Voted ETO’s Best Erotic Author of 2014, and a proud member of The Brit Babes, KD Grace tells us that she believes Freud was right. She says, “In the end, it really IS all about sex… well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than I am, otherwise, what would I write about?”

KD is pulled time and again towards the conflict between the light and dark, our attraction to what we fear, and our need to recognise both elements within ourselves. “Even the darkest characters struggle for balance, and that’s why so many of the villains in modern film and television are so wonderfully appealing,” explains KD. “The way out of the dark is neither easy nor is it straight forward. What happens in the darkness can be as powerful and as appealing as what happens in the light.”

She adds, “I love Phantom of the Opera for its powerful theme of darkness juxtaposed with light. From the journey underground comes salvation, as light and dark come together.”

Greek mythology has been a powerful influence on KD Grace’s work, being, as she underlines, ‘unabashedly sensual’ and so often portraying the ‘stark relief between darkness and light’. She comments, “Bernini’s Rape of Persephone sculpture is incredibly powerful. There’s terror, there’s lust, there’s sensuality, there’s the sense of flesh being dragged unwillingly into dark places, from which there’s no return. Once you leave Eden, you can’t go back. Once you’ve eaten the pomegranate seed, you can no longer live completely in the light.”

KD continues, “I’m fascinated with the journey underground, the journey into the realm of the dead, and the impossible tasks placed upon a mortal by the gods. That’s a huge part of the Psyche and Eros tale, as Orpheus goes into Hades to bring back his wife from the dead. Impossible tasks and going underground play major roles in my stories.”

KD Grace’s novel, The Initiation of Ms. Holly is a retelling of the Psyche and Eros Story, while her Pet Shop evokes the traditional tale of Beauty and the Beast (itself a retelling of Psyche and Eros). She notes her fascination with stories of the Greek gods’ seduction of humans, since those unions, of the Divine seducing mortal flesh, often result ‘in the birth of a saviour character’. As KD says, “Intimacy with the Divine brings enlightenment, on some level.”

She muses, “While we might admire Daphne for not allowing Apollo to seduce her, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if she’d turned to him and said, ‘I’m all yours, just show me the mind of God.’ Fair exchange, I think. My online serial, In The Flesh hinges on the idea of the divine’s desire for enfleshment.”

KD is currently exploring the character of Medusa. As she puts it, ‘traveling into the darkness with her’ to gain understanding of how she came to be.

While drawing inspiration from Greek heroes, KD is similarly a huge fan of the comic book genre, with its larger than life characters. “Few people are more pleased than I am to see so many of the comic book and super hero stories being made into films. I love the way the hero is often blind-sided by the realization that there IS darkness in him or her, and there IS an appeal, and even more important, there’s a need for balance. I’m loving the new Netflix series, Dare Devil, and Jessica Jones. To me they’re classic examples of the battle for balance, which is one of the most powerful, most archetypal themes in storytelling.”

Although KD doesn’t dance herself she has used this in her novels, as a connecting point between characters. “There’s almost a courtship and an intimation of sex through dance.” Music has also played a role in influencing scenes in her novels. For instance, KD used Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in An Executive Decision, to accompany an angry masturbation scene. She adds, “Not the first movement everyone is familiar with, but the driving, pounding third movement.”

Like most writers, KD can’t help but approach reading as a source of instruction and inspiration, to improve her own craft. She adds, “I know some writers are afraid that they’ll be influenced by what someone else has written, but I think that can only be a good thing. I’ve no need to steal anyone else’s ideas, since I have so many of my own.” KD stresses, “One book that has changed the way I look at the shape of a novel and the way a writer can lead a reader in completely unexpected directions is Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. It’s one of the most chilling novels, and one I’ve gone back to repeatedly as an instructional guide to what truly frightens us.”

Fred Saberhagen’s Empire of the East and Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mist of Avalon (and her Darkover novels) are other influential reads for KD, as is Diana Gabeldon’s Outlander series. Of the latter, KD admires her willingness to tackle sex that is realistic, including that which is uncomfortable or unsatisfactory (covering also the writing of rape). “Her lack of fear at describing sex at its worst, as well as at its most erotic, is something I’d love to learn,” she states.

 

The Tutor – by KD Grace

When physical touch is impossible, intimacy may become a powerful work of art or a devastating nightmare, but above all, it’s an act of trust. 

Struggling writer, Kelly Blake has a secret life as a sex tutor. Celebrated sculptor and recluse, Alexander ‘Lex’ Valentine, can’t stand to be touched. When he seeks out Kelly’s advice incognito, the results are too hot to handle. When Kelly terminates their sessions due to what she considers to be her unprofessional behavior, Lex takes a huge risk, revealing his identity to her at a gala exhibition, his first ever public appearance. When Kelly helps the severely haphephobic Lex escape the grope of reporters and paparazzi, rumors fly that the two are engaged, rumors encouraged by well-meaning friends and colleagues. The press feeding frenzy forces Kelly into hiding at Lex’s mansion where he convinces her to be his private tutor just until the press loses interest, and she can go back home. They discover quickly that touch is not essential for sizzling, pulse-pounding intimacy. But intimacy must survive secrets uncovered, as their sessions become more and more personal.

For an entire month, beginning April 4^th, for the first time ever, KD Grace’s The Tutor is on sale for 99c across all ebook formats.

Reviews and Buy Links for The Tutor

“I was amazed at how well the author fanned the flames without the characters even touching. From well-detailed interactions to the steamy interludes, this is a story that is blazing hot.” 5 out of 5, The Romance Reviews

“I fell hard for these characters…Each one has their own secrets and darkness, but they learn from each other…” 4 out of 5, The Jeep Diva

eBook:  Totally Bound Publishing   Amazon UK   Amazon US   Amazon AU   Amazon CA   Amazon DE   Barnes & Noble   iBooks UK   iBooks US   Google Books   Kobo 

Print:  Totally Bound Publishing     Amazon UK     Amazon US

About K D Grace/Grace Marshall

When she’s not writing, K D is veg gardening. When she’s not gardening, she’s walking. She and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears out a pair of walking boots. She loves mythology. She enjoys spending time in the gym – right now she’s having a mad affair with a pair of kettle bells. She loves to read, watch birds and do anything that gets her outdoors.

KD has erotica published with Totally Bound, SourceBooks, Xcite Books, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Sweetmeats Press and others.

Visit KD Grace at http://www.kdgrace.co.uk and at http://www.thebritbabes.co.uk

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