Interview and Contest with Raymond Frazee, author of Captivate and Control

I am very excited to have with us today, the totally naughty Raymond Frazee, author of Captivate and Control.

To celebrate Raymond’s first release with Naughty Nights Press, we will be giving away a copy of Captivate and Control to one lucky reader who leaves a comment, with their email and choice of .pdf, mobi or epub.
Winner will be announced Monday 14th May and chosen through Random.org
Thanks for being with us today Raymond, make yourself comfortable and I promise not to bite...too hard *wink*

I’m going to make myself right at home, Penny.  I’m nothing if not about being comfortable.  And biting . . . I’ve played Vampire for years:  I’m used to biting.

So first things first, what can you tell our readers about yourself?

That’s a very open question.  I’m getting up there in the years; I’ve lived in Indiana all my life--only because the states I want to move to are too expensive; I read a lot; I’m a role player--D&D, mind you, not “Naughty Librarian at the Book Return” sort of role playing, unfortunately.  Oh, and I fantasize a lot.  So I’m pretty normal for a writer.

What was your inspiration for Captivate and Control?

Ah, this is going to be good.  First a little set up:

One of the things I used to do, back in the early and mid-2000’s, was write--I guess you could call it fetish fiction.  I did it sort of as a way to have something to write, because I was stuck in some very bad depression, and I couldn’t seem to get my head around anything else, like the first novel I started in the last 1980’s.  

So, I wrote these stories about women being turned into dolls and mannequins and things like that, and I’d post it up on different internet sites--and it got a certain amount of feedback.  In a way it made me feel pretty good, like I was writing, you know?

Now, go to last year . . . I have a friend who I chat with regularly.  I’ve stated on my blog more than a few times that she’s really the one who pulled me back into writing in 2011.  One night we were talking about the things I used to write, my fetish fiction, and she was curious about what it was like.  I let her read a little of it, and she enjoyed it.

However, I was like, “You know, I can do better than that,” and told her that, were I of a mind, I could write straight up erotica, and do a pretty good job of it.  I wasn’t saying it as a brag, but more as a testament of what I could do.

A few days later I told her I had an idea for a story, and that I wanted to write it, and I wanted to write it for her so she could see what I could do.  Needless to say, she was sort of . . . choked up by that.  In a way, this friend is my inspiration, and the story is truly her story.  Without the actual, you know, events in the story happening to her.

Do you base any of your characters or incidents around people you know or real life situations?

There have only been a few times when I’ve done that.  I finished up a novella, Echoes, which is a science fiction story with a set of character I developed a very long time ago, and there is one person in the story I based upon someone I know.  But for most of my stories--no, I develop the characters in my mind and give them life the best I can.

As for incidents around me?  Oh, how I would love to do something like in this story for real!  But, that’s why I get into erotica, because that’s where I do the things I would love to do in real life, but can’t.  It sucks that I can’t be a sexual Hemingway, but then I was always a little too shy for that anyhow.  Probably best to keep it on the page.

What is your favorite reading genre/s and why?

I was into science fiction very early; the first two adult novels I read were Earthlight and A Fall of Moondust, both by Arthur C. Clarke.  I read those when I was seven.

I would say that’s the genre I’ve stuck with the most, though I have enjoyed horror and some paranormal fantasy.  I’ve never been into mysteries, nor straight-up fantasies, like the Lord of the Ring trilogy.  Japanese elves, that’s another matter . . .

I like the fantastic yet possible.  I like technology.  I like people working with it.  Some things in science fiction just blew me away when I read them.  And that’s one of the reasons some of my stories go into that genre.

Do you have any type of ritual that you need to do prior to when you start writing?

I need music!  I find it easier to write when I have on music.  A lot of the stuff I get off YouTube, and then just play in the background when I write.

