Q: Why do you write erotica?

A: I write erotica for several reasons, the most basic being to entertain and titillate, to create a story that my readers can sink themselves into and enjoy purely as a fantasy or as a precursor to their own adventures in the bedroom. My primary motivation however, the one true reason I can’t seem to stop myself from writing one scintillating tale after another, is the overwhelming urge I feel to express how varied and complex human sexuality truly is, to show my audience how beautiful and frightening the depths of our darkest desires can be. To show them, through my tales, that what may feel wrong or outrageous to some could very well be just another Saturday night for others. My fondest wish is that my stories will help to alleviate any feelings of shame or guilt my readers may have about their own wants and needs, framing their fantasies in such a way that they can come to accept and appreciate them with a healthy, self-affirming attitude.

Q: Where and when do you write?

A: Wherever and whenever I get a chance, I write. This sometimes means 8 am on my back porch as I chug the coffee down, sometimes 2 (or 3) am in bed, the glare of the laptop screen driving my partner insane as he tries to sleep. I go out once a week for a change of scenery, usually ending up at my local sports bar nestled into a generic shopping center in the middle of suburban hell. This is where I’ve been both insanely productive, writing 3,000 words in a two-hour period, and horribly slothful, only managing to open a document on the screen before getting sucked into the conversations and drama playing out around me. For better or worse, this little bar is “my joint” and I love that I’m referred to there as their “resident writer”.

Q: How do you write a story from the opposite sex’s point of view?

A: Most people that look at me see all woman, but in a lot of ways, I’ll always be “one of the boys”. Most of my closest compatriots are men, though the few women in my life are permanent fixtures (they’ve earned their place for eternity). So writing men, as challenging as it can be at times, is almost easier for me than writing secondary female characters. I’d like to think I have a little more than the average female insight into the male mind and libido through my past experiences and friendships, and that allows me to create characters that are both believable and relevant. My heroines are almost always a reflection of myself in some form (though they sometimes get up to things I have only imagined).

Q: How do you get your inspiration for your stories?

A: Like any writer will tell you, inspiration for a story can come from any source, at any time. A song playing over the speakers at the grocery store, a smile from the cute new checker, a conversation struck up in the parking lot as I unload the bags into the car. All of it, all the real, nitty-gritty details of life that can suddenly spark into something bigger, grander. I recently wrote a scandalous girl-on-girl piece in two days, simply because I happened to glance down at the bar-stool my feet rested on, the image of a woman perched on it flashing through my mind and inspiring 48 hours of blissful writing frenzy. It comes when it comes. There’s no questioning the origin of inspiration, there’s only answering the call when it arrives.

Q: Are your stories based on fantasy or reality?

A: Like all good fiction, my writing is a blended mix of both. I pull story and character ideas from my own experiences, as well as those of others, but I also let my imagination run wild, allowing it to concoct people and places and scenarios that I’m sure exist somewhere in the world, though not necessarily in mine. Though I can get fairly creative at times, I’d like to think that my writing also feels very realistic and genuine, and that readers can easily relate to the characters and stories I offer them.

Q: What’s your overall view on infidelity?

A: In answering this question, I’d first like to say that monogamy and fidelity are two entirely different beasts, and that they should never be confused with one another. Infidelity is about emotional or physical betrayal, it’s about keeping secrets and telling lies, about hurting your significant other even if they aren’t aware of your actions. So my opinion of infidelity is that it is wrong, immature, and unacceptable. That being said, marriages and committed relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and if two people who have been open and honest with one another decide that permitting sex with others is what’s right and “normal” for them, then I say live your life and be true to yourselves despite what society may have deemed appropriate.

Q: What types of erotica do you write?

A: I have written everything from vanilla, monogamous sex between a man and a woman to mind-erasing double-penetration and acute degradation. I absolutely adore writing sex between two women, as it allows me to tap into my softer, more feminine side, the sensuality of both writing and reading those particular stories experiences I’d never want to go without. Though I’d like to build a recognizable name and secure a significant readership for myself, I don’t ever want to limit myself as a writer by saying “I write this sub-genre only”. I write things that make sense to me, that make me feel good, and sexy, and powerful. And if I don’t write a particular scenario, it’s only because my knowledge and imagination have not yet led me there.

Q: Does any music particularly inspire you when you write?

A: Right now, I’m addicted to Skrillex and Lindsey Stirling, each of them inspiring me in powerful, but different, ways. That being said, an idea for an entire series can spring into my mind while listening to AC/DC at a stoplight. Music that moves me emotionally, excites me physically, has my imagination blowing into overdrive . . . This is what gets the gears moving and the words onto the page.

Q: Who do you imagine your readers to be?

A: In my mind, my readers are an eclectic mish-mash of individuals from all walks of life, people whose sexual tastes range from the mild to the absolutely wild. They are an adventurous bunch, though, for some, their adventures only play out in their most secret fantasies. They enjoy my stories because there’s the touch of the “real” there, no matter how creative I get with the storylines or settings.