Trust In Me & Skye Warren

1-Tell the readers a little about yourself.

I’m Skye Warren, and I write dark erotica. The first book in the Erotic Nonconsent series, Keep Me Safe, came out in November 2011. The second book, Trust In Me, is out now. Trust In Me is an erotic and violent love story between a whore and the childhood hero who failed her. I also have two short erotic stories that are free, Beauty Touched the Beast and Sweetest Mistress, as a gift for my readers, though these are not nearly as dark as the Erotic Nonconsent books.

I’m also a wife and mother, as well as a working professional, and I consider it a privilege to write. Every reader who finds my work compelling, enjoyable or even disturbing feels like a gift. 

2-As an author, do you take time to read? If so, what do you like to read and who is/are your favorite author/s?

Definitely! There’s a quote by Saul Bellow which says, “A writer is a reader moved to emulation.” That certainly describes me. Mostly I stay within the romance and erotica genres, only straying for an occasional recommended read. But with romance, I read erotic, historical, contemporary, paranormal – all over the romancelandia map! I write dark erotica, so some of my favorite authors in this space are Kitty Thomas, Annabel Joseph and Selena Kitt. 

3-How do you stay motivated when the Muse is uncooperative?

When I first started writing, I opened up a blank Word document and typed out a fantasy. Now I have novel writing software and plotting boards and a writing schedule to follow, but when my muse is uncooperative, I go back to the beginning. I open up a blank Word document, and just write. That reminds me why I do this – because I enjoy it! It also tends to get the juices flowing so that I can go back to my manuscript with fresh ideas.

4-If you could go anywhere in the world on a romantic getaway, what would you do and where would you go?

Paris. Not only is it the romance capital, but it’s one of the few places I’ve been with my husband outside the US, so it’s special to us.

5-What is the hardest thing for you to write?

Things that aren’t sex. That may sound flippant, but it’s really not. To me, sex is this deep well of potential. Maybe some people see it as a shallow thing, like sex is the same for everyone in every situation. But for me, every encounter is layered with our hopes and insecurities, with power exchange and shades of consent, with a sense of purpose. It’s almost like I view the world, and our interactions with each other, through the lens of sex.

So I can happily write about sex in a thousand different variations, like a flurry of snowflakes, each one unique. But it’s hard for me to step back and write, say, a scene of a family moment or day at work. It feels flat, like a story I made up (which it is) as opposed to a living thing, like my erotic writing feels. 

6-If you could live the life of one of your characters who would you be?

Oh dear, what a question. You see, my heroines are often seriously traumatized. The heroine, Rachel, from the first book in my Erotic Nonconsent series, was raped. The heroine in Trust in Me, Mia, was abused as a child and ended up under the thumb of a crime lord. So it’s hard to say which character I’d like to be because it’s a dark fantasy – not intended for real life! But I think they handle their situations with a certain grace and composure that is enviable. They both maintain a certain touch of humor about their lives, which to me is a sign that they haven’t been broken. 

I also think that Mia was cared for in ways that were difficult for her to really appreciate. We only find out toward the end of Trust in Me. So I would say that I’d choose to be her, between the two of them. 

7-The tag line on my blog is ‘Indulge Your Inner Romantic.’ What do you do to indulge?

Well, I have a young child, so I consider any alone time with my husband to be extremely indulgent. We’ll cuddle or watch a movie, and inevitably other things. For the busy woman, time is the biggest luxury. Time to spend with her lover, or time to read erotica ;-) 

TRUST IN ME by Skye Warren

Can love be found between a whore and a knight in tarnished armor?

Mia longs for the daily torture to end, but one last task keeps her holding on. In a betrayal of the crime lord who pulled her from the gutter, she’ll free the shipment of human cargo, and if she’s lucky, die in the process. The alternative is unfathomable, even to a woman well-versed in erotic torture. But luck abandons her yet again when she meets the security expert in charge of the shipment and finds herself face to face with her childhood crush. The man she once begged for help. The man who failed her.

Tyler Martinez is an undercover FBI agent with one chance to right the wrongs of his past. Thrust deep into the seedy world of human trafficking, he must put aside his guilt over abandoning Mia all those years ago in order to save her now.

Someone’s pulling the strings in this sadistic play on trust, but Tyler and Mia may not live long enough to see the curtain fall. Trust in Me is a story of erotic pain and incipient romance, spiraling ever faster toward betrayal or redemption.

WARNING:
This book contains explicit scenes of dubious consent, graphic violence and sex. It also depicts abuse and captivity situations. Not appropriate for anyone uncomfortable with these situations or anyone under the age of eighteen. This is a work of fiction.

Buy it now: http://skyewarren.com/books/trust-in-me/

EXCERPT

Carlos looked down at me from his seat with a half-smile. The guy next to him was speaking in low, urgent tones, but I had his attention.

Other whores might try coy smiles or a flash of cleavage, but if you really knew El Jefe—and, unfortunately, I did—then you knew all you had to do was drop to his feet. I knew what he wanted and how he liked it, knowledge born of years of training. As long as I behaved, he wouldn’t kill me. I craved the release of death, but I was too well trained to earn it.

I reached his leather shoes and waited. The same Italian leather shoes that had kicked me only recently, but they weren’t a danger to me now. Carlos didn’t like to get too messy when he had guests. Even though I didn’t like performing, I could be glad this new guy was around today. Then again, I’d probably have to service him next.

Carlos unzipped his pants.

The guy sucked in a quiet breath, as if we’d shocked him.

That wouldn’t stop Carlos. He wasn’t an exhibitionist. He was a sadist, and the only thing better than causing someone physical pain was causing him emotional discomfort. Every pinch was designed to humiliate, every blow to subjugate. You’re not worthy, they said, and I lapped up every blow to my shrunken ego like the masochist I’d learned to be.

GIVEAWAY

Skye Warren is giving away a copy of Trust in Me to a commenter from each stop in the blog tour. In addition, every comment along the way enters you in the drawing for a $20 Amazon gift certificate. What do you think about stories that are so dark that they’re hard to read, heartbreaking or violent? Do you have to be in a certain mood to take them on?

Don't forget to include your email addy for the giveaway. Thanks!