Interview with Lula Lisbon!

When I read the blurb and excerpt for Lula Lisbon's new release, Cinderella: A BDSM Retelling, my jaw dropped, and I couldn’t send the request to interview her fast enough. It sounded like a such a deliciously kinky subversion of the well-known tale, and she was kind enough to tell me all about it. Let's get to it!

Me: The obvious kink for a Cinderella story is foot fetish, but you’ve gone for a whole lot more—-pegging, forced feminization, sissification, and a bunch of others. What made you connect those themes with Cinderella? 

LL: Well, in my Cinderella, she is an apprentice to two stepsisters, Druscilla and Arabelle Ravyn, who have a tight grip of control on their city’s Society of Houses. The Houses are places where clients can indulge in any kind of kinky fantasy with a Mistress or Master; Druscilla specializes in Cock and Ball Torture, or CBT, and Arabelle is known for her beatings. After their parents made an alliance to form the House of Ravyn, their fame skyrocketed. The stepsisters looked alike enough to be blood, and at times that’s a taboo fantasy they have on offer for their clients.

As much as I enjoy foot fetish, I had much grander ideas planned for my retelling of Cinderella. Who needs magical shoes when you could have a magical strap-on that comes to life, instead? I really enjoy writing femdom and forced feminization – although maybe I didn’t realize the extent of that enjoyment until I got wrist-deep in Cinderella, if you’ll pardon the fisting pun.

I really wanted to create a semi-modern feel, with aspects of goth, metal, and 24/7 BDSM culture along with a liberal sprinkling of magic. I adore magic, and I just couldn’t take that out. Cinderella’s City is modern, but you can imagine that it might just exist in an alternative universe.



Me: Could you give a few examples of things that appear in the original story and how you’ve changed them for your story? 

LL: Of course there are still stepsisters. Originally they were going to be twins, but when they surprised me with a really hot sex scene involving punishing Cinderella for perceived impertinence, I thought it would be safer to change them back into stepsisters. This novella, if I say so myself, is too good to risk it being banned anywhere!

Another big thing is the heteronormativity. I cut my teeth on romance novels, and I was a big fan for years – but that was before I realized I was a lesbian. The rampant sexism and dog-tired alpha male tropes burned me out on the genre for years. I’m still a sucker for a good romance, but anything not doggedly cliché in regards to gender roles is what really interests me now.

But of course, the most important part would be the switching of the magical shoes for a magical strap-on that comes to life! To quote Fairy Kink Mother on that particular bit of cleverness: “Damn, I’m good.”



Me: Tell me more about this magical strap-on. I myself would love to really know how it feels to have sex as a man.
 
LL: Not being a man myself, this involved a bit of speculation. I’m very happily female-bodied, but I’ve had plenty of fun with strap-ons – on both ends. I’ve written erotica from the point of view of both men and women, though, so I don’t think it was much of a stretch. Cinderella is able to fuck – and to cum – with both her female parts and her magical male parts; she has just as much fun with this magical providence as you can imagine. Her male orgasms are shorter and more animalistic compared to her female ones. In contrast, the submissive rock star Kink-Bottom Prince, who in the story is looking for a new live-in Mistress, explores his feminine side; with the help of Cinderella’s magic cock, he takes her inside of him and is able to have multiple non-ejaculatory orgasms, just as a woman does. I might add, this is entirely possible and realistic – when I was still dating my ex-boyfriend, I witnessed this phenomenon and thought it was amazing. I wrote it much as I experienced it.



Me: I have to ask what you think of the Disney Cinderella. 

LL: What little girl doesn’t love the concept? Cinderella was always one of my favorite fairy tales, and I loved the movie as a child. But, again, the heteronormativity. I haven’t watched it in years.

Me: 

Fairy Kink Mother versus Fairy Godmother. What are three things they have in common and three things they absolutely don’t have in common? 

