Smutketeers

Crystal Jordan: Every author seems to have themes that appear (and reappear) in their books. Tell us what kind of themes readers can expect in a Patti O’Shea book.

Patti O’Shea: I wish I had a good answer for this, but I’m terrible at seeing the themes in my own books. Maybe someone who’s read my stories can comment and tell me what they think the theme of my work is. I’d love to know.

If I had to guess, I’d say my theme is characters who have to learn to put aside their fears, tear down their protective walls, and risk themselves emotionally to find/accept love. It’s not about love making them whole, it’s about being whole enough to open themselves up to loving another person.

CJ: The first Patti O’Shea books I ever read were part of multi-author series (and they were awesome, by the way). First was The Power of Two in the 2176 series and then Through a Crimson Veil in the Crimson City series. How did you up writing in these series?

PO: Thank you! How this happened is actually a great demonstration of synchronicity. Susan Grant was talking to one of the assistant editors (at that time) who’d read my first book, Ravyn’s Flight. She’d loved it, mentioned it to Sue, and ended up sending her a copy of the book. Sue read it, liked my voice, and contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in participating in her 2176 series. I was, submitted a proposal, and was chosen by the editor to write The Power of Two, the fourth book in the series.

This led directly to Crimson City. The editor who I’d worked with on 2176 liked TPOT so much that he asked me to contribute to his new series as well. He had a story in mind for me, but it ended up not being available and he asked if I wanted to write a vampire or werewolf. I asked if I could interest him in two half demons. Chris told me to write a proposal, I did and the story ended up being Through a Crimson Veil.

CJ: How do you get in the mood for writing a book? Music playlists? Find pictures of characters? Character interviews?

PO: I have a period I call Pre-Book. It can last a couple of days or a couple of weeks depending on how much time I need. Most of Pre-Book is spent with the characters, getting to know who they are, what the pivotal moments in their lives are, what’s still bothering them, what scares them–things like this. A lot of it doesn’t end up in the book, but I also get bits and pieces of scenes that are part of the story and give me an idea what the plot is–kind of. I don’t start writing until I feel like I know my hero and heroine well enough to get them right.

During this time, I go looking for pictures of my characters. Sometimes it takes a while before I come across exactly the right person, but I keep looking until I find him or her. Even though I know them fairly well before I start this search, the images seem to solidify certain aspects of their personality and sometimes it triggers information for me that was nebulous.

My other search includes floor plans for the homes of the hero and heroine and I’ll start preliminary, big-picture research. I don’t delve deeply for details until I’m writing since I never know what I’m going to need till I’m in the story, but if there’s something I need general information on, this is when I do it.

I might or might not do character interviews. It depends on how forthcoming the hero and heroine are being with me. If they’re giving me information, I’ll skip it. If they’re being reticent, I’ll whip out my character sketches and start quizzing them.

Every book does end up with a theme song, but that isn’t necessary for starting to write and sometimes I don’t choose a song (or have it choose me) until after the story is finished. I never can come up with a complete playlist and I rarely write with music playing. If I do, it’s instrumental.

While I was finishing my last book, I ended up listening to Tchaikovsky’s ballets all day while I worked. Not because it had anything to do with this hero and heroine or their story, but because a couple of weeks earlier I’d finished a short story (Blood Feud in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2) and that hero and heroine listened to Swan Lake. I’ve given up trying to make sense of it, I just go with the flow.

CJ: What made you write romance? Do you read in the same genre(s) you write?

PO: I write romance because that’s what I like to read. When I was in junior high, I would check anything and everything out of the library, but most of the time that book wouldn’t have a romance in it and I’d create one in my head between a couple of the characters. This worked well enough until I read a mystery where I paired the hero up with a female character and she turned out to be the murderer! Needless to say, that ruined my imaginary happy ending. When I finally stumbled on an actual romance novel, I knew I’d found exactly what I wanted to read.

