Guest Interview: Saskia Walker

Please welcome our special guest, Saskia Walker!

Award winning British author Saskia Walker first dreamed of writing her own stories when she discovered a handful of romance novels stashed away in her school library. An avid reader, she lapped up the fun, the adventures, and the life-affirming emotion of these stories, but always felt dismay when the bedroom door closed the reader out. She vowed that if she ever had the chance to pursue her dream, all the passion would be right there on the page. Saskia finally began writing seriously in the late 1990s. By that time she'd traveled the world, got herself a BA in Art History, a Masters in Literature and the Visual Arts, and she'd worked in all manner of diverse careers—but the stories in her head simply had to be written.

Her first erotic short story was signed in '97 and since then she has had several single title novel and novella publications, and her work has appeared in over fifty anthologies including Best Women’s Erotica, The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, and the Black lace Wicked Words series. She writes across genres, but always with the passion right there on the page! Her novel, DOUBLE DARE, received the Passionate Plume award for the Best Contemporary Erotic Romance of 2006.

Saskia lives in the north of England—close to the beautiful, windswept landscape of the Yorkshire moors—with her real life hero, Mark. Mark supports her work through all its ups and downs, and somehow manages to keep her sane and grounded when fiction threatens to take over.

Welcome, Saskia! You know I'm jealous that you live so close to Scotland! :) Please tell us about Sweet-Talking the Opposition in Secrets Volume 29 Indulge Your Fantasies.

Thank you for inviting me to be here at Fierce Romance! SWEET-TALKING THE OPPOSITION is about two journalists who’ve had a fling in the past. They get thrown together again when they are both sent to cover the launch of a luxurious new Rhine river cruiser. Eliza and Marcus are made for each other and they just don’t realize it, so I had to trap them on a boat together. :-) Eliza can’t resist an on-board affair, but she’s worried she’ll fall for Marcus. She decides she can stop herself getting emotionally involved by taking charge, sexually. She establishes ground rules for their affair while on board the river cruiser. With a dominant like Marcus, however, the fun turns out to be in the tug of love over who is on top…

I love stories set on boats! Who is your favorite character in this story and why?

I adore Marcus! He was such fun to write. He’s suave and charming, and women fall at his feet. He’s a talented journalist and his special area/obsession is extreme sports. That side of him gives a brawny edge to an otherwise sophisticated, urban man. When Eliza tries to keep him at bay it intrigues him because women usually make it easy for him. At one point in the story (when they return to London) she won’t open her door to hear him out. So he abseils down the outside of the building in order to talk to her through the window. I love that about him. ;-)

Readers can find an excerpt form my story here:
http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/sweettalkingtheopposition.html

Whew! Hot excerpt! What inspired this story?

It was just one of those crazy ideas that popped into my head. I’d wanted to try my hand at a reunion story, and this was it.

I love reunion stories, too! Which element of this story was hardest for you?

Keeping it to a novella length! I fell in love with the characters, it was hard to say goodbye. I hope readers will enjoy them as much as I did.

What is your writing process?

An interesting question, because my process is something I used to fret about. It’s difficult when you start out and you read how other writers approach their work, but I honestly believe you need to find what works best for you. After many years I’ve come to terms with the fact that 90% of the writing goes on in my head, and getting it on the page is only 10%—but it’s the hardest 10%! :-) I tend to write in short stints and while I’m doing other things the story rolls on in my head, ready for the next stint. My routine is best described as meandering, but I get there in the end.

Everyone has their own unique process and I love learning about them. Please tell us about another of your recent releases.

My big novel length publication of the year is RAMPANT, an erotic paranormal romance set in Scotland. This one was published by Harlequin Spice in April. It was an amazing book to write, because it allowed me to indulge myself by writing about one of my favorite coastlines—The East Neuk of Fife in Scotland—and draw on the incredible legacy of witchcraft and persecution in the area. My heroine, Zoë, arrives at a cottage there for a vacation only to find herself in a hotbed of erotic magic. The hero is a gorgeous, sexy academic who is secretly a white witch and a guardian of the area. RAMPANT is set in the present day, but the back story unravels in glimpses the heroine has into the past, solving an old mystery of love, loss, and persecution.

If any of your readers would like to read an excerpt, they kind find one here: http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/rampant.html

Sounds fascinating! I must read this! Would you like to ask blog readers a question?

I’d love readers to tell me their favorite characteristics in a hero.

I’ve got a copy of RAMPANT to give away to one reader who comments!

Thanks for being our guest today, Saskia!

Everyone, please visit Saskia's websites:

http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/home.html
http://www.saskiawalker.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/saskiawalker

Saskia Walker gets Reckless

I'm thrilled that Saskia Walker is here today to talk about her scorching hot new novel Reckless! Stick around and you might win something. :-)

Award winning British author Saskia Walker first dreamed of writing her own stories when she discovered a handful of romance novels stashed away in her school library. An avid reader, she lapped up the fun, the adventures, and the life-affirming emotion of these stories, but always felt dismay when the bedroom door closed the reader out. She vowed that if she ever had the chance to pursue her dream, all the passion would be right there on the page.

Saskia finally began writing seriously in the late 1990s. By that time she'd traveled the world, got herself a BA in Art History, a Masters in Literature and the Visual Arts, and she'd worked in all manner of diverse careers—but the stories in her head simply had to be written. Her first erotic short story was signed in '97 and since then she has had several single title novel publications. Her work has also appeared in over fifty anthologies including Best Women's Erotica, The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, the Red Sage Secrets series, and the Black lace Wicked Words series. Her first novel, DOUBLE DARE, received the Passionate Plume award for the Best Contemporary Erotic Romance of 2006. Saskia now writes erotic fiction across genres, but always with the passion right there on the page!

