Friday 4 November 2011

Introducing Tanith Davenport

Hi everyone, Tanith Davenport here. I’d love to say I’m a woman who needs no introduction, but as I have to admit I do, I’m making use of Lindsay’s kind offer of an interview…

1. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Absolutely. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t furiously writing in the hope of one day getting published. Fortunately none of those early writings are still in existence, although some of my old school friends probably remember the appalling stories I used to pass around in high school.

2. What genres of fiction do you write? What attracts you to those genres?
I write erotic romance, which has the benefit of covering a wide variety of genres. Mostly I write contemporary, although I’ve been trying out paranormal erotica as well. It came as quite a surprise to me that I enjoyed writing erotic fiction, and even more so that people actually wanted to read it, but erotica is infinitely more than just titillation and offers so many opportunities for settings and plots.

3. What genres of fiction do you like to read? What attracts you to those?
At the moment I’m reading a lot of historical fiction; I find royal history fascinating, although I also have several novels on US and UK witchcraft lined up. However, I’m willing to read just about anything – I’m a great fan of Lauren Oliver in particular.
4. Can you tell us a bit about the work you have had published so far?
My debut novel The Hand He Dealt was released earlier this year by Total-e-Bound: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1380
Astra Scott likes to live life to the full. A sorority girl and Gaming Management student, she spends her days studying and practising guitar, and her nights partying or working at the Fountain Casino, where she has an internship as part of her final semester. The only blot on her landscape is Ash Drake, her best friend Sasha’s boyfriend. Arrogant, physical and blond, Ash has never forgiven Astra for her rejection months earlier and enjoys annoying her at every turn.
But when Astra’s boyfriend Harry reveals a shocking secret, Astra responds in the only way she can think of: by finding a way to take on a more attractive, masculine role in the relationship. Her experimentation with sex toys finds a surprising outlet in Sasha, but when Ash discovers their secret and wants to get involved, Astra finds herself torn between dislike and desire…and as their undercover relationship grows, Astra finds herself falling in love, a path she feels can only end in heartbreak. For Ash may be the only man whose own fantasies are a match for hers, but can she knowingly steal his affections from her best friend?

5. What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on a number of short stories for submissions calls and also finishing off my second novel, which is another contemporary erotic romance. I’m doing NaNoWriMo to make sure I get that one completed quickly!
6. What do you do when you're not writing?
I love trying out new things – I could keep the experiences market in business. I’ve tried skydiving, bungee jumping, firewalking and just recently did a track day in an Ariel Atom. When I’m not trying to kill myself doing dangerous sports, I also love going to the cinema, visiting new restaurants and travelling.

7. What do you enjoy most about writing?
For me, it’s the chance to let my imagination run riot and live my characters’ lives for a while. I also love the research side of things – thanks to the research I did for Hand I am now an avid NFL fan and have developed a fascination with casinos. I also went on a paranormal investigation recently for a paranormal short story I’m working on, which will be a lot more entertaining in print than it was in reality!
That's all from me for now - I'm about to fly out to the US for a holiday, but am looking forward to reading everyone's posts on my return.

2 comments:

Lindsay Townsend said...

Fascinating interview, Tanith! I'm partic intrigued by the firewalking - did it burn at all?

Have a super holiday.

Tanith Davenport said...

Amazingly, no it didn't, although it does make your feet tingle a bit afterwards!

Had a great holiday, but I'm never flying with that particular tour operator again - got stranded in Atlanta :(