Welcome Back Elias!! 

T:  Good Morning Elias thanks for joining me today. I hope the coffee is strong enough?

E: Good Morning Teresa. Thank you for having me. Strong Turkish coffee first thing in the morning is an absolutely lovely way to start the morning.

T: I promise for this set of questions I’m going to keep things fun and light (well light for me) so let’s get started.

T: Is it hard to not tell your family what your write? Do you think there will come a day you will say screw it and tell the world who you are?

E: Honestly other members of the family strongly suggested I keep my writing life private because of the subject matter. Not so much the thriller suspense but the erotic writing completely off the table and hidden. There might come a time when I decide to tell the world who I am, but I do know many successful authors that also use Pseudonyms to keep some sense of privacy.

T: Do you feel like hiding this part of yourself away does a disservice to you and/or your fans?

E: Actually no. I gave this a lot of thought and in fact, I have spoken to the owners of more then a few publishing houses about writing under an alias. The world is a different place then it once was. In my first book, I did touch on other religions and I did it very tactfully, yet you never know WHO might get offended and hunt you down and want to do you harm. I want the freedom to write what I want to write, and having an alias really allows me to not have to put my family or friends in harms way for something that I wrote. I don’t believe they should have to bear the brunt of defending me for a position or stand I have taken or a hypothetical story I have written that might offend someone and cause someone to come after them. I think in the long run you can have both a public persona and a private one and many people including entertainers have used the device for years to great effect. 

T: Does your child that you’ve spoken to enjoy what you write?

E: He has only briefly read my work. His friend has actually read the whole book and loved it. But at the same time there was that awkwardness because I am his friend’s dad.

T: Do you wish your siblings approved of the choices you’ve made? If you could go back and change your actions would you?

E: We all have our own choices Teresa. I realize that each of us forge our own path. Whether I have their approval or not is not in my control, but at the same time our relationship has been strained for years and we only started acting like family again about six years ago after my mother passed. From where we are to how far we’ve come I don’t believe it is in my best interests to rock the boat and throw kerosene on the fire. Being the black sheep does have it’s downfalls and it has taken me a long time to rise up to at least equal with them. I think we all have regrets when it comes to our past. I lived a little to close to the edge and have watched many of my friends take the leap off the precipice to their own doom. Thankfully it wasn’t me but my family does not communicate much on how I was back then 🙂

T: Did you add more of yourself in Cain – Rage of Angels? Do your friends ask you questions on the parts they think come from your life in Cain?

E: I think both books have bits and pieces of my psyche scattered throughout the pages. The friends in the RL world have asked me questions about different aspects of the book and I have been happy to answer as I am able. 

T: Which POV was the most difficult to write? Which POV do you have the most fun with?

E: Each character in the story presents unique challenges. Some of the newer characters that came to life in this novel I had to kind of sit with and really get to know them as I told their story. I think Qaylin as his personality has shifted has been harder to write. Lucifer is another character I have had to sit on, especially since this is how I perceive him. Qaylin and Lucifer have been the yin yang for me. The deepest character has been Genevieve.

T: In Cain you go from LA to Mesa, how familiar are you with Mesa?

E: I have traveled there a few times. I really enjoy the area.

T: How much research did you have to do for both Cain story lines?

E: Hundreds of hours. Some of the ideas I actually studied the theories behind them and had to teach myself the basics to make sure I was able to correctly convey it to the reader.

T: What draws you to Blake’s “The Book of Urizen”? Personally I would’ve thought you’d be into “Songs of Innocence” or “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”. (Yes I know my Blake)

E:  Teresa, I love Blake. I found him through the poet and singer Jim Morrison from The Doors. When I found The Book Of Urizen, I found the poetry and subject matter really sang to my heart. The artwork and color plates he did for the book are absolutely stunning. There are only eight surviving copies of the book and as I have explored the poems therein, the writing has really spoken to me. I do enjoy Songs Of Innocence and The Marriage Of Heaven and Hell like any fan of Blake would. But his work during this time when he was working on his Lambeth Books was when I believe he really pushed himself and challenged those around him with what he was writing.

I would like to share an excerpt from Wikipedia that really sums up what I find fascinating about the book.

