Tuesday, February 28, 2012

What made Dana Littlejohn (@AuthorDanaL) blush while #writing The Seven Year Switch?

Dana will be giving away a promotional pen to one randomly drawn tour commenter and a promotional T-shirt to another during the tour.

Hello everyone I am Dana Littlejohn, multi-published erotic romance author. I have done countless interviews and blogs in the five years that have been published. More questions than I can even count, most of the time it’s basically the same few questions making interviews rather routine and easy to do. But I tell you ladies and gentlemen, but not this time. I have arrived at Louisa Bacio’s blogspot and she has given me pause with an original question.

Does anything Dana writes make her blush?

A wonderful question to which I answer YES! All the time in fact. LOL I have been told that my writing process is kind of unique. I get this kind of tunnel vision thing and my immediate mindset is transformed to where I am. The making of the book becomes my reality. As the story unfolds before me I write what I see. It isn’t until the story is done that I read it through for first round edits. I am not objective while doing so, mind you, I am merely checking the flow and looking for boo-boos. Once that is done I put the story to the side for about a week and then do it again. I’m still not really reading it, just doing one last check before sending it in for submission.

Depending on where the story is accepted it could take six months to a year before I see it again. When I get it back that’s when I ‘see’ it for the first time. Before, my brain was on work mode. I was taking dictation getting it on paper (so to speak) and cleaning it up. Now, I have the opportunity to actually read the story the characters have done for me. More often than not I’m reading and saying to myself, holy cow, I wrote this? Or rushing to my husband with my face burning saying, honey, look, can you believe I wrote that?

People ask me what my most memorable moment when I am writing. That’s a hard question for me because I don’t have times like that during the writing process. That stuff happens to me later and then I remember what writing it was like. It’s more of a recollection for me because when I’m in my zone I’m not here, I’m there so what’s here doesn’t stick. Time stands still for me. Hours feel like minutes. My husband has to poke me wave stuff in front of me or something to get my attention to feed me or speak to me. The only thing that has the power to hit pause during that time is when I have to go to the bathroom. Everything stops then. LOL I usually take that opportunity to eat or do whatever else someone is portioning me to do.

What I remember most while doing The Seven Year Switch, is all the research that went into it. It wasn’t until I read the finished product after the fact that I remember all the embarrassing questions I asked folk during interviews, all the stuff I tried mimicking what I had learned from books and such. The stuff I asked my husband during dinner for the sake of research didn’t seem to bother me then because I was hunting for information, but now just thinking about it makes me blush. He said a long time ago that he would support me in my writing and answer whatever question threw out to him openly and honestly. He would ask, is this for a book? And when I said yes, he would answer without hesitation. I look back on my notes and say, oh my gosh! He answered me! I know he must have thought I was completely bonkers! LOL

I remember every character from every book that I have ever written and the story that they are in, but after so many it is hard to remember all the details about each story. When my friends get around to reading the books they bring it to me saying, ‘oooo girl have you tried this? What was you thinking when you wrote this?’ I would read the passage they’re talking about and blush and they would burst into laughter saying, ‘what are blushing about? You’re the one who wrote it!’ That may be true, but when I re-read the books I’ve written it doesn’t feel like it was me. When I’m in the writing process I’m not reading I’m writing. I it’s something like having an outer body experience.

I look back on Sonja’s lessons from Bianca wide eyed and cheeks flaming stunned that she really did it like I didn’t know it was going to happen. Going over some of the scenes in this book I surprise myself and wonder, how the hell I even got through writing it. Must be my Catholic school back ground and that whole ‘be a good girl’ thing coming back to haunt me. LOL

Thanks for having me, Louisa. Your question has not only reminded me on what a weenie I am, it was also different from the rest and fun!

Dana Littlejohn

 A peek inside The Seven Year Switch, available Muse it Hot

     Could you make the switch from dutiful, submissive wife to paddle wielding queen bee to save your marriage?
Blurb
Sonja Winters was enjoying the good life with a great job and being married to the man of her dreams. As she prepared to celebrate their seven year anniversary she came across a secret that her husband had been keeping from her that would alter the course of their marriage forever.

