Talking TEMPTED with Megan Hart

Lorie did mention yesterday that there would be a forum for discussion on Tempted... better late than never?  

Regarding the story, I really didn't know what to expect; Megan that's one thing that you've done pretty much with every one of your stories that I've read to date.  As well as the incredible array of emotions that takes the book away from 'just a story with lots and lots of sex' and turns it into an amazing story of people and the ways that we all have of hiding from ourselves.

I'm just sayin'...  THANK YOU!!

Megan, I hated to see the book end I enjoyed it so much.  Even after I was finished I thought about the characters for days.  I really had 2 questions regarding how you chose to end the story the way you did and how you really saw Alex & James' relationship.   Were they really just friends or more?

I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is reading Tempted now, so let me know how deep you are willing to discuss the characters.

thanks,

Kim 

Thank you so much Megan.  You described it beautifully and that was the way that I interpreted it also.

It was ironic that Anne did realize that Alex was the one who made her happy, the one who she yearned for and the one she fell in love with.  While James was the one she chose to love because he gave her the so called perfect life. Even her sister Claire saw the chemistry between them.  Maybe Alex was too big a gamble for her to take.

 I do think in the end Alex came to care for her somewhat.  He was the one who chose to leave, but he told her "I didn't count on you"  and as she was leaving his hotel room he finally admitted in his own way that he loved her just as he loved Jamie.

It was heartbreaking though as she left his room with tears running down her face to see her go back to James.  In my mind I was yelling turn around and tell him you want to go to Tokyo and start your life over again...

Would you ever consider a sequel?  Of all your books, this one is definitely my absolute favorite.   

"How I viewed James and Alex's relationship: James and Alex loved each other. They began as friends and, as it sometimes happens, the feelings were deeper. Definitely sexual...HOWEVER." 

     I had a feeling that that was what was behind Jamie's and Alex's relationship.  Definitely a jealous reaction on James' part when he discovered that Alex had been sleeping with other guys... but he never could admit it. 
I never got the feeling that James was gay, just that the way he felt about Alex was so very much a melange of many different emotions and a sexual element entered into it... but that was for Alex only.
   I like the insights you gave into James' reasons for beginning the three-way relationship; but when he got angry when he thought that Anne and Alex were more involved when he wasn't around, that was a pretty big clue, I thought, to his underlying reasons... I just didn't think of it as clearly as you put it.

  In many ways I thought that Alex was the more, not necessarily mature, but maybe stable regarding the friendship that he and Jamie had....  I thought it was pretty obvious that Jamie felt free to be an almost completely different person around Alex.  That could be one big advantage that Anne and James came away from the relationship with ~ a much clearer understanding of each other, and themselves.

   Personally, I really liked Anne.  I didn't find her selfish at all, just a woman who had been content in her life.  But because of so many things that she kept hidden, even from herself, she was never really able to get more from her relationship with her husband.
  I think Alex coming into their relationship helped both James and Anne come to terms with themselves and their life together and showed them what was really important.
And as much as I Iiked Alex ~and if he gets his own story, HOORAY!! ~ and how strong, and unexpected both he and Anne found their relationship, that neither of them would have been truly happy.  They could have a relationship apart from James, but I don't think either one would be able to do that....
   At least that's my rather wordy and long-winded opinion. 

This is FUN!! 

He had some of the best and funniest moments in the book.  I especially remember him sitting in the kitchen wearing his Hello Kitty pajama bottoms.

The teasing between him and Claire was great.  Especially when she told Anne "Dude's got on girl pajama bottoms and looks like sex on a stick."

I loved that line.   Gotta love a man with that kind of confidence in himself.

I did not think Anne was selfish either.  She had a long journey through the book and I was glad she did find peace and her own HEA.   Megan, you did a great job with Alex.  I did like him so much better than James.  He just seemed to naturally understand what a woman needed. 

 Kim

Everyone...

love for Alex. *sigh* :)

Well, as I said, I did intend to make him more likeable than Jamie, but also, something to think about is that we're in Anne's head the entire time. We know what she knows...but because she knows him so well, she's not THINKING about him. She's not thinking to describe him better than she does Alex, who's the new and shiny, the unknown

In Anne's head we only saw what she saw, felt what she felt. Knew what she knew.

And in this book, what Anne was seeing and feeling and knowing was Alex.

I don't really want to lecture about the book -- everyone's experience will be different and different people will definitely take away different aspects of the story. But if you ask me questions, I'll do my best to answer them, or explain myself...

