Good morning! Please welcome guest blogger Sabrina York. Though I will be away for most of the day, please feel free to leave comments for Sabrina and I will post them as soon as I return. Thank you!
~Kate
Interview with Sabrina York
What is one of your favorite things about writing?
Writing is creating. It’s having conversations and escapades with the imaginary people in your head. It’s pulling in bits of reality and threading it through fantasy and then wrapping it all up in a steamy, sexy package.
It’s an adventure. A reflection of my soul. A gift for my reader.
And when readers enjoy what I’ve done…well, there’s nothing nicer. Not in the whole wide world.
My least favorite thing about writing? Editing. Ug.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a hard core plotter. I pre-plan every book on a grid with turning points penciled in at certain intervals. I allow myself to veer from the plan because I often need to, but my outline gives me a roadmap and in the process of creating it, I get to know the characters, their flaws and desires. And then I can throw things at them that will force them to change course. Sometimes they throw things at me.
They are difficult like that.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Sometimes, neither! Some stories start with an idea, or a concept or a random thought. My current WIP was inspired by a cooking show. I am fascinated by cooking shows—probably because I can’t eat anything fun. I was halfway through the broadcast before I realized I wasn’t paying any attention to the chou pastry at all. I was plotting in my head.
Other times I begin with characters. For example, in my Tryst Island Series, I know whose story is coming next…so while I’m working on book 4, I’ll start talking to the characters in book 5 to see what they have in mind.
For my latest release, Making Over Maris, the idea came from a reader who hated the nerdy secondary character bumbling his way through Adam’s Obsession and Tristan’s Temptation. “Jack needs his own story,” she said in no uncertain terms. “And he needs a spanking.” It was a challenge I couldn’t resist. It was tough making the socially inept, slightly doughy and incredibly be-furred jerk from books one and two into his own hero. But there’s a hero or a heroine in all of us, I think, if we look hard enough. Once I got to know Jack, I fell in love with him too. It pays to look beneath the surface. Because that dude is seriously hot!
What do you like about writing series books?
Series books are particularly fun for me, and for the readers. It’s the sense of returning to old friends, I think. So many people have told me they want to go to Tryst Island. They want to meet these people. They want to join the gang. I respond, of course, that they are part of the gang.
The books are all about them. And for them.
I LOVE plotting a series arc and dropping little hints in the early books to foreshadow some coming calamity. Series also allow me the opportunity to close loops later, when the immediate story didn’t allow for it. For example, we will find out in a later book in the Tryst Island Series that Dylan and Cassie are expecting, which will be exciting for fans of the series who know how much Dylan needs another chance as a father. Incidentally, Ash and Emily are expecting too. Which makes my gears start to whirl…Next generation series? Hmm…
What do you feel are some of the pros and cons of epublishing?
For an erotic romance author, digital has been a godsend. So many women feel comfortable downloading and reading steamy books on their ereader. They might never have walked into a store and bought that book. On the other hand, I love print books. (Yes, I am a book sniffer). Nothing gives me a thrill like opening a book from a favored author to the very first page. I recently formatted a couple of my self pubbed books for print, not because I want to sell them, but because I needed them for something else. But how exciting was it to open the box and see MY books lying there. In print! Many of my readers feel the same, so I plan to print up some extras as giveaways once I finish proofing the galleys.
Self publishing is a lot harder than working with a publisher, because everything falls on the author’s shoulders. But there are payoffs. Having complete control is one of them!
What do you like best about writing erotic romance?
The fun thing about erotic romance is that I can write in multiple genres…and still be in the same genre. Most of my books are contemporary, but Lust Eternal is a fantasy with mystical threads, Folly and Dark Fancy are set in my beloved Regency era and Rising Green is a horror. I can write dark BDSM or sweet erotic romance and all under the same pen name.
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
Writing is work. If you wait for a particular mood, nothing will get done. I write off a grid, and when it’s time to pen a sexytime scene, it happens. Sometimes it needs work when I’m done with it, sometimes it needs rewriting. Sometimes I need a cold shower…
Would you tell us about your latest release?
If your Kindle melted while you were reading the scorching first books in this series—Adam’s Obsession and Tristan’s Temptation—you’re going to want to read Making Over Maris, the third book in the award winning Wired Series by Sabrina York from Ellora’s Cave.
Featuring über-nerd Jack Maris and his co-worker (and secret crush) Sara Grant, this steamy novel continues the erotic story lines of the Trillo-Maris Gang…and steps it up a notch. Jack asks, cajoles, bribes Sara to help him become attractive to women. What she doesn’t realize is that Jack doesn’t want to be attractive to woman—he wants to be attractive to her. Sara also has no clue that Jack has secrets and is battling a dark past. But when she learns he craves a taste of FemDom, she is delighted to play along.
Their exploration takes them on a journey of lust and love and redemption—and a happy ending they both never dreamed could be theirs.
WARNING: Making over Maris is a Nerd-to-Hot-Hunk sizzling erotic romance. You will never look the same way at a geek in glasses again.
Sabrina York
Wired, Book Three
When über-nerd Jack asks Sara to make him more attractive to women, she can’t say no—even though it’s an impossible task. He’s shaggy and doughy and hopelessly inappropriate. He has no style or emotional intelligence but he’s a good person. And a great friend. What Sara never expects? Beneath all that fur and geekiness is a steamy hunk just waiting to emerge.
Jack takes Sara’s regimen very seriously, working out and losing weight until he feels like a new man. He even complies with her command to shave his beard—because Jack didn’t ask Sara to make him over so he would be attractive to other women. He only wants to be attractive to her. They go on a series of fake dates, each hotter and more sinful than the last. It’s not long before Sara discovers Jack’s secret desire to be dominated and what began as an arrangement becomes something amazing—something that could be real.
Inside Scoop: Our hero appreciates Femdom—with the right woman. Our hero doesn’t appreciate perfect strangers grabbing his junk. Ask nicely first, ladies!
A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
GET IT NOW: http://www.ellorascave.com/making-over-maris.html
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
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An Excerpt From: MAKING OVER MARIS
Copyright © SABRINA YORK, 2013
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
“So… Have you thought about it?” Jack could have kicked himself. He hadn’t intended to burst into her office and blurt it out like that. He’d meant to be suave and slick.
He should have known better.
He’d never been suave and slick.
No. He’d hovered in the vicinity of Sara’s office—after sending Kenny on a meaningless errand—and barged through the door and pounced upon her as soon as Kat left.
“Sit, Jack.”
He plopped into the chair and, because he didn’t know what to do with his hands, laced his fingers.
Sara studied him, dissecting him in that way she had, with her head tipped to the side, wrinkling her button nose. She was so cute when she wrinkled her nose. He forced himself not to wriggle. His cock didn’t listen. Something about her eyes, her lips, her scent, always stirred him.
He shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to her. In the office. Everywhere. But he couldn’t help it. He just did. Always.
When she looked at him like that, when she spoke to him in that clear, commanding voice, it was even worse.
Or better, depending on one’s perspective.
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’ve thought about it.”
His pulse jerked. “And…?”
She dropped her attention to her blotter and meticulously rearranged several deformed paper clips. His heart pounded a painful tattoo as he waited for her response. “And…” She met his eyes—God, she was gorgeous. “If I do this, we need to have an understanding.”
Relief, or something like it, trickled through him. An understanding was awfully close to an agreement. A promise. “Okay.”
Sara sucked in a breath. “First of all, we need to agree this is an impossible task.”
“Not impossible,” he grumbled. Surely not impossible.
“Okay. Improbable then. My chances of success are…dismal.”
Dismal? Jack’s belly dropped. He fiddled with the wiry hairs on the back of his neck. He didn’t like the way this was going. It was depressing that she thought so poorly of him. “Am I that hideous?”
Her eyes widened. A flush rose on her cheeks. “Oh my God, Jack. No. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It sounded that way.”
“Jack…” She rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay. How about this? We have a long way to go. Can we agree on that?”
“Sure.” He knew he was pouting. But he had a damn good excuse. She’d pretty much come out and said making him attractive to women—to her in particular—was a hopeless cause.
“My worry is this. I can teach you all the right things to say and coach you on how to act around women, prescribe a diet and exercise plan and even give you a makeover. But if you don’t listen to me—if you don’t follow the plan—I fail.”
“I’ll listen. I’ll follow the plan.” Hell. He’d follow her anywhere she wanted to lead. If she only knew…
Something fierce stirred in her eyes. “It’s not going to be easy, Jack. I’m gonna work you.” Why he shivered at the tone in her voice, he had no clue. Or maybe he did. “I want you to agree to honor our contract—even if you drop the ball.”
“Of course.” He always kept his promises.
“You swear?”
He put a hand over his heart. “I swear.”
She sat back. The fire in her eyes flickered and sputtered out. “Okay. So next week I’m going back East to spend some time with my mother—”
“How long will you be gone?” Damn. He hated it when she was gone.
Pain flashed across her features; her voice dropped. “She’s…not doing well.”
His heart squeezed and he wanted to say something comforting but couldn’t find any words. Sara’s mother had been in and out of the hospital for a year. They were very close. Each time her mother had a relapse, Sara suffered.
Jack had never had a mother so he couldn’t relate but he imagined having one and losing her would be even harder than never having one at all.
“In the meantime, I’ll put together a plan for you.”
“A…plan?” His mind spun. How on earth was this going to work if she wasn’t even here?
“Yes. And you have to follow it.”
“I will.”
She put her hands flat on the desk and skewered him with a glower. “Religiously, Jack.”
“Okay.” He tried to not wriggle in his seat. He loved it when she got all…adamant. “So you’ll do it?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “I’ll do it.”
Relief cascaded through him. Relief and hope. It was a tiny sprig of hope, but hope was hope. “So when do we begin?”
She gazed at him. Some strange emotion he couldn’t interpret flashed over her features. “Now.”
Oh. God. Excitement and satisfaction and panic surged through him. “Now?”
“Yes. I need to do an assessment. You know. To figure out exactly where we are.”
He swallowed. “An assessment?”
“Of your game.”
“Okay.” He liked games. He scooted to the edge of his seat.
“Let’s pretend I’m a woman—”
“You are a woman.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Be serious, Jack.”
“I am being serious.” He was.
“Let’s pretend I’m a woman you see at a bar. And you’re interested.”
Oh. He was.
“What’s the first thing you do?”
Okay. He could wrap his brain around this. He shifted to the side and pulled out his wallet. Found his trusty cheat sheet and unfolded it and spread it flat on the desk.
“What the hell is that?” She gaped at the rumpled, well-worn paper.
“It’s my flowchart.” Duh.
Sara blinked. “You have a flowchart for picking up women.” Not a question.
“Naturally.” Didn’t everyone?
“Let me see that.” Before he could stop her she snatched the paper away. Scanned it. “Oh God.”
He knew what she was seeing. He’d studied this flowchart a hundred times. Still, when she read it aloud, he winced.
“Picking Up Chicks.” She grimaced. “Seriously, Jack? That’s what you named it?”
“Yes.” What else would he name it?
“‘Step One. Assess the situation’. Okay. That works. ‘Does she seem cranky?’ Cranky? Seriously, Jack? Cranky?”
He shrugged. “It’s a critical variable.” It was. It was exceedingly difficult to pick up a cranky woman. “Statistically speaking—”
But Sara ignored him. “‘If Yes: Charm her from her bad mood. If No: Proceed with caution.’” Sara sighed and glanced up at him. “Proceed with caution? We’re not wild animals, Jack.”
“You kind of are.” This he muttered. She didn’t hear. Or maybe she did. Maybe she was ignoring him again. She did that.
With a derisive snort, she crumpled up his precious template for seduction and tossed it in the trash.
With a strangled “eep” he dove in after it, dug it out, refolded it and tucked it back into his wallet. It had never worked but it was all he had. He needed it.
She glared at him. And then for some reason she softened. “Women are not an empirical science, Jack.” She gestured to his wallet. “We’re not all alike. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to winning someone’s heart.”
Yeah. He got that. “But you need to have a standard operating procedure—”
“No, ya don’t.” She blew out a breath. He loved the way it made her bangs flutter up. “Don’t you see? This kind of thing comes off as cheesy. Planned. Practiced.”
“And that’s…bad?” How could planning and practice be bad?
“Women don’t want to feel like they’re an insect being dissected or analyzed. They don’t want to be one option in a sea of possibilities. They want to be special. They want a guy who responds to them on an instinctual level. A guy who is so interested, he can’t help but be charming. Not a guy who has to be reminded to be seductive—by an SOP.”
He shook his head. This was all so…alien. “I don’t get it.”
She buried her face in her hands. “No. You don’t. That’s the point. Oh Jack, I’m going to need a couple days to think about this.”
His pulse stuttered. “But you already promised…”
“No. I’ll do it. I did promise to do it. I just need to think about how to do it.”
He relaxed. Okay. Okay. Okay. It would be okay. “Thank you, Sara.”
“Yeah.” Her cell phone buzzed and she picked it up to check the screen. Her lips tightened and she set it back down. “No prob.”
Damn. Why did she seem so dispirited? He’d seen the tears on her cheeks when he interrupted her meeting with Kat. He’d hated her tears. Hated even more that he didn’t have any right to wipe them away.
“Sara.” He waited until she met his gaze. “Thank you.”
This meant everything to him. More than she could ever know.
“Sure, Jack. Give me a couple days to think about this.”
“Sure.”
She stared at him for a minute and then said in a very small voice, “You can go now.”
Right. He could go. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to fold her in his arms and hold her and make whatever was making her sad disappear.
He didn’t have that right either.
And he never would.
But for the next few months, he’d have her attention.
And that would be worth a thousand trips to Paris.
What makes the hero of Making Over Maris hot?
In my opinion, nothing is hotter than I guy who is completely, utterly and incontrovertibly in love with a woman. And that is Jack. That he’s been secretly mooning over Sara since high school (while she’s been oblivious of his existence, other than as a friend) only ups the stakes.
He will do anything, give up anything, to win her. Even shave his beard.
Who knew, beneath all that fur, a smoking hot hunk was lurking?
Any behind the scenes secrets about Making Over Maris?
Just one. And this makes me laugh whenever I think about it. I went to Romanticon in October, which is Ellora’s Cave’s annual conference. It is loads of fun and a great opportunity to meet other authors, readers and, of course, the sexy Cavemen. One of the activities they have for attendees is to do our own cover shoots with the Cavemen. (Who could resist that? AND you get to pick whichever one you want.) Of course, I did the shoot, and I picked DeAngelo to pose with me. I was very excited when he went on to win the Alpha Caveman award.
When I got home I looked at the cover for Making Over Maris and realized…that guy looked A LOT like Deangelo. I sent our art director a message: “Syneca. I am about to pee my pants. Is that DeAngelo on the cover of Making Over Maris?” Having the Alpha Caveman on your cover is like winning the lottery.
Her response?
“Girl, get yourself to the bathroom.”
I took that as a “Yes.”
DeAngelo is really adorable and a super sweet guy. AND he’s on the cover of my latest release! If you want to see more of him, check out his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/deangelolabare. But you may want to fix yourself a nice cool drink first. Just sayin’.
Would you give us a sneak peek at one of your upcoming releases?
Did I mention I LOVE Regencies? When I was writing Folly, the characters from Dark Fancy kept jabbering at me. So I had to write their story. And then, while I was in the midst of that, Edward and Violet started up! You know I had to write their stories as well.
