For fans of suspenseful plots with steamy scenes from a bygone era, meet Logan Black. An author who taps into the darker side of human nature by embracing the reader’s fascination with complex emotion-driven experiences.
For those unfamiliar with Logan Black, how would you describe your brand of Erotica? What are your favourite tropes you use?
The best tagline I’ve come up with to explain it thus far is, “Erotica with a side of murder.” It’s a mashup of erotica and detective noir set in 1940s L.A. In terms of genre, erotic mystery or erotic noir are good ways to describe it–though, some of the stories aren’t all that mysterious. My work tends to be highly story-driven. The characters do the dirty, of course. It’s the main event in erotica. But to me, the reasons behind how they got there are just as important as the deeds themselves. The emotion behind it makes it feel more tangible. And I like exploring the darker aspects of human nature in that process. That’s the whole idea behind Noir, right? I write mostly M/F stuff hedging into multiple partners for some variety. I don’t confine myself to a specific kink, which I have heard limits me in terms of sales potential, but that’s OK. I feel narrowing my work to one kink or another would be boring, and there are a lot of other sexual practices I think would be fun to explore within this setting and genre.
As far as tropes go, so far I’ve mostly stuck to the typical ones for hard-boiled detective fiction. You’ve got the detective as the knight in soiled armor, the case that only he can solve in a corrupt and fallen world. Lots of drinking, smoking, and of course the period-appropriate slang you’d expect. The femme fatale is one of my particular favorites, as I am drawn to strong female personalities with more than a little attitude. But as fun as those tropes are, I enjoy subverting them even more. For instance, the main character of my series is not a knight in any sense of the word. He’s a womanizing asshole who mostly tries to do right by his clients but is more beholden to his libido than any sense of honor. His attitude often makes his life harder, and sometimes he grows from it, but sometimes he doesn’t. I also try to make sure my female characters aren’t just cardboard cutouts or mirrors, but dynamic individuals with their own agency and complexities. Because it’s more realistic, yes, but also because it’s hot.
How do you research the content in your books?
Most of my research on the overall plot and genre just comes from reading the classics: Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, James M. Cain, etc. For instance, my first novel, The Money Shot, was originally conceived as an erotic retelling of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It grew legs and became its own thing, but that was the initial idea. When I go back and read some of those stories from the 40s and 50s, there’s so much sex and depravity–a lot of it unspoken but undeniably there–that an erotic version kind of writes itself.
On the erotic side, just being part of the erotica authors and kink communities on Twitter and Discord has provided more than enough inspiration. I like to take a subgenre–say, cuckold erotica–and twist it into something that resembles the original thing but has a darker undercurrent. That’s how my short story “Body Count“ was born (which is free to download, by the way). What other reasons would a man agree to let his wife get railed right in front of him? Maybe it’s atonement for his past sins. Would he attempt to save his own ego in any way? And would that really satisfy her? What if she can’t forget her own humiliation? What happens then?
Most of the research I’ve done recently has just been trying to get period-specific details right for the 1940s setting. How did phone exchanges work in the 40s? What were various women’s fashions from that time and what were their names? Which airlines had routes between L.A. and San Francisco? Luckily, Google is your friend for weird historical research. I don’t know what I’d do if I was writing this before the internet was invented. But then again, self-publishing wouldn’t have been a thing either, so it’s kind of a moot point.
We’ve noticed you like to write sequels, who are your favourite characters in your series?
I’m obviously fond of the main character, Danny Diamond. He’s not a stand-in for me personally, but he does allow me to vicariously explore things I wouldn’t otherwise do in real life. I think Eileen–Diamond’s secretary and paramour–is probably my favorite. She has a smart mouth and a keen wit, and she doesn’t take his shit. But there’s an innocence about her. Not in the virginal sense (she’s anything but–I mean, it’s erotica for God’s sake), but where Diamond is cynical about the corrupt world around him, Eileen is not. She still believes in doing the right thing, that good should triumph over evil. She’s a romantic, and she loves Diamond, even though she knows he’s incapable of reciprocating in the exact same way. In that aspect, she’s a tragic but eternally optimistic figure, and I love that about her. That’s probably why, in my most recent story, I decided to tell it from her perspective and help to develop her character a little more.
What do you find most challenging about writing erotic scenes?
Making each one different and engaging. There are only so many sex acts you can describe, you know? The parts fit together in various ways, but there’s a limit to the variation you can achieve when it comes to physical descriptions. You can spice things up with various partners and toys and such, but a lot of the really fun stuff that you can incorporate into modern-day erotica didn’t exist in the 1940s (though some might be surprised how much we think of as new and novel has been around for centuries).
