I’m a Russian author from Moscow, but I write kinky M/M and M/F stories in English. I’m also an editor, a journalist, a translator, and a specialist in Gothic novels. I call myself a multi-task literary worker 😉
I enjoy drawing, preferably handsome men 🙂 You can find some of my pictures, including fanart, on my blog (http://tenderlywicked.tumblr.com) and on my DeviantArt page (www.deviantart.com/tenderlywicked).
Lots of reading. As a child, I devoured tons of adventure books. I think I’m best at writing angst and hurt/comfort, but I’ve always wanted to write pure action—and finally, there will be some in my latest paranormal book A Dragon for Sale (hopefully, it will be out soon). There will be Welsh dragons and Russian spies, in addition to a couple of military guys pining for each other 🙂
I’ve always been writing something… just not in English. I’m actually a published author in my own country, too (I write suspense books under another pen name). But a few years ago, I understood I wanted to write a very kinky M/M book—and it was obvious it would be difficult to get it officially published in Russia. So I decided to switch to a foreign language. One of the main characters in this novel, Tenderly Wicked, was an American expat living in Moscow, so it was a logical thing to do.
When I have problems with a story, there’s always a bunch of other texts to work on, be that articles, translations, or original fiction. So I temporarily focus on something else, it keeps me productive. Also, since I’m a responsible person, deadlines do miracles to my creativity 🙂
I enjoy doing research, from reading to visiting the places I write about. As for the least favorite part, I always struggle with summaries for the publisher. It’s feels weird to finish a book and then reduce it to a single page!
Six if counting only my English ones. I’m very fond of my trilogy The Sons of Gomorrah and its spin-offs. It’s a paranormal M/M story set in Prague, with magicians, demons, dark secrets, and spicy sex scenes, but the universe described in it keeps growing, spreading from Russia to the shores of Maghreb. It’s bigger than I thought it would be, and it’s fascinating.
Surprisingly, it’s a rather controversial hero (one of my friends said she wanted to punch him). Dragomir from The House of Fear and Black Cat Security is a magician with PTSD and a bunch of issues. He was supposed to be a minor character (and not a very pleasant one), so if you only read the first book, you’ll hate him, definitely. But he sort of demanded he should have a story of his own, to explain how he came to be like this and how he struggled to be better 🙂
My first book in English, Tenderly Wicked, was not only an attempt to write a realistic BDSM story. I also wanted to show what it felt like to live in Moscow. In a way, it was a literal journey through the city I loved.
Oh, spoilers 🙂 Beware of unseemly use of ginger, spatulas and other implements at hand. It’s a BDSM book after all!
My publisher chose the artist, but I’m totally satisfied with her work. Jay Aheer is a true magician. One of her pictures, Fallen, partially inspired me to write Angel’s Eye, the third book in The Sons of Gomorrah series. It’s so eerie!
The most challenging thing for me is writing in English because my native language is Russian. I’m always worried about typos.
I guess it’s the reaction from the people who read it and shared their thoughts with me. I’m glad my readers found the characters realistic and worth their sympathy, even though they were not without flaws.
It’s a MMMMF story set in Russia (and yes, that’s the correct number of the letter M!)
I’m often inspired by the places I’ve been to, in Russia or abroad. For example, A Dragon for Sale wouldn’t have come to life if not for my trip to Wales a few years ago.
I have several bookcases stocked with the books I love, so it’s really hard to choose only one writer! Each time, when I’m asked about it, I name someone different. Maybe I should mention Maria Semyonova, a Russian author who writes perfectly researched and action-packed historical fiction and fantasy.
Eros and Magic in the Renaissance by Ioan P. Couliano.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve got my head full of classic adventure books, but I also appreciate well-crafted thrillers. When you read The Sons of Gomorrah, I think you might notice the influence of the Gothic novels I’ve been studying, as well as the works of fin-de-siècle and early 20th century horror authors like Arthur Machen and Charles Williams, though I have a drastically different understanding of some of their themes. You might even find traces of Sherlock fanfiction there. I couldn’t help dropping a few quotes because I must confess I’ve been writing Sherlock fanfics for quite a while!
There are quite a few romance authors I admire, but if we’re talking specifically about BDSM—I’m currently waiting (very impatiently) for Xanthe Walter to finally publish her book Slavecatcher. She’s only written one novel before that, but I know her as a marvelous fanfiction author and want her to write more. She’s the one who invented the BDSM universe where everyone is either a Dom or a sub.
A pervert is someone kinkier than you are 😉
Website: https://katerinaross.com
Blog: https://tenderlywicked.tumblr.com
Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Katerina-Ross/e/B01M12RZ3F
Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15796866.Katerina_Ross
Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/tenderlywicked/gallery/all
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