Jerrie Alexander's Blog, page 8

Monday Musing- Title, Title, who’s got the Title?

Title, Title, who’s got the Title?

How do you choose a title for your book? Does it evolve as the project progresses or do you begin with a title in mind? For some writers, the selection of the final title belongs to the publisher. If so, do you form a working title, hoping that they go with your choice?

For me, I like having one selected up front. Selecting the right title for a book is critical. If the title doesn’t resonate with me, for some odd reason, I have trouble getting started.  Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t come up with a title I like and then write the book around it.

After I do a character sketch on each Protagonist, Contagonist, and Antagonist, I’ll do a short bio on any extras. While I doing that I’ll start thinking about the title. Sometime it grows slowly, but on occasion it comes to me right away. Having a title helps me stay firmly planted and sets the tone of the book. It keeps me from wandering.

The title for The Green-Eyed Doll came from my daughter while we were discussing the premise of the book. It was perfect. The focus of the story was right there in front of me from the beginning to the end.

That’s not to say I haven’t changed a title once the book started to develop. I’m working on book three of the Lost and Found Inc. series. In keeping with Hell Or High Water and Cold Day In Hell, I looked for something to work with the word Hell and the characters of the new story. Out of fourteen titles I have written on my white-board, what started out as A Living Hell, quickly morphed to No Chance in Hell. Why? Because after I got my characters mapped out and had my killer’s motivation firmly in my mind, No Chance In Hell fit perfectly!

Do you write? How do you select a title? If you don’t write, how important is the title when you’re book shopping?

Can you think of any great titles that fit perfectly?

Here’s my pick…Jaws

Woot! I received this news yesterday!  Easy to vote…so if you have a moment, please vote tonight or in the morning.

Congratulations! HELL or HIGH WATER received 5 hearts! Your book will be up for our 5 Heart Sweetheart Vote beginning 9/9/13.  The vote launches between 5 and 7 PM EST each Monday. The winner gets their cover, buy link and a review snippet on our front door page the following week along with promotion on all of our social media outlets.
 
http://www.theromancestudio.com/5heart_form.php

 

 

Writer’s Wedneday with Nonnie Jules

Good morning, Nonnie. Welcome to my blog! I think today’s visitors will enjoy learning more about you and your work. So let’s jump right in!

[image error]NONNIE JULES, who is the youngest of five children, was born in Texas but was relocated to Louisiana with her family when she was a toddler. She grew up loving books and everything about them..She has traveled the world, jumped out of planes and climbed many mountains, all thanks to the wonderful world of literature. She still lives in Louisiana today on a quiet strip of land in the country, where red dirt roads and pick up trucks go hand in hand..There also lives her husband, their two daughters and many, many animals..She continues to write from many different genres and hopes to teach and touch hearts and minds alike with her very unique writing style..She loves positive feedback on her writing and personally responds to each and every email here at nonniewrites@yahoo.com. She finds simple pleasures in just being in a book store.

Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

“Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend” is my very first novel and  yes, I had to do tons of research of the city that it was set out of, which is Houston, TX..Since I live in Louisiana, I wanted to be crystal clear about the places that I brought to life in the story.

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

Well, I’m a Lifetime Movie Network kinda gal and these types of story lines really interest me. I know a lot of people tell this story, but I think each and every one tells it in a different way, but I wanted to challenge myself to tell it in THE most different way.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

Right now I’m putting the finishing touches on Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend, and lets cross our fingers that it will be ready for publication by the middle of this month. The release date has been changed already twice. After this, I am going to finish my children’s book, KIRSTEN & THE BIG BLUE TREE since everyone wants it before Christmas.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

Yes, I have hit a “writing brick wall” many times during the course of  writing “Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend” and what I did to turn it around was simple….I stepped away from the project for a few hours, a few days and allowed my mind to refresh itself, to reset itself and then came back stronger than before.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

I would go to Hawaii and I would pack the skimpiest swimsuit ever known to man

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Hoarders..I don’t like to throw anything away.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

Sandra Bullock..I think she can find humor in the most serious of situations and that’s my take on life….you just have to laugh things off and try and see the bright side of everything.

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I have a bucket list that I’m truly serious about..That’s my secret.

Here’s a few quickies. What’s your favorite:

Sound? A roaring lion

Romantic song? Anything by John Legend

Day? I love Fridays, who doesn’t?

Smell? Gardenia

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 BLURB:

 Marisa was a good girl, until someone made her mad..Living in hell with her mother and step-father was nothing short of a daily struggle for survival..When Marisa can’t stand the abuse any longer, she snaps and does the unthinkable. Will she be able to survive leaving one hell being forced into another? Will the man she married be able to understand and forgive her secrets and her past?.Stay tuned for the bumpy ride of  “DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND.”

 

 EXCERPT:

 

 As she sat cross-legged on the grass, book face down in her lap, she looked around this strange place..The neighborhood was sad..The people who lived there were sad..Marisa always wondered why she had to born to this family..They were poor, classless, and uncouth and she never felt as if she belonged..She even spoke.a different language from theirs..They sounded like a bunch of hillbillies and Marisa was very refined in her speech and her manner..She would often overhear her mom saying to her friends over the phone:

“She was definitely born into the wrong family. Her family is somewhere with oil wells pumping in their backyard.”

Marisa heard this so much she started to believe it..As she got older, it was pure fact in her mind and she wanted to know how she could make her way to her REAL family..But, as fate would have it, she was stuck here with this one..

*Check out the trailer http://youtu.be/qbUK3XQ5-dA*

Other books by Nonnie Jules:

THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS, 100 Tips on Raising Daughters Everyone Can’t Help But Love! (this book is a

 world-changer! Get or gift a copy today!)

 www.amazon.com/dp/B00CP62O56

 www.createspace.com/4355124

www.nonniesbookstore.com (for autographed copies)

Trailer:.http://youtu.be/zg15rptFN2g

Twitter:.@nonniejules

 Blog:.nonniewrites.wordpress.com

 

 Jerrie, this has been so much fun! Thanks to all your readers and I hope they had as much fun as I did!

 

 

Monday Musing about Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!!

September 5th, 1882 this day was dedicated to celebrating the American worker on the first Monday in September. There’s some disagreement as to who gets credit for this holiday, but we won’t go into that today. We can thank our neighbors in Canada for this holiday. In 1872, a parade was held protesting the 58-hour workweek.

A little research turned up the fact that in the 1880s, people worked 12 hour days, 7 days a week! Children 5 and 6 years old could work! It wasn’t until 1916 that the Adamson Act was passed. This act established the 8-hour workday. 

