I admit it; my process is a bit backward. First the character calls to me then
the plot slowly evolves. I start to feel like I'm writing about real people and
I hear their dialogue in my head. My current work in progress has a hero that
came to me while watching episodes of Lost on Netflix. The character of Sawyer
from the show was a man you love and hate and I wanted that for my next book.
Often I listen to classic rock and type away. It's the same songs I grew up
listening to and I find the feelings of nostalgia spark my creative side. The
strangest thing I do when writing though is walk around my neighborhood,
dictating plot into a digital recorder. Every once in a while I have to change
words around or take a break because the kids are out playing and I've reached a
steamy scene. They probably all think I am nuts anyway!
I suppose I started wanting to write after reading Julie Garwood's books - they
made me laugh, cry and sometimes want to attack my husband. The strong hero
brought to heel by an even stronger heroine is very appealing. I also like the
elements of mystery in many of her contemporary books. My characters are often
based on people I know in real life only I change around a lot of the details.
It gives me a bit of a profile to work from when I am trying to fill in all the
backstory of a character and really make that figure realistic. Well that's all
for now, happy reading.
Can two artists salvage true love out of the unexpected consequences of one
night of passion?
A young tattoo artist. A seasoned rock star. Both focused on their careers. What
harm can there be in giving in to their desires for just one night? They're
about to find out as their scandalous relationship sweeps the internet. Will
they stand together to face the world? Or will their emotional scars tear them
apart? T.D. Hassett takes you to the heights of passion in LOVING LINK, Book 2 of her
hot, sexy series Love and Music.
Madison had just finished up with her second to last client and was
tired. She thanked him for trusting her to do such an involved and powerful tattoo.
"No, thank you Madison. You've no idea how much this means to
me. It's absolutely beautiful." the young private explained quietly, and
then surprised her by wrapping her in a big hug and kissing the side of her
head. It seemed to be an impulsive gesture and it took her off guard. For
perhaps the first time she understood how important body art could be to
somebody, how it truly was more than just something inked. She broke free of the
embrace as her boss, Lori, came into the room. Madison froze in place seeing
Link Jacks standing behind her boss and scowling. The private slipped her his
card and was forced to squeeze by Link, who stood with his arms crossed,
practically blocking the door.
Lori interrupted the awkward silence. "Madison, you might know
Link Jacks through your brother-in-law. He's been having a dragon done over the
last couple of months and I'm thinking you're the perfect person to do some of
the scale work. I've seen you do some mythological pieces where the coloring is
almost luminescent. That would be perfect for this piece. I've done all the
lines and a good chunk of the fill but think if you wrapped up the scales it
would be American Tats Magazine worthy." Lori stated in her
no-nonsense way.
Crap, there's really no way to just say no, especially if Lori
was thinking of putting the work on display. She had one more customer left
for the day and was looking forward to a quiet night back at the apartment. She
and Darling would probably just order pizza and watch a movie.
Maddie's befuddled brain flashed back to the spiel Lori had given
her about no drama and she braced herself for whatever this could mean. I
just need to keep my focus on the work.
"Sure, as long as Link is comfortable with me doing the work.
I've got one more customer tonight but I'd be happy to make him an
appointment," replied Madison.
Link's icy expression slipped. He smiled at her and gave her a
little wink, suggesting her stall tactic wasn't going to work.
"No need, I've switched your last appointment to someone else
so that you could have time to work on this piece now," Lori smoothly added.
So much for putting this off until a later day. Lori walked away,
leaving Link and Madison alone. Great, this would be a nightmare after what had
transpired between them last week. She was already anxious around him and now
she'd be spending hours touching his half-naked body. How did Monet ever paint
those incredible nudes with such beauty just within reach?
Madison busied herself getting out sterile gloves and new needles.
She focused her head on how best to color in the scales that she recalled so
clearly from running her hands up his chest and arms. His low voice startled her
when he asked what to do.
"Should I take my shirt off now and lie down, or just stand
here feeling stupid?" Link questioned.
