I sat down (virtually) with Mara Leigh for a short interview. Mara Leigh’s latest release is Bedded by Strangers, a contemporary erotic.
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about Bedded by Strangers?
Mara Leigh: Everyone has sexual fantasies, even it they never expect to act them out in real life. What I love about this series, is that it allows readers to go along on the ride as my heroines play out their wildest dreams. In Bedded with Strangers, Jamie plays out the fantasy of being with more than one man—in a safe way, one that doesn’t jeopardize her marriage. It was exciting to discover, through writing, how this couple makes it work.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Bedded by Strangers?
Mara Leigh: I’m going to cheat and include two short passages. Because that’s how I roll.
Here’s the first.
“Fantasies are one thing when they’re confined to our minds, when they’re used to turn us on when our lovers are away, or when we want to drift to somewhere different and exciting. My mind had played out variations on the same fantasy since I was a teen, but did I actually want the real thing?”
I like this passage because, in many ways, Jamie, the heroine of Bedded by Strangers, sums up the entire theme of the Fantasies Unleashed series. She states, in a nutshell, why reading (and writing) about sexual fantasies is so exciting and fun!
The second passage I’m including is:
“My knees trembled and, like an old-fashioned gentleman, he extended his arm for me to hold. The gesture set me at ease. My husband might have paid this man to have sex with me, but nothing about him or his demeanor read sleazy. And in spite of the words he’d just practically growled, I felt safe, like everything about this was at my discretion, my invitation.”
I like this quote because it shows that she’s safe. Maybe not entirely safe—she has no idea what’s about to happen—but it shows that she feels in control of the encounter. Some of the fantasies the women in my stories play out are pretty wild, and even if the “fantasy facilitators” do things that push the women to their limits and make them feel uncomfortable, the women always have the option to stop it. That was really important to me.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Bedded by Strangers set?
Mara Leigh: What do they say about what happens in Vegas? 😉 That’s one reason I chose it. And also because it’s possible that Fantasies Unleashed, the company featured in my series, might actually exist in the state of Nevada—legally. Although everything about the company is pure fantasy.
Many parts of the stories take place in luxurious penthouse suites in the fanciest hotels in Vegas, adding to the fantasy. Let’s face it, the glamourous elements of Vegas—the luxury, the decadent food and drink, the bright lights—they all ooze sex appeal.
Cynthia Sax: Does a character in Bedded by Strangers have a secret? What is it?
Mara Leigh:
Yes.
I’m not telling.
Cynthia Sax: Is Bedded by Strangers part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Mara Leigh:
Yes. This is actually #2 in my Fantasies Unleashed series, but the stories can be read in any order.
The titles released right now are: Dirty Business, Bedded by Strangers, and Surrender. Humbling the Boss will release on December 2, 2014 and is available for pre-order.
I hope to continue the series for as long as I can come up with fun and fresh fantasies! I’m currently planning at least six titles, and numbers 5 and 6 will be coming in early 2015.
Cynthia Sax: What one piece of advice would you give new writers?
Mara Leigh:
Learn your craft and don’t give up! That’s two pieces of advice—one about writing, and the other about publishing—but I think they’re equally important.
Even though we all have some experience in writing from when we were students, or in other jobs, writing fiction is different from other forms of writing. It takes study and practice to do it well.
When it comes to publishing, that’s when the persistence comes in. Writers, even multi-published authors, are faced with rejection all the time, whether it’s from agents, editors, reviewers or readers. Writers need to develop a way to cope with their inevitable disappointments, revel in their eventual successes, and always, always focus on why they love writing and wanted to be a published author in the first place.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing in your romance sub-genre?
Mara Leigh:
I also write bestselling novels in a completely different genre, under a different name.
**Shhh… Don’t tell anyone.**
Writing these steamy contemporary stories is a refreshing change from the novels I write under my other name. For me, writing as Mara Leigh is beyond fun! It’s freeing to break the bounds of my other author persona and let my imagination run wild!
Thank you, Mara Leigh, for joining us today!
Mara Leigh’s Website: http://www.amazon.com/author/maraleigh
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When Jamie confessed to her husband that she fantasized about sex with strangers, she never imagined he’d help make her fantasy come true. While in Las Vegas, Jamie has a sexual encounter with six hot men who fulfill her wildest dreams and leave her even more deeply in love with her husband.
What’s your sexual fantasy? The men of Fantasies Unleashed are here to fulfill your wildest, kinkiest and hottest desires.
Buy Now: http://amzn.to/1E3TDgh
