Author Interview with Elise Hepner
Interview with Elise Hepner
Q. What was your childhood ambition?
My first ambition as a kid was to be a veterinarian because I loved animals—and still do. But once I found out that I would have to see them hurting all the time I quickly squashed that idea. After that, it was all writing, all the time. I had just read Gone with the Wind and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I was obsessed with epic sagas. So at the tender age of ten I wrote my own sweeping, puke worthy little series. The habit kind of stuck with me and I haven’t stopped writing sense—though my books have gone a little less dramatic and a lot more raunchy!
Q. What ambitions do you still have?
I have so many goals it can’t be healthy! Every day I come up with new a one! My latest goal is to see myself in print, some others are: finish three novels by the end of the year, branch out in terms of my online presence, and get my own business cards. I enjoy the progression of my writing every day and it is really fun to see how far I’ve come in such a short time in terms of my writing abilities. It’s a sexy craft that never stops being fun, so my ultimate ambition is to be doing this for the rest of my life.
Q. What was your first job?
I originally worked as a boxer at a tennis warehouse in my home town. We teenagers (at the time) would go into the warehouse to collect the items in card board boxes in huge, expansive shelving units, and then bring them back into the boxing room. Then we taped them, put the little label on it, and shipped it. It was really boring but the pay was good and it allowed me to make my own hours. I would never do it again though.
Q. How did you end up being an erotic writer?
It started in college when I became intrigued by pornography and sexuality in humans. I started reading everything I could get my hands on about sex, human sexuality, and the porn industry, because the issue of porn really spoke to a relevant piece of our culture right now. The idea of an emerging female dominated industry was awesome and then that branched into my extensive erotica collection. From there it just fit. I loved sex, I loved exploring sexuality, writing about it seemed to be the next step in the equation.
Q. What are the most important components that go into making good erotic fiction?
Honestly, I’m going to go cliché here, but that’s only because it’s true: a good imagination, a love of sex, and the desire to explore sexuality.
Q. If you could have any celebrity pictured carrying one of your books who would you choose and why?
Eliza Dusku because she is just plain sexy and I’ve been a Whedon fan since age 11. Knowing that she read my stuff would floor me.
Q. What does your working day typically consist of?
I get up anywhere from 12-2 in the afternoon, grab a cup of tea, check my Blogger feed, log into Tweetdeck, and pull up the work in progress. I make an epically long to-do list, make some last minute notes from the work I did yesterday, and then get to writing! I generally don’t leave my desk for hours at time, sometimes forgetting to eat. Luckily, my husband works right next to me in a desk that connects to mine so he normally whines about how he’s hungry and then that reminds me to eat.
Q. And what aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
The research! I love to research anything and everything; it doesn’t even need to be sex related! I just enjoy making notes, using lists and notecards, and the smell of musty old books. Now, that isn’t to say the physical part of research is boring—because it’s not at all if you catch my drift.
Q. How do people who don’t know you react when you tell them you’re an erotic author?
Let’s put it this way, my family and the husband’s family call me “The Porn Queen” to all their friends and pass out my book titles like their candy. I’m very vocal about my profession, if people don’t know what I do for a living they will soon enough because every mention of my name is a possible added convert to my fan club (insert evil laugh). Except, alas, I don’t really have a fan club. But it would be super cool if I did anyone down for making one for me?
Q. How do you like to relax when you’re not at work?
I do more work. I also love to read a lot. Right now I’m reading a lot of Alison Tyler’s work, Kate Pearce, and Kim Harrison. I have a huge addiction to reality television which takes up a decent chunk of time too.
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