Tag Archives: erotica

Is Tonya Kinzer The Boss’s Pet?

Blog, Interviews, , , , ,

I’d like to welcome Tonya Kinzer to A Hopeful Romantic today to tell us a little bit about herself and her hot new series, The Boss’s Pet. Welcome Tonya.

KD:  For the readers out there who might not know about you or your work, can you please tell them a little about yourself.

Tonya:  First, thank you so much for having me today so I can chat with your readers, too.  I’ve been writing for years, but only last year decided to put it ‘out there’.  I love that the erotic genre can go almost anywhere so the field is wide open and any topic is ‘up’ for discussion. I’m married and hubby and I have two Siamese cats who keep us entertained. That is, when we’re home long enough to spend time with them. We own our own business so that keeps us at the office, where I also write or take to the net when I’m not ‘working’ at my day job even though I’m AT my day job. Is that bad?? I’m a techie, love working with photo shop, creating covers, back grounds, book marks, etc…comes along with also knowing a bit about networks, servers and techie stuff.

KD:  Can you tell us a little about your current release?

Tonya:  I wrote The Boss’s Pet years ago for hubby because he IS my boss at the office, I suppose, and this just fit us so well. He also introduced me into the world of bondage, per se, and I learn a little more every day.  I’ve also learned, from listening to friends, that women tend to think of themselves last, whether it’s regarding family or their love life. They satisfy their partner, yet don’t get the same in return, nor do they ask to be satisfied when they are just as horny as their man! Why is this? If someone can enlighten me, I’d love to discuss this because I just don’t understand why they allow that to happen and end up frustrated. Now I’m off on a tangent….sorry!

KD:   The publishing industry is constantly changing; do you think that e-books will one day replace print?

Tonya:  I don’t think paperbacks will ever be non-existent but e-books are flooding the market because it’s another item we can have instantly and let’s face it, that is what our society has become accustomed to… ‘I want it NOW!’  So, as long as I can stay abreast of what’s happening out there and what our readers want, I plan to stay current with the needs of my readers and …. What we write is what they want!

KD:  Which do you prefer…e-books or print?

Tonya:  I prefer paperback but I do have to admit, the racy covers we produce are probably best downloaded to my Nook! Regarding the historical/contemporary romances, I prefer the good ol’ paperback!

KD:  How do you choose the topics for your stories?

Tonya:  I choose things that I like to read about and topics that curl my toes. Maybe some scenes are even things I’ve not experienced, but hope the research has provided me with enough information that the reader becomes part of the scene and hence, doesn’t realize that I’ve NOT experienced some of what I write.  If I may borrow a line…those who write murder mystery/thrillers have not killed, yet that is what THEY write about.

KD:  Tell us something readers might be surprised to know about you.

Tonya:  …….I’m your neighbor or the sweetheart next door that you’d NEVER suspect  would write erotic romance that makes you seep into your panties!

KD:  What do you think is most important in creating a character?

Tonya:  The more real we can make our characters, the more the reader will relate to them. They have to be so human-like that the reader would want to be their best friend, flaw or no flaw. Not all the characters are going to be size two because the majority of the world isn’t size two, although maybe it’d be nice to be that size for week just because…and I’m NOT a size two!  I like to show that my characters exercise and try to stay in shape, but they also like to eat and drink. Being in shape doesn’t just happen, one has to work at it; some are obsessive, another flaw, because they don’t want others to see them as not being in control. So, do the readers think being submissive is being in control? *wink*  If we weren’t actually in control, would our Masters be able to do what they do with us…because we are allowing it?  I’d call that being in control. That’s a post for another day!

KD:  What is the biggest misconception you think people have about erotic authors?

Tonya:  Those who have misconceptions don’t read erotic romance. Our readers don’t have misconceptions about us, other than to perhaps assume we’ve done EVERYTHING we write about. Not true! Then again, that may be the biggest turn on for some of having their fantasy that we’ve done it all.

KD:  What’s your guilty pleasure (if any)?

Tonya:  I LOVE dark chocolate, does that count? Dark chocolate truffles, Lindt, Godiva…mmmmm! Oh, and dark chocolate syrup! *wicked laugh*

KD:  What do you like best about being an author?

