Welcome Lexi Post

Tell us about your current release.

I write erotic romances inspired by the classics, so it was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” that inspired Passion’s Poison. Hawthorne’s Beatrice Rappaccini takes care of her father’s scientific experiments — poisonous flowers. She has become poisonous herself, though the reader is never sure if her father created her that way or if it was from the flowers. My Beatrice is also poisonous, only she must expel her poisons through sex in order to survive. The problem is that when she does, it makes her partners very ill and she actually sent her first boyfriend into a coma! So she is careful to keep her relationships to one-night stands. That is until she meets Zach.

Zach Woodman is a chainsaw artist with a beautiful log home in the next town over. Bea falls for him, but she doesn’t want to kill him. Zach is excited by Bea, but doesn’t want it to last too long because his past fiancées have all died in accidents. He’s accepted his bachelorhood as a mandate of fate. Still, when he meets Bea, he wants more than his usual three nights. What he doesn’t realize is that sex with her could kill him.

Tell us about your next release.

My next release will come out in 2014. I chose Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” for my inspiration.  In my story, the heroine is the original Katrina Van Tassel, but the hero is a descendent of the original Headless Horseman. It takes place in Sleepy Hollow, New York during the Washington Irving festival. Irving’s story is so detailed that I have been able to use the same scenery, character names, horses, and even the types of trees directly from his story, but mine story has a twist. I can’t say much more, but I will say even the original Headless Horseman shows up, well, sort of ;-)

Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?

I have had a great author, Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James, as my role model. She has been very kind over the years to advise me on the industry when I had questions and has always encouraged me. This is inspiring for me as I have never had someone as a role model before, and I still have “fan girl” moments when I am around her. She is such a nice person and so successful that I can’t help it.

When was your first sale?

I signed my first contract on Halloween in 2012. The offer had come earlier, but the contract had to be worked out. I am thrilled with my editor at Ellora’s Cave and had a great time hanging out with her at RWA’s National Conference this year. Pitched her a couple series ideas and she challenged me to write a short novella, so more will hopefully be coming from me next year J

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

I write after the sun goes down. That’s when I am most creative. The daytime is for analytical work, like revisions, edits, polishing, marketing, etc. I don’t have a set amount of time. When I am writing a rough draft as I am now, I write for a couple hours at a time.

What does your family think of your writing career?

They are all thrilled. In fact, it has become a family effort. After my first book, Masque, came out in March, I did a blog tour and wanted to giveaway something special. My sister found these amazing Venetian masks made in Italy, and since my characters in that book wore masks to each Pleasure Room, they were perfect. Mom wanted to help, so she bought the masks and my sister sent them out to winners. Then when I started writing Sleepy Hollow, I found I needed some Dutch words and phrases. Lucky me, my dad’s family is Dutch. My aunt contacted her cousin and her son and they are sending me Dutch phrases I can use. And yes, my aunt has already read Masque and loved it.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I do. I don’t know what I would do without them! My chapter by chapter critique partner is Marie Patrick. We write completely different types of romance and have completely different processes, but somehow that works out perfectly. I have another critique partner, Lyndee Henderson who is awesome with the synopsis critiques. My beta reader is actually my sister. She is an avid romance reader and is brutally honest and always right on the money. One time, she pointed out so many holes in a manuscript I had half-finished that I decided to drop it because it needed too much work. I may go back to it someday, when I feel ready to fix it.

Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

I do use a pen name. Lexi was the easy part as that was what my family called me growing up. The last name was harder. I didn’t want to use the family name as I wasn’t sure how everyone would feel about the erotic piece of what I write. The same went for my mother’s family. So I decided to use my biological father’s last name. I’ve never met him, but my mom assured me it was a red, hot lover affair that produced  me (her words, not mine), so I thought it fitting.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Well, I live on an island. Relaxing is easy, but that implies stress and there isn’t a lot here. The pace of life is slow. My biggest stressor is meeting a writing deadline. I have gentle waves as background noise all day and all night. I have Caribbean breezes that rustle the palm tree leaves. I have soft white sand and warm turquoise blue water. I also have a bit of reluctance every time I have to leave the island J

Tell us about your favorite fan letter you have received.

