TSR: Tell us about your Bliss Series.
Sophie: Nights in Bliss is a series about a very quirky Colorado town and its unusual citizens. Bliss is a town where anything goes. It was founded by hippies in the sixties and now is home to artists, nudists and the occasional conspiracy theorist. Of course, it also has super hot, willing-to-share cowboys. The first cycle of the series involves four friends who grew up together in Bliss. Three to Ride is about the cowboy twins, Max and Rye Harper. Two to Love is about Callie Sheppard and her men. The final book in this part of the series is One to Keep about Stefan Talbot and Jennifer Waters. It’s much more BDSM oriented than the other two. Hopefully it will be out sometime this spring.
TSR: All of your works include aspects of light BDSM. What draws you to the lifestyle/topic?
Sophie: I love the power exchange. I think there’ssomething intensely romantic about BDSM. It’s all about communication. It’s all about being honest about what we want and need from the people we love. What could be sexier than that? Besides, I’m a girl who appreciates a good spanking.
TSR: You became a Siren star relatively quickly. How does it affect the kinds of writing you plan to do?
Sophie: It means I’m really committed to my series. I have four books in my BDSM-themed Texas Sirens series and I haven’t put a limit on Bliss. It will be a while before I take a break and write something new. Siren has really turned out to be a great place to be. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. The fans are so loyal. They’ve been lovely.
TSR: I noticed you’re a fan of Glee. What do you like about the show? Any other favorites?
Sophie: I love that it makes me feel. Even when it’s corny, I’m willing to go with it because I want to be there emotionally. I think it’s a neat trick. It’s a musical, but it relies on music we already know, so there’s a very individual component to each episode because we all have different reactions to the songs they use. It’s why Moulin Rouge worked so brilliantly. As for TV, actually most of what I love is SciFi. I know it sounds weird, but I’m a geek girl at heart. I love Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, Fringe and oldies like Buffy and Farscape.
TSR: In Away From Me, you touch on a serious issue, breast cancer, that hits close to home for a lot of people. What inspired you to use breast cancer as a plot device?
Sophie: A friend of mine had a scare with breast cancer and I kind of went from there. I liked the idea of a physically imperfect heroine. She’s torn up on the outside while my hero has been shredded on the inside. Neither wants to show the other their scars. It takes love and trust to get them to open up. And I hope it didn’t come across as a simple plot device. Gaby is a survivor. She’s a woman who takes what life has given her and tries to make the best of it. I think everyone who has dealt with cancer finds that it changes their lives. My family has a long history of cancer, so I know I could very well deal with it one day soon. I guess I hope I’m as brave as Gaby. She’s what I would aspire to be.
TSR: What are the pros and cons of series writing?
Sophie: Now there’s a question to ponder while I switch from one series to the other. The pros are many. As a writer you get to world build over a series of books. You get to really know these characters you’re writing about. On the con side – you have to know what you’re doing down the line because once that first book is published there’s no going back. The series starts to build its own history and you have to be aware of that. The book I’m writing right now is about a 32-year-old artist and a 23-year-old waitress. If I had really thought about it when I wrote Three to Ride, I would have made her older. Now that I’m writing Stef and Jen’s book, her age is a big factor. So you need be mindful when you start a series that you don’t write yourself into a corner.
TSR: What’s next for you?
Sophie: I have a novella coming out in January called Playing the Field. It’s a complete left turn from what I normally write. It’s a fun sex romp. Then in February the third Texas Sirens book Siren Enslaved comes out. Then I go back to Bliss with One to Keep.
Important Links:
Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/two-to-love
Website Link: www.sophieoak.com
The Contest: You can win an electronic copy of anything from Sophie's backlist, including Three to Ride, or you can win a signed copy of Small Town Siren. Comment by 8 pm EST Wednesday 1-12-2011 for your chance to win. Comments must be made on TSR blog: http://www.michelezurlo.com/apps/blog/show/5748648-tsr-welcomes-sophie-oak-
