Writer with Sizzle: Missy Martine

Please welcome Missy Martine! Missy is giving away a free eBook copy of Table for Three (currently a Siren/Bookstrand bestseller! Congrats, Missy!) to one lucky commenter, so be sure to give her some love. Come back tomorrow (Wednesday) to see if you’ve won and pretty please leave your email address in the comments, if possible, so Missy can send it to you directly. Thanks!!

Lia: Hi, Missy! Have you ever cried, or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

Missy: Absolutely! In Table for Three it was laughter. Cass was so far out of her depth with her twin gods that she frequently had me snickering.

Here’s an example:

Very gently, he touched his lips to hers, swiping his tongue over the seam of her lips just once. “What about me?” David called out, dragging her attention away from Matt.

Turning her head to look at him, Cass had to laugh out loud. David had put on a fake pouty face, like a spoiled child who didn’t get what he wanted for Christmas. “We certainly can’t forget you,” Cass said as she started to lean down to touch her lips to his.

Suddenly, Demon and Angel came bounding into the room and jumped up on the foot of the bed, barking once to announce their arrival. “Eeeeeeek!” Cass saw the large animals out of the corner of her eye and screamed. Her only thought was to escape. She blindly pushed off with her legs and arms, making a dash to the side of the bed nearest the door. Unfortunately, she had to go over David to reach it. As she scrambled away, her feet came in contact with Matt’s legs, and she used him to propel herself forward, nearly knocking him off the bed in the process. Her arms wildly pushed down to give herself leverage, pummeling David in the head and shoulders.

Lia: Funny scene! How do your characters enjoy their playtime? Rough? Playful? Tender?

Missy: In this book they are always tender. Cass came from an abusive marriage and the men take a lot of extra care to make sure she feels treasured and loved.

Here’s a short example:

Cass whirled her head back around when she felt a delicious sensation at her breast. Matt had taken her nipple into his mouth and was sucking gently. He pulled back and ran his tongue around her dusky areola and then licked the hardened tip. He sat back up and together, he and David gently lowered Cass down until she lay on the pillows. Both men stretched out beside her.

Both men latched onto a nipple, and sucked hard. The feeling grew so intense, Cass arched her body up off the floor trying to push more of her breasts into their hot, moist mouths. Matt pulled away, and David leaned in and thrust his tongue into her mouth, easily coaxing hers to come out and play. While his tongue played with hers, his hands moved to fondle her breasts, pinching and rolling the nipples back and forth between his thumb and forefinger. Gently, he tugged on them, causing Cass to bite her lip to keep from screaming out in pleasure.

So caught up in David’s erotic kiss and the attention he paid to her breasts, she didn’t feel Matt as he slowly slid her sweat pants down her thighs and off the bottom of her feet. Now she lay displayed in just her blue thong.

Lia: Love it! It’s sweet and sexy at the same time. What is your favorite think about being a romance writer?

Missy: I think the fact that I can let my imagination run wild. It’s fiction, so the characters can do just about anything they want, and it’s still okay. Growing up we all had to live with rules and certain codes of conduct. We might have wanted to break them, but most of us never had the courage. With my books, my characters can do all the things I never got to do. It’s been a great way to jump-start my romantic life as well. I’m, well let’s just say I’m over 50, and writing these books have put new fantasies in my life. They’ve enabled me to see that romance and passion doesn’t have to stop when we reach a certain age. If we work at it, it can be ageless. I didn’t start writing until I was 47 years old. I’d been a nurse, and owned a medical billing service before that. I had a series of small strokes that make it impossible for me to continue working outside the home, so I took up the writing as a hobby. It opened up a whole new area of imagination that I didn’t even know I had.

Lia: Very inspirational, Missy! Where can we find your sizzling books?

Missy: You can find my books at Siren/Bookstrand - http://www.sirenpublishing.com/missymartine/

I have the beginning book of a Trilogy coming out in January called “Discovering Her Wolfen Heritage” – erotic paranormal romance, shapeshifter

Lia: Ooh, sounds good! Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Missy!!

Writer with Sizzle: Helen Hardt

Please welcome a good friend of mine and an exceptionally talented, multi-published writer of some seriously sizzling romance, Helen Hardt!

Lia: Hi, Helen! What's your secret to writing a steamy scene?

Helen: Emotion, emotion, emotion! I never head hop, so I choose which character's POV I'm gong to use, and then I become him or her. I dig deep, get inside her head. What is she feeling beneath her fingertips? Smelling? Hearing? Seeing? Tasting? Feeling inside? How is her body reacting physically to the stimuli? To his words? I try to use all five senses plus inner feeling to create vivid word pictures of the scene. I've been known to devote five pages to a first kiss. Lots of sensory detail, lots of emotion, lots of sexy dialogue -- it adds up to one hot scene!

