Jan Romes's Blog, page 15
November 7, 2014
An interview with Carol Rose!
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Today I have the pleasure of welcoming author Carol Rose to my blog!
When I was preparing the information for this post, I sent Carol a note telling her that when I read her bio on Amazon I discovered she'd written twenty books, has a family, works as a therapist, and is an active member in her local chapter of Romance Writers of America. I asked how she juggles all that and maintains her sanity. I received a clever response:
Jan, let's not assume I'm sane.
LOL love it! That immediately told me Carol and I would get along just fine!
On with the interview...
Carol, can you explain a little bit about your writing style?
I always struggle to answer this because I don't have much consciousness of my style. Readers have given me everything from extravagant praise to outright indignation. Thankfully, most fall toward the more appreciative side.
You have some different and interesting titles for your books. (Here are a few: Roy's Rent-A-Hubby, Momentary Marriage, Always, The Favored One, Forgotten Father, and many more) Does naming your stories come easy?
Titles can be easy and automatic or very difficult. The writing, however, is kind of like breathing for me. Plotting is a different kettle of fish. I have to work at that.
Are there any specific messages or topics you like to write about?
While I can enjoy reading other romance genres, I really love writing about real life people dealing with real life relationships and making these work. It's kind of my thing.
If your muse gets stuck, how do you get it going again?
I watch movies, read books and take naps -- that is, I stop trying so hard.
Is there one aspect of writing you find particularly challenging and have to power through?
It's silly, but I have to make myself power through the last chapter of books. Also, action scenes can take specific effort?
Tell us something, non-writing related, that you've always wanted to do.
Live for six months in New York City. I don't want to stay there forever (I like driving too much), but I love the city.
Are you busy working on a story or do you have book #21 coming out soon?
My most recent release is Thankfully Yours (Holiday Romance Series, #3). I'm currently finishing up, Smooched -- the first in my Blue Collar Boys series. This is Case's story. The guys do architectural salvage, which fascinates me. I'm looking to release the first three books in the series next fall.
Thanks for being here today, Carol! Come back anytime.
If you'd like to catch up with Carol and her incredible books, she can be found at these locations:
Website - www.CarolRoseBooks.com
Twitter - @CarolRoseBooks
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/carol.rose.a...
Amazon Author page - http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Rose/e/B0...
October 29, 2014
Celebrating the release of TAMING TORI with some great prizes!
At my age it isn't wise to do cartwheels and somersaults, so I'll just have to loudly shout, "Woohoo!"
Today, TAMING TORI (Book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series - Jake's story) is officially released!
To celebrate I'm giving away some awesome prizes! All you have to do for a chance to win, is leave a comment here or on Facebook. I will draw the winning names on Saturday, November 1st at noon (EST).
3 - $10 Amazon gift cards2 - $15 Subway gift cards1 - pair of Monet sparkly earrings1 - pair of Lia Sophia twinkle earrings
Blurb for Taming Tori:
Jake Garrison is an all-around nice guy who tries to stay out of the limelight despite being considered one of Dallas's most eligible and wealthy bachelors. He's down-to-earth and a quiet people-pleaser until someone pushes his buttons. Tori Caye not only pushes his buttons, she pulls him into her special kind of chaos with tears and those sexy amber eyes.
Tori Caye is a mean-girl debutante whose sense of entitlement exhausts even those close to her. After her fiance of two years calls off their engagement, she throws herself into the arms of Jake Garrison and tries to manipulate him while trying to maintain her uppity disposition.
The attraction between Jake and Tori is off-the-charts, but it's game-on when he thinks he can tame Tori and when Tori tries to bend him to her will.
** Jake and Tori's story was fun to write, although I have to admit to some hair-pulling moments. In my mind, Jake's character was solid; Tori's not so much. She was a handful! In their story, Tori starts out as someone you'd like to put in a headlock or trip as she walks by. Slowly, she redeems herself. But...don't expect a complete transformation because she is who she is. When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth and treated like royalty from birth, realistically, you're only going to change so much.**
~~~
My website: www.authorjanromes.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanRomesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.romes.5G... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
♥♥♥
Today, TAMING TORI (Book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series - Jake's story) is officially released!
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To celebrate I'm giving away some awesome prizes! All you have to do for a chance to win, is leave a comment here or on Facebook. I will draw the winning names on Saturday, November 1st at noon (EST).
.jpg)
3 - $10 Amazon gift cards2 - $15 Subway gift cards1 - pair of Monet sparkly earrings1 - pair of Lia Sophia twinkle earrings
Blurb for Taming Tori:
Jake Garrison is an all-around nice guy who tries to stay out of the limelight despite being considered one of Dallas's most eligible and wealthy bachelors. He's down-to-earth and a quiet people-pleaser until someone pushes his buttons. Tori Caye not only pushes his buttons, she pulls him into her special kind of chaos with tears and those sexy amber eyes.
Tori Caye is a mean-girl debutante whose sense of entitlement exhausts even those close to her. After her fiance of two years calls off their engagement, she throws herself into the arms of Jake Garrison and tries to manipulate him while trying to maintain her uppity disposition.
The attraction between Jake and Tori is off-the-charts, but it's game-on when he thinks he can tame Tori and when Tori tries to bend him to her will.
** Jake and Tori's story was fun to write, although I have to admit to some hair-pulling moments. In my mind, Jake's character was solid; Tori's not so much. She was a handful! In their story, Tori starts out as someone you'd like to put in a headlock or trip as she walks by. Slowly, she redeems herself. But...don't expect a complete transformation because she is who she is. When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth and treated like royalty from birth, realistically, you're only going to change so much.**
~~~
My website: www.authorjanromes.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanRomesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.romes.5G... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
♥♥♥
October 15, 2014
Welcome, C.F. Winn - Author of SUKI
TODAY I'D LIKE TO WELCOME AUTHOR, C.F.WINN TO MY BLOG WITH A GUEST POST TITLED, MY FAVORITE FOUR LETTER WORDS!
C. F. Winn
MY FAVORITE FOUR LETTER WORDS
Four letter words are explosive, fiery, and impulsive. They are often followed up with risky behavior, dangerous and unstable thoughts, and sometimes unpredictable outcomes. They bring to mind vivid, raw pictures that drive their point home. But they are not necessarily as bad as we make them out to be.
Love. A four letter word that creates life, sustains it, and is strong enough to carry us when it seems impossible to move at all. Life, another four letter word, is dependent on love because in its absence nothing can survive for very long. The four letter word hate destroys life, while love builds it up, pushing us forward into experiences and feelings that are so deep they're immeasurable. But the thing is, love comes in many forms and without a taste of the bad for contrast, we may never notice how wonderful even the small moments are, and that is so much worse than a temporary uncomfortable lesson learned. In that case, hate is as important as love. Soul, another four letter word, would starve if it missed both the good and bad experiences - the very nourishment it needs for growth and well being.
I'd like to share a bunch of powerful four letter words with those who are willing to feel. They can be found in a book that is being portrayed as more of an experience in which you will very likely shed a tear, dare to hope, and learn about loss for the sake of love. The characters can be described in four letter words as well; Baby often represents an unbreakable parental bond and mate can refer to a romantic partner or a friend.
Meet SUKI and learn what the essence of true love really looks like and how deep our connections run. The gift of self is enough to change lives.
All is well. You will be forever loved.
Amazon
CF Winn is the award-winning author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES , a quirky group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. Her first novella, SUKI , available via Amazon , has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.
You can now order SUKI in paperback at http://hopress-shorehousebooks.com/cf-winn/ or at BOOK REVUE , one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, by email at info@bookrevue.com.
CF Winn is the founder of Winning! Publications, a firm specializing in editing and promotion services for authors. Her latest project is the just released Trailer Trash, With a Girl’s Name, a hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy saddled with a girl’s name and forced into a nomadic existence. Order it now:
You can follow C.F. Winn on Twitter @KafeCastro
C. F. Winn
MY FAVORITE FOUR LETTER WORDS
Four letter words are explosive, fiery, and impulsive. They are often followed up with risky behavior, dangerous and unstable thoughts, and sometimes unpredictable outcomes. They bring to mind vivid, raw pictures that drive their point home. But they are not necessarily as bad as we make them out to be.
Love. A four letter word that creates life, sustains it, and is strong enough to carry us when it seems impossible to move at all. Life, another four letter word, is dependent on love because in its absence nothing can survive for very long. The four letter word hate destroys life, while love builds it up, pushing us forward into experiences and feelings that are so deep they're immeasurable. But the thing is, love comes in many forms and without a taste of the bad for contrast, we may never notice how wonderful even the small moments are, and that is so much worse than a temporary uncomfortable lesson learned. In that case, hate is as important as love. Soul, another four letter word, would starve if it missed both the good and bad experiences - the very nourishment it needs for growth and well being.
I'd like to share a bunch of powerful four letter words with those who are willing to feel. They can be found in a book that is being portrayed as more of an experience in which you will very likely shed a tear, dare to hope, and learn about loss for the sake of love. The characters can be described in four letter words as well; Baby often represents an unbreakable parental bond and mate can refer to a romantic partner or a friend.
