Author Interview
Welcome to Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews Rachel!
Do you have a "day job," or is being an author your career?
An author is my career - in between being a full-time mom to my two young daughters. I write erotic romance under Rachel Leigh and mainstream romance under a different pen name so I usually have one book to promote, one under submission and one to write, all going on at the same time. I like to be busy!
How did it feel to have your first book published?
Fantastic! I had written mainstream romance for a couple of years before deciding to write erotic romance and had no idea if I could do it. My first story Explicitly English started off as mainstream but the heroine wanted far, far more enjoyment than was allowed in that genre. So, of course, I had no choice but to tell her story ... her way. ;)
Do you have a special "spot/area" where you like to do your writing?
I write in different spots all over the house - the kitchen table, the sofa, the garden, in bed ... it all depends on the weather, where the kids are and how I'm feeling. I'm not a writer who tends to go to coffee houses or public places because I get too distracted by 'people watching'. It's better I stay home and concentrate.
When you write, do you adhere to a strict work schedule, or do you work whenever the inspiration strikes?
Strict work schedule every time - I wouldn't get anything done otherwise. As I am lucky enough to stay home, I get the kids off to school and then work from 8:30 to 3:30 every day during the week and as much as I can slip off without being missed during the weekends.
The evenings are for family time and I am equally as strict with myself about that too!
What are your favorite things to do when you are not writing?
Reading, watching US crime dramas, walking the English countryside near where I live with my beloved black Labrador.
What is the most gratifying thing you feel or get as a writer?
It sounds ridiculous but the part that still gives me the biggest high is getting the cover art drop in my inbox, lol! It only feels real once I see that - the acceptance, the editing, it's all surreal but then once I see my name on the cover ... then I celebrate. :)
How do you usually communicate with your readers/fans?
As I live in the UK but write for the US market, I communicate via email, blogs and interviews. I'd love to think I'll make it to the US for an extended visit one day but can't see it happening at the moment.
Is there anything in your books based on real life experiences or are they purely all from your imagination?
Most is from imagination except for the core theme or mood running through the story. I think love is universal and eternal. The emotions of lust, hurt, joy and romance as they were in the 1600s and beyond. As a romance writer, the emotion is what I focus on, everything else is secondary.
What authors have been your inspiration or influenced you to become a writer?
I've got too many authors that I admire to name them all but my earliest influence was Enid Blyton, then Judy Blume, then Harlequin books and then onto Nora Roberts and many, many others. I read as much as possible - to me, you can't be a writer if you don't read voraciously.
Are you currently writing a new book? If yes, would you care to share a bit of it with us?
My next book is set in the sexy, scandalous world of British show jumping ... here's the opening paragraphs:
Tilting her chin, Catherine marched forward. The red and white entrance tent was just ahead of her, and she slipped her press pass from her shoulder bag as she went through the opening. She hung it around her neck and approached one of the three smiling girls behind a long folding table. They looked puffed and preened to within an inch of their lives. Fake tan, lashes and nails had been applied with gusto.
Catherine bit back a smile. With her ample size C breasts and slender waist she'd give these three a run for their money even if she had ten years on their eighteen or nineteen.
She approached the blonde of the blonde, brunette and red-head trio. No doubt, one of each purposely placed so there was something to suit everyone's taste as they came through the entrance.
She held out her pass. "Hi, I'm Catherine James. Fayre Mead Gazette."
About The Author
Rachel Leigh lives in the UK and has been married to her own sexy hero for fourteen years. With three novellas contracted with The Wild Rose Press, Rachel is busy writing her fourth. This is a voyage into the sensationalized and sexy world of British show jumping, featuring a fit and demanding horse trainer and a wily, inquisitive journalist who knows just what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. When Rachel isn't writing, she's reading, watching TV, running around after her two daughters ... or playing with her husband.
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win 1 of 5 eBook Copies of Hot Summer Sands
Follow Rachel Leigh's Hot Summer Sands virtual book tour at every blog stop and enter to win 1 of 5 eBook copies of Hot Summer Sands. More entries = More chances to win!
Book Review
Hot Summer Sands by Rachel Leigh
Published By: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: August 17, 2012
Format: eBook - 140 pages (Adobe PDF / .mobi Kindle / ePub)
ISBN: 978-1-61217-550-8
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: Hot Summer Sands
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by CBLS Promotions.
Book Description:
Chef Michelle Hutton flees her controlling mother in the UK for the sun and freedom of Greece, longing for a new beginning and maybe just a bit of Zante's local heat. Sexy, pro-bono lawyer Sam Clarke might just be the one to teach her to let go. He's sexy, capable, and totally in control. And too damn hard to resist.
Sam Clarke and his best friend had once been the baddest boys to hit the local party scene - sex, booze, and more sex - until his friend is killed. Sam turned his back on the blatant sexuality of the island years ago, but can't resist Michelle's desire to bask in the sun and explore the need that grows between them.
Book Excerpt:
Closer and closer he came, rounding the counter and standing so close to her that Michelle was forced to tip her head back to meet his eyes. The smell of him - warm, musky and clean - wafted under her nose. She inhaled ... and really wished she hadn't as her knees quivered. She took another step back until her ass hit the steel counter top behind her.
His gaze darted over her face, lingering at her lips. Michelle put a hand on his chest without thinking and then whipped it back to grip the counter.
Trepidation mixed with arousal pooled like liquid in her stomach. "Sam, talk to me. What's wrong?"
His eyes dropped to her chest and unmistakable lust flared in his eyes, darkening them to a gorgeous midnight blue. Desire pulled at her core and her nipples tightened.
He met her eyes. "Everything."
She was trapped by the raw animal need to have him. To feel his hands on her bare skin, his mouth on hers. She licked dry lips. "You look like you're either going to attack me or -"
"Fuck you?"
She flinched. The harsh expletive shocked and aroused her in equal measure. "What?"
His hands clamped onto her hips, possessive and unyielding. A feral storm raged in his dark blue gaze. "I need to know."
She stared, unable to move or breathe. "Need to know what?"
"Need to know if this ... these feelings ... are just - "
"Lust?" The word slipped from her tongue, her mind blank of everything but Sam. The way he smelled, the lickable square line of his jaw. The yearning to have him on her, in her, over her.
The corner of his mouth twitched and a little of the fiery frustration seeped from his eyes. "Exactly."
His gaze darted over her face, lingering at her lips. Michelle put a hand on his chest without thinking and then whipped it back to grip the counter.
Trepidation mixed with arousal pooled like liquid in her stomach. "Sam, talk to me. What's wrong?"
His eyes dropped to her chest and unmistakable lust flared in his eyes, darkening them to a gorgeous midnight blue. Desire pulled at her core and her nipples tightened.
He met her eyes. "Everything."
She was trapped by the raw animal need to have him. To feel his hands on her bare skin, his mouth on hers. She licked dry lips. "You look like you're either going to attack me or -"
"Fuck you?"
She flinched. The harsh expletive shocked and aroused her in equal measure. "What?"
His hands clamped onto her hips, possessive and unyielding. A feral storm raged in his dark blue gaze. "I need to know."
She stared, unable to move or breathe. "Need to know what?"
"Need to know if this ... these feelings ... are just - "
"Lust?" The word slipped from her tongue, her mind blank of everything but Sam. The way he smelled, the lickable square line of his jaw. The yearning to have him on her, in her, over her.
The corner of his mouth twitched and a little of the fiery frustration seeped from his eyes. "Exactly."
My Book Review:
Twenty-six year old Michelle Hutton escaped the oppressive British upper-class clutches of her mother and ex-fiance for the sensual island of Zante, Greece. Determined to begin a new life as an independent woman who will do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, Michelle is excited to embrace her new persona. What she doesn't expect is to meet sexy pro-bono attorney Sam Clarke at the airport bar. Sam rescued her from the unwanted attentions of a beefy drunk dude, while also saving her from falling off her bar stool. There is instant sexual attraction that builds with a simmering intensity that is sure to explode!
Both Michelle and Sam have run away from their pasts in the UK to Zante, but their personal demons persist and cause them to struggle with the powerful emotional and physical tug that draws them to each other like a moth to a flame. Michelle left a controlling mother whose infidelity devastated both Michelle and her father. Sam and his sister Fiona left the UK to escape their parent's brutal divorce. For the first few years in Zante, Sam and his best friend Tony worked hard and played harder, until two years ago when Tony's sex escapades caused him to be murdered by a jealous lover. Devastated by Tony's death, Sam swore off that lifestyle and devoted his energies to saving the world one person at a time as a pro-bono attorney.
Michelle is reluctant to be dependent upon another guy until she has her independence firmly intact. Sam is reluctant to have a relationship because of what happened to Tony, but when he meets Michelle, his stance changes and he knows he wants her, he has to have her.
Can Michelle and Sam let go of their emotional demons and give in to the physical attraction that just can't be denied? Only on the Hot Summer Sands of the nude beach in Zante will the inhibitions and struggles give in to the desire that awaits them.
Hot Summer Sands is a sexy little story that has enough sizzling passion to make your breath catch and your pulse race. Written in the third person narrative, the reader is transported to sexy island of Zante, Greece, where sex appeal and anything goes is the norm when the sun goes down. Rich in detail and vivid descriptions, the author masterly weaves an erotically provocative story of two people who are attracted to each other, yet struggle with their own emotional demons. The steamy sex scenes build upon each other, you can't help but get caught up in Michelle and Sam's love story as their physical and emotional needs build to an exploding crescendo.
The author has created a cast of characters that are realistic, complex people who each have issues in their lives. I really enjoyed the immediate attraction that Michelle and Sam had upon meeting each other, and how their relationship grew from a physical to emotional one. The supporting cast of characters were a great addition to the storyline, while I did not like Michelle's mother one bit, I loved the support, love, and friendship that Sam's sister Fiona showered upon both Sam and Michelle. The dialogues and interactions among the characters were engaging and made this story even more entertaining. I would be remiss if I did not comment on the very hot, steamy, passionate sex scenes ... one word ... WOW!
Erotica romance fans, this story is a must read, it will satisfy your sensual cravings and make you wish you were on that island!
RATING: 5 STARS *****
