FEATURE and GIVEAWAY: Pleasure's Edge by Eve Berlin

Book Interview with Eve Berlin in December 2010

Q: I can't help but note that Dylan, the heroine, is an erotica author. How much of you did you infuse into her?

I think there's part of me in all of my heroines, but I definitely drew on some aspects of my own personality in creating Dylan. Yes, I'm a bit of a control freak-LOL! And a creative person. And her friends, Mischa, CJ and Jade, are based on some of my closest real life writer friends, although CJ and Jade didn't make as much of an appearance as originally planned. There are some little details that are purely me: a lot of her clothes are things I would wear—the simple lines and solid-color fabrics, that she likes to drink tea, her tattoo and its meaning relate to one of my tattoos, the black and white photography that decorates her walls (I'm a huge art geek, and I especially love photography). And Dylan's apartment is my dream home, her car my dream car!

Q: Dylan admits to having control issues. How has this shaped her life thus far?

Well, I think when you have control issues (not that I'd know anything about that…*G*), it translates into how you handle every aspect of your life. That need to be in charge is very difficult to overcome, and it's never more obvious than in your intimate relationships, because that's where we have to get vulnerable. And getting vulnerable requires letting go, which is something Dylan hasn't really ever been able to do. That's why the BDSM plays such a powerful part in Dylan's personal growth, as well as her relationship with Alec. Those more extreme sexual practices require an enormous amount of trust, the ability to truly give yourself over to another person.

Q: I felt Alec, the hero, very clearly. It was so easy to slip into his skin. How do you go about writing a Dominant male character when clearly you've never been in his shoes? What kind of research went into writing Alec's character?

Some of what goes into writing male point of view is always a combination of what I know from my own experiences with men, from talking to my brothers, male friends, and my boyfriend about how a man thinks. I also think that I was a psychology major has helped a lot. And I'm very open about the fact that I've had some personal experience in the BDSM lifestyle...

To read more, click here.

PLEASURE'S EDGE is available at Amazon (print, Kindle).

Eve Berlin is giving away a set of ebooks: WINTER SOLSTICE and SUMMER SOLSTICE!

Mechanics of the contest:

You can do either or both of the following to enter the drawing:

1. Post a comment or question to Eve in the comment box on the review site (click on this link) (2 chances to win) from now to December 31, 2010;

AND/OR

2. Check out our contest page for the book WINTER SOLSTICE from December 14 to 16, 2010 to enter your email address (1 chance each to win).

The winners will be announced in the comment box on the review site on January 2.