I didn't start out intending to write erotica. I intended to write fantasy. But the erotic elements crept into the story, and then one day I realized that the plot was unworkable without them. I thought about it for a while, trying to determine why this bothered me so much.

I came to the realization that my trouble with erotica stemmed from cultural upbringing. We are trained from a young age to view the body as somehow unnatural, and bodily functions as gross. Sex is a taboo topic for young people, and even many adults are so uncomfortable with the subject that they resort to juvenile jokes and behaviors to avoid the issue.

The fact is, we're animals, and nature designed us to have sex. Lots of sex. So I stopped hiding from it. I embraced it and let my character's natural inclinations happen. The result was still pure fantasy. Erotic fantasy.