Hello Nancy! Thank
you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today! It’s such a pleasure to chat with you. So tell me…
Q) How did you dream
up the dynamics of your characters?
Part of the credit would have to go to the publisher’s
submission call. They wanted a man in a kilt! Easy enough. Since the line is
erotic romance, I quickly decided on a contemporary setting rather than
historical. A wanted a hero who didn’t wear a kilt in his day-to-day life, but
felt strongly enough about his heritage to don the kilt for a special occasion.
As for my heroine, I knew she needed to be more closely tied to tradition, home
and family. Yet, in her own way, a modern woman. Out of that came the story … a
dutiful daughter who participates in Highland games, a man who couldn’t wait to
conclude his small town visit and get back to his big-city life.
Q) Is this book part
of a series? If so, can you tell us
about it?
I’d never intended it to be … other than being part of The
Wild Rose Press’ Real Men Wear Kilts series.
However, there are a couple of supporting characters begging for their own
stories. No doubt we’ll find another sexy, kilt-wearing hero in the near
future.
Q) Do you have any
habits that get you in the writing frame of mind?
Music and coffee. I choose the music based on the type of
book I’m writing. For Kilty Pleasures,
it was fiddle and bagpipes. And coffee. I even choose a bag pipe piece, Falkirk Wheel, for my trailer. For my
October release, an Egyptian-themed time travel, Eye of the Pharaoh, I listened to the score from the 1999 remake of
The Mummy.
Q) Do you plan all
your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?
Yes. Knowing my characters inside and out makes it easier to
get into their heads when I’m creating dialogue. Supporting characters will
sometimes sneak up on me, but my main characters are drilled into my head
before I start.
Q) What are your upcoming
projects?
I’m currently working on two projects. The first is a
novella for The Wild Rose Press’ new “stranded” series, based on the concept of
stranding the main characters until they realize they’re meant for each other.
My story, Waking Up in Oz, is loosely based on the Oz legend and set in Oswald,
KS, a small town in the midst of series of deadly tornados. The story is set in
1975 and considered a vintage historical.
The second project is a stretch for me … a futurist/alien
romance. Contracted to Decadent Publishing, I’m waiting for my first round of
edits and expect a summer release.
BLURB
When Ronan MacAlister returns to Glencoe, Maine to see to the affairs of
his late uncle, he's immediately reminded of why he's stayed away. The small
town is definitely not his cup of tea, and he can't wait to settle the estate
and be done with the cold winters. The only bright spot is the feisty farm
manager, Aileen. All grown up now and far from the shy and reserved girl from
his childhood, she exudes a steamy sexuality that has Ronan and his unruly body
on full alert.
Aileen MacDougall had a huge crush on Ronan when she was a teenager,
content to adore him from afar whenever his family came to Glencoe for a visit.
Now he's back, and although the circumstances are less than ideal, she's eager
to find out if her fantasies can live up to reality. But he holds the key to
the future of Glencoe in his hands as well as her own hopes and dreams.
Can being trapped together in a remote cabin during a freak snowstorm
melt his heart? Or will they discover they have differences even kilty
pleasures can't overcome?
Sneak Peeks:
Excerpt #1:
Angus gave another nod
toward the table laden with food. “Why don’t I have her make you a plate? You
can grab a spot close to the door and still greet your guests.”
“Thank you. I’d
appreciate it.”
While he waited for
his food, Ronan studied the townsfolk milling around the brightly lit, albeit
stuffy, hall. They came from all walks of life. Farmers, store owners, and
bankers. The one and only barber...who happened to be the town’s mayor as well.
A cross section of exactly what made this place click and the main reason he
could never coax his uncle into leaving.
Time and again his
gaze returned to the beautiful woman near the far window. She fanned herself
with a slim, delicate hand and he wondered how it would feel to have those same
fingers caressing his skin. She was a goddess among a room full of middle-aged
farm wives and gray-haired spinsters.
When she opened the
shutters to let in some air the evening breeze blew her long, reddish blonde
hair from behind her ear. The disheveled strands brushed her creamy cheeks and
fell like a curtain over her slim shoulders. She tossed her head from side to
side, jostling the silken threads until they came to rest across a pair of
voluptuous breasts.
He gave his perusal
free rein. Her trim waist flared into nicely curved hips. Perfect to hold onto
during a long night of hot, satisfying sex. The thought made his palms itch.
~~~
Excerpt #2:
Ronan retrieved the
bottle of cabernet from his uncle’s stash and pulled the cork. Aileen was
giving him some enticing signals...at least it seemed like it. Given his body’s
immediate reaction, he hoped he wasn’t reading her wrong.
He busied himself with
building a fire from the logs and kindling in the basket beside the hearth.
Once he’d finished, he crossed the great room and drew the curtains closed.
Setting a romantic mood, are you? Ronan gave his pesky conscience a nudge and
turned the lock on the cabin door.
The soft ‘ding’ of the
microwave proceeded the heavenly aroma of pungent spices. Aileen reached for
dishes on the shelf above her head, the stretch of her arms outlining her curvy
figure, lifting her lush bottom. His stomach growled with an appreciation that
had little to do with food.
“So,” he asked,
“what’s for lunch?”
“Beef stew, salad, and
homemade biscuits with butter and honey. I put the kettle on for tea and there
are sodas and bottled water in the fridge.”
“I’ve decanted the
wine. It should go nice with the stew.”
She graced him with
another of her smiles. “We can eat here at the table or over by the fire
whichever you prefer.”
He nodded toward the
low table and pillows in front of the fireplace. “Why don’t you take the food
over? I’ll pour us some wine and be right behind you.”
They enjoyed their
meal in a companionable silence. Like Aileen, the stew was complex with many
layers of flavor. The simple salad was all business and the biscuits and honey
a sweet ending. The meal, like the woman who’d made it, stirred his senses and
begged to be tasted over and over again.
He set his dishes
aside and pushed the table a few feet to the left. Relaxing back against the
pillows, he pressed the wine glass to his lips and turned his attention to the
sexy beauty sitting across from him.
The glow from the
fireplace played off Aileen’s silken hair, turning the reddish blonde
highlights to pure gold. He wanted nothing more than to wrap the gossamer
strands around their naked bodies.
She took a sip of her
wine and closed her eyes. When she darted her tongue out to catch an errant
droplet on her lip he nearly lost the last increment of his composure. Not
having her...all of her...was no longer an option.
~~~
Excerpt #3:
Ronan pushed the last
letter into place atop the triple word square. “Reticent. Tacking on to your
word and utilizing the ‘e’, that’ll be another eighty-six points for me.”
“Nice play. Too bad
you’re still forty points behind.”
He shot her a glare,
followed by what he hoped was his most lascivious grin. “You know what would
make this more interesting?”
“Let me guess, Strip
Scrabble.”
“I was going to say
Nude Scrabble, but I’m willing to work for it.”
“I bet you are. Why
don’t we put the game away and go to bed? It is after midnight.”
He gathered his
remaining game pieces and dumped them into the storage pouch. “I’ll go light a
few candles, maybe take a quick shower.”
She nodded and then
stood, gathering up the game board and box in her hands. “When you come out of
the shower you should put the kilt back on.”
“Hmm...kinky. I like
it. What will you be wearing?”
“A smile.”
~ ~ ~
