Fireworks…in the Bedroom?
I have a confession to make—I have a thing about fireworks. Okay, so that might seem obvious considering I write erotic romance! But I don’t just mean of the bedroom kind—I also love professional pyrotechnical displays, so much so that I made the hero of my latest friends-to-lovers romance, Mr. Insatiable, a pyrotechnician.
Did you know that the Chinese invented fireworks back in the 7th century? Fireworks continue to play an important part in Chinese culture, which also features in the book as some of is it set in the magical city of Beijing. Do you know your Chinese zodiac sign? Click here if you don’t: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac
If you’re having a baby this year, the Chinese New Year beginning 23-24 February 2013 is the Year of the Snake and people born under this sign tend to be attractive, graceful, private and sometimes unemotional, exciting and dark at the same time.
In England, fireworks are mostly used on Guy Fawkes Night, which is a celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot—the attempt to kill King James Ion November 5, 1605, and here in New Zealand we tend to use them mainly on November 5 too. Currently, the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America is Thunder Over Louisville which kicks off the Kentucky Derby Festival.
I love the names of fireworks—many are named after flowers or plants, such as peony, chrysanthemum, dahlia and willow. Others have equally evocative names such as spider, hearts, diadem, horsetail and time rains. I adore these names and so does Kit, my hero—so much so that he writes a poem for a best friend who’s getting married. This is one of the verses from it:
The diadem of stars frames her pale face
The spider spins fragile gold like lace
Time rains silver, dazzling their embrace.
Yeah, it’s a bit soppy, but then Kit’s a romantic soul. He’s also sex on legs, and here’s another snippet that’s a bit racier…
She rested her palms on his chest, surprised at the firmness of his muscles beneath her fingers. She’d seen him shirtless in the summer, hugged him and given him teasing pushes a gazillion times, but she’d never touched him. With his lips still slowly brushing hers, and her heart thudding, she moved her hands up and traced his collarbone beneath the white shirt, and then lifted her hands up over his shoulders and around his neck, expecting him to draw back, laughing.
Instead of pulling away, Kit’s arms came around her, strong and tight, his hands sliding down her back to her hips. He pulled her against him, and to her complete and utter shock, pressed the hard length of his erection against her, obvious proof he didn’t feel as if he were kissing a sibling either.
Enya’s mouth opened and she gasped, inhaling sharply when his warm tongue brushed hers. For a second she froze, completely taken aback by his reaction, as confused as she had been in her dream by what he was doing and her reaction to him. He stilled, but before he pulled away, desire shot through her, and her instincts took over. Plunging her tongue into his mouth, she threaded her hands through his hair, pressing herself against him, molding her body to his.
Kit groaned, his hands tight on her butt. Unfamiliar yearning swept through her, and she tightened her hands in his hair, grazing her teeth against his bottom lip, pleasure mounting as he deepened the kiss.
She’d forgotten about the heels. She didn’t wear them very often, and when she lifted herself on tiptoe to press her breasts against his chest, she lost her balance. His weight pushed her back the six inches to the wall behind her, and she hit it with a jolt hard enough to make her gasp and break the kiss.
Kit stepped back. “Shit.” He ran both hands through his hair and then surveyed her, hands on hips, apparently lost for words.
Enya pressed shaking fingers to her lips, her head spinning.
I kissed Kit Fawkes!
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Click here to read more about me or my books: http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com
If you like fireworks, have a weakness for friends-to-lovers stories, and/or adore sexy love scenes, then maybe Mr. Insatiable is your kind of book! For a chance to win a copy, leave a comment below and tell me about fireworks where you live – do you have fireworks at home, or do you attend professional displays? What time of year do you celebrate with them?
