WHIPS AND QUILLS

Sascha Illyvich-- Inspirations

2011-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

There was so much wonderful material in the interview with Sascha that I couldn't bear to not share it all with everyone. So here is part two of the interview. He is such a funny and intelligent writer. I hope that that people take the time to jump over to Amazon and check out his wonderful books. I have just down loaded his latest werewolf offering! Yummy times two folks!

Interview Part II

What concerns you most about the publishing industry right now?The amount of misinformation that’s spreading, the confusion by new and old authors, those things concern me. Several authors can ruin their careers easily if they’re not careful.

What author inspired you?Emma Holly, Robin Schone, Laurel K. Hamilton, Julie Leto, Judy Mays….I could go on. Diane Whiteside, Kate Douglas…

What is on your nightstand? If I had a nightstand it’d be an empty bourbon glass, a glass of water, my pipe and my tin of Dunhill Nightcap pipe tobacco.

Okay, I meant reading material! What are you reading now?Odd I can actually ANSWER this question right now, outside of editing my work, my authors work and writing new material…I’m reading Beyond the Dark, a collection with Angela Knight, Diane Whiteside, Lora Leigh, and Emma Holly.

If you could set a story anywhere in the world, where would you pick? Why?Done that. Hungary. The land, the people, my background.

If you could become any fantasy character you wanted, who or what would you be? (Me I want to be a telepath. I am such a nosey person!) Probably Michael Westin from Burn Notice (I know you said fantasy. Didn’t say whose!) Or The Saint.

What do you think is the most interesting thing about yourself? Most interesting thing about me. Hmm…been told my determination is probably the most interesting thing about me.

What is more fun, writing books or editing them? Writing definitely.

If you could audition for American Idol or X-Factor, what would you wear, and what would you sing? I wouldn’t. I hate my death metal growl (it sounds more like black metal) and I’m NOT a poppy person Nor a nice one.

Which one of your books would most like to see become a movie? Who would you pick to play the main characters?Probably the one my Agent Marisa has, Covenant of Wolves 1: Stalker(Dub Mix) As for who would be in it? Vin Diesel is probably the only character I could think of and he’d play the Hero. A BDSM loving Alpha wolf.

Do you have a naughty secret that would shock your readers? Secrets…I have them. But none of the ones about me would shock my readers. I’m a pretty open book actually.

Sascha Illyvich -- Talks on Cigars, Whiskey, Kilts, and Writing

2011-10-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I picked up a book, The Gift of Her Submission, by Sascha Illyvich. I found it to be a tantalizing read that I had a hard time putting down. Fast forward to this summer folks. I have read stumbled across an online course taught by Sascha Illyvich. Of course by this time, I have quite a few of Sascha's books. I couldn't resist. I signed up for the class on the Male POV. I really only thought that I might learn a few things, I never dreamed that I would get the opportunity to know such a fascinating person and find out that we had so much in common. Sascha is a unique person who enjoys sharing with his fans and mentoring novice writers. Our talk is kind of long, so I am going to divide it into two parts. I hope you enjoy it!

Sascha Illyvich part I:

What is your favorite drink? It’s a toss up right now between Canadian whiskey or Diplomatico, a nice aged rum. Otherwise I’m an open drinker, scotch, bourbon but I LOVE a good wine. In fact, wine is my passion.

We have all read that you love a good cigar. What would be easier for you to give up, booze or cigars? Why would an Alpha give up anything?

I know you are a big music fan, what are the top five songs on your IPod? Does music inspire your writing? Top Five: Die (and Die Now) by Devildriver, Home by Dream Theater, Head On To Heart Ache (Let them Rot) by Devildriver, Follower by Katatonia, Forgiveness is a Six Gun by Devil Driver. I really have a thing for double bass and heaviness. Yes, music is the basis for my writing. I hear a lyric from a song and it inspires a feeling. One novel I recently completed has a fairly heavy wiccan theme and the basis for the Heroine was the first four songs off Dream Theater’s album Train of Thought. They’re very heavy into a message and the message “I” took from those first four songs was that “I am who I am and if you can’t deal, piss off. And right now, thanks to growth, father and sacrifice, I am damaged.” That was the perfect backdrop for my heroine, the Wind Elemental and her heroine James. I pulled his personality from Killswitch Engage songs and James Labrie stuff off Elements of Persuasion.

