Welcome fellow Wild Rose writer, Emma Lai!

Hi Emma,

Great to have you here today, I can't wait to hear about your debut erotic romance release, Twice is Not Enough. Fabulous cover, by the way! Let's get started...

Rachel thanks for letting me visit today!

I’d like to talk about what I found challenging when writing my first erotic story, Twice is Not Enough, available from The Wild Rose Press.

I’m a huge fan of Regency romance so the setting for the story came pretty easy. The challenge lay in shaping Minerva’s character. The heroines in many Regency romances are types: spinsters, bluestockings, wallflowers, headstrong and independent, horse-mad, unladylike, etc. Starting with a type is fine, but I wanted Minerva’s character to resonate with all readers.

Minerva is fast becoming a spinster since she’s on the backside of twenty and unmarried. However, in modern times, it’s not so unusual for a woman to be unmarried at thirty, and Minerva, like many modern women, has had her share of bad relationships.

Minerva’s also horse-mad, but every woman needs a hobby, and what better one than galloping across the countryside, hair whipping in the wind, the sounds and sights of nature for companionship. Not to mention the adrenaline of controlling a huge beast with a shift of leg muscles and a tug on some reins. (Not a scene in the story, but the image helped shape Minerva.)

But, Minerva is so much more than a horse-mad spinster just as all women are defined by more than their marital status and hobbies. I dug deeper into Minerva’s character and asked myself why was she still unmarried. Turns out she’s an expert at putting everyone else’s happiness above her own. (Something I suffer from myself.) And, that characteristic is what shaped the story.

My other biggest challenge? Well, it turned out to be maintaining the sexual heat enough to be classified as an erotica. I’ve written sweet (His Ship, Her Fantasy), and I’ve written spicy (His Hope, Her Salvation), but neither type of story requires an almost constant barrage of sensual thoughts and images.

First, I ignored the idea that women of the time were ignorant of sex until marriage. Not only did Minerva have a bevy of married cousins to eavesdrop on, but since she was horse-mad, it would stand to reason she understood the mechanics, if nothing else. Second, I added what I feel is a natural curiosity about sex. Third, throw in suppressed desires. Fourth, write down all those sensual thoughts Minerva has, but can’t talk about. And…we have heat, and lots of it. (I have to give credit to my editor, Lori LeBonde. She helped point out all the spots where the sexual tension could be increased.)

The end result is a story I’m quite proud of. Based on reviews, I’ve been encouraged to write more erotica and have a story submitted to The Wild Rose Press’ Cowboy Kink line and have a short story, Slave to Innocence, releasing next week with Sybaris Press.

Blurb for Twice is Not Enough:

After several disastrous engagements, Lady Minerva Peters is an expert at suppressing her own needs. Only in the darkness of night does she give in to her wanton desires with a fantasy lover.
In the middle of a crowded ballroom, she learns her father is not yet ready to let her fade into spinsterhood. Humiliated, she ducks into a dark alcove only to find out she's not alone. Her hiding spot is occupied by a captivating stranger. Before she can escape, the two become voyeurs to another couple’s sexual rendezvous. The atmosphere heats up and so does her body, especially with the tempting offers whispered in her ear.

Will Minerva deny her needs once again or will she embrace the anonymity of their seclusion and finally explore her basic impulses and the startling attraction to the compelling mystery man?

The story sounds great, Emma and I can't wait for Slave to Innocence? Can you tell us a little bit about Sybaris Press, I haven't heard of them before. Questions or comments?