Author Interview + Mini Review: Alchemy xii by Tamsin Flowers!

Title: Alchemy xii - New Year's Eve Prologue
Series: The Alchemy Series 0.5
Author: Tamsin Flowers
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: November 18th 2014
Source: Tamsin Flowers


About the Book:
No one could ever accuse Harry Lomax of being a Dom's Dom. Sometimes he even forgets to make his submissives call him "Sir". But he is the charismatic Prince of Kink at Chicago's most secretive and exclusive sex club, where he runs Alchemy xii, the club's prestigious year-long training program for would-be subs.


When Harry spots Olivia Roux across a crowded floor, he's under no illusions as to what she is and what she isn't. A blond, Amazonian goddess, Olivia's no ingénue. She's a woman of the world whom he suspects might have a thing for kink, if only she realized it. One thing is for certain—Olivia is nobody's bitch.


Harry knows that he wants her. For his Alchemy xii training program, that's for sure. But for himself? Harry will try anything once—and Olivia's a woman who's got his name written all over her!


This is the first episode in the Alchemy xii series. You can follow the ongoing story of Olivia and Harry in further episodes which will be published monthly throughout 2015. Look out for Alchemy xii - January on January 1.

Interview:

Give a warm welcome to the ever lovely Tamsin Flowers! What inspired you to write Alchemy xii?

Alchemy xii has certainly been a long time coming! Probably more than two years ago, I made up my mind that I wanted to write a D/s story from the sub's point of view, using her diary as the principal vehicle for telling the story. After plenty of false starts and a number of different leading characters, I finally discovered my power duo, Harry and Olivia and once they came to life the whole project caught fire. Very quickly, I knew I had something really passionate and intense happening between them, and the structure of the training program that Harry runs made it obvious that monthly installments would be a great way to deliver the story.


I've loved your writings in past books. When did you learn you had an interest in the BDSM scene, or that you had a skill for writing erotica?

Thank you for that - it's great for a writer to hear, because quite often we're not too sure who has read our work! Some of your readers might have heard this before, but I stumbled into writing erotica quite by chance. Naturally, I've always wanted to write and I've several non-erotic novels and a number of screenplays languishing in a drawer as testament to that. But about three years ago, while checking out publishers for a novel I'd written about a girl drummer in a band, I came across a call for submissions for an erotic anthology. The book I was trying to sell had some sex scenes and they were the one thing my writing mentor had never criticized - so I thought, hey, why not give this a go? I sat down, wrote my first story having quite literally never read a word of erotica and it was - much to my surprise- accepted for publication. When I look back at it now, I think it's a little rough around the edges - but that's what got me started and I haven't looked back (though I have now read some!)
And as to BDSM, let's just say it's something of an ongoing fascination!

What's one "naughty" word that drives you insane/turns you off?

Actually, there are plenty - any of the euphemisms people use in erotica for describing body parts. I hate it when a writer goes all coy and calls a woman's vagina her 'sex' or her 'lady bits' or…there are simply too many to list. In my books, I try to stick to cunt or pussy - if these words offend a reader, then maybe erotica isn't quite the genre for them!

How do you decide what traits or interests to give your characters?

There are a lot of factors that go into building a fictional character and for me, one of the most important things is to avoid stereotypes. Certainly, it was a big issue for me in creating Harry and Olivia, as I felt as if I'd read too many stern, all-knowing Doms and too many subs that were, frankly, too submissive. Harry and Olivia are not defined by their dominant/submissive characteristics - they're fully rounded human beings with a life and characteristics beyond just what they do in the bedroom or the dungeon! Harry often forgets to be Dommy, while Olivia has no intention of submitting to anyone! I always try to make my characters a little unusual, with their own idiosyncrasies, but at the same time, it's important to make them believable rather than caricatures. It's a fine balance and it has to be maintained, in this case, over an incredibly long story arc.

It's my understanding that the rest of the Alchemy xii series will be released monthly in novella-sized pieces. Is this style of story-telling different than writing a full length book? Is it a different mindset?

You're right - there will be an Alchemy xii novella released on the first of each month throughout 2015 - and the fact that readers can subscribe make it a totally new kind of reading experience! And, yes, it certainly makes a difference to the way I have to write the story. As well as crafting a full length story that runs through the year, each novella also needs its own arc to make it a satisfying read. The basis of each episode is the fact that Olivia spends one weekend each month training with Harry at the Alchemy club. Between these weekends, he often sets Olivia homework and assignments and throughout the year we meet other characters who populate the club - including Harry's beautiful boss and mentor, the uber-Domme Belladonna Grim, the three other subs he's training at the same time, and his nemesis, Dick Glass, the pony play master! All of this has taken quite a wealth of planning and plotting, to make sure things happen in the right episode to move the story forward each month!

