIANNA: Alicia: The Awakening is my favorite. There is a lot of history (sort of) in that story for me. If her emotions seem real, it’s because they are real. They are mine. Writing that book was a catharsis for me. It rid me of old fears, by making me see that I have become a strong woman just as Alicia became a strong woman after her ordeal. Letting go of all of that emotional baggage opened doors for me that had remained closed for years. It changed me and I’m better for it.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

TIANNA: Gabriel in Alicia: The Awakening. He was so patient and loving with Alicia, just as my husband has always been patient and loving with me. Well… he is when it really counts. LOL

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

 

TIANNA: They have their own unique code of honor. None of them are perfect, but they are always perfect for each other.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

 

TIANNA: Plotting and writing are my favorite parts, right up until I get to the sex scenes. Bedroom scenes seem to get harder to write as I write more and more of them. One would think it would get easier, but there are times when I wonder if I’ve already written a certain passage the same way. I don’t want to plagiarize anyone—including myself. It cheats the reader.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

TIANNA: I do a little bit of both. I’m a pantser when I’m especially excited about a storyline. I sometimes feel as though typing 100 words per minute isn’t fast enough. LOL

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

TIANNA: Actually, I would have been a quantum physicist—believe it or not. LOL

 

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

TIANNA: As I said, I love Christine Feehan’s Dark series. I love Sandra Hill’s Viking series and I adore the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands.

I like Sandra Hill’s Viking series because I like the old-fashioned heroes who only want what’s best for their women. Guys like that are difficult to find these days. It isn’t impossible. I have one. He’s definitely a keeper.

I like Lynsay Sands and Christine Feehan’s vampire books because there is just something about a tall, dark and hungry vampire who can get rid of the bad guys with a flick of the wrist.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

TIANNA: I’m working on book three of the Gate To Fate series, Reporting from Paradise, the next in the Dragon Bound series and I’m waiting for Viola to finish adding her part and ship the next DARE book back to me to write more in it.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

TIANNA: Of course! My website is www.TiannaXander.com I’m on Facebook as Tianna Xander or readers can like my Tianna Xander Fans page. I’m also on Twitter @TiannaXander

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

TIANNA: My website www.TiannaXander.com/books has blurbs and excerpts as well as my publisher’s websites. However, some excerpts are more explicit than others. There are also buy links for my books on my website.

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

TIANNA: To borrow a phrase from Galaxy Quest, “Never give up. Never surrender.”

Always keep learning about the craft. I’ve been published many times over and I’m still learning something new every day. Don’t let rejections get you down. EVERY published author has been rejected at least once. The secret is to keep on writing and keep on submitting your work. Sooner or later an editor will see the potential in your baby and tell you what you can do to convince them to make you an offer.

One more thing: You will never, and I mean never, please everyone. Don’t try. Don’t read reviews that have less than four stars if you must read reviews and never let a snarky or poor review stop you from writing book two or book two-hundred.

GRACIE: LOL, love the quote from one of my favoite movies! Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

TIANNA: I love that my readers take the time from their busy lives to visit my worlds and fall in love with my characters. I thank them for their time and the effort it takes to leave reviews for their favorite titles.

GRACIE:  Tianna, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your prolific writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

TIANNA: Thank you for having me here at the G-Spot. It was a blast!

Spotlight Interview with Scifi Romance Author KAYELLE ALLEN

Author Bio: Kayelle Allen is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include immortal role-playing gamers, covert agents, and warriors who purr. She founded Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters to help authors learn how to market their books, build an online image, and establish a brand, and to assist them in doing that, she created The Author's Secret http://theauthorssecret.com, an author support company which creates custom banners and other graphics.

 

 

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Kayelle! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

KAYELLE: I'm excited to be here. I've been looking forward to this. I started young. I was privileged to have a mother who wrote and who loved words. Though she only had one poem published, writing was one of her great loves. She also loved art, and created many paintings throughout the course of her life. Although I didn't inherit the hand-drawing gene (my stick people prove that) I did gain a deep appreciation for art in all its forms. I used that to create my graphics company, The Author's Secret. I make banners for other authors -- and it's something I get a real kick out of doing. While I grew up with a pencil or pen in my hand, I didn't seek publication until my children were out of high school. Perhaps it was hitting the big 5-0 that made me realize the clock was ticking, but I finally decided it was now or never. I sought out an online critique group, got serious about submitting work, and had the honor of being mentored by the late author Barbara Karmazin http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Karmazin/e/B002BM1J46/. She introduced me to her publisher, Liquid Silver Books, which bought my first novel. I was one of those rare birds who didn't experience multiple rejections when I got started. My first book was submitted in February, bought in April, and published in July. So all of you who are worried about being accepted -- it can be done!

