Good morning, sweeties! And, for those of you living North of Sixty, I hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving weekend. Ours was quiet. We did the big family dinner on the Friday, while my parents were in town. Anyway, my apologies for not getting this interview up sooner, but the author and I had a mix-up. My guest today, is a very sweet lady, and another author after my own heart, because she writes M/M, my favourite! lol So, let's get the party started! Welcome, Annette!
I grew up
in a very small town in Northern Ireland, which had no bookshops but a very
small library. Very soon I’d exhausted every book I wanted to read in the
library so I started writing my own stories so I would always have something to
read later. My family moved to England when I was seventeen, when I was
nineteen, they moved back to Ireland but I stayed in England because I’d met
and fallen in love with my future husband, John. We got engaged nine months
after we met, nine months after that we got married, we were
half-hoping/half-expecting that nine months after that we’d have a baby, but it
wasn’t to be. We’d tried for years to get pregnant, but it just never happened.
I was recently diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, so we finally had an
explanation as to why I wasn’t getting pregnant, but still no help with the
‘how’. I’d been suffering from it for almost twenty years, but was only
diagnosed a year ago, and that was too late to be offered IVF treatment on the
NHS and we couldn’t afford it privately. I’ve also been diagnosed with migraine
associated vertigo around two years ago and getting pregnant certainly wouldn’t
be a good idea with that.
A lot of
people, including many doctors, haven’t even heard of migraine vertigo, they
all assume that anything to do with vertigo is a problem with the ears. It was
four and a half years before I finally got to see the dizziness/balance
specialist who finally figured out that my problem wasn’t in my ears at all,
but in my brain. I have good days and bad days with it. On a bad day I don’t
get much writing at the computer done, it’s just impossible to be anywhere that
has flickering screens or flashing lights. For a while I couldn’t even do
normal things like be in a supermarket or go to the cinema. It’s getting better
now that I’m on medication for it, but it’s not completely gone and maybe never
will be. I just have to learn to cope with it.
Where
and/or how do you find the greatest inspiration?
That’s a
tough question. I think it has to be other books or films. Sometimes I’m
reading something great and think to myself ‘I wish I could write like that.’
Other times, if it’s a terrible book, you want to improve your own writing.
With films, sometimes it starts going somewhere interesting, but then never
follows through so on the way home, my husband John and I discuss what we would
have done differently. It might be an overheard conversation, or just wondering
‘what if’? Inspiration can come from anywhere and I don’t think I could really
pinpoint any one thing.
What made
you chose to write m/m erotic literature in particular? And, is there any other
genre you’d like to write? And, if so, why?
I don’t
think I chose it particularly, it all depends on the characters and if it was
true to them to have the love scenes on the page as it were. My erotic writing
started in fanfic quite a few years ago now, first with the X-Files and then
more recently Harry Potter. It gave me good practice when writing erotic
scenes, for the readers were very vocal in what worked or didn’t work for them.
But it’s difficult to please everyone all the time, so first and foremost I
write what I would like to read myself and just hope that some readers will
like it too. I’ve never been able to write primarily for a market, that just
doesn’t work well for me.
Which
appears first when contemplating a new project: a character, the plot or the
title?
Definitely
the characters! For a few months before I start writing any novel or story, the
characters have been in my head pestering me to write their story and they
don’t give up until the words are on paper or on the computer screen.
What’s the
hardest part of a novel for you to write: beginning, middle or end? Why?
I think the
middle has always been the most difficult, as I normally have an idea of the
beginning and ending before I start writing. It can be hard to keep the impetus
going in the middle without it becoming filler just to have more words in it.
With the advent of digital publishers and self-publishing options, there are
now more markets for novellas and short stories too. Writers aren’t restricted
to novels in order to get published.
Has your
own life influenced your novels? If so, how?
Not really,
although my future work might contain a character who has migraine associated
vertigo. The more people who hear about that condition, the better, I think.
Writing
sex/romantic scenes can be a challenge for some authors. Do you find it
difficult? If yes, how do you compensate? If no, where do you draw your
inspiration?
