On Leigh Wood-Interview by Kristin Battestella

Here's Part 2 of the Interview I did with Kristin Battestella! Part 1 is at Kristin's Livejournal.

An Interview With Leigh Wood

Part 2

By Kristin Battestella

-Do you recall your first encounter with erotica?

Hmm….I remember reading Arabian Nights for the first time and being really shocked yet glad the whole story isn’t in the abridged kids version. That would be really wrong. Orgies and incest, my God! Who looked at this and decided that if that was all cut out, it was okay for kids? A bit twisted somehow. I also really love Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It’s not about the sex, really! I’ve written a few commentaries on Chatterley. They’re posted at the blog.

-You are quite a Christian woman. How do you deal with the at odds nature of Religion and sex?

I don’t want to say they don’t conflict, because they do. I can see how it would offend some people. I just don’t personally perceive things that way. I didn’t think about writing sexual material until I first got involved with my husband. As a writer I had to get that emotional and, well yes, physical awakening on paper. Previously I found my romantic material too superficial and cliché. On The Way To New Isosceles is about two people who come to see the closure they can find in each other. The joy and companionship people should experience when they are free and attracted to each other-despite what other circumstances such as space factions and war may say. God’s best gift is said to be the love between a man and a woman. Erotic literature isn’t anything he doesn’t know about. It can’t compare to the real thing but when done with love, intimacy, and discretion, I don’t see erotica as anything more than food for thought. Reading erotica is an experience just like any other emotional book. Porn is just weird and purely for gratification. That’s kind of sick, to waste one’s time on gratification instead of intellect.

-Now, I recall you telling me Horns of Myleness is about a love triangle. How is that about love and intimacy if there is an odd person out?

Horns of Myleness is a cautionary erotica tale I think. It is dark, conflicting. I hope it really tears readers in two! There names may change yet, but should the Queen choose her King, who is really a beefy Arthurian warrior, or shall she run off with the darling misunderstood younger brother? Of course, wars and fantasy and unicorns-yes unicorns-will interfere along with emotions and betrayal and such. During my writing, there were times I hated the Queen for choosing one way or the other, ney then I loved her for following her heart. Unfortunately her choice is tied to the fate of Myleness. You want all to be happy, but you know it can’t be so. I hope readers will enjoy dividing over the boys, ala ‘Team Aniston’ and ‘Team Jolie’. I did. Where On The Way is about opening up, awakening, giving in to reasonable joys and desires, Horns of Myleness is in a way the opposite. Affairs usually turn out for the worst. It’s what can go wrong when caution is put on the wind.

-Which genre do you prefer? Favorite authors and books?

The genre of the moment. I like a lot of historicals and fantasies. SF. I like Dune, Darkover, Gormenghast. I was really disappointed with Mists of Avalon, though. I think I’ve grown out of MZB. I love King Arthur and similar stuff, but Mists kind of put me off it for awhile. I read a lot of religious material as well. I’m all for embracing polarity, what can I say?

For Part 1, visit The Vampire Family Livejournal