The Story Behind the Story with Charlotte St. James (Vanessa Hawkins) of St. George, NB, Canada.

 

Let’s welcome Vanessa back to the Scribbler.

She’s going to tell us about the SBTS of her latest novel.

It’s garnering a lot of excitement and high expectations from this talented author.

Vanessa visited us before and if you missed it, please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

A life-long lover of horror, Charlotte wrote her first story when she was in grade five. It was entitled Mutilated and warranted a trip to the school guidance counsellor. Since then she has become enthralled with the vast and untamable world of literotica. With over a dozen publications under her belt, Charlotte won second place in the David Adams Richards Prize for her book Dante’s Inferno last year, to the chagrin of all the faith-abiding attendees that were made to hear her read at the summertime gala. Her books The Curious Case of Simon Todd and A Child to Cry Over written under pen name Vanessa C. Hawkins, have been featured as bestsellers on Amazon and have merited numerous awards.

 

 

Title: Dante's Inferno

 

Synopsis: In the depths of the Inferno the Generals reside, reigning over the nine circles of Hell with lust-filled appetites and desires spawned by moral felony. They are evil. Betrayers! Outcasts that shunned the light of God. But when Seraph Dante descends from Heaven in search of her former lover Lucifer, she begins to question all she has ever known.

One by one she is taken by the Hell Lords, her body and mind subjected to sins that until now only humanity has experienced. Lust, Glut, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence and Fraud welcome her with open arms and willing, eager bodies, but their realms hold many secrets. To find her lover, Dante must be filled with the knowledge of Hell’s Generals. But will she be the same when she finally finds Lucifer? How has Hell changed him?

How will it change her?

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: I first thought of the idea when I was teaching in South Korea. A few friends of mine were thinking of cheesy erotica novels and what we’d name them, and I thought up Dante's In Her Now, which… kiiiiinda sounds like Dante's Inferno if you slur the words a bit? Yeah, it was dumb. Anyway, the idea snowballed and I toyed with it off an on for a awhile until inspiration struck and took over.

Also, I'm one of the many thirsty lit majors out there (which is who I dedicated the book to by the way) and the idea of demon boys and ladies doing naughty things in Hell, sounded so delicious and thought provoking that how could I NOT write this book? Hopefully a lot of other people think so too, or are at least curious enough to take a peak. I swear it's not just smut! There's lots of character development and themes of a philosophical nature!

And sex! Sex sells, what can I say… 

 

Website: Vanessa C. Hawkins Author Page | Facebook

 

 

A couple questions before you go, Vanessa:

 

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, or desire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere?

 

Vanessa: My couch after my daughter falls sleep? *Laughs* Honestly, nowadays I'll take any setting I can get, but my preferred atmosphere is far from civilization with a kick-ass YouTube playlist and an ocean of coffee.

Actually, every year I try to schedule some time to work away from home, just to hang my mom/wife hat up for a moment and concentrate on my writing. Last summer I was happy to spend a weekend at a retreat set in an old convent house in Saint John. I met with some very talented authors, and wrote some very spicy demon porn whilst in the company of a crucifix and a chapel down the hall. Talk about inspiring!

 

 

Scribbler: Introduce us to Charlotte St. James.

 

Vanessa: Charlotte St. James is my pen name. When you write in an eclectic variety of genres, you want to separate the young adult audience from the literotica. I figure I can spare a few angry emails that way. But the name itself came from my first book staring Charlotte Swanne, a gumshoe vampire on the hunt for a murdering psychopath. It's also slightly inspired by Lottie in the underrated classic, Princess and the Frog by Walt Disney. I don't know why, but I love that character so much. She deserves to get her prince someday. Please give her her prince!

However, the best part about the pen name is that I can write all sorts of spicy scenes as Charlotte and people don't know it's me! Everything goes!

…Well, until now I guess. Ahhh! Don't tell people I write about weird, sexy things… honestly they probably already know…

 

 

 

Your writing is what makes your stories unique, Vanessa. Thanks for being my guest this week. I wish you tons of success with your writing.

 

 

And a Gigantic Thank You to our visitors and Readers.