Sunday Brunch 5/19/13

Today's Sunday Brunch Spotlight

is with author, Bebe Balocca! 

First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here.  Welcome to Harper’s Sunday Brunch Spotlight!

So, can you tell us what makes Bebe Balocca tick?  What got you started on the path to becoming an author?

Thanks so much for having me, Harper. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve written in other capacities—for an educational testing company and for culture and parenting magazines—for years. Writing fiction, however, has been a lifelong dream. I’ve read quite a bit of romance and I love the genre, so I decided to make it happen. I absolutely love writing erotic romance!

What are you currently working on?  Would you care to share a snippet?

Sure! I just had the second book in my Prescott Woods series accepted for publication. It’s called Beds and Blazes and it tells Lowell and Dora’s story. It’s not edited yet, so this is not the final version. Here we have masculine, somewhat awkward Lowell making bread with domestic diva, Dora:

Lowell looked across the chopping block at her as she worked. She’d piled her wavy hair atop her head, but a few black curls had escaped to ring her face. The scoop neck of her pink t-shirt was modest, but nothing could hide those curves of hers, he thought. Her cleavage deepened with each shove of her hands into the dough, and he could just detect her heartbeat in the divot above her sternum. She wore a knee-length full skirt that was decorated with cabbage roses ranging in hue from baby pink to magenta to fuchsia. Her expression was peaceful—she was fully absorbed in her task. Lowell’s kneading hands stilled as he let his eyes wander over the front of her leaf-festooned smock. Barely veiled by the ruffle of her apron, the sides of her breasts grazed the sides of her upper arms. Through the layers of her bra, t-shirt, and apron, he detected the bumps of her erect nipples. Lowell swallowed.

“Don’t neglect your dough,” Dora scolded. “We’ve only got a couple more minutes to go, then it will rest for an hour.” She glanced at the front of his tan rugby shirt, now smudged with flour. “You should have worn an apron.” Her gaze moved down to the front of his kilt, where once more the fabric didn’t hang straight down to the floor. Her lips parted and she looked back up at him. Lowell’s heart quickened, but he held her gaze.

“Isn’t this stuff done yet?” he asked gruffly. “If it’s not ready for

a rest, I know that I am.”

Dora took out two clean bowls. She coated the dough balls in oil, placed them in the vessels, and covered them with clean kitchen towels. “Okay, they get an hour to rise,” she said as she placed them on the counter next to the sink. She started to turn, but Lowell was at her back, holding her in place.

“I enjoyed that, Dora,” he whispered in her ear, “but I’ve got more on my mind than rising bread.” He pressed his erection into the small of her back and brushed his lips on the side of her neck. “Am I alone in that? Tell me so, and I’ll walk out the door, but…” he exhaled warmth on her skin. “Oh, Dora, I can think of nothing but touching you.”

Do you include some of your own personal experiences in your books or do you prefer to use your imagination?

There are aspects of my friends and family members in many of my characters and the settings are generally similar to places I’ve spent time. As far as personal experiences go, well, there’s always a smidgeon of truth in the fiction, right?

Why Erotica?  What made you choose this genre over others?

Writing explicit sex scenes pushed the envelope for me, but it was an exciting process. I wanted to see if I could write exciting, emotional, arousing erotica. The sex scenes are tremendously fun to write.

Do you have a specific process or a ritual you go through when sitting down to write?

I like to have a beverage (coffee with cream, herbal tea, or ice water) and crunchy, healthy snacks on hand. My miniature dachshund, Scarlett, is usually in her chair next to me or in my lap.

Where do you find your inspiration for your plots?  Do you have any tricks of the trade you would care to share?

The plots tend to start with one hot, vivid scene, such as the mud bath in Bubbles and Troubles and the voyeuristic dance floor in Learning to Soar, and then grow from there.

What is the oddest place/situation where an idea for a book has come to you?

My youngest son loves to go to church. I enjoy many aspects of the experience, too, but I have a short attention span when it comes to sermons. If they drag on and I can’t focus, I use the time to flesh out my plots and characters. The preacher would probably be horrified if he knew what was going on behind the peaceful, inwardly focused expression on my face.

What makes a book stand out and perk your interest?

I am a sucker for semantics and imagery. If a book manages to have both clever, thought-provoking wording AND vivid imagery, I’m totally hooked.

We all have our favorite authors.  Can you share some of yours and tell us why you like them?

I’m a huge Stephen King fan—I love the way he adds visceral details that really pull readers in to his characters’ experiences. I love sci-fi, especially the kind that makes me laugh, such as books by Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Right now I’m reading ‘Tis, a Memoir, Frank McCourt’s sequel to Angela’s Ashes. It’s fabulous, not only for the compelling story but for the organic stream-of-consciousness writing style. I read many different types of fiction and I feel that that helps keep my own writing fresh.

We all have a pet peeve, care to share yours?

Probably because of the time I’ve spent working on standardized tests, I get really frustrated by grammatical and punctuation errors. Not that I don’t make them myself, but I don’t want to see them in a published book.

When you’re not writing, what are the things you enjoy doing to relax?

I love to go on walks with my dachshund and German shepherd, play with my sons, decorate my house for seasons and holidays, and go on hikes and motorcycle rides with my husband.

Thank you so much for joining me here today, Bebe.  I know my followers will enjoy this spotlight as much as I have conducting it.  Good luck on all your future endeavors.  
What a fun interview!

Places Where You Can Find Bebe

Her Blog

Twitter: @BebeBalocca

Facebook

Amazon

Bebe's Latest Release

Purchase Link for Learning To Soar