I know what you’re thinking. Sexy means youthful. Sexy means young. Sexy means early twenties with a hard body and an ass so firm you could bounce a dime off it.

Okay, in some ways, I’ll allow that. However, I’m here to argue that true sex appeal often comes later in life. Thanks to Cup o’Porn for allowing me to do this!

When I turned 40 two years ago, something strange happened to me. I stopped giving a crap. Now, you must understand, I’ve always been a people pleaser. One of those martyrs who bent over backwards for others but didn’t always receive the same courtesy in return. For a long time, I accepted that as my reality.

When that 40^th birthday arrived, it was as if a switch was turned on in my brain.  I wasn’t afraid to voice my opinions any longer. And as that switch turned on, so did another.

Someone activated my sexy button.

It was around that time that I discovered I love writing erotic romance. I’ve always written romance, but it used to be a lot sweeter. I prefer it hot and heavy now and don’t care who knows it. Just yesterday, an acquaintance learned I write erotic romance and looked at me funny. I just smiled back at her, completely proud of myself.  And why wouldn’t I be? Erotic romance brings joy and stimulation to millions of people the world over. It’s a good thing, as they say.

Besides, it took me 40-odd years to become comfortable with my own body. In my twenties, and I was married by 26, I was still shy with my husband. In my thirties, I had my children. By that point, I was either too exhausted or too busy to think of sex much. In my forties, a whole new world opened up for me. My sexuality became a thing to be enjoyed, not hushed. My relationship with my husband has never been better or more active. Wink, wink. J

I salute those of you who are reaching this age or who have already reached it. Embrace your maturity. Embrace your knowledge. Don’t be shy. Love who you are. We all know confidence is the sexiest trait of all. Okay, the boobs may not be as perky as they once were. Sure, we sometimes feel a little thicker around the middle, or feel tempted to tweeze those stray gray hairs. Don’t worry about them. You earned them.

And they are so sexy.

Rosanna Leo has her degree in history and literature, as well as in classical singing. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada. Her favorite things are her family, libraries, and her mother’s gnocchi. Rosanna loves it when the geeky, awkward girl gets the hot guy, and has made it her mission to see this happen in her books as much as possible. She is the author of three books published with Liquid Silver Books. For the Love of a God, Up in Flames and the soon-to-be-released Sweet Hell.

Rosanna’s links:

www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1

www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna

http://www.amazon.com/Rosanna-Leo/e/B007X5P4I8

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826852.Rosanna_Leo

Blurb from Up In Flames:

Juliet Baker is not looking forward to coming home after six months. Yes, the fiery brunette wants to make a go of turning her parents’ farmhouse into a B&B. She’s just not looking forward to seeing the place where they died. To make things worse, she knows she’ll finally have to face her cheating, firefighter ex-boyfriend.

Luckily, her sister has found Jules a boarder. Easy money, right? Not when she realizes the boarder is Captain Shane Gaskill. Not only is Shane a firefighter, he’s the town’s hot new fire captain.

Jules is determined to hate all firefighters. After all, the men of that precious brotherhood protected her cheating ex. Shane, however, proves he’s different from the start. He’s protective and kind, and she can’t stop looking at his smoking, Viking-hot body. She learns, though, that Shane isn’t so willing to love again either. He’s been hurt, too. They both fight the sexual chemistry, and resulting tenderness, between them. But when a stalker begins to target Jules, they realize they can’t fight their desire forever.

As the threats escalate, Shane and Jules are thrown together. The resulting passion overwhelms them. But are they willing to trust each other and surrender to the flames of love?

Excerpt from Up In Flames:

When he saw the woman, his breath caught in his throat. It was her, the rude but delectable brunette from the gas station. The one, he loathed to admit, he’d been thinking of almost the entire drive over.

“We meet again,” he whispered. “Maybe Ms. Baker has a gorgeous granddaughter?”

Gorgeous didn’t seem to be the right word for her, he decided, as he watched her argue with the firefighter. Her delicate face had blushed rosy pink from anger, and her bright eyes shone with indignation. She was splendid in her fury, from her cropped black hair to the shapely legs extending from her khaki shorts. Her body was tense, but her stiff shoulders could not detract from the soft, swelling bosom below them. The woman’s fists were clenched, so much so he ached to calm and relax her. Her generous lips were pursed into a tight line, but he remembered their sweet fullness when she’d gawked open-mouthed at him at the gas station.

No, her anger did nothing to diminish her many charms. Gorgeous wasn’t quite a strong enough word to describe her. Stunning seemed more appropriate.

“Oh, come on, babe,” the other man replied. “You always took things so seriously.”

“You mean, like our relationship? Yes, I did.”

“I swear, those others meant nothing to me.”

Listening to the other man, the other firefighter, Shane felt his own anger rising. How many others did he have when he had this knockout as a girlfriend?

“Kevin, I can’t do this right now. Please, just go.” Her eyes grew moist.

Her tears were not lost on Shane. He felt his stomach clench, and he was seized by the extraordinary impulse to protect her. She might be a bit odd, careening away from him earlier, but something in her luscious figure and angelic face called to him.

He heard the other man, Kevin, begin to protest. And then, Shane heard his own baritone voice cutting through it. “I believe the lady asked you to leave.”

Shocked, the other two turned to see Shane hurtle over the porch railing to the yard below. He pulled himself to his full height and approached Kevin and the brunette.

“Who the hell are you?” Kevin demanded. “This is a private conversation.”

“The lady asked you to leave.” He nodded at her, and then came to within a foot of Kevin’s face. “Consider it an order from your captain.”

“What?” Kevin blurted, as the woman’s jaw hit the floor.

“You’re the new fire captain?” she asked. And then her eyes dropped to his chest, the one he’d last displayed in its naked, sweaty glory.

Shane inclined his head toward her and smiled. Damn. Up close she was even prettier. At that moment, he would have given anything to get rid of that Kevin.

“Captain Gaskill?” Kevin ventured. A comical flurry of emotions flew across his face, betraying everything from anger at being interrupted to fear for his job.

“And you are?”

“Kevin McGuinness. It seems you’re my new boss,” he said slowly, as if mentally choosing his tactic for dealing with the unwanted newcomer. “You’ve got the wrong idea, though. This lady and I have a relationship…”

“Had a relationship,” she broke in.

“Mr. McGuinness, we’ll talk again when I’m settled at the station.” Shane used his most authoritative tone, the one that brooked no opposition.

Kevin, blue eyes blazing and blushing himself now, stared down his captain. Shane suppressed a chuckle, wondering at his luck at making an enemy in Riverbend, despite having only been there a few days. He could see Kevin wanted to take a swing him, but had enough brains to decide against it.

Instead, the man addressed the woman. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Whatever,” she replied. As soon as Kevin pulled away in the Mazda, she stormed toward the house.

Shane called out to her. “Miss, excuse me. Do you know where I can find Ms. Baker?”

“Why, Captain Gaskill, you’ve already found her.” She turned about, hazel eyes flashing and then pounded down the walkway to the house.

Buy Links:

www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/upinflames.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Up-In-Flames-ebook/dp/B0086WCFN4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338243336&sr=1-2

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