Saturday 8 April 2017

Author Interview - Ginger Segreti

My latest interview is with American 'Sexpreneur, Technologist, Fetishist, Dream Weaver, and Erotica Author' Ginger Segreti.

First off, about you as a person:

(1)    Where do you live now, and where did you grow up?      


I live in Philadelphia and grew up in the burbs.


(2)    Which of the following best describes you:
(a)    single (b) involved with someone  (c) married  (d) married with children

So my first thought here was the tv show – married with children.  Good god, I’m happy I’m not them!  I’ll take married for $500.


I know people who would take ‘divorced’ for that price.
For the record, I’ve got five kids. But if I could get $500 for each one, I might consider selling… Joking - they’re the best thing in my life.


(3)    Do you have a real job, or does your writing pay the bills?

Am I to understand the underlying assumption-being an author is no longer a respected career path?
[Not at all. I’d say it’s a very respected career path, but only a few make enough to live on.]

In all seriousness, I can’t imagine just writing. I need a balance of right and left brain activity.  I love the escape of the story and enjoy getting caught up in a fairy tale.  There is challenge inherent in the process – making believable characters, story lines, and of course the sex.  I use Barbie dolls sometimes to act out user actions so I make sure the visual is realistic. 

So, you were asking about a real job?  I left corporate America years ago and actively work on staying out of it.  I balance a variety of “gigs”, if you will to pay the bills. I’m an entrepreneur, consultant and author.  I recently started an ecommerce site focused on curated sex toys.  So often, when I am out and about – people don’t know where to start.  There are too many toys. Have you been to the tooth paste aisle?  It’s worse for sex toys.  There are so many different objectives.  It can be overwhelming.  Our goal at playfulaging.com is to deliver you best match to accomplish your goals. It’s time we Warby Parker the sex toy industry! https://www.playfulaging.com/



The name made me smile. I like the idea of aging playfully.


(4)    Of the places you’ve visited, where was your favourite?

Wow, that’s a tough one.  I’m going to have to say, Nepal.  I was lucky enough to go before the earthquake that destroyed many of the historic sites.  It was a personal experience, one that really helped me redefine who I wanted to be and who I let dictate who I could be. 



(5)    Is there anywhere you haven’t been that you’d love to visit?

Yes – Machu Picchu.  I love the idea of unplugging for three to five weeks and giving myself the space to day dream and not get caught up in the day-to-day drudgery. We do so much that we think we have to, and rarely take time to imagine what we want to do.  Changing your environment, perspective and expectations allows you to experience life differently, opens you in a way that isn’t possible staying close to home and being constantly busy.


(6)    How do you spend your spare time when you’re not working, sleeping or writing?

Spare time – I love to move – weight training, outdoors activities, rock climbing, dancing, trapeze, kayaking.  If I can do something outdoors and move, that’s even better. 

Sounds like fun, although some of your hobbies sound a bit dangerous to me…

  
…with some more dangerous than others !


I also really enjoy activities that might fall in the working bucket – research, attending events, conferences, teaching….
You work in the sex-toy industry and you like research... Yeah, I can understand that :-) 

Okay, moving on to your writing:

(7)    Is Ginger Segreti your real name or a pseudonym?
Can I say, I’m not telling? 
If I have to, Ginger is my scene name – does that count? 


(8)    I write under a female penname, yet I’m a guy. So, Cock or Minge?

I know the question based on your context but when I see the word minge- I think of mange and animals that haven’t been tended. 
It’s weird how your mind works… Minge is one of my favourite words. In fact, I prefer minge to cock :-)

Are you familiar with Fetlife?  You know, this question has more than two answers in today’s society.  Try setting up a profile for Fetlife and figure out how you characterize yourself.  It’s not a binary system!
I realise that, and I can think of several possible answers to my question:
(i)                 Cock
(ii)               Minge
(iii)             Both
(iv)              Neither
(v)                Yes please

One of the things I love about writing – I can be whomever I want – no restrictions except my imagination. 


(9)    Would I be correct in guessing that you’re a redhead?

I’m sassiest as a redhead. 



(10)    How many people who know you in real life are aware that you write smut?

Too many at this point!  I was in the closet for a while and then a friend introduced me to a potential client under the preface that I wrote and basically the combination of my other skills plus this one – would make me the perfect consultant. That was the beginning of the end.
It’s pretty interesting to see people’s reaction – although I don’t lead with that.  Only if it comes up.


(11)    Do you remember your first dirty story, and why you wrote it?

I thought I could do better than what was out there.  A lot of my life activities are challenge related. I love to read. One of my goals is to have a book on an end cap. I may need to branch out in genre.  I really like writing sex though.  I have a few books that I attempted to write mainstream and my characters end up in compromising situations. 