LL: Common denominators:
1. She appears magically and saves Cinderella when she needs help the most.
2. Kindly and with a bit of sense of humor at herself, but also quite self-satisfied at the opportunity to show off.
3. The magic only lasts until midnight.

Uncommon denominators:
1. Fairy Kink Mother is like a magical case worker. She has many clients, and often is run thin trying to manage them all, magically speaking. She has enough magic to last until midnight, but she promises to return to append the spell to permanence once she has attended to some other urgent cases. Still, she has a raunchy and mischievous sense of humor, and can laugh at anything.
2. Fairy Kink Mother, while quite kindly, is not altogether altruistic. She has won the prestigious award of Fairy Kink Mother of the Year six years running, and is determined to keep the winning streak alive. She likes to show off, and is bit more vengeful than an angelic Fairy Godmother would be.
3. Fairy Kink Mother knows all your innermost fantasies and desires, and is not shy about sex in the slightest. You know, she sounds quite a bit like me – something that my beta readers pointed out to me!



Me: You mentioned on your blog that you originally envisioned this story as a shorter work. Was there a particular scene or concept that you just had to expand? 


LL: The very first inking of inspiration for Cinderella: A BDSM Retelling was actually sparked by a call for submissions for an anthology of kinky fairy tales. The maximum word count was 5,000 words. I didn’t end up submitting because my idea hadn’t coalesced fully yet, and I think that that was a blessing in disguise. After releasing my erotic science fiction novelette, Doubled, in which a sexy lady scientist who has always been too shy to be with a woman clones herself and sexiness ensues, I’ve been meaning to write longer pieces. Doubled clocked in at a bit above 12,000 words, and at over 21,000, Cinderella is nearly the double of Doubled! Maybe I should have called it Cinderella: BDSM to the Fourth Power. I’m gradually challenging myself to write longer and longer pieces until –oops!—I’m at novel length!

Anyway, to really answer your question, the ballroom scene ended up much longer than I expected. Cinderella comes and steals the show, playing out an intense BDSM scene with Kink-Bottom Prince in front of the cream of the Society of Houses’ elite. I had a few specific acts in mind, and I didn’t want to rush any of them.

And of course there was a scene with a client, earlier on, in which I had Cinderella explore forced feminization and realize just what it was she wanted in her perfect submissive. Then there was the ménage a trois with the stepsisters, and the delightful scene where Fairy Kink Mother appears… I could go on, but I suggest you read the book instead!


Me: Anything else you’d like to add? 

LL: I adore fairy tale retellings. My first was Wolf Moon: Redd’s First Ride, in which I took the story of Red Riding Hood and turned it into an alternate pre-Emancipation America, complete with racial divide and werewolves, called weyres, being the enslaved race. I previously thought that it would be a quintet of novelettes, but maybe I’ll just rework it and release it as a novel all at once. I’m not sure yet.
And if you like paranormal romance, I have a great concept for a BDSM retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which will also be of novella length. I don’t want to say much here, but if you enjoyed Wolf Moon, and if you enjoy Cinderella, you will without a doubt enjoy Beauty and the Beast: A BDSM Retelling. However, I don’t have a release date on that determined as of yet.

To pitch a bit more, if you enjoy science fiction, I would definitely suggest Doubled: An Erotic Science Fiction Novelette. It’s one of my favorite pieces I’ve written to date, and perfect for the bi-curious with an appetite for fantastical yet plausible science.



Me: I’m so pleased you took the time to answer my questions! I hope Cinderella does well for you.


LL: Thanks again for having me, and for the interesting questions. I very much appreciate it.

AUTHOR BIO:

A femme queer-identified woman residing in Philadelphia, Lula Lisbon enjoys penning LGBT erotica and romance. Lula’s interests include historical fashions, dark music, and craft beers. She loves to bicycle as much as possible, and stays tight and toned with a grueling regime of pole dance fitness classes.

Lula’s femdom story “Icing on the Cake” is her first to be included in a print anthology — editor Rachel Kramer Bussel’s The Big Book of Orgasms. It will be released by Cleis Press in October 2013.

