Site Meter Vamps and Scamps: Author Interview...Rachelle Chase & a contest!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Author Interview...Rachelle Chase & a contest!

V&S: What did you think of your first RT?

Rachelle Chase: It was an awesome experience! I got to hang out with a lot of great authors, including one of my favorites, Robin Schone, as well as fellow SECRETS author, Calista Fox. Plus I met lots of wonderful readers, new authors, and got some great photos with the cover models.

And speaking of the models, I’ve just launched the SEX LOUNGE Finding Derek CONTEST (www.FindingDerek.com), which seeks the American male who most resembles the hero in my new erotic romance, SEX LOUNGE. So I’m hoping some of the models I met, as well as other hunky guys, will participate. So if you know any sexy guys, please send them over – or stop by, yourself, to enter to be a judge!

I needed a week to recover from RT when I got back home but I can’t wait for the next one …


V&S: Can you tell me about the Dreams & Desires anthology from Freya’s Bower?

Rachelle Chase: Dreams & Desires is an awesome anthology featuring short stories by Jenna Bayley-Burke, Faith Bicknell-Brown, Amanda Brice, Sela Carsen, Gemma Halliday, Candace Havens, Zinnia Hope, Jackie Kessler, Susan Lyons, Richelle Mead, Debbie Mumford, Rhonda Stapleton, Bebe Thomas, Emily Veinglory, Sasha White, Lois Winston, Shaunna Wolf, Kit Wylde, and myself.

The stories range from sweet to spicy. My story, “Romance For One,” about a woman dining alone at a restaurant who gets a pleasant – but unexpected – surprise, is in the spicy category. But here’s the best part: None of us, including the publisher, profit from the book. All proceeds from the book go to a battered women’s shelter in Florida!

V&S: I saw on your site that you’re going to be a guest author at the online Romance Writing Book Group @ BN.com. What’s this group about…who can come?

Rachelle Chase: Author Leigh Michaels hosts the book club. In her words, here are the details:

“The BN romance writing bookclub is open to everyone with an interest in romance novels – writers and readers. You can visit the site to get the gist of what’s going on, then register (all you need is an email address and a password, and it takes about 60 seconds to sign up) and then you can post and ask questions. Since the previous discussions remain on the site, new people can jump right in where we are, or go back through the previous discussions in whatever order they like. We encourage posting writing assignments and/or very short sections of a manuscript for reader feedback.

The book club has been operating since January, and every two weeks we focus on a different subject (but previous discussions remain on the site). So far we’ve talked about heroes and heroines, secondary characters, conflict, plotting, point of view, and dialogue. Right now we’re spending a couple of weeks with author Jenny Haddon, the president of the Romantic Novelists Association (the UK equivalent of RWA). She writes romance as Sophie Weston and has also written a new guide to punctuation, so we’re talking about mechanics right now.”

May 15, 2007 – May 28, 2007, I’ll be the guest and the subject will be love scenes and sensual tension. It should be great fun, so I hope everyone will join us!

V&S: If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Rachelle Chase: Hmmm. I don’t think I’d actually want to be any of my characters, as they are all so very different from me but I think one of the ones I had a lot of fun creating was Nichole Simms in SEX LOUNGE. To take her from passively recording her sexual fantasies in a notebook about a sexy client named Derek to actively acting them out with him, once he finds the notebook, all the while keeping it believable and emotional and, eventually, leading to love … well, that was a challenge for me. One I totally enjoyed.


V&S: Can you give the readers an idea of what kind of stories you write?

Rachelle Chase: I was joking with a fellow writer the other day and said “I write Inspirational Erotic Romance” because, while my stories have very explicit sex and are very hot, I think they are tame in comparison to others out there. Meaning, I do not use exotic sexual positions, ménages, BDSM, polyamory, etc. There are many authors who can do this well, but I am not one of them.

Instead, I take everyday people who somehow find themselves in erotic situations. Like, Bobbie, in SIN CLUB, who thinks she’s doing a striptease for her boyfriend, only to discover it’s her neighbor she’s beckoned to her bed. Or Sharice, also in SIN CLUB, who thinks she’s called a guy she met outside a club, only to discover much later she’d misdialed.

Then, I mix in control issues and lots of internal conflict over what my characters thought they wanted vs. what they got, and weave in the external plot, all the while keeping the sexual tension high and consistent throughout the book.

That’s what I think a reader can expect when they pick up a Rachelle Chase book.

Shiloh, Vamps & Scamps, thanks so much for having me on your blog!

Thank YOU Rachelle!

FYI...Rachelle will be giving away a copy of Sex Lounge to somebody in the comments... so if you have questions or comments, post away. I'll draw a winner sometime in the next few days.

38 comments:

Judy F said...

Hi Rachelle welcome to the loop. I will have to check your books out.

Stacy~ said...

Hey Rachelle! Great interview :)

God I wish I personally knew some sexy guys LOL. Good luck with the contest.

