Today I’m talking to Victoria Trenton, author of The Mastermind – Book II The Outmate Trilogy (published by Createspace/Amazon) about writing about flawed characters, creating a trilogy, and her ideal desert island companions.
Hi Victoria, tell us a little about your writing to date.
I’ve been writing since I was a child, but it was only in the last ten years that I really matured and flowered as a writer. I began to write articles chronicling my journey into the world of BDSM for my own fetish website (now dismantled as I focus primarily on my fiction work) and then plunged head first into publishing my erotic crime thrillers. I met someone in 2008 very dear to my heart who The Outmate Trilogy is based on. I was with him until 2014 and we remain very close even though we cannot be together at this time.
Where does your inspiration come from?
The man I mentioned is currently incarcerated serving 15 years – due out 2024. My relationship with him is what inspired me to publish the first novel, The Outmate, which now has metamorphosed into the trilogy and pushed even further into two stand-alone books that hinge closely with the world of the trilogy. It was this man who became the greatest character I ever wrote, Nick Jessup. In fact, most of the first book is based on this special man and I. It draws directly from our relationship. This continues in the rest of the trilogy even though he and I are no longer a romantic couple. He was my main inspiration, my Muse, and my slave driver for publishing the first book and now the sequel, released in February of 2017, The Mastermind.
What are the benefits and drawbacks (are there any?) of creating a trilogy?
The benefits are plentiful. The world I have created in The Outmate Trilogy is very real to me and has long reaching effects on my other work. I truly feel that I am only channelling something higher than myself because I have no conscious planning when I write the novels – they simply blend and tie together of their own accord. My “aha” moments are like being struck with a hammer. I’ve developed my writer’s voice to a pinpoint accuracy through the trilogy and am thrilled with the result. As far as drawbacks, I’m a little panicked as to what I will do afterwards –when the trilogy and the semi-connected two following books are finished, where will I go next? I don’t want to write myself into a corner and be branded as only the creator of The Outmate world. However, I will deal with that hurdle when I get to it.
Personal writing choice: pen or keyboard?
Keyboard absolutely. I type ridiculously fast and it’s much more free flowing for me than handwriting is. Like most people in the digital age, I have become reliant on technology for connection and expression of self, causing my handwriting to atrophy terribly. The art of handwriting is sadly becoming lost to the modern world. Add to this the speech impediment I have which prevents clear communication (this developed late in my life just after I published The Outmate) and my easiest form of expression is through my keyboard.
When do you know a novel is complete?
As I said, I don’t plan for it. Nor do I write in a linear fashion. I begin with pivotal scenes and just go where the Muse takes me be it ending, prologue, or critical turning points. Afterwards I piece it all together and begin the arduous task of editing and polishing. I only know it’s truly finished when that little voice inside me quietly says, “It’s done.”
What is the best part of being an author?
For me, writing is as necessary as breathing. I don’t just write it, I live it. I get swept up much the way I imagine a musician must and the words flow through me as opposed to me creating them. It’s the best adrenaline rush or drug ever known to man when I write. I feel as if I’m tapped into the Universe and it speaks through my fingers.
And the worst?
Self-doubt. I’ve had the luxury of not having many bad reviews, but I am well aware this is due to lack of large scale exposure. My biggest, most solid fan base is a niche market of fellow prison wives and thrill seekers who are in tune to the emotions I portray – the loneliness, the frustration, the dedication, the anger, the betrayal, the excitement. All of these things and more are present in The Outmate Trilogy with a very strong dash of erotic, BDSM related sex. These books are not for everyone and sometimes I worry that I narrowed my audience too much because not everyone can read what I write. This isn’t Fifty Shades. This is real BDSM, violence and love that goes so over the top that even seasoned sadists and masochists cringe a little. I didn’t write the trilogy to portray healthy white picket fence love. My characters are flawed, dangerous, and criminal minded.
Who are your writing heroes?
My influences include: Hemingway, Anne Rice, Tolkien, Austen, George R. Martin, Philippa Gregory, and the Bronte Sisters. There are of course many more, however these are my strongest influences.
If you had to be stranded on a desert island with three fictional characters, who would you choose, and why?
Nick Jessup of course; that is a given. Why? Because I am assured I will survive as he is the biggest bad-ass ever and the sex would be phenomenal. Include Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice to give me levity and wit and Bilbo Baggins from Lord of The Rings to help me chronicle the adventure in his own fabulously eloquent style. That would be a most fabulous crew for a desert island, if we didn’t all kill each other.
What’s next?
I’m currently working on the third and final book of The Outmate Trilogy, The Sea Wolf. It may be the best thing I’ve ever written and will be the culmination of the story of Nick Jessup and Chrissie Laursen that my fans are awaiting eagerly. The trailer is already out and release of the novel is scheduled for late 2018. I’m also writing random scenes for the fourth book, which will be a stand-alone tie in to The Outmate trilogy called Dead Ends. I won’t go into too much detail on this fourth book except to say it once again closely mirrors my own experiences and exposes a dark time in my own life that I am still coming to grips with.
I’m Victoria Trenton, author of The Outmate Trilogy. The Outmate was released September 2013, and was a tribute to the love of my life who is incarcerated until 2024. It’s a dark, gritty, erotic novel with heavy BDSM overtones and is partially based on the story of us. Its sequel, The Mastermind, has just been released February 2017 and continues the story of two star crossed, dangerous criminals who redefine what love really is. The third book in the trilogy, The Sea Wolf, is scheduled to be released in 2018.
Writing is not a “hobby” for me- it’s an all consuming passion and something I must do. I often tell people that it’s not really me typing away madly at my keyboard, it’s the Muse being channeled through my fingers. As with everything else in my life, I approach writing with 200% of who I am and put the whole truth of who I am on the written page. Every book is my heart and soul. Without writing, life would be empty.
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