S: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
R: I’ve been to Seattle (setting for Fifty Shades of Grey), to Edgar Allen Poe’s home in Richmond, Virginia, and attempted to visit the Kurt Vonnegut Museum in Indianapolis only to learn that it was closed. Major bummer.
S; What is the first book that made you cry?
R: I don’t remember, but I do remember the first book that made me cringe. Apart from references to sodomy in the Bible, my introduction to anal was the 18th century classic Fanny Hill.
S; What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
R: Stealing intellectual property. Pirates are thieves and readers who down load pirated copies are just as guilty as the ones offering them.
S: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
R: Writing energizes me. I write romantic comedy erotica filled with heat and humor. It’s a fabulous combination.
S: What are common traps for aspiring writers?
R: Failing to sell themselves vs. selling books. Marketing your work is important, but if you sell yourself, readers will buy your books (or read them on KU).
S; Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
R: Being proud of your work is fine, but stay humble and recognize that there’s always room for improvement. Help where you can when it’s welcome and be someone’s support system when they need to talk.
S: What is your writing Kryptonite?
R: I’m a perfectionist. I spend more time than I should editing, proofing, and finding the perfect images for teasers and covers.
S: Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
R: Things that stop me from reading are poor grammar, poor editing, and head-hopping (changing points of view). I’m also not a fan of FF, FFM, or FMF. As Ree, I write MF, MMF, and MFM. Eventually, I’ll do MM and reverse harem. (I’ve written them as Nia Farrell.)
S: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
R: I write under four names and use pen names for branding. Ree L. Diehl writes romantic comedy erotica, Nia Farrell writes erotic romance (contemporary and historical), and Erinn Ellender Quinn writes historical romance. I’m also published under my legal name. I write music, too.
S: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
R: Definitely original, if writing romantic comedy erotica wasn’t a clue. I wanted to do something fresh and offer well-crafted, engaging shorter stories to readers without a luxury of time. My Unbillable Hours Series are romantic comedy erotica novelettes (essentially literary nooners—one hour, one-handed reads hat should get you hot and leave you smiling). I wrote my first novella Damage Control (about 2 1/2 hours to read) as part of the Stand Your Ground anti-bullying/anti-violence anthology released on June 7th. Ree’s next story will be a full-length novel, a standalone sequel to A Package for Paige. The promise of a threesome in Paige will be fulfilled.
S: Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
R: Even non-fiction books should inspire and impassioned readers. Writers who don’t feel strongly may want to stick to technical writing.
S: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
R: I recently did A Taste of Submission BDSM anthology with a group of online author friends including Pandora Spocks, Felicity Brandon, Linz Basset, and Golden Angel. My closest real-life author friends are The Gateway Goddesses—a group of St. Louis-based authors who live close enough to do lunches together. Members include Maggie Adams, Maria Vickers, Allie Harrison, Emma McKee, and Virginia Elizabeth Hayes. I’m a founding member of the Wicked Pens (with thirty members), and I co-write as Nia Farrell with international best-selling author Claire Marta. We’re working on our second book. Our first release is planned for October 19, 201, with book 2 out Friday, March 13, 2020. Claire and I challenge each other in good ways, always seeking to make the story better and write the best book that we can.
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?
R: I don’t have any serials for Ree planned at this time. My Unbillable Hours novelettes are written as standalone s in a series. My anti-bullying BBM/billionaire workplace romance novella Damage Controls is a standalone that I’ll re-release as a single title in a year when I get back the rights. Nearly everything of mine is free with Kindle Unlimited. The She-Wolf on the Twentieth Floor is in the massive A Taste of Submission BDSM anthology, available for FREE on most platforms from Jun 11 – August 31. Grab it while you can! (http://books2read.com/SummerATOS) Unbillable Hours Books 4-6 will feature triplet sisters and an interconnected story-line, but they’ll still be written as standalone stories.
S: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
R: I chose to write romantic comedy erotica because I wanted the freedom to write flawed characters and craft the perfect ending to a story, even if it wasn’t HFN (happy for now) or HEA (happily ever after). Granted, all of mine so far are HFN or HEA, but the option is there when the story is ready. Because of the heat level, I’ve had to shift my promotional efforts to a different audience. The same thing goes when I write MM.
S: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
R: In 2018, I hopped a train and attended the Naughty in New Orleans book signing event. My personal assistant Tasha Hooks was there, and I met many authors, readers, and cover models. But what I enjoyed the most was volunteering for a BDSM demonstration and getting to experience things that I’d written about.
S: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
R: For Ree, it would have to be a silenus or satyr in a state of perpetual lust.
S: What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
R: The Unbillable Hours Series where the best things happen off the clock was actually inspired by someone who was building a house with her husband and got pregnant with their carpenter’s baby. I got to thinking of other scenarios with after-hours encounters and have about fifty story ideas in my file.
S: What does literary success look like to you?
R: My career goals include USA Today Bestseller, New York Times Best Seller, and Pulitzer Prize Winner for one of my names. I dream big.
S: What’s the best way to market your books?
R: Takeovers, interviews, social media, newsletters, newsletter exchanges, Tweet shares. Claire and I have a Pinterest folder for our Guarded Hearts series. #MyPens do a beautiful monthly newsletter offering special deals and freebies. I post hot teasers and scorching excerpts on my website at https://niafarrell.wordpress.com. There’s a link there to subscribe to the newsletter.
