Rookie Season: An excerpt + #giveaway from VK Robbins

Talented young ballplayer Clay Love has just been called up from the minors to play major league baseball. Freelance writer and divorcée Rose Lasting, the world’s biggest baseball fan, wasn’t expecting to fall in love when she fell into Clay’s arms, but fall in love she did. Now they are caught up in a whirlwind romance complicated by the paparazzi, Clay’s ex-girlfriend, Rose’s ex-husband, and a stalker who puts Rose’s life in grave danger. Saving her life and catching her attacker takes you on a roller coaster of emotion and intrigue that you won’t soon forget.

Rookie Season is the first book in the Love in the Ballpark Series, by V.K. Robbins. This adult erotic romance tale sizzles with romantic and sexual chemistry, emotion, and suspense. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it down.

An excerpt from Rookie Season

Lots of unexpected things had happened in my life. When Joel walked out on me after ten years of marriage that was unexpected. When my grandfather died a few months later that was unexpected, too. It seemed like all the unexpected things in my life weren’t the good kind. Until now.

The game moved slowly. Painfully so. Then there were extra innings. I wanted to pound my head on the railing. The only real bright spots were when Clay ran out to take left field. I sat on the edge of my seat and watched his long easy stride. Did he really ask me out? I asked myself again and again. Twice during the game he’d run over to the stands on his way to the dugout and give me the ball he had just caught. The first time he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “I can’t wait to see you later.” The second time, he handed me the ball and playfully whined like a little kid, “When is this game going to be o-o-o-ver?”

I was thinking the same thing. That’s when Sam chimed in again, “There’s no way he’s twenty-five. No way.” I rolled my eyes and sat down. It looked like Sam was falling into one of his melancholy moods, the kind that started hitting him out of the blue after his wife passed away. But even that couldn’t ruin my excitement.

Finally, the game ended. By that time, I didn’t care about the final score or who won. I hurriedly said goodbye to Sam and jogged my way up the stairs, dodged a bunch of people, and jumped over a few seats to get to the stadium exit.

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An interview with V.K. Robbins

How long have you been writing erotica, and what inspired you to get into this genre?

I have been writing erotica for about five years. I decided to start writing it because I had some experiences that I wanted to document. Then I enjoyed reading and writing it so much that I expanded to fantasies, documenting other people’s stories, and writing romance.

What gave you the idea for your latest book?

I love baseball, and Rookie Season‘s main character, Rose Lasting, is also a huge baseball fan. She falls in love with a hotshot rookie ballplayer and they have a steamy, romantic adventure with each other. My intention was to make the story primarily an erotic one, with a little bit of romance, but as I started writing, the story of their lives and relationship took over and the book became a romantic suspense novel, with some very naughty erotic scenes.

Who are some of your favorite erotica writers or other literary inspirations?

I just read Ride with Me, by Ruthie Knox, and I love the way she writes erotic scenes. They are certainly naughty and steamy, but they are not dirty in a pornographic way. Of course, sometimes literary porn is exactly what I want to read, but the way she blends the erotica into the romance is masterful.

I read a little bit of everything, so I could go on and on about my literary inspirations. I love Ernest Hemingway’s direct writing style. I love the way Edgar Allen Poe paints a scene and can make me hold my breath for pages. I like James Patterson’s suspense-building techniques and short chapters. I’m currently reading Carmina Revealed, by Adri Sinclair, after reading Hidden Carmina, the first in her series. Sinclair is an indie author, and she has written the best paranormal romance I have ever read. Her creativity continues to surprise me even though I’m over two-thirds of the way into her trilogy. That inspires me.

Describe your typical writing routine. Where do you usually write? How many words/pages per day? Do you keep set hours? What does your workspace look like?

It depends on the day! My computer is set up on one end of our dining room table and my son’s computer is set up on the other end. I have notes and papers scattered around, but I never have trouble finding exactly what I need when I need it – except for pens. I never seem to be able to find a pen when I want one.

I don’t keep set hours, but I do most of writing during the daytime. I home school my youngest son, so I’m home with him all day. When he’s busy learning or exploring things on his own, I write. I try to set a target of a minimum of 2,000 words per writing session; however, I can easily knock out 10,000 words in an eight hour writing day. The problem is that I rarely have eight hours straight to write. It’s more common for me to write for two to three hours at a time.

Do you have any favorite foods or beverages that help keep your creativity flowing?

Not really. I’m a water junkie, so I always have a glass of cold water in front of me. I used to snack on almonds, but I found that I’d keep eating and eating without even knowing what I was doing, so I stopped.

What do you think makes for a good erotic story?

I look for a story, first of all. Then I look for how the erotic parts are written. There should be a good flow. Many people write erotica in a very stilted, almost unnatural way. I want the writing to be so good that it is transparent, so I can lose myself in the scene. I also prefer very direct language and language that fits the scene, rather than strings of euphemisms.

What’s your favorite euphemism for genitalia?

This is a fun question! I’ve seen so many different words and phrases used to describe genitalia, and most of them are either silly or annoying, although like I just said, it’s important for the language to fit the scene. A term like “pipe cleaner” can work in place of “vagina” in the right kind of scene in the right book. But usually not. I prefer the directness of words like cock, pussy, and cunt, but I also like “manhood” and “womanhood” in certain situations. In my opinion, the story comes first, and the language choices should always stay true to the story.

About the author

Veronica Robbins is a published author of both fiction and nonfiction who has been writing professionally for the last 20 years. In addition to writing fiction and poetry (her first love), she is also an expert grant writer and copy writer. When she’s not writing, she’s watching baseball, enjoying her children, reading, and trying to train her dog, Handsome, who so far has been very successful at training her. You can follow Veronica on Facebook or through her blog, A Writer’s Journey.

You can also connect with Veronica on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr!

Giveaway

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget follow the rest of the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! All tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway