Viewing Life in Living Color : Liv Honeywell talks BDSM, romance, and white chocolate

Visiting with us today we have Liv Honeywell, who says she likes to live her life in "Glorious Technicolor." And she writes stories set in the world of BDSM. While some writers have gotten into that field because it seems to be an easy few dollars, for Liv the decision to write in that genre goes much deeper.

Liv, thanks for visiting with me today. Can you tell me a bit about what you mean by living life in "Glorious Technicolor"?

Thanks very much for having me, Shandra J.

I wrote that a while back when I was thinking about life in general and also about when I began to explore BDSM. I’ve always been creative and I’ve always wanted to write and run my own business rather than do some beige, boring day job, and I remember thinking that even realizing that it was possible, that I didn’t *have* to sit there for the rest of my life in a job I hated was almost like going from watching black & white television to colour. Life was so much more exciting and had so many more possibilities.

When I discovered the world of BDSM, I found that all the things I’d imagined and fantasized about were possible but there were also many more things that hadn’t even occurred to me, there was so much depth to having a D/s relationship, there were so many more sensations to experience and so much to explore, so if I was living in colour before, now it really had to be Glorious Technicolor J.

What about your writing – why do you focus in the world of BDSM?

I think the very simple answer for a lot of writers is that we write what we like to read and that’s definitely true for me. I love erotica of all kinds but I write about BDSM because on the page, I can safely explore things I haven’t tried yet. I can also look deeper at things I have tried or even look at them from the Dom’s point of view.

I love to explore what the submissive is thinking when a scene is going on and how she is reacting to all the sensations, so there’s quite a bit of that in my writing, but I also love the humour in BDSM. I’m a great one for putting my foot in my mouth and saying just the wrong thing – well, from my point of view that is, not so much from the Dom’s! I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve seemingly had a brain bypass, opened my mouth and got myself into trouble. For example:

Dom: “If the curtains weren’t open and people couldn’t see in, I’d bend you over the sofa and spank you for that.”

Me: Completely without thinking “Oh, no, they can’t see in because of the blinds.” Pause, look at grin on Dom’s face. “Er, I mean, yes. Yes, they can!”

Cue roar of laughter from Dom.

There’s so much of that in BDSM relationships and often it’s not reflected in books. One of my favourite film genres is the romantic comedy but when I first started reading erotica, I couldn’t find stories which were proper romantic comedies about people involved in BDSM relationships, so now I write those for me and hope that other people like them too.

Is there a theme that seems to run through your work, or is each story different, a stand-alone world?

I think if there is, it’s probably that each one is romantic is some way and has a happy ending. I don’t write depressing endings. I’ve read more than one book which was hilarious and warm and touching and then one of the main characters died without warning at the end, and it felt like I’d suddenly dropped into reading a completely different book that I hadn’t signed up for. I hate those and I’m never going to do that to my readers.

Each book is stand alone in that it is a complete story by itself without having to buy another book to find out what happens next, but I do have ideas for more than one series were there will be the same characters popping in and out over several books.

What's your writing routine like – do you write at the same time of day, play music, have any sort of rituals to get you in the mood?

I don’t have a routine as such, as I’m so busy that I have to fit the writing in when I can.

I have a quote on my whiteboard which I love: ‘The first draft doesn’t have to be good. It just has to be written,’ and I read that before I start to remind myself that I don’t have to try to write final draft quality work on the first go.

I can’t listen to music when I write as I find it distracting, so it has to be silence for the words and background television for plotting and writing notes.

I’m also a big fan of Write or Die, a web based writing software which is great for getting me past the inner editor.

Okay, let's step away from writing for a bit. Let's do some rapid fire questions. Answer the first thing that comes to mind – no cheating, no pondering, just whatever flashes in your mind first.

Favorite movie?

I’m probably supposed to say something deep here and claim it’s Citizen Kane or something, but I’m afraid it’s not. I couldn’t really pick just one but I’m loving all the Marvell films at the moment.

Favorite actor?

Richard Roxburgh because he is a different character, and thoroughly convincing, in every film I’ve ever seen him in, and there aren’t many who can achieve that.

If you could have dinner, maybe even spend a weekend, with one person, living or dead, who would it be?

I’m single at the moment, so I’d love a sneak peak at whoever my Dom is going to be.

If money were no object or concern, where would you go for a two-week vacation?

The Seychelles. I’m researching it for a book at the moment and it looks gorgeous.

Again, pretending that money is of no concern, where would you live?

Somewhere near enough that I could walk on the beach every day.

Favorite food?

White chocolate.

Favorite erotica novel?

Again, I couldn’t really pick just one but here are some of my favourite writers: Natasha Knight, Renee Rose and Rosanna Leo to name just a few.

Okay, now, back to the writerly questions. J

What is your biggest struggle in writing?

