Sitting in on the blog today is Evangeline Anderson our newest Author of the Week. Most of you know Evangeline as the author of The Assignment and Dangerous Cravings both of which are available in print. Evangeline is a very popular and prolific author who writes stories across a large spectrum of M/M genres including contemporary, science fiction and paranormal romances. She has been writing for 4 years and during that time has amassed a large portfolio of books and a legion of fans.
I’m very pleased to have the opportunity of interviewing Evangeline today and I hope that putting her in the spotlight will give you a better idea of the person as well as the writer.
Hi Evangeline, could you give the fans a brief bio of your writing career?
Sure Wave. Basically my hubby was always telling me I needed a hobby besides playing video games and reading. So in 2003 I decided to take a creative writing class at my local community college. Out of that I got a writing group together and we started meeting once a week and encouraging each other. Then I found Ellora’s Cave on-line and read a few of their books. I thought, ‘hey, I could write that.’ So I did and started submitting. I was accepted by a publisher called Liquid Silver and then Loose id and finally EC.
Recently I have also branched out into Samhain and I have a book coming out with them in November called Wishful Thinking. I also got a three book deal from Kensington in NY for their Aphrodisia line but so far I have to say that e-books pay better and come out faster. All in all e-publishing is more satisfying and productive for me. And that’s where I am now, just writing and submitting on a regular basis and loving every minute of it.
You write a number of romance genres. How would you categorize your writing?
Hmm, well since I am first and foremost writing erotic fiction I would say that I try to keep it hot no matter what genre I write. I have read books that were supposedly erotic that did nothing for me. It was like the author didn’t really like to write sex and just threw a little in there so they could sell the book as erotica and make more money. I try to make sure that if a reader buys my books, they get their money’s worth in hot sex scenes. I think erotica should be so hot you’d be uncomfortable to read it with someone other than your significant other in the room and if I send readers running for their naughty toys, so much the better.
Your latest release, Red and the Wolf, was published by Ellora’s Cave on October 17th. Can you give us the 30 second promo for the book?
Sara Jensen is the local town witch in Buck Lake, Tennessee. More than anything she misses her older brother and his best friend Reeve who are overseas in the Marine Corps. But when her brother is killed in action, Reeve comes back with a secret—an ancient crone laid a curse on him that turns him into a ravening wolf every full moon.
Sara has a secret of her own—she’s head over heels for Reeve and has been since they were kids. When he comes to her house on Halloween night asking for help, she inadvertently lays a fidelity spell on him while trying to keep him in his human form. Sara knows she must undertake the difficult and dangerous task of lifting his curse. But when the wolf within him is banished, the fidelity spell will be lifted too and his love for her will disappear.
Now Sara must choose between keeping the love of her life, and lifting the curse that threatens his very existence.
I have published upwards of 30 books since I got serious about writing and started submitting. Biggest sellers include Planet X and Charlie’s Bargain, both sci fi books done for Ellora’s Cave. I think those books sold so well because readers really identify with my heroines. And it doesn’t hurt that in both books the heroes are kind of bad guys who can’t help being good in bed. Readers love to fall for the bad boy and so do I which is one reason it’s so much fun to write an anti-hero.
As for choosing, I don’t think I would ever have to make that choice. I don’t have it in me to write a book that serious literary critics would love and readers would hate. In other words, I’m not looking to write the next great American novel. If I take you out of yourself and put you in another world, entertain you and make you forget your real life problems while you read my book then I consider my job well done and that’s all I ask for.
Evangeline, you have been writing M/M books for at least a couple of years. What initially turned you on the genre? Do you find it intimidating to write sex scenes between gay men?
What I like about M/M books is that we get the chance to see men be as vulnerable as women and really identify with the characters that way. If you think about it, it’s hard and scary to open not only your heart but also your body to another person. To see a big, strong man forced into the position that we as women are put in every time we make love is intensely interesting to me. And I love the fact that the genre lends itself so easily to angst, which is fun to write.
And no, I’m not intimidated at all to write gay sex scenes. I just use my imagination like I do with all my writing. I have quite a few gay readers and none of them has yet written me to say, ‘Hey, you’re writing this all wrong.’ so I assume I must be doing something right.
One of my favorite M/M books is The Assignment with those two hot detectives Nicholas Valenti and Sean O’Brien. I know it was 2 years ago, but did you realize when you were writing it what a hit the story was going to be among M/M readers? This book is still as popular today and is now available in print here. How do you account for its popularity with the field being so much more competitive today?
