Thursday, February 16, 2017

Guest author: Inspiration in the Rain

One of my greatest joys as a teacher is seeing the success of former students. Please welcome new author and OCC/RWA chapter mate Lana Sloan, talking about her new release "Come Find Me" in the Ticket to Ride anthology.


“It did something to her, seeing him drenched, staring into the endless gray.”
Did you know the pleasant scent that rises from the dry ground when it just starts to rain has a name? It’s petrichor. Earthy, heady, sensual petrichor. 
As a native of Southern California, I have a particular fondness for anything that won’t instantly kill me when it falls from the sky. Rain is something to be cherished. A truly special event. I crave the security of low hung clouds, and the sound of raindrops joining together. It never fails to coax me to venture outside.
Ticket to Ride focuses on sexual encounters on public transportation. What better way to make something public than with the hint of anonymity provided by wet weather? And have some steamy rain-drenched sex…of course.
When I sat down to write Come Find Me, I chose Washington state as the backdrop because I wanted to harness the inherent sensuality of the rain. The eroticism of wet skin. The sense of liberation that comes from submitting to the whims of a storm. I think it is easier to accept our baser nature when we are confronted by the elements, but choose not to shy away from them. To leave the umbrella behind and turn our faces up to the downpour. 
That’s what I wanted for my heroine. I wanted to give her the choice to step outside of her comfort zone and onto the rain-soaked deck of a Washington ferry. I wanted her to take a chance on the unknown and feel the weight of her decision on her skin. Only then would she be ready to explore a new side of herself with the cocky stranger who rear-ended her car.


"Come Find Me" by Lana Sloan
Ticket to Ride

Delve into the minds of nine authors and let them take you for the ride of your life into the world of sex on public transport. Whether it’s trains, planes, cars, buses, trams or ferries, a combination of confined interiors and restricted spaces leads to erotic contact and hot and steamy sex.

Trains: The constant rhythm and clatter of wheels on rails, the side-to-side motion and a sense of entrapment between stations adds a touch of spice to a new encounter; and stealing pleasure on a crowded platform just heightens the excitement. Or travel back to the splendour of the steam age to follow a detective and the thief she's set out to capture.

Planes: The confined space of the seats necessitates unconventional solutions to comforting a fidgeting woman, particularly when things aren't quite as they seem.

Buses: A crowded tour bus and the woman who sits between two very different groups of musicians leads to a very different experience on the 'dividing line'. Meanwhile, eavesdropping on someone else's erotic stories via Bluetooth during a daily ride share leads to more than just words.

Whatever your fantasy, these erotic short stories will leave you eager to plan your next journey!

Available via Amazon (kindle & paperback), iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

About the Author:
Lana Sloan fell in love with romance at an early age, as she devoured novels on the floor of a thrift shop book room. Since those days, everything she has ever enjoyed writing centers around love—and sex. She proudly admits that while obtaining her BA in English Literature she didn’t often doodle, though the margins of her notebooks were filled with snippets of stories. She resides in Southern California with her geeky husband, daughter, a parrot, two dogs, and far too many cats.

Contact Details:


Enjoy the following excerpt for Come Find Me:

“Are you always so tense?” His deep voice reverberated through the car.
For a split second she stared at him blankly. Tense? She wasn’t tense. Her world was falling apart, but that was none of his business. “Only when uninvited men find their way into my car. Why the hell are you here?”
“Same as you. I take the ferry to work. If you didn’t want any visitors, you should have locked your car.” A lopsided smile pulled at his lips as he shrugged. “You know tension isn’t good for the body. You need to find an outlet to relieve your stress.”
“I dance nearly every day.” She tucked a hank of wavy brown hair behind her ear.
“And how’s that working for you?”
Kalea grumbled, turning away from him and sitting up straight. “Just fine.”
He chuckled and she swore the rumble vibrated through her body, bringing a sudden sinking sensation to her stomach that morphed into a pulse of arousal between her legs.
“If I told you there’s a far superior alternative to dancing, would you believe me?”
“Not without proof.”
“Oh, I can give you proof. Right here in your car.”
“Really?”
His voice was deeper when he replied. “Tell me. How long has it been since you made yourself come?”