In a well overdue get together with an author who’s known not only for the sizzling stories he creates but also for his talent as one of the top cover artists in the world of e-publishing. Fallen Angel Reviews welcomes S.L. Carpenter for a “let’s get to know Scott better” evening of fun.

Are you sure you have the right guy?

Scott, with an author as talented as you, I must admit to finding it hard to figure out where to start. So first things first, what made you take the plunge into the world of erotic romance? Did you start off writing about other subjects prior to making your home in the world of love and lust?

I started off with humor books. Funny things like a Man’s Perspective on Pregnancy or 101 Uses for a Used Diaper and, Everything you wanted to know about Mr. Right. Just goofy stuff.

Then I wrote a group of short stories. They were little stories with sexual themes but funny. Sex is a funny thing if you think about it. So, I think about sex a lot. I set the stories up in a book and sent them out and Ellora’s Cave picked it up. Then they actually had the crazy idea to ask for more.

Since then I have been writing stories about love and lust.

You’ve written everything from pure Erotica to Contemporaries with a twist, if you had to decide where your passion lays, which theme calls to you like no other?

Probably contemporaries. I like realism in what I write. The characters aren’t all perfect. They have flaws. And it seems a lot have gas and perpetual boners.

You are part of a writing duo that produces some of the sexiest stories around with fans all over the place. Is it more or less difficult to write with another author than it is just to create on your own? Also, do each of you take on certain responsibilities when it comes to creating stories together or is it a joint effort from start to finish?

Sahara Kelly is a dream to write with. In a lot of ways writing with a partner is easier. We both think alike which is downright scary.

I concentrate on writing the male character. She writes the female character and for some strange reason it really works. We both write the others characters in scenes but go over it to add our own tone to our character. I have bad habits with dialogue and am a California boy. She’s from the East coast and English. I have given her slang words she’s never heard of.

To date Scott, you have about two dozen or more books published which book would you say was the most challenging to write and why?

Hmmmm, tough to say. DARK LORD ORIGINS took the longest. Wrote that over about two years. It was really intense but I am proud of how it turned out. There was more sex in it then most of my books and it was difficult to put a story with it. I came up with the idea and just went with my gut.

The one really sad scene I had to put in it. My editor told me I made her cry. That was my reward. Usually editors make the writers cry.

Now one of your other talents that I have to admit excites me just as much as your stories are the beautiful covers you create. Tell me how your career began as an e-book cover artist?

I studied Graphic Design in college but didn’t stay with the design part and went into the printing field. I always had an eye for things though.

At Ellora’s Cave they needed some covers done and I started there. I moved on to the Art Director at Whiskey Creek Press. I met a lot of people and started doing freelance art for other publishers and am now in charge of the cover art at Samhain Publishing.

Sometimes you can tell right off the back who created a cover for a particular story. Same style, same basic concepts! You have one of the most diverse portfolios I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. How do you ensure that your covers remain fresh and don’t become stagnated by lack of creative juices?

I listen to the authors. When I took over at Samhain I said I want author input. Being an author I know my story.

Most of the time I see what the author wants and try to convey their story on the cover. I feel I have a style to what I do but I also try to make them different. You do have a point though, at times you feel overwhelmed. I take breaks every now and then to just recharge. I work three months in advance so I can keep ahead of things.

There are also a few freelance places I work for that I really get to push the envelope on art. Searching through thousands of pictures of scantily clad women is grueling so I take my time to do it, lol.

Are you an artist first and an author second or do these two items share equal passion in your mind?

Covers are a lot of fun. It’s my creative release. I love doing them.

Writing is my mental escape. I can create people and places and act out on my own perversions and do all the things I am too shy to do in real life.

I noticed you’ve played around with covers that have almost an animated look to them. Really cute and fresh!! Do you use a special program to create these types of covers or are they drawn by hand with the color added on later for effect?

I did cartooning in college and love the art. For covers I draw some things in Adobe Illustrator but also use art and modify it for what I want. I colorize and all that as I do the cover. Most of my cartooning style would work for a comic strip, not a book cover.

Scott, I had a discussion recently about the overuse of certain stock photos. Is this something you’ve noticed when designing new covers? Also do you agree or disagree that it minimizes the overall appeal of a cover when readers see the same stock images on multiple books.

Everyone is using the same photos. It is so popular that things get crazy with the same cover having the same man on it 5 times. I don’t reuse images myself. I have designed covers for other places and ran into issues.

I agree it minimizes the impact at times. There are only so many images out there.

I have personal friends I get photos from but it gets really expensive.

One last question I had about your work as an artist is, do you shoot your own professional images and use them on your covers? I ask because some of the images you use are downright tantalizing and I’ve always been curious if these are your own personal creations.

Some things I do are in POSER, others from stock images and some from personal friends. If I had a camera with some of the models posing like the covers the lens would be fogged over.

I have always wanted to take my own pictures. Just don’t have the guts to ask a woman to get naked and pose for me. My wife might kill me anyways, lol.

But if I could find a couple to take pictures of I would really like that. Romantic and sensual photos always attract me more then the blatant sexual ones.

When interviewing authors I tend to creep around their websites for a couple of days trying to find a few odd quirks about them I can exploit in an interview. You are pretty open about your eccentricity; from your love of the female body to your obsession with rubber chickens. I have to ask why? When did this love for the yellow bird take over?

I’ll never tell.

One day people will come to me and understand the incredible sexual power of the rubber chicken. I am planning on writing a book on it. All the women will thank me for sharing this mystic power of fulfillment with them. You’ll see.

It is also pretty evident that you are a true family man with a loving wife and children. What does your wife think about your popularity as an author and cover artist?

She loves it as long as she gets the checks. She actually likes it more now that I have books in print. The e-books weren’t something she could hold and share. Her girlfriends at work asked her if she inspired my stories.

She said no, I told them she did everything I wrote about. Except the bondage stuff.

Just so our readers can have a more intimate look at Scott the person, what is your favorite pastime when you’re not creating?

Music. Love music. All types. I tend to listen to more rock but like R&B and some Jazz. I really like movies too. As a pastime though I like just hanging out with my kids.

As we get ready to close out this interview I was wondering do you read erotic romance stories and if so who is on your must have list of e-book authors, besides Sahara Kelly.

Well Sahara is obvious. Marly Chance is brilliant. I just wish she wrote more.

I really don’t read a lot. I’m afraid I’ll sound like someone else when I write my own stories. Cheyenne McCray is someone I’d like to read more of. I read more humor and paperback books.

I haven’t read a lot lately but read Steve Martin’s books.

On your website you have an upcoming release by the name of Naked Lust, do you have any additional information to add at this time about the story and a possible release date?

Don’t have the date yet, sorry.

This is the fourth book of the Strange Lust stories. I wanted to go back and give readers something to laugh and squirm about. I love writing the short stories. Most people that I talk to like the little offbeat stories of lust and strange twists. Lately all my books are one story. This one has ten.

The main story wrapping around the book I wrote for a friend. The people I meet always seem to be my biggest inspirations.

Scott, thank you for taking time to sit down with me this evening and answering the multitude of questions I had. Before you leave can you let our readers know where they can find additional information about your books and any upcoming chats, appearances, or book signings?

http://www.slcarpenter.net
There is a link there to my newsletter and a group Sahara Kelly and I have called PARTNERS IN PERVERSION. The nymphos and perverts all hang out there.

Thanks for the chance to answer the questions and I hope the readers enjoyed it.

Interviewed by: Rachelle