SilkWords is the go-to source for interactive romance and erotic fiction.
With gorgeous custom covers and a clean, sophisticated design, the SilkWords site offers a secure, upscale reading environment. In addition to content on their web site, they offer stories for purchase in the standard e-book formats.
SilkWords is owned and operated by a full-time mom with a background in genetics and an RWA RITA-nominated, multi-published sci-fi romance author.
Their technology guy and site designer was the founder of Microsoft Xbox Live.
SilkWords features two formats that allow readers to choose how the stories will proceed.
Pick Your Path:
Will she or won't she? With which man (or woman) in which location? With Pick Your Path romance, you decide. Romance and branched fiction are made for each other, like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream...positions, partners, and paraphernalia, oh my!
Reader Vote:
Readers vote at choice points and decide how the story will continue. These stories are a great way for readers and authors to connect. It’s exciting to be part of a developing story!
Angel Leigh McCoy
Genre: Romance
Publisher: SilkWords
ISBN: 978-1-941847-37-4
Cover Artist: Indie Designz
Book Description:
Chicago lawyer, Adele London, has worked hard to get where she is, but when her misogynist boss makes it clear she won't be allowed to excel, she decides she needs a change. With the help of her best friend Karen, Adele considers her options, and only one solution keeps rising to the top: the radical one. It will require that Adele forego societal conventions and stretch into new territory. Once she commits, there's no going back! The time has come for her to make an illegal lane change.
Reader Vote Story at www.silkwords.com
Installment 1: November 29
Installment 2: December 20
Installment 3: January 10
Installment 4: January 31
Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
My very first memory of wanting to be a writer was in 6th grade. I wrote a novel, a gothic romance in the tradition of Mary Stewart’s work (and I wish I still had a copy of it today!).
I was an avid reader, one of those introverts who spent more time in books than with her friends, and I devoured gothic romances. I wanted to create those tales and would spend whole afternoons imagining new characters and plot lines—usually a governess or other servant in a 19th century mansion with a brooding master of the household. I haven’t changed much in the past 40+ years. This morning, I started reading http://anne-stuart.com/books/never-trust-a-pirate”
When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?
That took quite a bit longer. I first knew I had actually become a writer the first time I was paid for something I’d written. There’s something about the addition of greenbacks to the equation that increases one’s credibility and self-confidence.
Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?
My day job is as a writer for games. I create lore and characters for Guild Wars 2 a computer game with a vast fantasy world that is rich with romance and danger. I have worked for game companies since the early 90s. For many years, I wrote for White Wolf Publishing’s World of Darkness games, telling dark and sexy tales about vampires, fairies, werewolves, and mages.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
It’s called “Illegal Lane Change.”
When Adele decides she wants a baby, she must overcome her own issues in order to fulfill her dream.
Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?
My publisher is https://www.silkwords.com/ It is one of their Reader Vote stories. I presented the readers with Adele’s dilemma, and they decide how they want her to solve it. Once I know their whim, I write the ensuing sexy adventure. Silkwords appeals to me as a publisher because the “Choose Your Own Adventure” concept is strongly reminiscent of my work as a game writer. I love the communication with readers and how they affect the outcome of my book. It’s a thrilling challenge.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
That’s part of the challenge with the Reader Vote stories. I don’t have much time after readers choose the story’s direction. Fortunately, I’ve spent my life practicing focus and the ability to plot on multiple levels in advance. When you’re a freelance writer, you often have to change direction on a dime and bring a story together on very short notice.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a differe nt genre?
Definitely more books of the same genre. I’ve rediscovered my passion for the Romance genre, and it’s making me uncannily happy to be writing the kinds of books I loved so much as a young woman. My hope is that my experience will allow me to write one that’s a bit deeper and sexier than the one I wrote in 6th grade. My short fiction tends to fall within genre fiction: fantasy, horror, steampunk, or science fiction. I imagine I will find ways to combine these genres with Romance.
I most definitely have a routine. When I give myself over to a story, I want very few distractions so I don’t listen to music at all. Being a single woman by choice (who has had more than her own fair share of adventures both romantic and otherwise), I have no partner and no children. The only distraction I allow is the purring of kitties. I suppose that makes me a burgeoning Cat Lady, and I own that proudly. Nothing makes me happier than to settle in on the couch with my laptop and three kitties sitting beside me, and tell a rip-roaring tale of love and danger.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
I tend to, yes. I have learned over the years, as a freelancer, not only how to take praise and criticism but how to translate it into something useful. That is the real trick.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I write the book, then choose the title. Quite often, as with “Illegal Lane Change,” I’ll take a phrase from within the body of the work that expresses what I need it to express. With “Illegal Lane Change,” I felt it foreshadowed the dramatic change that Adele is making to her life’s path and also reveals how many people would consider her decision to become a single mother outside the norm of what’s acceptable.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
I’m a huge fan of Baby Name websites. When I’m choosing a name, I try to find one that fits the character both in meaning, time period, and in how it rolls off the tongue. Many names come with baggage, such as “Eugene.” It’s a perfectly lovely name, but not one anyone would expect to find on a romantic hero in a modern romance. Eugene could, however, be the name of a secondary character, one in a tech or scientific field, perhaps. Or, in a period story, it could be a first name: Lord Eugene Baxter. Quite sexy.
