Interview: Andrea Dale

Andrea Dale is a prolific author in a variety of genres. On one level, her story "How the Little Mermaid Got Her Tail Back" is a fun, sexy D/s romp. On another level, it is a story of sexual redemption and discovery. It is a lovely woman-centered (mermaid-centered?) story that gives the mermaid the happily ever after she deserves.

What inspired you to retell this particular fairy tale?

Han Christian Anderson’s tales upset me as a child because of their unhappy endings. I later realized the woman always gets the short shrift in his stories. For example, In “The Little Mermaid,” the mermaid gives up her voice for legs, which cause her astonishing pain…and she still doesn’t get the guy. WTF?

I wasn’t so much trying re-tell “The Little Mermaid” as I was trying to re-frame it and give the mermaid the opportunity to get back what she lost. In my story, the main character is kinky, but her former lovers told her that her desires are perverse and disgusting. She sacrificed that part of herself (in essence, her voice) in an attempt to find acceptance and love. Then she meets a man who nurtures her darkest desires, giving her the chance to regain her voice and her tail, and to find true love. And they lived happily kinky ever after!


Are there any other fairy tales you’d like to see retold? Why?

Since we’re on the subject of Hans Christian Anderson, how about “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” or “The Little Match Girl”? But, really, I’m fascinated by any story that goes deeper into the tales we think we know and teases out a deeper meaning…especially with a twist.



How long have you been writing erotica?

Does doing kinky things with my Barbies count? If not, then since college, writing letters to Penthouse Forum and Penthouse Variations for beer money.


What is your favorite story you’ve written so far? Why?

Evil woman, asking me to choose! In the spirit of fairy tales, where three is a magic number, I’m going to say…

1. “Frozen.” A rare story in that, when I was partway through, the entire thing unfolded for me. It’s romantic as all get-out and makes me tear up every time I re-read it. It’s also been reprinted not once, but twice—the second time when an editor approached me and requested it.

2. “The Queen of Christmas.” Such a fun story to write! I combined Martha Stewart, Manheim Steamroller’s Wizard of Winter video, threw in a dash of an episode of Home Improvement, and topped it with a cherry of a spanking. I laughed the entire time I was writing it.

3. “Queen’s Up.” My favorite story to read aloud…except I have to read it in a (probably dodgy) Western accent. It starts with “It was my daddy who taught me to play poker,” and involves a ranch lost in a bet, a cross-dressing heroine, an almost mustache-twirling villain, and a sexy saloon girl. What’s not to love?

See my bibliography at www.cyvarwydd.com for info on where to obtain these stories, if you’re so inclined!



What advice would you give to aspiring erotica/erotic romance authors?

Remember that it’s about the characters. It’s not just another sex scene—it’s about these people having sex, and how that encounter transforms them.



What is your writing routine like?

How kind of you to assume I have any sort of “routine!” I’m on a never-ending search for a routine that works for me. I write almost every day, and recently discovered keeping a calendar to note which projects to work on when has been very helpful. (A list doesn’t work the same way in my brain as a calendar does. Who knew?)


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

Writing and editing is my full-time job, but since I’m not yet making a living at it, a more accurate job title is Kept Woman.


Do you write to music? Did you have a song or soundtrack for your Fairy Tale Lust story?

I sometimes write to music; it depends on my mood. (See above re: routines, or lack thereof.) I didn’t create a soundtrack for “How the Little Mermaid Got Her Tail Back,” but I do have a “sexy songs” playlist to help me get in the mood.


Why do you think erotic fairy tales are so popular right now?

Right now? You mean they haven’t been for ages now? :-) Look at Anne Rice’s Beauty trilogy from the 1980s, for example! But I think the recent resurgence is an offshoot of the popularity of paranormal romance/erotica: vampires may rule, but fairy creatures are never far behind.

Plus, haven’t we all lusted after some fairy tale character? I remember when Sleeping Beauty was re-released in theatres, and my best friend and I making lustful comments about the Prince. And the kiss in Beauty and the Beast was hot!



What do you enjoy reading? Favorite authors? Favorite genres? Recommendations?

I’m one of those people who’ll read anything, as long as it’s good. Growing up, I was a hardcore fantasy reader, and I still love urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Right now I’m reading a variety of mysteries for a workshop I’m taking in July, and in the last year or so I’ve been devouring any modern gothic I can get my hands on.

Favorite authors: Guy Gavriel Kay, Barbara Hambly, Carol Goodman, Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie, and about a million more…


What’s next for you? Upcoming publications and current projects?

