Interview with Lacey

Welcome to Jagged Edge!

Your favorite character?

One of my favorite characters is “Ghost” from Poppy Z. Brite’s unconventional vampire novel, “Lost Souls.” Ghost is a very powerful psychic and empath.  I loved getting into his head, knowing that he knows things that other people don’t know he knows.  It is interesting how he has learned to stifle this gift so as not to make people uncomfortable.  He was the first psychic character I ever read about and he paved the way for many more in that genre.  He will always be my first and my most beloved dark psychic.  He seemed to live through his feelings like a walking piece of poetry, the part of poetry that you can’t really describe with words.

What is your favorite Quote?

“Truth above all, even if it upsets and overwhelms us” -- Frederick Amiel

What is the one thing that every writer needs to have or do?

The one thing a writer needs to do is write. To me, once you have written something, anything, you are a writer.  You’ll need something to write with.  It could be a pen, pencil, a piece of paper, a piece of chalk, some charcoal, a rock.  It doesn’t matter.  Just write and express yourself.

Are your books different to your personal favorite books by other authors?

Yes.  At my age, I have really opened up my scope.  When I was younger I read mostly horror and paranormal books.  Now I love the classics.  I love comedies and dramas, children’s books and memoirs.  I read graphic novels and non-fiction.  I read spiritual texts and smut. I can’t imagine just sticking to one thing.  I look for books that are well written, with a plot and characters that pull me in.  If a book, pulls me in, I’ll keep reading.  If it doesn’t, I put it down and move on. 

So people act surprised when they learn I have written an erotic story about bisexual sex vampires and that I love to read William Faulkner or Orsen Scott Card or even Anthony Robbins or Ghandi.

What lead you to writing in this genre?

I was once reading a blog someone wrote about female arousal.  The author wondered what it was like for a man. She said if her “buttons were pressed right.” It could be mind-blowing. Several men commented and admitted that their orgasms were pretty short and over with. From this, I had the idea of writing about sex vampires who are lesbians by choice due to the fact that they could suck out more sexual orgasms from women than from men.

A much esteemed colleague, college professor and published author told me to write what I know. I was working on a very heavy piece, one that has caused me years of pain, anguish and research to write and that really got into some very deep and controversial subjects. I guess I needed a break from that book and I decided to start writing other stories just for fun, just to keep my style fresh. My friend suggested that since I’m fitness professional, I must know a lot about the human body so I started to write a short story that really described the human body in detail. Needless to say, it ended up becoming an erotic work. I liked the idea of a woman whose body changes from normal to superhuman. I’ve experienced this myself as a personal trainer and I’ve helped people make this transition. I used this knowledge to describe the athletic bodies of the nymphomites.

“Fireflies” is written in present tense because I started the story, not knowing where it would end up as a writing exercise. I just let my imagination run wild.  Also, when I used to study martial arts, I did some research into sexual energy work and this story has a lot to do with what I learned about sexual energy.

What inspires you the most when you write?

I write for many different reasons and I have learned that I am inspired by many things. 

Sometimes I am inspired by revenge.  Someone says something or does something to me that I do not like and I never had the nerve to tell them what I really thought.  Often, I take that energy and put it into my writings, allowing my characters to say or do all of the things I never could

Sometimes I am inspired by love and I use my personal relationships to weave meaning into my stories.

Sometimes I am inspired by social unrest and I write to help me clarify and understand complicated and disturbing aspects of society such as prejudice and violence.

Sometimes I am inspired by fun and entertainment and I just want to write something that is fresh, different and exciting.

Sometimes I am inspired by my own passionate emotions and I write as a way to harness or soften my passions without causing any trouble or drama in my everyday life.

How long does it normally take you to write a book and go through the whole process?

Anywhere from a year to fifteen years depending on the brevity of the work and what I am going through at that period in time.

What book do you wish to see come out as a movie? (of course all authors want to see their movie on the big screen but what other book would you like to see?)

I always wanted to see Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” out on the big screen. I heard rumors that it was going to happen but I heard that the project was canceled due to technical difficulties.  I understand.  If a movie were to be made, I would want it to be a good movie that stays true to the novel and I hope that Card continues to look for someone who will get the job done well.

Do you ever run out of ideas for new books?

I have so many ideas; I can’t even keep track of them.  All my friends will tell you that I’m an idea person.  I wish I could just make a living having ideas and feeding them to people.  Some people have gained some small successes following through on my ideas.  It’s not always about the ideas though.  You have to follow through on them.  I have a ton of unfinished works and a catalog of ideas in my mind and on paper somewhere.

What's next in life for you?

I have written a novel about the intimate lives of people who joined a dangerous cult. It follows the story of how they got trapped into the cult and how they escaped when they realized that their leader was turning them into prisoners.

I spent twelve years researching cult tragedies and the science of brainwashing in the making of this book. The story is fictional but it takes universal components from many people I have studied who were pulled into this situation including those who survived cult suicides and slave cults. Though the story is fictional, I felt a horrible pull towards writing this novel once I started, as if the characters I created were ghosts who demanded I tell their story. Though these characters were made up, I was shocked to see how similar they were to people who really existed while doing my research.

The novel explains many questions and disturbing aspects of religion such as idolatry and extremism. It also shows how very strong and interesting people can be brain washed when caught at the right time and place in their lives. Still, it is a spiritual journey and underlying all the conspiracy theories and struggles, there is a lesson about looking within ourselves in our search for truth.