Also, I have added one of Linda's recipes below that sounds 'yummy' to me. Must try it soon.
Welcome to my blog Linda. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few
questions about yourself, your book, Simple Sexy Food: 101 Tasty Aphrodisiac Recipes and Sensual
Tips to Stir Your Libido and Feed Your Love , and your business.
Q. Tell
us about your latest work—title, genre, etc. —
and why you wrote it?
A. I’m personally interested in the intersection of food and sex, especially
from a fun, sex positive perspective. I also wanted to offer people something
that would be really helpful to them in their own personal relationships with
food and sex.
Q. What draws you to
your genre(s)? Why is this type of story compelling to you?
A. I’ve been a foodie and cook for decades, because that’s how I express my
creativity. And to me, food is sexy because it offers so many opportunities for
pleasure and connection.
Almost any food can be
sexy when approached in a slow sensual, attentive way.
Q. What is your writing process
like? Do you map the whole thing out or do you just let it unfold?
A. My writing process is often a mix of spontaneous ideas and a structured
approach. I typically have an overarching direction I’m going in that may
change as a result of a new idea I have or feedback I receive from others. For example, I knew I wanted the recipes to
have sexy sidebars, but I was probably at the half-way mark before I
systematically decided that there would be four categories of sidebars (Love
Skills, Survey Secrets, Simply Sexy Kitchen Tips, and Aphrodite Says)
Q.
How did you research the
recipes?
A. Recipes started with a number of my personal
favorites and included foods with well-known aphrodisiac reputations. In some
cases, I hunted for recipes with a specific food that had an aphrodisiac
reputation; I wanted all of the 88 foods I researched to be included in at
least one recipe. I had four butternut squash recipes and made them all, tried
them all, tweaked them all and then selected the tastiest recipe that featured
that food.
Q. Which of the recipes is the
sexiest and do you have a favorite?
A. My favorite recipe varies by time of day, mood, and even
weather. Because I like spicy foods (but not too!), and unusual dishes, I’m
certainly drawn to my recipe for Kokoda, a sexy, Asian version of ceviche. Then
again, on a cold winter’s night, I gravitate to savory soups, whether it’s
velvety asparagus, butternut squash with yummy red pepper mousse, or spicy
black bean. Others are drawn to other recipes since personal preferences play a
big role in determining a recipe’s sex appeal. According to my online 21st
Century Aphrodisiac Food Survey, chocolate appeals more to women than to men;
meanwhile, a juicy steak, and even lobster, has greater appeal to men than to
women. Variety is the spice of life— at the table and in the bedroom!
Q. How do you balance the need to
have time to write with the needs of family, society, etc.?
A.
My partner of many years delights in telling others that he
was a very happy “guinea pig” throughout the many years—nearly eight— that went
into writing this book. In part, this is because during much of the writing I
was, quite literally, “overemployed.” In addition to a full-time academic
position and a private practice, I had several adjunct teaching positions and
even a monthly column for Health
magazine. Throughout the process I always maintained a well-rounded, active
social life and played a lot of tennis.
Q. Are there any authors that have influenced
your writing?
A. I’m
a huge fan of John Gottman and I know a lot of people don’t know his name, but
if they read Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller, Blink,
they may recall him. Gladwell wrote
a fabulous chapter that provides a great synopsis into John Gottman’s Love Lab
research.
Q. Is there a story you want to
tell behind or about your work(s)?
A. Simple
Sexy Food is my second book and came about a bit by
accident, although it definitely represents a marriage of two of my passions. A
friend who I largely bless (but sometimes curse, when I think of all the time,
energy and money that went into this project), put the idea in my head. He
specializes in making DVD resumes for people in the entertainment field and
offered to make me one. I insisted that
it include my interests, just as my conventional hard copy does. That led to me
sending him a photo of me with all these fresh beautiful, sexy food and
spirits, surrounded by cookbooks. My friend took one look at the photo, and
exclaimed “Linda, there’s your new book!”
My first book was Love
Skills. I wrote because in my private practice I was frustrated that there
wasn’t a single go-to book that provided outside exercises in the areas of
talking about sex, body image, sensual touch, and play skills, which refers to
expanding your sexual repertoire.
Both books reflect her
passion for a sex-positive approach to sexuality.
Q.
What
other projects are you currently working on or about to start?
A. I’m now offering workshops for cooking schools such as Cordon
Bleu in Pasadena, CA, on Simple Sexy Food.
And I’m also doing interviews.
It’s important for me to emphasize that food alone is not a magical
“turn-on” pill, just as the effectiveness of Viagra is not based on physiology
alone. But great food prepared and
enjoyed with a sexy mind-set does wonders for couples’ sex lives.
Q.
Could
you share some of your marketing strategies? Which ones are the most
effective in your opinion?
A. I
have a strong preference for face-to-face or phone marketing meetings; they
really work for me. It’s more
collaborative and we get a lot accomplished in a shorter amount of time. I also go to monthly book marketing meetings
where we have high profile people come in to present to the group and then
follow up with a Q&A session.
Q. What would be the top
five, (or 3 or 1 or however many) things you would tell aspiring authors?
A. Perseverance, passion for your subject matter, and keeping
the faith that you will reach your goal are key. It’s also so helpful to
establish a regular time to write (for me, sometimes easier said than done),
and write often, even if it’s a little. As a psychologist, all of the research
on accomplishing goals comes into play. Set mini-goals, develop a support
network, and focus on the positives—what you have accomplished, what you can do
next, little “rewards” you can give yourself after a good session of writing.
Be sure to allow yourself “fun” time, including nourishing social activities,
emotional/spiritual activities and physical activities, from tennis to good
sex!
Do aphrodisiacs work? What exactly are
they? How can I use them? We answer these questions and many more during the
Simple Sexy Food virtual tour with clinical sex therapist and foodie – Linda De
Villers, PhD. There are many ordinary foods that can have aphrodisiac effects –
and we’re going to help you understand them.
Linda De Viller, PhD, Clinical Sex
Therapist and Foodie, shares her knowledge about the myths and truth about
aphrodisiacs. She also shares over 80 recipes and a wealth of love and sex
tips. Get your copy at - http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Sexy-Food-Linda-Villers/dp/097095655X/.
We invite you to participate in the Simple
Sexy Food Recipe Photo Contest - http://www.lovecoachjourney.com/recipe-photo-contest
- the grand prize winner will get a one on one aphrodisiac consultation and
five runner ups will receive a digital copy of Love Skills by Linda De Villers.
Simple Sexy Food is an aphrodisiac cookbook like no other. Honest
and direct, detailed and informative, it’s packed with exclusive recipes, food
and sex tips, descriptions and histories of ingredients and even survey data
about what food people find sexy. And it’s the only aphrodisiac cookbook
written by a clinical sex therapist who also happens to be a foodie!
About
Linda DeVillers PhD –
Linda De Villers has more than 20 years of experience
as a sex and relationship expert. Dr. De Villers is regarded as an expert in
the study of aphrodisiacs. She was a featured expert in a Discovery Channel
Health program (2006) on 10 sexual myths, including the myth that aphrodisiacs
don’t exist. In an academic setting, she has researched and presented on
related topics.
A
Message From Linda De Villers PhD
I created this book to help you enjoy the remarkable
relationship between food and sex. These two themes run brightly through my own
life both personally and professionally, and are inseparable from my sense of
who I am. Having counseled and taught thousands of people on the loving arts,
and having fed nearly as many in my kitchens over the years, I find myself in a
state of barely contained excitement over the opportunity to share what I know
with you. I am the only author in this field to be credentialed in both sexual
health and food, having worked and presented internationally and conducted
research on the joint topic over the course of my career.
Simple Sexy Food Photo Contest – Enter below
The picture will be added to the contest board at
Baked Eggs over Creamy Leeks
Features egg,
leek, sage
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces leeks, white part and a little
tender green part only, cleaned and thinly sliced (about 6 leeks)
5 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/16 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
4 large eggs
Chopped fresh sage for garnishing
1.
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Spray four 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups with
cooking spray or oil, and set aside.
2.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and oil and sauté the
leeks for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not
browned.
3.
Reduce heat to low, add 3 tablespoons of the cream, and cook for 5 minutes,
until leeks are very soft and cream is absorbed. Season with salt and white
pepper.
4.
Divide the leek mixture among the ramekins and place in a baking dish large
enough to hold them without touching.
5.
Break an egg into each ramekin and spoon the remaining cream over the eggs. (If
you prefer a scrambled-egg texture, mix each egg individually with two
teaspoons of cream and pour the mixture over the leeks.) Season lightly if
desired.
6.
Pour boiling water into the baking dish to come about halfway up the ramekins.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until just set, or until eggs are done to your
liking.
7.
Sprinkle with chopped sage and serve immediately.
2 servings
Love Skills: Tired of having sex with your
partner at the same time of day? After whipping up this recipe, bring the meal
back to bed and surprise your partner by switching up the routine. This
sumptuous dish can be enjoyed as a breakfast in bed, a midday quickie, or a
late dinner, whenever the time seems right!
Aphrodite Says: The Venetian Casanova, arguably
the historical figure most known for his sexual escapades, made egg the primary
ingredient in his secret, egg salad “love recipe” to assure his “stamina”
throughout the night. Humpty Dumpty might not have been so lucky, but Casanova
knew to crack a few eggs to hold up his part of the sexual bargain!
Again, thanks Linda for
taking the time to share your knowledge with us. We appreciate you and your
work.
Good luck with your current and future publications.
For more information:
Please go to the comments button below
in white box next to the time to interact with our Author and other readers.
Thank you for sharing your interview with Linda and one of her recipes. You and your blog visitors are definitely welcome to offer the photo contest. We want to see your pictures of these scrumptious recipes :)
ReplyDeleteNikki
Thank you Nikki. I'm sure all readers will enjoy!
ReplyDelete