Monica Murphy: From New Adult to superhot erotic romance

Monica Murphy (aka Karen Erickson), author of Owning Violet, book one in The Fowler Sisters series, shares how she's "come full circle in this sexy/erotic romance thing."

Monica: Under the pen name Monica Murphy, I self-published my first New Adult book in January of 2013 and it … took off. I ended up writing four total books in that series (One Week Girlfriend) plus a novella and I enjoyed every second of it. But as I geared up to write something new for my publisher, they requested I create something a little more adult, though still filled with the dark angst my writing is known for. Both my editor and my agent kept saying, "You can make it as sexy as you want."

I heard that enough times to think, "OK, watch this." They wanted sexy? I'd give them sexy. I went for it and held nothing back, to the point I made my own eyebrows rise as I wrote but hey, I'm just trying to deliver what they wanted ...

And that's how Owning Violet was born.

Here's the deal. I've come full circle in this sexy/erotic romance thing. I started out writing erotic romance as Karen Erickson back in 2006. I have quite a list of mostly erotic novellas, to the point where I started to face real burnout in 2008-2009 and I knew I needed to change it up. I changed it up so much I wrote a sweet small-town romance with mostly closed-door sex scenes (Jane's Gift), and it was so … refreshing. It felt like a real challenge, something I enjoy and need when it comes to writing. I guess I get bored easily.

I've observed, too, that as the New Adult category has evolved over the last couple of years, for the most part, the books have become way sexier. Oh, there are still relatively clean/sweet NA books out there, but they are a rarity. From what I see that's available lately, the sexier, and the grittier, the better.

It can go hand in hand, I believe, NA and high sexual content. Considering that the New Adult category focuses on characters in their late teens to early to mid-20s, during a time of life where they're trying to establish their lives on their own. Where everything is so new and exciting — and sometimes overwhelming — this makes sense. During that time of life, you're experimenting and pushing the limits when it comes to work and general life experiences, and many are also doing that sexually.

While I feel I've come back home to writing erotic romance, I'm also doing it differently this time around. It's not like I can just write the same ol' thing, right? Of course not. Since Monica writes in first person (and Karen writes in third-person POV), the immediate difference is that the stories, and especially the characters, feel closer to me.

Creating the characters for Owning Violet, I feel like I really delved deep into their minds, and sometimes that was a dark place to be. It was also a very intimate experience. Sounds corny but it's true. When you're dealing with such dark subject matter (deception, blackmail, using someone to get what you want, sex), it can sometimes make you question your sanity as a writer. Thank goodness it's all fiction!

So yes. Full circle. That's the thing about this writing life. Or life in general, really. Never say never. Don't get frustrated and proclaim, "I'm never writing *__blank__* again." Because you just might end up writing exactly that all over again.

And you just might like it.

Here's the blurb about Owning Violet:

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy begins a sexy new contemporary romance series—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emma Chase—that introduces three sisters born to wealth, raised to succeed, ready to love, destined to make waves.

I've moved through life doing what's expected of me. I'm the middle daughter, the dutiful daughter. The one who braved a vicious attack and won. The one who devoted herself to her family's cosmetics empire. The one who met an ambitious man and fell in love. We were going to run Fleur Cosmetics together, Zachary and I.

Until he got a promotion and left me in the dust. Maybe it's for the best, between his disloyalty and his wandering eye. But another man was waiting for me. Wanting me. He too has an overwhelming thirst for success, just like Zachary—perhaps even more so. He's also ruthless. And mysterious. I know nothing about Ryder McKay beyond that he makes me feel things I've never experienced before.

One stolen moment, a kiss, a touch . . . and I'm hooked. Ryder's like a powerful drug and I'm an addict who doesn't want to be cured. He tells me his intentions aren't pure and I believe him. For once I don't care. I'm willing to risk everything just to be with him. Including my heart. My soul.

My everything.

Find out more about Monica/Karen and her books at monicamurphyauthor.com.