MUSE MONDAY
My guest today is Lexi Post. Enjoy and be sure to enter her drawing!
Brenda, thank you
so much for having me. I love talking about writing, especially about the
inspiration for my stories. As a literature major in college, it always
frustrated me that 9 out of 10 stories had sad endings. This was especially
hard for me because I discovered romances long before college and loved them. I
didn’t realize that part of the reason I loved
love stories was because of the happy ending. So when I decided to write
erotic romances, I just had to do something with the classic literature I had
grown to love.
Usually, when I
write a story, I use something from the classic work that is particular to it
and try to give my story a similar theme or atmosphere. I know. Okay, that
sounds far more complicated than it is. For example, when I used Poe’s “The
Masque of the Red Death” for my story MASQUE, I adopted his 7 colored rooms,
the abbey, the death figure for my hero and set it all 200 years later. With
COWBOYS NEVER FOLD, I used Bret Harte’s character types and themes from his
story, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat.” He used a poker player, drunk, madam,
prostitute and two young “innocents” and explored the theme of what is
“tainted.”
But in my latest
release, I had more work ahead of me than I knew when I decided to use Charles
Dickens’, A Christmas Carol. From
that story, I used the framework and an expanded premise. The premise was easy.
Dickens’ character Scrooge needs to be taught a lesson because he is a miser. I
simply changed the character to Holly a deeply grieving young widow who needs
help overcoming her sorrow. But when I borrowed Dickens’ framework of spirits
visiting the main character and taking her away to her past, present and
future, I had quite the writing challenge. First, there was no way I could do
that all in one book when my romance was between spirits. So PLEASURES OF
CHRISTMAS PAST only focuses on the visits to the past. Second, as I wrote the
scenes from Holly’s past, I found myself writing “young Holly” and “Holly” in
order to differentiate what the reader was seeing because the reader is
watching Holly watching a younger version of herself. To say it was a challenge
would be an understatement.
So to celebrate the
release of PLEASURES OF CHRISTMAS PAST because I overcame all the writing
challenges it presented, I have a contest going for a choice of ebook from my
backlist. So be sure to enter the rafflecopter below. I hope you have a great
Thanksgiving and holiday season!
Always,
Lexi
BLURB
When
present-day American social worker Jessica Thomas is assigned her first case as
a spirit guide, she’s excited to serve as the Spirit of Christmas Past for her
client and prove she knows her profession well. Unfortunately, her mentor, the
very hot, very single, and very Scottish Duncan Montgomerie has little faith in
her ability and plans to catch her when she falls. As far as she’s concerned,
he’s going to be waiting a very long time.
Bachelor
Duncan Montgomerie hails from late 18th century Scotland where he
enjoyed life to its fullest, something he continues in death. Having been dead
a while, he is well equipped to handle the afterlife where time doesn’t exist
and phasing is the norm. What has him stymied is his connection to the uptight Jessica
and the strange feelings he’s experiencing being around her, even though she
refuses to listen to his advice. Duncan needs to figure out what it all means and
fast because the rules change after death and the path Jessica is headed down
could cost her her soul.
EXCERPT
Duncan
turned to face her and leaned back against the stone edge, crossing his legs.
“Aye, I did and I do wear a kilt.” His smile faltered before it grew wider. “My
father wasn’t allowed to, some idiot law, but I remember wearing the
Montgomerie plaid from as far back as when I was a wee boy.”
Jessica
tried to envision what the six foot six Mr. Distraction looked like as a child.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. He would have been precocious, always
laughing and probably getting into all kinds trouble. She smiled at the image.
“Ah,
you have figured it out then?” He winked, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Her
instincts were finally helping her see the slight nuances in his face. She’d
been distracted by the smiles and laughter, but now, she could see that
sometimes those were used to hide doubts and dare she think it, insecurities.
She
sauntered over to him. “As a matter of fact, I have.”
Buy Links for Pleasures of Christmas Past:
