Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Guest Starring...Justine Elyot!


Today on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art, the Noble Authors Blog Tour continues with an exclusive interview with author Justine Elyot. She's also sharing a sizzling excerpt from her Noble Romance release, The Choirmaster.


An Exclusive Interview with Author Justine Elyot 

Q: If you could have a hot one-night stand with any fictional character you've created, who would you choose and why?


A: For a one-night stand, I would have to choose Mr. Collins and Mr. Bryant, the shadowy characters behind the mysterious fantasy-fulfilment agency in my novel The Business of Pleasure. Believe me, these gentlemen know what I like!



Q: What's the most unusual place you've ever done the deed?

A: On a croquet lawn.


Q: Tell me your sizzling secrets for turning readers on...


A: Well, they aren't secrets then, are they? I write what turns me on, and hope for the best.


Q: My readers would love to know more about the way you structure your writing time...do you follow a set schedule every day, or just write when inspiration strikes?


A: I follow a fairly rigid schedule that I set out a few months in advance. I try and factor in a bit of leeway for unexpected interruptions, but in general, it works well for me and keeps me from falling into introspection and self-doubt.


Q: Where do you do most of your writing?


A: In my living room.


Q: I know music is a very important element in your work. Do you have any writing rituals, or a special song to help you get started or stay excited about a project?


A: I usually have a playlist for each story, as well as a gallery of images (usually of favourite crushed-on actors) to provide that extra spark of inspiration.


Q: Your best strategies for beating writers block...

A:  I haven't had writers block since I started writing (touch wood). The more I write, the more I want to write, and the more new ideas flow. I don't think I'll live long enough to get all the ideas down on paper.




Q: Tell our readers about The Choirmaster, your sexy new release from Noble Romance.

A: The Choirmaster was a dream to write because it contained all my favourite elements - music, London, fairytale romance and lots of spanking. It's the story of a girl called Loveday whose life has drifted away from her. Her future looks grim until she bumps into choirmaster Matthew while busking in the London Underground. They turn out to have common interests in more than music...

Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the business?

A: Keep writing and don't assume rejection means your story won't sell. There are so many markets for romance and erotica now, and the publishing world is wider open than ever, with the growing popularity of e-books and self-publishing. The traditional route isn't the only one, not by a long shot.

Q: Hot works-in-progress and projects you can't wait to dish about...

A: I'm writing my first ever series at the moment, which I'm excited about! Again, there is a musical theme, and all sorts of romantic entanglement. But I can't say too much...



Q: My lips are sealed! I'd hate to spoil the surprise for your fans. Just keep us posted! What's the interview question no one asks, that you'd like to answer right now for our readers?

A: I don't get interviewed that much, so there are probably lots! But nobody ever asks me where they can send the flowers and champagne. To which the answer is, my house!





Q: What's your favorite way to unwind after a hard day hitting the page?
 
A: With flowers and champagne, and a really good BBC costume drama.



Q: Your secret little guilty pleasure...

A: All my pleasures are guilty.

Q: What's your favourite book to read in the bathtub?

A: I've only ever read one book in the bath. It was The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I'd bought it that day at a bookshop in Bristol, read it all the way home on the train, all the way from the railway station to the bus stop to my house and just couldn't put it down even to take a bath. I did regret it though, because I hate soggy paper.

The Bell Jar is one of my favorites, too. I read it again every year or so. Plath was an amazing writer, and much missed.

Justine, thank you for an amazing interview! And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. A red-hot excerpt from Justine Elyot's new novel, The Choirmaster!



“You’re serious then? You’re a submissive? You want me to do dreadfully wicked and depraved things to you?”

Loveday’s eyelids fluttered with rapture. “Oh God, yes.”

“And they will be, Loveday. Dreadfully wicked and seriously depraved.” His teeth bared in a grin and he grabbed her wrists across the table top.

“Oh my!”

“Right then. Let’s see what you’re made of.” His fingers were tight around her narrow wrists, the pressure almost too much. “Let’s test this theory. Name me a name. A word. Anything.”

Loveday, remembering how to breathe, blinked a few times. “Wolfgang,” she said, finding that tomorrow’s choir rehearsal was the first irrelevant thing to spring to mind.

“Perfect. Wolfgang it shall be.”

“Shall be what?”

“Your safeword. We’ll take small steps, Loveday, don’t worry about that, but if I ever go too far for you, just say the word and I shall stop immediately.”

“The word Wolfgang? Sorry if this is a silly question – but won’t ‘stop’ do?”

“If you really do relish the submissive role, you may find that you want to pretend you aren’t enjoying yourself. Most submissives do. ‘Oh, please stop, you awful man, you’re hurting me!’ But you won’t really want me to stop.”

“Oh!” Loveday flushed crimson. “I do see! Oh, hang on.” Her breaths were deep and fast. This was real. Really real. She had to remember that. “This is just so…”

“Scary?”

“Well, yeah. But in a good way. The best way. Wow.”

He smiled and released her wrists, his fingerprints marked in red like a primitive adornment. “Push your chair back from the table, Loveday,” he ordered quietly, opening the case.

She responded without even thinking of questioning his tone of absolute authority, scraping it back over the granite tiles, lucky that the open portion of the suitcase hid his resulting grimace. “Without ruining the floor,” he muttered, rummaging.

She clasped her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs compulsively, almost afraid to look up and see whatever devilish device he might have extracted from his stores. The suitcase lid closed with a snap and Matthew stood, holding the cuffs. The jinking of the chain struck a chord of pure excitement in her heart and she raised her head eagerly, looking at him as if to say Bring it on!

“Put your hands behind the chair,” he said, behind her now, taking each wrist in turn and enclosing them in the stiff leather. The cuffs clicked shut and she was helpless now, her arms folded behind her back, any attempt to stand rendered useless by the wooden chair struts. She could tug, wrench, struggle as much as she liked, but her arms and hands were no use to her now. She had no choice but to sit and submit to whatever Matthew might choose to do to her.

“There,” he said, stepping back. “That looks pretty. But it could be prettier.”

He lifted her thin jersey top up so that her breasts were uncovered, unclipping her bra at the same time and shoving its cups up beneath the bunched clothing. Now she hung free, nipples tight in the cool air and throbbing with arousal.

“Helplessly exposed,” he said, smiling. “I think I might like a picture of that.” He took his mobile phone from a pocket and Loveday squinted into the flash, biting her lip just as a kidnapped wench might do.

“But I mustn’t leave the job half-done,” he said, almost to himself, darting forward and snatching an ankle so swiftly that her reflexes did not have time to kick out. Her legs, comparatively free, could have been used in her defence, if she had wanted them to. But she did not want to defend herself, oh no. This was all much too close to the fantasy loop that played in her head at bedtime. No power on earth was going to make her sabotage this.

She worked hard at hiding her delight as Matthew wrenched off a sock, then repeated the process with the other leg.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed cornily when he came to unbutton and roughly divest her of her jeans. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” was the gruff reply. “Stripping you down.” Her legs denuded, he went to work on her knickers, sliding them down her thighs until her naked bottom rested on the sleek chill wood of the seat, causing tiny goosebumps to form all over her body. “There,” he said, putting the knickers on top of the neatly-folded jeans. “Now you can’t hide anything from me, can you?”

To celebrate our Noble Romance Authors Blog Tour, Justine Elyot will be giving away one copy of The Choirmaster to a random commenter on this blog. To enter, simply comment on this interview. Don't forget to include your email!




Want a chance to win more author swag? Follow our Blog Tour. Prizes change every day! Next stop... The House of Elyot.


Author Bio:

Justine Elyot has been writing erotica for publication since 2009 when her first full-length book, On Demand, was the last title to be published by iconic label Black Lace. Since then she has written much more, with her work appearing in titles from Xcite Books, Total E-Bound, Cleis Press and, of course, Noble Romance. Her third full-length book, Erotic Amusements, is due out from Carina Press later this year.

Website, blog and social media links:

Author Website:
http://www.justineelyot.com/

The House of Elyot:
http://justineelyot.wordpress.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000057776729

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/JustineElyot



10 comments:

  1. Yay, Indigo, looking good! Thank you for all your hard work on this :).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sniggering at the croquet lawn comment ;)

    lucy (at) lucyfelthouse (dot) co (dot) uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love how you tie music in with your work! Great interview..thank you!

    staniszeski3824@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'll take a good BBC drama over an American sitcom any day! Hello Mr. Darcy!!

    pickpack@fidnet.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I laughed when I read the part about where people can send the flowers and champagne, very obvious answer! And I agree I love watching a good BBC drama.

    skpetal at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for the wonderful interview! I love the excerpt, and I've had The Choirmaster on my gotta have asap list since I read the blurb a few days ago. It reads so wickedly delicious. Just recently got our satellite dish up and running (it got buried under 3 feet of snow on the roof 3 months ago), and ever so happy to have it BBC back again. I missed badly! I had just started involved in series, and have forgotten the name of it..:{
    Thank you again for the delightful interview!

    Darcy

    pommawolf @ hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, Indigo, getting into the personal side of writing with this interview. Thanks for sharing Justine. I find your responses refreshing and enlightening. Congratulations on your newest release - it sounds like a interesting and entertaining read.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm so pleased to see you all here - this tour is a lot of fun and I'm 'meeting' some wonderful new people.

    Hi-five to all my fellow BBC drama addicts! I think I have pretty much every costume drama since 1990 on DVD. Darcy, if you give me a couple of details I might be able to identify your long-lost series for you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm back! Hoping to win..loved CHerry-Boy. Thanks again for ending it to me. It was short and sweet. Would love to read more!
    Mara
    marajbrandon@earthlink.net

    ReplyDelete
  10. I really have to read The Choirmaster. Great excerpt. Thanks for participating in the hop.
    jepebATverizonDOTnet

    ReplyDelete