February 27th, 2009 by 
Amanda Young
Hello Jasmine! Thank you for being the first guinea pig author to volunteer to be interviewed on my blog. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
Q: What genre do you write in, and why?
A: I write erotic romance and erotica. I also have a finished mystery, but I hope to try my hand at historical one day as well. I think my voice is the strongest when I write erotic scenes.
Q: How long did you write before you received your first contract for publication?
A: Oh, good question. I started writing when I was in high school. I just hadn’t discovered my voice. I wrote for the high school newspaper. I tried poetry, songs and children’s books. The rejections piled up from my children’s books. The more I tried, the more it felt like torture coming up with plots. Then my husband and I moved close to his family. I met my mother-in-law who passed on a ton of romance novels. I started reading them and feel in love. I began my first sweet romance then sought out critique partners. By the time they got done with me, my sweet romance had turned into an erotic one and I loved it. Erotic romance just fit. So two years after I had started my first erotic romance, I landed a contract. But I had written everything else under the sun for years.
Q: So, if you don’t mind sharing, would you tell us about your latest work in progress?
A: Sure, um…which one? I have a novella I am working on that I just can’t seem to finish. It’s a humorous contemporary erotic romance. The heroine tells one lie after another to impress her family and old high school mates before her ten year reunion. Her lies place the hero in one sticky spot after another. I’m at the dark moment of the story and I can’t seem to force myself to break their hearts. Silly. In the mean time, I have been writing short stories and I have a few going at this moment and a little at a time, I’m researching for a Dark Ages, shape shifting historical.
Q: Out of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favorite?
A: Oh, toughie. I hope that my historical will fit that bill once it’s written, but since it’s not…I have a story coming out in June for Coming Together: Against the Odds anthology called Missing Pieces. Coming Together publishes books where the proceeds go to charity. For Against the Odds, the proceeds go to Autism Speaks. I love the story I wrote for this for lots of reasons. One, I worked a mystery theme into it. Another, I just love the hero. I usually write beta heroes, but Addison Cougar-my hero in Missing Pieces-demanded to be an alpha. So that was fun. But mostly I love this story because it is going to help autism. I have a step-son, which I love dearly, who is autistic. I asked my husband if I could name my hero after my step son, so I used his middle-Addison- name with I think works great. Plus, I worked in an autistic character that without the mystery couldn’t be solved.
Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow?
A: I need quiet. The words seem to flow as I lay down to go to bed. Or when I can’t get away to write. Then I sit down at my computer and the inter computer game side of me comes outs and I waste time. Lately, I’ve found that since I can play computer games at the library, that it’s a great place for me to work.
Q: What’s the strangest source of inspiration you’ve found for a story?
A: My son and one word. I tried to get my son to read a book. He picked it up, read the first word and tossed it down. The story started off with the name of the protagonist. He said he hated books that started that way. So I said every book couldn’t start with the word blood. Then I started thinking what verb goes with blood that a then nine year old boy would love. Blood oozed. Then one of my step-sons said he’d like to read that story. So hence, I wrote a YA mystery from the word blood. I haven’t have the nerve to submit it yet, but I’m sure I will one day.
Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?
A: Work hard. Most of writing is hard work and the willingness to learn. Things like grammar, pacing, plotting, conflict, can all be researched and learned. Plus, remember, most writers don’t sell their first book. The more you write and read the better you get.
Q: Do you have an evil day job or do you write full time?
A: I have the evil day job. I work as a Veterans Service Representative. In other words, I push paper at the VA to help veterans process their disability claims.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: Read and play computer games. I also have a few TV shows I follow. Like Big Love, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty and Medium.
Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.
A: I can’t say no to stay animals. I see their sad face and I feed them. I have nine cats.
Q: What’s your favorite dirty word?
A: Fuck.
Q: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?
A: The fourth of July. It’s the last holiday I spent with my nephew before he died in a car crash July the ninth.
Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
A: Nope.
Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
A: Seeds to grow food. I hate coconuts. Matches and a favorite book. Of course, the matches to start a fire, but not from my favorite book.
Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?
A: Bills. Then I’d get rid of my evil day job and write.
Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?
A: Floors. I don’t know why, but I would rather do dishes or scoop the litter box than mop a floor.
Q: What’s your favorite comfort food?
A: Pizza.
Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures you feel comfortable sharing?
A: Sleeping in late while my husband gets the kids ready for school.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
A: Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion. Excellent book.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: You can check out my blog at http://jasmineblackromance.blogspot.com And you can check out a review of Marital Affair at http://darkdivareviews.webs.com/erotic.htm
Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
A: My latest release is All For An Angel from Mystic Moon Press.
Gabe Hawkins has dreamed of Amy Bradshaw since junior high, but a sick game of revenge from his identical twin Lou smashed those dreams when Lou seduced Amy and impregnated her. Amy is a woman who knows what she wants, Gabe. But having Gabe in her bed would cost a price she can’t afford to pay, custody of her daughter Angel. Threats from Lou force Amy to resist Gabe. For five years the threats have worked, but Gabe’s persistence is wearing Amy’s resolve thin. Finally, she agrees to one night with Gabe to live out her fantasies. But will her fantasies force her into an unbearable reality?
Excerpt:
Feeling relaxed in Gabe’s presence, Amy chatted away on the ride back to his parents’ house after dinner and a movie. It seemed like old times when they were teenagers. She missed hanging out, the two of them, alone. Not a care in the world. No mouths to feed or bills to pay.
As nice as it sounded, she would never wish away her little girl. Change her father, yes. But never Angel.
They talked so much, Gabe must have turned on the wrong street. “This is your house.” She laughed. “Your mom’s is two streets down.”
He shut off the car engine. “I know.” No laughter laced his words.
“I said no funny business.” He really needed to get past the fact they were never going to be together again. Things were different now, and she had a kid by his brother. A line she wasn’t prepared to cross.
“Come in and have some coffee. I’m not ready for the night to end.” He leaned close and ran a finger down her cheek, and she felt his warm minty breath on her skin.
She wanted him to kiss her. Make her forget everything but the moment. Her breasts tingled with anticipation. What would happen if she went inside? Would she drop her guard and act on her fantasies about him?
No, she was an adult now. Losing her head led to trouble. A lesson she had learned the hard way.
She shifted her body and turned toward him. “It’s almost ten. I really should pick up Angel and get her in bed.”
“Just one cup, and then if you’re ready, we’ll get Angel.” He ran his hand through her hair.
Her neck tingled from his touch. Her mind screamed no, but her body refused to listen. “Okay. One cup, but then we really need to go.” Another half an hour wouldn’t hurt, right? Angel was probably sleeping anyway. At least she was in a safe location, unlike the crime ridden area they called home.
Gabe exited the car and opened her door. Once inside his house, they walked to the kitchen, and he turned on the coffee pot.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” he asked as he got two mugs from the cabinet.
“I had a great time. No dishes to clean or mouths to wash. Not to mention, an R rated movie. Thank you for a nice evening.” She leaned her back against the counter and looked around the room. The kitchen was about the size of her dining room, living room and kitchen combined. Stainless steel appliances sparkled and shined. For a second, she envisioned Angel wiping a gooey ketchup hand across the refrigerator.
A clang from the mugs brought her back from dream world, and she noticed Gabe staring at her breasts. He moved in front of her and rested his hands on the counter, dangerously close to her waist.
“I’ve dreamed of you standing in this kitchen, making coffee in the morning.” His sky blue eyes gleamed with mischief. “Everything was picked out with you in mind.”
Her muscles tightened as he threatened to kiss her. She wanted to taste his lips, feel his hands on her breasts, make love to him and never let him go. But it was too late. Too many things had happened, and they could never go back.
“I think we should leave before we do something we’ll regret.” Her hands shook as she placed them on his chest. She intended to push him back, but she liked the feel of his muscular pecs under the dress shirt hiding his torso. He’d been a teen the last time she touched his chest. Tall and skinny. Now, he stood before her, all grown up, shoulders broadened, lean and powerful.
“I’ll never regret anything I do with you.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her lips. When she didn’t object, his hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. Then one traveled down to cup her butt. “I’ve been wanting to touch your ass all night.”
He covered her mouth with his. Hunger rose inside her. She opened for his searching tongue. A low groan escaped his throat, and his chest quaked beneath her hands.
His fingers dug in her hair, and he deepened the kiss. Their tongues wrestled while his other hand roamed over her back and squeezed her butt.
She had to stop this craziness before their hearts broke all over again, but she wanted one night with him. One night so she didn’t have to only imagine his cock inside her. One night so she had a memory and not a fantasy. One night of their flesh intertwining until they fell asleep from exhaustion.
He started to unbutton her shirt, but stopped when she took hold of his hands.
“Let me fuck you. Let me bury myself in you and stay there forever.”
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Furtive Liaison
