At Shady Business, the hottest gay BDSM club
in town, no good deed ever goes unpunished.
Fifty Gays of Shade, Gay BDSM Anthology
Kayelle Allen is taking a seat on our couch today to talk about her newly released short story "Bill Me" in the Fifty Gays of Shade, gay BDSM anthology, among other things. Kayelle is one of the busiest women I know, so I'm thrilled she managed to find the time to join us. I tidied up the place a bit, but we're very informal here, and we love comments and questions, so don't be shy.
Thanks so much for being here, Kayelle.
Kathryn, thank
you for interviewing me. I'm delighted to hang out with you and your readers. I
placed my contact info at the end, if anyone has questions, but doesn't like posting comments on a blog.
My first question is one that writers
aspiring to be published usually want to know.
How long did you write before you were published?
I wrote all my life,
and often created stories for friends, and my children. People said I had a way
with words and that I should write a book. I figured they were being polite. Finally,
I submitted a short story to Writer's Digest as part of a contest, and it gained
an honorable mention. That gave me the confidence to work on a novel. It sold within
two months of being sent out. It took me years to get started -- but I've been going
strong ever since.
So, what inspired you to write your first
book?
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure came out of notes that I'd made when trying
to write a story years before. It was about a brother and sister who'd been raised
as thieves. I altered it to two brothers, used the notes from the one scene I'd
written, and developed an entire story around one brother trying to free the other,
who was a slave. I brought in a sexy older woman to seduce the one trying to do
the rescuing, and the story almost wrote itself.
What or who inspired your main characters
in the 50 Gays of Shade anthology?
The characters in
my short story "Bill Me" in this anthology were inspired by a discussion
I had with my friends Kiernan Kelly (the editor), and author Kage Alan. We'd all
gotten to know each other at Outlantacon,
a gay Scifi convention held in Atlanta.
This time, we were at DragonCon (also Atlanta) hanging out before
a panel. Kage joked that everyone knew someone named Bill. Later, Kiernan mentioned
the anthology, and when I heard the title -- a takeoff on Fifty Shades of Grey,
I knew I wanted to be a part. The story came to me on the way home that night on
the train. One would be named William, but couldn't decide whether to call himself
by that name if he joined the BDSM club. So in a sense, they were inspired by hanging
out with friends at a convention. I think if I write them a sequel, I will have
them attending a con. Hmmm. Maybe Outlantacon! They're hosting Gaylaxicon this year.
That could be fun.
What genres do you write besides gay BDSM?
Science Fiction Romance,
erotica, fantasy, contemporary romance, and non-fiction.
Did you learn anything special from writing
this story and what was it?
That I can write
good short stories. That they don't all have to be massive books with layer
upon layer of character and plot like my usual books. ;)
Good point. I still haven't mastered the short
story. What books have influenced your writing
most?
One strong influence
was the Foundation series,
by Isaac Asimov. Another was Stranger in a Strange Land,
by Robert Heinlein. Both made huge impacts on my ideas.
What about people? Name one entity (person, place, or thing) you
feel supported or inspired you outside of your family members.
Jean Paquin is the
moderator for my yahoo group, Romance Lives Forever. She beta reads for me.
She's listened to me talk about my characters. I've known her since my first
book came out. I ask her advice on everything with my writing, and she is
always supportive. I dedicated books to her. I also have a reader named Teoh
who lives in Malaysia,
who is about 12 hours different from me time wise, but we manage to talk
frequently. She sends me research info, articles she thinks I might like, and
fun recipes. I named a character after her. I've dedicated books to her too. So
that's two people -- you get a bargain today. ^_^
So, if you had to choose, which writer would
you consider a mentor?
For writing as a
business and savvy marketing -- Karen Coté
I'm fortunate to
be (or to have been) friends with each of these amazing women, and to have learned
from them personally.
In regards to your writing style, are you
a plotter or a pantser?
I'm both. I plot
plot plot to the finest detail, and then write whatever comes to mind when I get
started on the actual story.
I tend to do the same. Where do you write?
I prefer to stay
in my office - a very tiny space (it's literally a renovated closet). But if I do
wander away, it's with paper and pen. I use a desktop computer, not a laptop.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Never let anyone
steal your dream.
Great advice. So, to wrap things up, have you anything specific you'd like to say to your readers?
I listen to you.
Talk to me. Email me. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or wherever, and
tell me what you like. I am listening.
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| A Gay BDSM Anthology |
At Shady Business, the hottest gay BDSM club
in town, no good deed ever goes unpunished.
From Kayelle Allen: "Bill Me"
When an old member of the Shady Business BDSM
club returns from a hiatus, he meets a new member searching for a proper identity
-- and a master who'll help him find it.
Buy links:
The book is edited by Kiernan Kelly,
with stories by Kiernan Kelly, Kayelle Allen, KC Burn, Lydian Harker, CR
Guilano, Sascha Illyvich, Wt Prater, Emily Moreton, CC Bridges, Wade Kelly, CB
Conwy, DC Juris, Amelia June, KC Wells, Winnie Jerome, PT Walden, and Sean
Michael.
About the Author
Find Kayelle here online:
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