Kate Allue | Researching LAWYER UP

LAWYER UP is the second anthology in my Meeting Men series about real-world women meeting handsome professional men as they go about their everyday lives—and the fun they have behind closed doors. While I've enjoyed millionaire plotlines as much as the next fan, I also craved stories that could, on a lucky day, possibly happen to me or to the average Joe…sephine, if you will. Each book in the series includes three quick, steamy reads set in different cities and towns and featuring heroines of different ages, from their 20’s through their 40’s. Because each of my characters, settings, and plots are so different, there was a lot to learn (and research) while writing LAWYER UP.

In ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGES I researched the jail system in Los Angeles and also the booking process for women arrested for solicitation. I found a blog written by a prostitute from L.A. that offered advice for women in the profession. Of course it was just one woman’s experience, but she said to check the log of your possessions when you are being booked because the police had robbed her in the past. She also advised taking whatever food was offered to you in the holding cell, because others there would be angry if you refused it—if you’re not hungry you’re supposed to share the meager rations with others. My first drafts included Bethi-Ann having her money stolen by the police, but in the end the story was too dark (and too long) and those harsh aspects were cut. Nevertheless, I think the information I gained from the blog, helped add authenticity to the heroine’s experience in jail.

OF UNSOUND MIND AND BODY didn’t require as much research, because I pretty much drew from my experiences in Nebraska and on my tribe’s reservation. But I did find a lovely Omaha proverb for my hero, Lucky Hawk, to speak. He’s proud of his heritage (his mother is Omaha) and when he uses Omaha proverbs he feels closer to his roots. At the end of the story, the heroine Liza comes to understand what he meant by one—“Ask questions from your heart, and you will be answered from the heart.” She is then reassured and excited about their future together.

For OF WRITS AND WRITHING I needed to research the law more than the other stories because there are several court scenes and dialogue. It’s set in Louisiana and I was surprised to learn that their legal system is different from the rest of the United States. They are the ONLY state in the nation that uses Civil Law, a radically different European method. I had to do a lot of research to learn what this meant and how it is used in the courtroom, but on the plus side there were some unusual aspects of Louisiana Civil Law that I was able to use in the story. There are many ways it varies from common law, but one of the biggest is that judges in Louisiana are not bound by stare decisis and precedent, but instead rule based on their interpretation of the law. For this reason, knowing the views of a judge who presides over a case can be really important, and my heroine, Pat, becomes very concerned when a kind, elderly judge is replaced by the Playboy Judge of Orleans. And things only get worse, when it appears that the Playboy Judge is showing favoritism to the blond bombshell who is the opposing counsel.

I’ve had such great fun researching different locations and imagining unique scenarios, and since they’re all quick fun reads, you don’t have to wait too long to get to the good stuff! LOL

About Kate Allure

Kate Allure writes erotic romance and is the author of the Meeting Men anthology series about real women meeting handsome professional men as they go about their everyday lives—and the fun they have with them behind closed doors! Her second series, Club Exotica, is set in a posh, ultra-private London club where a woman’s every naughty fantasy can come true, coming from Sourcebooks in late 2015.

Kate has been a storyteller her entire life, writing plays, short stories, and dance librettos throughout her childhood and later for semi-professional theater and dance companies. Her non-fiction writing included working for American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet and authoring a weekly arts column for local papers. She is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and George Washington University. Beyond writing, Kate’s passions include traveling and exploring all things sensual with her loving husband.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

About LAWYER UP

All rise... Three sizzling-hot, deliciously taboo erotic romances to stoke your mood.

Wrongly accused in ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGES, sexy but innocent Beth has nowhere to turn but straight into the arms of hotshot L.A. lawyer, Jon. Can this attorney manage to get her off in time?

Liza reaches a meeting of the minds-and more-when she unleashes her inhibitions and gives herself over to the primal allure of Main Street lawyer Hawk in OF UNSOUND MIND AND BODY.

In OF WRITS AND WRITHING, fearless defense attorney Pat gets more than she bargained for when she goes toe-to-toe with New Orleans' infamous Playboy Judge. When things get heated both in and out of the courtroom, more than temperatures rise.