Friend Friday: Shoshanna Evers

Hey, all. Today's Friend Friday features a new author I know in real life.

Meet Shoshanna Evers, a member of the Hudson Valley Chapter of Romance Writers of America (HVRWA), spinner of steamy erotic, er, tales.

We decided we'd do today's blog in interview format...so here's Shoshanna! While I'm off slaving away in the EDJ salt mines, please show her the love!

1. What books have influenced you most?

Shoshanna: I’d say Story of O and also Anne Rice’s erotic Beauty series, but also reading all the books available at Ellora’s Cave made me want to write erotic romance.

2. What made you decide to become a writer?

Shoshanna: I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to become a writer – it’s the typical story every writer has – I started writing as a kid, making up stories, and wrote my first full novel (a very, very bad novel) at the age of nineteen. I don’t think I made any sort of conscious declaration “I am a writer” until I got published, LOL

3. What is the thing that surprised you most about being published?

Shoshanna: For some reason I had this idea that once you get published, that’s it – every single thing you write will sell. And I imagine that’s true for many well-established authors. But for a first time newbie? Not so much. So getting that first rejection after becoming “a published author” stung way worse than the tons of rejections I received before I got published.

4. If you could take only one book with you (not one of yours) to a desert island, what book would it be?

Shoshanna: The Old Testament. And you know the sort of stuff I write, I’m obviously not super-religious – but if I can only have one book it better be one with lots of stories and things I can continue to learn from that book.

5. What is the hardest (you should pardon the expression) thing about writing erotica?

Shoshanna: LOL! The hardest thing about writing erotica for me is trying to figure out if something that I find hot will be hot to anyone else, or if I’m going to send it off to an editor and get it back with a big question mark. I can just imagine an editor sitting there shaking her head, going “Something must be wrong with that girl.”

6. What are you working on now?

Shoshanna: I’ve got my third book coming out sometime this year with Ellora’s Cave called Hollywood Spank, so we’re doing edits on that. Then I’ve got two manuscripts with beta-readers, so when I get those back they’ll need revisions as well. Right now I’m writing a novella. Lots of sooper sekrit projects ;)

7. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Shoshanna: Primarily a pantser – but I like to know where I’m starting and where I’m ending. That way I know what I’m reaching toward. I love the concept of plotting and outlining, though, and I always attempt to plot – it just never works out for me – I veer from the course every time.

8. What is the most helpful thing you can tell other writers?

Shoshanna: Read everything you can get your hands on, and give your work to good critique partners to get honest feedback. You can’t just give your manuscript to your mom and expect to grow as a writer. I’d also suggest reading books on how to write – they really are helpful! I love Stephen King’s On Writing, and all the Dummies books about writing and publishing are phenomenal.

9. How do you get your story ideas?

Shoshanna: I don’t know, but I never run out of them. I have pages and pages of story ideas that I rarely ruffle through, since when I start writing I always have some idea I just *have* to try out, LOL.

10. Tell us about your latest (or upcoming) release.

Shoshanna: Ginger Snap is an Ellora’s Cave Quickie about ginger-figging. That’s another one of those books I wrote and sent it off wondering if my editor was going to say “Seriously? You want me to contract a book about a couple who puts ginger into various orifices?” LOL

Here’s the blurb:
When Holly sits on Tom’s lap to tell him what she wants for Christmas, she knows she’s naughty enough to get a lump of coal—but she never expected to get a hand of ginger root. Peeled ginger in her bottom burns like crazy without causing any actual harm—so the punishment can go on as long as naughty Holly deserves. Ginger-figging has been used since Victorian times to keep girls from clenching against a proper caning because, as Holly finds out, clenching around ginger has her begging for mercy—and more turned-on than she’s ever been. From now on Holly should be on her best behavior…but with this sort of punishment, it’s more fun to be bad.

Read an excerpt           Buy

Punishing the Art Thief, available now from Ellora's Cave
Hollywood Spank, coming soon from Ellora's Cave
Agony/Ecstasy Anthology, Nov 2011, Berkley Heat

Shoshanna Evers writes erotic romance for Ellora's Cave and (in November 2011) Berkley Heat. She's a stay-at-home mom during the week, an advice columnist for a local newspaper, a registered nurse every other weekend, and an erotic romance writer on the opposite weekend. She doesn't sleep, preferring to spend her evenings doing “research” with her incredibly sexy husband. Shoshanna lives with her family and four dogs in a lakefront cottage in upstate New York. She welcomes emails from readers and writers.

Follow Shoshanna:
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Email: shoshanna.evers@yahoo.com