Meet Estelle Pettersen!!!

Today it is my honor to host Estelle Pettersen, of Black Velvet Seductions Publishing!

Estelle is the author of ‘Lessons on Seduction’, and the short story ‘Loving Jack’. ‘Loving Jack’ will appear in the upcoming ‘Cowboy Desire’ anthology. This marks the first time that Estelle and I have shared a cover credit, and I am TRULY honored!

I’ve always had a soft spot for Estelle’s writing, because she signed on with BVS shortly before I did. ‘New kids on the block’, you know? She’s a rock-solid writer and promoter, and she inspires me to follow in her capable footsteps.

So, ladies and gentlemen…

Without any further ado, I give you ESTELLE PETTERSEN!!!

(All opinions and statements contained in this interview are solely those of the author providing them, and may not necessarily reflect my own. – Virginia)

When did you start writing? What made you first decide to try your hand at it?

I started writing at around five or six years of age because my mother, a tough woman, wanted me to do well with reading and writing. I wrote stories that were printed in the school magazine as I grew older, and English was one of my favorite subjects in my high school years. I’ve been continually writing stories in my spare time and have created my own worlds. All in all, writing has been a big part of my life.

What was your first published work? What do you think of it now?

I was a journalist previously, so my first published work (a newspaper article) came out when I was a nineteen-year-old university student. One of my lecturers recruited a few of us to write for a community newspaper run by the university’s journalism department. I wrote chapter twelve in an academic book “Leadership in the Australian Context” some years later. Two of my MBA lecturers picked 12 students, including myself, to write for the book, which they coordinated and edited. This was the first piece of work published on Amazon.

When I think of it now, the experiences I gained from the previous published work – all nonfiction – have influenced my first fiction novel, “Lessons on Seduction”, published by Black Velvet Seductions. It’s not just a love story but also addresses crime, trauma, how leaders wield power, and real life issues.

Do family members or friends help with your writing? Your marketing?

My stories are highly erotic, so my family and personal friends stay away from them. I’ve made friends with a few writers through a writing community and they have been my rock of support – the SSWS group of talented writers.

The authors at Black Velvet Seductions (BVS) have been incredible and very welcoming. I’ve learned so much from the authors, who are best of the best, and I’m still learning. It’s like a family, and we help each other out.

Do you ever target differing age groups or demographics with your writing?

I try to target different age groups and the new adult age group seems to be the biggest audience for “Lessons on Seduction.” They can relate to my character, Sapphire Blake, a college student who learns about freedom and empowerment through her relationship with a professor. She’s bold, strong-minded, and will not let people walk over her.

Are you a ‘normal’ person who likes to write, or do you consider yourself more of the tormented/driven ‘artist’ type?

I’m not sure what ‘normal’ is anymore. I would like to say I’m a ‘normal’ person who likes to write, but my husband says I’m tormented, emotionally driven, and need my space. He’s standing right next to me, laughing, and has just commented to me, “How could you say you’re normal?” We’ve started the process of building a new home and the floor plan will include my own little creative space.

If you could see one of your stories made into a movie, which one would you pick and why?

I would love “Lessons on Seduction” to be a movie because it’s an emotionally touching story with twists and turns. I know a few readers who would like to see Julian, the male lead, come to life. Sapphire is a strong character and I’d like to see that strength come to life too.

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kinds? Does music influence your stories?

Absolutely – music is my muse and helps me form words and thoughts that feed into my story and characters. I enjoy Indie music, but my taste is eclectic. Right now, I’m tuning into music from the 1980s as I write a short story which is set in 1988.

Have you ever written a story based on a personal experience you had? If so, what was it about?

I wrote “Loving Jack”, my short story in the “Cowboy Desire” anthology published by BVS, based on a time of my life when I worked in Roma, an Australian country town. The steamy chapters and the romance definitely didn’t happen, but the setting (Roma) was real and there’s something sweet and romantic about the town and the nature that surrounds it.

I personified my characters from the nature around the town, and Australia in general. Olivia, the main character, represents the outback or Australian countryside with her coppery-red hair and earthy-brown eyes, while Jack (the male lead) personifies the Australian waters with his deep-blue ocean eyes. The friends-to-lovers story explores Olivia’s return to Australia, after five years of living abroad, and finding her home in Jack.

What’s one quirky thing about you that your readers might not know?

Unlike my characters, I come across as highly conservative. I’m reserved, introverted, and quiet in person. In the past, people have excluded me from saucy conversations about erotic books, steamy movies and anything sex-related, believing it was best not to offend me. I guess I shocked a few people when Lessons came out.

I would imagine so! THANK you for taking the time to appear today, Estelle. Here’s hoping for a bright future for your writing. I expect nothing but great things from you!

About the author

Estelle Pettersen is an Australian author and former journalist whose romance stories explore empowerment, freedom, and finding one’s strength. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Journalism and Psychology, from the University of Queensland, Australia. Her second degree is an MBA from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. She is a member of Romance Writers of Australia and is passionate about history, languages, cultures, traveling, food, and wine. She is happily married and living in Norway these days.

Author links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elusiveromance

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elusive_6788

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elusive_6788

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/author/estellepettersen

Author website: https://elusiveromance.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20482227.Estelle_Pettersen

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/estellepettersen

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/estellepettersen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estelle-pettersen-3716741b1/