Welcome, everyone! It's Friday, but even better yet, my guest today author Lisabet Sarai is giving away a copy of her novel 'Fire In The Blood' an MMF with vampires! All you need to do is leave a comment that includes your email address. Comments without emails will not be eligible for the drawing. So don't forget...leave your name and email address in the comment section and you might win!!
What genre do your currently write? And, is
there a genre you'd like to write, but haven't tried yet?
The real question should be what genre I
don't currently write! My titles include contemporary, paranormal, GLBT, BDSM,
ménage, historical, science fiction, multicultural and interracial tales. I
write both erotic romance and erotica. I have a novel coming out in May
entitled Rajasthani Moon that combines steampunk, shapeshifter, ménage, BDSM,
Bollywood, and Rubenesque subgenres in a single book!
I like variety in my reading, and I feel
the same about my writing. This interferes a bit with my establishing a
recognizable brand, but there's nothing I can do about that. If I were required
to write in the same genre all the time, I'd probably stop writing completely.
With regard to a genre I haven't tried, I
recently started wondering whether I could write a sweet romance–one without
explicit sex. I think that would be a real challenge for me!
Many authors use a nom de plume, and they
may use one opposite to their own sex. Do you think an author's sex or sexual
orientation should dictate what genre they write?
Definitely not. I write M/M fiction under
my recognizably female pseudonym. If that bothers readers–well, I just don't
care. I think that's a very narrow-minded perspective. I have enough trouble
managing two identities–my writing identity and my real world identity. Adding
different pseudonyms for different genres would just be impossible!
Meanwhile, I believe that sexual
orientation is a continuum rather than an absolute, and human beings have
common desires and fears regardless of whether they are straight, bi or gay. I
find writing M/M or F/F fiction just as easy as M/F, because I am focused
primarily on emotions and relationships, not actions.
I've had gay men praise my M/M stories as
genuine and believable. I really value the compliment.
Some authors have issues with character
development, writer's block, plot summary etc. What is the biggest challenge
you face when writing? How do you overcome the problem?
One of the aspects of writing I find most
difficult is conveying action. I tend to live in my characters' heads more than
their bodies, so I have to remind myself to describe what they are doing, as
well as what they are thinking and feeling. Also, action is often a very
effective as a tool to communicate emotion. I need to learn how to exploit this
with greater skill.
How do I overcome this? I guess I have to
remind myself, as I'm writing, to pay attention to this aspect of the story.
It's a question of practice. I suspect I'm better at this now than I was four
or five years ago.
What has been the single most successful
marketing tool you've used to date?
Measuring marketing success is quite
difficult. Tying that success to particular activities is even more so. I do a
lot of blogging, both on my own blog and as a guest, and I run frequent
contests and giveaways. I use the contests as a mechanism to increase the size
of my mailing list. I have over two hundred readers on that list now, added one
by one over time.
Another thing I emphasize is networking
with other authors. I encourage them to visit at my blog and vice versa. Since
each author has a different set of readers, we each gain exposure this way.
I've done a few blog hops – including one I organized at the beginning of the
year with Jennifer Wright – and this is a kind of supercharged networking
process (though pretty exhausting!)
What are you currently reading?
In the erotic realm, I'm reading the
succubus anthology Seductress edited by D.L. King. It includes some great
stories, although I think the theme is a bit constraining. As I noted above, I
like variety. I'm also about halfway through Jonathan Lethem's The Fortress of
Solitude, a novel about a white boy growing up in predominantly black Brooklyn
in the 1970's. Lethem is one of my favorite authors, ever since I read his
bizarre and creative scifi noir novel Gun, With Occasional Music. Each of his
books is distinctly different. This one is a bit of challenge for me, because
I'm not particularly familiar with the setting and yet Brooklyn is almost one
of the characters.
How do you measure success?
Personal success, or success as an author?
Personal success, in my opinion, comes from having work you enjoy and people
around you to love. I'm fortunate to have both in abundance.
Success as an author is more difficult to
define. I recently became aware that I was “settling” for a fairly low level of
sales. I wasn't willing to believe that I could do better. I now have a goal to
increase my monthly royalties by five times by the end of the year. Sounds
pretty ambitious, I know, and to be honest, I have no idea how I'm going to do
this. My first step, though, is to believe that I can have that level of
success – to stop sabotaging myself by setting my expectations too low.
Just for fun–
What is your favourite drink?
That really depends on the time of day LOL.
But I do love a glass of a good Côte de Rhone or Pinot Noir.
Are you a cat or dog person?