I find I have good times to write, and I try to set up a schedule for that.  When I was writing Kuntilanak, my self-published horror story, I’d get up, fire up the computer, get coffee, load my music for the day, and set out.  I’d always set myself to write for one hour straight.  Then I’d stop, figure out my word counts, then blog about it.  In the afternoon I’d get together with someone who was helping me edit the manuscript.  We did that every day for about twenty two days.  When it was over--24,000 words of horror from the other side of the world.  It was very sweet.

Are you a plotter or fly by the seat of your pants type of writer?

When I wrote Kuntilanak, I needed to do a lot of research up front--mostly because that story takes place on the island of Bali.  When I wrote my NaNoWriMo* novel, I spent about two weeks getting everything set up before I put down word one.

Also, with NaNoWriMo , that was the first time I used the Scrivener package to write, so I did sit down and create a card for every chapter, put a little explanation on the card, and determine when that part of the story happened.  The explanation wasn’t a lot--more along the lines of, “The Castle is Attacked,” or “Jeannette at the Train Station”.  That was it, the extend of my plotting.  So whatever went inside that card, that became the chapter, and that was pretty much whatever I thought was needed.  I only needed a few words to get the party started.

I did Captivate and Control the same way; just a quick description and nothing more.  I think one of the cards I wrote something like, “Shit Gets Real” and left it at that.  If you want to know how real, you have to read the story.

I guess you could say I do some plotting, and then make things up as I go.  To be honest, it’s rare that I won’t know the end of the story before I’m maybe a third of the way through.

*NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month

Name five (5) things that you can not be without when writing.

1.  Computer.  I can’t write long hand because I have crappy handwriting, and my spelling sucks.

2.  Scrivener.  This is what I do all my writing in these days.  It’s a tool I really can’t do without anymore, and I’d only write in Word if I’m on another computer.

3.  Drink.  This is usually water.  I find it helps to stay hydrated when I’m writing, or at least have the glass close by when I’m cranking away at something.  I will only drink wine on occasion, but a small glass does help from time to time.  I wrote about half of one section of Captivate and Control while drinking cognac, but it was a very small amount--very small.

4.  Music.  I gotta have something that will keep the background noise up.  I tend to listen to a lot of prog rock from the Seventies.  Fortunately, they believed in the power of ten minutes songs back there, so I don’t have to change out tabs that much.

5.  Pajamas.  I like to be comfortable, and I should point out that ninety percent of my writing has happens while I’m either in my pajamas, or just my pajama bottoms.  I’m like Hugh Hefner in that regard.  I used to work for his daughter, so maybe something rubbed off.

If you were told you could only bring three (3) people with you and begin a new life on an uninhabited planet, who would you bring with you and why?

First, I’d grab my daughter.  Just because she’s my daughter.

Second . . . a friend, likely female.  No names, please.

Third:  Neil deGrasse Tyson.  Dude knows science.  We’ll figure out the engineering later.

Do you research your scenes or act them out to make sure they work?

I do a little of both.  When I was working on my NaNo Novel, I had one scene in the story where I was trying to describe an alternate Chicago from the tip of Navy Pier.  As I got into the scene, I started bouncing around on the Internet trying to come up with some ideas of what Chicago may have looked like in the 1920’s, and I stumbled across a picture of what was known as The Burnham Plan, which was developed in the late 1900’s.  I discovered this picture, and for the rest of the day I kept that picture up on the computer while I thought about what it might look like from my character’s point of view.  For me, that was a very interesting, and tiring, day.

As you know, Penny, I will “talk out” a scene between characters.  I usually act things out, visualizing the scene while I take on the role of all the characters.  And then I’ll act out what I think they’re going to say, see how someone will react, take that, react to it . . . I might spend an hour working over a scene like that before I start writing.  In some cases, if I know that scene is coming up, I might spend a few days on it before I get it in the computer.  It does work for me, but it helps if you don’t mind talking to yourself, and making sure you get a reply.

Where do you see yourself in five years time with your writing?

I will have a novel or two published, and maybe a few more shorter stories.  This is the year I work on getting that done.  I’m going to be 55 soon, so I don’t want to wait much longer.  I’ve waited long enough.

