Author Interview & Giveaway! Skye Warren Talks Wanderlust

by Letitia on Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Today we are super excited to have Skye Warren with us, author of the dark erotica new release Wanderlust—a cross country journey of forced sexual discovery that kept me squirming and uncomfortably sympathetic. Hunter is one bad, bad boy…

For more of my thoughts on all things Wanderlust, check out my review.

Miz Warren is also giving away one ebook copy of Wanderlust to one random (and lucky) reader!

Now, let’s chat!

Who is Skye Warren? Who is the woman behind the words?

Skye: Hi there! Thanks to Letitia for having me on Romantic Book Affairs. Let’s see… Skye Warren is a woman, a lover, an optimist, a romantic, a scared little girl and a jaded cynic. Most of all, I’m someone who gets to do something I love, writing, for a living, and for that I’m truly grateful.

Why did you decide to write dark erotica? What do you think makes it so appealing?

Skye: Dark erotica is perverse…but not only in the taboo acts it depicts. Because when we read about captivity, we’re really pushing the bounds of our freedom. Can we thrive with boundaries? How much control do we really have over our own lives?

When we read about dubious consent, we’re really mapping the terrain of sex, venturing into the dark forests and distant lands. Some people tell us not to go, that we’ll fall right off the edge of the earth. But we are explorers, and we can’t heed them. We have to see for ourselves J

Wanderlust hit shelves April 15th. Please tell us a little about it.

Skye: All Evie knows about the world comes from books and her mother’s dark obsession with the news. Fed up with it, Evie strikes out on her own and stops at a motel her first night out. Where Hunter, a rugged trucker, kidnaps her.

Wanderlust is a story of pain and sex, of redemption and healing. Ultimately it’s a fantasy for those that like dark subjects in their erotic fiction, but I hope there’s enough depth to make a lasting impression.

Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

Skye: The truth is, I have a thing for truckers. They are almost the cowboys of modern times, gruff loners who cross the country. Why do they choose that work when they could stay in one place? That was my first idea for Wanderlust. There’s a certain mystique there. Add to that the sexiness of a powerful, rugged man and I was done for.

Was it hard to be inside Evie's head? Hunter's? (Sidenote: I would die for a scene in Hunter's point-of-view!)

Skye: Evie was definitely a complex heroine. She has been damaged in multiple ways, and yet she remains extremely innocent. Almost unbearably innocent for a young woman in a contemporary setting, but that’s the perfect setup for her rude awakening.

Hunter is a kind, educated man who has been stripped down to a wild animal. Was it hard to write them? Yes, but at the same time, those f-ed up characters are the ones that draw me.

(Sidenote: I’d love to but I’ve promised and sworn and levied my firstborn to get the Beauty sequels and last Dark Erotica book out this year, so I’ve got to deliver on that first.)

What was the most difficult scene to write in Wanderlust? Do you have a favorite scene?

Skye: I definitely spent the most time on the scene in the motel room that first night. It’s so important to their relationship and sets the stage for the story. You can see some of the setup for that in the 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?”

If you could cast the movie version of Wanderlust, who would play Evie and Hunter?

Skye: I’m thinking Paul Walker for Hunter.

For Evie, I’d need someone who could look really innocent but also had a sensual edge. I think like Amanda Seyfried.

What is the most unusual resource you have ever used while writing?

Skye: I had to do a lot of resource about Niagara Falls for Wanderlust. If you’ve read it, then you’ll understand J There’s a lot of trivia facts, information from past and present, and also stories surrounding the falls, like the myth of the Maiden of the Mist. So I read a lot of travel guides for going there and one man’s vacation diary as he hiked the trails in the Niagara Falls National Park.

Can you share with us what you're currently working on? Or what we can expect from you next?

Skye: One of the first books I published was a short story titled Beauty Touched the Beast. It is a sexy, erotic story between a scarred man and the college student who cleans his house. I made it free and considered it a little gift to my readers or a tease for them to read my other works.

Well, it did better than I could have imagined. It was consistently ranked in the top free erotica lists for over a year. And I continue to get mail from new readers every week who want to read more of Blake and Erin. I’m so thrilled to be finally doing that.

Beneath the Beauty comes out at the end of May, followed by at least two more short sequels. I’m also excited, as an author, to be trying something new with serials. I think it will be really fun to follow the story this way, especially due to its origins as a short story.

If you haven’t read Beauty Touched the Beast yet, you can read it for free on Amazon or All Romance.

Thanks again for having me!

Wanderlust by Skye Warren – Out now! Find it on Amazon, B&N, or All Romance!

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.

“A truly pleasurable, albeit gritty, raw at times shocking, disturbing and addictive read” – TotallyBooked

Giveaway!

One randomly drawn reader will win a digital copy of Skye Warren’s Wanderlust! Open Internationally. Please follow the Rafflecopter widget directions and terms and conditions. Giveaway ends at 12:01am on 4/27/13.

Please leave us a comment telling us what you love about dark erotica!

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LABELS: author interview, dark, Erotica, giveaway, Skye Warren

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