Beth D. Carter's Blog

The NEW RELEASE from T. Lee Garland!

Hello and Welcome to The Written Butterfly! 

Annie is a nurse who promised a dying patient that she would deliver an envelope to the woman's estranged nephew after her death.  Annie intends to keep that promise, even if the nephew is a sexy bar owner who makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with the envelope or her.
Van hasn’t seen his aunt in years. Now that she’s gone, he doesn’t care about her or her damn envelope. Except he does care about the curvy nurse in the cotton-candy pink scrubs that barges into his busy bar on a cold Friday night in Tennessee, and insists that he open the envelope.
A freak ice storm leaves them unexpectedly stranded together.  Annie has a secret that she hopes will change Van’s mind and heart about his aunt. Van just knows he wants Annie and the promise of her in his life forever. 

Q) Is your book part of a series?  Thank you for having me Beth. No, The Promise of Annie is a stand-alone story.

Q) What made this story special to you? The fact that Annie is a nurse makes this story special to me. I work in a hospital, and I personally see how dedicated and hardworking nurses are toward their patients. The past two years have been especially difficult and this is just my way of honoring them and acknowledging how devoted they truly are. Annie takes that commitment a step further, when she is determined, against all odds, to keep a promise she makes to a dying patient. Van doesn’t make things easy on her though! I also live in a military town and love to write my hero’s as veterans.

Q) Do you have a writing quirk, or habit when you write? I almost hate to mention this, but I watch TV when I write. Specifically I watch The Food Network channel. I’m a huge foodie and love to learn and try new foods and recipes.

Q) What do you think is your strongest asset as a writer? …what is your weakest factor as a writer? My strongest asset is my settings. I live in the south and love placing my characters in the south, a place I know and love. I make them as “real” as possible. They are everyday people that we all know and have met. Annie and Van could totally be your next door neighbors! My weakness as a writer is easy. Ugh, punctuation, specifically commas. I get that they are necessary, but I never seem to be able to put them in the right places, and having to stop my flow of writing to figure out where I need to place one is frustrating to me. Thank goodness for the awesome editors at Evernight!

 Q) Do you write in a linear fashion or do you jump from scene to scene and then go back and “fill in the blanks”? I write in a linear fashion. However, I do tend to write a chapter and later go back and add to it, or change things about it, if the story evolves to support that change. I once wrote an entire book on one sentence that popped in my head.

Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?  I like my books to stand on their own.  Writing a series is popular, but I get bored easily and writing or reading a series tends to make my mind wander.

Where to Buy...

EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING * AMAZON * KOBO * SMASHWORDS

Social Media for T. Lee Garland...

INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST

FREE Read from Nikki Prince!!

 Thank you, Nikki, for visiting Written Butterfly! You inspired me to do a FREE prequel read as well! It's wonderful having you visit to show off this amazing new book from you! Wow, love the colors going on here...the black and red...so eye catching! 

 Caj was once human and in love with an angel named Mercy. Having committed an unforgiveable sin, Caj is punished by The Maker to take on the sins of others so that those souls can be ushered into heaven by an angel. Caj is finding it hard to reconcile who he used to be with what he has become and feels he should let Mercy go.

But can he?

 Mercy sees Caj as she remembered him. She knows that he beats himself up daily for his own sins, let alone having to take on others' sins as a penance. The only way for them to be together is for him to go before The Maker and make amends or their love will be lost forever.

Will The Maker allow them their happiness or are Caj and Mercy forever doomed to have loved and lost?

1)       Can you tell us a little about your book? Caj’s Angel is a prequel to my Eternal Lovers series.  It’s paranormal and begins with Caj who a sin eater and Mercy is who is an angel.  They’d loved and lost with each other before.  Caj is condemned to take on other’s sins for an eternity.  He wants and loves Mercy but is afraid that he’ll always be the holder of sin. 

 

2)      Was there as specific part of the story that you absolutely loved writing as well as not enjoyed writing?  I really enjoyed writing the story as a whole and finding quotes from history that tied the chapters together.  It was fun, and I think conveyed what each chapter was about.

 

3)      Do you have a favorite line or scene in your book?  My favorite scene in this short story is when Caj must do his duty of taking on the sin of a young girl who is dying.  I really felt the scene.