GRACIE: I read The Huntress by Barbara Karmazin and loved it! What a wonderful mentor for you to have had! Is there any one thing or person in your life that inspired your writing aside from Barbara? Any one thing or person that influenced the genre you write in?

KAYELLE: Well, of course there was Barbara. But I have had many wonderful coaches in my writing life as well. Janet Elizabeth Jones http://www.amazon.com/Incubus-Harlequin-Nocturne-Janet-Elizabeth/dp/0373618514/ continues to inspire me. Kiernan Kelly has also given me incredible boosts and guided me in many ways.

GRACIE: When did you get The Call and what was your first published book?

KAYELLE: The first book was At the Mercy of Her Pleasure. It has since been re-released by another publisher. I'll never forget how it felt getting the offer of a contract. I went into the kitchen where my husband was standing and asked him how he'd like to kiss a published author. We held hands and danced around the room.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

KAYELLE: Oh, my. Oodles of things. Probably the most important thing is that you can write a book and get it published and then walk away and forget it. I've seen many people do that. I can't. Once I birth that book I stay with it through its entire lifecycle: editing, cover art, marketing, revamping, blogging about it, sharing information... creating an idea and writing a book is only half an author's job. The rest is to tell others about it.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your Tarthian Empire series.

KAYELLE: I could never understand why authors would go to all the trouble of creating an alien world and creatures, and use them only in one book. If you were going to build a world, why not go back to it? So I created an entire universe where my characters could play. I have a galaxy-wide map, and stories planned all over. The Tarthian Empire is a collection of over twenty planets where you find all sorts of stories and secrets. I even created a tour on my website. You can click an interactive star map, or jump from one planet to the other in a list. The Tarthian Tour Company's http://kayelleallen.com/TTC-Home.html motto is "Where do you want to wake up tomorrow?" I follow that with my books.

GRACIE: In Wulf: Tales of the Chosen, what do you believe makes Wulf Gabriel the perfect match for Luc Saint-Cyr?

KAYELLE: Wulf is the son of Luc's best friend, Thomas Gabriel. Because Luc is immortal, he must keep humans at a distance, however, Thomas is one of the Chosen -- a group of people who serve the immortals. Luc can be himself around him. Thomas dies when Wulf is ten, and Wulf, not understanding why Luc can't just loan his father an "extra life" -- refuses to serve as a Chosen. He and his mother move away. Luc, honor bound to his friend's son, keeps watch over Wulf from a distance. When Wulf turns thirty, he gets himself in trouble, and goes to Luc for help. He knows most of Luc's secrets, so it's a chance for the powerful immortal to once again have someone with whom he can let his hair down -- and Wulf is supermodel gorgeous. He's arm candy, and for an entrepreneur like Luc who prides himself on having the best of the best, Wulf is perfect. But can their romance live forever? There is much more to their story than meets the eye, and no matter how things seem to go in future books, I wouldn't be too quick to answer that question either way.

GRACIE: As a Better Alitus Vivaldi is what most considered the perfect being in every way—physically, emotionally and mentally superior to most humans. Despite this, and as most intriguing and multi-dimensional characters are characters with flaws, what do you think is Alitus’ Achilles’ heel and how do you go about stomping it throughout the course of his story?

KAYELLE: Alitus is bound by his sense of honor and duty. If he has a weakness, it's that. He will serve the empress to the best of his ability no matter what it costs him. Throughout the book Alitus and in Jawk, he gives and gives and gives. Of course, the empress, being immortal, takes and takes. When Alitus and Wulf -- who are both Chosen -- end up working together, the empress and Luc are not necessarily the ones who benefit.

GRACIE: I admire the promise you make to your readers on your homepage. Is there a specific process you employ in order to keep your promise, and do you think your promise makes it easier or more difficult to keep your characters and their stories on track?

KAYELLE: You mean this one? "I promise you a complex plot that immerses you in an erotic tale and provides unexpected action in settings so real you'll swear you've been there." Thank you. Yes there is a process. When I write a story, I try to keep in mind that if the logical thing is for character A to do X, then he/she should do C instead. I think of a story as a roller coaster ride. I try to send readers in directions they don't expect, while protecting the sanctity of storytelling. It's an author's obligation to readers to take them from the beginning, through the middle, and right up to the end. But I don't lead them on a trail that's commonplace. You can expect twists and turns. One of my readers gave me a wonderful review in just a few words. She wrote, "Think you know what happens next? No way. It's by Kayelle."

