SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author D. S. Dehel!

Joining me today in The Loft is author D. S. Dehel, who writes erotic, paranormal, and historical romance for eXtasy Books and Changeling Press. A retired teacher, D.S. is a lover of literature, good food, and the Oxford comma. She spends her days dreaming up new plotlines and adores literary allusions, writing sex scenes, and British men. To that list, she adds, "Hot men in general!" When not writing or reading, D.S. is mom to her kids and enjoys spoiling her coddled feline, Mr. Darcy, and her pampered puppy, Jameson. While she is convinced her husband believes she writes children's books, methinks he might be on to her! D. S. currently lives in Delaware.

Author D. S. Dehel

S: Welcome D. S. I'm pleased you could join me today!

Given your affection for "hot men," I have to ask. Brains or brawn?

D: Definitely brains. Looks are nice, but I am an omnivore intellectually. One day I’ll be reading about epidemiology and the next, cooking techniques in ancient Rome. I need someone who can keep up with and stimulate my mind. Deep conversations over coffee or curled up in bed late at night are terribly appealing. My partner doesn’t have to be a genius, just always willing to learn. And let’s face it, intellectual curiosity is sexy, to me anyway. I happen to be very fortunate in that my husband is both handsome and smart.

S: So a sapiosexual? I approve! Good looks may garner interest, but the brain is the largest sex organ and requires constant attention.

What do people get wrong about writing romance?

D: People who are not familiar with romance as a genre tend to believe that it’s nothing but page after page of gushy kissing scenes, when in fact, romance may be at the core of a novel, but there’s far more going on with the plot. There’s a lack of awareness of all the subgenres under romance—paranormal, thriller, cozy mystery, and the like. I think, too, that there’s a belief that all romance is formulaic, and granted, some are, but many, many are not.

S: Do you believe in love at first sight? Has it ever happened to you?

D: No, I don’t believe in love at first sight. To this day that is one of the things about "Romeo and Juliet" that annoys me. Wasn’t Romeo just in love with Rosaline right as he walked into the party? But I digress. Can there be intense attraction of both body and mind? Absolutely. But love takes a little more time to develop. I’m not saying years, but at least a few weeks.

S: I'm still on the fence. I thought it happened to me--there was an intense, wild, transatlantic affair involved. However, 40 years later, I have questions.

What’s the best advice you have ever been given?

D: “Dreams don’t have an expiration date.” I wasn’t given this, per se, but stumbled across it on the internet. Our society emphasizes doing things right now and being successful at a young age. We’re told that our youth is the best time of our lives when that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, the idea that the best days of my life were at 17 or 27 depresses me completely. Being a writer was always something I wanted to do, but life got in the way until my late 40s. Though I didn’t broadcast the fact that I was actively pursuing publishing, some of the few who knew that I did thought I had lost my mind. Having faith that I could publish a book even though I was “old,” got me through the slog of querying. And for most things, it’s absolutely true. That dream you had as a kid, go do it now. What have you got to lose?

S: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

D: Without a doubt, it’s my four kids. I couldn’t be prouder of them. Anyone who’s parented a toddler wonders if the little monster will ever grow into someone less demented. The fact that the creatures who colored my walls, tried to flush the cat, and tied their sister to a tree because she wanted to fly like a fairy have developed into such kind, caring people amazes me. Each of them tries hard to make the world a better place, and each accepts others for who they are. I couldn’t ask for more as a mother.

S: What inspired "Penalty Kicks?"

D: Years and years of my husband watching soccer. In many ways, the noise of a rowdy stadium is the soundtrack of my weekends for most of the year. At first, I was ambivalent about the game because I am not a sporty person, but I’ve grown to love it—though nowhere near to the extent my husband does. I learned the lingo--and it is a language unto itself, like every sport—so I could better connect with him. And honestly, there are typically hot guys with great physiques running around. I had lots to work with.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Penalty Kicks?"

D: Though "Penalty Kicks" revolves around India coming to terms with her feelings for a much younger man, it is also about her finding herself for the first time and chasing her own dreams.

Here's the blurb--

Love is a beautiful game.

India Roberts can’t wait until her divorce is final, then she’ll be Ms. Jackson. At 40, she’s waited long enough to pursue her goal of becoming a fashion designer, and a chance encounter may just be the beginning of a new career.

What she doesn’t need is a new romance.

When soccer player Matt Bettony rescues her from a bad date and makes her rough night oh-so-much better, she discovers that she is ready for something, even if it isn’t too serious. Thirteen years her junior, he's the perfect fit for a no-strings love affair that won't interfere with her dream...until Matt gets other ideas.

Both India and Matt have goals they’re chasing and are seeing some success, but soccer is a game played in two halves, and their time is just beginning. They have to withstand the scorn of others and pressure that comes with fame to win the game called love.