Welcome to Dirty Bits Week Ingrid
I am so glad that we were able to get you involved in Dirty Bits week… Also huge THANK YOU for sitting down with me and answering a few questions.
For the Love of Books: Ingrid, please tell us a little about yourself?
Ingrid: Hi, everyone! It’s my pleasure to be here Kelly and I thank you for having me. I was born and raised in Canada, and I’ve migrated west over the years, leaving my eastern province roots for Ontario. I attended university in Toronto, a fantastic city *waves Canadian flag*, where I picked up a couple of Philosophy degrees and a Significant Other! Now you can add another answer to the age-old question: what do you do with a Masters in Philosophy degree? Why, you become a romance/erotica writer! *Laughs* Since then we’ve moved out of the big city to a more rural area to raise our family, which consists of one boy and one dog.
FLB: What made you become a writer?
Ingrid: For one, I’ve always been a voracious reader. And also, this applies to university as well, what attracted my ADD kind of personality to Philosophy and writing was the fact that I can study and research so many different things at once. Having said that, however, I’m not committed to any one genre of writing. I write literary novels, romance/mainstream and erotica. I love the fact that I’m not limited by anything other than my imagination.
FLB: In your story, Sorelle’s Orgasm, what inspired you to write this story?
Ingrid: *Grins mischievously* Art is my first passion and I like to include some aspect of it in all, or most, of my writing. And although I’ve never posed nude for a portrait, for this story I tried to put myself inside this young woman’s body and head, to feel the insecurities she might have felt while being stared at for hours, the flattery of being asked to pose, the chance to make a quick buck and to also enjoy herself, too. And the power she must’ve felt, since the painting was totally based on her. I made the story paranormal by asking: what would Sorelle really feel like if there was that extra connection between artist and model, if she could actually feel those brush strokes on her skin without Witman touching her? There’s just a hint of BDSM in the way she poses and has to stay still for hours while all these things are happening to her.
FLB: What is in your current Work in Progress pile?
Ingrid: My current WIP pile is practically toppling over with work. It includes many things, starting with something new for me (there’s that ADD at play again), a young adult novella that I’m hoping to have adapted into a graphic novel. I like the characters and the story arc seems strong enough that I’m giving serious thought to turning it into a novel-length piece. I’m also finishing work on a M/M story (my first), and I’m starting to work on a romantic comedy novel I outlined a couple of years ago. AND I have several sensual romance novellas I’m looking forward to editing and getting out. So my plate is pretty full, but that’s how I like it. I’m never bored!
FLB: What is in your To Be Read pile?
Ingrid: My reading tastes vary greatly. I’m always hungry for the latest Chris Bohjalian and Douglas Coupland novels, and I’m actively reading my way through Anita Shreve and Ian McEwan’s backlists. As you can see, I have a thing for reading about broken relationships, although my own fictional characters seem to get along quite well in my stories (wink, wink).
FLB: Anything else you want to share?
Ingrid: Yes. I’d like to give away a free copy of Sorelle’s Orgasm to the ninth caller… er… I mean, to someone who can correctly answer a question based on my excerpt. I’ll choose a winner at random from the correct answers.
Here’s the excerpt:
When it started to rain half an hour later Sorelle found herself in Witman’s studio, drinking a flinty Australian Chardonnay, her blouse and wool skirt discarded on an overstuffed chair.
The studio smelled of paint thinner and paint, but otherwise looked clean, except for all the paint droppings on the floor around the easel. Different-sized paintings, some finished, others only sketched out, were stacked alongside each other and leaned against every wall.
“So, you really think I have wonderful bone structure?” she asked, repeating Witman’s pickup line. She’d heard worse, but secretly hoped it wouldn’t take too long to find out if the tall man was a decent lover. She still had to get home, do two loads of wash, vacuum the apartment, and then get ready to meet friends at a nightclub.
Witman, dressed in a flowing artist’s smock that looked like Joseph’s amazing Technicolor dreamcoat, sporting more colorful stains than clean areas, propped a large canvas against the easel. “Not just your bones, but your green eyes, blond hair, almost oval face. Those cheekbones! You’re the perfect package.” He whistled tunelessly while wrapping his black hair into a manageable ponytail.
Finished with the task, he approached her, sitting beside her clothes in the large chair, quietly drinking wine. He looked her up and down, critically assessing her body, and Sorelle was glad she exercised regularly. She remained modestly clad in shimmering black bra and matching underwear and wondered what the artist was thinking about. He nodded and stroked his beard, as if to calm Sorelle for choosing to accompany a stranger to his apartment.
** *
I hope this wets your… whistle. The question I’d like readers to answer, for a chance to win a free copy of Sorelle’s Orgasm, is: name three of Witman’s physical characteristics. That’s all there is to it! Good luck!
FLB: In Sorelle’s Story… Please tell me what the heck Witman is….. No? okay fine….
Can you tell me how you came up with this story? and will we see Witman in any future stories?
Ingrid: Well, I love looking at art. In particular, I’ve always enjoyed the Abstract Expressionists of the fifties and the sixties, you know, Jackson Pollock, De Kooning, Rothko, all those New York artists. So one day, while I was sitting on a bench in an art gallery, I stared at one of those wild canvases, full of swirls and colors, and I thought to myself, that might just be how an artist would paint an orgasm. Don’t laugh, Kelly! You can’t tell me you’ve never wondered about this! So between the art, and exploring the artist/model dynamic, things just sort of fell into place. Will we see more of Witman? *Grins* He just might pop up somewhere else. I could see him maybe in a college setting, teaching an erotic romance class…
FLB Last Question: What did you think of Dirty Bits Week? If all goes well I would love to host another Dirty Bits week and I hope to have another of your stories to feature.
Ingrid: I’ve had a great time following some of my favorite Dirty Bits authors during Dirty Bits Week, and I would encourage everyone to come and learn a bit more about these wonderful, talented story-tellers. I think it’s a great idea, and I’m thrilled that you’ve given us this opportunity to connect with readers!
Ingrid, if the readers wanted to learn more about you where can they find you? Website? Blog? Facebook? Twitter?
I can be reached at the following places:
And I also hang out at Goodreads, Manic Readers and Shelfari.
Again Huge THANK YOU to Ingrid for doing this interview with me.
The pleasure was all mine, Kelly. Thank you for having me.
FLB: Don’t forget to answer Ingrid’s Questions for a chance to win a copy of Sorelle’s Orgasm
