My New Hero

Here's the hero in the new story I'm working on. What do you think?

Are You Too Rigid?

No, not THAT way! Shame on you!

Are you too rigid in your thinking? Are there things you swear you'll never do?

My cousin was here recently. She'll be 40 this year and she's the most unbending person I've ever met. She will never do this and she'll never do that. (Of course, now that I'm writing this, I can't think of a specific example.) She sees everything as black and white. Gray is not a possibility. Even now I can hear her in my head saying, "No. That's not an option."

I have been that way in the past. For instance, I have said, "No. I'll never write an erotic romance." In fact, even with a plot in mind, it was very hard for me to get started (especially the words. Those words. You know.) I like to write sexy, but remember my fingers hovering over the keyboard before I typed in a "c" word.

But when I did, I had FUN! Enough fun that I'm almost done with my second novella and have a third outlined.

Now, there are still some things I will say NO, to, but not as many.

Skydiving

Sushi

Becoming a mathematician. (I couldn't even SPELL this!)

What would you say no to?

Would you say yes to this?

Show Off is on the Best Seller List!

On the main page
And in the miniature roses!!

What is Sexy?

I love a man with dimples, with broad shoulders, with a direct gaze, but nothing makes me shiver like a sexy, deep voice. 

Once upon a time, my friend Cindi and I had huge crushes on a figure skater (I know). Philippe Candeloro was sexy, gorgeous, and talented. We would call each other when he'd skate and sigh together. 

Then one day we heard him interviewed. He had this really high pitched voice. I don't think I ever watched him skate again.

Voices can be definite deal breakers. And they can be definite draws. I like Michael Weatherly from NCIS, but his voice keeps him from being hot to me. Same with Nathan Fillion. 

Some voices I love:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

George Clooney

Jensen Ackles (unless he's in drill sergeant mode)

Jeff Goldblum (even when he stutters. Even though he's almost as old as my dad.)

And Javier Bardem, who caught my attention in the previews for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA and became the inspiration for my hero Vicente in SHOW OFF.

What do you find sexy in a man? Who has the sexiest voice, in your opinion? What are your deal-breakers?

Judging Books by their Covers

Wow, a week since I've posted! BAD Emma! But I've been writing, and cleaning house, and sewing, fun summer stuff. 

Yesterday I was addicted to the posting going on at ESPAN, and when I was refreshing the page, this cover in the sidebar caught my eye.

I must have this book. First of a

ll, damn, it's sexy, what with him pinning her to the wall and the handcuffs on his belt, and that lacy shirt she has. But what caught my eye is how much he looks like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, he who played Denny on Grey's Anatomy. And I have a serious thing for Denny on Grey's Anatomy. So, yeah, I'll be buying this book, but I'm going to wait until my friend Stephanie Julian's menage comes out, and I'll get them both at the s

ame time. 

This won't be the first time I've bought a book basked on the cover. My very first im

pulse purchase was made before I was in RWA, before I had internet, before I had a TBR. I was browsing the bookstore and this cover caught my eye. It turned out to be my favorite romance ever. I have 2 copies of it in case one falls apart. It was the first time I've ever read a hero who was less than sure of his abilities, you know?

Have you ever bought a book based on its cover? Did it pay off for you? 

Speaking of awesome covers, check out this one:

WINNERS!!!

CARI QUINN and EMMA LAI, email me at emmajay13 @ gmail .com for your download of SHOW OFF!

RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!

I'm so excited!!! Show Off is available today from The Wild Rose Press

Look what Goddess Fish made me to celebrate!

Excerpt Time!!!

Tomorrow's the big day! I can't wait to see the response to Show-Off! (Okay, I'm actually a little nervous. First erotic romance and all that, remember?) But I loved writing the book so much, I have to hope a lot of people will love reading it!

Here's an excerpt. Please remember to come back tomorrow to see the special treat a friend gave me in celebration.

The door opened, and a woman walked in, blonde hair billowing, a shiny trench coat floating open over...Well, at first glance, what looked like nothing. When she stopped at the hostess stand, he could very barely see the outline of a dress, the same color as her skin. She motioned to the bar, the hostess nodded, then the woman stepped back to let her trench coat slide down her arms. The bar silenced—at least the men did—as all attention turned to this goddess in the flimsy dress that clung to her nipples, hinted at a glimpse of her secrets with every step she took in her high heels. Amazing legs, too—long, with graceful curves. She hesitated only a moment when she reached a barstool, then bared just a bit of black panties as she sat and crossed those legs, body turned halfway toward the room.

 

Vicente’s mouth went dry as she arched her throat, a clear invitation, and ordered a drink. Before the bartender could deliver it, she was surrounded by at least four men, each willing to take her up on her invitation. His view of her was slightly impaired, so he shifted, heard William laugh behind him just as the woman turned her profile and— He knew that profile. Had seen it every day for the past four months, outside his office. But how could this be Veronica Butler, the woman who wore her hair in a bun and blouses buttoned to her collarbone, skirts nearly to her ankles? Did she have a secret life? Because she certainly kept that body a secret.

