The author hot seat specials are designed to
help readers get to know both, popular and up and coming authors, a
little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your
writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy,
other may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to
hesitate before answering—still, they all
answer.
today I have fellow Siren Author, Michelle Roth sitting in the hot seat. Not only is Michelle answering our questions but she also provided me with not one, but two excerpts from her new release to share with you. Information about her book, Just a Taste, and the excerpts appear at the end of the interview. Now, Let's see what Michelle has to say...
Getting Started
Tell us about your latest book. What was your inspiration for writing it,
is it part of an
ongoing series, the characters, the genre etc?
I've just wrapped up the third book in my Private Relations series. It's
a contemporary erotic romance called Unexpectedly Yours. It follows Jim and Elle
(my favorite out of all of the characters, because they're both just so earnest)
as they discover one another and then immediately jump into the deep end of the
pool together. It was incredibly fun watching that relationship develop.
About Your Writing
How many books have you written during your career so far and which is
your favorite?
I've written three books so far, and it's a really hard thing to say..
which my favorite would be. I love each of them for very different reasons. If I
had to pick, I'd say Lip Service. The story is steamy and the characters are
vivid. It's my favorite kind of story to tell.
Have any of your books received negative reviews and how did you
handle the situation?
None that I know of. I've only made it to bookstrand so far, so I'm
absolutely certain someone will say something negative about it once it's more
mainstream. It makes me sad that not everyone will love what I write, but it's
an unavoidable fact. I will probably grumble or pout for a bit and then move
on.
Do you believe in writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome it?
Every case of writers block I've ever had was entirely due to being
unhappy with a plot point or not planning well enough. I overcome that by
starting over and pushing through until it's right.
What is the one genre you would never write and why?
Paranormal. Shape shifter romance just doesn't do it for
me.
Have you ever written a book that you’ve regretted publishing and why?
I regret nothing. :)
If a reader said they wanted to write a book, what advice would you
give them?
Do it. You will be so amazed at what comes out of your
mind.
About You
Tell us what a typical day in your life is like?
Busy. I work a full time job, do school online, and write. Sometimes I
sleep. It's about 50/50 ;)
What sort of things put you in a bad mood?
Traffic. It's a huge waste of time and completely unavoidable in
LA.
Do you have a bucket list and what’s one thing you still want to do
that you haven’t done?
I'd love to train as a le Cordon Bleu chef.
What makes you laugh?
The show Archer cracks me up consistently.
What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?
I do so many embarrassing things, it would be hard to narrow this
down.
Do you like to read and what are you reading at the moment?
The entire Sinners on Tour series by Olivia Cunning. I'm re-reading it.
LOVE IT.
If you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do instead?
Probably go back to making ridiculous messes in my kitchen. Prior to
writing, one of my favorite things to do was to make a huge, elaborate meal and
then make someone else do the dishes. :)
Fun Stuff
If you could go out with one famous person who would it be and why?
Ryan Gosling. He's hot and he just seems like a nice guy, ya
know?
Do you have a habit that drives your partner/friends/family nuts and
what is it?
I have laser focus, so I tend to be a little self absorbed. My boyfriend
frequently grumbles.
In your opinion, what makes a person attractive?
Intelligence, honesty, being a nice person. Rock hard abs help
though.
What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
Sea Urchin (so good)
Would you rather have a classic 1969 convertible Mustang or have the
use of a beach side condo any time you want?
Condo. I would go hide out on the weekends and
write.
And Finally
Would you rather survive an apocalyptic event (yes, even a zombie
apocalypse) or die instantly without knowing what happened to your family and
friends?
I'd rather survive. It would be tough to deal with the eventual or
immediate loss, but I'd rather know.
Thanks for being here today, Michelle. Now it's time to take a look at Michelle's new release, Just a Taste. I hope you find the excerpts enjoyable.
When Sara Westing
needed signatures for a new catering contract, she had no idea that Deacon
James would be the man holding the pen. Thrown into a last-minute meeting
together, they both very quickly realize this isn’t the first time they’ve met.
They’re left to negotiate the final details of a contract while pretending they
didn’t share a night of incredible passion, followed by a decade of awkward
radio silence.
Despite everything working against them, the attraction between them is still
stronger than ever. Deacon will have to lay his heart on the line in order to
convince Sara that he is a risk worth taking. Sara will have to let her guard
down and learn to trust him.
Together,
can they navigate their way through a maze of professional risk, blazing
passion, and personal baggage to prove the old saying wrong? Maybe with the
right incentive people can change.
About the Author:
Michelle Roth is a
novelist from Los Angeles, California. Previously a free lance writer, Michelle
recently made the leap to published author. The first two books of her series
Private Relations come out in May 2014.
When she’s not escaping
to far away lands through her writing or making two perfect strangers she
invented fall in love, she’s hanging out with her boyfriend and two cats. She
enjoys random road trips, cooking elaborate meals and letting other people do
the dishes, and reading in her spare time.
Excerpt One:
Sara froze in her seat upon hearing the name. Deacon James? She
mentally crossed her fingers that this wasn’t the same Deacon James she had
slept with during her junior year of college who never even bothered to call
her afterward. Ridiculously mind-blowing sex, followed by complete radio
silence. While she wouldn’t categorize the incident as heartbreaking, it was
still pretty freaking rude.
She smirked a bit with the
memory of his exit strategy. It was actually pretty comical, looking back.
There had been no “Hey. So um…thanks for dropping the panties. I’m gonna go
now” or “Later. I’ll call you sometime” for Deacon. Nope. No words at all
afterward. He just got dressed, gave her a somewhat detached smile and a
handshake as he left.
To be fair, she hadn’t really
expected a phone call after his magnificent exit. He had literally disappeared.
She still wondered what exactly had prompted the whole thing, but decided now
wasn’t the best time for a trip down memory lane.
Biting back a small giggle,
she tried to focus on the moment at hand. Even two thousand miles away from
where she’d gone to school, odds were, this had to be the same guy. Deacon
wasn’t exactly a common name. Ugh. This could complicate things.
She was startled out of her
reverie by a low male voice at the reception desk. She glanced up. Yup. That
was totally him. Even with his back to her, there was no mistaking the broad
shoulders, the lean lines of his body, and that dark hair. It was a bit shorter
now, but yeah. It was totally him.
Not sure what to expect, she
just pasted a professional smile on her lips and waited for him to turn around
and face her. When he finished the exchange and turned around, he stood
stock-still. He blinked and then his eyes slowly lit with recognition. He had
the good grace to look somewhat embarrassed for a second. Then, almost as if a
switch had flipped, his features went immediately and impressively blank. By
the time he had reached the middle of the lobby, the expression on his face had
morphed into a bland, professional smile.
Gauging the situation, Sara
knew exactly what she had to do. For the sake of the contract and for the sake
of her pride, she stood up. Stepping toward him, she extended her hand and
said, “Hello. Mr. James? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sara Westing from
Edible Innovations.”
His eyes squinted almost
imperceptibly as he surveyed her face. He cocked his head slightly for just a
moment, as if to say, “You’ve got no idea who I am?” Then, quick as a blink, he
schooled his face back into that bland smile and took her outstretched hand,
shaking it firmly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Westing,” he said. “Please call
me Deacon. I hope you found our offices easily enough?”
After receiving her nod to
the affirmative, he continued on, “I apologize for the confusion. Chris was pulled
into a meeting, but he filled me in on the details. Right this way.”
With another nod and a smile,
she said, “Certainly,” and followed him back to what she presumed would be his
office. While she was walking behind him, she was able to fully appreciate just
how very kind time had been to Deacon James.
Back in college he had been
an attractive guy. He was tall, lean, and always had this perpetual smirk on
his face that made you want to know what he found so funny. It had given him a
boyish charm. His hair had been a bit longer. Sara could still remember the
feel of it on her fingertips.
Shaking her head and bringing
herself back to the present, she noticed that his suit jacket was tailored in
such a way that it displayed the fact he was anything but lanky now. With the
beginnings of a five o’clock shadow looming, there was nothing boyish about him
anymore. Deacon James was all man. He was fucking hot.
As he came to stop, he opened
the door to an office. It was decorated similarly to the lobby area. It was
warm and inviting. He gestured to the sitting area, as if to indicate she
should have a seat. Closing the door, he walked to his desk to pick up a bottle
of water. Looking over at her, he asked, “Would you like anything to drink?
Coffee? Tea? Water?”
She smiled and shook her
head. “No,” she said, “your receptionist offered when I arrived. Thank you,
though.”
Watching him move with
practiced ease, Sara placed her slim briefcase down and made herself
comfortable on the sofa. Sitting on the end nearest the armchair, she fully
expected him to sit in the chair, but was somewhat nonplussed when he sat next
to her on the sofa. While his proximity wasn’t exactly inappropriate, it was a
little unnerving.
And now for something a little Steamy... Excerpt Two:
When Deacon finally made it into the city and checked into his
hotel, it was almost 11:30 p.m. He was wiped out, and he missed Sara.
Desperately. Realizing it was only 8:30 p.m. on the west coast, he called her.
After a few rings, she picked
up and said, “Wow. It’s late. Did you make it into the city okay?”
Grumbling, he said, “Yes,
finally. The last couple of days were a total waste of time.”
Running his hands through his
already messy hair, he said, “I’m whining. Sorry. How was your day? Do you have
time to talk?”
“Yeah. I’m home for the night. Thank god. It was a long day. My
focus was terrible.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I was thinking about you all day.”
Raising his eyebrows, he
said, “Oh really? Tell me more!”
Laughing, Sara said, “Not
like that. Okay, maybe a little bit like that, but mostly, just missing you.”
Softly, he said, “I’ve missed
you, too. We’ve seen each other almost every night for the last couple weeks.”
Dryly, he added, “And for the
record, I’m pretty much always thinking of you like that.”
“Oh really? Tell me more,” Sara said, repeating his own words
back to him.
Grin stretching across his
face, he settled back onto the bed and asked, “So, is this the part of the
conversation where I ask you what you’re wearing?”
After a moment, he heard her
exhale, then softly say, “It could be.”
He could picture the look on
her face. Her biting her lower lip.
“Of course, you understand what my next question has to be. So
what are you wearing?”
“A black tank top and a pair of black boy shorts with pink polka
dots. You?”
Closing his eyes for a
minute, he imagined her, then asked, “Mmm. Where are you right now?”
“Laying down in my bed.”
Shifting, Deacon laid down on
his hotel bed, and said, “Me too. My hotel bed, anyway. Navy-blue boxers.”
Obviously interested, Sara
said, “No shirt?”
“Nope. Just a pair of boxers and a smile.”
After a moment, Sara said,
“You’ve got no idea how sexy your chest is, do you? One day I’d like to run my
mouth over every inch of it.”
Feeling a surge of pure lust,
he said, “That feeling is entirely mutual. Your breasts and those perfect pink
nipples. They drive me crazy. I could suck on them for hours. Would you touch
them for me?”
“Yes. I slid my tank top up just now.”
He heard the phone being
adjusted, then her slightly breathy voice saying, “I’m stroking them. They’re
getting tight now. God, I wish these hands were yours.”
Groaning slightly he said,
“Fuck. Me too. That’s so hot. Cup your breasts and rub your thumbs over your
nipples for me.”
After a moment, he heard her
breathing change as she complied with his request.
Then she said, “Mmm. That
feels good.”
Hearing her begin to draw in
shuddering breaths, he said, “Will you wet your fingers and pinch them for me?”
After a sharp intake of
breath, Sara was quiet for a moment, then continued, “Yes. I’m pinching them
lightly now. Oh god. This is making me so fucking wet, Deacon.”
Reaching down, he slid his
boxers off and started to lightly stroke his cock.
“Is it? Why don’t you put your hand in your panties and tell me
just how wet you are, dirty girl?”
After a slight laugh, he
heard her comply, gasping at the intimate contact.
“I’m soaked.”
Giving a more audible groan
this time, Deacon continued to stroke himself and asked, “Tell me how you make
yourself come. Describe it for me as you’re touching yourself.”
“I like to play with my clit. I’m rubbing slow, tight circles
around it now with my index finger. Oh god, that feels so good.”
Breathing a little more
heavily now, Sara said, “Mmm. Tell me what you’re doing right now.”
“Laying on my hotel bed, listening to your sexy fucking whimpers
and stroking my cock. God, you’re so sexy, Sara.”
Whimpering slightly, she
said, “I wish these were your hands on my body.”
Hearing her pant, he could
tell she was getting more aroused.
“Fuck, Sara. I want to slide my cock into that tight little
pussy. Tell me you want that too.”
Now whimpering with each
pant, he heard her say, “Mmm. Yeah. When you first slide it in, I love how that
feels. You filling me up, stretching me. I need you to slide your thick cock
into me.”
Biting back another groan,
Deacon said, “You’ve got a filthy fucking mouth.”
“It’s your fault,” she panted, heavily. “You make me an
insensibly horny mess. I can’t help it.”
Hearing that made him feel
like a god. There was something incredibly arousing about the fact he could
make this amazing fucking woman an insensible mess. He felt himself get even
harder at the thought.
Stroking faster now, he said,
“Tell me that tight fucking pussy is mine, Sara.”
On a moan, Sara mumbled,
“Yes. Fuck. It’s yours. Only yours. Take it.”
Hearing her so close to the
edge, he began to stroke himself more roughly now.
“Come for me, Sara. I need to hear you come for me.”
Her breathing hitched
slightly. Her whimpers became louder and more erratic.
A few moments later, on a low
moan, she said, “Fuck, Deacon. I’m coming.”
Hearing her cry out in
release, he let himself go, his orgasm jetting out all over the comforter of
the bed.
Gasping, he said, “Jesus
Christ.”
Then on a laugh he said,
“Housekeeping is going to hate what I just did to this comforter.”
Laughing, still slightly out
of breath, Sara said, “Whoops.”
