TopShelf Magazine June 2023

THANKS, R.E. FOR JOINING US TODAY…WE WANTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR READERS AND HOPE THAT SOMETHING YOU SAY – OR EVEN ONE OF YOUR COVERS –INDUCES SOMEONE WHO HASN’T READ YOU BEFORE TO PICK UP ONE OF YOUR BOOKS.

Hi, and thanks so much for having me.

Q: YOU ARE PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR THE DIVINE TRILOGY, WHAT MADE YOU WRITE A BOOK ABOUT “THE LIFESTYLE?”

Jumping right into the deep end, aren’t we? *grins*

The short answer is that I wasn’t finding enough accurate depictions of the lifestyle, so I decided to write what I lived and wanted to read. The Trilogy is comprised of To Serve is Divine , A Divine Life , and Surreal , and follows one main couple across the books while introducing a plethora of side characters from all walks, and kinks, of life. I definitely suggest you have an open mind if you pick these up.

I was in my late teens when I read Anne Roquelaure’s Beauty Trilogy (now a series with a fourth book), which fascinated me not just for the beauty of her writing style, but also for the world she portrayed. It made me realize certain feelings and thoughts I’d been having were okay… and normal. It would be almost ten years before I found anything close again, in the world of fanfiction. In the meantime, my then boyfriend, now husband and Sir—not Master, as we are not 24/7— of about thirty years, explored.

Once I went down the rabbit hole of fanfic, there was no turning back. I read every story I could find with a BDSM theme, and mostly found myself disappointed by the misconceptions being put out there for the masses. Almost like they were looking for a reason

to write the hot and steamy sex scenes, but didn’t care about everything else—the mental elements, the aftercare, the honest communication needed to build trust. I wasn’t finding the beauty in the lifestyle.

So, I put pen to paper, and The Complete Divine Trilogy was born. Book one, To Serve is Divine, is .99c at Amazon but free everywhere else, or you can grab all THREE novels of the Divine Trilogy in one handy omnibus edition for just $5.99! That's over 250k words for less than a quad-venti white mocha with soy, no whip … IF that’s how you want it. #LongLiveKink

Q: ONE OF YOUR LATEST BOOKS IS A MAFIA ROMANCE, WAS IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH GENRES?

Yes and no. Yes in that apart from mafia movies, I’d never read anything in the genre, so had to familiarize myself with terms in regard to crime families and organizations. And no because while I write romance, I have written a variety of subgenres including erotic, LGBTQfriendly, ghost stories, horror stories, and even sweet feel-good reads. Also, this particular story, Dani and the Outcast, is a fabled retelling of Lady and the Tramp, so I had a baseline with which to build the story and my human characters from.

Q: EVERY AUTHOR USUALLY WEARS MULTIPLE HATS. IT COULD BE AUTHOR, COVER DESIGNER, MOM; IT COULD BE AUTHOR, EDITOR, HUSBAND, OR REALLY ANYTHING. WHAT HATS DO YOU WEAR ASIDE FROM AUTHOR?

First and foremost, I’m a wife and mother (even if my three ducklings have all waddled off now). These days, my primary hat is as a freelance fiction editor, so whether editing or writing, words make my world go round. Even when I’m plodding away in my garden weeding, planting, or harvesting, a story is always brewing in my head.

Q: YOU ARE AN AUTHOR, EDITOR, WIFE, AND MOTHER, HOW DO YOU RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES AND FUEL YOUR CREATIVITY?

Sleep and staying hydrated. Seriously, I need it. That aside, we go to a lot of concerts and usually get in a couple of vacations each year built around my signing events, the next of which is Sultry in the City in Houston, Texas on August 26th. New Orleans is a favorite destination. This month alone we’ll be seeing a baseball game (Go Rangers!), Duran Duran (and Bastille!), Les Claypool and the Flying Frog Brigade, some live jazz at the Scat Jazz Lounge in Fort Worth, and then Hadestown. All great for people watching and experiencing life. Inspiration is all around when you open your eyes and ears.

Q: WHAT GENRE BOOKS DO YOU NOT WRITE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY?