Excerpt
Bianca sat next to her and openly looked her over. “I see now why he chose you. You are beautiful and strong. You will be able to control him well.”
Sonja scoffed. Her anger at the situation came back, fueled by Bianca’s nonchalant description of her ability to deal with her husband.
“If you’re talking about my husband, I was controlling him just fine until you came along.”
“Hmm, I can appreciate how you must feel, but you do not have all the facts.”
Bianca clapped her hands and two men appeared. They looked similar to the biker guy who led her into the room except they were much younger and more firmly built. They dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
“Yes, Mistress,” they said in unison.
Sonja’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Bianca’s voice roused her from her stunned state.
“Sonja, would you like a drink?”
“Uh…”
“Coffee, tea, perhaps a glass of wine,” she offered.
“Umm, yes, a glass of wine would be nice.”
“You heard her and bring fruit, too,” she told the men.
Sonja’s emotions teetered between anger, confusion and amazement. These large and strong looking, fully grown men were seemingly at Bianca’s beck and call. They left the room to do her bidding with only a comprehensive nod. She turned a look to Bianca. Sonja was sure her face reflected the surprise and shock wavering inside her over the men’s behavior. It was hard to hide as she looked at her hostess. 
“Please, allow me to explain. These men come to me from various places and all walks of life, but they all want the same thing and they pay me to give it to them.”
“Uh-huh, and what’s that?”
“They want to be dominated by a woman. Submissive men will always seek strong women because they are in need of her guidance,” Bianca said continuing her explanation.
Bianca’s voice was in an audible octave, not at all a whisper for Sonja’s benefit or to spare the feelings of the men. Sonja sipped her drink and sent a quick glance toward them. To her surprise, they stood at perfect attention, staring straight ahead showing no signs of emotion at all to what Bianca just said.
“Yes, well, I wouldn’t know that, Bianca. My husband is not a submissive man.”
“No disrespect to what you think you know, Sonja, but I beg to differ. Kyle is, in fact, a submissive man. He is what I call an alpha submissive. At work he can be very dominate and extremely aggressive when it comes to other men, but with a woman he has the desire to be humble and subservient.”
Sonja crossed her legs and turned her body toward her adversary. “Look, you must have my husband confused with another one of your men,” she sent a pertinent wave in the men’s direction, “because I know my husband. Kyle and I have been together for—“
“You have been together for the last ten years. You met while you were still in college. Kyle’s company was doing a project on your campus. He bumped into you, and you guys have been together ever since. Since then, you have graduated and have become a successful lawyer. You and Kyle were married October fourteenth, and yesterday made your seventh year anniversary. You have no children, but you want at least two, and a dog. You are leaning toward the Jack Russell breed because you want a smart dog that will not out-grow the child physically.”
Sonja’s eyes widened as she raised the cup to her mouth.
“Have I left anything out?”

Get yours at Muse it Hot


Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but has called Indianapolis, In. her home for over ten years. She has always wanted to write since early childhood, but put that wish on hold to raise her growing family and have a career. With the encouragement of her husband, Dana picked up her pen again in 2003 and has no intention on putting it down. With 3 novels, 8 novellas, 4 stories in anthologies, 42 short stories published to date and a long list of wips (works in progress) she is literally living her dream. Join her on the wild journey through her imagination. It’s a ride you’ll never forget! 
Facebook: search authordanalittlejohn
Twitter: follow @AuthorDanaL

Thanks so much for visiting today, Dana. If you’d like to read more, visit Dana’s other stops on the tour. The more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found on Goddess Fish Promotions  


3 comments:

  1. Lovely to have you visiting, Dana. And, always happy to push the limits with a challenging question!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dana...I do love that your hubby paused to ask, "Is this for a book?" I'm sure he wondered if you weren't going on a hunt for something a little wilder in your marriage...LOL. I expect that he was either relieved or disappointed...or a little of both?! Too funny.

    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete