I'm thrilled to welcome fellow Ellora's Cave author Shoshanna Evers to my blog. I bugged her with a whole bunch of questions, which she was kind enough to answer. And when I saw that she's an advice columnist as well as a writer, I got really intrigued!
What inspired you to start writing even though you’ve had a couple other fascinating careers? (Nursing and advice columnist, right?)
Thanks for having me, Juniper! Well, I’m still working as both a nurse and an advice columnist! I work every other weekend as an RN charge nurse on a 52-bed rehab unit, and I have a weekly advice column under my alter-ego’s name. That column is hopefully going into syndication soon, which is exciting.
But I’ve always loved writing fiction. I’ve been writing since I learned to read. My love of books inspires me to write.
In your role as advice columnist, what sorts of things do people ask your advice about?
Usually relationship advice or advice on how to deal with family members or friends. I also answer health questions and use that as an opportunity to teach the community about important health issues, such as taking your blood pressure medicine even though you can’t feel your pressure being high. That sort of thing.
Do you ever get ideas for your writing from advice seekers? If so, can you give an example?
Well, I get ideas for my writing from everything around me, but in general, no, I don’t get writing ideas from advice seekers J
Can you give us a thumbnail sketch of what kind of books you write?
I write erotic romance. Most of my stuff has a bit of a BDSM slant to it, but I’ve also got some manuscripts I’m working on that are more mainstream. I write what my characters tell me to write!
If you wanted to introduce a new reader to your work, which book would you point them to?
It depends on what book length they like. Ginger Snap is a short Quickie. Punishing the Art Thief is a novella, and Hollywood Spank is novel-length. They’re all light BDSM, or in other words, they’ve got a little spanking and bondage mixed in with the love story.
Is there a genre you’re afraid to tackle?
I don’t know if I’d say I’m afraid per se, but I’m a happy camper writing romance, so I plan on sticking with that. Someday I may write a non-fiction advice book based on the column, or a kid’s book so my son can read something I’ve written. But not now. Now I’m focusing my efforts.
What’s the biggest learning curve you’ve faced in your writing career?
When I look back at old manuscripts (like from ten years ago) I am able to easily spot why they didn’t sell. My POV is all over the place and every other sentence has an exclamation point. That’s one thing I’ve had to learn how to reign in.
I'm a little overfond of exclamation points myself? What kind of books do you like to read?
I read everything. If I don’t have a book in front of me at breakfast I’ll read the cereal box. I love romance, especially erotic romance, and especially BDSM erotic romance. I also love How-To books and financial planning books, I love stories of survival, and I love Stephen King. I’m a diverse reader. Oh, and I love books about how to write books, lol.
What do you think of the current state of publishing – what does the future hold for epubbed authors?
I’m just going with the flow and trying to make a living as an author, however that happens. I do have a story in a Berkley Heat (Penguin) anthology coming out December 6th called Agony/Ecstasy, edited by Dear Author’s Jane Litte. So as much as I love epubs, I’m excited to be with a big NY pub too.
What project are you working on at the moment?
I’ve got a few up my sleeve. I’ve written a full length post-apocalyptic erotic romance and I’m testing the waters to see if an agent might want to represent that for me. I’m also writing a novella for Ellora’s Cave for a new series that’s sort of hush-hush right now J Later this year I’ve got Taste of Candy coming out with The Wild Rose Press and Chastity Belt coming out with Ellora’s Cave, and Agony/Ecstasy with Berkley.
Your blog is called "The Writer's Challenge." What is that about?
Write 1000 words a day - that's about 4 manuscript pages - every day, come hell or high water, until your novel is written. Then get an agent. Then get it published.
If you write 1000 words a day, that's 365,000 words a year. Even if you skipped over two months in days, you'd still have written 300,000 words—that's like three 100K novels. If you write one full length novel to sub to an agent, let's say it's about 80 or 90K, and then write some novellas for e-publishers, you can write about six or seven 25K+ novellas in addition to your full length book.
I have tons of info for writers and authors at my blog.
Thank you so much for stopping by today. One last thing. Can you share a favorite excerpt with us?
Absolutely! This is from my new Ellora’s Cave BDSM erotic romance, Hollywood Spank.
An Excerpt From: HOLLYWOOD SPANK © SHOSHANNA EVERS, 2011
Mark stepped quietly into his trailer and placed his script on the little desk. The sight of the slender, beautiful young woman lying on his cot caught him off guard and he swallowed a gasp of surprise. His new personal assistant.
Despite how busy they’d had him in the last couple of hours, Mark had been unable to get Andrea off his mind. He had almost flubbed a line, since his thoughts kept wandering back to his trailer and that amazing ass of hers.
And now, to find her sprawled out on his cot, looking so sweet and…inviting, he could see why she had proved to be so distracting.
His gaze lingered over her long, shapely legs, clad in tight denim jeans, then traveled up her fitted long-sleeve blouse, its deep V-neck revealing just a hint of the swell of her perfect breasts.
He could stare at Andrea like this for hours and never get bored. Mark wanted to pull those tight jeans off her gorgeous legs and ravish her right then and there. His cock thickened at the very thought of having sex with Andrea. Too bad he promised her he wasn’t there to fuck her…and too bad she agreed there would be no fucking.
Andrea crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him.
“Uncross your arms,” he said. “I want to see your breasts.”
Andrea slowly uncrossed her arms and actually blushed as she did so, even though she was fully dressed.
“You aren’t really experienced as a submissive, are you.” It was a statement, not a question. She had lied. It was obvious now that this was all very new to her.
Andrea gasped and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sir. I just really, really wanted this job.”
“Enough to let me actually spank you?” he asked, surprised.
“I may have lied about my BDSM experience to get the job, Sir, but I wasn’t lying about my skill as an assistant, and you saw for yourself that…what you did turned me on.”
Mark looked at her thoughtfully. “That’s true. So let me get this straight. You’re a very good assistant and you’re fully willing to explore the idea of me spanking you.”
“Yes.”
“Because it turns you on.”
Andrea blushed again. Man, that was cute. “Yes,” she said softly.
“So even though I said no sex before, if all this really turns you on, are you willing to get a little sexual?” He sat on the edge of the cot next to her and held her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“I just met you, Sir, and I don’t usually have sex with men I just met,” she said. “I mean, I never do. So, can we get a little sexual without actually having sex, for right now?”
Mark grinned. “Absolutely.”
“So I can stay?”
“Say, ‘Sir, may I stay?’” Mark said.
Andrea didn’t hesitate. “Sir, may I stay?”
“Yeah, you can stay. But I want you over my knee right now for lying to me.”
“Thank you, Sir. For the job, I mean,” Andrea said as she nervously draped herself over his lap.
He locked his legs around hers to keep her from escaping her punishment and raised his hand, relishing that moment right before he brought it down on her ass. “Say thank you for the spanking too.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“My pleasure,” Mark said. “And hopefully, it will be your pleasure as well.”
Sexily *Evers* After…
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