Friday Fun- Meet Author Kristi Lea!

I'm so excited to host debut author, my friend and fellow RWA chapter mate, KRISTI LEA!  Kristi brought her brand new release, THE PARIS AFFAIR. (I love the cover, Kristi!)

You can find out more about Kristi at http://kristilea.com/WordPress/

 But come on back and be sure to leave a comment. Kristi is giving away a copy of THE PARIS AFFAIR to one lucky winner!

And Kristi wanted me to tell you she has to be at her day job but she will check in when possible. 

Thanks for being here, Kristi and congrats again on your debut!

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Where is your favorite place to write?

I am supposed to answer “in my new home office” since we recently moved and I made a huge deal about claiming a room of my own because I’m a Real Writer now. But my true favorite place is Starbucks (it was my “home office” for the first several years of writing!). The smell of the coffee immediately gets the words flowing. Or maybe it’s the caffeine and sugar that does the trick…

Favorite romance movie?

The Princess Bride.  I have owned it in every format possible (book, VHS, DVD…). My sister quoted it in her toast for my wedding. I have even insisted that my children watch it with me. Makes me swoon every time.

Do you believe in love at first sight or just lust at first sight?
Somewhere in between. The day I first saw my future husband, I knew there was something important about the two of us. It wasn’t just lust (though he was cute!). But actual love, the kind that lasts through 10 years (and counting) of marriage plus kids plus life in general took a lot more than one quick glance to develop.

Tropical or European vacation?

Tropical. Give me a beach, an umbrella, and an electronic stack of books (i.e. a network connection plus my e-reader).

What did you do to celebrate when your first book was published?

I have had the strangest experience with the publication of my debut. We bought a new house this fall, and the same morning the movers were arriving for our furniture, my editor contacted me about buying my book. I was ecstatic. But there was no time to celebrate because we had way too much junk still to pack.

I spent the next three weeks with no internet access in the new house because the cable company was so backlogged. My fall was a blur full of boxes and unpacking and learning new commutes, plus the craziness that is the start of the kids’ school year. The book was important, but it was one of many important things I was dealing with. Release day itself was in the middle of the week, right before Christmas. I had an important meeting at the dayjob that day, so I couldn’t play hooky, and I think I made frozen chicken nuggets for dinner.

Thankfully I had vacation days between Christmas and New Years, and it finally sank in. I’m a published author. Squee!

(And now the real work begins…)

BUY LINK:

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/the-paris-affair/

 

THE PARIS AFFAIR EXCERPT:

“I didn’t invite you in.”

He shrugged. “I’ll just walk you to your door. My mother would skin me alive if I left a woman alone on a dark city street.”

Claire glanced up and down her block, full of hulking warehouses. Some buildings, like hers, were being converted into loft apartments. The neighborhood was considered trendy by the few, transitional by the many. She walked past him, and headed for the brick archway that covered the street-side door. She could feel Helmut following her steps.

The door opened before Claire reached it, and her two downstairs neighbors walked out.

“Thanks.” She smiled, and went inside. Helmut followed, still just behind.

She passed the elevators and took the wide wooden stairs at a slight jog up to the third floor. Claire stopped to extract her keys from the bottom of her purse, and Helmut braced one arm against the wall beside her, his breathing much calmer than hers.

“You lead a merry chase,” he said.

“A little exercise never hurt anyone.”

She met Helmut’s gaze in the dimly lit hallway. In his darkened eyes, she recognized the same burning attraction she’d been flirting with all evening, but he held something back.

Claire’s fingers closed on her keys, and she tried to pull them out of the bag, but they snagged on the strap and tumbled from her grasp.

Almost before they hit the concrete floor, Helmut was on his knees at Claire’s feet, retrieving them. He stood slowly, his body a mere breath from hers. Though he didn’t so much as brush her clothing, her breasts tingled at the heat radiating from his chest. If her heart beat any harder, it would have smacked him in the face.

This close, Claire could see a faint touch of stubble darkening his squared jaw, her eyes level with his Adam’s apple, above the finely tailored dress shirt that fit closely to firmly muscled shoulders. He wore no tie, and the top button was undone, showing a small hint of tanned, supple skin. Claire’s knees went weak at the thought of unbuttoning that shirt and running her fingers across his chest.

She watched, dazed, as he reached his left arm around her, his sleeve brushing her waist, and fit her door key into the lock. He leaned his head down as he reached around her, until they stood almost cheek to cheek. Claire closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath tickling her neck, her ear.

It had been a long time since any man had seduced her so subtly. It had been a long time since any man had seduced her at all. After Frank, she had promised herself to avoid work-related relationships, and she had no time to meet men anywhere else. But from what she knew of Helmut, he didn’t do relationships. Heartbreaker. Cold-hearted snake. Hot-blooded man. One who might leave her bed and not dog her steps for years. That didn’t sound bad.

With a click, he turned the knob and pushed the massive wood door open.

“I will see you tomorrow,” he whispered, the baritone of his voice sending shivers down her spine.

Claire’s eyes flew open as he stepped away and cool air replaced the radiating heat of his body. She slumped against her open doorway and watched dumbly as he retreated back down the stairs.