Chit Chat and All That! with Sharta Lira & Kendel Davi talking about interracial erotica

Intro: Greetings fans. This is Sharita Lira aka Rawiya/BLMorticia with NNP. The lovely Penny Peterson has given me the task of doing a chit chat with fab author, Kendel Davi who I’ve found to be very insightful and talented. And what better topic than interracial erotica for us since we both write it! This conversation was all through email and as you can see we discussed a lot. Instead of trying to separate it, I find that it’s better to leave our convo as is. Take a look at our discussion.

SharitaL: Hi Kendel. I did a couple of blogs on the subject a while back one on interracial gay male erotica.

The most recent was this one on Erotic Diaries  http://www.eroticdiaries.net/2011/12/what-should-be-focus-of-interracial.html  I think interracial romance is on the rise.

People are seeking it out more. I also belong to the IR romance group on Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/13439.Fans_of_Interracial_Romance I go there sometimes to lurk and read. What are your thoughts?

KendelD: Sharita, thanks for passing on this information.  I've been following your work from your blog so it was great to get a chance to take a deeper look at these particular blogs topics.
Most of these ideas might seem random but I feel that if I get it out we can frame it anyway we want.

First, I have to agree with you as far as some of the thoughts that I've received from writers who are scared to dabble into the realm of interracial romance because they are afraid to "get it wrong".  I also agree that I've read some very stereotypical portrayals of characters of color in some erotic work.

However, I think what might be interesting to chat about is the fact that, since we are both writers of color, how we approach creating our characters.  With both of us being African American, how do we approach characters outside of our race when we write?  Also, since we both live in big cities (I lived most of my adult life in either Washington D.C., New York City and Los Angeles) how does that affect how we look at interracial relationships.

I write a lot of interracial F/F, ménage and group stories and I use a great deal of my experience growing up in a multicultural world for my characters.  I've had friends of all races and religions that have allowed me "insiders access" to their lives.  I use the information when it comes to creating characters.  Even as I'm writing this, I have stories out there which have East Indian, Latino, Asian, African-American and Caucasian characters.

I understand how a little bit or research can go a long way but I guess the question that I've always found interesting is, if you’re a person of color, when you think of writing romance do you think of character traits or race first?

For me, I always think of character first but most of those characters happen to be people of color because that's how I see the world.  I'm not sure if this is true for everyone and even with there being a rise in interracial romance readers are there certain genres that lend itself to a "slippery slope" when it comes to placing an ethnic spin on things?

A perfect example of this would be BDSM.  Personally, I enjoy reading these stories but whenever a character happens to be African-American, I feel that I have to look at the character with more scrutiny.  Especially if that character is a sub.  That might seem a little petty but I can't seem to let go of the history when it comes to the imagery.  Whether that character is male, female or transgender there is a part of me that tip toes through these stories trying to not allow the action to carry a specific meaning other than character wise.

The same goes for cuckold stories, which have a tendency to lend themselves towards more stereotypical imagery.  Even if the "Big Black Bull" is a three-dimensional character, the idea of the "Big Black Bull" still carries a historical connotation that has me wondering more about the author’s intent rather than the validity of the story. (Also, most writers forget that the idea of the cuckold comes from the female dominance of the submissive male and not the lust for black male sexual power re: Venus in Fur)

I've found a few stories that have been able to capture a balance between character and the historical implications of putting character of color in situations like this but they are very rare.

The same thing goes for the submissive Asian female character or the over sexed Latino.

I guess the point is that if the motivation is clear that the actions are coming from a character perspective then the story should work but you can't deny that the ground that you're walking on has all type of landmines that might turn the reader off.

That's not to say that these stories can't work or that they can't be written by authors of different races but I feel that sometimes the urge to try and embrace everybody by saying that race is only skin deep doesn't take into account that the perception is in the eye of the reader.

For me, I try my best to be all-inclusive and conscious of these elements when I'm creating characters because it’s difficult for me to think that a characters physical description is only the way that character looks.  It has to be all of those elements combined that makes them three-dimensional.

For my story "Umoja Mean Unity" that was in "Doing The Naughty List, Twice" my MC was half-Jewish and half African-American whose family celebrated both Chanukah and Kwanza.  Since this was a holiday anthology, the idea of having a bi-racial character fit perfectly but the balance between the two holidays and how it made my MC unique came from both personal experience and a great deal of research.  I didn’t think twice about “if” I could write this character but I also understood that striking the right balance between her religions and ethnicity was important to get the story across to the reader as well as keeping her unique and three-dimensional.