 

4)      What future projects are on the horizon for you? I am currently finishing up edits for the third book in my Undeniable Series called It’s Real for Tule Publishing and I have several other projects that I’m working on: Eternal Lovers’ series, mermaid romance, contemporary romance for Shades of Love Anthology, an afro-indigenous story and so much more.  I love to write and as long as the stories come, I will be writing them and sending them out to the world.

 

Evernight: https://bit.ly/3gXWWCp

Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/49kydJ

Smashwords: https://bit.ly/33CdrRK

Apple: https://apple.co/3uXfHOv

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3s1lUHy

 

Social media links:  https://linktr.ee/NikkiPrince

 

 If you'd like to subscribe to The Written Butterfly Newsletter with more behind the scenes with me and my fellow authors, subscribe HERE

Blog Hop - Ingress by Bria Starr

Title: IngressAuthor: Bria StarrGenre: DystopianRelease Date: April 12, 2022Cover Design: Cassy Roop at Pink Ink Designs




Surrounded by flames and turmoil, David can’t remember how he ended up in the unfamiliar town of Ingress. While his heart is eager to find a way back home, he can't help but intercede when he sees a young orphaned child in need of help.
Welcomed by a broken community, David becomes Ender—the unlikely leader who teaches his new people how to survive in the wilderness after losing everything. Together, they work to rebuild Ingress while Ender builds a life better than the one he left behind.
But it all could be for nothing if anyone discovers Ender's secret.Discover the truth behind Ingress in this mesmerizing prequel to The Divided.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chapter One

Light illuminates the darkened sky above as clouds of smoke waft over me. Lying on my back, a burning tickle in my throat forces me to cough. It’s not enough to clear my airway. A series of hacking sends me to my knees as I double over in a fit. A thick layer of ash falls off my body into a soft pile on the grass under me.

My eyes, irritated by the dense smog, struggle to adjust. Pushing away the tears that have blurred my vision, all I can see is a raging inferno. The back of my sooted hand wipes away a few falling tears as my eyes frustratingly produce more.

What is going on? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was having a nightmare, reliving my war days. My mind races, trying to piece together how I got here. Surely I was asleep in my apartment only a few moments before. No, that’s not right. I was camping in the Rocky Mountains. But nothing here resembles anything close to that.

My hands press onto warm earth as I rise to my feet, feeling grass and soil instead of my silky red sleeping bag. I glance behind me in search of my things, but they aren’t there. 

I drop to my knees and frantically rub my hands all over the grass for my backpack, sleeping bag, or anything—but come up empty-handed. Where are they? Hands on hips, I scratch the back of my head and recount what I remember last.

I had just broken up with Brittany, who I had been dating for seven months. She thought I was “emotionally unavailable” and called things off. Truth is, I’m not. I just wasn’t emotionally available to her. So I packed up my gear and went for a hike in the Rocky Mountains. Even though it was amicable, I was hurt and felt the urge to get some fresh air. After dinner, I holed up in an empty cave, crawled in my sleeping bag, and passed out.

Once asleep, I dreamt of falling. It was like the ground suddenly gave way and swallowed me whole, only to spit me out here.

Perspiration drips from my brow. The blistering heat is uncomfortable and causes my sweat-soaked shirt to cling to my torso. Another cough escapes and I stagger toward the road just ahead as I brush off more ash from my body. I must have been out here for a while to be covered so thoroughly.

As I wander debris-covered streets void of people, I peel my shirt away from my chest and tuck the bottom half of my face under the collar. It’s hardly helping with keeping the smoke from entering my lungs. To my left lies a series of menacing flames scattered everywhere. Every house I can see, every building, the whole town is ablaze. My mouth drops open and my heart races even faster. This is definitely not home. I’ve woken up in a completely different time or place. I rub my eyes, forcing myself to wake up from this nightmare. But I’m wide awake.

To my right, I see a large hole in a wall—like some sort of town perimeter. Next to it are four dead bodies. I stop and scan my environment for any danger. Burning buildings and dead bodies are two very different things.

A scream rings out in the distance. I cock my head and listen for any other sounds beyond the crackling and popping fire. As I move slowly toward the opening, which looks like my exit out of here, I hear it again. I’ve heard many screams from many men, but this one is different.

This scream is coming from a child.

