NICHOLAS TANEK: Thank you for doing this interview. You are an author and before we talk about your books, please tell us what inspired you to actually write books and get them published.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Ahh! Well, I’m Irish, so I like to think that I’m a storyteller down to my DNA. I’ve always enjoyed writing stories, ever since 1st grade. Then in high school, I figured it might be really fun if I actually tried to write books and make a go of it. So, here I am.
NT: Tell us about your books.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Of course! I wrote a lot of things that never saw the light of publishing day. When I really started getting things out there, I first had some collections of MF (straight) erotica published online and with some small houses, then a full-length MF romance novel with another small press. Then, I had a full-length bisexual romance with yet another small press, and finally I’m now publishing strictly FF romance with that last small press.
NT: Women who Love Women series – tell us more about that.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Yes. Women who Love Women. Also known as FF. It’s basically Lesbian Romance. It’s a genre that I have found I love to write and that I have found people are hungry for. It’s like your traditional straight romance paperbacks you’d pick up in the store, like books by Nora Roberts, only it isn’t a man and a woman; it’s two women.
NT: How do you think lesbian erotic fiction is misrepresented?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I think a lot of people turn lesbian sex into a fetish. Like, it’s something that belongs in porn and not in real life. Which is entirely not true!
NT: I ask because I am a very kinky person who writes true stories about the kink community and I have seen a lot of BDSM and erotica misrepresenting the community. I totally agree.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Yes. I think anytime you have something other than straight sex, it can be turned into a fetish. But for some, it’s what romance is. For lesbians, lesbian sex IS sex. Sometimes it’s just for fun, but other times it takes place in the context of a meaningful relationship.
NT: How much of your work is based on real-life experiences and how much is from your imagination?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Hahaha, I had a feeling that question was coming! No pun intended. Some of it’s based on real-life experiences. Some on experiences from my imagination. I’ll let the reader guess which one is which.
NT: How has erotica helped you and other people?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Writing and reading erotica definitely helps get the sex drive going when the well is dry, so to speak. Sometimes life happens, and you find yourself just not in the mood. But reading and writing erotica tickles the mind, which is the biggest sex organ in the body, and it can help you relieve stress, get in a better mood, and spice up your current relationships.
NT: What kind of erotica would you like to see more of?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Honestly, one of my favorite kinds of erotica is sex in public. It’s just a personal guilty pleasure! Not necessarily sex in front of a group, but fooling around in an elevator, under a stairwell, in the backseat of a car. It has this sense of urgency that adds a lot of fun and danger to the situation!
NT: Ooooh! Sex in public. This reminds me of this article I wrote that I think you will love.
Let’s Have Sex In Public With Your Kinky Friends
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I’ll bookmark it and check it out!
NT: What kind of erotica would you like to see less of?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Oh, good question… Hmm… I think I’d like to see less of the glorifying of abuse. In the context of fantasy, having a dom/sub situation can be hot, but I think some have confused the real-life complications of stalkers and real-life abusers and have glorified them into something to fantasize about. I’ve dealt with people who are stalkers and abusers. Believe me, it’s NOT sexy!
NT: Yeah, I don’t want to name names or book titles, but there is this one very popular series that is very much like that. It also pisses me off that many erotic authors are just trying to ride the bandwagon and publish even worse books like that series just to get some money. The writing also sucks in those books.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Yeah, I think a lot of these authors don’t know the dangers of what a real-life relationship of this variety can bring. And yeah, I think I know what you’re talking about. (laughs) No comment.
NE: Okay, speaking of writing… i.e Molten member, turgid shaft, fiery furnace, pleasure pearl of passion, slit, honey-coated turgid phallus, and velvet maw.
What are some of the worst names for sex organs that you have seen used by authors?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Yeah, I think “honey hole” is one that I saw that made me cringe.
NT: You are a film buff. What are some of your favorite films? Do you have a favorite genre?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Well, the first ones that come to mind are the original three Star Wars, probably because I see promos for the new ones everywhere. I don’t have a favorite genre – I love so many! Comedy: Blazing Saddles. Horror: The Shining. If you want to get into lesbian movies, Disobedience, which came out a couple of years ago, was absolutely amazing!
NT: Blazing Saddles is magnificent. You know, Richard Pryor was supposed to play the Sherrif?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I think I heard that!! He ended up being one of the writers on the screenplay! Richard Pryor that is.
NT: The Shining! I love the films of Stanley Kubrick. Did you see the sequel, Dr. Sleep?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I did see Dr. Sleep. I read the book, too
NT: What did you think?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: .It was good! I actually liked it better than the book. But still, it was no The Shining.