I worked in retail distribution for many years. During September, October, November, and the first two weeks in December it wasn’t uncommon for us to pull 12-hour days Monday through Friday with 8-hours on Saturday and on occasion, Sunday. As a member of management, I was expected to be present before and after the day started. Our job was to ensure the stores had every available item a customer might need in preparation for Christmas. Did I get tired of the long hours? Sure. But logistic was my field and not once did I resent having my job.

So thank you to all my brothers and sisters who, as Alabama sang, move it on down the line.

But Labor day marks a few more events. Like not wearing white after the first Monday in September. Chanel is credited with blowing that silly idea out of the water and making white a year round color.

 

 

 

[image error]And the first Waffle House opened on Labor Day. I remember my first trip to Macon, Georgia. (A state I fell in love with) We were opening a returns center in Macon and I flew into Atlanta and drove the rest of the way. It seemed to me there were Waffle Houses on every corner! Later, I learned Georgia was the home state for them.

 

One more update…but this ties back to last Monday’s post. The two puppies that were dumped in our neighborhood have been adopted and will get to stay together! Yea to my next door neighbor!

So go enjoy this holiday. You’ve earned it. Stay safe!

 

 

Writer’s Wednesday with Chrissy Szarek

Good morning! Chrissy Szarek joins us today to tell us about her debut romantic suspense, Collision Force. Chrissy and I belong to North Texas Writers and chapter of RWA. She is cheerful, quick to laugh, and I think you will enjoy meeting her.

[image error]Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

Totally depends on the novel. In my fantasy series, not really. Most of it comes from my head. But for my romantic suspense series, it’s more necessary. It’s important to me that things like police procedure, crime stats and even day-to-day investigation stuff is credible.

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

Well I don’t have just one, and I don’t think I could narrow it down. I write whatever story occurs to me! I write fantasy romance, paranormal, romantic suspense, and even YA. I guess I will always write whatever genre comes to me if it’s a good story.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

Edits for my upcoming release in the fall, Love’s Call. I am also working on book three AND book 4 of my Crossing Forces series. Yes, I know I’m a glutton for punishment, but’s it’s mainly because the hero of book 4 won’t go sit down and shut up to wait his turn. He keeps giving me good story stuff.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

I think everyone does this occasionally. I’m a diehard pantser, so I suppose it’s happened to me more than once. All I can do is re-read the scene. From there, I am faced with editing, rewriting or scrapping. Sometimes I struggle with getting rid of large amounts of words, but sometimes it’s necessary. One thing I’ve learned is you can always change the words. Also I good lesson to keep in mind when one’s editor asks you to rewrite your WHOLE first chapter. Just sayin’.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

I am going to Scotland! WOOO HOOOO! I’ve always wanted to. Hope I became suddenly rich. Hope I have clean clothes, cuz I tend to procrastinate laundry. I would make sure to pack jeans and long sleeves. I hear it’s a bit nippy there. I would love to go to the Highlands and look around. I would bring my camera, for sure!

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I like to scrapbook almost as much as I like to write.

Here’s a few quickies. What’s your favorite:

Sound? Laughter.

Romantic song? Everything I do, I do it for you By Bryan Adams

Day? Sunday. Cuz I get to catch up on sleep. (I work 60 hours a week)

Smell? Any good food cooking!

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Blurb:

Book one in the Crossing Forces series

Bad boy FBI agent and feisty widowed police detective collide pursuing a human trafficker in small town Texas on their way to true love.

Bad boy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent who sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she’d left behind when her husband died. Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardize their case and their hearts?

Excerpt:

Cole cursed. He stared into the rear-view mirror in the busy parking lot, but saw nothing. He’d been so close this time.

The damn local police were breathing down his neck, and that was the last thing he wanted…or needed.

Cooperation, my ass. They needed to get the hell out of his case. He’d been too involved for too long, and he wasn’t about to let some Podunk police chief tell him what to do.

Not to mention that dumbass detective getting himself shot. Cole didn’t need the locals piecing it all together. He had to wrap up a few things before letting them in on his case. Full disclosure wasn’t on his list at all.

That bastard Maldonado had got away from him. Even two months later, that still chapped. But he’d tracked him here and been in town a few weeks with no clues. Until the shooting. Two goons dead and a police detective shot twice. And Maldonado had slipped back into the shadows. Cole’s gut told him the coward was still in town… He hadn’t—or couldn’t—move on. But where the hell was he?

Cole’s cell phone rang, yanking him from his thoughts.

“Lucas,” he said.

“Where the hell are you?” Olivia Barnes, his supervisor, barked at him. “Chief Martin called screaming at me. He said you told him to kiss your ass? What the hell, Cole? I told you to cooperate with them.”

Cole snorted. Chief Martin had misquoted him, but not by much.

“I don’t need them, Olivia.”

“Oh, don’t Olivia me. This was an order from higher up. Get that through your thick skull, dammit. Get to that station and make nice. Now.”

Cole sighed. His boss didn’t respond. Though her tone had brooked no argument, he’d been tempted to tell her to kiss his ass. It wasn’t like his record wasn’t tainted, and it wouldn’t have been the first time he’d told her off. But he held his tongue. He was damn good at his job, and Olivia knew it. Cole would play along, for now.

“All right,” he answered. Olivia was silent on the other end of the phone. Too silent.

“All right?”

“You’ve ordered me, correct?” Cole said dryly. He could almost hear her eyes narrow.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. C’mon, Liv, I can be a good boy.”

She harrumphed. “Okay. Go kiss Chief Martin’s ass.”

“Can’t promise that, but I will go to the station.”

“Good. I can’t afford any more damage control, Agent Lucas.”

Uh oh, Agent Lucas? “Sounds like a warning.”

“It is.” Olivia lowered her voice. “I don’t want to have to yank you off the case, Cole.”

Like that would happen. “I’ll call you later.”

She started to say something, but he ended the call imagining her outraged expression—one he was quite familiar with. He smirked. Yes, he would play along…for now.

The drive to the station was short, but didn’t alleviate his irritation with the whole damn situation. He slammed the car door and winced, berating himself. He loved this car. Cole patted the hood in apology, admiring the brand new, deep metallic blue Dodge Challenger. It looked mean as hell. Like it was made for him. He’d even contemplated keeping it when this was all over.

He groaned when he took in the smallish Antioch, Texas police station, but headed inside. The asshole desk sergeant practically growled when he introduced himself, as did Chief Martin over the intercom. He ran into the female, literally, right after Sergeant Asshole-of-the-year had finally acknowledged his existence and buzzed him into the back. And although his head smarted, seeing a beautiful woman was the highlight of his morning.

“Whoa, sorry,” she said, smiling. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. She was tall and slender, and he liked what he saw. She was wearing a white button-down dress shirt and snug khaki pants, and the outfit was somehow incredibly sexy.

Cole almost missed the paddle holster at her waist, but when he saw it, he couldn’t help but admire her subtly rounded hips. Her badge was on a chain around her neck, swaying gently with her movements. A detective.

