Special Guest Blogger — Elisabeth Naughton

Hi, all

First, an update on Defiant. I'm deep into polishing the manuscript and working out all the kinks. I've been very focused on it at the expense of many things, but I am enjoying it, which is wonderful. I'm very excited to share this book with all of you.

In the meantime, I've asked author Elisabeth Naughton to come talk with us about her latest release, Wait for Me, and her love of reunion stories. I've written only one reunion story — Unlawful Contact — but that seems to be a favorite. So what is it about lovers getting a second chance that we cherish so much?

Here is Elisabeth to share her thoughts...

Thanks so much to Pamela for having me here today!

I have been a fan of reunion stories as long as I can remember. My very favorite is Paradise, by Judith McNaught. For those that haven't read it (and you should!) it's a book about a man and woman who meet when the heroine is still a teenager. They have an intense fling, get married on a whim and find their relationship torn apart by time and distance. Years later, they meet up again, and that's when the real story starts—as the lies and betrayals they each thought were true in the past are seen in a whole new light.

While I love reading reunion stories, writing them is an entirely different story. The toughest books I've ever written have been reunion stories—STOLEN HEAT, ENTWINED, ENRAPTURED—primarily because there's so much angst from the past an author has to convey to the reader in order to make them work. Every time I write one, I complain to my critique partner and make her promise to slap me upside the head if I start to write another. She agrees. Then forgets. And months later I find myself ready to tear my eyelashes out as I'm stuck in the middle of yet another one. It really is like a sickness – I love them so much I can't stop writing them. But at the same time they test my writing patience and push me to the limit. The only consolation is that at the end—when it's all said and done—those reunion stories are my favorite books that I've written to date.

WAIT FOR ME is one such book. It's a romantic suspense about a happily married man—Ryan Harrison—whose life is torn apart when his wife is killed in an accident. The book opens five years later with Ryan's life being turned upside down—yet again—when a woman who looks just like his deceased wife shows up on his doorstep. It's angsty, it's emotional, and it's filled with romance and mystery as the two work together to find answers as to what really happened five years before. And even though it was a very hard book for me to write, it is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorites.

Are you a fan of reunion stories? What do you like about them? I'm giving away a copy of WAIT FOR ME to one lucky commenter today!

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A woman without a past…



After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn't feel right. She's had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can't be anyone but a daughter Kate didn't know she had.



A man desperate for a reason to live…



Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he'd give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.



Two lives about to converge.



As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn't remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can't explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she's supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they've both been searching for is finally within reach.

"Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read."
—Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick
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A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.