Tonya:  I love creating a world of pleasure, of characters that readers want to know more about and I hope I can make them beg for more of those characters. I like to make it possible for some to experience a new sexual act that they’ve not had a chance to try yet. When they get up the courage to discuss it with their partner then also ask for that to be done to them! Spreading chocolate syrup in places you were taught it doesn’t go…..is not all bad. Change your frame of mind. Be not afraid…how can you experience love when you’re afraid to take what you want. Perhaps your partner is dreaming of that day….make it happen!

KD:  What are you currently reading?

Tonya:  I recently finished Best Lover in Town by Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle, friends of mine that I met on the net and now we chat quite a bit. BLT is a hot read so be prepared. Their newest release, Temptation Triggers, is now out and I truly think it will be better than their first book. They write as a team and are fun to talk with. Currently, I’m reading Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair, another fantastic author!

KD:  What do you think sets your stories apart from other authors?

Tonya:  I don’t think my books will be so much set apart from others, but will fit nicely in your library alongside books of the same type. I write about soft bondage, restraints, training, anal play, BDSM, but I don’t think you’ll ever find severe torture or needless pain in my books; I’m just not into that kind of thing.

KD:  Could you give us a little teaser of some of your work?

Tonya:  I’d love to share a few paragraphs of book one, The Boss’s Pet: The Contract, which is the ‘prequel’ to Office Training Goes Home. I wanted my readers to know more about Sondra and Nick if I expect them to continue reading the series I have planned for these two characters. Nick will be taking Sondra deeper into the world of a Dom/sub relationship so please stay tuned! I released book three, Sharing Among Friends, on June 22.

Book 1 – The Contract, BLURB:   Turning her in his arms, he wanted to see all of her. “You’re gorgeous, Sondra.” At the same time, she began to unbuckle his belt and loosen his slacks until they fell at his feet. His black thong matched hers but for the protrusion in the front. Sondra’s hand moved down his shaft and her nails lightly dug into the boys with a firm grip. “Be careful, woman, danger lies there.”

“I think I can handle danger…it’s the after effects that might be hard to deal with.”

“I think you might have a few tension knots in your back and shoulders that we need to tend to first. Spread out your towels at the edge of the bed and lay on your stomach for me.”

Watching her in the dim light churned his needs. Sensuous curves begged to be caressed. She pulled one of her pillows to place on the bed where her stomach would be then spread out the towels along the edge of the bed, twisted her hair and put in the clip, then seductively lay on her stomach for him. Immediately Nick thought of his tie in the other room. “Don’t move I’ll be right back, just close your eyes and relax.”

Back in her bedroom, Nick looped his tie around his neck then ran his hands up Sondra’s back, over her shoulders and down her arms. “Move your arms up over your head. I can get to the muscles better.”

Without hesitation, her arms rested on the bed above her head and Nick’s shaft hardened even more as he laid her wrists over one another then very lightly tied them together with his tie. A satisfied moan slipped from her throat letting him know she was okay with it. Visions of what he could do to her in the future filtered through his mind, seeing her tied and helpless while he explored her tender body. Taking it slow with her would gently introduce her to his lifestyle.

He grabbed the bottle of oil and straddled her thighs. Pouring oil into his palm, he pressed down the squirt tip, dropped it on the bed and rubbed his hands together over her back, allowing a few drops on her skin. The scent of eucalyptus and lavender filled his senses; he would forever associate this scent with Sondra. Lightly his hands touched her back then firmly moved up her spine to her shoulders, feeling for knots and smoothing them out one at a time. The softness of her skin tortured his senses; he wanted inside her so bad he could taste it. Tasting her would be his next move but knew he had to take his time. His fingers moved to her sides as his thumbs moved along her spine, massaging the firm muscles of her well toned back. The soft flesh of her breasts touched his finger tips and he pressed firmly there, too.

Then her back arched inward, pressing her pelvis into the pillows as she moaned again. A quick intake of breath filled Nick’s lungs. Her pleasure was in his hands and he was prepared to take her to the edge. Spreading the oil lower on her back, he rubbed it in along her hips before moving up and over her cheeks. The bottle of oil dribbled as he poured more in his palm, letting it drip into the crack of her ass and watched as the drops of oil slid lower toward her woman’s center. He dropped a few more as they slid to join the rest of the oil and imagined exactly where it was settling. Warming the rest of the oil in his hand, he then placed them directly on the cheeks, taking her flesh between his thumbs and fingers, massaging, swirling the oil over her skin, pressing up, then down. Nick moved her cheeks a bit wider apart then moved a thumb slowly through down the crack and back up, taking each cheek and massaging, pulling them apart  so he could peek then holding her open for a few seconds before continuing. Her pink rosebud winked at him more than once. He couldn’t resist holder her open with one hand while his fingers oiled the bud, barely touching as his fingers moved over her.

