Author, Author Tell Us More

September 26, 2007 | Interviews

ST: I know you’re really busy today, so let’s jump right in. Are there any quirks you have or do before or while you’re writing?
MR: I don’t know whether you’d call it a quirk or a habit, but I’m a compulsive editor. I always start a writing session by re-reading the last half dozen pages. It helps me get back into the story, and it allows me to clean up any errors. Every week or so, I re-read the entire manuscript from the start. The result is that I produce a very clean manuscript.

When I finish the story, I set it aside for a minimum of two weeks–preferably a month–to give myself some distance from it. After that time, I do one read-through for final edits and then I’m finished. I don’t spend more than a couple of days on that final read-through. By that time, I’m looking for continuity or logic errors. The grammatical stuff has been cleaned up long before that point.

ST: Who or what encouraged you to write erotica?
MR: I picked up Robin Schone’s THE LADY’S TUTOR about six years ago. I’d been away from the romance genre for a while, concentrating on mysteries and thrillers. I was blown away by how far romance had come. And I can remember thinking, “I could really get into writing an erotic romance.” It was another two years before I decided to try.

ST: Just how hot are your books, Maya?
MR: Let a reviewer answer that question. Lindy of Two Lips Reviews said: “I absolutely loved Bad Girl. I devoured it. In this, her debut print novel, Maya Reynolds has created characters with an intense chemistry and a plot that’s rock solid. Ms. Reynolds scores extra points for her exceptionally hot use of sex toys, too. At one point I thought to myself, “If this gets any hotter, my panties are going to melt.”

You can read the whole review here: http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?

ST: Where do you get the ideas for your novels?
MR: Everywhere. From television, radio–especially NPR–Internet articles and just daily conversation. I keep 3×5 cards. Whenever I have a story idea, I scribble it down on a card and file it in a small box on my desk. When I need inspiration, I flip through those cards.

ST: That’s an excellent tip. How do you research your books?
MR: I do whatever is needed. Internet research, interviews, and actual physical “Can this be done?” research. It’s one of the fun parts of the job.

ST: Who is your support group?
MR: I get professional support primarily from my critique partners: five women around the country. I’ve only met two of them in person, but we talk online all the time. I also belong to a group of terrific erotic romance writers. There were 25 of us who took an online class with Jan Springer in February 2005. We had such a great time, we formed a closed Yahoo group we called The Brazen Hussies. Since that time, more than 20% of us have been published–including you, Sloane, and me

ST: Thanks, Maya, for sharing so much with us today.
MR: You’re welcome. I’ll see you in the morning.

ST: Until then…

Happy Writing!
Sloane