Welcome Riptide Press Author Storm Grant/CONTEST

CONTEST INFORMATION: Comment to be entered to win one of the following books from Riptide Publishing today: Choice of Shift Happens, Gym Dandy, or Tart & Soul. Make sure to leave your email address in case you win we have a way to contact you.

First of all where are you from?

Toronto, Canada, born and raised.

What do you like to read?

I read across genres because I’m looking for humor. I’ve read all 38 Discworld books, and am up to Lean Mean Thirteen in the Stephanie Plum series.

I love absurdist writer Tom Robbins, wacky Christopher Moore, and of course, who doesn’t love Neil Gaiman? If it’s funny, send it my way. 

What do you love about being an author?

I have no idea what I’d do with my time if I didn’t write. It’s an obsession. Well, wanting to write is an obsession. Sometimes I can sit at the computer for hours wanting to write, but my friends keep emailing me, and blogs need reading, and I solitaire calls my name.

Despite being battered by rejections sometimes, and being assigned less than stellar covers, I’m my own boss, and no-one can take that from me.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Where don’t I get inspiration? From life around me. From the books I read and the courses I take. From TV and movies. From things that come to me in the shower. 

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

Totally my imagination, although I may draw on a real person’s actions or how they made me feel for inspiration. Some of my best character dialogue comes from real conversations.

If you could meet a paranormal being or character of your choice with no safeguards, what/who would you choose and why?

Can I make my dogs talk? I’d love to know what they’re thinking. Probably: treats, walkies, treats, nap, wasn’t me.

I think I’d like to meet a seer. Then I’d ask her what the future held and which stocks to buy.

What do you like or dislike about eBook publishing?

That people believe e-published books are crap. And that sometimes they’re right.

What are your current projects?

I’ve got three WIPs on the go at the moment, two “mainstream” novels (if you can call stories featuring djinn and vampires and demons and other weird characters “mainstream”), and one charming story of young, gay love.

I’m just about to submit to Riptide, a story about an apprentice warrior who clashes with, and then falls for, and apprentice wizard when they are each sent out to battle their first demon. It’s a first kill, first kiss. (Spoiler: They don’t have the heart to kill the demon, but they do work up the courage for a first kiss and a whole lot more.

Can you tell us a little about your latest release?

It’s the epic (but short!) love story between a vampire and his dentist. Here’s the official blurb Riptide Editor Rachel Haimowitz crafted. 

SUCKS & BLOWS: Deeply in debt to a loan shark, oversexed dentist Cary Drewel lives in fear of foreclosure and bodily harm. His new practice is missing one rather crucial element: patients. Which, terrifyingly enough, is the one thing his creditors also don’t have.

Pierce Sharpe, a powerful vampire with a drinking problem—or, more accurately, a problem drinking—can’t feed through the pain in his damaged eye teeth. In danger of losing his standing in the vampire community, Pierce seeks Cary's dental services. When Cary extracts his canines, Pierce must turn to other bodily fluids for sustenance.

Together, Cary and Pierce find a mutually pleasurable solution to both their problems. Turns out, though, there’s more to this dentist-patient relationship than simple suction, and what began with raw hunger from each of them might just end in love.

Sucks and Blows is available for pre-order at: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/sucks-blows

Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

Even if you have a preferred publisher or two, give new publisher Riptide a try. They really edited the heck out of my little story. You don’t have to buy my story, but give another Riptide author a try. If you want a hot, heart-wrenching, long, meaty read, try Cat Grant’s Courtland Chronicles. It’s a ménage that achieves a great balance between sex and plot. Plus I loved the characters.

What do you like most about writing?

Having written. Dorothy Parker said, “I hate writing, but I love having written.”

Writing’s hard work, even if it’s something we love, and when it comes to time to write, almost anything can distract me. I keep resetting my Freecell stats because I really don’t want to know how many thousand games I’ve played.

But I love the creative process. And, surprisingly, editing. That’s surprising because I used to hate editing. Now it brings me equal satisfaction as the initial creative process.

What genre do you write mostly and what appeals to you most about your genre?

