Ink Motions with Shiloh Saddler

 

 

 

Interview with Shiloh Saddler: 

 

When or what made you decide to become an author?

 

I’m an avid romance reader and I finally bit the bullet and decided to write down some of the sexy ideas in my head. I was shocked to find out people enjoyed reading them.

 

How do you get an idea for your novel?

 

I have a history degree and grew up watching westerns. I got the idea envisioning what Gunsmoke would have been like with a female marshal.

 

What is the inspiration you use?

 

Do you mean what inspires me? Usually something I read or something I watch on TV. I often want to change the ending or put a spin on things. After all there is no such thing as a new idea.

 

What is your writing style?  Do you just sit down and write or do you create character sketches, outlines, or notes?

 

I work with a general outline of the beginning, middle, and end. I have notes with each character’s goals and motivations and the character arcs, plot arc, and romance arc for my story.

 

Who is the "Writing Muse" in your life? I.E. who gets your juices flowing when you are blocked?

 

When I’m blocked I go for a walk or a hike. So I’d say my dog gets my juices flowing again.

 

Walk me though the way you create a novel from conception to completion.

 

That’s a difficult question! After coming up with an idea I let it ruminate for a day or two. If the idea has grown and I’m still excited about it I know I need to write it down. I make basic character sketches, outlines, and start writing. After the first draft I refine my character sketches, outline, and plot/romance arcs. Using the new insight I have gained I edit and refine the story. Coupled with comments and edits from critique partners I make as many passes as necessary to get a story ready to submit to publishers.

 

What is the type of voice you use and why?

 

I write with a serious voice because I’m a rather serious person. My stories also tend to have a slightly dark tone, because I don’t want to write my characters through rose colored glasses. Life isn’t always pretty, but working through that makes the happy ending all the more rewarding.

 

How many novels have you written including all work in progresses you are currently working on?

 

Oh boy. I have a lot of WIPs. I always work on multiple projects at once. I’d say ten.

 

Who is your "writing idol"? I.E. Who do you like and what is it about their writing that captures your soul?

 

I don’t really have a writing idol. I read anything and everything and have not picked a favorite author. I admire Nora Roberts for being able to make a name for herself in two different genres and for constantly publishing books. I’d love to someday be as prolific as her.

 

What is your favorite plot line type?

Anything that has to do with forbidden love.

 

What is your current work in progress and how did get the idea for the Work in Progress?

 

My current work in progress is a F/F fantasy romance set in a Medieval like world with dragons. I got the idea as an offshoot of a previous idea I had couple with watching episodes of Game of Thrones.

 

Describe the major conflict between the hero and heroine in your novel?

 

Laura doesn’t think it is proper for a woman to love another woman and resists her urges. Joe has to convince Laura her urges are okay and she shares the same fantasy even though she doesn’t know how her marshal father will take the news she wants to settle down with another woman.

 

Is there any advice you can offer to anyone who would like to write?

 

Take as many writing classes as you can, read books on craft, and just write. It often takes many novels which will never see the light of day before you write something a publisher will want to buy.

 

Where are the bodies buried? IE Is there any old work in progresses you threw aside and decided not to complete and why?

 

I have several pure erotic ideas I will never finish. I was writing out a fantasy and they are too intimate and twisted to share.

 

What is a good villain?

 

A good villain is a well-rounded character who readers can sympathize and hate at the same time. A good villain is equal to the hero and will pose a good challenge to the goals he/she wishes to achieve.

Blurb:

After a vicious outlaw murders her father, Laura Rutherford sees no future beyond running the family brothel and kowtowing to the local gang. Not even marriage offers escape. No man can compete with the beautiful women who dance the cancan for her each night...at least not until a gentle stranger sweeps in and opens her eyes to desires too long denied.

Joe Bascum stumbles into Bitterroot Flats looking for a place to hide from a gunman out for blood. When the innocent madam from the local brothel offers a bed and bath, Joe accepts hoping to show the buttoned-up beauty just how right forbidden desire can feel.

When danger escalates, can Laura help Joe defeat the famous Fletcher gang, or is she destined to live a lonely life as the virgin madam?

An excerpt

 

Time for the can-can show. My heart palpitated in anticipation. Shamelessly I watched the four women file on stage in their long matching red skirts and black stockings. A red feather in their hair.

Mr. Woodson finished the intro music. I gave him a small smile and nod before returning my attention to the women. I let out a quiet sigh. They were all beauties. When I was younger I cried myself to sleep wishing I had their figure; now full grown, I had given up on that dream. I wasn’t tall and leggy like Lulu. I wasn’t as curvy as Rose. I didn’t have Amanda’s fiery red hair or Delilah’s flawless complexion. I was just average.

The black silk chokers around their necks helped draw attention to their faces and lower to their breasts. The ladies grabbed their skirts and walked to the edge of the stage, swishing their skirts suggestively and showing off their white bloomers. Many men let out cheers or said lewd comments. Ash rushed in and grabbed a seat. He leaned back in his chair put two fingers to his lips and let out a shrill whistle. Like me, he caught as many performances as he could. The bastard had become a regular fixture in Bitterroot Flats, easily partaking in the entitlements. Including murder. He must have had a past with Fletcher. Done jobs together, maybe even served time together.

I had to put up with him. But I didn’t have to pretend to like him. I seared his back with a fiery stare, hoping he could feel my anger.

I wish I never had to see Ash again. I wish I had the power to ban him from the Honey Ranch. The power to keep him from Amanda would be some satisfaction, but the Fletcher Gang owned the town. Ash could do whatever he damn pleased and I was powerless to stop him.

Ash wasn’t going to spoil the show for me. I focused on the women, their every seductive move. The dancers turned around in place before prancing around the stage in a small circle, flashing the gentlemen big smiles. Their faces, heavily painted with rouge and lip paint, glowed under the stage’s lighting. A thrill zipped through me when they formed a line again and started their high kicks. Some of the men clapped, keeping time with the music. Others tapped their empty beer glasses on the tables. The rowdy atmosphere didn’t bother me anymore. The scent of beer and whiskey wafted through the air, mixing with the smell of sweat, horses, and the honeysuckle perfume the ladies wore. I easily tuned out the men, my attention narrowing to the women working the stage as if their lives depended on it. How they managed to dance so well in those high-heeled black boots I’d never know. They helped show off their legs, though. And I could drool over all those legs. Heat and desire burning in my belly, I hoped no one could read my dirty thoughts.

 

 

Buy link Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Virgin-Madam-Girls-Guns-ebook/dp/B00GDS6ISG/

 

Author Bio:

Shiloh Saddler likes to do research for her steamy romances first hand. She has invented a time machine and travels back to the 19th century on a regular basis. There are experimental settings on her time machine which could propel her into the future and even other worlds. She believes love and a good book makes anything possible.

 

Social Media Links:

Website: http://shilohsaddler.blogspot.com/

Email:  ShilohSaddler@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shiloh.saddler?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShilohSaddler