Writerly Wednesday Welcomes Brantwijn Serrah author of Lotus Petals.
Interview
1. What is your favorite marketing task that has resulted in a sale? I think the blog tour, which I booked with Sparkle Book Tours, was my favorite task. It involved creating lots of “special features”, behind-the-scenes peeks, and doing lots of author interviews. Within the first few days, I had some great reviews on Amazon, as well!
2. What do you like about your publisher or why did you decide to Self Publish? I publish with Breathless Press, an e-book publisher of erotica. I was drawn to them because of the variety of genres they accept and represent, from traditional sweet romance to paranormal erotica to “diablo delights”. Once I’d signed on with them, I received consistent support and encouragement from other BP authors, editors and staff; we communicate through a Facebook group and share resources, ideas, and good news. They’re really a welcoming and dynamic publisher.
3. What do you have under your bed? My kitten, Mika. It’s her favorite place. Also quite a few socks, which are a favorite “treasure” spirited away by my other cat, Schala.
4. Are you a plotter or a pantser when you are writing? I usually write by the seat of my pants, but there’s a little plotting that occurs beforehand. I don’t do outlines but I usually envision scenes for a while before its time to actually write them out.
5. Do you write in a bubble or do you prefer critique groups, writing buddies or other companionship during the process? I think critique groups and writing buddies are essential. I don’t think any author should keep themselves totally isolated.
6. When do ideas come to you and how do you capture them? Ideas most often come to me when I’m listening to music. So when I get an idea that comes tied to a song, I usually put the song on repeat while the idea takes shape around it.
7. What is your favorite word processing program and what other tools do you use, pen, notebooks, white board, index cards, finger on fogged bathroom mirrors? I like Microsoft Word, but I also use pencils and journals, as well as my Kindle, when I’m writing on the go.
Author Bio:
When she isn’t visiting the worlds of immortals, demons, dragons and goblins, Brantwijn fills her time with artistic endeavors: sketching, painting, customizing My Little Ponies and sewing plushies for friends. She can’t handle coffee unless there’s enough cream and sugar to make it a milkshake, but try and sweeten her tea and she will never forgive you. She moonlights as a futon for four lazy cats, loves tabletop role-play games, and can spend hours watching Futurama, Claymore or Buffy the Vampire Slayer while she writes or draws.
In addition to Lotus Petals, Brantwijn has had several stories published in anthologies by Breathless Press, including the 2013 Crimson Anthology and 2014 Ravaged Anthology. She’s also had a short story published in the Cleiss Press Big Book of Orgasm, and hopes to have several more tales to tell as time goes on. She has author pages on GoodReads and Amazon and loves to see reader comments on her work. Her short stories occasionally pop up at Foreplay and Fangs, her blog at http://brantwijn.blogspot.com. She can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Foreplay-and-Fangs-Supernatural-Romance/122524837769142, on Google+, or on Twitter as @brantwijn.
Blurb for Lotus Petals
Rhiannon Donovan, daughter to the vampire Queen, would rather die than be made a bride to a demon Lord. Aijyn, courtesan to the undead Daimyo of Kansai, can think of nothing more horrifying than his promise of eternal life. In the halls of the Blood Lotus Temple, the two women struggle against the chains of their fate, and find a solace in each other that could mean freedom for them both… or might cost each of them their lives.
Buy Links:
Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=2&products_id=526
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Petals-Books-Blood-Fire-ebook/dp/B00HWM7232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389943786&sr=8-1&keywords=lotus+petals+brantwijn+serrah
ARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lotuspetalsthebooksofbloodandfirebook1-1398528-182.html?referrer=5148b13c78ae0
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lotus-petals-the-books-of-blood-and-fire-book-1-ff
Excerpt
Rhiannon pulled Aijyn closer, and lowered herself over the wound to kiss it a second time. The warm arousal intensified, and Aijyn caught her breath as her body awoke to the sensation, nipples stiffening under the soft silk of her kimono.
“Here,” Rhiannon whispered, reaching up to brush the dark strands of hair from Aijyn’s shoulder, revealing the tiny, neat scars of bites past. Scars that would never heal the way the vampire’s did, white little lines and half-moons, memories of Gohachiro’s affections.
“Doesn’t the daimyo give you pain…” Rhiannon said, following their contours with light but deliberate pressure.
“…so he may turn it into pleasure?”
“Rhiannon-sama…” Aijyn murmured vaguely. One hand had dropped into her lap; the other rested on the vampire’s warm, lean arm. Strange awareness filled her: the touch stirred up the first bloom of eagerness in her loins and the pit of her belly.
“Pain is what we are, courtesan. Pain, hunger, pleasure, death. We are the undead. I am just over half a century old, more than twice your age, and I have been Sölva’s for longer than you have been alive. There are scars you will never see, all over my body: the marks of her fangs, of her whip, the cut of her blade, the pierce of steel needles. And every one of them sings when she touches me, screams when she hurts me…and it is ecstasy.”
“Rhiannon-sama…”
Aijyn realized with some dread she had made a mistake. The vampire’s touch brushed against her, terribly light, terribly fleeting, but her voice…soft, beautiful, rich, like strong liquor.
Rhiannon’s hand came to rest on the back of Aijyn’s neck. She gently pulled the courtesan closer, resting forehead-to-forehead and searching deep into Aijyn’s wide, dark eyes.
“You do this for him, too?” she whispered. “You…perform anma for him? You touch his body with such delicate affection?”
“Yes,” Aijyn whispered.
“And does it make him want to fuck?”
Before she could think better of it, Aijyn lifted up a hand and slapped her.
The strike was not a hard one. At least, to Rhiannon it would not have been hard. Aijyn’s palm stung as though she had struck it against solid rock, and she quickly pressed it in her other hand, hissing with pain.
Rhiannon did not strike back. She remained perfectly still, her expression unchanging. After a moment, once Aijyn had collected herself, the vampire leaned closer and pressed her mouth against Aijyn’s own.
“It makes me want to fuck,” she said. Then she stood, one smooth, languid motion, and retreated to her coffin to at last submit to her daytime sleep.
Buy Links:
Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=2&products_id=526
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Petals-Books-Blood-Fire-ebook/dp/B00HWM7232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389943786&sr=8-1&keywords=lotus+petals+brantwijn+serrah
ARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lotuspetalsthebooksofbloodandfirebook1-1398528-182.html?referrer=5148b13c78ae0
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lotus-petals-the-books-of-blood-and-fire-book-1-ff
Thank you for being my guest at Writerly Wednesday. Come back next week and visit with another Writer.
If I Should Die and Milk Carton People by Sally Franklin Christie are available at your favorite book-seller in print and e-formats for your favorite e-reader.