Dark Duke and Brigand are currently in final edits and I hope to announce their release very soon. Here’s a taste:
Dark Duke
Sabrina York
Edward Wyeth, the Dark Duke of Moncrieff’s life has been turned on its end. His well-ordered home has been invaded. By destitute relatives. From Scotland. How on earth can he write Lord Hedon’s salacious novels with hellions battling in the garden and starting fires in the library? But with the onslaught has come a delicious diversion. His cousin’s companion, the surprisingly intriguing Kaitlin MacAllister. He is determined to seduce her. Using her desperate need for the ready and her talents as an artist, he convinces her to draw naughty pictures for his naughtier books…and draws her into his decadent web.
But Kaitlin has a secret. She’s fled Scotland—and a very determined betrothed. When Edward’s cousin is kidnapped and held in her stead, Kaitlin is honor bound to return to her homeland and rescue her—much to Edward’s chagrin.
Because suddenly he can’t bear the thought of Kaitlin marrying another man. He can’t bear the thought of losing her at all.
Brigand
Sabrina York
Kidnapped and held prisoner by menacing Scottish brigand, the notorious McCloud, Violet Wyeth does her best to persevere…and resist his rakish charms. But when she realizes The McCloud is really Ewan St. Andrews, the boy who once saved her life, the boy who once kissed her and made her heart flutter, she is lost.
Ewan has every intention of marrying Lady Kaitlin MacAllister. He desperately needs the entrée into the ton this bride can provide. But when his bride is delivered—bound and gagged—it’s not Kaitlin. It’s Violet Wyeth—the girl who betrayed him and ruined his life when he was a boy. He keeps her, determined to punish her for her sins. But when he discovers the truth about what really happened so long ago, and seething passion rises between them, he can no longer hold on to his rusty grudge. By the time he realizes how much he loves Violet—that he always has—he’s lost her.
All he can do is follow her. Follow her into the bowels of hell—and partake in the torment of the glittering London Season, where the harpies are far more dangerous than a Scottish brigand.
Happy reading!
About Sabrina
Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, writes naked erotic fiction for fans who like it hot, hard and balls-to-the-wall, and erotic romance and fantasy for readers who prefer a slow burn to passion.
An award winning author of hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers, her titles range from sweet & sexy erotic romance to BDSM to erotic horror. Connect with her on twitter @sabrina_york, on Facebook or on Pintrest. Check out Sabrina’s books and read an excerpt on Amazon or wherever e-books are sold. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Don’t forget to enter to win the royal tiara!
Want more?
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Books by Sabrina York
Adam’s Obsession (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)
Dark Duke (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave) —Coming soon
Brigand (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave) —Coming soon
Dark Fancy (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave)
Dragonfly Kisses: A Tryst Island Erotic Romance (Erotic Contemporary)
Extreme Couponing (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)
Fierce (One Night Stand, Decadence Press)
Five Alarm Fire (Erotic Contemporary for the High Octane Heroes Anthology, Cleis Press)
Folly (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave)
Lust Eternal (Erotic Fantasy, Ellora’s Cave)
Pushing Her Buttons (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)
Making Over Maris (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave) —Coming November 6th
Man Hungry (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)
Rebound: A Tryst Island Erotic Romance (Erotic Contemporary, Available on Amazon)
Rebound is now available on Smashwords
Rising Green (Erotic Horror, Ellora’s Cave)
Saving Charlotte (Erotic Contemporary for the Smokin’ Hot Firemen Anthology, Cleis Press)
Smoking Holt: A Tryst Island Erotic Romance (Erotic Contemporary)
Training Tess (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)
Trickery (Erotic Contemporary with Magical Elements, Ellora’s Cave Hex Line)
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Squee Kate! Thank you so much for the opportunity to share! Your interviews are always so much fun!!!!
Lovies,
Sabrina
Thank you for being here, Sabrina!