Author Interview of Joyce McCarthy, Author of Trails of Sin

When Andrew Smith, the head honcho of Tech-Me gets into a steamy affair with Emma Atkins, the new intern in office, his secretary and ex-girlfriend Betty Wilson swears revenge. Soon strategic secrets of the company are leaked out through craftily designed torrid acts of seduction of Tech-Me bosses. As Tech-Me starts losing ground and there are storms brewing in Andrew’s private life, he realizes there is more to his predicament than professional issues. He is left searching for answers as shadows of a sinful past haunt him. 
Trails of Sin is an erotic thriller in a corporate setting with a strong element of suspense and a powerful undercurrent of selfless love. 

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

Writing my debut erotic thriller 'Trails of Sin' with a pseudonym, I am an author, weaving stories about the darker shades in human relationships. The many ways in which they unravel and manifest themselves end up creating stories that thrill, that excite, that scare. 

In my day job, I work in one of the world’s leading information technology firms. During my travels far and wide across the world, I have noticed remarkable interest in and curiosity about the Indian perspective on sexuality, whose pervasive and universal nature is the inspiration behind my erotic creations in diverse global settings. 

I love travelling, am an avid reader of fiction, and am passionate about photography, movies and music.

GIRL WITH PEN GIVES A WARM WELCOME TO JOYCE MCCARTHY, AUTHOR OF TRAILS OF SIN.  I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR MY READERS. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING YOUR NEW BOOK, TRAILS OF SIN. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself to start?

I am from India, born and brought up in the city of Kolkata. Kolkata is the capital of the state of West
Bengal, located on the banks of the Hooghly river. It is the main educational, cultural and commercial
center in the eastern part of the country.
I am an Engineer by education, and in my day job, I work in one of the world’s leading technology
firms.

My passion, however, lies in writing. I write about the darker shades in human relationships. The
many ways in which they unravel and manifest themselves end up creating stories that thrill, that
excite, that scare.

I love travelling, am an avid reader of fiction, and am passionate about photography, movies and
music.

Q: How are you feeling now that your latest book is out & on tour?

It is a wonderful feeling. Writing a book and then publishing it is akin to bringing up a child who
imbibes a part of you and then letting it venture into the world beyond the confines of its home. What
can be more blissful for a parent than to see the world embrace that child with love and affection?
That’s what I expect from readers of Trails of Sin.

Q: How does your family feel about you being a published author?

My family has been extremely supportive in my journey. They are among the first ones to review my
work and pass on valuable insights and feedback. They also help me stay grounded which is extremely
important.

Q: What inspires you to write?

As I travelled across the world, I noticed remarkable interest in and curiosity about the Indian
perspective on sexuality, whose pervasive and universal nature is the inspiration behind my erotic
creations. Also, when you come to think of it, a story is not just about human characters. The
ambience, the milieu, the society, the city and even the times have key roles to play.

Q: Describe your book in 3 words?

Fast, exciting, raunchy

Q: Out of all of your books do you have a favorite character or couple?

Who else but Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele?

Q: Are you currently working on a new book at this time?

I am currently working on a number of erotic short stories which I plan to compile into themed
anthologies shortly.

Q: Do you have a routine you follow when you write? (i.e. listen to music, sit in a certain
chair or at a certain desk)

Honestly, I do not follow a fixed routine when it comes to my writing.
I create a basic structure and chapter outlines and then I start writing the chapters with the basic
premise in sight. And I let go, letting the sights and the sounds in my mind take over. It is, therefore,
extremely important for me to be in the ‘appropriate’ frame of mind to write. I need to be in those
situations myself. Therefore when I am writing a story, there are days when I am not in the
‘appropriate’ mood that the work demands, and I do not write a word.

Q: How do your stories & characters develop?

I love to get into the psyche of my characters and then reveal them to my readers through situations,
dialogues and actions that bring out their inner turmoil, insecurity and desires. ‘Trails of Sin’ has
several examples.

We have a woman grieving over the separation from her lover, being forced to gratify her urges only
through their virtual rendezvous, and seeking revenge, and it is necessary to bring out all these
aspects of her personality. We have a woman completely taken over by jealousy and frustration,
having lost her love. We have an evil corporate honcho, who is a compulsive womanizer and at the
same time, has the responsibility to save his dwindling business, and it is important to portray that
dilemma. We have a wife coming to terms with her husband’s infidelity and actually beginning to
enjoy the forbidden pleasures herself, and I talk about her journey.

And as the reader will find, a lot of these character portrayals are depicted in the way they behave
and speak while having sex. I think that is the real essence of writing erotic literature. An author
should use eroticism as an instrument for telling his story.

Q: What was the first thing that came to your mind when your first book was published?