Bria Starr grew up in a small town in Minnesota and continues to live there with her family. She’s a quiet person with an infinite imagination, loves junk food, and is always cold. Her favorite things include reading, writing, listening to music, and watching too many movies.


HOSTED BY:

 

If you'd like to subscribe to the Written Butterfly Newsletter, leave a comment or go to writtenbutterfly.com and sign up!

New Book in the Storm Crows MC series!

 Welcome Allegra! Thank you so much for stopping by to talk about your new release, Into the Storm! Wow, what an amazing cover! I love it so much. I'm looking forward to reading this one! 

Case Kelly has everything he’s ever wanted: a new bike, and a Storm Crows patch. But instead of chasing human traffickers with his charter, Case gets stuck baby-sitting Joker’s ol’ lady, an obnoxious Prospect, and the hottest, most annoying woman in the universe. Jenna Gillespie is snide, sarcastic, and perfect. If she’d just stop yelling at him. And then they get to Burning Man.

On the Playa, Case accepts an unexpected truce with Jenna. And more. Between photoshoots and stolen kisses, he glimpses the broken heart that Jenna’s so desperate to hide. If only he understood what broke it. But the closer he gets to the secret, the further Jenna runs. Can Case catch up in time and convince Jenna to trust him with her heart? It's a tactical nightmare. But if there’s one thing Storm Crows know how to do, it’s win an impossible battle.

Can you tell us a little about your book?

I could just copy/paste the blurb and cheat, right…? 👀 ok OK. I won't. 

INTO THE STORM picks up after BROKEN WINGS, with the Storm Crows tracking missing girls in Kansas City while one of their newest members, Case Kelly, volunteers himself to keep an eye on the VP's wife and her spiky best friend, Jenna, who have more idea about what's going on than anyone imagines. Case soon realizes he'd like to get a lot more than his eyes on Jenna… 

On the other foot. Jenna is desperate to get Ashlyn out of this club and it's nonsense before they end up back in a world they bled (and almost died) to escape. She convinces Ash to try a road trip out to a favorite desert festival… of course, Case and Jenna butt heads. And then hearts. It's a battle all the way for those two. 

Was there as specific part of the story that you absolutely loved writing as well as not enjoyed writing?

Getting the excuse to browse pics and vids of Burning Man was a blast. I sort of hoped to go before we published but uh… I'm sure y'all remember 2020-2021 😭

Emily and l both struggled with the big action showdown– so many moving parts! And then there's at least one (1) moving part not revealed until book 3 to make it *harder* for us. 

Write a series, they said. It'll be a breeze, they said… 💀

Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

I travel among my house, my mom's house, and my sister's, so really my main ritual is… yeah I don't really have one. I write on any of four devices, including my phone if I'm desperate so there's REALLY no consistency. 

Do you have a favorite line or scene in your book?

I… I admit I am one of those authors who can barely tell you what happens in a book once it's done. 😅 and so much of this book actually landed on the cutting room floor… (enough we considered putting bonus chapters on a blog or something) 

But the moment Jenna finds out Case's legal first name does stick in my brain. Oh. And the girls' Very Good Plan(™) at the end. 

Spoiler: Case does NOT consider it a Very Good Plan(™). 

What future projects are on the horizon for you?

We are working on Storm Crows 3!! It should be Grim's, btw. With luck we will have it ready by the end of the year. 

Then we have a Regency and a Celebrity being polished for submission, and a Fantasy piece slowly coming together. We figure we will just keep trying out new flavors in between working on the Storm Crows series. 💖

Buy links below.

EVERNIGHT: 

https://www.evernightpublishing.com/into-the-storm-by-allegra-grey-and-emily-sloan/ 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SW9MLZW 

SMASHWORDS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1133503 

Where to find Allegra:

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

 If you'd like to subscribe to The Written Butterfly Newsletter with more behind the scenes with me and my fellow authors, subscribe HERE

NEW RELEASE from EMMA LUNA!

Title: Dangerously DeceptiveSeries: A Beautifully Brutal Book #1.5Author: Emma LunaGenre: Dark Mafia RomanceRe-Release Date: April 7, 2022Cover Design: Pretty In Ink Creations

What would you be willing to sacrifice for the one you love?
I was born a princess of the Celtic Reapers MC, but I'm definitely not royalty. I'm abused, tortured, and broken, desperate to escape.