Most of us manage to write our favorite fantasies into our stories. Is there a fantasy you haven’t written yet, but want to? Yes there are several fantasies but in romance finding the way to work them in play actually is the difficult part. In Erotica, I could easily slide in a cross dressing hero who ends up with the woman of his dreams riding him while other guys play with them both and ultimately use his body for oral and anal pleasure, but in erotic romance I have to be more creative and figure out a deeper plot than “they met, they came.” With ménage stories though, I can write the typical mans’ fantasy of two women and one man, or I can switch it up as long as I can relate it to the stories being told.

You write really alpha male hero’s in your books. Who inspires your characters? Alpha men form movies like Chronicles of Riddick. Vin plays a bad ass there. I’ve based a number of heroes off him.

If you could arrange a threesome with two famous people (living or dead) who would you pick? Stevie Nicks and Bernadette Peters. Hands down.

Which is your favorite character you have written? What turns you on most about this character? Favorite character so far has been a toss up. Francine and Morgana from a few different short stories played fantasies in my mind as they’re based on my producer and mentor respectively. I’ve always loved and enjoyed my producer’s sensuality and heart, and my mentor is a very attractive woman. Plus she taught me all I know about technique, along with encouraging me in my own Craft of writing.

Where would you like to visit that you haven’t? Good question. I don’t know really. Probably Spain, Portugal maybe Germany. I love drinking and smoking and eating…

Boxers or briefs? Neither. I wear a kilt!

What are your favorite activities when you aren’t working? What does it mean to not work? Seriously, I am always on the clock. Now if you’d have said what do you do when not in front of the computer I’d say I go out for a cigar and a drink, I read, I play 5 string bass on occasion, but mostly drink and smoke. And read erotic romances.

What is the most important thing you would tell an aspiring writer trying to break into the business? Grow a thick skin. Someone will shoot you down. Several times. They may destroy your baby, but push on and learn from your mistakes so you can grow as a writer.

What turns you on most about your female characters? Do you have a favorite? If so, which one and why? Right now my favorite is any character I base off my producer. The sensuality I can play with, along with the damage in our heads gives me something I can write from. Something I can relate to. The struggle with inner demons isn’t as sexy as the lusty charm they use to seduce their heroes.

Erotic Romance Author – http://saschaillyvichauthor.com

Fetishist – http://www.saschaillyvich.com

Radio Dentata - http://shows.radiodentata.com/shows/unnamed-romance-show/

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/SaschaIllylvich

Erotic Expert – http://www.writesex.net

Sascha Illyvich- a getting to know the author Q/A coming soon!!

2011-10-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Check back here to read a really fun interview with erotic romance author Sascha Illyvich! Not only is he a wonderful writer, but a really fun person to get to know.

It is a busy weekend, with family, a class, and writing to do. I hope to have the post ready by Wednesday. I hope everyone enjoys our visit with Sascha. Keep coming back for more facinating interviews and guest bloggers!

K. A. Burton

Exploring Science Fiction and Erotica with Mary Anne Mohanraj

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting a Q&A with guest author, Mary Anne Mohanraj. Mary Anne is the author of Bodies in Motion (HarperCollins) and nine other titles. Bodies in Motion was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards, a USA Today Notable Book, and has been translated into six languages.
She founded the World Fantasy Award-winning and Hugo-nominated magazine, Strange Horizons. She was Guest of Honor at WisCon 2010, received a Breaking Barriers Award from the Chicago Foundation for Women for her work in Asian American arts organizing, and won an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship. Mohanraj has taught at the Clarion SF/F workshop, and is now Clinical Assistant Professor of fiction and literature and Associate Director of Asian and Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She also serves as Executive Director of both DesiLit and the Speculative Literature Foundation. Recent publications include "Talking to Elephants" (Abyss & Apex) and "Jump Space" (Thought Experiments). She lives in a creaky old Victorian in Oak Park, just outside Chicago, with her partner, Kevin, two small children, and a sweet dog.