Meet SUKI and learn what the essence of true love really looks like and how deep our connections run. The gift of self is enough to change lives.
All is well. You will be forever loved.
Amazon
CF Winn is the award-winning author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES , a quirky group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. Her first novella, SUKI , available via Amazon , has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.
You can now order SUKI in paperback at http://hopress-shorehousebooks.com/cf-winn/ or at BOOK REVUE , one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, by email at info@bookrevue.com.
CF Winn is the founder of Winning! Publications, a firm specializing in editing and promotion services for authors. Her latest project is the just released Trailer Trash, With a Girl’s Name, a hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy saddled with a girl’s name and forced into a nomadic existence. Order it now:
You can follow C.F. Winn on Twitter @KafeCastro
October 8, 2014
I've got to hand it to you...
I've wanted to do a blog post for a while on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. With my hands a little stressed from finishing my latest novel,
T
AMING TORI (book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series), I thought now would be a good time.
(Hand model, Kerri Unverferth-Romes)
We use our hands all day, every day. Sometimes the things we do are repetitive, which puts us at greater risk for CTS.
You can reduce your risk by taking a few simple steps.
1. Exercise keeps our muscles strong.
2. Stretching keeps our muscles flexible.
3. Arrange your work space to be more ergonomic.
4. Proper body mechanics. Don't slouch. If your shoulders roll forward you can compress nerves in your neck which can affect your arms, wrists, and hands.
5. Take frequent breaks.
6. Relax your grip.
7. Slowly roll your wrist 10 times in each direction. (You might feel a slight popping) This will help put mobility and circulation back in your wrist.
8. Use one hand to gently pull your fingers back on the other hand - not to the point they hurt.
9. Press your hand down to a 90 degree angle - again, not to the point it hurts.
10.) If you use a keyboard keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.
(A more aged hand, belonging to yes...me)
Signs of possible carpal tunnel syndrome -- tingling, numbness, weakness or pain in the fingers, thumb, or hand and occasionally spreading up the arm. These symptoms occur where there is pressure on the median nerve.
Sometimes the symptoms are temporary. If they linger, see your doctor to prevent permanent damage.
Be kind to your hands and wrists by giving them a break from time to time!
** disclaimer -- I'm in no way associated with the medical community. The information in this post are tidbits I've collected either through reading or conversations. **
Coming soon!
.jpg)
(Hand model, Kerri Unverferth-Romes)We use our hands all day, every day. Sometimes the things we do are repetitive, which puts us at greater risk for CTS.
You can reduce your risk by taking a few simple steps.
1. Exercise keeps our muscles strong.
2. Stretching keeps our muscles flexible.
3. Arrange your work space to be more ergonomic.
4. Proper body mechanics. Don't slouch. If your shoulders roll forward you can compress nerves in your neck which can affect your arms, wrists, and hands.
5. Take frequent breaks.
6. Relax your grip.
7. Slowly roll your wrist 10 times in each direction. (You might feel a slight popping) This will help put mobility and circulation back in your wrist.
8. Use one hand to gently pull your fingers back on the other hand - not to the point they hurt.
9. Press your hand down to a 90 degree angle - again, not to the point it hurts.
10.) If you use a keyboard keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.
.jpg)
(A more aged hand, belonging to yes...me)
Signs of possible carpal tunnel syndrome -- tingling, numbness, weakness or pain in the fingers, thumb, or hand and occasionally spreading up the arm. These symptoms occur where there is pressure on the median nerve.
Sometimes the symptoms are temporary. If they linger, see your doctor to prevent permanent damage.
Be kind to your hands and wrists by giving them a break from time to time!
** disclaimer -- I'm in no way associated with the medical community. The information in this post are tidbits I've collected either through reading or conversations. **
.jpg)
Coming soon!
September 23, 2014
Cover reveal for BIG ON CHRISTMAS!
Drum roll...
Cover reveal for -- BIG ON CHRISTMAS!
(Coming 11-24-14)
BIG ON CHRISTMAS was chosen to be part of The Wild Rose Press's - Twelve Brides of Christmas series.
Here's the blurb for my book:
Born to free-spirited, convention-shucking parents, Cassie Newman thirsts for normal. Leaving L.A. with a secret, she finds herself in Woodstock, Vermont - a town rich with Christmas tradition. She's not big on Christmas but Woodstock feels like the perfect fit. Landing a job with Stennett's Hardware, she tries to forget the world she knew, but Luke's small-town charm makes her even more aware of the life she never had.
Luke Stennett has his hands full with running the store and caring for his dad. He's attracted to Cassie but he doesn't have time for a relationship. Things are starting to go right but he harbors a secret of his own that has the potential to turn everything upside down.
Once their secrets are revealed, will it kill the chemistry and send Cassie back to L.A.? Or will she fight for her happiness and stay firmly planted in a place big on Christmas?
* ~ * ~ *
You can follow the releases of the books in this series at:
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/12BridesofCh...
Cover reveal for -- BIG ON CHRISTMAS!
(Coming 11-24-14)
BIG ON CHRISTMAS was chosen to be part of The Wild Rose Press's - Twelve Brides of Christmas series.
Here's the blurb for my book:
Born to free-spirited, convention-shucking parents, Cassie Newman thirsts for normal. Leaving L.A. with a secret, she finds herself in Woodstock, Vermont - a town rich with Christmas tradition. She's not big on Christmas but Woodstock feels like the perfect fit. Landing a job with Stennett's Hardware, she tries to forget the world she knew, but Luke's small-town charm makes her even more aware of the life she never had.
Luke Stennett has his hands full with running the store and caring for his dad. He's attracted to Cassie but he doesn't have time for a relationship. Things are starting to go right but he harbors a secret of his own that has the potential to turn everything upside down.
Once their secrets are revealed, will it kill the chemistry and send Cassie back to L.A.? Or will she fight for her happiness and stay firmly planted in a place big on Christmas?
* ~ * ~ *
You can follow the releases of the books in this series at:
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/12BridesofCh...
September 22, 2014
Autumn Reflections by Katie Mettner
From The Author:
Thanks for having me on the blog today, Jan! It's been a few months since I released Autumn and when I think back over the two weeks it took me to write this story there was one thing that really stood out in my mind, how quickly Grayson took over my heart and called ALL the shots. When I introduced Autumn in Granted Redemption I didn't have any intention of writing the next book about her, but then as Grant's story progressed so did Autumn's. More than that though, Grayson grew inside my heart. By the middle of Granted Redemption we suddenly get this little tidbit of information about Grayson that we weren't expecting, and my heart began to show me the rest. I picked this excerpt for your blog not because it's where we first meet Grayson, in fact by the time this scene comes in the book we already know Grayson pretty well. I picked this scene because it's the first time Grayson meets Kade Franco, and the first time Autumn opens the door wide enough to trust another person with her son's heart. What Autumn doesn't realize is her son's legs might not be very strong, but his will to love her and make her happy is stronger than any lumberjack's oxen. Grayson wants his momma to be happy, and even at the young age of seven, he'll stop at nothing to make sure this time she puts herself first.
I hope when you get a chance to read Autumn Reflections you find yourself with the same feelings about love, faith, the joy of a child and the promise of a new life that I had as I wrote it.
May autumn be a time of reflection, joy and happiness for all,
Katie
Autumn ReflectionsBook Blurb:
1 Corinthians 13:8: Love never fails.
Grayson Hanson likes to pretend he’s a superhero, sent to earth to fight off the bad guys. In reality, he’s a seven-year-old boy who wears those same superheroes on his leg braces, and fights off bullies at school. His mother, Dr. Autumn Hanson, will do anything to protect her son, including leaving her prestigious position as one of Duluth’s top orthopedic surgeons. Hoping for a fresh start, she moves Grayson to Cloquet, Minnesota and opens her own clinic. Steadfast in her desire for a new life, Autumn agrees to be interviewed for a feature article in the local paper.
Kade Franco is a well respected journalist, who at forty-two has had his own share of love’s regrets. As the city’s most eligible bachelor, Kade can have any woman he wants, but he’s waiting for his meant-to-be. Where he doesn’t expect to find her is in the beautiful hazel eyes of the newest doctor in town. Autumn finds Kade Franco’s sexy chocolatey brown eyes and strong lumberjack physique to be her kryptonite. She’s spent the last seven years building a wall around her heart, but fears it isn’t strong enough to withstand a man of steel determined to show her love never fails.
Excerpt:
“Momma, who is it?” I turned on my heel slowly and stared at my towheaded son. He was braced on his walker and eyeing Kade curiously.
