Interview with Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle

Steve Tindle and Brenda Woody were high school friends in Georgia who reconnected, on a social network, after 30 years of leading separate lives. They now write erotic romance as a couple and a team. Check out this writing duo!

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

Please tell us your latest news!

Brenda: Debbie, thank you for asking us to return to chat here! We had fun last fall chatting with your readers. We released Rainie’s Lake on January 15. Rainie’s Lake has received very good reviews and is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

Blurb:

Taking a long over due vacation, Art Instructor, Dylan Bishop is eager to start his trip to the cabin in the mountains. When he saw the photo online with the rental ad, he knew this was his destination. Being drawn to the lake nestled behind the cabin with a private dock, Dylan hopes to regain his inspiration to paint.

His vacation takes an erotic turn when he meets Rainie Marks on a foggy morning by the dock. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. However, there is sadness and a mystery about her. Finding his inspiration, he sketches her one evening and unable to resist the passion that has sparked between them, Rainie and Dylan share a sensual night together.

When Rainie tells him the truth about her past and the lake, the mystery she hides unfolds. The key to everything is the lake. Will Dylan be able to help her put the past to rest?

Readers can read an excerpt here: http://brenda-steve.blogspot.com/p/excerpts-from-temptation-triggers-and.html

Watch the book trailer here: http://youtu.be/wD6SIsnAKeY

Do you have a favorite object that is pertinent to your writing?

Brenda: Steve! LOL Without his support, I would not have sent him my two page story back in 2008. We write and work very well together. Our open communication allows us to bounce ideas off each other and ask questions other couples are afraid to ask.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Brenda: When we get an idea for a story, the names of our characters come to us easily. And yes, they do develop as we start writing the story or take over! LOL

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

Steve: Brenda and I love to do the research. Writing erotica means we get to read and watch all things sexy. This not only helps our writing, but keeps our relationship healthy. We talk about what affects the male and female mind and body, and then use that knowledge in our books and lives.

What main genre do you write in?

Brenda: Our main genre to write in is erotic romance. A few of our stories are erotica. We are working on a murder/suspense series under another pen name.

What are your hobbies?

Brenda: When I’m not writing or reading a book for a review, I crochet and dabble in gardening. Our herbs and vegetables are sprouting and will be ready to transfer to the ground soon.

Steve: I just enjoy spending time with Brenda; it's rare we are apart from each other. I take the skein of yarn and roll it into a ball for her crochet as I sit next to her and watch TV. I also help with the gardening and I'm doing research on hydro-gardening. We are looking into adding a fish pond in the courtyard to fertilize our hydro-garden.

If you had to choose one person to have dinner with, who would it be? And why?

Brenda: Harriet Tubman, she has always been my heroine. Harriet had to be so brave to hide all those slaves and take them to the north. I think she would be a fine person to have a chat with.

Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer? Or Still do?

Brenda: Fortunately, we get to write full time now. Call it early retirement. *smiles* It’s not that the sales of our books are making us rich (that would be nice though!) We saved for a few years to be able to work from home. I worked in commercial insurance, claims and foreclosure in the corporate world. I do not miss sitting in a cubicle. One bit!

Steve: I was a Microsoft Excel VBA programmer; I wrote software for large Dallas based companies. I still utilize my knowledge by creating and updating an Excel spreadsheet for Tonya Kinzer and Brenda's web business. I love to "WOW" the girls with what I know and can do with Excel.

Do you have a website recommendation for other writers?

Brenda: Tonya Kinzer and Steve & I created A Naughty Reader’s Boudoir. A place for readers and authors to meet and chat about the naughty books they read and write. We offer author interviews on our blog, book reviews and have a nice selection of promotional ads that meets any author‘s budget.  All is welcome to join our main site http://www.naughtyreaders.com/ and follow us on our blog http://naughtyreaders.blogspot.com/.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Steve: I enjoy writing with symbolism. I want the reader to read our books then see something in during the day to remind them of us. For example: in our first book, Best Lover in Town, Janet loves her BLT sandwich. With all the new commercials from fast food restaurants we hope readers will smile knowing the new meaning of BLT.

If you could be one of your characters - Who would you be? And why?

Steve: I would like to be Gnat of Gnat and FLO from Temptation Triggers, our erotic anthology. Gnat took an adventure even when FLO was telling him not to. Exploring became his obsession and he didn't realize where he had been until he stepped back and saw the entire picture. We all need to seek a new adventure sometimes whether it is following a dream such as for us in writing or taking a trip to explore new horizons.

When you have writer's block how do you break free?

Steve: Writing as a team we rarely have writer's block. We have several scenarios to choose from. When we have different opinions of which one to use we talk it out, normally in the hot tub. There is never a shortage of ideas.

Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder you?

Brenda: We have a critique partner, Tonya Kinzer. Tonya has also mentored us these last two years to help us write better. We also critique Tonya’s books. Steve loves when we edit her soft BDSM series. *winks*

What's your favorite genre to read?

Brenda: I read all genres, but my favorites are mystery/suspense, thrillers and erotic romance/soft BDSM. I recently created a book review site Bren’s Book Reviews http://brensbookreviews.blogspot.com/, after a few authors contacted me to read and review a book for them.

When did you first decide to submit your work? Please, tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Steve: Being published was the goal; writing was the tool to get there. Brenda and I had written for pleasure since high school but didn't pursue our dreams to be published. When we re-connected 30 years after high school we felt it was time. Our combined desires fueled the passion for writing our first book.

What was your first published work and when was it published?

Steve: Best Lover in Town was our first published book. Brenda and I wrote BLT by connecting our computers between Dallas and Portland, OR. While writing the book we learned about each other and learned our writing styles were very similar. We have been told readers can't tell where Brenda stops and I begin. Brenda moved to Texas in 2009 to finish the last chapter and we published the next year.

Is there anyone who really mentored or inspired you to keep writing until you were finally published?

Steve: We allowed a few family members and friends to read a variety of chapters for feedback of how we were writing as a team. Once Best Lover in Town was in print, we signed copies for them to thank them for their time.

Do deadlines help or hinder your muse?

Steve: I like deadlines because it keeps me focused. However we normally beat deadlines by a few weeks. I'm used to working with deadlines, or milestones, in my former programming jobs so its second nature to me.

Brenda and Steve: Debbie thank you for featuring us today. We look forward to chatting with your readers.

RAINIE'S LAKE

Taking a long over due vacation, Art Instructor, Dylan Bishop is eager to start his trip to the cabin in the mountains. When he saw the photo online with the rental ad, he knew this was his destination. Being drawn to the lake nestled behind the cabin with a private dock, Dylan hopes to regain his inspiration to paint.

His vacation takes an erotic turn when he meets Rainie Marks on a foggy morning by the dock. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. However, there is sadness and a mystery about her. Finding his inspiration, he sketches her one evening and unable to resist the passion that has sparked between them, Rainie and Dylan share a sensual night together.

When Rainie tells him the truth about her past and the lake, the mystery she hides unfolds. The key to everything is the lake. Will Dylan be able to help her put the past to rest?

Buy Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/123476