Smolder by Karen Erickson & Giveaway
About SMOLDER
Lane Gallagher wants Delilah Moore—bad.
He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.
She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .
She’s his brother’s ex.
For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs his deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.
And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.
Couple Inspiration…by Karen Erickson
Ah, Lane and Delilah. They are my couple from the second book in the Wildwood series, SMOLDER, and I can pinpoint the exact moment when I came up with Delilah’s backstory.
Picture it — I’m a dance mom. Sitting at a competition in Santa Clara, CA late at night last May (2015). We’re all tired and a little loopy and our girls are scheduled to perform at 10:30 at night. I’m just getting over a serious case of pneumonia and I still have a lingering cough that sometimes sounds like a death rattle.
Good times.
Anyway, I don’t know exactly why this happened, but all of a sudden, I thought about my heroine for SMOLDER. I knew her name was Delilah. I knew she’d always had a thing for Lane, the oldest Gallagher and the most serious brother of the three. I knew she was close friends with Wren, Lane’s little sister. But that was…it. What made Delilah tick? What was her deal? Why would she harbor such a long standing crush on an idiot man who thought he couldn’t mess with Delilah since she was his brother Weston’s high school girlfriend?
Whew, that’s a bit of a twisted mess, isn’t it?
So I’m sitting there at the dance competition wishing I was in my bed and instead I’m thinking about Delilah when it hits me — she’s a dancer. She was always a dancer, ever since she was a little girl and now, she owns the small dance studio in Wildwood. In fact, I based Delilah’s studio on the studio my daughter goes to, which is in a small community so that works, you know? Plus, the ballet teacher that works at the studio is named after my daughter’s ballet teacher! Ah, I love it when I can borrow from real life.
That’s the great thing about writing – when I’m stuck or need a quick name or profession or…whatever, I tend to take it from my real life and tweak it just enough so I’m not invading anyone’s privacy. Plus, it gives me a secret thrill when I insert details that are from my life. Keeps the writing interesting, you know? *winks*
Delilah is the perfect match for Lane. He’s a deputy sheriff and he’s soooo serious. And quiet. And sexy. And hot…you get what I mean. Delilah is fun and adventurous and not afraid to speak her mind. She says what she wants and doesn’t hold back. She’s just the push Lane needs.
And trust me, Lane needs a big, big push.
I hope readers enjoy Delilah and Lane’s story in SMOLDER as much as I enjoyed writing it. These two were a lot of fun, when Lane wasn’t driving me crazy with his overt stubbornness….
Where to buy SMOLDER
Avon | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Google Play
About KAREN ERICKSON
USA Today bestselling author KAREN ERICKSON writes what she loves to read – sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She also writes as NYT and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.
