A while ago I was interviewed for my local radio station. There’s nothing quite so effective at shutting me up as a microphone shoved under my nose, but this was extra daunting because it was live. Still, I had a new book out, I was proud of it, and promotion is an essential part of being an author.
Hi everyone, and thanks for having me here today. I’m Ashe Barker, writer of smutty romance and very occasional poet. I started writing back in 2012, and have hardly stopped since.
Ashe Barker: Second Chances and Getting it Right
Have you ever made a decision, one that made sense on paper, seemed to be the right thing to do, for all the best reasons, yet you never stop regretting it? What would have happened if…? Maybe I could have… I wonder…
Why did you choose to set La Brat in France?
It was a natural progression after my first story in the imprint, Chameleon. My lead character in that book, Fleur, relocates to Paris, and it was fun to follow her progress.
Three of my favorite reality shows:
I think reality TV brings out the worst in me, in particular my latent sadist who rarely gets an airing. My favorites are:
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This book focusses on the importance of family, is this something you like to explore in your books?
Not consciously, but it does seem to crop up a lot, so perhaps there is something there I want to express. Not all the family relationships in my books are especially positive though, and often the strongest bonds are not between people who are blood relatives.
Chameleon – a story of risk, faith, and sizzling desire.
These are all questions I get asked as an author. The answers – Everywhere. Sometimes. Probably.
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There is a contrast here of Moroccan and Western lifestyles. How much has seeing the world influenced your stories?
A lot. I’m fascinated by people, by cultures, and by language. I learnt French and Italian at school, and as an adult I’ve picked up Urdu, Punjabi and Turkish. I wouldn’t say I’m fluent, but I can get by. The thing that strikes me most is the close link between a language and the culture it evolved from. That’s especially true of the vocabulary – we develop the words for the things we feel a need to talk about.
My three favorite TV couples:
• Basil and Sybil (Fawlty Towers). Never, surely, in TV history, were ever a pair so ill-matched. Incompetent, arrogant, rude and at times violent, Basil walks in fear of his efficient, waspish wife. She can quell him with a word, or a lift of her eyebrow, but still he enjoys goading her. If he thinks he can get away with it. He doesn't usually. The chemistry between these two is hilarious.
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What was the inspiration for your latest serial, A Richness of Swallows?
Summer was perhaps the most complex of my female characters to date, a product of a disastrous childhood, victim of the desires and failings of others, in particular those she should have been able to rely on. Despite all this she has somehow managed to survive, but she has not emerged undamaged.
Life's Rich Tapestry
Summer Jones obsesses over every detail, every aspect of her life is carefully orchestrated and under perfect control. That is, until she meets Daniel Riche, a powerful, charismatic Dom who makes it his business to show Summer the delights of relinquishing control occasionally. Summer doesn’t know what has hit her as her usually well-ordered existence is thrown into turmoil, and Dan doesn’t seem inclined to let her go any time soon, despite Summer’s best efforts to shake him loose.
Ashe Barker, author of The Three R's
My favorite love songs:
Bed of Roses (Bon Jovi). I'm a BIG Bon Jovi fan, absolutely love their stuff, especially the older classics. I've been to more Bon Jovi gigs than I can remember, spent many happy hours jigging and screaming in draughty arenas. Bed of Roses has always stood out for me, dripping with cynicism and heartbreak, and a perfect showcase for the gravelly quality of Jon BJ's voice.
Ashe Barker has been interviewed by her local paper, Telegraph and Argus about being and erotic romance author and her new release The Three Rs.
“I’d never thought about writing, but reading that got me thinking ‘I wonder’,” says Ashe. “I started writing in September 2011 and had no idea if I’d finish it. I set a deadline for Christmas and I finished it at 9.15pm on Christmas Eve! Over the festive break, I tidied up my manuscript then sent it to Totally Bound Publishing.
“I didn’t have an agent, they just accepted it and suggested writing a trilogy. I went on to write mostly trilogies.”
To what extent do you form a relationship or attachment with your characters as a writer?
This is huge for me. I more or less designed Nathan Darke as my ‘perfect’ alpha male. He ticks all my boxes and some I never even thought of before. Then I surprised myself by crafting Tom Shore as his opposite, certainly physically, and found I loved him too. Fickle author that I am.
How much does it aid your writing living in rural West Yorkshire?
For The Dark Side, a great deal. The moorland location is a key feature of the books, and this is carried through into the tie in trilogy, Sure Mastery, which is to be released later this year. I actually live on the edge of the moors and I go walking up there frequently and in all weathers so this landscape is one I’m very familiar with. It’s dramatic, exciting and sometimes downright scary…
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