Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
I've always written but I didn't seriously attempt getting published until about four years ago. Scarlet Magazine in England was the first to publish one of my short stories – "Happily Ever After", an erotic riff about Cinderella after she married the prince. Suffice to say her fairytale marriage hit a sexual snag. J Then it was downhill for awhile. The first three small online publishing houses that wanted to publish my first novel crashed and burned within months of each other. Yes, I've been burned and I am very wary of many publishers to this day. Now I'm with Romance Divine and several other pubs (short story anthos mostly), and I'm seeing my sales rise. Working on a new novel soon, which is exciting. I've written mostly short stories, and I need another novel out there.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
A cracking, unusual plot. I also like unusual and quirky characters. When I bring both together, the book or short story is awesome. I like to look to my personal experience, observations of everyday life, and weird news for inspiration. All three make an impact on my fiction.
Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?
I have several favorite characters and all of them are starring in my latest WIP, "Filthy Leuker". Leuker Pearce (goes by "Luke") is a bisexual dancer/shifter who hooks up with Sam Hightower and Grant Newsome, bisexual werewolves. Sam and Grant are the main characters in my best-selling novel "Feral Heat". Luke is new to the "Feral Heat" universe. Then there are Charlotte and Lina, two bisexual set painters you meet originally in "Neighbors", appearing in the "Vamps" anthology published by Torquere Press. Those two also appear in "Filthy Leuker" and they give Sam, Grant, and Luke a run for their money. These characters are hedonists who work as stagehands (save Luke, who is a dancer). All five will appear in my untitled sequel to "Feral Heat", which I shall begin writing shortly.
I create my characters with qualities I find attractive in both men and women. I'm bisexual so that's fun for me to do. I enjoy dark hair, dark or bright eyes (black and green are fave combos for me), long hair, and athletic builds. I'm a sucker for exotic features. The darker the better. I also like creating characters who act the opposite of their looks. For instance, Luke is painfully attractive but he's very shy. Charlotte and Lina, however, look like the vamps they are. My favorite characteristics in characters are a wry and sarcastic sense of humor, compassion, high sex drives, an urge to experiment, shyness, intelligence, elegance, and unusual, well-paying jobs.
Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
No, I've never had that problem. I like all my characters, even the unlikeable and demented ones.
Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?
My latest work of fiction is a short story entitled "Purr". It's an erotic retelling of "Puss In Boots". Here's a little information about "Purr":
Muca was a kitty with a little something extra. Not your ordinary Puss In Boots, she shifted into human form to entice all she met. She aspired for her master to become the richest and most respected man in the land, but her job was cut out for her. He was but a lowly cobbler whom she tried to pass off as the Marquis of Carabas in order to convince the local farmers to trust her against a cruel ogre who tormented them. Would the farmers believe her, and would they find her charms as alluring as she found theirs?
Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?
Yes, steampunk. I like to read it but I can't for the life of me figure out how to write it. I like the graphic novels "Ruse" and "The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen". I also like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Then there's "Warehouse 13", which has steampunk elements. One of these days I'll write a steampunk story.
If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?
Peter Cushing – because he was a classy and talented man. He's also my favorite actor.
Edgar Allan Poe – because he's my favorite writer.
Oscar Wilde – he'd provide the wit and the liquor. J
Dorothy Parker – she'd give Oscar Wilde a run for his money.
Auntie Mame – because we'd throw the party at her place. She knows how to party! Even though she's fictional, I still love her.
Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?
It depends on what I'm writing. When I write hot sex, it's "Lords of Acid", "Enigma", "Delerium", or "Poe" – techno and trance. Dark fiction and horror? "Lustmord", "Sleep Research Facility", "Nord Ambient Alliance", the soundtrack to the game "Eternal Darkness", and other dark ambient or industrial music. If I'm in a quiet mood, "Biosphere", "Brian Eno", or nature sounds, especially the sound of ocean waves or rain/thunderstorms. If I'm in a rambunctious mood, "Sasha", "BT", "Cascada", "Peter Gabriel", or my "Tomb Raider" game soundtracks and game sounds. I like electronica, trance, techno, dance and ambient music.
What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?
I love writing sex scenes! They're fun to write and I get off while I write them. I like to engage my own sexual fantasies when I write so what you read in a sex scene from me is what turns me on. Sometimes when I'm not in the mood the sex scenes are harder to write but that doesn't often happen. When I can't enjoy the sex scene I simply work out the scene in my head first and then put it in the manuscript.
What are some of your favorite things or hobbies to do?
What do you have coming up next for you? Care to share any details with us?
I love to read, watch trashy movies (just watched a Troma film, "Terror Firmer". Super trash!), work on my fiction, and walk on the beaches near my home. I'm pretty much a homebody who likes to stick to herself. I'm happy with my husband, son, a few close friends, and being online. Don't need much to make me happy.
Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?
If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?
I love horror! Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Shirley Jackson, and Joe Lansdale. I've recently discovered three writers I met on Facebook – Tom Piccirilli, Douglas Clegg, and Trent Zelazny. I also like adventure novels especially those by Douglas Preston and Lincon Child as well as Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt books. As far as romances go, I enjoy gothic romances like those written by Phyllis Whitney, Daphne Du Maurier, and the Bronte sisters. I also like Jane Austen.
I'd love to be Scarlett O'Hara in my favorite book and movie, "Gone With The Wind". She's an inspiration to me, my favorite heroine, and she's a survivor.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Blog and Web Site
http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com/
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/elizabethablack
Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elizabeth_black/
Title: I Kissed a Girl II: More Virgin Lesbian Stories
Includes short story "Things The Go Hump In The Night"
by Elizabeth Black
Paranormal erotic lesbian romance
Edited by Regina Perry
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Publish Date: 2011-03-22
Word Count: 50,957
ISBN: 9781607773993
Buy Links:
Ravenous Romance
http://tinyurl.com/4suytzu
Amazon Kindle
http://tinyurl.com/67dt7m8
B&N
http://tinyurl.com/4vtcu2g
AllRomanceEBooks:
http://tinyurl.com/68jy2ua
Bookstrand:
http://tinyurl.com/4flsowg
Elizabeth Black's Web Site Page:
http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-release-i-kissed-girl-ii-more.html
Blurb:
Our readers asked for it, and now we're pleased to present Volume II of first-time lesbian encounters inspired by Katy Perry's hit song! Seven returning authors continue to arouse, plus six new authors will not disappoint.
This diverse collection travels the globe and the ages. No two settings or circumstances are alike, proving that women from every walk of life and culture are curious and eager to explore their full sexuality...with each other. You will be titillated, tantalized and swept away as you:
* Journey to Australia, where two long-time friends discover more than friendship
* Fly to Hawaii, for a language lesson interrupted
* Stop in Costa Rica, for a massage in a tree house
* Travel north to Alaska, where strangers connect
* Across Canada, to discover how co-workers release tension
* Over the Atlantic to the United Kingdom, where a concert is more than guitars strumming
* Close your eyes to wander into a mythical kingdom, where women take charge
* Voyage to historical Italy, to discover things are not always what they seem
* Jet back to the heat of Miami, and be entranced by a goddess, before exploring the rest of the USA to discover a host of erotic lesbian encounters!
Join us as we trot the globe and enjoy out-of-this-world experiences!
Excerpt:
"Turn off the light."
"Who are you?" She whirled around, looking for the source of the voice but finding nothing.
The voice sounded young, like a woman barely out of her twenties, and it sounded like chimes singing in the wind. The young invisible woman spoke with a plea in her voice, as if she was afraid Bridget would flee, and fleeing was first and foremost on Bridget's mind as her heart pounded in her throat. She fought an urge to bolt from the room and run downstairs to surround herself with living, breathing people.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Please turn off the light."
"I'm not turning off the light. Who are you?"
Silence.
Bridget stood in front of the couch, frozen. Her teeth chattered, and she clenched her jaw to make them stop. A chill descended over the room, making her shiver. She wished she had a blanket so she could stay warm and hide.
"C'mon, tell me. What's his name?" the voice said.
"Who are you talking about?"
"The guy you're mad at. No woman comes to a hotel room alone with two unopened bottles of wine unless she has man trouble."
"He's my boyfriend … er, ex-boyfriend … and what's it to you?"
"I saw you crying earlier, and it made me sad. What did he do to you?"
Why am I talking to someone I can't see? This is insane. Bridget looked
around the room, trying to make sense of her predicament. Even in the dim light she could see she was alone. Her breath burst from her lips in a cloud in front of her mouth. Her body shivered and was covered with goose bumps. Afraid, she froze where she sat, wondering what lay in store for her.
"Well? What did he do to you?"
The bizarre nature of her position blew Bridget’s mind but she couldn't help but answer. Her unseen roommate's gentle tone of voice lured her out. Bridget had felt a strong urge to dump all her sorrows on anyone who would listen, and her invisible guest made herself available. So what if she was a ghost? She was an eager and attentive audience.
"He cheated on me. And today's my birthday. I'm pissed," Bridget said as she stood up to stretch. Lying on the couch had given her a body cramp.
"I can't believe he did that again, after he’d promised he wouldn’t bed anyone else after the last time."
"You mean he has a history of cheating on you?"
"Yes. This is his third time."
"And you stayed with him? What a poor choice! You deserve some punishment."
Thwack! Without warning, pain gripped her left butt cheek. Bridget whirled around, looking for her unseen confidante but seeing no one. It was one thing to talk to someone you couldn't see, but there was something exciting about being touched by an invisible entity. The hand that spanked her was small but strong. Bridget wondered what else her ghostly roommate could do with that hand.
"What was that for?"
"You need to be spanked, and badly. Making such poor choices. Did you toss him out yet?"
"No, but—"
Thwack! The painful smack that traveled from her butt cheek to slam into her pussy, making her feel strangely aroused.
"Stop that!"
"You don't need him, someone who cheats on you and treats you like dirt. On your birthday, no less. I know exactly what you need."
"And what might that be?"
"You need me."
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