I have two choices. I can stay with my childhood sweetheart, Jamieson aka Whiskey, who abandoned our plans for freedom when he patched into the MC. Or, I could win my freedom and live my dream life with loveable, sexy, tech geek Kellan.

But when I fall pregnant, my whole life changes and I'm forced to make painful decisions.

This is not your typical love story. It's messy, it's real, and it's heartbreaking. This is the story of how you make an impossible choice. I'm Shayla Callahan, and this is my story.

Author Note - this is a dark mafia romance that features themes which may be triggering for some people. If you would like more details please contact: emmalunaauthor@gmail.com

Dangerously Deceptive is set in the Beautifully Brutal world. It occurs before Black Wedding and can be read first. This series has interconnected themes and it's advisable you read them all to get the most out of them.

"I don’t know what else to say other than it was a lot and emotional.
I was happy, mad, sad, upset, everything you could feel in this one book. I don’t know how I’m gonna go read my next reads because that one took me down." - 5 Star Goodreads Reviewer

"It is an original, masterfully written novel that will pull at your heartstrings and elicit all of the feels." - 5 Star Goodreads Reviewer

"This story broke my heart." - 5 Star Goodreads Reviewer

CLICK HERE TO ENTER









Emma Luna is a USA Today Bestselling dark romance author from the UK. In a previous life she was a Midwife and a Lecturer, but now she listens to the voices in her head and puts pen to paper to bring their stories to life. In her spare time, when she should be sleeping, she also loves to edit, proofread, and format books for other amazing authors.
Emma’s books are dark, dangerous, and devilishly sexy. She loves writing about strong, feisty, but underestimated women, and the cocky, dirty-mouthed men they bring to their knees.
When Emma isn’t writing, promoting, or editing books she can be found napping, colouring in adult colouring books, and collecting novelty notebooks. She also enjoys coffee and gossiping with her mum, playing or having hugs with her gorgeous nephew, who is the light of her life, stealing her parents dog Hector, and curling up on the sofa to watch a film with Mr Luna. Oh and for those of you that don’t know, Emma is a hardcore Harry Potter fan—Team Ravenclaw!!
Thank you for taking a chance on a crazy Brit and the voices inside her head. That makes you a true LUNAtic now too!

HOSTED BY:

Blog Hop - Dangerously Deceptive by Emma Luna

 °• BLURB •°

What would you be willing to sacrifice for the one you love?

I was born a princess of the Celtic Reapers MC, but I'm definitely not royalty. I'm abused, tortured, and broken, desperate to escape.

I have two choices. I can stay with my childhood sweetheart, Jamieson aka Whiskey, who abandoned our plans for freedom when he patched into the MC. Or, I could win my freedom and live my dream life with loveable, sexy, tech geek Kellan.

But when I fall pregnant, my whole life changes and I'm forced to make painful decisions.

This is not your typical love story. It's messy, it's real, and it's heartbreaking. This is the story of how you make an impossible choice. I'm Shayla Callahan, and this is my story.

If you'd like to subscribe to the Written Butterfly Newsletter, leave a comment or go to writtenbutterfly.com and sign up!

Preorder the New Release from Jade Marshall!

 Welcome Jade to Written Butterfly! Congrats on your upcoming release...

 

1)      Can you tell us a little about your book?

The Wrong Mate is the third installment in the Katu Wolves series. It is the story of Max and Raine. It is a paranormal shifter romance, and although it is part of a series it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

2)      Was there as specific part of the story that you absolutely loved writing as well as not enjoyed writing?

I loved writing the scene where Raine dreams about Max. It’s the first time I have done something like it, and I loved it. The part I didn’t have a great fondness for was their first intimate scene. I just couldn’t decide if I wanted soft and slow or tear each other’s clothes off. I think I rewrote that scene 6 times!

 

3)      Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

None. I tend to just sit down and start. Although, I can’t write in complete silence.

4)      Do you have a favorite line or scene in your book?

Yes! When my main characters finally get it together. I love when they can finally get passed their hang-ups and just let themselves be happy. It’s the same in all my work.

5)      What future projects are on the horizon for you?

