Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Emma Lai: 

Birthday? September 1st.
Favorite color? At the moment, purple.
Favorite animal? Dog.
Siblings? Too many to list.
Favorite drink? Champagne.
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Cinnamon.
Favorite author? C.S. Lewis.
Favorite dish? Curry.
Ice cream flavor? Mint cookies n’ cream.
Favorite Season? Fall.
Plotter or Pantser? Panster.
Hobbies? Watching movies.
Dream vacation? Trip around the world.
Favorite TV show? Big Bang Theory.
Musical preference? Classic country.
Pet peeve? Negativity.
Favorite place to write? Chair in the living room.
Favorite song? Daddy’s Hands by Holly Dunn.
Odd family fact? Too many to pick from.
Unforgettable moment? Son’s birth.
Favorite Superhero? Iron Man.
Spicy or not? Spicy.
Cat or dog? Dog.
Favorite candy bar? Snickers.
Favorite guilty pleasure? Escaping the house by myself.

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less:

Wanting It All coming September 25th from Loose-Id.

Clayton Palmer has power and prestige. What he doesn’t have is another man to share his life with. Will his courtroom nemesis and secret crush be open to negotiations?

At Least Once More coming September 28th from The Wild Rose Press

Miss Annabelle Abbott wants love but finds only fortune hunters, so the next man has to prove his desire for her body first. Will the Duke of Powis satisfy her demands?

To learn more about Emma and her fabulous books, please visit her website: http://www.emmalaiwrites.com 

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Off the Keyboard Welcomes Emma Lai!

I’m excited, and nervous, to be celebrating the release of Riding Rodeo today from The Wild Rose Press. I’m excited because it’s always exciting to see one of my stories hit the market. I’m nervous because this story is near and dear to me.

A stupid accident robbed the world of a young woman, whose smile literally lit up the room and whose laughter was contagious. How better to honor her than to give her a happily-ever-after?

I struggled long and hard over this story, especially its presentation. After all, an erotica hardly seems the appropriate genre to honor someone’s memory, but while the book was written with her in mind, the characters took on lives of their own, as they often do for me, and the result was Riding Rodeo.

I’ll also admit that while Sean was loosely based on a guy my friend had a crush on, it was my own experience with bronc riders that brought him to life. How much experience? Well, I’ll just leave that up to readers’ imaginations.

Blurb:

The last person Amanda Goodson expected to walk into her bakery was Sean Cassidy, the bareback bronc rider who rode her hard one night and left without a good-bye the next day. Since then, she'd sworn off one-night stands and cowboys, but one look at the man she called Rodeo leaves her hankering for another ride.


A nasty injury ended Sean's career and left him with nothing but time to contemplate past sins, especially the most damning one...walking out on Amanda, the one woman he couldn't forget. Eager to right the biggest mistake of his life, he finds Amanda--and learns he has competition. Never one to back down from a challenge, he offers to fulfill her darkest fantasy--taking two cowboys for a ride.


When the dust settles, will Sean's plan to win Amanda's trust backfire or will she risk her heart for one more shot at Riding Rodeo?


I’ll be giving away a copy to one lucky person who leaves a comment.

Holy Hotness Batman, I HAVE to read this one!
A wounded cowboy hero? 
Oh, yeah, I am so there. Sign me up for a copy!
Readers, make sure you leave Emma a comment for your chance to win!

Oh, and before forget...
HAPPY RELEASE DAY, EMMA!

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Spotlight On... Emma Lai

Today I have author Emma Lai with me at the keyboard. Welcome, Emma, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for six years this month and am a stay at home mother with a beautiful 16 month old boy, who loves to learn and hates to sleep. I have degrees in engineering and international relations and use both in my writings. I have three short stories published, two submitted and numerous works in progress.


What are you currently working on?

I have numerous works in progress, but the projects I’m most focused on are a couple of contemporary erotica and a young adult sci-fi/fantasy.

Tell us about the book you’d like to promote today. Where can we find it?

TWICE IS NOT ENOUGH is the story of Lady Minerva Peters, who after several disastrous engagements is an expert at suppressing her own needs. Only in the darkness of night does she give in to her wanton desires with a fantasy lover.

In the middle of a crowded ballroom, she learns her father is not yet ready to let her fade into spinsterhood. Humiliated, she ducks into a dark alcove only to find out she's not alone. Her hiding spot is occupied by a captivating stranger. Before she can escape, the two become voyeurs to another couple’s sexual rendezvous. The atmosphere heats up and so does her body, especially with the tempting offers whispered in her ear.

Will Minerva deny her needs once again or will she embrace the anonymity of their seclusion and finally explore her basic impulses and the startling attraction to the compelling mystery man?

TWICE IS NOT ENOUGH  is now available from The Wild Rose Press.

Who would you cast to play your hero and heroine in a movie?

A young Julia Roberts and Orlando Bloom.


Great choice! Have you ever made big changes in your story because someone – your critique partner, a friend or family member – really didn’t like it? If so, are you glad you did?

I was required to entirely rewrite a scene in HIS HOPE, HER SALVATION  in order to get it published. At the time, I was a little irked, but I really loved the finished product. So, in the end it was for the better. However, I saved the original scene for possible use in a future story. It’s so different from the finished version, no one would recognize it as even belonging in the story. And, of course, the characters would be different.


What is the most interesting comment you’ve ever received on one of your books?

Vicky at Sizzling Hot Book Reviews “really liked that the start [of TWICE IS NOT ENOUGH] IS based on reality.” The review explains it’s the characters and situation that are based on reality. The setting is Regency England. So, I guess I found it interesting because it means the story is timeless. At least, that’s how I’m interpreting it. LOL.


What is the best thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

How to write to an audience. It’s wonderful to have story ideas and create characters, but sometimes those ideas and characters have to be molded to fit the expectations of an audience. If a character does something out-of-character, the audience is jarred from the story. So, the action either has to be set up better, removed or rewritten.


Do you have a favorite character or one that you identify most with?

I identify with different characters at different times. It really depends on what’s going on in my life at the moment. Right now, I don’t have a favorite.


What books are currently on your nightstand?

I’m in between books at the moment. Most of the reading I do now involves either Baby’s First Library ABCs or Ten Little Ladybugs.


LOL Where can we find you on the web?

http://www.emmalaiwrites.com

http://emmalaiwrites.blogspot.com

http://emmalaivisitsthespicierside.com


Is there anything you’d like to ask your readers?

What’s your favorite part of a story?


Thanks for visiting with Off the Keyboard today, Emma. Best wishes for many, many sales. :)



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