Join us for an interview with BDSM Dark Erotica author Charlotte E. Hart. Nominated for the 2016 Golden Flogger Award for her book Absorbing White

 

Why did you begin writing BDSM novels?
Funnily enough I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that question before now.

Books, yes. BDSM books, no.

I suppose the best way to round it up is to say that I have a past which is unlike my present day, and writing this trilogy gave me a way of expressing who I used to be, maybe who I still am to a degree. It allowed me to remember and find a way through the confusion of everyday life without still being entrenched in the lifestyle. Actually, it was a way for me to put it all on paper and let people know that being in this lifestyle isn’t as easy as they might think. It’s complicated for some people, and the hurdles and challenges within it are tremendous at times.

It’s so easy for people to generalise after the FSOG phenomenon, and I just wanted to tell a real story about how emotionally difficult it can be, but also the rewards that come with really understanding someone and bearing your soul to them.

Do you participate in the lifestyle or merely write about it?
As I’ve just said, I used to. I no longer participate with any real legitimacy but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy playing from time to time. I don’t think anyone ever really abandons this lifestyle if they’ve been a part of it at some point. I made a choice to not be the person I was before, that doesn’t mean the inclination doesn’t ride over my skin every now and then to remind me what I’m missing.

What does being nominated mean to you?
It’s utterly amazing that I’ve been nominated for this. I was shocked to say the least.

One never thinks of these situations really, I just wrote my books and hoped people would get them, you know, really understand the characters and enjoy them. I knew the story would be complicated and therefore knew I would put some readers off, so the fact that I’ve been nominated means that someone really got the point. These books aren’t just another retelling of the same story, they’re filled with mixed emotions and troubles.

I adore that someone really enjoyed all my hard work, but I more love that someone felt it good enough to go up against these other amazing authors. I’m just a newbie author at the end of the day, one who wrote a complicated tale of the D/s scene and hoped readers would get a new version to look at. I never dreamed this would be a result of that.

Where would you like to see the BDSM genre heading, and how does it get there?
This is a really difficult question. One which everyone is looking for answers and conclusions on.

And the reality is that I don’t think there was anything wrong with the genre/lifestyle the way it was before the FSOG thing. It’s a lifestyle choice, and as long as it’s practised in a safe, sane and consensual manner then others should just butt out and mind their own business. I’m a huge believer in everyone being different. We all have things we require, need, want, and yearn for. There should be no restriction on what we are able to say to our partners or lovers simply because society deems it odd or strange. If we are inclined differently to others, or need a certain thing to trigger our compulsions, then we should be allowed that right with no constraint (excuse the pun) or limitations on our sexual behaviour. There are already plenty of places to go to find what you need in the safety of arms that will welcome your differences. These places have been in existence for a very long time and are probably still the best at what they offer, and the way in which they offer it. People have sought these venues out carefully given their natural proclivities, and taken time to understand the rules and obligations involved. Then they’ve been guided correctly by masters and schooled in the best manner possible for them to achieve their satisfaction from BDSM. Unfortunately, with the new uprising of BDSM acceptability comes a wave of people attempting something that isn’t really ‘up their ally’ so to speak, and this in turn, can cause more harm to the genre than it does good.

I think it’s wonderful that the lifestyle is being talked about more readily, but I worry that everyone is ‘having a go’ with no real clue what they’re doing, or indeed, why they’re doing it. One wrong slip, one smack too hard, one set of pink fluffy cuffs left on for too long by someone who doesn’t have a clue why the cuffs are there in the first place and …. poof, BDSM’s bad for you, immoral, dirty. It’s like fairy dust inducing all the wrong kinds of magic.

So, I’d kind of like it to settle back down again, really. Just get back to a level playing field where everyone who really needs it, or whose sexual experience is rooted in it, can just carry on with enjoying it while introducing others slowly. If there’s a little more tolerance for it, then great, but I’m not sure if anyone who’s really involved in it heavily gives a damn what others think of their needs anyway.

What was the hardest part of writing your novels?
The memories attached to it.

Both of my lead characters have an element of me inside them, and it was incredibly difficult to manage my own emotions on some of the journeys they took. I wanted to write a book about real people with real emotions and real feelings so that the reader could understand the cascade of moods involved in the scene. Okay, so there’s a millionaire in my story, but he’s just a confused man underneath that title, one that very much needs the guidance of people who love him to find his path forward.

Tapping my way through these books, while good for my soul, was not necessarily all that wonderful for my sanity at times.

Will you be attending the Writers Con? Or are there other events we can see you at?
I’d love to get to the Writers Con, any excuse to get to New York, frankly. If I manage to make that happen then I’ll definitely look forward to seeing everyone there. There are already quite a few nominees up for the Golden Flogger that I know well, perhaps we could make the trip from the UK together. I’ll ask!

If not, I have several UK (I’m British by the way) book signings lined up over the next year or so, the first of which is The Leeds Author Event on March 5th hosted by Hourglass Events. You can find it at the hashtag #LeedsAuthorEvent2016. Tickets are available now and there’s a host of 60+ amazing authors attending and a masked ball … It will, no doubt, be a truly fabulous event. I travelled to last year’s event in Peterborough as a reader and the organisation was absolutely fabulous, as was the after party.

Feel free to come and see me. Just be warned though, I’m naughty, and could get you in a lot of trouble if I’m inclined to misbehave, especially after gin is introduced.

Charlotte is an erotic romance author living in the heart of the Shropshire countryside in Great Britain. She’s lived all across the United Kingdom due to her previous employment as an event manager, but finally settled in a small town that still reeks of old school England. Writing novels and poetry has now become a revolution for the soul, and she cherishes every second that she’s sitting at the laptop and tapping her way into a new character.

When not writing she enjoys socialising with close friends and travelling to all the major cities across the globe. Travel has always been a constant companion to reading throughout her life and only increases her thirst for stimulation.

With the release of The White Trilogy, she intends to spend the next year enjoying every element of being a published author and learning as much as she can. She also very much looks forward to hopefully meeting some fans at some point.