Is there a specific place that inspires you to write?

Goodness me, no! I can write anywhere, anytime, either on my laptop or in pencil in a giant notebook. (And with so many episodes of Alchemy xii that's probably a good thing too!)

Olivia and Harry are no doubt sexy characters. Did you use any "real life" models as inspiration for their appearances?

If I did, my lips are sealed! Actually, that's a 'no', though with any character one creates, there may be certain facets taken from real-life people, mixed up, changed around and matched with someone else's characteristics to make a completely fictional creation. It's one of the most fun parts of being a writer.

Since the first piece of this erotic encounter is entitled New Year's Eve, do you have any plans to celebrate the holiday?

Alchemy xii - New Year's Eve is officially released on New Year's Eve (though it's already widely available, free of charge), and the second episode, Alchemy xii - January launches on January 1 (although you can already pre-order it). So I think possibly, with two major launches spanning the evening, it might be a bit reckless of me to party too hard. However, a glass of champagne certainly won't go amiss in celebration of the Alchemy xii kick off.

Can you describe this story in 5 words?

I can do it in three:

Wild about Harry!

This or That

Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Ebook or physical copy: Ebook
Black and white or color: Acid-drenched color!
sub or Dom: That would be telling!
City or country: City
Winter or summer: Winter
Coffee or tea: Coffee

Thank you so much, Tamsin, for taking some time out of the holiday season to answer a few questions with me and for inviting me to read Alchemy xii!

Review:

★★★★★

This story is an absolute delight. It's short, hot, and a great introduction to what is sure to be an explosive and addictive series of short stories from the kinky mind of one of my favorite erotic authors, Tamsin Flowers.

Harry is delightfully delicious and makes this story one that's not to be missed. He's Dominant without being overtly so. And he has a lovely accent, which is definitely a plus. He had me hooked from the start with his intensity and his interest in Olivia. I loved reading about the two of them together, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses. The sex/BDSM scenes are well-written and definitely hot while still being believable (something I admittedly struggle with while reading erotica: believable scenes).

The pacing is well done and the settings are all well described. It gets extra points because it is set in Chicago and since that's my hometown, I gotta love that detail. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I also give props because while this is an introduction novella, so to speak, that this didn't bombard you with back story. There were no chapters of "you need to know this before you start" and no introductions of eight million characters that may or may not be relevant later.

Plus, the cover art is absolutely stunning. I mean, just look at it.

I can't wait to read the next installments, and if you want a subscription to fabulous and steamy erotica that features a training program, an elusive club, and a unique Dom, I suggest you get on board. Thank you so much to Tamsin Flowers who sent me a copy of this short story in exchange for my honest review.

Get It Now!:

Although Alchemy xii - New Year's Eve was supposed to be released on 31 December, I'm thrilled to say it's actually gone out early and is available now. This first episode is free and you can get it from all the usual suspects!

Alchemy xii Store
Amazon US
Amazon UK
B&N
Smashwords
All Romance
Kobo

The next installment, January, comes out January first. Be sure to check it out!

Or if you'd like, you can check out the subscription package from the Alchemy xii Store. Look at how pretty!

About the Author:

Tamsin Flowers has been writing erotica for three years. She started out with short stories and has featured in more than 20 anthologies to date from Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, House of Erotica, Xcite Books and Velvet Books. Her works have featured in collections curated by some of today's most celebrated editors - including Violet Blue (Best Women's Erotica 2014 and 2015), Rachel Kramer Bussel (The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales), Alison Tyler (Twisted: Bondage with an Edge, Bound for Trouble: BDSM for Women, Just for Her, Just for Him) and Kristina Wright (Best Erotic Romance 2014 and 2015, Passionate Kisses: Erotic Romance Fantasies for Couples).
She has also self-published a sizzling collection of zombie erotica, Zombie Erotoclypse, and has had novels and novellas released by Xcite Books (The Christmas Tattoo, Her Boss and His Client), Secret Cravings (The Crimson Bond, The Scarlet Bond) and Totally Bound (Doing It for the Coach).