In case you've been living under a rock and don't already know about Skye Warren and her latest release, Wanderlust, here is a brief bio:
Skye Warren writes unapologetic erotica, where pain and sex and love collide. She has been called “a true mistress of dark and twisted erotica” and her dark erotica series has reached the bestseller lists at Amazon and been a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick.
And, of course, you should check out my review of Wanderlust here.
Here we go - in The Hot Seat with Skye Warren:
How did you come up with your pen
name? Does it have special meaning or do you just like the sound of it?
Skye - Hi, Haydee! Thanks for having me.
I definitely have a bit of a fetish
about the sky and open places. It sometimes comes out in my books but never more
than Wanderlust, which is all about exploring. At the same time, dark erotica
is about captivity, about dark spaces. A rabit’s warren that Alice falls into. So
if I just so happen to transmit subconscious messages about the dichotomy of
freedom, that’s cool. :-)
Haydee - This is sooo why I ask this question! I love finding out these things.
What inspired you to write dark erotica?
Skye - I have always been fascinated by sex and consent, by captivity and power. I could read dark and serious thrillers that delved into psychological games and redemption. Or I could read romantic erotica and BDSM played by the book. But I never found these elements together until dark erotica. Even now, it’s a small genre, but it’s growing fast.
Tell us something about you that is unexpected.
Skye - I’m not sure if this is unexpected or not, but even though I
write about dubious consent, there is no one who will fight for victim’s rights
and fight against victim shaming more. I know some people see those as opposing
views, like if I write about violence then I must condone it in real life. But real
life victims have the least rights in a society where we aren’t allowed to talk
about sex or explore taboo subjects. Dark erotica is more than just a “guilty
pleasure” that we read in secret but disavow in the light. It’s an expression
of intellectual and sexual freedom that wouldn’t exist in more oppressive
societies.
Sorry I got a little serious there. I guess that was
unexpected… :-)
When you're not writing, what do you enjoy to read?
Skye - Why, dark erotica, of course! I also enjoy more standard
erotica, BDSM fiction, suspense, and romance. I will curl up with a lovely
Regency and lose myself. It’s funny because both Annabel Joseph and I have a
total crush on Carla Kelly. Her books are so sweet! And we are… very dirty
girls :-)
How do you deal with negative reviews?
Skye - The truth is, I mostly don’t read them. In fact, I try not
to read too many positive or any kind of reviews at all, though the temptation
to read a rave review still gets me. The reason why is because it puts my mind
into a public state of mind. So when I then open up my manuscript and start
typing, I’m also thinking about how people are going to receive this. What will
reviewer X have to say about this?
But that’s not the way to produce a good book, so I try to limit that. Don’t
get me wrong, I’ll take praise any day of the week. But when we get into the
nitty gritty of what plot point worked for her or her, that’s when I have to
step back.
You have a new release out - Wanderlust, which I read,
loved, and reviewed - how is Wanderlust different from your other works?
That part trips me up. How is Wanderlust different from my
other books? It’s the first one where I didn’t use the “Romance” category in
Amazon. Even though the emotional journey and connection between Evie and
Hunter is SO vital to the book, I felt that the very real act of kidnapping
precluded a romance genre designation.
You've said that Hunter is your darkest hero yet - did
that make this book harder or easier for you to write? and why?
Skye - This book was so easy to write for the first half. I enjoyed
the hell out of it. Then I stopped. And realized everyone would hate, hate,
hate this book. I mean, Hunter coerced her! He kidnapped her! Who could love
this monster? But I finished it, still enjoying the act of writing but having
serious trepidation about publishing this book. Unlike my past books, I
scheduled no blog tour, really did no promotions at all. I just figured I’d
gone too far and I had to be okay with that.
I released the book on a Monday. By Tuesday it was on the
Amazon Erotica Bestseller list. Since then it has climbed up to #16 on that
list. Many lovely reviews from amazing bloggers like Haydee, though she was my
first ;-) And I’ve just been completely full of awe and gratitude. As an
author, the most incredible thing is when readers see your vision and
appreciate it for what it is, and that definitely happened here.
Haydee - Ooh, I was your first, that sounds so dirty! I kind of love
it a little bit.
What was your favorite scene to write in
Wanderlust?
Skye - The motel scene. You know what I’m talking about if you read
the book :-) It happens pretty early on.
Haydee - The scene that should come with a warning about keeping fresh batteries handy? Haha!
Which scene was the least favorite to write?
Skye - The scene in the tent where Hunter tells Evie about a loss
of friendship in his life. I think a good, true friendship can be as strong as
a romance, a platonic version of true love, so the pain of losing it is very
real.
What can we expect to see from you next? and, of course,
since we're all impatient - when?
Skye - I’ve had a free erotic romance story out, Beauty Touched the
Beast, that has received the most requests for a sequel. I’m excited to finally
deliver on that with a series of serials that will be released over the summer,
starting with Beneath the Beauty at the end of May. If you haven’t read Beauty
Touched the Beast yet, you can grab it free from Amazon here.
Then I have the final book in my Dark Erotica series due out
at the end of this year. The hero of that is Carlos, who was the villain in the
earlier books and is, according to everyone, irredeemable. So that will be fun :-)
Thank you, Haydee, for having me! And to you all for
reading. If you want to hit me up, I’m on twitter here and Facebook here.
You can also follow Skye on Goodreads or check out her website here.
Blurb:
Can love come from pain?
Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her—including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she’s been looking for right beside her.
Wanderlust is a dark erotic novel which explores dubious consent, captivity, and power play. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.
You can also follow Skye on Goodreads or check out her website here.
Can love come from pain?
Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her—including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she’s been looking for right beside her.
Wanderlust is a dark erotic novel which explores dubious consent, captivity, and power play. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.
Excerpt:
“The
man over there has paid for your meal. He’d like to join you.”
I
blinked, not really understanding. The gentleness of her voice unnerved me.
More than guilt—pity.
“I’m
sorry.” I fumbled with the words. “I’ve already eaten. I’m done.”
“You
have food left on your plate. Doesn’t matter how much you want to eat anyway.”
She paused and then carefully strung each word along the sentence. “He requests
the pleasure of your company.”
My
heart sped up, the first stirrings of fear.
I
supposed I should feel flattered, and I did, in a way. He was a handsome man,
and he’d noticed me. Of course, I was the only woman around besides the
waitress, so it wasn’t a huge accomplishment. But I wasn’t prepared for
fielding this kind of request. Was this a common thing, to pay for another
woman’s meal?
It
was a given that I should say no. Whatever he wanted from me, I couldn’t give
him, so it was only a question of letting him down nicely.
“Please
tell him thank you for the offer. I appreciate it, I do. But you see, I really
am finished with my meal and pretty tired, so I’m afraid it won’t be possible
for him to join me. Or to pay for my meal. In fact, I’d like the check,
please.”
Her
lips firmed. Little lines appeared between her brows, and with a sinking
feeling I recognized something else: fear.
“Look, I
know you aren’t from around here, but that there is Hunter Bryant.” When I
didn’t react to the name, her frown deepened. “Here’s a little advice from one
woman to another. There are some men you just don’t say no to. Didn’t your mama
ever warn you about men like that?”
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