Today's Sunday Brunch Spotlight is
with author Oliver Lixx
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 Oliver Lixx tick?
What got you started on the path to becoming an author?
First,
thanks for having me, this is my first official interview! If I had to sum up what makes me tick, it
would all start with my drive. My brain
is wired to be competitive and to be an achiever, so I don’t take failure all
that well. Generally, I don’t allow
myself to fail, so it’s all good. I also
have a certain panache for being that guy who always has the witty comment at
exactly the right time. What can I say,
it’s a gift! As far as what steered me
down the author path it was my early love of reading and my early days as a
dungeons and dragons dork. I didn’t
really like playing it as much as I loved creating characters. I found giving those characters something to
do, like an interesting story, was just too appealing to pass up.
What
are you currently working on? Would you
care to share a snippet?
Currently, I am working on a book called
Thrill of the Chase. It’s a paranormal erotica tale about a
stuntman whose soul is being sought after by agents of good and evil. Both sides are selling hard, and it comes
down to who can really seduce him to their side. They are trying to appeal to his urges and
neither side is willing to give up without a real naughty fight.
Do
you include some of your own personal experiences in your books or do you
prefer to use your imagination?
I always try to put a little of myself
into the things I write, but don’t limit myself to it by any means. What I like to do is find situations,
characters and locations I would like to experience and then figure out how
make it come alive. I try to put myself
in my character’s shoes, fully understanding their motivations and what makes
them tick, and then have them act out accordingly.
Why
Erotica? What made you choose this genre
over others, like Contemporary Romance or Mystery?
Truth be told, I am a fantasy author in
disguise right now. I have actually
written two full blown two-hundred thousand plus word novels that are awaiting
future publishing. I have also started a
paranormal noir novel. Most of the other
writing I have done has been very graphic in nature with very mature
content. As a fish out of water in the romance
type books, I felt Erotica would allow me a little more freedom to write more
my style. To be a little less stringent
and allow for more “wow factor.”
Do
you have a specific process or a ritual you go through when sitting down to
write?
First, I take off all my clothes and put
on a black cape…no, seriously there is no specific ritual or anything. The only constant is that I type on my
laptop. I would say the only other
ritualistic aspect is that I am usually multi-tasking while I am writing. It sounds weird, but it gives me a chance to
write, take a five minute break, re-read what I wrote, digest it, and press
on. Rinse and repeat. Occasionally I will listen to music, usually
some type of original soundtrack orchestra type deal. Specifically a band called Two Steps from
Hell—totally epic music for sure!
Where
do you find your inspiration for your plots?
Do you have any tricks of the trade you would care to share?
I find my inspiration through the
creation of characters. I have my
character way before I have anything concrete for a story. I try and mold an interesting character and
then study them and ask myself, “what situation would impact this type of
character in the most significant way?”
Then, I start out with a situation that I feel is strong, and then from
their build the story around it. Highly
unorthodox, but I never find myself trying or forcing myself to hit a word
count. Everything in the story happens
for a reason and allows me to connect all the dots as they move from situation
to situation until it finally ends. And
when it ends, then I know the story is done.
What is the oddest place/situation where
an idea for a book/plot has
come to you?
At a funeral. It was for someone I was not really close to,
but kind of had to go. When boredom
started to set in, the mind started to wander…and boy did it veer in some
strange paths considering where I was.
What makes a book stand out and perk
your interest?
I’m a sucker for a cool looking cover
and an interesting title. I won’t
purchase just based on that though.
Generally, I’ll thumb through a sample chapter or so to see if it hooks
me. I will also admit I am way more
interested in the characters than the plot.
Great characters have saved many a weak plots!
We
all have our favorite authors. Can you
share some of yours and tell us why you like them?
Jim Butcher is my favorite. I love Jim’s work because his characters are perfect. Not flawless, but perfectly imperfect. He gives powerful characters flaws that make
them real, writes despicable characters you love to hate, and manages to work
in all sorts of surprises and quick turns you just didn’t see coming. I also love George R. Martin’s Game of
Thrones series. It is just so
ridiculously large in scale I am in wonder on how he keeps it all straight.
We
all have a pet peeve, care to share yours?
Laziness, hands down. You didn’t earn anything if it was given to you,
and you sure as hell won’t get anywhere if everyone does it all for you. Work hard, earn your gold stars, and you will
be better off for it in the long run.
When you’re not writing, what are the
things you enjoy doing to relax?
Relaxing is a relatively unfamiliar term
to me…as a married man with three children, there is often very little down
time. I do manage to keep myself busy
with plenty of hobbies and activities though.
I am a martial arts teacher, I love to watch hockey games (Love my Detroit
Red Wings), enjoy playing tennis with a couple of buddies, make cheesy little
comedy movies with my kids and talk with friends online.
Thank
you so much for joining me here today, Oliver.
I know my followers will enjoy this spotlight as much as I have
conducting it. Good luck on all your
future endeavors.
You Can Find Oliver at These Places
Oliver's Current Release
Martin Daniels is a normal guy living the American dream. He has good job, a loving wife, and a couple of adoring kids. But as the kids have grown, the spark that Martin used to feel isn’t there anymore. He wants some attention. He wants some excitement. Martin decides to hire an escort to give him the night of his life. But is it the night he’s expecting or will his escort surprise him in a way he couldn’t have possibly imagined?
Purchase Links for The Escort
Amazon
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