Rachel Leigh - Erotic Romance

Welcome super prolific author and general all-round supporter of the rest of us, Shoshanna Evers! I discovered Shoshanna through her non-fiction "how to" writing book, "How To Write Hot Sex". If you have downloaded this mine of information onto your Kindle yet, I suggest you do it now! :)

Great to have you here, Shoshanna!

Okay, on with the questions...

 When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?

I started trying to get an agent and trying to get published back in 1999, back in the day when you had to mail paper manuscripts to people and use stamps. Thank goodness self-publishing wasn’t around then like it is now (used to be you’d have to spend thousands for print books and there was a huge stigma) or I’d never have grown as a writer. All those rejections made me continue to take writing classes and continue to read books about craft and publishing until I finally sold a book (to Ellora’s Cave) ten years later (in 2010). From there it snowballed ;)

What is the best and worse thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

The best thing I learned is that even good writing can be made better with the help of an editor. Outside input is so important, because as writers we are too close to our own work to see things that need work or clarification.

The worst thing I have learned is that just because an editor loves a book your agent sends her, it doesn’t mean she’ll buy it. But that leads to another best thing: a book can be loved but not considered commercially salable, and that’s okay. That’s what small presses who are willing to take a chance on a book and self-publishing are for.

Favourite author/s?

I have many favorite authors, my Kindle is filled with them. I worry that when I forget to list one here, they’ll notice and think they’re not on that list when they are. So... while I can’t tell you, take a look at the authors I chose for How to Write Hot Sex: Tips from Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors, because you know they’d be on the list, lol. I also only tend to review books I can easily give 5 stars to, and the same authors come up on my reviews over and over because I love their work.

What is your typical day?

I wake up at 7:30am and hit snooze twice. Then I quickly scan my emails on my phone for anything that needs immediate attention, and then I pad out into the house in my pj’s and get my toddler ready for Pre-K. My super awesome, sexy-as-hell husband drives our son to school, and I have two glorious hours to drink coffee, take too long of a shower with water on as hot as it will go, and meticulously apply makeup for what might be my one venture out of the house: to pick up my son from school. Then it’s play time, family time, nap time, hang out with my girlfriends while the kids play time, what have you. And I’m constantly on Twitter.

I only start to get serious about sitting down at the computer around 3pm or 4pm, when my mother-in-law comes over to hang out with the tot and I go upstairs to my office to write. I don’t come back down until DH gets home in the evening, and we always have a family dinner together. This is probably so boring,  I don’t even know why I’m still writing it. Anyway, I usually let DH put DS to bed and I sneak upstairs to write more if I’m on a roll, or I take a night off and watch Netflix with my hubby if I’m not.

Reading happens throughout the day since I carry my Kindle with me, and right before bed too. Then I put the book down and... sorry, can’t say anymore. If you’re married you know what comes next.

Share your blurb or short excerpt from your latest release with us:

Dominatrix Fantasy Trilogy Set: Amazon, Smashwords, B&N

SPANKED, DENIED, & COLLARED is the trilogy set of the Dominatrix Fantasy Series (also available separately) and includes the bonus short story TAPE. These are adults-only erotic romance stories from Amazon Erotica Bestselling author Shoshanna Evers.

SPANKED, Novella 1: The beautiful woman Blake waited on at the diner left her business card, with this written across the back: You don’t deserve a tip, little Blake. You deserve a spanking. Call me if you agree.

Now Blake’s about to experience his Dominatrix fantasy come true…but can he willingly submit to his very first disciplinary spanking at the hands of the lovingly sadistic Mistress Victoria?

And…can he do it without falling for her?

DENIED, Novella 2: Blake’s been having so much fun learning to submit to the beautiful Mistress Victoria that he let his college grades drop…and now his Dominatrix has no choice but to punish her naughty school boy.

What Blake needs, she decides, is a male chastity belt designed to force him to focus on his school work instead of on sex. Until Blake gets his grades up, she’s the only one who will have access to his body. Without the key, he’s completely at her mercy.

…and as Blake knows, being at Mistress Victoria’s mercy is the hottest place to be.

Now Mistress Victoria has to come to terms with the evolving relationship…she’s starting to get attached to her devastatingly sexy submissive. It’s not just a game anymore…

COLLARED, Novella 3: Blake has given himself fully to Mistress Victoria as her live-in slave. His Dominatrix has one last test of Blake’s submission…will he submit to being lent out to her friends?

Blake wants to do anything and everything his Domme commands. But one of her friends happens to be a very large, very sexy cowboy. And this Dom has his eye on little Blake…

Blake wants to show Mistress Victoria exactly how much her collar on his neck means to him so they can take their relationship to the next level. Could it be…love?

Warning: this trilogy set of novellas contains adult spanking, anal play, numerous punishments and very kinky sex, including hot f/f/m ménage sex as well as f/m and m/m sex. There are handcuffs, sex toys, paddles, and silicone spike-lined male chastity belts involved. Consider yourself warned, this series is XXX-rated!

Bonus for trilogy set readers...the short erotic story TAPE:

She’s trapped in the office-supply closet at work with six feet of pure muscular male pressed against her back. Panties around her ankles, and tape around her wrists…it’s her fantasy come true.

Buy the Dominatrix Fantasy Trilogy Set here: Amazon, Smashwords, B&N

Who would you cast to play your hero & heroine in a movie?

I can’t really say, because if someone is reading my book and they envision the character a certain way, that’s the right way. I don’t want to taint it by putting a specific face in their mind.

Did you plan this book? Or write it as it came?

I write every book by the seat of my pants and then revise heavily.

What surprised you the most when you became published?

That getting published isn’t the end goal, it’s only the beginning. I was surprised by how quickly my goals changed and got bigger, more ambitious than simply “I want someone to publish my books.”

Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?

I do. The upstairs of my house is a large living room type area with huge windows overlooking my quiet street. There’s a guest room that I never go in adjacent, and a bathroom. The walls are lined with books in no particular order, and I sit at my desk with a big monitor and type. There’s been an abandoned Good-N-Plenty candy on the desk for a while now that I haven’t thrown out but am scared to eat.

 What’s next for you?

Next up is an anthology I’m editing entitled Successful Self-Publishing: How We Do It, And How You Can Too! It will be available at all the major ebook retailers, but it will also be available as a free PDF download on a website. Which website, you ask? Can’t tell you. It’s a huge secret, and I’ve actually signed a non-disclosure agreement. But when the site debuts I will shout it from the rooftops, because I’m super excited about it.

Thanks for having me! :)

Shoshanna Evers’ Bio:

Critically-acclaimed, multi-published romance author Shoshanna Evers writes for Ellora’s Cave, The Wild Rose Press, Cleis Press, and Berkley/Jove, as well as becoming an Amazon Erotica Bestseller, #1 Amazon Authorship Bestseller, and #1 Erotica Writing Reference Bestseller with her self-published books. Her favorite thing to do is cuddle up with a good book…and her husband.

Shoshanna lives with her family and two big dogs in sunny Florida. She welcomes emails from readers and writers.--

Sexily *Evers* After... ShoshannaEvers.com

Amazon Erotica Bestselling Author

#1 Authorship Bestseller & #1 Erotica Writing Reference Bestseller

Books on Amazon  Books on B&N

http://shoshannaevers.com/

http://www.facebook.com/shoshanna.evers

http://twitter.com/#%21/ShoshannaEvers

Really great to have you here, Shoshanna! I wish you all the luck in the world with your career and future sales. Okay, over to you guys for questions and comments... :)