Meet Z. Allora!

About Z.

Z. Allora recently repatriated to the South of the USA after a six year stint in China. (Talk about culture shock!) She feels it is her duty to help educate against intolerance, that is, when she's not too busy hiding under her blankets typing out stories about wicked, beautiful boys doing wicked, beautiful things to each other. She will never grow old because she refuses to grow up, perhaps the most valuable lesson she learned in her years of globetrotting with her one true love.

Why do you write Gay Erotic Romance?
I've been told it's because on the inside I'm a gay horny teenaged boy who needs to write about hot sex and rainbows with happily everafters. And while that's true, I think many of us have scars on our sexual identities. Writing erotica allows me to explore and write about the healing power of sex on our sexuality.  (And it’s freaking hot…)

Why do you write?
I don't have a choice. Publishing or sharing is a choice…. writing is more like breathing. Without it I couldn't survive.

When writing, how much of each character or conflict comes from a personal place? 
I would have to say most of my characters develop one or more of my traits. It makes it easier to identify with them, because I understand their motivation and it makes them more real to me.

You've traveled a bit, how does that impact your characters?
True. For the last fifteen years, I've lived out of a suitcase or overseas (Singapore, Israel & China). It's amazing but can be extremely lonely. But I do love exploring new places. I've found plot bunnies in all of the twenty-nine countries I've visited. The travel has given me the chance to enjoy different experiences, so I am able to write about them in detail. (The lady boys of Thailand, the gay couple that showed us the pyramids, the men in Suzhou's only gay club, the shopkeeper in Israel, the ruins in Cambodia, etc.)

If I hadn’t lived in China, where gay doesn't exist (openly), I may never have felt the need to share my work. One of the triggers was to see parts of Asia protest an American singer because there was a fear he would turn their young people gay. I needed to add my voice demanding for happily everafters regardless of sexual orientation.

Do you think people misinterpret your style of writing? 
Yup, people who are looking for serious or realistic stories are sorely disappointed. My current writing falls into a Yaoi-style. Yaoi is a style of art and writing developed in Japan depicting homoerotic relationships and are written primarily for females by females. I find it fascinating a culture so repressed gave birth to such a genre.

I love the over-the-top characters and situations filled with angst. But be completely assured it will all end happily. My intention is to give the reader a vacation from their reality. I'm not going to fix all the evils in the world with my words but I want to provide a place where everyone gets a happy ending… (rolling my eyes…) Of course, I meant it that way…this is Stiff Rain Press!

Where did you get the idea for Zombies Ahead?
On a website I frequent another author, Ms. Ally Blue. She planted zombie seeds in my head. In the past, I have never watched an entire zombie movie. I usually stop when they begin searching for 'Brains! Brains! Brains!' I successfully ignored the beautiful zombies in my head until my joke of them not wanting brains but ejaculate took root. I couldn’t let go of the image of hot boys sucking cock to survive. My best friend teasingly pointed out the CDC (Center for Disease Control) use zombies to get people interested in making their natural disaster survival kits and there are people who hack road signs to make them zombie warnings signs. In defeat, I decided to write my zombie boys out of my head and into a short, short story…. according to one of my lovely betas this is at least a five book series.

I wrote Zombies Ahead while spending a month in a tiny German town filled with rolling hills and wineries.

The scene captured in the lovely cover art has been in my head for the past fifteen years.

Are you listening to your beta? Will this be a series? 
Yes. One, you should always listen to a good beta. I thought I had the second book plotted out but one of the characters, you meet at the end of Zombies Ahead, completely hijacked book 2 (Zombies Suck). I already knew he would be my problem zombie with the issues he shared with me in October breaking my heart in the process. But his destiny changes everything. So cross your fingers Stiff Rain likes it. I know my pretties will like my next cover concept.

Z, Thank you so much for giving us a little insight into your series and how you write!