Five Questions for a Beauty

Five Questions for a Beauty

Fiona Zedde

Immediately after I read Fiona Zedde's submission to Iridescence, "Night Music," she became one of my favorite writers. I got to meet Fiona in LA for a group Iridescence reading, and I found her to be just as gorgeous as the beautiful imagery in her story. Fiona has written three novels and you can visit her website here.

1. Name a favorite book. - Abeng by Michelle Cliff

2. Name a favorite piece of music. - "Receive" by Junior Kelly (and everything on Madeleine Peyroux's "Careless Love" CD)

3. You've been invited to a cocktail party. What do you wear? - high heeled sandals and green nail polish with a flowing knee length monochromatic dress.

4. What do you feel has been your most important writing accomplishment to date? - To have my first novel go into its 3rd printing.

5. What is your next writing project? - A novel currently called Hungry For It due in Summer 2008.

Five Questions for a Beauty

Five Questions for a Beauty

Tara Tainton

Tara Tainton is, without question, a hottie. I met her about four or five years ago at ERWA. Tara is also a smartie. She calls her website - Tara.Tainton.com - the "fasting growing playground for consenting adults." It's jam packed with information.

"This site is designed to be a safe, warm, and welcoming place for all adults to play. Created by sex writer Tara Tainton, this playground advocates her belief that SEX IS GOOD.It includes honest, written descriptions of sexual situations and artistic images (if you’re lucky)of the beautiful human form through explicit stories, articles, photographs, videos, games,news, links, and other sex-related resources in a variety of forms...all confirming that sex is natural, healthy, and enlightening."

Be sure to hop over for a visit. I guarantee you'll be back for more. Check out her Naughty Shop as well!

1. Name a favorite book.

One of my past reads that had a significant impact on my own life, goals, perspectives, and relationships with others is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. A past lover I had a great mental connection with gave the book to me as a gift years ago knowing the ideas and Ayn Rand's own life, beliefs, and fearlessness would reach something within myself. I still refer to favorite quotes, ideas, and manners of living presented within the book, and the same have definitely influenced my writing itself, even achieving my dream of "being a writer" in the first place. Rand's works, essays, and life include so many positive lessons and empowering ideas regarding womanhood, love, sex, self-confidence, self-esteem, individual goals and accomplishments, business, independence, and even the strength to disregard those negative influences and judgments from others. The same definitely have a place in the area of writing erotica as well.

2. Name a favorite piece of music.

A favorite piece of music... that's a hard one as my favorite pieces of music come and go along with different phases of life and love experienced, always having a significant place in my heart but always changing. I tend to be moved by the words and thoughts behind songs most of all... ideas that match my own, offer a new perspective, or just motivate me positively in some direction. Oh, there's Macy Gray's "Do Something" and "Time of My Life," Green Day's "Minority," U2's "Last Night on Earth" and "Beautiful Day," Alanis Morissette's "You Learn," Semisonic's "This Will Be My Year," Jesus Jones's "Right Here, Right Now," The Rolling Stones' "I'm Free," David Gray's "Babylon," Incubus's "Drive," The New Radicals' "You Get What You Give," Moloko's "The Time Is Now," ....just to name a few!

3. You've been invited to a cocktail party. What do you wear?

A cocktail party! Will you be there, Jolie?? ;) Considering the influence my current "home city" of Las Vegas has had on me for the last year and my own unexpected desire to be a little more traditionally womanly (glamorous?) as I get older, I'd have to wear a pair of strappy stilettos and a short dress that barely covers everything. Oh, and a g-string that makes me feel sexy. And I always make sure I'm wearing something I feel comfortable and beautiful in, regardless of the views or opinions of others, sometimes even against my own partner's taste for MY attire. :)

4. What do you feel has been your most important writing accomplishment to date?

My most important writing accomplishment... it's easy to mentally start filing down a list of publishing credits here or there, but I don't think any of that's actually important (only helpful to pass along to those editors who do think it is!). I definitely take most pride in the level of integrity and honesty in my voice in my own writing, which comes through in my public blogging on my personal site as well. I've felt most accomplished, most in tune with my life's purpose and my own direction, when I've heard from readers how a thought, story, article, or expressed opinion of mine has reached out to them somehow, made them view their own life more positively, helped them feel normal, natural, even empowered to stand up for want they really want and need in their own lives. And I can always sit back and look at my bodies of work, whether it's a casual blog post or story or article sold, and know that I was completely honest and true to myself in all of it. I'm sharing the real me with the world, and I know that comes through my writing and helps me to connect and share something special with others.

5. What is your next writing project?

My next writing project/goal is to simply delve more into my own curiosities, personal exploration, and fears and see what stories, opinions, and ideas develop. I want to discover what's hidden in that dark place inside.... beautiful stories, I'm sure. ;)

Five Questions for a Beauty

Five Questions for a Beauty

TreSart L. Sioux

TreSart's website

I've had the hots for lesbian TreSart, author of lesbian erotica, ever since I saw a photo of her over at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association about five years ago. (Those L Word babes? They've got nothing on TreSart.) But not only is TreSart a physical beauty, she is truly one of the kindest writers I have ever met. Plus, I love her style of erotica.