I love funny urban fantasy. Like most people, I loved Buffy. With Buffy, the writers achieved a terrific balance of drama and humor. That’s what I like. So many writers have gone all dark, following this writing tenant: Hurt your characters. Then hurt them some more. Then when you can’t do another thing to them, blow something up.

Now that can be done well. Look at Supernatural. Take away their weapons and their allies, even turn their allies into enemies—but they still crack a good one-liner from time to time. Too much darkness makes me want to slit my wrists.

So give me some humor. I loves me some laughs.

Where do you get the names for your characters?

Almost always, my names are evocative and have meaning. In SHIFT HAPPENS, Tom Ferrell is a human who gets shapeshifted into a jaguar. Tom = Tomcat, Ferrell = feral. Doctor Kawasaki is based on Dr. Suzuki, Canada’s environmental champion.

In SCYTHE DOES MATTER, the protagonist’s name is Kirsty d’Arc. It’s a play on words referencing the old adage: For ‘tis better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the dark. The villain is Conrad Ivor. (Conniver)  The gal in charge of Hell is Lucy Phurr. It gets worse. ;-D

What are you working on next?

I’ve got two novels I’m shopping around to agents, but my next release, assuming Riptide accepts it, is a short story (around 12,000 words, so nearing novella length but not quite) tentatively titled FEW ARE CHOSEN. It’s a first time story for a young apprentice warrior who meets a young apprentice wizard. Together they battle a demon and fall in love. It’s first kill, first kiss. Awww. Isn’t that sweet?

What do you enjoy reading the most?

Well written books with an element of humor. I love the Stephanie Plum series, and anxiously await the thirty-eighth book in the Discworld series

What are you reading now?

Just finishing Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich featuring inept bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.

Who are your favorite authors?

Sir Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, Jasper Fforde, Janet Evanovich, Robert Asprin, and the guy who makes everybody’s list… Neil Gaiman.

What would you advise an aspiring author?

I’ve got an entire blog post on this. It’s way too complex for a quick answer. But… whatever genre you write in, even if you hate romance, join the world’s most professional writing organization, the Romance Writers of America.

When did you start the adventure of writing?

I began writing fanficiton back in the 90s. I read it, thought I’d try my hand at writing it, and eventually even published it. My old website is still around if anyone wants to check out Stormy Stormheller’s fiction: www.duetpress.com

Have you always loved romance writing?

As long as I’ve been writing, first fanfiction, then professional stories, I’ve included a romance plotline. Why would I leave out the heart of the story?

Where do you find your inspiration?

Where don’t I? It’s in the world around me. As I write this, I’m sitting in a room with 200 strangers waiting to see if we will have to serve on a jury. A man I don’t know started chatting with me and when he found out what I wrote, he started “helping” me plot out a story in which a supernatural creature is stuck with jury duty. He wanted me to call it: Oliver Twisted. I think he should quit the car business and start writing.

What's the funniest scene you've ever written?

Read SUCKS & BLOWS and let me know. ;-D

What's the most romantic scene you've ever written?

In SHIFT HAPPENS, Adrian and Tom spend the entire book together with Tom stuck in the form of a jaguar. At the end of the book… well, you’ll have to read it, right?

In FEW ARE CHOSEN, it’s both boys’ first kiss and first encounter. It’s very touching how they get together.

When you're not writing, what do you do for fun?

Hang out with other writers. I’m heavily involved with my local chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), and I’ve made a lot of friends through that association. Sometimes I hang out online with people—it’s how I met Aleks and got invited to submit to Riptide.

A quick quiz:  Answer as fast as you can.
Favorite Hero: Constable Benton Fraser of the Royal Canadian Mounties (from the 90s TV show, Due South)
Favorite Dessert:  Green tea ice cream
Favorite Villain:  The new king of Hell on Supernatural, as played by Mark A. Sheppard.

Favorite Song: It changes all the time, but it’s usually 70s rock or 80s techno. Every few years a current song crosses into my collection. Most recently it was that blues/dance crossover song call No Heaven by DJ Champion, and that was a few years ago. I liked Adele’s Rollin’ in the Deep, but I couldn’t make sense of the lyrics and since I’m a words person, I found that frustrating.

