Today we are sitting down with Jason Walker, author of “Bound”.  Bound is a juicy little tale about a sub and her Master that will have you hanging on every word and begging for more.  Welcome to Coffee Time Romance Jason!

Hi and thanks for the opportunity!

What is it that sparks your imagination the most, strangers, family, or random events?

I would love to say that I have an answer to this but I really don’t. My “sparks” come from everywhere and nowhere. I have written stories based on a random stranger I have seen at the grocery store and then built an imaginary world around their supposed life. I have had story ideas come to me from TV characters, family members, people from my past, events both real and imagined and completely at random while in the shower.  I am just finishing a short story based on the smell of a woman’s hair I stood in line behind at a local coffee shop. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern.

When you develop a story do you find it is the main characters that drive the plot, or do you pick out a situation that interests you, and then flesh out the characters from there?

In most cases, it is the event or scenario then the characters for me.  I most often find myself thinking of a situation and then imagining how people would act or react in that setting or event. It isn’t the case 100% of the time though. As to the case with Bound, I had seen so many D/S – BDSM novels and had heard so many people discussing them, without really understanding the real nature of that kind of relationship. Too often they were just Whip me, beat me, screw me kinds of things, often with unbelievable characters (see: Billionaire 25 year old super hot guys and wilting flower super model girlfriends).  I saw a need for a story that showed the real romance of that special relationship. I thought it would be interesting to show it as it can be, brimming with romance, full of love, caring, and especially communication, between people, not stereotypes. I thought a reader deserved that, a nice piece of entertaining honesty. If I’ve done it well, Bound should show the D/S relationship to be real, healthy, loving, romantic; satisfying to all involved, and yes, really hot!

Finding time to sit down and block out the rest of the world to write must be very difficult.  I know that my favorite times to read are when the house is completely empty and I can totally immerse myself in the story.  Do you find this to be true as well or can you lose yourself in your stories no matter what is going on around you?

For better or worse, I have a great deal of alone time to write. I was widowed in 2008, so now it is just me and my twenty something son. He is usually off doing his own thing and I am left to think and write. I do a great deal of my composition work in my head long before I ever sit to actually write. When I do settle in to put the words down, I sequester myself at the computer and write. Do I loose myself in the process or story? Yes, every time. When I get a good idea it almost becomes an imperative that I get it down on paper. I joke to my friends that they must leave me alone because these words have to get out of my head! Also I tend to write organically, meaning fast and flowing. Bound was, as are most of the things I write, an eruption of words. The first draft of 20 thousand words was in a document in less than a day. I have since found out from others that I am a little weird in that aspect. In the past I have punched out over 70k words in five days. It does make for more work on the editing, but it is just my process. That is the beauty of writing, there are no rules. If you write 200 words a day or 72 thousand in a week, great! It is all about writing it. Schedule, speed, and efficiency are myths in writing. Just write.

The BDSM aspect is something I find very fascinating, especially when it is done with such honesty and commitment between the characters involved.  What is it about this genre that interests you, and is this something you will continue to explore in future stories?

BDSM and more specifically, the Dominant and submissive relationship, is an interest of mine and has been for a very long time. I find it interesting in the fact that if done right, it is very clearly defined, well communicated and very satisfying. That satisfaction, in my mind, comes from the fact that very little is left open for interpretation or guessing. That in itself makes for a more honest relationship. I also enjoy the consideration that while one partner is submissive, it is they who hold the real power or authority in the relationship. There is also the trust factor. For storytelling, I like the issues of trust, how it is given or earned and how it can go so right or so very wrong. Will I explore this more? Absolutely! I have in other published works in the past and can envision it staying a part of my writing for the foreseeable future.

Reading short stories often evokes a love/hate reaction for me.  I love getting to the heart of the characters right away, but when a story is as good as yours, I want to know everything about them.  How do you decide what is pertinent information and what is excess, and would you rather read novels or novellas?

I wish I had a plan. Other authors do. I never really have. Bound ended up as a novella because the story was finished. I never have and never will, sit down to write a story thinking Well, this will be a novel length manuscript. I start with the first sentence and end with the last one. Then I look back and say well how about that? It took 25 thousand words to tell that story. I do often end up editing out frivolous or extraneous information and just as often end up going back and adding more where it is needed. it seems to be a byproduct of my writing process. Given that at least half the time, I don’t necessarily know where a story is going, often I end up in a different place than I would have imagined. Then I see that I need to go back and flesh out a character who became more important or buff up a scene that became pivotal. Novel or novella, short story or literary epic, stand alone or series, it doesn’t really matter to me. I want to tell interesting, honest, entertaining stories that a reader can enjoy and take something from; a tear, a smile, some knowledge or at least the feeling of having not wasted their time.

Haley is not at all confused about what she wants, but her fear of disappointing her Master is obvious.  I love the anticipation that brings to their story.  Is this what you were going for and how difficult is it to keep that building throughout the plot?