I know this is a long ramble but this has been on my mind all day.

To put it simply in a way that I think is odd and slightly funny is that I never questioned my abilities to write Caucasian characters in my stories but I can’t tell you how many blogs I’ve read where the opposite occurrence comes with a disclaimer and protest.

I guess if you have to explain to the world why you should be allowed to write interracial stories then maybe one should look at why you want to write them in the first place.

SharitaL: No everything you said makes sense. I definitely look at it from a character perspective first because regardless of color, no one should be the same. 

I have friends of other races as well. Not that I've delved into their personal lives but I'm of the opinion that we all could have certain traits but they shouldn't be regarded as stereotypes. 

Here's an interesting fact and I'm glad that we both touch on GLBT as well. For whatever reason, people think they must write a person of color a certain way. They're afraid to "not get it right" which in my opinion is silly. I mean, yes Asian's have certain cultural differences than say blacks or Latinos but it isn't written in stone that all Asians are one way and all blacks are another.

I like to write over different genres and races. I have two stories that are "out of my comfort" zone. One being an m/m about a Korean male who falls in love with a black man that visits his shop, and the thing that's real is they meet because of a racial stereotype. His father believes the black man may cause trouble or steal so he tells the son to go see what he wants. 

Unfortunately, that does exist and is the ugly reality because I deal with it in my own neighborhood. I've seen it happen. This may cause an issue but this has also been portrayed in movies too so obviously, it happens. Still, it doesn't mean that every Asian doesn't trust black people. 

You know what else bugs me is that some writers won't touch a black character and when they do, they make them like the stereotype.  Unfeeling alpha males, they talk slang, in gay books they're "daddies" and erm, in porn they are these huge-dicked monsters and are called that on the cover. Blacks and the white in the middle. *laughs* I abhor that! 

Sadly, it happens in erotica too. I'm not sure about f/f but I know in m/m it does. Thankfully there are writers who write novels that know better. Not every black man is uneducated, talks slang, etc. Now that being said, it doesn't mean I don't do it. I myself don't talk much slang but I know to bring a little reality to the story and the character, it might be necessary if that's the way they come out. However with me it doesn't happen often.

I know I just talked your ear off and went all over the place but I think you get from me that I hate stereotypes and wish people would accept people as that, people, not expecting them to be the "fiesty Latina, the uneducated black male or female, the Caucasian brain, or the un-trusting Asian. I think you get my idea.

When people read any of my books they should read it with idea that my characters stand out on their own because of the traits and not the race they are. I know it takes research to learn certain ideas about cultures to make the background correct but the characters themselves can be anything they want to be. We live in a diverse world and it’s time for readers to realize that our books should be just as diverse.

KendelD: I completely agree with you on all points.

I haven't been writing long enough to notice how stereotypes play in f/f writing as of yet except for the Sapphire Black Woman which I try to avoid but I love writing strong female characters who know what they want.  It came up in my free read today and I spent a lot of time trying to work my way around it but that is who my character is so I'll stick with it.

I also feel that religious diversity is an area the gets ignored as well.  I'm working on a book idea that I'm still researching a great deal about two Jewish women who fall in love in New York.  One happens to be Mexican and the other Ethiopian.  The fact that most people don't know about the Orthodox Mexican Jewish Population is amazing to me since I've know a few and I'm neither one of those.

I worked in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood for three years and the rules that designed to keep men and women apart lends itself to exploring same sex relationships but it's also a very slippery slope.  I know I have enough experience for the other side to fill in the blanks but I still have a little bit of pause about starting to move the story forward from the outline stage.

However, I still feel that if it's all about diversity it's hard not to think about the physical being an important factor but as you said, it has to be more than just about the color of a characters skin.

I understand how some stereotypical behavior can filter into a character and I don't mind that if it is justified by back story but what I have a problem with is a character who just seems to be there because the writer though it was a good idea to have a character of color in the story just because of potential profits.

I guess if you show me your writer's hand when it come to creating interracial relationships then I feel it's fair to questions the "whys".  And if your response is that I should be able to write about whoever I want to write about then you should be able to accept that fact that I should be allow to point out the fact that your ethnic character lacks "character development".

So, I guess all of this is to say "What responsibility does a writer have when they create ethnic characters?" or "How do you get your interracial relationships right in erotica?"

SharitaL: I believe that through research, you possibly could get the cultural aspects in the background right such as settings, family members, etc but to me, and I'm no expert at this, still learning, character development happens when we see the positive and negative traits this person displays. 

