Sunday Brunch 5/26/13

Today's Sunday Brunch Spotlight is with author Tim Goodwood!

First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here.  Welcome to Harper’s Sunday Brunch Interview!

It’s a pleasure to be here.

So, can you tell us what makes Tim Goodwood tick?  What got you started on the path to becoming an author?

What makes me tick eh? I like to entertain people, make them laugh and appreciate the sillier side of life. Some people think I am quite a serious sort of person but inside my head it’s the complete opposite. I take a while to get to know people and then the daft side comes out….unless its public speaking, then I just open my mouth and it all comes tumbling out and it makes people laugh…..I am comfortable if people are laughing.

I have been writing stories since primary school, it’s how I download my thoughts to keep my brain from getting clogged up.

What are you currently working on?  Would you care to share a snippet?

The Accidental Hedonist Book 4 takes place on a cruise ship heading to Norway…Tim got a cheap deal for a last minute booking but it turns out the ship is full of older women….bet you can’t guess what happens!

Do you include some of your own personal experiences in your books or do you prefer to use your imagination?

Some of my stuff actually happened to me….some of it happened to friends and the rest is 52 years of sexual fantasies in print.

Why Comerotica/Erotica?  What made you choose this genre over others?

Because I couldn’t write seriously if my life depended on it. In my day job I often have to give speeches and they always come out as comedy…I have a reputation as a “story-teller”. I like to look at life through a distorted lens and make things quirky; life is too short to take anything seriously.

Do you have a specific process or a ritual you go through when sitting down to write?

Not really, it just suddenly hits me, the urge to write that is…I might go 2 months without writing anything and then suddenly I am in the midst of a major creative binge….nothing is ever planned but suddenly an idea, a sentence or a scenario will just pop up and nothing can stop me writing it down and then the rest of the story will just flood in from there….and the next you know it’s 1 am and there are 12 thousand words on the page.

This is why my editors’ keep on at me about “run-on sentences”…I tend to write at the same pace at which I think and I also talk in run-on sentences so it’s really hard to stop writing like that. I used to resent it because I felt it was an important part of Tim’s “writing voice” but I didn’t realize that some people get exhausted reading run-ons, so now I try very hard to write shorter sentences…but I think it’s always going to be the main part of any editor’s work as far as my books are concerned.

Where do you find your inspiration for your plots?  Do you have any tricks of the trade you would care to share?

I am a pervert, pure and simple, the girl behind the teller’s desk in the bank might have magnificent breasts or a come-on smile and then the fantasy starts. It might be an idle contemplation while bored in a far-off hotel room. The Accidental Hedonist series started off as the true story of how I lost my virginity and then I threw a few “near misses” into the mix and other teenage fantasies.

If you want a trick or a tip to share then it would be this: Truth is always stranger than fiction and if you are stuck for something to write about then think about real things that happened or just re-hash your favourite sexual fantasy….don’t over-think your writing, keep it fresh and rude.

What is the oddest place/situation where an idea for a book/plot has come to you?

Sitting in the Albert Hall whilst attending the birthday party of a member of the Royal Family.

What makes a book stand out and perk your interest?

“Pace and attack” as my drama teacher used to say….if a book grabs me in the first two pages and charges along until the end I will read it in one go. I like books that start with some strange statement, I like my imagination to be challenged, and my intellect to be stimulated….I also like lots of rude bits but that isn’t mandatory.

We all have our favorite authors.  Can you share some of yours and tell us why you like them?

Tim Dorsey and Hunter S Thompson are my favourites. Both are barking mad in their own ways and with Tim Dorsey I just love his characters, they are so deeply flawed as human beings that you just can’t help loving them.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson changed my life at 14 yrs old. In the back it says “All my life spent searching for something I could not name”…..boy did that resonate! His book on the Hell’s Angels is worth a read too.

We all have a pet peeve, care to share yours?

People who litter, I would make littering a hanging offence…I also would quite cheerfully strangle all wife-beaters.

When you’re not writing, what are the things you enjoy doing to relax?

Joe Orton, a famous British playwright from the 1960’s had the best answer to this question, he said “Taking drugs and masturbating”….I don’t do drugs though… :)

I enjoy fishing and riding my Harley, it’s good to be away from cellphone reception and the computer for a few hours.

Thank you so much for joining me here today, Tim.  I know my followers will enjoy this spotlight as much as I have conducting it.  Good luck on all your future endeavors.

Thanks Harper, it’s been real :)

Find Tim Online At These Places

Facebook

Goodreads

Bookwire

Tim's Releases

The Accidental Hedonist - Part 1

 British boy, Tim Goodwood, doesn't know what to make of his ever growing sexuality. Several fumbling encounters with his bum hole lead him on a startling journey of self discovery with the opposite sex in various and completely inappropriate places that lead to serious consequences of a cock-blocking nature.

Purchase Links for Accidental Hedonist - Part 1

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance E-books

Kobo

 

The Accidental Hedonist - Part 2 

 University, the place of experimental sex, sees Tim engaging in frivolous arse activity when he accidentally slips, falling into his male best friend.

The fates have no conscience whatsoever when another cruel twist falls into his lap in the form of a lesbian girlfriend who gets pregnant.

On a bumpy sexual spiral, the ‘Accidental Hedonist,’ is trussed up and spit out by the depravity of society leaving him in serious doubt.

Purchase Links for Accidental Hedonist - Part 2

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance E-books

Kobo

iTunes

 

Sunday Brunch 5/19/13

Today's Sunday Brunch Spotlight

is with author, Bebe Balocca! 

