First Sale Friday: Cassandra Carr

Hello!

It's been a while since I blogged or had a First Sale Friday but I thought I would start off with a bang (so to speak). My guest today is fellow Loose-Id author Cassandra Carr, whose debut book, Talk To Me, just came out.

Isn't that purty?!?!

Cassandra Carr 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 on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com, "like" her Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr.

HS: So tell us, how long have you been writing?

CC: I’ve been writing my whole life, but I’ve only been writing to get published since 2008, and went full-time around the middle of 2009.

HS: What attracted you to your romance?

CC: The idea of being seduced by a voice. I just thought it was a really cool concept.

HS: How many manuscripts had you completed before you sold?

CC: Talk to Me was my second manuscript. My first, Should’ve Known Better, is still being considered by a couple of publishers.

HS: Lucky you! Tell us about the day (the minute, the second) you got "The Call" (or The Email). What was your initial reaction?

Well, I’m going to sound like the most boring person on the planet, but after a brief “Squeee!” I contacted the other two publishers who had Talk to Me to tell them I had an offer. About a half-hour after I got The E-mail I got a rejection for Should’ve Known Better, and my world righted itself. ;-)

HS: The universe giveth and it taketh away... You must have celebrated at least.

My hubby took me out the next night for a nice dinner to celebrate.

HS: Gotta love the DHs! Was there anyone whom you wanted you rub your news in his/her nose?

No. I try to be a positive person – I actually describe myself as “relentlessly optimistic”. I’m sure it’s annoying to others at times, but it’s served me well.

HS: You all are too nice for me! ;-) Enough about that, though. Let's get to the good stuff. Tell us about your new release!

Radio producer Jamie MacMahon is in over her head with ex-hockey player-turned host Drew Milan. She’s attracted to the man who earned the nickname “the Beast” during his playing days from the moment they meet, but he’s her boss and she loves her new job. She’s made plenty of mistakes with men and loathes the thought of being yet another plaything for Drew, a man who sleeps with women but doesn’t date them.

Drew doesn’t want to lose a great producer and knows Jamie deserves a real relationship, but can’t stay away from the sizzling chemistry they create every time they’re together. Jamie’s insecurities and the very real prospect of having to leave a great job if this thing doesn’t work out, coupled with Drew’s fears about opening his heart and the possibility of losing his first competent producer clash.

Excerpt:

By the time the show ended and Jamie thought about how long it would take her to shut everything down for the night, then hustle herself off to the subway station and take the three different trains to get to her apartment all the way out in Brooklyn, she was truly afraid she would self-combust.

Drew ran out of the place like a bomb scare had been called in, so at least she didn’t have to worry about him anymore. Nonetheless, Jamie waited a good ten minutes past when she was finished with her nightly duties, then made her way back to the small production room where she and Drew had recorded his promo earlier. She knew a copy of it would still be stored on the computer in the room, and after scooting in and shutting the door, she booted it up. She told herself she needed to check it one more time before giving it to the station manager tomorrow, but who was she kidding? She needed to hear him but in a safe environment. Where she couldn’t do anything stupid. She needed his voice to weave inside her, through her, like a drug.

The rough yet strangely melodic sounds of Drew’s voice drifted over Jamie as she leaned back in her chair. Closing her eyes, she pictured his face in her mind -- his to-die-for lips traveling down the length of her body, just as her hand was doing at the moment; his navy blue eyes, focused only on her as he brought her to orgasm… She reached the button of her jeans and eased them open, propping her feet up on the desk.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this at work, but no one was around, and if she didn’t do something to assuage this ache, she was likely to jump him the next time she saw him. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Fantasizing about the man was one thing; straddling his powerful, muscular thighs in the studio chair and offering herself to him was another. That thought brought another rush of heat to her pussy, and she moaned. She needed serious help.

At first she just teased herself a little, rubbing outside her panties, but it soon became too much. She needed relief too badly to continue to torment herself. As Drew’s voice continued to assail her from all directions in the small, windowless room, she pushed her hand down inside the waistband of her panties and through her curls until she found the damp center of her sex. The sweet smell of her musk wafted up to tickle her nose, arousing her even more.

Twirling her fingers as much as the constricting position allowed her to, she imagined they were Drew’s tongue instead. She let out a plaintive moan as the picture caused her juices to flow even more, soaking her fingers. Plunging two of them into her pussy, she pressed her thumb on her clit, craving the direct stimulation. Jamie gasped as shock waves of pleasure shot from her pussy through her clit and up her spine, her back arching. And through it all, Drew’s voice urged her to new heights.

HS: WHEW!!! How did you know I liked the naughty stuff? Sounds awesome! When can we get our greedy hands on it?

CC: Talk to Me released on March 22^nd, so you can get your greedy hands on it right now!

HS: Where? Where? Where?

CC: Talk to Me is currently available through my publisher, Loose Id, and http://www.loose-id.com/Talk-to-Me.aspx. It should be on Amazon within a month or so.

HS: What are you working on now?

CC: I am just about ready to turn in a holiday-themed BDSM novella to Loose Id, and after that I’m writing an MS targeted to Harlequin Desire. I also have a non-erotic hockey romance on submittal (Should’ve Known Better – mentioned above), and a trilogy of bull rider books also out on submittal.

HS: OOOH! Nice (or should I say naughty!). What advice do you have for "Soon to be Published" Writers?

CC: Write, write, write. I have seen a noticeable improvement in my writing with every single manuscript I finish. Also, about finishing…to be a writer, you not only have to start writing a book, you have finish writing it. A million half-baked projects get you nowhere. And don’t query too early, no matter how much you want to or how sick of the MS you are. Be totally sure it’s ready for submitting before you dare send it out.

HS: So now for some fun stuff! Boxers or briefs?

CC: Briefs – why hide a great ass in a pair of baggy boxers?

HS: Really? I think you're the first to say that. But you can't hide a great ass under a bushel... Who's your ideal hero?

CC: I consider the hero from my first book, Should’ve Known Better, to be pretty much perfect. It’s like I took every attribute I love in a man and coalesced them all together to form Sebastian. I’m actually jealous that my heroine landed him!

HS: I sometimes hate my heroines. They get all the good men! What about facial hair? Chest hair? Yes? No? For your man, of course!

CC: Well, my hubby has a goatee, as well as copious hair on other parts of his body, so I’ll say YAY facial and bodily hair. Just try to keep it neatly trimmed, gentlemen.

There you go! Thanks, Cassandra, for visiting Harmless Smut!