Out
Now! - Between You and I by Beth D. Carter (@bethdcarter)
Thank you so much for having me here
today! I’ve often had people ask why do
I write erotica romance? Do I really have to use those words? Well, yes. Yes, I do. And I’ve had it all. The raised eyebrows, the nose in the air,
even the rolled eyes. Everything that screams disapproval. All because I say I write erotica
romance. People can’t seem to get past
the ‘erotica’ part of that statement.
But I can’t NOT write. I might explode if I’m not at my laptop
trying to find a synonym for the words ‘gazed into his eyes’. And why erotica romance? Because it’s real. The sex is graphic because
the love is intense. My stories are not
about people like the Cleavers, or the Brady Bunch. My stories are about people with
problems…about an ex-soldier fighting PTSD, women kidnapped for a human
trafficking ring, a man who was inappropriately touched as a child, a woman who
has survived alone in a wasteland for years.
These characters are raw. Their
emotions are encased in ice. These
people are helpless, hopeless…until love finds them.
In my latest book, Between You and I, the heroine, Madeline, is scared about feeling
again after the man she loves walks away from her. She hides behind a plethora of interesting
friends, keeping herself busy so she’s not lonely. Or at least, she tries to convince herself
she isn’t lonely. When she meets Hunter,
who is a little younger than her, she suddenly is confronted by the prospect of
the numbness she’s wound herself in melting away.
I’m not sure what other writers do, but I
often use my writing as a way of dealing with my issues. It’s very cathartic. I’m very proud to have written about a woman
who has gone through the same emotional turmoil I went through. I hope Madeline’s story helps others who
might be struggling with the same type of uncertainties.
What inspired you to write Between You and I?
This book was inspired by my own battle with endometriosis. I was diagnosed in my twenties and suffered
with pain, depression, and insomnia for over twenty years. It’s still a medical
condition most people don’t know anything about. I finally made the decision to have a
hysterectomy last year and while lying in the hospital bed, I came up with
Madeline. For a few years I’d been
toying with the idea of a book, but it was that moment, right after surgery,
that Madeline became a real person to me.
Tell
us about the heroine, Madeline, in Between You and I:
Externally,
she’s tough. She covers up her pain with
a “no worries” attitude. But internally,
she’s lonely. She wishes for someone to
hold her and take care of her for a moment.
In that respect, she’s a personification of what I went through. Writing, for me, is a very cathartic way of
dealing with issues.
Was there as specific part of the
story that you absolutely loved writing as well as not enjoyed writing?
I loved
finding her balance with the hero, Hunter.
He’s younger than her so having her get past her mental block on that
was fun exploring. My least favorite
part in writing this story was figuring out the ending. The one that the book ended up with was my second
ending. It was hard figuring out the
believable way to write their happy ever after.
Please tell a little about Between You and I without
giving too much of a spoiler away.
This book was inspired by my own battle with
endometriosis. For a few years I’d been
toying with the idea of a book about a heroine who had it, but it was the
moment right after my hysterectomy surgery, that Madeline became a real person
to me. The hero, Hunter, had to be a
right balance of understanding, hunky, and confused, otherwise, he’s too one
dimensional. I think I hit that balance,
and I consider this book one of my best.
Do you plan all your characters out before you start a
story or do they develop as you write?
Mostly my characters develop as I write
them, but in this case, Madeline was planned out extensively, mainly because a
lot of her is me. I used my own struggle
with endometriosis as her emotional platform to find love with a younger
man.
What is your favorite line in Between You and I? Why?
“Tell me, right now, what’s standing
between you and I that makes you scared of that word,” he demanded. “Why are
you so afraid of love?”
I
love that line! It was the first line I
thought of when I began to think of Madeline’s story and it’s where I got the
title. I know it’s not grammatically
correct but it sounds more dramatic than “between you and me”.
*****
Blurb:
A broken engagement left Madeline Shawl
feeling like a shattered woman. When she
meets Hunter Caligari, he seems to be the perfect man for some
friends-with-benefits action. But when
the easy affair turns into something more, it threatens her comfortable grief.
The passion of the younger man nearly
infects her until Hunter tries to articulate it with the three words she
refuses to hear. When she pushes him away, wounding his heart, she finds her
own broken all over again.
Still, Madeline struggles to leave the past
and accept that when Hunter said, "I love you," he wasn't just
speaking for himself.
Buy
links:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bhm4Uz
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bxr7lG
All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/2btJIxq
Evernight Publishing: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/between-you-and-i-by-beth-d-carter
*****
Excerpt:
“Where do you live?” she asked once they reached
her sedan.
“Off Silverado,” he said. “The Mustang Apartments.”
Madeline nodded and a few minutes later she was
driving out of the parking garage, easing into traffic to head toward his home.
The entire time she was acutely aware of his presence in her car, the warmth
that his body generated inside the small confines. Or maybe she was simply hot
and bothered.
All too soon she pulled in front of the gate that
sealed off his apartment complex, and then slipped into an empty slot
designated for future residents. She put the car in park and turned off the
engine. For a moment neither one moved. She simply sat there, with her hands on
the steering wheel, her heart pounding, and every nerve ending standing at
attention. Waiting. Anticipating. He shifted and she felt his gaze on her, so
slowly she turned. The overhead parking
lights illuminated his face through the front window, highlighting his chiseled
good looks. Suddenly the small confines of her car seemed hot. A bit
overwhelming.
“I had a great time,” Hunter murmured.
Madeline wet her dry lips with her tongue. His head
moved fractionally closer.
“Me…” She had to clear her throat from the
huskiness coming through. “Me too.”
He smiled and their gazes met. Locked. She had this
sense of free falling, just plunging head first into an unknown abyss. Had she
ever felt like this with Kevin? With him everything had been easy. Simplistic.
Nothing like what she was feeling now, with Hunter. He brought his hand up to
cup her cheek, and she leaned into it, absorbing his heat. His eyelids narrowed
a bit and his attention shifted to her mouth. All sorts of delicious tingles
spread through her body because she knew he was going to kiss her. God! She
wanted to kiss him back so much it was an ache deep in her gut. His head
descended and her eyes fluttered shut just as the first touch of his mouth on
hers brushed her lips. So gentle, like the dewy wisp of butterfly wings, and
she wondered if he had kissed her at all.
Author
Bio:
I like writing about the very ordinary girl thrust into
extraordinary circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers,
doctors or corporate highrollers. I try
to write characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write
complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think
outside the box. I love writing characters who are real,
complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love.
I’ve been pretty
fortunate in life to experience some amazing things. I’ve lived in France, travelled throughout
Europe, Australia and New Zealand. I am
a mom to an amazing little boy. I’ve
walked a red carpet event and visited the USS Voyager. I hate washing dishes but I love cooking. I hate washing
clothes but I love wearing them. Writing my bio is difficult because I never
know what to say so I hope you like this one.
My favorite color is red but I look best in black (it’s slimming). I hate people who don't pick up their dog's
crap in public places, people who don’t use turn signals, and I really hate
people who are rude and condescending. I especially hate discrimination in all
and every form. And although I love
holding a book in my hand, I absolutely adore my ereader, whom I’ve named
Ruby. I love to hear from readers so
I’ve made it really easy to find me on the web.
Amazon author page:
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