Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Chicago and always wanted to write psychological thrillers. I have written a few of those but I found the writing of them unsatisfying so I pivoted to erotica. I have written 12 erotica stories so far, all of which are on Amazon. I started with what arouses me personally and even use some of my own personal experiences, and then I started talking to people about what turns them on, and branched out into other types of erotica.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called After School Special. Everyone has that teacher that is charismatic, quirky, and fuels adolescent fantasies about the taboo prospect of “getting closer” to that teacher, even if it means getting punished for doing something bad. I am a brat, so I added the punishment aspect to the story as well as the thrill the female protagonist experiences during and after her punishment by the object of her passion.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t call them unusual, just quirky. There is a playlist I have on Itunes that i listen to when writing my naughty adventures that includes the soundtracks of both Flashdance and 9 1/2 weeks, and I always listen to songs from both when writing my stories, to get me in the right mood.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I got the idea to write “Smut” when I discovered that Penthouse Letters no longer offers new issues. The hot stories that people used to write in and share in those magazines drove me crazy for a long, long time, and I was driven to recreate the heat myself by writing about my own experiences. Most of my stories are fiction, or rather, mostly fiction.
What are you working on now?
I serialized two of of my book series. The Libby Daniels stories feature a young woman who is now in college and choosing to explore her sexuality her way, becoming ever more daring in her pursuit of pleasure.
There are currently three in that series. In the Arms of a Stranger is book 1, Bosom Buddies is book 2, and Behind the Red Door is book 3. The 4th, Teaching Amy is about her lover Amy who decides she does not want to be submissive to anyone even Libby, and she finds a sexy way to take charge that surprises everyone.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now I have my work featured on several websites, but Twitter has been the most effective, largely because of my engagement level. I am on Twitter 3-5 hours a day and I stay away from religion, politics, and any hot button issues while staying firmly in Fun, Snarky Twitter, which is where I have given myself the title of Pied Piper of Masturbation. Only the readers can decide of that is true.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the journey. Becoming a self-published author is freeing in a lot of ways, but you will have to spend a lot of time, and a little bit of money to market your books. Engage with your followers, don’t just tweet a hundred book covers, people mostly scroll past them unless they know and like you.
Do a beta switch with another author or two for fair honest reviews and beware of promotion services that promise too much. If you decide to write erotica like myself, DM me and I will help guide you through the waters of self-publication. Above all, keep your expectations reasonable about sales the first year and don’t feel discouraged if 100 people don’t buy your books the second they come out…it doesn’t work like that.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Most of the advice I received has to do with smart marketing. Try to track what you’re doing that works and what doesn’t. You don’t have to be an excel wizard to do this, but it is time-consuming so be prepared for that. Also, keep your book prices comensurate with the length of the books.
What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading The Midnight Line by Lee Child because I love the Jack Reacher series!
What’s next for you as a writer?
The short stories are fun and I will have many more of those, but in the next year, look for tawdry smut-filled novel length adventures. My beach read novel, The Gift Horse is nearly done and ready for editing, and I will have that released by March 15th 2020.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas, 61 Hours by Lee Child, Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay, and Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
JA Martin’s Social Media Links
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