Lula loves to hear from her fans, and they can find her on Twitter: @LulaLisbon; on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorlulalisbon; on her website: www.lulalisbon.com; or they can email her directly at Lula.Lisbon@gmail.com.

Cinderella: A BDSM Retelling is now available at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Rainbow eBooks, and soon available on Sony, Diesel, and iTunes.

As for Lula’s entire catalogue, it is available at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, and Rainbow eBooks.

GIVEAWAY:

Leave your email address and your thoughts on this post in the comments section to be entered to win an eBook copy of Doubled: An Erotic Science Fiction Novelette by Lula Lisbon.

Check out the rest of Lula's tour stops here.

Bounty Hunters, Bail, and Other Odd Facts

Welcome to my little corner in the On the Hunt blog hop! On the Hunt is a series of books published by Ellora's Cave on the theme of bounty hunters. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see links to what my fellow authors have done, and information about what I'm giving away!

For my entry, I thought I'd share some of the research I did on bounty hunting as a profession.

I'd always associated bounty hunting with Boba Fett from Star Wars, so the first thing I did when I decided to write for the series was find out what the job is in the modern (not science fictional) world. I discovered that bounty hunting is illegal in many places, and it's an odd, Wild West sort of thing in the U.S.

When people in the United States get arrested and sent to jail, they often have the option to put up some money as bail. When a person does this, he or she earns the right to go free until the trial, at which point the money gets returned. However, a bail bondsman can put up bail instead, essentially giving the person a loan for that amount. Then, if the person doesn't show up, the bail bondsman forfeits the money they loaned.

Enter bounty hunters. An 1872 Supreme Court decision called Taylor v. Taintor is widely credited with giving bounty hunters the freedom they currently have in the U.S. To paraphrase roughly, that decision determined that the bail bondsman functions like a jailer, and so can do the sorts of things a jailer might, such as seize or imprison a fugitive. By extension, the bail bondsman is able to farm that out to bounty hunters, who have some pretty extraordinary rights in a lot of states. For example, in many places, they're allowed to break into a fugitive's home to retrieve him or her.

Some states don't require any sort of licensing—-all you have to do to be a bounty hunter is say that you are one. My state, Rhode Island, is one of the lenient ones. This post explains:

Bounty hunting in Rhode Island is not governed by any specific legislation... Because of this laxity in legislation concerning fugitive recovery, Rhode Island can be 1 of the easiest states to find employment as a bounty hunter under a properly registered surety agent.

Bounty hunters are freelance workers who typically get paid a percentage of the original bail. According to this post, the average bounty hunter salary is between $25,000 and $50,000 a year. So, while it's a glamorous job, it's not likely to make a person rich and famous. On top of that, because the work is a bit uncertain, it lacks stability. The same post says bounty hunters usually get 5-10% of the original bail. In larger cities, it says average bail is $20,000-$50,000, which would work out to $2,000-$5,000 a job for the bounty hunter. It's not chump change, but it seemed clear to me that it could be a tough life.

I'm going so much into financials because these numbers actually turned out to be the main inspiration for my book for On the Hunt, which is called The Fugitive's Sexy Brother. I envisioned a woman (named Emily Boysen in the book) who is determined to be a bounty hunter. However, because she's not entirely confident about competing for the most lucrative jobs, she scrapes by on low-level work, getting paid $500 here and $250 there. When the story begins, Emily is tired of struggling and ready to try something bigger.

Next, I imagined the villain, her ex-boyfriend Matthew Lodi. Matthew made a name for himself years ago with a really big score. He got paid so well for that job that he thought he'd hit the big-time and bought a super-expensive sports car, a Lotus Elise, California Edition. Unfortunately, Matthew soon learned that those kinds of jobs don't come along every day. At the point we meet him in the story, work has dried up to the point that Matthew is resorting to some pretty dirty tactics to keep his car.

