When a Vacation and a Scene in a Book Come Together
First off – Happy Release Day! Today is Between Despair and Ecstasy‘s release day and that makes me happy. What else does?
My favourite place in the world is on a beach. I live landlocked in Ontario, Canada, but a beach is where I am the happiest.
In book 2 of the Two Hearts ~ One Love Trilogy, Darien’s Desire, mega rock star, Darien, and drag queen club owner, Erika, spend a hot romantic weekend on a beach in Goa, India.
In book 3, my latest, Between Despair and Ecstasy, Erika visits Darien at his beach house in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
So where does the vacation come in? My daughter currently lives in North Carolina and every time we go visit, there is always a trip to the beach. It doesn’t have to be summer. It can be a warm October day. I love long walks on the beach. I zen out sitting on the sand, staring at the water.
What beach have we frequented the most? Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. We’ve been down to Kure Beach, over to Fort Fisher and even up to the Outer Banks, but for a quiet day we hit Wrightsville.
I could show you a picture of the house I used as Darien’s, but I don’t have the owner’s permission. But the house does exist at the beach. In the book, Erika and Darien’s mother go to a bakery. In reality, the bakery is a fabulous ice cream shop in Wrightsville that is also a mandatory stop when we go. Why didn’t I use the ice cream shop? In the story, it’s February and cold out, so it made more sense to go to a bakery for a cup of tea, some cookies and a chat.
My next book has no beach in it. It takes place in NYC in December. But I’m guessing the one after that will have a beach. Now I just have to figure out which one – Grand Caymans, Hawaii, Figi…..
EXCERPT:
Sweat streamed off Darien’s brow. Some dripped into his eyes. It stung. His heart throbbed against his ribs. Fire inched down his throat. Every muscle in his body ached. His head pounded from the pandemonium. The explosions. The screams. The pain threatening to split his skull. Dropping his head back, he closed his eyes. His chest heaved as he gulped air. He needed a moment. Get some strength back.
The screams grew louder.
Damn.
He inhaled and released a long breath.
They wanted him. He had to continue. To perform. Like a trained monkey. Do people even do that anymore? Train monkeys? He peeled his eyes open. The glare of the overhead lights blazed down at him. He lifted his head. The screams grew louder.
“Oh. So, you want more?”
But what if I don’t have any more? What if I just can’t continue? Twelve weeks. Four shows a week. I’m beat.
The roar from eighty thousand Parisians was tumultuous. Fans yelled at the top of their lungs. They pounded their feet on the floor, raising their hands in the air, clapping. Glow sticks, cell phones, and lighters swayed like flowers in a breeze.
He grinned. Eighty thousand Parisians and one fiancée. He glanced to his left. Seated on the top stage step was Erika. She’d arrived just minutes before the show started. Just enough time for a passionate, but quick, hello kiss. He needed more. He needed her, and he knew it. She smiled at him. He loved that smile. He could stare at it all day. The way her soft lips curved up. A hint of sassiness in her expression.
Just finish the show. Grab Erika and run. Dodge the fans. Just get out of here.
He looked out over the crowd. “But what if I’m too tired to continue?”
“No,” the crowd wailed.
He grinned. “Well, maybe I could go on if you told me you loved me.”
The cacophony of sounds was deafening. “Je t’aime. Love you.”
He lifted his hands. “Do you love me?”
“Oui. Yes.”
He ripped his black t-shirt over his head and threw it into the fans. “Do. You. Love. Me?” He yelled out as he glanced at Erika.
She jumped up and down, screaming with the crowd.
“I can’t hear you.”
The building shook with the fans’ frenzy.
“Five. Six. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”
Fireworks exploded. Lasers shot around the stadium. Cass, the drummer, crashed the symbols as Darien spun, posed then inhaled a deep breath and opened his mouth to sing.
BLURB:
How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.
Concerned for his fiancée, Erika Bailey’s safety, rock star Darien Scott races to Bangkok to protect her, only to discover his brother is missing. Fearing the worse, he contacts his nemesis, Gan, and makes a repulsive deal that will free his brother and protect Erika’s club, The Pink Flamingo. Or so he thought. When a python and Gan are involved, things go sour, and Darien sinks into a deep depression.
Erika is disheartened by the betrayal of her parents. Her father’s destruction of her club, and the humiliation of her mother’s drunken behavior have her feeling down, but those are the least of her worries. She has a wedding to plan, but won’t. Having been betrayed too often, she’s scared to trust Darien.
How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.
Preorder – http://www.extasybooks.com/between-despair-and-ecstasy/
Other books in the trilogy
What Happens in Bangkok
To save Darien’s life his brother asks, “Can you walk in high heels?”
Erika Bailey, owner/manager of a drag queen club in Bangkok, Thailand has happily settled into all aspects of her new life, except for her lack of a love life. When a new diva auditions, Erika is bewildered over her instant attraction to the blond God, Apollo.
Darien Scott is on vacation after a world tour and mistakenly figures the safest place to be is at The Black Dragon with the head of a Triad. When the club is hit, Darien is the only person to get out alive. Now he’s running from the police and a Triad. Mistake number 1.
Disguised as a drag queen, he’s hired by Erika, but falls hard for his new boss, then struggles with not coming clean with her. Mistake number 2.
Can he fix his mistakes and find a life filled with love or is he headed straight for mistake number 3?
Darien’s Desire
You loved What Happens in Bangkok and want to know what happens next….
It’s complicated is not only her relationship status, but the definition of Erika Bailey’s life. She loves managing her drag queen club in Bangkok, Thailand, but her rock star boyfriend resides in North Carolina. And to top it off, her father threatens she must stay away from Darien or lose the Pink Flamingo. Does she protect her club or her love?
Darien Scott, Grammy award winning international superstar, wants nothing more than to wake up in the arms of Erika, the woman he loves, but contractual obligations force him to exotic video shoots and an isolated movie set with one of Hollywood’s sexiest stars.
With the feeding frenzy of social media trending every aspect of Darien’s life—real or not—it’s hard for Erika to know the truth. Will she be able to see through the lies and trust Darien? Or will evidence from damaging Internet rumors condemn their relationship?
Follow me – @daryldevore
Thank you, Jenna, for all your support and help (titles) with this trilogy. I, truly, appreciate it.
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 