10 Things You Didn’t Know About A Rumored Affair
It’s amazing how much a story changes throughout the writing process. I began this book back in 2014, so it had many, many transformations, and it’s fun to go back and see what I had changed over the course of finishing A Rumored Affair, and what parts of the original story remained.
- The original title was Secretus, named after the resort. After the book was written, the title sounded too erotic for my lighthearted romance. (Like it was a secret meeting place where guests could live out their sexual fantasies! So not the plot of this book.)
- The second title was A Holiday Affair, but this sounded too Christmas-y. There’s no Santa Claus, elves or anything remotely Xmas or holiday-ish in this book. So that title was cut.
- I researched a bunch of resorts in the Big Sur area. I fell in love with the Post Ranch Inn: http://www.postranchinn.com/ This hotel was my template for imagining the architecture and ambiance of Secretus. I will NEVER be staying there, with room charges starting at over $1,000/night! One can dream
- Chris Katsaros first name I gave him was Marc Whitcomb.
- Chris was not a foster kid, and his parents had died in a sailing accident. Two dads didn’t adopt Chris, and he inherited money instead of inheriting the resort.
- Graham was much older in the first version. I shaved off seven years or so making him slightly older than Chris.
- The first chapter was changed several times. I started the book with Chris on the beach right before the opening of Secretus. That didn’t work for me. Then I wrote a scene with Chris (still in college) driving to Secretus to visit his dads…boring. Finally it’s Graham who got to kick off the story.
- The last third of the book changed drastically, I don’t want to give the book away by telling you how, I’ll just say that Graham and Chris understood each other by then, and their reactions to the messy situation shows in the final.
- There was no evil, anti-LGBTQ Freedom Press in the original version!
- The ending came as a complete surprise. I didn’t plan it. Chris and Graham insisted that this had to be the conclusion to their love story.
A Rumored Affair, R rated Excerpt, Copyright © Viki Lyn
Graham liked Chris and wanted to know more about him. Even if they had only two weeks together, why not have fun and make good memories?
Chris buried the bottle in the sand. “You and me don’t make sense. We’re too different.” Chris stood and swayed.
Graham jumped up and steadied Chris by his arm. “Hey, I got you.” He pressed his fingers to Chris’s mouth, his thumb running along the edge of Chris’s full lower lip.
Such a sweet, sexy mouth.
Graham smiled when Chris let out a breath, his eyes widening. Graham wanted more than anything to kiss away Chris’s sadness.
“You’re shivering.” Graham unzipped his sweatshirt. He forced Chris to put it on. Leaning in to help him with the sleeves, Graham hesitated, but his heart wanted to go for it. He drew Chris toward him and was relieved when Chris wrapped his arms around Graham’s neck. Their kiss came on fast and hungry.
The bitter wind and the crashing waves receded into the background. Graham focused on the warmth of Chris’s lips, chapped but also soft and pliable. The smoky taste of whiskey on Chris; s breath. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the need for comfort that had Chris clinging to him. Chris wanted Graham, if the hard bulge in his shorts was any indication.
Graham ran his hand through Chris’s hair. An ache zigzagged across his chest at the grief lingering in Chris’s eyes.
Graham held back his instinct to clutch Chris in a bear hug. Graham guessed this proud, stubborn man would think he was hugged out of pity. Instead, Graham swept back Chris’s hair and kissed the salty taste of his skin.
Chris grabbed at Graham’s shirt, pulling him closer, and didn’t stop there. He cupped Graham’s ass and pushed into him with his hips.
“Oh fuck. You’re making it difficult to keep my promise.” Graham repeated the motion, stroking Chris’s sweet ass. A part of his brain chastised him for taking advantage of Chris in his drunken state, but with their cocks pressed together, he ignored his conscience. He would make sure this was what Chris wanted, but before Graham knew it, his jeans were unzipped and halfway down to his knees. Now it was his turn to groan, his chest tight with anticipation.
Not to be outdone, he relieved Chris of his pants as he explored Chris’s neck with his tongue. He pulled down the collar of Chris’s shirt and licked his collarbone, loving the animalistic noises coming from deep within Chris’s chest.
Their cocks generated intense friction. Chris’s eyes were half closed. His hands were all over Graham, sliding down his back, kneading his ass, pulling them closer so there was no space between them.
Chris slipped his hand under Graham’s waistband, teasing the patch of hair above Graham’s erection. Graham’s knees buckled and took them both down.
Chris laughed.
The sound resonated in Graham. This side of Chris, free of restraint, was sexy and endearing.
Thank you for hosting me today. 🙂