Interview with Lily Harlem

Q – How long have you been a writer and what was your first published work?

I’ve always been an avid reader but until I moved from the town to the countryside three years ago I’d never seriously tried to connect imagination and pen.

I joined a local writing group held in an old chapel one afternoon a week in an effort to meet new friends and became totally inspired by the enthusiastic, vibrant teacher with her sharp mind, dazzling smile and boundless knowledge of creative writing.

I started entering my ‘homework’ into short story competitions, I didn’t get very far until I spotted an erotic fiction competition. I’d never written anything steamy before and blushed the entire two days it took me to tap it into my laptop. Then I crossed my fingers, sent it off and Yippee! I won first place and a sweet £500 prize. You can download the free e-book of ‘Madam President’ at www.lovehoney.co.uk, it was the start of many more hot tales!

Q – Do you have a favorite character that you’ve created? One that’s close to your heart.

I suppose I’d have to say ‘Beast’ in my latest book ‘The Mother of all Hen Nights’. He’s a bit of a favorite at the moment. He really is the worst sort of bad boy for all the best reasons. Of course he’s not really beastie to look at, he’s drop dead gorgeous with an air of brooding danger and delicious sin that’s impossible to resist and I have to say Rapunzel is a braver girl than me to hand over complete control to a man who doesn’t play games!

Q – Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I never in my life thought I was a morning person, but now, once I’m up and made a cup of tea I like to sit at my desk and write away for a few hours before I get dressed. Overnight my mind floods with ideas, dialogue and sexy new story lines and I just have to get it down!

Sometimes in the evening I have a glass of white wine and write, but the next day it usually gets scrapped, alcohol makes my writing bizarre though at the time I think its genius!

Q – Name one thing your readers would be surprised to know about you.

Let’s see. How about I shocked several people back to life in the days when I was a trauma nurse.

Q – Do you have a favourite book or favourite author?

I read and have read all sorts, Shakespeare to Harry Potter, but when it comes to erotica I’d have to say Kristina Lloyd is one of my favourites, I can never decide between ‘Split’ and ‘Asking for Trouble’ as a preferred read, both have that dark element of danger that keeps the reader guessing right to the end.

I also really like Maya Banks and Lora Leigh and of course the erotic classics, Pauline Reage and her ‘Story of O’ and Anais Nin (though I have to be in the right frame of mind for hers.)

Q – What are your hobbies besides writing?

Horses, horses, horses! I love to ride, I have my own four footed friend, and like to take him to the beach whenever I can for a good gallop. There’s something about being around horses, the smell, the feel of the tack, the sound of hooves that I find very soothing and restoring, it’s a bit like writing, when I’m riding I’m in my own little world.

Q – So let’s start out with you giving us a glimpse into your world as an erotic writer. Is everything as sinful as your stories or is your imagination just rich with sexual scenarios?

Sinful. Mmm, definitely a bit of sin going on around here, but I’ve been with the same guy for twenty years (we met young!) and we have two kids so it has to be very quiet sin!

In terms of sexual scenarios I think my imagination is getting richer the more I write, I rarely struggle for an idea, they seem to roll out of me. I always start with a plot and then work in the sexy elements. Some books shut the door when the couple gets it together, how disappointing is that? Imagine reading a whole book, will they or won’t they, and then when they do suddenly she’s stretching ‘languidly’ in bed the next morning feeling very satisfied. No,no,no! I want to know what the hero was like in bed; fast and furious or gentle and sweet, did they do it once, twice, was there any oral? What colour were his pubes and did he have tight little nipples or large disks? I need to know every tiny detail so that’s what I give my readers, they deserve it.

Q – Many people picture the life of an erotic author along the same lines as a porn star – sex, sex and more sex. Is that how your life is or is it a little more mundane than that?

I don’t think mundane describes my life but neither does sex, sex, sex.

Poor old Anais Nin was heavily criticized in France for her erotic stories all those years ago. But I think erotic literature is very different to porn, it’s layered, the reader gets the whole picture - in words; the relationship, the situation, the emotion, the sexual chemistry and tension, the sex act itself and then the consequences and feelings afterwards. It’s so much more than watching people have sex on the screen or looking at a picture in a magazine, and that is why I like it.

