Nikki – I see you used to write military citations and efficiency reports. How does a person make the jump from that to romance?
CJ – If you're a writer, you're a writer. When I was in the Army I wrote several citations and numerous efficiency reports. Both types of documents must be written well if they are to represent the recipient properly. In one you're describing an action, in the other a person's performance. Both require using descriptive language that accurately portrays what you're trying to say. That's pretty much what you're doing when you write a book. Jumping to romance wasn't a simle transition though. I had to teach myself to my romance scenes. I write from both male and female points of view. I had a lot of 'supervision' from the females in my life until I got the female stuff right.
Nikki – Your character Susan Ambrose, has a strong family history in the military. How did you decide to give her this background?
CJ – The premise I started with was Susan, the product of a warrior family, wanting to marry outside that culture. I work from a rough outline so I don't know what's going to happen in my stories. The influence that her family, especially her father, had on her just came out as I wrote. It became much more important than I originally envisioned.
Nikki – Defense contractors seem to be playing a much larger part in war situations in the 21st century. Did that increased importance in national security play a part in your decision to set your story in this environment? If not, what prompted your decision?
CJ – I needed a role for David that would eventually show that he was a warrior. Selecting a program that would require him to go to a war zone worked well. I didn't consciously select a defense contractor for any other reason than it fit the story. David had to be a civilian and one who wasn't obviously a warrior. He's not your typical romance hero--in the beginning.
Nikki – Most men I know tell me they are visual and enjoy watching sex scenes, but I’ve noticed more and more are reading sex scenes. Do you think that’s a shift in attitude or is it just the men I know?
CJ – I hope things are changing. It seems like the majority of erotic romance readers (and writers) are female. That's always been the female source of sexual fantasy, reading explicit novels. Men had their x-rated films but also would read things like the letters in Penthouse. I think men's fantasies are more pure erotica than women's Getting them to read something titled 'romance' is difficult. Most think romance novels won't be that erotic. Boy, are they wrong. Their interest in something with the term 'romance' in it isn't there. Obviously, they will read erotica. They need to understand that women, and some men, are writing stuff that will fire them up. If all men knew the effect erotic romance had on their significant others, sales would boom.
Nikki - If it is a change, what do you think has lead to the change?
CJ – The erotic romance doesn't have to change, just the packaging. The term 'erotic romance' works great with women. We need a similiar term for men, 'smut for men' seems too crude. We need something provocative that will catch their attention.
Nikki – What sort of reactions do you get from women and other men when they find out about your books?
CJ – Easy question. The women's eyes light up and the men shrug their shoulders.
Nikki – Many women mention that they write erotic books under a pen name because of family concerns. Do you have these same concerns? Why or why not?
CJ – I use a pen name because my given name is so obviously male. I didn't want a potential reader turned off by the fact that a man wrote it without even seeing what it was about. It wasn't a family thing, all the women in my family think it's great that I write erotic stuff.
Nikki – Female writers often use their initials when they write thrillers because men are more accepted? Did this sort of idea lead to you using your initials?
CJ - That's interesting. The ladies use their initials to mask the fact that they're female and I use them to mask the fact that I'm male.
CJ – If you're a writer, you're a writer. When I was in the Army I wrote several citations and numerous efficiency reports. Both types of documents must be written well if they are to represent the recipient properly. In one you're describing an action, in the other a person's performance. Both require using descriptive language that accurately portrays what you're trying to say. That's pretty much what you're doing when you write a book. Jumping to romance wasn't a simle transition though. I had to teach myself to my romance scenes. I write from both male and female points of view. I had a lot of 'supervision' from the females in my life until I got the female stuff right.
Nikki – Your character Susan Ambrose, has a strong family history in the military. How did you decide to give her this background?
CJ – The premise I started with was Susan, the product of a warrior family, wanting to marry outside that culture. I work from a rough outline so I don't know what's going to happen in my stories. The influence that her family, especially her father, had on her just came out as I wrote. It became much more important than I originally envisioned.
Nikki – Defense contractors seem to be playing a much larger part in war situations in the 21st century. Did that increased importance in national security play a part in your decision to set your story in this environment? If not, what prompted your decision?
CJ – I needed a role for David that would eventually show that he was a warrior. Selecting a program that would require him to go to a war zone worked well. I didn't consciously select a defense contractor for any other reason than it fit the story. David had to be a civilian and one who wasn't obviously a warrior. He's not your typical romance hero--in the beginning.
Nikki – Most men I know tell me they are visual and enjoy watching sex scenes, but I’ve noticed more and more are reading sex scenes. Do you think that’s a shift in attitude or is it just the men I know?
CJ – I hope things are changing. It seems like the majority of erotic romance readers (and writers) are female. That's always been the female source of sexual fantasy, reading explicit novels. Men had their x-rated films but also would read things like the letters in Penthouse. I think men's fantasies are more pure erotica than women's Getting them to read something titled 'romance' is difficult. Most think romance novels won't be that erotic. Boy, are they wrong. Their interest in something with the term 'romance' in it isn't there. Obviously, they will read erotica. They need to understand that women, and some men, are writing stuff that will fire them up. If all men knew the effect erotic romance had on their significant others, sales would boom.
Nikki - If it is a change, what do you think has lead to the change?
CJ – The erotic romance doesn't have to change, just the packaging. The term 'erotic romance' works great with women. We need a similiar term for men, 'smut for men' seems too crude. We need something provocative that will catch their attention.
Nikki – What sort of reactions do you get from women and other men when they find out about your books?
CJ – Easy question. The women's eyes light up and the men shrug their shoulders.
Nikki – Many women mention that they write erotic books under a pen name because of family concerns. Do you have these same concerns? Why or why not?
CJ – I use a pen name because my given name is so obviously male. I didn't want a potential reader turned off by the fact that a man wrote it without even seeing what it was about. It wasn't a family thing, all the women in my family think it's great that I write erotic stuff.
Nikki – Female writers often use their initials when they write thrillers because men are more accepted? Did this sort of idea lead to you using your initials?
CJ - That's interesting. The ladies use their initials to mask the fact that they're female and I use them to mask the fact that I'm male.
You can visit his website at http://www.cjmaxx.net/.
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