Guest Post and Giveaway: Laura Simcox, Author of Various States of Undress: Virginia
Please welcome Laura Simcox and trendy Virginia to the virtual offices this morning! They have some fashion tips for clubbing, so please see what they have to say.
First Daughter Fashion: The Big Fat NO List
by Laura Simcox
Thanks for having me as a guest today! I’m excited to share my latest release—VARIOUS STATES OF UNDRESS: VIRGINIA, book two of my VARIOUS STATES OF UNDRESS series from Avon Impulse. My heroine, Virginia, is an exuberant fashionista…not a snobby one, but she certainly appreciates quality. I dragged her away from a shoe display at Macy’s in Herald Square to come chat with us for a little while.
Virginia: Hey everybody! (waves)
Virginia: Or…not? Some people are too careful.
Laura (giving her side eye) Despite her reputation for being wild, Virginia Fulton always gets props for her unique, carefree fashion choices.
Virginia: Woot!
Laura: So, I created you…but you have certainly taken on a life of your own. Cute beaded tank top, by the way.
Virginia: Thanks. Your faded T-shirt and cat-themed pajama bottoms are….cute, too.
Laura: Shhh! I wanted to ask about your style. When you’re getting dressed, what runs through your head?
Virginia: I ask myself a few questions. Like—Can I walk up a flight of steps in this skirt and not flash anyone? Or…Is this necklace a likely choice for this top? If it is, then I switch it out for something totally unexpected.
Laura: Interesting. So what are your fashion no-no’s? What wouldn’t you be caught dead wearing when you go out for the evening?
Virginia: OMG. There are soooo many.
Laura: Can you narrow them down to five?
Virginia: (laughs) I guess so. Let me think….okay. Big fat NO number one: Perfectly matching shoes and bag. Like…same fabric, same color, same trim.
Laura: What’s wrong with that?
Virginia: (sighs) I thought you were a costume designer for twenty years. That look is fine if you’re going to someone’s wedding or an inaugural ball or something, but not for the clubs!
Laura: I was just testing you! But the message is: be unique.
Virginia: Exactly. Express yourself. Okay, I thought of NO number two: Earrings that are so long they get caught in your purse strap and then you’re lurching around sideways, in pain, while the paparazzi snaps photos.
Laura (hiding smile) Did that ever happen to you?
Virginia: Moving on. Big Fat NO number three: Taking a studded purse the size of a sofa cushion into a club, and then trying to weave through the crowds. Ow. Why do women do that?
Laura: No clue. Maybe you should ask sometime?
Virginia: I’m too busy. I have an entire department store to revamp. It’s stuck somewhere between Nineteen-seventy yuck and Nineteen-ninety ouch. You should see the elastic waist double-knit pants section. There’s a whole section! Horrors.
Laura: Right. Lilah’s. I hear you’re turning that place around. So…what’s it like working for Dexter Cameron?
Virginia: (hiding smile) Oh…all right I guess.
Laura: Just all right?
Virginia: (whispering) Why did you have to make him so amazingly hot? I can barely concentrate, and when he grins at me, my insides melt. Are you trying to torture me?
Laura: Maybe. He thinks you’re beautiful, by the way.
Virginia: Really? (blushes)
Laura: Yeah. You’re welcome.
Virginia: Um…how about Big Fat NO number four?
Laura: Sure.
Virginia: Okay. I would never be caught dead at a club in flat shoes. NEVER.
Laura: Isn’t it hard to dance in heels?
Virginia: I’m not auditioning to be a prima donna! Besides, if you wear platform sandals, you hardly notice. You strap those on, and voila!—you’re five inches taller.
Laura: Yeah. I know. How do you think I managed to wander all over the RT Booklover’s Convention for eight hours straight, pain free…and be 5’6” at the same time?
Virginia (raises eyebrows) I’m impressed.
Laura: You should be. How about Big Fat NO number five?
Virginia: Okay, this is not about fashion, but it’s my biggest NO of all. I would never walk into a club with a guy who’s only there to be seen with me. I’m a hell of a lot more than just a First Daughter, you know what I mean?
Laura: Absolutely. And I know the perfect guy for you to take dancing.
Virginia: Don’t say Dex.
Laura: I didn’t have to…you just did.
Virginia: But he’s my boss!
Laura: Right. He’s your sexy, funny, smart boss. Who wants you just as bad as you want him.
Virginia: OMG. How do you know?
Laura: (sighs) Um…
Virginia: Oh, yeah. So…are we finished chatting? I need to go choose an outfit that says I’m-not-trying-to-be-gorgeous-but-I-definitely-am.
Laura: Sure, you go do that. I’ll bet I can guess who it’s for.
Laura and Virginia: (dreamy sighs) Sexy Dexy!
Various States of Undress: Virginia
Various States of Undress # 2
By: Laura Simcox
Releasing October 7th, 2014
Avon: Impulse
Blurb
When the president’s daughter risks everything with her sexy new boss, they’re bound to find themselves in Various States of Undress!
If she had it her way, Virginia Fulton—daughter of the President of the United States—would spend more time dancing in Manhattan’s nightclubs than working in its skyscrapers. Tired of dodging paparazzi, she needs a change. And a real chance. So when she finds herself in the arms of sexy, persuasive Dexter Cameron, who presents her with the opportunity of a lifetime, Virginia sees it as a sign … but can she take it without losing her heart?