What I try to do is highlight the motivations behind the acts to bring more meaning into them and understand them in different ways. For instance, there’s a scene in The Money Shot where Diamond has to approach a spurned lover to obtain some evidence for his case. It’s erotica, so there’s got to be a sexual favor involved, right? But she doesn’t say, “Hey, give me some sexy time and I’ll give you the file.” They hate each other, and she’s angry. She still wants him, but more than that she wants to humiliate and own him. So the sexy time happens, but it’s dark, twisted, and so much better (I think, anyway) because of the characters’ motivations and the complex emotions involved.
How do you balance writing sex scenes with character development and plot?
It’s roughly a 75/25 split. Some stories are a little heavier on one side or the other, but I generally try to stick to that ratio. It’s been a decent balance so far, but it’s not something you can factor into shorter fiction. That’s why most of my stories tend to be at least novelette length–so I can give the plot, the characters, and the sex adequate attention. I also try to have the sexual climax of the book coincide with the climax of the plot. If there are multiple sex scenes, the last one should be the crescendo, the one where the heat and the kink get dialed up to the max. Then afterward comes the denouement where the mystery or conflict is solved and everything is wrapped up with a tidy bow.
What are your thoughts on the current state of erotica?
I think it’s awesome. When I first started writing erotica (way back in 2008 – there have been a lot of long breaks in between), I felt like the erotica self-publishing scene was mostly centered around erotic romance. I published my first novel in 2015, took a long hiatus due to work and kids, and got back into the game as recently as October of last year. And boy, it felt like erotica had changed so much. There are so many new and varying voices represented out there. There’s a lot more focus on pure erotica. Medium has a vibrant community of erotic authors that didn’t exist back then. There are more options for self-publishing platforms. Hell, it’s not limited to books either. There are tons of independent voice actors and graphic artists out there doing their thing as well. And we can’t forget the erotica-related podcasts that are out there either, *wink-wink*.
When I wrote The Money Shot, I was a little nervous because most of the erotica authors and readers I saw were women. Would my type of story be able to find its readership niche in that environment? I probably needn’t have worried. At this point, the majority of my readers are women, so obviously there’s some appeal there. But there are quite a lot of men reading and writing now as well. When I look around at the authors out there writing and publishing, I see representation from all genders, sexual orientations, lifestyles, etc. It’s quite a thing to behold, and I love the variety in this community.
Another thing is the genuine kindness of everyone I’ve met. I’m part of a couple of pretty active Discord servers full of authors who are fun and supportive. They’ve been a great help. I might not have found the motivation to do this whole thing again if it wasn’t for them. Since hopping back into the erotic writing game, I’ve learned so much from so many different people. I still feel like I learn something new every day.
Who are your favourite erotica creators?
Oh God, this is probably going to be a helluva list. Apologies in advance.
Lacey Cross and Hank Dolworth come to mind first. In addition to being stellar writers, they deserve the biggest credit for cluing me into the business and marketing aspects of writing. And Lee Parker has been my guidepost for everything Vella (I still don’t have it figured out all the way, but I’m getting… somewhere!). Others I’ve been reading who deserve mention include Agent Ranch Hand, Vivian Blake, Ed Leather, Olive Spencer, Meg Becker, Ophelia Dickerson, and Eliza Black. Is that too many?
And I can’t forget my editor, Ellie Desyre. In addition to being a stellar copy editor (and probably my most outspoken fan), she’s got the voice of a fallen angel. She does amazing voice work, and I encourage everyone to give her a listen or consider engaging her for their next audio project.
What are you working on next?
The next Danny Diamond novelette is coming to Vella on April 25th. It’s called The Kitty That Got The Cream, and as I mentioned earlier, it’s the first treatment of Eileen the secretary as the main character. She gets her chance to take the lead on a case–a silly caper to locate a wealthy widow’s lost cat–which takes the duo to San Francisco and leads to sexy hijinks (as well as unforeseen difficulties) on an airplane. It’s more light-hearted than some of my other stories, but it was a good opportunity to further explore and develop Eileen’s character. And as I mentioned before, she’s my favorite.
The Danny Diamond novelette Sticky Fingers is also releasing in ebook format on May 8th. It’s a cat-and-mouse type thriller about a thieving hotel maid who gets off in the guests’ rooms and the detective (Diamond) hired to stop her. It was already published on Vella first, but this is the first time it will be available in ebook format.
I’m currently working on offerings for a couple of anthologies as well. These will be a departure from the Danny Diamond series, but I’ll do my best to work in some of the same themes. The first is a collection of erotic takes on Alice in Wonderland, while the other is all about summer loving. The organizers on that second one are holding me to a strict word count, so that’ll be a good growth opportunity, LOL.
After that, I’ve got ideas for a couple of Danny Diamond erotic novelettes, which I’ll bundle with the rest into a collection, and then work will begin on the next novel in the series. The working title is The Little Death, though don’t hold me to that. All told, I’ve got way more ideas than I have time to execute them, but isn’t that the lot of a creative?
Thank you SO much for the opportunity to talk about my work. It’s been great fun!
Erotica X Filth 