I’m currently working on a humorous, spicy contemporary romance with one of my coauthors, and finishing a couple of my own novels and getting them circulating. I also have something like six short stories deadlines over the next month and a half…

Upcoming publications include…

“The Broken Fiddle” (not a fairy tale, but it involves an Irish legend) in Alison’s Wonderland (Harlequin Spice, July 2010)

“Flash!” in Fast Girls: Erotica for Women (Cleis Press, July 2010)

“All She Wanted” in Orgasmic: Erotica for Women (Cleis Press, August 2010)

“Lost & Found” in Lesbian Lust: Erotic Stories (Cleis Press, August 2010)

“Darlene’s Dilemma” and “The Twelve Fucking Princesses” (another erotic fairy tale!) in The Mammoth Book of Threesomes and Moresomes (Running Press, October 2010)


Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your writing?

I think I’ve rambled on enough… For those who are interested in learning more, please stop by my website, www.cyvarwydd.com. There are links to my blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc., where you can follow my journey through writing, showing up in the front row of countless Styx concerts, traveling, and working on a 1911 house. Among other things. :-)

Interview: Justine Elyot

Justine Elyot has woven (quite literally) a delicious little tale of a princess in jeopardy in "Three Times." I love this story because it pays homage to the classics while being naughty enough to make the Grimm Brothers blush. Here, Justine shares her inspiration for "Three Times" and offers some terrific advice to aspiring authors.

Did you have a particular inspiration for your original fairy tale?

"Three Times" takes a variety of different fairytale themes – a smidgen of Sleeping Beauty, the recurrence of the number three, the tension between magical and human worlds – and meshes them together whilst also subverting the traditional Happily Ever After. I think a lot of children grew up, like me, absorbing that faux-medieval Germanic world of the Grimm fairytale, full of weary shoemakers and wicked stepmothers and talking cats in half-timbered houses – I could set endless stories there.


What advice would you give to aspiring erotica/erotic romance authors?

Something that worked wonderfully for me was ‘playing’ with story-writing on peer-review archive sites before I began to aim seriously for publication. I was able to gain invaluable feedback, benefit from a supportive community and build up a modest following so that eventually the time felt right to move forward and submit to anthologies – the leap in the dark became a leap in the dim light! Modern writers are incredibly lucky to have this huge web of resources available to them – join sites, post stories, take in what reviewers say and, above all, make sure you enjoy what you do.


What do you enjoy reading? Favourite authors? Favourite genres? Recommendations?

Outside of erotica and erotic romance, I rarely stray from historical fiction. I’ve been a lover of Victorian Gothic since I read The Secret Garden at about seven, and I devoured the Brontes, Victoria Holt and so on. Nowadays I’m keen on Sarah Waters (Fingersmith is in my all-time top ten), Michel Faber, Philippa Gregory, oh, and Wolf Hall was bloody marvellous. I just love a good story well told.


What’s next for you? Upcoming publications and current projects?

Well, I’m very excited to have recently joined the stable of excellent authors at Total E-Bound, so I’m hoping to work with them and their lovely editors as much as possible. Various short story ideas are bobbing about on my hard drive, and my second full-length book The Business of Pleasure – linked short stories with a narrative strand about an exclusive agency dedicated to fulfilling women’s wildest fantasies – is released in September by Xcite Books. So I’d better get my promotional hat on as soon as I can find it underneath all the writing hats!


Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your writing?

Just that the reason I can’t supply an author photograph is that I’m very, very famous and have to keep my identity top secret. Only kidding :D. Really, I’d just like to thank Kristina for being such a wonderful editor and putting together such a gorgeous feast of a book – and then letting me be in it! It’s a great honour.

Thanks so much, Justine!

(Run Quickly ink and watercolor by swanbones)

Interview: Louisa Harte

Louisa Harte's story "Ellie and the Shoemaker" is the kind of sexy, frothy tale I envisioned when I first came up with the concept for Fairy Tale Lust. As a fan of Sex and the City, it wasn't hard for me to imagine Ellie and her many pairs of to-die-for shoes. Throw in a very appealing (if somewhat clueless) shoemaker, and Louisa's story has all the makings for a Hollywood fantasy.


What inspired you to retell this particular fairy tale?