(12)    Why do you write erotica?

I enjoy the subject, the set up–the fantasy.  I have a few less sex, more “story” stories in process but they led me in a different direction and I got stuck.  I’m not sure how to untangle the plotlines.  And it’s challenging to pick and choose scenes and interactions that progress the story while alluding to the day-to-day activities of people without getting mired in the pleasantries and banalities.

Largely most of our life is boring. A book is like the highlight reel. As a writer it’s your job to find the most important scenes and give the perfect amount of detail to engage but not overwhelm the reader. Their brain needs plot to process and information to fill in the blanks. 




(13)    If someone reading this interview had never heard of you, how would you describe your stories?

Kinky.  I have a few swinger – threesome, foursome stories, exhibition, fantasy, BDSM.  I write partially fantasy, partially life inspired tales.  It’s probably not the best way to build a reader base – because I don’t stick with one genre. I would say I am a Jackett of all trades, Mistress of none.


(14)    What’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about your writing?

I wish I kept a better list of comments.  I like getting people hot and bothered so comments like a “steamy romp” and “hot dish” are fun.  Now I’m thinking I need to get out there and do more promo work, so I can better answer this questions!


(15)    What’s the nastiest thing anyone’s said about your writing?

There hasn’t been any really nasty words – it’s more constructive criticism on how the story was structured.  Each person has their own expectations, especially in genres that have tropes and people anticipate a certain story arch and resolution.  When you buck that, you risk pissing people off.  I don’t tend to do anything conventional so, I’m open to the outcomes.  It’s the only way to innovate, regardless of the subject.

(16)    Do you write in other genres under other pennames?

Not yet – good idea.  There is a certain authority figure that I’ve been dying to write a fictional story about though.  We’ll see.  


(17)    Talk us through your writing process. Do you have definite plot-lines, or just start writing and see where the characters take you?

Yes and No. I’ve crafted stories with plot-lines and without. Much of my writing has been about a challenge – whether it’s a style challenge, a format challenge.  For example, when Grey came out I’d read the reviewers questioning whether E. L. James actually changed the book or took the same narrative and swapped out some copy. I decided to try my hand at writing one story from two different perspectives, and My Muse, A Literary Salon First was born.

(18)    What’s your most satisfying writing moment?

When I get the feel of the words, just “write” – the scene, the emotions come together and it’s like sensual poetry. I’ve captured the texture of the moment and crafted the context with enough information to deliver the moment, and left enough to the reader’s imagination to craft their perfect fantasy.


(19)    I know many writers of smut get derogatory comments through social media. Do you get these, and how do you cope? Have you ever been sent pictures of men’s tackle? [For the record, I’m still waiting for my first photo of women’s bits; my email address in on my website J]


I have seen many cocks, large, small, angled, cut, uncut, pierced.  My favorite – a picture of a cock compared to a Gatorade bottle.  One day I’d like to make a book cover highlighting all the pics!

Anger is fear in public. There is something about what I’m doing that frightens people because it may call into question their definition of gender or sexuality. It’s not me. It’s something in them, that I stir that makes them upset.  For us as a society to reach a better place, we need to help these people to get past their fears and show them that a society that values pleasure and happiness and sexual openness is a good and safe place, that it won’t undermine family or other concerns that they have.  People fear the unknown. It’s biology. We need to show them that which they fear, to help them get past it.


(20)    If someone was going on holiday and could take only one book by each author with them, which of yours would you recommend, and why?

Can We Have A Foursome, I like the balance of story and sex in this one. I worked on portraying the real complexity of engaging with other people and couples in swinging. Sex is such a personal experience. When we branch out with other people, there are different issues we need to address. A significant other is someone you’ve built a life with. A new partner doesn’t have that bond. You all of the sudden need to respect the existing bond, while enjoying the new partner and contributing to a circumstance where everyone is comfortable and engages in activities that are mutually wanted.


(21)    Are there any subjects you wouldn’t be comfortable writing about or including in your stories?

I struggle with remaining sex-positive and portraying non-consensual circumstances.


(22)  If you could act out any scene from one of your stories, which character would you play, and what does the scene involve? Why does this particular scene appeal?

I like all of the scenes. I wrote them. 
When writing scenes I think through the appeal of being in each circumstance, so your question is really challenging.
The one that comes to mind, isn’t published yet.  It’s a Mistress going to the Pleasure Garden Sex Club in Philadelphia. She’s meeting a guy to act out his fantasy of being a Sub in public….


(23)  Do you set yourself targets? What are your long-term writing goals?

I had set myself targets when I first started writing. And then life got in the way.  I need chunks of undisturbed time to progress my stories. 

