The Winemaker’s Dinner Book Launch With A Bunch Of Divas

What do you get when you put together a bunch of sizzling hot Diva Moms, a topless buff male, and a lot of wine? You get…a book launch. That had to be obvious.

And, oh, what a book launch indeed.

I had one of the greatest nights, this past Tuesday, July 31st, when my close friend, and soul sister, Amy and I hit the city and super fun Divalysscious Moms Book Club event, on the rooftop at 75 Wall.

We were primped, excited and ready to mingle.

We were thrilled to be at the book launch for the next “it” book, The Winemakers Dinner: Appetizers, by co-authors, Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond.

You have to read this book. It is a celebration of life and love. After one very hot night together, chef Jaden Thorne leaves Dr. Ivan Rusilko while peacefully asleep. He awakens determined to not have that be his last encounter with the beautiful Jaden. So, he goes after his girl.

Love is a miracle not to be easily forsakeen. That is a pretty powerful message, and something we should all be reminded of once and awhile. Read the book.

I also really enjoyed the fictionalized memoir technique, which I found unique for the genre. Now, you can actually visualize your male hero, in all his erotic romantic glory. And, I have to say it’s a pretty fantastic visual.

So ladies, get ready.

The biceps, the abs, the tats…mix it together and you’ve got yourself…a Doctor, a model, bodybuilder, and now, you can add author to his ever-growing (yes, I went there) list of accomplishments. An erotic romance author, to be exact. Get a load of this guy:

I suppose I should show you guys a photo of a fully clothed Dr. Ivan. Really, though, where’s the fun in that? Here it is anyway. A gorgeous pic taken by photographer extraordinaire, Heidi Green (go to her website to see how amazing she is):

Meeting co-authors Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond was awesome. The fact that it was at another fabulous Divalysscious Moms event made it even more so. Lyss Stern and Jen Boudin did an amazing job, as always. To say it was a fun evening, would be an understatement.

It was FANTASTIC, and as to be expected, super SEXY. And, isn’t it just too perfect that Tuesday, July 31, happened to be National Orgasm Day as well? I mean, come on. (You know I how I love a good pun.)

Having Dr. Ivan perform a reading with nothing more than his pants and tie on definitely didn’t suck either. I took so many pictures of his “reading” that I drained my phone’s battery. You might say, I got a little carried away.

Prior to Dr. Ivan’s impressive pectoral reveal, there was a great Q&A session. Dr. Ivan and Everly were both warm, candid and gracious. Here’s a sampling of what we all learned:

Q:   Do you have any fear that any of your ex-girlfriend’s will recognize themselves?

Dr. Ivan:   A smile, and a chuckle. “As I look at my publicist, who is giving me the evilest of  eyes right now…No, my acknowledgment and dedication of the book explains how I feel about that question.” (Dr. Ivan’s dedication reads: To all the women I’ve loved before. Awww.)

Q:   How did the process work between the two of you? Easy, difficult….

Everly:   Definitely not difficult. There were a lot of e-mails back and forth between us. So much so, I did get asked to verify my hotmail account, because they couldn’t believe two people could e-mail each other so much.

Q:  Did you do any special research for your book? (Lots of clapping and cheers followed.)

Dr. Ivan:   Big smile. Some special research may have been done, but I can’t confirm or deny anything. And, I’ll just say research may still be ongoing. (Ooooooh.)

Q:   Is Dr. Ivan single?

Dr. Ivan:   I am 100% single, and definitely ready to mingle!

Oh yeah. Well, at least for one or two lucky ladies. I am married after-all.

I have to talk about something that you all know means a lot to me. Female solidarity. One of the things I absolutely love about Divalysscious Moms is that they support, unite, and celebrate women.

By throwing this book launch event, Divalysscious Moms were also supporting another all female-owned and operated company, Omnific Publishing.

This is the independent publishing company responsible for bringing us The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers. (They’re also the publishing house which brought us Gabriel’s Inferno, one of my Top 10 Sexy Summer Reads.)

“Omnific” means: “Capable of making or doing anything; all creating.” And, their mantra is “Romance without Rules.” I like it. No. I. Love. It. A lot.

As you all know, I can be a little nutty, and a lot wild. The book signing part of the evening provided me with the perfect opportunity to unleash both of those qualities.

First, I decided Dr. Ivan and I were going to recreate a romance novel cover. I had one hand at the back of his head and another suggestively laying on his ripped chest. He had one large strong hand at the small of my back, while the other held on to my waist. Spontaneously, he added a big smooch on my cheek. Who was I to say no to that? I’m only human for crying out loud.

Alas, my imagery will have to do, because I can’t show you the pic. It’s my arm. I’m not happy with how it looks. So, no photo. What? You know, you would all do the same thing.

Although, I can show you this one. As Dr. Ivan was signing my book, I decided to play with his tie.

Everly, who I found to be charmingly understated and a real compliment to Dr. Ivan’s more extroverted persona, was so kind to me. She even said it would be okay for me to e-mail her with some additional questions about writing in general. Pretty cool.

There’s something I’ve noticed since becoming OBSESSED with the whole Romance literary genre; it brings women together on a personal and emotionally profound level. This genre affects our souls and minds in a way that speaks directly to our desires, hopes, dreams and fantasies. It has also brought female sexuality to the forefront of our current pop-culture landscape. That, alone, happens to be pretty great.

I’ve made some wonderful new friends because of my literary obsession. Whether we met through our mutual love of that other trilogy via Facebook or Twitter, or at an amazing Divalysscious Moms event, friendships have been forged.

And, then there are all the amazing women I’ve met at these events, and continue to stay connected to, as well. Like, Laney Liner, who is now a “5 Year Breast Cancer Survivor.”

We randomly started talking. I was immediately taken with how she radiated happiness. We gabbed about the night, the hotness of Dr. Ivan, and my mid-life crisis as I quickly approach my 40th Birthday.

When she said, “I’m just happy to be here,” with the biggest smile, and went on to explain why, I stopped and really listened. I listened to Laney as she talked about her commitment to health, nutrition, exercise, and just being happy. Of course, I had to tell her about my recent foray into the Spinning world. She told me to keep it up.

I don’t know if I’m going to become a “Spinner” or if I’m totally rid of my mid-life crisis issues, but I do know that my life has been touched by meeting Laney.

We promised to Facebook each other, and stay in touch. (We were Facebook friends later that night!)

So, as Dr. Ivan says in The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers, “Life is short: Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.”  Definitely, words to live by.

 

Be on the lookout for my August Super Hot Bonus Reads.