Lia: Sounds good to me! Do you have any advice for the budding romance writer?

Helen: Self-educate! Don't ever stop learning. Learn from every critique, every contest judge, every rejection. There is a wealth of valuable information available from successful authors. Use it. I went from dismal contest results, to winning contests, to getting published all within a year. I attribute that success to self-education. Also, for erotic romance writers, never shy away from anything. I once said I'd never write a ménage. Then I challenged myself to find a ménage situation that worked for me. Now I've written three. One is published and one is under contract. Something I once felt I could never do led to my first contract with Ellora's Cave, Slow and Wet, which released two days ago. So I'm glad I challenged myself.

Lia: Great advice, Helen.

Excerpt from Slow and Wet:

“Trav, this is my girl, Jillian Reynolds.”

A rush of warmth coursed through Jill at the words “my girl”.

“Mighty pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am.” Travis squeezed her hand, and a flare of heat skittered over her skin. “Seems Dale has all the luck. Beautiful women have always flocked to him.”

Jill leaned farther into Dale’s chest, but Travis continued to hold her hand, rubbing his thumb into her palm. His touch felt nice. Which wasn’t good. She whisked her hand away.

“Remember the good old days?” He spoke to Dale, but he stared at Jill, dropping his gaze to her breasts which were still crushed against cowboy number one. “When we did everything together?”

Dale cleared his throat. “I remember.”

“We were team ropers,” Travis said to Jill. “Champions. Started when we were kids. Couple years ago, though, I went solo in ropin’, and Dale here switched to bustin’ broncs. I’ve been away since then, tourin’ the circuit.”

“And you, Dale?” Jill raised her gaze to his brown eyes.

“You know where I’ve been, darlin’. Here, helpin’ my grandma run this place. Doin’ the local rodeos.”

“But didn’t you ever want to tour?”

“Heck, no. I’m a homebody. I’m happy here, runnin’ the ranch,” he smiled, “hangin’ out with you.” He turned to Travis. “Jill’s from Denver.”

“I took you for a big-city gal,” Travis said. “What are you doin’ in a little cow-town like Sweetwater Junction, Wyoming?”

“I’m in computer sales. A few months ago, an opportunity came up to relocate here, and I jumped at it. I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle.”

Travis chuckled and shook his head. “If only I’d come home sooner, I might have seen you first.” He winked. “’Course that didn’t always matter.”

“Trav…”

Jill’s heart raced beneath her chest. Why? From being held in Dale’s strong arms, no doubt. Or was something else going on?

Naked.

Shit, she was still naked. “Uh, Dale? I need to—”

“Yeah, you sure do, darlin’.” He grabbed her rump and lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “We’ll be back in a minute, Trav. Fully clothed.”

“Damn,” Travis said. “Can’t say I’ve seen enough of the beauty of my hometown just yet.”

“Yeah, you have,” Dale said, walking back to the bedroom. He looked over his shoulder. “You’ve seen all of Jill you’re gonna see, pal.”

“Don’t be so sure about that, buddy.”

Had Jill imagined the words? Or had they actually come from the gorgeous blond cowboy?

She tightened her thighs around Dale’s sexy waist. Didn’t matter anyway. She needed to get dressed and then douse herself with about a gallon of Dale’s honey-lemonade.

Then maybe go jump into Sweetwater Lake.

And she wasn’t even sure that would cool her off today.
-----

Lia: Whew! I’ve had the pleasure of reading this sizzling story pre-published so I can assure everyone that the rest of this is just as hot. So go out and get your copy, folks! http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7760-slow-and-wet.aspx

Helen, thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle!

You can find more about Helen and her writing at http://www.helenhardt.com/

And the winner is...

The winner of one of Cerise's eBooks is Andrea. Congrats!!! Andrea, can you email me at lia@liaslater.com and I'll get you in touch with Cerise. Thanks!

Writer with Sizzle: Cerise DeLand

Please welcome Cerise DeLand! Cerise is giving away one of her eBooks to a lucky commenter. Reader’s choice! So be sure to give her some love. (I'll announce the winner on Wednesday evening so be sure to check back.)

Lia: How do your characters enjoy their playtime? Rough? Playful? Tender? All of the above?

Cerise: Rough, playful, tender, funny, strong and enduring. Those are ALL the qualities of my characters when they make love to each other! Isn’t that what we all want and need? Tireless and creative lovers are my main passion and I try to get them on the page and into bed! Or on a kitchen counter. Or on a rack in a dungeon. (Really!) Or on a desk in a mile-high private jet over Dubai. Or in a Parisian club where couples go to share themselves and their experiences.

