Snippet Sunday: Kiss of the Virgin Queen

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

The Hoopoe bird plays a prominent role in many stories about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

On May 19, 1935, Lawrence of Arabia died. This larger than life British hero and mechanic fought for the independence of Arabian countries, wrote his memoir, translated Homer’s Odyssey, and wrote a novel so explicit, it couldn’t be published while he was alive. Now that is a legend, my friends.

Speaking of legends, many stories have been written about the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, from four major religions to thousands of novels and movies. My work-in-progress, Kiss of the Virgin Queen, takes place in the spaces between history, religion, and the paranormal. Kiss of the Virgin Queen explores that space and the effects of the epic romance between King Solomon and Queen Makeda that continue to ripple down the centuries to their descendant, Homeland Security Special Agent Eliana Solomon, aka the Jinni Hunter. The following ten sentences pick up from last week’s snippet and conclude the prologue.

“I’m sorry, whoever you are. I cannot rule my father’s kingdom unless I am a virgin. It is forbidden for me to marry. I was born to rule. It is my destiny.”

Sparks flew off the giant and the cave blazed with the light of day. He grew larger and larger, filling up the space. One of his wings brushed her cheek, soft as the fuzz of a baby bird.

“You are young and foolish. You will grow and learn. Above all else, you must seek wisdom. That is your destiny.”

I hope you enjoyed that snippet. Kiss of the Virgin Queen is still a work-in-progress, but you can buy my other books here and I have a newly released paranormal romantic suspense, called Obsession, available now in Kindle format. And here is a link to the short book trailer for Obsession for your amusement. You can find out more about the blog tour for that story here.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the other authors who are participating in Snippet Sunday. Have a great day!

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Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Interview with Lilly Gayle, Author of EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

I am delighted to have my colleague from the Wild Rose Press, Lilly Gayle, with me today to talk about her new release, EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

Lilly has been married since 1980 and lives in North Carolina with her husband and a sweet little dog named Titi. (Cha Cha moved out and is now living with my daughter. Lol!) She is a breast cancer survivor and the mother of two grown daughters.

When not writing or spending time with her husband at the beach, she works at a local hospital as a radiographer and mammographer. She is also a member of RWA and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.

What made you decide to be an author?

When I was in the 8th grade, our teacher (Miss Patricia Black) wanted us to write a story using all of our spelling words. Well, my story filled up a spiral notebook. I was a big fan of the show EMERGENCY back then. So, my story was a romance feature the character played by the actor, Randolf Mantooth and my best girl friend at the time. My teacher loved the idea that I wrote so much, but asked that I narrow it down to on page for the assignment. I wrote a lot of stories that year but burned them all in the fireplace so my older sister wouldn’t find them and make fun of me. From that point on, I wanted to be a writer or a doctor. Instead, I became a radiologic technologist and life got in the way of the writing for a very long time.

What do you like best about being a writer?

It’s fun. I love getting up early when the house is quiet and sitting at my computer—or staying up late after my husband falls asleep. And, if I want, I can drink wine while I work!

What do you like the least?

Rejection, rejection, rejection, self-promotion, writer’s block, slumps in sales, lack of sales, and rejection.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?

I’ve always been an avid reader and read many genres. I was always good in literature and creative writing in school and have always adored history. And there’s been some drama in my personal life over the years. My older sister was born with a degenerative neurologic condition that manifested itself when she was thirteen. She eventually ended up in a wheelchair and from there, her steady decline left her unable to feed of dress herself. Toward the end, she lost the ability to communicate in such a way that people could understand her. She was literally a prisoner in her own failing body. She died in February of last year and she’s now dancing with the angels. Then there was that whole breast cancer thing. I learned a lot from my sister about perseverance, determination, laughter, survival, and faith. I hope those qualities are reflected in my writing.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

All of them. Lol! When I first decided to take my writing seriously in 1997, I was strictly a pantster. I came up with a general concept and just wrote. My characters took control, but sometimes I wrote us into a corner. This happened with Slightly Tarnished, the second book I ever wrote and the second one published. The first book I ever wrote is lost forever. But it was crap, so it hardly matters. Lol! I began taking notes and trying to plot with my other books, but the characters always take over and I end up writing by the seat of my pants, despite my plotting efforts.

You’ve written 6 novels and are working on a 7th. What’s your favorite time management tip?

Never waste an opportunity to write, observe, or gather information for future books. If I have time, I write. I get up early and write before work and I write at night while supper is cooking. I’m off most Fridays, so I dedicate a good portion of that day to writing, promoting, and blogging. And whenever I go somewhere for the weekend or just the day, I take my camera. If an idea comes to me for a future book, I snap a picture of whatever it was that inspired me. I have a lot of photos and have used them on my blog, on Facebook, and in the book trailers my brother usually creates for me. (I have an awesomely talented brother!)

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

Guess I already answered this one. Lol! I have a hard time plotting and actually sticking to the plot, but I recently purchased Scrivner, a writing program that may not help me stick to the plot any better, but it does seem to help me write faster.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

I’m going to quote a line from one of my favorite movies, Galaxy Quest: Never give up. Never surrender! Lol! If writing is your dream, don’t let anyone take that away from you.

Tell me more about EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

An experimental vaccine gives vampire Gerard Delaroache hope for the first time in two centuries–until two people are brutally murdered, and he suspects a conspiracy between vampires and mortals. To solve the crime, he must put his trust in a beautiful detective. But is former soldier and MP turned detective, Amber Buckley, a threat to his existence? Or the answer to his prayers?

Amber Buckley and her partner are assigned to do follow up interviews in the Lifeblood of America slayings. Amber believes she and Reid are just new eyes on a cold case. That is until she meets Gerard Delaroache. Something about him teases long-buried memories Amber would rather not chase. However, the two join together, falling into more than resolution of a murder case. It seems Amber has some dark secrets of her own.

To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

How about an excerpt from EMBRACE THE DARKNESS?

He rolled his eyes and huffed. “Stop pretending ignorance. You know what I am.”

“A vampire. Really?” She wanted to scoff, but a chill shivered over her skin. He wasn’t dead.

And she’d shot him.

Maybe he was wearing Kevlar. But wouldn’t Kevlar show through that tight-fitting shirt?

Perhaps not. Still, there had to be a logical explanation.

Ignoring the warning bells clanging inside her skull, she shoved the Glock back in its holster and reached for the beer she’d deposited on the counter. She took another long, hard pull on the bottle, hoping to douse irrational thoughts.

Gerard inhaled sharply. His eyes devoured her.

Despite renewed fear, she managed to set the bottle back on the counter without dropping it.

He’s not a vampire. He’s not a vampire. He’s not a vampire.

“I’d give anything to drink beer again,” he said in a reverent voice.

Amber nearly laughed aloud. Her shoulders sagged. Gerard Delaroche wasn’t a vampire, and he didn’t want to drink her blood. He wanted a beer. Like a normal guy.

Hell, he probably was normal. She was the one off her rocker.

“Want one?” She forced herself to meet his intense stare.

He smiled. “Can’t. Vampire. Remember?”

Like that was something a girl could forget. It wasn’t every day a hot guy claimed to be a vampire.

Hell, maybe he was a vampire. The man could stop bullets with his chest.

He took a hesitant step closer. She stiffened and took another cautious swallow of beer. He stopped three feet away. Good. Sexy and crazy was a dangerous combination.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Web Links:http://lillygayle.com/blog/

http://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Gayle/e/B003O5OC6G/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1362156442&sr=8-1

Website: http://lillygayle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilly.gayle

https://www.facebook.com/lillygaylebooks

Twitter:@lillygromwriter

Book Trailer(s): Embrace the Darkness http://youtu.be/oh9_O7lXjqg

Out of the Darkness http://youtu.be/2gTUzJEqyyE

Helpless Hearts http://youtu.be/uLCywaAdhO0

Wholesale Husband http://youtu.be/lHmxg7SYr_Q

Slightly Tarnished http://youtu.be/fXL-eSwqwPw

Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Darkness-ebook/dp/B00BK9V76G/ref=la_B003O5OC6G_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1368615150&sr=1-5

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=041be73986323855e0644186f8b25544&keyword=Lilly+Gayle&x=29&y=8

Lilly, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Thanks for having me. And thanks for “blog-swapping” with me today. Readers can find your post on my blog at http://www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com

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Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Interview with Nancy Weeks, Author of In the Shadow of Greed

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

I am delighted to have my friend, Nancy Weeks with me today to talk about In the Shadow of Greed. Nancy C. Weeks has loved happy-ever-after romances since she was in her early teens. While still in college, she met and married her hero and spent the next several years honeymooning and working overseas. Today, she lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty years. Her two children are in college and she spends her days out on her deck writing as the local bird population keeps her company.

Nancy, what made you decide to be an author, specifically a romance author?

Writing a novel has always been a secret dream of mine. Stories have lived in my head my whole life, but I never felt I had it in me to become an author. When my youngest daughter began preparing for college, my sister, Mary, challenged me to get something down on paper. It was her encouragement that kept me writing that first year.

Why romance?

I discovered romance novels while in my early teens. From that moment on, I had at least one romance book on me at all times. I write what I love to read. Intense action, romance, happy-ever-after—what’s not to love?

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

What I like best about being a writer is allowing myself to get lost in my character’s head, to really feel what they are feeling. I can’t explain what happens, but when I connect with my character, the story writes itself. What I like least about being a writer is promotion. The process of getting a book in front of an editor/agent’s eyes is just plain hard work. Once the book is published, the promotion an author has to go through to get their book in front of the reader is also very hard. I’m not very good at it and it tosses me why out of my comfort zone…but I’m learning.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing romance?

I write about a large, loud, loving families, the McNeils. I was raised in a large, loving, loud family. It was the best childhood a child could ask for.

In each of my stories there is an element of the supernatural. My mother taught me to believe in the abundant mysteries in life that we can’t see, touch, or feel―nor understand. But they are there if we just open our hearts to them.

Romance promises happy-ever-after. This year, I’m celebrating my thirty-second wedding anniversary. My sweet hubby and I still hold hands at the dinner table. This is what my Mother’s Day card from him said: I can’t imagine a wife more wonderful than you, a life more perfect than the one we share, or another man as luck as I am. How could I not believe in romance with a man like that in my life?

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

YES! Great question! In each story I have written, I have had a general premise, an outline of how I wanted to story to go. I can’t explain how it happens, but the characters in certain scenes seem to take over. It’s like a scene from a movie in my head. At some point, something happens totally unexpected. It doesn’t necessarily change the direction of the story, but I can’t help sitting back and enjoying the WOW moment―where in the heck did that come from? The story always ends the way I plan, but the way I arrive at the end is a real mystery. The wow moments in writing are just magic.

You’ve written two novels and are working on the third book in your Shadow series. What’s your favorite time management tip?

Boy, time management these days has really become a challenge. What I have done to make sure I get a couple good writing sessions in each day is I get away from the phone and the Internet until noon. Sometimes, I leave my house and sit at the park, or Annapolis Harbor. I have been known to even drive into downtown D.C., park somewhere along the Potomac River, and just write. When I’m searching for that word, sentence, I’m staring out at the famous Washington monuments.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

Oh, definitely a pantser and proud of it.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

I have two. Never allow anyone to ever tell you that you’re not good enough to be a writer. AND… Never allow anyone to ever tell you that you’re not good enough to be a writer!!!

What is the theme song to this book? As you wrote the story, what music did you go back to time and time again?

This is such an easy question. This is Jason and Sarah’s song. It is alive in Jennie and Jared’s story as well as Adam and Calista’s. It tugs at my ever heartstring. Enjoy!

Song from a Secret Garden – Violin and Piano

Tell me more about In the Shadow of Greed

Brilliant cryptologist Dr. Sarah Tu races against time to block the most dangerous Internet malware ever created, a botnet called QUALNTO. While Sarah is closed off in her computer lab, her sister, Hanna, is brutally attacked and left in a coma. As Sarah reels with guilt over not being there for her sister, a web of deception closes in threatening her and everyone she loves.

Hanna’s condition is misleading. In her coma state, she is able to build a psychic bridge with FBI Special Agent Jason McNeil. Her cryptic messages plague Jason to keep Sarah safe.

Tough and street-smart Jason McNeil doesn’t believe in visions or telepathic messages, and he fights the voice inside his head. His first impression of Dr. Sarah Tu is another stiletto wearing ice-dragon on the war path―until he witnesses her façade crumble after seeing her sister’s bloody, tortured body. Jason’s protective instinct kicks in. He falls for Sarah―hard.

When an extremely dangerous arms dealer and cybercriminal discovers that Sarah blocked his botnet, he kidnaps Sarah. Placed in an impossible position, will she destroy the botnet to protect national security or release it to save the man she loves?

How about an excerpt from In the Shadow of Greed?

He thinks I’m dead. Sarah’s coming. Help her!

The voice quivered inside Jason’s head. He pushed away from the pillar and froze. No one was there. His gaze fell back to the woman in the bed. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw, biting down so hard, pain shot up his inner ear.

The next instant, a petite woman with long, straight, raven hair and the most beautiful, hazel eyes he had ever seen charged through the trauma unit. A security officer followed close behind and grabbed her arm, stopping her from moving any farther into the restricted area.

Jason stared at the woman in the bed and back to the woman by the door. He knew, without a doubt, her name was Sarah. His mind raced for an explanation.

“Ma’am, you can’t be back here.” The guard tried to pull Sarah back through the doors.

Sarah yanked out of his hold. The expression on her face was intense, unyielding. “Like hell I can’t. My sister is here. She needs me.”

The charge nurse moved from behind a counter of the nurse’s station and stood next to the security officer. “How can I help you?”

The nurse’s low, gentle voice seemed to have a soothing effect on Sarah. “Hanna Tu.” Her voice shuddered.

Jason couldn’t take his eyes off Hanna’s sister. In an instant, she transformed from a stiletto wearing, ice-dragon on the war path—just the kind of woman he disliked—into a frightened, desperate woman whose vulnerabilities brought out his protective instinct.

As her eyes wildly searched the trauma unit, the nurse reached for Sarah’s arm and guided her toward the doors.

“We’re still assessing your sister’s condition. I’ll have one of the doctors come talk to you in the waiting room as soon as they can. She’s in good hands, I promise you.”

“I need to see her. I need to know she’s okay. The police wouldn’t allow me into her apartment. No one has told me anything. There was so much blood.” She sucked in a deep breath as tears clouded her eyes. “Please let me see her for a moment.”

Her eyes narrowed on the cubicle surrounded by a curtain. One of the nurses moved the fabric aside and left carrying a tray of vials. Sarah’s gaze fell on her sister. “Oh God! Hanna!”

She took a step toward her sister, but her body began to tremble and her knees buckled. Jason rushed forward and caught her as her body collapsed. With one arm wrapped around her waist, he used his other hand to lift the badge that hung around his neck and flashed it at the nurse. “She’s with me.”

He then found an empty chair away from a direct view of the cubicle and lowered Sarah into it. He knelt, keeping his arm around her. Her body shook violently and she gasped for air. The charge nurse brought over a cup of water and handed it to Jason. He brought it to Sarah’s lips.

“Drink, Sarah, it will help.”

She sipped the water and closed her eyes, taking in several deep breaths. “W-who hurt her? W-why?”

“We don’t know, but we’ll find out. He’ll pay for this.”

Sarah finally glanced up at him and pulled away. “Who are you?”

And the ice-dragon’s back. Jason clenched his jaw to keep a smile from spreading across his face. He couldn’t put his finger on the why, but this woman intrigued him. “Detective Jason McNeil.”

“Why are you here and not out finding the person who hurt my sister?”

Don’t let her push you away. She needs you, we need you.

Jason was taken aback by the weak, small voice in his head. What the hell was going on? Finding his voice, he said, “Someone tried to kill your sister.” He glanced toward Hanna’s cubicle. A crushing anger boiled up from deep within his gut. “The guy who attacked her has killed at least three other times we know about and he didn’t mean to leave Hanna alive. I’m not giving him a chance to finish the job.”

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Website: http://nancycweeks.com/

Blog: http://nancycweeksauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyCWeeksAuthor?bookmark_t=page

Twitter: @NancyCWeeks

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Crimson Romance ebooks

The book trailer to In the Shadow of Greed

Nancy, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

My Review of In the Shadow of Greed: 5 Snap, Crackle, and Pops!

When I first began reading Nancy Weeks’ In the Shadow of Greed, I was immediately engaged by her main character, Dr. Sarah Tu. Attentive to the point of being obsessed with her top-secret work on a cybercrime, Sarah is so engrossed in her work, she misses the time to meet her ever-patient and forgiving sister, Hanna, to go on a vacation. That lapse allows a serial killer, who has been stalking Hanna, the opportunity to torture and kill Hanna. When Sarah arrives at blood bath, her world is crushed. Driven by guilt and remorse, Sarah spends every available moment at her comatose sister’s side at a rehabilitation facility. Much to her chagrin, so does Jason McNeil, a hard-bodied slab of a cop who had been trailing the serial killer.

Jason is consumed with rage over the loss of yet another woman to this monster. Hanna should have never been left to his cruel devices. Jason feels he should have arrested this animal months before. Now he visits Hanna on a regular basis and runs into the very attractive, intensely private Sarah Tu almost every time he visits. The attraction between Jason and Sarah crackles off the page, however, Sarah’s ability to shut down her emotions pushes him away at every turn. At last, he decides to leave the area for a geographic cure for his heartache and guilt. However, as the saying goes, “Wherever I go, I take myself” is true for Jason, too. He could no more forget Sarah than she can forget him. Fate and the forces of evil conspire to bring them back with a bang.

No spoilers coming from me! I very much enjoyed this story and learned a lot about cybercrime without feeling as if I was being lectured. Nancy Weeks did her research and it showed. I was delighted when it went off the pure police procedural/cyber forensics track to a paranormal romantic suspense story firmly anchored in solid police work and computer sciences. This book took me for a fun filled ride with enough twists and turns to keep me flipping through my Kindle late at night. I highly recommend this book!

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Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Interview with DANI COLLINS, Author of PROOF OF THEIR SIN.

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

Hi Sharon, thanks for introducing me to your readers today.

What made you decide to be an author?

As soon as I discovered romance novels in high school, I wanted to write them when I grew up. It just seemed like the best job ever. (It is.)

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

I love being caught up in a story world with people I like, visiting exciting places. Even the challenge of making deadline is fun for me. The only thing I’m not one hundred percent keen on is the business side. I’m still learning that side of it and therefore find myself easily frustrated, but I’ll get there.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?

Do you mean how do my own unique views affect my voice? I’m a pretty cheerful person who always looks for the best in those around me, so I think that makes me a natural for romance. Sure, we have some truly dark and dastardly alpha heroes, but they always have a redeeming quality, which is something I like to believe everyone has. If you mean in a more practical way, I spent a long time learning to write around children and a day job, so that all feels routine to me.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

I’ve never had a whole book feel that way, but definitely pieces of stories come out that way. With Proof Of Their Sin, the white tie ball all the way up to where Paolo returns her to her room flowed without effort, as if I’d read it a thousand times and all I had to do was type it. Other chunks of the story had to be pried out of me with sharp instruments, but we got there.

You’ve written countless novels, of which three are available. You’re working on your seventh contracted novel. What’s your favorite time management tip?

I hire someone to clean my house, which I often want to apologize for, but I work all week and this is my second job. Do I really need to vacuum and prove I can do it all? I can’t.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

More of a plotter, and a ton of that is done in my head while driving to work or I’m doing something mindless like filing, so when I go to write a synopsis, I already have a strong idea what’s supposed to happen. There’s still room for surprises, however. I never imagined goody-two-shoes Lauren would throw a tomato at Paolo, but she did.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

If you really want to do this, keep at it. I took 25 years to sell my first book and I’ve contracted for eight since The Call one year ago, plus put out an indie rom com. It’s worth sticking to your guns and getting here.

Tell me more about PROOF OF THEIR SIN.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

A beautiful mistake…

Pregnant. Lauren Bradley’s heart stops—there’s only one man who can be the father and it’s not her late husband, the man everyone thinks is a celebrated war hero….

Ravaged with guilt at sleeping with his best friend’s wife, Paolo Donatelli closed his heart to Lauren forever. But in nine months’ time, the proof of their incredible night together will be there for the world to see.

Marriage is Paolo’s answer to avoiding more scandal, but it’s Lauren’s worst fear—she still bears the scars from the first time she said “I do.” Can she trust Paolo enough to reveal the truth?.

How about an excerpt from PROOF OF THEIR SIN?

“Men like me?”

“Like you and Ryan. You’re sex machines. You made a pass at a woman on her wedding day, for God’s sake!”

“And you kissed me back,” he near shouted. “You came out to the garden after me so don’t make out like I hunted you down. I was trying to get away from you. You made the first move in Charleston too. So which one of us is the sex machine?”

Before she knew what she was doing, the yellow tomato left her hand and was flying at his head.

He fielded it like a pro, his reflexes catlike, but his reaction of astonished disbelief came more slowly as he looked at the orb smashed into his palm. Very deliberately he set it aside and wiped his hand on his shirt, lifting his head in a way of a predator locking onto his prey, retribution a ferocious light in his outraged expression.

Lauren’s heart stopped. All her blood drained into her toes and a cold sweat chased it. She was as flabbergasted as he was and the way he seemed to gather and glow with challenge melted her into a puddle of apprehension.

“I-I-” she stammered.

He began walking toward her and she tried to retreat, backing into the fridge door and knocking condiments over in their trays while her nerveless fingers lost their grip on the cloth bag. It fell to the floor. More tomatoes rolled out toward his menacing steps while she managed to shuffle around the door and clatter it closed, taking refuge at one end of the island, putting it between them as he came up to the other end, threat in every line of his aggressive stance.

Part of her knew this standoff was insanely childish, but he looked not just furious, but intent. She was trapped and a frisson of something unidentifiable went through her. Not real fear, but the kind that chased you through a haunted house, making you want to laugh while you were screaming.

“You can’t stand for a woman to resist you, can you?” she threw out.

“If you at least tried to resist, cara, we might not be in this situation.”

“Who is chasing who right now? I don’t want anything to do with you. You’re behaving like an idiot.”

His head went back in insult while a hint of desperation shadowed the eyes that stayed fixed on her. “Do I really have to chase a woman who wants to be caught?”

Her heart did a back flip while she protested, “Get over yourself!”

At the same time, her heart raced with something more like anticipation than fear, even though she was very scared how she’d react if he touched her.

He faked left and she feinted in a mirror dodge before taking her chances by running down the opposite side of the island.

Paolo was not only competitive, but strong, athletic and ruthless. He vaulted onto and slid over the island, landing before her so she would have crashed into him if he hadn’t caught her by the arms to cushion the impact.

“You—”

He smothered her cry of fury with his mouth.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Website: http://www.danicollins.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniCollinsAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniCollinsBook

Buy Links: Proof Of Their Sin is available for pre-order on Amazon. It hits shelves July 1st in North America, UK, and Australia.

Dani, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

My pleasure, Sharon. Thank you so much for having me.

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Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Sunday Snippet: Kiss of the Virgin Queen

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

The Hoopoe bird plays a prominent role in many stories about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you all have a relaxing day with your loved ones.

Many stories have been written about the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, from four major religions to thousands of novels and movies. My work-in-progress, Kiss of the Virgin Queen, takes place in the spaces between history, religion, and the paranormal. Kiss of the Virgin Queen explores that space and the effects of the epic romance between King Solomon and Queen Makeda that continue to ripple down the centuries to their descendant, Homeland Security Special Agent Eliana Solomon, aka the Jinni Hunter. The following ten sentences pick up from last week’s snippet from the prologue when the Queen of Sheba is a young girl.

The giant creature stood and his head touched the top of the cave. Her voice caught in her throat. He looked like her father had the day she heard the wolf speak, only angrier.

“Hear me, Makeda. You will become the mother of a nation of kings. Go home and prepare yourself. Learn everything you can about love, honor, and becoming a wise and just ruler, so you can teach your son and his son.”

She was terrified of this messenger and his god, but rules were rules. Her own mother had disappeared when she was a baby. Wasn’t that enough evidence that the punishment for non-virgin queens was banishment?

I hope you enjoyed that snippet. Kiss of the Virgin Queen is still a work-in-progress, but you can buy my other books here and I have a newly released paranormal romantic suspense, called Obsession, available now in Kindle format. And here is a link to the short book trailer for Obsession for your amusement. You can find out more about the blog tour for that story here.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the other authors who are participating in Snippet Sunday. Have a great day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Whirlwind by Layla Chase

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

Thanks for hosting me today, Sharon. Today I’m sharing a bit about the idea that started my story, Whirlwind. Several years ago I was living in San Antonio, and I saw a huge article in the newspaper on a national tattoo convention. I became intrigued by the idea of the types of people who would be in the booths, displaying their artistic abilities.

This was years before the television reality shows featuring such artists. About the same time, I’d visited a museum and saw photos of Native Americans with various tattoos. Those two components meshed and I had my heroine, Senna Whitefeather. Read further to learn a bit more about the story that is free through May 11th on Amazon and is currently on the Top 100 list for erotica. http://amzn.to/13sXmUu

Tagline

Unveiling tattoos with a stranger has never been so dangerous…or sexy.

Blurb

Hosting her first booth at a national tattoo convention is nerve-racking enough for artist Senna Whitefeather. But then she runs into another Native American—one with a smoking hot and firm body—a man she soon realizes is following her. Appreciation for art takes on a new meaning when a challenge to unveil their tattoos escalates into a passionate encounter in the back of her booth. But will Senna’s brazen attitude of going after what she wants backfire?

Excerpt

Senna lifted the plastic badge, angled it toward the security guard then turned toward her designated booth. And bumped smack into a male—solid muscle from chest to knees—and she stumbled.

Firm hands grasped her upper arms and steadied her. “What’s your hurry?”

The deep voice rumbling near her ear resonated through her bones, kicking up her heart rate, and set her further off-balance. Both hands tangled with the supple cotton of his T-shirt and held tight. All she saw before her was a broad expanse of black cloth. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking—” She glanced up—straight into midnight black eyes that seemed to look deep into her soul. Her gaze clung for a long moment then she forced herself to blink.

The stranger smiled and the bronze-toned skin around his eyes crinkled. “Good thing I was, or we’d both have gone down.”

With a quick look, Senna registered the slash of his dark brows, high cheekbones, and long, black hair pulled back along his neck. Another Native American. Strong features balanced by an open smile. Why did she have the sudden urge to sway forward against his broad chest? A chest that appeared capable enough to harbor a woman tied in nervous knots over today’s exhibit.

Spirit of Life, she was late.

“Again, I’m sorry.” She stepped back, away from his broad hands and fought against acknowledging the immediate loss of warmth. No time for distractions, even tall, dark and sexy ones. “I’ve got to get to my booth.”

With a dip of his chin, he swept a hand in the direction she headed. “The right-of-way is yours.”

Senna hustled down the side aisle but couldn’t resist a quick backward glance over her shoulder. The tall stranger dressed all in black had disappeared into the crowd.

Those who leave a comment here will be included in a drawing for a title from my backlist. Be sure to include your email address.

For more information about future releases:

www.laylachase.com

http://www.facebook.com/layla.chase.52

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/229815.Layla_Chase

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Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Interview with Alana Lorens, Author of SECOND CHANCES

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

I’m delighted to have with me today my fellow Wild Rose Press author, Alana Lorens (aka Barbara Mountjoy) who has been a published writer for over 35 years. In addition to producing massive word counts, Alana also takes care of a husband and a bunch of kids and blogs on a variety of subjects, including autism, science fiction and life at Awalkabout.

Alana, what made you decide to be an author?

I read from the time I was three, and fell in love with romantic suspense by the time I hit junior high school. I guess it was natural that I’d want to write the same genre. I finished my first novel when I was 14, and actually sent it off to Doubleday, who published Victoria Holt’s novels. The editor was so kind and sent me a nice letter of rejection, encouraging me to keep at it. So different from the market today!

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

I love creating, and scenes where I know what HAS to happen and actually MAKING it happen in a way that’s appealing is almost like a drug. When you succeed, it’s like you’re flying over the moon.

What I don’t like is listening to people argue about the future of publishing or traditional vs. small press vs. self-publishing and how one is good and one is bad. There’s certainly room in the world for as many books as people can create. Readers will be able to tell which ones they like. Let’s just get to work and support each other.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing?

Particularly in the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyer series, of which SECOND CHANCES is the second volume, I know what it’s like to be a family law attorney practicing in Pennsylvania, and I’ve been to Pittsburgh a lot. Inessa Regan, our heroine, is also not model-thin, and when she’s hurt, she cuddles up with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s to compensate. I like writing about real women.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

I’ve never felt this way. My characters don’t get away from me. I’m a control freak like that. Ha!

You’ve written 17 novels and are working on an 18^th AND 19th novel. What’s your favorite time management tip?

What works for me is writing every day, but not necessarily at a set time. I often have “down time” waiting for a kid at the doctor, or waiting on a court hearing to convene, etc., and I make sure I have a notebook to go ahead and write out the next scene or at least outline. By getting my mind working on what’s next, when I actually have an hour to sit down and do it, things go much more smoothly.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

It depends what kind of deadline I’m on. I try to write during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) each year, to get a first draft done for a book to edit during the next year. For that, I’ll write character sketches and outlines the month before so I can just concentrate on getting the words on the page. Same with some of the genre fiction I write where the formula is expected.

On the other hand, the ménage sci-fi romance I’m writing now is just flowing chapter by chapter, and I’m not really sure exactly how it’s getting where it’s going. J It’s discovery for me, too!

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

Never give up on your dream. I finished my first novel when I was 14 but didn’t get a contract for 39 more years. And now I’ve got four publishers, 17 novels and the dream I’ve always wanted.

Tell me more about SECOND CHANCES.

When Inessa Regan gets a pink slip, laid off from her law firm at the age of 42, without prospects she’s sure her life is over. She hides from the world, until her neighbor brings her a client, a young Iraq war veteran dying of cancer.

Kurt Lowdon only wants to make sure his affairs are in order should the worst happen, but meeting Inessa gives him encouragement on the road to recovery. His quest to help her realize her self-worth leads them into dangers they never expected, as horrors from the war and long-hidden family secrets come back to haunt them.

How about an excerpt from SECOND CHANCES?

Sure! This scene takes place after one of Kurt’s friends has a disturbing encounter at his parents’ home. Inessa is handling his divorce. Kurt, Rafe and his soon-to-be ex Susan all served in Iraq together:

Kurt was present on a Thursday morning near the end of June when Rafe burst through the door. Inessa, working on some papers in her office, heard the veteran’s gasping breaths as he yelled, “Top? You gotta do something!”

She had started out of her office before Kurt called her, but she wasn’t prepared when the young man pulled a dead gray cat out of his black backpack. “What the—”

“It’s my mother’s pet,” Rafe exclaimed through clenched teeth. “Sus killed my mother’s cat and nailed it to the garage door.”

A sensation of writhing worms passed through Inessa’s gut and she turned away from the bloody carcass, wishing she could get the image out of her mind, but it stayed there, like a bright afterimage in the dark. “Sweet Lord.”

“Rafe. Put that thing away,” Kurt ordered, his voice choked. He’d risen to his feet and stood stiff, watching them both. “Now, Private!”

“But—yes, Sarge.”

Inessa waited till the animal was hidden again before she first took a glance, then came to perch on the edge of the secretary’s desk, where Kurt had been loading an anti-virus program onto the future secretary’s computer. She had to force herself to look at Rafe. “Did you call the police?”

Face worn with lack of sleep, Rafe tossed the backpack over near the door, blood still on his hands. He wiped them on his pants. “Sure, my mother called them. They said if we didn’t see someone do it, they couldn’t do a damn thing. But you and I both know it was her.”

“You know where she is, Rafe?” Kurt walked over and put an arm around his shoulders. The picture was Mutt and Jeff to Inessa’s view: the strapping former bomb defuser with the debilitated former sergeant, the smaller of the two clearly the superior.

“Now, Top—”

Kurt pulled away. “You’ve been together, haven’t you?”

That got Inessa’s attention, although she wasn’t totally surprised when Rafe nodded.

“She met me last night up at the Wendy’s on West Liberty. Just to talk. Just to see if we could, you know… if I could help her in some way,”

“Oh, man.” Kurt blew air between pursed lips. “You know that’s not going to get you anywhere.”

“She sounded okay, Top, like herself again. I just thought that maybe she got medicated, maybe she was doing better.”

Inessa watched the anxious young veteran and compared his shamed attitude with that of any number of other abuse victims she’d represented. Inexplicable to those outside the relationship, they often went back, drawn by financial considerations, by coercion, often only by the hope and a promise that everything would change. Why wouldn’t they? Even abusers could be charming when they wanted to be. If you knew they could be so wonderful, why shouldn’t you hope they could always be that way?

“But apparently she wasn’t.”

Rafe shrugged. “She started out that way. She was even flirting. The way she tore into that food, I don’t think she’d eaten for days. But when I paid for the burgers, she grabbed my change. After, she demanded money. Said it was my fault she got kicked out of the apartment and she had to have a place to sleep the night.”

“You didn’t take her to your parents’ house?” Kurt said.

“Of course I didn’t.” Rafe sounded insulted. “I gave her another fifty, that’s all I had. She was angry there wasn’t more. She started making threats. Getting loud. The manager tossed us out and said he was calling the cops. She was yelling there in the parking lot, cursing me and men in general. I couldn’t talk to her. I tried, Top, I owed her that much.”

“I know you felt like you had to,” Kurt said.

“Finally I just got in my car and left her there. I stayed up awhile when I got home, sitting out on the porch with my pistol, but nothing.” He glanced at his backpack. “Then this morning, that.”

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Website: http://alanalorens.com

Facebook:
Facebook Fan Page

Book Trailer(s): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEMtSxd6FQQ

Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-ebook/dp/B008CVY09Q/ref=la_B005GE0WBC_1_3_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1367343736&sr=1-3

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chances-alana-lorens/1111662223?ean=9781612710808

Alana, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Thanks for having me! I enjoyed visiting with you and your readers. J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know it’s that time of year again? Yup, it’s the TRR Sizzling Summer Reads Season! Come on by, play some games, win lots of prizes!!

Tony-Paul de Vissage and the Day and the Way They Met

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

I’ve often joked that I was seduced at the age of six by a 500-year-old vampire. Her name was Countess Marya Zaleska…

Now…now…don’t get your knickers in a twist. She wasn’t a predatory female but she was the title character in the movie Dracula’s Daughter. I came away from the encounter intact…physically, anyway, but mentally?…from that moment, I was hooked by the fanged fiend, the nosteratu…the vampyr!

I still remember it well…of being in the darkened theatre, Maman sitting next to me but it was as if I were totally alone…staring up at the screen at those faces enlarged to frightening proportions in stark black-and-white, accompanied by music designed to send a shiver down my spine and make good-bumps prickle my skin…Dracula’s Daughter…

When I toddled out of that theatre, I was completely under the spell of a woman who, according to the dialogue in the story, had “died 500 years before. Not only under her spell, but completely and thoroughly hooked as far as vampires in general and dear old Dad Dracula in particular were concerned.

I went on my merry way…only to fall a decade later to another vampiric family, when I met the members of the Clan Andriescu and the rest of my seduction was complete.

It was a dark and stormy night…

(Thank you Bulwer-Lytton!)

Actually, it was at sunset on the beach at Savannah, Georgia, and there wasn’t a storm cloud in sight.

With their cousin Timon, Marius and Valerius Andriescu were touring the South looking for the site of the Battle of Bloody Marsh. I was a smart-ass in those days, being all of sixteen and full of teenage angst and hopping hormones and a desire to rebel against any and everything which didn’t go my way. They took all that in stride and didn’t turn me into an instant Tony-Paul martini (very shaken and somewhat stirred) but instead became my patrons in the Art of Writing All Things Vampire. Like the Countess, the Andriesculisti suffered some of the same problems as we humans and they wanted their story told…

So I did it and The Clan Andriescu will be released by Class Act Books as a fictional novel this month. Calling it “fiction” was the easiest way to get it published. After all, who’d believe vampires actually exist? Right?

I’m still enjoying novels about vampires, and any television show or movie which even hints at the presence of one will definitely get my attention. Back in the 1970’s, I started collecting vampire novels and at last count had over 300. (This has now tapered off due to financial reasons.) I always look forward to Hallowe’en because then the “Creature Features” and cable channels such as SYFY and Chiller roll out the tried and true, as if specifically for my benefit.

To paraphrase the motto of New Orleans, where Val, Mark, and Tim now reside along with other denizens of the supernatural, Laissez le frissons roulez! (Let the shivers keep coming!)

Coming Soon, from Class Act Books, The Clan Andriescu…

Marius, head of the Clan… Exiled for stealing one too many women from his prince…He can’t understand why the woman he loved in 1968 doesn’t want to renew their affair in 2013…

Valerius, the baby brother… ordered to marry, he selects the one girl who’s off limits because she’s human…all right to bite but not to wed…

Timon, the cousin… Being married to the most famous writer of vampire novels since Anne Rice can be fun, until she writes an expose proving vampires are real…

When the sun sets on Savannah Beach, they meet a smart ass adolesdcent named Tony-Paul de Vissage…they entrust their life story to him…

Twenty years later, it becomes a novel…

EXCERPT:

“Back, foul fiend!” TP crossed one forefinger over the other, holding his hands in front of him.

“What the Hell are you doing?” The one called Val demanded, jumping back with a hiss.

Timon reached out, knocking TP’s hands apart. “That won’t help you,” he snarled. “We’re Jewish!”

“Don’t believe him.” Val recovered, leaning forward to whisper rather earnestly, “We’re Russian Orthodox. Really.”

“Back foul fiend?” Marius started laughing when TP spoke and now got himself under control. “I haven’t heard that phrase in at least a century. Where’d you dig up that?”

“I-I heard it in a Dracula movie the other night.” TP looked a little disappointed at their reaction.

“Dracula.” Marius looked disgruntled. “The best example of bad press, if ever there was. He should’ve sued his publicist.”

“If you’re through dissing Dracula, would you tell me…W-where am I?” wavered TP. “What have you done to me?”

“Done to you?” They looked at each other and back at him. “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie. I know what you are. Exactly.”

“Okay.” Timon walked over to the fainting couch and slouched on it, legs crossed, hands behind his head. “I’ll bite.” He looked as if he’d like to do just that. “What are we? Exactly?”

“Y-You’re…vampires!”

“Vam…” He began to laugh, displaying those overlong eyeteeth. “You’ve got a sense of humor, kid, I’ll give you that.”

The Clan Andriescu will be released this month by Class Act Books.

Other novels by Tony-Paul:

From Class Act Books:

Vampires are Forever: http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-are-Forever-ebook/dp/B006V3YMU4/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360165182&sr=1-7&keywords=Vampires+are+Forever

The Night Man Cometh: http://www.amazon.com/Night-Man-Cometh-Tony-Paul-Vissage/dp/1935048848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364575766&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Night+Man+Cometh

Dark God Descending:http://www.amazon.com/Dark-God-Descending-ebook/dp/B00APSKVQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360164158&sr=1-1&keywords=Dark+God+Descending

From Silver Publishing:

Blood Will Freeze: : https://spsilverpublishing.com/blood-will-freeze-ebook-p-1210.html

The Best Dentist in Orange County: https://spsilverpublishing.com/the-best-dentist-in-orange-county-ebook-p-1224.html

Unpath’d Waters, Undream’d Shores: https://spsilverpublishing.com/unpathd-waters-undreamd-shores-ebook-p-1250.html

Snippet Sunday: Kiss of the Virgin Queen

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

The Hoopoe bird plays a prominent role in many stories about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

She peeked up through strands of curly black hair. “Why me?”
“Your son will rule a great kingdom.”
Despite her fear, the notion of being a mother tickled her gut and tore huge gulps of laughter out of her throat. She wasn’t even a woman yet.
The creature stared at her. “You dare to laugh?”
The girl struggled to regain her self-control. “I’m never going to marry. I will never have children—”

I hope you enjoyed that snippet. Kiss of the Virgin Queen is still a work-in-progress, but you can buy my other books here and I have a newly released paranormal romantic suspense, called Obsession, available now in Kindle format. And here is a link to the short book trailer for Obsession for your amusement. You can find out more about the blog tour for that story here.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the other authors who are participating in Snippet Sunday. Have a great day!

Interview with Kimberly Kincaid, Author of Drawing the Line

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Sharon Buchbinder

I am delighted to have my friend, Kimberly Kincaid, with me today to talk about her new release, Drawing the Line. Kimberly writes contemporary romance novels that split the difference between sexy and sweet, taking the traditional idea of boy-meets-girl and infusing it with a sassy magic all her own. She believes in fiery yet flawed characters destined for a crash-course in falling in love– usually the hard way– and injects her trademark humor as well as poignant touches into her writing to create her stories.

Kimberly, what made you decide to be an author, specifically a romance author?

Not to put too fine a point on it, there are lots of voices in my head and I wanted to put them to good use J I have a really busy imagination, and it is constantly whispering stories to me. I have always loved to write, and channeling those stories from my brain to the page just made sense.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least?

I love almost everything about being a writer! The down-the-hall commute is fantastic, even if the work day is never 9-5. The only drawback is that, like with any full-time, high-intensity job, it takes a lot to balance being a writer with my “real” life. Thankfully, my husband is wildly patient, and my kids like Cheerios for dinner when I’m on deadline.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing romance?

I write foodie romance, where food shapes the story in some way (usually through the characters’ professions— I write a lot of chefs and caterers and bakers and the like). Since I was raised in a family where “food is love”, I’ve definitely carried that over. Cooking (and eating!) has a huge place in my heart and my family.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book–as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with?

I often joke that my characters are way more in charge of their books than I am. I’m just the conduit! My second Pine Mountain book (Gimme Some Sugar, coming from Kensington in 2014) had a different heroine at first. I started writing it, and the hero kept telling me, “But I really like that woman over there!” After about 10,000 words of me trying to give him the “wrong” girl, I gave up and wrote the heroine he wanted. Best thing I ever did. The book poured right out from there.

You’ve written two novellas, three full-length novels and are working on a fourth novel. What’s your favorite time management tip?

I’ve published two novellas, written another scheduled for release in October 2013, and have completed three full-length novels to be released next year. I’m currently working on one more novella for my digital series, as well as my fourth full-length Pine Mountain book. I’d like to say I’m good at time management, but the truth is…I like Facebook too much! I am a big list-maker though. So I’ll say making realistic to-do lists and sticking to them. Without too many Facebook breaks!

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer?

My critique partners will laugh at this— organic is my favorite word! I am a total plotter. I have tried to pants my way through things and it just turns out like a mess. But I am very, very true to writing organically. I think we must honor what comes out as part of the process, whether it be plotted or unplanned. For me, it’s the best way to cultivate voice.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

Persevere. PERSEVERE (it’s important enough to deserve eye-blinding caps, friends). It is okay to quit every single day as long as you get up fifteen minutes later and start again. Sticking with it is the biggest key to success, and is how we invent and reinvent ourselves as writers. Persevere!

What is the theme song for this book, the one you kept listening to as you wrote the story?

I am SO glad to see this question! It is “Gone, Gone, Gone” by American Idol cutie Phillip Phillips. I have worn a hole in my iPod playing it over and over. It just embodies the “I will be there for you no matter what” flavor of Jason and Serenity’s story to me.

Tell me more about Drawing the Line.

When Detective Jason Morgan is tasked with keeping a local restaurant owner safe as part of a make-or-break case, he rises to the challenge. The job is his first priority, and he owes it to the memory of his father, a detective killed in the line of duty, to do it at any cost. But Jason never expected Serenity Gallagher to be so beautiful, so serious…or so tough to protect.

Serenity has moved from place to place at the whim of her capricious mother all her life. The last thing she wants is to leave the diner she finally calls home, even if it means being stuck with a sexy blue-eyed detective. But she’s the only witness to a horrible crime, and the man behind it wants her very, very dead. Going into protective custody means survival, no matter how much Serenity hates hiding.

As Jason and Serenity bide their time together, they are shocked to discover they have much more in common than the surface reveals. But keeping her safe is Jason’s number one priority, no matter how much he’s drawn in by the woman beneath the witness, and Serenity’s past makes it difficult to trust. As the stakes get higher and the spark burns hotter, can Jason and Serenity draw the line?

How about an excerpt from Drawing the Line?

“Is everything okay in here? I heard a crash from the nurse’s station.” The nurse looked down at the still-overturned blood pressure monitor, then narrowed her eyes on Serenity’s wardrobe change. “You shouldn’t be out of bed. And where’s your gown?”

Serenity’s dark eyes went as round as her mouth, and she took a step back, bumping to a halt against the edge of the bed rail. “I, um…I…”

“It’s actually my fault,” Jason said, stepping in to give the nurse a sheepish smile while he blocked Serenity from the woman’s view. “I knocked right into this thing while I was helping Ms. Gallagher back to her bed so she could rest while she waits for her release papers. I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see it.” He tossed up his hands in a whoops-like approximation, cranking up his most winning smile as he reached down to set the rolling stand back to rights, and God bless her, the nurse bit hook, line and stethoscope.

“Oh.” The nurse blushed, her attention diverted. “I apologize, detective. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay down here.”

“Everything’s great,” Jason said, choosing as much genuine truth as possible while still cultivating an advantage. “Sorry to alarm you.”

The woman’s glance flickered over Jason’s shoulder, where Serenity must’ve given some sign of acknowledgment, because the woman headed toward the door without wasting so much as a step. “Just use the call button if you need anything. And please stay in bed, Ms. Gallagher. Just because your MRI came back clear doesn’t mean you should be running around. It’s easy to get dizzy with a head injury, even if you think you feel fine.”

He waited until the door bumped shut against its frame before turning to lift his brows at Serenity, who perched on the edge of the bed even though every inch of her body language had her poised for the door.

Nope. No chance. Jason angled himself directly into her exit path, smiling to temper the move. “Now where were we? Ah, right. I was helping you get back into bed,” he said, stepping in to pull back the thin cotton blanket and offer up his hand.

Her expression was wary, but she balanced it out with a firm grip of her fingers over his as she replaced herself against the mattress. “Why did you cover for me?” Serenity asked, and Lord, he was a sucker for a woman who got right to business. Her eyes flicked to the spot on his shoulder that blocked her view of the door, and okay, yeah. She meant a lot of business.

“I didn’t think you getting on the nurse’s bad side would help either of our causes,” Jason said, shocking himself at the straight answer.

Her brow popped high enough to disappear under the dark fringe of her bangs, and even though she made a good effort to cover the resulting wince, he caught it. “And what causes would those be?”

“You want to get out of here against medical advice pretty badly, Ms. Gallagher. And I don’t want to let you.”

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Website: www.kimberlykincaid.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimberly.kincaid1

Twitter: @kimberlykincaid

Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Love-On-The-Line-ebook/dp/B00BL77PKO/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_0880

Kimberly, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Thanks for having me! Enjoy the book, but don’t read hungry!