Interview with Joanna Wylde

Added January 15, 2003

Sharyn: When the chance to interview the talented Joanna Wylde, author of erotic romances, I jumped at the chance. As a reader/reviewer, I'd only read her novella Dancing with Dionysus, in the anthology Aphrodite's Touch, but I was very impressed.

Joanna, I've been warned to take it easy on you, at least to start with. *g*. So, here's a real easy one: have you always wanted to be a writer?

Joanna: Yes, I've always wanted to be a writer, and have written professionally for most of my adult life. I only recently started writing fiction, though... Up until last January, I primarily talked about writing instead of doing it, LOL.

Sharyn: Who are your favorite authors?

Joanna: I would have to say that two of my favorites are Laurell K. Hamilton and Catherine Asaro. Cindy Dees is also wonderful - I can't wait to see more from her.

Sharyn: Dancing with Dionysus is set in Ancient Greece. (My favorite time period *g*.) Where are some of your other novels set?

Joanna: All of my other books are futuristics, although I'm working on a vampire novel right now. I wrote Dancing with Dionysus because the opportunity to be in an anthology with Lanette came up, and I couldn't pass up the chance to work with her.

Sharyn: Can you tell us a bit about your available and upcoming novels?

Joanna: As I said, my other books are futuristics. I'm working on a trilogy right now, which starts in my book The Price of Pleasure. It is the story of Calla, an Imperial slave, who catches the eye of the commander of an invading military force. Her brother's story is continued in The Price of Freedom. I also have several other shorter works set in the same universe, based on secondary characters my readers have fallen in love with. I really love writing back and forth with my readers; they are always giving me wonderful story ideas.

Sharyn: Is your family supportive of your career?

Joanna: Yes, very supportive. My husband has been wonderful, and my brother calls about twice a month just to find out how sales are going. My parents have been less enthusiastic, but they aren't openly disapproving.

Sharyn: Time for the harder questions, prepare yourself. *g* Why erotica? Why not mystery or plain romance?

Joanna: The primary reason I started writing erotic romances is because that is where I found opportunity to become published. It started out at as a personal challenge and has turned into a career. I would love to write other kinds of romance down the line, as well as science fiction and horror. I write what I like to read. So far it's worked out pretty well for me :)

Sharyn: Obviously you are in favor of more sensous and erotic stories. Do you often get nasty letters slamming you, your writing and your genre?

Joanna: I have never gotten a nasty letter from anyone about my writing. At the last Romantic Times conference I did meet a few readers who were uncomfortable with my writing, but they were very polite about it. I suppose it might be more of an issue if my work was being read by young people, but my publisher and I have taken great care to keep it out of the hands of children. I personally registered my website with Net Nanny and Cyber Patrol - I don't want anyone to get an surprises when they read my stuff.

For the record - books every bit as explicit as mine can be purchased in any bookstore. The main difference is that my books are clearly labeled as to their content...

Sharyn: As someone who has worked in a bookstore, I can testify to that. Do you think it is harder to write romantic erotica than say just a plain romance?

Joanna: Yes, I do, because in erotic romances things have to get very sexual very quickly. This isn't always the most natural way for a relationship to progress, which makes building a truly romantic book harder. My readers aren't interested in sex for its own sake. The greatest challenge is keeping it sensual while still building a believable romance. It's just one more constriction to keep in mind as you write.

Sharyn: The majority of your novels are sci-fi erotic romance. Did you find it harder to write Dancing with Dionysus?

Joanna: Dancing with Dionysus presented its own unique challenges. It's essentially a Greek myth that I have created. In doing so, I tried to follow some of the parameters one often finds in such myths. I've gotten some criticism for this, because the gods in the story play a very active role. The humans are, in some ways, powerless before them. Not everyone has liked that, because the story doesn't play out quite the same way that most romances do. I think the way I wrote it is true to Greek mythology, but I'm not so sure it was the most marketable approach.

Sharyn: I thought it was very true to other Greek myths that I've read. Now, for another easy question: what is your favorite part of writing?

Joanna: The dress code.

Sharyn: LOL. What's the one thing you know about writing now, you wish you'd known before?

Joanna: Writing is a business, and needs to be treated that way. It helps to have a business plan and an accountant.

Sharyn: What piece of advice has influenced your life the most?

Joanna: My grandmother told me once that I should never wait until later to have fun, because I might be dead by then. I've lived that way - I take chances, and I always pick experiences over possessions. In doing so, I've had an interesting career and gotten to travel a great deal :)

Sharyn: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Joanna: I think Isaac Asimov said it best. "The first million words are practice."

Sharyn: What's the hardest thing about being a writer?

Joanna: Staying disciplined about my work.

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