Interview with Timeless Tales

This interview originally appeared on http://timeless-tales.net/TTArticleDetail.php?3

How long have you been writing professionally?
Three years.

When did you get your first story/book published and by whom?
June 8, 2001. Um, I did look it up. I don’t have the date memorized. Ellora’s Cave.

Do you currently write romantic fiction for any publisher other than Ellora's Cave?
No. I do have 1-2 things hanging out there for consideration, but they may go nowhere.

If so, is that publisher also one that supports romantica? If not, what rating do they prefer their literature to have. i.e. soft R, R, hard R, etc.
I’m not sure I should answer this question since other publishers haven’t published my stuff as yet, but of the non-EC publishers I have submitted work to--one does, one doesn’t. Neither have ratings and one would probably gulp at soft R.

How do you feel about the current rating system at Ellora's Cave?
I think it does the reader a service. What was considered “Hard R” and above when EC started has changed. Getting an NC-17 rating now requires more graphic material. NC-17 sells far better than anything else EC offers, by the way.

If you write both romantica and non-romantica, which do you enjoy writing the most? Why?
Well, I write what appeals to me. But since romantica has fewer rules and pays me, I guess I enjoy that the most. I find it very hard to write according to the rules.

Why do you think that romantica is so appealing?
Well, there is the sex, of course. But I also like to think romantica currently offers other things most conventional romances don’t-unusual plots and characters. You don’t get the expected with romantica in any sense.

What do you think of the fan response with regards the demand for new material?
If you mean the fans’ demands for constant new material, it’s both flattering and exhausting. As an author you have to judge what you can do to make your readers happy and what you can do to keep your material as good as you can make it. Pushing to yourself to write more and faster isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you can’t push yourself into burnout or sloppiness.

That said, EC has a rather unique relationship with their readers. We get very immediate and personal feedback through our reader loop and email. I don’t think most print authors have quite such a personal relationship with so many of their fans. We really listen to our fans and our fans know it-and many of them aren’t shy about talking to us.

At its best, being with the EC fans and other authors is the electronic equivalent to sitting around a campfire to swap stories and giggle with your friends. (OK, for the guys in the group, they can do manly guffaws.) I really don’t think you get that many other places.

© Timeless Tales