Today I would like to welcome Alicia Sparks to CJ’s Book Corner.
Alicia Sparks is a Southern girl with a flair for all things a little naughty. From writing about sensual ice cream to sexy tigers, her stories all contain a high level of heat, which she blames on her Southern surroundings and her smoking hot husband.
She has been writing for ten years and shows no signs of stopping any time soon! Connect with Alicia on Facebook Twitter Amazon or Goodreads
CJ ~ Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Alicia ~ I was born and raised in a small town in Louisiana and started reading at a very early age. I think my mom inspired my love for books because she loved to read. I remember sneaking into her room and reading the naughty books she had stashed away. Those probably helped get my twisted brain started. I have taught college English, high school English and high school Spanish. My escape is writing. It is the one thing that when I’m doing it I don’t feel like I should be doing something else.
CJ ~ What inspired you to write your first book?
Alicia ~ I had a huge crush on Oded Fehr from The Mummy series and I guess I started thinking what if…The first book was written in a week and was terrible, but it was a learning experience.
CJ ~ What books have most influenced your life most?
Alicia ~ I have been inspired by things in genres that I don’t write. One of my favorite books is Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. I also loved The Great and Secret Show and Cabal by Clive Barker.
CJ ~ How much truth is in your fiction.
Alicia ~ More than should be. When people who know me read my books, they see conversations we’ve had, things we’ve done and experiences we’ve been through. The first chapter of Penalty Kill, the part about Becca losing her job, is very accurate.
CJ ~ If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor and why?
Alicia ~ I would choose Chuck Palahniuk. He’s in a different genre, but his books are so intense and he’s twisted. I really like that.
CJ ~ Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Alicia ~ My favorite romance novelist has been Sandra Hill for a long time. She’s funny and sexy. I love her Vikings and her hot Cajuns.
CJ ~ Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Alicia ~ The same thing every other writer finds challenging: finding time to get it done! I work full time, have four boys and a husband, a pit bull and three cats. I’m pretty busy.
CJ ~ What are you working on now? What is your next project?
Alicia ~ I’m working on the follow up to Penalty Kill, another hockeyrotica called Sin Bin. I’m also working on book three in the Primitive Series, Primitive Craving, Timbre’s story.
CJ ~ Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
Alicia ~ I always write to a soundtrack. Sometimes I will listen to a song over and over if I’m working on a particular scene. It drives my family crazy.
CJ ~ How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
Alicia ~ They are really important to me. I have to like the way it looks, sounds and how easy it is to type. I wrote a book once that had a lot of apostrophe and hyphenated names in it, things like Cai’ire and Ah-ten. Talk about difficult. Usually names come to me. I watch the credits of movies and find a lot of names that way.
CJ ~ What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
Alicia ~ Primitive Fix hit number one on the Amazon best sellers list for werewolf/shifter and fantasy last weekend. That was a huge accomplishment. It seems really surreal.
CJ ~ Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
Alicia ~ I never say never. I have no idea what the future holds. I’m up for anything.
CJ ~ Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?
Alicia ~ Action scenes are difficult because I have to make sure what is happening is logistically possible and logical.
CJ ~ What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
Alicia ~ The waiting. I’ve had books in limbo for more than a year, and it’s very nerve-wracking and frustrating.
CJ ~ What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
Alicia ~ Don’t ever give up. Keep reading and keep writing.
CJ ~ Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Alicia ~ Hopefully writing full time. If I’m not by then, it may be time to give up.
Just some fun questions:
CJ ~ Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
Alicia ~ I try to avoid these types of situations. I’m an introvert and run from drama at all costs. When that doesn’t work, I’m very persuasive.
CJ ~ Does your significant other recognize his moves in your writing.
Alicia ~ LOL. Yes! He’s constantly saying, “You’re going to put this in a book, aren’t you?” Or he will read something and say “Nothing is sacred, is it?” I think that’s part of the fun of being with a writer.
CJ ~ If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Alicia ~ Invisibility. I like to observe people.
Alicia ~ If you were a super hero, what would your name be? What costume would you wear?
