Hi Erin thanks for joining us today.
Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I love to read romance stories but I have to say, I like my romance hot!!! I am a contemporary erotic romance writer. I have wanted to write since I was a senior in high school. I’ve written some stories over the years but I never had confidence in myself to do anything with it. I convinced myself that the story wasn’t entertaining or wouldn’t capture an audience. I have to say that I don’t feel that way about my writing anymore.
Please tell us about your latest release.
Better Than 8 Fantasy is my debut novella. Amara has been single for the last four years and her friends suggest that she register for a dating website. This website is called betterthan8.com. If you’re thinking that it couldn’t possibly mean men’s size, think again. With a deal on the line, Amara travels to Puerto Rico in an attempt to salvage the deal. She comes face to face with her would be Latin lover. She has a decision to make than just might make her wildest fantasy come to life.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
I don’t know that I have a special formula but I research baby names and I keep a list. When I am thinking of writing a new story, I refer to the list. I do like names that mean something and sometimes the meaning becomes apart of the story. When I wrote this story, I was looking for a pretty name but also a name that meant beauty. When I was looking for the primary hero’s name I was looking for a Latin name and one that I could shorten. I also wanted the name to be different that what most people expect for a Latin name.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
I don’t have a formula. I quite frequently list out a list of attributes and I find I go back to that list when I write dialogue to describe a character. Somewhere in there, the character develops a voice and they may not sound like the list of attributes that I’ve written.
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
I had to research Puerto Rico and I was so surprised at the history of the island. I was surprised to find that most natives are college educated and that there is still debate about whether to establish Puerto Rico as a state.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
The main character has bits of me like her dislike and wariness around bees. I’ve moved heaven, earth, and you to get away from one. Amara may not be as dramatic as myself on that end.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Several times I developed writers block but there were two reasons why that happened. One was that I was writing a love scene and I was shying away from it. Second was that I tend to plot out in my head what happens and I couldn’t envision the scene. So I’d write a scene and make it total fiction. I’d leave it alone for a day and read it over and wonder what the heck I was on when I wrote it and I’d revise it. I’ve decided going forward that I will write until I get stuck and then I’ll switch to a different story. Hopefully writing something else will dislodge the block.
Do you write in different genres?
For the most part, I’d say that I write romance stories. Those might include contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and/or horror romance. Never say never though.
A pint of Jerry Garcia Caramel and Vanilla ice cream. Frozen snicker bars too but that’s it. I try not to be so bad. I really do.
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I’ve taken up lately doing things I’ve always wanted to do and never got around to doing it. So I like to take dance lessons and I always wanted to try my hand at voice acting. It’s fun to learn new and interesting stuff and you’re never too old to learn.
What was the last amazing book you read?
I read an excerpt of “Living Out Of The Box” by Kallysten last week and I am salivating for the rest of the story.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
I like to read curled up in the corner out in front of a picture window. I do tend to scare myself a little when I sent in front of a picture window and I don’t recognize my reflection in the mirror as it gets darker outside. I get to a scary or suspenseful part in the book and my reflection makes my heart leap out of my chest. I know, I’m a scaredy cat.
What can readers expect next from you?
I’m working on the next book in the series, “Better Than 8 Karma” as well as a stand alone story called “I Break For No Man.”
Where can readers find you on the web?
Website: http://erinjamison.com
Blog: http://erinjamison.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinjamison_
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
“How long has it been, Amara?” my girlfriend Stacey asked. Then she continued without waiting for a reply. “Let’s see ... the last man I heard about wanted to be your maintenance man while keeping his main squeeze. What was his name?”
“Adrian, I think ... ” Nicole chimed in waggling her eyebrows. “And you know everybody needs a maintenance man ... to you know ... maintain certain areas.”
Chuckling along with the rest of my friends, I looked around my living room at them. All four of them were in relationships, save me. It had been four years since I’d been with Adrian, since he’d gotten married.
I looked around my living room at my four girl friends. We had all been friends it seemed like forever but in reality, it had only been six years. They were all the sisters I never knew I wanted and never had until now.
We had all worked together in one capacity or another. There were many friends I would say were associates or friend, the term used loosely. These girls, though, I loved.
There was Nicole aka Nikki, the party planner. The very one that had planned this little girls night we sometimes had on Sunday nights at my cozy two-story Tudor house not far from downtown Mountain View, an hour south of San Francisco. Nikki was the youngest of my friends. She was half white, half Mexican, 26 years old, tan, shorter than five feet tall, and a brunette, usually.
Then there was Vanessa aka Nessa. Nessa was brown skinned, 28, big brown eyes, with a mischievous sense of humor. She was also the whitest black girl I had ever known.
Then Stacey, the red headed, stubborn, “I ain’t taking no shit off nobody” kinda girl. She was 40 and a long way away from mellowing out.
