I’d like to give a warm welcome to Karen Booth, of the writing team dubbed lovingly as, The Karens. They are fellow Ellora’s Cave authors, and lovely people. If you want to find out more about them, be sure to check out their websites.

The Karens – Website | Twitter

Karen Booth – Website | Twitter | Facebook

Karen Stivali – Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Karens Put Out

Sidney has dubbed her guest blog day Teaser Tuesday, a concept I appreciate as both reader and writer. Nothing is better in a book than a tease. If you love sexual tension, and I do, you can’t have it without a tease. A really good tease will keep me reading way past my bedtime, huddled under the covers with a flashlight. (My husband hates it when I do this.) And I’m not ashamed of it—I’m dying to get to the good stuff. And when I say good stuff, I mean S-E-X. Or at least a good thigh-quaking kiss.

When writing, I relish the moment I can take the reader to the brink and leave them teetering. Will he finally kiss her? Why isn’t he making a move? Oh, no—why is she acting distant? Writing may be about creating a world and building a fantasy, but some element must be wedged in reality, and we all know that moment when everything is about to go either hopelessly wrong or blissfully perfect.

My co-author, Karen Stivali, and I did everything we could to keep things from boiling over too soon in Long-Distance Lovers. Tim and Jenna are in their twenties and insanely hot for each other, but things had to simmer between them for a while. It wasn’t about teasing or toying with the reader, it was what made sense for the characters. Jenna has had countless bad boyfriends and isn’t keen to let another musician into her life. Tim is only in New York for a short time and isn’t looking for emotional entanglements. They both have very real fears of rejection that could easily keep them apart, and yet, well, ahem, don’t worry…Karen and I promise you’ll be satisfied. Being a tease doesn’t mean you never put out.

Long-Distance Lovers

British musician Tim Wentworth trades his London flat for an apartment in NYC so he can record with a promising American band, but he arrives in Manhattan to learn the gig has been canceled. With no job and a two-month stay in the States, he wonders if the trip has been a waste of time, until he meets charming and talented jewelry designer Jenna Bradford.

Unlike the groupies who throw themselves at Tim after shows, Jenna couldn’t be less impressed by his music credentials. Bad experiences have led her to have a strict “no-musicians” policy. But when Tim rescues Jenna from an obnoxious drunk, she bends her rules and they embark on a sensuous courtship filled with steamy, passionate nights and intense, unexpected emotions. While they try to find a way to prolong their time together, a family tragedy forces Tim to return to England. Jenna and Tim must each decide how far they’re willing to go to see if their whirlwind romance can lead to a lifetime of love.

Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music, Judy Blume, and the films of John Hughes. Her lifelong preoccupation with Rock ‘n’ Roll led her to spend her twenties working her way from intern to executive in the music industry. Much of her writing revolves around the world of backstage passes and band dynamics.

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what’s left of her time and sanity.

Together, the Karens are critique partners and co-authors of the new Ellora’s Cave erotic romance, Long-Distance Lovers, out now. Further info at thekarens.com.

Buy this book at Ellora’s Cave or Amazon. Look for it soon at Barnes & Noble and other ebook retailers.