Q & A
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Midnight Promise is labeled as
erotica. What is the difference between erotica and erotic romance? |
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Will you write a sequel to It Happened in
Florence? (From Terri R. in Indiana) |
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What do you do to unwind
after you finished writing a book? (From Jackie in Texas) |
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Do you have a favorite character
you've created? (From Jane C. in Texas) |
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In The Night of Maya, you describe the
process of making a Japanese sword. How much research did you do for that?
(from Becky Schroeder in Wisconsin) |
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Do you have any advice for a beginning writer? I know
what I want to write, but I can't seem to get my words out. (from
Donna in Florida) |
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How did you come up with the character
names for The Night of Maya? (from Deb, asked at a
Sensual Reads chat)
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Will you write a sequel to It Happened in Florence? |
I would love to. When I originally envisioned the story, it ended with a conspiracy targeted at Amilya, Jennifer's daughter and Donovan's niece.
The sequel ONCE MORE IN FLORENCE would take place ten years later. Amilya now works for Donovan in Florence. Donovan's chief of security, Blake Khalil Harris, who protected Amilya in It Happened in Florence, arrives with news of a serious security threat.
Amilya could be at risk, but she is far more disturbed by Blake's reappearance in her life. The man whom she's always addressed by his Arabic middle name hides haunting mysteries that could destroy him. When Blake's secret past threatens Amilya, nothing will stand in his way as he unites forces with James Donovan to save the love of his life and convince her to give him her heart.
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What do you do to unwind after you finished writing a book? (From Jackie in Texas) |
Believe it or not, I love to clean the house. After weeks of intense creative focus, I actually look forward to a bit of manual labor. Cleaning is usually an unwelcome chore, but after a project, it becomes a celebration. I put on my favorite music and get into all the crevices I usually skip. I used to have to clean before I started a project, but it feels much better after.
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Do you have a favorite character you've created? (From Jane C. in Texas) |
My favoritism tends to shift from one character to another. At the moment, I'd vote for Maya. She is a young woman who has never compromised her dream and who is ready to fight to make her dream come true, regardless of what that fight will require of her. I like that in a woman.
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In The Night of Maya, you describe the process of making a Japanese sword. How much research did you do for that? |
I've always loved Japanese swords. In the last decade or so, this ancient craft has found amazing revival, and more and more detailed material has become translated. I've read many books on Japanese history and sword-making craft, and the research has deeply inspired the story and the characters.
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Do you have any advice for a beginning writer? I know what I want to write, but I can't seem to get my words out. |
It would be easy to say that you just need to sit down and do it, although developing a habit of daily writing, even if only for fifteen minutes at a time, helps a great deal. Allowing ourselves to fulfill our creative needs is not always easy, but there are many tools that may be incredibly inspiring. I'd like to recommend two of them; Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and Judy Reeves's A Writer's Book of Days.
The Artist's Way is a highly effective three-month program that I've used in the early days of my writing efforts. After you've completed this program, A Writer's Book of Days will help you to keep writing every day with a daily prompt.
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How did you come up with the character names for The Night of Maya? |
Maya, the heroine's name is a Hindi word that means illusion or dream. Night itself is a kind of an illusion, but in this story, it is the only reality that matters. At the same time, the heroine's whole quest comes from a dream, which she fights to realize.
Kiru was a name accidentally suggested by my husband. Neither of us speaks Japanese, but the sound seemed to fit the character perfectly. Still, I wanted to check if it had any real meaning, and a few Japanese speakers confirmed that it is a form of the verb 'to cut', like in hara-kiri. It couldn't have been a better name for a vampire who used to be a swordsmith.
Finally, Alustra. I wanted her name to have a double meaning. From the root 'luster', I wanted a name that could be interpreted as 'without light', but also 'originating from light'. Both apply to Alustra.
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Midnight Promise is labeled as
erotica. What is the difference between erotica and erotic romance? |
Erotica: Character exploration (character being the operative word) in a highly charged sexual setting. The story uses various levels of sexual intensity to get into the minds, hearts, and psyches of people who may (or may not) end up together at the end of the story.
Erotic Romance: Girl meets boy (or vice versa), falls crazy in lust with him, and they get swept away in torrents of awesome, graphic sex which feels so much better than any sex either has ever had with anyone else before. Girl and boy look for every reason not to actually fall in love, but love is what it's all about. Therefore, girl loses boy (or vice versa) until they both realize they can't live without each other. Girl and boy live happily ever after.
I write erotic romance because I love 'happily ever after' stories, but when I sat down to write Midnight Promise, the Muse had a different direction in mind. If you've read my vampire romances, you'll be on familiar ground because MP is a very sexy vampire adventure.
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