Author Interview: Brenna Lyons

Author Name: Brenna Lyons

Year started writing for LI: 2008

Titles: Close Enough to Human, All I Want For Christmas Is You

Web Page: http://www.brennalyons.com

What genre do you write in, and why? :

There’s very little I don’t write. Most of my work is dark, milieu-heavy spec fic (science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, horror), with or without romance, erotic romance, and/or erotica mixed in. I also occasionally write contemporary, historical, and mystery cross-genre. And I write articles, essays, and poetry. The one thing I admittedly stink at is play writing. I do know my limits.

How much time do you spend writing every week? :

It depends on the week. Some weeks work out to a few hours a day...maybe a total of 10-20 hours in a week. Some weeks work out to me writing 60 or 70 hours per week, plus marketing, e-mail, and so forth.

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

No surprise. It was about astronauts meeting aliens on Venus. I even did chalk art illustrations for it, though my next younger brother is the artist in the family...not me.

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

They either get me hot...or they don’t. Since I empathize so closely with my characters, I can be turned on even by things that don’t appeal to me personally.

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

No, but I’ve had to tell an editor that. Long story short, I had an editor who’d never had children. She believed you weren’t allowed to have sex after the first trimester. Picture my eyebrows arched appropriately.

What one word best describes your toy collection? :

Adventurous, since I can’t say Mostly harmless. That’s two words.

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? :

I have unusual ideas? Considering how popular paranormal/fantasy is, how can I qualify unusual? Since I’ve been called one “of the most deviant erotic minds in publishing today...not for the weak" (Fallen Angels), I don’t think I’m qualified to decide what constitutes unusual.

What inspires you to write? :

Everything. I’m a people watcher, like most authors are. I can be inspired by a scene, a quote, a look... I can be inspired by calls for submissions, songs, videos, by games of what-if, by my dreams...even by someone else’s dreams. One of my books grew from a small part of one of my husband’s dreams.

Plotter or a Panster? :

Complete and utter pantser. I don’t plot. I don’t plan. I don’t write linear. I don’t write one thing at a time. I don’t know what’s coming next, let alone last, unless I’ve already written the end. Then again, I might add an epilogue, so who says that’s the end?

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? :

You mean someone’s doesn’t? She loves my keyboard, my printer...and most of all, she loves chasing the cursor or the type across the screen.

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

On my lunch break while teaching preschool, in the teacher’s lounge. They didn’t mind that I wrote spicy stories. In fact, they enjoyed it. Now, try writing with a dozen teachers trying to read over your shoulder. Grin...

The Personal stuff:

Any outrageous liaisons in your past?

If you ask my biological mother, my husband was my outrageous liaison. But, aside from the guys themselves being nutters and/or adventurous, not really.

Where's the most unusual place you ever managed to have sex? :

I have two that come to mind. One was under a bridge on Lake Arthur, with speed boats rushing past. The other was in the rooftop room at my high school. Both are very long stories.

What was the most romantic meal you've eaten? :

When my husband and I had been married for a month, I cooked him one of his favorite dinners...beef stew and drop biscuits. He brought me roses. I still have the card from them. It says: “One month with you has been Heaven.” We ate at the coffee table, since we lived in an efficiency with a breakfast bar and no table. And we ate by candlelight.

What kind of books do you read for fun? :

The same types I write...plus some. Take everything I write...then add in true crime and a few other choices.

If you were to make a bumper sticker for your car that had to relate to erotic romance, what would it say? :

The same thing the shirt I made for my husband says: “Men are animals, and women wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Soulmates? Do you believe? :

Absolutely! I believe I have two of them. One is my husband. He’s obviously a love interest soulmate. The other is a soul sister, my best friend Lisa. I’ll tell you the same thing I tell everyone about soulmates. Having one does NOT mean an easy ride. It means the long haul is worth the fight.

Cake or Pie? :

Depends on my mood.

Coke or Pepsi? :

If it’s in a can, Pepsi. If it’s in plastic or from a soda fountain, either.

Tea or Coffee? :

Hate them both. The only caffeine I take in is in the occasional soda and chocolate.