by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
Enjoy Sally as she takes over the blog today. She’s a friend of mine and I LOVE this story! Take it away, Sally!
When romance calls for augers, wax gaskets and shop vacs. (Oh, the places we’ll go!)
When it comes to book boyfriends, could you go for one who is good with his hands? I sure could. (And yes, I know where your mind went, Christine. I like the way you think!) But when I challenged myself to write a plumber hero, I had a problem. Well, two problems.
The most obvious—I knew nothing about plumbing.
The other—I wanted my heroine to flush her ex’s ring in a rage, then need to get it back. And let’s face it, romance fiction is not the place we expect to hear a lot about toilets. Some delicacy would be required.
Between the Internet and the ever-handy juvenile nonfiction section of the library, I learned enough to write my way around Kim’s job, solving the first problem. But to strike the right balance of what to say and what to forgo, I relied on critique partners.
Never shy, they leapt into the fray.
“She hired him to fix a clogged toilet,” said one Critique Goddess, in reference to how Isabelle meets the hero at the start of the book. “Wouldn’t she be self-conscious, worried he’ll assume she’s the one that clogged it?”
A reasonable question. I made the change.
The Critique Goddess didn’t bat a lash at any of my choices in either of the two key scenes in which Kim demonstrates his competence as a plumber,. However, one of them did remark, “He’s so sexy! She should be thinking it wouldn’t be so bad if he flashed plumber’s crack.”
Did I succumb to peer pressure and do it? You’ll have to read Flushed to find out.
But seriously, I take full responsibility for any errors, and also any detail that could be considered indelicate. I can only assure that I strive to deliver an entertaining read.
Preferably, one that will make you run hot. Perhaps even feel…flushed.
Happy reading!
Sally’s Book!!!
The blurb:
When it hits the fan, he’s your man.
Kissing her plumber in the middle of her dinner party wasn’t in Isabelle’s carefully-laid plans. But neither had she expected an ambush by her uninvited ex. So when Kim Martin, plumber to the rescue, charms her guests and poses as her new guy to spare her humiliation, she gets carried away.
At first, being Isabelle’s faux beau suits Kim Martin just fine. She’s hot, intriguing and won’t get in the way of his plans to blow town and build a business he’s passionate about. But Isabelle just isn’t cut out to be a good time girl. She gets under Kim’s skin and into his head—and he’s not entirely sure what to do about that.
Isabelle’s been fooled too often to trust a gorgeous flirt like Kim. Yet the more she tries to fit him into a box, the harder he fights his way out of it. Hot, bothered and more than a little flushed, she’s having trouble keeping her hands—or her heart—to to herself.
An excerpt from Flushed:
She sniffed. “Can you get it or not?”
Kim rolled his shoulders and neck. “Let’s find out.” He squatted on the floor by the toilet and looked up at her. “I’ll start simple. Empty the water from the tank. Unbolt the toilet from the floor and have a look underneath. We might get lucky. It could be stuck in the trap right at the floor.” The down view made Kim appear to be all shoulder and leg. And eyes. Those incredible eyes.
She could break furniture with this man. Definitely. She could swing from the ceiling fan with him. And why shouldn’t she? Sure, he was too good-looking to be trusted, but he’d been matter-of-fact enough about his escapades with Jules, or whatever the gym babe’s name was. That meant he wouldn’t lie to her about his other women the way Steven or Daniel had. That was something.
“If that doesn’t get it, I’ll run a camera down the line and see what we can see.”
He was still talking. She didn’t know why. She’d just decided she would revel in the merely physical—go ahead and take the sex that surely wouldn’t disappoint. “Camera?”
He stood up and she could swear she felt his heat, his energy, brushing hers. She realized her heart was pounding.
“Don’t get your hopes up. It takes crappy pictures.”
The bathroom became quiet as Isabelle stared at Kim’s lips. He was smiling. Her body throbbed in response. “Kim.”
“Isabelle?” His voice had lost its professional edge, becoming fuzzy and less sure of itself. She’d always thought she wanted a dominant man. Why was hearing this uncertainty in his voice as big a turn on as the way he charged to her rescue? This was no time for such thoughts. She didn’t need a man touching her heart, not now, not him. On the other hand, if he wanted to touch anything else—anything at all, she thought, pulse pounding—she was good to go, especially if she went right now.
His breathing changed. The charge between them was building.
