Please help me welcome Nona Raines to the blog today!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Thanks so much for having me here
today! I'm a former librarian (still a librarian in my heart, I guess) who has
always loved reading all kinds of books. Gradually, that led me to the desire
to write, as well.
Did you always want to be an author?
I think so, yes. I dreamed about it,
but for a long time it seemed only a pipe dream. It took a long time for me to
gather the courage to put my work "out there" and risk rejection.
What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?
My favorite part is creating
characters and getting to know them. To me, they're like real people. I may not
always like what they do, but I care about them.
Tell us a little about your book.
Just one
touch...that’s
all Andie Benedetto wants when she glimpses her father’s sexy neighbor. Images
of deep, long kisses and down and dirty sex heat up her fantasies. When he
catches her watching him, she’s embarrassed but undeniably turned on.
Just one
weekend...that’s
all Matthew Vostek can offer Andie. He recognizes her shyness, but also senses
her desire, the same desire he feels. Maybe they can fulfill each other’s
hottest fantasies.
Just an adventure...that’s what Andie tells
herself. Tired of playing the good girl, she’s ready to accept Matthew’s
challenge and enjoy the most exciting sexual escapade of her life. But when the
weekend is over, will Andie finally take what she wants instead of settling for
second best?
Excerpt:
She crept to the glass door and froze.
He was there, in the same place as the night before. But tonight Matthew was standing and staring right at her.
A wave of heat flashed through her body, coating her in a sheen of sweat. At the same time she trembled as though caught in a snow squall. Again, her mind shut down, and her body took over. She unlocked the door latch, slid the glass panel open, and stepped onto the deck. The automatic sensors tripped the lights and she stood illuminated, the lights shining through the thin satin of her nightgown. Her nipples budded against the silky material and moisture pooled between her thighs.
Matthew did not move. Instead of T-shirt and jeans, he wore sweat pants and no shirt at all. The dark hair on his chest tapered down until it disappeared below the waistband of those sweat pants. His face bore no expression, but there was the tightness of arousal in his features.
Matthew didn’t move, didn’t speak, as Andie slipped across the deck, down the steps, and across the lawn into his back yard. Exactly as she’d done in her fantasy. In the fantasy, she glided smoothly into Matthew’s waiting arms. She didn’t step on a sharp stone with her bare foot and stumble like a clown. “Ow! Oh.”
In the fantasy, Matthew didn’t rush to catch her by the arms to keep her from falling flat on her face. He didn’t need to hold her steady as she hopped on one foot wincing in pain.
Andie finally managed to stand on both feet. Burning with embarrassment, she almost turned around to crawl back home in humiliation.
Matthew’s breath brushed her ear. “Are you all right?”
Her resolve stiffened. She grabbed his face and pulled him down for a hungry kiss.
Andie claimed him with her kiss, while his lips worked softly against hers, his tongue exploring the soft moist interior of her mouth. His large hand cupped the back of her head, making Andie feel possessed and cherished at the same time.
But Andie didn’t want to be cherished, didn’t want gentle and caring. She wanted wild and fierce. Wanted to feel his big hands rubbing all over her.
It was better than her fantasy, running her hands over his shoulders, down his biceps, across his furred chest. His skin was so warm, so smooth. She broke the kiss and leaned in to lick his nipple, but he grasped her arms and gently pulled her away.
“This way,” he murmured, his warm breath tickling her ear and sending tingles over her skin. He turned her and guided her toward the doorway, intending to take her inside. But Andie wanted something different. Tonight it was ladies’ choice.
“No.” She pulled him in another direction, around to the side of the house hidden from the street. Matthew’s hand splayed on her lower back, burning through the light fabric of her nightgown as he followed her lead.
