The Write Stuff (Write Stuff 1)

"Interview phobia?" Alec teased, reminding me of a conversation we had long ago.

I ignored his question as I sat on the edge of the loveseat in the green room of the local news station. Fear didn't even begin to cover how I was feeling at the moment. Maybe when I tossed my cookies, Alec wouldn't think it was so funny. I'm sure when the morning wake-up talk show asked to do an interview with me, they thought I would be more sophisticated and put together. Not a jittery mess. I wished I would have taken Olivia's suggestion and downed a bottle of wine, but it was too late now.

Thomas, one of the producers we had been introduced to, entered the room. "Ms. Blake, Mr. Petropoulos? This is Lisa Shaw," he said, introducing us to a tall, leggy beauty I recognized from watching the show.

I stood up to shake her hand, trying to control the shaking in my knees. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she said, beaming at me. "I have to say, I read your book and I absolutely adored it. I'm a little awestruck at the moment, so you may have to excuse me if I start fangirling too much."

A warm feeling spread through me as some of my tension left. "I'm so happy to hear that. I enjoyed writing it, and I'm so glad readers were able to connect with it."

"Oh, I connected all right," she laughed. "I can barely wait for book two to come out. Have you picked a date yet?"

I nodded. "Hopefully soon. That's all I can say at the moment."

"I can't wait," she gushed. Thomas cleared his throat. "Oops, that's our cue to get rolling," she said as an assistant attached a microphone to my shirt and then Alec's. "This will be a short segment. Just keep your focus on me and forget about the audience."

"Sounds great," Alec said, placing a warm hand on my knee that had started bouncing nervously.

We followed the assistant into the studio where a small audience sat waiting for the show to return from commercial break. Two empty plush chairs sat next to Lisa, separated by a small round table. Thomas counted us down and Lisa turned directly into the camera as the audience applauded. "Welcome back, everyone. You all know how I love me some romance," she said, making the audience roar with laughter. "Fortunately, we have one of the hottest authors in the business right now living in our own backyard. Here to talk about her latest book, Wicked Lovely, is New York Times bestselling author, N.S. Blake, and for an extra treat, the cover model—yeah, this is him right here—Alec Petropoulos." She held up the book, pointing to the cover as the audience applauded loudly.

Alec and I both waved, although I wanted to disappear into my chair.

"So, Nicole, your book burned up the industry charts almost overnight, making it an instant sensation. Did you expect to be so openly embraced?" Lisa asked, holding up a copy of the book again.

I laughed lightly. "No, it was definitely a surprise. As a self-published author, I'd seen some moderate success with my previous books. I knew when I started writing Wicked Lovely that it was going to be entirely different than my Pirate Nights series. A bit darker, more angst and sexier. My hope was that my readers would come to love it like I had."

Lisa laughed with delight. "That we did." She fanned herself with her hand. "I can imagine becoming a New York Times bestseller at your age must have been a surreal experience. Just so viewers know, you celebrated your twenty-second birthday earlier this year, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, in March," I answered, blushing slightly. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would hit a list, let alone the most respected. That title belongs to real writers."

"I hate to break it to you, Nicole, but you're as real as they come. Wicked Lovely has quickly become my favorite book."

"Thank you," I said, blushing again. "I think with every book a writer releases, they hope the story will resonate with the readers. I'm so grateful Wicked Lovely is that story for me. I credit it to my great cover model," I teased, trying to shed some of the attention on Alec.

"Ah, yes, the gorgeous cover model. Alec, how has your life changed since you posed for this shot? I can imagine you're in high demand. I'm sure viewers in my age bracket can't help thinking of the popular cover model Fabio," she said, clutching her chest dramatically. The audience burst into laughter again as she continued. "I have to say, you put Fabio to shame," she added as the Wicked Lovely cover appeared on a giant screen behind us. The audience hooted with glee.

Alec's eyes moved to mine as he slid his arm around me. "The biggest change in my life is I managed to get the girl. I guess you could say that cover made my dreams come true too."

Lisa practically swooned as the entire audience let out a collective "ah." Lisa regained her composure quickly, tapping the book. "So, this led to a brand-new love story?"

Alec and I both nodded. "I guess you could say it was love at first sight," I teased.

"Oh, that's a love story I'd love to read. Any plans to turn it into a book?"

"What happens under the cover … stays under the cover," Alec drawled.

Lisa laughed at the play on words. "No, that story belongs to us," I clarified, lacing my fingers through Alec's. "But I may weave certain parts of our love story into something I write in the future," I said deviously, making Alec hide a chuckle with a cough.

Lisa laughed brightly. "That's all we can ask for. So, what's up next for N.S. Blake?"

I debated her question for a minute. It was hard to pick one thing. Wicked Lonely, the next book in the series, was finished, but I couldn't mention it since we were currently in negotiations with one of the major publishers. They were excited about the series and Jillian, my new agent, suspected I would be signing a deal soon. I could mention the next series I planned to write, but that was in the beginning stages. Maybe the right answer would be to mention what was next for Alec and me since we were both here. But I wasn't sure I wanted to share any more of our story. I liked that it belonged only to us.

I laughed again. "Lots of exciting things," I finally answered, squeezing Alec's hand.

Lisa nodded, seeming satisfied. "I want to encourage everyone watching to pick up Wicked Lovely. Ladies, you'll thank me," she said, holding up the book again. "Everyone in our audience today will, of course, be taking home a copy. Alec and Nicole, thank you for joining us here on the morning wake-up show. We wish you future success on not only your written love stories, but also your unwritten love story."

"Thank you for having us," I answered.