Second Helpings
What can you tell us about your collection of short stories, Second Helpings?
The strapline is, “Surely everyone deserves a second chance?” I’d describe the 3 stories as quirky, romantic erotica with a twist.
Words and Actions
Alys’s drunken one night stand with an ex-boyfriend puts her relationship with her beloved partner Lee in jeopardy, leaving her desperate to put things right. On the way to a party, their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on a dark and stormy night and Lee’s unexpected behaviour is both surprising and arousing….
Two Hearts
Lucy knows deep down that her passionate affair with married businessman Callum is going nowhere, but when he suggests an erotic encounter in a graveyard, what happens next leads Lucy to a sexy stranger who may be the one to find her heart.
Second Helpings
Shannon and Jay’s sex life has taken a nose dive so Shannon decides it’s time to spice things up. But an invitation to dinner with Jay’s sophisticated parents leads to an evening full of raunchy surprises – and a life changing decision.
The stories revolve around affairs and relationship dissolution and trying to recapture old flames, so where did your inspiration come from for these stories?
A mixture of personal experiences, imagination and wondering, “What if?”
In Words and Actions, despite an infidelity, rekindling the sex life between Alys and her boyfriend aims to resolve their broken relationship. Do you think that sex can mend a couple in times of great turmoil?
Sometimes. Although it may only be a temporary fix.
A graveyard seems an unlikely place to set erotic fiction so tell us about this choice in Two Hearts.
I wrote the story for Halloween originally, so I wanted a spooky background, and I had read a piece in the local paper about the technicalities of grave digging!
Do you think every couple needs to spice up their sex life at some point as Shannon and Jay do in Second Helpings, or are there some couples that have that spark all the way through their time together?
It depends on the couple and the nature of their relationship.
Why do you think people are bashful about reading erotic fiction?
I think this has changed in some ways, and there is definitely more perceived “respectability” about reading erotica, especially if it is labelled “erotic romance”. The advent of the e-reader has made a huge impact as you can read anything, anywhere, in total privacy without anyone seeing the cover!
How fair do you feel it is that any erotic fiction is generally compared to Fifty Shades of Grey?
That would depend on how the comparison is measured! It is easily forgotten that erotic fiction existed long before the FSOG phenomenon.
If your short stories could be made into movies, who would play your characters?
I’ve never thought about that! Actors that for me exude sophisticated sex appeal would be Guy Henry (Henrik Hanssen in Holby City) and Damien Molony (vampire Hal in Being Human). For me, the tone of voice is everything and I would love to hear them read the stories on the radio or an audio book.
Have you always written erotic fiction or do you delve into other genres too?
I have written in a number of genres, in fiction and non-fiction, as well as poetry.
For more info about the author go to http://www.elizabeth-cage.blogspot.co.uk/
Second Helpings is available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Helpings-ebook/dp/B00957XYD4/