Then she realized what he’d said. Crappy pictures. She burst out laughing. “That’s awful,” she said. She laughed some more, the stress of the last couple of days making it hard to stop. Kim began laughing too, which only made it worse. Soon she was gasping for breath, falling back against the sink, stomach muscles beginning to ache, helpless. He took her elbow to steady her. She found herself in his arms. Laughing became kissing, which was just as breath-stealing and far more deliciously physical. She couldn’t seem to stop. He didn’t seem to mind.
Bio:
Sally Felt writes funny, sexy stories about people who have a thing or two to learn about love. Her mission: write decent-guy heroes who are also dead sexy. She is amazing at starting conversations in elevators and laughing for no reason. If she could be any animal, she’d be an otter, because they play all the time. Or maybe a llama, for their lush eyelashes and ability to spit.
Sally is smart enough to live in Texas, where hot is as much about the men as the weather. Still, she thinks bow ties are cool.
Website: http://sallyfelt.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallytex
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sally.felt
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sallytex/
Find Flushed here…
Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/flushed.html
Amazon: http://amzn.to/KEXBHW
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1aVvxq5
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1mHv9R
)O(
So glad to have Sally here today. I love this book in part because of her hero’s name – I dated a man named Kim, once long, long ago and before I snagged my man. Do you like the name Kim for a man? Have you ever met any male Kims? Let’s chat!
by Christine | Writer Wednesday
My friend, Author Sally Felt. She’s almost always laughing!
Sally Felt is another one of my online writer hang-out group that I dearly adore. Way back in 2003, when there were four of us exchanging snippets and encouragement online, Sally blew me away with her writing.
So I’m extremely happy to note that two of the books she’d been working on back then are now (and soon to be) available for purchase. I’ve had her on Writer Wednesday before, but she deserves another showcase.
Her first romantic comedy is called Going Native, and I had the pleasure of watching this novel evolve from tentative first steps to the glorious thing it is now.
Here’s the blurb for Going Native:
“Violet Maison is house sitting a fabulous penthouse loft with a wardrobe to die for. Tired of worrying about everyone else’s expectations, Violet’s ready to walk a mile in her friend’s very sexy shoes. She embraces her new life by planting a jubilant, champagne-fueled kiss on the sexy stranger
Going Native by Sally Felt
next door.
Eddie is in town to help close a business deal—and lick his wounds after a bad breakup. The last thing he wants is complications. But surprise kisses from the tipsy redhead next door prove a Texas-sized distraction he can’t ignore. Violet is demure one minute and suggesting clandestine sexcapades the next. Eddie can barely keep up. Or wait to see what Violet does next.
Something about Eddie burns away Violet’s inhibitions, though discovering he holds the key to the future of her family’s business shakes her newfound confidence. But Violet finally knows what it’s like to feel sexy and powerful, and she’s not about to give that up. She’s ready to fight for the life, and the man, she wants.
A Romantica® Contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave”
Sally’s newest book, Flushed, comes out on February 6th, 2014 and is currently available for pre-order. Here’s the quick blurb for Flushed, also an Ellora’s Cave publication.
“Blush sensuality level: This is a sensual romance (may have explicit love scenes, but not erotic in frequency or type).
Flushed, by Sally Felt. Available February 6, 2014
Kissing her plumber in the middle of her dinner party is the very last way Isabelle expected to spend her night—after all, she’s sworn off dating. But when Kim Martin, plumber to the rescue, charms her guests and poses as her new guy to spare Isabelle the humiliation of an uninvited ex, she makes an impromptu exception—and gets carried away.
At first, being Isabelle’s faux beau suits Kim Martin just fine. She’s hot, intriguing and won’t get in the way of his plans to blow town and build a business he’s passionate about. But Isabelle just isn’t cut out to be a goodtime girl. She gets under Kim’s skin and into his head—and he’s not entirely sure what to do about that.
Kim should be everything Isabelle believes of men in general—confident, flirtatious and too attractive for his own good. Yet the more Isabelle tries to fit him into a box, the harder he fights his way out of it. He’d be maddening if he weren’t so intriguing.
A Blush® contemporary romance from Ellora’s Cave.”
Check out Sally’s Amazon Page, and her website.
Happy Wednesday, my lovelies!
)O(
by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
My friend, Author Sally Felt. She’s almost always laughing!
I am hugely excited to introduce Sally Felt to all my pals, here on Writer Wednesday. Sally and I go way back, and she’s an absolutely lovely person. I’m thrilled to say her first novel, GOING NATIVE, is out through Ellora’s Cave, and it’s a doozy! I read it quite a long time ago in manuscript form, and I’m looking forward to digging into it again. So settle down and enjoy Sally, hmm?
