Corrine A. Silver won our BDSM Book Contest in 2014, now her debut novel, Wrecked has been nominated for our prestigious Golden Flogger Award. We’re so very proud of her and love that she stopped by to share a few words with us.
Why did you begin writing BDSM novels?
The very first pieces of fiction I wrote were BDSM erotic short stories. I wrote what was fun to think about for me. The kinkiness, the power shifts, the places characters’ minds would go during their adventures–all of that kept me coming back for more. I switched to a novel so I could delve deeper into the action and the emotion that goes into BDSM.
Where did you get your information on this lifestyle?
Like many people, I have found a lot of information online. I have also read some “how to” books. Attending the BDSM Writers Con for the last 2 years has also greatly informed my writing. I think what has appealed to me the most in my learning about BDSM culture is the emphasis on negotiation and consent. This isn’t a skill that is taught in the vanilla world, but it is most certainly part of any good BDSM relationship–whether its for one scene or a full power exchange relationship.
What does being nominated for the Golden Flogger Award mean to you?
This is thrilling and such an honor! I’m a newbie to writing–Wrecked was my first novel! To be nominated for it is just staggering. It makes me feel like it has reached other people and sparked a connection.That is exhilarating. Writing is sort of strange because it is a thing I do alone and very few people see the work before it gets released to the public. This is an affirmation that what I’m doing isn’t actually something really shitty that people hate, which is what I secretly fear.
Where would you like to see the BDSM genre head? How will it get there?
I’d like to see BDSM fiction get out of the back of the bookstore, out of the shadows. Certainly there have been high profile books that have moved it in that direction, but I feel like there is still a lot of shame built in to how books are marketed. Of course that is a reflection of the deep-seated shame surrounding sex in general that pervades our culture. I’d love to see he kind of change that would present BDSM as just another option in reading material (or lifestyle).
What is the hardest part of writing your novel?
The hardest part for me was actually knowing when to let the story be done. In my imagination, this is the first book in a series of at least 3 about these characters, plus a few more about other characters. Knowing where the let this story wrap was hard, because I have so much more to tell.
Since this was your first book, what was one of the biggest surprises for you about the publishing process?
I was fortunate enough to work with Totally Bound Publishing–they were great! I really enjoyed the editing process and it allowed me to see what someone who didn’t know me at all was getting from my work. The biggest surprise was working with the art department. I had an idea of what I wanted the cover to look like and they just took it the next level.
On an unrelated note, what are your favorites for movie, song, color, and food?
Movie: The Princess Bride
Song: Lola by the Kinks
Color: I like pretty much every color. I don’t really have a favorite, but I do love to wear a lot of black
Food: Any sort of dip item with a carrier–hummus and veggies, tortilla chips and guacamole, spinach and artichoke dip with french bread, fondue.
Corrine A Silver grew up telling stories and eventually majored in Creative Writing in college. She did manage to get an A on a paper in which she suggested TS Eliot was actually writing about oral sex. However, a well-meaning advisor recommended she get her head out of the clouds (and other places) and do something that would land her a real job. So she took a ten-year detour into Health Care. In the last few years, she has started writing again and finds that her imagination is as zany and vibrant as it ever was.
She lives in the Midwestern US, Canada-adjacent. She enjoys thunderstorms, traveling (in small doses), various liquids and her family. Her days are filled with a never-ending stream of hurry-up-and-wait scenarios, but she’d never trade it. She’d staunchly gluten-free, but will make an exception for deep dish pizza, far less sure about politics than she was in her twenties and glad she spent a month’s pay on her mattress.
You can find here on Twitter: @corrineasilver
or at her website: www.corrineasilver.com
She’d love to hear from you!