“The focus on Urizen emphasises the chains of reason that are imposed on the mind. Urizen, like mankind, is bound by these chains.^[9] The point of both The Book of Urizen and the retelling in The Book of Los is to describe how Newtonian reason and the enlightenment view of the universe combine to trap the human imagination. In the Newtonian belief the material universe is connected through an unconscious power which, in turn, characterises imagination and intellect as accidental aspects that result from this. Additionally, imagination and intelligence are secondary to force. This early version of a “survival of the fittest” universe is connected to a fallen world of tyranny and murder in Blake’s view”^]

T: How often to you talk to Gina about your writing? Is she one of your Beta readers?

E: We check in with each other monthly. We talk about each other’s work constantly. She is not currently reading any of my betas.

T: Do you think when it comes to Hemingway the reason he lived larger than life was because of his alcoholism? Do you want to go travel the world and write like he did?

E:  History judges everyone differently. I know that alcohol can affect people in certain ways and in some respects, many men and women have found courage in the bottom of a bottle. Whether his liquor was what helped the man grow into the larger then life character that he was, is a possibility. I do want to travel the world and write as he did. Who wouldn’t want that kind of experience.

T: If you could live somewhere and write for the rest of your life would you stay in LA or would you live somewhere else?

E: I would like to have different places to stay and travel too. Maybe a half dozen. LA will always be my home but I have dreamed of Europe and Exotic Locals that I would like to spend months on end at. Depending on the circumstances and the opportunity I would not turn down the opportunity to travel and live abroad.

T: Have you thought about risking life and limb for your craft as Hemingway and Rider? Are there things you do that would be in the same caliber of their exploits?

E: Both men were trailblazers and lived life large and left their mark everywhere they went. Sadly those days are long gone. The exploits would have to be in the modern world as opposed to the past. Big game hunting is way different then it was back then and in fact is largely outlawed. Traveling by Steamship or sailing ship is now a luxury for a chosen few and even then the ships of today are much safer then the ships of the past. Exploring the dark heart of Africa, the heart is now wide open. South America is slowly but surely surrendering her secrets. So to live and risk all like them would require exploring new places or new worlds untouched by man. Even the tallest peaks have been conquered. I think I would like to taste the fringes of what they might have experienced but how I would get their remains to be seen.

T: How much sleep do you get on average?

E: Usually 5 to 6 hours.

T: How often do you get asked to use your voice on audio and video? How often do you agree to do it?

E: Pretty much every day. I do it as time allows. I have a multitude of projects going, its finding the peace and quiet to do the recordings that is always the challenge.

T: Your videos are either silly, fun and cute or kinky, how do you come up with what you want to do on any given day?

E: Usually when going through images I will hit upon a theme and start assembling the images to build the idea into reality. Every day is different and sometimes I do get help from friends with theme ideas.

T: How much of the topics in the videos represent you? i.e. the silly etc. and the kink? How do you find the pictures you use?

E: Oh I have a piece of me in all of them. I do a lot of searching on google once I get an idea I start gathering images and run with it.

T: How do you come up with the ideas and pictures for videos you create for the different authors you’ve made trailers for?

E: I take time to get to know the author and at least familiarize myself with the work, and what the authors vision was when they created their novel or story. Once I have an idea I start searching for images to shape what I am seeing and then I start writing the script for how I want to tell the characters story in that novel.

T: Why would you want Marques De Sade’s help to seduce a reluctant lover?

E: Who would not want the Marques De Sade’s help? The man was a master of form and wrote books for what many of us follow now in the community. He had a wonderfully delicious way in the art of seduction. I love this excerpt from Wikipedia. It sums the man up brilliantly!

“De Sade is best known for his erotic works, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, criminality, and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. He was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion, or law. The words sadism and sadist are derived from his name”

T: Can you tell us about those grand sexual adventures you had in the club scene in Germany? Is that where you first learned you were a Dominant?

E: Laughing out loud. Teresa, a gentlemen does not kiss and tell. My times in Germany and Hollywood and Los Angeles were very eye opening and rather enlightening. Germany was when I first got an inkling that I was dominant, but it really came to a head in Los Angeles when I was older.

T: What do you find intriguing about holding someone’s submission? What do you crave from it?

