Good morning! Please welcome guest author Janet Mullany. Though I will be away for most of the day, please feel free to leave comments for Janet and I will post them as soon as I return. Thank you!
~Kate
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Neither. I usually start off by thinking I’d like to write a book about … something or other. For A Certain Latitude it was a book about the British abolition movement, inspired by Adam Hochschild’s book Bury the Chains. Then I come up with a character doing something, a sort of visual flash. In this book it was the heroine, Clarissa, bundled up for cold weather and with a stocking falling down, although at that point she wasn’t on a ship, which is where she is now at the beginning of the book. From there, I’ll start pulling in characters and writing around and about until I can see a direction.
When you’re writing, who is more in control, you or your characters?
Me. Always. But if you asked me which of my characters I thought I was, for any book, I’d answer “all of them,” which is pretty embarrassing. Even when my characters do something unexpected, I realize the intention was there all along. It’s really quite wonderful when a trivial detail (or so it seemed at the time) suddenly assumes significance, because you know then that it’s working. And that’s a terrific feeling!
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
To be honest, my main problem is finding other things for the characters to do! I think it’s very important to show the “real world” that’s out there–sure, you can have characters playing games at sex clubs, but when they come home someone has to take out the trash. (I don’t think that’s a metaphor.)
What do you feel are some of the pros and cons of epublishing?
I pretty much always wrote what I wanted for conventional publishers, so I don’t feel that my creativity was stifled in any way, although since my books don’t fit into a conventional niche, marketing was always a problem. Now I have a much larger investment in my work since I, and not a publishing house, must pay for production, which is quite an incentive to market my books effectively. A Certain Latitude cost me about $1,000 to put into production and do some preliminary marketing, and that doesn’t even count my hours of work. So I have quite a bit of selling to do (I won’t bore you with the actual numbers but you can figure them out) and I’m on a steep learning curve. I think there is far too much emphasis in self-publishing on quantity over quality, and that, I feel, stifles creativity. You can drive yourself insane by fretting over numbers and promotion and all the rest of it and it’s almost as though the writing takes a back seat, and it shouldn’t.
What do you like best about writing menage?
I thought I’d better answer this since I have menages in my books. I’ve been told I don’t do them right. I think they should be hot, funny, moving, sad–not some sort of idealized sexual fantasy where everything works beautifully. I like to use menages for conflict and there’s a lot you can do with three people where the relationship works at a physical level but not necessarily at an emotional level. I also think that the relationship or situation before the menage is very important–how did they get there, and where are they going after? I don’t like characters to exist in a vacuum of passion. Someone has to take out the trash, after all.
What do you like best about writing erotic romance?
I like to write books for and about grownups. So there is sex.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
A Certain Latitude is a historical hot romance set in 1800. Clarissa Onslowe seeks to redeem herself with her estranged abolitionist family by publishing an account of slavery on the island dominated by powerful estate owner “March” Lemarchand. She doesn’t anticipate falling in love with him, or becoming involved in a triangle with the restless, lusty Allen Pendale, who is on a quest for his own identity. On the island where sugar rules love isn’t always sweet and nothing’s more bitter than falling in love with the one who can’t love you back.
What are you working on now?
A Certain Proposition, about the characters from A Certain Latitude seven years later. It’s about a couple who have been very committed to a cause that’s now won, and have also begun to feel that respectable domesticity maybe isn’t quite enough. So it’s about a seven-year itch, and a last chance at a sexual adventure.
Do you have a favorite character or characters you feel especially close to?
Adam Ashworth in Dedication, the first book I published. Older, beautiful hands, snarky, tends to cry a lot. (Well I think it’s sexy. All of my heroes burst into tears throughout the books.)
Would you share one of the sexiest or most romantic lines from one of your books?