The other reason why I write romance is that I’m fascinated by the relationship between men and women. I love to watch my heroes and heroines change and grow to the point where they can have a future together. I tend to have characters that verbally spar with each other on occasion and I enjoy watching that, too. I honestly can’t imagine writing a story without a developing relationship.

I used to read a lot of paranormal romance–futuristic, too–but since I started writing it, I only occasionally pick up a book in either subgenre. This wasn’t a conscious choice, but one I just realized recently. When I have time to read, I’m more likely to choose a book from a romance subgenre that I’m not writing.

CJ: What’s your most unusual writing habit?

PO: I don’t do anything too unusual, but I guess the strangest thing is that I need the television on–sound muted–while I write. My first choice is baseball and I’ve even ordered an extra package on my cable system, so that I can have a game on as often as possible while I’m working. The off season is tough and I’ve resorted to QVC (which can get expensive), or if I’m really desperate, The Weather Channel.

CJ: If you could shag one of your heroes, which would it be and why? (Assuming the heroine wouldn’t shoot you for doing so)

PO: Oh, wow, all my heroines are capable of protecting what’s theirs–especially their men. This could get me in a lot of trouble. It isn’t an easy choice either since I love all my guys, but through process of elimination, I’d have to pick Deke from In the Midnight Hour. It goes without saying that he’s sexy and good looking with all those great muscles, but what tips him over the top for me is that he’s an incredible smart aleck. I love men who are smart asses–probably because my own sense of humor trends that direction–but I don’t like meanness and Deke was never mean. It was his teasing that was able to penetrate Ryne’s armor (his heroine) and get her to open to him.

CJ: You’ve been all over the world, so which trip was the most fun? Do you have a favorite travelling companion or do you go solo? (Also, if you need someone for the next trip, I’m available. Just saying.)

PO: Australia! I spent four weeks there, and in addition to hitting Sydney, I also went to Brisbane, Townsville, Fraser Island, Cairns, Ayres Rock, and Alice Springs. I held a koala, pet emu and kangaroo, saw a shark fin break the water off a catamaran I was on, and got very close to a wild wallaby. I have pictures on the marker for the Tropic of Capricorn, which I thought was really cool since that’s my zodiac sign, saw ancient drawings on the base of Ayers Rock, and watched a group of aborigines demonstrate their traditional way of life and parts of their sacred dances. Everyone I met was incredibly nice and I loved it there.

One of my favorite things–and this might show what a geek I am–but we went to a geological museum that was so cool! There was an exhibit to mimic what would happen to Sydney during an earthquake. While I stood on this moveable section of floor (which didn’t shake too violently), video screens around me showed the city and what impact the tremors were having on it. I loved it!

And I’ve traveled with a lot of people–my parents, my cousins, my friends, and yes, I have traveled by myself. (I’ll keep your offer in mind. ;-)

CJ: Who are some of your favorite authors or books? Do you have any comfort reads (which are like comfort foods, only less calories)?

PO: I call myself an Obsessive Book Hoarder and have over 5,000 fiction books. We won’t talk about the non-fiction and reference books I own. With that in mind, there are a ton of authors who I love to read, so I’m just going to list the authors or books I re-read most often. Linda Howard, Nora Roberts (especially Born In Fire), Justine Davis, Debra Dixon’s Bad To the Bone, (It’s a Loveswept and it’s my favorite category romance ever), Jayne Ann Krentz (especially Crystal Flame, one of her futuristic novels), Susan Andersen, and Julie Garwood’s historicals.

CJ: Name three of your favorite movies of all time.

PO: Speed, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I can watch all three of these movies over and over and never get tired of them.

CJ: You have a new release out this month (Huzzah!), so tell us about it as well as what you have coming up next.

PO: Edge of Dawn is the third book in my Light Warriors series about a group of magical troubleshooters who fight demons and other evil creatures to protect humans and keep their own presence secret.