Mary Anne Mohanraj

Mary Anne, writers are always looking for ways to get their work out into the marketplace.
Can you explain what Kickstarter is? Why did you choose this as a platform for your newest project?
Kickstarter is a type of crowdfunding -- the idea is that you put your project out there, with a funding goal of a certain dollar amount (whatever you think you need to make the project happen), and then you see if enough people care enough to pledge money towards supporting the project.

What is your goal with this project?
I'm working on a new book, an erotic science fiction novel-in-stories.

That's sort of a niche genre, which makes it tricky to approach traditional publishers. So I thought I'd try crowdfunding and see if I could find the audience that would be excited about this book.

The way you have described your newest project, makes me think of the serials that were once so popular in literary history. How will using this type of format affect how you develop and write Demimonde, your newest novel?
Demimonde is sort of like a serial, in the sense that each story will hopefully whet your appetite for what comes next, and also that each new story adds to the overall world. But it's also different -- the serials often ended on a cliffhanger, to entice you to keep reading, and while I'm planning to have some mysteries running through the book, I also want each individual story to stand and work on its own. Each story will have a real ending. It's the same model I used in my last book, which was a mainstream immigrant novel-in-stories, published by HarperCollins, titled Bodies in Motion. It got some pretty glowing reviews, and people seemed to really enjoy the unusual format, so I'm hoping that'll continue with the new book.

Can you give us a synopsis of the new novel, Demimonde?
Hmm...not really! In part because I'm still writing it, and in part because synopses tend to drain the life out of the book, I think. I can tell you the premise and setting, though! We're at the University of All Worlds, on a planet settled by South Asian Earth immigrants many generations ago. The universe is full of life -- humans, genetically modified humans, humanoid aliens and some really weird folks. All of that life has been rubbing up against each other, and some serious tensions have developed -- in fact, at the start of the book, interstellar war has just broken out. People are panicking, taking to their beds, dragging the covers up over their heads -- and then, well, some of them get busy. That's the fun part. There's a lot of sexy bits, but also the whole gamut of human emotions -- love, anger, pain, terror. It's not your typical erotica book.

You are returning to the world you created in a previous story, "Jump Space." The four characters from the previous story were very intriguing. I was especially curious to learn more of the back story of Cho. Will you be bringing any of the four back in this new project?
I won't swear to it -- but I think so. I'm actually working separately on a novel that picks up from the end of "Jump Space," in which you learn a lot about Cho's backstory -- how he and his siblings came to be genetically-engineered sex slaves. I'm going to have to see as the project evolves how much of Cho and the other "Jump Space" characters end up in the book!

World building takes a lot of effort and imagination. What are the challenges in doing this in an erotic novel that might be noticeably different from a mainstream science fiction novel?
Well, you have to think a lot about alien sex. :-) Which is challenging, but also fun. The other challenge isn't so much a world-building one, exactly -- it's a question of story arc. Often, erotica centers on the sexual activity. That's hard to sustain for a novel-length work, and particularly hard when you also have a science fiction plot going on

Why do you think that science fiction and erotica are such compatible genres?
So far, I'm three stories in, and I think the genres are balancing pretty well, but it definitely takes some hard thinking! It's funny -- the first story I published was actually fantasy + erotica, "Fleeing Gods," a piece I wrote for Cecilia Tan at Circlet Press, for her Sex Magick II anthology. It's strange to be coming back to this blending after twenty years away -- but I think when it's done write, it can be a lot of fun. Circlet Press specializes in erotic science fiction and fantasy, so if you're interested in that genre, they have the books you're looking for!