“No, I’m sorry. You all right?” he answered, trying to tear his eyes away.

“Sure. You?”

He nodded. Cole bent and helped her retrieve the scattered case file contents. He latched onto a crime scene photo. Not only was she a detective, she was working his case—the pictures were all-too-familiar evidence. No doubt the local case was tied to his. He bit back a cringe.

“Ah, I don’t think we’ve met.”

They both straightened and she thanked him for his help. He tried not to stare at the items in her arms.

“Oh, I guess not. Detective Andi MacLaren. Nice to meet you.” She held out her right hand, but he couldn’t help but glance at her left before accepting her shake. No wedding ring. Good.

“Andi, huh?” He met her eyes.

“Well, it’s Andrea, but not even my mother calls me that.” She smiled.

Instinct told him she was a no muss, no fuss, hard-working kind of girl. Not overly feminine, but extremely appealing. A smattering of freckles spread across her high cheekbones and trailed over her nose. She wore little or no makeup—that drew him as well. Not his normal type at all, but gorgeous.

“And you are?” she prompted.

Cole jolted to attention. He’d been staring. And she looked as if she was oblivious. Should that bother him? Yes. Women always noticed him.

“Special Agent Cole Lucas, FBI.”

Her eyes widened, then she flashed a grin that could have only been called impish. It rivalled one he was known to give from time to time. “You’re Agent Lucas? You’ve had Chief in a tizzy all morning.” Was that admiration in her tone?

He smiled back. “Guilty,” he admitted, winking at her.

“Agent Lucas,” Chief Martin shouted from the doorway to his office.

Cole caught Detective MacLaren’s eye and shrugged. “Guess I’m being summoned.”

She chuckled.

“Hope to catch you later…Andi.” He flashed a grin, then trotted towards the angry police chief before she could answer.

My links:

Blog: http://caszarekwriter.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.caszarek.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/caszarek

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815085.C_A_Szarek

Email: ca@caszarek.com  I LOVE to hear from readers!

 

 

Monday Musing about the jerk who dumped two puppies

I’ve posted before about Buddy, our rescue dog. These dogs have done nothing to deserve the heartbreak they experience. So why am I bringing this up again?

For one certain jackass who visited my street Saturday.

This post is especially for him! I’m sure he’ll never know I wrote this for him, but the jerk deserves his own post. Here is how he earned his day.

I noticed a newer model white car make the loop on our cul-de-sac and stopped. He didn’t get out for a minute, so he piqued my curiosity. Just about that time, he quickly got out, opened the back door, and dumped two puppies! This poor excuse for a human jumped back in his car and sped away. I ran to the door and out into the yard, but he was long gone.

Two puppies, black with white markings, took off running to catch him…so did I. If he saw us in his review mirror, he sure didn’t slow down. They had obviously never been loose! When they gave up on the one person they thought would protect them, they discovered freedom.

This is not a picture of one of them. Thank goodness Wikipedia had something close!

They ran, jumped, rolled each up, and played. They tumbled through the neighbor’s yards. Running wide open, enjoying their new found freedom, they ran into the pasture behind my house and disappeared. called them and whistled. They came close but then broke and ran away.

Luckily, I have outstanding neighbors! Later in the day, the puppies were watered by the family next door. Later a couple down the street fed them. We’re trying to keep them safe and alive, but they are frightened and not comfortable coming to a stranger.

When Buddy found us he’d been bitten by a big dog (according to the vet) and freaks out when another dog comes near. The couples who are helping take care of the puppies have rescue dogs of their own. For now, we’re all trying to help them.

So now what? They can’t be left to roam, so if we can’t find someone to take them, I guess we’ll have to contact the no-kill shelter in Burleson, and see if they can help.

My message to the jerk who abandoned these frightened creatures…may your payback be harsh and come soon. I have to believe people who do such things get what they deserve!

 

 

Writer’s Wednesday with Jennifer Wenn

Good morning, Jennifer. Welcome.  I love a good Regency historical and readily admit it’s my go genre when I take a break from romantic suspense. Let’s tell everyone a little about you before we reveal that fabulous cover!

Folks, Jennifer lives in Sweden! So if she doesn’t comment right away…it might be because she’s still in bed asleep. But she be with us all weekend, so she’ll respond as soon as she can. Read on, you’ll find she’s witty, smart and, fun.

Bio

Jennifer Wenn has been a great lover of romantic books since she read her first historical romance at a tender age. When not enjoying life with her husband and their four children, she spends every last precious minute writing.

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Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

A. As most writers of historical fiction – yes I do. It is such a fun part of writing historical fiction, to be able to dive in deep in the past and indulge myself with everything I can find about the period I’m setting my story in. It’s like eating the cookie and keeping it at the same time!

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

A. I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen and her books. She’s one of my favorite authors and she made the whole Regency Era and everything in it special to me. So when I started to write A FAMILY AFFAIR I didn’t even have to think about when in time, Regency it was!

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

A. I’m currently sighing over the edits of my second novel in my the Royal Family series, which is about two of my secondary characters from a FAMILY AFFAIR, Rake and Penny.

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

A. Yes I do. I’ve suffered from writer’s block a couple of times and that is an awful feeling, when your whole being craves to write and you just can’t. But putting the project aside and working on something else for a while has been the best thing for me. A few weeks away from my story always makes me see the draft in a new way and after a few changes I’m back on track again.

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

A. Just me – London. I simply adore that town. It has it all for me, both personally and for me as a writer. Besides living there for six months I have also been there on vacation a couple of times and every time I find new things to do and new places to see. Amazing place.
But… If I had to take the whole family with me it would be a bit different for sure. Then I would go to some nice hotel in the sun which has a club for the kids and lots of pools. And strategically placed sun beds. And Strawberry Daiquiri’s. But definitively a club for the kids.

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

A. Hoarders I’m afraid. I’m not very good with home decorating and have a tendency to put things everywhere. There are just so many more fun things to do!

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

A. Kate Winslet. She’s so classy and lovely and everything I’m not. But it’s my movie and I can rewrite me, can’t I? I’m good with edits… Revise a little here, rewrite a little there, and TA-DA… Kate!

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

A. I’m the worst cook ever. Really, I am. And you know what else? I love cooking shows. Especially Masterchef Australia. Never missed an episode.

Here’s a few quickies. What’s your favorite:

Sound?

Silence

Sad song?

Eric Clapton – Tears in heaven

Day?

Christmas

Smell?

Cinnamon rolls in the oven

[image error]Blurb

Lady Francesca Darling has been in love with Devlin Ross, the Duke of Hereford, since she was five years old. When they meet again at her debutante ball she finds her feelings remain the same, and to her joy he is mesmerized by her. To the gossipy matrons of the ton it’s the perfect match—the richest heiress and the most eligible bachelor.