Sondra squirmed a bit but only to separate her legs which surprised and thrilled Nick. Never missing an offered opportunity, Nick touched her bud and pressed ever so slightly then pushed more, up to his first knuckle. Out came his finger for more oil and then he pressed in again.

“Oh Nick…..mmmm”

“It’s okay, pet….I’ll go slow but let me show you how much pleasure this will bring you. Trust me here…just relax…” Grabbing the oil again, he lifted the squirt tip and a few more drops landed directly on her bud and his finger push it in…ever so slowly…past his first knuckle and he swirled his fingertip around, feeling her tighten then relax. He pushed further and slowly swirled more before moving his finger in and out, getting a slow rhythm going. Kneeling beside her now, without removing his hand, his other fingers slipped lower and entered her through the silky juices there and her body responded. Her hips moved and squirmed as his fingers went deeper, swirling in both places until Sondra struggled to move her hands.

*****

KD:  As a writer, what is the best advice you were ever given?

Tonya:  The best advice came from one of my critique partners years ago…use all five senses, always. The reader needs to be able to smell what the character smells, feel what the character touches, taste what the character eats….or licks! *wink*

KD:  Any advice for new writers out there?

Tonya:  Your writing should not read like an instruction manual! It has to flow and be natural, not short choppy sentences. Read your work out loud. If the flow isn’t there, it won’t be for the reader either. Dialogue is not an enemy; allow your characters to communicate. Let the reader feel what your characters feel so the emotion is in the writing.

KD:  Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

Tonya:  M website is listed below; I love visitors and to hear from readers. Don’t be afraid to sign my guestbook! My day job at the office keeps me very busy but I do squeeze in time to write.  Please visit my Facebook, Twitter and now my Fan Page. My work is available for download at All Romance E-books (a great reader’s site!), Smashwords, on Nook at Barnes and Noble, and a few other sites out there.  I love doing techie stuff like my covers, websites, book marks, book trailers, formatting my work for various formats and I do self publish, but that’s not to say I won’t one day send a submission to a publisher.

Tonya’s Bio

 Tonya Kinzer writes erotic romance for readers who love to become a silent character within the story! You will be pulled into scenes to partake of the activities, to feel what her characters feel and taste what they taste…strong sexual desires! Be prepared to enter a world you’ll not want to leave and can’t wait to get back to. Their future holds new submissives and demanding Doms.

Her series, The Boss’s Pet, will take you on a journey alongside Nick and Sondra as they venture into a lifestyle that pulls them deeper into a world of sensuality and submission. You’ll not want to miss any of the books in this series so stay locked on her website to know when the next books get released.

B00k 1 – The Contract

B00k 2 – Office Training 

Book 3 – Sharing Among Friends

B00k 4 –  Out in Oct

 

Buy Links

B & N:  http://tinyurl.com/6cgprjf

Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/3fetwfq

All Romance & OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/category237.html

SmashWords:  http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tonyakinzer

 

Site Links

Blog Site:  http://tonyakinzer.blogspot.com

Website:  http://tonyakinzer.com

FB Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/4sh37tk

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_163160073732655&ap=1

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/tonyakinzer

IAN:  http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/tonya-kinzer.html

Author’s Den:  http://www.authorsden.com/tonyakinzer

Manic Readers:  http://www.manicreaders.com/TonyaKinzer/

BookBuzzr:  http://www.freado.com/users/26001/tonya-kinzer (Read Ch 1 of each book here)

Book Trailer: YouTube:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HykMSl9FYvY

Thanks for stopping by A Hopeful Romantic, Tonya, and best of luck with The Boss’s Pet series.

Where’s Holly?

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Nothing says summer better than a hot novel, whether it’s on the beach with the sunburnt masses or in the break room over your sandwich and cuppa, or trying to read on the tube with an elbow in your ribs and an armpit in your face — a place where a little escapism is needed if ever there was one!

Doing laundry? On the train? In a coach? Under the duvet with your sweetie? Where do you read The Initiation of Ms Holly? Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.