Serenity x
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Yes I love fireworks. I live in a small town and can see the fireworks from my house for The 4th of July and New Year’s Eve. MR INSATIABLE is one of my kinds of books. 😉
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you are right Mr Irresistible sounds just that irresistible lol so I would definetely like to enter for the free contest because two of your other newer releases I could not resist so I just bought them,so a free win would be great. As far as fireworks go,in the suburb I live in they are illegal,so we always take the kids on 4th of July to the fireworks that the city puts on for about 20 minutes,they are very nice,a lot of people in the outer limits of the city where it is legal always have fireworks so we go out there to see theirs also. They also have fireworks on New Years Eve in some of the cities depending on how cold it is lol Of course sadly half the time any more at the more local fireworks there is always some idiot that will shoot off a gun thinking no one will know the difference,those people make me mad so now we are pretty much stuck going to the ones that the city puts on,this last year we watched the ones on tv from boston because they are always beautiful and the ones in Austalia on New years eve were spectacular and of course Dubai,who spent millions on theirs were stunning so I think we will watch them on tv more often now that the kids are getting older. zanarigrandma@gmail.com
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Who doesn’t love fireworks? I live in a very small town and we have fireworks every year on the last day of our town festival. But, there are also firworks around the state on the 4th of July.
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Before our nieces and nephews grew up and moved away we would all get together on the 4th of July and do our own fireworks at my SIL’s farm. There would be a big bonfire and cooking out while we waited for it to get dark enough for the fireworks. One year the wind caught a spark from the fireworks and cauaght the barn on fire. Talk about an exciting time! The oldest nephew was 18 and climbed up in the barn pulling a hose as far as he could and put it out. The little ones thought it was a great adventure! LOL!
suz2(at)cox(dot)net
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We don’t go see fireworks very often anymore but I like the professional ones. My favorite one though was when I was about 24, I went up to my Grannie and Pop’s with my three girls and sat with my cousin while watching them. But the coolest part was they had the area wired for music and they played John Wayne’s America, Why I Love Her. First time I had ever heard it, made me cry and be so proud to be an American.
Z
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Live in Oregon and mostly we have them on July 4th for Independence Day. For several years they use to set off Fireworks right across the street from where I live. In a school field. It was great just grab your lawn chairs and step out on your front lawn for an up close show. Unfortunately, have moved and they no longer do them there, but it was fun. The dog hated it but not me. 🙂
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I like to say I have fireworks everyday I look at the man I love. Celebration of fireworks fill my heart with his touch and kiss. I smile and know that they were meant for me.
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😉 i can sometimes with the hubby other then that.. 4 th of july or when the parks the parks open for the year and of course new years eve .
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I also live in a small town so on Canada Day there’s some and Victoria Day (end of may) neighbors always light them off.
Mr. Insatiable sounds really good and I love this cover 🙂
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Serenity, what a great excerpt and a fun topic! While we love watching fireworks, we often resort to seeing them on TV! Our town doesn’t do a display of its own, and we often want to avoid the crowds and traffic involved in heading to neighboring communities. We did enjoy seeing the fireworks the last time we visited Disneyland, where they do them in style many nights of the week!
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We’re allowed to have some small fireworks, but there is a place we go where families can see the bigger displays. It’s a small town, so it’s nice to be able to do the backyard celebration or go and celebrate the bigger displays with everyone else.
yadkny@hotmail.com
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In Mansfield, PA there are usually fireworks around the 4th of July. I have not been – used to be donations welcome – I watch from bedroom window. We also have a display after our 1890’s celebration in late September. For the 1890’s we sell buttons for Friday and Saturday admission $3.00, MU students are free.
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Ketchikan plans fireworks ever 4th of July and the New Year….
Sometimes they actually happen on those days…most of the time we get them on a different day due to weather. And most of the time about a week to almost a month late one time.
The city banned personal fireworks. I think for all the problems they caused. So we enjoy them when the city finaly lets them off. Otherwise I go over to Prince of Wales Island and let them off at my parents house. They do all kinds.
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I do love watching fireworks being set off. Last year though, it was so hot and dry around my area on July 4th that most places cancelled the fireworks displays. For the last few of years (with the exception of last year) my siblings & I would gather at my parent’s house and set off fireworks. Last year we did not due to the heat and work/vacation schedules.
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I love friends to lover stories or sibling’s best friend to lover stories. I live near Chicago, so fireworks for personal use are illegal, but Chicago puts on a great free show.
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Yum, nice excerpt. I love fireworks but rarely go out to see them.
elewkf1 at yahoo dot com
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This book sounds totally hot!
Our city only does fireworks on July 4th. The show is not as elaborate as in the past but, still enjoyable.