Last but not least was Charlene aka Charlie. Charlie was the quick-witted, 30-year-old, strawberry blond shit talker.
I felt my face heat up at the mention of Adrian as I gathered the dishes off the table and took them into the kitchen. I grabbed the strawberry cheesecake. On my way back I passed by the floor-to-ceiling hallway mirror and paused. My cheeks were flaming from all the talk about Adrian. My skin was naturally all peaches. I had long dark brown wavy hair, hazel eyes, petite nose, and a full lush mouth. I was cute and curvy. I could admit that to myself.
After four years of being single, I had trouble explaining to myself why me, 35-year-old Amara Simmons, why I was still alone. Except that Adrian had burned me bad.
“Mmmmm,” Nessa hummed as she bit into the strawberry cheesecake I had served. “I swear I don’t understand why you’re still single.” I shrugged.
She continued. “I mean you’re gorgeous, small waist, full breasted, phat ass; for a white girl. And ... you can cook. Hell, I’d marry you simply so I can have cheesecake!”
Amid a chorus of laughter and the clink of wine glasses lifted in agreement with Nessa’s statement echoing my own thoughts, I offered a suggestion. “I simply haven’t met the right one.” I sat with my head resting on the back of an overstuffed brown suede chair with my legs stretched out in front of me on a matching ottoman.
“The one. You make it sound like that movie, The Matrix. Is that it?” Charlie asked sardonically. She had a mischievous glint in her eye as she sat on my sofa, one leg crossed under her, the other swinging back and forth. “Are you waiting on your version of Neo, or are you stuck in the Matrix?”
“Very funny Charlie. I’ll know him when I find him that I’m sure of.” I sat up quickly, planted my feet on the floor, and leaned forward. “You know I’ve been wondering though, what if I find Mr. Wonderful and he’s not as well, hmph umph, equipped as I would like.”
“Mara, OMG! I mean, are you looking for a porn star? Hell, you’ll never find anyone if that’s the criteria you’re measuring against,” Stacey said and flipped her red hair over her shoulder.
“That’s pretty vain, don’t you think?” Nikki asked. She shifted her petite self in the middle of the white sectional swirling her wine glass. “That’s like a guy saying a girl has to have a set of DDs or something for him to be satisfied. Isn’t it possible to fall for a guy or girl that doesn’t meet all your preconceived notions?”
I love to read romance stories but I have to say, I like my romance hot!!! I am a contemporary erotic romance writer. I have wanted to write since I was a senior in high school. I’ve written some stories over the years but I never had confidence in myself to do anything with it. I convinced myself that the story wasn’t entertaining or wouldn’t capture an audience. I have to say that I don’t feel that way about my writing anymore.
Please tell us about your latest release.
Better Than 8 Fantasy is my debut novella. Amara has been single for the last four years and her friends suggest that she register for a dating website. This website is called betterthan8.com. If you’re thinking that it couldn’t possibly mean men’s size, think again. With a deal on the line, Amara travels to Puerto Rico in an attempt to salvage the deal. She comes face to face with her would be Latin lover. She has a decision to make than just might make her wildest fantasy come to life.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
I don’t know that I have a special formula but I research baby names and I keep a list. When I am thinking of writing a new story, I refer to the list. I do like names that mean something and sometimes the meaning becomes apart of the story. When I wrote this story, I was looking for a pretty name but also a name that meant beauty. When I was looking for the primary hero’s name I was looking for a Latin name and one that I could shorten. I also wanted the name to be different that what most people expect for a Latin name.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
I don’t have a formula. I quite frequently list out a list of attributes and I find I go back to that list when I write dialogue to describe a character. Somewhere in there, the character develops a voice and they may not sound like the list of attributes that I’ve written.
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
I had to research Puerto Rico and I was so surprised at the history of the island. I was surprised to find that most natives are college educated and that there is still debate about whether to establish Puerto Rico as a state.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
The main character has bits of me like her dislike and wariness around bees. I’ve moved heaven, earth, and you to get away from one. Amara may not be as dramatic as myself on that end.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Several times I developed writers block but there were two reasons why that happened. One was that I was writing a love scene and I was shying away from it. Second was that I tend to plot out in my head what happens and I couldn’t envision the scene. So I’d write a scene and make it total fiction. I’d leave it alone for a day and read it over and wonder what the heck I was on when I wrote it and I’d revise it. I’ve decided going forward that I will write until I get stuck and then I’ll switch to a different story. Hopefully writing something else will dislodge the block.
Do you write in different genres?
For the most part, I’d say that I write romance stories. Those might include contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and/or horror romance. Never say never though.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
A pint of Jerry Garcia Caramel and Vanilla ice cream. Frozen snicker bars too but that’s it. I try not to be so bad. I really do.
