by Edward Fairfax:

After interviewing STONECRAFT author Jenni Frendswith, I got a call from STONECRAFT editor and GASPING IN THE SHADOWS author Lucretia Mars and was lucky enough to get an interview. Both books by Frendswith and Mars, and my own book VIEWS OF A PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN, share the web-hosting hospitality of author Fletcher Rhoden (SANTA & ME, FIFTY SHADES OF TRAILER PARK BOYS: TPB in the Great Comedic Traditions). These books are all available on Amazon.com or at a discount at fletcherrhoden.com/links.

Q: Thank you for speaking to me, Lucretia. You don’t usually do interviews, and you never distribute photographs in your media materials. Why is that?
A: Well, Edward, I’m letting you interview me because I know your book and I admire your ethics. A lot of journalists, in print and online, don’t share that. I feel like I’m constantly being accused of threatening women, hating women, all these women’s issues.
Q: I may have to ask similar questions.
A: As long as you’re open to my answers, Edward. As for photos, I guess that’s vanity. I’m not quite as young and gorgeous as I’d like my readers to imagine me.
Q: What about these claims that you are in favor of women being subjugated and physically threatened and demeaned during sex?
A: I think 1952 has an excellent point. But this is 2012, Edward. We have a greater understanding of our sexual impulses, we’re more open to these, outside-the-mainstream practices without having to demonize them. We really should try to understand them. And as for asphyxiation, it’s just as much about the loss of oxygen as it is about the sense of dominance or subjugation.
Q: The SHADES trilogy, for example --
A: Exactly. You don’t hear people complaining that the author hates women; because the female character enjoys being tied up and slapped around, because the female readers all enjoy it or know that they would enjoy it. Funny that the character feels that she has to change Christian Grey, even as she relishes the experience of who he already is. I suppose that’s because people feel guilty enjoying these kinky fetishes, which they really shouldn’t! And bondage isn’t even that far from the middle of the road these days. Have you seen what’s on the internet? There are people eating each other’s feces, drinking urine, even worse.
Q: Some people would say that erotic asphyxiation, which dominates your own book, GASPING IN THE SHADOWS, is one of those activities that are way outside the mainstream, not just kinky sex but psychotic violence.
A: I suppose that’s a matter of perspective. Just this week I saw a character being choked during sex by his female partner, begging for it, needing it; on HBO’s BOARDWALK EMPIRE, a show that takes place in the 1920s. There’s a hilarious character in the cartoon show ASHER that’s a big asphyxophile. Frankly, I think of erotic asphyxiation as the next step past bondage, just to the left of it, but still far this side of scatting or other more bizarre practices.
Q: Your book does discuss the issue in these various contexts, almost making a case for it as an acceptable sexual practice.
A: But of course it is an acceptable practice, Edward! I’m not saying it should be mandatory, but as a fetish it certainly should be accepted, when practiced by consenting adults of course. But even kids do it all over the world, they call it the Choking Game.
A: And you endorse that?
Q: I just said very clearly that it is an acceptable practice between consenting adults. But it’s dangerous even then. Even with the danger, people still do it, but they do do it. Celebrities do it. Fictional HBO characters do it. There are so many producers of asphyxia porn, clearly tons of people are into it.
Q: Are you into it?
A: I don’t answer personal questions like that, Edward.
Q: My apologies. I felt I had to ask.
A: I don’t share your sense of obligation.
Q: Let’s move on then. Your friend and colleague Jenni Frendswith said Hollywood may not be ready for you.
A: Jennifer is a darling girl, and she’ s probably right. But that’s really the same question we’ve just been circling around, isn’t it? If the readers make GASPING IN THE SHADOWS a big hit, Hollywood will be ready. As for me in particular, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Hardly anybody knows me, why am I suddenly this weirdo everyone’s gossiping about? I wrote a racy book, that’s all.
Q: And you’re so secretive, no pictures. That kind of mystery titillates people, peaks their interest.
A: If they’re interested, I’m willing to talk, people can make their decisions about me for themselves. [Lucretia Mars can be reached at contact info at fletcherrhoden.com/links.]
Q: What’s your impression of [Frendswith’s novel] STONECRAFT?
A: I loved it, thought it was better than TWILIGHT. I think Hollywood’s ready for that! Mark my words, Jennifer is going to be a big, big star.
Q: She mentioned the book as a series. Do you think this is still a good way to plan a literary career?