Nope, I never expected it to be such a hit. As for why readers connect to it, I think it’s because it was a book I enjoyed writing immensely and it shows through in the writing. I really felt for Valenti and O’Brien and I think readers do too when they pick up The Assignment (reviewed here) for the first time (or the fifth or sixth or whatever. lol)
Wishful Thinking, your newest book is being released by Samhain in November. Can you tell us a bit about the story
Philomena Swann has it tough. She has a fiancé that seems to have lost interest in their love life, a rotten job with a boss that ought to be the poster boy for sexual harassment, and a temperament so mild she can’t stand up for herself. And to make matters worse, her twenty-fifth birthday is coming up and she has to think up a wish. Why? Because Phil and her sisters are one eighth fairy—not enough to give them magical powers but sufficient to rate them a fairy godmother from hell so reckless with her wand they all live in fear of their birthday wishes. All Phil wants is to make a wish so small and insignificant it won’t mess up her life. But after a horrible day, she accidentally shouts out a wish to speak her mind…and then finds she can’t stop.
Between telling everyone exactly what she thinks of them and trying to deal with her eccentric grandmother who’s been brewing botched love potions to catch herself a man, Phil has her hands full. When she starts finding out some startling things about everyone she knows—such as how her hot and hunky co-worker and best friend Josh really feels about her—Phil knows she’s made a wish that will change her world forever. If it doesn’t ruin her life first.
Your most recent book Slave Boy, (which is reviewed here) went to print after only about 1 month. That must have been gratifying for you. I really love this book and I wonder if you could you tell us how you came up with the idea for the characters of Haven and Wren?
Wow, it’s difficult to say how characters and ideas pop into your head. Half the time I don’t remember. I think I wanted to do an M/M book where the main conflict was NOT that the characters didn’t want to admit they were gay, but that they had to stay apart from each other for some other reason. I liked the idea of Haven being Wren’s mentor and master and Wren being so in love with him from the moment Haven rescued him from a lifetime of sexual bondage. In fact, my favorite parts of that book aren’t the sex scenes but the part where Haven finds Wren as a dirty little slave boy and buys him for 95 credits and a loaf of fresh dewberry bread. The feeling between these two characters has been a long time growing which makes the consummation of their love that much more explosive when it finally happens.
You are both an extremely prolific and very successful writer, having published 30 books in just over 4 years. What advice do you have for aspiring or new writers?
My advice to new writers is to write, write, write, and then write some more. The more you write the better you write and you really have to have a passion for it in order to succeed. And don’t be discouraged if you get rejected at first–it happens to all of us. Just keep on writing and try again and again until you get there.
Tell us one fun fact about you that no one knows
Well, I don’t know if most people know that my parents are ministers and I had a very strict upbringing. I used to write dirty stories for my own amusement and then burn them so my parents wouldn’t find them. I think the lure of the forbidden is why I became an erotica author in the first place. Thanks for having me, Wave. Big hugs! Evangeline
Big hugs to you too E. It’s been such a pleasure working with you on this interview. I really heart you and thank you for your support of this blog and I think your books rock. I do have my favourites and you know which ones they are *g*. Best of luck with your new releases.
Evangeline’s contact information
Write me at vangiekitty@aol.com
Find me on MySpace and Facebook under Evangeline Anderson
Evangeline’s website
Evangeline, I’ve really enjoyed reading your books, my favorites being the Assignment and Slave Boy. Looking forward to your upcoming books as well 🙂
Wave, thanks for another great Author spotlight. It’s an awesome part of your blog.
Thank you Lily. When I came up with this idea I didn’t think people would like it but it seems that I was wrong and Evangeline was a terrific candidate.
Thanks for the interview, Wave and Evangeline! I really enjoyed “The Assignment” and “Slave Boy”.
The Assignment is great for re-reading.
I am glad to hear that E is enjoying e-publishing and that it pays better to the writers. As a reader, I love its quick turnaround time as well, unlike paperback which takes a much longer time. Although I do love to have my favourite books in physical form too.
Hi Eve
The Assignment remains one of my favourites and I have both Slave Boy and The Assignment in paperback – signed by the author. WOW.
I’ve re-read my favorite scenes in The Assignment a zillion times. I love that book. I finally even broke down and got a print copy for my shelf. It has an even better cover than the digital version, if that’s possible.
Slave Boy was really cool too. Those boys were so sweet!
Wave, I think you’d really like The Pleasure Palace if you haven’t read it yet. 🙂
Hi Lily,
I’m so glad you liked The Assignment and Slave Boy. I have been writing more M/M erotica lately as the genre seems to be gaining popularity so look for more in the future. : )
Hey Eve (that is my sister’s name BTW but she would not be caught dead reading M/M stories or any other erotica. lol)
Anyway, I do like E-publishing better although I can’t knock NY pubs. It depends on who you get in with. I have a good friend who got a 3 book deal for 47K. That’s nothing to sneeze at. But in the mean time, e-pubs pay the mortgage so I can’t complain. : )
Oh, and how could I be so ungrateful. I forgot to say thanks to Wave for posting the interview and making me so welcome on her blog. You’re a great friend Wave and you deserve tons of chocolate and half naked men and half naked men covered in chocolate.
