A Chat with Jan Meredith || PLAYING DOCTOR

PLAYING DOCTOR/Entangled Publishing/FLAUNT/ ~35k

Contemporary Erotic Romance

One of 6 novellas included in the launch of the sexy new imprint, FLAUNT

Release/Launch date: November 25, 2013

When a fellow RN jokingly predicts that Beth Roberts will meet a tall, ripped and totally lick-o-licious stranger who will fulfill her deepest desires, it’s supposed to be from across a crowded room, not giving CPR to a wedding guest. Given her tragic love life, Beth has no desire to become involved again, but who could have predicted the ponytailed doctor with the mischievous smile would break through her defenses?

Dr. Gabriel North blamed himself for his wife’s death. Now, after two years of battling guilt and meaningless hookups, he’s ready to move on. When he sees the sexy brunette at his friend’s wedding, his attraction is swift and strong, and he wastes no time in pressing his advantage. One night with the woman who makes him feel alive again isn’t enough. She has faith in him as a physician, but getting her to trust the man is going to take more than medical school has prepared him for.

* * * * *

Please tell us about yourself and your writing. 

Hi Melissa, and thank you for having me on your lovely blog today. I’ll try not to bore your readers with the mundane that is me! I’m a nurse on the weekends and a writer every day. Once I decided to get serious about writing, it seemed only natural to make it a medical romance.

What does your writing space look like? 

Well, it’s a mess, at the moment. I have notes everywhere, a mug full of ink pens, four crystals given to me by one of my sons to enhance creativity—sometimes I have to give them a little thump to get them working again—two manuscripts from the 80’s in a boot box under the desk that I use as a foot rest and my cat claims for a bed, and a remote for the flat screen that I never turn on while I’m writing.

 

Please tell us about your current work in progress. 

Ha! More like “works” in progress. I’m switching between the stories of the secondary characters in Playing Doctor—Ian and Eve’s, titled: Educating Eve, and Connie’s—which will give us a follow up peek at Gabe and Beth, titled: Bad Company. There are more, but they’re going to have to wait their turns.

How do you come up with your book titles? 

I feel that the title of a book should be the door that opens to the story inside. It should set the mood before the first word is read, and give the reader a hint at what’s waiting inside. In Playing Doctor, I wanted something both playful and sensual.

How do you name your characters? 

Honestly, most of the time, my characters name themselves, at least for their first names. More often than not, as soon as an idea for a story hits me, the name is there.

If you could choose any actor/actress (living or dead) to play your protagonist, who would it be and why? 

Chris Hemsworth would be Dr. Gabriel North—the hair (which, sadly, didn’t make it to the cover) the height and build, the softness of his voice all fit his character. As for Beth, I would have either Sandra Bullock or Mila Kunis—dark hair, curves and sense of humor fit her to a T.

Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands? 

While I don’t write to music, I use music—and the lyrics—to write, if that makes sense. During a very emotional scene in Playing Doctor, Gabe tries to convince Beth to forget their agreement of “one night only” and see him again. She struggles with how to say what she’s feeling, how to make him understand that he’s already given her so much, but he deserves so much more, and there’s something inside of her now, holding her back. I worked on this scene for days, but it just wasn’t right. Driving to work one morning, I forgot to plug my iPhone into the aux jack and let the radio play. I was still mulling over the scene when a song came on the radio—“Too Close” by Alex Clare. The tone of the music wasn’t what I usually listened to—I prefer hard rock, something to get the blood pumping—Godsmack, Metallica, The Black Keys—but I felt something pull at me with this sound. Then he started to sing and the lyrics were amazing. As he sang, I saw Beth, sitting on the bed, her eyes full of pain, her heart breaking as she sent Gabe away. I had my scene.

What is your favorite book genre? Who are your favorite authors? 

I’m a mix of contemporary and paranormal. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon, who is, by the way, one of the nicest persons you’ll ever meet. Taryn Kinkaid’s “Sleepy Hollow” series is to die for. Hot and humorous! Jennifer Probst and Heather Long both slay me with their stories.

Has anyone in particular been an influence on your writing? 

Oh, absolutely! Nora Roberts has always fascinated me with her writing style—and she’s the only one who can get away with it, and Sherrilyn Kenyon’s tortured characters with their rapid fire sarcasm.

Tell us something strange or interesting about yourself. 

I’ve always been the type of person that feels like, if you don’t try, you’ll never know. It got me into trouble from time to time in my early years, lol! I enrolled in college after my boys were out and on their own, when most women my age were slowing down.   

Who is the sexiest man/woman alive and why? 

Chris Hemsworth, and not just for his physical appearance, which is drool worthy, but for the way he looks holding his child. There’s something eternally sexy about a big, muscular man holding an infant in his arms that does it for me J

Quick quiz:

Favorite food? Apple cobbler.

Favorite color? Lavender.

Favorite animal? My cat, Miss Kitty.

Biggest pet peeve? Oh, now you’ve done it! Trying to drive in front of Wal-mart while someone comes out of the garden section and walks diagonally across the lane, alllllll the way to the other end!

Dream car? I would love to have a Cadillac CTS or SRX Crosswover. That’s what the sensible me says. What I’d really like to have is a 2014 Camaro SS or a new Dodge Challenger.

 * * * * *

Excerpt:

“Thank you for the drink.” She picked up the glass, took a cautious sip.

“Water and lemon. I didn’t know your preference, and it seemed the safest choice.”

Beth watched as he lifted his glass to his mouth and drank deeply. She swallowed as if the cool liquid was sluicing down her own suddenly parched throat and wondered how the simple act of water sliding past his lips could appear so erotic. And the way he licked it from his lips—not a regular old dart-and-swish, mind you, but a leisurely swipe of his tongue, and she could almost feel the rasp of it along the seam of her…

Heat, dark and rich, infused her sex. She shifted in her chair and tipped her hips down in an attempt to relieve the ache building there, only to find it heightened the sensation.

“It’s not very comfortable, is it?”                              

Blinking, Beth watched Gabe’s mouth curl into a slight smile. When she looked up, a glint of amused hunger brightened his eyes.

He knows. He knows what he’s doing to me. How freaking embarrassing! And how incredibly hot.

She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry?” Was that her voice, all breathy and sultry?

He paused, studied her for a moment, and then said, “The chair…it’s not very comfortable.”

Relief washed over her, quickly followed by a touch of disappointment. Had she misread him? “No, no it isn’t.” To prove it, Beth shifted again and crossed her legs. She groaned inwardly when the change of position rubbed her thighs and the needy territory between them together, intensifying her little problem.

“Sometimes,” Gabe started thoughtfully, turning his glass in small half circles on the tabletop and drawing her attention there. His broad thumb streaked the condensation on the glass and then paused to slowly circle one small area. Beth scrunched down a little and squeezed her thighs together. “Sometimes, you have to find just the right…spot.”

Clench!

“Yes, well,” Beth clamped her fingers around her glass. Her toes curled inside her shoes. She shifted slightly, dragging her gaze up from the motion of his thumb on the glass. Warm, observant eyes looked back at her, full of promise and possibilities. Well. Maybe she hadn’t misread him after all. “Fortunately, I won’t be sitting on it for long.”

“Fortunately,” he agreed solemnly.

Available for purchase:

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Author Bio:

Jan Meredith has been a romance junkie since her teens. When she isn't penning steamy stories about strong-willed, independent women and the sexy men who love them, she works as an Infusion Therapy nurse. She lives near Mammoth Cave, KY with her husband (and former high school sweet heart) Tommy.

You can learn more about her at her web site.
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