Aubrey Cara: Couch Time With Tracy St. John

I'm so excited to be sitting here with my favorite erotic sci-fi author, the wonderful and talented Tracy St. John. Hello Tracy, thank you for coming for a visit.

Tracy: I'm thrilled to be here! Thanks for the invite. I love your blog.

Aubrey: Thank you <peaks to the side of the room> I have to say Tracy, I'm a bit distracted. I had no idea you were going to be escorted by Kalquorians. Had I known you take your work with you when you travel I would have been begging for you to come over months ago.

Tracy: Oh, these guys follow me everywhere. I never get a break form them.... not that I'm asking for one. Except when I'm in dire need of sleep. There are way too many nights when I wake up to pee, then crawl back into bed thinking I'm going right back to dreamland, and instead some Kalquorian snuggles close and says, "Hey, I've got a new adventure for you." Which would be great if he was talking about us having sex, but no, it's always about a story. He'll keep me awake for two or three hours, yapping about a new scene or even an entire book. There's got to be a Kalquorian version of kryptonite for nights like that somewhere. Maybe I should be put a Tragoom outside my door.

Aubrey: Did he just growl? <shiver>

Tracy: Kalquorians do that a lot, particularly the Nobeks. Especially when they hear the word 'Tragoom'. Or maybe it's you. From the way he's eyeing you, I think he finds you yummy.

Aubrey: <blushess> Eh hem, <shakes self and refocuses> Well, it's been a huge year for you. You've released six books, the latest, Alien Caged, reached #3 in overall erotica sales on Amazon. I have to say Clan Zemos was mouth watering. I do love the silver foxes. What made you want to cover a mature clan?

Tracy: Because I'm a mature woman. Well, I'm a middle-aged woman at any rate; maturity is a different matter. I'm 46, post-menopausal (like Elisa, I went through that early), and a lot of my readers are my age or older. It was time to give us a clan of our own. I wanted to have a heroine who could articulate more of our concerns in this stage of life. Not every erotic heroine has to be a 20-something. When women hit their 40's, 50's and beyond we don't shrivel up and knit afghans until we die. We are still sensual beings, maybe even more so than when we were young chippies on the prowl in clubs. I know I'm much more comfortable in my own skin at this age, and I'm eager to explore what it is that makes me feel good. It seems like when I was in my 20's and even into my early 30's, it was all about meeting others' expectations and putting myself in last place. I think a lot of women do that because of marriages, children, and career.

Plus I wanted to explore a relationship that wasn't focused so much on saving Kalquorian culture by procreating. I wanted it to be all about the men and woman themselves, the dynamic they shared between each other because the relationship was completely their choice. There was no 'higher' purpose to start a relationship for Elisa and Clan Zemos. They did it because they fell in love and couldn't imagine life without each other.

Aubrey: Alien Caged really does have a beautiful love story that can be appreciated at any age. It's nice to be reminded sex and romance isn't only for the young. Although, just for fun, I think I'll try my hand at knitting anyways.

Great for family Christmas presents

No sitting room chair is complete without one of these

Aubrey: I know you are planning some Clan Companion books. These will be the stories for the Kalquorians who are not interested in women and decide to clan homosexual Earth males. Was I crazy or can we look forward to seeing a certain character from Alien Caged as the first Earth male getting clanned?

Tracy: Though the character you refer to will get his own story in the future, his won't be the first. I'm off with someone else instead. I realize this may not be a popular decision, but the Clan Companion series will actually start all the way back at the time when Kalquor first approached Earth about testing DNA for breeding purposes. I want to write stories in the sequence of events that go from that time up to where the regular Clans of Kalquor series ends up. Obviously, that puts the story of the character from Alien Caged some time in the future. For those eager to see how things go between that particular Earther and Nobek, it's going to be a long wait. Sorry!

