Hi there! Today we have Christina Hoffman's stop on her blog tour for her debut release, Invitation! Hot doctors and medical students are always a mix for romance and more. I'm sure you'll love the chemistry between Madison and Liam, and the excerpt really showcases them! There's also a contest at the end--a chance at one of two $50 Amazon gift cards, so stay tuned!
~Mia
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Quick round:
Coffee, tea or…what’s your vice?
Diet Pepsi. My niece considers it a real problem and attempts interventions regularly. Sometimes I’m tempted to take up crack just to get everybody off my back. (The proceeding was a joke – don’t do drugs)
Favorite Movie:
My movie favorites change with my moods (so, approximately twice an hour). Right this second, I would say, hmmm….hhmmm…..apparently my mood right now is indecisive. Can’t answer the question.
Favorite Color:
Favorite Color:
Blue. I’m an ocean, lake, river, sky sort of woman. Water baby, I guess.
Favorite book/author:
Favorite book/author:
This changes every few weeks. It seems I have no sense of loyalty at all.
How do you feel about bacon?
Tell us a little about yourself.
Blurb for Invitation
Can the love of a good man bring you back to life? Dr. Liam Mason wants to try...
Madison Spencer is a focused medical student, concerned only with work and paying the bills. She hides her beauty and once passionate spirit behind a quiet plain Jane facade. Since she was drugged, stripped, and photographed by a vengeful ex, she has stayed away from men and kept her heart and body safe. But the loneliness is becoming more than she can bear.
When heart-stoppingly gorgeous Dr. Liam Mason walks into her world, she knows she's in trouble. The attraction is instant, but Madison expects her past to be a deal-breaker.
Instead, Liam offers to bring her back to life with passion and pleasure. No love, no commitment, just straight-up fun. Madison's sensible mind resists, but her body is willing. Together the young doctors explore days and nights of pleasure, slowly becoming much more than bedmates.
Deep inside, each wonders if they've found their perfect match. But their fears threaten to destroy the world they're building together.
Will they each be strong enough and brave enough to risk their hearts to have it all?
I didn't understand at first, until I saw he was tugging gently on the hem of my t-shirt. I was frightened. I hadn't been naked for anyone since the bad night. “I need to keep my underwear on.”
“Stand up,” he told me and I did. He propped himself up on the pillows and looked at me standing beside the bed. “I won't touch you. But I want you to take off your skirt.” I stood paralyzed for a minute realizing that I wanted to be with this man. I wanted to please him, and I wanted to please myself. It was time.
The light in the room was dim which gave me some confidence. My skirt had an elastic waist and was easy to slide down. I pushed it down past my hips and it dropped to the ground with a rustle.
I was in my white lace panties and my t-shirt. The cool air soon made my nipples hard and they pushed against my thin bra. I knew he could see them. “This is the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”
I blushed and looked at the floor.
“No, look at me.” I did. “Keep looking at me and take off your shirt.” My heart was pounding and my chest was heaving with fear, but I needed to do it. I pulled it off quickly and tossed it on the ground. I turned back to look into his eyes once more. “Oh, my god,” he said. “Look at you. Oh, I want to touch you everywhere. I want to lick every tiny part of you.”
I felt braver than I ever had. He was looking at me the way you would look at a beautiful painting. It was nothing like my ex-boyfriend or those animals at the bar had looked at me. It wasn't love, we had agreed on that, but it was like he loved my body. And being with someone who was so openly adoring me gave me strength. He hadn't asked, but I reached behind me to unfasten my bra. I took it off and stood trembling in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief. “How is this happening? How is this gorgeous woman standing beside my bed?”
He sat up on the edge of the bed. He held his hands out for me to take, if I wanted. Of course I did. He pulled me towards him and kissed my lips. He kissed my neck and my shoulders until electricity was buzzing along my entire body.
He kissed my nipple. “You have the most beautiful breasts I've ever seen. Your whole body, your whole body is insane.” My back arched in pleasure, pushing my breast deeper into his mouth. I grabbed his head, partly for balance because my knees were getting weak.
How do you feel about bacon?
Love to wake up in a cabin to the smell of someone else cooking it, but hate eating it. Same for coffee.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Ah, interesting question. I think people make assumptions about me because I’m fairly petite and have a bit of a British accent. They likely wouldn’t guess that I’m a fierce rock-climber. Or that I write stories about sex.
What’s under your bed?
Are we talking literally or metaphorically? Literally, there’s nothing under my bed, not even air. I moved recently and can’t bring myself to spring for a bed. I have the mattress and the boxspring, and sheets, but no frame. I probably shouldn’t put that out there. Maybe I’m supposed to say I have an exquisite boudoir with silk sheets and men feeding me grapes. Perhaps if the book sells a few copies, I can splurge and get those grapes…
What comes first, plot or characters?
That really depends on the story.
For this book, the idea of having someone be healed by sexual intimacy came to me before anything else. Then the heroine formed herself out of that. It needed to be someone scarred, but someone who could still take a risk. After that, I started thinking it through, and the type of scenarios which would allow her to overcome these demons began to emerge. Liam himself was tough to figure out, but one morning he just popped onto the scene with his black hair and his playful grin, and there he was. Ready to go.
Another book has been forming itself in my mind, but this time the protagonist has appeared first. She’s pretty wild, and I know where she’s heading. But all the whys and hows for getting her there aren’t with me yet.
Pantser, plotter, or hybrid? Tell us about your writing process.
I think it might be too early for me to claim to have a process. For this first book, I had what I thought was a pretty clear outline. I just looked back over my old notes, though, and I ended up doing a lot of things differently. I do need a bit of structure, to keep things moving. I’m definitely not someone who can sit at a screen and just let the characters go wherever they want. That being said, my characters often surprised me. So, I’ll take hybrid for 100, Alex.
Oddest thing on your desk?
My three-year-old nephew. That child is part monkey. I can’t keep him off anything
What’s your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
The freedom to say what I need to say. I didn’t set out to write erotic scenes in particular, but this story was about a woman who comes back to life after being really shut down. The way she does that is through physical intimacy, and then love. I couldn’t tell this story without saying exactly where she was being touched and how she was responding (and her partner, too). Once I had slapped on that 18+ warning, I felt very free to tell her story.
What is the hardest thing about being an author?
The workday never ends. Also, since I do this pretty much in secret, people likely think I’m a lazy recluse.
I know it’s the oldest excuse in the book, but it can also be hard to find enough time. I have a job, and I try to help my sister with her munchkins as often as I can. I do a lot of writing late at night, so for the last three months I’ve been pretty tired.
What’s the easiest thing about being an author?
My favorite part is that having time alone in your head is an important good thing, a vital part of the creative process. So, I’m not just daydreaming, I’m working.
I also like that, when you’re a writer, anything can be material for the next story. When I’m going through something very hard, I can give myself a little boost by telling myself it won’t all have been for nothing. I can use it later.
Tell us about your latest release!
I am really excited about Invitation now, but it was a process, for sure.
I was very worried when I started out, because I was being told I had to write bondage and that I needed to tell interviewers that I was sitting in my lingerie. I was supposed to create this persona, but it felt so forced and insincere and awful that I almost gave up on writing romance at all.
I researched what was doing well in the romance genre and found mainly BDSM themed stories. Or topics that were darker, more violent. I, very briefly, tried to write one, but it was impossible for me. The story I wanted to tell was completely different. In some ways I feel like the Pollyanna of contemporary romance, because there’s a sweetness to my story that concerned me, because it is not in style right now AT ALL! Eventually I realized that that was just who I was as a writer, and I’d better just embrace it. So, now I ask, “Who says Heat can’t be Sweet?” I’m trying to write really sexy books showing that regular people can have rockin’ sex lives.
