February Author Spotlight/ The amazing Bryce Calderwood

BRYCE CALDERWOOD INTERVIEW

S- What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

B- I went to a Shakespeare festival in Canada… that’s about it, sadly!

S- What is the first book that made you cry?

B- No idea.

S- What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

B- “Spinning” books by other authors and publishing them as your own, followed closely by authors and readers being irresponsible with their loyal friends and fans and unleashing mob destruction on innocent writers.

S- Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Yes!

S- What are common traps for aspiring writers?

B- Not finishing books, not following through with marketing, acting like a damn diva when you’re a nobody, not creating covers to fit genre, not WRITING to fit genre, having no clue about story structure or worse yet confusing it for outlining which somehow you think is bad.

S- Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

B- I think it hurts. Egos are fragile. What’s needed is perseverance and a humble willingness to learn and then apply that knowledge.

S- What is your writing Kryptonite?

B- Online games, heh.

S- Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

B- I don’t know if I’d call it that but I go through long periods of not reading anything.

S- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

B- I already do! Not for secrecy but just to avoid confusion and negative reactions for readers.

S- Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

B- There’s no dichotomy here, but I think some writers conflate originality with un-marketable and un-sellable. I’ve had to deal with this, myself. “Write the book you’d love to read if you came across it in a bookstore…” Well, maybe there’s a reason that book doesn’t exist and it’s because no one would buy it. People always want to believe they’re the exception and not the rule. I’m mostly writing erotica, I’m not suffering under any illusions about the artistic value of what I do. It’s arousing entertainment. Sure, a deeper touch here and there goes a long way, but I can’t get all angst-ridden about what I’m doing.

S- Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

B- I don’t see why that would stop anyone, there are all kinds of writers, suited for different kinds of writing.

S- What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

B- Quite a few but Yolanda Olson and Alana Melos are my biggest writing buds. Sometimes you need encouragement and people to talk to and who better than writers whose work you love and admire?

S- Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

B- Coming from a life of reading fantasy and horror I’m more for the connections. My Futanari Apocalypse series about demons and angels has a connection with the Futanari Vampire series. One character appears in both series and both are built around the same lore.

S- If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

B- Learn about story structure NOW.

S- How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

B- It made me realize I needed a process and templates and other kinds of repeatable, reusable bits and bobs. I needed a method and place to hold research and notes.

S- What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

B-Buying Scrivener.

S- What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

B- JK Rowling. I grimaced a little bit at her adverbs at first but she grew out of it and I definitely warmed up to her. I can think of at least one for the opposite, too (cough, cough, Anne Rice, cough).

S- What did you do with your first advance?

B- Never had an advance, as I’ve never been traditionally published.

S- What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

B- The first time I was ever slapped for what I said (which was by my mother, for swearing as a child).

S- What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?

B- No idea. I don’t subscribe to any magazines at all.

S- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

B- My favorite book of all time is Little, Big by John Crowley. It’s not well-known but it’s definitely appreciated by those who’ve read it.

S-How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

B-Was I supposed to take care of the reader? Oh, shit...

S- As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

B- The succubus. I love stories about succumbing to the enticement of corruption.

S- What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

B- An apology? Ha ha… Actually none of my characters are based on any one person. They’re a mish-mash of qualities and attributes from me and others I know or have seen, both in reality and in fiction or media.

S- How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

B- Oh… geez… maybe five or six?

S- What does literary success look like to you?

B-Supporting myself from my stories, nothing more complex than that.

S- What’s the best way to market your books?

B- I’m still trying to figure that out.

S- What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Usually I end up having to research oddly specific things that pop up as I’m writing, like a character is going to drive somewhere in another character’s car. What kind of car? It should reveal something about the character. Now I have to do car research. Are the characters using weapons? What kind? What do I need to know to write realistic but readable fight scenes? I’ve also had to do a lot preparatory research before I even begin writing for some series. I had to learn about the names and hierarchies of angels and demons, for example. I had to research abandoned NYC subway stations (that was cool). I had to learn how fast you die from bleeding out a major artery (about 2 mins). All kinds of fun stuff, with the typical “I’m a writer not a murderer” browser search history.

S- Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

B- Nope. But I will say that writing is the closest thing to real magic.

S- What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

B- Nothing. I have a harder time writing characters of the same sex.

S- How many hours a day do you write?

B- Not enough. I’ve gone for days, weeks, and even months without writing (that’s called depression, by the way).

S- Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

B- I’ve read many books that made me think differently about fiction, but probably Story Engineering had the biggest impact.

S- How do you select the names of your characters?

B- I use baby name websites and pick something that sounds like it fits. I like names that are slightly unusual and sound sexy.

S- If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

Illustration and design or animation.

S- Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

B- Absolutely. The good ones I hold close to my heart. They’re the candles in the dark when I feel I’m about to be swallowed up by my own despair. I read them to remind myself that the bad feelings I have at the moment are lying to me. As for the “bad” reviews, I try to learn from them if I can.

S- What was your hardest scene to write?

B- The next one. Just kidding! I don’t have a specific answer to this question, but I will say that some scenes I blaze through in a heat as if I couldn’t write fast enough, while others I dread and have to sleep on a while before I write them.

S- Do you Google yourself?

B- Occasionally. I like being the number one or nearly number one ranking for futanari vampire, though.

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

I don’t need to be a better writer as much as I need to be better at all the various aspects of being an independent writer.

S- What is your favorite childhood book?

B- Harriet the Spy. I read it over and over when I was a kid.

S- What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

B- Getting over myself and my own bullshit to do what needs to be done.

S- Does your family support your career as a writer?

B- Yes, quite literally: I live with my brother. They know I write erotica and don’t judge.

S- If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

B- Actually write.

S- How long on average does it take you to write a book?

B- Too long! I should be able to publish at least one book a month if not more but I rarely do.

S- Do you believe in writer’s block?

B- Nope. And yet I don’t treat it as much like a professional job as I ought, but that’s the nature of my personal struggle. It’s different for everyone.

**Thank you for joining us and letting us into your brain a little today. It's always a pleasure knowing authors a little more up-close and personal.**

LINKS:

Amazon author page: Amazon.com: Bryce Calderwood: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brycecalderwooderotica/

BOOKS:

Futanari Vampires Series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MQVL1YJ/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Futanari Apocalypse Series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QBU8QW/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Futanari Loves Octogirl Trilogy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0788WD84Y/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

How I Became a Futa HuCow, Book 1: The Ranch: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HL4DDNN

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XTH3S3C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HL4DDNN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012YC2RPM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

