Unexpected, Fun, and Sensual-- Mary Quast!!!!

A: Today’s interview is with the incredible Mary Quast – one of the founders of Romance Writers Behaving Badly. I’m so glad to have her here today to talk about her writing and her books.


Known for writing sensual romance with creative soul, I’ve known Mary for a few years now through Romance Divas. Welcome Mary!!!!

There are so many things I want to ask… how’d that conversation with the pastor turn out??? Just how much do you make those old biddies in your community blush??? And so much more; but let’s start with the basics :>

What’s the kinkiest, sexiest thing you’ve ever done:

MQ: Let’s see…. Chocolate syrup, whipping cream, silk scarves and a blindfold…I think you have to buy the book to find out more. But I can add that it’s wonderful making love in a hammock in the middle of the day!

A: I’m envisioning humid air, a southern back porch looking over a sleepy creek, and loonng summer days. Sigh. Having been on a hammock, I imagine things were “hopping”. :> So while you were a bit cryptic in your response to kinkiness in real life (I mean … wow… you left a lot to the imagination there)… How bad do you get with your writing, are we talking just suggestion or down right bondage?

MQ: It depends on my characters. Sometimes a bad boy simply wants to feel loved while the good girl wants to be ravished. I haven’t put bondage in my work… yet.

A: Heck, you don’t need bondage – you have chocolate and whip cream and… oh, that’s real life. We’re talking fiction. Just for a bit of non sequitor What’s the best thing you’ve ever written—the best line?

MQ: I’d have to say, “Lonely Soul” is my best work from a technical point so far. The best line? Hmm….Painted Soul is full of sensual lines but I favor sexy and funny. So that would have to come from Matt Keller, he has a “special way” of wording things, they’re called “Mattisms”.

For example: “Nothing much,” he munched on his burger. “Just grudge fucked my ex-girlfriend’s best friend. I feel much better; I suggest you try it sometime. Hey, are you going to eat that pickle?”

A: LOL… I love that. Best line so far in the interviews. I especially loves the “Hey, are you going to eat that pickle?” as if there’s nothing much he just said. I wish there were more people that were that glib in the world. Instead we’re stuck with people using snappy comebacks from best-selling books, block-buster movies, and Robot Chicken.

If you could have any movie star take on a role as one of your heroes, who would it be?

MQ: Stuart Townsend… the way he looked in Queen of the Damned, would be Puzzola.

A: Man, all the authors have some unique tastes. I need to expand my repertoire. I’m stuck on Dong Bang Shin Ki ---Junsu, Changminnie, JaeJoong, Yunho, Yoochun. Sigh… But alas, no one I know shares my compulsions. Although Changminnie is now almost 6’4…. He’s got huge hands and feet… makes you wonder… Ahem… So what do you think? Does size count? Size counts… on average how loooooonnnnnggg do you like your (um, how do we put it delicately) manuscripts to be ;> ( in words silly, not inches) and how steamy?

MQ: I can’t seem to write anything short so they end up being around 300 pp in print. Steamy? I want readers to feel the need to strip down and fan themselves from the heat.

A: Well, I’m still stuck on that porch overlooking some South Carolina tributary with a sexy Hugh Jackman. Sigh. Mind back on track April !!!!

Thinking of hot, sexy porch hammocks and the fact that some people think sex scenes are the hardest -- the more I write them, the more I would agree. It’s just so hard to come up with something new and unique every time.

What are the hardest scenes to write for you?

MQ: Ah… the first page. Really! I love writing the sex scenes – if I get stuck I pull out a Penthouse Letters and ask hubby to help out. LOL. I have an evil streak in me and it shows when I “hurt” my characters. But that first page kills me every time!

A: And you say you’re not into bondage!!!! You must get enough satisfaction out of your own form of torture. Just how much hotter than that porch hammock do you get? Or maybe I should ask: How close in real life have you gotten to one of your fantasies?

MQ: Heh, heh. Do I have to answer that? I’m an artist and a romance writer. Any more questions?

A: You leave that wide open to the imagination. Ugh…. Details woman!

No? Okay. We’ll keep those questions for another time.

What would you want other writers and your readers to know about you?

MQ: Don’t bug me on a bad day, I might have to put you in a book and kill you. But if you feed me chocolate, you’re forgiven.

A: Hmmm… should I keep the chocolate to myself or avoid death on the page? That’s a tough decision. I really like my chocolate. ;> Before I start on my long list of other questions that aren’t writing related… anything you would like to share with us, an excerpt, a tidbit, or anything else about yourself?

MQ: My first book, “Painted Soul” was based on a journal entry I wrote while I was in England at the age of 16. I saw a real punk on the subway and created a story about him. Years later, I created Painted Soul and the character Puzzola from that experience. From that one book, came a series of four.

A: Wow… thank you Mary for such a great interview. Anyone else want to read more about Mary or check out Painted Soul, Tormented Soul or Lonely Soul, check out her website at: http://www.maryquast.com/

I also just HAD to add the picture here from Mary's sight. Now, that's HOT and ever so naughty