SERIES: Ellora's Cave author - Rhyll Biest

After graduating from uni with a doctorate in sociolinguistics, Rhyll wandered the planet aimlessly for a few years while picking up other languages, living in Shanghai, Prague and Bremen. As an outcast from academia, destitution forced her to join Canberra’s army of darkness, the Australian public service, when she returned home. Often the things she writes for the government are stranger than any fiction… 

Published works: Two. RUSSIAN HEAT and PERSONAL BEST. A SPORTING CHANCE should come out in November this year. 
Publisher/s: Pink Petal and Momentum (a subsidiary of Pan Macmillan) 

What's the most fascinating aspect about writing in this genre for you?
Sex and romance are both personal and universal experiences, and finding a balance between a unique character point of view, and experiences and emotions that any reader can relate to, can be elusive. 

What challenges did you face publishing in this genre?
Finding my own voice, and making myself deal with icky, squishy emotions. They terrify me in real life, and I’m sure writing about them all day long has been therapeutic for me!

Which authors have inspired you in your own writing?
Cara McKenna, aka Meg Maguire, and G.A. Aiken. Plus Cate Ellink and Andra Ashe, my critique partners. There are many, more who inspire me, but those are the ones that leap to mind.


When you get a chance to relax, what do you like to do?
Read, paint, draw, and (surprise, surprise) write.

Could you share your latest release, or a selected book, and tell us a little bit about it?
My forthcoming release with Australian publisher, Momentum (Pan Macmillan), is a 10k story, part of a collection of stories with a group of other Aussie erotic romance writers called Hot Down Under. It’s called A Sporting Chance, and deals with a saucy bet (made at a pub during an Australia Day cane toad race) that forces two ‘tough nuts’ to deal with their attraction.

Rhyll can be found at her blog and website, as well as the blog Hot Down Under.