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Showing posts with label Turkish Delights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkish Delights. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My Dirty Little Secret

No, I'm not sharing the contents of my adult toy chest.  And I promise not to ramble on about my own particular predilections in the boudoir, shower, bubble filled tub or anywhere else. Nor am I gonna describe how I lost my virginity (it was definitely not best seller worthy).


I am however going to share 2 things about me you might not know.  I am competitive as hell.  While I never played a single sport in my life, perhaps I should have because I hate losing. That is to say I hate coming in second place or in anyway not having people congratulating me for something. Weird? Not really. It's human nature to want that. We just vary in our willingness to do what it takes to get it--the congrats, kudos, admiration, respect and the spotlight.


I like to think that books that draw the attention of the masses are worthy of it. And because I know what it takes to pour creative energy into writing a book I truly do respect and value anyone who has undergone the process.  It's painful sometimes, definitely time consuming, and if you have decent editors it can be even more painful once you get to that stage. Crafting a really good story out of your head, then formulating it into a really good, sellable book is hard bloody work.  We all want our hard work recognized at a level we think is appropriate for the energy spent in creation.


Here is dirty security #2: I thought I could never write a story about a female virgin.  I just did not think I could get into a young woman's head at that level.  It intimidated me truth be told. Sort of like writing a gay love story did at one time. So, since I am that person who is that competitive, I dove right in and did one.


The Diplomat's Daughter, the Turkish Delights prequel from Decadent Publishing is the story of that woman. Vivian Kincaid is one of those girls whose natural tendency is to rebel, to chafe at authoritative bonds, in this case from her father and society. The book is set in 1960s Istanbul. As a young girl, Vivian hated how confined she felt in her parents' diplomatic residence in the historic city. When she found a friend, son of paid staff of the house, she was able to sneak away nearly daily to explore with him.  But one day they get caught, and he is sent away to avoid the suggestion of impropriety.


Later, her parents divorce and she moves home to the States with her mother. The story opens after she has been required to return to her father's home after her mother's death. And she is all kinds of pissed off about her life. Unfortunately her father is the quintessential authoritarian with a new family, and when he isn't ignoring her he is criticizing her. Vivian has already found several underground bars and venues where she can party and is on a dangerous trajectory the day she lays eyes on her old friend.


His reappearance in her life is coincidental--he is taking classes at the local college she attends. But he has come a long way and is a newly successful businessman with a construction company and other concerns.  And he has never forgotten her.  But he is a very proper young man and refuses to take "the most precious gift she can give a husband" despite her earnest efforts to convince him otherwise.


Finally, he makes her promise something: that they will have this one moment together and she will go away and live the diplomatic life her father has planned for her complete with a guy waiting in the wings to whisk her away to Ankara (the Turkish capital) as his wife.  That scene was, in a word, difficult. But I think it reflects both their intense physical need and their emotional connection. The connection she agrees to toss away in order to lose her virginity to a man she loves and not the husband her father has chosen for her.


I really really enjoyed diving into the society and morals of not just the 1960s but the combined frustrations of a 2nd world country (Turkey) and a particular group of privileged society that lives within the culture of a country not their own.  And it is a prequel so if you have enjoyed my trilogy of 1NightStand stories: Turkish Delights, Blue Cruise, Tulip Princess you can get a real sense of how that family began.


Make it a drama free week kids!
Liz

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Time to Settle

Much has been said recently about the advent of Fall.

It's pretty, that is for certain.

I live in a state that boasts some seriously amazing color.  And this time of year is fun what with all the pumpkins, colorful mums, spooky decorations and anticipation of the Long Slide Into the Holidays.

For yours truly, it's a busy time, what with my brewery's Tap Room ramping it up, kicking butt and taking names every single weekend and my hectic book release schedule only really getting going.

But I'm gonna admit something. In between all the beer blogging, beer selling, writer blogging and book promotions I'm ready to reach back and finish something I started a couple of years ago.   I'm gonna pull out a beloved WIP, a trilogy of hot novels that were my first foray into actual fiction writing, and do a big time re-write, finish the third book once and for all, polish and submit.

Yeah, I've had some success with a few publishers and I am thrilled to be with each and every one of mine so far. I'm not a rookie submitter by any stretch.  But you know how it is...some projects are just....more than that.  I am committed to settling down and making this project For Real.

So along with my buddy Katalina Leon, I am recommitting myself to 2 things:
Hot Yoga minimum three times a week AND
The Realtors: A trilogy spanning 10 years in the life of a young woman finding her way in life and love. And the men who complicate it.
Jack Gordon: Super Alpha successful broker with a female-shaped chip on his shoulder he has spent a lot of time and energy knocking off--until he meets Sara. Can he overcome his own hype and admit that his heart needs love?

Craig Thornton: Young, sexy, confident, with no issues admitting how he feels about Sara. But is she ready for what he has to offer?

I've had the first one (Floor Time--which I excerpted the living  crap out of on Six Sentence Sunday to a lot of kudos) CP'd and will give it a spit/shine first. Then I gotta bring the sequel (Closing Costs) up to speed then actually finish the darn thing with the final in the trilogy: Sweat Equity.

I'm pretty excited about it.

But...in the meantime...allow me to introduce the Deniz Family:
Twin brothers Tarkan and Emre (pronounced "Em-Ray)  and their sister Lale (pronounced "Lah-Lay")

From Decadent Publishing November 4, 8 and 18: The TURKISH DELIGHTS trilogy: part of the amazingly fun 1NightStand series!

Here's a bit of cover drool, um art....




I love these covers....truly and this series is way fun.

There are blurbs and what not on my site: www.lizcrowe.com

How does Fall make YOU want to pick up an old project or start a new one?
Cheers! 
Liz



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