Interview with Ashley Masterson

Published 2017-01-10.
What do you write and why?
Typically, I write short erotic stories because I like to transform the reader's mind from the day to day tasks into a sense of nostalgia or give them hope for what is to come in their personal life. For example, who remembers hooking up in college after a few beers or even having bonfires that led to some steamy nights? I want to bring you back to that. I want to make you smell the scent of burning wood and his cologne. I want you to remember how comfortable her parent's couch was back in the day. My goal is to also show you what could come in the near future. In just an instant, your entire life could change. A spilled coffee. A class at the university. Personally, I was in a place where I gave up on relationships and stayed that way for about a month. The love of my life decided to go out with his buddies at a bar and one of my girlfriends knew them. We've been together ever since that night. That can happen for anyone. Don't give up.
What's the story behind your latest book?
The Philadelphia series I've been writing is about a 23 year old girl who lives in California, who is forced to visit her aunt in Pennsylvania. She's struggling to get over a nasty break up and her aunt is always on the run with her spa business, so she spends a lot of time alone. She feels like she doesn't fit in. Lucky for her, in the blink of an eye she has a new sexy summer love, who turns her world upside down. The novels are written as diary entries, first by the woman and then her partner. You follow their love story until the end of summer when the main character, Candice, has to decide if she wants to go back to Cali, or if her new love has enticed her to stay with him.
Who are you favorite authors and what are some of your favorite novels?
I'm a pretty classic girl. Dickens is by far my favorite author. Hard Times. Great Expectations. Ahh. I also have a slight obsession with Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin run rampant through my literary dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby was intriguing. Can't forget Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird. The Scarlet Letter (yay Ema Stone.) Dracula. Frankenstein. Fahrenheit 451. The Iliad and the Odyssey. My Antonia. As far as modern novels, I like the House of Night series by P.C and Kristin Cast.
What do you read for pleasure?
Anything naughty. Honestly, I prefer writing Erotica than reading it. It's not that I don't like them. I just prefer not to change my bed sheets that often ;) Anything historical lights my fire. The paranormal is a close second. Romance is great.
How do you create your covers?
Not well. I have a good background in Word, Excel and Powerpoint but I struggle with anything more than a picture and some basic font as a cover. Please don't disregard my work because of the poorly put together cover. I am not by any means a graphic designer but the cover is only for the premium catalog. It does not reflect the story within. Promise.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords has given me an outlet for some feedback. What better way to improve your skills than to have someone read and leave a review. I live for constructive criticism, so long as its purpose is to be helpful and not hurtful that is.
What do your fans mean to you?
The fans are everything. Everything, and I'm not just saying that. I check my dashboard regularly. I don't need to see sales, what I look for is the number of downloads. One more person was intrigued by me. That's what I want. That's what keeps me going. I crave it.
What are you working on next?
I have a few other stories going. The Philadelphia series is my first priority. Partly because its the dead of winter as I write this and the holidays are over, so what is there to look forward to but salty lips, sandy cheeks and tan skin? Aside from those novels, I have a few historical fiction novels on the rise and a paranormal one also.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing back in high school. I wasn't under the assumption that I had any special gift or anything. I just liked to write. One of my assignments was to create a short story. I wrote a short historical fiction and when I turned in that paper I got a 100. Not a 98 or a 99. A 100. My teacher asked me to stay after class. "You really have something here. I know you're very practical and you want to be an accountant but please, don't ignore this." Her words swirled around in my head. Still do.
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Books by This Author

A Hard Lesson
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,790. Language: English. Published: July 14, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » For Couples
Hattie is a thick, young college professor with a cheating husband. When she discovers he may have gotten another woman pregnant, she gets her revenge by sleeping with Mason, her sexy student with a massive...
Birthday Sex
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,290. Language: English. Published: April 2, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » Romance
Well this is it. Jax and his best friend Beada couldn't let the tension build any longer. They were losing control. There were hundreds of people at the birthday party, but he only had eyes for her. Sneaking off wasn't too difficult, but now everyone's looking for the birthday girl. Can they keep their passionate hookup a secret? Or are there too many people to hide it from?
Happy Birthday
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,380. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Erotic
Beada was his best friend; the-girl-next-door type. But on her twenty-first birthday, she hung up the old faded blue jeans for a sultry sequin dress and raised more than a few eyebrows. She wanted more than a friendship now and she wasn't afraid to take control and show her best friend just what he'd been missing all these years. Would she let him take her virginity? Was she finally good enough?
Philadelphia: Candice and Christine
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,460. Language: English. Published: January 10, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » Lesbian
Dylan and Candice are welcome guests at Josh and Christine's party. All is well until the girls go missing. Dylan and Josh search frantically, only to find them drunkenly hooking up. Naturally, the guys want to join in on the fun!
Unimaginable: The Kingdom of Mercantile
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 3,720. Language: English. Published: January 4, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Historical » Ancient
Mercia Mercantile is a young warrior princess who'll do anything to defeat her family's longstanding enemies. She fights relentlessly, brutally murdering anyone who stands in her way. That is, until she is captured by the enemy and has to fight a battle like no other. Will she kill her handsome captor? Will she ever see her family again? Find out!
My Husband’s Younger Brother
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,060. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » Contemporary
Carla is a 28 year old mother of two craving attention. She's tired of feeling like a mom. Tired of feeling like just some housemaid for her husband. She finds sanctuary in her husband's 23 year old brother, who is full of surprises and lust.
Philadelphia: Dylan’s Journal (Book Two)
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,800. Language: English. Published: December 30, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » Romance
Candice sure enticed Dylan after that steamy night in his living room. He's completely under her spell, but he has a few secrets of his own that he's kept from his best friend, Josh. Oh and his potential girlfriend, Candice. Will Candice and Josh find out this little secret he's keeping? Find out in book two of the Philadelphia series!
Philadelphia: The Diary of Candice Swavski
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 1,840. Language: English. Published: December 28, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Erotica » Romance
Candice's summer starts out pretty rough, as she is just getting over her ex and being forced to go visit her aunt in Philadelphia. Who wants to go to Philly when you already live in Cali? Candice sure doesn't! Lucky for her, the temperature rises when she spends a night with an unexpected someone, who turns her world upside down.