Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us at FAR- Fallen Angel Reviews. We know a few things about you such as your web site: www.karenharley.net but we are all curious to know more. So by answering these questions you can help us get to know you. Being a busy and talented lady we want to know more about you, much more!

I'm glad to be here, thanks for inviting me!

What is this we hear that you were accepted to write an article for Romance Writers Report only to have it changed at the last minute? That is so not fair! Can you tell us about the article?

Sure, the article is a two-parter and it’s up on my website. It’s my “genre-novels-are-not-junk" defense. I wrote it because, well, it wears a girl down, having to defend what she writes all the time.

In the article, I borrowed the techniques of some anthropologists who study popular metaphors, to ask: Why do we call erotic romance novels “trash?” What is it about erotic romances, or any genre novel for that matter, that makes us compare them to something dirty? Why do we apologize for reading them? The short (debatable) answer is, they’re about emotion, and in Western culture, emotion gets a bum rap.

The second part talks more about stylistic techniques and asks "Why are we moved by genre novels?" Another way of saying this is, "What's erotic about erotica?" My answer to that is something I call "expectation explosions,” similar to what happens when you tell a joke.

As to the RWR…that’s right, the article was accepted to the June publicity issue of the Romance Writer's Report several years ago, but ultimately got bumped. As you can imagine, I wasn’t thrilled. On the other hand I was unpublished, and the articles that did appear were written by big names, and well, that’s the way things go. But you know this was part of a spat of bad marketing karma for me. I’d get a story or an article accepted, and then the editor would leave, or the magazine would go under. I acquired an agent, had a near-sale for a romantic comedy, and then it didn’t fly. It really discouraged me for a while. But being a writer is kind of wave-like. Discouragement – defeat – hope – encouragement – hope – discouragement – defeat – hope - etc. Adversity can be a good thing, ultimately.

Tell us about your current release, Legal Edentity.

Legal Edentity is my first erotic romance published and was released as an e-book novella in Phaze’s Heatsheet line. The twist is that it’s written partially in the form of e-mails. BadiniSweet and David, two e-mail pen pals, are just starting to share their sexual fantasies with each other. David admits to fantasizing about his coworker, a Taiwanese-American woman who’s turned down everyone in their law offices. BadiniSweet reacts, but not the way he expects…

Your publisher is Phaze Books. They’re relatively new on the scene, aren’t they?

Yes, Phaze (http://www.phaze.com) was started just about a year ago as an imprint of Mundania Press, to focus on erotic women’s fiction and erotic romance. I believe they’ve published almost thirty titles at the time of this interview. A really dedicated publishing team!

What do you do in your spare time, if you have any?

I cook. I swear it’s absolutely the best therapy for anything. I walk around, absorb the city…I live in Seattle, an endless source of entertainment in itself, with lots of opportunities for people-watching, urban hiking, and, can you believe this, five movie theaters within walking distance of where I live. I also design jewelry.

What's your favorite thing about fall? (since its right around the corner)

You know, maybe because school always starts in the fall, I always think of fall as the true beginning of the year. Changes are always afoot, holidays are approaching...

When writing what do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

Well, I'm a little strange. As a reader, I look for likeable characters, multi-level conflict, a masterful use of words, and a strong, tight world. So that's what I try to focus on when I write.

That last thing – a strong, tight world – is especially important to me. If the world of the story isn’t clear and recognizable, I believe the reader won’t ever really be able to relax for the ride.

Just as an example, take a pretend story in which a female American corporate executive goes on vacation at a French seaside inn, where she tries to seduce the local male schoolteacher. We have many worlds here – the world of big business and the world of children and the world of beach holidays and the worlds of France and America and of men and women. Plus, more broadly, the world of erotic romance (since that is the type of book it is) and even the reader’s own real world. The writer must take into account the conventions of all the worlds, and somehow re-shape them into a vivid master world. Otherwise the reader will be pulled in too many directions and won’t have a clue what’s going on. And the writer must, through her prose, select her language and details carefully, or the reader will notice gaps or glaring discrepancies and be unable to suspend disbelief.

So when I write, one of the first questions I ask myself is, What is the nature of the story’s world? What could happen in it? Couldn’t happen? What kind of language is needed to create that world? What level of detail? What must be included? What must be left out?

I think my approach may be odd…but it’s necessary for me, because I write not just erotic romance, but children’s fantasy, children’s picture books, and adult fantasy as well. Each demands a different set of rules, including its own criteria for world building.

Tell us something about yourself your readers would never guess.

I’m terrible at writing letters or corresponding at all.

What is the one thing that makes you cringe when it comes to doing? I hate laundry!

I’m right there with you. Laundry is a horrible invention, on par with dirty dishes. The cringe factor is made even worse when you don’t own either washing machine or dishwasher...

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?

I’m afraid I do. First, I straighten out my stuff so it’s all neatly organized. Then I gather junk food close to hand. Then I laze around for a couple of hours, ignore the phone, read a little, try to resist checking the Internet, utterly fail, shut down my computer, remember I need my computer to write and then start it up again, and then suddenly surprise myself by sitting down and writing. This, or some variation of this, truly works every time. I call it “motivate by procrastinate.”

Tell us please what you are up to now? What is on the horizon?

Much steam...I'm rewriting a full-length erotic romance about a woman who gets involved with her best friend only to realize he’s not the easygoing lover she imagined...I’m also working on first drafts of three different novellas, one centering on the art world, another featuring shopkeepers - this one's a romantic Christmas comedy - and another about a stuffy academic who's just waiting for his flamboyant girlfriend to give him the shaft. I also have a bunch of backburner projects to be returned to when the time is ripe.

Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. We wish you all the best and hope to hear more about your great books and upcoming books.

Thanks for having me!

Interviewed by: Wendi