Alicia ~ I would look like Wonder Woman. My name would be something like Kinky Girl or some other silly, sexy name.
CJ ~ What literary character is most like you?
Alicia ~ Which one is the most disturbed? I would like to say I’m a strong, independent woman like Scarlett O’Hara, someone who will fight for what she wants no matter what the cost. But I’m probably more like Melanie.
CJ ~ What secret talents do you have?
Alicia ~ Ask my husband. 😉
CJ ~ Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before?
Alicia ~ Egypt. I’m obsessed with Ancient Egypt and feel a kinship to that place.
CJ ~ If you were an animal in a zoo, what would you be?
Alicia ~ I would want to be a wolf, but I would probably be a panther. I’m terrified of big cats, so it would be poetic justice.
CJ ~ If you could have any accents from anywhere in the world, what would you choose?
Alicia ~ Ireland!
CJ ~ What were you like as a child? Your favorite toy?
Alicia ~ I had a big imagination, go figure. I was always telling stories. I think my favorite toys were my dolls and stuffed animals.
CJ ~ Do you dream? If so, what do you dream about.
Alicia ~ I dream constantly. Very vivid dreams. Many of them come true, so it’s kind of weird. Sometimes I dream about plots and different characters. I fall asleep every night working through different scenes and scenarios.
Ten years ago, Logan’s life changed when the Blackhawk helicopter he was flying went down over Afghanistan. The pain immediately hit him, intensifying and running down his arm, and when he woke up, he realized he’d become part of a military experiment complete with robotic arm and superhuman strength. After leaving the military, he returned to his hometown of Bon Teche, Louisiana to live a quiet life as the town’s sheriff, but the mayor has other plans for him.
Mayor O’Connor’s only daughter, Hadley, is blessed with powers she can’t understand or control, and the old man fears for her life and his sanity. When he hires Logan to be her personal bodyguard, no one expects immediate sparks to fly between the two. Headstrong and spoiled, Hadley does not like being followed around by someone who watches her every move, and what she hates even more is the fact she can’t trust herself around Logan or the way he makes her feel.
Logan knows he can’t live without her, but convincing Hadley of that is next to impossible. With danger swirling all around them, Logan makes his feelings known, but Hadley has a secret which could destroy them both. As her secrets are revealed, she and Logan become entangled with the Maddux clan, a group of shape shifting tigers who want Hadley for their own purposes.
Deep in the Atchafalaya Basin, Logan is determined to protect Hadley and to satisfy her Primitive Need.
*Content Warning: Intended for 18+ Audience, may contain explicit details or scenes
***Excerpt***
“You don’t want me.” His mind wandered back to the first night she’d told him that, so many years ago, the first time he’d touched her, had let himself get lost in her soft skin, so lost he almost made a mistake.
They had been at one of her father’s political events, and he had not been there to chaperone her for a change. She’d been there with some boyfriend or another, a piece of arm candy who was likely going to law school and the son of one of her father’s cronies. But for whatever reason, she had pulled him to the side, ducking into a spare room and locking the door behind them.
He had been stunned speechless. “What are you talking about, Hadley?”
“You don’t want me.” She had pouted, her lips fiery red, her hair pulled up into some complicated knot, her blue dress bringing out the color of her eyes. Her breasts were pushed up and out, creamy mounds beckoning to him. There was no way any man with a pulse didn’t want her, but she was there, accusing him.
“You’ve had too much to drink.” He backed up against the sofa, realizing they must be in the study. Truth was, he’d had a couple of drinks, too, and having her this close to him, soft and demanding, was enough to make his head swim.
“I’ve had just the right amount. Tell me why you don’t want me, Logan.” Her hips swayed beneath the silky fabric as she took a step toward him, her hands reaching out to him, running along the front of his shirt when her fingers made contact with the fabric. “Tell me why you hate me so much.”
He’d grabbed her hands, wrapping his fingers around her wrists. “I’ve never hated you, Hadley.”
“Then why are you avoiding me?”
“You think I’m avoiding you? You’re here with a date in case you’ve forgotten.”