I'm definitely a cat person. We have two,
and they're precious parts of my life. I can see the appeal of a dog, as
they're more of a “participating” species. You can go walking or traveling with
them. Cats, on the other hand, tend to be observers. However, cats are so much
more aesthetically appealing – elegant, clean and refined. I shudder to think
about having a dog in my bed but our cats are very welcome.
Love or lust?
Both please! In the ideal case, the two are
closely entwined. That's what I try to convey in my books.
If you could spend the day with any famous
author, who would it be? And, why?
Hmm, that's tough. I'm not sure I'd want to
spend a whole day with any famous author. They're notoriously hard to get along
with, or so I've heard! I'd like to meet Anne Rice. I've read
almost everything she's written, including her more obscure novels like The
Mummy, The Feast of All Saints, Belinda and Exit of Eden. Her erotic
inclinations are mingled with spiritual inquiries, like my own. I'm impressed
by her imagination, her courage (writing BDSM long before popular authors were
brave enough to do so), and her ability to bring subtle emotions to life.
If you could indulge free of any
consequences, what would be your ultimate sexual fantasy?
Hmm. I'm not sure I want to share this. I'd
shock too many readers!
Website Link: http://www.lisabetsarai.com
Blog (Beyond Romance): http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
Coming Together: In Vein
Blurb:
Let's face it. Vampires are sexy. Something
about the undead stirs up our juices. Perhaps it's their irresistible power.
Even when we know the danger, we're so very tempted to surrender to their
all-consuming lust. Maybe we want to comfort them, to save them a lonely,
bloody eternity. Maybe we secretly crave immortality ourselves.
Vampires are frequently portrayed as evil
or at least amoral, viewing humanity from the jaded perspective of centuries.
Now, though, vampires are doing their part to save the world. Coming Together:
In Vein is a brand new collection of vampire-themed erotica and erotic romance
edited by Lisabet Sarai. All sales of this novel-length volume support Doctors
Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières). The list of contributors includes
erotica and erotic romance luminaries, every one of whom authors has provided
his or her work free of charge, to support the charitable aims of the project.
Excerpt:
From “Vampires, Limited” by Lisabet Sarai
In Coming Together: In Vein
He was so close, she should have felt the
heat of his body, but it was as if a mannequin was pressed against her, instead
of a living person. She could smell him, though, a sharp grassy scent that made
her think of the country and wide open spaces.
Casually he trailed a finger up the side of
her neck and circled her earlobe. A shiver raced through her, winding tight
around her nipples, spiraling down to her sex. He nipped at her ear, playful,
but hard enough to make her gasp. “As for me, you know who I am, don’t you? Or
at least, what I am.”
Lara knew what he was saying. She just
couldn’t accept it.
“Here.” Still behind her, he grabbed her hand
and placed her fingers on his throat. His skin was cooler than the air, cool
and smooth as marble. “Do you feel any pulse?”
“No―but―it’s
just not possible. It’s just a myth. A fashion, a fad. Everyone these days
pretends...”
He brought her wrist to his lips, flicking
his tongue over the spot where the veins were closest to the surface. His mouth
was hot, unlike the rest of him. A violent shudder of desire rocked her body. “Close
your eyes,” he murmured.
I should call off this farce now, Lara
thought, but she obeyed anyway. Something pricked at her flesh where he held it
against his mouth, the tiniest sting, hardly deserving the name pain. Then
there was heat, and a pulling, not at her wrist but somehow at her heart, which
leaped up in response and began to pump at twice its normal rate.
Red flooded the space behind her eyelids,
scarlet, crimson, three-dimensional eddies of color like billowing clouds. A
brief icicle of fear stabbed at her, then melted as warm, sweet pleasure flowed
through her limbs. Her nipples, her pussy, everywhere there was this hot, wet
current, aching and yet somehow not urgent.
“Relax,” he whispered. “Let go.” She heard
his voice, coming from a long way off. She saw his eyes, burning through the
red haze. They had darkened from blue to empty black. She felt herself tumbling
into their depths. Some last
fragment of self-consciousness cried out for her to resist, but she ignored it.
He was too strong, his will irresistible, the gifts he offered too precious to
refuse. She let herself drift. He cradled then released her. She felt herself
beginning to drown in the scarlet river of his blood lust.
The shock of separation drove black spikes
of pain into her temples. She opened her eyes, gasping for breath. Motes of red
swam in her vision. She twisted around to look at him, in wonder and terror.
“Sorry,” he shrugged. “I didn’t know how
else to convince you.”
