Moira Sutton

Bio

Moira is an unrepentant attractive-man ogler, double entendrepreneur, and gutter minder. A multi-published author across numerous genres and names, she sometimes forgets who she’s supposed to be, but never forgets to have a good time. Her latest project is the Chosen series, a Romanesque erotic fantasy about gods, men and those in between.

Welcome author, Moira Sutton, here with us today.

1. Why did you choose to write ménage? What intrigues you about this particular genre?

The first question kind of answers the first. I’ve always found the idea of two men really hot (I don’t think I’m alone there!), but I also want to read a love story with people I can care about. Ménage gave me the best of both because I think the real heat of a ménage story lies in the complex relationships that form when you start adding in extra people. In Pleasure’s Offering, though, sex is also magic, so that’s another level of tension. Really, it’s just a very fun and very sexy set up. How could I not want to play with it?

2. Tell us about your latest ménage release: what’s it all about? Where did you find the inspiration?

Pleasure’s Offering is set in a Romanesque fantasy world where gods and goddesses are very real and active. My heroine, Zoa, is a Chosen of Dezira, a semi-divine avatar of the goddess of desire. She’s gone up to the frozen north on her goddess’s business, looking for a missing avatar of her order. As it turns out, the missing avatar is completely unaware of his power and is best friend and sword brother to the young and clever captain of the Imperial Legion in the area. The same captain that Zoa, who has been posing as a courtesan during her search, has just been promised to.

After their first night all together, these three build an intense relationship bound by love, really hot sex, and magic. But, of course, things get complicated and some saving of the world might occur! Also, hot magical sex.

My goal when I started Pleasure’s Offering (besides writing a hot and entertaining three way romance) was to create a believable fantasy world where sex was vital to magic. I can’t tell you how much fun I had making an internally consistent magical system based around orgasms and lust instead of, say, spirits or magical swords (ahahaha, “swords”). Ahem.

Anyway, once I had the magic down, I knew I wanted it to be a ménage both for magical reasons (how often do you get to write a sentence like that?) and because I find ménage really, really sexy. Once those two decisions were down, the rest of the story just fell into place. I love the world of the Chosen and I can’t wait to write more stories in it!

3. Who is your favorite ménage character(s) and why?

Ooooh, tough one. I don’t actually have a specific favorite at the moment, but I will say that my favorite ménage archetype is the quiet beta. You know, the strong, loving backbone of the relationship? The man who is always there, who pulls things through? I can not get enough of that character in all his guises. This is why I love ménage! Because you can have a take charge alpha and a strong, quiet, sexy beta at the same time. It does not get better than that, I think.

4. In your opinion, what makes a good ménage novel?

Relationships and, beyond that, a good novel. I’ve read a lot of ménage that had amazing sex but I just could never believe the three way set up working. Especially in some paranormal shifter stories where you’ve got two alphas. For a ménage story to really resonate with me, I have to believe these three people really want to be together as set, not just as two couples where one person overlaps. This was probably the single biggest thing I tried to convey in Pleasure’s Offering.

As for the second point, this actually goes for any romance, erotic or not. By definition, the ménage is the single most important aspect of a ménage novel, but the novel part can’t be ignored either. The best ménage novels have excellent plots, world building, and side characters as well as hot multipartner sex. Asking a lot? Maybe, but why do something if you’re going to do it right?

5. What do you think of ménage romance in general? Do you think numbers are important in ménage stories? The more the better or maybe not?

I loooove it. I actually just got into this genre a year ago, but it’s probably my favorite (hence why my first erotic romance was a ménage!). Number of partners for me tops out at 3, mostly because after that it just gets too hard for me to keep track of the names and choreography. Stopping to remember whose cock is where isn’t that sexy! That said, I’m sure in the hands of the right author I would have no problem with more. It really depends on the writer, the character, and the specific story.

6. What sparks your ménage imagination to the point of writing one? Is there a particular source of inspiration for your ménage stories?

I have to have a good set of people before I start. If the characters aren’t there, the story won’t go anywhere. I read a lot of non-ménage romance, and when I find a favorite couple, I like to think how could this relationship work with three people? Or four people? Or more people? Once I have that relationship, everything else is easy.

7. What is your favorite gender combination in ménage? More men than women? No women all men? Why?

I have to admit I’m a one woman, many men kind of girl. I’m not sure why, that’s just what I find sexy. I think it’s the idea of being very desired by several awesome guys. I haven’t actually read a ménage featuring more than one heroine, though, so who knows? Maybe I’m just missing out.