Logan Andrews is the Seattle-based troubleshooter, and when Shona Blackwood is being hunted by another magic user, he’s assigned by his council to protect her. And oh, yeah, they tell him, don’t let her know that people with power exist. Poor Logan runs into trouble right off the bat and things just get worse for him when he meets her in person and realizes he’s attracted to her. Troubleshooters are trained to control their emotions, but he’s having a problem with that when it comes to Shona.

As for Shona, her life has been in upheaval since she met Logan. Strange things are happening around her and to her, but one thing is constant–her reaction to him.

I love writing stories set in this world! The Gineal aren’t all perfect and my heroes and heroines are no exception, but there’s a strong sense of honor and of doing what’s right that makes these people a pleasure to spend hours with as I write.

After Edge of Dawn, I have two short stories coming up. Blood Feud in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 about a pair of star-crossed lovers comes out at the end of September. The second one is The Troll Bridge in The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance. This is part of my Jarved Nine world, and if anyone’s read Eternal Nights, the hero is a member of Wyatt’s Special Operations team. This comes out in December.

And the fourth book in my Light Warriors series (The working title is In the Darkest Night, but I don’t know if I’ll get to keep it yet), is scheduled for March 2010. The hero is Logan’s twin brother Kel, who makes a couple of appearances in Edge of Dawn. Logan spends a lot of time worried about Kel, and in this book, the reader finds out what happened to him and why he’s withdrawing from his family. I totally fell in love with Kel and I’m so glad I was able to write his book!

CJ: Do you have any appearances coming up?

PO: I’m guest blogging in more places than I can remember right now. The best way to keep up with where I’m visiting is to visit my blog. There’s a link on my website.

CJ: Where can we find you on the Internet?

PO: All over the place!
My website is: www.pattioshea.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/patti.oshea
MySpace: www.myspace.com/patti_oshea
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Patti_OShea

*And now for some quick questions…

~Snowed-in mountain cabin or storm-tossed beach cottage?
Beach cottage, hands down! I live in Minnesota; I have enough snow.

~On men: boxers, briefs, or commando?
Ooh, baby, commando.

~Vampire’s concubine or time traveler’s wife?
I’ll take the vampire.

~Men in uniform: turn on or take it off?
I love a man in uniform and if he’s out of uniform, that’s even better.

~Blue jeans or pearls?
I’m the queen of casual. How about a t-shirt and sweats?

~Voyeur or exhibitionist?
I’d much rather watch than be watched. Maybe a writer thing?

~Flannel PJs or sleeping in the nude?
Jammies.

~Tattoos or piercings?
On me? No tattoos, but I have my ears pierced. I’m not into pain, so that’s as far as I’m going.

~Men’s hair: Fabio long or Vin Diesel shaved?
It depends on the guy. If he doesn’t look good with long hair, then he shouldn’t wear it and same for the shaved look.

The Smutketeers have the great fortune of interviewing the fabulous Robin L. Rotham, best-selling author of ALIEN OVERNIGHT! The mysterious and elusive Robin has agreed to come out of hiding long enough for The Smutketeers to have our way with her, and we are titillated and honored.
Robin’s newest release, ENEMY OVERNIGHT is the long-awaited sequel to ALIEN OVERNIGHT, available now from Ellora’s Cave. And if you want a taste of just how exciting this book is, here’s the blurb:

The last time Jasmine King was aboard the Heptoral, she escaped by the skin of her teeth. This time she won’t be so lucky. Trapped on a ship full of sex-starved aliens and out of the pheromone blocker that holds off her physical transition, Jasmine makes a desperate escape attempt…and fails. The consequences are disastrous—she’s mated to three horny warriors, and one has a huge bone to pick with her. What’s a girl to do but fall in love?
The last time Shauss saw Jasmine, the deceitful little Terran stole his bondmate from under his nose. This time he won’t be so trusting. Finally master of his own bond, Shauss names secondary mates Jasmine feels safe with…and lives to regret it. One can’t stop puking long enough to claim her. The other challenges Shauss’ supremacy by digging into his psyche at every turn. What’s a Dom to do but fuck them all into submission?
He sets out to do just that, but his domination takes a brutal turn when he discovers Jasmine’s deadly secret…

Reader advisory: Contains a female/female sex scene.


