Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

by Olivia Cunning It's no secret that I write erotic romance, heavy on the erotic. One of my goals is to get my couple into bed quickly. This is made easier by the fact that my heroes are gorgeous and talented rock stars in a band called Sinners. My heroes have no problem finding a willing bed mate. Or three. The challenge is finding them love after lust and making the reader believe that they are going to make their relationship work despite the groupies throwing themselves at them night after night. Typically, in a romance book (though there is so much variety these days, that the old standard isn't necessarily true any more), the sexual tension is high, but no one acts on it for a long while. The couple makes moon eyes at each other for pages, they accidentally touch (and almost swoon) and eventually smooch (weak in the knees...) and if they're really into each other, they might do some petting (spontaneous combustion!). Then somewhere after the halfway point they...

by Olivia Cunning Did someone say party? I'm definitely in the partying mood. The second book of my Sinners on Tour series, Rock Hard , has finally been released! I didn't think the day would ever arrive. Excuse me while I bask in the glory of its smokin' hot cover. Bask... bask... bask... bask... bask... bask... bask... bask... *wipes drool off chin* Those abs are definitely rock hard.   My, my, my, my, my..... Now about that party. I decided we can't have a Rock Hard launch party without some hard rockin' guests, so I've invited all the guys of Sinners. Sinners is a sensationally popular, fictional rock band and the Sinners on Tour series is about how each of the five sexy rock stars find love. The first book, Backstage Pass , is about lead guitarist, Brian Sinclair. The new one,  Rock Hard, is the second book in the series. Our guest of honor is lead singer of Sinners, Sedric Lionheart. You can call him Sed. Don't let th...

by Olivia Cunning “I had fun talking to you. Thanks for indulging me.” Myrna picked up her laptop case and left the lounge, the eyes of every man in the room following the gentle sway of her hips. “And thank you for en-bulging me,” Sed muttered. Had to share that bit of dialogue from my book, Backstage Pass . Because our theme is indulgence, those few lines run through my head every time I have visited the Casablanca Authors' blog this month. I hope by posting it there, it will finally leave my brain alone. It's driving me nuts! The same thing happens when I get a song stuck in my head. The only way for me to get a song out of an infinite loop is to sing it at the top of my lungs for days (which makes dogs cry), find a less offensive song to set on repeat in my gray matter, or post a video of it on my blog in a feature I call "One Track Mind". I've been trying to think of ways I indulge myself. Most involve food. Not healthy or flattering to the figure, but tempo...

by Olivia Cunning If you don't know this already, I write erotic romance. Very explicit, erotic romances about rock stars. My first kiss scenes tend to happen very early in the book. This one, between lead guitarist Brian Sinclair and human sexuality professor Myrna Evans, happens on page 21 of Backstage Pass . And by page 29, they.. well... Did I mention I write very explicit, rock star erotic romances with frequent, inventive sex scenes? Anyway... Brian and Myrna's First Kiss Brian turned Myrna to face him and pressed her up against the door with his body. She gasped in surprise just before his mouth claimed hers in a passionate kiss. She wrenched her head to the side, breathing hard. "What are you doing?" "Kissing you." "I never kiss on the first date." "This is our second date." She hesitated, her expression thoughtful. "Good point." Her fingers slid up his back and tangled in the longish hair at his nape....

by Olivia Cunning Figuring out where a story begins can be one of the most difficult things for a writer.  If you start too early, you end up with a bunch of back story that has no bearing on the plot.  If you start too late, your readers might not feel connected to your characters before you throw those characters in front of the proverbial tour bus.  If readers don't care about your characters, they might stop reading. Finding that perfect spot to begin your novel can be a challenge. Starting Backstage Pass was relatively easy. It starts a few minutes before the hero, lead guitarist Brian Sinclair, and the heroine, human sexuality professor Myrna Evans, meet for the first time. Here's a little parody I made of their meeting. No, it's not REALLY  this silly when they meet. This is what happens when I'm trapped in all-day meetings at work. I find ways to amuse myself. If you'd like to read the real first chapter, which is still funny, but not "dumb" ...

If you think July is hot, just wait until October… This fall, Sourcebooks cranks up the heat. On October 1st, Sourcebooks will release its first erotic romance title and I’m so happy I could play air guitar! In public. I know, I know, you can’t take me anywhere. The first in a series of five, my debut novel, Backstage Pass , features the lead guitarist of the rock band, Sinners. Romantic, sensual, and talented in many, many ways (sigh…. I envy his lucky heroine, Myrna), Brian Sinclair is hot enough to cause soaring temperatures all by himself, but he’s currently on tour with his four yummilicious band mates who add a sweltering mix of personalities and, erm, talents . *cough Publication is obviously a huge milestone in any author's pursuit of happiness, but I find if I base my happiness on the big things, the huge accomplishments, I’m not happy very often. A new love, a graduation, a birth, a job promotion, selling a five book series (still squeeee-ing over that one!), winning th...