Author Interview of the Week
Meet author of the upcoming novel Forget Me Not, Sarah Daltry!
What made you want to be an author?
I love telling stories. Reality is boring. Since I was a kid, I was always trying to live in another world. I love to read. I love movies. I love video games, I love the theatre. Stories are what make my life what it is. So writing was another part of that. I wanted to tell stories and give the world what it gave me - a place to go. A place to disappear.
Who has inspired you the most?
Writers in general inspire me. Every writer has the same story. Write, write, write - only to be rejected over and over. Then, finally, a spark of hope - which results in bad reviews. But the writer keeps going. Why? Because we have to keep going. The fact that writers are constantly told they're not good enough, that they'll never be good enough, and yet they refuse to listen makes them inspirational people as a group.
Can you tell us about some of your earlier days of writing?
It's tough, because I've been writing since I could put a pen to paper, but I only published my work recently. So my early days are upon me in a lot of ways and, yet, in other ways, I have been doing this forever.
How has your life considerably changed since you've been published?
The biggest change for me is that I am a naturally shy person. I don't like to talk about myself at all. Being a writer means acting like you think people should read what you write. It is really hard for me to do that. I feel so guilty when I promote a book. Like I am wasting someone's time. When I see sales, a part of me feels so undeserving of it. Like they only bought it because I made them buy it, because I won't shut up about my books. Overcoming that is tough. I have to be an active participant in my promotions. I have to be all over social media. These are things I just don't do in my personal life. I don't even have a personal Facebook!
What made you choose to write erotica?
Sex is complicated. In so many ways, we live in a world that demonizes sex. Yet at the same time, it sells it to us everywhere. We get mixed messages. You turn on HBO and every show has tons of sex. Even when it doesn't make sense. But then you turn on the news and some politician is being raked over the coals for using an escort service. Now, don't get me wrong. I believe in marriage vows and monogamy, but if the politician is single, we still take issue with it. Why? Who cares? So the guy (or girl) likes sex. Who doesn't?!
Writing erotica is a chance to say to the world - hey, you know what? People like sex. And it's especially important to me, because erotica writers are predominantly women as are the readers. Women like sex. This isn't news, but people act like it is. We accept Coors ad campaigns about giant-breasted twins, but when mothers and wives devour Fifty Shades of Grey, it's news. Go figure.
Your covers are very revealing! What can readers expect to experience with your books?
I feel like covers should tell you what to expect as a reader. My stories are graphic. The short stories have no plot, just a premise and a lot of sex ("Touch of Venus" is an exception. It has a faint hint of a plot and most of the story is the build up to the sex). My new novel, Forget Me Not, is a New Adult erotic romance, but the core theme is a sexual and emotional awakening. The one cover that I think reflects something different is Bitter Fruits and that's because the novel is more romance than erotica. The sex is there and it's not subtle, but if you took it out, the story would be fully intact.
If someone buys my books or stories, they know what they're getting. A cover image of two people having sex against a wall is not going to be much more than people having sex against a wall!
What has been the best experience so far on your journey as an author?
Getting offers on Bitter Fruits. Because as much as I like self publishing (I'm a control freak), there is something exciting about being told you made the cut.
Can you give us some insight on any upcoming projects?
Forget Me Not is out soon. It's a novel about college students and it's loaded with sex and angst and drama. I'm writing another novel due out in September with no title yet and really little more than a vague idea. It's about adults, though, and I expect it to be more romance than erotica. The sex scenes will still be there, but they may be tamer. They may not be. The characters will tell me when we get to that point.Bitter Fruits will be re-released this winter and I am also working on the sequel to it, Immortal Star. There will be at least three books in the series.
What advice can you give to any upcoming authors?
Ignore everything everyone tells you. Okay, maybe not everything (listen to editors and betas, mostly), but have faith in what you know. If you feel like your plot is weak and someone tells you it's weak, fix it. But if you are completely sure that it isn't, don't throw it all away for someone else. This requires you to be VERY honest with yourself. Our pride often tells us that we're right, even when our heart knows we are not. BUT I think it's crucial that an author remember that opinions are just that. Because if writers listened to all the "top ten tips for writers," most classics would never exist. Remember - JK Rowling was rejected numerous times because there was no market for Harry Potter. Sometimes people are wrong. Sometimes they're idiots. Know how to tell.
Thanks so much, Sarah for interviewing with us! Don't forget to follow Sarah on one of her outlets below!
Interested in reading some of her works? Click any of the links below!
COMING SOON!
Thanks for having me!
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