GRACIE: Yes, that’s the one! Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

KAYELLE: Probably the one I'm working on now. I've been writing Surrender Trust for-freaking-ever, but it's a labor of love. I have to finish it. I want to know what happens as much as my readers do!

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

KAYELLE: Okay, I'm going to say Luc Saint-Cyr. He's my only true alpha -- I think of the others as betas because I do write very strong female leads. He's also the wealthiest man in the empire, and it's a blast to write a powerful character who is also kind and generous. Luc goes out of his way to help others. Yet there is a dark side of him that makes people back down and refuse to argue. He's been in every book in the Tarthian Empire.

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

KAYELLE: I spend a lot of time getting to know them before I write their stories. I know their childhoods, their parents, their likes and dislikes, their pet peeves. I write them back stories that never make it into the books. I write out of the overflow of information. There is more to them than you can see on the page, and I think that makes them intriguing. A reviewer said one of her favorite characters was Luc's android servant, McDoth, in "all his butler glory." He's a minor character, but he has depth. I try to make even the walk on parts important. In fact, that was how Alitus ended up being a major character. He had a walk on part -- just hand the empress some paperwork and answer a question. But I kept needing to reference him, and saying "the empress's personal assistant" took up too much space. It was awkward. So I came up with a name for him and POW! Alitus took on an entirely new role. Once I had the name, I had details. By the end of the book, I had sketched out his life history. He ended up getting his own story.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

KAYELLE: Favorite -- worldbuilding: creating and designing and coming up with new ideas. Least favorite -- the day in day out of putting down the words. There are times when it flows and gushes. And other days, it's just one word in front of the other, like marching. You have to get it out of your head and onto the page. And that's work.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

KAYELLE: I call myself a plotser. I plot; outline, and design, and then I use that as a framework while I freely let the moment take me where it will. I might know that I'm going to write a love scene, for example, but where is it going to take place? It might be anywhere. I have more than one in a car, and quite a few in a shower. Even in some beds! But who will be on top, or who will be the top, that might be decided at a whim. Sometimes, the usual top wants a break. ;)

GRACIE: A plotser. I like that J If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

KAYELLE: I was an administrative assistant for many years. I'm good at organizing. I use those skills in Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/, where I help authors learn how to promote. I also use them in The Author's Secret http://theauthorssecret.com/. I have never liked handing off something half-done. If I send you an interview, it will have all the links in place, the spell check will have been done, and I'll have made sure my formatting matches yours. Back when my day job was to be an admin, I did that every day, and still follow it as an author. So I might still be an admin, but I wouldn't like it even one fourth as much. I love being my own boss.

GRACIE: Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

KAYELLE: Two authors whose styles I love are Heather Gladney (http://www.amazon.com/Teots-Song-Naga-Teot-Book/dp/0441800831) and Mary Renault (http://www.amazon.com/The-Persian-Boy-Mary-Renault/dp/0394751019). Ms Gladney wrote Teot's War and Blood Storm, both paranormal fantasy books that were a mite on the slash side before there was such a term. I reread them every year or so. Ms Renault wrote The Persian Boy, a favorite book I also reread. When I do, it takes me into the past, walking beside Alexander the Great. I love that story and the characters in it. Bagoas, her main character, is one of the most noble heroes I've ever read.

GRACIE: What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

KAYELLE: I just finished a short story called "Bill Me." It's a gay romance set in a BDSM club called Shady Business, where "no good deed goes unpunished." The anthology is called Fifty Gays of Shade, and as you can tell from the title contains a healthy dose of humor. It comes out from Torquere http://torquerepress.com/ in November. I don't have a buy link or cover for it yet, but you can read more about it here http://www.kayelleallen.com/exc-fifty.html. Other authors include Amelia June, CB Conwy, CC Bridges, DC Juris, Emily Moreton, KC Burn, KC Wells, Lydian Harker, PT Walden, Sascha Illyvich, Sean Michaels, Wade Kelly, Winnie Jerome, Wt Prater, and it's edited by Kiernan Kelly. And of course, I'm working on Surrender Trust, the sequel to Surrender Love http://www.kayelleallen.com/exc-fifty.html.

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

KAYELLE: Absolutely. http://www.kayelleallen.com You can also find me in these places online.
http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
http://twitter.com/kayelleallen
http://pinterest.com/kayelleallen

http://kayelleallen.blogspot.com

My Pinterest page has a board about Luc and Rah from Surrender Love and Surrender Trust, so if you're a Luc groupie or you belong to the "I Love Izzy" club, be sure to hit that one!