But can their budding love survive her interfering family and the deep scars from his father’s abuse? Enchanted as he is with the delightful woman Fanny has become, Devlin intends never to repeat that abuse, vowing not to live with his wife and children.

Fanny is a determined young lady — she wants Devlin and a true marriage. Is her love strong enough to tear down all his walls?

 

 

Excerpt

    ”I’m not fond of balls. I find them rather boring.
But I have been abroad for a couple of years and
thought it would be a perfect way to announce I’ve
returned for good. But most importantly I hoped I
would meet up with some old acquaintances.”
    “I will give you some advice,” Fanny said, giving
him her most innocent smile. “It is really hard to meet
good friends when one is hiding in the shadows of the
balcony.”
    His laughter filled the air, and she could see heads
turning their way. Some people were slowly moving
closer to them, and she guessed they wouldn’t be alone
more than a short while longer.
    There were just too many eager mamas out there,
ready to throw their daughters at his feet, and they
wouldn’t let something like a quiet chat between two
acquaintances stop them.
    “Well, I wouldn’t really call it hiding. It’s more
like trying to remember why I thought it was such a
good idea to be here in the first place.”
    “So what do you think now, when you have
actually entered the ballroom, although from the wrong
entrance. Was it such a bad idea?”
    He leaned closer to her, and the warmth of his arm
pressed against hers.
    “Now I think it was the best idea I ever had.”

Social links

www.jenniferwenn.com

www.facebook.com/jenniferwenn

www.twitter.com/jenniferwenn.com

www.goodreads.com/jenniferwenn

Buy links

My publisher http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=5248

The rest of the buy links you can find at my website www.jenniferwenn.com

Monday Musings-What happens when I stray from my roots!

More than once, I’ve commented on my writing ‘style’ or maybe the lack of having one. I write from the gut and heart. Character development? Yes. Plot. No. Premise? A must!

After completing Cold Day In Hell, book two of the Lost and Found, Inc. series, I found myself back at square one. A stand still. Watching the damn blinking cursor. Convinced I’d never have another original thought.

This third book is Marcus’s story. Broken but mending, quiet but deadly, Marcus.

 Oh, and I can’t forget Diablo.  If you read Hell Or High Water, you know Diablo has a role in this book. Adding a dog to the mix isn’t new to me, so that wasn’t the problem. After all, one of my favorite characters in The Green-Eyed Doll was the no named dog. So why was I struggling?

The new story started with Marcus going home to clear out his deceased father’s house and getting drawn into solving a string of murders.

Have you ever put on a pair of shoes, loved the look but hated the feel. This story didn’t feel right for one of my Lost and Found men. The premise is great, and I have a sexy guy name Rafe Sirilli in mind for that book. But this wasn’t for Marcus.

I started a second story. Now, let’s stop here. I NEVER start and stop stories. I work up a character sheet, devote a lot of time on the first sentence or two, and get the premise set firmly in my head and start writing. For me those first few sentences are critical to the book.

So what the hell were Marcus and his dog doing in Mexico, icing down a case of beer for a fishing trip? And who was the woman screaming? An okay premise, but it didn’t set my mind on fire! Which, by the way, is necessary for me to get into a story.

Enter my critique partner, Barb Han. We not only critique each other, we chat, discuss our work, and on occasion, solve world problems. During one of these calls, I mentioned another writer’s book. I had absolutely loved it. My always “I’ve got your back” agreed. But it was what she added that caught my attention. Without hesitation, she added, “You’re way better in the killer’s head.”

Bam! There it was. The back of the head slap like DiNozzo gets from Jethro Gibbs on NCIS.

The answer was right in front of me. How had I strayed from my roots? I’d been developing stories without getting inside my villain’s head first. He or she is vital to me. To build a story for Marcus, I had to know who and why the killer existed.

The next morning, I stepped away from the computer, took a pencil and notebook, and got to know my killer.

Thank goodness.  

 

 

 

Writer’s Wednesday with Barbara Barrett

Barbara, welcome to my blog. I’m thrilled you joined me for the day. Let’s jump right in and let folks get to know you better. 

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Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

I’ve spent hours watching the Food Network, “absorbing” information for And He Cooks Too. Probably not the best hands-on research, but it’s amazing how certain food terms and procedures found their way into my brain. I wish I could say I’ve be some celebrity’s guest in their customized motor home as research for The Sleepover Clause, but the closest I’ve come has been touring numerous RVs at dealer shows. If there’s some celebrity out there who’d like to show off their coach to me, I could sure use the experience for the second and third books in the series!

Q. What made you pick your particular genre?

With a Masters Degree in American History, you’d think I would have chosen to write historical romance novels, but at the time I started writing several years ago, I was still getting past my thesis, “The Foreign Policy of Herbert Hoover,” and I wanted a complete break. Plus, with my background in human resources, I try to incorporate my character’s jobs into my novels. It’s just easier to write about the contemporary scene in that respect.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

I have four projects underway at the moment. Two are Books 1 and 2 of what I’m calling “The Dances of Sullivan’s Creek” series (Saved by the Salsa and Tough Enough to Tango). Each of the three books will focus on one aspect of creating a new residential community in suburban Iowa. Right now, I’m mainly working on Salsa, which features two architects teamed up to develop the design concept for the project. The second is about the construction phase. Like I did with And He Cooks Too, for these I’ve been watching various programs on The Home and Garden Network (HGTV). One of my favorite things to do in my winter home in Central Florida is to attend presentations by HGTV celebrities during Epcot’s annual Flower and Garden Festival each spring. I keep getting my picture taken with them, thinking these will someday make their way to my Pinterest page. The third project is the sequel to The Sleepover Clause, The Travel Clause. Since it takes place in my hometown of Burlington, Iowa, I’m going there later this month to do some hands-on research and a booksigning. The fourth project is my first attempt at writing a cozy mystery, where four retired friends find themselves becoming a team of amateur sleuths. The first thing I have to do is decide who gets murdered, why and how. Would you believe I’m having a difficult time coming up with something unique?

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

I recently experienced that very thing with Salsa. Although the manuscript had been finished for some time, the idea of the heroine attempting to break up her best friend’s new relationship so she would go back to the heroine’s brother was receiving raised eyebrows when I pitched it. I knew I needed to revise the storyline but couldn’t decide how. Recent posts on my blog describe the numerous steps I’ve been taking to get myself on track. Inspiration finally hit the night before the Fourth of July when I was standing in the midst of thousands of concertgoers on the Iowa State Capitol grounds; you never know when your muse is going to return. But when she shows up, you make her comfortable and encourage her to stick around as long as she can, no matter where you are. I pulled out my iPhone and began making notations there and then.

