Guest author, Marc Jarrod

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Welcome Amy Valenti

This week, I have the pleasure to bring you, the lovely, sexy, talented, Amy Valenti. I'm sure you'll love finding out what makes this woman tick.

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I started writing Muppet Babies fan fiction in about 1988 (I was four!). Seriously… I was a big fan of Miss Piggy – not so much now I’m older, but back then she was my idol!

More on-topic, I started on erotica in about 1999, when I was fifteen. That was fan fiction, too, actually… Buffy and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, followed by a Buffy/Willow/Faith lesbian threesome! Back then I had no idea what sex was like, so it was terrible, of course, but here we are in 2011, and I’m published, so stuff must have happened in the meantime...

2. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

I’ve started so many writing projects over the years, and the only ones I seem to be able to finish are the erotica ones! I have no idea why that is. But a couple of years after finishing my first erotica fiction over the usual minimum word count of 10K, I thought, “I could be waiting forever to finish a project I can tell my parents about. I’ll send out a few erotica stories in the meantime and see if I get any acceptances.”

I nearly died when I found out I got one, about three months later! The story in question isn’t in print any more – it was a paranormal, loosely vampire-based short named Shocked, and I have a revised, rewritten version coming out in December.

3. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

Well, so far I’ve written contemporary vanilla, contemporary kink, kinky crime, paranormal erotica, and I’ve also dabbled in some dystopian erotica, though that’s going to take a while to finish.

For some reason, recently I’ve wanted to write about dragons. A female dragon trainer and a male knight, to be specific… I’ve never really been that into swords and sorcery, so I’m a little surprised, but I plan to give it a go!

4. Plotter or pantzer?

I’m getting a little bit better at plotting, but so much of my stuff has just been me sitting down and letting the characters worry about themselves, and just going scene by scene with a very vague plot in mind. It seems to work for me, though my longer works tend to be the more plotted ones.

5. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

As bad as it sounds, I go and walk around my local bookshop. It’s not what it seems like, though – I don’t go and read through other authors’ work to steal their ideas. Just being around a lot of books makes me inspired – in a kind of ‘one day, this could be you’ way. And there’s a lot of pretty cover art around, these days!

6. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

If you’re having trouble getting your ideas onto the page, there’s a tool online named Write or Die – it gives you noise prompts whenever you stop writing, and it times you, so you don’t have the time to spare deliberating over whether something sounds good or not. I’d suggest getting your first draft down using Write or Die, and then going back and editing/restructuring later, once you’ve finished. You might surprise yourself with what you’ve written!

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

Finding out that Dominance and Deception was going to be given a print release. I might have actually jumped up and down on the spot. ;D On a more practical level, my editor at Total-E-Bound has been a joy to work with, and I’ve now begun to call her my ‘Freditor’, because she’s a friend as well as an editor. That’s probably the best behind-the-scenes thing to come out of 2011. :)

8. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time? 

Sleeping, definitely! And playing videogames. I’m a proofreader and copy editor as a day job, and I enjoy it even though it’s work. I’m a big reader, too, and there are a few TV shows (most significantly, NCIS and Castle) that I wouldn’t want to miss.

9. If you could change one thing that you have written, what would it be?

I wrote a silly little short for some friends, which parodied the were-shifter genre. It’s named Cursed and Compelled, and it’s one of the free reads on my website. Everywhere I looked, I seemed to see stories about new were-creatures – were-leopards, were-lions, were-panthers, were-tigers, you name it! – so I decided to pick a very silly animal for my oh-so-sexy hero to turn into.

It still makes me laugh, but I wish the ending was better. It’s not a happily-ever-after, and I think it lets the rest down a little, but at the time I wasn’t putting the greatest amount of thought into it.

10. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

I’m very excited about my new BDSM series, which is centred around a fetish club named Club Alterna. Each novella in the series will focus on a different girl and the guy or girl who catches her eye, and so far I have the first four stories planned out.

The first is named Floored, dealing with a stubborn switch’s struggle against the urge to submit, and it’s written and contracted for release in March 2012. That’ll be M/F, followed by book two, Suspended, which is F/F and bondage-centric. Book thee, Captured, is M/F and revolves around alternative fashion and fetish photography. Book four, Swayed, is F/F, and is about the club’s vanilla DJ, and the Domme who unexpectedly falls for her.

You can find out more at my series page, here: http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com/club-alterna-series/

11. What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

I’m thinking in baby steps right now. Step one: my first print release, which is Dominance and Deception in January. Step two: finish my first series, Club Alterna, which starts in March. Step three: get a novel published with one of the big publishing houses, so I can one day walk into my local book shop and go, ‘Hey, look! There I am!” That’ll be when I really count myself as a success, I think. 

 And now for a teaser from Amy's book:

Dominance and Deception

Author: Amy Valenti

Genre: Crime/Thriller, BDSM

Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing

Buy Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1389

Blurb:

Submission is a dangerous game…

Faye Tate is a police forensic scientist, a switch, and secretly in love with a police detective. Detective Zach Pierce has made many enemies, but his attraction to Faye is too strong to be denied.

