SECRET Shared: A SECRET Novel

A. That was not really planned until I began the writing process. It seemed to me that Cassie's trip through the steps couldn't continue. And S.E.C.R.E.T. has a mandate to "pass it on." Naturally, I needed to find a new candidate equally compelling and vexed by her sex life, but in a different way than Cassie. She couldn't also be locked in sexually and reluctant. In fact, Dauphine is far more experienced than Cassie; she's just shoved sex on the back burner of her life. And so many people do it. Sex becomes a muscle we no longer flex. The trick with Dauphine is finding her Southern-ness, the parts that no longer work and the parts that served her well. The voice came from that. Switching voices between chapters took some getting used to. I would find myself putting Cassie's words in Dauphine's mouth. There's also a character, Mark Drury, who both women "know." I had to see him through two different eyes, by two women who felt differently about him. Once the characters became fully formed that was just a natural expression of who they were. But it was challenging, writing from two different perspectives. And fun!

Q. Do you see parts of yourself in the women of S.E.C.R.E.T.? Is there a character you particularly identify with?

A. I think a writer's DNA is in a little bit of each of their characters. I think I share Cassie's reticence, Will's simplicity, Tracina's survivor mentality, and some of Matilda's hard-earned wisdom (I like to think!). My new character, Dauphine, is a bit of a workaholic, and that's something I definitely share with her. I can really lose myself in my work, which I'm lucky to find so edifying. But still, work is no substitute for intimacy, as Dauphine happily discovers.

Q. In addition to Cassie, readers will recognize many other characters in SECRET Shared from S.E.C.R.E.T. Did you always know you wanted to bring them back? Or were there some characters you found you just couldn't say goodbye to?

A. As the first book was completed, S.E.C.R.E.T. the novel became S.E.C.R.E.T. the series. So yes, that meant some characters would stay, newer ones would be introduced, and some characters will go, their journeys now complete. That said, I just couldn't resist seeing what Jesse was all about. Bringing him back for SECRET Shared allowed a peek into who these men were and what was in S.E.C.R.E.T. for them. And while recurring characters allow me to rip back the curtain even further on how S.E.C.R.E.T. operates, new ones add new elements to this mysterious group. It's really quite exciting for me too.

Q. In SECRET Shared, Cassie and Dauphine push their boundaries-both sexually and emotionally. Did you find yourself pushing your boundaries as an author?

A. Yes. Being a writer of sensual wasn't in my long-term career plan and I never imagined S.E.C.R.E.T. would grow around the world, let alone evolve into an "anxiously anticipated" series. But yes, in order to do this book and this genre justice, I've had to write well out of my usual "comfort zone," which ended up happening quite naturally as the characters became more real to me. For instance, as Cassie's sensual appetites evolve, she becomes more confident, more adept. That meant I had to up my game, erotically speaking. So the romantic stakes get higher in Secret Shared and I think I'm having more fun with the material. I hope that shows on the pages!

Q. What would you say to a reader who has never read an sensual novel?

A. I imagine we're talking about someone who not only hasn't read sensual but has resisted reading "genres." I would say to them that whether it's a romance novel, fantasy, sci-fi, or whatever, a good novel is a good novel. Don't get tripped up by the label or category. I can't believe, for instance, that I resisted George R. R. Martin's series for so long because I had a prejudice against "fantasy" books. I never read books with dragons and kings and had no interest, until a particularly persuasive friend suggested I give them a try. I lost months in those books. I just got swept away. For me, a good book is about the plot and character development. I no longer turn down a potentially great book because of the so-called genre into which it gets slotted.