What’s under your bed?
Are we talking literally or metaphorically? Literally, there’s nothing under my bed, not even air. I moved recently and can’t bring myself to spring for a bed. I have the mattress and the boxspring, and sheets, but no frame. I probably shouldn’t put that out there. Maybe I’m supposed to say I have an exquisite boudoir with silk sheets and men feeding me grapes. Perhaps if the book sells a few copies, I can splurge and get those grapes…
What comes first, plot or characters?
That really depends on the story.
For this book, the idea of having someone be healed by sexual intimacy came to me before anything else. Then the heroine formed herself out of that. It needed to be someone scarred, but someone who could still take a risk. After that, I started thinking it through, and the type of scenarios which would allow her to overcome these demons began to emerge. Liam himself was tough to figure out, but one morning he just popped onto the scene with his black hair and his playful grin, and there he was. Ready to go.
Another book has been forming itself in my mind, but this time the protagonist has appeared first. She’s pretty wild, and I know where she’s heading. But all the whys and hows for getting her there aren’t with me yet.
Pantser, plotter, or hybrid? Tell us about your writing process.
I think it might be too early for me to claim to have a process. For this first book, I had what I thought was a pretty clear outline. I just looked back over my old notes, though, and I ended up doing a lot of things differently. I do need a bit of structure, to keep things moving. I’m definitely not someone who can sit at a screen and just let the characters go wherever they want. That being said, my characters often surprised me. So, I’ll take hybrid for 100, Alex.
Oddest thing on your desk?
My three-year-old nephew. That child is part monkey. I can’t keep him off anything
What’s your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
The freedom to say what I need to say. I didn’t set out to write erotic scenes in particular, but this story was about a woman who comes back to life after being really shut down. The way she does that is through physical intimacy, and then love. I couldn’t tell this story without saying exactly where she was being touched and how she was responding (and her partner, too). Once I had slapped on that 18+ warning, I felt very free to tell her story.
What is the hardest thing about being an author?
The workday never ends. Also, since I do this pretty much in secret, people likely think I’m a lazy recluse.
I know it’s the oldest excuse in the book, but it can also be hard to find enough time. I have a job, and I try to help my sister with her munchkins as often as I can. I do a lot of writing late at night, so for the last three months I’ve been pretty tired.
What’s the easiest thing about being an author?
My favorite part is that having time alone in your head is an important good thing, a vital part of the creative process. So, I’m not just daydreaming, I’m working.
I also like that, when you’re a writer, anything can be material for the next story. When I’m going through something very hard, I can give myself a little boost by telling myself it won’t all have been for nothing. I can use it later.
Tell us about your latest release!
I am really excited about Invitation now, but it was a process, for sure.
I was very worried when I started out, because I was being told I had to write bondage and that I needed to tell interviewers that I was sitting in my lingerie. I was supposed to create this persona, but it felt so forced and insincere and awful that I almost gave up on writing romance at all.
I researched what was doing well in the romance genre and found mainly BDSM themed stories. Or topics that were darker, more violent. I, very briefly, tried to write one, but it was impossible for me. The story I wanted to tell was completely different. In some ways I feel like the Pollyanna of contemporary romance, because there’s a sweetness to my story that concerned me, because it is not in style right now AT ALL! Eventually I realized that that was just who I was as a writer, and I’d better just embrace it. So, now I ask, “Who says Heat can’t be Sweet?” I’m trying to write really sexy books showing that regular people can have rockin’ sex lives.
~*~
Blurb for Invitation
Can the love of a good man bring you back to life? Dr. Liam Mason wants to try...
Madison Spencer is a focused medical student, concerned only with work and paying the bills. She hides her beauty and once passionate spirit behind a quiet plain Jane facade. Since she was drugged, stripped, and photographed by a vengeful ex, she has stayed away from men and kept her heart and body safe. But the loneliness is becoming more than she can bear.