You offer as one of your backing incentives the opportunity for a backer to be featured in a story. This is very interactive relationship with the reader. How challenging is it to produce a novel under such strictures? What are the benefits versus the downsides to this?
It's actually just the backer's name, thankfully -- that makes it easier. :-) If I had to actually incorporate a real person, trying to represent them as they really were, that would be a much harder task!

Incorporating a name isn't too bad, as long as your name isn't *too* strange. And with science fiction, I have a lot of leeway in what counts as too strange.

Demimonde, according to your post, will take a year to write. You have set some very challenging deadlines, producing at least a story or two per month for the project. Do you find the deadlines are a pro or a con?
I write pretty fast -- I once wrote a 60,000 word book in a month, when the publisher had a very tight deadline. (The Classics Professor, a choose-your-own-adventure erotic novel). I'm actually expecting I'll finish the book in much less than a year, but I wanted to be sure to give myself enough leeway so I could easily make the deadline. Having the deadline does mean that if the project gets funded, I'll prioritize working on Demimonde over other more speculative book projects.

Why do you think the Sci-fi/erotic genre is such a hot trend right now?
Is it? I'm clearly out of the loop! But lucky for me, huh?

How do you think the future of the erotic genre has changed with the increasing numbers of female authors? Do you think it be reflected in other erotic entertainment and art forms?
Hmm....that's interesting -- when I was writing erotica twenty years ago, it was already somewhat more women than men writing it. I'm not sure I see much difference, honestly, in their writing. I can't tell the gender of the author based on what they've written.

Why do you think that women gravitate to erotic literature over other forms of erotic entertainment?
Again, I'm not sure they do. Back when I was running Clean Sheets, we did a survey to ask what our readers were consuming. And we found that men and women pretty equally enjoyed literature and artwork, which did surprise us, since the myth is that women don't like to look at naughty pictures. But apparently we do. :-)

Just for fun- what are the biggest influences on your writing (both literary and erotic)?
Erotic is easy -- Cecilia Tan (check out Telepaths Don't Need Safewords), Anais Nin, and Pat Califia (Macho Sluts, a seminal work in the field). Literary is much harder. Some of the F/SF authors I love include Lois McMaster Bujold (fabulous dialogue and characterization), Guy Gavriel Kay (romantic language and passionate interactions in fantasy worlds). I read their books over and over.

And in mainstream, one thing I like is authors who take on really difficult sexual topics with heart and style -- Nabokov (Lolita), Keri Hulme (the bone people), and Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of Carolina and Skin: Talking about Sex, Class, and Literature).

Look for of Mary Anne's work via her blog. To support Mary Anne's latest venture go to her page on Kickstarter . Thank you Mary Anne for the wonderful interview! Let's do it again soon.

Online writing class- Show and Tell & Guest author announcement

2011-09-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you can't seem to grasp what should be a simple concept? I am taking an online writing class with the Orange County Chapter of the Romance Writers of America . The class I am taking is on "Show and Tell" with instructor, Shannon Donnelly. Donnelly is the author of regency romances, YA Horror and computer games.

After just two lessons and one exercise, I am discovering that I don't really have as good a grasp on the technique of telling. In fact, it would be safe to say I suck at it. Perhaps this is just my frustration showing through. Who knows. (I know, I do.)

I am about to tackle the first assignment for the third time. The one thing I am sure of, is that I am actually trying to learn something. It just usually isn't this difficult for me.

The good news for the week, is that I have the opportunity to host author, Mary Anne Mohanraj.
Mary Ann is the founding editor of Clean Sheets and Strange Horizons magazines. She is also the author of some outstanding erotica and science fiction.

So we are off to an exciting start here at Whips and Quills. Stay tuned to keep dancing on the edge with me!