Aubrey: Tracy, you're killing me over here. I'm really excited you're going to cover when Earth was just getting into space travel and being approached by Kalquor, but I'm super bummed. The chemistry and naughty factor between those two is off the charts. Way to tease! Too cruel.

Tracy: I really want to get to their story right away too, but something keeps telling me to establish the companions issue from the beginning. I have to obey the voices in my head, or they make my life miserable.

Aubrey: Well, who am I to argue with the voices in your head? They seem to know what they are doing. :) There was a huge plot twist in Alien Caged that affects the series. How big of a role will that be playing in future Kalquor books? Will the conclusion of that story line end the series?

Tracy: If my readers knew just how complicated things are going to get in future installments, they'd not believe it. Kalquor's enemies are growing in numbers, within and outside of the Empire. I know how the next 7(!!!) books are supposed to happen, but things can change. Book 9, Alien Indiscretions, was originally titled Alien Revolt. Then Revolt splintered into six seperate books (of which Indiscretions is the first) because the twists kept coming and the story got bigger and bigger. The revelations coming are just insane. You can't imagine.

There is a lonely little tale not related to the Revolt sextuplets that comes after that group of books. That means the series won't end with the whole Basma/Holy Leader/Empire resolution. What happens after Book 15, I don't know. Every time I've ever thought the main series was ready to come to an end, more stories suddenly erupted. We'll just have to wait and see.

Aubrey: I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that first part so I don't drive myself crazy, wondering about all those planned revelations, for the next year or so. I am however glad those stories keep erupting. I'm not ready to see the series end yet either.

On a different note, you are looking fit and fabulous after getting ready for your 5k you recently ran. It comes as no surprised you are slowing it down for a while. You hammered out six book this year including Shalia's Diary (which I will get to before you leave). The end of the year is quickly approaching. Do you plan on releasing any more books before New Years?

Tracy: I'm done with new books for the year. Shalia's Diary Book 2 is in final edits and hopefully will come out in book format sometime in November (I hope). In December I get the rights back for Clans of Kalquor 2: Alien Rule, and I plan to re-release it as fast as possible. The current publisher has pulled it from all distributors at this time to offer it exculsively on their site. The link for that is http://store.newconceptspublishing.com/tracy-st.-john/alien-rule-kalquor-ii/. I know a lot of new readers have been looking for Alien Rule. It's out there, but most don't know where to find it. I apologize for the inconvenience, but that situation is completely out of my hands.

I would like to point out that the edits I'm doing to Alien Rule are mostly grammar and clarity-related. I didn't overhaul this book like I did Alien Embrace. Other than a little bit added to the story of Clajak'ss great grandmother who was not fully clanned when her parents died, nothing new has been put in Rule. I do not recommend people who have the original Alien Rule go out and by the new version. I think you'd be wasting your money.

Aubrey: Alien Rule is one of my all time favorite books. Your new readers are in for a treat when they finally get their hand on that book. What is your current big WIP we can expect to see out for 2014?

Tracy: My next new book to come out will be Clan Beginnings: Clan, Honor, and Empire. It will cover the formation of Clan Rajhir, the heroes from Alien Embrace. I'm about a quarter of the way through the first draft and hope to release the book in March.

Aubrey: Well, on behalf of my fellow FoKs, I have to ask about Shalia's Diary your serial space opera. You have some fans that aren't used to serials that are going nuts. I do have to say some ladies need to wait for it to come out in book form and stop getting nasty in the comments section. Spankings and corner time may be administered by the scary Nobek that is eyeing me down right now, if the ugliness continues. Although I'm not sure how much of a deterrent that would be. I'm feeling like misbehaving myself.

Oh, yeah, that was definitely a growl. <shiver> Tracy, I think I'm having hot flashes over here. How do you work like this?

Tracy: I take a lot of recreational breaks. *naughty grin*

Aubrey: Speaking of hormonal surges, how long will you be torturing us with this pregnancy scare?