A: Edward, it’s the only way! If you haven’t got a series, you haven’t got a book.
Q: Yet neither of you have written sequels to your books.
A: Not yet. But I could start the next GASPING novel tomorrow, and I’ve heard all about the second STONECRAFT novel from Jennifer and it sounds incredible. You have to remember that our books have just come out. Didn’t STONECRAFT just become available this week?
Q: Yeah, it’s getting a lot of heat.
A: And GASPING was a late-September release. We’re just out of the gate. I guess we’ll see around the end of the year what kind of demand there will be for sequels. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jennifer has her STONECRAFT movie deal locked down by then!
Q: You edited the book.
A: Well, I think it will succeed anyway!
Q: Why are you so confident in STONECRAFT’s success?
A: Because it’s got it all, Edward. Lovely characters, Rhett is an amazing character, loved the girl, Eloise; terrific story, great action sequences; when you’re reading it you can just see it as a movie. It’s one of those natural fits, and I know it would be a huge hit. And it’s just the first one, that’s the thing. You know how great the next one will be, you walk away anticipating the sequel to a movie that hasn’t even been made yet.
Q: But you don’t see your own book or film franchise the same way?
A: GASPING IN THE SHADOWS won’t have the same kind of mainstream appeal that STONECRAFT will. I think GASPING would be perfect for an indie film treatment, gritty, not slick like the TWILIGHT films or the upcoming SHADES movies, which you know will be very sleek and polished. GASPING could also be a good SHOWTIME movie. But STONECRAFT has a lot more commercial possibility.
Q: Jenni Frendswith mentioned you as a kind of mentor.
A: Oh, not really. Well, maybe a bit. I’m a little older, I had a few things I could share with her. As I said, she’s a darling girl.
Q: GASPING IN THE SHADOWS isn’t on Kindle yet. Why is that?
A: We’re doing everything we can. That Kindle system is automated, and when the book gets stuck in a DRAFT stage in that process, it’s really hard to get tech support. We tried to launch it on Kindle and had to pull it down and just re-enter it into the system fresh. If it doesn’t work, I’m not confident that anybody there will respond. I guess we just keep trying until it gets through. It’s not a very efficient system, which is strange because amazon’s related service, Createspace, is quite reliable and offers excellent support.
Q: You published GASPING IN THE SHADOWS in this way, through Createspace?
A: Absolutely. The nature of publishing has changed, Edward. I don’t see why anybody in this day and age would spend hundreds of dollars to send out a dozen query packages, then wait around two years only to be rejected by a form letter. That’s the way my father tried to launch a writing career, and never could. These days you just put the book out yourself and if it does well, a big publisher picks you up and you can take advantage of their publicity and distribution machines. Otherwise how could an unknown author get through to a big publisher or literary agent? Thank God for the internet.
Q: Do you think brick-and-mortar bookstores will continue to exist?
A: I’ve been all over the board on this one. For a while I was certain they’d go exactly the way of the video rental store. And you know, there are still one or two of those holding on, like Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in Los Angeles. As for books, I think these big superstores will continue, because they don’t just sell books, but CDs, DVDs, coffee, presenting an experience for family shopping, a place for the kids to run around. And little shops may also hold on, these niche shops. As long as big book franchises like the POTTER series or the TWILIGHT or SHADES books keep selling big numbers, there will be book stores of some kind. I think publishers need them so there will be places to have the big author personal appearance tours that sell so many books. But I wouldn’t expect to find more than one in any given city after more than a few years. There’ll be one Barnes & Noble in every big city and two little, used book stores and the rest will be published on demand or otherwise distributed directly through amazon and its competitors.
Q: Do you read Kindle?
A: I personally don’t, but I think it’s a great innovation. I was never a big book collector. I have a collection of signed books, but I tend to read a book and then give it away, share the joy with someone else. I don’t like to lug around boxes of old books. And with natural resources dwindling, as many of these digital forms of distribution as he can exploit seem like a good idea. But personally, I just haven’t gotten around to getting one.
Q: So you think the novel as an art form has a future?
A: Absolutely. The novel is still the king of the storytelling world. Think about it, all the big movies and movie series’ come from novels. The dog is still wagging the tail!
Q: If the market doesn’t demand a GASPING sequel, do you have any plans for a different type of book?
A: I’m considering a few things, I’m just not sure yet. There’s plenty of time for writing, y’know? I spend my days living, Edward.
Q: Amen to that!