I'd like to welcome the amazing Thea Landen to my blog. She has a new release out called Second Skin. It's part of Decadent's 1 Night Stand Series so you know it's going to be hot.
To All the Boys I’ve
Loved Before
“So where do you get
your ideas?” If you can find me an author who hasn’t heard that a million
times, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. I’m not sure what people are
looking for when they ask that question, and I haven’t found a satisfactory
answer to that yet. Either I gather snippets of inspiration from everything to
a book I read to a piece of some story I heard at work, or I’m standing in my
bathroom at midnight with a toothbrush in my mouth and I have that light bulb
moment where the idea seems to form out of nothing.
One challenge of
writing is coming up with realistic, compelling characters that “pop”. While
their traits and circumstances are the results of my imagination, I won’t
pretend I start from scratch every single time. Sometimes you need a baseline,
a template, a foundation on which to build the stars of your story.
I’ve been doing this on
varying levels since I first started writing and publishing fiction. The two
vastly different male leads in my Searching
the Skies series are somewhat physically based on two men I knew who ran
opposing internet gaming forums. (Hey, don’t judge.) My fantasy romance novel The Edge of the Sphere grew from a short
story I wrote for friends in my writing/gaming circle, and as such, the hero,
an introverted artist, is loosely based on one of those friends. Hell, I think
just about everyone I know (or at least their gaming alter egos) somehow gets
referenced in my sprawling sci-fi series,
Disintegration.
When it came time to
write Second Skin, the character of
Anna and her story of growth was pretty well-defined in my mind. However, I
needed someone just as strong to play opposite her. In order to do that, I wanted
to have a vivid mental picture of him as well.
While promoting this
book on other sites, I’ve mentioned that one reason I chose the setting of a
winery in upstate New York for the 1Night Stand date was because I had my own
summer fling kick off at one of those lakeside resorts. He was gorgeous and we had some hot, steamy
fun together during the hot, steamy nights of June and July. Though I never saw
him again once September rolled around (probably for the best), he remains a
fond memory. While writing, I tweaked a couple minor details like eye color,
but I otherwise had that clear image in my head to work from.
Okay, so I built a
body. Next, he needed a name. This time, my mind wandered all the way back to
high school. I was thirteen, Brendan was seventeen, and like many girls I knew,
I was madly in love with him. I accepted that he was too old for me, so I
settled for just enjoying the all the time we spent together at the
extracurricular activity we were both involved with. (FINE, I’ll come clean: we
played the same instrument in the school’s marching band. Yep, I was a big ol’
band geek.) He was the nicest guy, funny, and sweet, and caring…all
characteristics I wanted this character in my story to have. And thus, I
bestowed the name of Brendan on Anna’s date.
This isn’t the first
time I’ve drawn on my lingering impressions of people I’ve known, nor will it
be the last. I’m writing another 1Night Stand story right now, and the male
lead is a similar amalgam of several men I’ve had various interactions with.
One last word of warning for those who know me, though: this exercise can go
both ways. After all, villains and antagonists need names and traits as well….
The Blurb
Anna’s career as a high-level CIA operative is put
on involuntary hiatus. When a trusted colleague passes along the information
for the 1Night Stand service, Anna decides to take the plunge against her
better judgment and seek some intimate company. But her CIA instincts can’t be
ignored, and when she contacts Madame Eve, she uses an alias.
Brendan owns a lucrative manufacturing company, but
he’s yet to achieve the goal of finding a woman with whom he can share his
successes and joys. But beneath his polished, capable exterior hides the
painfully shy teenager he’s never been able to escape. When his own efforts in
the dating scene fall short, he turns to 1Night Stand.
It would be so easy to fall in love with Brendan,
and Anna’s protective mask slides away, piece-by-piece, revealing more of
herself than she should dare. Before she can slip away with the sunrise,
Brendan shows their encounter in a new light. Will Anna take a chance on their
future, or will she choose to return to her undercover, but lonely life?
Second
Skin
1Night
Stand
What
Readers are saying:
“If you're looking for a read that can balance
titillation with a meditation on the double-edged sword of intimacy - fear of
it, and desire for it - this is the story for you.” ~ Amazon.com review
“The sex is hot, the story and characters are
believable. Can't ask for much more!” ~ Amazon.com review
About
the Author:
Thea Landen lives in New York with her husband and a
variety of houseplants. A former educator, she strives to encourage creativity
and passion in all those around her, and uses writing to help inspire. Though
she reads and writes in nearly all genres, she has a special fondness for
science fiction, fantasy, and adventure and anything that pushes the
imagination beyond its usual limits. When she’s not writing, or thinking about
writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing
games.
Contact
Details:
Enjoy the following excerpt for SECOND SKIN:
“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?” His breath
danced across the tip of her ear.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Summers in this region are always nice, but they’re
nothing compared to the autumn foliage,” he said. “Have you ever been up here
during that time of year?”
Anna continued tracing idle lines from his wrist to
his elbow. “No, I haven’t.”
His head dipped lower and his lips grazed her skin.
“I realize it’s early for us, but I’d love to come back here with you. We could
watch the changing colors, cuddle in front of a roaring fire….”
Anguish stabbed at her. The images he described
sounded flawless and enticing. Every part of her yearned to agree to whatever
he offered, but planning a rendezvous posed too much of a risk. She hadn’t
predicted the difficulties of keeping up an ongoing charade with the man she
met.
“That sounds lovely.” She swallowed hard and turned
toward him. Her cheek rested in the crook of his neck, though its comfort did
nothing to assuage her unexpected guilt over the upcoming lie. “Maybe we can
work something out.”
Blurb