Throughout the month of August, I want you to show me where you read Holly. Send me a photo of where your copy of The Initiation of Ms Holly is – ebook, or print, it doesn’t matter – and you’ll be entered into the contest to win a $50 gift card from Amazon (or the equivalent thereof. Worldwide entries welcome) First place winner will also receive a copy of my sexy new novel, The Pet Shop, signed by the ever-loving author herself, just as soon as it’s released in print.

And since I’m dying to spread the love, 2nd place will also get a gift card from Amazon for the equivalent of $15.

Holly, The Pet Shop, Amazon – the possibilities are endless. Enter to win. Go ahead. You know you want to.

How To Enter:
Simply snap a photo of The Initiation of Ms Holly in print or eBook form and send it to hollycompetition@gmail.com with the subject line “Where’s Holly Competition”

By sending your photo, you acknowledge that we have the right to post these photos to K D Grace’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages for promotional purposes.

Competition runs from 1st – 31st August. Winners will be drawn and notified by mid-September. Gift card winners can expect to receive their prizes in September. The lucky winner of The Pet Shop will have to hang on just a little longer until I receive my author copies in October, then while they’re still hot off the press, I’ll sign one and get it in the post to you.

Be sure and check in regularly during the month of August. My own copy of Holly will be doing a bit of traveling, and I promise pics along with all the skinny.

Bits n Blogs by Tabitha Rayne

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Tabitha Rayne is a rising star in the world of erotic romance, and I’m very pleased to have her at A Hopeful Romantic on her blog tour to promote her yummy new book, Mia’s Books, Tabitha, welcome!

Thanks for having me. This is my first venture into blog touring… eek!

I love, love, reading blogs – I can spend many an hour set aside for actually writing my new ideas down, reading about all your lives. I love it!  It is a wonderful thing to be able to catch a glimpse of other people’s thoughts, what inspires them, what annoys them, what makes them jump for joy… so this is me attempting to join this world…

The problem is, by the time I have written this, I might have missed some exciting news you’ve shared on Twitter. What if I’ve been left behind on an unfolding story into why you’ve decided not to take the offer of three nights in Bali…? Everything is so fast paced in this virtual world and sometimes, if I fall into a daydream (which is one of my favourite things) I can take an hour just to make a coffee! So what have I missed? I never watch soap operas but I think they must have the same addictive quality.

So as I am a writer, I guess blogging is like writing and sharing mini stories about yourself – and that makes it easier for me to get to grips with.

When I was writing Mia’s Books, I switched off the internet for four weeks and went underground. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I was creating a new world, giving birth to new characters and I needed to immerse myself in it all, and I loved doing it.

However, I can’t help feeling, what did I miss?

Mia’s Books

Ghost lover or mortal—can Mia have both?

Mia has a big problem. She is in love with two people, and one of them happens to be a ghost. After a late night seduction in a deserted library, Mia brings home a haunted book. The book contains a ghost which instructs her to seduce strangers on its behalf. Mia falls in love with one of her conquests and finds herself in a romantic tangle. Can she keep both her lovers, or will she have to choose?

Mia’s Books excerpt:

The book had changed colors. It was now jet black and lay seductively by the bed. Gently lifting her sheets off, Mia slowly made her way over to it as if she were trying to capture a bird.

Her fingers were trembling. Cold air chilled her hands as she reached out and picked it up. Thick raised letters on the cover gave her instruction. Open Me. And she did.

Rows upon rows of names and numbers merged into each other. It was a phone directory. Mia was disappointed, but curiosity kept her flicking the pages, watching number after number fly by. She was about to close it and just go back to bed when she realized the numbers were all the same and the name wasn’t a name at all—it was another instruction.

Call Me.

Mia flushed with excitement. Was this her ghost lover contacting her for real? She reached for the phone and dialed before she could change her mind.

Silence.

Mia flopped back onto the bed and let the phone fall by her ear. She began to ponder the fear that she might actually be going mad when a voice startled her.

“Hello?” She thrust the handset to her ear and strained to hear. “Hello?” she repeated, barely able to breathe in her excitement.

“Mia?” came a breathy whisper that set her nerve endings alight.

“Yes?” she whispered back.

“I need to s…” The voice faded, and Mia started to panic.

“What? You need to what? Please…don’t go.”

“…see you.” The sound was so faint that Mia had to strain to catch it. “Meet me at the park at dusk.” The line went dead.