 

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

I’d go to Tuscany in Italy. First item: my passport. Second item: my credit cards (no time to get money). Next, laptop and my Kindle. My own driver, so I could just sit in a car and enjoy the countryside as we tour the area. And on the practical side, comfortable clothes.

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Probably “Fashion Police,” since I tend to wear a lot of capris, and according to my guru, Tim Gunn, these are a fashion no-no. With all the decluttering I’ve been doing lately, I hope I’m now beyond “Hoarders,” although I still kept tons of printer paper used on one side, believing Id need it for a host of future manuscripts.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

Sally Field. We were born the same year and our voices, I think, sound similar. I’m short like she is. But mainly, she’s a great actress. I’d like to see how she’d interpret my life.

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

If my doctor would allow it, I’d like to take tap dance lessons. (With a knee implant, he frowns on the idea.) My parents couldn’t afford dance lessons for me and my sister when I was a young girl. So this was one of the things I made sure my own daughter got to do, although she was more into ballet and jazz. Strangely enough, after a few years, my parents’ economic situation improved enough to send me to piano and violin lessons. Go figure.

Here’s a few quickies. What’s your favorite:

Color? Blue (you should see my house)

Sound? An infant’s babble or popping the tab on a can of Diet Coke

Sad song? “Send in the Clowns”

Day? Friday. So full of hope for the weekend ahead.

Smell? lavender

Bio:

 

      Barbara Barrett spent her professional career as a human resources analyst for Iowa state government, and that training has stayed with her in her writing of contemporary romance fiction. The theme of her writing, “Romance at Work,” reflects her fascination with the jobs people do and infiltrates her plots almost to the point of becoming a secondary character. 

      A member of Romance Writers of America and several of its affiliate chapters, she was first “published” in sixth grade when a fictional account of a trip to France appeared in her hometown newspaper, the Burlington Hawk-Eye. Years later, she was fortunate enough to visit the subject of her essay, although in it she never envisioned that she would trip on a curb near the Arc d’Triomphe and have to limp her way through the Louvre.

      Now retired, Barbara spends her winters basking in the Florida sunshine and returns to her home state of Iowa in the summer to “stay cool.” She is married to the man she met in dormitory advisor training her senior year of college. They have two grown children and six grandchildren. When she’s not writing, she’s busy lunching with friends or playing Mah Jongg.

      Her first book, The Sleepover Clause, was released by Crimson Romance in September of 2012. Her second book, And He Cooks Too, will officially be released by The Wild Rose Press on March 22, but in the meantime, it is available in the Kindle version on Amazon.

      She loves talking about writing romance and welcomes invitations from book clubs to join them via phone calls or the Internet.  Check out her contact information to request she visit your book club.

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Blurb for And He Cooks Too

Three men, three lies. One thought it was for her own good, one did it for his own good, and the third nearly destroyed her career. Blacklisted by the city’s finest restaurants, Chef Reese Dunbar must now put the resuscitation of her battered reputation in the hands of yet another man. The television experience Nick Coltrane’s cooking show offers is her best option for restoring her name and becoming the Big Apple’s super chef. But after giving her body and heart to him, her trust is put to the test when she discovers that Nick has lied about the real reason he brought her on board, and worse yet, Nick can’t cook. 

 

Excerpt

Louis Whatever-His-Name was a fool. If Reese, the runaway chef, had prepared the few bites of pasta he’d been able to get down, she was a keeper. He’d figured that out even before she let down that gleaming cascade of dark hair. The Big Apple was full of good-looking women, but this one was extraordinary. Those wide-set, coffee brown eyes, pale neck and full, red lips could easily heat up any guy’s kitchen.

 Wait a sec. Real chef. Great food. Beaten out of her job by someone with two minutes of television experience. She could be his ticket off the show! Either his replacement or the Inducement Leonie needed to take over as host. The timing of her exit couldn’t have worked better. Who was he to turn down his nose at Opportunity?

          Couldn’t let her get away. He threw several bills at the cash register and sprinted for the door. There she was, near the curb, engaged in a futile attempt to flag down a cab. Even a looker like that couldn’t stop traffic at this busy hour.

          He called out to her heaving back. “Miss? You probably don’t want company, but if I didn’t catch you now, I’d have to hire a private investigator to hunt you down.”

          That got her attention. She pivoted to face him, taking one last swipe at the tiny river of mascara running down her cheek. “Excuse me?”

          God, she was gorgeous, even with a tear-stained face. “Back there in the restaurant, I overheard you talking to that guy who must have been your boss. You’re a chef, right?”

          “Yes. At least I used to be.”

          “And they’re letting you go because you don’t have television experience?”

          She blinked. Damn! He’d gone too far.

          Her expression turned guarded. “Do you make a habit of eavesdropping on others’ conversations?”

          “Sorry. I didn’t have much choice. Couldn’t get past you and your pal.”

          She glanced back at the street. “Whoever you are, this isn’t a good time. I just want to get out of here, go home and fall apart.”

          “Looks like you’ve already started that last part.”

          “Cut the counseling act. I don’t want anything from anyone right now.” She resumed her attempt to snare a cab. Almost as an afterthought, she added, “Unless you’re here to offer me another job?”

          “Although I sense sarcasm, as a matter of fact, that’s why I followed you.” He extended a hand as she jerked her head around to stare at him. “I’m Nick Coltrane. I host a cooking show called And He CooksToo—the executive producer’s title, not mine. Ever heard of us?”

          She studied him a moment. “I don’t watch much television.”

          He moved a little closer. “Even if you did, you’d be hard-pressed to find us. We’re on a local cable channel.” Geez, Nick, can you make it sound any lessenticing? “But we’ve built up a respectable following.”

          She didn’t respond. But she didn’t dismiss him either as she kept scanning the street.

          “Can’t offer you anything in front of the camera,” he went on. Couldn’t offer her anything period, since only Leonie and Jasper, their supervising producer slash director, did the hiring. But that was beside the point at the moment. “We do need a production assistant,

though. Probably doesn’t pay as much as the job you just left, but it would add television experience to your resume. Sounds like you’re going to need that to stay competitive.”

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The Sleepover Clause

Amazon ebook, Amazon POD

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

iBookstore

Kobo

 

AND HE COOKS TOO

The Wild Rose Press, TWRP POD

Amazon Kindle, Amazon POD

Barnes and Noble Nook

iTunes

iBookstore POD

Kobo

 

Monday Musings -Free and .99 Book Sale!

