Talking with Author Brita Addams

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

Brita: I've created and written stories most of my life. I've always read, and marveled at how people could allot enough time in their lives to write. I started reading Phillipa Gregory's books and adored how she combined historical events and fictionalized a story around them. I can't express my admiration for her in that regard.

I read everything I could get my hands on by way of historical romance and was hooked. I found my genre, and the rest is history.

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

Brita: Well rounded characters, a well thought-out story and as much research as is required to make the story a full and interesting one. Even contemporary romance needs a degree of research, even if is amounts to checking out what streets intersect or where the subways stops are relative to where your character might live. What highway goes where, parks, etc., all aid in making a story rich and believable.

My contemporary, Free Me, required some in depth research concerning Boston, Des Moines and cruise ships. Sadly, I was forced to take a cruise to hone in on the finer points. (Everyone please moan in empathy for the hard work required here) It was done only with authenticity in mind, you understand. I did it for my craft.  

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters?

Brita: Originally, I start out with a hero in mind, and usually base the story on him. Many times, I have the opening scene right away and intro my hero and the premise of the story.

In the next scene, the heroine or the second hero appear and the plot thickens.  I'm hero oriented, and in the case of my m/m writing, I usually have a main hero. I'm a pantser, so my characters tend to take shape as the story develops.

Who has been your favorite character to write? Mmm. My favorite character. I have to say as much as I love all my characters, I have to say Prentice Hyde, from Lord Decadent's Obsession is indeed a favorite. He's outgoing, fun, yet flawed and damaged. I love old movies and Prentice was patterned after Tyrone Power.

I also love Phillip Allard, but then he was…

The most challenging? I'd have to say my most challenging character was Phillip Allard in Chocolate, Tea and the Duchess. He's the most broken of all my characters, yet he's staunch and very conflicted about his sexuality. He was fun to write, but at the same time, it was a touch slog at times, trying to get it right.

Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that? YES. The two characters in The Rogue's Salvation. They are spoiled by their parents and their wealth and care only for themselves. Of course, this doesn't last long, when circumstances change their lives forever.

The story started out as a short, just 12 thousand words, for an anthology and I had a difficult time telling the story I had to tell in 12k. It was very difficult to rehabilitate the two characters and have a story that was viable.

After much angst, I took the advice of a good friend and expanded the story, which allowed me create the story it should have been. Now, I'm very pleased with Rogue and the characters are wonderfully angsty, while discovering who they truly are. 

Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release? I actually have two recent releases – Free Me, my m/m contemporary and The Rogue's Salvation, a m/f Regency historical.

Free Me is part of the Postcards from Paradise series at Amber Allure and tells the story of Phil Sanderson and Bryan Newcastle. It is the first contemporary I've written and I found it a lot of fun to write. I normally don't read a lot of contemporaries because I like the gentler language of historicals, the gentler approach to lovemaking. However, I was asked by a friend to submit to the Amber Allure's Postcards From Paradise submissions call.

I had a great time write about Bryan and Phil, and was prompted to write a sequel, which will be published on August 7^th.

Here's a blurb:

Dr. Bryan Newcastle needs a respite from his grueling medical practice. He's looking for someone to free his mind and his body, to take him to unexplored sexual heights. So on impulse, he plunks down his credit card and commits himself to a Gay BDSM cruise he hopes will answer his prayers.

Dom Phil Sanderson is looking for a vacation sub. With a keycard slid across the lunch table, Bryan is plunged into Phil's decadent world, where sexual submission is only the beginning. Phil brings his willing sub to new heights, but soon realizes seven days just isn't enough for either of them.

Will Bryan and Phil be able to return to their former lives, or has the journey to Bryan's sexual freedom only begun?

Here's the excerpt and buy link: http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/FreeMe.html

Erotic historical romance is my first love in writing. I love the m/m genre, but I'm all for a good m/f romance as well. In that vein, I wrote The Rogue's Salvation, a Regency historical.

Somewhere along the way, Myles Cunningham's Peter will get his own story as well. I hope historical fans will enjoy The Salvation. Here's the blurb for it:

Thomasine Littlebury is a spoiled, young girl, until the death of someone close pitches her headlong into adulthood. As she struggles to manage her life with little money and less social prestige, she's struck down, leaving her scarred, alone and in the hands of a handsome man with a huge secret.

Myles Cunningham is a rogue of the first water, who answers every call to pleasure and decadence without a second thought. During one such foray, the fates conspire to throw Myles and Thomasine together, in a most unfortunate way.

Acting as the Good Samaritan, Myles sees to the young woman's recovery and finds himself attracted to her strength and beauty.