For the moment, I’ve focused on finishing some of the short stories I had started. As I mentioned earlier – I want to be on an end cap. I need a few other things in life to fall into place before I can dedicate more time to writing again.


(24)  What are you writing at the moment?

Short stories. I’m looking at alternatives to build audience and drive traffic. I’m also focusing on a new sex toy shop so I’m writing a lot of copy around toys and blog posts.


(25)  I know you’re diversifying into audio-books; tell us a little about that.

I like to keep up on innovation in technology. Sex tech is a burgeoning industry. Imagine – dolls, VR, audio – a completely immersive experience with no STI risk. We enjoy gadgets for every other hobby and activity. Sex is no different.



Audio is a nice alternative for those who like stories and don’t especially enjoy reading or people who enjoy audio but don’t necessarily want the visual.  I’m currently working with Vibease and exploring a partnership with two other audio focused companies.  The stories are shorter, more erotic focused.  https://www.vibease.com/fantasyerotica?search=Ginger%20Segreti



(26)    Last Question: For twitter, I’ve invented my own hashtag, #bmbtaf, which stands for Buy My Books, They’re About Fucking. What hashtag can you come up with to help your sales?

I’m playing with a social media strategy that works for me. I rather jump on the hashtag bandwagon someone else set up and use as appropriate.  I like #literaryporn as writing that can be well written and sensual.  If you come up with one that is snappy, low character count and intuitive, sign me up!
What? Are you suggesting #bmbtaf won’t catch on? Bah - I’m gutted…

Thanks Ginger, great to have you on here.

People can find out more about Ginger’s work using the following links. She assures me she’s most active on twitter and facebook:

Website:      http://www.desirebound.org
Twitter:       https://twitter.com/DesireBound

You can also get a free story about her naughty secret by signing up for her newsletter:

                https://www.desirebound.org/new-page/


Books and Blurbs…

Helen is almost done finishing school, where the Mistresses of Grace, Charm and Beauty instruct the girls in proper etiquette and form, teaching the art of dignity, beauty and sensuality. To encourage the utmost adherence to these principles, the Mistresses deliver expedient punishment when the girls require it, each classroom equipped with a Pandora’s Box of contrivances to deliver appropriate discipline. 
Helen’s attention is torn between her teacher, Mistress Charm whose unique blend of dominance and femininity stirs Helen to dream of kissing Mistress’ boots and her boyfriend, Theseus, whose sinewy muscles and commanding presence causes her to question her place as dominant or submissive. 


****

It’s Johnny’s first time at the Literary Salon. He captivates the crowd as he delivers his plea, begging his muse to reappear, to permit him to give her a glimpse of the excitement she has shown him. Watch the tale unfold through her eyes as well as his as they both experience My Muse.

****

Catalina is a dark haired Latin beauty with an hourglass figure and an ass that pops. She considers herself a lesbian top. Her girlfriend Ginger is a rebellious, red-headed Aquarius who’s half hippie, half career woman. Her sexual identity is in flux and in her secret dreams she sometimes sees a husband. Both ladies want kids, but first they need some sperm.
Catalina suggests advertising for a threesome and their sexual odyssey begins. Ginger thinks of it as playing the lottery and enjoys the newfound undercurrent of sex in her day-to-day. Catalina enjoys Ginger’s jump-started libido. It’s as if they were newly dating again.
Their email floods with responses ranging from phallic to financial. Fantasies abound and new boundaries forge as both ladies explore unchartered territory.
Choosing a man who likes to be aggressive but loves being submissive they head out for their first threesome…

****

Ginger’s red hair and Aquarius spirit commands discipline. She’s always in control. Her hot Latin beauty of a girlfriend, Catalina, used to be content with pushing her buttons, like a good brat, until their extracurricular fun starts giving Catalina ideas.
It wasn’t the failed threesome nor the looking, Catalina’s first taste of what Ginger’s been dishing comes innocently enough. One of their playdates yearns to be dominated. Catalina’s caught holding the leash just when Ginger sets her sights on a new couple, Jake and Julia. With the stakes set higher and a new goalpost laid, will their relationship take the strain as Catalina explores domination and Ginger tries to score a foursome?

****

I have a naughty secret—I like to read with a vibrator. Not just any vibrator. My travel friendly, is always ready and waiting, never disappoints, Nova. The story doesn’t have to be smut or porn. It can be intellectual, self-help, mundane, fiction or non. The literature doesn’t matter. It’s a game I play.

****



1 comment:

  1. Good to hear what Ginger's up to now :) And I like the cover of 'How about a Foursome'.

    I approve of those hobbies...wish I had the facilities for half of those!

    ReplyDelete