Q&A
About the bookstore
Why are you self-pubishing?
After finding that my work doesn't fit very neatly into any of the existing categories for explicit fiction, and after getting impatient with the time it usually takes to find a home for a book, much less get it from acceptance to publication, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Thanks to Print on Demand, I can get a novella out as soon as I'm finished writing it. When I'm done, it's yours.
Are these full-length novels you're self-publishing?
No. These are novellas, too long to publish as short stories, but not quite long enough to be novels. They're great if you want more than a one-night-stand but aren't interested in serious commitment.
Can I get these on Amazon or in bookstores?
Nope, just from Lulu.
Will they ever be in print?
That's the plan. Every February, I'll put together a collection of that year's novellas, plus a short story or two that will be available in print, also from Lulu.
Are you giving up on traditional publishing then?
No. I'm just using every resource available instead of limiting myself to one or two options. I am still submitting stories and essays, and I will be looking for an agent for the novels. In fact, if you sign up for the newsletter, you'll get a monthly heads-up on what's out and where.
Are you still planning to do audio versions of these?
Yes. They're being recorded by Nobilis and Dee of Nobilis Erotica They'll be available at PodioBooks.com
Why aren't you recording them?
Because I don't have a lot of energy and my voice isn't very strong. Nobilis has far better equipment and more enthusiasm for audio than I do, so he'll do a better job than I ever could hope to. You'll hear me on some of the promotional material, though, so keep an ear out.
Are the publishers' and printers' sites secure?
A lot more secure than I can make my own site! That's part of why I'm doing it this way instead of going for full-out e-commerce.
What about problems with my order?
Those can be resolved with the company that fulfilled it.
Really, this benefits you as well as me. I don't have the resources to go into traditional publishing, and I don't have the time or the infrastructure to handle things like warehousing and shipping, never mind customer service. The other companies do.
About the writer
Tell us about yourself.
I'm a disabled single mom, diagnosed with lupus and fibromyalgia when I was in my early twenties. I got into writing when it became clear that I had very few options. As it turns out, having very few options isn't always bad, and there have been other, unexpected gifts in disability. Very few experiences are irredeemable.
Why do you write erotica?
Because it's what I'm best at. Human sexuality fascinates me, and I often find it easier to communicate through fiction than through a recounting of facts. I also got frustrated with a good deal of the erotica I was reading. The writing was good, but it seemed that there was something missing from most of the stories. I've been writing in order to figure out what that missing piece is and provide it as best I can.
I think sex is underrated in writing. Usually, it's seen as a cheap way of getting attention, but I think it can be a lot more than that. How we are in bed is a reflection of who we are as people, and keeping the bedroom door open on the characters gives the reader another perspective on them. It also opens up another avenue for exploring universal, human experience in fiction. Sex has tremendous power. It doesn't need to be a mere novelty.
Are your stories autobiographical?
The essays are non-fiction, but the stories are just stories. I draw on experience just like any other writer, but there's a difference between that and being an autobiographer. There is also a difference between fact and truth, and in that difference lies fiction's greatest strength.
What do you do for fun?
Play with my kid or my birds, play guitar, work on my scrapbooks, play video games, read and write. Most of my life is fun. It's one of the lessons disability has taught me. We do not have enough time to waste huge chunks of it on suffering!
Where can we find out more about you?
Try my blog. It's updated more or less weekly.