Sometimes the person you're looking for is the one you least expect.

In supermodel Catalina Locatelli’s fury with her father, she finds herself lost in Vegas, somewhere off the Strip with no idea how to get back to her hotel. Yes, in the height of her pique, she’s forgotten her cell phone. At first glance, her rescuer-motorcycle-maniac seems like your typical bad boy. He's got the duds, the motorcycle, and the attitude.
Survivalist Persus Phuckzer is stymied by the beauty he stops to assist. Unfortunately, she isn't the only one in need of help.

Wild Women Authors features Dangerous Curves, book 5 in the Fiery Billionaires Nights series, written by Mia Augustine. Along with Mia is model Catalina Locatelli and survival expert Persus Phuckzer who will go first.

Welcome, Catarina, let’s start with you telling us a bit about yourself. My family is in the process of opening a new boutique at the Bellagio Mall here in Vegas.

Wonderful. When is it scheduled to open? 2024. In time for the American Big Bowl. Las Vegas should be very active then.

The American… I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with the “Big Bowl.” Ah, I get this wrong always. The Super Soccer Bowl.

Oh. You must mean the Superbowl. I’d forgotten it was to be in Vegas in 2024. How exciting for your family. I understand you got lost in the city? Yes. I boarded a bus to ride around. Bought some shoes, much to my father’s dismay.

Tell us what you think of America. Ah, I was born in New York, actually. I am the only Locatelli sibling who is an American citizen.

The other day when we spoke with your sister Isabel, she mentioned you became the face of the company after her departure. It was a temporary measure. I have been assisting with the hiring and opening of the new store.

How do you find the Vegas social scene? And we’re dying to meet Persus. Is he here? Yes, my Persus. He was named for a warrior.

Perse adds, or a prisoner.

You were a prisoner!? CAT: Don’t tease so. He was a near prisoner. At one time. Years ago. Now he rides a motorcycle named Hog.

Perse: It is not named Hog. It is a hog. A Harley with the smoothest ride.

CAT: Semantics. I forget.

How did you two meet? CAT: He was hurt. Perse: She was lost.

Clearly, the two of you are fond of one another. One last question: What do you want most in life? Perse: You’re looking at her. CAT: Now that I have him. The boutique’s success. I hope to see you at the opening.

As Vegas holds fond memories, we’ll do our best. Thank you both for spending time with us. Now, we’d like to chat with Mia.

The most obvious question has to be how you select the names of your characters. This is interesting. I played with dolls for a long time as a child. Every time I got a new doll, I had to make sure the name I gave her fit. One time I had this doll I named Ella. She was a talking doll. You know, the kind that had a string at the back of the neck? There was something about her voice that was so familiar and I couldn’t figure out what it was. After a good six months, it hit me. She sounded like Leslie Ann Warren from the 1965 version of Cinderella. And, I’d already named her Ella! So, apparently, I had a knack.

If the character is of a different nationality or era, I research the year and country so that it at least fits. There is something in this story that is very odd about Persus’s name. It’s his last name that is so touchy. It’s Phuckzer. Well, you know what happens to a kid with a name like that! It’s a major plot point. Just saying. 😊

And it works very well. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? I do. You can learn a lot from reviews. Like, did I miss some words? (Which I do.) A lot of times I’ll see some crappy review that really says something nice. For example, The writing was good, but the subject matter… blah blah blah. I’m okay with that. Because the truth of the matter is that you will not be able to please everyone. Reading is as subjective as writing. No one is forcing you to do either one—wait… I take that back with all the book banning going on. Another truth: authors need reviews. They are good for promo purposes. Yes, even the bad ones.

Are all your books in series? Almost. It’s the best way to be able to keep the stories, or worlds, alive. Right now, I have six series: Cinderella, Bloomington, Mail Order Bride, Rebel Lords of London, Fiery Billionaire Nights, and Martini Club 4, oh, and Gaming Hell Christmas. Next year I have a new one: The Betting Billionaires.

Mia brought an excerpt for us:

“Damn.” Cat stood at the corner of the busy intersection and looked wildly about. She had no idea how to get back to the Strip. There wasn’t a bus in sight. And even had there been, how was she to know which direction she was supposed to go?

She pushed the hair from her face and breathed in the suffocating heat to stave off the panic. She shoved her sunglasses to the top of her head, fumbled with her purse and looked inside for her phone. “Damn,” she said again, despair slamming atop the panic. A vision popped in her mind of exactly where she’d left it. Plugged into its charger on the bedside table in her suite.

A rumble brought her head up and, out of habit, she lowered her sunshades into place.

“You need help?” The voice was gravelly as if he didn’t speak all that often.

Her stomach took an instant dive for the pavement. His cheap black T-shirt was torn in a couple of places and a tattoo peeked from one short sleeve—not enough to tell what the image was—leaving her avidly curious. The faded denim jeans and black boots finished out the bad boy, motorcyclist stigma he had going on. He reeked of sweat but it mingled with a fragrance so masculine, so primal, her stomach took another dive. A dark mark was forming on the side of one very attractive face.

She turned a bright smile on him with a desperate hope it hid the attack of nerves. “I, um, seem to have left my cellphone at the hotel.”

His eyes fell to her mouth, and he blinked. Just once. He lifted his gaze to hers and stared as if he could see through to her soul. There might have been a slight, minute, shake of his head. “Your cell?”

“Yes, do you have one? I could call a car…” her voice trailed off and she noted how pale he appeared. Even through her sunglasses the contrast was quite stark. In this heat, his face should have been flush. She reached over and touched his arm. It felt clammy, not sweaty. “Are you all right?”

His lips turned up, but it was grim. “I’m fine. I do have a cell, but it’s at my house.”

That made no sense to her. “You don’t carry it with you? What if there’s an emergency?”

“Too much hassle. Look, I live about twenty minutes from here. You can call from there.”

Her nerves shot up like a rocket. “Go? To your h-house?” Her stammer came out a high squeak. But the more she studied him, the more her concern grew, for him rather than herself. “Can you manage this—” She fluttered her hand out in the direction of the massive bike he was on. “—for twenty minutes?”

“Unless you can handle a hog…” There was a smirky quirk to his lips.

“A hog?”

“Look, I’m sure someone in Walgreens will let you borrow their phone. I, um, have just enough strength to get home.”

She glanced down at the torn place on his shirt. It was stuck to his abdomen with a dark indiscernible spot, that left her a little queasy.

He revved the engine to an annoying level. “But I have to leave. Now.”

She lifted the shopping bag in a helpless gesture.

“Hop on, we’ll get it figured out.”

As the oldest of four sisters, Cat was known for her caution and common sense. In an instant, she shoved away her usual trepidation and moved behind him, telling herself she would ponder the reasons later. It was wildly freeing.

Dangerous Curves can be purchased at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1FDPWS4

Mia Augustine can be found at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089614103041

Instagram: https://instagram.com/miaaugustineauthor

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kathylwheeler

Website: https://kathylwheeler.com