I’ve long been a fan of Kimberly Derting’s work. She’s absolutely amazing. But I have only ever known her as a YA author, so when I saw that she was writing romance – I had to ask why. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am thrilled for UNDRESSED – and already have it ordered. But I thought, why not just ask her – What made her go from YA to romance?
She was kind enough to write why for us and it’s made us even more excited for UNDRESSED (The Men of West Beach). Read her guest post below.
As a Young Adult author, I’ve spent years writing the kind of books I loved to read. Dark novels with serial killers and stalkers, tyrannical queens ruling over crumbling dystopias, and even aliens hell bent on invading our planet. But no one who’s ever read my YA novels will be surprised to discover that I also like kissing. As much as I’m drawn to darker subject matter, I’ve always been a sucker for a good love story.
Even when I’m fully intending to write something intense and twisted, my main characters always manage to slip in a few intimate scenes of their own. But in YA, I’ve always had to put the brakes on…to keep the steamiest parts off the page. You know, trying to keep it less-then-R-rated and all. So there was always this part of me that wanted to take the handcuffs off (no pun intended) and let them keep going. To write a straight-up romance.
I wasn’t even sure capable of writing a girl-meets-boy love story in which no one dies in some horrific way.
Well, I did it! My first contemporary romance, UNDRESSED (The Men of West Beach), hits shelves on August 27th. To say this is a dream come true doesn’t even come close!
About Undressed:
Can two people whose dreams have been cast aside find a new passion…together?
No one ever expected straight-A student Lauren Taylor to make waves. But that was the old Lauren, before she went to college and became an online stripper to make ends meet. Now, Lauren is on the run with a secret and a bag of cash, fleeing landlocked Arizona for the beaches of California.
Will Gabaldon was one of the hottest surfers on the circuit, but fate had something else in mind. When a surfing accident shattered his budding career, Will was forced into a life of tending bar and doing odd jobs just to survive.
A swim instructor with secrets, like Will, is the last thing Lauren wants. A distraction like Lauren is the last thing Will needs.
But soon, both discover there’s one thing more dangerous than the wave that ended Will’s career: Love.
Excerpt:
I wanted to tell him he was doing this body shot thing all wrong. It was supposed to be done fast—salt, tequila, lime. One, two, three.
Rapid fire.
Not this leisurely investigation of my body. But I was convinced that if I tried to talk the words would get caught behind the massive lump clogging my throat.
The suction of his mouth made me shudder, and despite myself my body betrayed me. Fiery tendrils unfolded, and as he lapped at the tequila, drinking it up, I couldn’t help imagining what it would be like if his mouth moved lower . . . lower . . . lower . . .
