Rock Out with Guest Blogger Adriana Kraft

Win an autographed copy of hot & spicy Meghan's Playhouse today with Torrid author Adriana Kraft at the Book Boost.

She's here to discuss finding inspiration from rocks...

Sexy Goddess, Red Rock Canyons

Readers often ask us where the ideas come from for our characters and our story lines. Meghan Keenan was actually inspired by Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and desire. We updated her mission and gave her a contemporary setting: the bisexual Meg enjoys helping couples fall in love through sharing her sexual delights with each partner, then bringing them together. We thought this structure would provide lots of opportunity to create enticing erotic scenes!

So we had our character early on. Now, where to place her? We reached for a world we’ve known personally. We like to do this when we can, since we can provide depth and detail that’s harder to deliver when we have to research something less known to us. One of our kids grew up in Community Theater with Broadway aspirations and now lives in New York.

Voila – Meg starts off as a twenty year old in a small Wisconsin town, makes her way to New York and becomes a successful actress, mostly working off Broadway, in road shows and on cruise ships.

We didn’t have to ponder long about where to set the finale to her story (finale for now, I have to add!). By ourselves and with family members we have spent magical days several different summers in the Red Rock country of Southern Utah: Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Cedar Breaks, the Kolob Fingers, Snow Canyon. We’ve watched the moon rise over the Kolobs, marveled at the petroglyphs in Snow Canyon, and thrilled to vintage Shakespeare and contemporary plays at a regional Summer Shakespeare Festival nearby.

Our advice? Whenever possible, write something you know and love – and when that’s not possible, focus your research on something you’d love to experience. We’ve watched Paris at our feet from the Eifel Tower – not in person, but with its 24/7 web cam. We’ve staged a (fictional) tryst in a hidden guest cottage on the grounds of a manor house near Stratford-Upon-Avon. We’ve set a book in Sedona, Arizona after watching the sunset and the moonrise through it’s online camera. Better yet? Our fictional visit inspired us to travel there in person!

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for sharing your life and writing experiences with us. I'm always eager to read books that are inspired by real places. Makes me want to travel! I'm also impressed that you are really a writing team with your husband. And ask him to forgive me for referring to you as only "she" throughout this blog. ;-) Please tell us more about your latest release.



Blurb:

When Meghan Keenan’s old flame Josh Hendricks unexpectedly shows up at the Summer Shakespeare Festival where she has a leading role, Meg has a brilliant inspiration: he’ll be perfect for Camila, the hot Latina who currently shares Meg’s bed. If Meg’s scheme works, she can continue to enjoy sexy escapades with both of them.

Josh has a different idea. He’s come to the Festival with one goal in mind: to marry Meg. Will Camila buy into the plan and help him spark Meg’s jealousy? Can Josh escape this tempting triangle unscathed? And if he does, can he claim his would-be bride before she flees in panic?




Excerpt:

“My bed is already crowded.” Meg Keenan gave Josh Hendricks, her longtime friend and sometimes lover, a smile certain to perk his interest. That he’d arrived at the Sumer Shakespeare Festival wasn’t exactly a surprise—even though he wasn’t directing his contemporary comedy, he had written it. But it would’ve been good of him to let her know he was coming out. Last she’d heard, he was still ensconced in a theater guild in London. If she’d known, she might’ve planned a surprise or two. Meg always enjoyed surprising Josh.

She inhaled sharply. Maybe she did have a surprise for him.

“I wouldn’t expect otherwise,” Josh said, his mouth widening into a grin. “I can’t remember you ever being without at least one partner. How many this time? What gender or genders?”

“I’ll always make room for you, Josh.” Meg sighed and squeezed Josh’s knee. They sat on the grass in the Green Show area where she’d been rehearsing a routine. Spying Josh leaning against a shade tree waiting for her had seemed quite natural. “It feels like you’ve hardly been away.”

“It’s been nearly eighteen months,” he said, taking her hand in his. “You could do better with e-mail.” Josh chuckled. “I was pleased to hear you had the lead here for the summer. Josette and Zach send their love. She tells me she’s trying to get you to join her theater workshop as a full partner. That’s quite the opportunity.”

“I know.” Meg winced. “I’m not sure I want to. That much responsibility might tie me down too much.”

Josh’s eyes sparkled. “When I was your pirate on the cruise ship, you didn’t mind being tied down.”

She dug her fingernails into his palm. “That was different. I wanted you to ravish me, and you didn’t disappoint. God, can you believe it, I’m nearly thirty and I still don’t know what I want to do with my life.”

Josh arched an eyebrow. “You could marry me and have a bunch of kids.”

Meg laughed easily. “I’m not joking. I like my life the way it is. I’ve been able to work on and off Broadway, Vegas, cruise ships, and summer theater like this. Yet,” she drew in a deep breath, “sometimes I feel like I’m just flitting about.”

“Spreading your good cheer,” Josh quipped. “I suppose you still revel in being matchmaker.”

“Of course. That’s my calling.” Meg flashed an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s your turn. You show up out of the blue, and I have just the girl for you.”

“No way.” Blood drained from Josh’s face.

“Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Camila was born for you.” Meg hurried on, ignoring Josh’s protest. “She’s a UCLA grad student doing a summer internship here. I rented her a room in the big old house I’ve leased for the summer. You and she have so much in common. Her goal is directing, but she’s a playwright and an actress.”

“I’m not interested.”

“She’s gorgeous. Her roots go back to the Spaniards who settled much of California. Camila is about a half a foot taller than I am with a body made for loving.”

“So she shares your bed.”

Meg smirked at Josh’s suddenly husky tone. He wasn’t totally disinterested. “Of course she does. I wouldn’t hook you up with someone I haven’t tried out. You’ll find her to be a lot of fun and very passionate. She often cries out in Spanish when she comes. I’ve threatened to get a Spanish/English dictionary.”

“I’m quite fluent in Spanish,” Josh volunteered, raking a hand through his dark brown hair.

“A perfect match,” Meg cooed. “You’ll love Camila. And if you and she become a couple, I’ll still be able to party with the two of you now and then.”

Want More Adriana?

Visit her website here: http://adrianakraft.com
Or her blog here: http://adrianakraft.com/blog
Follower her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft

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