An Interview With Author Eden Baylee

An Interview With Author Eden Baylee

My blog post this week is a most particular pleasure. Having been interviewed myself by this adorable lady, here is my chance to change seats, to be the inquisitive one. To Eden’s many friends who are in the audience, please feel free to re-blog this interview.

So, without delay:

An Interview with Eden Baylee

Eden Baylee is one of the grandest ladies I know…supportive of so many authors and friends. She is one of those people who has a lot of humanity the world would not necessarily know about. She is an author who has written erotic books – and written them with a literary flair and without the raw and gratuitous verbiage that many readers might associate with erotic writing. Her style is warm and inviting, and her themes touch on real life issues and content. There are described in her writing the beauty of love, romance, and sadness that drops in on all of us. Her writings speak to life and have literary melodies that flow through them.

With a course change, Eden launched her very first full-length novel, Stranger at Sunset, and this psychological thriller hit the streets on June 30, 2014. I can tell you there is a beautiful, strong, female protagonist who may have dabs of quirk in her behavior but you will love her – guaranteed! Here is the beautiful cover and the buy sites:

BUY SITES: 

Amazon US – http://amzn.to/1wmygEY

Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/1pDH9ry

(There are rave reviews already accumulating on Amazon – US and UK) 

Hmmm, I think I saw the book on Times Square…

WOWEE!

Why don’t I stop with the monologue and have you meet this great lady, Eden Baylee, a Canadian lass who writes under the alias just mentioned, a banker for some years before she began writing…but, wait, the Q and A will tell her tale…

Question: Surely you have much more to tell us about yourself, your personal life, and times?

Answer: Oh my, Billy Ray! You sure know how to make a girl blush. Thank you so much for that incredible introduction. Hmm … as for my personal life, I never think people are all that interested in me. Most of anything you want to know can be found on my blog or website.

But in a nutshell, I’m born and bred in Canada, raised French, now living in Toronto, which is English. As you know, Canada is a bilingual country. I speak four languages fluently and get by with mediocre German and Spanish. In 2010, I left banking after twenty years to write full time. I haven’t looked back since. I’m an audiophile, logophile, and an introvert, though I do enjoy being with good friends.

Question: What do you consider the most dramatic event of your life?

Answer: Wow, you’re not letting me off easy, are you? 😉

I suppose it would be when I had cancer. It took almost two years out of my life, but it reset my priorities. Though I would not wish an illness upon anyone, it brought into focus what was really important for me. Leaving my job was part of it.

I had a lot of fear about failing as a writer, but that fear paled in comparison to how I would feel if I never gave writing a chance. I never wanted to look back and regret that I was too afraid to make a life change. As much as I can, I don’t allow fear to rule me anymore.

Question: What was the very first piece of writing that gave you the passage and passion to become a full-time author?

Answer: It’s the first erotic novel I read: Story of O by Pauline Réage. I was eleven. It left an impression that has stayed with me all my life. In your introduction, you alluded to good vs. bad erotica. I have read both, just as I have read good and bad mysteries, and other genres. I think it’s important to know the difference, and this can only happen by exposing oneself to both ends of the spectrum.

I have always loved ‘sensual’ writing, the type that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, it does not necessarily have to contain sex. Writing that draws in the reader emotionally spans all genres.

My goal was to write stories to make others feel like I did when I read that first erotic book. Of course, erotica left an indelible mark on my psyche, so that’s what I started writing. You can find many of my non-erotic works in my shorts and flash fiction.

Question: Which authors and/or life themes have inspired and motivated you to write?

Answer: I won’t name any one author because there are many, including you, Billy Ray. You are inspiring in that you have written so many books. “Prolific” does not even begin to describe you!

As for life themes, I love writing about foreign places because I love travel even though I haven’t had much opportunity of late to go away. I also love music, poetry, art, and languages. All these themes play into my stories.

My latest book shows my love for psychology, which I majored in while going to university … then I became a banker. Go figure. I don’t even like numbers!

Question: How about the process of writing itself? What emotions run unbidden within you while sitting and pecking at your laptop?

Answer: Oh god, Billy Ray! I laughed aloud with this question! I have never been asked this before. First of all, I don’t sit to write. I stand. I find sitting for too long makes me tired and hurts my back, so standing at my kitchen counter has proven to be much better for keeping me alert.

As for emotions? I’m probably just saying to myself: Get this damn book written already. What’s taking you so long?! I’m not the most patient person.

[That’s interesting that you stand and write… One of my favorite authors of old was Thomas Wolfe (Look Homeward Angel and You Can’t Go Home Again) — he was a tall man and wrote his long novels standing, penning his words atop a refrigerator.]  

Question: Is there a time of day you feel more effective as a writer?

Answer: I’m a night owl, though lately I have been getting up with the birds and have been surprised by my productivity. I usually don’t go to bed until well after midnight, so it makes for long days. I love the quiet of the night and can write clearly after dark.

Question: Other than writing, what are some of your most favorite moments of leisure?

Answer: I love good conversation, so it’s usually time spent with friends, dinner, wine, or something in that vein. I enjoy good films, my harmonica, and now that the weather is hot (finally!), I tend to my small flower and herb garden.

Question: This may be tough for you, but is your good husband aware of our current affair – AND, the discarded affair you had with John Dolan? (Tee Hee!)

Answer: Billy Ray! I thought you were going to keep our little secret.

There are some wonderful and supportive authors in my social network. Both you and John rank highly as two of my favorite and closest friends.

As you know, writing is a solitary profession, and it’s always wonderful to meet like-minded people who can help pass the day with humor.

Question: More seriously, and I know you are being interviewed consistently since Stranger at Sunset came out, can you give us a brief summary of the book and what motivated you to write this psychological thriller?

Answer:  Stranger at Sunset is inspired by a real place, but my love for characters inspired the story. The title is a play on words, as it’s meant to explore the ‘stranger’ in all of us. I was motivated to write a psychological mystery/thriller because I enjoy the genre, both in books and in film.

Here is a summary of Stranger at Sunset:

A vacation can be a killer. 

Dr. Kate Hampton, a respected psychiatrist, gathers with a group of strangers at her favorite travel spot, Sunset Villa in Jamaica. Included in the mix are friends of the owners, a businessman with dubious credentials, and a couple who won the trip from a TV game show. It is January 2013, following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The luxury resort is struggling, not from the storm, but due to a scathing review from caustic travel writer, Matthew Kane. The owners have invited him back with hopes he will pen a more favorable review to restore their reputation. Even though she is haunted by her own demons, Kate feels compelled to help. She sets out to discover the motivation behind Kane’s vitriol. Used to getting what he wants, has the reviewer met his match in Kate? Or has she met hers? 

Stranger at Sunset is a slow-burning mystery/thriller as seen through the eyes of different narrators, each with their own murky sense of justice. As Kate’s own psychological past begins to unravel, a mysterious stranger at Sunset may be the only one who can save her.

Question: Finally, will there be a sequel to Stranger at Sunset and/or more writing in this (or, these) genres?

Answer: Yes to both. I envision Stranger at Sunset to be the first of a trilogy. I’m working on the second book right now called: A Fragile Truce, and there’s an excerpt in the current book. The books will feature my protagonist Dr. Kate Hampton and maybe a few other recurring characters, but she is always in the starring role.

Question: Any ending comments and/or suggestions you would like to leave with your many fans, with authors, potential authors, and readers in general?

Answer: First and foremost, THANK YOU, Billy Ray, for your generous spirit as a man and author. I’m amazed you find the time to both write and help promote other authors with such zeal. It has been my pleasure to be a part of your blog, and I am so thankful for your help and continued support. Your humor continues to keep me on my toes. 😉

As for readers, I truly hope they enjoy the book. I’m always grateful for feedback via a review or connection through any of my networks. Talking to readers is one of the biggest pleasures of being a writer.

Thanks again, Billy Ray. xox

We tease a lot and find amusement in our interchanges on Twitter and the other networks, but I do want the cyberspace folks and the world to know that you have a big heart, a lovely writing style, and a most charitable, generous nature. I cherish our simpatico relationship…and bless your husband for putting up with my inanities.

Also, to the world, I say: Please buy and read Stranger at Sunset – otherwise, that ‘generous’ check will not reach me. 🙂 

OTHER WORKS BY EDEN BAYLEE

With her new psychological thriller, Stranger at Sunset, Eden’s body of work consists of ten books. A few are listed below… For a complete list of her books, visit the links below:

   

http://www. goo.gl/34Gdvl – amazon.com (US)

AND

http://www. goo.gl/DQKJJa – amazon.co.uk (UK)

AND

http://edenbaylee.com 

To stay apprised of Eden’s book-related news, please add your name to her mailing list at her website.

There may be duplication but here following are all of Eden’s Links:

Website – http://edenbaylee.com

New Link – www.edenbayleebooks.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22570211-stranger-at-sunset

Amazon Author page US

Amazon Author page UK

Twitter @edenbaylee

Facebook

Goodreads

Youtube

Pinterest

Linkedin

Of course, you can always find me here, on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and  http://billyraychitwood.weebly.com