Interview with Tara Sue Me, Author of Exposed Desire

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Exposed Desire?

The entire Benedict Brother series was me wanting to try my hand at something different than what I normally wrote. I made the setting Charleston because it’s one of my favorite cities. What I hadn’t planned on was Jade. She was nowhere in my initial plot outline, but popped up in Book One (Perilous Kiss) and refused to behave.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Exposed Desire, what would they be?

I was born in the 70s, so I’m going old school on this one! Definitely, Pam Tillis and ‘The River and the Highway’ The lyrics are below.

She follows the path of least resistance She doesn’t care to see the mountain top She twists and turns with no regard to distance She never comes to a stop And she rolls, she’s a river Where she goes, time will tell Heaven knows, he can’t go with her And she rolls, all by herself All by herself He’s headed for a single destination He doesn’t care what’s standing in his path He’s a line between two points of separation He ends just where it says to on the map And he rolls, he’s a highway Where he goes, time will tell Heaven knows, she can’t go with him And he rolls, all by himself All by himself And every now and then, he offers her a shoulder And every now and then, she overflows And every now and then, a bridge crosses over It’s a moment that every lover knows…

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Romance is my preferred genre, but I’m open to anything as long as it has a happy ending. I was scarred for life once when I read an Amish “romance” where the hero died in the next to last chapter. You just can’t do that to me. I haven’t read a book about the Amish since!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’m on a bit of a historical romance kick at the moment. I’m currently reading Always be My Duchess by Amalie Howard, and The Countess by Sophie Jordan is up next. I just finished Evie Dunmore’s Portrait of a Scotsman. And because it’s in my top five of all time and I need a reread, I’ll probably crack open Mary Balogh’s Slightly Dangerous soon.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Without giving away any spoilers, there’s a scene where Alyssa gets an email and its contents and the fallout were the most fun. I hope it’s a twist no one saw coming.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I wish I did because that would be really cool. Unfortunately, my only writing quirk is that I don’t have one.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Don’t let your past define your future.

Tara Sue Me is the author of the new book Exposed Desire (The Benedict Brothers, Book 3)

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