I Caught a Billionaire, and You Can, Too!

Okay, maybe I lured you in with false promises. I admit it. But I swear you won’t regret stopping by.

I brought in my good friend and debut author, Jessica Lemmon, and her hero billionaire, Shane August, to answer some questions.

But that’s not all….Shane tells us his Top 5 V-Day gifts…wait, I’m not done…I have an EXCLUSIVE and “tempting” excerpt for you that’s sure to get your belly all aflutter….hold on, one last thing….I’m giving away TWO print copies of Tempting the Billionaire.

Okay, let’s get this started, cuz that’s a lot to get through!

Was Tempting your first novel attempt? In other words, have you been at this for a while, or did you bind and gag your fairy godmother?

Ha! Tempting the Billionaire was not, in fact, my first novel. It was #6. Although it was the first time I really, really thought I was onto something. I believed in this book more than any other.

Having gone through my own title changes, I’m curious if Tempting the Billionaire was your original title? If not, what was it and do you miss it?

Confession: I’m terrible at titling…well, I think I’m getting a little bit better at it now, but honestly, for me I think it’s the most difficult part of writing! I slapped a name on my manuscript to submit it. (It wasn’t like I could call it: The Book I Just Wrote—Please Publish It). The very unimaginative, bland title was these three words: Her New Boss. (snore)

Where does Shane and Crickitt’s story take place? What is their main conflict?

The story takes place in Osborn, Ohio. Osborn has a thriving downtown where Shane’s business is located, yet is close to a beautiful reserve full of trees and rocks and a waterfall. *sigh* the waterfall…

Where was I?

Oh, right, conflict. Shane and Crickitt’s outside conflict is simple. He’s her boss. And making out with your boss on top of your desk is (apparently) considered taboo. Pfft! But the underlying conflict is that they are both afraid (aren’t we all?). Crickitt has lost her confidence and she fears she’s no longer capable of making any good decisions. And Shane is afraid to lose someone he loves. His solution? Don’t love.

What’s your favorite scene? Do you have a least favorite, you know, because you edited it to death and now you hope to never look at it again?

Favorite scenes are so hard to pick! I love the scene I hinted at earlier: when Shane goes to comfort Crickitt and they end up kissing on her desk. My least favorite scene was probably his plane ride home from Mexico. I don’t like flying and that scene scared me to write!

What’s been your all-time favorite Valentine’s Day date?

Oh, I wish I had an answer like: a kiss on the Empire State building…but I don’t. V-day isn’t all that big of a thing in my world. Probably because when I met my husband we were working in a restaurant and were always at work on that very profitable dining-out day! ;-)

Shane, it is the most romantic day of the year… What plans do you have for Crickitt?

It is very important. I’m new at this, so I am going to try desperately not to screw it up. Especially since it’s our first. (If you’ve read Tempting the Billionaire you’ll understand why I made the following plans.) We’re going to eat crème brulèe at Triangle, watch a horror flick that is sure to appall me and delight her, and finish the evening at Club Lace…where we first met.

Shane, if you were to hand-feed Crickitt one thing, what would it be? Publicly or privately?

*uncomfortable chuckle* Okay, wow. You, uh, really went for it there, didn’t you? I’m going to have to say chocolate covered strawberries. And I’m definitely not doing that in public.

Shane, you don’t have a single housekeeper or cook… What the heck is wrong with you? I must know why.

Long answer? I didn’t like the idea of having someone do (all of the) dirty work in my house. I can fend for myself. I’m a self-made man, after all.

Short answer? A man who folds his own socks impresses the hell out of the ladies. ;-)

That it does!

Okay, next stop… Welcome Jess!

*passes mic to Jessica *

Hello readers! It’s Jessica Lemmon asking you to help me welcome billionaire, Shane August, from my book, Tempting the Billionaire! Shane has graciously agreed to give us his top five Valentine’s Day gifts.

