I worry that Mary will fight me...

...for Sebastian.

Many of you know Mary as my editor and marketing manager, but what most of you probably don't know is that Mary loves my characters almost as much as I do. Often, while editing at our favorite coffee shop (Bantam Coffee Roasters), we will discuss which of my male characters we would most like to date. In no particular order, Mary would be absolutely willing to date any of the following men:

• Bert Robinson

• Kenny Russo

• Finn Gregory

• Juli Singer

• Petey Goode

• Kai Ferguson

• Ansel Ferguson

• Milo Kincaid

• Jameson Kincaid

• Emory Kincaid

What can I say? I've got a lot of desirable men occupying space in my head.

Did you notice, however, that Sebastian is not on Mary's list? That is because (and here, I attempt to quote) Mary is "an insanely loyal person who would never in a million years consider finding someone [I'm] interested in to be of interest to [her] as well."

Mary has seriously said that -- or something very much like that -- on more than one occasion.

But.

But? you wonder.

But, I am telling you... when I allowed Mary to listen to a brief sample of Rob Connolly reading Kick It One More Time nearly a year ago, she clutched her chest and confided, "I have never allowed myself to view Sebastian in the same way you view Sebastian, but when I hear him read like that...? Well, I might love Sebastian too."

I have been proof listening to Rob Connolly's recording of Kick It One More Time. Folks, I am the author of this book. I fucking know where the story is going and how it's going to end and the route that the characters will take to reach the ending... but I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS NOVEL! When Rob submitted the final manuscript for review, I thought I might try to listen to two chapters each day.

I started listening yesterday.

I am now on Chapter Twenty-Three.

Good lord, I love Sebastian. And his voice? The way Rob Connolly reads him? Be still my heart... I am swooning over here!

Alright. I just had to get some of that out of my system. And if, after the official release of Kick It One More Time's audio, you spot me with a black eye or two? Well... you'll know how I got 'em...

Mary.

I imagine Bas to look something like this. He's not Mary's type at all... but his voice is tantalizingly swoonable.

When my mom saw this picture, she said, "Who is that man?"

I said, "That's how I envision Bas."

She said, "That's not what he looks like at all!"

Isn't it funny how a person's perspective can be so different from someone else's?

As a quick aside: This is why books don't have ratings: because what is controversial to one person is completely acceptable to another.