People ALWAYS ask me about my research.  I’ll get: how do you write those scenes (with a wink, wink).  The truth is, it’s the other parts that are the hardest (no pun intended).   Creating the tension in daily situations, the character building …

But the other day I had a new and exciting experience in research. I’m currently writing a story with a hero who rides a motorcycle. A Harley to be exact. And since I knew NOTHING about this, I decided I needed to ride a Harley …

Hmm, riding a Harley . . . For some reason I didn’t think this would be a big deal. But first I had to find someone who was willing to be subjected to all sorts of stupid questions (doesn’t that leather chafe?) and then get him to give me a ride.

So I found a guy, through a friend of a friend of a friend. I called home and got Alpha Man on the line and said “don’t worry but I’m going on a date this afternoon with a leather-wearing, badass Harley driving dude. Okay?”

Now Alpha Man, well used to my occupation, didn’t bat an eye. “Wear a helmet” was his only comment. “And don’t forget to get milk on the way home.”

Fine. So I’d forgotten to pick up milk three days running and the kids were whining about not being able to eat cereal. That seemed insignificant in the light of this exciting adventure. So I said “I’m not kidding, you know. I’m really going riding on a Harley.”

“Is the life insurance is paid up?” he asked.

Men.

I did get my ride, and wow, there is something about the power of the beast between your legs and the roar of the engine and the danger and the wind in your hair . . . And the bugs in your teeth.

Afterwards I found myself grateful to get back into my car, thinking maybe I’m not quite as adventurous as I’d thought.

Oh, and I remembered to get milk on the way home.  The glamorous, sexy lifestyle of a writer …

(and p.s. Happy Anniversary, Blaze!!!)

Oh and p.s.s. … I’m going to be doing a giveaway VERY soon so make sure to stop by my site (http://www.jillshalvis.com) and sign up for my newsletter, and if you have Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jillshalvis) , come “like” me to be entered.

Using the Random Number Generator, Jill picked #3 and #7 as winners. Congrats to Joyce Zahariades and Jane!!

Hey guys! Nice to be here! I’ve got a game for ya. Name the Blaze the below excerpt comes from. Yes, you can cheat. I’m sweet like that. I’ll draw two names and winners can pick a book from my backlist:

Startling her out of her own thoughts, there was new movement outside the pastry shop as the ME was finally ready to have the body removed. Once again, Bella set her head down on her knees, feeling a wave of emotion for whoever the guy had been, for his family, for whoever would grieve him.

A pair of athletic shoes appeared in front of her, topped by faded Levi’s, and she closed her eyes, not up for more unanswerable questions. She heard a rustle and knew the owner of said shoes and jeans had just crouched in front of her.

When she peeked, she saw long legs flexing as he set his elbows on his thighs and waited on her.

He finally spoke. “You okay?”

Wait a minute. She knew that voice. That voice had coaxed shocking responses from her only last night, and she lifted her head, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Nope, it was Tall, Dark and Drop-dead Sexy, no longer wearing board shorts and a relaxed, easy grin.

Instead he wore a light blue button down that emphasized his lean, hard body, the one that had taken hers to heaven and back.

The man she’d told that she was moving to Siberia so he wouldn’t come looking for her.

Oh, God.

She really wished she’d have picked any other location than Siberia, because he had a detective’s badge on a hip, and he was either carrying a gun on his other hip or was very happy to see her, which she sincerely doubted given the expression on his face.

Gulp.

“Hey,” she whispered with a little smile.

He returned the little smile, his eyes warming, but he didn’t “hey” back.

Yeah.

She’d had it right last night. She was in trouble with this one.

Deep trouble.

So why do I hang out with Alpha Man again? Anyone? On Saturday afternoon he talked my sorry tired ass into going to the lake for a paddleboard ride. Because I had claimed “tired”, I let him haul both paddleboards from the truck to the lagoon’s edge.

I carried the paddles.

Hey, someone had to do it.

The lagoon is shielded, protected and very very quiet waters. After about two minutes of this, Alpha Man decided that the lagoon was for little girls, and he wanted to get out onto the open waters.