But I'm not going to tell you how you *should* feel or what you *should* think about the book. I'll tell you my intentions, and what I meant to do, but I'm not going to lay it out there and say "feel this way about the book."

I can't do that. I can tell you what I meant to create.You can tell me if it worked for you or not. :)

M 

PS -- I have much love for Alex, myself, and his Hello Kitty pajama bottoms and his brownies, and the fact he LISTENED to Anne to get to know her... 

I have only read the teaser for this book, but already before reading this thread, I didn't like James. It was obvious from the phone call he had with Alex that he was interested, but he didn't have the balls to pony up. So he used his wife to allow himself to sleep with Alex. Of course, I have a natural sympathy for gay men attracted to mostly straight men. Must be as frustrating as being a straight woman attracted to a gay man.

I have to tell you Megan, your online read made me a believer in your stories. You did such a great job of conveying the realness of the two characters. When Dirty came out last year, there was a lot of talk on the Challenge blogs about this book, and my instinctive reaction, based on previous SPICE onlines, was eeeeuuuwww. Now Dirty, Broken and Tempted are high on my list of books to read.

Maybe you could write a gay SPICE book about Alex and his lover?

FF

Megan, I first thought that Alex started out sleeping with guys to act out against his Dad and as a way out of his dead end life in Sandusky.  The last time he told James he slept with a guy in order to get the job in Singapore.  I had the feeling he went either way throughout the book.  Especially when James told Anne in high school he could get any girl he wanted. Do you see him as  being with both men and women in the future?  When Anne asked him in the club if he was gay, he did tell her no.  In your mind, what's his preference?

What was the significance of Alex being the only person to call James--"Jamie".  Were you just trying to emphazise the personal relationship they had since 8th grade?  At first, that really bothered me, like they were still in high school.  Then later, it just seemed natural.  He even had Anne saying it a few times.

Kim

I know exactly what you mean. I've had Billy as me best mate since I was 14.  Neither of us has a romantic/sexual interest in each other, but ( I suppose it's due to mating him at 14) I'm the only person, especially blokes, allowed to address him as "Billy".  Everyone else has to use the name "Bill".  He's even told people that IN MY PRESENCE.  "Marty's the ONLY one that can call me Billy!"

I love James.... I would have like to know about the talk James had with Ann about her going to the Hotel to Alex....  I know she had to do it to let go of Alex... also I for one vote for a sequel too.

sandy 

So... after reading all comments, I realize that a lot of people saw things differently than I did.  Even you, Megan.  You said yourself that you intended to make Alex more likeable than Jamie.

However, I saw simply a difference in love between Anne and Jamie and Anne and Alex.  I can understand why many of you were rooting for Anne to follow Alex, to choose him, but I also understand Anne's line of, "I chose to love him," which, I think, almost makes for a stronger love.  When you fall in love, you can fall out and it feels like you have no control over it.  When you choose... You choose to stick to it through thick and thin.

I fell in love with my husband when I met him.  After he cheated on me, I choose to continue to love him.  When you make a concious effort, it's something completely different.

I also wanted to point out a specific scene:
    "He kissed the part of my shoulder exposed by the neckline of my T-shirt.  My hands stung from the hot water, and I lifted them to put one on each side of the sink.  The scents of lemons and last night's dinner bathed my face.  I closed my eyes against it.  I waited for James to put his arms around me and pull me close, to force me to forgive him so I could forgive myself.
     'I'm going to run out to get a new pair of work boots.  Do you want me to pick up anything for you?'"

I just have to comment on this scene...  I would say I don't know a woman who HASN'T gone through this, but I don't know the ins and outs of everyone else's relationships.  I do know that I have, many, many times wished for my husband to do the same thing, to cuddle me, hold me and make me forgive him so I can breath and be okay with myself again.  And sometimes our partners just don't understand that it's okay to "force" us to forgive them.  It makes it easier to move on.  Many times I've wished for Matt (husband) to force me to forgive him during an argument, and many times, he hasn't.  He's withdrawn, like Jamie did, either thinking he couldn't force me, that I need time, or simply not wanting to be forgiven yet.  Who can tell....

Hey, Gemini!

I'm glad you're enjoying the book. Just wondering who you're picturing as James and Alex...haha!

M 

hey M...... Do you have any deleted scenes from Tempted?

Hi Megan, everyone.

