Golden Flogger Award Nominee
Deanndra Hall speaks out
about writing BDSM
and more…

 

Do you participate in D/s activities or merely write about them?
I’ve been married to the same man for over thirty years, and we’ve been practicing the lifestyle pretty much since the very beginning. However, we live in the “buckle of the bible belt” and, until the advent of the Internet, we didn’t know what it was called! Our relationship has evolved, and it’s also different from others I’ve heard of because he’s gone six months of each year. But our kink relationship works for us.

Why did you begin writing BDSM novels?
I guess the simplest answer is that Sir was reading “that popular trilogy written by a British author,” and I noticed that he wasn’t turning pages. When I asked why, he said it was boring and that I could write better than that. I decided perhaps he was write, and set out to write a story with a character I’d had in my head for over twelve years. I got halfway through the book and realized I had a series, and the rest, as they say, is history. But I developed a real passion for writing about it in a realistic way when I realized that most of what was out there was pie-in-the-sky, ridiculously-fictional portrayals of BDSM relationships. It’s my way of setting things right.

Where would you like to see the BDSM genre head? How will it get there?
I’d like to see it become far more realistic. I find frightening the preoccupation with cruel, abusive Doms who treat submissives callously. A good Dominant doesn’t normally impose painful, unnecessary punishment or discipline just because he/she can. And rock stars, bikers, and post-teen billionaires have been done to death. Where are the Doms who work a nine to five job and have an exciting sex life because they have a dedicated submissive with whom they are in sync? What about their ups and downs? Those can be just as exciting if they’re written well. Mix in a little suspense and drama, and you’ve got an exciting story that’s also believable.

Do you conduct any advocacy work in this lifestyle or is it strictly fiction base for you? If so, what?
I do, but it’s not a formal thing. I have a street team and a lot of Facebook friends, and I have a simple rule: You ask a question and I’ll answer it. I’m careful not to compromise Sir’s privacy or that of any of my other family members, but if it’s about me or the lifestyle, yes, I’ll answer it. You haven’t lived until you’ve sat at a Cheddar’s in Alcoa, Tennessee, with a readers’ circle and answered questions about fisting – just haven’t lived. And I’m very outspoken about the difference between good Doms and bad Doms, and helping to educate and encourage those who want to experience the lifestyle so that they don’t run into any trouble. No true BDSM practitioner wants anyone’s life endangered from ignorance.

What does being nominated for the Golden Flogger Award mean to you?
This is a prestigious award. For me, it means that someone read my work and decided that it was true enough to the BDSM lifestyle to represent the essence of kink within the context of safe, sane, and consensual play, communication, trust, and truthfulness. That means I’ve done my work correctly, and as long as I do that, I can help to foster the growth of healthy BDSM relationships where kinksters can have their needs met and enjoy their sexuality. And nothing makes me happier than finding out that a reader has decided to do something positive for themself and/or their partner(s) because of something I wrote.

 

Deanndra Hall is a bestselling authorliving in far western Kentucky with three crazy little dogs and the love of her life, whom she married in 1982. Having written for business, industry, academia, non-profits, and ministries, she also worked as an assistant editor, columnist, and photographer for a local publication. After a brief stint in the visual arts, she returned to writing when, in December 2012, her guy was trying to read that popular trilogy written by a British author and commented, “Honey, you write a lot better than this.” She jumped back into the writing world with a character she’d had in her head for over twelve years. Before that book was finished, she knew she had a series on her hands. She’s been writing compulsively ever since.

When she’s not writing, Deanndra enjoys spending time with family and friends, kayaking, working out, baking, playing with her dogs, reading, and listening to music (she prefers country because it’s the most romantic music out there). Friend her on Facebook, find her on Twitter, and visit her website. And don’t forget her blog, where she writes about whatever she pleases and sometimes starts a firestorm; she hates drama but loves controversy.