I've been struggling with how to describe the inspiration for this book without giving away too much, since the story sprang from a single scene you won't find until you reach Chapter 27. I'll steer away from the theme and talk instead about how it developed from just that short snippet into my 13th novel.

I'd been asked by Stephanie Solomon-Lopez (the graphic artist who's done several of my covers) to submit a short story for her Valentine's Day Special at the Academy of Bards. The scene from Chapter 27 -- between two women whose love had endured for over two decades -- had been churning in my head for awhile, but as I put it on the page I found myself wondering about the events that led up to it. Since I have the attention span of a gnat, I was compelled to set the later story aside and start Leo & Claudia's tale at the beginning.

Speaking of inspiration and cover art, the erotic photo on this cover isn't there only to grab your attention. I chose it to represent Claudia, and the scene that describes how that photo came to be can be found in Chapter 20.