Welcome
back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Today I have the honor of hosting contemporary
erotic romance author Karla Doyle with her newest release through Ellora’s Cave
Publishing, More Than Words! Karla
and I connected through Six Sentence Sunday and I fell in love with her little
snippets, and now it has been published.
Welcome,
Karla. Thank you for being with me today.
Hi, Siobhan J Thanks for inviting me, and for the
lovely compliments about the More Than Words snippets. Choosing a
six-sentence excerpt is hard, isn’t it? I agonize over it every week, but I’m
addicted to Six Sentence Sunday, so I never miss a week.
It's murder, but so worth it. What
started you on the path to becoming an erotic romance author?
I’ve always
been an avid reader and enjoyed telling stories. In a conversation with a
friend a few years ago, I mentioned a story idea that had popped into my head.
It was at her urging that I started writing stuff down, instead of just talking
about it. As far as why erotic romance…write
what you enjoy, right?
Absolutely. Congratulations
on your release of More Than Words
with Ellora’s Cave (actually, it’s more of a SQUEEE!). Introduce us to the main characters and premise of your
story.
The hero and
heroine of More Than Words are Travis & Calli. Travis is a tattooed guitar
player with an up-and-coming rock band. Calli owns and operates what she calls
a “romance store” (though most people would call it a sex shop). Travis is sick
of the party scene and wants to meet a woman who connects with more than his
outward, bad boy persona, so he joins an online “adult” Scrabble site in hopes
of finding her. Calli has suffered a major trauma that makes real dating or
relationships pretty much impossible. She wanders onto the same website as
Travis looking for a safe, temporary, anonymous
distraction from her day-to-day life.
A brutal mugging two years ago left Calli terrified to go out
after dark, and incapable of real dating. Hanging out with a resentful
Chihuahua every night hasn’t filled the void, and all the sex toys from the
store she owns could never replace a flesh-and-blood man. An online Scrabble
site promising anonymous, flirty fun sounds like just the ticket. A like-minded
geek, that’s what she needs. Unbeknownst to her, the man on the other end of
the game is anything but geeky.
Tired of the party scene, Travis seeks a venue where he can meet a
woman who is drawn to his mind, not his profession. Having women chase after
his bad-boy musician persona has grown stale. After heating up the tiles online
with Calli, he knows he must meet her in person. Touch her in person. And when
he does, their chemistry is undeniable. She stimulates him, mind and body. But
when he discovers her tragic past he realizes it will take more than words to
win her heart…and her trust.
Did
anything in particular inspire this story? Why did you choose an online game to
introduce the characters and why scrabble in particular?
I love
Scrabble, both virtual and traditional. I play a lot of online Scrabble (and
Words With Friends)—it’s my number one distraction, LOL—and I chat with most of
my opponents. Sometimes it’s normal, friendly chat, sometimes it’s trash talk. One
day I wondered, if I was single, would I ever flirt with my opponent? Maybe.
Probably. Then my writer’s brain kicked into overdrive. The characters
presented themselves to me (as they always do) and I started writing their
story.
What
other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?
I’m currently
writing a novel linked to my debut novel (Game
Plan). The extremely outspoken best friend from GP is the heroine of this untitled book, and she’s the last person
on earth who wants a happily ever after. She’s really making me work for this
story!
I’m also
working on a novella (or trying to, as I’m not so good at writing short) based
on an idea that’s been swirling around in my head for months and months.
For 2013, I plan
to write another book linked to Game Plan,
a stand-alone prequel featuring a secondary couple who appear in GP (I’ve had many requests for Katie
& Logan’s story, so who am I to argue, right?). I also plan to finish
another book I have on the go, an old-friends-reuniting story set in a small
town. I’m itching to get back to that one.
Thank you
for joining me today, Karla, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!
Thank you,
Siobhan! It was fun! J
If you’d
like a copy of More Than Words, you
can find it at:
And be
sure to check out Ms. Doyle’s other releases:
Game Plan:
You can
find Karla at:
Please say hi
to me, whether on the blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I love connecting with
people!
An Excerpt from: MORE THAN WORDS
His toes were officially numb, but he deserved it. “I
should’ve told you all this before shutting down my computer and driving over
here.” And now, the part where he behaved like a decent guy, not Travis Graham,
womanizing charmer of panties in three provinces and at least four states. “I’m
going to head home. If you give me your number, we could talk, which I would
very much like to do.”
“I’d rather we, uh…”
The frigid November night had turned the tip of her nose
red. The pink on her cheeks had nothing to do with the weather. Both were
fucking adorable.
“Pick up our game online?” He sounded like a desperate man.
Appropriate, because that’s exactly how he felt.
“No, I want… Ugh, I’m not very experienced at this stuff.”
“Me either.” He laughed when she raised an eyebrow at him.
“What—it’s true.” And it was—he’d never had to wait in subzero weather for an
invitation from a woman.
“You’re full of shit, but I’d like you to come in anyway. If
you still want to…Travis.”
“I want to.” Jumped all over that, hadn’t he? The sound of
his name in her sexy voice, the way she tested it on those pretty lips, heated
the blood now surging through his veins. He stepped inside and she
triple-bolted the door behind him. Locking him in with her—fine by him. “I like
it when you say my name.”
She smiled up at him while returning her dog to the ground.
“I like it too. I mean, when you call me Calli.”
“It suits you. Very feminine, with a hint of incredibly
cute.” He shrugged his coat off and delivered it to her waiting arms. Watching
her move around, the simple act of hanging a coat on a hook, had him itching to
touch her. She caught him staring. Smiled a little, blushed a lot. Damn.
Her hands knotted together in front of her waist. “Would you
like to come upstairs?”
So sweet, so proper. So unlike the women he’d grown
accustomed to. If they were chatting online, he’d play on her words, tell her
it didn’t matter where he came, as long as it was with her. For now, he dialed
it back. “Very much. Lead the way.” He kept his hands at his sides as they
climbed the wooden stairs. Took all his willpower, but he didn’t touch her.
Just stared at her pert ass swaying in front of his face. His cock pushed
against his fly. Taking the edge off a few hours ago didn’t count for much now,
not with Calli’s bare legs mere inches away, tempting him to the point of
insanity.
“You don’t have a heart condition or something, do you?” she
asked when they entered her apartment at the top of the stairs.
“Nope. All my organs have been tested and checked as clean.”
Again with the shy smile. “Just out of shape, then?”
“I like to think I’m not. I run ten kilometers without
stopping and hit the gym at least three times a week.” To hell with it, he was
going for it. He stepped closer and lightly cupped her waist. “Decide for
yourself…put your hands on my stomach, or chest, or whatever else you want to
check the fitness of.”
♥♥♥
Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)
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Comments are on moderation, so they'll become visible once I've read them. Words, words, words. I love them. Have you a few to lend?
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