“Symphony Amore” Author Interview: Elizabeth Coldwell
Today, I am pleased to introduce Elizabeth Coldwell. Her story in Symphony Amore: Erotic Stories of Love and Music is titled Verlangen. This is a moving and sensual story, a perfect addition to the collection. She is a multi-published author and the former editor of the UK edition of Forum magazine. She was the launch editor of Erotic Stories magazine and one of the co-founders of the Guild of Erotic Authors. She is now an editor at Xcite and Cariad. Find her online at The (Really) Naughty Corner. Verlangen is dedicated to the mystery violinist of Langestraat.
Is this your first published story? Is this your first published story in a Sexy Little Pages anthology? No, I’ve been published more times than I can count, and I have two stories in previous Sexy Little Pages anthologies. Age Appropriate is in the Silver Desire collection, which are all stories about the desires of women over the age of fifty, and Tell Me If It Hurts in Rule 34. I’d advise you don’t read the latter story if you don’t like visits to the dentist.
How long have you been writing erotica? How and why did you start? I’ve been writing for thirty years now. The first erotic story I had published was in Forum magazine, where I was working at the time. The editor challenged me to write something, and the result was An Unsuitable Man, about a woman’s efforts to finally find the right partner after being with all the wrong men. I had such fun writing it that I haven’t stopped since.
What inspired you to write this story? I was on holiday in Amsterdam a few months back, and it seemed every time we walked back to the apartment we were staying in, we heard someone practicing the violin in a nearby house. I’ve no idea who they were, but they played beautifully, and I’d like to thank them for giving me the idea for the story.
What were the most challenging and enjoyable aspects of writing it? The challenge with any erotic story is to make it about more than just people having sex. The characters have to be believable, as does their motivation for getting together. I used to play the violin when I was younger, so I enjoyed using my own experiences of that to build up the character of Chen, the violinist in Verlangen.
Does your story fit into your body of work? I think so. I’ve written a few short stories, a novella, and a novel that are set in Amsterdam, as something about the place always gives me good ideas for stories. I think it’s the sense of history and the relaxed vibe of the place.
What is your favorite line from your story? “ She moaned, and in his head, he swore he could hear music: the seductive violin tune Chen had played for him.” I think it emphasizes the role that music has played in Tom and Chen getting together.
Being as this is a collection about music, what is your favorite song or piece of music? My favorite song is Only Time Will Tell by Asia. Not in the least bit fashionable, but I adore it. John Wetton, the band’s lead singer, had such an amazing voice, full of passion and yearning.
What can we expect from you in the near future? I have a story coming out in the Sexy Little Pages anthology, Goodbye Moderation: Gluttony. It’s very different in tone to Verlangen: it’s about two men who work in a restaurant kitchen and get up to some very naughty things once they finish work for the night.
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You can read Verlangen and eight other erotic short stories in the collection, Symphony Amore: Erotic Stories of Love and Music, to be released on September 19, 2017. The links are as follows:
