Gina Waves . . . to debut author Elizabeth Amber

Our first debut author interview kicks off with Elizabeth Amber, whose book, Nicholas: The Lords of Satyr, comes out on August 1.

Here's the blurb to go with this yummy cover:

In this erotic paranormal historical romance, three half-satyr brothers in the heart of Tuscany’s centuries-old wine country receive a letter that sends them in search of three endangered half-faerie brides. Nicholas considers it his duty to sire heirs to guard the family’s ancient secrets. But not just any woman will do as a Satyr wife. Even as he grows closer to his half-faerie bride, an ancient cult hatches plans that could destroy their blossoming happiness.

GB: Tell us about receiving the call!

EA: I was in my office reviewing a contract—one of my least favorite things in the universe to do--when the call came. It was Audrey LaFehr from Kensington Aphrodisia asking if my novel was still available. Because Aphrodisia titles were doing very well in the marketplace, her publisher had given her the go-ahead to acquire additional titles. She said my manuscript really “stood out” from the others in the stacks she’d been reading, and she would like to make an offer for all three books in the Lords of Satyr trilogy. We chatted for a bit and I asked her a few questions such as what books were selling well for the line. She mentioned Kate Douglas’ Wolf Tales among others. I phoned her the next day and we soon reached an agreement to publish my first three novels.

GB: How many books did you write before selling?

EA: The first novel I completed pubs in August 2007--Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr. It grew out of the fact that I’d been reading a lot of erotic romance by night, while by day I was working on a museum project as an art historian specializing in ancient Greco-Roman artifacts. This combination led me to the idea for my own erotic romance series with paranormal overtones and an historical setting in 1830s Tuscany. The idea flourished in my head over a few weeks until, finally, in the wee hours one night, I wrote down everything I’d thought of to that point—about fifteen pages.

I was hooked. For the next six months, in every spare moment, I wrote and refined. Once I’d finished Nicholas (the first novel in the trilogy) as well as synopses for Nick’s brothers Raine and Lyon’s stories (coming in 2008), I went to an RWA conference where I learned that what I had written was an erotic paranormal historical romance.

GB: Are there any particular elements in this book that you feel made it especially saleable?

EA: One crucial choice I made leaps to mind. When I gathered the first three chapters of Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr to submit to Kensington for consideration, I realized that though there was sexual tension in them, there wasn’t any actual sex. Sure, there were many rich erotic scenes throughout the book that two reviewers have since called “scorching hot” and that caused Just Erotic Romance to give the book its hottest sex rating, an O. But these scenes weren’t up front.

I decided to move a moody, hot scene from later in the book forward to the very beginning where it now serves as a prologue. This scene, which takes place in the Satyr brothers’ Tuscan vineyard, details a carnal ritual in which the brothers change physically, becoming more powerfully potent. They’re driven by the darker side of their natures to indulge in a nightlong ritual in a sacred gathering place ringed with statues of Bacchus, nymphs, dryads, and fauns.

As a prologue, this scene introduces Nick as an alpha male, reveals intriguing aspects of him that stem from his satyr heritage, and humanizes him by hinting at his inner struggle. And it sets a tone for what comes later in the book.

GB: Are you a plotter or a pantser and do you have any particular writing rituals or routines?

EA: I’m a half and halfer. I work out a general outline of the key events and players in the story in my head. Then I get it down on paper in paragraph form. I let the characters reshape events as I go along, but I’m always heading for certain key scenes and a pre-determined ending. Anything that doesn’t serve the storyline absolutely has to be ripped out of the book. Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey has proven a good resource in times of plot and pacing indecision.

GB: Are there authors or books that shaped your writing and how?

EA: Favorite authors include Emma Holly, Susan Andersen, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jaid Black, Linda Howard, and many more. I devoured all of Jane Austen, the Brontes, and Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind when I was a teenager. I’ve always relished sexual tension and sensual scenes in other authors’ work. I’m glad that the rise of imprints such as Kensington Aphrodisia has begun to allow for more of those.

GB: Do you have any advice for an author beginning the query process for the first time?

EA: My query to Kensington was brief, direct, and polished. Along with the Nicholas chapters I submitted, I sent a four-page, double-spaced synopsis. This included a one-page series synopsis as well as one additional page per each brother’s book.

I picked up a book in Costco recently—The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick. Her very first line hooked me. It set up an intriguing situation and got me interested in finding out more about her hero. That’s something to shoot for in a manuscript or a query.

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For more information about Elizabeth Amber, you can visit her website www.elizabethamber.com.


Nicholas: The Lords of Satyr is due in stores on August 1, 2007, and is published by Kensington as part of their Aphrodisia line.

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