Odd as that path is, this is usually how I come up with story ideas. I start learning about the subject I want to write about until something grabs my attention and characters and a story begin to form around it.

Read on for a blurb about the book that resulted from this research, information about the other authors in the series, and a giveaway!

Blurb:

Emily Boysen is sick of low-level bounty hunting jobs that don’t pay her rent, and sick to death of her ex-boyfriend taking credit for her work. Ready to claim her due, she takes on the quarry of a lifetime, the notorious Fernando Bonavita. But instead of the fugitive, she captures his sexy younger brother, Javier.

Javier Bonavita never wanted to know the truth about his older brother’s activities, instead protecting him out of loyalty. When he uses his hacking skills to pose as Fernando, he never expects to uncover crimes he can’t stomach. Beautiful Emily has no idea how glad he is to be in her custody—as long as he’s her prisoner, he doesn’t have to face his brother.

Passion flares between Emily and Javier, and soon he’s putting the handcuffs on her. Suspicion grows along with their feelings, though. A sinister plot centers around Fernando, and untangling it will test their loyalties to the limit.

Buy Links:

All Romance

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Ellora’s Cave



Giveaway:

I'll give away a $5 gift card to Ellora's Cave to one lucky commenter. Please include your e-mail address in the comment so I can get in touch with you, and tell me if you'd rather be the hunter or the hunted. I'll select the winner randomly on June 24, after the blog hop is over. Good luck!

Looking for the Ravaged Promo Blog Hop?

Are you here to check out interviews with Ravaged authors and win prizes?

We've got you covered. Follow the links below.

Summary and instructions

Mickey J. Corrigan interview

Heather Whittington interview

After you're done here, don't forget to visit the other participating blogs:



Good luck and enjoy!

Can't wait to be Ravaged? Buy the book here.

Ravaged Author Heather Whittington Talks Encantado

Ravaged author Heather Whittington shared a few insights about her contribution to the anthology. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book (and include your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win)!

What is your story in Ravaged about?

“Encantado” is about a young man who meets a mysterious woman at a party. Derek sees
her hooking up the with host during the shindig. When the host's body is recovered from the ocean, Derek wonders if the woman had anything to do with it, despite his intense attraction to her.

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

I was looking for a different sort of shapeshifter, one that hasn't been done many times over. I came across the legend of encantado during my research. Meaning “enchanted one,” the encantado are usually dolphins who shift into human form. They are particularly attracted to parties and sex.

Favorite line?

Hard to pick one. Guess I'd have to go for this bit: "It's my day off, Chris. My only day off this week. You think I'm gonna waste it by getting up early and accomplishing
something?"

Now for a little about yourself. How long have you been writing, and how did you become a writer?

I've been a published writer for about a year and a half now. I've been writing since high school at least. When I met a friend at the theatre a few years ago (I was auditioning for a musical), she saw I had the Nanowrimo banner on my blog and invited me to join her writing group.

Have you got anything else out/due out?

I have stories printed in anthologies by Pill Hill Press, Wicked East Press, Bards and Sages Quarterly, and SNM Horror Magazine. Several stories are available in several of SNM Horror's online magazine. I also have a stand-alone story with Breathless Press called “Bordello Secrets.”

Top tip for writing/publishing?

I always thought Nike had the best advice: Just do it.

And a few questions just for fun. If you were a shifter what animal would you change into?

A cheetah. Though any feline animal would do.

Favorite food and drink?

I love fresh strawberries in vanilla yogurt, and I love chocolate milk.

Favorite movie?

Way too many of these. But the tippy-top of the list would have to be “Serenity.”

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxer-briefs.

Finish this sentence: I have never...

been drunk in my life. Though there are a lot of people who would buy tickets to that epic event.

Find more about Heather Whittington here.

Can't wait to be Ravaged? Buy the book here.

Want more from Ravaged authors? Check out the full set of interviews at the links below, and don't forget to comment for a chance to win (include your e-mail address so we can contact the winners)!

