Everyone Needs A Bedtime Story

My First Time: Lily Harlem

It’s time to delve into the writing past of another fantastic erotica author. Today I’m delighted to welcome the incredible Lily Harlem…

First Time

Can you remember writing the first story you actually wanted to write, rather than those you were forced to write at school? What was it about?

Yes, it was a children’s story about a magic balloon that when you held the string and made a wish it would whisk you off to wherever in the world you’d asked it to take you. I even illustrated it. Sadly it proved to be my first rejection letter – I was six years old!

What was your first official publication? Was that erotica?

Yes, it was erotica. Two pieces could be described as my first. One, Madam President, I wrote for a competition and was thrilled to win first place. This spurred me on, I’d found my genre, and I submitted story to Best Women’s Erotica 2010, Stable Manners, which Violet Blue picked up to be included in her anthology. I remember several months later seeing Violet on The Oprah Winfrey show discussing sexuality and the book even got a mention! I was beyond excited, you can imagine the squeals. You can read both of these short stories and more in my collection Stories for When the Sun Goes Down.

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I had no idea I’d be an erotica writer- it just came from nowhere! Was writing erotica something you intended to do, or was it a bit of a shock?

It was a bit of a shock to be honest, but I’ve always felt that my competition win with Madam President led me down this path and so it was fate.

What affect did that have on your life?

I’d just given up a career in nursing which had been a hard thing to do, I adored working as a nurse in London but circumstances had changed. My husband suggested I attend a creative writing course as it was something I’d always expressed an interest in. I’m so glad I followed his suggestion as I now write full time, have over one million words published in nearly one hundred novels and short stories and a pile of 5* reviews. Being able to use my imagination to create characters and situations that readers enjoy is tremendously fulfilling, and it was doing something with meaning that I needed to regain after my nursing years came to an end.

Does your first published story reflect your current writing style?

Well it’s contemporary erotic romance so that has stuck. I dare say over the last 5 years my writing has matured though. The great thing about writing is that it’s a constant learning curve, sometimes I feel the more I know about it the more I realise I don’t know.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve got deadlines coming out of my ears at the moment. I seemed to have said YES to every editor and publisher that asked for something LOL. But that’s okay I’ll get my head down and get those stories written. Today I’m working on an MM, BDSM biker story and it’s just heating up!

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Buy links to your first story and most recent story

Stories for When the Sun Goes Down – only 99c/99p!

Muscling In – latest ménage a trois release.

Bio

Lily Harlem lives in the UK and is an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance. She writes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic including HarperCollins, Totally Bound, Pride Publishing, Evernight Publishing, Xcite, and Sweetmeats Press. Her work regularly receives high praise and industry nominations.

Before turning her hand to writing Lily Harlem worked as a trauma nurse and her latest HarperCollins release, Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse draws on her many experiences while nursing in London. Lily also self-publishes and The Silk Tie, The Glass Knot,  In Expert Hands and Scored have been blessed with many 5* reviews since their release.

Lily writes MF, MM and ménage a trois, her books regularly hit the #1 spot on Amazon Best Seller lists and Breathe You In was named a USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read of 2014. Her latest MM novel is Dark Warrior.

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Lily also co-authors with Natalie Dae and publishes under the name Harlem Dae – check out the Sexy as Hell Box Set available exclusively on Amazon – The Novice, The Player and The Vixen – and That Filthy Book which has been hailed as a novel ‘every woman should read’.

One thing you can be sure of, whatever book you pick up by Ms Harlem, is it will be wildly romantic and down-and-dirty sexy. Enjoy!

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Many thanks for joining me today Lily!

Kay xx

 

 

 

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3 Comments

  1. Thank you, Kay 🙂

  2. Phaedra

    Great blog, shared.

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