Flirting with Romance: [Book Tour] A Prior Engagement by S.L. Scott w/ Interview

A Prior Engagement

By S.L. Scott

Blurb

Living in a world built on pretenses, Everleigh Wright discovers how carefully orchestrated her Upper East Side life has been. Trapped in an arrangement for social prestige and financial gain, she finds life is not as idyllic as she once thought.

William Ryder leads a life rich in family support and endless determination. While attending university in Manhattan, he becomes enamored with a classic beauty who holds many secrets beneath her quiet propriety. William falls head over heels crazy for her, and she falls for him and his unfaltering optimism and kindness.

William and Everleigh may come from different worlds, but their attraction is instant and their love undeniable. Hoping love conquers all, they will find out if their love is unstoppable when faced with the consequences of breaking a prior engagement.

“Right here, right now is all that matters.”

She kissed him not caring about how she looked or propriety. She did what she felt and she felt like kissing him twice, so she did.

After lunch, they did a little sightseeing, stopped for frozen custard then headed for the train station. As the train barreled back to Manhattan, Evie turned to William. She felt shy, but wanted a photo of him. “May I take a picture of you?” She knew once again she was crossing a line, but she felt selfish and wanted something just for her.

He chuckled at her formality. “Yes, if you want.”

She took a picture of him looking at her the way she most liked to see him, in like of her. His darkened eyes said more and everything that they both knew it was too early to say and she hoped to hold onto that look forever with the photo.

When the photo loaded onto the screen, she stared at it. She was soft spoken, but he heard her. “You look sexy like this.”

The right side of his mouth lifted into a smile, a bit confident, a tad cocky. He pulled his phone out and flipped through the options. William stopped and smiled at his display. “I think you look really sexy like this.” He turned the phone around for her to see and her mouth dropped open.

“When did you take that?” She tried to act mad, but she thought the picture was funny.

“I like the way you’re about to lick the ice cream, tongue out all greedy-like.” He laughed again when her fist hit his arm. “Okay, okay. I shouldn’t have taken it without you knowing, but I really do think you’re pretty damn sexy eating ice cream. That right there is what fantasies are made of,” he said, pointing at the picture.

“Ewww! Stop it right now. No doing anything dirty while looking at that picture,” she demanded, trying to grab the phone.

He held it out of her reach and continued the joke. “I don’t need this picture. It’s burned into my brain.” He felt her playfully hit his arm again. Grabbing her hand, he eyed her. “No worries. I only have chaste thoughts about you.” He tried to sound convincing by saying that with a straight face.

But her expression changed. “Well, that’s disappointing.”

Putting his arm around her, he squeezed her into his side and laughed. His grin got even bigger when she relaxed into him for the remainder of the ride back to New York.

…

Luck was something Evie didn’t feel was on her side. She was focusing on more proven methods of destiny, like action.

1. Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I usually have a strong feeling for my main characters and who they are from the first moment the story comes to me. As I write though, I get into their head and let them lead me in the story they want to tell that is pertinent to them as well as their role in the overall storyline. Letting them lead me makes me feel their reactions and path are more natural to them as characters – more ‘in’ character.

2. What is your favorite scene in your new release?

One of my favorite parts is when Everleigh looks to William, and asks “What should we do here?” and then says, “Please tell me what I should do here.” She’s looking to him to guide her. I love those lines because it shows her vulnerability and innocence. She’s going through a difficult situation that I won’t go into because it spoils the plot a bit, and I think sometimes her reactions are almost so self-assured inside her head that she can seem more defiant and stronger than she is. Those lines to me, how I feel when I read them even now, show how much she regresses, revealing her true weakness to the situation and to William.

3. What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I do not outline. I know some are gasping and others cringing reading that. I used to outline a lot and just realized I felt confined by the process like I had to have every detail of the story plotted out when I just wanted to write. Then I would deviate from the outline and think what was the point of the outline in the first place. Lol Yes, I’ve had a lot of frustration with outlines. So now I usually have an idea come to me. Maybe it’s the beginning, middle or end or just a sentence and go from there. I plan the beginning, the arc of the story, and the end and then start writing letting it flow more organically connecting those three points together. I find a story and characters more natural for me to write this way.

4. Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen and a comfy place?

I just get to my laptop and set up camp on my couch, blanket covering my legs and start typing. But the one thing I have discovered is a tick when I’m writing steamy scenes. With those I write a few lines and then go surf Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest for a few minutes then go back write a few more lines and then go social network surf again. And repeat. I’m kind of fascinated that I’ve fallen into that pattern while only writing the love scenes. Lol

Quickies:

Alpha or Beta?

Depends on the day

White wine or red?

White, but lately have started trying Pinot Noirs… and liking it.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee

Vanilla or chocolate?

Chocolate - always

Sweet or salty?

Sweet – I have a terrible sweet tooth

Sleep in or get up early?

Sleep in these days because I stay up late to write and edit.

Laptop or desktop?

Laptop and I write with it on my lap

Beach or mountains?

Beach – my dream is to live at the beach one day

Author Info

S.L. Scott is a former high-tech account manager with a journalism degree pursuing her passion for telling stories. She spends her days escaping into her characters and letting them lead her on their adventures.

Travelling, music festivals, and surfing are a few of her hobbies she loves, but she doesn’t get to enjoy on a regular basis. She has an obsession with movies, a varied taste in books, and collects Fitz & Floyd teapots. With a memory full of useless trivia facts, and a Keurig addiction, she loves a fun night in with her family as much as a loud night out with her friends.

Scott lives in the beautiful Texas hill country of Austin with her husband, two young sons, two Papillons, and her vivid imagination.

She welcomes your notes at sl@slscottauthor.com.

Links:

Blog: www.slscottauthor.com

Twitter: @slscottauthor

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FB Authors Page: https://www.facebook.com/slscottpage

Amazon Authors Page:http://www.amazon.com/S.L.-Scott/e/B009L9SPDK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Huffington Post Contributor/Blogger Page:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sl-scott/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Slscottauthor

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/slscott1