I love the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker. I remembered it from childhood and always loved the magic and charm of the dedicated shoemaker being surprised by the elves secretly at work in his shop. When Kristina put out the call for submissions for Fairy Tale Lust, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give this story a sexy contemporary new twist. I had a great time writing the story – it gave me a chance to indulge my love of fairy tales, romance, magic and passion! I hope the readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :-)


Are there any other fairy tales you’d like to see retold? Why?

I’ve always been fond of Beauty and the Beast, so enjoy reading erotic retellings of this particular story, although I enjoy reading fairy stories altogether! The Fairy Tale Lust anthology was great in that it actively encouraged contemporary retellings, which I thought was quite novel. As for other fairy tales I’d like to see retold, I’m looking forward to reading all the great stories in this collection!


How long have you been writing erotica?

I’ve been writing erotica for approximately two years. After winning placings in competitions held by For the Girls.com and Better Sex.com, I was inspired to submit stories in response to calls for submissions for erotic anthologies. My first published story was ‘Prime Suspect’ in the Cleis Press anthology Best Women’s Erotica 2010, followed by ‘Ellie and the Shoemaker’ in Fairy Tale Lust. With three more stories scheduled for publication in upcoming Cleis Press anthologies, I’m really delighted by the response my work has received.


What is your favorite story you’ve written so far? Why?

I love all the stories I’ve written for different reasons. They’ve each allowed me to experiment with different tones, settings and erotic scenarios. Writing erotica and erotic romance is escapism of the best kind! I enjoy seeing where my imagination will take me and working out how to insert a bit of sizzle into the unlikeliest of places.


What advice would you give to aspiring erotica/erotic romance authors?

Above all, be yourself. Let your voice, your interests, your words come across on the page. Learn from those writers whose work you love, but at the end of the day recognise who you are and write about your interests and passions. In addition, if you’re writing for a call of submissions, make sure it’s something you’re interested in and stick to the brief. Don’t write to be published, write for enjoyment. Write because you want to and because you enjoy it. Embrace your own erotic viewpoint – that way your stories will be authentic and readers who love your work will hopefully seek out more. Write for the love of writing and don’t ever give up on your dreams!


What is your writing routine like?

I write in the afternoons. Usually, I’m inspired by an idea, a photograph, a piece of music, or a specific call for submissions. The idea or characters come to me first and then I sit down and let their story filter through me as I write. I’m not a big planner. I like to let myself be carried by my muse. I’m often pleasantly surprised by the outcome! Usually, I start by writing a first draft, letting the words flow without censoring or editing and then I print off the story and read it through, pencil in hand. After several more drafts and refining, I put it aside for a while. Then I reread it aloud, share it with a few close friends for second and third opinions and then I send it off. I like to write for calls for submissions that interest and inspire me and give me an opportunity to celebrate my own erotic viewpoint on love, romance and passion.


Do you write to music? Did you have a song or soundtrack for your Fairy Tale Lust story?

I don’t usually write ‘to’ music, but I am inspired ‘by’ music. I didn’t have a specific song or soundtrack for Ellie and the Shoemaker, but I do like to use music to get in the mood for writing sometimes. It’s a bit like getting ready to go out somewhere – you might play a particular album to get yourself in a particular mood for the night. It’s the same with writing – certain tracks can inspire certain moods: sexy, humorous, romantic, dramatic etc. Music can be a great inspirational tool.

What do you enjoy reading? Favorite authors? Favorite genres? Recommendations?

I read all kinds of fiction and non-fiction. With regard to erotic romance, I particularly enjoy Angela Knight’s work. She has a great sense of story, pace, sensuality and romance. I also enjoy reading stories by many of my fellow writers in this anthology and I feel blessed to be amongst such good company.

What’s next for you? Upcoming publications and current projects?

Currently, I have three more stories scheduled for publication in upcoming Cleis Press anthologies: ‘True Colors’ in Smooth: Erotic Stories for Women, ‘Seeing Stars’ in Orgasmic: Erotica for Women and ‘Changing my Tune’ in Best Women’s Erotica 2011 (to be confirmed!). It’s an exciting time!


Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your writing?

Readers can stop by my website for more information and to keep up to date with what’s coming next. I love hearing from my readers, so feel free to drop me an email at www.louisaharte.com. :-)

Fairy Tale Lust Kindle for iPad

Oh, look! A Kindle version of Fairy Tale Lust on an iPad! I love technology! Thanks to the very talented Fran Saperstein in Phoenix, Arizona for snapping this shot of my pretty book in digital form!