I'm still learning how to develop my characters fully. When talking to my editors and even some readers who've left reviews have said that certain characters are not developed enough. They didn't know anything about these people in the story other than how he or she fit with the others in the tale. Little scenes where the character lives everyday help the reader learn more about the protagonist.

When it comes to an interracial relationships, we as writers, should feel compelled to show the different things that tie the character to their race, positively and negatively as long as it is part of the plot story. 

This could be done just by watching people, period, how they act. In Chicago, it's very segregated. Sadly, in a lot of parts in the city, you can tell who lives where by the numbers that walk the streets. I'm sure it's like that in a lot of big towns but it happens and I suppose that won't change. I'd say an author could attempt to find out information just by asking about cultural differences. I'm married to a Hispanic man so I'm very familiar with Hispanic/Latino culture. When the author tries to "get it right" I suppose it’s best to ask someone of that race just for back story purposes. When it comes to the character, this person is still a human being. Maybe he could talk with an accent or only eat a certain food, but we, as authors, should be mostly concerned with the plot line and not pointing out the racial differences when it comes to our characters. 

As my editor always says, it shouldn't be in the story unless it relates to the plot. 

Perhaps more responsibility should be placed on the author when they do a historical to get their facts straight. In contemporary fiction, we can create our characters how we want without making them stereotypical. Those who criticize you for "not getting it right" in my opinion, are small minded. 

KendelD: Sharita, I agree with you completely.

I teach screenwriting at a major university out here in California and my focus for the past 16 years has been character.  I'm a playwright and screenwriter as well and when it comes to developing characters, the 3 most important questions are "what does you character want?", "what does your character need?", and the most important questions is "why does your character want what they want?".

I used to work at a small talent agency and every time I asked that last question they would look at me like a puppy who just peed on the rug.  And these are people who make their living writing for the screen and TV.

However, I've always found it interesting that editors will say that "if it's not important to the plot then don't put it in the story" which basically means when it comes to ethnicity that the default race is Caucasian.  I know it's that way in screenwriting but there is a question of why because that means if a character happens to be any other race there has to be a purpose for it rather than the story speaks for itself, my characters just happen to be of different races.  This assumption has always bothered me but I usually construct a major personal moment in my characters journey that somehow relates to their ethnicity and then get back to the story but the fact that non-ethnic characters don't have to deal with the same scrutiny as ethnic characters seems to speak to how far we are when it comes to dealing with acceptance of all races, religions and sexual orientations.

In New York, the neighborhood was segregated but traveling through the city wasn't and that's why I cherish the years I lived there.  Los Angeles is very segregated which might seem strange but as you're driving around the city you will see the color of the faces change block by block and since everybody drives here so it appears a lot worse than what it is which is still pretty bad.

I have to agree with your last ideas as well.  I do feel that writers have a greater responsibility to do historical and cultural research before writing their stories and the people who criticize about writers "not getting it right" as assuming that everybody's experience is the same, which means they are denying the possibilities of characters and focusing on the limitations of their own experience.

True, we as authors should focus on the plot line of our stories but why do we have to justify using ethnic characters in our stories when the same doesn't apply to non-ethnic characters?  That means if you use a character of color, the plot must be focused on the character being a specific ethnicity.  I don't feel that's fair but those are the rules that we have to play by, I guess.

On a side note, the thing I found most interesting when developing my story about the two Jewish women was the fact that Latino food doesn't lend itself to being Kosher.  Especially when it comes to Orthodox Kosher food.  There is a point in the story that I've outlined where that gets challenged when my female Mexican character has to deal with this issue at work when they have an office meeting that is catered.  They decided to get Mexican food for the meeting and she can't eat any of it because not only was pork used but the combination of meat and dairy together which is a major violation of Kosher law.  With this one I want to make sure that I get the religious aspects right because I got a intimate glimpse into the Orthodox world from a woman's perspective yet being an gentile there are still some places that I wasn't able to get to due to the secretive nature of the Orthodox religion.  I understand the concepts but knowing where they developed from in regard to the Torah is where I'm at now.  I hope I can get started on that one by the end of the year.

SharitaL:  That line about if it’s not important to the plot, pull it out? One of my editors preaches it. To an extent I agree but I mean shouldn't we bring out the subtleties of our characters when it comes to their race? Interestingly, he says, the best selling IRs are one where he couldn't tell the race of the character. But, but, then as you said, the reader assumes the characters are white.

