Welcome, today we’re meeting Emily Carrington and learning about her as well as her new releases, books 3 and 4 in her Dragon Lost series. Emily, I’m curious: why have you chosen to write about Dragons, Werewolves, Genies and other extraordinary creatures?
I love how “human” they are, struggling with prejudices, pride, and relationships while bringing fantastical features into each book. Dragons are my current favorite thanks to a mistake someone on my team made, calling “Conventions of Dragons” a “Consortium of Dragons.” This gave birth to the idea of a two-book arc for the throuple* I wanted to write about.
*I use the word “throuple” instead of trio because it implies longevity, something far deeper than a ménage à trois.
What makes for good chemistry between your leading characters?
Sexually speaking, Parisa and Noah enjoy how Joel looks. For Joel, who is blind, he finds their love of talking and touching to be a huge turn-on. Emotionally, their broken places fit together like a puzzle.
How do your paranormal books differ from others in the genre?
I write with a little less heat, which brings the emotional journey forward, at least for me. Also, all my SearchLight books (and there are over 50 stories, broken into 35+ volumes and box sets) are interconnected. They’re by no means all about the same couple or throuple, but they’re all based in the same world where the UN-like organization, SearchLight, works for equality for all.
You also like to add danger in your Dragon Lost series. Do you think this makes romance more intense?
The original reason I added danger in my SearchLight books was that I was looking for a contrast with my M/M contemporary romances. I enjoy adding a frisson of excitement because sometimes my characters need a good scare or kick in the pants to realize how deeply they care for each other.
Now let’s learn a little about you. You’ve lived in many different places. What keeps you moving? Is it curiosity?
I’ve been searching for a home for a long time, and I finally found one, with my wife and our three service dogs. Although I will never lose my wanderlust, that can be assuaged by vacations to different states. Having a home to come back to fires my soul.
I think readers are fascinated when they learn that you are blind and that you read braille. Before you became a writer, did you ever think writing books was an unattainable goal?
I thought “editing” was an unobtainable goal! Getting my thoughts down on virtual “paper” is actually quite easy. I was taught to type when I was eight years old because my handwriting was so terrible the teachers got sick of trying to decipher my perfect-for-the-doctor’s-scriptpad loops and smooshed-together letters. When I tell you learning to type on a manual typewriter was a challenge, that dates me a little. I’m almost forty-five and when I finally switched to computers in the late 1990s, I was the happiest person alive. That being said, editing was a challenge because I didn’t know how I could ever read my editor’s comments. Luckily, there’s a screen reader command for that (and just in case you’re blind too, it’s Ctrl+Shift+apostrophe).
You include disabled characters in your stories. What feedback do you get from your readers?
I’ve been asked to start including invisible disabilities, which are things that tend toward the neurodivergent and those chronic-pain or chronic sensation struggles that are still, in some places, doubted by doctors. Under another pen name, I’m working on a book about a character with dissociative identity disorder. That pen name, Clarissa DeWick, will be focused on sweet M/M, F/F, and Transgender romances. Also, coming under Emily Carrington is the story of a dragon with multiple disabilities. I *think* he’ll be the main character of Dragon Lost 5 and 6.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since 2011. My original manuscript, Dragon Food (which is now featured in the box set, Dragon in Training) was sent back to me four times but Loose Id (whose doors are now closed, unfortunately) always gave me encouragement and solid advice.
Do you find it easy to write a book, or do you struggle with the first or second draft?
I write an outline first, a very detailed outline, usually including some of the dialogue I don’t want to forget, and that’s the part that’s hard because I’m constructing the book from thin air. Once the outline is written, fleshing it out is super fun.
Are you a disciplined author? Tell us about your writing routine.
For me, I write to music whenever possible. Until recently, I would have said I couldn’t write without music. That changed when I lost my music files on my computer, and I haven’t reclaimed them. I write every day, including my birthday if I can manage it. This is a nod to Stephen King, who said in “On Writing” that he writes every day.
Do you want to convey a particular message to your readers?
What I’d like to say is this: even in a world of prejudice and denial, there’s always room for love. Connection is the most important gift one human being can give another, and also give themselves.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
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