Big doings for me over the next few days. I don’t ever want to be one of those authors who talk about nothing but themselves! You know the ones who shout “BUY MY BOOK” and then disappear. But…today I want to tell you a sale. The Wild Rose Press determines the price of the three books I have published with them. Occasionally, they run a sale, making the books available at a super price. So I’m not asking you to buy one of my books, but if you were considering it, now is the time! Tell a friend! Here’s why:

Starting August 9th through August 24th… for your Kindle, Nook or at The Wild Rose Press web site, The Green-Eyed Doll is .99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, for that same time periods and at the same places, The Last Execution is .99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very best price is always free and starting tomorrow, August 13 through August 17th, my short story, Someone To Watch Over Me is FREE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writer’s Wednesday with Karen Docter

Today I’ll introduce you to one of the nicest and busiest writers around. Karen is graciously awarding one lucky commenter a Kindle copy of her new book, KILLING SECRETS (Thorne’s Thorns Series ~ Book One), when it releases August 15th. So be sure an post a comment. It might be you she emails! 

Good morning and welcome, Karen. I am first in line to buy Killing Secrets. The excerpt sent my heart racing. It’s beautifully written, chilling, and scary as hell! My favorite kind of book!

[image error]Thanks for having me, Jerrie. It’s great to be here. I do love sipping my coffee and chatting with readers!

Q. Do you do any special research for your novels?

I research for all of my novels, whether it’s romantic comedy or romantic suspense.  There’s always something that I don’t know enough about or information I need to update. I write “real” people so I need to uncover the specifics of what their lives are like. 

For instance, I’m not in law enforcement. If my hero is a police officer, I need to know what he does on the job. That information can change from city to city, and state to state. Uniformed officers have different expectations than highway patrolmen or detectives.  I’ve researched weapons, poisons, gangs, criminal behavior, serial killers, etc. I don’t think anyone can know everything so this research is important to my characters and my stories. I’ve been known to “find” my next story by researching for a current project.

I research for my romantic comedies, too. It’s fun to explore new locations and careers so that my characters have something to do. I didn’t have canaries at the time but, when I wrote Satin Pleasures, I researched canary breeding. I had intended the heroine to breed canaries when I started the project. Ultimately, I didn’t use everything I researched because it just didn’t fit the story. The breeding season didn’t mesh with the story time frame. However, she did have a pair of canoodling canaries named Anthony and Cleopatra that added a cute element to the story. I already knew what her daily schedule would be like because I worked in mall management.

I’m in “research mode” most of the time. I’m constantly watching people and situations, picking up on mannerisms, learning about people’s lives. Yeah, I know. Some of you are now hiding behind the pillar in this coffee shop now! I’m not that blatant. Really!  Sometimes, this kind of research provides the story. I draw ideas from my surroundings, articles I read, television programs, news…well, pretty much everything I see, hear, or do is fodder for stories.  I’m a “what if?” kind of writer.  Satin Pleasures was “born” in a traffic jam in the middle of the San Mateo Bridge that spans San Francisco Bay. I love personal research!

Q. What made you pick your particular genres?

I write both romantic comedies and romantic suspense now but I grew into the two genres. I started out in traditional (sweet) romance because that’s what I was reading then. “Traditional” is the romance that doesn’t go beyond the bedroom door. Heroes tend to be alpha males, while heroines are less independent. At the time I was reading them, the heroines were often virgins.

It didn’t take me long, though, to move into contemporaries (sexier, less traditional characters) where I found my niche.  I wrote short contemporaries for a long time but was unable to put the right story on the right desk at the right time. Editors enjoyed my stories. I simply fell through cracks of publisher line closures and editorial staff changes.

I finally moved into suspense. Interestingly enough, most of my contemporaries had elements of suspense in them so when I decided to turn my attention to writing suspense, I fell in love all over again. I have always had a strong sense of justice and these stories fit my need to mete out that justice. J

In the midst of writing my current suspense, I decided to pull out one of my older contemporaries and my romantic comedy career was reborn. I like taking a break between serial killers with a cute contemporary – okay, the real truth is that my critique partners told me I had to write something lighter, or they were going to kill me J – so I now have two alter egos. I write romantic comedy as Karen Docter, and romantic suspense as K.L. Docter.

Q. What are you working on right now? Can you tell us about it?

I’m currently working on the first book about six brothers in my Thorne’s Thorns series, Killing Secrets. Police officer Ross Thorne, and his wife, Evelyn, only had one natural born son. But they also fostered five troubled boys into adulthood.  All of the boys were enough trouble at one time or another, they quickly became known as Thorne’s Thorns. The six brothers are now grown.  Each is strong, masculine, and making his own mark on the world.  I’m throwing a little, okay, a lot of danger their way and introducing each to the one woman they are destined to love and protect.  Patrick Thorne, the Thorne’s natural born son, launches the series in Killing Secrets. (Available on Kindle August 15, 2013)

Q. Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

I seldom write myself into a corner these days. Long ago, when I first started, I was a pantser. I got up every morning and wrote by the seat of my pants, whatever came to me that day. I wrote my first two novels this way, and then spent years in revision. I learned that I needed to plot my stories. This is a hard sell for pantsers. I eventually learned The “W” Plot method, which allowed me to do just enough plotting to stay on track and not write myself into a corner without making my muse run home to Mama. 

I loved the technique so much I taught a workshop, The “W” Plot…Or The Other White Meat for Plotters©, for over twelve years. If anyone’s interested in learning a versatile plotting technique that seems to resonate with both plotters and pantser alike, you can find the lectures on either of my websites.

I sometimes find a scene I plotted won’t work for me as outlined, and that is frustrating, but I find that most times it’s not the scene that isn’t working but my approach. I know my characters really well before I get too far into a story so, more often than not, I find a scene isn’t working because I’m trying to write the scene from my POV (point of view) and not the POV of the character. They do balk when I try to make them do something they don’t want to do. Cheeky characters!

Okay…enough with the business questions! How about some fun stuff. You know, just between the two of us.

Q. The opportunity to go on a surprise vacation arises. You have 90 minutes to pack and get to the airport. Where will you go and what will you pack?

Maui. Hands down, my favorite vacations have all taken place there. I didn’t know how anyone found a vacation relaxing until I’d spent some time there. I’d pack my swimsuit and two sarongs (one to wear and one to rinse), plenty of sunscreen, and my laptop. My muse loves to write outdoors and a lanai on Maui is the ultimate heaven on earth.

Q. Are you more likely to be spotlighted on the TV show Hoarders or Fashion Police?

Fashion Police.  I hate shopping and often just throw on anything to cover my body. I’ve never followed fashions.  I’ve made an attempt to buy a few items to wear to author events but, ask me when it’s appropriate to wear white, and I’ll look at you with a deer in the headlight stare. I do not have a model body, or any height. Buying clothes for me has been a nightmare my entire life. And shoes? Pshaw! I have two pairs. Sneakers for exercise and flats for “going out”. I’m in my bare feet 360 days a year. Yes, even in the middle of one of Colorado’s winters. Fashion just hasn’t meant all that much to me.

