Guest Blog - Erin Nicholas

Welcome Erin Nicholas! I'm so excited that you are visiting with us today!

What I Don't Write
First, I'm so happy to be here on Lucy's blog again with all of you! Thanks for stopping by today! (And I have a giveaway at the end, so stick around!)
Typically writers spend a lot of time talking about what they write. That makes sense. When you meet a writer, it's good to know is she or he writes something you'd like to read. But sometimes it's worth talking about what I don't write. See, I have a new book coming out November 8th and in talking about the book, someone mentioned that the title Hotblooded would be a great title for an erotic vampire romance. I about snorted my tea—erotic vampire romances are just about opposite of what I write!
Because I don't write: Paranormal. Shape shifters, vampires, aliens, wizards and witches—as a reader I love it (well… not all of it but that's a post for another time) but I don't write it. At least not so far. I grew up with The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings and I love Harry Potter so, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility for me to write a paranormal someday, but for now, when you pick up one of my books you will find human beings, who stay human beings and do not drink blood (I sincerely doubt I'll ever write a vampire romance. Just sayin'.)
Historicals. Again, as a reader, love 'em. As a writer… well, I thought about this and I suppose it's because the story ideas and characters that come to me always present themselves in the, well, present. And I'd always be worried about accidentally having a regency period character check his e-mail on his iphone.
Thrillers.
[image error] There are no serial killers, sociopaths or unsolved mysteries in my books. That doesn't mean there isn't an occasional villain/ bad guy (or girl) and there are definitely "eccentric" characters but I like sexual tension/ will-they-do-it? to be what keeps people reading past midnight rather than who-done-it?
Un-happily ever afters.I also don't read these. At least not on purpose. I don't want main characters to die, true loves to be separated, or the happily ever after to be ruined or even postponed.
So what I do write: Steamy, fun contemporary romance. (These definitions are what I mean by these terms )
Steamy= there are definitely sex scenes in my books. More than one. And may involve food, toys and graphic-ish terms.
Fun= I like humor in my books and I like to write eccentric secondary characters and funny small towns.
Contemporary= we covered this above
Romance= true love, forever and ever, happily ever after… all the good stuff!
Besides the erotic vampire romance conversation, Hotblooded brings some of this up because it is all of what I do write (a steamy, fun, contemporary romance) but, when I describe what brings the hero and heroine together it sounds a little… well, depressing.
See, our heroine, Brooke Donovan is back in her hometown (which she hates) to help staff the tiny medical clinic with her husband. It's supposed to be temporary and he's supposed to be her buffer. But he's killed in a car accident and now she's stuck.
I know! Not really uplifting huh?
Our hero, Jack Silver, feels responsible for her husband's death and he's determined to make it up to her somehow. But she won't let him help her. Oh, and he doesn't want to fully confess what happened.
Yeah, not getting funnier is it?
But it is! Honest. There are funny moments, sexy moments, sweet moments. Brooke is feisty, Jack is sexy…
Well, here's the description I finally put together for the book: Her mama always said the women in their family were hotblooded…
Brooke Donovan never wanted to see her hometown, Honey Creek, Texas, again. And if it weren't for her late husband's deal with the town to repay their student loans in exchange for medical care, she wouldn't be here now. She certainly doesn't intend to stay. In eight months she'll be debt free and will have proven to Honey Creek that she doesn't need anyone. Until the one man who can make her rethink everything shows up.
Doctor Jack Silver is used to being a hero. So when he feels responsible for Brooke's husband's death, he travels across the state of Texas to give her the only thing he can offer— money. But instead of a grieving widow, he finds a gorgeous, feisty woman who's trying to survive in a town that wants her gone. The medical clinic she runs is at risk for going belly up. Thank goodness. This is something Jack can fix. He steps in as the supervising physician, determined to get the clinic—and Brooke—back on their feet. Whether she likes it or not.
Product warnings: Contains a hotblooded woman, a man who really likes that about her, a town with a long memory, and a cappuccino machine that makes it all worthwhile.
So, maybe you can see why it's good to sometimes talk about what I don't write as well as what I do write.

What I also do is give stuff away! The book isn't out yet so I can't give it away—though I'd love to (and if you'd like a chance to win it, you can join my reader group where I always give lots of stuff away!)—so instead, I'll give away a Starbucks gift card in honor of the fabulous cappuccino machine that plays a part in Hotblooded! Winner will be chosen from today's comments and posted on my website! Just comment here to get entered! I'm curious—as a reader, what do you look for in a book's description toa) make sure you check it out b) make sure you don't? c) is there an element that, if it showed up in a book unexpectedly, would make you stop reading?
Thanks for visiting with me today everyone!Erin Nicholas