Interviews with;

Jodi Payne on Founder
Mychael Black
Jourdan Lane

Jodi Payne, author of;

The new release Founder, Deviations series and Rough Draft with co-author Chris Owen, For Better or Worse, String of Pearls, and stories in following anthologies: Toy Box- Handcuffs and Locked and Loaded

What is it that inspired you to write the story Founder?
Two things. The first was that I heard a song on the radio about a guy that was drinking to forget someone, and I started thinking about what would make a man leave behind someone he had a chance at a life with. By the time I got home, though, I couldn’t remember how the song went, but I still had the lingering seed of a plot in mind. I never was able to track down who sang it or which song it was, by the way.

The second was a painting that I found online by Robert Sherer called ТPickupУ. The painting said a lot to me, a lot more than who Aubrey ended up to be, but the piece is really where Aubrey came from.

On personal hotness scale how would you rate Founder?
Hot! But, it’s possible that I might be a wee bit biased. Okay, on my personal hotness scale, which, I should mention, runs from sweet romance (we’ll say that’s a 1) to graphic BDSM (10), I’d call it a seven. It’s got more heavy handed sex scenes than gentle ones, but nothing I’d call kinky. There’s also a lot of story, so it’s not sex scene after sex scene. But! It’s got hot men having hot sex. Is that hot enough?

What sets founder apart, what makes this a signature Jodi Payne story?
My stories tend to be contemporary, and they are generally more than your traditional romance. There is the romance aspect, and always a happy, triumphant or upbeat ending, but they go beyond that and explore characters and how they think and who they are and why. My stories are always character driven, so characters usually start out at point A as one person, usually with something to overcome, and by the time we reach point B, they’ve grown and learned and changed. Oh, and found a lover and had sex usually, too. I also make a real effort to make every sex scene in a given story different, hoping to keep the reader interested so they don’t skim the sex scenes.

Aubrey is a broken man on many levels, as an author is it hard for you to put your characters through torment and torture?
What? They put ME through torment and torture! They really do. A character grabs me, says ‘Hey, this is me, just think what a great/hot/angsty/silly/whatever story I’d makeУ, and then I’m stuck writing it. Seriously though, I do get the characters long before any kind of plot, so I don’t always know what’s coming. It’s important to me not to break character, to stay honest with them. So when the emotional scenes come along, I both love and hate writing them. But mostly I enjoy the process – I guess I’m a little sadistic that way.

Describe for me the reader you might think would be a good match for Founder?
Someone who likes characters that overcome adversity. Someone who likes characters that knows and loves men for their flaws and their strengths. Someone who wants to be moved by what they are reading as well as turned on. Someone who believes in love.

What has attracted you to writing in this genre of romance?
Wow. I’ve never answered that question before. I’m a lesbian, very out, very activist, very much a supporter of people loving whomever and however they please. I’m also just interested in people in general – who they are what makes them tick, why they make the decisions they do. It’s natural for me to write gay and lesbian stories, and I do write both with equal enjoyment. I guess when you put those things together, then romance and erotica come naturally. There’s also that ТhotУ factor!

Without giving too much away are we going to see Aubrey and Kelly again?
Well, it is a romance, I don’t think anyone will be surprised or ТspoiledУ to hear that there’s a happy ending. So yes, there will be more. I will likely be telling more of Kelly’s story along with developing Aubrey and Kelly’s relationship further. When and what and how I won’t say at this point. ;-)

Talk to me about your recent Toy Box submission?
Ah! Thank you for asking. It’s called ТSpikeУ and it’s one of my lesbian stories that I submitted to the all-lesbian collection, Sappho’s Chest. I’m really very proud of this one, I like the characters and I think their scene together is a turn-on, too. On that hotness scale I mentioned earlier, this one is about a nine. It’s a kinky little story about a woman with a very straight forward shoe fetish, and her lover/partner, who indulges her and adds a bit of role play flavor to it to make things that much hotter. I’m actually looking forward to the collection – I haven’t read the other stories in it yet.

Does a themed story help you in the creative process or hamper it?
Hm. Both. Themes can help me focus and if I get an inspiration then the story usually happens easily. Although, I’m laughing as I say that because ТInexorableУ, my SciFi story in the lesbian Locked & Loaded anthology, had me in fits to the point where I missed the submission deadline and had just about given up on it.

So most of the time, themes are good, especially for short stories. Sometimes, though, I just don’t get inspired by the theme. If that’s the case, I usually know pretty quickly.

