Today, I would like to welcome published author Jodie Griffin to my blog.
I met Jodie several years ago and that friendship led into becoming critique partners-my very first! I had the joy of reading some of Jodie’s earlier works and knew way back then that this woman was going places.
I met Jodie several years ago and that friendship led into becoming critique partners-my very first! I had the joy of reading some of Jodie’s earlier works and knew way back then that this woman was going places.
Hi Jodie, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hi LaNora! You’re making me blush! I’m actually pretty boring, LOL. I work, I write, I read. I love my family, chocolate, writing, chocolate, hot guys, chocolate, sexy stories. I know, that’s a whole lotta chocolate! A girl’s gotta have a vice or two!
How long have you been writing and what made you decide to become an author? I’ve been writing about ten years now, seriously for about five. I’ve always loved to read, but hadn’t considered writing. Then one day, I walked into a very dark, seriously creepy room at work, and my mind went into overdrive. I had a story idea, nearly full-blown, and I started writing that very night. I was hooked, and now I can’t imagine not writing.
I think most of us can relate to that. Writing is in our blood. What genre do you write and can you tell us about your books on sale now? I write contemporary erotic romance. It’s different from erotica in that there’s a very definite love story involved. I’ve also written romantic suspense and paranormal romance, but those stories live under the bed in the “never to be shown to anyone” box! LaNora’s read two of them, though. ;-)
I write for Carina Press. My first story, Forbidden Fantasies, was released in e-book in March, and then in late October also came out in a trade paperback anthology called The Theory of Attraction, along with stories by Delphine Dryden and Christine d’Abo. It’s the story of a couple whose marriage is strong, but whose love life needs a bit of shaking up, and it’s the first story in my Bondage & Breakfast series.
Forbidden Desires was released in November. In this story, plus-sized librarian Bella meets sexy firefighter Marcus, and sparks fly when they realize they have complimentary tastes in their love of kink. This is book two set at Bondage & Breakfast.
How long have you been writing and what made you decide to become an author? I’ve been writing about ten years now, seriously for about five. I’ve always loved to read, but hadn’t considered writing. Then one day, I walked into a very dark, seriously creepy room at work, and my mind went into overdrive. I had a story idea, nearly full-blown, and I started writing that very night. I was hooked, and now I can’t imagine not writing.
I think most of us can relate to that. Writing is in our blood. What genre do you write and can you tell us about your books on sale now? I write contemporary erotic romance. It’s different from erotica in that there’s a very definite love story involved. I’ve also written romantic suspense and paranormal romance, but those stories live under the bed in the “never to be shown to anyone” box! LaNora’s read two of them, though. ;-)
I write for Carina Press. My first story, Forbidden Fantasies, was released in e-book in March, and then in late October also came out in a trade paperback anthology called The Theory of Attraction, along with stories by Delphine Dryden and Christine d’Abo. It’s the story of a couple whose marriage is strong, but whose love life needs a bit of shaking up, and it’s the first story in my Bondage & Breakfast series.
Forbidden Desires was released in November. In this story, plus-sized librarian Bella meets sexy firefighter Marcus, and sparks fly when they realize they have complimentary tastes in their love of kink. This is book two set at Bondage & Breakfast.
Wow, those books sound really good. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. Do you have any upcoming releases you can tell us about? My next release is set for April 2013, and is called Forbidden Fires. It’s book three in the Bondage & Breakfast series. Former lovers Colin and Delia go undercover as a married couple at B&B, trying to catch a serial arsonist.
Would you be willing to give us a sneak peek with an excerpt? Sure, I’d love to!
“Nice job out there tonight. We made some solid arrests.”
Delia rolled her eyes at her temporary partner. “Good thing too. I’d hate to think I dressed like this for nothing. Next time, you get to be the bait.”
“In your dreams, Robinson.” Roy’s laughter drifted over his shoulder as he turned into the squad room to start working on their arrest reports.
Exhaustion dogged her stiletto-clad feet as she headed toward the women’s locker room. She couldn’t wait to get out of her undercover getup and into a hot shower. Pulling a double shift that involved dressing in skin-baring clothes, a platinum-blond wig and three inches of makeup made for a hellishly long day.
A short time later, cleaned up and back in her street clothes, she sat at her desk in the nearly deserted squad room, staring dejectedly at the pile of papers Roy had left for her.
She pushed them away, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, shutting out the sounds around her with an ease born of practice. She sighed with relief. Five minutes of downtime. Five minutes to shake off the slime of the street. Five minutes before tackling the mountain of paperwork from today’s arrests. Five short minutes. That was all she needed.
One measly minute into her self-imposed time-out, the phone rang. She groaned and reached for the phone. The display read Chief’s Office. And when the chief called, you answered. Immediately. “Detective Robinson.”
“My office. Now.”
Yikes. His growled order didn’t sound good. Rather than waiting for the elevator, she tore up the stairs, welcoming the rush of adrenaline. By the time she reached his office, all thoughts of her five-minute respite were gone. She took a deep breath and knocked on his door.
“Come in, Detective.”
Her mind raced to figure out what she might have done to warrant a call from her boss. She stood in front of his desk at as relaxed attention as she could manage, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Warning bells went off in her head as he cleared his throat and narrowed his gaze. “Sir?”
“The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a serial arson case and asked to borrow you for the assignment. They were impressed with your work on the bombing task force last year and thought you’d make a good temporary addition to their team. I agreed. You’ll be on loan to them for the duration. The deputy fire marshal will fill you in on the case.”
The State Fire Marshal’s office? Oh, no. No, no, no. But a movement by the windows to her left stopped the automatic denial that wanted to spring free from her mouth. She swiveled her head and felt the floor drop out from underneath her. It was proof of her exhaustion that she’d completely missed the man standing there, leaning casually against the window frame. Too bad, because she could’ve used the time to brace herself.
Deputy Fire Marshal Colin Butler.
“Hello, Delia.”
Colin’s voice was smooth and rich like chocolate, and it set off every nerve ending in her body, as it had the short time they’d been lovers. And damn it, she hated that he still had that effect on her. It had been nearly a year. She should be over him by now.
Do you have any advice for those who are struggling to make it into the publishing world? Write, write, write! It doesn’t have to be in huge chunks of time or words, either. You’d be surprised at how much you can cram into an hour! Find a good critique partner who will tell you what’s wrong with your manuscript, and not just what’s right. Look for pitch opportunities with publishers. If you’re offered a chance to do an R&R (Revise and Resubmit), seriously consider it. I pitched Forbidden Fantasies to Angela James at Carina Press, and then received an R&R from Deb Nemeth, my editor. I worked at her suggestions and then resubmitted it. I was thrilled when they offered a contract on it! You may not make it in on the first shot, but keep trying!
What are you working on now? We’d love to hear about it. Is there a scheduled release date? I’m currently writing my fourth and likely final Bondage & Breakfast book, Forbidden Obsessions. This one centers on the inn’s owner, Gabe, and a character you’ve met in one of the other three stories. ;-) It’s contracted, and although I don’t have a firm date yet, it’s likely it will be out late 2013.
If you have a website and blog, would you mind telling us what it is? You can find me at www.jodiegriffin.com. I spend most of my social media time on Twitter (@Jodie_Griffin). Stop by and say hi! You can also email me at [email protected].
And if you’re interested in links to my books, you can find them at http://jodiegriffin.com/category/books/.
Thanks for having me over for a visit, LaNora! I love what you’ve done with the place!
Would you be willing to give us a sneak peek with an excerpt? Sure, I’d love to!
“Nice job out there tonight. We made some solid arrests.”
Delia rolled her eyes at her temporary partner. “Good thing too. I’d hate to think I dressed like this for nothing. Next time, you get to be the bait.”
“In your dreams, Robinson.” Roy’s laughter drifted over his shoulder as he turned into the squad room to start working on their arrest reports.
Exhaustion dogged her stiletto-clad feet as she headed toward the women’s locker room. She couldn’t wait to get out of her undercover getup and into a hot shower. Pulling a double shift that involved dressing in skin-baring clothes, a platinum-blond wig and three inches of makeup made for a hellishly long day.
A short time later, cleaned up and back in her street clothes, she sat at her desk in the nearly deserted squad room, staring dejectedly at the pile of papers Roy had left for her.
She pushed them away, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, shutting out the sounds around her with an ease born of practice. She sighed with relief. Five minutes of downtime. Five minutes to shake off the slime of the street. Five minutes before tackling the mountain of paperwork from today’s arrests. Five short minutes. That was all she needed.
One measly minute into her self-imposed time-out, the phone rang. She groaned and reached for the phone. The display read Chief’s Office. And when the chief called, you answered. Immediately. “Detective Robinson.”
“My office. Now.”
Yikes. His growled order didn’t sound good. Rather than waiting for the elevator, she tore up the stairs, welcoming the rush of adrenaline. By the time she reached his office, all thoughts of her five-minute respite were gone. She took a deep breath and knocked on his door.
“Come in, Detective.”
Her mind raced to figure out what she might have done to warrant a call from her boss. She stood in front of his desk at as relaxed attention as she could manage, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Warning bells went off in her head as he cleared his throat and narrowed his gaze. “Sir?”
“The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a serial arson case and asked to borrow you for the assignment. They were impressed with your work on the bombing task force last year and thought you’d make a good temporary addition to their team. I agreed. You’ll be on loan to them for the duration. The deputy fire marshal will fill you in on the case.”
The State Fire Marshal’s office? Oh, no. No, no, no. But a movement by the windows to her left stopped the automatic denial that wanted to spring free from her mouth. She swiveled her head and felt the floor drop out from underneath her. It was proof of her exhaustion that she’d completely missed the man standing there, leaning casually against the window frame. Too bad, because she could’ve used the time to brace herself.
Deputy Fire Marshal Colin Butler.
“Hello, Delia.”
Colin’s voice was smooth and rich like chocolate, and it set off every nerve ending in her body, as it had the short time they’d been lovers. And damn it, she hated that he still had that effect on her. It had been nearly a year. She should be over him by now.
Do you have any advice for those who are struggling to make it into the publishing world? Write, write, write! It doesn’t have to be in huge chunks of time or words, either. You’d be surprised at how much you can cram into an hour! Find a good critique partner who will tell you what’s wrong with your manuscript, and not just what’s right. Look for pitch opportunities with publishers. If you’re offered a chance to do an R&R (Revise and Resubmit), seriously consider it. I pitched Forbidden Fantasies to Angela James at Carina Press, and then received an R&R from Deb Nemeth, my editor. I worked at her suggestions and then resubmitted it. I was thrilled when they offered a contract on it! You may not make it in on the first shot, but keep trying!
What are you working on now? We’d love to hear about it. Is there a scheduled release date? I’m currently writing my fourth and likely final Bondage & Breakfast book, Forbidden Obsessions. This one centers on the inn’s owner, Gabe, and a character you’ve met in one of the other three stories. ;-) It’s contracted, and although I don’t have a firm date yet, it’s likely it will be out late 2013.
If you have a website and blog, would you mind telling us what it is? You can find me at www.jodiegriffin.com. I spend most of my social media time on Twitter (@Jodie_Griffin). Stop by and say hi! You can also email me at [email protected].
And if you’re interested in links to my books, you can find them at http://jodiegriffin.com/category/books/.
Thanks for having me over for a visit, LaNora! I love what you’ve done with the place!