Between the Lines

Ashley Lister talks with Lucy Felthouse

Lucy Felthouse is a UK based author whose steamy short fiction has appeared in anthologies produced by Xcite Books and Ravenous Romance.  Aside from writing erotic fiction, Lucy also reviews erotica and wrote her final year dissertation on ‘How women’s roles in erotic writing have increased as social attitudes change.’  Lucy took time from her busy schedule to talk to ERWA about her fiction.

Ashley Lister: You began writing erotica at University.  What started your interest in the genre?  How was the experience of exploring erotic themes in an academic environment?  Did you ever feel as though your peers or tutors were defining you by your preferred genre?

Lucy Felthouse: My initial interest in the genre actually came after I started writing erotica. Whilst on a lunch break at University, I was talking with some friends. We were having quite a blunt conversation, and one of my friends suggested that because of my general open-mindedness I should try and write an erotic story. I told him to give me character names and a theme and I went ahead and wrote it. I took the completed piece into University and gave it to the friends involved in the original conversation to read, and there was a unanimous admiration for the story. I guess I never stopped writing!

I don’t feel as though I was treated any differently because of my choice of topic for my dissertation. In fact, the lecturer for that particular course was really interested in what I was doing, and admired my bravery and the unique topic. Of course, the fact that Mitzi Szereto was also lecturing at the University at the time helped. My lecturer suggested I go and talk to her and get some advice, and that was pretty much the end of the discussion! It wasn’t really mentioned after that.

Ashley Lister: You review and you write: both of which are challenging and demanding occupations.  How do you balance both of these?  What’s your typical daily routine with regards to your writing?

Lucy Felthouse: Firstly it depends on how shattered I am after arriving home from my day job! I tend to get home and start going through my emails. I’ll reply and action the most urgent ones. Then after dinner I’ll start working on outstanding reviews, and more recently, posts for Erotica For All - a UK website for reviews and author promos dedicated to erotica. Once I’ve got all that out of the way, I tend to work on my fiction. When I’m on deadline for fiction, though, everything else has to be put on the back burner.

Ashley Lister: In your self-published collection of two short stories (The Great Outdoors) you deal with the theme of outdoor erotica. Sex in public places is a common theme in your work. I know that you’re also an avid walker/rambler and have done lots of works for charities including fun runs, and mountain climbing.  Is there a connection between your personal love of the outdoors and the fictional passions you create?

Lucy Felthouse: There’s definitely a link. As a writer, story ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. The fact I spent a fair amount of time outdoors inevitably gives me ideas for stories. As well as enjoying writing stories about the outdoors (‘Fun in the Forest’, one of the stories in The Great Outdoors is a particular favourite of mine), I find that it’s a popular topic amongst readers too.

Ashley Lister: You review a lot of erotica titles. Do you ever find yourself being influenced by the content or style of a particular story? 

Lucy Felthouse: To be honest, I don’t really. I tend to just write the stories I like to write and feel most comfortable with. I most often write straight, contemporary stories simply because it comes most naturally. However, I really want to expand on the story I started in Shattered Resistance, which is a story I have featured in Ravenous Romance’s anthology Fang Bangers, which is about a vampire and a human getting together. It’s got potential to be a much longer work, so I’m pretty excited about it. Watch this space!

Ashley Lister: What advice would you give to anyone interested in writing in the erotic genre?

Lucy Felthouse: Go for it! Write, write, write. Join Twitter and Facebook and start hooking up with other writers (we’re a friendly bunch!). Then check out ERWAs Calls for Submissions and start sending stories in. When you’re published for the first time, you’ll be ridiculously excited (well, I was anyway!) and it’ll spur you on to do more. Embrace your work and the erotic writing community and we’ll embrace you right back.

Ashley Lister: What are you currently working on? Where can readers go to find out more about Lucy Felthouse and her writing?

Lucy Felthouse: I’m currently working on lots! I’ve got my brand new website, Erotica For All, which is a resource for readers and writers of erotica (come check it out eroticaforall.co.uk), and I’m uploading lots of content, by way of author profiles, free erotic stories and much more.

I’m also still doing erotica reviews. I’ve just got myself a Kindle so I’ll be reading lots more eBooks, so if anyone wants to send me review copies, contact me!

I’m working on a few stories for lots of calls for submissions I’ve got, for publishers such as Xcite, Ravenous Romance and Cleis. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

And last, but certainly not least, I’m reading stories for an anthology I’m working on. I’m self-publishing an erotic eBook anthology with a uniform theme, called Uniform Behaviour. Hopefully by the time you’re all reading this, you’ll have sent me a story for inclusion!

Ashley Lister
October 2010

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"Between the Lines" © 2010 Ashley Lister. All rights reserved.

About the Author:  Ashley Lister is a UK author responsible for more than two-dozen erotic novels written under a variety of pseudonyms. His most recent work, Swingers: True Confessions from Today's Modern Swinging Scene (Virgin Books; ISBN: 0753511355), a non-fiction book recounting the exploits of UK swingers, is his first title published under his own name.
Ashley's non-fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Forum, Chapter & Verse and The International Journal of Erotica.  Nexus, Chimera and Silver Moon have published his full-length fiction, with shorter stories appearing in anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Mitzi Szereto.  He is very proud to be a regular contributor to ERWA.
Websites: www.ashleylister.co.uk / ashleylister.blogspot.com

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