Rachel Billings takes her pen name from her hometown. She lives in Western New York now, where she works, writes and gardens. But she still misses the Big Sky.
She comes from farmers and likes to dig in the dirt then sit back and watch things grow. She takes a similar approach to the raising of her three children. Her husband, being a scientist, takes a more methodical approach.
Rachel started writing stories in her head when she was five. They featured spunky girls who performed heroic acts while looking great and earning the admiration of attractive males. In short, they were preludes to her stories of today.
In her day job (which happens to be a night job, too), she works to help women have stronger, healthier, happier lives. In her writing, she hopes to entertain and maybe even enrich women’s lives through romantic and erotic fiction. She does consider her work to be fantasy and realizes that some events described may not be physically possible. One can dream.
She has learned that love has power and believes that when two (or four) people love each other, many things are possible. Happiness. Growth. Enlightenment.
Q: What writers do you like to read?
A: There are a dozen wonderful romance writers whose each new book I’ll buy off the shelf (electronically speaking) without even reading the blurb. Who I love the most, whose work I emulate, is Katherine Stone. She has an achingly beautiful style and writes stories in which wounded souls find and heal each other through love.
Q: What makes you write erotica?
A: I like that a lively imagination can entertain and enrich one’s life. I liken erotica to the fantasy novels my husband reads. It’s a thrill and an inspiration to travel with characters who, with pure hearts, deep courage, and a refusal to give up, can overcome the forces of evil. Still, he likes to have his feet up for an hour of TV in the evening and to sleep in his own bed every night. Erotica is like that. I don’t want three guys in my bed. But I don’t mind having them in my head every now and then.
Q: Your job requires long hours of work. How do you find time to write?
A: For me, that’s sort of like saying, how do you find time for fun? You just do. I love to write and do so all the time. I write in my head when I’m walking or gardening. (Or cooking, but that’s rare.) And I love almost nothing more than a quiet morning at home with my laptop.
Q: You claim that your friends and family complain if you’re late getting your Christmas letter out. Is that really true?
A: Yes. And it’s four pages long. (That’s my hard limit.)
Q: Have you told your mother you write erotica?
A: Not yet. She’s almost 80. She may never need to know. Or Aunt Marilyn, either.
Q: Who won the contest for your family motto?
A: My brothers submitted, “When do we eat?” and, “Don’t tell Mom.” (See above.) Good, but not all that inspirational. My sons gave me: “Do the best you can and try not to hurt anyone.” I’m going with that. The quest was motivated by my husband’s family motto, or at least, the fact that he has one. His: “Never quit. Even if you plotz in your pants.” Which influence may explain why I’m still writing. (And, no, it hasn’t happened. Yet. Give me 40 more years.)
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