First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here.  Welcome to Harper’s Sunday Brunch Spotlight!

So, can you tell us what makes Bebe Balocca tick?  What got you started on the path to becoming an author?

Thanks so much for having me, Harper. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve written in other capacities—for an educational testing company and for culture and parenting magazines—for years. Writing fiction, however, has been a lifelong dream. I’ve read quite a bit of romance and I love the genre, so I decided to make it happen. I absolutely love writing erotic romance!

What are you currently working on?  Would you care to share a snippet?

Sure! I just had the second book in my Prescott Woods series accepted for publication. It’s called Beds and Blazes and it tells Lowell and Dora’s story. It’s not edited yet, so this is not the final version. Here we have masculine, somewhat awkward Lowell making bread with domestic diva, Dora:

Lowell looked across the chopping block at her as she worked. She’d piled her wavy hair atop her head, but a few black curls had escaped to ring her face. The scoop neck of her pink t-shirt was modest, but nothing could hide those curves of hers, he thought. Her cleavage deepened with each shove of her hands into the dough, and he could just detect her heartbeat in the divot above her sternum. She wore a knee-length full skirt that was decorated with cabbage roses ranging in hue from baby pink to magenta to fuchsia. Her expression was peaceful—she was fully absorbed in her task. Lowell’s kneading hands stilled as he let his eyes wander over the front of her leaf-festooned smock. Barely veiled by the ruffle of her apron, the sides of her breasts grazed the sides of her upper arms. Through the layers of her bra, t-shirt, and apron, he detected the bumps of her erect nipples. Lowell swallowed.

“Don’t neglect your dough,” Dora scolded. “We’ve only got a couple more minutes to go, then it will rest for an hour.” She glanced at the front of his tan rugby shirt, now smudged with flour. “You should have worn an apron.” Her gaze moved down to the front of his kilt, where once more the fabric didn’t hang straight down to the floor. Her lips parted and she looked back up at him. Lowell’s heart quickened, but he held her gaze.

“Isn’t this stuff done yet?” he asked gruffly. “If it’s not ready for

a rest, I know that I am.”

Dora took out two clean bowls. She coated the dough balls in oil, placed them in the vessels, and covered them with clean kitchen towels. “Okay, they get an hour to rise,” she said as she placed them on the counter next to the sink. She started to turn, but Lowell was at her back, holding her in place.

“I enjoyed that, Dora,” he whispered in her ear, “but I’ve got more on my mind than rising bread.” He pressed his erection into the small of her back and brushed his lips on the side of her neck. “Am I alone in that? Tell me so, and I’ll walk out the door, but…” he exhaled warmth on her skin. “Oh, Dora, I can think of nothing but touching you.”

Do you include some of your own personal experiences in your books or do you prefer to use your imagination?

There are aspects of my friends and family members in many of my characters and the settings are generally similar to places I’ve spent time. As far as personal experiences go, well, there’s always a smidgeon of truth in the fiction, right?

Why Erotica?  What made you choose this genre over others?

Writing explicit sex scenes pushed the envelope for me, but it was an exciting process. I wanted to see if I could write exciting, emotional, arousing erotica. The sex scenes are tremendously fun to write.

Do you have a specific process or a ritual you go through when sitting down to write?

I like to have a beverage (coffee with cream, herbal tea, or ice water) and crunchy, healthy snacks on hand. My miniature dachshund, Scarlett, is usually in her chair next to me or in my lap.

Where do you find your inspiration for your plots?  Do you have any tricks of the trade you would care to share?

The plots tend to start with one hot, vivid scene, such as the mud bath in Bubbles and Troubles and the voyeuristic dance floor in Learning to Soar, and then grow from there.

What is the oddest place/situation where an idea for a book has come to you?

My youngest son loves to go to church. I enjoy many aspects of the experience, too, but I have a short attention span when it comes to sermons. If they drag on and I can’t focus, I use the time to flesh out my plots and characters. The preacher would probably be horrified if he knew what was going on behind the peaceful, inwardly focused expression on my face.

What makes a book stand out and perk your interest?

I am a sucker for semantics and imagery. If a book manages to have both clever, thought-provoking wording AND vivid imagery, I’m totally hooked.

We all have our favorite authors.  Can you share some of yours and tell us why you like them?

I’m a huge Stephen King fan—I love the way he adds visceral details that really pull readers in to his characters’ experiences. I love sci-fi, especially the kind that makes me laugh, such as books by Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Right now I’m reading ‘Tis, a Memoir, Frank McCourt’s sequel to Angela’s Ashes. It’s fabulous, not only for the compelling story but for the organic stream-of-consciousness writing style. I read many different types of fiction and I feel that that helps keep my own writing fresh.

We all have a pet peeve, care to share yours?

Probably because of the time I’ve spent working on standardized tests, I get really frustrated by grammatical and punctuation errors. Not that I don’t make them myself, but I don’t want to see them in a published book.

When you’re not writing, what are the things you enjoy doing to relax?

I love to go on walks with my dachshund and German shepherd, play with my sons, decorate my house for seasons and holidays, and go on hikes and motorcycle rides with my husband.

Thank you so much for joining me here today, Bebe.  I know my followers will enjoy this spotlight as much as I have conducting it.  Good luck on all your future endeavors.  
What a fun interview!

Places Where You Can Find Bebe

Her Blog

Twitter: @BebeBalocca

Facebook

Amazon

Bebe's Latest Release

Purchase Link for Learning To Soar