1. Name a favorite book.

Nancy Grace - Objection

2. Name a favorite piece of music.

Siouxsie and The Banshees - Cascade

3. You've been invited to a cocktail party. What do you wear?

Pin Striped pants, my Frederick's 8 inch heels and a low cut vest.

4. What do you feel has been your most important writing accomplishment to date?

I would say anything I've written is an accomplishment. Takes so long to put together a book.

5. What is your next writing project?

Have two. One I hope to have out by Halloween, or around then. It will be my 5th book of short stories and flashers. The other is to have my first full-length novel. I'll really be proud of myself then!

I would also like to eventually create and all lesbian horror erotica. Now, that would be cool!

Five Questions for a Beauty

Five Questions for a Beauty

Jolene Hui
Jolene's Website

I was introduced to author, model and actress Jolene Hui when I received her submission "Mandy" for Iridescence. Then, when I travelled to Los Angeles to give a reading, I finally got the chance to meet her. Jolene is one of the friendliest authors I know and one of the most beautiful. We hope to co-edit an erotic anthology in the near future.

1. Name a favorite book.

I've been a bookworm since I learned how to read. There are just so many favorites on my list that it's hard to even name one. However,the one that comes to mind and always stands out for me is We Don't Live Here Anymore, by Andre Dubus. It's a book of three novellas that deal with love, partnerships, and infidelity. I am always amazed by the way infidelity tears up relationships. Jealousy is such poison.

2. Name a favorite piece of music.

Oh wow. This is even worse than the book question. I'm going to go with Radiohead's song "Let Down." The song is off of their album OK Computer, which is not actually my favorite Radiohead album as a whole, but it has a couple of my favorite songs on it. I love "Let Down" so much because Thom Yorke's voice sounds so beautiful as he sings about isolation. It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. I feel myself breathing with the music; the emotion in the song attacks my being. It's one of the most fantastic pieces of music out there.

3. You've been invited to a cocktail party. What do you wear?

I generally always wear a little black dress to any kind of party. Top it off with heels and black eyeliner and I'm all set! Pretty much no matter what time of year it is or what kind of cocktail party it is, I find that I always feel and look the best in a sexy black dress. And a manicure and pedicure, of course.


4. What do you feel has been your most important writing accomplishment to date?

The most important writing accomplishment was the first story I had published with Tonto Press. It was called "Bookshelves" and was the first fictional piece I'd had published (outside of my college literary journal). It meant all the difference in my self esteem and pushed me in the right direction writing-wise. Since then I have had so many successes I can't even count them. Even though I had already been writing for years, I look at it as my true starting point.

5. What is your next writing project?

I always have my column, Princess Jolene Goes to Hollywood, up at The Flesh Farm and I'm constantly writing a handful of erotic short stories at the same time. One major thing I've been working on for the past few months is a collection of 50 poems about Los Angeles.They aren't necessarily about the city. Most of them illustrate my life and emotions while in the city. I'm proud of the collection so far and I hope to complete it in the next couple of months. I'm also putting together a collection of my favorite literary and erotic stories that I've written.

Five Questions for a Beauty

Lisabet Sarai, an erotica writer, has an image section on her website. The caption of one of her photos is "In My Prime - Another photo of me, from my younger days. This is what a writer of erotica should look like. " Anyone who views the photo would be hard pressed to disagree.

When you read hot erotica you may assume that the author of the erotica is also hot. But more often than not your assumption would be wrong. Authors of erotica look just like most everybody else.

But there are exceptions, and in my Five Questions for a Beauty I interview what I consider exceptions. These are women who don't mind posing for sexy photos because they have what it takes to pull it off. A feminist may call it objectification. I know it's not that serious. These are intelligent women who appreciate their bodies and who know that a bit of eye candy is not a bad thing.

Five Questions for a Beauty

Kelly M. Marshall

Kelly's MySpace

On the evening of October 27th I'll be reading from Iridescence at BookWoman in Austin, Texas. Kelly M. Marshall will be joining me as she reads her story and other stories from Travelrotica. I've never met Kelly, but I discovered what she looked like when I visited her MySpace. Her "Boobsquish" photo is my favorite.

1. Name a favorite book.

A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories by Amy Bloom. I love her writing style: it's visceral, graceful, and precise.

2. Name a favorite piece of music.

This one is hard. Good music helps me write, so there's always something playing. Plus, I'm a huge music nerd. Right now, I'm listening to Pentaphobe's "A Tribal Metamorphosis". I know I'm cheating, naming a whole album.

3. You've been invited to a cocktail party. What do you wear?

It depends on my mood, who's throwing the party, and if I'm wanting to impress. I'm more of a tight jeans and low-cut blouse kind of girl. With high heels. Minimal jewelry. If I'm really trying to go all out, I'll wear a skirt or dress.

4. What do you feel has been your most important writing accomplishment to date?

Getting published in Travelrotica for Lesbians Vol. 2 was a pretty big deal for me. However, artistically, I would say the play I'm helping to co-write is a big accomplishment, not so much from a writing standpoint, but more from a personal growth point ofview.

5. What is your next writing project?

You know that music I'm listening to? It's helping to inspire my next erotica story. That's the only hint you get!