Mia was exhilarated. It hadn’t been a dream. She was going to meet her ghost lover once more! She hadn’t been on a date in ages. Not since the insomnia had made her feel like a grumpy old hag. She suddenly felt young again—young and ready for anything…

Where to Buy Mia’s Books:

Buy from publisher http://www.beachwalkpress.com/mia%E2%80%99s-books/

Also available from all good eBook retailers, including Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble and many more!

About Tabitha, and where to find her:

Tabitha Rayne loves her romance with the heat turned up. She lives in the country with her partner who has the difficult job of having to listen to new ideas and help her to focus on one project at a time.

Blog http://aneroticadventure.blogspot.com/

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/TabithaErotica

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit about Mia’s Books with us, Tabitha. This hot little number sounds just too good to resist.

A Cast From the Past with Bianca Sommerland

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I’m very excited to welcome the amazing Bianca Sommerland, who will be telling us about her ‘cast from the past’ in the Story Behind the Story of  Deadly Captive. Welcome, Bianca!

KD Grace is one of the wonderful people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in my journey as a published author, but she’s the first to ask me a question that really stopped me short. She asked me whether there were personal experiences that inspired part, if not all of my novels. My automatic thought was no, of course not. I’ve been inspired by dreams, by pictures, by music…but my own life? Which of my novels could I actually say was inspired by my own life? Rosemary Entwined, about the descendant of a succubus and her nest of seven men? Deadly Captive, with the woman who’s lost her past and has no one but her fellow prisoner, Joe, to count on while she tries to survive degradation and torture?

Yeah, my life’s just not that interesting.

But when I thought about the question, I took another look at my stories and found certain personalities sticking out, certain qualities that reminded me of people I’ve known. Family, friends, lovers. The characters are all familiar to me because they are the best and worst of real people. Joe, for example, is the grown up version of a boy I had a crush on in high school. He could be so mean, but then he’d suddenly show a bit of kindness and that’s all I would see. My imagination painted him as a tough hero who would be tender with the woman he loved. Of course, in reality he was a player and a jerk and I’m kinda happy he saw me as one of the guys (even though I wished otherwise at the time). Years later, my muse took all I dreamed the boy could be and paired him up with one of my strongest heroines.

I believe many authors find the casts for their stories from their pasts. Only, some of the best memories aren’t Polaroids, or even portraits. They’re like abstract paintings, evoking only emotions. Kinda cool, because you can interpret them however you’d like 😉

And yes, my interpretations are a little twisted.

Deadly Captive Blurb:
Lydia awakes, bound and blind, to the whispered urgings of a man who has his hands on her. His words confuse her at first, but she soon understands they are both in the middle of a performance that will determine whether she remains in captivity or dies. The crowd must be entertained, and her cellmate makes sure it is.

Forced submission is not the only horror Lydia endures. She has no memories of life before her imprisonment, and Joe, her cellmate, is her only comfort as the powerful creatures that hold them captive torture and debase her. Together, she and Joe cling to the will to survive long enough to break free and seek revenge. Their desire to sustain one another triumphs over their wardens’ efforts to destroy them. There is no pain, no suffering, that can tear them apart.

Beyond their cell, their love is tested. Can they hold strong in the face of the challenge of the new powers they have gained along with their freedom?

Excerpt from Deadly Captive:

My eyes teared, but my gaze never wavered. “Right back at you. I didn’t sign up for your games.”

He eased his grip on my hair. “Neither of us signed up for any of this, Lydia. I wanted to make sure I could trust my cell mate.”

“Of all the . . . .” I shook my head. “Please, I need to know. Some kind of morbid curiosity, I guess. Why in the world would I fake memory loss? What purpose would it serve?”

With a shrug, he rested his arm on my shoulder, still loosely holding my hair. “It would be a clever sympathy card.”

Damn it, he’s right. I felt the tension ease from my body, no longer feeling very combative. “How do you know I’m not faking it? If I was, it would be pretty stupid to acknowledge my name.”

“No. Actually, it wouldn’t have proven much. It might have made me suspicious, more than I already was. It would be strange that you’d remember your name, but not your own face. I was hoping your reaction would be revealing.” He closed his eyes and dropped his head. “It was, but not in the way I’d hoped. The loss is worse than I thought. There wasn’t even a glimmer of recognition.”

Grazing my teeth back and forth along my bottom lip, I glared at his chest. “It could be an act.”

