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Today we’d like to welcome Margie Church to Silken Sheets. Margie writes erotic romance novels with a strong suspense element, in keeping with her moniker: Romance with SASS (Suspense Angst Seductive Sizzle). She has a degree in writing and editing and has been a professional writer, editor, and journalist for over 25 years. If you enjoy books that you can’t put down, then read one of hers.

Without further ado, on with the interview!

How long have you been writing?

Since the 6th grade. Let’s suffice it to say that if I get carded, I send flowers the next day.

What genres do you write besides gay male?

I seem to be on a BDSM roll lately and have a few more stories and books in this subgenre coming very soon. I also write steaming hot, contemporary hetero. Paranormal – vamps that are dark and dangerous, evil, twisted characters–and ghosts that love beyond death. I have several books that fall into the suspense category, including Krewe Daddy and my debut series Awakening Allaire and Avenging Allaire.

What is the most you have written in one day?

I clocked almost 5,000 words recently on, my WIP, Razor. I think that’s a personal best. I try to write 1,000 words a day.

You have to jump out of a plane w/ a holey parachute or edit your 100K MS by hand, what. do. you. do?

I get out the pencil and edit. I am terrified of heights more than death. I believe I could climb on top of the parachute and stitch the holes shut before I hit if I had to. Yeah, it’s that bad. Pass the manuscript.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I’d say it’s graphic. Many people associate that word with sex, but in my books, everything is in 3D. I want you to experience my books, not just read them. I want to engage all your senses. Many readers tell me they feel like they’re right in the scene. Damn, what a compliment.

How did you come up with the title Krewe Daddy?

It’s a play on two very different themes. Krewe is the word for those who run the parades and events at Carnival. In this book, it’s New Orleans, but the book isn’t about Mardi Gras. Luis designs floats and sculptures, and one of his clients is The Krewe Flamin’ Dames. Daddy is an affectionate term the gay community uses to describe a sought-after, experienced lover. Luis is the Daddy and Drew loves him. I’ve gotten a few “ew” remarks on the title because Daddy is mistaken for some sort of incestual relationship. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Krewe Daddy is a story of redemption and the notion that you can put bad history behind you and write new history if you really love the person.

Do you see writing as a career?

It is my profession. I probably write for 60 hours a week. I’ve been writing non-fiction for 30 years and work part time as a copywriter. I entered the fiction arena about four years ago when I got laid off. It’s taken me a few years to build a respectable back list and be able to pay some bills with my royalties. Like many of us, I hope one day to be able to live on my royalties, but until that day comes (if it ever does) I’ll just keep working on writing the best books I can.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m still refining my writing technique. If you’re not a grammar geek, a lot of these things may be invisible. That’s exactly what I want. My ultimate goal is to never make your eyes stumble on an awkward phrase. Never drag down the pace with passive voice, saidisms, and back story heaped on a reader. I don’t want to tell my story, I want it to evolve until the reader is completely unaware of and totally engrossed in reading, not pitched out by a clumsy delivery.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Hot genres, such as M/M are very tricky to work in. I believe that because the potential to have a bestseller is there, you have to be very diligent about your facts and character portrayals. I have a lot of straight women and gay men reading my books. They come from very different perspectives. The author has to be clear about who they’re writing for. I had about 10 people with different expertise providing information and beta reading on Krewe Daddy.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say, Thank YOU! Readers are the only connection I have to the marketplace. So, thank you for buying my books and for your feedback and support. I try to read all the reviews and I consider the suggestions you make. I seem to be on a BDSM kick this year, but I write what interests me and at the moment, this is it. Look for interesting and fresh twists in my books and short stories in this complex sub-genre of romance.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your WIP to life?

Razor is an erotic BDSM romance that I co-authored with K.B. Cutter. It tears apart the conventional definitions of marital love with this challenging premise: When Amy asks her husband, Bryce, to become a switch and enlists her best friend’s help, will their marriage survive? Sophisticated, erotic BDSM romance readers will enjoy their psycho-emotional journey.

Neither of us has this kind of a relationship in our marriages, so the most complicated part of this book was the emotional challenges facing the characters. We constantly questioned our thinking to be sure the plot was believable, the characters’ reactions and motivations realistic. Ultimately, we felt that even though this is fiction, the turns of events were very plausible to people who were open to this kind of relationship.

We took turns writing with no regard to what came up next. That meant we both had to identify with all the characters. I did however write the last part of the book because K.B. wrote the opening. I have more experience writing BDSM than K.B., so I had a greater influence on some of those scenes. Our editor, Sascha Illyvich, stepped in at a pivotal point to make sure we were authentic.

