Author Interview: Jane Leopold Quinn

Author Name: Jane Leopold Quinn
Year started writing for LI: 2007
Titles: Home to Stay, Ancient Ties
Web Page: www.janeleopoldquinn.com

What genre do you write in, and why? :
m/f contemporary, time travel, suspense, Western – all erotic. I have written an m/f/m ménage though.

How much time do you spend writing every week? :
I’m one of the lucky ones who made the decision to quit the day job and write full time. So I write every day 9 am to 2 or 3 pm. Some, maybe too much of that time is spent on e-mails, some time on promotion, but it’s all writing related.

What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) :
I wrote a Western. Then I wrote another Western. They were teaching experiences. Ancient Ties, my time travel to Roman Britain, was the third thing I wrote and the first published. Maybe it’s true that the first ms is Sophomore year, the second is Junior year, and the third is Senior year and Graduation.

How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories?
If they turn me on so much that I have to leave the room , then I know I’ve done my job well. Or I become so lost in the scene that I’m writing that I sometimes “wake up” and don’t realize how much time has passed.
Do you ever try out the sexual positions you write to make sure of accuracy? :
Sure, between past and present relationships, they’ve been tested.

Ever been told, Um...sweetie, that's not how it works? :
No.

What one word best describes your toy collection? :
Sparse.

Favourite candy while writing? :
None, really. I don’t snack, but I also don’t have anything in the house except hard, fruit flavored candies.

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? :
I just wrote a short story that is an m/f/m ménage. The title came from an e-mail from someone on the LI Community loop. She asked for some ménage titles. Me, being me, thought she was actually looking for a title, so I provided the title “His, Hers & His.” She was looking for books to read. Okay, not my first embarrassment and certainly not my last. But, now I had a title for myself. The plot came from a “Dr. Phil” show where a woman met men on an internet site called sugardaddy.com. There you go.

What inspires you to write? :
An idea sparks in my mind, then I build characters around that, then the plot unfolds. It all starts with the spark. All it needs to be is a few words I hear on TV or a sight I see on the street or just a fantasy.

What music inspires your writing? :
The popular tenors, sometimes music from “my day” -- the 60s.

Plotter or a Pantser? :
Both. Sometimes I pants it for a couple of chapters, then if I feel I have something viable, I plot it out in a grid. A shorter ms may be pantsed, but a longer novel length will always be plotted.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? :
No pets.

What is your most embarrassing moment as an erotic romance author? :
Probably the first few times I told people that I write erotic romance. I was kind of sheepish about it. You can’t be that way. People will say, “Oh, you write dirty books.” You have to project confidence. I started to calmly respond, “No, I write love stores.” That usually proves that I’m serious about what I write and cuts off their water.

Most challenging place you've ever written a spicy scene? :
You mean your writing location or the scene’s location? If it’s the writing location, probably trying to write erotic romance at my desk at work as a legal secretary is pretty challenging. It’s a no-go. If it’s the scene’s location, that would probably be either a shower or a stopped elevator.


When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? :
Except for vacations out of town, I write almost every day. Sometimes I do get stuck, but I recover in a day or two. Sometimes you just have to walk away to let your mind relax.


The Personal stuff:


Any outrageous liaisons in your past?
Oh, yeah!!

Where's the most unusual place you ever managed to have sex? :
Unusual to me, maybe not to another person -- a sailboat in the Bahamas.

What was the most romantic meal you've eaten? :
Since the last two questions don’t relate to my hubby, I’ll say in this answer, that the most romantic meal was our first date. It wasn’t the food, it was the conversation. Neither one of us wanted it to end.

What kind of books do you read for fun? :
Mostly other romance books. Sometimes mysteries.

Is your real life anything like your stories? What about your fantasies? :
Nooooo.

If you were to make a bumper sticker for your car that had to relate to erotic romance, what would it say? :
“It’s all really about love.”