Q. If they make a movie about your life, who do you want to play your part?

Oh! This has already been done…Kathleen Turner in ROMANCING THE STONE. I’m that dweeby, focused, isolated romance writer who only goes out into the world when she’s forced. J  I can be the adventurous Joan Wilder when the situation allows but the trick is to drag me out of the house. Anything that demands shoes and clothing is a hard sell.

It took her sister’s danger to drag Joan out of her life. I’m the same way with my family and friends.  I’d do just about anything for them.

Q. Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

I love fishing and camping. It’s another of those ways to get me out of the house. There’s something magical about being in the Rocky Mountains near my home in Denver.  I do my best writing when I’m outside. I’m truly inspired with the breeze brushing through the aspen trees, listening to the chatter of blue jays, breathing the pine scented air. I love the process of fishing almost as much as catching a fish. It’s peaceful and satisfying. Getting up in the dark without an alarm is not a problem for me when I’m near a fishing hole. Sadly, there aren’t as many fishing/camping situations in Colorado as I’d like. So we end up doing more camping than fishing. But, that’s okay. When I’m not fishing, I’m writing.

 

Bio:

Karen Docter writes two different kinds of romance novels….

Books of Danger, Romantic Suspense as K.L. Docter: Women hunted by killers…men who’d die to protect them. (www.kldocter.com)

Books of Heat, Romantic Comedy: Romance…With a Kick of Humor! (www.karendocter.com)

Karen’s contemporaries are cute and spicy, romantic comedies. She loves writing about real men and women with dreams and goals that don’t allow for a relationship just so she can throw them in each other’s path…with a tickle and a smile. Satin Pleasures, one of her four Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Best Short Contemporary finalist novels, debuted on Amazon February 2012. Her Christmas novella, Catch That Santa, was released November 2012.

Her romantic suspense novels are also filled with heat, although the dangers the hero and heroine face are intense, usually because a serial killer is bent on ending one or both of their lives before they can fall in love. These are psychological, woman-in-jeopardy stories. Killing Secrets, the first of her Thorne’s Thorns series about six brothers and the women they’d die to protect, is scheduled to be released August 2013.

Karen enjoys writing both sides of the line between light and dark romance. When she’s not saving her characters or helping them fall in love, she loves camping and fishing with her family, reading, gardening & cooking. If she can do most of those things over a campfire, all the better!

[image error]Killing Secrets Blurb:

Rachel James finally escapes her brutally controlling, con man ex-husband when she provides the FBI the proof they need to prosecute him. Unable to find the money, he’s incarcerated as a flight risk until the trial. But somehow, the prosecutor’s proof disappears before the trial date and he’s released. Frightened, knowing he’s determined to reclaim Rachel and his little girl – his key to the James fortune – Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to jail.

Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his mother’s charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. As the second anniversary of her death approaches, he’s determined to put the past behind him.  It’s time to concentrate on the contracting bid he’s won and identify the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm before he kills him.

There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.

 

KILLING SECRETS
By Karen Docter

Four weeks….
Two days….
Sixteen hours….
…‘Til death.

The first time he laid eyes on her, he stood on the threshold of a doorway he dare not cross.  He fell into her fathomless dark gaze, unable, unwilling to shake his soul free and, in that one moment, he knew. 

She was meant for him to love.

Untouched by the sordid life that flourished around her, she was sunlight in a gray existence.  A smile in a dingy room.  A joy such as he’d never known.  She was a gift from a cold, unforgiving God.  Forever innocent.

Why God would give him such a precious angel, he didn’t know.  But he suddenly knew what he was willing to die for.  What he’d kill for.

In that instant of clarity the monster that lurked in the dark recesses of his mind was freed.  A creature designed to kill.  To live and die.  Over and over again.  Until his angel ascended once more to her place in Heaven at God’s feet where he couldn’t reach her. 

‘Til death parted them, she was his and his alone.

Certain she’d been lost to him forever, the shock of spotting her again in LoDo, a lower downtown section of Denver, nearly brought him to his knees.  His brain tried to tell him he was mistaken.  She had more curves than he remembered.  Her hairstyle and clothes were different. 

The others were different, too. 

He shook his head against the monster’s treacherous whisper.  He refused to listen.  Couldn’t listen. This time, when his angel smiled at him, his soul recognized her.  Somehow, some way, his fractious God had been appeased and given him yet another chance.

The past seven days were hell.  Watching her.  Wanting to take her.  Knowing he couldn’t screw up and lose her again.  Tonight, his preparations in place, she’d return to his side where she belonged.  And this time, he wouldn’t let her go.  

Breathing slow and measured through the full-face ski mask he’d bought at a thrift store, he sucked in a lungful of musty stench.  In this uncommon late-May heat wave, he was sweating bullets but the wool soaked it up before it could sting his eyes.  The itching would drive him insane, though, if she didn’t come home from work soon.

The LoDo sports bar where she waited tables closed almost an hour ago.  She couldn’t have gone on a date at two o’clock on a Thursday morning, could she?

Three times he’d entered her ground floor apartment after she’d left for work, and he’d seen no sign she was involved with anyone.  No jockey shorts mixed with her panties in the hamper.  No extra razor.  The food in the refrigerator wasn’t enough to feed a cat, let alone her and a boyfriend, and the only scent on her pillows was floral.  The sole message from a male on her answering machine had identified himself as a special research librarian from the Denver Public Library reminding her to pick up the copy of “The Warwick Genealogy” she’d requested.

That doesn’t mean she isn’t still involved with him, the almighty scion of Thorne Enterprises.  She’s probably crawling into his bed like a whore right this minute, letting him do things to her, making her scream….

Screams.

Blood. 

Death. 

“No!  Stop!  That didn’t happen,” he whispered. “That was a mistake!”

Was it?  The insidious question lashed him from the dark place in his pounding skull.

He rejected the smirking voice, the vivid images.  Think of something else.  Anything else.  Forgetforgetfor—

A car alarm screamed in an outlying parking lot and dragged him out of his fugue.  His eyes cleared.  The pain behind them eased to a level he’d learned to carry over the years.  He took a deep breath to smother his panic.

Soon, he would kill the nightmares forever.  Patrick Thorne would die and the secrets with him.  But the contractor hadn’t been punished enough yet.  Before he finished, he’d ruin Thorne’s reputation, his livelihood, and destroy everything he loved most in the world. 

Just as Thorne destroyed our life.  The man must die! Now!

Restless to escape its bonds the monster thrust knife-hot pain into his brain, but he wrestled it back into the shadows and locked it down.  Retribution was almost at hand, but not tonight.  This night was about her.

Where the hell was she?

There!  Her tennis shoes slapped the sidewalk as she approached.  He caught a flash of uniform—shorts and sports shirt, both too tight for decency.  Then she walked out of the weak light that pooled across the commons into the dark well that led to her door.  Her building superintendent had replaced her broken porch light this morning, but he’d smashed it again.  He smiled when she cursed someone named Ronnie.