Lol, Hugs, E
Hey Jen,
Glad to hear you’re liking The Pleasure Palace. That one was fun to write because it’s sci-fi and there’s nothing more fun than creating a whole new world out of your imagination. Well, except for writing dirty, dirty man sex. lol
E
The only one of the lot I read was The Assignment, which was omg weird and quirky and chock full of wtf. I couldn’t get into the book til about halfway through, but it suddenly got better right about the time I was about to bury it for dead and finished very strongly. I enjoyed it much more the second time around.
Note to self: Find some dewberry bread and go get you a twink.
w00t!!
I’m dropping by to show Evangeline some lurve. She’s one of my favorite writers (I mean, she writes so freaking hot!) and I’m honored to call her friend, too. Terrific interview!
“Slave Boy” is surprisingly very romantic (and hot, of course)… what those two wouldn’t do for each other…
Emmy
I always look for your comments because I know they will be unusual but I’m glad you worked it out with The Assignment. You might want to try a Slave Boy AND dewberry bread *g*
Evangeline
No thanks needed – I enjoyed working with you on the interview.
Wave
Great review Evangeline!!
I have been reding you for a bit finally got my copy of The Assignmen,…HOt for Christmas and Fireworks!!
Going to read them ASAP!!
Jessica I am adding your review site to my review blog hope that is ok:-)
My blog is just my reader reviews and some friends:-)
http://ebookaddict@blogspot.com
Hi ebook addict
Thanks for dropping by and I know that Evangeline will be checking out your comments shortly. Please feel free to add my blog to your site.
Wave
Oops…I accidentally said that I’d read Slave Boy, but I meant Pledge Slave. 🙂
Hey Michele,
I miss you woman! can’t wait for RT 09. We’re gonna have some fun and do some catching up.
For those who like to read funny hot books (which are super hard to write) Michele B. writes the I’m the Vampire series about a bunch of soccer moms who got accidentally turned into vampires. You can find them in all your local bookstores and they are awesome.
Hugs, M!
E
Hey Emmy,
Yes, did into that dewberry bread. And as much as I love Alpha males falling in love, I think there is always room for another hot master/slave or Dom/twink type story. I’ve been working on another one called Catamite but I don’t know when I’ll get to finish it I have so many deadlines.
Hey ebookaddict–I hope you enjoy the Assignment. Hugs, E
Hi Evangeline!! Always nice to read about you :). So your parents are ministers? Lol… I’m pretty sure M/M and erotica romance writer isn’t one of the jobs they had in mind for you when you were growing up :-DDD Not going to rave again about how much I luuuuuurved The Assignment – I think you know that already 😉 – but I’ll just repeat how glad I am that I found your book two years ago that made me fall in love with M/M. Which reminds me, I still need to read Slave boy. I can’t believe I haven’t done so yet. If I’d known I wouldn’t find th time to read it before my trip, I’d have waited for the print version. Congrats on that print by the way! I think it’s a confirmation of your success when one of your e-books goes to print, especially that quickly. Big hugs! And thnaks to Wave for another great interview *g*.
Hi Mary
Thanks for coming by and checking out Evangeline’s interview. We can’t stop raving abut The Assignment and maybe Slave Boy will be the next big thing *g*
Did I tell you that I have autographed print copies of both books *smirks*
Wave
Hey Mary,
It’s great to talk to you again. I hope you enjoy Slave Boy. It was a lot of fun to write. I am finishing up a M/F book right now and then I have to write an aritcle but after that I’m getting back to the M/M luv. : )
Hugs, E
And Wave,
You are too funny. I’m so glad you liked your autographed books. They could not have gone to a nicer person.
Hey Wave – great interview.
Evangeline – Wishful Thinking sounds very cute. I wish I could speak my mind sometimes! lol
Hey Tracy,
Yes, Wishful Thinking was a lot of fun to write because the main character, Phil, is so mild she won’t stand up to anybody. But when she’s forced to start speaking her mind to everyone about everything, she finds that growing a spine is the best thing that every happened to her. She has lots of funny and hot adventures on her way to becoming an assertive woman.
Hi Tracy
Glad that you enjoyed Evangeline’s interview and thanks for the compliment but it’s all Evangeline – I only helped.
Wave
Hey Wave,
I have to dissagree. You do a heck of an interview and none of this would be possible without you. Haven’t I said you should be an investigative reporter somewhere covering the gay beat?
lol, hugs, E