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Be Dominated by the Works of ...
Eden Bradley
Your upcoming release Forbidden Fruit will be a story that
explores fantasies and desires.
Can you tell us a bit more about this book?
FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the story of Mia Rose Curry, a university
sociology professor who teaches a class on alternative
sexuality. Jagger is one of her students-a bit older than
the others, smart, sexy. Any contact outside of the
classroom is forbidden, but she can’t resist him for long.
Jagger helps her to open up and explore her own hidden
desires, which she’s kept locked away—along with her heart.
But Jagger has a lot to teach her about self-acceptance, and
about love.
Many of your stories have a BDSM aspect to them.
How did you start writing within this genre?
What underlying dynamic is added to a story when working with
characters that are either Dominant or submissive?
I’ve been writing BDSM erotica for many years; I’ve always had an
interest in the complex dynamics involved in this kind of extreme
sex. These are very intense relationships, which makes for great
conflict and both physical and mental chemistry, because this kind
of power play is as much about the mind as it is about the physical
act. The added dynamic is that intensity, as well as a very high
level of trust that must be developed between the characters. And
that utter vulnerability can make for enormous emotional impact,
which is what a good love story is really all about.
Which of your BDSM stories has struck the strongest chord with both
you and your readers?
I get a lot of feedback about my novella, THE BONDS OF LOVE, which
is one of three stories in my second Bantam novel, THE DARKER SIDE
OF PLEASURE. This story is about a married couple, and it’s very
emotional and romantic, so I think that really strikes a chord with
readers.
Breaking Skye and Heat Wave have been getting some excellent
reviews. Can you tell us
about how these stories came about?
These are my two stories with Phaze Publishing. HEATWAVE was my
first published erotic material. It’s a short contemporary piece
that was part of a call for submissions for stories with a hot
summer theme. It’s been out since 2006 and is still selling.
BREAKING SKYE is my only BDSM-themed e-book, and it’s still a
favorite of mine. I’m not sure how that one came about. I was
writing a lot of BDSM material at the time, so I was in that frame
of mind. So often, identifying where an idea for a story comes from
is elusive—that’s part of the magic in being a writer.
It’s available as a single
story in e-book format, and it’s also part of Phaze’s first BDSM
print anthology, SURRENDER: TALES OF EROTIC SUBMISSION. You can find
them at
www.Phaze.com.
In your story, The Art of Desire, Sophie is attracted to a classic
bad boy. What is so
alluring about Tristan and bad boys in general for both authors and
readers?
Oh, I love a bad boy. I think on some level most of us want what we
can’t—or shouldn’t—have. For me, the main thrust of that book is
about the tattoos, which is a personal fetish of mine. I have
several myself and love tattoos on a man—so sexy! But part of
Tristan’s allure is that he’s also well-read, knows about art, and
he has a gentle side—a wicked combination. And of course, he’s a bit
dark and tortured, as so many of my characters are. I think that
dark side in a bad boy makes a lot of women want to make it all
better. I know I do!
The Dark Garden
was a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewer’s Choice Nominee and Golden Quill
Finalist. Tell us a bit
more about this story and it’s background.
Writing THE DARK GARDEN was a strange and magical
experience for me. I wrote that book in ten weeks—it just flowed.
I’d been writing BDSM fiction for quite a while, but they were all
short stories. I had recently signed on with my agent and she was
shopping my three-novella BDSM anthology, THE DARKER SIDE OF
PLEASURE. One editor said she loved the anthology but couldn’t even
bring it to her publisher without a full-length novel, as well, so
THE DARK
GARDEN was born.
THE DARK
GARDEN
is about Rowan Cassidy, who’s been living as a sexual dominant for
several years. She meets Christian Thorne and a battle of wills
begins. He’s determined to have her, and he convinces her to serve
as his submissive for thirty days as a sort of experiment. He’s the
first man strong enough to bring her to her knees, literally and
figuratively. She doesn’t fall in love with him quite as easily,
though.
You can read an excerpt on my website:
www.EdenBradley.com
What is your favorite published story?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, and it changes with almost every book!
I really am in love with FORBIDDEN FRUIT right now. Or maybe I’m in
love with the hero, Jagger James. I think everyone can relate to the
sensual side of strawberries, chocolate and whipped cream—and doing
the research for this book was fun!
If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be
and why?
Jagger. He’s just so sexy and smart and interesting and…sexy…
When you start writing, do you already have the story plotted out or
do you let the characters dictate what will happen?
I plot much more than I used to, but I have to because I sell on
proposal, so I do a pretty solid outline before I begin to write the
book. The characters usually come to me first, then I start asking
myself questions: why are these people the best and worst possible
things that can happen to each other? That answer will give me the
conflict that drives the story.
Do you draw inspiration for your characters from real life?
Definitely! Several of my heroes are based on men I’ve known, and
there’s a lot of me in most of my heroines.
Many of my secondary
characters are friends of mine. Crystal, the best friend in THE ART
OF DESIRE, is based on my friend, author Crystal Jordan, and I let
her make up her boyfriend in the book—she got to pick his name and
physical description. Unfortunately, if I ever write
Crystal’s own story (which I’ve been dying to
do), she’s going to lose that boyfriend, but she’ll meet a much
better guy!
We share a love of tattoos!
What fascinates you about tattoos and do you have any of your
own?
I have three tattoos, the most recent being a very large cover
piece. Body art fascinates me! It’s such a personal expression. I
love jewelry, too, so I suppose I like anything you can decorate the
body with, but there’s also something intriguing about the
commitment involved in having ink put on your body for the rest of
your life. And part of it is purely the rebel in me.
Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about
you.
This is a tough question because I tend to be pretty forthcoming in
interviews, so my whole life has been plastered across the Internet
at some point. Oh, how about this: I did competition body-building
in my early twenties. It didn’t last long, though. After a while the
six hours a day at the gym paled in comparison to going to the
beach, going shopping, doing something besides working out, eating
and sleeping. But it was fun to feel that physically powerful.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Yes! Bad reality television, and the more of a train wreck the show
is, the more I love it!
What are you currently working on?
Right now I’m working on a book about Shibari, a form of Japanese
rope bondage. Like my novel, EXOTICA: SEVEN DAYS OF KAMA SUTRA, NINE
DAYS OF ARABIAN NIGHTS, it’s a two-part story about two couples, and
the characters know each other. And I’m also doing copy edits on my
upcoming March 2009 release, A 21ST CENTURY COURTESAN,
which I’m very excited about. This book is a bit different for me
and I’m just in love with the story and the characters.
The heroine is a high-class
call girl who falls in love, and writing a sympathetic character was
a challenge, but I adored every moment of it!
Where
can readers find Eden
Bradley? I’m all over:
My website:
www.EdenBradley.com
My blog:
www.EdenBradley.blogspot.com
My new group blog with fellow erotica authors Lilli Feisty, RG
Alexander and Crystal Jordan:
www.smutketeers.com/
And on MySpace:
www.myspace.com/edenbradley
Any other tidbits you would like to share?
FORBIDDEN FRUIT will be available in bookstores October 28th,
and I’m making some appearances to promote it. The most fun one will
be on Playboy Radio’s Night Calls on November 3rd-check
my website for details!
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