Felthouse is the creator of Erotica for All, a website for readers, writers, and everyone in between! She is currently collecting stories for an upcoming anthology, Uniform Behavior. Interested in submitting a sexy story about someone in uniform? Check out the Call for Submissions page on her website.
Ms. Felthouse, welcome to Indigo Skye: Ink and Art!
Q: When did you first decide to try your hand at writing erotica?
A: I didn’t decide. I was dared to do it. It was during a conversation at University. I decided to go for it, went home and wrote the story, then showed it to the person that dared me a few days later. It went down incredibly well, and I’ve never looked back.
Q: I understand you wrote your dissertation on erotic literature, and women’s roles in that genre. Care to comment on the changing trends and roles in erotic literature in the new millennium, especially since the advent of Kindle and other eReaders?
A: My dissertation is a few years old now, but summing it up I was basically saying that social attitudes have changed and relaxed and therefore it’s become more acceptable to read erotica. Not only that, it’s become more acceptable to admit to it. Of course, I still don’t think it could be classed as mainstream but the genre is continually growing and that’s for one reason, and one reason only: people are buying it! I think eBooks will help this increase further. Previously, to read erotica you had to either read it on screen or have a physical book. Now, you can load as much erotica onto an eReader as you like, then go and sit in a café, or on the train reading it. Nobody will be any the wiser as to what you’re reading, and you can be smug in the knowledge that you’re reading something naughty in public!
Q: Sounds like you’re a real nature-lover. What inspired you to write The Great Outdoors?
A: Well, the old adage says ‘write what you know.’ I spend a lot of time outdoors, walking and visiting places, and I really enjoy it. So for this reason I think it’s only natural that places I see will inspire me to feature them in stories. Sometimes the characters come first (if you’ll pardon the pun), and I need somewhere for them to do the dirty deed. Other times, I’ll see a place and think ‘that would be a really great place to have sex.’ Lacking the bravery and opportunity to actually do it in some of these places, I settle for second best and have my characters do it instead! If they get caught, it doesn’t really matter!
Q: If you had the chance to meet one of your characters in real life, who would you choose, and why?
A: Ooh, that’s easy. It would have to be the vampire Dane, from my short story Shattered Resistance, which appears in Ravenous Romance’s anthology Fang Bangers. The reason? Well, he’s gorgeous, immortal and everybody knows that vampire sex is the best kind!
I’m actually planning to write more about Dane and his lover Suzy – I want to expand their story into something longer, and also cover their back story. So maybe you’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future!
Q: What’s your best strategy for beating writer’s block?
A: It depends. If I’m just struggling a little, I’ll go and play on Twitter for a while, or play a casual game for a while. If it’s major, I have to take a proper break and come back to it, otherwise I end up writing utter crap that ends up being cut back out again. I have got to the stage where I’m more disciplined than I used to be – but I know I’m not alone when I say I’m a huge procrastinator!
Q: What’s your favorite book to curl up with on a rainy day?
A: There’s no way I could pick just one! I am a huge book buyer, both paperbacks and eBooks. What with that terrible habit and the amount of books I get sent to review, I don’t get the luxury of just having one book I can re-read again and again. I’m always reading something new, sometimes I’m reading several books at once. At the moment I’m reading three – one erotica, one chick lit and one thriller. If I’m not in the ‘mood’ for one of the genres, at least I have another two to choose from!
Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the biz and leave their day-jobs behind?
A: If I had the answer to that – I wouldn’t still be working my day job! I’m currently pinning all my hopes on winning the lottery!
Q: What’s your secret little guilty pleasure- the one luxury you can’t live without?
A: Chocolate. But that’s no secret. I love me some Cadburys.
Q: Your best practices for writing a sex scene that sizzles?
A: Picking the right POV for the story, choosing a tone and sticking with it, and not repeating the same words too much. But don’t take that as gospel – I’m no expert, I’m still learning and hopefully improving!
Q: Famous last words- advice, encouragement and inspiration for our readers…
A: Just go for it. If you’ve got the skill and determination and it’s what you enjoy, keep at it. The erotica/romance community is a fab one to be a part of. Everyone is incredibly supportive and we all give each other encouragement and a boost when we need it. It’s cheesy, but it is like a big happy family.
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Great interview - Lucy's dissertation sounds like a fascinating read too.
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