Saskia lives in the north of England—close to the beautiful, windswept landscape of the Yorkshire moors—with her real life hero, Mark. Mark supports her work through all its ups and downs, and somehow manages to keep her sane and grounded when fiction threatens to take over.

Nicole: Welcome, Saskia! I'm glad you're here to tell us about your stories and your writing life! (And I'm jealous that you live so darn close to Scotland.) :-)

Saskia: Thank you so much to the Fierce Romance writers for inviting me here today!

Nicole: Please tell us about Reckless. (I'm still drooling over this cover!)

Saskia: RECKLESS is my most recent novel, a contemporary erotic romance set in the Catalan region of Spain. The heroine is called in to evaluate an art collection, and she encounters two brothers who seduce her in different ways. She enjoys the thrill the situation brings, but she soon realizes that they have dubious reasons for their actions. She has to decide what their motives are, and who she should trust. When she gets emotionally entangled with one brother, she also has to decide whether she can trust her own judgment, when her heart and her
libido are involved.

Nicole: Sounds fantastic and sexy! Who is your favorite character in this story and why?

Saskia: That is so hard! Katrina, the heroine, was a dream to write because she discovers so much about life, love, and herself, throughout the story. She revels in her sensual liberation, and she also gets to solve the mystery. I loved giving her that adventure! Both brothers were fascinating in their own way. Nicolas, the more mysterious brother, was a favorite to write. There's also a secondary character, a housekeeper called Raimunda, who I enjoyed writing about immensely. She's stoic and loyal, grumpy and funny, too. I loved her. I wanted her to be real :)

Nicole: How cool! I love it when characters come to life that way. What element of story creation is your favorite and what is your writing process like?

Saskia: Another hard one! I don't think there is any part of the process that I dislike. Maybe proof reading.:) I enjoy all the stages, from the moment the idea sparks, to brain storming the tiniest plot details, even synopsis writing. I particularly enjoy the organic nature of the writing once you get into a big story, the way a novel will give you back ideas as you're writing it and you can weave them into the tale. The only part of being writer I truly dislike is the business side.

My process: I brainstorm a bunch of ideas when the urge takes me and then I do a synopsis/ road map for the ones that won't let me forget them. :) When I'm working on a novel, I need 3-4 months. I get very bound up with it, it's running back and forth in my head constantly -- when I shop, cook, when I go to asleep, as I wake up -- it's there, bits of it playing out. I try to write about 2,000 words a day; sometimes it's less, sometimes more. I'm always surrounded by scraps of paper with notes of things to remember to add.

Nicole: You like synopsis writing?? I want whatever you're taking. :-) What inspires and motivates you?

Saskia: Oh, so many things! Places inspire me immensely. I've visited Spain many times and when I started writing I knew I would have to set a story there. RECKLESS is that story. One of the biggest personal motivations I have is learning. Writing is all about learning to me. Both the research, and the joy of discovery inherent in creating a story. Every story and every character teaches me something new about writing and about life. That is some major motivation right there.

Nicole: You inspire me! Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Saskia: Never give up, and enjoy what you do! You have to have a big personal investment in the act of writing itself, in order to weather the ups and downs of the publishing industry. On a daily basis, it's going to be you and the blank page. That never changes, so you have to enjoy that. It can be a lonely job, but I truly believe that writing is one of the healthiest things a person can do. Exploring and expanding the imagination, learning through research, setting yourself goals, being self-motivated, gaining mental focus -- what could be better? Also keep in mind that it shows when you are having a good time with your work, if you have fun with it your readers will experience all of that fun and pleasure too!

Nicole: What great advice! What's next for you?

Saskia: I'm currently working on a novel entitled RAMPANT. This one is an erotic paranormal set in Scotland. My Real Life Hero and I had a romantic break in a fisherman's cottage on the east coast a couple of years ago, and as soon as I got there I just knew I had to set a story
there. The area was steeped in history about witchcraft. Eerie and beautiful, it echoes in my memory every day. RAMPANT is that story, and it will appear on Harlequin Spice line in 2010. After that one is done, (December) I'll be working on INESCAPABLE, a contemporary set in
London and Wales. Meanwhile, my next publication comes out tomorrow! STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT is the second in a series of Spice Briefs. I had far too much fun writing those three naughty short stories!

Nicole: Wow!! That's a lot of stories. Congratulations! I can't wait to read them! Would you like to ask blog readers a question?

Saskia: Yes indeed. When you're reading an erotic romance, do you have a favorite sub genre? As a writer (and as a reader) I dip in all over the place from contemporary to fantasy, but I'd love to hear what you all think works best for a sexy story – a contemporary setting, historical, paranormal? Or does a good mix of all appeal to you? Leave us your answers and we'll choose one at random for a copy of RECKLESS! And if anyone wants to ask me a question based on what I've said, or anything about writing, please do!

Nicole: Yes, please leave your comments and questions. You know you want to win this deliciously hot book! Also please visit Saskia's sites:

Website: http://www.saskiawalker.com/

Blog: http://saskiawalker.blogspot.com/

Newsgroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saskiawalker_news/

MySpace: http://myspace.com/saskiawalkerauthor

Click to buy Reckless

Today Show clip featuring Saskia's cover.

Thanks again, Saskia, for visiting with us!!

Come back Tuesday for a chance to win!

Hi everyone, come back Tuesday, September 30, to read Saskia Walker's interview and have a chance to win a copy of her new book, Reckless, out now from Berkley Heat!

Whew!! What a hot, beautiful cover!!!