Fingers under my chin, he tilted my head up. “No, Lydia. You couldn’t have faked the fear I saw. You thought it was one of them.”

I jerked away from him and clenched my fists at my sides. “I’m not afraid of them.”

“Yes, you are. You’re not a stupid woman, Lydia.”

The way he said my name sent a chill down my spine. I dug my nails into my palms.

“Stop.”

He frowned. “Stop what?”

“Saying my name like that.”

With a wicked smile, he hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans and rocked on his heels. “Lydia.” I swung my fist at his face. He knocked it aside and caught my wrist when I tried again.

“Lydia.” He backed me into the table. My hip knocked the empty plate and it clattered on the floor. Sitting me on the edge of the table, he trapped my face between his hands. My breath caught, and I pressed my eyes shut, expecting him to slam his mouth on mine. It could hurt; my lips were still sore.

His tongue gently traced the crease of my lips. He combed his fingers into my hair and tugged until I tipped my head back. Then, he kissed me so tenderly I opened my eyes and stared at him.

He kissed the tip of my nose. “Why do you look so surprised?”

Why? I licked my bottom lip and tasted the saltiness of his sweat. Delicious. My eyes dropped to the moisture beaded on his chest. I leaned forward. He tightened his grip.

“Well?”

I groaned. “I thought you’d be rough.”

“You keep looking at me like that, and I will be.”

Deadly Captive Buy Link: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/269
Blog: http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/

Thanks for being my guest on The Story Behind the Story, Bianca, and thanks for the hot excerpt from Deadly Captive. Sounds like a must read to me.

Mitzi Szereto Uncovers Hidden Lust

Blog, Interviews, , , , ,

I’m very excited to have the fabulous Mitzi Szereto as my guest on A Hopeful Romantic.  I met Mitzi five years ago at one of her erotic writing courses on the Isle of Wight. That course and Mitzi’s enthusiasm for good erotica inspired me to put my work out there, so I feel especially honoured to talk with her about all things erotic, and especially her new novel, Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts.

KD: Even when I first met you, five years ago, you were all about improving the quality and respectability of erotica, bringing it down from the top shelf, as it were. Do you think quality has improved? In what ways? And if so, why do you think that is?

Mitzi: A lot of publishers have been jumping on the bandwagon, starting up erotic imprints, particularly in the area of romance, so this has definitely pushed the genre more into the mainstream. Having said that, although erotica per se has mostly come off the top shelf, a lot of it is still rather top shelf in spirit and still being geared toward the one-handed reader. It’s always been my view that this is very limiting to writers as well as to readers. When you are writing only in this way, you aren’t going to have a lot of substance in the work. The writing should engage a reader on many levels, not just one. You can write something erotic, yet still offer a satisfying and fully developed reading experience. The way I see it, if you’re going to the trouble to write, then write something that has some value to it, not some fluffy piece of nonsense that the reader won’t remember five seconds after they’ve finished reading it.

KD: You say that you don’t write ero­tica just for women, but that you write for both sexes. Is erotica becoming less gender-specific? Would you consciously write differently if you were writing erotica just for women, or just for men?

Mitzi: I don’t ever want to be labelled as writing for a single gender. I hate labels of any sort, as most people know. To answer your question, erotica is becoming more gender specific, not less. The women’s erotica market is and has been getting a big push from publishers, especially with the whole romance thing happening now. I guess they figure men aren’t interested in romance. As for my changing how I write, be it consciously or unconsciously, I very much doubt it would be any different. Besides, I don’t write in the same way all the time anyway. If I did, I’d bore myself, and probably my readers!

KD:  As erotica becomes more mainstream, have you noticed any major changes?

Mitzi: It’s sort of twofold really. At one point I thought we were finally moving toward a more literary direction, but that seems to have reversed itself. Having said that, the genre itself is, as you say, definitely going more mainstream. This is being helped by the fact that, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of romance publishers have started up erotic romance imprints. But the literary element seems to have become lost in the fray. The trend in a lot of erotica seems to be fluff rather than substance. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with light reading, but if it gets any lighter these books will float away on the slightest breeze.

KD: In our correspondence leading to this interview you said what you really wanted to emphasise is that your new novel Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts is not just some “sexed-up Austen.” That’s been done. You said the book is really a historical parody with lots of sex, and probably has more in common with the Zombies book. How could I not be totally intrigued by that statement? Tell us more.