At the moment I have a fully edited Reverse Harem novel looming on the horizon. Its my first venture into the genre so I am a little nervous about it. I should have a release date for that soon. Then, the editing will start on a Dark Mafia Romance series I started working on in January.

After those two I don’t have any set plans yet, but I do have a million ideas.

Find Jade Marshall HERE

 

💜Pre-order links:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/…/the…/1141056388…

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/za/en/ebook/the-wrong-mate
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1134375
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TBB1NTP
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09TBB1NTP
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09TBB1NTP
Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09TBB1NTP

New Book in the Dark Light Series by Rose Wulf!

Welcome Rose to The Written Butterfly! Thank you so much for stopping by! 

1)    

  Can you tell us a little about your book?

Of course! Smoldering Afterglowis the 4th book in the Dark Light series. The series is about the endless battle between angels and demons, and the humans who get mixed up in the chaos. This particular book is the story of Madelyne, a Nephilim (which is a half-angel, half-human, for those who don’t know!), and the demon-of-many-mysteries, Sinclair.

Both characters were introduced in previous books, with small roles. Madelyne is the younger sister of the heroine of book 2, and has quite a traumatic past. This story is set some years after the events of the 2nd book, but Madelyne is in many ways only beginning to learn to function in society again. As for Sinclair, he was introduced in book 3, and his true goals are revealed in this story—as well as the reason behind his penchant for mystery.

Smoldering Afterglow is a different take on a second chance story. Instead of these characters having any previous history with each other, it’s more that both have significant personal barriers preventing them from simply enjoying life. Through finding each other, learning to trust and ultimately falling in love, they thus have a second chance to experience a fulfilling life. And in that way, this story is also about healing. Even though it’s technically about a war between supernatural entities!

 

2)      Was there as specific part of the story that you absolutely loved writing as well as not enjoyed writing?

Oh, that’s tricky. Well, without spoiling too much, I can say I really loved exploring more of the demonic side of the Dark Light world. I explored some of the angelic side in previous books, but this is the first time I’ve had solid opportunity to share such insight into the Hell realm. Sinclair is a character who is old enough, and educated enough, and experienced enough, to have all manner of knowledge—which was quite fun to play with!

On the flip side, it’s difficult writing a character with significant trauma without a comparable level of your own trauma, I think. So expressing Madelyne’s struggles was definitely a challenge for me, but nonetheless her past and her perspective were key factors to this story, so I did my best.

 

3)      Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Hmm, not as much as I used to, I wouldn’t say. I write every story on my laptop, of course, and I’m old-school just enough to still be using Microsoft Word instead of any more ‘writer-oriented’ program that might be out there. Really, I’m just a creature of habit, and mildly afraid of new things. I like what I know, exactly because I’m familiar with it!

Aside from that, I prefer to write either in silence or with my music playing in the background. I get easily distracted by the flashing screen of the TV if it’s on in the background! Oh, and settling in with a good cup of coffee is definitely a plus, though I’m not always so lucky.

 

4)      Do you have a favorite line or scene in your book?

There are a couple of scenes that come to mind which I’m particularly fond of. One is a personal scene between Madelyne and Sinclair, pertaining to scars and trying to push past trauma. The other is a very different kind of scene, where I introduce a new creature which creates all sorts of havoc for the characters. When my beta reader read that scene, she said I described them so well she felt literally repulsed. It was quite the compliment!

But if I’m being honest, Sinclair was rather enjoyable to write most of the time. The scene I chose for my teaser on the publisher’s page is another of my short-list favorites, where he has to come to Madelyne’s rescue (I’m a sucker for that kind of trope, regardless). There’s also another contender, but I can’t describe it without spoiling too much!

 

5)      What future projects are on the horizon for you?

I have several future projects on the horizon, honestly!

In terms specifically of the Dark Light world, there are two more books to come after Smoldering Afterglow. The story I’m planning for book 5 will follow two characters who were both introduced in this book, but I won’t spoil which ones—you’ll have to read it for yourselves and guess! In fact, I’ve officially introduced the couples for both the remaining books. Book 6 will be particularly dramatic, I suspect.

I do have another book already in the process of publication, though I don’t yet have a release date. That book is called Orchid’s Heart, and is a standalone historical fantasy romance. I’m incredibly excited to share this story with everyone! This is a tale of forbidden love between a Crown Prince and a young woman whose spent her entire life in service of the royal family, and what happens when her life is threatened. I loved writing this book so much, I struggled with bringing it to an end!