Any hints on projects we can look forward to from Jodi Payne in the near future?
I have hints, and I have shameless plugs.

Shameless plugs for my m/m work: There’s Tarot story I wrote for the Arcana line focusing on ТJudgmentУ, which will be released in October titled Whence He Came, and I just had a story called "A Thousand Words" accepted to the Men In Uniform II anthology. Right now I am writing a story about a gay couple that’s into role-play that I hope to submit to Torquere’s ТGames People PlayУ line.

There’s also Deviations: Bondage, the fourth and final book in that series, which will be out in November. Though when I say final, I should mention that Chris Owen and I have a novel in the works revolving around Bradford and Phan, and so we’re not done with that universe by any means. We have also submitted another co-written novel that will be released in November called Sex, Lies & Celluloid, which is about a Private Investigator.

For my lesbian work, I have ТSpikeУ, as you mentioned, coming out on the 18th, and also a story called ТLet Jennifer DrownУ in Best Lesbian Love Stories: Summer Flings that will be released in October. Right now I am writing a lesbian ТpulpУ style novel which I hope to submit soon to Torquere for their ТHard LiquorУ line. I’ve submitted a couple of other stories that I’m waiting to hear back about, so hopefully I’ll have more news soon!

So, lots going on, which is great!

Email: jodi@jodipayne.net
Website: www.jodipayne.net
Myspace: jodipaynewrites (www.myspace.com/jodipaynewrites)
Bibliography: http://www.jodipayne.net/published.htm
The URL for "Pickup" by Robert Sherer: http://www.robertsherer.com/pickup.html

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Interview with Mychael Black author of;

The Favor of a God, The Pirate's Lair and The Prince's Angel with co-author Shayne Carmichael, Stories in the following anthologies: Galleons and Gangplanks, Torqued Tales

As a romance writer do you find your stories driven by the characters or by the plot?
More often than not, the characters lead everything. Most of my stories are very character-driven, though I’m working on something right now that seems to be a mix of both.

What is your writing atmosphere like? Busy? Quiet? American Idol in the background? Coffee or cola? Chips or chocolate?
Crazy. Absolutely nuts. Kids, dog, roommateЙ The TV is always on, usually with some kid show playing. (I’m a Spongebob fanatic.) As for snackage, I’m from the South, so all soft drinks are ‘Coke’, no matter the flavor. By brand, though, Mountain Dew or Coke or Pepsi are my poisons. I tend to switch between salty and sweet when it comes to food, though dark chocolate is a favorite.

Does the story come to you first then the character develops or does the character come to you first and the story develops?
Character first. Always. I’ve got more men in my head than I know what to do with, lemme tell ya.

All stories have characters with issues to create the human factor that people can relate to, so do some of the characters you have written come a little too close to personal experience and if so does that make it easier or harder to write about? If not does the objective writing of the characters issues make it harder to write the emotion needed to convey the angst?
I tend to write in the paranormal and fantasy genres the most (though I’m working on a Sci Fi piece, and have a few contemporaries out there). Overall, it’s a well-balanced mix, I think. ТGoing HomeУ was the closest I’ve come to personal experience, and even that was more in the setting than anything else.

Sometimes it’s hard to convey the emotion, and sometimes it’s not. If I’m stuck or really uncertain, I ask other folks for feedback.

Describe for me the reader you think is attracted to your work?
Well, hard to say because while most readers are heterosexual (and bisexual) women, I know for a fact that I have many gay male readers.

What sort of pets do you keep and do they interfere with your writing?
Our roommate has two cats and a dog. Except for the dog barking, the pets aren’t the interruptions. Now, ya wanna talk kids? As I told Jourdan Lane one day: Тit's IMPOSSIBLE to write a growly, grumbly, ex-military vamp when there's a 6 yr old quacking like a sick duck right behind you.У

What inspires you to sit down and write a story?
A very insistent male voice in my head who demands his story be told. I swearЙthe voices never shut up. But, when it comes to inspiration, music plays a huge role. I’ve had characters sparked by a song or song title.

Gay/ Lesbian Romance is a rising market but what makes it your choice of genre to write in?
Now that one’s a bit tricky. In essence, I’m omnigendered (transgendered without the transitioning), and writing is very much a form of therapy for me. It helps to let the guy inside out when I have no other outlet. AndЙtwo or more men together is just HOT.