As their relationship progresses, circumstances conspire to force them to marry to preserve Thomasine's honor. He fears the discovery of his secret might destroy their fragile rapport, yet he desperately needs Thomasine, for he's convinced she, above all others, is the rogue's salvation.

Here's the excerpt and buy link: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/297

What do you do to unwind and relax? I usually write until 5, when my husband has dinner prepared. From then until I go to bed around 9, I answer interview questions, answer email and make notes for the next day's writing. We watch TV, love to go to the movies and eating out is something we do quite often. I'm a fairly laid back person my nature, and writing is relaxing for me, unless I have a particularly difficult story arc. After I go to bed, I read for an hour or so before finally falling asleep.

Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future? With Free Me, I ventured into contemporary, which I'd never done before. As I said, I love historicals and have written a number of them and will continue to write them, as they are my first love. I would love to do a gladiator story and a U.S. Civil War story. I'm also working on a 1960's noir with my co-writer, Bryl Tyne, which is very different for me. See, they are all historicals though. LOL

Tell us about your favorite restaurant. Though I don't eat sushi, I love tempura and teriyaki. We love to go to a favorite Japanese restaurant whenever we are in New Orleans.

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? No, music or TV, I write in silence. I'm easily distracted, so the silence helps my concentration. Years ago, in school, I had a teacher who used music to inspire story writing. We did an exercise where we sat in chairs behind the curtain in the gym, in complete darkness, while he played a piece of music. Afterwards, we all wrote short stories inspired by the music. It was a terrific experience, but these days, I like the silence. We live pretty peacefully, so it works for me.  

Does your significant other read your stuff? He has in the past, but not recently. He listens to every plot, every character and almost every scene, but he doesn't sit and read every word, no. However, there isn't a more supportive husband in the world. The last words I hear every night are, "I love you and I'm proud of you." It doesn't get better than that.

Plotter or Pantser? I am more pantser, with plotter overtones. Each story starts out as a plotted story, loosely speaking. Inevitably, the story takes twists and turns that I really have no control over. I like it like that. Why? I like the story and the characters to guide the direction the story goes. I think if I were strictly a plotter, I'd miss some really interesting nuances of the character's nature.

What is your favorite meal? I have to be honest – the answer is anything my husband cooks, which he does with imagination and love. No one can fix a gumbo like he can.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write? In one word – yes. In another word – no. Love scenes are necessary in romance novels. I wouldn't read a romance novel without them and I'm sure many other devotees feel the same. I can't allow the war between ease and difficulty to keep me from writing a different love scene each time I write one. I spend a lot of time choreographing, scripting and envisioning them, so they are hot, sexy and different than any I've written before.

Nothing will ruin a novel faster than if an author repeats the same scene, with different characters.

What do you have coming up next for you? I have another het historical now in the editing process. The release date hasn't been announced yet. I'll be one of the authors contributing to the November Noble Romance Authors Blog Tour. There will be het and m/m stories, and I'll contribute one of each. There will be two anthologies and each story will be published individually.

There will be a sequel to Free Me, called In His Arms, out on August 7 and a print compilation of the two stories, Freedom in His Arms, out in mid-September.

I have several other works in progress in various stages of completion, but are expected to be ready by late summer. I am writing a series with Bryl R. Tyne, called Johan's Quest, set in 1968 New Orleans. Our schedules are crazy, so we project that we'll have that ready to go next year.

Care to share any details with us? Johan Koch is a broken man, devastated by the death of his lover. He's a detective, whose only goal is to find the killer of his lover and life partner. However, along the way, he may solve a crime or two, because someone is murdering New Orleans' gay men.

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? My favorite authors include Bryl R. Tyne, whose books I read long before he asked me to write with him; Aleksandr Voinov, who writes strong, gritty characters I can't get enough of. I also love Lisa Kleypas, Mary Balogh, Claire Thompson, and Rachel Haimowitz.

If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be? I couldn't imagine a duller movie or book with me as a character in it.

Where can readers find you on the web? I'm on Facebook and Twitter, and I love visitors to my website at www.britaaddams.com.

Sneak Peek into Free Me

Available at Amber Allure

Gay / Contemporary / BDSM / Group Sex / Exhibitionism / Public Places / Series

Dr. Bryan Newcastle needs a respite from his grueling medical practice. He's looking for someone to free his mind and his body, to take him to unexplored sexual heights. So on impulse, he plunks down his credit card and commits himself to a Gay BDSM cruise he hopes will answer his prayers. 

