Monday Moans ~ Right Where I Need to Be

Moans are always so much fun. This one is sort of from the vault. It's been out a while, but I love these characters, so I had to share.

Right Where I Need to Be

Contemporary
Novel
Wild Rose Press
Available here!

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime.

Cass Jenson needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for - her movie or her bed?

(Pages 298) Hot

And now for that moan!! “I’ll get your water, but know this Logan Malone: don’t hurt her or I will hurt you. That’s a promise and a threat.” With that, Les stepped off the porch and disappeared around the corner of the garage.

Cass propped her chin on her knuckles. “Care to sit? You did work hard.”

Logan eased down next to her on the concrete step. He bumped her shoulder with his own. “I know where I’d like you to sit,” he mumbled.

Cass threw her head back and laughed. “You know how long it’s been since I heard that line?”

Logan shared her humor. “You can’t blame me for trying.”

Her laughter subsided as she watched him. “Thank you.”

He felt a camaraderie building and bumped her shoulder again. “That was a dirty trick, you know.”

Cass bit the corner of her mouth. “I know.”

Those two words resonated through his soul. She played his games with ease and intended to win. She brushed her hair away from her face.

“So where’s the water? I’m parched.” He grabbed his chest over-dramatically and slumped against her. “And fading fast.”

Cass playfully punched his thigh. “You are not, drama king,” she shot back. “We don’t have valets here in Crawford so you’re temporarily out of luck.”

Logan laughed until his chest hurt. “I need to learn how to get what I want on my own. I think this was lesson number one.”

She patted his knee, but her hand lingered a bit too long. “Good call.” She glanced at him and then at the ground before standing up. He reached out to touch the perfect globes of her ass, but recoiled. Don’t scare her.

“Cass?”

She paused without turning around. “I’m putting the tractor away. Do you need something?”

Logan opened his mouth. You naked and in my bed teetered on the tip of his tongue. “A shower?” Was that all he could muster? Wow. He left the lion’s share of his smoothness on the plane.

Cass hopped aboard the mower. “You do ask for a lot, but I owe you.” She started the engine. “Les will show you where the guest bathroom is.”

Before he could answer, she drove off. Yes. A shower gave him time in her house. Now…to breach her defenses and melt the ice surrounding her heart.

Sunday Snog ~ Right Where I Need to Be

This week for my Sunday Snog, I thought I'd shine a spotlight on my first novel, Right Where I Need to Be. Thanks to Victoria Blisse for having the Sunday Snogs. This is so much fun. Click here or on the banner for more snogs. Now on to that Snog of mine!

Right Where I Need to Be Wild Rose Press Contemp Spicy, m/f Novel Available here!

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime.

Cass Jensen needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for - her movie or her bed?

It's snoggin' time! “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he replied and sat on the edge of the bed. Wary, she took a step back. “Ah. You’re only staying one night. We don’t need to get intimate.”

He cocked his head. “You know you want to.”

“Don’t go there. I’ll get you an extra pillow and blanket.”

“For you?”

She wrinkled her brows. “Nope. I’m a loner.”

“I want to tell you something.”

Cass stiffened and narrowed her eyes. She could see the wheels turning in his mind. Knowing Logan as little as she did, she had no idea what he thought. The dogs whined behind her. Something felt off.

“It’s not bad, I promise.”

“Oh, sure.”

“When I’m around you, I’m tongue-tied because I want you to like me.”

She knotted her fingers together, mostly because she didn’t know what else to do with them rather than reach for him. She turned away. When did the air in the room get so blasted thin and warm? “I see.”

“Do you?”

His words washed over her like a waterfall. She wanted to give in, but if she touched him, she’d never be able to pull away. She turned back around. “Logan this can’t—”

He stood inches from her. His eyes flashed just as he lowered his lips to hers. A warm rush flowed from her brain all the way to her toes. She felt sparks radiate from his fingertips as he twined them with hers. A moan escaped her throat. Oh, he tasted too good to walk away from.

But in that instant, he pulled back. “That’s just a sampling,” he murmured. “We could continue all night long, if you desire.”

Cass swallowed hard. His erection jabbed into her stomach. Maybe she could turn a man on after all. More thunder crashed, spooking the dog.

“I’d better go,” she whispered.

Logan nodded. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Late Monday Moan ~ Right Where I Need to Be

I'm late getting this week's Monday Moan up because well, I went to sleep last night after practically running all weekend long. Don't get me wrong, I had fun. I'll be posting about my weekend in a day or two (check on Wednesday), but right now is about the Moan! Right Where I Need to Be
The Wild Rose Press
Contemp, novel, m/f
hot
Available here!

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime.

Cass Jensen needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for - her movie or her bed?

Temporarily forgetting her visitor, she opened the door to the ice-blue guest room. “What the…” Her jaw dropped. There in all his naked glory, totally at ease and unaware, stood Logan Malone. He grabbed her fuchsia towel and wrapped it around his toned buns. Her mouth watered. She willed her heart to stop thudding so loud.

He turned slowly, giving her a tantalizing view of his sculpted back and legs. “Hi.”

Cass snapped her jaw shut. How did the man pull off casual in such a heavy situation? She spouted the first thing that popped into her head. “You always parade around in pink towels?” Oh crap. That sounded stupid.

He dipped his head. A wicked smile curled the corner of his mouth. Cass tried not to fan herself. Did the heat kick on? “I prefer blue or green, but I make do with what’s available.” He winked. “Enjoying the view?”

She nodded and licked her lips. Enjoying? Try having one of the most exciting daydreams of her life. “Well, then Mr. Pink. I’ll let you get dressed. I hate interruptions.” She turned to leave.

“Cass?”

She froze. The sound of rustling came from the room. “My manly blue towels are in the wash.” Forcing her feet to move, she stepped down the hallway and took a deep breath. At least she had a centerfold image to fantasize about later. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there stood Logan in nothing but unsnapped blue jeans. The hunter green elastic of his boxers showed above the open zipper. A sprinkling of crisp hair led down into the V of his faded denim. Desperately reigning in her desire to marvel at his body, she redirected her attention to his face. “What do you want?”

Logan licked his lips. His eyes burned with flecks of amber and sage. She couldn’t look away from his intensity. Her cheeks flushed. He said only one word. “You.”

Happy Belated-Mother's Day

I thought I'd stop by and do the Monday Moans post today, since I'm a mom. My child is the light of my life and is the culmination of my relationship with Logan. Julian is my second child and it was a very difficult time. My first child, Josh, was an angel. I love him but I wasn't allowed much time with him. I miss him every day.

I didn't think I'd have the chance to be a mom again, not until I met Logan. He made me smile and proved to me love can come around even when you're sure it's never coming back.

I know, I sound really depressing and I'm supposed to be celebrating Mother's Day. Being a mom is a special thing. You get to watch the person (or animal) grow and change. It's pretty cool to know you're helping that person/critter become a more mature person. I love the smiles, the giggles, and even the tears. Being a mom is a pretty heady experience.

So to all those moms out there, be it animal moms, kid moms, grammoms, adoptive moms...you have my gratitude. You all rock!!

--Cass Jensen

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Right Where I Need to Be

I thought I'd continue my Ten Things posts and hit my first novel, Right Where I Need to Be. This one is from The Wild Rose Press.

10. This isn't the first novel I'd ever written. It's actually the fifth.

9. The original title was going to be The Boys of Crawford County: Logan.


8. Ray had a bigger role in the original book. But I thought it would make more sense (and so did Kiss Carson) to give him his own story.

7. There's a secondary character named Speedle. I watched way too much CSI: Miami at the time.



6. The book went only to The Wild Rose Press.

5. I wrote this book on my husband's PC at night after the family went to bed because it was the only quiet time I had at the time.

4. I listened to a ton of Gary Allan at the time, but the title has a little more symbolism than that. Dh is a pilot and if you watch the video for Right Where I Need to Be by Gary Allan, there is a plane in it.

3. I saw Gary Allan in concert at the House of Blues the week I subbed the story.

2. Writing Dex Rose's character actually made me angry and his actions made me cry while writing. He pushed the line and I hoped his anger and issues translated into the book well.

1. I polished it over Christmas and nearly didn't submit it because I thought it wasn't ready. Guess I was wrong.


Here's the blurb:

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime.
Cass Jensen needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for - her movie or her bed?

Monday Moans!

Monday, Monday...

Wendi asked us who wanted to chatter today. I thought, why not? I write characters, too, so this blog post should be simple. Right? Easy peasy... A cinch...

Not quite.

I'm Cass Jensen. I write romance for a living. I'm no Nora Roberts, but I get by. I had one of my books translated into a film for television. Thought that was gonna be an easy thing, too. Nope. After writing parts for the actors, which a couple took liberties with, and trying to create a world for them to play out the parts of Sophie and Jonathan, I found out that writing a screenplay and working with actors is a pain in the butt.

Not to mention when said actors are persistant. Tell them no and it's like whipping out a starting pistol to go, go, go! No means yes, and yes means right now.

At least the actor was nice to look at. Muscles, tight buns, and those eyes. Sheesh. A girl could get lost in those. And did I mention he was good with his hands? No, I didn't--cuz that's too much information.

But I love him so I guess it was worth it.

Not much of a moan or a post, but hey, I never said blogging was my forte.

Enjoy!

Where Do You Find Your Leading Men?

I wanted to post a short blog about where I find my leading men. Some get hung up on movie stars, others on television stars. Some find their man of the hour in music videos and up-and-coming bands.

Where do you get your ideas?

For me, my hero can come out of actors on television (Jeremy Sisto is a fave) and the occasional musician (Keith Anderson, anyone?). But I have found my heroes embodied in people I see on the street, like at the hardware store, at the Dairy Queen, or in the local hay field (did I mention my fondness for farmers?).

I use this rule, just because he looks yummy, doesn't mean his personality is. Just because his personality is stellar doesn't automatically cross him off the list of hero potentials.

Oh and one thing I love to do, is take the one character on a show or whatever and make him my hero. Is that odd? Probably, but sometimes the antagonist isn't the icky bad guy. I've seen some hunky baddies and I've seen some heroes that made me wonder how he got the job.

I guess what I mean is that a hero is who you make him into. One person can see the guy in a bad light and another can see him as a knight in shining armor. It's up to you to decide how you want to run with your hero.

How do you come up with your heroes? I'd love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Toodles.

More Tips - Because You Asked for It

Okay, so yeah, I had a flash of that annoying TV announcer voice as I typed the title... Oh well.

I'm a cheeseball and I'm not afraid to admit it.

But onto the tips...

Someone asked me how to get into romance.
Good, yet vague question.
My take (and this is only my opinion, you'll have yours and please do share) is to first, READ. You can't write something you aren't familiar with. I'm not a widely read fantasy connoisseur, so I doubt I'll venture into fantasy romance (unless it's vampires... I'm all about the bite right now). But my point of interest (pardon the pun) is erotica and contemporary romance (the hotter, the better).
Once you start reading (or continue, because you should - my English teacher will gasp here - never not read. Even writers who are well established read the work of their peers and probably whatever else they can get their hands on.

Okay, so you've read a lot and feel ready to write that novel.

First, who are the characters? Whether you're a planner (you have the whole plot outlined to the finest detail) or a pantser (you have no idea where the story is going and let the characters drive), you need to know who is in control. I heard once that you need to know what's in the characters pockets. Now I can't remember who said it (it was a famous writer - for some reason Joyce sticks in my head - if you know, tell me) but I agree 100%. You can have some quirks, who doesn't, but you still have to know the characters you plan on letting take control of your life (Well, it may not be the case, but don't tell them.)

In my first novel, my writer Cass is meek, yet strong and determined. My hero, Logan is full of himself, cocky, and in need of an attitude check. I can tell you, he'd have loose change (pennies and dimes) in his pockets and a smirk on his lips.

Now you know the characters, what are they going to do? What's the plot going to be? If it's romance, well then it's boy meets girl (or vice-versa), boy falls for girl, something bad happens to split boy and girl up, and boy and girl must get back together. Is this a formula? No. A frame of reference... maybe.

Now I have more on this topic, but it's late and I'm getting long winded... so until tomorrow... back to the bat cave... I have blog awards to pass out.

Toodles.

How I Got From There to Here

My friend Marianne blogged about that moment that everything seems to work out and the fabled contract offer is extended. Here's my story.

About 2, maybe 3 years ago, I had this idea for a NASCAR novel. It didn't pan out (As of yet), but it got me writing. While working on that novel, I got an idea for a pompous actor to hook up with a writer who's totally not Hollywood's standard for hot, but her personality makes her outshine the best looking superficials.

Well, I worked and worked on this MS and finally thought it was ready to send to my BF. Not the best idea (and not because she wasn't harsh, she was) but she's one of my close friends. I've known her since high school. Let me tell you, a crit partner is invaluable, but if it's your BF, she or he may tell you it's great when it's not. If you get lucky enough to find one who is honest and blunt - great, but don't count on it.

Then I received a rejection on another work that really needed help, but at the time I had no idea it was that bad off (Again here's where the crit partner helped immensely - she pointed out my lack of crisis in the story). Anyway, I signed up to work with another crit partner. Kathleen worked and worked with me (And made me schedule time to get Right right). It made me focus more and made me believe in the work.

We set a submission date for the first of March, but I got mine done a bit before Kathleen, so I sent mine in a week early. The coolest thing is that I titled the MS Right Where I Need to Be because Logan realizes that Hollywood isn't where he belongs (plus I love Gary Allan), now I got to see Gary Allan in concert the week after I submitted. He sings the song Right Where I Need to Be. HE DID IT IN CONCERT THAT NIGHT! I was so excited! Then he did some of the other songs that I used as inspiration for the novel. I loved it. Plus, that week I got to see my favorite NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer at the Auto Show in Cleveland. How cool!

After a bit of chasing and pestering, I found out that Right went to a real live editor. Even cooler!

Well, I didn't hear anything from anyone for over a month and got worried. I had some bad experiences, so I decided to check into things. On the Friday before Mother's Day, I got the blessed email with the CONTRACT! How awesome.

Since then, I've busted my behind getting ready with edits that were suggested before she really digs into it. I hope these edits help it for later. Don't know because at this point, this is all new to me, but a lot of fun (even when it is difficult).

When did that stroke of luck happen for you? Let me know!