When I started the “Belle Nuit” project, a few things were clear to me from the outset. I wanted to write a humorous novel about the two protagonists—one that was honest and grounded in reality—so that readers who share this fantasy with Clara and Manuel but, for whatever reason, don’t want to or won’t act on it in real life, could gain insight into the world behind those doors. I definitely didn’t want to write a classic erotic novel and shift the focus away from describing

When I started writing Belle Nuit, it quickly became clear to me: The setting—the swingers’ scene—isn’t the story. It’s the stage on which the actual story can unfold. Manuel, for example, resolves to just watch at the club. Consciously, resolutely, clearly. Until he stands next to Jürgen—and suddenly his mind starts crunching numbers: minutes, stamina, comparative figures that no one should ever have to calculate. Not because he’s insecure. But because, like almost every man