Intimate Interviews

Literary Lust with thenuggiequeen

Hello AfterDark Lovers, 

Today, we sit with the one and only author of THE BLACK SERIES, Jasmin Raye. We ask ask the questions, she gives us the titillating answers, and you, our readers and her fans, get to enjoy!  

Shall we begin?

Welcome to Intimate Interviews thenuggiequeen! Can you tell us more about yourself?

I'm very interested in philosophy, psychology, and the mysteries of the universe. Whenever I'm not reading up on any of those, I spend my time mastering the art of cooking, taking my cat's head out of my tea mug, or writing until my fingers cramp.

What made you pick up the pen and start writing?

I didn't have many friends as a child. I was considered the weird one, and no one wanted to be associated with the weird kid. Around the third grade, I was sitting in my homeroom while children played in the snow and decided to grab one of the free notepads my teacher left in the corner of the room. As soon as I started writing, it felt like a piece of me had been found. I wrote stories all years, filling up notebook after notebook. By the end of the year, I had over 20 notebooks filled with stories. That's when I knew writing was my passion and escapism.

What inspires you as an author?

I love writing what others relate to. Or what they want to relate to. I find the reality of the world is much darker and gruesome than the world of writing, especially for young women. I wanted to use my books as a way to show young girls and growing adults that we don't need to settle for what we're given because we're told that's all we deserve. I want my books to inspire women around the world to follow what's in their heart and soul even if no one else agrees with it -- I sure did, and it helped me create my beautiful community of readers.

We love to hear that. Now, let's move to more of the AfterDark things😈. What inspired you to write your first steamy scene? Could you tell us more about that experience? Was it a slow buildup to a not-so-innocent kiss, or did your characters jump right into the action?

Honestly, my first steamy scene took very long to build up towards. I believe the most romantic and attractive thing a person can do is see someone for all their perfections, flaws, and thoughts and tell themselves, "This is the person I want to be with." And getting the chance to express such passion through the steamy steam is a fun process.

Was writing "after dark" material something that occurred naturally to you, or was it a craft that you practiced till you perfected?

Though some parts felt natural, most of what I know now is based off of my extensive analysis of other authors' works on Wattpad or paperback books. I wanted to make sure that when I started to take writing more seriously, I'd have the knowledge required in order to create the best experience possible for myself as the writer and my community of readers.

Do you have any challenges that you face during writing, especially spicy or mature topics? And how do you overcome them?

The most challenging part of it is trying to make the protagonist's relationship as realistic as possible. I know from past books written when I was younger that my interpretations of what relationships should look like were incredibly unrealistic to what I know now as a woman. The connection that needs to be formed prior to such a scene, and the passion that needs to be there when they finally decide to take the next step...it can become difficult. When writing scenes like these, I always have to imagine myself as the protagonist (because most of the time they are loosely based on one of my many different sides) and ask myself what it is that draws me to my love interest; what about them I find irresistible, and which parts drive me crazy in the best and worst ways. Visualization has saved my life throughout the years.