CEO-to-be Dexter Cameron knows he’s taking a risk by hiring a stylish party girl to jumpstart his family’s legacy department store. But the president’s gorgeous daughter has her thumb on the pulse of Manhattan, and the partnership seems like a win-win … until Dex discovers that his goals now include more than securing the corner office—they include Virginia herself. Dex must decide: does he make a move up the ladder? Or on the girl of his dreams?
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/09/various-states-of-undress-virginia.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18869597-various-states-of-undress
Series Link on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/133838-various-states-of-undress
Buy Links
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/various-states-of-undress-laura-simcox/1117447089?ean=9780062304667
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/various-states-undress-virginia/id757744560?mt=11
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes | iBooks
Author Info
After spending years in professional theater as a costume designer, Laura Simcox eased out of the hectic whirlwind of opening nights and settled in a comfy desk chair to write romance. She believes that life is too short not to appreciate heartwarming, quirky humor and her novels are lighthearted journeys into the happily-ever-after. She lives in North Carolina with her true love and adorable little son.
Author Links
Website: http://www.laurasimcox.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlaurasimcox
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Simcoxwriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451974.Laura_Simcox
Excerpt:
“You’re early,” Dex said. “Couldn’t wait to get started?”
Couldn’t wait to stare at your mouth is more like it.
“Yeah, I was up early, so I thought—why wait until this afternoon, you know? I brought my plans.” Virginia patted the laptop bag slung over her shoulder and willed herself to calm down.
Dex touched the small of her back. “I have a proposal for you. Let’s go to your office.”
If the proposal involved him laying her down on the top of the gigantic desk and… “Stop,” she mouthed to herself and allowed him to guide her through the doorway.
She set her bag on the edge of the desk, sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. “What do you have in mind?” Dex sat on the coffee table, facing her. “I want you to be the face of Lilah’s.”
Virginia chewed her lower lip and thought. Appearing in the ads to promote her own work? Kind of genius. Plus, it would be a kick to see her smiling face plastered on the side of a bus instead of her plastered face in the pages of the Post. “I am flattered.”
“Is that a yes?”
“As long as you don’t expect me to wear something from our Lilah’s sales floor as is.”
He grinned. “No support hose for you?”
“What do you think?”
“Hmm.” He touched her bare knee lightly, and her skin started tingling. “No. We can skip the hose.” He ran a hand down her calf and traced a pattern on her ankle with a fingertip. “Oh, goose bumps. Maybe you need a house coat? We’ve got some lovely floral samples downstairs. They have snaps.” He tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips began to twitch, emphasizing the dimples in his lean cheeks.
Oh, God, she loved those dimples. She wanted to give them little licks. “Maybe you need to stop with the fashion suggestions and . . . uh . . .”
“And?” he prompted, his fingers tracing over her toes.
“Dex, you’re distracting me.”
“I hope so.” He chuckled. “What were you going to say? Was it about clothes?”
She had no clue. But she did have an idea—it came to her suddenly.
“Spend a day shopping with me.” She peered at him, waiting for his reaction, and she wasn’t disappointed. His eyes widened for a second; then a deep groan came out of his mouth.
“I’m a CEO in training, not a personal shopper. You’ll load me down like a pack mule.”
“Yes I will, but that’s not the point. First thing tomorrow, you need to learn how and why women shop.”
“And we’ll go until . . . ?” A fearful look crossed his face.
She giggled again and reached out to pat his knee. “Until I’m satisfied.” Dex raised an eyebrow, and she snatched her hand back. “I mean . . . oh, get out of here. Go back to your office.”
“Can’t I at least attempt a bad joke first?” He grinned but stood up.
“No.”
“Ah, well, I’ll go then.” He stretched. “But I do want you to know that I’m only interested in your complete and total satisfaction,” he said in a low voice.
“Ha, ha. Complete and total mean the same thing, by the way.” She looked up at him, trying to keep the breathlessness out of her voice.
“Exactly, sweetheart. And I wasn’t really joking because we both want the same thing.” With another grin, he straightened his tie and walked out.
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Two Digital Copies of VARIOUS STATES OF UNDRESS: CAROLINA)
Suggest A Secret Service Nickname for VSOU: Georgia
Laura Simcox, author of the fabulous VARIOUS STATES OF UNDRESS series, wants your help for the next installment of VSOU: Georgia! Simcox concludes her fun, flirty Various States of Undress series featuring three presidential daughters with the tale of love at the ballgame.
Each sister in the three story series has been given a nickname from her Secret Service agents. VSOU: Carolina was lovingly called Care Bear and VSOU: Virginia was nicknamed Candy Cane.
Laura would love readers to suggest a nickname for the last of the President’s daughters! Help decide what the Secret Service should dub Georgia, the sexy intellectual of the three!
*****If your nickname is chosen for VSOU: Georgia, Laura will include your name in her personal acknowledgments in the book, and you will receive a free copy of the first two books in her series!*****
FUN FACT: Historically, all First Family code names begin with the same letter. The Obama’s are Renegade, Renaissance, Radiance and Rosebud.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fKes6O2pCTLqaZvbQh8tOxmrKLp3TmOCSjvUWsY8o8M/viewform
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