My Writing Corner : A Successful Relationship with Writing

We all have our different stories about how we have become writers and we have different paths to publication. Today's guest in My Writing Corner brings us another unique journey into the land of publication.

Stella Grae is an unassuming English professor, copyeditor, and copywriter who lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She’s the author of the short story “Power Play” that was originally published in the website erotica journal Oysters and Chocolate. Stella says in her spare time she enjoys sipping on bourbon, nibbling cheesy grits, and philosophizing about love and sex in her blog, “Bone Up,” which can be found on her website: stellagraeerotica.weebly.com …along with other sexy tidbits. Her book featured below, Just Call Me Confidence is Stella's first erotica novel to be published. Let's find out more...

Stella, tell us about your road to publication.

I have been writing for decades, mostly short stories and poetry, and I’m fairly new to erotica. I’ve had some small successes with mainstream short stories, but erotica was a final frontier of sorts. I discovered that I was pretty good at it, and what I liked was that psychological component to it. Everyone has fantasies and what I enjoyed in the writing was living those in my mind, but not necessarily doing them. I enjoy rewriting and editing, so I just kept plugging away and the rest is history, as they say. It’s been a long road to publication, but if you have a good attitude, can take constructive criticism well, and really enjoy the process of writing then success will follow.

What do you find is the most challenging part of being an author?

One of the most challenging parts of being an author is finding the time to write when inspiration hits. A lot of times, I have to do some quick notes, sketch out characters, conflicts, or other ideas and then return to flesh out details. I try to make some regular time to write, even if I don’t feel like it.

What is your latest book and how did you come up with the idea to write it?

So, this will be an interesting answer because most authors pull some part of themselves into a work, even if it’s just their own personal fantasies. Just Call Me Confidence and its sequel, which I’m working on right now, were both born of a failed relationship. I was lonely in the relationship, but didn’t want to do anything stupid, so I created characters and situations that were based a little on reality, but twisted them to create the kind of relationship that I actually had wished I had had. The relationship fizzled, but the plot sizzled.

Let's get a blurb:

Jenna Craig is a 40-year-old freshly-minted “hot momma” looking for a little love in her post-divorce life. After a night out with her cougar tribe, she wonders whether she’s still got “it”—the double-takes from the college clowns at the bar quickly put her doubts to rest. Though she may be alone, she knows she’ll never be lonely.

Jenna’s newfound confidence is buoyed by some swim club eye candy: Travis the lifeguard. Hot trysts in the locker room leave her wondering if she might want something more. When her naughty, new boy toy introduces her to his friend, Collin, Jenna is engulfed with waves of emotion that she thought she might never feel again. With two younger men vying for her heart, will she choose the perfect guy for right now, or the man who could give her another shot at love?

The experienced Ms. Craig is certain of one thing: She better bring the confidence to pull off the choice of her desire.

Want more? How about an excerpt?

“I’m glad we’re friends, and that you think nothing of racing to my house to help me with my man woes, and my panties. But you know what I appreciate most?”

“You appreciate my sarcastic, brutally honest, down-home wit?”

“No, the fact that you don’t judge me or what I do, or don’t do. You’ve never said you think I’m acting like a whore.”

Fielding hugs me and doesn’t let go. Patting me on my back she responds, “I’ll never stoop to calling you a whore because you’re simply acting like a woman with a man’s morals.”

Let's go back to Stella. Tell me, how do you develop characters?

A lot of the characters I’ve created are an interesting amalgam of people I know, read about in the news, or in other books. Of course, when one writes, characters are often shaped by plot, or they take an interesting turn because it just feels like that’s what they need to do. Some of the development is planned, but a lot of it is organic.

How do you come up with your plots?

I guess I have a crazy good imagination, and I’ve lived a fairly interesting life. So, art imitates life—and maybe a little vice versa!

What’s your next project?

I’m working on some poetry right now and a short story called “The List.” In the very near future I’ll dig into the sequel to Just Call Me Confidence, which will be a little darker, but every bit as sensual. I’ve also got some non-fiction pieces in the till that I’d like to get placed. I’m also working with a friend on her memoir. There’s never a time I don’t have multiple projects going; I find that’s a great way to gain perspective on a work, and I very rarely have writer’s block.

Following are Stella's Buy Links for her book and her social contacts.

Buy Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83767444-just-call-me-confidence

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-call-me-confidence-stella-grae/1142958506?ean=9781509248223

Amazon: https://a.co/d/iY2aojG

Social Contacts:

Website: https://stellagraeerotica.weebly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgraeerotica/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGraeErotica

AllAuthor: https://stellagraeerotica.allauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/159637845-stella-grae

Email: stellagrae@proton.me