Have you had any weird remarks or requests from people who have gotten to know you are a writer?

Not really.  The sad part is most people who know me don’t actually seem that interested in my work.  They might say, “Good job,” or want to know where I’m at with a story, but for the most part there’s a lot of apathy.  I wrote about this on my blog yesterday (as I do this interview).  The creative types of the world just don’t get an even shake.

Now, I’m sure when I hit it big, I’ll get the, “Any chance you can write me into one of your stories?” request.  Sure . . . I need a latex gimp slave--you interested?

*Giggling* Thanks for the offer Raymond but I'm afraid I don't look good in latex, now leather on the other hand *wink*

Do you have any pearls of wisdom you have been given by someone else, in regards to writing that you would like to share with our readers?

I’ve had a few people talk to me about how to go about getting my work ready, as well as getting it out to publishing houses.  Some of it has to do with doing queries while you’re in the middle of editing--I’m actually at that point where I’m looking for places to submit a story I’m editing now, and for my NaNo Novel I’m going to edit very soon.  Another writer advised me about keeping two versions of the story I’m currently editing, and submitting one version as novel length, or perhaps submitting the shorter version and than saying, “You know, I do have this as a novel, too--”  That was actually something that happened a lot in science fiction back in the 1960’s, where a novella would later be released as a novel.

My words of wisdom are:  don’t kill your dream.  I’ve done way too much of that, and it’s hurt.  I should have published by now, I haven’t, and I’ve only myself--and my damnable bi-polar condition--to blame.  Keep at it.  Find a friend who will stick by you and give you support. Keep writing every day.  Even if all you do is write 500 words every day--hey, Arthur Hailey did that for all his novels, and this was the guy who ended up writing Airport and make enough money from that, and his other works, to be able to live in the Bahamas.  Remember:  500 words a day, Plus 365 days, equals a big novel.  Go for it.

Is there anything I have missed that you feel our readers would enjoy knowing about you?

Well, I’m a graduate of the Harvard Business School, I’ve traveled--no!  Down, Beatlejuice!

I probably punish myself more than anyone else around me, though I’m getting better.  As I alluded to in the prior paragraph, I’m bi-polar, and been that way my whole life, so I’ve had to fight that demon for a very long time just so I can keep my head above water.  I’m much better these days--no meds, so I’ve learned to cope--and while I’m not always happy, I’m able to enjoy things much better now.

Oh, and I’ve been called “One of the girls” by a few of my female friends.  Probably because most of my literary characters tend to be female, and I don’t get into a lot of “guy” things, whatever that is.  Yeah, women rock!

Thank you so much for being with us today Raymond and on behalf of the readers of Naughty Nights Press blog, I would like to wish you success with Captivate and Control.

Thank you, Penny, and I hope everyone who reads the story enjoys it immensely, and bugs me to write more!  Thank you all, and have a great day!

Now don't forget about the contest to win your very own copy of Captivate and Control, we would love to see lots of entries.

Captivate and Control can be purchased at the following sites:

All Romance Ebooks, Amazon and Smashwords

Captivate and Control by Raymond Frazee

Synopsis:

For anyone who has ever wondered, this story is a tasty treat into a small “slice of the BDSM lifestyle”.

Not your everyday book about a man meeting a girl in a bar and they hook up for a night of wicked passion and lust.

This is a very simple, engaging tale, of light/introductory BDSM erotic romance however, the story covers a lot of different areas and kinks to whet your interest.

Some may not appeal to everyone, but then again, it might just unknowingly grab your interest as you delve into the deeper eroticism behind the story.

In this story, it quickly goes from something a little bit kinky, to harder D/s play, to full-on bondage.

Excerpt:

Brielle began toying with the rim of her daiquiri glass. “My dear sir,” she asked coyly, “are you suggesting some form of debauchery?”

There was a moment of silence as Naiman considered the question. The he looked over the bar, glanced to the bartender, and when he once more turned his gaze to Brielle his smile was beaming. “For what I have in mind, debauchery is such a...crude word.”

