Talk About My Favorite Authors: Lex Valentine tells all about "Fire Season"

Today I have romance author Lex Valentine, who I met through Katie MacAlister's forum, guest blogging about her current release, Fire Season. She contacted me about reviewing a couple of her novels if possible as well as to schedule an author interview and author guest blog. I'll be reviewing the first three books in her Tales of the Darkworld series, Shifting Winds, Hot Water and Fire Season so keep coming back for the reviews. Lex was also interviewed by me this past Tuesday if you want to read it and learn more about her, her writing and more. Now onto the author guest blog:

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Most people don’t handle it well when their world is turned upside down. I took that concept to a sexual and emotional level with my latest Tales of the Darkworld book. In Fire Season, black dragon Holden Antaeus is straight. He’s never thought men were attractive at all…until he meets green dragon Garret Renquist. Something about Garret pulls at him both emotionally and sexually. The reason for it is that they are mates. Fire Season is a journey through Holden and Garret’s emotions as they learn to be mates. It’s a difficult transition for the straight black dragon. For Garret, who is bi-sexual, it’s more cut and dried. However, fear runs through both of them and working things out is an exercise in patience and acceptance. Writing my first full length novel wasn’t difficult. I’ve done it before (in long hand even!). But writing my first full length M/M story had its challenges. Prior to Fire Season, I’d only ever written short snippets of M/M story at The Bar—a paranormal serial story where I write with a dozen other people—and for Pink Chair Diaries. Fire Season gave me the opportunity to delve into the minds and hearts of main characters, show their fears, their deepest emotions, and expose the raw sexuality of the dragons. At the same time, this story began to feed the other stories in the series. While working on Fire Season, the next book, Ride the Lightning, came full blown to my brain. If I can get it all down in time, it will be out in the late fall or early winter. When characters and storylines come so easily to me, I know I have to write the story soon. Otherwise, those characters haunt my dreams until I do. Since I could only work on Fire Season on the weekends, it took about a month to finish. All during that time, the characters from Fire Season and Ride the Lightning stayed stuck in the front of my brain. It’s weird to have so many people inhabit your head, but at the same time I’ve always got something to do, even if I’m sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room without a magazine. All I have to do is turn my mind down the path where these characters reside and start working out the details of scenes inside my head. Despite the oddness of it, there’s a comfort in the fact that these characters are always there to fill my downtime and I can work on them even without a computer or pen and paper. I’m sure a shrink would think I’m psychotic or something, but I’d much rather call it creative genius!

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Blurb for Fire Season:

Black dragon Holden Antaeus isn't looking for a mate. His life is filled with family, work, and dating. Women adore him and he's never short of offers for sex, but a relationship isn't something he's interested in. When Holden's brother Sean hires a new executive for Antaeus International, Holden's whole world, and everything he's ever believed about himself, is blown to bits. Garret Renquist is a green dragon, intelligent, witty, bi-sexual, and hot for Holden. Despite the fact that Holden is positive he's heterosexual, the moment he meets Garret, something happens inside him. What follows is a journey through stereotypes and ingrained beliefs as Holden struggles with the fact that his destined mate is a man. Excerpt from Fire Season: Holden wanted to look over his shoulder to see Garret’s reaction. He didn’t. He returned to the main room of the suite and picked up his water, wandering out to the balcony to watch the sun rise. It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes later that he heard a soft sound that told him Garret had joined him. “Holden, I’m sorry.” The softly spoken words caused Holden to release his breath on a sigh. “I am too, Garret.” He turned, his gaze caught and held by Garret’s. A wave of emotion, mostly indefinable, rose within him, causing an ache in his chest. Garret swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Holden sensed Garret’s discomfort, but stayed silent, waiting for him to finish. He gave the man points for holding his gaze when by rights he probably wanted to look anywhere else. “I was angry and disappointed and confused. When Rob came on to me in the bar…” Garret broke off and swallowed again. “I didn’t think you would care what I did, but that is no excuse. It’s just an explanation of my motivation. I know it was wrong of me to bring him back here on the day I found you. I’m so sorry.” It had been a long time since Holden had met someone with the level of integrity that Garret had just shown. “I’m sorry too, Garret,” he replied in a low voice. “This whole thing was such a shock. And I know that’s not an excuse for my behavior. It’s just an explanation.” He smiled as he repeated Garret’s words. The British man’s eyes lightened as a smile curved his lips. Holden caught a glimpse of brilliant white teeth as Garret’s smile flashed out and he suddenly felt sucker punched, his gut twisting with emotion. The urge to reach out and touch Garret overwhelmed him, just like the man’s scent filled his senses, until all he could think about was asking him to repeat yesterday’s kiss. Garret’s eyes flickered. “You realize that a lot of what you think and feel bleeds out to me now,” he murmured. “Despite your natural shielding.” Holden sucked in a breath. “If you know what I’m thinking then just do it, Garret, ‘cause the gods know I can’t yet,” he said in a shaky voice, feeling his heart begin to race. Garret took the three steps needed to bring their bodies within inches of each other. Holden began to shake a little with fear and anticipation. The first kiss had been a surprise and filled with anger on both sides. This would be their first real kiss. They both acknowledged that they were mates, and that they felt some emotion pulling at them along with a steadily growing attraction. Regardless of the previous kiss, Holden didn’t know what to expect and when Garret’s hand came up to wrap around the back of his neck, he stiffened a little at first. Then fire licked through his veins at the feel of Garret’s warm palm on his bare skin. He shook harder. “Don’t be afraid, Holden. It’s just a kiss.”

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You can find out more about me by going to my official author website, Sunlight Sucks (personal blog), Tales of the Darkworld (series website), Flirty Author Bitches (group blog), Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, The Bar (A Paranormal Serial Story) and my Graphics & Web Design website.