Interview: Business & Pleasure by Emily Wood

I'm so happy to be spotlighting  a fellow Beachwalk Press author here today!

Let's get to know her a little better. Emily, tell us about yourself.

Well first of all I’m a mother to two beautiful children, and I have an amazing fiancé. I’m half way through a degree in Classical Studies, it’s challenging doing it at this stage in my life but I’m glad I waited and found something I’m truly interested in rather than going straight out of school when I had no idea what I wanted to do. I’ve always loved writing, and I also love travelling, meeting people and doing new things. I’m not a thrill seeker or daredevil, I just want to experience as much as I can, and really believe that you won’t know if you like something unless you give it a try.

Do you prefer

Milk chocolate or Dark? Milk.

Coffee or tea? Tea to relax and coffee to keep me awake.  

Vodka or tequila? I prefer wine to spirits but out of the two it would probably be tequila.  

Romance or a Thriller? Romance.

Mystery or Horror? Mystery.

Did you always want to be an author?

 Definitely, I’ve been writing since I can remember.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? 

To many to mention really, I think everything you read has an impact on you in one way or another.

Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? 

My parents and my fiancé have always been so supportive and have been an endless source of encouragement.

What is your writing atmosphere like? 

Well I try and write when the children are in bed, so usually cross legged on the sofa, where I won’t disturb them. When I do attempt to write when they’re awake I have the laptop on the dining room table while my son plays with his toy cars by my feet.

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your Least Favorite?

 I love those days when you’ve been thinking about a story for a while and you sit down and lose yourself in the plot and write for hours. My least favorite is that I just don’t get enough time to spend on my writing as I would like.

Your current book you’re promoting is: Business and Pleasure, a contemporary romance.

How did you come up with your story line? 

It kind of just wrote itself, I wanted to create a story where the lines were blurred between a romantic relationship and that of an employer/employee. I also wanted to create the kind of setting where the two central characters had an intense relationship developing the way it would on holiday or something, and so Business and Pleasure was born.   

How do you choose your characters names? 

The names have to suit the characters I’ve created, a lot of the time they pop into my head but I have scoured a baby name book in the past to find a name that felt right.

~*~*~




Can mixing business and pleasure ever result in a happy ending?

When sexy, rich Lawrence Russo asks Mia to come and work for him in Italy for two weeks, she jumps at the chance. After all, it beats pole dancing, and the salary he offers her is practically obscene.

A relationship quickly begins to develop between the two, but Mia can't help but wonder if Lawrence's feelings for her are genuine or if he feels he's just paying for a service.

Even if their relationship is strong enough to survive her insecurities, what will happen when somebody from her past shows up and threatens to reveal her deepest, darkest secret?

Excerpt:

Lucy looked around nervously. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I…don't know," Mia admitted. Perhaps she was just being paranoid.

"Mia." She heard a familiar drawl coming from the shadows. Her heart raced in anticipation as she turned to see the speaker. He walked out of the shadows and toward them like a jaguar stalking his prey, but Mia didn't feel intimidated, only excited by his presence.

"You shouldn't go sneaking around in the darkness. You could give a girl a fright." Mia laughed.

"I could leave, if that would please you," he purred. She loved the way he emphasized please. He gave no indication that he was going to leave. Mia was glad.

"Er, maybe I'll just go wait around the corner," Lucy said awkwardly. Mia nodded to acknowledge her, feeling a little guilty, because she had actually forgotten Lucy was still there.

"So, what are you doing here?" Mia tried to seem nonchalant, despite the fact that her body was having some kind of chemical reaction to his presence.

As if from nowhere, the handsome man produced the bottle of champagne he had purchased earlier that night. "I do believe we have plans to share this." He took a step closer to her.

"Oh. I would, it's just we aren't supposed to socialize with the clients outside of the club," Mia said teasingly, although it was technically true.

"Tell me, Mia, do you always do what you're supposed to do?" It seemed as though he had expected her reaction.

"No, I guess not."

"I've been watching you, Mia."

"I've noticed." She took a step in his direction and looked challengingly into his dark eyes. "So, do you like what you see?"

They were close enough to touch, and Mia's every nerve was tingling, hoping to feel his fingers on her skin. He swayed forward and, for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he leaned toward her ear instead. "I have a business proposition for you," he breathed, sending a shiver through her body before he pulled away from her.

It took Mia a moment to compose herself, and his eyes sparkled with amusement, no doubt he was enjoying her confusion. "Business…a business proposition?" Mia attempted to sound as casual as she possibly could.

"I'm returning to my home in Tuscany tomorrow," he announced.

Mia felt her heart sink, but was determined not to let it show. "Oh, it must be beautiful in Italy this time of year. But what does that have to do with me?"

"I was hoping you would accompany me." 

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About the Author:

I have always believed that the best stories are the ones that you can't put down, the ones that transport you to a different place and make you believe in the characters. This is exactly why I write… I have always loved the escapism that reading and writing provides, and there is nothing more exciting than imagining your own set of characters, and then letting them practically write the story for you. Writing has always been a dream of mine, and I'm lucky to have the kind of people around me that have always nurtured and encouraged my passion.

I live a cozy little life in Wales, and when I'm not writing I'm taking care of my young family, studying for a degree in Classical Studies, and training to become a nail technician. I love traveling to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things…it's all great inspiration for my books!

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