It can be
difficult, yes, but I find the best inspiration is to read some other sexy
scenes from other authors and see how they did it and how they made you feel as
you were reading. If you were cringing at the purple prose, then that’s
probably not the way for you to write yours. I think it also depends on what
kind of story you’re writing. If you’re writing historical or fantasy, then
sometimes purple prose might work better than coarse language. It could also
depend on the characters, what sort of language would your characters use? You
have to write as if you’re in their head. I don’t swear a lot in real life, but
if my characters would, then it goes on the page.
Do you use
a certain formula to write the sensual parts? Do you prefer the sex to be open
and bold? Or left to the imagination?
I don’t
have a certain formula as such, but I like the love scenes to flow naturally
within the story. My first M/M fantasy novel, The Chosen, was turned down from
one publisher because it didn’t have enough sex in it and they wanted me to add
more. I agonised for days over that decision, because they’d hinted very
strongly that if I did that, they would publish the book. In the end I decided
against adding any more sex scenes, because I felt they would just look tacked
on, as if I’d added them for the sake of it, rather than flowing with the
story. So The Chosen didn’t find a home with that publisher, but it did a few
weeks later with Lyrical Press, who didn’t want me to add any more sex scenes
to it. I read both sorts of books, erotic stories where the love scenes are on
the page and others where it’s a closed door. I like both and I write what
feels best for the book or the characters within that book.
Who is your
favourite character, which you’ve created? And, why?
Oh, I think
that has to be Prince Severin from The Chosen. I think I fell in love with him
a little as I was writing the book. He’s a prince torn between his duty and his
desire – his kingdom needs and heir and he’s expected to marry and sire one,
but he’s in love with a man, Havyn, who he released from slavery and is now
working at the palace as a wizard’s apprentice. Severin gets to see him every
day, to look, but not to touch, for wizards are meant to keep themselves chaste
to better channel magic. There’s a lot of yearning in the book, on both their
parts, so I think adding the sex scenes earlier would have ruined a lot of that
so I’m glad I didn’t follow the suggestions to add more sex scenes. A sensual
story doesn’t just have to be a love scene, it can be about the yearning and
craving for someone too.
Tell us
about your newest release.
That is an
M/M erotica short story, The Prince’s Guard. With the migraine vertigo, my
concentration is not what it was and I hadn’t written anything for quite some
time and knew a novel was just not going to be possible for me right now.
Prince Dashan had been in my head for a while, as had his bodyguard, Ryland.
Both ruggedly handsome and both warriors, I wanted to do something with
domination and submission. I don’t know, but I’m guessing most people might
have expected the prince to be the dominant one, being used to giving orders to
servants all the time, but in my story, it’s Prince Dashan who wants to submit
and he finds what he’s looking for in his bodyguard, Ryland. I’ve had a few
reviewers comment that they enjoyed it, but it was too short, they wanted to read
more. The ending is left open-ended deliberately, and who knows, maybe one day
I’ll revisit these two and see how they’re getting on. It all depends on the
Muse though.
Just for
fun–
What is
your favourite colour?
Turquoise.
Which do
you prefer a great hero or a great villain?
A great
hero, I never really liked the villains (unless they’re played on film by Alan
Rickman.) Is Robin Hood a hero or a villain? I suppose he could be either,
depending on your point of view.
What is
your favourite movie? And, why?
Lord of the
Rings. Yes, it’s one movie in my head. One very long movie. You really don’t
want to know how many times I’ve watched it. It became an obsession very
quickly. Why do I like it? That’s more difficult. Two reasons are Frodo and
Legolas (and the actors who played them, LOL!) I also like that it’s a film
about ordinary people or hobbits caught up in something much bigger than them.