Purchase Link:
Publisher Link:
Thank you so much for doing the interview, Lisabet! And, what an awesome excerpt! ~Blak Rayne
Hello, Blak,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me as your guest, and for helping me to get the word out about Coming Together: In Vein.
I should mention that anyone who buys a copy of the book can also get a free copy of my short story collection BODY ELECTRIC. Just email me at lisabet --- at ---- lisabetsarai.com with evidence of purchase.
There are so many females writing M/M erotica now that I'm surprised there are any readers who care about the gender of the writer. I think initially I thought male writers would be more accurate and give me a better understanding of the m/m world, but having ready plenty of both, I don't see much difference.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I find out one of my writers is using an opposite sex pen name, I find myself studying their work with new eyes trying to see if there's anything in the writing which should have clued me in. An example is Dean James who writes several cozy mystery series under various female pan names. I never see an appreciable difference that would say this is a male writer. I would say this is true of all the other authors I've read using opposite gender pen names.
acm05atjuno.com
Greetings, Anne,
DeleteI pay no attention to the gender of the pen name. I know a couple of male authors who write amazing lesbian erotica, too.
Great excerpt! I love vampires and am always looking for new books
ReplyDeleteHi, Kaylyn,
DeleteWell - I do hope you'll pick up a copy of In Vein. It's for a great cause.
And btw - if you want to be included in the drawing (for another vampire book), please reply here and leave your email address!
I think the claim that one has to personally experience something to write about it totally fails to take into account the SFF genres; so wha'ts the big deal about women writing MM? I love that you write all over the genres!
ReplyDeleteSusan
skadlec1@aol.com
Hi, Susan,
DeleteThanks for the vote of confidence. And of course you're right. Nobody questions the ability of an earthling to write convincing aliens or immortals!
That cover is something! Thanks for a chance to win.
ReplyDeleteUrb
brendurbanist at gmail dot com
Hello, Brenda,
DeleteThe cover is by Alessia Brio, the founder and guiding light for Coming Together. I agree, it's really striking.
I love the cover! Hello, Lisabet. You know I'd love to read both "Coming Together: In Vein" and "Fire In The Blood". I follow you everywhere don't I? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMeljprincess AT aol DOT com
Hi, Mel,
DeleteI love to be followed! Good luck in the drawing! (and thanks for your loyalty)
A hot romance with vampires? I'm in! CamtheInternut(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Cristina!
DeleteThanks for taking the time to visit and read. I wish you luck in the drawing!
YAY! GOOGLE FINALLY LET ME IN AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON! LOVE THE COVER LIS!
ReplyDeletelindarb49@hotmail.com
Good to see you here, LInda!
DeleteDon't worry, I won't draw a winner until Monday.
I always remember Susie Bright saying that it's completely valid for women to write m/m, because we have the right to fantasize about whatever we damn well please. I always thought that was incredibly cool...
ReplyDeleteTrix, vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
Hello, Trixie,
DeleteI couldn't agree more. I am an equal opportunity smutmonger, myself.
Good luck in the drawing.
Enjoyed the excerpt. Very interesting cover. I have added this to my tbr wishlist.
ReplyDeleteI have some of Anne Rice's books including one she wrote under her other name. I love that there are so many different vampires that authors are doing.
Patricia
panthes.ravens@yahoo dot com
Greetings, Patricia!
DeleteI hope you'll buy yourself a copy of In Vein. I don't get a penny - all the money goes to Doctors Without Borders.
Thank you everyone for stopping by, Lisabet has her hands full making a choice. And, thank you Lisabet for the great post - love the excerpt! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me, Blak!
DeleteI plan to leave the drawing open for a couple of days. I know some people don't check their email every day, so I like to give my readers a chance to "catch up" with me.
I am a loyal follower of Lisabet's so I have been hearing about this book for some time now and every time I see the cover its a little disturbing. But the thing is I don't know if its disturbing in a good way or a bad way. I find myself loving it and then when I look at it again it scares me. A book cover that can do this is a book I will for sure read because I'm intrigued and it gets me thinking! sbereza22(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO WON. DRAT MY DAUGHTER FOR NOT LEAVING HER CARD! SMART GIRL. LOL
ReplyDeleteHEY. WHO WON?????????
ReplyDeleteThe winner was announced in this post.
Deletehttp://www.blakrayneblog.com/2013/03/the-ghosts-return-simone-sinna-menage.html
The winner was announced in this post:
ReplyDeleteThe Ghosts' Return - Simone Sinna #menage Lisabet Sarai Winner!
http://www.blakrayneblog.com/2013/03/the-ghosts-return-simone-sinna-menage.html