The sound of swish-thump, swish-thump caught Jaelyn’s attention, and she opened her eyes. She gasped, realizing she’d overslept and, propped herself up on an elbow. She immediately regretted that when her muscles reminded her how torn up and damaged they were after last night. Last night... She turned her head to look at the door to the bathroom and saw that it was open all the way, but she couldn’t see the octogirl. Grimacing, she sat up all the way, noticing for the first time, her incredibly hard morning wood and the cum-soaked front of her skirt. Her raging cock was making quite a tent under the darkly-stained fabric. She sighed. Just another glorious day in the life of a futanari. She was starting in earnest to wonder where the octogirl had gone when Teddy appeared right in front of her face, suspended by a tentacle around his neck. Jaelyn squeaked and started, tipping backwards and losing her balance. Her arms flailed and her legs went out as she fell backwards off the bed and hit the wooden floor with a thud and a grunt. She heard a giggle and then... Swish-thump, swish-thump. The bed moved and creaked and she saw several tentacles appear over its edge. Octogirl came to the edge of the bed and looked down at her. She had to bend over a little, due to the size of her breasts so she could see over them. Jaelyn stared in wonder at her black and sea-green eyes. In the bright light of the day, her pupils were thin slits like a cat’s. Her hair was white and her tentacles were a dark purple. Teddy floated down to her in his tentacle noose. Jaelyn realized she was giving him back to her. She reached out and took him and the tentacle uncoiled from around his neck and traced a graceful path back through the air. “Thank you for the toy,” she said in her strangely melodic and sensual voice, “believe it or not, it really did help.” “You’re welcome,” said Jaelyn. “Here, let me help you up,” said the octogirl. Suddenly Jaelyn had tentacles under her armpits and the crooks of her knees. She was being lifted up off the ground and settled back onto the bed. The girl occupied half the bed, her tentacles arranged around her somewhat evenly to support her weight. Where the tentacles grew thicker near her waist, there was also a thin stretchy membrane or webbing between them, looking for all the world like a kind of skirt. Jaelyn thrilled at the touch of her tentacles. Not only was her morning wood not going away, but almost impossibly, it raged even harder. She hated herself for it but she wanted to touch it so badly. No, she wanted the girl to touch it. “Oh, really?” said the girl, and before Jaelyn could protest or do anything, the girl slipped a tentacle under her skirt and lifted it up, then flung it away, exposing Jaelyn’s huge erection. Jaelyn had forgotten the girl could read her mind. “Only somewhat,” said the girl as she inspected Jaelyn’s cock. “But it’s how I learned to speak English long ago, and many other languages, for that matter. Except I have a hard time with what many words mean because I have no context for them.” She rumbled forward in the bed on alternating sets of tentacles under her, almost like how a spider would crawl, each tentacle coiling in a smooth, graceful motion. A single tentacle came forward and began laying itself down one inch at a time on her cock, from the base to the tip. The tip of the girl’s tentacle curled over the head of Jaelyn’s cock. Jaelyn covered her burning face with her hands and moaned a long shuddering moan. She could feel the suckers... sucking on her, individually. “Oh, God, oh, God...” she whispered. “It’s really big,” said the girl. Her voice was unusual, but even so, Jaelyn thought she detected admiration in it. Jaelyn didn’t know whether to moan or cry. The sound she made sounded like both. “You seem distressed,” said the girl, “I’m sorry... should I not do this?” She started to remove the tentacle from Jaelyn’s cock by popping the suckers off of it one by one. “No! Yes! Oh, God, I don’t know! I don’t even know your name. Do you even have a name?” “My name is Liana,” said the octogirl.

In Enthralled, beautiful loner Ashlyn Kovalenko stumbles across Musette Vaillancourt, a wounded futanari vampire and saves her... only to become her next drink and sexual plaything. Check out this excerpt to get a taste of the action: “Was... was that enough? For tonight?” Ashlyn asked. “He bled out faster than I could drink,” Musette breathed into her ear with the softest of voices. “Oh, because I stabbed him in the neck. Sorry, I never killed anyone, before.” “No? I would imagine not,” whispered Musette. “Tell me, Ashlyn, how did it make you feel?” “I... I don’t know. Sick. Powerful. Turned on.” Musette nodded. “You did very well, Ashlyn.” Musette stroked Ashlyn’s hair and the back of her neck with her bloodied hands, but Ashlyn didn’t care about the blood. “You saved my life, Ashlyn. You still are saving it. Thank you.” Musette planted kisses on Ashlyn’s neck, and with each kiss, it was like lights inside her being turned on, illuminating her heart and its desires. She wrapped her arms around Musette’s back and shoulder. The smell of blood was sickeningly strong. “I only saw that you were a futa, I didn’t realize until later that you were...something more.” Ashlyn sighed, those kisses were melting her. Musette kissed her earlobe and sucked on it gently. She put her lips to Ashlyn’s ear. “Vampire...” she whispered. “Yes...” said Ashlyn. Musette licked her neck, giving her gooseflesh. “I still thirst, Ashlyn,” she whispered, barely audibly, “I thirst for you.” Ashlyn sighed and a quiet sob escaped her. Just one. “I’m yours,” she said, “just... please don’t kill me.” “And what if I do?” breathed Musette. Ashlyn pulled her head back to look Musette in the eye. “Then make it good,” she said, and kissed her.

Thank you Bryce Calderwood for an intimate interview with you here today.

~Soliel and fans

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