Can Pierce protect his submissive from those who seek to use her against him, or will her devotion to her Dom cost Faye her life?

Excerpt:

Faye looked down at the red mark rising on her flesh, then up at me. “That the best you can do, Sir?”

I raised the crop, never letting my pissed-off façade slip. “I haven’t even started—”

Faye’s phone rang, the unexpected sound disorientating us both. She groaned, scowling at the offending object as if it was sentient.

“Damn it! Not now!” She tugged expectantly at her handcuffs. “Okay, let me out of these.”

I stood there, impassive, and she rolled her eyes.

“Zach, seriously. Someone’s probably dead and we’ll have to go to work.”

I knew she was right, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. Dropping the crop and stepping over the tangle of our clothing, I crossed to the dresser and checked the caller ID. Sure enough, it was Santoro. For a brief moment, I entertained the irrational thought of firing him, but it passed.

Without releasing Faye from her bonds, I hit the speakerphone button to answer the call.

Taking a deep breath to steady her breathing, she spoke. “Santoro, this better be good. I’m a little tied up right now.”

As I stifled a chuckle, Santoro replied, “I know, it’s really late and I’m sorry. But we have a problem. There’s been a triple homicide, and Pierce isn’t answering his cell. His home phone’s off the hook.”

I didn’t remember taking my home phone off the hook, but I’d left my cell phone switched off in the car, which was parked outside Faye’s place.

“He probably let the battery run down again,” she told Santoro. “I’ll stop by his place on the way into work, okay?”

“Are you sure? It’s not out of your way?”

“I’m sure. You get going, and I will handle Pierce.” She winked at me.

“You’re risking an awful lot, here,” I murmured, quietly enough that the cell phone wouldn’t pick it up.

“Relax,” she mouthed back.

“That’d really help,” Santoro said wearily. “Thanks.”

“So what do I tell Pierce when I see him?” Faye asked.

Silently, I sat on the edge of the bed. Faye’s eyes widened, and she shook her head at me, though I could tell her heart wasn’t really in the denial.

As Santoro began to outline the case, his tinny voice just barely audible in the quiet of Faye’s bedroom, I trailed light kisses over her breasts and stomach. When I glanced up, I could see she wasn’t taking in anything Santoro was saying. Her eyes were closed, and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“…Faye?” Santoro’s voice brought us both down to earth.

“Hmmm?” she replied languorously, before shaking herself out of it. “Sorry, what?”

Santoro laughed. “Oh, Jeez… When you say you’re tied up, you really mean that literally, don’t you?”

Faye and I stared at one another for an instant before she cracked up. “I knew there was a reason you’re Pierce’s right-hand man, Santoro. Nothin’ gets past you.”

Buy Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1389

And now, for a little more info about Amy!

Bio: Amy Valenti is a tarnished tease, and her mind has lived in the gutter since the day she realised what sex was. She hails from England, which she doesn’t find quite as exotic and sexy as the average US citizen seems to, but if people want to compliment her on her accent, that’s all fine with her! Her muses are many, fickle and very demanding.

She has a degree in creative writing and currently works as a proofreader/copy editor. In her free time, she reads, writes and plays videogames. On the rare occasions she doesn’t have a laptop on her knee, she loves to curl up with friends and pets – and chocolate – for TV show and movie marathons.

Contact links

http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com

http://www.twitter.com/AmyValenti

http://www.facebook.com/AmyValentiErotica

 

Welcome Annie Alvarez

This week, I have the good fortune to welcome the amazing Annie Alvarez. A woman of great talent and, in my opinion, understanding of human nature. I'm sure you'll enjoy her interview and the excerpt of one very hot book.

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I’ve been writing for years, but that has nothing to do with how long I’ve been published. I wrote many stories that ended up in the trash or met a destructive end with my delete button. What inspired me to try to get published was the fact that there weren’t any lesbian paranormal, vampire stories out there to read, so I took Toni Morrison’s advice, “If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

My Hightower Series was created with just that purpose in mind. After all, who doesn’t like sexy vampires, drama and some good, old fashion girl on girl action?

2.  What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

The first story I tried to get published was Sessions. It’s about a therapist who falls in love with a patient and uses naughty little ways to help said patient recover from the loss of a loved one. Its pack full of sex and some slight to mild BDSM.

As it happened, For The Love of Blood, An introduction to the Hightower Series hit the ebook shelves first and I’m grateful for that. It got my name out there in the midst of all the Twilight phenomena happening. My editor, Jay from eXtasy Books, rocks! I couldn’t have asked for better timing.

3. Plotter or pantzer?

Definitely a pantzer! I’ve learned that if I send too much time plotting everything, I lose interest. Not only that, but my characters really do speak for themselves and what I plan for them, isn’t always what they have planned, so I have to start over. It saves me a lot of time, if I just give it up to my characters and follow their lead. My girls are quite stubborn. LOL

4.  What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

Never give up. It’s a tough business to get into, but once you’re there, its worth all the pain and heartache. I agree with Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith who said, “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”

I’m here to tell you that the “writing” of a story is just the beginning. The hard part comes in selling your story to someone other than yourself. :0)

5. If you could be a character in any of your books who would it be and why?

I think I would be Tamara Hightower. I would love to be able to witness history as its being made. I don’t think that drinking blood would be on the top of my list of things to do, but if I were a vampire, I guess it wouldn’t matter, would it?

6. If you could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for dinner, who would it be and what would you eat?

Oh, this one is easy…Katherine Hepburn! I LOVE Katherine. She was such an inspiring role model. Katherine had so many great quotes, “I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be the inferior sex”, "With all the opportunities I had, I could have done more. And if I`d done more, I could have been quite remarkable." And my favorite one is, “Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don`t do that by sitting around wondering about yourself.” And I think Katherine would have liked to eat something exotic that would have made me take pause before I put it in my mouth.

7.  When you wake up in the morning, what celebrity do you most resemble?

I can honestly say I probably look like Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Scary at first, until you get to know me. LOL

8.  What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

Well, let’s see…I’m working on another installment of Carly Bright and I’m also fidgeting with, “My Turkey Baster?” A comical view of how some lesbian’s get pregnant. 

9. Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Yes, I’m in love. I met my partner 15 years ago and we’ve been together ever since. I never understood how married couples could stay together for 50-60 years but I’ve learned that love is a tricky thing…some days you’re in love and some days you just love them. I’ve found that if you wait the being “in love” feeling always returns and that’s worth waiting for.

10. What kind of comfort food do you like best?

You might think me strange for this, but Sushi is my comfort food. I love a good piece of Big Eye Tuna with Wasabi. See? I told you you’d think I was strange

And now for that promised excerpt:

(Is this not the hottest cover you've ever seen?)

Boi Toi

by Annie Alvarez

Publisher: eXtasy Books

BUY HERE

When Julia, a power-femme, betrays McKenna, Lexi, pulls out all the stops to help heal McKenna’s broken heart. A party, a strap-on, cock worship and orgasm control is only the beginning of McKenna’s evening. Can Lexi convince her to become her new boi toi?

Lexi led me through the rooms on the main floor, explaining the significance of the furniture and the art, which was French contemporary, but bored me almost to tears. Luckily, I think she noticed my efforts in trying to look interested and upped the stakes. Each time we entered a room, occupied or not, she would grab my cock and rub it gently as she continued her history lesson. When we entered the unoccupied library, I grabbed her, bringing her close to me, but she took hold of my hands and stuck them in my pocket.

“No touching, yet,” she warned and continued to talk about some damn French artist and how famous he was.

“You’re driving me crazy,” I complained, leaving my hands where she put them.

“You’re not a patient person, are you?” She cocked her head and smiled, slowly licking her lips, leaving them wet and shiny.

“No—Yes,” I stammered and took a deep breath. “You’ve worked me up all night. I can’t stand it anymore. Show a girl some mercy.”

“Okay,” she eagerly responded gesturing at my clothes. “Take them off.”

“Here…now?” My voice cracked. I couldn’t believe what she suggested.

“Yes,” she reassured me. “Here and now.”

I peeked into the crowded hallway, noticing that any number of guests could easily walk in on us. “What if someone comes in?”

“So?” She raised her brow in a questioning way. “What if they do?” She approached me and started unbuttoning my slacks.

I pulled away. “No. I can’t do this,” I said securing the button in place.

“Well, then, you’ll have to be patient.” She leaned into me and pressed her lips to my neck, gently laying kisses on my sensitive skin. “It’s not as if, I didn’t offer.”

 

BUY HERE

About Annie:

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. That's right, the Big Easy or the bathtub, whichever you prefer. Anyways, when I was born, Mercy Hospital was still called Mercy, so I've got a few years under my belt.

 
When I turned 18, I came out to my friends and family. I'll never forget that day, either. My picture was plastered on the front page of the Miami Herald's Sunday edition. For those of you who don't know what the Miami Herald is, it's only the largest newspaper in South Florida and my picture took up half the front page. Woohoo! My first fifteen minutes of fame.

I never said, oh geez, when I grow up, I want to be a writer. No, that didn't happen to me. What did happen was that imagination side-swiped me one day and an erotic story complete with characters, consumed every bit of my waking moments. Well, that's what started my writing career. I successfully have several published ebooks, including The Hightower Series.

A lot of people have asked me if I tend to write from experience, my answer is yes, and no. Yes, because I write lesbian erotica and I'm a lesbian, duh. No, because I'm not a vampire although some days, I wish I was.

Well, there you have it, my life in a nutshell. Of course, I left stuff out...I already share my dirty mind with you; I can't very well go sharing my dirty laundry, too!

Where you can find Annie:
Facebook, Twitter, Naughty Little Vamp Blog, Sheboi Blog
and on Annie's website at: http://www.anniealvarez.net