An interview with Melissa Charm

Melissa Charm has just released her brand new erotic novella SUSIE: THE LOST TAPES. We had a quick chat with her about her latest release and what inspired her to write. We also posed a few very intimate questions.

Tell us a little bit about your book.

It’s about a young British couple in 1984, told in flashback from present day. The husband is a coal miner and due to the miners' strikes they find themselves with no income. So, with the rise in popularity of VHS videotape, they decide to make a pornographic movie. The story unfolds from there. It’s humours in places. I want the reader to chuckle at times, as well as being immersed in the characters and being aroused by the sex.

May I ask where you get your ideas from?

I write about the things that turn me on. Kink-wise, my books follow a similar theme — a woman having sex with men outside of her marriage or relationship with the full knowledge and consent of her husband or partner. Usually my stories progress from MFM threesome situations to the woman having sex with several men at the same time. My stories are not just sex, however — I like them to have a good thick plot, with a bit of a twist somewhere along the way.

There’s always an element of cuckolding in your stories.

Yes. That’s always aroused me, to be in a relationship where the man wants the woman to have sex with other men, with him either participating or watching.

Do you practise that in real life? I’m so glad we are doing this over the phone as I’m blushing right now.

Let’s just say that I was lucky enough to meet someone with the same interests as me. That’s as much as I’m prepared to divulge [laughs].

Moving on then, with red cheeks. Your books always revolve around technology. Even your latest release, which takes place in the 80s, makes full use of the technology of the time.

Technology and sex have always gone hand in hand. I think that was as true in the 80s as it is now. The difference these days is that you can take a nude selfie or make an adult movie with nothing more than your phone to hand and then instantly share it with the world. Or you can hook up with someone from your living room who shares the same kinks as you do. My stories, although embracing technology and the sexual freedom it can give you, also warn of the dangers of using it. They are kind of like the Black Mirror of the erotica world.

Do you think erotica authors need to be a responsible voice from time to time, especially to young women?

Yes, absolutely. I’m well aware the reader wants escapism, to live vicariously through the characters and do things they wouldn’t do in the real world. However, in my stories everything is consensual. The woman is strong and takes the lead. She is always in control of the sex and the situation. In the real world, if you want to be submissive – if that’s your thing – then that’s fine. But you should never do anything that you don’t want to do just because you think it’s expected of you.

I think your writing is hard to pigeon-hole. And I mean that in the best possible way. It’s different from traditional erotica.

I’ve had that said before. My writing isn’t fluffy or overly romantic. I don’t overuse the adverb. And I don’t go for happy-ever-after endings. I’m not saying any of those things are necessarily wrong, but it’s just not the way I do it.

What made you want to write erotic fiction?

When I was a teenager my cousin used to have a stack of old early nineties porno magazines hidden under his bed. I used to borrow them, not for the pictures, but for the stories. I guess that was my first exposure to erotica, albeit in its crudest form. I knew then that I wanted to write stories like that. So, I guess that’s where it all began for me. After that, I read every Black Lace book I could get my hands on and found myself hooked on erotic fiction. I didn't just read erotica, though. I also read a lot of horror, especially 80s horror, like King, Herbert and Laymon. But nothing excited me more than writing erotica. I'm still the same now.

How have you coped with lockdown?

For me it hasn’t been too different from my pre-lockdown life. I live out in the sticks and I work from home. So apart from not being able to see my family and friends, nothing much has changed for me.

And that just leaves one more question – what's your next project?

I have two other books in first draft stage, so I will return to those soon and hopefully have at least one ready for release later this year.

It’s been lovely talking to you. Thanks for taking the time. Stay safe.

Thanks for having me.

Melissa Charm is the author of two novelettes and one novella (as of time of writing). Her books are available on Amazon, including her latest release SUSIE: THE LOST TAPES.