Author Interview: Lyra Marlowe

Author Name: Lyra Marlowe
Year started writing for LI: 2007
Titles: Thirteen Silver Moons
Web Page: www.LyraMarlowe.com


What genre do you write in, and why? :
My first book was fantasy; my WIP is contemporary D/s. After that, I have a paranormal in mind. I’m still trying things out, and I doubt I’ll ever stop. What they all have in common, though, is people learning about love, sexuality, and each other.

How much time do you spend writing every week? :
In a good week, maybe 20 hours. In a bad week, none at all. I try not to obsess about it.

What was the first story you ever wrote about? (not nec. first published story) :
A book that won regionals in The Young Authors Conference. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it won. I went to some other school and read it to a bunch of kids from different schools. I think it was called, “Spring is …” It was a very long time ago. But they told me I could write, and I completely believed them.

How do you judge the effectiveness of the sensual scenes in your stories? :
If I really, really don’t want to stop writing until the scene it over, it usually turns out well.

Do you ever try out the sexual positions you write to make sure of accuracy? :
Can I just say yes, blush, and leave it at that?

Ever been told, Um...sweetie, that's not how it works? :
Yes. In precisely those words, actually. And also, “Oh, man, do you know how much that would hurt?”

What one word best describes your toy collection? :
Non-existent. But I have a nice collection of books and a great imagination.

Favourite candy while writing? :
Bridge mix. I like the element of surprise.

Where did your most unusual plot idea come from? :
From my DH. He comes up with great ideas, but by his own admission doesn’t have the passion to sit down and flesh them out.

What inspires you to write? :
I think it’s a compulsion more than an inspiration. I have to write. I become sullen and miserable without it. Once I’ve got a story started, the characters inspire me to come back and finish their story – I want to see how they turn out!

What music inspires your writing? :
I have a hard time listening to music while I write, especially if it has words. Too distracting. But there are musical soundtracks that get me in the write frame of mind. Les Miz for when I need my characters to be noble and brave, for example. Or Sweeney Todd when I need them to be bitter and vengeful.

Plotter or a Panster? :
Plotter, but not a detailed one. I usually decide a rough outline in my head, then pants my way between major points and smooth the whole thing out when I’m done.

Does your cat insist on sitting on your keyboard like mine does? :
No, but if it’s about to get very cold she will insist on sitting on my lap between me and the desk.

What is your most embarrassing moment as an erotic romance author? :
Realizing that my 12-year-old was reading over my shoulder as I wrote.

Most challenging place you've ever written a spicy scene? :
At a table in a McDonald’s PlayPlace. It’s not the noise so much as the quiet fear that you’ll get caught. “But Officer, you don‘t understand, I’m an artist!”

When you get stuck, how do you find your way back to the writing? :
My best trick is to skip ahead to a scene that I know in my head. This usually leads to the current scene making sense, and it takes the desperate feeling of “I can’t write!” out of the equation. Sometimes I read older stories until I find myself going, “Hey, that’s not half bad!” and get my confidence back.

The Personal stuff:

Any outrageous liaisons in your past?
When we were dating, my BF and I once had fairly loud sex in his apartment, which was three rooms in a boarding house on a resort island. When we quieted down, we heard voices outside the open window – where the house owner was having a family reunion picnic. Judging from the applause, they’d all gotten an earful.

Where's the most unusual place you ever managed to have sex? :
On my father-in-law’s desk, after hours. (Hi, Pa!)

What was the most romantic meal you've eaten? :
On a docks ship in Toronto harbor on the first night of our honeymoon. Low lights, white tablecloth, waiter in a tux. Until we tried to order dessert and he looked at my plate and said, archly, “There is something wrong with madam’s carrots?” and took the dessert menus away until I finished them.

What kind of books do you read for fun? :
Lots of fantasy, some sci-fi, anything I can steal from my DH. I love Charles de Lint and Terry Prachett, Spider Robinson and Douglas Adams. Also Robert Parker, Del Shannon and Raymond Chandler.

Is your real life anything like your stories? What about your fantasies? :
Not really. My writing and fantasies are more escape from the grind of domestic life.

If you were to make a bumper sticker for your car that had to relate to erotic romance, what would it say? :
“If you can’t stand the heat, don’t read over my shoulder!”

Soulmates? Do you believe? :
Yes. My DH and I have a ridiculous number of things in common. Our mothers are both nurses and were born days apart. Our parents’ anniversaries are two days apart. And we think alike on a wide variety of subjects.

Sex with anyone famous? :
Nooooo … but I one made out with a guy who went on to be the stage manager for a very famous male ballet dancer. (Yeah, that one!) Hi, Joe!

Cake or Pie? Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? :
Cake, preferably chocolate. Or double or triple chocolate. Coke, because it has more bite. Coffee, black and dark, except after 6, when tea will do.