Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are visited by Jessica Scott. She’s the author of several books that I’ve read and loved, but is here today to answer some of my questions, and share about her book, Anything For You. I also have to add my two cents to this post! If this sounds like something you would enjoy reading, please find some buy links and pick up a copy or two.
Barb - How would you describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb?
Jess – What’s the biggest thing you would give up for the person you love? For Shane, loving Jen means sacrificing something both of them want.
Barb – Do you keep track or write reviews for books you read?
Jess – I won’t say I keep track of reviews but I do keep an eye on them. If I’ve requested a review from a blogger and they do the review, I feel like I have an obligation to share that review because it was a time investment from the blogger, you know? And when I spot a reader review that’s really great, I pass it along to my followers. But I try not to skulk reviews and I avoid negative reviews simply because they get stuck in my head and its really hard for me to get it out once it’s in there.
Barb – Do you read reviews written about your book?
Jess – Only if I’ve requested the review from someone. Otherwise, I stay off amazon and goodreads if they’re negative reviews.
Barb – Do you have a day job?
Jess – I’m an active duty army officer. I’m currently stationed at Fort Hood but that’s getting ready to change as I’m prepping to move at the beginning of March.
Barb – Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?
Jess – Learn your craft, pay attention to the industry news, follow writers and industry peeps on twitter but don’t pitch on these platforms unless requested. Don’t be in a hurry to publish (advice I freely ignored) because then you’re writing on someone else’s schedule and its really tough to learn.
Barb – What’s your favorite part of writing a book?
Jess – Revising. I love revising and editing because its so great to see that rough draft start to change into something readers will enjoy. I’m a terrible self editor so when I have editor who really gets me and helps make my books stronger, I couldn’t be happier.
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Jess – I used to write by the seat of my pants but I often found that I had to chunk massive parts of my manuscript and start over essentially from scratch. Over time, I learned to storyboard and figure out what my characters want. Doing prep work at the outset saves me tons of rewriting time on the back side and it keeps my story tighter. I don’t mind deleting but I’d rather strategically delete than chunk the whole manuscript, you know?
Barb – How did you come up with your premise for your books?
Jess – Learning to figure out my premise before I started working on specific projects has made a huge difference to my process. I’m a big fan of Alexandra Sokoloff’s Screenwriting Tricks for Writers. Reading that book was a major lightbulb for me. I sold shortly after I started applying her advice.
Barb – Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Jess – Shawntelle Madison (full disclosure she’s a friend of mine). Her urban fantasies are a really great mix of humor, family angst finding your place in the world. I really love Nat’s story in Coveted and Kept. She’s got a novella out currently Bitten by Deceit and there’s an excerpt from it in the back of Anything for You.
Barb - How important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?
Jess – I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for readers and fans so they’re very important to what I do. I do my very best to respond to all emails, comments etc but sometimes I can’t and I hope readers understand. I’m most often on twitter and Facebook.
Barb – Vampires or werewolves?
Jess – Werewolves. I’m a sucker for a hairy chest and werewolves are very rough and rugged creatures aren’t they?
Barb - How many more books can we expect in this series?
Jess – There are at least two more books in the Coming Home series. Back to You is Laura & Trent’s story. Reza’s story is probably my favorite story after Evan & Claire in Until The Was You and his story is Come Home to Me. I love a tortured hero and Reza is completely tortured. Emily is a great match for him. Both Come Home to Me and Back To You are already written, we’re just waiting on the publishing gods to determine their fate, lol!
I’m giving away a digital copy of ANYTHING FOR YOU as well as Shane & Jen’s first story BECAUSE OF YOU to one lucky commenter!
From the author of Because of You comes an all new Coming Home short story.
Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison has spent a year recovering from his combat injuries. A year spent in the arms of the woman of his dreams. But loving Jen comes with a price: every time he touches her, he faces the uncertain fear that loving her might mean losing her forever.
Jen is a breast cancer survivor and with Shane, she’s found a man who loves her despite her scars. But her scars may be too much for their love to survive.
As their love grows, so does the risk to Jen’s life. And Shane must make the toughest decision any man can make to save the woman he loves.
You can buy ANYTHING FOR YOU at the following ebookstores
Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble
*The links for iBooks & others should be live soon!*
Excerpt:
Fort Hood, late 2008
“Jen is going to kill you. You know that, right?” Vic Carponti took a long pull off his ever-present Dr Pepper. “I think she has first dibs on your balls. You don’t have exclusive use over them any more.”
Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison glanced over at Carponti and fought the urge to use the physical therapy ropes to strangle the younger sergeant. No matter how much time they’d spent together training Army privates at Benning or blowing shit up downrange, Carponti still managed to push all the right buttons. “You’re not helping, you know.” Shane was already having a hard enough time trying to find the nerve to talk to his fiancée about his desire for a vasectomy.
“Jen wants kids.”
“I know that,” Shane growled. He leaned down to stretch, barely suppressing a groan as the muscles in his thighs protested the daily pain his physical therapist insisted on. He’d have thought that six months after being blown up in Iraq, physical therapy would stop being a morning torture session. Guess not.
“Why are you so adamant about this?” Carponti held up his hand at Shane’s fierce look.
“I’m an expert in amputations, not women and babies, okay?”
“She had breast cancer. A really aggressive version. If she gets pregnant and the cancer comes back, the choice comes down to her life or the baby’s life…and I don’t want to have to make that choice with her. I don’t want her to have to make that choice. Granted, it might all be fine. She might never get sick again, or the hormones from pregnancy might not do anything to her.” Shane walked over to the free weights. His legs protested each step, so his next words came out slowly, one with each step. “I can’t risk it. No matter how much I might want a kid with her, I’m not going to risk her life for some selfish need to feel my baby growing inside her.”
“I realize that,” Carponti said, “but why on earth are you looking at this without talking to her first?”
“I’m going to talk to her.” Shane sighed hard. “I just haven’t yet.” He didn’t want to admit he was afraid. Not to Carponti. He’d never hear the end of it.
“Did you ever think you’re overreacting?” Carponti asked, following him.
“No,” Shane snapped. “Because I’m not.”
“You just said there’s no rule that if a woman gets pregnant after cancer, she’s going to die.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve also talked to the brigade surgeon. There’s a higher risk of the cancer coming back for younger women like Jen who had aggressive cancers. There’s a higher risk that if she does get pregnant and the cancer comes back, it could come back even more aggressive.”
Shane looked at Carponti seriously. “I want kids with her. I just don’t want to kill her.”
“So you’re going to get unmanned and tell her later?”
“This isn’t funny.”
“Vasectomies are always funny. Especially watching a big guy like you squirm over the fact.”
“It is my balls we’re talking about,” Shane snapped, grabbing the fifty-pound dumbbells.
It was one of those times he’d rather not have Carponti chirping in his ear.
“If a vasectomy is such a big deal, then why do it?” Carponti placed the bottle in his prosthetic hand. “There’s other ways of preventing pregnancy, you know.”
“We’ve talked about all of those. She had a bad reaction to an IUD. Anything hormone-based is out. And condoms scare the shit out of me.”
“Did we have a bad experience with a condom?”
Shane groaned, wishing he hadn’t said anything. “When I was seventeen, I had a condom break on me. The girl and I spent the rest of the month terrified she was pregnant.” He glanced at Carponti. “So while I appreciate that you think me getting my balls clipped is amusing, this isn’t all that funny.”
“Maybe not, but watching you freak out about it certainly is.”
“You’re so good for morale.”
“You can bitch all you want, but I still don’t see why there aren’t other options.”
Why? Shane ground his teeth and counted as he curled the weights. He’d read the literature about Jen’s specific cancer. Everything he read created a little more fear that he could lose her. Shane did not do well with fear. If the only thing he could control in the equation was his sperm, he was doing that.
Sometimes, at night, when the nightmares came, it was no longer his soldiers who’d died in the war haunting his sleep. Sometimes, it was Jen, bleeding out in his arms. He didn’t tell her that. Every time he tried, the emotion got jammed up halfway between his throat and his mouth. Jen wasn’t a random number in a study. She was his heart and soul, and while she was determined to live a normal life and not let the cancer define her, every time they made love, he was aware of the risk.
The worst part about it all? He wanted kids with her, too. But the risk was too great.
“Hello? Candyass who’s stressing about getting his balls chopped off? Why is a vasectomy the only option for you not to get her pregnant?”
Shane finished his set. “Because it’s the smart thing to do. Condoms break. Birth control fails.” Carponti was probably about to accuse him of writing country songs again. “This is the only one-hundred-percent sure option.”
“You could always be in a celibate marriage with her,” Carponti said dryly.
“Yeah, and then she bangs the FedEx guy when I’m in the field.”
Carponti snorted and coughed. “That’s just wrong.”
Shane dropped the weights, the muscles in his left arm screaming. He was nearly back to his previous strength in his upper body, but sometimes his bones liked to remind him that no, he was never going to be as good as he’d been before. It frustrated him that there were more aches and pains now. More stiffness just getting out of bed in the morning. But he was determined to heal, so he could get back to leading soldiers.
Because that’s what he did.
Beside him, Carponti finished not choking on his drink. “You’re serious about this.
You’re really going to let a doctor near your nutsack with a scalpel?”
“Will you just drop it? I shouldn’t have said anything to you, damn it.”
“What? I just want to be sure you’re making the best, most informed decision.” Carponti grinned. “You’re going to let me see the cut, right?”
Shane just shot him a baleful glare and Carponti held up both hands, the soda in one.
Funny, Shane was used to the prosthetic now. It no longer caught his eye like it once had.
Carponti was just…Carponti. The missing hand didn’t really matter.
“Hey, so have you heard what’s going on back at battalion?” Carponti asked.
Shane picked up his water bottle and flipped open the cap. “I haven’t been in to see Sarn’t Major in a while. I’ve got a meeting with him later today. Why?”
“There’s a ton of bad shit going on. Iaconelli got in a bunch of trouble up in Colorado on a mission.”
“That’s nothing new. Ike’s always in trouble.” Shane and Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli had never really gotten along, which was a shame, because Ike was a damn fine infantryman.
“Yeah, well, apparently there’s a whole bunch of crap going on down there. Maybe that’s why Sarn’t Major wants to see you. See how much longer before you’re back at work?”
“Maybe.” Sarn’t Major would no doubt fill him in when he saw him later. Shane wanted to get back to work. Badly. But if Ike was screwing up again, Shane damn sure didn’t want to get back just to clean up after him.
Carponti grinned. “So, back to the more pressing matters, are you going to gift wrap your nuts and put a little bow on them and say, ‘Here baby, for Valentine’s Day, I’ve sacrificed my manhood’?”
Shane shook his head and tried not to laugh. “There’s something the matter with you.
You know that, right?”
“Sure. My traumatic brain injury is acting up again.” Carponti turned toward the door as it opened. “Speaking of nuts, here’s my wife. I need to get mine out of her purse.”
Shane turned to see Nicole Carponti walking onto the physical therapy floor, looking polished and perfect. No one ever looked at her and thought she was a cop. It made her a perfect investigator.
It also made everyone wonder what the hell she was doing with a scruffy, red-headed sergeant like Vic Carponti, but hey, she’d stuck with him after he’d gotten blown up. And worse, through his incessant bad tricks with his prosthetic. Shane watched as Carponti kissed his wife on the cheek, then slung his good arm around her shoulders as they walked out. Shane was reasonably certain Carponti tried to pinch Nicole’s ass with his prosthetic.
Life was never dull around Carponti, that was for damn sure.
Shane finished his therapy in blessed silence and headed to the locker room to change back into his duty uniform. He took a deep breath, running his hand over his jaw. Last week, Jen had slipped her body over his, her slick heat caressing his bare erection, and Shane had almost died from the pleasure of skin on skin. No barriers. He didn’t know which one of them wanted it more—the desire painting her features had been beautiful. And she’d gotten bolder since then, driving him toward a little death each time he touched her. No matter how much he was tempted to make love to her without a goddamned condom, he would not risk her life for a few moments of pleasure.
He loved Jen. More than life itself. The vasectomy was a very real discussion he was going to have with her very soon.
About Jess
Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.
Oprah has called her. True story.
Her debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU launched Loveswept, the first Random House digital imprint.
She’s written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.
Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012.
Connect with Jessica at
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
My thoughts:
All the readers of this blog know that I’m a bit of a sucker for anything that resembles a “man in uniform” romance. Because of this, Jessica’s series is right down my alley!
I deliberately included the excerpt above as it gives a great look at Jessica’s writing style. The story line is funny and endearing. The characters are real. The have real conversations, and at times are irreverent. When Vic Carponti said “Speaking of nuts, here’s my wife. I need to get mine out of her purse.” I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t catch my breath to explain to my husband what was so funny.
I highly recommend Anything For You. It has humor, it has romance and it had me in tears. The perfect combination for me! The fact that Jessica Scott accomplished this in 35 pages is a testament to her skill.
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are welcoming Joyce Proell, the author of Eliza to the blog. She’s touring her book with Goddessfish Promotions and is here to answer some of my questions, but also to give away a $10.00 Amazon or B&N Gift card to a lucky commenter. To find more blogs to leave comments on, click HERE.
If this book sounds like something that you would like reading, please find buy links at the bottom of the post and pick up a copy or two.
* * * * *
Joyce – Hello! I’m so happy to be here today. Thank you for inviting me.
Barb – Try to describe your book in one sentence.
Joyce – Eliza is an uplifting story about hope, resilience and the real possibility of a second chance at love.
Barb – How would your friends describe you in 20 words or less?
Joyce – Someone once said I was cool as in Steve McQueen cool. My daughter always rolls her eyes when I mention this. My friends say I’m compassionate, honest, thoughtful, independent and dependable, with a great sense of humor. I take my writing very seriously.
Barb – Who are your cheerleaders?
Joyce – My husband and daughter, my sister and good friends I’ve been blessed to have throughout my life. Also, I belong to two critique groups. Their professional insights, support and encouragement are invaluable. Thanks everyone!
Barb – Do you have any professional advice for unpublished authors?
Joyce – Keep writing. While this has been stated often enough, it is critical to getting published. Also, take advantage of any opportunities to learn the craft; classes, books on craft and join a critique group of other serious writers as well as any professional writing organizations.
Barb – What’s the hardest part of writing a book?
Joyce – The absolute most challenging part of any book is the first paragraph. How can a few sentences be so daunting, you ask? Well, a writer wants to create that intriguing hook to draw in the reader. For some writers, it may be simple. For me, it’s agonizing to make it work well.
Barb – Did you do any research before starting or during the writing of your books?
Joyce – Eliza is set in the Minnesota frontier of 1859. In order to make the story come alive with historical authenticity, I needed to bone up on the local history, fashion and even printing presses as Eliza publishes the local paper. Also, Eliza travels from Pennsylvania to Minnesota so I had to learn about riverboat travel.
Barb – Which genres do you prefer to read?
Joyce – I switch back and forth between mystery, suspense, romance and literary fiction.
Barb – How can readers stay in touch?
Joyce – I welcome readers to stay in touch through facebook. www.facebook.com.JoyceProell/Author. Also readers can find out about new books and events at my website: www.joyceproell.com
Barb – Favorite place in the world?
Joyce – Wow! There are so many. I do love Venice—the canals, the sun glittering on the ocean, the old, gorgeous architecture, the crowded streets and the vivid smells. I love London, particularly all the fascinating museums. And even though it may be sound trite and corny, I love sitting in my sunny living room, a roaring fire in the fireplace, and knowing there isn’t another place better than home.
Barb – What projects are you currently working on?
Joyce – I am currently reworking my very first book called Amaryllis. Wish me luck. It’s been a nightmare so far. Also, I hope to do a second edit on a romance entitled Heart of Gold. It’s my first contemporary and such fun. Got to love those alpha males.
Joyce – Question for readers…
I once asked readers to give me their suggestions on their favorite romance reads. I got terrific responses and have added some new authors to my ‘must read’ list. I’d like to throw the request out again. What are some of your favorite romance writers and books?
Thank you so much for having me here today. It’s been a lot of fun.
Joyce
ELIZA
By
Joyce Proell
BLURB:
A husband who wants you dead is the greatest motivation for change.
Posing as a widow, strong-willed Eliza Danton flees her marriage determined to bury the past and live a solitary life. Traveling by riverboat to the Minnesota frontier, her flight turns perilous when forces threaten to expose her deception. With problems mounting and her trust shattered, she is forced draw upon her only resource, a man whose captivating presence rocks the very foundation of her well laid plans. But love flourishes even in the toughest of times and when you least expect it.
Attorney and contented loner, Will Heaton hides his tender heart behind an elusive facade. Grief is nothing new to him having lost a wife and child. But when a pretty widow thrusts a baby into his arms, he’s hooked. When he sees Eliza harassed by the same man he believes killed his wife, Will grabs at the chance to redress past mistakes and vows to keep her safe.
* * * * *
Excerpt
Why is this happening? She’d never encouraged him. But perhaps she hadn’t discouraged him either. As guilt nibbled away at her she knew she had to put an end to this fruitless pursuit.
“Listen to me. I won’t marry again.” She slapped each word into the air with a distinct pop, pop, pop.
He reared back as if her words proved a glancing blow. He stiffened and she flicked an apprehensive look at Karl’s powerful hands. Would he slap her or use his fists on her like Abe used to do?
“I give you time,” he said, his voice brusque with anger. “You forget ache. Then you marry me.”
Eliza shrank back.
“You think, Eliza. Marriage is best way.”
His departing footsteps pounded on the wooden deck and thudded loudly on the stairs as he went below.
Eliza stood there, too astounded and alarmed to move. After a time, she glanced at the moon, hoping it might have some curative power to quell her rioting nerves. To her disappointment, the golden disc streaked by wisps of gnarled clouds offered no answers or comfort. Suddenly, all the anger and frustration inside exploded. She kicked out. Her foot smashed into a deck chair with an earsplitting thwack. The chair arced then slammed and scuttled noisily against the planks.
“Who-o-oa, lady.”
Eliza gasped, spun about and peered into shadows near the pilothouse. “Who’s there?”
A chair creaked.
“Make yourself known, please,” she snapped.
Will Heaton stepped out from behind the big potted palms near the pilothouse and jolted her clear through.
He’d seen everything! The kissing, the intimacy. Heard her lies. Oh, God. She wanted to sink right into the river.
“How could you?”
A muscle quirked in his cheek.
“Good Lord! You find this amusing.”
He crossed his arms and casually leaned against a tarp-covered mound of gunnysacks, his lips pressing back a grin. “Couldn’t avoid it. I had the best seat in the house.”
Her mouth gripped so tight she couldn’t talk. She glared at him expecting the intensity of her anger to light up the sky. Her body trembled as she waited for him to break the silence. When he did, it left her stunned.
* * * * *
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
I laughed when my husband suggested I write a book. Me? What did I know about writing? Yet the notion held possibility, so I hatched a plan. A year later, I sent off my first completed manuscript and promptly received a score of polite rejections. Bruised but undaunted, I forged ahead, new plan in hand. Later, armed with the knowledge acquired from writing classes, seminars and the help of fellow writers, I finished my second story. Eliza is that story.
A little more info…
I grew up in Minnesota. In college, I studied psychology and earned a master’s degree in Social Work. After living in Chicago, Minneapolis, Portland and Reno, my husband and I make our home only miles from where I grew up.
I worked in the field of mental health as a psychiatric social worker, administrator and later settled into private practice. Retired at a reasonably young age, I write full time.
I’m an avid reader, a foodie and cook, a crossword puzzle fanatic and a daily walker.
Joyce can be found:
Eliza can be purchased:
Amazon
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel
Today we are welcoming Heather McCollum to the blog. She is the author of Highland Heart and is here to answer some of my questions and to share some information about her book. If this sound like the type of book that you would be interested in reading, please find some buy links at the bottom of the post and pick up a copy!
Barb – Tell us about your new release?
Heather – Thank you so much for having me in today to talk a bit about my latest romantic adventure! HIGHLAND HEART is the prequel novella to my full length Scottish Historical romance, CAPTURED HEART. HH starts about twenty five years before the full length and follows the start of one of the families involved throughout the series (HIGHLAND HEARTS series).
These adventures take place in 16th century Scotland and England around the time of Henry VIII. They involve the lush world of a traditional Scottish Historical romance but have the added spice of magic. Each woman in the Brindle family line possesses the magical ability to heal, and is marked with a dragonfly-shaped birthmark.
Barb – Tell me a little about yourself.
Heather – I am a mom of three kids (ages 14, 11, and 5) and a crazy rescued golden retriever. I’m extremely lucky to have found my own Highland hero, my husband, Braden. When I’m not writing, making meals for perpetually hungry kids, and walking my dog, I’m usually on my “soap box” educating women about ovarian cancer.
Six months ago I finished 15 months of chemo to kill that silent, sneaky, deadly beast. I’m using whatever talents I have to spread the warning about the whispered symptoms of ovarian cancer. My full length, CH, has them listed in the back.
Barb – If you wouldn’t be a writer, what you would be?
Heather – I love birthday parties, kid’s theme parties. I’m rather known in my circle of moms as the creative genius behind parties like “Life-sized Candyland” and “Storm trooper training camp.” I would definitely put together creative theme parties for groups if I wasn’t in love with writing magical novels.
Barb – Who are your cheerleaders?
Heather – Holy Pom-Poms, Batman! I have an army of cheerleaders. When I was diagnosed with cancer, people far and wide jumped in to help me and my family. They all became teal warriors (teal is the ovarian cancer color) in my fight to live. As I move on now to grow in my writing career, they continue to cheer for my successes.
My husband is at the head of the army, helping me anyway he can. Even when I was too scared about dying to write fiction, he encouraged me to write to save my sanity. So I blogged about my cancer journey on caring bridge. Now I have wonderful material that I will one day use in a cancer book to help others reeling from that blow.
Barb – What do you love about writing?
Heather – I LOVE it when a scene comes together. I’m a cross between a pantzer and a plotter. I know basically where I want to go, but I usually end somewhere a bit different. My characters become real, developing their own personalities and leading me to different end points. If I try to force them on my original track, they usually rebel and some long lost evil twin shows up. So I’ve learned to let them lead the way (or so I let them think – shhhh!!).
So when the scene comes together it is a tears-of-joy sort of feeling where I do usually shed tears of joy and jump around the house while my husband grins and shakes his head. I worked for over a decade in a corporate setting, and I never felt such satisfaction and happiness when sealing a deal as I do when all my creative twists and loops become a magnificent bow of a story.
Barb – Did you do any research before starting or during the writing of the books?
Heather – I write stories in many different time periods from the 10th century up to present day, so research is a requirement. I think late 16th century Britain is my favorite though, so I know it the best and don’t need to look up every little facet of my characters’ lives (like what they use for a toilet). But I still need to make sure that any true historical figures or events (which do show up in many of my books) follow historically accurate details, although sometimes I can twist them a bit.
I keep my historical reference books, Gaelic and Latin dictionaries, and reliable web sites close by.
Barb – Your favorite books and author?
Heather – I have so many! This is a hard question to answer. I do LOVE Karen Marie Moning’s work. Her original Highlander series, with its plethora of rugged Highlanders and Fae magic, has inspired a lot of my work. I also love her dark urban fantasy FEVER series. Jericho Barrons – YUM!
Barb – Where can readers find your books?
Heather – HIGHLAND HEART and CAPTURED HEART are available at Barnes & Noble as well as on Amazon. HH is digital only since it is short. CH is in both print and digital formats. I’m very excited to see CH in Barnes & Noble stores. I had my daughter take a picture of me by the book stack where it was shelved!
Barb – Favorite place in the world?
Heather – The Scottish Highlands, with its jutting mountains, curious “fairy rings” and marvelous castle ruins, is one of my favorite places. My family and I will be visiting there this summer, and we are terribly excited about the trip.
We also spend time on coastal Maine which reminds me a lot of Scotland. There is an obscure little beach called Jasper Beach covered with rounded river-type stones. The wind is cold, the fog curls in from around an off shore island, but the stones are always warm from the sun. I lie flat on the round rocks as the heat soaks into my back and the waves pull the stones on the waterline out to sea. They clatter against each other, tumbling into the Atlantic. It sounds just like applause. There is definitely a Maine series in my future.
Barb – What is in the works for you next?
Heather – Right now I am completing the second book in the HIGHLAND HEARTS series. It follows Ewan Brody as he travels down to Henry VIII’s English court and runs into the most complicated lass he’s ever likely to meet.
My fourth book of THE DRAGONFLY CHRONICLES series is in edits right now and I have a YA paranormal romance coming out in 2014. I’m also journaling about my recovery from cancer over this year in hopes to make that into a survival story.
Alec Munro, chieftain of the Munros, has captured the Englishman who swindled his father. Set on retribution, he’s caught off-guard by the thief’s beautiful daughter, a lass whose beauty and spirit leave him questioning the value of revenge. Rachel Brindle has a secret: she can heal people with her magic. While journeying with her father and sister into the Highlands, she becomes a prize sought between two warring clans. She must use her cunning and her healing magic to prevent the same slaughter that started the blood feud a century ago. But when her secret is exposed, will it condemn her in the eyes of the barbarian who has capture not only her family, but also her heart?
Heather can be found:
Highland Heart can be purchased:
Excerpt:
Edge of Loch Tuinn
Highlands of Scotland
August 1512
Rachel Brindle sat her mare with ease, just like any well-bred Englishwoman. She twisted an escaped strand of dark brown hair and poked it under her velvet cap. Foolish hat! It couldn’t possibly contain her wild curls.
The wagons of provisions rambled behind Rachel and her sister, Isabelle, as they skirted the large lake that glittered with a million diamond-like bits of sunlight. The water looked so cool, but their father hadn’t allowed them to wade in it. She and Isabelle had been commanded to sip water and pray while everyone else refreshed.
Rachel huffed at the rebellious strands. She looked askance to her sister. “Do you think we’re almost there?”
Isabelle shielded her eyes against the sun. “I remember the lake from when we visited with Father years ago. We’re close.”
They were traveling to Munro Keep to meet with the elderly Hamish Munro, great Highland chieftain and her father’s business partner. William Brindle brought shillings and provisions in exchange for the fine wool that the Munros grew on their herds. It had been ten years since Rachel and her sister had accompanied him to the Munros, back when he smiled, back when their mother still lived.
“I’m melting.” A trail of perspiration tickled between Rachel’s breasts. Perhaps she shouldn’t have begged their father to bring them along to escape the boredom of country life. Even with the summer heat, her father had insisted she wear long sleeves when outside their home to hide her strange dragonfly-shaped birthmark. She dabbed at her forehead and chest with a lacy handkerchief.
“If I succumb to vapors will you revive me?” Rachel teased. As usual, Isabelle frowned at any mention of their special healing abilities.
“I’ll pour water on your face,” her sister threatened.
Rachel laughed. The sound cut off as her glance strayed through the copse of thick pines on their left. Her lips opened on an unuttered gasp as her gaze locked with the intense stare of a man. He sat statue-like on his horse a hundred yards back in the thick growth. His massive chest was bare like that of a barbarian. Red-brown hair nearly reached his broad, tanned shoulders, giving him a wild look. Though the forest shadows dappled along his skin, Rachel could see sculpted muscles protecting his ribs. He held a sword in one arm, his bicep large, as if accustomed to holding its weight for long periods of time.
Narrowed eyes assessed her, judging, waiting perhaps for her outcry. But Rachel kept silent, her thudding heart the only warning. Her chin rose as she met his challenge in defiance.
“Did you see that plant?” Isabelle pointed into the high grass of the small meadow they were crossing. “I think it’s shepherd’s purse.”
Rachel forced her eyes from the man even though the effort seemed ridiculously difficult. “Nay, Isabelle, I missed it,” she murmured. Should she alert her father? Who was the barbarian? Rachel didn’t even know whose land they traveled across. She knew the Munros warred with a neighboring clan, but surely her father would have kept their route along friendly territory.
“Isabelle,” Rachel asked casually. “Do you have your arrows within reach?”
“Yes, but I don’t think father wants me hunting this close to the Munros.”
“Keep them close.” Rachel looked at her sister, her eyes intense. “Just in case.” She pulled her dagger out and set it amongst the folds of her green buckram skirt. Granted it was only one small weapon, but with a single snap she could lodge it into a man’s skull.
Theoretically, of course, since she’d only practiced with turnips at home.
Isabelle nocked an arrow into the bow she’d retrieved from behind her. She glanced around. “You saw something,” she whispered.
Rachel tipped a brief nod. “Just keep alert.”
“You should tell—”
“Munros! Batail!” The roar sliced through her sister’s words, echoing off the trees and boulders flanking them.
Rachel whirled around in her saddle, dagger poised. Men ran and jumped through the trees, not toward them, but back the way they had come.
“Ride, girls!” their father yelled from up ahead.
Rachel kicked her mount’s flanks and leaned low as it lurched forward. Isabelle raced next to her. The meadow ended and they fled into the dappled light of the thick woods. Their father waved his arm overhead to urge them to follow as he wove through the trees.
The guttural sounds and clang of steel mixed with Gaelic curses. Had the barbarian followed? Rachel glanced at Isabelle. Her sweet, dutiful younger sister; would she be murdered by marauders because Rachel had failed to warn everyone? Rachel swallowed against the dry panic in her throat as she thought of the man, his piercing eyes, his proud stare. What if he was in jeopardy?
“Watch out!” Isabelle shouted as they galloped toward a thick uprooted tree.
Rachel veered and yanked the reins to the right, while Isabelle tore off in front of her to the left. Lost in the heavy growth of trees, Rachel steered the horse in a tight circle. Her gaze wove through the dense woods as she tried to discern the sound of the battle over her thumping heart. She continued to circle, hoping to find a clear-cut path through the thickets.
“Blast!” She cursed low and looked up at the giant trees. She had absolutely no sense of direction. She shifted in her seat, breathing the moist earthy air while the halted horse quivered beneath her. Which way?
She scanned the woods, looking for any familiar path. And stopped. The barbarian stood amongst the trees. He held his blood-streaked sword ready, his legs braced apart as if waiting for another target to strike. In a fluid motion he pivoted, sharp eyes connecting once again with Rachel’s as if they were magnets. There was something…something familiar about his eyes. A distant memory fluttered in her mind. A Highland festival, a young boy several years older than she.
The man took a step toward her, dissolving the image. The whoosh of an arrow made Rachel drop low against her horse’s neck, but she watched in horror as the arrow slammed into the man’s shoulder.
“No!” Rachel screamed and pushed her horse through the undergrowth to him. She slid down into the ferns. Her little slippers found no purchase and she tripped and slipped toward him, where he lay surrounded by green fronds. He wore a kilt draped loosely around narrow hips. His eyes were closed, but he swallowed. Her breath hitched as she saw the faint line near his right ear. A scar.
Rachel forced a deep breath and looked away from the mark, her mark. The tip of the arrow protruded from his chest, its shaft all the way through.
Rachel ignored her shaking and placed her hands on his hot skin. She closed her eyes and released the bubble of power that churned behind her ribs, funneling it through him in search of physical details. She heard his blood whoosh through his veins. The hollowness of his stomach and bladder indicated they were empty. The hard echo of his pounding heart beat through her, straining with the injury. But where exactly was it? The whisper of a leak caught Rachel’s breath, a nick in the artery, blood pooling in his chest cavity.
“Holy Lord,” she whispered, and opened her eyes. In the distance she could hear shouting, guttural and fierce. She flattened her blood-smeared hands on the wet grass, pawing, searching. Yes! A rock! She clawed at the fist-sized rock at the base of a fern, dirt cramming under her nails. Her eyes dropped to the man’s jagged flesh, holding the arrow. She breathed, and hefted the rock high. “Holy Lord, help me.”
Her stomach tightened. Can I really do this? I must! Holding her breath, she slammed the rock against the protruding arrowhead.
The man gasped but didn’t wake.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and tugged his arm. Holy Lord, he was heavy! She braced her muddied feet against the side of a large pine and used her legs to yank, turning him onto his side. In the shadows before, she hadn’t seen the crisscrossing of scars marring his skin. This man had seen battle—a lot of battle. Guilt took hold of her, lending her strength. He’d survived all this time only to be shot when she stole his attention.
The shouts crept closer. Were they looking for him? Rachel sunk lower into the ferns as she wedged her feet against his bloodied back. With a great yank, the shaft slid free. The unconscious man groaned. She straddled him, kicking her skirts out of the way. He was so broad her knees didn’t reach the ground, and she balanced on his hip while slamming one hand on each bleeding hole, front and back.
She breathed in the tang of blood, of sweat and mud, of his masculine scent as she released her magic, directing it through her splayed hands into his body. The nick first. She cringed as she felt the larger tear along the thin wall of his artery, a consequence of removing the splintery shaft. Her eyes flickered closed as she imagined the smooth lines of healthy tissue. She pushed her power into the torn muscles, moving outward, repairing, smoothing. She knit the splintered edges of a rib and healed the broken and seeping blood vessels feeding the muscles. Finally, the skin over the holes. Rachel breathed deep, feeling her energy feeding into the man. Her head swam and she slumped forward, draping him in blood-stained green buckram. Would she have enough strength to escape?
“Lass.” The whisper tickled at her ear and she felt her body lowered gently to the soft earth. Warm fingers brushed the hair from her cheeks and her eyes fluttered open. “What are ye?” Dark blue eyes stared down into her own, intense, questioning, stunning, but what captured her full focus was the telltale slice near his ear.
“There! A horse! I know I shot him. Over there!”
The barbarian glanced over his shoulder and then back at her. His sensuous lips thinned into a line of frustration. “I’ll come for ye.”
Come for her? Where was she going?
Rachel’s consciousness slipped over the edge into comfortable darkness.
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are welcoming Ann Lee Miller to the blog! She’s here to answer some of my questions and share some information about her book, Avra’s God. She is also offering a copy of one of her books to anyone who leaves their email address! For details, see below. If Avra’s God sound like the sort of book you would be interested in reading, please find buy links at the bottom of the post and pick up a copy or two.
Givaway: Everyone who leaves a comment with their e-mail address will receive a free e-copy of Kicking Eternity, also from the New Smyrna Beach Series. And one lucky winner will receive a free e-copy of Avra’s God.
Ann – A coed. Untried. A rocker who’s tried everything. Betrayal, the expected end–except for a God who redeems.
Barb – What’s your current guilty pleasure?
Ann – Online Scrabble.
Barb – When did you decide to become a writer?
Ann – I became a writer the year I discovered Sister Sheila had hair. I was in fifth grade at St. Hugh’s Catholic School in Miami, knee deep in nouns and verbs, when Sister Sheila walked through the door in a new habit that showed two inches of mouse brown hair threaded with silver. Sister Sheila encouraged my writing during the final melt-down of my parents’ marriage. Her belief in me propelled me all the way through a BA in creative writing from Ashland University (OH).
Barb – Did you have support at the beginning and/or during your writing?
Ann – My husband once sold the family minivan and plunked the cash into my hand to go to a writers’ conference. Gotta love a man like that!
Barb – Why did you choose the genre you write in?
Ann – I feel like I have arrested development in my early twenties because I always write about people who are falling in love, often for the first time, and finding their place in the world—choosing careers, resolving issues with their parents, working out friendships that will last a lifetime.
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Ann – I’ve used both methods, but prefer outlining because it is so much easier to fix an outline than to fix a whole book when I get an inspiration during Chapter 31 that will ripple back to the first page.
Barb – Did you do any research before start or during of the writing of the books?
Ann – I visited New Smyrna Beach where the book is set. It’s very important to me to get my facts straight. I prefer to get all my research done before beginning writing, but with this book, I traveled after the book was completed. I had to clean up location mistakes.
Barb – Your favorite books and author?
Ann – Anything by Charles Martin. I love his quirky characters, lovely prose, and riveting stories. If he wouldn’t have to turn in his man card, I’d say he writes love stories.
Barb – How important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?
Ann – I love getting to know my readers and always respond. I appreciate reviews, regardless of whether the reader liked the book. I always read them, because there may be a common thread running through several reviews that might help me as a writer. Even if a review is negative, I like to see the numbers of reviews increase.
Barb – Morning person or night owl?
Ann – I’m an obnoxiously cheerful morning person. After 9 p.m., however, my disposition plummets. My husband is a night owl. Makes for an interesting marriage. But after 32 years, I guess we’ve worked it out.
Barb- How many more books can we expect in this series?
Ann – Tattered Innocence, the last book in the 4-book series (though all can be read alone) comes out in February. Here’s the back cover:
A tale of passions indulged, denied, and ultimately forgiven:
On the verge of bagging the two things he wants most—a sailing charter business and marrying old money—Jake Murray’s fiancée/sole crew member dumps him. Salvation comes in the form of dyslexic, basketball toting Rachel Martin, the only one to apply for the first mate position he slapped on craigslist.
On a dead run from an affair with a married man, Rachel’s salvation is shoving ocean between her and temptation.
Rapid fire dialogue and romantic tension sail Jake’s biker-chick of a boat through hurricanes, real and figurative. A cast of wannabe sailors, Rachel’s ex, Jake’s, a baby—go along for the ride.
The many-layered story weaves together disparate strands into a seamless cord. Mother and daughter look eerily alike—down to their lusts. Their symbiotic bond, forged in the blood of childbirth on the kitchen floor and cemented by their secrets, must be cracked open. A son must go home. Sin must be expunged.
Tattered Innocence is for anyone who’s ever woken up sealed in a fifty-gallon drum of their guilt.
Avra’s God
Back Cover:
In the tradition of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, four friends navigate college and the drama churned up by their Florida beach band to cement friendship and more.
Avra wants love, but drummer Cisco—self-medicating from his parents’ divorce with sex and intoxicants—is a poor choice. Cisco hungers for fresh-baked cookies and the scent of family he finds at Avra’s.
Kallie shares her classically trained voice only with lead vocalist Jesse and fights to keep her heart safe. Jesse feeds on fame and hides more than insecurity beneath his guitar.
The friends surf ego, betrayal, and ambition and head for wipeout. But somehow, when they’re not looking, Avra’s God changes them all.
This is the third book in my New Smyrna Beach (FL) series, but it is not closely tied to the other books and stands alone. Kicking Eternity, released in June, is here. The Art of My Life launched Sept. 25 and can be found here.
Bio: Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.
Ann Can be found:
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter
Avra’s God can be purchased:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords
Chapter 1
A hot blast of pepperoni-laden air rolled over Avra as Stavro’s Pizza kitchen door swung shut. She inched ahead in line for a table with her family.
“Yep, me and the idiot sisters are eatin’ fine tonight.”
She swiveled. That voice.
The guy from Humanities 301 thumbed through change he pulled from the pocket of his cutoffs. Cisco. And she didn’t shower and change after soccer practice—why?
Her brother’s elbow knocked into her. “It’s gotta be meat lovers,” Drew’s stuck-in-puberty voice rasped.
Cisco glanced in her direction. Her gaze skittered back to her brother. Please, God, tell me Cisco didn’t just catch me staring at him!
Her attention drifted to Cisco’s corkscrew curls that brushed the shoulders of his ancient Whitey’s Bait & Tackle—Size Counts T-shirt. The girl behind the register tracked Cisco from under dark lashes as if she were having a conversation with the back of his head.
“I want ham and pineapple.” Her brother, Kurt, shot an I’m-slumming-in-Stavro’s-with-
“Veggie,” Avra said, distracted by Cisco’s gaze on her. “Let’s get three.”
Cisco’s forehead crinkled like he was trying to remember where he’d seen her.
Avra feigned fascination with the Best Pizza in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, plaques on the wall. She frowned at the reflection in the window of her droopy ponytail and unisex soccer uniform. Beside her reflection in the glass, the counter girl wore her Stavro’s polo as a second skin. What was the use? Avra turned toward her family.
Mom eyed them. “We’re celebrating Kurt’s first day of college, the beginning of Avra’s junior year, not graduation—”
Drew huffed. “What about my senior year of high school?”
Mom dropped her gaze from the illuminated menu on the wall. “We’ll get two large pepperonis.”
The girl bit a hangnail and watched Cisco. The gummy corners of “Isabel” curled off her red plastic badge. Overhead, a cardboard pizza twirled in the draft from the air conditioning vent. Isabel blinked at her customer and scrawled the order on a guest check.
Dad threaded an arm around Mom’s waist. “And spicy cheddar cheese poppers.” He batted his eyes through his glasses at Mom and made her laugh. They melted against each other and glided toward the empty bench talking in quiet voices.
I want a guy who will love me like that―forever.
She looked at her brothers. “When I’m married, my kids will have whatever kind of pizza they want. And I’ll bake cookies―”
Drew’s blue eyes brightened in his freckle-spattered face. “Make some chocolate chips tonight.”
Kurt shot her an evil grin. “Who’d marry you, Avra? Morgan?”
“Puleeese.” Avra made a gagging noise. She caught Cisco’s smirk out of the corner of her eye and stopped, mid-gag. Warmth crept into her face. Oh, great. Cisco and everyone in Stavro’s was going to see her face go apple-red under the track lights.
Cisco’s smirk widened into a smile. “I can’t remember the last time I had really good entertainment in the pizza line.”
Metal scraped across metal in the kitchen, and she looked toward the swinging stainless steel doors. Isabel gave her the L.O.D., as Kurt called it. The look of death.
She narrowed her eyes at Isabel. Trust me, sister, humiliating yourself in public is not the kind of attention a girl wants. Look at me. Look at you. Which one of us is likely to get the guy? It’s not rocket science.
“Hey, what about baking cookies tonight?” Drew croaked.
Cisco pushed off the partition separating the counter area from the dining room and joined them. “That’s what I’m talking about! My half-price-plus-a-buck specials sounded pretty good till I heard you guys discussing homemade cookies.”
The corners of Avra’s mouth turned up. Dark hair curled on Cisco’s bare ankles above the loose laces of his tennis shoes. Her stomach quivered as it did when a soccer ball hurtled toward her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, and turned away with a flutter of her hand. She shrank into herself—the result of being too tall for too many years. Just disappear. That’s what she was good at.
Cisco nudged her shoulder with his. “Thanks again for the show.”
She eyed his shoulder, even with hers. “Sure, Cisco, anytime.”
Cisco jutted his chin at her. “The lady knows my name.”
Heat swept back to her face. Isabel’s L.O.D. burned into her.
Cisco winked. “See you in Humanities Wednesday—Avra.” He pushed out the door, pizza boxes balanced in one hand over his shoulder. A two liter Orange Crush dangled from between two fingers.
Breathe, Avra. It was just a wink. But he knew her name.
Isabel’s gaze raked over her as though she were a palmetto bug. She tossed a boxed pizza onto the counter in front of a man in a rumpled three-piece-suit. Isabel must have been all of five-three, but in some weird way, she made Avra feel small.
Avra trailed Kurt’s faded Ron Jon Surf Shop T-shirt toward the corner table where her parents sat. She would be translucent again by Wednesday, a blur guys look through but never see. This was what she prayed for when she hit five-eleven in the fifth grade.
She scooted across the vinyl bench after Kurt, shooting a glance at the door where Cisco had disappeared. Her hand touched the shoulder Cisco had bumped—as if anything would ever come of it.
Cisco swung the Orange Crush beside him. His sisters would get into a brawl about the soda. How was he supposed to remember who liked what? If tuition wasn’t killing him, he’d be out of there.
A sea breeze rustled the moss-draped oaks overhead. The pizza warmed the palm of his hand through its box. He breathed in the pepperoni scent and thought about Avra’s family in Stavro’s who could have stepped out of Charity De Meer’s Photography window. Their banter had splashed over him, making him thirsty for more.
Families intrigued him—not his, with Mamá cleaning schools, three to eleven, Pop living on Freedom’s Call tied up behind the city marina. His kid sisters screeched at each other all day like it mattered. No, happy families interested Cisco.
He cracked open the pizza boxes in the twilight to make sure Isabel got the order right.
His mind swerved away from Isabel to this morning’s class. Avra had smirked into her Humanities book without looking up when Mr. Smythe-Rollings called him “Mr. Carter” instead of “Cisco.” His lips curled into a smile at the memory. She was the kind of girl who blended in on campus. But when you really looked at her, she was a treat—a sloppy-soft ponytail the color of caramels; ocean blue eyes; and long, toned legs beneath the soccer shorts.
He cut across the dirt yard to his front door thinking about homemade cookies, a house with two parents, and siblings that didn’t cuss each other in two languages.
He tripped on the jagged front step. What was he going to do about Isabel?
Jesse stood in the asphalt lot behind Daytona State College and locked the door of his Dodge Neon. He fanned his shirt away from his body in the muggy morning.
Someone laid on a horn.
His head popped up.
Cisco darted around the grass islands on the far side of the lot in his Geo Prism as if they were florescent cones.
Jesse shook his head. Only Cisco could make that piece of junk look cool.
Cisco cut his engine and coasted to a stop facing the cemetery where grass grew in fits and starts along Welch Drive. Sand grated under Cisco’s feet when he hopped out in front of him.
Jesse grinned. “Hey, Bro.”
Cisco bumped knuckles with him. “Bud. Where you been all summer?” Through the open window, Cisco snatched his backpack from the passenger seat, and they headed for campus.
“I’ve been nowhere at all—the whole stinking summer. You?”
Cisco thumped his chest. “At the beach all day, every day!” He stretched lazily. “It’s the life!”
Jesse widened his grin. “Still changing oil at Walmart, huh?”
Cisco grimaced. “Old man lock you up in the church all summer?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it—mowing, clipping, swabbing down the decks—cold cash for college.” Just once he’d like to hit the beach. Dad would go ballistic, spewing fire like a dragon—a sermon and a half on the sins of the flesh—gaining steam as he went. “Tunes, man. Wrote tunes all summer.”
As they walked toward the library a Votran bus pulled up to the curb.
Cisco nudged him. “You know that girl, the one on the left?”
“Sure, like forever. Avra Martin—I got a pack of ‘A’s from working on group projects with her. Why?”
Cisco headed toward the gym. “Saw her in Stavro’s last night.”
“And—”
“That’s all.”
He narrowed his eyes at Cisco. “Yeah, right.” He tossed his backpack onto the sun-warmed bricks on Echo Plaza, and planted a foot on a bench.
The undergrad girls headed toward them, their soft roundness barely camouflaged in store-starched clothes. He rapped on Cisco’s chest with his knuckles. “Look alive!”
“All right!” Cisco fended himself up from the bench and rubbed his hands together. “Come to Papa.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Jesse laughed. He had missed Cisco’s humor, the hero-worship in the younger girls’ eyes. This was living. The girls’ breathless chatter, their short shorts, captivated him.
Billy stepped into the group, hit knuckles with Jesse, then Cisco. The girls giggled. Billy’s shower-damp hair curled on top of his six-foot frame. His cheeks glowed pink as if he’d over-scrubbed his acne.
The crowd swelled beyond Jesse’s group. Students gathered under the clock tower, shouting to friends headed across Echo Plaza. Others milled on the grass, squinting into the sun. Some guys tossed a Frisbee around. A peal of laughter erupted from the cheerleaders’ bench.
Ah, Sleeping Beauty Kallie. Jesse shot a smile at the girl wedged on the wrong end of the cheerleaders’ bench. Her face was pale, her body rigid. Her gaze clamped on his like a lifeline in a sea of unfamiliarity. If she was trying to disappear, she failed―in those traffic-cone-orange jeans and green Converses. But she looked smokin’ hot just the same.
The basketball team camped around the cheerleaders. Jesse frowned. Jocks. He nodded at Kallie and settled his gaze back on the faces in his circle. “It was so boring in New Smyrna Beach this summer…”
Cisco, Billy, and the girls glanced curiously at the cheerleaders’ bench and back at Jesse.
He ignored their interest. “…that the Hometown News ran a half-page article on mosquitoes…”
When Jesse’s crew scattered for their classes, he shot a glance at Kallie’s cascade of straight blonde hair that slipped over her shoulders like silk. Eyes averted, she clenched a salmon-colored class schedule in her hand. He should welcome her to Daytona State, but he hadn’t recovered from meeting her last Thursday when he caught her eavesdropping on his solo jam session. In three minutes, she’d slipped into his soul.
Someone jostled into Avra as she funneled through the doorway after Humanities. She pushed a tress of hair behind her ear and looked up. Cisco. Oh, great. He was going to think she ran into him on purpose. “Sorry.” Feeling the heat rush to her face, she ducked her head.
“Make cookies the other night?” Cisco asked as they pressed into the hall and melded with the stream of students.
She resisted the urge to look around to see if he was talking to her. They walked in step, shoulder to shoulder. “Yeah.”
“Chocolate chip?”
She nodded. The hottest guy in Humanities 301 was making polite with her. What was wrong with this picture?
“Quite the conversationalist, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. She wasn’t practiced up on small talk.
“Have it your way.” He held the glass door open for her. “Next time you bake cookies, invite me over.”
Her eyes popped open like Garfield’s Odie. Her mind whirled. He was kidding, right? “You don’t know where I live.” That was inane.
“If you invited me,” Cisco said in a singsong voice, “you could tell me your address.”
She laughed. “We’ll see.” She shuffled away in a fog. Maybe there was something to “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Who’d a thunk it? She should have tied a chocolate chip cookie around her neck eons ago.
She glanced back over her shoulder. Cisco’s dark curls, bleached white in the sun, bobbed away with the current of students flowing toward the theater building. I guess he remembered me.
Cisco threaded through the flotsam of students toward the theater building. We’ll see? I don’t think so, Avra Martin. He didn’t get maybes, only yeses. The girl had family, cookies, and legs you’d have to be in a coma not to appreciate. He bet a lot went on under those blue eyes of hers. Suddenly, he wanted to find out.
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The home of the romance novel!
Today we are being visited by Susan Mac Nicol, author of Cassandra by Starlight. Susan is here to answer some questions and share about her book. If this book sounds like something that you would be interested in, please find buy links at the bottom of the post and pick up a copy!
A tragic event brings two people from different worlds together in a relationship that was made for a romantic movie.
Barb – How would your friends describe you in 20 words or less?
Susan – Isn’t she that stubborn, driven, yet fairly witty woman with radical views that just loves to tell stories?
Barb – State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Susan – When I’d just left school, I started a new job in Hillbrow in Johannesburg. I went out to get some lunch and got lost coming back. I couldn’t find my office building. I walked up and down the streets looking for it and a man came up and offered me money. He thought I was a prostitute ‘walking the beat’. I wasn’t sure whether to be proud or scandalized.
Barb – What started you on your journey to be a writer?
Susan – I started on my writing journey when I was a child, writing poetry and a rather scary short story called ‘The Green Menace’ for a local competition. I’ve written ever since and my writing folder is filled with half completed drafts and snippets. But it was only when I got the inspiration earlier this year for a novel that I really threw myself into the fore and focused. I guess you could say the real journey started when I read a local newspaper article about a tragedy, met the leading man of my dreams on TV and decided I wanted to invent my own fantasy world where I could be the heroine. I’m glad to say they all came together in my debut novel.
Barb – Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Susan – Yes, most definitely. Cassie Wallace, the leading lady in Cassandra by Starlight, is based on a lot of my experiences and character traits. She’s a strong, independent woman who has a fairly forceful view and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. The accident she experiences in the opening scene- I had a very bad car accident in 1986 and broke my femur, ending up in an ICU Ward with some life threatening injuries. The old drunk in the book talking to Dr. Spencer- that was based on personal experience with a very close family member. There are other experiences in the books about Cassie which are true too for me but some are too close to the bone so I’ll leave those up to the reader’s imagination…..A lady shouldn’t reveal too many secrets about herself.
Barb – Why did you choose the genre you write in?
Susan – I didn’t choose the genre. The genre chose me. I don’t generally read romance, a terrible thing to admit. I used to read Mills and Boon when I was fourteen years old but that was it. But when I started writing Cassandra by Starlight, with an incredible passion for both characters and the world I was creating, it simply took hold of me and this book could never have been anything other than a modern romance story between two people destined to find each other. My family and friends still don’t believe I write in the genre I do. I get blank faces and quizzical glances.
Barb – How did you come up with your premise for your books?
Susan – At the beginning of this year, I read a newspaper article about some fool standing on a motorway foot bridge and throwing a concrete bucket down into the traffic on the motorway below. The woman in the car was badly injured. After the initial rage at this idiot’s actions, I started to think. What if that has been someone throwing themselves off the bridge? What if they landed on a car and the person in that car was rushed to hospital? What if the person who died in the suicide attempt had a family member who went to see the woman and they fell in love?
This was the basic premise for the book. All I needed were the heroine and hero. The heroine was easy enough for reasons I’ve already mentioned above. The hero started out being a professional business man and ended up being a younger man, in the film and theatre world, inspired by someone I was watching on TV at the time. Anyone that knows me knows of my passion for Benedict Cumberbatch and he was the inspiration for Bennett Saville.
From there, the book just grew and grew and eventually I had a trilogy.
Barb – Which genres do you prefer to read?
Susan – Generally I read horror, psychological drama, suspense and anything supernatural, mostly around witches and magic. (I prefer my vampires and werewolves on the big screen.) I have a yen for Stephen King, Peter Straub, Deborah Harkness, Jonathan Kellerman, Phil Rickman.
I have however started reading romance stories and books, mostly by my fellow Boroughs authors, as I think I need to learn more about the genre I write in. There is such a diversity of imagination out there that meets all my reading needs and introduces me more to the world of romance so I can become a better writer in my chosen genre.
Barb – Where can readers find your books?
Susan – My books are all available via my website –www.susanmacnicol.com – or on my publisher’s website -www.boroughspublishinggroup.com. They are available in a variety of formats to suit any Smartphone or e- reader – I-phone, I-pad, Kindle, Kobo etc and of course you can download a pdf for your PC.
Barb – If I give you a time machine, what time period and in what place would you travel to?
Susan – You’ll think I’m crazy but it would be Victorian London in the 19th Century, specifically 1888. I have a fascination with Jack the Ripper and I’d like nothing better than to try and figure out his identity. This particular era holds a lure for me and is even dealt with in my first book. The proviso would be that I’d have to be filthy rich. I wouldn’t like to be poor in this time- that would be too depressing. I’d have to be a daring noble woman from a reputable family who has a yen for the truth and disguises herself as a common vigilante trying to track down the infamous Ripper… and therein is an idea for yet another book!
Barb – What projects are you currently working on right now? Would you mind sharing them with us?
Susan – Other than the Starlight Trilogy, featuring Cassie and Bennett, (edits start soon for the next two books in the series), I’ve had another book and a short story accepted by Boroughs.
‘Saving Alexandria’ is a book about a damaged woman who needs to find a savior to help her overcome the demons from her past. I expect the edits on those to start in the New Year, if not sooner.
My short story is a fun piece with a Christmas theme and involves ice skating and a handsome millionaire…
I’m also ‘polishing’ my latest two book series, a paranormal contemporary romance, tentatively titled ‘Double Alchemy’, which I also intend submitting for consideration to my current publisher.
And on top of this, I’m busy writing a new novel, a little different from my norm. It’s a psychological crime thriller set in London, my favourite city, about a rough Italian detective, the independent investigative journalist who loves him and a very nasty, unpleasant yet charming serial killer. It’s taking some time as there’s a lot of research to be done on this one and it’s a little out of my comfort zone! But I like the challenge…
All about the author
Sue Mac Nicol was born in Headingley, Leeds in the United Kingdom. When she was eight years old, her family emigrated to Johannesburg in South Africa. One day after yet another horrific story of violence happening to friends around them, as a family they decided it was time to leave S.A. In December 2000, they found themselves in the Arrivals area at Heathrow and have been in the UK ever since, loving every minute of it.
In between her day job as a Regulatory Compliance Office for a financial services company in Cambridge, and normal daily life, the inspiration for the Starlight series of romance novels was born. Her characters, Cassie and Bennett, finally made their debut onto the flickering screen of a laptop and gave her the opportunity she has today to realise a dream she’d had since being a young girl old enough to hold a pencil.
Sue is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She lives in a town house in the rural village of Bocking, in Essex, with her husband of twenty eight years, Gary (who believes he deserves a long service award for putting up with her for so long) , two children, Jason, 24 and Ashley, 19 and a mixed collie mongrel called Blu.
This was published as an e –book on 13 August 2012 by Boroughs Group Publishing.
This is the first in a trilogy which I call my ‘Starlight’ series. The second novel is due out by Dec 2012 with the final book in the Cassie and Bennett saga planned for early 2013. At the same time, I also have another new novel ‘Saving Alexandria’, due out in early 2013. This is a standalone book – details of what my new book/s are about can be found on my website www.susanmacnicol.com
Susan can be found:
Publisher * Twitter * Facebook Profile * Facebook Page
Website * Pinterest * Amazon.com * Amazon.uk
Cassandra by Midnight is available at:
Amazon Author pages -
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we have Christine Nolfi visiting us! She is the author of Second Chance Grill and is here to answer some of my questions and to share some information about her book. If this sounds like something that you would be interested in reading, please find buy links at the bottom of this post and pick up a copy or two!
Barb – Describe your book in one sentence.
Christine – If you’re partial to movies like Steel Magnolias and books like Fried Green Tomatoes, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Second Chance Grill.
Barb – Tell me a little about yourself.
Christine – I’m zany, an adoptive mother of four, recently remarried and a happy transplant to Charleston, South Carolina. I can also be frighteningly focused, silly or contemplative. At a party, I’m the woman who loosens everyone up with a few jokes so they’ll spill their darkest secrets, which I file away in my brain for characters in future books. This does not go down well with everyone.
Barb – When did you decide to become a writer?
Christine – During childhood, around the time I convinced the kids on the block that fairies had hidden magical gems beneath rocks we’d soon locate. I also persuaded them—and myself—that I could fly. It’s a miracle I didn’t break my legs tumbling from Bobby Cooper’s tree-house.
Barb – State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Christine – In my youth I married a multimillionaire. It didn’t last long, but I sure enjoyed hanging around Hollywood royalty. Oddly, I haven’t written about those years. Yet.
Barb – What do you love about writing?
Christine – Possessing the ability to set emotion on paper. Literature connects people; it’s the closest we come to walking beneath another’s skin. I cherish every facet of the process from the moment the blank page waits for inspiration through the final edit.
Barb – Why did you choose to write in your chosen genre?
Christine – Independent publishing will soon dissolve genre restrictions. My novels take elements from romance, mystery, suspense, literary—I’ll use any tactic available to tell a story in a compelling fashion.
Barb – How do you come up with the premise for a book?
Christine – I’m forever asking the What if? question as I travel, glean the news or meet new people. I also read voraciously, everything from The Wall Street Journal to the latest novel that catches my eye. Once I have a compelling character, I interview him or her in the first person. In essence, I become the character and simply write out backstory on a pad. I never do this at my Mac—there’s something about writing longhand, the slower process, which allows ideas to germinate. Once I understand the main character, the plot takes shape.
Barb – What book is currently on your nightstand?
Christine – Books, actually. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, Heart of Matter by Emily Griffin, Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Then there are the books on my iPad TBR list…
About Second Chance Grill:
Dr. Mary Chance needs a sabbatical from medicine to grieve the loss of her closest friend. But when she inherits a struggling restaurant in Liberty, Ohio she isn’t prepared for Blossom Perini. Mary can’t resist falling for the precocious preteen—or the girl’s father. The bond they forge will transform all their lives and set in motion an outpouring of love that spreads across America.
Welcome back to Liberty, where the women surrounding the town’s only restaurant are as charming as they are eccentric.
Second Chance Grill is the prequel to Treasure Me, 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist, which The Midwest Book Review calls “A riveting read for those who enjoy adventure fiction, highly recommended.”
Christine Nolfi closed her public relations firm after adopting a sibling group of four children. Her debut, 
Treasure Me, was selected as a finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her second release, The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, continues to earn rave reviews. Her latest work, Second Chance Grill, was released October 30th
Christine can be found:
Second Chance Grill:
Treasure Me – 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are welcoming Wendi Zwaduk to the blog. She is the author of The Phantom of the Opera and his here to answer some of our questions and to share some information about her book. She is touring with Goddessfish Promotions and is offering up a gift basket to a randomly drawn commenter from the tour. To increase your chances of winning, click HERE and find the list of all the blog she is appearing on! I hope you enjoy the information that Wendi is here to share!
Barb – Try to describe your book in one sentence.
Wendi – A love to last a lifetime or doomed from the start?
Barb – How would your friends describe me in 20 words or less?
Wendi – I’m short, have blue hair, drive a jeep and laugh way too loud, but I have so much fun.
Barb – State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Wendi – I’m scared to death to get a tattoo.
Barb – Who are your cheerleaders?
Wendi – My best friend and my husband are my biggest cheerleaders. Heck, they argue over who cheers the loudest. I’m also fortunate that my totlet, though he doesn’t know all of what I write, is proud of me, too.
Barb – Did you know the title before you started writing?
Wendi – Generally I don’t know the title beforehand. When I come up with my titles, they are a line from the story. Phantom wasn’t, but that was a strange case where I added to another person’s work. But like with Someone Like You, the characters kept saying, I could fall in love with someone like you. I had to use the line for the title. And yes, the aching quality to the song totally fits with the story as well.
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Wendi – Pantzer with plotting in my blood. I’m bad. I tend to run full steam into a story without knowing what the characters will do. But, that doesn’t mean I write the whole thing without direction. I might start without a plan, but the characters will give it one. I tend to write a scene or two, then stop. I get in a stuck point and just walk away. That’s when the outline shows up. Then I finish the story. I’m strange I know.
Barb – Did you do any research before start or during of the writing of the books?
Wendi – In the case of Phantom, I had to do a lot of research. I wanted to be sure I knew what undergarments were in use at the time. It makes no sense to say something like, he tugged her zipper, when historical readers know for certain zippers weren’t in use yet. I also had to research the phraseology of the time period. I didn’t want to use terminology that didn’t fit. I wanted my readers to feel a part of the story, not ripped out by things that didn’t fit.
Barb – How many books do you read/month?
Wendi – I love to read, so I try to read at least three books a month. Now between the evil day job and the writing gig, sometimes that doesn’t happen. If I get behind my personal quota, I’ll make up for it the next month. Another thing that spurs me on to read more is when my favorite authors release a new book.
Barb – Where can your fans find you ?
Wendi – I’m most easily found on Facebook. I love to see what everyone else is posting and post my own stories, especially my conversations with the Black Cat at my house. If I’m messaged on FB, I’ll respond. If you comment, I’ll comment back.
Barb – Do you ever run into someone who says “You write WHAT?”
Wendi – Yes, I have run into people who just about pass out when they find out what I write. The funniest moment was when I happened to be talking a friend of mine from school. He said he saw a book at the library with my name on it, so he picked it up. When he flipped through the book, he couldn’t believe I’d written it. “Do you know what those people were doing?” Yes, I did and I should—I wrote it. “Well, as long as you know.” He walked away shaking his head.
Barb – Are you reading or writing something else at the moment?
Wendi – I’m always working on something. I can’t stand to be idle. The characters don’t hush and even when I’m not really in the mood to write, I’m still writing. I have notebooks I drag around with me everywhere in case the mood strikes or the characters tackle me. My current work is an extension of the books, Someone Like You and Tangled Up. The readers want to know more about the characters and I can’t let the rest. Plus the characters are still chatting. Got to love that.
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
By
Wendi Zwaduk
BLURB:
The Classics Exposed…
A chance sighting at the Opera, fated love, and three lives in turmoil.
One man pledges to own her, while another wants her heart. The Opera sets the stage for romance and intrigue. In the catacombs below the building lives a man rife with sorrow and passion. The Phantom. But he’s not content to live alone. He wants to possess the one woman who can set him free.
His Christine.
Viscount Raoul de Chagny doesn’t believe the rumours of a Ghost living below the Opera. He only has eyes for Christine, his childhood friend and first love. Together they embark on a sensual journey of discovery and fiery desire.
But she can only have one man. Will love raise her up or tear their world apart?
EXCERPT:
“I cannot.” He threaded his fingers into her hair, drawing her close. “I have the most indecent thoughts when I’m near you.” He spoke against her lips. “I can’t help but want to ruin you, only to keep you in my arms a bit longer.”
The most beautiful shade of red spread across her cheeks and slipped down the column of her neck. She glanced at the door, then shot from her spot on the bed. Christine twisted the lock and pressed herself against the door.
“What kind of indecent thoughts?” she whispered.
“To lash you to my bed with your body bared to me. I want to take you over and over, hearing you cry out my name. To watch you give me pleasure with your submission to me.”
“I’m not educated in the way to love a man.” Her chest heaved with each breath. “Will you teach me? I want to be yours, if for only a short time. I want you to show me how much you love me. Teach me?”
“Yes, my love.” He held out his hand to her. Christine twisted her fingers with his and eased onto his lap. Her eyes widened.
“What are you asking of me?”
“Your submission. Allow me to direct you as if I were the composer of one of your songs. Do you trust me?”
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
I always dreamt of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.
I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I also write under the pen name of Megan Slayer. I’m published with Total-E-Bound, Changeling Press, Liquid Silver Books, Turquoise Morning Press and The Wild Rose Press. Come join me for this fantastic journey!
If you like my work, tell your friends and email me. I love hearing from readers!
Wendi can be found:
Site * Blog * Twitter * Facebook
Fanpage * Amazon * Pinterest * Google+
Goodreads * Romance Novel Center
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are welcoming B.J. Daniels to the blog! She is the author of Justice At Cardwell Ranch and is here to answer some questions about her book and about her writing! If this book sounds like something that you would be interested in reading, please pick up a copy or two using the buy links at the bottom of the post!
Barb – How would you describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb?
B.J. – Remember high school? Still hold some grudges? Wait until the Gallatin Canyon high school reunion. It’s love and murder.
Barb – What’s your current guilty pleasure?
B.J. – Coke Zero. I am totally hooked.
Barb – If you wouldn’t be a writer, what you would be?
B.J. – I would own a junk shop. I love to dig through antique and junk shops looking for cool things.
Barb – When you made your first sale, how did you celebrate and with whom?
B.J. – I made my first sale to Woman’s World magazine. It was my first fiction. I couldn’t have been more excited. I celebrated with my wonderful daughter Danielle. She is still one of my biggest supporters.
Barb – Why did you choose the genre you write in?
B.J. – I love suspense and romance. I think they go well together. Also I like to kill people in books. Now you know the truth about me. J I also love fast paced books so I try to write the kind of book I would love to read. And as always my books are usually set in Montana, because for me, the state is another character.
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
B.J. – I am a pantzer. I never know what’s going to happen when I start but I love being surprised!!! I never know who did it until the end. I love it!
Barb – Did you do any research before start or during of the writing of the books?
B.J. – I always do some research. I love the history in Montana so I try to weave it into my books. I recently returned from historic mining town, Butte, Montana, where I will be setting an upcoming book. It was fun exploring the old buildings and a little scary.
Barb – What book is currently on your nightstand?
B.J. – I just got through reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I love books that I don’t know how they are going to end. It was very twisted. My kind of book.
Barb – How important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?
B.J. – Absolutely it is important. I try to reply to all of the letters and messages I get from readers. Some times it takes me a while because my schedule is pretty tight. But I love hearing from readers and reviewers – and I take their comments to heart.
Barb – Favorite place in the world?
B.J. – I love living in Montana. I write about it because it is so amazing. The country is still wild and the people are so tenacious because they have to be to survive here. It really is still the wild west where I live. I put that love of the state in my books and try to share Montana with my readers the only way I can. So my favorite place in the world is right here in the small Montana town where I live. I can see the Little Rockies from my window. J
Barb – What is in the works for you next
B.J. – I’m excited to announce that my first two single titles from my Beartooth, Montana series – UNFORGIVEN and REDEMPTION will be coming out soon. Unforgiven is out in December with Redemption, my second single title for HQN, out in February. I’m currently working on another one that will be out next October.
In April, my Cardwell Ranch series continues with CARDWELL RANCH TRESPASSER and next Christmas, I return to “the canyon” for a CARDWELL RANCH CHRISTMAS.
JUSTICE AT CARDWELL RANCH:
When Dana Cardwell found her mother’s revised will in a cookbook six years ago, it did more than make her sole owner of Cardwell Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. It also prevented her siblings, Jordan, Stacy and Clay, from selling off their mother’s beloved homestead. The siblings took off and Dana hasn’t heard from them since.
When Dana finds her sister, Stacy, waiting at her door with a baby, she welcomes them in. Still, there’s something suspicious about Stacy’s story. She’s not telling Dana the whole truth and it has something to do with that baby. Does her return have anything to do with their brother Jordan who has been seen in town, too? Or is his reappearance tied to the mysterious death of a friend years ago? And how is their other brother Clay involved? As deadly forces once more threaten this clan of cowboys and cowgirls from all sides, do they still have what it takes to survive?
B.J. Daniels wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist. Since then 
she has more than 40 short stories and 70 books in print. Her best-selling Harlequin Intrigue series, Whitehorse, Montana, has appeared on the USA Today bestselling list numerous times. She has also won a variety of awards including a Career Achievement Award for romantic suspense. JUSTICE AT CARDWELL RANCH is sure to have you on the edge of your seat as you fall in love with the endearing characters.
Buy link for Justice at Cardwell Ranch
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books! Today we are welcoming Sascha Illyvich to the blog! We are going to learn more about Sascha’s latest book, Stuck. If this sounds like a book that you would be interested in reading, please use the buy links at the bottom of the post to pick up a copy or two!
Barb – Try to describe your book in one sentence.
Sascha – Stuck is simply one HELL of an erotic romance about two people who need each other but are too stubborn to realize it.
Barb – Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
Sascha – Europe.
Barb – Aside from writing, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time?
Sascha – The Good life, a premium hand rolled Don Cervantes cigar and glass of wine. I read. Needless to say, I have very little spare time.
Barb – Do you keep track or write reviews for books you read?
Sascha – I do try.
Barb – Do you listen to music while writing?
Sascha – Metal, mostly death and thrash.
Barb – What are your favorite hobbies?
Sascha – The finer points of life, excellent cigars and bourbon/whiskey/wine.
Barb – What are your guilty pleasures?
Sascha – cross dressing, Harlequin romance novels? I don’t know..
Barb – Do you have a day job?
Sascha – I actually have three others now. I edit for Sizzler Editions, tech edit for a company out of the Midwest and now I’m a tobacconist at one of California’s oldest tobacconists.
Barb – Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?
Sascha – Grow a thick skin. Some editor like me is going to see potential in your work, butcher it, make you feel like shit and push your buttons until you break and then push you more, all because we the editor saw something in you that said ‘Yeah, this author can hunt.”
Barb – What’s the hardest part of writing a book?
Sascha – sobriety and that hangover the next day.
Barb – Why did you choose the genre you write in?
Sascha – I love romance because it allows me to bleed and share that with others who feel the same way.
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Sascha – Strict Plotter
Barb – What is your writing schedule?
Sascha – brutal.
Barb – Could you describe to us your typical writing day?
Sascha – There isn’t any sort of “typical” writing day but basically the general agenda is to answer emails, field some social media, facebook/twitter/fetlife etc, and then sit down to hit my word count for the day. Discipline is important.
Barb – How did you come up with your premise for your books?
Sascha – Depends on the books in question and the plot/premise. Sometimes I steal from things like Burn Notice or anime I really like, modify them enough to differentiate but still market to that audience, other times I play the what if game.
Barb – Where do you get your inspiration?
Sascha – Life.
Barb – Your favorite books and author?
Sascha – Right now I’m really loving JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Barb – Which genres do you prefer to read?
Sascha – Paranormal Romance
Barb – What is the one book that you think everyone should read?
Sascha – all of mine…
Barb – How important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?
Sascha – My readers are my world. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am.
Barb – Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook?
Sascha – Fetlife…
Barb – Where can readers find your books?
Sascha – All my titles are on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/
Barb – Where is your work available?
Sascha – Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance E-books, Sizzler Editions, Total E-bound, Decadent Publishing
Barb – The last book you’ve read?
Sascha – Lover Revealed by JR Ward
Barb – Have you ever Googled yourself?
Sascha – Yup
Barb – Vampires or werewolves?
Sascha – Tough call. I’m a wolf, but I’m eternal…
Barb – Do you ever run into someone who says “You write WHAT?”
Sascha – All the time.
Barb – What is in the works for you next?
Sascha – A nap. I just returned from Atlanta, was moderating and on several panels at DragonCON and damn I’m tired!
Barb – What projects are you currently working on right now? Would you mind sharing them with us?
Sascha – Indeed. Two projects – Covenant of Wolves series, involving the restoration of the Faery Kingdom back to its magical glory through the help of Millie the Fae and Prince Faolan, a wolf with special powers. The other project is my Burning Desires series, a sort of “what if the characters in Burn Notice were all puma shifters?” Both are erotic romances
Title: Stuck
Author: Sascha Illyvich
Publisher: Sizzler Editions
Length: 116 pages
Sub-Genres:
BLURB:
Kandy is a young, free spirit. Not afraid to live life, she pushes her body and soul to the limit, hitting all the loud metal concerts, knocking back drinks with the best of them, and coming home hung over to Ian Richards, the man who has taken her under his wing since she came to live with him after her parents died years ago.
Of course, Ian has a past too. He and his ex-wife parted on friendly enough terms, but he still feels guilty for their breakup. It seems to him that his sexy little roommate, who happens to be nine years younger than him, was a part of their problem. Only, his concern for her seemed fatherly until she comes home one night after a Slipknot concert and decides to seduce him. After all, she’s old enough.
For someone her age, she’s wise beyond her years, which even Ian can give her, but still. Can Kandy show Ian that in order to grow, he has to get his priorities straight? Can he get out of his head and let go of the past long enough to see just what he has under his nose? Or will he cling to memories of the past failures and remain stuck?
.
EXCERPT :
Speeding down I-45 towards Dallas, he didn’t know what he was thinking when he let her drive. It was one thing to say “here, let’s take my car,” and another to say “Kandy, you drive.”
He should have known better.
Taking his car was a better choice, it was brand new. He took very good care of his new Jaguar, but Kandy just had to test the new fuel injection system on the highway this time of year. She just had to test the sound system complete with the latest and cleanest speakers on the market.
It wouldn’t be so bad if she listened to something calmer than the vocalist from Mudvayne scream.
Of course, maybe she identified. The vocalist was quite pissed off, but he had to be in his early twenties, right?
Stopping at a truck stop in Centerville, they both got out, stretching their legs. Kandy was dressed in blue jeans that hugged her well rounded ass and emphasized just how tiny she was, a red velvet jacket that hid her frame. She wore a tight black top, showing Ian plenty of cleavage. Her bright red ponytail swung over the curve of her ass. Complete with two inch boots, she was a knockout!
Ian dressed more conservatively. Black slacks, a beautiful purple ribbed sweater that Kandy bought him last year for Christmas, and his trusty Bostonians. Black of course.
Finishing up, Ian met Kandy outside the store and walked with her, arm in arm towards the car.
“I’ll drive,” Ian looked sternly into Kandy’s beautiful eyes.
Kandy pouted, “You don’t like my driving?”
“No,” Ian’s voice was firm.
“Coward.” Sticking her tongue out at him made Ian think of things he shouldn’t. This was just a little vacation, right?
“Fine,” she retorted to his silence. But I get to crank up the music still.”
Ian sighed heavily.
“Yay!” Kandy jumped up, clapping like a little girl who’d just gotten permission to eat sweets.
They got in the car and immediately, Kandy turned up the stereo. More Mudvayne.
Ian groaned.
“Oh come on, there’s passion behind this band. You know what that is, don’t you?”
Ian groaned loudly. “Yes, I know what passion is.”
“Was. Until,” she stopped herself.
Ian was quick to catch her mistake. “How old are these guys?”
It was too late. Kandy had drifted into the heavy rhythms of the bass players’ slap technique.
They were just outside Dallas when Kandy reached over and put her hand on Ian’s thigh. Twitching, he ignored her, feeling deaf. She’d switched out Mudvayne for a louder band with a vocalist who vacillated between sounding like an angel, or like he’d swallowed pins for breakfast.
Jerking when her hand inched up his thigh, Ian looked at Kandy, thrashing to the music. Well, that was a term for it anyway.
Before Ian became fully cognizant, Kandy’s hand had managed to find its’ way to his crotch. The warmth of her hand was welcome, but dangerous.
“What are you doing?” he asked when his zipper slid down.
Kandy reached a hand into his pants, threading her fingers through his boxers.
Choking back a groan, Ian managed to keep his eyes on the road. It had grown considerably darker now.
“What the hell are you doing, Candace?”
“Mmm, don’t call me Candace,” she purred before freeing his cock. She began stroking it, her fingers warming and massaging his rigid cock.
“I can’t pull over for this nonse–” he couldn’t finish the sentence. Keeping his eyes focused on the road, he realized her warm breath had kissed his cock.
Then her lips fell over him.
“I can’t be–oh god Kandy your mouth is so warm…”
Her lips brushed the head of his swollen member, Ian’s knees jerked against the gas pedal, sending them within inches of the car in front of them.
The car in front of them honked, flipped Ian off and changed lanes.
Ian peered down, then at the driver who gave him a thumbs up once he glanced over to see Kandy’s mouth working him over.
Ian groaned pleasurably. His body was on fire, his nerves ready to explode in Kandy’s mouth, but he maintained control. If she wasn’t careful, they’d wreck.
It started to snow.
“Fucking great!” Ian choked the words out when she sank his cock completely inside her mouth.
“I know,” Kandy replied. “You taste so damn good,” she licked the head of his cock like a lollipop. Ian grunted, trying to concentrate on the road, but Kandy’s tongue snaked around his shaft, sliding up one side and down another.
Clutching the steering wheel, his knuckles had turned white by now, and his thighs ached from his trying to remain in control of his car.
It purred, or at least he thought it did until he slowed the car and saw Kandy, purring against his cock. The sensation sent shivers racing through him. Her hot mouth covered him, sliding his cock out of her mouth with a popping sound.
“Kandy,” he gritted his teeth together. Slowing the car, he heard her giggle.
“This is so fun though,” she lowered her mouth over his cock, brushing the sensitive skin with her teeth.
The friction of her wet lips against his swollen sex was enough to drive him wild. “You should stop,” he reiterated, “or I’ll come in your mouth.”
“That’s the idea,” she licked him again.
Thrusting his hips upwards in an attempt to buck her, he quickly realized that he only added to their pleasure.
She wasn’t going to stop.
Ian didn’t care right now. The speed sign passed by too quickly for him to see what the legal limit was, but it didn’t matter. His gray jaguar could outrun any patrol car, but he really didn’t want to have matters come to that.
“Kandy,” he lowered a hand to her hair, stroking her curls, playing, tangling his fingers in her silky hair.
“Silly pet,” she uttered and moved up and down his cock faster and faster, excitement building in him. His throbbing cock jerked in her mouth once, his control over his body gone.
BUY LINKS:
Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel
Today we are welcoming Elizabeth Marx to the blog. She’s the author of Binding Arbitration and is here to share some information about her book and herself and her writing! If this book sounds like something you would be interested in reading, please use the buy link at the bottom of the post to pick up a copy!
Barb – If someone else wrote a blurb about your book what would it say?
Elizabeth – An attorney and a baseball star must come to terms with their complicated past for the sake of their ailing son. ~Kirkus Reviews
Barb – Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
Barb – State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers?
Barb – Do you keep track or write reviews for books you read?
Elizabeth – I do keep track of the books I read on Goodreads, but it’s not a complete list. I’ve read thousands of books and I’d never written a single review until after I became an author. Now I write them very sporadically, unless someone specifically asks me to review for them.
Barb – What’s your favorite scene in Binding Arbitration?
Barb – Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Elizabeth – I’m a reformed pantzer. I’m ashamed to say this, but Binding Arbitration was twice as long as it is now when I finished the first draft. When I wrote the first draft I wrote everything and some of them were things I needed to know about them that didn’t necessarily need to be in the story, now I know what I need to know for the story to work and I only write what I need to write to make the story enjoyable for the reader. So now I do what I call a scene plot, each scene is on a giant note card and it has a goal, characters who will participate and most often some of the dialogue. Even after editing BA is still a long book but it’s half of the original, which is why I pulled most of the back story of Aidan & Libby’s college years into its own prequel: CUTTERS VS. JOCKS, and you can download your free copy at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Sony, or just about any eBook retailer.
Barb – Did you do any research before you started or during the writing of Binding Arbitration?
Barb – How many books do you read a month?
Elizabeth – Before I started writing full time I probably read 10-20 books a month, now I read about 2-3. I do read research type books in addition to the 2-3. But I find that once I’m done working with words all day I don’t feel inclined to start reading, I’d prefer to let my mind wander through a movie or favorite TV show.
Barb – Where can your fans find you?
Elizabeth – You can find out about me and all my titles on my website http://www.elizabethmarxbooks.
Barb – Have you ever Googled yourself?
Elizabeth – Who hasn’t Googled themselves? Me, that’s who! Well my alter ego anyway. I write under a pen name and I never even thought to Google my pen name, which was a real slap to the forehead moment because the other Elizabeth Marx has a rack as abundant as my book. Did I mention she’s a pinup? You can read about the embarrassing experience on my blog! Here’s the post: http://elizabethmarxbooks.
Barb – How many more books can we expect in the series?
Elizabeth – Next in the contemporary Chicago series will be Evita and Tony’s story, so everyone can find out what happened to Manny. Then eventually I’ll do Olivia and Avery’s story but they have some growing up to do, I mean Olivia thinks she’s going to become a nun and Avery’s joined the…well, let’s just say it isn’t the military. I have another book tentatively titled ‘Checkered Flags’ about Luke, a.k.a., Cool Hand Puke, a race car driver, and Lora Lei Fields an interior designer. Avery happens to be the hero’s best friend and Lori Lei is the Palowski’s interior designer and there’s a mysterious black cat that happens to have more than nine lives. Then there are three contemporary shorts that have titles and little else. All of the characters in the contemporary series know the other characters in the other books in some way and Libby & Aidan make appearances in most of them.
Title: Binding Arbitration
Author: Elizabeth Marx
Genre: Romance, Family Saga, Contemporary/Chick Lit
Publisher: Self Published
Paperback/Ebook
Pages: 477
Through the corridors of the Windy City’s criminal courts, single mother Libby Tucker knows exactly how far she’ll go to save her cancer-stricken son’s life. The undefeated defense attorney is prepared to take her fight all the way to the majors.
Circumstances force Libby to plead her case at the cleats of celebrity baseball player Banford Aidan Palowski, the man who discarded her at their college graduation. Libby has worked her backside bare for everything she’s attained, while Aidan has been indulged since he slid through the birth canal and landed in a pile of Gold Coast money. But helping Libby and living up to his biological duty could jeopardize the only thing the jock worships: his baseball career.
If baseball imitates life, Aidan admits his appears to be silver-plated peanuts, until an unexpected confrontation with the most spectacular prize that’s ever poured from a caramel corn box blindsides him. When he learns about his son’s desperate need, it pricks open the wound he’s carried since he abandoned Libby and the child.
All Libby wants is a little anonymous DNA, but Aidan has a magical umpire in his head who knows Libby’s a fateball right to the heart. When a six-year-old sage and a hippy priestess step onto the field, there’s more to settle between Libby and Aidan than heartache, redemption, and forgiveness.
To Purchase Binding Arbitration:
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Print) | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Sony eReader | Diesel |
Also check out Cutters vs. Jocks!
On the idyllic campus of Indiana University, Little-Libby-Nobody runs into Band-Aid, All-American-Athlete, and fireworks explode. Libby and Aidan spiral into a collision course of love at first sight versus lust you can’t fight. As the game plays out and their affection grows, they soon realize that labels like cutters and jocks can’t keep them apart.
But when Libby and Aidan find themselves in trouble they have to confront the reality of where they each fit in the others’ world. Libby believes superstar jocks don’t take cutters to Rose Well House, in the center of campus, at midnight and pledge their undying devotion beneath its sparkling dome. And Band-Aid imagines there’s no place for a pregnant, small-town waitress in his bull-pen or the major leagues. What happens when worthy opponents refuse to play their hearts out?
About the Author:
Windy city writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. In her past incarnation she was an interior designer, not a decorator, a designer, which basically means she has a piece of paper to prove that she knows how to match things, measure things and miraculously make mundane pieces of furniture appear to be masterpieces. Elizabeth says being an interior designer is one part shrink, one part marriage counselor and one part artist, skills eerily similar to those employed in writing.
Elizabeth grew up in Illinois, but has also lived in Texas and Florida. If she’s not pounding her head against the wall trying to get the words just right, you can find her at a softball field out in the boonies somewhere or sitting in the bleachers by a basketball court. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs.
Elizabeth has traveled extensively, but still says there’s no town like Chi Town.
Find the Author:
Website | Email: elizabethmarxbooks@gmail.com | Blog | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Twitter |
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