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Transformed, an anthology of erotic shapeshifting stories, is soon to be published by Pen and Kink Press. Here’s a short interview with Jaap Boekestein, author of the short story Wolf Chest. In my naivete, I thought it was about a werewolf with a buff chest, a six-pack perhaps, but it was something far different… a werewolf who patronizes a leather-clad dominatrix.
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If you treat a man like a dog, you can bring out the wolf.
If so, you better have a safe place to hide.
A very safe place.
“Wolf Chest” by Jaap Boekestein
| Q: |
Wolf Chest portrays a consensual BDSM relationship where one of the partners is a monster. Did you intend it to be read also as an allegory of real-life human relationships? |
| A: |
Human relationships come in all shapes and formats and we live in a day and age where in some parts of the world it possible to experience that variety. In my opinion every relationship should be consensual. If not, you are dealing with abuse. Although I didn’t write Wolf Chest with this specific idea in mind, it is an ingrained part of my outlook on life, so it certainly there in the story. The scary part for some people might be that a character is in a relationship with a violent, potential lethal partner. I tried to show this somehow can be something beautiful. Plus being exciting and pretty damned hot. ;-) |
| Q: |
Why did you choose a werewolf for this story, and, not, say, a vampire? |
| A: |
I have explored bdsm-erotica with several vampire stories already but I feel vampire erotica has — please forgive me the pun — a different taste then werewolf erotica. With vampires there is power play, seduction. The human can talk with the vampire and try to influence the outcome. A bit like a Dominant and a submissive. Now the werewolf, that is — I keep making puns, I just ignore the rolling of eyes — a different kind of animal. Far more primal. You can’t argue with a werewolf, you can’t seduce it, you can’t be perky and fresh with a werewolf and expect to survive. There is raw violence involved, pure id and no ratio at all. That’s very different from the vampire. As I writer I wanted to see where that took me and I had some great time writing it. |
| Q: |
How did the seeds of this story come about? |
| A: |
It all started with the image of an iron maiden, not the band but the torture device. I wanted someone to hide voluntarily in one. Maybe minus the bloody spikes. So why would someone hide in one? To be safe from danger. Okay, what danger? Here I somehow made the connection with the wonderful classic horror movie In Company of Wolves based on the work of the late, great Angela Carter. Wolves are dangerous, and they have paws, so they can’t open an iron maiden. Uhuh. Someone hides in an iron chest from a wolf, a werewolf maybe. That’s a start, but not really a story… From there the idea developed why someone had to hide, which made the story work. Fair to say, the female character is based on some really sweet, sadistic lady friends I know. |
Behind-the-scenes still from the 1984 film In the Company of Wolves. The German Shepherds have been trained to stand in for decadent nobles at a feast when a curse transforms them into wolves.
| Q: |
One thing I liked about the piece was its rapid rat-a-tat pace. Where did the inspiration for this style come from? |
| A: |
There is this wolf. A fucking big wolf. You don’t have time to think. Act, or die. ‘Cause, when you start to ponder, to second guess, to think that you can take your time and work something out. When you look back to make sure that — You’re dead. Killed by the wolf.… Which style you use, support what you are showing to the reader. In this story your heart beats a thousand times per minute, your brain is fueled by adrenaline. I wanted a style that reflected that. |
| Q: |
Writing is always a test of endurance. How many versions did you go through with this piece before you found “the one?” |
| A: |
Ouch, now my dirty little secret comes out… I only do one main draft, let it rest for a few weeks and weed out little mistakes and sentences that don’t work. Plus I Iook at the remarks of the beta readers. I seldom do big redrafts. I’m pretty lazy and I write for fun. Or maybe I’m just cocky (I can use that word again, can’t I?) and believe the things I write are good enough. For me writing is more about drinking cappuccinos in my fave coffee house, eating cake, flirting with the waitresses and writing outlandish horror and erotica surrounded by hipsters and housewives. I know, I know! I ought to suffer and wrestle with writer’s block and deadlines, but that’s not my brand of masochism. |
| Q: |
Do your writing plans include any more monsters or supernatural elements? Any longer pieces or novels in the works? |
| A: |