“I’m here with George. He’s not a date. He’s one of dad’s Dad’s friends or something. I’m pretty sure he’s gay.” She twisted her hands, trying to break his hold on her, but he only squeezed tighter, hoping he wasn’t marring her skin.
“Then why are you tormenting me with him? I see you flirting with him, dancing close to him, rubbing your body all up against him and glancing my way with every stroke. So why do you hate me, Hadley?”
“Is that what you think this is?” She pulled away and he let her go this time.
“It must be. But you tell me. You’re the one who brought me in here, so you tell me what game you’re playing tonight. Tell me what my part is.”
Tapping her bottom lip with her manicured finger, she began to grin. “Do you want to play a game, Logan? I can show you all sorts of tricks.”
“I don’t want to see your tricks.”
“What do you want?”
“You’re the one who’s running the show, sweetheart. So tell me why you brought me in here.”
Reaching up, she tugged at the tiny straps holding her dress up. Sliding them down to her shoulders, she grinned, her eyes on his as she slipped her arms out of the straps. The only thing holding the dress up was the curve of her breasts, and all it would take would be a tug before it pooled around her ankles. God, he wanted to see that so badly.
“What are you doing to me, Hadley?” His cock hardened at the thought of touching her, of burying himself inside her. Swallowing hard, he stood stock still, waiting to see what she would do next.
“I’m showing you what I’ve always wanted to show you. What you’ve always wanted to see.”
The straps fell, the front of the dress fell. Sucking in his breath, he watched as the blue puddled onto the floor exactly how he had imagined. She wasn’t wearing a bra, but she was wearing tiny lace panties and a black lace garter belt attached to thigh high stockings, every man’s wet dream. He could make out the small thatch of hair beneath the fabric, could see the outline of her lips. His mouth went dry.
“Do you like me, Logan?”
He couldn’t find his voice. Reaching back, he fisted his hands around the leather of the sofa. If he reached out to touch her, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back. Already, he was being driven to the edge, wanting to take her here and now, bend her over the sofa and drive himself into her. But Hadley needed soft and sweet, didn’t she? She needed a gentle touch.
“Well? Do you?”
“Hadley, you know I do.” His voice caught in his throat and came out husky and low.
“Then tell me what you want to do to me. It’s just the two of us. No one will find us in here. Tell me what you want.”
She took two steps toward him, her black heels clicking against the wood floor, her breasts bouncing with the rhythm of her moving. God, he wanted to take those pink tips into his mouth and run his tongue along their sweetness, wanted to pull her legs onto his shoulders and bury himself between them. He clung to the sofa when she touched him, his breath knotting up in his chest.
“Let me tell you what I want to do to you, then.” Her hands made their way to the back of his neck, and she pressed her breasts against him. The heat of her skin seeped in through the fabric of his shirt, sending a wave of want through him, causing his cock to strain painfully against his pants.
“Hadley, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”
“Yes. I do. I’m seducing you.”
“Stop touching me.” There was no warning in his voice. Instead, the words sounded more like an invitation than anything else.
“I don’t think I can. I know I don’t want to.”
Tilting his head down to hers, using the back of his neck to guide him to her, she opened her mouth for him. As soon as he breathed her in, he knew he was lost. He’d stop if she told him to, but damn if this wasn’t exactly what he wanted.
“What are you doing to me?” he murmured against her lips before running his tongue along them, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and nipping at it, feeling her twist in his arms and writhe against him when he did.
“I want you to fuck me, Logan. I want you to take your cock and drive it into my body. I want to open for you and feel you come inside me.”
“Sweetheart,” .” this This time his voice held a warning. “You don’t know what you’re asking me.”
“Yes I do. I’m leaving soon. My father is sending me away, so you and I won’t see each other again after tonight. I want to have this memory of you.” Her hand covered his cock, rubbing along the fabric of his pants.
She was leaving? This was the first he’d heard of it. He knew her father had mentioned her going away to school, but never imagined he’d actually send her away. The reality hit him square in the chest. She was leaving and wanted this moment with him? This wasn’t how he wanted things to be between them.