Getting bottom on seat and actually starting. I’m fine once I get going but I do seem to suffer a little from the idea that I must write something perfect instead of just getting a first draft down and finished, especially when it’s an idea I’m really excited about.

Tell us, do you have more work coming soon that we can look forward to?

I do. I’m working on a series about three brothers – all Doms, and hoping to have the first one out in March or early April. I don’t have blurb or an excerpt yet though.

I’m also working on some short erotica stories with my friend, Cochrane Gage.

Give us a sample of one of your already published works – maybe a little blurb, even an excerpt, and where we can purchase the work.

Coming, Ready or Not! Three Tales of Tease and Denial is one I really like because it combines the intensity of an M/s relationship with some comedy. Here’s the blurb and an excerpt:

Meet Will and Abby. An ordinary couple that you wouldn’t give a second glance at if they were walking down the street. Except they share a wonderful secret and bond as they explore their Master/slave relationship.

This is a loving couple, full of good humour, but nothing in any relationship is perfect and sometimes things go wrong. Even the strongest will in the world can't always obey and with that comes consequences...

Three vignettes, The Edge, Bad Girl, and Breathless focus on control. Can Abby be taken to the edge of pleasure and not cross over? She wants to obey and to hold on. But can she? And what will happen to her if she can't?

Holding on has never felt so good...

Warning: This book is adults only. It contains adult language, caning, spanking, face slapping, gags, a brief mention of anal sex and orgasm denial

Buying Links:

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/14aeYm2

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/135xK03

Excerpt:

“Will, please.”

“Excuse me? I think you mean 'Sir,' and do you really think this is up to you?”

“Er, no, Sir. I guess not. I'm sorry.”

“I should think so. Now lie back. Go on.”

I lie back against the chair. I don’t have another choice anyway. My legs are spread wide apart and strapped tightly to the chair legs, so I couldn't close them if I wanted to, and my arms are tied behind my back and then secured to the back of the chair frame. I'm really not going anywhere until my Lord and 

Master lets me.

You grin at me, knowing full well that there's nothing I can do.

I narrow my eyes. “You evil b...”

You grab my chin and force me to look into your eyes.

“I really don't think you want to finish that sentence, Abby. I wouldn't advise it.”

You continue circling my clit with just the tip of your finger, as you have been doing, agonisingly slowly, for the last few minutes. I moan and throw my head back.

“Oh, please, Sir. Please may I come?"

You pretend to consider my request, as if you haven’t already made up your mind. "Hmmmm, no. No, I don't think so.” You run your other hand over my breasts, pausing to tweak first one nipple and then the other.

“You need to learn that this body does not belong to you any more. It belongs to me and it's up to me if you get any pleasure and up to me when and how. Understand?"

“Ye...he...Yes, Sir”, I pant, trying desperately to hold on.

“Good girl.” You grin evilly again. “Besides I'm nowhere near done teasing you yet. I’m having far too much fun enjoying that lovely tortured expression on your face.”

I let out another low moan, born of frustration and desire; at the same time feeling a tingling warmth and excitement in my stomach at your dominance over me.

Your touch builds me dangerously close to orgasm again, leaving me hovering right there on the edge. I try to think of something else, anything else. What are we having for dinner? What shall I make? Are we out of peas? Or perhaps His Domliness will decide he wants to go out when he has finished working up an appetite by torturing me!

The thought brings me right back into the room, back to the sensation of your fingers sliding in and out of me, your thumb lightly rubbing my clit ever closer, ever nearer. I buck in my seat, half torn between wanting to push myself forward against your thumb, wanting release so badly, and not wanting to let you down by coming without permission.

“Sirrrr,” I groan.

“Yes, Abby. What can I do for you? Do you want me to stop? Good idea!”

You remove your hand from my pussy and I let out an animal yelp of frustration. Oh God. This is the third time you have brought me to the brink of orgasm and I really don't know how much more I can stand.

*****

Oh wow...excuse me a minute.

Okay, now that I've calmed down, let me say once again Liv, thanks again for being with us today. 

If you want to know more about Liv, or how to find her online, here's a little from her website:

When not writing about delicious, hot male dominants and the female subs who love them, I’m usually doing something craft-like, reading, baking, eating the results of said baking, and attempting to satisfy the demands of His High and Mighty Dominance (the cat!). My first story, Imagine, was published in 2012 and since then I’ve published Coming, Ready or Not and The Journal, which was written with Domitri Xavier and was winner of Turning the Pages Erotica Book of the Year 2013. I’m working on several books at once as usual, and trying to decide which of my other book ideas to work on next! You can follow me on my blog - http://www.liv-honeywell.com, Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/LivHoneywell, Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/LivHoneywellErotica, Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/LivHoneywell and my Amazon page is here: https://www.amazon.com/author/livhoneywell