~Robin, since this is your first time with the Smutketeers we’re trying to calm down enough to handle you as gently as possible. Okay, WTF, let’s just get right down to business. Alien sex-really? Do tell!

Those poor aliens didn’t know what they were getting themselves into when they landed in my brain, LOL! First they had to get past the squick factor of anal and now I’m making them do each other. What’s the galaxy coming to?!

~Oh my! (*fanning ourselves* Or rather, having our loin-clothed houseboys do it). So-the word is that fans have been dying for this sequel. We won’t hold it against you, especially now that it’s here. But we will consider you a tease! What have you been working on in the interim?

I’ve had three releases since AO came out, and they’re all very different from each other. I originally wrote SENIORELLA for the Romance Divas E-book Challenge to help promote AO, and it was so well-received, I turned around and sold it to EC. CARNAL HARVEST was just a little farm wife’s fantasy that wouldn’t go away, so I finally got it down on paper. It turned out to be so much more than a fantasy! (Don’t tell him I told you, but there’s a lot of my relationship with Mr. Robin in that story.) And then there was BIG TEMPTATION, which was actually the first book I ever wrote. I started it in the summer of 2005 and finished the shitty first draft in less than seven weeks. Didn’t have the courage to really look at it again until ALIEN OVERNIGHT was well into the revision stage. BIG is and probably always will be the book of my heart. I still do a double-take and think of Barrett every time I see a white Suburban.

~Was the incredible success of ALIEN OVERNIGHT a surprise to you, especially as your first published story? That must have made your head spin!

Oh baby, shocked doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’m still in shock. When readers emailed me (and still email me) begging for the sequel, I was both thrilled and frightened. There’s this level of expectation that I didn’t have to worry about when I wrote AO – that was just a lark, something fun to do. Knowing that so many readers were clamoring for EO made it much harder to write because I don’t want to let anyone down. But it’s inevitable that I’ll let some readers down because I had conflicting requests, LOL! Some wanted me to stay away from m/m and others wanted Shauss and Kellen to get it on. Some wanted Shauss and Kellen and Monica back together permanently and others wanted Shauss and Jasmine. Nobody asked for any f/f, but it found its way in there and I just couldn’t take it out because it felt inevitable—the challenge was issued and had to be answered. I just had to write the story as it wanted to be written.

~Tell us what your writing process is like. Do you have any particular rituals?

If I have one ritual, it’s making myself a nice big cup of cinnamon pecan coffee with half ‘n’ half…and then letting it sit there and get ice-cold while I write. I know it’s been a decent writing day when I’ve had to nuke my coffee at least four times. Generally I sit in the living room, in my recliner with my laptop, and try to ignore whatever is going on around me. I work best in complete quiet, but I can put on noise-cancelling headphones if I have to and make the world go away. I listen to music, but usually only to get myself in the mood. However, when I’m deep into really tense or emotional scenes, I’ll let classical music or a single mood piece play in a loop in the background. For instance, with EO, I listened to VAST’s Don’t Take Your Love Away and Gary Jules’ Mad World hundreds of times each. Oh, and I developed an EO soundtrack that I listened to in the car all the time to help keep me in the mood.

~What’s up next for you? New books releases, appearances, deviant sexual experiences?

Well, obviously ENEMY OVERNIGHT releases today, and then after that, it’s anyone’s guess. I have at least four sequels that need to be written and hopefully they’ll come a little easier than EO, which I didn’t really set up well for its sequels. As for personal appearances, on Wednesday, July 15, I’ll be signing copies of BIG TEMPTATION at the Readers for Life Literacy Autographing as part of the RWA national convention at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington DC. Deviant sexual experiences are still TBD. Any of you care to help me out with that…?

