Interview with Haley Brimley

Interview with Haley Brimley

• Interviewer: Candice Riddick
• Interviewee: Haley Brimley
• Date: 22 September 2008

Interview

Candice Riddick: Welcome back! So, first question, where’d you go? and what brought you back?

Haley Brimley: Thanks! For two years I've dedicated myself body and soul to my studies. In what little time I've had I've written adult spanking fiction, which I've sold for profit. Finally this summer I've found the time to go back to writing for the general public, although it may be short-lived. We'll see.

CR: Wow, so you’re a professional author. Where can these stories be found?

HB: I work with CF Publications. Their latest catalogue has over a dozen stories of mine, most pretty lengthy. I co-author some of my works with Marina Martin.

CR: How did you first get interested in spanking?

HB: Get this: I don't know. Like many on the scene, I've "always" been interested in it. I have clear memories of my 4-year old self smacking the bottoms of girls in kindergarten and/or wishing I got my own smacked—I was still confused at that time! As I'm convinced that many of our feelings, passions, and even ideals are hard-wired into us as a result of evolution, I wonder what evolutionary advantage spanking could have... someone should write a doctoral dissertation on this and put an end to the debate already! :-P

CR: …and spanking art?

HB: A little later, probably around 13 or 14... when I was daring enough to look up "spanking pictures" on the Internet. I was mostly into photography back then, though; it wasn't until later that I discovered the joys of drawing. I haven't drawn anything myself, though: I'm REALLY bad at it.

CR: What is the first spanking story you read?

HB: I don't remember exactly, but I know it must have been from the famous Laura's Spanking Corner. Perhaps one from Lurking Dragon's Melody series, or one by The Flogmaster. Those were my favorite authors back then.

CR: What is the first spanking story you wrote? Published?

HB: "I met her after school..." was my first writing effort. It's the story of a teenage boy who spanks a female friend for no reason other than they both enjoy it. Looking back on it now, it feels rather puerile, as it's to be expected. But back then it received good feedback and I was proud of my accomplishment. The story was inspired by a high school "flame" of mine... ahem. Lame, I know. My first published story was "A Spanking Plan," the tale of two teenage au-pairs spanked by their respective host families. Nothing special, but it was fun. The first story I published autonomously (through Lulu) was "Her Best Friend's Spanking," in which a girl sees and partakes in her friend's embarrassing spanking and enema at the hands of her father. Girls being spanked in front of friends and especially by friends' parents is my biggest fantasy.

CR: How often do your write?

HB: Right now... once or twice every 2-3 months. Back in my "golden days"... maybe twice a week or more.

CR: You are an incredibly prolific writer. By my count you have 49 stories (counting the series as one story) and over 550,000 words. Plus, you’ve been absent from the scene for a couple of years. What inspires you to write so much?

HB: I'm actually a less prolific writer than many others, who have written way more than 49 stories, but I pride myself in quality over quantity. Many times, in everyday life, I find myself thinking "ah, this would make for a great spanking story!" About 2-3% of those do become spanking stories; the rest remain thoughts. That should tell you how often I think about it!

CR: If you don't consider yourself prolific, what would you consider “prolific”?

HB: Authors like, say, Grace Brackenridge, who have written upwards of 200 stories (last time I counted). Many of those are quite short, of course, but still. I simply lack the patience and the dedication to develop all the plot bunnies hopping around my head. A truly prolific author, by comparison, does. It should also be remarked that spanking fiction is by far not my only nor my most important past time.

CR: What inspires to write what you write?

HB: Most of my adult works are inspired by my strong sexual preference for spanking, which is a driving force in my daily life. As for my "child" stories, I believe nonconsensual spanking to be not only abuse and violence, but straight-out cowardice and ignorance on the parents' part. So it is probably as a reaction that in most of my stories kids are either happy to be spanked or accept it submissively. Sort of a self-imposed suspension of disbelief to make things better in my mind, I guess? My only hope is that people don't take my stories as a guide to parenting. If I were to know that there really is a "Haley" and a "Christy" out there because of my works, I couldn't forgive myself... but I'm sure I don't have that much influence!

CR: Why write spanking stories, science fiction, X/f?

HB: Spanking stories, well, because someone has to!

I am a huge science-fiction buff (classic and meaningful sci-fi, that is; not crappy TV shows and almost nothing published in the last 15-20 years), so I'd write it regardless of whether or not it contained spanking.

As for X/f, I am a dominant heterosexual male and so young female spankees are my bread and butter. I've explored X/m scenarios too, lately, though I can't say I've a passion for those.

CR: Haley and Christy presents a pair of stern but loving parents and a well meaning if somewhat bratty child who eventually submits to spanking. These are typical archetypes in spanking fiction, though with your unique style. Why do you think these kinds of characters are so appealing that they’ve become archetypes?

HB: For two reasons. One, because they used to be real. Until very recently many "good fathers" in the U.S. related to their daughters the way Haley relates to Christy, though probably not as violently. So I'd assume readers are familiar with that sort of reality and, to some extent, identify with it. Two, and maybe most importantly, I think that father/daughter is the ultimate domination/submission pairing. Maybe there's an inverse form of Oedipus' complex there, and surely some incestuous fantasies, but many who embrace spanking lifestyles are fond of this pairing. "Daddy" is more than a biological link; it's an act and a way to relate to someone. This is, albeit partly, how Haley+Christy was born (my co-author "Christy" is also my current life partner), and, I think, the main reason why it is enjoyed.

CR: You’ve got a few unfinished series (Haley + Christy, Gracie Mae, 2091: Nocturne Three, Have Faith, etc…). Any plans to return to them?

HB: "Haley+Christy" is not unfinished, in the sense that there is no clear plot and can be cut off at any time. With that said, Christy and I have one more chapter written (but in desperate need of proofreading!) and we might write more in the near future.

"Gracie Mae" is probably done for good. I've grown increasingly annoyed with the rejuve universe, which I believe has exhausted its creative potential, at least as far as spankings are concerned. When someone (perhaps I, myself) will feel like writing an actual novel, I'll welcome it gladly, for the RU has vast potential as social satire if only it did away with all the abusive smack-bottom.

"2091," which I wrote with Lawrence Kinden, I consider one of my best accomplishments to date. Lawrence and I created a solid and believable plot and many great characters. I don't know whether we will ever finish it, but my wish is certainly that one day we will. Melody, Harmony, Symphony, and Rhapsody deserve better than an unfulfilled cliffhanger.

CR: Is there anything you’d like to talk about that I haven’t asked you about yet?

HB: I'd like to ask a question, to no one in particular, but hoping that it will make people think. How many spanking authors are "spankos" in the sexual sense and how many are not? And of those who are not—-why do they write about it? Is there a psychological catharsis in it, perhaps because they were abused as children? Are they firm believers in it and they think writing will propagate that belief? I've met all sorts of writers in years past, but I haven't yet been able to figure out what pushes certain people to write other than sexual preference (that, and I generally don't believe them when they say they don't get their kicks out of it!)

CR: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Haley.