Stephanie Beck, author of the freshly released Just One More, is back for another interview, in which she shares her thoughts on writing M/M/F ménage relationships, the reactions she receives in response to her writing and her plans for taking on inter-generational fiction in the near future.

LUX ZAKARI: For those who may not know you, will you tell us a bit about yourself?

STEPHANIE BECK: My name is Stephanie Beck. I’ve been writing most of my life, but started in the professional world a year and a half ago. I love romance and all things loverly, two things that come out very strongly in my work. I have ten titles to my name at the moment, including an inspirational romance under my other pen name, Stephanie J Grace.

LZ: Where did the idea for your newest release come from?

SB: My latest is Just One More from Beachwalk Press. The m/m/f ménage relationship is one I find interesting and sexy and it’s one of my favorite dynamics to write about. The characters and plot specifically came from a gab session I had with a girlfriend who was less than happy with her relationship at the time. It was messy, complicated, and at the end she said “I can see us all together, one family. I can even see the pans I’ll have to buy to feed everyone, but I could be really happy.” Real life doesn’t always give us our happy endings, but I’m a firm believer that romance novels should.

LZ: What about the M/M/F ménage relationship intrigues you so much? Why is it so fun to write?

SB: I think the added character is what I like. Even in my stories with two partners, I find myself really wanting a third point of view thrown in there somewhere. With a third personality I have a lot more wiggle room to make a new dynamic.

LZ: And did your friend ever get her happy ending?

SB: Le sigh. I think she ended up right where she needed to be.

LZ: You have several books out. How do you stay so prolific?

SB: I always have something in the works and eventually those “somethings” get to a point where they are ready to be submitted. Last year ended up being full of stories that were ready for the next step. So far this year, things are a little slower, but with a new baby at home and other writing commitments, I’ve accepted that things will eventually get done.

LZ: What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when you tell them you’re a writer? How would you answer it?

SB: That’s a great question. I would have to say my favorite question is when people ask about what my family thinks of me writing and my work. The people in my life are so amazing. My six-year-old thinks I’m super famous, my husband thinks I’m a little crazy—but in a good way. My mom and dad can’t wait to tell people what their oldest daughter does. My sister carries my cards to hand out to everyone she meets. My brothers blush and fumble and my grandmother warns people that the pages of my book might start on fire because they are so steamy. I adore them all, really I do.

LZ: Are you ever shy or nervous about telling strangers you write erotic romance or do you shout it from the mountaintops?

SB: I’m in a fortuitous spot. I don’t just write erotic romance, so I can tailor things a bit to the situation. I’ve become much more comfortable in my writing shoes in the last few months and when it comes up in conversation, I’m happy to talk about what I do.

LZ: You just finished Freak Week (August 1 – 6). Can you tell us what that was like and how that idea came about?

SB: Freak Week is a celebration for my free Freak Sorority series. I wrote the first entry in the series two Halloweens ago for a contest, but at the end of the contest, I didn’t want to say goodbye to my characters. Instead, I wrote a new little story for every holiday. The following grew steadily and when I needed a promotion to help with the release of my first book, I used my Freaks.

Freak Week has grown in the last few years and I have so much fun putting it all together. I meet new readers and friends and family of people who have played at Freak Week since it began. It’s a chance for me and my characters to connect with readers and I find real joy in that connection.

LZ: If you could pick anyone in the world to be the cover model(s) on your latest release, who would it be?

SB: I’m not super into the cover models, not to say there aren’t some super hotties out in the industry at the moment. Ideally for the parts of Gavan and Adam though, I’d want someone along the lines of Gerard Butler and Ashton Kutcher—that would make me mighty happy.

LZ: What was the wisest advice you’ve ever heard in regards to writing?

SB: Sit down, disconnect from the internet and write. You have to get the words down before you can get them right.

LZ: What’s next for you and your writing?

SB: Well, I’m having to make a few decisions about my writing right now. There are avenues I’m excited to explore, just not exactly sure how to make the leaps. I have two new stories due from Lyrical Press—Teach Ms. Riggs (a romantic suspense) and Unraveling Midnight (werewolf fun) this year, so there’s plenty to keep me busy.

LZ: I’m too intrigued not to ask–what sort of avenues in your writing are you considering taking?

SB: I think most writers have more than one face. While writing romance is a blast and I love it, I also find myself drawn to inter-generational fiction. In many works I see the elderly get slighted. Either there is a silly old aunt or a grandpa snoozing and slow in the corner. In my experience, each generation has a way of forgetting what their elders were. That silly old aunt ran her household with an iron fist for fifty years. She raised six kids and worked nights when they were older to put them through collage. That snoozy grandpa fought for his country. He supported his family, raised his kids, maybe even ran a company or farm for decades. There’s a lot of respect that gets lost in passing an old soul and thinking they’re cute. I’m researching markets and figuring out where these new stories and ideas will fit, but I enjoy them. It’s a big step away from romance, but it’s something I’m passionate about.

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To purchase Just One More, visit www.amazon.com/Just-One-More-ebook/dp/B005HADHBC/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1313465198&sr=8-21.

For details about Stephanie Beck, visit www.stephaniebeck.net.