The more IR I read and write, I disagree. It can be done to show some reality without beating the reader over the head. It gives the character flavor. The thing that makes IR different from mainstream is seeing those differences as long as they are setting and or relate to plot. You don't need to overdo it.

Whew.

We covered a lot here. Do you have any other points we've missed?

KendelD: I know we covered a lot of stuff and the only thing I can think of, which popped into my head a few days ago when I sent my free read to Penny at NNP was this.

Since the genre interracial had "race" in the title it should mean that race play an important factor in the story.  However, if it doesn't and the characters happen to me of different races does it still make the story and interracial one?

I guess what I mean by that is how is the term defined by the writer vs the editor/publisher vs the reader.  Perfect example would be if a Japanese character fell in love with a Pacific Islander would that technically be an interracial story?  What about an East Indian character who falls in love with a Pakistani? Where is the line drawn?  The Irish and the English are both Caucasian but the differences in the culture is vast, yet if they fell in love it wouldn't be considered an interracial relationship. 

SharitaL: That’s a good point about interracial. Technically it would be an interracial because of the culture difference. We in American society seemed to be so quick to label everything.

The bottom line is all people should be treated the same regardless of color and despite the differences in culture we all bleed the same. However because of our upbringing we are quick to make somebody into the mold we want them to be. It’s just like the whole issue with gender and orientation. You’re a guy who likes guys so you're gay. Nowadays I'm thinking that it doesn't matter. You can love anyone if you have the deep connection with them and sex doesn't even have to play a role.

I rambled to say I supposed yes it still would be interracial because they aren’t of the same culture. When we'll be able to get passed that culture divide and just appreciate each other for our unique traits. I dunno. I suppose we’ll be waiting awhile.

Conclusion: As you can see we covered a bunch. The basic idea is we as writers would like to bring color to our stories not focusing on the differences of characters but rather their common traits as people. We both take issue with how races have been portrayed and have tried our best to do our homework to bring the realities into a more positive light. We think other authors regardless of color shouldn’t be intimidated to “get it wrong” and should be mostly concerned with developing lively characters regardless of race but we’ve also brought out some of the “ugliness” as long as it relates to the plot.

Obviously, Kendel has done a great deal of research to make sure the characters in her stories are as close to correct when it comes to customs and religion. I’ve relied mostly on what I’ve known or seen since I’m involved in an interracial marriage and have many friends outside my race. Neither method is wrong. The point is, are we doing all we can to bring life to our stories and show the details about the characters?

This can be done positively without stereotypes. You’ll offend no one if you keep them human, when writing contemporary. The basic idea, we all bleed red. That’s the key.

Thanks to Kendel for such a lively discussion!

The More The Merrier? Well, Let Me Ask You...

In the bedroom? Well I say, Hell Ya! There are just so many ways to go there... And I just keep getting inspired to write more and more scenarios too. So, let me go through them, then I have a question for you…

I started off on a bang with my story, “Haunted Party” in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve with f/m/m/m and a ghost! Spooky and sexy *winks* While fighting off a ghost with sexual energy was great with one man and one woman, it just kept getting better as I kept adding men!

And, I mixed it up even more in my first novella, Finding Paradise. In this story, it may have started with a nice f/m. Of course, that was all mixed up in between two women sharing sex stories that include all sorts of sexual scenarios from capture fantasy doing the guys next door… But, next comes an f/f in an adult store dressing room with sex toys in the background to tease the reader. The teasing doesn’t continue for long though as the husband invites the other woman into their bedroom with an f/f/m and said sex toys. Of course, I went for my first f/m/f/m by the end :)

I took on an m/f/m in “Chem 101” in the Campus Sexploits anthology with a student, a college prof and a student assistant. Fun, and scientific *giggles*  I found I really liked playing with the power dynamic with this one since the chemistry was already there – sorry had to say it. LOL

Not able to get enough, by Valentines Day this year, I had a woman in charge of two women and two men’s bodies for the holiday in Seeing Red. The main character made some asses red, let me tell you in this f/f/m/f/m I guess it was? I had a lot of fun directing in this one just who was going to be with who – when and how *winks*

I am really excited about my new novella, Dream Job, which releases in May. In this one there are all sorts of things going on as a woman takes a job writing for the adult film industry. Although there is a very hot m/f/m scene in the bedroom, it was really the filming, the touches, the poses, the action in the studio that was soooo sexy and sooo enticing to write.

And, I am beyond excited too about a m/m/m, my first, that I just turned in to NNP too. It is a very dramatic story and a very intense story about three men and the world of MMA fighting…whew…I just can’t wait for this to come out! It took a lot out of me to write actually, as every minute was just so intense in a variety of ways.