In my opinion, good storytelling and plot building in general, but especially in Erotica, is about anticipation, tension, conflict, resolution, and satisfaction of needs or desires. It is always a goal of mine and it can be difficult. I have many stories sitting quietly in the corner of a hard drive that lacked one or more of those vital aspects. They are good stories but not fulfilling. In Bound, I saw Haley’s building anticipation as a key element. It was the vehicle that carried the tale. It facilitated the relationship building, the communication and the eventual establishment of their mutual love and expression of their respect for each other. Hopefully the reader felt her anticipation and in at least a small way, experienced it with her.

In Bound did you find it harder from writing the female or male point of view, or maybe more specifically, the sub or Master’s?

It was more difficult to write from the female point of view. I am male and while I believe some aspects of people are universal, others are not and must be experienced. I was fortunate to have a wife who was very verbal about her feelings and reactions. I learned a great deal from her and have used that knowledge in my writing whenever I could.

Being a Dom is something Jerrod takes very seriously.  His attention to detail and the care he puts into his time with Haley shows the depth of his feelings.  This is one of my favorite features in BDSM stories.  What interests you most about this genre or lifestyle?

Without getting too personal, I am most interested in communication between partners and in the D/S lifestyle and BDSM in general, there is the absolute need for communication. I have seen so many couples whose relationships ended over a simple lack of communication. Even if the relationship doesn’t end, it is that failure to express ones self or to ask the partner about certain subjects, that can lead to a lack of enjoyment, pleasure and satisfaction. Both partners may think everything is just fine but never know that the other person isn’t being really fulfilled by the other. Speaking purely about sexual matters; an openness and honestly with your partner is paramount in my opinion. If you truly love someone, you should want to do the things that please them. In return you should gain pleasure from their satisfaction. There is a lot to be said for You enjoyed that and I made you happy. It can be altruistic and marvelously selfish all at the same time. It starts with communication. Do you like it when I …? Would you please do that to me? I’ve wondered how that would feel. I’ve been thinking that this might be fun.

The D/s relationship requires those conversations be held. Both participants absolutely have to know what the other wants, needs, is willing to do and not do, and does not want. I try very hard to make this clear in Bound.  I will state another opinion here, one that might get me in trouble. I think men, far more than women, need to learn this lesson. Ask for what you want! Too often men take an attitude if we are getting any sexual contact, well, that’s good enough. Be honest, gentle and exercise a little aplomb but ask! Women too, need to be explicit in their wants and desires. Men are thick at times. You give what you think are clear indications of what you want, and think that we should pick up on those hints.  We are generally lousy at picking up hints. This is especially true when the majority of our blood is concentrated in our genitals and not in our brains and pleasure hormones are filling our veins. Stop thinking that you made a hint and that he should pick up on it and do or stop doing whatever it is. We don’t get it, never have; never will. Tell us! Tell us how to make you happy. Tell us the special, unusual and even the freaky thing you want us to do to make you happy! We’ll do it! I promise!

All of this goes back to communication! 

Bound centers around one scene.  Is this something you do often when writing, or do you normally build an entire story around your characters, and why did you write Bound in this fashion?

Bound centered around one night, one event but that was largely a framework for telling the larger story. That story was how this couple ended up at this ever so special night. I made a conscious choice to write Bound in this way. It was unusual for me to do so though. The scenario’s I come up with are usually more complex and varied. In this case, as the story developed on the page, I just couldn’t see any reason to expand the framework. Bound fit nicely into that frame. In the past I have written around a prospect or situation more than a character or a scene. I can’t really say why Bound flowed so well in this direction. I suppose, it was just how the story wanted to be told.

I love the chemistry between Haley and Jerrod.  Is there a possibility we may get to enjoy more of them in the future, and what else do you have in the works that we can be looking for?

Yes actually. I have an idea for the further adventures of Jerrod and Haley. When the story was done, I looked back and realized that I really liked the characters and their relationship. That might sound odd but, in my case, I often don’t know the characters until I finish telling their story. Now that I know Haley and Jerrod, I think they have much more to tell.  For now though, I am putting the finishing touches on a couple of projects. One is a compilation of short stories and another that is shaping up to be a much longer piece dealing with another of my favorite subjects, body image and real beauty.

Thank you!  We all love getting to know the minds that come up with such wonderful stories, and it has been a pleasure digging into your thoughts.  I hope you enjoyed the questions, and getting the opportunity to share yourself with the readers.  Have a wonderful day and keep up the great work!

Thank you so much for this opportunity. I really enjoyed speaking with you and look forward to doing it again soon!

I would like to end with a couple of quick things. If someone out there enjoys my work, thank you. If you have ever considered writing yourself, erotica or anything else; do it! There are no tricks, no real trade secrets. Just write. Write and learn. The knowledge of how to do it better comes with the experience of having done it but you have to do it first. Write!

Lastly, I would take a moment to thanks Kate Miles and the staff with Luminosity Publishing. They have restored my faith in publishers. They took my story, which was pretty good and made it great. I couldn’t imagine having a better experience. If you are a writer, talk to them, you won’t be sorry.

Thanks again!

This has been such an informative and interesting conversation!  I cannot thank Jason enough for his time and his truly thoughtful and caring answers.  Please check out this read, which is also available as an audio-book on Amazon, you will definitely be glad you did!