Love scenes are for mouth-watering delights in almost any place that is comfortable for the raw enjoyment of an exciting partner!

Lia: You definitely have my interest piqued. What is the hottest scene you ever wrote?

Cerise: The hottest scene I ever wrote—and the most difficult—was in my ménage, HER THREE-WAY MERGER. This was the first ménage I ever wrote and the choreography really got me all hot and bothered! In so many ways! I adored the idea of 2 men for one woman. What woman doesn’t? BUT I knew I wanted a happy-ever-after for Sienna and Cord Ryder. I knew these people. Saw them. Understood them. But to write them together in a seduction, culmination and declaration of love? Ah. Tough!

In a scene with only one man and one woman, I get the play. I know what hand is where, why and how to proceed. But with more than one partner, the challenge is all in the best writing to convey the mood, motivation of the characters and to drive the story where you need it to go.

Showing potential love from one of the men had me reeling with the edits. I could not allow the younger brother to become too involved emotionally, either. So when I saw that I had to divide the action and the motivation, I finally understood my story—and my characters soooooooooo much better!

Here is a tiny sample of Sienna, Cord and Tate together:

She began to jump up, afraid she wasn’t knowledgeable enough to handle two men at once. But she halted. How did a woman do that, anyway? And not die of ecstasy? The girl in her had wanted both of them at once. Did the woman?

Her pussy throbbed and she knew her answer was yes, oh yes, I want you both. Just like I always had. Any way you want me. In a small but determined voice, she laid ground rules for whatever came next. “But you have to know that whatever happens here my offer is the same as my real estate agent’s.”

“Fun first.” Tate inched closer, his tone all business but his gaze lush with desire as he removed her shoes. “Business later.”

Cord put his mouth to her ear and whispered, “We have to taste you.” And in her surprise, she dissolved in his hands as he lowered his demanding mouth on hers and probed her inner recesses with a spearing tongue. “Every inch of you.” He splayed his fingers in her hair, sent a few of her hairpins flying, then claimed her lips again while one hand covered her breast.

“Give me this,” Tate commanded and took her glass. “I want to show you where this margarita really tastes good.” And in a second, she felt his cold kiss on her kneecap while his cool fingers parted her legs and stroked up her thigh. He went a few inches more and threaded his fingers around the crotch of her thong. She bucked, trying hard to hang on to her sanity and not just come right now like a frustrated nun.

“Oh, Christ, bro,” Tate groaned as his knuckles grazed her slit and she moaned at his tantalizing nudge. “She’s sopping wet for us.”

“Open for him, honey,” Cord crooned to her, one hand undoing the buttons of her blouse. “I am going to kiss your pretty mouth again while he gets his fingers all juicy with you.”

She eagerly widened her legs but the damn tight skirt was such a hindrance that she whimpered in frustration. Cord slipped his palm into her bra and lifted out a swollen nipple. She arched into his caress. “You both have a reputation. Worse than in high school. Ah, god, that’s great, Cord.”

Cord rolled her nipple between two fingers. “Did you pebble like this for me in high school?”

“Yes, yes! Kiss me there!” she ordered, shocked but proud of her demand.

“Should have told us, baby,” Tate said as he delved beneath her thong and caught a few curls of her bush to gently tug at her heavy lips. “We would have done you.”

She squirmed at how Tate’s pull made her give off a succulent sound and damn, if she didn’t want to hear it again. On a shaky breath, she argued, “No, you would not.” I was your fat little next-door neighbor. “I was your tutor.”

“We could have been yours,” Cord murmured. “I would have loved to initiate you.”

“Oh, Cord.” I’d have given you anything you wanted.

(Copyright 2009, Cerise DeLand)

Lia: HOT excerpt, Cerise!! I want to know more about Cord! Where can readers find your books?

Cerise: All of my books are on line. At EC, you can find MIA DOLCE and HER THREE-WAY MERGER, both contemporary romanticas. At www.wilderroses.com you can find POWER POSITION and PARIS EXPOSE. Then, November 30, look for the debut of my historical romantica, the first of a trilogy, AT HER SERVICE!

Email: cerise.deland@ymail.com

Blog: http://cerisedeland.blogspot.com

Myspace: www.myspace.com/cerisedeland

Lia: I'll be looking for them all. Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Cerise!

The Winner of First Date is...

Helen Hardt! Congrats, Helen! Please email Lynne directly at lynne@lynneroberts.net to get your copy of First Date.

Thank you so much to Lynne! It was a pleasure to interview you. And thanks, everyone, for stopping by and giving Lynne some love!