So, let me ask you. Readers and a reviewer have suggested that I write a sequel to Finding Paradise. I've bounced some ideas off other authors, and I  am really considering doing so. I was thinking of going with new couples in the sequel that come in contact with the couples in the first one, so you get a new story, new scenarios via Facebook, but also catch up with the original couples in the first novella. What I want to know is what is your favorite sexual mix and what are your favorite sexual scenarios or fantasy? I’m taking a poll. I want to continue to mix things up, hmmm or maybe go into an all out orgy of couples! Who knows!?! But I would love to hear some suggestions if you have a moment. 

Catch up with Abby Hayes and Seeing Red...Win yourself a copy of Seeing Red

It is with great delight that we have with us today, an author who is burning up the charts with her newest book, Seeing Red.

Abby Hayes has come a long way since our first interview with her back in December 2011, when her first novel Finding Paradise was released.

Abby has also thrilled the readers and made them weak at the knees with her short stories that have appeared in the following anthologies through Naughty Nights Press. There was A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve, Campus Sexploits and Spontaneous Liaisons.


And for a truly special treat, we will be giving away a copy of SEEING RED to one lucky reader. 
Please follow the instructions at the bottom of the excerpt to find out how you enter.

NNP: Wow Abby, when you see how many stories you have had published so far with Naughty Nights Press, how does it make you feel?

Abby: It is indescribable really. When an author friend read my story, Finding Paradise, and told me it was good enough to be published, I was doubtful. But, my friend was right thankfully, and it has been one very quick, very wild ride since. I still haven’t quite adjusted, but I just can’t stop smiling.

NNP: Now can you tell the readers a bit about Seeing Red and what inspired you to write it?

Abby: Well, I have signed a contract with NNP to write several themed stories  and Valentine’s Day was one of them. Thinking about the holiday, I decided I wanted to take a divided stance, one of an anti-Valentine’s person verses one who secretly loves the day, or well loves love. I also wanted to take that anti anger and use it to make a hot storyline with one dominant woman who takes sexual control over two other women and two men. It was a whole lot of fun to write!

NNP: Seeing Red is available on the Kindle KDP program, can you explain to everyone what this means please?

Abby: Sure! It is a special program that Amazon offers where if your book is an exclusive title there for three months, it gets special promotion of being offered as a free download for three days. As a new author, I can’t tell you how exciting it was to watch my story climb the charts and be downloaded by so many people.

 

NNP: I understand you received a ranking on the first three days, what was the highest ranking you got and how did it make you feel?

Abby: Again, indescribable. I took several screen shots each time it reached a new high in a new country. 

LOL Couldn’t help myself. I totally understand checking your Amazon ranking hourly or more now!

NNP: Do you think that by participating in the Kindle KDP that it affords readers from all over the world a better chance at getting to know your style of writing?

Abby: Absolutely. Nearly a thousand potential new readers downloaded my story, and as I watched this happen I noticed jumps in my Finding Paradise release rankings from December as well.

NNP: What’s next for Abby Hayes?

Abby: So much thanks to the owner of NNP, Gina Kincade.  After reading my Finding Paradise submission I was blown away by her faith in me, even when mine has faltered. I have three more novellas, two more holiday themed novelettes and several more shorts in the NNP anthologies coming yet in 2012! 

Thank you once again Abby for joining us here today, I always love chatting with you and I believe you are on here again with your monthly guest post on Tuesday, so can’t wait to read what you have to say.

PURCHASE ABBY HAYES BOOKS BY CLICKING ON  THE BOOK

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Seeing Red by Abby Hayes
Synopsis

Three years ago when she opened her bar, Rage on the Water, her boyfriend at the time, a guy she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, dumped her that year on Valentine’s Day. Never a big fan of the holiday before, she now loathes it. Having gone through a bit of a wild phase these past years, she has given up dating altogether. Instead, she’s been exploring her wilder side, one where her kinks and more wanton interests prevail, in her apartment above the bar with a guy friend and at times, others he invites in.

This year on Valentine’s Day though, a conversation with her long time guy friend with benefits, Mark, lands her in a situation beyond any she has experienced before. There will be two men and two women for her to play dominatrix with. While ignoring Mark’s changing intentions toward her, like his invitations to go on an actual date, it being Valentine’s Day, she’s more than a bit excited to spank a few asses.