When heart-stoppingly gorgeous Dr. Liam Mason walks into her world, she knows she's in trouble. The attraction is instant, but Madison expects her past to be a deal-breaker.
Instead, Liam offers to bring her back to life with passion and pleasure. No love, no commitment, just straight-up fun. Madison's sensible mind resists, but her body is willing. Together the young doctors explore days and nights of pleasure, slowly becoming much more than bedmates.
Deep inside, each wonders if they've found their perfect match. But their fears threaten to destroy the world they're building together.
Will they each be strong enough and brave enough to risk their hearts to have it all?
Please note: this title contains adult sexual content and is not intended for readers under 18 years old.
Purchase your copy:
Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE
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An Excerpt from Invitation...
“I want to look at you.”I didn't understand at first, until I saw he was tugging gently on the hem of my t-shirt. I was frightened. I hadn't been naked for anyone since the bad night. “I need to keep my underwear on.”
“Stand up,” he told me and I did. He propped himself up on the pillows and looked at me standing beside the bed. “I won't touch you. But I want you to take off your skirt.” I stood paralyzed for a minute realizing that I wanted to be with this man. I wanted to please him, and I wanted to please myself. It was time.
The light in the room was dim which gave me some confidence. My skirt had an elastic waist and was easy to slide down. I pushed it down past my hips and it dropped to the ground with a rustle.
I was in my white lace panties and my t-shirt. The cool air soon made my nipples hard and they pushed against my thin bra. I knew he could see them. “This is the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”
I blushed and looked at the floor.
“No, look at me.” I did. “Keep looking at me and take off your shirt.” My heart was pounding and my chest was heaving with fear, but I needed to do it. I pulled it off quickly and tossed it on the ground. I turned back to look into his eyes once more. “Oh, my god,” he said. “Look at you. Oh, I want to touch you everywhere. I want to lick every tiny part of you.”
I felt braver than I ever had. He was looking at me the way you would look at a beautiful painting. It was nothing like my ex-boyfriend or those animals at the bar had looked at me. It wasn't love, we had agreed on that, but it was like he loved my body. And being with someone who was so openly adoring me gave me strength. He hadn't asked, but I reached behind me to unfasten my bra. I took it off and stood trembling in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief. “How is this happening? How is this gorgeous woman standing beside my bed?”
He sat up on the edge of the bed. He held his hands out for me to take, if I wanted. Of course I did. He pulled me towards him and kissed my lips. He kissed my neck and my shoulders until electricity was buzzing along my entire body.
He kissed my nipple. “You have the most beautiful breasts I've ever seen. Your whole body, your whole body is insane.” My back arched in pleasure, pushing my breast deeper into his mouth. I grabbed his head, partly for balance because my knees were getting weak.
Links to purchase Invitation...
Christina Hoffman was born in London, England. She moved with her family throughout Canada and the US, and has finally put down her suitcase, for now, in San Francisco.
She believes that everyone has the right to feel both smart and sexy. We don't have to be one or the other! She writes stories about characters who live in the real world and who, somehow, miraculously, still believe in love.
She's starting a mini-revolution. She writes sexy stories, but hasn't lost the romance from her Romances. Enough with whips -- back to lips!
She hopes you enjoy her stories and see yourself in her characters. After all, they are based on smart and sexy people, just like you.
She believes that everyone has the right to feel both smart and sexy. We don't have to be one or the other! She writes stories about characters who live in the real world and who, somehow, miraculously, still believe in love.
She's starting a mini-revolution. She writes sexy stories, but hasn't lost the romance from her Romances. Enough with whips -- back to lips!
She hopes you enjoy her stories and see yourself in her characters. After all, they are based on smart and sexy people, just like you.
Where to find Christina on the Web!
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Contest!
Christina is giving away 2 -- $50 gift cards. Follow the Rafflecopter code instructions to enter!
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Thanks for stopping by!
1 comment:
Nice interview
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