Join us for our interview with Renee Rose. Feel free to ask her a few of your own questions.

How did you begin writing BDSM?

As a lifelong spanko, I had hundreds of D/s fantasies rattling around in my head, but didn’t realize there was a market for it until I accidentally stumbled upon the genre three years ago. I knew immediately I’d found my calling.

Do you think there’s a difference between spanking romance and BDSM?

Yes and no. I think domestic discipline falls into the spectrum of D/s, but there are nuances that are different. Shame is a key element of the spanking kink, so spanking romance is looking for the real-life scenarios with real punishment, as opposed to considering it to be a bedroom activity. My characters do always acknowledge the sexual nature and appeal of it, too, though.

You write non-consensual spanking and punishment scenes, how do you make them palatable to your readers?

I love non-consent, because I think it makes the scene hotter, but it can be tricky. I write a lot of historical romance because it eases the issue. In times when corporal punishment was the norm, you have societal consent for a man to spank his wife or lover, so her consent is not necessary. In contemporary romances, I usually have him looking for signs of non-verbal consent, like erect nipples, lubrication, etc.

Do you consider D/s a practice or orientation?

I truly feel I was born this way, so an orientation.

Do you live it?

It was not until I published my first book that I told my husband how much submission meant to me. I am happy to say that he caught up quickly.

Renee Rose is a modern dance teacher, Feldenkrais Practitioner(R), energy worker and kinkster. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, her books are all centered around her favorite kink: spanking. With a B.A. in creative writing, she spent thirteen years in technical writing before she found a way to incorporate her deepest darkest spanking fantasies into fiction and express a part of her that longed to see the light. She is now passionate about supporting others in accepting and exploring their kink, whatever that may be. Please visit her blog and join the conversation!