Sex Lounge sounds great - my kinda book. Sin Club too. I love the idea of everyday people falling in love - it's a fantasy that works for me.

You mentioned Robin Schone - what other authors are favorites? Who has inspired or currently inspires your writing? What is the greatest reward when putting words down on paper? If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?

Sorry for all the questions: I'm a wannabe interviewer.

Laurie D. said...

Stacy, you're an excellent interviewer already!

I too will be checking your books out, Rachelle. Thanks so much for your time here!

Rachelle Chase said...

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, Judyf, Stacy, and Laurie D!

And thanks, Judyf and Laurie D. for giving my books a try. I hope you like them. :-)

Anonymous said...

I love how you describe your books as everyday people. That's one of the reasons I enjoy romances so much. Real people escaping the ordinary and especially the accidental screwups leading to the HEA.

Thanks for spending time here!

Rachelle Chase said...

Stacy, I second Laurie's comment - you've got those interviewing skills down! :-)

Glad you like the everyday people falling in love, too. :-)

I think since I grew up reading lots of Linda Howard and Sandra Brown romances, I'd have to say they've influenced my writing. Especially when it comes to trying to keep my books heavy on the sexual tension.

I think the greatest reward comes from seeing what comes out on paper. Since I'd always thought I was an excellent reader but never thought I'd ever be a writer, I'm still amazed when scenes or chapters I'm proud of come out of me. I always wonder, "where did that come from?" LOL I love that feeling!

I have a long way to go in my writing career, but I really feel like I'm living a dream. The only thing that would make the dream complete was if I didn't have the day job. While I've totally downsized my lifestyle so that I'm able to work 6 months and take 6 off, I can't wait until I no longer have to spend those 6 on a day job!

I wish you knew some sexy guys, too. LOL I'm amazed by how shy so many guys have been at entering my contest. I think I have a ton of fodder to write a book about this contest. :-)

Thanks for asking such thought-provoking questions, Stacy. Glad you liked the interview!

Rachelle Chase said...

I agree, Lisa F. Though, now that I think about it, I'm not sure I can take credit for my everyday people statement. I think my first romance writing instructor - and now my good friend - Leigh Michaels, said something to that effect about my writing. She doesn't read erotic romance but she'd read my book and I was suprised she liked it. I think she told me she liked it because I took every day people and put them in erotic situations and I had an "ah-ha" moment, realizing that's what I did.

So, I'm going to have to go back and ask her if she said that, so I can give credit where credit is due. LOL

At any rate, I'm glad that resonates with you, too. :-)

Calista Fox, Author said...

Great interview, Rachelle! I can't wait for the Sin Club to come out, since you let me read the first few chapters of each novella and didn't let me read the whole thing! ;-) You tease!

Calista Fox
www.calistafox.com

Ellory said...

LOL

I loved your comment "I write Inspirational Erotic Romance".

Great interview.

danetteb said...

Hi Rachelle,
Sex Lounge sounds good, I like the cover for it.
Hugs, Danette

Unknown said...

Hi Rachelle,

The description of the kind of stories you right sounds like great stuff to me.

I really enjoyed your story in the Dreams and Desires Anthology.

Stacy S said...

Your book sounds great and love the cover. Will have to find it.
Hope you get a lot of men to show up for your contest.

Stacy~ said...

Just piping in again to say thank you Rachelle, I loved your answers. I have a Borders visit on deck, and I'm going to be looking for Sex Lounge.

Oh, and thank you Laurie. Barbara Walters better watch out LOL.

Lucinda Betts said...

Rachelle, you always give such great interview!

SWAK,
Lucinda

Stacia said...

Great interview, Rachelle. I haven't read any of your books yet but I'm looking forward to starting. Sin Club sounds great.

Rachelle Chase said...

My goodness! All your positive words have made me feel like I can write a whole book today. Thank you, everyone!!

Before Calista ruins my reputation, let me explain: I only "teased" her with the first few chapters of each story because that's all I was able to show her before I had to write like crazy and meet my deadline. LOL But glad my accidental teasing worked, Calista! :-)

Ann M, I thought that was a bit amusing, too. Though I am concerned that an inspirational writer or reader might find my statement ... sacrilegious or something.

Thank you, Danette. I was pleased to learn that my publisher continued the sheet theme in the SIN CLUB cover, so I think you'll like that one, too.

Thank you, Little Lamb. And I'm thrilled to hear that you liked my D&D story! :-)


Thank you on both points, Stacy S. :-)

You're very welcome, Stacy. Yep, move over, Barbara Walters!

Lucinda, you always say the nicest things (and have such a way with words - lol). Thank you.

Stacia, thank you. I truly hope you enjoy my work!

Anonymous said...

Hi Rachelle,

Great interview!!!
Oh and about those sexy guys... I'm definitly going to take a look at the site!
Btw, your books sound great. I look forward to reading one of them.