Soulmates? Do you believe? :
Yes. And actually I believe in more than one soulmate in a lifetime.

Sex with anyone famous? :
Noooo. But ask my husband. He’s had sex with me.

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? :
Cake and pie. Pepsi, but I wouldn’t turn down Coke. Hot coffee, iced tea.


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Diversify, Diversify

In my sometime role as Mentor-to-the-Future-Stars, I'm frequently asked to make judgement calls on a variety of publishing career issues. If I had to condense all my advice into one word it would be: Diversify. There are three distinct areas in which I think a canny writer will diversify her/his resources. You will find different viewpoints on this, but this is what works for me -- speaking as someone who has been writing and publishing successfully for over a decade.

I) Try different things. I'm not saying write a bunch of crap you don't enjoy just for the money, I'm saying don't be afraid to try something new, to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It'll make you a stronger writer -- and you'll find new readers. I write strictly in the M/M sub-genre -- usually within a mystery or romantic suspense framework, but this last year I've branched out and started writing action-adventure. And guess what? I really enjoyed it. It was fun and fresh, and we all need to keep it fun and fresh. Last month I pushed myself a little further and wrote my first romance with an anti-hero protagonist. Sure, one or two readers were a little uncomfortable with Mark Hardwicke, the narrator of I Spy Something Bloody but mostly what I'm hearing is it's the best thing I've done with the exception of the Adrien English series.




II) Try different formats. Electronic publishing offers everything from flash fiction to full-size novels. Try your hand at these different art forms. Sure, you're going to be better at some than others -- and you'll want to know your strengths and weaknesses -- but don't be afraid to try anything and everything. The more you write, the more you hear from readers, the better you get.

Also...speaking of different formats, print and ebook audiences are not necessarily the same. Male readers, for example, still typically buy mostly in print from brick and mortar booksellers. Not all successful ebooks translate into viable print projects, but it's certainly worth considering. Break into print by submitting to anthologies -- watch for submission requests from the big houses in your genre

III) Try different publishers. I'm not saying try every fly-by-night operation that opens up a website. Pick your publishers carefully. You want a publisher with a good track record -- that means stability and good word-of-mouth from both readers and other writers. You want a company that turns out a quality product. Remember, you're looking for a longterm partner in your writing career. That means you need a publisher who is at least as interested in your success and happiness as they are in their own bottom line. When you find that partner, do your part to keep the relationship healthy, but never put all your eggs in one basket. Different publishing houses have different reading lists. There will always be some crossover: M/M readers will often buy primarily from two or three houses but distrust smaller, lesser publishers until they've established some kind of track record. Your job as a writer is to get readers so addicted to your work that they'll follow you and your brand of fiction anywhere, regardless of where you publish -- but that doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of work -- and a lot of writing.

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Wednesdays Words - Hot Flash Fiction!

Hot to Trot Flash fiction from the authors and readers of Loose Id.

What can you do in 100-250 words? Read more!

Hot Topic: M/M vs. F/F

Today's Topic:

M/M vs. F/F

There seems to be a flood of authors writing M/M romance these days, and yet there are still quite a few epublishers who won't accept F/F love stories. Why do you think that is?

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First Time Here

Whew, I'm here! Okay, truth is, I've been awake and semi alert for hours, but its Sunday and I started off by being lazy. Then I decided to weed the garden before it got too hot. Of course, following that, shower time. There's something incredibly grounding about having a garden. I don't grow a lot of different things and the main course is always tomatoes, real home-tasting tomatoes, not those plastic things the stores--

Okay, back on task here. As I said in my title, I haven't blogged at Loose Ends before. This bugs me because I blog elsewhere and love writing for Loose ID. How I slipped off I don't know, but I'm ready to try to make up for lost time.