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I’ve taken up lately doing things I’ve always wanted to do and never got around to doing it. So I like to take dance lessons and I always wanted to try my hand at voice acting. It’s fun to learn new and interesting stuff and you’re never too old to learn.
What was the last amazing book you read?
I read an excerpt of “Living Out Of The Box” by Kallysten last week and I am salivating for the rest of the story.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
I like to read curled up in the corner out in front of a picture window. I do tend to scare myself a little when I sent in front of a picture window and I don’t recognize my reflection in the mirror as it gets darker outside. I get to a scary or suspenseful part in the book and my reflection makes my heart leap out of my chest. I know, I’m a scaredy cat.
What can readers expect next from you?
I’m working on the next book in the series, “Better Than 8 Karma” as well as a stand alone story called “I Break For No Man.”
Where can readers find you on the web?
Website: http://erinjamison.com
Blog: http://erinjamison.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinjamison_
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
“How long has it been, Amara?” my girlfriend Stacey asked. Then she continued without waiting for a reply. “Let’s see ... the last man I heard about wanted to be your maintenance man while keeping his main squeeze. What was his name?”
“Adrian, I think ... ” Nicole chimed in waggling her eyebrows. “And you know everybody needs a maintenance man ... to you know ... maintain certain areas.”
Chuckling along with the rest of my friends, I looked around my living room at them. All four of them were in relationships, save me. It had been four years since I’d been with Adrian, since he’d gotten married.
I looked around my living room at my four girl friends. We had all been friends it seemed like forever but in reality, it had only been six years. They were all the sisters I never knew I wanted and never had until now.
We had all worked together in one capacity or another. There were many friends I would say were associates or friend, the term used loosely. These girls, though, I loved.
There was Nicole aka Nikki, the party planner. The very one that had planned this little girls night we sometimes had on Sunday nights at my cozy two-story Tudor house not far from downtown Mountain View, an hour south of San Francisco. Nikki was the youngest of my friends. She was half white, half Mexican, 26 years old, tan, shorter than five feet tall, and a brunette, usually.
Then there was Vanessa aka Nessa. Nessa was brown skinned, 28, big brown eyes, with a mischievous sense of humor. She was also the whitest black girl I had ever known.
Then Stacey, the red headed, stubborn, “I ain’t taking no shit off nobody” kinda girl. She was 40 and a long way away from mellowing out.
Last but not least was Charlene aka Charlie. Charlie was the quick-witted, 30-year-old, strawberry blond shit talker.
I felt my face heat up at the mention of Adrian as I gathered the dishes off the table and took them into the kitchen. I grabbed the strawberry cheesecake. On my way back I passed by the floor-to-ceiling hallway mirror and paused. My cheeks were flaming from all the talk about Adrian. My skin was naturally all peaches. I had long dark brown wavy hair, hazel eyes, petite nose, and a full lush mouth. I was cute and curvy. I could admit that to myself.
After four years of being single, I had trouble explaining to myself why me, 35-year-old Amara Simmons, why I was still alone. Except that Adrian had burned me bad.
“Mmmmm,” Nessa hummed as she bit into the strawberry cheesecake I had served. “I swear I don’t understand why you’re still single.” I shrugged.
She continued. “I mean you’re gorgeous, small waist, full breasted, phat ass; for a white girl. And ... you can cook. Hell, I’d marry you simply so I can have cheesecake!”
Amid a chorus of laughter and the clink of wine glasses lifted in agreement with Nessa’s statement echoing my own thoughts, I offered a suggestion. “I simply haven’t met the right one.” I sat with my head resting on the back of an overstuffed brown suede chair with my legs stretched out in front of me on a matching ottoman.
“The one. You make it sound like that movie, The Matrix. Is that it?” Charlie asked sardonically. She had a mischievous glint in her eye as she sat on my sofa, one leg crossed under her, the other swinging back and forth. “Are you waiting on your version of Neo, or are you stuck in the Matrix?”
“Very funny Charlie. I’ll know him when I find him that I’m sure of.” I sat up quickly, planted my feet on the floor, and leaned forward. “You know I’ve been wondering though, what if I find Mr. Wonderful and he’s not as well, hmph umph, equipped as I would like.”
“Mara, OMG! I mean, are you looking for a porn star? Hell, you’ll never find anyone if that’s the criteria you’re measuring against,” Stacey said and flipped her red hair over her shoulder.
“That’s pretty vain, don’t you think?” Nikki asked. She shifted her petite self in the middle of the white sectional swirling her wine glass. “That’s like a guy saying a girl has to have a set of DDs or something for him to be satisfied. Isn’t it possible to fall for a guy or girl that doesn’t meet all your preconceived notions?”
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