…till The Playgirl arrives!
Till then, enjoy this inspo reel I made on my IG. (If you’re wondering about the choice of song, it’s one of my favorite dance songs and the piano adds dramatic effect.) And, of course, if you want to know more, preorder my book!
From previous teasers here on my upcoming eBook The Playgirl, you may be thinking it’s another naughty book about a successful young woman and her bedmates. You’re partially correct, but, cliched as this sounds, there’s more to it.
Originally, it was supposed to be a naughty book about a successful young woman and her bedmates. But during its seven-year-plus-long writing and editing process (which involve a few stoppages due to other writing projects and personal matter), I began craving more drama and suspense. Being influenced by other romance books (think the work of Jackie Collins) and old-school soap operas (think the OG Dynasty from the 80s), and even my own personal life at the time (I’ll explain later), I set out to give more to my story. The end result is a tale of love, lust, loss, jealousy, scandal, blackmail, identity, and revenge, set predominantly in a city that’s all too familiar with it all and then some: Los Angeles, in the early/mid-2010s. (I started the original draft in the fall of 2015, so some of its references may be a bit dated. I did consider moving the story to a more recent time period, but, in the end, I chose to keep the story in that era, before the madness of 2016 and beyond.)
I’m in the process of making an Instagram reel for y’all to get a feel of the book, set to release three weeks from now! Links to preorder it here. And, once again, I’ll be a part of Smashwords Summer/Winter sale, and upon its release, you can score the book for free!
Image courtesy of Andrey Kiselev @ Dreamstime.com
Fresh off a long-term relationship, Jalise Styles, a successful young author living in Los Angeles, welcomes actors, musicians, and even movie moguls into her sheets. But as Jalise hops from one bed to another, she discovers more from her flings than just great sex. Desire, scandal, and an unexpected surprise end up rocking her world.
Available for preorder right now! I’ll also be a part of Smashwords’ Summer Sale starting in July, and for a limited time, my book on Smashwords will be FREE of charge! So, if you enjoy steamy fiction that’s pro-LGBT with kick-ass female protagonists and splashes of suspense, sex, and scandal, pick up The Playgirl!
Save the date: The Playgirl arrives on July 24th!
There’s a new playa in town, and her name is Jalise Styles.
Fresh off a long-term relationship, Jalise, a successful young author living in Los Angeles, welcomes actors, musicians, and even movie moguls into her sheets. But as Jalise hops from one bed to another, she discovers more from her flings than just great sex. Desire, scandal, and an unexpected surprise end up rocking her world.
********
This book is seven years in the making (I’ll explain later), and I originally wanted to release it this month, but work and life got in the way. For those not on Twitter, I recently had some minor surgery a couple days ago (nothing serious, and it was elective). The days leading up to that surgery, along with being busy with my day job, took a LOT out of me. But now that I’m off work for a bit, I now got some free time to promote it!
Also, my book will be participating in Smashwords’ Summer/Winter sale that starts in July. Upon its release and for a limited time, you can get the book for FREE!
If you enjoy steamy fiction that’s pro-LGBT with kick-ass female protagonists and splashes of suspense, sex, and scandal, pick up The Playgirl!
ETA: yes, there will be erotic/sex passages in the book, and because of that, I got an email saying my book is already blocked in some online outlets. My first taste of infamy! *wipes tear*
Whaddya think? Credit to Vsulov at Dreamstime.com for the capture and allowing it to be royalty-free. I did the font work, though. 😄
Ah, my first-ever eBook. I feel like a mama expecting her first baby; given the length of its editing/re-writing process, the pregnancy was years long, haha. Expect this baby in June! Till then, I’ll have inspo posts and a snippet of my story here and on my social media. (I also posted a teaser a while back if you want to get an idea of who the Playgirl is.) Stay tuned!
As mentioned in a previous entry, I had a little surprise that ties in with National Poetry Month this month. (And only until now do I finally have time to post about it.)
Twenty-five years ago, I was in the 8th grade, about to graduate Junior High, and just remembering this really makes me feel old. Anyway, I remember writing a poem for classwork in my English class. Little did I know that when I gave my work to my teacher, it would also be considered for publication in a poetry book by the youths of the time. I don’t remember if it was mentioned that the poems us students wrote in class would be published somewhere. But it happened, and I ended up being one of the two students from my entire K-8 school that got their work published in that book you see above. I still have my copy, by the way!
Obviously, I won’t say which one is my poem as it’s under my real name. I’ll also say that this was not the first time my work has been published. The very first time happened in my local newspaper back in the spring of 1996; it was a prose piece I wrote in 6th grade. (Hot damn, now I really feel old.) Sadly, I don’t have a copy of that newspaper, but maybe it’s been digitally preserved by the newspaper. Since the release of this anthology, my work’s been published a few more times, the most recent being in an anthology of short stories written by women. I’d tell you more on that another day. One thing I’ll say right now is that I always get a little joy when my work gets published. (And speaking of, a project I’ve been working on for years is about to see the light of day soon. Stay tuned!)
Pic courtesy of an eBay listing; yes, you can also buy my work!
Happy holiday weekend, everyone! Last December, I posed the question “who is the Playgirl?” Here’s a bit of an answer (that should’ve been given sooner here but life and work got in the way).
She is not your mother’s or father’s version of a playgirl. She’s still a sensualist who enjoys the finer things and lovers in life, but that doesn’t mean she demands uninterrupted decadence in her life. She has no problem going sans fards, drinking cheap wine, and resting her libido (after taking it to the limit with one or two bedmates the night before). If anything, it’s about living her life her way, doing whatever and whoever she pleases. With the latter, after sizing up her potential bedmate, she likes to make the first move–an act that sometimes surprises her men that are used to a more submissive partner. This Playgirl is no docile doormat to her lovers whatsoever. And her assertiveness extends outside the bedroom. She side-eyes gender expectations and sneers at double standards. She knows you think of her as a slut, whore, bad girl, rebel, or even a bitch, so tell her something she’s doesn’t know. She’s sophisticated and gritty, but never unpolished. She pushes luxury cars and motorcycles and wears leather jackets from Allsaints with old cheap jeans and boots from Goodwill. (With clothes and lovers, if it looks and feels good to her, it’s hers.) She works–at her dream job, naturally, and happens to be successful with it; the Playgirl is a woman of substance, talent, and creativity with more influence than an Influencer. She is a beauty that’s all-natural, exotic, youthful, healthy, and inviting–never bland, plastic, and frigid. She is magnetic, hypnotic, but don’t get too close to her, for she doesn’t seek commitment or romance. Don’t worry–the Playgirl respects your boundaries, as long as you respect hers. She prefers to have the last word. And she’ll be coming soon.
Photo courtesy of Evgenia Nechaeva at Dreamstime.com
Lex Writes On 