Liz Matis's Blog, page 10

The inspiration behind my hero Grady O'Flynn.

When I begin a story I usually have a celebrity in mind for my hero.
Playing For Keeps = a mashup of Hugh Jackman and Kevin Nash
Going For It = Vin Diesel
Love By Design = Josh Holloway (of Lost fame)

About the time I was thinking of writing a sexy short titled Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis, there was a TV show on the air called Stars Earn Stripes. Celebrities were paired up with a military/police personnel and competed in training missions.

I immediately fell in love with Grady Powell, a former Green Beret who was paired up with WWE wrestler Eva Torres.

And thus Grady O'Flynn was born. I couldn't help but keep his first name and I made him a Navy SEAL.

Here is a little snippet from Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis
Navy SEAL Grady O’Flynn wasn’t often knocked back on his heels but the bombshell in front of him knocked him back and rocked his world. She reminded him of a movie starlet from the Forties. All curves and all sass. And those baby blues? Man, they nearly had him babbling like an infant.     “So what do you do for a living?”Amused by her obvious deflection, he’d decided to let his question go unanswered since he couldn’t be an open book either. He didn’t want to lie but he couldn’t reveal who he was or why he was in New York City. “I’m on extended leave.”“What does that mean?”“I’m between assignments.” He took a sip of scotch. “Am I going to have to waterboard you for information?”Grady nearly spit out his drink but recovered quickly with, “There are far more pleasurable ways to get information.” “Ooo.”God, he loved the way her ruby lips formed an O. He wouldn’t take the thought a step further and fantasize about what that mouth could do to him. 

Release Day for Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis!

Today is release day! Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis is a sexy short (novelette). I'll be donating 50% of my proceeds to the Wounded Warriors Project. There is a page on my blog that I will update every quarter with the donation.

Here is blurb for the story:

Hollywood’s handsomest men surround celebrity agent Ava Gardner but none are as intriguing as larger-than-life Grady O’Flynn. The Navy SEAL is on an unsanctioned mission when they end up starring in their own romantic comedy. 
Will they continue to sizzle when Grady has to report back to duty? 


Buy link for Kindle  only .99cents!Buy link for NOOK  only .99cents!Here is an excerpt:Ava slipped from the stool and slid next to her target. “You know this is a martini bar?” She held up her empty glass. Despite the number of people waiting for drinks, he only had to nod at the bartender to order her a refill.His gaze then captured hers. “I’m a rebel.”Ethereal green. That was the only way to describe his eyes. Almost lost in the depth of his stare she forced herself to speak. “So you’re looking for a girl who can belt back a scotch?”A smile appeared on his face. “That would be asking too much. I’d settle for a girl who liked a cold beer.”“Wine?” Still smiling he shook his head. “High maintenance.”“You came to the wrong place then.”He handed her the drink and said, “From where I’m standing I’m in exactly the right place.” 

This Kiss...

This Kiss by Faith Hill is one of those songs I listen to before I write a first kiss scene.

Who said "No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor."?

Betty Friedan said it! March is Women's History Month. In my continuing series of Quotes by Famous Women here are some quotes by Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique and one of the founders of NOW (National Organization for Women)


A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex but neither should she adjust to prejudice and discrimination.Aging is not "lost youth" but a new stage of opportunity and strength. It is easier to live through someone else than to become complete yourself.When she stopped conforming to the conventional picture of femininity she finally began to enjoy being a woman.You can show more of the reality of yourself instead of hding behind a mask for fear of revealing too much.
Such great quotes! Which is your favorite? 

Coming soon....

The revisions to my sexy novelette, Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis are complete. I hoping to have it out by March but it still needs line editing and then it's off to the formatter. Keep your fingers crossed.

Here is the cover and a little snippet!



Ava slipped from the stool and slid next to her target. “You know this is a martini bar?” She held up her empty glass. Despite the number of people waiting for drinks, he only had to nod at the bartender to order her a refill.His gaze then captured hers. “I’m a rebel.”Ethereal green. That was the only way to describe his eyes. Almost lost in the depth of his stare she forced herself to speak. “So you’re looking for a girl who can belt back a scotch?”A smile appeared on his face. “That would be asking too much. I’d settle for a girl who liked a cold beer.”“Wine?” Still smiling he shook his head. “High maintenance.”“You came to the wrong place then.”He handed her the drink and said, “From where I’m standing I’m in exactly the right place.” 

2013 Edition of... And the Oscar goes to....

ME! When I was a little girl I'd flip thru magazines and pick out the dress I would wear to accept the Oscar not for Best Actress but Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay (from my novel, of course).  Now that I'm older .... well... actually the only difference today is now I scroll through images on Yahoo.  So let's play pretend! Which dress should I wear on Sunday, February 24? Leave a comment and let me know!

Dramatic red? Demure gray?

Sexy back?

Loving you is a man's job, baby... Bruce Springsteen

AS I'm writing the bonus scenes to Real Men Don't Drink Appletinis this song is playing inside my head. It's Bruce Springsteen's Man's Job (Loving you is a man's job.)

Love me and the world is mine. ~David Reed

Happy Valentine's Day! Here are some beautiful quotes to go along with the day!

Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!  ~Thomas Hood

A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
~Author Unknown

Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  ~Robert Browning

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.  ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Take away love and our earth is a tomb.  ~Robert Browning

Soul meets soul on lovers' lips.  ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Audiobook for Love By Design is here!

It's here! I'm so excited about the audio release of Love By Design.

If you click on the link it will take you to Audible where you can hear a sample!

Audible - Love By Design

also available on iTunes here...

iTunes - Love By Design



Design Intervention starts the second season with its own surprise makeover. Interior designer Victoria Bryce must break in her temporary co-host, Aussie Russ Rowland. Victoria, former socialite wild child hopes the reality show will give her the clout to launch her own design line without her family connections. Russ, former bad boy Australian TV star is using the show to launch his acting career in the States. Sparks fly on camera as they argue over paint colors and measurement mishaps leading to passions igniting behind the scenes. But when their pasts collide with the present will the foundation they built withstand the final reveal?

1994 Lucky vs 2013 Andrew - Who would you rather...?

see as a blue collar hero in a romance novel?

Have you seen the new Diet Coke commercial? It's a take on the popular 1994 Diet Coke commercial where a group of women office workers take a '11:30 break'. They run to the window and watch as a hunky construction worker strips off his shirt and guzzles down a Diet Coke. It was a twist on the complaint of women being whistled at by construction workers. In a new 2013 commercial, a group of women are on a sort of picnic/break who see a cute guy mowing the lawn and they roll down a Diet Coke. He opens it and it sprays all over his shirt and -whoopsie- he has to take it off. My guess this is a take on Lady Chatterley's Lover.

So who would you rather read about in a romance novel? Here are the stats...

Lucky  (1994)                                                  VS                   Andrew (2013)                    
Born: Nebraska                                                                         Born: England
Age: 33                                                                                     Age: 31
Height: 6'2                                                                                Height: 6'1
Former Army Ranger                                                               Owns doggie boutique
Plays: Smoking Hot Construction Worker                               Plays: Sexy Gardner

Please leave a comment and let me know. If you need help deciding here is a You-Tube article about the 2 men....