Mitzi:  Well, it’s pretty self-explanatory really. I took the characters in all sorts of random and crazy directions, and created all manner of scenarios for them. There’s a lot of humour in the book, much as there is in the Zombies versions. I doubt you’ll find much humour in a straightforward sexed-up version of P&P or one of the romance versions. What I loved about the Zombies books is that they really take the Mick and have fun with the story, and that’s what I wanted to do – I wanted to go way over the top. But rather than do so with zombies, I’ve done it with sex. Jane Austen was a satirist, and I wanted to take her sense of satire and run with it. My naysayers (none of whom appear to have actually read my book) want to dismiss Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts as just some porn version of the Austen classic. Well, I dispute this criticism and find it laughable. For one thing, these people have never read any real porn, because if they had, they’d know my book is definitely not porn. Secondly, there are just so many other things going on that you get a far broader reading experience. Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts is pure entertainment: it’s outrageous. it’s funny, it’s quirky, and it’s got a lot of sex in it. What more can I say? I had a blast writing it, and I hope readers will have a blast reading it!

KD: Why Pride and Prejudice? What inspired you to choose that story over others?

Mitzi: It’s Jane Austen’s most popular novel, and the one that just about everyone is familiar with, even if they’ve never read it. There have been many film adaptations made of it, and the recent mashups featuring zombies have really put the book back on the map. It seemed like the most obvious way to go. Taking the familiar and reworking it into something new is good fun for a writer.

KD: Archetypal stories, fairy tales and myths lend themselves to sexy retellings, and you’ve definitely proved that in your book, In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales. Why do you think that is? Why do we want to sex up fairy tales and myths, and indeed, Jane Austen?

Mitzi: Well, as I just said, it’s great fun for a writer to take a work that everyone knows and create something new with it. That’s what I did with the fairy tales. And Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts is a continuation of this. Whether it’s adding a sexual element or any other kind of element – I don’t think it really matters. Many authors have taken pre-existing works and made something new out of them. However, if you want to focus specifically on the sexual element, then we should bear in mind that many fairy tales were morality tales used as a means to warn young girls away from sex. “Little Red Riding Hood” is the most obvious example. Sex was often a back story, albeit discreetly hidden. Same too, for myths (although the sexual element was less hidden). So writers who retell these pre-existing tales by incorporating sex into them are not necessarily corrupting them at all. I found that out when I researched and wrote the introductions for the tales I selected for In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed. You’d be surprised what was in the originals, not to mention just how far back these “originals” go. As for Jane Austen, hey, why not?

KD:  You discussed in an interview the fact that erotica is much more highly regulated than other genres. You went on to say that while there are warnings at the beginnings of erotic novels that readers should practice safe sex, no one would think of putting warnings inside an Ed McBain novel telling readers they shouldn’t murder anyone. Could you discuss how you see the relationship between the stringent regulation of erotica and its ‘dumbing down?’

Mitzi: I’ve only seen this kind of dumbing down from UK publishers. Not sure if any US ones do it as well (not to my knowledge anyway). The now-defunct Black Lace had a “practice safe sex” disclaimer in all their books, as have other UK imprints. It’s insulting to the reader, not to mention ridiculous and unnecessary. The problem lies in this whole ghetto-isation of “erotica,” in that it’s made to seem as if it somehow lies outside of literature, the genre from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. I suppose the problem also lies in the assumption that anything labelled “erotica” or “erotic fiction” is nothing but a sex aid and/or a masturbatory tool. (Okay, so perhaps some of it is, but some of it actually has some substance and intelligence to it, and is not aimed at one-handed readers.) Considering the explicitness of the sex scenes in a lot of so-called mainstream fiction, this is literary hypocrisy, indeed. You can get away with a slew of things in mainstream fiction, but any kind of suspect content is unlikely to see the light of day in anything labelled “erotica.” I guess readers of erotica are considered so brainless that they’re going to go out and commit all sorts of terrible sexual deeds or spread terrible sexual diseases because they read an “erotica” book. If that’s the case, then we need to label every book being published with a disclaimer, ie violence, crime, humour, romance, etc. I mean, too much romance reading might not be good for you and could cause you to go out and fall in love. And who knows where that might lead? Perhaps stalking, and then murder.

KD: From a literary point of view, and as a teacher of writing courses, in your opinion, how much does a well-written sex scene enhance a story? Does it enhance a story? If so, in what ways?