Before I could answer, Kade walked over and bent at the waist, offering his hand, which Grayson took. “Kade Franco, nice to meet you Grayson Hanson.” My son shook his hand for a moment before gripping his walker again. I could see his legs shaking and knew it was taking everything he had to remain upright. “Kade Franco. You’re the reporter who wrote the article about my momma. That made her smile. I like it when she smiles.”Kade had a smile on his face that was a cross between pure happiness and pure satisfaction. “I like it when she smiles too. She’s so pretty and she gets these little lines right here.” He pointed to the corner of his eyes. “You know, when you see those little lines, a woman is truly happy.”“I didn’t know that, but I’m only seven. I don’t really like girls.” Grayson shared and I clapped my hand over my mouth. “That’s okay, girls can be kind of a pain at seven, but later on you’ll find you can’t stay away from them and then you’ll look for those little laugh lines, I promise.” Kade was kneeling now on one knee and Grayson was almost sunken to the ground, only upright by putting the weight of his body on his arms. I was about to pick him up, when I saw Kade motion towards his leg braces. “Now those are some kind of cool! Would it be okay if I set you in that chair over there so I can check them out?”Grayson almost looked relieved when Kade picked him up gently under his arms and swung him into one of the cloth reception chairs. He propped Gray’s feet up on his thigh and checked out the braces that went from inside his shoes to his thigh, hinged at the knee for flexion. “Dude, these are the awesomest things I’ve ever seen. Do you have every superhero on them?” Grayson beamed from his spot in the chair, and tears pricked at the back of my eyes. “No silly, there are thousands of superheroes!” Grayson exclaimed laughing. “But I have all the major players.” Kade nodded, looking them over, turning them every which way. “You sure do. Hulk, Spiderman, Superman, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, and Iron Man. I wish I had cool apparatus like this.” “You do?” Grayson asked surprised. “Mostly, I don’t like having to wear them.”Kade let his feet drop back to a natural position. “I suppose they get hot sometimes, but not too many kids get to walk around sporting their favorite superheroes every day. I say, ‘if you got it, flaunt it.’” He winked and Grayson grinned, his missing teeth making him look like a jack o’ lantern that will adorn our front stoop next month. Kade stood and nonchalantly lifted the small walker, setting it next to Grayson. “So, are you done here?” He asked, turning to me and I nodded. “Yup, just need to shut down the lights and grab our coats. Time to be getting home for bed.” I answered breezily trying to ignore the groan from the chair in the corner. “But momma, it’s Friday night.” Grayson whined from the chair, and Kade turned on me. “Yeah momma, it’s Friday night.” He jutted his lip out like Grayson and I couldn’t keep from laughing at the two of them ganging up on me. “Why don’t you and Grayson come to the game with me? We’ve already missed the first half, but that’s okay. I’m sure the Lumberjacks are gonna play just as well in the second.” Grayson looked at me excitedly and then his face fell when he caught sight of the walker.
Kade FrancoAbout The Author:
Katie Mettner grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and moved to the Northwoods where she now resides with her husband and three children. Katie writes spicy Christian romance and is the author of The Sugar series and The Northern Lights series. Her stories are a reflection of her love for family, intricately woven with life experience. When the gales of November blow early you can find her at the computer with a cup of joe working on her next adventure.
Find all of Katie's books:
Amazon Author Page
Follow Katie:Facebook: Katie Mettner AuthorTwitter: @KatieMettnerPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sugarsballroom/Google+: Google +
September 3, 2014
To be rich...
TO BE RICH
What's it like to be rich? Not just comfortably wealthy, filthy rich! I'll never know but I can imagine. Today, while working on book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series -- Taming Tori (Jake's story) -- I was in my heroine's head. Or at least I tried to be. Victoria "Tori" Caye is a spoiled fragrance heiress that hasn't wanted for anything in her life. Whatever she wants she gets.
Time to 'fess up! I've struggled with Tori's character from the get-go. I'm not sure if it's because she's so well-to-do that I can't relate, or because I can't fathom someone acting so badly. Believe me, she's a real treat.
This brings me to what the experts say about writing -- write what you know. I agree with that advice, to a point. If I only wrote what I knew, I'd never get enough words written to equal a novella much less a full length novel. Since I'm not rich (far from it) and never have been, (I used to be dirt-freaking-poor) should I shy away from writing about those fortunate enough to be considered well-to-do or affluent? No siree-bob! I consider it a challenge. Has it given me a few grey hairs? Yep. But that's okay. I'm old(ish) so grey hairs are fast becoming the norm.
I digress.
Anyway, back to being distracted by Tori's character. She had me so twisted inside I wanted to cuss. (Hard to believe, but yes, a cuss word or two has been known to slip out) Instead of cussing, however, I took a walk around our pond. Water seems to have a calming effect. A few laps around relaxed me. Thoughts began to zing through my brain so fast I was afraid I'd forget half of them before I made it back in the house.
After tapping the keys for awhile, I wandered back outside. This time, I cut some flowers from by beds and snipped a few colorful weeds from the ditch on the north side of the house. And voila! This is what I came up with. (Did I mention that flower-arranging isn't my forte?)
Too bad this isn't a scratch-n-sniff picture because there are sprigs of spearmint in the arrangement!
In the midst of jamming those beautiful flowers and weeds into the pot, I was struck by a profound thought -- I have a good life. A comfortable home, albeit nothing fancy. A pond to walk around to refresh my mind and soul. Flowers to admire. An awesome family. Great friends. And a partridge in a pear tree. (Okay I threw that last line in to see if you were still awake) What I'm trying to say is, I may not be rich dollar-wise but in the big scheme of things, I'm rich beyond measure. Soooo...I guess I can write what I know!
I found new inspiration just by backing away from my work-in-progress for a little bit. I feel that I now have a solid grasp on Tori's character! I'm eager to finish Jake and Tori's story so I can share it with you.
Taming Tori will be published later this month. If you read it, please let me know how I did with Tori? (any and all thoughts are welcome)
For those of you who write, where do you go when you need to sort out stubborn characters or things in your story that drive you wonky?
Random thought: If Martha Stewart, Barbara Corcoran, Donald Trump, or Warren Buffett is reading this post (yeah right), I'd love to hang out with you. You know, for research. (A girl can dream)
Thanks for popping in to read my ramblings!
Until next time...
Hugs!
~ Jan
What's it like to be rich? Not just comfortably wealthy, filthy rich! I'll never know but I can imagine. Today, while working on book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series -- Taming Tori (Jake's story) -- I was in my heroine's head. Or at least I tried to be. Victoria "Tori" Caye is a spoiled fragrance heiress that hasn't wanted for anything in her life. Whatever she wants she gets.
Time to 'fess up! I've struggled with Tori's character from the get-go. I'm not sure if it's because she's so well-to-do that I can't relate, or because I can't fathom someone acting so badly. Believe me, she's a real treat.
This brings me to what the experts say about writing -- write what you know. I agree with that advice, to a point. If I only wrote what I knew, I'd never get enough words written to equal a novella much less a full length novel. Since I'm not rich (far from it) and never have been, (I used to be dirt-freaking-poor) should I shy away from writing about those fortunate enough to be considered well-to-do or affluent? No siree-bob! I consider it a challenge. Has it given me a few grey hairs? Yep. But that's okay. I'm old(ish) so grey hairs are fast becoming the norm.
I digress.
Anyway, back to being distracted by Tori's character. She had me so twisted inside I wanted to cuss. (Hard to believe, but yes, a cuss word or two has been known to slip out) Instead of cussing, however, I took a walk around our pond. Water seems to have a calming effect. A few laps around relaxed me. Thoughts began to zing through my brain so fast I was afraid I'd forget half of them before I made it back in the house.
.jpg)
After tapping the keys for awhile, I wandered back outside. This time, I cut some flowers from by beds and snipped a few colorful weeds from the ditch on the north side of the house. And voila! This is what I came up with. (Did I mention that flower-arranging isn't my forte?)
%2B(2).jpg)
Too bad this isn't a scratch-n-sniff picture because there are sprigs of spearmint in the arrangement!
In the midst of jamming those beautiful flowers and weeds into the pot, I was struck by a profound thought -- I have a good life. A comfortable home, albeit nothing fancy. A pond to walk around to refresh my mind and soul. Flowers to admire. An awesome family. Great friends. And a partridge in a pear tree. (Okay I threw that last line in to see if you were still awake) What I'm trying to say is, I may not be rich dollar-wise but in the big scheme of things, I'm rich beyond measure. Soooo...I guess I can write what I know!
I found new inspiration just by backing away from my work-in-progress for a little bit. I feel that I now have a solid grasp on Tori's character! I'm eager to finish Jake and Tori's story so I can share it with you.
Taming Tori will be published later this month. If you read it, please let me know how I did with Tori? (any and all thoughts are welcome)
.jpg)
For those of you who write, where do you go when you need to sort out stubborn characters or things in your story that drive you wonky?
Random thought: If Martha Stewart, Barbara Corcoran, Donald Trump, or Warren Buffett is reading this post (yeah right), I'd love to hang out with you. You know, for research. (A girl can dream)
Thanks for popping in to read my ramblings!
Until next time...
Hugs!
~ Jan
August 28, 2014
Ice water, baby!
I took the ALS ice bucket challenge to help raise awareness of the horrible disease.
For those who don't know, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a disease of the brain and nerves which affects the spinal cord and muscles. The nerve cells waste away and die, thus they cannot send signals to those muscles we normally have control over. When the chest muscles stop working, it becomes impossible to breathe. I became aware of ALS when a member of our community fought hard and lost the battle. Since then, I've learned that more and more people are afflicted and to my knowledge there is still no cure.