What I cherish about the whole process of producing a book is the collaboration among all the
involved parties. Writing, by itself, can be a lonely and private process. An author spends days and
nights pouring his / her heart out on paper, sharing dreams, fantasies, opinions and his / her view of
the world and the society. And then, one fine day, that dream becomes a shared dream. You have an
editor who comes in with his / her views. A cover designer creates wonderful layouts that echo your
dreams. The marketing team starts working on how best the key themes and messages of your work
are conveyed to the world. I find this socialization of an author’s vision extremely fascinating.

Q: Do you have favorite author whose books you love to read?

Jeffrey Archer is an all-time favourite. I think he is an institution when it comes to storytelling –
whether it’s his novels or his short stories.

I have been a big fan of Agatha Christie – mainly because of Poirot’s methods of investigation, the
witty repartees, the human emotions at the core of the crimes.

Among more recent crime authors, I like the Alex Cross stories by James Patterson – not just for the
thrills, but also for the underlying human emotions. I was floored by The Devotion of Suspect X and
Malice by Keigo Higashino. I am also hooked to the works of Gillian Flynn.

When it comes to steamier stuff, I like the works of Sylvia Day and E.L. James. I also love the works
of Nancy Friday.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read & write?

Romance and Thrillers.

Q: How do you go about creating the most “Swoonworthy” character?

I believe a ‘swoon-worthy’ character is more in the mind of the reader. I provide a rough sketch of the characters in my story, and then leave it to the readers to imagine them the way they want to, moles and warts included. I love to empower my readers. At the end of the day, they need to connect. They need to imagine themselves in the acts being described.

Q: Can you share something with everyone that inspires you?

As we chase our dreams in a big and busy city, at some point in life we become slaves to our
aspirations and unrealistic ambitions. And it is not too long before we realize success and wealth alone do not make our hearts skip a few beats and more. Our trophies fill up an empty shelf, but not a
lonely evening. It is important, therefore, to chase our dreams and our passion. I started writing with
these thoughts. Writing was also a cathartic experience for me. It helped me give vent to my pent up
emotions and spun stories out of them. And that, I am sure, is not unique to me or to this book. It
applies to most, if not all, authors.

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world who would it be & why?

I would love to talk to E. L. James over dinner trying to figure out how she got her work before her
readers in the early days before it became such a global phenomenon.

Q: As a child what did you want to do when you grew up? / Did you always want to be a
writer? If not what did you want to be?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I have never really written for a purpose – it is just
something I love to do. In my early childhood, I would spend hours writing, as well as making
illustrations for my own stories. A number of my poems were published in children’s magazines back
in the day. I continued to write through my teenage and later in college.

Q: When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

As I mentioned earlier, I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Writing is my way of
unwinding. But the day my book Trails of Sin was put up on Amazon global sites, I realized I’ve finally made it to the ranks of published authors. It was a great feeling!

Q: If you could go on a date with one of the male/female characters from a book who
would it be (Character name, Book Title & Author's Name) and what would you do on
that date?

I would get my favorite couple Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James over to my house and after a lovely Italian dinner with the best of champagne, leave them to
themselves as I get to watch them live in the act!

Q: Do you have a favorite playlist that you listen to when you write?

I do not listen to any music when I write. I tend to lose myself in the words I create.

Q: Do you read all the reviews for your book(s)?

I do. While the favourable ones are motivating and often flattering, even the unfavourable ones
deliver lessons that help me hone my work in the future.

Q: Which do you prefer paperback, hardback or ebooks & why?

Being a very frequent business traveller and a voracious reader, I do see the benefit of digitizing your
library and carrying it along, but then, I do love the smell of books – old and new. And I have now
come to terms with the contradiction. So, you would find both in my collection.

Q: What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it in (ebook,
hardback or paperback) and who is the author?

I am currently reading Murder House by James Patterson in paperback.

Q: When you aren't writing what do you do to relax and have fun?

I am a voracious reader. I also love movies and photography.

Okay now some fun ones:

Q: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who
needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why?

I love what you call the ‘kick-ass variety’. Trails of Sin has a number of female characters, all very
strong and focused on their mission.

Q: What is your one “guilty pleasure”?

Chocolates and anything sweet!

Q: Do you have a favorite love scene from a book or movie? Which book/movie &
scene?

I found the romantic scenes in Basic Instinct extremely sensuous and stimulating. They were shot
very nicely.

How about a little of This or That:
Coffee or Tea? - Coffee
Chocolate or Vanilla? - Chocolate
Kinky or Sweet? - Kinky
Tall, dark & handsome or blonde, surfer type? – Tall, dark and handsome
Dine in or Dine out? – Dine out
Sunset or Sunrise? - Sunset
Steak or Chicken? - Steak
Cats or Dogs? - Horses
Dom or Sub? - Dom
Summer or Winter? - Winter
Shower or Bath? - Bath
Beer or Wine? - Wine
Scary or Comedy? - Comedy
Biker or Billionaire? - Biker
Thong or Comando? - Thong
Rock or Country? - Country
Vanilla or Chocolate?- Vanilla
Pink or Black? - Pink