Tonight Shannon has four bodies to play with, but Mark’s are unnerving her. She goes with each whim of her body and mind, but will they expose her? Will she be able to still play her role well? Or will she give in to all that scares her? With bodies exposed, asses red, it is truly her heart on the line…

Excerpt

“Do your worst, Ms. Shan. Please.” His attempt at forcing his facial muscles to stop the grin was pathetic, and she couldn’t stop her own laugh. Again, the tight cord inside her loosened a touch. She pushed back her shoulders, reached out and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Commando as usual, his cock popped out. To touch it now would give him pleasure, so she decided to withhold her urge to grab it, take it in her mouth and maybe even bite the yummy looking piece of meat. She stepped behind them all again, admired the four bodies a second, then yanked Mark’s jeans down. They bunched up around his thighs, bared his rock hard ass, nice full globes a beautiful shade of red and which were about to become redder. He’d had his breather.

She grabbed the leather paddle, quick to bring it against Mark’s now bare ass. Each smack of leather against skin, each mark it brought out on this un-tanned part of his flesh made her skin tingle. His ass cheeks clenched and relaxed, beyond hot. Not able to help herself, she bent down and bit him, the red skin warm against her lips. He let out a yelp of surprise maybe pain, and she giggled just a touch.

He turned to her, the way his face was scrunched up showing he was ready to play a little whoop ass on her, some fun retribution. They’d done it before, quickly switched roles. Had the situation been different she would have readily flipped the switch tonight too she knew, the mood she was in, up and down and all over the place.

“Thank You Ms. Shan,” he spoke her name through clenched teeth. The dark look behind his eyes, one sexy, one devious, made that invisible cord threaded through her un-wind a bit more, him wanting her. She could be honest enough with herself to know that she wanted that.

“You’re welcome. I can tell by your nicely formed erection, so hard, so red, the veins bulging…” She let the paddle glide over the top of his hard on, watching his red ass clench then. “Hmmm, I can see that you liked every minute of it. I’m all warmed up now and on to the others. Stay erect, and I mean your cock and your back, while I work. Eyes forward please. That means everyone, Scott.”

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POETS will have you squirming in your seat as you read the liquid words that Mr. Burnell puts together to weave a creation of hot, soul searching M/F/M sex.

For only $1.49 how could you resist. Purchase your copy today at All Romance E-Books

POETS by DANIEL BURNELL

Synopsis

San Francisco, city of pirates, prospectors and poets, has a well-deserved reputation for sexual freedom. People have long come to the city to liberate themselves, release pent up desires and do things they would never dare at home, in short, to go wild with others there to do precisely the same thing. Such is the story of the narrator of “Poets”: A sedate woman to all appearances, a first grade teacher living conventionally, having shelved her fierce desires for wildness in her life. She has always had an outlet, a tame one so far; poetry. She attends readings in San Francisco and, on the night of the story, after a reading, she finds herself the object of intense sexual attention of two well-known San Francisco poets.  The poets are a pair of smooth-tongued, sexy rogues well practiced in the art of seduction and ménage with women like her who they immediately recognize, she says, as “caged, desperately seeking poetry in her life, ready for anything”. She does, in fact, throw all caution to the wind.

When the poets start putting their hands on her in the dark of Vesuvio's, a famous San Francisco saloon, the narrator tells us: There was a point at the beginning of the proceedings in Vesuvio's when certain thoughts tried to stop me from doing what I was apparently determined to do that night: “This isn't you. You don't do things like this. You're a responsible person who has to get up early tomorrow morning to teach the wonderful first graders who love you so much.  Why are you letting it happen?” But in almost no time at all, I had to admit that many things about my life were false and that this crazy thing felt like one true thing at last.

Their fooling around manages to get the three thrown out of Vesuvio's and then they adjourn to the woman's car and her apartment for a no holds barred, scorching and ravaging, poetic and very naughty, all night ménage, a night the teacher and the reader will never forget.

Kim Faulks and Eden Connor share their Chit Chat and All That!

Welcome once again to our weekly Chit Chat and All That! Today we have for your reading pleasure the erotically edible Eden Conner and the kinky Aussie, Kim Faulks. 

Eden and Kim are going to be discussing the characters in their books and what gave them inspiration to put these characters to paper.

So grab your drink of choice, pull up a seat and get comfortable, while you read Chit Chat and All That!

Eden: So, Kim, I hear you like furry men, really furry men. What's up with that?

Kim: Well, we tried waxing and to be honest, Grimm wouldn't stop howling when the first strip came off - guess they aren't as tough as I thought. Veet was costing me freakin' fortune... so hairy it is.