Interview: Carol Hassler

I'm delighted to have published Carol Hassler's first story! "GIngerbread Man" is an eerily delicious tale that shares some similarities with Charlotte Stein's "The Return." There is something about a man who is more than what he seems that is incredibly appealing. Carol's contribution to Fairy Tale Lust demonstrates the power of love... and desire.

What inspired you to retell this particular fairy tale?

A few years ago I had a very vivid dream and when I woke, I scribbled it down in the journal beside my bed.  Many of the elements of Gingerbread Man are still true to that dream: a grieving widow, a spice-choked kitchen and swift, desperate sex.  I knew I had to tell it eventually.  But how?  Dream logic almost never works in a sharable story. 

When I thought about turning my dream into something usable, I turned to the old stories of the gingerbread man.  In the children's story, the gingerbread man runs from each pursuer taunting, "you can't catch me," until he is finally defeated by a wily fox and a frightening river.  The story format was far too short for a fox-like enemy (and I wanted a happy ending), but the destructive threat that water posed caught at me and ultimately became both enemy and savior.

Beyond the gingerbread man (who was created, chased, then met his end in the river), I also nabbed elements from other fairy tales.  The most obvious is Pinocchio, where the character must do something unselfish to become real.  (In my story, husband David braves the rain to save his wife Emily from death by car.)  Anyone who's read any small number of fairy tales will also recognize the kiss as magical instrument, when Emily wakes her husband-sculpture with a kiss.


Are there any other fairy tales you’d like to see retold?  Why?

Twelve dancing princesses.  I have always loved this story about a band of sisters sneaking off and dancing every night in a mysterious subterranean kingdom. There's so much creative room in that tale.
 

If this is your first published story, share your path to publication.

I used to be dreadful about finishing stories.  Like many people, my hard drive and notebooks are littered with story fragments.  But recently I hit a crisis point.  I'd been talking a lot about wanting to write but not actually writing much of anything at all.  Around the time I saw the call for submissions to Fairy Tale Lust, I knew two things.  1) If I was going to seriously write, I had to write and send in a story for this anthology.  NO excuses. Otherwise, I decided, I was just a poser who needed to move on.  And 2) sexiness and gingerbread men were unforgettably intermingled after that dream I had and I knew that Fairy Tale Lust would be a terrific home for my story.


What authors have inspired, influenced or mentored you?

I have recently started reading Emma Holly's fabulous Demon books.  I'm a fan of Meg Cabot's flirty dialogue and Julia Quinn's Very Nice characters.  I love finding unique takes on the common supernatural, like the werewolves in Jacqueline Carey's Santa Olivia.  I even admire (in the astonished round-eyed way) Susanna Clarke's dissertation-like approach to storytelling in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.  I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.
 

What is your writing routine like?

I light a candle, fill a glass of wine.  Turn on some music.  And then I'm ready to write.
Just kidding.

I'm busy and, as nice as it sounds, a routine has not yet happened.  Instead, I carry a variety of small to tiny moleskin notebooks everywhere I go and I cuddle up with my computer in the garden or in coffee shops after I have set down a basic story outline.  I write where I can, when I can.  I've learned that a break in a story can come at any time and if I don't write it down, it's lost. The biggest change I made since I set my personal ultimatum about a year ago is that once the story is outlined, I set myself a deadline to write and edit it, and then I send it out somewhere right away.


Do you write to music?  Did you have a song or soundtrack for your Fairy Tale Lust story?

If I do listen to music, it's usually because I need to jump start a writing session.  I begin with the same music I use to run.  My heart pumps and my fingers jump.  More importantly, the adrenaline kills my strong critique reflex.  I rock out until I get absorbed into the story, at which point the sound gets knocked down to nearly inaudible until the next writing lull.  Then up goes the volume ...


Why do you think erotic fairy tales are so popular right now?

I have adored myth and fairy tale for my entire life.  I see fairy tale references everywhere across genres so I'm more inclined to say that there are more erotic fairy tales because there is more erotica in general. 


What do you enjoy reading? Favorite authors? Favorite genres? Recommendations?

I love fantasy, science fiction, romance, pop-science and history books, and just about everything else.  I love authors who paint rich, strange worlds with a dose of humor, like Neil Gaiman.  Or who craft finely tuned, analytical tales, like Rosemary Kirstein.  I adore Laura Kinsale's romances, and any other romance that rolls off the usual track.  This week I finished reading the fascinating pop-science Parasite Rex, by Carl Zimmer.  It was fabulous!

Thanks, Carol!

You can follow Carol's thoughts on her Twitter stream at http://twitter.com/dreamysusan.