Monday, September 22, 2014

Welcome author Ember Leigh today

Please give a warm welcome to author Ember Leigh today as we sit down to chat with h er on a variety of things and check out her new book at Breathless Press, Carlos and Casey.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? My name is Ember Leigh, and I am really happy to be here! Here are some fun facts: I write erotic romance with Breathless Press. My first rejection letter came at age 9. I used to want to be an astrophysicist, until I realized all the math involved. I also love rainbow chard and black beans, and sometimes together.

What started your interest in writing? I think about this lot, and I can't figure out if it was fate or mere influence. Overall, I'd say it was a combination of both. My mother and grandmother are both writers, and my mother promoted a lot of reading in my childhood. I began penning my own tales around age 8, because I was obsessed with space and wanted to write stories about girls exploring the moon. It’s in the genes and in the upbringing.

What is your book(s) about? My latest release is an erotic short story, also known as a Flirt. Two ex-lovers meet up after four years have gone by, and lots of things have changed. New lifestyles, new jobs, divorce, etc. The story looks at that awkwardness that emerges once a lot of time has passed, and neither knows what the other is feeling, but that spark is still there.

What do you do when you’re not writing? This question makes it sound like I write most of the time, which, unfortunately and maybe sadly, isn't true. Someday I'll get there. But, when I'm not writing, I'm doing any variety of the following things: cooking, yoga, spending time with friends and my partner, compulsively googling abstract topics under the guise that I'm researching for a novel, working a day job at an NGO, or delicately re-hanging laundry so that it dries evenly for that awesome spurt of late afternoon sun.

Are any of your characters like you? Not overtly, but I think it's impossible for an author to write a character that has no part of them represented. Every character has something that comes from within. Even if it's just the fact that they hate a certain vegetable or something.

What genres do you write in? My published works have only been in contemporary, m/f erotic romance. I am about to dabble in the waters of romantic suspense, and, down the road, something with a sci-fi twist. I don't know where this road will lead but I'm heading down it!

Is there anything you will never write about? Aside from the regular no-no's that I couldn't imagine including in my work (pedophilia, non-consent, etc), I also probably won't be writing any vampire tales anytime soon. Or anything involving shifters. The stories aren't uninteresting to me, I just find myself content being the spectator instead of the ride operator, so to speak. 

Do you keep a notebook near your for when new ideas pop into your head? I do, technically -- but what "notebook" ends up being is a combination of post-its, word documents, notebook scribbles, iPhone messages and, of course, one actual dedicated writing notebook. These float around in all possible arenas. It's very chaotic. Every once in awhile i sit down to condense all the various bits. It's rarely contained. 

For readers who haven't tried your books yet, how do you think your editor or loyal readers would describe your books? Something that comes up a lot is my relentless use of "back and forth" with my characters in admitting that they are into one another. I suppose this emotional and sexual tension runs pretty rampant in my work. Some people aren’t fans of that, but it’s something I like to play with, since my characters are usually extremely hesitant or even downright resistant to opening up to love. 

I’m always looking for book recommendations. What books have you been reading? Would you recommend them? I might be late to the show, but I just finished Stephen King's "On Writing" memoir and it was fabulous. I recommend that because it's both a resource and a fun read. Beyond that, an ‘of the moment’ recommendation would be ‘The Rise & Fall of the Scandamerican Domestic’, which is a collection of unsettling, strange, and fascinating stories about middle-class suburbia.


About the Author

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides in South America with her Argentinean partner, a detail she uses to justify her Bachelor's degree in Latin American Literature. In addition to romance novels, she also writes travel articles, maintains three blogs, and continually attempts to complete a mildly-gripping short story. In her free time, she practices Ashtanga yoga, travels the world, and eats lots of vegetables.



Carlos and Casey
GENRE: EROTIC ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BREATHLESS PRESS

BUY LINKS:

Recently divorced, Casey has been longing for a man's touch. So when business brings her back to Carlos, the one that got away, it has to be fate. The four years apart have only done him better, and all she can think about is having his arms, and body, wrapped around hers. But Carlos is not the same man he was four years ago, and Casey too is feeling the weight of too much time gone by. Can Casey help reignite his fire or has time left them behind?


EXCERPT:

Her breath caught as she followed him up the staircase, tucked to the far side of the house. Carlos had always been fit enough, but it looked like he'd taken up some new form of exercise in the past four years. He was beefier, yet still lean. His ass moved round and tight in front of her as they climbed the stairs. At the landing, he gestured in front of them.
"This is my studio, but it's all yours for tonight."
It was a rec room that took up the whole second floor, and far more standard male than the ground floor alluded to. Movie posters, gaming systems, books scattered on floors and coffee tables, and, off to one side, the trumpet, asleep in a bed of sheet music. In the corner there was an overstuffed couch just about as wide as she was long – it would be great to sleep on, even better if he could bend her over that armrest and fuck her until dinner was ready.
She cleared her throat, deciding adult friendships could be fun, even after four questionable years. "I thought I'd be sharing a bed with you?" She tried to keep her tone playful as she sauntered toward the couch. She tossed him a smile and she caught a glimpse of him looking very stricken. Shit. Too far. Things are too different now. Abort!
Maybe too much time had passed in general. Maybe he was courting a girl and wanted to take it slow with her. Maybe he no longer found her attractive, four years becoming the dagger in the heart. Maybe he'd become celibate, or found her life too normal and boring. There was a whole list of reasons why she shouldn't make the first move.
"I was just joking," she said after a moment, rolling her eyes. "Come on, lighten up."
He exhaled slowly, looking down at the ground as his tongue found the corner of his mouth. "I know it was a joke, Case."
"In case you forgot, we used to share a bed." She looked at him pointedly, already horrified that the words were coming from her lips. What was the getting at? Who had authorized this dialogue?
He squeezed his eyes shut and laughed softly. "Oh, I remember."


1 comment:

Guest Author Day with Kelli A. Wilkins: A Most Intriguing Temptation

  Spotlight on… A Most Intriguing Temptation By Kelli A. Wilkins www.KelliWilkins.com   Hi everyone,   Today I’m sharing an insi...