Eden: These guys sound very hairy. I prefer a man’s hair be on his chest, arms, legs and the tender triangle only; head hair optional. I do like a sexy bald guy from time to time. Tanner, the guy I'm writing now, is a Marine, and he keeps his buzzed. His years of Physical Training for the military has him hard as a rock, too.
Why is Grimm so furry, Kim?

Kim: Well , Tanner sounds real nice. It would be a nice change not to pick the hair out of the drain after Grimm showers each day. Well, Grimm is a Lycan, the last of his kind and a big pain in my arse. Don't even get me started. What was that Eden, you want to know? Mind if lay back on the couch, this may take a while.

Eden: Make yourself comfortable. Even if it’s not my house. 

Kim: He doesn't help around the house, except for emptying the fridge on a daily basis, poor Harmony (she's the Vampire) all she seems to do is go shopping and try to calm the rest of The Family down after Grimm stirs the shit and sits back to watch the fireworks. If he wasn't such a good goddamn fighter, I'd have kicked his sorry arse out by now. 

Gee, thanks for letting me rant - that feels much better.

Eden: Tanner's the epitome of the emotionally-unavailable male, but he might have met his match in Tori, the Navy psychologist who blows his undercover mission to smithereens. Tell me, does Harmony ever pull Grimm's tail?

Kim: Well, it definitely sounds as though Tanner has his work cut out for him. Nothing like a strong female character that calls the shots.

Harmony is what you would call the peacemaker. She's from one of the high society families and given her upbringing she tends to put everyone else's feelings and wellbeing before her own. Poor thing, hasn't she learned by now that you don't get between a 6'7 140kg Lycan and a 5'3 50kg Goddess called Kali? It's gonna be messy... (clean up in aisle 5. I REPEAT - CLEAN UP IN AISLE 5!)

Eden: I do tend to write strong female characters; women who can handle their own lives, and still put a big, strong man on his knees. I write contemporary erotic romance, probably because I'm a people-watcher and a psych major. I also have two grown children, one male and one female, and I have had the pleasure and pain of watching their real-life romances as they unfold.

What drew you to writing paranormal romance, Kim?

Kim: Your world sounds beautiful and contented Eden and we share the same path as mothers. I have two teenagers; one boy, one girl and I am very fortunate to have them in my life.

I have always been drawn to the darker aspects of the psyche and Paranormal was such an easy genre for me to slip into. I am more of a darker, edgier writer who loves a combination of romance/thriller and horror. You could say I'm a Bram Stoker girl through and through.

Eden: I took up writing erotic romance after my kids both left home. I read paranormal. I can't wait to read Grimm's tale. My muse seems to be drawn to strong female characters. She wants us to tell stories that could happen to any woman tomorrow, I suppose. I've been widowed for a decade now, but I was madly in love with my husband, and that love got us through some tough, tough times as he was a quadriplegic for the last three years of his life. I learned then that tough times don't last, but tough people do. My female characters are usually going through a hard time as we meet them, and I can only hope that my readers can identify with their struggles, both in their lives and in their bedrooms.

Kim: Ah, for me too; you see Grimm is only a secondary character in my story. The real heroes are Eve and Adley. Eve is a heavily young pregnant woman, on the run from a vicious killer that wants her and her baby dead. Adley Scott is a broken down detective that is on the trail for the same killer - the child murderer Edric Hasting. The story is about the resolve that a mother has, overcoming it all to protect those she loves, for there is a prophecy that neither is aware and it will force them into a world that neither understood existed. Until now.

Like your life, Eve's story is one of sacrifice and hard times, but it is those moments of pure joy that will keep her going, doing whatever it takes for those she loves.

Eden: I’ve been hooked on strong female characters that overcome obstacles since I first met Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. I was eleven when I borrowed that book from the library. For days on end I read, even with a flashlight under the covers after my mom sent me to bed. I got to the last page, and someone had torn it out! I threw such a fit, my mom drove me back to the library so I could find another copy and read the last page.

I live in the southern United States, in South Carolina. Most of my stories are set in this area, although I did have a short story in NNP Christmas anthology which was set in New York City.  Where are you from, Kim?

Kim: Well Eden, I'm from a coastal town in Queensland, Australia. I must say we seem to share the same fondness for a strong female lead. There's just something about the underdog that makes you want to stand with them in their corner and fight their battles with them. That's why I tend to hurt my female characters, make them flawed in some way, but strong and able to come out swinging, you know what I mean?

