top of page

Welcome to

Mary's Tavern

Learn about me, my books, enjoy photo galleries from my travels, view the blog, and stay up to date regarding news and events.

Search

She's a Free Spirit. He's a One-Woman Man. "Love, Art, and Other Obstacles" by Sadira Stone

Please make welcome the lovely author, Sadira Stone to the Tavern! We're celebrating her new release, Love, Art, and Other Obstacles. I'm in love with the cover! Oh, so sexy. Let's take a look...


Rejected by her family for her bisexuality, graphic artist Margot DuPont yearns for a life with no fences, no limits, and no family ties. Between college, work at Book Nirvana, and an art competition, she barely has time for her part-time girlfriend, much less a flirtation with her competitor.

Dumped into the foster system at a young age, ceramics artist Elmer Byrne craves a big, loving family of the heart. His artist family almost fills that need, but something is missing...until Margot. But when he offers his heart, her thorny defenses shatter him.

Thrown together in an art competition that could jump-start one artist's career, but not both, their irresistible attraction forces them to reconsider the meaning of success.


Sneak preview from Love, Art, and Other Obstacles


“Tell you what,” he said. “How about if we have drinks and talk about anything but the competition?”

“Because…why?”

“You’re a real hard-ass, aren’t you?” He rolled his eyes. “Because I like you, Margot.”

“Why?”

He leaned so close their foreheads almost touched, a challenge simmering in his smile. “Have a drink with me and find out.”

If there was one thing she couldn’t resist, it was a challenge. On the other hand, he might not like her so much if he knew about Darcy. Let that be the test, then. Let him prove he wasn’t one of those possessive, controlling guys Darcy warned her about.

“Okay. I will.” She stepped back. “But you should know, I’m sort of seeing someone.”

His thick auburn brows contracted. “Sort of?”

“A woman.”

His nostrils flared on a deep inhalation, but he held her gaze. “Is it serious?”

“Not really.” Might as well serve up the truth, raw and ungarnished. Might as well be honest with herself too. “She lives in Berkeley. I only see her every month or two.”

Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Okay then. Thanks for telling me.” The tense lines of his mouth relaxed into a casual grin. “So, drinks?”

Well I’ll be damned.


Available at these online retailers

(On sale for $2.99 May 18-29)

 

My Chat with Sadira Stone


Welcome, Sadira! Congratulations on your new release! With all my interviews, I like to begin with this question: Describe a typical writing day. Are you a morning, afternoon, or night-owl writer?

My teaching career yanked me out of bed before dawn. Now, I roll out of bed whenever I darn well please, usually around 7, pour a cup of coffee, and get to work. I warm up with some journal pages, then deal with the most important emails and social media postings. After that, I ride my coffee buzz, writing until my focus fades. Afternoons vary, but I’ll often work another coffee-fueled burst in the late afternoon. Evenings are for reading, socializing (on Zoom at the moment), playing guitar, and darts.

Sounds like a great day! Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?

I’m writing a contemporary romance series set in a neighborhood tavern in Tacoma, Washington. My published books take place either somewhere I don’t live—Eugene, Oregon, for the Book Nirvana series—or in fictional locations like Ocean View, Washington, a mash-up of several real-life beach towns. This new project is my first fiction set where I actually live. I’m looking forward to inserting Tacoma’s colorful, gritty atmosphere into this series.

Fascinating! I used to live in Washington (Maple Valley), so I'm familiar with Tacoma. What inspired you to write this book/series?

Ever since I was a wee lass, I dreamed of owning a bookshop. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.

An interesting bookshop. Love it! What’s your favorite item on your writing desk?

I love my sit/stand desk topper which allows me to change position frequently. Sitting is the new smoking, as they say. I keep a cushy floor mat beneath the desk, and I dance and wiggle as I type.

Perfect, Sadira. You’ve been given a golden ticket to time travel into the past. Whom would you meet and why?

I’d love to travel to Paris in the 1920s and visit Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Company bookshop, hangout for such lost generation writers as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein. Imagine sharing an aperitif with those literary lions! Paris is my favorite city, and I’ve always been fascinated by the Roaring Twenties.

A wonderful group of writers. Now for some fun questions. Do you prefer...


Champagne or Beer? Beer! Did you know that Washington State has more breweries per capita than anywhere but Germany? (I certainly do!)

Southern drawl or Scottish burr? Scots burrrrr

Kilt or Leather pants? Kilt, unless the poor fellow has chicken legs.

First romance you read? I don’t recall the title, but it was a sprawling epic about Queen Hatshepsut, written in the 1970s. She had a steamy affair with her high priest. Very swoon-worthy.

Print book or e-reader? Both


Wishing you all the best with Love, Art, and Other Obstacles!


 

Meet the Author


Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance from her new home in Washington State, U.S.A. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, plays darts (pretty well), plays guitar (badly), and gobbles all the books. Visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com .


Inspiration for the Book Nirvana Series: Until 2016, I was one of those readers—literary snobs who look down their noses at romance for the usual stupid reasons: too corny, too predictable, too fluffy. Then I read about how fun and lucrative writing erotica can be. I thought, what the heck? Let's try.


I have never had so much fun with a writing project! My first steamy romance, Through the Red Door, nearly wrote itself, though it damn sure didn't edit itself. Now I'm totally addicted to passionate, heartfelt stories with happy endings, both as a reader and as a writer.

Why set the series in a bookshop? Ever since I was a wee lass, I dreamed of owning one. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.

I love writing stories in which a couple’s powerful physical attraction leads them to consider a partner outside their usual M.O.—one who just might turn out to be their perfect match. That’s how it happened for my husband and me!

I wanted to set my series in a college town, so I chose Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, with its lively arts scene and rich counterculture legacy from the hippie era. It’s now my favorite Oregon town to visit!

Sign up for Sadira's quarterly email newsletter for freebies, news about upcoming books, and some really bad romance jokes here!


bottom of page