Get to know Padraig E. Griffiths, our Featured Author of the Month!

1.  Padraig you’ve come onto the scene at SRP in a big way! In a short time you’ve released several new titles, each one a hot reflection of your style. How long have you been writing erotic romance? Well, I've been writing erotica for about two years now, and I have six novella titles with SRP, four of which have already been released, with two more to follow in the next few months. It's something I enjoy, and I'm planning to write a few more if and when I get the time.

2.  What’s next on your release schedule? Next on my schedule is Eye Candy. This one is a bit different for me, and perhaps a bit more laid back. I've always tried to go for big themes, and I've tried to basically examine them from the female perspective. When I wrote Porn Star, for example, I wrote about a girl entering the webcam business for the first time, and I detailed what was required and the sort of people she met, etc. I tried to make it as true to life as I could, in an attempt to keep it not only spicy, but informative and interesting. Then, when I wrote Vixen, I tried to show a private dancer's life in as best a way as I could - again, from her perspective. With Temptress, I went for the life of a girl who set up honey-traps to catch wayward lovers. And for Stocking Filler, I went for the life of a girl who worked a sex chatline. Oh, and there's Soul Crush, which is basically a mystery thriller. Yes, I definitely like to keep it varied.

3.  Now, in researching information on it, it looks like you have a life under another pen name. What do you write under the name Chris Sheerin? Yes, I also write under my own name. And I write everything, to be honest. I write political thrillers, some of which have done very well. I also write screenplays, positivity books, and I have five books of modern poetry out there, too (not the vague stuff; more the meaningful, wry, funny stuff). So, basically I write anything. I like to explore new genres, and I think it's a very healthy way to be if you're a writer. And, of course, it allows me more time to see what I'm good at, and what I might one day concentrate upon.

4.  Men in this genre aren’t common, and I’m always glad to see a male

talent in the romance “waters”. What did your friends and neighbors think when you came out as an erotic romance author? I don't think there are many men writing in this genre, but I think women like reading about sex from a man's perspective: After all, they know what a woman wants, so it probably interests them to hear what a man thinks they want. Apparently, I can get into the female psyche quite well when I write - or so I've been told. But it definitely makes me consider it in more depth.

5.  What inspired you to publish taboo erotic romance? A female friend of mine - herself an erotica writer - asked me to give it a go about three years ago. So, I decided to write it, basically, to see if I could. I can't do straight romance - I have to do it in the midst of an interesting story, and I find it's often better to allude to certain romantic details, or keep it as vague as possible, to keep the story fresh. All that heart-on-the-sleeve stuff does nothing for me, and it tells the reader nothing in itself. So, context in everything works better for me, and, I believe, for the reader in general.

6.  So this is a little off topic, but I noticed that you have an interesting past time with extreme lifting. Tell us something about what draws you to lift? How do these two halves of your personality come together? So, you noticed my strongman pictures, ah! Well, I've always been into sports - karate, kickboxing, judo, running, weights, etc. But, as time went on, I decided to go for strongman training, mixed with cardio, all of which I find keeps me sharp, strong and healthy. I still enter regional contests - and have one next week, actually - just to keep my interests varied. I think it's good to have different interests, and I find this complements my reading and writing, the latter of which requires a lot of sitting.

7.  Is there anything else about yourself you’d like to share with your fans? Well, I'm a pretty quiet sort of person, and I like my own company - which is necessary when you write. And I have pretty simple tastes in almost everything. I guess that makes me kind of normal, really.

8.  Now for a little fun...

Tea or Coffee? Coffee, always. Though I like green tea, ginger tea, and my current favorite, Peppermint and liquorice.

Mountain retreat or beachside resort? A mountain retreat about 99 percent of the time. A beach for walking upon, because laying around for hours at a time does nothing for me.

Boxers or briefs? boxers

Three items you can’t live without? Three things I can't do without: Exercise, books and, hmm, I would have to think about that one ;-)

 If you were trying to shock a cashier, which three items would you purchase? If I was trying to shock a cashier, I would buy her earrings to match her necklace, lingerie to match her face, or - for me - a year-long supply of extra-large condoms. The latter might not shock her, but she might at least smile at my optimism.

A taboo you might actually want to try some day (or write about, if that’s too personal)? A taboo I want to try: I'll skip that one. But, as for taboos I want to write about, I might try to weave a story around wife-swap parties and dogging (I'm not sure if you call it that in the US, but it's where people go to watch other people have sex) I think I could weave a story around that.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Padraig! Congratulations on your recent releases and your upcoming projects. I can’t wait to see more from you.

If you want to find the books mentioned above, come see us at StiffRainPress.com, or follow this link: http://www.stiffrainpress.com/93.html