BookWenches

Interviewed by Teagan

Help me welcome Pam McKenna to the BookWenches. We are excited to have her interviewing with us.

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Hi Pam. Great to have you here. I can’t wait to find out more about you, so on to the fun.

Faking It was a very fun read for me. I love to read a book that keeps me guessing the outcome right up until the very end and you succeeded in doing just that. When you start writing a book, is that your intent? or does it just end up flowing that way?

Thanks for the invitation to interview, Teagan—I love connecting with readers! To answer your question, I love stories with a twist. When I begin reading a novel, I make one request of the author: Surprise me. If it’s a romance, I know the hero and heroine are going to end up together. The author’s job is to make the journey to that happy ending fun and entertaining. And for me, that means giving the reader something she might not be expecting.

I have had the honor of reading and reviewing both your books and both have very unique twists. Where do you get your inspiration? 

“The honor”! Aw shucks—I’m blushing. I don’t preplan the ending. It comes to me as I write the book. I derive inspiration from every source you can imagine—my “twist” radar is always on! I’m particularly partial to quirky newspaper and magazines articles, and, of course, personal experience has played a part in a few plots (not gonna say which ones!).

Erotic and sensual books are so very popular, in your opinion, why the popularity?

Erotica has been popular throughout history, but of course, in the past it was always written for the enjoyment of men. The repressed other half of the population had to make do with their imaginations or sneak peeks at the raw, emotionless stuff their husbands and brothers were reading. The women’s movement of the last century enhanced our lives in many ways, not the least of which was to help women “own” and enjoy their sexuality. Erotic romance combines graphic sex with a satisfying relationship. For many women, the emotional component makes the sexy parts even sexier. Even straight erotica, if it’s geared to the female reader, has a psychological component that male erotica usually lacks. Does that mean we’re more complex than the guys? Well, heck, haven’t we always known that?

I love to read books that push the limits or take a step outside the box, you have a talent for this type of writing. Do you intend to continue to write in this vein or can you see yourself trying a completely different type of genre?

I love reading all kinds of fiction, but so far my writing has centered around romance. I love erotica and will continue to push the envelope with superhot stories. I also write romantic suspense novels under a different name, a couple of which have finaled in the Rita Awards. So I guess you could say I have two writing personas, both of which give me enormous satisfaction. I hope they do the same for my readers!

I know from your website that you have been writing since you could "put pencil to paper", did you always know you would become an author?

Actually, no. After college I was a technical legal writer (zzzz…). Eventually I asked myself the biggie: What do you really want to do with your life? And the rest is history. And hot erotic romance!

I love the pictures on your site (particularly the one on the home page with the chain), do you see your story in pictures in your mind as you write it?

Thanks! I love that pic too. It’s provocative but also kinda classy—the kind of photo that invites you to fill in the blanks. Where is she? What’s she doing? Who’s with her? As I write a book, the action scrolls through my mind like a movie. Of course, the details of my movie are different from the details that each reader brings to it, and that’s the beauty of the written word. It’s a much more personalized, custom experience than watching an actual movie or TV show.

If you could only have one book to read for the rest of your life, what would that book be?

Oh no, I have to choose? I guess it would be a one-volume encyclopedia. Not too sexy, I know, but at least I’d get some mental stimulation. I’d leave the other kind of stimulation to my overactive imagination.

Can you tell us about any upcoming works?

I’m writing an erotic romance novella called “Binding Agreement.” Yes, “binding” is a clue to the content—it’s a scorcher of a BDSM story. The heroine has led a safe, sedate life up until now. She challenges herself to step outside her comfort zone, to take some risks. Those risks come in the form of a ruthlessly dominant, too-sexy-for-words stranger who decides she’s the perfect submissive for the kind of one-night stand she’s never imagined in her wildest, most erotic dreams. Fans of bondage and discipline will not be disappointed!

Where can your fans find you on the internet? 

My web site is pammckenna.com. Swing on by and say hi! You can read excerpts of my erotic novellas, including the one I’m working on now. Email me from the site and let me know what kind of erotic stories you like!

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Pam, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. I am so excited to hear that you have another book on it's way! I thoroughly enjoyed talking to you and wish you a long and happy writing career.