Golden Flogger Award Nominee
A Rough Ride
Why did you begin writing BDSM novels?
Romance, intrigue, kinky sex… and… did I mention kinky sex? Seriously, how can you not love spankings, leather, latex and, my all-time favorite: THE RIDING CROP.
If I’m honest I’ve been a BDSM fan since about the age of thirteen when I snuck a copy of Anne Rice’s ‘The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty’ home and re-read it about a thousand times to my heart’s content. I still love that series. It’s one of those books that I adore reading over and over again.
Why Pony Play?
Well, the uniforms for the pony-boys and girls rock – you’ve got bridles, bit gags, wrist restraints and leather harnesses. Let’s not forget the tails. For an erotica writer, you have the world at your fingertips. I’ve included medical play in the form on an intimate measuring session for a pony-girl uniform and there is also veterinary play. The possibility for edge play is also endless. Whilst my series is particularly kinky in parts, from book four, ‘Named and Shamed,’ there is also another sub-plot with more traditional BDSM. I can do pretty much anything I want to. I love the dynamic between horse and trainer. It’s the ultimate power play exchange. As a horse, the pony-girl/boy is completely reliant on their trainer for pretty much everything. It’s a sharp learning curve, to say the least.
What does being nominated for the Golden Flogger Award mean to you?
I was really touched when I saw someone had nominated me. Writing in the erotica genre is hard because no-one wants to admit they’ve read your work and if they do, they are not prepared to leave a review for the most part. On the other side of the coin, it is also one of the most popular genres in nearly all online bookstores, mostly thanks to the new anonymity of eReaders.
I’m absolutely bowled over when anyone mentions they’ve enjoyed my work – so thank you Golden Flogger Award – you made my day!
What is the hardest part of writing your novel?
Hmmm… writing all the parts that connect the sex scenes, I think. Seriously, the sex scenes I find easy, it’s the rest that I struggle with. Continuity can be a problem for me, too, because I’m a pantster and not a plotter. For each book I have a general idea of what is going to happen, but it’s stored in my head and no-where else. Occasionally, this makes my editor really mad. 🙂
Tell us a little about yourself and your writing works.
I love travelling, which is why you’ll find scenes from all over the world in my books. I love surfing and ski-ing but am terrible at both. There’s a reason I wear pink neon on the slopes – this is as a warning signal. I also need to find a pink wetsuit, but I’m working on th
at! So, what am I good at? Baking! But this interferes with the keep fit programme, oh woe is me.
Writing? Well, you know I’m a pantster. I do most of my plotting in bed just before I nod off to sleep, or in the car on long journeys. I love alpha males and the traditional M/f submission – but I don’t mind seeing an alpha being brought low to get his girl. Power Play is a wonderful thing and I try to make sure that my characters are pushed to the absolute limit.
Most of my writing is completed in the evening and I’m terribly slow. I try to complete around 500 – 1000 words per day. No genre is safe with me, as so far I’ve tried my hand as Sci-fi, Romance, Erotica and Space Opera. Oh, and watch this space because Paranormal is next!
Describe your writing style.
It’s dark, fantasy erotica and it’s come under a lot of scrutiny in the press lately, which makes me a little mad.
I see nothing wrong with writing about non-consensual sex, as long as it is in a fantasy context. As my writing is fiction, this should say it all. Stephen King gets to write about all sorts of things, and because it’s under the genre ‘horror,’ he can pretty much do as he likes. Erotica writers seem to be having all sorts of censorships and boundaries put in place as of late, some sensible, others not so much.
The non-consensual captive fantasy is a popular one among women – IN FANTASY LAND. You’re cuddled up in bed with your dream man, who’s whisked you away to his lair and is about to do wonderfully wicked things to you – and as you lust after him, you put up a bit of a struggle, but you don’t moan too much! (Or perhaps you do!)
In real life, I am firm believer in safe, sane and consensual sex. If you’re in a D/s relationship (or any relationship) then your first concern should be safety at all times. In fantasy fiction land, however, anything goes, and I write for my titillation as much as anyone else’s. So I write in a beautifully dark world of lust and depravity. To give it a touch of realism here and there, I’ll add little safety snippets and precautions – but I won’t bog the story down with them. I have bullies in my books; I have sadists, and the odd good guy (ish), if you can find him. It’s erotic suspense. I want butterflies that will drop your stomach down fifty stories, I want drama and I want tears. It’s an emotional journey.
Will you be attending BDSM Writers Con or other events we can meet you at?
If I lived in the US, I’d be there in a heartbeat. As I live in the UK, way across the pond, I’m not sure yet. I’m going to try and see if I can make it happen. If you don’t see me this year, you’ll be seeing me soon.
I am appearing in the Birmingham Second City Signing Event in the UK on the 18th July, though. It’s my first promotional event as an author and I’m very excited!