One day I want to try to do a bdsm zombie story, but that will be a pretty big challenge. I want my zombies to be old school, so nothing conscious, which immediately clashes with the whole consensual thing. I haven’t worked that one out yet, but who knows, one day. The only thing I know it will be very different from either the vampire and werewolf stories…
At the moment I’m working on a novel or novella which is a cross between space opera, super hero and a French Maid fetish erotica (very) tongue in cheek, very innocent). An anthology had the theme ‘Maid’ (like in a French maid) but they didn’t want full out erotica. So I combined a few genres and got this really fun, weird story which turned out to be a first chapter of something longer. I’ve a great time writing it, but it sure is strange stuff. I’ve done a few bizarre horror stories with erotic elements. Some have been published, others are under consideration. And I also love to do supernatural erotica, which is a different genre. Well, I read somewhere about an anthology wanting ghost erotica, and that sounds intriguing. |
| Q: |
Here’s a fun question. At what age did you write the first complete story you were proud enough of to show it to another? |
| A: |
Ha ha, lemme see. My first publication was in 1989. By then I had been writing for a while, but I think I submitted a couple of stories to a story competition in 1987. That was the first time anyone laid eyes on my work. Mind you, this was all in Dutch. I started writing stories in English for real in 2015. I seem to have missed all the anxiety most writers feel about their work. For me it’s important that I had fun writing it, if people like it, or not. Of course it feels great when a story or novel gets published and people respond to it, but for me that’s just something accidental. I write because I love to write. I don’t care about fame, riches or power. Nice to have, but if I really wanted those, I would definitely have chosen a more promising field. |
| Q: |
Do you belong to any writer’s workshops or online author’s forums? |
| A: |
I did a few workshops when I started writing and I learned a lot. I can recommend it to anyone! For the last twenty years I haven’t participated in anything like that. Of course there are still things to learn, but my motivation for writing differs from most writers. For me it’s not a competition or a race. I write for fun. I love to toy with the reader (horror and erotica are such great genres for that), but I really, really, really don’t care if ten people read my work, or a million. I see plenty of writers fill Facebook with their writing woes and I always wonder why they write. Most of the time they sound awfully frustrated, angry or sad. |
| Q: |
Thank you again for your time in answering these questions. |
| A: |
Thank you for the interview. I hope you enjoy the story. And I hope you have a wolf chest yourself. You might need one. |
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Jaap Boekestein (b. 1968) is an award winning Dutch writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, thrillers and whatever else takes his fancy. Five novels and almost three hundred of his stories have been published. His has made his living as a bouncer, working for a detective agency and as editor. He currently works for the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security.Website and social media:
http://jaapboekestein.com/
https://www.amazon.com/author/jaapboekestein.com |
Triskaidekaphilia 3: Transformed
Nothing is quite so deliciously freeing as caving to your instincts. For centuries, shapeshifters have personified our impulse to bow to our animalistic nature. From lycans to skin-walkers and everything in between, shapeshifters give us a chance to connect with our inner-selves and celebrate our intriguing differences, our passions, and ultimately our humanity through their necessity of striking a balance between their human selves and supernatural selves.
About the Editor: Charlie Watson is a freelance editor ready to make her mark on the Edmonton writing community. Through her work with various writing and editing groups around YEG who deal exclusively with first time authors, Charlie is devoted to ensuring that fledgling authors have a wonderful experience publishing for the first time.
About the Series: Triskaidekaphilia is the love of the number thirteen. It’s also the name of our anthology series which explores the more shadowy corners of romance and erotica. There will be 13 volumes in total, each of which will be released on a Friday the 13th.
Links
Home page: http://www.penandkinkpub.com/home/transformed-cover-table-of-contents-reveal/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38262542-transformed
Amazon.com — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C67DTGV
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[…] Friday July 20: Jaap Boekestein (Wolf Chest) is interviewed on Cobalt Jade’s blog. […]