Lena Austin Welcome back, one and all, to the Hot Spot! Once again, you'll be snooping with Sierra, asking your favorite Changeling authors the questions you REALLY want answered! How long have they been writing? BAH! Who cares?! We want the naughty, the juicy, the REAL inside track*! Give us dirt, give us details! That's what the Hot Spot's for!

*All my interviewees have promised to be absolutely honest, but you know writers and their imaginations…

So who's in the Hot Spot for July? None other than the fabulous Lena Austin! And do I mean it when I say fabulous? So long as Lena's got that cat-o-nine-tails in her hand, you bet I do!

I'd mean it anyway -- those well-developed wrist muscles have cranked out more than eighteen books for Changeling Press, Loose ID, and other houses, including the highly-praised Unicorn Valley series, the Road to Romance-recommended Room To Play, and a sizzling book for Changeling's new Deadly Sins series! In the process, she's garnered five star reviews galore, numerous recommended reads, and a Just Erotic Romance Reviews Gold Star award. She was a 2004 nominee for The Romance Studio's Best New Erotic Writer award, and took both first and third place in the 2006 'Fruity Awards' Pansexual category.

Impressed yet? Well, how about if I tell you she's been a bona fide BDSM mistress -- or better yet, why don't I let her tell you?

Sierra Dafoe: Welcome to the Hot Spot, Lena!

Lena Austin: Thank you, Sierra. May I have some of your energy? LOL! You're a rising star yourself.

Sierra: I just like basking in your reflected glory! Hee! So… let's talk about what led you to writing erotica-- what experiences in your life do you feel helped your writing?

Lena: I was raised to be a scientist --marine archaeology specifically. So, I've more than my fair share of curiosity and a willingness to explore.

Sierra: I understand the new Deadly Sins series, including your contribution, Deadly Sins: Pride, was in fact a Lena Austin brainchild. Tell us a bit about where the idea came from and how it evolved!

Lena: I read a short article about the legend, and thought it a marvelous jumping off point, but knew it was too big for just one author. When I posted it on my loop, the readers unanimously clamored for it. I shared the legend with Renee George, and she's the one who suggested it become a series. We presented the legend to M, the owner of Changeling, and voila!

Sierra: And why did you choose Pride as the Deadly Sin you wanted to write about? I mean, frankly, Lena, I woulda pegged you for Lust!

Lena: LOL! Oh, no, Lust controls you, and I'm a control freak of the first water. Pride was my first choice. I've a lot of it, you see. Comes with being a Domme. We're a prideful bunch, as a rule. My father often said, "Lena, you're as full of pride as an egg's full of meat!" I don't think he meant it as a compliment at the time, but I took it that way.

Sierra: So, speaking of lust, let's get down to it! Out of all those incredible sex scenes you've written, which one is your favorite?

Lena: I love them all, or I wouldn't write them. The one I had the most fun with was a chocolate penis scene I did for Triskelion. I got a bit quirky with it.

Sierra: Good God. (Wonders briefly what qualifies as quirky in Lena's lexicon, makes note to FIND THAT BOOK!*) Which one is something you'd love to try?

Lena: The zero gravity scene in Sex World 1: Assassin. I've tried everything else. I like to write from an experienced point of view. I've even put on a strap-on and fucked a man silly, just for research, you understand. It really helped when I wrote Healer's Heart to know exactly how it felt from a top's point of view. My, I didn't expect that kind of a rush. No wonder men like it so much. If I were a man, I'd have to be at least bisexual.

Sierra: Gods, this interview alone is making me horny… Ahem! So! How do you go about researching a new scene or technique? Do you scour the internet for information, or are you a more hands-on sorta girl?