May all those participating in the ALS ice bucket challenge and those donating to the cause, bring attention to this disease and help those suffering.
August 23, 2014
MARRIED TO MAGGIE - Chapter 1
I'm tickled to share with you the first chapter of MARRIED TO MAGGIE (book #1 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series)!!
CHAPTER ONE
Tysen Loy Vincent, III, pulled a pair of black-framed, non-prescription glasses from his pocket, slid them on and ducked into the nearest airport gift shop where he worked his way through the tight aisles until he reached the racks of magazines in the back. From behind the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, he kept a sharp eye on the camera wielding weasel across the wide aisle of Concourse B.
A trickle of sweat rolled down the length of his neck and he muffled a low, throaty curse into the magazine. Someone had to be tipping off the press. How else would Chaz Rosston find him in Nevada?
Ty adjusted the hot, ill-fitting hairpiece setting on top of his head. He was tired of disguises; tired of bobbing and weaving in and out of places to keep from having a camera and microphone shoved in his face. The urge to fling both the glasses and ridiculous wig into the busy corridor for an electric transportation cart to smash was heightened when two teenage girls clad in skimpy tops and low-slung jeans gave him the once-over. One girl nudged the other with her elbow. Their amused expressions said ‘nice rug’.
Sweet. The sarcasm was aimed more at him than the girls. Since he’d ditched the environmental conference in Atlanta to play in Reno, he had to suck up the discomfort of the rug and continue to engage in a game of hide and seek. If his grandfather caught wind that he wasn’t in Atlanta, there would be hell to pay. T. Loy Vincent, I, had issued a clear warning to Ty before he left for the conference – ‘straighten up and play by the rules or clean out your office’. Those words were still embedded in Ty’s brain.
Behind the goofy glasses, he narrowed his eyes. Life was too short to play by someone else’s rules. His father, T. Loy Vincent II, had played by the rules for fifty-five years. Where had it gotten him? Six feet under and pushing up daisies, that’s where. Ty wasn’t ready to follow the same life-sucking path and he sure as hell wasn’t fond of daisies. He also wasn’t ready for the razor-sharp pain that sliced across his chest every time he thought of his dad. He could almost time the excruciating agony. Three, two … Piercing pain came hard and fast, stealing his breath, causing him to double over with a moan.
In the middle of the ordeal, a hand landed on his back and a soft voice asked if he was okay. He jerked from the contact. “I’m…freaking…peachy,” he forced out between clenched teeth.
The surprisingly calm, feminine voice continued. “Should I call 9-1-1?”
“No! I’m…fine.” He couldn’t afford the drama. The news rat combing the area for something to splash across the front pages of the newspapers and tabloids would have a field day if EMS personnel descended on the shop and he discovered it was Ty in need of care.
“You’re not fine.” The resolve in the woman’s tone indicated she would stay despite his attempts to shoo her away.
Why did everyone think it was okay to bother him? “Leave. Me. Alone.” The words came out more scathing than they should have, but hey, he wasn’t exactly known for his tact.
“I can’t do that, sir.”
Warm fingers landed on his neck.
Ty jerked harder at the more intimate touch. “What are you doing?” The pain that usually subsided after a minute, hung on and his knees startled to buckle under his weight.
“Easy now.” The woman who couldn’t keep her hands to herself guided him to a sitting position against the magazine rack. “Your pulse is all over the place.”
Either the awkwardness of the situation or the unwanted attention distracted the pain. The discomfort in Ty’s chest lessened and he no longer struggled to breathe. He was finally able to focus on the person crouching beside him. “Your pulse would go crazy too if a complete stranger touched your neck.”
Soft blue eyes ringed with a darker blue, studied him with concern. “Force of habit. I’m a nurse.” Her forehead creased. “At least I used to be.”
Ty quirked a brow. “Did you get fired for inappropriate neck-touching?” As soon as the new round of sarcasm left his mouth, he bashed himself for taking his surly mood out on someone who had come to his aid. The Good Samaritan’s long, dark lashes lowered and her concerned half-smile thinned.
“I shouldn’t have butted in.” She straightened to a stand.
The shop clerk approached with a frown. “What’s going on?”
Ty’s gaze connected with the blue-eyed nurse again. Before he could explain, she did.
“My husband is prone to kidney stones. We’re about to board a flight for home so I can take him to our family doctor.” She went into a long-winded spiel about how miserable it is to have kidney stones and how she wouldn’t wish them on anyone.
Ty’s jaw was in danger of unhinging at the blatant lie.
The young clerk stared at the woman with a deer-in-the-headlights look. He clearly had no idea what she was talking about. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you need to get him up off the floor.”
“I’m on it.” The woman extended her hand to Ty.
Ty couldn’t suppress a grin. Not only did the short-haired brunette help him with what she could only assume was a heart attack, she was now involved in a ruse of her own creation. He was set to whisper his gratitude when he caught movement at the entrance. “Dammit!” Chaz was standing outside the shop with his head snapping all around.
In another subtle, yet stunning move, his wife shoved in front of him to block the view of the guy whose long, bulbous nose poked into his business way too often. The freelance stalker was a giant pain-in-the-neck who catalogued his every move. In exchange for blurry pictures and half-truths, the media paid Chaz big money. Ty stooped to tie his shoes. It wouldn’t have drawn attention if he’d actually been wearing shoes that tied instead of square-toed loafers.
“Seriously,” the clerk said, “I’m about to call airport security.”
Ty peeked around the woman and let out a sigh of relief. Chaz had moved on. “Relax. We’re leaving.” He clutched the arm of his pretend wife.
As soon as they were in the hallway, his cell phone plinked with the arrival of yet another text message. He’d received a half-dozen in the last hour from his grandfather’s private secretary, Rosie. She’d advised him to get to the airport in short order and to head back to Atlanta. Rosie was a tiny, grey-haired woman who was feisty and fun-loving. Over the years, she and Ty formed a special bond. He helped her with whatever she needed, either at work or at her home. In return, she ran interference for him to keep his grandfather none the wiser to his escapades. Somehow the old coot still managed to find out what he’d been up to. The patriarch of the Vincent clan quoted anonymous sources when Ty would ask who narked him out. Anonymous my ass. Everyone had a name. Everyone had an agenda. Everyone wanted money for information. In Ty’s case, it was probably his grandfather paying some bloodhound to stay on his trail. Ty glanced at Rosie’s latest message, shoved the phone back in his shirt pocket and fixed a bead of inquiry on the woman with a boyish-yet-feminine hairstyle and eyelashes so long they almost touched her eyebrows. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Maggie Gray,” she simply said.
“Well, Maggie Gray, thank you for everything. Your timing was impeccable.” Ty’s gaze ricocheted between Maggie and the surrounding area. He studied her from behind the fake glasses and finally removed them to get a clear look. She was modestly beautiful. Big blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and a sense of humor. The slow sweep of her lashes reinforced both. He got the feeling that this easy-on-the-eyes stranger could hold her own in most situations.
“No problem. Happy to help.”
Ty looked past Maggie to scan the area again. There was no sign of Chaz. “Where are you headed?”
“Dallas.” She held up her boarding pass.
“Me too.” It was impractical to go back to Atlanta since the conference was almost over. He would adjust his ticket and head back to Texas. Ty winced hard without letting the sound roll out. When he got home, there would be hell to pay and it would take a special kind of shovel to dig him out of the mess he’d made. Rosie couldn’t fix this. He eyed Maggie. “What time is your flight?”
“Three-thirty.”
Ty watched Maggie shift from foot to foot, repeatedly push her purse strap up on her shoulder even though it wasn’t falling off, and open and close her hands at her side. This sudden nervous behavior was in stark contrast to the woman who’d been in control a minute ago. When it came to nursing skills she was confident and in charge; perhaps when things became personal, not so much. Perfect!
* * *
‘Six foot-four, tousled blondish-brown hair, striking resemblance to Jon Bon Jovi, blue eyes that will win you over in a heartbeat and behaves like the world revolves around him’. Maggie had played those words over in her head again and again, questioning the sanity of the agreement she’d entered into with billionaire T. Loy Vincent, I. She’d walked through Reno-Tahoe International Airport three times, trying to be subtle with her inspection of people passing by, occasionally checking the photo Loy had provided. Actually, she didn’t need a picture to recognize Tysen Loy Vincent, III, since he was one of the most photographed persons in the world. The infamous, playboy heir to the Vincent oil fortune graced magazine covers and front pages of newspapers almost daily. He was larger than life; known to woo starlets, top models, even a pickle heiress. Checking the photo numerous times wasn’t to jog her memory as to what he looked like, but rather a concrete reminder that she’d lost her mind.
Frustrated that Tysen had slipped by, she’d popped into the gift shop for a bottle of water. To her shock, there he was, in disguise – a poor disguise, at that – in the middle of some kind of episode that had him clutching his chest. Heart attack had screamed in Maggie’s mind and for good reason, she’d been his grandfather’s cardiac rehab nurse for the last few months. Ty inherited his grandfather’s good looks, possibly his faulty ticker as well. She’d rushed to help, only to be bitten by his well-known fondness for sarcasm; something else that seemed inherited.
