Good day. I have with me today Brenda Steele, a best selling erotic author in the fantasy and paranormal genre. Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews, I am so excited to talk to you and let your fans get to know you better.

Your Accidental Mates series is very popular, do you plan to write any more books in this series?

Thanks for having me, Dawnie. I have five novellas in the Accidental Mates series. Book 4 is releasing January 2, 2009 and book 5 soon after. That’s the last, but I plan on doing spinoffs from the series with one of the aliens found in the series.

Accidental Mates: Draco and Ryuu is out in print, how did it make you feel to have one of your e-books become a print book?

It was great, and when I held that book in my hand, I just kept staring at it. Lol. I have it right here near my desk while I type this. It was even more exciting when I made the first print sale to know someone out there in the world is holding in their hands something I wrote. I love it.

How did you decide what genre you would write?

That was easy. I love romance, and I love fantasy, science fiction and paranormal. My imagination is too wild to stick with the ordinary. I have to break out into some other world, and the genre I write in is perfect for that. Combining fantasy with erotic romance makes it perfect. There was no other option for me. Plus I had to get those sexy lovers out of my head and down on paper to be able to function from day-to-day.

When did you first decide that you wanted to become an author?

I think I was born an author. I have made up stories in my head for as long as I can remember. I just discovered one day that I could also write them down, and people would enjoy reading them. Unfortunately, I can’t pinpoint one particular day or dramatic happening that opened my eyes to it.

Is there anyone or anything that was your inspiration to write your first book?

Sort of. I looked around at the talented authors in the e-publishing world and was so intrigued by their works, their imagination; I thought this might be an outlet for all the activity in my head. Lol. And even though they didn’t know it, I felt like they were challenging me to put my love of fantasy with my desire to write an erotic work. I took the unspoken challenge. It was incredible fun and satisfying. I still love that story. It was My Werewolf Lover.

Do you outline your stories or just write as you go?

I don’t exactly outline, but I come up with a plot that is sometimes detailed, sometimes not, and then I go from there. If I don’t know the plot, I’ll write too slowly to get anywhere and make myself frustrated.

While writing, how does the story develop for you? Do you go from start to finish or create scenes as they come to you?

I go from start to finish, but if I do think of a scene I want to include down the line, I make notes about it and write it only when it’s time for it to be included.

Do you have a favorite character from one of your books that is special to you? Why?

Yes, Tiam! I love that woman. Haha. She’s the heroine from the third Accidental Mates novella, Accidental Mates: Ladon. Tiam is a tough cookie. She was struck barren by the plague that killed most of her people. She fell in love with the hero of book one, but he didn’t love her back. She felt rejected by her people and scorned by the humans. In her book, she is pretending to be human but has no clue how to do it. She is strong and determined. I love how at one point, she carries her lover on her back to get him to safety. While she’s strong, she’s also vulnerable and does foolish things while she’s looking for someone to love her. Tiam’s story touched my heart more than any of the others.

What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?

I sort of already accomplished what I wanted to, to write a best-selling book, to get on the best seller’s list. I could sell many more copies, but that first thrill of getting there is all I wanted. My next goal I suppose would be to do it all again with another series. I’m wracking my brain as I type. Lol.

Why do you think erotic fiction is so popular right now?

I think it’s hot, because women are hot. We love to be turned on and romanced and porn doesn’t cut it. There’s no real story, no emotion. We needed something to combine our sexual desires with our emotional needs, and erotic fiction does that. Some say it will die out, but I don’t see that happening unless we all suddenly stop getting sexually excited. And let’s face it, like myself, many women don’t have someone in their lives to meet that need, so they look for something to sort of fill the void.

For some fun now, if you were a paranormal, what would you be and why?

If I were a paranormal? Hmm, a vampire. I love vampires. They’re hard and strong and so sexy. Okay, I’m picturing a sexy male vamp, not myself. Lol. It’s dark and forbidden. I’d have speed and beauty. I’d never be fat (sob) and I could kick anybody’s ass. Haha. The only drawback would be sucking blood. Yuck!

Can you tell us about any upcoming works?

Yes, like I mentioned above, Accidental Mates: Tav and Accidental Mates: Darke are soon to be released. I have a short included in an anthology coming in the spring. I don’t have details on that yet.

Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans?

I want to thank my fans for purchasing my books. I love to hear from you. I’ve had some contact me, and I love to know what they think. I try to listen to suggestions and give what the reader asks for. One reader wanted to know about the return of one of the characters, so I was sure to include a scene regarding this in one of the books for her. So contact me any time you’d like here. Thanks for having me, Dawnie.

Brenda, what a fabulous interview! I know we, your fans, are excited to read your new book and will be impatiently waiting for the next installment in the series. Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. Fans can find Brenda at her website.

Interviewed by: Dawnie