Lena: Mostly hands on. To find something new, I whip out my old BDSM limits list. If there's a term I don't know, I'll research on the Internet. Last resort is to watch porn films. (yawn)

Sierra: I know, the quality usually leaves a lot to be desired. Sigh. And while we're on the subject, tell us what's in store in Deadly Sins: Pride! C'mon, give us a sneak peek! (I'll even beg if I have to! :)

Lena: Oh, the fun I had with this one! I fell in love with "Grip" the demon of Pride, who is the living embodiment of the evil book, the Agrippa of Pride. He's quite a naughty fellow, and completely without one shred of morality. He's plotted and manipulated for a century to get the situation set up so perfectly, he's sure world anarchy is just around the corner. There's only one thing a demon loves more than pure chaos, and that's a sinner who's willing to give up everything to save someone they love. To corrupt a pure soul in the process just makes the whole thing irresistible, doesn't it?

Sierra: Now it's time for the profile part of the interview -- all those intimate details we loooove to hear!

General:

Favorite beverage? Coffee! Give me caffeine and no one gets hurt.

Favorite food? Seafood.

Favorite self-indulgence? You'll laugh. Doing my nails. I'm lucky enough to grow inch-long claws on my own, so I get off on having them painted with nail art and jewels. Vanity, thy name is Lena.

Favorite place for a weekend tryst? The beach. I know this great Victorian beach house with lots of rooms, private pool, hot tub, game room, and three wonderfully secluded patios for private romps with my husband and lover. That's in addition to sand for sunbathing, surf for swimming, and seine net fishing.

Men:

Blond, brunette or redhead? Oh, dear. I'll have to take option D. I have an absolute fetish for silver-haired men.

Hee! Keep an eye on my website, then, I got a passel of 'em coming up this month! Smooth or hairy? Smooth! If I wanted dental floss in my teeth, I'll go to the drugstore. Of course, shaving a helpless man with a straight razor has its own delights.

Muscley or thin? I like 'em large and (they think) in charge. It's much more delicious when there's a big brute kneeling before you. Give me a challenge to tame to my heels. I like living on the edge.

Straight or bi? (I'd normally ask sub or dom, but… ) Bisexual all the way, baby. I get off on watching men pleasure one another in myriad ways. Besides, bisexuals have come to terms with who and what they are. They're relaxed and prepared for a rollicking good time, every time.

Sex:

Lights on or off? On. How else can you see their faces contort, every twitch of their bodies, and their mental struggles with the beast within?

Rope, silk scarves, or handcuffs? Don't be so limited. Spreader bars, and the locks in their own mind when they voluntarily grasp the handles to await my first move. They won't let go until I permit it.

On you or on him? Him of course. I love to see them splayed out like a delicious feast before me, waiting and wondering what I'll choose to do to them first. They know, because they've begged, that I'll send them into ecstasy first. But how will I do it? What methods will I use? Therein lies the secret only I know. Their darling minds supply endless possibilities.

Quantity or quality? Quality, always. You can taste a thousand wines that make you spit them back out, or you can have one goblet of the finest vintage that stays in your memory long past the emptying.

Strangest place you've ever done it: In the midst of the tiki statues in Adventureland, Disney World.

Strangest place you'd like to do it: On an island in the Little Caymans.

Writing:

Favorite writing apparel? My comfy knit pants and the dashiki Camille Anthony gave me.

Favorite writing implement? A black Flair pen. I love felt tips. They're so bold and "out there."

Favorite form of inspiration? Movies. I haven't seen a movie yet that I didn't want to twist into my own.

Favorite part of writing? Oh, those marvelous brainstorming sessions! When you have the basic character and plot, and now it's time to add the spice.

And now, the down, the dirty, the REAL nitty-gritty:

Sex, or chocolate? Sex. Always. Not only are the endorphins better, but also it's the best exercise on the planet. What's more, you share sex with someone else, and the pleasure doubles. The more people you share with, the more pleasure. Try to get that out of the contents of a pod.

Thank you so much for joining me, Lena! Until next month, fair readers, this is Sierra Dafoe, your Hot Spot super-snoop, asking the questions you really want to know! Make sure to check out Lena Austin's home page at http://lena.realmsoflove.com (*and I hear there's a certain chocolate penis in a book with the word 'Cowan' in the title!)

Sierra
http://www.darkerdesires.com