~Don’t tempt us, darling Robin. The Smutketeers are always glad to lend a helping hand! So to speak…
Okay, on to a few either/or questions:

~Voyeur or exhibitionist? Both
~Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate, baby – the darker the better!
~Kinky or vanilla? If you have to ask, you haven’t read my books.
~Dirty farmer or dominant alien? I’ve had plenty of dirty farmer so I think Mr. Robin would forgive me if I wanted to try dominant alien.
~Backpacking in Nepal or lounging on the beach in Tahiti? Hmm, let’s see, hell or heaven…? TAHITI, of course!
~Mac-n-cheese or filet mignon? The filet. Nothing beats a tender piece of hand-beaten meat.
~Summer or Winter? After living ten years in Vail, SUMMER!
~Rich or famous? Rich, no contest.
~Handcuffs or silk scarves? Handcuffs—and a little police brutality to go with them.

~Any last words now that you’ve been stripped of your Smutketeer interview virginity?

Well, Mr. Robin is giving me the look, so it must be time to do some more research. *grin* Thank you for thinking I’m interesting enough to interview, my sexy Smutketeers. I hope you all enjoy ENEMY OVERNIGHT! And I’ll be picking a random winner or two from whoever posts today and giving them signed copies of Alien Overnight and Big!

Thanks so much for being here-was it good for you? We hope so-the Smutketeers never want to disappoint.
Where you girls are concerned, it’s always good for me.

All for smut, and smut for all!

And while we’re talking smut (of course, when are we not talking smut?), our own Lilli Feisty has done a fabulous video interview over on the Dane & Hart blog. You must see!
http://www.danehart.com/2009/06/25/dane-hart-discuss-lilli-feisty/

Chef Lee is trying to get his dream job. We Smutketeers all love him, one of us more than others, and we’d love it if you voted for his VIDEO to help make it a favorite with one or more of your email addys

If you do, post about it and a winner will be chosen to receive a $10 dollar Amazon Gift Certificate

Also if you want to friend him on Facebook-he is Chef Lee
Twitter is www.twitter.com/ChefLeeK

The fabulous Sasha White is here with us today talking about her latest release, writing, movies, life, and men’s underwear!

-You’ve written for a number of publishers, in different lengths and both print and e-books. Do you have a favorite story length (novel, novella, short story)? And what do you think are the benefits of writing for e-pubs? For the larger New York publishers?

It all depends on my mood. I think all lengths have their pros and cons, as well as both print and eBook. Some stories are suited to certain lengths and certain mediums. Where the things I write go depend on the story more than anything, and what home I think will be best for them.

-What is a writing day in the life of Sasha White like? We love to imagine you sitting by a blazing fire wrapped in a silk robe that’s just slipping from one shoulder, the scent of woodsmoke all around you, a glass of really good Cabernet next to you as you type away, your half-naked houseboy standing ready to fulfill your every need…Okay, we know that most of us sit at a desk in our sweats, our hair twisted into a quick bun held with an old pencil, eating too many Cheese-its….but let’s hear your take on things.

Ok, ready to be very disillusioned? I don’t write every day, or even every second day. I tend to not write for several days at a time, then on days that I do write, I do nothing but write. I mean nothing. I write, eat and sleep with an occasional shower thrown in for several days in a row when I do write. I call myself a binge writer. LOL I think about writing a lot, but when it comes to actual writing, I hermit away, ignore the phone, email, friends …everything, and just immerse myself in the story until it’s done or I’m forced to do something else.

-What is your writing process like? Do you have a daily or weekly word count scheduled that you tend to meet? Or do you wait until the last minute and write like mad?

I tend to wait until the last minute and write like mad. *grin*

-Why erotica? Why romance? And do you have a favorite sub-genre you like to write?

