An Interview with Lelani Black

Lelani Black

From Hawaii to Colorado, "Lelani Black"  has made a tasty niche for herself as a romantic/eroticist. 

I've heard people say some of her stuff is definitely on the safer, romantic side, but I read "Doctor, Doctor" the other day and there is some pretty prime rib naughtiness in there.  I include a credited extract. 

Acolyte of Mary Whitehouse? Skip today's instalment.

Her sales are excellent and one cannot begrudge that - Lelani is one of the nicest women I have met on my journey into the heart of Indie. 

I don't mind when a nice person sells books: There are enough guileless illiterates making money out of the Indie game, so its good to see a balance. 

Polynesian Lelani is an absolute pleasure to talk to and can be found in all the usual places.  I got on  the Wizphone and woke her up as she pondered matters erotic in her garden writer's den in deepest Colorado.

Lelani's back garden "garret" - environment which influenced
"Doctor, Doctor"

Tell us about yourself. Who is Lelani Black?  
He he he he (soft, evil laugh). Lelani Black is a pen name for a multi-published author who writes erotic and sensual romance fiction, some of them set in beautiful Hawaii. 

Lelani's childhood playground

Whereabouts in the US do you live? 

I live in Colorado, but my true home is on an acre of property, on one of the Hawaiian islands. Does your environment influence your writing? Oh, most definitely! As with many writers, their books express bits and pieces of who they are and where they’ve been. 

"I’m not necessarily talking about the naughty bits in my stories, although I do get funny looks from friends and relatives all the time, thanks to the shenanigans of the characters in my books."(Lelani Black)

Latest
bestseller

What is your latest project? 

I just launched Book 2 of my sensual Island Moonlight Collection, Doctor, Doctor, and I have an erotic romance, All Hands Below, that’s in production at my publishing house as we speak. 

I’m just waiting on a release date for that bad boy. Whew! Deep breath. It’s been a wild ride. Trying to release 3 novel-length books in less than a year has been nerve-wracking, stressful and exciting.

Does your husband ever get jealous because of your steamy prose? 

Tee-hee, no. I actually feel bad for the man because I’ll pop into his man-cave when he’s in the middle of conquering evil wizards and trolls in the ‘shire, or whatever gaming environment he’s in, and say “Can you help me with some research, please?” and he’ll always oblige, or humor, me.

 “Go ahead, sweetness…” Dane flicked her nipple with his tongue and swiped it around the halo that framed the dusky nub. “You’re amazing. Beautiful. That’s good, honey. Let go,” he commanded, then cupped her mound in his palm at the apex of her first orgasm. He devoured her nipple and sucked on her breast until she came and came and came some more, helpless against the fiddle of his fingers. And somewhere in their delicate, yet relentless, strumming over her clitoris, he squeezed her knot between his thumb and forefinger and wiggled it. The tugging sensation of it drove her wild. Made her noisy. So noisy that his mouth fled her breast and he was forced to clamp her mouth shut in a harsh kiss to keep her quiet as she moaned, whimpered, and carried on like a woman who’d lost her marbles..." Black, Lelani (2012-12-28). Doctor, Doctor (Island Moonlight Collection, Book #2) (Kindle Locations 985-993). Littlemoon Press. Kindle Edition.

Reading the above, it occurs to me: Do you ever get embarrassed at church? 

No hahahahahahahha. I love being a writer and am proud of my craft. I’ve also yet to walk into a church and have the walls come crashing down on me. I think it’s more that I make it a point not to make others feel awkward by my chosen genre of fiction when I’m around friends, coworkers, family or what-not. 

Not everyone has the enthusiasm for the genre or the craft of writing that I do. There are still individuals who judge and trash even the sweetest books of the romance genre, so even at social functions I won’t talk about my books unless someone asks. 

Random Google Pastor Rob after
reading an extract from "Doctor, Doctor"

Do you miss Hawaii? 

I do, I do! But I go home once or twice a year, and that keeps the homesickness in check.  I’m also fortunate to live a couple of hours away from world-class ski resorts, minutes away from national parks where we hike, fish, camp and enjoy the Colorado lifestyle. 

Skiing in Colorado

There’s something magical about sitting in a hot-tub with your sweetheart, enjoying a glass of wine while snow-flakes are falling down all around you. Colorado was also once a hot-bed of dinosaur activity, so it’s been a treat for us to explore and visit areas like Lakewood/Morrison, Colorado, where dinosaurs once roamed. I also enjoy a beautiful view of Pike’s Peak from my deck.

The view from Lelani's rooftop eyrie in Hawaii, possibly

 Have you ever written, or considered writing, in other genres?

 I don’t rule that out. As it is, I’ve been able to write subtly different stories than the erotics with the introduction of my sensual books—my Island Moonlight Collection. I could have written those books as stand-alones, but I wanted to differentiate them from my straight-up erotic romances that I write for my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. 

The TWRP books have more explicit scenarios and language than what’s contained in the Moonlight Collection. Although there have been a few readers that consider the Moonlight books erotic as well.  

Is the erotic fiction hive now devoid of nectar? Or is there still honey dripping from the core? 

Wiz, it’s a thriving hive, robust as ever, as we can see from the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. There will always be up and coming readers whose tastes will expand, or delve, into the genre of erotic romance fiction.

Three men dressed as chickens kidnap you from your smallholding and drive you to the city limits. You are thrown in a disused chicken coop in the middle of nowhere. The men are from the Liberate Chickens Now! movement. As they leave they throw you a sack full of three books, two cd's and a dvd. (And a chicken costume as they intend to rob the bank at El Paso with you to raise much needed group funds). What would you like the sack contents to be?

Back garden chicken coop, chez Lelani

 hahahahhahahaha they’d probably kick me out of the coop in exasperation because I’d fret and carry on that there aren’t enough books in there to begin with. Okay, here’s my list.

The books:

1.            Carla, by a talented author named Mark Barry.

Carla by Mark Barry (that's my alter ego!)

2.            A coffee table book on Vincent van Gogh’s life, with pictures of his artwork.

Starry Night - magnificent Van Gogh painting

3.            The paperback of my first Indie offering, a story called Bargain Bride, Billionaire Groom. 

Aside from it having special meaning, it was a milestone in my life, to hold a paperback version of one of my books in my hands.

Maroon 5 (????)

The Best of U2

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

If Lelani could invite anyone she chose to dinner, who would it be and what would you eat? 

My dad. He died when I was very young, but what I’ve heard about him tells me that he would have been a great dad. I’d make a simple island feast. 

"Grilled teriyaki butterfish (exotic black cod) which has this delicate, buttery melt in your flavor and texture; cool, creamy macaroni salad, hot, sticky rice, island greens like lightly blanched watercress tossed with chopped fresh tomatoes and sea salt, another cooked vegetable dish made with eggplant, okra, green beans, tomatoes and onions with bits of pork or shrimp. " (Lelani Black)

Dessert would be some yummy filled pastry called cocoa-puffs, or some buttery glazed Chantilly cake from my favorite island bakery.

What does the future hold for fans of Lelani Black? 

More books! 

Short and sweet! Lelani, I wish you all the best for 2013 and thank you for coming in to see us here at the Cauldron.

Thanks for inviting me, Wiz! Love it...

Contact!

Buy Doctor, Doctor here!!

http://www.lelaniblack.com/

For more Hawaii interview fun, read "An Interview with (top indie reviewer) K-Trina Meador"

(Still the number one interview on The Wizard's Cauldron)

http://greenwizard62.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/interview-with-k-trina-meador-of-hawaii.html