Did she get fired for inappropriate neck touching? Maggie had been tempted to hit the fool with a rolled up magazine. Instead, she was at an airport gate, sitting next to him with her feet crossed at the ankles, trying to stabilize her own heart. For reasons she didn’t understand, the darn thing was hell-bent on doing a river dance against her ribs.
Ty Vincent was gorgeous and worldly. How would she persuade someone like him to marry her? What had Loy been thinking? What had she been thinking? If she’d taken time to think things through, she wouldn’t be in Reno immersed in a sideways scheme.
She feigned surprise when he identified himself and then jabbed him with a smart remark about the hairpiece. He shrugged, ditched the rug in his carryon, ran his hands through his sexy mess of hair and plied her with that well-known, handsome smile.
Their conversation didn’t include the normal questions, like why she was in Reno or why he was there. He didn’t ask and she didn’t offer. And vice versa.
Something indefinable sparkled in his eyes. Maggie’s palms started to sweat. Her nerve endings prickled like she was about to be struck by lightning.
Ty shifted in his seat. “I have something to ask you that might sound a little off-the-wall. Your first instinct will be to say no, but hear me out, okay?”
Maggie wanted to come across as cautious and baffled that someone like him would ask someone like her anything. She purposely drew out her response. “Ohhh-kayyyy.”
Ty cleared his throat, twice. “I need a…wife. Just for a little while.” He didn’t bat an eye. “Marry me.”
If a person’s mouth could drop to their belly button, then Maggie’s was there. She widened her eyes, although she shouldn’t be the least bit shocked. This was Tysen Vincent. He was known for peculiar behavior. She’d come to Nevada to get him to propose, still, hearing the words come out of his mouth stunned her to the core. She tried to talk…and breathe…but her voice and lungs were rendered incapable of doing their jobs.
This was not real. None of it. Any second now, she expected a TV camera crew to pop out from their hiding places to inform her that Loy and Ty involved her in a prank. She hoped they’d do it soon so she could breathe again.
Ty’s serious expression took that hope and ground it to dust. It wasn’t a prank, but rather a hare-brained plot that mirrored the first one she was already immersed in neck-deep. No one would believe that she and Ty Vincent bumped into each other at the airport and before she caught her flight home, he asked her to be his wife. Even she didn’t believe it. Yet, she was sitting next to him and he was waiting for an answer. Maggie gnawed hard on her bottom lip, almost drawing blood, while she tried to come to grips with the reality that three men wanted to parade her around as the newest addition to the Vincent family for their own self-seeking reasons. T. Loy Vincent, I, was the grand marshal of the first whacked out parade. Ty wore the crown for the second one. Her father was number three, marching right along with the other two. She understood why the Vincents had lost their minds, she couldn’t figure out why her father had lost his. She was his only child, for Pete’s sake. The only explanation tendered was that he needed help with a long-standing debt. She deserved a few more details, but the only thing she received was a serious plea for her to lend a hand. Even without all the information, it didn’t take an Einstein to deduce that whatever it was had to be big. Maggie cringed at the possibility that she might be a gambling settlement. Her father was known to chance a hefty amount of his income on the ponies. The bad habit was supposed to be under control. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he was in hock to Loy for thousands of dollars.
Her air and voice returned. “Say what?”
“You didn’t hesitate to tell the clerk you were my wife. Why not make it real to help me out? I need you, Maggie.” Ty looked determined to get a yes. It was the same strong-minded, devious look worn by his grandfather yesterday. She was of the strict opinion that not only did the Vincents share blood but also insanity.
Maggie sneered with as much disdain as she could muster. At the same time a profound truth hit her between the eyes. Who was she to sneer? She was no better than the three hooligans orchestrating this mess. When Loy offered this strange opportunity, she didn’t back away. She did at first because it was too much to comprehend, but she gradually came around thanks to her dad and a sudden termination by the hospital. For the first time in eight years she found herself unemployed. The hospital blamed it on the austerity program they were implementing where each department had to do more with less. Maggie understood the concept. What she didn’t understand was why her job had been on the chopping block. There were four nurses with less seniority; one nurse – Delia Smythfield – had only been in the unit for six months and was a troublemaker from the day she hired in. Delia was a rich kid who made it known she had more money than she knew what to do with and really didn’t need to work. To Maggie’s shock, the hospital kept the rabble-rouser and let her go instead. Even her boss and best friend, Nancy, was blindsided by the move. Nancy promised to snoop around to find out why Maggie had been singled out. So far the only thing she reported was that no one knew a thing.
Since Carriage Memorial didn’t have a union, Maggie had little recourse. Sure, there were legal avenues she could have pursued to make the hospital squirm but she’d been too hurt to check into them. She’d cried for a week and then pulled herself together to apply at other hospitals only to discover that they too were paring down staff.
“I know it’s a half-cocked proposition, but it pays well. I need a wife ASAP to show my grandfather and the Board of Directors that I’m trying to be the guy they want me to be.”
Maggie thought it odd that before the proposal she’d informed Ty she was headed to Dallas, he said he was headed there as well, and excused himself to the far corner of the gate with his phone glued to his ear. He’d paced back and forth in front of a set of large windows, occasionally striking a glance in her direction. When he finally sat down beside her, he made idle chit chat and now he proposed marriage. Who had he been talking to? Was this madness his alone, or had it been conjured up by the person on the other end of the phone? Even though it’s what she came for, he’d made it easy. Too easy. Disturbingly easy. Maggie silently sighed. His reasons for proposing didn’t matter; the only thing that did was that it happened. She cringed at the realization that she and Ty’s relationship would soon become a spectacular development that the celebrity gossip and entertainment news industry would latch onto and not let go. They would tout the quickie marriage as a mistake and wager it wouldn’t last six months. Ha! The joke was on them; that six-month plan was already in place.
Queasiness settled in the pit of Maggie’s stomach. She wanted to close her eyes and not open them until the lunacy proved to be nothing more than a bad dream. Since she was in a busy airport with Ty Vincent, Maggie knew it was more of a wide-awake nightmare that would eventually take a huge bite out of her butt. She gulped hard to loosen the thick knot of reality clogging her windpipe. “No woman in her right mind would agree to something so ridiculous.”
“My grandfather has backed me into a corner. So I find myself in need of a wife to convince him…and the rest of the world…that I’m trying to change.” Ty laughed with no humor whatsoever.
Maggie twisted her mouth while she pondered the request. Agreeing to Ty’s strategy, while already involved in one with his grandfather, would make her a double-agent of sorts. If she refused Ty’s proposal, it would effectively cancel the grandfather’s. Essentially, by agreeing to marry Ty, she wasn’t just selling her soul to the highest bidder she was selling it to the top two. The knowledge put the squeeze to her heart. How could she enter into something she held sacred with this guy, or any guy that she wasn’t in love with? Yes, it was a temporary arrangement, but marriage was something special. It was a gift; not a means to settle an old debt or a way to get an out-of-control grandson to behave.
“I’m serious. Marry me.” He squinted hard as though the thought of having a spouse was as unsettling to him as it was to her. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Maggie sucked in a breath and held it in an attempt to calm her lungs. Her breaths had been silently jagged since she set eyes on the Bon Jovi look-alike, and now, she had to coax each breath.
In order to sell him that she was just a random person he happened to cross paths with, she had to make him seem like the lunatic. “Out of all the people in the world, why me?”
“Because…” Ty looked thoughtful. “Hell, I don’t know. Something about you says you’re exactly what I need…” He cleared his throat for the tenth time. “…to pull this off.” He nudged against her. “You lied for me.”
“Oh God! You areserious.” She lied to the gift shop clerk and now she was the perfect choice? Maggie wanted to throw up.
Ty squinted again. “Dead serious.”
Maggie uncrossed her feet, fidgeted in the chair and touched his forearm. Big mistake! Huge! Something similar to static electricity crackled its way through her veins the second she made contact. She withdrew her fingers and mimicked him by squinting. “Your grandfather is pushing you hard. I get it. I also get that we do things for people we love that we normally wouldn’t do for anyone else.” Boy do we! If it wasn’t for the desperation she’d heard in her father’s voice she wouldn’t be sitting next to Tysen Vincent. She wouldn’t be in Nevada and wouldn’t be on the verge of becoming a shady character. “One word of advice, play his game if you have to, but don’t lose yourself while you’re doing it.” Maggie flinched from her own philosophical ramblings. The suggestion was fitting, but she didn’t talk like that.
Ty opened his eyes wide for a few seconds before he narrowed them even tighter than before. The few frown lines splayed across his forehead multiplied until they were an accordion of creases. “Are you in or not?”
Maggie couldn’t stop a nervous laugh and chalked it up as a way to cope. “Am I in or not? Wow. Worst marriage proposal ever.”
“This isn’t about romance and picking out china, it’s a business deal with a few perks. You’ll get the Vincent name. More money than you can imagine. Clothes. Cars. A life most women would kill for.”
She needed a shot of tequila. Or a pin to stick in Ty’s overinflated ego. Since she didn’t have either at her disposal, she did the next best thing – an exaggerated eye roll. “Yeah. That’s enticing.” Despite her calm, cool and collected appearance, a fragile string of hysteria was close to breaking in two.
