Author Interviews + More Interesting stuff
A Small Peek behind the Curtain
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your journey as an author? How did you get started, and what inspired you to pursue writing?
Reading inspired me to write initially. Now I write whenever it flows. Writing is actually my number one passion. As an author writing about a topic you know little about spurs you to do research to get a handle on it.
When I wrote my Clash at Sea series about privateers and high seas marauders, I had to be right in the center of all the action and immerse myself into their world and time period. This required researching the era, clothing, types of food, political situation, even common sea navigation strategies and lifestyle were all something I had to learn about and then make it each character’s own with different and unique personalities to create an epic story for readers.
Because I am also a romance writer, even writing intimate sex scenes requires technical know how so it makes sense as the scene unfolds. Who is doing what, when and where and timing is critical. It’s really an art form with a lot of technical details and not as exciting as it seems....
More tidbits and stuff about me
Here's an earlier interview with Awesomegang and some insights and inspiration behind The Star Seed series.
The Technical Nature of a Good Sex Scene
Ever wonder about what it takes to write a really hot sex scene?
Since all of my books contain scenes of great intimacy--ok, hot and steamy sex to help drive the plot and demonstrate intimacy, I thought I’d let you in on a little secret. Writing it is really not as hot nor as sexy as it seems.
Take the first intimate scene in “The Wild & Zany Galactic Adventures” in Chapter 8. While it may appear seamless and titilating, as a writer, it was really about proper body mechanics and follow through or to put it simply, always being aware of what goes where, when and who is “doing what” to whom.
Such things as the angle and placement of one's hand or the other's knee, arm, elbow, head, or, ahem…other body parts as the scene unfolds, greatly matters. Also equally important is whether a particular position is even possible for the given environment. Be it the couch, on the beach, a tiny RV, or in my favorite love making scene, on the dais in a luxury hotel suite at the Westin in Chapter 20, placement, timing, as well as sequence of events all matter and must be taken into consideration to pull off seamlessly. Otherwise, you end up with a series of disjointed actions, characters in reverse, impossible positions and a confusing mess which is no fun.
Get it right, it seems effortless and fluid. Get it wrong and it reads as a bunch of clumsy, forced or uncoordinated actions cobbled together. Worse, it pulls your readers right out of the story. Top it off with trying not to be repetitive especially in a series and honestly keeping track of everything can be a chore. Personally, I enjoy writing these scenes and have developed quite a knack over the years and take pride in crafting them for the enjoyment of my readers. But the mood also has to be right. More on that later, maybe.
So the next time you come across a steamy chapter or scene, view it from the author’s perspective, being mindful of all the technical aspects necessary to pull it off, including “what goes where, when”. At the very least, it will give you a healthy appreciation for the art that writing such a good sex scene truly is.
My Spiritual Side
In addition to being an author, a licensed and practicing attorney for many years, I am also a reiki master, an energy worker who facilitates healing and channel.
I've always had a strong connection to spirit and Light as long as I can remember. It's in my DNA. Both my parents were also very gifted spiritually and I grew up hearing stories of how spirits, nature and even spirit guides interacted with humans, even learning of their own experiences.
Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers were practicing shamans and healers in their community. Thus, my connection to the metaphysical and spirituality is nothing new or unusual for me.
It was only a matter of time that the Star Seed Series in which I introduce many metaphysical concepts and even channelings was born.
"It's fun to go behind the scenes and get a glimpse of the author and her creative process as it helps enrich my own reading experience."
A Dedicated Reader