R.E. Butler Shares Her Experience as an Indie Writer

I met RE Butler via email when I was just starting out. She thrilled me when she wrote, “You've got yourself a new fan.” She was the very first person to contact me about my writing and that simple connection meant the world to me. The successful paranormal author helped me navigate the self-publishing world and started me down the road I find myself today. My advice to other indies is the same advice she gave me when I wanted to thank her  – Just pass it on!    ~ Lady Red

1) What made you decide to publish erotica and what would you say are the hardest and most enjoyable aspects of being an erotica author?
I didn't really set out to publish erotica.  While there are authors out there that like to ride trends, I write what comes to me because it’s what I love. I sat down to write, and when I went to publish, I discovered that some of my stories were classified as erotica.  It certainly didn't bother me to be in a category with other such incredible authors as Virginia Wade, Carl East, Katie Cramer, and the amazing Red Phoenix (to name a few).  The truth is I write about things I like.
One of the hardest things about erotica is the competition. There are so many erotica books out there, and new ones being published every day. For me, that means I have to write better books. Better storylines and better characters at better prices so I can retain my current fans and draw in new ones.  My favorite thing is the freedom that comes from exploring a more uninhibited story.
2) You are a successful indie - Yay! What have you done to encourage that success?
*blush*  I take advantage of media outlets.  I blog, I'm active on GoodReads and Amazon forums, I do book reviews, I email and tweet. Prior to this book, I was a subtle promoter, using my blog and email to promote my books.  But because Tribe is a new series and I want it to be successful, I’ve made some investments, including a cover artist, pro editor, advertising space on a romance website, plus this blog tour which has been so much fun.
3) Reviews feel like they can make or break you as an author. How would you suggest new writers treat reviews (both good and bad)? What has been your experience?
I think anyone who has published a book has gotten at least one bad review.  It cuts in a special way, because you’ve invested time and effort into your book, and when someone says something disparaging, it can feel like a personal attack.  I read every review.  If it’s positive, I grin like an idiot for about an hour.  If it's negative, I read it with an open mind and ask myself - did they just not like the book or was there something actually wrong that could be fixed (such as editing)?  But if a person just doesn’t like the story, if the review reflects a negative view of either the characters or the story itself, I take it for what it is - an opinion - and move on.  Sometimes the bad reviews will hang with me for a little while, like old ghosts, but I just pull up an email from a fan and remind myself that I’m not writing for the reviews, I’m writing because I have something to say and I want to share it.
My best advice is to develop a sense of humor, and keep in mind that there isn't anything out there that everyone will love.  Look up your favorite book and read the reviews.  You'll probably be surprised by what people say. You can’t live and die by your reviews, or your writing will suffer for it.
4) For me, watching the success of other indies is inspiring because we all can learn from each other. R.E., can you share a part of your journey with us?
I grew up wanting to write.  I started writing stories when I was in elementary school and wrote my first novel my freshman year in high school on my mother’s old typewriter.  I still have some of those first pages that I hammered out.  But then I was in college and working full time, and then I was married with kids.  It wasn’t until about three years ago that I remembered how much I had enjoyed writing, and it was because I’d kept those first, old pages that I decided to sit down and write.  At the time, I’d just gotten my kindle, and I was reading a paranormal romance series.  I didn’t like how the author had done things in the series and I thought “hey I can do that better”, so I tried to.  Of course, no one will eversee that first story!  But it woke up a love of writing for me, and I began to write a little bit every day.
I was on a message board for an author I really love, chatting about characters and such, and I got messaged by a woman who wanted to know if I was a writer, because my messages were always so nicely written.  When I told her that I was writing, she asked if I’d like her to read something and give an opinion.  I sent her the first four chapters of the first of my wolf series, and waited for a month until she got back to me.  I was so nervous!  When she was encouraging and offered to read the rest, I jumped at the chance and she has been my faithful reader, editor, and cover designer ever since.  That was April of 2011. My journey from sometimes-writer to full-time writer has been an amazing one.  I find it incredibly satisfying when someone tells me that they loved a particular character and want to know more.  That I can make a character or a scenario feel real to a reader is what I strive for, and knowing I hit the mark is a real pleasure.
5) What do you feel makes your work stand out above others?
Two things:  believability and characterization.  Even fictional worlds need to be believable in some way.  I might be writing about a place that doesn’t actually exist, but that doesn’t mean I can ignore what their reality might be like.  The Tribe’s Bride is about a fictional Native American tribe from the 1600's that is located in a fictional mountain range in North America.  Even though the actual scenario and people didn’t exist, I had to research that timeframe and the general area where I had the mountain range.  I couldn’t have snow in a place where there was no snow, or the wrong animals.  
And my characters are different for paranormal stories.  My men aren’t alpha-assholes.  I like my men dominant but not Doms, alpha but not alpha-holes.  I get shivers when a man I’m writing about takes charge to make sure his woman is safe, but I like them to have that softer side so they’re not always so unyielding.  I like my women to be dually natured as well.  Strong but soft, independent but willing to take a chance on love.
6) In your new book, The Tribe's Bride, you focus on a relationship involving three men and one girl. I am curious, multiple men seems to be a theme in several of your stories. What attracts you to those relationships?
I love multiples!  What’s better than one hot man?  Two or three!  I love writing ménage stories because they’re just so much fun.  Instead of working with just one man, I can have multiple men to explore and the woman in the story gets all the pleasure.  In The Tribe’s Bride, the three men are vastly different.  Coyote is the leader and a bit on the aggressive side, the I-know-best sort.  Bear is the protector and expects everyone, including his brothers, to do what he says when it concerns safety.  And Hawk is the youngest, the caretaker of the group, sweet and shy.  It was a lot of fun writing the men, digging into their back-stories to find out what made them tick.
I’m so glad I had a chance to come on your blog today, Red, and share a little of myself with you and your followers.  Thank you for having me!

RE is sponsoring a blog tour to promote her new book. It is the story of a modern girl, a magic necklace, and three banished brothers who choose to share her as a bride. If you would like the chance to win a free copy of The Tribe's Bride, you can leave a comment answering the question: What man in history would you like to travel back in time for and why? 

There are also a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card and beaded bracelets to win if you enter the Virtual Book Tour contest. See the link.