Purple Light Nights – Zena Wynn

Welcome to another edition of Purple Night Lights, a place to spotlight writers of erotica. We will have intimate conversations about sex, love and writing about it. Today our guest is Zena Wynn, author of “Possessed by the Lycan”. Let’s do this.

Zenya — © Zena Wynn Used with permission

LL: How did you get into writing erotic tales?

ZW: I believe love should be passionate, so I’ve always been drawn to the steamier romances.

LL: Do you put a little of yourself in your characters?

ZW: I don’t think you can help doing so. Your values, your belief system, your experiences, and the people you know or meet—all those things will show up somewhere in your writing.

LL: How do you do your research?

ZW: On the fly, as questions arise. I keep Google’s search engine and Youtube open. On rare occasions, I have to do my research before I begin writing to get an understanding of the setting or my character’s profession.

LL: Tell us about “Possessed by the Lycan” and who or what inspired you to write the series?

ZW: I love all things paranormal, especially werewolves and vampires. I also like paranormal military romances. My Lycan series gave me the opportunity to combine the two. In this series, I follow a group of soldiers who were captured during a military operation, transformed into lycans so they could escape, and how this transformation affects their current lives. Possessed by the Lycan is Mateo’s story. He lost a leg, retired from the military, and has a civilian job as a security chief. He meets his mate at the company where they both work.

LL: Do you ever get negative or unwanted attention because of the genre you have chosen? How do you deal with it?

ZW: Can’t say that I have. There are many romance readers in the world. I have certain lines I don’t cross, and things I won’t write because of my faith (i.e. menage, anal sex, hardcore BDSM). My books get pretty explicit, but they’re still basically “safe.”

LL: Who is the one writer that has influenced you the most in the genre and what is your favorite work by them?

ZW: I’ve been reading since before I knew what books were, so I can’t credit only one author. I learn a little something from all of the authors I enjoy reading. If I read a really excellent scene, the writer in me pauses to see how the author constructed it.

LL: What is your take on how many sex scenes to include in a novel? Can there be too many?

ZW: I was taught that sex scenes contribute to the movement of the plot and/or advancement of the relationship. If you can remove the scene and it doesn’t affect the story in any way, it’s unnecessary. As for how many, there should be a balance of story line and sex. I give my books as many sex scenes as the plot demands. For example, in Possessed by a Lycan, there’s more story than sex, but there’s so much going on that rushing the heroine/hero into bed would have been wrong.

Zenya2 — © Zena Wynn Used with permission

LL: What is your ultimate goal for your writing?

ZW: When a reader reads one of my novels, I want them to feel like they’ve escaped from their reality for a few hours into a better place. If I accomplish that, I’m happy.

LL: What is your favorite sex position to write about in your novels?

ZW: I don’t know that I have a favorite, though missionary appears a lot. I have a Kama Sutra book I reference to help switch things up.

LL: Are you a fan of toys?

ZW: I’ve written about them but no, not really a fan.

LL: What is your favorite sub-genre of erotica to read?

ZW: I read erotic romance, not erotica. There’s a difference.

LL: When does the kink go too far in your opinion?

ZW: As long as the sex is consensual for both parties and the reader doesn’t object, I don’t think it can go too far. I just request authors give content warnings so readers who don’t like kink (extreme or otherwise) can make an informed purchase decision.

LL: Describe your writing process?

ZW: I am a panster. Usually the first scene or a plot scenario comes to me. I begin writing and see where the story takes me.

LL: What’s next on the agenda for you?

ZW: I just finished book 4 in my Nina Chronicles series. Now it’s time to finish what I began in book 8 of my True Mate’s series.

Bonus Question

LL: Have you ever been so turned on by a scene you are writing that you needed to stop writing to take care of business?

ZW: LOL, no, can’t say that I have.

Zenya4 — © Zena Wynn Used with permission

Bio:

Zena Wynn is a multi-published author of erotic and sensual romance in various romance subgenres: Interracial, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Inspirational. She writes the type of stories she loves to read—stories with great characters who through love and determination, overcome all the challenges that come their way. Her heroes and heroines are passionately, lovingly, devoted to each other. Zena wants her characters to stick with readers long after “The End.”