Ty’s frown changed to confusion. “That doesn’t appeal to you?”
“I’m sure all of that is great but the thought of pimping myself out to get it gives me a chill.” Maggie purposely shuddered.
“I’m just trying to lay it all out, Maggie.” Ty lowered his voice when two well-dressed men in business suits sat in the adjacent chairs. He leaned in close and Maggie could smell his cologne, something earthy with a hint of musk. She tried to ignore the spike of delight from his nearness and his scent. “I’m asking you to pose as my wife. That’s it. No sex. No kids. No making me tow-the-line. Nothing. Get it? All I need is a wholesome woman to meet my grandfather’s approval. I need you long enough to convince him that I’m trying to live up to his expectations.”
Maggie regretted not hitting him with a rolled up magazine when she had a chance. She should’ve hit her father and Loy with one too.
~~ ** ~~
BOOK #2 -- KEEPING KYLEE is available now
BOOK #3 -- TAMING TORI (September 2014)
BOOK #4 -- NOT WITHOUT NANCY (January 2015)
CHAPTER ONE
Tysen Loy Vincent, III, pulled a pair of black-framed, non-prescription glasses from his pocket, slid them on and ducked into the nearest airport gift shop where he worked his way through the tight aisles until he reached the racks of magazines in the back. From behind the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, he kept a sharp eye on the camera wielding weasel across the wide aisle of Concourse B.
A trickle of sweat rolled down the length of his neck and he muffled a low, throaty curse into the magazine. Someone had to be tipping off the press. How else would Chaz Rosston find him in Nevada?
Ty adjusted the hot, ill-fitting hairpiece setting on top of his head. He was tired of disguises; tired of bobbing and weaving in and out of places to keep from having a camera and microphone shoved in his face. The urge to fling both the glasses and ridiculous wig into the busy corridor for an electric transportation cart to smash was heightened when two teenage girls clad in skimpy tops and low-slung jeans gave him the once-over. One girl nudged the other with her elbow. Their amused expressions said ‘nice rug’.
Sweet. The sarcasm was aimed more at him than the girls. Since he’d ditched the environmental conference in Atlanta to play in Reno, he had to suck up the discomfort of the rug and continue to engage in a game of hide and seek. If his grandfather caught wind that he wasn’t in Atlanta, there would be hell to pay. T. Loy Vincent, I, had issued a clear warning to Ty before he left for the conference – ‘straighten up and play by the rules or clean out your office’. Those words were still embedded in Ty’s brain.
Behind the goofy glasses, he narrowed his eyes. Life was too short to play by someone else’s rules. His father, T. Loy Vincent II, had played by the rules for fifty-five years. Where had it gotten him? Six feet under and pushing up daisies, that’s where. Ty wasn’t ready to follow the same life-sucking path and he sure as hell wasn’t fond of daisies. He also wasn’t ready for the razor-sharp pain that sliced across his chest every time he thought of his dad. He could almost time the excruciating agony. Three, two … Piercing pain came hard and fast, stealing his breath, causing him to double over with a moan.
In the middle of the ordeal, a hand landed on his back and a soft voice asked if he was okay. He jerked from the contact. “I’m…freaking…peachy,” he forced out between clenched teeth.
The surprisingly calm, feminine voice continued. “Should I call 9-1-1?”
“No! I’m…fine.” He couldn’t afford the drama. The news rat combing the area for something to splash across the front pages of the newspapers and tabloids would have a field day if EMS personnel descended on the shop and he discovered it was Ty in need of care.
“You’re not fine.” The resolve in the woman’s tone indicated she would stay despite his attempts to shoo her away.
Why did everyone think it was okay to bother him? “Leave. Me. Alone.” The words came out more scathing than they should have, but hey, he wasn’t exactly known for his tact.
“I can’t do that, sir.”
Warm fingers landed on his neck.
Ty jerked harder at the more intimate touch. “What are you doing?” The pain that usually subsided after a minute, hung on and his knees startled to buckle under his weight.
“Easy now.” The woman who couldn’t keep her hands to herself guided him to a sitting position against the magazine rack. “Your pulse is all over the place.”
Either the awkwardness of the situation or the unwanted attention distracted the pain. The discomfort in Ty’s chest lessened and he no longer struggled to breathe. He was finally able to focus on the person crouching beside him. “Your pulse would go crazy too if a complete stranger touched your neck.”
Soft blue eyes ringed with a darker blue, studied him with concern. “Force of habit. I’m a nurse.” Her forehead creased. “At least I used to be.”
Ty quirked a brow. “Did you get fired for inappropriate neck-touching?” As soon as the new round of sarcasm left his mouth, he bashed himself for taking his surly mood out on someone who had come to his aid. The Good Samaritan’s long, dark lashes lowered and her concerned half-smile thinned.
“I shouldn’t have butted in.” She straightened to a stand.
The shop clerk approached with a frown. “What’s going on?”
Ty’s gaze connected with the blue-eyed nurse again. Before he could explain, she did.
“My husband is prone to kidney stones. We’re about to board a flight for home so I can take him to our family doctor.” She went into a long-winded spiel about how miserable it is to have kidney stones and how she wouldn’t wish them on anyone.
Ty’s jaw was in danger of unhinging at the blatant lie.
The young clerk stared at the woman with a deer-in-the-headlights look. He clearly had no idea what she was talking about. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you need to get him up off the floor.”
“I’m on it.” The woman extended her hand to Ty.
Ty couldn’t suppress a grin. Not only did the short-haired brunette help him with what she could only assume was a heart attack, she was now involved in a ruse of her own creation. He was set to whisper his gratitude when he caught movement at the entrance. “Dammit!” Chaz was standing outside the shop with his head snapping all around.
In another subtle, yet stunning move, his wife shoved in front of him to block the view of the guy whose long, bulbous nose poked into his business way too often. The freelance stalker was a giant pain-in-the-neck who catalogued his every move. In exchange for blurry pictures and half-truths, the media paid Chaz big money. Ty stooped to tie his shoes. It wouldn’t have drawn attention if he’d actually been wearing shoes that tied instead of square-toed loafers.
“Seriously,” the clerk said, “I’m about to call airport security.”
Ty peeked around the woman and let out a sigh of relief. Chaz had moved on. “Relax. We’re leaving.” He clutched the arm of his pretend wife.
As soon as they were in the hallway, his cell phone plinked with the arrival of yet another text message. He’d received a half-dozen in the last hour from his grandfather’s private secretary, Rosie. She’d advised him to get to the airport in short order and to head back to Atlanta. Rosie was a tiny, grey-haired woman who was feisty and fun-loving. Over the years, she and Ty formed a special bond. He helped her with whatever she needed, either at work or at her home. In return, she ran interference for him to keep his grandfather none the wiser to his escapades. Somehow the old coot still managed to find out what he’d been up to. The patriarch of the Vincent clan quoted anonymous sources when Ty would ask who narked him out. Anonymous my ass. Everyone had a name. Everyone had an agenda. Everyone wanted money for information. In Ty’s case, it was probably his grandfather paying some bloodhound to stay on his trail. Ty glanced at Rosie’s latest message, shoved the phone back in his shirt pocket and fixed a bead of inquiry on the woman with a boyish-yet-feminine hairstyle and eyelashes so long they almost touched her eyebrows. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Maggie Gray,” she simply said.
“Well, Maggie Gray, thank you for everything. Your timing was impeccable.” Ty’s gaze ricocheted between Maggie and the surrounding area. He studied her from behind the fake glasses and finally removed them to get a clear look. She was modestly beautiful. Big blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and a sense of humor. The slow sweep of her lashes reinforced both. He got the feeling that this easy-on-the-eyes stranger could hold her own in most situations.
“No problem. Happy to help.”
Ty looked past Maggie to scan the area again. There was no sign of Chaz. “Where are you headed?”
“Dallas.” She held up her boarding pass.
“Me too.” It was impractical to go back to Atlanta since the conference was almost over. He would adjust his ticket and head back to Texas. Ty winced hard without letting the sound roll out. When he got home, there would be hell to pay and it would take a special kind of shovel to dig him out of the mess he’d made. Rosie couldn’t fix this. He eyed Maggie. “What time is your flight?”
“Three-thirty.”
Ty watched Maggie shift from foot to foot, repeatedly push her purse strap up on her shoulder even though it wasn’t falling off, and open and close her hands at her side. This sudden nervous behavior was in stark contrast to the woman who’d been in control a minute ago. When it came to nursing skills she was confident and in charge; perhaps when things became personal, not so much. Perfect!
* * *
‘Six foot-four, tousled blondish-brown hair, striking resemblance to Jon Bon Jovi, blue eyes that will win you over in a heartbeat and behaves like the world revolves around him’. Maggie had played those words over in her head again and again, questioning the sanity of the agreement she’d entered into with billionaire T. Loy Vincent, I. She’d walked through Reno-Tahoe International Airport three times, trying to be subtle with her inspection of people passing by, occasionally checking the photo Loy had provided. Actually, she didn’t need a picture to recognize Tysen Loy Vincent, III, since he was one of the most photographed persons in the world. The infamous, playboy heir to the Vincent oil fortune graced magazine covers and front pages of newspapers almost daily. He was larger than life; known to woo starlets, top models, even a pickle heiress. Checking the photo numerous times wasn’t to jog her memory as to what he looked like, but rather a concrete reminder that she’d lost her mind.