Introductions

2011-09-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dear readers and friends,

I have been debating for days on what to post here as an introduction to my work. This blog is supposed to be a vehicle to get my writing out in the world. I think once we have begun, we shall have lots of fun together here.

My first offering is a short piece that began with my contemplation the concept of introductions. Like all new ventures there is an element of risk. When two new and different elements are introduced, what happens--synchronicity, combustion, apathy...

This is what I imagine to be the risk of an introduction;

(This is an erotic short, less than 1k words. It contains mild eroticism, but no graphic sex.)

Introduction
By. K. A. Burton
copyright 2011

He stood behind my roommate, dwarfing her petite five foot frame. He was at least a foot and a half taller than her. She was babbling as usual. It was a noise I usually tuned out. I kept the peace with occasional affirmative grunts or nom-committal replies. This however was intriguing. I liked the way he watched me, a cool unblinking gaze. His blue eyes assessed me and his crooked half-grin indicated he appreciated what he saw.

It was mutual. He was dressed casually, snug jeans and a black t-shirt. He was built just the way I like men, not too muscled but toned enough to hint at a coiled strength. He had soft dark brown hair that fell across his forehead in shaggy waves. His steel gray eyes were framed by heavy dark lashes; the kind that women would kill for.

It was enough I suppose to make me pay attention to her babble for a change. “This is Chris. We’re going to catch a movie tonight.” She looked back at him, frowning at his obvious interest in me.

He smiled at me again and gave me a wicked wink. “Why don’t you join us,” he added.
My roommate narrowed her eyes and shrugged. She wasn’t pleased by his offer. I could tell. She had no reason to protest. I had never joined her before when she offered. That is probably why she echoed his offer. She didn’t believe I would accept. How very wrong she was.

There was no friendship between us. We were just co-workers thrown into a room together. There was no reason for me to have any loyalty to her and I was bored. She was the one who walked in with Mr. Sex-on-a-stick. There was a lesson in this for her. Don’t go showing off your toys before you have a good grip on them. Someone else is going to want to play with them too.

“It will only take a minute, and I can go with you.” She visibly flinched when I accepted. As I leaned back in the chair enough to lift my legs off the desk he took a good look at the edge of my ass revealed by the tiny shorts I wore. His appreciation sent shivers down my spine.

I am not beauty. My body is good—nicely curved ass, a flat stomach and generous pert breast. My blond hair is usually pulled back in an effort to keep the curls out of my eyes. I stretched as I stood. The movement revealed most of my stomach and the under curve of my breast. I looked back over my shoulder and watched him suppress a groan.

His eyes never left my body. I could feel the heat of his gaze. In my mind I imagined that he was struggling keep control of his cock. I wondered if it was long and elegant or thick and robust. The ideas made me move with more sensuality than I would have dared before.

I grabbed a slip dress from my wardrobe and strolled to the attached bath. Stripping down in front of her might just cause a cat fight. A little subtlety wouldn’t hurt. I did leave the door cracked enough that he could catch glimpses as I changed.

I could hear her angry whispers. His voice was firm and unyielding when he replied. I liked that. It stirred a primitive response in me. His tone hinted at a firmness and control that positively had me soaking my panties.

When I came out, I could tell she was pouting. He cast an irritated look. If she was smart she would have played off my joining them. She wasn’t that smart. He was quickly losing interest in her attitude. He now stood away from her next to my desk and in his hands were the papers from my desk.

He looked at me with more interest now. I could tell that he had read my short story and he was wondering if I would actually do the things I write. I winked at him this time, a confirmation that he needn’t wonder too much.

His sexy grin returned. “Well, ladies, let’s go.”

I followed my roommate out the door. I felt his hand rest on the curve of my ass and squeeze hard as he came out behind me. I sighed and relaxed into his grip. From beside me he looked down, his eyes held a wealth of promised passion.

She never looked back.

We were too busy to notice.