Eden: I do indeed. That’s the magical thing about our profession. You can take me into a werewolf’s heart and mind, and I can teach you the proper use of the word y’all, and that you can say anything you like about a person, so long as you follow it up with ‘bless her heart’, at least here in the south.

Eden: I enjoyed our chat, Kim.  It was fun getting to know you better.

Kim: Thank you Eden, and you too. I've enjoyed our chitchat together; it has been a cozy little trip.

Unedited excerpt by Kim Faulks:

The restaurant was to be their last stop for the day and Natalie was glad for it to end, the endless staring from Mr. Ash was getting on her nerves, his body, his eyes entered her thoughts even though she tried her best to block them out. They passed through the doors and packed tables filled with diners that signaled to her that it was dinner and she hadn't eaten all day, when a man stepped out from the hall dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. He lifted his hand and pointed behind her. Her gaze was drawn instantly to the reflection of the lights as they bounced off the stainless steel of the gun that at this moment was pointed directly at her client.
She was too close to draw her own gun and the split second decision backed up with years of hard training told her the only thing she could do was rush to him.
She crouched low so that she could whip her arms up and flew towards him. He didn't notice her at first, dismissing her dress jeans, heels and buttoned jacket. Just another customer in a busy restaurant, well he was wrong.
Her hand wound around his wrist and she squeezed, while her other arm pushed on his upper arm where it joined at his shoulder. She whipped him around with the natural movement of her waist and pushed him down to the floor so his face ate the ground with a thud. His hand with the gun was extended upwards, sticking out like a broken wing. She squeezed tightly, grinding the bones of his wrist until she heard the unmistakable crunch of fracturing bones. The gun fell from his gasp as the attacker howled into the floor with pain, but he turned on her, opening his mouth to bite into her hand. She stepped to the side, swiftly bringing up her foot and pressed down on his neck.
She could hear the crack of teeth as the enamel gave way to hard concrete floor and brute force, then she let her foot ease. He would think twice about biting her again next time. You never knew who carried what now-days, diseases and infections were everywhere and a woman in her position had to be careful where her body was concerned. Without her health, she had nothing. Blood splattered the ground in front of her as it poured from both his nose and his mouth, the gurgle and his howling of pain was deafening.

With Love, Valentine's Day Blog Hop ~ win a copy of Love, Creativity & Magick or Campus Sexploits or Spontaneous Liaisons

We asked several authors at Naughty Nights Press what Valentine's Day meant to them and we found that, for those fortunate enough to have a loved one to share it with, it was a reason to have a day of extra special gifts, dinners out, loving cards & flowers to give their special someone – A day to show their appreciation of their mate.

We also found that many felt it was more a day of reflection, of looking back and realizing how they could make things great every day of the year for someone rather then only one day.

So, our consensus on Valentine's Day: When you have that special someone, show them how much you care every day.  Share the love, the gifts, the romance and the thrills every single day of the year. Show them that you value & appreciate the gift they've given to you...their love & acceptance.

And for the rest of us, plan for those days to come when you do meet a person you can share it with.

Until then, why not get lost in the love created for you, the worlds of our characters in a great Valentine's Day read.

Hey, we've got just the perfect one to start with too!

Love, Creativity & Magic - A Steampunk Valentine's Day Tale by Kiki Howell

Or

For those looking to crawl into the kinky antics of the lives of some college students instead, we have Campus Sexploits - A Naughty Nights Press Anthology with four super sexy stories, by some incredibly talented authors, sure to get your motor running.

                                          Or 

How about a curling up with your other half and six "Spontaneous Liaisons" to wet the whistle, get the inner fires burning and perhaps even leave readers thinking of their next quick encounter.

These sizzling, to-the-point, erotic rendezvous are each a perfect read for busy people on the go. 

Enter for your chance to win your copy of one of these by identifying our feature Author of the week.  (Hint: See our Specials page)

Then simply email your answer to contest@naughtynightspress.com

Winners will be notified by email on or before February 17!

To win more exciting and special prizes, please click on Cupid where you will be whisked away to choose from over 250 blog sites, all of them offering something unique and tempting. 

The With Love, Valentine's Day Blog Hop, has been organized by Drea Becraft of the The Blog Hop Spot.

You can purchase a copy of Love, Creativity and Magick through All Romance E-Books, Amazon or Smashwords.

You can purchase Campus Sexploits through All Romance E-Books, Amazon and Smashwords.
You can purchase a copy of Spontaneous Liaisons through All Romance E-Books, Amazon and Smashwords