Thank you, Because Two Men, for hosting me today. It’s with a sigh of relief and a slight pang of regret that I watch book five of my six book series Shadow Play fly the nest for general release.
As a reader, I absolutely hate feeling tricked, yet as a writer tricking readers is my job. And I think that applies to different degrees in all genres. In erotic romance, my bread and butter, the course of love can never run too smoothly or there is no story. But tack on a murder-mystery and surprises are an absolute must.
Look, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, sometimes you need a bit of luck.
- Bear Grylls
Everyone likes to think that success in life is about hard work, but everything in life has an element of luck to it.
Horses and Harleys is a story of two wounded souls who find hope and healing through their interaction with each other and through their mutual love of horses.
As part of my research for the story, I looked into how animals can be helpful in the healing process, whether this is physical or psychological.
Hi, Divine Magazine, and thank you for having me. I’m Helena Maeve, your friendly neighborhood writer and self-confessed globetrotter. Stories have always come easy to me, the more unconventional the better, but as a queer lady it took me a good while to give the romance genre a shot.
I’ve always been fascinated with spies. I credit Pierce Brosnan with this. Something about that brow, that smirk, that effortless 'Bond, James Bond' cool got into my head when I saw Tomorrow Never Dies (spoiler: tomorrow doesn’t die) and I’ve been reaping the rewards ever since.
Let's start with you telling us a little bit about yourself, Helena.
I’m a twenty-something queer lady who does yoga and cooks up a storm. Not (usually) at the same time. I also write sexy romance books featuring various permutations of gutsy women and hot-blooded men.
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This series sounds like such an interesting concept! Why did you decide to write about spies from opposite sides of the track?
Shortly after I began writing for Totally Bound, I halfheartedly sent in In the Presence of Mine Enemy, a novella with a LeCarré flavor, which I'd written and submitted on a whim. Readers seemed to enjoy it, though, and the feedback's been so positive that I was tempted to dip my toes into this world again. It combines everything I like: men in bespoke suits, subterfuge and doomed romance.
Joyce: Do you have any particular rituals that help you get into the writing frame of mind?
Helena: This is going to sound a little pretentious, but … yoga has been a godsend. I’m not very sporty by nature and I’ve never been able to keep up an exercise regimen that involves lots of reps and sweating.
Jen: At what age did you discover writing? Tell us your call story.
Helena: Is it a cliché to say I can’t ever recall not writing? I’ve woken up thinking of writing so many mornings now that it’s a bit like coffee. I needs it, precious.
It’s been suggested that I talk about how I got into writing erotic romance—a good idea, considering my sixteen published titles and the many more still waiting in the wings. But for the life of me, I can’t remember.
Totally Bound speaks exclusively to Helena Maeve, Elizabeth Coldwell, Wendi Zwaduk, Aurelia T. Evans, Nan Comargue and Lucy Felthouse about Wild After Dark, our new MFM anthology featuring vampires, werewolves and the paranormal.
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Tell us about your new Surface Tension serial.
Three novels, three characters, a ménage a trois like I haven’t written before… would be the way I’d describe Surface Tension in a really short elevator pitch. The longer version is that I’ve wanted to go back to triads and polyamory since A Touch of Spice, my first title with Totally Bound, but I had a hard time finding the right storyline. And then the nude celebrity photo leaks happened.
There are plenty of stereotypes about bikers, did you enjoy writing about the ultimate bad boy?
Helena – I admit I had a massive brain screech when I first sat down to plot Grounds for Divorce. I didn’t want to glorify from the darker aspects of biker subculture (your drugs, your girls, your rock ’n’ roll) but I also didn’t want to ignore unsavoury deeds. The tipping point came when I started sketching in details of what went on around the club. The ultimate bad boy became a balancing force in a world filled with crime—perpetrated by all, up to and including the heroine!
Three books on my keeper shelves:
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The truth is that I don’t much like writing about myself, as a woman or as a writer.
Well, that’s a big fat lie.
The truth is that I write about myself all the time. I just call it writing stories, inventing plots or crafting characters. I have a euphemism for every season. On some level, this is true of every writer. It’s a survival tactic for when rejections and bad reviews roll in. But in one form or another, we all revisit our hurts and magnify our triumphs on paper. I’m just really good at pretending otherwise. Here’s why.
Totally Bound speaks exclusively to Helena Maeve about Fault Lines
Where did the idea for Fault Lines come from?
I knew I wanted to write something contemporary after Flight Made Easy and Collision Course. Or at least something without asteroids. Cynical, middle class Londoners in emotional distress seemed like the obvious alternative.
Helena Maeve on Fault Lines
Ninety-nine percent of the time, my novels never seem to turn out as I imagined them when I first put metaphorical pen to metaphorical paper. Fault Lines is no exception. When I sat down with my latest title, I sort of knew that I wanted to explore a relationship strained by addiction and issues of control, but without romanticizing or casting blame.
Letters from the other side of writer’s block
Writing advice comes in many flavours, but one thing all advice-givers generally agree on is that the best way to improve as a writer is to keep writing. Intuitively, it makes sense that ideas will flow from other ideas and skill can only be honed through practice. Suggestions on how to surmount the latest slump of writer’s block by letting your imagination run wild abound. But what happens when you’ve made it through the creative desert, reached marshland, and your muse is still racing on towards the nearest body of water?
You are a globe trotter, so where is your favourite place to travel to?
I’ve recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong and I have to say it may well be my favourite destination so far. This was only my second time there and I was glad to have a bit more time to explore the city outside of the touristy areas. It’s a real treasure trove and I’m hoping to go back soon, ideally for a prolonged stay with my trusty notebook and my laptop.
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