Do It, Baby - Make Me Hungry!

Yes, Yes - the blog header says we're Science Fiction and Fantasy authors, but *some* of us (cough), write in other genres. Like me, with my contemporary, erotic romances. When this week's topic, What Novels Made You Literally Hungry, came up (appropriate enough, with this being the week of U.S. Thanksgiving, the holiday of gluttony), I immediately thought of my own book, RUBY.

I wrote this book at the urging of a friend, in fact, who really wanted me to write a story where food and sex intertwine. This one juxtaposes a self-disciplined, driven woman in the fashion industry who watches every calorie she eats with a New Orleans chef and owner of a five-star restaurant. He courts her with food - and all kinds of sensual indulgences.

Danielle Sosna has no problem denying herself in order to achieve her goals—after all, that attitude landed her a dream job at Vogue Paris. But in New Orleans for one last assignment before heading overseas, she’s faced with the most decadent of temptations. Seductive Cajun chef Bobby Prejean takes Dani’s strength of will as a challenge, and offers her a night of wild indulgence—if she will agree to obey his every command.

Dani can’t resist Prejean’s invitation to join him in a world of carnal desire, complete with fetish costumes and masks. Determined to keep her emotional distance, she gives Prejean everything but her name. A night becomes a week, as she spends Mardi Gras suspended in the delicious space where pleasure meets pain.

Too late, she realizes the cloak of anonymity has not protected her—and that chasing her dream might come at the expense of her heart.

I'll tell you what - WRITING this book made me hungry! Any time a new reader picks up this story, I get messages, cursing me for making them hungry. One blogger, the fantastically creative Elisabeth Lane at Cooking Up Romance, even recreated one of Bobby Prejean's recipes that he feeds Dani.

In an interesting coincidence (maybe not - holiday of gluttony and all...), another of Bobby's recipes will be featured at Pearl's Inner Goddess Forum. She's doing a series on Feisty Foodies: Recipes and Reads from Romance Authors, which will include Bobby's Gingerbread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.

It's a funny thing, and a conversation Elisabeth and I have had, that romance books tend to be much better for food inspiration than SFF, in general. She thinks this is because SFF characters spend so much time running around, questing and eating field rations. She has a point there.

However, one in-genre author who does *fantastically* at this is Jennifer Estep in her Elemental Assassins urban fantasy series. Her heroine, Gin Blanco, is an assassin, yes - but also owns a barbeque restaurant. Throughout each story, Gin - who cooks when under stress - serves up the greasiest, sweetest and unhealthiest home-cooking you've ever read. With all the characters forever in danger of death, this works out for them, but if you plan on living to old age, watch the cravings this addictive series induces!

Total autobuy series for me, book #14, BITTER BITE, comes out in February! Yes, I've totally preordered mine. With the holiday time-off coming, you all have time to catch-up on this action- and food-packed series. It reads super-fast. You can do it.