S: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
R: So far, Ree has only written contemporaries. Once I have basic character information and a setting, I’ll research locale, job descriptions, and personal challenges, traumas, traits, etc.— enough to place the story and bring it to life. Research can take hours or days, depending what I’m writing, and is ongoing. I look things up while I write as questions arise. An author has to know much more than what makes it into the story.
S: Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
R: Writing is very much a spiritual practice. Having stories entrusted to me is a sacred trust. It’s my duty and honor to give them birth and share them with the world.
S: What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
R: I’m comfortable writing either. Once I determine whose voice is the best to tell the story, the rest of the chapter follows.
S: How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?
R: I started writing romance in 1987 and sold my first title in 2015. I went indie in 2016 and quit work to write full time. As of June 7, I had 56 titles under four names plus a documentary screenplay under my literary belt. Ree is currently in two anthologies with another two planned for 2020 and 2022.
S: How many hours a day do you write?
R I spend up to 80 hours a week in my home studio, between networking and writing. When I co-write with Claire Marta in Rome, our work day is officially 2 AM – 9 AM, but we’ve had several 14-hour days when the story is flowing and we’re driven to get it down. I still work on my own titles when we’re done for the day. It’s not uncommon for me to be in my studio twenty hours and sleep for four before hitting it again. I pulled at least one all-nighter last week when the muse had hold of me.
S: What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult).
R: I write adult stories for mature readers Ages 18+.
S: How do you select the names of your characters?
R: I ask their names and listen for answers. If I don’t hear anything, I visit baby name sites and see what jumps out at me.
S: If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
R: I’d probably be working accounts receivable somewhere.
S: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
R: I named one of my secondary characters in Damage Control after another author’s personal assistant. It’s an unusual name. No one’s asked about it yet, but the collection just launched June 7th. I also try to do the Alfred Hitchcock thing in my Unbillable Hours Series and refer to myself the story when I write “the real deal.”
S: What was your hardest scene to write?
R: The MFM ménage scene in The Price of Admission was the most complex BDSM scene that I’ve written thus far. But I had to research rumba and ballroom dancing for Damage Control, when Nick seduces Bella with a dance.
S: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
R: Having to spend time on social media promoting when I need to be writing.
S: Does your family support your career as a writer?
R: My family is amazingly supportive. My younger sister proofs and edits with me.
Author Bio International Best Selling Author Ree L. Diehl was born on a misty morning in the mind of a multi-genre author who wanted to pen erotica but put her own stamp on it. The result was the Unbillable Hours Series, serving up erotica with a dash of romantic comedy. The She-Wolf on the Twentieth Floor is the first in a series of standalone erotic stories where the best things happen off the clock. Reviewer: Ree L. Diehl mixes the perfect combo of sizzle, plot & a touch of humor to make the reader want more! AUTHOR LINKS: Amazon author page http://author.to/ReeLDiehl Facebook author page http://bit.ly/RLDiehlFB Goodreads author page http://bit.ly/RLDiehl Wicked Pens author page http://bit.ly/RLDiehlWP Ree L. Diehl, Nia Farrell, and Erinn Ellender Quinn’s webpage http://bit.ly/NiaErinnReeWP Ree L. Diehl, Nia Farrell, and Erinn Ellender Quinn’s Facebook group http://bit.ly/TheFold3 Ree L. Diehl, Nia Farrell, and Erinn Ellender Quinn’s MeWe group http://bit.ly/TheFoldMeWe Ree L. Diehl, Nia Farrell, and Erinn Ellender Quinn’s newsletter signup http://bit.ly/My3PensNews Ree L. Diehl, Nia Farrell, and Erinn Ellender Quinn on Twitter http://bit.ly/My3Pens REE L. DIEHL TITLES The She-Wolf on the Twentieth Floor (Unbillable Hours #1). Release Date January 15, 2018. Amazon e-book http://mybook.to/UH1 Teasers & Excerpt http://mybook.to/SheWolfWP A Package for Paige (Unbillable Hours #2). Release Date April 15, 2018. Amazon e-book http://mybook.to/UH2 Teasers & Excerpt http://bit.ly/UH2WP The Price of Admission (Unbillable Hours #3). Release Date August 15, 2018. Amazon e-book http://mybook.to/UH3 Teasers & Excerpt http://bit.ly/UHrs3WP ~ ANTHOLOGIES ~ Stand Your Ground (June 7) http://mybook.to/StandYourGround anti-bullying/antiviolence anthology includes Damage Control by Ree L. Diehl. Released June 7, 2019. Proceeds go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Amazon e-book http://mybook.to/StandYourGround Teasers & Excerpt http://bit.ly/SYGNiaRee A Taste of Submission BDSM anthology includes The She-Wolf on the Twentieth Floor by Ree L. Diehl. Twelve authors offer first books in BDSM series (nearly 3000 pages) FREE June 11–August 31, 2019. An International Amazon Best Seller. Amazon e-book http://mybook.to/ATasteOfSubmission Teasers & Excerpt http://bit.ly/SYGNiaRee
Thank you Ree L. Diehl it was an honor to have such a lovely and intimate interview with you here today. I urge Rees fans and readers to connect with her here directly for questions and thoughts.