Frustrated that Tysen had slipped by, she’d popped into the gift shop for a bottle of water. To her shock, there he was, in disguise – a poor disguise, at that – in the middle of some kind of episode that had him clutching his chest. Heart attack had screamed in Maggie’s mind and for good reason, she’d been his grandfather’s cardiac rehab nurse for the last few months. Ty inherited his grandfather’s good looks, possibly his faulty ticker as well. She’d rushed to help, only to be bitten by his well-known fondness for sarcasm; something else that seemed inherited.
Did she get fired for inappropriate neck touching? Maggie had been tempted to hit the fool with a rolled up magazine. Instead, she was at an airport gate, sitting next to him with her feet crossed at the ankles, trying to stabilize her own heart. For reasons she didn’t understand, the darn thing was hell-bent on doing a river dance against her ribs.
Ty Vincent was gorgeous and worldly. How would she persuade someone like him to marry her? What had Loy been thinking? What had she been thinking? If she’d taken time to think things through, she wouldn’t be in Reno immersed in a sideways scheme.
She feigned surprise when he identified himself and then jabbed him with a smart remark about the hairpiece. He shrugged, ditched the rug in his carryon, ran his hands through his sexy mess of hair and plied her with that well-known, handsome smile.
Their conversation didn’t include the normal questions, like why she was in Reno or why he was there. He didn’t ask and she didn’t offer. And vice versa.
Something indefinable sparkled in his eyes. Maggie’s palms started to sweat. Her nerve endings prickled like she was about to be struck by lightning.
Ty shifted in his seat. “I have something to ask you that might sound a little off-the-wall. Your first instinct will be to say no, but hear me out, okay?”
Maggie wanted to come across as cautious and baffled that someone like him would ask someone like her anything. She purposely drew out her response. “Ohhh-kayyyy.”
Ty cleared his throat, twice. “I need a…wife. Just for a little while.” He didn’t bat an eye. “Marry me.”
If a person’s mouth could drop to their belly button, then Maggie’s was there. She widened her eyes, although she shouldn’t be the least bit shocked. This was Tysen Vincent. He was known for peculiar behavior. She’d come to Nevada to get him to propose, still, hearing the words come out of his mouth stunned her to the core. She tried to talk…and breathe…but her voice and lungs were rendered incapable of doing their jobs.
This was not real. None of it. Any second now, she expected a TV camera crew to pop out from their hiding places to inform her that Loy and Ty involved her in a prank. She hoped they’d do it soon so she could breathe again.
Ty’s serious expression took that hope and ground it to dust. It wasn’t a prank, but rather a hare-brained plot that mirrored the first one she was already immersed in neck-deep. No one would believe that she and Ty Vincent bumped into each other at the airport and before she caught her flight home, he asked her to be his wife. Even she didn’t believe it. Yet, she was sitting next to him and he was waiting for an answer. Maggie gnawed hard on her bottom lip, almost drawing blood, while she tried to come to grips with the reality that three men wanted to parade her around as the newest addition to the Vincent family for their own self-seeking reasons. T. Loy Vincent, I, was the grand marshal of the first whacked out parade. Ty wore the crown for the second one. Her father was number three, marching right along with the other two. She understood why the Vincents had lost their minds, she couldn’t figure out why her father had lost his. She was his only child, for Pete’s sake. The only explanation tendered was that he needed help with a long-standing debt. She deserved a few more details, but the only thing she received was a serious plea for her to lend a hand. Even without all the information, it didn’t take an Einstein to deduce that whatever it was had to be big. Maggie cringed at the possibility that she might be a gambling settlement. Her father was known to chance a hefty amount of his income on the ponies. The bad habit was supposed to be under control. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he was in hock to Loy for thousands of dollars.
Her air and voice returned. “Say what?”
“You didn’t hesitate to tell the clerk you were my wife. Why not make it real to help me out? I need you, Maggie.” Ty looked determined to get a yes. It was the same strong-minded, devious look worn by his grandfather yesterday. She was of the strict opinion that not only did the Vincents share blood but also insanity.
Maggie sneered with as much disdain as she could muster. At the same time a profound truth hit her between the eyes. Who was she to sneer? She was no better than the three hooligans orchestrating this mess. When Loy offered this strange opportunity, she didn’t back away. She did at first because it was too much to comprehend, but she gradually came around thanks to her dad and a sudden termination by the hospital. For the first time in eight years she found herself unemployed. The hospital blamed it on the austerity program they were implementing where each department had to do more with less. Maggie understood the concept. What she didn’t understand was why her job had been on the chopping block. There were four nurses with less seniority; one nurse – Delia Smythfield – had only been in the unit for six months and was a troublemaker from the day she hired in. Delia was a rich kid who made it known she had more money than she knew what to do with and really didn’t need to work. To Maggie’s shock, the hospital kept the rabble-rouser and let her go instead. Even her boss and best friend, Nancy, was blindsided by the move. Nancy promised to snoop around to find out why Maggie had been singled out. So far the only thing she reported was that no one knew a thing.
Since Carriage Memorial didn’t have a union, Maggie had little recourse. Sure, there were legal avenues she could have pursued to make the hospital squirm but she’d been too hurt to check into them. She’d cried for a week and then pulled herself together to apply at other hospitals only to discover that they too were paring down staff.
“I know it’s a half-cocked proposition, but it pays well. I need a wife ASAP to show my grandfather and the Board of Directors that I’m trying to be the guy they want me to be.”
Maggie thought it odd that before the proposal she’d informed Ty she was headed to Dallas, he said he was headed there as well, and excused himself to the far corner of the gate with his phone glued to his ear. He’d paced back and forth in front of a set of large windows, occasionally striking a glance in her direction. When he finally sat down beside her, he made idle chit chat and now he proposed marriage. Who had he been talking to? Was this madness his alone, or had it been conjured up by the person on the other end of the phone? Even though it’s what she came for, he’d made it easy. Too easy. Disturbingly easy. Maggie silently sighed. His reasons for proposing didn’t matter; the only thing that did was that it happened. She cringed at the realization that she and Ty’s relationship would soon become a spectacular development that the celebrity gossip and entertainment news industry would latch onto and not let go. They would tout the quickie marriage as a mistake and wager it wouldn’t last six months. Ha! The joke was on them; that six-month plan was already in place.
Queasiness settled in the pit of Maggie’s stomach. She wanted to close her eyes and not open them until the lunacy proved to be nothing more than a bad dream. Since she was in a busy airport with Ty Vincent, Maggie knew it was more of a wide-awake nightmare that would eventually take a huge bite out of her butt. She gulped hard to loosen the thick knot of reality clogging her windpipe. “No woman in her right mind would agree to something so ridiculous.”
“My grandfather has backed me into a corner. So I find myself in need of a wife to convince him…and the rest of the world…that I’m trying to change.” Ty laughed with no humor whatsoever.
Maggie twisted her mouth while she pondered the request. Agreeing to Ty’s strategy, while already involved in one with his grandfather, would make her a double-agent of sorts. If she refused Ty’s proposal, it would effectively cancel the grandfather’s. Essentially, by agreeing to marry Ty, she wasn’t just selling her soul to the highest bidder she was selling it to the top two. The knowledge put the squeeze to her heart. How could she enter into something she held sacred with this guy, or any guy that she wasn’t in love with? Yes, it was a temporary arrangement, but marriage was something special. It was a gift; not a means to settle an old debt or a way to get an out-of-control grandson to behave.
“I’m serious. Marry me.” He squinted hard as though the thought of having a spouse was as unsettling to him as it was to her. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Maggie sucked in a breath and held it in an attempt to calm her lungs. Her breaths had been silently jagged since she set eyes on the Bon Jovi look-alike, and now, she had to coax each breath.
In order to sell him that she was just a random person he happened to cross paths with, she had to make him seem like the lunatic. “Out of all the people in the world, why me?”
“Because…” Ty looked thoughtful. “Hell, I don’t know. Something about you says you’re exactly what I need…” He cleared his throat for the tenth time. “…to pull this off.” He nudged against her. “You lied for me.”
“Oh God! You areserious.” She lied to the gift shop clerk and now she was the perfect choice? Maggie wanted to throw up.
Ty squinted again. “Dead serious.”
Maggie uncrossed her feet, fidgeted in the chair and touched his forearm. Big mistake! Huge! Something similar to static electricity crackled its way through her veins the second she made contact. She withdrew her fingers and mimicked him by squinting. “Your grandfather is pushing you hard. I get it. I also get that we do things for people we love that we normally wouldn’t do for anyone else.” Boy do we! If it wasn’t for the desperation she’d heard in her father’s voice she wouldn’t be sitting next to Tysen Vincent. She wouldn’t be in Nevada and wouldn’t be on the verge of becoming a shady character. “One word of advice, play his game if you have to, but don’t lose yourself while you’re doing it.” Maggie flinched from her own philosophical ramblings. The suggestion was fitting, but she didn’t talk like that.
Ty opened his eyes wide for a few seconds before he narrowed them even tighter than before. The few frown lines splayed across his forehead multiplied until they were an accordion of creases. “Are you in or not?”
Maggie couldn’t stop a nervous laugh and chalked it up as a way to cope. “Am I in or not? Wow. Worst marriage proposal ever.”
“This isn’t about romance and picking out china, it’s a business deal with a few perks. You’ll get the Vincent name. More money than you can imagine. Clothes. Cars. A life most women would kill for.”
She needed a shot of tequila. Or a pin to stick in Ty’s overinflated ego. Since she didn’t have either at her disposal, she did the next best thing – an exaggerated eye roll. “Yeah. That’s enticing.” Despite her calm, cool and collected appearance, a fragile string of hysteria was close to breaking in two.
Ty’s frown changed to confusion. “That doesn’t appeal to you?”
“I’m sure all of that is great but the thought of pimping myself out to get it gives me a chill.” Maggie purposely shuddered.
“I’m just trying to lay it all out, Maggie.” Ty lowered his voice when two well-dressed men in business suits sat in the adjacent chairs. He leaned in close and Maggie could smell his cologne, something earthy with a hint of musk. She tried to ignore the spike of delight from his nearness and his scent. “I’m asking you to pose as my wife. That’s it. No sex. No kids. No making me tow-the-line. Nothing. Get it? All I need is a wholesome woman to meet my grandfather’s approval. I need you long enough to convince him that I’m trying to live up to his expectations.”
Maggie regretted not hitting him with a rolled up magazine when she had a chance. She should’ve hit her father and Loy with one too.
~~ ** ~~
BOOK #2 -- KEEPING KYLEE is available now
BOOK #3 -- TAMING TORI (September 2014)
BOOK #4 -- NOT WITHOUT NANCY (January 2015)
August 21, 2014
Undiscovered Angel by Sharon Saracino (Book #1 - Earthbound series)
SHARON SARACINO
It's a pleasure to welcome gifted author, Sharon Saracino to my blog with an interview. She's a sweet friend who writes awesome stories. Grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever you consider nectar of the gods and settle in to learn more about this talented author. *Psst! We're also going to help her celebrate the release of her new book -- UNDISCOVERED ANGEL*
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Happy to have you here, Sharon! Would you like to share your bio and then tell us something we would be surprised to know? (Folks, you'll be able to say you heard it here first *grins*)
First of all, thanks so much for having me, Jan! It's always such fun to visit with you! Hmmm...bio...well, I was born and raised in the anthracite coal region of Pennyslvania and I still reside there with my long suffering husband, funny and talented son, and two insane dogs. When I'm not reading, writing, or enjoying photography and genealogy, I brew my own limoncello, dream of moving to Italy, and work as a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse. I plan on winning the lottery just as soon as I remember to buy a ticket! (although I'm pretty sure that surprises no one!)
How would you define your writing style? What genre is your specialty?
I'm not sure I actually have a writing style. Does flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants count as a writing style? I write primarily romance, usually with a touch of the supernatural or paranormal thrown in.
When you're laying the groundwork for your stories, do you outline or make notes that will lead you from beginning to end? Do you research details ahead of time or as your story grows?
I don't outline at all. Please reference the above flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants response. I usually start with a character who's floating around in my head...sometimes the germ of an idea with absolutely nothing fleshed out...and occasionally, even just a single line that strikes a chord. As for research, it really depends, though usually I research as the story grows since I generally have no idea where I'm going until I actually get there.
Setting is so important. It puts the reader right there with the characters. You've chosen Italy as a big part of your Earthbound series. The city of Rome figures prominently in the second book, Angel Unbound. Italy is known as the Land of Love. You've been there and are scheduled to return later this year. Can you tell us what you love most about Italy.
The food. Seriously. But also, it's a completely different pace there, a true sense of la Dolce Vita. And the history! I've always been a history nerd and would love to write a historical some day. Italy in general, and Rome in particular, exudes such a sense of what's come before, so much of the past still existing in the present, all layered and melded and co-existing everywhere you look. Not to mention the beauty of the language. Let's face it, a tall, dark, and handsome Italian can be explaining how to clean a sewer, but in Italian? Even that sounds romantic!
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UNDISCOVERED ANGEL
I've read your work and I have to say that you have a keen sense of your characters. Tell us a little bit about UNDISCOVERED ANGEL and introduce your characters.
Thank you so much! I've always been fascinated by the unsolved nature of Jack the Ripper murders and the many theories as to who he might have been. Then I wondered, what if the murders had never been solved because Jack the Ripper wasn't even human.
Undiscovered Angel (Book #1 in my Earthbound series) is the story of Katrina Shepard, a woman with psychic and empathic abilities who's struggled her entire life with powers she doesn't understand. She spends most of her time alone, preferring solitude to the constant battering from the pain and emotions of others.
Kassian McAllister is a wealthy publishing tycoon who also happens to be an Earthbound angel, with inexplicable powers of his own. He's hardly looking for a relationship. The only thing he is looking for is Jack the Ripper, an evil Fallen who murdered his sister over a century ago.
At a party she reluctantly attends in honor of her best friend, Kat intercepts the malevolent energy of a woman's murder, and Kassian is compelled to act, forcing her under his protection. Kat awakens emotions he thought long dead and as they grow closer, he struggles with his sense of responsibility and she discovers an unexpected truth about herself and a chance for belonging she has always craved.
But Jake the Ripper is still out there, and Kat has now become the ideal target.
What is your tagline for Undiscovered Angel?
Tormented by guilt, consumed with vengeance, will the arms of an angel be enough to save him?
Care to share a snippet to whet our appetites for more?
"Look, I'll make a deal with you." He knew they were attracting more attention than he'd intended, but Kassian found it inordinately refreshing to have a woman up in his face instead of falling at his feet. "You stop trying to get into my head and I'll stop trying to get into yours and we'll just agree to have a nice, normal conversation."
"Why?" She regarded him with narrowed eyes.
"Why? What do you mean, why?" Had she looked in a mirror recently? Why would she think he was any different than the next poor schmuck? Not to mention the telepathy thing and the fact that she'd actually tried to read him; that would have guaranteed his interest even if she looked like Janet Reno. She was obviously uncomfortable with her abilities. He found himself not only moderately entertained, but unwillingly curious.
"I mean, why would you want to have a nice, normal conversation with me? There are plenty of people here tripping all over themselves to get your attention. You don't even know me. I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but honestly, I was getting ready to leave when you came over. Did you want something?"
His eyes did a quick once-over, missing nothing. Hell, yeah, he wanted something, but he knew instinctively that she wasn't the anonymous-quickie-in-a-bathroom-stall type. He could have any woman in the room. That wasn't conceit talking, it was just a fact, a fact about as impressive to him as dry toast. And the only woman in the room he found remotely interesting was wishing she was anywhere but here with him. She wasn't flirting or making any effort to impress him. He suspected she would be more relieved than disappointed if he walked away right now. It was a completely new experience for him. And given his extensive experience that was saying something. She rubbed her forehead as though she was in pain. He wondered if trying to hold her shields securely while engaging in verbal repartee with him in a crowd was causing her discomfort. Maybe he should tell her to relax? She really wasn't blocking him very well anyway.
"Why were you leaving? Do you have to be somewhere?"
He surreptitiously glanced at her left hand. Katrina Shepard had piqued more than his physical interest, although she was certainly no slouch in that area. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had done that. He wasn't quite ready to relinquish her company to whoever might be waiting for her at home. After all, they were simply conversing in a public place; it should be harmless enough.
"No," she replied levelly, "and please don't take it personally, I don't really care for crowds. I only came for Elle's sake, and only planned to stay for a short time."
Kat rubbed her forehead again. He hadn't intended to make her uncomfortable; well, not physically at any rate. He was about to withdraw when he hesitated. Her mind suddenly descended into turmoil, her thoughts becoming increasingly scattered and disjointed. He realized it was more than trading banter with him, more than the crowd.
Something was wrong.
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It's been a joy having you here today, Sharon! Come back anytime and keep writing those incredible stories. Wishing you much success with UNDISCOVERED ANGEL and the rest of your Earthbound series.
I also wanted to congratulate you on your Max Logan series. Your female character in that series -- Maxine Logan -- is a snarky, refreshing, take-no-prisoners kind of gal that I enjoyed reading so much in: Death Benefits and again in, Life After Death. I'm anxiously awaiting book #3, Smitten with Death.
Love your books and your characters!
Thank you so much for having me, Jan! It's always a blast coming over to hang out with you and your readers!
Easy buy links for Undiscovered Angel:
Wild Rose Press
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
You can follow Sharon here:
Twitter - @SharonSaracino
Blog - http://www.sharonsaracino.com/blog.html
Website - http://www.SharonSaracino.com
Goodreads - https;//www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073851...
Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Saracino...
Newsletter - http://www.sharonsaracino.com/mailing...