Mitzi: It enhances a story if it’s a necessary part of the story or an integral scene; it’s a way of bringing the human experience home to the reader. However, if there’s no rhyme or reason to have a sex scene, then there probably shouldn’t be one. The scene should be seamless with the other writing; it should not stick out or be out of place. And yes, it should be well written and written in the same style as the rest of the work. I mean, if you’re writing something highly literary, then for god’s sake, don’t write a sex scene that reads like cheap porn. Unfortunately, a lot of writers just can’t seem to manage this, which is why the Guardian has the Bad Sex in Fiction Award.

KD: Marketing and PR now play as much a part in my writing career as writing. I’m sure most of us struggling to get as much attention for our babies as possible would probably say that. As one of the goddesses of social media with Mitzi TV and with a huge online presence I’m sure we’d all love to hear any advice you have.

Mitzi: Well, be prepared to give up your life and put in a lot of hours. There are no shortcuts. Oh, you can always hire some publicity person to do the job (if you can afford it), but I bet you anything they aren’t going to put in all the effort and hard work that you would put in. After all, who cares more about your work than you do? Paying someone good money doesn’t mean you’ll get great results. You need to really work at this. And it’s not an overnight thing. You have to develop your following as well as develop your contacts – and keep at it every day. You need to live on the Internet 24/7. If you’re the sort of person who always needs to have others around or has to be out and about a lot, then you’d probably better forget it. And if you have a “day job,” your time will be even more limited. So you have to decide to spend those hours you’re not spending working for someone else working for you.

KD: With marketing and PR playing such a major role in your life, along with teaching, lecturing and doing readings, the obvious question becomes, when do you find time to write? Any suggestions for the rest of us on making the best of our writing time?

Mitzi: That’s the hard part, you got that right. It is quite difficult, but if I’m working to a deadline, I somehow manage to find the time. Unfortunately, when you’ve got several viable ideas that you’re trying to develop, it becomes quite difficult. I doubt I can offer much advice to others who are being pulled in a dozen different directions. I keep saying I need to clone myself. I think that’s the only option, at this point.

KD: What inspires you?

Mitzi: That’s hard to say. If you’re talking about my writing, there is no single thing that inspires me. My inspiration comes randomly and there’s no pattern to it.

KD:  What has been your most exciting moment in the history of Mitzi Szereto?

Mitzi: I honestly don’t know. Maybe it hasn’t happened yet.

KD: As one transplant from the US to another, do you think the general view of erotica is different in the UK than the US? If so how?

Mitzi: I think it is, yes. There still seems to be this wink wink, nudge nudge thing going on in the UK. I guess it’s because the majority of erotica published in the UK has traditionally been of the top-shelf mass-market variety, with those really over the top rude covers. They aren’t even trying to attract a more mainstream audience, ergo there’s more of a perception that anything labelled “erotica” is pretty much going to be porn. The US mentality is slightly different, which is probably due to the fact that many US publishers package their books with more mainstream appeal. And now with all the romance imprints jumping into the market (again, mostly US publishers), it’s moving more so away from that top-shelf mentality.

KD:After Pride and Prejudice, Hidden Lusts, What next?

Mitzi: I have another book coming out practically on the heels of PPHL — Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance. It’s an anthology inspired by the Gothic literary tradition. It features short stories from a number of authors, myself included. Think paranormal with a ton of atmosphere, sensuality and a bit of romance to add additional flavour. I also have several other projects in various stages of development. Other than that, I keep my blog going (Errant Ramblings: Mitzi Szereto’s Weblog), along with my Web TV channel Mitzi TV, which covers the quirky side of London. I still do appearances at literature festivals, with the next one being at Warwick Words in October, where I’ll be teaching one of my erotic writing workshops.

Links:

Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts website: http://mitziszereto.com/prideandprejudicehiddenlusts/

Excerpt:http://mitziszereto.com/prideandprejudicehiddenlusts/excerpt/

Errant Ramblings: Mitzi Szereto’s Weblog: http://mitziszereto.com/blog

Mitzi TV: http://mitziszereto.com/tv

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mitzi-Szereto/24537936152

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/mitziszereto

Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance: http://mitziszereto.com/redvelvetandabsinthe/

 

Thank you, Mitzi! It was fantastic to have you as my guest on A Hopeful Romantic. Best of luck with Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts and with Red Velvet and Absinthe.