Interview: Billy London

Here’s an author interview with Billy London.

Take it away, Billy…

• How did you start writing erotica?

I got a little bit buzzed on some Metaxa Brandy in Greece and thought why the hell not? I put it on a free site for erotic stories, got stalked by my publisher and here I am! Not drinking as much.

• What’s your favourite published work of yours and why?

This may surprise a few people but it’s actually @Last. It’s my misspent youth in print. There’s a freedom and exhibitionism in it that makes me realise how reserved I’ve become the older I’ve got. I need to take that up again. I had so much fun!

• What erotic authors do you enjoy reading?

I love Marteeka Kartland because she’ll just put it out there where others fear to tred. I love Marteeka’s Dom/Sub/Master (I have no idea. They’ve got a complicated relationship), Shara Azod. They both do great, short, burn-the-eyeballs-sexy reads that would make the man who is intent on reading over my shoulder wish he hadn’t bothered. Nikki Winter, Jayha Leigh and Jeanie Johnson all make me laugh out loud guaranteed and they throw down when it comes to hot, rampant lovin’. Janet Eckford is the ultimate tease, but she’ll make you work for it. Violette Dubrinsky needs to meet with some studio execs and get that on silver screen sharpish. But she’s like, studying. Booo.

• Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Everywhere. Everything. I will watch an advert on washing up liquid and something will tingle and I’ll have to get it down. I can have a conversation with a random stranger in a bar and want to start taking notes, but I can’t do that anymore. Apparently, it’s rude to be interested in a man only for his verbal perspective on the male orgasm. Ooh! I’ve got a dictation app on my phone! Resolved.

• Do you have any unusual writing rituals?

I need a glass of Ribena nearby, the TV on and my iPod within reach. There’s always the right song to put me in the mood. Guaranteed, the song that will always make me write about a stiff one and an even wetter one will be The Flamingoes, I Only Have Eyes For You. Classic gets me ready. Makes me an easy lay at 60s dance nights…

• Where’s your favourite place to write?

Oh, my god, I love writing on the tube! It’s second to writing in my bed. If I’m off to Selfridges I can knock out a good two thousand words on the way there and if I’ve bought something that gives me purchase wood (shoes), I’ll do another two thousand on the way back.

• Who is your favourite character from one of your stories and why?

Has to be Kamilah from Put Out The Zombie. She is the epitome of a phoenix who rises from the ashes. Her sexuality is so intensely hot, she literally burns a man when she gets her freak on. I absolutely adored writing about her and when I think about those scenes where Novak shows her what’s in his bedroom repertoire, I laugh to myself and think, that’ll do, Billy. That’ll do.

• Do your nearest and dearest know what you do, and if so, what was their reaction when they found out?

Ever since I bought a cake with the cover of Windows printed on it for my launch party, I am now introduced as the ‘one who writes porn’ then I’m left to fend for myself. It makes for interesting conversation when someone turns around and says, “I don’t agree with that sort of thing.” Brings out the Judge Judy in me.

• What was your ideal career when you were a child?

I blame Blair Underwood. I saw him on LA Law and imagined myself sitting in those green lamped law libraries, solving dead cases and bringing perps to justice through my brain. That or being a ballet dancer. I grew boobs. A lot of boobs. The ballet dream died.

• How do you get yourself in the mood to write?

There’s the nudge I get from my hot muse Hank. Normally when I have actual work to do and I should do it, but instead I’ll write by hand, pretending to look busy researching and stuff. Then I’ll rush home to type up what I’ve done and the rest just flows.

• What’s the best writing tip you’ve ever been given?

Don’t write about yourself. You’re not that f*cking interesting.

• If you get writer’s block when you’re writing, how do you get around it?

Washing up. Cleaning. Getting on the tube. Reading something that makes me want to do better. Eavesdropping on couples in Morrisons. Works a charm.

• If you could bring one of your characters to life, which one would it be and why?

Rocco Mamione from The Claim. He could get me a job, laid, money, really good cake, a holiday, out of trouble in the blink of an eye and because he listens when you think he’s not, what I’ve always wanted. In a box. Mmm shoes from the Sicilian… Mmmm

• Which author, erotic or otherwise would you love to meet and why?

I was at the Author Meet and Greet by Beautiful Trouble Publishing in February this year and I got to meet some amazing authors, who I have been dying to meet and they were everything I expected and so much more. Never laughed so much in my life! It was almost spiritual meeting women who represented me and everyone that I knew – in colour, in culture, in education and just simply as a female. I’m part of a generation that grew up with Desmonds, the Cosby Show, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But I didn’t see the same diversity in books. It was a dream come to see in the flesh that there are so many authors bringing the diversity, but in exceptionally clever, fearsomely sexy and intelligent ways.

• What’s your favourite genre within erotica and why?

I love my interracial erotica. My whole family is a mix: we’ve got Irish, Scottish, African, English, Caribbean, Spanish, Sierra Leoneans. So it tickles me to see other ethnicities getting dirty. If a spank or four and a little bondage is thrown in there too, I’m getting the battery operated boyfriend out.

• What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve got three on the go, all Italian Knights. Then I’m finishing my modern fairy tale and several other contemporaries. I’m under a whip to make sure these all get done!

• What’s the biggest writing challenge you’ve ever taken on? Did you succeed?

I don’t do paranormal. Ever. It’s hard freakin’ work man! Rhonda Scales, the library coordinator for Winston Salem, North Carolina, challenged us all to make zombies sexy. It broke my brain but it’s done and I’m bloody proud of it, dammit. Yeah. Onward zombie soldiers!

• What’s your biggest writing achievement? Why?

It has to be finishing Windows – have you seen the word count on that mother? 80,000 words. I used to be one of those write all the good bits (sex) writers and I never finished anything. Not properly and definitely not to the stage where I was happy with it. To have actually finished something was more of a shock to me than anyone could ever imagine. It’s started me on a path of finishing things and that can only be a good thing for my readers! And my mental health. Plus it’s kicked off spin offs that I think I will be even more proud of when they’re done too.