Interview: Shanna Germain

Shanna Germain is one of my favorite authors, hands down. She is a self-described "Writer. Editor. Leximaven. Geek. Gamer. Biker. Wanderluster. Knife-licker." She is also an inspiration. Her ethereal tale "Her Hair is a Net, Woven" will stay with you long after you read it. I promise.


If the original fairy tale isn’t well known, please share the origins.

This is based on a Polish/German fairy tale that revolves around the Nix (water-man) and his wife, a water-woman. The Nix lures passerbys into the water in order to drown them, and his wife plays a role as well, often visiting the market to bargain in butter and tempt men back to her husband. I read a line about how you could tell a water-woman because her hem was always wet, and the story took off from there. I imaged what it would be like if she fell in lust or love with one of the men and refused to lure him back to her husband's clutches.


How long have you been writing erotica?

Since about 2001, in any kind of serious sense of the word. That was also the first year I had an erotic story published. Since then, I've just been unable to stop!


What is your writing routine like?

As often as I can. I usually go to a coffee shop and settle in for a few hours. For me, it's really hard to write at home -- the call of the dishwasher and the laundry and everything else is far louder than any coffee-shop ruckus ever is!


Are you a full-time writer? What is your “day job?”

Yep! And delighted to be able to say that. My days are filled with editing (magazines and books), writing (articles, fiction and poems) and teaching (fiction and memoir). It's very piecemeal, but I love it.