Hi, Divine Magazine, and thank you for having me. I’m Helena Maeve, your friendly neighborhood writer and self-confessed globetrotter. Stories have always come easy to me, the more unconventional the better, but as a queer lady it took me a good while to give the romance genre a shot.
I’ve always been fascinated with spies. I credit Pierce Brosnan with this. Something about that brow, that smirk, that effortless 'Bond, James Bond' cool got into my head when I saw Tomorrow Never Dies (spoiler: tomorrow doesn’t die) and I’ve been reaping the rewards ever since.
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This series sounds like such an interesting concept! Why did you decide to write about spies from opposite sides of the track?
Shortly after I began writing for Totally Bound, I halfheartedly sent in In the Presence of Mine Enemy, a novella with a LeCarré flavor, which I'd written and submitted on a whim. Readers seemed to enjoy it, though, and the feedback's been so positive that I was tempted to dip my toes into this world again. It combines everything I like: men in bespoke suits, subterfuge and doomed romance.
Let's start with you telling us a little bit about yourself, Helena.
I’m a twenty-something queer lady who does yoga and cooks up a storm. Not (usually) at the same time. I also write sexy romance books featuring various permutations of gutsy women and hot-blooded men.
Joyce: Do you have any particular rituals that help you get into the writing frame of mind?
Helena: This is going to sound a little pretentious, but … yoga has been a godsend. I’m not very sporty by nature and I’ve never been able to keep up an exercise regimen that involves lots of reps and sweating.
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