Tell us about some of your favorite works you have published and what may be in store for all of us in the near future?
FavoritesЙ Single-authored, I’d have to say ТCentury HillУ, my upcoming Arcana (Death card). It’s due out this fall. My pirate novella, ТFool’s GoldУ, comes in second. It was one of four in Galleons & Gangplanks. Co-authored, definitely The Prince’s Angel. I adore Mael and Cian.

As for things coming soon, I’ve got a good bit. Robbie and Seth, my tattoo artist and his cowboy from ТGoing HomeУ, have their Chasers series starting at the end of August. ТCentury HillУ, as I said, comes out this fall. Let’s seeЙ I have a Sip coming soon—the story of an incubus who gets a taste of his own medicine. I’m also working on a Taste Test revolving around medical fetishism, and an Arcana for 2008. Plus I’m slated for a novella about body mods. And finally, I’m currently absorbed in a post-apocalyptic Earth in which vampirism is a blood-borne virus. (Hence the growly, grumbly, ex-military vamp I mentioned earlier.)

Aside from all that, I’ve always got ideas brewing. Just need the time to get ‘em down.

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Interview with Jourdan Lane author of;

Soulmates: Bound by Blood and Soulmates:Deceptions,
Stories in following anthologies: Cowboy Up

As a romance writer do you find your stories driven by the characters or by the plot?
Oh, I would say character-driven. My plot bends and warps and reshapes due to the actions of the characters. I used to tell people that I had a hard time with plot. It took me a while to figure out that sometimes my characters are the plot.

What is your writing atmosphere like? Busy? Quiet? American Idol in the background? Coffee or cola? Chips or chocolate?
Loud and busy. I have an office, but the door to the backyard is there. Needless to say, I've got constant traffic of kids and dog running through. When I actually manage some time alone, it's all quiet.

Let's see. What you might find on my desk when I'm working? Nuts, trail mix, banana chips, yogurt-covered pretzels; a huge bottle of water; a cup of tea – herbal or some other flavor – always decaf. As for chocolate? I like it really dark. My absolute favorite is made by Green & Black's.

Does the story come to you first then the character develops or does the character come to you first and the story develops?
My characters always come first. Without them, there'd be no story to tell.

All stories have characters with issues to create the human factor that people can relate to, so do some of the characters you have written come a little too close to personal experience and if so does that make it easier or harder to write about? If not does the objective writing of the characters issues make it harder to write the emotion needed to convey the angst?
Oh wow. Well, I have one character (not yet published) that really hits close to home with me. Most of the time he's really easy to write, but there are times when our issues and situations become parallel. It can be a huge stumbling block with me not wanting to go there, even though the character has to.

Even with my characters in the paranormal/urban fantasy settings, there are situations that are more human nature than anything. A moment of jealousy, of anger, of rejection, of utter and complete joyЙ I think we've all felt one (or all) of those at one time or another. It's just a matter of remembering and channeling those emotions.

Describe for me the reader you think is attracted to your work?
I've got such a varied readership that it's hard to say exactly. I think that my readers like the action along with the romance, a little suspense here and there, and the realism of the characters.

What sort of pets do you keep and do they interfere with your writing?
I have a seven-month-old Great Pyrenees. He's all energy most of the time and it really is like having a couple toddlers invade the house.

What inspires you to sit down and write a story?
Inspiration can come from a number of things – a word, a thought, feeling, an image. Something that sticks in my head and makes me say: "Hmm. What ifЙ?"

Gay/ Lesbian Romance is a rising market but what makes it your choice of genre to write in?
Honestly, that's the genre I'm most comfortable in. I might be stuck with a female body, but my brain is very much male.

And? I like men. I like them as friends, as comrades, as partners, and especially as lovers. To me, there's nothing better than two alpha men in lust and/or love with each other, burning up the pages. I like the dynamics of men in a relationship – how it's totally (for me, at least) an equal partnership thing.

Tell us about some of your favorite works you have published and what may be in store for all of us in the near future?
I think Soul Mates: Deceptions is my most favorite. "Surrender" (from the Cowboy Up anthology) would be a very close second.

In the future? I have a werewolf story coming out in an anthology at the end of July. There are more books and stories in the Soul Mates series. I have several other works in progress where you'll find angels, demons, a little voodoo, DEA agents, and bounty hunters. Not in the same book, of course, but lord wouldn't that be interesting?

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