Interview with Emma Calin, author of Power

What can you tell us about your new release, Power?

Power is the latest in my steamy romance series about tough but sexy girl cops. All life, human and animal is about Power and the desire for it. Cops have power but are constrained by the law. Crooks have no boundaries and that gives them a unique power. In this story a young American congressman on the way up seeks to be president but also rejoices in his power to bring erotic joy to his woman. Power is just a way of describing relationships, the universe and the human condition.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

As a kid I loved stories. The saddest day of my life was when I realized that magic wasn’t true. I loved bible stories, movies, newspapers, comics and of course books. A neighbor gave me an old fashioned book called “Missing From Home” by a writer called Geoffrey Trease. I loved it so much but lost it somehow in a house move. I just wanted to write stories like that. I had a teacher who thought I had a gift for writing whereas most people said I was plain useless. I think of her every time I write.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

1. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy.
2. A Round-Heeled Woman, Jane Juska
3.The Time Traveller’s Wife, Audrey Niffeneger.
4. Life of Pi, Yann Martel
5.The Davinci Code, Dan Brown.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Tough question….I think it would be Jane Juska who wrote A Round-Heeled woman. She wrote shamelessly about the female sexual need and I’d ask how people around her responded to her frankness. In her book she clearly liked and admired men so I might ask her what she thought of feminism in 2019.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Simple – Power! I can create the characters I want and maybe get the kind of results I want. The truth is that my deepest relationships are with the characters in my books. The saddest thing about writing is when I write that last sentence and we kind of say goodbye. Maybe that’s why each of my standalone books brings back old friends from earlier stories. I love seeing how they’ve evolved. The oddest and most marvelous thing about writing is that once the characters come to life, they are unique individuals who pull the story along outside of my own will. When this happens it does feel weird but it’s one of the greatest joys in writing.

What is a typical day like for you?

The truth is that a writer spends more time on promotion and publicity than on actually writing books. My day starts with my in-box and social media activity. As soon as I can, I get down to writing. To get back into the “feel” of the story I read and re-write the stuff from the day before. Once I start writing I do tend to lose track of time and snap back to life when my partner tells me he’s fixed dinner or it’s time for bed. At least three times a week I try to get out for a tandem cycle ride, a river trip in our kayak or a long brisk walk. I just don’t have the knees for running. While I’m waiting for the computer to warm up or loading a video I have some free weights and do some exercises. Later in the day I speak to my partner about police procedures and matters of law (he’s an ex London cop) to ensure that things stay accurate. I’d like to say I have a glass of wine but currently I’m on a diet and I try not to tempt myself. I have to confess that stuff like shopping, dusting and domestic dross get lost or pushed aside.

What scene in Power was your favorite to write?

I shouldn’t admit it but I do like the sex scenes because they really are a challenge. You can end up repeating the same stuff that readers have seen so many times. I have to feel I’m there and at the end I know if I’ve hit the spot if I need a cold shower or …..you know, to calm myself down in some way. In the final session of Power, Jackson and Olivia make love. In the course of their story she has learned a lot about life and her own nature. In her need to embrace the animal in all life, however civilized, she bites his flesh to discover a new aspect of her uninhibited self. If I can cheat and add another scene it would be a daring chase across the Bay of Naples in kayaks. I loved writing that because it was very much from experience.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Yes, I do and just wish I could always stick to it. It goes “If you’re not on top of the job, the job is on top of you.”

Emma Calin is the author of the new book Power.

Connect with Emma:
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