Literary Nymphs Interview
Title:
Slow Heat
Author: Lorie O’ClarePublisher:
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 11/27/12
What inspired the story?
Micah
just came to me. He was so damaged, so torn as to where his life would go from
where it was now that I couldn’t help but hear what he had to say to me. When
he fell in love with Maggie, I knew I had to see the story out. I’ve never
written a book as intense as this one before.
EXCERPT:
This man was dangerous, terrifying in fact. He was
a different breed of man than any she’d ever known. Maybe allowing him into her
world, requesting that he search deep into her life and her job to find out
what had happened to create suspicion toward her was a serious mistake.
Whatever she’d seen when he first entered her
office earlier that week was suddenly there again. Dark flecks around his
pupils made his hazel eyes turn almost black. It was an emotion she couldn’t
label. His expression remained relaxed, just as it had since she met him. Micah
didn’t react to anything, at least not like other men did. Even when he’d let
his gaze travel over her body, when he’d stared at her boobs a moment longer
than what he should have, he hadn’t as much as cracked a smile.
Whatever she saw in his eyes just now was possibly
as much emotion as he ever let through. Was it pain? She wasn’t sure. There was
definitely something simmering just underneath that mask of indifference on his
face, and it wasn’t good.
She shivered in spite of herself and dropped her
attention to all the muscle rippling under his t-shirt. “Your boss, er bosses,
spoke highly of you.” Maggie imagined Micah had some damn good abilities. Heat
spread inside her at the thought of him fucking her senseless. Lord, she needed
to get out of there. “I know you’ll be able to fix this entire mess,” she said
hastily, forcing her attention on her purse in her hands.
“I’ll take a closer look at your case.”
There was something about the way Micah spoke, as
if he were trying to suppress a growl with each word. His raspy baritone scraped
across her flesh, igniting relentless need deep inside of her. Thank God it
would take a good fifteen minutes through traffic to get home, and that she’d
be bombarded with the entire family once she got there. Quite possibly they
would all already be fighting. At least then no one would notice how flustered
she possibly would still be.
His dark hair was a bit more tousled than it had
been when she first walked in the door. She didn’t remember him running his
fingers through it and imagined that accepting a case might create some kind of
adrenaline rush inside him.
“Thank you,” she heard herself mumble. “I don’t
have a lot of time but we can lay out the preliminaries right now and go into
more detail on Monday.”
“You don’t work weekends?”
She dug through her purse, pulling everything out
until she reached her wallet. Then flipping it open she pulled out a couple of
the bills she had left. “My mom has the entire family coming home. Most of them
are already there. She called me on my way over here. If I can get away,” she
said and broke off her sentence before finishing. She was rambling. Hell of a
way to convince this man she was innocent and completely incapable of
committing this crime. But then, how did a money launderer behave?
Maggie handed him two hundred dollars. “I hope this
is enough to begin our working relationship. Of course, I expect you to log,
and keep receipts, of all of your expenses.” When he showed no reaction, and
didn’t make a move to take the money, Maggie tried a reassuring smile. “You’ll
learn I’m a stickler for numbers and documenting everything. It’s the
accountant in me.” She shrugged, then fought off her frustration when he didn’t
accept the cash or say anything. She waved the money at him. “Take this. I have
a receipt book in my purse, I think. If it’s not enough I have more cash at
home.” She was pretty sure he already knew her bank accounts and credit cards
had been frozen, which still had her pissed as hell.
When Micah moved, Maggie lowered her hand,
straightened, and found herself once again staring into his dark hazel eyes. Maggie
held her ground, watching him.
“Pay me when I catch whoever has put you in this
situation.” That growl that had been barely audible before came out clearly this
time.
When he placed his hand over hers, closing his
fingers around hers, and the cash she held, heat exploded inside her. An
unbearable pressure swelled to life between her legs. Shifting her weight only
caused it to grow.
“I’ll work up a contract,” she said, and looked at
his hand over hers. “We’ll make everything official.” It was impossible not to
return her attention to those evasive eyes of his.
There was still nothing to read in his dark gaze
but his lips curved slightly. They were nice lips for a man, not too full but
not thin either. A shadow spread across his jaw bone, the end of the day
whiskers. If he kissed her she would feel their abrasion against her skin.