Adele means noble and kind, plus it has a certain breathy softness when you say it, so I can easily imagine it whispered upon a pillow.
Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
It’s rather simultaneous. I create extensive character documents, filling in all kinds of details about a character’s history, looks, and personality. As I’m working on this, an image begins to form in my head, and at a certain point, I find myself on one of those baby name sites, looking for just the right name.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
I do this in advance. I find it helps me to stay on track and keep the character from straying out of character. I set a few rules for the character such as:
One thing she would never do.
How she reacts when embarrassed.
How she reacts when afraid.
Does she say what she thinks or is she diplomatic?
Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
The only morals I would ever hope to impart with my Romance stories are that—pardon the clichés—love knows no bounds and love triumphs in the end. To delve even deeper into that, I do like to challenge people’s preconceived notions about what’s acceptable and what’s not. I like to show the oft-considered unacceptable choice as perfectly acceptable when love and/or consent are in the mix. If this opens people’s minds to new options for themselves and their relationships, then all the better!
And, of course, I do appreciate a strong female character.
Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?
These days, I consume almost all my books as audio books. This is primarily because I am such a busy person. I have times, such as when I’m in the car or washing dishes or in the shower, when I can listen to an audio book and get my reading in without stopping everything to do it.
I also prefer e-books over paper. I love to be able to search through a book with a keyword.
What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
The book I’ve read the most, again and again, is ILLUSIONS: THE ADVENTURES OF A RELUCTANT MESSIAH by Richard Bach. Although this book isn’t a romance, it gives one possible description of how we all create our own fates, lifestyles, and situations by our thoughts and the people we let into our lives.
This book taught me to stay alert to the magical moments that happen in life. I make every effort to express that in my writing.
Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?
I think they can, yes. I also think that many readers love their books so much that they’re unwilling to accept a trimmed-down version, and of course, movies must be edited down. I have several favorite movies that started as books. My favorite is perhaps “Bridget Jones Diary.” I’ve watched that movie more times than I care to admit in a public forum <wink>. I’ve also enjoyed (numerous times) most renditions of “Pride and Prejudice” that I’ve seen.
Your favorite food is?
Ice cream. Nom!
Your favorite singer/group is?
I listen to many different artists, if I had to choose only one, I’d take Elton John. I’ve loved his music, across the decades. His ballads and love songs are beautiful, and he has only improved over time.
Your favorite color is?
I have three, and they correspond to the <a href=” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Crayola_crayon_colors “ target=”_blank”>crayons</a> I loved best when I was a child: Brick Red, Midnight Blue, and Forest Green.
Your favorite Author is?
This is very difficult to say, but when I look back over my life and review the authors I’ve read, the truth is that one stands out among them all as she who most won my heart: <a href=” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Cartland “ target=”_blank”>Barbara Cartland</a>.
As a reader, I’ve read hundreds of her books and loved most of them.
As a writer, I was fascinated and inspired from a young age by her ability to create so many stories. My writing in no way resembles hers, and my affection for it is nostalgic, but I have to give the grand Dame her due.
Thank you very much for your interest in me and my writing. I’m not your typical Romance writer, but perhaps that will make our relationship as writer and reader all the more spicy and adventurous.
Love is yours!
Angel…
In her spare time, she’s the mastermind behind the indie game projects at Games Omniverse. She began her career designing story and gameplay for White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, FASA, and other RPG companies. At Xbox.com, she was the game reviewer known as Wireless Angel. Angel shares a padded cave with Boo, Simon, and Lapis Lazuli (kitties) in Seattle, where the long, dark winters feed her penchant for all things spooky and cozy. SFWA & HWA pro member.
Blog: http://angelmccoy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/angelmccoy (@angelmccoy)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/angel.mccoy
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16152.Angel_Leigh_McCoy
Interactive romance, intriguing idea.
ReplyDeleteJillian Jacobs
I thought so too! I'm excited. This is my first one with them, and I can't wait to see what readers choose. It's the ultimate writer's challenge!
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