With a jingle of keys, she passed the niche he’d carved for himself in the shrubs.  A punch of adrenaline surged through him, made him lightheaded with anticipation.  He shook the buzz from his head and crashed out of the bushes with more noise than he intended. 

Her head snapped left.  She shot a glance over her shoulder.  Her eyes widened.  She lunged for the safety of her door.

He chased after her, grabbed her by the throat.  A squeeze of her windpipe cut off her scream.  He didn’t want to damage her too much.  He just needed to get her alone. 

To atone.  To give him another chance. 

With her soft body pressed against him, he groaned with pleasure.  It had been so long!  For a moment he forgot his purpose, lost in the new scent of her, in the innocent softness of her curves against him.  Her breasts were full beneath his forearm.  The sweet curve of her bottom cradled his stiff penis.  With another groan, his grip relaxed.

She screamed.  Struggling, she broke loose of his hold.

Shit!  Reaching out, he snagged her long ponytail and yanked her back hard.  With his other hand, he strangled her next scream into a whimper.  “Do that again,” he grated, “I’ll use my knife.”  The honed blade was secure in his pocket but she didn’t know that.

“I have money,” she croaked.  “Three hundred.  Tips.  In my pocket.  Please!  Don’t—”

“Shh.  Don’t fight me.  Shhh,” he crooned into her hair.  He tugged a chloroform-laced rag from his pants pocket and fitted it over her nose and mouth.  “Just give me another chance, Angel, and everything will be fine.”

This time she’d make the right choice because, God only knew, he’d truly go insane if he had to kill her all over again.

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Satin Pleasures Blurb:

Bustiers, Birds, and the Blues…

Dan McDonald walked away from the American dream, a life full of money, glamorous women and power. Now nothing can lure him back into the corporate death trap. Except…. Dan’s scheming aunt snares him into opening a lingerie shop in Tess Emory’s shopping mall.

Tess is everything Dan has vowed to avoid…sexy, smart, and obsessed with work. Tess is determined to make her life a success and right the wrongs of her past, no matter the cost.

They’re both going to discover that true love breaks all their rules. ** Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Best Short Contemporary Romance Finalist

Satin Pleasures Excerpt:

 
SATIN PLEASURES
By Karen Docter

Chapter One

“Colby, if I’d had that brunette in my bass boat instead of you Aunt Mary would never have talked me off the lake.”  Dan McDonald tore his gaze away from the view in the truck windshield to grin at his dog, affectionately named Colby, after the cheese the German shepherd loved so much.  “Bet she doesn’t kiss like you…the brunette, I mean, not Aunt Mary.”

The dog whined, then attempted to wriggle his massive bulk into his master’s lap.  Dan pushed his muzzle away.  “Phew!  Chances are she doesn’t smell like you, either.”

Colby bared his teeth in a grin.

Dan laughed.  “You won’t think it’s so funny when we reach San Francisco and you get a bath.”  He considered the stalled traffic.  “That’s assuming we get across the bay.”

A fully loaded semi had jackknifed across both lanes of the westbound bridge and wedged in tighter than a cork in a genie’s bottle.  The truck was to be dismantled for removal, the freight unloaded, and there appeared to be a debate as to which part of the process should be completed first.

He smiled at the speed with which the shock wave of information ran down the line of commuters.  Many spilled from their cars to chat.  A few lounged on their hoods, faces raised to the warm March afternoon sun.  A pair of students in Stanford jerseys zipped a fluorescent orange Frisbee between the cars with all the ferocity of Kamikaze pilots.

Dan shook his head when he realized he’d pushed his old life behind him far enough to find amusement in the scene.  He’d come a long way in the past year.  Was it far enough?  He’d been happy—well, content enough—with his solitary lifestyle…until his aunt tracked him down in Florida a couple of weeks ago.

She’d convinced him she and his mother needed him in California through June.  However, he’d had three thousand miles to wonder if his temporary return to the rat race might prove to be the biggest mistake of his life.  His impulse to turn the truck around had grown with each passing mile and he wondered if this traffic snarl was his last chance to save himself. 

He certainly couldn’t complain about his first glimpse of San Francisco Bay.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  The sun stirred bright color into the murky waves and streaked light across mirrored office buildings on the opposite shoreline.  A light, salty breeze gave wing to a variety of raucous sea birds over his head and teased long tendrils of toffee-rich hair out of his brunette’s French twist.

His brunette.

Desire coiled deep in his belly as he watched her wiggle her bottom onto the hood of her car.  With one hand resting on the driver’s side mirror on the open door, she talked briskly into her phone, her expression hidden behind sunglasses.  The straight lemon skirt and fitted jacket she wore accentuated her rich, dark hair, full breasts, and slender waist.  Spiked heels showcased legs long enough to fuel a man’s fantasies for months.  Her hand waving in emphasis to whatever point she was making spoke to Dan of urgent caresses and wild passion.

The blend of cool professionalism and hot sensuality fostered the illusion a man only had to peel away one layer to expose the passionate woman beneath.  He’d never seen a woman who made him feel so needy, so primitive, with barely one look…which is why he hadn’t bothered to pursue a woman since Charlotte Betham opted for her career over him last year.  He might have made an effort to change her mind if she’d turned his crank this way!

Only a caveman would dream of ripping the phone from his lady’s hand.  Only a cretin would throw it into the bay before he dragged her away to his cave for a year or two.  Only a sex-starved man would allow such idiotic impulses to get out of hand.

“Maybe Aunt Mary dragged us back to civilization in time.”  Dan scratched behind his dog’s ears.  “Maybe I should go out on a date or two while we’re here.  Take the edge off.”

Colby barked, and then rested his muzzle on the dashboard, pointing the way.

“No, it won’t be with my sexy brunette.”

The last thing Dan needed in his life was another career woman to tempt him back to the competitive edge like the one he’d ridden in Chicago.  He’d leaped off that fast track without a backward glance—nearly dying did have a way of changing a man’s perspective, after all—but he could still spot a workaholic when he saw one.  He’d lived with one all his life.  First, his father.  More recently, Charlotte and himself.  And since he didn’t know yet if he’d beaten that particular inclination, once and for all, he wasn’t taking any chances.

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Buy links:

Satin Pleasures, Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Satin-Pleasures-Karen-Docter/dp/0988258609/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373572134&sr=1-1

Catch That Santa, Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Catch-That-Santa-ebook/dp/B00ACDF0EG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353766171&sr=1-1&keywords=catch+that+santa

Killing Secrets, Amazon: Available August 15, 2013

Social Media:

K.L. Docter (Romantic Suspense) Website: www.kldocter.com

Karen Docter (Romantic Comedy) Website: www.karendocter.com

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