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

KAYELLE: You can find links to every place where my books are sold, plus reviews, trailers, excerpts, and even some fun puzzle books by clicking here: http://kayelleallen.com/Books.html

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

KAYELLE: Never give up. Never let anyone steal your dream. Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep learning. Join Marketing for Romance Writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/ to learn the business side of the craft, and teach others what you learn. What goes around comes around. Pay it forward.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

KAYELLE: I love hearing from readers. Friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, visit my blog, or email me. I respond. I have a very very very small group for dedicated readers only. It's called the Edge of Peril (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/edgeofperil/). Don't join if you haven't read all the books, because there are spoilers. It's a quiet group -- not filled with promos or notices. But if you are a closeted Tarthian waiting for the price of a cross-galaxy move to the empire to come down in price, hit this group.

GRACIE: Kayelle, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!

Spotlight Interview with Erotic Author Liz Adams!

 

 

Bio: Liz Adams, author of erotic fairy tales such as Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land and Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Liz studied music and creative writing at UCLA and worked as a freelance model before making her writing her career. In her spare time she cuddles with her husband on the couch to watch her favorite shows.

The Interview:

GRACIE: I’m excited to have you here at The G-Spot, Liz! Please tell us a little about yourself (or a lot J) and how and when you got into writing?

LIZ: when I was 14, my girlfriend and I found a dirty newspaper in the bushes. She and I returned to her house and giggled over the pictures of naked women. But when she read aloud some of the letters of men's fantasies, more than just my face got hot! She was gracious enough to let me keep the paper. That is, I pulled it out of her trash can when she wasn't looking. When I think back on it, she made such a show of throwing it away, she was probably going to retrieve it from the trash herself after I left! Anyhow, I really wore that newspaper down as I read those letters over and over. I finally tried writing out my own fantasies when I was 16. About a year or two later, I sent one to Penthouse Forum and it was published! I was so excited, I decided to work hard at improving my writing so I took up creative writing in UCLA.

GRACIE: What was your first published book?

LIZ: Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land was my first published book. I also put out an erotic version of Red Riding Hood and shared an erotic experience I had when I was in college in the anthology Campus Sexploits 3: Naughty Tales of Wild Girls in College. But both of those are short stories. Alice’s Sexual Discovery is my only full book, albeit a novella.

GRACIE: What do you know now about writing and the publishing industry that you wish you’d known before you started?

LIZ: In the writing business, especially in erotica, self-publishing is the way to go. I have two great book coaches, a husband and wife team. Beth and Ezra Barany have helped me so much with the process on how to get my books published without having to spend a ton of time or money. Beth helped me with getting connected to my readers, and Ezra did the cover art, book layout, and did his search engine optimization (SEO) magic to determine the best titles for my stories. Now the likelihood of readers stumbling upon my writing is much greater, thanks to the titles.

GRACIE: Please, give us a little story behind the story and what inspired your erotica novella Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land.

LIZ: I was a kid when, at a neighbor's place, I saw a cartoon cover for a rated X video version of Alice. Being the curious girl I was, I got upset when my mother wouldn't let me watch it. I always wondered what was so forbidden about it and eventually did see it when I was older. The idea of making a better story stayed with me. So I started with an erotic version of Alice in Wonderland and went from there!

GRACIE: What do you think is Amy’s Achilles’ heel in Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood and how do you go about stomping it?

 

LIZ: I would say that the Achilles’ heel which Amy Riding – nicknamed “Red” for her red hair – has is a fear of wolves. Ever since she had a traumatic experience finding herself accidentally stuck in the middle between a mother wolf and its cub. Though she survived the moment, the growls of that wolf stayed with her. The trouble with having this fear is that she now loves a lycan named Sean. What will it be like seeing her beloved grow a snout? Will he ever wind up finishing what that mother wolf threatened to do years ago?

That’s her inner issue. The external issue is that she lives in a community that frowns upon human-lycan relationships. She’ll have to be strong to keep Sean as her boyfriend.

GRACIE: What do you think it is in Sean’s personality that makes him a perfect mate for Amy?

LIZ: I’d say it’s that Amy needs an alpha male. Someone who will stand up for her and her love in times when her parents and her community demand that she stop seeing him. That, and his wicked bulge. (wink)

GRACIE: Both Alice’s Sexual Discovery in a Wonderful Land and Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood are adult versions of two popular children stories and fairy tales. What was the appeal of revising these two specific stories with prerequisite erotic elements?

LIZ: I mentioned how my desire to write Alice came from wanting to write a better version than the rated X movie I saw. After publishing that, I wanted to write a short story. Something just 2,000 words or so. I flipped through a book of fairy tales and noticed Red Riding Hood was the shortest, so I chose that one. The result ended up being over 14,000 words, though, ha, ha. But to answer your real question of why fairy tales, there’s something about the visceral fear and excitement in fairy tales. The heart pounds, the breath quickens. There’s something about that moment when we can’t tell whether we’re afraid or excited that thrills me.

GRACIE: Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

LIZ: That’s a hard one. I’ve only written three stories but still, I love them all. And the best part about writing erotica is that I get to edit it. In what other genre can you edit your own work and fully experience the pleasure of the story over and over again? My fingers sure get tired. If I had to choose, I’d say Amy “Red” Riding’s Hood because the story had the opportunity of building a true relationship among the characters. In Alice’s Sexual Discovery, Alice doesn’t stay long enough with any one character to build a relationship. So that was a harder story to write.

GRACIE: I know this is like asking a mother which is her favorite child, but which of your characters is your favorite and why?

LIZ: My favorite character is myself in Campus Sexploits 3: Naughty Tales of Wild Girls in College, the autobiographical telling of my experience in college. My heart pours out to that younger version of me.

 

 

GRACIE: What about your characters makes them unique?

LIZ: In my fairy tales, I think it’s that my characters live in a world where anything can happen. Something else stands out. As one reviewer said, all the characters in my stories come across as real people, not just fillers.

GRACIE: What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? Your least favorite?

LIZ: I love discovering what will happen in the story and can’t wait to reveal it to others. My least favorite aspect of writing is the waiting. When I send out the story to beta-readers and when I publish, I have to wait to see how the story is received by the public. Will they like it? Will they hate it? I get very antsy waiting.

GRACIE: Are you a pantser or do you outline?

LIZ: Unlike a lot of my fellow writers, I prefer to heavily outline the full story first. It’s the best way for me to make sure the story has a compelling plot and doesn’t ramble into nowhere.

GRACIE: If you weren’t a writer, what other profession would you have chosen to pursue?

LIZ: I’d still be a model. I was a freelance model for a short time after college, but now I get to do this wonderful job. I get to do a lot of wonderful research with my hubby. It keeps me on my toes (and on my knees!).

GRACIE: LOL! Who are some of your favorite authors and why? Name some of your favorite books and why they’re your favorites.

LIZ: I’m so impressed with Anne Rice’s erotic writing style. I absolutely adore her. I also love Poppy Z. Brite’s writing. No specific books stand out, though.

GRACIE: Wow, another Poppy Z. Brite fan! Cool. I love her work too, and I can see where you would like her sensual writing style. What are you working on now and what should readers be looking forward to from you in the future?

LIZ: I’ve fully outlined an erotic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears where Goldie is a clever thief skilled at picking locks and is caught by three bearish men when they return home. The working title is Goldie’s Locks. I’ll also be coming out with a version of Alice Through the Looking Glass. Alice and her new boyfriend run into each other frequently in this version. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum? They’re twin versions of her boyfriend. Can you imagine being taken by your boyfriend and your boyfriend’s clone?

GRACIE: Do you have a website and/or how can readers contact you?

LIZ: The best way to contact me is via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Liz.Adams.Author. I’d love to hear what my readers think!

GRACIE: Where and how can readers purchase and/or read samples of your work?

LIZ: The best place to go is to my author page on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Liz-Adams/e/B007VXOXHU) Once there, choose the book you’d like to sample and download that taste onto your Kindle or Kindle app. Ready for the full load? You can get both stories of Alice and Red in my Adult Fairy Tale Erotica Bundle. (http://www.amazon.com/Erotica-Discovery-Wonderful-Ridings-ebook/dp/B009195DZI/)

GRACIE: What advice do you have for beginning writers?

LIZ: The trick is to finish your story. Turn off that inner editor and let yourself write an awful story. When you’re done, then you can edit. Your best editors, however, are your beta-readers. They’re your specific audience, they care about how it comes out, and best of all, they’re help is free. Ask them “What would I need to change to make this be a five-star book?” Then, incorporate their advice in your fiction.

GRACIE: Anything else about yourself or your writing you’d like to share with your readers?

LIZ: It’s been an honor being with you and for all you readers out there who read this far, thank you so much for your time. I truly appreciate it.

GRACIE:  Liz, thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share yourself and your work with us at The G-Spot and giving us a little insight into your writing and the writing process! We’ll let you get back to writing those wonderful books you write! All the best!