Please welcome Cassandra who is talking about her latest release and the process of writing it.
Be sure to enter the giveaway as Cassandra is giving away a $10 gift card to winner's choice of eBook retailer. Contest is tour-wide and ends May 15. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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What is your name and where do you live now?
Cassandra Carr. I live in Buffalo, New York.
First off, how has your week been?
Busy! I’m preparing to leave for RT Convention next Tuesday morning, and it’s Friday right now. Clothes are spread all over my spare bedroom, along with jewelry, shoes, etc. The box of swag I’m shipping to myself at the hotel is in my backseat. Need to take it to the post office today. And I just got my schedule from my assistant. I’m pretty sure I whimpered. ;-)
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it what would you say?
The book title is Should’ve Known Better. It’s a non-erotic contemporary hockey romance featuring Sarah, an adviser to an NHL hockey team, and Sebastian, a player. Sarah is twelve years older than Sebastian but both are very attracted to each other. Sebastian knows what he wants – Sarah. It’s up to Sarah to decide what she’s willing to possibly give up to be with him.
What was your favourite chapter to write and why?
It’s not an entire chapter, but there’s a scene that starts with Sarah and Sebastian at a bar. Sarah’s actually there with another guy. The song “November Rain” by Guns n Roses starts to play, and as she listens to the song, Sarah sees how much the words match her current situation with Sebastian. She flees out a side door onto a terrace and Sebastian follows her. They have a heated discussion and an even hotter interlude. That part, especially, was fun to write. Poor Sarah’s defences are almost completely gone and it was challenging to write her surrender.
Did you learn anything from writing your book? What was it?
That you may have to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite a book. Then you might even have to rewrite it a bunch more times. Particularly early on in your writing career, you’re going to make mistakes that must be fixed for any publisher to seriously consider the work. Should’ve Known Better was the first book I ever wrote, and after it got rejected several times I wrote another book, which did sell to a publisher. Then I rewrote Should’ve Known Better, got rejected more, and then rewrote even more times before my publisher took a chance on it.
Did you have any say in the title / cover of your book?
The title has always, always been Should’ve Known Better. My publisher did not ask me to change it. And because this is a small, boutique publisher, I was lucky enough to have a lot of say over the cover. I even commissioned my friend, cover model Scott Nova, to do a shoot for me using hockey equipment. One of those shots is the one on the cover.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Rob, who is Sebastian’s roommate, will get his own story as soon as I have time enough to write it. I’ve got an outline for Rick’s story, too. He’s the team’s enforcer, but a teddy bear at heart. I don’t know if I’ll write that one or not, but Rob’s story will be told and hopefully out within the next six months.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I can’t easily work without a title. I know some authors can, but even though many of my titles are conceptual I still need to have one.
Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?
It’s hard to describe. You’re so proud, but you also feel a tremendous sense of relief, like “Oh gosh, it’s real. Someone liked it enough to actually publish it!” That feeling doesn’t go away, FYI. I feel that rush every time I sell a book and then again every time I see one of my new releases. And if an ebook becomes a print book it’s even better. It’s a very cool feeling to hold your book in your hands for the first time.
Has anything surprised you about your writing life?
Yes! How hard it is! People say when you work from home, as many of us do, that you never really leave your work. With writing, it’s even worse because there’s always something to be done, whether it’s actual writing, promotion, filling out publisher’s forms, etc. Many writers are forced to work in their living rooms, where their kids are running around and the dog is barking. But we do what we have to so we can get everything done.
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Sara Jenkins, a math geek and hockey fanatic, is thrilled when the NHL hires her as an advisor for the Buffalo Storm. She gets to marry her two loves in this perfect job.
Sebastian St. Amant is a young hockey player looking to make the jump from the minors to the big leagues. His lifelong dream is within reach, but he needs to convince the Storm's management and coaches he's ready.
When Sara and Sebastian meet, sparks immediately fly. Both want to succeed, but neither can ignore the growing attraction and a relationship is out of the question—Sara’s an influential staff member and Sebastian’s a player, not to mention over ten years her junior.
But the impossible becomes the necessary when they can no longer fight their attraction. As everything crashes around them, the strength of their relationship is tested. Will it weather the storm, or should they have known better?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
Purchase Should've Known Better from Amazon, B&N and Smashwords.
About the Author
Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning erotic romance writer with Ellora's Cave, Siren Publishing, Sybarite Seductions, Decadent Publishing, and Loose Id. She lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra is the co-founder of two successful group blogs, Romancing the Jock and Dirty Birdies, and participates in several others as a contributor. Recently she was re-elected president of Western New York Romance Writers.
Connect with Cassandra Carr:
Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah Jenkins scooted to the edge of the seat in her SUV as she stared at the hulking building in front of her. The August sunshine was only partially to blame for the bead of sweat running down the side of her neck. She couldn’t afford to screw this up. After wiping her damp palms on her skirt, she slid out of the car and hit the alarm remote. Turning, she bounced off a hard object and stumbled backward from the force of the impact, letting out an involuntary grunt. The immoveable object was a man, and what a man he was. He had a body like granite, with chiseled features, and was casually attired in shorts and a T-shirt clinging for dear life to his arms and chest. The guy could’ve been a sculpture.
Yum.
“Are you all right?”
Her heart pounded in her ears due to the fight or flight reaction from their collision, paired with the pure, inexplicable rush of lust he evoked.
“I’m, um…” Sarah cleared her throat. Talk, you idiot. “I’m fine.”
Her cheeks flamed as she ducked her head. Was this what scientists meant when they said women were attracted to males they sensed had the strongest DNA? Between his killer body, light green eyes, and sexily tousled head of hair, he looked like he’d just jumped out a cologne ad in GQ. As far as she could see, his DNA was damn near perfect.
It was hard to miss the long, thorough once-over he gave her, leaving her hot and feverish—a reaction she couldn’t attribute purely to the blazing heat or her frazzled nerves.
Their gazes collided and he stared at her with a glimmer of male interest. She wasn’t sure why he’d be interested in her. He was gorgeous, and she was, well, a nerd, for want of a better word. Her eyes were drawn to full lips that would’ve looked feminine on other men, but there was nothing feminine or soft about him. Hard, sinewy muscles stretched over his arms, legs, and torso, but despite his size and musculature he managed to look lean rather than bulky. He reminded her of a panther readying to strike, and her breathing kicked up another notch. Sarah shook her head to clear it. She had a new job to focus on right now and that was the only thing that was important. It had to be. She couldn’t afford to screw this chance up.
“After you,” he said, moving back a step and motioning for her to pass. His voice had a hint of an accent. French-Canadian, perhaps? It rolled over her like a gentle breeze.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry about running into you.”
“I’m not.” He gave her a one-sided, incredibly hot smile.
She needed to get into the building before she did something stupid like offer herself to him as a human buffet.
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