Having K.B. on a different time zone and work schedule was a bit of a challenge. We also have busy family lives so it was important to set deadlines and goals to get the book finished by May 1, as requested by our editor at Sizzler Editions. K.B. Cutter has a different authorial voice and style than I do, so I had the editing honor of making our work seamless. I always say I wrote “up” for him – he tends to choose less common words and has a little more formal, dramatic style. He had to write “wide” for me. I like descriptive detail and dialog to carry the books I write. Adding a sentence or two, a well-placed adjective, and more dialog were his challenges.

Bonus Round:

Coffee/Tea?  COFFEE!! Black, 8-cup minimum a day.

Cake/Cookies? Cake, with butter cream frosting.

Coke/Pepsi? Coke, plain or cherry!

Heels/Flats? Flats. I’m ALWAYS on the run.

BDB/The Order? I have no CLUE what either of these is.

Vampires/Werewolves? Vampires. I like “bears” but werewolves don’t do a thing for me. LOL

Cats/Dogs? Dogs. Their unconditional love puts paw prints on your heart. I’m sad to say we just put down our sweet Jewel a couple of weeks ago.

Fly/Drive? Drive. I like the adventure of the open road and the chance to explore whatever lies ahead.

Krewe Daddy by Margie Church

Luis is the Daddy, a sought-after lover, with an ego to match the mammoth-sized Mardi Gras floats he designs. His lifestyle and reputation are wearing him out, but Luis can’t find a satisfying way to break the cycle and be happy, too.

Drew’s insecurities pushed him to have a foolish affair six years ago. It destroyed his relationship with Luis, and he’s never been able to commit to anyone since. Now, he’s taken control of his life and changed his submissive personality by becoming a model for Kevin Marks, and a wildlife enforcement agent in New Orleans.

These men haven’t forgotten each other, or settled their differences. When they accidentally meet in a French Quarter gay bar, the years of regret, anger, and pent-up emotions erupt. Their passion is as hot as ever, their mistrust just as potent. When Drew’s future is in Luis’ hands, will he choose his lifestyle or love?

Excerpt: 

Although Kyle and Drew were both in the Region 8 offices of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, they weren’t partners. A court appearance that day for his partner, Jordan Skeeps, had separated them. The situation could have been deadly for Drew, and everyone knew it.

He pitched his sweaty clothes in his bag, and then grabbed a fresh towel. Grimacing, Drew wrapped it around his waist, tucking in the end.

“I couldn’t have gone two rounds with him, that’s for sure.” He shut his locker. “I’m going to hit the shower, and then go home. The doc prescribed some pain meds, so I’ll camp out with some television and hope the pills take the edge off the pain. I didn’t sleep worth a shit last night.”

Kyle snorted. “You’re getting to be such an old man.”

The remark caught Drew off guard.

Kyle squinted at him. “What? Hearing going, too?”

Drew turned toward the showers. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can do some knitting together in the park.”

Kyle’s chuckles bounced off the lockers in the mostly-vacant room. “Sure. Take care of yourself, old man.”

In the shower, Drew leaned on his right arm, and turned his back to the hot stream. At times, even the water pressure sent twinges of pain through him. Drew shifted, searching for a comfortable angle under the water. All the while, Kyle’s comment about being an old man kept replaying in his mind.

Luis.

Drew could still see Luis’ dark eyes light up, and the lazy grin that spread across his beautiful lips when Drew teased him about being an old man. Eight years Drew’s senior, Luis was well-known as Daddy Luis.

Drew hadn’t talked to Luis in almost six years, and yet the dull ache remained. The man rattled around in Drew’s heart, never quite finding his way out. Teak Hildalgo had tried his damnedest to erase Luis from Drew’s affections. Hell, he’d even followed Drew to Minnesota. And got stranded there when we fell apart. At least, that’s how Teak managed to be in the right place at the right time to meet Kevin.

Drew lathered his washcloth with soap. Washing his body with his left hand became a chore. Grunting, he forced his arm to move a little faster, hoping to work through the pain. Realizing the efforts were futile, Drew flung the washcloth against the shower wall. Landing with a slap, the cloth stuck for a moment before gravity claimed it.

His breath left his lips in a hiss. Maybe Kyle is right. These ribs might be more than just badly bruised.

Featuring Kevin, Teak and Drew from Hard as Teak.

If you’re a fan of erotic M/M romance, buy Krewe Daddy at Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and Noble Romance.

Get to know more about me and all the books I’ve written by visiting my website, Romance With SASS!