Tracy: Who said anything about pregnancy? I never did. There are lots of assumptions going on over Shalia's Diary, some of which may or may not be correct. I rarely comment on that story for fear of giving stuff away ahead of time. Shalia's current diagnosis is one of those things I'm not quite ready to divulge.... but I will let you know it will come to light in a couple of weeks. *wink, wink, nugdge*

Aubrey: <valiantly refrains from burring head in throw pillow to scream and weep in frustration and bang head on coffee table>

Tracy: As for torturing readers, I don't string things along in Shalia's Diary in order to be mean. That's the truth, as little as most would believe it! I simply try to keep events and realizations for Shalia in 'real time' as I imagine would actually happen. Real life goes at a snail's pace, or so it seems when you're chomping at the bit to get to the next great event. Also, when you're in the middle of the action as Shalia is, you don't always pick up on the nuances of the situation. It seemed like everyone knew early on that Matt King was a snake in the grass - everyone but Shalia. In real life, we're often willfully blind. I think Shalia wanted to believe everyone didn't think she was a traitor, so she allowed herself to be snowed by Matt.

Aubrey: Too true. I take back mentally wanting to slap Shalia this past week. <sigh> There have been some really snide unpleasant comments about the direction you've taken Shalia's Diary. How do you feel about those making ugly remarks.

Tracy: With a serial story, it's inevitable that people are going to get impatient. I felt that way when Stephen King published The Green Mile as a serial years ago. I couldn't wait for the next bit to come out. So I get that some readers might get frustrated from time to time with Shalia's Diary. However, I've always been up front with the fact that this is like a soap opera with no planned end in sight. I know the majority of my readers understand how an ongoing blog like Shalia's Diary works. Unless everyone wants the story to come to an end, there are going to be cliffhangers and unrequited situations that go on for some time. That's the nature of the serial beast.

Aubrey: I know you have serious outlines for your books. How far out into Shalia's Diary have you already written and planned?

Tracy: The third storyline, which everyone is reading right now, has been completely written. Shalia's Diary Book 3 is, for all intents and purposes, a done deal. I'm not writing it on the fly, which many seem to think I am. What everyone is reading now I wrote about 6 months ago. It has to be finished way ahead of time so that I can garantee I won't write myself into a corner with an impossible scenario. I'm already busy writing the fourth book, which has been plotted out in it's entirety.

Aubrey: With everything written in advance, do you have any plans to post more than twice a week?

Tracy: No, I can't release more than two entries a week or I'll fall behind. This pace is the only way I can continue to keep Shalia's Diary going and write the other books.... you know, the ones that pay the bills.

Aubrey: What made you want to write a serial or Space Opera?

Tracy: My readers. They love the Kalquor universe as much as I do and couldn't wait to continue on in some fashion between books. I owe all my success to the readers, and I wanted to give them something to show them how much they mean to me. Shalia's Diary is my gift to them, a story that goes on and on until we all get tired of it.

Aubrey: Has the experience been more challenging or easier?

Tracy: A little of both, depending on the day and the situation. Stories 1-3 were pretty easy. I knew how they would roll almost from the moment I first thought about doing a serial story. Book 4 was a little more daunting. I sat down to plot the fourth story line without a clue as to what it would be! I had absolutely no idea what mess Shalia would get herself into next. Fortunately, an idea hit pretty quick, and I am flying on it now. It's going to be amazing if I do it right.

Aubrey: I'm hopelessly addicted to Shalia's Diary and look forward to reading all the adventures you have in story for her and the future Clans of Kalquor. Thank you so much for being here Tracy!!

Tracy: Thanks for having me! It was fun.

Aubrey: Please feel free to leave the fellas here, <leans close to whisper>, especially the growler. <growls erupt from side of the room> Damn Kalquorian hearing.

Tracy: He's all yours. I have enough of these big guys to keep me busy.

Well, it looks like I have a Nobek filled afternoon to look forward to. : ) If you haven't already gotten Alien Caged, what are you waiting for?!