The concept of “shifters.” I do have two stories started, one about mermaids and one about jaguars. They’re what we call Works In Progress in the book world, and as I’m a pantser, I can’t say when they’ll get finished.

Q: OF ALL THE BOOKS YOU HAVE PUBLISHED, WHICH WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE THE MOST ATTACHMENT TO AND WHY?

every tale. That being said, if I have to pick one, I’d go with Wanted. It was my first full-length stand-alone that didn’t start as a fanfiction or involve a lot of sex, which is what I’d become known for. After spending almost three years with my beautifully broken characters, it felt amazing to finally get them to their HEA.

Q: BECAUSE ALL AUTHORS ARE READERS, PUT ON YOUR READING HAT FOR THIS ONE…WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE TO READ RIGHT NOW, WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR, AND WHAT ARE OTHER GENRES DO YOU READ THE MOST?

As much as I love a good old-fashioned romance story, it’s the genre I find myself primarily editing and writing in, so when I’m reading for pleasure, I like something else. Reily Garrett has some amazing police procedural/ murder mystery series. Certainly not new, but Stephen R. Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant Chronicles takes you to a whole other world. Give me something in the horror genre, ala Stephen King or Anne Rice, any day, and I’m a happy girl. I’m currently working my way through Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett.

Q: R.E., YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO APPEAR AT AN IMPORTANT PUBLISHING/WRITING CONFERENCE AND YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SPEAK ON THE TOP THINGS ASPIRING AND FIRST TIME AUTHORS SHOULD KNOW…WHAT WOULD BE THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT OF THEM AND WHY?

Okay, that’s a tough one. For one reason or another, each story I’ve written means something to me. They’re all a part of who I was at the time they were being created, emotional baggage and all, so a piece of me resides in

Honesty and integrity, with yourself and your readers, is a must. A good story is like

a fine wine, it takes time to develop and become full-bodied. Also know that writing can be lonely at times, as it can be magical. A good tip for newbies is to get out there and meet your community (note I did not say competition). Find book events to attend as a reader so you can talk to other authors in your genre. Network. Get marketing ideas for when you have your book ready to go. Most of all, believe in yourself and so will others. Thick skin is another must. Know that you will not please everyone. And, say it with me, THAT’S OKAY. Just like pineapple on pizza isn’t for everyone. Your book could be perfectly polished with an amazing cover and blurb, and it’s still not going to be someone’s cup of tea. Readers are allowed to have their opinions, and guess what, a three-star review is not a bad thing. Be grateful your story moved them enough to jot a few words down. Edit. Editing. Edited.

Q: AT THAT CONFERENCE, YOU ARE SEATED BETWEEN TWO OF YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS, WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT ONE QUESTION WOULD YOU ASK EACH OF THEM?

Laurell K. Hamilton, who writes the Anita Blake and Meredith Gentry series, for sure. Picking only one other isn’t so easy, but Amber L. Johnson comes to mind. There hasn’t been a single book of hers I have not enjoyed.

To Laurell, whose stories always have death and mayhem, I’d have

to ask what her ideal final meal would be if there were no restrictions.

As for Amber, well, I’d have to ask her when she’ll be sharing her next masterpiece with us, because it’s been far too long.

ABOUT R. E. HARGRAVE

Believing every story can shine bright with a bit of tenacious tough love, R.E. Hargrave is thorough and to the point. An author and editor, she takes storytelling and manuscript polishing seriously, working with her authors and on her own creations to ensure they come to life, crawling from the pages and into the reader's souls. Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX, and is married to her high school sweetheart where they have raised three children. A native 'mutt,' she has lived in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and California. She is fond of setting her stories—which range from the sweet to the paranormal, to the erotic and horrific—on location in South Carolina and Texas.

Hargrave is best known for her erotic BDSM series, The Divine Trilogy. The final book in the trilogy, Surreal, was a 2015 Golden Flogger Award Finalist with BDSM Writer's Con. In 2017, her short novella Brooklyn Blues was also a GFAFinalist. Wanted was a 2020 finalist in ReadFree.ly’s Best Book We’ve Read All Year contest.

ONE STOP LINK