Stripped Down
(A Blacktop Cowboys® Novella)
by Lorelei James
Never challenge a cowboy to a little naughty competition…
A flirty game of sexual truth or dare between best man, Wynton Grant, and maid of honor, Melissa Lockhart during their BFF’s wedding reception results in a steamy hookup.
But their plans for a one and done change when a family crisis leaves Wyn shorthanded at the Grant Ranch. Experienced horsewoman Mel volunteers to help out and gets way more than she bargained for living under the same roof as the sexy rancher. Playing house has never appealed to Wyn…until now.
But the feisty redhead is keeping secrets and Wyn’s not above stripping her bare—body and soul—to get to the bottom of it…
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An Exclusive Interview With Lorelei James:
~ with Jillian Stein of Read Love Blog
Oh, how I loved this story! How did you choose Melissa and Wyn for this novella?
I’m so glad you loved it! Melissa and Wyn intrigued me when I introduced them in last year’s novella Roped In—a male and female character who were both unapologetically sexual. I thought it’d be fun for them to compare/swap/discuss their little black books and that was my jumping off point for this story 🙂
Both Wyn and Melissa are kindred spirits when it comes to their love life and I loved that about them. How fun was it writing their banter?
One of the coolest things about writing is when characters just sort of take over. Wyn and Mel’s senses of humor meshed, but even I laughed out loud at some of the things that came out of their mouths. I definitely didn’t plan for that, I just went along with it and it made my job in telling their love story much easier!
Another thing I simply loved was seeing London and Sutton! I know you recently had a wedding in your family and I’m curious if any of that real life experience went into London and Sutton’s wedding?
Well, if there were hookups in the ready room I didn’t hear about it! But I was pretty busy with all of the fun mother-of-the-bride duties, and luckily we didn’t have any major or minor trauma that day. In fact, things couldn’t have turned out more perfectly, thankfully!
Without giving anything away, Melissa has a pretty big weight on her shoulders in dealing with a medical condition. It gave her such a human element and I appreciated that immensely. Were there challenges in writing a character with a complex condition?
Yes, many challenges because again, it wasn’t something even I knew about Melissa—the little red devil shocked me with that reveal. So I had to adjust the scope of the story from being just a fun romp.
That brings me to another character I loved…Mick! If you had to dream cast him with any current actor, who would it be?
Now you bring out the hard hitting questions 🙂 How about Kellan Lutz?
Are there any of your secondary characters just begging you for their own book?
Of course the last Grant brother, Cres is first on the list. Then Melissa’s sister Alyssa intrigued me for obvious reasons—although how I’d pull that one off is a little daunting. And although London’s younger sister Stirling plays only a tiny part in Stripped Down, not all is as it appears with her J
I’m dying to know if you have anything you treat yourself to when you hand in a manuscript? (like a new pair of boots? 🙂 )
For years after I wrote “The End” I’d buy myself new boots. But my output has increased quite a bit—and unfortunately my closet space hasn’t, so I’ve put the boot buying on hold until I clear out more space in my oldest daughter’s closet (hey, she doesn’t live here anymore!)
What would we find on your desk right this minute?
A huge mess. My office is a disaster! But I’ll be honest about what I see: three different sizes of light bulbs I need to order, my old cell phone, a stack of books I need to mail, two tubes of lip gloss, a gel candle, a mini spray bottle of WD-40, a plate with a crust of bread on it, four checkbooks I’ve been balancing, a stack of receipts, a naked man coloring book (left over from the bachelorette party I swear!) a two dollar bill, a fake million dollar bill and two billion pens. Oh, and dust. Lots, and lots of dust.
Can you tell us what’s next on tap as far as your writing?
I’m taking a mini-break from writing new material. Right now I’m waiting for edits on What You Need, the first book in my new “Need You” series that debuts in January. After that, I’ll dig into Unbreak My Heart, which is Boone West and Sierra McKay’s book that kicks off the Rough Riders Legacy series in February 🙂
Biography:
Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei’s books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots.
From Lorelei: “Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.”
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