It’s nice to be able to use my previous skills as a software beta tester to help take some of the mystery out of self-publishing. If you have an interest in pursuing the world of indie publishing, please stop by my workshops.

I figure the best way to tell you about who I am as a writer is to answer the question I get asked so often: Why do I write BDSM romance? This question is usually followed by—and do you live the lifestyle? I’ve never been a kiss and tell kind of gal. So I’ll leave it up to you to use your imagination when answering that second question.

Sexuality is different for each individual, for each couple. I’ve loved books from the time I was a small child drinking coffee and eating doughnuts while my grandmother read me the Sunday paper. As a teenager my taste in books leaned toward horror, science fiction, and paranormal romance. My first experience with romance books came from stealing bodice rippers from Sherry Luv’s bookcase. She was my babysitter. Yes, that really was her name.

Some of the earliest erotic literature I read included the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy written by Anne Rice, published under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure which incorporated explicit BDSM themes into its adult fairy tale re-telling. I became fascinated not only with fiction but reading sociological and anthropological examinations of the culture. After all, my father instilled in me a deep appreciation for history. I’ve always needed to know not just the how but the why. This probably explains what lead me to software testing.

The most recent BDSM literature that I fell in love with includes the Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz. Its story compelled me at first because of its controversy and being the bad Catholic that I am, I felt an immediate need to read her books. Not only did she not shy away from material that may be deemed by some as offensive but by golly that woman can write! The intricate plot, the powerful characters, and well-written prose made me an immediate fan girl. In fact, I devoured her third book which ended with more questions than answers—to be fulfilled in the fourth book—that I went to buy the next installment right away and discovered it had yet to be released. Not realizing how active she is on Twitter I said something akin to, “Goddamn you and your cliffhanger” and she responded with, “Yeah, I’m a cocksucker like that” and I damn near spewed coffee on my computer screen.

The combination of the paranormal books and the erotic BDSM fiction I grew to love has played a huge part in defining the preferred sub-genres that I write. The psychology, the exchange of power and the trust that defines BDSM is what I find infinitely fascinating and it’s what draws me to writing it. A strong dominate man that has earned the trust of a submissive and cherishes her for what it is—a gift. Or the flip side of the equation—the man who is in control by day but by night enjoys being topped in the bedroom by a dominate woman. The beauty and honesty in well-written M/M BDSM romance that I love to read but haven’t been brave enough to write until I can do it justice. Writing sex scenes and erotica comes with its own technical challenges but writing BDSM is tricky. There are a million and one ways to get it wrong. I’d like to think that most of the time I rise to the challenge and that it rings with authenticity. But since I’m the new kid on the block, I’ll stick to what I know best and show you the technical ropes of self-publishing instead. For more information on my books feel free to visit my website or stop by Twitter and say hello.

See you there,

A.C. James