“No.” It took him a while to find his voice, to find the courage to push her away. Holding her at arm’s length, he took in a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m not going to be your parting prize, Hadley.”
“It’s not like that. Do you remember when I told you I’m not a virgin? I lied. I want it to be you, Logan. I’ve always wanted it to be you.”
Those words had shattered him, and it had taken every ounce of strength he had to pull away from her, to reach down and pick up her dress. Hurt showed on her face, and she’d pressed her lips together tightly as she snatched it out of his hands.
“You’ll regret this, Logan Quinn. One day, you’ll regret this.”
He made his way to the door and turned to face her. “I already do, sweetheart. I already do.”
Book 1 in the Memphis Mayhem Series
Becca Bramlett finished her Ph.D. and flew to Vegas to celebrate with a friend. She had no idea the Stanley Cup Championship was being played in Sin City or that the hotel where she’d be staying would be swamped with loud, obnoxious hockey players. One in particular caught her eye and irritated her beyond belief when he and his buddies decided to party in the hallway at 3 am. As soon as she confronted him, jabbing her finger into his sexy chest, she knew one touch would never be enough. And God, could the man touch! Nothing had prepared Becca for Axl or the hot weekend they’d spent together. What they did together in bed would be burned in her mind forever. But, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – or so she thought….
Ten years later – Nick Hartijay’s team, the Memphis Mayhem, is poised to become media darlings, a success story of an underdog NHL team who makes it to the Cup. The only problem is – Nick’s temper is getting the better of him. With heavy fines and suspensions, it’s difficult to focus on his game. The team’s owner has a solution to the problem – bring in a fresh face, someone new to the hockey world that can help the team with their media image. Becca is that person.
As soon as Becca sets eyes on Nick, she realizes he’s THE ONE from so long ago, the guy who set her on fire and left her wanting more – Axl. Why does he pretend he doesn’t know her? Or was the weekend not as memorable for him as it was for her? Confused by her feelings, the new job, and the sexual longings running through her body, Becca knows the only way to keep her sanity is to stay away from the handsome blue-eyed coach. The only problem is – the harder she tries to stay away, the more she wants to end up in the penalty box with him!
*Content Warning: May content adult scenes and graphic content. Intended for 18+ Audience.
***Excerpt***
“You should choose a safe word,” Axl had said, his voice gravelly and very dangerous. It was their second night together, and she’d shared with him the night before how much she wanted to just hand over control of her life to someone else. That can be arranged, he’d smiled.
As he tied her hands and ankles to the bedposts, she wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into. “What’s a safe word?”
“I’m going to push you to your limits. Part of the fun is that you will say no and stop. I want to know when you really want me to stop and when you really mean no as opposed to when you are just in the moment. Does that make sense?” His face rested just above hers and she could tell he was serious.
She licked her lips. “What kind of word?” She’d never heard of anything like this before. Then again, she had never been tied to a bed before either.
“Something you wouldn’t ordinarily say during sex. Not Oh, God or That’s too big or anything like that.” She had giggled because both of those phrases were appropriate. “I won’t start until you think of something.”
She racked her brain and for the life of her couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sound dirty. “Like any word?”
“Yes. Something you will remember and know to use when you’ve had enough.”
“And what happens when I say it?” She didn’t want the fun to stop just because she had second thoughts.
“I will give you a few minutes to be sure you really meant it. I will stop doing whatever I’m doing and let you think. If you want to keep going, you let me know. If not, then we try something else. It’s perfectly safe.”
“What if I’m on the verge of a climax and I say it?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Try not to say it if you’re that close.” He ran a finger down between her breasts then flattened his palm just below her ribcage. “Have you thought of anything?”
“Parlay?”
“Par-what?” He wrinkled his forehead.
“Parlay. It’s part of the Pirate’s Code. It means you have to give me temporary protection. You can’t abuse me on your ship.”
He laughed. “Pirate’s Code. Is every woman obsessed with pirates?”
She smiled. “As long as they are the right kind of pirates, then yes, we are. So, parlay.”