What the hell was she thinking? Maggie tried
pulling her hand free of his.
Micah’s fingers tightened around hers, preventing
her freedom. But only for a moment. Her hand seemed colder than the rest of her
when he finally let her go and dropped his hand to his side.
“No contracts. No receipts. No records.”
“But—“
“No,” he said with finality. “Enter into a verbal
agreement with me. That will require that you trust my decisions and my
actions, always. A piece of paper holds a lot less value.”
Maggie almost dropped her wallet. Her skin
prickled. There was unleashed, raw lust emanating from his body. If she didn’t
take the upper hand immediately, he would have her begging him to take off her
clothes, ravish her, do what he wanted with her body. She tried for a deep
breath. Her reaction to him had to be a result of so much relief once he’d
agreed to help her out.
“Alright. We’ll do this your way. This will be a
working relationship,” she told him. “I am hiring you. Contract, or no, you
will report your daily activities to me. I’m paying you for a service and I
expect full cooperation and communication from you.”
Maggie wasn’t prepared when he grabbed her jaw.
Micah didn’t hurt her, but long, hot fingers embraced her neck, pressed against
her jugular, and stroked her chin when he tilted her head back and stared down
at her.
“This will be a working relationship. But I am the
one who can do this job. You will trust me, cooperate with me fully, and trust
that I always have your best interest at heart. I will share with you what I
can while doing my research but you will accept that I am doing everything in
my power to find whoever it is who is laundering money through Club Paradise.
That includes you not questioning my every action.”
“Is this how you treat all of your clients?” Maggie
grabbed his wrist, not that she could pull him off her if she tried. His pulse beat
strongly against her fingertips.
“No.”
“Why are you treating me this way?”
“Because of the charged lust radiating off you, and
me,” he said, his voice that low raspy growl again. “It’s strong enough to fog
both of our thinking. I’m putting it under control right now. I believe that
you think you’re innocent. I’ll find out the truth, and you’ll accept that
truth once I show it to you.”
Where can we find your website?
www.lorieoclare.com 
Meet: Lorie O’Clare
What
are your 2 favorite careers?
I’d
have to say being a grade school teacher, because I thought for so long about
being one and have always believed I’d make a really good teacher. (My kids
think so, at least) And my second favorite career would have to be a spy. Like
working for the CIA or NSA. I’ve always loved the idea of living outside the
lines of normal society. The rest of the world might have to get up every
morning and do the same job day in and day out, but I always dreamed about what
it would be like to not be one of the numbers. To have a life where your focus
lay outside the realm of everyone else.
I
think what I do today is a result of loving those two careers. If I can show,
or enlighten, someone through a story I’ve written, then I’ve done a good job.
And, through the worlds I’ve created I can live precariously as I walk
alongside my characters. I probably would have been a lousy spy. But living in
the world of fiction, I can be magnificent as an explorer, an adventurer, an
adrenaline junkie, and someone willing to dive into danger and save the day!
All things that in real life I am not. J
What is the hardest thing you ever had to do?
What is the hardest thing you ever had to do?
Hold
on, and push forward, while coming to terms with how different my life is now
dealing with diabetes and a severe neuropathy. I remind myself daily how hard
it was to initially get published. When the pain is bad and I just want to lie
down and give into it, I tell myself that if I let go, I’ll never get back what
I’ve worked so hard to have in the first place. I’m a published author. I’ve
released a lot of books. If I give in, for even a day, I could lose everything
I have. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is cope with pain and write
stories worthy enough for you to read.
Favorite music, song or band
Favorite music, song or band
Oh
wow, I love all kinds of music. All genres—if it’s good. I really like Muse, The
2nd Law, and all of old Muse. I like the Black Keys, the White
Stripes, but also I love Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Clash,
just to name a few and, well, I really like a lot of classic rock. But I also
love country and classical. I’m not too hip on opera.
Are you usually late, early or right on
time?
I’m usually late. J
Are you happy with your life for the most part right now?
Are you happy with your life for the most part right now?
Oh yes! Life is great. I’m
the most blessed person I know.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
There are so many places I
want to see. But definitely at the top of the list would be Ireland , County Clare
What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up on?
What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up on?
To give up on?...my
children. It wouldn’t be hard though; it would be impossible. I could never
give up on them.
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