Dom Phil Sanderson is looking for a vacation sub. With a keycard slid across the lunch table, Bryan is plunged into Phil's decadent world, where sexual submission is only the beginning. Phil brings his willing sub to new heights, but soon realizes seven days just isn't enough for either of them. 

Will Bryan and Phil be able to return to their former lives, or has the journey to Bryan's sexual freedom only begun?

 Sneak Adult Excerpt:

...Bryan paced and made to leave several times as he waited. He’d touched nothing in Phil’s cabin; instead, he’d spent most of his time staring out the porthole at the sparkling water under a full, golden moon and wondered if he was doing the wise thing.  When he heard the lock engage in the door, he turned toward the sound. Phil strode into the room and took Bryan’s breath away. The man was beautiful. There was promise in his smile. He could only imagine giving himself over to this man, as he relinquished his will and allowed someone else to think for him. The idea sounded like heaven, at least, in the short term.  Phil stood in the middle of the room, his legs braced, his arms down at his sides. Bryan wasn’t sure if he should speak, so chose silence. He trusted Phil would guide him through this initial awkwardness. The first order came almost as the decision to be silent was made.  “Come, stand before me.” Phil’s voice was low, but demanding.  Without hesitation, Bryan said, “Yes, sir.”  “You must always lower your gaze in my presence, unless I give you permission to the contrary.”  Bryan did as instructed. He could smell the wine on Phil’s breath and he had an inexplicable urge to kiss the taste off Phil’s lips.  The thought, however, was erased with Phil’s stern words. “Raise your arms above your head.”  As though of their own accord, Bryan’s arms rose and his fingers locked, making him feel more vulnerable than he’d expected.  Phil placed a warm hand on Bryan’s cheek and traced his cheekbone with his thumb. Bryan resisted the temptation to lean into the touch or even close his eyes, but it felt so good to receive the intimacy. “What is it you expect of me, Bryan?”  The question came out of left field and it rocked him. Of all he’d thought about since he’d last seen Phil, he’d not once thought of what he expected. Rather, he’d wondered what Phil would expect of him and had long since concluded he’d gladly give the man whatever he wanted.  Again, gently, Phil said, “Tell me.”  Bryan’s mind stumbled across words like “fuck” and “suck” and “spank,” but somehow he couldn’t say them. Finally, he settled on, “I want whatever it is you expect of me.”  Phil leaned in and his warm breath bathed Bryan’s ear as he whispered, “Good answer. If you remember that, we’ll get along nicely.”  Phil stepped behind him, his hands never leaving Bryan’s body as he touched, rubbed and glided over his ass clad in imported cotton, and then stopped. Only when he was sure Phil couldn’t see his face did Bryan dare close his eyes.  His cock hardened and his mind raced with any number of suggestions as to what Phil could do with those hands, yet he sensed Phil had the situation well under control.  Phil snaked his arms around Bryan’s body and undid his belt. As the leather slid through the loops, Bryan’s imagination went wild. Soon, he heard a crack and wondered if Phil had actually doubled his belt and snapped it.  “Unfasten your pants and let them drop to the floor.”  Bryan’s arms felt heavy as he lowered them and unbuttoned his white Ralph Lauren’s. He struggled to control his breathing, as he felt himself being ensnared in Phil’s web of seduction. As he nudged his pants over his hips, he felt the leather of what he assumed was his own belt on his ass—his naked ass, as he abhorred wearing underwear of any kind.  His cock was rock hard, angled, straight, and ready for action. Phil drew the belt up the length of Bryan’s crack, and Bryan feared losing what control he’d managed to exert. He’d never been seduced with such care, with such mystery, and it felt damn good. Then everything seemed to stop. Bryan felt Phil’s absence, as he was left standing, untouched, his pants at his ankles. He heard a noise. Something heavy being dragged, but he didn’t dare turn to look...  ***~~*** The Rogue's Salvation Available at Noble Romance Thomasine Littlebury is a spoiled, young girl, until the death of someone close pitches her headlong into adulthood. As she struggles to manage her life with little money and less social prestige, she's struck down, leaving her scarred, alone and in the hands of a handsome man with a huge secret. Myles Cunningham is a rogue of the first water, who answers every call to pleasure and decadence without a second thought. During one such foray, the fates conspire to throw Myles and Thomasine together, in a most unfortunate way. Acting as the Good Samaritan, Myles sees to the young woman's recovery and finds himself attracted to her strength and beauty. As their relationship progresses, circumstances conspire to force them to marry to preserve Thomasine's honor. He fears the discovery of his secret might destroy their fragile rapport, yet he desperately needs Thomasine, for he's convinced she, above all others, is the rogue's salvation.