Behind the Scenes of the Wild Wicked Weekend

Behind the Scenes of the Wild Wicked Weekend

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the upcoming Wild Wicked Weekend in San Antonio. Then again, what happens in San Antonio...

It’s wild. It’s wicked. It’s one glorious weekend in February that you will never forget - especially the parts where pictures will not be allowed. 

Regina Carlysle, Samantha Cayto, Cerise DeLand, Dalton Diaz, Desiree Holt, and Brenna Zinn are working hard to bring your unspoken desires to life. We each have our responsibilities and our favorite activities on the schedule, and each week one of us will give you a glimpse behind the scenes and a personal look into our favorite activity.

This week’s featured author: Brenna Zinn

Bio

I remember reading about Texas in an Illinois grade school and thinking I probably would never see the great state where real cowboys ride their horses to work every day and everyone wears western hats and boots. Then again, I never dreamed I would elope in Gibraltar with a Navy man who hailed from the Lone Star state. But here I am, smack dab in the middle of Texas, still married to the same wonderful man and boasting not only the greatest daughter on the planet, but three dogs who are as big as long horns.

In between grade school and now, my journey through life has taken me all over the United States, as well as many places throughout the world. Using my travel experience as a guide and peppering in interesting characters I’ve met along the way, I love nothing better than weaving tales of romance and leaving readers yearning for adventures of their own.

Want to know more about me including my buy links? Visit www.BrennaZinn.com and check out my new site for my soon to be released Strip Club Series at
www.IronRods.net 

What is my main responsibility behind the Wild Wicked Weekend?

I have a few hats that slip on and off before, during and after the Wild, Wicked Weekend.  I’m in charge of registrations, payments, name tags… you get the idea.  I’m also in charge of finding the drag queens for what is sure to be the most amazing drag queen show this side of the Pecos. I’m also working with vendors to make sure we have some crazy cool things to browse and buy.  During the weekend, you’ll see me running around, probably with a drink in my hand, chatting with all our guests.  That’s my favorite job.

Question(s) from www.WildWickedWeekend.com and contest info:

venuscahill asked: If you could travel anywhere for research where would it be and why would you choose it?

Without a single doubt, I would want to go to Scotland. I wish I could explain my love for that country. I’ve never been there before, but I’m inexplicably pulled to it. I guessing my obsession for Scotland has something to do with handsome men with dreamy accents wearing kilts and the breathtaking, yet lonesome landscapes. For whatever reason, I would love to go there for “research”. Wink, wink.              

SheriV asked: If there was one thing from one of your books that you wish you could do, what would it be and why?

I’ve just finished the first book in a three-book series about a rundown strip club for women in  Austin, Texas. The book, Iron Rods, has a scene in which my heroine tries her hand at swinging around a stripper pole while listening to her favorite song. If I could, I would do that too. I think there’s something liberating in that gesture.

Shey Houston asked: I had the privilege of meeting you all at the Naughty Sleepover and I'd love to know what does your significant other think of your work and do you practice for your books ;) Because I've practiced what's in those books!! HEHEHE! Can't wait to see ya'll again! 

ROFL!  Hehehe, indeed!!

My significant other is my hubby of twenty-four years. Although we haven’t discussed his thoughts about my work in any detail, I can say he’s been very supportive of it. He’s been my rock while I went through the gut-wrenching decision to quit my job of twenty years to pursue writing, as well as my cheerleader when I make a sale. I simply adore him. As for our practicing what I write in my books…all I’ll say is he is a true inspiration. ;)

Nikki McCarver asked: What was your most memorable fan encounter and did they ask you sex advice?

I met a fan at The Naughty Sleepover last February who blew me away. She said she had come to the event just to see me.  Me, of all people! That was the first time I felt as though I had really made it as an author. Someone out there liked my work enough to want to meet me in person. Kind of mind blowing. And no, no questions about sex advice.  Thank goodness.

Lori William Backfire Twardoku asked: Do you do research for your books or could this information be from personal experience?

The answer to both is yes!  I have a Bachelor of History undergraduate degree, so there’s a big part of me that loves research.  I’ve spent hours on the internet and combing through books to find information that I need to help make my stories not only accurate, but more detailed. In my book, Dagger’s Edge, I did a lot of research not only about Navy SEALs, but of Key West, Florida.  I learned about Conch-style houses. Who knew a style of house is a conch??

Kathy Lewis asked: You ladies work so well together. I love the series that all of you take part in. How did you all come together?

I met Desiree Holt and Cerise Deland through the San Antonio Romance Authors (a local Romance Writers of America group.) From there, I met the other ladies. We all seemed to click. Add a little chocolate wine, a wild sex toy party, and a few trips to a strip club, and bodda-bing, bodda-boom, we formed into the group we are.

Nancy DeFreitas asked: How do you get your information to write a book, is it your imagination or do you research it on line?

Nancy, I’m going to refer you to my answer above.  Great question.  Clearly it’s on the mind of many of our readers J

Julianne Keller asked: I'd love to ask what's going to happen with those tic tacs, but I don't think I'll be finding out soon. :) Who plans out their books carefully and who flies by the seat of their pants? Is this true of every book you write, or do you switch back and forth depending on the characters?

I can’t speak for everyone, but I tend to do more flying by the seat of my pants.  I generally start with a story idea, think through who I want my characters to be based on the conflict created in the story, and then I create a rough draft of how I see the story going. Mind you, the rough draft more than not gets revised while I’m writing the story. I like that though. I want my stories to be organic, not anything overly planned and too predictable.

Eva P. Have you based a characters on someone you know? Along those same lines, have you killed off a character based on someone you know that upset you?

LOL. I’m trying to think if I’ve ever killed off a character.  I don’t think I have. Not yet anyway.  The characters I come up with sometimes have a strong touch of people I know.  I find that I absolutely LOVE writing about characters who are larger than life, who steal the show. Those are fun characters and I try to have at least one of them in each story.

Kellee Russom  asked: How does your immediate family feel about your writing? "Why yes, my daughter does write erotica"
Do you make a living writing or do you have another job?
Do most self pubbers use professional editors/critiquers or do they use really talented friends?

My daughter is turning twenty-three in October. I think she thinks me writing erotica is pretty cool. I only say this because she occasionally tells me about sharing with her friends that this is something I do. As for my husband, see the answer above. J

Regarding the self-pubbers… it’s hard to say. I know for myself, I used a professional editor for my one and only self-published book, Private Showing.  I’ve read other self-published books where I have (HAVE) to believe that they were either not edited or not edited by a professional.  This, I believe, is a huge mistake. Authors may only have one shot at impressing a reader. If the story sucks or the editing is sub-par, then why would the reader want to read any other books by that author?

Mindy Hernandez Nabors asked: What is the weirdest thing you have researched when writing a book?

Sex toys. Yep. You read that right. Sex toys. When I wrote Private Showing, I wanted to include adult toys that were not the typical, off-the-shelf types. Let me tell you, when you “research” on-line for sex toys, you find out WAAAAY more than you’ll probably ever want to know.  Some images I saw will be forever burned into my brain.

Contest: There is still time to enter. From now through Sept 25th, simply go to www.WildWickedWeekend.com and ask a question right on the website. It can be any question, though we aren’t telling who will answer! Yes, you can ask more than one question, but you will only be entered once for the contest. One lucky winner will receive an e-book of choice from each of our backlist! That’s 6 free e-books! Winner will be announced and the last questions answered right here in our last post on Sept. 28th.