NT: What are some new directors/films that you just discovered?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Taika Watiti is a writer/director I’ve recently fallen in love with. I discovered him on What We Do in the Shadows movie, then Thor 3, then he wrote and acted in some episodes of The Mandalorian, and he’s also doing What We Do in the Shadows show, which is hilarious! He’s basically the best thing since sliced bread, in my opinion!
NT: I know Tom Scharpling from THE BEST SHOW. http://thebestshow.net Tom writes for the show. I think he wrote the episode where they go to the club.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Oh my God! That episode was insane!!
NT: I know. Tom is a great writer. He actually wrote this insane sequel to an Adam Sandler film. GROWN-UPS 3 http://grownups3script.com/
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Haha! Sweet!
NT: It is hilarious and enjoyable regardless if you are a fan of Sandler or not. He just wrote it for fun and published it on the web. Now, there are comedians performing the script in both NYC and Los Angeles.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I like Sandler. I have fond memories of Happy Gilmore. “Go home, ball!” Heard his new one, Uncut Gems+ was phenomenal.
NT: http://grownups3script.com That’s the script.
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Awesome! I’ve actually been looking for some spec scripts to read. A side project.
NT: You love soundtracks. What are some of your favorite soundtracks?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Ohhhh…… Okay. Gladiator soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Edward Scissorhands soundtrack by Danny Elfman. And a lesser-known soundtrack by John Williams for the movie Empire of the Sun. Lord of the Rings soundtracks by Howard Shore too. Have I started to reveal my nerd side yet??
NT: Haha. So… are you currently in a personal relationship?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: I am.
NT: How has been an author of erotic fiction affected the relationship? Good and/or bad?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: It’s all good! I think when you’re in a relationship, you almost need the erotica more than when you’re not! When you’re with someone day in and day out, things have a tendency of getting stale, and erotica spices it up.
NT: Good point. I’m always curious about how people meet. I know you want to keep things private… so, without too much detail, how did you two meet?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Believe it or not, the Internet!
NT: Dating site?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Ok Cupid!
NT: I’ve met a lot of people on Fetlife. http://fetlife.com
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Yeah, I have friends who have found a lot of dates of Fetlife. Tinder is also popular. If you navigate these sites safely, you can find that they are a great way to meet people. How else are you going to meet people? Your job? Church????
NT: Okay. What erotic novel (by a different author) would you recommend?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: The Office Affair (The Affair Series). This one!
It’s a crazy, super sexy, bisexual erotica book by my very good friend. It’s total fantasy land awesomeness and a total guilty pleasure of mine. It’s book 1 in a trilogy, too.
NT: I wrote three books and they are all very special to my heart. The Coolest Way To Kill Yourself is a tribute to the love of my life who passed away in 2012. Chipped Black Nail Polish is about the very first love of my life and a tribute to the punk/goth scene I was in when growing up. Your Kinky Friends is a tribute to the kink community and how it has helped me heal from the pain of loss. They are all special to me in different ways. Out of your work, which book is closest to your heart?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Wow! That’s great that you were able to express yourself through both your loss and love. For me, I’d say THE ART HOUSE is the closest to my heart because I put a lot of my heart and soul into it, in the form of personal challenges and loss, as well as desires, hopes, and dreams.
NT: Wonderful. I think that wraps everything up. Any final thing you want to say?
SCARLETT KNIGHT: Just thank you for reaching out and giving me this opportunity! It was a pleasure!
Scarlett Knight is a Texas native who enjoys being creative in a number of ways besides writing, including taking amateur nature photos with her iPhone at nearby parks, listening to movie soundtracks while coloring in her adult coloring books, and happily wandering around the local Dallas/Fort Worth art museums. She also has a passion for de-cluttering and organizing, which her friends and family often take advantage of. She loves to travel, both around Texas and also to far away cities and countries for new adventures. A shameless foodie, she spends her weekends wining and dining at her favorite restaurants and delights in discovering new places to eat. Last but not least, she is the proud mom to a senior dachshund, which will always and forever be her special fur-baby.
As an author, Scarlett got her humble start writing and publishing erotic short stories for websites and anthologies. Since then, she has spread her storytelling wings and has now expanded her offerings to full-length, character-driven romance. After experimenting with a number of sub-genres, she wrote and published ROADS AND REVELATIONS (Painted Hearts Publishing, 2017). During the process of writing ROADS, she fell in love with creating romance stories for Women who Love Women and has been writing them ever since. Book 1 of THE NEON FISHNETS, her forthcoming WLW rock romance trilogy, (Painted Hearts Publishing), is now available!
