THE RIGHT TEMPTATION

Can a childhood crush mature into the real thing?

Kayla Martinez has recently landed an RN position at a prestigious hospital in her hometown. The new job is everything she’s hoped for, especially when one hot specimen shows up in the ER. She hasn’t seen her childhood crush in years, and considering how much hotter he’s gotten over time, she almost ends up needing resuscitation.

The last thing Nico LaCosta needs is a broken arm. Now his pal’s kid sister wants to soothe his pain, but he’d rather keep his distance so her big brother doesn’t break his other arm.  Kayla’s no child anymore, though. She’s one hot-blooded woman, determined to remind him of a mind-blowing kiss back when they were teenagers. Leave it to Kayla to drop by his house unannounced and play Nurse Seductive. A guy has to follow the buddy code, or face the consequences. Still, sometimes giving in to temptation is worth it…

CONTENT WARNING: Racy Language, Hot Sex, Lusty Latin Lovers

–ooOoo–

Hey, everyone. I’d love you to welcome Diane Escalera to my blog today. Diane’s HOT Latin Heat Trilogy is well, super-hot. Just check out that cover. Hold on. I’ve gotta go grab a cold glass of water. She does warn that there are lusty Latin lovers in her book. Right, I’m back and all prepared.

The Right Temptation, story two in her trilogy, released in July with Lyrical Press, and Diane was kind enough to answer a few hard-hitting questions, so here she is, right in the hot seat.

Thanks for dropping by, Diane. I have some quick fire questions for you.

First, thank you so much for hosting me. I’m so excited to be here!

– Nicknames? I go by DeeDee or Dee.  When I was kid they called me Snoopy.

– Where do you live? South Florida is home to me.

– Have you ever traveled abroad? Sadly, no.

– Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate? Coffee first thing in the morning is a necessity!

– Favorite dessert? Chocolate anything!

– Dog or cat? Dog. I have the sweetest little dachshund.

– Beach or skiing? Beach. I’m a tropical girl.

– What’s your favorite time of the day to write? After lunch because it’s quiet then.

– Do you write on holiday? Only if I have to.

– Last book you read? It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis. Love her!

– Plotter or pantser? A little of both.

I love your favorite dessert, Diane. I’m a “chocolate anything” kind of girl myself. Yep, whenever I get the chance to eat out (which is only a few times a year) I jump straight ahead to the desserts and make sure there’s something with chocolate on the menu. The more chocolate the better. 🙂

I have some short questions for you too.

– If you don’t mind, tell us what started you on your journey to being a writer?

Unlike most authors, I didn’t know I was destined to write.  In fact, I worked in banking for many years, but deep down knew that it wasn’t my dream job.

At the young age of thirty-five, my sister died of an illness. I realized the same thing could happen to me.  There are no guarantees.  I couldn’t waste another moment doing something I didn’t love.

Writing was one of my greatest joys when I was growing up.  While still working at the bank, I decided to enroll in an intensive course where I learned everything I could about the craft.  It didn’t take long before I left the bank to pursue a writing career.

I’m so sorry about your sister. That’s incredibly young for you to have lost her. Although I love that you enrolled in an intensive course and found something you loved to do.

– Writing is clearly your dream job, but I’m curious, is there another as well?

I would probably work with animals, especially dogs. I just adore them because they love unconditionally, live to make you happy and expect little in return.

– Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

Italy. I’m half Italian and it would be awesome to experience the culture and history up close and personal.  Did you know Pizza was invented in Naples?

I didn’t, but if I’d taken a stab, Naples would have been my first guess. I’d love to travel to Italy too, only it’s half a world away from where I live in New Zealand. I’ll just keep dreaming that I’ll get there one day. They do have chocolate right? Pizza, and then chocolate. I could do that. 🙂

– Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?

I’d love to share my favorite quote, which I think perfectly sums things up:

“There are two weapons in the writer’s arsenal.  The first is stamina and the second is uncompromising belief in yourself.”

– What are you working on now?

I’m in the process of completing Story Three of my Latin Heat Trilogy.  Playing with Destiny will wrap up the series. Matchmaker, matchmaker, bring me a babe.  That’s all Christian expected from an online dating service.  He gets a lot more when, unwittingly, he’s hooked up with a luscious neighbor named Destiny.  Christian doesn’t believe in fate.  But one look at Destiny and he’s seeing a whole new future.

I love the sound of this trilogy, very exotic. I’m now craving chocolate more than ever though after our chat, and I thought that glass of water would be enough. 🙂 If you don’t mind, would you share an excerpt. I can’t wait to sample a taste of your writing.

EXCERPT:

Kayla ambled to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and perused it. Not bad. He had a few things she could work with. “What do you normally eat?”

“Grilled chicken, brown rice and broccoli,” he said without missing a beat.

Kayla laughed at his bland regimen. “I had a feeling.”

“Well, I try to take care of my body.”

“So I see.” Her gaze skittered over his physique. Whatever he did worked magically delicious.

“Although lately, I’ve been pigging out like a fat kid,” he said, with a disgusted look. “That’s what happens when you’re bored to death.”

She had a cure for his restlessness. The thought made her thighs go up in flames. Kayla shoved her head inside the cool refrigerator and peered into several plastic containers. “Some of this looks good.” She could’ve taken the easy way out, but she preferred to make something fresh, show off a little bit.

“It is. But I had so much of it already.” He puffed out his cheeks.

How adorable. She found everything he did entertaining. Kayla shut the fridge and, without asking, opened the cupboards. She found one with canned goods and food staples. “Hmm,” she mumbled, scanning the contents. She’d have to improvise. “You like omelets?”

Nico’s face lit up. “I love me some eggs.”

“Cool. I’ll whip up some veggie omelets.”

“You don’t have to cook for me, you know.”

She had a weakness for nursing people back to health. She had a weakness for one man named Nico. The combination of the two pulled on her heartstrings. “I want to,” she said, setting aside her personal agenda.

“Don’t you have something better to do than hang out with an invalid? I’m not a barrel of laughs right now.”

Good time to gauge his interest. She locked eyes on him. “Why? You want me to leave?”

“It’s not that,” he said. Nico strode to the kitchen. He took one of her long curls and tugged on it. “I just don’t want you to waste your free time.”

She wanted to close her eyes, bottle his woodsy scent. Kayla palmed his solid chest. The touch sent a shocking bolt through her already-charged system. She kept her hand there, reveling in the feel of his potent masculinity. “Who says I’m wasting my time?”

Nico closed the space between them. Too bad his bulky cast kept their bodies from totally connecting. Several inches taller, he stared down at her with pure intensity. The heat level shot up so fast she thought they’d set off the smoke alarm in the kitchen. Kayla tilted her head back and shook her wild curls off her face. He helped by sliding a few fingers into her hair. Her heart practically jumped out of her chest. Kiss me. She’d waited years for this.

His body trapped her against the counter. Kayla shifted her position so she could feel the full force of his strength without the barrier of his injured arm. Oh God. He had an erection. Her hip acted alone and pressed up against it. She swore she heard him moan. Wait. That was her.

“Kayla,” he muttered, in a voice huskier than before.

Kiss me. She tried to send a telepathic message.

I loved this excerpt. Where can we find your book?

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

BIO: Diane Escalera

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in sunny South Florida.  The sultry paradise is a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories.  Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can’t get enough of.  She writes contemporary romance and is published with Kensington Publishing and Lyrical Press.

DianeEscalera.com / Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial / Twitter.com/DianeEscalera