And currently I’m working on the 7thand final book in my other ongoing series, the Night Shadows series. This book is Jasen’s story, and while I won’t spoil who his love interest is, I will confirm she’s someone who’s been previously introduced. I have been excited to write Jasen’s book since I first introduced his character (back in book 1), and I think readers will be surprised in a very good way when they embark on his journey!

 

Find Smoldering Afterglow at your favorite eBook retailer, including:

Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble

New Upcoming Release from Blye Donovan!

Hello Blye!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…

Q) Is your book part of a series?

Hi! Thank you for having me. I’m super excited to chat with you today. My book Small Town Frame-up will release on February 21st. It is the third book in a series of interconnected stand-alones. The books are set in the same fictional small town, Rolling Brook, which is located in the hills west of Chicago, IL. The books follow siblings from the same family and detail the dangerous situations they find themselves in for love. Small Town Frame-up is the sister Daisy’s book, and it has a brother’s best friend trope. Writing Daisy and the hero Jameson’s story was so much fun because the tension with these two is intense. They refused to make things easy on each other, so theirs is a slow-burn romance which I love.

 

Q) What was the hardest (or easiest) scene to write?

 

The hardest was the sex(Can I say that? Lol) scene. It’s fun because the character’s are finally getting together, but it’s always the hardest to get right. I think I struck a good balance between just enough steam and making it realistic.

 

Q) What type of research did you do for your book?

 

In the book the main female character finds herself framed for a crime, so I had to research Illinois drug laws, procedures for arrest, court and trial procedures and more criminal-related things. I’m pretty sure I googled, “What happens if cops find drugs in my house?” So I know I’ve got to be on a watchlist somewhere, lol.

 

Q) What made this story special to you?

 

We’ve gotten snippets of Daisy and Jameson in my previous two books, but it felt so good to finally write their story. Jameson really surprised me. When I started writing him, I thought he was going to be my first cinnamon roll/beta hero, but he wasn’t having it. Eventually, I listened and realized that the dynamic wouldn’t have worked for Daisy because she’s just too strong a woman. Jameson’s also special because he’s inspired by none other than Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser. So, if you’re an Outlander fan like me, you’ll love Jameson [image error]

Q) Do you have a writing quirk, or habit when you write?

 

Hmm, I don’t think so. I do prefer to have quiet or soft instrumental music in the background. I’m not one of those people that can have multiple auditory stimuli and still focus. For me, I would get distracted by song lyrics. I do tend to get lost in writing when the words are flowing. I can get caught up and come up only to realize it’s hours later. That’s the best feeling [image error]

Q) What do you think is your strongest asset as a writer? …what is your weakest factor as a writer?

I am so horrible at giving myself praise but, hmm, maybe writing realistic dialogue would be my strongest asset. I feel like my character’s come across as real and believable. Right now, I’d say my weakest is being slow. I tend to edit as I write, and it slows the process down quite a lot.

Q) Do you have a favorite book you’ve written?

They are all special to me in their own way. I do have a feeling Small Town Frame-up is going to be a reader’s favorite though.

Q) Do you write in a linear fashion or do you jump from scene to scene and then go back and “fill in the blanks”?

I am a pantser—no outlining here! So, I do write in a linear fashion. Sometimes a future scene will come to me, usually with dialogue, and I may write that out and save it for the appropriate spot, but when I’m writing the story I like to go in order. Usually I’ll write a scene that will prompt the next event, and so the story just keeps building on itself.

Q) Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I definitely want each book to stand on its own. The three in my series thus far all have their own storyline and main characters. The secondary characters and the setting are what gets carried along in the series. But my goal is always to have the books work on their own so that it doesn’t matter what order to you pick them up in.

Q) What are your upcoming projects?

I have one more book in the Rolling Brook Series which is my current work-in-progress. Then I’m going to write a complete stand-alone book to give away free to my newsletter subscribers. Currently, my subscribers receive a free novelette that features the characters from my second book, but I’d like to expand on that. Then I hope to start my next series later this year. It will be set in a small town in coastal South Carolina and feature military heroes.

The drugs they find in her apartment have nothing on the addiction she's developing for her arresting officer.   Daisy Redland's life is as quiet as the small town she lives in, until she finds herself framed for a crime she didn’t commit. With her brother out of town, the only cop she knows to turn to for help is the one who’s charging her—the same one she's had a crush on for years.  

 James Jameson has been trying to avoid the trouble that is his best friend's sister. But when her case gets dropped on his desk, that's no longer an option. As the search for the truth pushes them together, will he be able to resist her? And can they prove her innocence before it's too late?  

 Find out in this suspenseful, slow-burn romance! 

Daisy blinked when Jameson stood. “Time for fingerprints. Let’s go.”      

 

As she stood, he took her by the arm but didn’t put the handcuffs back on. Grateful for that, she took a deep breath and they once again emerged into the bullpen. The room fell silent. Though her cheeks heated, she held her head up this time and kept pace with Jameson instead of letting him drag her. She was innocent and there was no reason for her to let them make her feel guilty. It wasn’t her fault she was here, and she was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on.       

 

Her resolve held up as Jameson handed her off to an officer for fingerprinting. It lasted through the horrible mug shot photographs. But when Jameson collected her and led her to a small room with a table, it crumpled. Lying on top of the table was an orange jumpsuit. Staring at it, knowing it meant she’d be staying here longer than she wanted, Daisy’s heart rate sped, and she became afraid all over again.       

Close to panicking, she spun to face Jameson. “I thought I got a phone call!”      

 

He cleared his throat. “You do. After.”      

 

Daisy was afraid to ask, but she had to know . . . “After what?”      

 

Jameson rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her eyes. “After I search you.”      

 

Why wouldn’t he look at her? Surely patting her down wouldn’t be that bad. It’s not like she had anything on her person to hide. “Fine. Just get it over with, please.”    

 

Daisy spread her feet and raised her arms, holding them out by her sides. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about how much she wanted him to run his hands all over her body.     

 

At Jameson’s cough she opened her eyes. He was looking at her now and his face had gone completely red. What was he waiting on? As he tugged at the collar of his button-up shirt and cleared his throat, it clicked for her.       

 

She dropped her arms, and her own face became unbearably hot. Her eyes darted to the jumpsuit and she swallowed. No, oh no, no, no.        

 

“It’s a strip search, Daisy.”

Follow Blye at: FACEBOOK & 

                                                                        AUTHOR PAGE

Signature Song Saturday - Run by Leona Lewis

 

Run by Leona Lewis is a remake from the band Snow Patrol. It is about two people in a close relationship who are separated by circumstances. It is about a person giving final remarks to someone they possibly will never see again. This is one of those rare cases where I like the remake better than the original (although some may disagree with me on that). 

The lyrics inspired the twist in my book Star Mates. In the story, the heroine Emmarie is in love with Pell. Humans are little more than slaves and a pocket of humanity has found asylum on a moon, and Pell leaves her to finish destroying those who want to enslave humans. She has no idea if she will ever see him again. The song is haunting. 

I'll sing it one last time for youThen we really have to goYou've been the only thing that's rightIn all I've done
And I can barely look at youBut every single time I doI know we'll make it anywhereAway from here
Light up, light upAs if you have a choiceEven if you cannot hear my voiceI'll be right beside you, dear
To think I might not see those eyesMakes it so hard not to cryAnd as we say our long goodbyesI nearly do
Light up, light upAs if you have a choiceEven if you cannot hear my voiceI'll be right beside you, dear

Love was the last thing that Emmarie expected after waking up on a crashed spaceship in the middle of an inter-planetary rebellion. However, when the small-time singer from Earth found herself looking into the dark eyes of Captain Pell Raiden she had a feeling that things were going to be different from now on.

 

She soon learns humans are nothing more than slaves and Pell is part of a waning resistance movement. He’s angry because the appearance of an Earthling proves that the technology to bring humans to the Amarante System, the one his parents died trying to destroy, was still operational. Despite his anger, he is drawn to Emmarie, and the two find a love that transcends space.

 

But a traitor is in their midst, one who acts on selfish desires, and puts Emmarie in great danger.  As she struggles to find a footing in this new world, she has to hold onto the one thing that refuses to die…her love for a rebel captain who left her to finish what his parents started.

AVAILABLE: HERE