An in depth interview with Angora Shade

Thursday interview is with Angora Shade. She is a multi faceted author that brings a wonderful insight to her writing.

What inspires you to write?

Writing is a compulsion for me; it’s either write or die. My writing stems from an overload of ideas that build inside my head and want to break free. I can almost never keep up with the amount of story ideas I have, which keep of organizing my ideas easier. Inspiration usually hits at inappropriate times like when I’m trying to calm my brain down before I go to sleep or when I’m relaxing my muscles in a bath or doing yoga.  Inspiration is easier to grasp when I need it when I sit quietly and tune out the world for a while. My life is loud and obnoxious, so my inspiration comes from the joy of absolute silence.

Where do you get your ideas from?

My ideas stem from everywhere: experiences, imagery, music, dreams. It’s endless. But I usually find myself trying to write about something that I’ve never written about before. Right now I’m trying to grow my catalogue of stories, so I take a look at what my current publisher is looking for, and combine my ideas with that. If I feel a spark, I go write.

Which trope would you never use?

I enjoy strong female characters, and therefore I doubt I would consider writing the stereotypical brain-dead bimbo. It’s just not my thing. My characters are usually flawed in their knowledge of something in their life, but they’re still intelligent creatures.

If you could collaborate with any author who would it be?

William Shakespeare. His storytelling is legendary, his style is original and focused, and his climaxes hit hard. He controls language so effortlessly and paints imagery just as easily. Were he still alive, I’d pick his brain and write the world’s sauciest sex scene together with him. We’d make a delicious team.

What makes you unique as an author? Set’s you apart?

I’ve been told that my style is recognizable. Apparently I go into intense detail about things that many other authors find less important. Some even say some of my descriptions go too far and become “flowery”. It’s all well and good.  I’d rather over-describe and be “flowery” than not give my readers enough information. The best kind of books are the ones that play like a movie inside your head.

How can fans find you.

I’m addicted to social media and I love talking about everything related to the erotic and writing. I have an active blog where I cover a multitude of topics at http://www.angorashade.blogspot.com, and I’m active on both FaceBook (http://www.facebook.com/angorashadeauthor) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/angorashade). You can even find me on G+ too. I belong to numerous writing and sex-related groups. I love to hear from fans about their reactions to what they’re reading or ideas for what they’d like to read about. All my books from my publisher can be found on their website http://www.torquerebooks.com, and my entire catalogue can be found on my Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/angorashade

What books had the biggest impact on your writing?

I grew up loving everything to do with Anne Rice. Her books were easy to read and filled my imagination with high fantasy. I also love (to the point where my paperbacks are falling apart) Jean M Auel’s “Earth’s Children’s Series” which was my first real experience reading about sex. Both these authors wrote the genres and stories that they wanted to, and they didn’t let anything stop them. They’re also both strong, successful women. One of my goals as a writer is to overcome negative stigmas in the erotic romance genre painted by society, and authors like Rice and Auel are wonderful role models to follow. I can only hope to inspire others the way they’ve inspired me.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to bake, hike, travel, and party. I missed out on partying in my teens and twenties, so I’m going through that state right now in my life (I know how stupid this sounds!). As a displaced American living in Sheep Shit Nowhere Europe, I find myself dancing at discotechs or enjoying an adult “Sing Star” party with friends. There’s nothing more entertaining than people over 30 doing either of these. I like to check out old ruins too. They’re all over the place in Europe. I enjoy history and learning about the stories of old.

How do you market your books?

Marketing is something I’m still learning about. I do everything I can think of. My publisher has been a big help in connecting me with authors and reviewers, but maintaining an active author platform with social media has also been helpful. Other authors are a wonderful resource too. Hooking up for blog hops and events is a great way to pack enough presence to be heard on the busy, busy Internet. In the future I hope to be part of erotica/romance conferences. They sound like hella fun.

What projects are you currently working on?

Like most authors, I have a plethora of projects in progress! Ideally I’d like to finish my untitled sequel to “Cat Games” and conclude the multi-ending “choose your own erotic adventure” that I’ve been trying to write for the past year. Short stories sometimes interfere with my larger projects, so there’s at least one of those coming out this year. When these projects are complete, I plan to focus on adding more fantasy elements into my stories, including both fairies and shapeshifters (both which I haven’t done before). I’m also busy writing both young adult fantasy and children’s books under another pen name.

I appreciate Angora taking the time to share with us her insights.  I wanted to mention, My second book in the Dark Desires series, Facade’s Retribution. Will be released this Sunday, May 1st. It will be at a promo price of $1.99.  The link will be posted on Facebook, GoodReads, Google+ and Twitter, so look for it.

Here is a sneak peek at the cover