This is from Improper Relations when the heroine realizes she is in love with the hero:
So this is love, this need to shelter and find shelter; to be with the one person of whom you will never tire and whose infinite quirks and thoughts and actions become a part of yours.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I don’t read very much romance. I probably don’t read enough because quite often I’ll come up with what I think is a brilliant original idea and find it isn’t, but I think in genre fiction it’s not about the ideas, it’s about the execution. Readers want the familiarity and a certain amount of playing around with the tropes. I write romance because I like to play around with the tropes a lot, and I like the idea of books that have the potential for a wide readership. Georgette Heyer got me started, although now I find myself reading her with a very critical eye. Books I read recently and loved include Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel and Longbourn by Jo Baker, and I read Austen a lot. For me it all comes back to Austen. I like mysteries, too.
Where can we visit you online?
I blog, usually on Thursdays, at RiskyRegencies.com
Thanks for having me visit!
Excerpt:
Eyes almost shut, Clarissa slowed her breathing and decided to enjoy the sight of Mr. Pendale preparing for bed.
He sat on his box of belongings, which Clarissa had asked Peter the ship’s boy to move into the cabin, along with the bootjack. He eased off his boots and tossed them onto the upper berth, stood, stretched and hit one hand against a beam. Swearing softly under his breath, he stripped off his coat and waistcoat. In his shirtsleeves, he paused, face thoughtful, and untied his neck-cloth, drawing the creamy length of cotton from his shirt, and lifted one hand to unfasten the placket. A curl of black hair, similar to the dusting of hair on his hands and forearms, became visible as he undid the buttons.
She wondered if he intended to sleep in his shirt, and her question was answered when he stripped the garment off over his head, hunching his back, arms outstretched. With a shiver of delight she saw his chest, as dark-pelted as that first curl of hair had promised, the slick of hair under one arm as he stood over her to throw his shirt onto his berth. His stockings were good, serviceable gray wool, gartered with plain black ribbon, and she shut her eyes again expecting him to bend to remove them.
Instead he moved away—she felt his warmth retreat—and through half-closed eyes, she watched him rest one foot on his box of belongings, lean over, and pull at the black ribbon, drawing the knot untied with great care. He shook the ribbon out, stuffed it into his breeches pocket, then bent again to roll the stocking down and off. He stumbled a little as the ship dipped and stood, knees slightly bent, the bone of his bared shin sharp in the lamplight, swaying with the movement. She’d never seen a gentleman’s bare foot before, and it was somewhat disappointing that his was like anyone else’s, but broad and strong like the rest of him. His skin glowed gold; he sighed and scratched his chest while his other hand lowered to the fall of his breeches. His hand lingered, resting as though pointing the way to the noticeable masculine bulge, before he unbuttoned the top button on each side, and his breeches slid a little onto his hips. More golden skin, the dark eye of his navel, were revealed as the flap fell forward.
Did he know she watched? Was he performing for her? She squeezed her thighs together, tingling and aroused.
He lifted the other leg, bent, repeated the untying, rolling down, and tossed both stockings onto his bed.
His breeches now; another button loosened, a further slide down his hips, and he paused.
He reached for the lantern as the fingers of his other hand worked the next button. The cabin plunged into pitch darkness and his breeches slithered down—she heard the rasp of wool on skin. There was a warm gust of air from his body, scented with his musk and sweat as he hoisted himself onto the upper berth—and she took a much-needed breath.
Contest
To enter the following contest you must be 18 or over.
To enter for the chance to win a free download of A Certain Latitude, either Nook or Kindle, post a comment below. The contest will end three days from this original posting date.
Thank you, Janet!
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Janet,
i think the number one reason why i LOVE your books is your heroes!! I was so touched when Inigo cried for his sick baby boy, and how Mr. Bishop cried after delivering Charlotte’s baby (i loved that whole scene, really!).
this is a very interesting interview you did! you are truly a gifted writer!
I want to thanks kate for having Janet,I did not know about her book Janet your cover is really lovely you choice a nice blue do you paint or take picture . That make to want to know more about the book.
I really enjoy reading the excerpt I wish you Kate and Janet a wonderful week hope you start shopping for the Holidays please count me on for the contest, mannouchkalegendre@gmail.com I wish you all good luck
Have a nice week and good luck on all your books
Cheers
Mannouchka
I do love the emotion your put into your books. I enjoyed reading the interview. A thought of thought went into the answers. Enjoy the holidays.