Actually, he didn’t say “little girls”, he said something else that I’m pretty sure I can’t type here. Then he flashed me the coaxing smile and tried to get me to agree to leave the lagoon. Which is a little bit like leaving a bathtub for the Nile. But because I’m a sucker, I followed.

Followed.

Because Alpha Man has to be in the lead, in charge and in control. Damn Alpha-ness.

I looked across the huge lake and took a big gulp. It was like a mile and it was deep and choppy and there were big boats and I didn’t wanna. I wanted to keep going along the quiet lagoon, you know, where it was SAFE.

So not a complete jerk, Alpha Man slowed down and gave me that charming smile and the “honey you can totally do this” when really he just wanted me to hurry the hell up so he could get his adrenaline rush and thrill.

So fine. I went. We were about a quarter of a mile across, with me going ”oh god oh god oh god I’m going to die” all the way and he’s trying to be all encouraging with the “you’re doing great, your paddle is backwards, you really are doing great” and ruining the whole thing by cracking his ass up every time I dropped my paddle.

And then he made it all worse by yelling back a vague sort of “last one across owes” and we all know what he meant by “owes”, just as we all know exactly who was going to be last one across. The guy is like a foot taller and had a hundred pounds on me.

I might have snapped. I might have yelled “just once I’d like it if you were sweet and sensitive and … and BETA!”

And he blinked, all surprised to find me a tad bit out of sorts. Men. Are. Clueless.

Oh and just so we’re clear, I did win, even if to secure the win I flat out cheated and there might have been flashing involved. Point is, he had to buy me Panda Express. Although if he happens by here today, I’m just kidding. I didn’t cheat at all and I owe nothing.

Hmph. Oh! And while I have you here, I’d love to hear what you’re reading … and if you’re looking for something, please feel free to go hit the Blazes this month. I’m in the anthology Born On The Fourth Of July, and also next month with in The Heat Is On … Click here: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-heat-is-on-2/ to read the first chapter … and here for the anthology’s first chapter: http://jillshalvis.com/blog/2010/06/18/born-on-the-fourth-of-july/

Happy Reading! And hope to see you all on my daily blog, I love the company … Best, Jill

Writing for me is a solo gig. I happily bustle and hustle the kids out the door to school, boot out the husband as well, the dog, the cat …

And then I sit down alone with my laptop and …

Read.

Then I do email.

Then maybe I surf a little bit.

THEN when the ball of anxiety swells into my chest, reminding me I have to write a certain number of pages or I might be late on my manuscript, I get my butt in gear and write. Once I get started, I always laugh at myself and wonder what took me so long to get started. This euphoria lasts for about ten minutes, and then my ADHD gets the best of me and I’m going cookie hunting in the kitchen. Or back online.

Did I mention that writing is a painful process? But if I have to do it, if I have to plant my butt in the chair and focus, then writing Blazes truly is a joy for me. Last year I wrote a series of firefighters. This year I’m writing military guys, brothers. Next year, I’m … I don’t know yet. If I would sit down long enough to write, maybe I’d figure it out.

Which brings me to the question of the day — is there a certain profession that appeals most to you when you’re reading a Blaze? A certain type of man? Come on, help a writer out …

I’ll be drawing a name from the comments made here today, for any Blaze from my backlist. Happy Reading!

You know what I love about Blazes? The variety, the unabashed sexuality, and the feeling that no matter what the story is (a time travel, a historical, a paranormal), it’s about modern women who know what they want. Gotta love that.

I finished writing a Blaze for this coming summer not too long ago, and since I’m sure my editor Brenda Chin checks in here once in awhile , I’ll just come clean right off the bat and say I didn’t do my heroine justice the first time around. In fact, she was a bit of a wimp. Brenda called me up and said: fix her.

And sure enough, when I went back for another round with my characters, strengthening her, giving her a solid backbone and the will to use it, it changed everything. For the better. So now she’s a Blaze heroine, sure of herself and ready to rumble. And yet this being a blaze, who do you think got the cover?

Guess we all know who’s the real draw to the Blazes . . .

Happy Reading, Jill Shalvis
http://www.jillshalvis.com/blog