First, isn't the cover for Galen's Pet a killer!!! I love it, love the colors, the hunky male body. Have to laugh a bit at all the rope around my heroine's torso. One thing for sure, she's not going anywhere Galen doesn't want her to go. For those of you who've read other Vonna Harper erotica, you know I focus a lot on bondage and there's no doubt of that in this cover. I don't consider my work BDSM although it often gets that label. I keep thinking I can write about women (always the women, never the men) who get off on pain, but that's not a place I personally can relate to and so far I can't get my characters to take that leap. But bondage and capture, ah yes, now there's a great fantasy! Don't want it in real life because then I won't be able to weed the garden and the gophers will probably take over, but stratigically-placed rope and loss of freedom in the hands of the hunkiest hunk on the planet, siigh! Now you're talking.

Gzz, I can't believe how scattered I am. My initial plan was to focus on my editor. In my opinion, editors are the unsung heroes of the writing biz. My Loose ID editor is Ann Curtis, a woman I've never met but desperately love. She's a blast to work with. IMO, her greatest skill is her ability to zero in on the flaws in my writing and coming up with the exact right solution. Granted, probably because I've been writing fiction since dirt was new, I know a lot about this gig. But I don't know a writer who won't admit that they're so close to their characters and plot that they can't see the whole forest for the trees. That's where skillful editors earn their keep. Ann hasn't bought everything I've sent her, and that's no fun, but the once or twice when she didn't, in retrospect I had to admit she was right.

In contrast, the stories she has approved, well that's where the real fun is. She strokes what needs to be strokeds. She's upfront and fun. We speak a kind of writing shorthand which says to me that we're on the same page. She's gone to bat for me with a copy editor and when the release date for Galen's Pet was kicked way up, she rolled up her sleeves and handled her end of things like a pro.Last week I sent her something that's been languishing with another publisher, asking her opinion. She zeroed in on exactly what I did. Now the ball's back in my court to live up to her expectations. I'm looking forward to that because Ann, my partner with Loose ID believes in me.

Yes, that's what it all boils down to for a writer, an editor who believes in us. Ann, this one's for you.

Vonna

www.VonnaHarper.com

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Author Interview: Barbra Novac

Author Name: Barbra Novac
Year started writing for LI: 2008
Titles: Double Crossed
Web Page: www.barbranovac.com



What genre do you write in, and why? :

This novel is contemporary suspense and the sex style is BDSM. I will probably stay with these for a while, though I will try ménage instead of BDSM next. I like to write about modern women. I’m a feminist, and I like to think and challenge my way through contemporary issues for women.


How much time do you spend writing every week? :

I write at least an hour every day. (Writers write. If I’m not writing, I’m not a writer)


What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) :

A woman who purchased socks in a bazaar and got home and found that they didn’t match. She decided to keep them anyway, fantasizing that a woman just like her purchased the other mis-matched pair, and that they both wear them together having never met.


How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories? :

My partner reads them, but I have some on line editor friends that read for me and give me honest feedback.


Do you ever try out the sexual positions you write to make sure of accuracy? :
Yes.

Ever been told, Um...sweetie, that's not how it works? :
Yes.

What one word best describes your toy collection? : Extensive.

Favourite candy while writing? :
(sob) I’m off sweets. I eat almonds to quell the cravings.

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? :
From other writers and their stories. From ‘strange but true’ new articles.

What inspires you to write? :
Women. Who they are, what they are, what they think and what’s behind what they think. They are the last great undiscovered frontier.

What music inspires your writing? :
Whatever I think my heroine would listen to, or music to suit the mood I’m looking for.

Plotter or a Panster? :
A little from column A and a little from column B. I really need a plot and the better its worked out the better I feel, but I always seem to change it when I’m in the thick of the work.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? :
I don’t have a cat, but that’s a cute idea. Maybe I should get one.

What is your most embarrassing moment as an erotic romance author? : My partner wanting to know if this stuff happened to me for real before we met or not.


Most challenging place you've ever written a spicy scene? :
A train.