Ravaged Author Mickey J. Corrigan Talks Internal Savagery

Ravaged author Mickey J. Corrigan shared a few insights about his contribution to the anthology. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book (and include your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win)!

What is your story in Ravaged about?

"Internal Savagery" is the story of the frightening yet alluring transformation of Bradley's lover, Melissa.

Bradley is a graduate student who studies the socialization behavior of gorillas. His story begins in the office of a therapist, where Melissa cries and rages while Bradley attempts to defend himself against her charges of infidelity and neglect. He can't understand why she refuses to acknowledge their wild passion, their hot lovemaking. He also wonders why she has changed. Melissa does not seem to understand her own transformation. She's angry and confused.

Melissa is full of a new deep rage. She hits Bradley, pounds the couch between them. She even looks different: her body is bigger, thicker, her forehead wider, her jaw more prominent. She is very unhappy with her appearance, but Bradley is strangely turned on. He loves Melissa, her fiery nature, her animalistic behaviors. Now he has to find a way to prove it to her.

With humor and pathos—and some hot sex scenes—"Internal Savagery" explores how
much we are willing to change to fulfill our lover's desires. Melissa wants Bradley to love her, so she becomes what he loves. Isn't this what real love requires?

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

Hey, I've been in therapy. And, well, it wasn't fun. It was hard. Painful. But transformation did occur.

Couples therapy can be helpful and insightful. But it is also a torturous process. You need to reveal parts of yourself you would rather not look at or share. And you need to be willing to strip down your ego to its most naked self. Sometimes a therapist can suggest a way to see yourself that is very revealing. In Internal Savagery, the annoying couples counselor does just that.

I set the first half of the story in the therapist's office to see where the stress and anxiety would take the two lovers. I knew what was happening to Melissa, but Bradley didn't. I wanted to hang out with him while he found out what it would be like if his girlfriend became exactly the kind of lover he craved.

Since Bradley was passionate about gorillas, the direction of the story unfolded in some interesting ways. I used modern technology to help Bradley and his girlfriend discover just what was happening for her. And exactly what was going on between them.

I especially enjoyed revealing Bradley's thoughts as he was being emotionally scoured by the therapist. It is a lot of fun to tell a love story from the man's point of view, and to share what guys really think when women are asking them what they really think.

Favorite line?

"The truth shall set you free. But only if somebody else believes it. There was more to share about their sex life, but Bradley didn't want to go there. The doctor would question his sanity."

Now for a little about yourself. How long have you been writing, and how did you become a writer?

I'm new to the genre, although I've been publishing for a long time under another name.

Have you got anything else out/due out?

Dream Job, a cyber-romance novella, was released by Breathless Press a few months
ago. Professional Grievers, a quirky romance featuring a couple who attend strangers'
funerals, is currently in press. And a novel about college girls who work as professional girlfriends is due out in January. I also have two novels with a literary agent, which means my fingers are stiff from remaining crossed all the time.

Top tip for writing/publishing?

My top tip for writing is simple but not easy: Go lock yourself in a room and write. Stay there for as long as it takes: days, weeks, months, years. Like Rapunzel, let your hair down occasionally to allow your lover to visit. Otherwise, hide yourself away and get it done. The successful writers are the ones who stay locked in the tower until the darn thing's written.

As for publishing, it's a world of options. Once you come out of your tower with a
manuscript in hand, you should be able to find a willing publisher. Ebooks are fast and fun. The New York publishing houses take longer, and they can be brutal. You will have less input on the final product. Personally, I'm enjoying the world of ebooks. When I'm not locked in my tower.

Find more about Mickey J. Corrigan here.

Can't wait to be Ravaged? Buy the book here.

Want more from Ravaged authors? Check out the full set of interviews at the links below, and don't forget to comment for a chance to win (include your e-mail address so we can contact the winners)!

Ravaged Promo Blog Hop

The Ravaged Promo Blog Hop starts now!