Q – If you could be intimate with three people (not necessarily at the same time) who would they be?

I love vampires! Big time. I would have to choose Bill from True Blood, bad big brother Damon from The Vampire Diaries and Edward Cullen from Twilight – all of them in character of course, their mortal selves are not nearly as appealing. All at the same time? Would I have enough blood I wonder?

Q- Just for fun

Light or dark? – Dark

Red or pink? – Red

Coke or Pepsi? – Coke

Coffee or tea? – Tea

Abs or buns? – Abs

Vampires or angels – Vampires every time!!

Q – In closing tell us about your latest release. Feel free to add an excerpt.

My latest e-book novella ‘The Mother of all Hen Nights’, has just become available from www.xcite.com. It’s about the night before Cinderella’s wedding and the girls are in town looking for some serious fun - especially Rapunzel. Tired of being a dominatrix to her wall skimming prince she’s hoping to surrender control to the broodingly gorgeous, newly divorced Beast, but she mustn’t forget about her naive friend Cinderella who’s in desperate need of an eye opener before she gets hitched to the fast and furious Prince Charming – just as well Cinderella’s eye is caught by a dashing Woodcutter more than willing to fill the gaps in her education which leaves Rapunzel to enjoy her own, more exotic kind of kink in Beast's private Turret Club room.

It’s just had a great review at wordpress - www.en.wordpress.com/tag/lily-harlem/

Here is an excerpt to wet your appetite and if you like that check out my website www.lilyharlem.weebly.com to see what else I’m up to…

Extract from the Mother of all Hen Nights:

Rapunzel splashed burning clear liquid into three heavy shot-glasses and one teeny, tiny thimble, raised her drink to the beamed ceiling and grinned at her three friends. ‘This,’ she said, ‘is to Cinder’s last night of freedom.’ She licked salt from her knuckle, threw back her drink and sucked furiously on a segment of lemon. ‘Go for it girl, because – jeez ...’ She rasped her tongue against the roof of her mouth. ‘That hits the spot.’

Cinderella brushed invisible crumbs from the pale blue silk of her voluminous gown and clutched her overflowing glass of tequila like it was crab apple poison. She made no move to drink.

Tinkerbell, standing on the kitchen work surface had no such qualms. She was tiny – the size of a pencil – but, undaunted by her thimble of burning liquid, knocked it back in one mouthful.

‘Bloody brilliant,’ she said gesturing for Rapunzel to top her up.

‘I don’t think Tink should have any more,’ Cinderella said, worried.

‘She’ll be fine,’ Rapunzel said.

‘Yeah, I’ve seen her drink twice her own weight.’ Belle grinned as she shoved up the cream puffed sleeves of her best gown and shook salt onto her thumb. She looked steadily at her three companions with a glint in her eye that showed she meant business, then downed her shot, smacked her lips and ignored the lemon slice.

‘We’re here to help you have fun,’ Tinkerbell said as she fluttered her wings to life and flew face level with Cinderella. ‘Come on, you know you want to.’

‘I do, really I do, it’s just, well, I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.’

Rapunzel threw her head back and laughed. ‘Some people like a bit of pain, you know.’ Her river of blonde locks rippled down her spine, the tips touching the dusty stone floor like thin fingers.

‘Let your hair down, Cinders ... like me.’

Belle and Tinkerbell downed another shot, giggled and then they all looked at Cinderella.

‘Come on, drink up.’ Rapunzel gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘Prince Charming and his stags will be up to all sorts, so why shouldn’t you? Whatever happened to equality?'

Cinderella set her jaw determinedly then threw back the clear drink in one go. She gasped as the burn hit her throat and spluttered into her hand. Rapunzel slapped her on the shoulders with a jovial laugh. ‘Excellent, another two of those and we’ll hit The Turret Club.’ She winked at Belle. ‘You’re going to love it there, Cinders.’