Personally I don't think Anne's choosing to keep her marraige and make it work was a sacrifice. We all make tough choices. Marraige is work, sex is a game.

Her choice, to stay with James, to say goodbye to Alex, in the long run it could well have been the best for everyone, not just Anne.

I think so too Kathy. I think James' charmed life finally caught up to him and the situation made him realize that some things aren't free.

I would have love it, if they all end up together.... if they had work it out and they end up being family.

good question Kim

Hey, VFun...

Alex and Anne and James all together...that's a nice thing to think of, isn't it? But it wouldn't have felt right to me, in the story. I don't believe it would have worked long term, any more than Anne and Alex would have worked in the end.

Alex has places to go and things to do.

M 

*whistles* Oh hmm...... I dunno.... WHO could *I* possibly be picturing in my head as James and Alex....

Maybe they don't fit the characters *exactly* but it sure made for some immensely enjoyable reading in a bubblebath - and maybe it was my imagination, but the water seemed to stay nice and steamy for a lot longer than normal.

There's something else I guess I should say, while I'm thinking about it...I'm not really one to tell anyone how they should feel about my story. I can only tell my intentions. So I'm responding to your questions and comments about the book, and they're mostly focusing on Alex and James, whose relationship was probably the least defined and open to the most interpretation.

But what I felt when I wrote the book was that it was ANNE's story, overall. I wrote the book with Anne in mind. Her struggle. Her desires. Tempted is about three people but it's really Anne's story and not just because it's in her POV, but because she's the one who has the most to gain and lose (I think.)

Yet we're talking about Alex and James...and I wonder why?

For me, it's easier to talk about them because they're a little more removed from me. I identified with Anne, as a woman. As a heroine. So I felt like I knew her, and she doesn't need explanation.

But that doesn't mean I don't feel that she was actually the most important character in the story. :)

M 

... what goes on in a male's mind anyway, so it does make sense that the story would seem to be more about James and Alex.
    The thought that it was more about them never even crossed my mind; but then I'm quite an incurious reader... for the most part.

  You capsulized the story so very well ~ I'm impressed!
Of course that doesn't necessarily mean much, but all the same... wow!

It's very odd, but I'd forgotten how much Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel inspired and affected the writing of Tempted.

It's the reason I gave Anne her name -- and spank me for not remembering, but Anne's parents still live on Mercy Street, or was it Alex's family? But somebody does!

Someone asked me if there was symbolic meaning to having Anne and Alex have the same initials, and there really wasn't, but it all worked out just right.

Some other small bit of trivia, in case anyone's interested, Tempted's title was Perfect. It got changed to Tempted for various reasons, but even now, I think of it as Perfect and probably will for a long time!

M 

"As for calling James Jamie -- I have a good friend who's the only person I allow to call me Meg. (I hate being called Meg.) If anyone else calls me Meg I find it presumptuous and annoying, but she's my BFF since forever, so...she can. :)"

 Have you noticed that when you're speaking of Jamie from Alex's perspective (i.e. Alex's thoughts or feelings regarding something) you use Jamie but otherwise use James?  :)  Just something that stuck out at me.

Megan,

You did it again. this book was fantastic. I could barely put it down. I was utterly engrossed in Anne's emotional experience! You have such a gift Megan. I remember crying when I read Broken.

Anne, Jamie, and Alex were so very real. The way their relationship progressed as a trio, as couples, was authentic, utterly believable. I've seen these kinds of situations play out in real life. You did a great job.

I can say I did not find either Alex or James more likeable than the other. Alex was definitely charming. And for those of us that have a soft spot for the fun-loving bad boy (usually with a wounded heart in need of healing), its obvious that Alex stands out in this way.

I feel that if Jamie and Anne make it through this, they will have a stronger and more honest marriage.

I was so torn. I didn't want Anne to leave Jamie, afterall she does love him. And love is more than a feeling- its a verb, an action, a commitment. But I also didn't want Alex to end up alone either.  You need to write a sequel and Alex needs his soul mate. He might think that is Anne, but well, you never know. Life brings a lot of twists and turns. Honestly, because they both love Jamie so much, the only way Anne and Alex could ever live with themselves being together is if Jamie died (illness, accident). That's terrible to say, but true. (I'm not saying I want that to happen. I think that Anne and Jamie will be very happy together.) 

I have the feeling that should Alex ever get to the point that he would marry, he would have to love her more than he's ever loved anyone before - Anne or Jamie. And I have the feeling he wouldn't share his wife either!

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!