CA: What made you decide to write a novel?
SF: Everyone in my fifth grade class had to write one. Mine was a hand-illustrated murder mystery that demonstrated mystery was not my long suit. Nor illustration, for that matter. But if I’d written Going Native back then, Mrs. Sharp would have sent me to the counselor’s office for a serious talk concerning the Club Clandestine scene. And appropriate use of éclairs.
CA: Why paranormal?
SF: Um, it’s not. Unless you consider dachshunds aliens. Do you?
CA: *headdesk* Okay, I forgot to switch up the questions. Sigh…and yeah, dachsunds are pretty alien, don’t you think? Don’t answer that, lol!
SF: My lips are sealed.
CA: Okay, back to the questions. Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?
SF: Well, Christine, I wish to live winter-free. That means a residence in each hemisphere, yes? Ideal locations are lightly wooded, with lots of song birds. Suggestions? (River otters would be a big selling point.)
CA: I am fresh out of places with river otters and no winter…but I’ll work on that. Name 3 simple joys in your life.
SF: Sunshine. Yum!
Ginseng, my blue-eyed Siamese companion.
Dancing at friends’ weddings.
CA: If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead or fictional, who would it be and where would you go to eat?
SF: Just one? I would dine with my maternal grandmother at the Green Room in Dallas, and we’d give the chef carte blanche to surprise us. The restaurant has been closed for years, but not as long as Grandma. I figure if the Universe can arrange an evening with a woman who died before I went through puberty, the restaurant should be a snap.
CA: Well of course the restaurant would be a snap! What a wonderful answer. If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer starting out, what would it be?
SF: Finish it. Write something else and finish that, too.
CA: What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a Day Job?
SF: I’m a professional Tarot reader. My job is to turn cards and reflect someone’s magnificence back to to them. How cool is that? I want to live in a world where everyone knows how special and important they are. Imagine what seven billion empowered, confident individuals could accomplish.
CA: OMG! How did I not know that? I’m so proud! But seriously, sister, we need to TALK to each other more than once every six years or so. Okay. Name one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you.
SF: As a child, I was excruciatingly shy. Even at age 15, I struggled to make eye contact. A year as a foreign exchange student went a long way toward changing that, not that I’d recommend such extreme measures.
CA: No way. Really? Well hon, you have totally smashed that shyness, and good for you. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
SF: We could talk about the summer you came to Texas and helped me drink a full pitcher of sangria. Or the time we went shopping in Vegas and I ended up with an elephant on my head. But perhaps those things are best kept off the interwebs, yes?
CA: Snicker – elephant on your head! And those terribly cute pink kitten heels I wore that killed my feet, while you had on sensible tennis shoes…and I SO need to come back to Texas and spend time with you!!!
SF: Thanks for having me here, Christine, you crazed writer, you. Your command of mischief is equalled only by your work ethic.
CA: It’s totally my pleasure, you tarot-card-wielding goddess. Now on to the good stuff – the novel!
The Blurb!
When a clumsy redhead takes a walk on the wild side, expect one heck of a fall.
Violet longs to break free of her good-girl persona. House sitting a Dallas penthouse loft makes a great start. From her first giddy step in her friend’s sky-high heels, she’s way out of her comfort zone, planting a tipsy kiss on a sexy neighbor.
Eddie is in town to close a business deal—and lick his wounds after a bad breakup. But the clumsy, drawling redhead next door proves a Texas-sized distraction he can’t ignore. Violet’s demure one minute and suggesting clandestine sexcapades the next. Eddie can barely keep up. Or wait to see what Violet does next.
But even when she learns he’s held the key to the future of her family’s business all along, Violet can’t go back to playing it safe. And what began as a champagne-fueled dare becomes a gutsy showdown her heart might not survive.
Sally Felt Bio
One hot July day, Sally played an Irish ditty on her tin whistle while wading in a cool lake. Ducks came from miles around to listen. Now she plays sexy stories on her MacBook Pro keyboard and hopes readers might do the same.
Where to find Sally:
Website: http://sallyfelt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sally.felt
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sallytex/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallytex
Buy link (also available at Amazon, B&N, etc.)
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
Enjoy Sally as she takes over the blog today. She’s a friend of mine and I LOVE this story! Take it away, Sally!