Thank you, Jessica. *nods to the masses* And thank you, readers. Instead of giving you a top five list of the gifts I like to give on Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to give you a top five list of gifts I have received on Valentine’s Day. So here we go:

#5) S.W.A.K. I was ten years old. Her name was Hannah Banana. Okay, that wasn’t really her name, but that’s what everyone called her. She brought me a tube of cherry Chapstick and then we each put some on and kissed behind the school bus. It was EPIC.

#4) Love Coupons. You know the ones, “Please redeem for one free ______ from your Valentine.” Guys love those. Come to think of it, girls love those too. WIN-WIN.

#3) Homemade Dinner. It was terrible. I didn’t even know you could do that to a pot roast. But it was the thought that counted. TIP: have lots of wine on hand to help wash down the less palatable entrees.

#2) Die Hard Marathon. Yep, all five. Blu-ray, surround-sound, and enough popcorn to feed a small country.

#1) YOURSELF. Of all the gifts I’ve received in the past, I think the most special has been the gift of time. Spend time with your Valentine this year. Make time for each other. And if you can combine all of the above, well, I don’t think it could get any better…unless you cash in two of those love coupons instead.

~~~

Shane also brought a special Valentine’s Day treat for you! An exclusive excerpt from Tempting the Billionaire!

Outside on solid ground, the night air welcoming and cool, Crickitt sucked in a quiet, clarifying breath. Shane easily kept pace, his long legs eating up the same distance in half the steps. He reached for the door of the limo and popped it open, gliding his palm along her back again as she slid inside.

If he made her body hum by raking her with the briefest touch, what could he do if he really took his time? She clambered inside, straightening her curls and her clothing in one nervous gesture after the other. Shane climbed in and sat beside her, at a respectable distance, but still, too close. Heat leaped to the surface of her skin, burning her cheeks, flushing her neck and chest.

His aftershave had long faded, but the crisp fragrance of his laundry soap combined with his pheromones mingled in her senses. Twice she heard an intake of breath and twice she turned in anticipation, but each time his breath ended on a sigh as he focused on the landscape whizzing by the window. Crickitt spent the remainder of the ride staring out of her own window, the dead air between them stifling.

The limo door opened in front of her apartment. Shane got out first, offering Crickitt his hand. She took it, shuddering as his long fingers grazed her bare flesh.

“I’ll walk you up,” he murmured, taking her canvas bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

Heart thundering in her chest, she fumbled with the keys, grateful to have something in her hands. At the door, it took all of her willpower to keep the key steady as she pushed it into the lock. She could feel Shane standing behind her, the heat radiating off his big body surrounding her like an embrace.

Finally, the key slid home and she turned the knob. If she faced him, he’d see every ounce of desire on her face, every bit of longing reflected in her eyes. She kept her back to him and focused on opening her front door. “Thank you for dinner.”

But he didn’t let her get away with it.

“Crickitt?”

She took a deep breath, tried to mask her expression in nonchalance. But when she turned, she found Shane close enough to touch, his face bathed in the pale porch light, his perfectly formed mouth edged in a day’s growth. Moving her eyes from his face didn’t quell the urge to devour him where he stood.

His suit was creased, his collar open, giving her a generous view of his bitable neck. His tie, harmlessly dangling from his jacket pocket, filled her head with fantasies she’d never had before.

Tempting. The word echoed in her ears, making her wonder how long Eve was able to resist before caving in and sampling the apple.

She finally managed to dredge up her voice. “Did you forget something?” she asked.

He scanned her face, his nostrils flaring. Her heart sped and she sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for his answer.

“Now would be the perfect moment,” he said, leaning a palm on her door frame and causing her to press her back against the door, “for me to say yes.”

He reached out and toyed with a button at the top of her shirt. “And kiss you good night.”

Good Lord, ya’ll. I can tell you, this is a greeeaaaat book, so if you haven’t done so already, read this book! Want a chance to win a fancy copy of your own? I have two print copies to give away!

Leave a comment (include your contact email, please) today (2/14) or tomorrow (2/15) for a chance to win! That’s all! Maybe Jessica or Shane will stop by to respond You have until midnight EST on 2/15, so hurry!

 

Follow Jessica HERE:

Facebook 

Twitter