This page attempts to answer the questions that are most commonly asked of Vivienne with regard to her erotic fiction writing. If you have a question which is not listed here, why not post it on the discussion forum?

1. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

I began my career in this genre in 1993, writing for the now defunct 'Erotic Stories' magazine. My first book, 'Touch Me, Feel Me,' was taken up straight away by Headline for the Delta series, aimed at men, but I soon focused on the new women's imprints. My submissions were accepted by Black Lace, X Libris and Liaison, in quick succession. At this point, I realised that I had found my niche!

To date, I have published around twenty erotic novels.

Now I am working on a mainstream novel, a conspiracy thriller, which is taking a lot longer than my other novels. Watch this space!

2. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?

All writers get asked this question, and the answer is usually 'anywhere'! The most trivial detail can spark off an idea for a novel, but personally I find that a theme usually occurs to me first. Sometimes there's an obvious sex link, as in my Liaison novel, 'Aphrodisia,' which was about the search for an aphrodisiac scent. This reflected my long interest in perfume. Or I can use my budding interest in a topic as an excuse to do research for a book. This happened with my Liaison, 'Queen of the Night' which is about the world of opera. It gave me the chance to listen to some wonderful singers and learn about their lives. The main requirement is that an idea should EXCITE me, especially regarding its erotic potential. I do like to set the doings of my characters against an interesting background of some kind, whether contemporary or historical.

3. HOW DO YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH?

This question is usually accompanied by nudges and winks! However, if I had to experience everything described in my novels I'd never have the time to write them. Besides, no-one expects Stephen King to act like a serial killer in the cause of 'research!' So most of my information comes from books, magazines, TV, films and, most important of all, my own imagination. Fortunately there are endless variations on the theme of boy meets girl, boy beds girl, girl beds girl ... etc. so I don't think I'll run out of inspiration.

4. WHICH BOOKS HAVE YOU ENJOYED WRITING MOST?

Hard to say. The current novel is always the most interesting of course, but over time one gets a longer perspective. I very much enjoyed writing the Black Lace trilogy (The Seductress, The Mistress, The Actress) as this offered me the opportunity to develop the characters of Emma, Daniel and Kitty as they matured. I never intended to write a trilogy when I wrote The Seductress, but at the end of the book the characters stayed with me and I longed to explore 'the further adventures of Emma.' I think my favourite Liaison book so far has been 'The Honey Trap.' This is the only one of mine that comes anywhere near being a detective novel. I also enjoyed setting it in Manchester, a city I've grown to love. My favourite X Libris so far has been 'Sisters Under the Skin' because I loved writing about the relationship between two sisters, something I've no experience of myself.

Of the three books I've written mainly for men 'Rock Hard' is my current favourite - an excuse to wallow in the excesses of the rock music scene!

5. DO YOU GET TURNED ON BY YOUR BOOKS?

Occasionally, but not as often as you might expect. For me the writing process itself is exciting, so I feel 'turned on' in a general sense by whatever I'm writing. I love the feeling of being really into the world I've created, of sharing my characters' experiences and feelings, but it's not always specifically sexual. When I proof-read my books, months later, I have a chance to read my work as if someone else has written it and it's at that stage that I find some passages quite arousing!

6. WHAT DOES YOUR PARTNER THINK ABOUT YOU WRITING THESE BOOKS?

He is proud of me! Unlike many men he's never read much erotica, and only occasionally will he read one of my books right through. But he has always encouraged me in my writing career and his support has helped me keep on when I felt like giving up.

7. WHAT OTHER AUTHORS DO YOU ENJOY READING?

I don't read other erotic novels to any extent, because that tends to be 'work' rather than relaxation. Also I'm a bit concerned that I might absorb their ideas and recycle them, quite unconsciously, but it could look like plagiarism. When I want a relaxing read I turn to authors like Clive Barker, for his superb style, Stephen King for his great characterisation, or Phillipa Gregory, who writes brilliant historicals. If I want a good laugh I might dip into a Terry Pratchett.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR WRITING AMBITIONS?

I've already achieved my two main ambitions: to have a novel published and to make my living through writing. I am very happy to go on writing for my current publishers as long as they want me to, since I have the opportunity to write in a variety of styles, viewpoints and periods. Sometimes I would like to spend more time than this genre allows developing my characters, but I make up for it by writing about a range of types with various tastes.

9. HAVE YOU WRITTEN ANYTHING BESIDES EROTICA?

Written, yes. Published, not much! I didn't set out to write this type of fiction. Originally I wanted to write for the children's market. I've tried just about every genre, from plays to poetry, song-lyrics, sci-fi and fantasy. For several years I scraped a living by writing hundreds of 'True Life Romance' stories, but the historical novel I re-wrote a dozen times has never seen the light of day. Only when I began to write for Erotic Stories magazine did I get the idea of trying to write a full-length erotic novel and, since then, I've never looked back!

10. DO YOU WRITE EVERY DAY?

Not always. One of the things I love most about being self-employed is that I can take a day off whenever I like! I do write to tight schedules, however, producing around four books a year, so I have to be fairly disciplined about it. I write whenever I can during the day and sometimes into the evening, but I have no set hours. Fortunately I have my own workroom, and no kids or pets living with me any more, so my only real distractions are my ever-lovin' partner and the wonderful view of green hills from my window . . . oh look, what a beautiful sunset!

11. DO YOU SURF THE INTERNET FOR INSPIRATION?

Not a great deal, since it's both time-consuming and expensive. I do check anything out that I get to hear about though, and regularly visit the CompuServe Erotic Literature forum and ERA (Erotic Readers Association). I also have a few 'net-pals' that I correspond with regularly. If I needed to use the Internet for research purposes I would, but so far the need hasn't arisen very often.