Author inspirations: A bossy heroine, sexy dancing, baseball

Today's featured authors: Lavinia Kent, author of Revealing Ruby; Violetta Rand, author of Surrender; and Katie Rose, author of Too Hot to Handle. They're sharing some of the things that inspired their latest releases.

Lavinia Kent, author of Revealing Ruby

Three things that inspired Revealing Ruby:

• My Bound and Determined series, of which Revealing Ruby is part, was inspired by the erotic influence in the market after (and yes, I am going to say it) Fifty Shades of Grey. I read the book a long time after it made a splash and it did get me thinking along a "what if" line of thought. I had the idea for a short story about a very innocent Regency woman becoming involved with a much more experienced and dominant man. It all spun from there, and before I knew it, I had the full-length romance, Mastering the Marquess.

• Ruby herself was an inspiration. From the moment she walked onto the page in Mastering the Marquess, she wanted to take over. Her story is very different from that of Louisa, the heroine in Mastering the Marquess. Ruby, a brothel owner, is anything but an innocent woman, and yet the woman she presents to the outside world is far different and more worldly than the inner person she hides from others. I had to force her to the periphery as I wrote Louisa's story, and as soon as I was finished, she insisted that I let her tell her own story.

• I wanted to write a Regency with more American influences. Ruby needed a hero who was not your customary Regency duke. Captain Derek Price was the answer. An American who's traveled the world, Price is not bound by the same restraints as an English Society gentleman. His New World views make it possible for him to see qualities in Ruby that a traditional man might overlook.

About Revealing Ruby:

As the proprietress of London's most discreet house of pleasure, Madame Rouge—Ruby to her clientele—prefers to keep her own company. The first rule in her establishment? She never, ever personally entertains the customers. However, the tall, dark, and provocatively tattooed American sailor who shows up at her doorstep makes Ruby wonder whether some rules were made to be broken. If she indulges, even just once, Ruby's loyal patrons might get the wrong idea. If she doesn't, she may never stop fantasizing about where that tattoo leads. . . .

No complications: That's all Derek Price, captain of the Dawn's Light, asks of his consorts on shore, and he's willing to pay handsomely for the favor. But of all the women at Madame Rouge's, the one he wants is the only one he can't have for any sum. Derek is not a man with an abundance of patience. However, for a night with Madame Rouge, Ruby, whoever she is, he's willing to make those lush curves and sapphire eyes come to him.

Find out more at www.laviniakent.com.

Violetta Rand, author of Surrender (coming Jan. 27)

Three of my favorite things that inspired my newest release:

• Sexy world of dancing. Yes, dancing. I can't think of a better setting to launch my debut contemporary series. After spending over a decade working as a DJ on the club scene in Corpus Christi, I knew then I wanted to write about it. Although it took a few years to find the words, the Devil's Den is authentic and really delves into the world of exotic dancing and the challenges women face in the industry.

• Red-hot chemistry. From Salome swaying her hips for King Herod to a dancer taking it off on stage for a random customer, red-hot chemistry exists. There's nothing tame about a man enraptured by his favorite entertainer. I wanted to capture those moments in my stories. Add a smoky beat and strobe lights, you get the perfect chain reaction.

• Intricate relationships. Some people misunderstand the industry. It's undeniably a party atmosphere, but behind the scenes, it's like any dysfunctional family (said with fondness). Yes, there's fierce rivalries and needless squabbling — sometimes drug and alcohol abuse — but most of the women and men working the clubs are simply trying to make an honest living. To this day, the people I grew close to have remained some of my dearest friends.

About Surrender:

Ever since her mother kicked her out, twenty-year-old Robyn Gonzalez has been working the poles at the Devil's Den, saving up to finish college and travel the world. With only her wits and her gorgeous body to rely on, Robyn has learned to be independent—fiercely independent. She's never been tempted to let a man distract her from her dreams . . . until she meets the dead-sexy Garrick Dempsey.

The club's new head of security, Garrick had walked away from a career as a mechanical engineer to return to his roots in Corpus Christi. He hadn't planned on getting to know someone like Robyn, with her sinfully sweet combination of vulnerability and strength, at the Devil's Den. She acts tough, but only because she's been hurt. Soon Garrick knows he will do anything to win Robyn's trust. And if that means surrendering to the red-hot chemistry between them, all the better.

Find out more at www.violettarandromance.com.

Katie Rose, author of Too Hot to Handle (coming Jan. 27)

Three things that inspired Too Hot to Handle:

• I love a hero with a swagger. Picture Tom Cruise in Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men; Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark; or Kevin Costner in Bull Durham. All three heroes are handsome, intelligent and good at what they do. But best of all, they are cocky. I had already met our hero in book one of the Boys of Summer series, Bring on the Heat. Jake Baldwin, shortstop for the New Jersey Sonics, was supremely self-confident, a ladies man and funny. As one of the Sonics, a team known for practical jokes along with drinking, brawling and sometimes even winning, Jake was the heart of the team. It was gratifying to see that readers hoped that he would have his own story.

• Baseball. This sport is the perfect setting for romance. There is drama, competition, pranks and a whole lot of fun. The players are dream dates: buff, smart, handsome and all-around nice guys. And the setting: ballparks like cathedrals, the sports stars are today's royalty, the games culminating in the World Series: This stuff is hot. And speaking of hot, think of all the sexual innuendos cloaked in baseball terms: getting to first base, second and finally home, which is the equivalent of going all the way. Can you say Paradise by the Dashboard Light?

• An alpha female. Jake is very self-confident, but so is Nikki Case, the PR rep hired to clean up the image of the New Jersey Sonics. She is his equal in every way, and just as determined to achieve her goals. Jake comes to admire not only her tenacity, but her intelligence, grace under pressure and ability to take a joke. And, they are sexual equals. It starts out with Nikki proposing a one-night stand, to a grope-fest in a restaurant parking lot, to a marathon that begins on the stairs to the bedroom. If their relationship is hot, we have only one thing to blame: baseball.

After all, these are the Boys of Summer.

Find out more at the website of Katie Rose (who also writes as Colleen Quinn).