All my stories are erotic romances but within
that genre I have written in several different sub-genre.
Advice from one of my publishers was – if you
want to be a best seller, stick to the same genre, particularly if it is BDSM.
However, as a writer, I like to go where the
muse sends me (which is usually all round the universe!). And, besides which,
it is more interesting to try out different styles and pushes me as a writer.
So this is what I like most about writing the different genre:
· BDSM (various books including the Doms & Aquaintances series, the
Retraining duo, the two in the Manor of Decadence series, the two in the Haunt
of the Wolves series/Dark Captive) – as a person I have an interest in BDSM. I
have tried it out with a partner. Despite being a very strong person, in the
bedroom I like the other person to be dominant but am not particularly into
S&M. I did wonder if I would freak out at being tied up but actually as
long as I have total trust in the other person, I really enjoy it. So it is
nice to write about aspects of something that I find fascinating and to vicariously
enjoy the parts that I don’t enjoy, through my characters!
·
Romantic comedy (the Friends & Acquaintances series in particular,
but many of my books have comedic elements in them including Bounty Hunters’
Captive and Naughty Christmas Wishes) – I have a wicked sense of humour and find
humour in many situations and love to include that in my stories. One of my
favourite scenes was in ‘Friendly Seduction’ where the heroine is explaining to
the hero why women like reading erotic romances and he sums it up by saying –
“If I understand
correctly, you—and every other female reader possibly—like reading about manly
heroes with beautiful heroines.” He counted these off on his fingers. “The hero
has to be a leader of some sort and be dominant but caring, and there has to be
some sort of conflict or misunderstanding, maybe even a kidnapping. If there is
some BDSM involved and even a ménage a trois, that would be even better.”
· Sci-fi (the Alien Manhunt trio, Bounty Hunters’ captive, the two in the
Duoterra series, the new story coming out in Love & Lust in Space anthology
called The Sonic Dilda’tor) – as a reader sci-fi is my preferred reading
material (and as a watcher my preferred TV and film viewing) so I just have to
write sci-fi! I love the fact that an author can invent whatever they want as
it hasn’t happened yet! And world building is such fun.
·
Paranormal (the two in the Haunt of the Wolves series, The Last Werewolf).
Paranormal in this case is werewolves for me rather than vampires or demons or
other shapeshifting creatures. I love writing about werewolves and including
wolf-like behaviours in my characters. As with sci-fi, world building is such
fun such as inventing how your shifters will shift, eg, if it is instantaneous what
happens to their clothes?
·
Fantasy (Naughty Christmas Wishes and hopefully a sequel to come this
Christmas). I love fantasy but it isn’t the best selling of genres. However, I
had such fun with this one and could play off my characters (eg, the fairy from
the top of the Christmas trees who meets up with elves) against our preconceptions
of fantasy creatures, so in this case the elves were handsome and hunky and the
fairy had horny feelings!
·
May-December (in other words characters whose ages are far apart. So far,
I have only had older women with younger men – Chasing Emily, Naughty Christmas
Wishes). However, these stories don’t go down terribly well but I like to write
about a woman my own age and the issues she might encounter such as hot
flushes!
· Older characters (where both are older – Retraining the Dom, Kink After
Dinner). As above, unfortunately readers aren’t interested (and it is difficult for the book cover designers to get older models!)
· Holiday (Naughty Christmas Wishes). It was fun to write about a time of
year I adore!
Near a big store, a reindeer stood next to a fake Santa. They were surrounded by children wanting
to pat it.
"Ho ho ho, children. One at a time, please. Rudolph isn’t going anywhere
for a few hours, yet.”
The reindeer turned its head as Fay sneaked past and they shared a
knowing wink. It wasn’t Rudolph, at all. In fact, it was Cupid.
·
Contemporary (most of my books including the story in the Men for Hire
anthology, except the sci-fi). It is easy to write contemporary, eg, here and
now, as you don’t have to do so much research! I generally set it in an unnamed
town or city so I don’t even have to research the town and can spend my time
working on the characterisation.
· Kidnap (Bounty Hunters’ Captive and Dark Captive). This is a contentious
genre and one of those categories you love or hate. Personally I love reading
kidnap stories so I just wanted to write it myself and show how the captive
falls in love with the captor(s).
·
MM/MMM (Alien Manhunt trio) – I never intended to write gay stories but
I woke up with an idea and that got extended to three books! It was fun to do
but I prefer to have a female in my characters.
· MMF (The Last Werewolf) – this one came about because I was co-writing a
story with Susan Laine and her area of expertise was MM and mine MF at that
stage so we combined the two!
· MFM/or more Menage (I have a few scenes in MF books where an MFM scene
occurs, eg, a hot tub scene in Retraining the Dom, but stories where the MFM
characters fall in love as a trio or more include the two in the Duoterra series,
the two in the Haunt of the Wolves series, Bounty Hunters’ Captive, BDSM
Weekend). Writing menage sex scenes involves some choreographing but can be
done and I live vicariously through their sex lives! It is fun to work out how
they get around issues of jealousy, or how the very different characters can
live together in harmony.
· Novellas (all of mine except Kink After Dinner, Alien Manhunt trio,
Naughty Christmas Wishes, Dark Captive, the two in the anthologies and The Last
Werewolf which was novel length) – this is my preferred length. I get bored
writing anything longer.
·
Short story (Kink After Dinner, Alien Manhunt trio, Naughty Christmas
Wishes, Dark Captive, the two in the anthologies – Men for Hire and Love &
Lust in Space – the latter is due out in a few months – see below). It is great
fun to write short stories as it is so quick to write and quick to edit – BUT you
don’t have time for much characterisation or world building.
“What you need is a Sonic Dilda’tor."
“I beg your pardon?” Skarlet
wasn’t sure she correctly heard Pock, the sex therapist. This was her second
session here on the planet of Vulvania. Tactile, like all people from her own
planet of Clusio, Skarlet was finding it difficult adjusting to life on the
home world of her husband, Braemel.
In truth, it wasn’t just the
rigid Vulvanian culture she was finding hard, but her husband’s lack of emotion.
Married now for two years, she wondered if she had made a mistake in thinking
the two of them could make their differences work. Not least, because a
Vulvanian came into heat, whether man or woman, only once every five years.
· Yet to do – historical (I am an historian so I know how much research
needs to be done! Although am working on a crime anthology set in the
1830s-1930s), crime (am doing an anthology just so I don’t have to think up any
intricate crime plots!), military (don’t have an interest in military stories),
vampires (not interested), medical (well, my hero in the Men for Hire anthology
story was a doctor…), lesbian (I have ideas and might do one but they really
don’t sell well!), steampunk (I don’t have anything against steampunk but not particularly
interested either), time travel (now time travel is a concept I adore, but I
haven’t come up with any story ideas so far), western (no plans to write any as
we don’t have a culture of cowboys in the UK where I come from!)
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