To celebrate the release of Ravaged this weekend, the authors featured in the anthology have put together Q&As for your reading pleasure. Friday, August 3, through Monday, August 6, hop through the five blogs below to learn the stories behind the stories in Ravaged, and a few details about each author.

Each of the five hosting sites will post two interviews. If you comment, you have a chance to win one of 10 PDF copies of Ravaged that the authors have on offer.

Be sure to check out these participating blogs this weekend:



Can't wait to be Ravaged? Buy the book here.

Ravaged Authors on the Prowl Starting Friday

Five blogs, 10 authors, and 10 copies to be won!

To celebrate the release of Ravaged this weekend, the authors featured in the anthology have put together Q&As for your reading pleasure. Friday, August 3, through Monday, August 6, hop through the five blogs below to learn the stories behind the stories in Ravaged, and a few details about each author.

Each of the five hosting sites will post two interviews. If you comment, you have a chance to win one of 10 PDF copies of Ravaged that the authors have on offer.

Be sure to check out these participating blogs this weekend:

SJ Thomas
Erin O'Riordan
D.F. Krieger
Silvia Violet
And, of course, right here.

And if you can't wait to win a copy of the book that inspired the hot cover above, you can preorder one here.

Win a Copy of The Six Swans

The Romance Reviews is having a Sizzling Summer Reads party this month, and The Six Swans is part of it.

If you'd like to win a copy of my retelling of the famous fairy tale, here's what you have to do: I've got a multiple choice question up at the event page -- there'll be a link to a blog post that will help you find the answer. One person who visits today and answers correctly will win a copy of the book.

You have to log in to The Romance Reviews to participate.

While you're there, be sure to check out the other books -- there are more than 400 authors participating, and lots of prizes.

Thanks!

The Six Swans Reviewed

Book review site Mrs. Condit and Friends Read Books posted today about The Six Swans, and gave the book four sweet peas:

King Evan’s lust and longing for the beautiful but mute Leonora is so poignant, especially when he is faced with a forced marriage to cement his mother’s financial machinations.

Here are three reasons you should visit the site to check out the full version:

1) One commenter will receive a copy of the book.

2) You'll see an exclusive character interview with Leonora

3) Mrs. Condit reviews books every day, and you will see similarly lovely posts on other titles worth your time.

Murder University Needs You!

My friends at Scorpio Film Releasing are shooting a new movie--Murder University. They're collecting funding on Indie GoGo, and they need help. The movie's started shooting, but they're still far from their funding goal. To sweeten the deal, I'm going to throw in a free e-book for the first five people who send me proof that they donated to the project (see last paragraph for details).

Here's a quote from their pitch:

In a time of endless remakes, reboots, sequels and retreads, what horror really needs is to go back to school. Back to the basics. No CGI fakery, no tricks, no gimmicks. Just solid storytelling, a great cast, and a beautiful visual look.

What does an erotica author have to do with a slasher film? Well, for one thing I love movies, including horror. And both horror and erotica deal with the taboo. We explore the deepest parts of the human psyche--sometimes for fun, sometimes to disturb ourselves, sometimes for thrills of both kinds. We're often looked down upon as "not serious" or "unimportant." But as I've grown into doing more of the work I want to be doing, I've realized this is the stuff that's important to me! This is what grabs my attention, and it's what I care about.

The people behind Scorpio Film Releasing are friends, and they inspire me. They make movies for the joy and art of it, and they work hard to give props to the people who help them. They don't take themselves too seriously (see Atomic Brain Invasion and Disco Exorcist), but they're also not afraid to get into the deep stuff (see Exhumed).

OK, that's my spiel. Here are the details of the giveaway:

1. Donate at least $10 to the campaign, and send me proof (a donation receipt) at annabeth.leong@gmail.com

2. If you're one of the first five people to do this, I'll buy you a copy of Whispers in Darkness, an anthology of horror erotica inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft (my work is in there, along with a bunch of other excellent authors).

3. Enjoy the e-book, as well as the good feeling of having helped a great project!