When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? :
I am one of those discipline freaks who want to just work through it. Even if the writing is shocking, and needs to be thrown out, I will write rather than not. If I am straggling around and can’t find my feet, I tend to search for a short story comp or something short term to work toward to get me back into the grove again. My partner is a writer and we find that technique works for both of us.


The Personal stuff:

Any outrageous liaisons in your past?
Yes.

Where's the most unusual place you ever managed to have sex? :
In a small cage.

What was the most romantic meal you've eaten? :
Takeaway pizza, naked, on my boyfriends bed in the early days, when we couldn’t stop sex long enough to get food for ourselves, and had to have it delivered.

What kind of books do you read for fun? :
Romance, erotica, mystery fiction. I really like erotica and old/historical erotica.

Is your real life anything like your stories? What about your fantasies? :
My life USED to be like my stories, but I have settled down now. My fantasies are like my stories – yes!

Soulmates? Do you believe? : yes

Sex with anyone famous? :
Yes. I dated a man with his own TV show in New Zealand for a while.
One of my ex lovers was heavily pursued by Nicole Kidman (before she was married to her current husband of course) while we were lovers. We weren’t exclusive, and he could go with her, but he wasn’t very attracted to her. I took that as an affirmation! Oh, and Keanu Reeves hit on me in a bar once, but I was with someone and got myself out of there REAL FAST! I’m not a cheater. I seem to meet a lot of famous people. It just happens to me.

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? :
Both cake and pie when I can have sugar.
Neither coke nor pepsi
Both tea and coffee depending on my mood.
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When authors get desperate...

They start writing on the walls... or the windows at least:


While I downloaded the trial version of Scrivener (for Mac users), and although it does have some nice functions, I still couldn't see my way over the wall I'd written myself up to. I thought I'd take Lena Austin's advice and get a whiteboard and take a look at the B I G picture, but big whiteboards are expensive! (Yes, you can get cheap and nasty, but I have an addiction to expensive.)

So... desperate times call for desperate measures.

Hubby was not impressed... until I told him it was a whiteboard pen :)

Oh, and I did get the big picture. YAY!! Now on to getting that sequel written! Read more!

Wednesdays Words - Hot Flash Fiction!

Hot to Trot Flash fiction from the authors and readers of Loose Id.

What can you do in 100-250 words? Read more!

Double Crossed Available NOW!

Hi there everyone,

This is my first book for Loose Id and my first book all together.

I had a great time writing it. It's a dark novel, set in Australia, In Sydney's Kings Cross, which is our 'famous' red light district. (every large city has one, don't they?)

By setting it in the red light district, I had lots of opportunities to explore some different kinds of sexual lifestyles. There’s a couple who love each other, but play with others (as long as their partner is present) a party in a BDSM brothel, a play optional social that goes really wild, masturbation in the booths in the back of sex shops, and plenty of other tasty bits and pieces.

I wanted to capture the positive spirit of Kings Cross. It’s an icon these days, a place where artists and bohemians have always gathered. Even a famous witch lived there for a while - I found out in my research.

But of course, even though I keep The Cross a fun and positive place, my characters have to encounter a great deal of trouble – not the least of which comes through from their own internal world.

I get to look at the possibility of BDSM as an agent for therapy as well as an agent for change. Marianne (protagonist) finds that playing that game can be freeing sexually, but also it can remove chains that wrap up the mind.

If you'd like to find out more, Visit Loose Id and pick up a copy of the book. There's an excerpt there and more info on the novel.

If you'd like to find out more about me, and check out a launch competition I am running, stop on by at

www.barbranovac.com or http://blog.barbranovac.com

Have a great day!

Barbra

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Hot Topic: Spit or Swallow

Today's Topic:

Spit or Swallow?

When was the last time you read an intimate scene in an erotic romance novel when the woman/man spit instead of swallowed? Personally, I can't remember the last time. Why do you think that is?

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