The scenery was fantastic, the music score was magical and it was just a great
film all around. My husband tried to cure me of my obsession by taking me on a
trip to New Zealand so that I could see some of the film’s scenery in real life
and realise it wasn’t Middle Earth really. That trip became the basis of our
book, New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer, a humorous book as John tried to see
New Zealand and I tried to see Middle Earth, and stand where Frodo stood,
Boromir died or Legolas shot his arrows. In the end, John saw Middle Earth too,
but he hasn’t seen the films as often as me. He did take me one Valentine’s Day
to an arthouse cinema who were showing all three Lord of the Rings films back
to back. Now, that’s romance for you.
If you
could be anyone in the world who would it be? And, why?
I don’t
want to be anyone famous or anything like that – I just want to be the person I
was about five years ago before I started suffering from the dizziness and
vertigo. It isn’t fun feeling like you’re on a fairground ride most of the
time.
Where do
you see your writing career in the next five to ten years?
I see a lot
more short stories or novellas in my future, but I hope to be able to get back
to novels one day as well once my concentration improves.
Website
Link: http://www.annettegisby.n3.net
The Prince’s Guard
Blurb:
Prince Dashan has been used to getting things his own way, with servants to
cater to his every whim. As the crown prince, it is essential that he is protected
and he is followed everywhere by his bodyguard, Ryland. Dashan can't even head
to a tavern with his friends without Ryland somehow turning up and spoiling his
fun.
Dashan
disguises himself as a peasant one night and sneaks off to the brothel that
he's heard rumours about - a brothel that caters for men who like men. The
prince finds it difficult to admit to himself what his true desires are - he
yearns to submit his will to someone else. And Ryland is just the man to show
him what that truly means.
Excerpt:
Dashan’s
face darkened as he thought of Captain Ryland. Just because he was captain of
the King’s men-at-arms, he seemed to think that meant that he was the boss of
the princes too. Officially, he was Captain of the Guards, unofficially he was
Dashan’s bodyguard and Dashan railed at that fact. Everywhere he turned, there
was Ryland getting in his way and preventing him from having any fun. Dashan
couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his friends or even visited a tavern
without Ryland tagging along or turning up. He put a pall on everything, like a
mourner mistakenly turning up for a wedding feast rather than a funeral.
“What about
the Alradai? If there are any of their spies about, you could be in serious
trouble. That’s why Father wanted you to have a bodyguard in the first place.
You could start an international incident if you get kidnapped. The Alradai
would love to have the crown prince as a hostage. They’d like nothing better
for us to be at war again.”
“No one’s
going to know I’m a prince,” said Dashan, frowning. “I’m just an ordinary
peasant out to enjoy an evening at the tavern.”
“And maybe
a wench or two, eh?” Aniel winked at him.
“Maybe,”
Dashan agreed, although he knew he was lying to himself and his brother. For a
long while he’d suspected that the female form wasn’t where his interest lay.
Instead of spying on the maids like his brothers sometimes did, Dashan was
often to be found watching the soldiers and men-at-arms at their drills. He
much preferred it in the summer when they would remove their armour and shirts,
practicing their arms in little more than their kilts. It was strong, firm
chests Dashan dreamed of, not flowery scents and softness. He wanted someone
strong, someone forceful, someone so passionate that they forgot he was a
prince and just ravished him. The trouble was that the only person he could
imagine being as forceful as that was Ryland. Dashan scowled, he doubted Ryland
had a passionate bone in his body. He was just annoying. Dashan couldn’t wait
to be rid of him. Ryland riled him like no one else could.
No one
thought it odd that the crown prince spent so much in the men’s company, after
all once he was king, they would be his men to command and his father just
thought he was being friendly to the men who would serve him. The trouble was,
Dashan wanted to be more than friendly. He wanted much more, but the castle was
a hotbed of gossip, so there was no one he could approach without word of it
getting back to his father. He’d heard that in the lower city there were places
you could go to, pleasure houses that catered to every patron’s whim, male or
female.
Dashan knew
what he wanted and tonight he was going to get it.
Purchase
Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210787
Publisher
Link: http://www.smashwords.com
Thank you so much for stopping by, Annette! All the best of success, hun! ~ Blak Rayne
Thanks for having me :)
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful to have you, Annette. :D
ReplyDelete