They barely made it into the dark corner when Matthew pushed her against the siding, kissing her hungrily and pulling up the back of her nightgown, running his hands over her back and ass. Andie edged her fingers down the top of his sweatpants, teasing his belly and playing with the coarse hair leading further down. Then, growing frustrated with her play, she pulled the stretchy waistband to stroke his erection. He was hot. Hot and hard and velvety.
Buy Links: One Good Man
When did you start writing and when did you finish your
first book?
I was working as a school librarian
at the time, and by the time I got home from work , I'd be tired and find a
million excuses to putter around, watch TV and NOT write. So I decided if I really wanted to write a book, I
had to buckle down and do it.
I began getting up at five every
morning and write for two hours before getting ready for work. It took me about eight months to
complete the book and revise it several times before submitting it.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from anything and
everything. Television, movies, songs, real life. Just things I imagine. The
problem usually isn't getting ideas. It's how to tease those ideas out far
enough to create a book.
For One Good Man, I began with Andie Benedetto. Her live in boyfriend
has moved out with little explanation. She's lonely, confused, at loose ends.
When she spies her father's next door neighbor one evening, she begins to
fantasize about him. When he catches her watching him, he's intrigued. From
there, Andie has to decide if she's going to remain Ms. Prim and Proper, or if
she's going to take a chance and do something exciting.
Do you plot and outline or do you just write? Plotter or Pantser?
I'm a bit of both. I use a basic
outline to map out where I'm going. From there I like to see where the story
takes me.
Can you tell us a little about the process of getting your
first book published?
It took about a year from submission
to actually having the digital book published. First there was the waiting to
hear if the book would be accepted. When I received the good news (Yippee!)
there came several rounds of edits, creating the final blurb with help from the
editorial team, and filling out information to assist in creating the cover. It
was all very new to me and very exciting. And it's still exciting!
What book have you most recently released?
My two most recent releases have
been Uncollared, a BDSM themed
erotic romance, and Irresistible Impulse,
an FF short story featuring Tania and Latisha, characters who appear in One Good Man.
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of One Good Man is when Andie makes up her
mind to approach Matthew. She
stops letting fear control her and takes matters into her own hands.
Rate your story in terms steaminess?
It's a very steamy m/f erotic
romance that includes up-against-the-wall sex, Scrabble sex, sex on a kitchen
chair, sex on a sofa and, oh yeah, even sex in a bed.
Do you have another book in the works?
I have a new novella coming out
later this month titled His and Hers and
Hers. As the title indicates, it is an erotic ménage romance, featuring two
women and a man.
What advice would you give new authors? What have you learned about the
business? I'd advise new authors to try to be pro-active
with promotion and social media as much as possible. If you can, start
promoting your book before it's published to build up a head of steam. You want
to be helpful to other authors, too, so you can build reciprocal relationships.
The romance community is very helpful and supportive. Try to take advantage of
that without making it all about you.
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers—they leave
more to the imagination J
Pizza or hamburger? Pizza with
pepperoni AND sausage.
Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? Wine,
though every so often I enjoy a "girly" drink.
If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would
it be? Would you write or read there, or do something else? I think I'd like to
spend it in some warm tropical place where I could partake of some of those
girly drinks and polish off some of the books in my TBR pile!
Author Bio:
Nona Raines became hooked
on romances when she first picked up "The Flame and the Flower" by
Kathleen Woodiwiss (and she's not telling how long ago that was). Romances may
have changed since then, but her love for a good love story has not. She's been
writing off and on for years, but it was only when she joined the Central New
York Romance Writers Association that she finally gained the support and
confidence she needed to complete a manuscript.
Nona lives in upstate New
York with her many pets and is currently working on her next novel. A former
librarian, she enjoys reading books of all genres and discussing them with
others. She is thrilled to finally be able to call herself an author and looks
forward to hearing from readers.
Where to find Nona @
Website: www.nonaraines.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nonaraines
Thanks so much for the interview, Krystal! I enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteThat is one hot sounding book Krystal! Thanks for having Nona visit and share!!
ReplyDelete