Title: The Hierarchy of Needs
Author: Rebecca Grace Allen
Series: The Portland Rebels #2
Genre: Erotica, Romance
Published: July 7th 2015
Jamie Matthews is stuck in a rut. After hitting a wall with her dream career, she’s back in her hometown, living a life as monotonous as swimming laps in the neighborhood pool.
Being surrounded by her perfect brothers is a painful reminder of her failure to launch. The last bonfire of the summer is an ideal way to let off steam, especially when she runs into Dean Trescott, the playboy friend she had one hot-as-hell night with back in high school.
Since the day Dean met Jamie, he’s loved her beauty, talent, and smile that lit up the whole damn block. But dating isn’t an option. She has a bright future ahead of her, and he refuses to chain her to his—helping run the family business that’s barely staying afloat.
A “what-happens-in-Vegas” weekend was supposed to get their craving for each other out of their systems. But neither counted on the past repeating itself, drawing them together in even hotter and dirtier ways and dangling the possibility they might both be able to get exactly what they need…
Warning: A friends-to-lovers twice over story that contains some hot ’n’ heavy kissing in the waves, hair pulling, and a man who knows how to use his hands. It may also feature a few practical jokes—only the fun kind, of course.
Being surrounded by her perfect brothers is a painful reminder of her failure to launch. The last bonfire of the summer is an ideal way to let off steam, especially when she runs into Dean Trescott, the playboy friend she had one hot-as-hell night with back in high school.
Since the day Dean met Jamie, he’s loved her beauty, talent, and smile that lit up the whole damn block. But dating isn’t an option. She has a bright future ahead of her, and he refuses to chain her to his—helping run the family business that’s barely staying afloat.
A “what-happens-in-Vegas” weekend was supposed to get their craving for each other out of their systems. But neither counted on the past repeating itself, drawing them together in even hotter and dirtier ways and dangling the possibility they might both be able to get exactly what they need…
Warning: A friends-to-lovers twice over story that contains some hot ’n’ heavy kissing in the waves, hair pulling, and a man who knows how to use his hands. It may also feature a few practical jokes—only the fun kind, of course.
I wish I could say I had my own “what happens in Vegas, stays in
Vegas” weekend that helped inspire Jamie and Dean. (If I did, however, anything
about it would’ve had to stay in Vegas, so I wouldn’t be able to blog about
it!)
Creating these two characters was actually a very different experience
for me. Most of my characters pop into my head with the hint of a storyline
already in place, but the two of them were a bit of a mystery to me. All throughout
writing The Duality Principle, Jamie and Dean were just outside of my
grasp. It felt like hanging out with really interesting people at a party but
not getting to spend enough time with them.
The decision to bring them to life happened in a side note between
my editor and me during one of our revisions. Christa’s suggestion of “let’s
write these two next” was the catalyst that had me figuring out who these two
were. I already knew they’d known each other since high school, and that Jamie
was a little bit wild. The baby of her family with three older brothers, she
was a fashion-obsessed partier who loved playing practical jokes. Dean worked
for his father, enjoyed downtime at the beach with his truck and a six pack,
and was an incredibly loyal friend. The two of them were comfortable around
each other, flirted easily, even got a little handsy at times, but their
interactions suggested that there was more under the surface. A kind of buzzing
attraction that at one time had zinged to life and then got quickly shorted
out. I knew something out of their control was needed in order to bring them
together, and thus Jamie’s brother’s wedding scene was born. It’s my favorite
scene in the book, so here’s a little snippet for you:
“Dean sought her out in the crowded ballroom, locating her in the middle
of the dance floor. She was laughing loudly, her head thrown back like she was
on a roller coaster. She’d downed a couple of beers and more than her fair
share of champagne, but what the hell. It was a party. And Jamie having fun was
always a sight to be seen.
Not
to mention her body in that dress. Jesus.
Short.
Tight. A dark blue color that set off her skin perfectly, and fuck if it didn’t
highlight the tight circle of her waist and those badass arms. He’d wanted to
find a corner to hide her in and see how good that dress looked in a puddle
around her feet.”
From there it was figuring how they got from A
to B: where the wedding scene figured within the rest of the book, what
happened after that even when they were sure they couldn’t be together, and how
they got their ‘happily ever after’ in the end. I had a lot of fun figuring
these two out, and I hope you enjoy reading them!
Rebecca Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, which seemed like a good idea at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she’s returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.
Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
I have been to Vegas many times and I must say it doesn't stay there. LOL
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
She makes writing sounds so easy even with the challenges!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the sound of this book! And that snippet was awesome as well. I can't wait to have this book in my handssssss. Ahhhhhh♡♡
ReplyDeleteInteresting little scene. A very strong voice - which is rare and quite promising! Nice guest post <3
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post! I always enjoy getting to know how an author brings characters to life. Dean and Jamie are two I'd like to meet. Thanks for sharing the post, Naomi!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of it too, it sounds like it would be amusing!
ReplyDeleteI agree! She sounds like an author that would draw you into her entertaining world! Love an amusing romance.
ReplyDeleteBwahahaha! Dayum! I was hoping it did!
ReplyDeleteI know! If only we can all do it!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it does sound so good. Something to keep you smiling!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it Ramona. I really like the sound of this read!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I liked that Rebecca and her editor were able to bounce ideas to bring this book to life.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to meet them too, they sound like they would be good together!
ReplyDeleteGreat Guest Post! It sounds like it was a bit more difficult for the author to develop the characters than her usual stories. I love the excerpt. The main character sounds like a fun loving person, and you can tell how hot Dean is for her! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Hmmmm... I like the sound of Dean... Thanks for checking it out.
ReplyDelete