LISA WILLIAMS said...

You lucky girl will get to see some great eye candy for your contest.

Deborah Chan said...

I am glad you had fun at RT! I hope to attend in the future.

Shuck Ying said...

It was great hearing about you, Rachelle.

Cherie J said...

Hi Rachelle

Welcome! Sex Lounge sounds really good. Thanks for being here and giving us more insight into your books. Dreams and Desires sounds like a book I need to buy. What a great cause.

Sheila said...

Hi Rachelle,
Sex Lounge sounds like a good book. :) I like finding more authors to read.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Rachelle :)
This year's RT was my first ever as well :)
I had a blast... but was really nervous the entire time until the last day, lol
Great interview ;)

pearl said...

Hi Rachelle,
Your book looks great and I enjoyed the interview. Best wishes.

alissa said...

Amazing interview. Love your book and the cover. Hope you achieve all that you wish.

Sue A. said...

I've just recently discovered the Aphrodisia bookline. I've discovered a great bunch of authors and stories through the bookline.

Rachelle I've added you to my list of Aphrodisia authors to look out for.

Unknown said...

Hi Rachelle! Great interview!

How did you come up with the idea for Chatting with Chase?

kim h said...

hi rachelle. the book looks very hot.

LadyVampire2u said...

This book looks and sounds wonderful. And then to top it all off, you have the hard job of looking at a bunch of hunky men. Boy..the life an author! I definitely need to pick up some pen and paper myself.

J said...

Hi Rachelle, what is the most interesting thing you've come upon when researching for your novels?

Rachelle Chase said...

Thanks, Stefanie ... and I hope all the sexy guys who said they’re submitting their entry forms come through, otherwise, I’ll be recruiting family members. :-)

Lisa and LadyVampire ... sigh ... yes, recruiting and staring at hunky guys is, indeed, a tough job. ;-) And LadyVampire – thanks for the compliment. Your pen and paper await you. :-)

Shuck Ying, Sheila, Pearl, Alissa, and Kim H – thank you so much!

Deborah – you’ll have a blast. Just don’t plan on sleeping at all and make sure you have to some time at home afterwards to relax. LOL

Cherie J – Dreams & Desires is, indeed, a great cause. We’re all quite excited about it! Thanks for the nice words.

Ali – Why were you nervous at RT? I hope you had a good time! I’m glad you enjoyed the interview.

Sue A – there are a lot of great authors in the Aphrodisia line, aren’t there? If you give my book a try, I hope you find that I live up to the others. ;-)

tetewa said...

Enjoyed the interview, I'm always looking for new authors to read and Sex Lounge sounds great!

Rachelle Chase said...

Amy S. - thank you! :-) In answer to your question regarding how I came up with "Chatting with Chase" ... I discovered the Internet Talk Radio technology by accident, then asked myself what I could talk about, then thought about what I'd like to hear as a listener. The answer was live interviews with my favorite authors. The ironic part is I do not like being the center of attention and get stressed out each time I have to do a show - but, I wanted to do live talk shows because this is an area I want to grow in/excel at, so I feel great (afterwards!) each time I do it. :-)

Rachelle Chase said...

Hi Jennybrat - nice to see you here. :-) ... Interesting question ... Well, I don't do research for my erotic romance, but I seem to have interesting experiences while I'm out writing it. Like the time I was writing with fellow writer, Mary B. Morrison, in a bar and Oakland Raiders quarterbacks Aaron Brooks and Kent Smith came up and asked us what we were doing. Or the time I was standing outside a club, waiting for my friend to come back with the car, and a guy drove by and shouted his phone number out the window at me, repeatedly, asking me to call him. Of course, I didn't, but Sharice, in SIN CLUB, did. :-) ... For my women's fiction book, RUNNING AWAY, I went way off the beaten track to research Black Mexicans in Mexico - I met one of the few Black priests in the Catholic Church in a teeny tiny village, got to spend a day traveling with him to even tinier villages off of various lagoons, plus he arranged for me to live with a local family. One day, I'm going to write a behind-the-scenes story about that trip. It was an amazing experience!

Okay. Aren't you sorry you asked? TMI, I'm sure. LOL

Tetewa - thank you and I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the interview. :-)

Jodi said...

Great interview. I'll have to check out Rachelle's books.

Rachelle said...

Great interview. Very clever and sassy! I like how you describe what you write "inspirational erotic romance". :D

kim h said...

sex lounge look s hot. hi rachelle

Anonymous said...

Hey, Rachelle -- Yes, you quoted me exactly. What I like best about your books is that you take everyday people and put them in erotic situations. Then these otherwise-regular people become erotic when they collide with their perfect partners.

In some erotica, I get the sense that the characters are so highly-sexed that it wouldn't much matter who the partner was... but that's never the case with your stories. Your heroes and heroines sizzle when they're together, and that's what makes them special.