I’m a fairly new author so I haven’t received many, but there are a couple. One person said she had read my first book, Masque, four times! Another person said that she had a book hangover and she pitied the book that came next in her To Be Read pile. Those kind of comments make me want to write more and better. I feel a responsibility to keep my readers happy. Besides, writing makes me happy.

Blurb:

Passion’s Poison

Beatrice Rappaccini is tired of the one-night stands that keep her alive. Tired of the illness she causes when she releases her sexual poisons into her partners. But when she meets Zach Woodman, everything changes. Desperate for what she can’t have, she puts her heart and life on the line, ignoring the anonymous letters warning her to stay away from Zach.

Zach Woodman, logger turned chainsaw artist, has the perfect life, but no one to share it with after the deaths of the women he loved. Fascinated by the sexually experienced yet naïve Bea, he promises himself he will end their hot relationship before fate takes another beautiful woman from the world.

But he discovers Bea has no idea how to have a relationship, and he is perplexed by her strange behavior, hippie mother, six fathers and her request to give him every man’s sex fantasy. It is only when he might lose her that he realizes he must make a decision that will break his heart either way.

Excerpt:

She devoured him with her gaze. His chest appeared a golden brown in the fire’s light and his pectorals looked harder than granite, dwarfing his dark, erect nipples. She licked her lips. “Are you cold?”

His seductive grin sent chills racing through her body, readying it for what was to come.

“No, I’m burning up. Want to feel?”

“Yes.” She stood and ran her fingers through the short black hairs covering his contoured torso. They were so soft against the hardness of his muscles that she wanted to stroke his body for hours. She traced her fingers around his nipples, causing the tips to harden more. Her own nipples ached in response as she dropped her hands.

He took a deep breath, causing his chest to grow larger before her eyes until he released it. Following the dark line of hair with her gaze, she itched to slip her fingers into his blue jeans and cradle the hard cock that moved as she stared. Would it be long or thick or ruddy or crooked or—

“Your turn.”

“What?” Startled from her focused concentration, she glanced up to see him raise his eyebrow.

“Fair’s fair. I want to see you without your shirt.”

Moisture seeped along her folds at his words. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but in a much different way than her normal sex partners. Her attraction to him had nothing to do with her toxic body. Plus, she liked him. What could she do? She could refuse. He would respect her decision, but she wanted this. How could she keep him from coming inside her, from taking her poisons into his body? She didn’t want to hurt him.

“Bea?”

She licked her lips and started to unbutton her sweater. Her mind raced as she let the garment drop on the couch. Hungry for him like no other man she’d been with, she searched for a solution. She pulled the dainty camisole over her head and stood in her lacy pink bra.

He lost his grin as his gaze feasted on her cleavage.

She had to think, but his look, combined with the moisture between her legs, made it difficult for her mind to cooperate.

He gazed into her eyes. “Take off your bra.”

Her heart beat so fast she had a difficult time breathing. Placing her hand between her breasts to calm herself, she unhooked the front clasp of her Fredrick’s bra. His gaze riveted to where her hands separated the two cups, and she shrugged herself out of them.

“You’re beautiful, like the snowfall. Delicate, soft and perfectly formed.”

Her heart melted at his words, but she remained still, wanting his hands upon her, and yet afraid of the fire he started within her.

He stepped closer and massaged her breasts as if he knew they had been uncomfortable in their confines. When he touched her areolas, stroking until the skin puckered into ridges, he caused her nipples to harden to painful tips. She ached inside her core for this man’s cock. She wanted him to the hilt, filling her.

He groaned. “I could eat you right here.”

Passion’s Poison is available in electronic formats:

Amazon

Ellora’s Cave

For more information about Lexi Post:

website:  http://www.lexipostbooks.com/             

Blog:  http://www.happilyeverafterthoughts.com/      

twitter:   https://twitter.com/LexiPost              

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/lexipostbooks   

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915542.Lexi_Post