"Sorry, go ahead and lie down and you know, take off your
clothes. I mean shirt." Maddie blurted out awkwardly. She finished
assembling her things on the tray and turned around in time to see him pull his
tight black shirt up over his head exposing a broad, well-muscled chest that her
fingers ached to touch. It was going to be torture to put needle to skin, to
have her hands running over his washboard abs and strong arms, yet the full
sensation would be blocked by the latex of her gloves. She studied the work
already done on the tattoo. It was a masterpiece in the making. She'd never seen
such a large, detailed mythological piece and couldn't stop herself from tracing
the line of the dragon's tail from the waistband of his jeans up and across his
chest and over his shoulder to where it ended on his back. The dragon's head
looked across his shoulders, its eyes done so realistically you felt like the
beast was watching. She could see the mix of colors and shading she'd need to
complete the work. The artist in her was clamoring to get started but the woman
was afraid to keep touching him lest she lose her head again. She looked up from
his skin to notice his eyes had been watching her with an expression of longing.
His hand was clenched tightly against the arm of the chair and she noticed the
telltale bulge in his pants. Memories of him pulsing in her sent a wave of
moisture to her core.
She needed to put aside the tantalizing images flashing through her
head. He was just a man who could only hurt her if she let him. Isabel had
shared stories about Links escapades with women while on tour. It seemed
everyone in the band but Link had settled down, so they all laughed at his
adventures. Now that Madison had been one of his conquests, she hated every
other woman who had ever looked at him and she hated herself even more for
feeling that way.
"Okay, I'll get started but as you probably know, work around
the ribs and other bony areas can get pretty painful, so let me know when you
need a break. Any questions?" Maddie was proud of how calm her voice was
despite the rolling pit of emotions swirling around her belly.
"No questions. Baby, I'm ready for whatever you want to do to my
body; bring it on." Link answered with a cocky smile.
Damn him, he had to make this extra difficult. She'd made a mistake
in what she did with him; she'd just been too curious a cat and she'd gotten her
heart involved. But there was no way she would put that tail out there again for
him to play with. Maddie had seen what heartbreak did to her mother and she knew
better than to get involved with anyone who could do that kind of damage to her.
Besides if Isabel ever found out what she'd gotten up to with Link she'd
probably lecture her to death. And Thomas would probably kill Link; after all he
had become quite the protective big brother to her after he and Isabel met.
Madison needed to focus on the task at hand and stop ogling him like
well, like some kind of groupie. She prepped a gun and tested the foot pedal,
and then dipped her color, steadied her hand, and pressed needle to skin. The
gentle vibration of the gun hummed to her as she worked a lower portion of the
design over his right ribcage. She peaked across his chest, noticed another
tattoo under his heart, and jabbed the needle in too hard.
T.D. Hassett grew up
reading the romance greats—Jackie Collins, Julie Garwood, and Judith
McNaught. She was certain that life should be like a romance novel, with lots of
passion, some incredible adventures, and a guaranteed happily ever after. She
attended college in New England, earning a B.A. in History and an M.S. in
Clinical Psychology before changing her mind again and studying education.
Currently Ms. Hassett lives in Connecticut with her very patient husband and two
young children. Her rambunctious family shares their home with three crazy cats
and a darling golden retriever named Delilah. Her eccentric relatives and their
quest to make her feel like the only normal nut in the family tree inspire her
writing.
It's always fun when an Author lets you in on a little snippet of their life, especially when it comes to the way that they go about writing their books. I, personally find it fascinating, and don't find you crazy at all!! I'd probably keep a recorder handy to keep ideas in. It's a lot handier than writing everything down, and your ideas can flow a lot faster!! As for your excerpt, I felt like a fly on the wall, and can't wait to find out how the story unfolds!! I didn't think that this type of story would interest me, but I was so wrong!! I'll be looking forward to reading your book!! Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!! (Peggy Roberson 9:47am January 4, 2014)
Thank you for stopping by to read and may you also have a happy and healthy New Year. (Td Hassett 9:58am January 4, 2014)