E: Holding someone’s submission varies depending on the agreement between the dominant and the submissive and what was negotiated. There are different levels of submission and it depends on how serious the couple involved is in the scene. There is also the trust (very important) that comes from having someone surrender control to you. I enjoy the level of control given, the give and take, the pleasure, the pain, pushing my lover and partner to the absolute limit if allowed of their endurance. It truly is a thing of beauty when a woman submits fully to me. It is also a gift and with it comes great responsibility.

T: Many people see Dom’s as brooding, (thanks to a few books and movies) yet those that know you don’t see you that way. You come off as the lovable teddy bear, do you think this perception helps or hinders you as a Dom?

E: I don’t think it hinders me. I used to be dark and brooding and I have my moments where I go there but for the most part I also want to experience the enjoy life. Me being emotionally accessible to my partners has helped in many ways open the lines of communication and allows us to really go deep emotionally. Especially when you are teaching a submissive and they are learning to trust you as their dominant. I enjoy having a good time, life is to be lived fully. I am very tender and gentle when it comes to aftercare and the safety of my submissive comes first.  

T: Would you go back to Germany if you could, or would you want to try other countries and they’re scenes?

E: I’m open to experiment. That is one of my goals is to try as much as I can before I pass away. So, other countries of course.

T: What about Italy are you drawn too? Why Venice or Roma? Does your son want to travel? Is he interested in Italy?

E: My son does want to travel and one of my novels will take place in Venice and Roma which is why I want to go there for awhile.

T: How often do you use your poetry and writing to stimulate conversation when out on the town or on a date?

E: All the time. I get asked and share freely. It is amazing what affect my voice and spoken word has on people at times. I can’t think of anyone that does not like to have someone whisper softly in their ear some form of poetry or prose that will melt even the coldest of us and bring warmth to the heart.

T: Do you go out to coffee houses etc., pull out your guitar and sing?

E: I have in the past as well as done spoken word poetry.

T: Now that Cain – Rage of Angels is releasing will things slow down for you?

E: Not even close. The project list is still rather long. They will slow down somewhat but I have more projects on the horizon so I do believe this coming year will be very busy.

T: How did you pick the pictures and poems at the beginning of each chapter in Cain?

E: Honestly, I usually see an image in my head and I will hear the character speaking to me wanting their story to be told. As I hear the story I will start to hunt for the image and poem that fit what I am seeing and hearing in my head. Once I find those two elements, then I sit down and start writing out the chapter. That is how I created both books so far.

T: We know you are about to release Love Letters with Sharon Johnson, is there anyone else you want to write with?

E: Teresa, there are many authors I would love to write with including Ethan Radcliff, Al Daltrey, Gina Whitney, Don Abdul, Faith Gibson, Ellie Masters, Kasey Hill as well as Teresa Crumpton (yes you my delightful interviewer). There are also authors that are not quite so well known or who have never written with someone that have approached me about doing projects, but right now choose to remain incognito. Whether any of those projects come to fruition remains to be seen.  

T: You’ve been doing Live Writes for almost a year now, do you think you’ll keep doing them? Would you do more than just the one a month? Besides Sharon, how do you choose which writers you write with?

E: I’m always open to writing with others. If my partner feels right and we can get a feel for the other and write comfortably then I am more then willing to do more then one live write a month. Because the live writes are so unscripted and free form really pushes both writers out of their comfort zones and the fans really enjoy the live writes as an added bonus.

T: What comes next?

E: Is that like a what came first question? The chicken or the egg? What comes next is an exciting year of creativity. Now that the studio has more people and I have a team of women (Iris, Julie & Kim) to develop and expand ideas with like never before. Some ideas that I could not realize by myself are now within my grasp and having a group of women that share my vision and love the adrenalin rush of creativity has been nothing short of exhilarating but also very humbling.  As Peter Parkers Uncle says “With power comes great responsibility” and I have a responsibility to you my friends and fans to keep pushing and sharing as I stretch myself as a poet, author and mixed media artist. I think that when this next year is a wrap it will truly be a whirlwind of creativity like I have never experienced before. I hope that you the fans enjoy the journey as much as we love taking you there.

T: Well Elias that’s all I have for you today? Until next time thanks again for joining me, now get back to work and write your next book.

E: Teresa, thank you so much for having me today. I enjoyed the interview and look foreword to collaborating with you in the future.

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