Behind Closed Doors by Rachel Reilly

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Rachel Reilly as she celebrates the debut release of Behind Closed Doors, an erotic novella, published by the Wild Rose Press. With Rachel today is middle school librarian Julia Morgan.

Good morning, Julia. Tell us a bit about yourself, starting with where you’re from. I live just outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Tell us a bit about Behind Closed Doors. This is all about finding more freedom in my life and being open-minded... Falling in love too, though that might have been an unintended side effect.

What did you think the first time you saw Clay Nichols? Honestly? I didn’t have a lot of coherent thoughts. I was nervous and jumpy, shopping in a sex toy store, and this gorgeous, sexy man asked if I saw something I liked. And when I turned around, I most certainly did.

What was your second thought? I was afraid he would notice I was obviously quite attracted to him or that I would make a fool of myself in front of him.

Did you feel it was love at first sight? It was not. But I think “lust at first sight” was accurate. Even though I could barely form a coherent sentence around him at first!

What do you like most about him? Clay is my number one cheerleader, and he coaxed me out of my shell in many different ways. I’ve never dated anyone so supportive before.

How would you describe Clay? He’s truly so savvy. He runs several sex toys stores and has been quite successful. Clay is also hilarious, tender, and sexy.

How would he describe you? He would probably tell you I’m a cougar. I’m 33, and he’s only 30. He loves calling me that. But he would also tell you he thinks I’m beautiful and smart.

What made you choose being a librarian as a career? I’ve always loved reading and writing. Being a librarian gave me a chance to immerse myself in books and try and foster a love of reading in others as well.

What is your biggest fear? This one is easy- never living up to my potential.

How do you relax? I always love soaking in a tub, reading across all genres, or writing my own romantic fiction. Clay helps me relax too. Just spending time together makes me feel better.

Who is your favorite fictional character? As a librarian, it’s hard for me to choose only one! I always adored Anne from Anne of Green Gables though. She’s the epitome of a strong woman.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? I once read that true growth happens when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, and I can attest that has been accurate for me. We have to be a little uncomfortable sometimes, but the payoff is worth it.

Thanks for spending time with us, Julia. Now, we’d like to chat with Rachel.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I think this list could be embarrassingly long! I’ll try to keep it short. One of the first romance books I ever read was Jude Devereaux’s Remembrance and I have reread it several dozen times to date. The characters, the plot, the voice… I adore the whole story. Some of my other romance favorites are Christina Lauren’s Sweet Filthy Boy, which is steamier, and Ashley Allison’s Perfect Distraction, which is sweet and poignant.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Julia is definitely her own character, but I think many women, myself included, have suffered at least one breakup that made us doubt ourselves. I had a split a few years ago that really shook my self-esteem. But like Julia, I was determined to move forward and not let my past dictate my future. I wanted to write a story of someone regaining her confidence in her own unique way.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: I actually read an online article about smaller publishers open to erotica submissions. The Wild Rose Press was listed, and I did a little more research. They seemed like an amazing publishing house and I opted to submit to them. I am truly so thankful I did! My whole experience there has been fabulous, and my editors Jo and Diana could not have treated me better.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I always have a stack to read, and these are some I’ll be reading soon:

Colleen Donnelly’s Letters and Lies; Willow Winters’ Damaged; L.J. Shen’s The Kiss Thief; Nalini Singh’s Cherish Hard

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I’m working on two different projects at the moment. One, a little steamier, is in revisions and one, sweeter and quirkier, is in drafting, so neither have been contracted yet. Wilder is the first of three steamy stories about witch sisters living in Atlanta, dealing with modern dating, fated mates, and their own individual powers.