Hi Everyone. Please help me welcome Roni Loren to AsianCocoa's Secret Garden today! Roni is here to talk about her debut novel Crash Into You. I was very curious to know some details about The Ranch so Roni is going to tell us a little bit about it.
A Sneak Peek Inside The Ranch from CRASH INTO YOU
One of the best things about being a writer is being able to build entire worlds straight out of our imagination. And most of the time when people talk about “world-building” they’re referring to genres like paranormal, science fiction, or fantasy because in those types of books, you literally have to create entirely new worlds or universes. However, even in contemporaries (what I write), there is some world-building involved.
I write erotic romance with BDSM in it. And if you’re familiar with the genre, you know that BDSM is a world in and of itself with its own rules, customs, and equipment. So when I first thought of the idea for CRASH INTO YOU, I needed to create a place where my characters could go and explore their relationship in the comfort and safety of that “society” and not have to worry about the people in their life knowing about it.
The first thought that came to my mind was a club. They’re used a lot in BDSM fiction and that might have worked. But a club didn’t feel quite right for this story. I wanted something that immersed my heroine, Brynn, more fully. Something that forced her completely out of her comfort zone and put her off balance and face to face with her old fears. So, that’s when I got the idea for The Ranch.
The Ranch is a resort/vineyard out in Texas where any sexual fantasy (as long as it’s consensual) can be explored. The focus is on BDSM but the people who go there don’t necessarily have to be into that specifically. It’s elite, it’s exclusive, and it’s very confidential. This is a place politicians, millionaires or celebrities would go to be assured privacy.
So what’s it like there? Well, it’s located west of Dallas in the middle of nowhere, is run by a sexy dominant cowboy, and is home to the Waters Edge Wines vineyard. But, of course, that’s not the only business being run at The Ranch.
Tucked among all the grapevines are cabins and a resort that provides anything a person could want to explore their sexual fantasies. There’s a night club, a restaurant, a spa--everything you would expect at a fancy resort. But there are also public rooms with all the best BDSM equipment. There are fantasy role playing rooms that vary from a police station to a decadent boudoir. And then each individual cabin is outfitted with anything an adventurous couple may need.
Plus, bonus: there are a whole bunch of hot romance heroes wandering around! ;) (I do have a whole series planned after all.)
So how do I picture this place in my mind?
Here are some pictures that match closely (though the main house at The Ranch is much bigger and has three stories):
So the warm and cozy decor is juxtaposed with the edgy, limit-pushing things that go on there. I liked that contrast because it matched my hero and heroine’s relationship a bit. Brynn and Reid have to figure out how to find the balance between what they desire and the kind of life they pictured themselves living.
I hope you’ll all come and take a virtual visit to The Ranch and stay a while!
Anyone want to check in for the weekend? :) What would your fantasy resort look like--a beach paradise, a place tucked up in the mountains? I’d love to know!
by Roni Loren
Release date: January 3, 2012
Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but she never imagined how personal her work would get, or where it would take her. Her younger sister is missing, suspected to be hiding from cops and criminals alike at a highly secretive BDSM retreat—a place where the elite escape to play out their most extreme sexual fantasies. To find her Brynn must go undercover as a sexual submissive. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only. And the one Master who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn’s past.
Brynn knows what attorney Reid Jamison is like once stripped of his conservative suit and tie. Years ago she left herself vulnerable only to have him crush her heart. Now she needs him again. Back on top. And he’s all too willing to engage. But as their primal desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate—and so does the danger. Their hearts aren’t the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules. And his game could be murder.
EXCERPT
Brynn emerged from the bathroom with a handful of Band-Aids and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She pointed to the dining room table. “Sit.”
He dried his hands with a paper towel and fought a smile. She always had been a bossy little thing. But he knew the truth. Underneath all that tight control was a woman who, at least when he’d known her, loved handing over the reins. He swallowed hard, tamping down memories he didn’t need to rehash at the moment.
He dropped into one of the chairs, and Brynn sat across from him, her knees bumping against his. He widened his legs, and after the briefest of hesitations, she scooted forward, allowing his thighs to frame the outsides of hers as she reached for his injured hand. She circled her fingers around his right wrist, his pulse jumping at her touch, and brought his hand up to her face to examine it. His fingers itched to reach out and trace the bow of her lips.
Dammit. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his desire to touch her in check, but the citrus scent of her shampoo drifted to his nose and sent a bolt of carnal need straight to his groin.
He stared down at her. One quick grasp of her waist and he could lift her to straddle his lap, bunch up that dress, and slide right into her sweet heat—kiss away all the tension furrowing her brow, drive her to that place of wild abandon he knew she could reach.
Without thinking, he lifted his other hand and twined her broken dress strap between his fingers, brushing the backs of his sore knuckles across her collarbone in the process. The small catch of breath in the back of her throat made his balls tighten. Such a feminine sound, so close to the noise she would make as he entered her.
But she didn’t raise her eyes to him and beg him to take her like he secretly hoped she would. She simply took the slip of material from him and tucked it under her bra strap to hold it in place, sending her message loud and clear. Not yours.
Not anymore.
Author Bio
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. Her debut novel, CRASH INTO YOU, will be published by Berkley Heat January 3, 2012.
Website/Blogs: www.roniloren.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/roniloren
Tumblr (where I post mancandy photos): http://roniloren.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roniloren
Buy links for book: www.roniloren.com/books
Giveaway:
1) Roni is giving away one set of signed Romance Trading cards for Crash Into You to a randomly drawn commenter today.
**Daily Winner of the Romance Trading Cards is Tore! Congratulations.**
**Daily Winner of the Romance Trading Cards is Tore! Congratulations.**
2) She is also giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during the entire tour. Ends January 27, 2012.
The more comments you leave the better your chances of winning.
To Enter:
Answer Roni's question from the post or leave a comment or question for her and include your email address.
Be sure to visit the other blogs on this wonderful tour. Click on the tour banner below for a list of participating blogs.
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