By
Brianna West (Guest Blogger)
I’m
often asked where my inspiration stems from when I write my boys
because let’s face it, they’re hunks. All of them. Nothing reads
better than a pile of man-muscles, expressive and raw luminescent
eyes, a whole lot of unintentional (or is it intentional?) ab
exposure, and personalities to make any girl swoon right where she
sits. But anyone can be a hunk if they have that, right?
My
boys are an entirely different breed of man. While I would love to
tell you that all my characters are inspired by real life men that
exist in my everyday life, who ironically feed me syrup slathered
pancakes and tell me I need to gain weight because I’m way too
skinny, it’s not the reality—I would never write again if that
were the case. Inspiration in my case is the result of years and
years of reading romances, failed dating escapades, and dedicated
in-field experience to piece together the perfect group of men.
Yes,
they are hunky. And yes, they are unattainable. Until they meet my
main heroines, of course. But most of all, I’ve discovered that
what women truly want is a man that is not only devilishly handsome,
but has recognizable and realistic flaws. A man besotted from the
moment he falls for his heroine. A man that can kick ass and take
names, pleasure his woman within an inch of her life, and teach his
heroine what true love—one that exceeds her expectations—truly
looks like.
So
when I write my main characters, they’re always all these things
and more. They appeal to every sort of woman. Because every sort of
woman wants a man that they can grow with, to learn to love with.
Ultimately, my hunks have that special somethin-somethin.
Better
yet, the series thus far has not just one or two, it has nine of
them! Nine delicious, decadent Guardians just waiting to find their
heroine.
Currently,
Lucas is mainly featured in my books. His personality is one of my
personal favorites—stoic, brooding, and incredibly passionate. My
tendency is to navigate towards expressionless characters. It’s my
ultimate fantasy to put expression and emotion on that cool, aloof
exterior.
Writing
the transformation of my hunks is what I look forward to most. The
moment when they start to change. The gradual change from hunk who
never needed love to hunk now devastated by love. I’m pretty sure
that’s the part where I’m rereading my own work three times over
just to “make sure it’s right” but is really my own fangirl
moment as I reread the moment love changes it all.
So,
what is the hunk factor in my books? How does it differ from every
other book you’ve read? Mostly, my hunks, while incredibly handsome
and exceedingly powerful beings, are believable and realistic. They
frustrate you as much as they charm you. Their love is undeniable and
profound. They’ll make you wish that they truly existed, and if
they did, that they weren’t dating seriously, engaged, married, gay
or otherwise.
Because
ultimately it’s the same for every woman that reads romance. We
want to fall in love with that hunk. He’s our fictional boyfriend
for that entire two-hundred-plus pages. And when we’re done with
him, we’ll find a new one. But we’ll always remember that one
hunk that exceeded them all. Those are my hunks.
Blurb
Izzy
is
on
the
fast
track
to
nowhere.
Being
ordinary
really
blew
sometimes.
That's
until
she
meets
Lucas--a
man
that's
unlike
anyone
she's
ever
met.
Mostly
because
he
isn't
actually
a
man.
He
is
a
supernatural
creature
that
proclaims
to
police
the
Light
and
Dark
in
order
to
protect
humans.
And
Izzy--well--she
isn't
the
human
she
thought
she
was.
She
is
actually
a
supernatural
being
as
well.
And
now
Lucas
is
going
to
do
everything
in
his
power
to
find
out
what
she
is
and
protect
her
from
the
Dark
lurking
around
the
corner.
Awakening
follows Izzy as she navigates this new world of demons, vampires,
angels, and many other supernatural creatures. Recruited by the
Promiscus Guardians and partnering with the most brooding and
devilishly handsome man she's ever met, Lucas, Izzy is suddenly
knee-deep up crap creek. Discover the secret behind her power and why
it's such a commodity in her Awakening.
Excerpt
Morning—I
still hated it.
I was still half asleep when I felt the body against my own, cold where I was warm. I attempted to turn, but a large arm imprisoned my body and made movement impossible. I wracked my brain for an explanation.
Did
I get down and dirty with someone last night? I only had one whiskey
sour, but let's just say, I'm a cheap date.
Let's
see…
Last
night, I went to the bar looking like a hoochie with Lucas. I noted
that I was still in said hoochie dress. We got our information from
the Pervert Twins before coming to the hotel—or was it motel? I was
still unsure what the place coded as. Then, I got into bed with a
delicious Guardian after a small window into his sordid past.
Which
meant this was...
“Captain
Lucas,”
I
whispered.
Mumbling,
Lucas pulled me flush against him, my body now spooned entirely with
his own. Oh, dear lord. I could not start my day on max!
I
attempted to escape the vice-like hold he had on me. First, I pulled
the arm about my waist that was probably as heavy as one of my legs.
No
good. Moving on...
I
pushed myself back against him, ignoring the hardness I felt in my
larger-than-I-would-care-to-admit-buns, and attempted to dislodge
myself that way.
Dear
lord, this bastard slept like the dead—pun fully intended. I
laughed minutely at my humorous thoughts, fully aware of how crazed I
might look should anyone be unfortunate enough to stumble upon this
ridiculous scene, before putting the full weight of me into the
futile attempt to escape my current imprisonment.
A
hot breath against my neck caused my body to be wracked with
delicious shivers. The small thrusting of his hips against my
backside was just as delicious but also caused a series of curses
from my mouth at the situation I now found myself.
Don't
get me wrong. I wanted to jump Lucas' bones—and would have if I
were not thinking about the inevitable repercussions. Lucas was not
only my boss and the most brooding half-vampire, half-angel I
knew—honestly, he was the only one I knew—but he also had a
little bit of past when it came to love. His parents were on opposing
teams, and let's just say, it didn't end well.
“For
the
love
of
god,”
I
growled
as
my
attempts
led
only
to
my
being
out
of
breath.
“Lucas!”
I
shouted.
“Get
the
hell
up!”
His
responding groan and shift of weight caused my nether regions to
respond in betrayal. I was all hot and bothered, especially after the
dry humping. It had nearly caused me to abandon my conscience and let
the good ol' Captain have his way with me.
The
arm that had been imprisoning me lifted, and I all but scurried out
of the bed like a frightened animal. I pulled down the length of my
dress, as it had all but exposed my bottom half, and pulled up the
collar in attempts of hiding the cleavage that had turned into full
breast exposure during my efforts this morning.
“Izzy,”
Lucas
whispered
huskily,
causing
my
body
to
react
with
renewed
lust.
No!
Bad girl!
I
did my best to appear put out and glare at the man causing my body to
shake with need. I needed to jump him, but I wouldn't even if he
begged me. Okay, maybe if he begged me since I'm pretty sure even I
didn't have that much willpower.
Giveaway!
I'm feeling really generous, so I'm giving away three ebook copies of the first book in my Guardians series. Just leave me a comment, with your email, telling me what sort of hunk you prefer!
About Brianna
Brianna
lives
in
beautiful
Northern
California,
USA.
When
she's
not
attending
to
the
many
whims
of
her
three
adorable
children,
she
can
be
found
writing
or
reading
everything
romance.
After
spending
years
on
the
other
side,
she's
now
debuting
her
first
novel.
Her
hope
is
that
the
world
she
creates
captivates
her
readers
everywhere,
leaving
them
desperate
for
more.
Twitter:
@bwest0426