8. Do you prefer to use straight, gay or bisexual male character? Why? What influences your choice?

I like to think that people are flexible with their sexuality, especially in a ménage. After all, you’ve got the best of all worlds there. I like gay, bi, and straight characters so long as they’re not militantly one way or the other (for example, a homophobic hero who wouldn’t even consider having a three way with another man would be a huge turn off for me).

I like to see characters push boundaries, especially in the bedroom. My own heroes are both bi, though Izar, my dashing captain, is much more into men than Jeric, my other male lead. Both are strong heroes who love deeply and fiercely in their own way, though, and I think that’s the most important part.

9. In your opinion, do ménage stories work better with straight, gay or bisexual characters? Please elaborate.

I definitely think there has to be a little bit of bi-curious going on or else you’d have two men who don’t even look at each other sexually. It’s a multiple romance, so I think you need to have solid sexual and romantic relationships on all fronts, including between the same sex partners, though these relationships can be of a different nature than the one they share with the heroine (or hero, if it’s a FFM ménage).

Really, though, it’s all about the love. Two straight men can love the same woman and have a deep relationship with each other and still not be sexually attracted, and that’s ok. Personally, though, I want everyone to have a good time, and I think totally straight heroes miss out. But that’s just my opinion.

10. In your opinion, inside a ménage with more than one man, is the woman character condemned to a passive role? Or can she be portrayed as dominant? Is she just a toy, a doll in the men’s hands, or can she assert herself as a woman and an individual?

Haha, no way. Just ask Zoa if she’s passive! I think a woman in a ménage can be whatever she wants to be. Just like in real relationships, there are all kinds of sexy roles. Zoa, my heroine, is not aggressive, but neither is she passive. She’s a passionate and active participant in her own pleasure and the pleasure of her lovers. If an author wants her character to be passive, that is certainly her prerogative, same with the reader who likes to read about passive heroines, but I don’t feel women are condemned to any role, especially not in novels that are almost exclusively written by and for women.

11. In your opinion, can a true ménage work in real life? Why or why not?

Honestly, not like it can in romance. But then, how many people do you know with romance novel style relationships of any sort? It’s fantasy, and it’s tons of fun, but in real life it would take a very dedicated and open set of people with excellent communication skills to make a ménage work. So, possible, but not common.

12. Do you think there is a difference between ménage sex and ménage relationship? Are the two one and the same? Or can one be without the other?

I think you can totally have hot ménage sex without the relationship just like you can have a hot one night stand of any sort. That said, the relationship is what interests me in a ménage as much as the sex. Encountering the problems and seeing how characters sort them out is a big part of the drama and fun of a ménage novel so far as I’m concerned, which is why I write and read erotic romance as opposed to straight up erotica.

13. What do you think of reviews on ménage books? Do you find they capture the essence of your work? If yes, why? If no, why not?

I think ménage reviews are just like any other book reviews. It’s all about finding a reviewer who shares your tastes. As someone who really likes ménage stories, this site was a lucky find for me because there are so many books out there, and it’s really great to find a site that says “oh, this is what you like? Well, here’s the best of it!” Totally awesome.

As for my specific book, Pleasure’s Offering, you’re actually the first site to review it, and I think you did a fabulous job! (But then, you gave me an awesome review, so I might be a little bias). Of course, no matter how good a book you write, there’s always someone out there who’s going to hate it. I will say that I vastly prefer reviewers who give good reasons why they didn’t like a book as opposed to people who mark down a product because of something outside the author’s control (like giving one star because the book was mislabled for example).

14. Tell us about your future projects. Do you have a new ménage romance coming out soon?

Right now I don’t have any other ménage stories planned, though I will hopefully be writing more books in the world of the Chosen! Some of these will probably be ménage and some won’t, but they will all be hot, magical, exciting love stories.

15. Where can the fans find you and find your books?

I’ve got a blog up right now at http://smutomancer.blogspot.com/ where you can comment and read sample chapters of Pleasure’s Offering! I’m going to get a real site up one of these days, but I’ll announce that on the blog when it happens. My books are available directly through Ellora’s Cave or through Amazon, B&N, and most other ebook retailers.

Mary’s note: you can reach Moira by email at rachel.aaron@gmail.com

16. Please tell us where readers and fans can find you on the net.

The blog is the best way to reach me by far at the moment! Leave a comment and I will totally get back to you 😀

17. Is there anything you wish to share with the readers?

Yes! Thank you all so much for sticking through to the end. If you’re curious about Pleasure’s Own and the sexy, magical world of the Chosen, you can find the description and a sample at Ellora’s Cave. Just give it a try, I promise you’ll enjoy.

Thank you again for having me, this was a real pleasure.

Yours sincerely,
Moira

Thank you so much Moira for this fun interview! I just love to know an author better! I loved your story and I look forward to read more menage of yours!

Mary