But before we start, let me remind everyone that Desiree's interview with Bill Geist will be re-broadcast this Sunday, June 23 on CBS Sunday Morning. If you missed it the first time around, be sure to catch it. If you've already seen it, tell all your friends! Desiree does us all proud!
Now on to the interview:
- Hi Desiree! Thanks so much for being here today. Let me start by asking you this: since the whole Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon, it
seems that erotic romance has become known as "Mommy porn". What
do you think of that term?
How can I say this nicely? I think it’s not only demeaning
but totally incorrect. Porn, whether written or visual, is simply raw sex
without emotion or any personal connection. Erotic romance is first and
foremost about the relationship. The story begins with the two main characters
and how their relationship develops. Can it start out with a sex scene? Of
course, depending on the story and where it goes from there. But the emotion,
the connection—that’s so essential. And “mommy porn?” How demeaning for women
who like to read erotic romance. I think the media coined the term because it’s
startling and attention-getting but it in no way describes the reality of the
genre.
- You are such a
prolific author, and a real inspiration for the rest of us. Would you mind
sharing a bit about your writing schedule and routine?
Not at all. I’m up early because my three cats demand their
breakfast by seven or I’m toast. Then coffee )or lately, tea) and time to
answer my email and do my promo for the day. I try to answer every email and
post. If readers take the time to connect with me I want them to know I
appreciate it. Then treadmill, shower, dress and the real work of the day
begins. I review what I’m working on (two or three manuscripts at a time so I
work from a spread sheet), check any notes I made the night before and begin to
write. I quit sometime between four and five and put my hands to bed for the
day. But not my brain, which apparently
never shuts off. So while I’m watching television and reading (something
totally different from what I’m writing), thoughts pop into my head and I make
notes. Then to sleep, get up and begin again. Writing is a business and if you
want to be successful you have to treat it as such.
- During your
interview segment on CBS Sunday
Morning, I couldn't help but chuckle when they showed the little dolls
you used to "test" various sexual positions. How important is
research to you in writing your books?
Totally important. I don’t think you can write about
something unless you know what you’re talking about. That means to me
everything from studying the BDSM lifestyle to geographic research to
information on the military to law enforcement. I don’t overload my books with
info but I want what my characters do and where they go to be true to life.
- In your writing, you've tackled cowboys
and cougars, ménage and BDSM, even co-authored (with Jane Austen) Northanger Abbey (as a Clandestine Classic). Is there any
erotic topic the intrepid Desiree Holt hasn't written about yet, but would
like to?
I have not written horror or GBLT but that’s just my
personal preference. I don’t think I’ll be dipping my toe in those waters,
although there are a number of excellent writers who produce terrific books.
Otherwise, I tackle pretty much anything that pops into my head. A lot of it
really depends on how my characters develop in my mind. Who are they? What are
their personalities? What do they do for a living? And why?
- Desiree, we
can't wait to hear about your latest book! Is there anything you'd like
share? We're all ears!
And MORE from Desiree:
So excited: MADE FOR HIM
received Honorable Mention at the annual Love Romances Café Awards!
Here’s what Night Owl reviews
said about it:
She had one weekend to convince
him she was made for him. Micah Sheridan is a self-made
billionaire who has the world at his fingertips. He can have any woman he wants
but they all seem to leave him unfulfilled.
What he really wants is a woman
who can submit to him completely in the bedroom but who is a strong person out
in the world. An equal match for him.
Enter Teri Choate who heads an
executive search agency. She’s searching, too—for a man who can master her in
bed yet allow her strong personality to flourish beyond the bedroom door.
The chemistry between them is
so explosive it should come with a warning. When a few nights together reveal
she is as addicted to BDSM as he is, he has her flown to his secluded Maine
island.
She has one weekend to prove to
him she can be the perfect submissive in the bedroom and an equal beyond the
bedroom doors.
In short, a woman who is made
for him.
Excerpt:
I’m not making a mistake.
This is the chance of a lifetime. Everything will be fine.
Teri Choate locked her fingers together in her lap, watching through the helicopter window as the Friday afternoon sun lit the waters of the Atlantic Ocean below her. A representative of Micah Sheridan’s had arrived at her condo in San Antonio at noon to take her to the private airstrip where the Sheridan Worldwide helo awaited her. Now, as they got closer and closer to his private island off the coast of Maine, as the weekend loomed before her, she forced back the case of nerves that kept trying to take over her body. This weekend was a test, for both her and Micah Sheridan. He wanted to push her, to see if she could fully match his needs as a Dom. What would he ask her to do that would show him she trusted him completely? She wanted desperately to unlock his heart, because she’d had the misfortune to fall in love with the man and that was a disaster in the making. Could she submit to him as completely as he demanded, no matter what level he took her to? And could he finally unlock the shackles he kept around his emotions to make their relationship emotional as well as physical? Commit to something long term? She had struggled for so long with the clash between her submissive nature and her strong personality. It had been a big step for her, even before she’d met Micah, to blend those two parts of her. Two sides of the same coin. The result had been some less than satisfactory relationships, leaving her to constrain her sexual activities to impersonal sessions at The Castle, the private bondage club she belonged to. It never ceased to amaze her that while she ran an executive employment agency that served clients everywhere, making decisions that involved power and money, once she took off her clothes she turned into someone else. She was sure that was the reason she’d never been able to build a lasting relationship. Until Micah Sheridan. The man she knew could take control without controlling her. At thirty-eight he had amassed a global fortune and was both respected and feared in business communities all over the world. The world saw him as a man in elegantly tailored clothing with a sharp business mind and a ruthless attitude, yet still playing with all the toys a man of his wealth accumulated. She’d done her homework on him. She was aware that this home she was on her way to was only one of many. He had a villa in Cannes, one in Acapulco, a condo in Hong Kong and a chalet in Switzerland. He raced cars for fun, skied both the Alps and the Andes, kept fully outfitted yachts at each of his villas, and never carried a suitcase because every one of his homes was outfitted with his needs. But Teri knew he was also a man of wild, untamed sexual passion whose skills as a Dom were beyond anything she’d ever dreamed. He’d never been seen with the same woman twice. They were sleek and elegant and came from every country where he had offices or did business. Those who lived the BDSM lifestyle easily spotted the submissive nature of the women and secretly whispered about what went on behind Micah’s bedroom door.
Made for Him available at: Total e bound Amazon
website: http://www.desireeholt.com/
Thanks again for visiting with us, Desiree! It's been awesome! Have a wonderful weekend, all! Nona Raines Hot Contemporary Romance Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic |
Nona, thanks so much for hosting me today. Love this blog.
ReplyDeleteIt's a thrill having you here, Desiree!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great interview! Thanks for sharing more about your work, Desiree. I read this hot little story and loved it. Can't wait to read Beyond Addiction when it comes out.
ReplyDelete