Brielle nodded slowly. “And how would you describe it then?” She turned on her own smile. “And why pick me from all the other women here?”

“To answer the first question...” It was Naiman’s turn to lean in and position himself uncomfortably close to Brielle. He knew he was invading her space, but he was also aware that it was far easier to hold a semi-private conversation this way. “I enjoy playing with limits. Mine, yours; doesn’t matter. I like to set off in a certain direction with another person, go as far as we can go – and then...” He made a quick walking motion over Brielle’s crossed knee with his fingers. “Walk a little further.”

“And as for why you of all the women here?” Naiman crossed his leg and sat upright for a moment to work the kinks out of his back before leaning back even closer. “You’re lovely in a natural way; you sit here very poised, without trying to be the center of attention; your outfit is extremely complementary and doesn’t make you look like a fashion victim...” He ran his left index finger along his cheek as if to ponder his next statement. “And I’m a sucker for a woman in boots.”

Brielle gave Naiman a look of disbelief. She started checking out people in the tiny bar. “That girl over there,” she said, pointing to the short blonde woman near the entrance. “She’s wearing boots; are you a sucker for her as well?”

Naiman turned and closely examined the woman. “Oh, she’s nice...” He turned back to Brielle. “But are you interested in my real opinion of her, or is this simply a test to see if I’m laying a bullshit line on you?”

Brielle nodded. “Yes,” she said, an embarrassed smile upon her face.

Naiman turned his attention back to the woman, with Brielle looking on and listening. “First off, she’s attractive, I’ll give you that much. However...” He pointed as he spoke. “She’s got a bubble ass. Now, personally, I love a bubble ass on a woman...what I don’t like is that she taken her bubble ass and squeezed it into what looks like a Lycra dress that’s probably a size too small. That not only makes it look bigger, but it’s sticking out there pretty much just waiting for some guy to rub his cock against it.

“And just like her ass, that dress presses on her breasts and pushes them up, making them look not only larger, but it sticks them out there where anyone could just walk up and...” Naiman make a pinching motion with his fingers. “She’s not wearing a bra, and those nipples are just begging to be set free.

“And, since you pointed out she’s wearing boots...yes, those are very nice – almost certainly as expensive as yours. But where yours have thick, stacked heels that’ll help you walk in them better, hers are stilettos – probably five inches, too, putting them squarely in the ‘fuck me heels’ category.

“What that all adds up to is this: she’s on display, and she’s not ashamed to show it. Again, I don’t have a problem with that; it’s her body, let her do as she likes.” Naiman slowly turned back to Brielle. “I know what she’s looking for,” he said, his tone turning serious. “She wants to get off, and she’s looking for someone who’s going to get off while getting her off. If I was to go over and start hitting on her, and eventually hooked up with her, I know what I’d be getting; a body to fuck and not much else.

“You, on the other hand...” Naiman began ticking off points. “You have a very nice body. Your breasts may not be as large as hers, and while I can’t see your ass, I’m certain it’s as nice as your breasts and just as nicely presented. You’re attractive – enough said. But most of all, you’re a mystery.” He slid his stool closer before saying, “I see you and wonder, ‘What’s behind the curtain?’ The way you’re dressed, some could think you’re modest, but I know that’s not the case because you haven’t once flinched or blushed due to something I’ve said. You’re creating an illusion; you’re dressed that way because you want to keep someone like me guessing about who you really are.”

A silence lingered between Brielle and Naiman that stretched on for almost a minute. Naiman wondered if he’d pushed the envelope a bit too much, frightening her so that she might consider bolting. It had happened before, and statistically the odds were good it could happen again.

So he was very much surprised when Brielle looked him in the eye and said, “Since it would be rude to continue hiding my mystery, where would you suggest we ‘part my curtains’?” 

***

Follow Raymond Frazee at the following places:

Wide Awake But Dreaming (blog)

Twitter