As a longtime reader of erotica it seemed the right place for me to start writing. I’ve always been, I’d have to say, my favorite sub-genre is contemporary. I do enjoy dabbling in paranormal and sci-fi/futuristic, but contemporary is where I feel at home.

-What sort of books do you read?

Thrillers, action/adventure, the occasional romance or erotica. I find that my tastes are changing often.

-Do you believe in love at first sight? What about soul mates?

I believe in Lust at first sight, and love can grow from lust. As for soul mates, I’d like to believe in them, but I’m not really sure I do. I’ve never been in love, and the idea that a soul mate is out there waiting for me is appealing. But, I’m also pretty realistic and slightly cynical when it comes to love and HEA, so a big part of me knows it’s just a fantasy to make myself feel less alone.

-You’ve traveled extensively. How do you think those experiences have impacted your writing?

Hugely. In fact, without my travels I doubt I would’ve ever become a writer. I think novel writing is all about the character, at least I try to make MY novels all about the characters. And that means knowing people. Loving and hating them, and knowing about different personality types and situations. When I travel, I’m all about meeting and learning, so it all shows up in my writing in one way or another.

-We know you like to cook-what’s your best dish? And when can we come for dinner?

I’m not sure I have a best dish. LOL Seafood Linguini is one I’ve been told I do very well (But honestly not one of MY personal favorites) I love to make Chili. A huge pot of homemade chili is always good. And cheesecake. LOL I make a very good and tasty cheesecake. (I’ve made many flavors, but my fave is a peanut butter cheesecake. LOL )

-Name three of your favorite movies of all time.
The Fifth Element
Thelma and Louise
Practical Magic

(*Insert: Eden: The Fifth Element and Practical Magic are on my fav list, too!)

-Tell us about your current release(s) and what you have coming up next.

Current release is MOST WANTED, a single author anthology where the three novellas in it are all sequels to previous stories I’ve written for Aphrodisia.

Lexy and Devon from THE CRIB in the Pure Sex anthology are together again in HIDDEN CRAVINGS.
Detective Jackson Barrows watched his partner fall for a thief in SEX AS A WEAPON in The Cop anthology, and in UNRESTRICTED ACCESS, he does some falling of his own.
NO ANGEL continues my paranormal Hunter series with Gabriel Mann, the work hard-play harder younger brother of Caleb Mann from SEXY DEVIL, and demon hunter Anna Blair.

You can read excerpts here: http://www.sashawhite.net/bookshelf/most-wanted/

-MOST WANTED SOUNDS AWESOME!
Okay…Who would you like to have play the role of Sasha White if your life were made into a movie?

Ugh! Now you’re making me think. Uhmm I’d guess Salma Hayek. (Yes, I’m flattering myself there, but I just love her. She’s beautiful and has so much personality. And she’s got curves…not as many as I do, okay, so some of my curves are rolls…but hey, I’d LOVE to have her figure)

-Do you have any appearances coming up?
Nope.

-I hope we’ll see you at the Romantic Times Convention next year! Meanwhile, where can we find you on the Internet?

My website has a blog I try to update at least three times a week. http://www.sashawhite.net/blog/

I’m part of the Genreality Group Blog. I’m there every Thursday.

http://www.genreality.net/

And I’m on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/SashaWhite

*And now for some quick questions…

~Cozy PJ’s or sleeping in the nude?
The Nude. I can nap in sweats and t-shirt, but when I sleep for more than two or three hours, clothes drive me up the wall…or out of the bed in a bad mood. LOL

~On men: boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxer-briefs. Y’know, the tight boxers.

~Rock star or cowboy?
Rock star

~5-star hotel or camping under the stars?
5 Star Hotel

~Jeans or stilettos?
Jeans

~Voyeur or exhibitionist?
Voyeur

~Tattoos or piercings?
Both

~Beer or girly drink with an umbrella?
Beer

~Ski vacation or the beach?
The beach

Thanks for coming to visit the Smutketeers-we loved having you! Hope you’ll drop by again soon!