Across the Beer With Leta Blake and Keira Andrews

Welcome to my beer bar Leta, what can I pour for you to start?
Since this is fantasy and I don't have to worry about it triggering a migraine, hit me with something a little honey, something a little red.
Ok, I've got that. Try this Amber Lager....So this collaboration...what made you want to work with another writer?
Keira and I have been good friends for several years and when I mentioned to her that I was planning on writing sexy fairy tales she was inspired by my ideas. Eventually, she asked if I might want a co-writer. Because I'm always up for collaboration and learning from other writers, and because I believed that we would be a successful pairing, I eagerly agreed to her proposal.
And how did you decide on making fairy tales kinky?
While kink isn't out of the question in this series, I'm not sure that I'd call the currently released tales “kinky.” They are definitely sexy, though! Basically, the idea came from the fairy tales themselves. Historically, fairy tales have always been rife with underlying and aggressive sexuality. We wanted to bring the subtext to the light and deliver what everyone has always secretly desired when reading about Red Riding Hood or Rapunzel—the dirty details. The twist for us was that we wanted to focus on gay characters, specifically m/m pairings. The idea of not only shining a light on the sexuality of the tale, but also upsetting or completely changing gender and sexual roles within the story appealed to us. Rather like a man recording a song usually performed by a woman (or vice versa), shifting the gender/sex of the characters within the fairtales—or turning their relationships into romantic/sexual ones instead of friends or enemies—really brings out layers of the story that we hadn't seen before. It's been fascinating and fun.
(An example of a man performing a great cover of a song performed originally by a woman: http://youtu.be/16Z_1EqdAok To those familiar with the original, do you feel like a man singing it gives the song a new flavor or even a new meaning? Does it give you a different way of looking at the man or the song itself?)
Oh, empty glass! what can I pour for you next?
Let's have something dark and filling. :)
I've got that too, here, a Stout Lager....How does the collaboration actually work? I mean, do you write some then she does and you trade back and forth? Do you like that method?
Usually one of us takes the driver's seat with regards to the book. For example, with our first collaboration,  Earthly Desires , I was in the driver's seat, and with  Ascending Hearts , Keira took that role. We are instrumental in the development of the book and in crafting it, but with each book one of us is in charge of the main bulk of writing what we've worked out, and the other works to smooth, correct, challenge, etc. We are wanting to try something different eventually, perhaps, where one of us writes the point of view of one character and the other writes the point of view of the other lead. I think that would be a fun challenge!
Tell me about how you got started in this business? And Keira?
I've been writing for nearly fifteen years, but it was only with this fairy tale collaboration that I took the steps to publication. Keira’s first novel,  Love Match , was published in 2006 and she’s written numerous books since then.
And where can we find you on the 'nets?
Places Leta can be found around the web:Email: leta.blake.author@gmail.comWebsite: letablake.wordpress.comFacebook:  http://www.facebook.com/letablakeTwitter: https://twitter.com/letablakeGoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6425833.Leta_BlakeTumblr: http://letablake.tumblr.com/
Places Keira can be found around the web:Email: keira.andrews@gmail.comWebsite: keiraandrews.comGoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1366040.Keira_AndrewsTwitter: https://twitter.com/keiraandrewsFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/keira.andrews.50
When you are not writing, what are you doing?
I'm a mom, wife, and full-time employee, so when I'm not writing, I'm enjoying my daughter and husband, and trying desperately to keep my head above water at the office. Keira works full time writing in marketing/communications, and when she’s not at a computer you can usually find her in yoga class or catching up on her favorite TV shows.
Finally what are your next projects? More fairy tales or something different?
We have another fairy tale coming up based on the The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It's basically in the can, but still needs some tweaks and edits before we can submit it to our publisher. We anticipate that if all goes well it should be out in May. You can read a little about it here: http://letablake.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop-leta-blake/
We also have a fourth tale planned for later this year and non-fairy tale books we're working on. Keira just completed a wonderful (imho) WWII-era novel, and I'm working on the second half of a coming-of-age novel set in the South during the early 1990s.
Nightcap time! what's your poison?
Ah, hit me with some absinthe if you've got it. Wait, wait, does "beer before liquor never been sicker" apply for absinthe? Maybe just some water and call it a night. :)
Oh man and you were doing so well so far...honey, "Absinthe" is "poison." And besides, this is a beer bar so, yep, here's your water!

Ascending Hearts can be purchased at
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/ascending-hearts.html
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ascendinghearts-1039692-144.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ascending-Hearts-Tempting-Tales-ebook/dp/B00AWPDO42/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ascending-hearts-leta-blake/1114106448