D'Arcy Arden interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

My name is D’Arcy Arden. I’m an asexual author writing erotic, scifi and fantasy. I live in a wonderful world of contradictions. Most of my characters fall into the lgbt community, though their stories rarely focus on that. They are not ‘gay characters’ so much as they are ‘characters who happen to be gay’, and I love them all.

I hope my readers will love them as well.

When did your love of books begin?

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. Even before I could read, my parents would read to me every night before bed. As a little kid I would go to sleep with stores like Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, and Little House on the Prairie filling my head. When I got older and started reading for myself, I gravitated towards fantasy and scifi books, with more fantastical plots featuring things I would never experience in real life. That love for the fantastical colored my own writing as well. Now I create my own magical and out-of-this-world stories for other people to read.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started to seriously consider becoming an author when I was seventeen, though I would be thirty before my first book was published. Though it may sound odd, one of the things that got me to start pursuing publication was how sex scenes are often handled in stories. Most stories either goes out of their way to skip over such scenes, despite being willing to depict every other aspect of a character’s life or bring the plot to a halt to depict the sex scene, as if it is not a part of the story but rather a pitstop along the way.

This never felt right to me, and I became increasingly frustrated with how hard it was to find books that treated sex the same as everything else in a characters life. Not something to be hidden or put in a separate box, but a natural part of a character’s life.

So, I became an erotica author, and have dedicated my writing career to creating the kind of books I could never find as a reader.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

In one word: frustrating. It wasn’t due to negative responses, but rather a complete lack of response at all. Most places I pitched my work to never got back to me. When I pitched my work in person at conferences, agents would have plenty of praise for my stories, but when asked if they wanted to take me on, would merely say it wasn’t what they were looking for.

For years the only responses I could get from people was a generic “it’s good”, which isn’t really helpful. I would have preferred criticism that at least gave me an idea what to work on to make it better. For a long time I kept trying to write what I thought other people wanted to read, in a desperate attempt to get some sort of response. When that didn’t work, I eventually just said “screw it” and wrote the stories I wanted to read. That way even if nothing came of it, I could at least enjoy what I had written. From there I ended up writing The Fourth State of Matter, and I’m very glad, of all the stories I’ve written over the years, this is the one that eventually got picked up by a publisher.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

First, develop a thick skin, not just for criticism, but also for silence. You need to be happy with your work, even if no one else is.

Second, you’ll need perseverance. Keep sending out those queries even when you hear nothing back. If you aren’t willing to put in the work to get your stories out there, then an agent or publisher won’t have any reason to put in the effort either. Or, if you choose the self-publication route, you’ll need to put in a lot of work for self-editing and promotion.

Third, don’t be afraid of self-reflection. You should always be looking to improve your craft, and that starts by looking inward. If your stories aren’t reaching people, ask yourself why that is, and if there is a better way to tell the story that will resonate with its audience. If you receive criticism, don’t just brush it aside. See if there is anything you can learn from it. That way you can turn a negative experience into a beneficial one.

Tell us about your book/books:

Earth is dead. Humanity survives by selling the only resource available—themselves. 2689 has signed away his rights as a living being and become décor, living artwork that rich aliens use to decorate their homes. It's a stable existence but a boring one. Until one day his owner plays host to three unexpected guests. Large, loud, and more potent than anything 2689 has ever experienced, this trio of ship-dwellers from the wrong side of the universe awakens a desire he can't ignore.

However, blissful days of sex and companionship with Brog, Desmodian, and Xavis come to an end when 2689 discovers a plot that could land the trio in jail...or worse. 2689 will have to make a choice—stay silent and allow three innocent lives to be ruined or give up his stable life to protect the ones he loves.

The Fourth State of Matter is the first book in a new series called The Valence Chronicles. It features a diverse cast of alien characters, a creative universe, and plenty of heart. I wrote this novel with the intention of providing readers a fun story that featured the three S’s – science, sex, and spaceships. It’s only the start of a great adventure that I hope will entertain people from the first word to the last.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

Since publishing my first book I’ve received some heartfelt and inspiring messages from readers and writers alike, telling me how much my story meant to them. What I love most about the reading/writing community is how so many people can read the same story and all get something different out of it. I get to rediscover my own work through the eyes of its readers over and over again so it always feels exciting and new.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Hello! I’m so very glad to meet you. I’ve put a lot of work into this book, but if it can make even one person smile then all that effort will have been worth it. I hope to continue bringing you new characters and worlds to enjoy, but to do that I need your help. So, take a look at my work and tell me what you think. What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want to see more of? I want to hear it all so I can continue providing the kinds of stories that people want to read.

Where can people connect with you?

For more exclusive original works, along with a FREE short story featuring the characters from The Fourth State of Matter, people can visit my Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/DArcyArden

Or for more info about me as an author they can visit my personal website.

https://daarden33.wixsite.com/weatheringthestorm