Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Hello and thank you for having me!
My name is Gracie C. McKeever and I write cross-genre romance and erotic romance. I also write Why Chose (aka Reverse Harem or Ménage) western romances under the pseudonym Gigi Moore exclusively for Siren Publishing.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Artistic Freedom: Brielle & Rand (Muses 1)”?
A2. Carving out time was and is the key challenge I face writing any of my books. Artistic Freedom: Brielle and Rand was more a labor of love than any of my most recent titles as I went back to my roots and wrote it for me without any thought as to where I was going to submit it or publication. FemDom BDSM is a niche market inside of a niche market but when I completed the trilogy, I realized that it was meaningful and might appeal to someone other than me. I knew if the trilogy was going to be published, however, I had to publish it myself.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Joey W. Hill’s Vampire Queen series and many of her other BDSM romance books, especially the FemDom titles; everything Octavia E. Butler (R.I.P.☹) has ever written; Danielle Steele; Tina Wainscott’s On The Way To Heaven (which has been reprinted under another title that at the moment escapes me) was a major influence on my first published paranormal romance New Life Incognita. I love the reincarnation and second chances theme of all her books, but On the Way to Heaven affected me the most, probably because it was the first book of hers that I read and it struck a chord.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. Wow, that’s an interesting question. Let me think… I’d have to say Hawaii, Maui specifically. I’ve only been once, but I would love to visit the island again. It was everything I’d dreamed it would be and more. New Orleans is running a close second. Both these spots were special because I traveled to each place alone, challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and just went. Also, each place was on my bucket list.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Artistic Freedom: Brielle & Rand (Muses 1)’?
A5. I’m a fan of BDSM erotic romance, but specifically FemDom. As I mentioned, FemDom is a niche market within BDSM. The BDSM romance market is flooded with alpha male Dom books and Fifty Shades of Grey wannabes. Not that there’s anything wrong with this. I love these books as much as the next person. I’m just surprised more women don’t prefer reading FemDom stories, especially nowadays, but to each their own. Though there is empowerment and agency in the submissive role, I prefer the idea of women being in charge in the bedroom (as well as outside of it, of course). This has nothing to do with denigrating or feminizing men (unless they want to be, LOL). It’s about power exchange, give and take like any relationship, just more intense and focused. A sub has just as much power in the exchange as does the Dom, if not more. So since I didn’t see many of these types of stories (at least not enough for my liking) I followed the famous author Tony Morrison’s advice: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Artistic Freedom: Brielle & Rand (Muses 1)’?
A6. That’s a tough one. I wrote the first draft back in 2016 and it (and the other 2 stories) have gone through numerous changes and updates. I would say it probably didn’t take me more than a few weeks to get down the first draft.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. All of the Muses stories are/will be available on Amazon Kindle. There will be a paperback coming out with all three stories under one cover sometime this year (planned release date of August 10th), also available from Amazon.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Artistic Freedom: Brielle & Rand (Muses 1)’?
A8. I’ll answer the second part first: The title emerged from the characters and the story themselves as Rand is an artist, specifically a painter. I thought the term, artistic freedom, perfectly suited the theme of the story: a journey of discovery and the freedom to be and express oneself—artistically and sexually. It’s weird how this happens for Rand, that being bound frees him and opens his eyes to new experiences, specifically the possibility of a relationship with a slightly older woman he admires and the opportunity to learn about a new lifestyle and community. Coming up with the book cover was a wonderful collaborative meeting of the minds with the cover artist, Amber Daulton (proprietor of Satin Rose Designs). Amber took the information I provided on the cover art form and plucked the characters from my head. I loved working with Amber. It was a nice give and take relationship and I have and would gladly use her services again.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Another great question and a tough one. I think challenging myself and exploring different aspects of my chosen genre keeps things fresh for me, and thus for my readers. I have written numerous BDSM romance books, both MaleDom and FemDom, but I come at each from a different angle, or at least I try to. And create the most multi-dimensional characters and stories I can. The writing process starts with the characters for me.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Write what you love; don’t write for the market. Trends come and go and if you’re writing only for the market, you’re chasing the crowd. If you write for yourself, eventually the market catches up with you. Better to be a leader than a follower, and when the market comes a knocking, you’ll be/have something ready for it.
Buy Artistic Freedom: Brielle & Rand (Muses 1) book on Amazon
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