Keynote Speaker 2017
Lynda Aicher

We’re thrilled to have Lynda join our illustrious list of Keynote Speakers. She’s also a Golden Flogger Award Winner.

What got you started into writing, in particular about a subject as controversial as BDSM?
I started writing in the BDSM genre because I had a story idea that wouldn’t go away. I honestly didn’t consider the potential controversial aspects. I just had a story to tell and BDSM was a part of it. I submitted that book, Bonds of Trust, to a publisher and it sold in four days. The publisher also wanted more books in the series, which is how the one book turned into the seven book Wicked Play series.

What new writing projects (or home projects) are you working on?
I’m currently working on a new contemporary romance series that should be out in 2017. They are not erotic, but I hope my readers will still enjoy them.

The Farther He Runs, the third book in the Kick series, will be out in December 2016. This is a BDSM erotic romance series based around an outdoor adventure company founded by two Marines who survived DADT. Discretion is second nature among all the partners, for as accepting as society has become, many would still balk at booking excursions with a group of gay dominants. The first two books in the Kick series released in June and September of 2016.

Do you travel to different destinations when writing a story or conduct “life” research for your BDSM novels?
I conduct almost all of my research via many, many hours spent on the internet. (I can see people cringing already.) But I spend my time digging into the how and why as much as the acts themselves. For me, the most interesting aspect of BDSM is the motivation and payoff that each party gets out of the exchange. Because of that, I do a lot of research to understand the emotional dynamics that can come into play and I strive to show those in my stories. No BDSM relationship is the same and I try to hit on that while also holding true to the fundamentals of the lifestyle.

What is it that you love most about this genre?
For reading, I love the unending variety of emotional stories along with the wide range of subject matter. There are so many variations and depths within the BDSM spectrum that I can find whatever kind of story I’m looking for. From dark to light to edgy to shocking, they’re all out there to read.

The same holds true for writing. The emotional levels can vary depending on the extent of the play and the backgrounds of the characters. There is always more involved than the play scenes and unraveling that while building the love story is both challenging and rewarding. One of my biggest goals when writing a story with BDSM elements is to show it in a positive light no matter how harsh an individual scene might be. Different things work for different people and by showing, even in fiction, how something could work for an individual and why is my small way of trying to help change negative perceptions.

Where can I see you next?
I’ll be at the RT Convention in Atlanta in May 2017. I don’t have my full schedule planned for 2017, but I will most likely be at the RWA National Convention in Orlando in July 2017 and then of course, I’ll be at the BDSM Writer’s Con in New York City in August 2017.

You won a Golden Flogger Award in 2015, please tell us a little about it.
I won the 2015 Golden Flogger Award in the Dominant Women, Submissive Men category. As a writer of the genre who is not a practitioner of the lifestyle, I honestly didn’t think I had a chance of winning. I was shocked and humbled when I did. The award provided a bit of personal validation to the authenticity of the story when I often doubt my ability to legitimately write what I don’t personally know.

The award itself is a reminder to me that, like all works of fiction, I don’t have to be a part of it in order to write it. There are many, many authors who are not Navy Seals, or FBI agents, or murders, or billionaires, or vampires and yet they create wonderful, realistic stories about them. The BDSM genre is the same, yet there seems to be this blanket belief that if you write about sex then you must practice what you write.

Winning the Golden Flogger Award is tangible proof to me that I can create realistic stories and characters within a world and lifestyle that I don’t personally know. And most importantly, that the stories are respected within the very community that I’m writing about. That is truly humbling to me.

A personal INVITE TO READERS to join me at BDSM Writers Con.
I’m looking forward to the BDSM Writers Con 2017 in New York City and I’m honored to be presenting the keynote address.

For a long time, I felt like an imposter in this genre. That feeling came from my own insecurities, not because of what anyone else said. I don’t personally practice the lifestyle, and because of that, I stressed about portraying it correctly. I feared that readers would scorn me if they discovered I was a vanilla girl. I thought authors who were in the lifestyle would judge me and my writing. You name it, and I probably stressed over it at some point. I’ve gotten past most of those fears—for the most part. But I still have moments of insecurity when I swear someone is going to point me out as a fraud.

If any of this sounds familiar, then know that you are not alone.

I can’t wait to meet all of you and share what I’ve learned about writing BDSM romance despite my personal inexperience with the subject. We all have something to learn and I’m looking forward to learning many things from you.