Elizabeth SaFleur
winner of the Golden Flogger Award 2015
Novella — Holiday Ties — is once again
nominated for her length novel, Untouchable in our BDSM Advanced category
Where did you get your information on this lifestyle?
I get my information (and inspiration) from a variety of sources, most of it “live.” Not only have I tried just about everything in my books, but I’ve talked with dozens of people who are currently in the lifestyle. There’s nothing like real “live” research to give a level of sensory input that, for me, is imperative to write about BDSM realistically.
What does being nominated for the Golden Flogger Award mean to you?
Being nominated is the highest form of validation. It spurs me on to write more, better. . . and faster!
Where would you like to see the BDSM genre head? How will it get there?
I’d like to see the BDSM lifestyle depicted realistically, of course, but not lose that imaginative fantasy that makes it a fascinating read. I’ve always said that BDSM in real life is not always pretty, but it’s beautiful. You also can’t fully “see” the emotional connections that are being made between people when they are actively engaged. You can sense some of it, but only the two (or three or four!) people know what is truly going on. I’d like to see BDSM fiction share more of the emotional connections that are made (and sometimes broken) during scenes.
What is the hardest part of writing your novel?
Having enough time! I’d write full-time, if I could. So many stories, so little time. Another challenge is writing realistic and romantic sexual encounters that don’t succumb to clichés.
Tell us a little about yourself and your writing works.
I’m an author who would love to give up her day job of running a PR firm so she could empty her head full of stories and encounters. For many years I lived and worked in my novels’ setting, Washington, D.C. In my thirty-year career, I’ve represented or encountered some of the city’s most powerful insiders. (Pssst, the real power in D.C. isn’t just among politicians.) I write under a pseudonym, Elizabeth SaFleur, out of necessity. My clients would be utterly shocked at their past PR counselor’s additional career choice. Then again, perhaps they would fear they provided inspiration. (I have sworn secrecy.) My series, the Elite Doms of Washington, is contemporary erotic romance for the progressive woman—unafraid and unencumbered by society’s boundaries yet seeking to become more of themselves – something I haven’t been able to much of in my “career.”
As for f
Will you be attending BDSM Writers Con or other events we can meet you at?
I hope so. I might have a dreaded day job (a.k.a. the DDJ) conflict, which I’m hoping to get out of. Playing with friends at the BDSM Writers Con is sooooo much more fun than PR. No spin required.