Have you ever written to music? No. For me, music is never background. If music is on, it takes my attention.

Tell us about your work:

Too many to post here. See my website at www.stormgrant.com for blurbs, excerpts, reviews, covers, and the occasional homegrown book trailer.

Do you have a writing tip to share with our viewers?

I’ve got a blog post on that.

What is the most interesting thing you have learned from your research?

I did a ton of research on the rainforest for SHIFT HAPPENS. Only a few items made it into the book. One was that the rainforest Indians have a concoction they apply to their eyes so they can see in the dark, and the other is that some tribes, before going on a long trip or into battle, actually step into a shallow tray of liquid rubber, thereby getting rubber soles applied directly to their feet!

What fascinates you most about writing m/m?

The dynamic. I try to write about equals establishing a relationship where both can take a supportive and romantic role. It’s usually a power struggle where the guy who thinks he’s the alpha has to learn you can have equality in a relationship.

What does your family think of you writing erotica?

Even my mother-in-law—a devout Catholic—has read my books. She says she likes them. She’s a very supportive person.

What would you tell a reader reluctant to read erotica?

I’d tell them no. They absolutely shouldn’t read it. Not even to give it a try to see if they like it. They wouldn’t enjoy the building romance, the engaging characters, the interesting plotlines, nor the tingle of a well-written sex scene. I’d then apologize for having to step out of the room for a few minutes but they should not check out the three lower shelves of my bookcase over there. ;-D

Have you ever tested out one of your sex scenes on your significant other?

I had a very wild youth. It gives me a lot to draw on. And yes, I have. He doesn’t know it though.

Is there any topic you find taboo?

I don’t think I’d read or write about watersports or scat. I have a scene in SHIFT HAPPENS that a couple of people have called bestiality, but I don’t. Clothes don’t come off and there’s no inappropriate touching, so sex but not sex, right? (Now you’re going to have to read it.)

I think a good sex scene is about what’s going on in a participant’s head, and not so much about the physical machinations.

What role do you think toys play in sex?

I’ve used them in a story. Condoms are a must, but they never just appear. I always have something happen around them—they can’t find them, they break, they’re expired. It’s always something to ground the story in reality. Especially in SHIFT HAPPENS where most of the sex takes place on the dream plane so no condoms required, clothing melts away, dreamers can top and bottom simultaneously. And then they come crashing back down into glorious, messy, sweaty reality where condoms and lube are a must, not to mention how a knot in a bootlace can really make you crazy! 

Do you think food has a place in sex?

I’ve enjoyed a good food story, but I’ve never written one.

What do you think of role play?

Been there, done that. Fun and harmless.

Would you prefer to be the submissive or the dominant?

Submissive in the bedroom, usually, and an equal the rest of the time.

What’s your favorite ménage trios: M/M/F, M/F/F, M/M/M, or F/F/F?

M/M/F. Too many of the same gender makes the pronouns too complicated. Or as I like to called it, “Whose dick is it, anyway?”

What do you think of orgies?

If they are part of the storyline, then by all means.

What’s the spiciest thing you can think of right now?

Green Thai curry. I had it for lunch and it’s still making its presence know. In erotica? Sometimes a kiss is all it takes to get that tingle. It’s all in the writing.

What do you find the most challenging about being a writer?

The writing. Dorothy Parker said, “I hate writing, but I love having written.”

Writing’s hard work, even if it’s something we love, and when it comes to time to write, almost anything can distract me. I keep resetting my Freecell stats because I really don’t want to know how many thousand games I’ve played.

What's the one thing you wished you had known about the publishing world before you got into the biz?

Erastes wrote (and I got to contribute) an entire article on that several years ago. http://eroticauthorsassociation.com/EAA/2011/02/03/straightening-the-learning-curve-or-things-i-wish-id-known-when-starting-out-in-this-business-by-erastes/

What’s the one thing I wish I’d known? Hmmm. I’ll let you know. I’m still learning about this crazy biz every day.

But maybe, it’s not to follow the rules too closely. You don’t want to be a cookie cutter author—you want to show you’re unique and creative. Okay, don’t send an agent a stuffed dildo, but do make your query letter stand out.