Friend and author, Queenie Black makes a welcome return...

... to my blog this week.  Hi Queenie and thanks for being here today.  I see you've brought one of your characters with you and welcome to you Ilaria.  I guess I'll just leave the rest to you two...
QB  Hello Ilaria, thanks for agreeing to this interview.

L     It’s a pleasure and please, call me Larry.

QB  But Ilaria’s such a pretty name.  What’s the story behind it?

L     I’m British Italian.  My father named me Ilaria.

QB I see.  Tell me about your job.  What attracted you to landscaping and tree surgery?

L    There’s some personal stuff there, I’m not sure I want to talk about.  Let’s just say that I get claustrophobic in small spaces, so I’m happier in work that takes me outside.  When I was about 13, I was fostered out to an Italian family and my foster dad was a gardener.  I loved it and did some college courses in landscaping and as soon as I could I joined the family business.

QB I’m looking forward to reading your story.  We’ll be getting close up and personal with Lucien’s* half-brother Cal.  You’ve had a crush on Cal for a long time so tell us what draws you to him.

L    Mmmm, how long have you got?  He’s sexy, he has that gorgeous tawny hair that just invites you to run your fingers through, he’s got that great martial artist’s body, not too pumped up…you know what I mean.

QB  Yes, for sure.  (Fans herself).  There’s a lot to be attracted to, and in lust with, but there are lots of good-looking men out there.  What do you see, to steal a business term, as his unique selling point?

L    He has a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility and it makes a girl want to step up and help shoulder the burden, you know?  He’s loyal, and he cares about his family.  I’m sure most aristocrats today put effort into maintaining or creating their fortunes, but he works super hard and still manages to find time for his family and his art.

QB   Art?  Explain a little more about that, please.

L   Not many people know but he’s a rope Master and photographer and his pictures have won awards.

QB  I didn’t see that coming.  Can you explain to our readers what you mean by a rope Master?

L    He’s a top in the BDSM scene.  Into rope bondage.  He studied in Japan I believe, or so I’ve heard and it’s really hard to do that because these secrets aren’t easily shared.

QB   My word.  That sounds intriguing.  Tell us more.

L     Rope can be used in many ways.  To put it broadly as an artist he uses rope, positions, knots and the human body as his medium.  He creates living art.  Let’s call this Shibari.  Now, as a rope Top or Master, the rope becomes an extension of his hands.  You still get art but here it’s all about creating an experience for him and for the rope bottom or submissive.  This I’d call Kinbaku.

QB  You and I might know what a submissive, or rope bottom is but can you explain for readers who might not be aware.

L    My definition of these is a person who has an erotic relationship with rope and being tied up, and sometimes also pain.  For me as a submissive, ropes in the hands of a Master are about trust, security, surrender and peace.  Sometimes pain.  And always hot sex.  I guess you could say I hand over my sexual needs to a person I trust.

QB  Phew!  Last question.  Does it bother you that Cal’s a Lord?  As in a bona fide member of the British aristocracy?

L   I guess family and friends might think I’m way below him.  Maybe he thinks that way too.  I have no idea.  I know going in that there can’t be anything long term between us and I don’t care.  Been there, done that, got the t-shirt when the right honourable Richard Edwards (henceforth known as Dick-Ed) dumped me because he needed to marry ‘within his class’.  I’m in it for the rope.

QB  It sounds like the lady doth protest too much!  Good luck and thank you for talking to me.

*Lucien and Rose feature in Hard-Pressed. Available now.

about the author...  I’ve always loved writing and I won my first prize for a short story when I was still at primary school.  I’m an avid reader of romance and erotic romance and can usually be found with my nose in a book.  The dynamics and sheer variety of human relationships fascinate me, and this is what I like to explore in my writing.  I live in North Yorkshire with my husband and cat where I enjoy running and Tai Chi.

You can buy the book on Amazon US and on Amazon UK

You can follow Queenie on her Website on Twitter and on her Facebook Page

Cal and Ilaria’s story can be read in Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down coming later in the year.