Erin M. Leaf
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6 Ratings Avg - 4.2
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60 Ratings Avg - 4.4
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78 Ratings Avg - 4.3
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Author's Bio
Erin Leaf has been reading and writing since she was five years old. Her first story, written in third grade, involved a burning house, a desperate jump, and the last-minute save of her older sister. Unfortunately, her sister never forgave her for that push out of the window despite repeated apologies in the form of limericks. Since then, Erin has been a technical writer, an editor, a proofreader, and a poet. She has won awards and published poetry chapbooks, learned to crochet, and worked as a full-time mom. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.
Author's Profile
Q: Do you ever get embarrassed about writing erotic romance?
A: No, not at all. For me, the steamier the sex is the better. I’m easily bored, so while I’m writing I try to put my characters in either fun (sex!) or dangerous (is that a gun?) situations so I don’t fall asleep while typing. My goal is to write a scene in my next novel that combines the sex and the danger. Making love during a shootout? There must be a way to do that!
Q: What is the most difficult part about writing ménage scenes?
A: Visualizing who is doing what to whom when you have three people is the most challenging aspect of writing threesomes. I don’t like scenes where people are left out or waiting around for their “turn,” so I like to keep all three people involved in the sex. That makes trying to figure out where this person’s arm is resting while the other person is kneeling over the third person somewhat tricky at times. Of course, it’s not like I find sitting around imagining those scenes tiresome, so it all works out in the end.
Q: How do you decide what your characters will look like?
A: I often pick out actors or celebrities as a starting point, so that I can visualize a character. Then, as I begin writing, the character takes on personality, and his or her appearance changes in my head to fit their quirks and habits.
Q: Do you ever use your dreams as a basis for a story?
A: Oh definitely. Sometimes people ask me where my ideas come from, and I reply: I can’t stop them! Almost every night I remember my dreams, and sometimes I wake up with an incredible scene or character. I usually jot some notes down on a piece of paper when that happens so I don’t forget about it later.
Q: Do you have a secret vice when it comes to reading?
A: Yes! I love to read fanfiction. And I love to read poetry. These two types of writing could not be more incompatible, but I enjoy the juxtaposition of fun prose with difficult literary works. It makes my brain buzz.
Q: How many books do you own?
A: I stopped counting when the number hit 7000. That’s when the piles of books everywhere got ridiculous. I was absolutely thrilled when ebooks became popular because you can only use a pile of books as a nightstand for so long until your friends find out and mock you unmercifully.
Q: Are you planning on writing more erotic romance?
A: Definitely! I love writing romance, and I have several novels planned out in my head already. I just need to make the time to sit down and type the words. I can’t wait.
Q: How long have you been writing?
A: When I say I’ve been writing since I was five, I’m not kidding. For many years I thought that everyone daydreamed like I did: complete with dialogue and scenes and dramatic tension. I went to college and majored in creative writing, then I went to work and wrote technical manuals. There was a time in my twenties when I didn’t write much fiction, but I think that I needed that time to gain life experience so I would have something to say once I began writing in earnest.
Q: How do you deal with rejections from publishers?
A: Simple: I just keep trying. And I whine about it a lot to my incredibly patient husband. And sometimes I eat too much chocolate. That helps. I think the most difficult thing about becoming a writer is the realization of how much time it takes. It takes years to become a good writer, years to send out your work, and years to get published. However, I have never wanted to do anything else, so that makes it easy for me to keep improving my skills and sending my words out.
Past 14 days
