BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Velvet Chair: Velvet Lies [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author C. P. Mandara to talk about The Velvet Chair (6 February 2017, Chimera Books, 186 pages), a Dark BDSM Erotic Romance, book one of the Velvet Lies series.

"This is the first book I've read by Ms Mandara and I can't wait to read how Mark and Jen's journey began. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. It's the most intense story I've read in a while and I had to read it in one sitting. My cup of tea got cold, I didn't replace it. A text message arrived, I didn't check it. All I could think of was reading the next line. [...] Mostly I read with my heart in my mouth, pulse thundering and occasionally I found my hand in front of my face when my jar dropped. [...] It's a hot, dark, enthralling story and I loved every minute of reading it." - Amazon Verified Purchase reviewer

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Chris Mandara; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To begin, I'd like to share Chris' playlist for The Velvet Chair - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for The Velvet Chair?

"I’d written my previous series ‘Pony Tales’ and when I got to the end of three novellas and three novels, I couldn’t leave my characters alone. Dark erotica is so much fun to write and I guess I needed the love affair to continue.

Besides, being blackmailed into marriage left me lots of scope for naughtiness. It’s usually the female that’s dragged to the altar kicking and screaming, but this time it’s a man and he’s a little ticked off about the whole thing."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Errr… I might have played about with dark, kinky sex, but thankfully I have never been blackmailed into marriage. Thinking about it, I have been forced to go to the gym before kicking and screaming (the heroine doesn’t think much about it either…) but let’s just say I have a vivid imagination."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Velvet Chair - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I chose the concept because it fits the feel of the book, I think. It’s a little bit of sexy and a reasonably accurate scene from Jennifer’s new prison - her bedroom in Mark Matthew’s mansion. It’s my creation as I like to play around in Photoshop, but I hate going to cover artists and not getting the exact image that I want. My poor publisher suffers with my need to have the exact cover I want, too. Thankfully he’s very understanding!"

Why should we read The Velvet Chair and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Love Bites and Silk Ties once told me that my previous series was some of the kinkiest work they had ever read. I feature lots of edge play in my books and I’m the first to admit it’s not for the faint hearted. Fire play, submersion, electrical play, tattoos – there’s all that and more. If you’re looking for a softly, softly approach, that’s not what I’m about. This is dark erotic suspense and I want my readers on the edge of their seat. I’m horribly mean to them, too. I nearly always leave them with a cliff hanger. I probably need shooting."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Velvet Chair, its story and characters?

"Well, I love Venice. The BDSM club ‘Escape’ at the end is modelled on a small scale version of Venice and I’m quite pleased with what I’ve achieved. The BDSM tournament was also modelled on a kinky version of ‘The Hunger Games’ which I’d just read and fell in love with. Funnily enough, one of my reviewers on Goodreads also picked up on it, which made me smile.

Another quirky fact is that most people interpret the ending a little differently to the way I envisioned it. It was one glass that was drugged, but a lot of people assume it was two. I think that’s the beauty of reading, though. Everyone looks at your story a different way."

Who would you recommend The Velvet Chair to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"Ahem. All sorts of warnings. Dark erotica, edge play, dub con, sarcasm alert. Having said that, I don’t want to scare readers off. It’s basically a who dunnit with lots of BDSM and bondage put in for good measure. Whilst the hero is forced into marriage – he’s already in love with his girl. He’s not going to admit it for a while, but that’s just men for you ;)"

If you could / wished to turn The Velvet Chair and the Velvet Lies series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"You’re making me squirm just thinking about it. I’m pretty sure there is no director out there who’d take this on… but then again Anne Rice’s ‘Beauty Trilogy’ is about the hit the big screens – so never say never!

Who could I see playing Mark Matthews? Hmm… it would need to be someone like Alexander Skarsgard’s character in True Blood. Arrogant, uncompromising, controlling and a man who knows what he wants. Jennifer? She’s a much softer character. Maybe Keira Knightly? Jennifer Garner? "

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I’d like to write about everything (bar sport!) but so far I’ve only managed romance, erotica and paranormal romance. I have half-finished books on my laptop that are science fiction and fantasy, so they might be areas I delve into in the future. For the moment, though, my niche is definitely BDSM and I’m thoroughly enjoying myself."

What is your writing process?

"Sit down in front of my laptop and stay there until I write something. That generally works, but not always lol. I’m a complete pantster, which gets me into a lot of trouble when it comes to edits, but for the most part the story is stored up in my head. I’ll dream up plot lines at night or whilst driving and then put them into action when I’m next at the computer. I never know the ending of a book before I’ve begun it. I’ll have a feel for the story, but it often changes as I go along. "

What is in store next?

"I’m currently writing ‘Sparks’ which will be another dark erotic romance, and then I’ll continue with ‘The Velvet Lies’ series. The next book in the series is going to be ‘The Velvet Caress,’ and there’ll be at least one other book after that I think."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Hmm, I don’t have any pets (of the animal variety, in any case!) but I do have a few special things to share. I’m not going to take a picture of me with them, because that would be X-rated, but here’s my toy box with a couple of things I can’t live without ;)"

Chris, it has been a pleasure having you with us - you've made me smile throughout :-D

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