 

One of the men, young, blond, handsome, stood before her with a lime and a shot of tequila. She obligingly let her head fall back and allowed him to trace the slice of fruit down her delicate skin. The man grinned and leaned forward to lick it from her skin just as Vicente stepped onto the raised platform of the bar.

 

“Veronica?” he asked, stepping through her admirers. “Veronica Butler? I almost didn’t recognize you.”

 

Veronica snapped her head up at the sound of her name in that familiar Spanish accent, the “r” rolling, the “o” and “i” long. She’d let the

pronunciation roll over her skin for months now, heard it in her sleep, in her fantasies. Her gaze collided with that of her very handsome, very hot supervisor, the man she’d lusted after since he had arrived from Spain to lead the team designing a new downtown, Gaudi-influenced hotel three months, two weeks and three days ago. The man whose  eyes hinted at dark, sexy secrets, whose stubble- shadowed mouth promised untold pleasures. The man whom she’d pictured when she bought this dress, never thinking he’d actually see her in it.

 

He definitely saw her in it now, his gaze drifting to her breasts, though he made an effort to look into her eyes. His already arched eyebrows lifted, and his dimples deepened in appreciation.

 

Her first instinct was to cover up, but she’d left her trench coat on the coat rack by the door, and her little shiny purse didn’t offer much protection. She tucked her hair behind her ear. All the confidence

she’d felt when she walked into the bar evaporated in the face of the one man she didn’t expect to see, no matter how she’d hoped.

Taking Risks

The premise of Show-Off is that my hero Vicente and heroine Veronica have sex in public places. For Vicente, this keeps Veronica at arms length while he tries to figure out how he really feels about her. For Veronica, it’s a voyage of self-discovery. She learns more about herself as she falls for the sexy Spaniard.

 

The dh and I used to be adventurous, back in the day. I remember one day at the lake, for instance. No one was around, but there were boats passing by that might have seen. The thought was thrilling. We got pretty hot and heavy in a dark restaurant, in the movie theater (I know, how cliché) and—risk of all risks---my parent’s pool.

 

Where’s the riskiest place you’ve ever been amorous?

Secrets

I am not so good at keeping secrets. In fact, I’m quite terrible at it. A couple of years ago, my mother-in-law revealed a big one, that she’d kept for over 40 years. I had to keep that secret for a week before I could tell anyone.

 

I thought I would explode. I ended up telling an out-of-town friend who had no stake, just to get it off my chest. FINALLY I told my mom, who is as bad about secrets as I am.

 

The joke in my family is now, “Can you keep a secret?” “No, but Renee can.”

 

Now I’m keeping this new identity a secret from all but my husband and a few writing friends. It’s HARD! I’m no Batman, let me tell you. Worse, I have out of town company this week, the week my first book is launching! Near impossible, I tell you.

 

What’s the biggest secret you’ve ever kept?

Welcome to My New Blog!

Welcome to my new blog. I’m so excited….my very first erotic romance is coming out this week from The Wild Rose Press. I’ve written three novels and a novella under my other name, but this is my first foray into the super-sexy.

 

Here’s the blurb:

 

Veronica Butler avoids risks as a rule, but when faced with celebrating her thirty-fifth birthday alone, she dons her sexiest dress and heads to a single's club. She’s startled when the attention she draws is that of her supervisor, Vicente Salazar. They’ve worked on the same team at an architectural firm, designing a hotel with Gaudi-influenced elements. Veronica has indulged in several fantasies starring the sexy Spaniard. Now she’s fueling his.

Though she knows it's a mistake, that this decision may affect the office atmosphere, she gives into her desire and allows him to show her exquisite pleasure in public places. From the back of a limousine to his office to an alcove in a museum, each sexual encounter is exciting, challenging, terrifying. Each encounter shows her more of who she is. Each encounter risks her heart. Now if only she can convince him to risk his.

 

I thought I’d start out telling you five things that inspired me to write Show-Off.

 

1)    I had the first scene in my head for years, inspired by Carrie Bradshaw’s dress in Sex and the City. You know, the one she wears on her first date with Mr. Big? I totally pictured my heroine, Veronica, wearing a dress like that and running into her boss of all people.

2)    My critique partner, who is multi-published in historical romance and the mystery genres, wrote an erotic romance. I decided to give it a shot.

3)    I originally pictured Chris Noth as the hero, Vicente, but then the Vicky Cristina Barcelona trailer started playing. I was completely captivated by Javier Bardem’s accent. I proceeded to see Vicky Cristina twice in the theaters and then I watched nearly every one of his movies on loan from the library.

4)    I had written another novella and liked the “instant gratification” of having a complete story done in 25,000 words.

5)    I just wanted to see if I could do it. I admit, I stumbled over some words, but the story itself was so much fun to write, it just poured out. (I wish that happened more often!)

 

So that’s how Show-Off came to be. It’s definitely a love story, with a happily-ever-after.

 

If you comment on this blog this week, you can win a copy. I’ll pick 2 lucky winners on Friday!